Kim L. is our Disney cruise guru around here! (Seriously. She knows EVERYTHING about cruising and was even the Disney World Moms Panel Cruise Specialist her second term on the panel.) She’s put together her top 10 tips to get the most out of your Disney Cruise dining experience, but we want to hear your tips as well, pretty please. Will you add yours in the comments section below?
Disney Dream docked at Castaway Cay
1. Order The Cake of the Day: Order the Cake of the Day from Room Service! Room service is complimentary (although a gratuity is appreciated) and it’s fun to sample (um, okay, devour 
) different cake slices.
Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake at Animator's Palate
2. Skip Shore Excursion Eats: Use Room Service for a quick sandwich while getting ready for your shore excursion. Then time your return to the ship to coincide with your next meal.
3. Find Hidden Treats: Ask your server to start each meal with a cheese (similar to All Hands On Deck) or seafood platter (I saw shrimp served in the Mediterranean) for the entire table to enjoy. It’s not on the menu. Parents can request cheese, grapes, and crackers for the kids. Just ask if it’s available during your voyage!
Likewise, chocolate covered strawberries are not on the dessert menu but are sometimes available by special request. Ask for a small plate of them to be brought with your dessert. They are divine!
Bacon, Brie, and Tomato Panini from Flo's V8 Cafe
4. Late Night Dining: If you’re dining late and the kids are getting hungry, stop by one of the counter-service restaurants (or call Room Service) for a snack prior to the show. Then, you’ll be able to bypass the expensive concession stand outside the theatre.
At bedtime, have Room Service deliver cookies and milk (yes, you can even get the cookies warm!) and the kids will think they’ve sailed to Neverland!
5. Miss Dinner?: If you have a family member that is unable to make dinner due to an illness, wardrobe mishap, etc., ask your server for a meal to bring back to your stateroom. The Wait Staff will go out of their way to accommodate your dining needs whenever possible.
Tea on the Disney Dream
6. Always Ask: Mickey ice cream bars (not always available on European cruises) are not on the Room Service menu but if you request one, it’ll be delivered to your stateroom. Need a PB&J Uncrustable for a picky eater? Just ask! These are also available at the dining rooms by request.
7. Tea Time: At table-service restaurants there will be some herbal tea available, while the self-serve Beverage Station’s selection is quite small. For your tea fix, visit the spa. There’s always a selection of complimentary tasty teas set out for patrons and you don’t need an appointment to enter the fitness center hallway on the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder. Likewise, you can get some tea in the relaxation room aboard the Dream! Stop in for your spot of tea or take a tea bag (or two) with you.
8. Don’t Forget the Vino!: Pre-purchase a wine package. Each night at dinner, you’ll be able to pair a wine with your meal. The bottle can be enjoyed throughout your meal. Any remaining wine can be sent to your stateroom!
9. Sweets For the Grown-Ups: While relaxing in the adults-only Cove area, stop in to the Cove Cafe for complimentary baked goods.
Cove Baked Goods
10. Mix and Match!: You can mix and match menu items. At dinner, try two appetizers. Have a soup and salad, then two desserts. Don’t feel obligated to have every course. And don’t feel shy about adding an extra portion of your favorite dish.
Did you enjoy the entree on your previous night so much that you are craving it again? Ask your server if they could kindly get it for you!
OK — your turn!! What are YOUR top tips for dining on the Disney Cruise Line? Let us know in the comments section below!
Read our Disney Dream Cruise dining reviews here!
Just got back from Disney Dream 3/31/13 the cruise was great but or I’m confused or not properly informed. while the main Dining was good I was looking for other options for casual dinner like on the Deck outside, like Cabanas and every night that I walk upstairs it was close. So is this coincidence or on short cruises this is the norm?.
Silvio- the hours of each restaurant are listed own your ships “Navigator.” The info is easy to miss. Always ask a Disney staff member if you have questions, they are the best!
My husband and I went on our honeymoon September 2011 aboard the Disney magic. I have to say Palo reservations are a must!! For most people the dining experience on a cruise ship is just amazing. Wonderful service, foods you’ve never tried before, and a full 4 course meal. However, The service, the food, the atmosphere of Palo is just wonderful!! It was a very romantic intimate dinner for just the two of us. The food was outstanding ( chocolate soufflé dessert!!) I have to admit the menu was a bit intimidating at first but our server was absolutely wonderful! You won’t be sorry you spent a few extra bucks on this meal (seriously $20 a person for 5 star dining!)
1) The servers are usually exceptional, if you don’t get good service the first night, mention it!
I’ve been on 4 cruises with Disney, and on the occasional night the menu was too fancy for me, I asked for a salad and grilled chicken and it was NEVER a problem, they are great!! Getting a kids meal is another option, and you can mix and match from the adult and the kids menus. (Salad from one, nuggets from the kids, desserts -multiple!- from both.)
2) You can definitely get different meals than on the menu at the restaurants. I am a pretty bland eater
3) The servers are MAGIC with the kiddos. We had 8 kids with four couples one trip, and I never had to even go cut up food! Our servers have all been beyond amazing, with the exception of one, who was good. And the little touches like the ketchup being put on their plates in the shape of a mickey head with ears is always a hit – look mom!!
And another example of the spectacular service: my husband and I had a cocktail on the Dream at one of the adult bars and the next night I was telling everyone at dinner. So I ran over to that bar and order 6 of them. I told her I would take three at a time, so I’d be back for the others. She said, no problem, I’ll bring them for you – and she did. Amazing!
If you travel with family or friends:
4) Make sure if you travel with another family with their own room that your rooms are linked together by the ship by just asking on the 800 reservation number. We had 4 families, with 8 kids and they put all 16 of us at a table together for the meals.
5) While they have the dine and play option at the late dinner, (where the playroom folks come and sign your kids in and take them back to the club) if you are dining on the early dinner, we had one of the parents run the kids down in sign them into the club after they finished eating. You just have to list each other when you register your children, and share passwords. If you have trust issues and don’t want to share your password, volunteer to take the other kiddos down.
6) It is hard to get bigger reservations for Palo. However, you can book two tables for the same night/time, and then request when you get on board that you be seated together. We have done it two times and it has worked for us both times. And yes, the service and food is all it’s been said to be. We love the appetizers and desserts the best.
We LOVE Disney cruising, my husband and our kids are just about obsessed, it is such a GREAT way to vacation with kids. I’m a safety crazed mom, and there is NOTHING like a Disney cruise for a fun, relaxing, no stress vacation. Can’t say enough. But then again, looking back at this huge post, maybe I have said enough.