Main Dining vs Late Dining

[randumb0]

I have always had main dining. I feel like we are always in a rush to make it to dinner. Is it any different with having late dining? Do you feel like you rush to make it to the 6 pm show?

 

[auntlynne]

Not really. I have a theory about this (made up in response to your question).

I am not extremely hungry when I go to early dinner, so there’s nothing prompting me to get to dinner - other than the clock. Getting to a show on time is a better reason to get to somewhere on time. (But late dinner is too late for us.)

Clearly, I am not one to eat at restaurants that require reservations. More driven by hunger.

 

[iamadisneynut]

We have always done late dining, even when the kids were smaller. We find that it gives more flexibility. Sometimes we don’t want to attend a specific show so then we can take our time. Kids can always get a snack if they’re starving. Works for us anyways!

 

[Marc D]

It depends on the night. We feel the same pressure if it’s a DCL production or a movie, since we want good seats and not to miss anything. On days with entertainers, we don’t feel the same pressure since we don‘t mind arriving late or simply missing the show.

 

[Dug720]

For me, I'm much less rushed with late dining. If I'm not 100% dinner ready, I can at least be show ready and then pop back to my cabin after the show to get dinner ready.

 

[cwis]

We eat dinner at 8.30pm at the earliest when not on a cruise. Main seating feels like teatime for us.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

You all staying up late is why I always have my pick of beach chairs at Castaway the next morning. Keep it up!

 

[cwis]

You all staying up late is why I always have my pick of beach chairs at Castaway the next morning. Keep it up!

What do you mean, you actually sleep on a Disney cruise?
That's time not well spent!

Edited to add: true story, first time on CC, I actually learned (the hard way) that the drinking stations were not open until 11am. Too bad as I am diabetic, forgot my sugar on the ship and needed some.

 

[holula]

For me, I'm much less rushed with late dining. If I'm not 100% dinner ready, I can at least be show ready and then pop back to my cabin after the show to get dinner ready.

This. If I’m running behind I can just put some leggings and a hoodie on for the show. I’d never go to dinner on the ship wearing that.

Also for me the extra 30 minutes between early dinner and early show makes a HUGE difference. Plus if I miss the show… I’ve probably seen it before after 12 cruises.

 

[Kwami]

What do you mean, you actually sleep on a Disney cruise?
That's time not well spent!

Edited to add: true story, first time on CC, I actually learned (the hard way) that the drinking stations were not open until 11am. Too bad as I am diabetic, forgot my sugar on the ship and needed some.

They'll pour you a Coke or something at the bar.

 

[xlxo]

When I was younger... I love the 2nd feeding (late dining).

• clothes stay cleaner for the show as you haven't eaten yet
• don't need to worry about going to bathroom mid show
• time for the 3pm afternoon tea to digest on some cruises
• extra time to explore the port before the dinner

Today I prefer main dining

• better sleep as the food has time to digest
• extra time to explore the buffet for a bonus feeding before the buffets close

It's been several years since I sailed DCL. I will add with other cruise lines in a post-Covid world, main dining is earlier and late dining is later. This allows extra time for staff to sanitize the restaurant between feedings. Shows may or may not have been adjusted for this schedule.

 

[anricat]

You all staying up late is why I always have my pick of beach chairs at Castaway the next morning. Keep it up!

But the timing works out the same in terms of lateness. We're usually coming out of dinner with late seating around the same time peeps are coming out of the shows and vise versa when we've had main dining. Unless you want to skip the shows, in which case, main will get you to bed earlier.

I mean, how many hours of sleep are you getting anyway? It's not like you can get off the ship super early at CC.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

But the timing works out the same in terms of lateness. We're usually coming out of dinner with late seating around the same time peeps are coming out of the shows and vise versa when we've had main dining. Unless you want to skip the shows, in which case, main will get you to bed earlier.

I mean, how many hours of sleep are you getting anyway? It's not like you can get off the ship super early at CC.

We skip most of the shows, except for the ship's featured show, and that night we skip MDR, order room service, and do the early show.

My kids sleep 8 to 6ish, so we're usually "rope dropping" Cabana's breakfast at 7.

 

[CamColt]

We have always had late dinner, even when our kids were younger. While I eat very early at home, my whole schedule is different on vacation. I don't feel rushed getting ready and often even skip the show (we've seen most of them multiple times). We enjoy the pool area, relaxing in Satellite Falls, in a lounger up on deck, or just having a drink at the bar until early evening. The area is pretty quiet then and it gives us plenty of time to get ready for dinner, or even sooner if we want to do trivia.

 

[Dug720]

extra time to explore the buffet for a bonus feeding before the buffets close

Not applicable on Disney. They do not have a buffet dinner option.

 

[cwis]

They'll pour you a Coke or something at the bar.

Cast member was quited confused as the bar was not yet open, neither were the stores. No way to eat or drink anything from CC at this (early) time of day. After calling on the radio to make sure they haven't overlooked anything, they offered to call the medics for help. Fortunately that wasn't needed as the drinking station just opened, waaay early of schedule. Lesson learned!

 

[lovingeire]

I personally have found I prefer late dining because we eat later at home. However, we did early dining with my family and my parents on our June, 2019 cruise because my parents thought it would be better for the kids. (They were coming from the West Coast so I have no clue why they thought it was better, besides the kids...) For our Alaskan cruise we chose main since we are coming from the East Coast and 8pm is like midnight so that was way too late. We should be right around the correct time for dinner this way!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

They were coming from the West Coast so I have no clue why they thought it was better,

For us west coasters, a 5:30 dining time equates to 8:30 Pacific time. That's late for me for dinner.

 

[Kwami]

I personally have found I prefer late dining because we eat later at home. However, we did early dining with my family and my parents on our June, 2019 cruise because my parents thought it would be better for the kids. (They were coming from the West Coast so I have no clue why they thought it was better, besides the kids...) For our Alaskan cruise we chose main since we are coming from the East Coast and 8pm is like midnight so that was way too late. We should be right around the correct time for dinner this way!

I never understood this thinking. When you're in Alaska, you're on Alaska time. You wake up on Alaska time, you have breakfast on Alaska time, and you have dinner on Alaska time. Dinner is at dinner time. It doesn't feel like midnight.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I never understood this thinking. When you're in Alaska, you're on Alaska time. You wake up on Alaska time, you have breakfast on Alaska time, and you have dinner on Alaska time. Dinner is at dinner time. It doesn't feel like midnight.

For the first couple of days, changing time that much for meals can be a challenge, especially with kids. The longer the trip, the better the timing gets to be. Then you've got to switch it back when going home. For some it's just easier to follow the physical needs then changing things twice within a short period of time.