Breakfast Buffet/Sit-down Breakfast-Pros/Cons

[DISNEYGATOR]

Which one would you say is the best? What are some of the pro's or con's of each?

 

[imgoingtodisney]

can wear casual clothes to the restaurants for breakfast/lunch so one can still experience the restaurant

obviously sit down takes longer so may not be able to snag that much sought after pool chair

 

[peg2001]

Sit down - you sit down and they bring the food to you. . .especially nice if you have mobility problems or young children. I hate balancing multiple plates with a toddler clinging to my legs.

Buffet - more choices, take only what you want, quicker, but you have to go get it yourself

Peggy

 

[alexandrew]

I like them both - I don't discriminate! Also, don't forget room service!!

 

[mcnuss]

I am always in favor of someone else bringing me food.

 

[CSX2]

On our first 4 day it never occured to me to go to one of the sit down restaurants for breakfast or lunch -- went to Beach Blanket or snack bars exclusively. On second 4 day we went to Triton's for every non-dinner meal we had on board. Definitely prefer the full service at the sit-downs and the nice atmosphere. We had a party of 10 and never had trouble getting a table and the service was always good and quick.

On upcoming 7 day we will probably slip into Topsiders for lunch on those "relaxing at the pool" days.

 

[peagreenid]

The choices were great.....

Made to order Omeletes and waffles
hot and cold cereal
yogurt, fruit and granola bar
smoked salmon
breakfast meats
pastries

just about anything you could want.

I even saw someone take smoked salmon over and have it
cooked in their omelete.

smiles Patty

 

[imgoingtodisney]

w/the sit-downs the entire party most likely would want to have lunch/breakfast together
w/the buffet - easier for the early bird to grab their brkfst while others sleep

 

[CamColt]

On our last cruise we did the buffet 2 mornings and then we did the sit down on the last morning.
The buffets were great. We got what we wanted when we wanted, I even put some stuff together to make a bacon egg & cheese sandwich. We got to sit alone, outside and have a nice relaxing meal looking at Nassau or Castaway Cay.

The sit down meal was pitiful. I got pancakes...just pancakes. There were 2, about the size of the palm of my hand, just a little bigger than silver dollar pancakes. They came with no meat. I could have asked I suppose, but it wasnt on the menu and it wasnt offered to me. I felt like my meal was an appetizer. I wasnt wasting away by this point, but knowing we had to spend the day in the airport, I wanted to fill up. Another con of that meal was we had our tablemates with us so I was not very relaxed at all.

 

[mcnuss]

Do you always have your table mates with you at the sit down? How could that be? I am sooo confused.

 

[imgoingtodisney]

I believe the only sit-down breakfasts that we have our dinner companions with us is the disembarkation and the character breakfast. These 2 are based on our dining rotations.

As far as lunch, Im hoping we get a table by ourselves if we choose to do sit-down.

 

[KMovies]

The breakfast on the last morning is different from the other mornings. It is more rushed the last day since they need to clear the ship after breakfast. And they have breakfast at two times for early and late seatings. Don't let the breakfast on the last day scare you off from enjoying the sit down breakfast the other days.

Yes, you need to order the meats seperately. Everything is pretty ala carte on the breakfast menu. There are some skillet breakfasts throughout the week - and an express breakfast that says eggs, meat. etc. But with the pancakes and french toast and all, you simply need to order the meat seperately. The server should have asked if you wanted something with the pancakes. On the last day - the server may have though that you knew how it worked.

The breakfast menu is two pages on all days except the last day when it is one page.

I wanted a Mickey Waffle - and had waited til the last day to order it. However, they have a limited menu the last day and it wasn't offered. There is a different skillet meal each morning - except for the last day.

Hope this information helps.

 

[NCRedding]

At the sit-down breakfast and lunch, we have either been seated with other people or had other people seated with us. Due to the timing, I never felt comfortable saying "please don't sit those people with us". I like the food better at the buffets, but prefer to pick my own choice of tablemates.

 

[Michelle]

Unless you have a larger group, you definitely WILL be seated with other people if you choose the sit-down breakfast or lunch. They like to fill the tables up.

We are ROOM SERVICE for breakfast all the way. None of us eats much other than toast or cereal for breakfast anyway and we like having the food (and COFFEE!) in the room while we're getting ready for the day. In 8 cruises the only sit-down breakfast I have done is on disembarkation day, and even on that day we tend to just do the buffet instead.

 

[mcnuss]

I had not thought about room service, thanks Michelle! My DD8 loves room service (and so does her mommy ).

Allison

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by DISNEYGATOR
Which one would you say is the best? What are some of the pro's or con's of each?

Most mornings on the 7-night Magic cruise, they serve an open-seating, table-service breakfast at Lumiere's, an open-seating buffet breakfast at Topsiders, and either a scheduled character breakfast or an open-seating buffet at Parrot Cay.

At Lumiere's, "open seating" means you eat when you want to, but you'll be shown to a table by a host or hostess. (The same is true at lunch.)

The buffets at Topsiders and Parrot Cay were excellent buffets, as good or better than what you would get a Marriott hotel. Fresh fruit, lots of different baked goods, cooked-to-order omlettes, and more.

I was disappointed with the table-service breakfast at Lumiere's, only in comparison to my experience on Celebrity Cruise Line. On Celebrity, breakfast in the dining room was somehow more elegant and the menu had more interesting choices than the typical American breakfast fare at Lumiere's. (And on Celebrity, the assistant server had hot, freshly baked mini-croissants which he would place on your bread plate whenever you previous croissant was starting to get small.) Don't let my remarks keep you away from Lumiere's at breakfast. If you enjoy being served, it's a good breakfast.

Originally posted by imgoingtodisney
can wear casual clothes to the restaurants for breakfast/lunch so one can still experience the restaurant

That shouldn't be an issue. Most nights on the 7-night Magic cruises and every night on the shorter Wonder cruises, casual clothes are completely appropriate in the dining rooms (they just request no jeans or shorts).

 

[gdulaney]

My dh prefers the buffet as it is quicker, but I am a "Coke in the morning" person, so I prefer the sit-down meal (that way I can get a soda!!).

I think it just depends on your plans for the day and what you are in the mood to eat.

Ginny

 

[Werner Weiss]

Why pick one or the other? In fact, why limit yourself to these two options? Do something different every morning for seven mornings!

• Buffet breakfast at Topsiders
• Table service breakfast at Lumiere's
• Character breakfast at Parrot Cay (you'll get a ticket with your day and time at the first dinner)
• Brunch at Palo (requires reservations)
• Room service breakfast in your stateroom
• Buffet breakfast at Parrot Cay
• Debarkation breakfast (as assigned)

Enjoy!

 

[DISNEYGATOR]

You are right... Why worry about choosing! It's a cruise, if I want, I can go to both on the same day! And do room service. We did room service every morning last time anyway, just got pastries and coffee. but I just wanted to hear other opinions. I am just not a big buffet person, I think all the choices overwhelm me, and to me buffet foods taste more bland and mass-produced (I know deep down all cruise food IS mass-produced) but it is just a mental thing of seeing a server carry it out on a plate. I just have to have ammo to convince my cruise mates to go to the sitdown with me. For them they say its the time thing, buffet is quicker so you can get to what you want to do faster, but I am all about the service. Besides, I doubt the ship will be that crowded on 10/27 - 10/31. Anyway, thanks everyone for your opinions and letting me think this one outloud! These boards and all its members ROCK!

 

[imgoingtodisney]

wow Warner - that's cool - thanks for the written breakdown - something else to obsess over!! lol
(no really thanks for the list)

Im assuming Parrot Cay buffet is on port days since they use the restaurant for the char brkfst on sea days?