Mouse Extra

Before heading to Walt Disney World last month, I had read many reviews online about the new T-Rex Café at Downtown Disney.  And none of them were very positive, to say the least.  Various reviewers spoke poorly of the food, the noise, and even the service.  Needless to say I wasn’t too excited about checking it out.  But it was new, and I do my best to try anything new at the Mouse that doesn’t have to do with American Idol, and my seven year old nephew was looking forward to it and he is in command of that regiment.

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised.  Yes, it is essentially the Rainforest Café just set a few millennia earlier, but I don’t necessarily think that is a completely bad thing.  The food is fine.  It won’t make you wonder if Disney sent Le Cellier’s chefs here, but it won’t make you green either.  I had the Mega Mes-O-Bones, which means to say I had a full rack of barbeque ribs.  They were rather good, and I would recommend them to anyone who goes there hungry.  The portions, even for the side dishes, were huge!

And the service we had was very good.  Despite the long line, we were seated with little wait and our waiter was very attentive.  (On a little side note, I spotted a gentleman working there that used to be behind the bar at Crockett’s Tavern at Fort Wilderness.  He was exemplary over there so ours was not the only good waiter.)

And perhaps the audio-animatronics dinosaurs are not the most advanced in Walt Disney World.  But they still look really cool and are fun to watch.  Your kids will be fascinated with them.  The Ice Room is also a place you’ll not find anywhere else.  Yes the place is loud.  But roaring dinosaurs is a different kind of loud then the kind you get at Chef Mickey’s…if you know what I mean.

So I guess what I am trying to say is don’t believe all you’ve read.  It may not be the best dining experience at Walt Disney World, but if you need a place in Downtown Disney to bring some kids for decent food don’t hesitate to go to the T-Rex Café.  The dinosaurs are cool, the food is alright, and the service is good.  But if you are exhausted and looking for a quiet place to chill out after a long day of hearing kids screaming in Fantasyland…skip it.