Circle of Flavors: Harambe at Night

is a brand new dining experience at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

This progressive dinner is more than a celebration of the flavors of the African continent; it’s also a celebration of African music and culture and a vehicle to highlight endangered animals and animal conservation.

And because it’s set in the beautiful and meticulously designed Animal Kingdom, Circle of Flavors also gives participants a new perspective on familiar places all over the Park. That’s because the progressive dinner (a meal that builds as you move from location to location) travels from the train station in Harambe to Rafiki’s Planet Watch to Harambe Market.

At each stop, travelers will enjoy special bites and beverages, musical performances, and activities focused on five beloved African animals. So join us as we dine and dance our way in the Circle of Flavors: Harambe at Night.

First Stop: Harambe Train Station

Circle of Flavors guests check in for the event at the Harambe Train Station.

They receive a booklet with information about the dining experience.

Inside the booklet are pages highlighting each stop in the progressive dinner, including the final stations celebrating the Big Five African Animals.

Unfortunately we found that the food and drink information in the booklet didn’t always match up to the options available at each station. This might have been a first-night glitch, but just be aware that you might find food and drink items at stations differing from how they’re listed in the booklet.

But it’s a lovely booklet with beautiful artistic interpretations of the animals celebrated during Circle of Flavors, and if you love a unique souvenir, this will certainly add to your collection.

After checking in, the Circle of Flavors begins at Harambe Train Station where participants enjoy a welcome reception. A cast member is on hand to explain the progressive dinner and answer any questions diners might have before they begin.

The reception starts before you even enter the Harambe Train Station dining space!

On their way in, diners over 21 who wish to partake in the alcoholic offerings of Circle of Flavors are given a specialty drink: the Harambellini!

This bespoke drink is a combination of African sparkling wine and POG Juice! For those who know, you know. But for those who don’t, POG juice is a mixture of pineapple (sometimes passion fruit) juice, orange juice, and guava juice. It’s basically a tropical vacation in a glass, and you’ll find it in precious few dining locations throughout Walt Disney World (Boma and ‘Ohana are two such locales!).

If you’re not a POG juice fan, how dare you? (J/K LOL) But for the purposes of the Welcome Reception, you can just request a glass of the sparkling wine OR a glass of un-spiked POG juice. (Actually, because Circle of Flavors is all-you-care-to-enjoy, you could request one of each!)

The dining space inside Harambe Train Station is comprised mostly of high tables with no chairs inside the open-air station (where you’ll find more drinks and the first bits of the progressive dinner — more on this momentarily!).

But just beyond that area is another dining space, and this one has a few tables with seating on plastic chairs. If you’re enjoying the Circle of Flavors with your kiddos, they might like this seating area with a view of the Wildlife Express Train!

Entertainment is integrated into each dining spot during Circle of Flavors, and in Harambe Train Station, it’s music!

But of course, there’s food! The Welcome Reception is the first stop for eats and drinks! Cast Members are on hand to help at the bar.

Alcoholic Beverages include Harambellini, Beer (African with the exception of Bud Light), and Wine.

The options are on display, so peruse to your heart’s extent!

We opted for the white wine, which is served in these plastic cups. Throughout the evening we noticed most of the plating of dishes was eco-conscious, but all the drinks were in small plastic cups. (Worth noting since conservation is a theme here.)

Non-Alcoholic Beverages range from familiar to creative. Water and Iced Tea are straightforward options you’ll see both here in Harambe Train Station and at Rafiki’s Planet Watch.

The Kitamu Cooler is available at Harambe Train Station and Harambe Market (stop three on the dining tour). This combo of tropical mango and pineapple juices is infused with chipotle peppers.

You might recognize the Kitamu name from Harambe Market, but the drink itself is unique to Circle of Flavors. We enjoyed this, and the chipotle wasn’t overwhelming, so you might want to try a sip even if you’re cringing at the thought. 😉

As for food, Harambe Train Station offers a few menu items, all of which are all-you-care-to-enjoy and can be enjoyed by diners of any age. (The signs do denote dishes intended for the cubs and calves in your dining party, but anyone can try anything. It’s like Zootopia but with progressive dining.)

Kitfo is Mitmita-Spiced Ahi Tuna with Ginger Aioli. Mitmita is a spice mix traditional to Ethiopian cuisine that include peppercorns, cumin, cinnamon, and cardamom.

The ahi tuna is seared to retain the pink interior, and the aioli had a decent hit from the ginger. The slaw underneath the fish is a highlight, too, as it adds some good crunch. We weren’t looking forward to this, but it was surprisingly compelling.

Meat Pies are a hearty addition to the Welcome Reception’s bites. These are fried pockets of minced beef, and they’re served on a splotch of Tomato-Date Jam.

The flavors here are slightly spiced (think complex spice blends) and quite rich. But they’re small enough that they won’t weigh you down for the rest of your meal. (You’ll be grateful for this ’round about the third stop!)

Durban Chips and Dip are a satisfying addition to the Welcome Reception menu. Durban Chips derive their name from Durban, South Africa, where they’re basically fries. Here, they are supposed to include fried papadums (crispy, seasoned crackers), but on our first night visit, there were no crisps in sight. Instead, the Durban Chips and Dip utilized Honey-Glazed Focaccia Bread.

The bread was very reminiscent of the bread service at Tiffins over in Animal Kingdom’s Discovery Island. The dip here is Peppadew Hummus, and it tastes like roasted red pepper hummus. We enjoyed this, although it wasn’t super creative. Vegan diners: this one’s for you, though, so dig in!

For the kiddos (and the grown-ups!), there’s a cleverly named cheese and fruit cone called Charcutamatata Ndogo. (Try singing it — it’s pretty catchy!) This was a straightforward snack, and we’re happy to report that our grapes were firm. 😉

Also for diners of all ages, the Tofaa is a sweet (very sweet!) bite that consists of Granny Smith Apples coated in Caramel and drizzled with Chocolate. Why haven’t they thought of this before?!?

These were fun to eat, and they do have a bit of a tiger vibe with the stripes. We expect most kids (and adults!) will enjoy these, but they are quite sweet. Think caramel apple slice if it was entirely encased in caramel.

At check-in, adventurers receive their Boarding Pass — essentially their ticket to board the train and voyage to Rafiki’s Planet Watch for the next location of the progressive meal! Though our pass indicated a 6-6:15PM departure time, we were told we could board at any time.

And board we did! Strangely (or not — you’ll see why in a moment), the train was slower than usual as it bumbled along to Rafiki’s Planet Watch.

But since diners are welcome to bring their beverages along with them, perhaps that slow-moving train isn’t such a bad idea!

On the way to Rafiki’s Planet Watch, The Lion King gets some love. In fact, the recently-released film makes a few appearances during the Circle of Flavors.

Don’t forget to raise a glass to the rhinoceroses on the way by!

Second Stop: Rafiki’s Planet Watch

Rafiki’s Planet Watch is the second stop in this progressive meal and combines festive experiences and good eats. Let’s take a look at those experiences first.

It’s here that diners will have the opportunity to try the exclusive Kilimanjaro Safaris Virtual Reality Experience. This 360-degree VR activity allows guests to don virtual reality goggles and see Kilimanjaro Safaris as they’ve never viewed it before!

That’s because this VR Experience was filmed inside the lion habitat on Kilimanjaro Safaris. The VR Experience takes about five minutes, and cast members provide a little safety training beforehand (i.e. if you get dizzy, remove the glasses, hold the glasses to your face with two hands). If you enjoy the experience and want to have another go, just let them know!

In addition to this fun (and a bit disorienting!) VR experience, diners can also rub elbows with some real characters! Timon and Rafiki are on hand to greet their fans and take some snaps!

This is a fun way to interact with these beloved characters. No doubt this meet-and-greet is so entertaining there will be “nothing… the motto with you!”

For the kiddos, there’s a coloring station, too, complete with The Lion King activity books and a ton of crayons.

As for the space itself, it’s an open-air pavilion with covering to protect from the rain (it poured during our stop here!), so beware there’s really no reprieve from the Florida heat.

There are tables to accommodate both standing and sitting, plus benches here and there.

There are additional tables in an uncovered area, too. Such a pretty spot to dine!

Like the Welcome Reception at Harambe Train Station, there are plenty of beverages in Rafiki’s Planet Watch. There are two bars in this space, so bottoms up!

Here, two specialty alcoholic beverages are available: Wanjohi’s Dawa and Chief’s Shandy.

Chief’s Shandy was our favorite of the two. It’s Tusker Lager with Odwalla Lemonade, and it was light and refreshing without being overly sweet.

Dawa in Swahili means “medication” or “treatment,” and with its combination of tequila, pineapple, mango, and Ancho chile, Wahnjohi’s Dawa might be just the medicine you need for what ails you. (Of course, you’re having a great time, so what ails you might just be that you want a second glass! Or some snacks!)

We also grabbed a beer: the Tusker Lager commonly found in Animal Kingdom.

If you’re looking to enjoy an African beer on your dining adventure, this is a good one.

Non-Alcoholic Beverages include Odwalla Lemonade.

There’s also ice water which, given the heat in central Florida lately, is not a bad idea even though it’s not as exciting as some other options.

Rafiki’s Planet Watch stop had an Iced Tea station complete with sweeteners, lemon wedges, and bamboo spoons for stirring.

This stop also has the Duara Refresher, a combination of passion fruit puree, mint, simple syrup, lime juice, and ginger beer.

This tasty drink is heavy on the passion fruit, so if you’re not a fan of the fruit, you may want to give this a pass.

But we enjoyed it! There’s not much ginger beer flavor, so the fruity components carry the day here.

But you’ve worked up an appetite on your virtual safari with your new pals, so you’ll want to snack on some inspired eats!

The menu items here are snack-y; you’ll find entree-style dishes in the third and final stop at Harambe Market. But Rafiki’s all about those light snacks!

Kelewele are spiced, crispy plantains with biltong. Biltong is a dried, cured meat popular in South Africa, so although it looks safe, vegans and vegetarians take note.

In addition to the crispy plantains and bits of biltong, there are some dried fruits in the mix, too. We liked this; it had a lot of flavor, and the contrast between super savory jerky and fruits was interesting.

Trail Mix Bites are another tasty and snackable option listed “for adventurers of all ages.” These are super easy to eat and combine some classic flavors like honey, chocolate chips, and raisins.

The Bars are full of texture, too, from those South African Oats. These are likely a good option for kids who enjoy granola bars, although this is a next-level version.

The Sundowner Safari Mix is another light snack, this time with spice nuts, dried fruit, and candy-coated chocolate. It’s trail mix… with a twist!

This probably our least-favorite bite of the night owing to the spice mix on the nuts. For us, it didn’t work, and it didn’t stay on the nuts, so everything got a dusting of it. We wouldn’t get this again, but if you like spiced nuts (and dried fruit and candy), you’ll want to sample this.

Rafiki’s Planet Watch also offers a Charcutamatata — this one featuring traditional charcuterie elements of cheese, salami, prosciutto, and olives.

This version also includes marinated teardrop-shaped peppers known Sweety-Drop Peppers. These are a colorful and fun addition and offer some sweetness.

In addition to these offerings, diners could also grab bags of grapes and carrots identical to those offered as sides at quick service spots and as kids’ menu options. Unfortunately, for vegan diners, the packaged grapes and carrots (and the drinks!) are the only options at Rafiki’s Planet Watch.

After diners have their fill in Rafiki’s Planet Watch, it’s time for the big event — inspired by the Big Five African animals! For this, it’s back on the Wildlife Express Train and off to Harambe Market!

Third Stop: Harambe Market

Harambe Market is the culmination of your progressive dinner

, and here diners are invited to journey from station to station — eight in all — to try dishes and desserts inspired by five iconic African animals.

Although the Park is open during Circle of Flavors, Harambe Market was reserved space only for the event. So seating is the same as during a typical visit to Harambe Market.

It’s highly-themed to Animal Kingdom’s Africa and features some covered and uncovered seating, all open-air.

As the sun was beginning to set (and the rain clouds were persisting across the sky), the lights strung across the Market gave off a lovely glow. Thankfully the rain storm at Rafiki’s had petered off before we got to Harambe Market and held off for the duration of the event.

Each of the five Big Animal stations is served out of Harambe Market’s existing quick service windows. Diners place their orders with a cast member at the station, and food items are handed through the pass. Additional stations are set up throughout the courtyard with beverages, additional eats, and desserts.

When we arrived in Harambe Marketplace, we noticed two additional offerings at the entrance: Umbrellas and Merchandise!

The merchandise cart was fairly unobtrusive, and it featured items found elsewhere in Animal Kingdom. There was no Circle of Flavors-branded merchandise that we saw.

In addition to food, Circle of Flavors diners enjoy traditional music from Burudika, the Harambe Village street band.

There’s also a fun beading activity that lets diners create their own necklace or bracelet featuring tiny carved wooden animal beads of the Big Five!

Information is available about the custom of using colorful beads to create meaningful jewelry and clothing, and guests are invited to select the beads that have meaning for them.

The Big Five animals are represented in wooden bead form: Cape Buffalo, African Elephant, Leopard, African Lion, and Rhinoceros.

We went with the lion and beads for purity, peace, royalty, and wealth. Can’t hurt to cover those bases!

Beverage stations are located throughout the space.

Three specialty Alcoholic Beverages plus beer and wine are available.

The Talking Monkey is a combination of coffee liqueur, banana liqueur, and espresso-infused Snow Leopard Vodka. This was tasty and will be enjoyed by those who love a coffee drink!

The Safari Sunset is comprised of rum with strawberry, passion fruit, guava, and orange juices. The color is beautiful, and this was light enough to accompany the dishes at this stop without overpowering them.

The Marketplace Sangria was fairly standard: DMZ Rose with rooibos, citrus juices, and mint. It wasn’t the best sangria we’ve had, but it was relatively flavorful and refreshing.

Non-Alcoholic Beverages include Iced Tea and the Kitamu Cooler we tried in the Welcome Reception at Harambe Train Station.

The Duara Refresher was back, too, as well as ice water.

And Odwalla Lemonade made a reprise here, too.

The food stations in Harambe Market represent African Lions, Cape Buffaloes, Rhinoceroses, Leopards, and African Elephants. At each station, diners find a small display with information about the animal and a list of menu offerings. As we mentioned earlier, these menu items frequently differed from the listings in the Circles of Flavor booklet, so be sure to check the menus when you visit.

The African Lion Station

The African Lion Station is all about that carnivore life!

Menu items include beef and chicken — plus a kid-friendly item,

The African Lion Station ended up being our favorite of the night, with bold flavors and flavorful meats.

Hangar Steak is served up with Herb-Infused Mealie (corn), Chakalaka (tomato and bean relish), and a Red Wine Sauce. This was a tasty dish that will seem familiar to diners who’ve enjoyed meals at Tusker House or Boma, where these offerings are often found.

Tandoori-Marinated Chicken offers some dynamic flavor contrast with Kool Slaai and Mango Sambal. The ‘Kool Slaai’ is essentially cole slaw, and the creaminess balances out that slightly spicy and sweet Mango Sambal. Fingerling potatoes provide a starchy base.

Cubs at the African Lion Station can imbibe in Chicken Tenders. (Picky grown-ups: get yours, too!) These aren’t typical Disney Parks tenders with chunky breading; these have more of  cornmeal texture. Ask for some ketchup if you need it!

The Cape Buffalo Station

The Cape Buffalo Station features eats that “[carry] this spirit of abundance” and that blend flavors from across the continent.

At first glance, it’s clear that the Cape Buffalo Station is a colorful one, although the thread uniting these dishes isn’t immediately apparent. But perhaps that’s the thread; Cape Buffalo roam widely, and these dishes do celebrate that spirit.

Diners stopping at the Cape Buffalo Station will find flavorful Cape Malay Shrimp Curry with Sustainable Shrimp, Malay Green Coconut Curry, and Basmati Rice. We didn’t find this to be overly spicy, but it packed some good flavor! The shrimp were cooked well and maintained a soft texture. And the vegetables were a beautiful addition.

The Kachumbari is a tomato and cucumber salad with micro-greens, pickled red onion, and those Sweety-Drop Peppers. This was light and acidic, adding a lot of brightness to the spread. Definitely get this as an accompaniment to the Kofta Fritter (below). This is a flavorful vegan option.

The Kofta Fritter is a ball of plant-based ingredients fried dark brown. (That’s right: this one’s vegan!) It’s not much to look at (I mean, eek!), but it’s got strong seasoning that cuts through the fried-ness.

The pickled vegetables were just carrot in our case, but the tamarind-molasses-pomegranate sauce was a delicious accompaniment!

The Rhinoceros Station

The Rhinoceros Station celebrates these majestic, vegetarian grazers!

This station has four dishes, all of which are vegetarian and three of which are vegan. But they all packed in tons of flavor and will likely be enjoyed by even the staunchest carnivores!

The Vegetable Curry is a heavily-spiced dish that packs in the veggies! We spotted sweet potatoes, cauliflower, and chickpeas.

The curry here is strong, so you’ll want to be ready for that; but the thick sauce is so welcome and warming.

The Vegetarian Potato and Pea Samosas are fried pockets of tasty, spiced filling. Not unlike an Indian samosa, these largely carried the flavors of cumin and coriander but were not overwhelmingly spicy. We loved the contrast of the pickled vegetables, but the tamarind chutney was a little thinner than we’d like. It still provided some tart and sweet flavor, but we wanted something a little thicker.

African Fruit Fool is a Boma favorite, and here it’s a terrifically light and mildly sweet addition to the menu.

Fruit is served in a creamy mixture of heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk. It’s got the consistency of yogurt lassi, and it coats the citrus and apple nicely without being cloying. This is not vegan, but for vegetarians and omnivores, it is a light way to cleanse the palate for more savory eats!

The final dish at the Rhinoceros Station is a vegan Bunny Chow! Traditionally, Bunny Chow is spiced ground meat served in or on white bread. This version is made with Impossible burger, sweet potatoes, and veggies.

We enjoyed this a lot! Vegan or not, the warm spices and rich tomato-based sauce are satisfying, and the roll was soft and pleasant to eat.

The African Elephant Station

The African Elephant Station brings a little twist to the animal-inspired eats. In this case, Disney says their chefs were inspired by the work honeybees do to help preserve the African Elephant, and that’s why dishes here get a sweet treatment.

This station features four dishes, three of which have a sweet tilt “inspired by the Elephants and Bees Conservation Project.”

The Smoked Honey-Glazed Pork Belly with White Bean Puree, Caramelized Apple-Bacon Chutney, and Curry-Apple Gastrique is plate of balanced flavors and well-cooked meat.

The Pork Belly was delicious and tender, and the White Bean Puree is a good accompaniment with the texture of hummus (in a good way!). The chutney and gastrique worked to cut through the fat of the pork belly and rounded out the dish well. We really enjoyed this.

The Grilled Sweet Corn gives us all the street corn vibes! It’s coated in tangy citrus aioli, dusted in chili-lime spice (like Tajin), and covered in farmer’s cheese. If you love elote, you’ll definitely be into this!

The flavors are dynamic here, and while we’d prefer more of that spicy chili-lime seasoning, we still enjoyed this. Grab some napkins, though; it’s a (delicious!) mess to eat!

Another napkins-required dish: the Barbecued Ribs! These are thick and meaty ribs with a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce. Nothing creative going on here, just some tasty meat with sauce on it. But we didn’t hate it! (We do question its place at the Elephant Station; wouldn’t the Leopard or African Lion stations make more sense?)

The final dish at the Elephant Station is Macaroni and Cheese. Seems boring — and it’s really just straight-up creamy mac and cheese with white cheddar — but it was satisfying. And the simplicity played in its favor at a dining event with so many BOLD flavors.

The Leopard Station

The Leopard Station celebrates this vibrant hunter who’s not only fast on the ground but can swim and fish, too!

The dishes here represent to proteins inspired by the leopard’s hunting prowess… and a corndog. 😉

Here guests will dine on Sustainable Fish with Coriander-Fennel Slaw and Dhania Chutney (cilantro chutney). The fish was lovely in this presentation, but it did get lost a bit under the Dhania Chutney. If you’re not a fan of cilantro, you may ask for this one without the chutney, but we expect it would be pretty bland in that presentation. The Coriander-Fennel Slaw was an interesting, crunchy element that added some flavor to contrast the chutney. This wasn’t our favorite dish, but it was fine.

Grilled Lamb with Goat Cheese Polenta and Roasted Garlic Sauce was definitely the more flavorful option at the Leopard Station. We enjoyed the Roasted Garlic Sauce — which is quite garlicky, so be forewarned!

The Goat Cheese Polenta was pretty strong, so goat cheese-averse participants will want to skip the starch on this one. Or give it a try with the lamb, which we loved. This was actually our favorite dish in Harambe Market!

The Corndog at the Leopard Station is a standard option — nothing creative or innovative in the ingredients here. If you’ve got a kiddo (or a grown-up) who loves corndogs, get this. Otherwise, skip it for the hot dog cart we’ll get to in a bit!

Harambe Market Courtyard Station

The Courtyard Station also serves up a Boerie Roll with South African Farmers’ Style Sausage, Peppadews, and Pickled Vegetables.

We love a good sausage-and-peppers sandwich, and this one was great. It carried a good amount of spice, and the peppers and pickled veg really complemented the savory sausage. Love that grainy mustard, too!

The next Courtyard snack is African Spiced Popcorn. This savory popcorn features a spice mix that made for an interesting (in a good way!) bite!

Dessert Station

At the Dessert Station (also located in the courtyard), diners can end their progressive meal with a sweet treat (or several!)!

The Honey-Caramel Candy Bar with Crispy Pearls is a tasty, upscale candy bar that’s sweet on sweet on sweet. But we enjoyed the textures and flavors overall. The caramel here is similar to that used on the Tofaa in the Welcome Reception, too. If you don’t love chocolate, this dessert is probably going to be your go-to option.

Animal-inspired Cupcakes are a bit of a no-brainer, as Animal Kingdom is pretty well known for its animal-inspired (and animal-topped!) cupcakes. (We just took a look at the Elephant Cupcake recently!) But these are satisfying in their simplicity and flavors.

The Lion S’mores Pop with Chocolate and Graham Cracker Crumbs is a fun way to eat a classic treat! It’s a terrific take on the s’more and in a fun form for snacking at the end of a long progressive dinner! We didn’t get a ton of graham cracker flavor —  mostly chocolate — but that likely varies from lion to lion.

Also available are Chocolate-Covered Strawberries (a Disney Parks party staple). There were a few designs featuring different chocolates and additions (like these pink crispy pearls).

The Chocolate Pot de Creme has been a diner favorite, according to a chef we spoke with, but it wasn’t our favorite. This is rich chocolate mousse, chocolate brownie, crushed peanuts, and some Bain’s Cape Mountain Whiskey. It wasn’t bad — not by any means — but we thought it was too rich to be pleasant. You’ll want to try it, but plan to share if you can.

The Circle of Flavors also offers a few frozen treats! Barafu Frozen Treats come in two varieties.

The Blueberry Frozen Pop is a blueberry popsicle coated in dark chocolate that finds a balance between the sweet berry flavor and the bitter dark chocolate. This was our favorite of the two pop options.

The Passion Fruit Frozen Pop is a refreshing option: passion fruit popsicle coated in yellow-tinted white chocolate. The passion fruit is very strong; if you don’t typically like the fruit (like, a lot), you will not enjoy this pop. Skip it.

Listed as S’More on the menu, the next dessert is much more than its name implies. A toasted marshmallow cube accompanies a graham macaron (the filling is simple vanilla buttercream coated in graham crackers) and Alto El Sol Chocolate ganache.

Though this was creative (look at that ‘firey’ meringue in the center!), it was next to impossible to get all of the flavors in a single bite. The marshmallow is a separate element, and so the macaron and chocolate have to manage on their own. Overall it is tasty but it looked a little better than it tasted.

We were also happy to discover that the Circle of Flavors offered Shave Ice! Harambe Market is where you’ll find this shave ice on a typical Animal Kingdom day, so it was a fun addition to the party!

We went with the Asante Slushy, and it was perfect in its artificial flavor and syrupy sweetness. Skip this is you don’t need some icy refreshment in your life, but it’s a fun and simple thing with which to end your meal, too.

Note that there are two vegan dessert options you’ll need to request from a cast member at the station. These are Passion Fruit Tapioca and a Banana Cupcake with Chocolate Frosting.

Goodie Bag

As we left the event, cast members handed out Goodie Bags!

Inside were Join Our Pride cards reminding diners to learn more about how Disney cares for animals by visiting DisneyAnimals.com.

There was also a branded Wine Glass with Circle of Flavors: Harambe at Night on one side…

And Celebrating Disney’s The Lion King on the other!

And with that…whew! The evening was finished.

Logistics

Circle of Flavors: Harambe at Night will be held on select nights for a limited time

. The event begins at 6PM and ends at 9PM, so the Park is open during the event. Cast members did a good job of ensuring only Circle of Flavors diners enjoyed the event. If you’re looking to join the party, you’ll need to dig up $125 per adult and $99 per child (ages 3-9) plus tax (you’ll need separate Park admission, too!). But the event is all-you-care-to-enjoy, and the quality of the food is overall very high. Drinks contribute to the value, too, so if you’re going to partake in several alcoholic beverages (or drink your weight in Odwalla Lemonade), you’ll be able to justify the price even more. The added features — the exclusive VR experience, meeting Timon and Rafiki, kids’ activities, musical performances — also add a lot to the experience. Plus, a portion of the ticket price goes to The Lion King Protect the Pride.

As for whether it’s worth it: we say it may very well be. The food was top-notch, and there was TONS of it. The drinks were good, the entertainment was festive, and the service was outstanding. At every turn, we found chefs and cast members available to answer our questions. Cast members had information on hand about allergens, and because the crowd level was low for the event, there was plenty of opportunity to make necessary inquiries.

Overall, Circle of Flavors is really well done, and while we know there’s “more to see (and eat!) than can ever be seen,” for those who join in on the Circle of Flavors, it’s sure to be “a story worth telling.”

Will you participate in the Circle of Flavors?