Marvel Restaurant on the Wish

[BK2014]

We were on the December 5th Wish sailing. It was DW and myself - late 30s/early 40s, no children. A lot of our observations have been well-documented, but one that I don't recall seeing much discussion about is the Marvel restaurant. Admittedly, we are not Marvel fans, but we are not anti-Marvel either. But we felt that this restaurant was not really designed for the non-Marvel fan. And that may seem like a Captain Obvious type observation, but when one of the rotational dining restaurants is dedicated to a specific set of intellectual property, the story/show should be accessible to fans and non-fans alike. As non-Marvel people, we followed the part of the show with Paul Rudd and Brie Larson, but that was only a very small part of the dining experience. The rest of the time the screens showed clips from movies with no context or story, at least not that we could discern. But the worst part for us was the music in the restaurant. I get wanting to set the tone of excitement/adventure/action of the Marvel movies, but it seemed out of place while people were just eating dinner with random movie clips without audio flashed on the screen. DW commented that it felt like we were stuck in a ride queue or pre-show for the entire dinner. As we at at the Marvel restaurant on the last night, it was also our breakfast location on the last morning. The music was being played just as loud as the night before, which really seemed out of place for the last morning breakfast.

For us, we prefer the theme restaurants like 1923, or the MDRs on the Fantasy, which are themed, but don't really require knowledge of a specific movie or set of movies to enjoy. Some of the same things could be said for the Frozen restaurant, but we found that the story told by the characters was easy for people to understand, even if they hadn't seen the movie(s).

Other than some well-documented issues with ship layout and elevators, we did enjoy our cruise on the Wish. I did notice that the survey that you fill out at the end of the cruise did not ask about any of the areas we would like to see improvement in on future ships, like the elevators layout, adult areas, etc. But the service and food were great. The addition of the Cantina to the on-deck food is great.

One last thing that I don't recall seeing mentioned - the pizza place on deck lists a Margherita pizza and a Prosciutto pizza. It took me a while to realize that those slices are only prepared upon request - I kept thinking they were out as I only saw the pepperoni and cheese pizzas. My wife said it was the same for sweet potato fries, available on request.

 

[Lilsia]

This is a "you can't please everyone" situation. I believe that the main purpose of restaurants is the food, everything else is just background. If you don't like watching the clips about the Marvel movies, then talk amongst yourselves like you do at 1923, where there is nothing to see and do. There is something like over 25 Marvel movies and Disney can't go into the whole background of them in that short of time and make it make sense. That is completely unreasonable. The purpose of the clips was to highlight some of their main characters. On one screen, you had their bio and on another, they showed them in a few scenes highlighting their abilities. Not sure what more context you would need. If you were "a Marvel person", you would not have had an issue with the restaurant. So the problem is not with Disney on this, because you just happen to be in the minority in not seeing the movies. It is what it is. I am sure that there are plenty of people that have never seen Frozen and just go with it. None of it would make sense to them either. Why is there a talking snowman? You get what I am saying?

 

[tink1970]

We were on the December 5th Wish sailing. It was DW and myself - late 30s/early 40s, no children. A lot of our observations have been well-documented, but one that I don't recall seeing much discussion about is the Marvel restaurant. Admittedly, we are not Marvel fans, but we are not anti-Marvel either. But we felt that this restaurant was not really designed for the non-Marvel fan. And that may seem like a Captain Obvious type observation, but when one of the rotational dining restaurants is dedicated to a specific set of intellectual property, the story/show should be accessible to fans and non-fans alike. As non-Marvel people, we followed the part of the show with Paul Rudd and Brie Larson, but that was only a very small part of the dining experience. The rest of the time the screens showed clips from movies with no context or story, at least not that we could discern. But the worst part for us was the music in the restaurant. I get wanting to set the tone of excitement/adventure/action of the Marvel movies, but it seemed out of place while people were just eating dinner with random movie clips without audio flashed on the screen. DW commented that it felt like we were stuck in a ride queue or pre-show for the entire dinner. As we at at the Marvel restaurant on the last night, it was also our breakfast location on the last morning. The music was being played just as loud as the night before, which really seemed out of place for the last morning breakfast.

For us, we prefer the theme restaurants like 1923, or the MDRs on the Fantasy, which are themed, but don't really require knowledge of a specific movie or set of movies to enjoy. Some of the same things could be said for the Frozen restaurant, but we found that the story told by the characters was easy for people to understand, even if they hadn't seen the movie(s).

Other than some well-documented issues with ship layout and elevators, we did enjoy our cruise on the Wish. I did notice that the survey that you fill out at the end of the cruise did not ask about any of the areas we would like to see improvement in on future ships, like the elevators layout, adult areas, etc. But the service and food were great. The addition of the Cantina to the on-deck food is great.

One last thing that I don't recall seeing mentioned - the pizza place on deck lists a Margherita pizza and a Prosciutto pizza. It took me a while to realize that those slices are only prepared upon request - I kept thinking they were out as I only saw the pepperoni and cheese pizzas. My wife said it was the same for sweet potato fries, available on request.

Funny you should mention the Frozen restaurant-DH had never seen it and yet was able to get the big picture pretty easily. We were on b2b and skipped Marvel both nights because we're not fans and enjoyed sweet potato fries instead

 

[BK2014]

So the problem is not with Disney on this, because you just happen to be in the minority in not seeing the movies. It is what it is. I am sure that there are plenty of people that have never seen Frozen and just go with it. None of it would make sense to them either. Why is there a talking snowman? You get what I am saying?

I do get what you are saying. And I wasn't necessarily saying it was a problem, it was just our observations. I don't know that it is safe to assume that the majority of people have seen the movies, whether we are talking about the population at large, or just the DCL crowd. It was just our observation that the entertainment at the Frozen restaurant was more accessible to people that may not be familiar with the story. And when the story wasn't being told at the Frozen restaurant, the music wasn't overbearing.

 

[Douglas Dubh]

I was on that sailing too, but we had Marvel on night 2 and for pirate night on night 3. As someone who has seen every MCU movie and show, I enjoyed it more than Animator’s Palate. But I imagine if someone cruised on the Wish a lot it could get boring, and wouldn’t be as interesting to someone who hasn’t watched the Marvel stuff.

 

[Lilsia]

I do get what you are saying. And I wasn't necessarily saying it was a problem, it was just our observations. I don't know that it is safe to assume that the majority of people have seen the movies, whether we are talking about the population at large, or just the DCL crowd. It was just our observation that the entertainment at the Frozen restaurant was more accessible to people that may not be familiar with the story. And when the story wasn't being told at the Frozen restaurant, the music wasn't overbearing.

I think that it is safe to say that a lot more people have seen the Marvel movies than have seen frozen. That's for sure. The Marvel movies are huge, there is no denying that. I can't comment on the volume of the music since that could have been just something that was off on your cruise. I don't recall the music being exceptionally loud and you are the first person that I have seen make that comment. So someone could have just turned the volume too loud on your sailing.

 

[MomOTwins]

I have only seen a few marvel movies but I liked the whole thing. The clips were like mini biographies of each character—explaining their story. Found it very accessible and entertaining.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

OP makes some great points. Not a huge Marvel fan (seen less than half of the movies maybe) but thought the dinner experience was a blast. But also, very one-and-done. For a repeat cruise on the Wish, not sure I'd feel the need to do it again. But what other options does one have for dinner that's not your designated MDR? Pizza, room service, and a specialty IF you're lucky enough to score a res?

 

[Douglas Dubh]

OP makes some great points. Not a huge Marvel fan (seen less than half of the movies maybe) but thought the dinner experience was a blast. But also, very one-and-done. For a repeat cruise on the Wish, not sure I'd feel the need to do it again. But what other options does one have for dinner that's not your designated MDR? Pizza, room service, and a specialty IF you're lucky enough to score a res?

On the Wish, there’s also a smokehouse and a taco bar available on the pool deck.

 

[Lilsia]

On the Wish, there’s also a smokehouse and a taco bar available on the pool deck.

Those close at 6 so get there before that.

 

[Lilsia]

OP makes some great points. Not a huge Marvel fan (seen less than half of the movies maybe) but thought the dinner experience was a blast. But also, very one-and-done. For a repeat cruise on the Wish, not sure I'd feel the need to do it again. But what other options does one have for dinner that's not your designated MDR? Pizza, room service, and a specialty IF you're lucky enough to score a res?

But you can say that about several of the restaurants across the fleet. At least you have something to look at when dining at Marvel if you want. On the Dream and the Fantasy, only AP has any kind of show. The other two are just pretty. You go for the food, any entertainment is just a bonus. It seems as if the people that don't care for Marvel movies have a really strong objection to this restaurant. It comes off as personal in a way. "I don't like it so it horrible" type of vibes. You really don't hear that from those who don't really care for Frozen. Those people just go and eat and don't really complain about it like those who dislike Marvel. I personally don't understand the hate for Marvel, they are great movies and they clearly are extremely popular. Iron Man has just been added to the National Film registry along with The little Mermaid, When Harry met Sally, and several others.

 

[dwg]

My issue on our recent wish cruise was that the show took too long. We were finished eating and left the restaurant before the show ended. Also generally not impressed with the layout of the restaurant especially a large pillar in the middle of the main aisle that you had to walk around without being able to see behind it.

 

[Marthasor]

Why would a Marvel restaurant be designed for a non-Marvel fan? DCL put this restaurant on the Wish to entice Marvel fans to book. I understand being annoyed if music is too loud, but to complain that a restaurant based on a franchise that you aren't a fan of didn't appeal to you is . . . odd? The restaurant was designed for Marvel fans. I'm not a DC Comics fan, so I would assume I would not like a DC Comics themed restaurant and would probably either avoid going there or just dealing with it so I can eat my dinner. In terms of the clips you understood, are you referring to the Ant Man and Wasp scenes? If so, that was Evangeline Lilly, not Brie Larson.

 

[MomOTwins]

Why would a Marvel restaurant be designed for a non-Marvel fan? DCL put this restaurant on the Wish to entice Marvel fans to book. I understand being annoyed if music is too loud, but to complain that a restaurant based on a franchise that you aren't a fan of didn't appeal to you is . . . odd? The restaurant was designed for Marvel fans. I'm not a DC Comics fan, so I would assume I would not like a DC Comics themed restaurant and would probably either avoid going there or just dealing with it so I can eat my dinner. In terms of the clips you understood, are you referring to the Ant Man and Wasp scenes? If so, that was Evangeline Lilly, not Brie Larson.

Captain Marvel is in some of the scenes too.

 

[BK2014]

Why would a Marvel restaurant be designed for a non-Marvel fan? DCL put this restaurant on the Wish to entice Marvel fans to book. I understand being annoyed if music is too loud, but to complain that a restaurant based on a franchise that you aren't a fan of didn't appeal to you is . . . odd? The restaurant was designed for Marvel fans.

If the restaurant is designed specifically for Marvel fans, and not the entirety of those who sail on the Wish, it should be a specialty restaurant. Instead, its one of the three main dining rotation restaurants to which all guests are assigned for at least one dinner.

It seems as if the people that don't care for Marvel movies have a really strong objection to this restaurant. It comes off as personal in a way. "I don't like it so it horrible" type of vibes. You really don't hear that from those who don't really care for Frozen. Those people just go and eat and don't really complain about it like those who dislike Marvel. I personally don't understand the hate for Marvel, they are great movies and they clearly are extremely popular.

I made some observations based on my experience as one who has not seen the Marvel movies. And I agree, and said in my original post, that some of the same things could be said about the Frozen restaurant. I didn't call the Marvel movies, or the restaurant, horrible. I also never said that they were bad movies, or discounted that they are extremely popular. But the reality is, that as popular as the movies are, they do not appeal to everyone. The only real complaint I had about the restaurant was the volume of the music. But for us, the level and intensity of the music did not match what was happening on the screens or in the restaurant. I realize that is not the opinion of everyone else.

Regarding the rest of it, I simply feel that they could have put something on the screen between the Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly bits that was more interesting than what it was. My point was never that they shouldn't have the Marvel restaurant, but rather that they are missing an opportunity to draw in people who may not yet be fans. People like DW and I, who simply haven't seen the movies up to this point, but may not know where to jump in given the number of movies, characters, and story lines.

In terms of the clips you understood, are you referring to the Ant Man and Wasp scenes? If so, that was Evangeline Lilly, not Brie Larson.

Thank you for correcting me. I obviously don't know much about these movies.

My issue on our recent wish cruise was that the show took too long. We were finished eating and left the restaurant before the show ended. Also generally not impressed with the layout of the restaurant especially a large pillar in the middle of the main aisle that you had to walk around without being able to see behind it.

We also left before the show ended, without realizing it. It wasn't until we saw other people's photos from the cruise that we realized that we missed part of it. And I agree, the layout appeared to make it especially challenging for the staff.

 

[Marthasor]

If the restaurant is designed specifically for Marvel fans, and not the entirety of those who sail on the Wish, it should be a specialty restaurant. Instead, its one of the three main dining rotation restaurants to which all guests are assigned for at least one dinner.

And what do you suggest people who aren't Frozen or Princess and the Frog fans do on the Wish or the Wonder? Plenty of people don't like to draw, so perhaps DCL should make Animator's Palate a specialty restaurant as well? Not everything is going to appeal to everyone and you knew there was a Marvel restaurant when you booked the cruise - why not book a different ship or make alternative dining plans for the evening?

 

[MomOTwins]

We also left before the show ended, without realizing it. It wasn't until we saw other people's photos from the cruise that we realized that we missed part of it. And I agree, the layout appeared to make it especially challenging for the staff.

Too bad, the ending is really fun. Maybe don’t knock it till you’ve actually seen the whole thing?

 

[Lilsia]

Regarding the rest of it, I simply feel that they could have put something on the screen between the Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly bits that was more interesting than what it was

To this point, it is typical of them to have something "in the background" during times that people are eating. They do this at AP and Arendelle. In between the courses is when they put on the bigger shows. People, kids especially, don't want to have to miss part of the show so they will go without eating. Having some "more interesting" during those times is something that they did not do intentionally. You are not meant to be entertained the whole time like a stage show. People need time to eat. I personally found the bios and clips interesting. What exactly would have held your interested as someone who claims that they are not big fans?

 

[Lilsia]

And what do you suggest people who aren't Frozen or Princess and the Frog fans do on the Wish or the Wonder? Plenty of people don't like to draw, so perhaps DCL should make Animator's Palate a specialty restaurant as well? Not everything is going to appeal to everyone and you knew there was a Marvel restaurant when you booked the cruise - why not book a different ship or make alternative dining plans for the evening?

Thank you. I have been scratching my head at the OP's comments about this. It comes off as "I don't like it, so they should have something else". That is why my first comment was that you can't please everyone all the time.

 

[bigAWL]

What I wonder about is whether they plan to update the show as the MCU advances through future phases. A theme like Frozen, Tangled, and Princess and the Frog can continue to be "relevant" for years (or even decades?), since those franchises are not continually growing and evolving. But ten years from now, are kids going to wonder where their favorite new Marvel heroes are? Will even Marvel fans see this show as an incentive to book a cruise?

I also wonder if they will recreate it on the Treasure and the future 3rd Triton-class ship. Or will they invest in some other theme.