Biggest waste of time?

[mort1331]

Spending hours and hours on these boards to find out what I should and shouldn't do and like.
Live the moment.

 

[mareed]

I usually go to the welcome aboard show if the variety act is one I'm not familiar with. My issue with the show itself is that part where Dad is struggling with the luggage. It used to be a bunch of prop suitcases. At some point they were replaced with the actual spinner cases they sell in the gift shop. And it now bugs me to no end that dad doesn't just wheel them. Sorry, Goethe. Willful suspension of disbelief only extends so far.

In a similar manner, it really bugged me that they'd be carrying a fishing pole, which isn't allowed to be brought on to the cruise and is on their list of prohibited items!

 

[firsttimemom]

The only thing I can really think of that seemed like a waste to me is the 80s music challenge game they play in Wavebands (we've seen it twice on the Wonder, not sure if other ships do it). The first time it was so bad that the next time we sat up the back to not participate. They forced us...we left.

We used to love 80's music trivia (really the only trivia onboard I have a chance of actually winning) but the last couple times on the Dream it's turned into a variety show where half the audience has to come up and do a crazy dance to earn the most points.

 

[splashmt]

Can anyone tell me what the "Welcome Aboard Show" is, and where it is?? Thanks

 

[saxmangeoff]

I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one to feel as I do about the Golden Mickeys.

Have you seen it since they re-vamped it on the Wonder, I thought it was excellent, one of my favs. Toy Story on the other hand is ready to be retired lol.

No, I have not, but I'll be on the Wonder next summer, so I'll have a chance.

I thought it was the worst! A show about an awards ceremony that's missing its host and someone steps in (the one time I saw it the actress looked incredibly like Amy Adams and that's awesome for her but it was distracting for me) to talk about how hard it is to host a show (despite the fact that she's not hosting but just talking about it) and then she wins the award for best host? Excuse me? That's the basis for a show???

EXACTLY!

The "award categories" had me scratching my head, too. The whole thing felt like a high school drama club attempt at coming up with a show that would feature as many Disney characters as possible. It would be better as a variety show scenario, i.e. the characters are being featured because they're being featured, not because they're allegedly up for some lame award.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Can anyone tell me what the "Welcome Aboard Show" is, and where it is?? Thanks

The Welcome Aboard show is the show that's in the Walt Disney Theater the first night on the cruise. Except for 3 & 4 night cruises.

Basically it's about a family about to take their first cruise and all the fun they are anticipating. The actual storyline is pretty cheesy (as is some of the acting), but the big dance numbers are pretty good. It's fairly short, about 20 minutes, then the cruise director comes out and introduces the individual entertainment that's going to be on the cruise, and they each do a little bit (about 10 minutes) of what their act is.

 

[ACDSNY]

I never understood how people could be that hungry when dinner just ended a couple of hours ago LOL. We go to see the ice sculptures and decorations, but we're always too full to get anything but maybe a dessert.

Out of 8 cruises we never hit the Pirate Night buffet, we're always too full from dinner.

Spending hours and hours on these boards to find out what I should and shouldn't do and like.
Live the moment.

Best tip yet!

 

[tlprice]

The Walking Ship Tour. So lame. All they showed us were the theaters and bars.

 

[ImprovGal]

I liked Buckets & Boards. Much more than I liked JunNk on our recent cruise. Actually, I didn't like JunNk at all.

That was my 3rd cruise with JunNk and they're one of my favorites of the variety acts. I never miss a set, although I prefer the Adult show to the family one. Overall, I was quite happy with the entertainment and activities on that EBTA.

 

[CamColt]

We used to love 80's music trivia (really the only trivia onboard I have a chance of actually winning) but the last couple times on the Dream it's turned into a variety show where half the audience has to come up and do a crazy dance to earn the most points.

We enjoy the actual trivia games, 70s, 80s, and 90s music (and Disney trivia too), but this was something they did at like 10:30 in Wavebands. It was like a "show" but they divided it into teams and and sort of made up the rules as they went along. Then CMs would "dress up" like the 80s icon here and there. It seemed they were trying to combine an 80s theme night and a game, and it just didn't work.

 

[psac]

Pirate Night. All of it. I've never even seen the buffet. The fireworks were a yawn. The show was bad. Etc.

Any of the shows on Dream.

We are over SailAway on DCL and RCCL.


Pirate night menu for a vegetarian:

The Buccaneer's Sun-Ripened Pineapple - fresh island pineapple with a coconut covered banana and orange glaze


Mr. Smee's Bibb Lettuce Salad - with bibb lettuce, baby greens, chicory, tomatoes, toasted pine nuts and raspberry vinaigrette


Sunken Vegetable Treasure - Black-eyed pea and quinoa croquettes with a mushroom sauce


Tiger Lilie's Savory Pancakes - stuffed with tofu, spinach, and lashed to the deck on a pool of pepper coulis


All are awful. The pineapple would be ok without the sauce.

The rest of the options are not good. I now order Mac and cheese from the kid menu that night.

Dh had a long conversation with them about what the pancakes should be vs what they are.




I thought it was the worst! A show about an awards ceremony that's missing its host and someone steps in (the one time I saw it the actress looked incredibly like Amy Adams and that's awesome for her but it was distracting for me) to talk about how hard it is to host a show (despite the fact that she's not hosting but just talking about it) and then she wins the award for best host? Excuse me? That's the basis for a show???

I've also seen Villains.

Due to my reaction to those shows, my family will not let me see Believe, as even they, super cheesy sentimental guys, thought it was bad. They do not want to be in the room with me for Believe. I trust them. I don't want to be in the room with me for it.

While I wasn't a Musicals person (budget cuts in the 70s and 80s in CA schools meant that our theater was music-free), I am a theater person, so it's weird to dislike their shows. Then again, ask me how I feel about the ridiculous new Jedi training show. Does everything with Disney have to be "young woman stops being an idiot and finds her inner strength"?

So the shows are also on my waste of time list, unless it's a magician or comedian.

Villans was the worse. By far. Golden Mickeys was the second worse. I don't get it either. I actually think Toy Story was much better. Believe (along with all of the other shows) was great, but you might find the daughter annoying.

 

[disneycruisegal]

I probably wouldn't do Palo brunch again. Between the upcharge + tip, missing the breakfast and lunch buffets at Cabanas, and the fact that the last time a server walked around with each of us and insisted on getting our food from the buffet, the magic is gone and it is no longer worth it to me.

Also, dinner at Remy. We did it once on the Fantasy. I loved the atmosphere, but the upcharge was significant and I didn't care for anything I ate. I would have been happier getting chicken fingers on deck.

And others have mentioned Pirate Night. I agree. We always go to Palo for dinner on that night.

But the biggest waste of time was waiting in line during peak times for the AquaDuck. My advice: if it is longer than 15-20 minutes, skip it and come back later.

It's funny how opinions can differ so much. We absolutely love Remy diner. In my opinion it's some of the best food i have ever had. It's like Victoria and Alberts at sea. We enjoy every minute. We also enjoy Palo brunch and diner.
I agree, Pirate is not my favorite and use this time to dine at Remy or Palo.

I also agree about not waiting in line to long for the Aqua Duck. Enjoy it on a port day, if you can, when the lines are shorter.

 

[mathgeek]

The Rainforest Room on a Bahamas cruise in the summer. I'm glad I tried it, but since most of the things revolve around heat for relaxation (heated loungers, hot tub, sauna, steam room) all it did for me was make me sweaty. It was a neat experience, and I'm glad tried a one day pass, but just didn't get a lot out of it the same way I did in Alaska on the Wonder.

Also, I feel the DVC Member presentation has gone downhill in the past couple years and isn't what it used to be. They used to make us feel like we were a part of a neat family, and now it's just a game that miraculously ends up in a tie. I'll go for the character meet & greet a few minutes before it starts and grab a free bottle of water, but I'm not staying for the presentation anymore.

 

[bcwife76]

I'm going to add another one - Exotic Rasul spa treatment. We did this on the Wonder last Fall. My husband and I thought it sounded fun...maybe even a bit romantic.
Seriously? SWEATY. GROSS. We laughed alright....we laughed at how anyone could ever find this sexy. I think they gave us an hour? We were done in half that. We sat in our towels and enjoyed our kid free time and talked. Wow

 

[RedSox68]

Have you seen it since they re-vamped it on the Wonder, I thought it was excellent, one of my favs. Toy Story on the other hand is ready to be retired lol.

.......and bring back HERCULES! That show never got tiring because there was so much ad lib!

 

[RedSox68]

The Welcome Aboard show is the show that's in the Walt Disney Theater the first night on the cruise. Except for 3 & 4 night cruises.

Basically it's about a family about to take their first cruise and all the fun they are anticipating. The actual storyline is pretty cheesy (as is some of the acting), but the big dance numbers are pretty good. It's fairly short, about 20 minutes, then the cruise director comes out and introduces the individual entertainment that's going to be on the cruise, and they each do a little bit (about 10 minutes) of what their act is.

And they usually have one great variety act -- like a comedian or magician -- that appears again later on the cruise.

 

[Quellman]

The biggest waste for us is the spa raffle at the beginning of the cruise. We went on the second leg of our B2B to check it out, because why not? The prizes are VERY limited in their usefulness, the whole thing is hokey, and if it takes too long they abandon the raffle all together and it becomes who can answer the question the fastest which always ends up with grumbling people. Just not worth it. Be a civilized person and budget in advance for your treatments. Then spend time with the drink of the day and the Satellite Falls.

Due to my reaction to those shows, my family will not let me see Believe, as even they, super cheesy sentimental guys, thought it was bad. They do not want to be in the room with me for Believe. I trust them. I don't want to be in the room with me for it.

Believe is and Wishes are similarily quite bad, so your family is doing you a favor there.

Also, I feel the DVC Member presentation has gone downhill in the past couple years and isn't what it used to be. They used to make us feel like we were a part of a neat family, and now it's just a game that miraculously ends up in a tie. I'll go for the character meet & greet a few minutes before it starts and grab a free bottle of water, but I'm not staying for the presentation anymore.

I'm in it for the characters, the booze, and as we found out on the Dream the Macarons from Vanellopes.

 

[GPaLarry]

Out of 8 cruises we never hit the Pirate Night buffet, we're always too full from dinner.



Best tip yet!

Same here, however, I always take my camera and shoot all the cool carvings using watermelons, other fruit, etc. I am sure the pirates from several hundred years ago served the same things during their deck parties.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Believe is and Wishes are similarily quite bad

Yes, I found that Believe and Wishes were quite similar in their theatricality (pretty shticky). The only redeeming quality of Wishes was it was about Disneyland. We don't often get recognition here on the west coast for "our" park.

 

[gourt]

We "waste time" when we fly from Oregon to LA or Orlando to go to a land, world or cruise. Easy fix: we are driving to the Wonder in Vancouver next June to see Alaska.

You will love that drive to Vancouver. We're also in Oregon and loved not having to fly across the country for a Disney cruise. Vancouver is an amazing city.