No Formal Dress for Me -- Will I Get to Eat?

[sdaniel105]

So why did you title your message "No Formal Dress for Me"? That is what started many of us on the dress code and whether you would fit in to the dress code.

Why didn't you just ask where else can we eat besides the dining rooms?

You are on a cruise. You have many dining options. If the kids are really fussy you can always just do room service.

You can go up on deck get a cheeseburger, hot dog, veggie burger, fish sandwich, chicken strips, tuna salad sandwich, pizza, wraps, fruit and fries and eat them on the deck by the pool or take it back to your room.

You can sit down at Topsiders.

Sorry for deviating from your intent, but with the mention of the dress that is why we thought it was a dress code posting.

Sean

 

[GONETODISNEY]

I have heard many people discuss what they wear for semi-formal and formal nights, but what do you do if because of children you typically don't eat at sit down restaurants? I know there is topsiders for breakfast and lunch, but what about dinner? What are my choices?

Thanks.

Sorry, but I thought the opening question (above) was pretty clear.

 

[sdaniel105]

You "sit down" in most restaurants.

Even Topsiders for dinner is wait service. Not a buffet.

So I guess if your kids don't allow you to "sit down" at a table. You will be heading for your stateroom or grabbing a sandwich and "sitting" by the pool at a table.

Sean

 

[GONETODISNEY]

It's not necessarily that my kids don't allow me to enjoy full service meals (is that better than "sit down"? Perhaps my Southern dialect shows too much for you) however, anyone with a child with ADD knows that a 2 hour meal sometimes is too much for them. I chose a Disney cruise because it is kid friendly and my kids love the disney characters. But hearing so much emphasis put on dining clothing and etiquette can be disheartening. We only want to enjoy our cruise as does every other family on board.

 

[sdaniel105]

How old are your boys?

Our 10 yr old has been diagnosed with ADD and he has enjoyed the dining room experience every night for the past 5 years.

Enjoy your trip and like others have said don't stress about the clothing. Many go over board every night, not just formal night.

I am sure your wait staff will be of great help in entertaining your boys and missing some of the dinners will take away from a big part of the trip.

DCL is not like other cruise lines as I am sure you already know. RCCL and CCL dining experience is for the most part a long drawng out 2 hr meal. There may be a little singing or dancing, but it is a far cry from the DCL experience. Like I said in a previous posting. I would try and make it to AP on the first rotation. I think they usually do the Limbo during dinner on the second rotation. It is hard to say exactly what you will miss each night, but there usually a little something. Whether it is swinging your napkins over your head to the music to dancing around the dining room with the staff and guests or watching Mickey arrive to welcome you aboard. There is usually something going on more than just sitting there waiting for your next course.

There is some quiet time and I am sure you and your husband know how to keep your son busy to help him through those times.

Enjoy your trip and make it what you want it to be!

BTW, the cheeseburgers at Pluto's are good!

Sean

 

[ariesmom]

Our kids loved getting Pizza from the pizza place by the pool, burgers, chicken strips and hotdogs from the other place (by the pool). There is also a terrific sandwich, salad, fruit stand (again by the pools) that dh and I loved. We usually picked up our lunches here but could make a dinner out of anything as well.

And you know all about Topsiders. As people have said, the dining rooms are not "formal" in the sense that people expect children to be quiet angels (behavior is childlike and welcome). AP runs cartoons the second night you eat there (which actually bugged me because our kids stared at the screen, barely ate and didn't talk). Lumieres/Tritons would be more fancy in decor but it's all the same people, Parrot Cay is more casual. The servers do magic tricks, make napkin hats. You could even take your kids out while you wait for dinner to arrive (sometimes there's a character outside the dining room) but the kids food always came quickly. I noticed some parents take their kids out after they finished their kid's meals. The parents returned with the kids so I assume they went to the kids clubs to play. Parents then had main course and dessert on their own.

Good luck and enjoy!
allie