$40 for a 10yo at Boma? Seriously?

[x5x5x5x5x5]

I had no idea Boma was $40 per person. We've been there several times but it was many years back. I always enjoyed our meals there but in no way shape or form would I pay $40 per adult - much less a 10 year old. I would skip it. You could probably go to Jiko and have a better meal for less money because you could try different apps and or split entrees.

 

[jessica29]

We made the mistake of eating there based off of rave reviews, 110.00 for breakfast (4) not even characters, c'mon! My husband made the mistake of say my newly 10 year old was 10 at the counter checking in, and prices were uped for peak time. The food was terrible, mostly typical offerings, and what was unique to the buffet, was not food we liked. I would rather do one of the character buffets for better food. Even our service was subpar. Going there was ppp on my part

 

[robinb]

Yes, we are in the same boat. I don't know when we will start going back to TS buffet restaurants without the free DDP. My picky vegetarian birdlike eater simply does not eat $40 worth of flat bread, fruit, and desserts at Boma. It's really too bad since it's one of our favorites.

 

[thej]

Boma's has a lot of vegan foods and a huge selection of foods and have been there about 4 times and no way have tried everything yet. a 10 year old should be on adult menus if ala carte dining. Kona's grill in the Poly is very good and is all alacarte as well as Sanna's in AKL...

Sanna is an Awesome idea Thanks for suggesting it. Jiko would just be a bit over the top for our last night since we have an ADR for Ohana the next morning as our "Last Meal" before we leave for home.

Now I need to go find how close Kindai and Jambo are... I've no idea. Time for google maps!

 

[thej]

Questions of worth aside, as a note, the price on AllEars includes the seasonal upcharge. I was there just last week and the adult cost, including tax, was closer to $35, or $32.99 before tax. Not much of an improvement, but still. (It's one thing I HATE about the AllEars menus...).

Hmmm, thanks for pointing that out. I hadn't considered that the pricing might have the holiday up-charge on the AllEars menu (which is indeed where I looked). $33ish is a bit better, but this will be the full marathon day, so who knows. Maybe that's a peak time now too After all, gotta load up after the marathon is over.

In any case though the more I think about it, the more I just want to stick to a breakfast if we are going to do a buffet. We'll keep our breakfast at Ohana the following morning. It was the highlight of our trip a few years ago, and I know kiddo will enjoy himself and eat enough Bacon to make the (lower) price tag bearable.

 

[twinboysmom]

Sanna is an Awesome idea Thanks for suggesting it. Jiko would just be a bit over the top for our last night since we have an ADR for Ohana the next morning as our "Last Meal" before we leave for home.

Now I need to go find how close Kindai and Jambo are... I've no idea. Time for google maps!

You can walk it in about 10-15 minutes. Not sure if you mentioned a car or not but it's a very quick drive.

 

[GBBTomorrow]

I have always thought charging a ten year-old as an adult is extremely unreasonable policy. It would seem to make more sense to have two children's rates, say from 3 to 8 or 9 years old for one, and from 8 or 9 to 12 for a slightly higher rate. As a parent of two now who count as adults and eat tiny amounts of food, I'd feel a lot better about an arrangement like this. I would think the good will would go a long way.

 

[Haley]

It's expensive but it's just because you are eating at Disney World IMO-- it's like buying a $8 hot dog at a ball game or buying a $6 soda at the movies. It's personal opinion whether it's "worth it" or not.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

But now I'm ready to give up all buffets until kiddo is older... Anyone else in the same boat?

I totally agree with you! It's a buffet, without a show or characters, why so much? Because Disney can charge that much and people pay it. So for several years, we chose not to do Boma, and I missed it but several in our traveling party had kids that ate 4 chicken nuggets and 2 zebra domes and they weren't going to cough up $ 40 + tax and tip for it. Understandably so, even though some will argue that some 10 year olds eat more than most grown men but with as many threads about picky eaters as I find on these boards it's hard to believe.

I can somewhat justify those high costs for a character dinner or for Hoop De Doo review, but just for food I think it's unreasonable.

 

[fromscratchmom]

...but several in our traveling party had kids that ate 4 chicken nuggets and 2 zebra domes and they weren't going to cough up $ 40 + tax and tip for it. Understandably so, even though some will argue that some 10 year olds eat more than most grown men but with as many threads about picky eaters as I find on these boards it's hard to believe...

With our friends and the campouts we go to with other homeschoolers, I've seen kids run the whole spectrum from eating so little meal after meal I worry they'll faint to more than any 5 adults put together. And some kids eat the one way half the week and the other way the other half. just the reality. It is hard to plan how much a child will eat. It makes it impossible for restaurants to plan that all kids are the ones who only eat dessert plate size serving of jello and croutons and might as well be free. (had a picky cousin who ate that way till I don't know what crazy age) People just have to plan for their own family and decide for themselves.

I'm generally a bit of a cheapskate at home but when we took our Disney trip I was determined to avoid all unhappiness I might cause myself over wrestling with my cheapskate gene or having to listen to my husband freaking out because of his. I bought the dining plan and I ignored the menu prices. I think DH watched them but he only commented to say we had gotten a great deal and he was no longer feeling like I spent too much on the dining plan.

I was determined and I constantly reminded myself my kids are often good about trying and liking new foods and that if they had a light eating week or a picky phase all of a sudden I'd just cope and move on. AND I reminded myself that I wasn't going to force them to eat those same old same old kids menu choices while husband and I got to eat well even if the servers made me pay OOP! And we all ate what we wanted all week, which didn't involve very many sad little plates of fast food happy meal look alike stuff but was actually impressive stuff at several of the restaurants. And couldn't have been happier with the way we handled it or how it turned out.

I had been a bit apprehensive that some server somewhere would want our youngest to only eat those kids meals at some point that she was asking for variety like any good eater, which would have been sad given the ones I saw. But they all worked very nicely with us. It helped me and my cheapskate nature immensely that I have great memories of my parents taking my brother and I out to nice restaurants and always enjoying it whether I felt like my same old favorite tomato soup or I felt like looking over a menu and ordering a regular meal like anyone of any age might. To this day it makes me smile to remember how my dad taught me to order my steaks. I used to always say "pink and done" and I loved steak even as a skinny little 4 year old.

 

[TDC Nala]

Some adults go to the buffet at Boma and eat three chicken strips and a zebra dome. They still have to pay the buffet price. It's the nature of a buffet. WDW has 10 as its lower "adult" age limit for tickets AND dining -everything except paying the extra adult charge at a resort.

Really about all I think the dining plan is good for these days is giving the illusion that you're not paying real money for your meals, because you've already paid for them (as well as a few "free" snacks and desserts thrown in if the credits are used to their fullest). DDP can also be a major bargain for children at buffets - not so much for adults. Disney's well aware of the psychological effects of the dining plan. It's part of the reason they are cranking up buffet prices.

 

[LSchrow]

unfortunately, just like ticket prices, they had to put the cut-off somewhere.
i really enjoy boma, but eat very little in general. my intake in an entire day is usually 1/2 a sandwich (with crust removed) and a bite or 2 of something in the morning. aside from lots and lots of coffee, that's it - and probably a lot less than most 10 year olds
we rarely go to buffets now, because it's just not worth it for us.

at least with restaurants, one can opt to go to a non-buffet and only pay for what one eats. despite the fact that we only do 1 or 2 attractions a day, we still pay the same ticket price as the many 10yo's who go on almost every attraction. we still have the option of not going tho, so the choice is there (like there is a chance we won't go back)

 

[nilseks]

Totally agree with PP on the 'psychological effects' of the DDP. December will be our first time going with a child as an 'adult' (DS is 10). He is an average eater but not very adventurous and sometimes if he's tired, he doesn't want to eat. The thought of DH scrutinizing the bill at every meal and having internal min-strokes about the pricing when DS doesn't eat was too much for me to bear. We would rather sit there and think "oh well at least this was all paid for 5 months ago" and not have to worry about it.

That said, when we were making our dining reservations, I sat down and made a spreadsheet of every place we were going to eat, what I thought DS would pick off the menu, and priced it all out. *IF* he were to be charged as an adult at the buffets but eat a kids meal at all the other TS restaurants, we would have saved about $15. But if he were to order off the regular menu even once, we'd be at a break even. So why not just have the peace of mind?

 

[mrzrich]

I really wish Disney would have a "junior" rate for DDP and Buffets. Kids under 16 but over 10 maybe?

Even if they had to have a "Junior" Menu at TS to keep the cost in check in relation to a lower DDP rate, I would be OK with it. (Maybe some kiddie foods like Chicken fingers for the picky kids and a few items that reflect the restaurants theme for the more adventurous tween.)