Disney’s Animal Kingdom is all about nature, exotic animals, and bright sunny days. But we all know that sometimes those sunny days can get the best of you with the heat in Central Florida. Restaurantosaurus has just opened a brand new lounge for their guests to enjoy a few specialty drinks and appetizers.
This past weekend, I got to indulge in a prehistoric adventure to this new venue. Its entrance can be a little hidden, but just like finding fossils, there are multiple signs that will direct you to the entrance of this new place. It is located next to the Restaurantosaurus quick service restaurant which is in front of DinoLand.
As you enter, it is quite different than your average bar. The light setting is dim and obscured. Moving further indoors, you will see fossils on your left and the bar on the right-hand corner. A few steps forward, passing the doorway arch, you will see the main seating area with lots of industrial, machinery décor. Making it seem like a few paleontologists lived there for quite some time, giving the location a history behind it. There are tire caps on the wall, truck engine hanging from the ceiling, motor oil paintings on the wall, all of which are brought together throughout the lounge.
There are no windows and only two doors; one for the entrance and the other on the opposite side for the exit. You will see that this is no ordinary exit, but it’s an Exit-osaurus, which we thought was a nice chuckle.
We knew exactly what we wanted after walking around Animal Kingdom for a few hours. I got Primordial Booze. This drink contains flavored lemonade, Three Olives Blueberry Vodka, Blue Curaçao, Odwalla, and Pomegranate. The price on it was $10.50 and it’s one of their specialty drinks. The taste was a sour blueberry. It was super tart and fruity, yet delicious. It’s topped off with a slice of lime and a bit of lemonade.
One of my friends chose the Carnotaurus Meteoritis. This drink had Bourbon Sour, Buffalo Trace Bourbon, lemon juice, and strawberry puree topped with Sprite. The cost was $10.25 and it was a delightful flavor of sweet and sour; definitely our favorite. If you’ve ever been to Philarmagic and smelled the scent from the scene of Beauty and the Beast, it tasted exactly like that.
For those who cannot drink liquor, there are also non-alcoholic drinks. We wanted to take advantage of being there, so we also order the Non-Alcoholic Paleontology Punch. This drink had a sweet and fruity taste that consisted of lemonade, cranberry juice, apple juice and Sprite. It cost $4.99. It was a delicious sweet drink for all ages.
Even though they have their specialty drinks, you can ask for your own upon request.
To top it all off, we received a complimentary appetizer from the staff asking us to enjoy and provide feedback on their Buffalo Chicken Dip. I’m usually not a fan of anything spicy, but their buffalo dip was the right amount of spicy with a bit of blue cheese topping. The dip was paired with crispy fried potato chips that are seasoned with Cajun spices.
Overall, the experience was pleasant, welcoming, warm, and delightful. The mood was set to relax and unwind from the park, the music wasn’t too loud and the staff was there to assist if you had any questions. An adventure through DinoLand waiting to happen.
(Editor’s Note: This review was written and contributed to us by JJ Rebella.)
