Disney Dream Mar 24-27 Part I-IV Final excerpt, thanks for reading everyone!

[fredgirls]

"We arrived downstairs at the Shuttle area, and lo and behold there was a separate line for non US citizens, they would not check us in, but they did give us Boarding Group number 4 and our shuttle passes."

Enjoying your TR very much. Thanks so much for sharing.

I just had a quick question re. the above statement for anyone who might know.
We are non-us citizens.
Is it always the case that although you can't check-in at MCO, they will still give you a boarding group number? Didn't know if this was usual for all or whether just pixiedust for you!
Thanks.

 

[BLeeS]

We had lunch at Cookies Too and then went to the bikes to try to burn off some calories. Unfortunately, they don't have tandems but my daughter was still small enough to ride in the child seat with my husband. They do have bikes with training wheels, but there was no way my daughter could have kept up with us for the entire hour. We followed the trails which were fairly easy, and took some pictures along the way. Around 3:30pm, we decided to head back to the ship.

It was time to do a load of laundry and get ready for Palo......[/QUOTE]

Thank you again, I know that it takes a lot of time to write up a complete TR...just want you to know that your write-up alone, has helped to make a lot of what I/we have read on these boards come together.

Question about the "stop on the second tram, lunch at cookies, pelican's plunge" can you enlighten me on lunch? Is that what makes the a good stop or is that combined with Pelican's Plunge? You really like Cabana's...I haven't spent much time reading about the restaurants...they are still a blurrrrr to me...but Cabana's is good, why? Do you have any knowledge of openings at Remy or Palo once you boarded? They were both closed to bookings at our 75 day...but maybe, we might have a chance? Yes or no way, in your opinion?

 

[clelbong]

Loving this report - it's making me excited for our cruise, and I'm getting some ideas! I think we'll do the bikes on CC, too - and maybe the snorkeling. Did your kids like the bike trail?

The bike trails were very easy and flat, and my 8 yr old had no problem. If you do the marked route, it's a 4.5 mile route according to the staff. You can decided when you get there, there are plenty of bikes. We did the trail once, and then went all the way down the main street (where the trams travel), and if you get to the end where the adult's beach is, there's another long strip of road that leads to a dead end, it's where some of the private cabanas are located. At the end of that road, you can stop and take some pictures and head back. There are multiple water stations along the way as well, they also provide helmets for the children.

 

[clelbong]

"We arrived downstairs at the Shuttle area, and lo and behold there was a separate line for non US citizens, they would not check us in, but they did give us Boarding Group number 4 and our shuttle passes."

Enjoying your TR very much. Thanks so much for sharing.

I just had a quick question re. the above statement for anyone who might know.
We are non-us citizens.
Is it always the case that although you can't check-in at MCO, they will still give you a boarding group number? Didn't know if this was usual for all or whether just pixiedust for you!
Thanks.

I didn't ask specifically, but when we checked in at ME, they gave us 4 shuttle passes and the boarding group number. I think this is standard. I still don't quite understand how we then got bumped up to boarding group 2 when we checked in, as the guy at the check in was saying it depended when you checked in online, but i wasn't sure if that meant back at the ME (maybe they logged us in) or when I had put everything into the computer before i left. You may look into it before you go, i.e. call the cruise line.

Also the debarkation for non US citizens is AWESOME, virtually non-existent lines!!!

 

[clelbong]

We had lunch at Cookies Too and then went to the bikes to try to burn off some calories. Unfortunately, they don't have tandems but my daughter was still small enough to ride in the child seat with my husband. They do have bikes with training wheels, but there was no way my daughter could have kept up with us for the entire hour. We followed the trails which were fairly easy, and took some pictures along the way. Around 3:30pm, we decided to head back to the ship.

It was time to do a load of laundry and get ready for Palo......

Thank you again, I know that it takes a lot of time to write up a complete TR...just want you to know that your write-up alone, has helped to make a lot of what I/we have read on these boards come together.

Question about the "stop on the second tram, lunch at cookies, pelican's plunge" can you enlighten me on lunch? Is that what makes the a good stop or is that combined with Pelican's Plunge? You really like Cabana's...I haven't spent much time reading about the restaurants...they are still a blurrrrr to me...but Cabana's is good, why? Do you have any knowledge of openings at Remy or Palo once you boarded? They were both closed to bookings at our 75 day...but maybe, we might have a chance? Yes or no way, in your opinion?[/QUOTE]


From what I had read on the boards, people had suggested getting of the second tram stop due to the vicinity of Pelican Plunge and the Bike stop. The first stop also has snorkel rentals, and Cookies which is exactly the same restaurant as Cookies too. They also have a whale dig exploration site, and a kids club, but we didn't want to move twice, or take the tram twice. You can also walk down to the second tram stop area, I don't think it's very far. The Pelican Plunge is the water slide area and it drops into the ocean, and a playground looking structure right in the water. You can access it from both tram stops, but a bit of a walk from the first tram stop. You will get the same lunch from either location.

I did not have a problem booking online for Palo, our tablemates had tried last minute and had not succeeded, but when they got on board, they were able to get reservations. Our waiter at Palo told us the 3 night cruises are really slow for them because most people do not want to skip a restaurant. Since the longer cruises repeat, the reservations may be harder to obtain. He said those cruises are crazy busy for Palo (not sure about Remy). You can also keep checking online as there may be cancellations.

I believe our ship was sold out (spring break) but Palo was pretty empty. We chose the third night because we didn't want to miss pirate night, but in reality you can still do Palo and see the shows which is what we ended up doing anyway, we were out of there in 1 hr 30 min, but maybe because it was a slow night. I think Remy however takes much longer. Will write up my last segment this weekend!

 

[LoriABil]

I am really enjoying your trip report, thoughts and insights! I have a question about dinners in the dining rooms. Does the wait-staff give you a hard time about kids eating off of the adult menu? I was glad to see steak offered on the kids menu. My DS(7) will want what we are having at times. Would that mean he would always have to order off of the adults' menu? Thanks you!

 

[clelbong]

I am really enjoying your trip report, thoughts and insights! I have a question about dinners in the dining rooms. Does the wait-staff give you a hard time about kids eating off of the adult menu? I was glad to see steak offered on the kids menu. My DS(7) will want what we are having at times. Would that mean he would always have to order off of the adults' menu? Thanks you!

Not at all, the only "adult" type of food on the children's menu were the grilled salmon at EC and steak at RP, we ordered 4 appetizers always off the adult menu and usually a soup or salad for the kids off the adult menu. Even if the kids didn't eat the appetizer, we wanted to try them so it was great. The portions are not that big either. When they seat you, they will give you both menus. My husband liked the mickey mouse ear ice cream, so he chose to order dessert off the kids menu!!

 

[clelbong]

Our reservations for Palo were at 6:30. This was the latest time slot available when I had booked online. We decided to do room service for the kids since they would not make it to the late dining at 8:15, but we did want to take them to the Believe show at 8:30 so essentially our schedule would be switched from the previous two nights. My husband took the kids out for one more round of midship detective agency while I tried to organize the laundry. Also turned on the TV for the first time and they had on demand movies for free! Ahh some time alone with the laundry and a Katherine Heigel-Josh Duhamel movie (both easy on the eyes). I had also called room service for some coffee and they brought me a carafe, about 6 cups worth so I was set.

The Laundry- I called and they said there is laundry on each floor but the 9th floor laundry is forward and our cabin is situated on aft “what about 8th floor?” I asked, “8th floor laundry is situated on aft”, they replied. I thought it would be easier to take one floor down the elevator than to walk the length of two football fields (or what seems like it) with a load of laundry to the other side of the ship on the 9th floor. I had brought coins and a laundry detergent from home, but you don’t need the coins. Everything is done with the magic swipe of your keycard. 8th floor laundry was full, only two washers, and there was a guy standing there ready to place another load. I thought I was being smart and guessed they must have put every other laundrette on aft and so I went down to 6, skipping floor 7. After about walking halfway down the ship, I could not find it! So i walked back to aft, took the elevator back up to 9 and walked the length of the ship to forward. This was all with the laundry in my hands!! It was literally the LAST ROOM on forward. Towards the end of my walk, I actually bumped into Ray, the cruise director, and I asked weakly, “Am I almost there?”, and he said “Yes, keep going until you can’t go any further!” The 9th floor laundrette was much bigger, with about 6 washers and 10 or so dryers. It was much easier to walk back the length of the ship with an empty laundry bag. After 30 minutes, I walked back to put the wash in the dryer and then after another 45 minutes I walked back AGAIN to collect the laundry but guess what? The laundry was not dry! I picked out a couple of dry clothes but the bulk of the laundry was still very damp. By the time I walked back to the cabin this time with about 5 pieces of laundry in my hand, my kids and husband were back. “I can’t go back there again! Can you please go get the laundry?” I sounded like a crazed woman. “Where is it?” my husband asked, “I don’t know!”, I said flippantly, “it’s like 10 miles away!!”. My husband thought I was being dramatic but he did make that last trip for me.

Around 5:15, we ordered room service for the kids (allow 30 minutes). The room service menu is found in the hardcover Disney Cruise guidebook on page 18 (had to call to figure that one out). Ordered some tomato soup, mac and cheese, and cesar salad. We checked them into Oceaneer’s and we were at Palo’s by 6:20. I’m glad we had asked them to cut their bands off the first night, because essentially all day at Bahamas and Castaway Cay, it was unnecessary to have them on. Palo’s service was great, we told them we’d like to see the Believe show at 8:30 and they were totally fine with it. The food was very nice, large portions and it was nice to have dinner without the kids. My husband after having dined on some type of four legged animal for the last 10 meals decided to have tuna, and I had the oso bucco (veal). We skipped the pizza, we didn’t even share one as we thought it would be too filling. I had the tuna carpaccio for appetizer and gnocchi for the first course , and my husband had a salad and braised beef ravioli (oh wait, i guess he did have another four legged animal!). For dessert, the chocolate souffle, their specialty, and a chocolate pistachio cake equally good. The $20 per person is a little deceiving, after we each ordered a cocktail and tipped, the bill came out to about $80. But still, quite a deal for a 5 or 6 course meal!

We were done by 8, which gave us time to pick up the kids. We turned in their wristbands as we would not be returning. The kids said they played a few group games with the staff this time. My daughter’s favorite room was the pixie hollow room and my son’s favorite was the pirates room. The sink on the way out is great, they even had us try it!! After Believe (which was my favorite), we finally made it to the gift store to buy some souvenirs (lol we are not big shoppers) and returned to our room. Luggage needs to be out by 10:30 pm on the last night.

The next morning you eat breakfast where you dine the night before which was Animator’s Palate for us. The breakfast was mediocre. My pancakes tasted like the premade frozen ones you stick in the microwave. The breakfast pastries were stale. We said goodbye to our wait staff and exited to the ship. It was a FAST 4 days. Upon debarkation, we collected our luggage and saw the customs line, it looked pretty long, but again no line for non US Citizens! I almost broke out in a rendition of the Canadian National Anthem but I only know the first two words “Oh...Canada!!” We were done in about 5 minutes! We headed out to the car rental shuttle for our land adventure for the next 3 days- The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Ay voy!)

In retrospect, I really wish we had another day on the ship. I don’t regret doing the excursions because I wanted to go out to the ports, and I wouldn’t change that. Our tennis shoes were left untouched, and we would have liked to have used the gym and maybe go to some of their classes. We didn’t get to watch a movie at the Buena Vista theatre. We saw the three main shows, but there were other little shows and events (both for families and/or adults) that we missed. At Cabanas, we had the embarkation lunch and one full breakfast there, it would have been nice to try some of their lunches (they are closed for dinners). But I think this just means we need to come back for another trip soon!

I will leave you with my daughter’s favorite pirate joke. She was able to tell it to a few castmates. What is a pirates favorite letter? …”Rrrrrrrrr!”

 

[BLeeS]

Superb! Thank you again for taking the time to put this together...given that we are in the same stateroom as yours, on our voyage, the laundry info was great! I'm ready, I'll wheel the laundry down there if I have to

 

[clelbong]

Superb! Thank you again for taking the time to put this together...given that we are in the same stateroom as yours, on our voyage, the laundry info was great! I'm ready, I'll wheel the laundry down there if I have to

Thanks BLeeS, please feel free to ask me questions any time, as it gets closer to your trip. I'm sure you will have a great time as we did, and hopefully you will be able to post your own TR as well!

 

[Skimat]

Thanks for all the information.

 

[gfly]

thank you for taking te time to write. It was very insightful!

 

[KSFrogge]

Thank you so much for the fabulous report! I don't blame you for making DH go get the laundry after all that!

So, overall (except for the inconvenient laundry location) - would you rate stateroom 9656 a good stateroom? I thought being close to the aft elevators would be convenient for the kids, but could be a little more noisy. Also - I know it is connecting to 9654 (we were going to use the connecting room, but cancelled that one) - could you hear any noise from the connecting stateroom?

Thanks!

 

[clelbong]

Thank you so much for the fabulous report! I don't blame you for making DH go get the laundry after all that!

So, overall (except for the inconvenient laundry location) - would you rate stateroom 9656 a good stateroom? I thought being close to the aft elevators would be convenient for the kids, but could be a little more noisy. Also - I know it is connecting to 9654 (we were going to use the connecting room, but cancelled that one) - could you hear any noise from the connecting stateroom?

Thanks!

No the rooms/hallways are very quiet, and you cannot hear the elevator at all. I did notice the connecting door in our room, but maybe we were never in the room that much to notice, it was very quiet. Our cabin person was also very unintrusive. We'd come back from our excursions and our bed were all made and put away, and we'd come back from dinner and the beds were all back down again. We really had excellent service, and I loved our room and the location. Have a good time! I wish we were still there!

 

[MickeyMaz]

REally good report. Thanks for the info.

 

[clelbong]

REally good report. Thanks for the info.

Thanks! Thanks for reading!