I ate 13 consecutive dinners aboard the Disney Dream.
Thirteen.
In a row.
And I loved every single minute of it.
Well, almost every minute. There were a few questionable food decisions along the way.
But we'll get to those.
Here's what surprised me the most.
We had 13 different dinner menus!
I had fully expected the menus to start repeating themselves. After all, how many different dinners could one cruise ship possibly serve?
Apparently, at least 13.
Every evening, I would sit down, open my menu, and discover an entirely new collection of things to eat.
It was magnificent.
And slightly dangerous for two people who have absolutely no problem ordering more food than they can reasonably consume.
Some nights, the food was so wonderful that I seriously considered asking someone to roll me out of the restaurant.
Other nights?
Well, let's just say that the pizza on the pool deck was calling our names.
Not every dish was a winner.
But that was part of the fun.
We tried things we had never eaten before. We discovered new favorites. We occasionally looked at each other across the table and silently agreed that we had made a terrible ordering decision.
And then we ordered dessert.
Because obviously.
Table 108. Our Happy Place.
For all 13 dinners, Dave and I sat at Table 108.
And we had the absolute pleasure of being taken care of by JR, our brilliant and incredibly talented head server.
I cannot say enough wonderful things about JR.
He was attentive, friendly, funny, and unbelievably good at his job.
He also understood something very important about Dave and me.
We like to eat quickly.
I know. I know.
Some people love spending two hours enjoying a leisurely dinner.
That is lovely for them.
Dave and I would prefer to eat our food and get on with our evening.
And JR understood the assignment.
Every night, he managed to serve our small plates, entrées, and desserts in approximately one hour.
ONE HOUR!
And we weren't exactly ordering one appetizer and one entrée each.
Not even close.
We like variety.
We like trying different things.
And when we see something interesting on the menu, we want to taste it.
JR never once batted an eye at our ordering habits.
In fact, he encouraged us to try new things.
He made every dinner feel like a little food adventure.
And then there were my cranberry juices.
Yes. Juices. Plural.
Every single evening, JR had two cups of cranberry juice waiting for me.
Not one large glass.
Not one glass that could be refilled.
Two separate cups of cranberry juice.
Do not ask me why.
I have absolutely no explanation for this behavior.
It is simply how I like my cranberry juice.
And JR never questioned it.
He just made sure my two little cups were waiting for me.
That, my friends, is excellent service.
By the end of our cruise, I was genuinely sad to say goodbye to him.
Thirteen dinners with the same wonderful server will do that to a person.
Three Restaurants. Thirteen Dinners.
Our dining rotation took us through the Disney Dream's three rotational dining restaurants:
Animator's Palate
Enchanted Garden
Royal Palace
Each restaurant has its own atmosphere, personality, and little details that make dining aboard a Disney ship so special.
But for this particular adventure, I was focused on one thing.
THE FOOD.
Every afternoon, I looked forward to discovering what would be on that evening's menu.
I would study the choices.
Consider my options.
Develop a plan.
And then usually order more than I had originally intended.
It became one of my favorite parts of our transatlantic cruise.
And I never got tired of it.
A Picky Eater Walks Into a Disney Restaurant...
Now, before we get to the food pictures, there is something you should know about me.
I am a picky eater.
A very picky eater.
I don't particularly like pasta.
Or seafood.
Or salads.
Or poultry.
Or soups.
Or vegetables.
Or meat.
Yes, I realize I have just eliminated approximately 90 percent of the food pyramid.
Welcome to my world.
Eating in restaurants can sometimes be challenging.
I'm used to looking at a menu and discovering that there is absolutely nothing I want to eat.
So I order something.
Pick at it.
And later eat one of the protein bars I packed in my suitcase.
I always travel with protein bars.
Some people pack extra shoes.
I pack emergency food.
But something wonderful happened on this cruise.
I actually had choices!
With Disney's expanded and changing dinner menus, I found so many more dishes that appealed to me.
There were vegetarian options.
There were Indian-inspired dishes.
There were Mediterranean- inspired dishes.
There were interesting combinations and flavors that I might never have tried at home.
And I wanted to try them.
Me!
The woman who doesn't like most food!
I was actually excited about dinner every single night.
That alone should tell you how much I enjoyed this experience.
Not everything was delicious.
There were a few clunkers.
But there were also some absolutely spectacular meals.
And for someone who usually struggles to find something appealing on a dinner menu, having so many choices was a wonderful surprise.
Let's Look at All 13 Dinners!
Below, I'm sharing the menus from all 13 nights aboard the Disney Dream, along with pictures of the food Dave and I actually ordered.
And I want to make one thing very clear.
We did not order everything on the menus.
Even we have limits.
Although, after looking at some of these pictures, you might question that statement.
The photographs show the dishes we chose because we wanted to eat them, taste them, or simply see what they were.
Some were incredible.
Some were just okay.
And a few probably should have stayed in the kitchen.
But every dish was part of our adventure.
For this post, I'm focusing on the small plates, appetizers, and entrées.
Because dessert?
Dessert deserves its very own story.
And trust me, I have thoughts.
Lots of thoughts.
Mostly involving chocolate.
So grab a napkin, settle in, and come explore 13 nights of Disney Dream dining with me.
Let the eating begin!
Dinner #1: Animator's Palate
Tonight's Menu:
What We Ordered:
Clearly Maggie's Thoughts:
I still have absolutely no idea what Chicken “Bastilla” is, but I know one thing. It was delicious!
And then there was the curry.
THE CURRY.
My absolute favorite. I loved it so much that I seriously considered licking the bowl clean.
I resisted.
Not because I wanted to, but because I was raised to behave in public.
Occasionally.
Dinner #:2 Enchanted Garden
Tonight's Menu:
What We Ordered:
Clearly Maggie's Thoughts:
This menu was not for me.
See? I'm learning to say that instead of, “Oh my gosh, this is gross!”
Personal growth, people. Personal growth.
I ate the tomato soup, the skin off the chicken, and the double-stuffed baked potato.
Yes, just the chicken skin. Don't judge me.
I tried. I really did.
But some nights, the menu and I are simply not meant to be.
And this was definitely a pizza night.
Dinner #: 3 Royal Palace
Tonight's Menu:
What We Ordered:
Clearly Maggie's Thoughts:
The escargot was delicious this time!
I say this time because sometimes eating escargot feels like I'm risking my life. It's a little adventure with every bite. But not tonight. Tonight, the escargot and I were very happy together.
Dave absolutely devoured the lamb chops. I barely had time to admire them before they disappeared.
And I really liked the Kabocha! It was kind of like a rice sandwich. I don't know how else to describe it, but it worked for me.
Oh, and I made some new friends!
You see, I loudly announced that the ravioli was GROSS.
Yes. Gross.
Apparently, I'm still working on my new, more polite vocabulary.
Our neighbors overheard my rather enthusiastic food review, so I offered them the ravioli.
And guess what?
They both liked it!
See? One person's terrible ravioli is another person's delicious dinner.
I made new friends, they got extra food, and the ravioli found a loving home.
Everybody wins!
Dinner #:4 Animator’s Palate
Tonight's Menu:
What We Ordered:
Clearly Maggie's Thoughts:
I still dream about this dinner.
Seriously. It was THAT good.
The butternut squash soup? Delicious.
The sesame halloumi parcel? Amazing.
The beef tenderloin? Wonderful.
Everything was so good that I actually finished both the parcel AND the beef.
Me!
The woman who usually takes three bites of dinner and calls it a night.
This was practically a historic event.
Dinner #:5 Enchanted Garden
Tonight's Menu:
What We Ordered:
Clearly Maggie's Thoughts:
The Goat Cheese and Beet Napoleon was certainly an interesting concept.
And it was beautiful!
Honestly, it looked like a little work of art sitting on my plate.
Unfortunately, eating it was an entirely different experience.
I wasn't quite sure how to approach it. Cut it? Squish it? Knock it over and hope for the best?
It was less of a dinner and more of an engineering challenge.
But the curry and the poke bowl?
THE STARS OF THE EVENING!
Both were absolutely delicious.
No complicated construction projects. No wrestling with my food. Just wonderful flavors and two very happy taste buds
Dinner #:6 Royal Palace
Tonight's Menu:
What We Ordered:
Clearly Maggie’s Thoughts:
I was so excited about this menu!
It reminded me of Arendelle on the Disney Wish, and I had very high hopes.
Unfortunately, those hopes melted faster than Olaf in July.
Everything just seemed to be missing something.
The carrot soup, for example.
Where were the croutons?
I needed croutons.
The soup needed croutons.
Honestly, I think the croutons were the most important part of the soup, and they were nowhere to be found.
And that seemed to be the theme of the evening.
Everything was almost good. Almost exciting. Almost what I wanted.
But not quite.
Dave, meanwhile, was having a lovely time with his trout salad.
Good for Dave.
I went back to our stateroom and ate a protein bar.
Some people leave dinner dreaming about their next meal.
I left wondering where Disney had hidden the croutons.
Dinner #:7 Animator’s Palate
Tonight's Menu:
What We Ordered:
Clearly Maggie's Thoughts:
Pirate Night! 🏴☠️
And the real treasure of the evening?
THE SAMOSAS!
They were absolutely delicious. So delicious, in fact, that I ordered two.
Not two bites.
Two orders.
And I would happily do it again.
I really enjoyed the falafel bowl, although Dave thought it was a little too dry.
But then something terrible happened.
We looked over at our neighbors' table.
They had ordered the pasta.
And it looked AMAZING.
Suddenly, everything on our table seemed a little less exciting.
We had order remorse.
Serious order remorse.
There we were, surrounded by perfectly good food, staring longingly at someone else's dinner.
Apparently, the real pirate treasure was on our neighbors' plates.
And we had completely missed the boat. 🏴☠️
Dinner #:8 Enchanted Garden
Tonight's Menu:
What We Ordered:
Clearly Maggie's Thoughts:
Dave absolutely loved this dinner.
Everything.
Every single bite.
He was having a wonderful evening, happily eating his way through the menu.
I, on the other hand, made an important culinary discovery.
I do not like risotto.
I tried it. I gave it a chance. We are simply not compatible.
And that's okay. Not every food needs to be my friend.
Then there was the Ratatouille Feuilleté.
Now THAT was interesting.
It was basically a little vegetable stew tucked inside a pastry.
An interesting concept.
But I had other plans.
I opened it up, removed the stew, and ate that part.
Yes, I essentially performed surgery on my dinner.
The pastry was just there to hold everything together until I arrived.
Dave enjoyed his entire meal.
I learned that risotto and I should probably see other people.
And somewhere in the Disney Dream kitchen, a chef is wondering why I dismantled a perfectly good Ratatouille Feuilleté.
Dinner #:9 Royal Palace
Tonight's Menu:
What We Ordered:
Clearly Maggie's Thoughts:
My favorite entrée of the entire cruise!
TOFU BROCHETTES!
Yes. Tofu.
I know that might not sound particularly exciting, but trust me on this one.
It was magnificent.
The flavors were incredible. Every bite was so delicious, so perfectly seasoned, and so exquisite that I momentarily forgot I was eating dinner on a cruise ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
I also really enjoyed the vegetable biryani. It was delicious, and on any other evening, it might have been the star of the show.
Unfortunately for the biryani, it had the terrible misfortune of sharing a menu with the greatest tofu dish of my life.
It never stood a chance.
Meanwhile, Dave was thoroughly enjoying his venison.
Until I started talking about Bambi.
Yes. THAT Bambi.
I may have mentioned the adorable little deer once.
Or twice.
Or possibly every time Dave picked up his fork.
Apparently, repeatedly reminding your husband that he's eating Bambi can put a slight damper on his dining experience.
Who knew?
Dave still liked his dinner.
I fell madly in love with tofu.
And somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, a perfectly innocent vegetable biryani was completely overshadowed.
But seriously, Disney. Can we talk about bringing back those tofu brochettes?
Dinner #:10 Animator’s Palate
Tonight's Menu:
What We Ordered:
Clearly Maggie's Thoughts:
Let's start with the empanadas.
Oh, the poor empanadas.
They looked and tasted like someone had opened a giant bag of frozen empanadas, tossed a few in the oven, and called it a day.
I was not impressed.
Actually, I was disappointed.
I wanted something special. Something delicious. Something that didn't remind me of the frozen food aisle at the grocery store.
Thankfully, the mustard served with the trio of salmon was a pleasant surprise. It had just the right amount of spice. Enough to make things interesting without making me regret my decisions.
Dave and I both enjoyed the curry, too.
But overall?
This dinner was just... okay.
Nothing terrible. Nothing spectacular. Nothing that had me dreaming about it later.
And certainly nothing that could compete with my beloved tofu brochettes.
I ate. I enjoyed a few things. I moved on.
Some dinners deserve a standing ovation.
This one got a polite round of applause.
Dinner #:11 Enchanted Garden
Tonight's Menu:
What We Ordered:
Clearly Maggie's Thoughts:
Does anyone else remember this turkey dinner?
It used to be served on the regular seven-night Disney Cruise Line rotation, and I ordered it all the time.
Which made absolutely no sense.
Because I hate turkey.
HATE IT.
Both of my kids used to tease me about it.
“Mom, why do you keep ordering turkey? You don't even LIKE turkey!”
And they were right.
I have no explanation.
There was just something about that particular turkey dinner that I absolutely loved.
Notice I said LOVED.
Past tense.
Because whatever magical relationship that turkey and I once had is officially over.
This turkey was horrible.
Dry. So very dry.
I honestly don't know what happened.
Remember those disappointing empanadas from the other night? I thought they were going to win the award for Biggest Dinner Disappointment.
Nope.
The turkey swooped in and stole the trophy.
At least I still have my happy memories of the turkey dinners of cruises past.
Nobody can take those away from me.
The curry, thankfully, was good.
But the falafel?
Oh, the poor falafel.
They were so dry that I started to wonder if Disney had simply saved the ones from the night before and put them back on my plate.
I'm not saying that's what happened.
I'm just saying the falafel seemed awfully familiar.
And awfully dry.
So there you have it.
A disappointing turkey reunion, suspiciously familiar falafel, and one perfectly respectable curry.
Sometimes revisiting an old favorite is wonderful.
And sometimes you should just leave the turkey in your memories.
Dinner #:12 Royal Palace
Tonight's Menu:
What We Ordered:
Clearly Maggie's Thoughts:
I ate nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
Which, understandably, had poor JR very concerned.
He kept checking on me, making sure everything was okay.
And I felt terrible because it was absolutely NOT his fault.
JR was wonderful.
The food and I were simply having a disagreement.
A rather serious disagreement.
Remember the Ratatouille Feuilleté from earlier in the cruise? The one I took apart and ate the stew out of?
Well, it made another appearance.
Unfortunately, this version was a far cry from the original.
I considered performing another little surgical procedure on my dinner, but honestly, I didn't think it was worth the effort.
And then there was the risotto.
Apparently, Disney and I needed to revisit this relationship.
I can confirm that nothing has changed.
I STILL DO NOT LIKE RISOTTO.
Meanwhile, Dave was having a completely different dining experience.
He absolutely loved the oxtail soup, and the lobster was surprisingly good.
There he was, happily enjoying his dinner.
And there I was, wondering how long it would be before I could eat my emergency protein bar.
Poor JR.
He tried so hard.
But even the world's most wonderful server cannot convince me to eat risotto.
Trust me. We've established this.
Dinner #:13 Animator’s Palate
Tonight's Menu:
What We Ordered:
Clearly Maggie's Thoughts:
Our final dinner.
Night 13.
After thirteen nights of wonderful food, surprising discoveries, questionable decisions, and a few meals I still dream about, I was hoping to end our Disney Dream dining adventure with a bang.
Instead?
We ended with a whimper.
This menu was simply not for me.
There weren't many vegetarian options that appealed to me, and I found myself staring at the menu, hoping something delicious would magically appear.
It did not.
So I ordered the Beef Wellington.
Yes. Beef Wellington.
Me. The woman who doesn't particularly like beef.
But I had a plan.
I ate the vegetables and the pastry surrounding the meat.
And left the actual beef.
Essentially, I ordered Beef Wellington and removed the Wellington's main attraction.
Somewhere, a chef probably felt a disturbance in the universe.
Thankfully, the lamb was excellent again, so at least Dave had something to celebrate.
And just like that, our thirteen-night dinner adventure was over.
No spectacular finale. No standing ovation. No parcel worthy of its own national holiday.
Just me, some vegetables, a little pastry, and the realization that tomorrow night, Dave and I wouldn’t have our fun neighbors on our five night cruise.
That was the saddest part of dinner.
Clearly Maggie's Advice ⛴️
If you're sailing on a longer Disney cruise, don't assume you'll be eating the same dinners over and over again.
Take the time to look at each evening's menu. Try something different. Order an extra appetizer if something catches your eye. And don't be afraid to ask your serving team for recommendations.
You might discover something you never expected to enjoy.
And if you're a picky eater like me, take another look at the vegetarian and Indian-inspired options. They might surprise you.
Most importantly, remember that you don't have to love everything you order.
Sometimes you'll discover a new favorite.
Sometimes you'll end up eating pizza afterward.
And sometimes you'll have such a wonderful server that you'll spend the rest of your cruise wondering how you're ever going to say goodbye.
For me, that was JR.
And those 13 dinners at Table 108 are memories I'll treasure for a very long time.
