MDR: Do they ever sit families with young children with adult only groups?

[FamilyHolidayPlanner]

Our kids are 4 and 1 yrs on our upcoming cruise and I am debating whether or not to put in a request for our own table. On one hand we can't really afford to linger over dinner and would like our servers to bring out food asap, and on the other we think it might me nice for the kids to meet up with others of a similar age. Essentially if we are likely to be paired with an adult only group, we would request our own table. But if they are likely to match families of a similar age, we would be more inclined to share.
Interested in your thoughts and experiences.

 

[clten]

If they have you share a table, they try to match you with another group of similar demographics (a family with a child similar in age to one of yours). So while it is not impossible, it is very unlikely that they would seat you with just adults.

A few years ago, we had requested a server. When we got onboard, we went to check to see if they had put us at that server's table. They said they had missed the request (shoreside put the request in the wrong spot) but that there was still space at one of the tables. They were really apologetic because it at a table for six and a family of 3 was already seated there (mother, child and an aunt; we were 2 adults). So they asked us several times if it was okay to sit with a family with a child (she was about 5). At dinner the first two nights they came and checked to see if we were okay and the head server was again very apologetic that there was no space at the adult only tables in that server's station. So it seems that they try to avoid the situation whenever possible.

 

[FamilyHolidayPlanner]

Thanks for sharing your experience- very helpful. I think I will leave it to disney to decide whether we will have table mates or not

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I personally would recommend you out in a request for your own table.

Children of that age can be very shy, they will already have to get to a new place to eat, new food, so to add a " lottery" of another family whoever they are good or bad could just be too much. Children can be self conscious about eating, and being fussy with food, and others there can only add to that.

People think DCL goes to great lengths to match people up, but they is actually impossible. It's a computer programme, that after concierge make a manual choice, allocates groups of various sizes, to tables of various sizes, on three rotations main and late. Some get lucky some not.

There are more children on main so basically the matching will be more children.

Without being funny, DCL hasn't the information on demographics to do matching, like say a dating agency. The only advice is, if not requesting a private table, take the lottery out of it, and get yo know people on your cruise meets thread, and choose a like fsmily from there and link reservations.

There are many threads here on worst table mates, and for every good one there is another bad one.

 

[MUN]

Our kids are 4 and 1 yrs on our upcoming cruise and I am debating whether or not to put in a request for our own table. On one hand we can't really afford to linger over dinner and would like our servers to bring out food asap, and on the other we think it might me nice for the kids to meet up with others of a similar age. Essentially if we are likely to be paired with an adult only group, we would request our own table. But if they are likely to match families of a similar age, we would be more inclined to share.
Interested in your thoughts and experiences.

No! They have never done this, unless the adult only group were travel companions in a different cabin. I agree with Disney Fantasy, that you should request your own table.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

No! They have never done this, unless the adult only group were travel companions in a different cabin. I agree with Disney Fantasy, that you should request your own table.

 

[FamilyHolidayPlanner]

Thank you for the further input. Im now undecided. Do I go for the safe option, or take a risk on a weird pairing ?

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Thank you for the further input. Im now undecided. Do I go for the safe option, or take a risk on a weird pairing ?

Go safe, request a private table for your family! - you answer it your self there, a " possible weird pairing".

 

[cruisehopeful]

If you don't like the family you are paired with, you can switch after the first night.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

If you don't like the family you are paired with, you can switch after the first night.

You can ask the head server / restaurant manager but if your on the popular MAIN you may not be able to, or will have to go to Late.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Whether traveling alone or with my daughter, I've always been happy with the tablemates DCL has matched me/us with. I'd recommend you take the chance and not request a private table. Being a family of 4, there's a possibility you will still be seated at a private table, but if you are with others, you will most likely be paired with another family with kids similar in age to yours.

 

[lanejudy]

Our experience has always been seated with a family with children of similar age. I honestly don't know exactly how they do it, but absolutely DCL does has those "demographics" to pair-up traveling parties. Ages of passengers is no secret and can easily be written into a computer program to match similar. Is it guaranteed? No, there may always be a couple of parties that don't match up. But in our experience it has worked very well. As others state, you can request a change if you find you simply don't "mesh" with the others at your table.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[FamilyHolidayPlanner]

As its our first cruise we are keen to get the most of the experience... part of which is shared dining. I really cant decide!
I will report back after our cruise.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Light reading.

Care will put you off sharing.


http://www.disboards.com/threads/craziest-table-mates-you-have-had.3258980/

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

I was very impressed with how well Disney did at matching us with our table mates. There must have been exactly three only-child 12 year old girls on that ship, and they were all seated together.

 

[wilkeliza]

Requesting your own table is just that a request. Splitting up all the bigger tables to be individuals just makes the dinning room that much more crowded. Part of cruising is dinning with others.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Requesting your own table is just that a request. Splitting up all the bigger tables to be individuals just makes the dinning room that much more crowded. Part of cruising is dinning with others.

If you look at MDR plans 4/6/8 tables are permanently there, in fact it's the opposite, they combine small tables to accommodate very large parties to requests. IE they can make upto 18 table tops , by pulling together adjacent tables. Smaller tables give greater access, and many request it.

In my experience families with young children will find the biggest issue at dinner time ha their children being shy with other people there that they do not know, so not eat. The odd child may play up, as there are others there.

Maybe teenagers or adults only sharing " could" build a cruise experience, but who you are with is a lottery, maybe good maybe bad, and with young children an added challenge that parents can do without, when their child is out of their normal location, with new or newly presented foods.

There is never ever any harm in requesting your own table, it gets you up the list, and with so many people asking for a private table, if you do not put a request in, you will be way down the list, and may have to share due to default.

 

[tink1970]

The only time we were not paired up with a family with a child (there were 3 of us-DM, DD, 7 at the time and myself) was our favorite time--we were placed with 4 Disney CMs on vacation. Almost 10 years later we are always thrilled to see our favorite server Bob when we're in the World.
I realize from reading this thread that that was an anomaly but so fortuitous for us!

That said, with the age of your children and agreeing with PP, so much stimulation, excitement and novelty...I'd ask for a private table. My DN was 4 on our trip in December and despite being my niece...if I had the choice I wouldn't have dined with her.

 

[CB Ace]

I vote for sitting with another family. Disney paired us with another couple our age with a kid the exact same age as ours. We ended up becoming great friends and may do another cruise with them. Our daughters became BFFs immediately and it made our nightly dinners way more fun (especially since the girls were so happy together in the kids club that we could take them there halfway through dinner). You can always switch if it's a bad match. But you'll be spending all day together as a family-- I think it's nice to branch out and meet new people at dinner!

 

[richkaryn]

We've always been pleased with DCL's pairings for us. We have absolutely loved our stablemates each time. We just got off the Wonder last week and were seated with another family of 3 with a child the same age as ours. And the wife and my DH were both engineers, so even more in common. The night DH and I went to Palo, our DS went to dinner on his own just so he could go meet up with their son for the night. When we went to Shutters the last day we found a picture in our folder that our DS had made with their family at dinner that night. We bought it so he'd have a great souvenir to remember them by.