A Lot Changes in 3 Yrs! Help with New Basics

[BAIC03]

Hello! It's been 3 years since my last cruise, and there's a Lot of new stuff I know y'all can help me with. I will have DH, DD5, DD3 and my parents with me for Dec 17 sail out of Galveston.

1. Port Arrival Time: what's the strategy here? They still have boarding groups, right? I'm worried about my kids getting hangry-- a very real and terrible thing. Should we go for a later time? Does it really matter?
2. Kids Club Pre-Register & First day on board: if I pre-register, do I still need to do something the first day? What?
3. BBB: how do you reserve? Can you bring your own dresses (pls say yes!)? Do you need a second ressie for Pirate night? I just see $$ here.
4. Is there a central place you can stand and watch your kids in the Aqua Lab? Or do you have to hover? I would want to be in eyeline on the same deck
5. How does the app work? Do you have to use the ships' internet($$$)?

I'll probably stop there for now... I have a lot more! TIA!!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Hello! It's been 3 years since my last cruise, and there's a Lot of new stuff I know y'all can help me with. I will have DH, DD5, DD3 and my parents with me for Dec 17 sail out of Galveston.

1. Port Arrival Time: what's the strategy here? They still have boarding groups, right? I'm worried about my kids getting hangry-- a very real and terrible thing. Should we go for a later time? Does it really matter?
2. Kids Club Pre-Register & First day on board: if I pre-register, do I still need to do something the first day? What?
3. BBB: how do you reserve? Can you bring your own dresses (pls say yes!)? Do you need a second ressie for Pirate night? I just see $$ here.
4. Is there a central place you can stand and watch your kids in the Aqua Lab? Or do you have to hover? I would want to be in eyeline on the same deck
5. How does the app work? Do you have to use the ships' internet($$$)?

I'll probably stop there for now... I have a lot more! TIA!!

1. Port Arrival Time is when you think you will be arriving at the port. The actual boarding number you get at check in is tied to the PAT you select. Actual boarding doesn't begin until around 11:15-11:30 with Concierge guests first, followed by Platinum Castaway Club members. Then the start announcing boarding numbers. Once the boarding number being announced catches up with the one being issued at check in, Open Boarding is announced, anyone holding any boarding number may board. This typically occurs around 12:30-12:45. Rooms are available at 1:30, usually.
2. Yes, you need to basically confirm the reservation, either in the terminal or onboard and the kids get their wristbands.
3. Reservations are available when you activity booking window opens. It's under "onboard fun". You may bring your own dress. Pirate Night would be a separate reservation/cost.
4. You can go into AquaLab yourself. It's an open area (this is on the Fantasy:
5. The app is free.

 

[BAIC03]

1. Port Arrival Time is when you think you will be arriving at the port. The actual boarding number you get at check in is tied to the PAT you select. Actual boarding doesn't begin until around 11:15-11:30 with Concierge guests first, followed by Platinum Castaway Club members. Then the start announcing boarding numbers. Once the boarding number being announced catches up with the one being issued at check in, Open Boarding is announced, anyone holding any boarding number may board. This typically occurs around 12:30-12:45. Rooms are available at 1:30, usually.
.

So we will be in Galveston staying overnight. Check out of the hotel is 11:00. We were going to eat lunch before we got on so we would have a PAT or 1200, 1230? Good strategy? Bad?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

So we will be in Galveston staying overnight. Check out of the hotel is 11:00. We were going to eat lunch before we got on so we would have a PAT or 1200, 1230? Good strategy? Bad?

In my opinion, for most embarkation ports, I find 12:30 to be a good time to be at the port. It's typically after the big rush/lines of the "must be first" people, and before the "let's go after lunch" crowd.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Also, I'll point out that AquaLab on the Wonder is different than AquaLab on the Fantasy, but you still can still just hang out in the area. This is a promotional picture of the space on the Magic. I believe it's similar on the Wonder:

 

[nearlyfallinstar]

The internet is free for the DCL app for your whole cruise. Any other internet use will cost $. You can get 50mb free that you sign up for the first day.

 

[hpsalb]

I have found it best for the kiddos to have either a snack or an early meal and then the other once we get onboard. On our most recent sailing, we had breakfast at our hotel and snacks at the port. We did sitdown lunch as soon as we boarded. ODS is 6 and YDS is 1 (almost 2) and I still find that a backup snack comes in handy. We had a PAT of 11:30 and boarded not long after that. We were sitting in Triton's at noon when it opened.

I usually preregister the kids and then go to the clubs/nursery onboard during open house to get their band.

You can reserve BBB/Pirates League ahead of time. There is a cancellation fee if you change your mind too close to the appointment time. Different options for costumes or just makeup. You can bring your own dress or pirate outfit.

On the Wonder, there is seating next to the Aqua Lab where you can keep an eye on the kids. It is set up as pictured above, but we found there were always more chairs out than in that photo (although getting one isn't a guarantee). There are also tables just beyond that on either side, although it might put you out of sightline depending on what you can find and how crowded it is.

The app use is free with DCL wifi. Any other wifi use does cost extra.

 

[Weedy]

Here's a photo of the Aqua Lab on the Wonder.

 

[darnheather]

I always tuck granola bars or bags of nuts in my carryon for the hangrys wherever we travel. I'm guilty of that all the time.

 

[Starwind]

Unless they have changed it, we were also able to access the DCL website and the WDW website with the free internet. Useful for researching future cruises to book on board, as well as if you have a follow-on stay at WDW.

SW

 

[BAIC03]

OMG that AquaLab! My kids will never come out! How long is the line for the slide?

Next question: my YDD will be 3 and (hopefully) completely potty trained by then. What is DCLs policy if she has an accident in the Club? Is she banished to the nursery (that would be awful bc she's a BIG 3!)?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

OMG that AquaLab! My kids will never come out! How long is the line for the slide?

Next question: my YDD will be 3 and (hopefully) completely potty trained by then. What is DCLs policy if she has an accident in the Club? Is she banished to the nursery (that would be awful bc she's a BIG 3!)?

In the club, if there's an accident, you'll be paged, to come get her. Clean her up and she's good to come back, but you may be asked to check her periodically (like every 60 minutes, or so) to see if she needs to be taken to the toilet.

You won't be able to use the toilet in the club, but you can take her out to one of the public toilets or the one in your room, and then she's welcome to return.

 

[jrabbit]

and remember in Galveston, there are frequent fog delays closing the port for several hours. Happened several times last year

 

[bbel]

Next question: my YDD will be 3 and (hopefully) completely potty trained by then. What is DCLs policy if she has an accident in the Club? Is she banished to the nursery (that would be awful bc she's a BIG 3!)?

A one off (or two or even three) accident won't mean going to the nursery, the only way that happens is if/when it happens every time a kid is in the club/lab.
If she does have an accident, you'll get a call, you'll usually get the option to pick up, the CMs to change her (they have accident clothes in the club), or you to come and change. If the shoes get wet too, you'll most likely be asked to at least bring some shoes as they have to be wearing them in the club. If they cant get a hold of you, they'll change her and you'll probably get a message saying please call the club (or something like that).
As PP mentioned, you can't use the kids bathrooms in the clubs to change or help, but they do have a family bathroom in the club/lab that you can use together without having to check out and find a bathroom or go back to your cabin.
On the first day (or any open house time) go and check out the bathrooms together, where they are and what they look like, you can go in together during Open House and see them together.
Then, once it's in secured programming, they'll be a CM outside the door, so if she does have a problem they can get another CM and together they can go and help her.

 

[BAIC03]

and remember in Galveston, there are frequent fog delays closing the port for several hours. Happened several times last year

I read about that! What would you add/change to your planning for a fog delay?

 

[BAIC03]

A one off (or two or even three) accident won't mean going to the nursery, the only way that happens is if/when it happens every time a kid is in the club/lab.
If she does have an accident, you'll get a call, you'll usually get the option to pick up, the CMs to change her (they have accident clothes in the club), or you to come and change. If the shoes get wet too, you'll most likely be asked to at least bring some shoes as they have to be wearing them in the club. If they cant get a hold of you, they'll change her and you'll probably get a message saying please call the club (or something like that).
As PP mentioned, you can't use the kids bathrooms in the clubs to change or help, but they do have a family bathroom in the club/lab that you can use together without having to check out and find a bathroom or go back to your cabin.

Wow- that sounds much more liberal than the way it was made out to be. That makes me feel good. Both girls have accidents when they are hyper-stimulated, so I'm glad to hear we have some wiggle room!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I read about that! What would you add/change to your planning for a fog delay?

As with all weather-related issues, no way of knowing. A fog delay can be an hour. Or half a day. Or overnight.

 

[Dug720]

I read about that! What would you add/change to your planning for a fog delay?

Trip insurance.

And a later in the day flight or a flight the next day.

 

[BAIC03]

Trip insurance.

And a later in the day flight or a flight the next day.

We bought Disney's vacation insurance, and we are driving so I feel better about that!

I read one TR where the delay was like 6 hours and it was a crush since everyone was trying to get through the terminal to the ship at the same time. That's a horrifying situation with 2 small kids!

 

[FamilyDreamLove]

We are driving to Galvaston and are contemplating staying overnight and being shuttled to the port. Are we better off doing a park/shuttle option or parking our car at the port? I read something n the WDW site but wasn't sure if you had to stay at the 2 hotels that they listed. (Does it interfere with the trip insurance) I'm sorry if this was already answered but I didn't see it in any threads.
Thanks a bunch!