The Best Things To Eat And Drink On A Disney Dream Cruise

The Grand Marnier souffle is a sweet ending to the French-inspired meal at the Royal Palace dining room. The individual-sized souffle billows over the edges of the ramekin. It's placed in front of you while still piping hot and a Grand Marnier-flavored creme anglaise is poured into the middle.

One place I visited every night of the cruise was Meridian, an adults-only bar located between the two adults-only restaurants, Remy and Palo. The bar has impeccable views of the ocean, and the bartenders specialize in custom cocktails. Just tell them what flavors and spirits you like and they can shake (or stir) something up. On the first night at Meridian, the bartender made this cocktail with vodka, basil, and limoncello, which was light and refreshing after a day spent on the pool deck.

This literally melt-in-your-mouth wagyu dish can be found in Remy, the upscale adults-only restaurant that's inspired by Pixar’s Ratatouille. Just be sure to make reservations for the three-hour tasting menu dinner before your cruise.

Instead of going to the buffet every day for lunch, consider the Royal Palace dining room, where the menu rotates daily. The fried calamari were perfectly cooked with a light and crispy batter that didn’t overwhelm the dish. Just a squeeze of lemon juice is all this needs to be perfect.

This is an iconic dish on the Disney Cruise Line and for good reason. Any pasta dish that combines truffles and champagne is a hit in my book. And pro-tip: while these are an appetizer at Animator’s Palate, you can ask your server to make it an entree portion.

Brunch at Palo, one of the adults-only restaurants on the Disney Dream, is easily my favorite meal on any Disney cruise. I always order the chicken parmesan as an entree. The thinly pounded, golden brown fried chicken is topped with a fresh tomato-basil sauce and mounds of melted parmesan cheese. It's served with a creamy and cheesy risotto.

Our server at Palo insisted that we must try every dessert at brunch, and he was right. We tried all six, and each was a hit. Luckily, they're included in the overall price of the meal, which was $45 per person. (Desserts going clockwise from top: limoncello torte, Italian zabaglione, warm amaretto chocolate fondant, chocolate raspberry tarte, warm apple cinnamon sticky bun. Middle: buttermilk panna cotta pot.)

Fresh seafood was abundant on the ship, but this ahi tuna and avocado tower was a standout. The perfectly stacked ingredients made for beautiful plating. The addition of crunchy noodles on top added a great textural difference and the wasabi dressing on the side added a nice spicy kick to the dish.

Again, Meridian was the spot to be when we craved a bourbon-based drink. The bartenders whipped up a smooth old fashioned with our choice of bourbon, plus their choice of bitters. The drink was garnished with a citrus peel and three Luxardo cherries. The bartender also put bourbon smoked sugar on top of the cherries to bring out more caramel notes.

Disney’s macaroni and cheese is one of my favorite versions of the classic dish because it’s super creamy and cheesy. I had no shame getting it from the kid's menu at dinner sometimes. The room service menu on the Disney Dream has a baked macaroni and cheese. The dish is essentially the same creamy pasta from the kid's menu but topped with a crispy panko crust that was browned off in the oven for a few minutes before being delivered to our stateroom.

The Cove Cafe is the coffee bar near the adult pool. They can make everything you can imagine, including coffee drinks with characters imprinted on the foam. Our favorite drink on the cruise quickly became the iced caramel hazelnut mocha, which is made with Da Vinci gourmet hazelnut, gourmet caramel sauce, espresso, and milk. The coffee from the Cove Cafe is an extra cost, but be sure to ask for a punch card that you can use throughout the cruise. After five stamps you turn the card in for a free coffee. Pro-tip: the snacks in the glass case of the Cove Cafe are complimentary, even if you don’t buy a coffee. There are items like Rice Krispies treats, cranberry bars, and pastries.

This takes a little planning, but ice cream cookie sandwiches are one of the best Disney Cruise Line food hacks we’ve ever discovered. First, you order two chocolate chip cookies from room service, or get them from one of the quick-service restaurants on the pool deck. Then walk to the self-serve ice cream machine near the family pool and top one cookie with your choice of ice cream. Put the other cookie on top and you have an instant ice cream sandwich. We got a lot of questions about this as we walked around the pool deck eating them. This hack also works at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. Just get some cookies from any of the three BBQ lunch locations and hit up the ice cream machines on the island.