Alternate breakfast/lunch venues onboard

[Trolley dolly]

Hi everyone-quick question,

 

We are incredibly excited to be going on our first Disney Cruise! We are sailing on the Wonder. My question is: does anyone ever find it "worthwhile" to venture to the MDRs for breakfast and lunch? I usually try to investigate this for every cruise line we sail. I've either found an alternate sit- down MDR breakfast to either be painfully slow for the same omelette I could get upstairs in 10 minutes- but also some times you do find some special dishes worth the wait. Alternatively, buffets can either be lacking but at times you can find the same items if not better with 10% of the line.

 

Does anyone have any tips or tricks in this regard?

 

Thanks!

[1025cruise]

I've always been a MDR fan, because I don't like the temptation that buffets give me.

 

Breakfast in Triton's was slow, but good. Nothing really special that stood out to me, but all I really eat is a bagel. We found the best place to eat breakfast, when it was available, was Parrot Cay. They set it up as a buffet, but the wait staff will serve you beverages. No omelet station that I recall, not sure if you could get one if you asked. The only time Parrot Cay was not available for breakfast was on the sea days due to the character breakfasts (which are sit down), and the last day.

 

For lunch, we tended to do MDR when available, or just go to the grill on deck. I think we did the buffet once, but weren't really impressed with the selection that day.

[Scrapnana]

I have only eaten in the MDR for breakfast or lunch a couple of times. I don't want to spend that much time for a meal during the day. At the buffet or grill I can pick up something quickly and get just what I want. It is much easier than having to change if I am at the pool/sitting on deck.

Edited December 12, 2013 by Scrapnana

[Gardeneroflove]

Hi everyone-quick question,

 

We are incredibly excited to be going on our first Disney Cruise! We are sailing on the Wonder. My question is: does anyone ever find it "worthwhile" to venture to the MDRs for breakfast and lunch? I usually try to investigate this for every cruise line we sail. I've either found an alternate sit- down MDR breakfast to either be painfully slow for the same omelette I could get upstairs in 10 minutes- but also some times you do find some special dishes worth the wait. Alternatively, buffets can either be lacking but at times you can find the same items if not better with 10% of the line.

 

Does anyone have any tips or tricks in this regard?

 

Thanks!

I sicks of MDR. With that said, we only ate in MDR twice, once lunch, once breakfast, before our last cruise. Last year (Magic) we eat there every morning, minus Character breakfast, and for most lunch.

 

We only had a few minute wait once, and once they did stick someone else at our table. With a toddler, it was easier to sit down, order and wait.

 

Service was fine, food was fresh and hot. We ordered the same thing daily, lol. and I'm ready for it again...yummy...

[jalves]

We do both. Some mornings we feel like being waited on and don't mind spending a bit more time so we go to the MDR. Other mornings we just feel like something quick and go to the buffet.

[wildcatlh]

Went to the MDR for every breakfast/lunch it was available last February. Completely worth it in my opinion, if for nothing else for the quiet.

[wdwlvr]

If you are unsure on any given day you can view the menu outside the restaurant to help make your decision. We usually do the buffets, but have done the sit down once in a while.

[moki'smommy]

We check out the menu in the MDR and then decide (this is especially true for lunch). We do tend to prefer the MDRs. As noted, Parrot Cay for lunch is typically very good. The lunch in Lumiere's is really a matter of personal taste. There are a couple of menus with nothing we really like--that's a good Parrot day!

 

Caution--we spent 25 consecutive days on the Magic in 2013, so some of the menus were sort of "getting old" by the end. Our "not really interested" could have been as much of a "seen that lunch menu 5 times" as lack of interest.

[ducklite]

I don't like the buffet lunches, and much prefer going to the full service restaurants instead. They are quiet and the food is better. Plus you know that kids haven't been sticking their fingers into it or putting half eaten food back onto the tray.

 

 

Autocorrect responsible for most typos...

[meatloafsfan]

Up until my recent Fantasy cruise I would have unquestionably said that the MDR were worth the time for lunch (breakfast not so much for me but I prefer a few more choices at breakfast). This time lunch in the MDR was okay but service was very slow (though beverage service was excellent) and the food was only okay.

 

I had a rueben which was as hard as a rock (and not from being toasted), and much of the food wasn't hot like it should have been.

 

It was okay but the deck food was better (the buffet was okay - each day had one or two standout items and then a bunch of "good" and the buffet desserts were a step up from what I've had in the past - the hard, handscooped ice cream was excellent and they had interesting flavours like Dulce de luche and pineapple coconut along with plain stuff like vanilla and chocolate).

 

From lunch:

 

Rueben:

 

 

Beef kabobs:

 

 

Fettucini with meatballs:

 

 

"tirimisu" (not really but that's what they called it)

 

 

crumble with ice cream (not very good - 2 bites of fruit, lots of unbaked crumbs and then the ice cream)

 

[Trolley dolly]

Thank you so much for the great replies! I think we will swing by parrot cay for a lunch and see the menus for breakfast and decide on the spot.