early or late dinner seating?

[lumpkin]

I just booked Disney Wonder for late August 2008, with 11 and 14 yr old. We usually take early dinner seatings, but on Disney ship is there advantage to early or late seating? Will we be missing shows if we book late seating? Will the kids be missing evening kid/teen actiivites if they have dinner from 8-10 PM? would venues be less crowded (pools, etc) if book we eat later and use these areas while most kids are eating dinner at early seating?

Thanks.

[lil buddy]

Hi Lumpkin

I Just Returned From The 2/1 Wonder Cruise And I Would

Advise Late Dinner. We Were With Little Ones So It Wasn't An Option For Us. There Are 2 Shows Each Night So That Isn't A Problem And I Found The Food At Lunch Was So Good That Dinner

Was Just Too Soon. Also, Your Shore Days End About 4a;30pm And Then It Is A Rush To Get Back To Ship And Get Ready For

Dinner. Hope This Helps.

Barb

[Earkid]

Thanks for the info Barb. We are will be on the Magic repo cruise in May 2008 with a bunch of adults and we were wondering if the late seating was the best. Your input really helped!

[California Mrs]

Thanks for the info Barb. We are will be on the Magic repo cruise in May 2008 with a bunch of adults and we were wondering if the late seating was the best. Your input really helped!

 

My DH and I are also sailing on this cruise. We are with a large group of people also.

[mom x4,grandma x4]

most people with young kids prefer the early dinner if they dine with the kids because the kids are hungry and getting tired, Most cant stay awake for late dinner.

If you want less kids around you at dinner, then I suggest late seating.

Many adults also feed their kids early on deck 9, then leave them at the clubs so they can have a quiet late dinner while the kids play.

 

If you are on a 7 day you will also have the option to dine at Topsiders buffet between 6:30 and 8:30, all but the first and last night. They are not a buffet at night. accept for a salad bar.

You will be seated, have a waiter to serve you, a great menu like the main dining rooms, very quiet, they even dim the lights and put nice table clothes on the tables,so it is quite nice.

The food was excellant. Very relaxing in there too. A nice change of pace and if your running late for early dinner due to getting back on board late, you can go there instead, so no rushing.

 

mom x4,grandma x4

[lumpkin]

Thanks for all your responses...I spoke also to someone at the Disney cruiselines, and decided on early seating (6PM) for the following reasons:

1) looked like re-boarding times from the Castaway Cay was 4:30, so unlikely we would be able to spend more time there anyway and would be back for early seating...

2) was told that the buffet area was NOT open to the public (open only for camp kids eating with the progrm) if we took the late seating. So the optioin of the kids eating there on their own, before our late dining seating (if they wanted to eat earlier and then meet their new friends) was not available. Pool Pizza would be available, but one of my kids actually does not eat pizza (or any other "kid" food either !)

3) Changing from early to late dining once on board would probably be easy, if it turned out we did not need/like early dining. But changing from late to early would probably not be possible, since there is so much demand.

 

For those who have been on the 4 day Wonder ship, does this sound like Disney gave me the right advice?

[mom x4,grandma x4]

Yes you got good advise.

No buffet on 3 or 4 day cruises.

All aboard it 4:30 at Cc

Once on board it is easy to change to late, most want to change to early dining. They will just switch you with someone else.

[woody73]

 

. . . We are will be on the Magic repo cruise in May 2008 with a bunch of adults . . .

We are on this cruise, too.

 

Woody

[Earkid]

My DH and I are also sailing on this cruise. We are with a large group of people also.

 

We are on this cruise, too.

 

Woody

This cruise is so totally going to rock!!! :D :cool:

[TrojanJulez]

Thanks for all your responses...I spoke also to someone at the Disney cruiselines, and decided on early seating (6PM)...

For those who have been on the 4 day Wonder ship, does this sound like Disney gave me the right advice?

It sounds like good advice to me! We had the early seating (and just booked it again for July 2008). While there are early and late shows, so you could watch the show no matter what time your dinner is, I just find it more natural to go to dinner-then-a-show rather than a-show-then-dinner. I think that there is so much yummy food available, there are good odds of being "full" a lot of the time, so early dinner is not an inconvenience. :)

[the plumbers wife]

On a 3 day cruise what other options are there for the kids for dinner in the evening besides the dining room??? My sons are 13 but what if they

want to eat earlier ect.??

[mom x4,grandma x4]

3 day doesnt have an evening buffet. So if they want to eat early they can use room service or go to the places on deck 9. They will find burgers, fries, chicken sandwiches, chicken strips, chips, pizza, wraps, pastas, fresh fruit, ice cream, sometimes mexican foods too, and hot dogs.

 

That is about it without going to dinner with you in the restaurants.

 

mom x4,grandma x4

[metrowon]

There are so many things to do on-board, and with excursions, etc..that late seating versus early, i wouldn't consider a toss up! Keep your excursions in mind and getting ready for an early dinner. A cruise should be a family adventure. Room service and other snackette's will be available, if your younger one's are hungry, and a short nap, in between also works, while waiting for second seating. And if you miss something, just re-book on-bosard, and do IT again. Metrowon