"Get the most value from your Disney cruise"

[married2grumpy]

There is a new article on Mousesavers titled "Get the most value from your Disney cruise". Having never cruised on DCL before, I found lots of the tips helpful and the article was just fun to read.

http://www.mousesavers.com/morecruise.html

Enjoy!

 

[FanofDis]

Great Tips !!!

 

[The4OfUs]

Well written and interesting...only one tip I went "Whoa" to...

Get your picture taken, but skip the lines. During dinner is one of the best times to have your picture taken. Once the first course has been served, step out to the atrium to visit the characters without the crowds.

Doesn't that strike anyone as rude to the servers and possibly those seated with you? "Excuse me, I know you're doing your job as efficiently as possible, I'm just going to take the family out for a photo, we'll be right back."

I don't know about that one, especially if you're early seating and they're trying to get you fed without feeling rushed, and clear and reset for the late seating...



Then again, maybe it's just me! *grin*

 

[CGC33A]

I hope my servers don't think I am rude when my DD wants/needs to go to the bathroom (I think she just wants to see the inside of every bathroom on the ship!) in the middle of dinner. If there are no or brief lines, it should only take a few minutes to take the pictures. I will have to try it next time. Dinner is never quick.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

I can see where you're coming from with thinking that, the4ofus... but I personally wouldn't find it rude to step out for a moment. To me it would be no different than going to the restroom (and yes, for us if one needs to go we usually all go to get it over with- otherwise soon as the one parent with one child returns... another child needs to go.... then the other child. LOL So we do tend to try to all go if one needs to go- to save overall bathroom visit times when eating out).
Would you find it rude to go the restroom during dinner?
Would you find it rude to waitstaff if you were eating out OTHER than on the cruise- to go to the restroom or step out to your vehicle for some reason, etc?

Waitstaff is just that- there to serve you your dinner (and you tip for that service also)... I'm not there to impress them or make sure I'm not "rude" to them by stepping out for a minute if I feel the need to do so for whatever reason.

 

[The4OfUs]

I wasn't trying to imply that you're glued to your seat during dinner "or else". But when you have an hour and a half for dinner, and when you consider that just because YOU are at dinner doesn't mean everyone else is so the lines are still there (albeit possibly shorter) - if you disappear for 15-20 mins, it could impact the servers who wait to take your order, for example. I just found it a strange suggestion not in the same realm as excusing yourself to go to the restroom.

Then again, I'm not trying to figure out the hourly value of my vacation either, so maybe I'm uptight about one thing (again, because my view on restaurants and servers and chefs is totally different than the majority of people here) and the person who wrote this is uptight about others, like saving 10 mins of standing in line because it's going to impact the hourly value.

Sorry to bring it up.

 

[WDWLVR]

I could see this if you are in Triton's/Lumiere's as it would be easy to run out and back. I think it would be harder if you were in Animator's or Parrot Cay.

 

[CheapMom]

I have a 1 year old and we often go for a walk while we are waiting for our entrees just as a diversion to him. If we didn't he would be squealing and throwing cracker crumbs on the floor. I always looked at this as acourtesy to the servers and those around me.
Does dinner really take 90 minutes?

 

[MrsPete]

Great tips!

The4ofUs -- I had a different take on the "have photographs made during dinner" idea. I thought the article was suggesting that you have pictures made during the OTHER DINNER SEATING. So, if you had early seating, you'd go for pictures halfway through the late seating. If you had late seating, you'd have your pictures made during early seating. Of course, this assumes that you aren't attending the shows.

 

[wide awake]

I have to agree with 4ofus on this one. There is a huge difference in someone getting up to use the restroom, or to entertain a fussy toddler, and the family leaving en masse, after the first course has been served, to have their picture taken. Of course I never have understood the attitude that the picture is more valuable than the event...I guess you could caption it "the night we inconvienenced our servers and tablemates and had to bolt our food".

 

[jrabbit]

Mrs. Pete - if you do as you have suggested - you would miss out on the main show in the Walt Disney Theater. For repeat cruisers who don't care to see a show again this would work, but for first timers they would want to see all of the shows.


The4OfUs - I've been "snaped at" here reciently - people must be stressed out for some reason. You're ok and I've appreciated your comments

 

[crisi]

CheapMom,

Dinner really DOES take 90 minutes - I'd actually say two hours. Walking around with your toddler will be no problem and our servers were great about getting covers on food when we had to run with kids on potty breaks.

You can ask them to "rush" your dinner, but it won't be the same....

Remember that most people are eating four courses. Appitizer, Soup or Salad, Entree and Dessert. That doesn't move quick.

 

[DreaminDisney]

Married2grumpy, Thanks for taking the time to post this. I found the tips useful And YES, it is a FUN article to read

 

[lbgraves]

Well all other points aside, this simply wouldn't work for the main character pictures. For example, Mickey & Minnie aren't out in the atrium for formal night for the entire span of 6-10 for pictures. They only had times listed before & after the meals. When we finished our dinner a little early, we went to get in the next line and were the first but still had to wait for them to come out.

 

[Carol36]

I also found the tips to be useful. I am writing down anything that will help make our cruise as MAGICAL as possible! Thanks for posting!

Carol36

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Originally posted by The4OfUs
I wasn't trying to imply that you're glued to your seat during dinner "or else". But when you have an hour and a half for dinner, and when you consider that just because YOU are at dinner doesn't mean everyone else is so the lines are still there (albeit possibly shorter) - if you disappear for 15-20 mins, it could impact the servers who wait to take your order, for example. I just found it a strange suggestion not in the same realm as excusing yourself to go to the restroom.

Then again, I'm not trying to figure out the hourly value of my vacation either, so maybe I'm uptight about one thing (again, because my view on restaurants and servers and chefs is totally different than the majority of people here) and the person who wrote this is uptight about others, like saving 10 mins of standing in line because it's going to impact the hourly value.

Sorry to bring it up.

No need to apologize and I don't think you're being uptight. We just feel differently about it I guess... I don't feel that when going on a cruise you are "obligated" to your servers for anything. Meaning I don't even think we HAVE to tell them if we aren't going to go to dinner one evening... they are there to serve us, we're paying THEM, not the other way around. It's my vacation.. I don't owe them staying in my seat the entire time. If I miss a course or it's served while I'm not at the table- that's my choice... I've never been on a cruise and I wasn't aware that they did not serve others (most likely our family of 5 will be at our own table- but maybe not) if you aren't sitting in your seat the entire time. I doubt very seriously that we will all be sitting the entire time if it takes 90 minutes for each meal... that's too lengthy in my opinion. So we might be skipping some meals or taking the kids to the clubs in the middle of dinner or having pictures taken or leaving before it's over... and I shouldn't have to feel bad about that.
That's just how I feel... it's okay that we don't feel the same about that.

 

[lbgraves]

If you are seated with others you would want to let the servers know if you were not going to be dining with them one night. They tend to wait until everyone is present to start taking orders and this would keep the others from having to wait unnecessarily. Our team had 2 tables of 8.

Maybe you will understand some of what we say more after your cruise. Our servers & even room host were more than just "staff" to our family. They helped to make the trip special for us. The kids adored them and they did everything possible to keep the kids happy. Our main server gave us suggestions for what to do in port and the head server made sure that we knew about any special kid events like the princess autograph session the next day before we even saw our Navigators.

 

[Dreamer04]

I took the OP suggestion, about running our for pictures after the first course, as a tip for a quick pic with a character-not a formal portrait on with the whole family.

I like the idea. It 's just a quick tip.

Our servers were great. But I never felt like they were family. Sorry-hope I don't get flamed for this, but family is family.

There are so many chances for pictures-don't stress about it.