T-Rex

This past week started off great with a visit from one of my best friends, Linda, and her daughter, Angela. Because it was a holiday, Linda was off work and Angela had no school, so perfect time for a visit. As you may recall, Linda and I have known each other since 4th grade in St. Louis, and she’s lived in Tampa the past 16 years. I hadn’t seen Angela in about 5 years and she just celebrated her 8th birthday this month! To celebrate we went to Downtown Disney, an outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment complex that requires no admission fee. We ate lunch at DD’s newest restaurant, T-Rex, billed as “a prehistoric family adventure”. What a cool place! A giant T-Rex greets you at the door roaring and moving. (His presence also separates the restaurant area from the gift shop.) T-Rex is divided into distinct areas each with their own décor and filled with giant audio-animatronics creatures. As you enter the restaurant you pass by the Coral Reef/Shark Bar area complete with saltwater aquariums. Above the bar is a huge octopus whose tentacles slowly moving to and fro, and you can see the jellyfish light fixtures in the picture. As the hostess took us to our table we passed the Kitchen of Fire (with little flames shooting up along the service area and above the servers’ window that exposes the working chefs), the eerie-looking Ice Cave, and to where we were seated, the Fern Forest. We were told it was the section of the Herbivores (plant eaters). Every 20 minutes a meteor shower takes place. The lights dim, the sky shimmers, “meteors” streak across the ceiling, and all the dinosaurs roar and move in fear. The Ice Cave changes colors from an icy blue to pink, red, orange, and purple before returning back to its original color at the end of spectacle.

Our server told us about the drink specials and Angela thought the slushy blue-raspberry sounded yummy. It comes in a tall, plastic T-Rex “bone” for $4.99 with refills for $1.99…not really a bad deal. The server told us that the nachos were quite large so Linda and I decided to split an order to start, and boy were we glad we did…it was huge! We couldn’t even finish them and didn’t order anything else. Angela dined on mini corn dog poppers with two sides from an extensive kids’ menu, and it was too much food for her, too! T-Rex is owned by Landry’s, the same people who own the Rain Forest Cafes, so you might notice some similarities if you get the opportunity to visit.

After we were done eating, we walked around visiting several of the shops including one of the largest Disney stores and a store one with the largest selections of Mr. Potato Head parts I’ve ever seen. We also passed the LEGO Imagination Center that is not only a store for buying LEGOs but has a play area for kids. It’s also home to a life-sized vacationing family and a 30-foot sea serpent in the adjacent lake, all built from LEGOs. The trip was not going to be complete without a stop at Ghirardelli’s Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop. Since the day had turned a little breezy and chilly, Angela opted for hot chocolate, but it didn’t stop Linda and me from each getting a scoop of yummy Ghirardelli chocolate ice cream! We had a great visit and plan on getting together again before Russ and I head out May 1.

Sunday we went to the weekly pool party held here at Lake Magic. Scott and I went briefly a couple weeks ago, but this week the three of us went shortly after it started at 1pm. Hamburgers and hot dogs were on the grill ready for purchase, a combo was playing a variety of tunes, some folks were line dancing, some were in the pool, and some were just mingling and having a good time with friends. Paul and Anne showed up around 2pm, just in time for strawberry shortcakes, which are sold every other week at these pool parties. A nice size piece of shortcake piled high with sliced strawberries and topped with a nice helping of whipped cream for $3. Because Anne can’t be out in the sun long, we sat around inside the clubhouse afterwards chatting and getting all the latest gossip.

Other than that this week, a new President was inaugurated, and I had two medical tests done for my Crohn’s. Quite an eventful week. :-)