Disney Cruise Line dining works very differently than dining inside the parks.
On the Magic, 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 Magic 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 Magic.
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.
Rapunzel’s Royal Table
Type of Dining: Table Service
Included in the price of your cruise? Yes
Experience: Character Dining & Live Entertainment
Meal: Dinner
Ship Location: Deck 3
This dining spot is inspired by the one and only Tangled and adorned with glowing wish lanterns. A variety of starters, entrees, and desserts are offered for dinner, including ravioli stuffed with pulled beef, pan-seared sea bass filet in a Champagne-truffle vinaigrette, and crème brûlée cheesecake.
There are also vegetarian dishes, like chili-spiced tofu ramen, and a kids menu available, which includes mac and cheese, pizza, and seared salmon steak.
There’s even special entertainment and character appearances by Flynn Rider, Snuggly Duckling Thugs and even Rapunzel herself. Guests can even join in on the fun special parade that happens during the dinner.
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 4
Animator’s Palate offers a magical dinner centered around Disney animation and a unique show starring Disney characters. Sketches of characters and scenes from Disney and Pixar films come to life right before your eyes.
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 Magic, there are two dinner shows available. The first is called “Drawn to Magic,” in which guests watch as Sorcerer Mickey helps tell a hero’s story through Disney and Pixar animation. For the finale, the black-and-white interior of the restaurant is transformed with vibrant colors.
There’s also “Animation Magic,” which is only available on 7-night or longer sailings. The show allows guests to draw their own character and watch as your creation comes to life alongside other Disney characters.
Lumiere’s
Type of Dining: Table Service
Included in the price of your cruise? Yes
Experience: Character Dining & Live Entertainment
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ship Location: Deck 3
If you love Beauty and the Beast, then you’ll probably love dining at Lumiere’s. You can grab breakfast, lunch, and dinner here.
For those who wish to forgo the buffets or remain on the ship for breakfast and lunch, you can dine at Lumiere’s and enjoy open seating versus reserved tables, like at dinner. There are a range of breakfast options along with a 3-course lunch.
Dinner is four courses and offers American and French dishes with a modern twist, like “Mrs. Potts” French onion soup, “Gaston’s” escargots gratinés, and “Lumiere’s” seared sea bass.
For an added fee, you can purchase beer, wine, after-dinner liqueurs, dessert wines, and specialty drinks. Vegetarian dishes and kids menus are also available.
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.
Pinocchio’s Pizzeria
Type of Dining: Quick Service
Included in the price of your cruise? Yes
Experience: Dining
Meal: Lunch, Snacks
Ship Location: Deck 9
Pinocchio’s Pizzeria is an outdoor Quick Service spot that offers pizza throughout the day. Choose from pepperoni, vegetarian, Hawaiian, or just cheese.
Eye Scream Treats
Type of Dining: Quick Service
Included in the price of your cruise? Yes
Experience: Dining
Meal: Snacks
Ship Location: Deck 9
Appropriately named after Mike Wazowski from Monsters, Inc., Eye Scream Treats is a great spot to grab all kinds of soft-serve ice cream — and as much as you want throughout the day.
Duck-In Diner
Type of Dining: Quick Service
Included in the price of your cruise? Yes
Experience: Dining
Meal: Lunch, Snacks
Ship Location: Deck 9
A quick-bite stop that offers a variety of options, including fresh, Middle Eastern inspired shawarma and classic American favorites like hamburgers and hot dogs.
Frozone Treats
Type of Dining: Quick Service
Included in the price of your cruise? No
Experience: Dining
Meal: Snacks
Ship Location: Deck 9
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 9
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.
Preludes
Type of Dining: Quick Service
Included in the price of your cruise? No
Experience: Dining
Meal: Snacks
Ship Location: Deck 4
You can find a variety of snacks and beverages here, including cookies, candy, cocktails, and popcorn. Preludes is essentially a concession stand outside the Walt Disney Theatre for guests to purchase treats before seeing onboard entertainment. You can even get wait-staff service from your seat inside the theater.
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.
Cove Café
Type of Dining: Lounge/Bar
Included in the price of your cruise? No
Meal: Drinks
Experience: Nightclub & Lounge
Ship Location: Deck 9
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.
Keys
Type of Dining: Lounge/Bar
Included in the price of your cruise? No
Meal: Drinks
Experience: Nightclub & Lounge
Ship Location: Deck 3
This adult-only lounge is inspired by the Golden Age of Hollywood and its classic piano bars. It has a more mellow setting and offers a range of beverages, like beer, cocktails, champagne, wine, martinis, coffees, and more. Each evening, musicians perform classics by Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, Billy Joel, and Elton John.
O’Gills Pub
Type of Dining: Lounge/Bar
Included in the price of your cruise? No
Meal: Drinks
Experience: Nightclub & Lounge
Ship Location: Deck 3
This adult-exclusive Irish pub has TVs for guests to watch sports, grab a pint, enjoy a custom cocktail creation (try the Blarney Stone Tasting Flight), and even play board games. There’s a range of American, global, and Irish beers provided, along with Ireland’s best ales, stouts, and pilsners, and a specially-made red lager.
Signals
Type of Dining: Lounge/Bar
Included in the price of your cruise? No
Meal: Drinks
Experience: Nightclub & Lounge
Ship Location: Deck 9
This bar can be found next to the Quiet Cove Pool. It makes a great space for adults to grab a beverage, while hanging out by the pool. Both areas are adult-exclusive.
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 Tea
Type of Dining: Table Service
Included in the price of your cruise? No
Experience: Character Dining
Meal: Snack
Ship Location: Deck 3, in Lumiere’s
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
Character Breakfast
Type of Dining: Table Service
Included in the price of your cruise? Yes
Experience: Character Dining
Meal: Breakfast
Ship Location: Deck 4, Animator’s Palate
Reservations: Yes
The dining experience is only offered on select cruises 7 nights or longer. You must also have a valid ticket reservation to attend. Tickets are limited.
This character breakfast allows guests to meet both Disney and Disney Junior characters. During the breakfast, guests will enjoy breakfast and get pictures and autographs from characters.
Here’s how you reserve tickets before your cruise begins:
- Visit My Cruise Activities within your advance booking window to reserve tickets online once your cruise is paid in full.
- If a specific time and day is unavailable, make sure you try another date. A limited number of tickets might be available on the first day of your cruise (check with Guest Services).
- You can only attend the Character Breakfast once during your cruise.
Advance booking windows are determined as follows:
- 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
- Concierge Guests and Platinum Castaway Club Member: 120 days prior to sail date
What characters can you meet? Well, it depends.
- The Character Breakfast occurs on one morning of select 7-plus night cruises with a minimum of 2 days at sea.
- The Disney Junior Character Breakfast happens on 7-plus night cruises departing from U.S. domestic ports with a minimum of 2 days at sea. Character appearances may vary, but Jake, Sophia and Doc McStuffins are usually the ones featured.
- VIP Characters appear on 7-plus night cruises departing from non-domestic ports (including Alaskan itineraries) with a minimum of 2 days at sea. Character appearances may vary, but most sailings include Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Pluto.
- Character Breakfasts with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Pluto are featured on 14-night transatlantic and Panama Canal cruises.
Palo
Type of Dining: Table Service
Included in the price of your cruise? No
Experience: Dining
Meal: Brunch, Dinner
Ship Location: Deck 10
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 paring 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.
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.