Animal Kingdom

Rainforest Cafe Review at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park

by josh on March 9, 2010

Wondering how Rainforest Cafe stacks up against the other Animal Kingdom Table Service Restaurants? Check out The Best Animal Kingdom Sit Down Restaurants for a comparison of the three Animal Kingdom restaurants in a variety of categories including Most Unique Menu, Best Value on the Disney Dining Plan, Best Value Out of Pocket, Best Atmosphere, Best Food, and Best Overall Restaurant.

Food Type: American – A great variety of burgers, sandwiches, seafood, steaks, and chicken.

Dining Plan: The Rainforest Café is not on the Regular Dining Plan or the Deluxe Dining Plan, but it is on the Premium Dining Plan and Platinum Dining Plan.

Cost:  Appetizers: $9-$17.  Entrée: $13-$37.  Lunch and Dinner Menu are the same.  Breakfast: $10-$14.

Setting: If you’ve been to a Rainforest Café then the setting will be familiar.  If not, the Rainforest Café takes the idea of a themed restaurant to a whole new level.  The restaurant is decked out with trees, vegetation, waterfalls, and animatronic jungle animals that not only make sounds, but talk as well.  The sky booms with thunder and lightning and live fish swim in aquarium sized tanks throughout the restaurant.  All in all, the Rainforest Café is definitely a sight to be seen.

Advantages: The theming eclipses even the best Disney has to offer.  Fun atmosphere for kids and adults.  Wraps and burgers are moderately priced and taste good.  Service is generally better than other Rainforest locations.  You can enter through the gift shop and take a look around the restaurant without eating.

Disadvantages: Extremely noisy.  Expensive for what equates to basically TGI Friday’s quality food.  Not on the Dining Plan.  Young children may be frightened by the loud noises.  Rainforest Café is located at the front of the Animal Kingdom, which means it may be a long walk from the back of the Park.  You’ll want to plan accordingly.

Value: Average.  People will tell you the Rainforest Café is overpriced, but you’re paying for the animatronics as much as the food.  Sure, it’s basically Applebee’s with robot animals, but kids will love it and most adults enjoy the fun as well.  A half pound burger with bacon for $14 or so isn’t out of this world expensive, either.  The quality of the ingredients on the more expensive specialty items doesn’t justify the high prices.

Reputation: If you don’t have a Rainforest Café near you and aren’t on the Dining Plan then this may be a great choice, especially for those with kids who will appreciate the surroundings.  If you have a Rainforest nearby then you might want to save this for a later date as there is plenty of other fun stuff going on at Disney World to keep kids occupied.  Rainforest’s food is generally average at best, especially once you start ordering specialty items like the paella or crab cakes.  I would stick to the burgers and wraps, both for cost effectiveness and meal quality.  Also, take into consideration that the T-Rex restaurant at Downtown Disney is owned by the same company and is more unique and themed even more extravagantly.

Overall Rank on The Best Animal Kingdom Sit Down Restaurants: 3rd out of 3

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Tusker House Buffet Review at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park

by josh on March 9, 2010

Wondering how Tusker House stacks up against the other Animal Kingdom Table Service Restaurants? Check out The Best Animal Kingdom Sit Down Restaurants for a comparison of the three Animal Kingdom restaurants in a variety of categories including Most Unique Menu, Best Value on the Disney Dining Plan, Best Value Out of Pocket, Best Atmosphere, Best Food, and Best Overall Restaurant.

Food Type: Buffet

Dining Plan: 1 Table Service

Cost:

Breakfast: $19.99 for adults and $10.99 for children

Lunch: $19.99 for adults and $10.99 for children

Dinner: $26.99 for adults and $12.99 for children

Setting: Tusker House used to be a counter service, but has recently (2008) been converted to a buffet.  Breakfast is a character meal with Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and Mickey dressed up for an African Safari.  Be aware that Donald poses for pictures before you are seated and may not come to the table until the final breakfast guests have arrived, if at all.  Only breakfast is a character meal, so no characters will be present at lunch or dinner.  The restaurant is not housed in a particularly exciting building, but there are African artifacts and paintings on the walls.

Advantages: Food and service are excellent for a Disney buffet.  Wide variety of food, including traditional favorites and African specialties.  Characters at breakfast are fun and interaction shouldn’t be rushed.  Juices are great.  A few dollars cheaper than other buffets.  If you have an early breakfast reservation (before 9am) you can enter  the Park early and get some great pictures with no one else around.

Disadvantages: That professional picture taken with Donald costs $30, but you can take your own too.  The restaurant is at the back of the Park, which can mean a long walk if you’re going straight there early in the morning.  Not the most kid-friendly buffet as far as food is concerned, but there should be plenty to eat even for the most unadventurous.

Value: Above average.  Tusker House is a little less expensive than many of the other buffets on property and the food and service are generally better.  It’s similar in its offerings to the popular Boma buffet at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and more convenient for those who aren’t staying there.

Reputation: Tusker House isn’t particularly popular, probably because it’s still sort of new and the name doesn’t exactly scream excitement.  Had they named this “Chef Mickey’s at Animal Kingdom,” it would probably be sold out just like Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary Resort.  You can take advantage of this though, because the food and service at Tusker are among the best of any buffet at Disney.  It’s also a bit quieter and there’s more space at the buffet lines and around the tables than at some of the other buffets.  Getting an 8AM reservation is fun because it will allow you to enter the park early and take some photographs without anyone else around.  Be aware though that there is a path you must follow and you can’t just walk around the Park freely.  Nonetheless, you’ll walk by some great spots including the Tree of Life and if you can finish up around 9AM you’re in a great location to get on the safari ride and then make your way to Expedition Everest.  Overall, Tusker House is a great buffet at any time of day and you should be able to get a reservation without much trouble.

Overall Rank on The Best Animal Kingdom Sit Down Restaurants: 2nd out of 3

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Yak & Yeti Table Service Restaurant Review at Disney

by josh on March 9, 2010

Wondering how Yak & Yeti stacks up against the other Animal Kingdom Table Service Restaurants? Check out The Best Animal Kingdom Sit Down Restaurants for a comparison of the three Animal Kingdom restaurants in a variety of categories including Most Unique Menu, Best Value on the Disney Dining Plan, Best Value Out of Pocket, Best Atmosphere, Best Food, and Best Overall Restaurant.

Food Type: Asian

Dining Plan: 1 Table Service

Cost:  Appetizers: $5-$14.   Entrées: $14-$25.  Just one menu for lunch and dinner.

Setting: Yak & Yeti is one of the newer restaurants at Disney World.  Disney describes it as “Beautifully decorated with Nepalese artistic touches and sand-washed hues.  Yak & Yeti Restaurant features an array of artifacts from the collection ‘the proprietor’ and his family amassed from their travels across Southeast Asia.”  The restaurant is full of interesting statues, relics, paintings, and art and no two spaces in the restaurant feel alike.  Suffice to say, Yak & Yeti is one of the best themed restaurants in all of Disney World and you’ll instantly feel like you’ve left the Animal Kingdom and entered a remote Himalayan sanctuary (complete with restaurant and full bar).

Advantages: The theming is fantastic.  Food is high quality with keen attention to presentation.  Service is usually attentive and knowledgeable.  Strong air-conditioning that feels outstanding on hot, muggy days.  I would suggest the egg rolls, Shaoxing steak and shrimp, and fried wontons for dessert.  The Mah-Mahi and BBQ ribs are both excellent as well.  Beer and cocktail list is better than most restaurants.

Disadvantages: The temperature inside the restaurant can get downright frigid, which may or may not be a good thing.  Kids’ menu is limited.

Value: Above average.  Meals are moderately priced with high quality food and generous portions.  There are several excellent entrées in the $17 range and those on the Dining Plan can opt for the more expensive $25ish entrées if they so choose.

Reputation: I wasn’t thrilled with the Yak & Yeti table service restaurant when it first opened, but like the counter service option it has improved immensely since then.  The décor has always been excellent and now the food and service are on a similarly high level.  Animal Kingdom has some excellent dining choices.  Since most of the rides and attractions at the Animal Kingdom can be “done” in one day, many guests will only eat at one or two of the restaurants.  Plus, since the Park usually closes around 5PM, it also makes sense to Park hop and make a later reservation at Epcot or get on an Animal Kingdom Resort bus and eat at one of the fantastic restaurants there.  Overall, Yak & Yeti stands up pretty well against many of the Epcot restaurants as well as those at the Animal Kingdom Resort.  If you’ve done Teppan Edo, Boma, and others in the past, I would strongly recommend Yak & Yeti as a great alternative.

Overall Rank on The Best Animal Kingdom Sit Down Restaurants: 1st out of 3

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Flame Tree Barbeque Review at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

by josh on March 9, 2010

Wondering how Flame Tree Barbecue stacks up against the other Animal Kingdom Counter Service Locations? Check out The Best Animal Kingdom Quick Counter Service Locations for a comparison of the five Animal Kingdom counter services in a variety of categories including Most Unique Menu, Best Value on the Disney Dining Plan, Best Value Out of Pocket, Best Seating, Best Food, and Best Overall Counter Service.

Food Type: Barbecue

Dining Plan: One Quick Service or One Snack

Cost: Entrées: $6-$11

Unique Items: The menu is not necessarily unique, but the food is uniquely better than just about everywhere else on property.

Advantages: Flame Tree’s barbecue is the best Disney has to offer.  Most entrées are large enough to share.  The sweet tea is much more refreshing than the usual soda and juice options.  Fruit plate includes a variety of fresh fruit.  The delicious corn bread muffins are back.

Disadvantages: Birds descend on the outdoor-only seating area like a clip out of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds.”  Seriously, there are birds everywhere, especially if there are (and there will be) people feeding them.   The baked beans leave something to be desired.  Fries or onion rings are extra.

Value: Excellent.  Most of the entrées are big enough to share, especially considering how many other goodies can be found around the Park for those who aren’t stuffed from lunch.  An entrée, drink, and dessert cost as much as $16, making this an excellent value on the Dining Plan as well.

Reputation: This is one of the best counter service meals in any of the Disney Parks.  All of the barbecue options taste good and the portions are large.  The fresh fruit plate is a nice addition to any meal as well.  There really isn’t much else to say.  If you’re looking for a counter service in the Animal Kingdom, I would look up this place first and then stop looking.  Don’t feed the birds though.

Overall Rank on The Best Animal Kingdom Quick Counter Service Locations: 1st out of 5

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Picnic in the Park Review at Disneys Animal Kingdom

by josh on March 9, 2010

Wondering how Picnic in the Park stacks up against the other Animal Kingdom Counter Service Locations? Check out The Best Animal Kingdom Quick Counter Service Locations for a comparison of the five Animal Kingdom counter services in a variety of categories including Most Unique Menu, Best Value on the Disney Dining Plan, Best Value Out of Pocket, Best Seating, Best Food, and Best Overall Counter Service.

Food Type: Sandwiches or Rotisserie Chicken

Dining Plan: One Quick Service Meal Per Person

Cost: Entrées: $8-$10

How It Works: Picnic in the Park is unique in a number of ways.  First, you choose which tier you would like to order from.  The first tier includes one sandwich, one dessert, and one bottle of water per person, along with a varying amount of side dishes depending how many people are eating.  The second tier includes two pieces of rotisserie chicken, one dessert, and one bottle of water per person, along with a varying amount of side dishes depending on how many people are ordering.

The pricing for tier 1 is as follows:

Meal for Two: $17.99, Includes 2 Sandwiches, 1 Side, 2 Desserts, 2 bottles of Dasani water

Meal for Three: $24.99, Includes 3 Sandwiches, 1 Side, 3 Desserts, 3 bottles of Dasani water

Meal for Four: $32.99, Includes 4 Sandwiches, 2 Sides, 4 Desserts, 4 bottles of Dasani water

Meal for Five: $40.99, Includes 5 Sandwiches, 3 Sides, 5 Desserts, 5 bottles of Dasani water

Meal for Six: $48.99, Includes 6 Sandwiches, 4 Sides, 6 Desserts, 6 bottles of Dasani water

The sandwich options include a chicken wrap, ham grinder, turkey foccacia sandwich, tuna pita, or Portobello mushroom and vegetable wrap.  Tier one side choices include chips, coleslaw, seasonal fruit, or tomato cucumber Salad.  Tier two sides include macaroni & cheese, seasonal fruit, mashed potatoes & gravy, tandoori spiced tofu and zucchini squash, and oven-roasted potato wedges.  Dessert options include apple, rice krispie, brownie, cookie, cornbread, and orange.

The pricing for tier 2 is as follows:

Meal for Two: $20.99, includes 4 Pieces of Rotisserie Chicken, 1 Side, 2 Desserts, 2 bottles of Dasani water

Meal for Three: $29.99, includes 6 Pieces of Rotisserie Chicken, 2 Sides, 3 Desserts, 3 bottles of Dasani water

Meal for Four: $38.99, includes 8 Pieces of Rotisserie Chicken, 3 Sides, 4 Desserts, 4 bottles of Dasani water

Meal for Five: $47.99, includes 10 Pieces of Rotisserie Chicken, 4 Sides, 5 Desserts, 5 bottles of Dasani water

Meal for Six: $56.99, includes 12 Pieces of Rotisserie Chicken, 5 Sides, 6 Desserts, 6 bottles of Dasani water

Guests can order the meal and select a time for pickup at either Guest Relations or the Picnic in the Park Desk located near Island Mercantile.  Food is then picked up at an alternate location depending on which tier is chosen.  Tier One is picked up at DinoBites near Restaurantosaurus and Tier Two is picked up at Kusafiri Coffee Shop & Bakery, near Tusker House Restaurant.  Food is packaged in a reusable bag that you can keep and includes plates and utensils.  You will be given a map with the various picnic table locations or can sneak into any counter service seating area.

Advantages: Appears to be healthier than some of the other available meals.  Wide variety of options, especially with larger parties.  You can order when you enter the Park in the morning and pick up the food fresh from another part of the Park later in the day.  Portions are large.  Food is freshly prepared and flavorful.

Disadvantages: This is a “seasonal” offering and may not be available during your trip.  Ordering can be complicated and figuring out where to pick up the food can be confusing if you aren’t familiar with the Park.  Finding a picnic table can be difficult and time consuming, especially as this option gets more popular.  If half of your party wants chicken and the other half wants sandwiches then you will have to make two separate orders and pick them up in completely separate locations.  Waters are tiny, so you will probably want to order additional beverages.

Value: Above average.  There is plenty of fresh, high quality food.  If you have six people then you might consider only ordering for four or five.  At about $10 per person, Picnic in the Park is in line with most of the other quick service meals at the Animal Kingdom.

Reputation: Picnic in the Park is a new idea from Disney and they execute it well.  Unfortunately, it isn’t always available and many of the Park employees aren’t even aware of its existence.  This should hopefully change as Picnic in the Park becomes more popular, but the fact that it’s only occasionally available may slow the learning curve even more.  The other major problem, other than the minuscule water bottles, is the fact that the food is ordered from one location and picked up at several other locations.  This may be a difficult undertaking for those who are not familiar with the Animal Kingdom as the great majority of Disney guests simply stop and eat at whatever place is closest when it’s time for lunch.  All in all, Picnic in the Park can be a fun and unique experience if you plan carefully and are aware of the pickup locations.

Overall Rank on The Best Animal Kingdom Quick Counter Service Locations: 4th out of 5

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Pizzafari Review at Disneys Animal Kingdom

by josh on March 9, 2010

Wondering how Pizzafari stacks up against the other Animal Kingdom Counter Service Locations? Check out The Best Animal Kingdom Quick Counter Service Locations for a comparison of the five Animal Kingdom counter services in a variety of categories including Most Unique Menu, Best Value on the Disney Dining Plan, Best Value Out of Pocket, Best Seating, Best Food, and Best Overall Counter Service.

Food Type: Pizza, Hot Italian Sandwich, Caesar Salad

Dining Plan: One Quick Service or One Snack

Cost: Entrées: $6-$9

Unique Items: None

Advantages: The Hot Italian Style Sandwich (Turkey, ham, swiss and provolone cheese topped with Caesar salad and pesto marinated tomatoes) is delicious.  Plenty of indoor, air-conditioned seating.  Portions are large, especially the sandwich and Caesar salad.

Disadvantages: Although it’s not bad, the pizza isn’t anything to write home about.  The only salad dressing they have is Caesar and salads are pre-dressed.  I would skip the breadsticks.  Kids’ menu is limited.

Value: Average.  If there’s more than one of you I would suggest ordering a few different things and sharing them.  The sandwich, pizza, and Caesar salad are all good and complement each other nicely.

Reputation: Pizzafari is overshadowed by the superior Flame Tree Barbecue, but Pizzafari isn’t a bad choice in its own right.  And let’s be realistic, once your kids find out there’s pizza at the Animal Kingdom you’re going to be coming here anyway.  I don’t usually advocate lying to children, but if you want to eat at Flame Tree you might have to tell them Pizzafari means “Broccoli Palace” in African or something.  Anyway, Pizzafari is a decent stop if you’re in the mood for pizza, salad and sandwiches rather than barbecue.  It may even be a better stop than Flame Tree if you want to get out of the heat or aren’t in the mood to fight off the birds and ducks.

Overall Rank on The Best Animal Kingdom Quick Counter Service Locations: 3rd out of 5

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Restaurantosaurus Counter Service Review at Disneys Animal Kingdom

by josh on March 8, 2010

Wondering how Restaurantosaurus stacks up against the other Animal Kingdom Counter Service Locations? Check out The Best Animal Kingdom Quick Counter Service Locations for a comparison of the five Animal Kingdom counter services in a variety of categories including Most Unique Menu, Best Value on the Disney Dining Plan, Best Value Out of Pocket, Best Seating, Best Food, and Best Overall Counter Service.

Food Type: Burgers, Nuggets, Hot Dogs, Salads, Veggie Burger

Dining Plan: One Quick Service or One Snack

Cost: Entrées: $6-$9

Unique Items: Bacon Double Cheeseburger.  Just kidding.  Actually, the Safari Amber beer is brewed by Anheuser-Busch (Budweiser) and is only found at the Animal Kingdom.

Advantages: It’s no longer a McDonalds, if you don’t like McDonalds.  There is an expanded toppings bar for the burgers and other fare.  Seating area is well air-conditioned.  Free refills on drinks.  The vegetarian burger is actually pretty good.  Music and décor are amusing.  Restaurantosaurus is fun to say.

Disadvantages: It’s no longer a McDonalds, if you like McDonalds.  There’s nothing special about the food, but they do an above average job of preparing it.  Like any other enclosed space at Disney, it can get loud and crowded.

Value: Average.  This is your standard Disney burger outlet in every way other than the fun theme.

Reputation: Restaurantosaurus is generally overlooked by the masses, in favor of Pizzafari and Flame Tree Barbecue.  It’s not a bad choice though, especially if you’re in the area and want to get out of the sun.  Although the menu is rather basic, the food is prepared well and the toppings bar adds a little more life into those burgers, hot dogs, and nuggets.  Plus, you fill your own cup, which means you can come back for more of that delicious Diet Coke we both like so much.  Overwhelmingly though, the best part of Restaurantosaurus is the name Restaurantosaurus.  When you’re at the Animal Kingdom, preferably during the most random time possible, try leaning over towards your partner and ask in the most serious tone possible, “Is it time for the Restaurantosaurus?”  In fact, I would recommend asking right before the big drop on Expedition Everest.  If that doesn’t elicit a priceless expression then I don’t know what will.  If that fails, try adding “osaurus” to the end of words as often as possible throughout the day, until you get at least a tiny laughosaurus.  Don’t give up.

Overall Rank on The Best Animal Kingdom Quick Counter Service Locations: 5th out of 5

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Yak & Yeti Counter Service Review at Disneys Animal Kingdom

by josh on March 8, 2010

Wondering how Yak & Yeti Counter Service stacks up against the other Animal Kingdom Counter Service Locations? Check out The Best Animal Kingdom Quick Counter Service Locations for a comparison of the five Animal Kingdom counter services in a variety of categories including Most Unique Menu, Best Value on the Disney Dining Plan, Best Value Out of Pocket, Best Seating, Best Food, and Best Overall Counter Service.

Yak & Yeti’s Counter Service is also known as Anadupar Local Food Cafés

Food Type: Asian

Dining Plan: One Quick Service or One Snack

Cost: Entrées: $8-$11

Unique Items: Most everything

Advantages: Large portions, fresh food, tasty entrées, unique menu, and convenient location.  An entrée and side of egg rolls should be plenty for two to share.  Egg rolls and fried rice are both under $4 and count as snacks on the Dining Plan.  “Anandupar Local Food Cafes” is almost as fun to say as Restaurantosaurus.

Disadvantages: Limited seating that’s mostly in the sun.  There are a few tables with umbrellas, but even those don’t offer much protection.  You could argue the Honey or Sweet & Sour Chicken is “just chicken nuggets with sauce thrown on them,” but that’s basically what Americanized Chinese food is – fried chicken nuggets with sauce.

Value: Above average.  The entrées are a bit expensive in the $10 range, but one entrée and a side should be plenty of food for two to share.  On the Dining Plan, you can easily spend $16 here, making it a good value as well.

Reputation: When Yak & Yeti first opened I was excited to try it.  There are few new restaurant openings at Disney World and this sounded like it would be great.  Unfortunately, at the time it really wasn’t.  The Honey Chicken consisted of a few chicken nuggets with the tiniest dollop of sauce.  Luckily, Anandupar has done better for itself and this counter service has improved since then.  Portions are now larger and the amount of sauce is just right.  Unfortunately, the seating hasn’t improved and most of the tables are directly in the sun.  This makes Yak & Yeti an uncomfortable place to sit when the weather heats up or when it’s raining.  It may be better to seek out other seating arrangements.  The food is similar to the Yak & Yeti sit-down restaurant and costs a fraction of the price.  Overall, this is a worthy counter service if you’re in the mood for a Panda Express like experience.

Overall Rank on The Best Animal Kingdom Quick Counter Service Locations: 2nd out of 5

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