Easy to Change Dining Arrangements?

[SuperDisneyDad]

We are currently booked for Late Seating (waitlisted for early seating) and we have a request in for a table of 4 (not because we're anti-social, but because it's easier with our 2 kids). With the kids we'd REALLY like to have early seating. I assume that nothing will change before the cruse, so we plan to make the "Changes in Dining Assignments" session one of our stops during the "ressies scramble" when we get on the ship. My question is, how easy is it to get what we want and how does the whole process work? Is it impossible to get anything changed if the ship is full? Any tips on this?

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

When we were on our cruise in Jan. 2001 we could not get our seating changed. I ran to where I was directed to go to try and change seating and ended up to be 2nd on the list. I was told the ship was full and there was nothing they could do. We even talked to the people directly at the restaurants, but was told the same thing. Our son was 2 at the time and 2nd seating was very difficult. He was very cranky or falling asleep by "dinnertime". I know people will say you have other dining options, but who wants to pay all that money and then eat dinner at a pizza place. We are going on the 7 night next Nov. and booked it far in advance to assure 1st seating. Good Luck! BTW, we seen the people who were 1st on the list to have seating changed later in the cruise and they didn't get their time changed either.

 

[Lisa F]

I think people have an easier time changing things around if the ship is less full. Last january, because of the $99 promotion, the ships were completely full. When we went to Palos for our first dinner there the maitre d' told us that the ship was more full than it had been for the previous new year's cruise! Wow. Good luck getting your time changed.

Lisa

 

[chucknrita]

SuperDisneyDad,
Your waitlist just might come through before your cruise. We received our cruise documents last week for our Dec. 15 cruise and I was glancing at them and noticed we had Main seating. We were also on the waitlist, and up until the day we received our documents I was told that we were still on the waitlist. So you never know!

 

[disboo]

We had early seating on the trip we just returned from. The second night we had reservations for Palo's, and we got a call from the dining people if we intended to eat at AP (our scheduled restaurant), or if they could give the table to someone else. We said, sure, give someone else the table, so at least one family got to eat early at least one night. So, there is hope even if you are waitlisted, and the CM's definitley are trying to accomodate everyone's wishes!

By the way, we had early seating because our travel companions preferred it, but I liked the late seating (which we did in Jan) better, and will choose that in the future. I don't have small children, though - only big, grown up ones who are happy to eat at any (or every) time of day.

 

[TVLCELLAR]

WE'RE JUST BACK FROM 11/2 EASTERN MAGIC. I TRIED TO CHANGE OUR DINING FROM LATE TO EARLY ON FIRST DAY, WAS ADVISED NOT AVAILABLE BUT THEY WOULD CHECK DAILY. I DID RECEIVE TWO PHONE CALLS OFFERING EARLY SEATING ON TWO DIFFFERENT DAYS. AT THAT POINT WE DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE OUR SERVERS SO WE DECLINED. WE HAVE 3 CHILDREN AGES 10 8 AND 7 WE REALIZED ON THE SECOND NIGHT THAT IF WE FED THEM AT AROUND 5:30, THEY COULD LAST UNTIL OUR SCHEDULED DINNER AND WOULD BE ABLE TO SIT THRU IT AND MAYBE EAT A LITTLE. IT SEEMED THAT THE ONE HOUR TIME CHANGE HELPED A LITTLE ALSO. I HAVE TO SAY THAT I DID LIKE LATE SEATING, IT SEEMS THAT WE SAW MORE SHOWS AND WERE NOT AS RUSHED AS OTHER TIMES WHEN WE HAD EARLY SEATING.

 

[kplatt]

We have been able to change from late to early seating on each of our cruises, including over spring break, when the ship was very crowded. In addition, we changed from a table for 4 to a table for 6 when we learned that relatives were also on our first cruise.

We head to the location for changes (Sessions, I think) first thing, before we try to book Palo or the spa.

Karen
Wonder 11/01
Magic 3/02
Magic 11/02