Buffet Closed for Dinner - Picky Eater

[NightGuardianAngel]

I have been on Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruises before, and I am on the Autism Spectrum. I have to have my food in separate bowls or plates, and I cannot have it run together, otherwise it changes the texture of the food, and I am very tactile defensive. The most wonderful advantage of the buffet is since I can serve myself and therefore get everything in separate bowls or plates and this is one of the reasons why I have avoided the main dining room, along with the ability to eat alone. If you were to go on a Disney cruise, is there any way I can get dinner bypassing the main dining room without having to pay an extra charge due to the above reasons, plus dining with strangers at the same table can feel intimidating for me, especially having Autism? Also to add, I also wish not to have to dress up formally and remain in casual wear (such as shorts). I went on a Royal Caribbean cruise recently and they did a wonderful job at accommodating those with Autism and having the Windjammer Buffet open on dinner helped me out tremendously.

 

[scroogie]

My first recommendation would be to put in a request for your own table in the dining rooms.
My second recommendation would be to speak to your servers about your requirements.
There are other options available as well, such as room service or quick service locations on the pool deck where options may not be so overwhelming if it's served together.

They won't open Cabanas or accommodate you in a speciality restaurant for free, but DCL's servers will go above and beyond to make sure you feel comfortable in the main dining rooms.

As for formal night - it's always optional! Many people continue to wear cruise casual

(Also just a kind pointer, that it's "bowl". "Bowel" is... something else entirely)

 

[LAS2AMS]

I’m not convinced DCL would be a good fit. You can request to be seated alone, but the request isn’t guaranteed. We’re not comfortable sitting with others and always request to be seated by ourselves. The request has not always been granted - last time they told us to come no earlier than one hour after dinner started to see if there were no-shows (but we had to have our order ready, so the dinner would be rushed).

Servers will go above and beyond to assist you but meals are prepared by kitchen staff and things often get lost in translation (so to speak).

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

I am a solo cruiser and I have requested a private table through the APP on Disney cruises. Its very easy to do. Even if you get to the MDR on your first night and are assigned a shared table, they are very helpful and will try to get you a private table.

There are a lot of different food options on the pool deck, not just burgers and pizza. They have salads, wraps, fruit and various other things.

Room service is included on Disney cruise and again lots of options. You just need to tip.

They usually have a late night small buffet in the adult bar areas around 10.30pm.

You should also go to Disney Cruise Blog. They have all the menus listed for all the Disney ships, all the restaurants, bars and food options. You can go through all the MDR menus and see what food options could suit you, before you book your cruise.

Disney is more of the more casual cruise lines. The majority of people wear Disney Spirit Jerseys, shorts, tshirts, ears. On my last cruise I wore a Pirates of The Caribbean hoodie and sweatpants during the day and Disney Bounding outfits in the evening in the MDR. As long as you dont wear swimwear in the MDR, most people dress very casual, even on the listed formal night. Also formal night is only on 7 night or longer cruises. I just did a 5 night and we didnt have formal night, we had an optional dress up night listed on the planner.

One bit of advice though, you need to go with an open mind. Continually comparing to Royal Caribbean will result in a negative experience. If you always have in your head "On Royal I was able to do xyz" On Royal they had abc" you will just have a negative outlook while on the Disney cruise.

 

[disykat]

Will your disability be listed on your reservation somewhere? If they know about it, I'm sure they will bend over backwards to make you comfortable. My son has food allergies and DCL went above and beyond. The Matre D visited his table every meal and discussed menu options with him and made sure they were honored.

 

[apathetic]

You don't need to dress formally. On a typical formal night, it is probably 1/3 formal, 1/3 a little "dressy" and 1/3 casual. Whatever your comfortable with works

Talk to your servers. They can probably accommodate bringing your plates as requested. It might take a little longer for your food to come out while they prepare that specially. They are usually great granting requests. The Head Server will be instrumental here.

Private table at dinner is the tougher request. On a full cruise, it could be harder. But if you put in your request online, then go to the dining team once you board (usually in one of the lounges) you can explain it better. You just need to be flexible on which seating time. Also, your 'own' table may consist of an 8 person table pulled apart and there is about a 1 foot gap between the two. While you won't have to converse, necessarily, you will be in closer contact. The dining rooms are tight on some ships.

Disney will go out of their way to accommodate, so if you articulate your needs they will do everything possible to get it done. I believe the main dining room is your best chance for your situation. The buffet is extremely hectic and may cause you more grief than expected. I highly recommend the sit-down restaurant for all your meals. Breakfast and lunch will especially be easier for your requests.

 

[auntlynne]

(Edit: this is going to look redundant to the previous post. But I finished typing and then hit send.)

I fully believe they will put your food on separate dishes.

Definitely read the menus ahead of time. You may not even want the side items that are bundled with your entree. They can be left off.

The head waiter may be your friend. If you are unable to get your needs across to the servers (or the kitchen), this manager should be able to straighten it out.

I’d order with a simple statement you need (yes, need) your food on separate plates. If it arrives otherwise - immediately tell your waiter or ask for the head server. Don’t stew or suck it up. Smile and be polite and patient.

…Modern day cruising, especially in Disney, has lost the clothing restrictions of days past. Wear reasonably respectable clothing (including shorts) and you still may look better than a fair number of other guests.

…You can order from the kids menu. Mix and match with adult menu. There is always a choice of sirloin or chicken or fish + a starch and vegetables. My niece had that many nights on a very long cruise. I’m pretty sure the food didn’t touch.

Also, if you are able to just move items off one plate to a second plate, would that suffice? Or is the fact they touched at some point a deal breaker? You could use your butter plate as a separate dish.

The table by yourself may be the biggest challenge. Second (later) seating should make this easier, as first seating fills up. You can request it pre-cruise through the app. You can verify it on Boarding Day at a designated location for dining changes. And you can talk to the ahead Server if it still hasn’t happened after the first dinner.

Disney tends to seat a table with similar demographics people. Age, sailing solo or couples…. If you are solo and young, expect young couples if a shared table. They may be more aware of the challenges of neurodiversity and be understanding. Or they may just be having fun and interacting.

If you are in a Wish class ship, you could eat food from the pool deck. Those locations stay open until around 6. There’s a BBQ-type option and a taco, bowl venue. And always burgers and similar quick service on all ships.

Room service is included. A few dollars tip to the delivering Cast Member is appreciated and recommended by most of us.

…something I have not seen anyone do, but I think would be an acceptable solution: take some containers with lids with you. If everything is overwhelming in the Main Dining Rooms, package your served dinner and take it away. I have seen desserts and other plates going out with lids in them. They don’t serve ”to go” meals, but they understand people who get seasick and can’t finish eating.

 

[sponica]

I think the hardest thing might be the private table, but that's really cruise dependent. Are you going at a super peak time (like a holiday or major vacation week) or are you going in peak hurricane season or somewhere in the middle. I think your best bet for a private table will be in the second seating regardless of time of year.

As for having things on separate plates, I don't think that will be a huge deal, or asking for sauce on the side or things like that shouldn't be too problematic. Unfortunately I was a VERY bad millennial and didn't take any food pictures in the MDR (or I was distracted by my kids). I would do as PP recommended and check out the menus on Disneycruiselineblog so you have an idea of what might work for you and what won't.

 

[Girl of the South]

I really think you’d be way more comfortable avoiding the main dining rooms and getting food around the pool deck or ordering room service. Even a private table is very close to other tables. There is a place that has salads and wraps. You could order some of those, put them in a ZipLock bag, putting them in your room fridge, and eating in your cabin. You can bring some of your own food (unopened, in original packaging). Crackers, peanut butter, nuts, granola bars, etc. Disney Cruises can be quite overwhelming, depending on the time of year. Agree it may not be a good fit.

 

[Dug720]

It will definitely make it easier if you ask to order your food the night before as things are generally mass-prepared - so if you're going to want everything completely separate it would be easier for all involved to have a heads up to prepare it that way.

As most others have said, a solo table is NOT guaranteed. Sometimes they are able to move things around, but not always - even at second seating. The only way I know around that is to book Concierge since unless things have changed Concierge guests are automatically granted their own table. That's a really pricey way to guarantee that though.

Honestly it sounds like Royal may meet your needs better. Even when Cabanas was open in the evening it was not a buffet but an order from a menu location used to train new servers. So even if they decided to open it back up, I don't see them changing from that model.

 

[rinse82]

Unrelated - but I really do wish Cabanas was an option for dinner, like Windjammer is on Royal.

Sometimes you just want to slum it in the buffet lol

 

[jwalk03]

Unrelated - but I really do wish Cabanas was an option for dinner, like Windjammer is on Royal.

Sometimes you just want to slum it in the buffet lol

When did they stop opening Cabanas for Dinner? I know when we went on the Dream back in 2014 we ate dinner at Cabanas one night. But clearly that stopped being offered at some point since then.

 

[Dug720]

When did they stop opening Cabanas for Dinner? I know when we went on the Dream back in 2014 we ate dinner at Cabanas one night. But clearly that stopped being offered at some point since then.

After reopening.

But even before that, Cabanas was NOT a buffet. It was a seated, plated meal ordered from a menu with a server serving you.

 

[Girl of the South]

My family ate there every night on a 7 night because 1. It was quieter. 2. It was quicker. And 3. It had a little salad bar. We didn’t mind the limited menu. It was also nice for solo travelers. And if they start having “dinner shows” I’ll be in my cabin with room service. I just want to eat dinner in peace! (Relatively speaking).

 

[jwalk03]

My family ate there every night on a 7 night because 1. It was quieter. 2. It was quicker. And 3. It had a little salad bar. We didn’t mind the limited menu. It was also nice for solo travelers. And if they start having “dinner shows” I’ll be in my cabin with room service. I just want to eat dinner in peace! (Relatively speaking).

Start having diner shows? They are already have.

 

[Dug720]

My family ate there every night on a 7 night because 1. It was quieter. 2. It was quicker. And 3. It had a little salad bar. We didn’t mind the limited menu. It was also nice for solo travelers. And if they start having “dinner shows” I’ll be in my cabin with room service. I just want to eat dinner in peace! (Relatively speaking).

What did you do the first and last night? It was not open those evenings.

 

[Girl of the South]

The last time I was on, 2 years ago, we just had the Animators Palate thing. Annoying, sorry. Looks like I need to familiarize myself with the Room Service menu. It's a 13 night cruise . . how many nights will there be 'entertainment'???

 

[jwalk03]

The last time I was on, 2 years ago, we just had the Animators Palate thing. Annoying, sorry. Looks like I need to familiarize myself with the Room Service menu. It's a 13 night cruise . . how many nights will there be 'entertainment'???

Depends on the Ship. If you are on the Dream or Fantasy then its just the 2 Animator's Palate shows (Crush & Animation Magic). If you are on the Magic then Animator's Palate & Rapunzel's Royal Table have some dinner entertainment. Wonder has Animator's Palate & Tiana's Place.

The new Triton Class ships have dinner entertainment in Worlds of Marvel & Frozen/Coco/Pride Lands depending which ship)

 

[auntlynne]

The last time I was on, 2 years ago, we just had the Animators Palate thing. Annoying, sorry. Looks like I need to familiarize myself with the Room Service menu. It's a 13 night cruise . . how many nights will there be 'entertainment'???

For a Transatlantic (based on stated 13 nights), you can expect 2 “shows” by Nemo in Animators Palate. Enchanted Garden has one that I know of. Depending on where you are seated, you may not notice the show in this restaurant. Or maybe I left during it. I think we’ve had the ‘Til We Meet Again menu in the last night with a parade of flags carried by the servers. It doesn’t last long and is near the end of the meal.

I don’t know what happens on Pirate Night. I am in Palo.

No show on the Fantasy / Dream have been as loud or long as the Rapunzel show on the Magic.

 

[LAS2AMS]

I think some of you are missing that the OP does not have a food allergy but rather a serious case of OCD. I had a mild/ moderate case (not food related) I spent years in theory to tame. OP’s challenge is just not how the food was handled, but knowing that it was handled a very specific way.

My suggestion to OP would make the breakfast and lunch buffets your primary meals. For dinner, enjoy the poolside snack area where you can see them handle your food. But my recommendation would be to skip DCL altogether since the meal is a huge part of the cruise experience and you pay a heavy premium for DCL.