REVIEW: The Disney World Hotel Restaurant That Is 1000% Worth the Hype

If you’re an adventurous eater, there’s one Disney World spot you don’t want to miss!

Sanaa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge — Kidani Village has long been one of our favorite spots, but it’s not as popular as it should be. Recently, we stopped by for a full meal, and we’re here to prove to you that it’s a must-try!

Background

Sanaa is located on the ground floor at Kidani Village, so when you enter the lobby, you’ll need to take the staircase downstairs by the large window.

The restaurant has a spectacular view of the savanna, and live animals will walk past the windows frequently throughout the day, so this is a good spot to dine for lunch.

If you don’t have time for a sit-down meal or want to dine in your room, this restaurant also offers to-go dining. You can order through the Mobile Order section of the My Disney Experience app.

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

Atmosphere

The food here is African and Indian inspired, and the decor is fit to match, with lots of earth tones — browns, reds, creams, and a hint of orange.

The tables are set up in different forms — some are two-seater tables, others seat four, and some are booths along the wall. We love the intricately carved chairs you’ll find here, and be sure to look up at the ceiling — the decor is incredibly impressive with woven light fixtures and “leaves” above you.

This restaurant never fails to impress us with its beauty, and we love the natural light that comes through those big windows during the day.

But enough about that, what are we eating?!

Food & Drinks

First up on our list to eat was the Indian-style Bread Service for $22. This is probably the restaurant’s most famous item! It’s Traditional Naan, Garlic-Ginger Naan, Spiced Naan, Onion Kulcha, and Paneer Paratha, along with nine accompaniments: Cucumber Raita, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Mango Chutney, Tomato-Date Jam, Tamarind Chutney, Coriander Chutney, Garlic Pickle, Red Chile Sambal, or Spicy Jalapeño-Lime Pickle.

We tried each and every one of these items so you know exactly what to expect:

• The Spiced Naan is oily (like melted butter) with a red pepper-style spice that sneaks up and lingers on our tongue
• The Ginger Garlic Naan is like an extra fluffy and soft pizza crust — we couldn’t get enough!
• The Traditional Naan is SO fluffy. It’s so simple but perfect for a person like our reporter who sometimes enjoys just eating plain slices of bread.
• The Paneer Paratha is made in two layers with paneer and herbs sandwiched between. It’s herby and lightly cheesy, while being flatter and chewier than the other breads.
• The Onion Kulcha is also made in layers with onion stuffed inside. It’s brighter and a little tangy.
• The Cucumber Raita tastes like lightly cucumber-flavored yogurt — it’s light and bright with a slightly watery texture.
• The Mango Chutney is fruity, fun, and bright, and has a little chew from the chunks of mango. It’s on the sweeter side, but the naan tones it down.
• The Tamarind Chutney is sweet and tangy in flavor and smooth and runny in texture. It’s more like a sauce you’d pour since it’s so thin, and we think it could be a fun flavor to mix and match with different naans.
• The Tomato Date Jam reminded us of a sweeter, earthier pizza or pasta sauce. It’s smooth and tomato-forward with only a hint of date.
• The Hummus is a little grainy (in a good way that hummus should be) and earthy with a strong chickpea flavor.
• The Pickled Garlic has more of a mild garlic flavor due to the pickling, but this was surprisingly soft and easy to chew.
• The Coriander Chutney has a bit of a sweet flavor, but an oily base with a “green” flavor.
• Second to last was the Jalapeno Lime, which is a tomato-esque base with a strong jalapeno presence. It’s spicy immediately and lingers on the tip of your tongue and the roof of your mouth.
• Finally, the Red Chile Sambal is the hottest of the bunch. It’s a low-burning chile spice that builds and lingers in your throat, so much so that it made us cough.

The other appetizer we picked up was the Samosas for $11. They’re potato and pea samosas with tamarind and mango chutney.

These are definitely on the spicier side and remind us more of Indian-style Samosas rather than African-style Samosas. We’d call the spice level medium because it lingered on our tongue and warmed our whole mouth. There was a lot more potato than pea, and we loved how the garnish on the side was bright and citrusy to balance out the spicier flavor of the samosa itself. We do feel it’s a little on the expensive side to only get two Samosas, but we do feel it’s overall a solid appetizer.

We snagged two entrees, the first of which is the Tandoori Chicken for $21, served with traditional naan, rocket, pickled onion, tomato, and Sambal Mayonnaise.

While this comes open-faced style, like a taco, we chose to eat it with a knife and fork. We loved the big chunks of chicken in this dish, and the Sambal Mayonnaise helped cool down the tandoori spice, although the spice was much lighter here — it only just lingered on our lips. The pickled onions added a fantastic brightness to the dish, and the arugula adds a great crunch. The Traditional Naan doesn’t get too soggy with everything on top, which we appreciated, but our only complaint was that some of the pieces of chicken were a little on the grisly/fatty side. 

Finally, there’s the Samaki Upma Peri Peri for $36. This is seasonal sustainable fish, savory Indian Upma, charred corn relish, Peri Peri, chickpea crisp, and spring greens.

This was our favorite dish here! The fish practically fell apart when we cut into it, and the salty crust really complemented the mild fish (which tasted like cod to us) well. The Indian Upma on the bottom had a basic grain flavor to it, but we enjoyed its slightly sticky texture and the way it paired with the fish. The chickpea crisp and spring greens were bright and light in the best way, and had a bit of a chew to them.

This dish is also served with two sauces. The Peri Peri sauce is on the spicy side, but it isn’t too overwhelming, and then the unnamed green sauce was smooth, creamy, and so light. We’d get this over and over again!

So, how was our meal?

Magic or Tragic?

This Disney World restaurant is a must-visit if…

• You’re a more adventurous eater and want something unique
• You’re staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge and want a great meal
• You love being able to look at the savanna while you eat

You should skip this Disney World spot if…

• You’re a pickier eater
• You’re not staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge, nor will be near Animal Kingdom
• You want a quick meal

This restaurant very rarely disappoints us, and this meal was no different. We can’t recommend this spot enough to people who are looking to have a relaxing, delicious meal with a gorgeous view of the savanna, this is the spot to book. Its only downside is that it’s so far from everything else (as the entirety of Animal Kingdom Lodge is), but if you’re nearby or willing to travel, it’s worth the trip!

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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