Pongu Pongu: A Pandora-World of Avatar Snack Review

Are you ready for a party in your tummy and on your taste buds? Or at the very least are you dying for a drink to cool you down on a hot Orlando day at Animal Kingdom? Lucky for you the geniuses at Walt Disney World have created a location in Pandora that can literally be translated into “party party” and I’m pretty sure they mean party for your taste buds.

Location

You can find Pongu Pongu in Pandora-The World of Avatar; the newest section of Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom. To get to Pandora, head to the left at the Tree of Life. The entrance to Pandora is just past Tiffins. When you enter the land, you can stay to the right to find this little gem. It’s nestled between Wind Traders (the souvenir shop) and Satu’li Canteen.

Offerings

Pongu Pongu has several beverages to cool you down in the constantly sweltering heat of Animal Kingdom. You can choose from one specialty non-alcoholic beverage, Night Blossom or water. There are three different alcoholic choices which include the Mo’ara Margarita, Mo’ara High Country Ale, and Hawkes’ Grog Ale. There is also one snack item, Pongu Lumpia, which is similar to a dessert spring roll. The Night Blossom, Bottled Water, and the Pongu Lumpia are all covered as snack credits on the dining plan.

An Honest Review

For this review, I tried the Night Blossom. I wanted to try the Pongu Lumpia, but the filling was cream cheese and chunks of pineapple. I don’t do well with large chunks of anything, so I decided to pass on that. The Night Blossom, on the other hand, has my name written all over it.

Night Blossom

This drink is a frozen, layered, non-alcoholic beverage that hits the spot on a super hot day. The layers taste like a combination on green apple, pear, and I’m pretty sure the tangy base is a pinkish/purplish limeade. On top you will find passion fruit flavored boba beads. I honestly thought these were just for decoration, but the cast member assured me they were worth trying. She was right! The little beads burst under pressure and the taste is pleasantly sweet, but not overly so. They are also slightly cool, which makes them even more refreshing.

This drink is honestly now my favorite frozen drink in all of Animal Kingdom, maybe all of Walt Disney World. The taste is tangy, yet smooth thanks to the mixture of flavors. It’s refreshing in so many ways that I find myself craving one every time I find myself out in the heat. The only downside to this drink is the paper straw. It made enjoying the boba beads very hard, but it’s easy to get over that when you know Animal Kingdom is protecting the environment and the animals with these straws.

Needless to say, those straws fit the overall theme for Pandora as well. So, I simply turned up the cup and enjoyed them and prayed I wouldn’t be wearing the majority of them. I can say I was mostly successful, except for one remnant that ended up on my lip for a WHOLE LIVE FEED video. Oh well, you live, laugh, and learn.

 Pongu Pongu: A Pandora World of Avatar Snack Review

Overall, I thought this small snack and drink stand was a fantastic addition to this new land. I was there very early to ride Flight of Passage and I was not ready for a full meal yet. A snack and refreshing drink were on my wish list when I exited that amazing ride and Pongu Pongu mostly delivered. The cast members were friendly and helpful and the service was quick. There are plenty of areas to sit carved into the rocks and areas around the stand and you can also find a seat outside of the Satu”li Canteen if it’s not crowded. If it’s lunch time or dinner time, you may not be allowed to sit there. I do wish I had tried more offerings, so I will be back. Of course, I will certainly be back to explore all of Pandora-World of Avatar.

Looking for more snack options in the Animal Kingdom? Find them HERE!

Let us know if you have tried the drinks and the Pongu Lumpia. Tell us which is your favorite in the comments section below or join us in our Facebook group, DISNEY EXPRESS LANE, and talk about everything Disney!

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Breakfast Options for Satu’li Canteen in Animal Kingdom’s Pandora Announced

Only a week away from the big premier of Animal Kingdom’s newest land and Disney Parks Blog just announces NEW breakfast options that will be available for the Satu’li Canteen! Click that link for a full menu of what the Satu’li Canteen will have to offer!

From Disney Parks Blog

Excitement over the debut of Pandora — The World of Avatar means that guests will be arriving early each morning when the new land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom opens.

Make a stop at fast-casual Satu’li Canteen, where a diverse menu will offer plenty of choices. On the savory side, there’s a hearty Vegetable Goat Cheese Frittata with Wood-Fired, Herb-Crusted Beef and Chimichurri; as well as Pork Shoulder Potato Hash with Chorizo Sausage and Natural Jus, or a Steamed Pod (bao bun) with Scrambled Egg, Bacon, Spinach and Pickled Vegetables.

If you prefer a sweet beginning to the day, try the Tropical Pandora Forest Fruits with Yogurt Muesli and Vanilla Maple Syrup; Steel-Cut Oats with Whiskey Raisins, Marcona Almonds, Goji Berry, or Cinnamon Swirl French Toast with Blueberry Cheesecake Dollop and Passion Fruit Anglaise.

For ages 9 and younger, there’s three tasty meals: Cinnamon Swirl French Toast with Blueberry Cheesecake Dollop and Passion Fruit Anglaise; a Scrambled Egg Steamed Pod (bao bun), and cereal and milk.

See you at Pandora – The World of Avatar soon!

Things to Remember

• Valid Animal Kingdom Park Admission is required.
• Satu’li Canteen is a quick service restaurant, meaning they will be accepting the Quick Service Dining Plan.
• Also just announced, was the brand new option of ordering your meal in advance through MOBILE ORDER.
• Pandora will officially open on May 27, 2017.
• For a sneak peek at the dessert options for Satu’li (yes, I KNOW that is everyone’ favorite!), check out: DESSERTS OPTIONS FOR SATU’LI CANTEEN.

Join our Facebook group, DISNEY EXPRESS LANE, for lots more Disney fun and news!

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Sneak Peek: Desserts From Animal Kingdom’s Satu’li Canteen in Pandora

A “sneak peek”? How about a “sneak taste”? OK, since that is not possible (yet…maybe one day, my Disney friends), a “sneak peek” will have to do! Disney Parks Blog has let us in on some tasty looking pictures straight from the Satu’li Canteen in Animal Kingdom’s newest land, PANDORA!

From Disney Parks Blog

While Walt Disney Imagineers are putting the finishing touches on Pandora—The World of Avatar, the Walt Disney World Resort chefs are using their own storytelling magic to create two special sweet endings for Satu’li Canteen, the new land’s fast casual restaurant.

“We watched ‘Avatar’ and noted that the Na’vi are in stellar shape – very lean, with beautiful skin and bright yellow eyes,” said Executive Pastry Chef Stefan Riemer. The Na’vi colors were the inspiration for the Blueberry Cheesecake with Passion Fruit Curd, a cream cheese and blueberry creation with passion fruit to connect to the film’s tropical environment.

Satu’li Desserts

The cheesecake tastes as delicious as it looks, with a combination of acidity from the passion fruit with bold blueberry and creamy cheesecake.

The Chocolate Cake with a Crunchy Cookie, Banana Cream and Goji Berries again takes its inspiration from the healthy Na’vi, as the chocolate bean would fit perfectly, says Riemer. “We used dark chocolate because it’s rich in antioxidants, then add a little crunch with a cookie wafer and the contrast of creamy mousse.”

The cake is topped with banana cream, made with a few simple (but delicious) ingredients: cream, white chocolate and bananas, with a little drizzle of lemon. “The chocolate-banana is a great flavor combination,” says Riemer. “Then we added goji berry on top – it tastes a little like a raisin, and we hydrated it with simple syrup. The taste of the goji berry with the banana cream and chocolate is a lovely balance of flavors.”

If these desserts seem fancy for quick service, it’s because Riemer’s philosophy is that desserts should always have complexity in flavor, taste, texture and color. “These desserts have flavors that our guests will recognize, but in smaller portions.” (He recommends that you savor the experience of each bite.)

Both upscale desserts were taste tested with kids and came out winners. “We got a thumbs-up for both desserts!” says Riemer with a smile.

Thanks to Disney Parks Blog for always keeping us up to date with delicious Disney Yumminess!

Tips

• The Satu’li Canteen will be a quick service credit on the Disney Dining Plan.
• Use a snack credit to try one of these delicious desserts!
• Park admission to Disney’s Animal Kingdom is required.

Please join us in our Facebook group, Disney Express Lane, for more Disney fun!

Photo Credit: WDW NEWS

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New Video: from Animal Kingdom’s Pandora: World of Avatar

As the days get closer to this brand new land opening in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the anticipation grows also! Disney World keeps us on the edge of our seats with all of this wonderful and exciting information! Pandora, World of Avatar will debut in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park on May 27th!

This mystical land will have two new attractions: Na’vi River Journey and Avatar, Flight of Passage. Also coming will be Pongu Pongu and the Satu’li Canteen! We can’t wait to taste this new land!

From Disney Parks

Today, we’re excited to share another look inside Pandora – The World of Avatar, which opens May 27, 2017 at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park at Walt Disney World Resort.

In this video from Walt Disney Imagineering, several members of the Pandora project team explain just how important research has been in bringing Pandora – The World of Avatar to life. Culture plays a huge part in the park’s other lands, like Asia and Africa. Therefore, researching a realistic culture that would exist on Pandora has been a priority.

In addition to culture, “placemaking” has also extended to designing what you will hear when you enter the new land. Get a closer look in this video!

This certainly is HUGE in the world of Disney and we can’t wait to visit Pandora, World of Avatar.

More Pandora

Wanting a little more Pandora info? Walt Express has it right here! Check it out!

• New video from Pandora
• Details Released for Pandora, World of Avatar
• Pandora, World of Avatar to OPEN May 27th!

Join us in our Facebook group, DISNEY EXPRESS LANE, to discuss this and much more Disney fun!

Photo Credit: WDW NEWS

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