AEREEAR is just a bunch of jumbled letters, right? No, just kidding! That was our dining rotation on our Disney Cruise this past July of 2018.  Since we sailed the seven-night western Caribbean, we were able to enjoy all the restaurants for rotational dining more than once! With our servers, Sabrina and Dennis, leading the way as the flavor adventure guides, our family had seven nights of exceptional cuisine.

Rotational Dining Guide

A = Animator’s Palate

E = Enchanted Garden

R = Royal Court

Animator’s Palate

Our first night on the Disney Fantasy, we enjoyed Animator’s Palate.  We fully expected to dive right into drawing our cartoon masterpieces, but discovered that was scheduled for later in the cruise.  Not really knowing what to expect, our son noticed the screens (positioned all around the restaurant) started coming alive with Crush from Disney’s Finding Nemo. Think dining during the Turtle Talk with Crush attraction in Epcot aka AWESOME! Littlest loved every minute.  Sadly, our table didn’t get picked to interact with him, but it was still fun watching him talk with the tables around us!  Now on to the food…

My Order

• Bon Voyage Drink – my FAVORITE drink when I Disney Cruise
• Arugula Leaves salad – meh it was ok
• Ginger-Teriyaki Dusted Angus Beef Tenderloin – excellent
• Lemon Icebox cake – YUM!!

Husband 

• Old fashioned – his tried and true favorite no matter where we are
• Smoked Salmon Tartare (both he and my son ordered it) – in a flash it was GONE
• Creamy Butternut Squash – he shared with me and it was like fall in a bowl!
• Herb Crusted Pork Chop – cooked perfectly
• Crunch Walnut Cake – Delish!

Son

• Non-alcoholic Strawberry Daiquiri – currently in the mocktail stage and loving it
• Grilled Tuna Steak – he wanted to lick his plate!
• Mickey Bar – ordered off the kid’s menu since he didn’t want anything off the adult menu

Littlest

• Macaroni and cheese – she ordered this EVERY night except for the last night
• Scoop of vanilla ice cream – same EVERY night

Animation Night

On the second to last night, we let our creativity run wild as well as our appetites. This is our ABSOLUTE favorite dining experience when we sail with Disney.  Every time we have to up our “game” and create crazy cartoon characters.   Just make sure you draw within the lines with no words, numbers or symbols LOL!  No surprise mine was rocking Disney apparel 😉 and my son’s was a fortnite character.  Surprisingly, my husband drew this impressive pirate complete with hook and eye patch.  Littlest’s drawing was just lines, but it was so stinking cute seeing it up on the screen!! Because of the show, the menu is condensed (fewer options). By the time dessert rolls around, everyone can enjoy watching their creations up on the screens! That is Disney magic at its finest. So what did we order…

My Order 

• Appetizer Sampler Platter (we all ordered this)- the shrimp and salmon tartare part was everyone’s favorite
• New York Strip Fitzherbert – Delicious!
• Prince Charming’s Flourless Cake (my husband and I both ordered it) – pardon my drool

Husband

• Brown Rice Risotto – it was not his favorite but still enjoyable

Son

• Tutti Frutti Smoothie – His FAVORITE!
• Grilled Filet of Turbot – I snuck a bite and WOW!
• Princess Aurora’s Sundae – pixie dust in every bite

 

Royal Court

 

Our third night, we stepped into our favorite classic Disney fairytales when we dined at Royal Court.  The whole room is surrounded with stunning mosaic murals of memorable scenes from the classic princess films.  I have a personal tradition of eating escargot here EVERY cruise (or at Triton’s on the smaller ships), and it never disappoints!

My Order

• Gaston’s Escargot – always a favorite of mine
• Oven-baked Salmon Royale (my son and I both ordered this as our main course) – incredible!
• Classic Opera Gateau – c’est magnifique!

Husband

• Iced lobster & Jumbo Shrimp – great
• Ahi Tuna Nicoise – fresh and light
• Grand Marnier Souffle – heavenly!

Son

• Princess Delight – two thumbs up
• Duck Confit – not his favorite but still enjoyed it
• Apple Tart Tartine – absolute favorite dessert whole trip

See Ya Real Soon Dinner

Our last night, we enjoyed the See Ya Real Soon menu at the Royal Court.  Not going to lie, just looking at the menu makes me sad because the end is drawing near. The last night is the worse part of every Disney Cruise because no one wants the fun to end. At least the food was on point! Big news, Littlest ate something besides macaroni and cheese… PIZZA!

My Order

• Tomato Caprese – gone in 60 seconds SO good
• Lobster Bisque – disappointing
• Filet of Beef Wellington – perfection
• ALL THE DESSERTS…it was the last night, and I let it go!!
  • Celebration Cake – scrumptious
  • Cappuccino Mousse – light as a feather
  • Very Cherry Sundae – WOWZA
  • Amaretto Cheesecake – delish!
  • Chocolate Decadence – it has that name for a reason

Husband

• Supreme Crusted Ahi Tuna – his favorite appetizer!
• Chicken Schnitzel – just like his grandma used to make

Son

• Kisses Smoothie – tie for favorite with Tutti Frutti
• Roasted Salmon Steak – one of his favorites
• Crepe Suzettes – in Crepe heaven

Bon Voyage Breakfast

On a Disney Cruise, the bon voyage breakfast is served where you dined for the last dinner.  We “cried” in our delicious breakfast at Royal Court.  Because we were early dining, our breakfast was bright and early at 6:45 am.  Second seating eats at 9:00 am which on departure day is a lot easier to handle.  Nonetheless, it was still an excellent farewell to a fantastic vacation.

My Order

• Chef’s Farewell – who would have thought BBQ chicken on an omelet?!

Husband 

• Route 66 – classic

Son 

• A Sweet Journey – LOVED

Littlest

• Fresh fruit – watermelon obsessed
• Pancakes – happy camper

Enchanted Garden

 

After hiking to the top of Dunn’s River Falls in Jamaica, we were starving and ready for dinner at Enchanted Garden.  Flowers start to bloom, and the colors change as you make your way through an appetizing four-course menu.

My Order

• Marinated Tiger Shrimp (we all ordered it as our starter) – Yummy!!
• Braised Oxtail Soup (recommended by Dennis) – Dennis was right… SO good
• Oven-baked Lobster Tail (my son and I ordered it) – prepared just right!
• Chocolate Lava Cake – showstopper WOW

Husband 

• Pan Seared Venison Medallions – juicy and tender
• Raspberry Vanilla Creme Brulee – delightful

Son

• Old Fashioned Apple Pie – he ate that whole slice with a giant smile on his face

Overall Thoughts

The first seating at 5:45 pm worked well for us and the hunger LOL! All the activities, between the port adventures and swimming, really work up an appetite. Not to mention, this cruise was extra special for our son, because he FINALLY graduated to the adult menu!  What can I say, he is very adventurous and is officially a big kid now. I can’t NOT talk about how amazing, I mean AMAZING, our servers Dennis and Sabrina were. That’s what makes rotational dining so unique.  Your family gets incredibly attached to the dining team.  Hopefully, when we sail on the Disney Fantasy again, we will have them! What’s your family’s favorite restaurant when you cruise with Mickey? Post in the comments below!