It's like an African safari for your taste buds! Aug 2013 update 1/3 Tokyo Dining
- Thread starter librarygeek
- Start date
librarygeek
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2011
Isn't it funny... vacation food tastes better (even if it's awful) just because it's vacation food!!
I'm still in for the reviews!!
It really does! Yay for vacation food!
librarygeek
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2011
The Mara
Before I start, we had some good news - as you may have read in the intro, we suspected DH might have a shellfish allergy so he avoided it during this trip. However, he just went to the allergist and tested negative for shellfish allergy. The blood test also came back negative. So he'll be doing a "food challenge" where he'll eat some shrimp in the office just to make sure everything goes smoothly, and then he'll be approved to eat shellfish again! We still don't know what caused his allergic reaction but he's very excited about eating shrimp and crab again
We arrived at AKL around 10pm and were absolutely starving. Having missed our ADR for Sanaa, we headed down to the Mara for some food. DH started off the meal with the Lentil Sausage soup:
DH said that it was new and exciting for him, and much better than a lot of the generic American foods you get at Disney, so he was happy about getting to try something unique. He enjoyed it but said it may have tasted so good just because he was so hungry! He gave it a 7 out of 10.
For his main course he had the African Stew (hearty stew with beef, turkey, ham, carrots, potatoes, peas, chickpeas and raisins served over basmati rice):
His opinion on this was pretty much exactly the same as the soup. Unique, good, and he was starving so extra good. He gave this a 7 out of 10 as well and said that they were both really good for a quick service meal.
I had the chicken flatbread (with chicken breast, berbere sauce, mozzarella, corn and zhoug drizzle):
Again, another meal that tasted great but maybe partly because we were so hungry! I did enjoy the flatbread. It had some interesting, unique flavors. Unfortunately, there was one flavor on there that I just wasn't a fan of, but I couldn't pinpoint what it was. However, it wasn't enough for me to not enjoy the meal and I would give it a 7 out of 10. Last time I ate here I had the chicken pita, and I preferred that.
Overall the Mara gets a solid 7 out of 10 from us. I think it's a great, unique option for counter service when you don't want chicken fingers or burgers. We would happily eat here again!
Lentil Sausage soup - $3.49
African Stew - $7.99
Chicken Flatbread - $9.69
Total including tax: $22.55
Before I start, we had some good news - as you may have read in the intro, we suspected DH might have a shellfish allergy so he avoided it during this trip. However, he just went to the allergist and tested negative for shellfish allergy. The blood test also came back negative. So he'll be doing a "food challenge" where he'll eat some shrimp in the office just to make sure everything goes smoothly, and then he'll be approved to eat shellfish again! We still don't know what caused his allergic reaction but he's very excited about eating shrimp and crab again
We arrived at AKL around 10pm and were absolutely starving. Having missed our ADR for Sanaa, we headed down to the Mara for some food. DH started off the meal with the Lentil Sausage soup:
DH said that it was new and exciting for him, and much better than a lot of the generic American foods you get at Disney, so he was happy about getting to try something unique. He enjoyed it but said it may have tasted so good just because he was so hungry! He gave it a 7 out of 10.
For his main course he had the African Stew (hearty stew with beef, turkey, ham, carrots, potatoes, peas, chickpeas and raisins served over basmati rice):
His opinion on this was pretty much exactly the same as the soup. Unique, good, and he was starving so extra good. He gave this a 7 out of 10 as well and said that they were both really good for a quick service meal.
I had the chicken flatbread (with chicken breast, berbere sauce, mozzarella, corn and zhoug drizzle):
Again, another meal that tasted great but maybe partly because we were so hungry! I did enjoy the flatbread. It had some interesting, unique flavors. Unfortunately, there was one flavor on there that I just wasn't a fan of, but I couldn't pinpoint what it was. However, it wasn't enough for me to not enjoy the meal and I would give it a 7 out of 10. Last time I ate here I had the chicken pita, and I preferred that.
Overall the Mara gets a solid 7 out of 10 from us. I think it's a great, unique option for counter service when you don't want chicken fingers or burgers. We would happily eat here again!
Lentil Sausage soup - $3.49
African Stew - $7.99
Chicken Flatbread - $9.69
Total including tax: $22.55
sjs314
"Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, and
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2010
Great Update. I am almost afraid to show these foods to Bob since he s such a picky eater. He is always says he dies not like this or that based solely on how it looks, I might get him to try the chicken flatbread but not with the green drizzle, he doesn't like sauces or green foods lmao
I am looking forward to trying lots of new foods but I am the more adventurous eater.
I am looking forward to trying lots of new foods but I am the more adventurous eater.
RGirl
Change Is Good
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2010
Oh, really enjoyed your Mara review! I can't wait to stay at AKL one day - I love that it has some different and unique offerings. We have gone over for dinner on all three of our trips (Boma twice and most recently Jiko), but it would be so nice to have a good CS option as well. 
jedijill
Chiefs fan living in Bronco country
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2005
Off to a great start! I love going to the EOS in PHL when I'm there on business. A nice little piece of Disney for me since we don't have one here.
That delay was horrible! Not a fan of Detroit airport on a good day.
Glad your DH isn't allergic to shellfish! Hope they do figure out what he had the reaction to.
Jill in CO
That delay was horrible! Not a fan of Detroit airport on a good day.
Glad your DH isn't allergic to shellfish! Hope they do figure out what he had the reaction to.
Jill in CO
librarygeek
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2011
The Mara does have some "less adventurous" options too. I recall a burger as well as a pepperoni flatbread. So if you're looking for something different but he doesn't want something like that, you might be able to compromise there! And lol I get him on the green sauces - I actually don't like white sauces for some reason. I've just never been a fan of anything like ranch, mayo, cream cheese, etc. Nothing that they have in common really except the color!
Oh, really enjoyed your Mara review! I can't wait to stay at AKL one day - I love that it has some different and unique offerings. We have gone over for dinner on all three of our trips (Boma twice and most recently Jiko), but it would be so nice to have a good CS option as well.
The sit-downs are great too. Loved Boma and Jiko!
I agree, seeing EOS is like a magical little piece of Disney! And Detroit was definitely not a fun place to hang out for hours.
The only good thing was that they at least had outlets around so I could charge my phone and use my laptop.The stew was great, a took a bite from DH!
emmysmommy
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2010
I love lentil soup so that soup sounds great.
Isn't that annoying when you know there is just one small spice/ingredient that makes the dish taste funny when otherwise it would be fabulous?? At least that's me.
I walked through the Mara last trip just so I could see the place for myself. Unfortunately, I had just eaten breakfast so I didn't try anything.
Isn't that annoying when you know there is just one small spice/ingredient that makes the dish taste funny when otherwise it would be fabulous?? At least that's me.
I walked through the Mara last trip just so I could see the place for myself. Unfortunately, I had just eaten breakfast so I didn't try anything.
librarygeek
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2011
I love lentil soup so that soup sounds great.
Isn't that annoying when you know there is just one small spice/ingredient that makes the dish taste funny when otherwise it would be fabulous?? At least that's me.
Yes, it's so annoying! I'm guessing for me it was cilantro somewhere in one of the sauces. For some reason cilantro is really hit or miss with me - it can be in a dish and I'm totally fine with it, but other times I can't stand it. I'm guessing it might have something to do with how fresh it is and how strong the taste is, and if it's mixed with other things.
librarygeek
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2011
Cosmic Rays
DH and I were hoping to be able to try lunch at Be Our Guest (since we've enjoyed dinner there so much!), but the wait was over an hour long so we decided it just wouldn't be worth it. Instead we headed over to Cosmic Ray's.
I've had decent food there before, but we were disappointed this time around.
DH had the pulled pork sandwich with fries:
He gave it a 4 out of 10. His comment: "It was just pulled pork on a really crappy bun."
I had the grilled chicken sandwich with fries:
I would give it a 5 out of 10. Completely average, just your run of the mill grilled chicken sandwich. It would've been fine if not for those infamous Disney buns. They really do just crumble as you eat them. I ended up not even eating half the bun and just having the chicken because it was impossible to eat.
We did hit up the toppings bar too but weren't overly impressed with the options there. But just so you know, there were other things that were on the sandwiches even though they are naked in the pictures
On the plus side, I do like the atmosphere of Cosmic Ray's. We sat in the room with Sonny Eclipse and it was very entertaining! It would also be a good option if you have picky eaters in your group because they've got all your standard stuff. That being said, there's not really much that's incredibly interesting or different there, which is what DH and I usually like to try on vacation. We kind of ended up here more out of necessity than preference - we were in the area and hungry, and our friends wanted to come here. Overall Cosmic Ray's gets a 5 out of 10 this time around.
I accidentally threw out the receipt here so no prices, but it was standard quick service fees!
DH and I were hoping to be able to try lunch at Be Our Guest (since we've enjoyed dinner there so much!), but the wait was over an hour long so we decided it just wouldn't be worth it. Instead we headed over to Cosmic Ray's.
I've had decent food there before, but we were disappointed this time around.
DH had the pulled pork sandwich with fries:
He gave it a 4 out of 10. His comment: "It was just pulled pork on a really crappy bun."
I had the grilled chicken sandwich with fries:
I would give it a 5 out of 10. Completely average, just your run of the mill grilled chicken sandwich. It would've been fine if not for those infamous Disney buns. They really do just crumble as you eat them. I ended up not even eating half the bun and just having the chicken because it was impossible to eat.
We did hit up the toppings bar too but weren't overly impressed with the options there. But just so you know, there were other things that were on the sandwiches even though they are naked in the pictures
On the plus side, I do like the atmosphere of Cosmic Ray's. We sat in the room with Sonny Eclipse and it was very entertaining! It would also be a good option if you have picky eaters in your group because they've got all your standard stuff. That being said, there's not really much that's incredibly interesting or different there, which is what DH and I usually like to try on vacation. We kind of ended up here more out of necessity than preference - we were in the area and hungry, and our friends wanted to come here. Overall Cosmic Ray's gets a 5 out of 10 this time around.
I accidentally threw out the receipt here so no prices, but it was standard quick service fees!
RGirl
Change Is Good
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2010
Pretty mediocre CS experience there. That's too bad. You know, we have never eaten at Cosmic Ray's! And, actually, this last trip, I guess we didn't eat at a single CS place. I love Pecos Bill though - I think that's why we have never been to Cosmic Ray's.
minniebeth
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2006
Following along! I like your dining reports, you two are adorable 
We love AKL, I think they have the best overall collection of restaurants. They are all our some of our favorites! That chicken flatbread is a standby for us, my family always orders it to share along with a few other things. I personally love the zough (however you spell it...green drizzle)!!
We love AKL, I think they have the best overall collection of restaurants. They are all our some of our favorites! That chicken flatbread is a standby for us, my family always orders it to share along with a few other things. I personally love the zough (however you spell it...green drizzle)!!
librarygeek
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2011
I haven't tried Pecos Bill's yet! I've heard good things about Cosmic Ray's but it just didn't do it for us.
Following along! I like your dining reports, you two are adorable
We love AKL, I think they have the best overall collection of restaurants. They are all our some of our favorites! That chicken flatbread is a standby for us, my family always orders it to share along with a few other things. I personally love the zough (however you spell it...green drizzle)!!
Aw, thank you! AKL definitely has some fantastic restaurants - I think it's going to be my new go-to spot for dinner when we do an AK park day!
Welcome along! Glad you're here!
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2005
What is it with those sawdust-y Disney burger buns? I love a good chicken sandwich but avoid them at Disney for that precise reason.
I love the fact that Mara has the 'safe' options but also some of the more adventurous choices too
I love the fact that Mara has the 'safe' options but also some of the more adventurous choices too
librarygeek
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2011
What is it with those sawdust-y Disney burger buns? I love a good chicken sandwich but avoid them at Disney for that precise reason.
I love the fact that Mara has the 'safe' options but also some of the more adventurous choices too
I know what you mean - I've heard that complaint from a lot of places. Disney really needs to update their burger buns!
librarygeek
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2011
Splitsville
Although everyone had headed back to their rooms after our day in Magic Kingdom, we all planned to meet up again for dinner. The maid of honor had planned a fun evening starting at Splitsville for dinner. Some of the wedding guests had arrived during the day and would be joining us for the evening. The original plan was to bowl and eat, but a lot of people showed up late so we decided to just nix the bowling and only get food.
They sat us at a really nice round table that held about 8-10 people with super comfy chairs. For my meal I decided to get an appetizer instead of an entree. I went with the Parmesan crusted chicken tenders, but I asked for honey mustard instead of the ranch that it's normally served with:
These were very good tenders. They weren't huge, but there were a bunch of them and it was plenty for me for a meal. I would give them an 8 out of 10. I imagine that they would be a great appetizer for sharing with 2-4 people since you get a bunch of smaller tenders.
I also sampled some of the food that others had. I tried a bunch of the french fries since it came with people's meals and then they didn't want the fries. However, I did not take pictures of everyone else's food. It was a lot of people I didn't know and a lot was going on! So to make up for it I'll share a few pics from the last time I ate at Splitsville (sorry if you followed that dining review as well and have already seen these!).
Margherita Pizza:
Loaded Fries:
Overall I'd give Splitsville (food wise) an 8.5 out of 10. Everything I've had there so far has been really good. I haven't tried the sushi yet but I'm really hoping to soon! We love sushi, and now that it seems DH can eat shellfish again this will have to be toward the top of our list!
I don't have an exact amount of how much I spent here but the chicken tenders were $10 and I got a soda for around $3, so it ended up being somewhere around $15.
As a side note, DH went back to the Mara for dinner by himself this evening. He got the rotisserie chicken and said it was somewhat disappointing - not nearly as good as it looked in the picture. It was rather dry and not as flavorful as he was hoping.
Although everyone had headed back to their rooms after our day in Magic Kingdom, we all planned to meet up again for dinner. The maid of honor had planned a fun evening starting at Splitsville for dinner. Some of the wedding guests had arrived during the day and would be joining us for the evening. The original plan was to bowl and eat, but a lot of people showed up late so we decided to just nix the bowling and only get food.
They sat us at a really nice round table that held about 8-10 people with super comfy chairs. For my meal I decided to get an appetizer instead of an entree. I went with the Parmesan crusted chicken tenders, but I asked for honey mustard instead of the ranch that it's normally served with:
These were very good tenders. They weren't huge, but there were a bunch of them and it was plenty for me for a meal. I would give them an 8 out of 10. I imagine that they would be a great appetizer for sharing with 2-4 people since you get a bunch of smaller tenders.
I also sampled some of the food that others had. I tried a bunch of the french fries since it came with people's meals and then they didn't want the fries. However, I did not take pictures of everyone else's food. It was a lot of people I didn't know and a lot was going on! So to make up for it I'll share a few pics from the last time I ate at Splitsville (sorry if you followed that dining review as well and have already seen these!).
Margherita Pizza:
Loaded Fries:
Overall I'd give Splitsville (food wise) an 8.5 out of 10. Everything I've had there so far has been really good. I haven't tried the sushi yet but I'm really hoping to soon! We love sushi, and now that it seems DH can eat shellfish again this will have to be toward the top of our list!
I don't have an exact amount of how much I spent here but the chicken tenders were $10 and I got a soda for around $3, so it ended up being somewhere around $15.
As a side note, DH went back to the Mara for dinner by himself this evening. He got the rotisserie chicken and said it was somewhat disappointing - not nearly as good as it looked in the picture. It was rather dry and not as flavorful as he was hoping.
librarygeek
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2011
Splitsville seems like such a fun concept. I'm glad to hear that the food is actually pretty good.
Yes! It is a ton of fun. I love bowling and the good food makes it the perfect spot for a fun evening/dinner.
Share this page
GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE
Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.
Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.
Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
