Dining - AOS

[Familyof4]

Hi,

 

Because 6:30 is too early and 8:30 too late, we thought we'd do MTD at 7:30. However, I've just been advised by our TA that our options now are 6:45 or 8:00 for MTD. Am I better off going with the regular 8:30 seating i.e. are we missing anything special (different menu, dining room etc.) by doing MTD? What was your experience?

 

Thank you so much.

[Matt]

I would say the biggest "issue" with going with MTD at that time may be lining up entertainment.

 

Most show times revolve around traditional first and second dining times, so a 7:30 time could result in missing shows or eating very quickly to get out in time.

 

Of course, if you do not care about the shows, then it's a moot issue.

[Familyof4]

Thanks Matt, so nice to have the input from this very helpful forum. It has made planning my daughter's sweet 16 trip much easier.

 

We are definitely interested in at least some of the shows so will do the 8:30 seating.

 

Another question though, if we forgo this some evening and do the buffet instead are men still expected to be in long pants?

 

Thank you

[WAAAYTOOO]

Remember that, with MTD, you can eat ANY time even if you don't have a reservation.  So if you decide that 8:30 is just too late (and I would agree with you on that !) then you can show up anytime and be seated.  There is sometimes a short wait if you don't have reservations but it is rarely long unless you have a large group.

 

That's the beauty of MTD.  So don't let the lack of options for reservations force you into a dining time that doesn't suit you.

 

And no....if you eat in the Windjammer there is no dress code except for bathing suits have to be covered.

[Matt]

Another question though, if we forgo this some evening and do the buffet instead are men still expected to be in long pants?

No, the Windjammer has no dress code at all. Feel free to wear shorts, tank tops and hats while dining there.

[kirby]

Pick your entertainment and then make MTD reservations best you can.  It's very difficult to find anything between 6-8:30, so if that's what you are looking for and it's available, grab the reservation now.   It seems they hold those time slots for walk-ins (those that don't make reservations) and they do seem to have to wait to be seated, especially during those busy times.  

 

Also, show times can change from when you book online to the week of your cruise.  We had a few that shifted slightly by 15 minutes.  Not a big deal for dining.  We never did show up late but there were several nights where we showed up earlier than our reservations and were seated pretty quickly thereafter.      

 

The staff was quite accommodating.     

 

One thing to note which we didn't realize before our cruise, if you find a table, section, server, etc that you like, you can request that for other nights of dining.  We did that with the hostess on our way out one evening after dinner.