MDR Rotations

[Disneyteachers]

Can you request an MDR rotation or is there just hope of adjusting it when you embark? I've been reading little comments about this, but definitely don't understand how it all works! Oh yeah, and we have 13 ppl for dining if that makes a difference. Thanks in advance!

 

[Weedy]

You can call Disney Cruise line and request a rotation but there are set rotations.
What are you trying to do?

 

[Disneyteachers]

I have no idea what I'm trying to do! (Alaska in Aug 2016) Lol! I do know that we want to have palo for dinner and preferably on the taste of Alaska menu night (but based on things I've read, we would ideally want that night to be parrot cay?) and we plan to get a little dressed up for formal night do it sounds (again from reading trip reports) that tritons would be good for that...so, no clue what I'm thinking or planning...I just love overthinking it all for months and months.

 

[artnerds]

On each cruise, there are three rotations. The rotations vary by ship and itinerary.

On our Alaskan cruise last year, the rotations were based on the pattern 1223123.

So for the three restaurants (T=Triton's, A=Animator's Palate, P=Parrot Cay), the three possible rotations were TAAPTAP, APPTAPT, and PTTAPTA.

You can call DCL and ask them what the rotations for your cruise are. They can also tell you which nights are special events like Formal Night and Taste of Alaska. You can ask for a specific rotation, but it is not guaranteed (though if you are traveling Concierge, you are likely to get your requested rotation).

Note: It's may be way too soon to get this information for your cruise that is more than a year away. I called to ask about dining rotations for our cruise this December and was told they don't have the rotations finalized yet.

 

[MelSpees]

I don't understand why people are down on Parrot Cay. We didn't really notice any difference from the other two, and we were on a 14 day.

 

[Disneyteachers]

I don't understand why people are down on Parrot Cay. We didn't really notice any difference from the other two, and we were on a 14 day.

Thank you for the input. I know nothing, do I'm open to all advice. I did look at past navigators and menus and definitely think the taste of Alaska night would be a good one for palo for the adults and room service for the kids!

 

[Disneyteachers]

On each cruise, there are three rotations. The rotations vary by ship and itinerary.

On our Alaskan cruise last year, the rotations were based on the pattern 1223123.

So for the three restaurants (T=Triton's, A=Animator's Palate, P=Parrot Cay), the three possible rotations were TAAPTAP, APPTAPT, and PTTAPTA.

You can call DCL and ask them what the rotations for your cruise are. They can also tell you which nights are special events like Formal Night and Taste of Alaska. You can ask for a specific rotation, but it is not guaranteed (though if you are traveling Concierge, you are likely to get your requested rotation).

Note: It's may be way too soon to get this information for your cruise that is more than a year away. I called to ask about dining rotations for our cruise this December and was told they don't have the rotations finalized yet.

Great info. I have a better sense of how it works.

 

[lbgraves]

I honestly think that too much emphasis is placed on the rotation. We have enjoyed formal night in each of the MDRs on the classics. The atmosphere is the same with the servers and guests dressed up. On the Fantasy it is different because they have the rotational menus and no tuxes for the serving team on formal night. Semiformal is actually more of a formal experience in the MDRs IMO.

 

[artnerds]

I honestly think that too much emphasis is placed on the rotation. We have enjoyed formal night in each of the MDRs on the classics. The atmosphere is the same with the servers and guests dressed up. On the Fantasy it is different because they have the rotational menus and no tuxes for the serving team on formal night. Semiformal is actually more of a formal experience in the MDRs IMO.

It's not just about Formal Night. People have lots of reasons for wanting a particular rotation. For example, when we were on our cruise last month, we wanted to have at least one evening each in Remy and Palo, but we didn't want to miss out on Animator's Palate or Pirate Night.

 

[Weedy]

Don't over plan. Go with the flow. If you read too much you might wind up being disappointed.
You need to prebook
Palo and Remy dinner
Excursion

 

[sharksfinatic17]

I have no idea what I'm trying to do! (Alaska in Aug 2016) Lol! I do know that we want to have palo for dinner and preferably on the taste of Alaska menu night (but based on things I've read, we would ideally want that night to be parrot cay?) and we plan to get a little dressed up for formal night do it sounds (again from reading trip reports) that tritons would be good for that...so, no clue what I'm thinking or planning...I just love overthinking it all for months and months.

According to another post I read, DCL is changing the rotation for this summer in Alaska to 1231231. I can't wait for the first sailing to see if this is true. I already put in a request, and now I am not sure what is going on. I can't wait for the June 1 sailing to report back.

 

[Happy100]

Call after your cruise s paid in full date for rotation requests.

 

[Dug720]

Call after your cruise s paid in full date for rotation requests.

I've always put my rotation requests on well before the PIF date and it's never been an issue.

 

[bfamily5]

I was reading a passporter book and their theory is that DCL assigns the rotation based on how your party is composed adults only vs adults and older children vs adults and young children. Since we are adults only this time, I am reluctant to deviate. Not sure if their theory is correct, anyone know for sure?

 

[artnerds]

I was reading a passporter book and their theory is that DCL assigns the rotation based on how your party is composed adults only vs adults and older children vs adults and young children. Since we are adults only this time, I am reluctant to deviate. Not sure if their theory is correct, anyone know for sure?

I am sure these are the things they consider when assigning a dining time (main versus late). Once the times are assigned, they just have to figure out how to divide everyone among the three dining rooms.

 

[clten]

I was reading a passporter book and their theory is that DCL assigns the rotation based on how your party is composed adults only vs adults and older children vs adults and young children. Since we are adults only this time, I am reluctant to deviate. Not sure if their theory is correct, anyone know for sure?

Several years ago, this was how they did it -- and you knew by looking around the dining room that you were on the adult only rotation (or one of the other ones). But in the last 3-4 years (maybe even a little longer) they have changed it so it is a bit more mixed in each rotation early and late. They still try to keep the tables you are seated at adult only (they apologized profusely when to get our requested server they had to seat us with a grandmother, mother and child of about 5), or match children's ages.

OP if you are requesting a rotation just to schedule Palo for Taste of Alaska night, you don't need to do that. Each dining room will have Taste of Alaska night on the same night. So to schedule your Palo dinner, you need to figure out which night that menu will be served, not which restaurant you will be dining in. If it were one of the rotational dining menus you were trying to avoid (like some do not like the Parrot Cay menu) then I could see trying to request a rotation so you know which night you would be in that dining room.

 

[Disneyteachers]

Thank you. As a whole, the taste of Alaska menu is the least appealing to all of us, so that may be our pick for palo. We will have 5 kids 7,7,7,11,11 in our dining party and wouldn't want to miss out on AP as it seems like they would like the atmosphere. Do all MDRs serve the same menu on a given night? I was reading a trip report where the blogger suggested they had Parrot Cay several days in a row and were sick of it...that was my thinking behind whether you can request a rotation.

 

[MelSpees]

On a 14 night we never had the same menu twice.

 

[ciniminis]

Having read the Passporters before going on our (first and only) cruise on Fantasy, I though our rotation would start with Animator's Palate as I'm bringing a young child - but we started instead with Royal Court. All the MDRs were nice and the food pretty good, but I didn't particularly like being in Animator's Palate for both the formal and semi-formal nights (day 2 and day 6) since the lighting and backgrounds were not so flattering... Call me vain, but it's not often that I have an opportunity to get dressed up along with my little guy, and I want good pictures LOL!

 

[clten]

Do all MDRs serve the same menu on a given night? I was reading a trip report where the blogger suggested they had Parrot Cay several days in a row and were sick of it...that was my thinking behind whether you can request a rotation.

Depending on how they organize the rotation, you may be in the same dining room two nights in a row but wouldn't get the same menu. Regardless of the length of the cruise, you will have different menus each night. On the Wonder, each of the three restaurants (Triton's, AP and Parrot Cay) has a Signature Menu so on three of the nights, each restaurant will be serving a completely different menu. The rotation is designed so you will be in each of these restaurants to get their Signature menu only once. On the other 4 nights of the cruise, these will be theme menus (like the Taste of Alaska menu). All 3 restaurants will be serving the same menu that night. So regardless of your rotation, you will get the same 7 menus as everyone else on the ship, you just may have a different order on the Signature menus. If you haven't sailed before, I wouldn't stress over selecting a rotation. If you book Palo on Taste of Alaska night you won't miss the AP show even if you are in AP that night. The show will happen on the night you get the AP Signature menu.