Dining in with Dinosaurs
Written and edited by Zach Spodek
Throughout our Theme Park Files, we have showcased numerous attractions that bring you extreme thrills, get you soaking wet, or are made to simply provide fun ride experiences for park guests. This week, we are taking a look at another delightful aspect of amusement parks: the food. Every theme park has its signature food, whether it be Kennywood’s Potato Patch fries, Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs at Coney Island, or Butterbeer at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal. For this blog, we wanted to focus on not just food, but an entire restaurant as a whole, in which the food is just one of the many wonders there. This week we are packing our bags for Disney World and making a reservation for the T-Rex Cafe.
Disney’s T-Rex Cafe first opened on October 17, 2008. Located in Disney Springs (formerly known as Downtown Disney), the restaurant is owned by Landry’s Inc. The company is known for their elaborately themed restaurants such as the iconic Rainforest Cafe and the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. They also own another restaurant in Disney’s Animal Kingdom called Yik and Yak, which is themed to that of an Asian hotel.
The T-Rex Cafe’s theme as you can guess is inspired by creatures of the prehistoric age. Gigantic animatronics of the dinosaurs that roamed during this time are featured throughout the restaurant. The Triceratops, Stegosaurus, and of course the iconic Tyrannosaurus rex are some of the dinosaurs showcased at the cafe, in addition to prehistoric aquatic and insect models.
The restaurant also hosts an octopus bar, as shown above, with a 13-foot wide octopus sculpture encompassing it with moving tentacles and jellyfish chandeliers.
In addition to the food, the restaurant offers different shows and attractions for guests to enjoy. There is a simulated meteor shower every 20 minutes, which also showcases the animatronics’ reactions to the storm. Outside the restaurant is the Discovery Dig: a fossil excavation site for younger guests to enjoy. The restaurant also hosts Paleo Zone: a play area with educational kiosks focused on the animatronic creatures that roam the restaurant. Another area called Discovery Creek allows for guests to search for minerals near a water mill utilizing gold panning techniques.
A couple of Triceratops animatronics, which often move around during the meteor shower
The restaurant also has miniature shops inside. These include the Dino Store, a gift shop with dinosaur themed merchandise, and Build-A-Dino: a Build-A-Bear Workshop store that lets young guests build their own dino pal.
Moving on to the main course, the food is prepared in what is known as The Kitchen of Fire. The menu includes the typical options in an American restaurant, but with a prehistoric theme. There’s the Supersaurus Sampler: an appetizer dish served for 4 with cheesy skillet meatballs, wings, queso, flatbread, and their signature Chicken T-Rexadilla. There’s different soups and salads such as the Jurassic Salad (house salad) and the Caesar-saurus salad. There’s even a section dedicated to carnivores with options such as the Triassic Trio: shrimp and scallops, a shrimp skewer, and a char-grilled steak with Raptor Rice. There’s also Prehistoric Pasta (fettuccine pasta with alfredo sauce).
Colosso Beef Nachos: Currently not offered, due to a more limited menu in the 2020 Season
For drinks, you can order from The Watering Hole menu with options like Caveman Punch: Captain Morgan spiced rum mixed with DeKuyper’s banana liqueur and peachtree schnapps, blended with a tropical fruit juice blend. Finally, if you still have an appetite the size of a t-rex, there’s the Chocolate Extinction for desert. It consists of a chocolate fudge cake combined with ice cream, fudge, caramel, and whipped cream, and typically made for a group of 4.
Overall, the T-Rex Cafe offers a unique experience you can only find at Walt Disney World. Its dedication to a prehistoric theme leaves guests entertained throughout the entire dining experience. The interactive activities are a blast for younger kids, while the gigantic set pieces and colorful aesthetic throughout the restaurant offer plenty of photo opportunities for guests of all ages. So next time you find yourself at Disney Springs, make a reservation and take in the sites and grub fit for a dinosaur at the T-Rex Cafe.
