Dinner meal ideas close to AK

[FirstTimeDisneyDad]

Hey All,

Looking for a restaurant reco for dinner after our day at Animal Kingdom on Tues. Dec. 12th.

We have 3 kids under 10 that would no be considered adventerous by any stretch. We are on the DDP.

My initial thought was to do something at AKL - but worried that Jiko is not worth the 2 credits with the kids and Boma's reviews seem to be middling at best.

Anything else that we should be considering - at AKL or otherwise?

Keeping in mind that experiencing Christmas decorations would be an added bonus to the resort trip.

Thanks!

 

[wolf29]

My 8yr old is super-picky and he LOVES Boma! The whole experience of taking some time to explore the DAKL and then eat @ Boma is well worth it.

 

[DVCconvert]

I agree on Boma - otherwise for closeness it would be the stuff out on 192 all of which can be found elsewhere (chains).

 

[lojikal1]

I would agree... Boma's menu is very different but because it is buffet you little ones can try everything and then pile on whatever they thought was tasty the first time...

 

[Sandy321]

and Boma has children's items as well - I think french fries and chicken nuggets -

and dd enjoyed walking around at AKL as well -

 

[mcd2745]

The one potential problem with eating dinner at AKL after a day at AK is getting back to your resort. You'll have to do a park/DTD transfer - which can take a long time. Something to consider.

 

[Disney Princess]

Where are you staying? What are your plans for the evening after AK closes?

We've never tried Boma, so I can't recommend that you go or not go there. I probably wouldn't do Jiko after the park since it is a signature. I personally would want to clean up after the park before eating there.

If you can, I'd head home after the park, clean up, rest, etc. and head back out. You can go to DTD for dinner that night and shop, or head out to a different resort. We love the decorations at WL and GF. You could pick a restaurant at either of those hotels (Whispering Canyon, GFC). If you pick WL, you can take the boat to Contemporary and then explore all the monorail resorts and their decorations.

We also love the decorations at BW. You could eat ANYWHERE in the Boardwalk resort area or at YC/BC. Then enjoy the evening exploring the resorts and watching the entertainment.

If you are headed to a different park that evening, plan your dinner at a resort near that park. If you aren't going to a different park, plan to eat near a park that has late hours so you can take advantage of the transportation. (You can't go to Epcot from the Boardwalk area though unless you use a park ticket. Going to DHS works easily though.) If you don't want to worry about transportation, you can always get a cab to/from your resort to wherever for dinner.

I know this didn't give a specific idea, but maybe it'll get you thinking about some other options.

 

[Sandi]

We love Boma's and try to go during every trip. We've taken children who aren't adventuous eaters, but gave some of the different foods a try. Because it's a buffet, you can take a little bit of many different things to try. Then, as a PP mentioned, there is the children's buffet with the standard chicken fingers and pasta.

We've also love Jiko, but that is not somewhere you'd want to go with tired children. It is an event in itself.

Sanaa is fine, but not our favorite of the the AKL restaurants. I don't believe little kids would like it -- though it's cool to see the animals.

 

[Sandy321]

The one potential problem with eating dinner at AKL after a day at AK is getting back to your resort. You'll have to do a park/DTD transfer - which can take a long time. Something to consider.

well, depending on closing time of parks - I found it faster to go to a park say Epcot - and then transfer to a bus to Pop from there...(and if we have park hoppers, we'll go in the park and do one ride, then go back to the resort - or go to MK and see wishes, then back to the resort -

we often play the, lets get on the first bus that comes - and decide once the bus comes what we'll do!

 

[ready123go]

The one potential problem with eating dinner at AKL after a day at AK is getting back to your resort. You'll have to do a park/DTD transfer - which can take a long time. Something to consider.

We've done this a few times. It's not too bad.

 

[Gonzo82]

Boma is awesome, as is it's in-park cousin Tusker House. Both buffets offer your standard kid's choices (mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, ect) and have items that sound exotic, but don't really taste all that different from what you might be used to (the meats at the carving stations, for example, are only very lightly spiced).

 

[FirstTimeDisneyDad]

Wow - lots of great feedback, thanks!

In terms of transportation, we are staying at POR - so I was thinking about taking the bus to DTD

We are going to DHs the next morning - and plan to be there early, so we would eat around 5 PM, be done and on the road by 6:30 and back to our resort by 8:30 at the latest in my mind.

Lots of love for Boma...great to here.

We have lots of other days/evening to explore the other resorts - including the monorail ones, so if I couldn't find a suitable choice down by AK, we would probably use that night to eat at Boatwright's at the resort.

Any other ideas close to AK?

 

[DEA]

Sanaa is a bit of hidden gem, in my opinion. They have Indian food with an African spin (a light one) for the adults, and they have a very nice kids' menu, including a sustainable fish and the best kids' pizza on WDW property. They make it fresh with naan bread dough and a lot of mozzarella. If you get a table by the windows, you can get a great view of the animals; it's an experience you can't get at other Disney restaurants. My daughters love that part of the meal, the breads and dips, and the kids' entrees. I like the fact that they actually keep pushing the envelope in creating good meals. When was the last time you heard of a Disney restaurant bringing on spicier menu items? Sanaa did in the year since our last visit.

 

[disneymommy78]

We love Boma!

It has something for everyone! There are some standard fare items for picky eaters and then more African inspired items for adventurous eaters. The Christmas decor at AKL is absolutely incredible.

 

[ready123go]

The three restaurants in the AKL area are Sanaa, Boma & Jiko. Other than that you could try for an early dinner in the park at Rainforest Café (don't know if they do DDP), Yak & Yeti or Tusker House. Alternatively, you could take the bus from the park to DTD and get dinner there. That way you would have more choices. Then just grab the POR bus back. It would cut down on your travel time, so you could get some rest before the morning...

 

[Silver Queen]

We are big fans of Boma and Sanaa. A trip to Jambo and Kidani is a great experience, particularly the animal views from the dining room at Sanaa, but since you're going in December it will get dark pretty early so you probably won't see much.