New to Disney

[getoutthere]

We are hoping to sail Disney in Sept. and this will be our first time with them. We have sailed RCI and Carnival before. I was wondering how the dinning is handled and any other differences we will see. Thanks for your time.

[cruisewmn]

Disney has rotational dining. Instead of eating in the same restaurant each night, you rotate through three different ones: Animator's Palate, Parrot Cay, and Triton's(Wonder)/Lumiere's(Magic). Each has it's own unique feel and cuisine. Your servers follow you to each restaurant. There is also an alternative adult-only restaurant, Palo, which is fantastic. I believe it costs $10 per person. It features Northern Italian Cuisine in a beautiful room at the top of the ship -- great views and surrounded by windows. There is also a buffet restaurant that is open for lunch and some dinners. Finally, there are many snack areas and coffee bars for occasional snacks and light meals.

Enjoy your cruise (Disney Cruises are AMAZING!)

[getoutthere]

OK, I understand the rotating dinning rooms but how do you know where to go? Do they have a kids menu?

[magnumcoog]

Your key card will have the dining room that you will go to first, from there your servers will remind you where you go the next evening. Tables are numbered the same in each dining room, you will sit at same table number.

[minivanmama]

Yes, there is a kids menu available, but they do not have to order off the kids menu, and you can order extra if you choose to. The waiters are very accomodating and soda will come with dinner. This way you do not have to buy a soda card, can limit the amount of soda the kids drink. At lunch, at the buffet, lemonade, fruit punch, and ice tea are available.

[NJfamily]

FYI, recently Disney made a change. The soda cards are gone. Soda is now offrered at the drink station on Deck 9 all day for free. I beleive if you order it a bar they will charge for it, but am not 100% sure of that.

[sweet angel]

The servers are amazing with kids. We had a 4-year-old girl at our table (which was weird because we're a family of 3 with the 13 year old boy and we had late seating) and the assistant server did magic tricks for her and things to get her to eat. One night my son told the server he didn't want anything for dessert and they brought him out a platter (complete with silver dome) that spelled out "Nothing" in chocolate sauce. It was cute.

A Disney cruise can be as much, or as little, Disney as you want it to be. There are character greetings, etc., as well as an adults only section (even Castaway Cay has an adults only section of beach).

When are you going? Sailing with kids? 3/4/7 day?

We did the land/sea package and thought the 3 day cruise was too short, so we re-booked for 11/06 (7 day) on board. We're doing RCI - Mariner this November.

[getoutthere]

Thanks for all the info! I really appreciate all the advice I get on these boards, especially since this will be our first cruise with the kids and I want to be as prepared as possible.
Sweet Angel- We are going in Sept. '05 with some friends and their kids. They have done the 4 day before but we are going on the 7 day, Eastern. Our kids will be 4 and 7, both boys. I am SOOOOOOOOOO excited and it is still 9 months away. I almost feel like I am pregnant again (haha). I don't know what I am gonna do to pass the time.