Half a century deserves some sort of DREAMY recognition - TR Complete with Navigators & Toddler Info

TestingH2O · Aug 8, 2015

Ground rules of this TR. During my planning, nothing drove me crazier than scrolling through pages of questions, replies, and side conversations just to try to get to the meat of the TR. (I have a big problem with extraneous clicks that is firmly rooted in a couple database systems at work. :mad:

) Then Dis changed formats, and the people who HAD links to their chapters were all messed up and the links didn't work any more. I'm going to try to reserve enough posts in a row at the beginning so you can just read straight through and then get to questions if you have them. If something gets messed up, I'll do my best to make notes about what post and page you should jump to for more TR action.

**I did not use my work's technology to get Navigators online starting at post #18.** :rolleyes1

TestingH2O · Aug 8, 2015

The Travelers

The primary reason for the trip was my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. They had actually started talking about a big celebration a few years ago and we were considering a long stay in Estes Park, CO where we used to vacation when my brother and I were young. However, my brother passed away in 2013, and my mom just couldn’t handle going back to where we always traveled as a family. So, we looked for new options and, with my 3 year old daughter in mind, we booked a 4 night Concierge Disney cruise. We traveled in 3 staterooms: 12516 for my parents, 12518 for my family (DH, DD, and me), and 12016 for my brother’s widow and a friend. It also happens to be my 10th anniversary with DH, so there was some celebrating there too. We wanted to celebrate but could already anticipate some sad times too.

Pre-Trip Planning

We booked over a year in advance, so there was plenty of time to think about everything. Since I am who I am, I immediately began researching tips and tricks. The Dis was a great resource for transportation in and around Orlando. We debated staying on property even though we knew we weren’t doing parks, but we ended up at a DTD hotel (DoubleTree Lake Buena Vista.) We decided to book FL Tours for our transportation. They would get us from the airport, provide a car seat for DD3, and we got a 30 minute grocery stop for provisions. The DoubleTree was appealing because we could get into vacation mode on Sunday by going to check out DTD, having some quality pool time, but also having a suite where we could have snacks and just go at our own pace. We decided to do dinner at Fulton’s just for fun on Sunday night and to get the vacation started in style.

So, over the course of the year, I read way too much on the message boards. I knew about Mickey Mail, Fish Extenders, Pirate Night, and the shows. I knew about alternate spots for lunch on embarkation. I knew that we could contact shore side concierge on day 125 to reserve a cabana. I was around when they changed kids’ clubs policies. On and on and on. I tried to hide my crazy research, but when that 125 day rolled around, it paid off. Despite the fact that I had told my dad there were better options for a TA than AAA, he is old school and went with them anyway. Well, the TA was not good. She never told him about booking a cabana, nursery time, or brunch. In fact, the only way we got those things reserved was the aforementioned crazy research I was doing! Then, I had to tell them about the welcome packet and luggage tags. I don’t know if she would have let them leave without them, but they certainly had a hard time pinning her down about getting them. Oh well, water under the bridge.

To get DD excited, I made her a ring calendar to count down the days. It was a big hit and super easy to do. We also had a call from Mickey and Minnie about two weeks out.

I had read and reread that you should pack your bags and then take out half the stuff. So, I tried REALLY hard to cut down on the amount of stuff in the bags. However, there were some tricky folks who kept trying to work their way in. And let me tell you, a three year old is not the world’s most stringent bouncer when it comes to adhering to the guidelines.

I’m sorry folks, there are strict lifeboat occupancy regulations that we cannot violate.

Using my handy ring countdown, we saw the ring with the plane and it was time to go!

TestingH2O · Aug 8, 2015

Pre-Cruise Vacation Days

Travel Day

The day started really well. Since DH was already gone, I was traveling with DD3 alone. Now, I would rather fly with a small child solo than have backup on a looooong drive. I look at it as ripping off the Band-Aid. Haha! Because I’m neurotic, we were packed, the house was clean, and I felt ready.

We were scheduled to leave close to nap time, so I decided to take her to the zoo in the morning to burn off some energy. The weather at home was perfect and we stayed at the zoo for about an hour and a half. It was a great way to pass the time before heading to the airport.

I found a coupon for parking that gave me valet for less than regular self-park. The parking folks were super nice and helpful and we got to the terminal exactly when I had planned. It was DD’s first shuttle ride.

Check in was smooth. However, the check-in agent said we would be about an hour late leaving due to weather in Orlando. I sighed but figured we would walk around and look at the stores or something. But, when we got to the gate, we weren’t delayed. Yay! So, they loaded the plane, got everyone counted, closed the doors and came on the loudspeaker and said “we can’t leave because of weather in Orlando, so sit tight.” All the while acting like this was new and shocking information! I hopped on my phone and SW was posting online we were leaving 50 minutes late, but the plane people kept acting like they knew nothing. It was infuriating. They KNEW we were late. Why did the load the plane? Also, my 3 year old was not pleased to just sit there and do nothing. Nope, no how. Then the crew we got was just not normal for SW. Crabby, not helpful, heck, the lady serving our drinks, never even smiled and refused to get DD more juice! Not the SW I am used to. We got to Orlando though, found the rest of the family, and hopped on our FL Tours van.

Rainy Orlando

Let me off this plane!!!!

We stopped at Publix for supplies (read wine and cheese,) dealt with a long check in process, grabbed dinner at the hotel, and called it a night. Overall a good day, but the air travel was stressful this time around. Oh well, at least we received a warm welcome to the WDW area.

We were excited to check out Downtown Disney and hit the hotel pool.

TestingH2O · Aug 8, 2015

Resort Day

The day started off well. While I got hardly any sleep, DD slept until her normal time (7:45 EST, thank you time change!) and we enjoyed a nice breakfast in the hotel. Considering how mediocre the hotel staff was, the restaurant staff was amazing. Always so nice and welcoming. We then threw on some casual clothes and walked to DTD. I wanted to see Once Upon a Toy, and we just wanted to do the Disney thing. We also figured we would have lunch at Earl of Sandwich. The walk was a bit longer than we would have liked, and that was irksome. One reason we booked this hotel was that they advertised a shuttle to DTD. However, once we checked in, they told us the shuttle only started at 6:00 p.m. It definitely felt like bait and switch. Regardless, the temperatures were fine and we had fun going to the toy store, riding the carousel, looking at Christmas ornaments, riding the train, and just wandering.

Haha!

Love these carousel tokens!

DD’s favorite sculpture.

While my mom and I were purchasing ornaments, my dad took DD to ride the train. When we went to find them, we discovered them eating ice cream at Ghirardelli. And there went a sensible lunch for my child. At this point it was nearing 1:00, and she was tired. My mom, who is diabetic, also needed to eat. So, we split up. My dad went to Earl of Sandwich to pick up food, and we headed to the taxi stand to grab a cab back to the hotel. DD was in no shape to walk all the way back, and it was only $5.50 for cab fare. While we convinced DD to eat some almonds, blueberries and drink some water, dad started walking back. And then the heavens opened upon him. Poor guy. Even though he had an umbrella, he was soaked when he got back. We ate lunch in the room while DD napped. Then we all fell asleep too!

During this time, I was getting texts from DH that he was on his way from his friend’s house in St. Pete, but I-4 was a disaster and it took him almost twice as long as it should have. ::sigh:: He finally got in as I was about to wake up DD from her 3 HOUR NAP!!! Holy smokes! With the long nap and the rain though, there would be no pool for us. So, we all relaxed, hung out, and cleaned up (once the room was FINALLY serviced at about 4:45) for about an hour and a half before we met up with my SIL and her friend to go to Fulton’s for dinner.

I was nervous about this restaurant choice. I had looked it up online and had seen several negative reviews indicating it was overpriced for mediocre food. However, when we arrived, we were really happy with our table, our servers were excellent, and the food was outstanding. Clearly this isn’t an inexpensive meal, but it was worth the splurge. I had 2 appetizers (crab cake and mussels), DH had the Florida Grouper, DD had pasta, and everyone else had crab of some sort. We all left stuffed and very happy with our dinner. The whole meal took almost 2 hours. I was very nervous about DD and those long meals on the ship, but if Fulton’s was any indication of how fancy dinners work with Disney, I decided I was feeling much more optimistic. My parents took DD back to the hotel for a bath and to wind down. The rest of us wandered around DTD and took in the sights. DH also bought some Star Wars paraphernalia. I loved looking at all the beautiful treats in Goofy’s Candy Shop, but I was just too full to indulge.

Apples are healthy, right?

I rearranged bags a bit and worked on finishing the open bottle of wine in the fridge. Hey, vacation is a team sport.

Went to bed around midnight Eastern, so 11:00 central.

TestingH2O · Aug 8, 2015

Day 1: Embarkation

DD started the day by making a beeline to her calendar! Mickey boat day!

We woke up and started getting ready. Breakfast was in the hotel restaurant and our scheduled pick-up was at 10:00. The driver arrived at 9:50, so we loaded up and were on our way! It was fun looking at the surroundings and suddenly seeing the top of the ship. We also got to see dolphins swimming next to the highway. We arrived at the port at exactly 11:00.

A porter, Shaun, picked up our bags. (I mention his name because that was my brother’s name too, and it seemed meaningful to us that he was there with us in some way.) We walked to the port building and there was no line to get through security. As we walked back to the concierge desk, we passed Mickey and Minnie. DD’s excitement level shot through the roof!

Concierge check in was fast and friendly. At this point, I checked in with DH, and he was parking the car. He arrived right after we finished getting DD’s wrist band. (FYI, they were on group 7 by this point. They move through those numbers FAST!) Our escort walked us to the photos, and then we were on the ship! We got passed off to someone on board who walked us straight to the elevator to head up to Deck 12 and the Concierge Lounge.

The Lounge was definitely crowded during that welcome party and we had a wait a while to meet with our team. In fact, Alexis from Guest Services ended up reviewing our itinerary with us and making a few adjustments to our reservations. DD also got to meet one of the counselors from the clubs. It was about 12:00/12:30 at this point, so we went into our rooms to check them out and start getting DD to think about taking her nap. It was obviously a big day, because she went right to sleep with no complaint. DH and I poked around our room a bit, I delivered the goodie bags I had made everyone, and the rest of the group went to lunch. After my parents came back to supervise the nap, DH and I hit Cabanas. Because most people were finished, we found the buffet very easy to navigate. We got a lovely table right by the window and enjoyed lunch. He had salmon, bread, pineapple pizza, and some fresh fruit. I had shrimp, crab, shrimp salad and a piece of olive bread. Yummy! My only complaint was that the crab was difficult to open. I know I left a lot of meat untouched because I just could not get to it. With those thick shells, I would have assumed they would provide crackers.

(Please be aware in advance that I am not, in general, a food photo person. Sorry.)

We regrouped, went to the safety drill (painless), and decided to stand on Deck 12 to watch Sail Away. DD was out of her mind with excitement watching all the characters dance and sing. I enjoyed a Bahama Mama during the show.

Dancing away.

The stars of the show!

Our bags had been delivered by 2:00 or so, and I had started unpacking during nap. I did a bit more after the party and then we were off to diner. The first night we ate in Royal Palace.

Cute bread basket.

Our table was in the back and our server was Contantin from Romania. Our Assistant Server was Potchara from Thailand. Dinner the first night was out of this world! Plus, the servers did magic tricks and origami for DD. It made a long meal with DD very enjoyable. Constantin did bring me two desserts. Not at all what I needed, but he knew I had been waffling between two options. I had chosen the soufflé but he brought crème brule too. I would have been more than happy with just the soufflé.

We headed upstairs and saw this pretty shot.

We also got back to our room and had a new friend.

What is that?

Our host had made up the sofa bed for DD. Because of time, DH decided to put DD to bed and the rest of us headed for Golden Mickeys. The show was cute and fun and got us in the cruise mood. It also wasn’t the most amazing thing I had ever seen though. Depending on when we cruise again, I might consider late dining so DD can watch.

To be continued...

TestingH2O · Aug 8, 2015

Day 1 Continued

After the show, the ladies went for a Champagne tasting in Pink. What fun! Jennifer and Vanja were wonderful hostesses and we had 4 full size drinks. The format was similar to Mixology, and we helped make the cocktails. The price was $20. Between the entertainment factor and the quantity of alcohol we were served, it felt like an incredible value.

We made a Bellini, Pomegranate Passion, Blue Angel, and The Legend. I liked the Legend the best, followed closely by the Pomegranate Passion.

If you go to Pink, you have to use the bathroom. They are what I imagine Star Trek bathrooms would be like if they ever showed them.

The only slightly sad part of the night was that my SIL didn’t realize the tables were not terribly sturdy and dumped her whole Bellini on me. Ooops. At least I already knew that laundry service on board was inexpensive.

I got back to my room and slept like a log being gently rocked by the ship.

Day 2: Nassau

As usual, I woke up early and marveled at the feeling of being on vacation. I didn’t feel like I knew my way around the room well enough to get dressed quietly, so I stayed in bed. Surprisingly, I fell back asleep! When I woke up a second time, the family was still sleeping, but I cleaned up a bit and headed to the lounge for coffee and to talk to Emily about sending my Bellini pants to the laundry. Shortly thereafter, my parents came in and then my husband and daughter.

My parents were wearing the shirts I made them.

They all decided to head to Cabanas for breakfast (Mickey waffles!!!), and I went to shower and get ready for the day. They still hadn’t returned, so I ate in the lounge. That was a great choice for me and one I repeated every day.

My breakfasts on this trip were always a latte, some smoked salmon, cream cheese, and capers on a seeded roll, and some of the bircher muesli. I have no idea what that stuff was, but I couldn’t get enough. I’m sure I will be very sad when I wake up without it.

By this time, everyone had eaten breakfast and it was time to think about the day. We knew we weren’t getting off in Nassau, but we also didn’t know what kind of exploring we wanted to do. We needed to consider the Aqua Duck and Nemo’s Reef as well. We went back to our staterooms, and everyone started getting their swim gear on. We took time to watch the pilot boat guide us in and just keep checking out the Nassau skyline.

Then it was off to the pool! DD was sad she couldn’t do the pool or Mickey slide. She had been doing well on her potty training, but there was a staffing change at her school, and that totally threw the whole process off kilter. Oh well, she loved the Nemo area and was completely satisfied. At one point, while she was playing, my dad and I decided to check out the Aqua Duck. So much fun! Then we came back to check on the rest of the group. The area had gotten busier but all the kids were being well behaved and all of them had adults keeping an eye on them. In fact, one mom was so engaged that SHE started sliding down the Mr. Ray slide. Seriously! If you’ve seen this slide, you know it is fast and that the bigger you are, the faster you go. Well, this lady kept nearly taking out kids. She did it once, and I thought she’d slipped and fallen, so I helped her up. Then I glanced over again, and she was on the ground again! I decided she was just klutzy. Finally, I saw her climbing the stairs. At this point a lifeguard whistled her and told her to stop. My mom told me later that the two times I thought she had fallen were actually slides. I mean really people, there are complaints about big kids using the area, why would an adult think that was ok? We grabbed a quick bite to eat at the pool then took DD for her nap. While she slept, my parents and I saw Inside Out. Cute movie, but I’m glad I didn’t pay full price.

TestingH2O · Aug 8, 2015

Day 2 Continued

After nap, we went ahead and got ready for dinner so we could do some character hunting. The dress tonight was optional dress-up, so we wore slightly nicer clothes like sundresses and white capris. Think West Palm Beach. We had dinner in Animator’s tonight and again, it was fabulous!

Bruce the shark!

Those pasta pursettes really are as good as everyone says, and I was tempted to ask for more.

SIL had the make your own pie. She said it tasted great, and I loved the presentation.

The rest of the meal was fabulous, Potchara made DD an origami swan on a stick that she named Flyer, and we all headed upstairs. No one went to see Villains. To be honest, we were just having too much fun hanging out on the verandah and walking around the ship. By this point, DD had discovered that the characters would be around a bunch too, so we spent a fair bit of time going from one to another to take pictures. Her face was so amazing as she said hi to them all.

Our visitor for the night.

DH and I went out for a drink after DD went to sleep, and then we hit the hay again. All in all, it was an amazing first day.

TestingH2O · Aug 8, 2015

Day 3: Castaway Cay

This was the day we had all been waiting for: Castaway Cay and Cabana 4!!! I woke up early and took a short walk around the pool deck. I also saw Captain Gus and he mentioned he is out around 7:00 every morning.

We knew we could start getting off the ship by about 8:30, but we didn’t want to rush or wait in lines to get to the beach, so, we leisurely got up, changed into swim suits, packed a bag with dry clothes and were off. DH, DD, and I were ready before anyone else in our group, so we headed out first. After a very easy trip down the gangway, my super excited little girl getting to wave at Pluto and Mickey in a golf cart, and a picture in front of the ship, we hopped on the tram.

You’ll remember that I mentioned DD was into meeting characters now, well, she had seen a picture of Goofy in his beach gear, and she was a woman on a mission. Even though the cabanas were at the next stop, we hopped off at Scuttle’s Cove because we knew there would be characters at Rustmore and Scuttles. I fully expected there to be long lines, but there was next to nothing. So, we took a picture with Mickey, walked the tiny distance to Rustmore for Pluto, waited there for Goofy, and walked back to Scuttle’s Cove for Minnie and Daisy. That whole adventure took 15-20 minutes tops and DD couldn’t stop talking about it.

TestingH2O · Aug 8, 2015

Day 3 Continued

We then grabbed the tram and headed to the cabana. (I should note here that the walk is really not that bad, however, with a 3 year old, we opted to conserve a bit of energy.) When our tram arrived at the Pelican Point station, Alexis was there again, and he showed us to our Cabana. How lovely! The space isn’t huge, but it is so comfortable and relaxing. It was great to have tubes and floats and not to have to worry about getting umbrellas or chairs. The chilled towels in the fridge were also great.

We swam for a while and just enjoyed the whole experience. My dad kept asking us why we weren’t taking photos, and I kept telling him it was because water and cameras don’t mix well. About 20 minutes later, he came out of the ocean, and realized he had left his cell phone in his pocket the whole time. Poor guy. When DD started to look too hot, we convinced her to play in the sand and collect shells. She just squealed with delight the entire time.

Be warned, there is always the risk of trespassers in the cabanas.

Around 11:30, we headed to Cookies Too for lunch. The food was outstanding and the fruit was particularly amazing. We even had guava and that is apparently a real rarity. My mom and I then took DD to find the Character Dance Party. Alas, we were not successful, so we walked back to the cabana to play in the ocean some more and for me to take a nap in the hammock. DD just would not nap, so I took her back to the ship and we both enjoyed the cool towels and fruit infused water at the gangway. Once in her bed, she went right to sleep and got a great rest in. I knew that this was Pirate Night, so I wanted to be sure she was refreshed. While she slept, I showered and got some cold refreshments from the lounge. I also just enjoyed our veranda looking at the island. The rest of our group got back around 3:45.

(The first of many chandelier pics. I couldn’t seem to stop.)

At 4:00, I took DD to see Donald and Daisy, then we headed back to the Concierge Lounge for our private character meet. It was Goofy, and he danced with DD for several minutes. Super cute, and I got great pictures.

Cutest pirate I’ve met.

Then the rest of us headed to our rooms to get pirated out in white t-shirts with red sashes. Not original at all, but we felt like we were part of the party.

After a couple more character hits, an adventure with Peter Pan (that experience should probably have a post of its own), and a silly encounter with Chip and Dale, dinner was in Animators again. The food was fine. Actually, the Treasure of the Sea entrée was very good. People complain about it being a bad menu, but I don’t think that’s true. I just happen to find more things that interest me on the other menus. I wasn’t able to find a dessert I liked, so I had my first and only Mickey Bar of the trip.

DD almost fell asleep during dinner, so we thought she wouldn’t even make the Mickey party. But, with just about 15 minutes of downtime in the stateroom, she was ready to go by 7:45. We didn’t have a good spot staked out, but the back of the pool deck was almost empty and that was enough for her. She danced, twirled, booked Hook, and said “Aye aye Captain!” with the best of them. She went to bed soon after that and the adults stayed up with wine to watch the fireworks. They weren’t 4th of July, but we had a great time.

TestingH2O · Aug 8, 2015

Day 4: At Sea – Part 1a: Ship Pictures

I actually got out of bed when I woke up today and took a long walk around the ship taking pictures. What a lovely experience. I saw Captain Gus again. I really do think he must head to get coffee every morning at 7:00.

Balcony where you catch midship elevators on 4.

Atrium

Guest Services. I love the map.

Cinderella mosaic that DD and Peter tried to figure out how to dismantle.

Sleeping beauty mosaic

Seating area in the atrium

Admiral Donald

Walt Disney Theater

Elevator with Mickey hand

TestingH2O · Aug 8, 2015

Day 4: At Sea – Part 1b: More Ship Pictures

Atrium from above

Deck 4 feels so classic with the shuffle board and wooden chairs.

See? Need lots of chandelier pics.

Vista café

Port Adventures. Another cool background. Do they change the posters on other ships with other destinations?

Another angle on the atrium

Pool deck

Funnel

TestingH2O · Aug 8, 2015

Day 4: At Sea – Part 2: The Fun Stuff

Today was Palo brunch day! Before that though, we had Princess gathering and Elsa/Anna tickets. Very exciting.

I dressed DD in her Cinderella gear for the Princesses, and she loved twirling and swooshing with them. She twirled with Belle and sat on her lap, she and Cinderella discussed shoes, and Snow White got a kick out of talking about the flashing ring DD was wearing. Before Elsa and Anna, we had a chance to see Princess Minnie. (DD had seen her once before, but she had been wearing pj’s at the time.) The Elsa and Anna meet was efficient, but they didn’t feel as authentic as the others. We then headed to check out the kids areas since, other than my picture taking, we hadn’t set foot on Deck 5 up to this point. DH and I left DD with my parents at this point, and we headed to get ready for brunch.

Walking into Palo is so restful. We just loved the feel of it and our table, a booth looking towards the ocean, was perfect. Our server was Jennifer from England and she was great. Excellent humor and just a pleasant disposition all around. She showed us around the buffet and left us to get our first course. Now, I know a lot of people have been complaining about the fact that servers fill your plates for you. In fact, I heard a guy griping about it in the restaurant! I have to say though, I thought it was great to have someone giving me recommendations the whole way through. I certainly wasn’t shorted on portions either. He also made a second plate for us with antipasti (cheese, olives, meats, etc.) I never would have thought of that, but DH and I really enjoyed sharing it. For hot food I had the chicken parmesan and he had eggs Julia. We shared a pizza that was half gorgonzola and grape and half margherita. We both ate two pieces of the grape because it was fabulous. The margherita was just good. For dessert we tried the pear and almond soufflé (OK) and really enjoyed the small desserts at the table. DH’s favorite was the white chocolate brownie and mine was the lemon merengue thing. He and I walked back to see how things were going with my parents and DD. She was just getting ready to go down for a nap and they were happy to tell us all about the fun they had including the character dance party in the atrium.

While she and DH napped, the rest of us went to ride the Aqua Duck. This was a HUGE deal for my mom, but she agreed that it was super fun. Then it was time again for showers and getting ready for dinner. Tonight we were eating in Enchanted Garden and it would also be time to say goodbye. So sad. After a few more character pictures, because why not, we headed down to Deck 2.

Let me say that this is the restaurant I find the least appealing visually but I found the food to be the best. The sea bass was out of this world! Again, none of us made the show. There was just too much going on! Characters, shopping, looking at pictures… oh, and packing.

DD was in bed right on time, DH and my dad went to smoke a cigar, and then mom and I went to make final photo choices. Then off to sleep we went.

TestingH2O · Aug 8, 2015

Day 5: Disembarkation

Because we were in concierge, we opted to have breakfast in the lounge like we had almost every other morning.

One last meal under the skylight.

While the space was more crowded than it had been on most mornings, it was nowhere near as busy as it had been on Day 1. We had breakfast, said our goodbyes, dried DD’s tears (seriously, she cried), and gathered the last of our things. Emily got us all down to Deck 3 and into the priority disembarkation line. There were plenty of porters lined up by our luggage, and we were loaded and through the line in no time. The whole process from Deck 12 to the sidewalk was maybe 20 minutes. So then we got to wait outside for the shuttle. Haha!

FL Tours took us to the Hilton Garden Inn where DD and I were spending the day and everyone else was staying overnight due to flight schedules. The shuttle was free and took us to lunch and then the airport. MCO was kind of a nightmare, and their security was a cluster. However, our flight was on time, the crew was nice, and my car was ready to go and detailed nicely when I returned. This day was much more pleasant than the one that had brought us to FL.

TestingH2O · Aug 8, 2015

Reflections

Am I glad I planned? You bet. It was great knowing some of the tips and tricks and I was especially glad we got to reserve brunch and a cabana. (However, it was clear that concierge had access to additional options had I not done that ahead.) I was even happy that we got to participate in Mickey Mail, but I am not upset in any way that they discontinued it. I get it. I can only imagine the hassle that was involved. It’s true that I put something special together for the characters to sign for DD. I admit that I wanted to create a little extra pixie dust on her behalf. All that being said, had the service stopped before my cruise, it would have been just fine. I would not have had a different vacation because of it. At the same time, I am also glad I stopped myself from looking to deeply into things. I’m glad I didn’t request a particular server or table number. I’m glad I allowed myself to leave enough room to be surprised MYSELF about some of the things that happened instead of just worrying about making sure everyone else was excited and surprised. And let me tell you, we got some lovely surprises along the way. I was also happy with my packing. I did end up with extra clothes for DD, but that was luck of the draw. I could have easily needed all of those and more had she chosen messy food or just been plain clumsy. I brought two pairs of leggings for bumming around and going to the gym, but I ended up wearing my heavier yoga pants for lounging since all the indoor spaces were so cool. (And let’s be honest, I never made it to the gym.) I still packed a lot, but I never felt like it was too much.

Will we cruise again? Absolutely! I’m very clear that the timeline for my daughter to think Disney is magical is short. I want to enjoy these moments as much as possible in the coming years. We booked a placeholder that, if we use it, it will be for Alaska in 2017. I say that because our Concierge experience was such that we honestly don’t want to consider a warm weather cruise without it and the OBB doesn’t apply to Concierge. It truly made the experience all-inclusive for us and, in our opinion, it was worth it. I don’t think I would feel that way as much without the lounge, hence non-Concierge for Alaska.

Writing this report, I realized that I did not take as many pictures as I thought I would. Overall, I think I’m ok with this because I was really living in the moment with my family. At the same time, I do regret not catching DD’s reaction to her first time in the ocean. I will still be able to make a great Shutterfly book though and have wonderful images for Christmas cards.

Now, I want to address some common comments I read on the Dis. The first is about the pools. And I have to agree that they are tiny. I mean really tiny. Someone went to the talk about the ship’s history and said that the original ship plans called for a lazy river and that is why they are that size, but whatever the reason, they are itty bitty. Next, the food. I get that food is very subjective, but we found the food to be very good to excellent. The fish was fresh, the steaks were always cooked correctly, and there were lots of options including salads. Character experiences were plentiful and easy to navigate. We never waited in line for more than a few minutes for events and found that most meet and greets were located close together so it was easy to go from one to another. The only time we ever felt crowded at all was when we were shopping after a show let out and getting pictures the last night. Even the deck parties didn’t feel overwhelming. It does make me wonder what the classic ships feel like.

I really cannot imagine a more perfect vacation for our family. Lots of time together, but it was easy time. We had nursery reservations but we never used them. It was just too fun and too easy to keep her with us. One of the comment card questions was if we felt pressured to mark excellent, and I was honestly able to answer no. Everything was just that good. My mom and I are ready to book for next spring/summer. My dad thinks we should go to a National Park or something. Seriously? You just finished being pampered and eating amazing food and having so much fun, but you think you want to take a 4 year old camping? Not for me. He can do that with her or maybe we all will when she’s over the Disney thing. For now, I enjoy seeing her reactions to the magic and I know that time will come to an end all too soon.

The best advice I read was to not try and do everything. We didn’t and even with that mentality, there were some things that were towards the top of our list that we STILL didn’t get to do. But, because we were happy to go with the flow, we had a very relaxing vacation and are looking forward to planning the next one. There were also things we had to forgo because we had a 3 year old with us. She didn’t nap at the cabana, so I had to come back early to ensure that she would have fun at Pirate night. Was that my first choice? Of course not, but I knew going in that things like that might happen. I still had a great day at Castaway and some very nice quiet time on a nearly empty ship.

For me, the biggest takeaway from this experience is that people feel passionately about their vacations, but it really is ok for you to find that what is critically important to one person is not important to you. Also, you might find certain things to be a very big deal that other people just don't see the value in. We loved our vacation and how it played out, but I know there are people who would not have felt as happy with what our choices were. Here on Dis, people will not just try very hard to convince you that their way of vacationing is the right way, but they will go further and tell you that yours is wrong. Ignore them and do what works best for you and your family.

TestingH2O · Aug 8, 2015

Most and Least Useful Tips for Us (YMMV)

Make your own Mr. Potato Head – Thumbs down for me. There just wasn’t enough unique Disney stuff.

Mickey Mouse rice crispy treats – Meh. They were fine but I don’t really get what all the fuss is about.

Cups for the drink station – I made goodie bags for everyone in our group including cups for the drink stations. We found that, because we were across from the Concierge Lounge, we rarely visited the drink station. Were we not Concierge, I think they would be very useful.

Cash for room service tips – We never used room service. We just didn’t need any extra food.

BYOB – Also not as important in Concierge.

Ziploc Bags – A critical addition to my packing regimen from here on out. Also, scissors and blue painter’s tape to hold things like sunscreen bottles closed.

Dish soap – This was great for the hotel stay and for washing DD’s water bottle that we did keep filled in the lounge or at drink stations.

Lights – I was very grateful to have the hotel key card for my lights.

Multi USB charger – This was great to have on the final day, but not as big of a deal before that. We could have easily swapped out phones for charging.

Nightlight – This just wasn’t a big deal for us and we didn’t use it.

Private Transportation – this was the way to go for us. We would not have been as happy using DCL transport on busses where we couldn’t be in control of times.

Cabana and Concierge – This is one that is soooo personal and dependent on your vacation style. We like to keep DD close to her schedule, and we also know she needs some down time. In addition, we all enjoy having spaces we can have easy conversation and just catch up as a family. The lounge was that safe haven for us. Also, it was close enough that we felt comfortable running over for a water or snack while DD was sleeping. The cabana was the same thing. It was great to not have to fight for beach chairs or umbrellas and to just have a quiet place to relax while still enjoying the island. For us, these were both worth it, but I can definitely see how others would feel differently.