Tusker House – A Disney Dining Review!

Jambo, readers! Today, we’re heading to Disney’s Animal Kingdom to review our recent dining experience at Tusker House.

Guests of Tusker House are treated to a safari adventure as they dine alongside popular Disney Characters in an African marketplace setting. Hosted by Donald Duck, visitors are also joined by Mickey, Daisy, and Goofy during their dining experience.

Tusker House serves an all-you-care-to-enjoy buffet spread for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You’ll find a bounty of options including African-inspired dishes and standard American fare.

We made lunch reservations for our most recent visit to Tusker House, so that will be the focus of this review!

Reservations are highly recommended for this popular character meal. To ensure you secure your table, check out our Guide to Booking Advance Dining Reservations!

Pricing

One can always expect a hefty price tag when it comes to character dining at Walt Disney World, and Tusker House is no exception.

For lunch and dinner, expect to pay $64 per adult, and $42 per child (ages 3-9) plus tax and gratuity. Breakfast pricing is $52 per adult, and $35 per child. Nonalcoholic beverages are included in the cost, but alcoholic beverages and specialty drinks come at an extra charge.

While the price may seem high, you’re paying a premium for quality time with the characters. And fortunately for us, we were able to take advantage of a 40% discount during this visit, which made it absolutely worth it!

Atmosphere

Tusker House is located in the Africa section of Animal Kingdom, which is evident in the restaurant’s theming.

The interior of the restaurant feels like a bustling open-air African marketplace. Light shines through hanging tapestries, and the walls are adorned with African artifacts and artwork.

The buffet area is very spread out and spacious. It was easy to get around, and it never felt crowded or stressful like other buffets at Disney can feel.

Tusker House Menu/Buffet

Starters

An assortment of breads and dips kicks off the meal reminiscent of the amazing bread service at Sanaa, but on a smaller scale.

There are also several chilled starters such as fruit, cheese, and deli meats.

Salads include a Lentil Salad, Couscous Salad, Watermelon-Feta Salad, and Carrot-Olive-Raisin Salad. The Lentil Salad was my favorite; it was very flavorful, and the jalapeños gave it a great spicy kick.

Entrées

House Specialties include Spit-roasted Tandoori Chicken, Berber-marinated Pork, Green Curry Shrimp, Doro Wat, and Braised Beef Tajine. The Doro Wat Chicken Curry and Braised Beef Tajine were my top two favorites! The meats were prepared very well, and the spices and sauces packed these entrees with tons of flavor.

There are also several plant-based dishes that include North African Pilau, South African-spiced Cauliflower, Potato and Pea Curry, and Carrot-Ginger Soup. The Carrot-Ginger Soup was phenomenal!

Kids’ Picks

The kid-friendly side of the buffet served staples such as meatballs, macaroni & cheese, chicken strips, broccoli, and potatoes. My littles ones had no problem finding things they liked here.

Desserts

Cheesecakes, blondies, verrines, mousses, and plant-based options rounded out this section of the buffet. These seem to rotate seasonally, so I won’t go into detail about each individual offering.

I liked that the desserts were bite-sized, so you can justify eating more than one! They were very good, but I preferred the savory offerings on the buffet line. My kids, on the other hand, were thrilled with the dessert selection. For them, the sweets were the highlight!

Overall, I was very happy with the food offerings here. I especially enjoyed the African-inspired dishes, but there was a diverse enough selection to suit most palates. We each found a dish we couldn’t get enough of.

Characters

The excellent food is a major draw at Tusker House, but the real stars are the characters! Getting one-on-one time with these popular Disney pals helps justify the high price point of the meal.

As I mentioned before, at Tusker House guests meet with Donald, Daisy, Mickey, and Goofy donning their safari attire.

We saw Donald and Daisy once during our dinner, but Mickey and Goofy came around twice.
I will say, we’ve had more character visits with other dining locations (like Hollywood and Vine), but I still feel we had plenty of interaction time.

The characters also do a cute dance throughout the restaurant, and guests are encouraged to clap and dance along too.

At the end of the meal, everyone received an autograph card signed by each of the characters. Such a great keepsake!

Tusker House Review – Final Thoughts

Overall, we really enjoyed our experience at Tusker House. The food, theming, and characters made this a very enjoyable experience for the whole family.

I must say, this is some of the best food we’ve had in Animal Kingdom. We loved the variety of dishes available and the opportunity to sample African flavors. As a family of adventurous eaters, we left satisfied!

Tusker House also offers several accessible dishes to appeal to a variety of palates. However, if you aren’t interested in sampling African-inspired dishes, other character dining options may be a better fit.

On the flip side, if you’re looking for African food without the characters, skip Tusker House and head to Sanaa or Boma over at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Sanaa offers table service dining with safari views, while Boma offers a buffet for those looking for more variety.

The only downside to dining at Tusker House is the high price tag, which the food and atmosphere alone doesn’t justify. You are paying a premium for time with the characters, which some guests may rather do by waiting in line.

Taking into consideration the quality of food, theming, and character interactions, I would argue Tusker House is one of the best-rounded character dining offerings at Disney!

I hope this review of Tusker House comes in handy the next time you’re booking your Advance Dining Reservations!

Looking for other Disney Dining reviews? Then check out our reviews of Morimoto Asia and Beak and Barrel Pirate Lounge.