tiggerbell
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2003
- Messages
- 2,721
CHAPTER 8: "BOMA" or "Feed Me, Im Starving, Again!" Still Saturday, April 28, 2007
Thank heavens I read so much about the zoo that is check-in outside Boma! I would have had a panic attack if I would have had to enter that crowd not knowing what I was doing.
Madness, I tell you, madness!
Now, I didnt know the layout of the hotel at that time, but of course, I do now, so heres the problem with the crowd I dont know the actual directions, so Ill make Jiko NORTH to help explain this. The room you wait in has Jiko north of you, past the doors that lead outside to the pool and The Mara Food Court so theres traffic running EAST-WEST and WEST-EAST in and out of those doors. Just SOUTH of those doors is the room, lined with benches, here you wait for Boma. Check in for Boma is on the WEST wall. The line to check in runs right through the center of the room. On the SOUTH side of the room is the entrance to Boma and part of the waterfall/stream that runs from the lobby to the pool. On the EAST side of the room, you have public bathrooms and a staircase that leads up to the bar and, eventually, the lobby. So there are people going up and down the stairs and in and out of the bathroom ALL AROUND the big line of people down the center of the room trying to check in. The people on the benches are trying not to have their feet stepped on and get sick of looking at tushies.
Could that be any clearer?
This picture was taken sitting on the NORTH side bench- it shows the SOUTH side of the room - looking into Boma. Those 2 blurs on the right side of the picture are being led into the restaurant. The people on the left, bent over, are getting food from the buffet.
Still sitting on the bench - the bathrooms are in the alcove all the way to the right of this picture (EAST) - the stairs lead to the bar.
Again, thank heavens I was prepared I dont do well in crowds. Ive been known to run out of restaurants in town just to breathe!
So, we get called
I get us checked in with a big "Jambo", and they have run out of pagers. I really wish I could remember the check in girls name she was gorgeous! I believe she was from South Africa??? - I dont know blonde and so sweet! She said to wait without the pager, it would be about 15 minutes, or I could come up in a few minutes and see if they have any back yet.
We got very lucky to snag a bench and we waited about 10 minutes before I got too worried. What if they forget about us? What if I never get called? What if they call us and we cant hear them over the mob?
So I waited until the desk was clear and I went back to her for a pager.
They had some now I had been watching people get called She remembered my name, despite having helped about 20 people in the last 10 minutes. Nice. I told her I just worry about missing our call and she agreed completely, said she would have come back up for a pager too!
It was only a few minutes after that when we were called to dinner. About 8:20, I think. Thats why I wanted to check in early, because I knew from reading that theyd be running late for seating.
We were seated at a table right by the buffet line, near the soups. We ordered our beverages (the three of them drank more iced tea on this trip than Ive ever seen consumed!). I debated the Blue Glow-tini, but I find I eat less when I drink when eating well, we cant have that, can we?
A lot of my food and drink choices this trip were influenced by trip reports and the food porn thread. At Boma, I heard you have to try the Carrot-Ginger soup. And, any Disser worth her ears knows about the Zebra Domes. Well, any Disser whos going to stay at the AKL, that is!
FROM THE TOP: Yes, that's the fabled Zebra Dome... yum! Didn't want to be too full to enjoy them, so I got one with my first plate! Next to it is a brown and yellow lump: bobotie. Thought it looked like chili on cornbread, but it was a meat and cinnamon-ish item - tasty. Prime rib - suppose that needs no explaination. Chicken - extremely flavorful! Under the chicken is nut-crusted salmon: I liked it, Rhonda was not a fan. The little round, brown balls at the bottom of my plate are fallafels (wow, that's spelled wrong!) with a yogurt sauce. Holy Cow - I have died and gone to heaven!!! They are like husdh puppies and, according to a chef at The Mra later in the week, vegetarian. Sshhh... don't tell my body I gave it veggies! Next to that is a white item - coconut rice: not what you'ds expect... but not bad. Up in the top, right corner is a bowl of carrot-ginger soup. Very good and sweet, eventually it becomes too much. A few spoonfuls are enough.
I was all about the veggies THIS trip! At the top - your basic salad WITH mango vinegrette - ain't I exotic??? Potato salad to the right and 3 kinds of hummus with flatbread at the bottom. I so wanted someone with me who got this saying when I came back to the table:
"hummus. I got the hummus."
Desserts. Top: cherry crumble - I pronounce this to be yumble. Banana bread with vanilla sauce: Rhonda like, me no like; some kind of apple thing I thought would be good, it was not; alcohol-laced chocolate mousse: freakin' excellent!; strawberry tart: pasty soggy, strawberry boring; and in the middle: flourless chocolate cake: eh, didn't have the "yo" factor for me, dawg.
After dinner, we went outside to go to the Mara for refillable mugs for the trip. All the AKL mugs had been replaced by "Year of a Million Dreams" mugs. We asked about the AKL mugs and were told they didnt have any they had all been pulled for the YoMD mugs. Well, thats an issue. I wanted the mug as a souvenir, not for the refills. So did the other 3 women. Disney lost a $50 sale on mugs.
While we were talking to the cashier about the mugs, I asked how the counter service credits worked. She told me they allow you 1 entrée, 1 beverage, and 1 dessert for a CS credit BUT, you can use a snack item as your dessert. So, you get an entrée, a beverage, and any item thats under $4. Sweet! And breakfast is only an entrée and a beverage.
After that, we decide to head out to the viewing area behind the lobby, as weve been here all day and have yet to see an animal at the resort! I can not believe a giraffe didnt handle our check-in!
So we go to the Kojpe, and guess what? Its dark out! Well, they can make out some animal shapes in the darkness I really can not. There may have been a zebra-shaped lump out there, but other things they were seeing were just rocks to me.
We wander a bit and talk to a couple of CMs, I give them my "jambo" greeting, which they return, and tell them "asante" and "kwa heri" (thats the pronunciation, not the spelling!) good-bye.
We return to our rooms with the plan to meet back up at about 7:30 for breakfast at The Mara and a bus to EPCOT! We unpack, get ready for bed, and lights out by 11:00, I think!
HIGHS: Getting to stay at a new resort (a DELUXE one, at that!); getting Sandy on Expedition Everest; seeing the Finding Nemo musical; keeping a promise to a turtle; eating at Boma
LOWS: Not having connecting rooms; the refillable mugs not being AKL mugs
COMING UP: SUNDAY, APRIL 29, 2007 Do You Hear Jungle Drums??? [post=18689385]CLICK HERE[/POST]
Thank heavens I read so much about the zoo that is check-in outside Boma! I would have had a panic attack if I would have had to enter that crowd not knowing what I was doing.
Madness, I tell you, madness!
Now, I didnt know the layout of the hotel at that time, but of course, I do now, so heres the problem with the crowd I dont know the actual directions, so Ill make Jiko NORTH to help explain this. The room you wait in has Jiko north of you, past the doors that lead outside to the pool and The Mara Food Court so theres traffic running EAST-WEST and WEST-EAST in and out of those doors. Just SOUTH of those doors is the room, lined with benches, here you wait for Boma. Check in for Boma is on the WEST wall. The line to check in runs right through the center of the room. On the SOUTH side of the room is the entrance to Boma and part of the waterfall/stream that runs from the lobby to the pool. On the EAST side of the room, you have public bathrooms and a staircase that leads up to the bar and, eventually, the lobby. So there are people going up and down the stairs and in and out of the bathroom ALL AROUND the big line of people down the center of the room trying to check in. The people on the benches are trying not to have their feet stepped on and get sick of looking at tushies.
Could that be any clearer?
This picture was taken sitting on the NORTH side bench- it shows the SOUTH side of the room - looking into Boma. Those 2 blurs on the right side of the picture are being led into the restaurant. The people on the left, bent over, are getting food from the buffet.
Still sitting on the bench - the bathrooms are in the alcove all the way to the right of this picture (EAST) - the stairs lead to the bar.
Again, thank heavens I was prepared I dont do well in crowds. Ive been known to run out of restaurants in town just to breathe!
So, we get called
I get us checked in with a big "Jambo", and they have run out of pagers. I really wish I could remember the check in girls name she was gorgeous! I believe she was from South Africa??? - I dont know blonde and so sweet! She said to wait without the pager, it would be about 15 minutes, or I could come up in a few minutes and see if they have any back yet.
We got very lucky to snag a bench and we waited about 10 minutes before I got too worried. What if they forget about us? What if I never get called? What if they call us and we cant hear them over the mob?
So I waited until the desk was clear and I went back to her for a pager.
They had some now I had been watching people get called She remembered my name, despite having helped about 20 people in the last 10 minutes. Nice. I told her I just worry about missing our call and she agreed completely, said she would have come back up for a pager too!
It was only a few minutes after that when we were called to dinner. About 8:20, I think. Thats why I wanted to check in early, because I knew from reading that theyd be running late for seating.
We were seated at a table right by the buffet line, near the soups. We ordered our beverages (the three of them drank more iced tea on this trip than Ive ever seen consumed!). I debated the Blue Glow-tini, but I find I eat less when I drink when eating well, we cant have that, can we?
A lot of my food and drink choices this trip were influenced by trip reports and the food porn thread. At Boma, I heard you have to try the Carrot-Ginger soup. And, any Disser worth her ears knows about the Zebra Domes. Well, any Disser whos going to stay at the AKL, that is!
FROM THE TOP: Yes, that's the fabled Zebra Dome... yum! Didn't want to be too full to enjoy them, so I got one with my first plate! Next to it is a brown and yellow lump: bobotie. Thought it looked like chili on cornbread, but it was a meat and cinnamon-ish item - tasty. Prime rib - suppose that needs no explaination. Chicken - extremely flavorful! Under the chicken is nut-crusted salmon: I liked it, Rhonda was not a fan. The little round, brown balls at the bottom of my plate are fallafels (wow, that's spelled wrong!) with a yogurt sauce. Holy Cow - I have died and gone to heaven!!! They are like husdh puppies and, according to a chef at The Mra later in the week, vegetarian. Sshhh... don't tell my body I gave it veggies! Next to that is a white item - coconut rice: not what you'ds expect... but not bad. Up in the top, right corner is a bowl of carrot-ginger soup. Very good and sweet, eventually it becomes too much. A few spoonfuls are enough.
I was all about the veggies THIS trip! At the top - your basic salad WITH mango vinegrette - ain't I exotic??? Potato salad to the right and 3 kinds of hummus with flatbread at the bottom. I so wanted someone with me who got this saying when I came back to the table:
"hummus. I got the hummus."
Desserts. Top: cherry crumble - I pronounce this to be yumble. Banana bread with vanilla sauce: Rhonda like, me no like; some kind of apple thing I thought would be good, it was not; alcohol-laced chocolate mousse: freakin' excellent!; strawberry tart: pasty soggy, strawberry boring; and in the middle: flourless chocolate cake: eh, didn't have the "yo" factor for me, dawg.
After dinner, we went outside to go to the Mara for refillable mugs for the trip. All the AKL mugs had been replaced by "Year of a Million Dreams" mugs. We asked about the AKL mugs and were told they didnt have any they had all been pulled for the YoMD mugs. Well, thats an issue. I wanted the mug as a souvenir, not for the refills. So did the other 3 women. Disney lost a $50 sale on mugs.
While we were talking to the cashier about the mugs, I asked how the counter service credits worked. She told me they allow you 1 entrée, 1 beverage, and 1 dessert for a CS credit BUT, you can use a snack item as your dessert. So, you get an entrée, a beverage, and any item thats under $4. Sweet! And breakfast is only an entrée and a beverage.
After that, we decide to head out to the viewing area behind the lobby, as weve been here all day and have yet to see an animal at the resort! I can not believe a giraffe didnt handle our check-in!
So we go to the Kojpe, and guess what? Its dark out! Well, they can make out some animal shapes in the darkness I really can not. There may have been a zebra-shaped lump out there, but other things they were seeing were just rocks to me.
We wander a bit and talk to a couple of CMs, I give them my "jambo" greeting, which they return, and tell them "asante" and "kwa heri" (thats the pronunciation, not the spelling!) good-bye.
We return to our rooms with the plan to meet back up at about 7:30 for breakfast at The Mara and a bus to EPCOT! We unpack, get ready for bed, and lights out by 11:00, I think!
HIGHS: Getting to stay at a new resort (a DELUXE one, at that!); getting Sandy on Expedition Everest; seeing the Finding Nemo musical; keeping a promise to a turtle; eating at Boma
LOWS: Not having connecting rooms; the refillable mugs not being AKL mugs
COMING UP: SUNDAY, APRIL 29, 2007 Do You Hear Jungle Drums??? [post=18689385]CLICK HERE[/POST]
) 
uggyMom
I tend to call myself a CROWD MOWER. 
I am a huge GATer. I am always the one to go for FP's because of that. I just have to be careful not to run off and leave everyone. My DD and DSIL are super polite and always stop to wait for people while I disappear into the sunset! 
Pittypat!
