Story by staff writer Ann McElfresh. Photos Copyright © Ann McElfresh.

In August our resident foodie, Ann McElfresh, and her friend and fellow Milliver’s Travels staff member, Betsy Villanella, were the lucky ducks who got to cruise on board the Disney Dream. We’ve got several stories for you from their cruise, starting with Annie covering the amazing food.

ONE THING AVAILABLE in abundance on a cruise ship is food. Disney has always had a policy of “exceeding expectations” and they certainly deliver with their dining choices.

They have innovated the cruise line dining experience with “rotation dining.” Each night, guest enjoy a different dining room, but your wait staff travels with you. They know what you like, can make recommendations and you’ll have a delightful vacation relationship with them. On the Disney Dream I happily experienced ALL their dining options!

Each restaurant has a different theme, different menu. Your wait staff wears a uniform to match the décor and you can hardly wait for the next day to see what’s coming!

Aside from their “standard” restaurants—Royal Palace, Animators Palate, and Enchanted Garden—they also have Cabanas, a buffet with tasty selections including a seafood bar and several poolside take-and-go offerings (hotdogs, hamburgers, pizza and ice-cream) as well as a few grown-up selections like paninis and salads.

Let’s take a look at the three restaurants.

Royal Palace is a prince and princess restaurant. The serving staff wears a princely military-style uniform in royal blue with gold piping. The bread is served in a wire “Pumpkin Carriage” and they are heavy with beef and lobster. I had a delightful cold duck appetizer that was my favorite dish that evening.

Animators Palate is made up like a drafting/drawing room and the pictures on the wall come to life. The room is filtered with an ocean-blue light and Crush from Finding Nemo swims around in the pictures, chatting with the guests. It’s incredible!

I had a tasty vegetarian dish of black bean patties on rice with pico de gallo—one of the best dishes in all the standard restaurants.

The Enchanted Garden is like eating outside at sunset. It’s on the second floor and it’s a floral delight! The food is light and gives you the feeling of a formal picnic. I had pork that was perfectly prepared, tender and tasty served on beautiful root vegetables and polenta cakes.

Disney Cruise Line also boasts two outstanding premium restaurants that you can enjoy for a surcharge. Palo, which serves brunch and dinner, and Remy, their flagship restaurant.

Palo is an upscale Italian restaurant and they have a terrific brunch that is both buffet and menu-ordered. You simply enjoy their buffet offerings and order any dish you want. They have a beautiful seafood selection, stunning antipasto with meats, cheeses and beautifully-prepared vegetables. Breads of every kind, breakfast fruits and pastries— and a dessert tray that will make you weep!

During your Palo brunch you can order egg dishes like Eggs Benedict, Eggs Florentine and Roasted Vegetable Stratas. Their cold Strawberry-Mint Soup is one of my favorites and they also make Chicken Picatta, Chicken Parmesan and beautiful seafood. It’s absolutely worth the small fee of $20 per passenger to enjoy this one!

Remy’s was so amazing it will have its own article. Be on the look out for that one! It was, without qualification, the finest meal I have ever had.

I hate to leave you hanging with that, but consider how delightful an appetizer is. It wakes up your taste buds and leaves you ready for the next course. . . .

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Ann McElfresh has had the opportunity to travel and live overseas during the course of her husband’s career in the military and they didn’t stop after he retired! An enthusiastic home cook, she has an extensive “bucket list” of places to see, foods to eat and dishes to cook. A recent physical required that she focus her attention on cooking healthy foods and living a healthier lifestyle. At this time, she has lost 20 pounds and when asked how she lost the weight, she tells people, “By cooking like mad! Who knew losing weight could be so much fun?” A former popular food blogger at Cooking Healthy for Me, Ann is now enjoying retirement with her Honey Bunny.