Wish Dinner Show questions

[foolish-mortal]

Hi - we are considering taking a 4 night cruise on The Wish in October. It will just be my husband and I. We LOVE Disney Cruises but we are not big fans of shows during dinner. I love Animator's Palate, but that's about the max of our comfort level. We don't do character meals at WDW for this reason. It's just not our thing, we don't enjoy it. From what I've seen, it looks like The Wish is pretty heavy with shows and characters during dinner. I really don't want to have to avoid the MDR for the majority of the cruise. Especially since they no longer offer the buffet at dinner. Wondering if others are in the same category as me and have cruised on The Wish. If so - how was it? Other strategies that may not be obvious? Is there a show in every MDR, every night?

Thanks for any feedback or thoughts on this!

 

[RedHead0186]

Two of the MDRs, Worlds of Marvel and Arendelle, have dinner shows (the third MDR, 1923, does not). Arendelle is pretty in your face; they have characters walk around and then they do a live show in the middle of the restaurant (it's not the whole time, they do a bit, take a break, then come back out and do more, etc.). Worlds of Marvel is a show, but it's on screen, there is only one character that comes out and the end but isn't super disruptive. The show too is off and on, not constant (kind of like animation magic in Animator's Palate).

I agree it would be a shame to avoid two of the MDRs on a 4-night cruise, but you have to do what you are most comfortable with. If you can handle Animator's Palate, then you might be okay with Worlds of Marvel, but Arendelle with the characters walking around might not be your cup of tea.

 

[Calantha]

Hi - we are considering taking a 4 night cruise on The Wish in October. It will just be my husband and I. We LOVE Disney Cruises but we are not big fans of shows during dinner. I love Animator's Palate, but that's about the max of our comfort level. We don't do character meals at WDW for this reason. It's just not our thing, we don't enjoy it. From what I've seen, it looks like The Wish is pretty heavy with shows and characters during dinner. I really don't want to have to avoid the MDR for the majority of the cruise. Especially since they no longer offer the buffet at dinner. Wondering if others are in the same category as me and have cruised on The Wish. If so - how was it? Other strategies that may not be obvious? Is there a show in every MDR, every night?

Thanks for any feedback or thoughts on this!

No show on Pirate night. No show in 1923.

Worlds of Marvel - the show happens like in most of the other restaurants - kind of during the 'breaks' between courses. During courses, it shows clips of movies on the screens. We were set off the main path, so no character visits. Could mostly ignore it if you wanted, but up on the screens like in AP (but no forced interaction like with Crush).

Arendelle - again, show during the breaks. We were on the main path here, and Elsa, fake Olaf, and Kristoff all stopped by to say hi at various points during dinner. I think the probably focused on tables with kids though?

Again, be off the main path and you should be okay. Overall, the music was great here.

 

[Lizgistix]

I was at a table for 6 next to a wall in Arendelle and we hardly had characters come over. They kind of waved and said hello from the main thoroughfare. I had selected in "Special Requests" and then under "Table Requests" on the DCL site that I wanted a more quiet table.

 

[RedHead0186]

I was at a table for 6 next to a wall in Arendelle and we hardly had characters come over. They kind of waved and said hello from the main thoroughfare. I had selected in "Special Requests" and then under "Table Requests" on the DCL site that I wanted a more quiet table.

That's a great point. My table was right on the main walkway, so all the characters came right by me. If I had a table against the wall I would have been more removed, as the characters didn't 'mingle' within the tables (there's no room to walk between them, lol!), but walked down the main thoroughfare.

 

[kiford]

I was kind of cringing about the Arendelle show. We'd seen it on various vlogs and was kind of "meh" about it. But it's totally different in person. They were absolutely amazing. So talented and so much fun (except for the part when Christoph came to our table to try to get us to sing along and I didn't know the words at that particular point). I'm actually looking forward to seeing it again. And I'm generally not a fan of dinner shows. The Marvel one you can kind of ignore a bit since it's on the screens but it was kind of fun and mostly during breaks. 1923 is very sedate and quiet but both of the other two can be fun if you let yourself enjoy it.

 

[Erica1016]

I was kind of cringing about the Arendelle show. We'd seen it on various vlogs and was kind of "meh" about it. But it's totally different in person. They were absolutely amazing. So talented and so much fun (except for the part when Christoph came to our table to try to get us to sing along and I didn't know the words at that particular point). I'm actually looking forward to seeing it again. And I'm generally not a fan of dinner shows. The Marvel one you can kind of ignore a bit since it's on the screens but it was kind of fun and mostly during breaks. 1923 is very sedate and quiet but both of the other two can be fun if you let yourself enjoy it.

We enjoyed the musical players that were there outside of the characters. They were fantastic! I found the characters to not be super interfering and we just waved and they didn't really stop at our table.

 

[Marthasor]

I wouldn't categorize Marvel as a dinner show - it's more of a video that you can "interact" with or not. 2 characters come in, live, at the end, but they don't stop at any tables. Arendelle is really the only live dinner show. You could eat on deck that night or order room service (though options are limited). You could also try to book Palo or Enchante (though there is an upcharge). Maybe even ask your server if the characters could bypass you?

 

[CamColt]

I feel exactly like you do about dinner shows but I sucked it up and went on the Wish (the dates fit our schedule when none of the other ships did).

First, I requested a table for just the 2 of us. We went to the dining change location (Luna) upon embarkation and found out we did not get it. Thankfully they were able to work some magic and they got us switched. We did not find out until after the assembly drill though. They had told us refresh the app and if we see a table number change it means they got us a table for 2.

For Arandelle, we lucked out with a table, right under what I believe was the sound booth. It was off to the side so we were able to avoid most of the hoopla during the meal. At 1 point 1 of the characters was walking around, close by and gave us a wave. I think she read the audience and knew we didn't need anything more than that.

As for Marvel, I will start with I really dislike anything Marvel (or Star Wars for that matter). We were seated right under a screen which got loud at times. I also had a screen right in my line of vision. My biggest complaint about that, besides the noise was during our appetizers, the scene shown on the screen was a bunch of big bugs. NOT what I want to see during dinner. Our servers were very good though and they knew we just wanted to eat and leave (to get to other things we enjoy on the ship), so I think we missed the ending of the Marvel experience. I can't comment on how intrusive that was.

We enjoyed 1923 very much and also had Pirate Night there. There was nothing for Pirate Night in the dining room, other than the menu.

 

[Rob1872]

We were on the main path here, and Elsa, fake Olaf, and Kristoff all stopped by to say hi at various points during dinner.

Sorry to hear that it was "fake Olaf" and not the real one. Glad that the 'real' Elsa and Kristoff apparently were there. LOL

 

[Lizgistix]

I was kind of cringing about the Arendelle show.

I was looking forward to the Arendelle show. And then Oaken had to ruin it with the too-frequent "hoo-hoo!". I was convinced that sound would make a great alarm clock because it's annoying enough to startle you awake.

 

[auntlynne]

Is it the interaction with the characters or just having that added - perhaps unnecessary - chaos added to a loud, crowded venue? (Can you guess how I feel about it?)

I actually enjoyed the tableside visit - but don’t like the pump-it-up, clap and cheer push on the audience. I just know it will be part of the experience and keep on eating. It’s almost too loud to talk, anyway. It just becomes a meal; there are enough hours spent in quieter places the rest of the day.

Try to change your expectation that this will be a meal in a fine restaurant and realize it is just a step above a school cafeteria and it’s a lot easier to tolerate. You can only go to Palo or Enchante / Remy so many times on one vacation.

The loss of the sit-down dinner in Cabanas was one of the worst changes to cruising that came out of Covid.

…and we still continue to cruise Disney.

 

[dad of 3 addicted to DCL]

You can only go to Palo or Enchante / Remy so many times on one vacation.

Ahhh, if only that were not the case

 

[auntlynne]

Ahhh, if only that were not the case

Is your wallet doing the talking here?

 

[dad of 3 addicted to DCL]

Is your wallet doing the talking here?

My stomach!