Early or late seating poll!!!

[LAMPSKIES]

If there has been the late vs early seating question asked once it's been asked 100 times in my 2 1/2ears on these boards.....so I'm going to post a poll and maybe we can keep this towards the top of the forums.....Me personally I like late.....I always tell the story of looking for my daughter at the internet cafe', walking slowly relaxing with my favorite beverage after a perfect day of shore excutsions.....then running down the stairs was a family of about 8.....Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Grandma and kids all yelling "hurry up we are going to be late AGAIN!"

 

[Verandah Man]

Even though we eat dinner early at home, usually around 4pm (already had dinner today), we like the late dining time on the ship.

 

[nluvwithmickey]

I guess there are pro's and cons to each of the meal times.

On our first cruise, we were on the late seating. By 8:30 I was famished and overate( who doesn't?). It left me feeling pretty stuffed and I could not see myself headinf to my stateroom after dinner to go to bed.

I figure, with the early seating, I'll have a chance to walk it off a little. I will also get to enjoy more of the evening entertainment, and the dessert buffet!!!!

I even missed the farewell celebration because of the late seating!!!!This cannot happen to me again!

 

[WDWLVR]

We prefer early seating. Tried late seating on the cruise once and just didn't work for us.

Nice that there is a choice.

 

[Bethipooh4]

I have to say early.

DS(7) lets me know if its a minute past 6 and dinner isn't done..lol
He's the same way with lunch too.

One day we will have late seating.

 

[fairytalelover]

We got late seating for our June cruise and we are happy about it. We figured that the early one would be filled with more loud kids running around etc.... and we are on our honeymoon and would like to have relaxing, romantic evening meals.

 

[Mickeyhugger]

We'll see you for late seating on the Thanksgiving cruise Lamp!

 

[Disney Fans]

I think that if you have smaller childern like 8 and younger then thats when earlier dinner is better. But if the new dinner time change becomes perm then I think that everyone will be happy with having a choice of times and I bet there won't be as many problems. I know when I reg. on line last night I am feeling no stress for the trip now because all of that is done and no standing in lines to reg for kids, etc-so more time to have fun!!!!! I bet thats what it will be like if the dinner times change prem.. after the test they are doing in June.
We are off to Disney Land and Sea next week and can't wait!

 

[ironwill1979]

I have to say that the first time I booked I was disappointed that early dining wasn't available since I'm not much of a late person anyway. However, since that first cruise I always ask for the late seating because I don't feel so rushed to get ready.

 

[LAMPSKIES]

Sooooooo, if late seems to be the seating of choice here at the Dis why is the first always booked?

 

[pdarrah]

We cruised last Oct with a 5 year old and LOVED late seating. During the planning of our cruise, DS5 watched the DCL DVD and when they were showing the restaurants he looked over at me and said "You and Dad can eat there - I'll eat at with the kid club". In reality, he usually ate room service or at Plutos around when we were getting ready for dinner and then we would drop him at the club either on the way to the show (if he didn't want to see it) or on the way to dinner. He only ate with us once (very quickly - he shocked our servers by skipping desert in order to get to the club quicker) and was very happy about it. He eats in restaurants a lot at home and was much happier at the club. We were able to have relaxing, grown-up meals with a DIS couple we met here and linked up our dining (what is weird is they live less than 15 miles from us!)

We are cruising again this Oct and have requested late seating again. DS(now 6) is planning on following a similar schedule. He say he might eat with us on Pirate Night (although he will have to miss the Giggle Gala).

pdarrah

 

[Buddy Bear]

We have usually picked late seating but from now on it will be early seating for us. There have been a few times when certain events were starting at 9:30 or 9:45 and we couldn't make it on time unless we skipped dessert which if you have ever had dinner with my three girls isn't an option.

 

[the kabuki]

We have usually picked late seating but from now on it will be early seating for us. There have been a few times when certain events were starting at 9:30 or 9:45 and we couldn't make it on time unless we skipped dessert which if you have ever had dinner with my three girls isn't an option.

Cruise newbie here, what kinds of events are you talking about? And how long does dinner typically last?

 

[Buddy Bear]

Cruise newbie here, what kinds of events are you talking about? And how long does dinner typically last?

In particular I remember one time there being a family game show at Disney Studio Sea that started at 9:30 PM. Since dinner usually runs around an hour and a half and starts at 8:30 PM we couldn't make the show unless we skipped dessert.

Another time I remember a deck party starting while we were still dining, but mostly we are choosing the early dining because of Sarah (the little one).

 

[Heathercat]

I prefer late seating.....We relaxed many an evening at the table drinking and carrying on...We didnt feel rushed to get out!!!

 

[tvguy]

In particular I remember one time there being a family game show at Disney Studio Sea that started at 9:30 PM. Since dinner usually runs around an hour and a half and starts at 8:30 PM we couldn't make the show unless we skipped dessert.

Another time I remember a deck party starting while we were still dining, but mostly we are choosing the early dining because of Sarah (the little one).

They had 2 performances of both the "theater shows" and the family shows on our cruise, have they changed that? In both cases for late seating that entertainment was before dinner, 6:30 for the theater show, and 7:45 for the family shows in Diversions and Studio Sea. Never missed anything.

I guess it depends on your normal schedule at home, but I am baffled how families with active school age kids and two working parents on this board manage to eat dinner at 5 pm every night!!! Our norm is 7:30 now since it's baseball season (DS plays Varsity HS Baseball) and DW often works until 7 pm.

 

[wide awake]

Late seating works best for us. We just cannot be ready by early seating time, even though we eat at 6:30 pm at home. I like to watch the shows in jeans and a sweatshirt, then go change and freshen my make-up before dinner. The early dinner leaves no time after excursions...we did it our first time, we were always late to dinner and I was always thrown together. Then I wanted to go back to the cabin because I was stuffed...did not see ANY of the shows on our first Western.

 

[LAMPSKIES]

Bump.........

 

[the kabuki]

Well, I just changed our dinner seating to the early seating. From what I've read on these boards, it's much harder to get an earlier dinner time. I figure if it doesn't work for us, we can always request a change to late, or is this not possible?

Normally we eat dinner around 7:30 at home, but 8:30 just sounds so late to be eating. I'll probably end up calling my TA again and changing it, poor guy.

 

[geffric]

Our first DCL crusei we had early seating and that worked fine for us as the kids were 7 and 5. The second one was early too. By the third one, the kids were older and we tried late seating. We loved it.. on the 4 we have requested late seating and looking for dining partners as the kids will eat and run to the various activities in the teen club.. ( what a shame, a vacation that is mostly just us the whole time.. )