February 8th 2014 Disney Fantasy Eastern Caribbean Cruise Meet

[Pattycakeness63]

What is the FE?

 

[Fathawkeye]

Howdy,
Does anyone know what time the Disney Transfer Bus Leaves MCO Hyatt to Port?
I was doing my online check in this evening and was not sure what time to select?!
Thanks,
FH

 

[Cheerio]

You can select any time, DCL bus passengers go right into the terminal when they arrive. I'd pick the earliest one possible as your boarding time is linked to that. But you won't have an issue getting right into the terminal with dcl buses no matter what your PAT is.

 

[Fathawkeye]

Thank You!!

 

[Futurist]

What is the FE?

Welcome to the wonderful initial-full world of the DISboards! And welcome to this cruise!

FE = Fish Extender. There is a fish on the wall outside every stateroom, which is used by Disney CMs to lodge envelopes, ads, information bulletins, and so on for the people staying in those staterooms.

Disney guests got the idea of hanging things from these, and this eventually turned into a way to exchange gifts between guests. Because these pockets hang from the fish, they're called fish extenders. If you look, you should find lots of pictures and discussions about FEs on the 'boards.

It's probably too late to join the FE groups for the Feb. 8th cruise, though.

But in any event, it's an indication of the merry madness of Disney guests! You might also want to think about creating a sign (or signs) for your doors –*but they can only be affixed using magnets. There are lots of threads about this too.

I'm not set up to provide photos, but root around the 'boards and you'll find information on such things.

See You Real Soon!

Hope this helps,
Richard

 

[Futurist]

Hi All, This will be our first Disney cruise...really beyond excited at this point.

I had a question though about the kids clubs.. DDs are 6 and 10. I'm hearing mixed reviews from people about whether they will like the clubs. Its not a big deal if they don't (except for our Palo night that is ;-) ) but since we are traveling with other adults (destination wedding in St. Thomas)..I was hoping it would be a way for them to meet/hang out with kids.

Anyone with daughters approx the same age that have experience here... Thanks in advance!!

There's an entire thread that was started by one of the Youth Counsellors (on her vacation time, no less), which answers just about any question you can imagine about the clubs. Find it here:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3186484

Meanwhile, my DW and I have adult kids, so I'm not personally familiar with the clubs. However, based on what I've read, it very much depends on your kids. Some kids love 'em and never want to leave, some don't. I think a lot has to do with whether they make friends or not. One of the best things you can do would be to take your kids to the ice breaker events at the start of the cruise. This lets them check out the clubs, and they can see if there's anyone they think they can get along with. The Counsellors are great, and will work hard to integrate your kids with the group – but it's ultimately still up to your kids to decide what they want.

Read the YC's thread, take the kids to the Open Houses on Day 1 and the ice breakers, then let them decide.

See You Real Soon on board! And welcome to the cruise!

Richard

 

[Parkerpooh]

Hi All, This will be our first Disney cruise...really beyond excited at this point.

I had a question though about the kids clubs.. DDs are 6 and 10. I'm hearing mixed reviews from people about whether they will like the clubs. Its not a big deal if they don't (except for our Palo night that is ;-) ) but since we are traveling with other adults (destination wedding in St. Thomas)..I was hoping it would be a way for them to meet/hang out with kids.

Anyone with daughters approx the same age that have experience here... Thanks in advance!!

Your girls will LOVE the clubs! I couldn't get my kids out of there. I have 6year old boy/girl twins and 6 yr old niece travelling with me who are all very social so if your youngest would like some nice kids to meet, pm me and I will give you their names.

 

[thomasfamily1998]

How can we find out what the dinner theme nights are for the Feb. 8th sailing on Disney Fantasy?

 

[sdjen]

Saturday. Cruise casual
Sunday. Formal night
Monday. Casual
Tuesday. Casual.pirate
Wednesday casual
Thursday. Semi formal
Friday. Casual.

3 weeks from today we will be enjoying our first day on the ship!

 

[Cheerio]

Last call for the FE Exchange, groups close today - January 18th in time to give everyone a chance to prep for the cruise

 

[scootch]

My daughters loved the club at that age too. Now my oldest got to the edge(age 13) not as much. But my younger one(cruised at ages 9, 10 and 11) has always LOVED them, crying the last night when I picked her up at MIDNIGHT!

 

[DISNEYFOS]

Thanks! Good to hear! Parkerpooh thanks for the offer, I PM'd you.

We will go to the Open house to check it out. Its my 10 year old I'm worried about really..my 6 year old will really follow her lead mostly.. If she deems it uncool well then....

 

[mrkyyyle]

Almost time! 2 weeks from today we will be flying out to MCO!

FWIW I loved the teens club when I went on a disney cruise back in the early 2000's and that kind of got me hooked on DCL as a whole!

 

[Fathawkeye]

Only -1 here today; and Blizzard Warning for tomorrow. Cannot come soon enough!

 

[Futurist]

If you enjoy the cruise, take a few moments to sprinkle some pixie dust for the Cast & Crew Members (CMs) who work so hard to make it enjoyable. I know experienced DISboarders know this, but I've been reading a thread by a CM, and have learned some things, some of which should have been obvious to me but which I missed anyway, specifically:

1) The single most important thing you can do for a CM is to write a glowing review about them, mentioning them by name. If you get their name and where they're from off their name badge, and describe what they do (Youth Activities, deck hand, food service, etc.), that should be enough so they can be identified. Good reviews can get them such unusual goodies as extra time off in port, or permission to eat in one of the guest restaurants (typically the buffet) instead of eating in the crew's mess, where the menu gets pretty monotonous. If an entire group gets a rave (like the Youth Activity CMs, for instance), they can even be sent on one of the port excursions together. And guest mentions count big when it comes to promotions. And guest reviews that mention CMs by name often get read out at crew meetings, and posted where the crew can see them.

Bottom line is that THE BEST thing you can do for a CM who has been particularly magical is to mention them by name so their managers know it. And if you really want to go above and beyond, mention this person to the Cruise Director, who is, effectively, The Boss for this kind of thing. Or give the CD a note so they remember who you’re talking about.

Don’t let this slip! By the end of the cruise, you're bummed about having to come back to the Real World , and overwhelmed with travel and packing stuff, so it's easy to do a quick-and-dirty on the evaluations, instead of taking the time to write something specific. Three minutes of writing by you can make a CM's day or get them a promotion, so please take the time!

2) If the CM is in a tippable position (your stateroom host, the main dining room serving staff, concierge staff), then please make sure you tip them at least according to the guidelines. No thread that I've read is absolutely clear or certain, but these folks only get paid about $50 a month by DCL! All the rest of their money comes from your tips. I know some people have to save up for months or years to go on a cruise, but these folks make less than you do. If your servers have been good to you, please be as generous as your situation allows.

3) When you mention CMs who have made your cruise in your end-of-cruise reviews, don't overlook the invisible CMs. These are the people who serve in the buffet, deckhands who keep the deck clean, crew members that clean the restrooms, the servers in the fast food restaurants on deck, and so on. They don’t get tips, and it can be hard for them to get noticed and be promoted to a better position. Mentioning them in your comments can give them a big boost towards a better position.

Likewise, if a character (including the Big Cheese himself!) is particularly nice to you, mention which character, what time of day, what day, and where. They don’t get mentioned a lot, because they seem so obvious, but they appreciate being recognized, and it can help their careers, too!

And if a cast member from the stage shows particularly impresses you, tell someone, preferably someone in the entertainment division who has a white uniform, describing the cast member and what they did that impressed you.

We all appreciate how the Disney CMs make the cruise magical for us. They really appreciate it when you let them know (by telling them and thanking them), and by making sure they get noticed by their supervisors for their excellence. Aside from tips, it costs us nothing, and makes magic for them!

I look back on exchanges I’ve had with CMs on previous voyages, and while I told them how much I appreciated what they did, I’m very sorry now that I didn’t make my feelings known on the survey, or to someone in a position to help them! My DW and I are looking forward to a great cruise, but this time I’m hoping to spread some pixie dust for the CMs that make it magical.

See you on board!
Richard

 

[Futurist]

There's a smartphone app for at least the Fantasy that provides (I think) the information contained in the Navigators, but for all 7 days of the cruise. I haven't been onboard since this was made available, so I'm not entirely sure how it works, but if it works as I think it probably does, it means we'll be able to search the entire week for specific events, films, acts before we ever get the printed Navigator.

It uses wifi, and you need to turn off your cellphone link so you don't get charged for repeated queries, and the wifi is local to the ship, so access is free.

This started with the Fantasy, so I know it works there. I believe they're intending to make it available on the other ships eventually, but I'm not sure when.

You should be able to download the app for free from whoever you get apps from. I got the app for my iPhone from the Apple Store.

See You Real Soon!
Richard

 

[Janelle2014]

There's a smartphone app for at least the Fantasy that provides (I think) the information contained in the Navigators, but for all 7 days of the cruise. I haven't been onboard since this was made available, so I'm not entirely sure how it works, but if it works as I think it probably does, it means we'll be able to search the entire week for specific events, films, acts before we ever get the printed Navigator.

It uses wifi, and you need to turn off your cellphone link so you don't get charged for repeated queries, and the wifi is local to the ship, so access is free.

This started with the Fantasy, so I know it works there. I believe they're intending to make it available on the other ships eventually, but I'm not sure when.

You should be able to download the app for free from whoever you get apps from. I got the app for my iPhone from the Apple Store.

See You Real Soon!
Richard

I have the app downloaded on my phone. Ready to try it out soon!!!

 

[HypatiainKS]

My family is very excited for this cruise. Just a week away! Look forward to meeting everybody and having a wonderful time.

 

[Janelle2014]

My family is very excited for this cruise. Just a week away! Look forward to meeting everybody and having a wonderful time.

My family is also soooooo excited! This is our first cruise and we can't wait!!! It's been so fun getting to know people on-line. Looking forward to meeting everyone as well!

 

[n5749w]

Janelle- I am sooooo excited about meeting everyone. This is the first time that we have booked a cruise longer than a couple of weeks before. Getting to know everyone beforehand is a definite bonus!