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