Animal Kingdom’s Harambe Market Now Open

Harambe Market at Night

Have you heard about the latest addition to Disney’s Animal Kingdom? The Harambe Market offers another interesting dining spot for guests to try. At this location, you’ll get the chance to taste some unique African flavors. Here are all of the details courtesy of Disney:

Harambe Market, a bustling marketplace alive with the aromas and flavors of African street foods, adds an exciting new dimension to the expanded Harambe Village experience at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park in Walt Disney World Resort.

Built around a Colonial-era train depot design complete with a 1960s water tower, Harambe Market invites Disney guests to sample true flavors of Africa before or after they embark on the Kilimanjaro Safaris wild animal adventure. Four themed shops offer fresh meals, snacks and beverages like those found in an African street market.

Each quick-service shop window built into colorful store fronts reflects the shop owner’s personality and offers plenty of guest dining options, including:

  • Kitamu Grill featuring skewered chicken and a kebab flatbread sandwich.
  • Famous Sausages showcasing a corndog made with a South African boerewors sausage dipped in curry-infused corn batter.
  • Chef Mwanga’s spice-rubbed Karubi Rib paired with green papaya-carrot slaw.
  • Wanjohi Refreshments (wanjohi means “brewer” in Swahili) quenches thirsts with craft draft beers like Safari Amber Lager; six South African wines by the glass, The Starr of Harambe frozen drink with Starr African rum and mango puree in a souvenir mug, red Sangria with Van der Hum tangerine liqueur, and non alcoholic tangerine lemonade or fountain beverages like Sparberry from Zimbabwe.

“Boats, trains and travel led to the discovery of exotic spices that were traded and brought from foreign lands,” Chef Lenny DeGeorge says. “These foods have been tailored for the locals. With the ribs, we have a ras el hanout spice blend, which has about 20 different spices mixed in. The berbere spice is on the chicken skewer and the kebab sandwich. We used madras curry powder in the corndog batter.”

Walt Disney Imagineering developed the authentic Harambe Market concept during travel and research in Africa, says Walt Disney Imagineering art director Joan Hartwig.

“When guests come to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, we want them to be excited by the adventure of experiencing different cultures,” she says. “For Harambe Market, we had the opportunity to travel in east Africa and bring back details that our guests will be able to experience here. So when guests finish their safari, they can come to a real east African marketplace and sit down and enjoy the authentic flavors of Africa.”

With the recent addition of the Festival of the Lion King theater district and the new market, Harambe Village has nearly doubled in size and “you feel like you are actually in a real village in Africa,” says Walt Disney Imagineering show producer Emily O’Brien.

“You have the whole gamut of experiences, with the central area, the theater district, specialty vendors and a great market. Guests will really feel like they’ve been transported to another place for a really fun experience.”

Harambe Market offers shaded tables for dining, and area shops sell wares from Africa. The marketplace will offer direct access to Kilimanjaro Safaris, the Wildlife Express train to Rafiki’s Planet Watch and a path to Asia attractions like Expedition Everest.

501 WaysHeading to Disney World soon?

If you are planning a vacation to Disney World, be sure to check out these valuable resources to help you save time and money:

Have you tried the Harambe Market yet?
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Disney World Enthusiast Weekly Round Up May 24, 2015

Here’s the Disney World Enthusiast Weekly Round Up for May 24, 2015!

Latest Disney World Enthusiast Articles

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More than 75 million Cokes are consumed each year at Walt Disney World Resort along with 13 million bottles of water.

Tip Of The Week

Disney's Animal Kingdom Tree of LifeIf you would like to get some incredible photos of the Tree of Life in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, don’t snap them as soon as you get into the park. Instead, take one of the Discovery Island Trails near the tree itself. These tranquil paths will take you up close to the park icon for a spectacular photo opportunity.

Walt’s Words

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. ”

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Interested in having the taste of Disney right at home with some Disney Parks and Resorts Specialty Coffee from Joffrey’s? Well, you’re in luck! From now through Saturday, May 30, 2015 at midnight, please enter daily to win a Disney Parks & Resorts Specialty Coffee Collection Trio. The winner will receive one pound bags of Victoria & Albert’s Blend, Flying Fish Blend, and French Bistro Blend. Just click here and follow the instructions to be entered into the giveaway. Be sure to take advantage of the bonus entries, and please feel free to share with your friends and family! Can’t wait and need some Joffrey’s Coffee right away?
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Latest News On Harambe Marketplace Opening Soon In Animal Kingdom

Update: The Harambe Marketplace is scheduled to open on May 23, 2015.

If you’ve been to Animal Kingdom lately, you have probably noticed the abundance of construction walls up throughout the park. One of the new additions to the park will be the Harambe Marketplace scheduled to open in late May. Here’s all of the latest news and information courtesy of Disney:

Built around a Colonial-era train depot design complete with a 1960s water tower, the marketplace re-creates a bustling center of commerce where guests are welcomed from around the world who have come to visit the little seaside town and venture out to the reserve to observe Africa’s animals.

Chef Lenny DeGeorge led the Food and Beverage concept development team, and tells us it’s the sort of food you’d find in a street market in Africa. “The menus reflect the unique personalities of the establishments’ owners,” says Chef Lenny.

“Kitamu Grill” offers skewered chicken and a kabob flatbread sandwich. “Famous Sausages” features a corn dog, inspired by a South African sausage called a boerewors, dipped in curry-infused corn batter. “Chef Mwanga’s” serves a spice-rubbed karubi rib with green papaya-carrot slaw.

“With three meaty ribs, the karubi rib is our version of the giant turkey legs served in the Disney theme parks,” says DeGeorge. We give two thumbs up to the curry corn dog, made with a special spiced sausage inspired by the traditional boerewors.

A fourth window, called Wanjohi Refreshments (“wanjohi” means “brewer” in Swahili) offers beverages including six South African wines by the glass; Safari Amber Lager and Orlando Brewing I-4 IPA on draft; red sangria with Van der Hum tangerine liqueur from South Africa; The Starr of Harambe, a frozen drink with Starr African rum with mango puree in a souvenir mug; non-alcoholic tangerine lemonade, and fountain beverages including Sparberry from Zimbabwe and Bibo from South Africa.

With shaded tables (200+) and merchandise shops, the new market, together with the recently opened Harambe Theatre (home to “Festival of the Lion King”) doubles the size of the original Harambe Village.

501 WaysHeading to Disney World soon?

If you are planning a vacation to Disney World, be sure to check out these valuable resources to help you save time and money:

Are you excited to try the new Harambe Marketplace?
Please leave a comment!

New Donald’s Safari Dinner At Tusker House

Tusker House

New Character Dining At Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Beginning last month, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck and their friends began welcoming guests for a fun-filled character dinner at Tusker House Restaurant at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Donald’s Safari Dinner offers guests the opportunity to meet some of their favorite characters, including Donald and Daisy while enjoying a delicious selection of all-you-care-to-enjoy spit-roasted carved meats, unique salads, creative vegetarian offerings, hearty stews, and delicious desserts – all with an African touch. If you are interested in dining here, you can making reservations by calling 407-WDW-DINE or by clicking here. The food looks delicious and the characters are always fun for everyone!

The Dinner Buffet Menu Currently Offers (subject to change):

Peri-Peri Marinated Baked Salmon
Kenyan Coffee BBQ Pork Loin
Berbere-rubbed Spit-roasted Beef Striploin
Spit-roasted Chicken
Seafood Stew with Tamarind BBQ Sauce
Deli Meats and Cheeses
Cape Malay Curry Chicken
Oven-roasted Red Skin Potatoes with Rosemary
Mashed Potatoes
Brown Gravy
Curried Rice
Horseradish Cream
Vegetable Samosa
Mango Chutney
Sautéed Green
Corn Medley
Macaroni & Cheese
Corn Dog Nuggets
Apple Sauce
Saffron-infused Root Vegetables and Cabbage
Sweet Plantains
Pearl Couscous with Sweet Basil
Jollaf Rice
Spiced Vegetable Tofu
Orzo Pasta
Basmati Rice with Lemon, Cinnamon, and Cardamon
Quinoa Salad with Shrimp
Watermelon and Feta Salad
Curried Rice with Golden Raisins
Seasonal Fresh Fruit
Smoked Salmon
Hard-boiled Eggs
Chickpea and Cucumber Salad
Toasted Couscous Salad with Ocean Spray Craisins
Tossed Ceasar Salad
Mixed Greens
Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Mint Yogurt Dressing
Spicy South African Preserves
Blatjangs
Sambals – Mango Chutney, Mixed Fruit Chutney
Hummus
Taboulleh
Whole Grain Breads and Rolls
Mealie Cornbread
Glazed Donut Holes
Chocolate Volcano Cake
Carrot-spiced Cake
Baklava
Strawberry Mousse
Lemon Bars
Passion Fruit Tart
Coconut Macaroon
Chocolate Chunk Cookie
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie
Chocolate Turtle Brownies
Cherry-Apple Cobbler
Banana-Cinnamon Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

501 WaysHeading to Disney World soon?

If you are planning a vacation to Disney World, be sure to check out these valuable resources to help you save time and money:

Have you tried Donald’s Safari Dinner yet? Are you planning to?
Please leave a comment!

Celebrating Earth Day 2015 At Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Disney's Animal Kingdom Tree of Life

Happy Earth Day!

If you will be visiting Disney World this week, be sure to head over to Disney’s Animal Kingdom to join in the fun at the “Party for the Planet” in honor of Earth Day this Wednesday, April 22. Here’s the scoop courtesy of the Disney Parks Blog:

Disney's Animal KingdomOn Wednesday, April 22, exclusive Earth Day activities will be offered during our “Party for the Planet” Earth Day celebration. You can participate in interactive activities, explore limited time merchandise offerings, and interact with animal and education experts from Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment and the Disney Conservation Fund team about conservation projects currently in progress.

This year’s “Party for the Planet” celebration includes two exclusive “research stations” at Rafiki’s Planet Watch and the Main Entrance of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. These research stations allow you to see behind-the-scenes footage from the newest Disneynature film, “Monkey Kingdom,” while exploring how technology is used to enhance conservation efforts. You will have the opportunity to get an up-close, hands-on look at the technology scientists use to learn about animals, as well as the valuable data that comes from special equipment called camera traps. Many of the tools showcased at these research stations were used throughout production of the newest Disneynature film, “Monkey Kingdom.”

501 WaysHeading to Disney World soon?

If you are planning a vacation to Disney World, be sure to check out these valuable resources to help you save time and money:

Have you attended the “Party for the Planet”? Are you going this year?
Please leave a comment and Happy Earth Day!