You just graduated from college!! What's next? 5/13 - 5/21 THAT'S A WRAP!

[archdandy]

Following along. Great review of the tour! We've only stayed at AKL once and I regret not doing the tour. I know I can still do it as a guest at another resort but we never make it over there.

 

[momof3princes]

The tour is free AND gives free samples of that yummy food? I may need to try to get into that tour our next visit!
I have always wanted to visit Sanaa but was not sure how it would go over with the kids....or the husband Looking forward to seeing how you liked it!

 

[aj23]

That tour sounds amazing! We have a free day the first day we're there and might have to make a trip over to AKL to check it out.

 

[Vernie822]

I loved your Culinary Tour review! We are staying at AKL in November and I had this on our to do list. I'm even more excited for it now. Yum!

 

[jabead]

AKL Club level looks great. Especially love the sangria welcome. Can't believe all the drama with your room though. Yes of course 4 adults can sleep in a bunk bed room ; ) Funny story we got one on our last trip and I went to the top one to read my daughter a book and promptly got stuck trying to get down ; ) Ended up with bruises on my things from the trip down. So good decision. But still can't believe you didn't wait for a room on the old butt trail. It's my personal favorite

I had no idea about the Jiko and Boma tour, gonna have to check that out on a future trip. And I'm with ya on the zebra domes I just didn't get what all the fuss was about. Any idea if the Boma carrot soup is the same they used to have at Jiko? My heart broke a little bit when I saw it wasn't on the menu. That stuff is divine.

Not sure about the carrot soup, as I didn't have it at Jiko. Actually, I think this was the first time that I've ever had carrot soup anywhere. I'll have to try it again sometime if I see it on the menu elsewhere to determine if I'm a carrot soup fan or if it's just Boma's that I like.

Loving all the pictures of AKL club level. That whole resort looks so amazing. I may need to stray from my beloved BC next trip.

The culinary tour sounds like so much fun, great way to spend some time exploring another resort. Have you heard of any of the other Deluxes doing something similar?

No, I'm not aware of a culinary tour being offered at any of the other deluxe resorts. I would be all over a free culinary tour with samples at the Grand Floridian's Victoria & Albert's. But I doubt that's ever going to happen.

I had no idea about the culinary tour. It looks wonderful (plus, samples)! I don't think we'll be checking out AKL too much on our September trip, but we're already planning a short weekend in January and I may see if Will wants to sneak off and try this! If not, it'll just go into the file for "next time."

As an Indian food fan, Sanaa is high on my list, so I'll look forward to reading your review!

The Sanaa review will be up soon, hopefully this weekend!

Okay that tour is now on my Disney bucket list. It is truly is a hidden gem.

That's what I love about Disney World. There's always a new experience, new restaurant, and/or new snack to try no matter how many times you visit.

The sangria looks right up my alley.

We stayed at AKL about three years ago and I had no idea they offered those kinds of tours there. Definitely making a note of that one. It really is amazing all the stuff you can actually find to do at WDW that is not advertised and a lot of it for free too.

There's always something new to do/see/eat at Disney World. That is my usual response to the question, "Don't you ever get tired of going to Disney World?"

That tour sounds like fun and a great way to learn more about the restaurants for free - my favourite word

Yes, unfortunately "free" is not a word you frequently hear at Disney World.

Following along. Great review of the tour! We've only stayed at AKL once and I regret not doing the tour. I know I can still do it as a guest at another resort but we never make it over there.

Yes, Animal Kingdom Lodge is a bit out of the way when you are staying anywhere else. However, a visit there for the tour would be a nice mid-afternoon break from the parks (especially when you are at Animal Kingdom) or it could be combined with an early dinner at either Boma or Jiko (or Sanaa at Kidani Village).

The tour is free AND gives free samples of that yummy food? I may need to try to get into that tour our next visit!
I have always wanted to visit Sanaa but was not sure how it would go over with the kids....or the husband Looking forward to seeing how you liked it!

Hopefully I'll get to the Sanaa review this weekend.

That tour sounds amazing! We have a free day the first day we're there and might have to make a trip over to AKL to check it out.

It would be a great first day adventure I think. Hope you enjoy it!

I loved your Culinary Tour review! We are staying at AKL in November and I had this on our to do list. I'm even more excited for it now. Yum!

I first found out about the tour when I stayed at AKL on my last trip in October. I was only staying there one night though and did the Wanyama Safari. So I was very happy when the opportunity presented itself again so soon. Enjoy!

 

[jabead]

Kisikusiku at the Kilimanjaro Lounge




Kisikusiku is Swahili for "nighttime" and nighttime (from 5:00 - 7:00) at the Animal Kingdom Lodge's Kilimanjaro Lounge means Wine and Cheese selections for concierge guests.


On the evening of May 13th there were three wines being offered, all from the South African winery, Indaba.





Two of these were red wines, one a Merlot and the other called Mosaic (which was a Bordeaux blend). The one white wine was a Chenin Blanc. This was the wine that both my daughter and I tried and we both enjoyed it.



As for their cheese selections, again there were three being offered. The first was Manchego, which was my daughter's favorite.






My son's favorite was the Tillamook Smoked Cheddar.





I thought both of those were quite good, however my favorite was the Blue Cheese Affine.






This was delicious, especially when combined with a bit of honey...





But wine and cheese were not all that was offered that evening. There was a basket of crackers and toasted baguette slices to accompany your cheese...





Or if you prefer, these could be eaten with the hummus, of which there were three kinds...



From left to right: White Bean Hummus, Black Olive Hummus, and Sun-dried Tomato Hummus



Or perhaps you like your hummus with raw vegetables...




The cucumber slices and plum tomatoes were typical crudites, but I was a little surprised by the green beans, whole carrots, and asparagus.



Next to the vegetables were glasses of Strawberry Cream Soup...





There were also both Kalamata and Spanish olives, plus some kind of Chickpea salad I think??





Next were Apple slices and caramel sauce...





In the category of hot hors d'oeuvres, there was Trofie Cut Pasta with Fufu Cheese Sauce...



For those like me who have never heard of fufu, here's what I found: Fufu is a staple food of many countries in Africa and the Caribbean. It is often made with a flour made from the cassava plant.

All three of us tried this, as it looked like a really good gourmet mac 'n cheese. However, we all gave it a thumbs down, as it had a really odd flavor. After discovering what fufu is, I'm guessing we are not fans of cassava.

​

There was one other hot dish being served...





This was Mozambique Duck with Bulgar Pilaf and Quince Jus...





And a close-up shot...




I'm not really a fan of duck so I passed on this but Emily really liked it.


So overall, we all enjoyed at least two of the three cheeses offered (my kids won't touch blue cheese) and Emily liked the duck appetizer. Oh, and my son gave the hummus a thumbs up! However, we all left the lounge still hungry...which is a good thing since we had a 6:45 dinner reservation at Sanaa.
​

Next up: Dinner at Sanaa

 

[vettegirl]

Thanks for sharing! My DH would not have eaten most of that, he is sooo picky! I know things change nightly but your review has left some food for thought for upcoming trips and their CL offerings.

 

[LindseyJo22]

Wow, most of that looks amazing! I doubt we'll ever end up staying club level (fiance's parents have DVC, and we're strongly considering it in our future), but I love seeing everyone's reviews and experiences

That macaroni looked delicious, too bad it was not so tasty :/. But luckily, it seems like you had something to look forward to

 

[aj23]

Love seeing all that's offered at club level. Might have to keep that in mind to try on a trip in the future.

 

[Pfau]

I would not leave that hungry at all. Manchego is my absolute favorite cheese so I could have eaten the entire plate. *oink*

 

[kastoney]

Their cheese offerings look really good and I love that they have the south african wine selections. That pasta dish does sound odd though. I like cassava, but can't fathom it as a sauce in pasta. Glad to see they at least are trying to keep it authentic to Africa. Can't wait to see how Sanaa goes. Its one of my favs.

 

[Hadley's Mom]

Can I go on your next trip with you? You seem to know what to do and where to go! I love reading your reviews. I shall tell my 2 kids that I will take them to Disney when they graduate from college!

 

[AllyinWonderland]

Yay! I am so excited to read another one of your reviews! Congrats to your daughter!!

 

[Liam]

Reading your reviews always gets me excited to go back to Disney

 

[jabead]

Thanks for sharing! My DH would not have eaten most of that, he is sooo picky! I know things change nightly but your review has left some food for thought for upcoming trips and their CL offerings.

Of the three CLs that I have tried so far (Yacht Club, Wilderness Lodge, and Animal Kingdom Lodge), I would have to say my favorite is the Wilderness Lodge.

Wow, most of that looks amazing! I doubt we'll ever end up staying club level (fiance's parents have DVC, and we're strongly considering it in our future), but I love seeing everyone's reviews and experiences

Did you know that the DVC villas at Jambo House can come with CL privileges?

Love seeing all that's offered at club level. Might have to keep that in mind to try on a trip in the future.

I say, go for it!

I would not leave that hungry at all. Manchego is my absolute favorite cheese so I could have eaten the entire plate. *oink*

Can't complain a bit regarding their cheese selections...all were great!

Their cheese offerings look really good and I love that they have the south african wine selections. That pasta dish does sound odd though. I like cassava, but can't fathom it as a sauce in pasta. Glad to see they at least are trying to keep it authentic to Africa. Can't wait to see how Sanaa goes. Its one of my favs.

Sanaa seems to be a favorite for many here. Is it a jabead family favorite? Stay tuned to find out.

Can I go on your next trip with you? You seem to know what to do and where to go! I love reading your reviews. I shall tell my 2 kids that I will take them to Disney when they graduate from college!

Absolutely!

Yay! I am so excited to read another one of your reviews! Congrats to your daughter!!

Thank you and thanks for joining in!

Reading your reviews always gets me excited to go back to Disney

Aww...what a nice compliment! Thank you!

 

[jabead]

"African Cooking with Indian Flavors"


After returning to our room for a bit to get ready for dinner, we set off by foot toward Kidani Village.



(Photo taken during my last trip, while on the Wanyama Safari)



It took less time than I thought it would for us to walk the path between the two sections of the Animal Kingdom Lodge Resort. Therefore we reached our dining destination a few minutes early, but were seated shortly after our arrival at...






Emily and I each ordered a drink from their cocktail menu...




I noticed that the Kande Coconut Cooler that I had enjoyed on my one and only other visit to Sanaa in 2011 was still on their menu, as was the Malawi Mango Margarita that my oldest daughter had.



Malawi Mango Margarita (a frozen blend of Tequila, Van der Hum Tangerine Liqueur from South Africa, Mango Puree, and freshly squeezed Lime Juice) and Kande Coconut Cooler (a refreshing combination of Starr African Rum, Coconut, Vanilla Ice Cream, and Orange Juice)

These were both great so I suggested to Emily that we order them. When the server came to the table to take our drink orders, he asked for mine first. Knowing how much Emily likes mango, I assumed that she would order the margarita. So therefore I again ordered the Kande Coconut Cooler. But then Emily surprised me by ordering the African Starr Mojito. This was the first of many times that my kids would surprise me with their food and beverage choices on this trip, as you will see.

​

On the left is my Kande Coconut Cooler (same description as above) and on the right is Emily's African Starr Mojito with Starr African Rum, Van der Hum Tangerine Liqueur (from South Africa), fresh mint, and a slice of lime.


We started our rating system with this meal. Everything will be rated between 1 and 5.

1 = Complete and utter failure
2 = Not good
3 = Okay
4 = Good
5 = Very Good/Excellent

Emily's was actually the better of our two drinks and she gave it a rating of 4. My drink did not taste anything like the Kande Coconut Cooler which I had 4 years ago. With that one you could definitely taste the vanilla ice cream that was one of its listed ingredients. This drink had no creamy flavor, it tasted mostly like watered-down (from the abundance of ice in it) orange juice with just a hint of coconut and a dash of rum. I rechecked the drink's ingredients on the menu, thinking that they must have changed but that was not the case. Therefore, I would have to give my cocktail a 2.


Our server recommended that we order their Indian-style bread service, but the kids weren't interested and I couldn't manage it on my own so had to pass. And sadly we also didn't see any appetizers on the dinner menu that we were tempted to order...




So we moved right along to our entree choices...




After looking at the options, I was fairly certain that my son would choose the steak and my daughter the Tandoori chicken. Well, I was half right.


My son did in fact order the steak...



Grilled New York Strip topped with spiced butter and served with Tunisian Olive Oil Crushed Potatoes and Seasonal Vegetables

Unfortunately this was very fatty and he rated it only a 2. We all exchanged tastes of our meats, and I would have to agree with him. That steak was not good.



Emily was the first to order her entree and she again surprised me by ordering this...



South African Braai Sampler Platter - From left to right: Pork Tenderloin, Boerewor Sausage, and a Lamb Chop served with Seasonal Accompaniments

Other than the Pork Tenderloin (which we all agreed was a solid 4, bordering on a 5), she gave this entree a 3.


I was planning to order the Lamb Shank or the Braai Lamb, up until the time that Emily ordered the sampler platter rather than the Tandoori Chicken which I thought she would order. Seeing that her entree included a lamb chop, I quickly changed my mind and for the sake of diversity ordered the...


Tandoori Chicken with Basmati Rice, Lime, and Coriander

I have to admit that this looked really good but sadly it tasted just okay, as it was rather bland. I gave it a 3.


And since we were planning to check out the offerings in the concierge lounge later, we passed on ordering dessert here.



So the highlight of our dinner at Sanaa was the pork tenderloin, one of the three meats served with the South African Braai Sampler Platter...





It was well-seasoned, tender and flavorful. It's a pity that the Pork Tenderloin is not offered as a stand-alone entree at Sanaa.


And though the pork tenderloin was good, the rest of our dinner was either not good or just okay. Therefore our overall rating for the first meal of our trip was a disappointing 3 (Okay). Everyone seems to love Sanaa so I was really surprised by our lackluster dinner there. I thought we were starting our trip with a slam dunk dinner choice but it turned out to be more like an air ball.
​

Next up: Desserts and Cordials at the Kilimanjaro Lounge

 

[LindseyJo22]

So sad that Sanaa was not a good experience for you! Just looking at the menu, I would have a hard time choosing an entree (Indian food is one of my favorites ). I will still have to check it out for the bread service one of these days though; that seems to get consistently good reviews.

Did you know that the DVC villas at Jambo House can come with CL privileges?

Well now I do! Probably didn't need to know that, but maybe I can convince my fiance on a future trip

 

[auntfrannie]

The Coconut Cooler looks delicious; anything with coconut is on my list. Too bad none of the entrees were a hit.

 

[AllyinWonderland]

It is too bad that none of the entrees were a huge hit. That sampler platter looks delicious.

 

[vettegirl]

That's too bad it was a flop. We love their curries and naan and never venture from those, that steak sounds terrible