Rainforest Cafe - Disappointed

[PotNoodle]

We booked up for this a week in advance because the night we decided to go here for a meal was a Friday and the time being 8:30pm.

We arrived ten minutes early and were stuck in a queue for twenty minutes and then told that they didn't have our names but said, we'd be seated in the Elephant Room within five minutes. Fifteen minutes later we got to our seats.

I could easily tell my wife was unhappy as we sat down at our table just before 9pm. It seemed so chaotic in there, with waiters/waitresses and diners charging back and forth alongside our table during our entire meal.

Too be fair, the restaurant looks absolutely superb! - the meal was very good! and the service 10 out of 10!!! - I cannot criticise any of those three whatsoever, but the waiting to get into the restaurant and the numerous times our table was past was crazy.

Perhaps if we had chosen a different time to go to the Rainforest Cafe and had a different table altogether things may have been another story and I could be praising it from top to bottom.

 

[bicker]

That's my experience with Rainforest Cafe, any time I've eaten there, whether it was at WDW or here in Burlington MA. Part of the allure of the place, I guess, is how "energetic" (what I would call "noisy and frenetic") the place is.

 

[TenThousandVolts]

We have a RFC 10 minutes from our home and I think it is dreadfully expensive and the food is average at best. But the theming can't be beat so we still end up there every now and again for a special occasion. I guess it is inevitable that some tables will be in high traffic areas. I am sorry you had to wait so long- that always makes me very grumpy- especially if I had made ressies.

 

[blessedby3]

We eat at Rainforest Cafe on our AK day when in Disney. It is a bit expensive, but the serving sizes are huge. We end up splitting meals and its not that pricy. We enjoy the taste of the food and the atmosphere and have never had a wait time, but we go in off times like 3:00 or 3:30. We have ressies for our Dec. trip and cant wait. We also get the volcano (yummy) everytime- a tradition for our family.

 

[cdrn1]

If I read your post right, you were called within 30 min of your reservation time and that doesn't seem too bad, especially for a Friday. That is probably a little faster than Disney's ADR times. Isn't it a fun place to go? We went to the DTD Marketplace one a few weeks ago and it was fun; we were celebrating birthdays and I was getting aggravated with our waitress because we waited a long time for our check but instead of our check she brought us ice cream with candles and they sang Happy Birthday to us!!! It was fun. She got a nice tip. Also, our food (and drinks) were above average...very yummy! Sorry you didn't enjoy your experience there.

 

[NewEnglandDisney]

I've eaten at that place at least four times, because a) it's the only TS in AK, and 2) the atmosphere is nice. However, it never fails to disappoint. I gave up - the service sucks, the food is mediocre, and the place is very expensive for what you get (and I usually find prices on WDW reasonable, so that is saying something).

Just not worth it on any level!

NED

 

[sweetspicy]

I totally hear you. That's exactly how it was on my first trip to WDW, and it was the first place we ate. I was starving and we had to wait forever. I really hate their queue system there. And then when we finally got in, like the previous poster said, the food wasn't that good and the service wasn't either. We haven't been back.

 

[swankybeth]

Thanks for the review. I can see how the beginning of your experience set the tone for the whole meal.

 

[Disney owl]

we find RFC dissappointing too

 

[marivaid]

We go to RFC every time we go to Sawgrass Mills in Ft Lauderdale. We like the theming and the food is nice,not too expensive but we never get appetizers or desserts. Went to the one in DTD once a few years ago and hated it. They stuck us in a tiny table right next to the entrance, people kept walking past and bumping into us. We waited 20mns to get a table (that's normal for RFC) and then after waiting 25mns for someone to come and get our drink order we left.

 

[Hugpug]

I am sure glad I opt out of going here. One thing to wait for a table but then to be constandly bump and passed by servers woud had sent smoke out of my ears. They did this to me at LeCellers and I was very very unhappy. I will never go there again. I now ask when I go to the podium that they do not seat me in the high traffic area and this keeps them from putting me by the kitchen door which is what they have a habit of doing with single diners.

 

[Lexxiefern]

That's my experience with Rainforest Cafe, any time I've eaten there, whether it was at WDW or here in Burlington MA. Part of the allure of the place, I guess, is how "energetic" (what I would call "noisy and frenetic") the place is.

We went to the Burlington one in Sept and the wait was over 2 hours. We have the safari club so we only waited about 30 minutes.

But to the OP, it is usually crazy there. But I think it is loads of fun. I think your wait wasn't bad either (the part after you checked in). I hate that you have to wait in line twice when you eat there. Glad you had good food and service

 

[ro80]

We used to make it a point to go to the Rainforest Cafe every time we went to Disney. When we went this past May, we decided it would be the last time. It's way overpriced for the quality of food we got. There are way too many restaurants in Disney for us to try from now on. I don't mind paying for an expensive meal, but the quality needs to be there as well. It definitely tasted like chain restaurant food to us.

 

[The Sweetness]

My fam enjoys the RFC (near us). However, I take 2 Aleve before I go, since I am prone to getting headaches. This restaurant is loud, busy, and dark. Even when not busy (hardly ever) it is still dark and loud. Its not a quiet peacefull place to eat. It is just plain fun. And we enjoy the food. The price is comparable (IMO) considering the atmosphere and food