Comparing Buffets About This Page:

[mackeymouse]

Alright, so I know Palo brunch is like the end all, be all of yumminess on DCL. But, just out of curiosity, can you give me a comparison of the three: Topsiders/Beach Blanket, Parrot Cay, and Palo.

My family and I are buffet people, and breakfast people. But, we are not sure if we really want to do all three buffets. I've read all the menus, but I'd love to get a sense of each from you guys. I think we would definitely like to do the Palo brunch if we can get ressies, but if there is not a huge difference between Topsiders/Beach Blanket, we may save that Palo money for a dinner meal or an excursion.

I am just trying to evaluate our dining options at this point. If we only do one or two buffets, we just want to compare.

BTW, does Topsiders/Beach Blanket have a lunch buffet? I have only ever seen a breakfast menu.

[HeatherD]

There is no comparison between the 3, really. If you've travelled to Vegas, I'll put it this way (disclosure - I have not done Palo's brunch yet, I'm going off of what chezp has told me)
Palo - Bellagio Buffet (with more intimate settings and top-rate service)
Parrot Cay - Typical of higher end buffets - themed atmosphere, good food
Topsiders - Typical of a regular buffet - food is still good, but it's a buffet, in the "buffet" sense of the word.

We went to Topsiders for lunch and breakfast, so yes, it's open for both. Palo isn't offered on the short cruises, so when that is an option, you'll have plenty of time to try the 3 buffets without feeling like it's too much.

[MelissaL]

As Heather described above, the buffets are not at all identical.

We haven't done brunch at Palo yet either, but based on what Tea and Dinner were like, I'm sure the food is several steps above a "typical" buffet and you have a server to cater to whatever else you need.

At Parrot Cay, a maitre d' will seat you at a specific table (though not necessarily the one you dine at for dinner). A server will come by to take your drink order and perhaps check on you once or twice. The food is good for a buffet. There's typically at least one "made to order" station (e.g., omelets for breakfast and maybe carved meat at lunch). It's fairly easy to get a sense of the whole buffet before making your selections.

Topsiders/Beach Blanket is more casual and, to me, less user-friendly. You go through the buffet line then hunt for a table, which at busy times may be a little hard to find (although there are tables both inside and outside on the surrounding deck). There are two identical lines on each side (although at lunch, one line is often dedicated to "kid friendly" foods such as chicken fingers, french fries, and jello). This means that you can't necessarily tell what's ahead as you make your selections. The food is OK, but doesn't seem quite as "fresh" as at Parrot Cay. There is a drink station at the end of the line. Usually there is a castmember available to draw drinks from the machines, or you can get your own. Around the corner from the end of the line, there is usually a "made to order" station, but again, you may not know what's there until you're through the line. The desserts at Parrot Cay and Topsiders/Beach Blanket are similar, perhaps identical -- at least, both places have a wide selection of tasty treats.

You didn't ask about the other breakfast option, Lumiere's/Triton's, but I'll just mention that we've been disappointed there -- the service is fine, but the portions are small. Of course, you can order as many items as you want, so you needn't go away hungry.

If you're doing a 7-night cruise, you can try out both Parrot Cay and Topsider's/Beach Blanket on the first few days, then decide which you prefer for the rest of the cruise. (Note that Parrot Cay is not available every day, because it hosts character breakfasts a couple of days.) Neither, though, would take the place of Palo if you're a fan of breakfast buffets.

Happy planning,
Melissa

[chezp]

It was our experience that the buffets were very different and I think I'd go with the description everyone else has given. I would say that the Palo brunch buffet is absolutely not to be missed. It really is stunning. I would also say that we weren't disappointed with any of the buffets on board - they were all very good.

[rescuesk]

Topsiders/BBB has a "theme" to each day's lunch buffet, one day was Spanish, one day Italian, etc. For breakfast, they have a fresh egg/omelette station where you can request whatever you like and it will be brought out to your table fresh from the grill. We really enjoyed that part in the morning, it was nice not having to just have standard buffet style scrambled eggs.

[mackeymouse]

Originally Posted by rescuesk

Topsiders/BBB has a "theme" to each day's lunch buffet, one day was Spanish, one day Italian, etc. For breakfast, they have a fresh egg/omelette station where you can request whatever you like and it will be brought out to your table fresh from the grill. We really enjoyed that part in the morning, it was nice not having to just have standard buffet style scrambled eggs.

Do you think they would do egg white only omelets? I do not like the yolk, not to mention it is unhealthy! Haha. I figured they'd already have an omelet mix ready, so they may not be able to do white only.

[rescuesk]

Originally Posted by mackeymouse

Do you think they would do egg white only omelets? I do not like the yolk, not to mention it is unhealthy! Haha. I figured they'd already have an omelet mix ready, so they may not be able to do white only.

Disney is so accomadating, I imagine they could do one up for you!