I love Disney’s Animal Kingdom. I visited during my first family trip to Walt Disney World in 1999 and it became a staple of our visits. Animal Kingdom piques my curiosity and imagination like no other park on property. I find the exotic nature of the park with its winding pathways, lush greenery, and nods to faraway lands ever enjoyable. Every time I go to leave the park for the day I take one last look at the Tree of Life and say to myself “I’ll see you again soon.”

With my nostalgic love of Animal Kingdom, I am also pleased that Disney Imagineers have worked hard to revamp the park and make it a nighttime destination.

While planning our February trip for the Princess Half Marathon Weekend, Rivers of Light was announced to debut just before we arrived. Tommy and I quickly rearranged our FastPass+ and dining schedule in order to make a night out of Animal Kingdom. We decided to get a pre-show drink and dinner at Tiffins, try to get as close to the Pandora entrance as we could, and run over with our FP+ to get seats at Rivers of Light. Here’s Tommy’s and my review of our experience!

Part I: Pandora – the World of Avatar

Good Morning America released a video last week, Inside “Pandora – the World of Avatar” at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and it has Disney fans around the world buzzing! The countdown begins for the May 27 official opening.

I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom a few times throughout the construction process of Pandora and after my last visit it is starting to feel real! This is the first huge update for Disney’s Animal Kingdom since the park opened in 1998 (on Earth Day no less!)

Confession: I’ve never watched Avatar. I know. I need to in order to understand what’s going on. But a mystical land with a story similar to Pocahontas and Fern Gully? Sign me up. I’m not sold on James Cameron’s idea of Avatar being a franchise with multiple movies but someday I may be eating my words.

If you check out the current Walt Disney World website, the featured attractions in Pandora are listed, with the caveat “– Coming May 27, 2017”. They include “Avatar Flight of Passage” the “Na’vi River Journey” and “Valley of Mo’ara.”

On the night of our Rivers of Light date, Tommy and I walked right on over to the Pandora entrance and peered through the cracks of the blockaded entrance for some sneak peeks. Of course Imagineers anticipated the thousands of other people who had the same idea and so everything is VERY covered.

Peeking through the construction walls into Pandora!

Before our Tiffins dinner reservation we decided to take a break from the sun and get a drink on the porch at Nomad’s Lounge, which is right along the bank of the river and right next to Pandora land. Expert Disney bloggers (ourselves included!) unanimously agree that once Pandora is open, Tiffins and Nomad Lounge are going to be VERY popular. And now we understand why!

Tommy: I want to emphasize just how popular this bar and restaurant combo is going to become come May 27. Pandora is going to be a massive draw for locals and frequent visitors – in other words, the “in-the-know” crowd which are the ones ensuring that every fine dining location in every Disney park is booked solid. Put the Rivers of Light dining package on top of that and you’ve got one hot ticket. If you’re planning a trip and want to eat at Tiffins, book it now!

Part II: Nomad Lounge

Nomad Lounge is the bar adjacent to Tiffins Restaurant. The rounded space features a large bar, high ceilings adorned with beautiful tapestries, and a wraparound porch. All of this comes together to evoke a lazy hot summer day in a distant land.
The theming for the Nomad Lounge and Tiffins Restaurant represents the Disney Imagineers’ worldly travels while conceptualizing Animal Kingdom in South America, Africa and Asia. The word “Tiffin” is an Indian English word for midday meal. A tiffin is generally carried in round, stackable tins, which the restaurant uses to present some of their dishes.

You can purchase a banner and write travel advice for other visitors!

Tommy and I sat outside on the porch and each ordered a cocktail. The drink menu is filled with alluring vignettes, sketches, and photographs from Imagineers sharing their thrilling adventures. Each handcrafted cocktail features flavors from across the globe, but are familiar in style to classic bar cocktails such as an Old Fashioned, a Margarita, a Mojito, etc. Exotic beers, wines, and non-alcoholic drinks are also offered along with a tasty looking menu of small bites.

I ordered the Boto-Rita: Zignum Reposado Mezcal, Combier Grapefruit Liquer, Guava Puree and Lime Juice. It was decorated with red peppercorns and while they were pretty, they kind of got stuck in my teeth. Otherwise it was quite tasty.

Tommy: I ordered the Tempting Tigress: Russell’s Reserve 10yr Bourbon, St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram, Tamarind Syrup, and Lime Juice. It’s an exotic take on an Old Fashioned with complex flavors and a great mix of bitter and sweet. These menus are brilliantly done – I want to steal one for myself!

I must say, for a Walt Disney World theme park cocktail, these drinks were nice and strong. Woo! For other cocktails, check out the full menu.

As we sat just across the river from the shrouded Pandora, we craned our necks for any exclusive sneak peeks, to no avail. But, we did hear the shriek of an unfamiliar animal- someone must have been working on the banshees! THAT was cool. Our Tiffins reservation was creeping up so we closed out our bar tab and walked into the restaurant to check-in.

Pt III: Tiffins Restaurant

We were seated in the main dining room, of which there are three- “galleries” as the restaurant calls them: “Grand Gallery” “Safari Gallery” and “Trek Gallery”. The main dining room features original Balinese carved totem poles, originally posted at Camp Minnie Mickey. As our server explained, these were the inspiration behind the Tree of Life! Each wall had a distinct theme, featuring butterflies and other bugs, sea creatures, and tapestries with lit-up animals, which inspired Rivers of Light. How perfect!

The Rivers of Light decorations on the back wall and the totem poles on the left.

We were seated in the back right corner of the restaurant, near the sea creatures. When we were seated, we noticed leather-bound books- these were our menus! I took a photo of each page:

We started off with a bottle of red wine from Rust en Verde, one of South Africa’s premium vineyards, and the Tiffins Signature Bread Service, featuring pomegranate olive oil, harissa yogurt, zhough yogurt, and black-eyed pea hummus. I HAD to try to Lobster-Popcorn Thai Curry Soup. I felt like it was a thimble-sized portion, but it was delicious. We ate everything so fast we forgot to take pictures!

For entrees, Tommy ordered the Duo of Lamb: Ethiopian Coffee Butter-infused Lamb Loin, Boerewors (a South African sausage made with lamb), Soubise, Chakalaka (South African vegetables) Tamarind Barbecue and Leek Ash. Outrageously delicious.

Tommy: This dish is no joke. The only restaurant I’ve been to in Walt Disney World with flavors and style as unique and adventurous as Tiffins is Jiko. Everything was cooked to perfection, plated beautifully, and elements like the leek ash added this extra dimension of taste. If you’re a fan of the restaurants at Animal Kingdom Lodge or want to try something high quality and exciting, Tiffins is your place.

I ordered the Berkshire Pork Tenderloin with Masa Tamale, Hominy Succotash, and Red Mole Sauce. Mmmm. The pork was tender and the light South American flavors really made the dish feel special. What a meal!

Unfortunately we broke from our meal heaven stupor and realized we were going to be late for our 6:45PM FP+ Rivers of Light time. Our server worked quickly to close out our check and gave us to go wine cups to enjoy while we watched the show. Wow! Next time we’ll remember to designate a good amount of time to really savor the experience (and try the dessert!)

Part IV: Rivers of Light

In our scramble to leave Tiffins we all but ran through the park to get to the Expedition Everest side of the Rivers of Light amphitheater, where FP+ seats are located. We were able to get great seats somewhere right in the middle (bleachers) and watched the sunset before us.

It is important to note that seating is very limited. One entire bleacher section is devoted to FP+ while the opposite area, in front of the Theater in the Wild, is split between dining packages and standby. Everyone else is left to watch from the various riverbanks and bridges, where the good views are few and far between.
My favorite feature of the show was the slow build of displays before the show even officially began. We were still hearing the announcer explaining “dark lighting, be careful, etc.” but things were starting to transform around us. As slowly as the sun going down, the lotus floats began to light up and move across the water. There was rustling of trees and flickering firefly lights. Then we saw projections of animal outlines moving across the trees. Finally, it was truly show time and the floats, water cannons and boats with dancers lit up the water.

Rivers of Light is a spectacle of light, color and water that you have to see for yourself to understand. The musical score for this show is beautiful and in keeping with Disney’s other sweeping soundtracks. I loved it! I know the show experienced technical difficulties and many setbacks for its opening date, but I really enjoyed the experience, and I believe all animal lovers will enjoy themselves.

Tommy: I loved the show as well! However, I do have concerns about the capacity. While I think that despite all the issues River of Light is finally here as a great addition to DAK, it’s probably not elaborate and epic enough to justify the huge demand. If one could walk up 15 minutes before the show to grab a spot, we’d likely be blown away. But all of the chaos and expectations might cause some to leave a little disappointed.
That being said, I think the aesthetic, the soundtrack, and the overall theme of the show fit right into the park’s identity as if it’s been there since day one. Even the seating areas feel like they grew right out of the existing architecture. Perhaps best of all, Rivers of Light doesn’t rely on Disney characters and movies, instead becoming its own special piece of Walt Disney World. I look forward to many future viewings!

BONUS: Tree of Life Nighttime Awakenings

As we filed out of the amphitheater to leave, we almost missed the beautiful Nighttime Awakenings stories taking place on the Tree of Life. I was amazed. The technological advances we have seen in the last five years have made light projection shows at Walt Disney World absolutely incredible. The two shows that we witnessed featured narration-less stories of animals full of color that effortlessly flit across the tree. Each of the creatures featured in the stories can be found carved into the iconic tree trunk. No matter what language you speak, everyone could understand the story. There is something really powerful about that! I loved it.

Tommy: I love this feature because it’s not something you plan ahead of time – no Fastpass+ or dining package required. Instead, you stumble upon it and suddenly you’re in the middle of this special moment. Highly recommended. 

I was so sad to leave such a magical night at Animal Kingdom, but as we walked toward the exit, I glanced over my shoulder, as I have since I was 9 years old, to take a glance at the Tree…until next time!
– #willrunfordisney