Rainforest cafe

[ajwilmoth]

Is the rainforest cafe in DTC worth it? I thought the environment might be fun for the kids the day we fly in (and we won't be at the parks). Never been there before. What can you tell me?

 

[Julie711]

We enjoy both the atmosphere and the food! We have gone 2x in Disney & also have eaten at another Rainforest Cafe in Atlantic City. We like the pita chicken quesadillas for an appitizer , ive gotten the ribs & shrimp meal, DH gets the steak.
The atmosphere alone IMO is worth it. Our dd loves how the lights dimmed & the animals started making noise & fake rain!!

 

[Meriweather]

We like it.
We have one pretty close to us and we go fairly often.
Have also been to the DtD DLR and both at WDW and one in Las Vegas.

 

[PinkBudgie]

Depending on when you go, maybe call ahead and get reservations. In the summer we've tried to walk up and get in and were told they were full that day and we needed to call. It is a fun atmosphere. Our boys always liked it.

 

[wiigirl]

Its a fun atmosphere...food is pretty good too.

I would suggest the Chocolate Volcano for dessert.

 

[nikkislaght]

I guess its ok.. if you like that kind of food...
The atmosphere if fun for the kids.

I would not go again... but thats my opinion....

 

[DizMe]

My kids like it! We enjoy going there. Also, I have a Landry's Select card that I signed up for a few years ago when they had a free promotion. I think it's $25 now but you do get a $25 sign-up reward and $25 credit in your account every year in your birthday month. That works well for me because I always go to DL in my birthday month . If you sign up and go in your birthday month you'll have a $50 credit in your account. If there are 2 people signed up in your party you will each get to use your credit, or at least, we did!

The membership also gives you some perks--this is from their website http://www.landrysselect.com/default.aspx:

As a member of the Landry’s Select Club, here are some of the benefits you will receive.

Earn Points – 1 point for every dollar spent at participating Landry’s locations.
Welcome Reward – $25 Reward automatically added to your account upon registration.*
Birthday Reward – $25 Reward which can be redeemed during your birthday month.
Priority Seating – Receive seating privileges, seven days a week.
Retail Benefits – Receive a 10% discount or earn points on your purchases (benefit based on retail location)
Gift Cards - Earn points when you purchase gift cards.
Online Access – 24-hour access to your account to review transactions, point balances and rewards.
Email Notifications – You will receive information about rewards and other important club news.
Faster Delivery of Rewards – Rewards are automatically added to your account, so no more paper gift certificates!
Member-only access to special offers and promotions, including our entertainment and hospitality venues.

I have gotten coupons for free appetizers, free dessert, and things like that. You get a discount on your bill, too.

There are other Landry's restaurants around Disneyland and you can, of course, use it at any other location . Here is a list of their restaurants:

Rainforest Cafe
McCormick & Schmicks
Claimjumper
Saltgrass
Morton's Steakhouse
Aquarium
Babin's
Big Fish
Brenner's
Bubba Gump
Cadillac Bar
Charlie's Crab
Chart House
The Crab House
Fisherman's Wharf
Fish Tales
The Flying Dutchman
Grotto
Harlow's
Kemah
La Griglia
Landry's Seafood
Lighthouse Buffet
Muer Seafood Restaurants
Peohe's
Pleasure Pier
Red Sushi
Simm's Steakhouse
The Oceanaire
Tower of the Americas
The Rusty Pelican
T-Rex
Vic and Anthony's
Willie G's
Yak and Yeti

I've never heard of a lot of those but I know there is a Morton's, Salt Grass, and Bubba Gump's near DL and a few others, too, I think.

Finally, I am also signed up for MyPoints rewards and you can pretty easily get enough points for a RFC/Landry's gift card. I usually cash in some points and get one before a trip to DLR.

 

[HydroGuy]

RFC tends to be one of those love it or hate it places. We love it and always visit RFC on each trip.

Like you are considering, we often hit RFC on arrival day as it is outside the parks and kinds of gets us in the spirit.

What to expect? A fun environment. Certainly not gourmet food but a pretty varied menu with lots of delicious options. I often get their guacamole burgers. I would probably rate their burgers as the best at all of DLR.

And of course they volcanoes - a huge pile of ice cream on top of brownies that is shared by everyone. We always want to get one of those and often do. But too often we are too full by then.

I would say do it. It is probably the most fun place to eat for kids in all of DTD.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

It's fun for the kids. But it's loud.

 

[CaptainEIEIO]

My wife and I liked it okay, but my son hated it. I wasn't the food he really disliked though, it was the gorilla going off in his ear when it went active. We were sitting right next to it and it would go off and scream that gorilla scream right in his ear. Wife and I laughed, he didn't think it was funny. I would go back but my son refuses to. We discussed going to one at our next trip to Disney World and he said nope, he wont eat there. I know the elephant's can be kind of loud too if you were to be sitting by them. If you decide to go reservations are a must. I believe they take them up to a year in advance if memory serves me right. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[ddwlms]

Get reservations even on a slow day. During the slow season, they don't open up all of the restaurant, leaving less tables that can fill up almost as quickly as all the tables do in the busy season.

 

[ajwilmoth]

Thanks everyone! Made our reservations

 

[CaliDisneyMama]

It's just meh, as far as the food goes, but the atmosphere is fun, and kids usually really like it.

I will say, if you go (and you drink), try the Chocolate Banana Blast. It's a delicious combination of banana, chocolate, Malibu, and Kahlua. YUM.

 

[SweetAlex]

If your kids have never been to a RFC before, it's definitely worth it for the atmosphere alone. It's amazing and kids love it. We made the mistake of making a reservation after a long day of travel so we were all too exhausted to enjoy our food but it was still fun. I hope to go again this time... just not on travel day. Learned my lesson!

 

[pixiewings71]

I enjoy the food and the atmosphere, but I prefer to be seated by the giant fish tanks. I like the spinach dip appetizer, it used to be crab and it was so good but it was changed to spinach the last time we went. DBF and I like the Maya combo, we usually get the appetizer and share the combo and it's plenty of food. But if you have room definitely get the Vooooooooooooooollllllllllllcaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. LOL It's a lot of fun and pretty tasty. lol

 

[It'sKim]

We like the atmosphere but that's about it. We have been 3 times now. The first time it was okay, but the staff and service were awful. The second time the food was bad, the service was terrible and the staff was so rude we said we would never go back. Then, when we were in Disneyland last week, we ended up having to go again because my niece wanted it for her birthday. The food was okay, but this time the service was actually really good.

Overall, to us it seems like a very small menu with mediocre at best food (the burgers taste like premade frozen patties with no flavour and are dry), and the prices are expensive, but it is Disney so that's expected I guess. The atmosphere is wonderful though. Still not somewhere I will likely go back though. Just not worth the cost to us for a mediocre meal with spotty service.

 

[tdhickey]

It is great for breakfast (not so crowded)...not too bad for lunch and dinner, but it can be seriously insanely busy.

I like to add a side of ribs to my meal for a few bucks and the bacon wrapped and stuffed shrimp are incredible! They also have good smoothies and pizza, the rest is hit and miss.

 

[LoveMyTwoGIrls]

We went to one in Canada when we were on our honeymoon and after that I know my kids would not enjoy it. They hate loud noises-even the hair dryer or vacuum sets them off into a frenzy. It is also dark-not super dark, but dark enough that my oldest would flip out.


Dont remember too much about the food to be honest so it probably wasnt that good. However I had just found out I was pregnant and nothing was too appetizing at that point.

 

[MileHigh]

RFC tends to be one of those love it or hate it places. We love it and always visit RFC on each trip.

Like you are considering, we often hit RFC on arrival day as it is outside the parks and kinds of gets us in the spirit.

What to expect? A fun environment. Certainly not gourmet food but a pretty varied menu with lots of delicious options. I often get their guacamole burgers. I would probably rate their burgers as the best at all of DLR.

And of course they volcanoes - a huge pile of ice cream on top of brownies that is shared by everyone. We always want to get one of those and often do. But too often we are too full by then.

I would say do it. It is probably the most fun place to eat for kids in all of DTD.

This pretty much sums it up. Landry's has a very wide range of restaurants and RFC is on the lower end for quality of food but it is a very fun atmosphere. For a DLR restaurant it serves a great purpose with an incredible theme and story and moderate food. Good times for sure!

 

[ajwilmoth]

I'm excited! I think all our kids will love it (11 months, 13 & 15)