Kevin's Boma re-review

[Disney Dad Canada]

Personally, our family tried Boma only because we were staying at AKL Jambo house. We're more like John, who goes to restaurants at WDW that you cannot get anywhere else, and the tastes of Boma are definitely original. Since we live in such a multi-cultural community, my kids are more adventurous when it comes to food than most, and love the Boma's unique menu. I discovered a great Kenyan beer there as well, which luckily I can buy at home.

Here's my theory as to why it's so crowded ... the dining plan. Some families are bound and determined to get the best deal possible when getting the dining plan, and with Boma's prices, it's one of the most expensive single ticket table meals you can get. For people paying cash, Jiko may be just slightly more expensive, but very few dining plan people will want to use 2 table service meals on something so different without knowing they'll like it first.

With so many restaurants out there, I'd have to say I wouldn't make a special trip to go eat at Boma, but I'd go if we were staying there again.

 

[sjsjbrook]

I had heard great things about Boma, so when I was preparing for our last trip, I looked at the menus online.

When I saw what the food was I quickly realized that my picky eaters would not eat anything there, and because I don't eat certain spices, my choices were limited as well.

My husband and my oldest would have loved Boma as they are adventuous eaters.

So we passed and ate elsewhere.

I have discovered that online menus are my friends, it gives me the idea of what type of food I will be eating and if what I will eat will be worth what I spend on the meal.

 

[lugnut33]

Boma is our family's favorite buffet, however I'm really having a tough time going again due to the price. Almost $200 for a family of 4 (all my kids are not "adults") is really steep.

 

[Zzizzy]

I agree that the dining plan contributes to why Boma is particularly crowded. Free dining would make that even worse. Not sure how to fix that though, especially for folks who are staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge. When I was there I saw that the wait was almost always long, so I planned for that and went when I could spare the wait time.

I love Boma. I agree that the cuisine is very different compared to other styles, but for me that is what makes it special. I got totally absorbed in the whole Africa environment and the experience at Boma definitely contributed to that. I tried things I never heard of and never thought I would like. But once I was open to the different flavors and dishes, I had an absolutely wonderful time.

And as we all know, finding your own magic is what it's all about. For me, Boma will probably be a regular stop, especially if I stay at the Lodge again.

 

[vwlfan]

We've only done Boma's for dinner once and were not blown away. Food was ok but basically I agree with Kevin's reaction.

We do very much like Boma's for breakfast though. There are some African "wrinkles" that we all enjoy a lot and think that the overall quality of what is offered is there is better than most breakfast buffets at the World.

 

[topolino]

I find that while there are some decent choices at Boma, some aren't just all that interesting, and some just plain aren't good! There are some really good and interesting choices though, like the lamb curry, some of the flatbreads and some very interesting soups and salads.

I think the biggest turn-off for me about Boma is the noise level and the fact that the tables are so tightly packed. It can become an adventure to go back and forth between your table and the buffet because of the lack of space and because of the crowds. When the African drums begin, which they do periodically, it's a welcome change from the constant din of the conversation.

 

[FireDancer]

Boma is my favorite WDW restaurant and on many occasions my only ADR. I always here about how adventurous eaters don't like it but I don't think it requires a lot of adventure to eat there. I've eaten at quite a few African restaurants and Boma is the most toned-down of any of them. I like a lot of the food, the atmosphere, and think their press-pot is the best coffee on property. Tusker House's lunch since the refurb has become a very close second.

 

[MelissaFromRI]

Personally, our family tried Boma only because we were staying at AKL Jambo house. We're more like John, who goes to restaurants at WDW that you cannot get anywhere else, and the tastes of Boma are definitely original. Since we live in such a multi-cultural community, my kids are more adventurous when it comes to food than most, and love the Boma's unique menu. I discovered a great Kenyan beer there as well, which luckily I can buy at home.

Here's my theory as to why it's so crowded ... the dining plan. Some families are bound and determined to get the best deal possible when getting the dining plan, and with Boma's prices, it's one of the most expensive single ticket table meals you can get. For people paying cash, Jiko may be just slightly more expensive, but very few dining plan people will want to use 2 table service meals on something so different without knowing they'll like it first.

With so many restaurants out there, I'd have to say I wouldn't make a special trip to go eat at Boma, but I'd go if we were staying there again.

Just throwing my 2 cents in...

I agree with Kevin's Boma re-review.
The last time we ate at Boma , I ended up eating salad , falafel , hummus , macaroni and cheese and some dessert.
Not exactly a $40 meal

 

[Fishy RocketBoy]

I've always loved the food at Boma - like Kevin I really like the spreads/hummus and especially the soups. Unlike Kevin I also like the unusual salads - if they had a soup-salad-hummus option it would be great! ;-)

One of the soups mentioned was the Chicken Stew - my version of this recipe is here!

 

[WaltD4Me]

Just throwing my 2 cents in...

I agree with Kevin's Boma re-review.
The last time we ate at Boma , I ended up eating salad , falafel , hummus , macaroni and cheese and some dessert.
Not exactly a $40 meal

Wow, I didn't realize Boma was $40. I wouldn't pay that for a buffet, especially one where I wasn't sure there would be much that I would like. Why is Boma so much more? O'Hana's is only $33? We rarely do the dinner buffets, they are so much more expensive and we just don't eat that much for dinner, we prefer a bigger lunch and a lighter dinner with a good dessert. The exception is Park Fare at GF, we just really enjoy that one, especially with the Stepsisters now and it is still cheaper than Boma.

 

[disneysteve]

We love Boma and have eaten there several times over the years. It is generally the only ADR we make.

We like that it is different. We like that we get to sample a variety of items. Perhaps you can get some similar things at Jiko, but you are only going to get one entree there and if you don't care for it, you are kind of stuck. At Boma, you can try a bunch of different things and take more of the ones you really like.

I totally understand that if you aren't an adventurous eater or the unfamiliar tastes are out of your comfort zone, this wouldn't be your kind of place.

I do want to comment on the kid aspect of Boma. Believe it or not, not all parents raise their kids with "kid" food. Some actually teach their kids to eat the same stuff we adults eat. The whole "kid food" thing is a fairly recent trend that I think is quite disturbing actually. A whole generation is being raised on chicken nuggets, pizza, mac and cheese and french fries. What happened to family meals where everyone eats the same thing?

 

[DisneyKevin]

What happened to family meals where everyone eats the same thing?

This is a great question and a whole different conversation.

 

[Disney Dad Canada]

I do want to comment on the kid aspect of Boma. Believe it or not, not all parents raise their kids with "kid" food. Some actually teach their kids to eat the same stuff we adults eat. The whole "kid food" thing is a fairly recent trend that I think is quite disturbing actually. A whole generation is being raised on chicken nuggets, pizza, mac and cheese and french fries. What happened to family meals where everyone eats the same thing?

Fantastic comment. I make one thing for dinner for all of us, and if you don't like it expect to go hungry. Sure I'm no gourmet, and I do have "kid food" every now and then, but it's for everyone.

As for my kids with Boma, I think them liking it has a lot to do with how multicultural their elementary school is. They've tried food from all over the world just by trading lunches with other kids.

 

[disneyholic family]

i ate dinner at Boma last June with my mom and sister and all 3 of us thought we'd died and gone to heaven...

we did it as a walk up...

i had taken my mom and sister to see AKL - so we walked around a bit to see the beauty of the architecture and the savannah etc..
so as we walked by Boma, i said it was a buffet that receives good reviews...
so they both said, let's eat here...

so we walked up to see if we could get a table....
though the place was PACKED, we were seated almost immediately..
initially we were very put off by the noise level and the very long line we saw at the hot food section..
but the waiter came over to start us off and was the sweetest guy you'd ever want to meet...
he asked if we'd ever been and when we said no, he proceeded to explain it all to us...

as a vegetarian i really thought i'd died and gone to heaven....there was so much food there i could eat, it was amazing....
but my carnivore mom and sister also loved it...

my only problem was the lack of a second stomach.....i was in physical pain by the end....but i couldn't stop eating it was all so good.....i just kept eating the salads.....so many were vegetarian and so yummy.....

we paid out of pocket, but i didn't pay attention to the price....everything's so expensive out of pocket in WDW these days...

we're all going this August for free dining, and i have boma on our schedule 3 times...(and tusker house once)..i hope my family likes it as much as i do, but i'm betting they will.....they all love salads made a million different ways...

but i can definitely see how a non-salad person wouldn't find all that much to eat there....but i'm very happy it's available for us veggie lovers..

i forgot to mention that while the restaurant was PACKED and NOISY when we first sat down, by the time we left it was half empty and nice and quiet (all the kids had left by that point )

 

[Disney Khi]

Boma is one of my family's favorite restaurants. When we ate there two years ago, it was $28 per person. (At least that's what my dad said, and he has a freakishly good memory for numbers. .) I had planned on making an ADR there for our trip last month, but we decided we didn't want to spend $40 per person. That's just an outrageous price increase! In fact, after I saw the cost of the table service restaurants now, I seriously cut back on ADR's. But I guess if Boma is still so crowded, I'm the only one.

 

[DisneyEater]

We did Boma in May and I was underwhelmed. The food was good, not great with the exception of the delicious lamb curry and a couple of good soups. The zerba domes seemed overrated to me too.

Just to reiterate, it wasn't bad, just no where near the hype it seems to get.

I will probably try Jiko or Sanaa next time.

 

[mjp12831]

Boma is fantastic imo. I think it gets a bad rap as having all ethnic foods - there's plenty for people with a more bland diet, and for others it has tons of stuff you just don't get anywhere else so it's super unique.

I think for a buffet, the food quality is excellent. Compare it to Chef Mickey for instance which is super popular but has awful Golden Corral quality food.

It's a bit expensive oop, but excellent value for 1 TS credit. It's one I'd return to - not every visit, but frequently.

 

[OhioDisneyDavid]

Boma has been one of our family favorites since it opened. We have eaten here several times during multiple visits.

The last time we were there was with a family group of eight in 2009. The very different food choices are why we all liked it. There are different spices and flavors that cannot be duplicated at any other restaurant. It may be challenging to find something to eat here if you are not somewhat adventurous. If a person wants mac & cheese and chicken pieces, you can go anywhere. If you want some unique flavors then Boma is the answer.

I know the price has gone up since 2009 but all the dining options have increased since then. The next time we are in WDW, Boma will definitely be on the list of choices.

 

[Rand0mTh0ughts]

Another vote for one of our family's favorites. This is the one reservation we make for every trip - and it is the one we talk about missing the most when we are at home.

We have eaten at Jiko, and while we loved it, I have to agree with a previous poster that there are SO MANY delicious things to try, Jiko was hard to pick only one dish and an appetizer.

My husband and I approach Boma two different ways. I love all of the sides - I fill up on soups, salads, sides, hummus, etc. My husband loves the carving station and always hits that section first, and second, and third.

We have a two year old son now who has been twice - he does love "kid food," but when we get his plate we put other stuff on it first. He tried quite a few different things and you could tell what he liked and what he didn't (watermelon salad and cous cous were big hits!)

The first time we went was in December, 2001, and they had this delicious pumpkin soup - not salty, more sweet like Pumpkin pie. Alas, that was my last year in college and as a teacher, December just isn't in the cards anymore so we mainly only go in summer now. Every year I hope that they'll have that amazing soup, but they don't. (We squeezed in a trip last Thanksgiving, but they didn't have it then, either... sigh) It is different from the squash soup they often serve, which is good, too....

We wish it was opened during lunch.

Sigh. Now I want to go to Boma.

 

[DisneyKevin]

This is what makes the world go round.

We had dinner at Jiko last night and I wouldnt trade that for 20 dinners at Boma.

Good thing we all have different likes and dislikes.

It would make getting an ADR very difficult is everyone loved the same place.

Except for Shudders......