The Sanaa Restaurant located in the Kidani Village of the
Disney Animal Kingdom Villas, is definitely a welcomed change of pace from your
Disney adventures. Sanaa serves both lunch
and dinner and is a pleasure that is missed by many but was enjoyed by my family
at our last visit to Walt Disney World.
Having planned our reservation to Sanaa on a day we were
exploring the Animal Kingdom, we caught a bus to the Kidani Village from the
Animal Kingdom Villas bus stop. The Kidani Village lobby is beautiful with a
glass back wall, giving you a full view of the Savannah. The restaurant is found down the staircase in
back of the lobby, and once there you feel as though you have arrived at an
African Game Reserve: gazing upon giraffes, zebras, ostrich, kudu, and
gazelles. After checking in for your
reservation, walk out onto the deck.
This view should never be passed up.
It’s amazing to see the animal so close, and you and your family quickly
get immersed in the wonder and magic of Disney, and you forget for a moment
that you are still in Walt Disney World.
I always encourage guests to talk to the Cast Members they
meet, as you will hear fascinating stories of far away places and cultures. We met a special Cast Member, Bulelani, from
South Africa, and he shared with us the many facts and stories about
giraffes. We hung on his every word and really
enjoyed talking to him! Did you know that giraffes in their native habitat
sleep only 30 minutes a day? They take
very short naps because of the constant danger of predators. We saw a giraffe lying down, and he told us
you would never see that in the wild. So
odd but fascinating! Bulelani continued to entertain us by talking
about his home, and we were amazed that there are 11 native languages in South
Africa!
Our adventure continued as our name was called and another
wonderful Cast Member sat us at our table.
Amee was from Botswana, and she told us that is was very hot in Botswana
but that Florida was way too humid for her – she could hardly breathe!
The menu at Sanaa is a fusion of African and Indian – the
best of both worlds! They did include a
Bison Burger on the menu in case your tastes are more traditional. The entrees were delicious, but the desserts
could not be beat in display or taste! I
had the Tanzanian Chocolate Mouse (my mouth waters just thinking about it
today!). Everything on my plate was made
of chocolate – including the butterfly and the writing on the plate! At this point, I became a little selfish, and
would not share with anyone, no matter how much they begged; it was way too
good!
After the enjoying your meal, don’t let the adventure stop –
be sure to explore the Resort! One place to stop is The Library. As you enter the lobby from the stairway,
walk down the hall on your left… you will find a sign for the Library. We actually thought we were going to a
Library (we are readers). However, we
found a beautiful sitting room with an outdoor porch where you can sit in
rocking chairs and enjoy the Savannah View.
With the beauty of this Resort and the tremendous views, you
can understand how easy it would be to get lost in the moment and feel as if
you had been transported to the exotic continent of Africa! It was a perfect ending to our visit to the
Kidani Village. Don’t you think it is
time for you to enjoy Disney’s Animal Kingdom?
