Pros and Cons of Dining Times

[Debbie Torres]

We will be on our 3rd Disney Cruise this October . This is the first time I was able to get Main Dining . It was important to me because our parents are going with us and I don't want them to eat too late . Why else would main dining be beneficial ??
TIA

 

[Shanti]

We will be on our 3rd Disney Cruise this October . This is the first time I was able to get Main Dining . It was important to me because our parents are going with us and I don't want them to eat too late . Why else would main dining be beneficial ??
TIA

Main dining pros:

• Good for people who like eating early
• Easier for small kids to stay awake for
• You're less likely to be tempted fill yourself up with snacks while waiting for dinner
• Some people like the early debarkation day breakfast, so they can quickly depart

Main dining cons:

• If you're from a more western time zone, late dining might feel closer to your regular dining time
• It can cut short shore time and/or daylight deck activity time
• You have a very early breakfast time on debarkation day
• Some people think main dining is louder than late dining due to more kids
• You might not build up a big appetite between lunch & early dining

 

[jdb in AZ]

One more pro -- if you have main dining you have more time to digest all that food before going to bed.

 

[Geomom]

With main dining, I like having dinner first and then the show.

 

[SteveMP]

The main con for me is the later show tends to be more crowded and harder to get close seats, unless you get there really early.

 

[DLM1980]

I like late dinning with ports out of Florida. With our Alaska trip 8:15 was dinner and we didn't leave dinner till almost 10 each night and I don't know if the time changes from central to pacific to Alaskan got me but I kept waking up on my own at 530-6 am so by 10-10:30 I was pooped and ready for bed. Which is odd for me usually I'm up till at least midnight

However I prolly would do it again just because some of the all aboard times were 7pm. I'd hate to rush back to the ship to eat for free and give us port time

 

[NZMUM]

Biggest pro of main for us is not eating just before bed. I go to bed around 11pm and hate going to bed feeling full.
Going to the show after dinner.
Being able to get good spots for the deck parties and fireworks (pirate night)

Biggest con is early breakfast on debarkation morning (we've now stopped going to this).

 

[Debbie Torres]

Yes I thought about early breakfast but the last cruise we took ...... we just stopped by Cabanas on the way out . It was much easier and I have no need to go to the sit down again ....... I totally agree with being full before bed that is why I pushed for early Dining this time .

 

[mcd2745]

With main dining, I like having dinner first and then the show.

Agreed. The show first and then dinner second just seems backwards to me. However, it's just too early for us to have dinner at 5:30pm. We never eat dinner that early. I wish they had a 3rd performance of the show after the late dinner seating.

 

[Quellman]

We like late dining.

Pros for us;
No need to rush to get ready for the diner from a fun day (530PM comes too soon).
Generally a little bit more 'adult' crowd
Can linger at the table if we want
We stay up later on cruises anyway, so late dining isn't an issue
Kids club pick up - dine and play

Cons for us;
Harder to force yourself to go to some of the shows, particularly variety acts.


A typical sea day for us when it comes to food.
We get up early, have breakfast, go about our day, lunch around 1130, kids nap at 1pm. Then we are up and going with a snack at about 4 and then dinner at 830. Kid Bed is around 1030.

 

[RedSox68]

We have always done late dining -- like the show first, time to get ready for dinner in-between and, the biggest plus, don't have to rush back on port days for early dinner.

 

[DCSWO]

I think it also depends on your cruise. If you are on a longer cruise with more port calls, your scheduled or self-guided adventures in town may bump up against the early seating. Or you may feel rushed to get back in time to make dinner. If you are only trying to get back for a show, it may not be as big a deal. The good thing about cruising, there is no shortage of food options to tide you over.

 

[RedSox68]

I think it also depends on your cruise. If you are on a longer cruise with more port calls, your scheduled or self-guided adventures in town may bump up against the early seating. Or you may feel rushed to get back in time to make dinner. If you are only trying to get back for a show, it may not be as big a deal. The good thing about cruising, there is no shortage of food options to tide you over.

YES, and we have gotten back from exhausting excursions in the Med where we just ordered room service or visited the food windows on the pool deck (yum, pizza)

 

[ahain]

I agree 100% with Shanti's comments.

We prefer early (main) dining because we tend to eat earlier at home and I don't like doing to bed on a full stomach.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

For us, it was less about the meal times themselves, and more about what else you plan to do each night.

Do you plan to go to the main shows each evening? If so, then if you allow about 15 minutes before the show starts to get there and get seated, it is really only about 15 minutes extra time than if you were going to the MDR for main dining.

Also, there are a bunch of activities between the two dinings, we found it was easier to go to these if you had already gone to dinner, otherwise you kinda had to cut them close to go them and then get to late seating dinner on time.

Likewise there are some activities scheduled for after second seating which can be a little rushed if you are trying to get out of second seating.

On the other hand, if you don't go to a lot of the shows/activities, late dining probably is less rushed.

 

[oakleycat]

We always do late dining. We're from the West coast and typically eat on the later side anyway, so main dining is too early. But probably more important is the relaxed pace, dine and play for the kids, no rushing back from excursions, and an empty pool during early dining (we're not big show people).

 

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

We also prefer main dining. Last two cruises (seven night and four night) we had second seating and both wife and I agree, never again. Our upcoming 10 night cruise 2018 we asked and got main seating again. We are early eaters here at home; we can have dinner eaten the dishes washed and put away by six. Are you rushed a little at main seating? Yes but; we would prefer to eat and run anyways, get out and about and explore. Rather do that than sit at the dinner table! I am not a late night person so don't like going to bed bursting at the seams. I'd much rather have the whole evening free, go to the main show after dinner if we want or do a plan B.

 

[jrabbit]

New favorite location on the Magic / Wonder is Keys / Cadillac Lounge. With late dinner seating, it's easier to enjoy a drink and some chips / peanuts before dinner. Not so much right after dinner (early seating). We still go and enjoy the musicians in the venue when we have early seating, but do partake of an adult beverage while kicking back.