Originally Posted By Admin This topic is for Discussion of <a href="http://www.LaughingPlace.com/Latest.asp?I1=ID&I2=2087" target="_blank">Latest: Tusker House to Become a Buffet</a>
Originally Posted By Indigo Well, I guess we knew this was coming. Still, I hate to give up my favorite restaurant in Animal Kingdom for a buffet. Not sure what they plan to do with all that outdoor seating too. Those tables by the bar are very useful for overflow seating when the inside fills up. But it's not practical to have a buffet where people are seated outside and have to leave and re-enter to get food. Also, I hope they plan to keep the walk-up counter for baked goods and coffee. Anyone know if other counter service will be added to DAK to make up for what will now be a serious deficiency in that area?
Originally Posted By CTXRover <<Anyone know if other counter service will be added to DAK to make up for what will now be a serious deficiency in that area?>> AK is already home to two very good counter service locations with very large seating areas with Pizzafari and Flame Tree BBQ, as well as the typical theme park counter service location with Restaurantosaurus. Also, the new Yak and Yeti restaurant being built in Asia will include both a table service location and a quick service/counter service location among the small 'village' being built, which will help fill the void a little with losing Tusker House's counter service. As long as the buffet is of higher end quality (I'm thinking something along the lines of Boma at AKL), I think this is an improvement in that it will give AK another much needed sit-down type restaurant. By the end of the year, AK will go from one sit-down restaurant (Rainforest) to three, which will help in allowing AK to stay open past dinner and give guests a reason to stay there for dinner.
Originally Posted By kennect Does anyone have a clue as to how successful the Rainforest thing at DAK has been? I have yet to eat there but yet I have eaten at the other location there several times....To me the location at DAK seems like a natural alternative to the dining options at AKL....
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 You know, if there's one thing that's truly lacking at WDW parks it's character buffets. Why don't they just make every one of my fave resturants one so I can spend my $$$ elsewhere?
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Does anyone have a clue as to how successful the Rainforest thing at DAK has been? I have yet to eat there but yet I have eaten at the other location there several times....>> It is extremely successful. If it weren't for locations like WDW and Las Vegas and other tourist locations, the chain wouldn't exist. <<To me the location at DAK seems like a natural alternative to the dining options at AKL....>> I would never call it an alternative. Not with some of the best dining at WDW at AKL. I'd rather eat at The Mara fast food locale than any RC.
Originally Posted By smctopia I am not happy about a buffet being added. I have gotten ill from several at WDW. Visit Walt Dated World <a href="http://waltdatedworld.bravepages.com" target="_blank">http://waltdatedworld.bravepag es.com</a>
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA With all these buffets, maybe Disney could pick up Sterno as a corporate sponsor.
Originally Posted By kennect Spirit, I love some of the stuff that Mara does offer..I am an egg salad nut and I like theirs.....But while staying at AKL I never think of Rainforest as a very close by alternative....I am not crazy about the place...I think their pricing is way out of hand when considering something as basic as a burger...I mean, you have to pay extra for fries??? Sorry though I have to say I am not at all crazy about Boma's...And don't even let me say a word about Jiko's...An evening there was the worst experience I have ever had at Disney in regards to eating...It was so bad I will never go back as long as I live...And the problem wasn't the food...The problem was the staff and the lousy manager they had running the place at the time...
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Sorry though I have to say I am not at all crazy about Boma's...And don't even let me say a word about Jiko's...An evening there was the worst experience I have ever had at Disney in regards to eating...It was so bad I will never go back as long as I live...And the problem wasn't the food...The problem was the staff and the lousy manager they had running the place at the time...>> That is truly awful. I can honestly say I've been to Boma and Jiko about 10 times each and never been disappointed in the food or service. I consider Jiko to be one of the finest restaurants in Florida. If I were you, I might send a letter to Chef Annette and tell her what happened on your visit. She is a terrfic person, as well as chef, and I doubt she'd be pleased.
Originally Posted By kennect Spirit, Chef Annette was the reason for the problem...She agreed to create a special dish for us...It didn't happen and we were told they didn't do such...Long story....
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <You know, if there's one thing that's truly lacking at WDW parks it's character buffets. Why don't they just make every one of my fave resturants one so I can spend my $$$ elsewhere?< not that I don't hear what you're saying, but at least it looks like we are getting the Duck !
Originally Posted By CTXRover <<You know, if there's one thing that's truly lacking at WDW parks it's character buffets. Why don't they just make every one of my fave resturants one so I can spend my $$$ elsewhere?>> Just to clarify, Tusker is NOT turning into a character buffet for lunch and dinner (thankfully, and I hope it stays that way). It is turning into another sit-down restaurant at AK, which is needed if the park intends on staying open past dinner in the near future. While buffets are generally not as good as true table service, it allows for a large number of people to be served relatively quickly and CAN be done very well as Disney has proven with Boma at AKL. AK already offers a character breakfast, and that character breakfast is simply moving to the Tusker location as it will now be permanently built to serve buffet-style. Honestly though, that is probably the one thing I disagree with. Africa in the morning is crazy enough with the safari, and I think keeping the character breakfast in Dinoland in the early mornings would make more sense from a crowd control perspective, but obviously they feel it will be better to move it for some reason.
Originally Posted By bloona Im a buffet fan, mainly because I do like my food, and with a buffet, I can get more!..lol. Any news what kind of food will be served there? I like character meals. I wish there really were more. The kids adore them too. Oh and Im not chef Annette by the way....just plain old Annette !
Originally Posted By gurgitoy2 You know, I've never liked that fact that Rainforest Cafe is right at the entrance to AK. It's almost like they're saying it's part of Disney, and the quality is the same. To me, it's not at all. RC is just a bit too tacky for me, and the level of AA's and theming is just not quite up to Disney standards. It's fine someplace else, like Vegas, or in a mall, but to be at the entrance to a Disney park where the quality is so much better (ok, Dinorama not withstanding). Don't get me wrong, RC is fine for what it is, but it's just not up to the Disney level for me, and I wish Disney had built their own themed restaurant there. I do understand they saved money by letting RC set up there, but still...
Originally Posted By sun-n-fun Ate there for the first time in Feb and loved it. Probably won't go after Aug as we don't make many ressies for our trips. I hope this trend doesn't continue- many people just want to find a decent place to eat wherever they happen to be.
Originally Posted By jmuboy I am normally NOT a fan of changes like this - especially at favorite restaurants like Tusker House. But the buffet could be a good idea......if the food is similar to what was there before or a simpler version of the buffet at Boma, then this could really be aGREAT change for the park. Plus, as mentioned above, the park is not adding a character meal (whioch WOULD have annoyed me). They are just changing the venue of a current Character breakfast. I dont think this will be a negative at all. Plus this building is already filled to the brim with great theming and will help add to the atmosphere. Finally, someone asked if the bakery / coffee house will reamin. The answer is yes. it will only serve from the outside window now though. The interior window will be sealed off during the kitchen renovation.
Originally Posted By ToonKirby Something tells me this was the plan for this venue all along (in other words, once the RC agreement expired, this location would switch to full service).
Originally Posted By JeffG >> "Something tells me this was the plan for this venue all along (in other words, once the RC agreement expired, this location would switch to full service)." << Huh? Nothing is changing that involves the Rainforest Cafe. They are simply converting one existing Disney-operated counter service location into a buffet. -Jeff
