Dining Rotations & Palo

Brittany Fata

Mouseketeer
Joined
Jul 13, 2018
I’m going on my first Disney Cruise in February on the Magic. It will be a 4 night cruise and I’m thinking of booking Palo.

I want to experience all three main dining rooms, so I wanted to book Palo on whichever night I repeat a dining rotation. How do the dining rotations work on a 4 night cruise?

Would it just be easier to book the brunch instead? Also, can you get the chocolate soufflé at brunch?

Thanks in advance!
 
I’m going on my first Disney Cruise in February on the Magic. It will be a 4 night cruise and I’m thinking of booking Palo.

I want to experience all three main dining rooms, so I wanted to book Palo on whichever night I repeat a dining rotation. How do the dining rotations work on a 4 night cruise?

Would it just be easier to book the brunch instead? Also, can you get the chocolate soufflé at brunch?

Thanks in advance!
Chocolate souffle is not available at Palo brunch. Palo brunch is a relatively hard-to-book event, so if you want that and see it available, go ahead and nab it. Palo dinner is easy to book. You could even wait until you were onboard to see your dining rotation, and then book Palo dinner at that time. Or you could book now, and change your reservation to a different night if needed, once onboard. I changed my Palo dining time for last month's cruise while onboard, the day before my dinner at Palo, with no problem.

Don't assume that because Palo brunch is harder to get, it must be better than Palo dinner. In my opinion, it isn't, but I know opinions vary on this and there are a lot of Palo brunch fans on these boards. Most families eat dinner in the MDR (both for the Disney experience and because their kids can't eat at Palo), so Palo brunch is an easy way for the adults to experience Palo while not skipping the family dinner at the MDR. But imo, Palo dinner is an experience not to be missed. It's so much more peaceful than the MDRs, nice to have a break from those, and the food is very good. Love the chocolate souffle!
 
I’m going on my first Disney Cruise in February on the Magic. It will be a 4 night cruise and I’m thinking of booking Palo.

I want to experience all three main dining rooms, so I wanted to book Palo on whichever night I repeat a dining rotation. How do the dining rotations work on a 4 night cruise?

Would it just be easier to book the brunch instead? Also, can you get the chocolate soufflé at brunch?

Thanks in advance!
Historically the 4 night cruises had a 1223 rotation. Mostly. Night 3 being Pirate night. Whether that still holds true, I don't know.
 
Historically the 4 night cruises had a 1223 rotation. Mostly. Night 3 being Pirate night. Whether that still holds true, I don't know.

It's been true lately, but even DCL doesn't seem to know the dining rotations for a particular cruise very far in advance.
 


Chocolate souffle is not available at Palo brunch. Palo brunch is a relatively hard-to-book event, so if you want that and see it available, go ahead and nab it. Palo dinner is easy to book. You could even wait until you were onboard to see your dining rotation, and then book Palo dinner at that time. Or you could book now, and change your reservation to a different night if needed, once onboard. I changed my Palo dining time for last month's cruise while onboard, the day before my dinner at Palo, with no problem.

Don't assume that because Palo brunch is harder to get, it must be better than Palo dinner. In my opinion, it isn't, but I know opinions vary on this and there are a lot of Palo brunch fans on these boards. Most families eat dinner in the MDR (both for the Disney experience and because their kids can't eat at Palo), so Palo brunch is an easy way for the adults to experience Palo while not skipping the family dinner at the MDR. But imo, Palo dinner is an experience not to be missed. It's so much more peaceful than the MDRs, nice to have a break from those, and the food is very good. Love the chocolate souffle!
Thank you! I love brunch so I think I will try to book it because it’s hard to come by so I at least have it. But I might try to do the dinner as well. I feel better knowing that it’s not that hard to book a reservation for dinner on the ship!
 
Historically the 4 night cruises had a 1223 rotation. Mostly. Night 3 being Pirate night. Whether that still holds true, I don't know.
It's been true lately, but even DCL doesn't seem to know the dining rotations for a particular cruise very far in advance.

Thank you both! If the rotation is 1223, with 3 being Pirate night, do you think it would be better to miss the regular menu in the MDR or the pirate night in the MDR?

Or do you recommend not missing either and just doing Palo brunch?

Thanks!
 
Thank you both! If the rotation is 1223, with 3 being Pirate night, do you think it would be better to miss the regular menu in the MDR or the pirate night in the MDR?

Or do you recommend not missing either and just doing Palo brunch?

Thanks!

Since you've never had any of the menus, then I'd go for brunch. But if you'd rather have dinner, then skip pirate night. I like that menu, but it seems to be the least popular menu around here, so I guess it's better to keep 2's signature menu and skip the pirates. You'll miss a small "buccaneer takeover" show, but it's really nothing special.
 


Thank you both! If the rotation is 1223, with 3 being Pirate night, do you think it would be better to miss the regular menu in the MDR or the pirate night in the MDR?

Or do you recommend not missing either and just doing Palo brunch?

Thanks!
My preference is brunch in any case. But, for first time DCL cruisers, I always advise doing all the dining room options so you can make your own informed choice as to what to skip the next cruise.
 
Since you've never had any of the menus, then I'd go for brunch. But if you'd rather have dinner, then skip pirate night. I like that menu, but it seems to be the least popular menu around here, so I guess it's better to keep 2's signature menu and skip the pirates. You'll miss a small "buccaneer takeover" show, but it's really nothing special.
My preference is brunch in any case. But, for first time DCL cruisers, I always advise doing all the dining room options so you can make your own informed choice as to what to skip the next cruise.

Thank you both! I think I will try for a brunch reservation and maybe contemplate dinner only if I can’t get in for brunch!
 
Thank you both! If the rotation is 1223, with 3 being Pirate night, do you think it would be better to miss the regular menu in the MDR or the pirate night in the MDR?

3 wuld not be Pirate Night. It would be one of the nights in the second dining room.
 
Just got off Dream today. We were 1233. However, Thanksgiving was the last night so that might have caused a variation.
 
I was wondering about the same thing for a 4-nighter I have planned on the Wonder in Feb. I have Palo dinner (& brunch!) booked but definitely do not want to miss Tiana's Place so I wanted to request my rotation but DCL said they won't even be out for my sail date until January which is pretty late IMO for a Feb. cruise! This is the first cruise my DD's will be old enough to join us at Palo and they are going to be so excited (Christmas surprise sailing). Brunch is for a date with hubby. Never been but also not that excited about it either. For those of you who love the brunch can you explain why exactly?
 
For those of you who love the brunch can you explain why exactly?
Mostly because the food at brunch is more in line with what I like to eat. The food at dinner is more in the Italian line and I'm not totally enamored of that. Of course, all that's based on my pre-COVID cruises, I haven't been since there have been changes to the brunch due to COVID protocols.
 

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