I hadn’t had Tusker House breakfast in years. I had great memories of going to the little counter-service eatery right after the park opened, getting my breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, shredded potatoes, and a biscuit, and sitting out at one of the tables, lazily watching commando dads and exhausted kids taking “monster steps” toward the Kilimanjaro Safari queue line. Sigh. Those were lovely mornings.
The Duck of the Hour
No sooner had I developed a routine, however, when Disney pulled the rug out from under me and established Tusker House as a table-service buffet rather than my beloved counter-service stop. They moved the Duck Breakfast there, too–no longer dubbing it “Donald’s Breakfast-o-saurus,” as was it’s name when hosted by Dino-land’s Restaurant-o-saurus, but “Donald’s Safari Breakfast,” implying its new home next to the Kilimanjaro Safari ride.
Tusker House Buffet Area
Now, don’t get me wrong; I love ducks as much as the next guy. And I love having breakfast with ducks…and mice, and dogs, and chipmunks, too. But I was a little perturbed that my slow, lazy, relaxing Tusker House breakfast was about to be turned into a typical loud, crazy, take-a-buzzer-and-hope-to-get-a-seat-within-an-hour character buffet meal.
Oatmeal and Mealie Pap
Luckily, my first experience at Donald’s Safari Breakfast was a good one. We were seated after only about a 10 minute wait, and despite the hoarde of cheerleaders occupying an entire section of the restaurant, we were waited on quickly and efficiently and were doted upon by the characters twice during our hour in the restaurant.
Beef Bobotie, Veggie Quiche, Coconut Sweet Potato Casserole
The “complimentary” Jungle Juice was also a considerably successful attempt to brighten my experience (I LOVE that stuff!).
Jungle Juice
Tusker House is serving some fun, ethnic breakfast items along with the standards, and the massive size of the restaurant keeps the crowds from being unbearable. I think I’ll consider it a must-do character breakfast from here on out–alongside our favorite Crystal Palace!
Go! Enjoy! And say Hello to the duck for me!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
My family and I ate here for Donald’s Safari Breakfast in late April. We too were seated quickly and the food was good. The only downside to our visit was a run-in with a very rude guest. The cast members in the buffet area kept telling the crowds of people standing in line that this was a “free flowing buffet” and that we didn’t have to wait in line – rather we could just “jump in” where we wanted and grab what we wanted. I took this as an OK to skip the ethnic breakfast items and just ‘jump in’ at the scrambled eggs (for my kids!).
I was met with yelling from the others in line — despite the fact that a cast member was RIGHT THERE telling them they didn’t have to stand in line. And then, one guest walked by me and yelled “Geez lady! It’s not like we didn’t want scrambled eggs too!” Oh yes. I was yelled at by some stranger….because of eggs.
I think the cast members need to do a better job getting the ‘buffet instructions’ communicated to guests.
That’s horrible! I can’t believe they yelled!! Well…yes I can. People can get very serious about their eggs at Disney…and autographs…and where they sit for parades…and who goes through the turnstyle first… . I often have to stop and laugh at myself because I get so caught up in the drama!