Halloween in the Wilderness 2015 Trip Report Index! (And here is the Pre-Trip Report!)



Day 16 - On Safari
Tusker House (Character Breakfast) | Animal Kingdom | Narcoossee’s (Signature Dining)
November 7th, 2015

We had an early morning reservation for breakfast at Tusker House at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It’s become quite the tradition now for us to have breakfast here, and then go on Kilimanjaro Safaris afterwards. What we didn’t know on this occasion, was that there was a Run Disney event going on, and so, when we arrived at the park, were directed to one of the further away parking lots. We then had to walk quite a distance to the entrance, because trams were not running this early in the morning.


It wouldn’t have been so bad had I been fighting fit, but at this point in the holiday my back had just given up, and walking for long distances was not working out for me. We hired an ECV from the park entrance for me again, which made touring around Animal Kingdom a lot less painful for me. Without it I know we wouldn’t have got very far, and would have ended up cutting the day a bit short.

Once in the park, I took advantage of the lack of guests to take some clear photos of the Tree of Life, as well as other areas of the park on our way to Tusker House.


We enjoy Tusker House because it’s a bit different from other breakfast buffet restaurants. Not only do they have regular breakfast foods, but also other dishes with an African influence. There is also the added bonus, that it is a character dining experience, so you also get to meet Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Goofy, and Daisy Duck, dressed up in their safari gear. You can help yourself to as much as you care to eat, and the characters walk around from table-to-table; meaning you will get a chance to meet each one for a photo opportunity and autograph.

Tusker House

We enjoy Tusker House because it’s a bit different from other breakfast buffet restaurants. Not only do they have regular breakfast foods, but also other dishes with an African influence. There is also the added bonus, that it is a character dining experience, so you also get to meet Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Goofy, and Daisy Duck, dressed up in their safari gear. You can help yourself to as much as you care to eat, and the characters walk around from table-to-table; meaning you will get a chance to meet each one for a photo opportunity and autograph.


When it comes to the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan at a buffet restaurant, you are entitled to one full buffet and one non-alcoholic beverage (usually refillable) for one credit per person.

We have loved Tusker House since our very first time dining here. The inside of the restaurant itself is wonderfully themed, and the food is always great. It is a noisy restaurant though – character dining always is – so if you have members in your party with noise issues, be mindful of that. The seating is split into two areas. There is a smaller room, which is generally a bit quieter, and then a larger room. We’ve sat in both areas. The buffet is laid out between the two rooms, and is really spacious. The food is laid out in different stations, so you are able to come and go as you please, rather than having to do any formal lining up.

I actually took photographs of the names of different dishes on offer, so will list them here, along with some photographs too. Whilst the menu can change at any time, these are the kinds of things you can expect to find on the buffet.

Breads, Pastries, and Sweet Treats

Apple Turnover, Coffee Cake, Strawberry Turnover, Orange Bread, Blueberry Bread, Lemon Poppy Seed Bread, Chocolate Twists, Krispy Kreme Doughnut Holes, Croissants, Warm Cinnamon Rolls, Baked Banana Cream Cheese French Toast, Cheese Blintz, Cherry and Mixed Fruit Toppings, Assorted Breads and Bagels, Gluten Friendly Options: UDI’s Whole Grain Bread, Bagels, and Muffins; Kinnicknick Cinnamon Sugar Donuts, Namaste Mickey Waffles & 100% Maple Syrup (made upon request).


Breakfast Dishes with an African Flavours

Coconut Sweet Potato Casserole, Beef Bobotie, Basmatic Rice with Lemon, Cinnamon, and Cardamom, Sweet Plantains, Spit-Roasted Bone-In Ham, Sweet and Spicy Honey Mustard, Jalapeño Corn Bread, Mealie Cornbread, Mealie Pap, Spiced Corn Beef Hash with Cornbread Topping,


Regular Breakfast Foods

Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Sausage Patties, Oven Roasted Red Skin Potatoes, Mickey Waffles, Biscuits, Sausage Gravy, Oatmeal – Cinnamon, Brown Sugar, Raisins, Cubed Cheddar and Swiss Cheese, Plain & Low Fat Strawberry Yogurt, Dried Fruit and Honey, Seasonal Fruit Salad with Saffron Syrup, Grapes, Potato and Leek Frittata, Tater Tot Potatoes, Ham and Cheese Frittata, Whipped Butter, Cream Cheese, Cottage Cheese, Assorted Jellies and Jams, Chutneys, Fresh Bananas, Kellogg’s Raisin Bran, Frosted Flakes, Fruit Loops, and Rice Krispies, 2% Milk,


As I said before, the characters walk around from table to table. You can see them moving around the room, so time your trip to the buffet accordingly! You may feel like the server is rushing you out the door when they hand you the check, but if you’ve not met all the characters yet, do not feel that you have to leave! Make sure you have your autograph book(s) and pen ready for those important signatures, and have your camera out too. The gang have lots of people to see, so don’t waste your time with them by hunting for these things when they’re at your table to meet you!


Another fine breakfast at Tusker House for us! After having our fill, we paid the check (with our Dining Plan Credits) and made our way out into the hot sunshine. We had some time before our FastPass+ time slot at Kilimanjaro Safaris, so had a bit of wander around – which involved some time in the nearby shops!


Kilmanjaro Safaris takes you on an 18 minute expedition around the Harambe Wildlife Reserve, where you may catch a glimpse of some of the animals in their habitats like the open plains, forest landscapes, and rocky wetlands. The reserve is 110 acres, and there are some 34 species of African animal for you to try and spot.

It’s never the same safari twice, which is why I personally love this “ride” so much. We had a good ride today, seeing some of the usual animals we tend to always see like ankole cattle, ostrich, elephant, rhino, and giraffe, as well as some I don’t think we’ve seen before like the cheetah and baboon.

When taking photographs you have to be quick, as the truck doesn’t stop for long – if at all, so if you have a point and shoot, put it on a sports setting, or if you’ve got a DSLR, try a fast shutter speed. You also need a fairly steady hand, as the road is very bumpy at times! I also think that the truck drive/tour guide can help make this trek around the reserve more informative, depending on their knowledge of the animals, and of their habitats. We had an amazing guide one year, and it felt like we were on a real safari out in Africa!


After the safari, we went through Pangani Forest Exploration Trail to see the baby zebra, and baby meerkats, as well as the gorillas. Whilst viewing the gorillas, a pair of them decided to have a fight – not sure what sparked that off, as one was quite happily sitting their, eating some vegetation; then suddenly he turned! It can get quite congested in parts along the trail – especially where the gorillas are behind the glass wall. We still haven’t taken our time in many areas of Animal Kingdom – it really is an educational place to visit, as well as being a theme park. One day we’ll slow down!

That said, it was all about the animals today – I don’t think we’ve seen so many in one day before!

After our animal adventures in Africa, it was time to head over to Asia. I think this area of Animal Kingdom is my favourite… but it’s so hard to choose, because the themeing in the this park is done so well. There are two animal exhibits/attractions that we’ve never seen before in Asia – Flights of Wonder, and Maharajah Jungle Trek. We did the latter on this trip, as we had a missed the time for the showing of Flights of Wonder. By the time we had wandered off to do something else, and never went back for a later show.

Before entering the trek, we stopped off for a Frozen Coca-Cola from Drinkwallah. These were available as a snack credit, so that’s what we used to pay for these (they’re $3.99 each)



I absolutely loved Maharajah Jungle Trek – with the stars of the area being the Asian tigers – there were also giant bats, deer, cattle, komodo dragon, and lots of colourful birds. The trek wasn’t too busy either, so it felt like a secret hidden gem. The trek, much like the rest of the area, is beautifully themed with flags hanging across the buildings, rags tied to tree branches, “ancient” monuments, statues, buildings and ruins, exotic flowers, and lots of lush vegetation. I could have quite happily spent several hours in this area! There are maps available as you walk in (must be returned at the end of the trek) that will tell you about the various animals in the exhibit.


Outside of the Maharajah Jungle Trek area is the gibbon exhibit. I can’t remember ever seeing this before, so it’s quite likely we’ve not spent much time here on past visits. With huge temple ruins, and bamboo poles, it’s a paradise for these climbing, swinging creatures!


Kali River Rapids is in this area too. We went on this ride way back in 2011 on our first visit, and rode it several times in a row. It was raining, the park was nearly closing, and the line was non-existent! We’ve not ridden it since though. Not because we don’t like it – it’s a great ride, but you get seriously wet! Plus on this occasion, I was actually worried that the seatbelts wouldn’t fit me, so I didn’t want to risk it.


We did no more than a walk through the rest of Asia, past Expedition Everest, and the hoardings up around the new Rivers of Light area, which at the time of writing this in 2017 is still not showing - BUT IT'S OPENING SOON! The hoardings have come down though, and it looks impressive. We were hoping that by our 2016 trip to Walt Disney World, that Rivers of Light would be up and running, but it would seem that there are some issues which has delayed it. Maybe for our next trip in 2017…


In the past, when we’ve tried to ride Expedition Everest, we have been knocked back by the weather. If there is lightning in the area, they close down the ride. This time around, we didn’t have FastPass+ times, and the line time was long – plus, I didn’t want to take a risk of not fitting. That said, for plus-size guests, there is a test seat around the side of the entrance that you can try out. I will go on this ride one day though, I am promising myself that!

We continued around, and into DinoLand USA. If your children love dinosaurs, this will be a great area for them! The Boneyard is dinosaur dig-site playground, as well as carnival style games where you pay to play. The rides are TriceraTop Spin (like the Dumbo ride, but with dinosaurs!), Primeval Whirl, and DINOSAUR. The whole area feels like those old roadside attractions in the USA. Another area not really explored by us – I think this is the first time we’ve actually been in DinoLand USA! There is a casting of the most complete found T-Rex, nicknamed Dino-Sue, and there are some animal exhibits too, including the American Crocodile.


Back in Discovery Island, we went on another family favourite attraction of ours – It’s Tough To Be A Bug, a 4-D show, featuring the bugs from a bug’s life. Be warned though, there are some scary parts for children – everything goes dark, smokey and things drop down from the ceiling. Essentially the show is about different bugs (the only ones from a bug’s life are Flik and Hopper) and what role they play in the world. The bugs are animated like those from a bug’s life, and it’s a cute, educational movie – apart from the aforementioned scary part for kidlets! They do mention that some parts maybe be intense, but I don’t think parents actually realise how traumatic it can be – I know it sounds like I’m being melodramatic about it, but I’m not. On our recent trip in the future (2016, when I’m writing this!) a record 5 parents took their kids out during the show we watched, and at every show we’ve been to, kids are screaming during this part!


The path to the bug theatre winds around the Tree of Life, where you can see carvings in the tree up close. One of these days I must stop and take a look at them properly, rather than a rushing walk-past.


As our day at Animal Kingdom was coming to an end, we of course stopped off in the shops to have a look at the merch, and no doubt buy some stuff! On the way out, we stopped at a cart and bought a couple of Mickey’s Ice Cream Sandwiches for Steve and myself, and Liam had a bottle of drink. We paid for these with Snack Credits.


After our day at Animal Kingdom, we drove back to Wilderness Lodge, and our last night at Walt Disney World *cries*. We have absolutely loved staying at this resort, and would definitely stay here again. You can read more about Wilderness Lodge in day 3 of this trip report.


Instead of driving round to Grand Floridian Resort & Spa for our dinner reservation at Narcoossee’s, we took the boat from Wilderness Lodge to Magic Kingdom, then one of the smaller resort boats to Grand Floridian. By now the sun was setting, and it was a delightful boat ride across the water. Don’t underestimate how long Disney transportation can take – by the time we reached the dock near Narcoosee’s, it was dark!


We dined at Narcoosee’s in 2014, when we had our first time on the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan. We decided to eat here on our last night, so that we could easily get over to Magic Kingdom to watch Wishes, and to see Cinderella Castle lit up with lights for Christmas. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to do this, as by the time we left the restaurant, there was thunder and lightning, and we didn’t want to take the chance of the fireworks being delayed – we still had packing to do before our departure in the morning! So I only got one rather crappy photo of the Castle; but we do plan to go back in the future for the holiday season.


When it comes to the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan at a signature restaurant you are entitled to one appetizer, one entrée, one dessert and one non-alcoholic beverage per person (usually refillable) for two credits per person.

Signature dining seems to always come with a bread service. Which bread and butter you receive, depends on the restaurant.


Appetizers…

Me: Crispy Rhode Island Calamari – Peppadew-Banana Pepper-Olive Relish and Tomato Coulis ($16)

Him: Barbecue-Grilled Shrimp and Grits – Wild Florida Shrimp with Budgie’s Barbecue Sauce, Low Country Grits, Cherrywood-Smoked Bacon, and Pickled Green Tomato Chow-Chow ($19)

The Boy: Slow-Poached and Chilled Shrimp – with Citrus Rémoulade ($16)


Presentation on my calamari wasn’t the best, compared with the other two dishes, but all tasted good. The shrimp and grits was the tastiest of all three – we’re a family of sharers you see, so I know this to be true, even though it was Steve’s dish!

For the main dishes, I don’t actually have a photograph of the menu. I remember the server said he would let us take it home (they print them daily I believe) so I didn’t have to worry about remembering what we had. But then he forgot… so I’m having to judge from the most recent menu from the Disney website. It would seem the Surf ‘n’ Turf that Liam and I had isn’t on the menu any more as a combination. You can still buy steak, and add on a lobster tail – but combined as a meal on the dining plan is not longer available – boo! I’m taking the description for the Surf ‘n’ Turf from 2014’s menu, because I had exactly the same dish that year! You could have this dish with either filet or New York strip steak.

Just as before, the steak and lobster was very good. What a shame they’ve removed this as an option for those on the dining plan. I know Steve wanted to have a lighter meal, which is why he chose the pasta dish.

Entrées…

Me: Surf ‘n’ Turf – Grilled 7 Ounce Filet Mignon, Boniato-Idaho creamed potatoes with Farmer Jones Romano Beans, and Herbed Cabernet-Oxtail Reduction. Butter-Poached Canadian Waters Lobster Tail ($75)

Him: Wild Caught Shrimp and Garganelli Pasta – Wild Gulf Shrimp, Savoy Spinach, Oven-Roasted Tomatoes, Basil Pistou, Comté Cheese, and Chardonnay-Garlic Cream ($39)

The Boy: Surf ‘n’ Turf – 12oz Black Angus New York Strip Steak, Grilled 7 Ounce Filet Mignon, Boniato-Idaho creamed potatoes with Farmer Jones Romano Beans, and Herbed Cabernet-Oxtail Reduction. Butter-Poached Canadian Waters Lobster Tail ($75)


Desserts…

Me: Honey Pecan Tart with Pumpkin Butter – Chocolate Tart Shell with Honey Pecan Filling, Mascarpone Cream and Pumpkin Butter ($11)

Him: Chocolate Torte, a No Sugar Added Dessert – with Chocolate Crème and Raspberries ($11)

The Boy: Narcoosee’s Candy Bar – Dark Chocolate-Mocha Bar with House-Made Guanaja Chocolate Gelato ($11)

Extra Dessert: Almond-Crusted Cheesecake – with Lambert Cherry Sauce ($0)

I’m pretty sure that my dessert was a seasonal one – it was so good! Steve again wanted to say on the lighter side of things, so picked the no added sugar dessert, which look so pretty on the plate. The same can’t be said though for the Candy Bar that Liam had… we all giggled like immature brats at the presentation! Just scroll down, you’ll see what I mean. For some reason, our server felt that he had made some sort of mistake during the service, and by way of apology brought an extra dessert in the form of the cheesecake. We’d mentioned that it was soon to be our 10 year anniversary (the following week) so there was a little white chocolate plaque on the plate too.


Overall the meal was delicious (but pricey – thank God for the dining plan!) and a nice way to end our 2015 holiday. As I said at the top of this post, we had planned to go and watch the fireworks in Magic Kingdom, but it was not to be. Tomorrow is the final day (at last, and a year after it happened!) for this trip report. We spend some time at Magic Kingdom before flying back home to the UK.


Read about the day before:
Day 15 - What's This?:
Roaring Fork (CS Breakfast) | Disney Hollywood Studios | The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights | Hollywood Brown Derby (Signature Dining)

Read about the day after:
Day 17 – Dreams Come True:
Magic Kingdom | Tony’s Town Square (TS Lunch) | Travel Home Day – MCO – LGW

Read ALL the days!

The Shrimp and Grits is the best appetizer I've had in Disney, lick your plate clean good! And the almond cheesecake is out of this world good too! The pasta sounds gorgeous too.

A real shame the weather spoiled your plans for the evening!

You know food is good when you want to lick the plate clean

A big shame! Especially as it was our last night only prob with the Florida weather!

Ahhh, what a lovely day, two of my favourite Disney restuarants!

I loved Tusker House breakfast, by far the best in my opinion, and Narcooses was the only signature we managed on our last trip, so gutted the surf and turf no longer available on the DDP, best meal ever!

Tusker House is fab isn't it - it's a ritual for us now! Can't imagine a holiday at Disney without going there!

The removal of surf and turf was a sneaky one!

AK is just so beautiful and perfectly themed as you say. I think a lot of people overlook that!

Your meal looked great and I love the photos from the boat! Xx

AK is especially beautiful to me. The details that are scattered across the park never fail to amaze me. I know all the parks are well themed, but I think AK might just pip it to the post!

Narcoossee's has always given us great meals xx