Dinner Advice on the Wonder

[auntybevy]

We are taking our family on the Wonder in March 2015. The kids will be 6 and 4 years of age. When is the best time for dinner? I was told that if it is the early seating, the kids might fall asleep during the show which is after dinner. They mentioned having the late seating, feeding the kids snacks before the show and then having dinner at 8:00. Any feedback would be appreciated.

[OSU Buckeye Traveler]

I would say it depends on your kids. We just took our 4 and 6 y/o on their first cruise on the Wonder a month ago. We did the early seating, but we did not go to all of the shows. They probably would have fallen asleep, but if we did the late seating they would have been unmanageable at dinner.

[darwinsrule]

We always do early (girls are now 5 and 9). Dinner is over by 7 (7:15 @ the latest). We have generally hitthe pool for a bit and then the show. Last time the girls skipped a couple and hit the kids club instead. With late dinner you won't be done until 9:30 or so. Girls have never had an issue staying up for the shows.

 

 

 

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[moki'smommy]

It depends on where home is too. If you are from the East coast, ship time is roughly equal to home time. If you are from the west, main seating is basically 3 pm for you kids....we found it worked best for kiddo to stay as close to "home" time schedule as possible regardless of where we were vacationing.

[auntybevy]

Thanks for your feedback. I discussed this with my daughter and we all felt the early dinner would be best for us all. Thanks again

[BullDawg91]

We've done both and preferred late. Our day was cut short by early dinner. We just added a snack in the afternoon around 5:30. On port days, my 8 year old was obviously pooped during dinner, but in that case, we just headed back to the room afterwards and watched TV.

[Frogger22]

Just did 4 nite Dream with 4 boys ages 1.5, 3, 4, 6. Early seating and went to all three shows. All awake for shows except last night two fell asleep. On pirate night they stayed up to 11. It's vacation. We are all east coast. Have a blast!!!

[plenox]

we booked early dining.

[kirkaliciasmom]

We almost always have late dinner since we come from the West coast. Late dinner has it's drawbacks though. Many times we didn't get done with dinner until 10pm or most of the time, later. I'd rather have the kids fall asleep at the show rather than dinner.

 

 

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[DISNEY FANTASY]

We are taking our family on the Wonder in March 2015. The kids will be 6 and 4 years of age. When is the best time for dinner? I was told that if it is the early seating, the kids might fall asleep during the show which is after dinner. They mentioned having the late seating, feeding the kids snacks before the show and then having dinner at 8:00. Any feedback would be appreciated.

 

 

IMHO young kid like yours should always be on Main/Early dinner.

 

On the ship they will be up with the sun, so that's local time, there is do much to do and they will want to explore do they will be up and out early have breakfast 7.30 or 8am, then either hit the pools and slides or kids clubs, then eat lunch either with you as the Buffett opens around noon, or kids club at just before noon.

 

So then the jump from noon to six is ok, but from noon to eight is far too long.

 

They will be playing and exploring all day do often worn out by the evening, an afternoon nap for your child of four is a good idea.

 

I find younger children are more interested in the kids club than the shows.

 

Yes in the evening kids are over tiered and I have seen many breakdowns or dads taking their kids out of late dinner asleep.

 

Food should be fully digested before bed, do eating at six and letting it go down is more healthy then eating at eight and then bed and the food doesn't go down, add in free soda and you get belly aches.

 

IMHO a child fully asleep in a show is not an issue but at dinner does lead to many issues,

 

Again If they eat lunch around noon and are on late that's right hours between good meals, do kids will be hungry and they will eat from the snack and fast good outlets on the pool deck, pizza, burgers etc, now I prefer my children to eat a well balanced meal with vegetables and therefore if you on late kids will spoil there good meal and not eat it, whereas on main they will eat with the family and have a good meal instead of a burger.

 

Now adults if you eat late at home say your evening meal at home is at eight then late dinner is fine, but the time zone thing a few people say never ever works, kids swap to local time very easy, they will be up with the dun do breakfast and lunch at local time, they then are not going to swap back to home time for dinner, it doesn't work, and for us from the UK on that logic, in the Caribbean we would eat breakfast at 2am, lunch at 7am and dinner at 1pm that's our home time, Alaska would be Nine hours difference!

 

 

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[BullDawg91]

A cruise is vacation and a snack from the pool deck between lunch and dinner won't ruin them for life.

[DCLMemberInTraining]

I think early seating would be best. If you take early seating, you get done around 7:15 at the latest, and you could hit the top decks and relax up there. Or set your kids up in the kids labs (great service) and make reservations for the adult restaurants! But, I don't suggest late seating if you have young children, late seating usually lets out late.

[wendyatpml]

We are going to join my daughter, son-in-law and grandsons on the Disney Wonder next year. I see that some veranda cabins are kind of closed in with only a large porthole. Has anyone had one of these. Just trying to keep the cost down as much as possible. If it is not really open we just might bump it up to a full open veranda.

Any suggestions?

[BullDawg91]

We are going to join my daughter, son-in-law and grandsons on the Disney Wonder next year. I see that some veranda cabins are kind of closed in with only a large porthole. Has anyone had one of these. Just trying to keep the cost down as much as possible. If it is not really open we just might bump it up to a full open veranda.

Any suggestions?

 

I think you are referring to a Navigator's verandah. Look for threads with that in them. The biggest issue with those to me would be that they have a whitewall instead of plexiglass covered bars. I wouldn't think you could see the ocean from a seated position.

[jcallcut]

One other thing to consider is that at dinner time the buffet restaurant (drawing a blank on the name) becomes a regular restaurant with service just like in the main dining rooms. The menus are usually different but the food is still good. The great thing about this for the odd dinner during the week is that the service is usually a bit faster so you can get out sooner if the little ones are beginning to droop a bit.

 

Jim