A Blog About Disney Stuff

Now that Disney World restaurants have started to reopen, a number of changes have been made to dining experiences.

Sanaa, located in Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Kidani Village is among the Disney World restaurants that’s officially reopened.

With gorgeous views of Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Sunset Savannah, and a menu featuring a fusion of African and Indian cuisine, how will the dining changes impact this hidden gem? Let’s take a look!

Check-In

First off, let’s take a look at how the check-in area looked! Mobile Dine Check-In is an option at Sanaa — we used the Mobile Dine Check-In feature, so we didn’t have to head up to the check-in counter. Still, we wanted to take a look at the various health measures we spotted here.

You can see that there are physical distancing stickers on the ground to keep guests distanced while waiting to check-in with Cast Members. You can also see one of those oh-so-familiar hand-sanitizer stations.

Click here to learn more about the Mobile Dine Check-In! 

Seating

Before heading to our table, we took a peek in Sanaa Lounge to see what sort of health measures they had going on. We noticed traffic flow stickers on the ground, and tables and bar stools marked as unavailable for physical distancing.

Inside the actual dining room, Sanaa has tables spaced out and marked as well, and no two groups of guests were seated close to one another.

As always, many of Sanaa’s tables look out onto the Savannah where you can try to spot the African wildlife while you dine.

This is definitely one of the aspects that makes this restaurant a real hidden gem! There’s nothing like waving at a group of zebras while you sip and snack!

Click here to check out another recent review of this spot!

Menu

As we’ve seen a bunch around the reopened Disney World restaurants, Sanaa has leaflets on the table for access to a QR code menu. This code will take you right to the online listing for the menu on the Disney website.

If you like, you can ask for a physical menu here, and they’ll get you a disposable one.

The Sanaa menu has a wide variety of African dishes with Indian flavors mixed in. There are options for adventurous eaters and picky eaters alike.

Food and Drinks

We started off with some drinks since Sanaa has some really fabulous international wines and interesting cocktails. We snagged the South African Wine Flight for $15 to savor the flavors before we dig into some delicious food.

We also tried one of the cocktails on the menu that we’ve never had before. The African Starr Mojito is a combo of Starr African Rum, Van der Hum Tangerine Liqueur from South Africa, Fresh Lime Juice, and Mint for $14. Um… yum! This was a really awesome twist on a classic mojito — not too sweet and the fresh mint was delicious.

You didn’t think we were going to go to Sanaa without grabbing that DELICIOUS Sanaa Indian-style Bread Service, did you? This appetizer is super customizable with a choice of five breads between Traditional Naan, Garlic-Ginger Naan, Spiced Naan, Onion Kulcha, or Paneer Paratha. Our favorite was the Garlic-Ginger Naan!

Then you get ALL NINE of the accompaniments! There’s Cucumber Raita, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Mango Chutney, Tomato-Date Jam, Tamarind Chutney, Coriander Chutney, Garlic Pickle, Red Chile Sambal, and Spicy Jalapeño-Lime Pickle. Whew, that’s quite the app for $18! We seriously love the bread service and can’t recommend it enough. Careful, though, that Jalapeno-Lime Pickle has a kick (in a good way)!

For one of our entrees, we got the African-inspired Biryani with Chicken. This was SOOOO good. It has great flavor and you can forgo on the meat for a plant-based option. The herbs were super fresh and we were obsessed with the sauce. With Chicken or Shrimp, the Biryani is $26; with no meat, it’s $19!

Our server told us that the most popular meal at Sanaa is the Potjie Inspired because of how customizable it is (hmm, we’re sensing a theme). We opted to snag the Braised Beef Potjie with a side of Cilantro-Coconut Vegetables. And all that comes with some scented Basmati Rice! The meat was so tender we could cut it with a spoon and everything was way flavorful too.

This meal will run you $28 and it’s a pretty sizable portion! Don’t worry, if the African and Indian options on the menu are a little out of your comfort zone, you can always opt for something familiar like the Grilled New York Strip for $34.

Payment

To pay, we were brought one of those new disposable check folds we’ve been seeing around.

So, yes! Sanaa is incorporating a lot of the new health measures that we’re starting to get used to while still serving the same great food. If you happen to be looking for a surprisingly delicious meal in a reopened Disney World, Sanaa is a great bet.

Click here to read about the changes coming to Disney World dining this summer!

Have you eaten at Sanaa? How to these changes compare to your experience? Let us know in the comments!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Animal Kingdom Lodge, disney resorts, Featured, Table-Service, Walt Disney World, African Starr Mojito, African-inspired Biryani with Chicken, animal kingdom lodge kidani village, Disney World Changes, disney world dining, disney world dining changes, Disney World restaurant, disney world restaurants, Indian Style Bread Service, Kidani Village, Potjie Inspired, Sanaa, Sanaa Bread Service, South African Wine Flight

When Disney World began to reopen Disney Springs, and with the subsequent announcements of reopening the theme parks and resorts, it was abundantly clear that the typical Walt Disney World experience was going to change.

With the emphasis on increasing contactless experiences throughout the resort area, we wondered how pin trading would be affected! With many of the Disney Vacation Club Resort hotels reopening this week, we hoped to get an even better idea of what would be in store for pin fanatics.

We went into this experience knowing that pin trading could, at the moment, be completely unavailable. When we visited Pin Traders in Disney Springs, trading was unavailable altogether and Disney had previously announced that limited-edition releases would NOT drop at Disney World.

We also knew that in some way, pin trading would eventually become available in a modified form. However, we didn’t know if this activity was going to be immediately available or rolled out over time. For the first few days since some of the resorts have reopened, we haven’t seen any pin boards ANYWHERE. We were starting to lose hope until we walked into Artist’s Palette at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort.

That’s where we spotted it! A REAL! LIVE! PIN BOARD! Rather fittingly, the pins seemed to be doing a little social distancing of their own. Since there’s a plexiglass barrier installed at Artist’s Palette’s cash registers now, we pointed to the pin we wanted. The Cast Member wiped it off for us and slid it through the slot in the window.

We laid the pin we were swapping on the counter and the Cast Member picked it up, wiped it off, and stuck it on the pin board! And just like that, our first pin trade transaction in a reopened Disney World was complete! We’ll let you know if we spot more pin boards, but for now, we can say pin trading seems to have officially returned!

Follow along with our adventures around the reopened Disney World Resort hotels here!

Do you trade pins at Disney World? Let us know in the comments!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: disney merchandise, Disney News, Featured, Saratoga Springs Resort, Walt Disney World, artists palette, Disney merchandise, disney pin trading, Disney Vacation Club, Disney World, Disney World reopening, disney world resort hotel, disney’s saratoga springs resort, DVC, pin board, pin trading, reopening

Walt Disney World is preparing to open its theme parks next month. Disney also launched a new park pass reservation system for guests to schedule their park visits.

Guests with current 202o reservations were able to make their park pass reservations earlier this week. Tomorrow, June 26, Annual Passholders will be able to schedule their Park Pass Reservations. Other existing ticket holders will be able to make reservations on Sunday, June 28.

Disney will not open new availability at a pre-announced time of day. When the system opens, all Passholders will be eligible to make theme park reservations for up to three days at a time. Or, Annual Passholders staying at select Disney Resort or other select hotels with valid theme park admission will be eligible to make theme park reservations for each day of their stay(s).

For example, if an Annual Passholder has three five-night reservations, they will be able to hold up to 15 theme park reservations at one time.

Disney will be using virtual waiting rooms as needed to manage the high volume of guests looking to make park reservations for their upcoming visits. They anticipate many Passholders and Guests will begin making their park reservations right away, so wait times may be longer earlier in the day.

Here are a few helpful reminders for those looking to make park reservations:

• Ensure your ticket or Annual Pass is linked to your My Disney Experience account for each member of your travel party.
• Please be sure you are searching for available park days within the valid use period of your ticket or Annual Pass. You can view your valid use period under Tickets and Passes in My Disney Experience. All reservations are subject to availability and applicable pass blockout dates.
• Contact the Disney Reservation Center via phone or online chat if these tips do not resolve the issue. Please note that Disney is experiencing a high call and chat volume at this time.

Also, check out the Disney World Park Pass Tutorial video Disney released today:

 

Don’t forget, 2021 Disney World package reservations are also available to book now for dates through September 26, 2021.

From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: News, Parks & Resorts, Planning, Walt Disney World, 2021 Disney World Packages, annual passholders, Disney World Reopening, Park Pass Reservation System, Park Pass Tutorial Video

Disneyland Resort closed in March due to the global health crisis and was set to reopen mid-July. The closure has now been extended until further notice with no new reopening date in place. This setback caused Disney to make a few important adjustments to Disneyland’s Travel Information page.

Aside from the expected updated language reflecting the delayed opening, Disney has updated some booking information regarding cancellation policies and reservation changes. 

Missing Section Regarding Rebooking Modifications and New Reservations

Previously, this page detailed the procedure for guests who wish to modify their existing travel dates and make reservations for future vacations. The section stated that guests could make and change reservations for vacations starting on and after July 23rd. This statement has now been completely removed. The page doesn’t currently state a new date when guests can rebook their vacations.

Room Only Reservations

Disney has also removed the date in which guests can cancel or change their reservations without being charged a fee. Where they once stated “we are waiving Disney-imposed change and cancellation fees up to the date of check-in for reservations with arrivals through July 22, 2020,” now they will waive fees through “the closure period.” This is expected given that Disney has not announced a new reopening date.

Vacation Packages

Similarly to Room Only Reservations, Disney has also stated that they are waiving Disney-imposed change and cancellation fees with arrivals through the closure period. As opposed to the previously stated, “July 22nd, 2020.”

While Disneyland has delayed its reopening date, Disney will be making future updates as events unfold. To keep informed, continue to check back with us and we’ll be here to keep you informed.

Hoping to make your way to Disneyland once it re-opens? Make sure to check on our Disneyland Closure pages to keep updated on the current situation

Planning a visit to Disneyland? What do you think of Disney pushing back the reopening date?

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: disney california adventure, Disney News, Disneyland, Disneyland Column, Disneyland Resort, Featured, califorina adventure, coronavirus, coronavirus closure, covid-19, Disney California Adventure, disney closure, disney closures, disney hotels, disneyland california, Disneyland California Advenure, disneyland closure, disneyland closures, Disneyland Hotel, disneyland hotels, Disneyland Park

Downtown Disney is getting a new store: California Sole!

The footwear store previously known as “Sanuk” will be coming to Downtown Disney at the Disneyland Resort later this summer and offer a variety of brands born in California.

“California Sole is a California-inspired, full service footwear store” mentioned the owner, Wayne Heck. “Our staff is very knowledgeable and can share with guests the stories, passion and heart behind each line of footwear while providing personalized service.”

The store will carry brands like Vans, Sanuk, OluKai, Reef and Havaianas, as well as, Stance socks, Pura Vida bracelets and other accesories.

The store is also getting a new look, now it will be light, bright and modern with iconic California artwork and the doors will stay open to take advantage the perfect California weather!

Despite Disneyland not reopening on July 17th like it was previously announced, the Downtown Disney District will open on July 9th.

Credit: Disney Parks

From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: Downtown Disney, Disneyland, News, california sole, disney, Sanuk