Boma Breakfast

On my most recent trip I stayed at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, so I really took advantage of all the resort had to offer. AKL has some really great dining options, which makes it a favorite of mine when it’s meal time. We thought it would be fun to book an Advanced Dining Reservation at Boma – Flavors of Africa for breakfast on the day we ran the Expedition Everest Challenge since we wanted to take it easy. We got an ADR for mid-morning so we could sleep in a bit before heading downstairs to eat. The plan worked out really well for our schedule, but how was our meal?

To start, Boma offers a buffet for breakfast and dinner. Breakfast will cost you about $20.99 per adult and $12.99 per child in your party. Compared to the $36.99 per adult price tag at dinner, morning meals offer a great discount! Also keep in mind this eatery does accept the Tables in Wonderland card and will cost you one table service credit if you opt to use the Disney Dining Plan. Along with the discount, I often like to do a table service breakfast from time to time since it is easier to schedule an early meal at your resort rather than having to get back in time for your dinner time when you have a full day of touring in the parks.

When seated you will notice the design of the restaurant represents that of an African market. The buffet even has different areas covered with thatched roofs! Behind the buffet area is an open kitchen where you can watch the chefs prepare your food. The open flame rotisserie is the star of the kitchen where you will see various meats being cooked throughout the day. The rest of the dining room features tapestries hanging from the ceiling, as if you were at a market, along with a large seating area. The decor here certainly fits right into the Animal Kingdom Lodge’s theme.

Speaking of the buffet, let’s get to the food, shall we? Boma has typical breakfast items like scrambled egss, bacon, and pastries, but it offers so much more! They don’t call this restaurant “Flavors of Africa” for nothing. There are different stations along the buffet. For example, there is a carving station typically serving ham and and pork loin after it has been cooked over the open rotisserie. For more unique offerings seek out the dishes with African influence such as bobotie, which is like a quiche made with ground turkey (although I’ve also see in with corned beef), potatoes, onions, and spices. It is really yummy! Pap is another staple on this buffet which is white corn meal served like a porridge and topped with Sheeba sauce made from tomatoes with a bit of spice. If you are not up for trying some of these specialties there are tons of pastries and cereals along with pancakes and French toast to eat. One of my favorite items was a French toast bread pudding that was amazing especially when paired with the pecan caramel sauce. There is no doubt there is something for everyone on this buffet!

We were all about the pressed pot of Kenyan coffee that morning. Frequent Disney World visitors will tell you most coffee on property is terrible, so when real coffee is offered, I often jump at the chance even though it costs a bit extra. We got two pots for our table and were happy to pay the extra cost since it was so delicious. Boma also serves a specialty juice called Frunch that is really tasty. The drink is a blend passion fruit, orange, and guava juices. Your server will offer it to everyone at your table when he or she takes drink orders. It is included with your breakfast, so why not try it even if you aren’t so sure about it?

Our server at Boma was decent, but nothing to write home about. Obviously, she didn’t have to do as much as one would have to do at a full table service restaurant, but she didn’t seem to be particularly available. She wasn’t terrible, but she wasn’t great either. I certainly wouldn’t let our experience with one server keep us away from Boma in the future though. Plus, everyone behind the buffet seemed to be friendly and helpful with any questions anyone had about the unique menu.

I really liked my breakfast at Boma! I always get excited when I can eat something a bit different on Disney property instead of the same old eggs and bacon I often find. I didn’t think it was the most amazing meal I’ve ever had at Disney World, but I really enjoyed it. I appreciated the plethora of options on the buffet and was happy to have a bit of fruit or plain eggs along with my African inspired dishes. Even if you are not an adventurous eater, I recommend giving Boma a try. There are plenty of more traditional options on the buffet and the folks in your party who are willing to try the Bobotie won’t be disappointed. You may even surprise yourself by trying something and loving it! I’m looking forward to making my way back to Boma sometime soon!

How about you? Have you really enjoyed a breakfast at Boma? Let me hear your thoughts in the comments!

Thanks to Mark Diba and Betsy Bates for the photos.