Mara -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House
*This dining experience took place in August 2015. 
The Mara, located at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House, may very well be one of my most favorite quick service locations on property. I love that you can get standard Disney fare like burgers and fries but also get quick service options that are totally different than anywhere else on property. From African Stew to Pap, there's something unique to try at any meal at the Mara. And the best part? Many of their unique items are naturally gluten free and/or dairy free.On this particular occasion, I stopped by for dinner and wanted something easy. The restaurant does now carry the allergy friendly menus, but don't let that deter you from speaking to a chef if you are interested in something outside of the main menu. During this meal though, I opted for the chicken tenders straight off the allergy friendly menu.
Once ordered, I was given a pager and told to come back when the pager went off. I would say there was about a 10 minute wait overall, which gave me some time to explore the quick service location, and pick up a bottle of South African wine to take back to my DVC room for the evening. The Mara has a great selection of reasonably priced wines available for purchase. This one was a bit sweet for my taste but not bad.
The allergy friendly chicken tenders, as always, were delicious. Super crisp and perfectly fried. They are great with a side of French fries. Do note that there has been some changes in the distributor of the allergy friendly chicken tenders as of Fall 2015, so these tenders may not be the same when you dine at a Disney restaurant. At press time, they are currently using Saffron Road chicken tenders.Have you been to the Mara? What did you enjoy when you dined there?
The Mara -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House
*This dining experience took place in October 2014.The Mara, located at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge - Jambo House, is one of my favorite quick service locations at Disney. Where else can you get African stew and gluten free (not dairy free) zebra domes?Because I have Disney Vacation Club, I often stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge when I'm at the parks and resorts for a long weekend, especially during holiday events and runDisney races. This visit timed up with my first runDisney race of the season, the Happy Haunted 5K during the Tower of Terror 10 Miler race weekend. Sure, I don't really need to carb-load before a race, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy a few pre-race treats.I decided to stop by the Mara for lunch and was greeted by Chef Frank, who recently made me some amazing allergy Mickey waffles with toppings at Boma. Good thing I'm going to visit there for a post-race breakfast after the Jingle Jungle 5K!On a previous visit to the Mara, Chef Chris made me the Barbecue Bacon Burger, and it was outstanding, especially the barbecue sauce. When I arrived a the Mara, I saw it was back on the menu. Yep, that sounded like the perfect lunch to me. Chef Frank asked if I wanted to try it on an Udi's Pizza Crust, as a bit of a twist along with some additional toppings. Always one to try something different, I told him I was game.
What he presented to me, was a beautiful (if that's the right word for a burger) presentation. It just looked delicious! The burger was topped with barbecue sauce, sauteed peppers and onions, cucumber slices, fresh tomato and lettuce -- all wrapped neatly in an Udi's Gluten Free pizza crust that was perfectly heated. On the side, Chef Frank added extra barbecue sauce for the French fries. Talk about a condiment upgrade!The burger itself was delicious and the accompaniments were a nice twist. As much as a loved the regular barbecue bacon burger, this was as equally delicious. I would definitely order it again jazzed up this way.
Chef Chris also popped by during my lunch and brought me a nice treat - an OMG It's Gluten Free (and dairy free) chocolate chip cookie. You know, to keep my race strength up!As always, the Mara continues to be a delicious quick service option. If you're staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge (either Kidani Village or Jambo House), this is the place to go.Have you been to the Mara? What are your favorite offerings there?
Mara -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House
*This dining experience took place in September 2014.
The Mara, located in Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, is one of my favorite resort quick service restaurants. I frequently stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, as a DVC member, and it's my go-to spot for a quick bite that's a little out of the ordinary (and beyond allergy chicken tenders -- though they do serve them there!). With African inspired flavors, you're sure to have a variety of options that will delight your taste buds.On this particular occasion, I stopped by for lunch before we headed to the pool for an afternoon swim and then later to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. On a previous visit, I enjoyed the African Stew, a dish that I had to check out after reading my friend Alexis over at Gluten Free in Orlando's review! This time, I knew I wanted something else, and I saw a dish that caught my eye on the daily menu specials -- the Barbecue Bacon Burger. Once I got up to the ordering station, I notified the cast member that I had special diets and he called over Chef Chris. Chef Chris also works at Boma, and I've seen him many times at breakfast, so I knew I'd be taken care of. I asked Chef Chris if they could make the burger gluten free and dairy free, and I was excited when he said yes. Woohoo! I love a good sauce, and I was hoping that the sauce was house-made. (it was). While I waited, I was given a pager and made myself cozy in the Mara dining area. 
The Mara has such amazing murals and decor. It's a great place to just sit and rest, especially in the afternoon when it's slow.Once my pager went off, I met Chef Chris near the ordering area. I was ready for my burger and fries. Chef Chris told me that the bun was Local Oven and that the bacon was a nice thick cut bacon, not that stringy stuff they normally serve. Gotta love that chefs aren't fans of the stringy bacon either!
It might not be much to look at this, but this burger was really quite good. The bacon was excellent and the burger was well cooked (you could add cheese to this, if you wanted to). But the house-made barbecue sauce really made it. It was a little sweet and super flavorful. It had some type of spices in it but I couldn't identify them. It was the perfect sauce though, and if it's featured the next time I'm there, I'm asking for extra sauce on the side...for dipping in fries, of course!I wasn't planning on getting dessert but Chef Chris surprised me with some OMG It's Gluten Free & Dairy Free chocolate chip cookies for the road. What a nice extra touch!
I also could have purchased a 4 pack of the mini brownie cupcakes from Babycakes NYC. The Mara is one of the locations that always has them on hand.
Overall, the Mara continues to be one of my favorite resort quick service spots. It's quality and the chefs there are always terrific. I'll be heading back there soon, and I can't wait to try other offerings available!I'd give this a solid 8 out of 10.Have you been to the Mara? What are your favorite items to order here?
Mara -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House
*This dining experience took place in August 2014.
The Mara, located in Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge - Jambo House, is one of my favorite quick service locations in the resorts. With African inspired fare, they have a really great variety of options that are also very special diets friendly. It's one of my go-to spots for quick service breakfast (their breakfast potatoes are outstanding), though I also enjoy it for lunch and dinner. On this particular occasion, I stopped by for lunch. I was staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge for a long weekend, and I had grand plans to sit around the pool, read, and relax. So, having lunch at the Mara was on my short list of things to do.
The menu at the Mara has a lot of traditional offerings, like the ones on the image above from the menu in the restaurant. However, I wanted to check out the African Stew. It had been a very long time since I'd had it and my friend Alexis from Gluten Free in Orlando had raved about the African Stew when she visited recently. I was greeted by Chef Frank who came over from the Boma kitchen (one of the benefits of having the Mara and Boma share many of the same kitchen facilities), and he went over options with me. I knew fairly early on that I was interested in the African Stew, and he let me sample a bit to see if I still wanted to order it. The African stew is made beef, turkey, ham, carrots, potatoes, peas, chickpeas, and raisins - in a coconut milk broth. It is served over Basmatic rice, which means it's a hearty dish.I decided to get that, and I loved that the dish needed no modifications at all for gluten free and dairy free diners. 
As you can see, the portion is huge. So huge, in fact, that I was unable to finish it. With sweet and salty notes, this dish gives you a lot of different flavors in a small bite. The curry flavor was very mild, so even if you think you might be overwhelmed by curry, I would recommend asking for a sample. It really is an approachable version of this stew. I liked the variety of vegetables and meats in this dish, and I equally enjoyed the hint of sweetness from the raisins and the coconut milk. It was subtle but definitely there. Overall, I really enjoyed the African Stew. It was something different to order outside of the typical allergy chicken tenders that I so often order there and at other quick service locations. It would be the perfect entree for a cool winter day in Florida (and yes, we do get those) or a filling dinner. I would definitely order this one again!A solid 7 out of 10 for this dining experience for great flavors and a naturally gluten free and dairy free dish. Have you been to the Mara? Have you tried the African Stew? What are your favorite dishes to order at this quick service location?
Mara -- Dinner -- Quick Service -- Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House
*This dining experience took place in February 2014.
The Mara is perhaps one of my favorite quick service locations on Disney property and easily one of my tops for a resort quick service restaurant. I love the African inspired food and the quality of food that is served at this location. This location is also extremely special diets friendly and has a ton of options for guests who are gluten free and dairy free.On this particular occasion, I stopped by for dinner on the evening before my last race of the 2013-2014 runDisney race season - the Royal Family 5K. I didn't want to order anything too complicated or outside of my normal realm of food choices, especially so I didn't upset my stomach for race day.I will say that this restaurant was packed (around 6 p.m.) that night and there were a ton of other racers also dining there. Of course, there was pasta as a pre-race special but I'm not a huge GF pasta fan, so I skipped that option. Once I got to the front of the line, I asked for a chef and they quickly brought out one to chat with me. I forgot to write down his name, but he was a very friendly older gentleman who was very willing to go over options with me. Here are some options he gave me:
- Angus Bacon Burger with fries (on a GF/DF bun)
- Allergy chicken tenders with fries
- Flatbread minus the cheese
- Oak-smoked Rotisserie Chicken substitute something else for the mashed potatoes
- Mara Salad with Chicken
- African Stew
- Harissa Salmon (with some substitutions - can't remember what though)
There were a few other options that I can't recall, but ultimately, I decided to go with the allergy chicken tenders and fries. I know, I know...kinda boring, but I knew they wouldn't upset my stomach, plus they are just darn delicious!While I waited for my food I got a chance to check out the restaurant to see if there were any special diets options available, and wouldn't you know it I found the Babycakes NYC cupcakes. They are the mini cupcakes in a 4 pack, and it's great that you can find these here.
I also noticed that they had boxes out for runners with bagels, etc. I have to say that it would be really great if they offered some alternatives for guests who have special dietary needs too. It doesn't seem like it would be too hard to accommodate!
Once I got my chicken tenders (which came out faster than some other people's non-special diets meals!), I headed back to my villa at Kidani Village. I got to rest up and enjoy my dinner while watching the Must Do's on TV. The must do's are simply a must do!
As usual, the allergy chicken tenders were perfect. They actually did a great job frying these (almost as good as Columbia Harbour House!) - though the fries were a little soggy by the time I got back to my room. Either way, it was exactly what I wanted before my race and quite delicious.Next time I visit the Mara, I'll have to try something else. It's been forever since I've had the African Stew and the Mara Salad also sounded interesting.I'd give this experience an 8 out of 10.Have you been to the Mara? What are your favorite dishes here?
The Mara -- Lunch/Dinner -- Quick Service -- Animal Kingdom Lodge
*This dining experience took place in January 2014.
The Mara at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge offers African inspired quick service fare at a reasonable price with a nice variety for guests craving more than just burgers and fries. Nestled near the pool area of Animal Kingdom Lodge - Jambo House, this is the only quick service location at the resort.On this particular occasion, I stopped by the Mara the day before my runDisney Marathon Weekend Family Fun Run 5K and I wanted to grab something before my dinner at Be Our Guest Restaurant. I didn't want anything substantial, just a little something to tide me over. When I arrived, I notified a cast member who then got the chef. Once the chef came out, he asked me what I wanted. I told him that I wanted probably a kids meal - something lighter. He said I could have a burger and fries, which I did not want, a pizza, which I also did not want (sorry but Disney & pizza just do not mix!), a turkey sandwich, and chicken tenders. I asked if I could get the chicken tenders as a kids meal and he said yes; however, he did not prepare a kids meal and I was charged for an adult meal. Ah well, you win some you lose some. I should have gone with the turkey sandwich, and in the future I may grab that when I visit the Mara. The chef also offered me French fries with my chicken tenders but I opted for green beans instead.
The allergy chicken tenders are the same that you will find throughout Disney property. I like them a lot, though I think some locations are better at frying than others (for example Columbia Harbour House has frying down to an art!). I'm so thankful that Disney has dedicated allergy fryers, that I can't really complain even when they aren't as crispy as I would like. These were fairly well done and quite delicious. I do kind of wish locations like this would make their own dipping sauces. I could imagine a really tasty African inspired BBQ sauce with these tenders.
The green beans were good but spicy. Almost a little too spicy for me. I thought the spices on them were a little too heavy and that they could have scaled back a little. I really enjoyed the sauteed onion in the green beans and the beans were cooked down well for me -- which is helpful when you have Crohn's. I'd get these again but might check to see if they are pre-made or they could scale down the seasoning.Overall, this was a nice quick meal for me and satisfied my hunger in between breakfast and my big dinner at Be Our Guest Restaurant. I'd give this a 7 out of 10. The food was not bad but not amazing either. A middle of the road experience.Have you been to the Mara for lunch or dinner? What do you recommend readers order?
The Mara -- Breakfast -- Quick Service -- Animal Kingdom Lodge
*This dining experience took place in January 2014.
What better way to start the day than with a breakfast at the Mara in Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. For a unique and delicious quick service breakfast, the Mara can't be beat. Serving up classic American breakfast fare to Africa inspired options, there is certainly a lot of variety for guests visiting the Mara.On this particular occasion, I visited post-runDisney race. Having just finished the Family Fun Run 5K during the Marathon Weekend events, I was ready for a hearty meal and of course, those allergy friendly Mickey waffles. A girl's gotta get her carbs in after a tough race!Upon arrival, I notified a cast member that I had a special diet. They then got Chef Vickie, who assisted me not that long ago at Boma post-Jingle Jungle 5K, so I knew she would be able to provide me with a great breakfast. I told her that I was interested in the bounty platter but no sausage (typically it comes with bacon and sausage) and asked if I could make a strange request. I was really craving the Boma grilled asparagus and I asked if it was possible to swap that sausage out for asparagus. I was surprised when she said yes! I also got two allergy Mickey waffles.It did take a little bit for the food to come out, and when it did it was missing Mickey waffles. Chef Vickie explained that they had to make a batch for me and it might take a few minutes. She did offer me Kinnikinnick muffins and/or donuts in exchange (which I love) but you know me, I gotta have my Mickey waffles!
I have to say that the Mara consistently has one of the best quick service breakfasts on property. 1. Their scrambled eggs are always made fresh for me and they don't taste like they've been made in a giant batch. 2. The breakfast potatoes are amazing. I love the seasoning on them. They are also the same ones you can get at Boma. 3. They have a good variety of options. I could order quinoa or even the pap & chakalaka for my breakfast. I love that. Of course, there are many more reasons why I love the Mara, but these are just a few!The breakfast I had that morning didn't disappoint. As always, the eggs were well cooked and the potatoes were excellent. I also was so excited to add in the asparagus. It's one of my favorites. I will say, it wasn't cooked as much as I would have liked, but still it had great grill flavor.
Last but not least were the Mickey waffles. Chef Vickie brought these out to my table when they were done. I will say they were extra crispy and piping hot! This was the perfect way to end my breakfast. And thank goodness she only gave me two. I might have eaten a lot more at that point in time!Overall, I can't say enough good things about the Mara. It continues to surprise me, especially for breakfast. Of course, you know I'm a big breakfast person so I'm partial to their breakfast offerings but still it's a great quick service location on property and one of the best in my opinion! A solid 9 out of 10 for this visit!Have you been to the Mara? What are your favorite dishes here?
Guest Review -- A WDW Vacation Free of Gluten -- Day One
BackgroundHi, I’m Jaime. I’m 45 and live just outside of Chicago. Thanksgiving, 2013, found my new husband, Ethan, and I driving to Walt Disney World for our first Gluten-Free trip. I was diagnosed with a wheat allergy in June and, in a huge show of support, Ethan went GF with me. While I’m extremely lucky that my allergy is minor (it was only discovered because I was having a contact allergy to something else), the other benefits of being GF were a surprise to us both: my migraines are gone, my PMS symptoms have almost completely vanished, and both our ragweed allergies have diminished significantly! Plus we both felt this odd sense of being ‘clear’, physically and mentally… it’s a strange sensation to describe.I’m a WDW Vet – this was trip #39. Ethan has spent a total of ONE DAY in a Disney park in his life (I took him to EPCOT over a quick Super Bowl Weekend trip earlier this year), and he had never been to the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, or Hollywood Studios. I have a lot to show him!After being diagnosed with the wheat allergy, I scoured the internet for advice. I made ADRs and changed ADRs and read more dining reviews and made more changes. We packed GF snacks and food for the car ride (I made tuna salad sandwiches for dinner – you have to love how GF bread doesn’t get soggy!) I also made one of my (not so) Famous Peanut Butter and Swedish Fish Sandwiches! Don’t judge – it’s like a portable peanut butter & jelly!Day 1: Tuesday, November 26, 2013We arrived in Orlando and headed to Animal Kingdom Lodge. I wanted to show Ethan around (this is where we’re staying on our next trip) and grab lunch at The Mara Food Court.
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| Photo copyright Jaime J. |
Ethan and I perused the menu for a few minutes while in line (and came up with a couple of possibilities) and when it was our turn to place our order, I just said “We have a food allergy.” The cast member immediately asked us to hold on one second, she was going to call for a chef. It took a few minutes for him to come out, but he was full of apologies (it wasn’t that long!). He asked what the allergy was and said there was a lot we could do. He mentioned the fries were GF. He asked what we were thinking about and mentioned that they keep Udi’s pizza crusts in back for the flatbreads. We had both decided we didn’t want to go too basic by ordering a burger or chicken nuggets this early in the trip (and we had dinner scheduled in 3.5 hours, so we were going to split this meal).I decided to push it a little and asked if he could do the chicken pita sandwich: chicken breast served on a warm pita with sun-dried tomato hummus, cucumber, tomato, and mixed greens with mint yogurt sauce with choice of Couscous or French Fries.
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| Photo copyright Jaime J. |
The chef looked up at the menu, tipped his head back and forth while he thought, and announced “Yes, I can do that!”We were given a pager, got our drinks, and headed outside to a table. It took 7 minutes total for the pager to go off! I really thought it would have been longer. I went back for our tray and it was on a separate surface than someone else’s – I shouldn’t have been shocked by the care they took, but I was!The sandwich was delicious (the sauce was a little spicy) and, with the fries, plenty to share!
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| Photo copyright Jaime J. |
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| Photo copyright Jaime J. |
Dinner tonight is at The Wave in the Contemporary Resort.
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| Photo copyright Jaime J. |
There were many things on the menu that looked good to me: Herb-salt Seasoned Beef Tenderloin - with tomato-green bean salad with Cypress Grover Creamery Lamb Chopper Cheese and citrus-herb butter, Thompson Farms Pork Tenderloin - soy-pineapple honey marinade, pineapple salsa, bonito and cauliflower mash, and the Dry-rubbed Flat Iron Steak - au gratin potato and winter vegetables.The waitress (Diane) took our drink order and said a chef would be right out. About 5 minutes later, she came back and asked if anyone had come out. Um, no.
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| Photo copyright Jaime J. |
I didn’t think the restaurant was all that busy, but when Chef Tom came out, he appeared rushed and stressed. He apologized for the wait, but was looking around the restaurant as we talked, so the sincerity of it fell kind of flat. He checked what the allergy was and asked if we had anything in mind. I said I had heard good things about the pork and the flat Iron Steak. He said the pork was out because of the sauce, but he could do it plain. So I chose the flat iron steak. Ethan chose the beef tenderloin.Chef Tom called Diane over and gave her our orders within earshot. After he left, she went over them one more time to make sure. I appreciated her care with the order. She left to go get GF rolls for our bread service. I have to admit to being surprised, and I can only attribute that to the fact that neither of us has had more than 2 hours of sleep in the last day and a half. Of course, when the bread service comes, they were out of rolls and we got GF bread.
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| Photo copyright Jaime J. |
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| Photo copyright Jaime J. |
Is that Udi’s? It doesn’t look like it to me, but I’m not good at telling the different breads yet. And the butter was yummy!We were exhausted and famished and finished the bread and butter off very quickly. The entrees took about 10-15 minutes.Ethan’s beef tenderloin:
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| Photo copyright Jaime J. |
And my flat iron steak:
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| Photo copyright Jaime J. |
Both were cooked perfectly and this would have been an amazing dinner if we weren’t so tired. The au gratin potatoes were fantastic. It turns out I’m not a fan of winter vegetables. We will go back, just not anytime soon.Stay tuned for Day 2 of Jaime's review!!
The Mara -- Breakfast -- Quick Service -- Animal Kingdom Lodge
*This dining review took place in August 2013.
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| Mara is located by the Pool at AKL Jambo House |
Jambo everyone! The Animal Kingdom Lodge consistently remains one of my favorite resorts on property, not just because of the amazing location but also because of the wonderful restaurants located at this resort. Not only do they provide great African inspired meals, but they also are terrific at accommodating for gluten free & dairy free diners. The Mara is the Animal Kingdom Lodge's quick service location, and I have eaten here many times for lunch & dinner; however, I'd never eaten here for breakfast. On this particular occasion, I had the opportunity to grab a quick breakfast here and see the great offerings they provide. I was thrilled to have a really tasty breakfast here and found it to be one of my favorite QS locations for breakfast on property!One of the things that you should know about the Mara is that it can be challenging to find, if you don't know what you're looking for. Tucked outside on the ground floor, you'll want to head past the pool area to find this location. If you take the elevators to the ground floor, walk past the Boma & Jiko entrances and head outside.
You'll find that the Mara offers traditional fare, as well as lots of African inspired options, as well. This is true for both breakfast, lunch and dinner. It's great to see that even for the quick service meals, the offerings are really unique to this location.For breakfast, they have a lot of your traditional fare--from the Mickey waffle to the Bounty Platter (which is pretty much at every quick service location). Of course, they do have some unique offerings like Bobotie platter; however, Bobotie has tons of dairy in it, and needs to be specially prepared well in advance if you wanted a GF/DF version (I did this once at Boma. Chef Amber who is now at Kona Cafe made me this amazing dish. See the review HERE). There is also an African Inspired Breakfast Platter which is pretty much GF/DF (depending on how they prepare the pap, etc.).When I arrived, I asked the cast member on duty for a chef. While I waited, I explored the restaurant--noting that some of the old standbys like the Special Diets stand are no longer there. That's a bummer! I also didn't see any Babycakes in the refrigerated section either (I was hoping they might be there). It seems like they have reduced some of the offerings.
Chef Chris from over at Boma came over to assist me. I think he thinks I stalk him! He was like, "I know you" Yep. I come here waaaay too much. He asked what I was in the mood for, and I mentioned I thought the Bounty Platter, mostly because I wanted allergy Mickey waffles (what can I say, you all know I'm a sucker for them!). He said something about being able to make the African Inspired Platter as well. The good news is that I'm really familiar with the Boma menu and I know the scrambled eggs are safe and that often the pap is dairy free. The chakalaka and grilled tomatoes are also great GF/DF, vegetarian and vegan choices. The only thing I didn't know about was the Merguez sausage which I didn't ask about. Basically, I knew I wanted the regular platter so I didn't investigate too much (sorry!). Also, if you like quinoa, you can get hot quinoa here that is also gluten free & dairy free. Just avoid the "toppings" out in the main condiment and drink area--always ask for those from the back. I didn't take a photo but let's just say that area was pretty cross contaminated! Chef said it would take about 5-8 minutes.It all came out pretty quickly, and I will say, I felt like he just went to the Boma kitchen and grabbed and/or made stuff! It was all very Boma like!
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| Now this is a bounty platter I can get on board with! |
Having had my share of bounty platters throughout the resort, I will say hands down this is the best one I've ever had. I think it was the combination of both AKL prepared food & it being very fresh. But, seriously, this was amazing. The scrambled eggs were very yummy. Perfectly cooked. The bacon seemed a little meatier (does that make sense?) from the stringy bacon you usually get, though I'll say I've been seeing some bacon improvements lately. I skipped the sausage on this platter because sausage and I are not friends. The best part were the breakfast potatoes which have the same seasoning as the ones at Boma (soooo good!) and the Mickey waffles. I definitely scarfed all of this down.Overall, I plan to go back to the Mara for breakfast again. I get all the flavor of Boma at half the price! Of course, there's lots of Boma faves you can't get here, but if you want a quick fix, this is excellent. I also like Chef Chris a lot. He's pretty goofy, but he always makes sure I get what I need for a safe meal. And of course, the Animal Kingdom Lodge is one of my favorite resorts for theming.Definitely a solid 9 out of 10 for this particular meal. Overall, I'd give it an 8 but I can't complain for breakfast at all. I would highly recommend this quick service location!
Mara -- Quick Service -- Dinner -- AKL
*Note this review was prior to the vendor changes that took place in November 2011.The Mara is a really great counter service for a variety of options. I love that they have allergy free chicken tenders here, safe fries, and a bevy of other traditional counter service type fare. However, they also have some nice options for African inspired food.This particular dish was really yummy. Grilled (and marinated chicken) with basmati rice and succotash. I enjoyed the grilled chicken immensely. It had really good flavor. They had to make this in the back, as the chicken out front was not safe (I think it was marinated in yogurt).Overall, a good solid dish.
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| Grilled chicken with rice and succotash |
Dining Review -- AKL Counter Service, The Mara
Eating at counter service can seem intimidating and even frustrating after a bad experience. My review of the Mara is somewhat mixed. This counter service restaurant is located at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. AKL seems to be a cut above many other resorts with service and quality. The Mara had a lot of typical fare (burgers, fries, pizza) and some less typical fare that is more African influenced. Upon arrival, I scanned the menu board and felt less than confident in making choices myself regarding what to eat. At the time, I was coming off of a very bad Crohn's flare so I knew that anything fried would be a bad idea (regardless of being GF and CF). At the Mara, near the ordering stations a CM was there taking orders. I spoke with her and said that I had dietary restrictions. At that point, she said she would need to get the chef and quickly went to the them. However, I ended up waiting for quite a while until a chef appeared. The chef finally came out and asked what dietary restrictions I had. I explained that I could not have Gluten or Dairy. He then offered to make me pizza (which I said had dairy in it, so I could not have. I think he didn't hear me say dairy) and then he offered me macaroni and cheese. He also said I could have fries. I finally asked about the roast chicken which was on the menu; he said it wasn't GF. So, he said if I wanted chicken, he had some that was OK for me to eat (had like a curry glaze on it) and asked what I wanted as a side. We finally decided upon vegetables, stir-fried. He then left to go prepare my food. He told me to go find a table and he would come bring it out. So, I met up with my Mom and she dug into her African Stew. The wait for the food wasn't too long, and out came my meal of chicken with vegetables. I couldn't believe how HUGE the portion was. I ended up taking it back to the room and heating it up later. It was pretty tasty and fairly healthful. Here's a picture:
Overall, I would say the Mara was pretty good. Although I had difficulty reminding the Chef I was also CF, I still got a pretty good meal. I would recommend making sure you repeat your restrictions to the Chef who is assisting you. I would rate it a 7 out of 10.