Has anyone evere done "Wanyama" (or Sunset) Safari at Animal Kingdom Lodge - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Has anyone evere done "Wanyama" (or Sunset) Safari at Animal Kingdom Lodge
My DW and I are planning an adult only trip in September. We were considering participating in this safari. I was wondering if anyone on here has ever done this, and if so what your thoughts are on this event.
I noticed that dinner at Jiko is included, but I could not find whether it was anything from the menu, or if there was a specific menu just for the safari. Also, since this is an adult trip, is alcohol included in dinner package, or is that separate?
I'd like to do it but since you have to be staying at AKL to be eligible for the tour, it won't be happening anytime soon. AKL is out of our price range for hotels.
I did this a few years ago and it was wonderful. The Jiko dinner was fabulous. It was a special fixed menu, but if you had any special requirements they adapted the menu to your needs. I don't drink, but, yes, wines were included. I can't remember exactly what was on the menu, but I'm sure they change it depending on what's available. There was a bread service with dips, salad, and several different meats, I think. I had a vegetarian version and it was absolutely delicious. The safari portion was wonderful, too-- the guides were fantastic and told us many things about the individual animals and their care. We drove around and got quite close to them.
We have done this twice so far. We thought it was so fantastic, we brought my mom the last time.
The meal is great, it's basically a tasting menu. And yes, wine is included.
If you are already thinking about doing it and have no problems with the price, I say, do not miss it! It's a great adult experience.
You will not believe how close the giraffes get to you!
__________________
Lori
“I’m in a Disney state of mind……”
Authorized Disney Vacation Planner w/Fairy Godmother Travel For a Pixie Dust Sprinkled Trip!
i did this two years (?) ago and LOVED it. it is most certainly worth the cost (if you are already staying at AKL anyway) for the meal ALONE. i wrote about the experience fairly extensively over on my blog. it was a two-part post.
apologies for the smallish photos; this was before i upgraded my site. if you click on them, they get bigger.
hope this helps!
EDIT: also, i ONLY do adults-only trips to WDW (i don't have children) so let me know if you have any other questions!
EDIT again (to answer your questions): when i attended in 2011, it was a sort of family-style chef's tasting menu. with wine pairings which are included in the tour price. as much wine as you can drink. i think there's a valid reason why they only let you do it if you are staying at AKL; no one should drive after that meal!
My sister & I took her son (who is 8) on the sunset safari. We were a little hesitant to do this because that's a lot of money for a child who quite honestly wouldn't be THAT interested in the food at dinner. I can't even express how glad we were that we did this!!! The safari was fabulous -the guides were great & it was pretty neat getting so close to the animals. The dinner was AMAZING!!!!!!!! I'll see if I can upload a picture of the menu we had. My sister & I both have severe mushroom allergies so the chef had made the 2 of us a nice salad we could enjoy in place of one of the appetizers that had mushrooms in it. Everyone was given a signature drink with the appetizers and then with each course we were given some wine that had been paired with the food. Even though we were all about to pop we were so full, we enjoyed the trio of desserts presented (with a wine pairing to accompany it of course lol). There was also a small gift bag presented at the end of the meal with a copy of the menu, a pin, a couple of small cookies & something else I can't think of at the moment. You also get a digital copy of a picture as well as a lanyard in the price. I'm not one to spend this much on a dinner typically, but I have actually told my friends that I would like to do this with them one day. I HIGHLY recommend it!