Animal Kingdom Restaurants Offering the Best Values

Now that 2022 Walt Disney World Resort vacation packages are now available to book, we’re getting some insight into what Disney has planned for future vacations during these uncertain times.

It appears Disney will still require park pass reservations for park entry into 2022, and Disney Dining packages will continue to be unavailable. Yes, you read that right. No Disney Plan or Free Dining Plan Offers for 2022.

But there are ways to save money when dining at Disney outside the Dining Plan. For many families and individuals, Disney Dining Plans actually cost more than dining out of pocket. The secret is knowing where to go for your meals; and as always, we’ve done the legwork for you.

Today I’m breaking down the Animal Kingdom restaurants offering the best value. And by value, I’m talking about where to go to get the most for your hard-earned dough!

Quick Service Values

Flame Tree Barbecue

Flame Tree Barbecue on Discovery Island can be found between the bridge into DinoLand, U.S.A. and the entrance to It’s Tough to be a Bug show.

This restaurant offers a very different menu than what you normally find at a theme park with items like a 1/2 Chicken with Baked Beans and Coleslaw for $13.29, a St. Louis Rib Dinner with Baked Beans and Coleslaw for 16.29, and even a Ribs and Chicken Combo with sides for $15.49.

Now the price per entree is slightly higher than some other quick-service spots. But the serving sizes here are easily shareable and much heartier than your typical park fare.

Pro Tip: Be sure to find a table outside behind the restaurant for great views and atmosphere!

Satu’li Canteen

The story of Satu’li Canteen at Pandora – The World of Avatar is that both the Na’vi and Alpha Centuri Expeditions have transformed the former RDA base mess hall to serve Na’vi cuisine to guests.

Like Flame Tree Barbecue, Satu’li Canteen’s menu is different than your typical park fare, and it looks different too.

Satu’li serves customized bowls and cheeseburger steamed bao buns, and it’s all super flavorful and delicious! But again, this is Na’vi cuisine so it’s gonna look a little alien, especially the Blueberry Cream Cheese Mousse and Chocolate Cake!

Prices for bowls range from $12.49 to $16.99 with your choice of base and sauce while the pods are priced at $12.29 with slaw and chips.

Also, the kids’ meals at Satu’li are some of the best and totally work for adults as well.

For instance, a kids bowl ranges from $7.99 to $8.99 and it also comes with a drink! There’s also an all-beef hot dog wrapped in dough that comes with sides and a drink for $7.29, as well as a cheese quesadilla with sides and a drink for $6.49.

Yak & Yeti Local Foods Cafe

This quick-service spot sitting next to the Yak and Yeti Restaurant in Asia offers fast-casual Asian flavors all throughout the day.

Its lunch and dinner menu is a bit of a mixed bag, even though many consider their Kobe burger to be an excellent choice.

However, I’m recommending Yak and Yeti’s Local Foods breakfast menu as a value worth considering, especially since breakfast beyond that of a pastry is hard to come by at the parks when you’re without a dining reservation.

Yak and Yeti’s offers breakfast bowls of scrambled eggs, cheese, potatoes, peppers, and onions for $10.99 and with bacon or sausage for $11.49. You can also get an Egg White English Muffin with American Cheese and Tomato with Hash Brown Bites for $9.49 or with Sausage and Egg for $10.99.

Table Service Values

Yak & Yeti Restaurant

A perennial favorite, Animal Kingdom’s Yak & Yeti Restaurant in Asia is housed in a two-story Nepalese inn with a rich cultural atmosphere and excellent second-story views of the park.

The menu here offers Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and Indian flavors and some say isn’t as good as it once was; but we’ve found that Yak & Yeti is still a solid choice with a setting and cuisine that reflects the Animal Kingdom itself.

The menu here is priced at $15 to $35 per adult for both lunch and dinner, but they do have a section of their menu dedicated to shareable items that cost anywhere from $18.79 to $14.99. Also, a number of their main entrees could easily be split between two guests.

Which restaurants and eateries do you consider to be the best values at Animal Kingdom? Let us know in the comments! 

First published April 1, 2021. Updated October 25, 2021.