The Promise of Spring: Flower & Garden Festival 4.0 -- A Cam and Luke TR COMPLETED 8/27 About This Page:

[Cam22]

Originally Posted by KMB733

Sounds like your meal at Tiffins was a big hit. That fish was bit on the scary side!! Glad the kitchen was able to finally get your steak right.

We did really enjoy Tiffins. I don't think I worded that well as the kitchen never got my steak wrong. The chef just feels it is better if only cooked to medium well. But in true Disney fashion, he did what I preferred.

[Cam22]

NEXT: After Dinner Plans

Day 5 Part 5 Monday, May 1, 2017


Backing up for just a moment. When I was preparing to write this installment of Day 5, I noticed on the park Times Guide where I had noted what kind of ugly fish Luke had for dinner. It was a yellowtail snapper. I thought you all might find that little detail enlightening. Anyway enough of that nasty fish dish.

We had some time at the end of our dinner before we’d need to be at the entrance for the dining packages into the Rivers of Light theater. So what to do? Angela, our server, had told us that Tiffins, in addition to being a restaurant, was also a museum and art gallery. She also suggested that when we were done eating that we tour all the rooms. I had already photographed the Grand Gallery where we ate, so now we wandered the rest of the restaurant after a quick restroom break. The photo below shows a tiffin, a lunchbox, like our appetizers had arrived in.



Next, we moved into the Safari Gallery, the area that depicts the imagineers designing of the African aspects of Animal Kingdom.



Looking at my photos you will get a sense of the imagineers accomplishments in making Animal Kingdom as authentic as possible. See the safari truck in photo #1. Originally, there was a boat ride at AK, too, as seen in this photo, too.



Photo #2 shows four of the imagineers photos, but for a second I thought these were places in Animal Kingdom itself.



Recognize the tree in Photo #3 below. Yep, that’s a baobab tree or also know as “upside down tress” as the informative Kilimajaro Safaris guides tell us.



I see a giraffe skull in Photo #4. And if you’ve ever done or seen video of the Wild Africa Trek, there is one of those rickety rope bridges.



I forgot to read the information on these wooden panels in Photo #5, but they are lovely.



Still lovely in Photo #6.



The ship in Photo #7 below reminds me now of one of the boats in the Rivers of Light show.



Third World utilities are a might bit terrifying with wires woven together. Photos #8 and #9.





Now these safari photos (Photos #10 and #11) make mine look totally amateur, and it is so cool that these were taken on a real African savanna. An imagineer’s job is incredible in so many ways. I’d love to do this kind of research mission.





The Safari Gallery is right beside the Grand Gallery, so as we exited it, I got a photo of the sign, which I had not noticed as we entered headed to our table. The sign gives a brief description of the art in this section. There were little signs by each piece denoting where it was from and who donated it. Photo #12.



In the hallway to both galleries there was a large wine refrigerator shown here in Photo #13. Wow!



The wood carvings in the front doors are exceptional, but like the gorgeous doors at Disney’s Grand California at Disneyland Resort, not easy to photograph with them closed. Photo #14.



The third section of the restaurant is the Trek Gallery, which is found by walking through the Nomad Lounge. Here the imagineers research in Asia is chronicled. Photo #15.



What dothese colorful banners and ribbons remind you off? These take me to Maharajah Jungle Trek. Photo #16.



I love how the graphics include little artifacts brought home by the imagineers. Photo #17.



I’m sure you all will easily identify the next artifact. Photo #18 is a model of the Yeti.



More Asian artwork in Photo #19.



I see a tiger, and this will be the only time this trip to Animal Kingdom that I see one. Photo #20.



Photo #21, of course, is a rhinoceros.



The making of carvings is depicted in Photo #22.



Love this wall. Photo #23.



And with that we exited Tiffins with no clue what to do next. We decided to visit the shops as we hadn’t had any time for these earlier in the day. We first entered Island Mercantile where we found a soapstone elephant that we really liked, and since later we’d be taking the Caring for Giants tours, it seemed a fitting souvenir for the trip. I’ve realized that I was so excited to set him out once at home that I never took his picture.

Then we crossed over to Discovery Trading Company. I have been looking at the photo frames the last few trips, but either we already had the ones I liked or the newer ones I didn’t like. But tonight I found a wooden one with embossed Mickey heads that I loved. I picked out an 8 x 10, and had it sent to Animal Kingdom Lodge. The elephant fit in my purse, but the frame would not and I didn’t want to have to keep up with it while we were watching Rivers of Light. Oops! Another fail on the photo. While we were shopping here the Discovery Island Sunset Serenatas was going on right outside, so we stopped to see the tail end of it as we exited the shop. Then we crossed over to explore around a now very quiet Flame Tree Barbecue. Looking out over the water, we noticed people already beginning to fill the theater for Rivers of Light. It was still about 45 minutes before our tickets told us to arrive, but we decided to walk on over and see if we too would be let in early.

NEXT: Animal Kingdom’s First Nighttime Show and Our Opinion on It (With Lots of Photos)

[Tara O'Hara]

So cool that Tiffins has those 'galleries'!! I love the photos and how fun to tour the restaurant!!

[Coop]

Tiffins looked lovely. We cancelled our reservation last time (2016) but I'm sure Chuck would've loved that fish. I also must confess - we've never ridden Dinosaur. It kind of scares me.

[chezp]

We looked around Tiffins when we had lunch there, but by your photos, it looks as if we'll need to do it again to ensure we see everything there, as we definitely missed some things.

[purplegal]

Thanks for the tour of Tiffins it was nice that the waitress pointed out it was also a museum.

[lindawdw]

Thanks for sharing all the beautiful pictures around Tiffins! We'll have to take a look around the restaurant next time we're at AK just to see them. I love walking around the shops at AK as they have some unique offerings. It sounds like you thoroughly enjoyed your experience at Tiffins. Looking forward to hearing your opinion on ROL.

[Roxie2006]

The tour of Tiffins is very educational. It's wonderful to see how the ideas come together for Animal Kingdom. Well I know we will never dine at Tiffins I would just love to walk through it.

[SuperDave]

Nice photo coverage of the galleries at Tiffin's! There is so much to see there with all the details of each room which are amazing! I dined in the Safari Gallery, which is my favorite of the three as so cozy. You should have visited the Nomad Lounge too as a lot to see there as well!

[Colexis Mom]

Great pictures from Tiffins!!

[DoraDoug]

Hi Cam! I am now all caught up on your latest adventure. My first thought when I saw all the giraffes for your safari ride was "of course they all came out to meet Cam! She's their biggest fan!" I can not get over what amazing pictures you have taken at AK but it is clearly evident you have a love for that park above all others. I am really looking forward to your thoughts on ROL. We are finally going back next year specifically because Margaret wants to see Pandora and ROL.

[KMB733]

Great pictures from the galleries in Tiffins!

[Cam22]

Originally Posted by Tara O'Hara

So cool that Tiffins has those 'galleries'!! I love the photos and how fun to tour the restaurant!!

I loved how this restaurant was also a museum.

Originally Posted by Coop

Tiffins looked lovely. We cancelled our reservation last time (2016) but I'm sure Chuck would've loved that fish. I also must confess - we've never ridden Dinosaur. It kind of scares me.

Hope you get another chance to try it. Dinosaur is one of Luke's favorites and over time I've gotten to be okay with it.

Originally Posted by chezp

We looked around Tiffins when we had lunch there, but by your photos, it looks as if we'll need to do it again to ensure we see everything there, as we definitely missed some things.

The only area I didn't get photos of was the Nomad Lounge, but where people ere seated I would have had to get them in the photos, too, and didn't want to do that.

[Cam22]

Originally Posted by purplegal

Thanks for the tour of Tiffins it was nice that the waitress pointed out it was also a museum.

I don't think I'd have dared to walk around and photograph, except that Angela told us it was encouraged here.

Originally Posted by lindawdw

Thanks for sharing all the beautiful pictures around Tiffins! We'll have to take a look around the restaurant next time we're at AK just to see them. I love walking around the shops at AK as they have some unique offerings. It sounds like you thoroughly enjoyed your experience at Tiffins. Looking forward to hearing your opinion on ROL.

We did enjoy Tiffins though it will be one we do only rarely.

Originally Posted by Roxie2006

The tour of Tiffins is very educational. It's wonderful to see how the ideas come together for Animal Kingdom. Well I know we will never dine at Tiffins I would just love to walk through it.

I didn't ask but I can imagine that it would be okay to walk through the galleries to see the art even without a reservation.

[Cam22]

Originally Posted by SuperDave

Nice photo coverage of the galleries at Tiffin's! There is so much to see there with all the details of each room which are amazing! I dined in the Safari Gallery, which is my favorite of the three as so cozy. You should have visited the Nomad Lounge too as a lot to see there as well!

We did see Nomad Lounge as it is the only way to get to the Trek Gallery, but it was very busy this evening, totally full of people, so I didn't take photos as I couldn't to do so without getting some strangers in them. I guess I could have, but it just felt like I'd been invading their privacy.

Originally Posted by Colexis Mom

Great pictures from Tiffins!!

Thanks!

Originally Posted by DoraDoug

Hi Cam! I am now all caught up on your latest adventure. My first thought when I saw all the giraffes for your safari ride was "of course they all came out to meet Cam! She's their biggest fan!" I can not get over what amazing pictures you have taken at AK but it is clearly evident you have a love for that park above all others. I am really looking forward to your thoughts on ROL. We are finally going back next year specifically because Margaret wants to see Pandora and ROL.

I felt very lucky to get so many giraffes on these two back to back safaris. When I upload the photos to my computer my love of AK is obvious. I usually take three times as many photos of that park over the other three.