Welcome to our latest roundup of What’s New at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Animal Kingdom Lodge
We have a bunch of menu changes and merchandise updates to tell you about, so let’s get started!
Animal Kingdom Lodge Food Update
Jiko…The Cooking Place
For starters, we noticed a few changes on the menu at Jiko…The Cooking Place.
Jiko Sign
Kids’ meals are now set up as Create-Your-Own, though none of the selections are new. Kiddos now choose an entree and two selections for their dinner.
Jiko Kid’s Menu
Elsewhere on Jiko’s menu, several items have been removed since our last visit. The Spice Route-inspired Squash Soup appetizer, Mauritius Poached Shrimp appetizer, Charcuterie and Cheese, Elk Confit Flatbread, Mrouzia Style Moroccan Lamb Tagine entree, Chermoula Chicken entree, Bo Kaap Malay Seafood Curry entree, and the Botswana-style Seswaa Beef Short Rib entree are no longer on the menu.
Also, Peri Peri Chicken ($35) has been added to the menu, and the Bobotie Mac and Cheese now comes with Wagyu instead of elk.
Jiko Menu
The Lion King specialty menu that debuted on June 30th was still available during our visit.
Lion King Menu at Jiko
Learn more about The Lion King specialty menu here!
The Mara
When we stopped by The Mara, we saw that they were offering The Lion King version of the Kudu Cookie Sandwich in addition to the regular version.
Lion King Kudu Cookie Sandwich
Read more about the Kudu Cookie Sandwich here!
Regular Kudu Cookie Sandwich
The Mara’s current cupcake offerings include the Zebra Cupcake ($5.49), African Sunshine Cupcake ($4.99), and Minnie Cupcake ($5.49). All three are Disney Dining Plan snack credit-eligible!
Zebra Cupcakes
The Zebra Cupcake consists of chocolate cake and chocolate filling, while the African Sunshine Cupcake features chocolate-chip cake and chocolate icing, while the Minnie Cupcake is made of white cake and vanilla filling.
African Sunshine Cupcakes
Read our full review of the African Sunshine Cupcake here!
Minnie Cupcakes
We’re not sure how long this has been there, but we noticed a new dessert case we hadn’t seen before. It’s a closed refrigerated case at the same station as the grab-and-go dessert case. This is where we found the celebration cakes, cupcakes, and regular and gluten-free Zebra Domes.
The Mara Dessert Case
We also noticed a designated Mobile Order pickup area at The Mara. For now, it’s just a small ledge near the grab-and-go snacks and dessert case.
The Mara Mobile Order Pickup Area
Learn more about Disney World’s Mobile Order system here!
The Mara Mobile Order Pickup Area
On The Mara’s beverage menu, they’ve added a boozy version of the Jungle Juice Slushy in addition to a Strawberry Lemonade with Snow Leopard Vodka.
The Mara Beverage Menu
They’ve also added more selections to the list of syrups for coffee!
The Mara Coffee Syrups
Animal Kingdom Lodge Merchandise Update
In Zawadi Marketplace, we found a huge selection of Lion King merchandise! We didn’t spot anything we hadn’t seen before, but we were impressed by the sheer amount of stuff they had.
The Lion King Merchandise
The Lion King Merchandise
Explore more Lion King merchandise here!
Before we left Animal Kingdom Lodge, we snapped a few quick photos of the resort activities for the month of August.
Animal Kingdom Lodge Resort Activities
Animal Kingdom Lodge Resort Activities
Animal Kingdom Lodge Resort Activities
Well, friends, that wraps up our tour of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge — thanks for joining us! Stay tuned to Disney Food Blog for even more news from the Disney parks and resorts.
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I just don’t understand why Jiko is now offering only 4 entrees. That seems ridiculously limited IMHO. I hope when they get rid of the Lion King thing they go back to offering a full set of entrees.
I LOVE staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge! I just wish it wasn’t so expensive so I could visit more often.
Melanie: same. Sometimes DVC rental is really reasonable!