A Taste of Disney: Sanaa at Animal Kingdom Lodge (Allergy-Friendly Too!)

Banana Cheesecake with a Pistachio Crust and Sanaa somehow written in chocolate!

Even my husband, who by no stretch of the imagination is a Disney-phile, recently admitted that he has never had a bad meal at Disney. Sanaa at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge now ranks as his favorite Disney dining experience ever.

Just take a look at the view from our table.

This was our splurge. It was our big splurge. But if you have the Disney Dining Plan, you could easily save money with meals of this quality. We all agreed, this meal was worth every penny.

Dale said his tandoori chicken is the best meal he's ever eaten at Disney. My salad Abbey's vegetarian sampler and Rebekah's pea and potato samosas were amply satisfying for all three of us. Noah enjoyed his tandoori chicken as well and it adequately filled the teenage boy. I even had most of his delicious rice that came with it. Like all Disney restaurants, Leah could choose from more traditional American kids meals. She opted for the cheese pizza on naan crust.

Speaking of naan. It's a family favorite, so we quickly ordered the traditional Indian breadservice appetizer and had naan, garlic-ginger naan and papadum (a gluten free option). It also came with three choices for spreads. We went with the red pepper hummus, mango chutney and cucumber raita (similar to a greek tzatziki sauce). All were delicious!

But if Disney could actually top itself when it comes to restaurants, they did. When making the online reservation, Abbey designated all of her sensitivities: gluten, egg, and dairy. Not only did they provide her with three separate menus for each of those, but when we told them she was actually just a vegan that eats no gluten, they quickly brought out a vegan menu and that was followed by a personal visit from one of the chefs to explain precisely which items were gluten free. Our server, who was great, even consistently pointed out what items were not gluten free for Rebekah and I since we were sort of compiling all three of our meals together to get a sampling of various dishes.

Throughout our meal, we witnessed the chefs repeatedly visiting table after table. I mentioned to the family that if anyone needs proof of our broken food system, they need only visit this restaurant...as we heard not only similar sensitivities to ours, but also nut and corn allergy-friendly items being discussed. In Abbey's research of which restaurant we could visit, she discovered that Sanaa and Restaurant Marrakesh at Epcot are known as the two most allergy-friendly dining options at Disney.

Right before we left for our vacation, I wrote a little post about me. In it, I mentioned my affinity for all things African. Everytime we discussed which resorts we wanted to tour, repeatedly...I said the Animal Kingdom Lodge. And while our food was a blend of Asian cuisine with an African influence, the Animal Kingdom Lodge did not disappoint. 

Not only is the small savannah replete with animals beautiful, the entire ambiance of the resort made me long to see Africa even more. I know this is the Disney version, but the music, the people and the native plants were precisely what I had hoped to see.

Disney on the Cheap: Touring the Resorts

I have always wanted to tour the Disney resorts, but when I pay a heaping pile of money for tickets into the parks, you can bet I will be in those parks from open to close. Thus, I've never had time to travel around to the amazing resorts that Disney has to offer...until now.

Some of Disney's resorts are absolutely gorgeous.

Boardwalk resort

All of them have dining and shopping options and some are even like mini-parks all by themselves. Such is the case with the Boardwalk resort. This resort is like a miniature version of Downtown Disney and is connected by a lagoon to the Beach and Yacht Club resorts and the Swan hotel. The Boardwalk is home to the ESPN cafe', a beautiful art gallery and, I've been told at night, even has street performers like musicians and magicians. 

The Grand Floridian Resort

 While doing discount Disney research online, Abbey learned that you can see the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the boathouse of The Grand Floridian. So we thought we'd check it out. 

The boat house at Grand Flordian

We could definitely see the fireworks, but the lights in the boathouse were never turned down and the musical score that goes with the fireworks show was only played through the speakers at Narcosees' restaurant which is seen in the background of the photo above. We still enjoyed the fireworks though. And honestly, the hotel is breathtaking...expensive...but breathtaking. 

As a bonus, there is a lakeside light and musical show that you can see from the boathouse. It also travels to the Polynesian resort. If you've ever seen the Electrical Light Parade in the Magic Kingdom, it's a smaller, aquatic version.

At the Animal Kingdom Lodge, they have a miniature version of an African savanna. Giraffes, antelope, water buffalo, zebra and birds abound. This place was amazing and one I'd love to stay in someday if our family of 6 wouldn't have to stay at the concierge level which starts at $400 per night. [More about this resort with my upcoming dining post.]

The best find though may have been that you can ride one of the boats from Downtown Disney to the Port Orleans French Quarter resort for some freshly made, "man-catching" beignets! (If you don't know the reference, watch The Princess and the Frog)

Leah at the French Quarter

Those beignets were delicious, there were six of them for less than $5.00 and we found out afterwards that you can even get them gluten free!

Some things to keep in mind about touring the resorts.

• All Disney transportation is free, but there is no hotel-to-hotel transport. You have to ride from a resort to either a park or Downtown Disney and then transfer to the bus, boat or monorail that you need.
• All Disney resort guests are wearing wristbands. I confess I struggled with being very self-conscious about not having one. But there were plenty of other people without them as the evening went on.
• Parking is free at the resorts, but you must show a valid ID upon entry. I also thought you needed to have an excuse to be there (i.e. dining on site) but then one of the guards shared that you can just get in to see the resort, no excuses needed.
• All pools are for the exclusive use of Disney resort guests and you must have a wristband to enter them.
• If you want your children to see characters without entering the parks, a few of the resorts are home to fairly tasty character meals. At resorts in the past, we have dined with Chip and Dale, Mickey, Goofy, Minnie, Pluto and one time, even Roger Rabbit. The Grand Floridian has an Alice in Wonderland tea and hosts some of the Disney princesses. They are quickly filled, so reserve them as soon as you know you're heading to Disney, as much as four months in advance. They are also some of the most expensive dining on Disney property.

If you want some classic Disney fun, head out to the Value level resorts of All Star Sports, All Star Music, All Star Movies, Pop Century or Art of Animation resorts. All of them have larger than life photo opportunities. We had never been to the Art of Animation, so on our way out of town the last day, we stopped to check it out. I'll leave you with a sampling of some of the great characters you can see there.

My kids always insist that I am a hippie. For this photo, I obliged them.

Disney on the Cheap: Downtown Disney

If you want to have a non-panic-attack-inducing trip to Disney World, Downtown Disney is the place to start. It's absolutely free! Don't get me wrong, there is plenty to spend your money on here: like yummy food, great shopping venues, bowling, a movie theatre, a Cirque Du Soleil show and even an interactive technological wonderland called DisneyQuest. But there is no admission to Downtown Disney, there are boats you can ride across the very large lake and all Disney transportation to and from other resorts is free with their bus system. For now, parking is limited, but free. They are building a parking structure so that may change in the near future. I know...it's a lot of information, so let me give you a few examples.

First, the stores. If you cannot successfully tell your children, "No, you can't have that," then this is probably not the place for you. But...if you're family likes to just wander around, reminiscing about Disney movies, trying on funny hats...

people watching and admiring all of the cute little princesses wondering around (whose parents just dropped a boat-load of money to have their girls "Bippity-Bobbity-Booped"...my new phrase)...then by all means, meander through the largest Disney store on Earth and be comforted by the fact that there are upwards of a dozen more throughout the Downtown Disney property.

Also take in the Lego store, which is simply...cool.

Yes, a dragon made from Legos

Yes, Legos

Other than my children...Legos again.

Step into Goofy's Candy Company and watch the chocolatiers make the most amazing dipped apples and yummy treats you may ever see.

This is one Disney turkey leg I didn't mind eating. (It's a marshmallow treat!)

Splurge $2.00 and let your kids ride the merry go round. It may not be as big as Cinderella's in the Magic Kingdom, but for a child who has never been there or has no memory of it...this one will do!

And the really wonderful, unreproducible thing about Disney is that you'll will find fun around every corner...if you just look for it. (And you aren't frantically looking for that one Frozen t-shirt you just have to have!)

Disney's topiary art is always incomparable.

If you just have to see some amazing animatronics action, step inside the Rainforest Cafe' or T-Rex restaurants. You can eat there, for a pretty penny, but just walking through T-Rex convinced us if we ever go back we will be making reservations there. It was that impressive.

Now pardon me...

to next blog post, go...we must.

Disney on the Cheap

I will not begin to try to provide a comprehensive list of everything you can do at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, cheaply or even for free. There are far more authoritative voices out there regarding all things "cheap" Disney. I just wanted to share a few of the adventures our family had last week on vacation that were a.) fun; b.) free or very cheap; and c.) easy to pull off. Get ready for an onslaught of posts, because believe it or not, even though it would cost a family our size upwards of $600 just to get into the Magic Kingdom for one day, we were able to enjoy a lot of delicious food, fun and relaxation for far less!

Up front, I'll share that we did not go to any parks for this trip. Instead, Downtown Disney, several of the resorts, a day at Cocoa Beach and a day with friends were enough to keep us busy and entertained.

Disney promises to be a place "Where Dreams Come True". But, if like me, a massive credit card bill would instead induce nightmares and you can no longer justify thousands of dollars for fun when God is calling you to care for others who have nothing...then stay tuned over the next few days as I share some of our family's favorite moments and finds from this vacation. [Full Disclosure: Some of our meals were very expensive, one in particular. Wherever possible, we attempted to conserve as much as possible and all meals, except when eaten at a Disney location, were far cheaper than had we stayed at a Disney resort.]

'Ohana (Polynesian Resort, Walt Disney World, Florida)

I normally like to keep all of my vacation posts together, but it's been a busy week trying to get back into the swing of things and catching up on stuff around home. In the past, my one post about The Magic Kingdom is all I would have offered. But starting with our trip to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in June, I wanted to offer more details about sights to see and places to dine when you travel. For years, I've thought that planning Disney vacations would be a dream come true and even though I'm not getting paid for sharing this information, I want you...the consumer, to be armed with as much information as I can offer to assist you when you head out on your own adventure.

I will admit, up front that I am a Disney-phile...yet, I know I pale in comparison to many. Believe me, if we had the funds, I would struggle deeply with the tug of a yearly vacation to Disney-Mecca versus spending travel funds in a more edifying way such as mission trips and supporting organizations like we did with The Simple Way. It is difficult to be altruistic when it comes to my Disney addiction. I'm hoping the thirst was quenched for a few years now and I can get back to funding great organizations doing Kingdom work if we have opportunity to travel again in the foreseeable future.

Don't get me wrong, Disney is magical and I delighted in every minute of it...almost. In an effort to give our third child an opportunity to have experiences different from her siblings, we tried new things like Sea World and hanging out at Cocoa Beach for a day (post to follow soon). One of those attempts on my part resulted in a scheduled character breakfast at 'Ohana in the Polynesian Resort. I thought dining with Lilo and Stitch would be a blast. They are very cute and star in one of our favorite Disney movies. But I'm uncertain that the total character encounter (which included visits from Mickey and Pluto too) of about 10 minutes accumulated was worth the $25 per person price tag. Yes, you read that right.

That's the other thing about Disney that has always disgruntled me...at 10 years old, you begin paying adult prices for children. Now, I could concede on the parks that a 10 year old would ride just as many rides as an adult. But none of my 10-15 year old children (including my son) could ever eat as much as an adult. And to be honest, I don't eat $25 worth of breakfast either.

In the past, we have enjoyed the Crystal Palace breakfast in Magic Kingdom with Winnie the Pooh characters and the buffet meal has been delicious and well worth the price. The family style Princess breakfast at Cinderella's castle and the Belle Princess buffet breakfast at Akershus in Norway at EPCOT may have been comparable in price (although we were paying child prices for our kids at the time), but there were many more characters and the food was far superior to 'Ohana. Bacon, sausage, eggs, very small biscuits, small Mickey Mouse shaped waffles, juice, fruit and roasted potatoes are not something I would normally pay this price for. I know the buffets mentioned above also include multiple bread choices and omelet bars cooked to order.

You don't know how it pains me to give a negative review to something Disney. But considering the "magic" was probably lessened considerably for a 13 year old and the food just wasn't on par with what I've come to expect from Disney,  I would want others to know that going in. If you have a child that is a die-hard Lilo and Stitch fan, this might be just what you family would enjoy or if you have a dining plan option that includes character meals for the same price, I could see where this would be a fun diversion from the hustle and bustle of eating in one of the parks. But for this situation, when the cash had to come out of my pocket (instead of the new handy-dandy wrist bracelets Disney is using for resort guests), I'll confess...it hurt a little to hand over the greenbacks.

It was still a fun experience though because of the characters and the company and the reason why we were there...to celebrate Rebekah. Next time, I know though to do a little more research and to stick with some of our tried and true dining options.