Rainforest Cafe membership question

[being-dragged-to-DL]

Another post is talking about a membership card that saves money and gets you better seating in the restaurant. Anyone know the cost? and does it save enough to get it if you know you are only going to use it once? THANK YOU!!!

 

[momsgoofy]

Another post is talking about a membership card that saves money and gets you better seating in the restaurant. Anyone know the cost? and does it save enough to get it if you know you are only going to use it once? THANK YOU!!!

Yes, it is worth getting!

We got our RFC Safari Club Card in 2002 and it paid for itself in the first use. I think the card cost $10 or $20...I know it wasn't more than $20. We purchased it in the restaurant and were able to start using it right away...so we either had a free appetizer (usually around $8) or received 10% off the meal (the 10% is good for up to 4 guests' entrees...no alcohol though. You can also use it to save 10% on merchandise in the RFC store...buy one shirt and you save a couple dollars.

We think the best part is the first available seating...we just walk up to the hostess stand, show the card and then are seated with next available...this is good at all RFC locations. Also, after we joined, we received a thank you card in the mail...it was for $5 off our next visit...good on food or merchandise and we receive one of these on every anniversary of our joining the safari club and on DH's birthday since the card is in his name. This may be the only bad thing about the card, it can only be used by the person who's name is on the card. Once you have the card, there is no further cost to you.

Here is the website for RFC...might give you more info.

www.rainforestcafe.com

Hope this helps!

 

[Disney Hot Mama]

Buy it - you won't regret it if you go more than once. Instead of the 10% off from your meal cost you also have the choice of a free appetizer (up to 7.99) so that in my opinion is better than the 10% discount. My son orders off the appetizer list and uses that as his meal! Saves me $$ but I do think the best thing is the quick seating ability. We have used the Safari card in Orlando, Anaheim, Las Vegas and San Francisco . You won't regreat it.

 

[rsjj]

ditto!! i don't think it's "better seating", it's just no wait. i love the fact that we can show the card, and just "bypass" all those waiting in line to get a seat! i know, selfish me!! but when you have little ones, it's nice to know that you don't have that long of a wait. and the rfc at dtd always seems to be crowded!! so it's a nice perk for us.

is there not a rfc near where you are? cuz if there is, you should get it at your local rfc, and then, bring it to dl when you come, that way, you can just show your card there. cuz if you're eating at rfc, and don't have a card...you won't bypass the line. you'll still get the discounts right away, so that may be worth it? maybe not, since the price for the card is around $10 or so.

 

[almostGoofy]

I have the card and it's paid for itself after a few visit but if you are only going once and have no plans on visiting another RFC anywhere in the U.S., then I'd have to say no, it's not worth it.

Although you can use it right away, you'll only get to save 10% on your meal or receive a free appetizer. Unless you're going to buy a lot of merchandise, that 10% off your meal isn't going to pay for the card. You will get a discount coupon of $5.00 but that will come in the mail several weeks after signing up. If you use the coupon, they won't allow you to use your 10% discount on top of that.

What might be priceless is that if you've not made reservations prior to your visit, you will be given a table before others who do not have membership. If you want to make a reservation and are told the available time you wanted is booked, mention you're a club member and they will fit you in. You have to decide if this all makes it worth your while if you're planning on only going once.

 

[all4fun]

When we joined in September, it was $15 for the membership.

The membership essentially cuts your walk-up wait time in half, and you get a free appetizer or 10% off your entree(s) whichever is better.

A few weeks after joining, we received a $10 gift certificate. On my birthday, we received a $5 certificate.

If you use your card at least once a year, it doesn't expire and you don't have to pay sign-up fees.

We found it to be worth the $15.

 

[Dale-n-Chip]

I investigated in early November and posted the following then:

I just called RFC corporate to get some concrete answers about how much, blah blah blah. When I inquired about if I join today, when would I get the $10 new member coupon in the mail the rep told me it takes SIX to EIGHT WEEKS to get your permanent card! She answered on the first ring--I'm thinking she doesn't have a lot to do and should be processing those new membership cards a little faster! (In all fairness, the benefits begin immediately, but the coupon comes too late, IMHO.)

Personally, I'd have been willing to pay $5 for the benefits ($15 joining fee net $10 coupon) if I could have used my coupon for our upcoming DL trip, but we are about five weeks out. While we do have a RFC nearby, there is no part of me that wants to make that an everyday meal at home--it's a vacation thing! We'll eat early and make a reservation.

Moral of the story: Sign up 8+ weeks out if you only plan to use it on your vacation.

Of course, YMMV, but we don't plan to eat there often enough to have made it worth our while if we couldn't get the coupon in time.

 

[jensenba]

I think I read somewhere on the site that you could use it at Joe's crab shack or a couple of the other resturants in that chain. Does anyone know for sure?

 

[funhouse8]

http://www.landrysrestaurants.com/pages/restaurants/pg_restaurants.htm

This is a list of all landry's restaurants which is the company that owns RFC I would check with them and see if you could use the card at any other one.