food IS a theme park
Did you know that not all Disney World restaurants are Disney restaurants?
Tree of Life
Quite a few restaurants in Disney World are actually run by outside companies. While you’ll find most of these restaurants at Disney Springs, there are also quite a few to be found in the parks, like EPCOT and Animal Kingdom. And recently, I stopped by one of these “non-Disney” spots to do a full review!
Dining in Disney World can certainly be done on a whim. And we do love to grab a new treat when we see one!
Tree of Life
However, when we have a full day planned, we like to have the best eats in mind before we get to a Walt Disney World theme park. After all, it’s important to spend our dining budget on the best Disney food. That’s why we researched all the food that Animal Kingdom restaurants have to offer so that you aren’t led astray!
I haven’t written about this one in a long time, and I was excited to go back. Anandapur Local Food Cafes in Disney World’s Animal Kingdom — also known as the “Yak and Yeti Counter Service” by many folks — has the most interesting counter-service options you’ll find at Animal Kingdom. (I didn’t say “best,” I said “most interesting.”)
This restaurant is tucked waaaaay back into Asia — pretty much as far back from the entrance to Animal Kingdom as you can get without being at Rafiki’s Planet Watch — and is a great stop if you’ve just toured the Maharaja’s palace on Maharaja Jungle Trek or gotten doused on Kali River Rapids. It’s also just a short walk from Expedition Everest.
Anandapur Local Food Cafes
This all-outdoor eatery offers fantastic themeing and decent food. You’ll order at registers lined up over an overhang; but while you’re waiting, be sure to take in some of the “props” used by Imagineers to make you feel like you’re in an Indian market.
Props Outside the Restaurant
Ordering Area
Cooking pots line shelves above the food windows
Once you have your food, it’s time to head over to the seating areas. Several outdoor tables are arranged in a courtyard book-ended by marketplace shops (selling not-at-all exotic things like flip flops, dresses, towels, socks, and other sundries that may be needed by folks who’ve just emerged sopping wet from Kali River Rapids) and punctuated by a [Read more…]
According to the story of the Yak and Yeti, the restaurant is the center of a bustling boutique hotel in the foothills of the Himalayas. Adventure travelers seek out this location for rest and rejuvenation before moving ahead on their path, and the hotel’s owner, Arjun, is delighted to showcase the hodge-podge of antiques and decor he’s collected on his trips through Southeast Asia.
So, imagineered with exotic touches from the proprietor’s travels, Yak and Yeti succeeds as a well-themed restaurant in Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Asia area. The surrounding architecture, decor, room configuration, and even light fixtures transport guests to that relaxing and beautiful hotel restaurant in the middle of exciting Anandupur, India.
Yak and Yeti Restaurant
click image for larger version
You’ll have to build in a bit of time on your visit to Yak and Yeti to just…look. Peek your head into each and every room. Check out the gorgeous artifacts, the decoration, the unique wall-painting, and the stunning…and mismatched…light [Read more…]
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