Disney Dream ~ September 15, 2011

[DizDragonfly]

But has anyone out there heard anything a little more concrete?

I got this in an email this morning, if it helps:

The Disney Fantasy will be sailing 7 night Eastern with St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Castaway Cay on 9/8, 9/22, 10/6 and 10/20/2012. with stops at San Juan, St. Thomas and Castaway Cay on 11/3, 11/17, 12/1, 12/15 and 12/29/2012. The Fantasy will be sailing 7 night Western with stops at Grand Cayman, Costa Maya, Cozumel and Castaway Cay on 9/1, 9/15, 9/29, 10/13, 10/27, 11/10, 11/24, 12/8 and 12/22/2012.

 

[davidls]

So far the 2nd half of 2012 dates have been released ONLY to Travel Agents. You can book NOW, but can only check prices ect. through a Travel Agent.

I got this in an email this morning, if it helps:

The Disney Fantasy will be sailing 7 night Eastern with St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Castaway Cay on 9/8, 9/22, 10/6 and 10/20/2012. with stops at San Juan, St. Thomas and Castaway Cay on 11/3, 11/17, 12/1, 12/15 and 12/29/2012. The Fantasy will be sailing 7 night Western with stops at Grand Cayman, Costa Maya, Cozumel and Castaway Cay on 9/1, 9/15, 9/29, 10/13, 10/27, 11/10, 11/24, 12/8 and 12/22/2012.

I hope ya'll are having a great week-end. Looks like the weekly mowing of the yard is going to have to start up again this week. Should have done it last week, but, I was just plain ol' lazy and didn't do it. Now it will take me a little longer to do it because it is so tall!!!

Thanks guys, for the info. DW and I have been hoping that Disney would some how tie-in a cruise to Hawaii and their new resort over there. Would love to see Hawaii and do it with Disney and Disney Cruise Line. Well, I at least can dream about it happening some day!!!

 

[Luckymomoftwo]

My DMiL is coming on the cruise with us! She was already booked but was going to back out. But then she won some money in some super bowl pools and now she's going for sure. She booked her airfare. She'll go to WDW with my DSiL from 9/11-9/14 and then come on the cruise with us on the 15th. I'm so excited for her because she'll get to spend time with all of her grandkids at two of the happiest places on earth!

 

[Luckymomoftwo]

I hope ya'll are having a great week-end. Looks like the weekly mowing of the yard is going to have to start up again this week. Should have done it last week, but, I was just plain ol' lazy and didn't do it. Now it will take me a little longer to do it because it is so tall!!!

Thanks guys, for the info. DW and I have been hoping that Disney would some how tie-in a cruise to Hawaii and their new resort over there. Would love to see Hawaii and do it with Disney and Disney Cruise Line. Well, I at least can dream about it happening some day!!!

MOWING THE YARD?!!!!!! We might have more snow to shovel in the next week and you're talking about mowing the yard?! No fair!!!! That's ok...I kind of like our four seasons...it helps me appreciate the SUMMER more and gives me an excuse to go to WDW or DCL in the winter.

 

[davidls]

MOWING THE YARD?!!!!!! We might have more snow to shovel in the next week and you're talking about mowing the yard?! No fair!!!! That's ok...I kind of like our four seasons...it helps me appreciate the SUMMER more and gives me an excuse to go to WDW or DCL in the winter.

Yeah..............I'm lucky. I get to mow my yard all year long. But, I do admit this year we had several cold waves come down from up north and the grass didn't grow all that much. So I did get a break from the mowing this winter.

Well, it's official, DW and I always stay at WDW the night before we cruise. And, in the past we have always stayed at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort to kinda, sorta, get us in the mood for the Caribbean cruise. Since we live in Florida, driving over to WDW the day before gets us a little more then half the drive to Port Canaveral. But this time we decided to change things up a bit. We are staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge for a couple of days before the cruise. We haven't stayed there for a while, so this will be a nice change of pace. I booked our reservation yesterday online, so we are all set.

Well, I have to get ready to go and run a couple of errands. Hope everyone is having a great week. Talk to ya'll again soon.

 

[Time4disneynow]

Hello everyone...hope you are having a good day.

Woke up this morning...looked out the window and snow...snow...we got 2 inches of snow...enough already. The sun came out late morning which made the day a little better. It is February...what can you do.

Debbie...I am so happy to hear that your DMiL will be joining you on the cruise...good for her on her $$$ winnings...Congrats!!!

David...we will be staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge in a few days. We will be there before and after our upcoming cruise. I sure hope the weather stays nice...we arrive Orlando around 9:30 am on Friday. Can't wait!!!!!

Have a good evening and take care......

 

[xandrhew]

Lilla and I are going to be staying at Fort Wilderness Cabins for two days before the cruise, and then we will be hanging out in Orlando for a couple days after. Orlando is my old stomping grounds, so it will be fun to see some old friends.

Anybody else doing the parks beforehand or after?

Also is anybody planning on Palo or Remy's during the cruise?

 

[JustTJ]

Lilla and I are going to be staying at Fort Wilderness Cabins for two days before the cruise, and then we will be hanging out in Orlando for a couple days after. Orlando is my old stomping grounds, so it will be fun to see some old friends.

Anybody else doing the parks beforehand or after?

Also is anybody planning on Palo or Remy's during the cruise?

I wish I could arrive a few days ahead or stay on a few days after, but alas I can't. At least we have the B2B I plan on doing Palo, but Remy will have to wait till a future cruise. If I remember correctly, silver cruisers can make those bookings as of 90 days out? Or was it 60? I know it's as long as we are paid in full.

 

[Luckymomoftwo]

Lilla and I are going to be staying at Fort Wilderness Cabins for two days before the cruise, and then we will be hanging out in Orlando for a couple days after. Orlando is my old stomping grounds, so it will be fun to see some old friends.

Anybody else doing the parks beforehand or after?

Also is anybody planning on Palo or Remy's during the cruise?

We are staying one night at OKW prior to the cruise and then staying at the Radisson at the Port the night before the cruise. Then we are doing the member cruise (B2B) and then staying at BLT for three nights after that.

I wish I could arrive a few days ahead or stay on a few days after, but alas I can't. At least we have the B2B I plan on doing Palo, but Remy will have to wait till a future cruise. If I remember correctly, silver cruisers can make those bookings as of 90 days out? Or was it 60? I know it's as long as we are paid in full.

Here's the info from the FAQ's:

Silver Castaway
Begins after your 1st completed cruise.

AT HOME BENEFITS:
Just for members: Web casts, info, tips and news.
Early Access to Online Activity Planning: 90 days prior to sailing
Dedicated Phone Number: (800) 449-3380—your direct line for info and assistance

ONBOARD BENEFITS:
Exclusive Cruise Terminal Check-In: Sail through the boarding process in a separate, members-only line
Welcome Back Stateroom Gift: Be welcomed back with a gift unique to your membership level. [One gift per stateroom based on highest level Castaway Club member in stateroom.]
Special Onboard Booking Offer: While on board, enjoy special savings on future cruises.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Howdy howdy, fellow Dreamers!

Earlier this week I booked our very first cruise on the September 15th 3-day sailing. For people who adamantly resisted cruising, we sure are over-the-moon excited! When my TA sent me our cabin # I went bonkers..hopping all around the house dancing and singing the number over and over. I really surprised myself! I've been voraciously devouring Dream cruise reports trying to get a feel for what to expect. And then I found THIS thread and now I'm ready to hop up and dance all around the room again.

We're pretty experienced WDW adventurers. I grew up in the metro Orlando area...WDW has been part of my life ever since I can remember. The hubby and both sons drank the water on our first family trip in January 2004 and they've been hooked ever since, too. That said, pre-cruise we've got a reservation at POFQ for 3 nights...then post-cruise we've got another reservation at the Yacht Club for 6 nights. Talk about one heckuva adventure!

Aaaaaaand....we're celebrating!!!! September 18th (debarkation day) is our 18th wedding anniversary!

I haven't had a chance to read thru the entire thread (yet...I promise I will!) but it's wonderful to see other kiddos that could potentially be new friends for our boys. At sailing our oldest will be 15 and the 'baby' will be 13. Both are so jazzed to be able to go hang out in their respective clubs and do their own thing.

Because I'm new to the whole cruising thing I'm soaking up info like a sponge. I hope the more experienced cruisers will tolerate my cluelessness. I totally love this concept of the FE! I sew. I craft. I love to create. Add that to anything Disney and I'm in hog-heaven. I'll be sending that PM to get on the FE list asap!

Great to be amongst our shipmates! Off to start reading thru the thread from the start!






OH! Did I mention?! Did ya know?! We're going on a DISNEY cruise! And not just aaaaaany Disney cruise! We're sailing on the DREAM!!!!! Cabin 7616........................7616.................................7 - 6 - 1 - 6..............

 

[Luckymomoftwo]

Howdy howdy, fellow Dreamers!

Earlier this week I booked our very first cruise on the September 15th 3-day sailing. For people who adamantly resisted cruising, we sure are over-the-moon excited! When my TA sent me our cabin # I went bonkers..hopping all around the house dancing and singing the number over and over. I really surprised myself! I've been voraciously devouring Dream cruise reports trying to get a feel for what to expect. And then I found THIS thread and now I'm ready to hop up and dance all around the room again.

We're pretty experienced WDW adventurers. I grew up in the metro Orlando area...WDW has been part of my life ever since I can remember. The hubby and both sons drank the water on our first family trip in January 2004 and they've been hooked ever since, too. That said, pre-cruise we've got a reservation at POFQ for 3 nights...then post-cruise we've got another reservation at the Yacht Club for 6 nights. Talk about one heckuva adventure!

Aaaaaaand....we're celebrating!!!! September 18th (debarkation day) is our 18th wedding anniversary!

I haven't had a chance to read thru the entire thread (yet...I promise I will!) but it's wonderful to see other kiddos that could potentially be new friends for our boys. At sailing our oldest will be 15 and the 'baby' will be 13. Both are so jazzed to be able to go hang out in their respective clubs and do their own thing.

Because I'm new to the whole cruising thing I'm soaking up info like a sponge. I hope the more experienced cruisers will tolerate my cluelessness. I totally love this concept of the FE! I sew. I craft. I love to create. Add that to anything Disney and I'm in hog-heaven. I'll be sending that PM to get on the FE list asap!

Great to be amongst our shipmates! Off to start reading thru the thread from the start!






OH! Did I mention?! Did ya know?! We're going on a DISNEY cruise! And not just aaaaaany Disney cruise! We're sailing on the DREAM!!!!! Cabin 7616........................7616.................................7 - 6 - 1 - 6..............

Nice to "meet" you!! I can't tell, though, are you excited at all to go on this cruise? Send me a PM with your email address and I'll send you a list of Disney Cruise Line tips that I have compiled from these boards.

And don't be afraid to ask any questions on here...there are some veteran cruisers (myself included - this will be my 8th cruise on DCL).

My son will be a month shy of 12 when we cruise, so he might hang out with your 13 yr old. I have a feeling we'll be spending a small fortune in the Arrr-cade!

Oh yeah, and email me at Fishextender@Yahoo.com if you want to join the FE group. Please include your DISboard name, your stateroom number, and first names of everyone in your stateroom and your kids' ages. I'll add you to the list and send a copy to you.

 

[DizDragonfly]

I haven't had a chance to read thru the entire thread (yet...I promise I will!) but it's wonderful to see other kiddos that could potentially be new friends for our boys. At sailing our oldest will be 15 and the 'baby' will be 13. Both are so jazzed to be able to go hang out in their respective clubs and do their own thing.

My boys will be 14 and 16. So, your DS15 and my boys will all be at Vibe together.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Nice to "meet" you!! I can't tell, though, are you excited at all to go on this cruise? Send me a PM with your email address and I'll send you a list of Disney Cruise Line tips that I have compiled from these boards.

And don't be afraid to ask any questions on here...there are some veteran cruisers (myself included - this will be my 8th cruise on DCL).

My son will be a month shy of 12 when we cruise, so he might hang out with your 13 yr old. I have a feeling we'll be spending a small fortune in the Arrr-cade!

Oh yeah, and email me at Fishextender@Yahoo.com if you want to join the FE group. Please include your DISboard name, your stateroom number, and first names of everyone in your stateroom and your kids' ages. I'll add you to the list and send a copy to you.

I'll be shooting you that email in just a few minutes! I'm so excited! Booking the cruise rocked....then I found out what cabin we're in....and the icing on the cake is most definitely "meeting" our shipmates and sharing the excitement! I'd so be up doing this---> but I'd most certainly wake up the DH & I don't wanna do that. After all, he *is* the man who makes this all possible.

Oh my! If I tell Brian (our 13 yro) I might already know some of his potential new friends he's just gonna flip! That's something he's been most excited about...meeting new friends and having his own adventures. I keep telling myself that's a good thing but I can't help but get a little teary-eyed....my baby growing up and spreading his wings and all that jazz. **sniffle sniffle**

My boys will be 14 and 16. So, your DS15 and my boys will all be at Vibe together.

Awesome! I found some 3-night Dream Navigators that were scanned by other cruisers and made sure to tell Chandler there's a Rock Band challenge. He's psyched. I think he was a tad disappointed that the gaming pods were XBox 360 platforms vs. his beloved PS3. Nevertheless, he's also really looking forward to the adventure. If I had to say one thing he's talked about a LOT it would be eating. I don't know where he puts it all but I know this kid can single-handedly get our quarter's worth on the price of the cruise.






I'm on page 10 as of right now and think I've spotted some Duffy fans out there! Yaaaaay for Duffy!!!! Remember I said I'm crafty and like to sew??? Well, one of my latest endeavors has been to create custom clothing for the heirloom teddy bears one of my dearest friends makes. A mom's gotta do something to generate a little cash on the side, huh? Anywhoo, on our November trip I bought 2 of the 12" Duffy's because I liked the smaller size vs. the 17" Duffy (which I have one of those, too). Anywhoo, I'm hoping to make custom Duffy attire utilizing the bins full of Disney fabrics I've collected over the years. Fun stuff!!!

 

[sweetpee_1993]

O-tay! Read thru the rest of the thread even with my eyes blurry & arguing that they want to sleep. I'm all caught up for now. Few things I wrote down that I thought to say ((you'll all soon learn that I talk waaaay too much which means I think waaaaay too much and then you'll find yourselves wishing I'd shut up waaaaaay too much!))....

I'm in for meeting up on the day we get onboard. 1:00 at the Mickey pool. Got it. I'm assuming the meet(s) will become more firm the closer it gets to sailing.

We have no plans to leave the ship on Nassau day. I have a confession....wait for it......I hope you're sitting down...............




............I don't really like going to the beach. There. Yes. I said it. It's off my chest. Nope, I'm not a beach girl. It's the sticky salt water that makes me feel all funky and my hair crunchy and then the sand that finds it's way into eeeeverything....I dunno. It's so much mess and work to clean up. I'm just not a beach fan. The extent of my beach liking is when it's cooler out I enjoy walking along the beach but that's it. We'll have to see how I like Castaway Cay. No plans to get off the boat in Nassau because DH & I agree that in the extensive lists of places/things we want to see together someday Nassau has never even been considered as mildly interesting.

Which leads me to my other confession. Remember I said we were cruise-resistant which totally makes the fact that we are THIS jazzed over a cruise that much more miraculous. Yep. Until I started reading TRs from people sailing on the Dream I had little to no interest in ever setting foot on a cruise ship. Well, maybe if it was going to the Baltic but that's because of the destination, not the cruise. No, I've always been sort of afraid to try cruising. Food is my weakness. I have the worst sweet tooth. The worst part is I gain weight so easily (I'm staring at that 15 lbs. I need to get off before September.) When we go to WDW we stay busy and have non-stop adventures. I just couldn't picture a boat having enough to keep me entertained to keep me away from the neverending sweets. I had this vision in my head of being trapped on a boat in the middle of the ocean with nothing to do but eat. Boy, was I wrong!

In reading the Dream TRs I've discerned that a Dream cruise is the best way to find out if cruising is for us. With all that there is to do, I'm certain we'll love it.

If I'm not a beachy girl I bet you're all wondering why in the world I would book this cruise. The Disney-Dork in me craves new Disney experiences. I'm there for the boat. No plans to get off in Nassau. I'm all about seeking characters, doing the animation class, Aqua Duck!, perhaps a visit to the spa, and naps are my best friend!

And! I don't know if any of you are runners....I'm of the less-commited variety myself....but I read on a few Navigators that there's a 5k on CC day in the morning. Cha-Ching! Just what I need to do! I've been wanting to get more commited to my running. Here's the perfect goal for me: to run the CC 5k. My TA said her hubby did it on a recent cruise and thought it was wonderful. At the end he got a certificate. Perfect!

Betcha can't tell I'm excited?! Okay. I have no idea what I'm typing anymore. My eyes have said "no" for the last time. TTYS!

 

[davidls]

Hello everyone...hope you are having a good day.

Woke up this morning...looked out the window and snow...snow...we got 2 inches of snow...enough already. The sun came out late morning which made the day a little better. It is February...what can you do.

Debbie...I am so happy to hear that your DMiL will be joining you on the cruise...good for her on her $$$ winnings...Congrats!!!

David...we will be staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge in a few days. We will be there before and after our upcoming cruise. I sure hope the weather stays nice...we arrive Orlando around 9:30 am on Friday. Can't wait!!!!!

Have a good evening and take care......

Monika, you are in luck. We are having picture perfect weather here in Florida. The highs are around 80 degrees during the day, and around 65 at night. Low humidity too, can't ask for anything more then that!!! You will have a great time at the Animal Kingdom Lodge during your stay.

Howdy howdy, fellow Dreamers!

Earlier this week I booked our very first cruise on the September 15th 3-day sailing. For people who adamantly resisted cruising, we sure are over-the-moon excited! When my TA sent me our cabin # I went bonkers..hopping all around the house dancing and singing the number over and over. I really surprised myself! I've been voraciously devouring Dream cruise reports trying to get a feel for what to expect. And then I found THIS thread and now I'm ready to hop up and dance all around the room again.

We're pretty experienced WDW adventurers. I grew up in the metro Orlando area...WDW has been part of my life ever since I can remember. The hubby and both sons drank the water on our first family trip in January 2004 and they've been hooked ever since, too. That said, pre-cruise we've got a reservation at POFQ for 3 nights...then post-cruise we've got another reservation at the Yacht Club for 6 nights. Talk about one heckuva adventure!

Aaaaaaand....we're celebrating!!!! September 18th (debarkation day) is our 18th wedding anniversary!

I haven't had a chance to read thru the entire thread (yet...I promise I will!) but it's wonderful to see other kiddos that could potentially be new friends for our boys. At sailing our oldest will be 15 and the 'baby' will be 13. Both are so jazzed to be able to go hang out in their respective clubs and do their own thing.

Because I'm new to the whole cruising thing I'm soaking up info like a sponge. I hope the more experienced cruisers will tolerate my cluelessness. I totally love this concept of the FE! I sew. I craft. I love to create. Add that to anything Disney and I'm in hog-heaven. I'll be sending that PM to get on the FE list asap!

Great to be amongst our shipmates! Off to start reading thru the thread from the start!

OH! Did I mention?! Did ya know?! We're going on a DISNEY cruise! And not just aaaaaany Disney cruise! We're sailing on the DREAM!!!!! Cabin 7616........................7616.................................7 - 6 - 1 - 6..............

Let me also you sweetpee_1993 and family to the cruise. You will have a great time counting down the days with us all until we sail on the Dream. So welcome aboard............if you have any questions just ask away................there are allot of seasones cruisers on here that I know will be able to help you out.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Even tho my eyes demanded sleep last night I had the hardest time falling asleep with all the FE ideas running circles in my brain.

Thanks for all the welcomes, y'all. I appreciate it!

Noob questions! I'm glad you're open to this. On other forums repeat questions often get met with snarky responses like "If you would do a search first you'd already have the answer". I don't wanna ruffle any feathers particularly if we'll all be shipmates in the near future.

My most recent question that's foremost in my brain is about bottled water. I can't drink sodas, not even diet, because the carbonation swells me up like a blow fish. Other than my morning coffee I live on bottled water. I've evolved into a bit of a water-snob with preferences for specific brands. My question is this: Do you know if bringing a case of bottled water onboard with you is still allowed? If so, will they let us hand it over as a "checked bag" to be taken to our stateroom along with our other luggage?

Also, I'm stressing a little over the dress-up night. Some other previous cruisers on another website/forum told me the dress-up thing isn't very consistantly observed so it's really nothing to give much worry to. I wanna be a good little cruising family so we definitely will be making effort for the dress-up night. My question is this: how dress-up is dress-up night? For the guys, is that like khaki pants and a nice button-up? More? Less? Part of this equation is the fact that our debarkation day is our anniversary. The plan is to go to dinner at the Yachtsman that night which the DH said he's definitely wearing his coat & tie for. Ideally, I'd like to bring 1 pair of khakis for each of the guys, do the nice button-ups for the dress-up night, wash/press the pants, and have them ready to pair with white shirts, coats, & ties the night of our anniversary.

Thanks, y'all! I'm so glad I found you!!!!

 

[queenreen]

Howdy howdy, fellow Dreamers!

Earlier this week I booked our very first cruise on the September 15th 3-day sailing. For people who adamantly resisted cruising, we sure are over-the-moon excited! When my TA sent me our cabin # I went bonkers..hopping all around the house dancing and singing the number over and over. I really surprised myself! I've been voraciously devouring Dream cruise reports trying to get a feel for what to expect. And then I found THIS thread and now I'm ready to hop up and dance all around the room again.

We're pretty experienced WDW adventurers. I grew up in the metro Orlando area...WDW has been part of my life ever since I can remember. The hubby and both sons drank the water on our first family trip in January 2004 and they've been hooked ever since, too. That said, pre-cruise we've got a reservation at POFQ for 3 nights...then post-cruise we've got another reservation at the Yacht Club for 6 nights. Talk about one heckuva adventure!

Aaaaaaand....we're celebrating!!!! September 18th (debarkation day) is our 18th wedding anniversary!

I haven't had a chance to read thru the entire thread (yet...I promise I will!) but it's wonderful to see other kiddos that could potentially be new friends for our boys. At sailing our oldest will be 15 and the 'baby' will be 13. Both are so jazzed to be able to go hang out in their respective clubs and do their own thing.

Because I'm new to the whole cruising thing I'm soaking up info like a sponge. I hope the more experienced cruisers will tolerate my cluelessness. I totally love this concept of the FE! I sew. I craft. I love to create. Add that to anything Disney and I'm in hog-heaven. I'll be sending that PM to get on the FE list asap!

Great to be amongst our shipmates! Off to start reading thru the thread from the start!






OH! Did I mention?! Did ya know?! We're going on a DISNEY cruise! And not just aaaaaany Disney cruise! We're sailing on the DREAM!!!!! Cabin 7616........................7616.................................7 - 6 - 1 - 6..............

YEAH!!! A fellow Newbie!! Now I won't be the only one with "annoying" questions

I too am from FL and have been raised with Mickey like an uncle. Hope you enjoy the trip and let the countdown begin!

 

[davidls]

Even tho my eyes demanded sleep last night I had the hardest time falling asleep with all the FE ideas running circles in my brain.

Thanks for all the welcomes, y'all. I appreciate it!

Noob questions! I'm glad you're open to this. On other forums repeat questions often get met with snarky responses like "If you would do a search first you'd already have the answer". I don't wanna ruffle any feathers particularly if we'll all be shipmates in the near future.

My most recent question that's foremost in my brain is about bottled water. I can't drink sodas, not even diet, because the carbonation swells me up like a blow fish. Other than my morning coffee I live on bottled water. I've evolved into a bit of a water-snob with preferences for specific brands. My question is this: Do you know if bringing a case of bottled water onboard with you is still allowed? If so, will they let us hand it over as a "checked bag" to be taken to our stateroom along with our other luggage?

Also, I'm stressing a little over the dress-up night. Some other previous cruisers on another website/forum told me the dress-up thing isn't very consistantly observed so it's really nothing to give much worry to. I wanna be a good little cruising family so we definitely will be making effort for the dress-up night. My question is this: how dress-up is dress-up night? For the guys, is that like khaki pants and a nice button-up? More? Less? Part of this equation is the fact that our debarkation day is our anniversary. The plan is to go to dinner at the Yachtsman that night which the DH said he's definitely wearing his coat & tie for. Ideally, I'd like to bring 1 pair of khakis for each of the guys, do the nice button-ups for the dress-up night, wash/press the pants, and have them ready to pair with white shirts, coats, & ties the night of our anniversary.

Thanks, y'all! I'm so glad I found you!!!!

Taking your brand of water on board the ship is not a problem. Not sure if you can hand it over as a checked bag or not. Someone who has done this may be able to help you on this one. I have read where others have loaded their water into a suitcase then checked it thru. You can buy a case or whatever you need on board the ship. Disney sells Even-Flo bottled water on board. DW and I buy this on board for ourselves.
Second, don't stress out about dress up night. This is your vacation, relax and enjoy. DW and I noticed that allot of people don't go for the dress up thing. So if you are taking a tie and jacket for DH and the same for your sons sounds like you are all set. As far as cruise casual for the rest of the cruise, a nice polo shirt and khakis for the guys are fine and my DW usually wears those pants that strike just below the knees..........not sure what they are called, knee highs.................that ain't right??? But mainly just relax, have fun and enjoy your vacation.

 

[DizDragonfly]

Do you know if bringing a case of bottled water onboard with you is still allowed? If so, will they let us hand it over as a "checked bag" to be taken to our stateroom along with our other luggage?

Yes, you can bring your own water. I think they want it packed in a bag now, rather than just slapping a tag on it to be delivered. But, those types of things change from time to time. It may be best to make a list of questions and post them to the main cruise board 60 days or so out with the title, "Has this changed", or some such thing. Just make sure that you pack plastic bottles, not glass. Glass can break and soak through the bag and into other people's luggage. Not a very magical way to start your trip!

Also, I'm stressing a little over the dress-up night.

Ok, I'm a first time cruiser too. But, I don't think there IS an official dress up night on the three night cruises (or four night either). Unless you want to dress up for Pirate Night! Dinners are "cruise casual". Khakis and button down shirts should meet that standard. I know Disney asks for no swim suits, no shorts and no tank tops in the dining rooms. Although, I understand you'll see plenty of shorts in there anyway.

 

[DizDragonfly]

Disney sells Even-Flo bottled water on board.

Isn't even-flo a brand of baby bottles? Do you mean Evian?

my DW usually wears those pants that strike just below the knees..........not sure what they are called, knee highs.................that ain't right???

Capri pants or just capris. My mom calls them pedal pushers. We called them "clam diggers" when I was growing up. Now they have a new name.