Today was a special occasion so we decided to try a Disney restaurant we had not yet tried - Yak & Yeti at Animal Kingdom.
Truth be told, I actually wanted to have dinner at Ohana at the Polynesian Resort. Unfortunately, even weeks in advance, we were unable to get a reservation for Ohana. So... we used Disney's online system to get a lunch reservation at Yak & Yeti and noted that it was our anniversary.
We arrived at Animal Kingdom a little early and picked up a pair of Happy Anniversary buttons at Guest Services. We also added funds to a Disney gift card to pay for lunch. We actually wanted to use our Disney Visa Rewards Dollars. Unfortunately, Yak & Yeti is not a Disney-owned restaurant and therefore does not participate in the program.
We cheerfully checked-in at the Yak & Yeti podium for our celebration lunch. Soon we were escorted to the worst table in the entire restaurant. Although the restaurant was not full, we were seated right outside the kitchen. All we could hear were pots and pans clanging and the roar of the kitchen staff, not to mention the swish of all the servers speedily passing our table. Not exactly the romantic lunch we had hoped for.
As we waited for our drinks to arrive, I seriously contemplated walking out. I just had a bad feeling and I should have listened to my gut. Instead, we politely requested if another table might be available. We were moved to the other side of the room downstairs. The restaurant has two floors, and I understand from other reviews that upstairs seating is preferred.
By now, we've interacted with two "cast members" in the lobby plus two different servers. Not one acknowledged our anniversary (despite the buttons and note in our reservation).
On to the meals. Since this was a celebration, we were prepared to splurge a little.
Appetizer
We love pot stickers. Unfortunately, we did not care for the version served at Yak & Yeti. Mostly because the soy lime dipping sauce was bitter. I did like that we were given the option of "steamed or seared". We chose "seared" but they were hardly pan fried. In fact, there were barely warm either. They were brought to our table by a kitchen staff member (who actually was the only person to say, "Happy Anniversary"). I much prefer the pot stickers at Ohana and at Lotus Blossom Cafe at China Epcot. The price for 5 pot stickers was $8.50.
Main Course
If you read this blog, you know that I love ribs. Thankfully, my favorite place for ribs at Animal Kingdom are from a counter-service restaurant because the baby back ribs served at Yak & Yeti cost $26. The hoisin bbq sauce was yummy, the ribs were extremely tender and meaty but they were barely room temperature. Sides included a scoop of chicken fried rice (just OK with almost no chicken) and a sweet chili slaw. I didn't try the slaw, but my husband did. He didn't think it was very good.
My husband ordered the Shaoxing Steak and Shrimp. Yak & Yeti get points for presentation with this dish. The skirt steak was thin, but tender. The jasmine rice was nothing special. The shrimp could have been a lot better. They weren't as "cleaned" as much as they should have been for being tempura battered - especially for the $26 price. The side of stir-fried veggies were OK and the chili plum dipping sauce was tasty.
Dessert
We had seen raving reviews about the fried wontons dessert at Yak & Yeti. The cream cheese stuffed pockets of dough were served skewered with pineapple and a with side of ice cream. The description also said they would be drizzled with a honey vanilla. The pineapple was sour and the drizzle was more of a puddle. They were good, but not particularly special. They cost $8.
The grand total for lunch at Yak & Yeti with drinks (non-alcoholic), tax and tip was about $90. Was it worth it? Not really. Will I go back? No. I don't mind over-paying for meals at Disney if in return I have a magical experience and quality food.
Yak & Yeti is lacking in the magical Disney experience department. I don't think I've ever spent $90 on lunch for 2 (at Disney or anywhere else) and I don't anticipate that I will do it again any time soon.
I should note that Yak & Yeti also offers a counter-service restaurant at Animal Kingdom. I might return to the fast food option to try crispy honey chicken.
We took advantage of a special promotion and enjoyed a 25% discount lunch at Pizzafari restaurant in Disney's Animal Kingdom. The promo is something new that Disney has been trying out - and we like it. It saved us about $5 on our lunch (which we then spent on an onion ring snack later in the day).
With the Easter week crowds making the parks extra busy, Disney offers the food discount in an attempt to get park guests to eat during off-peak times. Even with the promotion, the discount dining window is not very busy at the restaurants. Both during this visit and a previous discount period in December, we waited no more than 5 minutes in line. For that reason alone, it is worth it to take advantage of the off-peak dining times.
Last time we visited Animal Kingdom we lunched at Flame Tree Barbecue for some ribs (my favorite). This time we went for my husband's favorite: the Hot Italian Sandwich. The meal comes with your choice of a side (my husband selected the chips for me - see why below) for $8.59. He usually loves this sandwich but felt like the recipe changed. It was still good, just not what we had remembered enjoying in the past.
While my husband and I typically share something to eat at Disney, I'm just not into Italian sandwiches. As a matter of fact, I pretty much don't like anything with lettuce on it. Yes, I can pull it off, but it is a bigger "food issue" than that for me. But that's for another blog...
At Pizzafari, my only other dining option is pizza. All adult pizza meals come with a side Caesar salad for $8.69. Since I don't eat salad unless it is drenched in a super sweet dressing, it goes directly to my husband. That bag of chips I got in return had exactly 11 chips in it (with another tablespoon or so of crumbs). Beware... those chips are also the super-hard and crunchy kettle chips.
I suffer (not so silently) through my pizza each time we go to Pizzafari. My biggest complaint is the crust to pizza ratio. I had a similar complaint about the Epcot Via Napoli pizza slice, but Pizzafari is far worse. To be fair, I'm originally a Jersey Girl who grew up on NY style pizza which makes me a bit of a pizza snob. I'm not a huge fan of Pizza Hut or Dominos. If you are, perhaps you'll like this pizza more than me.
My pizza was a bit on the over-done side (which doesn't help matters). The center of the pizza (the only part I eat) gets really soggy. Each of the four pizza slices gives me 6 small bites of pizza. The crust provides another 6 bites or so, but it is just way too much bread for me so I typically leave all my crust behind. Oddly, though, I can't complain about the flavors. The sauce and cheese are both flavorful enough to make it tolerable. Overall, I'd have to rate it lower in quality than the individual pizza from SeaWorld.
As I've mentioned in the past, no trip is complete without an order of onion rings from Animal Kingdom. And since my husband enjoys them too, we made a stop at Flame Tree Barbecue to pick up an order.
We didn't score the 25% Disney dining discount on the rings though. We had already passed the discount window. To be eligible for the dining discount, must order between 3:00 PM and 4:30 PM. Cost for the onion rings is $3.79 (and another $2.79 for the large Coke).
Happy Birthday Yeti. Disney Passholders were invited to attend a special event in celebration of the 5 year anniversary of Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom park.
One of the benefits of being a Disney Passholder is special events. On Saturday, March 5, 2011 Animal Kingdom stayed opened from 6:00 pm until 9:00 pm for guests who accepted a Passholder invitation to party Yeti style and signed-up in advance online. Signing up took time and a lot of patience. It was quickly a sold-out event. Wristbands were distributed the night of the event to those who arrived at the park gates with their online ticket information.
During the special event, 3 attractions were open - Expedition Everest, Dinosaur and Tricera Top Spin. Everyone's favorite Animal Kingdom roller coaster generally had a wait time of less than 15 minutes. A real treat for anyone who longs to ride but is sidelined by the usual extra long waits and sold out FastPasses. For those who wanted to dance (mostly children), a DJ was spinning tunes at DinoLand USA.
Of all the attractions, the line and wait time seemed to be longest for a special character meet and greet. Mickey Mouse and Goofy were both dressed in their finest Animal Kingdom gear as fearless mountain climbers (posted just outside Everest, of course). They looked absolutely precious. Based on the line, many people agreed.
Our only complaint, and I hate to complain because I appreciate special events, is that none of the restaurants in Animal Kingdom were open. We planned to eat at the park. For many people, 6pm is dinner time - even more so if you're travelling during the 5:00 hour. So we were disappointed to find all of the restaurants had shut down for the night. We walked from one end to the other (as did many other guests) in search of something to eat. Choices were primarily limited to popcorn, ice cream and beer - all available for purchase. We've been to some events where complementary food or snacks were provided.
At long last we spotted an option. Dino Diner, a converted camp trailer serving snacks in the midway area of DinoLand USA. The only "real" food option, however, was a $5 hot dog. Nothing with it, just the dog. Starved, we handed over the five bucks (and eleven cents) for a barely-warm and not very good hot dog. But, at least it took the edge off until we could return back home.
This special Animal Kingdom event was not one of Disney's finest efforts, but - as always - we appreciated the opportunity to enjoy a piece of the magic reserved exclusively for Passholders.
I admit it. I'm a rib girl. And believe it or not one of my favorite places to get ribs is the Flame Tree Barbecue counter service restaurant at Disney's Animal Kingdom. So... I was thrilled when my husband suggested that he treat me to ribs for a Valentine's Day lunch. I'm all recovered from last week's cold and this is our make-up visit to Disney.
Now I know what you must be thinking. But get this - my husband honestly doesn't like ribs (he ordered the barbecue chicken salad) so this truly was a special and thoughtful gift for me and not for himself.
The ribs served at Flame Tree Barbecue are a half-slab of St. Louis Ribs. The plate comes with coleslaw and baked beans. When I first fell in love with these ribs, they were served with a dry rub only - and they were delicious! They were tender and moist and didn't need any sauce. As the years went by, the recipe seemed to change and two different types of barbecue sauce were made available at a self-serve station.
Even though I recommend this Disney restaurant to family and friends, there have been a few disappointing visits. I like my food fresh and hot. Today's ribs, although moist and meaty, were not hot. In fact, they were barely warm. Maybe next time...
In addition to the ribs, my husband and I shared an order of onion rings. These onion rings are huge and the onion is so so sweet. It is hard for me to go to Animal Kingdom without at least ordering a basket.
Seating is outdoors only but there is a LOT of it divided into different sections, some of it waterside. We like to walk all the way to the back. It is usually nice and quiet in the back for a relaxed meal for two. This time, however, we were surrounded by a big group.
One issue with outdoor seating is that many different birds and ducks come by looking for scraps. And even though many signs and cards warn guests to please not feed the birds, someone inevitably ignores the well being of these animals. Not only is it a unhealthy for the birds (and squirrels) it can become uncomfortable for other guests... some of the birds and ducks get a little aggressive with surrounding tables once a nearby handout is spotted. Of course, that's exactly what happened when the large family next to us began "dropping" their food.
Please do not feed the animals!
