Dan and I visited Animal Kingdom and got to eat at Tusker House for the first time ever! (Can you believe that?! I definitely can’t…) Tusker House Restaurant recently reopened at Animal Kingdom for a modified character dining experience. Since this was my first time eating here and I had experienced Chef Mickey’s modified character breakfast a couple of months ago, I knew this was still going to be a very special experience.

Tusker House Restaurant is located in Africa inside Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It is themed as a colorful marketplace eatery with a family-style food service with African flavors and modified character dining. You can choose to eat here for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. This restaurant was buffet-style pre-covid, but I prefer the new family-style service instead! I have never been a fan of buffets, so this has been a benefit since these restaurants have re-opened.

Arrival

I booked a reservation for Tusker House as soon as these became available for booking. Reservations are strongly recommended and can be made up to 60 days in advance. When you arrive at Tusker House, you can actually check in on the My Disney Experience app to let them know you are ready to be seated. You’ll also get a push notification alerting you when it is time for you to check in. You will then get another notification and a text message letting you know that your table is ready.

Tables are still spaced out fairly well and are set for your arrival. We got to eat in the main dining room which I was so happy with. Tusker House also has 2 side rooms that you can sit in. Don’t worry if you sit here- characters will still come around to you!

The Meal

Breakfast includes a basket of pastries, fresh fruits, and a breakfast platter. If you need vegan options, those are available by request! You can also order alcoholic drinks, which are an additional cost.

Pastries include Safari Bread, Multigrain Croissants and Cornbread served with Whipped Butter, Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread, and Strawberry Preserves. I really liked the safari bread with the chocolate spread!

Each table gets a bowl of fresh fruit with honey yogurt sauce. I really enjoyed the yogurt!

The breakfast platter includes Scrambled Eggs, Mickey & Simba Waffles, and Durban Chicken & Egg Curry with Jasmine Rice served with Bacon, Sausage, and Roasted Potatoes. I didn’t eat the chicken & egg curry because I’m not a curry fan, but Dan said it was really good! It was a little spicy, but not too hot. Of course, my favorites were the Mickey & Simba waffles and sausage. :)

Characters

The characters are SO cute in their safari attire! I really enjoyed this character dining experience. Even though you can’t get right next to characters, they are still coming close to your table, will allow you to get all the photos you want (including selfies!) so don’t worry! If you’re seated at a table behind another, the character attendant will come to your table to let you know where you can move to so that way you can still get your photos and interact with the characters.  You will get to see Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and Mickey throughout your time eating your meal. I just wish Minnie Mouse was part of this group too!

Characters come throughout the entire time you are eating your meal. You may even get lucky if you’re eating slow and see them again through a second rotation. They even come out and do a cute dance.

Characters are still not signing autographs, so you will get a fun autograph card at the end of the meal that has all of the character signatures on it.

Overall Experience

I would highly recommend this character breakfast for a fun way to start your day in the parks! I would suggest getting the earliest breakfast reservation that you can so that way you can spend the full day in the park. Then, you can finish your day with a great meal at Yak & Yeti or Rainforest Cafe at the park. :) I love getting to see characters while I’m eating, and if you’re not a fan of buffets like me, you’ll really enjoy being served family-style. This dining experience was totally worth it. I loved it!

If you’d like more information on adding this fun restaurant to your itinerary when planning your Disney vacation, contact me! I’d love to help you plan your next trip!

Love and Pixie Dust,

Molly