Ahoy there, Jessica!
Welcome aboard planDisney! Sailing with friends is one of my favorite ways to cruise. It feels a little like assembling your own fellowship before setting off on an epic voyage, except this adventure includes soft-serve and Broadway-style shows.
Linking reservations is such a helpful tool because it allows you to coordinate plans, but the great news is that you can absolutely still have different dinner times if you prefer. Being linked does not automatically lock you into the same main dining seating. My family sailed with close friends and we originally planned to keep separate dining times so everyone could move at their own pace. A few weeks before sailing, we changed our minds and aligned our dinner seating so we could share meals together. It also made it easier to catch the nightly shows as a group and simplified our planning. That said, if different dining times work better for your crew, that is completely fine. Disney gives you flexibility.
When it comes to booking onboard activities, you can choose whether to book together or separately. Because you are linked, you will have the option during your advance booking window to select activities for everyone in the linked reservations at the same time (
Castaway Club booking windows still apply). If you want to split up for certain experiences, you can simply book individually. Just keep in mind that popular activities can fill quickly, so if there is something you definitely want to experience together, booking at the same time is best. Also, if you are on different dinner seatings, certain activities or shows may overlap with one group’s dining time, so it is worth double checking the schedule in the
Disney Cruise Line Navigator app once onboard.
As for unlinking reservations, I recommend
calling Disney Cruise Line directly. A Cast Member can help you through the process and make sure everything is updated properly in the system. It is usually a quick fix, but it is always better to have them confirm that everything is adjusted exactly the way you want.
I hope this helps as you map out your plans together. Whether you dine side by side every night or meet up for adventures throughout the day, you are in for a memorable sailing.
Sea ya real soon with a little extra warmth, wonder, and Disney magic,
Dustin