Dining on a Disney cruise can be overwhelming if you’ve never sailed before, but I’m here to make that easier for you.

From eating in the main dining rooms, to Quick Service locations, to purchasing alcohol, there’s a lot to know.

Here are 19 Disney Cruise Line dining tips you need to know before sailing.

In this article

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18 Disney Cruise Line Dining Tips

Rotational dining is offered

Rotational dining is Disney’s way to ensure guests eat at all of the themed dining experiences on the ship.

Each evening, you, your tablemates (you might share a table, depending on the size of your party), and servers will rotate to a different restaurant.

By having the same wait staff, they become familiar with your preferences and can suggest items that they think you’ll like best. In my opinion, this is one of the best parts of the rotational dining experience and adds to the overall cruise. You grow close to your wait staff and not only do they learn about you, but you learn about them.

Important: If your sailing is longer than three days, you will be assigned to dine at some restaurants multiple times. Some nights there may even be special menus, like on Pirate Night.

Quick Service options are available

You’ll find two main Quick Service restaurants on Disney Cruise Line ships. These are also included in the cost of the cruise.

Quick Service means these are not sit-down meals. These are meant to be convenient and quick meal choices for guests.

There is usually a walk-around food hall in the form of a buffet and a food court near the pools. The former is typically open for breakfast and lunch, while the latter is mainly open for lunch. As always, you’ll want to confirm hours in the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app.

You can find breakfast and lunch in the main dining rooms

On select days, you’ll be able to find sit-down breakfast and lunch in one of the main rotational dining rooms. This is a nice option if you prefer a more “formal” breakfast and/or lunch over a buffet or Quick Service meal.

These meals are also included in the price of your cruise. You can always ask your servers for the dining schedule or check the app.

Rotational dining isn’t mandatory

You are not required to eat at any of the main dining rooms. You also don’t have to notify anyone about your absence.

There are other dinner options, including room service (most items are included in the cost of the cruise) or booking an adult-exclusive meal (for an additional price).

Keep in mind that some Quick Service options are only offered for breakfast and lunch. You also might find select lounges/bars that offer food for lunch and dinner, which is an additional charge.

There are two main dining times

There are two dinner seatings each night when on a Disney cruise. Typically, the early seating, aka “main dining,” is around 5:45 p.m., with the second seating around 8:00 p.m.

There are pros and cons to both seatings. For example, main dining is good for families and those who would prefer to have earlier evenings. Second seating is good for those who don’t want to eat earlier and also avoid the majority of families dining with little ones.

You can change your assigned seating time on the Disney Cruise Line website prior to boarding by going to “Already Booked” tab at the top and clicking “My Reservations”. Make sure you select the correct reservation number and then scroll down until you see “Dining”. If your seating preference isn’t available, you can request an alternate seating time by joining a waitlist. 

After you board the ship, you can find your assigned seating time under “My Plans” in the app. This is also where your restaurant schedule and table number (this is the same each night) are posted.

A private table during rotational dining isn’t guaranteed

Depending on the size of your party, you may have to share a table during main dining on a Disney cruise.

Disney tries to match similar dining groups, like families seated with other families and adults without children together.

If you want to request a private table, you can do online by going to the “Already Booked” tab, scrolling down to “Special Requests”, and selecting “Table Requests”. You can also do this in the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app by selecting your reservation, going to “View All” under “Next Steps” to make “Special Requests”.

You can always call Disney Cruise Line. To be clear, special table requests are not guaranteed.

A dress code is only required for select dining

For the most part, there isn’t an official dress code when dining on a Disney cruise. Many of the onboard dining locations are “cruise casual”, which includes shorts, T-shirts, and sneakers. Swimwear and tank tops are not allowed.

If you want to dress up for dinner, you can. Many of the cruises even have a “dress-up night” for those who want to wear more formal wear to dinner.

The adult-exclusive restaurants have strict dress codes. Formal or semi-formal attire is recommended, but casual attire is permitted. Be sure to check these dress codes prior to packing and getting on the ship.

There may be a special dinner for Pirate Night

Typically, Pirate Night on the Disney Cruise Line is offered on many Bahamian, Caribbean, and Bermudan sailings.

It happens once per sailing and includes a special dinner, characters in pirate attire, pirate-themed entertainment, and fireworks!

As for dinner, it takes place in one of the main dining rooms and everyone is served the same special Pirate Night menu. Like all of the other rotational dining, this meal is included in the price of your cruise.

The special entertainment at the restaurants will not happen on Pirate Night. You are served a normal dinner. Don’t worry, no matter your seating time, you won’t miss the shows and fireworks.

Important: If you’re on a 3-night cruise, there won’t be a special Pirate Night menu, so guests can experience each main restaurant, the themes, entertainment, and the standard menus.

You can bring alcohol onto the ship

Guests 21 and older are allowed to bring a maximum of 2 bottles of unopened wine or champagne (no larger than 750 ml) or 6 beers (no larger than 12 ounces) on board at the beginning of the voyage and at each port of call.

For round-trip cruises from Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, and Brisbane, this policy applies to guests 18 years and older.

Alcoholic beverages must be packed in your carry-on. Do not put alcohol in your checked baggage, or it will be removed and no compensation will be offered. Disney asks that you do not consume the alcohol you bring onto the ship in any lounge or public area.

Any alcohol purchased in ports of call will be stored until the end of your cruise. You are responsible for retrieving your stored alcohol. If you don’t, the alcohol will be discarded without compensation.

If you want to enjoy the wine or champagne you brought on board with your dinner in the main dining rooms, you will be charged a corking fee of $29.00 per bottle.

Some dining costs extra

Whether you choose to grab a bite at one of the lounges/bars on board or book a special adult-only meal, you will have to pay extra.

Special adult-only meals can be found at Palo, Palo Steakhouse, Enchanté, or Remy, depending on the ship.

You need to book these meals ahead of time. The booking windows are the same for all of the Disney Cruise Line ships.

• First-Time Guests: 75 days prior to sail date
• Silver Castaway Club Member: 90 days prior to sail date
• Gold Castaway Club Member: 105 days prior to sail date
• Platinum Castaway Club Member: 120 days prior to sail date
• Pearl Castaway Club Member: 123 days prior to sail date
• Concierge Guests: 130 days prior to sail date by contacting the Shoreside Concierge Associate team; online booking is available 123 days prior to sail date

Alcohol is an additional cost

Alcohol is an additional cost when you’re on board, but it is cheaper compared to the Disney parks.

While you cannot buy a traditional alcohol package, there are wine packages available for purchase alongside your dinner in the main dining rooms. There are even beverage tastings hosted by mixologists that you can book for an cost extra.

You can purchase a refillable 21 oz. beer mug and refill it for the price of a 16 oz. beer at any bar or restaurant on the ship. You can also order it ahead of time as an Onboard Gift to be delivered to your stateroom on Embarkation Day, but you’ll have to be present for the delivery.

There’s also a refillable souvenir Drink of the Day cup that can be purchased at one of the bars. You can select from the alcoholic or non-alcoholic Drink of the Day choice. 

While these refills are not free (your onboard account will be charged for each drink you purchase, along with an automatic 18% gratuity), the souvenir cup gives you about about a third more of your selected drink compared to purchasing the drink without the souvenir cup. 

Be sure to purchase the refillable beer mug and Drink of the Day cup at the start of your cruise, so you can take advantage of the deal! Keep in mind that sometimes the mug/cup aren’t always available.

Room service is included (except for a few items)

Room service is essentially free on Disney Cruise Line and is available 24 hours a day, except on the final day it will only be offered until 1:30 a.m.

There are select items that you may need to pay extra for, like soda or alcoholic beverages. You will be charged for these and a 15% gratuity will automatically be added.

You can order breakfast delivery from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Be sure to fill out the room service request a card in your stateroom and leave it outside your door prior to 3 a.m. on the morning of the scheduled breakfast.

You can also order continental breakfast by calling room service directly in the morning.

For lunch, dinner, and snacks throughout the remainder of the day, you can simply call for room service in your stateroom by selecting “Room Service”.

You’ll have to pay for specialty coffees

Just like with alcohol, specialty coffees on Disney Cruise Line cost extra. A specialty coffee is anything that’s not decaf or regular coffee.

Keep in mind that any baked goods at a coffee bar are free of charge! If you know you’re going to drink a lot of specialty coffees, make sure to ask for a special coffee rewards card, which allows you to receive a free coffee after purchasing five specialty coffee drinks.

Lunch on Castaway Cay & Lookout Cay is included

If you choose to get off the ship to enjoy Castaway Cay or Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, lunch (typically a a BBQ-style meal), soft-drinks, and soft-serve ice cream will be available for no additional charge.

Alcohol, specialty beverages, and some snacks are an additional cost, just like they are on the ships.

You don’t have to eat on Castaway Cay & Lookout Cay

If you don’t go to Castaway Cay or Lookout Cay or decide you’d rather eat on the ship versus the islands, you’ll be able to eat at the offered lunch locations on board.

There are several ways to pay for food and drinks

You don’t need cash or a credit card to make food and drink purchases. While you’re on the ship, you can simply charge everything to your stateroom. When in port, you might want to carry some cash or a credit card to buy food, drinks, and souvenirs.

You can provide your credit card during the online check-in process before setting sail. You can also visit the Guest Service desk to link a credit card to your stateroom folio for any purchases.

You can have all the ice cream you want

Disney Cruise Line ships offer unlimited soft-serve ice cream that’s included. You can find soft-serve ice cream in the food court area near the pools on the ship, along with Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay.

The ships also have special sweet shops serving cupcakes, cookies, ice cream, gelato, and more, for an additional price.

Self-serve fountain beverage stations are included

Each ship offers complimentary soda, tea, coffee, juice, water, milk, and regular and decaf coffee. Self-serve beverage stations are available, along with cups. I also recommend bringing your own refillable water bottle.

While you can bring your own bottled water on board that’s unopened and in its original packaging, like alcohol, you must carry it on, which can be heavy to cart around until your room is ready.

You can also buy water (6, 12, or 24 bottles) as on Onboard Gift, but it’s on the pricier side. Bottled water is also available on the ship at bars and other areas for purchase.

Meals are offered on embarkation and debarkation days

After you board the ship on embarkation day, you can grab lunch in the buffet or food court areas. Select bars will also be open, if you’d like a beverage.

On debarkation day, you can grab a light breakfast in the buffet area or in one of the main dining rooms. Regarding the latter, breakfast is usually served in the same restaurant you dined the night prior and there is also a smaller menu compared to normal.

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If you have any questions, feel free to drop them in the comments and I’ll be happy to answer them!