Guests staying at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge this week may have to change part of their normal resort routine.
The Mara, the resort’s quick-service dining location, has temporarily closed its food court and dining room for maintenance. The closure began September 21 and is scheduled to continue through September 25.
Fortunately, Disney isn’t completely shutting down food service at The Mara. Guests can still order food through the My Disney Experience app during the maintenance period.
Even so, losing access to the restaurant’s regular dining space could make a noticeable difference for guests staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge.
The Mara Is Closed for Five Days
Disney has scheduled the maintenance period for September 21 through September 25.
During those five days, guests cannot use The Mara’s food court and dining room as they normally would. Disney has also warned that visitors may see or hear maintenance activity in the area during daytime hours.
There hasn’t been any indication that Disney is making a permanent change to The Mara. This appears to be a straightforward maintenance project with a relatively short turnaround.
Still, the timing matters for anyone currently staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge.
The Mara isn’t simply another restaurant on Walt Disney World property. It serves an important purpose for hotel guests because it gives them a casual option without requiring a traditional table-service meal.
That’s particularly useful during a Disney vacation, when plans can change quickly.
Guests may decide they want breakfast before heading into a park. Others may return to Animal Kingdom Lodge late in the evening and want something to eat without sitting through another lengthy meal.
Normally, The Mara helps fill that gap.
Mobile Ordering Remains Available
Disney has found a way to keep food available despite closing the physical food court and dining room.
Guests can place mobile orders through My Disney Experience during the maintenance period.
The Mara typically operates between 6:30 a.m. and 11 p.m., making it useful throughout virtually the entire day.
Keeping mobile ordering available should prevent this closure from becoming a much bigger problem for resort guests.
However, the experience isn’t quite the same.
Part of the appeal of staying at a Disney Resort hotel is having food nearby. Guests can usually walk downstairs, grab something to eat, sit down, and then continue with their plans.
With the dining room unavailable, guests will need to adjust that routine.
For families staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge for several nights, those small changes can add up.
The Mara Plays an Important Role at the Resort
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge has become particularly well known for its restaurants, but The Mara serves a different purpose than the resort’s table-service options.
It is designed for convenience.
The restaurant serves American and African-inspired fare, and its name comes from the Mara River, which flows through Kenya and Tanzania.
Its quick-service format also gives guests more flexibility.
You don’t necessarily need to build your entire evening around eating there. Instead, The Mara can work around everything else you’re doing.
That makes it especially useful after a long theme park day.
When guests return to their hotel exhausted, many aren’t looking for another elaborate dining experience. They want food, somewhere comfortable to eat it, and then a chance to relax.
For five days, that experience at The Mara will look different.
Normal Operations Should Return Soon
The good news is that guests aren’t looking at an extended closure.
The Mara’s food court and dining room are scheduled to remain closed only through September 25.
Barring any change to that schedule, the restaurant should return to its normal setup following the maintenance period.
Until then, guests staying at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge should be prepared to use mobile ordering and make alternate plans for where they will eat their food.
It’s a relatively small Disney World closure compared to attractions that disappear for months or restaurants undergoing major renovations.
For the guests affected by it, however, it can still matter.
When you’re spending an entire day walking around Walt Disney World, having an easy meal waiting at your hotel is one of those conveniences you may not appreciate until it’s temporarily unavailable.
For Animal Kingdom Lodge guests this week, The Mara remains an option for food, but the familiar experience of walking into its food court and sitting down for a meal is temporarily on hold.
