Animal Kingdom Lodge is one of my favorite places to stay at Walt Disney World. Despite its perceived distance from the main hub, this resort hotel offers a rich, African-themed atmosphere, unique dining options, and amazing views of savanna wildlife, including zebras, giraffes, antelopes, and flamingos!
The resort’s DVC counterpart, Kidani Village, holds particular appeal for me personally, due to its peaceful, somewhat secluded environment. Sadly, aside from the Maji Pool Bar, which does serve a smashing Naan Pocket Chicken Club, there is no official full-time, quick-service dining location there. Thanks to an unassuming sign in the resort elevator, however, I discovered that Kidani’s popular East African-inspired table service restaurant serves a secret quick-service breakfast! Keep reading for all of the details! Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including the timeline of when Disneyland’s new rides will open, and Disney World announcing refurbishment dates for a popular value resort.
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Best Quick Service Breakfast at Disney World?
This dining secret is so well-kept, in fact, that I feel a bit guilty sharing it with our readers for fear of spoiling its sparse attendance. If you’re like me and appreciate the luxury of a freshly prepared breakfast while on vacation, keep reading to learn more about the breakfast offerings at Sanaa. Maybe just keep this valuable information to yourself!
A Case for Kidani Village
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Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Jambo House boasts soaring architecture, massive, ornately decorated chandeliers, an indoor suspension bridge, two high-quality table-service restaurants, an incredible lounge, a beloved all-day quick-service spot, and more. It’s no wonder it gets so much attention from guests.
However, Jambo House can become a rather noisy, bustling center of activity at times. If you’re prone to over-stimulation at Disney World, the relaxed, homey feel at Kidani Village can’t be beat. Its lobby may lack the towering cathedral effect of the impressive Jambo House, but it’s no less beautiful or atmospheric.
Of course, both Jambo House and Kidani Village feature premium accommodations in a top-tier setting. And to be fair, there are plenty of hidden places to escape to in and around Jambo House as well. Animal Kingdom Lodge, as a whole, feels like an escape. But if you want a more intimate experience and that “home-away-from-home” vibe, Kidani has you covered.
With less than half as many guest rooms as its sister resort, there are simply fewer people around at Kidani. This rule applies to the resort’s super under-the-radar quick-service breakfast, too.
Sanaa Dining Room Provides Awesome Vistas
Woven baskets adorn the wall outside the restaurant, setting the stage for the traditional East-African spice market theming. I wasn’t sure what kind of transformation to expect, since I’m accustomed to the lunch and dinner crowds at Sanaa, but as we approached the host stand, we could see that there were only a few people inside the lounge area, waiting to order at the register.
As a quick-service dining experience, breakfast at Sanaa provides first-come, first-served seating for guests. This was really a treat for my family, since we have never had the opportunity to sit near the savanna-facing windows at this restaurant. When we arrived downstairs, around 9:30 a.m., there were only two other groups sitting in the dining room.
We were able to grab a table for our family of four right beside one of the arched windows and were thrilled to be able to watch the giraffes move across the savanna while we waited for our breakfast entrees. It was a pretty special way to start the day!
Sanaa Kuamsha Breakfast Specials
Sanaa serves the Kuamsha Breakfast from 7:30 to 11:00 a.m. Like most of the dining options at Animal Kingdom Lodge, it features some truly novel menu items you can’t get anywhere else. These include:
- Short Rib Hash- Spice Route Home Fries, Roasted Peppers and Onions, Avocado Crema, and Braised Short Rib
- Sanaa Breakfast Sandwich- House-made Naan Bun Sandwich with an Over-easy Egg, Canadian Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, and Chermoula Mayonnaise
- Avocado Toast- Toasted Artisan Bread with Smashed Avocado, Smoked Pastrami Salmon, Tomato Chutney, Pumpkin Suya, and Two Poached Eggs
- Breakfast Power Bowl- Ancient Grains, Mixed Greens, Sweet Market Berries, Vegan Acai Yogurt, and Caramelized Pumpkin Seeds (Plant-based)
- Cinnamon Mielie Cake- a sweet, South African-inspired corn cake that comes with the Bounty Platter. You can also order it as a pastry on the side.
As huge fans of the cinnamon-sugary Tonga Toast at Polynesian Village Resort, my husband and I both ordered the Banana Bread French Toast.
Move over, Tonga! This might be the best breakfast I have ever eaten at Disney World, and I’m typically one for savory over sweet. The textures and flavors in this breakfast dish were shockingly sublime: thick, warm pieces of Banana Bread, soaked in a buttery caramel sauce, with banana slices, crunchy toasted pecans, whipped vanilla cream, and a tart swirl of raspberry sauce to balance it all out. I will be coming back for more!
For the Disney Breakfast Lovers
If eating adventurously in the morning isn’t your thing, Sanaa also offers much of the usual Disney breakfast fare, from scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausage, to Mickey Waffles and assorted pastries, to Eggs Benedict (albeit with a special Spice-Route Hollandaise).
My teenage son ordered his favorite, the Bounty Platter, with Scrambled Eggs, Spice Route Home Fries, Sausage, Bacon, and a Cinnamon Mielie Cake. He didn’t say much about it, but he ate the whole thing and then stole the Spice-Route Home Fries off of my daughter’s Mickey-shaped Waffle plate.
So, the next time you’re staying at Kidani Village or visiting Animal Kingdom Lodge, remember Sanaa serves an extraordinary quick-service breakfast in a quiet dining room with incredible views! I personally recommend dining here halfway through your vacation, as it was the perfect mid-week reset for our family.
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