Three dining times coming

[kathi]

Could it mean that they are doing 3 different times for early and late seatings? They did the years ago.
Something like this:
Early 5:15, 5:30 and 5:45
Late 7:45, 8:00 and 8:15
If I remember correctly each restaurant had a different start time

They are doing that now. Staggered entering but it’s still early and late dining. This is adding another general seating so there will be three.

 

[tvguy]

All they need to do now is improve the quality of the food (as in actually cook the vegetables) and get soke variation to the qge old menus now! Who here doesn't know each menu off by heart?! I'm sure, if they were allowed, DCL chefs could come up with some great new items!

Judging from the outrage posted on the DIS about menu items having not returned post pandemic, I suspect there would have the Chef walking the plank if they changed the menus. A lot of people look forward to their favorites still being on the menu. Lord knows the controversy about Mickey Waffles only being available in the MDR has caused proves that!

 

[tvguy]

It will be interesting how they time the three seatings. I suspect they have done, or are doing research with passengers. Years ago there was a thread here which showed two different groups with opinions on dining times. Some felt the early seating was too late. A lot of those folks as I recall were east coast residents who eat pretty early at home. Others felt late seating was too early. Folks like our family, west coasters who don't turn their body clocks around on an East Coast cruise and had kids active in after school events, were dinner was later at home.

 

[Ikaikalani]

All they need to do now is improve the quality of the food (as in actually cook the vegetables) and get soke variation to the qge old menus now! Who here doesn't know each menu off by heart?! I'm sure, if they were allowed, DCL chefs could come up with some great new items!

I was hoping that during the 1.5 years on no cruises that they would've used some of that time to revamp the menus.

 

[cvjw]

Judging from the outrage posted on the DIS about menu items having not returned post pandemic, I suspect there would have the Chef walking the plank if they changed the menus. A lot of people look forward to their favorites still being on the menu. Lord knows the controversy about Mickey Waffles only being available in the MDR has caused proves that!

Heard that Mickey waffles are back at cabanas on the fantasy. Can confirm in 2 weeks. Disney must have heard the complaints from their guests and brought back the mickey waffles if the rumors are true. Lots of unhappy guests on the dream last month when they were told the Mickey waffles were no longer being served at cabanas.

 

[tvguy]

Heard that Mickey waffles are back at cabanas on the fantasy. Can confirm in 2 weeks. Disney must have heard the complaints from their guests and brought back the mickey waffles if the rumors are true. Lots of unhappy guests on the dream last month when they were told the Mickey waffles were no longer being served at cabanas.

It certainly has been a hot topic here.

 

[n2mm]

That’s is confusing. We were recently on both the Dream and the Fantasy. I had main dining for both. On the Dream my dining time was 5:55pm and on the Fantasy it was 5:35pm. On the Fantasy, only 2 restaurants were open each night. Also no dinner option in Cabanas either. Our capacity was 955 cruisers.

 

[Ikaikalani]

They are meeting CDC requirements for social distancing/occupancy.

I thought the same at first. But if that were the case, why not reopen Cabanas first?

 

[KGmomoftwins]

I wonder how they will decide which passengers move to what time if they make the switch. I selected main dining for our august cruise will they split the main to early and middle . I wonder how they will handle it?

 

[OhioWDWDuo]

We were told by crew that once capacity gets higher, there will be 3 dining times rather than 2 to allow for required social distancing in the dining rooms. Did not get the exact times. Three times are already on the comment cards - early, middle and late.

Thanks for the heads-up! Was it mentioned when DCL would start doing this?

 

[Cheburashka]

I thought the same at first. But if that were the case, why not reopen Cabanas first?

Because Cabanas isn't part of rotational dining, and rotational dining is one of DCL's big selling points. 3 night cruises can only offer 3 dining rooms, and cruisers are going to expect to experience all 3 themed dining rooms, and not be stuck at an unthemed Cabanas one night.

 

[Henlady]

They could do dining times at 5, 7 and 9. That should fit most passengers.

 

[kathi]

Thanks for the heads-up! Was it mentioned when DCL would start doing this?

When capacity increased was all they said. Since they are only using 2 of the 3 dining rooms each night, I feel like it won’t be for a while.

 

[kathi]

They could do dining times at 5, 7 and 9. That should fit most passengers.

9 seems just too late for most people. I like late dining but that is super late.

 

[squirk]

They should keep this forever. Always found the dining rooms way too crowded and cramped.

Enchanted Garden, especially.

 

[squirk]

All they need to do now is improve the quality of the food (as in actually cook the vegetables) and get soke variation to the qge old menus now! Who here doesn't know each menu off by heart?! I'm sure, if they were allowed, DCL chefs could come up with some great new items!

I agree that the menus are getting old, but look at it from Disney’s perspective - on the whole (not anyone here, just on the whole), Americans have, frankly, bland and unadventurous palates, IMO.

If DCL has found a series of menus that appeal to the lowest common denominator, with few complaints that the food is “too fancy,” why mess with that? Especially since they are constantly rotating in “fresh meat” - families who have not sailed 5+ times and seen the same menu multiple times anyway.

 

[tvguy]

9 seems just too late for most people. I like late dining but that is super late.

Not for West Coasters on a Caribbean cruise. That's 6 pm for our bodies.

 

[Lilsia]

All they need to do now is improve the quality of the food (as in actually cook the vegetables) and get soke variation to the qge old menus now! Who here doesn't know each menu off by heart?! I'm sure, if they were allowed, DCL chefs could come up with some great new items!

We like the menu but can see them changing some of the less popular items. We have not noticed any issues with the vegetables being undercooked. Nothing worse then mushy vegetables.

 

[Lilsia]

Yes, temporary COVID adjustments notwithstanding, I don't know how they plan to convince people to eat at 4.30pm or 5.00pm - or really late - in enough numbers to make a difference. The dinners have shows too. We find the current eating times just about the right length.

We would gladly eat that early. I can't eat a heavy meal close to bed time and I am an early to bed person(worked at 3am for years). 5 is definitely not too early to eat. I never understood how people can eat a full meal right before bed with the late seating that they have.

 

[tvguy]

We would gladly eat that early. I can't eat a heavy meal close to bed time and I am an early to bed person(worked at 3am for years). 5 is definitely not too early to eat. I never understood how people can eat a full meal right before bed with the late seating that they have.

LOL. On other lines with Midnight buffets, we had late seating dinner and THEN before bed went to the midnight buffet. My son loved hitting the carving station! I worked at 3 am for the last 13 years before I retired. Dinner at home shifted to 5 pm then, and bed at 7 pm.
When our kids were home and in school and in sports after school, rare was a dinner before 730 pm. With Little League in May, often the game wasn't over until 830 pm. Dinner was often at 9 pm, then showers/homework. My hat has always been off to parents on the DIS who work, get their kids home, and have dinner on the table at 5 pm. But I suspect many folks stay up later on vacation than they do when they are home working.