What Are the Dinner Times When Sailing With Disney Cruise Line?
Let’s be honest! One of the reasons children and adults alike enjoy going on a cruise is all of the amazing meals that you get to enjoy that are already included in the cost of your sailing! Disney Cruise Line is no exception! Disney offers a nightly Table Service dining where guests get to visit a rotating list of restaurants offering an eclectic array of delicious treats. At the time of booking, Disney will ask you whether you prefer to enjoy your evening meal during Main or Second Dining.
Apart from selecting the all-important sailing and stateroom, choosing between Main and Second dining is one of the most important decisions you’ll make regarding your cruise. However, it’s not clear to a lot of first-time cruisers when these different seatings take place. That’s where we come in!
What are the times for Main and Second Dining?
For dinner each evening, guests can choose from Main Seating (5:45pm) or Second Seating (8:15pm).
In my experience, guests tend to prefer the first seating when travelling with smaller kids with earlier bedtimes. For that reason, guests will find the first dinner seating a bit louder than its later-in-the-night counterpart. Similarly, second dining seems to be the option of choice for guests with teenagers or adults who will gladly sacrifice a earlier dining time for a bit more peace and quiet.
If I wait until the Second Dining seating will I miss all the evening entertainment?
Absolutely not! Disney Cruise Line take everything into consideration. For those opting for Main Seating, you will enjoy an early meal with a later show to follow (usually at 8.15 PM). For the second seating, you take in your entertainment before your meal (usually at 6.15 PM) and then dine afterwards.
Help! I wanted Main Dining but was told that it was all booked up. What should I do?
Disney Cruise Line does give you the option of being added to a waitlist for Main Seating dining. I strongly recommend that you ask to be added to this list because getting bumped up to Main Dining isn’t as impossible of you to think. There are lots of fluctuations, cancellations, stateroom changes etc. meaning that there may be room as you get closer to your sailing date. Once you are added to the wait list, if space is available you will be notified that your dining arrangements have been shifted to the earlier time. You can also feel free to contact Disney Cruise Line or your Travel Agent to check on the status of this request.
For guests that simply choose the wrong seating during your initial booking, you can make dining changes (pending availability) directly from your disneycruiseline.com account. Simply go to Dining Preferences. If it doesn’t give you the ability to switch it means that the seating your trying to book is currently full at which point you could call and ask to be added to the waitlist.
I was told that guests booking for Second Dining can arrange to have their kids taken to Oceaneers Club by a Cast Member while the adults relax. Is this true?
Yes! In my opinion, this is one of Disney Cruise Line’s best-kept secrets. This is called Dine and Play and is available for cruisers between the ages of 3-12. Under the program, you can arrange for your little ones to leave dinner early and head to the Oceaneer Club and Lab. Your server will be notified and will work hard to expedite their meals. They will then be picked up at your restaurant at 9:15 PM. The youth counselers will gather up these tiny sailors and take them off for an evening of adventure. This gives parents some much need time to yourselves!
Don’t forget about room service!
Remember, you always have the option to enjoy flexible mealtimes with the casual and quick-service dining options available throughout your sailing. There is also 24-hour room service which can be delivered directly to your stateroom at no extra charge!
The beauty of sailing with Disney Cruise Line is that Disney will always present you with options, like dining times that allow you to customize an itinerary that will work well for your group!
So what are you waiting for? Try out Disney Cruise Line’s delicious dining options for yourself by booking a Disney Cruise. Getting started is easy. Simply fill out our form below to receive your FREE , no-obligation quote from MickeyTravels!
Find articles like this helpful? Then why not consider working with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner? As an agent with MickeyTravels, I’ll be on hand to help you with everything from finding your perfect sailing and stateroom to helping you plan lots of special touches to make your cruise truly magical. Best of all my services are absolutely FREE. Get in touch at 1.800.801.4025 via email at mroden@mickeytravels.com or follow along on Facebook