Palo AND Dining Room?

[DsnyQueen]

This is probably a strange question, but my DH & I are doing a 3 day cruise and want to go to Palo the first night since it is our anniversary. I scheduled the dinner for 6pm knowing that we have the late seating for the main dining room(s). We certainly don't want to miss the "show" at Animator's Palate, but we won't know our dining rotation until we get on the ship (right?).

For those of you who are more experienced with DCL, do you think it's feasible to make it to the late seating if it turns out to the Animator's Palate just to see the dining room and experience the show?

And for that matter, does anyone have an opinion on whether Palo would be "better" since we are celebrating our anniversary or would the main dining be just as good?

 

[DisneyDreamerK]

I am doing the opposite on Monday. I will let you know how it turns out. I am doing Animator's Palette first then Palo at 9PM. My game plan is to just have a small appetizer and maybe a dessert at AP, then go all out for Palo.

 

[lbgraves]

I would just do Palo so that you can go to the show in the theater and not miss that. You can always go to dining requests and ask to have your rotation changed if you are APL so that you won't miss the AP show the first night. Since you are in late seating it will be much easier for them to do this for you.

 

[kcashner]

For an anniversary dinner, the atmosphere in Palo will be much nicer. The main dining rooms aren't exactly romantic. The "show" in Animator's takes place over about 1 hour during dinner, and ultimately ends with an appearance by the main mouse. SO, you really can't see the show unless you're seated in the dining room for the whole time.

Another thought would be that you will get your dining rotation on your KTTW card at check in. If you have Animator's the first night, go to "Dining Changes." On our Wonder cruise it opened at 1 pm...so you board, have lunch, and be there at 1. Ask to have your rotation changed. If you have Triton's or Parrot on the first night there's no show to miss in the dining room! You can eat at Palo and then go to the theatre.

 

[DsnyQueen]

Thanks for all of the replies! I'll wait and see what the rotation looks like before I decide to sit through a second dinner & miss the evening theater show, but I'm convinced that Palo is staying on the itinerary!

 

[sharen24]

Palo is better than ANY night in the dining room IMHO. Also, I just don't get the excitement over the "show" in AP. I thought it was going to be something really spectacular based on what I read here, but I was very disappointed. What am I missing?

 

[kcashner]

Also, I just don't get the excitement over the "show" in AP. I thought it was going to be something really spectacular based on what I read here, but I was very disappointed. What am I missing?

It depends....we have been VERY disappointed by the show on the Magic recently--a CM told us that parts of the equipment are broken and can't be repaired. They supposedly will be replaced when the ship is in dry dock in 2010!!! It was far better on the WOnder in Feb.

The story we got was that it is a "one of a kind" room (OK, 2 of a kind) and no one took into account spare parts, repairs, etc. The rooms have been completely re-done during some of the dry docks. I don't know how reliable this info is; we all know that not everything we are told is accurate. The deal used to be that when the music from a particular movie was playing, that movie's picture would be on the big screens in the room, and that movie would then be on the wall in color....so when you started, all of the room was black and white, the pictures changed a few at a time. Then the walls and ceilings changed, waiters flipped their vests, etc.

The original show was totally spectacular. Since then, the quality has varied.

 

[sharen24]

That might explain it. We sailed 12/6/08. I wonder if it was broken then? I do remember what you described, but the experience was far from spectacular.