What is the buffet like on the Magic?

[megustamex]

If I have this right, at dinner you order off of the menu and you get your appetizers/salads off the buffet. Is this correct? Is there another dessert buffet? Also, is it good? I never hear about anyone going to this for dinner. I think with kids it might be a better solution for us than a sit down dinner every evening, but it sounds like it might be....lacking? Is it very small?

[Muushka]

We did Topsider's one night. Yes, there is a salad bar (nothing wonderful, just basic salad stuff). You order everything else from the menu (appetizer, dessert too).

 

I thought that the food was as good as the dining room (which is not saying much, I don't think the food at dinner is all that good).

 

It is my understanding that these servers are training. We did not bring any cash with us, expecting to be able to add their tip to our KTTW card. They never came back to the table for us to even ask. So we didn't leave a tip.:confused:

 

PS I loved that our dinner that night only too 1 hour instead of 2.

[belle907]

We did Topsider's one night. Yes, there is a salad bar (nothing wonderful, just basic salad stuff). You order everything else from the menu (appetizer, dessert too).

 

I thought that the food was as good as the dining room (which is not saying much, I don't think the food at dinner is all that good).

 

It is my understanding that these servers are training. We did not bring any cash with us, expecting to be able to add their tip to our KTTW card. They never came back to the table for us to even ask. So we didn't leave a tip.:confused:

 

PS I loved that our dinner that night only too 1 hour instead of 2.

YOu do not tip the servers in each dining room separately; be it b'fast, lunch or the buffet dinner. They work in other areas so they do get tipped somehow.

[Muushka]

YOu do not tip the servers in each dining room separately; be it b'fast, lunch or the buffet dinner. They work in other areas so they do get tipped somehow.

 

Yes, I understand how the normal rotation dining rooms work,and the breakfast and lunch. But the evening meal at Topsider's is not part of the normal rotation, and if I am understanding that dining room correctly, they are in training and don't get any portion of the other normal dining rotation wait staff's tips. So we would have given them a tip. But I may be all wet!

[megustamex]

Thanks for the reply. So there really is no true dinner buffet on the Disney ships, then, is there? No serve yourself type of meal? I was just looking for something easy when the kids are having a bad day.

[Muushka]

Well there is the hot dog, chicken strip, pizza area. That is buffet. Good luck!

[Wildcatfish]

The dinner time buffet at Topsiders we found to be wonderful! First of all there is no set time for dinner. Come and go as you please. Perfect if your children have difficulty setting through a long dinner. The food is as good as the dining rooms. Our experience has been that the servers are doing their very best to please you, and impress their supervisors. As mentioned these servers are in training for the main dining room. Honestly, on our last DCL cruise our servers at Topsiders were better than those in the main dining rooms. On Friday, I saw our favorite Topsider dinner servers working the lunchtime buffet. I gave them tip envelopes along with a letter from us to give their supervisor. I thanked them, and proceeded to walk back to the Quiet Cove area. I was almost to the pool when one came running toward me thanking me for their tip!