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!

Sailing with Mickey- Facts about Disney Cruise Line

I love all things Disney. I especially love the parks, and when I am there, I am a big kid. My family loves it, too. This February, we were fortunate enough to go on a Disney Cruise. I bet most people didn’t realize there was such a thing, and most who do know about it will think it is a crazy ship overrun with kids and characters. That is not the case at all. Of course there are children on board and the cruise is geared toward families, but it offers so much for the adults as well. The ships are decorated in the Disney theme, but it is very subtle. You do not feel like you are drowning in animated characters.

Fun facts about Disney Cruise Line

On June 30, 1998, the Disney Magic set sail on its maiden voyage from Port Canaveral, Florida. It was joined by its sister ship, the Disney Wonder, in August of 1999. These two ships were the only two in the DCL fleet, until in 2011, the Disney Dream will make its maiden voyage on January 26. And in 2012, the Disney Fantasy will also set sail bringing the fleet to four ships, and offering more itineraries than ever before.

The Disney Magic and Wonder were built in the legendary Fincantieri Shipyard of Italy. The bow of the Magic was built in Ancona and the stern was built 100 miles from there in Marghera, and then the two sections had to be welded together to make one grand ship. Both the Magic and Wonder has a gross tonnage of 83,000 with a length of 964 feet and width of 106 feet. The ships cruise at a speed of 21.5 knots with a max speed of 24 knots. Each ship has 875 staterooms and a crew size of 945. 73% percent of the staterooms have outside views and 44% have private verandahs. 

The Magic and Wonder are very similar in color, but not in style. The Disney Magic and Wonder’s colors are red, yellow and dark blue but the style of the Magic is Art Deco and the Wonder is Art Nouveau. One interesting fact about the color scheme is that Disney had to make a special request to paint their lifeboats yellow instead of the typical orange that you see on all other sailing vessels. The Coast Guard allowed this special request, which is why the Disney ships look like Mickey’s colors. Each ship has Mickey at the bow, but the Magic has Sorcerer Mickey and the Wonder has Steamboat Willie at the bow. One of the other differences in the two ships is who is hanging off the stern seeming to be painting. On the Magic, you have Goofy, and on the Wonder you have Donald and his nephew Huey. The lobby statues are also different on each ship. The Wonder has a beautiful statue of Ariel from the Little Mermaid, and the Magic has Helmsman Mickey to greet you when you walk aboard.

Disney Cruise Line Firsts

The Disney Cruise line wanted to be different from any other cruise line around and offer a unique, unforgettable vacation opportunity for families. First, Disney's staterooms are 25% larger than most cruise ships, and most have a bath and a half so that families can have a little more space to get ready for the day. DCL was the first to have a dock at the private island, Castaway Cay, allowing guests the ease of walking on and off the ship. DCL is also the only line that has rotational dining, which means you dine in a different restaurant each night. The best part about that is that your servers come with you, and stay with you for the entire cruise. They are the first cruise line to have fireworks at sea for the Pirates in the Caribbean celebration. DCL dedicates almost an entire deck to the children’s areas and activities. They have Flounder’s Reef Nursery for 12 weeks to 3 years then there are two areas for older children. Once, there was the Oceaneer’s Club and Oceaneer’s Lab and the age groups were separated; that is no longer the case. Kids can go back and forth between the two areas and choose the activities they want to participate in. There is also a special area for the older kids, aged 13 and up, called the Stack on the Magic and Aloft on the Wonder. Both are located in one of the ship's funnels high atop deck 11. DCL is also the first cruise line to offer free soda on board at all times. There is a 24-hour beverage station on deck 9 that guests can have as much soda, coffee, tea or water they could ask for. On DCL, you will also get to see movies on board the night they premier. DCL also has some fantastic Broadway-style shows that you can’t see anywhere else. There is one thing Disney Cruise Line does not have on its ships- a casino- which creates more space to dedicate to families, and age-specific areas for everyone. DCL is also the only cruise line to have an animated character as the Godmother of a ship. Tinkerbell is the Godmother of the Disney Wonder. The new ship, the Disney Dream, will also have some firsts to boast. It will have the first water coaster on board, called the Aqua-Duck. It also has a treat in store for those who book an inside stateroom: virtual portholes that give real-time views to the outside, and a character or two may be inclined to swim by. So even with the inside staterooms, you'll still feel like you have an outlet to the world.

I guess the best thing about the Disney Cruise Line is that it is a place to go with your family and friends, so that you can enjoy each other and relax. You can do as much or as little as you want on board a Disney Cruise ship; it is all up to you. But no matter what you do, it will be wonderfully magical, and it will keep you dreaming of the fantasy you experience over and over again.

Let me plan your next cruise on Disney Cruise Line, and have a Magical day!

Kids' Clubs on Disney Cruise Line

The Disney Cruise Line is known for its on-board entertainment for children. Kids of all ages and stages can participate in either of the ship’s kid clubs. Siblings are welcome to stay together or separate if they choose. The staff really looks out for the younger ones and is careful to direct them to age-appropriate activities. One bonus they mentioned is that their children (ages 3 and 8) are no longer separated, which helped to alleviate some anxiety in the younger child. The Disney Cruise Line is also introducing some new children's activities. One of the most popular is Cinderella's Royal Ball. Children get to meet Cinderella as she explains to them how to be a prince or princess.

The new Animal Tracking Series was developed by a veterinarian and conservationist from Disney's Animal Kingdom. While on the ship, children create a tracking device to use in an animal hunt while docked at Castaway Cay.

New wristbands have also been developed as a method of signing the kids in and out of the clubs. They are worn for the duration of the cruise and are equipped with RFID(radio frequency ID) to store the child's info and register them into the kids' clubs. They can even be worn in the pools. You all know the cruise commercials, right? The kids telling the parents they already have their own plans and the parents should go and find something to do without them. I am the mother of a child with separation anxiety issues. To say that I am overprotective is an understatement. This was our first cruise. We had always spent our vacations together doing activities together as a family, so I hadn't really put much thought into the children's programs onboard. Then, friends of ours came back from their Disney cruise, and their kids told my son about all of the fun things they did. After that my son started asking me if he was going to do all of those things. We were only onboard for five minutes when my kids started asking when we could go check out the kids clubs! Once the muster drill was over, we headed up to check it out. I was amazed with all of the space Disney has dedicated to the children's program. The kids clubs occupy a large portion of an entire deck. My youngest son has some issues with separation anxiety as well as being extremely shy. I was shocked that he was willing (and happy!) to join his siblings at the club and enjoyed every minute of it. Disney's Oceaneer Club was originally intended for ages 5-7. We walked into the club and I was very impressed. Disney's attention to detail was obvious everywhere you looked. There are definite security measures in place, but are so well disguised everyone feels very comfortable. Each child is given a name badge and bar coded bracelet that's linked to all of their information, including a private password that you select. Each parent is given a beeper so they can be in touch at all times. There were smiling cast member faces everywhere we looked. They all seemed more than happy to meet the new kids and make them feel comfortable. The cast members come from all over the world and even as the end of the cruise neared, all seemed to still be having fun.

The Oceaneer's Club looked like it came right from Neverland complete with Captain Hook's ship. There is a wonderful dress up station where kids can become Peter Pan or Cinderella (and more!), a bunch of interactive computer stations, and tons of room to play.The first day on board was available for parents and children to roam around and check out the facilities. We decided to look at the separate club geared for children age 8 - 12. It’s called Oceaneer's Lab, and that's a wonderful name for it. There was a computer lab, a science lab, and my son's favorite... the giant Playstation. There were game controllers that looked like they belonged to a giant. Disney thought of everything on this ship. They also created a special club just for teens age 13 to 17 called The Stack. Its set up as a New York-style coffee house complete with music, games and large-screen TV, even an Internet Cafe. They offer organized activities each day, including pizza and pool parties, 2 on 2 basketball, volleyball, and scavenger hunts. They even get to invade the Oceaneer's Lab! My kids couldn't wait for things to start the next day. After breakfast, they were ready to go! I spent most of the day wondering if my beeper was working, since I never received a message telling me to come pick him up. I even made a couple of passes by the club just to peek in. He did lots of fun things such as a treasure hunt complete with Captain Hook, and a photo session with Mickey that included their own photo and handmade frame. He was having so much fun that he did not want to leave for dinner!

The day we spent at Castaway Cay was equally special. We checked out the kids club on the island and it looked like a huge sandbox with all the trimmings. My daughter wanted to spend most of the day swimming and since the kids club was not near the water she chose to stay with us. Ok... so at first I wasn't crazy about the idea of my kids spending our cruise doing stuff away from us, but they did have so much fun and my husband and I found we enjoyed our private time together as well. We will have memories for a lifetime of our magical Disney cruise. If you are considering a Disney cruise, I’d love to help you plan and prepare for the greatest family vacation you will ever take!

7 nights of "Magic" on Disney Cruise LIne

We just returned from our first ever Disney cruise aboard Disney’s Magic, what a magical week we had. It all started back in March when we booked, at that time I was researching everything I could, then the summer was busy with other travels and what-not so the cruise got put on the back burner. About 2 months before we were to set sail I went in to planning mode overload, which I always do before a big trip, with a family of 5 and 3 of them 5 or under you must plan well!!! I started packing lists, eyeing over message boards and all that normal stuff, then the week we were scheduled to leave for the drive down was upon us. Where did the time go? We stayed close to the port the night before we were to leave because I had plans of getting upgraded, so the morning of Halloween we all got up, dressed in our matching shirts and headed to the port, I was amazed at how many people were already there at 10am, but luckily I was able to get my upgrade to a 1 bedroom suite w/ concierge (Cat 3), of course we had to pay for it but it was worth every penny!! We were traveling with my parents and they upgraded too to a veranda on deck 6. Even though my parents were not in a suite the Cast Members were very nice to let them be with us and board first and go to the welcome reception and all that fun stuff! The best thing I believe about the whole cruise was right when you step on board, they asked what our family name was, and I told them and then to my surprise they announced us by name and everyone clapped, that was such a special treat to us, we felt like royalty.

The ship was beautiful and pretty easy to figure out where to go , of course they were never short of Cast Members who are more than happy to assist you. While at our welcome reception we were able to sign the kids up for the kids clubs, make spa/salon appointments and meet with our concierge, Lynda. Lynda was able to book Palos for us since we missed out doing that before we left, she also took note of special requests and any questions we had.

After ,we headed up to deck 9 to check out the food, and boy was there plenty of it, so we filled our bellies and hung out for a little while. It was almost 1:30, the time when you are able to go to your staterooms so we headed to deck 8 midship to check it out. We were thrilled, it was huge, a large living room, a large bedroom a huge veranda ,2 bathrooms, lots of closet and storage space, it was a dream come true, it even had a door bell!

4 o’clock, life boat drill, was very quick and orderly! After putting the life jackets away it was time for the sail-a-way party on the pool deck, how fun was it to be sailing away with Mickey and the gang! As soon as the characters came out I got all teary eyed, this is what it was all about!!!! It was a great party, very lively and energetic, as was everything on board.


Since it was Halloween we went back to our cabin to get in our costumes and go to the Welcome Aboard Show and then Trick or Treating! Dinner was after that, we chose late seating at 8:15, that night, after the long day and no naps my almost 4 year old feel asleep at dinner and my 5 year old probably could have too. Our wait staff was great, they made a bed for him so he would be comfortable, needless to say, after dinner we all went to bed to get a good sleep for our day in Key West.

The ports were fine, we had been on many cruises in the past so they were all familiar to us and we just did our own thing for the most part. In Key West we walked all the way to the Southern Most Point and went to the Butterfly Conservatory which was amazing. In Grand Cayman we did the Island Tour with stops in Hell and the Turtle Farm. Cozumel was our only bad weather day, rained most of the morning, let up for a little while so we ventured out to get some good food at Pancho’s Backyard then back to the ship. Then it rained most of the day after that. The cruise director and staff wasted no time in putting together dance parties , extra trivia’s, games and other events for those who stayed on the ship instead of venturing out in the rain.
Our last port of Castaway Cay, their private island was wonderful, beautiful beach and good food, too bad the water was pretty cold for my liking. We had two days at sea which were wonderful, both days we dined at Palos for brunch, it was sooo good the first time we had to go back. We hung out by the Mickey pool a bit which the kids loved and it was the perfect size for them.
We also fit in naps every evening before the shows so the kids could make it all night. We also put our littlest one who is almost 2 in the Flounders Nursery and he loved it, they were soooo good with him in there.
Our Cruise Director, Clayton was the best I had ever had, such personality and love for his job. The shows were amazing, having seen many Broadway plays, I rank them right up there with them, Disney really knows how to do it. The Cruise Staff was superb, they hosted many dance parties and trivia’s which we tried to attend, my personal favorites were the High School Musical Dance Party and the Disney Tunes Trivia! There was a Tea with Alice which I knew about before sailing and was excited to get in to that, my daughter wore her Alice dress and enjoyed “tea” (which was actually apple juice) and cookies with Alice.
Pirate Night was a hit, it was great seeing so many guests dressed in pirate costumes, and of course our family was some of them! Unfortunately the weather was not on our side that night so they could not do the fireworks and deck party, however they did do them the next night and it was fabulous. Disney is the only cruise line that does fireworks from their ships. Our dining staff was wonderful, especially our waitress, Jessyca, she was so good with our little one, when he got bored, she would just walk him around the dining room and he loved it! Doing the dining rotation was different but we liked it, Lumiere's was my favorite, though my daughter liked Animators Palate the best because the colors changed, Parrot Cay was festive and colorful.


Being in concierge really had a big impact on our trip, having the extra space and the personal service was really really nice, we now know we can not doing anything else. So I suggest, if you can swing it, do it, you won’t regret it, I would be happy to elaborate more on the benefits, just message me! Another exciting thing we did for the first time was the art auction, so now we have started our Disney art collection and are anxiously waiting for our two new pieces to arrive!
I could go on and on about our cruise, but to sum it up in one word, MAGICAL!
Remember Disney is offering many new destinations, along with a brand new ship debuting in 2011, contact WDWTravels for details and we will be happy to get you started on your magical vacation! Thanks for reading