Currently have a late lunch planned at T-Rex in DS after EMM in HS. Would I be better off just grabbing lunch in HS or back at hotel rather than traveling all the way to DS for T-Rex. I do think my young boys would like T-Rex and shopping at DS but is it worth the extra travel and perhaps foregoing nap and rest time to eat out there and shop? Would probably take Uber/Lyft to save some time.
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We are going to T-rex as well simply for the joy it will bring my boys (4 & 7). I’ve never been before, so I apologize I can’t answer your question, but interested in what others comment.
Have you ever been to Rainforest Cafe before? It’s by the same people and looks to be very similar, except replace Gorillas and Elephants with DINOSAURS! 
We go to Rainforest Cafe about once a year and my boys love it, so I am assuming T-rex Cafe will make their day.
Thanks. I think my boys 5 and 7 will enjoy as well. I’m just a little worried about the extra travel and time spent there as opposed to maybe doing one more show at HS, have a quick lunch and go back to hotel directly for rest.
I suppose I could always keep my 1:45 reservation and see how they boys are doing after an early morning and make the decision then. HS is hard to plan for because I don’t know how much my boys will like the park and whether they will want to return at night for nighttime activities. If they want to come back at night not sure it’s worth spending an extra couple hours out at DS for lunch and shopping - which will likely mean no afternoon (or very short) break for the boys.
On our last trip, my boys were 10, 7 and 4 and they all greatly enjoyed the T-Rex Cafe. It was similar to the Rainforest Cafe by us in how it was done up, but they love dinosaurs, so it was a neat twist for them. They also each made their own dinosaur at the attached shop, which was like a Build-A-Bear but with dinosaurs. To this day, they still love those souvenirs!
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You’re right. I would have the same concerns about travel, etc. I’m a newbie, so I can’t speak from experience so hopefully someone who has made the trip will help you. Keep in mind you’ll be charged $10 if you don’t cancel the reservation within 24 hours of the reservation. T-rex is a Landry’s property. If you want to “play it by ear” you could sign up for the Landry’s card, cancel your reservation and if you decide to go, present your Landry’s card and you will not need a reservation and be seated. (someone correct me if I’m wrong, but that’s how it is with Rainforest Cafe). A Landry’s Card is $25 to sign up but you immediately get a $25 credit to use (which you could use at T-rex cafe or any other Landry’s property).
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I’ll start off by saying that I really enjoy DS and go at least once every trip. Back when I was in the 5-10 range, T-Rex would have been paradise for me. As an adult, 20 minutes sitting at the bar is about all I am able to handle due to the noise level, crowds, frenetic activity, etc. But I would never squeeze DS into the middle of a touring day; it’s something I do on a non-park day (usually arrival day), or in the evening after I’ve finished touring for the day.
Something to keep in mind is that there are no direct busses between the parks and DS (after 4:00 there are one-way busses from the parks to DS). If you have a car or are willing to Uber this isn’t an issue, but if you are using Disney busses, you have to first go to a resort to catch a bus to DS. You would have to allow at least an hour for travel to do this. I second the idea of getting a Landry’s card and cancelling the reservation; that way, if you got hung up traveling you wouldn’t default on your ADR and would still be seated quickly when you got there.
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Yes. This. We love DS…but not enough to interfere with park days.
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Well, I feel justified. We are going on arrival day. No parks, just DS and swimming.
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I’d definitely go on a “pool day”. My kids, husband, and I all thought T-Rex was super cool. The food was pretty good too! I think it’s worth the trip for your boys. And, yes, it is loud.
Is that because you feel time is better spent within the parks? Or because of the tiring factor of lugging the family around to one more destination? I’m trying to find a T-Rex reservation for dinner around 6:30-7. That way we can stay in HS until about 2, go back to hotel for a few hours, and then out to DS. But nothing available right now. I’m also looking for a Sci-Fi lunch at HS but none available.
Use the Touring Plans Reservation Finder! It will text you if/when one becomes available. Then you could swap it out!
Thanks - been trying for a few days now. . . Trip is next week so hoping something opens up
BTW, I can’t speak to T-Rex, but I will say that Rainforest Cafe is also VERY loud. It was hard to have a conversation with everyone without yelling. The sights were entertaining, and the food was good enough. But if you want something more relaxing, you might try something else. (I believe T-Rex is supposed to be similar to Rainforest Cafe in this regard).
I go solo more often than with my wife so the family factor isn’t one for me. It’s all about the time. Using Disney busses you have to figure 2-3 hours in just travel time. Add another 90 minutes for eating and walking and you’re talking 4 hours for one meal, compared to 1 hour to eat in the park. Plus. if I go to DS, I want time to walk around it (it’s huge), look in some of the shops, listen to some of the live entertainment, etc. If I make the effort to go to DS, I rarely spend less than 3 or 4 hours there (and sometimes more).
As for T-Rex, call them directly; they only release a relatively small portion of total table available to DME.
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Rainforest is quite calm and relaxing compared to T-Rex…
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That’s rather scary to think about!
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Definitely use reservation finder for this one. I’ve never quite understood it, but this is probably the hardest to get ADR in DHS. The concept is cool (and the kids would probably enjoy it), but as for food I think both 50s and Momma Melrose are better. Of course HBD tops them all, but I’m guessing that you are not interested in signature dining.
Thanks. Interestingly enough I have a 50’s Prime reservation for dinner for our optional evening return. I do think our kids will like Sci Fi better. There are plenty of Brown Derby reservations and my wife and I would like that but seems boring for the kids.
I haven’t seen kids that amused by Disney Springs in general, but I suppose there are some out there who enjoy shopping. There are lots of restaurants worth visiting there, though, so if I were going with kids, then I’d lean toward an early dinner on the way back to the parks after a break or dinner on a night when I wasn’t planning to stay out late and might skip the parks. Lunch where they’d miss an afternoon break and then walk around a bunch of shops doesn’t sound like the sorta thing most kids I’ve seen would enjoy.
As for T-Rex, it was my least favorite Disney World dining experience, though we could’ve made it a little less unpleasant if we had a Landry’s card and were able to be seated right away. However, we didn’t and waited over an hour to be seated, during which time any novelty of watching the meteor strike, listening to dinosaur noises, or looking at the scenery had long since worn off. By the time we were seated, one of my friend’s children fell asleep shortly after ordering their meal. The rest of us endured the mediocre food and loudest dining room that I remember ever experiencing. So, I don’t recommend it at all, but if your group is ok with Rainforest Cafe food, then they’ll probably be ok with T-Rex food and if you sign up for a Landry’s card ahead of time, then you’ll avoid the ridiculous wait to be seated and probably be in a better frame of mind than I and the rest of the group I was with were during our meal.
DS8 (at the time) loved T-Rex. The food was mediocre. it is really loud, and service wasn’t super-speedy so it ended up being a lot longer experience than I anticipated, but it’s fun for kids. He had zero interest in most of DS, however we did spend a lot of time in the Lego store, so keep that in mind if your kids are into Legos. (A LOT of time, way too much time…)
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