No "Formal" dinner on Magic?

[Maesa]

I just read my "Helpful Details" email from Disney Cruise about my upcoming cruise this weekend. Just noticed it says Your voyage does not include any formal evenings.

I thought all cruises have a formal night, especially this is a 5 night cruise...Any reason???

Either way, I think we'll still dress up

 

[TrishaK]

The shorter cruises don't include a formal evening. I think only 7+ nights do. We were on a 5 night cruise on the Dream in June, and we only had a semi-formal evening.

 

[ivanp91]

The shorter cruises don't include a formal evening. I think only 7+ nights do. We were on a 5 night cruise on the Dream in June, and we only had a semi-formal evening.

Bingo. Cruises under 7 nights do not have formal nights.

 

[anricat]

On our 5-night cruises we had "optional dress-up". Feel free to dress to the nines if you wish.

 

[Rabb it]

Our 5 Night on the Magic last Feb had a formal night.. Trying to remember if it was listed as optional though... Hmm

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I just read my "Helpful Details" email from Disney Cruise about my upcoming cruise this weekend. Just noticed it says Your voyage does not include any formal evenings.

I thought all cruises have a formal night, especially this is a 5 night cruise...Any reason???

Either way, I think we'll still dress up

In spite of what the suggested dress says, you could dress up every night, if you wish.

 

[disneyholic family]

you can pretty much wear almost whatever you want whenever you want....if you like to dress up, then dress up....if you don't, don't..

we never ever dress up, formal night or not.....for us, a vacation is just that.....the fancy dress stays home...

.

 

[Shanti]

I just read my "Helpful Details" email from Disney Cruise about my upcoming cruise this weekend. Just noticed it says Your voyage does not include any formal evenings.

I thought all cruises have a formal night, especially this is a 5 night cruise...Any reason???

Either way, I think we'll still dress up

Shorter cruises have dress-up optional nights. Our 3-night on the Dream last month had one. So feel free to dress up if you wish.

 

[TRTRguy]

Our 5 Night on the Magic last Feb had a formal night.. Trying to remember if it was listed as optional though... Hmm

Formal night is always optional. It is only a suggestion. Minimum attire for main dining room on any night is shirt/shorts

 

[ivanp91]

Our 5 Night on the Magic last Feb had a formal night.. Trying to remember if it was listed as optional though... Hmm

Did they have the characters out for photos in their suits and gowns, free alcoholic drinks in the atrium, officer greetings, etc? Those are reserved for the "proper" formal nights and aren't offered if it's an "optional" formal night.

Formal night is always optional. It is only a suggestion. Minimum attire for main dining room on any night is shirt/shorts

When people say an optional formal night was offered, they're not saying a standard formal night is compulsory, they're using the term that Disney themselves uses. For example, my 3-nighter on the Dream last year was similar to another poster's where one night was offered as "optional formal". It's distinguished from an actual formal night because the things I listed earlier in my post won't be offered.

 

[anricat]

Did they have the characters out for photos in their suits and gowns, free alcoholic drinks in the atrium, officer greetings, etc? Those are reserved for the "proper" formal nights and aren't offered if it's an "optional" formal night.

I don't drink so I can't speak to the drinks, but I just checked our photos from "optional dress up" night on a 5-night Magic cruise and we have a photo with Minnie in her white gown and my daughter took a photo with the captain.

 

[Rabb it]

Did they have the characters out for photos in their suits and gowns, free alcoholic drinks in the atrium, officer greetings, etc? Those are reserved for the "proper" formal nights and aren't offered if it's an "optional" formal night.

There were no drinks nor characters dressed up that I recall, but they had the formal backdrops for photo ops, and corresponding long lines of dressed up families posing for nice pictures etc. And I think I remember the staff in the dining rooms wearing full jackets etc instead of the typical vests, I THINK I remember that..

 

[TrishaK]

I want to say all the characters are dressed up on semi-formal night.
On our 2013 cruise, we have a photo with Minnie in a white ballgown. In 2017, we have photos with Donald and Daisy both dressed up.