T-Rex Restaurant: A Prehistoric Family Adventure in Downtown Disney

When T-Rex restaurant opened in late 2008, it joined numerous Disney themed restaurants on property. Owned by the same company that runs the Rainforest Café restaurants, T-Rex has become quite popular. Disney fans looking for a place to dine, shop, and explore should make dino tracks over to Downtown Disney’s Marketplace district. T-Rex offers something for every member of your family. Whether you are traveling with kids who enjoy the various dinosaurs inside and out, or adults looking for a great meal, there is something for everyone here. Plan on making a dining reservation in advance if possible, or prepare to wait a long time for this popular restaurant. The wait is worth it, though! While you are waiting to dine, you can shop in the nearby gift shop. One of the cool options at the gift shop is the “Build-a-Dino” workshop.

Similar to the “Build-A-Bear” merchandise, you can build and take home your own stuffed dinosaur! Once inside the restaurant, there are lots of sights and sounds to immerse yourself in. At the entrance, a massive Tyrannosaurus Rex greets you with a very big smile.

Inside the restaurant, there are several themed prehistoric areas, each with plenty of life-size audio-animatronic dinosaurs on either side of you and flying dinosaurs and prehistoric sea creatures above you. Two of my favorite prehistoric creatures are the wooly mammoth and her two babies. Covered in snow, they are not intimidating to children and look as huggable as the family pet.

On our last visit in June, we were seated next to the Triceratops baby. It was a get-away weekend for my mother and I, who both voted hands down to enjoy one of our new favorite restaurants. After reviewing the menu, I chose the “Fire-roasted Rotisserie Chicken” and my mother chose the “Mammoth Mushroom Ravioli”. Shortly after we ordered, the meteor experience began. If you have children who are frightened by noises or the darkness, I would recommend warning them in advance or skipping the restaurant all together. This experience is similar to the Rainforest Café’s rain experience. It occurs about every 15 minutes and definitely enhances the atmosphere. Most of the prehistoric animals come to life and make a lot of noise, drowning out the talking of their human guests. The experience doesn’t last long and the restaurant eventually returns to normal.

When the food arrived, we remembered why this was one of our favorite meals! My chicken was flavorsome and moist – something that not all restaurants can achieve. Yet, what makes the meal the best are the garlic mashed potatoes (which are awesome!) and the scrumptious cinnamon apples! My mother also enjoyed her mushroom ravioli, which was plentifully filled with mushrooms in a delicious lobster cream sauce.
Overall, I would highly recommend this restaurant for your next trip. Unfortunately, it is one of the few restaurants not covered on the Disney Dining Plan – but trust me, it’s worth the extra expense!  Your Disney trip won’t be complete without taking a step into the past and visiting this prehistoric hot spot!

DAD, DAUGHTERS & DISNEY

After careful planning, the long awaited day had arrived. We were so ready for Disney World; me, my dad and my two sisters. My dad and sisters had never flown nor had they been to Disney World, so we had a good reason to go and celebrate. You don't really need a reason to go to Disney, just the word Disney is a reason to celebrate.

My most recent trip to Disney, I did celebrate it with my sisters and our dad in November 2009 and all the Christmas decorations were up and so pretty. That will certainly get you in the Christmas spirit. What a wonderful feeling it gave me to be able to share this experience with them. I have been to Disney several times in the last year, but this was my favorite. It was a chance for me to make a magical memory, they would never forget.


From the airport, we boarded the Magical Express and headed to the Pop Century Resort. They loved the idea of not having to deal with luggage. When we arrived, I had already checked in online, so there were no problems, everything went well. We found our rooms to be very nice and accommodating. It wasn't very long until our luggage was delivered to our room. There were towels on the beds in the shape of Mickeys and everyone thought that was cool. I had requested adjoining rooms so we could have more of a family feeling and it was granted. Disney has a way of making you feel very special and there are so many extras and different touches you can add to your vacation to make it extra special. The Pop Century has a very nice food court. There was a wide variety of foods to choose from, and something for everyone. Our package included the Quick-Service meal plan, but I decided to upgrade to the regular dining plan and was very glad with my decision. It gave us a chance to try many different restaurants, at all the parks. I made all the reservations prior to our trip and did not have any problems what so ever.


We planned to go to Epcot on our first day. It was very nice to have Disney transportation. It was so easy just to walk out and get on the bus and not have to drive yourself around in all the traffic and deal with parking. We got a chance to eat in Canada at the LeCellier Steakhouse and the food was just fabulous, such great service! We enjoyed all the sights and even Dad did the rides. He loved Soarin. There is something for everyone at Disney. We continued the day at Epcot and finished it off with the Illuminations. It was a wonderful experience, just gorgeous.


We managed to enjoy all the parks, fireworks, food, and all the dancing lights. My family also loved Downtown Disney. They liked the busy feel and also enjoyed eating at Captain Jack’s.


My family commented on how everything was so coordinated and well planned and thanked me for such wonderful memories. We are still talking about our trip and already planning to go again.


There are a lot of things in life to celebrate, just life itself, and what a way to spend it, I can’t think of any better way to spend it than with family, friends and loved ones at Disney World.