April 17, 2011 on the Dream

News from DCL:

-- Starting this week, dining times onboard the Disney Dream are being changed. Both dining periods will begin 15 minutes earlier than originally scheduled -- First dining will begin at 5:45 p.m. and second dining at 8:15 p.m.-- Beginning today, March 22, 2011, you will have until 11:59 p.m. the day before cruise departure to complete online check-in forms. (Previously, your deadline was two days prior to vacation commencement.)

I just read this in my latest weekly email issue of AllEars and thought you'd like to be the first to know! :)

Yay!!! Don't know why dinner a whole 15 minutes earlier makes me so happy but it does :laughing:. It's the little things you know...
 
Yay!!! Don't know why dinner a whole 15 minutes earlier makes me so happy but it does :laughing:. It's the little things you know...

Hey Bridget - I'm with you...I don't why that made me really happy but it did! I didn't like the 8:30 dining time, but 8:15 sounds better. :confused3
Debbie :goodvibes
 
Yay!!! Don't know why dinner a whole 15 minutes earlier makes me so happy but it does :laughing:. It's the little things you know...

I am excited about this as well! We have main seating for dinner but really wanted to switch to late, now that it's 8:15 I will definitely be changing. Selfishly, I'm glad they are going back to the old show times as well, they just work out better for us!
:banana::cool1::dance3:
 
Great storytelling Deb! Can't wait to hear what we'll be doing on our sea day :goodvibes

I'm with you guys, that 15 minutes makes me very happy. Was a lil nervous about late dining.

We'll be cruising soon!!
Robin
 

Hello everyone .
Did dinner times and showtimes change?? If so, what times did they change to? Where did anyone see this new information posted?

Thank you in advance to any/all who have the answers.

Donna
 
Thanks for the info. about the dinner time changes Deb! I am still hoping to switch to the earlier seating because of the kids, but that 15 minutes makes it seem so much earlier!:lmao:
 
Thanks for staying tuned to my little countdown story! :grouphug:

Wednesday – A Day at Sea! :woohoo:

Exactly 4 weeks from today, the sun rises early on the Dream as we slowly cruise at sea – 6:43am to be exact! For some, it will be the first day ever of not stepping foot on land!!! Nope, today is a full day at sea and perfect for exploring all the nooks and crannies of our brand new ship! Outta bed, sleepy head! Let’s see what the Dream has in store for us!

First, it’s time to eat… again! ;) Maybe you're planning to pamper yourselves with a sit-down breakfast in the Royal Palace or Enchanted Garden this morning? Or maybe you’d rather sit outside of Cabana’s with Deb T., looking out into vast expanse of ocean, occasionally glimpsing another ship on the horizon. :sail: The Aqua Duck is opening at 9am! :woohoo: So is the Midship Detective Agency! Have you solved a mystery yet? Something intriguing that I’ve never seen before listed in the Navigator is “Jack-Jack’s Incredible Diaper Dash” – I wonder what that’s all about! There will be at least two bingo sessions offered today – are you feeling lucky? Maybe you are in the mood for a movie? How about the “Anyone Can Cook” session in D Lounge? Trivia contests? Spa treatments? Quite a few of us will head to the pools and hot tubs. And almost all the kids will want to spend time with their new friends in the Kids’ Clubs. :yay: Characters will be out and about all day, too! It's just not possible to have a moment of boredom on a Disney ship! So much to do, so much to see, so much to eat… is it lunchtime yet??? :rotfl:

The afternoon is also chock full of activity choices! How about a round of Goofy Golf? Have you ever wondered how to make towel animals? Well, now’s your chance! :goodvibes There’s also a Family Craft session for scrapbooking! More trivia games. Info about DVC with a chance to win a raffle!!! Wine tasting for the adults! Another stop at Eye Scream. ;) Maybe we'd better do a few laps around Deck 4 to burn off all those extra calories we’ve been ingesting… or better yet - take a nap on one of those comfy lounge chairs on Deck 4 instead! :thumbsup2

The last full day aboard the ship also means we need to begin preparations for our dreaded departure. First, on the list is stopping by guest services to charge tips to our cabin so we can put the little tip vouchers in the little tip envelopes that were left on our bed last night. We’ll be sure to leave our cabin host’s tip envelope on the bed before we head to dinner – sort of a reversal of roles since he/she is the one who has been leaving us little surprises there each night. :goodvibes (We’ll hand our other three tip envelopes out at the end of dinner.) We also need to pack – a most unpleasant task since we have now decided that we never want to leave the ship – ever! Suitcases need to be outside our cabin door (ironically pretty much in the same spots we found them just three short afternoons ago!) by 10:30pm so they can be whisked away and waiting for us in customs in the port terminal. Don’t forget to set out a full set of clothes for the trip home though, including shoes! DCL crew have lots and lots of stories about people disembarking in their pjs! :scared1:

A gorgeous orange sunset comes all too soon, but there is still plenty to do as we try to fit in every last moment of this magical vacation! There’s a dance party, another game show, and karaoke just to name a few. It will be difficult to narrow down which photographs to purchase from Shutters – they’re all great memories that are captured and frozen forever! It’s time for one last souvenir shopping spree in the gift shops! Oh - and don't forget the Captain will be signing autographs tonight in Whitecaps! Main diners are headed to the last restaurant in their rotation, now with their table number ingrained in their brain. No need, though, as your server recognizes you as you approach the entrance and happily escorts you to your table. Some will exchange email addresses with tablemates, planning to keep in touch. We’ll say our goodbyes to our new friends and servers, but we will see them again in the morning during our quick sit-down breakfast before having to leave the ship.

Tonight’s stage show, Disney’s Believe, is brand new for the Dream! If it’s half as good as Disney Dreams, then there will be at least one cruiser all choked up at the end… ahem… betcha can’t guess who. ;) Deb T. is such a sap – and it won’t help that her DD is getting married just 5-1/2 weeks after the cruise – yup, an emotional basket case, sent over the edge by a well-performed and sentimental Disney story!

Eventually, those with young children will have to retrieve them from the Kids’ Clubs one final time. Wouldn't it be great to have those wonderful Counselors at home with us!? Then, we all head to the atrium for a final farewell from all the characters at 10:15pm. They have gathered together in the atrium for a little show called See Ya Real Soon. And we really do hope to see them again real soon!!!!

We head back to our cabins and peek in our FE’s one last time before unhooking them from our fish/starfish/seahorse. We check out our last towel animal. We set up an all-too-early wake-up call. And then we snuggle into bed one final time, a little bit sad that our cruise is coming to an end. And finally, after a very full day, the gentle rocking motion lulls us to sleep one... last... time.......
 
And finally, after a very full day, the gentle rocking motion lulls us to sleep one... last... time.......

:guilty: But if you have rebooked while on board, you have another cruise to look forward to. ;)

Love your writing Deb. I feel like I'm there already!
 
Deb T - great post...although I had to choke back tears. Sitting here in my office giving a make up test and I do not need this 8th grader seeing me cry!
I have copied and pasted all your posts into a word doc and I'm going to send it to my mom so she has a preview of what is to come.
I just realized this morning that we leave in three weeks! How is that possible??
I was talking with DH last night about how to pack for 10 days away - Universal, Cruise, WDW...what is weather like in April? I am assuming shorts, capris, short sleeves, maybe a long sleeve shirt or sweatshirt. There are five of us in the car - three adults, two kids...So all the clothes plus FE gifts...how will we do it? DH told me I can not bring my hair curler set - I'm into hair curlers these days (addicted more like it).
Don't want to start a debate (I've seen it happen on the cruise boards) but, what do kids wear to dinner? Do I need to get Connor some light pants or can he wear shorts? I don't want to do the wrong thing and this topic is so debatable!!
I think I need to make a list or take inventory of my clothes! I know I need to come up with a color scheme to make packing easier, it's just so hard...
Back to work...
Debbie
 
Thanks so much for the info on dining times DebT!!!:goodvibes

I e-mailed my TA and asked her to check if slots opened for early dining because of the people saying they would switch to late now with the move up of time!! Even with 15 minutes, I am still not crazy about having late dining. We got slotted in this because I told our TA at the beginning we wanted to do it and then forgot to change it when we could have early on.

Oh man! I need to get on the stick about this vacation! I am an early planner and fall short on my short range planning skills. :sad2:
 
Hello everyone .
Did dinner times and showtimes change?? If so, what times did they change to? Where did anyone see this new information posted?

Thank you in advance to any/all who have the answers.

Donna

Hi Donna
Reports are that they have changed show times back to 6:30 and 8:00 (not 100% sure about 2nd time) with a 4pm matinee for the bigger shows. I saw this on 4 day navigators that were posted recently, although I can't seem to find them now.
As far as dining times, Deb T. posted something recently about this, dining times originally were 6 and 8:30 and have been moved to 5:45 and 8:15, probably to go with the new showtimes. Hope this helps!
Kelly
 
Ok just had a not so fun snowy commute in to work... :rolleyes:

Had to re-read Deb's post about our Castaway Cay day to help me get over it.

I'm better now :goodvibes

Glad you made it into work safely! I'm really glad to have helped you feel better! :hug:


:guilty: But if you have rebooked while on board, you have another cruise to look forward to. ;)

Love your writing Deb. I feel like I'm there already!

Thanks! :goodvibes We'll definitely be booking another cruise, although it will have to be a dummy date for now. But, I could also add that if you've booked a B2B like two of us have, then the cruise isn't over yet... :woohoo:


Deb T - great post...although I had to choke back tears. Sitting here in my office giving a make up test and I do not need this 8th grader seeing me cry!
I have copied and pasted all your posts into a word doc and I'm going to send it to my mom so she has a preview of what is to come.
I just realized this morning that we leave in three weeks! How is that possible??
I was talking with DH last night about how to pack for 10 days away - Universal, Cruise, WDW...what is weather like in April? I am assuming shorts, capris, short sleeves, maybe a long sleeve shirt or sweatshirt. There are five of us in the car - three adults, two kids...So all the clothes plus FE gifts...how will we do it? DH told me I can not bring my hair curler set - I'm into hair curlers these days (addicted more like it).
Don't want to start a debate (I've seen it happen on the cruise boards) but, what do kids wear to dinner? Do I need to get Connor some light pants or can he wear shorts? I don't want to do the wrong thing and this topic is so debatable!!
I think I need to make a list or take inventory of my clothes! I know I need to come up with a color scheme to make packing easier, it's just so hard...
Back to work...
Debbie

April is a tricky weather month. Temps can vary from freezing to balmy to hot, so I'd recommend packing a little bit of everything. Another thing to remember is that when the ship is moving, it is very windy and a little bit chilly out on the open decks. And, some indoor spaces can be chilly from the air conditioning, like the theaters and restaurants.

You just never know about weather... last July, our Baltic port average high temperatures were supposed to be in the low 60's, so we packed lots of sweaters, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants. Wouldn't you know that all of Europe had a heat wave last summer with temps reaching the 90's!!! :headache: Murphy's Law.... ;)

Regarding the dinner dress code, I can tell you that I've never seen anyone turned away from any of the restaurants because they weren't dressed according to Disney's suggested guidelines... and I've seen some really odd things, such as the grown man wearing shorts, striped tube socks pulled up to his knees, and old tennis shoes to dinner! When our son was younger, we always had him wear pants (no jeans), but ultimately it's your decision.


Thanks so much for the info on dining times DebT!!!:goodvibes

I e-mailed my TA and asked her to check if slots opened for early dining because of the people saying they would switch to late now with the move up of time!! Even with 15 minutes, I am still not crazy about having late dining. We got slotted in this because I told our TA at the beginning we wanted to do it and then forgot to change it when we could have early on.

Oh man! I need to get on the stick about this vacation! I am an early planner and fall short on my short range planning skills. :sad2:

Good luck getting your dining times changed! Here's some pixie dust for extra luck! pixiedust:
 
Hi Donna
Reports are that they have changed show times back to 6:30 and 8:00 (not 100% sure about 2nd time) with a 4pm matinee for the bigger shows. I saw this on 4 day navigators that were posted recently, although I can't seem to find them now.
As far as dining times, Deb T. posted something recently about this, dining times originally were 6 and 8:30 and have been moved to 5:45 and 8:15, probably to go with the new showtimes. Hope this helps!
Kelly
Just found the navigators, showtimes are 6:15 and 8:30.
 
Thanks for posting the dining time changes. I have my AllEars newsletter sitting in my inbox and just haven't read it.

It's funny reading everyone going into 'panic mode' when realizing that the cruise is getting closer and closer and they still have packing and FE's to finish. I'm going into panic mode since I need to sit with DH and place a Home Depot order and then go to a local lighting store and order new bathroom lights - all this has to be done in time for delivery here so we can pack it up and take it down to FL with us. I'll all for buying it here tax free and then lugging it down to the FL house.
Aack...must get that stuff ordered in the next day or so.


Still trying to decide if we are going to pack up here so we are all ready or if we are going to pack down in FL. I'm leaning towards packing up here so we can spend a couple hours at Epcot on Saturday after we arrived down there that morning.
 
JillJill
Have you been able to use any Disney resident benefits owning a home in FL? Now that I own a home so close to Disney I should look into it. What did you have to show for proof?
Thanks
 
But, I could also add that if you've booked a B2B like two of us have, then the cruise isn't over yet... :woohoo:

Sure..... go ahead and rub it in!! :rolleyes1

Our flight home will be landing just about the time you do the lifeboat drill on the second cruise! :sad2:
 
Kelly, or anyone that knows, can you send us the link to the navigators if possible please and thanks! :goodvibes
 
JillJill
Have you been able to use any Disney resident benefits owning a home in FL? Now that I own a home so close to Disney I should look into it. What did you have to show for proof?
Thanks

Yes, we have cruised with the FL res. rate a couple of times and we have FL res. AP's. In the past, you were able to get a part time FL DL or FL ID, but that was stopped in 2010. If you check the FL resident section of the WDW website it lists what options you are able to use to get FL resident discounts.
I did switch my DL over to a FL one and gave up my DE one, so I'm good to go. For DH, we'll have to use one of the options listed on the WDW website.
 
Just in case anyone is interested......

I was just on the DCL web site and there are still Palo brunch ressies available at 11:00AM on our sea day. There were also Remy ressies available at 7:40PM on the first night. I'm sure there will be other openings once on board, but I was surprised there was anything still available online.
 


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