When it comes to table-service dinners on Disney Cruise Line you have two options: Main Seating or Second Seating. If you book your sailing early enough you’ll be able to choose freely between these two based on your preferences.
So how do you decide which dining time would work best for your family? Here are some benefits of each option:
Main Seating
Main Dining is typically around 5:45 PM, depending on your sailing. The pros are:
Better for Families with Younger Children
If you’re traveling with children under age 5, chances are they have a pretty early bedtime or are used to dining earlier in the evening. They also aren’t known for their patience. Main Seating may help them avoid a meltdown during dinner.
Closer to Many Family’s Normal Routines
If your family is used to eating dinner at 6 PM and sitting down to a movie, you’ll probably want to keep to that rhythm on your vacation. While some families don’t mind switching things up, others can relax more knowing they’ll keep to their normal schedule.
Finish Eating Long Before Bedtime
Some people don’t care when they eat, but others would prefer to digest before climbing into bed. If your diet or preferences work better with earlier dining times, the Main Seating option will be better for you.
No Worries About Filling Up on Snacks First
For later dining times, we typically recommend grabbing a quick bite in the late afternoon to tide you over. It’s easy to overdo this and end up full before you even sit down to a proper meal. Not an issue with Main Seating, as you’ll eat your largest meal in the early evening.
Enjoy More Nightlife Activities
Some people have found that by the time they finish a later dinner, they’re just too full to stay awake much longer. With Main Seating you’ll feel free to enjoy the evening as you wish, with a show, a lounge, or just exploring the decks.
Get to Pirate Night Earlier
If you’re sailing the Caribbean, Pirate Night will be one of the highlights of your itinerary. It can get a little crowded up on the pool deck, so some families prefer to get there earlier in the evening.
Second Seating
Second Seating is typically around 8:15 PM, depending on your sailing. Here are the pros:
Less Young Children
If you’re on an adults-only vacation or you’re traveling with teenagers, you’ll probably enjoy Second Seating more as there will be less young children dining during that time (on average). On the flip side, servers can pay a bit more attention to the little ones.
More Time to Return from Shore Excursions or Pool Time
If you’re planning afternoon excursions, a midday nap, or have a lot of pool time planned, you may feel like your day gets cut off early when you need to start getting ready for the evening at 5 PM. Second Seating gives you a little more time, as the shows may not start until 7 PM.
Kids Are Awake to Watch Shows Before Dinner
If your kids are really looking forward to the shows, they might enjoy them more before dinner vs. after. They can enjoy the show, request their meals at the start of dinner, and then amuse themselves (or nod off) the rest of the evening.
Kids can “Dine and Play” During Second Seating
You can request to have your children’s meals brought out at the beginning of your meal and then have staff pick them up and bring them to the Oceaneer’s Club. This way the kids will eat and play while the adults enjoy a leisurely meal.
Feel Less Rushed
One of the comments I hear most about Second Seating is that people feel less rushed overall. They feel like they have plenty of time to get ready, enjoy the shows, and take as much time as they want to dine. It’s a vacation after all!
Tips & Tricks
If you still can’t decide, here are a few additional thoughts to consider:
- Main Seating fills up earlier for U.S. sailings, whereas Second Seating fills up earlier for European sailings.
- You can request to be put on a wait list if you can’t get the seating you want at first. You can also request a change while on board if the timing isn’t working out for your family.
- Take into account your home time zones – for example, West Coasters sailing out of Florida may find Second Seating fits their routines better.
- Dinners typically take 90 minutes, depending on which courses you order and how leisurely you like your meals.
- Disney automatically seats multiple families together according to demographics (e.g. families with young children will be placed together). If you’d prefer to have your own table, you can request it and usually be accommodated.
- Kids can eat lunch or dinner in the Oceaneer’s Club if they arrive prior to the scheduled meal times.
Lastly, you never need to worry about being hungry on a Disney Cruise. There is always food available through counter-service locations, buffets, cafes, and room service.
So which dining option will you choose?
Ready to plan your Disney Cruise? I’d love to help you make the process stress-free! I am a concierge vacation planner specializing in Disney Destinations. I offer my booking, planning, and concierge services completely free to clients who book with me. Request a free quote or send me an email at jtullino@themouseexperts.com with any questions.
