pershing
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2003
- Messages
- 1,395
Single Mom with 3 DS's: 10,8,6
I was on the same cruise as kellimomo,(and alot of great other people
). As you may know, we couldn't dock at Grand Cayman or Castaway Cay. So I have no insight there. And Kelli did such a wonderfully detailed trip report, I thought I'd stick to tips for single moms with young children. I read many of the trip reports and packing lists, so many of the tips are from those that really worked well for me as a single mom.
Packing Hints:
1- Don't hesitate to bring more suitcases than you, yourself, can pull or carry.
Most people would say, "isn't packing light better?" and "what if you get stuck having to drag the suitcases around along with the little kids?" Your well-meaning relatives will chime in with more comments like this.
I have done it both ways and let me tell you, I SPENT WAY LESS MONEY WHEN I PACKED MORE SUITCASES VERSUS WHEN I PACKED LIGHT. Reasons:
I didn't have to worry about my suitcase weighing over on the way back or getting zinged with an overweight fee. I had all the 'what if' medications from my own medicine cabinet and didn't have to pay exorbinant overpriced fees in the parks or on the boat. I had my kids favorite snacks along with cereal, bowls and spoons which saved me on mini-bar expenses and breakfast bills. ( I've found after the overstimulation of the parks kids love down time with their usual snack.) I brought back many of the souvenirs we bought from our first trip, like the light-up sorcerer Mickey Hats and Ears, and the kids were content with those, well-mostly content!
I never had to drag my suitcases anywhere. At the airport, I used curb-side check-in and there were luggage trolleys when we got off the plane. We did a bus, 2 different hotels, rental car agency and the cruise, of course. I was never left to drag my suitcases by myself. I also brought a suitcase inside a suitcase, a folded up nylon laundry bag, and a packed and folded sports bag. On the way home, we used all of them and had no problems at all. Most suitcase have rollers which your oldest could handle if he/she had to anyway. I say, each of your children are allowed 2 to 3 bags (depending on airline), with carry-ons and stuff and you should go ahead and make use of that.
2-Pack more bathing suits less clothes. Which is a recommendation from the packing list thread. Boys, especially, can wear bathing suits instead of shorts. For kids, I would bring 6-8 bathing suits per child. Especially, if they love to swim like mine. We brought wet bathing suits with us from WDW, they were wearing bathing suits upon arriving at Port Canaveral so they could swim right away after lunch, and swam after dinner again the first day. That's allready three or four wet bathing suits. Besides, the least crowded pool times are early morning and after dinner. Winter Cruises If you own short wet-suits for your kids, bring them. The lifeguards say their fine, even on the Mickey slide and in the whirlpools. We had some windy days at Sea and one particular day, my boys were the only ones braving the walk up to the Mickey slide. We also used the wet suits at Blizzard Beach, however, you couldn't use them on the slides with no rafts. I would add to the bathing suit recommendation though with pack sandals, water shoes, and swim goggles for the cruise; for the parks, pack more socks and underwear than you think you need.
Winter Cruises If you're coming from cold to warm, like we were, I would recommend wearing a sweater and your rain jackets, boots, and mittens instead of your winter jackets. Our trip had the full range of weather from 25 to 85 along with a day of rain. We used everything separately. The mittens stayed in pockets of the rain jackets and, yes, we used them too, unfortunately.
3-Other things I brought because I already owned them: snorkel gear . We only had one beach day at Cozumel and it was worth packing them for just that one day, nevermind what Grand Cayman and Castaway Cay would have added. Also, snorkel vest or some kind of floatation device for your younger children. Even if they are great swimmers like my DS 6 and DS 8, I had piece of mind when they went splashing around at Paradise Beach. I knew they were dog tired from all the boat activities and walking from the Pier. And the ice burg and water trampoline were a ways out from the shore. Having their own snorkel vests meant I could lay back on my lounger and watch them from the shore. I don't remember any lifeguards there either.
Other hints:
4- Go ahead and rent a car instead of towncars. This can be intimidating for a single mom, but it was cheaper and a breeze. You can leave for the port when YOU want to (ie. when you finished re-packing the suitcases from the parks). I dropped off my luggage at the port before returning the car to Budget.(Make sure your cruise tags are on the luggage). With no luggage, we could hop on the next shuttle back to the port. Just make sure you feed the kids BEFORE you leave the Disney Area as there is nothing on the way to Port Canaveral. (and I mean NOTHING!) I had directions printed from AAA, but I found the best way was to follow the road signs to Disney or Port Canaveral and put down the directions. Make sure you have dollars and quarters for the tolls. By the way, an Economy car will hold a complete set of luggage and more in the trunk. Don't worry about the size of the those trunks! Def. read about rental car discounts on Mousesavers.com. I saved a bundle with my Shaws discount.
5-When you board the ship, your kids have eaten and they are swimming, go ahead and make your spa and palo reservations, check on the kids while filling out the kids club/lab form (one form for all of them), then go register your kids for the clubs w/o them there.
Ok, this statement would be touchy for a 2-parent family to hear, but its meant for a single mom to hear. We do 24/7 with our kids, many times with no one to help out and we know how to get quick errands done and stuff. Here's my reasoning: That first day there are 2 lifeguards at the Mickey Slide and one at the Goofy pool. I had to introduce myself to the lifeguards anyway 'cause one of my sons has Autism. (I must say I was really impressed with how many questions they asked regarding how to communicate with him.) Anyway, I told my oldest that they were all to stay in the pools to which he said no problem, and I was back from making spa ressies and palo ressies within 15 minutes. No kidding. At the cruise meet, they said about 1 hour later everything was booked. If I had waited, oh boy. I went over and talked to all three of my kids. Let them know where I was sitting, filled out the kids form, went to the club and was back in another 15 minutes. The Spa is on 10 Forward, under the sports deck. Palo Reservations ARE NOT USUALLY AT PALO, but 3 aft, I think in Sessions, a night club area. The Kids Lab is at 5 Mid-ship. Go into the lab, don't wait at the desk, sit down at one of the tables, even if there are parents already sitting there and wait for the counselor to look over your form. Once he/she has done that, they assign you a pager and your done. Quick, easy, but long if you wait at the front desk!
One more hint and then I have to make dinner and come back later to add more.
6-Unpack your luggage COMPLETELY before the ship starts sailing! I found this to be very helpful. There are plenty of drawers and cubbies. You find yourself designating where the shoes and stuff will go. Do this, because you don't know if you or a little one will be seasick when the ship starts sailing. And even if you don't get seasick, it's easier to unpack while the ship is standing still. Don't work out of a suitcase all week. You don't have the room and the kids can get their own clothes and shoes and stuff. I found that standing up the suitcase at the end of the desk, merely extended the desk by a foot or so and I could still walk around the bed. My suitcases didn't fit under the bed which would be true for most. After the safety drill, I did put the life preservers under the bed as recommended by other people.
I've got to go but I have a few more to add later. Hope this helps someone like me!
I was on the same cruise as kellimomo,(and alot of great other people
). As you may know, we couldn't dock at Grand Cayman or Castaway Cay. So I have no insight there. And Kelli did such a wonderfully detailed trip report, I thought I'd stick to tips for single moms with young children. I read many of the trip reports and packing lists, so many of the tips are from those that really worked well for me as a single mom.Packing Hints:
1- Don't hesitate to bring more suitcases than you, yourself, can pull or carry.
Most people would say, "isn't packing light better?" and "what if you get stuck having to drag the suitcases around along with the little kids?" Your well-meaning relatives will chime in with more comments like this.
I have done it both ways and let me tell you, I SPENT WAY LESS MONEY WHEN I PACKED MORE SUITCASES VERSUS WHEN I PACKED LIGHT. Reasons:
I didn't have to worry about my suitcase weighing over on the way back or getting zinged with an overweight fee. I had all the 'what if' medications from my own medicine cabinet and didn't have to pay exorbinant overpriced fees in the parks or on the boat. I had my kids favorite snacks along with cereal, bowls and spoons which saved me on mini-bar expenses and breakfast bills. ( I've found after the overstimulation of the parks kids love down time with their usual snack.) I brought back many of the souvenirs we bought from our first trip, like the light-up sorcerer Mickey Hats and Ears, and the kids were content with those, well-mostly content!
I never had to drag my suitcases anywhere. At the airport, I used curb-side check-in and there were luggage trolleys when we got off the plane. We did a bus, 2 different hotels, rental car agency and the cruise, of course. I was never left to drag my suitcases by myself. I also brought a suitcase inside a suitcase, a folded up nylon laundry bag, and a packed and folded sports bag. On the way home, we used all of them and had no problems at all. Most suitcase have rollers which your oldest could handle if he/she had to anyway. I say, each of your children are allowed 2 to 3 bags (depending on airline), with carry-ons and stuff and you should go ahead and make use of that.
2-Pack more bathing suits less clothes. Which is a recommendation from the packing list thread. Boys, especially, can wear bathing suits instead of shorts. For kids, I would bring 6-8 bathing suits per child. Especially, if they love to swim like mine. We brought wet bathing suits with us from WDW, they were wearing bathing suits upon arriving at Port Canaveral so they could swim right away after lunch, and swam after dinner again the first day. That's allready three or four wet bathing suits. Besides, the least crowded pool times are early morning and after dinner. Winter Cruises If you own short wet-suits for your kids, bring them. The lifeguards say their fine, even on the Mickey slide and in the whirlpools. We had some windy days at Sea and one particular day, my boys were the only ones braving the walk up to the Mickey slide. We also used the wet suits at Blizzard Beach, however, you couldn't use them on the slides with no rafts. I would add to the bathing suit recommendation though with pack sandals, water shoes, and swim goggles for the cruise; for the parks, pack more socks and underwear than you think you need.
Winter Cruises If you're coming from cold to warm, like we were, I would recommend wearing a sweater and your rain jackets, boots, and mittens instead of your winter jackets. Our trip had the full range of weather from 25 to 85 along with a day of rain. We used everything separately. The mittens stayed in pockets of the rain jackets and, yes, we used them too, unfortunately.
3-Other things I brought because I already owned them: snorkel gear . We only had one beach day at Cozumel and it was worth packing them for just that one day, nevermind what Grand Cayman and Castaway Cay would have added. Also, snorkel vest or some kind of floatation device for your younger children. Even if they are great swimmers like my DS 6 and DS 8, I had piece of mind when they went splashing around at Paradise Beach. I knew they were dog tired from all the boat activities and walking from the Pier. And the ice burg and water trampoline were a ways out from the shore. Having their own snorkel vests meant I could lay back on my lounger and watch them from the shore. I don't remember any lifeguards there either.
Other hints:
4- Go ahead and rent a car instead of towncars. This can be intimidating for a single mom, but it was cheaper and a breeze. You can leave for the port when YOU want to (ie. when you finished re-packing the suitcases from the parks). I dropped off my luggage at the port before returning the car to Budget.(Make sure your cruise tags are on the luggage). With no luggage, we could hop on the next shuttle back to the port. Just make sure you feed the kids BEFORE you leave the Disney Area as there is nothing on the way to Port Canaveral. (and I mean NOTHING!) I had directions printed from AAA, but I found the best way was to follow the road signs to Disney or Port Canaveral and put down the directions. Make sure you have dollars and quarters for the tolls. By the way, an Economy car will hold a complete set of luggage and more in the trunk. Don't worry about the size of the those trunks! Def. read about rental car discounts on Mousesavers.com. I saved a bundle with my Shaws discount.
5-When you board the ship, your kids have eaten and they are swimming, go ahead and make your spa and palo reservations, check on the kids while filling out the kids club/lab form (one form for all of them), then go register your kids for the clubs w/o them there.
Ok, this statement would be touchy for a 2-parent family to hear, but its meant for a single mom to hear. We do 24/7 with our kids, many times with no one to help out and we know how to get quick errands done and stuff. Here's my reasoning: That first day there are 2 lifeguards at the Mickey Slide and one at the Goofy pool. I had to introduce myself to the lifeguards anyway 'cause one of my sons has Autism. (I must say I was really impressed with how many questions they asked regarding how to communicate with him.) Anyway, I told my oldest that they were all to stay in the pools to which he said no problem, and I was back from making spa ressies and palo ressies within 15 minutes. No kidding. At the cruise meet, they said about 1 hour later everything was booked. If I had waited, oh boy. I went over and talked to all three of my kids. Let them know where I was sitting, filled out the kids form, went to the club and was back in another 15 minutes. The Spa is on 10 Forward, under the sports deck. Palo Reservations ARE NOT USUALLY AT PALO, but 3 aft, I think in Sessions, a night club area. The Kids Lab is at 5 Mid-ship. Go into the lab, don't wait at the desk, sit down at one of the tables, even if there are parents already sitting there and wait for the counselor to look over your form. Once he/she has done that, they assign you a pager and your done. Quick, easy, but long if you wait at the front desk!
One more hint and then I have to make dinner and come back later to add more.
6-Unpack your luggage COMPLETELY before the ship starts sailing! I found this to be very helpful. There are plenty of drawers and cubbies. You find yourself designating where the shoes and stuff will go. Do this, because you don't know if you or a little one will be seasick when the ship starts sailing. And even if you don't get seasick, it's easier to unpack while the ship is standing still. Don't work out of a suitcase all week. You don't have the room and the kids can get their own clothes and shoes and stuff. I found that standing up the suitcase at the end of the desk, merely extended the desk by a foot or so and I could still walk around the bed. My suitcases didn't fit under the bed which would be true for most. After the safety drill, I did put the life preservers under the bed as recommended by other people.
I've got to go but I have a few more to add later. Hope this helps someone like me!
I'll be back again later with more... I think! Any additions or questions? Please don't hesitate! 
late seating. Was hoping for early, but oh well. I was thinking of making Palo res' for myself and I think I will do that. Have been on the Wonder a few years back and looking forward to the 7-day Magic and the Western itinerary. Hopefully DS will enjoy the kids program, wasn't really that fond of it on the Wonder at 8, but with sign out priveleges at 11, might not be too bad. 
Consequently, I won't be booking January again! We planned to do the Stingray snorkeling excursion and (which I booked w/o going through Disney but with Nativeway directly) at Grand Cayman. And at Cozumel, we did a beach day at Paradise Beach which was glorious! 
) I can move my date to 2007 and still have the incentives! Price will change pertaining to the month like now, but its like having a non-expiring coupon you can use when you want to. Unless you never plan on sailing with Disney again, I would financially try to rebook onboard.
