Kids Clubs

[ClarabelleCow]

Does anyone keep their kids in the clubs all day while at sea?? I met a family that said their kids loved it and spent the entire day while at sea in doing the activities? Anyone out there left the kids all day? Do they provide lunch? Or do you collect the kids for lunch and then bring them back?

 

[mark & sandra]

Although we'd prefer to spend time with our kids, our 9 yr old son asked to spend every moment at the clubs. We asked him if he wanted to do anything else besides the clubs and he said no. They will take the kids to the buffet if they are left in their care when it's time for meals. My kids weren't thrilled with the whole meal thing in the clubs, they complained that the food was limited and you couldn't change your mind or plate if you decided that you didn't like it. At the sit down meals you could mix and change your mind as many times as it took to make you happy.

 

[Tiiiigergirl]

Our son would happily spend all day every day in the clubs. He is first in line at 9A on sea days and stays until the wee hours. We do haul his fanny out for dinner with the family. He takes medication 4X per day so we are constantly in touch with him and he always knows that he can leave. Believe me, it would not be worth it to leave him where he was not happy. He is always happy to get back to the ship on port days so he can get back to the club. We always offer him the choice of DCL or the Parks and he always chooses DCL. Of course maybe the little stinker knows that we won't fly all that way without at least peeking at the parks so that way he gets to do both. Hmmm. Oh well we love the cruise too!

 

[kcashner]

Any child in the club or lab is taken to meals at the times specified on the children's navigator. If you want your child to NOT be taken to dinner or lunch, you must pick them up 15 minutes before the specified time (this is also detailed in the Navigator.)

For my daughter, happiness in the kid programs depended on whether or not she made a good friend in the first day or 2. No, she never stayed all day, and always had dinner in the dining room. We've done DCL kid programs from age 7-13 with the same kid (Maiden voyage - 2/7/04).....yes, some kids stay all day, but not mine.

 

[Bbgrizzle]

If my kids had their way they would stay in the clubs all day. They loved it! But I do make them spend meal times as a family. One time they did stay during lunchtime and they were taken to topsiders. They said it was fine.

 

[lotsofboys]

Ok, I know we are the minority, but my kids totally dislike the clubs. Last week was our 2nd Magic cruise so I thought they might be more into it.......nope! They don't like the noise and general rowdiness that goes on. BTW my DSs are 7, 10 & 10. It doesn't bother me though, because this is their vacation as much as it is mine and if they want to spend the time with us that is great because I know in a couple more years my twins will be 13 and probably won't want dear old mom or dad anywhere near them

As for the meals, even though they go to Topsiders, they don't get a choice of what they want to eat, they are given a plate with a little bit of this and that to choose from on the plate. Another reason my boys didn't enjoy it much. The older two ordered of the adult menu every night on both cruises so a kids plate was not their idea of eating

 

[floridaminnie]

My 4 year old DD loved the kids club and I literally had to drag her out. She loved eating with the kids also. She didn't want to eat with us, but I did "force" her to eat with us a couple of times.

 

[Mickeyhugger]

I'm w/your minority lotsofboys!

Though we have a DD age 9, she disliked the club/lab. She was cooperative about going when DH and I went to the nightclub a few nights, but only enjoyed it if she had a friend w/whom she could hang out. (And even then, she'd rather be in the game room or on the deck.) Said the lab was BORING. Also, she preferred the meals in the dining rooms too. Ordered the filet mignon whenever available! LOL!

Too bad we're not on the same cruise, she likes hanging out and roughhousing w/boys too!

 

[Bbgrizzle]

Clarabelle: I will tell you what helped my girls enjoy the clubs so much. We found them pen pals around their same ages, (the children of other DIS ers who would be on our same cruise.) They wrote back and forth for a few months and then they met at the DIS meet on the first day. Then they had built-in friends whenever they were at the clubs. They loved it. My then 5 year-old had 4 pen pals and my then 9 year-old had two. At the DIS meet they all brought each other little gifts and got to know each other. They all had a ball in the clubs together. I highly recommend going that route!

 

[ClarabelleCow]

thanks - my 4 year old won't be a problem, he likes any kind of group activity, my 11 year old, who knows, one day she's into science, the next its something different. I'm sure they will be happy, the pool area doesn't really intrigue them to much, only because it will be so packed, they can swim anywhere.