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If you think theme park food is “meh” then you haven’t eaten at Walt Disney World lately. All of the four Walt Disney World Resorts have their own flavor – literally – and Animal Kingdom is a feast of African-themed specialties that even your pickiest eaters will enjoy. There’s also a selection of familiar American fare. Ready to make your mouth water? Then keep reading this complete guide to Animal Kingdom Restaurants.
A Guide to Animal Kingdom Restaurants You Can Really Use!
If you thought EPCOT had the market cornered on delicious cuisine, think again. Animal Kingdom restaurants have something for every palate. If you have picky eaters in your human pack, there’s something here. If you’ve got adventurous taste buds, Animal Kingdom Restaurants are a foodie’s paradise. We’ll break down all the choices for you so you can decide where you’d like to eat.
To make it easier for you to decide where to have your meals at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, I set out to discover the Disney dining choices. After all, there are exotic and familiar flavors available to you.
A Note about Disney Dining During the Phased Re-Opening
As Walt Disney World moves forward with its phased re-opening, dining at the Most Magical Place on Earth may look a little different. Some of the information below may not apply during the reopening period. Many dining experiences may be modified or unavailable in order to promote cleanliness and physical distancing.
Advanced Dining Reservations are available up to 60 days in advance. If you’re staying at a Disney Resort you can book 60 days in advance plus the length of your stay. So if you were staying on January 1st 2022 for 10 days you could start booking November 2 2021 for the entire stay. Face coverings are required to enter the restaurant and may only be removed when you’re seated at your table. At this time, it appears buffets and most character meals are listed as temporarily unavailable.
For more information, including a list of what is and isn’t open, read here.
Budgeting for Disney Dining and Disney Dining Options
Eating inside Walt Disney World is not cheap, so do your research in advance. (You’re off to a great start by reading this!) There are many pieces and parts to planning your Disney vacation and eating — and budgeting for eating — is just one of those parts.
In this article, we’ll make reference to quick service and table service:
- Quick service restaurants (according to our Disney Glossary, you’ll sometimes hear this referred to as counter service) is the least expensive. In general, meals will be less than $15 per person. And, yes, we know that is still expensive. Many quick service restaurants are utilizing Mobile Ordering so be sure to brush up on using the My Disney Experience App.
- Table service restaurants offer more of an opportunity to relax, cool off and savor all the restaurant has to offer. You’ll usually enjoy more Disney theming at a table service restaurant. In general, you’ll pay at least $40 for an adult meal.
With quick service, you’ll feed your tribe and get back to the fun faster. With table service, you’ll spend more time eating. I personally like the sit-down breaks, especially during the warmer months (which in central Florida is just about always) where I can take some time to enjoy the air conditioning.
Quick Service Animal Kingdom Restaurants
1. Flame Tree Barbecue
The smells of this place lead you to it blindfolded! Here you sit next to the Discovery River (where the Rivers of Light show takes place) amid lush greenery. It’s the place to enjoy shaded outdoor dining of big portions.
- Food type: American, BBQ
- Price range (in mid 2020): Adult entrees start at $10.99 for the Smokehouse Chicken Salad and top out at $18.99 for a sampler platter containing ribs, chicken and pulled pork. See the menu here.
- Disney Dining plan participant: Yes (Get the details on the 3 Disney Dining plans.)
SheBuysTravel Tip: Watch out for birds that want to mooch off your plate!
2. Where to Eat in Dinoland? Restaurantosaurus, of Course!
If you’re looking for basic burgers, fries, and chicken nuggets, you’ll find them at Restaurantosaurus. You don’t have to dig far to get a big meal here – the portions are generous and you get good value for your money. The budding paleontologists in your party will love the artifacts and equipment on display as they eat.
- Food type: American
- Price range: Adult entrees start at $10.99 for a Cobb Salad and top out at $16.99 for a bacon cheeseburger combo. The latter includes dessert and a drink, which makes it a super value. See the menu here.
- Disney Dining plan participant: Yes
SheBuysTravel Tip: This restaurant has a great toppings bar
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3. Harambe Market
This is the place to text your picky eater’s willingness to try something beyond burgers and fries.
- Food type: African
- Price range: The most expensive thing on the menu is the Ribs Bowl, which is $14.29. Most of the adult menu items are in the $11-$12 price range. See the full Harambe Market menu here.
- Disney Dining plan participant: Yes
SheBuysTravel Tip: If you have a combo of adventurous and not-so-adventurous eaters, this is a good one to try. This is also one of the best places to eat at Walt Disney World if someone in your party has food allergies. In general, Disney does a fantastic of accommodating people with food allergies, but Harambe Market offers a staggering number of allergen-free choices.
4. Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafés
Get your Asian fix or vegetarian meal in an outdoor setting under giant canvas umbrellas. Yak & Yeti is one of our favorite Animal Kingdom restaurants and super popular with our SheBuysTravels and TravelingDads. You can get delicious, creative cuisine and there’s plenty of standard fare (burgers and chicken tenders for those non-adventurous kid palates).
- Food type: Pan-Asian
- Price range: $11.99 to $15.99. There are also several sides – egg rolls and fried rice – that would make do for a smaller meal. See the full menu here.
- Disney Dining plan participant: Yes
SheBuysTravel Tip: Get the honey chicken. If you’re not very hungry and are sharing with a child who doesn’t eat much, this is a good sharing size.
5. Pizzafari
Because sometimes, it just has to be pizza. Not a particularly adventurous choice but sometimes, familiar is what you need. Every wall in this restaurant depicts enormous animals that accompany you as you eat.
- Food type: Italian-American
- Price range: $7.99 for cheese pizza to $13.99 for shrimp flatbread. See the full menu here.
- Disney Dining plan participant: Yes
SheBuysTravel Tip: Every dining hall has a different animal theme. This is a great place for younger kids because there’s a lot to look at.
6. Satu’li Canteen
Satu’li Canteen, located in Pandora: The World of Avatar, features healthy, fresh bowls, like a chili garlic shrimp bowl or a crispy fried tofu bowl. Bowls come with a choice of base: sweet potato hash, black beans and rice, mixed whole grains and hearty salad as well as a choice of sauces. This is listed as “American” but I think it has an Asian flair.
- Food type: American
- Price range: Bowls range from $12.49 to $16.99. See the full menu here.
- Disney Dining plan participant: Yes
SheBuysTravel Tip: This is one of the most vegan-friendly Animal Kingdom Restaurants
Table Service Animal Kingdom Restaurants
SheBuysTravel Tip: Table service reservations are unavailable currently. This section refers to pre-Covid-19 table service rules and reservations.
A quick word about table service in the Disney parks: Make advance dining reservations the minute reservations open up. Pre-Covid-19, that was 180 days in advance of your visit. Currently it is 60 days. Character meals tend to be more in demand, so if you want to eat at Tusker House, don’t wait until the last minute to make your reservation.
Still, last-minute reservations do open up. If you really want to eat somewhere and can’t get a reservation, keep checking your My Disney Experience app to see if you can snag something. We’ve also had decent luck just walking up and asking if we can get a table, even if the app says nothing is available.
If you have the Disney Dining Plan, let your server know as soon as you’re seated.
1. Yak & Yeti
Wait, what? Didn’t we already mention this place?
Yes, we did. Yak and Yeti has a counter service element as well as a sit-down element. The table service Yak and Yeti has a large, varied Asian-fusion menu. It is the least expensive of the table service Animal Kingdom restaurants but you’re definitely not sacrificing taste here. Most of the adult entrees are around $20 and top out at $28.99 for a rib plate. There are lots of appetizers, salads and bowls if you want a lighter and cheaper meal.
- Food type: Asian fusion
- Price range: The average entree price is around $20. See the full menu here.
- Disney Dining plan participant: Yes
SheBuysTravel Tip: If you crave atmosphere and theming but want to keep on budget, this is your place. The Nepalese-inspired decor is beautiful.
2. Tusker House Restaurant (Temporarily Unavailable)
If character dining is your thing, you’ll want to check out Tusker House. This is the only character dining experience where Disney characters dress in safari gear. There’s a great mix of African cuisine and American favorites on the buffet. What I like best about this restaurant is that you can get picky eaters to try some African food while they get comforted with their American faves.
Want to know absolutely EVERYTHING about Tusker House? Read our full SheBuysTravel review.
- Food type: African and American
- Price range: Tusker House is a buffet and has a set price. Adult prices are $42 for breakfast and $55 for lunch and dinner.
- Disney Dining Plan Participant: Yes
SheBuysTravel Tip: Looking to save money? Breakfast is cheaper at Tusker House than lunch or dinner.
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Photo credit: Taty Pradilla
3. Tiffins
This is our top pick for fine dining at Animal Kingdom Restaurants. Tiffins is not only the signature dining experience at Animal Kingdom, it is also is a gallery of fabulous objects that represent the spirit of the park. If you’re lucky enough to have an adults-only day at Disney and you appreciate fine food, definitely check out Tiffins.
The menu at Tiffins is definitely upscale (with upscale prices). While I would not call anything at Disney not kid-friendly, I would think twice about eating here with younger or super-picky kids. My favorite is the crispy sadza (corn cake) with braised pork belly. The chef’s take on shrimp and grits is a close second. The kid’s menu offers grilled chicken, grilled shrimp and shredded beef tacos – no corn dogs or chicken nuggets here.
- Food type: Asian, African and South American
- Price range: Adult menu items range from $30 for vegetarian entrees all the way up to $65 for surf and turf. See the full menu here.
- Disney Dining plan participant: Yes, but some enhancements, such as lobster mac n’ cheese, are not included.
SheBuysTravel Tip: If you want to experience the vibe of Tiffins without having – or paying for – a full meal, The Nomad Lounge next door to Tiffins offers specialty drinks and small plates.
4. Rainforest Café
The Rainforest Cafe is a lot of fun. However, it is not exclusive to Disney. The restaurant has a varied menu with lots of seafood and other American favorites. The burger is respectable and the tacos aren’t bad, either. The menu has an Applebee’s vibe to it, although kids and first-time visitors will probably enjoy watching the animatronic jungle animals and the indoor “thunderstorms.”
The Rainforest Cafe is owned by Landry’s so if you have a loyalty card for that company, let your server know or mention it when you make reservations.
- Food type: American with a heavy focus on seafood.
- Price range: The average price of an adult entree is about $25. See the full menu here.
- Disney Dining plan participant: Yes
SheBuysTravel Tip: This is a chain restaurant that can be found at Disney Springs and at locations across the U.S. If you live near a Rainforest Cafe, I recommend skipping this and trying something more “only at Disney.”
Food Options Beyond Animal Kingdom Theme Park
If you want more African-inspired cuisine, check out Boma, Jiko, or Sanaa at Animal Kingdom Lodge. You don’t need to stay there to eat there, but I highly recommend advance dining reservations for each of these. For a fantastic breakfast followed by animal encounters, check out the Senses of Africa Breakfast at Boma.
If you don’t want a full meal while visiting Animal Kingdom, there are food carts located everywhere. If you want to save your big meal for later and just enjoy some ice cream or a drink at the Dawa Bar, you can do that!
Whatever you choose, we hope you enjoy your dining adventures at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The magic of Disney is alive in the recipes, dish presentation, restaurant decor and even in the menu listings. My foodie heart has a big spot for both Tusker House and Tiffins but there really is something for everyone here.
Now that you have our Animal Kingdom Complete Dinning Guide, tell us where will you go eat first? Check out some other ideas on how to make the most of your Animal Kingdom visit.
This post was updated by Jill Robbins in July 2020.
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