Key Aspects:
- Disney Cruise Line is removing the prix-fixe pricing at the Palo restaurants across the fleet beginning October 22, 2026.
- Platinum and Pearl Castaway Club guests will now receive a $55 credit to use for à la carte items of their choice instead of the free prix-fixe dinner.
- Brunch is not officially permitted as a substitution for the dinner credit but has been allowed in the past at the discretion of onboard Palo managers.
A guest favorite dining option on Disney Cruise Line is the adults-only Palo specialty restaurants, including Palo, Palo Steakhouse, and Palo Trattoria. These restaurants have traditionally offered a choice of a “prix-fixe” menu or a la carte pricing, with Platinum and Pearl members of the cruise line’s loyalty program, the Castaway Club, receiving a complimentary meal from the prix-fixe menu.
Beginning on Thursday, October 22, 2026, however, the prix-fixe menu will be discontinued, and the Palo restaurants will only offer à la carte pricing.
The benefit to Disney Cruise Line’s most loyal guests is not going away, however. Instead of the completely free meal (albeit limited to the prix-fixe selections), eligible guests will be provided a $55 per person credit for menu offerings of their choice.
Guests were notified of the change one week in advance, as the cruise line emailed eligible Castaway Club members with upcoming bookings of the change.
“Platinum and Pearl Castaway Club Members are invited to enjoy an evening at Palo, Palo Steakhouse or Palo Trattoria,” the email explained. “Beginning on October 22, 2026, these restaurants will transition away from the prix-fixe dinner menu to a selection of our Guest’s favorite items.”
The cost of the prix-fixe menu was $55, so the credit to use for à la carte menu items is an equivalent offering.
Guests who are staying in the same stateroom as a Platinum or Pearl Castaway Club member will also receive the $55 Palo credit, but as per the terms of the Castaway Club, the Platinum or Pearl member must be present at the dinner.
There is no indication that pricing on Palo’s a la carte menu offerings will be changing, or that the menu itself may be updated. The Italian-inspired restaurants offer classic favorites such as various salads, pizzas, and entrees like lamb ragu, grilled lobster with pappardelle pasta, soft potato gnocchi, osso buco, grilled steaks, and limoncello tart.
A la carte prices range from $6 for sides to as much as $80 for the most premium steak selection, a 28-ounce dry-aged prime Angus porterhouse.
Guest reaction to the change is mixed, with some eager for a greater variety on the menu.
“I don’t care for the prix fix, as it is too restrictive,” one guest commented on Facebook. “Lucked out on this one!”
The prix-fixe menu only offered guests a choice of two appetizers, two salads, four options for entrees, and two desserts, but the full menu is much more extensive.
Under the new à la carte pricing, if a Platinum or Pearl guest’s selections are greater than the $55 allotment, the guest will pay any amount exceeding that credit. Guests are still responsible for any beverage charges as well as gratuities.
Brunch No Longer Included
In the past, eligible guests were able to use their Palo benefit for brunch rather than dinner, an option many guests enjoyed as it still allowed them to enjoy all the rotational dining dinners during their cruise. That was never part of the official benefit, however, and was always at the discretion of the restaurant manager.
The notification email about the change is explicit that brunch is not part of the benefit.
“This exclusive benefit is limited to dinner only,” the email said. “As a reminder, brunch is not included in this offer.”
Disney Cruise Line’s Castaway Club Frequently Asked Questions also state that the benefit applies to dinner only, not brunch.
