Can I do this?

[bumbershoot]

That can cause some issues if you have a large table that switches seats every night . On our first cruise, our servers quickly wised up and just had all the drinks sitting on a service tray near our table until everyone started showing up. We changed our seating arrangements every night.

We change our drinks every night too. So the "same drink every night" thing irritates me. And they lose out if they assume that no drink order on night 1 means I never want something. Alas we've only had one drinks server in four dcl sailings get that.

I have seen the kids mac and cheese.. it doesn't look very good. Is it?

It looks different depending on what restaurant you're in. Nothing looks appetizing in Dream's AP, for instance. But it's actually decent. Better than the vegetarian pirate night menu, in our opinion!

 

[3fish]

I thought I was the only one that did this!!

My hubby and I have received a few interesting looks when we're at the dining table doing the maze or word scramble together. Then I top the night off with a mickey and sprinkles, they're faces are priceless! I'm sure they're wishing they had thought of it!

 

[CamColt]

I believe the mac and cheese is Stouffers. If it is not, it's pretty close.

 

[SonicGuy]

I have seen the kids mac and cheese.. it doesn't look very good. Is it?

My 7 year old just got done eating 7 days of mac n cheese at every meal. The servers brought him HUGE servings of it

 

[taishartrueblood]

I have no problem believing kids like it, I have 2 nephews and they both enjoy it.. just didn't know that it would appeal to an adult palate. I will have to steal some of their's this year

 

[A_Princess'_Daddy]

Also, once you order a soda or beverage at dinner once, you will find it on your table the next nights as well. I order a Diet Coke and my son orders apple juice the first night. Every night after that without fail, there is a diet coke and apple juice on the table waiting for us.
AND they put it at the same location at the table that we sat at the night before. Attention to detail is the key here, I think, and our servers have been VERY detail oriented.

Conversely, and I realize I am likely in the minority on this one, this was one of the most annoying things on our last several DCL cruises because my family likes to change our orders without feeling like we have offended our servers. Ordering cranberry juice on the first night did not mean that my daughter wanted it every night, and the same goes for my ordering of Diet Coke and my wife's sparkling water. When we changed our orders the next night, it became an ordeal to reassure the servers that they had not done anything wrong, we just wanted different beverages. We even told them that our orders would vary each night and so they did not need to pre-set the table, but on night three, there were the beverages from the prior night all laid out again, and again it was a hassle to explain why we wanted different drinks. And so on for a seven night cruise. It became a running joke, but also annoying to feel like we were somehow "in the wrong" because we could not commit to drinking the same beverage every night. Part of me feels like it is almost laziness, as it allows them to preset the tables rather than take our orders, making it easier for them but not optimal for us.

Different strokes for different folks, I suppose.

 

[taishartrueblood]

They might be required to do it too?

 

[rwjx2kahaj]

Just wanted to add one thing -- if you use the Disney Navigator App, the menus including the kids menus are on there. So the picky eaters can check out the offerings on the regular menu and on the kids menu before getting to dinner.

The app also allows you to look at all the menus for a given night. If there's something being served in another MDR that you'd rather have you can feel free to order it.

 

[Sytrace]

Conversely, and I realize I am likely in the minority on this one, this was one of the most annoying things on our last several DCL cruises because my family likes to change our orders without feeling like we have offended our servers. Ordering cranberry juice on the first night did not mean that my daughter wanted it every night, and the same goes for my ordering of Diet Coke and my wife's sparkling water. When we changed our orders the next night, it became an ordeal to reassure the servers that they had not done anything wrong, we just wanted different beverages. We even told them that our orders would vary each night and so they did not need to pre-set the table, but on night three, there were the beverages from the prior night all laid out again, and again it was a hassle to explain why we wanted different drinks. And so on for a seven night cruise. It became a running joke, but also annoying to feel like we were somehow "in the wrong" because we could not commit to drinking the same beverage every night. Part of me feels like it is almost laziness, as it allows them to preset the tables rather than take our orders, making it easier for them but not optimal for us.

Different strokes for different folks, I suppose.

Laziness is not a word I would put into a sentence about Disney cruise cast members. Especially, when they are trying their best to make sure that I and my family are having a good time. Also, I am taking into consideration that they work 12 to 14 hours a day and come into contact with large numbers of people every sailing.
It is my thought that if it helps them to have my drink set and ready to go (much less remembered what drink I prefer _ I am going to appreciate it.
However, if I wanted another type of drink nightly, then by all means I have no doubt that they would be willing and able to bring it to me. And if I didn't drink the diet coke that I usually would have, and drank something else, then that would be okay as well.

But yes, different strokes for different folks is a good rule of thumb.

 

[Flossbolna]

Conversely, and I realize I am likely in the minority on this one, this was one of the most annoying things on our last several DCL cruises because my family likes to change our orders without feeling like we have offended our servers. Ordering cranberry juice on the first night did not mean that my daughter wanted it every night, and the same goes for my ordering of Diet Coke and my wife's sparkling water. When we changed our orders the next night, it became an ordeal to reassure the servers that they had not done anything wrong, we just wanted different beverages. We even told them that our orders would vary each night and so they did not need to pre-set the table, but on night three, there were the beverages from the prior night all laid out again, and again it was a hassle to explain why we wanted different drinks. And so on for a seven night cruise. It became a running joke, but also annoying to feel like we were somehow "in the wrong" because we could not commit to drinking the same beverage every night. Part of me feels like it is almost laziness, as it allows them to preset the tables rather than take our orders, making it easier for them but not optimal for us.

Different strokes for different folks, I suppose.

I would not call it laziness, but I think it is about efficiency. The more work they can get out of the way before you sit down, the more time they have for other things.

I had an assistant server on my Fantasy cruise who managed to deal with this perfectly. She had all the drinks for us ready to go on a tray at her station before we set down. As soon as we were seated she asked what we wanted and if it was the same, she served it immediately. If someone wanted something else, she would just need to grab the few drinks that were different. I thought this was perfect as it helped her to avoid the huge rush on the drinks stations in the galley but she never made us feel bad about wasting a drink if we did not want the one that she had prepared for us.

 

[Shanti]

I don't want to call DCL up one more time and bother them (because I've already requested a friend's favorite server, let them know I use a cane, and asked that we be seated at a table alone because my grown son is mildly autistic and hates feeling on display when he eats) but is it possible to request a children's menu for an adult and order (particularly starters) off it? Especially since the fussy adult isn't the one with developmental issues. Also is it possible to order plain sides, probably rice and carrots, with entrees? DH (the fussy one) is good at picking around menus and won't starve regardless, but I always like to have strategies in advance.

Also does anyone know if they still offer the character breakfast and what late night snacks are available? We're doing a three day on the Magic.

Thanks!

No character breakfasts on a 3-day Magic cruise. Self-serve soft-serve ice cream is always available on the pool deck.

 

[ahain]

I have seen the kids mac and cheese.. it doesn't look very good. Is it?

My DD loves it! I've read on these boards that DCL uses Stouffers Mac n'Cheese, but I cannot confirm 100%.

 

[taishartrueblood]

DD= daughter?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

DD= daughter?

Yep.

 

[A_Princess'_Daddy]

Laziness is not a word I would put into a sentence about Disney cruise cast members. Especially, when they are trying their best to make sure that I and my family are having a good time. Also, I am taking into consideration that they work 12 to 14 hours a day and come into contact with large numbers of people every sailing.
It is my thought that if it helps them to have my drink set and ready to go (much less remembered what drink I prefer _ I am going to appreciate it.
However, if I wanted another type of drink nightly, then by all means I have no doubt that they would be willing and able to bring it to me. And if I didn't drink the diet coke that I usually would have, and drank something else, then that would be okay as well.

But yes, different strokes for different folks is a good rule of thumb.

It's not as though they are working hard to remember our orders, though. They are writing them down, inputting them into their system, and automating the rest of the cruise's service, rather than engaging us on a nightly basis to ask for our order. On the other hand, if they were working hard to please us, rather than simplifying the process for themselves they would offer each guest the option to have the same beverage each night or to place a drink order at the start of each meal and then adjust their service accordingly, rather than automate it for everybody and put the onus on us to request a different drink if we want it.

What some see as "magical service" I see as taking a shortcut. "Magical service" would be if they magically knew what drink I was going to want each evening and had it waiting, but of course they are not actually magical, they are servers on a cruise ship doing their best to earn a living. And I respect them for it, but that doesn't mean I think that it is my obligation to make their job easier at the expense of my experience. It is literally their job to make sure that my family and I are having a good time, not an extra perk that I should reward them for.

 

[taishartrueblood]

LOL