Animal Kingdom Archives - Living a Disney LifeLiving a Disney Life

If you ever have the opportunity to eat at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, jump on it! We eat there every time we’re at Disney World and have enjoyed every single bite.

Topsy from South Africa

The lobby of the Animal Kingdom Lodge is worth a visit even without the delish food! It’s HUGE and themed extremely well. PLUS, you can walk right out onto the savannah for a look at the many different African animal species that roam all around the Lodge. You know how I feel about Kilimanjaro Safari, so you can just imagine how much I like the savannah overlook area. There is usually at least one castmember from Africa out there to answer any and all questions you might have about their homeland. Raymond and I spoke to a young man from Botswana for quite a while one evening and enjoyed hearing him talk about Africa and what it was like growing up there. Topsy from South Africa was there on our last visit. She was so funny when we introduced her to Perry the Platypus.

Raymond Checks out the Animals on the Savannah with Joseph’s Assistance

Okay, back to the food. We’ve eaten at The Mara (quick service), Boma (buffet) and Jiko (table service), but I’m sure Sanaa (maybe next visit) is equally as fabulous. It’s Boma and Jiko that keep us coming back – the food is unlike any other found at a Disney World resort and the service is always top notch.

Let’s just focus our taste buds on Boma. The African-flavor-inspired dishes on this buffet are so plentiful, everybody finds something to love. As with all Disney buffets, there are plenty of options for less-adventurous diners like mac-n-cheese and pasta. Boasting an impressive variety of salads (oh, that watermellon rind salad is to die for!), several soups (thus, today’s Salute!), and main dishes (rice dishes, ribs, chicken, beef at a carving station, and much more) to choose from. And lets not forget about dessert and Boma’s famous Zebra Domes (little striped cake bites from heaven)!

I found the recipe for Boma’s Chicken Corn Chowder at Magical Recipes. The weather here has finally cooled off a bit and that always puts me in the mood for soup. We (Raymond and I of the empty nest) particularly like this soup because it’s not only satisfying, but it has a spicy kick that makes it not-just-another chowder. Bread and a side salad make it a meal. Since this post is a tribute to Boma’s recipe, I made it exactly as written. I did specifically use Tobasco brand sauce because to use anything else in Lousiana is at least a sin (if not illegal). The result? Mmmmmmm…Good!

What’s your favorite place to eat at Disney World?

I must really love the Kilimanjaro Safari! Every time I take the tour I act like I’ve never seen any of those animals before in my life (and may never see them again). I take a million pictures. As if my life depends on it. Every. Single. Time.

I can’t just get in the vehicle and happily listen to the guide as we go along on our exotic animal-spotting expedition. I hear, “Jambo, Everyone!” and I immediately start swiveling and craning, camera ever at the ready – snapping pictures like crazy! WHY!?!! What causes this irresistible urge to photograph every single animal over and over again? How many pictures of giraffes eating does one family need?

If you haven’t yet enjoyed this grand adventure in the Africa section at Disney’s Animal Kingdom – hit it as early in the day as possible while everybody out there on the savannah is feeling perky and moving around. Once in the park, head for the Tree of Life. Once you’ve crossed the bridge onto Discovery Island, keep the Tree on your right as you go back along its left side. You’ll cross one more bridge and then you’ll be in Africa! The line for the Safari moves quickly and the tour takes about 18 minutes to wind you all around the 100 acres of African habitat.

There are some extremely cool animals to see and, if you’re lucky, many of them get pretty close to you (while you bump along safely in your open-air tour vehicle). I prefer sitting close to the front (if I can manage it) and at either end of the bench seat (to minimize the number of times I accidentally take a picture of the back of someone’s head).

Among the many animals you can see (and photograph!) are rhinos, lions, wildebeest, crocodiles, antelope, giraffe hippos, elephants, okapi, mandrills, and many others. Go ahead, take some pictures. I’ve decided that for some of us, that’s just how we answer the call of the wild.