Brunch at Palo on the Disney Cruise Line

Disney Cruise Line has some great food to offer. With their rotational dining system that’s exclusive to Disney, guests onboard these ships can be rest assured that they’re getting some high quality food, all included with the cost of their cruise. But what if you want something a little more elevated? Enter Brunch at Palo. The signature restaurant, Palo is on the Disney Wonder, Disney Magic, Disney Dream, Wish, and the Disney Fantasy. And it’s adult only, so it’s a perfect escape. Palo offers brunch and dinner, and this reservation is available at an extra cost. Read on to learn all about Palo Brunch on the Disney Wonder.

You can find the Palo Signature Restaurant for Adults Only, on every Disney Cruise Line Ship. But for this trip we were dining on the Disney Wonder. On the Wonder, there are three main dining rooms that guests can enjoy at dinnertime and you’re able to experience all of them with Rotational Dining. Palo, however, is signature dining and eating here is not included in your Disney Cruise Package. 

Brunch at Palo is served mainly on Disney Cruise Days at Sea. However, this can change with your itinerary. Additionally, reservations are required to dine at Palo, regardless of the meal. 

Palo on the Disney Wonder

This Italian-inspired restaurant is simply stunning. With beautiful views from any angle, Palo is located on Deck 10 of the Disney Wonder, in the aft. As soon as you enter this area of the ship, you can immediately notice that it was indeed intended as an adult only space. “Palo” in Italian means “pole”. And here you will find that even further, it’s referring to the poles on the canal boats in Venice. The entire restaurant pays homage to Venice in one way or another and it is simply stunning. They don’t overcrowd the restaurant, and the tables even feel like you have a bit more space. 

Palo Brunch Details

Brunch at Palo is hands down one of my favorite meals. So, when we finally had the opportunity to try Palo on the Disney Wonder, I was ecstatic to say the least. At $45 per person, I was definitely intrigued to see if Palo would live up to the hype.

Palo has a vast menu for brunch offering anything from Mickey Waffles to Chicken Parmesan to Flatbreads. The Brunch starts out with each person receiving a prosecco-based drink to start, included in the charge. This can be either a mimosa or bellini or just prosecco!  If someone in your party is under 21, or just doesn’t drink alcohol, they have the option of non-alcoholic options, like the Cipriani Bellini, which is peach puree and sparkling water. 

After your drinks have been served, your server will bring out way too many pastries. Is there such a thing as way too many pastries? Unlikely, but it’s a lot of pastries. Both savory and sweet. All delicious. You can order from the antipasti menu if you want something additional. And then it’s time for soup. We tried both soups and they were both delicious. 

In terms if entrees, you can order pretty much as much or as little as you’d like. We only ordered 1 entree each, but the table next to us ordered several per guest. Either way is fine! The price doesn’t change based on your meal selection. So order what you like. But keep in mind, additional alcohol will cost you extra.  

After your entrees, yes you do get dessert! We love dessert, so of course this was a major win for us. They have some of the most luxurious desserts to be had onboard. Our server asked if we wanted to choose, or if he could choose for us, and we were feeling adventurous, so we let him pick our desserts.

Is there a dress code for Palo Brunch on the Disney Wonder?

Yes there is! You can find the dress code for Palo here. Basically, it just needs to be something a little more than what you’d wear around the rest of the ship. We wore casual dresses and never felt underdressed. They do understand that you’re on vacation and may not have your finest ballgown available. So you don’t have to dress to the nines, but you do want to make a little effort. 

How long does brunch at Palo take?

Brunch at Palo is about 2 hours. This will all depend on the size of your party, how much you order, and how quickly you eat. This is not a rushed experience by any means though, so you should allow around 2 hours for the complete meal. Obviously, if you skip antipasti or dessert, you can expect it to take a little less. If you order multiple entrees, then it may take a little longer. 

Palo Brunch Reservations

There are a couple of ways to get a reservation for brunch at Palo. When your booking window opens up, based on your Castaway Club status, you can try to get a reservation then. These open at 12am EST on the day of your window, and you’ll want to be on right at that time. If you’ve booked your cruise through a travel agent, they can do this for you! 

If you’re not successful in getting a reservation when your booking window opens, keep checking! There are cancellations all the time, and you never know when one might pop up. Additionally, there are often more spots available once you board. Head to either Guest Services, Palo, or another dedicated area (this changes on each cruise, so you just have to find out where to sign up) and see if anything is available. Sometimes there won’t be any availability, but they can put you on a waitlist. 

Palo Brunch Menu 

The Palo Brunch menu can change from time to time. But as of the writing of this post, the photo above indicates the most up-to-date menu on our sailing. 

Palo Brunch Menu Drinks

At Palo, the cost of Brunch at Palo includes a complimentary glass of Sparkling Wine or a Mimosa, and Soda, coffee, and tea are also included.  There is also full bar available for an additional cost or you can order an array of recommended drinks like the Bellini or Bloody Mary for an extra charge. Your waiter will let you know their favorites. 

Palo Brunch Menu Breads and Pastries Basket

By far our favorite part of the experience is having the fresh breads and pastries brought out at the beginning of the meal. Muffins, ricotta filled treats, breadsticks, cornettos, knots, olive and sun dried tomato breads and other options are all brought to your before the meal. 

Palo Brunch Menu Soups

For our Brunch at Palo, there were only two soups to choose from. Of course if you’re veering more towards the breakfast types of entrees then you may skip the soups altogether. These were light and flavorful and a lovely start to the meal. 

• Heirloom Tomato and Basil Soup
• Celery Soup

Palo Brunch Menu Antipasti Selection

For antipasti at Palo Brunch you have two choices, a seafood lineup or charcuterie board. Unfortunately there wasn’t a vegetarian option for this course, but the olives and cheeses here were amazing. And for meat eaters, we would definitely recommend the prociutto board. 

• Selection 1: Alaskan King Crab Legs, Jonah Crab Claws, Lemon Marinated Shrimp, Marinated Green Lip Mussels, Spiced Ahi Tuna served with Meyer Lemon, Saffron Aioli, and Cocktail Sauce.
• Selection 2: Sliced Prociutto, Sliced Coppa, Sliced Bresaola, Salame Gentile, Marinated Cerignola Olives, Roasted Garlic, Caciotta al tarufo, Parmesan Reggiano amd Sweet Pepperdew.

Palo Brunch Menu Waffles Selection

As the minimum age for dining at Palo is 18, the Mickey waffles you find for Brunch at Palo are a bit elevated. With a variety of flavor options, you’ll have plenty to choose from. 

• Strawberry Waffles
• Apple Cinnamon Waffles
• Buttermilk Pancakes
• Blueberry Pancakes

Palo Brunch Menu Eggs Selection

If you’re going with the breakfast, instead of lunch, portion of brunch, you have lots of options when it comes to eggs. From Benedict to Omelets there are plenty of variations to try. 

• Eggs Benedict
• Eggs on Toasted Muffin
• Eggs Florentine
• Cheese and Ham Frittata
• Zucchini Frittata
• Three Cheese Omelet
• Tomato and Onion Omelet

Palo Brunch Menu Entrees

As you can see, the menu has plenty to choose from. Whether you’re craving breakfast foods, lunch foods, sweet, savory, or a little of everything, Palo has you covered.  We ordered the antipasti with sliced prosciutto, Chicken Parmesan, and Margherita Flatbread. All were delicious. The chicken parmesan is probably the best chicken parmesan I have ever tasted. I don’t think I realized what I was missing out on by not serving mine with risotto until now! Absolutely next level. If you’re a chicken parm fan, I highly recommend giving this a try. And yes, this was for brunch. If you want more breakfast-y types of foods, they have them. This is just what we chose!

• Rollatini Melanzane
• Pennette Pasta
• Artichoke Ravioli
• Roasted Red Snapper Filet
• Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breast
• Lasagna Bolognaise
• Veal Saltimbocca
• Grilled Cut Sirloin Steak

Palo Brunch Pizzas from the Oven

• Calzone filled with Proscuitto, Basil, Bell Peppers, and Mozzarella Cheese
• Flatbreads – Margherita, Goat Cheese, and Sun-dried Tomato or Spicy Italian Sausage

Palo Brunch Menu Desserts

The dessert menu is filled with Italian desserts, and it’s truly a wonder to behold. As I mentioned, we let our server choose our desserts for us. And we received Warm Amaretto Chocolate Fondant, Buttermilk Panna Cotta, and Italian Zabaglione. These were all really wonderful and we could easily have had more. And you can! As with the rest of your meal, you can order as much as you want. 

• Warm Amaretto Chocolate Fondant Served with Espresso Gelato
• Limoncello Almond Torte with Citrus Salad. Kataifi Pastry and Clotted Creme
• Raspberry Chocolate Crunch Tart with Bittersweet Ganache, fresh Raspberries, and Whipped Cream
• Traditional Tiramisu with Coffee
• 5 Layered Pistachio Cake – layers of Pistachio Chiffon and Drak Chocolate Truffle, brushed with Raspberry Paste.
• Vanilla Berry Panna Cotta served with Strawberry Basil Sorbet.

Palo Brunch Cost

That depends! We personally think it is well worth the cost of $50 to have brunch at Palo. Not only is the service above and beyond the already incredible service onboard Disney Cruise Line, but the food is a level up as well. If you’ve cruised with Disney a lot, then you’ll know that the menus are often pretty similar from sailing to sailing. And the food is generally quite good, but it can get boring after a while. So we also appreciate the chance to add a few other things in the mix as well. 

How much is Palo Brunch?

Currently, the Palo Brunch Cost is $50 per person. If you are sailing on a New Zealand or Australia cruise the charge is $60 per person to accommodate for the 20% gratuity that is built in to the rate. 

Brunch at Palo on a Disney Cruise

Brunch at Palo is perfect for a mid-morning date, a girls’ trip or just for when you want a meal that’s a little extra special. And it goes to show, Disney Cruise Line isn’t just for kids! Overall, we would 100% recommend the adult-only dining experience at Palo. It’s a slight change of pace, the food is high quality and delicious, and it’s one of those things that makes you feel like you’re truly on vacation.