May 18, 2013 MAGIC EBTA - Who is with us?

[WVURunner]

Seriously on the wbta there was a couple who carried a life size bear around, to castaway cay, to the pool and each night In the dining room it had its own seat and ate lots of mickey bars , I heard there was a story around it but not sure what it was.

During our Fantasy cruise, there was a couple who carried around two stuffed bears (Teddy Bear size) everywhere, complete with outfits and baby carriers! Same cruise had two other ladies doing the same thing! Most intersting thing I have ever seen! They posed for pictures, went to activities, wanted food and a seat fro them...Then on the EBPC cruise, there was a lady who did the same thing! I like shoes to much to waste valuable packing space on clothes for a stuffed animal!

I think Mickey ears are fine, my DH wore his Mickey Ears Santa Hat to dinner almost everynight!

It's worth a shot -- I just know we can't have the two we had on WBTA for 14 nights in a row, and we already know one is still onboard. It was kinda nice on our November cruise to have beverages not go empty, no orders get messed up (every.single.night.), and my child to have the DCL Magical dining room service like I had read that Disney was to be known for. The service you and I experienced was not up to par with the other three cruiselines we had sailed multiple times, but now I have seen how Disney *can* be.

On our honeymoon, the service was not up to Disney standard and that is all I had to hear about from DH. He drinks lots and lots of water and his water glass was never filled at any meal. When we boarded the Fantasy in April, DH made a comment about how his water glass will be filled. Well we arrive at dinner and our servers were HORRIBLE. Couldn't understand them, orders were wrong, never got our drinks, etc. We weren't sure if we should complain and try to switch tables or what but we knew we couldn't deal with it for another 6 nights, we had heard others tables complain to the servers etc. Well we didn't do anything about it and arrived for dinner on night two and we had two new AMAZING servers! They were with us for the rest of the week! I am not sure how/why our first servers were removed or if another table got them (I would feel bad for those people) but we were just so thankful!

We were nervous on the first night of the EBPC (14 nights is a long time to be stuck with bad servers, they make or break a cruise for us) and we had WONDERFUL servers. It is my Mom's and niece's first time with DCL and they have been hearing how great the service is so hopefully we will get a great serve team.

 

[Tink1987]

During our Fantasy cruise, there was a couple who carried around two stuffed bears (Teddy Bear size) everywhere, complete with outfits and baby carriers! Same cruise had two other ladies doing the same thing! Most intersting thing I have ever seen! They posed for pictures, went to activities, wanted food and a seat fro them...Then on the EBPC cruise, there was a lady who did the same thing! I like shoes to much to waste valuable packing space on clothes for a stuffed animal!

I think Mickey ears are fine, my DH wore his Mickey Ears Santa Hat to dinner almost everynight!

Glad to hear it - thanks

 

[WVURunner]

DH and I are not parents (yet!) but we will be traveling with my 3 yo niece while her parents stay behind. Should we bring a stroller for her? Or is a backpack type carrier better? I am assuming we won't use the stroller on the cruise and that we would only use it for the airport (where we would want our hands free) and on excursions where a stroller could be a pain. My niece is VERY active.

Any thoughts/advice for this non-momma?

 

[kyra's mommy]

If anyone is still interested in having our dining reservations linked up, we would love to. Initially my parents were planning to come but they backed out so it'll just be the four of us, dh, me, dd10 and ds5. I think we'd be lonely, eating by ourselves for two weeks. So if anyone is still free and would like dining partners please contact me.

 

[kyra's mommy]

DH and I are not parents (yet!) but we will be traveling with my 3 yo niece while her parents stay behind. Should we bring a stroller for her? Or is a backpack type carrier better? I am assuming we won't use the stroller on the cruise and that we would only use it for the airport (where we would want our hands free) and on excursions where a stroller could be a pain. My niece is VERY active.

Any thoughts/advice for this non-momma?

That's a hard one because strollers are such a pain to travel with. It's a can't live with it/ can't live without it kind of thing. I would suggest bringing a little umbrella stroller since they are lightweight and fold up pretty small. Or, if you are coming to Galveston early you could arrange to buy one off of Craigslist and have them bring it to your hotel. Usually they are really cheap off of Craigslist and then you can just leave it for the next person.

I hope that helps.

 

[GoofyNewfie]

Linked dining


is anyone interested in linked dining??

Would you prefer dining with fellow dis'ers, on the 2011 wbta, there was a whole bunch of dis'ers linked as a group, dcl sat us all within tables of each other, made for some funny looks when we all arrived in the dining room with our mickey club house tshirts

If so I'm happy to co-ordinate,

From the Linked Dining survey on our EBTA website, there's 18 people interested and 12 that were not. I'd say that's interest.

 

[woody73]

. . . I was always jealous of Kirby a couple tables over already getting his Mickey Bar for dessert at dinner but we were still waiting on our main course.

By the time dessert came, I'll bet Kirby was stuffed.

Woody

 

[kyra's mommy]

From the Linked Dining survey on our EBTA website, there's 18 people interested and 12 that were not. I'd say that's interest.

I hadn't noticed that yet on the roll call. I just voted. Thank you!

 

[kaseyC]

We would be interested in linking as well. It would be nice to have other adults close by to chat up.

When I did the WBTA in 2007 with just me and eldest DD. Disney did a great job of seating us with 2 other moms traveling alone with kids. It worked out really well.

We have Main dining. I was thinking about the Late seating but when I ran it past the girls they were like "No mom, all the fun stuff happens in the club during that time!".

 

[kyra's mommy]

If anyone is still interested in having our dining reservations linked up, we would love to. Initially my parents were planning to come but they backed out so it'll just be the four of us, dh, me, dd10 and ds5. I think we'd be lonely, eating by ourselves for two weeks. So if anyone is still free and would like dining partners please contact me.

I also wanted to add that we would love to sit with people who have children. My son is very social but my daughter is SHY. Once she gets to know you she'll open up but if she doesn't get the chance she'll be very quiet THE WHOLE TRIP. I'd be really grateful to sit with other children so that she has the opportunity to make friends. When we were on the Wonder for a whole week she wouldn't even go in the kids program. We enjoyed being with the kids but were a little sad that we didn't get any grown up time.

 

[kaseyC]

I also wanted to add that we would love to sit with people who have children. My son is very social but my daughter is SHY. Once she gets to know you she'll open up but if she doesn't get the chance she'll be very quiet THE WHOLE TRIP. I'd be really grateful to sit with other children so that she has the opportunity to make friends. When we were on the Wonder for a whole week she wouldn't even go in the kids program. We enjoyed being with the kids but were a little sad that we didn't get any grown up time.

My DDs are 12 and 10. My 12yr old sounds a lot like your DD. My 10yr old is much more outgoing and it really helps her sister open up. I'm hoping since there will not be a massive amount of children on this cruise that my 10yr old can go to the Edge with her sister or have her sister move down to the lab with her.

Is your 10 yr old a 4th grader?

 

[kyra's mommy]

My DDs are 12 and 10. My 12yr old sounds a lot like your DD. My 10yr old is much more outgoing and it really helps her sister open up. I'm hoping since there will not be a massive amount of children on this cruise that my 10yr old can go to the Edge with her sister or have her sister move down to the lab with her.

Is your 10 yr old a 4th grader?

Hi Kasey,

Lol, I was sending you a PM at the same time you were responding to me. So funny. Yes, my 10 yr old is a 4th grader. I think they'll let them do that. When we TRIED to get our kids to go to the clubs they were able to go in the same one and they have a full five years age difference.

 

[MandyGirl]

By the time dessert came, I'll bet Kirby was stuffed.

Woody

 

[mboekhoff]

I believe smaller groups are better. For those that are doing more than one gift to give over the 2 weeks, going to 15 cabins 3 times over 2 weeks is time consuming. I would limit it to 30 people (adults and kids included) per group, and not so much how many cabins.

Although I will do what ever the consensus is

Of course we can decide Sara.

How many cabins will we split the groups into for the Fish Extender?

How about 15, 20, 25???

Will go with majority of the people who respond to this

 

[kaseyC]

Hi Kasey,

Lol, I was sending you a PM at the same time you were responding to me. So funny. Yes, my 10 yr old is a 4th grader. I think they'll let them do that. When we TRIED to get our kids to go to the clubs they were able to go in the same one and they have a full five years age difference.

My 12yr old is a 6th grader and 10yr old a 4th grader.

I figured they probably would let them be together.

 

[ThePedersonFamily]

Of course we can decide Sara.

How many cabins will we split the groups into for the Fish Extender?

How about 15, 20, 25???

Will go with majority of the people who respond to this

I like the idea of breaking into smaller groups and then allowing people to do more than one group if they choose to!!

 

[kris3kid]

Would anyone be intersted in a running club during this cruise? I was in charge of it on the EBPC. We meet the first morning and I passed out running logs for everyone. We meet in the mornings on deck 4 for our walk/run and those that wanted to do their workouts at a later time could and just filled out the log on their own. At the end of the cruise, I handed out certificated for those who hit a half marathon, marathon or ultra marathon while on board!

Let me know if there is any intersted. It looks like we will be joining you (DH too!)

I would be in for the walking!

 

[MandyGirl]

On our honeymoon, the service was not up to Disney standard and that is all I had to hear about from DH. He drinks lots and lots of water and his water glass was never filled at any meal. When we boarded the Fantasy in April, DH made a comment about how his water glass will be filled. Well we arrive at dinner and our servers were HORRIBLE. Couldn't understand them, orders were wrong, never got our drinks, etc. We weren't sure if we should complain and try to switch tables or what but we knew we couldn't deal with it for another 6 nights, we had heard others tables complain to the servers etc. Well we didn't do anything about it and arrived for dinner on night two and we had two new AMAZING servers! They were with us for the rest of the week! I am not sure how/why our first servers were removed or if another table got them (I would feel bad for those people) but we were just so thankful!

We were nervous on the first night of the EBPC (14 nights is a long time to be stuck with bad servers, they make or break a cruise for us) and we had WONDERFUL servers. It is my Mom's and niece's first time with DCL and they have been hearing how great the service is so hopefully we will get a great serve team.

Wow. It really impacts a cruise with the service team. I know I had responded on a thread about declining service with our experience, and was flamed on these boards as being "high maintenance", so I just learned to never say anything but absolute perfection about a Disney cruise. (Heck, two months prior I had camped in an 8x8 tent with my family of four with no running water or electricity... guess I really AM high maintenance.) We had other things that we noticed an inconsistency with, and DIS members would talk about something and see how different it could be.

 

[MandyGirl]

If anyone is still interested in having our dining reservations linked up, we would love to. Initially my parents were planning to come but they backed out so it'll just be the four of us, dh, me, dd10 and ds5. I think we'd be lonely, eating by ourselves for two weeks. So if anyone is still free and would like dining partners please contact me.

Are you guys doing early or late dining?

We are doing late because of the time changes and Dine-and-Play being offered with late dining only. Worth looking into. We were able to have it where literally most of our DIS group was in the same section of the dining room, so if kids not at same table, there were other DIS members the next table over. Of our table of 12... we have 5 kids ranging from "almost 3" to 10. Then they can go to Kids Club together when the CMs come through the dining room.

 

[kyra's mommy]

Are you guys doing early or late dining?

We are doing late because of the time changes and Dine-and-Play being offered with late dining only. Worth looking into. We were able to have it where literally most of our DIS group was in the same section of the dining room, so if kids not at same table, there were other DIS members the next table over. Of our table of 12... we have 5 kids ranging from "almost 3" to 10. Then they can go to Kids Club together when the CMs come through the dining room.

Hi Mandy!

We have late dining too. We actually had main dining but the Disney TA convinced me to change to late because of the time change and the kids club. I had no idea, so I was really grateful to her for the advice. Hopefully, they'll put us close to you and maybe we'll still get another family to sit with us.