“Your adventure is about to begin” is how you are welcomed to the Rain Forest café and it’s true.
Visiting Rainforest Cafe is unlike any other dining experience. Your adventure begins as soon as you check in. However be warn that at popular times the period from check in to table can easily be 45 minutes. Your first name is taken and then you are invited to browse around the shopping area until your name is called. If you have a common first name you may want to use your middle name to save confusion. The shop offers an amazing array of unique Rainforest Cafe souvenir products, many featuring Rainforest Cafe's exclusive "Wild Bunch" characters.
When your name is called you are informed which of the dining areas you will be eating in, it maybe the gorilla room or the elephant room. You then get to join the queue for that room. It’s not all boring as your queue will go through the middle of a tropical aquarium and the shape of the glass make the fish look many time larger than they actually are.
When you enter the dining area it is like stepping into the jungle, there is a canopy of lush foliage overhead, wildlife sounds all along the way. Be ready for the occasional thunderstorm in the distance as the lights dim and strobe flash create a very realistic storm effect. If you have small children with you who are frighten of this type of thing you may want to prepare them in advance. You may also want to tell the about how the animals all ‘come alive’ every 10 mins making sounds and starting to move around.
While all this is happening there is a fibre optic star-scape above your head and a pool with a water fall at the back by the rest rooms.
The Rainforest Cafe's menu is inspired by Mexican, Italian, Cajun, and Caribbean flavours and has something for every taste, from exotic to traditional. The Rainforest Rascals children's menu will also cater to the tastes of those that like less adventurous food.
I eat in here at least twice every trip and have eaten most of the different items on the menu and I am certain you will not be disappointed
If your just thirsty or only want a snack then why not pull up a hand carved animal stool and enjoy your favourite beverage under the canopy of the biggest mushroom you've ever seen. The Magic Mushroom Bar offers a large variety of specialty drinks with or without spirits, smoothies and coffee drinks. If you are too comfortable to move into the dining area you can have anything on the menu delivered to you. As some of the items on the appetizer section of the menu are large enough to keep you going for the rest of the day, then this could be a good choice for a quick lunch break.
There are two locations in Orlando one in Downtown Disney and the other at the Animal Kingdom. The latter tends to be less crowded at peak times and can be access without going into the park itself.