Over the years, Disney has done a lot of work in the conservation world to help animals that are endangered or at risk of becoming endangered. Disney has worked — and is continuing to work — to help save animals like butterflies, sea turtles, zebras, silverback gorillas, rhinoceroses, and more. They also help the state of Florida with things like rehabilitating injured manatees.
Disney has entire teams dedicated to helping these animals and taking care of them through all stages of their lives. People like Dr. Mark Penning — Vice President, Disney’s Animals, Science & Environment — monitor and love the animals from the time they are born. While Disney is one of the safest places in the world for them, these are wild animals and, unfortunately, sometimes tragic things can happen.
On Thursday, April 14, a family was visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. Animal Kingdom Lodge has its own small savanna where animals like zebras and giraffes are free to roam. There are also ostriches. According to the family, one of the ostriches chased a young zebra. The zebra tried to run away from the ostrich and ended up running full speed into a fence. Sadly, the baby zebra was fatally injured, although the family did report that Disney Cast Members did everything they could to try to save it.
Disney has not announced which zebra it was that died at Animal Kingdom Lodge. In October, Dr. Penning reported that a Hartmann’s mountain zebra named Zarina was born at Animal Kingdom Lodge. It is the last report we have of a baby zebra being born at the Walt Disney World Resort. Witnesses say that the Cast Members were absolutely shattered by the death, with some of them noticeably crying.
Walt Disney World Cast Members love taking care of these animals as much as Guests love being able to see them up close and in person. Having such a terrible accident occur in such an unexpected way must have been incredibly shocking. Sometimes it is easy to forget that these are wild animals and that anything can happen at any time.
Earth Day is almost here and both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort are offering limited-time food and beverage items that are sure to please.
From a Disney Cast Member;
With Earth Day coming up on April 22, both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort are serving up limited-edition delights inspired by the world around us. As we celebrate our beautiful Earth this month, our chefs and mixologists at Disney Parks have put their creativity to the plate and cup with some truly wild treats. These delicious goodies feature some of the world’s most beautiful creatures while embracing the environments they come from.
As part of Disney Planet Possible, we’re dedicated to reducing our environmental footprint, supporting conservation efforts, and finding ways for us all to take part in the magic of nature this Earth Month. Taking action to help our planet this Earth Day – and every day – can help keep our beautiful planet, its creatures, and environments thriving for years to come, and what better way to celebrate than with food! This month, we’re paying homage to some of the Earth’s greatest treasures through culinary delights. From the Honey Bee Cupcake at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park to the Corn on a Cob Succotash at Disneyland Park, both coasts are sharing the love for Mother Earth (and your stomach)! Let’s get to the fun shall we, and by fun, I mean the food. I’m pleased to present to you the Foodie Guide to Earth Day!
Walt Disney World Resort
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
Pizzafari and Flame Tree Barbecue (available on Mobile Order through April 28)
Flamingo Cupcake: Strawberry cake filled with strawberry compote and crowned with guava frosting, strawberry crisp pearls, and white-chocolate wings
Dawa Bar
Lion’s Fury: Jungle juice, Red Stag Bourbon Whiskey, Fireball Whiskey Floater, and a fiery glow cube (available through April 28)
Tiger Tail Pale Ale: Celebrating Florida’s tiger swallowtail butterfly, this pale ale features notes of passionfruit, strawberry, and grapefruit (available through April 28)
Dino Diner (available through April 28)
Sea Turtle: Frozen blue raspberry and frozen lemonade with a wave of blue cotton candy on top
Isle of Java (available through April 28)
Red Crowned Cane: Frozen Coke with frozen cherry and a crown of cotton candy
Restaurantosaurus Lounge
Crave the Wave: Refreshing vodka, blue curaçao, lemonade, and a lemon wheel (available through April 28)
Tiger Tail Pale Ale: Celebrating Florida’s tiger swallowtail butterfly, this pale ale features notes of passionfruit, strawberry, and grapefruit (available through April 28)
Creature Comforts and Restaurantosaurus (available on Mobile Order through April 28)
Honey Bee Cupcake: Orange cake, honey Bavarian filling, honey frosting, and a white chocolate honeycomb
Terra Treats(available through April 28)
Loggerhead: Sprite and Granny Smith apple syrup over ice with a gummy worm, sugar lime rim, and souvenir glow cube (non-alcoholic)
Satu’li Canteen (available on Mobile Order through April 28)
Kiwi Margarita: Kiwi Monin syrup with lime juice, sour mix, and Tcorazon Tequila Blanco
Thirsty River Bar
Yeti Sunset: Jack Daniels whiskey, strawberry monin, and lychee lemonade (available through April 28)
Tiger Tail Pale Ale: Celebrating Florida’s tiger swallowtail butterfly, this pale ale features notes of passionfruit, strawberry, and grapefruit (available through April 28)
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
The Mara (available on April 22)
Plant (Based) in Boot: Chocolate Spice Cake with Coconut Ganache in a Chocolate Boot (Plant-based)(New)
Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
BoardWalk Bakery (available on Mobile Order from April 18 through 22)
Garden Cupcake: Lemon cupcake with a lemon curd filling topped with vanilla buttercream and white chocolate ladybug (New)
Disneyland Resort
Disneyland Park
River Belle Terrace(available April 21 through 25)
Corn on a Cob Succotash: “Butter”-poached corn, edamame purée, and chili oil (Plant-based) (New)
Plant-based Chili & Cornbread Skillet: Chili beans, corn cake, “sour cream,” and green onions (Plant-based) (New)
Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
GCH Craftsman Grill (available on Mobile Order through April 30)
Earth Day Hot Dog: Hot dog of the month special featuring plant-based sausage, sauteed spinach, mushrooms, and onions topped with green goddess dressing, edible flowers, and served with fruit (Plant-based) (New)
In addition to these special Earth Day-themed treats, Disney Parks and resorts also feature delicious plant-based offerings year-round! Plant-based options are not just tasty but good for the environment too as they can help reduce one’s carbon footprint and enhance biodiversity! Our Disney chefs have collaborated with ImpossibleTM to bring some tasty options for guests to enjoy while expanding their commitment to putting plants on the plate and into the mouths of foodies in delicious and creative ways. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park offers up the Impossible Spicy Southwestern Burger at Restaurantosaurus, while Liberty Tree Tavern at Magic Kingdom Park features a tasty Impossible Revolutionary Meatloaf! Over at Disneyland Park, a galaxy far, far away has the Felucian Kefta & Hummus Garden Spread at Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo and the truly delicious Ronto-less Garden Wrap at Ronto Roasters. And don’t forget the Impossible Banh Mi at Lucky Fortune Cookery at Disney California Adventure park. Try these mouthwatering, and plant-based, items on your next visit!
As you celebrate Earth Day and embrace the beauty of our world, I hope you enjoy these tasty dishes and drinks honoring our planet. And be sure to use #DisneyPlanetPossible to see all that we can do to help our planet and even share your own actions!
Just about one month ago, Disney announced that it would be building more Disney Vacation Club Villas at the popular deluxe hotel, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. The announcement came after a string of other changes were made to other Deluxe Resorts. Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is adding more DVC rooms to its property. Disney’s Contemporary Resort had a number of rooms converted to be themed after everyone’s favorite family of superheroes — the Incredibles. Polynesian Village had also recently seen some rooms at its Resort updated to feature Disney’s first Polynesian princess, Moana.
The announcement of the construction of DVC Villas came on the same day that Disney announced that Polynesian’s popular Spirit of Aloha dinner show would not be coming back. And we are now learning that the area that formerly housed the dinner show will be demolished to make way for the DVC Villas.
Disney recently filed permits for the construction of the Polynesian Resort Villas, and we are now getting a look at what part of the project will look like. As you can see, along with the Villas, there will also be a new parking lot and a swimming pool. There will also be a water activity pool, which will seemingly be a kid’s pool for younger Guests.
Disney has not given an official opening date for the new Polynesian Resort DVC Villas, but did say that they hope to have them open sometime in 2024. In addition to the new parking area and swimming pools, there will also be new shopping and dining locations added to the area. There are already DVC Villas at the Resort that will remain open and available for booking.
Disney currently offers Disney Vacation Club members Villa accommodations at the following Resorts: Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Bay Lake Tower at the Contemporary Resort, Grand Floridan Resort & Spa, Animal Kingdom Lodge, the Beach Club, the BoardWalk, and Polynesian Village. While DVC members can choose to stay in Villas (which will cost more points), they can also choose to stay in any one of the hotels on Walt Disney World Resort property.
Easter is almost here and to celebrate Walt Disney World and Disneyland are offering limited-time treats that you don’t want to miss!
From a Disney Cast Member;
It’s time to hop on over to Disney Parks because Easter will soon be upon us and with that, tons of treats to fill up your basket with adorable snacks and delicious sips.
This tasty eggs-travaganza is packed with returning classics and adorable treats to enjoy at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort. These dazzling delights aren’t just for the tastebuds to enjoy, but for the eyes too! To make this year even more festive, the gorgeous hand-crafted Easter egg displays are back and sprinkled across Walt Disney World Resort hotels and are a must-see.
While we all love a good ol’ Easter egg hunt, no need to search here. I’ve put all the treats together for you. Grab your chicks and get your appetite ready because the Foodie Guide to the Easter must-haves is here!
Walt Disney World Resort
Available at Multiple Resorts April 10 through 23
Coconut Sugar Bunny Cupcake: Carrot cake cupcake filled with pineapple topped with cream cheese buttercream and a coconut sugar bunny (available on Mobile Order) (New) Available at the following:
Sassagoula Floatworks at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
Centertown Market at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
Landscape of Flavors at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
Riverside Mill at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
Everything Pop at Disney’s Pop Century Resort
Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort, Disney’s All-Star Music Resort, and Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
World Premiere Food Court, Intermission Food Court, and End Zone Food Court (available on Mobile Order from April 10 through 23)
Spring Into Easter: Strawberry mousse with blueberry compote and lemon curd on vanilla cake (New)
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
The Mara (available on Mobile Order from April 10 through 17)
Raspberry Fields: Pistachio financier, raspberry gelée, lemon curd, and a white chocolate glaçage (New)
Easter Egg Display at Disney’s Beach Club Resort Lobby(available through April 17)
Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
Belle Vue Lounge (available through April 30)
Cotton Tails Daiquiri: Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum, Chambord liqueur, pure cane syrup, lime juice, and raspberry garnished with an orange peel (New)
BoardWalk Bakery (available on Mobile Order from April 10 through 17)
Chocolate-covered Strawberry ‘Carrots’: Strawberries dipped in orange-colored white chocolate and striped to resemble carrots (New)
Easter Moon Pie: Sugar cookies with marshmallow filling, dipped in semisweet chocolate and decorated with holiday décor (New)
Coconut Macaroon Nest: Traditional giant coconut macaroon with pastel chocolate and sprinkles and crunch candy Easter eggs (New)
Cannoli: Traditional cannoli with pastel holiday décor
Mickey Brownie: Ganache brownies with holiday sprinkles
BoardWalk Joe’s(available through April 30)
Easter Basket: Empress Gin, Bols Crème de Banana liqueur, grenadine, and pineapple smoothie garnished with a candied marshmallow (New)
Leaping Horse(available through April 30)
The Easter Hunt: Parrot Bay Coconut Rum, Midori Liqueur, and piña colada garnished with maraschino cherries and a candied marshmallow (New)
Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
Spyglass Grill
This location will be opening its doors once again on April 14!
Coconut Sugar Bunny Cupcake: Carrot cake cupcake filled with pineapple and topped with cream cheese buttercream and a coconut sugar bunny (available April 14 through 23)
Disney’s Contemporary Resort
California Grill(available on April 17)
Three-course Dinner: Three-course tasting menu for the 50th Anniversary Celebration with an Easter-themed dessert enhancement (New)
Chef Mickey’s (available on April 17)
Carrot Cake Cupcakes: Mini carrot cake cupcake topped with cream cheese icing, coconut, and a sugar carrot (New)
Contempo Cafe (available on Mobile Order through April 20)
Easter Bunny Cupcake: Carrot cake filled with cream cheese icing topped with buttercream and white chocolate bunny ears (New)
Easter Chocolate Bark: Dark chocolate bark topped with Jelly Beans and sprinkles (New)
Easter Macarons: Assorted macarons filled with raspberry marshmallow, lemon buttercream, and dark chocolate ganache (New)
Easter Sugar Cookie Sandwich: Sugar cookies with strawberry marshmallow buttercream and sprinkles (New)
Steakhouse 71
Easter Brunch: Enjoy favorites from Steakhouse 71 breakfast and lunch menus, along with an Easter dessert available for purchase (available on April 17)(New)
Easter Egg Display at Disney’s Contemporary Resort(available through April 20 on the 4th floor)
Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
Barcelona Lounge
Bird of Paradise Refresher: Strawberry, lemonade, passionfruit juice and passionfruit boba on ice (non-alcoholic) (New)
Cinnamon Twist Cold Brew: Cold brew coffee, sweet cream, and cinnamon syrup topped with cinnamon whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon dust (non-alcoholic) (New)
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Gasparilla Island Grill (available on Mobile Order through April 18)
Peanut Butter Bunny Cookie: Peanut butter cookie cup with buttercream, sugar bunny, and spring sprinkles (New)
Bunny Blondie Pop: Brown butter blondie with mini chocolate chips, and dried cherries enrobed in white chocolate to resemble a bunny (New)
Spring Birds Nest Donut: Chocolate sponge cake donut glazed and garnished with a crunchy chocolate nest and sugar eggs (New)
Narcoossee’s (available on April 17)
Easter Overlay on Existing Desserts
The Grand Cottage at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa Lobby (available through April 18)
Offerings including the Carrot Blondie Pop, The Grand Combo, Carrot Coffee Cake, Grand Egg, Artisan Marshmallows, Confetti Cake Popcorn, Mickey Whoopie Pie, Crispy Rice Egg, Baby Chick Cupcake, Spring Garden Dessert, Hot Cross Buns, Chocolate Chip Sandwich Cookie, Dark Chocolate Bunny, and Raspberry Minnie Fudge
Easter Egg Display at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa Lobby(available through April 18)
Disney’s Old Key West Resort
Good’s Food to Go
Spring Time Cupcake: Yellow cupcake filled with lemon curd topped with strawberry buttercream and a butterfly white chocolate garnish and springtime quins (available April 12 through June 10)(New)
Carrot Cake: Carrot cake with cream cheese icing and white chocolate carrot garnish (available April 12 through 17) (New)
Easter Chick Brownie: Fudge brownie with dark and white chocolate garnish to look like a hatching chick (available April 12 through 17) (New)
Olivia’s Cafe (available April 16 through 17)
Easter Dessert Trio: A trio of mini desserts including fruit tart, chocolate cupcake with Easter quins, and a strawberry lemon bar (New)
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
Capt. Cook’s (available on Mobile Order from April 10 through 17)
Hoppy Easter Cupcake: Vanilla cupcake with raspberry fluff filling, buttercream, chocolate easter bunny, and Jelly Beans (New)
Easter Bunny Dome Cake: Carrot dome cake, cream cheese filling, white chocolate glaçage, buttercream, and rice paper butterfly
Pineapple Lanai (available April 16 through 18)
Easter Soft-serve: Pink vanilla soft-serve with toasted marshmallow flavors topped with Easter sprinkles
Cookies & Cream Cheesecake: Cookies and cream flavored cheesecake with a dark chocolate cookie crumble base, ganache, cookie crumbles, and modeling chocolate bunny décor (New)
Robin’s Egg Blueberry Macaroons: Three large robin-colored macaroons filled with a ring of blueberry ganache, and a blueberry jam center on a crispy chocolate nest (New)
Lemon Crinkle Cookies: A pack of three brightly colored lemon-flavored crinkle cookies
Disney Springs
Amorette’s Patisserie (available April 14 through 17)
Sanaa, one of the fantastic restaurants at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is getting an update to its menu. The new items look fantastic and we can’t wait to try them out.
From a Disney Cast Member;
I’m excited to feature one of my favorite spots to indulge in a meal at Walt Disney World Resort – Sanaa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. If you’re looking for delicious dishes that let you take a step into another culture, Sanaa is a must-try. This restaurant is not one to be missed, and for good reason. With offerings featuring African-inspired cuisine and techniques, this location gives you bold flavors meticulously crafted by its chefs.
Beginning today, these talented culinarians are serving up some exciting updates to their already tasty menu that are sure to intrigue you and your stomach. Chef Sahib Bhatti, who you may have read about for Cooking With Soul, has incorporated his roots from Tanzania on the Eastern Coast of Africa into these new and updated dishes filled with spices and ingredients found in the Indian subcontinent. And before you start to worry, the signature Indian-style Bread Service is still there in its tasty glory for you to indulge in!
The start date of these offerings is noteworthy, as back in 2009, the opening team began training for their culinary adventure with Sanaa! Chef Sahib and his talented team are proud to uphold this culinary legacy by sharing their updated menu with enthusiastic fans as well as those who will experience Sanaa for the first time.
Without further ado, it’s time to find out what’s cooking in the kitchen over at Sanaa!
Let’s kick things off with an appetizer available for both lunch and dinner. First, we have the Lamb Kefta, a returning fan-favorite but now with a refreshing twist. Chef Sahib and his team have infused traditional North-African flavors with spices like cumin and cayenne pepper to this char-grilled ground lamb with Tunisian couscous salad and ginger pear chutney.
For an entrée, the Potjie-inspired Slow Cooked Dishes are made in a potjie, a traditional cast-iron pot that dates back to the Dutch during the spice trade. The popular Butter Chicken is here to stay, with Chef introducing authentic pork selection and multiple plant-based additions to this “Harvest.” The Pork Vindaloo has origins from Goa and features inspiration from Portuguese cuisine. This tender pork is cooked with paprika, garlic, tomato, vinegar, and a house-made spice blend – how delicious! The LentilDaal is typically found in the Indian subcontinent and is made with yellow lentils and cooked in fragrant spices.
At Sanaa, Sukuma Wiki, which was featured by Chef Sahib for Cooking With Soul, is delightfully enjoyed with rajma masala. The chef wanted to ensure this plant-based offering had a permanent place on the menu for guests to enjoy. The Rajma Masala is a dish from the Indian subcontinent that features red kidney beans and a delicious spice blend combined with onions, tomatoes, and garam masala and braised until tender. It is also known as maharage in Eastern Africa, which translates to red beans, and is typically served with greens.
Keeping on with the main course, our next two dishes are available to enjoy for both lunch and dinner. The Zanzibari Vegetable Curry is inspired by the island of Zanzibar, also known as “Spice Island.” This plant-based dish features seasonal vegetables, fragrant rice, and a mouthwatering blend of cloves, cinnamon, and black pepper. For those who are a fan of fish, the Samaki Wa Kupaka, which means “coated fish,” is quite a unique fish. Kingklip is commonly found along the Southern African coast. This moist, white fish joins the menu as a part of sustainable seafood initiatives and is absolutely delicious with a marinade of traditional Swahili cuisine, mango and turmeric, and topped with a tangy tamarind-infused coconut gravy.
Finally, I’m happy to share with you some offerings that are only available as the sun sets on the savanna. You simply must try these dinner-exclusive offerings on your next visit. The fall-off-the-bone Pork Shank goes through a long braise process with flavors of cloves, nutmeg, and allspice before making it to your plate and is paired with one of the Chef’s comfort foods – black-eye peas simmered in a chermoula herb blend.
The Grilled New York Strip has been on the menu before, but never like this! As you take a bite of these decadent flavors, you’ll be transported to Eastern Africa with this version of “meat and potatoes.” The strip is perfectly paired with mukimo made with green peas, corn, and spinach, as well as harvest vegetables, herb emulsion, and fig sauce.
I, for one, am very excited for these authentic additions to Sanaa. I hope you all enjoy these dishes as much as I will!
