Cruising with a picky eater

[Red 2]

I am going on my first cruise, Disney or otherwise, this summer. I have read great things about the flexibility of the chefs at dinner, from making menu substitutions to offering dishes from other restaurants.

Are the counter service restaurants as flexible?
Will Luigi's Pizza make a sauce free pie for a child that hates flavor, or is the "fast food" pre-made frozen stuff that is what it is?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I am going on my first cruise, Disney or otherwise, this summer. I have read great things about the flexibility of the chefs at dinner, from making menu substitutions to offering dishes from other restaurants.

Are the counter service restaurants as flexible?
Will Luigi's Pizza make a sauce free pie for a child that hates flavor, or is the "fast food" pre-made frozen stuff that is what it is?

Generally, yes, they will try to accommodate your request. But be prepared that it will take a while.

 

[KashasMom]

My daughter is a vegetarian and had a lot of difficulty with the very few veg options in the MDR. On about our 3rd day she found that she liked the veggie burgers from the pool deck. They weren't able to get her one that night in the MDR but from the next night on they had one for her. If they can do it, they will certainly try. I do like buffets for this reason...something for everyone but Disney doesn't do dinner buffets.

 

[lklgoodman]

My dd doesn't like sauce on her pizza either. She was able to get it at the fast service place by the pool. She was also able to get it in the restaurant at dinner time. We asked our servers if it would be possible the night before and they were able to get it for her.

 

[KashasMom]

My dd doesn't like sauce on her pizza either. She was able to get it at the fast service place by the pool. She was also able to get it in the restaurant at dinner time. We asked our servers if it would be possible the night before and they were able to get it for her.

That's the key...order it the night before and they'll always have "it".

 

[lklgoodman]

That's the key...order it the night before and they'll always have "it".

Very true. In fact I had mentioned one time to our server that I wished they had strawberries/blueberries on the buffets because my dd usually eats a bowl of them every day at home. I didn't think much about it. The next night and every night after that we had a bowl of strawberries and blueberries on our table for my dd. That kind of thoughtfulness is why we love DCL

 

[MichelleCanada]

We had very similar experiences as others with our picky DS. I agree that the earlier you order or communicate what you would like the easier it is for the CM to accommodate your request.

 

[lilsonicfan]

Get the DCL app beforehand and get it connected when you get on board. You will then be able to see all the MDR offerings for each night. I have heard that while they will try to be flexible, it is an inconvenience to the servers to have to grab food from other MDR kitchens, so I don’t think they always say yes. But if you ask in advance I’m sure they can at least try.

 

[GPaLarry]

Our very picky eating granddaughter (11) got plain spaghetti, mac & cheese and grilled cheese sandwiches, (repeat) for the duration of two DCL cruises. Deserts...no problem, she loved every one. Mickey Bars a plus+. As mentioned above, just tell your servers and they will find a way to accommodate. The rest of us always get staterooms as far from the MDRs as possible to walk off the rest of the food that our granddaughter didn't pick from the menu. I like Mickey Bars, too.

 

[Jenlynn3]

We had a grilled cheese made for my daughter.. she is picky too! She Doesn’t eat meat but isn’t a vegetarian either..just obj,cheese, breads, fruits and dairy! I make her try a bite of something even if she doesn’t like it

 

[xavier2001]

The kids menus has chicken fingers and a kids burger every night. Also they always offer a plain steak, slow roasted chicken, and salmon on the adult menu every night as well. All of these are pretty bland but might be right up your picky eater's alley. When we first cruised with my nephew, who was very picky, the head server noticed on the first night he hadn't eaten anything. From then on he asked him each night what he wanted to eat the next night. I think he ate a toasted bagel, fruit loops, and bowl of grapes for dinner almost the entire cruise. Your head server can be your best friend if you have good communication.

 

[NCConch]

And from the other side of the aisle... They will let adventurous kids eat off of the adult menu. My kids have always tried different things and my 12 year old son was eating escargot.

 

[xavier2001]

And from the other side of the aisle... They will let adventurous kids eat off of the adult menu. My kids have always tried different things and my 12 year old son was eating escargot.

Yes!!! On our last 14 night cruise my kids are off the kids menu once. It’s bad though when they come home asking for sea bass and chateaubriand lol!

 

[Southern Pirate]

I once made the mistake of telling the concierge how much I like keylime pie. I had a whole keylime pie waiting for me every night. By the 3rd night I was sick of keylime pie but felt obligated to eat it since the CM went out of their way. A few of our neighbors asked how I got a pie every night, I told them my dilemma and started sharing with them. We made a lot of new friends.

 

[Quellman]

Talking about Pizza, my 4 year old will ONLY eat pizza from the Kids Clubs on the Disney boat. Not WDW, not the pool deck, nothing. Just kids club pizza. What a weirdo!

 

[Dug720]

Talking about Pizza, my 4 year old will ONLY eat pizza from the Kids Clubs on the Disney boat. Not WDW, not the pool deck, nothing. Just kids club pizza. What a weirdo!

Isn't it the same as the other pizza on the ship??

 

[hanscarlet]

My DD is on the autism spectrum and really really picky. We feed her in the stateroom before dinner and just let her eat pizza and fries and strawberries at the MDR every night. It looks weird like we're not feeding her nutritious food but she gets a lot of healthy stuff in the stateroom before dinner (we bring nuts, granola, string cheese, apples, etc.). She still takes the cheese off the pizza at the table, it's whacky but not really because lots of kids are picky and I think the servers are just used to it.

 

[xavier2001]

Isn't it the same as the other pizza on the ship??

Room service pizza is similar to the pizza on the kids menu in the main dining room but definitely NOT the same as the pizza served up on deck. Its worth walking up to the top deck to get their pizza, WAY better than room service pizza lol!

 

[Knickle]

What is MDR?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

What is MDR?

Main Dining Room. Most cruise lines/ships only have one. DCL has 3 on each ship.