Animal Kingdom is one of Disney World’s most unique theme parks. With a focus on nature and conservation, wander around lands themed to Asia and Africa, be wowed by the world of Avatar in Pandora and learn all about how we can play a part in protecting the natural world. If there was just one place that would have a great focus on vegan dining – this would obviously be it. And Animal Kingdom doesn’t disappoint. Alongside iconic rides such as Avatar Flight of Passage and Expedition Everest, Animal Kingdom is also home to some fantastic Disney restaurants serving great vegan food!
Disney World now offers plant-based dishes in almost every restaurant across the whole of Disney’s property. This is great news as all the plant-based dishes are free from meat, fish, dairy, eggs and honey making them suitable for vegans!
Disney have also made it super easy to find these dishes by introducing the green leaf symbol. Any time you see this on a menu you know this dish is vegan!
In some of the restaurants not owned by Disney you can still enjoy vegan food, often by making a few simple modifications. In this case, let your server know you are vegan and they can get the chef to talk you through which dishes can be modified for you.
So let’s dive into the best restaurants for vegans in Animal Kingdom!
If you’re visiting Magic Kingdom, make sure to check out our guide on the best vegan dining options in Magic Kingdom! We also have a list of the best vegan dining options in Hollywood Studios!
Table of Contents
Quick Service
Animal Kingdom has a range of different quick service restaurants, which are similar to fast food restaurants, and are a great option for grabbing a quick bite to eat. You do not need a reservation to dine in these locations and you can even save time by mobile ordering your food in advance so you don’t need to queue for your food!
Satu’li Canteen
Satu’li Canteen is regularly claimed to be one of the best quick service restaurants at Disney World for vegans. Here you can dine on the chili-spiced crispy fried tofu bowl. This restaurant specializes in building your own bowl by selecting a protein, base and sauce. The vegan opinions are the crispy tofu for the protein, a charred onion vinaigrette for the sauce and your choice of either the sweet potato hash or black beans and rice as your base. This is a restaurant not to be missed out on!
Harambe Market
Harambe Market serves the hot link bowl which is made from a plant-based sausage, mixed greens topped with salsa and cilantro rice. If you are looking for a kick of spice then this is the dish to get!
Flame Tree Barbecue
Flame Tree Barbecue is the place to head if you are a fan of barbecue. On the menu is the hot link smokehouse sandwich. This dish is made from a plant-based sausage, topped with a tangy mustard barbecue sauce, slaw and crispy onions on a New England style roll.
Table Service
Table service restaurants are the perfect place to relax, unwind, rest your feet and enjoy some great food. It is highly recommended to book your table service dining reservations 60 days in advance of your trip to ensure you get to eat in all the restaurants you’d like to!
Tiffins
Tiffins is a signature dining restaurant serving African inspired dishes. This is a fantastic restaurant which is perfect to visit when heading into Pandora, which is right next door, and if you have a dinner reservation be sure to see Pandora at night when it glows with bioluminescence!
The vegan dishes here are a taco made with plant-based tinga, vegan cheese and avocado and a North African Spiced Tofu entrée made from chermoula marinated tofu, wilted kale, seasonal vegetables and a tomato chutney. The food here is great and definitely worth getting a reservation for!
Yak & Yeti
Yak & Yeti is one of the most popular restaurants in all of Animal Kingdom. At first glance there are not lots of dishes marked as vegan on the menu but many can be modified, opening up lots more dishes to try!
You can choose from the vegetable lo mein with tofu, roasted vegetable bowl, sweet and sour tofu or a Beyond burger. Just make sure to specify that you would like you dish to be made vegan and then enjoy!
Pro Tip:
If you hold a Landry's Select Club membership, you may be able to get a table here without a prior reservation - depending on availability. This is best accomplished by coming in in the morning and asking the front desk if there is any availability for Landry's members. You will need to show your membership card. You can join Landry's Select Club here.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Dining
Some of the best table service restaurants can be found at Animal Kingdom Lodge, which is a Disney Resort just a 5 minute bus ride away. Don’t miss out on these restaurants when you visit Animal Kingdom as they are some of the best in the whole of Disney World and you can super easily get to the resort with the free Disney buses.
Boma – Flavors of Africa
Boma is one of the most popular restaurants in the whole of Disney World and for a very good reason! This buffet restaurant serves both breakfast and dinner, making it the perfect place to visit before or after your day in Animal Kingdom Park.
When you visit the buffet all the food will be labeled. Every dish that has a green leaf symbol on it will be plant-based and therefore suitable for vegans. Buffets used to be difficult for vegans as you would have to have a chef walk you through what you could eat but it has now never been easier to dine at a Disney buffet which is fantastic news!
There is a large variety of food here, with both African and American cuisines offered. The vegan options at breakfast include coconut steel cut oatmeal, plant-based babotie, chakalaka (which is an African tomato stew), watermelon with a mint pistachio crumb and much more! You can also ask for the famous Mickey waffles to be made vegan for you!
For dinner enjoy items such as avocado, papaya and grapefruit salad, a variety of different flavors of hummus, North African cauliflower salad, black-eyed peas and stewed tomatoes, bebere chickpea salad, harira (which is a lentil and chickpea stew) and a chocolate spice cake.
Sanaa
Sanaa is a must visit restaurant! This Indian restaurant not only serves amazing food, including the famous Bread Service, it also has amazing views of the animals in the Animal Kingdom Lodge savannah.
Do not miss out on the Bread Service. This iconic dish can be modified to be made vegan upon request and is delicious bread served with 9 dips (one is not vegan so does need to be swapped out to any of the other 8 dips that are vegan!).
The menu also features lots more vegan dishes such as samosas, a salad sampler, a Zanzibari vegetable curry, harvest potje where you can choose one of the following options: chickpea wat, sukuma wiki, lentil dahl orrajma masala and a dessert called kheer which is coconut rice pudding. Come to Sanaa hungry because you will want to try everything!
Jiko – The Cooking Place
Jiko is a signature dining experience at Animal Kingdom Lodge with a very interesting menu. On offer are three vegan options. To start with is the Jiko Salad which is made with quinoa, petite vegetables, peaches, cashew cheese and a lemon-ginger vinaigrette. The entrée is the Injera Basket, traditional African injera bread that is served with a range of stews. For dessert is the African Drum Beets dish, a chocolate cake with a coconut-strawberry-beet mousse.
Snacks
Tamu Tamu Refreshments
Tamu Tamu Refreshments is the location in Animal Kingdom where you can get the iconic Dole Whip! This cold, refreshing snack is a totally vegan apart from the coconut and vanilla flavors and perfect to enjoy in the Florida heat!
You can also get two specialty dole whip treats here too! Scar’s Lair is pineapple dole whip with a sour apple flavored syrup and Simba’s Sunset is pineapple dole whip with strawberry!
Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery
Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery serves a delicious savory treat that should definitely go on your list of foods to try! Come here for the spiced potato hand pies that are served with two dips. Only one is vegan so be sure to ask for a double portion of the coriander chutney!
Pongu Pongu
Pongu Pongu is one of the most famous snack locations in Disney World for its iconic Night Blossom drink! This frozen beverage is made from apple and desert pear limeade. Be sure to check the boba balls are vegan (as suppliers do sometimes change) and then enjoy this super refreshing drink!
Places To Skip
Yak & Yeti Local Foods Café
Although the table service Yak & Yeti Restaurant is fantastic for vegans the quick service version has virtually no options! For breakfast there is a pricey fruit salad and nothing on the lunch and dinner menu! If you love the sound of eating at Yak & Yeti be sure to book a table in the main restaurant and skip this quick service location.
Rainforest Café
Rainforest Café is famous for the amazing animatronics and atmospheric effects you will experience in this restaurant. Sadly the vegan options are lackluster. There are a few dishes that can be made vegan upon request such as a Beyond burger, anaconda pasta, ancient grains salad and the house salad but some of these dishes need to be heavily modified. This is a restaurant people visit for the experience and theming rather than the food.
With so many other great options close by it is definitely worth skipping over Rainforest Café and getting a dining reservation in one of the amazing table service restaurants, like Tiffins, instead.
Conclusion
Animal Kingdom is a truly beautiful park and it is great to know that after a day of exploring there is lots of amazing vegan food on offer to enjoy! Now you know the best places to eat the only thing left to do is go and enjoy!
Vegan Dining At Other Parks
Don’t forget to check out our vegan dining guides for all 4 Disney World themeparks!
The Best Vegan Dining at Magic Kingdom
The Best Vegan Dining at Hollywood Studios
The Best Vegan Dining at Animal Kingdom
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