Ash the Shubman/DISAddict dares to Dream of a Double Dip

[LuvEeyore]

Ashman, Glad you are back!! Now I can travel on the dream,,,vicarously but travel any way

 

[Tink rules]

Oh and Tink, while I admit I probably deserve that given my last report, don't think I didn't notice your little dig! YOU'RE ON REPORT LADY!


Just kidding, glad you're here!

YOU said you were going off to hike the App. Trail!!!! and that we'd have to wait until YOU got back!!!!

btw... can I do detention at the Grand Floridian?

 

[ashman]

I've got a couple of days before we hit the trail. I will get up what I can before then. I've guess I have a guilty conscious for taking so long to finish the last DCL trip.

 

[aggielawyer]

Hi my friend!! I thought about searching for a TR here after seeing your pics on FB. I'm looking forward to reading more. Think we could get our classmates to agree to a class reunion on the Dream?

 

[ashman]

Hi my friend!! I thought about searching for a TR here after seeing your pics on FB. I'm looking forward to reading more. Think we could get our classmates to agree to a class reunion on the Dream?

No I doubt we could, but I would be more than happy to go back with you and anyone else who wanted to go and call it a reunion!

 

[ashman]

Little Milli Vanilli humor there.


My oldest gets up about the same time as me, crawls into my lap. We had a similar moment on our last cruise. At that time, I asked her what she wanted to do that day, she said in a dreamy voice, “Go on a Disney cruise!” I asked her the same question at this time, she looks at me with the “Dad you are a dork” look, thumps me on the forehead and says “Daaaaaaad!” I guess it is official, I’ve got a middle schooler now! We hit the complementary breakfast, head back to the room and we are on the road by 7:30. So far our timing is very close to what we did last time. I’m thinking this is going to be good! Number three boarding pass here I come!

We come to exit 205, the kids are pumped, I’m pumped, my wife is pumped. Crossing the bridge over the Indian River, we see her for the first time, THE DREAM! Lots of cheers and much excitement at this point!. It is about 9:30 and My guess is we well be like we were last time, too early to get into the parking lot but we will be in a short line and at 10:00 we will be heading into the terminal! Right? WRONG! First, there is now a parking deck so the layout is different, secondly they let me go right ahead and pull into the deck. We park, I have a ticket but I think it is short term, I look around for a long term lot and/or ticket but can’t find one. With that in mind, we unload the car and head towards a ramp in the deck on level three that says to the ship.

We get there and the lady says, we aren’t letting folks into the terminal yet but go downstairs and you can in line at the main gate. R'okay Scraggy! So we schlep down to the main gate. They guy tells me we aren’t letting folks on yet but there is a line we can get into on either side of the gate, or if we want to we can get in a line on the ramp of level three of the parking deck? HUH? I tell him I was just told I couldn’t do that, he says okay just get in line.

It is about 9:45 at this point and there are already several families in front of us. It is crazy with all the folks getting off into shuttles and cabs. Part of me feels sad for them because their cruise is now over, I know that feeling, not much fun. The other part of me is thinking, “clear out people, I’ve gotta get on that ship!”

Well the line starts moving and we get up the the gate check. Right before I get checked in, this lady comes up all in a panic. “I just got off the ship and I left my cell phone in the safe of the room!” I’m thinking this really stinks for this lady, going through in my mind everything that will have to happen for her to get her phone back. This ties up the gate personnel and takes a few minutes before she can check my docs and let me in.


Whew! Got through the gate, on to the terminal! Can I haz nummer trwee bodding pus pleaz? (Attempt at writing this as a lolz catz). See you next chapter!

 

[Tink rules]

Wow... I hope they still let you drop some people off cause I can't see draggin my 80 year old mother in with her luggage... (of course if they have those luggage carts... I could just toss her on top and push...)

 

[ashman]

Okay guys I'm back from my hike. I am writing the trip report but I am at a place with VERY SLOW internet so I can't post pictures. My plan is to write the report and when I get home post it with pics. I hope you have enjoyed what I have written so far!

 

[Tink rules]

Welcome back!!!

 

[dinkerbelle]

Welcome back! Loving your trip so far! We are going on our first cruise on the Dream next May so I am looking forward to hearing all about it!

 

[JMTStone]

29 days till my trip.... loving your report.

 

[ladybugmom]

I just spent the past few hours reading your old trip reports and I'm hooked!! We have 2 girls of our own and will be going on our very 1st Disney cruise on the Fantasy May 5, 2012!! My hubby and I haven't been on a cruise since our honeymoon 12 years ago! (RCCL 7-night to Bermuda) I am looking forward to reading all about your cruise on the Dream! Oh--and I LOVED the video of how you told your girls at Christmas!!

 

[CarolynU]

I was loving reading this so much, and watching the Big Reveal that I burnt my dinner oops!

 

[ashman]

Okay I'm back where I can upload some pics, let's get this thing ramped back up again shall we?

 

[ashman]

We get to the bottom of the terminal, go through the metal detectors, head up the escalators, and get...... Our....... (wait for it) boarding pass....... (you know its coming) number....... 6! A six? Really? We to the terminal that early and we get a six? I’m feeling like I dropped the ball a bit here but then I realize that there were a lot more people on this ship than the Wonder, plus this cruise has a much more Dis Savvy group so it is to be expected. We go to the check in line which of course is beyond easy, especially if you do the stuff online, trust me people it makes life that much easier! We get our silver Castaway Club member lanyards (oooooh ahhhhhh) and my kids have them unwrapped in no time flat! The check in lady then hands me a card with my stateroom number on it and writes on the card that my boarding number would be three! Part of me is thinking, “Woo Hoo! A three! Yeah!” The other part of me is thinking, I don’t want to try an pull something here, so I tell her that I was already given a six. She gets this real embarrassed look on her face and it is one of those awkward moments where she clearly wants to take the card back, but doesn’t want to put a bad taste in my mouth, I tell her, no worries, we will get on with the sixes. (I hear later that some folks had boarding numbers in the 30's! ) I guess a six isn't so bad!

We also at this time realize that we have 2nd seating. We have always done first. I’m guessing since our kids are older, we got bumped. We thought about changing it but decided in the end to just go with it and see how it all works out. We eat dinner pretty early but its not like you can’t find food if you get hungry! My oldest tries to grab a quick snooze:

We then wake her up to get our first pic with the Mouse! :

At this point, the terminal is getting pretty crowded, packed even. I’m beginning to wonder if this is sign of things to come. Going from a passenger capacity of 2500 to 4000 is a 60% increase, that is a lot of humanity going through. We get a pic with Mickey and the model, get the kids checked into club. NEW NOTE, if you do online checkin, you only have to check in kids 10 and younger to get the bracelet. Kids 11 and up get to come and go as they please.

Look over there! It's Goofy!

Next installment, we get on this ship! See ya real soon!

 

[JKSWonder]

Your seating got bumped? I have never heard of that happening before. I always thought the earlier you book, you get to choose what time you want and any of the poor people who book after you have to take what's left and only get to change their seating if there is room.

I would hate to get involuntarily bumped from first seating. My kids will be 11 and 6 at the time we next cruise, but their bedtime is 8:30 to 9:00 (even on vacation....their choice, not mine). Second seating would never work for us.

 

[jenifred]

Boarding numbers in the 30S??? Maybe I should pitch a tent at the port the night before our cruise.

I loved your Mickey tie dye shirt pics. You inspried me and Dis Granny to give it a whirl. The family will now be sporting a set tye die shirts on our trip! Can't wait for more!

 

[Dizzyworld]

Your seating got bumped? I have never heard of that happening before. I always thought the earlier you book, you get to choose what time you want and any of the poor people who book after you have to take what's left and only get to change their seating if there is room.

I would hate to get involuntarily bumped from first seating.

I've never heard of this either.


Can't wait to read more about your adventures.

 

[LissaW16]

I just finished my TR from the 6-7-11 Dream Double-Dip, can't wait to read yours!

 

[ashman]

By the time we are through the kid check in line, they are starting to let folks on.

Then there is a sight that ANY DCL fan loves to see:

Before we know it, we are on the ramp to the ship. We get the traditional on the gangway shot but it is a bit more crowded:

Here is the same shot from our first cruise:

And from our last cruise:

Again they are growing SOOOOOO fast!

We are welcomed onto the Dream and get our first look at the inside. Stunning does not begin to describe it. The pictures do not give the atrium justice. It is a fabulous looking ship so far!

In the past, we have always gotten on the ship, eaten lunch, then hit the slides. After ooohing and aahhing over the atrium, we fly up the stairs (no waiting for the elevator this time!) from Deck 3 to Deck 11 and the the pool deck and the Aquaduck! Okay kids time to go eat then we can hit the slide. NO WAY DAD! Mini Me has got her clothes off (there is a bathing suit underneath don’t call Child Protective Services!) and Sweet child is half there. No food now for those girls!

Now a word of caution and/or advice, the deck is gonna be hot, you need shoes in line for the Duck. If you have sandals with straps (like Tevas) you can wear them on the ride, or you can just throw your shoes in the bottom of the raft but YOU WILL NEED shoes!

The girls hit the slide, my wife gets pics and I get Cokes to tide us over. The girls get a bit hungry and so on to lunch! After we eat we decide to explore the ship and get our bearings. We swing by our room and meet Val our stateroom hostess, she is from Thailand.

Here is a video I made about the Duck:



Next chapter, let's explore this ship!