Location:
Animal Kingdom (Africa)
Type: Table
Service
Meals: Breakfast,
Lunch, and Dinner
Cuisine:
American with a touch of African (likely more African at Lunch and Dinner)
Reservations:
Yes (recommended)
Characters:
Currently only for Breakfast, Lunch added later this year
The Tusker House,
previously a counter service location, currently offers a buffet for breakfast,
lunch, and dinner. One of the more popular meals is the character
breakfast, “Donald’s Safari Breakfast”. The breakfast includes characters
meets with Donald, Goofy, Mickey, and Daisy (subject to change of course) along
with a buffet of Mickey waffles, scrambled eggs, ham and flavorful dishes with
an African influence.
Mark your calendars;
Tusker House will soon be adding Donald’s Safari Lunch (December 4, 2011) which
will be a new character dining experience for Animal Kingdom. No changes will
be made in the buffet at this time.
Our review will
concentrate on the Safari Breakfast, the only meal we have experienced at the
Tusker House.
Welcome to Tusker
House! Smile for your picture. Now shove that food down
your throat and get out.
Atmosphere
Once your name is called
you will be ushered into a line where you’ll wait to get your family’s picture
with Donald. After you get your picture you’ll be
seated. TIP: Be sure to ask to have a cast
member take a picture with your camera as the pictures offered while you eat
will cost over $30.
Similar to other character style buffets, this buffet is a bit loud and feels incredibly rushed. The building is not as unique as other buildings on property but does have some cultural flair to help you feel as though you are in an African Village. Be sure to look up at the ceiling as you grab your food from the buffet.
The buffet is free
flowing, meaning there is supposedly no line. This seems to cause
confusion even though cast members mention it over and over. So if
you go, remember, don’t line up, just get the food you want and smile at the
people giving you dirty looks.
Food
Food is average
buffet food, nothing spectacular and, not as good as some of the other
breakfast buffets on property including the Supercalifragilistics Breakfast at
1900 Park Fare. But if you like Mickey Waffles, scrambled eggs, and
sausage you’ll do fine. Be sure to try the Jungle Juice as it’s one
of the best parts of the meal. As you sit, you’ll be visited by Mickey,
Goofy and Daisy who will quickly sign your book, take a picture and be on their
way. There’s also a parade in which children can line up behind their favorite
characters and dance along to African music.
Tip: If
the park opens at 9 be sure to make an early reservation to the Tusker
House. This will allow you to get into the park a little early and
snap some great photo’s with few people on your way to the
restaurant. You are not allowed to roam the park, but you do have a
view of the tree of life and other nice spots on your way.
Our Rating is 2.5/5
Rating Reason: There
is a certain aura of anxiety when dining with characters at Disney restaurants.
Even when the servers are as kind as can be, you know they want you out as soon
as possible so they can get the next gazillion people in to eat. It’s usually
not a problem, but at no other restaurant have we felt more rushed than Tusker
House. Maybe it’s because we schedule an early breakfast, so they are just
trying to get all guests in and the process flowing, but it often leads to an
aggravating meal. Donald no longer comes to the tables, so getting
his autograph can be a problem. And of course there’s always the pressure of
buying that expensive photo.
Overall, the food is decent and
it provides a good fill up at the park before your day
begins. Also, if you get in before park opens you are right
at the entrance to the Safari to begin your tour of Animal Kingdom and eating
with characters is always easier than standing in
character lines in the hot Florida sun. But
because of the frantic pace, you might end up feeling overly rushed.
