Does everyone do palo's???

[kajohn]

We leave in two weeks for our trip on the Magic, with our 3 DS's (9,7,5). This is our first cruise with the kids, and it is replacing our biannual trip to WDW. We never go off without the kids when in WDW, and don't have much desire to do it on a cruise either.

We have taken two trips without the kids within the past year, 4 days to Las Vegas, and a 7 day cruise to Alaska, so we feel this trip is for the kids, and want to spend as much time with them as they will let us.

Am I alone out there in not planning to eat at Palo's?

Also, my husband hates crowds and lines, so I wasn't planning on getting to the terminal till 12:30 or 1:00, so we won't be able to do the ressie scramble anyway.

If I find that my DH and I have a lot of free time because the kids love the clubs, would it be possible to get a reservation for a brunch later in the week, maybe from cancellations or something?

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

Yes, I'm not a crowd/hassle person either, but the "Ressies Scramble" is worth it so that you can get your first choice of reservations or spa treatments. Once it's over and you've done the Lifeboat Drill, you can really relax and enjoy your week. I <b><i>highly</i></b> recommend getting a reservation for the brunch. You can enjoy that during the day while the kids are in the clubs. If you find they don't want to spend that time in the clubs, you can always cancel. I do understand not wanting to spend a dinnertime away from them, so I think the brunch is a good option for you and I'm quite sure you'd enjoy it.

 

[musicgirl]

I don't think you are alone. We went on the 3-day last year with our ds, now 12. We all spend alot of time together at home and
we're just used to it I guess. Also, I'm sure the food is wonderful, but after looking at the menu at Palo's, we didn't think we would like it. This is just because we are very plain eaters. We do not cook or eat fancy at home. My dh would probably be ok with it, but I know I wouldn't. We're going again in June and I'm sure we'll all eat together. Enjoy!

 

[GenieDana]

We will be cruising on our 15th Anneversary (just so happens we will arrive in Cozumel on June 11th, where we honeymooned 15 years ago). It's also my husband's Birthday.

I too am not planning on Palo's, unless someone can convince me it's really worth it. We don't like the hustle and bustle either.

Is it the food? (I've eaten in the best Italian restaraunts in NYC, Orlando and Miami, so that's a hard act to follow). Is it the atmospher? Is it the entertainment?

Please explain?

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

Originally posted by GenieDana

Is it the food? (I've eaten in the best Italian restaraunts in NYC, Orlando and Miami, so that's a hard act to follow).

The food is <b><i>far</i></b> superior to the food in the main dining rooms. And the coffee is far superior. And during the brunch, the orange juice is <b><i>so</i></b> superior, it defies comparison.

Is it the atmospher?

The atmosphere is quite pleasant, especially during the day.

Is it the entertainment?

No. There's no entertainment.

 

[CamColt]

You arent alone. We did our first Disney cruise with our kids and we didnt go to Palos. Our second one was without the kids, and it was to do all the things we couldnt do with the kids. So, Palo was top priority! And it was so worth the wait.

 

[inkkognito]

Interestingly, although we are major Palo fans now, when we first started cruising on Disney, we didn't bother to do it for our first several cruises. The menus in the regular restaurants were a lot different (more "gourmet" type selections...they are now more geared to families and meat-&-potatoes types), so we never wanted to give one of them up for Palo. Of course, when we finally did try it, we fell in love!
But that's not to say you would have to feel bad about missing it. There are still times when we skip it...we may do so on our upcoming (Feb.) cruise because we are still working our way through the new Wonder menus. We used to always skip Parrot Cay, but that's gone from my least favorite to my most favorite.
Even on the 7-day, the only Palo experience I would absolutely NOT miss is High Tea (hubby's opinion would differ, as he loves the brunch). Palo is fantastic, but there are so many other great options as well. It's not a matter of feeling bad about missing something...it's a matter of prioritizing those great experiences.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[sandygirl]

I agree with Barb. You can't do everything, nor will you want to do everything, so plan your time to your preferences. We did not leave our DD, who was 3 on our first cruise, for any meals. Our 2nd cruise she was 4 and we did the Brunch. It was wonderful! Definately my favorite.

This year we did the Brunch and dinner. I had filet mignon. The food was fantastic. The service was wonderful. And I got to eat my entire dinner all by myself without sharing anything and without being interrupted. Just having a complete conversation with my husband was worth it.

My favorite remains the Brunch. We haven't tried the tea. I didn't feel I was missing anything on our first sailing, I'm glad we experienced Palo's, but I won't die if I don't go on the next sailing.

Enjoy whatever you decide!

 

[Tink Fans]

I was just reading the Nov. '02 Navigators I printed out and noticed the times for making ressies was 3:00. Thought it was earlier and was wondering if maybe this particular day was the delayed sailing due to the norwalk virus.

If so, can you make them as soon as you board the ship?
Last time we sailed I didn't make any reservations at Palo and would like to try for brunch and dinner. Trying to get it all straight.

Thanks.

 

[prymsu]

after two disney cruises, i have yet to make to Palo's for dinner. maybe someday...

 

[meab]

i'd like to try dinner at Palo's on our upcoming Wonder cruise...mostly just to see what all the fuss is about. I like good food (we eat "fancier" at home than most people), but I have actually never eaten at one of the finer restaurants at WDW. I figure for $5pp+tip, it's well worth it to give it a shot.

On the other hand, DH doesn't want to leave DD (20 months) at Flounder's. Not because he doesn't trust them, but because he feels we should do stuff together as a family. I am a SAHM, so I am always doing things with her, so I have a slightly different opinion.

So we're just playing Palo by ear - if DD is particularly clingy, then we'll skip it. But, if she seems open to trying out Flounder's (I explained it to DH as the opportunity to have fun and play with other kids, which she might enjoy), then count us in at Palo.

It is good to hear that not everyone goes to Palo, and they still have a wonderful time and enjoy the food. Now, just a few days and I'll get to dig into those jumbo shrimp!

 

[tiptoen]

Each time we have been we have our 11yr old. He likes to do everything on the ship that he can. He really likes different foods too. I just couldn't enjoy myself knowing he would like to be there with us. Hey only 7 more years to go.

 

[CruisinKate]

I have a funny story

We have two kids (12, 10). We really got talked into our first cruise by the DS, who had a classmate go. The husband and I reluctantly agreed after much badgering on son's part. We skipped Palos, although everyone said you have to go, the food is fabulous. We liked the regular dining room food and enjoyed our meals. Had a great cruise, booked two more cruises

The second cruise, we made dinner reservations at Palos to give it a try. We had excellent service, an incredible meal. A very good wine. The husband who travels quite a bit and eats out at very nice restaurants, gets the bill. He looks at it and then at me and says in this shocked voice "Do you know how much this meal cost?" I was laughing I said "Yes, $10." He said "Why does anyone ever eat in the regular dining rooms?" It was very funny at the time. Next cruise, we will try to make as many Palo reservations as we can The husband and I don't do much without the kids, we don't eat out that much. I'm a stay at home Mom. I volunteer at school. The kids can do without us for a few meals

Kate

 

[pbans]

I think Palos is one of the things that makes Disney so wonderful....and no, we didn't eat there.
DH and I both work very hectic jobs...the time with our daughter was priceless...seeing her dressed up for the night at Triton's was beyond compare....BUT Palos was there for those adult's that wanted the experience.
NEXT Disney cruise my best friend and I have decided to send the dh's to Skybox and we'll enjoy some incredible girlfriend time at Palos!

 

[nedleycan]

We loved Palo a lot! We too eat quite gourmet (both at home and restaurants) and found Palo to be fantastic! My husband (who also travels a fair bit and gets treated to 5-star dining) said "do the cruise ships get rated against the top restaurants in North America? Cause if they do, Palo should be in that list." Maybe it was our food choices (you can't miss the Portabello Mushroom - unreal!) or maybe our server (she was great!) but mainly I would say it was the absense of kids. It made it a very special evening for us.
Give it a try. Your kids would probably love to have some time in the club/lab. The time alone isn't just for the adults, it is for the kids too! I would be afraid that they will feel like they are missing out on something if they don't participate in some of the kid's activities.

 

[kajohn]

nedleycan, Thanks for your input. I do plan on letting my kids choose what they want out of the kids clubs, they can do as much or as little as they want, however, I don't want to force them to go if it isn't something they are interested in just so we can eat.

I definetly don't want to miss a dinner with them However, my husband and I talked tonight, and I think we will try for the brunch on Monday or Thursday if we can get it. If the kids are willing to go to the clubs we will go, and if they don't like them than we will cancel. As I said before, we had 7 glorious days last summer in Alaska to do Portofino's (RCCL equivalent), which was wonderful, and all the other adult things, so this trip is all for the kids.

Does anyone know how fast the brunch reservations fill up? We probably won't be boarding till around 1 or 1:30. Will I still be able to get a reservation?

 

[Michelle]

Only you can decide what is best for your family, but we ALWAYS do Palo. Our daughter loves to eat with the kids in the club and adults deserve a night alone too. We do dinner AND brunch on the 7-night cruise. The food is by far the best on the ship and the service is top-notch.

I agree that the cruise is for family and for the kids too, and for us this works perfectly. Our DD loves her time in the Lab and we love our occasional alone time too.

 

[ennazus]

On our first cruise I wasn't sure if my ds would like the clubs and I didn't want to make a reservation and have to 'force' him into the club. LMHO!! I was soooo wrong.

HE LOVED THE LAB!! Silly me! I should have made reservations.... probably will do it the next time around.

 

[SraRaton]

Palos is lovely. Palos is extremely lovely and I have a fairly advanced palate. The lighting is too bright in my opinion, but the food ranks extremely high and the service is divine. Our main dining room service was perfect, but I felt like royalty at Palos!!!

What we did is go to dinner with our children and had an appetizer and a drink while the kids ate dinner. Then, as they wanted to do every night we were on the Ship, the kids went to the club for some fun party, playtime, or event and we went to Palos and ate a romatic dinner a deaux!

We did brunch later in the week and it is overwhelming. Wonderful and enough food to feed the entire ship!!! Twice.

We do not believe in using daycare for our children (currently ages 8 & 5 - they were 6 & 4 on our last Disney cruise). Mine have always been at home, and then at school. They do not go to aftercare and camp and we do not overschedule their activites.

THEY HAD A BLAST AT THE CLUB!!!! We had to beg them to stay with us one evening to be together as a family. Look at the navigators (Barb's site has them www.castawayclub.com) and you can see that the evenings are just too much fun!! We had to drag our 6 year old out everynight at 10:00pm (His normal bedtime is 8:00) under severe protest. We spent our days together as a family, but had some evening grownup time.

It was just fantastic!!!

Try Palos - eat with the kids and then let them have fun while you have fun!!!!

 

[tlens]

We decided not to do Palo on our upcoming May cruise because I have concerns about how the kids eat while in the clubs. My DD will be 3.5 and eats a wide variety of things but sometimes needs a little pushing if things are exciting around her. How do they get all these kids fed? How do they choose the food? If this is a stupid question I apologize but I really don't know.