Disney Dream - June 12, 2011

[ashman]

I just finished online check in. It was kinda easy. The system stored all of our previous information and pulled it forward. The only thing I had to enter new was the cc number for the onboard account. Pretty easy.

 

[Crystal_27]

Well, I had every intention of getting up at midnight to book our stuff and forgot to set the alarm clock. However, this morning DH booked Palo dinner, but Remy was also available so are considering that instead of Palo.

 

[Scouter]

We booked Palo early so that we could still see y'all in the dining rooms...

Hope to see you in May as well!!

We booked Palo the second night, since the restaurant will repeat on the third for an 8:30 dinner so we don't miss our show.

We'll be there in May

 

[DMMom]

Anyone know if you can call about shore excursions if you are not concierge level? I was able to get a reservation for 3 out of 4 for the sea lion. It doesn't show full after that, but it won't allow all 4. Nothing for CC: wanted waverunners, but nothing available. Maybe I can find some place local to make DH happy or someplace else in Orlando for the day before the cruise. Not really thrilled by how quickly the reservations go, but oh well, we will be on vacation.

 

[Scouter]

Okay. So I was finally able to do my online checkin---at 5:00am this morning. (I didn't stay up the whole time--went to bed and then got up at 5am, my usual time to get up for work.) Except that I have recently realized that our names on our reservation don't exactly match our passports. I have sent an e-mail to my TA but have not yet received a response. I'm afraid to finish the online checkin until I find out if it will be a problem. Anyone else have their name a little different on their reservation from their passport? The difference is our passports have our middle initial/or name and our reservation does not.

Yes I see that now Tammy, our reservations only show our first and last names also, but I am sure Disney has our middle names somewhere.
I'm not worried about it because it's the same I've used on my past 2 cruises.

 

[Scouter]

Anyone know if you can call about shore excursions if you are not concierge level? I was able to get a reservation for 3 out of 4 for the sea lion. It doesn't show full after that, but it won't allow all 4. Nothing for CC: wanted waverunners, but nothing available. Maybe I can find some place local to make DH happy or someplace else in Orlando for the day before the cruise. Not really thrilled by how quickly the reservations go, but oh well, we will be on vacation.

 

[abitagirl916]

Does anyone find it odd that no Palo brunches were available and we all logged in ASAP. Also that someone on here said that when they booked at the 120 mark that no brunches were available then either. Is it possible they're not having them anymore? Or somehow they've all been prereserved by a large party or something?
Very strange.

Rose, I read in someone's trip report recently that only a small percentage of Palo & Remy reservations are available online. They hold most of them for people to make once onboard. This particular report stated that once onboard (starting at 1pm) you go directly to Palo or Remy to make the reservations. Doesn't make sense to me. Seems it would be easier to let people make most of them online and only hold a small amount for onboard. Not sure if this applies to Brunch also.

 

[Scouter]

Rose, I read in someone's trip report recently that only a small percentage of Palo & Remy reservations are available online. They hold most of them for people to make once onboard. This particular report stated that once onboard (starting at 1pm) you go directly to Palo or Remy to make the reservations. Doesn't make sense to me. Seems it would be easier to let people make most of them online and only hold a small amount for onboard. Not sure if this applies to Brunch also.

Yeah, but this is my 5th cruise and I've always logged in at midnight and got Brunch for the last 3 (didn't request one for our first sailing) and other friends of mine did as well.
This time it seems like nobody did.
Although there were plenty of dinners available.

It makes me wonder if perhaps they aren't doing brunch anymore?

I'm posting this as a general question on the cruise forums.

 

[Scouter]

Off to work I go.....

 

[mousecrazy55]

Pretty excited - got up early to book an excursion for Nassau, and complete the online check-in...come on, JUNE 12!!!!!!

Oh, and also - was given a cabin # to fill in instead of GTY!!!!!!!

 

[tracy51]

Pretty excited - got up early to book an excursion for Nassau, and complete the online check-in...come on, JUNE 12!!!!!!

Oh, and also - was given a cabin # to fill in instead of GTY!!!!!!!

Yay!!


Tammy - We had a similar problem. When I booked the cruise DH & DD didn't have their passports so I booked it using their middle initial. Well, their passports have their full name. I called because I was worried about it being a problem. The CM said it wouldn't be a problem but changed it for me just to be sure.

So glad that teens were able to get the Wild Side excursion on the 2nd CC day. Still find it odd that none were available for the 1st CC day.

Glad I'm not the only one that finds it weird that there were no brunches available. Hopefully someone on the main board knows what's up.

I feel odd not booking one of the Palo openings I saw. DH would rather save it for another cruise since this is his first cruise. He did seem interested in brunch though if any of those every open up. But I still feel like a coveted Le Cellier or Cinderella's Royal Table ADR

 

[disgrits]

We booked Palo the second night, since the restaurant will repeat on the third for an 8:30 dinner so we don't miss our show.

We'll be there in May

We booked on the second night as well. Rob and I at 6pm, Emily and Ryan at 8pm. Rob and I may misss a show, or we may go and wait "standby" at the 5pm show. Maybe because it will only be the 2 of us, we can get in.

as for Palo Brunch---I am wondering what the deal is too. We like the dinner, but I was really looking forward to brunch.

 

[foohpah]

Ended up not staying up last night but got everything I wanted this morning. I got a Palo reservation for us at 8:30 on the 2nd night and I decided to book the 11:15 Discover Atlantis excursion in Nassau. I figure there is a pretty good chance we will cancel that but I would rather book it and cancel than to want to go and not be able to get it later.

Also finished the online check-in and got the 10:30 - 11:00 port arrival time and registered the kids for the OC/OL.

Is it June yet?

 

[Fab5Family]

We were still on the fence about what we really wanted to do -- thinking probably the sea lion encounter in Nassau and the Stingrays at CC, but not 100% certain. I figured the dolphin experiences would go faster than the sea lions in Nassau and with two stops at CC there would likely be plenty of times for Stingrays, so I didn't feel the pressure to stay up and try to book last night.

OOPS!!!

Well, half-way oops.

Sea Lions were not available. So I went ahead and booked the dolphin encounter before it was gone, too. Actually, I can't book for my parents until the 75 day mark -- but I think my DH and my Dad are going to be observers while Mom and I are in the water with the boys. I went ahead and booked all five of my immediate family as the encounter, thinking that surely the observer slots wouldn't be gone by the 75 day mark (or at least they would be more likely to still be there than the encounter). I will plan to get both my parents booked as observers and then worry about switching out DH and my Mom.

DMMom -- You said that you could only get 3 of your 4 in the sea lion encounter. Did you go ahead and book the 4th as an observer? Or how are you handling that?



There were still plenty of times for Stingrays at CC. My problem is, I really don't know what the best time will be to do that -- and if we want to do it on our first stop or second stop.

Bairdbeth and txvjc -- I see you both picked 10 am on the first stop. Any particular logic there, or just wanted to do it early on the first day but not have to rush to be there at 9:00? I was trying to think through the logistics of finding "our spot" first and then getting back to the Stingray location for our time. Or maybe going straight to the Stingrays and then hunt for our chairs after. I was thinking we might want to spend most of the day near Pelican Plunge, and I am not sure how close that is to the Stingrays. (Didn't it get moved with the CC updates?)

 

[marcij]

Rose (and others) -- I was able to get brunch at 120 days out, but I agree with the assessment that there were only a few spots available and that most of them are left for booking on the boat right after embarkation starts. I'm hoping that because people on these threads are more knowledgable than the general public, you guys will all get the reservations that you want. I don't think it would hurt to check back periodically (hey, who minds seeing that website!) to see if they release more.

I also signed up DS12 and DH for the stingray excursion on the first CC day at 10. We've done it several times and since DS15 doesn't care to do it, I'll hang with him and save the money. Everyone has a different idea of what is best, but I liked that time because we could get settled, then they could go over to snorkel. It would be warm enough but not too warm hopefully. Just my two cents.

I hope everyone is having better weather now!

 

[bairdbeth]

I picked the 10:00 Stingray time because it is better to go earlier as the sand is not stirred up too much so when snorkeling you can see the rays better and because they rays are still very hungry. I was afraid that if there was a line to get off the ship we might miss the 9:00 time.
When I could finally get to online check-in today, I had to pick 11:00-11:30 port arrival time as it wouldn't allow me to select 10:30-11:00. I hope they don't adhere to that as I am booked on the 10:00 shuttle from the Radisson. I sure don't want to have to wait outside until 11:00!
The only thing left is to update Taylor's passport number when we get her new one and to update my credit card info as my card now expires 4/11 and I haven't received the new one yet.
So....
Is it June yet?!!!!
Beth

 

[bairdbeth]

Teresa, I had a thought. Is Ethan 8 yet or still 7? The age for Sea Lions and waverunners are 8. I pulled up the double waverunners and there was availability for all but 1 time slot. If Ethan is only 7, but will be 8 by the excursion time, you may have to call to see if they can override the computer? Just a thought?

 

[DMMom]

DMMom -- You said that you could only get 3 of your 4 in the sea lion encounter. Did you go ahead and book the 4th as an observer? Or how are you handling that?

I'm hoping that I get lucky and that someone cancels their reservation so I can pick up one more slot or else I will cancel the whole thing. I didn't see an observer.

Teresa, I had a thought. Is Ethan 8 yet or still 7? The age for Sea Lions and waverunners are 8. I pulled up the double waverunners and there was availability for all but 1 time slot. If Ethan is only 7, but will be 8 by the excursion time, you may have to call to see if they can override the computer? Just a thought?

I just saw that the waverunners opened up, so I was able to get the reservation. Odd that they weren't available earlier. I'm hoping the same glitch changes things with the sea lions. If not, we had been on the fence about doing any excursions in Nassau, so we would just opt for going on our own to the Pirate Museum.

We were also able to get Palos for night 4 at 7:30. That way, we could go with the kids to the main seating. Eat quick with them and see the restaurant and then they can go to the kids club. Will miss whatever show is that night, but oh well. we may try to get stand by for the 5pm that night.

 

[foohpah]

Is the 10:30 - 11:00 the earliest port arrival time or is there a 10:00 - 11:00? I guess it does not really matter I was just curious.

 

[Scouter]

Rose (and others) -- I was able to get brunch at 120 days out, but I agree with the assessment that there were only a few spots available and that most of them are left for booking on the boat right after embarkation starts. I'm hoping that because people on these threads are more knowledgable than the general public, you guys will all get the reservations that you want. I don't think it would hurt to check back periodically (hey, who minds seeing that website!) to see if they release more.

I also signed up DS12 and DH for the stingray excursion on the first CC day at 10. We've done it several times and since DS15 doesn't care to do it, I'll hang with him and save the money. Everyone has a different idea of what is best, but I liked that time because we could get settled, then they could go over to snorkel. It would be warm enough but not too warm hopefully. Just my two cents.

I hope everyone is having better weather now!

Thanks for the info Marci, it just seems that it wasn't a problem the other 3 times, so they must be holding more back.
I will try when I get onboard.

I hope you're feeling well