A Celebration of Animation and Good Food - Animator's Palate on the Disney Fantasy

When I think of Disney the first thing that comes to mind is Mickey Mouse. After all, the company is what it is today thanks to the main mouse. Disney has come a long way in the 90 years since Mickey and Minnie were born! The next thing that comes to mind is the Disney movies of my childhood, most of which were animated features. Since so much of my love for Disney came from these movies I have a special place in my heart for Animator’s Palate.

Animator’s Palate is one of the three main dining restaurants and can be found on all four of the Disney ships. In addition to delicious food Animator’s Palate celebrates the art of animation. On the Disney Fantasy the entrance to the restaurant showcases drawings of Crush, Marlin, Dory, and Nemo, Dalmatian puppies, Belle and Beast, Aladdin and Abu, Genie and Eago, Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts and Chip, the Fairy Godmother from Cinderella, Mrs. And Mrs. Incredible, and Sorcerer Mickey! Once you come into the restaurant the walls are full of information on animation, different steps in the animation process, and nods to Disney and Pixar movies.

The tile part of the floor has flights in it that form characters! The carpet is a red that is reminiscent of Mickey, and the chair backs feature the classic Mickey red with yellow buttons.  On the tables you’ll find table numbers on signs that features a paintbrush, and the dishes and butter knives also feature the important artist’s tool.

Throughout the evening the screens around the room come to life to showcase and celebrate animation. On the first evening in Animator’s Palate a special guest, Crush from Finding Nemo, joined us and interacted with guests around the dining room. On our second evening here animation was celebrated even further with what is referred to as show night. When you arrive in the dining room each guest has a special placemat at their seat. Draw yourself on the placemat, it is collected, scanned, and then becomes part of the show! Each guest’s character appears as on the screen, just as they drew it, but alive and walking, dancing, or ice skating!  

It is a truly fun and colorful restaurant! I’m sure you’re asking, “But what about the food?” Well, it’s delicious.

Each evening aboard the ships starts with bread serving and on our first evening in Animator’s Palate it was Garlic and Herb Focaccia with Roasted Garlic Dip. This is by far one of my favorite breads on the ship. Fluffy focaccia with a garlic and herb crust with an oil-based roasted garlic dip that’s full of garlic flavor. Yum!

That evening we went with two of our favorite appetizers: the Black Truffle Pasta Purseittes and the Creamy Butternut Squash Soup. The Black Truffle Pasta Purseittes are delicious pasta purses filled with truffle-scented cheese that has a nice earthy flavor. They are served with a Champagne sauce. The Creamy Butternut Squash Soup has a slight sweetness that comes naturally from the squash. It is smooth and creamy and is topped with chives and sour cream. I look forward to enjoying a bowl of this soup next time we’re on one of the Disney ships.

When it came time for the main course the kids enjoyed the Kid’s Mac and Cheese with fries and the Kid’s Penne Pasta. The Mac and Cheese was creamy and had a ton of cheesy goodness. Christian ordered his with crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside steak fries and steamed veggies. Since it was the first night of the cruise and we weren’t sure how much Bella was going to eat (kids are finicky) we just ordered the main part of the entrée without any of the sides. She really enjoyed the plain penne pasta.

From the main menu we enjoyed the Black Bean Chipotle Cakes and the Herb-Crusted Pork Chop. The Black Bean Cakes are filling and have real flavor from the beans and the chipotle. They are served over brown rice with corn, and topped with a tomato, red onion, and cilantro salsa. They’re so good! The pork chop is a large portion of bone-in pork that has been coated in Dijon mustard and herbed breadcrumbs. The herbs and the mustard are a great combo. The dish is served with creamy sun-dried tomato risotto and a wine sauce. This dish will satisfy any meat lover, and anyone that likes a good risotto.

We finished the evening with a Chocolate Fudge Cheesecake. Creamy vanilla cheesecake with a rich chocolate base. This delicious cheesecake is topped with whipped cream, a dusting of cocoa powder, and a chocolate straw. Alongside it is a raspberry coulis and a fresh raspberry. It was a truly satisfying dessert.

Our second evening at Animator’s Palate came on Pirate Night. However, because we were on a Star Wars Day at Sea sailing there was no Pirate Night menu in the dining room. So, on that evening our meal began with Six Grain Country Bread with Caramelized Onions and Sun-dried Tomato Dip. This is my favorite dip on the ship! It’s sweet from the onions and sun-dried tomatoes and it’s creamy and pairs well with the country bread as well as the normal crusty rolls that are brought out as well. Seriously, this dip would be good on any bread or just about anything savory – it’s so good.

After the bread we enjoyed two appetizers, the Porcini Sacchetti and the Malaysian Chicken Satay. The Porcini Sacchetti was similar to the Black Truffle Purseittes – pasta filled with mushrooms and cheese. These, however, are stuffed with porcini mushrooms, garlic, Swiss and Fontina cheese, and thyme, and are served with a thyme prosecco sauce. The two dishes are similar, but also vastly different, and incredibly tasty. We love the black truffle ones, but these are even better! The Chicken Satay was also quite satisfying. Skewers of chicken that has been marinated in coriander, chili, and turmeric served with diced cucumber and a peanut dipping sauce. Both items were new to Animator’s since that last time we were on a ship and we were quite glad that we tried them both.

The kids enjoyed the Kid’s Fish Nuggets and the Kid’s Pizza with Fries. The Fish Nuggets were crispy on the outside, and tender and flaky on the inside. Bella really enjoyed them. Christian, as always enjoyed his two slices of cheese pizza with steak fries.

The Chicken Schnitzel, tender breaded and pan-fried chicken is crisp on the outside and full of flavor since it is fried in butter! It is served with roasted bacon potatoes (yum!) and butter greens beans. This is a seriously satisfying dish.  The Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb is tender and full of herby and natural lamb flavor. If you’re a lamb fan we recommend this dish. It is served with tender roasted thyme potatoes, ratatouille, and a rosemary red wine reduction. It all goes so well together.

We finished the evening with the Orchard Peach Tart and the Amaretto Cheesecake. Whenever there is a dessert with peaches we have to go for it! The tart has served as a slice like a piece of pie would be and had a thick buttery almond cake on the bottom and sweet peaches on top. It was served warm with a dulce de leche ice cream. A warm dessert with cold ice cream is the best combo! This dessert was amazing. The Amaretto Cheesecake was sweet and tangy layers of vanilla cheesecake and amaretto sour cream. It was quite good.

Overall we love the whole experience at Animator’s Palate on both nights. We enjoy the show, the food, and the atmosphere. We highly recommend not skipping this main restaurant when it comes up in your rotation – you won’t be disappointed!

Are you ready to start planning your next vacation? I’m an independent travel agent with World of Magic Travel and I’d be happy to help you plan your next magical vacation, on land or sea, to just about anywhere in the world! Contact me at miriyawhitaker@worldofmagictravel.com to get started! For more Disney and travel information follow me on Facebook.