Disney4me Posted July 14, 2014 Report Share Posted July 14, 2014 Alrighty Guys, it is time. We are heading over to Walt Disney World’s Downtown Disney to travel back 200 million years for dinner.Learn About:T-Rex CafeDowntown DisneyDisney World RestaurantsWe’ve gotta do T-Rex again.This super-themed-to-the-max restaurant is the sister of Rainforest Cafe. If you’ve been to one, you have an idea for the feel of the other (even if the themeing is different).I’ll confess I wasn’t looking forward to this Advance Dining Reservation with great anticipation. But every restaurant at Disney deserves a little love from me, right? After all, it’s my job. So on a recent visit, over I went to check out if my experience would be better, worse, or the same as my previous visit.Besides, there’s a Cotton-tini involved this time! More on that just around the corner. Let’s go!AtmosphereAs you probably expect, there’s a whole lot going on when you walk inside T-Rex. The outside view of rock outcroppings and dinosaurs give you an idea of what you’re in for.Outside View of T-RexOnce your eyes adjust, you’ll notice that there are four major themed areas inside the space. The bar is themed to look like an Undersea Scene, complete with a giant, moving octopus. (What?! It’s true!) You’ll see some jellyfish floating above you too.Under the Pre-Historic SeaYou may recall this area experienced a little drama last year, when one of the cylindrical aquariums started gushing water right in the middle of meal service! Fortunately, fish and diners alike were all fine. (See the video here.)The floors throughout the restaurant are themed as well. Check out the watery undercarriage of the Undersea Scene. These are actually tiles printed like water.Watery tiled floorThe themeing throughout the restaurant does vary a bit. A lot actually. Beyond the sea, you have a verdant Forest Area, where you can sit in the belly of a Triceratops if you’d like. (I have asked how I can get this table. I want to sit in that Triceratops. If any of you are willing to join me on a Triceratops challenge, let me know and we’ll go and wait for this table some night!The Triceratops Booth!And then, there’s the Meteor Shower Room. Somehow you are simultaneously on Earth and viewing Earth. (Don’t think about it too hard.) You’ll find the star of the show here — T-Rex himself.T-Rex! Ruuuuunnnnn!!!Be forewarned — this room is very, very loud at regular intervals. Like every 10 minutes, when meteor showers rain down from the heavens.Did I mention that it’s loud??The Universe on the CeilingSeating near the animatronic dinosaurs brings your experience to life. And for educational value, they have plaques scattered throughout the scenes that tell a little about the creatures.Seating by the DinosaursIn the Meteor Shower Room, you’ll also find the KITCHEN OF FIRE. (I can’t help it with the caps. It’s such a dramatic name. You should also imagine an echoing, booming voice.)Kitchen of FireThe fire is actually a pretty cool touch. If you think so too, you might enjoy sitting nearby.Seating Next to the KitchenThis Wooly Mammoth and her Wooly Babies are hanging out near the ice cave.Wooly MammothAnd speaking of the Ice Cave…it really is spectacular. It makes you feel like you should go and grab a jacket!Changing Lights During the Ice AgeLights change throughout the area as you dine, creating a dazzling effect. You’re surrounded by ice, and there’s a T-Rex skeleton encased in the frozen wall just ahead of you.That said, I DO always request NOT to be seated in the Ice Cave. The lighting is such that your food always looks either purple or blue…and never the color it’s actually supposed to be. That’s pretty unappetizing to me, and when I’m paying T-Rex prices, I want every possible shot at enjoying what I order.Another Color in the Ice Age Light ShowSo, we were initially seated in the Undersea area, which I thought was awesome. But when I got to the table, it was RIGHT next to the kitchen. We requested to be seated elsewhere, and were brought over to the Forest area…right NEXT to the Triceratops. Sigh. Maybe next time.Good times straight ahead. EatsSo, we mentioned this before, but it certainly bears repeating. The menu here, especially by Disney standards, is massive. Like, 6 pages long. So expect to pour over it for a while.But the first two full pages are made up of Beverages. Once you get your drink order sorted out, you’re a third of the way home.Beverage Menu — Click to EnlargeAnd there are some interesting options. We noticed they’re very proud of the Category 5. Maybe ’cause it’s hurricane season?Category 5 Table TentAnd so we decided to give it a try. It’s very tropical-fruity with a bit of a punch on the back end — just what you want a vacay drink to be. (Oh, and you get the glass to take home!)Category 5Another member of our party knew right away what she was having (well, she may have had a little urging from me) — the house exclusive Cotton-Tini! This drink has been a legend for a while now. I’ve even wondered if it inspired similar drinks, like the Cotton Candy Lemonade at Everything Pop Food Court, and the new (to us anyway) Carnival Cocktail at Chester & Hester’s Dino-rama.Cotton-Tini Menu — Click to EnlargeNow, there’s a whole little show that goes along with this drink. First, your server will place a martini glass with a tuft of Cotton Candy in front of you.Glass for My Cotton-Tini — Pre-PourNext, he or she will go to town, shaking up the liquid portion of your cocktail in a vibrantly-colored Shaker. The cool part? You’ll take the shaker home with you at the end of the night!Shaking the Cotton-TiniOnce the drink is properly chilled, it’s strained through the lid onto the waiting cotton candy cloud.Pouring the Cotton-TiniAnd that’s where the magic starts to happen. Blue cotton candy + a yellow cocktail mix = a lovely, bright green cocktail!Cotton-Tini in the GlassWait for it…Finished Product: Cotton-Tini — Up CloseAh! Green! See — I told ya. And it pretty much tastes like sour apple candy in liquid form. This is one fun drink.Cotton-Tini and Souvenir ShakerThere are lots of other drinks to choose from, including a small selection of Beer and Wine. You’ll also find some specialty Non-Alcoholic Drinks.More Beverages — Click to EnlargeAnother dining companion went for a Blue Moon, one of the beers T-Rex featured on tap.Blue MoonWith drinks to sip on, we turned our attention to the rest of the menu. Basically, there’s a page or so for nearly every category.Appetizers and Salads — Click to EnlargeAs you’re reading through the menu, be sure to notice the background of each page. They represent the different zones within the restaurant itself.Meat! — Click to EnlargeBe prepared to have a sense of humor where the food names are concerned. You’re about to encounter lots of MEGA- this and PALEO- that. They don’t pass up a single opportunity for prehistoric-inspired alliteration. It makes ordering a pretty funny affair.Pastas, Burgers, and Sandwiches — Click to EnlargeThe menu wraps up with Seafood and Desserts on the same page. A little strange, but I suppose it’s practical and a paper-saving measure. Seafood and Desserts — Click to EnlargeI’ve also included the back of the menu, which tells a little about the restaurant’s theme. It’s also worth mentioning that T-Rex is a Landry’s restaurant. If you enjoy this family of eateries, you may want to look into a Landry’s Select Club membership. It could save you money.Back of the Menu with Information — Click to EnlargeWe made our selections, and soon the food began to arrive. I enjoy starting a meal with soup and so I gave the Lava Tomato Basil a try. It was highly recommended by our server, and the generous portion was creamy with good tomato flavor. It’s also served in a little pot with garlic bread. Fun!Lava Tomato Basil SoupWe also ordered the Megalosaurus Mozzarella to share. The platter offers two takes on Fried Cheese — traditional Mozzarella Cheese Sticks as well as something called Seared Mozzarella. While we ate the sticks with our fingers, we dipped forkfuls of the latter into the Marinara Sauce that accompanied them.This stuff was pretty standard, though the seared mozzerella definitely had the better flavor of the two versions.Megalosaurus MozzarellaOne of my friends ordered the Bronto Burger. This was a pretty substantial burger with all of the trimmings, including a thick-cut, breaded Onion Ring. Burgers and sandwiches now come with your choice of side, and he went for the Red-Skinned Garlic Mashed Potatoes.Bronto BurgerAnother dining companion opted for the comfort food option, Cretaceous Chicken Fried Steak. The portion was enormous! Seriously, it’s huge. The dish could easily be split by two hungry people.Cretaceous Chicken Fried SteakOur other friend opted for a lighter dish and went with the Wooly Mammoth Chicken. (No, I have no idea what’s wooly about it.) Served with a bountiful side of Sauteed Vegetables and Peas, this was the most green we saw on our table. (Well. Besides my drink. ) She appreciated the lighter Grilled Chicken and flavorful Tomato Sauce. There was also Sauteed Spinach in there! And the Red-Skinned Garlic Mashed Potatoes provided a rich component to the dish.Wooly Mammoth ChickenFinally, we get to my meal! And I opted for the Neanderthal (???) New York Strip. The Charbroiled Steak comes topped with a knob of Compound Butter, and is served with Red-Skinned Garlic Mashed Potatoes. (Apparently it was a mashed potato kind of night.)To that, I was invited to add another side, so I chose the Cinnamon Apples. The plate was picture perfect. My sides were delicious, but I didn’t eat too much of my steak. It looks great, but it didn’t taste as fantastic as I wanted it to. It was pretty gristly, so getting to the actual flavor took some doing. Unfortunate; I was really looking forward to it when it landed in front of me.Neanderthal New York StripAfter big plates of food and plenty of other things to eat and drink, we could have skipped dessert. But we didn’t!We all decided that Chocolate sounded best, and so it was a logical choice to try out the Chocolate Extinction. This is a platter of dessert, with four big servings of Chocolate Layer Cake, four scoops of Vanilla Ice Cream, and Whipped Topping. It says it can feed four, but I figure twice as many people could have gotten a fork in there, especially after a big meal.Cool picture, eh??Chocolate ExtinctionThe dessert was pretty good, but it could have used a LOT more Sauce. But isn’t that always the case? The Heath Bar Toffee Crumbles on top were a nice touch, though.Chocolate Extinction — Up CloseAnd on that (chocolate) high note, we wrapped up our meal and headed out for more Downtown Disney fun.OverallWhat can you say about T-Rex? I have been thinking about it. And the profound statement that I have to offer is — it is what it is. This is not a gourmet meal. But it’s not supposed to be. The atmosphere continues to be the draw, and the food is adequately rises to the occasion. Sadly, the prices are significant; so if you don’t have a person in your party who’s going to be wowed by the atmosphere or can’t wait for that Chocolate Extinction, you may find it to be too hard on the wallet for what it offers.It’s not the worst restaurant that I’ve been to, but it doesn’t hold any particular charm for me. Still, I know for all of its detractors, T-Rex has some die-hard fans. So let’s hear from you: Is T-Rex a must-do, or a must-skip? Join in the conversation by leaving a comment below!Disney Food Blog Fans, be sure to check out our DFB Disney World Dining Guide e-Books! Find great deals at DFBStore.com!Also, come on over and: Subscribe to our NewsletterFollow us on TwitterBecome a Facebook FanRelated posts:Review: Crossroads at House of Blues at Walt Disney World’s Downtown DisneyReview: AMC Dine-In Theater at Walt Disney World’s Downtown DisneyReview: March Signature Dinner at Raglan Road Irish Pub at Walt Disney World’s Downtown DisneyView the full article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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