Disney Foodie’s Guide to Animal Kingdom
In the latest edition of the Foodie’s Guide to Walt Disney World, we’re up to the third of Disney’s four theme parks. With all due respect to Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we’ve entered a higher class of cuisine now. I believe that the international flavors on display here are second only to Epcot. Here’s the Disney’s foodie’s guide to Animal Kingdom.
Quick Service
When you get the munchies at Animal Kingdom, don’t be afraid to nosh. Several pop-up and counter service joints at this park are worth your time. I’m only discussing the major ones today, but the food trucks and popcorn stands here are all worth your time and hard-earned money.
I cannot emphasize enough the quality of the cuisine at Animal Kingdom. The park has themed lands that are countries (Asia and Africa), forgotten realms (DinoLand U.S.A.), and even fictional planets (Pandora – The World of Avatar). The variance of cuisines available at these places boggles my tiny brain. I’m listing the options alphabetically here, but I previously ranked my choices for Best Quick Service options at Animal Kingdom for interested parties.
Flame Tree Barbecue
I go hog wild at this place, primarily because the menu is all about delicious pig flavors. Virtually everything here is pork in some way. Entrees include St. Louis Ribs, Pulled Pork, and some chicken dinners. You can combine all three on a platter, too. Flame Tree Barbecue serves some of the tastiest savory meals at Walt Disney World, and its sauces are excellent. I’ve never had a bad meal here nor do I believe such a thing is possible.
Harambe Market
This restaurant was once the bowl capital of Animal Kingdom. That title has since been usurped by the final Quick Service restaurant we’ll discuss, but Harambe Market is still aces. The African stews available here will blow your mind. A couple of gyros are also on the menu. They’re spicy and feature a Tzatziki Sauce that you’ll adore. Plus, these meals are served with African Coleslaw, which tastes unlike any coleslaw you’ve ever had before. For a Quick Service restaurant, the cuisine here is remarkably deep and satisfying.
Pizzafari
This place sells pizza. There’s no point in getting cute about it. Flatbreads dominate the menu, although the Garlic Knots are noteworthy, too. I equate the entire meal to grabbing a slice at Little Caesar’s. Don’t get me wrong. I like Little Caesar’s, but I certainly wouldn’t pick it over all the other magnificent options at Animal Kingdom. Foodies can and should do a lot better than Pizzafari.
Restaurantosaurus
While I prefer Restaurantosaurus, the same criticisms apply here. Paleolithic burgers are the main course here, and they’re fairly decent, at least by Quick Service restaurant standards. The Black Bean Burger is especially good for its kind, and people sick of burgers could try the Breaded Shrimp as well. Again, I’ve got nothing against the place and have eaten here several times. I just don’t think it’s a good choice at Animal Kingdom.
Satu’li Canteen
Since the summer of 2017, Pandora – The World of Avatar has hosted the best Quick Service restaurant at the park…and arguably all Disney parks. As referenced earlier, the bowls here are the most exquisite at Animal Kingdom. I’d go so far as to say that no place in Florida serves a tastier stew than Satu’li Canteen.
I’ll spare you the “out of this world flavors” pun, but I will stress that Imagineers had a hand in crafting the menu here. They wanted tastes that you wouldn’t find at standard theme parks. Satu’li Canteen entrees feature an explosion of flavors that will cause you to reconsider why you’d ever eaten at a Table Service establishment when food this good is available for cheap.
Photo Credit: wdwbound.com
Table Service
The sit-down meals at Animal Kingdom are kind of weird. Technically, the park hosts only three Table Service restaurants along with a special entrant, a Signature Dining experience. Out of the three sit-down meals, one is a hard pass for all but the most touristy of tourists. The other two, well, they’re as good as it gets.
Rainforest Café
Disney rarely brokers agreements with franchises, but they’ve made an exception for Landry’s, Inc. The company owned by reality television star Tilman Fertitta is most famous for this chain, Rainforest Café, although it owns others. In fact, another popular eatery at Disney Springs, T-Rex, is a Landry’s, Inc. establishment, too. Rainforest Café has a property at Disney Springs as well. Then, there’s this one right at the entrance to Animal Kingdom.
What do I tell friends about it? “Keep walking.” Whether you’re entering the park or ready to head out, you shouldn’t pick this generic chain restaurant for your meal. While the interior theming is aquatic excellence, the cuisine is so bland that calling it a café seems generous. Like with Pizzafari, you’re settling when you eat here.
Tusker House Restaurant
Conversely, when you ask Disney guests to name their favorite meals at Animal Kingdom, one of the first answers you’re likely to hear is Tusker House. It’s a remarkable combination of adorable character meal and decadent flavors. The character meal is hosted by Safari Donald Duck and features several other Disney favorites wearing safari outfits. And yes, one of them is Mickey Mouse!
The food here features flavors that only foodies know. Depending on when you dine here, you could eat bobotie, basmati rice, fruit chutney, specialty meats, or African vegetarian options. Also, I kid you not, one of the menu items on the All You Care to Enjoy buffet is “curries.” Yes, this place cooks so many different curry recipes that it doesn’t bother to list them individually. Fans of spicy food will adore Tusker House. And they’ll get to Mickey Mouse, too!
Yak & Yeti Restaurant
Remember how I just buried Rainforest Café? Here’s one of the quirks of Animal Kingdom. Landry’s, Inc. owns and operates two restaurants at the park. One of them is mediocrity defined. The other, Yak & Yeti, is the kind of place that turns regular eaters into diehard foodies. I have watched casual diners lick their fingers happily at the end of a meal here…and it’s not really a place where you’re supposed to use your fingers to eat.
Yak & Yeti’s Small Plates and Shareables are some of the most delectable bites at Walt Disney World. My family swears by and fights over the Pork Pot Stickers. This place is the third server of wondrous bowls, also. The entrees are extensive in scope, as is usually the case with third-party vendors at Disney.
Fish fans, in particular, will be pleasantly surprised, but the star here is the Honey Chicken, now and forever. You really can’t go wrong with anything here. You may get your heart broken on occasion, though. The menu gets updated relatively often, with some favorites bouncing in and out of availability.
Signature Dining
There’s only one Signature Dining experience at Animal Kingdom, although you could catch a bus to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge for another. That’s a subject for a different foodie guide update, though. When you’re in the mood for fine dining inside the park, you have but one choice.
Tiffins Restaurant
My opinion of Tiffins Restaurant is decidedly mixed. Don’t get me wrong. You’ll get your money’s worth when you eat here. That’s especially true when you combine your meal with special seating to Rivers of Light, the nighttime exhibition at Animal Kingdom.
Dining packages are only available at two restaurants, Tiffins and Tusker House. I would slightly favor the former since Tusker House costs $58.58 per person anyway. You might as well get a better meal with your package. At Tiffins, you’ll get to decide your own pricing as well.
One of the ways you can tell the quality of a meal is by the ingredients. At Tiffins, Wagyu beef, lobster tail, lamb, and octopus are all possibilities. Comfort food is on the menu, also. You can order Chicken and Waffle or Shrimp and Grits here. As Iron Chef Morimoto says, there are no rules in cooking. You’ll appreciate that philosophy when you gaze at the menu here. Whether you want short rib, halibut, or something called sadza (google it!), they serve it at Tiffins….and it’s delicious!
The primary downside of Tiffins is its Signature Dining designation. It costs two entitlements under the Disney Dining Plan, with Disney suggesting that the average meal will cost $35-$59.99 per person. I believe that you’ll find similarly outstanding cuisine at cheaper restaurants, mainly Yak & Yeti. Judging from this list, you should appreciate that several of your options at Animal Kingdom are exceptional. Save for the ones I’ve highlighted, you can safely expect daring cuisine that will tantalize your taste buds.
