Why hasn't Disney solved the main/late dining debacle already?

[squirk]

Actually I think all of these examples only confirm why Disney's system is a bit absurd. We're not talking about a last-minute booking here, we're talking about giving main dining to people who book a year and a half in advance but not 9 months in advance. And we're not talking about a situation in which everything is sold out--far from it: there are plenty of main dining seats available 9 months out, but Disney hides them from view and puts everyone on a waitlist. I can't think of anything else that requires planning that far ahead--even DVC lets you book much closer in time to your vacation than DCL.

Per your analogies, no I don't think that if I show up 30 minutes for embarkation I should be let on, nor that I should be allowed to book a day before the cruise and expect everything to be available. But I also don't think I should have to book movie tickets, flights, or iphones 18 months ahead of time to have a chance of getting one. There is some reasonable in-between where Disney could make it possible to book main dining without having to know plans a year plus ahead of time, especially when there are lots of spaces left. As I said before, I would actually be fine if they had TRUE first-come first-serve, where they allow you to book main dining until it is full. This "we have lots of spaces but we are going to waitlist you and then refuse to tell you anything about how the waitlist works and may end up giving your spot to people who come after you on the ship even though we had spots to give and just didn't" is what frustrates me.

I was referring more to your comment that early bookers are “rewarded” with Main dining. They are not, any more than you are “penalized” for booking late.

Yes, 18 months seems like a long time compared to iPhones and movie theaters, but these trips require a good bit of planning on the customer’s side. Putting in for time off work, planning around school schedules, and most importanty, saving up the money to pay for the cruise in the first place. If DCL released itineraries, say, with only six months advance notice, then people would complain that they weren’t given enough time to prepare.

As for tables “held back,” I don’t know if anyone here knows how many are truly held back vs. how many come back into inventory when people cancel before PIF. Regardless, we think we know a lot on this board, but there could be very valid behind-the-scenes logistical reasons to explain why they hold some tables back, reasons that might trump your inflexible employer and the resulting switch in your sailing. DCL strives to give people what they want on these cruises, to justify the price point. I don’t think they are waitlisting you as comeuppance because they think you were being a slackass.

And as far as this being a “debacle,” and “a known issue on every cruise”? As others have said, I really don’t think that’s true, particularly in your case. I was not being facetious when I said I was sorry that your employer didn’t give you the time off that you wanted. You did everything you were supposed to do in booking that original October cruise early enough to get Main, but it sounds like you kinda knew going in that your employer might not give you the time off that particular week.

That sucks. But as far as DCL is concerned, it doesn’t really matter why you had to switch your sailing and lose your original Main seating. They have four thousand other souls to accommodate on the ship. Your employer’s inability or refusal to work with you on your preferred vacation time is probably not something DCL would include on its list of “things to take into account”.

Just speaking for myself (and I know that is not at all scientific), every time I have booked (and sometimes I have waited five months after booking opened), I have always gotten Main as requested. The only time I did not was for one of the new NOLA cruises. I needed to book a room for my MIL and she was Silver vs. our Gold, so she had to wait an extra day to book.

Sure enough, she did not get Main, even though she booked less than 24 hours after we did, and even before the GP could book. Those cruises were extremely popular and the people in line ahead of my MIL got first dibs on Main. And even though we, too, have little kids and it is going to be a major PITA to switch everyone to Late seating so we all can eat wth Grandma if her waitlist for Main doesn't come through, I am not going to crab about it, cry “foul,” or describe it as a “debacle” that DCL needs to fix.

 

[JW9DVC]

Even with kids. I can’t imagine eating so early when we stay up so late. At any age. My kids did just fine with all the snacks, even the healthy choices. My kids never went hungry. Take a nap during the day.

 

[tinkerone]

Since dinning on DCL is not only dinning but entertainment as well I'm not sure they could do anything much differently. Some evenings it dinner and a show which other cruise lines really don't have. On RCCL they have dinner and the wait staff dancing through the room on one evening but that doesn't even compare to what DCL does. Not even close. DCL is doing a great job just keeping up with two seatings IMO.

Having said that, I do like the My Time Dinning on my other choice of a cruise line. I can either just show up when I'm ready or I can pre-book a time, almost any time that suits us and not just the two offerings. I can go to their buffet instead of the dinning room and find most things that are being served in the MDR's as well as a ton of other choices but its nice that its casual and I don't need to dress. I have a choice of four or five pay dinning rooms if I so choose. I can hit their casual restaurants that have no fees attached. There's just so much choice. BUT loving the options here and loving the dinning experience with DCL, they both bring different things to the table (no pun intended). DCL does their thing really well.

I go back to not seeing where DCL could change things up in the MDR's and still give the novelty of great entertainment. They could switch up the buffet, keep it open as a buffet and casual, but I don't see that happening. It's purpose is really to train the new wait staff.
I'll just continue enjoying the dinning early or late. After all, when it comes down to it, I'm on vacation.

 

[KVH]

I love the fact that there are so many different possible options that think DCL can just "do" to solve some perceived problem. It does show some creative thought and I'm sure if Disney had hard marketing DATA to indicate this was a real issue, they could brainstorm a hundred different solutions.

The big problem is that many of the suggestions totally miss the cascading problem of unintended consequences. Add more tables - even ignoring the current tight footprint, who is hiring more staff to service those tables in a timely manner? Who is hiring more staff to cook more food to be available at the same time? Who is redesigning the galleys to ensure a greater volume of food and plates can be prepared at the same time? Meanwhile retaining existing quality.Think about what really happens down the road AFTER some of your suggestions get implemented.

Anything anyone here can come up with to "solve" this issue is going to have an impact, in some cases very serious, to DCL ops. That's all we need, another New Coke experience.

Be careful what you wish for . . .

 

[bobbiwoz]

Once we booked one of the longer cruises, either a TA or WBTA, at least a year out and were told that we would be on a waitlist for first dining. I now read here about Disney holding back first dining seats, but we never knew about that. DH was upset enough to write to the powers that were at DCL, saying he doubted that first dining was full, and he did wonder if we were penalized for not having children with us.

We received a call that our waitlist came through.

I said it before that we would take second dining if we had to. . We have booked a VGT only two weeks before sailing, and were able to get the first dining on board. Our table mates on that trip was another retired couple who also went on board to change their time. If sometime the change can’t happen, so be it.

 

[runskyhy]

That's all we need, another New Coke experience.

 

[Dug720]

I was referring more to your comment that early bookers are “rewarded” with Main dining. They are not, any more than you are “penalized” for booking late.

Yes, 18 months seems like a long time compared to iPhones and movie theaters, but these trips require a good bit of planning on the customer’s side. Putting in for time off work, planning around school schedules, and most importanty, saving up the money to pay for the cruise in the first place. If DCL released itineraries, say, with only six months advance notice, then people would complain that they weren’t given enough time to prepare.

As for tables “held back,” I don’t know if anyone here knows how many are truly held back vs. how many come back into inventory when people cancel before PIF. Regardless, we think we know a lot on this board, but there could be very valid behind-the-scenes logistical reasons to explain why they hold some tables back, reasons that might trump your inflexible employer and the resulting switch in your sailing. DCL strives to give people what they want on these cruises, to justify the price point. I don’t think they are waitlisting you as comeuppance because they think you were being a slackass.

And as far as this being a “debacle,” and “a known issue on every cruise”? As others have said, I really don’t think that’s true, particularly in your case. I was not being facetious when I said I was sorry that your employer didn’t give you the time off that you wanted. You did everything you were supposed to do in booking that original October cruise early enough to get Main, but it sounds like you kinda knew going in that your employer might not give you the time off that particular week.

That sucks. But as far as DCL is concerned, it doesn’t really matter why you had to switch your sailing and lose your original Main seating. They have four thousand other souls to accommodate on the ship. Your employer’s inability or refusal to work with you on your preferred vacation time is probably not something DCL would include on its list of “things to take into account”.

Just speaking for myself (and I know that is not at all scientific), every time I have booked (and sometimes I have waited five months after booking opened), I have always gotten Main as requested. The only time I did not was for one of the new NOLA cruises. I needed to book a room for my MIL and she was Silver vs. our Gold, so she had to wait an extra day to book.

Sure enough, she did not get Main, even though she booked less than 24 hours after we did, and even before the GP could book. Those cruises were extremely popular and the people in line ahead of my MIL got first dibs on Main. And even though we, too, have little kids and it is going to be a major PITA to switch everyone to Late seating so we all can eat wth Grandma if her waitlist for Main doesn't come through, I am not going to crab about it, cry “foul,” or describe it as a “debacle” that DCL needs o fix.

Can they not put your MIL at your table? That seems like an easy fix.

 

[squirk]

Can they not put your MIL at your table? That seems like an easy fix.

The general consensus is that is what's most likely to happen, but the waitlist still has not come through 8.5 months later. We will roll with the punches either way.

 

[Dug720]

The general consensus is that is what's most likely to happen, but the waitlist still has not come through 8.5 months later. We will roll with the punches either way.

Wow, that is crazy.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Have you requested to have your dining linked so that either way, you'll sit together? Asked to be linked to her at main dining and she might be moved.

 

[Mom24Princesses]

Seeing that DCL has been sailing 20+ years, this isn’t news. Other lines have moved to open dining but the dining experience is completely different on DCL.

Yes - I thought I had to have early dining, however all the reasons given for preferring late make a lot of sense!! We are in EST and I’m usually in my PJs by 8:00! .

Back in 06 and 08 it was 15 minute staggered. 5:15, 5:30 and 5:45. Depending Remember that???

 

[squirk]

Have you requested to have your dining linked so that either way, you'll sit together? Asked to be linked to her at main dining and she might be moved.

Yes, that is what my TA did, and she is confident they will move her to Main. Just hasn't happened yet.

My larger point was - it's not a debacle. She was Silver; a bunch of Golds beat her to the punch. Life will go on.

 

[pixiedustedme]

Actually I think all of these examples only confirm why Disney's system is a bit absurd. We're not talking about a last-minute booking here, we're talking about giving main dining to people who book a year and a half in advance but not 9 months in advance. And we're not talking about a situation in which everything is sold out--far from it: there are plenty of main dining seats available 9 months out, but Disney hides them from view and puts everyone on a waitlist. I can't think of anything else that requires planning that far ahead--even DVC lets you book much closer in time to your vacation than DCL.

Per your analogies, no I don't think that if I show up 30 minutes for embarkation I should be let on, nor that I should be allowed to book a day before the cruise and expect everything to be available. But I also don't think I should have to book movie tickets, flights, or iphones 18 months ahead of time to have a chance of getting one. There is some reasonable in-between where Disney could make it possible to book main dining without having to know plans a year plus ahead of time, especially when there are lots of spaces left. As I said before, I would actually be fine if they had TRUE first-come first-serve, where they allow you to book main dining until it is full. This "we have lots of spaces but we are going to waitlist you and then refuse to tell you anything about how the waitlist works and may end up giving your spot to people who come after you on the ship even though we had spots to give and just didn't" is what frustrates me.

First come, first served is the only fair method, and it's the one DCL uses. As far as the extra availability that isn't allocated until the last-minute, they can't know in advance exactly how many extra main dining seats will be available, because they don't know how many people will cancel & therefore forfeit their main dining, or how many more people will book concierge & want main dining. That's why they don't know at 9 months out.

 

[Lisa F]

You are aware the DCL does give priority to those with medical needs?

He is on the spectrum so while he's pretty routine driven I would not say it's a medical need. I don't travel last minute since it takes me a while to save and I tend to book opening day for best pricing too. I'm sure there are medical needs related to timing but he doesn't have one.

I can be flexible with the timing of his meds while on vacation. During the week it's set by school and sleep schedule.

 

[MonaMN]

Even with kids. I can’t imagine eating so early when we stay up so late. At any age. My kids did just fine with all the snacks, even the healthy choices. My kids never went hungry. Take a nap during the day.

I wish it was that easy. My kid has never been a napper... usually took 45 minutes naps as a toddler, so early bedtime was ALWAYS necessary. And she rarely sleeps in, despite how late she stays up. So even though I would love to alter our schedule more from vacation, it just doesn’t work for us!

 

[DietCokeMommy]

@MomOTwins, I feel your pain. I have two small children and I was really worried about late dining on our first cruise. I did eventually get moved from the waitlist but it too, a while. When your kids still nap and go to bed by 7:30, it’s no help to hear, “oh my 6 year old just takes a nap and is fine.” Or, “it’s vacation, bedtimes don’t exist.” When your kids still nap or if they’re particularly inflexible then dinner and bedtime consistency isn’t optional.

You want to know what my toddler did through every meal of our cruise? She screamed. Dinner took so long that she was such a mess every night. Even our main server commented on AP night about how we should keep her happy and quiet for the show. Every night after dinner we’d rush back to the room to get her to bed. There was no going to shows as a family. DH took DS to one and he almost passed out before it started.

I don’t know what a good answer is. But the struggle with toddlers is real.

 

[BruinEd03]

First come, first served is the only fair method, and it's the one DCL uses. As far as the extra availability that isn't allocated until the last-minute, they can't know in advance exactly how many extra main dining seats will be available, because they don't know how many people will cancel & therefore forfeit their main dining, or how many more people will book concierge & want main dining. That's why they don't know at 9 months out.

"Fair" can be measured in a number of ways - need, status, amount of money spent, category of rooms, etc.

 

[tlprice]

I know this might sound mean, but I've been thinking while reading a lot of these comments, why some people take their young children on trips like this if they know there are going to be so many issues with eating, sleeping, etc. It's an awfully expensive vacation to deal with all of that. When my sister was little, she was HORRIBLE at meal and bed times. My family never even went out to eat until she was older, let alone go on an expensive vacation that would have just been torture for everyone.
If I knew ahead of time that I'd have to worry about meal times, nap times, bed times, etc. I wouldn't be taking an expensive Disney cruise. It just wouldn't be enjoyable. Oh--that's probably why I waited until my daughter was 8 before we went on a cruise. We did other vacations when she was younger.

 

[pixiedustedme]

"Fair" can be measured in a number of ways - need, status, amount of money spent, category of rooms, etc.

There is no reasonable way for a cruise line to measure all of those variables. So they do first come, first served, with the caveat that concierge passengers (who are paying extra for above and beyond service) will always get their preference. That's as fair as you can expect real life to be. As I've said before, if a specific dining preference is going to make or break a person's cruise, then that person needs to either book early or pay the concierge premium.

 

[tvguy]

Seeing that DCL has been sailing 20+ years, this isn’t news. Other lines have moved to open dining but the dining experience is completely different on DCL.

Yes - I thought I had to have early dining, however all the reasons given for preferring late make a lot of sense!! We are in EST and I’m usually in my PJs by 8:00! .

Back in 06 and 08 it was 15 minute staggered. 5:15, 5:30 and 5:45. Depending Remember that???

Oh lord, 39 years of cruising and I hope open dining is on the way out. What a disaster on NCL. I love how they pitch it as "eat when you want" when in reality it was "arrive when you want to wait an hour (or more) for a table". I am glad that cruise lines added late dining as an option, as I mentioned, my first cruise only has one seating at 6 pm. And cruises now have multiple other eating options too.