Tusker House is a lively character dining experience at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom. With awesome characters (in their safari gear!), signature dishes and African-inspired flavors, there’s lots to enjoy at Tusker House.
For those of you considering reserving Tusker House, we wanted to share our 2024 review and our thoughts on whether this character dining experience is worth it at Animal Kingdom.
Tusker House
Located in the bustling Harambe Marketplace in Animal Kingdom, Tusker House is a buffet-style all-you-care-to-eat restaurant. Guests are greeted with a ‘Jambo’ as they arrive at the market-style restaurant.
Seating is spread over multiple dining rooms and the buffet is located in the dining room at the entrance.
Characters at Tusker House
A safari-ready Donald Duck hosts guests for breakfast, lunch and dinner alongside 3 of his closest friends – Mickey Mouse, Daisy Duck and Goofy.
Once seated, the characters stop by guest tables during the meal – the characters passed through our dining room a couple of times during our 1.5 hour meal.
Donald, Daisy, Mickey and Goofy have wonderful interactions with guests and are playful and fun with each other and do a special Jambo dance on occasion!
All the characters sign autographs and guests are also given a keepsake card with all their signatures.
Tusker House tip: if you miss seeing a character during dining then make sure to mention it to a Cast Member. We’ve often done this if we are leaving or haven’t seen a character during a meal and the Cast Member has always asked them to stop by our table as soon as possible.
Food and Drinks at Tusker House
Meals are served buffet style at Tusker House and are all-you-care-to-eat.
Breakfast at Tusker House
A wide selection of breakfast foods are available during the breakfast sitting which is served between 8am and 10.30am.
Pasteries include Zebra coffee cake, croissants, muffins and cinnamon buns.
Mickey Mouse Waffles are a Disney breakfast staple and they are on the menu at Tusker House! They also do their own take on the classic with a Simba-inspired waffle also available.
Hot food options include scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages and breakfast potatoes.
Rotisserie ham is also on the breakfast menu alongside a Durban Chicken and Egg Curry with Jasmine Rice.
Meats include sausage patties and Andouille sausage pieces.
Guests can build their own omelette with a choice of ham, bacon, spinach, cheese, tomato and onion as fillings.
Cold food options include a selection of meats, fruits and cheese.
Lunch and Dinner at Tusker House
The lunch and dinner menus are identical at Tusker House.
Starters include a selection of bread and dips and salads.
The main dishes feature African-inspired flavors. The entrees include a selection of meats (chicken, pork, chicken curry, braised beef), fish (salmon filets and shrimp curry) and vegetarian (plant-based sausage). There are a selection of sides including rice, green beans, roast potatoes and mac and cheese.
For kids, there are corn dogs, mac and cheese and chicken legs.
Desserts include brownies, cupcakes, cookies and fresh fruit. There is typically a vegan option like a plant-based chocolate mousse.
Drinks
Soft drinks, breakfast juices, tea and coffee are included in the meal price and are refillable.
The famous Disney POG Juice (also known as Jungle Juice) is also served as part of the buffet. It’s a delicious blend of Passionfruit, Orange and Guava and you need to try it at Walt Disney World!
Alcoholic drinks, mocktails and speciality drinks are available for an additional charge.
Everything you need to know about Tusker House in Animal Kingdom
Here’s everything else you might be wondering about Tusker House in Animal Kingdom:
Which characters attend Tusker House?
Donald Duck is the host at Tusker House and he is joined by Daisy Duck, Goofy and Mickey Mouse. The characters are decked out in their safari gear and it’s such a cool look!
What days/times is Tusker House open?
There are 3 dining sessions daily at Tusker House and it is open daily. The times can vary depending on the daily schedule but Animal Kingdom typically closes earlier than the other parks:
- Breakfast: 8:00am to 10:30am
- Lunch: 11:00am to 3:30pm
- Dinner: 3:35pm to 6:00pm
How much is dining at Tusker House?
As of 2024, breakfast costs $47/adult and $30/child (aged 3 and over) + tax and gratuity. Lunch and dinner are $62/adult and $40/child (aged 3 and over) + tax and gratuity.
Children under 3 are free of charge.
Do I need to reserve Tusker House Restaurant in advance?
Yes! All the character meals are extremely popular at Walt Disney World and are usually snapped up as soon as the advance dining window opens.
Guests with a Disney Resort Hotel reservation can make reservations 60 days + length of stay (up to a maximum of 10 nights) in advance. All other guests can make reservations up to 60 days in advance, with reservations opening at 6am EST 60 days out.
Don’t despair if you don’t manage to make a reservation when they drop at 60 days out. We always sign up for Mouse Dining in advance of our Disney visits and set text alerts for our preferred days and times. We’ve always managed to get our favored reservation times even on last-minute visits.
Tusker House Character Dining tip: dining alerts are a Walt Disney World essential and we recommend signing up to Mouse Dining. You sign up, set alerts to your desired reservations (e.g. 10am breakfast at Tusker House the next day) and, as soon as a cancellation is made, the dining alert service will alert you via email and/or text so you can reserve it immediately. We rely heavily on dining alerts in the run up to all our Walt Disney World and Disneyland California trips and we’ve always been able to secure a reservation. We’ve tried a few services and always return to Mouse Dining. as their alerts are super speedy and reliable – there is a free service (email only, 6 alerts) but we use the monthly subscription ($9, email and text alerts, includes international texts) in the months leading up to our Walt Disney World visit. If you want one of the highly sought-after reservations like Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique or Cinderella’s Royal Table then we’d recommend the paid monthly subscription as you can set up alerts for all your planned Magic Kingdom Days and we always notice the text alerts instantly. Make sure to practice with an easy-to-secure reservation so you know the exact process – check out Mouse Dining here!
Dining must be canceled or modified at least 2 hours in advance of reservations. There is usually a $10/person fee for no shows or late cancelations.
Is there a PhotoPass Photographer at Tusker House?
No, a PhotoPass photographer is not present at Tusker House.
Do the characters sign autographs at Tusker House?
Yes! We’ve had our book signed by all the characters at Tusker House!
How long does dining take at Tusker House?
I’d say allow around 1 to 1.5 hours to enjoy a meal at Tusker House. We spend around 1.5 hours at the restaurant but, with 3 young kids, everything takes us a little longer! We had plenty of time to eat and meet the characters.
Where else is good to eat at Animal Kingdom?
Animal Kingdom has some of our favorite food and snacks in Walt Disney World. We always stop by Yak and Yeti for tuna nachos and a Night Blossom and Pongu Lumpia at Pongu Pongu.
We dream about the cheeseburger steamed pods and the Na’vi Sized Pretzels in Satu’li Canteen.
Nomad Lounge is another of our favorites and our kids are fans of Rainforest Cafe.
Read our full guide to the best snacks at Animal Kingdom.
Can I meet Donald, Mickey, Daisy or Goofy anywhere else in Animal Kingdom?
Yes!
Mickey can be found (with Minnie) at Adventurers Outpost.
Donald and Daisy appear in Dinoland U.S.A. Goofy has been joining them since late 2023 but the app hasn’t been updated to reflect this so it may be a temporary change. He also appears on the Dino-Bash Flotilla which sails along the Discovery River.
Other Character Dining Experiences at Walt Disney World
Check out our guides to:
- Cinderella’s Royal Table in Magic Kingdom
- Storybook Dining with Snow White
- Princess Dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall