Splish, Splash, the Dream was a Blast! UPDATED 10/21 with FE Pictures!

[MomsOf2boys]

Originally Posted by ThereYouSeeHer

Welcome!

We had a 4 hour drive that morning, which was a little out of my comfort zone. We had to get our family of four out of bed, dressed, fed, and on the road by 6:30am. Plus, we didn't arrive at the hotel until about 11pm the night before and I didn't fall asleep until about 1 am. It was quite a morning!

But, you're right, it is a nice drive from Jacksonville!

Well... it's so hard to sleep the night before anyway.... I am sure that made the first day a VERY long day!

Originally Posted by malacajo

I was wondering if Savannah would be a good point for us, even though I'm still afraid we'll have a good long drive that day...Didn't realize that Jacksonvillle is only 2 1/2 hrs from PC...!

Savannah does tend to be a little higher priced than some areas but it only adds another hour or so onto your trip! I lived in Jax for 12 years so I am familiar with things and still have family there as well. We stay at a GREAT hotel that is normally only $50 a night and is clean with a deluxe continental breakfast etc right off I295. www.hospitalityinns.com. The owners live on site and it is a great little place.

[ThereYouSeeHer]

Originally Posted by MomsOf2boys

We stay at a GREAT hotel that is normally only $50 a night and is clean with a deluxe continental breakfast etc right off I295. www.hospitalityinns.com. The owners live on site and it is a great little place.

Thanks for the info! Everytime we pass Jacksonville, we always say that, one year, we'll spend a night there. Maybe next year we'll make it happen!

[ThereYouSeeHer]

Thursday, September 1st

4:45pm-12:00am

The Sail Away party began at 4:45pm and included singing, dancing, and Disney characters (of course!). At 5pm we counted down to the casting off of anchors and watched as the Disney Dream soon pulled away from port. We were officially at sea!

At 5:45pm we headed to our first night's dinner experience at the Animator's Palate. This restaurant has walls that come to life throughout your meal. The walls initially look like an animator's studio, but they eventually morph into an undersea world where you are greeted by Crush (Finding Nemo) and other sea creatures. Crush will swim around the room and interact with guests by talking to specific tables or leading the entire restaurant in a particular activity. Towards the end of the dinner service, the sea morphs back into animator sketches. This restaurant was my favorite for the kids. It was very child-friendly (they encouraged the children to color on the cloth tablecloths with their crayons) and very entertaining.

View of One of the Many Screens Surrounding the Restaurant


View of the Children's Cuisine


After we wrapped up dinner around 7pm, we relaxed and played mini golf until it was time for our nightly live-theater show at 8:30pm. The first night's show was called The Golden Mickeys and included tributes to various Disney films and characters. After a long and exhausting day, mommy and the kids turned in for bed around 10pm, while daddy and another family member enjoyed the sports bar called "687" until about midnight. What a great first day!

View of Our Stateroom After the Nightly Turndown Service

[basketkat]

These updates have me wanting to be on a cruise RIGHT now!!!! It all looks so lovely!!!!

[malacajo]

I don't want to wait another year...!

[ThereYouSeeHer]

Originally Posted by basketkat

These updates have me wanting to be on a cruise RIGHT now!!!! It all looks so lovely!!!!

Originally Posted by malacajo

I don't want to wait another year...!

I know, we booked our cruise a year and a half in advance and then the cruise was over in 3-nights! Even writing this trip report is making me want to go back. First, we thought our cruise might be a one-time experience. Then we thought, ok, maybe in another 3-5 years. And now I can't stop thinking about going back in 2013 (we really need our normal WDW vacation in 2012, since it got chopped to 1 night this year because of the cruise).

It appears that 2013 booking dates should open up next month, and I am at the edge of my seat waiting for itineraries and prices!!

For those of you going on an upcoming cruise, what are your sailing dates, which ship, and what itinerary?

[KS929]

Originally Posted by ThereYouSeeHer

I know, we booked our cruise a year and a half in advance and then the cruise was over in 3-nights! Even writing this trip report is making me want to go back. First, we thought our cruise might be a one-time experience. Then we thought, ok, maybe in another 3-5 years. And now I can't stop thinking about going back in 2013 (we really need our normal WDW vacation in 2012, since it got chopped to 1 night this year because of the cruise).

It appears that 2013 booking dates should open up next month, and I am at the edge of my seat waiting for itineraries and prices!!

For those of you going on an upcoming cruise, what are your sailing dates, which ship, and what itinerary?

First of all, I'm definitely subbing!

Secondly, we were on the Dream on August 21, 2011 and we booked onboard to take advantage of the discount and other perks… We're booked for the September 12, 2012 on the Magic out of New York to Canada… We like the itinerary so we booked it, but we're only using this reservation as a dummy cruise… Once the 2013 dates come out, we're moving it to a date we like on that year… We're really considering on changing the itinerary for an Alaskan though… I vote Alaska!

[toy]

We are doing a surprise trip October18, 2012. Part of the surpise is 34 friends and family will be joining us. We will be on the Dream. Our kids 7, 9, & 11 have no clue.

[ForTheLoveOfDCL]

We are on the Fantasy Sept 29, 2012. We were intially on the Wonder MR for this Oct 2, then DH had problem w/vacation so that's how we ended up at WDW the week before. Must have been a sign cause I was having reservations about the whole Mexico thing.
So the Fantasy cruise is Western, Cozumel, Grand Cayman,Costa Maya and CC of course. We have done the Eastern 3 times and western once. We are excited about the new boat. We considered taking the Dream this yr for a B2B but I like the 7 nighters....uninterrupted cruise, with a FORMAL night, and well there are just things you get on a 7 you don't on the 3/4.
Thereyouseeher---I am voting you must do a 7!!!! LOL like my vote counts!

[ThereYouSeeHer]

Welcome, everyone!

Originally Posted by KS929

Secondly, we were on the Dream on August 21, 2011 and we booked onboard to take advantage of the discount and other perks… We're booked for the September 12, 2012 on the Magic out of New York to Canada… We like the itinerary so we booked it, but we're only using this reservation as a dummy cruise… Once the 2013 dates come out, we're moving it to a date we like on that year… We're really considering on changing the itinerary for an Alaskan though… I vote Alaska!

I considered booking a dummy reservation, but just couldn't make up my mind. For future reference, you can move your sail date later and still keep any special offers, discounts, or onboard credits without penalty (if you move it before any cancellation fees start), right? I'll have to consider that for a future cruise. Canada or Alaska would be very interesting!

Originally Posted by toy

We are doing a surprise trip October18, 2012. Part of the surpise is 34 friends and family will be joining us. We will be on the Dream. Our kids 7, 9, & 11 have no clue.

Wow, that's alot of people! You'll have to come up with some creative ways to keep it a surprise.

Originally Posted by ForTheLoveOfDCL

We are on the Fantasy Sept 29, 2012. We were intially on the Wonder MR for this Oct 2, then DH had problem w/vacation so that's how we ended up at WDW the week before. Must have been a sign cause I was having reservations about the whole Mexico thing.
So the Fantasy cruise is Western, Cozumel, Grand Cayman,Costa Maya and CC of course. We have done the Eastern 3 times and western once. We are excited about the new boat. We considered taking the Dream this yr for a B2B but I like the 7 nighters....uninterrupted cruise, with a FORMAL night, and well there are just things you get on a 7 you don't on the 3/4.
Thereyouseeher---I am voting you must do a 7!!!! LOL like my vote counts!

I think the Fantasy cruise is a good choice. The boat will be amazing. We would love to take a 7-day cruise, but I don't know how people get off of work for that long! For us, we would also add a hotel night to break up the drive. And then we would probably add at least one night at Disney. Usually, our max is about a 5-night vacation. But we are definitely considering all of our options. I would love to see the Fantasy, and am hoping they may add shorter itineraries to the Fantasy's lineup. Otherwise, we may have a 7-nighter in our future! And for a B2B, do they make you get off the ship? I wasn't sure how that worked.

[LuvEeyore]

Originally Posted by ThereYouSeeHer

Welcome, everyone!

I think the Fantasy cruise is a good choice. The boat will be amazing. We would love to take a 7-day cruise, but I don't know how people get off of work for that long! For us, we would also add a hotel night to break up the drive. And then we would probably add at least one night at Disney. Usually, our max is about a 5-night vacation. But we are definitely considering all of our options. I would love to see the Fantasy, and am hoping they may add shorter itineraries to the Fantasy's lineup. Otherwise, we may have a 7-nighter in our future! And for a B2B, do they make you get off the ship? I wasn't sure how that worked.

Because of school with 2 seniors that are in all AP classes except for art and culinary arts we are skipping the parks. We will take the train(probably) for the leg down leaving as soon as the girls are out of school or get them out an hour early as we live2 1/2 hours fromthe train station unless we want to go to DC first. LeaveThurs night get to Orlando Friday, rent a car and Drive to port. Cruise then fly back. We are cruising the week before Christmas and I cannot take off Christmas week and I have to either work Christmas eve or day. I am only taking off a week this way or 36 hours vacation time,

[ThereYouSeeHer]

Originally Posted by LuvEeyore

Because of school with 2 seniors that are in all AP classes except for art and culinary arts we are skipping the parks. We will take the train(probably) for the leg down leaving as soon as the girls are out of school or get them out an hour early as we live2 1/2 hours fromthe train station unless we want to go to DC first. LeaveThurs night get to Orlando Friday, rent a car and Drive to port. Cruise then fly back. We are cruising the week before Christmas and I cannot take off Christmas week and I have to either work Christmas eve or day. I am only taking off a week this way or 36 hours vacation time,

Wow, a Christmas time cruise on the Fantasy! I LOVE Disney World during Christmas time. Do you know if they decorate the ship or have different shows or anything like that for the holidays?

[LuvEeyore]

They do decorate the ship. I cruised in Dec 2005 starting the Thursday after Thanksgiving for 3 days at WDW and then4 day cruise on the wonder. CC is decorated. The tram is decorated like a reindeer. The ship had a tree lighting. Mrs Claus made appearances. The Characters had holiday outfits. They had gingerbread house making for families. It wasnt all Christmas but was very nice. We love going at Christmas butnot Christmas week. I vote take the girls out of school.

[ThereYouSeeHer]

Originally Posted by LuvEeyore

They do decorate the ship. I cruised in Dec 2005 starting the Thursday after Thanksgiving for 3 days at WDW and then4 day cruise on the wonder. CC is decorated. The tram is decorated like a reindeer. The ship had a tree lighting. Mrs Claus made appearances. The Characters had holiday outfits. They had gingerbread house making for families. It wasnt all Christmas but was very nice. We love going at Christmas butnot Christmas week. I vote take the girls out of school.

Wow, that sounds really neat! How is the weather on a December cruise? Are the air and water temps high enough to swim in the pools and at Castaway Cay?

[LuvEeyore]

I went swimming at on both the ship and a Castaway Cay. I think it was in the low 80's in Nassau. We are doing the seven day on the fantasy dec 15-22 2012 and the average temps in St Thomas and San Juan are hig 70's low 80"s. Evenings are a little cooler on the ship.