Originally Posted by
MoreMilesPlease
Remember that the dining times are only for the main dining room. There are always places to eat at whatever time you choose. I know being served in the main dining room is a big part of a cruise for some, but the kids may be happier going through the buffet and getting extra deserts than sitting through a three or four course meal served by waitstaff.
Carnival has free room service, always a good option for tired, cranky kids (and adults).
Also, looking on cruisecritic forums, the other 2 workarounds they mentioned were:
1) Get in line early right after boarding at the place to change your dinner time. I think on Disney it's 3PM.
2) One person said they had luck showing up early and discreetly asking the maitre'd if they could get early dining, while slipping him a $100. Perhaps not the typical Disney way (more Las Vegas), but he reported it worked for him.
If the time is an issue, we'll just use the buffet or whatever. I think the experience will be worth it.