Kids Clubs - register?

[vtwep]

First cruise (of any kind) coming up in the fall. On the Dream. I'll have kids 14 and 9 at sail date. Do we have to register for the kids clubs? Or can they just go in and out whenever they decide they want to experience them?

If we register, do we do it in advance or when we get on board?

And do they have to choose their dates and times in advance?

I'm researching various sites, got the Unofficial Guide book, and monitoring here...so I figure I'll come across the answer eventually. But this has stuck in my mind so I figured I'd just go ahead and ask!

Thanks.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

First cruise (of any kind) coming up in the fall. On the Dream. I'll have kids 14 and 9 at sail date. Do we have to register for the kids clubs? Or can they just go in and out whenever they decide they want to experience them?

If we register, do we do it in advance or when we get on board?

And do they have to choose their dates and times in advance?

I'm researching various sites, got the Unofficial Guide book, and monitoring here...so I figure I'll come across the answer eventually. But this has stuck in my mind so I figured I'd just go ahead and ask!

Thanks.

The 14 year old doesn't need to be registered. I'm not sure, but the 9 year old probably does need to be registered to be in Oceaneer's. You can do that either online (get all that paperwork out of the way), OR in the terminal on embarkation day OR at the club directly. For Oceaneer's they require a wristband.

You're only registering your child so you can get the wristband. Not for specific activities. Once registered, the child can attend the club when he/she wants.

 

[bumbershoot]

The 9 year old gets to go to the Club and Lab, and you'll register him/her for that.

I don't think the 14 year old has to register for their spot (Edge? Vibe? I'm so clueless about the older kid groups).

 

[vtwep]

Great - thanks for the replies! Appreciate it. We tend to be a "let's do everything together" kind of family at WDW, so I'll be interested to see how they take to the idea of doing these things. Hopefully they'll be comfortable with it at least a few times just to get the experience in.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

The 14 year old can go to either the Edge or the Vibe. He/she doesn't have to choose just one of the clubs and can attend both over the course of the cruise. Check out both clubs on the afternoon of embarkation day. All the clubs will be in Open House mode so anyone can go in. No registration is necessary, but if I'm remembering correctly, the CMs will put a sticker on the kids' KTTW card. Friendships tend to be formed on the first night of the cruise and your child will likely settle into one club based on which club they attend that first night. Both clubs have an organizational/get to know you session the first night around 10pm. I'd highly recommend your 14 year old go to that.

You can complete registration for your 9 year old online for the Oceaneers Club and Lab. On embarkation day, you will need to either go to the Oceaneers desk in the port terminal or to the check in desk at the Club/Lab onboard to pick up a magic band for your 9 year old to wear that allows him/her to check in and out of the club. At 9 years old, you can grant your child the option for self-check out. If you allow that, your 9 year old will be able to leave the Oceaneers space on their own at any time, without needing an adult to pick them up. Some people allow this, some don't. It's completely up to what your comfort level is.

 

[bbel]

Just to add in about the self check out, you can change it anyway at any point. So as it's your first cruise you might not be too comfortable with that at first. But once you get to know the ship just let the CM at the desk know and they can make them a self-check out. Works the other way too, if you want alone time/rules are broken/ any other reason, you can take the privilege away.

Also self-check out is just for leaving the clubs. ANY child of any age (3-12 and with a wristband) or self-check status can check themselves into the clubs!

 

[vtwep]

Thanks for the added info! Appreciate it. I'll definitely hold onto this advice and revisit it with the kids as the cruise approaches.

 

[bbel]

Thanks for the added info! Appreciate it. I'll definitely hold onto this advice and revisit it with the kids as the cruise approaches.

Any other questions let me know. I'm a YA CM currently on vacation. Never worked on the dream so I can't answer dream specific questions but the clubs all run off the same policies, procedures, programmes, rules...

 

[vtwep]

Any other questions let me know. I'm a YA CM currently on vacation. Never worked on the dream so I can't answer dream specific questions but the clubs all run off the same policies, procedures, programmes, rules...

Great - thank you!

 

[mischief32]

Mu Daughter will be one week away from turning 11 when we cruise on the Dream. Will she be able to go to Edge. She really has no interest in the Oceaneer's Club a nd LAb.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

I have a 14 year old. No registration is needed, but you/your child do need to go to the venue. I know for Vibe on the Fantasy, there was a separate "Vibe" card that replaced their KTTW card. For Edge, it wasn't a separate card but he could go there too.

There are SO many different activities. Chances are they will like some of them. Some are for groups, some are more individual. Some are in the club, some are elsewhere in the ship.

I agree with having your child go the first night, but if they are intimidated by large groups, I would encourage them to look for an activity on the schedule that looks interesting and try going back another time as well. My sons told me that that first night there was like 50 teens there. After that, there were never THAT many. So going back some other time will give them a chance to see Vibe/Edge with a smaller group of kids.

 

[PurplePencil]

Mu Daughter will be one week away from turning 11 when we cruise on the Dream. Will she be able to go to Edge. She really has no interest in the Oceaneer's Club a nd LAb.

It really depends on the cruise, and the staff. If it's not full and you ask, possibly but no guarantees

 

[bbel]

It really depends on the cruise, and the staff. If it's not full and you ask, possibly but no guarantees

Edge is for 11-14. 10 is when it depends on numbers.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Mu Daughter will be one week away from turning 11 when we cruise on the Dream. Will she be able to go to Edge. She really has no interest in the Oceaneer's Club a nd LAb.

Generally, if a child is within a month of the correct age for the next club level, and there's room in there (there is a finite number of spaces within each club), your daughter MIGHT be able to "age up". The only ones who can say "yes" or "no" are the CMs at the club level in question, once you are onboard the ship.

 

[bbel]

I always recommend that all kids age 10, 11, 12, register and get a wrist band for the club/lab, even if they're abosultely sure that they aren't going to go anywhere near it. Reason: they go to Edge and make friends with kids the same age. Those friends are registered. Sometimes they decide they want to go between both for whatever reason. The child that isn't registered and doesn't have a wristband then can't be let into the club/lab with their friends even though they are the right age.
At the end of the day, yes it's $13 for a wristband, but once it's returned that charge is returned to you.

 

[FigmentSpark]

When do you pay the $13? Is it just charged to your account or do you pay it up front?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

When do you pay the $13? Is it just charged to your account or do you pay it up front?

It's charged to your account onboard. If you return the wristband at the end of the cruise the charge is removed.

 

[bbel]

When do you pay the $13? Is it just charged to your account or do you pay it up front?

Technically it's $12.95
It's charged to the room account that the child is in, and then returned to the same one if/when returned.

 

[Jobelly]

I've got a 3 year old, 9 year old and a 12 year old, we're doing a 4 night Disney dream next august. They've never really been into kids club but think they might like these. If they all went to the same one (oceaneer?) Would they be together or in separate areas. I think the 12 year old will like the older club but also think his sister might persuade him to go with her!

 

[party-of-five]

I've got a 3 year old, 9 year old and a 12 year old, we're doing a 4 night Disney dream next august. They've never really been into kids club but think they might like these. If they all went to the same one (oceaneer?) Would they be together or in separate areas. I think the 12 year old will like the older club but also think his sister might persuade him to go with her!

The 12 yr old can go to both the Edge and the oceanear club/lab. And in the oceanears club/lab all 3 ages are together. We've done this with our kiddos. It helped to get the littlest guy comfortable with the club.