Current Youth Activities CM -- Ask me anything!

[Weedy]

Thank you SOOO much for the advice and tips.

I have a rediculous questions. I am a HUGE germaphobe. I have cancer and am immune comprimised and suddenly have become very weary of germs.

Can I ask what you guys do to clean the kids clubs? Do you bleach? Use some other hospital grade cleaner? How often do you clean?

Thank you sooo much!

See post #768 They clean alllll the time

 

[wrighter]

If our beloved youth counselor is still around, I have a question that hasn't been asked yet:

DS's given name is John, and therefore must be registered on the cruise as John. However, he would never answer to this name if called it. He'd answer to Jack or John Patrick.

When I register him for the youth areas prior to the cruise, do I need to register him as John - because that is what the official ship's log will know him as? And if so, is it pretty easy to call him something other than that once he arrives on your doorstep? Or will I need to prep him (and us!) to be called John the entire cruise?

This is such a little thing, I know. But it came up during the booking process and it just made me wonder. Thanks!

 

[allyphoe]

If Edge is doing a scavenger hunt around the ship, would there be an issue with the 11yo going in to get the list, then doing the out-of-club part with the 10yo? We anticipate they'll want to hang out together, so will primarily be in the Club, but they're interested in the scavenger hunt if they could do it together.

 

[jstewartgt]

If our beloved youth counselor is still around, I have a question that hasn't been asked yet:

DS's given name is John, and therefore must be registered on the cruise as John. However, he would never answer to this name if called it. He'd answer to Jack or John Patrick.

I'm pretty sure you can choose a nickname when you check in your child for the kids clubs

 

[Emzed]

DS's given name is John, and therefore must be registered on the cruise as John. However, he would never answer to this name if called it. He'd answer to Jack or John Patrick.

We experienced the same thing with our daughter. Her first name by which she was registered (as is on her passport as well) is Mary but she is known to everyone by her middle name. When we pre-registered online we had to go by her first name but when we arrived at port and she got her "bracelet" they changed it to her middle name (upon request). It was never an issue; even on the larger ship with so many children she was quickly known by her preferred name.
I hope Jack has a wonderful time!

 

[wrighter]

So if I have it correct: He'll be John on everything until we get to the port, at which time we can switch it up. Good to know! Thanks, all!

 

[CMontheseas]

Thanks for the warm wishes everyone, apparently someone tried to send me a care package indirectly at the Oceaneer Club knowing I was sick on board! So sweet! But I'm all better now and I shared the Twinings with everyone!

Let's get down to answer time:

Hello You mentioned above something about a filming activity. Could you elaborate what that's about? My daughter is 11 and my nephew is 12, and this sounds like something that they would LOVE!!!
Thanks!!

It's something we actually do in Vibe, where the kids act out scripted segments and it's all compiled together into a movie!

Have a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeQGoM-_i34
There are plans in the works for Edge to do something like it, but for now it's mostly video scavenger hunts where we get them to film dares or act out scenes from movies around the ship in front of unsuspecting guests.

I wondered if you had advice for my son who will be 12. He is very shy and uncertain of things that are new. I would be fine if he didn’t want to go to the youth areas, but the thing is that he WANTS to go (he has even been reading the Edge activities on old navigators.) Unfortunately, the idea of being in a room full of strangers (even his age) is very difficult for him.

My 7 year old daughter has a very hard time making new friends.
Can you offer me any suggestions for making her time in the club on our upcoming cruise on the Magic more fun for her?

For not-overly-outgoing children, I get that it is really tough sometimes and the environment is really overwhelming to get out of their comfort zone and just make friends. It ain't so easy unless they're very lucky and happen to be sitting next to the kindest, most bubbly outgoing child at the time. What I recommend is to tell the Counselors and a Manager especially who can keep a more specific eye when you're registering, (even privately if you're worried about embarrassing them) - just so that we have an idea to look out for them and try to get things going. Sometimes we mistake shyness for disinterest and don't try to force kids who don't seem to care into doing things they don't want to! But if we know they actually do, it'll help!

Whenever kids come up to me and say "I'm having trouble making any friends in here." (aww heartbreaking!) I always tell them to do one of two things, which usually seems to work every time (so far!). #1 - Tell everyone they meet something that you like about them. Usually what they're wearing. "I really like your shirt. I really like your shoes. I really like your drawing. I really like your costume. That earns a lot of friend points between the kids lol.
And #2 - wear something noticeable or make something neat that another kid might feel compelled to comment on. And work from there!

When we cruise my DS will be 3. I saw it mentioned earlier 3+ don't have to be potty trained but you'll take under 3 if potty trained and can communicate their needs. My DS will be 3 but has a speech delay (possible autism as well) and I do worry about his ability to communicate if he wants to leave. If we even leave him in the first place we would probably be checking on him frequently since he likely won't be potty trained. But if he is uncomfortable being there alone d/t his communication and sensory issues are there any circumstances in which they allow parents to stay outside of open house times? I'm thinking since this is only a 3 night cruise we'll be able to get away with only visiting during open house but I want to know our options, in case he ends up wanting to be at the club all the time.

I also saw on here about these Mickey bands... Is that something the child only needs to wear if he is left alone at the club? Due to his sensory issues I can see getting him to wear that could be difficult. If he only came with us during open house would he ever need to wear it?

If we are going to have to limit to only going during open house times, I saw a navigator online for a 3-night Bahamas cruise but our cruise is not for several months. Do they typically stick to the same schedule? Just trying to find out so we can plan excursions or touring Nassau on our own accordingly. When you are able to choose excursions do they tell you what time they will occur? Thanks for any insight!

Oh my ,'m going to try my best to tackle these questions one at a time!
Everyone else that responded to it pretty much has it right though (thanks guys!)

Make sure that when you register and pick up your bands for the first time that you indicate in his medical notes his speech delay/sensory issues. If he's ever going to be in our care without you present, make sure you work out with the Counselors a way for them to know when we should be contacting you! (The note is genius!) Does he sign? I know some parents use this tactic too so we can watch out for a certain sign to know he'd like to leave or needs help.

The bands have always been a bit of a challenge for some kids, especially some with special needs! We hope that the new Oceaneer bands will be operational on your ship by the time you cruise as they're more comfortable. Some kids however, just can't stand wearing anything at all so rest assured it's only really necessary when worn in the space during Secure Programming and can be removed and kept with you whenever he's not with us. If he's only going to be with us for Open House then no band required! (I don't know much about itineraries being similar though, while sometimes they might be very similar, some cruises have totally schedules when they're trying out a new rotation)

 

[CMontheseas]

Thank you SOOO much for the advice and tips.

I have a rediculous questions. I am a HUGE germaphobe. I have cancer and am immune comprimised and suddenly have become very weary of germs.

Can I ask what you guys do to clean the kids clubs? Do you bleach? Use some other hospital grade cleaner? How often do you clean?

Thank you sooo much!

Like others have said, we clean. Clean clean clean. I mentioned earlier how much we sanitize but for more specifics it's always a system of soap, then water, then bleach for every surface several times a day. United States Public Health (USPH) requires us to use a bleach solution for everything, with a strong concentration in the evenings. When the spaces are closed, they are also "fogged" for extra overnight sanitization.

Antibacterial sprays are used on all of the costumes, which should also disposed of or incinerated every 2 weeks. (Such waste! But clean is clean!) The toys are heat washed every single night.
Keep in mind despite all these precautions it's still germ central because SOME parents always try to pick fights with us when we ask the kids/or even them to wash their hands. "But we just washed our hands 10 minutes ago!"

Which leads me to:

Your illness brings up some questions for me:
When someone on the ship gets sick, what precautions does Disney take besides quarantine? If it is a staff member that comes in contact with other people regularly, do they Chlorox your work space?

Quarantine is pretty much first on the list. IF it's really bad you're not isolated to your cabin but instead a closed off room in the medical wing. "Into the brig" as we lovingly call it because you're completely cut off from the world at that point.

Your cabin gets stripped and sanitized, and your immediate work space is also sanitized and bleached down. For good reason we're very strict on disease prevention and control of the spread on board, to the point that if you don't report your symptoms immediately for certain illnesses you can get dismissed at the next port for endangering the rest of the crew/guests!

When you are not able to work due to illness, do you use "sick days" and get paid, or do you not get paid?

Thankfully, even though "sick days" are about as mythical as "Days off" to us on board, we still get paid when off work due to illness.

I enjoyed SO much reading your answers! I will definitely give some chocolate treats for the crew members!

I'm from Brazil and there are two kids in my group (both age 6) that will probably really want to join their age club. We have done some previous cruises in Brazil (with Royal Caribbean) and both kids have enjoyed it A LOT. This is our first cruise out of Brazil and none of them speak English (only some random words like animal names, greetings or the alphabet). I would like to know if they are allowed on the kids club, since they won't be able to really communicate with most crew members and if you think they will enjoy being there. They are both really extroverted kids, but i'm not sure if the activities will be enjoyable for them. Have you had this problem before? Are there any Portuguese speakers on the cruise?

Thank you for your help!

The kids will definitely be allowed, just make sure that the kids are introduced and know the names of the counselors to look for who can speak Portuguese. Make sure they're prepared for all of the programs and the Disney characters and announcements to be made in English. If all else fails, non-english speaking kids tend to just pretend to follow along with what's going on and have fun anyway!

However, cousnelor wise you're in luck! Brazilians are generally the 3rd-largest nationality that is represented in Youth Activities.

I found it put in a nicely visual way online:
http://disneyyac.blogspot.ca/2014/01/the-world-according-to-youth-activities.html

 

[Bear3412]

.... the costumes ... incinerated every 2 weeks.....

No wonder DCL costs so much.

So does that mean the costumes rotate/change somewhat every two weeks, or are the replacements identical?
TIA

 

[CMontheseas]

No wonder DCL costs so much.

So does that mean the costumes rotate/change somewhat every two weeks, or are the replacements identical?
TIA

Oh you should see how much food we're forced to throw out at the end of every mealtime. Whole pizzas, trays of fries, bowls and bowls of fruit. It sucks every time.

The costume replacements are identical for the most part. Whenever we ship out the old ones, we get boxes and boxes of new ones. If you look closely, they're technically "last-season" princess dresses, if we can call it that. (Oh goodness. I've really gone into the deep end if I can tell different seasons of princess dress apart! )

 

[katiefried]

Thank you CM!!

 

[randomiam79]

Do you know if Princess Anna from Frozen is still onboard the ships? We leave tomorrow on the Magic, can't wait. Love the cruises and blessing the counselors with some treats!

 

[lltthatsme]

Hi, I have read most of the thread (took me a long time ) but still have some questions. This will be our first cruise. I have 2 girls who are 11 and 12. They both have learning disabilities (and one is in a special class at school). They were adopted less than 2 years ago and are often immature for their age (the 11 year old loves watching Sofia the First).

My understanding is that they could both choose between Oceaneer and the Edge. I was just wondering what sort of activities in the Oceaneer areas are best for older girls? The 12 year old really pictures herself being in the Edge, but I have told both girls to wait until we check them out and not decide now. She is concerned because she doesn't want to be with "babies". I would like to explain some of the cool activities for older kids.

I am not sure the Edge would be best for them, but am willing to check it out. The 12 year old is only reading at a grade 2 level and the 11 year old is still learning the alphabet. They also sometimes are socially awkward because they don't understand everything (although they can follow instructions etc.) I am afraid they wouldn't fit in. Also there seems to be a lot of games, and video games that probably require some sort of reading or comprehension.

Thanks

 

[lbgraves]

For not-overly-outgoing children, I get that it is really tough sometimes and the environment is really overwhelming to get out of their comfort zone and just make friends. It ain't so easy unless they're very lucky and happen to be sitting next to the kindest, most bubbly outgoing child at the time. What I recommend is to tell the Counselors and a Manager especially who can keep a more specific eye when you're registering, (even privately if you're worried about embarrassing them) - just so that we have an idea to look out for them and try to get things going. Sometimes we mistake shyness for disinterest and don't try to force kids who don't seem to care into doing things they don't want to! But if we know they actually do, it'll help!

Not sure if you are aware, but there is a meets forum here on the DIS with a separate thread for each cruise. People meet online beforehand and organize activities together as a group. We have linked dining with friends we have made on these threads and actually cruise with a few several times now. The best thing to do if you have a shy child is get them to connect with another kid their age through these meet threads. The parents are the ones who connect on these threads. The kids can then communicate before the cruise via email, Facetime, Skype, etc so that by the time they actually see each other onboard they have a few friends and it's like they have always known each other.

 

[joycsk]

But we get used it after a while. Because we get to travel for free!

Dear CMontheseas,

I know I'm quite late here, and I so appreciate your positive attitude and helpful words, but I want to say that _I_ (and most of the rest of us in the thread) Know that you are NOT traveling For FREE!

The Youth Counselors are definitely earning their keep!

 

[daner517]

Can we bring you homemade baked goods? Or are we not allowed to bring that on the ship.

 

[joycsk]

Thank you so much for this thread and sharing yourself with us. The insight and advice has been wonderful. I have such a better perspective on the lives of the CMs, and I am rather disappointed on several issues (hungry at night and no access to food!)

I wondered if you had advice for my son who will be 12. He is very shy and uncertain of things that are new. I would be fine if he didn’t want to go to the youth areas, but the thing is that he WANTS to go (he has even been reading the Edge activities on old navigators.) Unfortunately, the idea of being in a room full of strangers (even his age) is very difficult for him.

I suggested that he meet another child through the DIS boards cruise meets pre-cruise, but he felt awkward. I also suggested that he attend on the first evening when everyone is new and no one has made friends yet. But do you have any other advice for him?

Thank you again, and regardless of whether he ends up attending the youth spaces, he wants to drop-off goodies for the Counselors!
Hope you feel better soon!

Dear Suzi, Have you joined the Cruise Meet Thread for your cruise. For our past 3 cruises, I've posted messages asking if any parents of similarly aged kids wanted to set up 'pen pals' for their kids with mine. We have usually emailed, but also snail mailed a few times prior to the cruise. Our kids have Loved that and made friends before they ever step foot on the ships. They have pal-ed around with the other kids the entire cruise. Do you think your DS would be open to something like that? Maybe if he knew another cruiser ahead of the cruise, he'd be more open to the Edge???

 

[Minniemiss]

Can we bring you homemade baked goods? Or are we not allowed to bring that on the ship.

Sorry homemade items are not allowed.

https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/...uise-plans/faqs/beverage-policy/food-storage/

 

[tinkmt]

Thank you for all the helpful advice and tips! Here is my question, my 4 year old has IBS. She will often say her tummy hurts but its just from the uncomfortable cramping that comes along with it. If she says that in the kid spaces, are they going to place her in quarantine? What should I do to get ahead of a potential issue? Thanks so much!

 

[Bear3412]

Could you help with a difficult/delicate subject for most. I have searched extensively for more details/info about the smoking policy on Castaway Cay and have been unsuccessful.

What is the official smoking policy on CC?
Is it similar to the ships/parks, where there are specific locations?
Can one smoke on the beaches, walkways, etc.?
Is there a link to the official policy and smoking locations?

Please folks, let's not turn this into another smoking thread.
It's a simple inquiry that I'm confident many would like to know the details, regardless of position.
We can always start a new thread for the discussion if needed.

Thanks - You Rock