Ugh..Don't eat at Rainforest Cafe

[Jackoman]

I haven't posted about this yet, but I just felt like talking about an unfortunate thing happening when I visited Disneyland in November.

After about six years, we decided to eat at Rainforest Cafe for dinner. And before this, we hadn't had great experiences at that restuarant, either. We didn't really like the food the two times before this trip.

So, after seeing the cool surroundings and stuff around the restaurant, we thought Ok maybe it won't be so bad. We ate outside, and it was pretty nice with the heaters and stuff (the night was a bit chilly). But, as I was eating an appetizer, a possum ran right under my legs! So when our waiter came back, we told him about it, and all he said was "We are outdoors". Sad, huh?

Even worse, he didn't come back to check on us until about the end of our meal. So, we were a bit ticked off. Afterwards, when we finished, we met the manager, and told her the situation. She gave us a refund and apoligized.

Ok, well, just wanted to tell someone. But if you do decide to try it out, who knows, maybe you'll have a better experience than me. Just make sure to say hi to Mickey the possum.

-Jack

 

[GregC]

wow..amazing! far cry from that Trattoria Italian restaurant in Cali Adventure Park, those folks are EXCELLENT and get 2 thumbs WAY up from me taking especially good care of me knowing about my food allergies and going out of their way for me.

 

[Gisele]

I am sorry that incident upset your dining experience. I did not realize that possums lived near by.
I love the outdoors and animals, so I would have personally been fine with it. Now if it had been a skunk instead, I believe I would have become just a tad bit nervous. Not by the skunk itself mind you, but rather by the possibility of the skunk dispensing it's most odoriferous scent, upon my shoes, etc. I love skunks too, just not their stink bombs.
That was very nice of the manager, to give you a refund.
When one is dining outdoors, there is always the possibility of something like that happening. For some people, no problem, however not all people like animals as much as some of us. So I can see how this situation can become quite upsetting for some guests.
I hope that your meal was much better from what it had been in the past. And that you may be interested in dining there again. Only perhaps next time, dine indoors, just in case.

 

[blackjackdelta]

I haven't posted about this yet, but I just felt like talking about an unfortunate thing happening when I visited Disneyland in November.

After about six years, we decided to eat at Rainforest Cafe for dinner. And before this, we hadn't had great experiences at that restuarant, either. We didn't really like the food the two times before this trip.

So, after seeing the cool surroundings and stuff around the restaurant, we thought Ok maybe it won't be so bad. We ate outside, and it was pretty nice with the heaters and stuff (the night was a bit chilly). But, as I was eating an appetizer, a possum ran right under my legs! So when our waiter came back, we told him about it, and all he said was "We are outdoors". Sad, huh?

Even worse, he didn't come back to check on us until about the end of our meal. So, we were a bit ticked off. Afterwards, when we finished, we met the manager, and told her the situation. She gave us a refund and apoligized.

Ok, well, just wanted to tell someone. But if you do decide to try it out, who knows, maybe you'll have a better experience than me. Just make sure to say hi to Mickey the possum.

-Jack

Sorry to hear about that. We have always had very good service and food.

Jack

 

[Pomlover2586]

Ok first off.....sorry this happened to you.......BUT you were outdoors.

Second.......why tell people not to eat there? You may have not enjoyed the food.....but to each his own. And while your waiter was not as accommodating as you would have liked, the manager obviously was more then generous.

I agree with PP- if you don't want to eat there again fine......but if you do.......eat INDOORS.

 

[bumbershoot]

Seeing an opossum would have actually been a bonus for us! Would have loved it.

Note to self....eat outdoors at RFC in the evening.

 

[Stacerita]

I am sorry that incident upset your dining experience. I did not realize that possums lived near by.

They are pretty common around here. On any given night I will see at least one in the area. I personally don't like them. I do have a hard time believeing they were at RFC though. DTD is a pretty busy area so for them to be there doesn't seem likely to me. I see them in quieter areas with less people.

 

[ylatan]

they can't really control the wildlife outside...that is like being upset that a leaf fell off a tree and landed in your plate.

and they refunded your meal. i don't get why you are upset. free food! they made good when you were upset. i would be happy if i were you.

 

[Califgirl]

I completely understand where the OP is coming from. Possums are not cute and cuddly creatures, they look like a rat on steroids with very long razor sharp teeth! We have them where we live and they are nasty creatures. Not to mention the possibility of them carrying fleas, tics and the diseases that go with them. And, if I saw one in a busy place like Rainforest Cafe at DTD, I would immediately think *sick animal* perhaps rabies!

Some of the posts remind me of people who think wild animals like bears are all cute and cuddly but have never run into one in person. Possums can be quite large, nearly as large as a house cat, with a rat-like tail a foot or more long and they can be quite vicious. I would not like to come across one while I was dining.

I'm so sorry this happened to you OP. I realize that there isn't much the staff could have done for you, but still these animals are nasty in person.

 

[ylatan]

what are they supposed to do to keep the opossums away? they were sitting outside! and yeah i've seen them in person. they are cute. i don't know if i would care to dine with one, though.

besides. they gave the OP the meal for free, so i don't really think that leaves room to complain. that is good customer service.

 

[mr.bungle]

sorry to sound like a jerk but hey what did you want the waiter to do? administer rabies shots to everyone? so long as it didn't go into the restaurant inside, i think his reaction was fine. no need to call animal control.

on the otherhand.... i'm a stickler for service. especially somewhere like that where the food is so overpriced that a 15% tip for the server is pretty decent on most any check. i really would like them to earn that 15%. i'm not talking about having him be there to wipe my mouth for me but hey when a drink is half empty, refill it. check on the table etc...

i've eaten at that RFC once. it was ok. but the one at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.... i guess we caught them on an off day. they have breakfast at that one. it was decent food but our waitress was all over the place. she didn't have her rhythm down very well. it really all depends on the server you get and the conditions of that day. if you felt the food wasn't that great two previous times why would you bother going back there?

 

[Gisele]

I have seen possums before, and they really do not care to be where there is a lot of human activity. The one time that I had seen one during the day, he or she was hiding under a bush, in the middle of the day, it was a hot day too. I knew something was wrong with the poor creature, for that is not normal behavior for a possum. So I went to the office, and finally was able to obtain the proper animal service, that can and will come out, to take care of the animal. The animal most definitely was ill. I could tell that when looking at him/her, and I attempted a reaction out of her/him, however the most they would do, is inch their way up a bit more, under the large bush. I felt very sorry for the animal. Unfortunately, in my county, only baby possums are taken care of, the adults, are put to sleep. That made me feel bad to learn that. However, at least in the event that the animal was suffering, which I believe they may have been, they will be no longer. Euthanasia is the most humane way to put an animal to sleep.
Several years ago, now, when I had to have my horse put to sleep, I at least knew that it would be fast and painless. It to this day, kills me practically to think about it, for I so very much wanted to find a way to heal him. But you see, he had cancer. There was nothing more, at that point, that could be done.
Anyway, when outdoors, mother nature can and will call.

 

[Gisele]

Seeing an opossum would have actually been a bonus for us! Would have loved it.

Note to self....eat outdoors at RFC in the evening. By bumbershoot

I love that, that is cute! And I can so relate too.

 

[tink2dw]

We ate inside that is where the HAPPYNESS ENDED at $139.00 later??

Next Time I will go to Blue Bayou for the Ambiance and the food!! I have never spent $139.00 there!!!!

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

OMgosh, if my daughter sees this post she's going to insist we always eat outside at the RFC. We regularly have oppossums and a couple of raccoons come in our garage to eat the dried cat food. They never bother our cats, and our cats know to leave them alone. I have heard the stories that they can be rabid, but these aren't, they're just wild.

It could be that people are feeding that oppossum, and that is why it dared to run out when you were there at the restaurant. The animals at these type of places get used to the humans around them, especially when they realize that they won't be harmed.

Jackoman, I can understand your aversion to the critter, but I wouldn't consider it a big deal. However, I would consider it to be a big deal for the waiter not to show up to make sure you all were taken care of. I'm glad that the manager did right by your family.

Gisele - that is so sad about the oppossum you found. My daughter would have been in tears.

 

[Krissy Marissy]

Seeing an opossum would have actually been a bonus for us! Would have loved it.

Note to self....eat outdoors at RFC in the evening.

me too! How neat! How many people can say that happened to them at disney? Not many...it'd make for great convo and a laugh or two once I stopped screaming like a sissy!

Also I must add again that you were OUT doors...like in nature and those things just happen to be in nature.

I personally havent had a great wait staff experience and the food isn't marvelous but it's decent and a fun loud place that kids love.

 

[LucyDingo]

I wonder what the OP was expecting the server to do when she told him about the critter?

 

[pixiewings71]

Ok, I'm confused. And honestly, laughing. First of all, there was a possum at your restaurant. Yes, they are wild animals and NO they are not cute and cuddly and I do try to avoid them BUT think about it, these possums are so acclimated to people that they wouldn't even understand why you would be upset! LOL I see possums all the time, they walk along the fence in my backyard. Do I try to pet them, ummmm NO, do I try to chase them away, ummmmm NO. This is like a deer in a park, they get so used to people that any incident is normally the fault of the person who scares them and not the deer (or in this case possum) at all. LOL

Secondly, you sat outside, you had heaters but you were outside. I wouldn't freak much about an animal being OUTSIDE. LOL If you didn't want to deal with it you should have eaten inside, where the animals are animatronic. lol Hey, maybe the possum felt at home, after all there are wild animals all over that place. LOL

Thirdly, you complained and got a refund, what's the point here? Seriously, you should be commending the managers actions not telling people not to eat there.

Fourthly, do you remember the servers name so others can ask NOT to be in his area? We eat at RFC EVERY trip, I think we missed 1 in our whole 14 trips last year, we LOVE the food, the atmosphere is unbeatable and we've only had lacking service a couple of those times. I would guess that in the past 2 years we've been to that RFC 15 times, maybe 16, and we've had great service all but 2, maybe 3 of those times.

Fifthly, I am sorry that you had a bad experience and we do appreciate your info here, I'm just of the mindset that RFC is a great place to eat and we won't stop going until we experience the crappy service for ourselves.

 

[prettyprincessbelle]

Seeing an opossum would have actually been a bonus for us! Would have loved it.

Note to self....eat outdoors at RFC in the evening.

I would have been excited too. I get excited just seeing the cats inside the park. If I saw a possum (I've never seen a possum before!), I would have cried and tried to take a picture.

I'm sorry you had a bad experience, OP. I wonder if any other restaurants in DTD with outdoor seating has possums too?

 

[Gisele]

Good one Pixie!


And I most profusely agree! With exception of the part of eating at RFC, only because I have not yet. But I think that I would like to.