Pros and Cons to early vs late dining - The DIS Discussion Forums

lsenquiz · 10-05-2012, 08:56 AM

What are the pros and cons to early versus late dining? It will be DH, DS8 and myself.

kcashner · 10-05-2012, 09:07 AM

Since you are from Georgia, the whole time change issue doesn't get involved. And you don't MISS anything regardless of which dining time you have--activities are either repeated or happen between the two times.

Main--more kids, more families request this time. Dinner MUST stay on schedule as the servers, etc. need to have time to reset for late. Better for kids who need to be in bed. Depending on excursions and port times, can be a little rush getting ready after an excursion. A bit noisier in the dining rooms with more kids. Show after dinner.

Late--you (we) need a healthy afternoon snack with dinner this late. Sleepy time for some kids. You have the option of how fast dinner moves if you want to linger over coffee or whatever; it is just a little more relaxed. Fewer little kids, but still plenty. Dine and play program (the CMs will take participating kids from the dining room to the OC and Lab--parents don't need to take them) You'll never be hungry at the pirate buffet. No hurry to get ready for things. You can ride the DUCK while those early people are eating.

crafty91 · 10-05-2012, 09:08 AM

The main pro for us to doing late dining is that you don't have to scramble to get ready right after excursions or leave the pool deck when the crowds start easing. We can leisurely get ready after we finish our day and are ready in plenty of time for the first main shows.

scootch · 10-05-2012, 09:12 AM

If you are used to a schedule, llike my kids... go with that. We eat dinner right after school each day as my husband has to take his lunch break at 11am... so dinner is always finished by 4pm. So waiting until 6pm is a bit of a stretch, we could never wait until 8. I also don't like goign to bed on a full stomach.... so early dining works for us. Might be a bit of a rush on port days, but not really an issue. We get dressed quickly too,

Happy100 · 10-05-2012, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crafty91

The main pro for us to doing late dining is that you don't have to scramble to get ready right after excursions or leave the pool deck when the crowds start easing. We can leisurely get ready after we finish our day and are ready in plenty of time for the first main shows.

This is why we love late dining. No rushing and you feel like you have more freedom to chose what you are going to do through out the day. Your son will be fine. Just feed him a late second lunch/snack around 5. Believe me, with all the activities on board your son will be hungry again around 8. So will you and your hubby.

wendyoconnor · 10-05-2012, 10:30 AM

Another pro to late dinning is you can use dine and play. Your child's meal will be brought out with your appetizer and about 45 minutes later counselors from the kids club come and pick up kids and take them back to the kids club. Just let your server know when you are seated.
You don't have to use this option every night or at all but it's good to know it exists.

Zeppelin · 10-05-2012, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crafty91

The main pro for us to doing late dining is that you don't have to scramble to get ready right after excursions or leave the pool deck when the crowds start easing. We can leisurely get ready after we finish our day and are ready in plenty of time for the first main shows.

agreed here- four cruises, four late dinings and it always works...plus you can leisurely get to the 6:15 show at the Walt Disney Theater before dinner versus rushing through dinner to get to the late show...

edit- the firs three cruises we took my daughter was 4YO/5YO/6YO and she had no issue with late dining...

lsenquiz · 10-05-2012, 11:52 AM

Thanks for the advice. I was leaning toward late dining and glad most confirmed that. My son is a night owl just like his dad. I am usually in bed before either of them

so he will have no problem with late dining. I also love the fact that we can go to the early show before dinner(which I would not want him to miss) but he can still go to the kids club after dinner.

Zeppelin · 10-05-2012, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lsenquiz

Thanks for the advice. I was leaning toward late dining and glad most confirmed that. My son is a night owl just like his dad. I am usually in bed before either of them

so he will have no problem with late dining. I also love the fact that we can go to the early show before dinner(which I would not want him to miss) but he can still go to the kids club after dinner.

if your son is a night owl, as is my daughter, you don't want early dining as their will be too much time on your hands after dinner....

sayhello · 10-05-2012, 12:31 PM

The only downside to late dining for me is that it rarely ends before 10pm. When you're old like me, your stomach doesn't do well with eating that late.

Sayhello

darkwing818 · 10-05-2012, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crafty91

The main pro for us to doing late dining is that you don't have to scramble to get ready right after excursions or leave the pool deck when the crowds start easing. We can leisurely get ready after we finish our day and are ready in plenty of time for the first main shows.

Totally Agree... Something else to consider

When we did our 1st cruise with Disney our DDs were 7 & 9, and we selected early seating thinking it would be better for them to eat early; WRONG. They hated it, they thought there were too many loud "little" kids running around the dining room. Since then it's been late dining & we've never looked back.

tajz90 · 10-05-2012, 01:34 PM

Only early and our kids aren't children. We never see that many young children and we are never rushed to get to dinner. If its a late port, dinner is usually held up for a bit. We figure we have to get dressed for shows so might as well get dressed for dinner and then none of us are too stuffed for the evening activities. When we eat too late, we are ready for bed.

Bonniec · 10-05-2012, 01:50 PM

My 6 year old is a night owl too. We definitely took late dining. If he gets hungry, we will order a snack or something. That way we don't have to rush back from Castaway Cay or anything to dress for dinner.

The Maleficent One · 10-05-2012, 05:08 PM

DH and I chose late dining. It worked better for us especially since we didn't have to make the choice to rush back to the ship when going ashore.

But that being said, we don't have kids either so that helped with out decision. There were times when I was absolutely starving by the time our dinnner rolled around but a good snack would have fixed that. lol

kcashner · 10-05-2012, 05:25 PM

Just a note--on Caribbean and Bahamas cruises, the concept of "rushing back to the ship" is not typically a big deal as most of the time the "all aboard" time is early enough to give you time to change for dinner.

In Europe and Alaska, this is a bigger deal.

10-05-2012, 08:56 AM	#1
lsenquiz DIS Veteran Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Canton, Ga Posts: 2,154	Pros and Cons to early vs late dining What are the pros and cons to early versus late dining? It will be DH, DS8 and myself. __________________ Lisa - PTR - SWW 2013 with just one tiny goal - A picture with every SWW Character! - Staying at the Beach Club! PTR - September with a twist

10-05-2012, 09:08 AM	#3
crafty91 Mouseketeer Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 485	The main pro for us to doing late dining is that you don't have to scramble to get ready right after excursions or leave the pool deck when the crowds start easing. We can leisurely get ready after we finish our day and are ready in plenty of time for the first main shows. __________________ First DCL cruise Wonder June 2008 Magic March 2009 Wonder October 2009 Magic March 2010 Wonder March 2011 Mexican Riviera Fantasy Maiden Voyage March 2012 Fantasy Western July 2012 Fantasy Western March Spring Break 2013 NEXT: Fantasy March 2014 Western Caribbean Ahead: Magic Barcelona July 2014

10-05-2012, 09:12 AM	#4
scootch DIS Veteran Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 3,432	If you are used to a schedule, llike my kids... go with that. We eat dinner right after school each day as my husband has to take his lunch break at 11am... so dinner is always finished by 4pm. So waiting until 6pm is a bit of a stretch, we could never wait until 8. I also don't like goign to bed on a full stomach.... so early dining works for us. Might be a bit of a rush on port days, but not really an issue. We get dressed quickly too, __________________ ~Amy~ ~~WDW for ONE day in 1980(it was 105 degrees!!) ~~Nov 2004 Polynesian with my 2 princesses , ages 2 1/2 and 5 ~~Nov 2005 Contemporary ~~November 2006 Contemporary/POFQ Making memories with my 21 year old niece with cancer Sweet Lindsey passed March 2007 ~~November 2007 WL ~~Nov 08 VWL ~~Nov 09 WDW BLT DiscoveryCove SeaWorld and DCL Wonder ~~April 2011 B2B Disney Dream ~~Nov 2011 WDW/BLT ~~Nov 2012 VWL/ Eastern Fantasy ~~Going to CALIFORNIA DL/CA here we come

10-05-2012, 10:30 AM	#6
wendyoconnor DIS Veteran Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Kentucky Posts: 577	Another pro to late dinning is you can use dine and play. Your child's meal will be brought out with your appetizer and about 45 minutes later counselors from the kids club come and pick up kids and take them back to the kids club. Just let your server know when you are seated. You don't have to use this option every night or at all but it's good to know it exists. __________________ Fort Wilderness 6/1992, Disney Magic 9/4/04, Disney Magic 9/18/05, Disney Fantasy 4/21/12, upcoming Disney Fantasy cruises 10/19/13, 08/30/2014

10-05-2012, 11:52 AM	#8
lsenquiz DIS Veteran Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Canton, Ga Posts: 2,154	Thanks for the advice. I was leaning toward late dining and glad most confirmed that. My son is a night owl just like his dad. I am usually in bed before either of them so he will have no problem with late dining. I also love the fact that we can go to the early show before dinner(which I would not want him to miss) but he can still go to the kids club after dinner. __________________ Lisa - PTR - SWW 2013 with just one tiny goal - A picture with every SWW Character! - Staying at the Beach Club! PTR - September with a twist

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10-05-2012, 09:07 AM	#2
kcashner DIS Veteran Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 33,275	Since you are from Georgia, the whole time change issue doesn't get involved. And you don't MISS anything regardless of which dining time you have--activities are either repeated or happen between the two times. Main--more kids, more families request this time. Dinner MUST stay on schedule as the servers, etc. need to have time to reset for late. Better for kids who need to be in bed. Depending on excursions and port times, can be a little rush getting ready after an excursion. A bit noisier in the dining rooms with more kids. Show after dinner. Late--you (we) need a healthy afternoon snack with dinner this late. Sleepy time for some kids. You have the option of how fast dinner moves if you want to linger over coffee or whatever; it is just a little more relaxed. Fewer little kids, but still plenty. Dine and play program (the CMs will take participating kids from the dining room to the OC and Lab--parents don't need to take them) You'll never be hungry at the pirate buffet. No hurry to get ready for things. You can ride the DUCK while those early people are eating.

10-05-2012, 12:31 PM	#10
sayhello Have Camera, Will Travel Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 8,773	The only downside to late dining for me is that it rarely ends before 10pm. When you're old like me, your stomach doesn't do well with eating that late. Sayhello __________________ Check out my Southwest Splendors Trip Report! (2008). 5 parts, full of pics & details & impressions! My Taming the Last Frontier ABD Alaska Trip Report! (2009)! 7 parts, pictures, stories, & more impressions! Also check out my ABD/DCL Mediterranean Magic Trip Report! (2010) NOW POSTING! My DIS Unplugged London/Paris/Disneyland Paris Trip Report! (2011)

10-05-2012, 01:34 PM	#12
tajz90 Mama D Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 1,382	Only early and our kids aren't children. We never see that many young children and we are never rushed to get to dinner. If its a late port, dinner is usually held up for a bit. We figure we have to get dressed for shows so might as well get dressed for dinner and then none of us are too stuffed for the evening activities. When we eat too late, we are ready for bed.

10-05-2012, 01:50 PM	#13
Bonniec DIS Veteran Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 2,441	My 6 year old is a night owl too. We definitely took late dining. If he gets hungry, we will order a snack or something. That way we don't have to rush back from Castaway Cay or anything to dress for dinner. __________________

10-05-2012, 05:08 PM	#14
The Maleficent One Earning My Ears Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Orange County, Ca Posts: 16	DH and I chose late dining. It worked better for us especially since we didn't have to make the choice to rush back to the ship when going ashore. But that being said, we don't have kids either so that helped with out decision. There were times when I was absolutely starving by the time our dinnner rolled around but a good snack would have fixed that. lol __________________ 2007- Honeymoon at All Star Sports! 2008- All Star Music w/ Free Dining! 2010- Pop Century w/ Free Dining! 2012- Alaska on the Disney Wonder! Every week- Disneyland!

10-05-2012, 05:25 PM	#15
kcashner DIS Veteran Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 33,275	Just a note--on Caribbean and Bahamas cruises, the concept of "rushing back to the ship" is not typically a big deal as most of the time the "all aboard" time is early enough to give you time to change for dinner. In Europe and Alaska, this is a bigger deal.

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