Can you skip the dining?

[Evoga]

For the first time I am looking at a Disney cruise. Everything seems great apart from we are not a family who sit down to fine dining in restaurants as my tastes are unrefined. I prefer the basic buffet type as I admit I am not very adventurous food wise.

Is it ok to not visit the main dining places and if so do you have to inform your assigned server?

Thanks for any help as it is information overload when you haven't been on a cruise before.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Yes, but buffets are not offered for dinner. You can get pretty basic fare in the dining rooms. Cabana's becomes a sitdown restaurant for dinner offering some of the same meals from the dining rooms.

 

[Yokelridesagain]

You could, if you chose to do so, avoid the main dining rooms every night. Be aware, however, that there is no buffet option during the dinner hours on DCL, so you would be left with the fast food offerings on the pool deck (in general, pizza, hamburgers/hot dogs, chicken fingers, and maybe some sandwich options).

It would be courteous to inform your dining room team if you did not intend to appear for dinner at any time. Be aware, however, that they will keep a dining team assigned to you throughout the cruise in the event that you decide to come. Many feel that you should pay the gratuity ($8pp, per night) assigned to the dining room staff regardless of how little you utilize their services as these same staff work throughout the ship (including the breakfast/lunch buffets), and this is their primary means of compensation.

Avoiding the dining rooms, however, seems unnecessary. They will make you the most basic, unadorned steak/chicken/fish options you could want.

 

[wilkeliza]

Yes you can skip but the only dinner offering that isn't a sit down plated meal is the pool food.

You could also do room service.

 

[dcassetta]

For the first time I am looking at a Disney cruise. Everything seems great apart from we are not a family who sit down to fine dining in restaurants as my tastes are unrefined. I prefer the basic buffet type as I admit I am not very adventurous food wise.

Is it ok to not visit the main dining places and if so do you have to inform your assigned server?

Thanks for any help as it is information overload when you haven't been on a cruise before.

Please don't be concerned at the thought of fine dining. The main dining rooms do an excellent job of meeting the needs of all guests. Simply prepared chicken, pork, fish or beef can be prepared for you and your family.

 

[wilkeliza]

Also it isn't really a special request. Each menu has a plainer section to it. Usually a steak cooked in butter, baked chicken, mashed potatos or other veggie as the side.

Also you can wear pretty much whater to the MDR so don't let thay stop you either. The suggestion is a polo and slacks or khaki shorts but you won't be turned away in t-shirts and shorts or anything like that.

 

[shoes99]

Please don't be concerned at the thought of fine dining. The main dining rooms do an excellent job of meeting the needs of all guests. Simply prepared chicken, pork, fish or beef can be prepared for you and your family.

Adults can also order from the kids menu, and kids can order from the adult menu. I always ask for a kids menu as some of the selections are pretty good.. If its your first cruise, don't skip the dining rooms at least for the first night, then you can decide .

 

[PrincessShmoo]

For the first time I am looking at a Disney cruise. Everything seems great apart from we are not a family who sit down to fine dining in restaurants as my tastes are unrefined. I prefer the basic buffet type as I admit I am not very adventurous food wise.

Is it ok to not visit the main dining places and if so do you have to inform your assigned server?

Thanks for any help as it is information overload when you haven't been on a cruise before.

As to the bolded - the main dining rooms are not fine dining. More like an Olive Garden or like restaurant. Certainly no reason not to attend them. As noted, there is always a "lighter fare" option available, or the kid's menu (yes, I've ordered off that also).

For example (from the Animator's Palate menu on the Fantasy) you'll see both the lighter fare and vegetarian offerings:


Or if nothing there interests you, just have a talk with your serving team. They will work with you. On our last cruise the table next to us just told their server "whatever the chef wants to prepare" and every night they got something (off menu) and shared by the table (family style).

 

[Otimon]

We never eat in the main dining rooms. Usually Palo the first evening, Cabanas table service the middle nights of the cruise, and we enjoy room service
the last evening. We still tip the main dining room servers as though we had eaten there and bring their tips to the final restaurant the last evening.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

For the first time I am looking at a Disney cruise. Everything seems great apart from we are not a family who sit down to fine dining in restaurants as my tastes are unrefined. I prefer the basic buffet type as I admit I am not very adventurous food wise.

Is it ok to not visit the main dining places and if so do you have to inform your assigned server?

Thanks for any help as it is information overload when you haven't been on a cruise before.

I don't want to try to talk you into something you're uncomfortable doing but I strongly suggest not skipping the MDR. As others have said, there is the "Light Fare" menu that has steak, baked chicken and fish with basic sides. You can also order adult portions of the kids menu, there were some nights I ordered an appetizer or salad from the adult menu and kids pizza with Mac and Cheese.
Also, keep in mind the MDR is a great place to try foods you'd never try any place else. If you don't like something the servers will gladly bring you something else. I tried frog legs a few weeks ago, (different cruise line), and found out they taste like chicken.

Animators Palette becomes an attraction, not just a dinner, on some nights that you really shouldn't miss. There's a good chance you could end up regretting not going if you skip the MDR's.

 

[cedricandsophie]

I'm not sure why people Skip the MDRs. You can order what you want but it's more about the ambiance, getting to know your gracious and charming servers and just enjoying all the ship has to offer. We have been on 17 Disney cruises. I haven't skipped an MDR once. It is part of the Disney experience.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We have been on 17 Disney cruises. I haven't skipped an MDR once.

The only times in 11 cruises we've skipped the MDRs were 2 Palo dinners and one time DH was quarantined.

Beyond that, I've yet to get tired of them.

We really had plans to give Cabanas a try on our recent cruise, but it didn't happen. Maybe one day.

 

[Starwind]

I am not an adventurous eater (I don't like spicy things and I don't like a lot of flavours that are added to foods: simple and bland and a limited range of acceptable foods are my thing) and when combined with multiple severe food allergies, my dining choices are often rather limited.

But I really like the MDRs. I often eat off the "lighter fare" menu others have noted, and am quite content with a chicken breast or steak with steamed rice and steamed veggies, along with a soup and bread. Sometimes desert. My sister does likewise many nights and sometimes will venture into the kids menu.

Although I often have to do it because of allergies, if I don't want a sauce something comes with I will ask that it be left off or a substitute be used. I mix-up sides -- a side from one entree to go with a different entree.

We have sailed with Disney on 4 cruises and quite enjoyed our serving team each time. We spent time talking with them, they showed us how to do some of the tricks they do for adults and kids (we are two adults). Relaxing, enjoyable. Fancier than a home meal because of the setting, but not "fine dining" on the scale I am familiar with -- I have been to a very fancy, with a strict dress code (I actually had a buy a dress for it because I didn't have one suitable), restaurant with a fixed 7 course meal that has to be ordered in advance fancy restaurant before and quite honestly, thought it was a tremendous waste of money and certainly not worth the cost, though I am sure "foodies" would probably disagree; just THAT type of dining is NOT my thing at all. The MDRs are not like that IME.

Finally, a couple tips:

You can find copies of the menus online. This will give you a good idea of what to expect and what you might like to have or to try or to mix and match.

Once you are on the ship, if you have a smartphone or tablet with the DCL app, you can go into it and actually view the menus for all the restaurants for the all the meals for the entire cruise. My sister and I spend some time our first day browsing the menus (since we then know our rotation) and seeing what we will be having where and such which helps us plan. If we know one night dinner will be kind of light, we may stop by late in the afternoon and getting a pizza or snack on the pool deck so we are not as hungry come late dinner.

Also, because of food allergies we actually order our meals after dinner for the next day, and that process goes SOOOO much faster if I have already looked everything up using the app -- I just have to glance at the menus the server gives me to confirm no changes and we can quickly place the order, instead of having to READ the menu and DECIDE among the options -- I have already spent my time doing that during the day or even during some of the downtime of dinner (yes we are that family that will bring our phones to dinner, but to do things like plan the next day together or check the next days menu, and we are both ok with that).

SW

 

[Sytrace]

For our family it is more about the atmosphere and fun than it is about the food. We are not "foodies" by any stretch of the imagination but we make it a habit to try a different food each time. Then we go back to our favorites. In 8 (soon to be 9) cruises we have skipped the MDR twice. We went to Cabanas for dinner once and had dinner on the pool deck the other and both times felt like we were missing out on all the fun.
My 14 year old loves the steak on the lighter fare menu and will order it every night for dinner with white rice. By the third evening, it is more of a verification of her order than it is actually placing it. lol
My 13 year old son will order from the kids menu if nothing appeals to him on the adult menu. Or the chicken from the lighter fare menu.
My 50 year old boy prefers salad. Sometimes he will get an entrée but most times it is salad. Except on lobster night when he goes all out and the servers are amazed that he can actually eat as much as that.
And I, well, I like to try different food that I would never bother to cook at home or that I have never tried and would not purchase in a restaraunt at home. I hate seafood (I know..I am an oddball) The very smell of it when I walk past it on a buffet line makes me turn green. And I am always careful to sit catty corner to my husband on lobster night. But I have found several favorites that now I stick with those unless there is something new on the menu (which hasn't happened yet)

If you do not plan to attend dinner in the MDR, just let the servers know so that they don't delay service to others at your table or at their group of tables.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Also, you can request a table by yourselves in the MDRs if you're not comfortable sitting with others. Most times the request is granted.

 

[Agent 86]

I'd recommend at least trying the main dining rooms. They're not "fine dining" in any true sense of the word, other than the exceptional level of service which you will receive. You can basically wear whatever you want and order whatever you want (within reason).

Also, don't be afraid to ask the servers to explain the meals to you. Some of the meals use ... "fancy" (at least to me) names to explain relatively basic dishes. If you're not sure about what something is, just ask them to describe it.

Also, if you order something and don't like it, you can simply order something else. You can also order half-size portions if you're unsure about whether you will like a dish and just want to try it. Basically, the servers will bend over backwards to accommodate you.

Although we don't have any children (yet), it's clear that they also work really hard to make the children happy and it could be a fun and entertaining experience for children (if you have any) in the main dining rooms.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

You can also order half-size portions

Not always. If an item on the menu has a definite size (like a lobster tail) you can't get a 1/2 portion. Some things they can make smaller.

 

[Hundredacre]

It is your cruise. If you want to skip it, skip it! You do not have to tell your servers. It is a bummer that there is not a buffet for dinner. You can always do room service.

 

[TrySomethingNew]

Good luck with whatever you decide! You won't starve!

While I agree with above posters: try it once at least, etc. I do know a few people that really are not "food motivated". Food sustains, but is otherwise fairly uninteresting to them, and of course I know a few that really just enjoy basic foods, so I can relate a bit to your situation. We've enjoyed our MDR experiences, but have never had the stellar servers mentioned by many on DIS (although no horror stories either). It is worth at least a shot to try it out if you feel the basic (no frill-lighter fare) menu will satisfy.

 

[Evoga]

Thank you so much for the replies.

As I have never been on a cruise before I imagined the dining options would be more akin to eating at Victoria and Albert in the Grand Floridian. After looking at some reviews I can see the food and dining atmosphere aren't as reserved as I had mistakenly thought and I will gladly eat with the family in the dining rooms.

My next 'problem' I foresee is enjoying the 4 day cruise so much that we end up booking a longer cruise each year.

Off to read though the past helpful posts on this forum to increase my knowledge of Disney cruise ships and activities.