Animal Kingdom and Wilderness Lodge Dining

[TigerLilly's Mom]

On our upcoming January trip, My husband and I are planning an afternoon/early evening visit to Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge. I have never visited either and they look gorgeous online. Would like to walk around the resorts take in the ambiance and certainly would like to see some animals at AKL.

We love to eat and drink and would like to work this into our visit. The restaurant options at both resorts are a bit overwhelming so I’m looking for some DIS help.

My tenative plan would be to take the boat over to WL from MK - this seems like a peaceful way to arrive. Have a look around, enjoy a cocktail and light snack in a nice setting. From there, maybe Uber to AKL and enjoy a nice early dinner. At that point either head to AK or back to our hotel (YC).

Which restaurants/lounges would you suggest? We are not concerned with price only delicious food. We are adventurous, not picky eaters, but good food is a must. We love sitting at the bar in a lovely setting, but would love to eat where we could see animals at AKL also.

I currently have an ADR for Jiko I believe, but again, I have no idea about any of these restaurants and would love advice from my fellow DISers. We could also change the plan and start at AKL then head over for dinner at WL if that was a better option

Hoping this won’t be a Transportation nightmare, but I would really love to see both these hotels and we have done the Poly/GF/CR loop many times. Would love to impress hubby with both these hotels and maybe we can plan a trip to one someday.
Thanks for any advice!

 

[DisBuckMan]

Sanaa is the only restaurant you can see animals while eating, and there are just a small handful of tables that allow a good view of the savanna. You would need to get lucky to get one of them, or be willing to put in a request when you arrive at the podium for a window seat "no matter how long the wait".

There are two different designated areas (one at Kidani, one at Jambo) that offer excellent animal viewing.

Jiko and Sanaa both have excellent food, but if you or your husband aren't on the adventurous side with your palate, you may or may not enjoy the menus there.

 

[TigerLilly's Mom]

Sanaa is the only restaurant you can see animals while eating, and there are just a small handful of tables that allow a good view of the savanna. You would need to get lucky to get one of them, or be willing to put in a request when you arrive at the podium for a window seat "no matter how long the wait".

There are two different designated areas (one at Kidani, one at Jambo) that offer excellent animal viewing.

Jiko and Sanaa both have excellent food, but if you or your husband aren't on the adventurous side with your palate, you may or may not enjoy the menus there.

Good to know thanks. We are adventurous and not picky in the least. We are fine viewing animals before or after dinner elsewhere. Which restaurant would you recommend for the best food and setting. Again, not picky in any way, we love food.

 

[Somnia]

You can't go wrong with Sanaa or Jiko, but Jiko is my favorite restaurant on property and the favorite of a lot of people. It's on another level compared to a lot of restaurants on property, I highly recommend it.

 

[SSRFred]

I think your plan sounds perfect. At WL, we love Territory Lounge. It is one of our favorite lounges on property, Their appetizers are great. I am not sure if only some or all come from the Artist Point kitchen. I make sure to have the Smoked Mushroom Bisque every time we are there. Although if memory serves me, I once tried to get the soup before 5 pm and had to wait until after 5 pm when the Artist Point kitchen was open. It was worth the wait!

I think both Jiko and Sanaa are great choices. Take a look at both menus and see which one appeals to you more.

 

[mbtohill]

If it's a nice day you should give Geyser Point Bar & Grill at try while at WL, right on the water, great cocktails and yummy apps

 

[TigerLilly's Mom]

If it's a nice day you should give Geyser Point Bar & Grill at try while at WL, right on the water, great cocktails and yummy apps

Thanks - is this a completely outside venue?

I think your plan sounds perfect. At WL, we love Territory Lounge. It is one of our favorite lounges on property, Their appetizers are great. I am not sure if only some or all come from the Artist Point kitchen. I make sure to have the Smoked Mushroom Bisque every time we are there. Although if memory serves me, I once tried to get the soup before 5 pm and had to wait until after 5 pm when the Artist Point kitchen was open. It was worth the wait!

I think both Jiko and Sanaa are great choices. Take a look at both menus and see which one appeals to you more.

Thank you! I will take a look at the menus. Do you know if the Territory Longe is open in the afternoon for drinks and food?

I appreciate everyone’s input. How long would you say it takes to get to AK from WL? I’m guessing uber or taxi is the only time effective way to travel between the two resorts?

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I think you have it in the right order! Territory Lounge opens at 4:30 pm. If that's too late for your plans, Geyser Point is open pretty much all day. It is outside, but it's a covered area and is really lovely.

If you will be at AKL prior to sundown, I would consider Sanaa as it has floor-to-ceiling windows and you can usually see animals from there. The food is excellent as well. If after sundown and you'd like a more upscale experience, Jiko is excellent. You can also see animals in the public viewing area at the back of the lobby.

I would definitely Uber/Lyft/Minnie Van over to AKL from WL. Once you are in the car it shouldn't take more than 20 minutes tops. Your other option would be to take the boat back to MK and bus to AKL from there. Or bus to AK from WL and bus from there. A car service will be much faster.

 

[Pygoplites]

If you go to Jiko, try to get seated at the chef's counter (aka "The Cooking Place"). The wild boar tenderloin appetizer is fantastic. Actually, all of their apps/salads/soups/flatbreads are good. Even something as seemingly basic as a house salad is special at Jiko (with Epcot-grown greens). Many times, I've skipped having a full entree at Jiko (although that filet is hard to pass up).

My suggestion would be to do the bread service and drinks at Sanaa and then go to Jiko for a few small plates and wine. Jiko has pretty interesting desserts, too.

 

[TigerLilly's Mom]

I think you have it in the right order! Territory Lounge opens at 4:30 pm. If that's too late for your plans, Geyser Point is open pretty much all day. It is outside, but it's a covered area and is really lovely.

If you will be at AKL prior to sundown, I would consider Sanaa as it has floor-to-ceiling windows and you can usually see animals from there. The food is excellent as well. If after sundown and you'd like a more upscale experience, Jiko is excellent. You can also see animals in the public viewing area at the back of the lobby.

I would definitely Uber/Lyft/Minnie Van over to AKL from WL. Once you are in the car it shouldn't take more than 20 minutes tops. Your other option would be to take the boat back to MK and bus to AKL from there. Or bus to AK from WL and bus from there. A car service will be much faster.

Thanks for all your thoughts - very helpful. Right now our ADR is a 5:30 at Jiko, but I can easily change it. I picked this time so we would have the option of going over to AK after our dinner. But I need to check park hours or figure out if we even need that night at AK. Have been trying to hit Pandora at night for the past two visits and haven’t made it yet. We may be able to hit it another night depending on what time it actually gets dark in late January.

 

[TigerLilly's Mom]

If you go to Jiko, try to get seated at the chef's counter (aka "The Cooking Place"). The wild boar tenderloin appetizer is fantastic. Actually, all of their apps/salads/soups/flatbreads are good. Even something as seemingly basic as a house salad is special at Jiko (with Epcot-grown greens). Many times, I've skipped having a full entree at Jiko (although that filet is hard to pass up).

My suggestion would be to do the bread service and drinks at Sanaa and then go to Jiko for a few small plates and wine. Jiko has pretty interesting desserts, too.

Thanks! Do you request the chefs counter ahead of time? It is reservable ahead of time?

 

[Pygoplites]

Thanks! Do you request the chefs counter ahead of time? It is reservable ahead of time?

I don't believe you can specifically reserve it when making an ADR. What I've done in the past is to tell someone at the host stand to make a note that I'd like to sit at the counter. I've generally requested this on the same day, as soon as they open. However, I have also been able to do a walk-up for the counter late in the evening with no ADR.

 

[gharter]

Sounds like a fun way to spend part of the day. We love AKL. We will be trying Sanaa for the first time in April.
Jiko is one of our favorites and that would be my vote.
Wilderness has a nicce lounge inside for drinks and recently updated the outside bar area to be much nicer. Both are good options.
All of the restaurants at AKL tend to be busy, so having ADRs is a good idea.
If you get there early, you can see the animals in the savanna, really fun. If interested, they also have a really nice lounge at Jambo House and will pour drinks that can be taken outside.

 

[North of Mouse]

On our upcoming January trip, My husband and I are planning an afternoon/early evening visit to Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge. I have never visited either and they look gorgeous online. Would like to walk around the resorts take in the ambiance and certainly would like to see some animals at AKL.

We love to eat and drink and would like to work this into our visit. The restaurant options at both resorts are a bit overwhelming so I’m looking for some DIS help.

My tenative plan would be to take the boat over to WL from MK - this seems like a peaceful way to arrive. Have a look around, enjoy a cocktail and light snack in a nice setting. From there, maybe Uber to AKL and enjoy a nice early dinner. At that point either head to AK or back to our hotel (YC).

Which restaurants/lounges would you suggest? We are not concerned with price only delicious food. We are adventurous, not picky eaters, but good food is a must. We love sitting at the bar in a lovely setting, but would love to eat where we could see animals at AKL also.

I currently have an ADR for Jiko I believe, but again, I have no idea about any of these restaurants and would love advice from my fellow DISers. We could also change the plan and start at AKL then head over for dinner at WL if that was a better option

Hoping this won’t be a Transportation nightmare, but I would really love to see both these hotels and we have done the Poly/GF/CR loop many times. Would love to impress hubby with both these hotels and maybe we can plan a trip to one someday.
Thanks for any advice!

Being adventuresome, you would really enjoy Boma - lets you taste and enjoy whatever dishes you'd like. The savanna is right outside and there's very good viewing area with seating to relax in after you've finished dining. We love that area. Sanaa only has some tables that you can actually see the animals while dining, and you would have to dine early to see them in the winter.

 

[CynBeth]

I would also recommend Boma.

 

[TigerLilly's Mom]

Being adventuresome, you would really enjoy Boma - lets you taste and enjoy whatever dishes you'd like. The savanna is right outside and there's very good viewing area with seating to relax in after you've finished dining. We love that area. Sanaa only has some tables that you can actually see the animals while dining, and you would have to dine early to see them in the winter.

Thanks for the recommendation. Is Boma a Buffet? My husband is not a huge fan of buffets and for that reason I may have crossed that option off. It’s not a food quality thing but more of a germaphobe thing. I’m sure the food is lovely but he just wouldn’t enjoy himself.

Sounds like a fun way to spend part of the day. We love AKL. We will be trying Sanaa for the first time in April.
Jiko is one of our favorites and that would be my vote.
Wilderness has a nicce lounge inside for drinks and recently updated the outside bar area to be much nicer. Both are good options.
All of the restaurants at AKL tend to be busy, so having ADRs is a good idea.
If you get there early, you can see the animals in the savanna, really fun. If interested, they also have a really nice lounge at Jambo House and will pour drinks that can be taken outside.

Thanks for the info - the lounge at Jambo House sounds lovely - I will look into it.

 

[North of Mouse]

Thanks for the recommendation. Is Boma a Buffet? My husband is not a huge fan of buffets and for that reason I may have crossed that option off. It’s not a food quality thing but more of a germaphobe thing. I’m sure the food is lovely but he just wouldn’t enjoy himself.

Yes, it is a buffet. We aren't fond of buffets for that reason also, but the way we sort of get around that is that we dine early when it first opens - everything is fresh and not touched!

We prefer dining early at Disney so we can walk around after and enjoy the evening while walking off some of our meal, LOL. We don't usually dine as heavily at home.

 

[GoGoBeans]

We are big Jiko fans (and AKL fans). We’ll typically eat there twice in a trip if staying AKL. The wines are great too.

We’ve also done Artist Point at WL and didn’t care for it. Overly expensive and a bit too gamey for my taste.

 

[Shellyb84]

Sanaa and Jiko are both excellent, I would probably choose Jiko over Sanaa, just because I liked the dish I had there more. But the atmosphere, service, food and wine selection at both are excellent.

I can't speak to any restaurants at WL, it's just been so many years since I've been there.

 

[ariane37]

WL is my favorite resort with AKL a close second so I think your plan sounds fantastic! I would suggest Territory Lounge at WL if they opened earlier but since they don't, definitely visit Geyser Point unless you make your Jiko reservation later. It's so pretty out there. As for eating at AKL we've only done Boma and Sanaa but want to try Jiko and it gets many great reviews, so I think you'll be happy if you dine there. Just another FYI, Victoria Falls lounge in Jambo House is a great place to hang with some good apps and drinks!