Welcome back, Theresa!
As you step onto the Dream the Cast Members will announce your family name and applaud your arrival, and will then explain which restaurants are open for lunch and point you in the right direction. Usually, you can dine at Cabanas or Enchanted Garden for your first lunch, buffet-style.
Dinner is fabulous on the Disney Dream because you'll get to rotate through all three of the main restaurants on the ship. Your Key To The World Card will show your dining rotation on the bottom of it and you'll also receive a dining ticket in your stateroom, showing where you will begin. If you begin in Animator's Palate, then you'll head there at 5:45 when the main dining seating begins. No need to line up early, just arrive at 5:45 and you'll go right to your reserved table. Your servers will introduce themselves to you, and you'll be pleased to know that they will meet you at each restaurant each night, so you have the same service team throughout the cruise. My family loves getting to know our servers. We have had some tearful goodbyes at the end of our cruises, as they've really become part of the family!
You'll have a different menu each night, depending on where you dine. Check out the menus at
Enchanted Garden,
Animator's Palate, and
Royal Palace. Menu items are always subject to change, but this will give you a good idea of what delicious food choices you'll have! Each night, the kids will receive their own special menu with some traditional kids' choices as well as Chef's Entree selections for kids. My kids really enjoy their meals onboard, and I'm happy they're always trying new foods!
Have fun planning, Theresa!