Late Dinner with 3yr and 1yr?

[glovebama]

Hi everyone - yes we booked on Magic at the last minute and have the late seating so need ideas about the kids. I thought I would take them to buffet, but read that the shows are before dinner. So any other experiences with younger ones and late dinners would be helpful.

Thanks,

Glenna

[Ella2]

Ugh. Mine was NOT young (9 at the time) and late dining was NOT a good choice (all we could get too). In all our Disney cruises we only had ONE late seating with a child, and it was not a happy time.

 

8:30 is just TOO LATE for little ones to eat. Mine would rush through her main course so she could get to the kid's programming. I finally gave up and let her eat with the kids in the club most nights. She was happier, and so were we.

 

With a 3-year-old and 1-year-old, you'll definitely want to feed them earlier, with either room service or the poolside foods (more kid friendly than the buffet, sometimes.). If the 3-year-old is potty trained, he/she can enjoy the Oceaneer's Club while you have dinner. The baby would need to go to Flounder's Reef, and you have to reserve those spots when you get on the ship, and there is an hourly rate. Of course you can always BRING the baby to dinner, and hope he/she can sleep...you probably won't be out of the dining room until about 10:00 pm.

 

Good luck! :)

[ducklite]

I agree, feed them BEFORE the show.

 

In all honesty, I don't see how they are going to stay awake long enough to make it to your cabin after the show, let alone dinner, I have a feeling you'll be getting a lot of room service.

 

I'd try to get it changed when you board, but wouldn't hold my breath...

 

Anne

[glovebama]

Yes - I was thinking we will probably have them eat before the show and then kids club when DD wants to go or one of us will be in room with her while the other eats. I think DS will probably just go to sleep while we eat - he is very laid back toddler. Is it easy to get him into nursery last minute or impossible and we should book it all at front. Are the highchairs comfee or wooden type? Do they allow strollers in dining room? We will try to get early, but not counting on it.

Glenna:)

[ducklite]

Yes - I was thinking we will probably have them eat before the show and then kids club when DD wants to go or one of us will be in room with her while the other eats. I think DS will probably just go to sleep while we eat - he is very laid back toddler. Is it easy to get him into nursery last minute or impossible and we should book it all at front. Are the highchairs comfee or wooden type? Do they allow strollers in dining room? We will try to get early, but not counting on it.

Glenna:)

 

If I recall the high chairs are the wooden type, and no strolers are allowed in the dining room.

 

I'd book a couple nights in Flounders right away when you board, and then try to pick up additional time as it's available.

 

Anne

[frayedend]

If I recall the high chairs are the wooden type, and no strolers are allowed in the dining room.

 

I'd book a couple nights in Flounders right away when you board, and then try to pick up additional time as it's available.

 

Anne

 

Our 6 month old fell asleep in the stroller and we had no problems bringing it in the dining room (it wasn't a big stroller). I don't know if rules changed, this was a couple years ago. If I recall correctly we had late dinner (8:00PM) and a show at 9:00. I may be mistaken but I remember my son slept through dinner and the show.

[Steadfast]

Agree with the previous comments but wanted to emphasize that our children (2 & 6) absolutely loved the shows. It really set this cruise apart from others for the children.

[cruislovin]

Our 6 month old fell asleep in the stroller and we had no problems bringing it in the dining room (it wasn't a big stroller). I don't know if rules changed, this was a couple years ago. If I recall correctly we had late dinner (8:00PM) and a show at 9:00. I may be mistaken but I remember my son slept through dinner and the show.

 

With late dinner, the show is before dinner - not after, like on other cruiselines.

[frayedend]

With late dinner, the show is before dinner - not after, like on other cruiselines.

 

Thanks, I may be getting my cruises mixed up. I do know that Disney changed our seating time and allowed the stroller in the dining room. I'll guess it depends on where the table is and if the stroller is in the way.

[Guest juliae]

Hi,

When you get to the ship, immediately after boarding, check the schedule for the location of the maitre d' and ask the dining staff if you can change your seating time. The early seating always closes first (most other cruise lines have the late seating close first) because of the families traveling with Disney. However, lots of people make changes in their seatings for a variety of reasons. Most of time, the dining staff work for a few minutes and are able to make the change - it is pretty rare that you are stuck in a seating that you don't want.

Be sure to make your reservations for Palo immediately when you get onto the ship! Palo is one of the finest specialty restaurants at sea!

Best Regards,

Julia

[squeakcat]

On our first Disney cruise in 1999, we (my then 4 year-old daughter and I) somehow got assigned to late seating. Our travel agent goofed, and this was my first cruise ever and I didn't know enough to ask to have it changed.

 

It worked out fine. We would get up in the morning around 9, eat breakfast from the buffet out by the pool, then play in the water until she got tired, around noon. Then back to the cabin for a long nap and lunch from room service, back to the pool area, to the cabin to shower and dress, to the show, to dinner, to the kids club. I would have some free time and pick her up about midnight.

 

It helped that we normally are on central time, but she adapted amazingly well. She was thrilled just with being on the ship, as was I. I had no other plans other than to relax and spend some time with my daughter, and we had a great time. The late hours didn't seem to bother her at all.

[1tonysmom]

I think they also have "Matinee" shows at 2 p.m. If you went to those, you could take the kids to the buffet and then drop them off at the kids club/nursery and have an adult dinner, either in the dining room or at Palo. We are doing the Magic in November with our two kids, 3 and 13, and are planning to do this several nights during the cruise.

 

Joanne :)

[cats04]

Is it true that on the 7 night western, the late seating conflicts w/the Pirate night deck party and fireworks?:confused:

[CeleBrat]

We have cruised when our kids were 3 and 1--and have had late seating. You can try Topsiders, which is the buffet on Deck 9 that has been turned into a casual dining restaurant. Be forewarned--the new waiters-in-training work at that restaurant! Very cute to see them try to be cool like the experienced ones! I think Topsiders was open from 5ish-9ish.

 

Or--we would use Room Service alot. We would order the chicken fingers, pizza, or PBJ, and the kids would eat in front of the TV while we took our showers. Then, they just sat at the dinner table and colored, or slept--and sometimes even had dessert.

Strollers are allowed in the dining room. So that we weren't a hindrance to others, we would park our stroller outside the dining room, and retreive it only if our kids were getting sleepy.

 

Late seating does not conflict with the Pirate Party--which starts at 10:30 (I beleive). Unfortunately, since you've just had dinner, you are in no mood for the huge pirate-feast that is served at the party.

 

We''ve cruised Disney 5 times with our kids (currently aged 4 and 2), and have ALWAYS had late seating. Let me know if you have any other ???s.

[cats04]

Thanks for the reply. It's funny, just when I think I want to switch to early seating I read something that makes me want to keep late seating.

[oscarmoraz]

Hi,

 

We also have 2nd seating...which time is 2nd seating and what time do the shows start? I am trying to get an idea as to the schedule we should get our GD on. What time does Oceaneeers Club stay open until?

 

Thanks for all of the advice.

 

Cindy