Dinner With Dinos (Central Florida)
As a young family on a budget, the Bests decided it wasn’t quite time for the full Walt Disney World theme park experience, so the team decided to test the waters. Together with their cousins, aunt and uncle, they drove to Disney springs for an afternoon of shopping and to have some dinner.
Driving onto the Disney campus was like traveling to another country. They had their own buses, their own hotels, and their own street signs! Their crew of nine (extended family included) finally found parking close together. There were so many parking lots, they had to be organized by color and number. The Best kids parked in section Green 35.
Snap, snap, snap. Out came the collapsible travel strollers for little Hugo and cousin Anna. Before they could say, “Mickey Mouse!” the team was going down the escalator that opened into the facility. The first thing they did was find a map and chart their course through the friendly neighborhood.
It was fun to browse around shops and stroll down the brick roads, but nothing could beat their experience at The Disney Store because their parents said they could buy a souvenir. It was a big building that was separated into departments based on different Disney movies. At first, everyone walked through the section of classic characters – Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto. You could buy anything imaginable with mouse ears attached.
Next, there was a princess section, and then a hero section with Marvel toys and clothes. At the very back, was Frederick's favorite - the Star Wars department. After looking through every single object, and knowing he could only spend $10, Frederick chose a Darth Maul and a Darth Vader Hot Wheels car. Edith picked a tiara that matched Princess Elena of Avalor’s. Hugo chose a colorful tin
of Disney-themed mints with Mickey Mouse on
the outside.
As afternoon turned into evening, the Best kids and their cousins needed to find a place to eat supper. Frederick's tummy started rumbling.
“I’m so hungry, I could eat a zebra!” he exclaimed.
Uncle Luke laughed because he remembered Simba said the same thing in one of his favorite Disney movies.
“I don’t think that’s your tummy roaring, Frederick,” said Aunt Sarah. “Turn around! We’ve arrived at the dinosaur restaurant!”
When Frederick looked up, he saw the entrance to the T-Rex Cafe. Inside, reptilian colors flashed and loud roars boomed. Beside the entrance, he noticed that Edith was already climbing on a dinosaur skeleton.
“Is this where we’re going to eat?” asked cousin Lucy.
“You bet!” said her dad.
The first thing they noticed when they walked inside was a gigantic, purple Tyrannosaurus Rex
towering overhead. It was pretty scary!
When it was time for them to be seated, the server brought them through the restaurant. It looked like the inside of a prehistoric cave. Flashes of orange light were illuminating one corner of the room, and orbs of blue light were glowing on the other side. Finally, they sat down to eat only to realize there was a robotic Triceratops standing right over their table.
“Aaaaah!” Anna screamed.
“I scared.” said Hugo.
Once they got over their fears, the restaurant turned out to be super cool and the food was good too.
At their giant circular table, they laughed, played with their toys, colored with crayons, and filled their tummies to the brim. When they finished chowing down their dinner, the massive table was covered with crumbs, messy plates, empty cups, spilled condiments, melted ice cubes, scrunched up napkins, and broken crayons. That’s when they realized five kids can make a dino-sized mess!