Planning a day at Animal Kingdom? Then be sure to check out this guide to the Animal Kingdom quick service options! No park day would be complete without food, but don’t settle for the first thing you see. One of my favorite things about Disney is the food (especially after eating at other theme parks and seeing the difference!), so I highly recommend you planning your meals and snacks ahead of time to make sure you have the best of the best while in the park. Make sure to check out the Official Animal Kingdom Map so you know where to everything is located around the park.
Below I’ll walk you through my top picks and the places to avoid so that you can enjoy the best food and drinks Animal Kingdom has to offer.Animal Kingdom has some of the best food at Walt Disney World, and their quick service is no exception! Quick service is food that you order up at the counter and then take with you to sit down and eat, which differs from full service restaurants that have dedicated wait staff. There’s also a guide to Animal Kingdom’s Table service restaurants, if you want a little bit of everything in your trip.
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11 Best (And Worst!) Animal Kingdom Quick Service Dining Options
Best Animal Kingdom Quick Service
Satu’li Canteen
Satu’li Canteen in Pandora- The World of Avatar is, hands down, my favorite Animal Kingdom quick service restaurant. The theming of this restaurant is so detailed and representative of the Avatar land- I love going and looking at all the decor when I’m there! Plus the food is surprisingly healthy AND flavorful! Their menu is full of delicious bowls and build-your-own options so that there’s something for everyone.
Satu’li Canteen is an especially great option for vegetarians. Their crispy tofu is so good that my husband actually prefers it to the chicken bowl! This is definitely an Animal Kingdom quick service that I’ll go out of my way for. Especially with their expansive drink menu! But don’t forget about drinks at Pongu Pongu outside (hint: more about this one below).
Yak and Yeti Local Food Cafes
Yak and Yeti Local Foods (not to be confused with Yak and Yeti, the full service restaurant next door) is a great Animal Kingdom quick service option. The menu is a bit more unique and adventurous than traditional theme park food and is great for the Disney foodies out there. Plus, if you’re looking for breakfast at Animal Kingdom, their breakfast menu is delicious! Check out their full menu here.
Even more important than breakfast? Dessert! Yak and Yeti Local Food Cafes is home to one of my favorite desserts in Walt Disney World- mango pie! If that sounds up your alley, you know where to go. This pie is small enough to be a light snack, but it is so refreshing! I love chocolate as much of the next person but in the Florida heat, sometimes chocolate is too heavy. For more delicious snack ideas, check out our post dedicated to snacks!
Flame Tree Barbecue
Barbecue fans rejoice! Flame Tree Barbecue’s menu is a fan favorite and it is often regarded as the best Animal Kingdom quick service restaurant. Thankfully, Disney has even started to expand their plant-based options in recent years and Flame Tree now has a vegetarian-friendly option for folks like me! However, the majority of the menu, of course, is meat. So, if you’re not into meat or meat alternatives, this may not be the place for you.
If barbecue is your thing, however, the St. Louis Ribs Dinner is for you. This seems to be everyone’s favorite menu item at Flame Tree Barbecue! My husband swears by the Mac and cheese, though, so maybe just try them both. Or one of everything?
Harambe Market
Harambe Market is actually a collection of four quick service options, so it’s great if everyone wants something different! Harambe Market is built in an abandoned train depot and the repurposing into a quick service location is fun and well detailed, with flavorful food to match the locale. While each of the three food stands (the fourth is for drinks) are unique and themed after the food they serve, you are actually able to order any of the food options from any of the stands.
Below are the four stands you can walk up to at this open air market. You can also view the complete menu here.
Kitamu Grill
Kitamu Grill is known for their tasty protein and rice bowls. They also feature grilled foods, so this a lighter option than Famous Sausages and Chef Mwanga’s will be.
Famous Sausages
This one is obvious! Sausage lovers- you have to try a sausage here. I don’t eat it, but I’ve heard really raving reviews. Plus, they’re curry sausages and the curry smells amazing!
Chef Mwanga’s
The rib bowl is the thing to try at Chef Mwanga’s. Every time I go to Harambe Market I see the entire seating area filled with people enjoying it and, if it’s popularity isn’t enough to sway you, my husband gives it two large thumbs up!
Wanjohi Refreshments
Wanjohi is the place for drinks. There are drink options at the other three stands but I highly encourage you to skip the Coke in favor of some African sodas (which used to also be found at Club Cool in Epcot), or something of the alcoholic variety. The Leopard’s Eye is my favorite drink, but I will admit that the shave ices look extremely enticing on a hot day and I sometimes cave and get one of those instead (or in addition to Leopard’s Eye!).
Anandapur Ice Cream Truck
This ice cream truck is perfectly positioned near the exit of Expedition Everest, so if you manage to survive the expedition without being attacked by a yeti, I think you’ll have earned some ice cream! The Anandapur Ice Cream Truck has a soft serve menu (and root beer floats!), and in my opinion, Disney’s soft serve is to die for. Plus, the line is in broad daylight so you’ll want that ice cream even more after standing in line.
I always choose to stop for a swirl cone of soft serve here, but be warned! It will melt SO FAST. I highly recommend grabbing a seat at the amphitheater for Rivers of Light so you can enjoy your snack without worrying about spilling it on yourself. It is so hard to navigate the pathways of Animal Kingdom while being on melt-watch with an ice cream! The Rivers of Light amphitheater is just across from the food truck, but it is also completely unshaded. If you’d rather venture into some shade, there’s a great spot just around the back of Everest where you can watch the ride and enjoy your snack.
Tril0-Bites
Head over to Dinoland USA for this next fan favorite! Trilo-Bites is a really great, laidback Animal Kingdom quick service option. Their buffalo chicken is a really great snack and go great with a margarita! My husband isn’t a fan of either of those, but he indulges my snack desire at Trilo-Bites because of their Bugs n’ Grub dessert (or Worms n’ Dirt as he calls it).
Any Lion King fans here? Bugs n’ Grub is a dessert themed off The Lion King- remember what Timon and Puumba eat? Yep, that’s it! So this may be a cute option to consider for a snack! Plus, while the mango pie at Yak and Yeti Local Food Cafes has my heart, I will admit to stealing bites of his Bugs n’ Grub on occasion. Take a peak at their full menu here.
Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery
Most people flock to Kusafiri for breakfast at Animal Kingdom, and for good reason! I am a sucker for their colossal cinnamon roll myself, but all of their pastries are delicious ways to start your day. Plus, Kusafiri serves Joffrey’s coffee so you can get your caffeine fix! However, my favorite thing at Kusafiri is actually not breakfast.
One of my favorite things about Animal Kingdom quick service is the flavors, and Kusafiri’s shrimp curry is such a great example of this. It is such a filling meal for the price and seriously SO tasty. I’ve heard good things about the chicken curry too, but shrimp is definitely my recommendation. Just be sure to grab a napkin or two!
Pongu Pongu
Once again, Pandora- The World of Avatar nails it with the quick service options. Satu’li Canteen is definitely the place to go for a meal, but drinks and snacks can be found right outside! Pongu Pongu serves up the best drinks in Animal Kingdom, with or without alcohol. Their bursting boba is so flavorful and pairs with the frozen slushies so well. I hold out for this every time I go to Animal Kingdom- especially because I am a huge margarita fan and the one at Pongu Pongu is delicious! Plus, every menu item is so thematic and beautiful for Pandora. Don’t forget to stop for a photo op!
Pongu Pongu, while being everyone’s favorite drink stop, does also have a food menu! Their spring roll is a really unique take on the classic appetizer known to satisfy even picky eaters! If spring rolls aren’t your cup of tea, this is also the place to grab a classic soft pretzel with cheese.
Pongu Pongu even has a breakfast menu! It’s pretty basic, but the French toast sticks are a great snack if you’re looking for something light. I wouldn’t go here over Kusafiri or Yak and Yeti Local Food Cafes, but if you’re rope-dropping or just plain bee-lining for Pandora when you get into Animal Kingdom in the morning, Pongu Pongu will do the trick.
Worst Animal Kingdom Quick Service
Creature Comforts (Starbucks)
Creature Comforts is the only Starbucks at Animal Kingdom and thus it’s a really popular option for guests looking for coffee, drinks, and snacks. Even I sometimes cave in and stop here for a caffeine fix! However, because it’s a Starbucks, the lines can get a bit lengthy and it’s not a line worth waiting in. With so many delicious and unique food options in Animal Kingdom, Creature Comforts just seems like a waste.
Starbucks fans, don’t leave me! The siren calls to me too, and my mom is a sucker for those You Are Here collection of mugs. Animal Kingdom (and all the US Disney Parks) has its own fun version of these, that you can pick up right in Creature Comforts. However, those mugs can also be found in the regular gift shop in Animal Kingdom in front of the Tree of Life. So, basically, everything sold at Creature Comforts can be found elsewhere.
Restaurantosaurus
Another Dinoland USA location, Restaurantosaurus Lounge is actually regarded as one of the least popular Animal Kingdom quick service options. That’s not to say that there’s anything wrong with Restaurantosaurus, but it’s definitely nothing exciting. With a menu in keeping with the American locale, there’s really nothing here that you can’t get anywhere else. If you have picky eaters in your party or are desperately in need of a cheeseburger this can be a good option for you, but it’s not something to go out of your way for.
Plus- and don’t get me wrong, I like Dinoland USA- the theming of Restaurantosaurus leaves much to be desired. If you have a diehard dinosaur fan in your group it can be a cute choice, but it’s not exceptionally detailed in its decor. It’s clearly a restaurant that’s been there awhile.
Pizzafari
Pizzafari is the same kind of situation as Restaurantosaurus. The food isn’t bad, it’s just nothing special. Pizzafari has definitely made itself a kid-friendly option, somewhat resembling a cafeteria with the separated dining rooms. This does mean there is plenty of seating at Pizzafari, so if you really need somewhere to sit you’ll have luck here! However, the size of the dining areas and the simple menu means that Pizzafari is often very LOUD. Beware of screaming children!
Pizzafari, as its name suggests, serves personal-sized pizzas and flatbread. They do also have Caesar salads, so at the very least there’s probably something here that everyone in your party can find agreeable. Even if the options aren’t very exciting. On the plus side, because the menu is pretty bland, there isn’t always much of a line for food! For a full look at their menu, click here.
Excited to try out some Animal Kingdom quick service? I hope so! Animal Kingdom is such a great park and their food options are absolutely a part of that. While there are some familiar, safe options for picky eaters, I do hope you’ll branch out of your comfort zone and try something new while you’re there! With so much to choose from, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.
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