On each Disney cruise, they have this thing called rotational dining. I just went on my first Disney cruise ever on the Disney Dream, and before the trip, I studied each menu for the different restaurants so I knew what to expect. I wasn’t sure which one would be my favorite, but after experiencing it all, I picked a favorite. The three restaurants in the rotational dining are Animator’s Palate, Enchanted Garden, and Royal Palace. I always hear about Animator’s Palate and how it would be my favorite, but I am here to report that it was not.
Animator’s Palate
Animator’s Palate was my least favorite; the food didn’t wow me, and maybe I have no place to talk because of the dietary restrictions that make me basically vegan. Well, I still eat fish, so a dairy-free pescatarian. I am happy they had options for me, but I just wasn’t a fan of what they had for me on that night.
That night, my choices were the Arugula Leaves salad, Black Bean Chipotle Cakes, and a dairy-free brownie. My wife got the Lemon-Thyme Marinated All-Natural Chicken Breast for her main course with mashed potatoes. She did not like the dish; she said it lacked flavor and felt that the amount of mashed potatoes under the chicken was nowhere near enough. The Black Bean Chipotle Cakes were soggy, and my salad was okay, but nothing out of this would. I liked the dessert they brought me; it was simple but good. The restaurant’s atmosphere was fun and interactive; that part I loved.
Enchanted Garden
Our second night was at Enchanted Garden, and I fell in love with it the minute we walked in. I thought the theming of the restaurant was unique. I wish I would’ve walked around the entire restaurant to see it, but it’s okay; there’s always next time. This dinner was my favorite. We ordered the Ahi Tuna Tower and the Cucumber Garden Roll for the appetizers. I had the Ahi Tuna, and it was the best Ahi Tuna Tower I’ve ever had. My wife loved the Cucumber Garden Roll; she said it was a great way to start the meal.
I got the vegetarian option for my entree: Pearl-Barley Cakes with Shallots, Leeks, and Rosemary in a Vegetable Broth. I enjoyed the dish because it was light, refreshing, and full of flavor. My wife got the Pan-Seared Sea Bass, and she said it was the best thing she had for dinner the whole trip. For my dessert this day, they sent over a dairy-free chocolate cake with strawberries, the cake wasn’t the best, but there’s only so much you can do with dairy-free cake. The Enchanted garden has our hearts, and, in my opinion, it was the best of the rotational dining.
Royal Palace
Our last dinner was at Royal Palace, another great night of food. This restaurant is in that second-place spot, closely following the Enchanted Garden. On this night, we got several plates because there was so much we wanted to try. My wife got the Red Wine Bose Pear Salad, and we both got an order of the Iced Lobster and Jumbo Shrimp. I loved the Iced Lobster and Jumbo Shrimp. After finishing those items, my wife ordered Breaded and Deep Fried Brie, and this was the day that she learned she didn’t like the taste of brie.
For dinner, I got the Wild Mushroom-Stuffed Pasta in a Vegetable Broth, and it was delicious. My wife got the Grilled Marinated Tofu which was on a bed of couscous. She said the couscous is what stood out the most and now wants me to learn how to make it. They brought me a Raspberry Sorbet on a Cookie Brownie for dessert. Together the flavors were weird, but separately they tasted great. My wife got the Creme Brulee as her dessert. She had never had Creme Brulee, but she loved it. We can’t wait to dine here again.
Overall, the ranking goes to Enchanted Garden, Royal Palace, and Animator’s Palate. Each dining area had great immersive theming. I loved that our servers followed us to each dining location; it made the experience feel personal. Next time, we might skip Animator’s Palate and try to eat at one of the adult-only premium dining locations.
Which Rotational Dining location do you like best?
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