Rain Forest Cafe

[Mom22Boyz]

Visiting next week and would like to try the Rain Forest Cafe.

What are the best times to go with minimal wait?

I think there are 2. Are they the same? Either easier to get into?

 

[dtauer]

We ate at the Downtown Disney Rainforest and my kids loved it. We had decided to eat there again.

As we were leaving Animal Kingdom, someone on the walkway handed us a free dessert coupon and told us they were seating immediately. We tried this location and didn't like it nearly as much.

Based on comments from several friends of ours that visit Disney regularly, we've concluded that the Animal Kingdom location generally has the least wait. However, the size, theming and atmosphere at the Downtown Disney location is much better.

 

[cocoapuff]

I know you'll love the rainforest. It's always our first night pick for places to have dinner. The wait has never been too long and I love it when they tell your party to approach the elephant because your journey is about to begin.
Hope you have a marvelous trip and have some coconut chicken for me...yum!
See you all in december, I'm so excited I think about it constantly!!!!
Kim

 

[cinamin27]

EVERY time I've been to the Rainforest Cafe in DTD, there has ALWAYS been a wait. You can call & make priority seating & you will usually get seated w/ in 10 minutes or so. Fridays & Saturdays any time after 6 seem to be quite busy. Also, if you have an Orlando magic card, be sure to take it as it will get you a free appetizer of the day (1 per table/party).

 

[Deb & Bill]

Did it once. That's all I'm saying. DTD one.

 

[disneysteve]

We've generally found a shorter wait, if any, at lunch time at DTD. In the evening, many more people go to the Marketplace and the restaurant gets much more crowded. We've only done the AK location once and had a pretty long wait for lunch.

Steve

 

[SusieJane]

We also like the DTD Rainforest best. We go for lunch between 11:00 and 11:30 and never have a wait. Enjoy!

 

[UKDEB]

We've only eaten at the DTD one once (an evening in late August). We did have a PS, but we were a big party and it was <i>very</i> busy, so we still had quite a wait.

We almost always eat at the AK one when we visit AK. I <i>know</i> it gets slated, but it's still a million times better than anything else in AK. For some reason, it does seem quite expensive when you get the check, although the individual menu items don't appear worse than anywhere else. The portions are huge so we usually have just an entree and drinks. When we were there in May, I had a perfect pizza with beautifully fresh toppings. I don't really understand why it is so reviled. I can't say I notice the theming these days, but it is pretty impressive. Some areas of the restaurant are definitely better than others, but as it's always so busy, you just have to take your chances. I don't think it matters which 'room' you're in, you just need to be in the thick of it rather than on the periphery.

 

[Memph1s]

We tried the DTD one sat night at 9PM thinking it would have thined out some. Not a chance 2-1/2 hour wait. So we went over to the Red Lobester got seated right away and ate a better meal for less. The one at AK is a little smaller but seems to always have shorter wait times.

 

[gyver65]

We ate at the DTD location last Thursday night and enjoyed it very much. My wife's daughter had 4 coupons that she was given from some people that went recently. Each coupon was good for 1 free entree, 1 free appetizer, 1 free dessert, and 1 free drink. These coupons were good at just about any restaurant in DTD and Disney World.

We used 2 of the coupons at the "Rainforest Cafe" and 2 at "Cinderellas Castle".

I made reservations at the "Rainforest Cafe" at 7:00 and they told me that it would be 9:30 before we had a table. So we used some free coupons to get into "Pleasure Island" for about 2.5 hours.

 

[disneyfan551]

To avoid a wait, join the RFC Safari Club! In the past, we always waited over an hour, and with this membership card, there is NO wait!!! It was great!! (not to mention the coupons & deals you get with the membership... )

 

[DisneyPoly]

We went to DTD location last week and arrived about 12:00 -- party of 6 -- we were seated immediately.

Hope that helps!

 

[FayeW]

Could you explain what the RFC Safari Club, how much does it cost, how do I join, and what are the benefits?

 

[gyver65]

I just checked it out at www.rainforestcafe.com
Click on the Safari Club
The membership is $15 and never expires but I didn't join since there are not any restaraunts near where I live.

I think the more you use it the more benefits you get (like coupons and such).

Bobby

 

[disneyfan551]

Check this link for more info... http://www.rainforestcafe.com/RFC/SafariContactUs.asp . For a $15 fee, you get a $10 new member gift certificate, and annual g/c's on your birthday, etc. And when you visit, you can either get 10% off your meal for a party of 4, or a free chef's appetizer of the day. You can't beat it! It was well worth it to us, just to be able to avoid the long wait!

by the way...if you join, you may want to show your birthdate as being around the same time that you visit RFC. If it is the same time every year, then you will get gift certificates in time for your annual trip to Disney!

 

[DianeV]

We went to the DTD one on the 10th (a Thursday) for my father in laws birthday. None of us had ever been to one and we really enjoyed it. We got there around 5pm and were seated within 5 minutes. It did start getting busier as the evening went on.

Great service, great food (I highly recommend the pot roast!) and my father in law got an ice cream cookie for this birthday and they sang.

 

[Mom22Boyz]

We went to the DTD location about 2:00 p.m. for a late lunch.

The wait was about 25 minutes (better than I thought) and the theming was great. What wasn't that great were the prices. We had 2 burgers w/fries, kids pizza, side of fries and a 4 beverages. Total was $48 (w/tip). Maybe ok for some, but pricey for us, especially for lunch.

 

[propchick]

The AK location has distinctly better service than DTD.

At the DTD location my grandmother and I were denied seating until the rest of our party arrived -- even though the restaurant was empty, it was raining, and my grandmother was having an asthma attack. During that same dinner, a waiter approached my 9 year old cousin, said he had a present for her, and started to hand her a melamine Rainforest Cafe plate. When she hesitatated, he very smarmily attempted to talk her into taking it, telling her over and over again that it was a present. When she finally took it, he turned to her mother and said, "How about it, Mom? Only $3.95 to let her keep it!" When we reported the outrageous behavior to the manager, she actually told us that this was something the server had been lectured to about many times before.

For some reason, the service ALWAYS seems to be a little smarmy, whiney, and snotty at the DTD location.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

We are members of the Safari Club and I thought it did expire but maybe I am wrong. They send you a gift certificate on your birthday and you get a discount in the shops as well as priority seating. Please let me know if it does not expire. We do not go there all that much anymore since we have a RFC near us but it is a good bet for a lunch at AK.