The cast: Myself, DH, Mom, DD5, DS 3 - 6:00 Dining APTT - Table 30 (Albert and Rapheal)
Room: 8524 - Category 4, the room was very nice and we didn't seem cramped at all. The first night, I could hear some noise up on Deck 9 at the pools (chairs being moved around?). It was very convenient being one floor down from the pool and free drink station. Hint: I brought my disney mugs from our last cruise to use to fill up drinks and take back to the room, which had handles and made it easy to carry four cups at a time.
As you have read from the previous trip report, we had great weather and sea conditions - so I will just list some of the tips that I found helpful:
- We ate lunch at Parrot Cay on embark day, we had to wait 10/15 minutes for it to open while everyone else (lots!) was guided to BBB. In my opinion - it was worth the wait for PC vs. BBB (nice restaurant vs. cafeteria). They have the same buffet but for first impressions PC was first class compared to BBB. I heard a woman pull her DH aside and say "I know things - we are waiting for PC".
- My only tip for Nassau (if you are only shopping) is comfortable shoes and "in my honest opinion" is not a place for small children. I went in with my Mom for shopping and then went again with my DH while one of us stayed on the boat and took kids swimming. The straw market was okay (very narrow walkways) and you can make some deals (imitation Kate Spade purses, straw handbags). The stores are pretty much regular prices. As for the hair braiding, taxi's, & tour guides - I found a direct "No Thank You" worked fine. I could have done without a trip to Nassau personally. Also I think it is Nassau day that they have a Tea With Wendy that night in the kids club - you have to pick up tickets (limited space) in the morning by 8:15 AM. It's in the Navigator but not really well known.
- Castaway Cay: We were the first off the boat (in line by 8 - off ship by 8:30) and my DH walked the path to get a place at beach while I rode tram with kids. When we got off there were free stollers and wagons. I put kids in wagon and pulled to beach and they played with the wagon on beach. We pulled a hammock up to the first row and I took some chairs and made us a circle around our area so I could make sure that my kids could play right in front of me. (Last time someone brought chairs right in front of us). I also took a chair down to the water and put a T-shirt on it so that I could have a place to sit and watch kids in water (everyone did this and it gets crowded). Hint - put personal stuff on all your chairs - everyone has the same beach towels so they don't work. I think this is also Pirate night - we brought the kids costumes and took them to the Pirate dance party at 5:15 at Studio Seas and they loved it. It is not advertised but Cinderella and Captain Hook were there and danced with the kids - I was surprised that only about 20? kids were there.
Day at Sea: It is so crowded at the Mickey pool. Imagine a zillion bugs around one light bulb. I opted to take my kids around the ship for activities and we went to the matinee of Disney Dreams at 2:00 and then to the pool by 3:30 and they swam until 5:30 (my dd had too much sun anyway so it was nice to miss the hottest part of the day). It was nice to get the show out of the way and do other activites after dinner.
Shows: I was very surprised that DS 3 loved the shows and was absolutely spellbound and he is a very rowdy child. We went to all the shows and I would rate (1. Golden Mickeys, 2. Disney Dreams 3. Ventr. Guy 4. Hercules). I was actually surprised that my family liked the ventr. guy (I can't remember his name..) but he kept my kids attention. Hint: We went to the 8:30 shows (except for Disney Dreams matinee) and my advice for all of the shows is to get there 15 to 20 minutes early - they fill up fast.
Kids Clubs - my kids liked them and went a couple of times for a few hours but mostly wanted to be with us. My DD 5 told me that she would cry when she wanted to leave so that they would page us - I explained that she didn't have to cry to leave - just ask them to page us. Also we missed the Mickey graduation but I went to the kids club before dinner and (I asked) they gave us the free T-shirts anyway.
Things I am glad I brought: beach toys for Castaway (my ds loves constrution stuff which they don't sell and boats). High C juices for room. Door magnet for room - it helped my kids find the room. SUNSCREEN and hats. Mugs for drinks. $1 and $2 for room service tips (we always ordered the cake of the day to try). Pirate Costumes for kids. Autograph books for kids. Air freshner for bathroom. Watch.
Things I didn't use: over the door access. holder (I couldn't figure how to get it up and mine was too long). Again, I brought way too many clothes.
One other general tip for any other "planner" addicts like myself - relax and don't worry to much about schedules. We only made it to dinner twice and ordered room service the other nights because the kids wanted to stay in the pool later or there was something else we wanted to do. I suggest reading your Navigator and the night before and plan for the events that your family really wants to do regardless of anything else.
Overall it was a wonderul vacation and beyond Disney - it was incredible to spend four days with my kids from sunrise to sundown and watch them totally enjoy themselves. It truly was magical.
Room: 8524 - Category 4, the room was very nice and we didn't seem cramped at all. The first night, I could hear some noise up on Deck 9 at the pools (chairs being moved around?). It was very convenient being one floor down from the pool and free drink station. Hint: I brought my disney mugs from our last cruise to use to fill up drinks and take back to the room, which had handles and made it easy to carry four cups at a time.
As you have read from the previous trip report, we had great weather and sea conditions - so I will just list some of the tips that I found helpful:
- We ate lunch at Parrot Cay on embark day, we had to wait 10/15 minutes for it to open while everyone else (lots!) was guided to BBB. In my opinion - it was worth the wait for PC vs. BBB (nice restaurant vs. cafeteria). They have the same buffet but for first impressions PC was first class compared to BBB. I heard a woman pull her DH aside and say "I know things - we are waiting for PC".
- My only tip for Nassau (if you are only shopping) is comfortable shoes and "in my honest opinion" is not a place for small children. I went in with my Mom for shopping and then went again with my DH while one of us stayed on the boat and took kids swimming. The straw market was okay (very narrow walkways) and you can make some deals (imitation Kate Spade purses, straw handbags). The stores are pretty much regular prices. As for the hair braiding, taxi's, & tour guides - I found a direct "No Thank You" worked fine. I could have done without a trip to Nassau personally. Also I think it is Nassau day that they have a Tea With Wendy that night in the kids club - you have to pick up tickets (limited space) in the morning by 8:15 AM. It's in the Navigator but not really well known.
- Castaway Cay: We were the first off the boat (in line by 8 - off ship by 8:30) and my DH walked the path to get a place at beach while I rode tram with kids. When we got off there were free stollers and wagons. I put kids in wagon and pulled to beach and they played with the wagon on beach. We pulled a hammock up to the first row and I took some chairs and made us a circle around our area so I could make sure that my kids could play right in front of me. (Last time someone brought chairs right in front of us). I also took a chair down to the water and put a T-shirt on it so that I could have a place to sit and watch kids in water (everyone did this and it gets crowded). Hint - put personal stuff on all your chairs - everyone has the same beach towels so they don't work. I think this is also Pirate night - we brought the kids costumes and took them to the Pirate dance party at 5:15 at Studio Seas and they loved it. It is not advertised but Cinderella and Captain Hook were there and danced with the kids - I was surprised that only about 20? kids were there.
Day at Sea: It is so crowded at the Mickey pool. Imagine a zillion bugs around one light bulb. I opted to take my kids around the ship for activities and we went to the matinee of Disney Dreams at 2:00 and then to the pool by 3:30 and they swam until 5:30 (my dd had too much sun anyway so it was nice to miss the hottest part of the day). It was nice to get the show out of the way and do other activites after dinner.
Shows: I was very surprised that DS 3 loved the shows and was absolutely spellbound and he is a very rowdy child. We went to all the shows and I would rate (1. Golden Mickeys, 2. Disney Dreams 3. Ventr. Guy 4. Hercules). I was actually surprised that my family liked the ventr. guy (I can't remember his name..) but he kept my kids attention. Hint: We went to the 8:30 shows (except for Disney Dreams matinee) and my advice for all of the shows is to get there 15 to 20 minutes early - they fill up fast.
Kids Clubs - my kids liked them and went a couple of times for a few hours but mostly wanted to be with us. My DD 5 told me that she would cry when she wanted to leave so that they would page us - I explained that she didn't have to cry to leave - just ask them to page us. Also we missed the Mickey graduation but I went to the kids club before dinner and (I asked) they gave us the free T-shirts anyway.
Things I am glad I brought: beach toys for Castaway (my ds loves constrution stuff which they don't sell and boats). High C juices for room. Door magnet for room - it helped my kids find the room. SUNSCREEN and hats. Mugs for drinks. $1 and $2 for room service tips (we always ordered the cake of the day to try). Pirate Costumes for kids. Autograph books for kids. Air freshner for bathroom. Watch.
Things I didn't use: over the door access. holder (I couldn't figure how to get it up and mine was too long). Again, I brought way too many clothes.
One other general tip for any other "planner" addicts like myself - relax and don't worry to much about schedules. We only made it to dinner twice and ordered room service the other nights because the kids wanted to stay in the pool later or there was something else we wanted to do. I suggest reading your Navigator and the night before and plan for the events that your family really wants to do regardless of anything else.
Overall it was a wonderul vacation and beyond Disney - it was incredible to spend four days with my kids from sunrise to sundown and watch them totally enjoy themselves. It truly was magical.
Anyway, the event was cute, but not something that either DD5 or myself would really want to do again. Wendy sits down at a table in the room and coaches the kids on proper eating of their "biscuit" (chocolate chip cookie) with tea (some kind of herbal concoction -- ice cold but surprisingly not pre-sweetened). Then each child gets a chance to have her picture taken with Wendy. As I said: cute, but not essential, in my opinion.
