10/17/2026
It’s National Pasta Day, so it seems like the perfect day to talk about when a plate of pasta is more than just a plate of pasta. Sometimes it’s the Disney Difference.
We sailed on the Disney Magic this summer and my 8-year-old ordered this meal the first time we dined at Rapunzel’s Royal Table. It’s a portobello ravioli with sweet butternut squash sauce, and basil pesto. He raved about it, but he was also really excited to try a lamb dish after our last sailing. So even though he loved it, we didn’t ask about it again.
PRO TIP - There are three rotational dining locations on each ship. On a seven-night cruise, you’ll dine at each location twice plus have a themed night with its own menu. There are A and B menus for each location. During each block of three (A or B), if there’s a meal you really loved your server might be able to bring it over from a different restaurant.
Our server, Ralph, was awesome. On the second to last night of the cruise he started asking my son about his favorite meal, asking if he wanted him to bring over lamb from another location. But our little guy kept going back to this dish, the ravioli. He told Ralph it was absolutely the best meal on board.
But the catch was we were already on to the second set of menus and the ravioli was from the first, so Rapunzel’s wasn’t making this dish anymore. Absolutely understandable in a busy kitchen that they cannot just make an extra meal appear that’s not in the rotation.
But this is Disney, so they did it anyway. On our very last night we were dining in Lumiere’s and enjoying lobster night. Suddenly Ralph appeared with a plate in his hand and on it was our son’s “best meal ever.” Above and beyond to give our little guy his favorite dinner one last time.
When you hear about the Disney Difference, this is what people mean. Cast Members, like Ralph, who go above and beyond to make extra magic for guests. Servers who get to know your family during the sailing. Ralph is also the one who gave us the tips to make sure we got the viral salmon donut in Ketchikan. That’s not in his job description. He doesn’t have to give advice for locations off the ship, but the Disney Difference is that he did.
