-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
Boma or Sanaa Dinner?
- Thread starter JohnD
- Start date
belledream
Well-Known Member
Tough choice, but I'd go with Boma. Buffets at Disney are fun, but they're even better when the food is on point. The variety of soups, meats, and desserts really make it such a fun dining experience. Sanaa food is definitely good, but I would also be wary of doing dinner there - it might be too dark to see animals at that point. Boma!
RustySpork
Oscar Mayer Memer
I really enjoy them both. I would do a lunch at Sanaa and a dinner or breakfast at Boma. Shoot, I'd eat at either restaurant every day if I could.
I'm planning on driving down on 4/21. I'm staying at All Star Music. I have the Silver Pass and am blocked out in parks on 4/21. (AP re-opens 4/22.) AKL is nearby. I made an ADR for Sanaa that night. Good point about not seeing the animals. So it comes down to the food. Any perspectives are appreciated.
networkpro
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
Sanaa is primarily Indian style food with a few Boer items tossed in, so unless you like butter chicken, you'll just have lots of curry or chewy sausage. Boma has a wider variety as well as more mainstream items like carved beef. I'm partial to fufu and bobotie and could make a meal just of those items.
belledream
Well-Known Member
Yes! This would be my plan! We really enjoyed Sanaa lunch (the prices are lower at lunch as well) and Boma dinner.
horizons82
Well-Known Member
I've been to both for dinner and I have been to Boma for breakfast as well.
I've always said that Sanaa is my favorite of the non-signature restaurants, and if I were looking for one with more refined food quality with a less noisy/less crowded atmosphere, I'd pick Sanaa. However, if you would prefer a larger variety of foods that are still a good quality for a buffet, Boma is still a decent choice.
I LOVED Boma for breakfast when I was there last, so a breakfast at Boma and dinner at Sanaa (going early enough that there's light) would be my favorite combo.
I've always said that Sanaa is my favorite of the non-signature restaurants, and if I were looking for one with more refined food quality with a less noisy/less crowded atmosphere, I'd pick Sanaa. However, if you would prefer a larger variety of foods that are still a good quality for a buffet, Boma is still a decent choice.
I LOVED Boma for breakfast when I was there last, so a breakfast at Boma and dinner at Sanaa (going early enough that there's light) would be my favorite combo.
contrariwise
Well-Known Member
I agree with the above. Sanaa is churning out top notch food. It would be a great choice even without the animal view. And I will point out that the animal view is hit and miss anyway depending on where you are seated. However, the one time we did have a table by the windows at dusk, the view was amazing and definitely enhanced the experience.
Boma has long been a favorite of mine, but it's a more harried experience. I love trying all the different foods, but there's always that element of other people jumping in front of you on the buffet, or navigating around all the tables/chairs or whatever. I also find that just when I find that food that I just love on the buffet, I'm full! I find it to be more about trying a lot of things than eating any one thing, if that makes sense. It is noisier and bigger and more relaxed, but less relaxing.
Neither is a bad choice. If you're considering breakfast at Boma, it's really good as well, though just a shade different from your standard breakfast buffet. There are a handful of more exotic choices, but it's pretty familiar.
horizons82
Well-Known Member
I totally agree with everything Contraiwise mentioned above about both restaurants.
Following-up on the "seeing animals while you eat" aspect, we were not seated near a window at Sanaa so the animals were not really visible to us, but that didn't detract from enjoying the meal in any way (though I'm sure it would make for a lovely bonus if we had been).
Just before entering Sanaa there is a walkway that sort of jets out into the hotel's savanna; we were able to enjoy walking out on it and seeing and watching the animals both before and after our meal, so we didn't feel like we were missing out on that experience by not being by the window during the meal.
Following-up on the "seeing animals while you eat" aspect, we were not seated near a window at Sanaa so the animals were not really visible to us, but that didn't detract from enjoying the meal in any way (though I'm sure it would make for a lovely bonus if we had been).
Just before entering Sanaa there is a walkway that sort of jets out into the hotel's savanna; we were able to enjoy walking out on it and seeing and watching the animals both before and after our meal, so we didn't feel like we were missing out on that experience by not being by the window during the meal.
Driving down from Tallahassee. Taking off work early. (No later than 4pm). So four drive to All Star Music gets me there about 8pm (sunset). I scheduled dinner for 9:30. Originally had Sanaa. Based on feedback about not seeing animals, I changed it to Boma.
Now you're convincing me to switch back to Sanaa! Regarding breakfast, I did two days in a row in November. A portion of my party went the first morning. They loved it so much, they convinced the remainder of the party the next morning! So no breakfast at Boma this time but always a must-do if it works for my schedule.
Decisions, decisions. You people aren't making it easy!
RustySpork
Oscar Mayer Memer
I'd stick to Boma for dinner and do Sanaa for lunch another day.
I decided it would be one of the two. After a four drive and checking into All Star Music, my thinking was just to stay in the area. Can't go into any parks the evening of 4/21 (blocked out on Silver Pass). And didn't want to make the effort to drive to DS. Right now, it's Boma.
RustySpork
Oscar Mayer Memer
In that case, I'd stick to Boma.
rael ramone
Well-Known Member
Boma. Absolutely. Not a slight on Sanaa (eaten there 2-3 times for lunch and liked it).
There is *so* much variety of foods to try at Boma. (Recommend trying as many things that look good as possible - even if it means putting only a bites worth of food on your plate for that selection and going up 7-8 times - then have seconds of what you really like. If done right, not only have you had a great meal with a lot of variety, but you shouldn't be stuffed).
But even if the food was even between the two, eating at Boma means you get to see the Jambo House lobby, the gift shop (both far, far, more impressive then the Kidani lobby/shop). You can get a look at the animals at the savannah there (animals that otherwise can only be seen on property on the safari ride). And if you time your meal right, at 7:30pm there's the Cultural Safari in the Sunset Lounge - a cast member from Africa (half the time it's someone from South Africa... other southern African countries like Zimbabwe, Botswana, etc. have been the source) will tell you either about the 'big 5' animals or their homeland culture in a powerpoint demonstration. This is AWESOME.
(A cast member at a demonstration I attended years ago they lived a 20 minute walk away from Victoria Falls - and said even that far away, unless it was the dry season, they felt spray from the falls that far away)...
And before you leave, go down to the Mara (their quick serve location). Pick up some Zebra Domes to bring back to your room.
If Jambo House offered basic table service food it's still worth a ADR to get to visit the Lodge. But they don't. They have great food (Jiko might be one of my favorite restaurants on the planet).
There is *so* much variety of foods to try at Boma. (Recommend trying as many things that look good as possible - even if it means putting only a bites worth of food on your plate for that selection and going up 7-8 times - then have seconds of what you really like. If done right, not only have you had a great meal with a lot of variety, but you shouldn't be stuffed).
But even if the food was even between the two, eating at Boma means you get to see the Jambo House lobby, the gift shop (both far, far, more impressive then the Kidani lobby/shop). You can get a look at the animals at the savannah there (animals that otherwise can only be seen on property on the safari ride). And if you time your meal right, at 7:30pm there's the Cultural Safari in the Sunset Lounge - a cast member from Africa (half the time it's someone from South Africa... other southern African countries like Zimbabwe, Botswana, etc. have been the source) will tell you either about the 'big 5' animals or their homeland culture in a powerpoint demonstration. This is AWESOME.
(A cast member at a demonstration I attended years ago they lived a 20 minute walk away from Victoria Falls - and said even that far away, unless it was the dry season, they felt spray from the falls that far away)...
And before you leave, go down to the Mara (their quick serve location). Pick up some Zebra Domes to bring back to your room.
If Jambo House offered basic table service food it's still worth a ADR to get to visit the Lodge. But they don't. They have great food (Jiko might be one of my favorite restaurants on the planet).