Let’s go on an adventure to the place where the giraffes gallop around, the bongoes are played, and the wine is surprisingly VERY good. Yes, I’m referring to the Animal Kingdom Lodge!

I was both pleasantly surprised and curious when my husband told me he made us a reservation to do a wine tasting at “Jiko- The Cooking Place” at Animal Kingdom Lodge. We are both avid wine drinkers, but most of the wine we drink comes from the US, Europe, or South America. Of all the countries that Disney showcases, I was intrigued what South Africa would have to offer for a wine tasting.

We showed up to Jiko at 3 PM when the tasting was scheduled. We were brought into the dining room, where we shared the entire restaurant only with the 5 other couples who were joining us for the tasting. Our hostess for the afternoon was Shellie, a bubbly sommelier who was very knowledgeable about both the wine and restaurant industry.

The tasting consisted of 3 wines paired with 4 cheeses. Shellie went into elaborate detail of the history of our wines and also the South African wine industry in general (which WDW is very much a part of!) We discussed as a group the different notes and flavors we were experiencing, along with which cheeses we liked with each wine.

We spent the earlier part of the day at Animal Kingdom. We saw lions and elephants during the Kilimanjaro Safari, we rode Expedition Everest, and even saw the Festival of the Lion King, which I believe to be the second greatest live show in all of WDW (second to Beauty and the Beast Live) You would think the highlights of our day came from our morning. But nothing was greater than leaving the crowded and hot theme park and tucking ourselves away into a cool, QUIET, dark restaurant to enjoy some truly fine wine with only a few other adults.

Following our tasting, we meandered around Animal Kingdom Lodge. We found some comfy chairs outside and watched as the giraffes until our buzz wore off.

To make reservations, call Disney Dining or log into their app or website.