Are they still seating only 1 family/party per table?

[lanejudy]

I get PP's point -- if the tables are separated but too close to allow movement, I'd also rather just share the table. I do not like dining rooms (onboard the ship or at any restaurant) where they put so many tables in the room that it's hard to walk. It is not a comfortable meal for me to be pulled in snug to the table so I don't bump the chair behind me. I really dislike tables so close that a someone's butt bumps against my table when they try to pass. My preference is private tables, but not if it makes the room too crowded for movement.

 

[Demke Family]

That's one of the reasons my introverted husband and I have gone to almost completely concierge with DCL-it's just not worth the anxiety...dining shouldn't be stressful on a cruise. Fortunately we are only into the Mouse for 2 more cruises and then we'll probably jump ship.

My husband has a lot of anxiety with strangers and we always requested a private table once we were on board the ships of our various cruises. We have always been accommodated graciously- post-pandemic we will certainly continue the request if they move people together again.

 

[cwis]

I get PP's point -- if the tables are separated but too close to allow movement, I'd also rather just share the table. I do not like dining rooms (onboard the ship or at any restaurant) where they put so many tables in the room that it's hard to walk. It is not a comfortable meal for me to be pulled in snug to the table so I don't bump the chair behind me. I really dislike tables so close that a someone's butt bumps against my table when they try to pass. My preference is private tables, but not if it makes the room too crowded for movement.

Currently tables on the Disney Magic are much space around them. I would even say more than we usually do shoreside in Europe!

To guess how much full the restaurant was, I counted, when the credits finally appear on Animator's Palate second night. At one point the names “roll over” if the restaurant is not 100% full. That happened after row #27, out of maybe around 40 (lost track at the end), which would mean there were 32% empty seats for second seating. Definitely fewer than 32% of the tables were free, maybe 10% or so, which would bring DCL not too far from the point where they have to either reduce spacing or reinstate shared tables.

 

[juxtapose]

I get PP's point -- if the tables are separated but too close to allow movement, I'd also rather just share the table. I do not like dining rooms (onboard the ship or at any restaurant) where they put so many tables in the room that it's hard to walk. It is not a comfortable meal for me to be pulled in snug to the table so I don't bump the chair behind me. I really dislike tables so close that a someone's butt bumps against my table when they try to pass. My preference is private tables, but not if it makes the room too crowded for movement.

I heard a lot of comments on here about close tables, and we were on the Dream last week and were never that close to another table and I didn't see any tables that were super close (as in inches apart). We sit much closer to people at restaurants in our town in CO.

 

[Madame]

I hope that if they are bringing back shared tables (and as a family of 5 we never seem to have a choice even if we request it), that they bring back the evening meal in Cabanas. We always eat there if we can't be seated alone - we'd rather have a limited menu every night than be forced to make small talk.

We both talk for a living and are often so burnt out from socializing that talking as a family suffers. Vacation is our chance to catch up with each other. Intro/Ambiverts find socializing exhausting, not energizing.

This is our last DCL cruise so luckily it won't be an issue for much longer, but this is cruise #6 and table arrangements are consistently a source of anxiety and I'm sure we aren't the only family for whom this is true.

 

[Lilsia]

It sounds like you are not willing to let people chose what works best for them. If you can have a shared table, and if other guests can request a private table, isn't it the best of both world?

Eventually it would be great if this could be an option, like we already can pick between first/second seating.

I don't care if request a private table and they are able to give it to you. The issue is that people are reporting them trying to squeeze in more individual tables now. The dining room is already crowded. If Disney can make it work and still have plenty of space in between the tables for the servers to get through, then that is wonderful. But I rather have shared tables and the servers having room to do their jobs, then have a few inches in between and have the server try to squeeze by. All because people can't physically sit at the same table as other people? Shared tables is a non issue for the majority of the world. I guess that I don't understand the hang up some people have about it.

 

[Lilsia]

Those few inches in between tables make a big difference. You don’t feel obligated to make small talk with strangers.

Your feeling of "obligation" is on you. Maybe Americans need to have a change of mentality. Most of the rest of the world uses shared table with zero issues. The people that are complaining about shared tables have this hang up about "having" to talk to other people and that is just not the case.

 

[Lilsia]

I get PP's point -- if the tables are separated but too close to allow movement, I'd also rather just share the table. I do not like dining rooms (onboard the ship or at any restaurant) where they put so many tables in the room that it's hard to walk. It is not a comfortable meal for me to be pulled in snug to the table so I don't bump the chair behind me. I really dislike tables so close that a someone's butt bumps against my table when they try to pass. My preference is private tables, but not if it makes the room too crowded for movement.

This is exactly my point. The dining rooms already feel crowded and now some people want to bring in individual tables and have some kind of space in between. I feel bad for the servers that will have to try to navigate the tight dining room.

 

[jeffporfirio]

To each his own. You do you, I do me.
Some families like eating with and meeting other families.
Some families don't, have a special needs child or adult, or just like to bond over supper by themselves.

Same as mask wearing. You want to wear one, have at it. You don't, fine.
Live and let live

 

[lucas]

Your feeling of "obligation" is on you. Maybe Americans need to have a change of mentality. Most of the rest of the world uses shared table with zero issues. The people that are complaining about shared tables have this hang up about "having" to talk to other people and that is just not the case.

You don't have to wait for your tablemates to be served. All you have to do is let the server know that you don't want to wait on the other party and it is no big deal. I do this every cruise. I also will read my book on my solo trips. I don't know why you feel that you can't do all of those things with other people sitting at the table.

It would be extremely awkward if one person was sitting alone, not speaking to others and reading a book at my shared table.

 

[Lilsia]

To each his own. You do you, I do me.
Some families like eating with and meeting other families.
Some families don't, or have a special needs child or adult, or just like to bond over supper by themselves.

I think that some of you are missing my point. I don't care if they go all individual tables, just as long as they have room for them. If they physically can not make it work, without having the tables so close together, then they should leave it at shared tables. There are plenty of other cruise lines where you can chose a dining location that does not share tables.

 

[lucas]

Is the maitre d' still available on embarkation day at a specific time/place? ( I always "request" a private table for 2 and I like to check on our table size before the 1st dinner.)

Sorry to quote myself, but does anyone know the answer to my original question?

 

[Lilsia]

It would be extremely awkward if one person was sitting alone, not speaking to others and reading a book at my shared table.

But it is not awkward. Why would it be? Being awkward is a state of mind that you CHOSE to have. That is why I say that all of these issues are in people's minds. The rest of the world has no issues with shared tables. Maybe it is time for Americans to stop being so uptight and so concerned with how others perceive them. This is the exact same mentality that people have when they hear someone else speak a different language. The whole "speak English" comes from people being so concerned that the other person "might" be talking about them. Live your life and let others do what they want to do.

 

[lcarter0922]

I heard a lot of comments on here about close tables, and we were on the Dream last week and were never that close to another table and I didn't see any tables that were super close (as in inches apart). We sit much closer to people at restaurants in our town in CO.

We were on the Dream this weekend where they had just increased capacity for that cruise and the tables were unbearably close. You could nearly squeeze through them. And you could not hear the servers or the people at your own table talk because all you could hear was the conversations of the tables next to you which caused people to talk louder. The dining room was the loudest this trip than all 11 if my past Disney cruises.
.

 

[WINTER]

Sorry to quote myself, but does anyone know the answer to my original question?

We were on the Dream May 2 - 6. We requested a table by ourselves and our request was granted. There were empty tables all around the dining room.

 

[Lilsia]

Sorry to quote myself, but does anyone know the answer to my original question?

They usually have a time set up for you to go to a specific dining room with all of your dining concerns. At the very least, guest services will be able to help you.

 

[Skywatcher1206]

Disney Wonder Alaska May 23rd- parties sitting by themselves with a lot of empty tables at early dining. 1300 on board.

 

[BK2014]

But it is not awkward. Why would it be? Being awkward is a state of mind that you CHOSE to have.

Maybe there are cultural differences at play here, but I find it hard to believe that if a solo traveler (or even another family) was seated with you and your family, that you wouldn't feel like they were being rude if you tried to include them in your conversation and they flat out didn't respond. Surely, if you or your family members said "hi" or asked them how they are doing, you would expect some sort of response. This is the sort of obligatory interaction that some people prefer to avoid.

 

[Demke Family]

Sorry to quote myself, but does anyone know the answer to my original question?

Yes! We all seem to have gotten lost on this thread. Guest services or any staff will tell you where he is stationed and taking requests.

 

[Madame]

But it is not awkward. Why would it be? Being awkward is a state of mind that you CHOSE to have. That is why I say that all of these issues are in people's minds. The rest of the world has no issues with shared tables. Maybe it is time for Americans to stop being so uptight and so concerned with how others perceive them. This is the exact same mentality that people have when they hear someone else speak a different language. The whole "speak English" comes from people being so concerned that the other person "might" be talking about them. Live your life and let others do what they want to do.

Well, we’re just uptight Canadians who speak 2 languages fluently and still don’t like sharing .