Skip to Content

Disney Cruise Palo Brunch or Dinner – Which is Best?

Sharing is caring!

One of the questions which I am often asked is should you choose Palo Brunch or Palo Dinner on a Disney Cruise?

Is Palo Brunch or Palo Dinner the best choice? Here we will look at the Palo Brunch and Dinner menus and pictures to help you decide which is the best dining option for you.

Disney Cruise Palo

disneypaloworthit

Palo is an adult-only restaurant that is available on all of the Disney ships. You have to be 18 or older to dine in Palo.

Disney Cruise Line Palo Reservations

disneywonderpalo

You can make one Palo Brunch and one Palo Dinner reservation online prior to your cruise.

If you book Palo Dinner for the first night you can also make an additional Palo Dinner reservation for your cruise.

Palo is very popular and reservations are essential. However, do not be too concerned if you are not able to secure a Palo reservation prior to boarding the ship.

Quite often when you try and book Palo online you will be told that there are no reservations available.

Don’t worry.

A large number of reservations are held back for booking on the cruise.

disneypalodecor

If you want a Palo dining reservation for either Brunch or Dinner you can book onboard.

Your Disney Cruise Navigator will show where the Palo reservations can be made when you board the ship. After boarding, you can go straight to that location and book Palo.

Once you are on board you can book as many Palo reservations as you want. It is only prior to boarding that you are limited to booking just once.

However, Palo is very popular. Make sure that you go to the designated location as soon as you get on board to make the reservations that you want.

Join my Disney Cruise Group for Tips and Free Giveaways!

Disney Cruise Palo Dress Code

disneycruisepalowine

The Disney Cruise Palo dress code has relaxed quite a bit over the years. Gone are the days when you would be asked to change if you were wearing jeans.

However, Disney does still ask that you follow a more dress code in Palo, albeit a pretty relaxed one.

disneycruisepalodessert

Guests are asked to:

“preserve the ambiance of this fine-dining venue. Dress pants, slacks, and collared shirts are recommended for men and a dress, skirt, or pants and a blouse are recommended for women. Jeans may also be worn if in good condition (no holes). Please no tank tops, swimsuits, swimsuit cover-ups, shorts, hats, cut-offs, torn clothing, t-shirts with offensive language and/or graphics, flip-flops, or tennis shoes.”

In my experience, there is a pretty wide range of interpretations of this Palo dress code, but most people are dressed in what would be described as “smart casual”.

As you would expect, guests at Palo Dinner tend to be more formally dressed than at Palo Brunch.

Disney Palo Cost

disneypalobuffet

There is an extra charge of $45 per person for both Disney Palo Brunch and Dinner.

This does not include gratuity.

With Disney Palo Brunch there will be either sparkling wine or a Mimosa included in the cost.

There have been a number of price increases for Palo Brunch and Dinner over the years.

The Palo cost went up most recently in June 2021. The price increase was to $45 for both Palo Brunch and Dinner.

The most recent price increase before that was on December 14th, 2018. The cost went up from $30 to $40 for both Brunch and Dinner.

disneypalocost

I still feel that it is worth experiencing Palo for $45 per person. The quality of the food, service, and experience is worth it.

There is an extensive wine and cocktail list for both Palo Brunch and Dinner.

It is perhaps surprising that the cost for Palo Brunch and Dinner is the same.

paloeggsbenedictrecipe
Palo Eggs Benedict

You will probably pay more for Palo Dinner as most are likely to indulge in something from the wine menu. However, the basic cost is the same.

This means that the cost factor doesn’t help at all in your choice of whether to book Palo Brunch or Dinner!

Disney Palo Location

palodisneywonder

On the classic Disney Magic and Wonder Palo is located on Deck 10 Aft. This is a very low-traffic area so it feels very exclusive.

Take some time to look at the display shelves outside Palo. Also, the bathrooms are very lavishly decorated so you definitely have to see that too!

Disney Palo is located on Deck 12 Starboard on the Disney Fantasy and Dream.

Palo on Disney Wish is on Deck 12 Aft.

As you would expect it is larger than on the classic ships as it has to accommodate more guests.

Disneycruisepalodecor

Both restaurants have an Italian theme and plenty of the tables have a fabulous view out to the ocean.

This is where the newer Disney ships the Fantasy and the Dream have the advantage as the ocean view is better. It is good on all ships, but Dream and Fantasy are better.

disneycruisepalo

The other difference is that Disney Magic and Wonder have an open kitchen, whereas Fantasy and Dream do not.

I like the open kitchen concept so prefer this on the classic Disney ships.

The Dream and the Fantasy have a separate bar area, the Meridian. This is located between Palo and the other adult-only restaurant on these ships, Remy.

The Meridian feels like one of those forgotten spaces on the ships which you only visit if you are going to Palo or Remy.

You are welcome to visit at any other time. There is also a very nice outdoor seating area at the Meridian Bar.

On Disney Wonder and Magic, there is a bar area inside the restaurant.

It is rare that you see anyone actually seated there, but you are welcome to sit there prior to being shown to your table.

disneycruisepalo

Is Disney Palo better on the newer Disney ships of the Fantasy and the Dream?

I really don’t think so. They are in a different locations with different decor.

However, I think that the food, the service, and the ambiance are equally as good on all of the ships.

Palo Steakhouse on Disney Wish

Palo on Disney Wish is a little different as it is a Steakhouse.

palodisneywish
Disney Wish Palo Steakhouse

Palo is a beautiful space located on Deck 12 Aft of Disney Wish.

The design inspiration for Palo, Enchante, and the Rose Bar on the Wish is from the Beauty and the Beast movie.

Related Post: Disney Wish Palo Dinner Review

The cuisine is still Italian and the menu is the same for Brunch. The dinner menu offers more steak options than the other ships.

The equivalent of the Meridian Bar on Fantasy and Dream is The Rose Bar. Make sure that you visit here at least once on your Disney Wish cruise. Many guests don’t ever make it to this beautifully designed space with floor-to-ceiling windows. Make sure it is on your to-do list when you sail on the Wish.

Related Post: Disney Wish Restaurants and Bars

Disney Palo Brunch

Disney Palo Brunch is offered on all cruises of 4 nights or more on sea days.

disneypalobrunchmenu

For Palo Brunch there is a huge buffet selection as well as a hot food selection which you can order off the menu.

You will be offered a complimentary Mimosa or Sparkling Wine with your brunch. There is also a wine and cocktail list.

As with all Disney cruise restaurants, the soda beverages are complimentary.

Your server will take you on a tour of the buffet. There is a huge selection of different items and everyone is sure to find something that they like.

It is difficult to prioritize what you should eat first!

disneypalobrunch

I always go to the seafood section first as I particularly enjoy the crab legs, shrimp, and salmon mousse. The caviar is also a great choice.

palodisneycruise

The huge selection of cheeses is also very tempting. Particularly this huge parmesan cheese! It is amazing with the honeycomb.

disneypalomenu

There is such a huge selection of buffet items that it is difficult to choose which hot item you should have from the menu.

Palo Brunch Entree

You can see the hot menu items displayed at the side to help you choose which one you want.

Of course, you can order as many as you want, but you may be too full to eat all your selections!

disneypalobreakfast

I confess that there is one section which I rarely choose anything from and that is the pastry section. Not that it doesn’t look great! Just not my thing and there are so many other choices I tend to just walk on by.

disneypalodessert

You need to make sure that you save room for dessert. There are so many tempting options. The desserts are small so you can pick lots of different ones without feeling too guilty!

disneypalodessertselection

You can see my most recent Disney Cruise Palo Review on my San Diego Disney Cruise Review.

This has a lot more detail and more Disney Cruise Palo Brunch pictures.

Disney Palo Dinner

palodisneyfantasy

Even though the location is exactly the same, the experience of a Disney Palo Dinner is very different from Brunch.

As I have mentioned, surprisingly the cost is the same, so this doesn’t help with your choice of one over the other!

Dinner is served every night of your Disney cruise. The least popular night is the first night.

This is why Disney now offers you the chance to book two Palo dinners online prior to boarding, provided that one of your nights is the first night.

Some people we know book every single night in Palo, but this is not that common.

The Disney cruise rotational dining restaurants are very good, so we only ever book one or possibly two Palo dinners for each cruise.

I have learned that it is a nice idea to arrive slightly early for your Palo dinner. This is so you can enjoy a pre-dinner drink. You may as well make the most of the experience!

disneypalodinner

Your Disney Palo Dinner will start with a delicious selection of antipasti. Your server will bring the cart to your table and you can choose what you want.

For me, this is one of the highlights of the meal. Be sure to ask for what you want.

Disney Palo has an extensive wine menu. Of course, if you already have the Disney Wine Package it can be served to you in Palo.

If you have an unfinished bottle it will be brought to you in Palo as well as the rotational dining restaurants.

disneypalomenu
disneypalowinemenu
disneypalodessertmenu

The Disney Palo Dinner menu has something for everyone.

If you have any special dietary requirements such as gluten-free then be sure to tell your server.

disneydreampalo

I will be sailing with my daughter who is vegan and I am very interested to see what Palo has to offer.

She has sailed many times on Disney cruises but this time she is an adult so able to go to Palo. I want to see how much value Disney cruises offer to vegans in Palo.

She hasn’t sailed since 2015 so it will be interesting to see how much progress Disney cruise lines have made with offering vegan dining options.

Disney Palo Dinner Menu

disneypalodinnermenus
disnwypalodinnermenu
disneywonderpalodinnermenu

You can order as many items as you would like from the Disney Palo Dinner Menu. Service in Palo is excellent so if you have any questions make sure that you ask your server.

The Ciuppin Soup is delicious.

The Fresh Arugula Salad is very flavorful.

disneypalosalad

Everyone is served this Disney Palo sorbet in between courses. It is a nice touch.

disneycruisepalosorbet

A favorite of mine is the Sea Scallops.

disneycruisescallops

If you actually have room for dessert there are some wonderful choices.

disneypalodessertmenu

The Chocolate Souffle is a great choice.

disneypalochocolate

Disney Palo Brunch or Disney Palo Dinner?

disneypalomenu

If you can choose only one, should you choose Palo Brunch or Dinner? This is a difficult question!

The answer is really that it depends on what you are looking for. Each experience has advantages over the other.

If I had to choose I would choose Palo Brunch rather than Dinner. There are a number of reasons for this.

I think the main reason is that I enjoy the buffet choices more than I enjoy the dinner choices.

Palo Brunch

This may be because I love seafood, but I don’t eat meat. There are seafood and vegetarian choices on the Palo Dinner Menu, but I just love the availability of the Crab Legs and the Shrimp for the Brunch.

There is another very strong reason to choose Palo Brunch rather than Dinner. The timing.

If you have Palo Dinner this means that you have to miss a rotational dining room experience.

disneycruisepalo

Of course, the quality of the food is better in Palo than it is in the main rotational dining rooms on the Disney ships.

However, the quality of the experience is so good in the already included in the fare dining rooms, that you may want to take this into account.

It is difficult to choose which restaurant to skip. Usually, I will choose to have dinner at Palo on Pirate Night. This is because my least favorite menu is on Pirate Night.

Others will probably think the exact opposite and definitely not want to schedule Palo for Pirate Night as they want to enjoy the pirate festivities instead.

disneywonderpalo

However, if your priority is a romantic meal then you will probably want to pick Palo Dinner.

A Brunch is a romantic option as well, but there is something just extra special about dinner.

Which do you think you will choose? Palo Brunch or Palo Dinner? I would love to hear your views. Leave me a comment below.

disneycruisepalobrunchordinner

Top 10 Things to Do on a Disney Cruise for Adults - EverythingMouse Guide To Disney

Wednesday 19th of February 2020

[…] The Disney Wonder, Magic, Dream and Fantasy all have the Palo adult-only restaurants. […]

27 Do's and Don'ts for Your First Day Onboard a Disney Cruise Ship - EverythingMouse Guide To Disney

Friday 7th of February 2020

[…] make reservations for Palo on all the ships and Remy on the Disney Dream and Fantasy. Although many of the reservations will […]

What is Not Included on a Disney Cruise - EverythingMouse Guide To Disney

Monday 3rd of February 2020

[…] However, if you want a discussion of this check out Disney Cruise Palo Brunch or Dinner? […]

Top 10 Romantic Things To Do On A Disney Cruise - EverythingMouse Guide To Disney

Thursday 30th of January 2020

[…] particularly like the Disney Fantasy Palo brunch as the restaurant offers sweeping views of the ocean and of course, spectacular […]

Jeffrey Majette

Friday 29th of March 2019

Definitely Palo Brunch. We did both on Disney Fantasy in May 2018. While dinner was very nice, I thoroughly enjoyed the brunch buffet. Looking forward to Palo Brunch on our next Disney cruise in September of this year.