Hi Vonda, and welcome to planDisney!
I know that it seems like your vacation is eons away, but it’ll be here before you know it. So, it’s great that you’re already planning ahead to maximize your fun. Let’s get into everything you need to get those Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse hugs at Tusker House Restaurant.
It’s super important to make advance dining reservations for table-service experiences, especially character dining opportunities like
Tusker House Restaurant. You can make them up to 60 days before your arrival date (plus 10 days if you’re staying at a Disney Resorts Collection hotel) in the
My Disney Experience App, online, or with a Cast Member via the
dining hotline.
I love that you can make reservations for restaurants that are inside the Disney Parks even if you haven’t gotten a theme park ticket yet. However, yes, by the time of your dining reservation, you will need valid entry into the theme park that the restaurant is in. In your case, you will need valid admission to
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park in order to dine at Tusker House Restaurant.
Because you’ll spend an hour to an hour and a half eating to your heart’s desire (the food there is AMAZING) and talking and dancing with some of your favorite Disney characters, I recommend that you get to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park as early in the day as you can and stay as late as you can. I like to start my day at
Kilimanjaro Safaris because the animals are very active during the cooler mornings. Then I love watching the sunset over
Expedition Everest at the end of my day.
AN EXTRA GEM: If you will be in the area of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, but you don’t want to purchase a theme park ticket, consider dining at
Rainforest Cafe Animal Kingdom (it’s outside of the entrance of the theme park) or visiting the nearby Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. This Resort hotel has some of the best food you’ll have on property, and you’ll dream about the bread service at
Sanaa for months.
I hope that you have an amazing time, Vonda! If you have any additional Disney vacation planning questions,
give us a holler here at planDisney. Any of the panelists will be more than happy to lend a Mickey hand.
Magic always,
LeAndra