Yak & Yeti
(photos below)

Yak Plus Yeti Equals Good Eats

The newest restaurant in Disney's Animal Kingdom, Yak & Yeti is the second table service to open in the park (the Rainforest Cafe opened in 1998 along with the park). Located in Asia, this restaurant serves Asian-fusion cuisine.

The Yak & Yeti complex is very large, including both the table service eatery as well as a counter service counterpart. A gift shop located adjacent to Yak & Yeti (but in a separate building) completes the complex.

The food at Yak & Yeti is good. Not the best we've ever eaten, but still tasty and filling. The price points here are a bit steep, but then the restaurant building is an attraction in its own right, so the cost of the ambience must've been worked into the menu pricing.

The outside of the building looks like a classic Asian structure, complete with chipped stucco, exposed bricks, and faded paint. Inside, the "age" of the building continues to be apparent, but the high-quality of the construction is apparent as well. Inside, there are lots of vintage Asian items, including many large and ornate sculptures throughout (see photos of some of them below). Dining tables are located on both the entrance level as well as upstairs, and windows across much of the front of the building allows for great views of the park on either level.

There is no discount for Disney's Dining Experience Members, but Disney Vacation Club Members receive 10% off the price of the entree (that's the ENTREE only, NOT the drink, appetizer, or dessert!).

Finally, after 10 years of Animal Kingdom's existence, additional table service eateries are beginning to open! This is a great dining opportunity--the food is good, and the restaurant is worthy of a visit due to its very well-themed decor!

For the lunch menu at Yak & Yeti, click here. 
(Last updated Sunday, January 20, 2008)

Dinner menu at Yak & Yeti coming soon! 

This article appeared in the Fall 2007 edition of Vacation Magic, a publication provided to Disney Vacation Club members. Aronda received her copy of Vacation Magic on Tuesday, September 4, 2007.

What time is it when a yak meets a yeti? Meal time! (At least for the yeti.) This fall, meal time goes Himalayan with the opening of the Yak & Yeti Restaurant inside Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park. This Asian-fusion concept from Landry's Restaurants (proprietors of the Rainforest Cafe) will feed Guests at the foothills of the "forbidden mountain" in the mythical village of Anandapur.

The venue's storyline revolves around one of Anandapur's wealthiest merchants, whose faltering finances have forced him to turn his private home into a public hotel. Revenue from the hotel's restaurant will be critical to helping the owner support his upper-crust lifestyle, evidenced by the expansive collection of artifacts displayed throughout his property, from sculptures to tapestries to 900-pound puppets. (that's right, 900-pound puppets. Rich people have all the fun.) More artifacts dot the landscape outside, where fountains and a sacred stone river add ambience to an open-air seating area and beer garden.

Boyond table-service dining, the two-story facility will include a quick-service option and a Pan Asian retail shop offering everything from purses and incense to saris and teapots. (No word on whether the inventory will include giant puppets.)

While some details of the restaurant's menu remain in development as this edition of [Vacation Magic] goes to press, the proprietors have confirmed that smoked yak legs won't be among the specials. (Despite campaigning from some pretty frustrated turkeys.)

Perk alert: Disney Vacation Club members will enjoy a 10% discount on entrees in the table-service area, and a 15% discount on merchandise in the retail shop.

Approaching the building, you'll see that it's a sprawling affair

Front entrance--large doors welcome Guests to a FULL-SERVICE dining opportunity in Animal Kingdom

A statue located in the lobby

The distressed walls are decorated with plenty of art

Another statue, this one by the stairs leading to the second floor

Looking into the lower level from the upstairs dining area

Isn't THIS a welcome sight? Animal Kingdom has begun offering biodegradable straws. 
These are made of tightly rolled cardboard. They don't even get soggy in tea!