We were due to switch air bnbs on my birthday so we made reservations for my birthday dinner at Jiko on the following Saturday. Jiko had recently reopened and we were excited about it.

We arrived at Animal Kingdom Lodge a bit early to walk around and have a drink at Victoria Falls. Then when it was time for our ressie, we carried our drinks in to dinner with us.

It’s been a while since then so I don’t remember the details, such as the server’s name, but she was very enthusiastic and thorough. She told us stories about the excitement and hugs the CMs gave each other when they reported back to work.

Rich was looking for a white wine to pair with his entree, so she recommended a wine for tasting and it was just what he was looking for. I had a South African red. She took our order and stopped by frequently to chat and joke around with us.

Maybe too much interaction because a few days later I tested positive for Covid. Two days after that, Rich did. We’d been so careful and this is the closest we’d come to interacting with anybody but it was also when that crazy contagious strain was making the rounds last summer.

Anyway, here are a few photos of our otherwise wonderful evening at Jiko. As I recall, I had the deliciously tender short rib and I have no idea what Rich had but probably some kind of fish. And everything was quite delicious! Disney does a great job at making your birthday feel special!