Guest facilities are buildings designed to fulfil a guest's needs. In many cases they need power to function. If they have scenery associated with them then the guests and any staff that work there will have their happiness improved.
Zoo Entrance
Zoo entrances determine the location at which guests enter and leave the zoo. They also act as a useful starting power source that guests don't mind being near. Selecting a zoo entrance displays its info panel, and this can be used to set ticket prices for adults and children.
Additional zoo entrances can be built to distribute guests more evenly in large zoos. Guests must pass through a Zoo Entrance gate in order to purchase a ticket and freely move through, enter or exit your zoo.
Food Shops
Each food shop sells a different type of food, some of which may be more appropriate to the climate of the zoo. For example, guests will become happier after eating warm food in a cold climate. Food shops need both power and a vendor to function.
Drink Shops
Each drink shop sells a different type of drink, some of which may be more appropriate to the climate of the zoo. For example, guests will become happier after a cold drink in a hot climate. Drink shops need both power and a vendor to function.
Restaurants
Building a restaurant is a great way to satisfy your guests hunger and thirst needs whilst giving them some much needed rest. Guests who use restaurants will leave happy, with full bellies and full bladders, so don't forget to build a toilet block nearby.
Souvenir Shops*
Each souvenir shop sells a different type of souvenir and guests are willing to spend more money on souvenirs when they are happy.
*Souvenir shops will be coming to Planet Zoo: Console Edition post launch.
Toilets
Toilets provide a place for guests to address their toilet need. If you like, you can choose to charge guests for this privilege. Toilets need power and also periodic cleaning by a caretaker.
Once toilets become dirty they will emit a green stench. This will make nearby guests feel unhappy and can make them sick. Toilets in this state are unusable.
Vending Machines
Vending Machines can be placed down instead of food and drink shops. Vending Machines are a cheap alternative to shops, however, items purchased from Vending Machines don't satisfy a guest's hunger or drink need as much as an item bought from a shop.
Items in a Vending Machine cannot be customised like they can when sold by a shop. Vending Machines also require power and will breakdown so need to be maintained by mechanics.
Information Centres
Information centres are locations where guests can purchase:
- Umbrellas - help protect the guest against rain and snow.
- Audio guides - help improve a guest's education level.
- Adoption packs - generate the zoo a sizeable income and are based on guests being happy with seeing specific animals.
Information centres need both power and a vendor to function.
Donation Points
Donation boxes are essential to the finances of a zoo. They provide a point at which guests can make a donation towards a species they have recently seen. To be successful this means that the donation box must be near the viewing point of a habitat. The more enjoyable the viewing experience a guest has had the more likely guests are to donate – and the greater the donations will be.
Donation boxes do not need power but must be placed on a path.
ATMs
ATMs allow guests to withdraw additional cash when they are close to running out. Guests that have run out of cash will no longer be able to make purchases, meaning that ATMs have a critical role to play in larger zoos in order to maintain cash flow. It is possible to charge guests for use of the ATM, however setting this value too high will make them unhappy.
ATMs must be placed on a path and have power to function.
Benches and bins
Benches
As guests move around the zoo they become tired and their energy levels start to fall. When placed on an accessible path a bench can provide a method for guests to take a breather and regain energy.
Picnic benches provide a location for guests to both rest and eat, and are therefore ideally placed near food and drink shops.
Both types of benches can be vandalised and this will stop them from working.
Bins
Bins can help reduce the litter in a zoo. Guests will use a bin rather than deposit litter onto a path or into a habitat. Bins fill up over time and will overflow if not emptied by a caretaker.
Recycling bins work in the same way as a normal bin, but have one key benefit and one downside; they boost the zoo's conservation rating at the cost of taking longer for caretakers to empty.
Bins can be vandalised and this will stop them from working.