Feature Article: Room Service on the Disney Cruise Line - Disney Magic Dining Review - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
And a very special thank you to our Guides (moderators), past and present, who kept our forums a happy place to be. You are the glue that held everything together, and we are forever grateful to you. Thank you aliceinwdw, Caldercup, MrsM, WillCAD, Fortissimo, GingerJ, HiddenMickey, CRCrazy, Eeyoresmom, disneyknut, disneydani, Cam22, chezp, WDWfan, Luvsun, KMB733, rescuesk, OhToodles!, Colexis Mom, lfredsbo, HiddenMickey, DrDolphin, DopeyGirl, duck addict, Disneybine, PixieMichele, Sandra Bostwick, Eeyore Tattoo, DyanKJ130, Suzy Q'Disney, LilMarcieMouse, AllisonG, Belle*, Chrissi, Brant, DawnDenise, Crystalloubear, Disneymom9092, FanOfMickey, Goofy4Goofy, GoofyMom, Home4us123, iamgrumpy, ilovedisney247, Jennifer2003, Jenny Pooh, KrisLuvsDisney, Ladyt, Laughaholic88, LauraBelle Hime, Lilianna, LizardCop, Loobyoxlip, lukeandbrooksmom, marisag, michnash, MickeyMAC, OffKilter_Lynn, PamelaK, Poor_Eeyore, ripkensnana, RobDVC, SHEANA1226, Shell of the South, snoozin, Statelady01, Tara O'Hara, tigger22, Tink and Co., Tinkerbelz, WDWJAMBA, wdwlovers, Wendyismyname, whoSEZ, WildforWD, and WvuGrrrl. You made the magic.
We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.
That said, PassPorter is not going away. Most of the resources will remain online for as long as we can support them, and after that we will find ways to make whatever we can available. PassPorter means a great deal to us, and to many of you, and we will do our best to keep it alive in whatever way we can. Our server costs are high, and they'll need to come out of our pockets, so in the future you can expect some changes so we can bring those costs down.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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Feature Article: Room Service on the Disney Cruise Line - Disney Magic Dining Review
Room Service on the Disney Cruise Line - Disney Magic Dining Review by Mary Augustine
While sailing on the Disney Cruise Line, you have several options for dining.
Your options include the three main dining rooms, fast food counter service, snacks displayed in glass cases or at evening buffets, adult-only dining venues, and room service. Have you ever wanted a snack, meal, or beverage without leaving your stateroom? Room service is only a phone call away. Room service is available from the time you are able to enter your Disney cruise stateroom, usually around 1:30 pm on boarding day, until the final morning of your cruise, with room service ending at 1:30 am for all but the concierge guests. We have found several situations where room service dining adds to our cruise experience. When a nap or early bedtime is needed, when an early-morning breakfast is desired, if someone is not feeling well, if a meal time is missed due to another activity, if you have teenagers in your party, or any time hunger strikes, room service is an option to consider.
The cost of room service is included in your cruise fare (with the exception of items specifically noted on the menu, such as bottled water, canned soda, beer, wine, and candy), with only the tip to be paid at the time you receive service. The menu can be found in the stateroom book usually located on the desk. In addition, a breakfast menu card can be found on or in your stateroom desk. For breakfast, you can simply check off your selections and desired delivery time on that card, then hang it on the door handle outside your stateroom before 3:00 am. In our experience, a smiling crew member will arrive promptly at the time selected, with your breakfast tray. If you phone for room service, we have typically been given a delivery time of around 30-35 minutes from the time of placing the order, however, most often, the food has arrived somewhat faster, usually within about 20 minutes.
What is available? Salads, soups, appetizers, fresh fruit, hot and cold sandwiches, hamburgers, fries, wings, pizzas, macaroni and cheese, and an entree item like salmon steak with asparagus and orzo. Let’s not forget desserts, including the cruise line's homemade cookies, and two items not listed on the menu: cake and Mickey Mouse ice cream bars! Beverages include milk, juice, tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. Other beverages may be ordered as well, but will incur an additional charge. Breakfast items include cold cereals and granola, toast, donuts, bagels, muffins, pastries, croissants, and English muffins. For a preview of all items, the Disney Cruise Line website lists the room service menu, under dining options. We have been able to order some items not listed on the menu, including gluten-free bread or buns, soy milk, veggie burgers, and the desserts mentioned above. If you are wondering about something that is not on the menu, simply inquire when you place your order. Tipping is the one cost of room service on Disney Cruise Line. I’ve read that $1-$2 per visit is an acceptable tip. You may tip in cash or add the tip to a charge slip, which we have received when ordering items such as sodas or bottled water that incur an additional charge. We tip in cash and have always found the crew member delivering the food to be happy to receive cash.
What to do when you’re done with the meal? You may call room service for tray pick-up, or simply place the tray outside your stateroom door. Your stateroom host will also clear away any trays during the morning or evening housekeeping service.
We have used room service on each of our five Disney cruises, and offer the following tips:
- Bring some $1 and $5 bills to use for room service tips.
- Consider ordering snacks on boarding day, to be enjoyed while unpacking, sailing away, or waiting for dinner. We like the All Hands on Deck cheese and cracker tray, the fruit bowl, and cookies!
- If you have teens or other frequent snackers, order extra items that can be stored in the stateroom cooler/refrigerator.
- Room service breakfasts can be quite helpful on port day mornings. If some members of your party are slow in getting ready while others are hungry, breakfast can begin in your stateroom. This promotes harmony and reduces nagging. Can you guess that we’ve cruised with teens?
- If you have a veranda, consider dining there at least once. We find that a meal, snack, or beverage on the veranda is delightful.
In short, room service is a wonderful option to consider while cruising with Mickey. The variety, minimal cost (tip), and convenience of room service is just one more part of the magic when sailing with Disney Cruise Line.
What do you think? Please add your own comments, experiences, or news related to this article in this thread! Reader feedback is welcomed and encouraged.
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Mary, you nailed it! Room service is a convenience most people discover once on board. We love pre-ordering breakfast to nibble on while we get ready in the morning. And, you're right, dining on your veranda is heavenly!
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