AK Table service options

[SEVP]

Staying at AK in Dec and have to make my reservations soon - what are the table service options, or ones that require a reservation? I looked at the list in the DIS page, but only one of them required reservations/on dining plan - the Tusker House. Is this the only option at the AK?

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

On the DDP: Tusker house or Yak & Yeti
Not on DDP: Rainforest cafe

 

[Quin]

3 TS options at AK: Tusker House (buffet), Yak&Yeti, and Rainforest Cafe. Rainforest Cafe is the same chain restaurant that you have in your local mall. It is actually right IN the gate, so people can eat there who are not entering the park.

Check the menus on AllEars.net.

Because AK is not open late in the evening (they used to have evening EMH but stopped this year because the schedule changes were stressing some of the animals) the lunch/dinner menu at both TH and Y&Y are the same. Y&Y is a personal favorite of ours. The menu is more extensive than many other restaurants at WDW. And the fried wonton dessert is to die for.

And because AK is not open late, many people just grab CS for lunch and use that day to schedule a nice resort dinner someplace, maybe at a different resort than their own (take bus from AK to the dinner resort, then do a bus transfer from the dinner resort back to your own). The most common destination is one of the AKL restaurants. AKL is NOT within walking distance of AK but it is only about a 5 minute bus ride away. Between the 2 portions of AKL you have a Signature, a regular TS, a buffet TS (Boma; another favorite of ours), and a CS.

 

[Colleen27]

Tusker House is open for breakfast and dinner. Breakfast is a character meal with Donald, Daisy, Mickey & Goofy. Lunch seems to be kind of up in the air - it is usually open, but hasn't been available to reserve for fall so that might be changing. It takes the dining plan.

Yak & Yeti is also on the dining plan and is open for lunch and dinner.

Rainforest Cafe is open for all three meals but does NOT accept the dining plan.

Reservations are a good idea for any sit down meals you want to have because the restaurants are frequently booked solid/not taking walk-ups even at slower times of year, and are absolutely necessary for character meals.

 

[Quin]

Staying at AK in Dec and have to make my reservations soon - what are the table service options, or ones that require a reservation? I looked at the list in the DIS page, but only one of them required reservations/on dining plan - the Tusker House. Is this the only option at the AK?

Wait - just re-read your post - AK is a theme park. AKL is a resort. BIG difference!

Tusker, Yak&Yeti, & Rainforest are all at the theme park. Sanaa, Jiko, and Boma are all in the AKL complex, as is Mara (CS).

And reservations, called ADRs, are strongly recommended for all Table Service meals. You MIGHT be lucky and get a walk-up seat if you have no reservation - or you might spend all week eating at counter service locations.

 

[SEVP]

This WDW stuff is still new to me :^)

Booked a DCL cruise and decided to add 2 nights pre-cruise to stay at the AKL - so I am low on the learning curve - thanks for the help.

OK. No wonder I could not find out about the restaurants at the AKL cause I was searching the AK. We will do lunch at the AK, but meals at the AKL.

Does CS mean quick service??

Signature - that takes two table service credits, right?

So - breakfast & supper will be at the AKL and lunch at the AK park. Except if we do the character breakfast at Tusker House . . .

So the Yak & Yeti takes a TS credit (at AK) and the Buma = a TS credit?

Am I getting closer? haha

Thanks, again!

 

[sharonabe]

By George, I think you've got it!!

 

[Quin]

There are 3 different kinds of dining plan:
QSDP = 2 CS (counter service, sometimes called QS quick service) meals plus 2 snacks for each night of your stay.
DDP = 1 TS + 1 CS + 1 snack per night
DxDP = 3 meal credits (can be used interchangeably at CS or TS locations) + 2 snacks per night.
Which one did you take? Or are you paying out of pocket (oop)?

You do not have to use the credits on the day/night they accrue; you can use more one day and less the next if that works better for you.

So for your trip you will be staying at AKL for 2 nights and going to only 1 park, AK? On the day you arrive do you need a meal or are you arriving after dinnertime? If you are not going to a park on your arrival day then I would certainly suggest a meal at AKL. I particularly like Boma becuase if gives you the chance to sample a wide variety of foods. Boma is 1 TS credit or 1 meal credit.

Then I assume you are spending 1 full park day. Depending on what suits your style best I'd just use snack credits at Mara for a light breakfast or start the day off with a big bang and use a TS credit at Tusker for the character buffet. If you don't want to use up valuable park time eating, note that unless it is an EMH morning the park will open at 9 am but you can make a breakfast reservation for 8 am, and bus transport to the parks starts around 7 am.

There are several CS lunch options at AK. Flame Tree has good BBQ ribs, chicken, etc. There are 2 Yak & Yeti restaurants - the TS and the CS on the other side of the building.

The AK park usually closes around 5 or 6 pm, leaving you the evening for dinner. You can go back to your resort, or you can use the WDW transport system to go to any other resort restuarant. Unless you purchased Park Hopper tickets you cannot go to a restaurant at another park to eat. Going back to AK for another dinner is fine, but I would take advantage of the free evening to try another resort just to look around.

Ohana at the Poly is only 1 TS credit and is quite good. You WILL need a reservation, called an ADR. See what time the MK fireworks are scheduled that night and try for an ADR a good hour before the fireworks start. When you check in, ask for a table where you will be able to see out the windows - you don't need to be right on the outer wall but you don't want to be completely blocked by the big grill/firepit. You will enjoy a great dinner and get to see the fireworks without going into the park. Or if you are done eating before the fireworks start, go downstairs, out past the pool, and onto the Poly's beach. Take beverages with you. There are lots of beach chairs to sit on. Watch the MK fireworks from there; you won't get the music but you will still have a magical evening.

 

[SEVP]

DDP x 2= 2 TS + 2 CS + 2 snack

Arrive on afternoon of dec 08th - will want a TS for dinner at AKL. Will probably book Boma for this.

Dec 09th we are going to AK for day and will probably do bfast at Mara CS and then lunch and snacks at AK where suggested.

Dec 09th we will want a TS supper at AKL (or AK)?? Suggestions??

The bfast CS on Dec 10th before we leave for DCL.

SO . . . we will not see any fireworks form AKL?? We only have a 1 day ticket to AKL . . . . would have been nice to see some fireworks . . .

 

[Cloudless Nights]

DDP x 2= 2 TS + 2 CS + 2 snack

Arrive on afternoon of dec 08th - will want a TS for dinner at AKL. Will probably book Boma for this.

Dec 09th we are going to AK for day and will probably do bfast at Mara CS and then lunch and snacks at AK where suggested.

Dec 09th we will want a TS supper at AKL (or AK)?? Suggestions??

The bfast CS on Dec 10th before we leave for DCL.

SO . . . we will not see any fireworks form AKL?? We only have a 1 day ticket to AKL . . . . would have been nice to see some fireworks . . .

You are right that you will have two TS, two CS, and two snacks per person for a two-night stay. Boma is at AKL, and most people here love it (although it's a bit overrated to me). You definitely want to book reservations in advance.

As for your other table service, your choices could be Sanaa at the Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas (Kidani Village--part of the Lodge complex), which is supposed to be excellent or Tusker House or Yak and Yeti at Animal Kingdom. The park will close earlier that time of year--5pm or 6pm--so it will probably be better to eat at the Lodge or some other hotel.

And I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but with a one-day ticket, you don't have to go to Animal Kingdom if you really want to see fireworks. You can go to any of the four theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, or Hollywood Studios--Magic Kingdom and Epcot both have fireworks nightly). But if you want to go to AK, Quin's suggestion of booking 'Ohana at the Polynesian resort to see the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom is fabulous!

 

[SEVP]

Is Sanaa 1TS credit - or signature?

We are doing the AK as we want to take it easy + we are "doing disney" at a later date . . .

 

[gretchenohar@hotmail]

Sanaa is 1 TS credit.
Enjoy!

 

[Quin]

DDP x 2= 2 TS + 2 CS + 2 snack

Arrive on afternoon of dec 08th - will want a TS for dinner at AKL. Will probably book Boma for this.

Dec 09th we are going to AK for day and will probably do bfast at Mara CS and then lunch and snacks at AK where suggested.

Dec 09th we will want a TS supper at AKL (or AK)?? Suggestions??

The bfast CS on Dec 10th before we leave for DCL.

SO . . . we will not see any fireworks form AKL?? We only have a 1 day ticket to AKL . . . . would have been nice to see some fireworks . . .

Hey, you've come to the DisBoards. You want AK plus fireworks? We can get you AK plus fireworks.

Total entitlement for 2 nights = 2 CS + 2 TS + 2 snacks per person.

12/8 dinner @ Boma = 1 TS per person; good choice.

12/9 breakfast @ Mara = 1 CS per person, check.
Bus from AKL to AK.
CS lunch at AK = 1 CS per person.

Don't have a calendar handy but AK probably closes at 5 pm.
Best fireworks are at the MK. At that time of year they should be at 9 pm.

Now you have 2 choices. 12/9 is one of the days that there is a special "hard ticket" event at MK in the evening called Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party MVMCP. You do not use your regular 1-day 1-park ticket for this event and you do not use a Park Hopper. If you want to attend, you purchase a separate ticket that gets you a wristband to go to the park for the party, any time from 4pm onwards. Nearly all of the MK rides are open. There are extra character meet-and-greets during the Party. There will be a Christmas parade, fireworks, snow on Main Street (Disney magic!), and even free cookies and hot cocoa.

If you want to attend the party, I suggest you change your schedule just a bit. Have your TS meal at AK in the mid-afternoon, probably at Yak & Yeti. By around 4 pm, take a bus to MK (bus goes to the Ticket & Transportation Center; from there you can take a ferry or the monorail to MK). Just have a CS meal in MK during the party. That maximizes your MK time. When MK closes you can catch a bus from the MK bus area back to AKL (do NOT go back to the TTC; follow the herds out the front gate of the MK turning left to the bus area).

Second choice, if MVMPC is overkill - you can have a 1 TS dinner near MK and still see the MK fireworks, albeit from a slight distance. Your best bet would be Ohana, in the Poly. You will absolutely need an ADR for this meal; it is very popular. If the MK fireworks ar at 9 pm, make your ADR for sometime between 7:30 and 8 pm. When you get to the check-in podium, ask for a table with a good window view. Offer to wait until one becomes available. Explain that you have never seen the MK fireworks. When it is time for the fireworks the restaurant dims the lights and pipes in the music, and you get a pretty decent view.

If you stay at AK clear until Park close, I'd say to take the bus straight to the Poly. You will be far too early for your ADR, but you can walk around the Poly. Check out the art gallery. Go to the 2nd floor and go ride the monorail all the way around; that way you get to see GF and the Contemporary too. Go back to the Poly and check in at Ohana about 10 minutes before your ADR time.

If you burn out at AK and want to go back to your room and rest up a bit, that works too. You will have to take a bus to MK and then the monorail or the boat (launch is to the right of the ferry slip) to the Poly. The boat is quicker. Because of the transfer I'd say that you would want to be at the AKL bus stop and headed for the Poly at least an hour and a quarter before your ADR time, and an hour and a half ahead would not be a bad idea. Again, if you get to the Poly too early it's easy to kill time exploring the resort.

Either way, by the end of the evening you will have used all your TS and CS credits. The morning of 12/10 you can buy pastries and such with Snack credits at Mara, and breakfast on those. Or split it - on both 12/9 and 12/10 in the morning buy 1 CS breakfast and 1 snack breakfast item like a bagel or fruit bowl, and share.

See? There's always a way!

 

[SEVP]

Me thinks you've done this before

Thanks for the help!!! Have to chat with DH now and see what he thinks . . .

When we "do Disney" next year - I am putting you on speed dial rotfl

WOW - I'm getting excited - half the fun is in the prep work

 

[Quin]

Just got back 2 weeks ago and already want to go again. DH is not quite on board with that (2nd trip in less than 2 years and we usually space them out more than that) but at least I can live vicariously by trying to help others. And I AM a bit of a planner!