New Dine and Play option on DCL for those on second dining!!

[jnadelman]

Are you serious??

serious about thinking it is discrimination - NO
serious about being upset since they are offering it only to late seating and not for main seating - YES

I would think people with late seating would be upset if they got hot dogs while main seating got lobster. What time you sit and what food or services you get should be the same.

 

[DisneyBaby2004]

this amounts to pure seating discrimination.
What is offered to one set of people cruising needs to be offered to all!
Those of us with main seating would still like the ability to have a meal without the kids. Why are our needs any different?

The need is different because not everyone has the option of eating before 8p and you don’t have the pleasure of having a six year old sit through dinner at 9p at night(when they are usually in bed at that hour or winding down for bed). Not sure further explanation is really needed.

 

[DLW8]

Thanks for the info, I hope they keep this in place when we cruise in December!

 

[jnadelman]

The need is different because not everyone has the option of eating before 8p and you don’t have the pleasure of having a six year old sit through dinner at 9p at night(when they are usually in bed at that hour or winding down for bed). Not sure further explanation is really needed.

nor can a 4 year old sit through an entire meal that is an hour and a half long, regardless of if it starts at 5 or at 8.

So based on your reasoning, should it not available for those who "had the choice" and selected late seating. Or for those with 10 year old kids and not 6? Nope, it is available to everyone in late seating.

I'm not saying that there isn't a need for it in late seating. And I agree that the need might be greater. But that doesn't mean there isn't a need for it at main seating, and it doesn't make it ok for them to only offer it to those in late seating.

This is Disney. A good service is a good service and should be there for all to enjoy.

Do you really think it is ok for them not to offer this for main seating? Can you honestly say that people in main seating don't have a need for it or wouldn't use it if the choice was given to them?

 

[Debs Hill]

Love the sound of this! I was always the one running off to deck 5 with son between main course and desert! Fantastic idea!
Debsx

 

[Keyser]

We used this on the Wonder sailing May 21-24. I didn't realize it was something new/different. Some kids club counselors (or whatever they're called) would show up at the entrance to the restaurant at about 9:00. They'd stay until about 9:15, it seemed.

I will say that my daughter was actually a bit rushed in her meals (in fact, didn't get dessert one night, but that was more due to her taking forever to eat her main meal as she waited for the Dramamine to kick in for her seasickness). But, she really looked forward to it each night - it worked well for all of us. The one negative was that she missed the end of Animator's, and so she wanted to go back one later night to see what it looked like at the end.

The activities were no different than what was already going on in the club - it was not like a special activity, just a chance to check the kids in more conveniently.

It was certainly more convenient this way, but there would be nothing stopping you from just taking your kid down to the club on your own. The only real difference is that the servers had to get her food out faster. I expect you could get your server to do this anyway.

 

[Melcatfish]

I am another one who would like to see this offered on early seating, I know my DD4 will struggle with the length of dinner so I am going to take her up to the club after she has had her dinner.

I will probably send an email to DCL suggesting that it would be a popular move to include it for early seating, I would think if other did the same they might at least see there is demand.

Mel
x

 

[kimberleeJohnston]

nor can a 4 year old sit through an entire meal that is an hour and a half long, regardless of if it starts at 5 or at 8.

So based on your reasoning, should it not available for those who "had the choice" and selected late seating. Or for those with 10 year old kids and not 6? Nope, it is available to everyone in late seating.

I'm not saying that there isn't a need for it in late seating. And I agree that the need might be greater. But that doesn't mean there isn't a need for it at main seating, and it doesn't make it ok for them to only offer it to those in late seating.

This is Disney. A good service is a good service and should be there for all to enjoy.

Do you really think it is ok for them not to offer this for main seating? Can you honestly say that people in main seating don't have a need for it or wouldn't use it if the choice was given to them?

Can you not just order the kids meals with your appitizers and simply walk them to the kids club when they are done?

 

[zachnsamsmommy]

We were just told of this by DCL when we called a couple of days ago to see if we had been moved to early seating (which we hadn't.....grrrr).

To those complaining about it not being offered for the first seating. I'm guessing that they are doing this for second seating b/c there are so many of us waitlisted for the first dining who have no option but second dinner. Second seating with my 2 yr old was something I didn't want...but didn't have a choice. I'm guessing there are many who have youngsters who wanted main seating, and this was the best idea they could come up with. I bet eventually they will offer it for first dining, especially if there are enough comments/comment cards requesting it. I think it was just logical to start off doing it with second seating.

So...anyways...I heard it directly from DCL as well.

 

[kpadalik]

I agree, I wish they offered this during the first seating. On our last cruise, I didn't mind taking my DD3 (at the time) up to the club when she was done eating. It would just be convenient to have someone pick her up! However, don't they bring the kids to get dinner if they are in the club? Maybe that's why they don't offer during the first seating - b/c all they would be doing is taking kids from the dining room (who already ate) to dinner again...just a thought.

 

[suzyqn]

I agree it would be nice if it was offered for both seatings. I imagine that they assume that you will go right to the show with your kids after dinner. I have never had early dinner so I don't know what the time frame is. Maybe it will be incentive for people to book late seating.

I would not mind taking my child to Deck 5 during dinner if they did not have this option, however I have to say that it would have been awkward for us on this last cruise since we were given our own table. My dh would have been sitting all by himself if I had to leave to take my dd to the club. Not a huge deal but awkward just the same.

One more thing...I talked to my friend today who just returned from the Magic on Sat. and she said that it did not sound like it was a permanant thing. She couldn't remember what term was used. So maybe they are still "trying it out."

Let's keep our fingers crossed that they keep and maybe expand this option.

 

[dr&momto2boys]

I actually think it's nice that it's only offered for second seating right now because people with little kids who can't get into main seating feel a bit slighted. Having this program evens it out a little. And of course those in main seating can do the same thing and just walk their kids to the club thmselves so it's no big deal. Perhaps more people will even prefer second seating now and everyone (or at least more people) can get the seating they prefer.

I'm still crossing my fingers for my waitlist to come through for main seating (since we have a 3yr old, a 4yr old, and a 7month old at time of sailing), but somehow feel a little better about late seating if it doesn't come through.

 

[lbgraves]

I agree it would be nice if it was offered for both seatings. I imagine that they assume that you will go right to the show with your kids after dinner. I have never had early dinner so I don't know what the time frame is. Maybe it will be incentive for people to book late seating.

That is a very good point that I had not thought of. Late seating has already seen the show and the adults can just go to their own club after dinner but early seating would be picking up the kids in an hour or less to go to the show.

 

[lbgraves]

I agree, I wish they offered this during the first seating. On our last cruise, I didn't mind taking my DD3 (at the time) up to the club when she was done eating. It would just be convenient to have someone pick her up! However, don't they bring the kids to get dinner if they are in the club? Maybe that's why they don't offer during the first seating - b/c all they would be doing is taking kids from the dining room (who already ate) to dinner again...just a thought.

The kids usually eat before the main seating seating starts.

 

[mkmommy]

I would love it for early seating also. I travel alone with my daughters and only my oldest wanted to go to the club, so it is not that simple to just take my daughter to the clubs and I think most nights the lab kids were up at the sports deck.

 

[queenof2princesses]

I agree it would be nice if it was offered for both seatings. I imagine that they assume that you will go right to the show with your kids after dinner. I have never had early dinner so I don't know what the time frame is. Maybe it will be incentive for people to book late seating.

Exactly. I have been lurking trying to decide between the early and late seatings. My DD's are 9 and 11, and we are late nighters anyway, we are used to central time, so eating at 9(8 central) is not out of the ordinary for us. eating at 6 (5 central) is a little odd for us not what we are used to. Still, dinner and a show sounds better. We have done both and really didn't mind one or the other. totally on the fence. this option may tip me over, this may lure me to late seating. (Yes, I have main dining already, so I have a choice)

 

[SmallWorld71]

Hmmmm... Maybe it is a staffing or safety issue-too many kids to pick up from the early dinner.

Or, maybe as PP mentioned, they hope to lure more people to late dining and therefore be able to offer more people what they want?

I am leaning toward late dining for my cruise (kids will be 14, 11, and 7) but haven't decided yet. The boys can check themselves in and out but if someone was able to come pick up DD while DH and I relaxed over a leisurely meal, that could definitely sway us toward the late dining. Not that it's a big deal having to walk her up, but it could tip the scales in favor of late dining.