Surprising Brother - Need Help with Dining

[orlandomagicfan99]

Hi everyone!
I'm surprising my brother by joining him and his family on our first Disney cruise! He and his family are big Disney Cruisers and they've been bugging me about joining them for years on one. This year, I discussed it with him but told him it was just too expensive. Not to mention, it was 3 months before it set sail and I hadn't really given it serious thought. However, I saw that the room right next door to him opened up, so I booked it to surprise them! My wife and toddler will be joining me. Of course, since I booked it fairly last minute, I got the late dining time and I found out that he's on the earlier time. I called customer service to see if we can get sat at the same table without linking reservations (because I want to keep it a surprise), but they said it can't be done beforehand and must be done on the cruise ship. I'm a worrywart and really want everything set up before we embark. Does anyone have any idea if its possible to get a special dining arrangement set up for something like this?

If not, no worries

 

[lanejudy]

I suggest waitlisting for main dining and also linking to his reservation. I don't believe there is any way to guarantee that you'll be seated together without linking.

 

[Dug720]

I suggest waitlisting for main dining and also linking to his reservation. I don't believe there is any way to guarantee that you'll be seated together without linking.

This. You're going to have to link - which I'd think would improve the chances to move to Early Dining. So you might have to tell him before you get on the ship if being seated together is important to you.

 

[erionm]

If you wait list for early dining and it doesn't come through, go to the dining change location once you board the ship and talk with them. They should be able to move your dining time and seat you with your brother and his family.

 

[Dug720]

They should be able to move your dining time and seat you with your brother and his family.

If brother and family have already been assigned tablemates and early dining is still full, there is no way this can happen. They aren't going to go to the other family and say "Sorry, due to a family surprising another we have to move you to late dining."

To change at dining changes, there would have to be space at Early Dining AND a table to accommodate that number that was open. And then somehow get word to the brother's family that their table number had changed.

Sorry, but surprising them at dinner is NOT going to be easy. UNLESS both cabins are Concierge and then shoreside should be able to help.

 

[Skippyboo]

I was on the Wish this August and ate lunch on Embarkation day at Arendelle with a couple that was surprising family members that they were on the cruise. Because reservations were not linked, they had to go to dining changes location when they got on the ship to get seated with them. They set up a scavenger hunt around the ship for the family to find them.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Actually, what you want is possible. I did something similar on The Fantasy in August.

I am a solo cruiser and I connected with 3 other solo cruisers before my cruise. As we had got to know each other before the cruise, we decided to see if we could all be on the same table for MDR.

3 of us had the same boarding group and had late dining, the 4th lady had a different boarding group and early dining.

When the 3 of us got on the ship we went straight to the Dining Team outside Enchanted Garden. We were able to get all 3 of us on the same table at Late Dining. We needed to give our names and room numbers.

Once we had the table, we then texted the 4th lady with the table number and when she got on the ship, she went to the Dining Team outside Enchanted Garden and was moved from early dining to our table.

We did not have our bookings linked

 

[Dug720]

Actually, what you want is possible. I did something similar on The Fantasy in August.

I am a solo cruiser and I connected with 3 other solo cruisers before my cruise. As we had got to know each other before the cruise, we decided to see if we could all be on the same table for MDR.

3 of us had the same boarding group and had late dining, the 4th lady had a different boarding group and early dining.

When the 3 of us got on the ship we went straight to the Dining Team outside Enchanted Garden. We were able to get all 3 of us on the same table at Late Dining. We needed to give our names and room numbers.

Once we had the table, we then texted the 4th lady with the table number and when she got on the ship, she went to the Dining Team outside Enchanted Garden and was moved from early dining to our table.

We did not have our bookings linked

It is much easier with late dining. And with solo adults.

With families - especially when children are involved - they have likely already been matched with another family for dining.

 

[lanejudy]

Actually, what you want is possible.

Nobody said it isn't possible. It's just not probable for 2 families with different seatings to be able to add another whole family to main dining without impacting the seating arrangements and server assignments for multiple parties. The best way to get the OP's desired result is to link reservations in advance along with a waitlist of the earlier dining time for his party.

 

[orlandomagicfan99]

Nobody said it isn't possible. It's just not probable for 2 families with different seatings to be able to add another whole family to main dining without impacting the seating arrangements and server assignments for multiple parties. The best way to get the OP's desired result is to link reservations in advance along with a waitlist of the earlier dining time for his party.

So i joined the waitlist the moment I booked the cruise. Its been about 6-7 weeks and i'm still at 8:15. Is there a cutoff for linking reservations? Like can I link the reservations the week before and still have a good shot at dining together? Sorry if these are ignorant questions. Like I said, this is my first Disney Cruise and I'm just trying to make a good memory for my family

 

[orlandomagicfan99]

It is much easier with late dining. And with solo adults.

With families - especially when children are involved - they have likely already been matched with another family for dining.

Is there a cutoff for linking reservations? Can i link the week before and have a good shot at dining with them? Or is it like 30 days before embarkation that is a cutoff?

 

[lanejudy]

Is there a cutoff for linking reservations?

I don't think there is a cut-off other than you cannot access your reservation for something like 3 days prior to embarkation. But I also don't know if they start the process of table assignments any earlier than that -- hopefully someone else may know.

 

[Dug720]

I don't think there is a cut-off other than you cannot access your reservation for something like 3 days prior to embarkation. But I also don't know if they start the process of table assignments any earlier than that -- hopefully someone else may know.

I think I've heard they start the assigning tables at least a week out.

 

[Dug720]

Is there a cutoff for linking reservations? Can i link the week before and have a good shot at dining with them? Or is it like 30 days before embarkation that is a cutoff?

I think they start assigning at least a week out.

My statement about already matched had to do with going the day of the cruise. At that point table assignments would definitely have already been made - and to avoid confusing multiple families, there would really need to be a table large enough to accommodate your and your brother's party. I'm also not sure if they would move them without them being there also since it would involve a table number change for them.

I'd also consider how amenable your brother and family are to having a sudden surprise sprung on them. They may have planned things for their family time that may not be easily adapted to you and your family suddenly appearing. Some people are fine with it, but others it may throw them for a loop. I get that the idea of a surprise is fun, but there are a lot of factors to consider.

 

[happycamper47]

I called customer service to see if we can get sat at the same table without linking reservations (because I want to keep it a surprise), but they said it can't be done beforehand and must be done on the cruise ship.

Use the email contact that way it is an official request. Disney has been known to work some "MAGIC" at times. Explain that it is a sruprise and list both reservation numbers in the body of your message.

https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/help/email/

 

[o&smom]

If brother and family have already been assigned tablemates and early dining is still full, there is no way this can happen. They aren't going to go to the other family and say "Sorry, due to a family surprising another we have to move you to late dining."

To change at dining changes, there would have to be space at Early Dining AND a table to accommodate that number that was open. And then somehow get word to the brother's family that their table number had changed.

Sorry, but surprising them at dinner is NOT going to be easy. UNLESS both cabins are Concierge and then shoreside should be able to help.

This happened to us once! We got a phone call to our room asking if we would mind switching to another table so that two families could sit together.

 

[orlandomagicfan99]

I think they start assigning at least a week out.

My statement about already matched had to do with going the day of the cruise. At that point table assignments would definitely have already been made - and to avoid confusing multiple families, there would really need to be a table large enough to accommodate your and your brother's party. I'm also not sure if they would move them without them being there also since it would involve a table number change for them.

I'd also consider how amenable your brother and family are to having a sudden surprise sprung on them. They may have planned things for their family time that may not be easily adapted to you and your family suddenly appearing. Some people are fine with it, but others it may throw them for a loop. I get that the idea of a surprise is fun, but there are a lot of factors to consider.

I appreciate the input. From conversations I've had with him and some family members, I believe that he will be extremely happy that we're joining.

You've convinced me not to wait until I'm onboard to make the dining change. I've reached out to two different sources to see if they can help with this surprise, but if I don't hear anything back by next week, I'll tell him at Christmas and get our reservations linked. Do you think if I link the reservations 3-4 weeks in advance, that there wouldn't be an issue getting sat at the same table?

 

[Dug720]

I appreciate the input. From conversations I've had with him and some family members, I believe that he will be extremely happy that we're joining.

You've convinced me not to wait until I'm onboard to make the dining change. I've reached out to two different sources to see if they can help with this surprise, but if I don't hear anything back by next week, I'll tell him at Christmas and get our reservations linked. Do you think if I link the reservations 3-4 weeks in advance, that there wouldn't be an issue getting sat at the same table?

That should probably be ok.

 

[dllocals]

I’d really put on the charm… tell the dining team that you heard Mickey CAN do magical things… it would be wonderful if your one wish could become a reality… then state your request. don’t forget the long pauses!