"Boma - Flavors of Africa" in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is one of my favourite places to eat whilst in Orlando.
Boma is a family all-you-can-eat buffet featuring soups, salads, seafood, meats, fresh fruits and a wonderful selection of desserts. You don’t need to queue endlessly but go to the section of food you require and then return as many times as you like. Even when the restaurant is full (which it inevitably always is, unless you eat very early) there is no crowding at the buffet table.
A huge selection of breads, salads and soups meet you when you first approach the buffet, too many to choose from, so I recommend trying small portions of the ones you fancy the most. The Durban spiced roasted chicken is delicious whilst the prime rib, served with optional African sauces, melts in your mouth. Banana Leaf Wrap Seafood (either Sea Bass or Salmon) and Pepper Steak along with casseroles, potatoes with “Afritude”, pap, couscous and falafel make up some of the numerous choices on offer.
A children’s buffet is always available, I must admit to visiting this for the fries (not really in keeping with the African theme but the potatoes with “Afritude” were a little too spicy for me!), serving chicken fingers, spaghetti with meatballs and macaroni cheese.
If you have any room left then be sure to head for the desserts. Zebra domes, banana bread pudding with vanilla sauce, coconut tiramisu, brownies and many more to choose from.
Non-alcoholic drinks, tea, coffee and hot chocolate are all included in the price.
I would definitely recommend you make reservations if you wish to eat at Boma otherwise you might have a long wait at busy periods. You could however use the waiting time to look around the Animal Kingdom Lodge and view the animals out in the savannah. The lobby with its distinctive African theme offers amazing architecture five storeys high featuring a pedestrian bridge at the very top.
As you head outside a campfire is surrounded by rocking chairs where you can just relax and image yourself being in the African bush surrounded by Giraffes, Zebra, Thomson's Gazelle and Ostrich all of which you can see from the raised platforms at the Lodge.
The last time we visited Boma we went outside after our meal and were able to view the animals through night vision binoculars. Besides seeing the animals and the surroundings the night vision binoculars were quite amazing and it is well worth a visit if you are there after dark.
I would recommend eating at 'Boma - Flavors of Africa' at least once during your vacation in Orlando, I know I will be doing just that!