We took a walk on the Wild Side on the 4th of July to experience one of our Favorite Restaurants, Rainforest Cafe. We had a Wonderful Lunch followed by a Lovely walk around Disney Springs, formerly Downtown Disney, before returning to our Hotel.
Atmosphere of Rainforest Cafe Disney Springs Marketplace
Arising out of Lake Buena Vista is a Massive Volcano that stands tall as a guiding point on your way to your Safari. Upon arrival, you will be greeted by an Alligator beside the front entrance. He stands guard over the “Purple Elephant”, also known as the Check In Desk.
There is a Gift Shop that you can explore while you are waiting to be seated or after your Safari. It is filled with Wonderful Gifts and Keepsakes themed to your Safari Adventure. When it is your turn to be seated, you will enter the dining area through an arch way that is created out of a Large Salt Water Fish Tank. The Fish Tank was curtained off during our visits for renovations.
You will be seated in the Upper or Lower Sections of the Restaurant. The Upper Section is home to a herd of Elephants. The Lower Section is home to a troop of Gorillas. Both Sections also feature Gorgeous Fish Tanks, Birds, and Other Animals Native to the Rainforest. But Don’t Worry, They won’t Bite. They are all Animatronics.
Thunderstorms
At Designated Intervals, The Restaurant will come to life for a Tropical Thunderstorm, complete with dimmed Lights, Flashes of Lightning, and Pops of Thunder. This is a Fun Experience and Adds to the Overall Feel of the Restaurant. However these storms can be upsetting for Small Children. Be sure to ask your Server for the Frequency of these storms during your visit.
When the Storm has passed, the Stars will return to illuminate the above “night sky”, and the Animals will return to chattering amongst themselves.
Also Located in the Lower Section is a Water Feature, which showcases Atlas holding a Spinning World Globe. Be on the Lookout for the Rainbow after the Storm.
Food
The Rainforest Cafe features a Large Menu of Items from Appetizers to Entrees, and Desserts. They also will have some rotating menu items that change out without notice.
Our Entrees
For this Visit to the Rainforest Cafe at Walt Disney World, Mama and Daddy elected to have the Jambalaya with Rice, while I prefer the Pastalaya, which is the Jamabalaya with Linguini Noodles instead of Rice. We all choose to order our dishes with Extra Sauce, and without the Tomatoes, Onions, and Peppers. To some people these dishes may be overly spicy, but the spice does not bother us. These are some of our Favorite dishes on the Rainforest Cafe Menu, and they were just as good on this visit as they have been on previous visits. Both the Pastalaya and Jambalaya comes with a Wedge of Garlic Bread to accompany the Entree.
Our Desserts
For Dessert, Mama and Daddy had the 4th of July Weekend Exclusive Red, White, and Blue Tsunami Cake, while I had the Key Wester Smoothie, without the Bananas. The Key Wester was very Tasty, and I would definitely get it again. However, I would definitely recommend this more as a Dessert than a Drink to accompany your meal, because it is a little thick. Note: I did elect to have my Key Wester in a Keepsake Light Up Souvenir Cup, but they also offer it in a regular glass.
The 4th of July Exclusive Red, White, and Blue Tsunami Cake was a very good size, featuring Chocolate Cake, Ice Cream, Chocolate Sauce, M&M’s, and an Edible Rainforest Cafe 30th Anniversary Medallion. The Cake was moist and if it was available during a Future Visit, Mama and Daddy said that they would try it again, if they get dessert.
Meal Thoughts from Rainforest Cafe Disney Springs Marketplace
We all LOVE the Jambalaya and Pastalaya, however there are some other items on the menu that we will also get on the occasion that we are looking for something different or visit Rainforest Cafe multiple times on the same trip. We all find that we usually get full from our Entrees and a lot of the times, we do not want dessert. However, we all agreed that these desserts were tasty and if we were in the mood for dessert, we would definitely consider them.
Final Thoughts
We LOVE Rainforest Cafe. It is one of the places that we eat at most frequently in Walt Disney World. But, it can be a Busy Restaurant with Long Wait Times.
To Minimize your wait time, We recommend trying to secure a Reservation or investing in the Landry’s Select Card. We have been Landry’s Select Card Members for Many, Many Years, and find the program to be very beneficial to us. We arrived at the Restaurant at 11:42 am on July 4, 2024. Our wait to be seated was approximately 2 minutes, because we were Landry’s Select Members. The Membership also comes with perks like, Earning Points as well as Yearly Birthday Rewards.
There is also another Rainforest Cafe located just outside of the entrance to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, which makes it convenient to plan a Rainforest Safari to match your Disney’s Animal Kingdom Day Adventures. This Location does offer Breakfast in addition to Lunch and Dinner, and can be Busy with Long Wait Times.
Your Thoughts on Rainforest Cafe in Disney Springs
Have you ever eaten at either Rainforest Cafe? What did you think? Will you be trying Rainforest Cafe on your next Walt Disney World trip? Let Us Know in the Comments.