Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina
Life is short. Live it well.
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2008
For those of you researching your dining options at Aquatica, this is our review of the Banana Beach Buffet from our visit on May 1st, 2016.
On the date of our visit, the adult price was $20 per person for all-day access. As pass members, we saved 10% off the cost, so our total for three was $57.51 with tax.
We have had mixed experiences with this buffet in the past. It’s been anywhere from “pretty decent for the price” to “meh”. We had never gone hungry, though, and there has been enough of a selection for us all to find things we liked.
With our wristbands on, we headed inside to fill our plates. The main buffet is located inside this building.
Seating is available in a large area outside and adjacent to the buffet building, under a covered canopy. There are also stand-alone chairs and tables with umbrellas in the open area next to the canopy cover. All food must be eaten inside the buffet boundaries, and the only items you can "take out" are beverages. With the all-day wristband, you can re-enter and eat as much as you want, whenever you want. Banana Beach closed one half hour prior to park closing.
The buffet offerings had changed quite substantially….and for the better….since our most recent Banana Beach experience. There were several new and quality items now being featured on the buffet, and we were quite impressed at the menu revisions.
There were 4 different cold salads:
A create-your-own green salad bar:
Roasted chicken legs, pulled pork, seasoned beef, and steamed hot dogs:
Hot pasta (that was switched from batch to batch….this one show marinara pasta but there was also mac ‘n cheese at one point), rice, black beans, and mixed hot vegetables:
Cheese pizza and pepperoni pizza:
Chicken breast slices, meatballs (which were rotated between sweet and sour and marinara-sauced), and sausages with peppers:
Warm nachos with all the toppings:
Melon, pineapple, mandarin slices, chocolate pudding with crushed cookies, and chocolate chip cookies:
Warm apple crisp:
And of course, there were unlimited Coke fountain beverages.
We sampled a little bit of everything, and there was nothing that we didn’t like. The buffet was kept very clean (has not always been the case before now), the food was replenished quickly and the hot items were kept nice and hot, and the meats were especially good. We enjoyed the increased variety, and that warm apple crisp? Mmmmmmmm
…it was fantastic. Someone had brought in Grandma’s recipe, for sure.
While our past visits haven't always been so positive, this time we were very pleased with the value for the price. The variety and food quality have both improved significantly enough that I would have no hesitation in recommending this to families. If you happen to have teenagers with hollow legs and bottomless stomachs, they will absolutely love this place.
Since the date of our visit, they have also introduced a $25 option which includes breakfast. Unfortunately, I can't comment on the breakfast quality or inclusions as this is new since May 1st.
https://aquaticabyseaworld.com/en/orlando/Dine-and-Shop/Dining/Banana-Beach
You can pre-purchase your dining passes online in advance of your visit, or at the park itself.
Let me know if you have any questions!
On the date of our visit, the adult price was $20 per person for all-day access. As pass members, we saved 10% off the cost, so our total for three was $57.51 with tax.
We have had mixed experiences with this buffet in the past. It’s been anywhere from “pretty decent for the price” to “meh”. We had never gone hungry, though, and there has been enough of a selection for us all to find things we liked.
With our wristbands on, we headed inside to fill our plates. The main buffet is located inside this building.
Seating is available in a large area outside and adjacent to the buffet building, under a covered canopy. There are also stand-alone chairs and tables with umbrellas in the open area next to the canopy cover. All food must be eaten inside the buffet boundaries, and the only items you can "take out" are beverages. With the all-day wristband, you can re-enter and eat as much as you want, whenever you want. Banana Beach closed one half hour prior to park closing.
The buffet offerings had changed quite substantially….and for the better….since our most recent Banana Beach experience. There were several new and quality items now being featured on the buffet, and we were quite impressed at the menu revisions.
There were 4 different cold salads:
A create-your-own green salad bar:
Roasted chicken legs, pulled pork, seasoned beef, and steamed hot dogs:
Hot pasta (that was switched from batch to batch….this one show marinara pasta but there was also mac ‘n cheese at one point), rice, black beans, and mixed hot vegetables:
Cheese pizza and pepperoni pizza:
Chicken breast slices, meatballs (which were rotated between sweet and sour and marinara-sauced), and sausages with peppers:
Warm nachos with all the toppings:
Melon, pineapple, mandarin slices, chocolate pudding with crushed cookies, and chocolate chip cookies:
Warm apple crisp:
And of course, there were unlimited Coke fountain beverages.
We sampled a little bit of everything, and there was nothing that we didn’t like. The buffet was kept very clean (has not always been the case before now), the food was replenished quickly and the hot items were kept nice and hot, and the meats were especially good. We enjoyed the increased variety, and that warm apple crisp? Mmmmmmmm
…it was fantastic. Someone had brought in Grandma’s recipe, for sure.
While our past visits haven't always been so positive, this time we were very pleased with the value for the price. The variety and food quality have both improved significantly enough that I would have no hesitation in recommending this to families. If you happen to have teenagers with hollow legs and bottomless stomachs, they will absolutely love this place.
Since the date of our visit, they have also introduced a $25 option which includes breakfast. Unfortunately, I can't comment on the breakfast quality or inclusions as this is new since May 1st.
https://aquaticabyseaworld.com/en/orlando/Dine-and-Shop/Dining/Banana-Beach
You can pre-purchase your dining passes online in advance of your visit, or at the park itself.
Let me know if you have any questions!
to the Dis, by the way!!
