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How to Request a Private Table on a Disney Cruise

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Do you want to request a private table on a Disney cruise? Disney cruise lines really go above and beyond to keep all of their guests happy.

Dining on a Disney cruise is a fabulous experience and Disney will do their best to accommodate you if you want a private table.

It is very easy to request a private table on a Disney cruise.

Read on to find out how.

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It has just become a whole lot easier to request a private table on a Disney Cruise – and also to make a whole lot of other requests, such as table location, dietary requests, ask for celebrations to be noted, and for items such as highchairs for babies and toddlers.

It used to be you or your travel agent had to call Disney.

Now you can make many requests online prior to your cruise.

You can do this yourself in your Cruise Planner.

Or if you have used a Travel Agent you have to ask them to do it for you.

They will do their best to honor this although it is not a guarantee that your requests will be met.

I have sailed many times on Disney cruise lines and every time I have requested a private table, this request has been honored.

Requests You Can Make Online for Disney Cruise Line

Firstly log in to your reservation.

On your Cruise Details page, you will find various options.

Scroll down to find this section:

When you click on the Make Special Requests Button you will be taken to this screen:

Then, click on Table Requests:

The first screen gives you the option to request a High Chair or Booster Seat.

Then if you click on the drop-down menu you get this screen:

As you see you will have the following options:

  • Near a window
  • In a quieter location
  • Near a screen for entertainment
  • At a private table
  • Neat the center of the dining room

You do not seem to be able to make more than one request. So you can’t for example choose a private table, near the center of the dining room.

You have to see which request you want to prioritize and pick that one.

There are other options available as well for Dietary Preferences which takes you to this screen:

You can also add whichever celebrations you may have during your Disney Cruise:

There is also an option to request Child Amenities where you will be taken to this screen:

Should You Request A Private Table on Disney Cruise Lines?

This really is something only you can answer.

If you do not request a private table on your Disney cruise then you put the decision in the hands of Disney!

Now, these are pretty trustworthy hands, but only you know whether or not you prefer to just dine with your party, or whether it would enhance your experience to be seated with other guests.

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I will come out there are admit it. I am in a dilemma. I mostly enjoy just sitting with my own family. However, I have met some amazing people on Disney cruise lines. People who have become close friends.

Therefore, being seated with different tablemates may be something you shouldn’t just dismiss. It’s one of the easiest ways to meet people on a Disney cruise.

I am the first to admit that I don’t always want to share a table on a Disney cruise. Sometimes I want it just to be me and my family. However, don’t be so quick to just dismiss the idea!

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Disney Cruise Dinner Seating Arrangements

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The first thing to understand is exactly what are the Disney Cruise dinner seating arrangements.

The basic setup of the Rotational Dining Rooms on a Disney cruise is with tables for 4, 6, and 8.

Don’t panic at this point if your party does not conform to this.

Disney Cruise Line wants to make you happy by giving you the dinner seating arrangement that you want if this is possible.

I have cruised with just myself and DH and we have never had a problem getting a table for 2 on Disney cruise lines.

We were seated at a table of 4, just by ourselves.

Having a table with 4 places when you are just a party of 2 is great!

You get even more space for that extra Disney Cruise Food you are going to order!

Do you want to share a table on a Disney cruise? The advantage is that you get to meet other people.

However, the disadvantage is that you really may not want to eat with these people!

You may not truly enjoy your Disney Cruise Food and dining experience if you are seated with people that you really don’t get on with.

Disney cruise lines do an amazing job at many things.

One of these things is how they almost always get it right in assigning people from different families to the same table.

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Disney cruises give a lot of thought about how they will match people on table assignments.

They are good at what they do.

They want people to be happy on a Disney cruise so will do what they can to match people up to the same table who have the same interests.

If you are a single parent with kids you will most likely find yourself at a table with another single parent.

If you are a middle-aged couple without kids, you are probably going to be seated on a Disney cruise with someone similar.

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Have a party of two adults and one child? You are in your 30s and your child is age 5.

You guessed it.

You are probably going to find yourself seated with another couple with one 5-year-old child.

Disney cruise lines know what they are doing. If you want to share a table, trust them to find you the right table mates.

First or Second Seating on Disney Cruise?

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Here is the next big question. Do you want first or second seating on a Disney Cruise?

There are two times for Disney cruise dining in the rotational restaurants. Main Seating and Second Seating. Main seating starts from 5.45 and 6.15 pm.

Second Seating begins between 8.00 and 8.30 pm.

Usually, Main Seating on a Disney cruise starts at 5.45 pm and Second Seating at 8.15 pm.

You may find that your scheduled time is later, but usually, this is on the Alaskan and Mediterranean Disney cruise itineraries.

Most guests on Disney cruises want the 5.45 pm time. I

f you book closer to the cruise you will probably find that this is your only option.

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Don’t despair if you think that late Disney dining just isn’t going to work.

There are ways to maximize your chances of getting the Disney cruise dining time that you want.

What is great about the 5.45 pm Early dining time on a Disney cruise?

If you are a parent with young children you probably don’t need me to go any further.

You simply answer, my kids eat early and it’s going to be a nightmare if they don’t.

I get it.

I have 3 children.

Older now, but I have been there and sometimes it’s important to get an early dining time on a Disney cruise.

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However, I do urge you to think about the 8.15 alternative.

I kind of think I have grown into this. I have been there. A stressed parent of young kids knowing my life will be so much easier if I get that early dining assignment.

However, my youngest is now a teenager.

Late dining is just fine. In fact, it’s a whole lot better for us now.

We can see the show, go to dinner and then by 9.30 we can do our own thing.

If you don’t have young children who, I get it, need to eat at a certain time otherwise all kinds of bad things happen, really consider Late Dining as a good thing.

With Late Dining your servers have more time with you. Think about this.

On the First Seating, they have a time limit and know that maybe they have to rush through certain things.

If you have Late Dining you will see the earlier show.

This tends to be less crowded so you are more likely to get a great seat.

Or at the very least not have to get to the theatre quite so early to get a good seat.

This means that your child can eat first and then you will have some quiet time to enjoy the rest of your meal.

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The other advantage of Late Dining won’t be realized until the last morning of your cruise.

You will have the chance to have a final sit-down breakfast in one of the rotational dining restaurants. You will be assigned to the restaurant where you ate on your last night.

So if you were in Animator’s Palate on your final night, you will go there for breakfast on the day that you leave the ship.

The part you need to know is that there are two seatings for this final breakfast.

If you have had Early Dining this breakfast will start at 6.45 am. If you had Late Dining it will be at 8 am.

I don’t know about you, but getting off the ship is bad enough, without having to get up for a 6.45 am breakfast!

Obviously, if you are an early bird or need to exit the ship early this will be a great time for breakfast. However, if you aren’t used to getting up for that time, you will appreciate the Late Dining.

If you do not want to eat breakfast in the rotational dining room, Cabanas is open for a buffet breakfast.

What if You Want To Change Your Disney Cruise Dining Assignment?

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What if you were too late to sign up for Early Dining before you board the ship?

Your Key To The World will clearly show what your allocated dining time is.

It will be printed on your card at either 5.45 or 8.15.

You will also see which restaurants you will dine in each night by looking at your Navigator’s App.

What if you don’t want to dine in Royal Court three times because it is your least favorite restaurant? Or you really wanted Late Seating and you have Main Dining?

If you want to change your Disney cruise dining assignment when you get on board it is simple to request. Disney will always help if they can and let you change your Disney Cruise Dining Assignment.

When you get to your cruise port you will be able to use all the features of the Navigator on your phone.

This tells you what is happening on the ship at various different times.

It will also tell you where you need to go if you want to change your Disney Cruise Dining Assignment.

It is usually one of the bars onboard.

For instance, on Disney Wonder, they are usually in the Azure Lounge.

The Head Servers will be waiting for you so that you can request the seating assignment that you would prefer.

If you do not like your rotational dining assignment either you can also request for this to be changed.

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Disney will do everything they can to honor your request.

What if you go to dinner on the first night and find that you really don’t like your tablemates?

It does happen.

Disney usually does a great job of assigning complete strangers to sit together. But somethings they get it wrong.

If you really don’t like your table assignment you should mention it to your Head Server as soon as you can.

The Head Server will have introduced themselves during the meal.

They are there to deal with any issues that you have.

They will do whatever they can to help you.

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Hannah

Tuesday 2nd of July 2024

This has been so insightful! I’m planning a trip for my family, and I did not know there was an option for a private table. The center of the room table does interest me. Does the center of the room imply that we could potentially get more character interaction?

Alison

Wednesday 3rd of July 2024

To some extent it depends upon which ship you are sailing on. Usually it will not matter at all which table location you have as if there are characters in the restaurant they should visit each table. However, the one ship where I would say it makes a difference is Disney Wish (and this will be so for Disney Treasure) that center of the room may be better for seeing the stage in Arendelle (and Coco de Plaza on Disney Treasure). There are many tables where it is difficult to see the stage in this restaurant, but the stage is in the center. Have a wonderful cruise!

Deb

Saturday 18th of March 2023

We have sailed with DCL 4 times. The first time, we did make new friends, it was right after RunDisney Princess race and one couple at our table were also runners. We still are friends on FB and have seen them at a another RunDisney race. Not close friends but enough to enjoy when we see them again. Only the second couple at our table were not "like minded" and he had a tongue ring and spoke like a "baby" and he was a talker......not enjoyable. Our very next cruise was the following May and we brought our 18 year old son. They sat us with a father and his two like aged sons. One was just slightly younger and the other was probably college aged. The HUGE glaring problem with this was...they had just recently lost their mother!!!! So being seated with a "whole" family, dad, mom, son, was, well, awkward. My husband and I talked to the dad, but our sons never said a word to each other. It was so very awkward for our son, and us. Disney Cruise had know way of knowing, of course, so I don't blame them. I also have always had an issue with eating in public with people I don't know, church "pot-lucks" have always been a nightmare for me and they are people I did know. But I tried it the first few cruises. Our last 2 cruises we were absent for most dining options. On the Dream, we had already sailed twice so it was easy to do room service and the eating choices around the ship. On our last cruise, on the Wonder, I think we may have dined, but I also don't remember which means I probably fortified myself with drink! lol We are booked on the Wish, and thanks to your article, I put in a request for a private table. We didn't get to do our 5th cruise, and first 7 day in 2020 due to the pandemic, so this is our "comeback" to something that we do enjoy, but that I dread due to the dining arraignments. I contemplated doing what we have done before, but being a brand new ship, we would like to experience the dining rooms. Thank you so much for your informative article!!

Alison

Tuesday 28th of March 2023

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience and I am glad that you found the information helpful What I would say suggest is that as soon as you get on the ship you go to the designated place, which is usually Luna to check that your dining request for a separate table has been honored. When I sailed on the Wish I requested a private table but did not get one. So my advice is to double-check. Have a wonderful cruise. The Wish is a beautiful ship!

Bill

Wednesday 31st of August 2022

One thing to remember if you aren't comfortable with your assigned table mates and request a different table...it's quite possible the new table will still be with the same servers so you will be near the table you just left. That can be awkward. It happened to us. We had 3 couples at our table. One of the other couples decided to move and be by themselves. They told us it was the other couple. They told the other couple it was us. LOL However, their new table was right next to ours! Make sure to request a different serving crew so your table is far enough away.