By: Disney Destinations
June 3, 2024
It’s hard to believe that Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “The Lion King” first graced our screens 30 years ago this year. To celebrate this momentous occasion, the culinary teams at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park have put together some adorably delicious bites and sips for guests to enjoy starting June 10 and running through September 9, 2024. As guests go on their own adventures throughout the park, they can have a foodie one too!
Any fans of “The Lion King” will be embracing the spirit of hakuna matata as they indulge in limited-time delights that are far from grub. These new items feature favorite characters from the beloved Disney Animation film, like Simba, Timon, Rafiki, and Zazu, all brought to life with tasty flavors.
Let’s get into what’s cooking over at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Parks for the 30th Anniversary of “The Lion King”!
When exploring Discovery Island, there are multiple spots serving up can’t-miss “The Lion King” items. For a quick sip, Eight Spoon Café will be featuring The Simba. This refreshing mango-flavored slushy is combined with grenadine and topped with two gummy candies for some (sweet) grub. Over at Isle of Java, the culinary team has put together a truly unique dessert paying homage to none other than Timon’s iconic hula from the film. Timon’s Luau is a layered dessert with vanilla chiffon, passion fruit curd, guava jam, vanilla chantilly cream, an edible tropical flower for the lei, and mint for the hula skirt.
Before guests expand their journey outside of Discovery Island, Tiffins Restaurant has a sweet sip to indulge in. Rafiki’s Squash Banana is a shake blended with squash bananas, baobab fruit, vanilla, cinnamon, and cardamom. Yum! Also, the “Remember Who You Are” The Lion King 30th Anniversary Dessert is a truly beautiful offering. The Kenyan coffee mousse is filled with caramelized bananas, chai chantilly, banana-caramel sauce, chocolate-coffee crumble, chocolate decoration, and sugar sun. It is not to be missed on guests’ next outing to Tiffins Restaurant.
As guests venture over to Africa, they’ll come across several of these new treats. Tamu Tamu Refreshments will be home to the Zazu Ice Cream Sandwich. This refreshing bite sandwiches vanilla ice cream between two blue cake-coated sugar cookies with a chocolate medallion on top. Harambe Market also will have a sweet delight for guests to try. The You Follow Old Rafiki Cheesecake is the perfect dish to give guests “no worries.” This passion fruit-mango cheesecake has a coconut-lime crust, vanilla bean chantilly, and a chocolate medallion to finish it off. How adorable!
As we continue our foodie adventure throughout Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park for this momentous anniversary, we’re heading to DinoLand U.S.A. Here, there are multiple items worthy of a (lion) king. First, we’re dropping into Restaurantosaurus where there are two items on the way. The Shenzi Strawberry Lemonade is quite the refreshing sip and is inspired by one of the iconic members of the hyena trio in the film. It combines Minute Maid Premium Lemonade, Minute Maid Strawberry Smoothie, and blue curaçao syrup served with a souvenir glow cube.
Next up, if guests love red velvet and villains, they’re in for a treat. The Rightful Ruler Cupcake, which is available both here and at Pizzafari, draws inspiration from Scar himself, so guests should be prepared to be met with flavor. It’s a red velvet cake with cookies ‘n cream cheesecake filling and chocolate icing topped with a chocolate medallion on chocolate rocks.
Trilo-bites will be serving up a special item that also is available through September 9, and it features DOLE Whip! The Zazu DOLE Whip Lime and Coconut Float deliciously swirls DOLE Whip Lime into Sprite with coconut and blue curaçao syrup. It’s then topped with a white chocolate medallion. What could be better than “The Lion King” and DOLE Whip?
Last but certainly not least, at various outdoor food carts throughout the park, guests will be able to get their paws, we mean hands, on the Simba Paw Cookie! This sugar cookie is too cute to pass up.
What a delicious way to celebrate 30 years of this iconic film.
