auntfrannie
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2001
BlueZoo looks delicious. It's been a few years since I've been there.
Tub-herini: a June '18 dining report *complete, 7/6
- Thread starter earfulofmagic
- Start date
Finkerfell
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2008
Loving your reviews and the detail! Boy, did your smoking watermelon drink look small! It looked like there was one sip in there!
The beehive drink was too adorable!!
The beehive drink was too adorable!!
earfulofmagic
cranking out magic and assembly line whimsy
- Joined
- May 16, 2017
it really is the ~magic~ of Disney!
I'm sorry, my brain cannot process this statement.
it's true, I think the earliest we've ever entered a park was 1 hour after opening. I admire the go-getter attitude of rope-droppers, especially families with children! Bluezoo was a lovely meal from start to finish. Time for a return visit
I was bummed the smoking sangria was more gimmick than substance, but at least I can warn future visitors
earfulofmagic
cranking out magic and assembly line whimsy
- Joined
- May 16, 2017
A Night at the Lodge: Boma!
Our adventures pick up in the Swan's gym, which is one of the nicest hotel gyms either of us have seen. Everything is new and kept in excellent condition, there's plenty of variety of weights and machines, and if you want to avoid crowds while at Disney, this is the hot spot
After the gym we went swimming over in the wonderful grotto/waterfall pool. Then we got ready and hopped in a Lyft to our destination... Animal Kingdom Lodge, Jambo House!
We stayed at AKL for a week last November and instantly fell in love with the resort.
On that trip we ate at Boma twice: once for dinner right after checkin, which was the perfect introduction to AKL; and then again for breakfast, booking it for our resort downtime day after loving dinner so much.
~~~~~
T really wanted to do dinner again on this trip, so I made a plan to eat at Boma, spend some time basking in the wonders of the lodge, then head over to Animal Kingdom for the evening. We managed to do this despite wedding complications (i.e., a lot of last minute surprise events because the planning and coordination of our friends' wedding was far from ideal).
We arrived around 4:55pm. I had a moderate appetite. T, on the other hand, went super hardcore in the gym *just* to be a hungry hippo for Boma, so he was ready to tub-tub his way through the buffet.
One thing that was noticeably different was seeing Boma pretty empty. Last time we also had a 5pm ADR. We checked in 5 minutes early to find the restaurant was already nearly half full before official opening, and we had to wait despite having the earliest reservation! But this time we were seated immediately and were one of the only parties there.
Our awesome server, Maureen, led us to the exact same table we sat at for dinner on our first visit, which was a funny coincidence! It was like ~recreating~ our first time at AKL After chatting with her for a while, we headed up to the strangely uncrowded buffet and returned with first plates:
I don't have pictures of T's plates, but they were pretty similar to mine.
Up above was one of the soups on rotation that night - a seafood gumbo. This was savory and delicious. It had tons of bay scallops and shrimp, in addition to sausage. It was warmly spiced - it tasted new and different, yet familiar, all at once. It was some good gumbo! I ate all of this except for 1.5 pieces of sausage, which I liked but passed off on T because I'm not a sausage lover.
For the plate, clockwise starting with 6'o'clock, we have: nut-crusted salmon, chakalaka, turkey w/ cranberry-ish chutney, fried plantain chip, mystery orange chutney that I can't recall, turkey/lamb bobotie, green coriander chutney that you can just barely make out, "kokonut rice", green beans, watermelon rind salad.
The salmon was killer. I don't normally eat salmon out in restaurants because it's easy to find and cook, and who among us hasn't had enough home-cooked salmon for a lifetime?, but this was very well-spiced and crusted. The nut crust (really more of a topping or rub than "crust") was slightly sweet, and it contrasted nicely with the salmon.
The chakalaka needs no explanation - just a nice, savory tomato relish that I pair with whatever meats or vegetables from the buffet need a little flavor.
The turkey I recall being a bit dry, but otherwise good, and obviously it was a great vessel for sauces. I don't really remember that chutney on top of the turkey, but I remember it had some cranberry, possibly another fruit, and spices.
The plantain chips were huge and thickly cut. They were crisp and crunchy and really satisfying to bite.
The turkey/lamb bobotie was good, like usual, but kind of boring, like usual. It's not ~authentic~ bobotie - they'd have to adjust the egg/meat ratio for that - but it's otherwise a fine choice to get once per meal.
The coriander chutney really stood out. I barely remember the other sauces because this one was so delicious. I'm not sure why it was so irresistible, but both of us loved it.
Now for the "kokonut rice"... this was good, but sweet. It wasn't cloyingly sweet, like a sugary dessert. It tasted more naturally sweet as if it had been flavored with fruits (coconut) instead of straight up sugar. It was subtle enough and still tasty, but it almost feels wrong to have sweet rice not on the dessert side of the buffet!
The green beans I remember having a great snap to them and were cooked perfectly. I mostly got these to counterbalance all of the dessert I'd eaten and desserts yet to come. 3 green beans = at least 10 desserts
but seriously, they were good, and they make it easier to envision a "healthy" meal at a buffet.
The watermelon rind salad is an old favorite of mine - loved it at our first dinner, loved it at breakfast, still loved it at this dinner. I thought this time it was noticeably sweeter than normal, but still good.
~~~~~
Something new I learned from chatting with Maureen before our first pass at the buffet: they have a scheduled rotation. I thought their rotation was randomly chosen depending on what they had on hand. Seems obvious now, but it's a fixed schedule!
Ours on this night was the Monday-Thursday rotation, which was pretty different from whatever rotation we experienced last time (that was a Tuesday night). The biggest difference to me was that the dominant spices leaned sweeter: e.g., the nut crust on the salmon, the kokonut rice. Last time, the buffet was more savory overall, and I don't remember a single sweet dinner item from then.
The other differences are minor menu change-outs, like the soups were obviously different -- T was looking forward to the coconut seafood curry soup, aka one of the best soups in the world, but it wasn't there this time (and we knew it was just a shot in the dark). They also had green beans instead of asparagus, different salads, meats and sides.
Anyway, none of that is a big deal, but I can see how that might skew a diner's perception depending on what you like. We met some folks at the pool in November and chatted about the resort's dining; one couple said they didn't like Boma because everything was too sweet, and another group thought it was all too spicy.
~~~~~
After cleaning our plates followed by an obligatory rest period, we went up for second plates, which oddly didn't vary much from the first round:
New to this round is tabbouleh (??? I don't remember getting this, but I do love tabbouleh so I may have been on autopilot) and strip loin from the carving station. Also, more of the orange chutney, which maybe was an apricot-mustard sauce? I don't quite remember, only that it was right in front of the strip loin and was supposed to pair with that. (It definitely wasn't a flavored hummus, even though it looks like one.) The strip loin was surprisingly tender and also quite lean. It was beef. Beefy. Meaty and iron-containing. Beef.
What a photo, deserving of several awards.
This was a mushroom soup, one of the other soups on rotation that night. I remember this being delicious but also describing it as basically pureed mushrooms. It really had that earthy, rich, mushroom flavor going on and it was not holding back! I remember thinking if it *was* just pureed mushrooms then it was done well, because there was no grittiness to the texture at all. Very smooth, nicely seasoned, and good for anyone who loves mushrooms.
After this, we were pushing our stomach limits, but found room for a throwback tour of the greatest hits:
a terrible photo of a delicious plate! just plantain chips and coriander chutney. soooooo good. I should ask for their coriander chutney recipe and make this at home; it'd be the perfect snack.
And then, it was time for dessert. The first trip was an exploratory mission:
Clockwise from 11'o'clock: "Dutch Malva pudding," special dessert of the night - spiced cherry cobbler, rooibos-red velvet cake, some chocolatey dessert I've seen each time but always forget the name of, and the world-renowned zebra dome.
Neither of us really care much for zebra domes
but we tried it again this trip to make sure. They're all right, we just don't love 'em.
The chocolatey kiss-looking thing was just a bunch of different chocolates together, and I'm not really one for chocolate either. Standard chocolate dessert. The "wrapper" is actually a chocolate shell, which I've always thought very cute.
The rooibos-red velvet cake was a bit of a letdown. Tea-flavored cakes, or any dessert for that matter, are usually so good! But this just tasted like a normal red velvet cake.
The spiced cherry cobbler was really nice, though it looks like a lump of mush in this photo. It was very warmly spiced -- as if somebody had included a chai inside the cobbler almost -- and it was delicious! Not too sweet. T got a separate plate of this for himself next, like half a dessert plate's worth.
I saved the best for last... the "Malva pudding"
we shared one, which turned into a plate of three, then a plate of four, and then we took four back to our room because Maureen loves us and we love her. We really tried to stop after that plate of three but she encouraged us to eat more! We of course weren't even hungry by the time of the first dessert plate -- we were really just nibbling at dessert -- but these are sooooooooooo good. I want them even now.
They're a very, very lightly spiced cake soaked in what I ~think~ is amarula, which is also what they use to make the cream filling in zebra domes. Now, I don't think they taste at all similar, but Maureen said they both use amarula liqueur, so I'll take her word for it. They're perfectly springy and spongy, light, not too sweet, and ridiculously good. T doesn't even normally like any kind of cake and he couldn't stop himself, either. They're simple, but delicious, and so hard to resist!
little heavenly delights
I mentioned up above that it wasn't busy at all when we went up for our first plates. That was true for each return visit of the buffet. It never got busy, there was never a line, and the restaurant was more than half empty when we left around 6:30pm. We talked about this with Maureen and she said it was an unusually slow night for a Thursday, and also for the weather. It began to thunderstorm shortly after we were seated, and it continued to rain through dinner and much of the evening. We only took four of the puddings home because it had been so slow -- I want to emphasize that Maureen suggested this, we did not ask!!!, and she insisted it was no big deal after we pushed back. At first we were worried she'd be fired for giving us a to-go box
With Tables in Wonderland we saved $18 (the buffet was $45/per adult). On top of the auto 18% gratuity we added on $10 because it really was slow that night, and because Maureen was such a gem. We had a very lovely time meeting her and enjoyed chatting and laughing with her throughout the night.
~~~~~
Our best trip ever to Boma now behind us, we wandered around the lodge admiring the animals, decor, and art. (It was too rainy to go outside, but we saw lots of animals through the windows in the hallways.) We also pressed a penny or two down near the arcade/Mara, and then we took a Lyft back to the Swan so we could change bags and grab ponchos.
After grabbing our ponchos, we got on the AK bus and I picked up a rolling Safaris FP on the bus ride over. It was a ghost town over at Animal Kingdom due to the weather. I was happy as a clam in my poncho, while T struggled to get his on over his park bag.
Animal Kingdom is our favorite park, and also my favorite in the rain.
I didn't take any photos on this safari because of the rain, but it was one of the best ones we've ever been on. Two adolescent giraffes were headbutting and knocking each other around ("typical teenagers!" according to our safari guide), there were so many animals out and about and very close to the safari road!, and we got to hear the lion and lionesses roar for the first time. That was particularly incredible to behold. I've seen the lions more active at night, but this was our first time hearing them roar. 
After we got into the Safaris FP line, I picked up a rolling FP for Flight of Passage. The sky was now completely dark and we enjoyed an empty Africa and empty bridge between Africa and Pandora. We also saw frogs hopping on the bridge just before we got to Pandora! We enjoyed some of the nighttime Pandora lights and atmosphere, tapped in for FOP, rode it, then did one photopass photo together before T had to catch a Lyft to the groom's bachelor party.
From there, NRJ had a 10 minute standby (!) but I went back on Safaris, which had a literal 5 minute standby -- there were less than 15 people in the boarding zone, and we all got on the next vehicle together. I was hoping to catch lion roars again, but no such luck
We had a crash of rhinos block the road, though! After that, I zoomed over to Everest (it was like 9:20pm) and rode, watching part of Rivers of Light from the top. I got one photopass shot in front of the Tree of Life, then hopped a bus back to the Swan.
Coming up next, we cancel our plans in favor of winging it...
Our adventures pick up in the Swan's gym, which is one of the nicest hotel gyms either of us have seen. Everything is new and kept in excellent condition, there's plenty of variety of weights and machines, and if you want to avoid crowds while at Disney, this is the hot spot
After the gym we went swimming over in the wonderful grotto/waterfall pool. Then we got ready and hopped in a Lyft to our destination... Animal Kingdom Lodge, Jambo House!We stayed at AKL for a week last November and instantly fell in love with the resort.
On that trip we ate at Boma twice: once for dinner right after checkin, which was the perfect introduction to AKL; and then again for breakfast, booking it for our resort downtime day after loving dinner so much.~~~~~
T really wanted to do dinner again on this trip, so I made a plan to eat at Boma, spend some time basking in the wonders of the lodge, then head over to Animal Kingdom for the evening. We managed to do this despite wedding complications (i.e., a lot of last minute surprise events because the planning and coordination of our friends' wedding was far from ideal).
We arrived around 4:55pm. I had a moderate appetite. T, on the other hand, went super hardcore in the gym *just* to be a hungry hippo for Boma, so he was ready to tub-tub his way through the buffet.
One thing that was noticeably different was seeing Boma pretty empty. Last time we also had a 5pm ADR. We checked in 5 minutes early to find the restaurant was already nearly half full before official opening, and we had to wait despite having the earliest reservation! But this time we were seated immediately and were one of the only parties there.
Our awesome server, Maureen, led us to the exact same table we sat at for dinner on our first visit, which was a funny coincidence! It was like ~recreating~ our first time at AKL
After chatting with her for a while, we headed up to the strangely uncrowded buffet and returned with first plates:
I don't have pictures of T's plates, but they were pretty similar to mine.
Up above was one of the soups on rotation that night - a seafood gumbo. This was savory and delicious. It had tons of bay scallops and shrimp, in addition to sausage. It was warmly spiced - it tasted new and different, yet familiar, all at once. It was some good gumbo! I ate all of this except for 1.5 pieces of sausage, which I liked but passed off on T because I'm not a sausage lover.
For the plate, clockwise starting with 6'o'clock, we have: nut-crusted salmon, chakalaka, turkey w/ cranberry-ish chutney, fried plantain chip, mystery orange chutney that I can't recall, turkey/lamb bobotie, green coriander chutney that you can just barely make out, "kokonut rice", green beans, watermelon rind salad.
The salmon was killer. I don't normally eat salmon out in restaurants because it's easy to find and cook, and who among us hasn't had enough home-cooked salmon for a lifetime?, but this was very well-spiced and crusted. The nut crust (really more of a topping or rub than "crust") was slightly sweet, and it contrasted nicely with the salmon.
The chakalaka needs no explanation - just a nice, savory tomato relish that I pair with whatever meats or vegetables from the buffet need a little flavor.
The turkey I recall being a bit dry, but otherwise good, and obviously it was a great vessel for sauces. I don't really remember that chutney on top of the turkey, but I remember it had some cranberry, possibly another fruit, and spices.
The plantain chips were huge and thickly cut. They were crisp and crunchy and really satisfying to bite.
The turkey/lamb bobotie was good, like usual, but kind of boring, like usual. It's not ~authentic~ bobotie - they'd have to adjust the egg/meat ratio for that - but it's otherwise a fine choice to get once per meal.
The coriander chutney really stood out. I barely remember the other sauces because this one was so delicious. I'm not sure why it was so irresistible, but both of us loved it.
Now for the "kokonut rice"... this was good, but sweet. It wasn't cloyingly sweet, like a sugary dessert. It tasted more naturally sweet as if it had been flavored with fruits (coconut) instead of straight up sugar. It was subtle enough and still tasty, but it almost feels wrong to have sweet rice not on the dessert side of the buffet!
The green beans I remember having a great snap to them and were cooked perfectly. I mostly got these to counterbalance all of the dessert I'd eaten and desserts yet to come. 3 green beans = at least 10 desserts
but seriously, they were good, and they make it easier to envision a "healthy" meal at a buffet.The watermelon rind salad is an old favorite of mine - loved it at our first dinner, loved it at breakfast, still loved it at this dinner. I thought this time it was noticeably sweeter than normal, but still good.
~~~~~
Something new I learned from chatting with Maureen before our first pass at the buffet: they have a scheduled rotation. I thought their rotation was randomly chosen depending on what they had on hand. Seems obvious now, but it's a fixed schedule!
Ours on this night was the Monday-Thursday rotation, which was pretty different from whatever rotation we experienced last time (that was a Tuesday night). The biggest difference to me was that the dominant spices leaned sweeter: e.g., the nut crust on the salmon, the kokonut rice. Last time, the buffet was more savory overall, and I don't remember a single sweet dinner item from then.
The other differences are minor menu change-outs, like the soups were obviously different -- T was looking forward to the coconut seafood curry soup, aka one of the best soups in the world, but it wasn't there this time (and we knew it was just a shot in the dark). They also had green beans instead of asparagus, different salads, meats and sides.
Anyway, none of that is a big deal, but I can see how that might skew a diner's perception depending on what you like. We met some folks at the pool in November and chatted about the resort's dining; one couple said they didn't like Boma because everything was too sweet, and another group thought it was all too spicy.
~~~~~
After cleaning our plates followed by an obligatory rest period, we went up for second plates, which oddly didn't vary much from the first round:
New to this round is tabbouleh (??? I don't remember getting this, but I do love tabbouleh so I may have been on autopilot) and strip loin from the carving station. Also, more of the orange chutney, which maybe was an apricot-mustard sauce? I don't quite remember, only that it was right in front of the strip loin and was supposed to pair with that. (It definitely wasn't a flavored hummus, even though it looks like one.) The strip loin was surprisingly tender and also quite lean. It was beef. Beefy. Meaty and iron-containing. Beef.
What a photo, deserving of several awards.
This was a mushroom soup, one of the other soups on rotation that night. I remember this being delicious but also describing it as basically pureed mushrooms. It really had that earthy, rich, mushroom flavor going on and it was not holding back! I remember thinking if it *was* just pureed mushrooms then it was done well, because there was no grittiness to the texture at all. Very smooth, nicely seasoned, and good for anyone who loves mushrooms.After this, we were pushing our stomach limits, but found room for a throwback tour of the greatest hits:
a terrible photo of a delicious plate! just plantain chips and coriander chutney. soooooo good. I should ask for their coriander chutney recipe and make this at home; it'd be the perfect snack.
And then, it was time for dessert. The first trip was an exploratory mission:
Clockwise from 11'o'clock: "Dutch Malva pudding," special dessert of the night - spiced cherry cobbler, rooibos-red velvet cake, some chocolatey dessert I've seen each time but always forget the name of, and the world-renowned zebra dome.
Neither of us really care much for zebra domes
but we tried it again this trip to make sure. They're all right, we just don't love 'em.The chocolatey kiss-looking thing was just a bunch of different chocolates together, and I'm not really one for chocolate either. Standard chocolate dessert. The "wrapper" is actually a chocolate shell, which I've always thought very cute.
The rooibos-red velvet cake was a bit of a letdown. Tea-flavored cakes, or any dessert for that matter, are usually so good! But this just tasted like a normal red velvet cake.
The spiced cherry cobbler was really nice, though it looks like a lump of mush in this photo. It was very warmly spiced -- as if somebody had included a chai inside the cobbler almost -- and it was delicious! Not too sweet. T got a separate plate of this for himself next, like half a dessert plate's worth.
I saved the best for last... the "Malva pudding"
we shared one, which turned into a plate of three, then a plate of four, and then we took four back to our room because Maureen loves us and we love her. We really tried to stop after that plate of three but she encouraged us to eat more! We of course weren't even hungry by the time of the first dessert plate -- we were really just nibbling at dessert -- but these are sooooooooooo good. I want them even now.They're a very, very lightly spiced cake soaked in what I ~think~ is amarula, which is also what they use to make the cream filling in zebra domes. Now, I don't think they taste at all similar, but Maureen said they both use amarula liqueur, so I'll take her word for it. They're perfectly springy and spongy, light, not too sweet, and ridiculously good. T doesn't even normally like any kind of cake and he couldn't stop himself, either. They're simple, but delicious, and so hard to resist!
little heavenly delights
I mentioned up above that it wasn't busy at all when we went up for our first plates. That was true for each return visit of the buffet. It never got busy, there was never a line, and the restaurant was more than half empty when we left around 6:30pm. We talked about this with Maureen and she said it was an unusually slow night for a Thursday, and also for the weather. It began to thunderstorm shortly after we were seated, and it continued to rain through dinner and much of the evening. We only took four of the puddings home because it had been so slow -- I want to emphasize that Maureen suggested this, we did not ask!!!, and she insisted it was no big deal after we pushed back. At first we were worried she'd be fired for giving us a to-go box
With Tables in Wonderland we saved $18 (the buffet was $45/per adult). On top of the auto 18% gratuity we added on $10 because it really was slow that night, and because Maureen was such a gem. We had a very lovely time meeting her and enjoyed chatting and laughing with her throughout the night.
~~~~~
Our best trip ever to Boma now behind us, we wandered around the lodge admiring the animals, decor, and art. (It was too rainy to go outside, but we saw lots of animals through the windows in the hallways.) We also pressed a penny or two down near the arcade/Mara, and then we took a Lyft back to the Swan so we could change bags and grab ponchos.
After grabbing our ponchos, we got on the AK bus and I picked up a rolling Safaris FP on the bus ride over. It was a ghost town over at Animal Kingdom due to the weather. I was happy as a clam in my poncho, while T struggled to get his on over his park bag.
Animal Kingdom is our favorite park, and also my favorite in the rain.I didn't take any photos on this safari because of the rain, but it was one of the best ones we've ever been on. Two adolescent giraffes were headbutting and knocking each other around ("typical teenagers!" according to our safari guide
), there were so many animals out and about and very close to the safari road!, and we got to hear the lion and lionesses roar for the first time. That was particularly incredible to behold. I've seen the lions more active at night, but this was our first time hearing them roar. After we got into the Safaris FP line, I picked up a rolling FP for Flight of Passage. The sky was now completely dark and we enjoyed an empty Africa and empty bridge between Africa and Pandora. We also saw frogs hopping on the bridge just before we got to Pandora! We enjoyed some of the nighttime Pandora lights and atmosphere, tapped in for FOP, rode it, then did one photopass photo together before T had to catch a Lyft to the groom's bachelor party.
From there, NRJ had a 10 minute standby (!) but I went back on Safaris, which had a literal 5 minute standby -- there were less than 15 people in the boarding zone, and we all got on the next vehicle together. I was hoping to catch lion roars again, but no such luck
We had a crash of rhinos block the road, though! After that, I zoomed over to Everest (it was like 9:20pm) and rode, watching part of Rivers of Light from the top. I got one photopass shot in front of the Tree of Life, then hopped a bus back to the Swan.Coming up next, we cancel our plans in favor of winging it...
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DisneyFansInNYC
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 28, 2012
We absolutely love Boma - breakfast and dinner. Thanks for the wonderful review!
auntfrannie
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2001
I am in full agreement with you on the Zebra Domes. I just don't get the popularity either. I do love Boma's but it's also been a long time since I've been. That is being rectified as I have an ADR in August. Enjoying your reviews! Thanks for taking the time to post.
chocolateMinnie
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2008
Loving the reviews.
I love Boma and we generally do at least one breakfast and one dinner per trip and I am definitely a zebra dome fan but not as much as the toffee pecan buns at breakfast.
Looking forward to more.
I love Boma and we generally do at least one breakfast and one dinner per trip and I am definitely a zebra dome fan but not as much as the toffee pecan buns at breakfast.
Looking forward to more.
Hettie
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2001
Joining in and enjoying your reviews!
A banh mi shop in your airport? That's awesome, I would love that for an airport meal.
I would love to find out how to book that particular type of room at The Swan, I love that it has a kitchenette. Was that a sleeper chair? There are three of us, but we could probably all fit in the king bed if we stayed before my son gets too big. I've never stayed at the Swan, do any of the rooms have balconies?
A banh mi shop in your airport? That's awesome, I would love that for an airport meal.
I would love to find out how to book that particular type of room at The Swan, I love that it has a kitchenette. Was that a sleeper chair? There are three of us, but we could probably all fit in the king bed if we stayed before my son gets too big. I've never stayed at the Swan, do any of the rooms have balconies?
earfulofmagic
cranking out magic and assembly line whimsy
- Joined
- May 16, 2017
We do too! Boma must be the best buffet at Disney, and we always feel it's well worth the price for having such a great variety of interesting foods
The allure of zebra domes are lost on us - but at least I found those malva puddings
Hooray for an August return to Boma! Wishing you an excellent trip 
Of the restaurants to repeatedly visit, I think Boma is 100% worth it every time. So cool that you guys make it there for each trip!
I must've missed the toffee pecan buns when we did breakfast, but I remember getting a bread pudding with vanilla sauce then and feeling super indulgent at 10am
Raeven
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2015
We began with drinks: a smoking watermelon sangria for me, and a cocktail called "the local's bee's knees" for T.
These cocktails are so cute!
Wow, I never knew that either! I'll have to try to find out what each night has for when we book in the future.
earfulofmagic
cranking out magic and assembly line whimsy
- Joined
- May 16, 2017
Hmm, I'm not sure if it was a sleeper sofa or not -- we didn't check
I think there was a recent-ish chat about this in the Swan & Dolphin resort thread. The description for bookable king rooms on the Swan's site says, "A room with a king-size bed also features a sleeper sofa." It was room 210 in the Swan's east wing if that helps with booking. It had a bunch of differences from the resort view king rooms, but that's what they said it was at checkin...
Also, wanted to say, the kitchenette was nice but unnecessary! The usual Swan rooms all have a double vanity, with one inside the bathroom and one outside of it, and all of the rooms will have mini fridges anyway.
There are balcony rooms! Their categories are something like this: "traditional" (standard queen/queen), traditional king, queen/queen resort view, king resort view, queen/queen resort view + balcony, king resort view + balcony. And then they have deluxe suites and family suites, which I think can only be booked by calling.
I had a king resort view w/balcony the first time I stayed at the Swan and it was great. But, the balconies are smaller than the Disney deluxe resorts' balconies. This was from that first stay:
Now that I feel like I've thrown out a bunch of caveats
, the Swan is our second favorite resort, right after AKL (only because we love the theme and animals). We always get fantastic service at the Swan, from checkin to housekeeping to buses to any little thing during our stay, to bell services and checkout.
earfulofmagic
cranking out magic and assembly line whimsy
- Joined
- May 16, 2017
So cute, I ended up finding that honey jar online and ordering it. T is a sucker for cute beverages
That's our game plan for next time, too!
Sailormoon2
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2015
Me too! It is quite rare to find someone who can roll with both.
Too funny!It seems that empty restaurants is also a trend (so far?) for your trip. BlueZoo sounds delicious, but honestly just not somewhere I think of going out of my way for. BUT Boma-we will be there in August and I cannot wait!!!
earfulofmagic
cranking out magic and assembly line whimsy
- Joined
- May 16, 2017
Hooray!! We should be called flexible planners
Love planning, love "cancel elation" and a free schedule. Our original ADRs for this trip were completely different from what we ended up doing.I didn't pick up on that until you said so, and now looking back over our trip, empty restaurants were a recurring theme. (Except for our last day, at Via Napoli.)
Same re: bluezoo - I've been curious about it for a while, but didn't want to make time for it unless we were already staying nearby.
Hooray Boma in August
Have an excellent trip, eat lots of malva puddings!
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earfulofmagic
cranking out magic and assembly line whimsy
- Joined
- May 16, 2017
Plans Shaken, Not Stirred: Margaritas in Mexico
Our culinary voyage picks up the next day after a very late night -- neither of us fell asleep until 4am.
Originally, we were supposed to go to Animal Kingdom and we had an 11am reservation at Yak & Yeti. We ate there back in November and had been looking forward to more Yak Attacks and ahi tuna nachos...
(ahi tuna nachos, from November. far from overrated, these are everything they're chalked up to be and more!)
...but I didn't think we'd make it without rushing, given I was still in pajamas at 10:15am and T was snoring in dreamland. I comforted myself by saying Y&Y would be crazy to remove the ahi tuna nachos from the menu, and "we can always get them next time!"
After T made his way to the waking world, we lounged and talked while I scrolled through the app for lunch reservations. Neither of us really cared about making our Animal Kingdom fastpasses (a luxury of having been so many times now) but we felt like walking over to Epcot. We settled on San Angel Inn at 11:40am and a freewheeling day around World Showcase.
~~~~~
Oh, I forgot to mention,much like the groom forgot to mention things several times... T learned while leaving the bachelor's party at 3am that the 8pm cocktail party we were supposed to attend that evening, that was "kind of a rehearsal dinner," was now AFTER the rehearsal dinner -- which began at 5pm. It was news to all of the groomsmen, and honestly hilarious that he let everyone know 12 hours prior that hey, surprise, there's going to be a real rehearsal dinner! Can you be back here in 12 hours in business casual?
We originally had an early (5:15pm) reservation for Flying Fish that night and were planning to attend the cocktail party after, which was now impossible since T would need to be there at 4pm to help prep for the rehearsal dinner. So, Flying Fish got bumped to the next night. And for that next night, I had a ~romantic surprise~ planned for us at Narcoossee's before I axed it for our new Flying Fish res. I'd chosen a time so we could eat dinner, see Happily Ever After from outside Narc's, and then watch the Electrical Water Pageant (T has never seen it). I was briefly disappointed, before turning it into a reason to plan yet another trip
~~~~~
Despite inadequate sleep and plan disruption, we were both in high spirits and looking forward to a carefree day in Epcot. We lollygagged around the room watching HGTV until I realized it was 11:20 and we needed to zoom over to World Showcase. We power-walked to a night market in Mexico and checked in fashionably (read: shamefully!!!) late at 11:45, and then waited a bit to be seated.
Much like Coral Reef, San Angel Inn is one of those places I've always wanted to visit for the atmosphere, but kept putting off because of all the bad reviews surrounding the food (you know, the primary reason for going to a restaurant).
We were seated in a back (front?) corner of the restaurant along a wall that's shared with the Gran Fiesta tour's queue. Ever the ~loving partner~, I let T sit on the side of the table that gave him a beautiful view of the pyramid and restaurant, while I made eye contact with like 500 boat tourists throughout lunch. When we were seated there were lots of open tables along the water as well as like, in the middle of the restaurant... but I accepted this as mild punishment for being 5 minutes late to our ADR (it really wasn't a big deal -- it's just mentioned here for setting purposes.)
The tables are set nicely here -- white tablecloth, a real gas lantern, deep blue goblets for water and matching cloth napkins. I remember thinking it matched the restaurant's "night sky" beautifully.
Lunch begins with complimentary chips and salsa, which were surprisingly good!:
The chips were warm, delicious and crispy, and the salsas were good (but both red and green were very mild). Also, I really apologize for the photos here -- who knew iPhone photos looked even worse when taken in low-light conditions?
I started with the la cava avocado margarita, which has been on my radar forever since it's apparently the darling drink of the Mexico pavilion. I liked this a lot, especially the hibiscus salt rim! As others have said, the avocado doesn't really add flavor so much as it just makes the margarita creamy. Apparently in my notes I wrote "avocado marg DELICIOUS but not drunkles?" because I didn't think it was very strong. Just an fyi, it is not that bright shade of green!, I was using T's phone's flashlight for photos
I wasn't really feeling any of the entrees -- they all seemed kind of heavy for such a hot day -- so I went for two appetizers: tostadas de pollo and sopa azteca (yes, soup on a hot day! so brilliant
)
Sopa Azteca: "Traditional Tortilla Soup served with Fried Corn Tortilla Strips, Avocado, Cheese, and Pasilla Pepper"
The soup is poured tableside. Imagine a bowl with tortilla strips, diced avocado, shredded cheese (probably of Kraft variety), one pasilla pepper, and that is what this looked like before the soup was poured over everything. This was edible but average -- the soup was thin, not flavorful, and the "toppings" were a little sad. I almost asked for no cheese but I thought why not! you're on vacation, let's eat all the dairy!, half-assuming it would be cotija or queso fresco. But that was just Kraft in salted tomato water. I don't recommend this, since life is short -- but if you do get it, it wasn't terrible, just plain and boring. You could do worse for $8 (and you could do better!).
meanwhile, the beautiful surroundings and atmosphere were top notch. even though I didn't love the soup, we were still having The Best of Times.
T ordered Pescado a La Talla: "Achiote marinated catch of the day served with creamy poblano potatoes topped with queso fresco and crema Mexicana served with plantains"
The catch of the day was red snapper, so I felt a little order envy.
(I also can't think of red snapper anymore without thinking of Animal Crossing...)
Anyway, this was Certifiably Delicious. Seasoned well, cooked (grilled? maybe baked? we can't remember) nicely. The plantains were excellent and although I didn't really care for the potatoes, T really liked those as well. The sauces on top of anything and everything on this plate were so good. And the portion was pretty generous -- we could've shared this, easily.
Tostadas de Pollo: "Crispy Corn Tortilla smothered in Black Beans and topped with Chipotle Chicken. Garnished with Crema Mexicana, Queso Fresco, Avocado, and Tomatillo Sauce"
I was pleasantly surprised by the tostadas. They loaded on the beans and chicken which made this quite filling. I pick pinto over black beans 100% of the time, so in a way this was a nice break from usual preferences, and it all tasted good. These alone with the chips+salsa would have been enough, as they're quite hefty with all of the toppings. That, and the avocado margarita took up a good amount of stomach room, too.
hey look, a brighter photo!
Somewhere along the way I also ordered a blood orange margarita:
Harking back to our lunch at Coral Reef the day before, I positively guzzled this (we were leaving soon!).
I thought it was fantastic with just a little kick of heat. And now for a sad trombone... T loves horchata, but for some reason DID NOT order the horchata margarita?! 
After hemming and hawing, he just stuck with water. When we exited Mexico to the rest of World Showcase, he brought up his regret over missing out on the horchata margarita, so take heed... get the margarita you want while you can!
We were pleasantly surprised by San Angel. Some of that had to do with managing expectations (i.e. lowering them entirely to avoid disappointment, like always with Disney restaurants in the era of internet reviews), but it was genuinely a nice lunch and a good meal. I remember we both thought our meals were ~relatively healthful~ and had fresh, tasty ingredients, and I was definitely a big fan of the margaritas. We were sold on the beautiful setting long ago, and I'm all for cool, dark environments while the Florida sun is blazing outside. While San Angel is not yet a "must do" for us, I wouldn't hesitate to visit again, and would recommend it to others.
We saved $15.50 with Tables in Wonderland, so this wasn't as expensive as my tipsy memory had me believe
After this, we went on the Gran Fiesta boat ride, which I adore and wanted to cherish before it's (possibly) re-themed to Coco. I rented "Saludos Amigos/The Three Caballeros" back in 2016, when I was first planning T's birthday trip to WDW, because I wanted to "get" the ride. If you haven't seen either movie, I heartily recommend, especially if you're a fan of classic Disney animation.
(Also, you'll see references to the movies outside of Epcot -- like this little guy I spotted in the Coronado Springs Resort's gift shop last August; he features in The Three Caballeros...)
Anyway! After the Gran Fiesta came to an end, this tipsy traveler managed to hold her bladder all the way across the Atlantic, from Mexico to Germany! But we sadly did not refill on drinks there, as T wanted to be in top form for the rehearsal dinner. We continued on to watch Impressions de France again (another thing we absolutely love!), took one of the better photopass photos we've taken together, then walked on to the Swan.
( internet safety first! also, a little French chef snuck into this shot 
)
We changed and headed over to the pool area, where we finally took one of the swan paddleboats out for a spin!!! They're complimentary if you stay at the Swan or Dolphin, and surprisingly fun. I was doubled over laughing at one point because T wanted to go for "top speed" on the paddleboat, so he huffed and puffed and really pumped the pedals, he was so loud and sounded like he was sprinting uphill, all the while we're on a PADDLE boat, in a shallow "lake," looking like jerks because it looks like we're trying to race the other boaters! (The boats are fairly heavy, so for us to go as fast as we did, he was putting in some serious effort!)
After paddling our way to the dock we went for a quick swim (in the pool - not the "lake" haha), then returned to the room and showered. T left for the rehearsal dinner and I declined to join, instead opting for an evening to myself.
Here I leave on a high note, because the dining report takes a tumble downhill in the next update...
Our culinary voyage picks up the next day after a very late night -- neither of us fell asleep until 4am.
Originally, we were supposed to go to Animal Kingdom and we had an 11am reservation at Yak & Yeti. We ate there back in November and had been looking forward to more Yak Attacks and ahi tuna nachos...
(ahi tuna nachos, from November. far from overrated, these are everything they're chalked up to be and more!)
...but I didn't think we'd make it without rushing, given I was still in pajamas at 10:15am and T was snoring in dreamland. I comforted myself by saying Y&Y would be crazy to remove the ahi tuna nachos from the menu, and "we can always get them next time!"
After T made his way to the waking world, we lounged and talked while I scrolled through the app for lunch reservations. Neither of us really cared about making our Animal Kingdom fastpasses (a luxury of having been so many times now) but we felt like walking over to Epcot. We settled on San Angel Inn at 11:40am and a freewheeling day around World Showcase.
~~~~~
Oh, I forgot to mention,
We originally had an early (5:15pm) reservation for Flying Fish that night and were planning to attend the cocktail party after, which was now impossible since T would need to be there at 4pm to help prep for the rehearsal dinner. So, Flying Fish got bumped to the next night. And for that next night, I had a ~romantic surprise~ planned for us at Narcoossee's before I axed it for our new Flying Fish res. I'd chosen a time so we could eat dinner, see Happily Ever After from outside Narc's, and then watch the Electrical Water Pageant (T has never seen it). I was briefly disappointed, before turning it into a reason to plan yet another trip
~~~~~
Despite inadequate sleep and plan disruption, we were both in high spirits and looking forward to a carefree day in Epcot. We lollygagged around the room watching HGTV until I realized it was 11:20 and we needed to zoom over to World Showcase. We power-walked to a night market in Mexico and checked in fashionably (read: shamefully!!!) late at 11:45, and then waited a bit to be seated.
Much like Coral Reef, San Angel Inn is one of those places I've always wanted to visit for the atmosphere, but kept putting off because of all the bad reviews surrounding the food (you know, the primary reason for going to a restaurant).
We were seated in a back (front?) corner of the restaurant along a wall that's shared with the Gran Fiesta tour's queue. Ever the ~loving partner~, I let T sit on the side of the table that gave him a beautiful view of the pyramid and restaurant, while I made eye contact with like 500 boat tourists throughout lunch.
When we were seated there were lots of open tables along the water as well as like, in the middle of the restaurant... but I accepted this as mild punishment for being 5 minutes late to our ADR (it really wasn't a big deal -- it's just mentioned here for setting purposes.)The tables are set nicely here -- white tablecloth, a real gas lantern, deep blue goblets for water and matching cloth napkins. I remember thinking it matched the restaurant's "night sky" beautifully.
Lunch begins with complimentary chips and salsa, which were surprisingly good!:
The chips were warm, delicious and crispy, and the salsas were good (but both red and green were very mild). Also, I really apologize for the photos here -- who knew iPhone photos looked even worse when taken in low-light conditions?
I started with the la cava avocado margarita, which has been on my radar forever since it's apparently the darling drink of the Mexico pavilion. I liked this a lot, especially the hibiscus salt rim! As others have said, the avocado doesn't really add flavor so much as it just makes the margarita creamy. Apparently in my notes I wrote "avocado marg DELICIOUS but not drunkles?" because I didn't think it was very strong. Just an fyi, it is not that bright shade of green!, I was using T's phone's flashlight for photos
I wasn't really feeling any of the entrees -- they all seemed kind of heavy for such a hot day -- so I went for two appetizers: tostadas de pollo and sopa azteca (yes, soup on a hot day! so brilliant
)Sopa Azteca: "Traditional Tortilla Soup served with Fried Corn Tortilla Strips, Avocado, Cheese, and Pasilla Pepper"
The soup is poured tableside. Imagine a bowl with tortilla strips, diced avocado, shredded cheese (probably of Kraft variety), one pasilla pepper, and that is what this looked like before the soup was poured over everything. This was edible but average -- the soup was thin, not flavorful, and the "toppings" were a little sad. I almost asked for no cheese but I thought why not! you're on vacation, let's eat all the dairy!, half-assuming it would be cotija or queso fresco. But that was just Kraft in salted tomato water. I don't recommend this, since life is short -- but if you do get it, it wasn't terrible, just plain and boring. You could do worse for $8 (and you could do better!).
meanwhile, the beautiful surroundings and atmosphere were top notch. even though I didn't love the soup, we were still having The Best of Times.
T ordered Pescado a La Talla: "Achiote marinated catch of the day served with creamy poblano potatoes topped with queso fresco and crema Mexicana served with plantains"
The catch of the day was red snapper, so I felt a little order envy.
(I also can't think of red snapper anymore without thinking of Animal Crossing...)
Anyway, this was Certifiably Delicious. Seasoned well, cooked (grilled? maybe baked? we can't remember) nicely. The plantains were excellent and although I didn't really care for the potatoes, T really liked those as well. The sauces on top of anything and everything on this plate were so good. And the portion was pretty generous -- we could've shared this, easily.
Tostadas de Pollo: "Crispy Corn Tortilla smothered in Black Beans and topped with Chipotle Chicken. Garnished with Crema Mexicana, Queso Fresco, Avocado, and Tomatillo Sauce"
I was pleasantly surprised by the tostadas. They loaded on the beans and chicken which made this quite filling. I pick pinto over black beans 100% of the time, so in a way this was a nice break from usual preferences, and it all tasted good. These alone with the chips+salsa would have been enough, as they're quite hefty with all of the toppings. That, and the avocado margarita took up a good amount of stomach room, too.
hey look, a brighter photo!
Somewhere along the way I also ordered a blood orange margarita:
Harking back to our lunch at Coral Reef the day before, I positively guzzled this (we were leaving soon!).
I thought it was fantastic with just a little kick of heat. And now for a sad trombone... T loves horchata, but for some reason DID NOT order the horchata margarita?! After hemming and hawing, he just stuck with water. When we exited Mexico to the rest of World Showcase, he brought up his regret over missing out on the horchata margarita, so take heed... get the margarita you want while you can! We were pleasantly surprised by San Angel. Some of that had to do with managing expectations (i.e. lowering them entirely to avoid disappointment, like always with Disney restaurants in the era of internet reviews), but it was genuinely a nice lunch and a good meal. I remember we both thought our meals were ~relatively healthful~ and had fresh, tasty ingredients, and I was definitely a big fan of the margaritas. We were sold on the beautiful setting long ago, and I'm all for cool, dark environments while the Florida sun is blazing outside. While San Angel is not yet a "must do" for us, I wouldn't hesitate to visit again, and would recommend it to others.
We saved $15.50 with Tables in Wonderland, so this wasn't as expensive as my tipsy memory had me believe
After this, we went on the Gran Fiesta boat ride, which I adore and wanted to cherish before it's (possibly) re-themed to Coco. I rented "Saludos Amigos/The Three Caballeros" back in 2016, when I was first planning T's birthday trip to WDW, because I wanted to "get" the ride. If you haven't seen either movie, I heartily recommend, especially if you're a fan of classic Disney animation.
(Also, you'll see references to the movies outside of Epcot -- like this little guy I spotted in the Coronado Springs Resort's gift shop last August; he features in The Three Caballeros...)
Anyway! After the Gran Fiesta came to an end, this tipsy traveler managed to hold her bladder all the way across the Atlantic, from Mexico to Germany! But we sadly did not refill on drinks there, as T wanted to be in top form for the rehearsal dinner. We continued on to watch Impressions de France again (another thing we absolutely love!), took one of the better photopass photos we've taken together, then walked on to the Swan.
(
internet safety first! also, a little French chef snuck into this shot )We changed and headed over to the pool area, where we finally took one of the swan paddleboats out for a spin!!! They're complimentary if you stay at the Swan or Dolphin, and surprisingly fun. I was doubled over laughing at one point because T wanted to go for "top speed" on the paddleboat, so he huffed and puffed and really pumped the pedals, he was so loud and sounded like he was sprinting uphill, all the while we're on a PADDLE boat, in a shallow "lake," looking like jerks because it looks like we're trying to race the other boaters!
(The boats are fairly heavy, so for us to go as fast as we did, he was putting in some serious effort!)After paddling our way to the dock we went for a quick swim (in the pool - not the "lake" haha), then returned to the room and showered. T left for the rehearsal dinner and I declined to join, instead opting for an evening to myself.
Here I leave on a high note, because the dining report takes a tumble downhill in the next update...
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JerseyJanice
A Disboards original...
- Joined
- Aug 20, 1999
Loving your reviews and your wonderful sense of humor, Earful!
So many comments I want to make. First off, we are huge Swan/Dolphin fans. Over 3 trips I was on and a couple more with the rest of my traveling group, we are amazed at how different the rooms can be. Being decorated pretty much the same, you’d think they are kinda cookie cutter, but not at all in our experience.
We generally get a two-bedroom suite which means you get two regular rooms with a parlor room in between them. Last month, our parlor room was in a corner and had an extra large balcony that was all concrete. IOW, it wasn’t a small metal balcony attached to the building; rather, it was built in solid stucco as part of the architecture and was twice the size of the metal ones.
Re: Boma. My husband and I ate there in 2002 after reading rave reviews here, and we hated it. Everything tasted either cloyingly sweet or as if someone had covered the food with melted cinnamon red-hot candies. Your post has me thinking that we went there on “sweet” night and maybe that was one of our problems.
I doubt you’re in a hurry to return to Coral Reef, but the Jack Daniels/Bailey’s mousse is maybe the most delicious dessert I’ve ever had. I didn’t care for my entree, but that mousse made up for it. So if you ever dine there again, get the mousse! It’s crazy good.
Lastly, I am crazy for two things at San Angel—any dessert with cajeta sauce and a jalapeño margarita. A lot of people swear by the avocado margarita that you had, but I think you have to enjoy frozen margaritas to appreciate it. If you’re an on-the-rocks kinda margarita lover, nothing beats the jalapeño. It’s refreshing, tart, a little sweet with a bit of heat all at the same time.
Can’t wait to read about the rest of your trip.
So many comments I want to make. First off, we are huge Swan/Dolphin fans. Over 3 trips I was on and a couple more with the rest of my traveling group, we are amazed at how different the rooms can be. Being decorated pretty much the same, you’d think they are kinda cookie cutter, but not at all in our experience.
We generally get a two-bedroom suite which means you get two regular rooms with a parlor room in between them. Last month, our parlor room was in a corner and had an extra large balcony that was all concrete. IOW, it wasn’t a small metal balcony attached to the building; rather, it was built in solid stucco as part of the architecture and was twice the size of the metal ones.
Re: Boma. My husband and I ate there in 2002 after reading rave reviews here, and we hated it. Everything tasted either cloyingly sweet or as if someone had covered the food with melted cinnamon red-hot candies. Your post has me thinking that we went there on “sweet” night and maybe that was one of our problems.
I doubt you’re in a hurry to return to Coral Reef, but the Jack Daniels/Bailey’s mousse is maybe the most delicious dessert I’ve ever had. I didn’t care for my entree, but that mousse made up for it. So if you ever dine there again, get the mousse! It’s crazy good.
Lastly, I am crazy for two things at San Angel—any dessert with cajeta sauce and a jalapeño margarita. A lot of people swear by the avocado margarita that you had, but I think you have to enjoy frozen margaritas to appreciate it. If you’re an on-the-rocks kinda margarita lover, nothing beats the jalapeño. It’s refreshing, tart, a little sweet with a bit of heat all at the same time.
Can’t wait to read about the rest of your trip.
JerseyJanice
A Disboards original...
- Joined
- Aug 20, 1999
One more comment—we talked about taking out a Swan boat, but my early 30s nephew said he’d be doing all the pedaling and refused. Probably what T should have done.
Probably what T should have done.
Sailormoon2
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2015
I am constantly made fun of for ordering soups in August at Disney. I agree with your assessment of this one too. But the margarita is top notch as is the cucumber version sold at the Margarita stand just at the start of Mexico!sopa azteca (yes, soup on a hot day! so brilliant
2xcited2sleep
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2008
I am loving your report and writing style!!! Also a big fan of the Swanson’s all of their dining. Bluezoo is definitely a favorite. I love that crab sauce too! And there is a nitro ahi tuna appetizer that is just soooo good. Appreciate the review of Coral Reef- I’ve often wondered if it was as bad as people say too. Oddly aquariums make me nervous so I don’t think we’ll be trying it. I’ve also never tried Boma but I do love the Animal Kingdom Lodge and it’s so easy to make a whole night out of dinner and all their activities. I’ve heard a rainy safari can be one of the best... good to know it’s true! Sorry you had to switch so many plans around - how funny is the groom- but always good to have a reason to return. Glad you enjoyed San Angel Inn. Similarly I wouldn’t say it’s on our favorites list but I do like it - my chief complaint being how close the tables are to each other and they do seem odd about assigning water tables. Very much looking forward to hearing more. I’m hoping Flying Fish isn’t part of the foreshadowed tumble.
I’ve also never tried Boma but I do love the Animal Kingdom Lodge and it’s so easy to make a whole night out of dinner and all their activities. I’ve heard a rainy safari can be one of the best... good to know it’s true! Sorry you had to switch so many plans around - how funny is the groom- but always good to have a reason to return. Glad you enjoyed San Angel Inn. Similarly I wouldn’t say it’s on our favorites list but I do like it - my chief complaint being how close the tables are to each other and they do seem odd about assigning water tables. Very much looking forward to hearing more. I’m hoping Flying Fish isn’t part of the foreshadowed tumble.
earfulofmagic
cranking out magic and assembly line whimsy
- Joined
- May 16, 2017
Loving your reviews and your wonderful sense of humor, Earful!
So many comments I want to make. First off, we are huge Swan/Dolphin fans. Over 3 trips I was on and a couple more with the rest of my traveling group, we are amazed at how different the rooms can be. Being decorated pretty much the same, you’d think they are kinda cookie cutter, but not at all in our experience.
We generally get a two-bedroom suite which means you get two regular rooms with a parlor room in between them. Last month, our parlor room was in a corner and had an extra large balcony that was all concrete. IOW, it wasn’t a small metal balcony attached to the building; rather, it was built in solid stucco as part of the architecture and was twice the size of the metal ones.
Re: Boma. My husband and I ate there in 2002 after reading rave reviews here, and we hated it. Everything tasted either cloyingly sweet or as if someone had covered the food with melted cinnamon red-hot candies. Your post has me thinking that we went there on “sweet” night and maybe that was one of our problems.
I doubt you’re in a hurry to return to Coral Reef, but the Jack Daniels/Bailey’s mousse is maybe the most delicious dessert I’ve ever had. I didn’t care for my entree, but that mousse made up for it. So if you ever dine there again, get the mousse! It’s crazy good.
Lastly, I am crazy for two things at San Angel—any dessert with cajeta sauce and a jalapeño margarita. A lot of people swear by the avocado margarita that you had, but I think you have to enjoy frozen margaritas to appreciate it. If you’re an on-the-rocks kinda margarita lover, nothing beats the jalapeño. It’s refreshing, tart, a little sweet with a bit of heat all at the same time.
Can’t wait to read about the rest of your trip.
I'll have to keep a lookout for that extra large balcony on the outside next time we're there! I thought they were all the same size, but apparently I wasn't paying close attention
do you remember what wing that was in?If we can ever convince some friends to join us on a trip, and to stay at the Swan/Dolphin, I'd love to get one of the two-bedroom suites. I love the sound of that setup, with the parlor room in between each.
Boma - oh goodness, I wouldn't return if everything tasted like that, too! But there's been enough time that I think you should give it another go, just maybe not on a Monday or Thursday
I mean, I'll hurry back to Coral Reef for three more of that $10 cocktail, that was a deal and a half with Tables in Wonderland
If there were a bar-only section I bet Coral Reef would have a nicer reputation. I'll keep that mousse in mind! I think if we do go back, we'll do appetizers, drinks, and a dessert; skip the entrees. So funny you mention the cajeta -- there was a cajeta dessert (mousse or flan) at the Mexico booth (during Food and Wine or Flower and Garden, can't quite recall), and I had meant to get it but missed it! And we just skipped dessert at San Angel because we were too full. But I will definitely keep that in mind, as well as the jalapeño margarita! The avocado wasn't bad, but it did take forever to drink from being so thick.
One more comment—we talked about taking out a Swan boat, but my early 30s nephew said he’d be doing all the pedaling and refused.
Wait, wait, just to be clear...T was purposefully hamming it up and having a good time with the difficult pedaling!
it was hilarious just because it was so peaceful and quiet otherwise! The other families are out on their swan boats, slowly paddling around, and in comes this guy, acting like he's on an Olympic sprint to the finish line His quads were super sore an hour or so later haha. You really should try the boats, though -- it's fun to idle on the water. And I got some nice shots of both Swan and Dolphin from the water!Share this page
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