Has anyone else had issues with the new Oceaneer's club/lab policies?

[jetskigrl]

Thanks for sharing. Unfortunately, I don't have time for them to work out the kinks as we leave in 3 weeks. I'm really hoping someone who is currently on the Wonder will let us know on Sunday if any tweeks were made to the schedule this week. The last three sailings on the Wonder have had RIDICULOUSLY long "family time" hours.

I'm in the same boat as you (almost literally, LOL) but we are not sailing until April. I'm also very curious to hear how things change on the Wonder in the next few weeks.

Thanks Averysmom for the update!!

 

[Disney Dreams]

I have searched for any official information on Kids' Clubs Open House and cannot find it. If anyone has a link to where this was first read from an official Disney source, please provide a link.

Anyone??? Or is this all just from word of mouth?

Hop on the 2/12 cruise, you can borrow my kid for Flubber LOL

If I could, I would soooo "borrow" your kid! Thanks for the offer.

I promise I don't mean to step on anyone's toes, but can someone clarify what this thread is about? I read the first couple of pages and cannot find a concise gripe....

- giggle - Sort of like walking in to a reading of War and Peace on page 500 and asking what's happening. (Yes, I am being funny!) But this thread has taken sooo many trails regarding the Kids' Clubs. Summary above at least brings you to the current trail. Welcome.

- Dreams

 

[True Romance]

Thanks for sharing. Unfortunately, I don't have time for them to work out the kinks as we leave in 3 weeks. I'm really hoping someone who is currently on the Wonder will let us know on Sunday if any tweeks were made to the schedule this week. The last three sailings on the Wonder have had RIDICULOUSLY long "family time" hours.

I am right there with you, same sailing and all. I don't think this mess will be sorted out in 3 weeks. I am traveling sans DH, just me and my 3 kids. I really was looking for some quality alone time. I don't know how much more feedback I can give. Already written twice and called once. I think people that are actually sailing need to be heard loud and clear now. I know I will get my concerns across as soon as I board on 2/12.

I know everything will be fine and this will not ruin my vacation. I will still go to Palo as planned, still go to the adult activities as planned, and still drop my kids off at whatever secured location there is. I am just irritated to spend big bucks for DCL for my kids to have the fun, quality, programming and participate in the activities they want to. When that will not be the case, my 3 year old will have to make do in the Lab with coloring, and my kids might miss out on activities they want to do, because I don't want to sit with them in the open house. I taxi my kids all over town, and sit with them through baseball, swimming, soccer, gymnastics, school field trips, Girl Scout meetings, basketball, Boy Scout meetings, volunteering in the class, and moms club field trips. On my vacation I want a break from children's activities, that is their time in the club to do as they please.

 

[Conservative Hippie]

I spoke with a DCL rep today - Jaime (Jayme?) to get the skinny on the situation. She also called it "family time", and told me the following:

1. From her information, this is a TEMPORARY situation, that they are working on something more long-term to provide family time for kids activities.

2. I am cruising in August, and she told me that this temporary situation would probably be resolved by then.

3. For those ppl. whose cruises are affected by the change, there is no set schedule for the family time, it is varying by each cruise.

4. There has been a lot of feedback from the cruises, and she kind of giggled when I spoke with her that there has been a lot of feedback at DCL about the changes - I wasn't the first person that she talked to today

5. She said to keep giving your feedback, that Disney listens.

HTH! I'm feeling a lot better after hearing that this whole thing is probably just temporary. This makes sense to me... I mean, seriously, one of Disney's main selling point is the kid's clubs... repurposing the clubs 1/3 of the time away from dedicated children's programming just didn't jive!

Oh, and mentioned about holding kid's club programming (flubber, etc.) in the nightclubs or atrium for families and she said that she's sure that is being considered.

I am glad to hear this is a temporary solution. Won't help me for this upcoming cruise, but for future ones when my kids are older.

 

[jjb42974]

What was the "most inappropriate experience" that made Disney change their rules? I am going on a cruise in May and am on the fence about whether or not to leave my kids (5 & 7 at cruise time) in the club. That statement makes me a little uneasy. If you could elaborate I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[princessmom29]

What was the "most inappropriate experience" that made Disney change their rules? I am going on a cruise in May and am on the fence about whether or not to leave my kids (5 & 7 at cruise time) in the club. That statement makes me a little uneasy. If you could elaborate I would greatly appreciate it.

I wouldn't worry about your kids. The situation involved a teen and a special needs adult in the teen clubs.

 

[LKFan]

I wouldn't worry about your kids. The situation involved a teen and a special needs adult in the teen clubs.

We don't know that the one incident that was reported on the Dis boards is what prompted these changes. For every incident that is reported here, there are many others that occur that we never hear about.

 

[SoCaOC-Mom]

What was the "most inappropriate experience" that made Disney change their rules? I am going on a cruise in May and am on the fence about whether or not to leave my kids (5 & 7 at cruise time) in the club. That statement makes me a little uneasy. If you could elaborate I would greatly appreciate it.

Nothing of great concern happened inside the kids club. A special needs adult took an interest in a teen and it made her family feel uneasy. The complaint was they felt he was following her around. He banged on their stateroom one night- and there was some sort of confrontation outside a restaurant.

I think the fault lies with the parent off this young man and DCL security who by the account of the family seemed reluctant to act sooner.

 

[bledsoedoc]

No one actually knows why Disney made these changes. Everything on these boards are assumptions and speculation.

 

[justhat]

I know my child with food allergies will need to be picked up during cookie making. Is it fair? It is ADA compliant? Didn't I pay for her cruise like every other child? I, personally, think it is reasonable to NOT have her participate in this event. Could Disney make nut-free/peanut-free cookies & make this accessible to her? They could, but at this point, we were told the activity would not be safe for her. She will go do one of the many other activities on the ship with us.

I wish Disney would make an absolute rule of ages/no adults and stick to it. I look forward to reading families' actual experiences with policies & see how it works out.

Why do you need to pick your child up, assuming the activity is going on while the other club is open? Can't your kid just go to the other side? The cookies are nut/peanut free, at least, they were on our cruises. I have a nut allergy and they told me they were fine to eat (my son saved his for me). My allergy is hazelnut so not sure if they are free of all nuts, but they said with certainty that they were fine for me.




For those sailing on the Wonder, can you use the current Navigators to plan your cruise? Sure, things are always subject to change, but if the times are fairly consistent from cruise to cruise, wouldn't that at least be a guide?

 

[SoCaOC-Mom]

No one actually knows why Disney made these changes. Everything on these boards are assumptions and speculation.

Which doesn't mean that it's incorrect...it's just means it's not confirmed or verified.

 

[bledsoedoc]

It is highly doubtful that the one incident mentioned on these boards, that did not even occur in the kids clubs, was the reason for the change. No one outside of dcl knows. Everything here has been assumptions and speculations.

As for food allergies and Ada compliance...the law is not quite clear if it covers you in public places. It is very clearly protection for school and work place. I have life threatening food allergies. The ada does not protect me at restaraunts or public places.

 

[SoCaOC-Mom]

It is highly doubtful that the one incident mentioned on these boards, that did not even occur in the kids clubs, was the reason for the change. No one outside of dcl knows. Everything here has been assumptions and speculations.

As for food allergies and Ada compliance...the law is not quite clear if it covers you in public places. It is very clearly protection for school and work place. I have life threatening food allergies. The ada does not protect me at restaraunts or public places.

I have heard that in regards to the situation everyone keeps talking about that the matter was escalated to higher ups in the business than just someone at a call center- and that the parents were demanding a change in policy. So I don't see the restatement coming on the heels of this as unrelated.

There is already precedent saying that ADA law is applicable on cruise ships that sail out of US ports.

Disney is also compliant in their parks and resorts.

It doesn't seem like it's in the culture of the organization not to be.

 

[bledsoedoc]

Can you give me the case of food allergies on a cruise ship are relevant to the Ada? I know airlines were included in the amendment. And I am not sure what you mean by compliant in their parks...yes they are great at food allergies but that is not the same as Ada compliance. In fact, read what they say carefully. You are eating at your own risk. It is a choice you are making to eat their food.

 

[SoCaOC-Mom]

Can you give me the case of food allergies on a cruise ship are relevant to the Ada? I know airlines were included in the amendment. And I am not sure what you mean by compliant in their parks...yes they are great at food allergies but that is not the same as Ada compliance. In fact, read what they say carefully. You are eating at your own risk. It is a choice you are making to eat their food.

Who are you addressing?

If it's me, I never referenced food allergies in connection ADA law, that was another poster who posed the question. *I read your statement "As for food allergies and ADA compliance..." as two separate things but I suppose at a second glance you meant food allergy compliance as it pertains to the act.

ADA compliant in their parks- in terms of accessibility, special lines and even rides that can hold wheel chairs. Sign language interpreter available, special head sets and scripts.

 

[Amy162]

What I am getting from what people have reported is that unsecure means that not only will other adults be in there but that the gates will be open (with no CM monitoring) and that people (including kids) can come and go as they like. It would be as if you were walking into a movie, Bingo, trivia or another activity on the ship where people of all ages can come and go at will.

If you check your child into the lab at 1 pm and, at 2 pm, the lab changes to open house, your child will be taken to the club where it will be secure and your child cannot leave unless you check them out. When the club is in open house, the kids who were checked in "securely" will be taken to the lab.

This was my experience on the Jan 15-19 Dream. During open house any kids that had already been checked in were moved to the secure side. The open house side had open gates and you could come and go as you please. You could not check a child in on the open house side so I do not think you could leave them in the open house side. Anyone officially checked in had to be on the secure side. I had dropped my girls off about 15 min before sloppy science was scheduled to start and did not realize an open house would be starting right before sloppy science. The girls were moved to the club and could not participate in the activity because I was not there. Luckily they did have it again later that night so they were able to participate.
I will try to post schedules when I am home on Sunday. Overall my girls (9 and almost 7) had a blast, even when they were in the club! They did recommend having the kids attend the choose your cruise session on the first night to be introduced to some of the activities and to plan the events f or the cruise.

 

[bledsoedoc]

Someone earlier mentioned that she would have to remove her child from the lab during the cooking time and made a comment that it was not Ada compliant...I know cruises and the parks are Ada compliant but food allergies are not an agreed upon disability and do not always fall under the Ada. That was my point.

 

[TDC Nala]

Compliance is reasonable compliance. There was someone on awhile back who apparently wanted the entire ship to be nut free - that apparently isn't reasonable compliance. If you want Disney to seat your party at their own table apart from other diners so you can arrange for your party to not order something like nuts, but you can't ask Disney to arrange that no one in the dining room can order anything containing nuts. They couldn't ask that no other passengers be allowed to bring peanuts aboard. The cruise could notify parents that even if the cookies are nut free, the ingredients may have been produced in facilities that also process nuts, and the parent can decide what to do based on the severity of the allergy, rather than requiring the ship provide a new cookie recipe that is guaranteed nut free.

 

[ALCooper3]

Can you give me the case of food allergies on a cruise ship are relevant to the Ada? I know airlines were included in the amendment. And I am not sure what you mean by compliant in their parks...yes they are great at food allergies but that is not the same as Ada compliance. In fact, read what they say carefully. You are eating at your own risk. It is a choice you are making to eat their food.

As I understand it, food allegries are not considered a disability or protected under ADA. Not to cause a fight, but the ADA is very specific to what is and is not a disability which limits life activities.

Under the ADA an individual has a disability and is protected by the law if he or she has an "impairment" that "substantially limits" one or more "major life activities."

What is an impairment?
The concept of "impairment" includes physiological as well as mental or psychological conditions. A physiological impairment is a disorder or condition, a cosmetic disfigurement or an anatomical loss affecting any of the major body systems. A psychological or mental impairment includes most disorders, such as mental retardation, organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness and special learning disabilities. Under this inclusive definition of "impairment" a broad range of conditions have been protected under the ADA, including:

Depression
Back problems
AIDS
Epilepsy
Diabetes
Blindness
Schizophrenia
Mobility Impairments
Think, concentrate and interact with others

 

[ALCooper3]

As I understand it, food allegries are not considered a disability or protected under ADA. Not to cause a fight, but the ADA is very specific to what is and is not a disability which limits life activities.

Let me correct myself. Children in schools and childcare facilities are protected if they have food allergies, but this may fall more under IDEA than ADA regulations.