March 29, 2013 8 Nights on the Magic

[stsomewhere]

Originally Posted by urbkols

I was looking at the FE list and was like wow are my kids going to be the youngest in this group?? If you have any questions for me let me know especially with the young ones. If your luggage has room make sure you bring a princess dress for your daughter because she might feel left out if she doesn't have one. I also have brought a old Halloween costume for my son because some of the little boys dress up too!

Myniece is in kindergarten. She is bringing a few princess dress. My step dad is bringing pirate gear for himself.

[Mistylynn526]

Originally Posted by stsomewhere

We do have a pirate party. It is on Wed. night. It will start with a dance party up on deck around 9:45pm.

You will have an assigned character breakfast. It will be on a sea day. It will be based on your dining rotation. It will be Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, and Chip & Dale. The characters have a designated route through Parrot Cay. They will make a brief stop at each table for a picture and autograph signing.

How do you find out when/where the activities take place on the ship? I honestly know NOTHING about a cruise! :-)

[Mistylynn526]

Originally Posted by urbkols

I was looking at the FE list and was like wow are my kids going to be the youngest in this group?? If you have any questions for me let me know especially with the young ones. If your luggage has room make sure you bring a princess dress for your daughter because she might feel left out if she doesn't have one. I also have brought a old Halloween costume for my son because some of the little boys dress up too!

Thanks! She has lots of princess dressed! We went to wdw about a year and a half ago and they loved it. Do the kids dress up for pirate party? I was thinking mine were going to be the youngest too, glad to see yours are going! What do you exactly do for the FE? I'm not sure what to bring/make? In sure ill have lots more questions!

[stsomewhere]

Originally Posted by Mistylynn526

How do you find out when/where the activities take place on the ship? I honestly know NOTHING about a cruise! :-)

You will get a sheet called a Navigator. It will list all the days activities. It will be left in your room the night before.

The pirate party is listed on your cruise Iterary. Once, you are in your booking window (75 days out you will be able to book excursions, adult dining, spa, etc.

You will need to go in a book your transportation to WDW.

I am a gold member (over 5 DCL cruises). I got to book at 110 days out.

Any questions you have , I will be glad to answer.

[stsomewhere]

We will need to come up with a closing date for FE. How about closing it Feb. 28th? That will give everyone a month to get everything together.

If people want to join after that,they could start a separate group.

I would like to make a suggestion, that if we get over 25 cabins we split into 2 groups.

Christi

ETA: People could join both groups if they wanted. It just gets to be a lot of work top delivery more than that.

[QueenEleanor]

Christi,

I'm fine with Feb 28 closing for FE. Gives us a month to procrastinate -- oops, a month to prepare/purchase some FE gifts!

Misty,

(Really, we have a Christi and a Misty? How fun!)

Bring a highlighter on the trip with you.

When you arrive in your cabin, you will find a "Cruise Navigator" which will have the special events of the trip, ie, which nights are Formal or Semi-Formal, which is Pirate's Night, and which "shows" are when. You might also find this information online when you check your itinerary, but sometimes it can be elusive.

Look at the Cruise Navigator to give yourself, and your kids, an idea about which nights you might go to the shows, and which might be an earlier bedtime/quieter evening, which some of our younger cruisers (and us oldies!) need too, and which movies are playing in the Buena Vista.

Then, every night when your room is made up for the evening, you will get a "Personal Navigator." The PN has a grid, with activities listed for each age group of under 18s, like Dancing with Belle or making Flubber etc. It's a nice part of your bedtime routine (or first thing in the morning) to highlight what looks fun. This is also a great way to invest the kids into going into their group; when they know what to expect, and more than that, have helped to choose what events they want to go to. Don't forget to look under the family activities too! It's a family vacation, which we sometimes forget in our rush to eat at Palo and spa visits! And there might be a family activity (can you say Mickey 200) that sparks your children's interest.

The PN also lists when the characters will be out and about. (You can also ask guest services in advance.) If there is a special character for your child, you don't want to miss getting a hug and a photo. If there's no one special, then don't worry. Somebody is always in the atrium around dinner time.

So much depends upon your family's needs. With young kids you might not want to be out late every night. There are shows every night, but not all are Disney. Some will be magicians or jugglers. You might decide just to do the Disney shows, in order to maintain some bedtime.

Generally there are two shows each evening; an earlier show for the late dining rotation and a later show for the earlier dining rotation.

Allthough your dining rotation remains the same (check whether you have requested early or late), and everyone would recommend that you not deviate, at least for the first three nights until you have rotated through them all and seen what there is to see, you might skip the sit-down dinner in preference for a quicker bite, either pizza, burgers, or the Topsider buffet.

Then you can catch the early show and still put the little ones to bed at a reasonable time, if they are early to bed kind of kids. Don't forget also that you might skip dinner in the rotation one night, eat pizza or burger or Topsider, and have the pool almost entirely to yourselves!

Also on the topic of your family needs, some people want to make sure that their kids get some exercise or reading time or a nap, and it's great to get the kids to help schedule this too. Look for a block of time on your PN that doesn't hold anything interesting, and involve the kids...should we swim? play board games? Play shuffleboard? Handy dandy highlighter to the rescue!

As someone has already said, character breakfast timing, and I think princess tea too, are dependent upon your dining rotation. Don't forget your camera at Character breakfast!

Okay, so maybe you told your kids a bit early, but closer to the date of sailing, you might want to have Mickey call your home and say how excited he is that you are sailing. You can do this online under your reservation...I think it's called "Character calls" or something like that.

When you arrive in your stateroom, you can use the phone to schedule wake up calls. That also is Mickey saying "It's going to be a wonderful day!" or something like that, and even if you use it as soon as you come in, it will excite the kids. (Like they need more exciting, ha ha ha ha!) That is, it doesn't have to be only for waking up in the morning but can be a phone call at any time, coz you set the time on the phone, if I'm making any sense.

Hope this has helped!

[Trinity524]

Hello All! DH, DS5 and I are thinking about this cruise.

Seems like the boat is pretty empty...10ish weeks away and there is still main dining..Sounds like our kind of cruise!

We were on the Eastern Caribbean cruise in August and had a blast! $3,000 for an inside cabin for three people for Easter week with no airfare sounds fantastic for our family! (we are from San Antonio)

Email out to travel agent! Hope to confirm soon!

[stsomewhere]

Originally Posted by Trinity524

Hello All! DH, DS5 and I are thinking about this cruise.

Seems like the boat is pretty empty...10ish weeks away and there is still main dining..Sounds like our kind of cruise!

We were on the Eastern Caribbean cruise in August and had a blast! $3,000 for an inside cabin for three people for Easter week with no airfare sounds fantastic for our family! (we are from San Antonio)

Email out to travel agent! Hope to confirm soon!

I am sure that the ship will be full. DCL will offer cast member discounts. I think that most of the cruisers will be first timers and they don't know about the Disboard.

[Trinity524]

I am just going by the dining seating really. I am sure as the date comes sooner, it will become more full.

[Mistylynn526]

Originally Posted by QueenEleanor

Christi,

I'm fine with Feb 28 closing for FE. Gives us a month to procrastinate -- oops, a month to prepare/purchase some FE gifts!

Misty,

(Really, we have a Christi and a Misty? How fun!)

Bring a highlighter on the trip with you.

When you arrive in your cabin, you will find a "Cruise Navigator" which will have the special events of the trip, ie, which nights are Formal or Semi-Formal, which is Pirate's Night, and which "shows" are when. You might also find this information online when you check your itinerary, but sometimes it can be elusive.

Look at the Cruise Navigator to give yourself, and your kids, an idea about which nights you might go to the shows, and which might be an earlier bedtime/quieter evening, which some of our younger cruisers (and us oldies!) need too, and which movies are playing in the Buena Vista.

Then, every night when your room is made up for the evening, you will get a "Personal Navigator." The PN has a grid, with activities listed for each age group of under 18s, like Dancing with Belle or making Flubber etc. It's a nice part of your bedtime routine (or first thing in the morning) to highlight what looks fun. This is also a great way to invest the kids into going into their group; when they know what to expect, and more than that, have helped to choose what events they want to go to. Don't forget to look under the family activities too! It's a family vacation, which we sometimes forget in our rush to eat at Palo and spa visits! And there might be a family activity (can you say Mickey 200) that sparks your children's interest.

The PN also lists when the characters will be out and about. (You can also ask guest services in advance.) If there is a special character for your child, you don't want to miss getting a hug and a photo. If there's no one special, then don't worry. Somebody is always in the atrium around dinner time.

So much depends upon your family's needs. With young kids you might not want to be out late every night. There are shows every night, but not all are Disney. Some will be magicians or jugglers. You might decide just to do the Disney shows, in order to maintain some bedtime.

Generally there are two shows each evening; an earlier show for the late dining rotation and a later show for the earlier dining rotation.

Allthough your dining rotation remains the same (check whether you have requested early or late), and everyone would recommend that you not deviate, at least for the first three nights until you have rotated through them all and seen what there is to see, you might skip the sit-down dinner in preference for a quicker bite, either pizza, burgers, or the Topsider buffet.

Then you can catch the early show and still put the little ones to bed at a reasonable time, if they are early to bed kind of kids. Don't forget also that you might skip dinner in the rotation one night, eat pizza or burger or Topsider, and have the pool almost entirely to yourselves!

Also on the topic of your family needs, some people want to make sure that their kids get some exercise or reading time or a nap, and it's great to get the kids to help schedule this too. Look for a block of time on your PN that doesn't hold anything interesting, and involve the kids...should we swim? play board games? Play shuffleboard? Handy dandy highlighter to the rescue!

As someone has already said, character breakfast timing, and I think princess tea too, are dependent upon your dining rotation. Don't forget your camera at Character breakfast!

Okay, so maybe you told your kids a bit early, but closer to the date of sailing, you might want to have Mickey call your home and say how excited he is that you are sailing. You can do this online under your reservation...I think it's called "Character calls" or something like that.

When you arrive in your stateroom, you can use the phone to schedule wake up calls. That also is Mickey saying "It's going to be a wonderful day!" or something like that, and even if you use it as soon as you come in, it will excite the kids. (Like they need more exciting, ha ha ha ha!) That is, it doesn't have to be only for waking up in the morning but can be a phone call at any time, coz you set the time on the phone, if I'm making any sense.

Hope this has helped!

Thanks SO much! I'm so excited, but very overwhelmed and anxious about what to expect. So what are formal and semi formal nights?

Do they have things to buy for dressing up as pirates on the ship or is it stuff we need to bring?

Also do they have the princess dresses? Camryn has a Cinderella dress from our last visit to WDW but she wants snow white.

We're pretty flexible with bedtimes so they do good either early or late. Always depends on what's going on. I'm not sure if we have early or late dinner. My MIL is taking care of all the reservations and stuff.

Thanks for all the tips!!! I'm sure I'll have more questions :-)

[urbkols]

Originally Posted by Mistylynn526

Thanks SO much! I'm so excited, but very overwhelmed and anxious about what to expect. So what are formal and semi formal nights?

Do they have things to buy for dressing up as pirates on the ship or is it stuff we need to bring?

Also do they have the princess dresses? Camryn has a Cinderella dress from our last visit to WDW but she wants snow white.

We're pretty flexible with bedtimes so they do good either early or late. Always depends on what's going on. I'm not sure if we have early or late dinner. My MIL is taking care of all the reservations and stuff.

Thanks for all the tips!!! I'm sure I'll have more questions :-)

They do sell princess dresses on the ship but don't remember if their was a Snow White dress. If not you can pick one up at WDW!They do sell stuff pirate stuff on the ship too on pirate night.

Almost forgot pack your swimsuit in a bag you carry on the ship. If the weather is good the kids can go in the pool before the safety drill if you get there early enough and most people forget that!

If you have anything else that pops up let me know!

[BlueMarlin]

With regard to formal and semi night it is highly unfortunate that the cruise lines have relaxed the mandatory tuxedo rules. Now the rules are no shorts and t-shirts. But for us nostalgic folks who like to pretend to be 007 with a beautifully dressed lady on our sides it is the appropriate night to break out the good stuff. Many guys will be in shirt tie or shirt jacket. A few will go all out and twice I have seen a Scot in full Bonnie Prince Kilt and jacket. Christi only wants me to bring two suits and Matt (DS) to bring the suit and tux shirt bow tie combo. Says the extra two suit bags get in the way. But I am not passionate on this or anything.

Short answer is to do what makes you feel comfortable, but it is the night that people who want to are encouraged to get gussied up.

[stsomewhere]

Originally Posted by BlueMarlin

With regard to formal and semi night it is highly unfortunate that the cruise lines have relaxed the mandatory tuxedo rules. Now the rules are no shorts and t-shirts. But for us nostalgic folks who like to pretend to be 007 with a beautifully dressed lady on our sides it is the appropriate night to break out the good stuff. Many guys will be in shirt tie or shirt jacket. A few will go all out and twice I have seen a Scot in full Bonnie Prince Kilt and jacket. Christi only wants me to bring two suits and Matt (DS) to bring the suit and tux shirt bow tie combo. Says the extra two suit bags get in the way. But I am not passionate on this or anything.

Short answer is to do what makes you feel comfortable, but it is the night that people who want to are encouraged to get gussied up.

From disneycruise line site. Tshirts are allowed in dining rooms for dinner.Jeans and capris are allowed at dinner

On 7-night cruises:

First night: cruise casualno shorts, swimwear or tank tops
Three additional "cruise casual" nightsno shorts, swimwear or tank tops
One pirate or tropical night (deck party)
One formal and one semi-formal nightformal wear for men: tuxedo or suit; for women: gown or dress; semi-formal wear for men: suit/jacket; for women: dress or pantsuit.
Dress code at Palo on all cruises:

Men: dress pants and shirt or jacket
Women: dress or pantsuit
Please no jeans, shorts, capri pants, flip-flops or tennis shoes








Ps- Women can wear capris in the dining room just not to Palo

[QueenEleanor]

Originally Posted by Mistylynn526

Thanks SO much! I'm so excited, but very overwhelmed and anxious about what to expect. So what are formal and semi formal nights?

Do they have things to buy for dressing up as pirates on the ship or is it stuff we need to bring?

Also do they have the princess dresses? Camryn has a Cinderella dress from our last visit to WDW but she wants snow white.

We're pretty flexible with bedtimes so they do good either early or late. Always depends on what's going on. I'm not sure if we have early or late dinner. My MIL is taking care of all the reservations and stuff.

Thanks for all the tips!!! I'm sure I'll have more questions :-)

There are two small stores on the ship, and a pool necessities shop near the pool. The pool necessities sells, you know, sun screen and sun glasses and the like. The two stores on the ship are also distinct from one another. One is much like every Disney Store in every mall; pins, stuffed animals, some princess dresses. Problem is, that with space constraints, there is no guarantee that you'll find a Snow White dress. Buying at WDW is a suggestion, so is purchasing online or at your local mall.

Pirate: At dinner on Pirate night you'll find a pirate-themed bandanna at your table which you are welcome to wear as your costume. (My FIL collects the bandannas at each Disney cruise, and he wears them as his costume; one on his head, one around his neck, etc along with his street clothes!). You can also purchase some piratey things onboard. These range with what is available (they'll likely have some things on the first day, then add on Pirate night day) with more for kids, and only "accessories" ie hat, sword, for adults.

Sometimes you'll find something in your FE from fellow Disboarders, like eye patches or tattoos.

Many people bring something from home, and it's loads of fun to see all the costumes! From striped shirts and a bandanna on one's head to full-on brocade coats and frilly shirts. (I was impressed by a woman on my last cruise. I noticed her outfit on formal night; she wore a knee length pin striped menswear coat over black trousers, and on pirate night she wore he same coat, with a frilly shirt and pirate boots!)

Okay. I admit it. I'm a full on pirate costume kinda gal. On the last cruise I used some eye pencil to give my nephews (8 & 9) mustaches, and my daughters made sure that Grandma had what she needed (black skirt or pants, white shirt, black vest, she wore a scarf around her head and one around her hips (only pirate onboard with a faux Hermes scarf ) and some beads and hoop earrings. And one year when my youngest still had hair long enough to sit on, she wore a striped shirt and dark capris, and I braided her hair into a gazillion braids, one or two with beads, and she looked adorable in her photos with Captain Jack!

Pirate night is a MAJOR photo op, as are Formal/Semi Formal nights. (More about in a moment.)

I like bringing "double duty" costumes for pirate night if possible, unless you've got a full-on costume. A striped shirt can be worn on other days. I have black pumps with a buckle; those are the shoes I wore for semi and Formal nights, too! You can do a lot with hoop earrings, belts, and makeup. A little facepaint to give your son a beard, a dagger in his belt...what else do you need?

Pirate night is loads of fun not only because of the dressing up of everyone on board -- cast members too -- but because of the deck party. They get the kids involved in a game, then dancing, and more dancing, and fireworks, (best view: starboard ie right, deck ten) and the HUGE pirate buffet.

Speaking of buffets... each night there is a late night buffet. Hard to believe that we can still be hungry, I know....but I frequently like to stop at the buffet and grab a sandwich and some fruit, then put them in my cabin fridge for breakfast the next morning! But two late night buffets are huge and crowded -- the Pirate buffet, serving crepe desserts and huge turkey legs -- and the dessert buffet (not sure if this is on every cruise, or just longer cruises, or what). People start standing in line for the dessert buffet long before it opens.

So...formal and semi-formal. Dress ranges from beautiful, elegant, wow to "I washed my face, isn't that enough?" Many people just bring something "nicer" than cruisewear, but not necessarily their floor length dresses. ('course, they feel envy when standing next to the really beautifully dressed people, or the retired military man with his "wall paper" but they also skip through the luggage lines with their smaller bags, so that's the trade off.) You can go either way, whatever you feel comfortable with.

The key is....photos.

Everything on Disney is a photo op, and the Disney photographers are out taking photos at all these photo ops. Then they, surprise, surprise, sell the photos. But, you can have a family portrait taken every night while you are onboard, and you don't have to purchase them unless you like them. (And trust me, you'll love them!) Different characters are involved in these photo ops -- Mickey, Minnie, Stitch, various Princesses -- and they are wearing outfits appropriate to the night's theme. Is this clear? So if you take your photo with Mickey or Stitch on pirate night, he and you will both be dressed as pirates. Captain Jack (swoon!) is only there on Pirate night. The princesses are available on Formal night. And you can take family portraits without anyone. Just nice, posed, family portraits...in your finery. Now you see why some people dress up on Formal night. It makes a beautiful family portrait.

Our first cruise, we didn't know about the photos, and we were my husband's extended family -- 16 in all. We bought out the store in matching shirts for the photo...so think in advance, and bring some outfits for nice photos, maybe white shirts or solid polos for everyone, and khaki shorts, etc.

[urbkols]

The close date for the FE sounds great. Already started on my FE stuff and found some great stuff! Also found out my new FE holder is on its way!! Getting excited!!