Review of Boma in Animal Kingdom Lodge and Tips You Need

Boma Flavors of Africa restaurant inside the Animal Kingdom Lodge is a popular Walt Disney World restaurant. It is known for African cuisine amid deluxe resort accommodations. Hubby and I had heard about the reputation of Boma. When we saw the restaurant on the Disney Dining Plan we immediately moved to reserve our table.

Secret dining tip

A well kept Disney secret is that resort restaurants like Boma are open to the public. There is no need to buy a ticket or be a guest. A reservation for a Walt Disney World resort restaurant is all that is needed. Call 407-WDW-DINE to book a table or make a reservation online.

Transportation tip - You can't get there from here.

There is something that I wish reservations (or someone at Disney) had told us. Disney does not offer direct transportation between any of the resorts. The problem is that no one tells you this.

Guests going from one resort to another should go to Downtown Disney first. Then guests can transfer to the bus that suits their needs. Getting to our Boma reservations on time was a close call. Be sure to allow at least an extra half hour for transportation.

Location

Once we finally arrived we couldn't help but be impressed with the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Imagineers at Walt Disney World designed to recreate an African Lodge. From the soda machines to the carved and polished walls the theme is carried throughout the resort. It is impossible to not be impressed.

Directional signs in the lobby make finding Boma easy. Take the lobby elevators to the ground floor and follow the sign to Boma. The hostess stand will give you a pager that will buzz when the table is ready.

Waiting

Disney suggests arriving at least 15 minutes early to claim the reservation. The pager signal reaches outdoors and to the gift shop. Waiting for a table inside the Boma restaurant is unnecessary.

Why wait there when you can possibly see the animals that graze outside of the lodge? The doorway leading outside to the Savannah overlook is next to the Boma entrance. Animal viewing there is best during the daytime but early evening may be good too.

If this isn't your style why not visit the second floor gift shop? Disney imports much of the merchandise from Africa. This gift shop is one of the best places to buy unique souvenirs at Walt Disney World. I was happy to find out that asking is all it takes to be directed to the clearance merchandise. This made shopping at the resort more affordable.

Ambience

Our pager vibrated before I could purchase much so we headed back to Boma. The crowded Disney restaurant was hard to navigate and our seats were initially disappointing. Alternative seating isn't possible in a full restaurant. Initial disappointment soon lifted.

We came to Boma at Walt Disney World for a different kind of dining experience and we got it. Drums are being pounded constantly near the front of the restaurant. Being seated farther away made conversation possible.

Food

I was surprised to see a limited number of exotic dishes on the buffet. Everyone can find something they like at Boma. African foods are served along with kid pleasing macaroni and cheese. Everything I tasted was excellent but I was hoping for more African dishes at Boma.

The lamb curry wasn't overly spicy and the African steak compares favorably to a high end steakhouse. I thought the nut crusted salmon had a light texture that worked well. My favorite dish at Boma was the fork tender Durban Chicken.

I was delighted to find the recipe at AllEars.Net and can't wait to try it at home. The Durban Chicken is is seasoned with a mixture of cinnamon, coriander and other spices. The result was mouthwatering delicious.

Salad bar options at Boma included tabboule, a couscous salad with raisins. There were three types hummus including white bean and the strongly flavored olive variety. Pita and pan bread were both available and Boma had a couple of native soups. The variety was flavorful if not expansive.

Desserts

One of the signature desserts at Boma is the Zebra domes. White puffs are drizzled with dark chocolate to resemble a zebra print. They are cute but the Kahlua and espresso makes them inappropriate for kids.

Kid-friendly choices include caramel cheesecake, chocolate cinnamon mousse and apricot tart. Adults will also enjoy them.

Prices

Walt Disney World doesn't do inexpensive meals. Dinner at Boma is $35.99 per person plus a suggested 18% tip. Our service was good but not stellar. The tip is high for a buffet but reasonable for servers who have to share with the rest of the staff.

Everything considered, the Animal Kingdom Lodge, food and ambiance put Boma at the top of my Walt Disney World repeat list.