We’re back today for another visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom! And this time, we’re stopping by The Smiling Crocodile!

In case you haven’t noticed 😉 , Animal Kingdom has been undergoing some major changes lately. Of course the biggest change is the addition of, you know, a whole new world.

But in addition to that, we’ve been seeing little changes for years. It began with subtle changes to the color schemes. The bright colors that had decorated Discovery Island since it opened were traded for richer, deeper, more neutral colors.

Longtime favorite counter service spots like Pizzafari and Flame Tree Barbecue both underwent periods of refresh. And of course, Creature Comforts was overhauled when it became a Starbucks.

But then, other spots have changed up as well. In addition to brand new counter service spots, like Harambe Market, AK decided it was time to update a few of the kiosks, too. So familiar spots, like The Gardens Kiosk, were revamped. In this case, well — welcome to The Smiling Crocodile!

We dropped by The Smiling Crocodile recently to see what was new — and we found plenty! Let’s take a look.

Open Faced BLTs at The Smiling Crocodile

For now, it seems that Open Faced BLTs are taking over at The Smiling Crocodile. We found three different versions: Turkey BLT, Salmon BLT, and Pimento Cheese BLT.

We didn’t have any takers on the Salmon BLT the day we visited, so we stuck to the other two. Here’s an introductory photo so you can begin to get an idea of what you’re getting.

Both sandwiches are open-faced, in the style of, say, a French tartine, crostini, or a (reeeeeally hearty) tea sandwich, and are served on thin slices of ciabatta bread. Keep that in mind, because this is not a BLT in the sense of two pieces of bread, lots of filling, and a bag o’ chips on the side.

This sammie definitely falls more into the snack category — although it could certainly function as a light meal. (“Light” here meaning not so big. Bacon and pimento cheese are certainly not “light” foods.) But this is especially true if you aren’t a big eater. Or if, like us, you’re intent on snacking your way through Disney. 🙂

Want to know more? Read on!

Turkey BLT

To begin, we sampled the Turkey BLT. I was surprised when they handed this one through the window to me that it was topped with carved turkey breast, rather than shaved deli meat. So it does get points for that.

Other components include shredded lettuce, tomato, thick sliced bacon, and mayonnaise.

While the turkey was fresh, it was also, um, dry and tasteless.

The bacon, on the other hand, was fantastic! It really does look more like pork belly, right? But it IS thick-sliced bacon!

As far as portion and size goes, it was awesome. But they definitely need to back to the drawing board on the turkey. Brine it or something. Get some moisture into that meat, for the love.

Pimento Cheese BLT

But then, we came to the Pimento Cheese BLT. Goodness gracious.

Pimento cheese continues to be such a hot ingredient on menus. And here, it’s paired with that same thick-sliced bacon, plus a lightly dressed mixture of diced tomato, scallions, and arugula. (I’m guessing they threw the arugula into the mix so they could still call it a BLT.)

Anyway, this sandwich was PERFECT.

The diced tomato mixture was fresh and popped with tangy flavor, perfectly complementing the rich bacon and pimento cheese.

The bacon, once again, was a thick, meaty, smoky slab — so full of flavor. But the PIMENTO CHEESE ROCKED.

Seriously, this was so, so good. Creamy with tons of flavor from the diced pimento.

This is the kind of Disney dish that will send you home clamoring for a way to reproduce it in your own kitchen.

I’ve gotta say — this concept is a homerun. But the Pimento Cheese version is the clear winner. If you’re spending any time in Animal Kingdom, I urge you to make room in your snack budget of this sammie. And if you’re on the Disney Dining Plan — great news! You can grab it for a snack credit.

Now I’ve gotta know: will you be trying the open faced BLT sandwiches at The Smiling Crocodile? Leave a comment and let us know!