Help me guys!

[davidls]

I have to agree with everyone on here - if at all possible go for the 7 day cruise on the Fantasy. It seems like that is not an option, so, then I would do a B2B on the Dream. I would decide on a stateroom you want for the B2B. Because after your first leg of the B2B if you are not in the same stateroom for both you will have to pack up everything to have it moved to your new stateroom for the next leg of the B2B. If you have the same stateroom for both you can leave everything in the stateroom and not worry. Just remind your stateroom host/hostess that you will be keeping the stateroom for both cruises. A 3 or 4 day cruise is just not long enough to be able to see much at all on board the ship. My wife and I did a B2B on the Dream and we loved it, I know you and your new hubby will too. HAPPY CRUISING!!!!

 

[knan74]

you are SO right! and the thing is, we go on vacations a lot to the Bahamas and the carribbean and we usually sit around and do nothing...so when thought about our honeymoon, we decided we wanted that to be available but we want jam-packed days of adventure...but Disney is perfect because you can essentially have both, depending on your mood...

I'm so glad I made this post because I have talked myself out of several options...

Right now I'm LEANING towards a B2B on the Dream Sunday through Sunday, a day at Universal and IoA, and then 6 days of WDW...when people started talking about going to the Fantasy for a new menu, I realized how happy I am with every single restaurant I booked for WDW (and even got a special "happy honeymoon" surprise ressy at Be our Guest)....I really can't pass that up, I don't think...

Now...how should I go about doing the B2B? We have already decided to cancel the current cruise next week and then immediately rebook with a local travel agency for OBC and a much cheaper fare than when we booked.... should I book the B2B now?? When would be the best time to do it go get optimal fares? Is one of the best benefits to a B2B not worrying about switching rooms so much that it's the primary concern when booking the 2nd one?? Also, what would you guys consider being an "exceptionally good" per night rate on the Dream? It it worth waiting til I'm onboard and then be ready to take whatever stateroom is available on August 15? It wouldn't be the end of the world if it were full as we could probably deal with doing the second sailing later....Or would paying for it now be worth the security of knowing the plan ahead of time? I feel like cutting it too close corrupts the reason for doing a B2B to begin with and adds a lot more headache...

I've also ruled out concierge....no reason for that. May keep my WDW ressy at Coronado Springs....but I also go back and forth with that and POR.... I also have one hotel I've never stayed at in WDW and it's Pop Century...and I hear amazing things about it...is it one to try while on my honeymoon or wait? Thank you guys!!

I would not forget your dream of at least a day or two running around the parks with those adorable newlywed ears on. Doesn't have to be a huge part of it, and if you have seen so much, just hit your favorites, no need to wear yourself out.

A 7 day DCL and a few WDW days would be the Disney Dreamer's honeymoon of a lifetime. There are nice things like Raglan Road to do on land at night as well.

I love it all. That's my vote, if it counts!

Who doesn't think EPCOT or MK at night with the gorgeous lights isn't beautiful and romantic? The cruise it great. But it's a ship. It's still great, but you can ony walk around it a few times and go up on deck so much. Experience both and what you love together.

I just really like land and sea! (Not like a full week of land, unless you want to, but at least a little!) And a 7 Day DCL sounds great! (As much as I loved my 3 day + 1 Land day, I know you will have an amazing honeymoon.)

Oh yeah. It's your honeymoon. Don't chock it soooo full of stuff. Have a nice time relaxing together too!

 

[knan74]

Thank you very much! Yes I'm leaning towards the B2B.... I'm going to try for the same room but it may not happen. Having family members that are CMs though, I know that Disney makes it easy for basically anything to happen so I'm not sweating it. Right now I have a guaranteed 7a (but not a last minute GT) and will be given a stateroom at 45 days out....so I'm waiting to see if there's an upgrade or a verandah suite...if I cancel the first one and rebook it like I'm planning on, I will probably fall pretty far back on the list to get upgraded so I will just do 7a again for the 2nd cruise and then call at the 45 day mark of the first cruise....everyone agree that that's doable??

I have to agree with everyone on here - if at all possible go for the 7 day cruise on the Fantasy. It seems like that is not an option, so, then I would do a B2B on the Dream. I would decide on a stateroom you want for the B2B. Because after your first leg of the B2B if you are not in the same stateroom for both you will have to pack up everything to have it moved to your new stateroom for the next leg of the B2B. If you have the same stateroom for both you can leave everything in the stateroom and not worry. Just remind your stateroom host/hostess that you will be keeping the stateroom for both cruises. A 3 or 4 day cruise is just not long enough to be able to see much at all on board the ship. My wife and I did a B2B on the Dream and we loved it, I know you and your new hubby will too. HAPPY CRUISING!!!!

 

[Ana~n~Joseph]

I would do the first few days in Disney World staying at a deluxe resort and then a 7-night Fantasy cruise. I think I saw you mention that you would have to drive to Miami for the Fantasy..it actually sails out of Port Canaveral (45 min away from WDW) ..unless something has changed and I missed it. I think there's so much stuff to do onboard that you don't have to worry about getting off in the ports if you don't want to.

You said you weren't too worried about rides and that you would focus on food and shows so crowds shouldn't be that big of a worry I would think. Also, with a good plan and arriving at the parks at opening, you can get a lot of stuff done even if it's Christmas week (been there, done that )

Good luck!

 

[knan74]

LOL yesss this I know...I just have a hard time justifying the almost 7 hours roundtrip in possibly a rental car for it.... CM Sister 1 has cruised the Dream 4x and the Fantasy 3x and CM Sister 2 has done both 3x...and when I asked them, they said "NOO" before I could even finish... the one that still lives in Orlando said that she loves the Fantasy, it's amazing....but she can't justify driving herself 3x as far to get on it when the Dream is in her backyard. Her advice was: "This is your honeymoon.....yes, both ships are amazing and you need to see them both someday....but you vacation several times a year and your honeymoon is NOT the time to spend that much time driving to it. Stay on the Dream and get to know your staff really well and let them help you make a B2B incredibly more special every night instead of packing your stuff up three or four times during your honeymoon and spending that many hours in a car! Book the fantasy onboard the Dream and be happy knowing you will spend your 1 year anniversary there!"

Copy and pasted that....anyone agree with her?

If I could spend 11 days on 2 different Disney Ships I would do it in a heartbeat. I'm not a port person either and would still prefer 7 days on the Fantasy. There is always meat and potatoes on the menu and BELIEVE ME, if you want to eat the exact same thing every night the servers will make damned sure you do. =)
I have an obsession with mashed potatoes and even though it was on the menu only once on my last cruise, our server had mashed potatoes for me every night. They are fantastic!

 

[lbgraves]

You keep saying Miami. Why would you go there? The Fantasy is out of Port Canaveral with the Dream.

 

[Meghatron]

Why do you think the Fantasy is sailing out of Miami? Both the Dream and Fantasy are sailing out of Port Canaveral. That's 1 hour vs. 4 to Miami from Orlando.

I know you're attached to WDW, but for a honeymoon I would spend as much time on the ship(s) as physically possible. I never sail for the ports or the food (except for the fact that I don't have to worry about the menu prices) and would happily take a cruise to nowhere every time—there really is that much to see and do onboard. Even an inside room is like being at a Deluxe resort. To me the Parks mean crowds and lines and excessive, persistent sweating... none of which I want on my honeymoon. And yes, your family is right that Disney is making a concerted effort not to have a low or high season in terms of capacity. For August, I would absolutely choose ships over parks without hesitating.

FWIW, we also did the Disney honeymoon registry for a guest list of about 120 and ended up with over $2500 on our registry card. Most of it was purchased the day of the wedding, so I got quite a shock when I got onboard and Guest Services told me how much there was, LOL!

 

[knan74]

I would do the first few days in Disney World staying at a deluxe resort and then a 7-night Fantasy cruise. I think I saw you mention that you would have to drive to Miami for the Fantasy..it actually sails out of Port Canaveral (45 min away from WDW) ..unless something has changed and I missed it. I think there's so much stuff to do onboard that you don't have to worry about getting off in the ports if you don't want to.

You said you weren't too worried about rides and that you would focus on food and shows so crowds shouldn't be that big of a worry I would think. Also, with a good plan and arriving at the parks at opening, you can get a lot of stuff done even if it's Christmas week (been there, done that )

Good luck!

You're right, it does!! I totally told my sister wrong last night as she asked the same thing lol ... I've been up all night studying and my brain is mush....i'm confusing it with the other one that goes out of Miami....anyways! I still can't do the fantasy cause I'll miss the first embarkment and the 2nd week of our honeymoon is where I have the BEST dinner itinerary ever at WDW, 7 am'ed at 180+, and I just put way too much work into it and I was gifted the Be Our Guest reservation with some Disney honeymoon magic, and it just doesn't fit... even though it does sail out of PC (and my sister is going to kill me bc she fought with me for an hour last night while she was taking her Disney bus home) that it was in PC and I insisted it wasn't! AHH! But her saying that with us vacationing all the time, booking the Fantasy for our 1 year anniversary while OB the B2B would be just as nice....she also argues that doing the Fantasy would really impair my abilities at WDW for that week given I'd lose all of my reservations and the prices would be so much higher...

It just doesn't work for the Fantasy no matter where it departs from, unfortunately But I got my future husband to agree to a 1 year anniversary cruise on it back in May, so I know that I'm going eventually...I guess that's why I'm not that crazy about going on it now...

 

[Dug720]

FWIW, the Fantasy is out of Port Canaveral, not Miami...

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

So what did you decide? Sail on the 3 or 4 day Dream and do your Land WDW? If you have a choice, definitely don't do less than a 4 day Dream!

It's a great trip! Especially if you book the Fantasy while you are on it and don't have to come home without one booked and have the no more boat blues...

 

[knan74]

Oh that makes me feel so much better about the gift card!

I know what you're saying about the parks and it would be a lot easier to let the "land" part go if :

a) I didn't have dining reservations that most Disney foodies would pay a few hundred bucks to have...
b) my sister didn't work there...and she is unable to come to my wedding so it gives me a chance to see her ...

and yes, I did get confused with my ships about Miami...but Fantasy still doesn't work as I really can't let go of my Disney reservations...

Letting go of WDW also means letting go of a PAID FOR dinner at Victorias and Alberts and 5 days of 3 sit down dinners at the best restaurants on property....I know that cruises are amazing, they're my favorite vacation...but I don't know many people who would give up the opportunity to do this at WDW either....I also have Cirque tickets, a Fantasmic package (oh..yay...sarcastically....jk), a fireworks cruise package, 2 tours bought for me, and 2 carriage rides through POR.....I'll never get a chance to see the park as a newlywed like this again and have this many opportunities...plus it means getting to see my sister who would be my maid of honor if the mouse wasn't keeping her from me...
PLUS I have been promised a Fantasy cruise for our 1 year anniversary... I think I can handle the wait....it would be different if it was a once in a lifetime opportunity on there.

Why do you think the Fantasy is sailing out of Miami? Both the Dream and Fantasy are sailing out of Port Canaveral. That's 1 hour vs. 4 to Miami from Orlando.

I know you're attached to WDW, but for a honeymoon I would spend as much time on the ship(s) as physically possible. I never sail for the ports or the food (except for the fact that I don't have to worry about the menu prices) and would happily take a cruise to nowhere every time—there really is that much to see and do onboard. Even an inside room is like being at a Deluxe resort. To me the Parks mean crowds and lines and excessive, persistent sweating... none of which I want on my honeymoon. And yes, your family is right that Disney is making a concerted effort not to have a low or high season in terms of capacity. For August, I would absolutely choose ships over parks without hesitating.

FWIW, we also did the Disney honeymoon registry for a guest list of about 120 and ended up with over $2500 on our registry card. Most of it was purchased the day of the wedding, so I got quite a shock when I got onboard and Guest Services told me how much there was, LOL!

 

[Justacruiser]

happy wedding

 

[Dug720]

Ok, now I'm confused as to what was being asked if the WDW dates included all of those things that couldn't be changed or given up...

What was the question?

 

[knan74]

So what did you decide? Sail on the 3 or 4 day Dream and do your Land WDW? If you have a choice, definitely don't do less than a 4 day Dream!

It's a great trip! Especially if you book the Fantasy while you are on it and don't have to come home without one booked and have the no more boat blues...

Putting up this post helped so much as I was able to talk myself OUT of things when I thought it would be making a decision between several things....I basically learned that

1. Yes, I have been up all night and got the Fantasy confused with the Royal Carribbean one we were considering last night (we have tried out several options in our head)....regardless of where it departs from, it's just not the right timing for this trip. Two days during peak season pricing in August doesn't cut it for me at WDW and I'm NOT not doing the 4 night Dream....

2. My dining reservations and having the deluxe plan PAID for for SIX days now (yes someone just purchased it) is a lifetime opportunity. We can eat a total of 18 sit down meals (more like 12 or 13 with 2credit places) and we have an entire V&A meal bought for us as well as several fun little cruises and carriage rides as well as Cirque...AND someone with some strong fairy dust contacted me after months of not being able to get a table at Be Our Guest and told me that they were about to make some Disney magic happen for me....and asked me if I was available for Friday evening on the 23rd because they would be saving me a place at the Beast's castle for anytime I preferred....HOW do I just let that go?

I think those two explain it all plus, like I've said...the future hubby already looked at Fantasy prices for the one year anniversary and promised we would book OB for it as well as the cruise out of Venice next year to book OB....so yes, it will suck waiting another year to get on the Fantasy...but who gets to say they did a B2B dream and ALL of that on their honeymoon? It's def the right decision....Cruising is my preferred vacay but tradition will not allow me to give the parks only a couple days of consideration, especially when they are so important to me...Yes, I've been there a gazillion times, rode that a gazillion times...but my fiancé's family has taken Universal trips his whole life where my family did WDW.... and I get to see his face as he rides TT, Soarin, and SO many more of my faves for the FIRST TIME!! And seeing him happy is worth 10,000 dollars of OBC

 

[Justacruiser]

Ok, now I'm confused as to what was being asked if the WDW dates included all of those things that couldn't be changed or given up...

What was the question?

 

[knan74]

They technically "can" be given up and transferred to Disney credit...as I was saying in a couple of other posts, making this thread helped me realize that letting go of the days at WDW aren't worth it... and I mainly was asking about combos with the B2B Dream...I really had no interest in the Fantasy...I just mainly began by asking if people would do the 4 night and then take a few days to do Universal and IoA or do a B2B then straight to Disney...

The thread headed off in a different direction with everyone wanting to suggest the Fantasy instead....so technically, I'm still stuck with the above question...and Fantasy pretty much has always been ruled out and WDW was penciled in but I realize now that those dates are pretty magical. It's the Thursday of disembarkment and the Monday of WDW arrival that I was primarily trying to figure out as I'm not an Universal person and never done a BTB...so I was asking for help in determining the itinerary for the two weeks that would be the best use of my time and money with those few days between the two big vacations. You get it now?

Ok, now I'm confused as to what was being asked if the WDW dates included all of those things that couldn't be changed or given up...

What was the question?

 

[knan74]

Okay, no need to be rude... These threads so often go in other directions and I didn't expect everyone to jump on the Fantasy train so quickly and heavily....like I explained above...I was primarily explaining that I have two major vacations booked ... The Dream and WDW.... and some things are set in stone and others are not...and we are flirting with a few different ideas...so I was essentially asking for ideas.....Then ideas were being thrown out that I really could NOT do....I was expecting more feedback about if I should do the Dream B2B or take the original plan of 3-4 days in non Dis parks since I'm a Disneyer and not a Dark Sider.... I can't help the way the threads go and it wasn't until after I posted the initial one that I remembered about the Fantasy departing on Saturdays. So sorry you were confused.

 

[Ana~n~Joseph]

Sounds like you've made a decision. 4-night cruise on the Dream + Disney World = dream honeymoon to me

 

[knan74]

I'm sorry if everyone is confused now. As I mentioned a few times, I wrote this thread for ideas but also to let myself sort of talk myself through the decision making process...and it worked as I realized I couldn't give up the WDW dates and I have less choices to have to decide from...so it did its job!

To clarify about my primary questions I have left:

1) the BTB booking, and if anyone has done an OB booking for the next sailing
and
2) B2B Dream or 4 days of relaxing and taking in Universal and Sea World as I have never been there?

Thanks!

P.S.- Also for those of you so confused by my original question....you may have missed where I was trying to get ideas and checked my bridal registry and realized I had so many things prebought for me at WDW that it made it a lot more "unmovable"

 

[knan74]

No I still haven't!!LOL! Trying to decide between 7 nights on the Dream and 6 nights at WDW or 4 nights on the dream, 4 in Orlando with Sea World and Universal and 6 days at WDW

Sounds like you've made a decision. 4-night cruise on the Dream + Disney World = dream honeymoon to me