The first thing on your mind when you arrive at Animal Kingdom bright and early is probably getting to Flight of Passage. Unless you have a FastPass for it, you can try your luck at the park opening to try and get on the ride with a somewhat reasonable wait (no 180 minute nightmares). But after your ride on the back of an Ikran (or as we call them, a banshee), the next thing on your mind is most likely breakfast.
A day at Animal Kingdom requires a good deal of walking and you will definitely need a solid breakfast to prepare for the day. Whether you trek through the jungle, venture out on safari, time travel, or encounter a yeti, you’ll want to make sure you have a proper breakfast. It just so happens that Animal Kingdom has a number of places to find breakfast (or breakfast items) to get you started.
Our 10¢
Animal Kingdom doesn’t have as many breakfast options as Magic Kingdom, but the options have improved in the last couple years (though we’re still waiting for them to bring breakfast back to Satu’li Canteen in Pandora).
Quick-service locations don’t open during Extra Magic Hours in the morning and if you’re thinking of making a breakfast reservation for a table service restaurant, we recommend making it towards the end of the Magic Hour so you can take full advantage of that extra hour only available for resort guests.
No one wants to spend their morning looking for breakfast, only to find many dining locations don’t open until lunch. That would be a very frustrating way to start your day at the park and no one needs that on vacation. Here’s where you’ll find morning eats at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and what to expect.
6 – Isle of Java 
Technically Isle of Java isn’t really much of a breakfast spot, but you can find coffee here and for some, that’s all they need for breakfast so we thought it was worth including on the list.
This little counter serves brewed coffee, cappuccinos, flavoured hot chocolate, espresso and Elephant Ear Pastry, which is a perfectly suitable vacation breakfast. Unfortunately, Disney Dining Plan credits are not accepted here, so if you’re on the Dining Plan you may want to head over to Creature Comforts.
Overview
Location: Discover Island
Quick Service Counter
Disney Dining Plan: Some items available for Snack Credits
Price: $14.99 USD and under
5 – Creature Comforts 
If you’re a Starbucks fan this is where you’ll want to head in the morning. Creature Comforts is the Starbucks location in Animal Kingdom. You’ll find all your favourite Starbucks drinks here as well as some snack options only available at Animal Kingdom, such as the Cotton Top Tamarin Cupcake. Something unique about this location is for every flat white purchased a portion of the sale will go towards preserving the endangered Cotton Top Tamarin in South America. Similar to Kusafiri Coffee Shop & Bakery (see below), Creature Comforts also offers the colossal cinnamon roll in addition to the specialty cupcakes.
Overview
Location: Discovery Island
Quick Service Restaurant
Disney Dining Plan: Some items available for Snack Credits
Price: $7.99 USD and under
4 – Rainforest Cafe 
The Rainforest Cafe has two locations on Disney property, one near the front entrance of Animal Kingdom and the other at Disney Springs. To be be completely honest, we never think of dining at the Rainforest Cafe at Disney. That may be partly due to having a location close to us in Niagara Falls, but we also want to experience restaurants unique to Disney. However, if you don’t have a Rainforest Cafe near you, you may find the experience and theming very attractive.
The restaurant has wild animal animatronics (very simple, only a couple of movements so don’t expect the shaman from Na’vi River Journey here), lush greenery and aquariums throughout the dining areas and a ‘thunderstorm’ every 22-minutes. The restaurant has dim light and a bustling atmosphere as it attractions a lot of families and there’s an animal soundscape. If you have a child who is sensitive to a busy and loud atmosphere or who may not like the large animal animatronics, this may not be an enjoyable dining experience for them.
The breakfast menu is sizeable with classics like Eggs Benedict, omelettes, but they also have items like Pie of the Viper, a Mexican inspired breakfast plate and a cranberry waffle.
We think there are better breakfast and dining options in general out there when at Disney but we know people, especially kids (and kids at heart), who have had great dining experiences here.
Overview
Location: Main Entrance
Table Service Location: Reservations recommended
Disney Dining Plan: 1 Table Service Credit
Price: $15-$34.99 USD
American Fare
3 – Kusafiri Coffee Shop & Bakery 
The big draw here is the enormous cinnamon roll that’s big enough for two people to share. It’s served warm and is easy to pull apart. It’s different than the roll you’ll find at Gaston’s. This is more of a flat-size-of-a-dinner-plate roll.
Coffee is also served here and a couple heartier breakfast options like the spinach quiche and the sausage and eggs biscuit, plus pastries. It’s a quick service window and is perfect for grabbing something quick before you head over to Kilimanjaro Safari. Our tip is to head over to Tamu Tamu Refreshments to find some seating.
This is another spot where Dining Plans are not accepted.
Colossal Cinnamon Roll
Overview
Location: Africa
Quick Service Counter
Disney Dining Plan: Some items available for Snack Credits
Price: $7.99 USD and under
African & American Bakery Cuisine
2 – Tusker House 
Tusker House is a character dining experience and buffet. The setting is a Harambe Marketplace, though all dining takes place inside.
The breakfast is called Donald’s Safari Breakfast so you’re sure to see Donald Duck. We have consistently seen Donald, Mickey, Daisy and Goofy but of course that is subject to change. The characters are decked out in their safari outfits and stop by your table for photos and to say hello. There is also a little musical parade led by Daisy through the dining areas and the children are all welcome to join her.
The breakfast buffet has offerings that include African inspired dishes, classic breakfast items as well and some delicious desserts and pastries. They also serve our favourite Jungle Juice, which we can never get enough of.
Tusker House is one of our personal top character dining meals and buffets, you can find out more about dining here in our Tusker House review.
This a great spot to use a dining credit and we think it’s the perfect way to start your day at Animal Kingdom.
Overview
Location: Africa
Table Service Location: Reservations recommended at 180 days
Character Dining Experience
Disney Dining Plan: 1 Table Service Credit
Price: $35 – $59.99 USD
African & American Cuisine
1 – Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafes 
If we’re not at Tusker House, we’re probably heading to Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafes for a quick breakfast. On a whim we once tried breakfast here and were surprised how much we liked it! There’s a fair bit of outdoor seating for this location, but you might want to send someone ahead to find a spot out of the sun.
Ryan and I both love the bacon and egg sandwich served on Challah bread and a side of hash brown bites. Those little bites are so delicious they might be what keeps us coming back. Most of the options are a variation of a breakfast bowl or a sandwich, but they’re solid and filling breakfast options. It’s also across from a Joffrey’s so I like to grab a coffee there to have with breakfast.
It may not sound like much, but we consider Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafes to be a bit of a hidden gem, especially when it comes to breakfast.
Bacon & Egg Breakfast Sandwich
Overview
Location: Asia
Quick Service Restaurant
Disney Dining Plans: 1 Quick Service Credit
Price: $14.99 USD and under
Asian & American Cuisine
The Bottom Line
There aren’t a ton of breakfast options at Animal Kingdom, but we think Tusker House is a terrific table service option and Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafes is a great quick service option. It’s also helpful to know where you can grab a quick bite or a coffee.
Keep in mind the opening hours of the park and dining locations do vary seasonally so check My Disney Experience for hours.
If you’d like to take a look at breakfast in another park, check our our Breakfast at Disney World – Magic Kingdom Edition
We’d love to hear your favourite breakfast spot in Animal Kingdom, let us know in the comments!
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