Ahoy, Natasha! Welcome to planDisney. I am so glad you cruised by with this question as you are considering an adventure aboard the Disney Dream. This is the first ship my family ever sailed, and it will always be my kids' favorite—for real and nostalgic reasons.
I understand your concern about second seating for dinner with a one-year-old. It's late for little ones with early bedtimes. You do have a few options in addition to the main dining rooms aboard the Disney Dream. On the pool deck (Deck 11), Flo's Cafe serves kid-friendly favorites like pizza, chicken tenders, wraps and french fries. If you venture into the last station within Flo's, you will also find a wonderful variety of fresh fruit available.
You can also order Room Service 24/7, which is included in your cruise fare. The menu changes, but my kids have loved picking up a phone and having sandwiches, hamburgers, pizza and hot dogs delivered to the stateroom. They also have salads, grilled salmon, and chicken wings people rave about online. And then there is the Cake of the Day. Call and they will tell you what lovely confection they've baked up for the day.
Here are a few tips from my experience:
When my kids were toddlers, I scheduled time for "it's a small world" nursery! for nap times. They have separate rooms for playtime and naptime. It was a great option for us to know our child was getting what he needed with time to play and sleep without us needing to be anchored to the stateroom. If you have dinner at the second seating time, you may want to schedule the nursery for dinner time.
If you book the cruise and there is only second seating available for dinner, be sure to request to be added to the wait list for main seating. Once you are booked, you can do this online by going to your reservation and finding the section for Dining under your Cruise Details.
If you do not get the earlier seating through the waitlist, you can check once you are on board to see if there is any availability for the main dining time. They usually have a team dedicated to dining changes on Deck 2. As soon as you board, ask a Cast Member for the location of this team since it is subject to change and make it your first stop on the ship.
If you have any other questions as you plan your trip, please come back by planDisney. We love to share our tips, experience and recommendations for easy sailing.
Life is the Bubbles!
Jana