Ahoy there, Glorimar! Welcome to planDisney! I'm so excited your crew is heading out on an adventure in just under a month! As a father of a little sailor myself, we just had this same issue - while sometimes bedtime goes out the window on vacation, mealtimes are nearly non-negotiable in our house!
I have good news, however, as there's a new way to make the request to change your seating! Now, if you wish to change your dinner seating to a time that is at capacity, you will now be able to join the waitlist directly from the Disney Cruise Line website! After selecting "Change Seating" from the
"My Reservations" page, you will be able to select "Join the Waitlist Now" if the dining time you would prefer is at capacity!
This will put your official request in with the crew members, without having to
contact a crew member by phone or email! While there isn't a guarantee that your request will be honored, you will be able to check which seating you have on the My Reservations page all the way up to the day of your cruise!
In the event you are unable to be moved to the first seating, here are a few "planDrew-approved" tips that we've found can make the later seating "work:"
- Remember that the snack areas on the top deck are a quick way to get some delicious food in a hurry! Pinocchio's Pizza, Daisy's De-Lites, and other quick-service snack bars offer you plenty of options when your little sailor is insisting it's time to eat!
- While it's unable to be booked ahead of time, be sure to check once you board about the status of the "it's a small world" Nursery! While it could be a bummer for the kiddos to miss out on the service and experience of the main dining rooms, a safe place to start bedtime is always a good thing!
- Two words: Room Service! One of my family's favorite things to do is to order room service for those in-between times when we're a bit hungry, but we have also fully skipped dinner in the main dining room altogether and had a great time eating room service - including Mickey Bars! - and letting it all blend into a massively fun night!
I'll be hoping for some faith, trust, and pixie dust as you make this request, Glorimar! Thank you so much for your question, and if you have any others that come up during this last few weeks of planning, please drop me another line here at planDisney!
We'll SEA ya real soon!
Andrew