Picnic in the Park

Description

Picnic in the Park is a food pick-up service offered at the Animal Kingdom to enhance the counter service dining options in the park. Guests order a picnic lunch (see options below) at the Picnic in the Park podium at either Guest Relations or Island Mercantile at least two hours in advance. The exact pick-up time can be specified when you order. When your time arrives, the meal is picked up and paid for at Dino-Bites in Dinoland U.S.A. or the Kusafiri Coffee Shop & Bakery in Africa. The package includes the meal, utensils, and a map of picnic spots (see below) in a reusable bag. You then take your meal to one of several picnic spots to enjoy.

Note that the meals are priced by the number of people they are supposed to feed. Disney Dining Plan counter service entitlements can be used to pay for the meal. One adult entitlement will be used for each person that Disney thinks the meal will feed.

The picnic program is divided into two tiers, offering either sandwiches or a choice of ham or rotisserie chicken. Depending on the meal size, a number of side dishes, desserts, and bottles of Dasani water are included. The full listing of options can be viewed at AllEars.Net.

History

Picnic in the Park was introduced in April, 2009, perhaps in response to the unforeseen (it was in the middle of a recession, after all) high crowds during the Easter season that year. It was modified in November of that year and now is expected to be a seasonal offering only.

Review

Picnic in the Park offers a ton of good-quality food for a reasonable price. The sandwiches are interesting and large, and each "piece" of rotisserie chicken is actually a leg or breast quarter (we haven't tried the ham). Each side dish is a full pound of comfort food, and the desserts are all portable in case you just can't find room for it after all that meat. The Tier 2 meal for "three" with two sides for $30 is more than enough food for our family of five (three kids), and we can't come close to feeding them for that little anywhere else in the parks. The only downside is the lack of beverage choice, but the Dawa Bar is only a short walk away from the Tier 2 pickup location, and Restaurantosaurus is close to Dino-Bites. This new option only solidifies the Animal Kingdom's place as number one at WDW for quick service dining.

Touring Tips

• If you are the kind of person who has to eat lunch at lunch time, opt for this instead of Flame Tree Barbecue, since you won't have to worry about lines.
• Plan your visit to Africa or Dinoland U.S.A. around your pick-up time. During busier times of the year, this may mean sending a runner to get FASTPASSes for Kilimanjaro Safaris, Dinosaur, or Primeval Whirl early in the morning.

Hidden Mickeys