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Walt Disney World Resort Animal Kingdom Lodge Restaurants might be on your go-to for your next Disney trip. However, you might not be sure what to try. Are you looking for a table service restaurant? Do you fancy an experience with Indian-inspired flavors or other exotic options? Well today, we are going to go over the top five most highly recommended places to eat within Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge!
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge restaurants come in a large variety. These range from exquisite dining experiences, to your regular old casual dining. In this guide, we are going over each one of these dining experiences to help give your stay the variety you might be looking for!
FEATURED DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE RESTAURANTS WE WILL TOUR TODAY:
- Boma – Flavors of Africa
- Jiko – The Cooking Place
- Sanna
- The Mara
- Maji Pool Bar
Boma – Flavors of Africa
This restaurant is a wonderful buffet-style restaurant that is perfect for families. Boma is located on the first floor of Animal Kingdom Lodge.
The overall atmosphere seems to be nice and relaxing as you eat under thatched roofs, and dim lighting – reminiscent of a lively African market. Perfect for a relaxing dinner after a long day walking around the parks.
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What are some of the foods offered here?
Boma offers both Breakfast and Dinner options. This all-you-can-eat buffet is the perfect way to start your morning or end your day. Moreso, at Boma, they serve both traditional African and American dishes. Giving you the best of both worlds. This is what makes Boma a perfect location for picky eaters in the family!
The onstage kitchen provides the perfect viewing opportunity to see the culinary dishes come to life. Therefore, whether you are craving French toast bread pudding or custom omelets or gruyere quiche, your breakfast will be diverse and just what you are looking for! Dinner brings options like Durban chicken and lamb bobotie, seafood dishes, and tabbouleh. Guests over 21 can sample a long list of South African cocktails.
The Boma breakfast and dinner offerings are sure to please your palate, which is why Boma – Flavors of Africa is one of the signature dining restaurants in the Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Jiko – The Cooking Place
Jiko is located on the bottom floor, slightly hidden away but worth checking out. For this animal kingdom lodge restaurants, reservations are highly advised and they do not accept same-day reservations.
The number one reason to eat here, other than the cuisine, would be that this restaurant seems to make a sunset indoors. This alone makes the dining experience worth trying. They do this by altering the lighting colors very subtly during the dining experience. Overall, it seems to have tasty food and a super unique feel that transports you to the heart of the African continent.
What does Jiko’s menu have to offer?
The full Jiko menu seems to change seasonally so this all depends on the time of year you visit. However, Jiko has a blend of African, Indian, and Mediterranean Cuisine. They offer anything from oak grilled filet mignon to plant-based options to choose from depending on the season.
Of course, catering to kids is always a big help for families. Mac and cheese is sure to always please and other options like cheese pizza or shrimp with kushari are favorites as well.
Jiko offers an extensive allergen-friendly menu for those that must be careful about what they eat. This just personifies the extent to which this restaurant goes in a quest to make the dining experience the best possible for its guests.
Jiko dress code:
What are the dress code requirements? Well, the dress code varies for men and women.
For men, you must wear khakis, dress shorts, or slacks and collared shirts. For women, you must wear Capri pants, dress shorts, skirts or dresses. They also mention that a nice pair of jeans are permitted for both men and women if they are in good condition. Therefore, the dress code overall isn’t too strict but required to enter.
Before making a reservation at Jiko, be sure you have the proper attire to wear. That way you don’t potentially run into complications when trying to eat here.
Sanaa
Here you can enjoy Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner without a reservation and at an affordable price. Sanna offers African cooking while incorporating Indian flavors!
The overall atmosphere here matches its name meaning “work of art” with a beautiful atmosphere and delicious food. If you’re looking for somewhere to get a more casual and relaxing meal then this is the place for you!
Imagine yourself surrounded by an East African spice market with handcrafted goods, under the graceful shade of an acacia tree and with the savanna stretched out before you. As the day slips away and the African sunset unfolds, you begin to relax as the pleasing aroma of roasting meats wafts up to make your hunger grow. Now you have an idea of what’s in store at Sanaa!
What makes Sanaa’s dining experience unique?
You can watch African wildlife such as zebras, gazelles, kudu, and giraffes from inside this Animal Kingdom Lodge restaurant while you dine! With over 30 species of animals native to the African savanna and more than 200 varieties of birds, this makes for a super fun experience for all ages. Due to this alone, I recommend checking this place out before you leave Disney!
What food is offered here?
One of the main food attractions here seems to be the Indian-style bread service! Five varieties of bread, including garlic ginger naan, paratha, and onion kulcha delight the taste buds. The bread comes with 9 different types of dipping sauces to help fill your cravings like cucumber raita, coriander chutney, tomato-date jam, and roasted red pepper hummus! This bread is for sure worth the hype, and I recommend trying it out for yourself if you haven’t already. Or taste the potato and pea samosas with tamarind and mango chutney!
Sanaa offers a truly special experience with salads, slow-cooked meat, seafood, and even some vegan options sure to please vegetarians. They also have sampler options and kid-friendly choices, which makes this location great for families with picky eaters!
Don’t forget to snag some grab and go options for some high-powered snacks as you trek through the savanna exhibits.
The cozy Sanaa Lounge features appetizers and African wines and beer. Discover exceptional, African-inspired cocktails like the Kande Coconut Cooler. Seating is first-come, first-serve.
The Mara
This restaurant is a good choice for busy families or someone who just needs a quick meal during their Disney venture. This restaurant has a food court-type feeling to it, and overall is made for quick in and out for busy Disney guests. This is also one of the more affordable restaurants to choose from within Animal Kingdom.
What does the Mara have to offer?
The Mara offers your standard options for breakfast such as muffins, cinnamon rolls and Mickey waffles. They also offer a few platter options that include eggs, a choice of meat, and potato wedges. They have quite a bit of variety you can choose from.
For Lunch and Dinner, the Mara offers a large variety of premade sandwiches, hamburgers, grilled chicken, pizza, and fresh salads. The tamarind barbecue pork sandwich served with french fries is a popular and savory choice. Try the butternut squash soup or Marrakesh falafel platter with tabbouleh. And don’t forget the decadent zebra domes dessert!
If your family is filled with picky eaters who want some basic American favorites, the Mara is the best choice for you!
Maji Pool Bar
The Maji Pool Bar is a smaller location, as it’s designed as a grab-and-go setting. They don’t have too many food options. However, this is a nice location for a day at the poolside. The focus here is the drinks as the Swahili-inspired name meaning “water” suggests.
What does Maji have to offer?
Well, here at the Maji Pool Bar they have a nicely picked smaller selection of foods to choose from. They have a variety of salads, and sandwiches to choose from.
Below is what’s currently listed on their entree menu:
- Kenya Coffee Barbecue Sandwich
- All Beef Hotdog with Chili and Cheese
- Roasted Turkey Sandwich
- Caesar Salad with Tandoori Chicken
- Berbere Black Eyed Peas Harvest Salad
- Lemon Caper Tuna Salad
Overall, Maji offers a few classic options, as well as a few more unique options for those who may be feeling adventurous. This restaurant shines with the choice of drinks both non-alcoholic and more adult beverages that can be enjoyed next to the pool.
The Maji Pool bar serves fewer exotic dishes than others and is perfect for someone who is a pickier eater. It also makes for a good option if you are wanting a break from the more exotic food options.
Closing Thoughts
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Restaurants come in a variety of different forms. There is a restaurant here for everyone! Even the pickiest of eaters!
Here at Animal Kingdom Lodge, you can find American eats, as well as African and Indian style, eats that fit the theme. Most restaurants seem to follow the theme of African and Indian-inspired foods. However, they also offer American food as well. That way, everyone gets to enjoy dining at these restaurants without complaints! However, if you are looking for a more Americanized restaurant while here, they offer places that serve only American food too.
Here at Animal Kingdom, there are poolside eats, casual dining, buffet-style dining, and even formal dining to choose from. Therefore, if you are looking for something in particular, I’m sure you will be able to find it with the help of this guide for your next Disney trip. If one of the above offerings doesn’t catch your fancy, perhaps you’d be interested in the Victoria Falls Lounge or Uzima Springs Pool Bar?
Walt Disney World Animal Kingdom Lodge restaurants have unique features that make the dining experience most definitely worth it. One location featured a Sunset mimicking the African savanna sunset. While other guests may enjoy being able to watch zebras, gazelles, and giraffes while dining. Each of these dining options is definitely worth trying on your next Walt Disney World vacation. Don’t wait another moment to sample these exceptional, signature dining restaurants!
