Need help deciding with Animal Kingdom restaurants

[abbynlindsaysmom]

Hi all,

We have not been to Animal Kingdom park yet. We are planning to go on 3/31 for the early magic hours and staying until close (which says 6 that day). What dinner table service place do you recommend? I know there is Tusker House which has a character meal and also Boma which I always hear a lot about. I think one of them is in the hotel but if I make the reservation for after 6pm does that really matter if we go to the hotel? Is it far from the park? We are staying onsite at Beach Club and think we will probably drive our car each day we do a park. So...which place do you recommend we eat and are there any fun things you can tell me about the place? I read somewhere about some type of night vision thing? What is that? Thank you!

 

[Aaeolien]

I have heard and read great things about Boma. It is on my list for our next trip. The night vision thing you are talking bout is at AKL. There are cms placed around that have night vision binoculars and stuff to let you view the savannah after dark.

 

[KelleyK75]

Last time I went we did the character meal at Tusker House for breakfast. We had an early reservation and was let into the park before the public which was awesome as we could take pictures in front of the tree of life with no one around. I do recommend Tusker House. The food was really good and the characters were fun. I have heard great things about Flame Tree BBQ, but haven't made it there yet. We did lunch at a place near Harambe but the name escapes me. I think it had chicken tenders, burgers, etc. It was good. And we had dinner at Rainforest Cafe. I really like Rainforest, so I recommend it too. I think the food is good and the animals inside are cool.

In the park, Kilimanjaro Safari is definitely a must. It was really fun feeling like you were on an African safari. Rafiki's Planet Watch was really nice for my young nephews, and you ride a train out to it. And the Lion King show was really awesome! The other thing that is one of my favorites is Camp Minnie-Mickey. I really like how it is set up for the character meet and greets. We never made it over to the Dinosaur section as we spent our time doing the rest of the stuff but we are going to definitely check that out when we go in March.

 

[abbynlindsaysmom]

Maybe I should just stay at the park and eat at Tusker House? How much of a hassle is it to drive over to the restaurant?

 

[purple figment]

It's just a short drive to Animal Kingdom Lodge. Boma is at Jambo House. If you decide to drive over, I would make a Boma reservation for about an hour after you plan to leave AK. It's worth getting over there while it is still light out so you can go outside and see the animals.

Boma is one of Disney's more ambitious buffets with familiar dishes and additional offerings with African influences. Tusker House has similar food, but AKL is well worth visiting. After dark, you can go to the Uzima Savanna overlook (which is past the pool and spa) to see the animals through night vision goggles.

If you decide to stay in the park our favorite table service restaurant is Yak & Yet which has well prepared food and interesting decor. Tusker House is a buffet with characters at breakfast and lunch, but I don't think there are characters at dinner.

 

[DvF Diva]

IMHO, I liked Tusker House for character breakfast, but it is only really worthwhile if you're going to make the most of it by going on a morning *without* EMH such that you are one of the few people who get into the park before rope drop. Plus, if you finish breakfast before park officially opens, you can be one of the first on Kilimanjaro Safari, just 50 ft away, and avoid the long(er) lines which grow as the day proceeds. I've only been there for breakfast and it was similar to Crystal Palace, but with the added twist of some African and Indian inspired dishes. Plenty of choices for everyone.

We had lunch from Flame Tree BBQ and ate it at one of the pavilions overlooking the water. It was solid BBQ food. The seagulls were aggressive, though, and trying to grab our food. I think they got a bunch of fries!

IIRC, AK closes at 6p on 3/31. That gives you plenty of time to get over to AKL for a dinner at Boma. It is only about a 5 min drive without traffic. Probably add another 5 min to park (we've only taken the bus, so I don't know how to factor in parking). If you leave when everyone else it leaving AK, it would take longer of course.
Boma is a very extensive buffet with a LOT of choices. It was noisier than some places I've been, but it is joyously so. AKL lobby is just so amazing that it is probably worth eating at Boma just so you can be in Jambo House. And we tried to check out the animals before we left, but there were no night view binoculars or glasses to be had. This year, we're going to try Sanaa, over at Kidani, because you can apparently see the animals right outside the windows of the restaurant. I just wanted to try a different menu than Boma.

I don't know how late a dinner you can get at TH, but if the park closes at 6p, I wouldn't want to spend the last hour of my AK time eating. I'd prefer to do the park and then eat at Boma once park is closed. I think eating over in AK/AKL area is a good idea if you're staying closer to Epcot.

I did not weigh in on eating at Rainforest Cafe, only because we have one of those near us and I'd rather eat somewhere we can't get to easily.

Hope you have a wonderful time, whatever you decide!

 

[babsalot]

I've been to Boma, Yak and Yeti, Tusker House, and Rainforest Café. They are all very good for different reasons. Yak and Yeti is more upscale, but my daughter didn't complain about the white tablecloth, so all was good.

My favorite though is Boma, hands down. I'm a foodie, and I've vowed to make this one of the few restaurants I'll visit on every trip. They also have the best coffee in WDW, imho. (Of course that's not saying much when you consider that nasty Nescafe stuff at the resorts.)

 

[abbynlindsaysmom]

Thank you all! I think we will try for Boma at 7pm as the park does close at 6pm that day (we will do early magic hours that day) and then check out the animals as you have suggested. Thanks so much for taking the time to answer me!