Have you ever visited a Rainforest Cafe? The iconic jungle themed restaurant is nearly impossible to miss if you are anywhere near one. Each Rainforest Cafe features a heavily themed rainforest style entrance complete with vibrant colors, jungle sounds and animal animatronics. It is nearly impossible to miss and the rolling fog lures guests into the lavishly decorated gift shop. However it isn’t the over the top theming that motivates me to return to the Rainforest Cafe time and time again. It is the nostalgia. Simply put the Rainforest Cafe was established in 1994…making it 27 YEARS OLD! The restaurant I once enjoyed as a child, I now enjoy through a different lens by watching my three year old soak in all the sights, sounds and experiences this restaurant has to offer.
Walt Disney World Resort is home to two Rainforest Cafe restaurants. The first location is inside Disney Springs and the second location is located directly outside Animal Kingdom. Now to be completely transparent, the price point of the food is a little high and nothing to rave about but the ambiance is really the reason to visit this jungle themed restaurant. Thinking of booking a dining reservation at the Rainforest Cafe? Check out my “What To Know Before You Go” guide below before you go!
WHAT is the Rainforest Cafe?
The Rainforest Cafe is a jungle theme restaurant and gift shop featuring a variety of American-style food and beverages. Guests are welcomed with a variety of animatronics before even stepping foot inside the restaurant. The gift shop features floor to ceiling lush rainforest trees and jungle themed souvenirs. Upon sitting down, guests will experience the sights and sounds of animatronic gorillas, elephants, butterflies, birds and of course the infamous “rainforest thunder storm.” The thunderstorm occurs roughly every 30 minutes and only last a few moments but in those few moments, the animals go wild!
WHO would enjoy dining at the Rainforest Cafe?
The Rainforest Cafe is decked out with jungle themed animatronics along with floor to ceiling aquariums. The sights and sounds will fascinate animal lovers both young and old. Guests looking for a quiet dining experience may want to pass on this wild adventure.
Rainforest Cafe Gift Card
The menu is rather large so whether you are looking to dine-in for breakfast, lunch or dinner, there is bound to be something on the menu for everyone in your dining party. The kids menu is also large which makes it easy to please even the pickiest of eaters.
WHEN is it a good time to dine at the Rainforest Cafe?
The Rainforest Cafe serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. I personally recommend booking a dining reservation over the phone where you will receive a text message to confirm your reservation a few days prior to your visit. This restaurant tends to book up quickly, especially during peak lunch and dinner hours so for lower crowd levels, try booking between 2-4pm.
I have visited a handful of times throughout the past few years. Each dining experience took anywhere from 45 minutes to one hour. Make sure to plan accordingly if you plan on booking a reservation the same day as visiting a theme park.
To book a dining reservation at the Animal Kingdom Rainforest Cafe location, call (407) 938-9100.
Dining Tip
The staff at the Rainforest Cafe are extremely friendly and accommodating. Upon checking-in, feel free to ask the hosting attendant if it is possible to sit next to a fish tank or animatronic. For example, my son loves elephants so we wanted to make sure we sat next to the elephants. It may be a bit of a longer wait time, but the staff really tries accommodate if they are able to so it is definitely worth asking!
Visiting the parks soon? Check out my Ultimate Theme Park Packing List here… https://www.themommynichols.blog/2021/05/18/the-ultimate-theme-park-checklist-what-to-pack-must-have-items/