A few things:
1) There are two secret paths being spoken of which may be confusing the OP. One is truly "secret" (as in you aren't supposed to go down it, but many do) and that's the one by the smoking section. The other is not secret. Half of it is a path and the other half is the exit to "Bug's Life". To get to the not so secret but amazing photo op path, as you enter AK, go around discovery island toward Africa. Turn right right before the bridge to Africa and you're on the path. Or similarly, if you are on Discovery Island heading toward Asia, turn left right before the bridge (almost directly across from the ice cream cart located right before the bridge). I recommend using the route from just before the Africa bridge because when It's Tough to be a Bug lets out, the traffic will flow with you rather than against you.
2) Don't overlook Pangani Forest Exploration Trail and Maharaja Jungle Trek. This is where you can see most of the animals. Also, Flights of Wonder should not be overlooked either. I enjoy this show immensely. You'll learn more about birds of prey than you ever thought possible.
3) Along the same "not so secret" path behind the Tree of Life, look for Jane Goodall's Chimp carved into the trunk of the Tree of Life right outside the doors to the It's Tough to Be a Bug exit. The chimp was dedicated to her.
4) If you go out to Rafiki's Planet Watch (yawn), look for hidden Mickeys in the mural inside the entrance of the building. There's tons of them and they are hard to see at first!
5) Devine can be seen throughout the park anywhere there are vines. Ask a cast member about where you might find her when you go.
6) If you get there at opening, there are often characters and cast members just inside the entrance. The cast members may have small critters like snakes and trantulas that you can actually touch. (Of course, you are probably going to rush right by them in your quest to get on the Safari ride...).
7) DIRECTIONS TO THE SAFARI: It's not hard. You'll be following the herd pretty much. Go straight through the Oasis (there's no straight shot here, but do your best), over the bridge to Discovery Island, take a left to go around the left side of the tree of life, cross the bridge to Africa, go straight back. Towards the back, there will be signs and cast members pointing toward the safari.
8) SLOW DOWN. I think a lot of people don't appreciate DAK because they are in theme park mode and want to get into all the attractions. To be honest, there's not a ton of attractions at DAK, so I don't see the need to rush... especially with the availability of fastpass for most of the rides. See the shows. Enjoy the nature trails. Spend a lot of time exploring the area around the Tree of Life. There's galapagos tortoises, otters, gazelles, and many kinds of birds (among other things) to be seen here. The oasis entrance to the park was created to slow you down and put you into a discovery mode. Let it do that and become an explorer.
