Boma, Jiko, or Sanaa - which is better for kids?

[Meech Loves Mickey]

Hi,
We will be staying at AKL Kidani Village in July and want to have dinner at our resort our last night there.

Which has better atmosphere and food for kids? My boys will be 6 and 8.

I should note that we went to Boma about 4 years ago. I quite honestly don't remember much about it, except that it was a buffet.

I do not know anything about the other two except what is on the official site.

Thanks!

 

[minnie mum]

Jiko is their signature restaurant, and I think it has one of the quieter, more sophisticated atmospheres of the Disney signatures. The pace is also slower than the regular restaurants. So I'm not sure how your children would do, unless they are used to dining in comparable settings in your home city.

Sanaa is a personal favourite, but we like hot and spicy foods. The ambiance is certainly something that kids enjoy, but you will have to look at the menu to see what your family would like.

Boma is IMO the best buffet on property by a mile. Something for everyone, including the picky ones. But, like all buffets, it tends to be on the noisy side.

 

[Baklava]

I think a lot of that depends on what your kids like to eat. Mine are crazy for Indian food, so Sanaa was an easy choice.

 

[Meech Loves Mickey]

I think a lot of that depends on what your kids like to eat. Mine are crazy for Indian food, so Sanaa was an easy choice.

My older DS will try new things, but my younger DS is strictly a chicken nuggets, mac n cheese, pizza kid. But I see on the Sanaa menu, they have those kids meals.

What is the animal viewing like at Sanaa? Do you have to request a certain table for a view? (This is not a make or break for us, as we have a Savannah view room).
Thanks.

 

[minnie mum]

What is the animal viewing like at Sanaa? Do you have to request a certain table for a view? (This is not a make or break for us, as we have a Savannah view room).

There is no guarantee that you will get a window table, or even one across from the window tables. And if they are busy, they may not agree to requests to wait for one. If you must have one, try to book an ADR when the restaurant opens. Otherwise, there is an observation area just outside the check in podium that you can use before or after your meal.

 

[disneyktee]

For kids I would definitely say Boma, they can test out as many dishes as they want so your older one can be more adventurous but your younger one will be able to stick with mac & cheese & chicken tenders. Boma has great theming too!
We've always been able to get a window table when we've requested one at Sanaa but I can imagine you would be allowed to wait if there wasn't one available.

 

[OhThePain]

Do you plan on doing a resort day or pool day? If so, I would plan lunch at Sanaa one day and Boma for dinner on another... at least that is what we plan on doing for our upcoming trip.

 

[Meech Loves Mickey]

Do you plan on doing a resort day or pool day? If so, I would plan lunch at Sanaa one day and Boma for dinner on another... at least that is what we plan on doing for our upcoming trip.

This is going to be a pool day for us. Going to sleep in, head to the pool and just relax and hang out at the resort. This is our one night to have dinner at the resort. We check out the next morning and head to BLT.

 

[IamJBo]

Are your boys big eaters? If so - definitely Boma for dinner. That and they can try out the variety.

What time is dinner usually?

I liked Sanaa for dinner but I think it suits better for lunch because you can actually see the animals during the day.

I would rule out Jiko. I know I wouldn't have appreciated a place like that when I was that age but your kids might.

 

[cedricandsophie]

Jiko is my favorite restaurant at DW. Lovely food and wine but the usual kids menu. Staff is always kind. Yiu can request a seat at the kitchen counter and watch the cooking which the kids might enjoy. We personally didn't like Boma. I thought the food was over done and while there were interesting choices for a buffet it was still buffet food. Also it was quite loud and we felt rushed so they could get the next reservation in. Sanaa was good and enjoyable although we went at night so we couldn't see anything. I vote for jiko if you want a quiet lovely last evening.

 

[kiford]

Jiko tends to be a more quiet, leisurely kind of dining experience which I would say is probably more adult-oriented.

Boma is, I think, much more kid friendly, not just for the atmosphere but for the larger variety of foods that might appeal to those without adventurous palates.

Sanaa I unfortunately don't know - that's planned for next time.

 

[pixarmom]

I'd choose Jiko! A little background: we have three boys and we've been to all three of the restaurants you mentioned. Our kids range in age from 8 to 16, and their tastes vary from very adventurous to very picky.

I really enjoy Sanaa, but it's not a great fit for our pickiest eater. I always assumed Boma would be a perfect match for all the different tastes I mentioned, but we thought it was busy, crowded, rushed and none of us are crazy about buffets generally because it's hard to maintain quality with that setup. Even our oldest, who eats a wide variety of foods (and large quantities) didn't love it. Our pickiest eater really enjoyed one of the Boma soups, but that's all he ate - he's picky but too old for chicken nuggets.

On the other hand, Jiko has been a perfect mix of atmosphere (not too loud, but not super quiet) food (really outstanding) and kid-friendliness (CMs have been great, kids' menu is probably the best we've experienced on property for both variety and quality.) Our youngest found more to enjoy on the Jiko kids' menu than he did at Boma. When our youngest was tiny, we were in and out of Jiko in an hour by choice. In our experience, signatures don't take long if we're ready to order right away and don't order multiple courses. Just can't say enough about Jiko! We're staying at Poly next month, and we have a Jiko ADR on our last night!

 

[brinkley07]

We have had mixed meals at Jiko while Boma has been consistent every time. We love Boma and have stayed away from Jiko recently due to our experiences (the last time my DH got food poisoning so hard to convince him to go back). Sanaa is great, but I think it's either love or hate for most. We love it, but my mother didn't like it there. I do have a 2yo and he does well in all restaurants with all the food, so I think you will be fine at any restaurant based on kids meals alone. Overall I would choose Boma.

 

[Meech Loves Mickey]

Are your boys big eaters? If so - definitely Boma for dinner. That and they can try out the variety.

What time is dinner usually?

I liked Sanaa for dinner but I think it suits better for lunch because you can actually see the animals during the day.

I would rule out Jiko. I know I wouldn't have appreciated a place like that when I was that age but your kids might.

My older DS is a big eater. My younger DS, not so much.

Dinner that day will probably be early, as we will sleep in, have a late breakfast and prob just a snack that day. My guess is they will probably be ready for dinner around 4 or 5.

 

[Pepper pots]

Of all the signature restaurants we have tried, Jiko is our number one, will be back again this year, however with kids your age, I'd vote for Boma..Also tried Sanaa as we are big Indian foodies here in Scotland..Land of the curries..It was really nice but I had to ask for mine extra hot ( spicy ) It it hit the right spot, eventually as our server brought me the wrong meal..lol..

 

[ontheuptick]

We did both on our trip last month while staying at Kidani. I've an 8, 5, and 2 year old. They all loved both Boma and Sanaa, and I don't think you could go wrong with either for the kids. Pick based on what YOU want to do.

 

[katt789]

I would do Boma or Sanna.

Boma has more Americanized options, some that are slightly influenced and some that are very african influenced, and they've got the kids section of the buffet too. I'd say you'd get more bang for your buck here simply based on the "eat to win" thought and there's more choices, it's also much more African based.

Sanna is more Indian/African based, many more items you'd expect to find in India, such as the naan bread, curry, stuff like that. Still REALLY good food and great service, a little more pricey (maybe?) but still enjoyable!

Jiko is their signature restaurant so with 2 smaller kids I personally wouldn't do it.