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07-18-2012, 05:13 AM
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#1 |
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Mouseketeer
Join Date: May 2006
Location: America's Hometown
Posts: 428
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Table mates
I have heard so many heart warming stories about people making life long friendships with table mates they met on a cruise. A lot of people mention that Disney does an amazing job at finding people with like interests, from the same area, etc. How does Disney do this? Do you fill out any questionnaires, is it part of info that you do at online check in? Just curious! And please, share your happy stories of friendships you have made from people you met at dinner!
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07-18-2012, 05:44 AM
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#2 |
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Mouseketeer
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 405
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On our last cruise, I was actually thrilled when we go to our table.
We have one daughter who was 10 at the time. So, sometimes, it does get a little lonely for her, although she's very outgoing and friendly. We were very happy to walk up and find another couple with one 10 year old daughter. (we've encountered groups of siblings before who only stick with their siblings and are not always open to another kid) So, I thought  erfect! one child - girl - same age ----how great is this? Well, Disney did their best in planning, but still, it didn't really work out.The other couple ran their kid so hard all day long doing activity after activity, that by the time dinner came, she would sit down and then after maybe 10 minutes start whining to go back her room she was so tired or had an upset stomach. So one of the parents would end up going back with her, and they would get room service and stay in the room till it was time for the show. The other parent would stay and sit at our table and tell us all about their very long, busy day. They never seemed to get that would be why the girl was always so tired by 6pm. It also kinda was a bummer having either the other mom or dad with us then, because it was just weird. Here was my daughter with 3 adults now. Honestly it would've been better just the 3 of us. So, not Disney's fault - they tried. Just dumb parenting IMO. Also, we would see the girl out very late at night as well. Just dinnertime was not her thing. I also didn't understand how they weren't upset that they (the adult) kept missing out on dinner. |
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07-18-2012, 05:16 PM
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#3 |
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Mouseketeer
Join Date: May 2006
Location: America's Hometown
Posts: 428
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anyone else have info on how your table mates are chosen? Or a story to tell?
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07-18-2012, 05:20 PM
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#4 |
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DIS Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: SoCal
Posts: 9,309
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I have no idea how they are chosen. All I know is that the 2 times DH & I cruised and were seated at tables for 8 (3 other couples), I couldn't have selected better tablemates if I had held interviews for the position.
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  HAL Alaska 2009;2012DCL Magic May 2008 Panama Canal WB, Sep 2010 Med/WB TransAtlantic, DCL Wonder Oct & Dec 2011 Mexico, Oct 2012 Hawaii DL too numerous to count WDW 1974, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1991, 1997, 2001, 2008 Tokyo DL 1984 |
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07-18-2012, 06:41 PM
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#5 |
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DIS Veteran
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,181
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DH and I are 60ish, DVC owners and travel without children/grandchildren. We have always been seated with couples who are 60ish, DVC owners traveling without children/grandchildren.
Always worked out nicely except for one time. Two other couples seated with us and one of the couples did Palo or room service every night so we never met them, and the other couple decided they liked the buffet better. Had a table for 2 every night. OK with us. After 40+ years, DH and I still love each others company. 
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Sam & Joan
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07-18-2012, 06:52 PM
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#6 |
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Earning My Ears
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 59
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I have no idea how they match people up. We sat with some wonderful people from England on our April 2012 Fantasy cruise. They had one daughter the same age as our youngest daughter. After dinner we would bring the girls up to the kids club and go have a glass of wine somewhere. We really hit it off!
They are actually joining us on our next cruise April 2013. It will be great to see them again. We have requested them for table mates again. Last edited by boettmb; 07-18-2012 at 07:48 PM. |
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07-18-2012, 07:16 PM
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#7 |
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Certified Ninja
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Tampa Bay, FL
Posts: 4
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We are a family of 4 and were sat alone on our last cruise. I would love to be sat with another family - can I call and request this?
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07-18-2012, 07:19 PM
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#8 | |
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DVC Member since '93
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: One hour from WDW
Posts: 1,773
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Quote:
No questions, the mouse knows all.   
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Do whatever makes you and your family happy (From the Haunted Mansion DVD)
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07-18-2012, 07:46 PM
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#9 |
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Mouseketeer
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Sacramento, Ca
Posts: 223
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It is MAGIC! Our last cruise was our first cruise and it was our honeymoon cruise. We were sat with 3 other couples around our age. One was also on honeymoon (and from Hong Kong!), another was celebrating an anniversary & the last was just there having a great time. We hit it off from the start! We shared so many laughs, played games together, went to the parties & shows together. We all keep in touch (ty to fb!) This last December we all met up at Disneyland (minus the Hong Kong couple). We all hope to cruise together again one day.
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 Disneyland: May 1999 Gradnight, 2002 AP Holder, August 2010-First family trip, September 2011- Disney WONDER MR Honeymoon, December 2011- 1st Christmas time at Disneyland, October 2012 - Disney Wonder for Halloween Jessica (30) & DH Robb (38)  DS(7) Anthony  DS(2) Jason  |
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07-18-2012, 07:56 PM
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#10 |
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Earning My Ears
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 59
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It's just my son and I. On our first cruise our table mates were two other 1 adult 1 child families and the children were within a year of my son's age. On our second cruise, we were seated with a family of 4 (2 kids - girl & boy were a year either side of my son). There were 2 more that never joined us for dinner. Both years were great!
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Tammy
Mom of Brayden - keeper of Steven, the bearded dragon.  --- Magic ~ Jan 2012 | WDW, Off-site ~ Dec 2011 | WDW, ASMovies ~ Jun 2011 | Wonder ~ Dec 2010 | WDW, ASSports ~ Dec 2010 | Altantis ~ May 2010 | WDW, ASMovies ~ Dec 2009 | WDW, ASMovies ~ May 2008 | WDW, ASMovies ~ May 2007 | WDW, Off-site ~ Feb 1987 |
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07-18-2012, 08:03 PM
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#11 |
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DIS Veteran
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Hunterdon County,NJ
Posts: 1,038
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On our last cruise this past June Disney matched the 3 of us.. DH DS and me with a great couple and their son close in age to the 3 of us and the best one LOL..our sons even had the same name. Dinners were so fun with them. Disney hit a home run on our match-up.
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DISNEYLAND, DISNEY WORLD The Disney Inn, The Poly (CL) Disney Dream 7/15/11 Disney Magic 6/2/12
Disney Magic 8/12 Back to WDW June 2013 AKL  |
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07-18-2012, 08:21 PM
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#12 |
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Founding Father of the HARDHAT BRIGADE
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Yulee, Fl. (just north of Jacksonville)
Posts: 919
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Disney must have some magical system that matches by ages and genders.
We have done 3 cruises... 1st: Sat with a family from the mid west with a little girl our daughters age, good conversations every night 2nd: We went with a group totaling 18, so table mates were people we met on our first cruise and their extended family which we talk to to this day 3rd: We were seated with a couple from Canada with a little girl our daughters age. It was funny that she did not want to go to the kids club unless our daughter was there, and when we made (yes made) our DD come out of the club for pictures or snacks or anything else, within 10 minutes our tablemates got the dreaded phone call to come pick up their daughter. We are looking forward to our next cruise but scared that since their are 5 of us (including my in-laws) that we will not get anymore table mates Mike
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MM1(SS) Edmondson, M.R.
US Navy Proud father of 1 Disney FANATIC, and husband to an even bigger Disney FANATIC. Proud Disney "Verteran of the day" three times, and owner of the flag flown over the Magic Kingdom on March 27th 2008. Founding father of the "Hardhat Brigade", a growing group of enternal fun loving Disney fanatics who ...... wait the surprise is coming....... Wear lime-green hardhats with Mickey ears.... Applications now being accepted. Apply within |
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07-18-2012, 08:38 PM
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#13 |
 DIS Veteran 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Posts: 1,815
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we have also had good luck with dinner mates.
first cruise: paired with two sisters, we celebrated birthdays together. and enjoyed sharing stories of days adventures with each other second cruise: made plans with DIS'ers to be table mates (from our trip thread) that worked out well. easy to do, just join your reservation numbers - you need to get them from the other passengers third cruise: dinner mates were another couple about our age. We enjoyed them. We shared stories and pictures after the cruise. it's all been good.
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07-18-2012, 08:50 PM
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#14 |
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DIS Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Montana
Posts: 672
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On our first cruise in oct of 2010 we were seated with a couple older then us. We had 2 sons ages 12 & 13 and they had a daughter age 13 and a son age 8. They didn't talk at all and when we tried to strike up conversation it was one word answers. We didn't know with it being our first cruise that we could ask to me moved but we made it work with us.
On our second disney cruise in oct of 2011, we were sat by ourselves  We didn't request it, it just must have been the way it worked. On our cruise in May of this year we were sat with 2 other couples about our ages. We were traveling kid free and neither of the other couples had children. But it was awsome  We went out after dinner and had many laughs. We still talk to them and hope to meet up with them on another cruise. So we have had a few different experiences but we have loved every cruise!!! I love having the different servers and not knowing who you are going to sit with. To me it is all a part of the experience 
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10-23 thru 10-30 2010 Disney Magic Eastern
10-22 thru 10-29 2011 Disney Magic Eastern 05-26 thru 06-02-2012 Disney Fantasy Western Disney World- Fort Wilderness Cabins 8-13 thru 8-20-2012 09-23 thru 09-30-2012 Disney Wonder Pacfic Coast Pixar Cruise    |
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07-18-2012, 08:53 PM
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#15 | |
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DIS Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: SoCal
Posts: 9,309
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Quote:
Next cruise we were 3 people (DH & I, DS18), and were seated with a family of 5 (Mom, DD15, DS16, DD23 & her DS3).
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HAL Alaska 2009;2012DCL Magic May 2008 Panama Canal WB, Sep 2010 Med/WB TransAtlantic, DCL Wonder Oct & Dec 2011 Mexico, Oct 2012 Hawaii DL too numerous to count WDW 1974, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1991, 1997, 2001, 2008 Tokyo DL 1984 |
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