Free Culinary Tour at Disney World's Animal Kingdom Lodge

Disney offers wonderful tours of all three restaurants to anyone who is visiting Animal Kingdom Lodge or who are staying there. There is no registration and no need to call ahead for a reservation.  

Just gather here in the lobby of the Boma Restaurant here on the first floor. 

Tours are given daily at 3:45

I recommend a mid week tour as the group tends to be smaller.

             

The fabric overhead in the photo above, is African.

It represents the cloth used for different tribes.

Behind the colorful pole is a replica of Victoria Falls.

Be sure to have a quarter handy to toss in, all change is collected 

and donated to African children.

 Each item is carefully chosen to represent Africa, like the clay pot pillars and shingled roofs

Here the ceiling is a replica of the design of the huts in African villages and 

lights that represent the spectacular sunrises and sunsets

 They explain in careful detail about why the this table is significant and the reason for the fence in the background. It's fascinating to hear. 

 The tour is about thirty minutes depending on the guide.  Our guides were from Africa and are here to work for just one year.  They were so kind and answered many questions from us about their homeland and their experiences here in Florida.  

The chef had taken a few minutes to describe how they roasted the meats and about some of the items served.  Later, Heather (on the right in the back) gave my daughter, Shelly a card with all the recipes! 

Samples of the cuisine are given after the tour.  Here the guides are ladling out squash soup made the African way.

Not just a taste, it's about a half cup of deliciousness.  

 Here is Shelly, enjoying her favorite dessert, the Zebra Dome!  

Zebra Domes have chocolate cake base with an Amarula cream filling on top.  It's covered with white chocolate ganache and decorated with dark chocolate zebra stripes.  It's fabulous!

Next we were taken over to Jiko, a bar and restaurant located across the lobby.

South Africa is wonderful wine country and 

many of the best are offered here.

Notice the ceiling is blue like the sky and the light fixtures represents African birds.

The rings around the poles represent the tribe of Africa where women add permanent rings to their neck as they age and elongate it.  A sign of beauty.

Here the three ovens are positioned and attached to the largest hidden Mickey on the property. 

 Again, they served up samples for us on the tour.

A variety of African breads and crackers were served with four delicious and very different dips.

One basket for every four guests or so. 

These were hearty samples at both places and I felt like I had a meal.  

It was a wonderful afternoon of fun! 

The tour of the third restaurant is given at 4:00 

so we came another day for that one.  There is so much to do and see at the lodge it was easy to dedicate another afternoon to a visit.  

Remember, you do not have to be a registered guest.  

Anyone can come to visit the Lodge, park free and come in for the tour.

Sharing with 

Good Fences  I bet this may be their first indoor fence post!

Wishes, Dreams and Other Things