Rainforest Cafe — Restaurant in Lake Buena Vista

Let’s get one thing straight—theme restaurants are an easy target. They’re loud, crowded, overpriced, and the food is usually an afterthought. They peddle nostalgia and spectacle, catering to families herding overstimulated kids through a gauntlet of animatronic wildlife and overpriced souvenir cups. The cynic in me should hate places like this. But I don’t. Not really.

I’ve got a soft spot for these joints, a vestige of some childhood wonder I haven’t quite outgrown. Give me decent food, solid service, and a little over-the-top pageantry, and I’ll play along.

Rainforest Café at Disney Springs is owned by Landry’s, the corporation that runs everything from Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. to Morton’s Steakhouse. If you’ve been to one of their establishments, you know what to expect: efficient crowd control, polished service, and quality food at a somewhat reasonable price.

We cut our 45-minute wait to an estimated 20 with a Landry’s Select membership, but in true Orlando fashion, it still took 34. No big deal. A text let us know when our table was ready, and they even handed me a paper receipt with an estimated time—amusingly quaint in an era when everything is digital. I grabbed a bench outside and indulged in the great American pastime: people-watching.

Once inside, it’s everything you expect. Fake jungle, oversized aquariums, elephants trumpeting every so often to remind you that you’re in a Rainforest™. The occasional “thunderstorm” darkened the room while animatronic animals reacted in a choreographed panic, but it was spaced out enough that it didn’t feel oppressive. If you’ve ever been to a restaurant that simulates bad weather while you eat, you understand the absurdity. But somehow, it works.

This is a place where birthdays are celebrated with embarrassing fanfare. If you’re the kind of person who breaks into a cold sweat at the thought of an entire waitstaff clapping in your direction, be warned. But if it’s happening at someone else’s table? It’s all part of the show.

For starters the traditional choice of Mozzarella sticks. Hot, crunchy, satisfying.

I went for the Taste of the Islands: coconut shrimp, mango habanero glazed shrimp, and blackened tilapia. A seafood sampler in the middle of a fake jungle—why not?

Tilapia, in case you don’t know, is basically the chicken of the sea. Not in the canned tuna sense, but in that it’s cheap, mild, and widely farmed. The kind of fish that gets no respect but has quietly taken over American seafood markets. Fun fact: it’s believed to be the fish St. Peter caught in the Bible, so if it was good enough for the original Rock, it’s good enough for me.

The dish was surprisingly good. The glazed shrimp was the star—spicy and sweet, just enough heat to keep things interesting. The coconut shrimp had a satisfying crunch, and the tilapia, while never the most exciting fish, was cooked well and played nice with the rest of the plate.

To drink, I had the Brazilian Freeze—a blend of coconut, pineapple, raspberry puree, and banana, all blended into something that felt more like an electrolyte IV than a cocktail. Refreshing, especially after a long day in the heat.

Dessert was key lime pie. Tart, creamy, and exactly what you want after a seafood-heavy meal. No gimmicks, no unnecessary flourishes—just a solid slice of pie.

Our waitress took a minute to get to us, but once she did, she was a pro. Drinks came fast, food followed in a reasonable amount of time, and she never let our glasses run dry. For a restaurant churning out high-volume meals, that’s an achievement.

By the end of the meal, I was full, content, and—dare I say—impressed. Whatever irritation the wait had caused was wiped out by the fact that the food was actually good, the service was sharp, and I got a 15% discount at the gift shop as a little lagniappe.

Is Rainforest Café a culinary revelation? Of course not. But if you walk in expecting a ridiculous, escapist fever dream of fish, thunder, and faux-exotic nonsense, you’ll get exactly what you paid for. And honestly? That’s more than I can say for a...

The outside menu doesn't show the prices, so it's a bit of confusion as to why, but still give these places a try nevertheless

So, I took a chance to try this place whilst we took a wonder around Disney Springs. There was a que when we simply walked in, didn't have to wait long, 5 minutes at the most. Thought we were going on a ride.

The atmosphere is louder than a normal restaurant. Felt like the noise db counter you would class at level of least 60 to 100 on a estimate scale.

There's unique lighting, intermitts, and feelings that would not be advised for those who might be prone to photosensitivity.

So we had a server who did not introduce herself, and if she did, it couldn't be heard due to the faction of noise this restaurant is at.

Eventually, I got her name, Patcharin, when we looked at the receipt, of course.

So Patcharin should be aware of ones surroundings working in a fast-paced environment. In warm temperatures and clench of thirst, if a cup is empty, they shouldn't just walk past tables.

The consistency is not what you expect coming from a location of this magnitude. Despite family members shouting or talking louder to get another drink. Felt disrespected that it wasn't acknowledged as she walked past.

So the continuity was practically little to none, and timing on checking guests how the food was done too soon. Not giving time for ourselves to embrace the favours and actually taste the food. Checking in minutes after the plates come out. That was the only time our server checked in. We did get someone else who was walking around, maybe someone higher up.

13:15 roughly ordered. Took 25 minutes, which for fresh food was a good time, especially how busy it was.

The steak seasoning seems to mask the taste of the steaks itself. Requested medium rare, felt little chewier than normal and seemed dry, but came out as requested. The meat that resided on the bone simply fell apart, which is what you want. The shrimps were nice, hot, and had great depth of flavour.

Meals in itself were great alround. However, the environment for meals where lighting dims I wouldn't advise. I don't understand a chain restaurant that does such a thing.

But for the price of a small steak, less than half dozen small ribs, half dozen prawns with one side of fries. At a value ot $40 was a...

Update: I received a call from the assistant manager who promised to call me back within 24 hours, never heard from him. I let him know we were visiting Disney springs in March for him to make it right & I never even heard back. We will not return to this location ever again.

Ihad the worst experience here tonight. First when I called I was taken to an answering service that transferred me to the bar. They picked up the phone & hung it up, totally heard the phone slam down. I should have known then calling togo was a mistake. I call back & am transferred to bar again & I order. The guy was so rude & kept saying “are you there” when I would pause. But I was pausing bc I was waiting for him to say like “is that it?” “Ok, your order will be ready in 15 minutes.” It was bizarre. He said 20 minutes, I walk up after 22 minutes with my 10 month old, 3 year old & 5 year old. All three bartenders stare at me, talk & laugh together for a few minutes for sure. When a lady named Pamela M walks up to me she could be anything but nice. I said my name & she instantly was like “it’s not ready” as she’s walking away from me. I asked if I could please pay bc I didn’t want to walk back to the hotel in the dark & was kinda in a rush & she said “I don’t let people pay before the food is ready.” So I stand there with my kids for a couple minutes & then ask her how long to come back, she said 10. I come back at 35 minutes from when I called & she said it was ready. Got my food & she finally “allowed” me to pay. I walk all the way back to my stroller & there’s no key like pie. I walk back to the bar & have to actually flag someone down to get it. It was 45 minutes at this point. I pulled someone else aside with half a mask on & asked for a manager as she hands it to me. The food was AWFUL. It was the smallest fish portion I’ve ever been given in a restaurant. We’ve dined here multiple times too & I was shocked by how bad the food was. We are here until Friday & I would hope the manager would call me & make this right. I have never been treated like that at any restaurant, I was a server for 10 years. Terrible,...