Disney Dream Cruisers November 27, 2011

[DisPhan]

Also liking Dreaming of the Holidays! Question... how does everyone know how many FE gifts to prepare? I would love to start but I am sure the list will keep growing.

 

[AmandEm]

how does everyone know how many FE gifts to prepare? I would love to start but I am sure the list will keep growing.

Not too sure. I heard other groups make a cut off date to join the FE. I'm hoping we do something like this in the near future. I have mine already planned but I'll do a personal cut off date about 3 months before the cruise, as I have to send them out to get "finished".

So excited that our group is growing!

 

[padalyn]

Not too sure. I heard other groups make a cut off date to join the FE. I'm hoping we do something like this in the near future. I have mine already planned but I'll do a personal cut off date about 3 months before the cruise, as I have to send them out to get "finished".

So excited that our group is growing!

Most cut off dates I have seen are about a month before...one list I am on the "keeper" decided to split the lists, since there were so many people. When I was on the Dream Maiden that was also done.

I suggest you pick a number and have a back up plan. I did 225 FE gifts for the Dream Maiden - took me about 2.5 hrs to deliver them all (and a couple of blisters). That is the largest number of FE gifts I have ever done...

 

[AusDisFam]

So excited to be part of the group and can't wait to start planning the FE.
Our details are -
AusDisFam - Cabin 8166 - Leo, Ally, DS Ben (4), DS Alex (1) - 10th Wedding Anniversary on board.
The cruise is part of a month long visit to the US for us and we are really looking forward to it!
Does anyone have a suggestion about where to stay the night before the cruise in the Port Canaveral area? Just trying to decide between park/stay hotels and parking at the port?
Thanks!

 

[padalyn]

So excited to be part of the group and can't wait to start planning the FE.
Our details are -
AusDisFam - Cabin 8166 - Leo, Ally, DS Ben (4), DS Alex (1) - 10th Wedding Anniversary on board.
The cruise is part of a month long visit to the US for us and we are really looking forward to it!
Does anyone have a suggestion about where to stay the night before the cruise in the Port Canaveral area? Just trying to decide between park/stay hotels and parking at the port?
Thanks!

It is really up to you. There are many hotels less than a mile from the port. If you want to stay in the parks the drive is about an hour from WDW. I suggest if you DO stay in the parks that you make your own arrangments to get to the port.

The DCL transfers have been arriving a later and later. for the Maiden some folks were almost left behind, and the same thing happened in Dec for the New Years cruise...I always rent a car and drive over. Drop one person with ALL the luggage (including carryon) then person with the car drops it off and shuttles back. The folks with the luggage go through security and get on the check in line. Once the car person arrives...only that person has to check in (assuming the lines move really fast). I have had the car person get back before through the line!

If you have cruised with DCL before, the check in process is a lot easier now...the online stuff completes everything but 2 signatures!!

 

[papamouse1]

Can't wait!!!

Is anyone worried about getting flights booked? Thanksgiving weekend is the busiest travel weekend of the year

I am waiting for Southwest to extend their dates.

I think it would be wise to book SWA as soon as available (in May I believe), but fact is we are flying in at end of Easter weekend, and out after weekend is over. Don't imagine it will be too bad.

 

[papamouse1]

So excited to be part of the group and can't wait to start planning the FE.
Our details are -
AusDisFam - Cabin 8166 - Leo, Ally, DS Ben (4), DS Alex (1) - 10th Wedding Anniversary on board.
The cruise is part of a month long visit to the US for us and we are really looking forward to it!
Does anyone have a suggestion about where to stay the night before the cruise in the Port Canaveral area? Just trying to decide between park/stay hotels and parking at the port?
Thanks!

Congratulations!!

We did our 1st DC on our 20th anniversary and it was amazing! Leo, make sure you book Palo or Remy for just the 2 of you one night. YOu won't regret it.... best anniversary date ever!!

 

[papamouse1]

Also liking Dreaming of the Holidays! Question... how does everyone know how many FE gifts to prepare? I would love to start but I am sure the list will keep growing.

Hmmm.... I like it! Or maybe even better...

Holiday Dreamin'! .... or Holiday "Dream"ing

All in all, I like this train of thought... anybody else?

 

[jandj524]

Just dropping by to say "hi"

My family will be on this cruise as well

DH - Jim, DD - Jessica (9 when we sail), DS - James (8 when we sail) and me, Jeannine

This will be our 7th Disney Cruise, but 1st on the Dream - really looking forward to the AquaDuck

I have also been anxiously waiting for SWA to announce their late November dates - I read on their website that they will be releasing travel dates thru January 6th on May 26

I see that people are discussing a name for this cruise - we have sailed after Thanksgiving a couple of times and the ships & Castaway Cay have always been decorated so beautifully - any 'Holiday Dream' name works well

Happy planning everyone!!!

 

[padalyn]

Just dropping by to say "hi"

My family will be on this cruise as well

DH - Jim, DD - Jessica (9 when we sail), DS - James (8 when we sail) and me, Jeannine

This will be our 7th Disney Cruise, but 1st on the Dream - really looking forward to the AquaDuck

I have also been anxiously waiting for SWA to announce their late November dates - I read on their website that they will be releasing travel dates thru January 6th on May 26

I see that people are discussing a name for this cruise - we have sailed after Thanksgiving a couple of times and the ships & Castaway Cay have always been decorated so beautifully - any 'Holiday Dream' name works well

Happy planning everyone!!!

Welcome....the AquaDuck is everything they bill it as!! I snuck my waterproof camera on, and took a video clip of the whole ride. I would love to figure out how to post it here...

I think the final decision has been Dreaming of the Holidays. But as you say - most any title will do!

I was on my first holiday cruise over New Years past...I thought the decorations on Castaway Cay were so cute! Especially the trams...

Cayla

 

[Mcqueen Fans]

Just dropping by to say "hi"

My family will be on this cruise as well

DH - Jim, DD - Jessica (9 when we sail), DS - James (8 when we sail) and me, Jeannine

This will be our 7th Disney Cruise, but 1st on the Dream - really looking forward to the AquaDuck

I have also been anxiously waiting for SWA to announce their late November dates - I read on their website that they will be releasing travel dates thru January 6th on May 26

I see that people are discussing a name for this cruise - we have sailed after Thanksgiving a couple of times and the ships & Castaway Cay have always been decorated so beautifully - any 'Holiday Dream' name works well

Happy planning everyone!!!

Hey my son Caleb will be 8 also! I also have a 10 yr old boy. I hope we can all do a meet and greet. It would be great to get some of the kids to meet early in the cruise. Then they would know other people when they go into the clubs!

 

[HallsInTheKingdom]

Hello everyone,

Been real hectic for me this past month, ready to get back into the chat.

239 Days left!!!!!!

Looking forward to this cruise, it has been 2 years since we did our last one and getting the itch again, I keep reading through a few reviews of the Dream and it seems to be hit or miss on experiences. I am ready to take it all in though. Any day on vacation has to be better than a good day at work right? lol

As far as the name of the FE i think we will sticK with the orginal "Dreaming of the Holidays" unless there is mass uproar about it. I also think 90 days is a fair cut off time for the FE list. If there are other who join after that they may not get all the gifts but are still welcome to participate.

Please take a moment and check your information in the FE link for accuracy, there were a few corrections that needed to be made. Also, let me know if you are interested in participating and you have not been added to the list. See the post here http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=34593622&postcount=4

Happy Planning!
Amy

 

[jandj524]

Happy Saturday Everyone-

Cayla - would love to see your AquaDuck video I too love the tram decorations -- also the special decorations when you 1st get off the ship on Castaway Cay -- they make for great photo-ops

McQueen Fans - For our cruise last year my children got so excited to 'know' some other children their age before we sailed. It was great to see them playing together at random times - in the club, at the pool and at Scuttles Cove. My son will be so happy when I tell him there are boys his age . I see that there are a couple of girls my daughters age as well - she will also be excited.

Amy - I will have to let you know about the FE - last time we did this and had fun, but we drove down from NY - so I had lots of room to pack -- won't know until May/June if we are flying or driving (I have a really bad habit of overpacking). Hope that's ok. We would definitely like to participate in the 'meet'

 

[CAL DIS2007]

Did anyone else get their DCL cruise planning packet? I checked flights on Delta and they weren't too bad.....

 

[AmandEm]

We haven't gotten anything yet. I thought they didn't send anything until around 3 months out??

 

[padalyn]

Bump....

in reply to some earlier posts: DCL will send stuff out in a few months, and you can look at some of the things online. You will be able to do online check in about 2 months before we sail.

Don't worry about the documents - they will all show up eventually. I know that planning is very important. You can make all the other arrangments, and trust that DCL will complete their portion.

My only suggestion is that you DO NOT FLY the day we are to sail - get there at least one day before. Last Dec I was trying to get to Florida for 3 days for a cruise...very unnerving. There were folks who missed the boat - literally. DCL will not delay cast off for a late arrival.

 

[padalyn]

Happy Saturday Everyone-

Cayla - would love to see your AquaDuck video I too love the tram decorations -- also the special decorations when you 1st get off the ship on Castaway Cay -- they make for great photo-ops

 

[jandj524]

VERY COOL!! Thanks for sharing

 

[AmandEm]

I can not wait to ride the aqua duck!!!

 

[MadameMedusa]

We haven't gotten anything yet. I thought they didn't send anything until around 3 months out??

Got a small cruise packet today and was very excited to open it until I saw that it was pretty much all stuff I already knew. If you're on this board, even if you're a first time cruiser, it shouldn't have too much new info.

The first document was personalized for us, with our name, reservation number, payment due date, URL to the Planning Center, and info about what we can book once we've paid, plus confirmation of the cruise date.

Second document was a short overview with a table of contents that read: Quick Tips, Port Information, Perfect Planning, Documentation, Getting Here, Air Program, Packing, Other "Need to Knows". It covered all of those topics at about an 8th grade level, vs. the Master's level preparation from the DIS Boards.

Great pictures, though.