REVIEW: It’s Never a Bad Disney World Meal If You Can Finish It With ZEBRA DOMES

There is a lot to look forward to on a Disney World vacation. There is so much to do, from the rides to the character meets and greets to the shows and nighttime spectaculars. On top of all of that, you are also going to need to eat!

And we want to ensure that you eat the best food while at Disney World. We recently stopped by The Mara at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge and are bringing you our FULL review! Should you add this to your list for your Disney World vacation? We are finding out!

Background

The Mara is located inside of Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Jambo House. Jambo House is also home to Boma and Jiko – The Cooking Place. Boma is a buffet style meal, while Jiko is a table-service restaurant. On the other hand, you will find The Mara which is a quick service dining location at the hotel.

The Mara is named after the Masai Mara National Reserve, which is about 170 miles west of Nairobi. The Masai Mara National Reserve is part of the Serengeti ecosystem and has been a game conservation area since 1889.

You can stop by The Mara for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The menu features African flavors, as well as classic American favorites. It even features some of the menu items you can find at Boma including Zebra Domes and the Butternut Squash Soup.

Here’s what you need to know about dining at this restaurant.

Atmosphere

The Mara is located near the Uzima Springs Pool area. If you head out the doors between Boma and Jiko and head to the left, you will find The Mara. It is a bit tucked away, so you won’t get any views of the animals. However, you can always take your food to go and enjoy eating while looking at the animals. The restaurant has both an indoor and an outdoor seating area.

When you first walk in you will spot a towering acacia tree, which is an iconic tree at the Masai Mara National Reserve. It welcomes you into the restaurant and frames the entryway.

Along the walls, you will spot murals featuring a variety of African animals. There are all sorts of animals you can spot in the painting.

There is a lot of seating indoors…

…and you will also find a few tables with umbrellas outside.

The Mara is a food court-style restaurant, so you will head to the food station you want food from and place your order there. There is also a bakery section where you can find some sweet treats.

Or you can place a Mobile Order on the My Disney Experience app. There are also options for grab-and-go items in both refrigerators and the bakery section. If you are looking for the Zebra Domes, you will need to head to the refrigerators!

But enough about that, what are we eating?!

Food & Drinks

First up, we grabbed the Fire-roasted Tomato and Herbed Ricotta Flatbread for $12.79. The flatbread features fire-roasted tomatoes, herbed ricotta, tomato sauce, cheese blend, and sun-dried tomato vinaigrette tossed arugula. We are starting our review off with one of our favorites of the meal. While the tomato sauce and cheese are your basic flatbread toppings, the herbed ricotta, fire-roasted tomatoes, and arugula really elevate this flatbread.

The arugula is tossed with a light vinaigrette, which ends up a bit hidden by the other flavors. But the arugula adds a delicious freshness and pepper flavor to the flatbread. The herbed ricotta is creamy and thick, and it is full of herb flavor. We definitely tasted lots of basil in i,t which was perfect for this flatbread. The fire-roasted tomatoes are the finishing touch as they are juicy, tender, and smoky. We were really impressed by how much we enjoyed all the flavors in this flatbread!

Next, we tried the Oak-grilled Chicken Bowl for $13.29. It features marinated chicken thighs, pilau rice, kale slaw, cucumber-tomato salad, and chermoula sour cream. We also really enjoyed this dish! The chicken was juicy, and when you got a bit of everything in your bite, it was full of flavor.

The rice was seasoned with lots of spices like cumin and cardamon. There were also a few salads, including a kale slaw, tomato and cucumber salad, and a chickpea and olive salad. The kale slaw had a sweet dressing and was crunchy. The tomato and cucumber salad had a light vinegar taste to it, and the vegetables were also fresh and crisp. The chickpeas were soft, and the olives added a strong flavor. The chermoula sour cream on top brought everything together with its herbiness and creaminess.

We also got a side of the Butternut Squash Soup for $4.79. This is the same soup you can find over at Boma. It is on the sweeter side and reminded us a bit of a pumpkin pie filling flavor-wise. However, this soup was not quite as sweet or as thick as pumpkin pie filling.

But it is full of those cozy fall spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. It was a great thickness, and the butternut squash flavor was smooth. Even though we were still sweating a bit from being outside all day, we definitely still finished every last bit of this soup.

Finally, for dessert, we couldn’t resist grabbing the Zebra Domes for $4.59. These are chocolate mousse baked with Amarula cream liquor-coated white chocolate drizzled with chocolate stripes and chocolate shavings. These little guys are popular for good reason!

They are soft and creamy, with lots of gorgeous chocolate flavor. The Amarula cream liquor adds just a bit of bite to the dessert, which makes them pretty irresistible. The domes start with a thin layer of vanilla cake which is topped with a soft and creamy chocolate mousse. Then it is covered in a soft white chocolate coating which is infused with the Amarula cream liquor.

They are finished off with a drizzle of chocolate and a slight dusting of chocolate sprinkles for a scrumptious dessert. While you do get four Zebra Domes in a container, you will likely find it hard to share these with others!

Magic or Tragic?

This Disney World restaurant is a must-visit if…

• You want Zebra Domes or Butternut Squash Soup without the commitment of a Boma meal. You can get both of these items from The Mara, so if you are craving either, you can easily grab them here.
• You are in the area and want a tasty, quick meal. If you are staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge or just happen to be close by, we think The Mara would be a great choice for a quick meal.
• You are staying at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. If you are staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge, definitely add The Mara to your list of places to eat. It would be perfect for a quick lunch or a lighter dinner, plus you can finish your meal with some Zebra Domes.

You should skip this Disney World spot if…

• You are looking for a top-tier dining experience. While The Mara has a fun and relaxed atmosphere with some pretty tasty food, it likely won’t be of your most memorable meals of your trip.
• You would have to go out of your way to dine here. The Mara impressed us, but we probably wouldn’t go out of our way to eat here again. Unless, of course, we were really craving some Zebra Domes or Butternut Squash Soup!
• You want to see animals while you are dining. While there are lots of animals roaming around Animal Kingdom Lodge, you won’t be able to see any from The Mara. Of course, you could always take your food to go and find somewhere to enjoy it while watching animals. Or you can also head over to Sanaa, which offers a view of the savanna while you are eating.

Overall, we really enjoyed our meal at The Mara. The flatbread and Zebra Domes made the list of our favorites, and we will definitely be back for them. However, while very tasty and enjoyable, we don’t think this is necessarily a restaurant to go out of your way for. Unless, of course, you are really craving some Zebra Domes! It has a relaxed atmosphere with delicious food, plus you can check out the animals while you are there.

In the meantime, we’ll be on the lookout for more restaurant updates from Disney World and beyond. Make sure you stay tuned to AllEars for the latest Disney news and more!

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Have you eaten at this Disney World restaurant before? Tell us in the comments.

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