DREAM 3 day May 5 - 8, 2011

[amylia403]

We were on the same cruise ...and also in boarding group # 3!!! So much fun, we can't wait to go back!

 

[BlondeJungleBookFan]

ROBIN - OHHH it was MARS needs Mom??
I knew I should put my glasses on when I read the Navigators!!!


THANKS EVERYONE for your nice comments!

 

[jerseygal]

I LOVED READING YOUR TRIP REPORT, SO DETAILED AND THOROUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SO WONDERFUL THAT YOU LOVED YOUR CRUISE!

 

[poohj80]

Thank you for an excellent report, we will be on board real soon May 22nd to 26th!
Tracey

We'll be there to wave as you disembark as we are boarding on the 26th.

 

[davidls]

PRE-PAID TIPS
We pre-paid our tips.
The last full day, in the afternoon, we got our envelopes and receipts.
There were 4 envelopes marked with the four “positions”
There were 4 receipts that had the amount we paid, plus the full name of the person.

We put each receipt in the envelopes for each person.
We gave them out the last night at dinner with a thank you & a hug.
They were all great.
The last morning, we gave our room steward his envelope as we left.
He was so sweet and hugged us both.

How did you pre-pay your tips? I know you can on other cruise lines, but I didn't think you were able to pre-pay the tips with Disney. Please let us know. And. this was a wonderful trip report!!!

 

[Shell54]

Great detailed trip report! I appreciated your details about the Hyatt MCO as we are staying there the nite before our cruise too. The Dream sounds beautiful glad you had so much fun It's our turn in July!

 

[poohj80]

We stayed at the Hyatt last year before a cruise and the airport check-in actually opened at 6 AM. Wanting to make sure we got a low boarding group number, I went down there to check us all in and received boarding group 2 while everyone else slept in so I was surprised to see it opened so much later now.

 

[kimistry6]

I loved your trip report. Thank you for including the movies and activities. I hope we have as great a time as you did.

 

[NWgoofyfamily]

Thanks for all the details, so helpful! Glad you enjoyed!

 

[TIGGERmetoo]

Really enjoyed your trip report - one of the best I've read. Thank you for sharing.

 

[QuiltTeddy]

LOVED your TR. Very detailed and information. Makes 03/22/12 seem that much further away.

As you were on the late dinner seating, what time did you actually get to the airport. I know they say "don't book a flight before noon", but I only have a choice of 11:50 or 4:50 and didn't want to sit around the airport all day long. I remember when we've done past cruises out of FL with Disney, we were at the airport very early - around 10 am (even with the late dinner seating), so I'm wondering if because the ship is so much larger, that will factor into it.

 

[ChristineandLiv]

Loved your trip report - and your sense of humor! Sounds so much like my trip on the Dream in February it made me 'homesick'!

Me too! We are still fresh off our trip (May 1st through 5th), and your report brought back so many memories!!! My daughter was chosen to be one of the dwarves during the Golden Mickeys, so that show has an extra special place in my heart!

 

[poohj80]

Me too! We are still fresh off our trip (May 1st through 5th), and your report brought back so many memories!!! My daughter was chosen to be one of the dwarves during the Golden Mickeys, so that show has an extra special place in my heart!

We're sailing soon and my daughter would LOVE to be a dwarf. Do you have any tips or can you share the circumstances of how she was picked?

Thanks so much!

 

[OhToodles2]

Thank you so much for the great TR! I've already started taking notes!

 

[sandiegosusie]

What a great trip report! Thank you so much for all the time you put into it! I was wondering if you felt the 3 day cruise was entirely to short to enjoy the ship? I've heard that reported and just wondered what you "take" was on that?

 

[bigedwin]

Thanks for your fun informative report!!!!!

 

[gfly]

thank you for the report!

 

[BlondeJungleBookFan]

:::doing my best Goofy imitation::: awww GARSH! thanks for all the nice comments!

DAVID:
I had booked thru the Disney Web site, so I just called them about a month before and said I wanted to pre-pay our tips. She gave me the price and I paid it with my Disney Visa card. Took about 3 minutes.
If you used a TA, I'm sure you can contact them and do the same.
I like having everything I can paid before we go.

SANDIE:
I was really worried about the 3 day being too short for me.
Of course, getting me OFF any cruise is a real struggle
Could I have stayed another week? SURE!
But, I really felt good about it when we left.
I felt like we had done a lot, enjoyed so much and also relaxed.

QuiltTeddy:
I really feel like you could make an 11:50 flight.
Just because you have late dining and are scheduled for the 7:45 breakfast, doesn't mean you have to go.
You can do what we did and get extra cereal and milk the day before. Either from room service, or just go up to Cabanas at breakfast time and bring some back to the room.
We made sure we kept the bowls and spoons for the extra cereal we ordered the day before. We got drinks the night before and kept in the fridge.

Instead of being in the dining room at 7:45, just have a quick breakfast in your room and then head out about that time. About 7:30 would probably be better. If you do the Onboard Airline check-in, your luggage will already be there, and you'll already have your boarding passes.

You won't have to search for luggage at the port, you can turn in your customs forms and grab a Disney Bus (or whatever transport you planned)
It's an hour to the airport. So, if you were out of there by 7:30 to 7:45, you'd be at the airport before 9:00.

That gives you time to go through the LONG security lines at the airport and then go to the food court and have a "bigger" breakfast, if you need.
The lines that morning at MCO were long to go through security. Just make sure you factor that time in.

We got there early, 9:30ish, but had the day room at Hyatt...
but, we noticed the long lines for security.
Lots of cruise people I guess. and WDW vacationers going home on Sunday.

HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME EVERYONE!!

The MOST important thing is the wonderful memories you'll be making.
Don't sweat the small stuff

 

[QuiltTeddy]

:::doing my best Goofy imitation::: awww GARSH! thanks for all the nice comments!


QuiltTeddy:
I really feel like you could make an 11:50 flight.
Just because you have late dining and are scheduled for the 7:45 breakfast, doesn't mean you have to go.
You can do what we did and get extra cereal and milk the day before. Either from room service, or just go up to Cabanas at breakfast time and bring some back to the room.
We made sure we kept the bowls and spoons for the extra cereal we ordered the day before. We got drinks the night before and kept in the fridge.

Instead of being in the dining room at 7:45, just have a quick breakfast in your room and then head out about that time. About 7:30 would probably be better. If you do the Onboard Airline check-in, your luggage will already be there, and you'll already have your boarding passes.

You won't have to search for luggage at the port, you can turn in your customs forms and grab a Disney Bus (or whatever transport you planned)
It's an hour to the airport. So, if you were out of there by 7:30 to 7:45, you'd be at the airport before 9:00.

That gives you time to go through the LONG security lines at the airport and then go to the food court and have a "bigger" breakfast, if you need.
The lines that morning at MCO were long to go through security. Just make sure you factor that time in.

We got there early, 9:30ish, but had the day room at Hyatt...
but, we noticed the long lines for security.
Lots of cruise people I guess. and WDW vacationers going home on Sunday.

We will be flying back on a Tuesday (I think, without looking - or a Wednesday) so it shouldn't be as bad as a weekend at the airport, I would imagine.

We are purposely flying on American, in the hopes that we will be able to do the check in from the ship. This originally was available for our 04/03/11 Mexican cruise, but they announced it was no longer available "due to security reasons". I can only hope it will be available in MCO and that it was a security issue at LAX.

Thanks for the information. Really don't want to wait until the later flight since we will be going to work the next day.

The months tick by so slowly now.....

 

[Gladys Kravitz]

This TR is so funny that I had to call my sister (that I'm cruising with in 3 weeks) and read parts of it to her.
We especially loved the part about the parent at the terminal who threatened their child with having the Aqua Duck turned off!! Classic!! And the pitifully sad departure from the terminal on the silent bus.
Thanks for sharing.