Disney World Dining Review - Animal Kingdom Food!

It's a sad day when we've reached the end of the Disney parks food reviews, but I assure you we are stopping on a high note! And there is still Disney Springs and Universal food to share so be sure to stick around for those!

Animal Kingdom is magical. There's something special about a park that is literally its own living, breathing organism. I love being surrounded by nature and especially animals. Oh, and food :)

There are plenty of unique dining options at Animal Kingdom with some of the finest restaurant and quick service themes in all of Disney World property. We didn't make it to Tiffins on the last trip but it's certainly on the list and I would really love to hear your comments and reviews if you've been there! 

Our Animal Kingdom day started with a hearty lunch at Yak & Yeti. This location, similar to Rainforest Cafe, is not wholly owned by Disney and can sometimes offer promotions and accept third party gift cards. If you're active in an employee recognition program at work, check to see if Yak & Yeti is an option for redeemable rewards. I've found that the program my employer uses offers gift cards starting at $25 and it's something I'll be sure to use on future visits!

Wok-Fried Green Beans at Yak & Yeti

We love all Asian food and this Americanized restaurant did not disappoint. We started with the Wok-Fried Green Beans served with Thai chili dipping sauce. The green beans were perfectly crispy and I wish I had the recipe for the dipping sauce because it was fantastic! The portion is huge for two people and could easily feed three or more as an appetizer.

Boneless Rib Eye with Wasabi Mashed Potatoes/Veggies (off-menu item)

Patrick ordered the special of the day, which was a boneless rib eye with wasabi mashed potatoes and vegetables. This was a visually appealing dish but tasted even better than it looked! If we hadn't already experienced the steaks at Le Cellier then this plate probably would have ranked at the top of the list. The steak was cooked perfectly and the mashed potatoes had really great depth of flavor. Don't let the single scoop fool you, this was more mashed potatoes than one person could handle!

Crispy Honey Chicken

I am crazy about honey chicken and order it whenever it's an option on any menu. Yak & Yeti was no exception. The chicken had the perfect amount of sauce to give it a sticky texture, which is exactly how I prefer it. The carrots and sugar snap peas were a little crunchy for my liking but they were a great accompaniment and added a fair amount of freshness to the dish.

Garlic Noodles

Honestly, we were just curious about the garlic noodles so I ordered them as a side. I had no idea that it would be enough food for four people! This side dish was delicious and had wonderful flavor. I could easily eat these noodles every day for the rest of my life.

Yak & Yeti also has a quick service option, which is super convenient for families in a hurry. I have not heard any complaints regarding quality from one location over the other. If you like Americanized Asian food, give this place a try!

We didn't snack much in Animal Kingdom because it was a humid, hot day and nothing really caught our eye but Tamu Tamu Refreshments is a fantastic place to stop for a Dole Whip (with or without rum) and my favorite chocolate-covered espresso beans! Make a stop here before heading over for the Lion King show if you'd like to take a snack into the auditorium with you.

With such a big lunch, we decided to go easy on dinner and picked Pizzafari. This quick service option has recently changed up its menu from standard pizza to flatbreads, which has been met with mixed reviews. We didn't have high expectations but this place really blew us away! First of all, the service was excellent; the cashier noticed our "Just Engaged" pins and struck up a lively conversation with genuine interest. He then offered to carry our tray to the dining room, which was a very thoughtful and kind gesture. Take a look at what we ordered:

Mediterranean Flatbread

Meatball Sub

Garlic Knots

Tiramisu and Tomato/Cucumber Salad

So we didn't really take it easy for dinner - our eyes were bigger than our stomachs! Patrick loved the Mediterranean Flatbread and said he would definitely be back to order it again someday. The Meatball Sub was pretty average but the garlic knots were an absolute winner! We didn't take the word "basket" seriously when we read the menu but six garlic knots was a bit too much for us. At $6.99, it would be a great addition to a family meal. The flatbread was served with a tomato and cucumber salad, which Patrick didn't enjoy, and the sub sandwich arrived with chips. I set these aside to be used as a snack on another day. We're major fans of tiramisu and Pizzafari's take on it was pretty tasty for a quick and cheap option. We probably won't order dessert again because the entrees are quite large on their own. While the food was better than most quick-service locations, it was the Pizzafari staff that won us over and we'll be back for sure!

On another note, I've heard nothing but great things about the dining options at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Jiko and Sanaa frequently receive rave reviews and we'll be planning to dine at one of these locations on our next trip. Check out the Jiko and Sanaa menus when you get a chance and let me know what you think!

Disney World Dining Review - Hollywood Studios Food!

I hate to admit that our day at Hollywood Studios did not boast any fantastic foodie finds but I'm eager to share what we ate, as well as a few tips for future trips!

For starters, there are a lot of great little kiosk choices at Hollywood Studios and plenty of counter service options. I'm in the minority when I say that I'm less than impressed by some of the table service restaurants (I'm looking at you, Sci-Fi Dine-In) but I'm not going to spend time on this blog telling you to avoid these places because I fully believe that each person should make that determination on their own. So what do I do for food when I'm at Hollywood Studios? Well, PizzeRizzo wasn't open for our September trip but I'll definitely be trying it when we're back next May! Typically, we focus on snacks and light meals. We don't make any dining reservations at Hollywood Studios anymore but I'm hoping that will change with some great new additions in the Star Wars and Toy Story expansions.

Carrot Cake Cookie

The Carrot Cake Cookie has a huge following among Disney foodies and I think Disney must realize its appeal because they've managed to keep it in the bakeries even through the construction at Hollywood Studios. It was primarily found at Writer's Stop but also moved over to Sweet Spells when its former home had to close down temporarily. It's exactly as it sounds - two slices of carrot cake surrounding an ooey gooey cream cheese frosting center. Sorry for the picture of the half-eaten portion, but it was too good to not devour immediately! The cake is super moist and I didn't notice any nuts or raisins for all you picky people out there. Also, we paid only $3.99 for this massive treat and it was easily shared between two adults. Give it a try!

Red Sangria at Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge

The Hollywood Brown Derby is easily considered the most chic place to dine in Hollywood Studios. It's sports old American charm paired with fantastic food and it has a lounge! The best part about Hollywood Brown Derby is that the main restaurant requires reservations but the outdoor lounge is walk-up and rarely full. We stopped by during peak lunch rush and easily found a table with quick service. I started with a Red Sangria, which was pretty standard as far as sangria is concerned, but it was very refreshing on a hot and muggy day.

Crispy Bites at Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge

The only drawback of the lounge is that it does not serve the full restaurant menu, but we didn't see any issues with their offerings. We primarily selected the lounge for convenience and because we wanted to try the famous Cobb Salad (see below), which IS offered at both locations. The Crispy Bites were selected as an appetizer and they were quite delicious. Parmesan goat cheese risotto sticks, fried Brie cheese, and corn/shrimp fritters with a host of dipping sauces made this savory starter a winner in our book!

The Famous Hollywood Brown Derby Cobb Salad

This salad is famous for two reasons: the original Hollywood Brown Derby is where it was created and it's incredibly delicious! The kitchen staff at Disney are more than accommodating of preferences so they will happily remove any topping upon request, but I think it's pretty amazing as-is. I prefer this salad because the lettuce is chopped and very easy to handle with a fork (no big chunks of iceberg lettuce to wrestle!)

Nachos and Pulled Pork Sliders at Min and Bill's Dockside Diner

Our dinner option was a little place called Min and Bill's Dockside Diner. It's a quick service location with only outdoor seating so beware on super hot days. The food was fairly lackluster and, for lack of a better term, DRY. The nachos could have used some queso and the sliders really needed a sauce. Also, the wait was incredibly long for what should have taken just a few moments to prepare but the kitchen seemed fairly under-staffed at the time of our visit.

The final stop of the day was the Star Wars Dessert Party. I debated whether to include this review here, but I think the relatively light options at Hollywood Studios warrants a little excitement. I'll end the suspense - the dessert party was amazing! We will definitely return to this option in the future because it not only offered delicious sweet treats, but there were beverages (including alcoholic options) and exclusive access to Stormtroopers and Jawas. There were also a few savory snacks on the dessert menu so there's something for everyone.

Beverages; alcoholic options reside with the bartender to the left (not pictured)

Frozen Fried Nutella

It seems like things are always changing at Hollywood Studios so I hope that means we will see more picture-worthy food options in the future!