Sanaa Dinner Review

*This gluten free dining experience took place in August 2020. It includes information about dairy free options, as well as fish/shellfish, peanut, hazelnut, cabbage, and chicken & turkey allergies.

Dinner at Sanaa

Sanaa, located at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village, reopened in July 2020 after the Disney Parks & Resorts closed temporarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It's hands down one of my favorite restaurants at Disney World. In fact, just before the parks & resorts closed temporarily, we had enjoyed a great meal there for my birthday. In August 2020, we took a mini one day staycation at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge Resort. So, dinner at Sanaa was a must on that visit.

COVID-19 & Reopening Notes

On this particular visit, we made reservations for the restaurant a few days before we dined there. I used the My Disney Experience app and found that there was a late evening seating, which we decided to book (the restaurant closed at 9 p.m.). The app worked as it normally does, and we were able to add in our special dietary needs in the app and alert cast members of our needs when we arrived at the restaurant. We also utilized online restaurant check-in when we arrived at Sanaa. Online check-in includes using your My Disney Experience app to check-in yourself. It’s super easy, and I hope Disney keeps this going forward too.

The Animal Kingdom Lodge Resort itself featured many mechanisms to provide sanitization, social distancing, and safety for both guests and cast members. All cast members wore facial masks and some cast members also wore protective shields, as well. All servers in the restaurant wore both facial masks and protective shields. In addition, there were many portable hand sanitizer stations for guests to use. We also saw cast members regularly cleaning surfaces and restrooms throughout our visit.

While Jambo House was very quiet during our mini staycation, we found that Kidani Village -- where Sanaa is located -- was a bit busier. There was a bit of crowding in the lobby area of Sanaa. We think this may have been due to guests waiting for to-go/takeaway orders along with other guests waiting to be seated. We were able to social distance as best we could, but we found the lobby to be a little more crowded than we would have liked. Currently, Sanaa is the only restaurant open between both sides of the resort. So, it's not a surprise that the restaurant was busy. Once we were seated, we felt much more comfortable with the social distancing spacing in place versus the lobby.

As a note, at the time of writing this review, we have been to several of the Disney Resorts, including the Contemporary Resort, Old Key West Resort, and Riviera Resort. All locations have the same protocols, as far as we have observed. Be sure to check with restaurants and the official Disney World website for additional information about current guidelines and recommendations.

Atmosphere

Sanaa means "work of art" in Swahili. And, the restaurant itself truly is a work of art.

Sanaa - Check-In Area / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

Even when you arrive at the check-in counter, you'll be treated to beautiful African and Indian inspired decor.

Sanaa - Seating Area / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

Inside the restaurant, you'll find uniquely designed chairs, bright colors, and beautiful decorations. I absolutely love the unique designs in the restaurant -- making it feel truly special.

Sanaa - Seating Area / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

My favorite part of the restaurant is actually above you when you dine. If you look, the main interior of the restaurant resembles a tree, its branches, and leaves. All of the light fixtures in the restaurant are especially beautiful.

Sanaa - Seating Area / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

As you can see from this photo, the seating area was well set-up for social distancing. In fact, so far, it might be the best social distanced seating we've experienced at Disney World. Brandon and I had a great seat right by the window where we could enjoy a view of the giraffes, zebras (including the new baby zebra), and other animals on the Savannah. But, even if you don't get a window seat, there is plenty of amazing theming to take in while you dine at Sanaa.

The Food

Like most restaurants at Disney World, Sanaa does offer an allergy-friendly menu. We also spoke directly to a chef, as well, to discuss options. Chef Kimi was excellent at helping us navigate the menu to ensure that we had the most up-to-date information about options and customizations for our special dietary needs.

Sanaa / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

My biggest recommendation with allergy-friendly menus is to always look at the regular menu too. Sanaa is extremely gluten free and dairy free friendly. And, many dishes that are naturally gluten free may not be listed on the allergy-friendly menu as an option. I always ask and double-check because there are so many great dishes on the menu to enjoy.

Sanaa / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

Up first, we had to start with the Allergy-Friendly Bread Service. It's a must order anytime we dine at Sanaa. And, neither of us could ever visit the restaurant without ordering it. The Allergy-Friendly Bread Service can be customized for a variety of special dietary needs.

The allergy-friendly naan bread (which is made in-house, so use your own judgement and comfort level regarding cross-contamination) uses the Cup4Cup Wholesome Flour Blend and is marked safe for Gluten/Wheat, Egg, Fish/Shellfish, Milk, Peanut, and Soy Allergies on the menu. To my knowledge, there are no actual tree nuts in the bread. But, they use coconut milk which is classified by the FDA as a tree nut (even though it's a fruit). Be sure to speak directly to a chef about this or any other special diets concerns that you have to ensure you feel safe consuming any item.

The dips/sauces included in the allergy-friendly bread service are all amazing. The regular line-up of dips are all gluten free & dairy free EXCEPT the cucumber raita which contains dairy. You can easily swap out a sauce and double-up on your favorite depending on your special dietary need.

We were both so thrilled that the allergy-friendly bread service was on the temporary allergy-friendly menu, as it's truly one of our favorite parts of any Sanaa meal. It didn't disappoint on this visit either!

Sanaa / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

For my entree, after a lot of debating on what to order (because everything is amazing at Sanaa), I decided to get the Sustainable Fish prepared with Geelrys Rice, Sukama Wiki, and Citrus Butter. It is marked safe for Gluten/Wheat, Egg, Peanut/Tree Nut, Shellfish, and Soy Allergies on the allergy-friendly menu. I believe it can be made dairy free. But, you'll want to speak with a chef about that option.

Overall, this was an outstanding dish. The fish was beautifully cooked and well-seasoned. And, the rice offered a sweet and sour twist that paired really well with the fish. It's a dish I've ordered many times. And, I would definitely get it again.

I do also love the curries at the restaurant too. So, be sure to check out some of the other options, like the Cilantro-Coconut Vegetables, which is so flavorful and delicious (and naturally gluten free & dairy free).

Sanaa - The Mac & Cheese in this Photo is NOT Gluten Free / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

For Brandon's entree, he ordered the Grilled New York Strip with Roasted Potatoes Vinaigrette, Harvest Vegetables, and Bain’s Butter. This dish is marked safe for Gluten/Wheat, Egg, Fish/Shellfish, Peanut/Tree Nut, and Soy Allergies. He also ordered a side dish of the kid's Macaroni & Cheese, which was made safe for Brandon's fish/shellfish, peanut, cabbage, hazelnut, and chicken & turkey allergies.

Usually the Sanaa menu has mashed potatoes listed as a side dish option, which Brandon usually gets in place of the roasted potatoes -- which he is not a fan of. But, Sanaa is not currently offering mashed potatoes during this time. So, he thought he'd give them another try. Like previous visits, he was not a fan of the seasoning and vinegar on the potatoes. He did, however, absolutely love everything else including the steak and mac & cheese.

Sanaa / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

During our visit, Sanaa was offering to-go/takeaway orders for their full menu. So, even though we dined in the restaurant, I asked if I could get a dessert to go. I debated back and forth between the Kheer (which is dairy free and plant-based and can be made gluten free) and the Triple Chocolate Mousse (which is gluten free as is but contains dairy).

Ultimately, I decided to get the gluten free Triple Chocolate Mousse and enjoy it in our room later in the evening. If you're gluten free, this is a fantastic dessert that isn't overly heavy but has great flavor. Thought not listed on the allergy-friendly menu, the restaurant almost always has seasonal Kulfi (ice cream) and tapioca pudding that are both usually gluten free (and the tapioca pudding is both gluten free & dairy free). So do be sure to ask a chef about options!

If you want to get more information about our visit to Sanaa, we did film our visit and included it in our Mini-Staycation video day 1 on our YouTube channel.

Overall

Sanaa has always been and continues to be one of my most favorite restaurants at Walt Disney World. With a menu that is extremely special diets friendly and delicious food, there's truly something for everyone on the Sanaa menu. It's definitely a restaurant that we recommend to anyone visiting Disney World for something unique and delicious.

Have you been to Sanaa? What was your experience dining there?

The Mara Lunch Review

*This gluten free dining experience took place in December 2019 and includes information about dairy free options too.

Lunch at The Mara

The Mara, located at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House, is a quick service restaurant that serves classic fast food fare with an African twist. It's long been one of my favorite resort quick service restaurants on Disney property. Recently, I had lunch at The Mara while my family was staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge on vacation.

Atmosphere

The Mara is named for a river flowing through Kenya and Tanzania. And, you'll see decor in the restaurant that follows this theme. In fact, as you enter the restaurant, you'll see touches of an African reserve, which leads you to the resort's pool area.

The Mara - Sign / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

I do love how charming the restaurant's interior is with wooden beams and light fixtures resembling trees.

The Mara - Interior / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

On this visit, I did not spend a lot of time in the restaurant because I took my lunch to-go back to my family's DVC villa. As you can see from the photo, the restaurant has a lot of theming, even in the ordering area.

The Mara - To Go Area / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

Because it was December, there were quite a few holiday decorations up too. I love this holiday wreath near the to-go station.

The Food

Like many Disney owned restaurants, The Mara does have an allergy-friendly lunch and dinner menu. You can also speak directly to a manager or chef trained to accommodate special dietary needs orders. I always recommend this if you have additional questions, multiple dietary needs, or want to see if items can be easily customized. On this visit, I spoke with one of the managers and also looked at the allergy-friendly menu.

The Mara - Allergy Ticket / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

On this visit, I didn't want anything too heavy, because my family was heading to the Magic Kingdom after lunch. With this in mind, I ordered the Mara Salad which is marked gluten free on the allergy-friendly menu. Once I ordered this with the manager, she gave me a pager and an allergy order form to take with me to the cash register.

Because I have been able to reintroduce dairy back into my diet, you'll notice I only had gluten listed. But, if you have multiple dietary needs, they will each be marked on the order form.

The Mara / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

On this visit, I opted for the Mara Salad which is marked gluten free on the allergy-friendly menu. I believe it could easily be made dairy free by omitting the feta cheese and possibly adjusting the dressing.

The Mara Salad was really excellent. It came with House-grilled Chicken Breast sliced over a bed of Mixed Greens with Red Onions, Lentils, Chickpeas, Cucumbers, Tomatoes and Feta served with Chili-Cilantro Vinaigrette Dressing on the side. I found the salad extremely hearty and very flavorful, and I would definitely get it again.

If you're dairy free, I recommend talking to a chef about options at The Mara. The restaurant does carry allergy-friendly chicken tenders which are both gluten free and dairy free, as well as sandwiches that can be easily made gluten free and dairy free too. On my most recent previous visit, I ordered the turkey and avocado club sandwich which was made gluten free and dairy free by swapping out the bun.

Overall

While it wasn't anything fancy, I really enjoyed the Mara Salad at The Mara. It was much heartier than I expected and a great lunch or light dinner option. The dressing was extremely flavorful, and I really loved all of the components together. I would definitely get this and many of the other unique quick service options at The Mara. It's a great go-to restaurant, especially if you're staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Have you been to The Mara? What did you enjoy when you dined there?

Sanaa -- Lunch -- Table Service -- Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village

*This dining experience took place in July 2014. As many of you know, Sanaa is one of my favorite restaurants on Disney World property. From the curries to the impressive bread service, I can't say that I've ever had a disappointing meal at Sanaa. It's a restaurant that might seem a little bit exotic but the food is prepared in such an approachable way that you can't help but love the African and Indian inspired flavors. It seems like I've been to Sanaa quite a bit lately (no surprise since it's such a favorite of mine) - from dinner with friends Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando and Jennifer from Gluten Free Go-To Guide in April to a recent lunch in June to check out the new menu offerings.  On this particular visit, I knew I wanted to get something different for lunch. I was given the special diets menus that are available at Sanaa, which you find on the menus page. While going over the menu, I was greeted by Chef Trish who is a terrific mainstay chef at Sanaa. It had been a while since I had seen her. I think the last meal I had where she was on-hand was the fabulous dinner she prepared for Laurie Sadowski & I in October during the dessert party weekend (vegan, gluten free "samosa" were amazing!) I mentioned that I was interested in the Sanaa burger on the menu, and she said they could work to make it gluten free and dairy free. She also talked about the new Local Oven buns that are now available at the restaurant, and how they toast them to make them extra tasty with the burger. She also mentioned adding a chutney to the burger and making a side salad that might pair well with it too. One thing I love about Chef Trish is that she knows how adventurous I am with food, so I can usually tell her to surprise me and get treated with something amazing. She is exceptional with flavors and pairings! There was a bit of a mix-up in the kitchen, and they accidentally served me a burger with cheese, which I noticed immediately. Somehow, while Chef Trish was preparing my salad, they made my burger only gluten free. Thankfully, we were able to sort it out, and they prepared my burger and sides promptly and safely the second time around. And boy, it was worth any bit of a wait. The burger itself wasn't anything to rave about. It was the traditional pre-formed beef patties you find at quick service locations. It makes me wish I had ordered the burger when it was the Bison burger before the menu change. However, the chutney made up for the ordinary burger.Served on a toasted Local Oven bun (which is good, though I still prefer Udi's buns), the chutney was fabulous. It was basically a modified version of their mango chutney which is one of my all time favorites that they serve at the restaurant. It was messy but worth it.I was also served roasted potatoes, made up of a blend of potatoes, including sweet potatoes. These were perfectly roasted and really delicious. The star was the salad. Made with a bright lemony vinaigrette, it wasn't over-dressed, and was perfectly seasoned. It was really fresh and vibrant and was a great contrast to the rest of the meal.   Overall, despite the slight hiccup, this was a fantastic lunch offering at Sanaa. I'm not usually a burger person, but this one was a nice twist with unique side options. I would definitely order it again.I'd give this a solid 8.5 out of 10.Have you been to Sanaa? What's your favorite item to order there?