Tiana’s Place Embarkation Lunch

🍽️ Why Tiana’s Place for Embarkation Lunch?

I did a lot of research before boarding and everything pointed to Cabanas being busy and overwhelming. With a toddler, I really wanted somewhere we could sit down, breathe, and eat properly before exploring the ship. Tiana’s Place was exactly that. Table service, air con, and a calm start to embarkation day. If you’re cruising with little kids, this was such a good choice.

🐸 Service

The service was a little slow, but honestly that felt understandable. It was embarkation day and the restaurant was full. Despite that, the Disney magic was still very much there. Parker got his first ever tomato sauce sparkle, which felt like a rite of passage. The cast members were kind and attentive, just stretched thin on day one.

🥟 Empanadas

The star of the meal.

So, so good. The filling was everything. Almost pizza-like with a slight taco twist. The pastry itself wasn’t amazing, but the filling absolutely carried it. We only ordered one and immediately wished we’d ordered more. High on my “try to recreate at home” list.

🥪 Muffaletta Sandwich

Good filling, let down by the bread.

It was just a single slice sandwich which was actually perfect portion-wise, but the bread was quite stale. The filling was great and very olive-forward. Tim doesn’t like olives, so this one wasn’t his favourite, but overall still a decent sandwich.

🥗 Chicken Caesar Salad

Surprisingly excellent.

The chicken looked like a plain breast but tasted anything but. It was roasted, marinated, and full of flavour. I couldn’t stop eating it, which says a lot because I’m not a big chicken person. It was a really hot day, so this was such a refreshing and satisfying choice. Very pleasantly surprised.

🍰 Carrot Cake

Possibly controversial.

This carrot cake gets a lot of hype and is only available on specific days, so I had high expectations. It was quite spicy, almost gingery, and I didn’t love it. I’m not a huge carrot cake person, so that may be on me, but I didn’t quite get the hype.

🍨 Welcome Aboard Sundae

A big win.

This was Parker’s first sundae on the cruise and from that moment on, he was hooked. Classic, delicious, and such a fun way to kick things off.

👶 Toddler Verdict

A calm environment, food he could share, and tomato sauce sparkle. 10/10 start to the cruise.

✨ Overall

Tiana’s Place is a great embarkation lunch option if you want a slower, calmer start to your Disney Wonder cruise. A few small hiccups, some standout dishes, and plenty of Disney magic sprinkled in right from day one. Next time I’d probably just go to Cabanas and take the food to a quiet spot on the ship. But those empanadas though!! I’d probably need to get them 😂