Welcome to planDisney, Allison.
On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you for your upcoming trip? Let me guess: 100! What a time to visit The Most Magical Place on Earth. There are new attractions, spectacular shows, tasty treats, delicious drinks, memorable merchandise, and dazzling decorations for the
50th Anniversary Celebration. Get ready for some EARidescent excitement!
The food you eat at Walt Disney World are a huge part of the magic. Allison, you'll be glad to know that you can enjoy a meal at
Rainforest Cafe at Disney's Animal Kingdom with or without a theme park ticket. This is because, as you correctly mentioned, the restaurant is located outside of the park. You'll just want to make sure you have dining reservations.
Rainforest Cafe holds some special memories for me. On my first visit to Walt Disney World, my family visited this restaurant and we had a blast! I still remember my little sister's face when she ordered the nachos...
as a starter. Seriously, the plate was three times the size of her head! She was doing her best to finish it when, out of nowhere, she received her main course: a full rack of baby back ribs! Needless to say, we took home plenty of leftovers that night.
My wife and I love to grab a margarita and a plate of nachos from Rainforest Cafe. We then sit back and enjoy the "rainstorms" and animal sounds. It really does feel like you're eating in a rainforest. I remember the two of us playing a game where we each had to make animal facial expressions. We'd take pictures of each other and judge who did the best impersonations. They were all terrible (and I dread to think what the people around us thought), but we laughed a lot. Good times! I hope you have as much fun as we did.
Allison, if you don't visit Disney's Animal Kingdom that particular day, I do hope you get a chance to visit during your trip. The new show,
Disney KiteTails, is fantastic and I'm certain you'd love it. You'll also be able to see the
Beacon of Magic display on the Tree of Life. If you'd like to know a good place to eat inside the park,
Satu'li Canteen is a brilliant quick-service restaurant that serves fresh and delicious food (tip: get the grilled chicken bowl). And of course, you can't miss out on
Kilimanjaro Safaris or
Avatar Flight of Passage.
Have a magical meal!
Mike