T-Rex Restaurant in Downtown Disney

In October of 2008, Downtown Disney in Orlando, Fl., welcomed T-Rex, a new restaurant with an extravagant Dinosaur theme. The restaurant is owned by Landry and is the second restaurant in a possible new chain that hosts the same decor ideas as the very popular Rainforest Cafe.

Outside, the restaurant to the left of the podium is where strollers are to be left, and to the right of the podium there is a fenced in sanded area that is setup for children to dig around to find bones. The restaurant also features a gift shop and a Build-A-Dino workshop where your child can make their own dinosaur stuffed animal.

Inside the restaurant is separated into several different seating areas, Ice Cave, Kitchen of Fire, Fern Forest and Coral Reef. The Ice Cave is an area dedicated to the Ice Age, everything is covered in ice and snow and while the sky stays mostly blue, it does change colors during the Meteor Shower. The Kitchen of Fire is right by the actual kitchen, where you can watch the chief cook up the meals and there is a line of fire that separates you and him. The area also features woolly mammoths and pterodactyls. The Fern Forest is towards the back of the restaurant and has most of the herbivore dinosaurs and lots of plants. Lastly, the Coral Reef Area has a large octopus suspended from the rooftop with the tentacles spread throughout the restaurant, lots of sea creatures throughout this area.

The menu has a great selection of food, and like the Rainforest Cafe, each item has a different name that is themed towards Dinosaurs. The menu is quite pricey, again, very comparable with the Rainforest Cafe. The portions are quite generous but the quality of the food is simply alright. Because it was just my son and I visiting on this occasion, we split a Sampler Platter ($17.99) that was more than enough for dinner for the two of us, and took the rest back to our hotel room.

My son and I will be visiting T-Rex again on our next visit to Downtown Disney, I will be a repeat customer anywhere that is able to keep my son's attention so that I am able to eat my dinner in somewhat peace (minus the loud noises from the dinosaur and ambiance). If you are planning on visiting the restaurant, keep in mind that while the prices are slightly steep, you are paying for the entertainment and ambiance of your meal.

Enjoy.