Disney has two locations of the chain restaurant, Rainforest Cafe. You can find one at the entrance to Animal Kingdom and the other at Downtown Disney. The menu ranges from burgers, appetizers, chicken, seafood, and ribs. You can also enjoy salads, soups, and yummy desserts, too. Our personal favorite is the Caribbean Coconut Shrimp :). You can view their full menu HERE.
The Animal Kingdom location is part of the Disney Dining Plan, and will count as a table service credit per each member of your party. Waits can be reasonable, however, reservations are recommended. While you are waiting for your table, you can enjoy the fun gift shop, and take a stroll through some of the shops located close to it at Downtown Disney. Goofy’s Candy Company is a short walk, as are a few other shops.
You can possibly dine here without reservations, as many times you’ll only have a 20 minute wait. Once you are seated, the fun really begins. You truly feel like you are in a rainforest during your dining experience. There is lush vegetation, animatronic gorillas, birds, etc., and every 20 minutes there’s a “rainstorm”.
Some tips to keep in mind when dining at the Rainforest Cafe:
- Prepare your children for the “rainstorm” just in case they are scared of storms in real life. It’s not super loud, and you don’t get wet. But, it’s part of the experience so you might want to give them a heads up.
- Ordering an appetizer and one or two meals to share with your family isn’t a bad idea. The portions are very plentiful!
- There are some great photo opportunities in the Rainforest Cafe. Take advantage of them!
- At the Animal Kingdom location, there is an entrance to the Rainforest Cafe outside the park. Therefore, you don’t need a park ticket to enter.
- The Animal Kingdom location is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s a good “pre RD” location if you want to get an early reservation, and then be one of the first to enter the park.
Overall, we give Rainforest Cafe at “A”.
My family and I loved this place. The food was excellent, atmosphere amazing but if you want a quiet dinner, not the place to be…very loud but loved it when the animals made their noises. Would definitely go back again.
The #1 thing I can say about Rainforest Cafe is that it is loud. Not quite as loud as T-Rex, but man, there is a lot going on. It is a happy almost frenetic atmosphere. The monkeys scream and the elephants trumpet. This is not a place to go for a quiet romantic evening. The food is good. There is plenty of it and it will fill you up. The chocolate volcano is a treat. We ordered one for my FIL’s birthday several years ago. There was plenty for all of us to share (party of 8). Be prepared for a wait, especially during the busy times. It is an experience, that’s for sure!