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maxmolly
10-11-2007, 08:26 PM
We are going to disney in Jan 2008 I was looking into the Rainforest cafe. Is it worth eating at? Is either one better like the downtown one versus the animal kingdom one? What other restaurants are ones not to miss

momof3+twins
10-11-2007, 08:30 PM
It is worth it. It has great atmosphere. The food is like Applebees. It is overpriced. But, everything at Disney is. We go to the Rainforest in The Marketplace. And it has always been alot of fun. We have also visited the Rainforest in Kansas City and they seem pretty much the same. So, I could be that the AK one and the Marketplace one are pretty similar.

I really like Crystal Palace, and Garden Grill. And 50's Prime Time is alot of fun.

But the best food has to go to San Angel ( in the pyramid at Mexico in Epcot.)

IloveDisney71
10-11-2007, 08:50 PM
We always eat at the one in DTD. It's kind of pricey, but the food is always good. It's a fun, loud environment. If you've never eaten there and you have kids, I'd definitely give it a try.

jenny1976
10-11-2007, 09:27 PM
As other posters have said, the atrmosphere is wonderfully loud and the food is good, though pricy.

DessertDivaFL
10-11-2007, 10:15 PM
We have only ate at the DTD one. Sounds like a broken record but it is expensive but I guess you are also paying for the maintenance of all the moving animals and for cleaning those fish tanks! Who cleans those things? A scuba diver? :dory::nemo:

We also like to eat at Wolfgang Puck's Cafe (1st floor). Great pizza!

Lucyrella
10-11-2007, 10:26 PM
I guess I am one of the few that did not like the Rainforest Cafe. It is loud, the service was slow, and the food average. My husbands chair was broken and when he went to sit down it smashed his finger and he ended up losing his fingernail. The server said.... what do you want me to do about it... well I couldn't believe this came out of the mouth of a cast member. I had a first aid kit with me thank goodness, and we never saw a manager. Also, if you have small children like we did, she was scared of the loud noise and lightening effects. Just my 2 cents worth, I am sure on a good day, it is wonderful.

Now I totally agree with Wolf Gang Puck's counter service or cafe, it was the best by far.

Good Luck,

HndrdPrcnt
10-11-2007, 10:27 PM
Who cleans those things? A scuba diver? :dory::nemo:
!

Yes, as a matter of fact, a scuba diver does clean those things. I worked at RFC for years and after hours the curator suits up in a scuba outfit and takes along his scrubbrush and cleans away!!

I love RFC and truly think that it is the best food of any themed restaurant (and for me to be able to say that even after working there, is pretty impressive!!)

If, however, you have a RFC in your hometown or nearby, then don't bother. They are pretty much all the same.

Have a great trip! Oh as for other restaurants - for quick service in DTD, I LOVE Earl of Sandwich! Others that are must dos for us include: O'Hana, Whispering Canyon Cafe', Prime Time Cafe', California Grill, and Hoop de Doo!!

Madame Leona
10-11-2007, 10:40 PM
I love Rainforest Cafe. I can't remember the name of the sandwich right now but there is a barbucue beef wrap that is to die for. I've been craving one for several weeks now but I'm nine months pregnant and can't sit long enough to make the hour drive to the one near our house. DS loved all of the animals and the food as well. It's really just a good food, great atmosphere type of place.

LovinWDW
10-11-2007, 11:00 PM
We always have lunch at the rainforest while at Animal Kingdom. The atmosphere is great, the food is decent and you get to sit in air conditioning before heading back into the park. If you go, order the "VOLCANO" for dessert:thumbsup: and the rainforest chowder is also very good.

14 more days:)

goofysbabe
10-12-2007, 08:08 AM
I do not like Rainforest Cafe! I think it is WAY TO LOUD and over priced. I do not like the menu and the wait is always way to long! However, my kids love this place -

illini
10-12-2007, 09:16 AM
I haven't eaten at a Disney RFC, but they're all pretty much the same.

Yes, they're a bit loud but you know that coming in. No worse than Crystal Palace or Chef Mickeys, IMO. Atmosphere is really fun. Food is generally decent, nothing to rave about. I completely agree with poster that said RFC food beats other themed restaurants. Doesn't make it great food, but certainly not bad.

I think it's fun and certainly worth checking out.

pox24
10-12-2007, 09:59 AM
Oh yeh!:thumbsup:

momof3+twins
10-12-2007, 10:10 AM
My husbands chair was broken and when he went to sit down it smashed his finger and he ended up losing his fingernail. The server said.... what do you want me to do about it... well I couldn't believe this came out of the mouth of a cast member. I had a first aid kit with me thank goodness, and we never saw a manager. Also, if you have small children like we did, she was scared of the loud noise and lightening effects. Just my 2 cents worth, I am sure on a good day, it is

That is terrible that he lost his fingernail. And the server sounds awful. BUT I really doubt that he was a cast member. Rainforest is owned by Landry's (Joes Crabshack and T-rex have the same owner). So, don't hold Disney accountable for that one!:thumbsup:
And the lightening and thunder also scared my 1 year old daughter. So that is something to keep in mind. I had to pick her up everytime it thundered. But, she is extremely afraid of everything anyway. I can't wait to see her cry when we meet the characters.LOL

momof3+twins
10-12-2007, 10:12 AM
Okay that was the first time I did a quote. I did it wrong so it looks like my husband lost his fingernail. Sorry everyone. I hope that you make sense out of the last post.

SBETigg
10-12-2007, 10:32 AM
It is so not worth it. Worth it if you have one near you in a shopping mall, maybe, but not worth it at WDW with all the superior experiences you could have. The food is mediocre at best (average bar and grill quality at inflated prices). The service stinks (our meal took three hours). And the atmosphere, while fun, is missable in favor of the San Angel Inn, Coral Reef, 'Ohana, Whispering Canyon, or any number of other WDW restaurants.

If you feel the need to try it, try the one at AK because it may be better-- the Downtown Disney one is disappointing to my experience.

GrmGrninGost
10-12-2007, 10:56 AM
My family and I like it. I prefer the one at AK. The atmosphere is really cool and the food is good. I'll admit it's a little pricey, but what the heck, you're on vacation at WDW! Just about everything is a little pricey! But, just about everything is worth it! Try it out once and judge for yourself! Enjoy! :mickey:

mermaidmarian
10-12-2007, 11:10 AM
It's pretty subjective. If you have one in a mall near you - go there and find something with a more Disney feel to it while at WDW. I agree with others that the restaurant is very noisy, the food pretty much standard casual dining fare, the price is up there and the theming, while really innovative 10 years ago is just "eh" to me now.

Hayden's Dad
10-12-2007, 12:33 PM
The only thing I don't really like about the Rainforest Cafe is like others have posted you can eat at these at other places, part of the fun of going to Disney is having new experiences so we usually pass on them. The ones we have eaten at were ok not great the themeing is interesting and different but nothing to write home about.

ThanxForNoticin
10-12-2007, 12:39 PM
It's one of our favorite places to eat at Disney - we've always enjoyed the food and service. It's a lot of fun and I would highly recommend it. I might give a slight edge to the one at DTD since it's bigger, but AK is also very good. Be sure to save room for some dessert - they have excellent desserts. Enjoy.

Figgyluv03
10-12-2007, 01:05 PM
We have one in Atantic City, so I doubt I would go to the one in Disney since we have one here. It's more a chain than it is a Disney Restruant, so I'd rather eat a place I won't be able to eat at home.

d_m_n_n
10-12-2007, 01:19 PM
It is so not worth it. Worth it if you have one near you in a shopping mall, maybe, but not worth it at WDW with all the superior experiences you could have. The food is mediocre at best (average bar and grill quality at inflated prices). The service stinks (our meal took three hours). And the atmosphere, while fun, is missable in favor of the San Angel Inn, Coral Reef, 'Ohana, Whispering Canyon, or any number of other WDW restaurants.




I would have to agree. I would NEVER go to a RFC at Disney when they are all over the country. We ate at the one in Nashville and for the 4 of us it was horribly, HORRIBLY expensive for average food. For our family it is a been there, done that experience. I don't think we'll go back again.

DisneyGrrrl
10-12-2007, 03:13 PM
In my opinion, it's not worth it. We were there two weeks ago with our 10 month old DD and the service was terrible, the wait was horrendous even though it had just opened and was empty and the food was GROSS.:ack:

We have eaten there MANY times before and thought it was decent and yes, the atmosphere is interesting, but $60 for an appetizer, two side salads and some kid's nuggets? No way. We won't be back.

EJS-Houston
10-12-2007, 03:35 PM
Just to add my two cents worth, and this is strictly my admittedly skewed opinion...but there are Rainforest Cafes all over the United States, and one's pretty much like all the others. When I go to WDW, or indeed when I travel anywhere, I'd much rather eat at restaurants that are unique to the place I'm going...rather than a chain I can go to pretty much any time. But I say that as someone who's spoiled rotten with an outstanding choice of restaurants in my hometown...so if you're coming from someplace where dining out options aren't great...then maybe a Rainforest Cafe's a very attractive possibility. Even so...there are lots of great restaurants unique to DisneyWorld to choose from.

maxmolly
10-12-2007, 08:36 PM
thanks for all the great advice. We are in Canada and don't have a rfc here. What about the royal table? Do you get to have a pic taken with cinderella?

kim1st
10-12-2007, 09:45 PM
It is so not worth it. Worth it if you have one near you in a shopping mall, maybe, but not worth it at WDW with all the superior experiences you could have.

We didn't bother with this exactly for this reason. Kinda like I won't be eating at the Cheesecake Factory at Downtown Disney.

This thread got me thinking that I'll make plans soon to take the kids to the RFC at the mall near here, though...thanks guys!

kim1st
10-12-2007, 09:47 PM
What about the royal table? Do you get to have a pic taken with cinderella?

We did - and it was included in the package price. This was one of my favorite dinners!

TheRustyScupper
10-13-2007, 01:56 PM
1) Most, though not all, WDW experiences are worth it at least ONCE.
2) The RFC is an experience worth a try.
3) The good and the bad (there is no ugly)
. . . good - unique atmosphere for you and kids
. . . bad - usually very loud
. . . good - ability to walk around, and not be seat bound
. . . bad - food is not out of the ordinary and is pricey

pwdebbie
10-13-2007, 03:34 PM
We ate at RFC last weekend just for the experience of it. We don't have one in our area and I figured this was my chance to give it a try.

Crowded, yes. Loud, yes. Overpriced, double yes. Where else do you pay over $10.00 for a burger and CHIPS (not even fries)? Crab dip was good enough.

Oh, a scuba diver was in the tanks cleaning while we were there eating. Not exactly the best scenery in the world! That should have been done after hours.

Will I go again? Nope! Once is quite enough.

Deb

mudpuppysmom
10-13-2007, 04:03 PM
I think this is a 50/50 split, but I'll put in my two cents anyway.

In May DS and I were leaving AK and he was hungry. He did not really want to wait and the time listed at RFC was 10 mintues, so he decided that he could handle that, plus the fish tanks kept him busy......and also the gift shop. Once we were seated, we were by the entrance, so it wasn't all that "dark" inside. We had already seen the animals and heard the thunder, so it was no big deal by the time we sat down to order. Service was bad. Food was bad too. I was told, after explicitly asking if the wrap could be prepared with a CORN tortilla not a FLOUR tortilla and the server assured me that is would be to my specifications. Well, when it came, I took one look at it and asked if it was indeed a corn tortilla -- again, assured it was I was a bit nervous about it, but ate the wrap anway. It tasted like it could have been corn, but there was so much lettuce and the chicken was spicy, so I really could not tell -- until 2 am. I was up the rest of the night sick.

On the other hand, DS had chicken and he ate it all -- he must have been hungry!!

As others have said, if you have never tried it, it is worth it at least once to see if you like it and then decide for yourself if it indeed is up your family's alley.

N2DisneyWorld
10-13-2007, 11:03 PM
We enjoy the RFC. We do not live near one so it is a nice experience when we go to DW. I like the atmosphere.

When we go to AK, we like to eat breakfast at RFC. You can enjoy the atmosphere and a great breakfast with almost no people.

aurorafan
10-15-2007, 10:23 AM
We used to have a RFC at the mall here and we all liked it--my kids loved it! When they were babies they were fine with the noise, but both of them went through a stage from about 18 months to about 2 1/2 yrs. where they were scared of the thunderstorms and animal noises, so we went less often then. At home we didn't find the food overpriced as the portions are HUGE and we'd get several meals out of them. On vacation of course we can't do that, but then again we're on vacation so we don't worry about it ;).

We have plans to eat there while we're visiting because we don't have one at home, but if the one was still here we'd skip it at Disney :)

Figgyluv03
10-15-2007, 01:05 PM
1) Most, though not all, WDW experiences are worth it at least ONCE.
2) The RFC is an experience worth a try.
3) The good and the bad (there is no ugly)
. . . good - unique atmosphere for you and kids
. . . bad - usually very loud
. . . good - ability to walk around, and not be seat bound
. . . bad - food is not out of the ordinary and is pricey

True, but the RFC is not just a WDW expierence. Like I have said and other people around here have said, we have them so close to us, that we'd rather eat some place else in Disney. We can eat at RFC anytime we want. Granted, if you don't have one around you, then I would say yes, try it for the expierence, but it's not just a Disney Thing.

SurferStitch
10-15-2007, 01:12 PM
We only ever eat at the one in AK, and it's always wonderful. We usually do resort or park dinners at night, or Fulton's or Cap'n Jack's at DTD, so we don't do dinner at the RFC in DTD. We did years ago, and that one was just as great, so you can't go wrong at either one.

We've always had excellent service, and delicious food. It's sooooo worth the visit. We've never had a bad or even mediocre meal. It's one of our favorite chain restaurants!

When you're at AK, it just really puts you in a great mood. Almost makes it feel like no other RFC, even though it's the same.

Some things we love to get there......

Appetizers: Safari Shrimp Skewers, Blue Crab Delight (wonderful crab dip), and the cheese sticks (standard, I know....but DH loves them).

Entrees/Salads: Jungle Chop Salad, all wraps and sandwiches (tried just about every one, and they are awesome), Cyclone Crab Cakes, Caribbean Coconut Shrimp, Monsoon Grill (stuffed flounder, crab cake, safari shrimp skewer), Mogambo Shrimp pasta, Rasta PAsta, and the Hong Kong Stir Fry.

Desserts are wonderful.

These are just the items I remember trying after looking at their menu at another site. Not mediocre, not boring, and very well prepared. DH is picky about food quality and service at a restaurant, and he loves the RFC.

meandmydog1
10-16-2007, 05:26 AM
The food is average, the service fair. Dont bother if you can go to one near you, like others said, there are so many more, much better places that are unique to only Disney to try and well worth it. I would vote for someplace else.

tiaramom
10-16-2007, 07:21 AM
Its Fun!
The Atmosphere Is Super Cute!
The Food Below Average.
I Can Deal With It- If Its Not Meats- Like Salads Etc...
The Meats Are Poor Quality.
Its Really Just A Super Cool Mc Donalds
I Would Go For Other Restaurants - So Many Fab. Locations In Disney.
Choose Wisely...

Momof2boys
10-16-2007, 11:31 AM
We ate at RFC at the Marketplace last year. DH and the boys loved their meal but mine wasn't too good. We all loved the atmosphere. The closest one to us is in Gurnee, IL about an hour drive but we wouldn't go there on a trip to the outlet mall. We are planning on trying the one at AK because to us it's a special place to eat while on vacation.

prprincess
10-16-2007, 11:51 AM
Wow, I had no idea I'd be in the minority on this one. I actually love the RFC. We don't have any in my area, so when I go to WDW it's a treat. I don't mind the loudness because I love the atmosphere, and I don't know--the prices never bothered me all that much. I guess because when I go on vacation I save enough up to not have to worry about prices.

With that being said, if you're still curious, give it a try. You may enjoy it! :)

TheRustyScupper
10-16-2007, 11:55 AM
. . . True, but the RFC is not just a WDW expierence . . . the expierence, but it's not just a Disney Thing . . .

1) Granted.
2) In fact, we ate at the London RFC (Piccadilly Circus).
3) The eatery was in the basement and shops on street level.
4) There wasn't much difference than in US.
5) But, without one near your home, WDW becomes the experience.

denygold
10-16-2007, 07:19 PM
It's loud, the food is marginal, but it's fun. We always go the the one in Animal Kingdom.
There are only about fifty or sixty "not to be missed " dining experiences in WDW. A few are:
The Crystal Palace, Chef Mickey's , Boma, Ohana, 50s Prime Time Cafe and pretty much anyone of the Epcot restaurants.

MississippiDisneyFreak
10-23-2007, 12:11 PM
We are going to disney in Jan 2008 I was looking into the Rainforest cafe. Is it worth eating at? Is either one better like the downtown one versus the animal kingdom one? What other restaurants are ones not to miss We have eaten at Rainforest Cafe Animal Kingdom every trip and have never had a bad meal. Average price for an entree is between $15-25 depending on what you order. The pros-variety in menu and there is an extremely limited choice in table service restaurants in Animal Kingdom so I would eat at that one instead of Downtown Disney because there are so many choices in Downtown-Cons-They do not accept disney dining plan.