Surprise wedding anniversary dinner - help needed!

[ArelysAdriana]

I'll be in WDW in January for the marathon weekend with my parents & little sister. My parents' wedding anniversary is a few days after we will be at Disney, so I was thinking of surprising them with a nice dinner somewhere, but I'm at a total loss.

What I'm looking for:

• nothing in-park
• vegetarian friendly (I'm a veggie & my little sister usually doesn't eat meat either)
• nothing too ridiculously expensive, under $40-$50 per person (I'm paying for all this myself and I'm not rich )
• nothing with characters or too geared towards kids
• something really, really good

My ridiculous demands are probably why I'm having a hard time finding something. My parents are not picky eaters at all, while my sister is. I have my diet restrictions, but I'll eat anything so long as it has no meat of any kind.

As of right now I'm leaning towards either Boma or Wolfgang Puck. I haven't been to Boma, but I have been to WP. (I'm in serious love with the pumpkin ravioli ) Any reviews on Boma? It looks awesome in there and the menu sounds good (and it has stuff I can eat, bonus!)

If anyone has any suggestions I will be forever grateful. I really want to treat my parents to something nice. They are wondeful and really, truly deserve it.

 

[TDC Nala]

Boma sounds good but I was considering Sanaa - I don't know if you can request a safari view table there or not, but they do have them.

 

[msce2]

We really enjoyed Boma's.

Pros: Amazing food, lots of choice - everyone in our party found something they liked, and it was really cool to try all the different flavors. It was one of the best dinners we had during our stay. Topped only by Teppen Edo (we had an awesome chef)

Cons: It was crowded, we waited awhile past our ADR time, and there were a lot of kids. (We had 3 kids with us, so that part didn't bother us too much, but at an adults only dinner I can understand)

 

[ArelysAdriana]

Boma sounds good but I was considering Sanaa - I don't know if you can request a safari view table there or not, but they do have them.

I was looking at Sanaa's menu on Allears.net & loved that they had alot of vegetarian and vegan choices. I'll add that to the list of maybes. Thanks!

We really enjoyed Boma's.

Pros: Amazing food, lots of choice - everyone in our party found something they liked, and it was really cool to try all the different flavors. It was one of the best dinners we had during our stay. Topped only by Teppen Edo (we had an awesome chef)

Cons: It was crowded, we waited awhile past our ADR time, and there were a lot of kids. (We had 3 kids with us, so that part didn't bother us too much, but at an adults only dinner I can understand)

Good to hear you had such a great experience food-wise. I like having a lot of options especially when there are two picky eaters in the group.

I was a bit worried about the crowds since it's a buffet at a popular resort. I don't think my parents would care too much if there were a lot of kids, they like children (I'd sure hope so! ) It won't be completely adults only, my sister is only 14. Was it really loud? I would like to still be able to carry a conversation with them. We're Cuban though, we can usually yell over any noice so I guess it won't bother us too much anyways.

One more question, do you remember what you guys ate and really liked?

Thanks for the review!

 

[Pakey]

Yes, Boma is very noisy.

 

[msce2]

I believe the menu changes daily, but the salads and most side dishes seem pretty consistent.

I started with mixed field greens and tried the mango vinaigrette and chili cilantro vinaigrette. Both were good. Fresh fruit, Moroccan Seafood Salad, saffron rice, Sweet potato pancakes, good, Mac N Cheese was ok (I like my homemade version with Pepper jack so Disney's can't really compare.), I'm not a big soup person, so I didn't try any of the soups. Other people in my family did, and liked them. I really liked the potatoes with afritude and the various meats offered. I think I tried just about everything. The only thing I really didn't care for was the watermelon rind salad. The deserts were pure heaven! We all left extremely full and happy including our most picky eaters.

 

[adsrtw]

What about Il Mulino?

Is dining off property an option you would want to consider?

 

[yxe dad]

Sanaa would be my first choice.
The menu and food are great and it tends to be not very busy. The window's look out over the savanna so they can catch an amazing view!
I've been 3 times and it was the first reservation I booked for my next trip.

 

[ArelysAdriana]

Yes, Boma is very noisy.

Dang. So I guess that's out. Thanks!

I believe the menu changes daily, but the salads and most side dishes seem pretty consistent.

I started with mixed field greens and tried the mango vinaigrette and chili cilantro vinaigrette. Both were good. Fresh fruit, Moroccan Seafood Salad, saffron rice, Sweet potato pancakes, good, Mac N Cheese was ok (I like my homemade version with Pepper jack so Disney's can't really compare.), I'm not a big soup person, so I didn't try any of the soups. Other people in my family did, and liked them. I really liked the potatoes with afritude and the various meats offered. I think I tried just about everything. The only thing I really didn't care for was the watermelon rind salad. The deserts were pure heaven! We all left extremely full and happy including our most picky eaters.

Sweet potato pancakes sound amazing. If we don't go this time, Boma is for sure a must-do next time. Thanks for all your help!

What about Il Mulino?

Is dining off property an option you would want to consider?

I was looking at that, but my dad isn't too big on Italian food. I was thinking of doing something off property, but I really wanted something inside of Disney. My parents live in Florida, but don't go to Disney often so it's unique for them. My mom loves Disney while my dad isn't a big fan, so I figured a not-too-Disney Disney restaurant would be a good compromise. Thanks though!

Sanaa would be my first choice.
The menu and food are great and it tends to be not very busy. The window's look out over the savanna so they can catch an amazing view!
I've been 3 times and it was the first reservation I booked for my next trip.

I just looked up pictures and it's beautiful! I think that's the forerunner right now.

What have you eaten there that is good? That Indian style bread service sounds super good. Thanks!

 

[kiwicassie]

How about Jiko? They are a little fancier and the entrees are in the 20-30 range.

 

[jemgumby]

Jiko's is very nice and would be a great place to celebrate an anniversary (might be more $$$ than you were thinking though). However, The Wave might be a good choice. I have not eaten there but have read good reviews. The prices look good and they have vegetarian dishes as well.

 

[cbg1027]

I would highly recommend Citricos. The entrees are expensive, but if each person had their own appetizer and dessert and shared an entree, there would plenty of food.

They might let your parents order from the kids menu. I've been twice with my Grandma who just turned 81, and both times they let her order a kids steak for $13!!!!

We just ate there to celebrate our birthdays on Monday night and it was absolutely amazing.
We shared an appetizer - $10
She had her kids entree - $13
I had an adult entree - $30
We each had our own $8 dessert - $16
and I had a glass of champagne - $15
About $90 after tax, plus a tip - we left $25 I think

They also gave us a free amuse bouche. The service was top notch. They even seated us by the window so we had a limited view of the Wishes fireworks.

 

[ArelysAdriana]

How about Jiko? They are a little fancier and the entrees are in the 20-30 range.

Jiko's is very nice and would be a great place to celebrate an anniversary (might be more $$$ than you were thinking though). However, The Wave might be a good choice. I have not eaten there but have read good reviews. The prices look good and they have vegetarian dishes as well.

I would highly recommend Citricos. The entrees are expensive, but if each person had their own appetizer and dessert and shared an entree, there would plenty of food.

They might let your parents order from the kids menu. I've been twice with my Grandma who just turned 81, and both times they let her order a kids steak for $13!!!!

We just ate there to celebrate our birthdays on Monday night and it was absolutely amazing.
We shared an appetizer - $10
She had her kids entree - $13
I had an adult entree - $30
We each had our own $8 dessert - $16
and I had a glass of champagne - $15
About $90 after tax, plus a tip - we left $25 I think

They also gave us a free amuse bouche. The service was top notch. They even seated us by the window so we had a limited view of the Wishes fireworks.

Thanks guys for the Jiko suggestion. I was looking at going there, but I've decided to go with Sanaa. The pictures of the gorgeous view really sold me on it. Thanks everyone!

 

[snookiedoodles]

We really liked Boma, but you might want to try Wolfgang pucks place!