Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is home to Disney Vacation Club’s highly themed Kidani Village and Jambo House offerings. Though there is just one home resort here, Members are able to use points to book rooms in the main lobby building, Jambo House, or the DVC specific section of the property, Kidani Village. With savanna views and animal encounters right at your hotel, there is nothing like Animal Kingdom Lodge at Walt Disney World resort. Guests will also find some of the most incredible flavors and themed eats at the Animal Kingdom resort restaurants.
Jambo House is considered the main lobby of the overall resort and hosts a majority of the dining options. This resort feels expansive but it’s still walkable for those willing to put some steps in. There is also an internal resort bus that goes between Jambo House and Kidani Village. This will be helpful if you’re staying in one section of the resort but want to dine in the other.
Animal Kingdom Resort Restaurants at Jambo House and Kidani Village
The Mara: Animal Kingdom Resort Quick Service Restaurant
The Mara is Animal Kingdom Lodge’s quick service restaurant and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Keep an eye out for hidden Mickeys here! Breakfast is done American style and lunch and dinner have a few options for more adventurous tastes. You can also find the fan favorite Zebra Domes dessert at this dining location. Zebra Domes are a popular mousse and cream treat. The striped design pays homage to the animals you might see roaming on a savanna here.
Note: The Mara is very close to the pool at Jambo House so you can grab lunch to go for poolside dining. There is ample outdoor seating to enjoy the atmosphere surrounded by straw roofs, beautiful blues of the large pool and lush green landscaping. For room snacks and to stock your room fridge, there is a merchandise shop in each lobby.
Lounges at Animal Kingdom Lodge
Lounges at Disney World often consist of a bar, tables and chairs and some more secluded seating areas. At Cape Town Lounge and Wine Bar you can order from the full Jiko menu. This is also a lovely spot for appetizers and wine pairings.
Victoria Falls Lounge surrounds guests in rich theming. It provides great views in its location between the lobby of Jambo House and the Boma restaurant. Nearby you’ll find a serene indoor fireplace surrounded by seating. A cozy place for an after drink visit.
The Sanaa Lounge setting consists of a bar and a few tables and offers cocktails and adult beverages. One of the Sanaa menu items you can get here is the celebrated Indian-style Bread Service.
Jambo House and Kidani Village Poolside Dining
Uzima Springs Pool Bar is located at the large pool at Jambo House with a substantial selection of cocktails and other adult beverages. Remember The Mara quick service restaurant is nearby for poolside meals or snacks.
Maji Pool Bar is located at the pool Kidani Village and has grown up drinks, lunch, dinner, snacks and desserts.
Animal Kingdom Lodge Table Service and Signature Dining
Sanaa
Sanaa delights guests with some of the most exciting flavors at Disney. This restaurant is just below the Kidani Village lobby and overlooks Sunset Savanna. I’m always hoping to spot a giraffe, zebra or ostrich on my visit. The Indian-style Bread Service at Sanaa is a top contender for best menu items at Walt Disney World. It’s naan bread paired with an array of delightful dips and spreads. The Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Mango Chutney, Tomato-Date Jam, and Coriander Chutney are personal favorites. Sanaa’s Potjie Inspired entree gives diners options to choose from.
Jiko The Cooking Place
Jiko – The Cooking Place is a highly rated restaurant with flavors of the continent of Africa. The menu changes seasonally. Keep in mind this signature dining spot has a dress code. Jiko is a great date night setting. Its upscale interior is simple yet visually interesting. Jiko is only open for dinner.
Boma Flavors of Africa
Boma – Flavors of Africa is an all you care to enjoy buffet with tastes you’ll be thinking about after your meal is over. This is no doubt one of the top restaurants among the DVC resorts. Some unique picks along the buffet are the Carrot Ginger Soup and Zebra Domes dessert.
For menus, pricing and more information see Animal Kingdom Lodge dining.If you like interesting dining experiences, inquire about offerings and availability for wine tastings, dining on safari or with an animal specialist. Discover the wonder of the resort in this review of Disney’s Animal Kingdom villas. Note that the Animal Kingdom resort is very close to but not within walking distance of the Animal Kingdom theme park. When a resort is very close to a park, that sometimes expands the dining options. In this case, guests would need to still plan in advance to take a bus over to the park to eat a meal.
Is it hard to get dining reservations at Animal Kingdom resort restaurants?
Not sure where you want to buy DVC yet? Visiting the resorts and dining at different restaurants is a helpful way to explore different DVC properties and home resorts. If you’re a fan of Disney vacations, you’ve probably discovered some restaurant reservations are more challenging to get than others. Animal Kingdom resort restaurants are mostly in the mid to easy range. Sanaa is pretty accessible meaning you’ll be able to find availability there reliably. Boma is probably about the same as Sanaa and an easier reservation to get than others. Breakfast at Boma is wonderful and you should be able to get that reservation with no problem.
Jiko is a little more challenging to get. You will find reservations here without much effort but they will probably be late. If a certain time is important to you, you’ll want to plan ahead for Jiko. You can always look in the app or inquire at the hostess stand about walk up availability at restaurants if you’re nearby. All of these comments about reservation acquisition difficulty or ease are meant for average or slow times. During peak times, like Christmas week, you’ll always want to book as early as possible if a certain restaurant is a must do. That means sixty days in advance of the first day of your trip you can book meals for the entirety of your stay.
