Ahoy, Danielle!
I'm thrilled to be welcoming you back to the Disney Parks Moms Panel, and even more thrilled to hEAR that you upgraded your stateroom to Concierge-level! This is such exciting news! Not only will you and your pirate crew be able to book onboard activities and Port Adventures early, you'll also be spoiled by the customer service and attentiveness from the Concierge Team throughout your voyage.
I've been thinking about your great question regarding switching your
dining time to Second Seating in the Main Dining restaurants during your cruise. There are a couple advantages to BOTH Main Seating and Second Seating. When we started cruising aboard Disney Cruise Line, my husband and I always chose the Second Seating. We found the restaurants in the Second Seating to be a little quieter and we were able to take a little more time getting ready for dinner after a day exploring ashore. For us, the main drawback was eating dinner much later than what we were used to at home, especially on Pirate Night when there is usually a pirate-themed buffet after the party on deck.
Now that we cruise with our son, we always choose the Main Seating time and enjoy it! We're much more comfortable going to bed because our tummies haven't been recently stuffed to capacity, and also find that our son's excitement adds to the family atmosphere during our meals. In my opinion, I think you'll enjoy eating dinner around the same time you're accustomed to at home. Even if you're running a little behind getting ready, your restaurant is always just a short distance away from your stateroom! We've been 15 minutes late, and our Server welcomed us with warm smiles and didn't rush us for one second through dinner!
I'm honored to have had another opportunity to help you plan your upcoming Disney Cruise! As always, don't hesitate to come back and visit us again!
Beth