food IS a theme park
One of this year’s “new” EPCOT Food and Wine Festival additions, the Kenya booth, has arrived early today!
Kenya is OPEN!
Featuring old favorites in a new location, this booth has a small but mighty menu. If it’s anything like the Africa booth of years past, then we know we’re going to love it! Let’s get into it!
In December, we paid a visit to Animal Kingdom’s newest watering hole, Thirsty River Bar and Trek Snacks.
But we’re all for old favorites, too, so when AJ got a text from her friend Andy with the news that Dawa Bar in Animal Kingdom’s Africa had switched up their early morning cocktails, we were there!!
Now, all the talk about Animal Kingdom these days surrounds the upcoming nighttime activities like the Rivers of Light spectacular, which will extend the park into an all day experience later this spring. (And obviously we can’t wait for the arrival of Tiffins — Animal Kingdom’s first Signature Dining location — as well as the Nomad Lounge to open in conjunction with these new activities in 2016.)
But like I said, as excited as we are about all that future nighttime entertainment, we’re here to explore an exclusively early-morning experience: the recently refreshed Sunrise Cocktail menu at the Dawa Bar. While the Dawa Bar operates all day, this special menu of morning beverages is only available from 9:00 – 11:00 am.
Though morning pours aren’t new to the Dawa Bar (you may remember the Bloody Mary menu that was introduced in late 2014), we’re here to go over some changes with you, including an absentee from the Bloody Mary selections along with some fun new additions. (Did somebody say “Mimosas”?!)
2014 brought a renovation and slight relocation to the Dawa Bar as well as the aforementioned morning menu of Bloody Marys.
Animal Kingdom’s Dawa Bar
Other than that, though, things have held pretty steady at this African-themed lounge over the years. It still sits right beside the Tusker House check-in area. [Read more…]
Alrighty, Guys — it’s time for another fun Disney Food Blog Challenge. And this one is definitely for the grown ups! Everyone’s aware that craft beer has become increasingly popular. Sure, through the years, you always had the garden variety options…
Honey Bee Citrus Blonde Ale at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
…but these days, Craft Beers and International Selections are where it’s at. So we thought that it was high time we take a closer look at some of the interesting beer that you can get throughout Walt Disney World. In the interest of interactive fun, we decided to come up with another DFB Food — er, Beverage — Crawl, dedicated to the world of beer, and all that it encompasses!
Today, we welcome @MealTrip back to Disney Food Blog with an in-depth look — and some incredible photos! — of the opening night performance of Harambe Nights!
We enjoyed our first experience with this new hard ticket event at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom when we brought you a sneak peek from a media event recently. Now that the performance — which includes the new show The Lion King –A Concert in the Wild, a Welcome Reception, and a Street Party afterwards — is open to the public, we wanted to bring you another look at the event.
Let’s see what works — and what still needs a little work.
I made my way to the event location in plenty of time to check out the area for Harambe Nights before many of the guests arrived, and the set up is quite well done.
Festively-capped Cast Members greet guests of the event at the front gate of Animal Kingdom.
Cast Members Welcoming Guests to Harambe Nights
Here’s a close up of the Harambe Nights sign.
Welcome Sign
Let’s head in and take a look around.
As you enter the area, don’t forget to grab a program right after you check in and receive your wristband. The program contains information about merchandise, food, and the show.
Distributing Programs
It also gives you a handy schedule so you know just how the evening will unfold.
Event Program — Click to Enlarge
Here’s the view as I arrived. The streets of the new Harambe Theater District are set up and ready to go before the party.
Streets of the New Harambe Street District as Guests Arrive
And here’s the area after 1,000 people are let in!
Streets of the New Harambe Theater District as it Fills with People
There are numerous beverage and food stations set up throughout the area. Here’s an example of one of the beverage stations. And yes — that’s Jungle Juice!
Beverage Station
The Welcoming Party menu is somewhat light, and everything food and drink-wise is repeated at all stations, so if you’ve found one, you’ve found them all.
Welcome Reception Menu — Click to Enlarge
The self-serve hot “appetizer” stations are well-looked after by Cast Members, and if you feel the line is too long when you walk up to one, just hang back and wait a few minutes. The crowds tend to ebb and flow, and there’s plenty of time to visit the food tables multiple times without standing in a long line.
Self Serve Appetizers at the Welcome Party
Spicy Durban Chicken will be familiar to guests who have dined at Boma or Tusker House.
Spicy Durban Chicken
Also throughout the area, there are numerous [Read more…]
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