SO WHATS THE DIFFERENCE PLEASE BETWEEN 1ST AND 2ND SEATING DINING? - WHICH ONE DO YOU PREFER AND WHY?

[Geomom]

We prefer early dining as DH and I can't eat full dinners at 8pm and normally eat at 6pm at home. Also prefer dinner then the show vs show then dinner.

 

[Joanna71985]

I'm fine with either (I did Early in Sept, but will be doing Late next month)

 

[PsylockeSmythe]

We prefer early dining. Our first cruise we had late dining, and my wife crashed each night right after dinner. We normally eat dinner each night before 6pm so early dining works best for us.

Psy

 

[bakerworld]

We've only cruised DCL. Our first cruise we left the ship starving because we didn't understood the schedules. It was the Wonder and if they had a Cabanas we never found it. At that point in our lives we were used to vacations without schedules so we kept missing everything - including the fact that the cruise included 24h room service. After that cruise we adhered to the schedules. We've done about half early and half late dinners. We never found much of a difference between either dinner time, food or people. Frankly the dinning rooms are loud and full for both servings and the activities are available regardless of dinner time. We have even successfully changed a dinner seating to accommodate an activity.

 

[jo-jo]

Never been on a cruise, probably never will, but curious. Do you have to eat in dining room? What if you are tired , sunburned, whatever……you just want something like quick service at WDW, are you penalized for not eating in dining room?

 

[sponica]

Never been on a cruise, probably never will, but curious. Do you have to eat in dining room? What if you are tired , sunburned, whatever……you just want something like quick service at WDW, are you penalized for not eating in dining room?

You're not penalized but there aren't a ton of options...i think there's one pool deck restaurant that stays open late, and room services is free. I have taken desserts back to my room when my younger daughter was just DONE with being in the restaurant.

 

[PsylockeSmythe]

Never been on a cruise, probably never will, but curious. Do you have to eat in dining room? What if you are tired , sunburned, whatever……you just want something like quick service at WDW, are you penalized for not eating in dining room?

As stated you are not penalized, but the options available matter on the ship that you are on. For the Magic and Wonder, I think the two quick service places on the top deck are open till 9pm, I could be wrong, and they close at 10pm, but I'm pretty sure that they are at least open till 9pm, since I've gotten pizza or a hamburger from them in the evenings when walking around.

Room service is open 24hrs a day, so there is also that option.

Psy

 

[JM_97]

I would imagine the reaction to them changing it - since people know the system on DCL - would be about like when Royal *tried* it with 4 dining rooms on Anthem and her sisters. They quickly went to I think one (maybe 2) that is for fixed dining and the others are any time. Likewise on Celebrity's Edge-class they have 4 and initially people who had fixed were assigned to one - but they whined that they wanted to try the others (in spite of being able to order the specialties from them in each...and the rest of the menu being the same in all 4.

I like the fact that different lines have different options. If anytime works for you, there are a lot of other lines to pick from.

I like both for different reasons!

 

[Bibbidi_Boo]

Late because it fits the flow better and we don't feel like we have to have lunch by 12 so we don't ruin dinner. With late we can get breakfast later, lunch later etc. If we are super hungry we get a snack. We have done late with kids, all but one time and we regretted that time and remembered how much we don't like early.

 

[fflmaster]

For those that do late dining due to not wanting to get back from Port days, how do you handle the shows? I thought if you do late dining your show time is during the 1st dining. So, do you still need to be back and ready for your show?

 

[DCLMP]

I have always chosen late dining, even when my kids were as young as 3 and an infant. I don’t want to cut my day short to get ready for dinner.

Same with us. We don't eat until around 730 at home. It's a total personal preference.

I've never had an issue getting a private table second seating. I think the biggest difference is less kids.

I don't eat enough to have a problem with being to full to sleep. The food is just okay at best,

 

[DCLMP]

For those that do late dining due to not wanting to get back from Port days, how do you handle the shows? I thought if you do late dining your show time is during the 1st dining. So, do you still need to be back and ready for your show?

Yes the show is during 1st dining. There is about 45 minutes to an hour between the show and second dining if you need to do anything else to get ready for dinner. There really isn't any dress code on Disney. Just don't show up in your swimsuit.

 

[CaptainMarvel]

For those that do late dining due to not wanting to get back from Port days, how do you handle the shows? I thought if you do late dining your show time is during the 1st dining. So, do you still need to be back and ready for your show?

While the shows for those with late dining are during early dining, their start time is usually 15 minutes after the start of early dining. This isn't a huge gap, but, personally, it has sometimes provided just enough extra time to get cleaned up after a long port day before going to the theater. Additionally, cruises over 3 nights may not have live entertainment in the theater every single night (and not every act/performer they bring on will appeal to everyone), so I've only had to rush off to the theater a few times after long port days.

 

[sponica]

To answer the OPs question: If I'm with my kids, typically it's the first seating we choose, we eat at 530/6 at home and my kids are up with the birds and don't nap. By night 3 or 4, my youngest is a tired, cranky monster even at first seating.

 

[enzy65]

Yes the show is during 1st dining. There is about 45 minutes to an hour between the show and second dining if you need to do anything else to get ready for dinner. There really isn't any dress code on Disney. Just don't show up in your swimsuit.

I see so many in the WDT with swimwear and no coverups, is there no dress code in the theater? We’ve had to move several times because I don’t want to see that much skin and smell the sunscreen while watching the show. Oh and many people bringing in plates of food.

 

[DCLMP]

I see so many in the WDT with swimwear and no coverups, is there no dress code in the theater? We’ve had to move several times because I don’t want to see that much skin and smell the sunscreen while watching the show. Oh and many people bringing in plates of food.

I haven't see people wearing swim wear at dinner or the shows. I haven't seen food either other than popcorn. I can't help you out with that one.

 

[Bibbidi_Boo]

For those that do late dining due to not wanting to get back from Port days, how do you handle the shows? I thought if you do late dining your show time is during the 1st dining. So, do you still need to be back and ready for your show?

Shows are a little later than the first dining, and unless on a 3 night cruise aren't every night.

 

[Msprxy]

Definitely a preference, but we like to see the shows first as after dinner, we were always tired. We also felt like we were running around a bit to make the first dinner seating.

 

[Gdes1]

We have young teens now and did late on the Fantasy last week. I really liked it. We had a good routine going where we could wrap up our day (beach or sea day), get everyone showered and ready, send the kids to Vibe. Then we adults would either get seats at the show our have some time to ourselves. The kids would leave Vibe and we'd do the show together at 6pm (on show nights). Then, they'd go back and we would do trivia or something in one of the lounges, then all meet again for dinner at 8:15. My husband needed some Tums before bed a few nights, but that was going to happen anyway and I don't think it was because we ate so late. To me, this all beat having to be ready for dinner so early.

Since I wasn't at the early seating on my same cruise, I can't make a true comparison, but our seating did seem to have fewer small kids despite the fact that supposedly that sailing had more small kids than usual. The only downside was it seemed our server team was more tired (makes total sense) and also it felt a bit rushed like maybe they just wanted to be cleaned up and out of there. Then again, they are trying to serve people quickly so no one complains about it being slow.

Things I learned from our assistant server: If we didn't want to come for actual table service, we could come by during our seating and order to-go plates to take elsewhere. We saw others doing that. She even said she could pull one of our wines and give it to us. So, that's an option.

I'm sure others have said it, but if you are late dinner, you are late breakfast on debarkation day. For us, that was 8am. If you have a later flight, this is nice. You don't have to go to the seated breakfast that day, though, if you need to disembark earlier for an earlier flight.

 

[serrem2]

If you're on an Alaskan cruise, many of the port departures (and excursions) won't be until after early dining. We always choose 2nd seating.