Disney Dream April 19, 2012 - 3 Nights

[mdurette]

Just have to say my Disney Cruise word for the day: Balcony!

I can't tell you how excited I am to have a balcony for once!

WARNING...WARNING. Start saving now for all your future cruises - you will never want to go back to inside!!!!


Pershing....were you on this same cruise also last year? I recognize your name.

 

[mdurette]

All my original reservations via DU have dining for second seating - waitlist for first.

Just viewed my ressie on DCL and it says dining preferance: Main Seating.

Can someone with the 2nd seating - not waitlist checked theirs to see what it says. Wondering if I got my waitlist.

 

[pershing]

WARNING...WARNING. Start saving now for all your future cruises - you will never want to go back to inside!!!!

Pershing....were you on this same cruise also last year? I recognize your name.

I was on the 4 day April 17 last year. You too?

That was one big FE list! Whew! Madness!

All my original reservations via DU have dining for second seating - waitlist for first.

Just viewed my ressie on DCL and it says dining preferance: Main Seating.

Can someone with the 2nd seating - not waitlist checked theirs to see what it says. Wondering if I got my waitlist.

I checked my ressie on DCL. It said:

Dining Preference:
Second Seating

Ground Transportation:
Declined

Vacation Insurance:
Not Included

Guess your waitlist came in! Congrats!

 

[mdurette]

Need a Rental? Just found great Budget Rates

April 16th - 22nd.
Round Trip from MCO
Small SUV or premium car
Total $198.28 all in price!

Sure....going to have to pay for parking. But still cheaper than taking Disney transport! Also....cheaper for me than two one way rentals - 3 day and 1 day cost more.


Wendie's Special Offer BCD D454300
coupon code MUWZ023

 

[mdurette]

I was on the 4 day April 17 last year. You too?

That was one big FE list! Whew! Madness!



I checked my ressie on DCL. It said:

Dining Preference:
Second Seating

Ground Transportation:
Declined

Vacation Insurance:
Not Included

Guess your waitlist came in! Congrats!

Thanks - glad to have the first seating - my little one doesn't make it much pass 8pm. Well I recognize your name - but not from last year I guess. We were on the 3 day April 21-24 ending on Easter.

 

[SFD998]

Can you expound on the whole Blue Lagoon excursion thing? I've read really mixed reviews in the past, so it was easy to bypass the excursion.

Has anyone done the swim with the dolphins experience? My 5 year old is interested in doing this!

Last July my wife and I took a 4 night on the Dream without the kids. Her entire life she has wanted to swim with a Dolphin so I made sure to book the excursion. Having never done it before I looked into the 2 options that were available in Nassau. My first thought was to go to the one at Atlantis because if nothing else at least I knew that the hotel was reputable and established. When I read up on it you find that it is more expensive and that they don't allow you to bring your own camera. I had every intention of buying pics either way but was disappointed that I wouldn't be able to take more. When I looked into Blue Lagoon you find that it is cheaper and they do allow you to bring your own camera at your own risk of course.

We booked the afternoon time slot so that we would have time to walk through the straw market and have lunch before heading out. We were escorted through the straw market to a double decker catamaran that takes you on an approximately 1/2 hour boat ride to their island. This was one of the other reasons that I chose Blue Lagoon because you get a nice boat ride for the price of the excursion. Once we arrived we separated into our groups and went through an introduction and informational video. They supplied lockers (they are small) for your valuables and walked us over to meet our Dolphins. I think our group was somewhere between 10 and 12 including my wife and I. There were 2 kids in our group as well and they did fine. Youngest was probably 6 or 7. You get to float around with them, rub their belly, feed them, dance with them and finally get pushed through the water by them. I probably missed something, but you do get alot of time with them. The best part was being able to bring my own camera. I actually bought a water proof camera just for this trip. $80 kodak. I was able to get tons of pics that I would not have gotten at Atlantis and certainly not from the water POV. We had a great time and that is why we are doing it again. The difference this time is we are with our 2 boys (10 & 6) and are only going to do the encounter instead of the swim. If you want to actually float around in the water and get pushed you must book the swim excursion.

The only problem we had was that they lost their connection for credit cards and if you didn't have cash you had to wait until you returned home to order any pics or videos. I had only brought a CC. I will say that everything I ordered arrived when they said and I even got two extra pics I didn't order. I don't know if it was a mistake or for my troubles but either way it worked out.

The one thing we are changing this time is booking the morning excursion. When we finished up the last one we didn't have any time left to explore the rest of the island. We found out afterward that you are allowed to walk around and have the use of their private beach for the remainder of the day. This makes it even more worth while.

I hope this helps. I'm sure everyone will have their own opinion, but our first time was good enough for me to go back again.

 

[SFD998]

1. everything I have read has said that our kids can go on this cruise with only an original of their birth certificate. Is this true? Many have been posting about getting passports for kids and was wondering why unless they plan on doing other travel outside the US.

We opted to get passports for the kids. We did the style that looks more like a license that will work in places like the Caribbean, but not Europe, etc. Plus they are cheaper than a traditional passport.

 

[teach819]

Just wanted to say

Two months until I leave for the Disney trip!!

I sent my parents, brother and his fiance a Valentine package with a Disney magnet, Disney notebook, and a luggage handle wrap with Mickey and Minnie on it. They just do not know the level of my obsession with this Disney cruise now. I believe they may think I've lost my mind when they see all the door magnets I am making for them.

 

[pershing]

Just wanted to say

Two months until I leave for the Disney trip!!

I sent my parents, brother and his fiance a Valentine package with a Disney magnet, Disney notebook, and a luggage handle wrap with Mickey and Minnie on it. They just do not know the level of my obsession with this Disney cruise now. I believe they may think I've lost my mind when they see all the door magnets I am making for them.

Welcome to the Dark Side of Pixie Dust !

Yes, 8 weeks and I realized how much weight I gained since Christmas. I have alot left to do regarding this trip. Like losing weight and putting my bill folder together. I always put together a tabbed bill folder with the trip's pertinent paperwork in the order of the trip. My tabs so far are: LAZ FLY parking (for Hartford Airport), Southwest Airlines, Rental Car (primary ressie and back-ups), DVC Confirmation for AKV, WDW Tickets, Park Schedules, etc.

I got in the habit of putting together a bill folder when the kids were little and I knew I would be juggling luggage, watching them, and checking in at the same time. Made things so much easier.

Easier than losing the weight I've gained in 8 weeks!

Today's sentence: Terrace-like structure that juts out from a portion of a cruise ship.

 

[teach819]

Bill folder? Oh do explain please! What type of folder do you use, like a small three-ring binder with tabs inserted or a regular manilla folder? I work at a school with tons of these things (dear heavens you should see my shelves in here, if it can be hole-punched it is in a three-ring binder with tabs; and yes, each grade level has its own color coded binder!!) Your bill folder idea sounds perfect b/c I know I'll need to be the one to keep up with all the documents. I've used a two-pocket folder before for trip to Ireland and beach trips, but a folder with tabs interests me even more.

Dear Lord, how much more obsessed can I get about this trip! And I haven't even started planning for WDW rides yet!

 

[pershing]

Bill folder? Oh do explain please! What type of folder do you use, like a small three-ring binder with tabs inserted or a regular manilla folder? I work at a school with tons of these things (dear heavens you should see my shelves in here, if it can be hole-punched it is in a three-ring binder with tabs; and yes, each grade level has its own color coded binder!!) Your bill folder idea sounds perfect b/c I know I'll need to be the one to keep up with all the documents. I've used a two-pocket folder before for trip to Ireland and beach trips, but a folder with tabs interests me even more.

Dear Lord, how much more obsessed can I get about this trip! And I haven't even started planning for WDW rides yet!

Ok, here's the bill folder I've used ever since 2003 when another dis'er single mom with small kids recommended I set up one for my trip.

It has a zip up top that keeps everything secure, which is good 'cause I have loyalty cards galore. Even a Winn Dixie grocery card which I only use in Florida.

Obviously I've appealed to your organizational side. I wish the rest of my world was bill folded like my Disney Trips! Sadly no! I'm a tad ADD like my children and don't want it to wreck an expensive Disney trip.

In fact, the last 2 Disney Trips on the first day I forgot the park tickets in our hotel room and didn't realize it until we had gotten to the MK terminals! Kids thought it was hilarious that I did it not once but twice!

My tabs are a mess from last trip. Some have fallen off and show the tabs from trips before. 'Bus' is the first tab! We haven't ridden the bus from Hyannis to the airport since the first trip. It was cheaper than paying for parking when my kids were considered kids. Not since.

I like to set up my tabs so I don't have to think at all when we hit each stop along the way. I can just stick my hand in and pull out a folder.

Our original birth certificates have been in this bill folder since 2003! Under the Disney Cruise tab, of course.

btw If you're going to WDW this trip remember to copy the backs of your WDW tickets in case they get lost (or stolen). Or write those numbers in your smart phone's notepad. Those numbers can save your trip, considering how darn expensive those tix are nowadays.

SFD998-Thanks for the Dolphin run down! I would love to do that!

Today's phrase: Balustrade-like structure jutting out from a cruise ship. (Yes, I will think of 100 ways to say Verandah).

mdurette maybe you saw me on that rental car thread? I booked under that code also. Got a Grand Marquis for $305 after coupon for 11 days. Need that trunk as I've decided to pack a lot of dry goods for WDW part of trip AND keep a cooler in the trunk for drinks-which I've discovered can get costly when buying them in the park at $3 a whack. (It was $2.50. I'm just assuming they went up.) Now I just need a backpack cooler that doesn't leak and hold's alot.

 

[mdurette]

Just an FYI - I notice that my GYT cabin has been assigned.

 

[mdurette]

We opted to get passports for the kids. We did the style that looks more like a license that will work in places like the Caribbean, but not Europe, etc. Plus they are cheaper than a traditional passport.

Our last trip we decided to get the full blown passports. Expensive, yes...but we have them. I played the "what-if" scenario. What if one of us needs medical attention and we need to go to a hospital and get off the cruise. If we don't have the full blown passports - what a crazy nightmare getting back into the states could be.

 

[teach819]

Our last trip we decided to get the full blown passports. Expensive, yes...but we have them. I played the "what-if" scenario. What if one of us needs medical attention and we need to go to a hospital and get off the cruise. If we don't have the full blown passports - what a crazy nightmare getting back into the states could be.

I also played the "what-if" game and got my son a regular passport book. But I also have the motto "have passport, will travel" every since college, so I figure if we all have a passport, then we can all travel more outside the US. Which means more cruises and if I get my way, a trip to London when DS is around 10 years old (though he'll need another passport by then!)

 

[tinafish]

I just book this cruise for our 4th Anniversary! Can't wait....this is our 4th Disney cruise but the 1st time on the Disney Dream.

 

[tinafish]

Updating....

I would love to be added to the FE list.

Also, we have an FE but have never actually signed up to be part of a group. Can someone explain to me how it works??

 

[StaciMay]

Just an FYI - I notice that my GYT cabin has been assigned.

Where do you find this? In the "my reservation" section on the Disney Cruise site? Mine still says 9A GTY. What cat was yours? Did you get an upgrade? This is so exciting!!

 

[teach819]

(I totally posted this yesterday but perhaps I forgot to hit post reply)

Sue, thanks so much for a pic of your bill folder. I'll be marching my happy little self to Office Depot or Target to pick one up. I'm sure DH will think I'm crazy but he'll be happy when were in Florida and I have everything in one place.

 

[teach819]

I would love to be added to the FE list.

Also, we have an FE but have never actually signed up to be part of a group. Can someone explain to me how it works??

From my understanding, we sign up to be on the FE group and then leave little gifts and surprises for each member while we're on the cruise. I need to first make our FE (and one for my parents, and bro + fiance). Must get on that!

 

[dmmdd]

Hi All!

Starting to get very excited...or who am I kidding, I have been super excited since we booked! Anyways- can anyone tell me if there is a formal night on the 3 day cruise?

Have read two different things! Thanks for the help! Missy