Disney Magic - 05/10/13 (May 10, 2013) - Calling All Kids At Heart

[s232271]

Do you make reservations for brunch at Palos? Or just show up?

 

[lovetotraveltx]

How is brunch?

 

[m4travel]

Fantastic!!! We're gold so we have a few more days before we can book... Still can't decide which park to start with! What did your family choose? I know we'll do a Palo dinner but not sure about brunch this trip.

I think I might be over planning our WDW!!! HaHa
Not as young as I used to be!

We usually go to the parks for a few days either before or after a cruise. Condensing it all into only one day may sound a bit crazed: We start at Animal Kingdom with the African Safari Trek, a sort of back-door Kilimanjaro Safari, partially on foot. There's free time in AK before the trek begins and time for a quick bite of lunch at Yak & Yeti or Flame Tree.

Then it's off to the Magic Kingdom to explore the new Fantasyland and anything else we can't live without revisiting.

We end up at EPCOT for dinner at Le Cellier, a stroll around World Showcase, and the dessert reception for IllumiNations (our favorite fireworks event that we usually watch every night we're at WDW). Then back to the ship!

I know it may sound intense, but we're really not commando visitors. We'll be back in January and August 2014, so there's no reason to kill ourselves. If we don't see it this time, there's always the next!

 

[m4travel]

Do you make reservations for brunch at Palo? Or just show up?

We love Palo for both dinner and brunch. Both are reservations only, adults only. While dinner is a la carte from the menu, brunch is a buffet - and what a buffet it is! Entrees are cooked to order.

Not sure when we'll be back on the Fantasy or Dream: Remy is heaven, but Palo is great, too. We are looking forward to sailing on the Magic again. The Wonder is our favorite ship; we did a lot of our early sailing on the Wonder, so it's 'home' to us.

 

[wajones2]

Booked our shore excursions and Palo dinner and brunch very early today! Finished our on-line check-in. Now we just sit back and wait....

We have to wait until 2/9 to book, so excited and can't wait to book ours as well.

 

[m4travel]

We have to wait until 2/9 to book, so excited and can't wait to book ours as well.

It will come soon enough, wajones2. We used to wait until the last moment, throw some clothes into a suitcase and travel.

Having retired - and having more time - we find advance planning to be quite enjoyable. There's time to read those shore excursion descriptions, figure out real clothing needs, read all the boards - everything that makes the adventure fun!

 

[MerissaAndMomLoveDis]

Another question: I noticed every single sailing out of Galveston has the IGT OGT VGT rates on them after final payment date and wondered if it was worth a risk canceling before final payment and hoping they add that rate to our cruise. The Balcony VGT rate would be $1968 . I have an 11b on deck 6 , a sideways cabin, for $2487 so I wasn't sure if anyone had an opinion on this.....VGT would mean they pick my cabin for me so I could get something I don't like .....any thoughts?

I am considering the same thing. It looks like there are at least 7 cabins available in most cabin categories. I transferred an OBB to this cruise, so with 10% discount I am paying @$2150 for 1a/1c in a 11C. I am thinking it would be smart to transfer my OBB benefits to another cruise and wait to see if a VGT or IGT is offered. Kids sail free would not help me if offered. Would be really nice to pay less for a balcony than i am currently paying for an inside cabin. If no IGT or VGT is offered, I could transfer back to this cruise--- might have to pay a little more though if the rates rise. Any thoughts? Any flaws in this plan? I appreciate any input.

 

[Jsoenning]

How is brunch?

My wife and I enjoyed brunch at Palo's even more than the dinner likely because of the great view being daylight, the beautiful spread, and a nice relaxing morning with our daughter at Flounder's Reef.

 

[KSLATL]

Re: FE list

This is amazing! Thank you! Here is some more information about us...

Room # 8522

DS-6 is Logan
DD-4 is Aubrey
DD-2 is Tatum
DD-9 months in Leighton

No allergies

Let me know if there is anything I can do to help! I can't wait!!!!

 

[Zandersmom]

Thanks for the update KSLATL! Cute kiddo names...I'm guessing that you are either "K" or "S"? I am glad to be able to update your information and look forward to our FE exchange. It should be a lot of fun and I can hardly wait until May!

If anyone else would like to sign up for the FE list, you can PM me your info or email at becca.zpack@gmail.com . The link to our list is here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AkIxIiMtjoLedHZ5S2lObHhjWDlxZVQ5MWhPNnoxT0E

Cheers!

 

[s232271]

I am considering the same thing. It looks like there are at least 7 cabins available in most cabin categories. I transferred an OBB to this cruise, so with 10% discount I am paying @$2150 for 1a/1c in a 11C. I am thinking it would be smart to transfer my OBB benefits to another cruise and wait to see if a VGT or IGT is offered. Kids sail free would not help me if offered. Would be really nice to pay less for a balcony than i am currently paying for an inside cabin. If no IGT or VGT is offered, I could transfer back to this cruise--- might have to pay a little more though if the rates rise. Any thoughts? Any flaws in this plan? I appreciate any input.

I noticed that the March 29th cruise has yet to offer these rates, however, tomorrow is final payment date according to website, so wonder if they will show up, I do know the 8 night previous to this date, only had OGT left, so now it worries me to thing about cancelling! and gambling on these rates......

 

[OhioInlanders]

Zandersmom, the OhioInlanders would like to sign up for the FE exchange. Thanks.

 

[OhioInlanders]

Hi,

I will attempt to send PM about FE

 

[Zandersmom]

Hi,

I will attempt to send PM about FE

Hello OhioInlanders! I'm sorry to say that I did not receive your PM, if you could please email the information to becca.zpack@gmail.com, I'll be sure to update the FE list. Thanks!

 

[OhioInlanders]

Email Sent. Thanks, Becca.

 

[OhioInlanders]

Anyone thinking DCL will offer Kids Sail Free for this sailing?

 

[wajones2]

Just found a schedule of extra magic hours for our day at WDW - Epcot AM is what they have posted.

My thought on the "kids sail free" for our cruise is that they would have already announced since the 8 night prior was announced a couple of months ago as having it...of course right after we changed from that one to the 5/10 sailing. But we are so happy to be on this one to celebrate our DD 3rd b-day!

 

[OhioInlanders]

Extra Magic Hours won't help us since we're not staying on the resort

Our sailing doesn't look very full yet given all the categories you can still book. I wonder if DCL will announce a discount after the 75 day mark to try to fill the ship a bit more.

We may risk it and cancel 76 days out and re book closer to 70 days once the possible discount is or is not announced. Anyone else thinking about playing this game?

 

[kglynnk]

This is our first Disney Cruise! We are a family of 5. Can't wait!

 

[wajones2]

I have confirmed with Disney that we DO get to participate in the Extra Magic Hours while we are in port on DCL.