Here are some more tips I have gathered while perusing these boards. As always, add your own and/or asks any questions.
FOOD & DRINK RELATED
1. Notify
DCL ahead of time regarding allergies or special dietary concerns.
2. Sodas/beverages are free at:
The 24-hour drink station (self-serve)
When ordered at any of the sit-down restaurants (breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
The buffets (breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
Any of the self-serve drink stations on
Castaway Cay
Sodas/beverages are not free:
When ordered at any of the bars (onboard and at Castaway Cay)
When ordered from a roaming server (by the pools, at Castaway Cay, in the Walt Disney Theatre, in the adult nightclubs)
When ordered from Room Service (except for coffee, milk, chocolate milk, & OJ)
When purchased by the theaters
When purchased as part of a Cooler pack from a cast member
When purchased as a case of water from a cast member
3. The beverage station located aft on deck nine that includes milk, tea, coffee, water, juice and or lemonade.
4. You can make ice cream sodas and/or milkshakes on your own at the beverage station and Goofy's Galley - Coke floats using vanilla ice cream from Scoops and Coke from the 24-hour drink station or Banana splits using bananas from Goofy's Galley, vanilla & chocolate ice cream from Scoops, and chocolate & caramel toppings from Scoops.
5. Pack ice cream cones and/or sundae toppings (nuts, marshmallows, sprinkles/jimmies, chocolate, etc.) for Goofy's Galley.
6. Take big gulp sized mugs for the beverage station to cut out the amount of refills you need to run up for. Use the cups provided by DCL to refill your large cup to prevent contamination.
7. Bring a cup carrier (like from McDonalds etc.) to carry your fountain drinks back to your room.
8. Bring several large-mouth plastic bottles (that will fit into your collapsible cooler) for excursions, or for keeping drinks & water in your stateroom beverage cooler. You can also fill these easily with Ice, water, etc. from the drink station on Deck 9.
9. If you buy the refillable beer mug bring it back to the next cruise and save yourself the cost of the mug again. Just pack it in your suitcase.
10. You can request a cork screw and wine glasses from your stateroom host/hostess.
11. The Cove Cafe Fanatic "frequent user" cards are buy 5 coffee drinks, get one free. You can use them on multiple cruises to save up the "stamps" (the CM just marks it with a pen) until you get to 5. It's just a small business card sized card, which can be slipped into your lanyard pouch behind your KTTW card so it was always with you. You can probably also combine them, like a couple could just use one card to get coffee drinks and pass it back and forth. All alcoholic drinks, non-alcoholic drinks, and gourmet coffees are available for an additional charge. Guests who purchase a specialty coffee mug – available in Cove Café and other shops onboard – are entitled to a complimentary coffee in Cove Café. Snacks are complimentary. Cove Café is for adults only (18 & up).
12. Bring back some fruit from the breakfast buffet and boxes of cereal to snack on. Fruit is available at Goofy's Galley throughout the day.
13. Skip the lunch buffet at least once and eat at Tritons/Lumiere's.
14. In the buffet there is a 'hidden' stairwell on both sides, right past the cereal(breakfast)/dessert(lunch) bars, a lot of mornings one of us will go load up a tray and use them to bring it back down to the cabin, it's always empty vs the main stairs or the elevators. You'll quickly get familiar with the route if you're aft as it's also mostly the path for the safety drill.
15. If you are celebrating something and forgot to make note of it when you made your reservation, be sure to tell your head server as much in advance as you can. It is amazing what they can make happen for you!
16. Not sure if you want to eat breakfast or lunch at Triton's or up at Beach Blanket? Here's a tip. They post the menu for Triton's near the back entrance (the hallway right near the Promenade lounge). Stop by there and see if there is something on the menu you'd love. If not head on up to the buffet on deck 9.