Its not often you can dine with a dinosaur or mingle with a mammoth, but that is exactly what we did today at one of Downtown Disney’s most recent additions. At the T-Rex cafe you are transported back to the age of the dinosaur as you eat in this amazing place. To say it has a prehistoric theme is a huge understatement! Owned and operated by the same people who have the Rainforest Cafe, their attention to detail, clever use of animatronics, and excellent light illusions all combine to take their guests back in time to a prehistoric age when these mighty beasts ruled the earth.
The mood lighting is excellent. We were seated near a giant wooly mammoth just next to a glowing ice cave that changed from a neon pink to electric blue and a few other shades in between. The ‘sky’ above us was lit with stars that twinkled down at us as we perused the menu. The theme continues on to the food and drink choice with treats such as the Bronto Burger and the Lost World Chicken Salad.
However, the fun really starts when the place erupts into life every 15 minutes or so. All of a sudden the T-Rex comes alive and starts roaring a quite scary cry like something from the Jurassic Parks movies. At the same time the mammoth starts to move, the Pterodactyls are beating their wings and screaming and then the sky erupts into a meteor shower with large explosions, flashes and bangs. It seems that everything around you is moving and pulsing as the noise increases and intensifies. It was a stunning show that the kids loved (even if they did squeeze a little closer to me). After a minute or so of mayhem, peace is restored once again and calm returns to the restaurant. However you start clock watching for the next eruption which happens at regular intervals (around 15 mins).
The food was good, perhaps a little pricey, but you kind of expect that at Disney. For our dessert we ordered a Chocolate Extinction which arrived at the table like a smoking volcano thanks to a cleverly designed souvenir container and some dry ice. This went down a storm with the girls and even my teenage son found this interesting.
The entrance and exit to the store passes by a stuffed gift shop overflowing with so many goodies that you will be prising them out of your kids hands!
One tip I would pass on is that you should definitely consider booking ahead of your visit as the restaurant is very busy and we saw wait times of over 90 minutes for tables at the busiest times of the day.
My wife and I dined at T-Rex as part of our 5th anniversary trip in March. the food was great, the atmoisphere was amazing, and the service was very good. Dining in the Disney area is all about atmosphere, and this place definately has it! I’d recommend it hands down!