*This gluten free dining experience took place in January 2020. It includes information about dairy free options, as well as a review of fish/shellfish free, peanut free, cabbage free, hazelnut free, and chicken & turkey free options.

Dinner at Animator's Palate

On day 2 of our 3-day cruise on the Disney Dream, we had dinner at our second rotational dining option -- Animator's Palate. Admittedly, both Brandon and I don't love this restaurant as much as the others on the Disney Dream, both for the theming and food. We just find the general experience underwhelming, and neither of us really likes the combination of classic Disney animation with what's essentially Turtle Talk with Crush from Epcot. Everyone has different preferences though, and we both did find dishes that we enjoyed while dining at the restaurant.

Atmosphere

Animator's Palate is inspired by Disney animation and classic Disney characters. I do enjoy some of the brightly color nods to animation and the fun designs featured in the carpet and chairs.

Animator's Palate - Table / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

I do kind of miss the old table markers at Animator's Palate, but these new ones featuring a paint brush are still pretty cute too.

Animator's Palate / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

Our visit to Animator's Palate was during the cruise's Pirate Night, so we both got into the theming a little bit with pirate bandanas!

We both enjoyed the restaurant's color scheme as it changed throughout our meal, which is definitely very charming. If you want to read more about the restaurant's theme, check out some of our other reviews, including our review from this cruise of our embarkation lunch.

The Food

When you sail on the Disney Dream for 3-night cruises, you don't get a special pirate menu. But, other guests who have sailed on 4-night cruises on the Disney Dream have shared the newly launched Pirate Night allergy-friendly menu.

On this cruise, we were given the regular rotational allergy-friendly menu for Animator's Palate. Since this was our first cruise with the new allergy-friendly menus, we were looking forward to checking out the options. It's important to note that we were given these menus the night before and asked to pre-order our meal, which we did. We ordered items both from the allergy-friendly menu and the regular menu, as well.

Already on day 2, our Assistant Server Gedde was well-prepared for me and my unsweetened iced tea love. In fact, throughout most of our cruise, he made sure I always had two iced teas so that I was never without a beverage, which was so nice.

Animator's Palate - Allergy-Friendly Rolls — Animator's Palate / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

Both Brandon and I were served the allergy-friendly Ener-G rolls to start. We both agree that when well-heated, these rolls are super delicious.

For my appetizer, I ordered the Sliced Serrano Ham with Grilled Zucchini and Squash with Marinated Olives and Roasted Peppers from the allergy-friendly menu. This dish was marked safe for Gluten/Wheat, Egg, Fish/Shellfish, Milk, Peanut/Tree Nut, and Soy Allergies.

Overall, I really enjoyed this appetizer. The Serrano ham was so good, and I loved the olives and grilled zucchini & squash. This is a dish I would definitely order any time we're at Animator's Palate. It was light and refreshing and the perfect start to a meal.

Animator's Palate - Food in Photo is NOT Gluten Free / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

Brandon ordered the Sliced Serrano Ham with Manchego Cheese and Olive Tappenade from the regular Animator's Palate menu. This dish was safe for Fish/Shellfish, Peanut/Tree Nut, Cabbage, and Chicken & Turkey Allergies.

Brandon has ordered this several times when we've dined at Animator's Palate and always says it's very good.

Whenever I got to Animator's Palate, I simply must order the Salmon Tartare. This dish is marked gluten free on the regular menu and does contain dairy.

If you can have dairy and love fish, this is an excellent appetizer to get. The flavors are fresh, bright, and vibrant. And, the quality of the salmon is excellent. It's a hands-down must get for me every trip and didn't disappoint this trip either!

Animator's Palate French Onion Soup in Photo is NOT Gluten Free / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW — Animator's Palate French Onion Soup in Photo is **NOT** Gluten Free / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW

Brandon couldn't help but order his two favorite soups again from Royal Palace. This included French Onion Soup and Potato Leek Soup. Both of these were safe for Fish/Shellfish, Peanut/Tree Nut, Cabbage, and Chicken & Turkey Allergies.

One of the great hidden facts about Disney rotational dining is that you can always order dishes from any other restaurant menu that's being served the same night as your meal. So, if you like a dish from another restaurant, you can always request it! Just check with your server. Because Brandon can't easily get soup with his chicken & turkey allergies, he definitely eats as much of it as he can when we're cruising and they're safe options.

I'm not usually very keen on the entrees served at Animator's Palate. And, I have to admit, even the new allergy-friendly options didn't seem all that appealing either. I ended up choosing Animator's Palate night to order one of my favorite things on the Disney Cruise Line -- Indian Food. Our Head Server Sudhir took care of my request and ensured I had some tasty Indian food to enjoy on night 2.

My Indian food meal included lentils, chicken curry, and basmati rice. Everything was gluten free, and I believe everything may have been dairy free too. This entree didn't disappoint, and I was so excited to enjoy it. Everything was so flavorful! If you're interested in Indian food while on your Disney Cruise, be sure to ask your server team about this as an option.

For Brandon's entree, he ended up getting the Lamb Chops, which I believe were from Royal Palace. The entree normally comes with Brussels Sprouts which are a part of the cabbage family (which Brandon is allergic to). They modified the dish to remove the Brussels Sprouts and add double potatoes instead. This dish was safe for Fish/Shellfish, Peanut/Tree Nut, Cabbage, and Chicken & Turkey Allergies.

Overall, Brandon said this was a good dish -- though I think his biggest complaint is that he never feels like there's enough meat with lamb chops. He enjoyed the potatoes a lot and is always glad when he gets double potatoes!

For dessert, I ordered the Chocolate Fudge Brownieserved with Raspberry Cream. This dish was marked safe for Gluten/Wheat, Egg, Fish/Shellfish, Milk, and Peanut Allergies.

This dish was outstanding, and it might have been my favorite dessert of the entire cruise. The dairy free & vegan raspberry cream was so good. Light and fluffy and not too overpowering with raspberry flavor. And, the chocolate fudge brownie was super rich too.

For some reason, I could not find a photo of Brandon's dessert. I'm not sure if this is because we were served the same dessert or if he skipped it. The hazards of not writing up your review until a month after your cruise!

If you want to see more about our overall cruise experience and see our dining reviews on video, check out our vlog series that we posted on YouTube!

Overall

While Animator's Palate may not be our personal favorite restaurant of the Disney Dream's 3 main rotational dining options, we were impressed by the allergy-friendly menu appetizer and dessert menu options. And, we always appreciate that our server teams go above and beyond to ensure we have delicious and safe meals each night of our cruise.

Have you been on the Disney Dream? What do you like to order when you dine at Animator's Palate?

Animator's Palate Dinner Review on the Disney Dream

Dinner at Animator's Palate

Atmosphere

The Food

Overall

Royal Palace Breakfast Review on the Disney Dream

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Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW