Disney Cruise Line dining works very differently than dining inside the parks.
On the Dream, there are three main dining rooms which are all part of Disney's unique Rotational Dining system. There's also casual dining on board, along with adult-exclusive dining opportunities.
And while the majority of dining options on the Disney Dream are free, some of the dining offered costs extra and isn't included in the price of your cruise (we've noted those below).
Below, each restaurant is sorted into their respective categories with all of the information you'll need to know before taking your cruise.
Main Dining
(including Rotational Dining)
There are two dinner seatings each night of your cruise on the Dream.
Times may vary based on the itinerary, but usually dinner is served at either 5:45 p.m. (Main Seating) and 8:15 p.m. (Second Seating).
How do I know which seating we have?
You can select a seating time when you book your cruise, but it's not guaranteed and based on availability.
In general, if you are traveling with little ones you may find the earlier seating to work better for their sleep schedules.
If sleep schedules aren't an issue for your traveling party, the later seating may work better since it allows more time for afternoon activities.
You will have dining tickets delivered to your state room with an assigned seating time, restaurant schedule (for Rotational Dining), and table number.
To be clear, you don't need to make reservations for any of the Main Dining.
What is Rotational Dining?
If you've ever cruised before you may be familiar with the idea of being assigned a Main Dining Room where you eat all of your evening meals.
Disney, however, does things a little bit differently They utilize what they call "Rotational Dining".
Rotational Dining simply means that for dinner you will rotate between the three main dining rooms during each night of your cruise.
And, because service is important, your servers move with you.
That means you get to experience each of the amazing Main Dining options listed below at least once.
Animator's Palate
Type of Dining: Table Service
Included in the price of your cruise? Yes
Experience: Character Dining & Live Entertainment
Meal: Dinner
Ship Location: Deck 3
Animator's Palate offers a magical dinner centered around Disney animation and a unique show starring Disney characters. The restaurant is decorated with sketches of characters, scenes from Disney and Pixar films, paint brushes, colored pencils, computer work stations, and more elements representing an animator's studio.
Expect a fusion of Pacific Island foods, Asian cooking, and fresh California fare. You can choose from appetizers, entrees, and, of course, desserts. There are several vegetarian offerings, along with a menu for kids. Those of age can also enjoy an adult beverage for an additional cost.
On the Dream, there's one show called "Undersea Magic," which takes guests to the underwater world of Finding Nemo, in which you'll receive a visit from special characters (via digital animation and puppetry), along with a conversation with Crush.
Royal Palace
Type of Dining: Table Service
Included in the price of your cruise? Yes
Experience: Dining
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ship Location: Deck 3
Royal Palace is inspired by classic Disney princesses, including Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Belle. The restaurant's design is also recreated from the ballroom scene in Cinderella.
You can also find French-inspired and continental dishes here as well. If you don't want a buffet breakfast or lunch, you can choose to dine at the Royal Palace for either meal. It is table-service, but has open-seating, so you can choose where to sit. The typical options are featured during breakfast, with lunch being three courses.
As for dinner, it's part of rotational dining and you can enjoy four courses. You can even purchase alcoholic beverages for an additional price. Vegetarian and kids menus are also available.
Enchanted Garden
Type of Dining: Table Service
Included in the price of your cruise? Yes
Experience: Dining
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ship Location: Deck 2
Enchanted Garden is inspired by the gardens of Versailles and features a unique decor. Only during dinner, the ceiling changes from a blue daytime color into a golden red of a setting sun and eventually transforms into a nighttime constellation of star.
The restaurant offers a seasonal menu, along with a breakfast and lunch buffet. There is also open seating, rather than assigned seating. Dinner is three courses and includes starters, entrees, and, of course, dessert. Alcohol can be purchased for an additional price. Vegetarian and kids menus are also offered for all three meals.
CASUAL DINING
Casual Dining is similar to the Quick Service dining you find in the Disney theme parks.
Like Main Dining, reservations aren't needed for any of the following dining options.
Vanellope's Sweets & Treats
Type of Dining: Quick Service
Included in the price of your cruise? No
Experience: Dining
Meal: Snacks
Ship Location: Deck 11
Cabanas
Type of Dining: Buffet and Table-Service
Included in the price of your cruise? Yes
Experience: Dining
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ship Location: Deck 11
Cabanas offers Buffet-style for breakfast and lunch (over 10 diverse food stations ), but transforms into Table Service for dinnertime. For dinner, you can choose to enjoy a 4-course meal at Cabanas in place of your scheduled Main Dining restaurant.
Cabanas offers signature dishes from the Main Dining restaurants plus a menu of exclusive options. You can purchase specialty drinks and cocktails from the full-service Clam Bar for an additional price.
Like the other dining choices, Cabanas also serves vegetarian dishes and has a kids menu.
Flo's Cafe
Type of Dining: Quick Service
Included in the price of your cruise? Yes
Experience: Dining
Meal: Lunch, Snacks
Ship Location: Deck 11
BARS & LOUNGES
Many of the following bars and lounges are adult-exclusive. You also don't need to make reservations. Also note that alcohol is not included in the price of your cruise, meaning you'll have to pay an additional fee.
Currents
Type of Dining: Lounge/Bar
Included in the price of your cruise? No
Meal: Drinks
Experience: Nightclub & Lounge
Ship Location: Deck 13
Type of Dining: Lounge/Bar
Included in the price of your cruise? No
Meal: Drinks
Experience: Nightclub & Lounge
Ship Location: Deck 4
This is a high-style upscale adult-exclusive lounge that offers panoramic views of the Old World skylines, which also transform from one city to the next every 15 minutes, including London, Barcelona, Hong Kong, and New York.
There are also specially hand-crafted cocktails inspired by famous cities, like the "Paris 75," which features Grey Goose Citron Vodka, peach schnapps, blue curacao, pineapple juice, a sugared rim, and a souvenir glow cube.
Cove Café
Type of Dining: Lounge/Bar
Included in the price of your cruise? No
Meal: Drinks
Experience: Nightclub & Lounge
Ship Location: Deck 11
This adult-exclusive bar offers a variety of options during all times of the day. Throughout the day, Cove Café offers specialty drinks, coffee drinks, and even tea. During the evening, you can unwind with cocktails, wine, or even a light bite. Adult beverage tasting are also available at select times for an additional fee.
District Lounge
Type of Dining: Lounge/Bar
Included in the price of your cruise? No
Meal: Drinks
Experience: Nightclub & Lounge
Ship Location: Deck 4
Adults can gather at the District Lounge, a piano bar with futuristic vibes, for drinks from the full-service bar and live music nightly. Coffee, juices, soft-drinks and non-alcoholic mocktails are also available.
Pink: Wine and Champagne Bar
Type of Dining: Lounge/Bar
Included in the price of your cruise? No
Meal: Drinks
Experience: Nightclub & Lounge
Ship Location: Deck 4
The Pink: Wine and Champagne Bar is where adults can enjoy, you guessed it, a variety of champagne. Mixed drinks, single-malt whiskeys, cognac, non-alcoholic mocktails, soft drinks, coffee, and more are also offered. The design is also inspired by the pink elephants from Dumbo.
Pub 687
Type of Dining: Lounge/Bar
Included in the price of your cruise? No
Meal: Drinks
Experience: Nightclub & Lounge
Ship Location: Deck 4
This bar is great for sports fans. There are huge flat-screen LCD TVs, where you can watch live sports broadcasts. Pub 687 is technically adult-exclusive at night (after 9 p.m.), but there are activities, games, and sports trivia contests during the day for families. There's a full bar with a variety of beverages, including signature creations like beer "cocktails."
Vista Café
Type of Dining: Lounge/Bar
Included in the price of your cruise? No
Meal: Drinks
Experience: Nightclub & Lounge
Ship Location: Deck 4
Vista Café is both adult-exclusive and open for families. It offers internet access, along with coffee and pastries in the morning and cocktails at night.
Meridian
Type of Dining: Lounge/Bar
Included in the price of your cruise? No
Meal: Drinks
Experience: Nightclub & Lounge
Ship Location: Deck 12
This adult-exclusive lounge can be found between Palo and Remy and overlooks the back of the ship.
Inspired by the early days of sea travel, the spot has both an inside and outside deck, where guests can purchase a cigar from the smoke bar and of course choose from the large selection of wine, beer, and mixed cocktails.
Freshly ground coffees and dessert wines are also available.
There is also a dress code that includes:
- Inside: dress pants and a shirt for men; a dress or pantsuit for women
- Outside: cruise casual and jeans and shorts are allowed, but swimwear and tank tops aren't
Bon Voyage
Type of Dining: Lounge/Bar
Included in the price of your cruise? No
Meal: Drinks
Experience: Nightclub & Lounge
Ship Location: Deck 3
Bon Voyage is another adult-exclusive bar and lounge themed after Art Deco. The full-service bar offers cocktails, juices, and sodas.
EXTRAS (INCLUDES CHARACTER & ADULT-ONLY DINING)
"Extras" mean that the following dining options may require a special reservation and/or that the price is not included in the cost of your cruise.
There's things like a special character dining experiences with Disney princesses and other beloved characters, along with room service (which is available to all guests).
Some of the options below are Adult-Exclusive, which is exactly what it sounds like — no kids allowed.
Royal Court Royal Tea
Type of Dining: Table Service
Included in the price of your cruise? No
Experience: Character Dining
Meal: Snack
Ship Location: Deck 3, in Royal Palace
Reservations: Yes
This is specifically for children ages 3 to 12 and all children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, 18 years or older. Those who are 13 to 17 years old will be charged the adult price. Solo adults are not eligible for the experience.
In addition to story time, dancing, and singing, you can even meet favorite Disney princesses. There are also two courses served: one savory and one sweet. A selection of herbal teas are also served. Most dietary needs can be accommodated (make note of any special dietary needs at the time of booking).
The Royal Tea also comes with an additional price:
- $220 per child
- $69 per adult
Every child also receives a gift as a keepsake:
- Princess-Themed Gifts — jewelry box, link bracelet, necklace with charms, a Cinderella doll, autograph book with pen and tiara
- Knight-Themed Gifts — royal Court cinch bag, sword and shield, pins, autograph book and Duffy the Disney Bear plush
Palo (Adult-Only)
Type of Dining: Table Service
Included in the price of your cruise? No
Experience: Dining
Meal: Brunch, Dinner
Ship Location: Deck 12
Reservations: Required
This adult-exclusive restaurant serves Italian cuisine. There's also Italian-American-inspired cocktails and coffees offered. You can even do a wine pairing with your dinner for an additional fee. Brunch is only served when the ship is out to sea during 4-night or longer cruises.
Reservations are also required and can be either made online or onboard the ship. You can make two dinner reservations during your cruise, as long as one of your reservations is on the first night of your cruise. If you choose to dine at Palo, you'll skip the scheduled Rotational Dining for that particular evening.
Here's when online reservations can be made:
- Concierge Guests: 120 days in advance
- Castaway Club Levels:
- Platinum Castaways: 120 days in advance
- Gold Castaways: 105 days in advance
- Silver Castaways: 90 days in advance
- First Time Cruiser: 75 days in advance
Pricing is as follows:
- Dinner: $40 per person
- Wine Pairing with Dinner: $59 charge per person, in addition to the $40 dining charge for dinner (total $99 per person)
- Brunch: $40 dining charge per person
You can also book a private dining room experience for 8 to 14 guests and enjoy a unique à la carte menu. You must request private dining by filling out the proper form and attach it in an email to DCL Cruise Activities.
Also, be mindful of the dress code. Men are required to wear dress pants or slacks and a collared shirt and women are asked to wear a dress, skirt or pants and a blouse. Jeans are also allowed, but only if in good condition and ones without holes.
Remy (Adult-Only)
Type of Dining: Table Service
Included in the price of your cruise? No
Experience: Dining
Meal: Brunch, Dinner
Ship Location: Deck 12
Reservations: Yes
Remy is an adult-exclusive restaurant that serves fine French cuisine that's specially crafted by Chef Scott Hunnel, from Victoria & Albert's at Grand Floridian in Walt Disney World, and advising Chef Arnaud Lallement. Yes, there are hints of Remy from Ratatouille as well.
If you choose to dine at Remy, you'll skip the regularly scheduled Main Dining restaurant. For dinner, there are multiple tasting courses celebrating the sea, the earth, and fresh ingredients. There's also a gourmet cheese trolley, an extensive wine menu, and after-dinner coffee service.
Dinner isn't the only experience Remy offers, but also three other dining experiences, including:
- Remy Champagne Brunch: Includes a glass of champagne brunch a French-inspired prix fixe meal
- Remy Dessert Experience: A 5-course dessert menu served with coffee that is strictly adults-only. It even features a discussion with Remy’s Executive Chef and Pastry Chef about the history and evolution of each selection served.
- Petites Assiettes de Remy: In addition to a tour of Remy, enjoy a 6-course wine tasting paired with small plates of gourmet cuisine hosted by Remy’s Executive Chef and Sommelier. This is only offered during the early evening hours on the first day of your cruise and ends with dessert at the private Chef’s Table.
NOTE: These three dining events are only offered during cruises of 4 nights or longer. Vegetarian options are available upon request.
For those interested, you can even choose to dine amid more than 900 bottles of Old and New World wines in the luxurious glass-enclosed Wine Room with marble flooring.
Private dining is also available in the Gusteau Room, which includes:
- A multi-course menu
- Interactions with the head chef
- Ratatouille-inspired décor
You can make a reservation by filling out the private dining request form and attach it in an email to DCL.Cruise.Activities@disney.com. Make sure you to request a reservation early and they cannot be confirmed until 30 day prior to sailing. You can also make reservations aboard the ship.
You can make online reservations at the following times:
- Concierge Guests: 120 days in advance
- Castaway Club Levels:
- Platinum Castaways: 120 days in advance
- Gold Castaways: 105 days in advance
- Silver Castaways: 90 days in advance
- First Time Cruiser: 75 days in advance
An additional charge is required to dine at Remy:
- Dinner: $125 dining charge per person
- Remy Champagne Brunch: $75 charge per person; $30 additional charge per person when adding the Champagne pairing
- Remy Dessert Experience: $60 charge per person; $25 additional charge per person when adding the wine pairing
- Petites Assiettes de Remy: $50 charge per person (includes a wine pairing with each course)
- This event can only be booked onboard
- Remy Wine Pairing Experience: $105 charge per person
Pre-dinner service is also available. After you've booked and are on board the ship, you'll be invited to meet with a sommelier in Remy's wine room to preselect your wines for the evening.
Dress Code:
The following dress code is enforced during dinner:
- Men: A jacket (such as a sports, suit or tuxedo jacket), a dress shirt, dress pants/slacks and shoes are required. Ties are optional. No jeans, shorts, sandals, flip-flops, or tennis shoes.
- Women: Cocktail dress, evening dress, pantsuit or skirt/blouse are required. No jeans, shorts, capri pants, sandals, flip-flops, or tennis shoes.
The following dress code is enforced during brunch and dessert:
- Men: Dress pants, a collared shirt or polo shirt, and shoes are required. A jacket is optional. No jeans, shorts, capri pants, sandals, flip-flops, or tennis shoes.
- Women: A dress or pantsuit is required. No jeans, shorts, capri pants, sandals, flip-flops, or tennis shoes.
Senses Juice Bar (Adult-Only)
Type of Dining: Quick Service
Included in the price of your cruise? No
Experience: Dining
Meal: Snack
Ship Location: Deck 11
Room Service
Type of Dining: Quick Service
Included in the price of your cruise? Yes, most items although alcohol and some snacks cost extra
Experience: Dining
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks, Late-Night
Ship Location: Available to every stateroom 24 hours a day
Most room service meals are included in the price of your cruise, like breakfast, some snacks, and late-night options. There is an additional fee for certain snacks, wines, beverages, and beverage packages.
Lunch and dinner options are available all day and night, except when breakfast is being served from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.
