food IS a theme park
We are back in Disneyland today with a review of a “Secret Menu” item from Stage Door Cafe! You’ll find this hidden gem in Disneyland’s Frontierland, right around the corner from the Golden Horseshoe Saloon.
Stage Door Cafe
This hard-to-find eatery is teensy, with barely enough space for more than ten people in the counter service ordering area.
Have you ever been at Walt Disney World and thought, “Gee, dinner and a movie sounds like a fun night out.” Well, in true Disney style, they have this entertainment option covered as well, with AMC Dine-In Theater.
One of only a handful of AMC theaters across the country that offer the “Fork and Screen” option, I think it’s an intriguing addition to the Downtown Disney landscape.
Vacay is the perfect time to indulge in stuff like that. But for the Disney warriors out there, it’s also a great option for fun multitasking! I mean, why settle for dinner + a movie, when you can have dinner WITH your movie?
You enter the Dine-In portion of AMC from what I think of as the “far side” of the building — the side nearest Planet Hollywood. It’s actually kind of confusing. I’ve gotten lost before. And with parking being the nightmare that it is at Downtown Disney right now, thanks to the construction for Disney Springs, plan for a few extra minutes before meeting your friends. 😉
Entrance
Upon entering the bright, airy lobby, you’ll first notice the bar area, McGuffins. It’s named for a plot device term coined by Alfred Hitchcock. (See? You learned something new, didn’t you?) The space is bright and inviting, a perfect spot for chilling before your show starts.
Bar
And that brings me to the first half of this equation — the movie. Let’s talk a little bit about how the movie + eating thing goes together.
First off, you can order your movie tickets ahead of time, or you can place your order at a kiosk in the lobby.
Ticket Kiosks
Once you order your tickets, a screen will pop up for you to select your seats.
Seating Diagram on Ordering Kiosk
Tickets in hand, I set about to explore a bit.
The lobby is more than just a place to wait for your movie to start. You can order a drink or appetizer while you wait, or you can even order a full meal here and skip the movie experience altogether.
Seating is mixed. You can settle in at a place by the bar, choose from high tables and chairs like this, or select regular tables. There are also comfy couches to continue on with the feeling that you’re in an upscale lounge.
Additional Bar Seating
The Dine-In Theaters are separated from the rest of the theaters, so it’s easy to find your way around.
Entrance to Dine-In Theaters
You’re advised to arrive about 30 minutes before your movie starts. That way, you have plenty of time to [Read more…]
What is T-Rex? Part Dinosaur, Part Cotton-tini, Part Ice Cave.
Let me explain: if you’re a fan of Rainforest Cafe and other themed restaurants, you’ll love T-Rex. It takes themeing to the max — meteor showers, ice-bound wooly mammoths, a moving octopus bar — it’s all there. And it is what you make it. If you’re expecting gourmet food and bend-over-backwards service, you’re in the wrong place. If you’re expecting a fun, entertaining meal with decent grub and lots to look at — Welcome to T-Rex!
Atmosphere
Located in Disney World’s Downtown Disney, T-Rex is a prehistoric carnival of themeing. Each room has a different focus: an ice cave, complete with shifting colors and an embedded T-Rex skeleton; and undersea room with giant jellyfish lampshades and a moving octopus presiding over the bar; a meteor shower room, where you’d better watch out every 10 minutes or so; a fern forest with giant wasps and a triceratops so big you can seat three parties in his…midsection…? And it goes on from there!
Ice Cave with T-Rex Skeleton
Triceratops Seating Area
Moving Octopus Bar
Octopus Hidden Mickey
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