Looking for a wild time at a Walt Disney World character dining restaurant?
At Tusker House you will have a wild good time meeting beloved Safari-themed Disney Characters and eating some delicious African-inspired dishes!
Tusker House is located in the Africa section of Animal Kingdom. There is a small bar area you can visit while you are waiting for your table. You can also sit in the outdoor waiting area after you check-in.
Tusker House – Animal Kingdom’s Character Dining Review
Our decision to go to Tusker House was very, very last minute. I was not going to go to Disney for my birthday and then around noon, I changed my mind. A lot of times this restaurant is booked but a secret tip to getting into popular Disney dining locations is to wait last minute. A lot of people get dining reservations and then cancel 24-48 hours before to avoid getting charged the no-show fee.
After checking in we were seated rather quickly. Our server came to the table and explained how the characters were rotating around so we wouldn’t miss them. He took our drink order and our drinks came very quickly. I do have to say that our server was amazing! He spent time with us and got to know us a bit. He explained the dishes a bit and was so nice.
Let’s talk about how good the food is! The dishes are African-inspired and some of them are a bit spicy. My favorites were homemade hummus, roasted pork, falafel, and roasted potatoes. I do not have a love for spicy foods but did try the curry sauce for the pork and did like it but it was a bit too spicy for me. The kid’s macaroni and cheese is different than other Disney buffet macaroni and cheese dishes since it is a white sauce. I would have to say it is one of the best I have had on Disney property.
My husband loved the Peri Peri Whole Salmon. If seeing a fish face before eating it is your thing, then you will love this dish. The salmon was nice and flaky and did not have too much of a fish taste. He also loved the shrimp curry which according to him was not spicy.
For me, the desserts lacked a little bit but I did not try a lot of them. There were a lot of normal desserts like cookies, brownies, and cakes. I did not try what looked like Tusker House’s signature dessert, the banana bread pudding. It did look good.
If I were to compare Tusker House to Boma, I would have to say that Boma has better food.
Tusker House Lunch & Dinner Menu
Tusker House is a Disney World buffet and includes fountain drinks and a few other non-alcoholic drinks including the absolutely delicious Jungle Juice also known as POG Juice.
The dinner buffet includes the following:
- Selection of Fresh Breads and Pita
- Tabouli and Hummus Dips
- Fruit Chutney
- Spit-roasted Chicken
- Curries
- Roasted Pork
- Peri Peri Whole Salmon
- Basmati Rice and Curry Chicken
- Black-eyed Pea Salad
- Fruit Salad
- Vegetable Salad
- Brownie
- Banana Bread Pudding
- Strawberry Cake
- Kids’ Deli Meats and Cheeses
- Kids’ Mashed Potatoes
- Kids’ Macaroni & Cheese
- Kids’ Corn Dog Nuggets
Which Characters are at Tusker House?
At Tusker House you will find Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and Mickey Mouse. Most of the time Mickey Mouse runs the show but here at Tusker House, it’s Donald’s restaurant and he is number 1! The characters are dressed as if they just got done with the Kilimanjaro Safari and are looking for a bite to eat.
All of the characters sign autographs. Have your books and pens out. Right now my favorite book to collect character autographs is Disney’s Who’s Who Book.
You have to take all of your own pictures as there is not a Photopass Photographer available.
The characters rotate around the restaurant so you can tell when they are coming close to your table. It can take up to an hour or so to see all of the characters so, please plan for an hour and a half for the meal. Our visit was late in the evening so since there were fewer guests we had a little more time with the characters and they did 2 rounds while we were dining.
How Much Does Tusker House Cost?
Dinner is $55 per adult, plus tax and gratuity $36 per child, plus tax and gratuity (prices as of 5/06/22)
Disney’s Tusker House Tips
- Book Early. You can reserve Tusker House 60 days from your vacation at 6 am Eastern. Character dining is very popular and this meal books up fast. If you didn’t get a reservation, use Mousedining to set up alerts so you can be notified when a table opens. If you have used me as your concierge travel planner, I can handle all your dining reservations for you.
- Give Donald Duck some Love. Though Mickey does make an appearance, the star of this meal is Donald and he loves attention and being referred to as #1.
- Have Autograph Books and Cameras Ready. Characters will share a photo moment but there are no Phtotopass photographers.
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