Disney Cruise Casual Dining

I haven't found a better way to vacation with small children than taking Disney cruises.  They are truly fantastic and we always end up having the best week.  There is so much to do on the ship for adults and for the kids, the service is impeccable, especially if you go concierge, and the warm ocean breeze and tropical islands are such a welcome change from all the snow and cold in KC.

Rainbow over the concierge deck in the Bahamas

The food on Disney cruises is in a class of its own.  There are three main dining restaurants on each ship and there is a variety of casual dining options (although it's a challenge to get hungry in between regular meals).  On the last cruise, which we took on Disney's newest ship, Disney Fantasy, we had every breakfast (and sometimes lunch) at the Cabanas.

Since it was difficult to pick between a classic lox breakfast and the wonderful muesli they make onboard, I usually ended up having two breakfasts each morning.  The girls have simpler tastes, so it was all about bacon, hash browns, Mickey waffles and doughnuts.

Alexis almost enjoying the ocean breeze on the Cabanas' deck

Yes, that is a fresh chocolate glazed doughnut on Emily's plate, which I'd never let her eat in KC

Mickey waffle

Dining inside the Cabanas.  Love the Mickey-shaped partitions on the plate.

For the daytime, there are smoothies from the Frozone and ice cream treats from Eye Scream.

Alexis is airborne from excitement

There is also 24-hour room service, which our kids overuse when it comes to ordering ice cream Mickey bars.

Alexis enjoying her Mickey bar for dessert at Animator's Palate

Since our girls enjoy a party lifestyle all seven nights on the ship, late at night they get hungry for burgers from the Tow Mater Grill.

Late-night cartoon watching in bed.  

One night of the cruise is pirate night, when everyone dresses up in pirate costumes, there is a Pirates in the Caribbean show on the upper deck and the fireworks in the night ocean sky, all of which culminates in a midnight buffet, where any respectable pirate would, of course, get a turkey drumstick.

That's Paris-Brest desert on Bill's plate.  And a taco.  Not sure if the Pirates of the Caribbean ate those.

The day at Castaway Cay, you can choose to eat a barbecue lunch on the island (or go to any restaurant on the ship).

Then there is also a cocktail hour at the concierge lounge, where you can get all sorts of treats and enjoy them on the concierge deck.

That's my set up of tea and passion fruit smoothie.

Somehow you then still need to get hungry for dinner, which is followed by a Broadway show, after which you somehow always end up at the Tow Mater grill to only wake up in the morning and repeat the cycle.  Seven days later, the crew rolls you off the ship and a couple of hours later, faced with the food options at the Orlando airport you begin planning your next Disney cruise.