Sanaa - worth it for dinner?

[DizneyLizzy]

My husband and I are having an adults' night with two of our friends over spring break in Disney. We have no kids but the other couple does and we/they figure they'll need a break one night from their all-Poly/MK trip with toddlers. Our friends have been to the Boardwalk/Epcot resort area, but haven't been to the AK or AK Lodge, so I was thinking that Sanaa or Jiko would be perfect for a grown-up night out.

I have never been to Sanaa and have read some great reviews, so I decided to book it for the 4 of us for a 6:30 dinner in March. Is it worth it for dinner when darkness sets in and the animals aren't the main event anymore? (the sunset in Orlando in March is supposedly around 7:30) Otherwise I can just book Jiko, but I've been there before and would like to try Sanaa.

 

[Sweet Melissa]

Absolutely. The food is the star of the show there. The animals on the savanna are just part of the backdrop.

 

[Pakey]

We like the food enough at Sanaa that we did In Room Dining for 8 people last week while staying at AKV. It was our 3rd time eating food from here.

The dishes are not as complex as those served at Jiko but I think it's still very good. It's not traditional Indian food and as long as you are fine with that, you won't be disappointed.

We have never dined here before dark so I can't speak regarding how much seeing a few animals enhances the dining experience. We think the food, on its own, is worth it.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Sanaa has a really beautiful decor, and the food is definitely good for a 1-credit location. I highly recommend the chai cream for dessert and the Durban spicy curries if anyone likes spicy food.

 

[queenbee99]

I got this dining for a friend's family last month and they RAVED about it. It is now at the top of my list of new ADR's to try. They said the atmosphere and food were great!

 

[Minnesota!]

YES!!!! Most amazing restaurant, IMO, on WDW property!

GO!!!

 

[DisneyHotDog]

It is now one of my favorite restaurants at Disney. They offer may of their dishes as trios which gives you a little taste of different dishes. We went there for you 30th wedding anniversary and found it very romantic.

 

[btk2333]

We have heard great things about this restaurant- we are trying it for dinner this December when we are in the world

 

[fairetails]

Yes! It is so so good and very different flavors. Worth it!

 

[OhThePain]

My fiance and I ate at Sanaa last week and really enjoyed it. We didn't get seated until after dark, but we don't feel like we missed anything because of that. Get the bread service (while it says it's for 2, I think 4 people could easily share it). The pagers for the restaurant work on the savannah overlook that is right by the restaurant, so while waiting you can head out there and check out the animals or sit by the firepit.

You really can't go wrong with either Sanaa or Jiko.

 

[DizneyLizzy]

Thanks so much!

Now I'm even more excited to try it

 

[OhThePain]

Thanks so much!

Now I'm even more excited to try it

I just wanted to add that some people can get intimidated by the menu, especially those who are not fond of a lot of spice in their meal (spice does not always mean spicey hot), but they can be very accomodating to those who would rather have a tamer flavored meal.

 

[ocalla]

Ate there this past May as a last minute lunch on our Animal Kingdom day, and boy was I glad we did!!! Well worth the bus ride to AKL

My DD14 has it on our must do dining list for next year.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I am so glad to hear all the great reviews! We're going there for the first time. It started as just a "filler" ADR (a back-up when the issues with HDDR were going on), but after the issue was resolved, we all still really wanted to go so we squeezed it in on another night. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Jiko, but none of us enjoyed Boma. I'm hoping the food is more in line with Jiko food than Boma food. The atmosphere looks so cozy too! We'll be getting there after it's dark, but I love how Sanaa feels like a tucked away restaurant (I stayed at Kidani last year and went down to check it out).

 

[3pletprincesses]

yes yes and yes. It was one of our favorite restaurant this past May. It was even better then some signature meals we had.

 

[hydrotony]

I agree with the good reviews above. The different styles, spices and textures can be a real turn-off to meatloaf-chickenfingers-pizza only eaters. Besides the food, the setting is great. For example, after eating you can go outside to the fire pit patio and relax and watch some animals wander around. The restrooms outside the restaurant have outstanding decor. The lobby for Kadani is beautiful.
Remember to enjoy the whole experience, not just the food.