Trip Report "Dreams Really Can Come True" 6/1/09-6/8/09 - COMPLETED 7/19 - Page 24 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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We headed out and thought it might be time for Dinoland. It was a little after noon and we wanted to see that part of the park before it started raining. It was still hot and sunny at the time. I think it was while walking toward Dinoland that we saw It’s Tough to be a Bug only had a 5 minute wait. DS7 had already made up his mind that he wasn’t going to like it. He had thoroughly read his Birnbaum’s Guide for Kids which said it was “dark and scary”. By this time, DH was getting frustrated because our son was starting to be scared of everything. (Stupid book! ) He was literally dragging his feet now. On the way to the show, we got to see some of the Tree close up. This one of my favorite pictures from AK:
What makes it special to me is that there was a tiny bit of moss in the giraffe’s eye that made it come alive.
I had such good memories of Flik and the gang. I just remembered it being hilarious. I guess it is really a different show through a child’s eyes. I knew it was all over when Chili the Tarantula came out. The boys hated it Plus, it is dark and spooky in the theater. I’m pretty sure that DS4 had his 3D glasses covered by the time the spiders came down from the ceiling, at least I hope so. Actually, they thought it was funny when the roaches left the theater – that was the best part! (I had recorded a special on the Travel Channel about Animal Kingdom. I’m pretty sure it was the Travel Channel. We just watched it tonight. When they did the piece on It’s Tough to be a Bug, it was really shown as a funny 3D show with the audience cracking up. If you saw it and never read any reviews on it or warnings, it could be a big surprise for a little one. Just a thought.)
So with that disaster behind us, Dinosaur was completely out of the question for the kids! I selfishly wanted to ride it still, so DH took the kids to the Boneyard for a while. I happily left all the stuff with them and the stroller and took off around the corner to the Institute.
This is one of those pictures where you have a fill-in-the-blank caption…
(Dinosaur wait time = 20 min) I love this ride! This was one of the rides I remember from back in the day as being one of the best of Disney. I know other folks think Disney had a brain fart when they made it, but I love it! The darkness, the bumpy jeep ride, surprises around every corner, a great storyline… What more could you ask for? I already knew what to expect, so I just enjoyed listening to the other people’s reactions, while I was crackin’ up riding the bumps. Yes, there was absolutely NO WAY my boys would enjoy Dinosaur – and they love dinosaurs!
I headed back over to the Boneyard and the boys. They were really having a good time. (It also gave DH time to catch up on some internet surfing. ) They had found the place to dig the bones up.
Kudos to Disney for forward thinking: They used teeny-tiny rocks as “sand” instead of real sand. It’s so much easier to get out of shoes, pockets, etc. (Although I did find some when I did the laundry…)
I really wanted to explore more of Dinoland, but no dice. DH wanted to get some more attractions in before the rain. I hadn’t read too much about Primeval Whirl, all I knew was that it was supposed to be like "tea cups on a roller coaster". DS7 was actually excited to get on it (it wasn’t dark or scary!), but my poor little one was just a bit too short. DH took him to ride Triceratop Spin, while we stood in line for PW. The wait was about 20 min. I can’t explain the theming of this ride. It’s totally midway, but as if midway had millions of dollars. The imagineers must have had a ball doing Dinoland – it’s so over the top and absolute genius at the same time!
This is the queue almost at the end getting on the ride. The colors are so crazy! (By this time, I had pretty much given up on my digital. It was either low batt, or not enough light. Again, this is from my iphone.)
Check the lava lamp on top of the machine!
DS7 remembers the “funny guy” directing the line. The CM was making jokes and getting people to do silly stuff and calling out birthday people. It made waiting easier. He obviously likes his job. Okay, the ride: Primeval Whirl is like "tea cups on a roller coaster", ha ha. You get the crazy sensation of spinning and the drops all at once! It was really fun and DS7 had a good time. This is definitely a must-do for next time.
We met up with our other half and regrouped. It was still relatively early, but it was starting to get overcast. According to my receipt for frozen cokes and frozen blue raspberry drinks at the Drinkwalla, it was 1:47pm. (I think those frozen cokes were our favorite snacks the whole trip!)
The Drinkwalla shop. All this detail just for a drink stand. Amazing.
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Love the Rhino eggs line!! But, did you tell that little boy to watch out for "real" rhino eggs...kinda stinky
We love Pizzafari. The theming is amazing. And, we eat a LOT of pizza when we are there with the boys. They are allergic to a lot of stuff so it's a good thing they love the pizza at Disney.
Love the pic of the giraffe in the tree. They are my favorite and that is such a cool picture with the waterfall next to it.
WDW - August 1997 Off Property
WDW - January 2005 AKL
WDW - May 2006 Pop Century
WDW- november-dec 2007 pop century
WDW- dec/jan 2009/2010 pop century
WDW- oct/nov 2012 art of animation
WDW- sept 2013 port Orleans riverside
WDW- july 2015 beach club
We walked over to Kali River Rapids and got fps – return time 3:35pm. We would do that last, then head out of the park. We were all tired by then. I can’t believe it had been only 4 hours, but 4 walking-back-and-forth-in-the-hot-humidity-hours. DS7 had rented a room in Whinyland and he wasn’t coming out. (He had a breakdown later. I won’t embarrass him by posting the gory details. Let’s just say it was NOT magical…) We should have spent the money and gotten the double stroller. I’m not sure it would have made a difference, b/c DS4 was “in a mood” too. They were getting on DH’s nerves and I was upset because everyone was supposed to be having a great time, but dang it was hot! I think I was getting a blister too, on the side of my foot. The frozen drinks helped, but I can’t remember what we did after that. We probably just meandered around, nursing our drinks. I didn’t take any pictures, so I can’t tell what we did then.
The Festival of the Lion King was next. I don’t remember waiting really long, but it sure was nice to get into the theater. We got seats at the end of the first section of bleachers to the left as you enter the theater. We were in the “Giraffe” section. (We found out that giraffes do make sounds!) It was a wonderful, Broadway-like show – lots of “wow” factor. DS4 had the honor of a monkey coming up to him and picking a flea off of him.
I loved the costumes and all the colors and details.
When we left the theater, it was just starting to lightly rain. We looked up over the trees and saw classic, funky, black thunderclouds coming towards us. Sadly, Kali River Rapids would have to wait. I was really looking forward to it, because I thought it might be a fun way to end the day with everyone getting soaked. While we were boogying out of the park, I managed to catch these beauties:
We managed to make it to the bus stop before the heavens broke loose. The kids were disappointed that we missed KRR, but when they heard and saw the storm, they were convinced.
We got back to the room and found a nice surprise:
It helped to lift our spirits, but what really helped everyone is the nap we all took. Looking back, Animal Kingdom was awesome, but next time, we'll try to spend 2 days there. There's so much to see, but it's a lot of walking and it's a hot park. (I was starting to think I really was in India or Africa!) I feel like we didn't see half the park. Just like everyone has said, it's really a place to take your time (after running to EE for fps!) We were all just hot and tired, that's all.
An hour later, the rain was still going strong. I took this shot of some Kudu off our balcony. The animals on the savannah always made me laugh when it rained, because they stand stock still until it passes. They must be thinking, “Any minute now, any minute…”
Our ADR for Boma was at 7:30pm. All the grouchies had left and we were a normal, perfect family again. I couldn’t wait for dinner – I had heard so many great things about the restaurant. When we got down there, we had to wait about 10 min, then we were seated. We got a nice table by the window, away from the busyness of the buffet line. Our server, Jeff, was courteous and efficient. He explained the buffet to us, even encouraging us to try everything and not be afraid.
Boma review:
Boma is an African-themed restaurant with warm colors, dark woods, and exotic fabrics. The winding buffet is behind a “fence” and has different “pods” or stations to choose from.
View from the waiting area.
I tried to get a little of everything from the buffet, but I can’t remember the names. The Bobotie was a quiche-like dish with meat and veggies – very “homey”, different, but good. The Fufu was good, but I think my sweet potato casserole is better. The Potatoes with Afritude were roasted potato wedges, I was hoping for just a little more ‘tude, but they were okay. The Spice Roasted Chicken was moist and tender. I tried samples of some of the cold salads and the vegetables and they were pretty good. There were 3 kinds of hummus, all good and spicy, served with toasted pita. It seemed to me that the most popular item was the Falafel – despite the pan getting refilled, it was almost always empty! My favorite item of the entire buffet: The Watermelon Rind Salad – so good! I overheard someone asking a chef what was in it and he said, “ginger and grenadine”. I could have had a big bowl of it! My favorite soup was the Mushroom Soup. Not very pretty, but delicious – really mushroomy. The desserts were good, I wish I knew the names of them, but there wasn’t a sign. I recognized the zebra domes and of course, they were yummy.
Unfortunately, my boys, DH included, were not impressed. I feel so bad because I had hoped Boma would be “outstanding” like I had read in reviews. DH said that there was the same undercurrent of spices in everything. (He likes spiced and flavorful foods, but he doesn’t like curry or cumin, and these warm spices are in a lot of the foods.) The kids liked the Mealie Pap (corn muffins?) the best and the chocolate chip cookies, of course.
Overall impression: I was so ready to be blown away by Boma, but I just wasn’t. It wasn’t that the food was different – I liked how many things there were to try. I think it was “toned down” too much for the American palate. I really wanted to ask for some Season-All and some hot sauce, but that would have been too ghetto fabulous! It must be hard for the cooks and chefs to prepare their homeland foods without “throwin’ down” like I know they do at home. Even the sambal condiment that was on the meat station was a let-down. It’s supposed to be fiery, but it was merely “spicy”. With that being said, I think Disney did a pretty good job at attempting to showcase a small sample of African foods in a way that is acceptable to American tastes. With all the empty plates I saw on the tables and the lines of people that kept forming at the pods, I think it’s a success. I had a good, tasty meal at a nice restaurant and that’s what counts. I would go there again for dinner if I had the chance. Total for the meal: $104.33 + tip. We were so lovin’ the DDP!
We would have breakfast later with a much better review.
Up next: Star Wars Weekend at DHS!
(Epilogue: While reading my notes in the passporter under "The funniest thing today was..." I remembered this: While walking along, somewhere in Asia, a lady passed by me pushing a 4 or 5 yo girl in an umbrella stroller. Normal right? NO. The child was dressed in a full-on princess costume with a foot of tulle, complete with stockings. To complete the ensemble, she was wearing a pink fluffy faux fur coat. I actually stopped in my tracks. I wanted to say something to her, but 1. I was at a total loss for words. 2. She had already passed me by and 3. The little girl seemed content. Maybe they were from the Sahara desert...
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Too bad your day at AK was cut a bit short, but when everyone's hot, tired and cranky, a break is the best idea. Boma is one of my favorite buffets - their soups are amazing! Breakfast is tasty, too.
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Mickey's so happy to see me back, he can barely contain himself!
Wow - after reading your description of the little girl - that is a picture! My dd would have been miserable (due to the pink if nothing else!). Sorry about the disappointment with Boma - we haven't been there yet and I'm not sure it is something that would be worth it for my family and their variety of "tastes". Sorry about the trip to Whineyland.
Another great update! Sorry Boma wasn't a big hit!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by vfair
Wow - after reading your description of the little girl - that is a picture! My dd would have been miserable (due to the pink if nothing else!). Sorry about the disappointment with Boma - we haven't been there yet and I'm not sure it is something that would be worth it for my family and their variety of "tastes". Sorry about the trip to Whineyland.
I don't want you to think that I didn't like Boma - I did! But it just wasn't for DH who doesn't like curry or cumin. If you like these great spices, then you'll like Boma
Sorry you got rained out of AK. We like AK in the rain. Crowds leave and its not so hot. My family didn't care for Boma either. I would love to try the breakfast though. Hurry back with more.
great update
sorry that boma did not deliver for dinner
I liked breakfast much better
sounds like you are having a great time despite the heat
hurry back with more please
Sorry you missed KRR. AK is pretty warm. We usually only spend about 3-4 hours there and move on to another park or go back to the resort. Too bad the boys moved in at whineyland.
I am glad you enjoyed Boma, sorry DH didn't.
I can't believe that little girl wasn't just burning up. I don't think I could do that to my child, even if she wanted too. Heatstroke waiting to happen!
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) He was literally dragging his feet now. On the way to the show, we got to see some of the Tree close up. This one of my favorite pictures from AK:
The boys hated it 
Plus, it is dark and spooky in the theater. I’m pretty sure that DS4 had his 3D glasses covered by the time the spiders came down from the ceiling, at least I hope so. 
Actually, they thought it was funny when the roaches left the theater – that was the best part! (I had recorded a special on the Travel Channel about Animal Kingdom. I’m pretty sure it was the Travel Channel. We just watched it tonight. When they did the piece on It’s Tough to be a Bug, it was really shown as a funny 3D show with the audience cracking up. If you saw it and never read any reviews on it or warnings, it could be a big surprise for a little one. Just a thought.)
my boys would enjoy Dinosaur – and they love dinosaurs!
) They had found the place to dig the bones up.
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Pixie Dust
frozen cokes!! I have to find that drink stand 
DS7 had rented a room in Whinyland and he wasn’t coming out. (He had a breakdown later. I won’t embarrass him by posting the gory details. Let’s just say it was NOT magical…
) We should have spent the money and gotten the double stroller. I’m not sure it would have made a difference, b/c DS4 was “in a mood” too. They were getting on DH’s nerves and I was upset because everyone was supposed to be having a great time, but dang it was hot! I think I was getting a blister too, on the side of my foot. The frozen drinks helped, but I can’t remember what we did after that. We probably just meandered around, nursing our drinks. I didn’t take any pictures, so I can’t tell what we did then.
I couldn’t wait for dinner – I had heard so many great things about the restaurant. When we got down there, we had to wait about 10 min, then we were seated. We got a nice table by the window, away from the busyness of the buffet line. Our server, Jeff, was courteous and efficient. He explained the buffet to us, even encouraging us to try everything and not be afraid.
I overheard someone asking a chef what was in it and he said, “ginger and grenadine”. I could have had a big bowl of it! My favorite soup was the Mushroom Soup. Not very pretty, but delicious – really mushroomy. The desserts were good, I wish I knew the names of them, but there wasn’t a sign. I recognized the zebra domes and of course, they were yummy.
Liz 
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