On June 30th the Disney Wish, the fifth and newest ship of the Disney Cruise Line, was officially christened and set sail on a three-day cruise to the Bahamas. In this article, I’ll focus on one of the most important aspects of going on a cruise—great dining! As there is so much to report, let’s take a close look at each of the restaurants that are part of the rotational dining. Beginning with the 1923 restaurant, I will report on all of them in a series of articles to follow, so stay tuned!
As with all Disney cruise ships, passengers experience rotational dining with an assigned dining experience for each night. The waitstaff rotates with you. It gives dinner a uniquely personalized touch. The staff knows your name and will do everything to make your dining experience special. If you do not like what you ordered or if you wish to have seconds, no problem—the waitstaff will see to it. It takes “Be Our Guest” to a whole new level.
Before going on your cruise, you get to pick your dinner seating (5:45 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.). But even that can be changed once on board, based upon availability.
The 1923 restaurant is the only dining venue that does not have a theatrical production during dinner, and heaven knows how grateful I became after the Worlds of Marvel: Avengers Quantum Encounter the next night. But let’s get back to 1923, shall we? Located on deck 3, the restaurant evokes the glamour of classic Hollywood. The name is a shoutout to the year The Walt Disney Company started in California. There are two side dining rooms, aptly name the Roy Disney and the Walt Disney. We dined in the Roy Disney section but visited both. The food features California cuisine with a nod to European, Asian, and South American cuisines.
While the restaurant features over 1,000 props and drawings of animation artwork, the decor of the two dining rooms is reminiscent of the Art Deco period of the 1920s, with iron work reminding me of The Great Gatsby.
Dinner started with a Bread Service: Fig and Olive Bread with a Honey Butter Dip. I loved the starters we had, and we ordered three of them! First a Burrata Mozzarella Cheese & Prosciutto di Parma, served with Crisp Cranberry and Sunflower Seed Phyllo and a slice of Charred Blood Orange, followed by Alameda Porcini Spiced Ahi Tuna with Pickled Lotus Root, Oyster Mushroom, Black Sesame Brittle, and Wasabi and Yuzu Mayonnaise. The third small plate we tasted was Kingswell Duck Confit Pastilla with Dates, Apricot, Ginger, Red Pepper, Saffron, and Black Raspberry Jam.
To clear the palate, so to speak, we went for the Fennel, Bartlett Pear, and Tatsoi Salad with Manchego Cheese, Walnuts, and Sherry Dressing.
As for the main dishes, we tried the 1923 Peppered Filet Mignon with Buttered Long Green Beans, Smoked Bacon, Crushed Fingerling Potato Hash, and Pink Pepper Café Au Lait, and my favorite, the Italian Flat Parsley and Rosemary-crusted Rack of Lamb with Dauphinoise Potato, Roasted Petite Turnip, Carrot and Zucchini, and Zinfandel Rosemary Sauce.
Dinner came to a sweet end with Churros Calientes (Sugar Spice Churros with Dulce de Leche), Flourless Orange Almond Cake with Guava Gel and Lychee Yogurt Crème, and a Coconut Tapioca Pudding with Strawberry-Lime Salsa and Matcha Crumble.
If you’re planning a Disney Cruise vacation, make sure to check out The Unofficial Guide to Disney Cruise Line by Erin Foster with Len Testa and Ritchey Halphen.
This article by Liliane J. Opsomer first appeared on The Mouse for Less blog.
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