Review: Wanyama Safari at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
If you’re the person who runs for Kilimanjaro Safari at rope drop while everyone else heads for Flights of Passage — we’ve got the perfect experience for your next trip to Disney World.
The Wanyama Safari at Animal Kingdom Lodge combines an extended safari with a family-style dining experience at the lodge’s signature restaurant, Jiko — The Cooking Place. The result is a memorable four hours with great photo ops and an introduction to one of the best restaurants at Disney World.
When we joined the Wanyama Safari recently, we were part of a group of 10 — and everyone was celebrating either a birthday or an anniversary. We checked in at Jiko before 3:30 in the afternoon for a welcome reception with light refreshments before setting out on our adventure.
All photos by Mary Yanni 
The safari
Your adventure begins when your group is led to a rugged safari truck in the arrivals area of the resort. Over the next 90 minutes, you will traverse most of the 45 acres of savannah surrounding the resort and get a glimpse of backstage areas where the animals are fed and cared for.
About 200 hoofed mammals and birds live on the savannah, and we got a close view of many of them. We spent significant time with fan-favorite animals, including giraffes and zebras. Our truck didn’t disturb the local residents in the least, so we could drive right past wildebeest and impala and all the other local residents without disturbing them. (A flock of East African crown crane were so comfortable with the truck, they were reluctant to get out of the road to let us pass.)
You can get up and move around the truck to get a better view — or picture — but the road can be a bit bumpy. You won’t see many animals that you can’t see from the lodge — there are no elephants, rhinos or predators here — but you will get a whole lot closer.
Our guide,
All photos by Mary Yanni 
If you have teenagers who are interested in animal care, this is a great opportunity for them to meet someone who’s in the field and ask all the questions they want.
Once you have made a complete circle around the lodge, you arrive back at the main entrance and are escorted back to the restaurant.
The dinner
The Wanyama Safari & Dinner is a wonderful way to get a taste for one of our favorite restaurants at Disney World. Jiko’s menu blends traditional African, Indian and Mediterranean flavors to create a dining experience you won’t find anywhere else. But if you don’t know where to start with a menu featuring items such as Vulcan-spiced fish and Botswana Seswaa-style beef short rib, this is the perfect introduction.
Our family-style meal began with a coconut rum cocktail and bread service that included African-inspired dips, pappadum, sesame fatir and house-made flax seed naan.
Our next course was an appetizer sampler presented to each of us individually. Each dish included three of Jiko’s most popular appetizers: Jiko salad, made with greens from the Epcot’s Land pavilion; Inguday tips in brik (a sort of egg roll, with crispy filo surrounding a filling of mushroom, spinach and cheese); and poached shrimp in a spicy tomato sauce (a twist on shrimp cocktail).
Entrees are served family-style, and there was more than enough to go around: cornmeal-coated fish; a wonderfully moist roasted chicken; and Jiko’s popular — and incredibly delicious — beef short rib. These three entrees are served with generous sides as well, including ancient grains, mealie pap (an African dish similar to grits), and the restaurant’s rightfully famous macaroni and cheese.
They tell you to save room for dessert, and for good reason. Finally, just when you think you might not be able to walk out of the restaurant, dessert arrives: three beautiful, tiny desserts plated for each person at the table. We got to sample mini versions of the Sunset Safari (carrot cake with a Jiko twist); malva pudding; and the Kilimanjaro (Tanzanian chocolate mousse, on a pistachio cookie).
The menu is subject to change, and each course is served with a cocktail or generous pour of wine. I’m no expert in wines, so I didn’t detail the wine selections, but Jiko is known for its extensive collection of African wines.
The basics
Cost: $209 per person, including tip but not tax. Guests must be 10 years of age or older to join the safari.
Timing: Check-in begins at 3:20 p.m. Dinner wraps up by 7:30, although you can linger as long as you like.
Reservations: Call (407) WDW-PLAY or (407) 939-7529 as far as 180 days prior to your arrival. If you cancel without 48 hours’ notice, you will forfeit the whole cost of the experience.
Dress code: You’re asked to follow Jiko’s minimum dress code, which means khakis, slacks or dress shorts and collared shirts for men, and capri pants, skirts, dresses or dress shorts for women. Jeans may be worn if in good condition. I wouldn’t hesitate to dress up for this experience; if you want to wear a skirt or heels, the diciest part probably is climbing up the several temporary steps into the (very clean) truck.
Dietary restrictions: Never fear, Disney is here! One member of our party had special dietary needs, and the team catered to her (unobtrusively) at every step in the meal with substitutions and dishes just for her.
