Sanaa Restaurant at Animal Kingdom Lodge Review

We can pinpoint our discovery of Sanaa to one fateful afternoon early in our Disney adventures, on the Wild Africa Trek. While out at lunch on the African Savanna with our fellow trekkers drinking our absolute favorite Disney drink, POG, someone asked if we had tried Sanaa yet. Clueless, we said no. Then someone said, “You have to try the Bread Service!” In fact, everyone seemed to agree. So not only were we going to venture out to a resort restaurant, but apparently, we were also ordering the bread. Sanaa at Walt Disney World Animal Kingdom Lodge can be found in Kidani Village. Here is everything you need to know about this amazing restaurant at Disney from how to get there, to what to eat, to watching animals roam the savanna. 

Sanaa Restaurant at Animal Kingdom Lodge Details

Just like all resort restaurants, Sanaa has it’s own flavor and theme that matches the resort. As such, you can expect to African styling and elements around the restaurant, honoring African culture. You can also watch the animals, just outside on the lawn, roam around while you eat. Such a bonus if you need a nature filled day without the cost of an Animal Kingdom park ticket. Here are some things to know before you go. 

Sanaa Hours

At Sanaa, you can get all three square meals for the day. However, only Breakfast is quick service. Meaning that you can simply walk down to the restaurant and order food during breakfast hours. Plus, you can also get Sanaa Table Service to Go for breakfast, which is just like mobile order. 

• Breakfast: 7:30 AM- 11:00 AM
• Lunch: 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM
• Dinner: 5:00 PM to 9:30 PM
• Lounge: 11:30 AM to 9:30 PM

Sanaa Quick Service for Breakfast

While the main Animal Kingdom Lodge Quick Service Restaurant is The Mara, it is also located in the Jambo House main building. So, if you’re staying at Kidani Village instead, just a short walking path away, then you can get your breakfast as a quick service meal from Sanaa. While the walking path from Kidani Village to Jambo house isn’t long, it can be a hassle for the early morning hours. 

Sanaa Table Service for Lunch and Dinner

During the afternoon and evening hours, Sanaa changes to a Table Service only restaurant at 3:00 PM. as such, if you’re eating lunch late, and not waiting for the dinner hour at 5:00 PM, you can simply head to the Sanaa Lounge instead. Offering many of the main foods from the Sanaa Menu, it’s the best option if you’re visiting Kidani Village between 3-5 and need something to eat. 

Sanaa Restaurant Location

Located at the Animal Kingdom Lodge Resort, Sanaa can be found in the Kidani Village building. Note, that this is not the main building for the resort. As such, the lobby is smaller, and the amenities fewer. However, you can still count on a great view of the savanna, a gift shop, lounge and the Sanaa Restaurant on the bottom floor. 

To get to Sanaa, simply enter the lobby at Kidani Village, and head to the back of the lobby near the multi-story windows. From here, take the staircase to the ground floor and you’ll see the Sanaa Check-In desk. Once here you can check-in, or see what the wait times are, and head out to the terrace for some animal viewing while you wait for a table. 

Do You Need a Reservation for Disney’s Sanaa Restaurant?

Reservations for Sanaa are not typically difficult to get, though highly recommended. As a restaurant with only about 150 seats, Sanaa is consistently booked during busy times. If you’re staying on Disney property, then it’s best to book Sanaa 60 days before your vacation. As with all Disney Dining Reservations, you have the best chance of getting the time and day you want if you book as early as you can. You can do this in the My Disney Experience App or on the Sanaa page of Disney’s website.  If you are in a bind and find you don’t have a reservation but still want access to the full menu at Sanaa, then you can head to the Sanaa Lounge and wait for a table to open. The Sanaa Lounge is open 11:30 AM to 9:30 PM.

Sanaa Restaurant Atmosphere

So, what’s the fuss all about? Let’s just say, eating in an African themed restaurant, with authentic African cuisine, while watching the animals roam, should be on everyone’s list of Disney Must Dos. Nestled on the ground floor of the Kidani Village building, this restaurant offers views of the savanna, tea service, bread service, the sweetest desserts, and authentic potjie. Just trust us on this. No matter what you order, you will love it here. With classic African decor, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the roaming animals outside, Sanaa offers an experience like no other. The Sanaa Restaurant itself offers a quick-service breakfast, and table service lunch and dinner options.

Sanaa Breakfast Menu

Serving a Kuamsha Breakfast, Sanaa breakfast entrees include things like Eggs Benedict, Grains and Fruit and French toast. Cost ranges from about $11- $14 a plate and you’ll notice some African flavors across the basic breakfast dishes. Here is the Breakfast Menu of what you can eat for Breakfast at Sanaa. Check out the Sanaa Breakfast Menu for all the options.

• Eggs Benedict: Two-poached Brown Eggs, Canadian Bacon, Spice Route Hollandaise, Arugula, and Berries
• Enriching Grains and Fruit: Mixed Grains, Seasonal Fruit, South African Rusk, and Coconut Milk Yogurt (Plant-based)
• Boere Breakfast: Two Cage-free Eggs with African Home Fries, House-made Boerewors Sausage, Bacon, and a Coconut Drop Biscuit
• Shahi Tukra French Toast: Saffron-scented Sultan Raisins, Whipped Chai Cream, and Almonds
• Methi Paratha Sandwich: Scrambled Eggs, Potatoes Masala, Gouda, Chermoula, and Papaya Achar

Does Sanaa have a Kid’s Menu for Breakfast?

The Sanaa Breakfast Kid’s Meal includes Mickey Waffles, or Scrambled Eggs, with sides of bacon, home fries, biscuits and oats. 

Does Sanaa Serve Breakfast at Animal Kingdom Lodge?

Yes! Sanaa Restaurant at Kidani Village serves a quick service breakfast daily.  Reservations are not required. 

Sanaa Lunch and Dinner Menu

If you’re dining at Sanaa, know that there are a few differences between the lunch and dinner menus. While you can grab the curries and potjie at either meal, the lunch menu includes fish, chicken and a burger in addition to basics, while the dinner menu offers up heartier fare like lamb chops, pork and steak. Check out the Sanaa Lunch Menu for everything included during the lunch hours. And of course if you’re looking for something more substantial the Sanaa Dinner Menu offers quite a few unique options as well. 

Appetizers

If you’re looking to start your meal with something special, you can grab the bread service, which we think is pretty essential. But there are other options, like spring herb salad, lamb kefta, soups and samosas. Ranging from $9-$22 we like the bread service and samosas best. 

Indian-style Bread Service 

Sanaa at Walt Disney World Animal Kingdom Lodge is KNOWN for its Bread Service. Mind you this is just comprised of a variety of Naan bread and Dipping Sauces. Featuring all nine signature sauces and five breads, this  appetizer is something you will inhale and make you forget you have “real food” coming. It is really really good. And the flavors are varied enough to appease everyone. The kids will love the mango chutney and those more daring should definitely be trying the pickles and jalapeno. At $22 this is an appetizer to share, and goes great with the entree dishes, if there is still any left. 

• Five Breads and with all Nine Accompaniments – Traditional Naan, Garlic-Ginger Naan, Spiced Naan, Onion Kulcha, or Paneer Paratha.
• 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

• Choose one from the Journey – Goan Seafood Curry, Butter Chicken, Braised Beef, or Pork Vindaloo.
• Choose one from the Harvest (Plant-based) – Rajma Masala, Chickpea Wat, Sukuma Wiki, or Lentil Daal served with Scented Basmati Rice

Entrees

The Sanaa Menu is African-themed, so there will definitely be things you cannot pronounce, but no worries, just ask your server. They know the stuff by heart and can make recommendations if you don’t know where to start. Other items on the Entrees menu include a variety of meats, and fish. And there are several kinds of curries here all served with vegetables and rice. You can choose from Zanzibar Vegetable Curry with Chicken, Shrimp or just Vegetables. Entree range from $24- $36 per plate and that even includes a Grilled New York Strip Steak option. 

Kid’s Menu at Sanaa

The very toned down kid’s menu at Sanaa includes a cheese pizza, butter chicken, cheeseburger, or fish, with a variety of sides including vegetables , rice, cheddar mac and cheese and fruit. 

Desserts at Sanaa 

By far our favorite part of any meal, dessert at Sanaa is always worth trying. Some of the desserts at Sanaa change from the regular menu based on the season. They are sophisticated and pretty. The desserts are the same for both lunch and dinner, and prices range $10-$12 each. Our favorite here is the Wildebeest, because, well it’s a lot of chocolate. 

• Black Sesame Sundae: Black Sesame Ice Cream, Roasted Spiced Pineapple, Tea Caramel, Milk Crumble, and Raspberry Crisps
• Ankole Cake: Spiced Chocolate Cake, Baobab Curd, Coconut Gel, Meringue ‘Horns,’ STARR African Rum-macerated Citrus (Plant-based)
• Giraffe Tower Mousse: Banana Cake, Peanut Butter Mousse, Banana Mousse, and Caramel with Tanzanian Peanut Brittle Crunch
• Wilde-best Wildebeest: Flourless Chocolate Cake, Milk Chocolate Custard, and Chocolate Fudge-coated Cocoa Nibs

Drinks at Sanaa

Sanaa offers a variety of fountain drinks, juice, teas, smoothies mocktails and cocktails. And as we’re always in search of Mocktails at Disney World, we were glad to see that the classic ones are available at Sanaa. Mocktails are $12 each. 

• Pink London Spritzer: Lyre’s Pink London Spirit, Grapefruit Soda, Pomegranate-Green Tea, Lime, and Mint
• Agave Garden: Lyre’s Agave Reserva Spirit, Cold-pressed Lime Juice, Passionfruit-Papaya-Green Tea, and Cucumber

Signature Cocktails

In addition to a variety of beers, wines and drinks, you can grab signature cocktails here as well that offer a nice punch from the African flavor profile. Drink prices range $15-$17 each. 

• Sunset Margarita: Teremana Blanco Tequila, Grand Marnier Liqueur, Smoked Chili Bitters, Lime, and Agave
• Painted Lemur: Amarula Fruit Cream Liqueur and Van der Hum Tangerine Liqueur from South Africa combined in a Chocolate-striped glass inspired by the distinctive striped tail of the Madagascar Lemur
• African Starr Mojito: Starr African Rum, Van der Hum Tangerine Liqueur from South Africa, Fresh Lime Juice, and Mint

Tea Service

Yes! One of the things we learned just by chance is that there are a variety of loose leaf teas offered at Sanaa. While this isn’t any surprise, since we are avid visitors of the Garden View Tea Room at the Grand Floridian, we were thrilled to see that Sanaa offered tea as well. If you order tea, it comes in its own teapot. You can also grab a Press Pot Coffee (Kenya AA) if that’s more to your liking. At $9 for the pot of Loose Leaf Tea we highly recommend this with dessert. 

Assam

• Organic Assam – Harvested in Northeastern India and known for its full-bodied malty character
• Golden Assam – This second flush, large-leaf golden tipped Assam produces a full-bodied cup of tea

Chai

• Herbal Spice Chai – Naturally caffeine-free original house blend of hand-ground spices has the same complexity and richness of a traditional black tea Chai
• Masala Black Tea Chai – Complex blend of fresh spices and Indian Black tea

Darjeeling

• White Tip Darjeeling – Treasured for its ripe, complex flavor and floral bouquet
• Thunderbolt Darjeeling – The “champagne of black tea” is named for the region, as Darjeeling literally means Land of the Thunderbolts

Rooibos

• Organic Rooibos – This famous “red bush” tea hailing from South Africa is naturally caffeine-free, organically grown, rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants
• Earl Gray Rooibos – Caffeine-free, features South African “red bush” blended with bergamot orange
• Mango Rooibos – “Red Bush” scented with tropical mango, Rooibos is rich in antioxidants and a good source of iron and potassium
• Pina Colada Rooibos – Transport yourself to a tropical paradise beach with a sip of this pina colada-inspired Rooibos
• Vanilla Rooibos – Vanilla bean sweetens this Roobios, organically grown, rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, naturally caffeine-free
• Hazelnut Rooibos – Sweet, earthy, Rooibos, carefully blended with the warmth of hazelnuts yield a rich and medium-bodied infusion

Sanaa Lounge Menu

The Sanaa Lounge at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is a wonderful option if you’re looking for a quick snack or drink. Tucked into the corner of the Sanaa Restaurant the Sanaa Lounge is open from 11:30 AM to 9:30 PM. This little lounge offers up the famous Bread Service, samosas, small plates, and more. Check out the Sanaa Lounge Menu to see the full drink and food lineup.  Guests that visit the Lounge before 3 pm have access to the FULL Sanaa Menu. Whereas after 5 pm, only the Sanaa Lounge Menu offerings are available. If you want to eat at Sanaa at the last minute or don’t have a reservation for Sanaa, you can head to the lounge as an alternative. Small plates cost between $11 up to $22 for the bread service. 

• Indian-style Bread Service
  Choice of Five Breads with all Nine Accompaniments – Traditional Naan, Garlic-Ginger Naan, Spiced Naan, Onion Kulcha, or Paneer Paratha. Accompaniments – Red Chile Sambal, Cucumber Raita, Coriander Chutney, Mango Chutney, Tomato-Date Jam, Garlic Pickle, Spicy Jalapeño-Lime Pickle, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, or Tamarind Chutney
• Salad Sampler: Berber Black-Eyed Pea, Watermelon and Pickled Fennel, Tunisian Beet Chermoula
• Samosas
  Potato and Pea Samosa with Tamarind and Mango Chutney (Plant-based)

Cocktails, Beer, Wine and Mocktails

The Sanaa Lounge has quite the selection of drinks, priced from $6- $18. Margaritas, Martinis, and Mojitos are all on the menu, as well as any traditional bar drink you can think up. 

Sanaa at Animal Kingdom Lodge Tips

If you’re heading to Animal Kingdom Lodge, here are a few tips that can help you navigate the resort and the restaurant. Remember, Disney buses do not travel between resorts. As such, if you’re booking a late dinner, be sure to leave with enough time to get back to the parks, or Disney Springs, so you can catch your home resort bus from there. 

How do you Get to Sanaa at Animal Kingdom Lodge?

Sanaa is located at Animal Kingdom Lodge is found on the ground floor of the main house at Kidani Village. Not Jambo House. You can grab a Disney Bus to Animal Kingdom Lodge from any Disney Park, or Disney Springs. Once on the Animal Kingdom Lodge bus, it’s the first stop, not the second. However if you accidentally end up at Jambo House, there is an internal shuttle that loops every 10 minutes. You can also use the walkway between the two properties, accessible from the front of each building. 

Is Disney’s Sanaa Restaurant Kid-Friendly?

Yes! We love Sanaa for kids because the experience of watching animals on the savannah while you eat is such fun. If the Sanaa menu feels a little too grown-up for you, don’t worry, there is also a kid’s menu to choose from. And just wait until dessert! Because at Sanaa, they make it extra special for kids, and it’s a wonderful treat they will definitely remember. 

Sanaa Restaurant Cost

Sanaa Restaurant is considered VERY affordable, with dishes ranging from $12- $35 for lunch and dinner, and under $15 a plate at breakfast, this is a Budget-Friendly Disney Restaurant. 

How Much Does Sanaa Cost?

As one of Walt Disney World’s most AFFORDABLE Table-Service Restaurants, Sanaa offers dishes ranging from $12- $35 per person. If you’re looking for unique dining, in good portion sizes, then Sanaa offers a great budget-friendly dining experience at Disney. 

Does Sanaa Take the Disney Dining Plan?

Yes, you can use the Disney Dining Plan at Sanaa. Sanaa offers table service for lunch and dinner and it’s worth one table-service dining credit. Sanaa’s breakfast is considered quick-service and counts as one quick service credit. 

Can You See Animals at Sanaa Restaurant?

Yes! One of the best reasons to take a trip to Animal Kingdom Lodge and book dining at Sanaa is the chance to see the animals roaming around on the lawn. Such a unique experience, it really adds to the atmosphere. You can see animals from the ground floor windows at the Sanaa restaurant. 

Can you Order Food from Sanaa To Go?

Yes! Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Sanaa Restaurant has Mobile Order and you are able to Order Sanaa To Go. Just head to the My Disney Experience App. In the search bar, type Sanaa and you will see Sanaa To Go as an option. The Sanaa To Go Menu is offered from 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM and again from 5:00 PM to 9:30 PM. Serving up both Potjie, Biryani, Steak, and more are all part of this menu. Check the app for the latest items available on the menu. 

Sanaa Disney Review

If you arrive early for your dining reservation, you can meander around the resort, check out the rocking chairs on the porches or the small rooms adjacent to the lobby with fireplaces and African art. Sanaa has become one of our favorite Disney restaurants and one we try to frequent whenever we know we’re going to need to get away from the parks. If you’re traveling during a busy time at the parks take a break and stop by Animal Kingdom Lodge. We’re quite sure you’ll quickly fall in love with it as much as we have.