Downtown Disney: Is Rainforest Cafe or T-Rex better for kids?
A Mom and The Mouse, Featured, Kristin Ford — By Kristin Ford on January 22, 2010 at 1:43 pm
A replica Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil greets diners in the Ice Cave dining area of T-Rex at Downtown Disney Marketplace. (Walt Disney World photo)
Rainforest Cafe and T-Rex are two exciting and similar restaurants at opposite ends of the Downtown Disney Marketplace. (They both belong to the Landry’s chain, after all.) But, if you only have time on your vacation to eat at one, which is the better choice for children?
Both eateries offer not just a meal, but a dining experience. At Rainforest Cafe, guests are seated deep in the heart of a rainforest, where gorillas, elephants, snakes and butterflies come to life when a storm washes over the restaurant. There are tropical fish tanks and lush vegetation surrounding the tables. If you’ve never been to a Rainforest Cafe, which has another location at Animal Kingdom and restaurants around the globe, it is something to see.
For my family, though, the rumble in the jungle wasn’t always a welcome sound. It’s loud and the lights flash like lightning and then dim while the animals scream — all of which can scare a young child. I’ll always remember one visit when my son was about 3. The rainstorm shook him up so much when it happened, he grabbed all his chicken nuggets and loudly demanded to leave at that very moment. For my fearless daughter, though, the noise wasn’t a factor at any age, so considering your child’s temperament is key.
T-Rex takes guests back to prehistoric times with various species of animatronic dinosaurs, embedded fossils, a meteor shower over the restaurant and a centerpiece ice cave that changes colors. The Downtown Disney site is the second location for T-Rex, which also includes a play area similar to The Boneyard at Animal Kingdom and a Build-A-Dino store (by Build-A-Bear Workshop).
My son finds the meteor showers very cool and much less intimidating than a rainforest storm, plus C and L love to stand in the ice cave when it changes colors. Many little boys develop a fascination with dinosaurs and all kids study the prehistoric creatures at some point, so dining at T-Rex can be a learning experience and a special treat. When asked what caused the extinction of dinosaurs, my then-6-year-old nephew correctly told his class meteors — and explained how he learned that bit of information at Disney World.
Perhaps the novelty of T-Rex — it opened last year — appeals to my family more because we’ve been to Rainforest Cafe many times over the years. We like all the entertainment extras at T-Rex and would recommend it if you have time for just one of the two restaurants.
Prices are comparable at both restaurants, ranging from about $12 to $30 for adult sandwiches and entrees. Seating for lunch and dinner is mostly available on a walk-up basis, though 20 percent of the tables are available for reservations through 407-WDW-DINE.
Tags: Disney World, Downtown Disney, Rainforest Cafe, T-Rex
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21 Comments
Both are owned by the same company, and the corporate management is as bad as the food. Look around the shops, then go eat somewhere else. It is truly frozen, microwaved, bottom-of-the-barrel food.
Totally disagree with Mr. Beef. Our family (nine of us) ate at T-Rex and the food was great. Much better than what I expected and the service was first class. Great experience for the whole family.
Adam- I have to “totally disagree” with you and agree with Beef. I have extensive experience in the Culinary world, especially at some of Central Florida’s biggest restaurants. I know pre-made, processed food when I see it, smell it and eat it.
I had the grilled chicken with vegetables, mashed potatoes and what was supposed to be a tomato broth. Chicken takes on a particular texture when it is cooked, frozen and then re-heated; it also shrinks pretty dramatically. The two hockey pucks on my plate fit these descriptions, and the perfect grill marks a’la McRibs were another giveaway. The mashed potatoes were either a frozen product or dried flakes (the dried parsley flakes evenly distributed through the mash was a giveaway, as were the lack of lumps), and the sauce was not a broth but canned marinara sauce.
I will agree on the service. With as busy as those restaurants are, it’s amazing how attentive our server was. Most of the staff there obviously were extremely kid and family-friendly, giving lots of personal attention to our son and the other kids around us.
I realize you mostly pay for the décor, experience and entertainment at these places, but the food should at least be decent. For my $20+ entrée, the least they could do was fresh-grill up a chicken breast; doesn’t take long, even in a busy kitchen with lots of orders. I would say the quality is on par with Denny’s or Ale House at double the price of comparable menu items. I’m sorry, but cheesy animatronic dinosaurs and gorillas do not qualify for a 100% premium.
I’ve never understood the negative comments regarding the Rainforest Cafe’s food. I am not a culinary expert nor am I in the food business, so no, I cannot spot when food is processed or frozen or anything like that. I have however, dined in and around Walt Disney World’s best as well as many of the higher end chains, and exclusive restaurants in many parts of the country. In other words, we do enjoy fine dining.
Now, I will not go so far to call this establishment’s food “fine dining” but I have never in well over a dozen or more visits had a bad experience. The food is always well prepared, the presentation is excellent, and it is robust and flavorful. Sure, every so often a bad experience is possible, or one particular dish is not up to par with another. Yet I have not experienced that here at any of their restaurants.
I had the pleasure of eating at the Yak and Yeti in the Animal Kingdom park, the latest of this company’s restaurant chains. The servings were incredible, and the food authentic and wonderfully prepared.
Funny… no matter what you do… the same thing does not appeal to different people in the same way. These places are loud, over sensory, and very hectic, and sometimes the service may seem that way… so sub par food can really compound the experience! Yet I would say, if you have the kids, and are patient, do not hate LOUD buzzing restaurants… the food on the most part, should surprise you!
We took our 3 y/o girl and 5 y/o boy to both. As Florida natives and frequent Busch Gardens visitors, the jungle and thunderstorm didn’t phase either of the kids, even the more sensitive 5 y/o. However, the huge T-rex in the front terrified the kids, and the darker meteor shower also spooked them.
For the adults, T-Rex had better food, but we had absolutely horrible service.
Both are the perfect spots for children. After all, THEY don’t know whether or not the food is good and couldn’t give a hoot. And, let’s be honest, from the look of their parents . . . neither do they!
This isn’t good news.
We were planning to eating at T-Rex next month.
Not after reading these comments.
While not expecting a Longhorn quality steak I wasn’t expecting a McDonald’s quality meal either.
It should be as good as the English Pub in Epcot.
With a Boddingtons Beer.
Dear GTF…
I can promise… this is NOT a McDonald’s quality experience.
I cannot promise it will be the best meal of your life, but please do not judge this or the Rainforest by the negative reviews. Make the experience fun and something to see… that it is. If you do not enjoy louder more boisterous environments, it will NOT be for you. If over sensory stimulation is not for you either, don’t do it.
I will say that Rainforest is one of my favorite themed restaurants becasue of the FOOD… yes the FOOD! I have NEVER received a poor meal here, it is always VERY tasty and DEFINITELY above Longhorn, or even Outback quality in preparation.
However, just because I praise it and others bash it… that does nt mean the same food tastes the same to everyone, and noone can guarantee great service, as many people have different degrees of patience and satisfaction!
We have eaten at every Disney related restaurants and I must admit we do not like either of them after one visit each.Too noisy, mediocre menu and service a nightmare as there simply is too many clients at most times and not enough staff to deliver qquality service. We actually enjoy the Rainforest Cafe outside the Animal Kingdom gates. Same style and menu but much less busy. As a sub for T-Rex I tell all our friends to try out Sanaa at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Superb and affordable menu and they really thought out this restaurant.Actual live animals roaming right outside the windows as you dine.When the meal is over the Kidani Village location includes room to roam and a dozen free activities for the kiddies to enjoy.
Sorry to stray from the thread…
SAANA is OUTSTANDING… probably not an “alternative” to this kind of meal… but much better and very different atmosphere… very classy.
Hands down the most incredible dining experience of our last trip. That is saying a lot because all of our dining was EXCELLENT this round. Between the view, and the service… WOW… the server we had was SO attentive and knowledgeable. The food we were concerned about, due to its non conventional nature, but so incredibly surprised! You MUST try SAANA!
Having eaten at Rainforest virtually every time we get near Downtown Disney, I can say that the food is fantastic. The only exception I’ve seen are the Kids meal cheeseburgers, which have buns like tiny boulders.
The Pastalaya is a spicy treat, with Andouille sausage, shrimp, and chicken..and you can request it to be extra spicy, or a little more mild.
The Rainforest Burger is large and plentiful-my teen boys love it. My fiancee ordered one of the salads-it was HUGE, with bleu cheese crumbles, nuts, cranberries..delicious.
We recently tried the T Rex. It wasn’t as good. Service was so-so at best, food took forever, and while it was ok-just ok, (the dessert is better, hands down) no one in our party felt like they ever needed to see it again. Sure the ice cave is cool, but something just seems off there…
Must chime in to agree that Animal Kingdom’s Rainforest is better-less crowded!
They did have a great team at the bar but I don’t know if any of them are still there. Mike was the best-never had to ask for a refill, he truly got to know his customers-hard to do given that many of them will only be there once! He never forgot a drink order and he would make sure you were happy with your order. Great bar staff, as I said.
gemahrv0125
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I took my kids to T-Rex after a fairly long day at SeaWorld…this was at about 3pm…the place wasn’t even BUSY or FULL and yet it took approx an HOUR for our food to come (contantly getting asked “when is the food coming out?” by my hungry 4-year old isn’t fun), when the food DID come, it did taste “reheated”…the server was also miserable & acted like her boyfriend just broke up with her or something! Not the “cream of the crop” experience I was expecting. My son was fascinated by the animatronic dinos (his fav dino is the Spinosaurus..which unfortunately, doesn’t have a robot dino impersonator at the restaurant).
Been there, done that, don’t care to ever eat there again. Great for the kiddies though, especially the meteor shower.
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