Dining rotation

[birdmom]

How can I request a specific dining rotation? I sail Oct 31 is it too late or too early?

 

[adamki]

Just call DCL (800-449-3380) and make the request. It's not too early or late, I don't think they make any assignments until just before the cruise.

 

[Greg0ire]

First cruise and I'm also sailing on Oct 31st on Fantasy. Is there a rotation that is better than others? The only night (other than Pirate Night) that Palo was available for dinner was the 4th night. Is that okay? Thanks!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

First cruise and I'm also sailing on Oct 31st on Fantasy. Is there a rotation that is better than others? The only night (other than Pirate Night) that Palo was available for dinner was the 4th night. Is that okay? Thanks!

We've never requested a rotation, as everyone onboard will have the same opportunity to dine in all dining rooms, with the same menu offerings.

Whatever night you dine in Palo is fine. As long as it works for you.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

How can I request a specific dining rotation? I sail Oct 31 is it too late or too early?

Yes you can, they assign at three days pre cruise so still time, it's great so you know when you can book Palo, Remy, dinners, and not miss the great Animators palate shows. Some here like formal night in the formal MDR some like pirates night in Animators as the pirate theme is great. For maximum enjoyment well worth asking for your preference, in 13 cruises we have asked each time.

 

[birdmom]

Just got off the phone with Disney, not sure if I got someone that did not know what they were talking about or things are just different now. She put in a request for me to be in the specific restaurant I wanted on a specific night but said there are no longer rotations? When I questioned that statement she just told me they no longer do rotations because "things can change" . I am not sure if she was just not using the correct verbiage or Disney really eliminated rotations. lol if there are no rotations we could end up in the same restaurant back to back and I know that's not going to happen.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Just got off the phone with Disney, not sure if I got someone that did not know what they were talking about or things are just different now. She put in a request for me to be in the specific restaurant I wanted on a specific night but said there are no longer rotations? When I questioned that statement she just told me they no longer do rotations because "things can change" . I am not sure if she was just not using the correct verbiage or Disney really eliminated rotations. lol if there are no rotations we could end up in the same restaurant back to back and I know that's not going to happen.

Sounds very very wrong.

 

[lillygator]

maybe they are moving to a free for all!! lol

 

[anricat]

I called to request a dining rotation and the CM I spoke with was totally clueless. We went round and round. It took about 15 minutes. I finally asked if I could speak to someone else and ask. He told me he could put me back in the queue and wait for another rep. That was totally unacceptable to me. I tried to be nice, I've worked in customer service before (you catch more honey with flies or something like that) and asked to speak with a supervisor. She apologized for the confusion, gave me the possible rotations for the cruise and I put in my request. It wasn't so much that the original guy didn't know what I was talking about, but to offer to put me back into the queue for a 20 minute wait?! Come on.

Sometimes you get a great CM (the supervisor was amazing) and sometimes they just don't know.

 

[birdmom]

sooooo there is rotations and I need to call back and hope I get someone who knows what they are talking about?

 

[3DisneyFanz]

We love being in Animators Palate for Pirates Night on the Dream. If you can request that then we'll be doing that going forward.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

sooooo there is rotations and I need to call back and hope I get someone who knows what they are talking about?

You really don't need to request a rotation. DCL assigns everyone to a rotation. And everyone onboard will have the same opportunity to dine in all 3 dining rooms, with the same menus during the duration of the cruise.

It's been speculated that by not requesting a specific rotation, you have a better chance of getting table mates that match your group demographic. I don't know if that's true or not, but, we've never requested a specific rotation, and always had excellent matches in our tablemates.

But, yes, you can request a specific rotation. DCL will point out that it's just a request, but it can be added to your reservation. Most times such requests are granted. Sometimes not.

 

[birdmom]

We are dressing up in formal gowns and tux, so we really want to be in royal ct on that night. I know it sounds snobby but I also don't want small kids at our table. (my girls are 16 and 19)

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We are dressing up in formal gowns and tux, so we really want to be in royal ct on that night. I know it sounds snobby but I also don't want small kids at our table. (my girls are 16 and 19)

Chances are, with a 16 & 19 year old, your tablemates (if you have any) won't be little kids.

How large is your party?

 

[holula]

Just got off the phone with Disney, not sure if I got someone that did not know what they were talking about or things are just different now. She put in a request for me to be in the specific restaurant I wanted on a specific night but said there are no longer rotations? When I questioned that statement she just told me they no longer do rotations because "things can change" . I am not sure if she was just not using the correct verbiage or Disney really eliminated rotations. lol if there are no rotations we could end up in the same restaurant back to back and I know that's not going to happen.

Maybe they aren't requesting specific rotations like ERA as that could easily change to REA. So a specific night in a specific restaurant makes sense.

 

[holula]

It's been speculated that by not requesting a specific rotation, you have a better chance of getting table mates that match your group demographic. I don't know if that's true or not, but, we've never requested a specific rotation, and always had excellent matches in our tablemates.

We have requested a rotation exactly twice - to skip the Crush show in AP and do Palo instead - and both times we were sat alone instead of with table mates. We didn't request to seat alone. It was actually really odd when we were expecting to have table mates.

We have also had great matches in our table mates and cruise once a year with a couple we met in 2013 on Disney. It's been awesome.

 

[birdmom]

Chances are, with a 16 & 19 year old, your tablemates (if you have any) won't be little kids.

How large is your party?

5 of us, 4 adults and my 16 year old

 

[bumbershoot]

It's been speculated that by not requesting a specific rotation, you have a better chance of getting table mates that match your group demographic. I don't know if that's true or not, but, we've never requested a specific rotation, and always had excellent matches in our tablemates.

We've had the same experience.

We are dressing up in formal gowns and tux, so we really want to be in royal ct on that night.

I get the urge, I really really do, but on formal night, it's formal night wherever you are, it doesn't have to be Royal Court/Palace. I do get that it FEELS more formal, but remember that two thirds of the people at dinner on formal night will NOT be in that restaurant. And it'll still be formal night.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

5 of us, 4 adults and my 16 year old

I'd say you have a good chance that you will be at at 6 top. At least that's what happened to us the 1 time there were 5 of us.

 

[mitsguy2001]

You really don't need to request a rotation. DCL assigns everyone to a rotation. And everyone onboard will have the same opportunity to dine in all 3 dining rooms, with the same menus during the duration of the cruise.

That is not entirely true on the 7 night Fantasy. Since you have the animation show the last night that you are in Animator's Palate (either Prince and Princess night, Captain's Gala night, or See You Real Soon night) you get a reduced version of the menu that night. Instead of a choice of appetizer you get a sampler trio (not sure if it varies based on the night), one soup (you get none of the usual choices for that night), and only 1 choice of dessert (or the Sweet Temptations). Luckily, you get the full entrée menu. So if there is a appetizer, soup/salad, or dessert that you don't want to miss, and it's not available at Animator's Palate, be sure to request a rotation that does not put you in Animator's Palate for that night.

In the case of my recent Fantasy Eastern cruise, my wife requested ERAERAE so that we could be in Royal Court for the first formal night (although it put us in Enchanted Garden for pirate night and Animator's Palate for the semi-formal night, neither of which make any sense). Initially, I wanted AERAERA since it would put us in Animator's Palate for pirate night, and Royal Court for the semi-formal night (captain's gala / lobster night), with Enchanted Garden on formal night as sort of a compromise. But when I looked at the menus, if we had been in Animator's Palate for See You Real Soon night, and would not have been able to order the chocolate decadence, since that is not the one dessert choice you get that night in Animator's Palate. However, if you are in Animator's Palate on captain's gala night, the one dessert choice is the warm chocolate lava cake, which is the dessert we both would have likely chosen that night anyway. So I went with my wife's original suggestion of ERAERAE since it seemed to offer the best of both worlds: first formal night in Royal Court, and it gave us access to both the warm chocolate lava cake and the chocolate decadence.

It's been speculated that by not requesting a specific rotation, you have a better chance of getting table mates that match your group demographic. I don't know if that's true or not, but, we've never requested a specific rotation, and always had excellent matches in our tablemates.

I had initially not wanted to request a rotation for that reason. Interestingly, we had a table for just the 2 of us. I wonder if that was because we were an adult couple with no children, but requested a rotation that they probably assign children to (and maybe a lot of families with girls who wanted to be in Royal Court for Prince and Princess night?)

But, yes, you can request a specific rotation. DCL will point out that it's just a request, but it can be added to your reservation. Most times such requests are granted. Sometimes not.

We have requested a rotation exactly twice - to skip the Crush show in AP and do Palo instead - and both times we were sat alone instead of with table mates. We didn't request to seat alone. It was actually really odd when we were expecting to have table mates.

Like I said, I wonder if that was why we had a table for ourselves, since we requested a rotation that we otherwise would not have been assigned to.

Last year, on the Dream, my wife wanted to request a rotation but I didn't, since I felt Disney would be better than us in assigning rotations. When we got ERRA, my wife was excited, thinking we were in Royal Palace on formal night. But then it turned out the 2nd night was Halloween night and the formal night was the 4th night. Though I don't know whether or not she would have gotten what she wanted, since she would have likely asked for ERRA.

We have also had great matches in our table mates and cruise once a year with a couple we met in 2013 on Disney. It's been awesome.