Discover the enchanting world of Rainforest Cafe at Disney Springs! Dive into an immersive dining experience, explore the jungle-themed ambiance, and savour delicious cuisine. Find out about our lunch experience during our Orlando holiday!
Where is the Rainforest Cafe?
Walt Disney World has two Rainforest Cafe locations. One can be found at Animal Kingdom while the other is in Disney Springs. This review focuses on lunch at the Disney Springs location.
Opening times
Monday to Thursday and Sunday: 11am to 11pm
Friday and Saturday: 11am to 11:30pm
Booking a table at the Rainforest Cafe
As the Rainforest Cafe is part of Walt Disney World you can book a table via the My Disney Experience App for either location.
Landry’s Select Club
Before our holiday to Orlando we signed up for the Landry’s Select Club. As Rainforest Cafe is a Landry’s restaurant once you are a member you have access to priority seating, meaning you don’t have to book in advance. You will be sent a card in the post or you can use the app on your phone to show your membership. Joining the Landry’s Select Club costs $25 however, you get that back on your membership to spend towards a meal. You need to be able to show your membership at the location to receive the discount.
This is a great way to get seated at some restaurants which are usually quite busy or would have a long wait if you turn up without a booking.
Enjoy the rainforest theme
One of the reasons why we wanted to go for lunch at the Rainforest Cafe is because of the cool theme. Erin had never been anywhere like this before and I knew she would be amazed when we got there.
To start with, the restaurant outside is designed like a volcano so we spent some time watching this before the restaurant opened. The volcano smoke and erupts so it’s definitely worth waiting for although we definitely didn’t need the extra heat in the middle of August!
Inside the restaurant is themed like a itropical rainforest. After we were shown to our table, we were encouraged to go and have a look around and see what we could find. Inside the restaurant is covered with trees and leaves, afish tanks and you’ll find animals dotted around too. Apart from the fish, none of the animals are real of course but they’re definitely fun to look at.
There are a lot of animatronic animals, who move in different ways, and make the usual noises that they would make in the wild. I can’t say I’ve ever had lunch with chest-pounding gorillas before. Eating and being surrounded by a decorative jungle and definitely fun for the whole family. There were also storms in the restaurant at various times, which was a bit of a shock when we experienced the first one. This is quite a loud and fun restaurant so try not to expect to eat in peace and quiet.
A wild family lunch
One of the great things about eating at the Rainforest Cafe is the menu. The menu is quite large with a mix of classics and there will be seasonal specials available too. While starters and desserts are an option, we didn’t have these during our visit.
You can find the menu online but here’s an idea of some of the dishes you can get:
- Big islander shrimp Caesar salad
- Blue mountain chicken sandwich (Grilled Lemon Chicken, Bacon, Swiss cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, and Boom Boom Sauce served with with Safari Fries)
- Korean Spicy Stir-Fry Chicken (Chicken, broccoli, carrots, Gochujang sauce, Mandarin oranges, peppers, crispy wontons, red cabbage, green onions, sesame seeds, Jasmine rice)
- Creole Mac & Cheese (Shrimp, Andouille Sausage, Peppers, Red Onion, Cheese Sauce, Chili Butter Bread Crumbs, Penne Pasta)
- Shrimp Tacos (Fried shrimp, jalapeño ranch, red cabbage, citrus vinaigrette, pico de gallo, black beans)
- Primal Steak (Aged USDA choice center-cut NY strip steak, char-broiled, red skinned mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables)
- Iggy’s Piggy Sandwich (Slow cooked Cuban-style Pork, Sliced Ham, Swiss Cheese, Pickles, and Mustard served with with Safari Fries)
Delicious entrees
I really thought that there was a lot of choice, and I’m sure everyone would be able to find something on this menu that they would like. John, the more adventurous eater of the two of us, was spoiled for choice really. It took him a while to decide what to get.
After the recommendation of our server, John chose the Pastalaya. This is a spicy dish and he was warned before ordering how spicy it was. The Pastalaya consisted of shrimp, sautéed chicken, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, Andouille sausage, hot and spicy Cajun sauce and linguini. It also came with a good chunk of bread on the side. The portion size was great and at the time, cost $26.49. I think this was a reasonable price for the dish, especially because the portion size was so good. John thoroughly enjoyed the Pastalaya and said it was a good dish.
I went for something a bit less exciting with the Rainforest Burger. I wanted something I knew I was going to like, and I wasn’t wrong. When ordering the burger, I was asked how I wanted it cooked and I went for well done. I’m not a fan of pink burgers and this one was cooked to perfection for me. The burger comes topped with American cheese and lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle on the side, as well as being served with fries. I really couldn’t have asked for a better burger so this was a winner for me.
Children’s meals
I really loved the options for children at the Rainforest Cafe Disney Springs. Children’s meals can be quite limited with the same offering chicken strips all the time. Of course, this is also on the menu but other options include:
- Chicken Quesadilla
- Python Pasta
- Shrimpkens (popcorn shrimp and Jurassic chicken tidbits)
- Nile’s Catch (grilled or breaded fish)
- Rainforest Rascals (mini burgers)
- Gorilla Grilled Cheese Delight
Erin opted for Rainforest Rascals which came with two char-grilled mini burgers, Safari fries, orange segments and a drink. Other options for sides included mashed potato, corn and vegetables. This was a really good size for a children’s meal and it was good that it came with fresh fruit as well. Erin said her burgers were perfect and ate everything so absolutely no complaints from her.
Don’t forget to visit the gift shop
Right next to the restaurant (inside the same building) you’ll find a Rainforest Cafe theme gift shop. There are loads to buy there such as soft toys, games and souvenirs. We found the prices to be fairly reasonable, considering where we were. Erin got a bag of special stones for around $10, which she was really happy with. Rainforest Cafe Disney Springs has one of the better gift shops that I’ve seen.
Would we go back?
After hearing reviews of other Rainforest Cafe locations (mainly London), I wasn’t expecting the food to be very good. However, we’d gone for the theme more than anything and to do something fun. The food was surprisingly delicious. As a family, we all had multiple options and we all really enjoyed what we did order. I think we would absolutely go back to Rainforest Cafe Disney Springs, next time we’re in Florida.
Read more about our Orlando holiday:
- Staying at the Lake Buena Vista Resort Village and Spa
- Lunch at the Rainforest Cafe
- Breakfast at ‘Ohana
- A day in paradise at Discovery Cove
- Tips for dealing with the heat in Orlando
- See a dinner show at Pirate’s Dinner Adventure Orlando
- Our 2 week Orlando itinerary
- What our holiday to Orlando really cost
