Disney Cruise Line in a Jiffy: What is Animator’s Palate?

Animator’s Palate is a main dining room found on four Disney Cruise Line ships. Every DCL main dining room is highly themed, but Animator’s Palate might be the one you should avoid missing on your cruise!

When you sail on Disney Cruise Line, your evening meal will rotate through three different dining rooms. This rotational dining is a unique feature of Disney’s ships. Animator’s Palate is the only dining room found on both Magic- and Dream-class ships. It’s themed around Disney animation, and the rooms have shows that support the theme.

The overall theme is the same across the four ships, but it’s executed a bit differently between them. The Magic and Wonder have smaller dining rooms, with black and white decor. The screens for the show are around the outside of the room. On the Dream and Fantasy, the decor is light woods, and since the rooms are larger, there are some interior screens to ensure good viewing for all. Both versions have fun features like table numbers printed on artist palette shapes, and butter knives with blades shaped like the tip of a paintbrush. (They still work to spread the butter, I promise.)

It’s free to dine at Animator’s Palate, since it will be your main dining room for the evening. I would describe the food as Pacific Rim / California fusion cuisine. Over several meals at Animator’s Palate, I would say that the food is very good, but the kitchen can always have a bad day with a particular dish. I happily ignore our server’s recommendations if my mood doesn’t match, but if they advise me against something, I take that as a sign.

It’s not the food that makes Animator’s Palate a don’t-skip dining room for us, though – it’s the show. Depending on your length of cruise, you’ll get to see either one or two different shows when you dine at Animator’s Palate. On the Magic and Wonder, one show is an animation tour. Disney characters move from initial concepts through the finished art in the movies. On the Dream and Fantasy, you may have an interactive discussion with Crush. On both ships, your last night in Animator’s Palate will include “Animation Magic”.

When you first sit down, you’ll get a template to draw your own animated character. Your server will collect it before bringing your food. While you are eating, some “digital magic” is applied. And at the end of the meal, the screens show everyone’s drawings brought to life as animated figures!

If you truly hate drawing, you don’t have to. But no words can do justice to this fun experience, and one of the best things about it is that no matter how kooky your drawing is, it comes out looking pretty cool when it’s on screen! (You can see above that I will not be winning any drawing awards.) At the end of the meal, your drawing is returned with a gold seal declaring you an official Disney animator.

Disney Cruise Line in a Jiffy is for first-time Disney cruisers looking to learn about the DCL experience. Got a Disney Cruise Line term that you want to see explained? Suggest it in the comments below!