Lots of Questions

[The Adams Family]

HI everyone,

I am in need of some help. First off is it true we can bring drinks on board. my hubby is a mountain dew drinker and will go thru DT's without it. next question i heard that sodas are now free on deck 9, i was told we would have to pay for sodas. well those are the easier questions. my family is going on a 7 day western thru make a wish, my dd11 has had 8 brain surgeries in the last 18 months and she is a dwarf. we can not decide what extra things we should do. i know she wants to do something with the dolphins and the stingray city but i am worried about how much walking there is or if she can take her scooter to these things. she can walk but does not tolerate long distances. are there any other excursions that you feel are must sees. we have 4 DD's ages 12, 11, 9, 8 . we want to make this a dream vacation for all of of DD's not just our wish DD for this is something we would never ever be able to afford to do with them again. also curious to know if the ship is very noisy. Autumn is very sensitive to alot of noise and i would like to avoid the places the tend to be louder than the rest. also has anyone ever cruised with vertigo before? Should i start the motion sickness meds right away? Any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated and i do thank you all ahead of time.

Disney wishes coming true
Jill

 

[mrsltg]

Hi Jill-

Welcome to the DIS!!! I am so glad that you and your family will be enjoying a DCL vacation through Wish! I have heard so many wonderful things about the Wish program. I hope that you all have the most magical vacation possible! We're cruising in September to celebrate our son who passed away on May 9th. I truly believe that this is the way to go about celebrating life.

Now for your questions...

Your DH can bring soda onboard. And soda is now free at the deck 9 drink station, but you still have to purchase it at the bars. Soda has always been free in the dining rooms during meals.

How does your DD do with standing? I know the DCL dolphin excursion in Cozumel involves standing in the pool with the animals. Does water make standing more bearable for her? I am taking my 3.5 year old DD on that excursion and I choose it because it didn't involve actually swimming with the dolphins, but rather getting to get up close to them.

A lot of people have recommended Captain Marvin's in Grand Cayman for the stingrays. Maybe you could contact them and see what they say about your DD's abilities?

Have a wonderful cruise!!!

Erin

 

[christinou]

Welcome to the board, I am not able to answer all of your questions, but I will try.
First of all just being on the ship, I think will be a dream come true for your girls, it really is a beautiful magical ship, and for my girls just being there is enough, we never even did any excursions on our last trip.
You certainly can bring drinks on board, bring all of the Mountain dew that you want, there are ice machine on deck 9, and you can ask your room stewart to bring ice to your room, and indeed sodas are free on deck 9 at the self serve machine as well as with all of your meals, except at topsider, they have ice tea and punch there instead.
Part of the ship can be very noisy, especially the mickey pool on sea days, but you certainly can find a lot of quiet places.
I am so sorry about your daughter and I hope that you will all have a great time.

 

[TraSee]

Welcom to the Disney boards. I have to give you fair warning, though, you will sooon become addict. You don't want to, you didn't mean to, but you can't help yourself! lol

You and your family will have a dream vacation, w/out a shadow of a doubt. As for your questions, you can bring your own beverages on board. We have a Mt Dew addict in our family, too! I, on the other hand, drink bottled water non-stop. On our last cruise I had one suitcase full of bottled water only!! I brought the small bottles, which ended being nice to throw in my backpack when we went on excursions.

I don't think the noise will bother Autumn too much. There are so many places to be on the ship. The noisiest being the Mickey pool. And there are quiet times there...you just have to go very early or very late.

When are you going on your 7day Western?

Have a wonderful cruise and God Bless you, Autumn, and your family!

 

[KYCruiseCrazy]

i am a mt dew addict and we always bring 2 12 paks on a cruise. the inroom cooler will take a bit to cool them but at least you will have the DEW. we might just bring 3 12 paks cause my DD's love the DEW too. heck who knows. bring the dew and put it in your checked in luggage and you will be fine. enjoy your cruise and DCL only have icky coke stuff
you need to look at a few website to get great information on what the cruises are doing. www.verandahman.com and he has all the great links you should need.Enjoy the cruise and WELCOME to the DIS

 

[The Adams Family]

thanks for the info. but one more quick question. when bringing soda aboard do you pack it in your carry on or can you pack it in your checked bags. looks like we will either be travaling aug 28th or sept 11th. MAW said we will know by the end of the week. we are really hoping for the Aug trip so the girls do not miss to much school. Autumn has missed half of the school year 2 years in a row. We are trying also to renew are vows on the cruise since autumn was unable to attend our wedding since she had emergency surgery the night before our wedding. The last 2 years have been hard on all of us and i just can not wait to see my kids laughing and having fun more so than a typical day.

Thank you all
Jill

 

[DutchsMommy]

I think it is your choice whether to go with carry-on or in checked luggage. Whatever is easier for you.

As for the other info. Have you tried going to the DIS main page? There is a ton of info on WDW and DCL. You might also want to search "Disney Cruise Line" and take a look at a few sites available, both "official" and "unofficial". There is also a discussion board called "DISabilities" where you may find some others with similar situations to yours, or advice on mobility issues etc.

As for the vow renewal - you might want to start a seperate thread on that asking for people's experiences.

Good luck and happy planning!

 

[buginarug]

[font=walt disney script v4.1]I am pleased to tell you that Make-a-Wish granted me a wish as well and I also picked a Disney Cruise! I would just like to let you know that I had the best time ever and Make-a-Wish went above and beyond what i had expected them to do. I carefully thought out what I wanted...expecting whatever it was to never happen again. However I am pleased to say that i will be returing to the Magic in just a few days. I also went to Stingray City...I am assuming that you are talking about going in Grand Caymen...and i was very pleased with it. There was a bit of walking...just to the meeting place and then there was a bus with afantastic driver who entertained us with the soothing sounds of his voice. Anyway i just wanted to let you know that you and your family will have the best time of your lives and MAW will go above and beyond what is necessary to have a fantastic family trip and to momentarilly forget about the sicknesses that have become a part of daily lives.[/font]

 

[ksjayhawks]

Congratulations on your trip! I hope your whole family has a great time.

I know you mentioned that she has a scooter--do you have a wheelchair for her as well that you could use? You might find it easier on some of the excursions. I believe the ship has some. I would call DCL and inquire about that, not sure if you can reserve them or not. I know others have mentioned renting them from a supply company at Canaveral or Cocoa Beach.


On the dolphin encounter in Cozumel:
The ship is at the dock. You get off the ship, go down the dock, up the stairs and on a walkway to the other side, then back down to get to the taxis. (I think there was an elevator, am sure there is another way to get across). You take a taxi to the park--there are vans, then walk back in to the area where the beach and encounter is. You will go out on a dock and climb down steps into the water. You stand on a metal walkway.
Another poster was right about the standing in the water. Can she stand or can someone hold her???
It is a neat experience.

Grand Cayman and the stingrays:
The ship does not dock here. They use tenders to get people back and forth. Some tenders are larger than others. She will probably need assistance to get on and off them. You do ride a bus--we had to walk a ways, but with a wheelchair that would be no problem. You ride boats out to the area--is about 3-4 feet deep, give or take. Someone would have to hold her or use a regular life jacket on her or perhaps you could use a float to put her in. You can even get a good view of them from the boat. When the stingrays come around, there can be a lot of them and they get very close to you, so you wouldn't want her to get knocked down.

Both are really neat experiences!

I would put my soda in my carryon. You would not want it to come open and ruin all of your stuff in your suitcase or even have it leak out to someone else's.

Lots of people go into Key West and buy pop/liquor there and bring it back on the ship so they don't have to lug it in carryons.

 

[ksjayhawks]

Sorry, hit submit twice!

 

[The Adams Family]

Autumn can usually manage to walk about 3 blocks and but if longer than that she gets worn out. im not to worried about swimming, she does very well at that considering that is all she does all summer. i think she could handle standing for about 30 minutes, more if she is really having alot of fun. do the touring companies vary alot in prices for the same tour such as the dolphines and sting ray city? we are on a tight budget but want to make sure we go with a good tour company.

Thank you
jill

 

[DenverVal]

The walk to the bus in Grand Cayman is much less than 3 blocks. Don't be surprised if your kids decide to watch the stingrays from the boat...my DDs (11 and 8) were upset by how large the stingrays are and didn't want to be in the water with them, but did enjoy watching them from the boat. The water is crystal clear.

The walk to the taxis in Cozumel is much longer; you will probably want wheeled transportation for that, and it was hot hot hot when we were there, so you might consider a hat and mister fan for her. We didn't do the dolphin excursion, but I have heard nothing but good reviews from people who did.

 

[scrapperjill]

I think most if not all of your questions have been answered by others....I just wanted to say congrats on your trip....and to say we are also going on a wish cruise for our DD6 on Sept. 11 . We can't wait. Our other daugter is 11....so maybe if you end up going is Septmeber...we'll run into one another. Like you we are trying to make it the most magical trip ever....I have no idea what the wish foundation will do....but I'm not really expecting anything more than just the basic trip. This is a once in a lifetime trip for our family...so the more magic we can provide the better. We want to make it everything it can be and to filled with life long memories of our complete family. We have booked the stingray city excursion with Captin Marvins on Grand Caymans....and were upgrading our transportation from the airport to a limo service ...I think the girls will just love that. I am also thinking of calling Shirley Brown...from the Perfect Gift...and ording a gift basket to be in the room when we arrive.....I'm just not sure on what kind of item to have in the basket. I had worried about missing school also...but figured it is just the start of the school year...and it's a once in a life time trip. ....our plan with the school issue is to talk with the school and teachers prior to the trip and arrange to get the missed work ahead of time. and to try and substitute some of the work with other projects...like a photo report of the trip...or a daily journal of the trip.

Well best of luck with your trip...I'm sure you and your family...and especialy you daughter will have a supper time....maybe we will run into you on the Magic on
Sept. 11th ..Oh yea...if you do end up going on 9/11...there is a good sized dis group on the dis meet board...of fellow 9/11 crusiers...we are also planning on a meet and greet the first day.

 

[ksjayhawks]

You can book through dcl or directly with excursion operators in the ports. Believe you will save money if you book directly. Have heard very good things about Captain Marvins in Grand Cayman--www.captainmarvins.com--and dolphin discovery in Cozumel--www.dolphindiscovery.com

If you do either of the above encounters, tuck in some cash for pictures or take your own waterproof cameras. The pictures are wonderful memories of something that you don't get to do every day!

Once you know your date, I second scrapperjill on finding the thread for those going on the same cruise. When we went in Feb, a bunch of us wore lime green mickey heads so we could recognize each other in line at port. We also had a DIS meeting on board. It was nice to see other friendly faces on board and in ports. Sometimes the kids will email each other ahead of time so they feel like they have a buddy or two before they get on board.

Since we went during the school year, we talked to his teacher and got some homework. He also did a photo essay on the stingrays. Just give the teachers plenty of time to get stuff together.

When we went in February, I made my son a pillowcase, took it to guest services and asked for the characters to sign it. I took it in early in the week (in a baggie with markers and marked with his name and cabin number) and had it back on Friday. There have been some threads on the pillowcases lately concerning dcl not doing this anymore. some of the latest posts indicate that they still do--depends on who you ask; when you go to guest services--later in evening when less crowded seems the best; if one CM says no then ask another, etc.

Enjoy your trip!!! These boards are great for info, support, and meeting people who will also be on your cruise!

 

[Zebramom]

Hi,

Congratulations on the begining of the trip of a lifetime. Make-A-Wish is a very unique organization that really do cause dreams to come true. My daughter was a make a wish child two years ago and she too choose the Disney cruise. Our family had never been on an airplane together, we had never been to Florida and we never had been on a cruise. Our main focus was paying for medical bills, paying for prescriptions and keeping our daughter healthy and out of the hospital. I would been more than willing to talk to you off the board for any particular questions and concerns you may have. Since it was my daughters trip we let her research the trip excursiuons that she thought she would like to do, then we dscussed it as a family. But we all went along with her choices. From the moment the limo picked us up at our home for the trip to the airport it was truly magical. If the noise seems to bother your daughter I would suggest at one of the ports of call you go aboard later and spend some quiet time at the goofy pool when the majority of the folks are off shore. Are you doing the Eastern or Western cruise? The 3- 4 - or 7 day?

 

[The Adams Family]

We are doing 7 day western. We were told today that we will have all the final details next week wed. I totally understand the medical bill thing. I was fired from my job last year after i was told if i missed another i would be fired. well my daughter was schedule for brain surgery the next day. did they honestly think i would go to work and not be there for my child. after 7 surgeries last year and one major one this past feb, she is finally improving. Autumn has missed out on so much over the last two years and suffers daily with pain and headaches. she is very bitter towards life right now and i just want her to see that good things will come again. she blames herself for the hardships we have faced and i try to tell her that the sun will shine again tomorrow and we will have better days and that none of this is her fault and that we will just become stronger from it all. it is so hard not to hear your child laugh because she thinks if she does she will end up with a bad headache. i just want one week that i can see her smile everyday even if it is just for a minute a day. i also want my other dd's to have fun and not feel stressed over how autumn is doing. even tho autumn has always had health problems since birth ( she is a dwarf) the last two years have tested everyone of us. we were so hoping that MAW would allow my parents to come with us because without them we would not have survived all this, but unfortunately they said my folks would have to pay their own way which i totally understand but there is no way my folks can do it. they supported my family for the last year and themselves. my mom worked 4 part time jobs just to help us out. my husband was layed up after having back surgery and no one would hire me because of me getting fired from my last job. but finally things are improving. i am back to work and my husband is also. and autumn's wish trip just adds the frosting to the cake. it was a trip we had promised them we would do with them in 2005 but after all that had happened we told them that it would be delayed for a few more years but MAW answered our prayers.

Sorry so long guess i needed to vent...lol

thank you
jill

 

[music777.com]

JIll,

I would just like to pass along my prayers to you, your daughter and of course the rest of your family. Without going into detail I understand alot of what you are going through. And indeed, God will cause the sun to shine tomorrow. Have a great trip.

JJ

 

[scrapperjill]

I also totally understand the medical bill issue. We also have been putting the main focus on keeping our daughter healthy and out of the hospital as much a we can. And the work thing....yep...been there....counsled on missed days....well you know what...if my daughter is ill and needing me there...I'm there. Someone not in the same situation would never understand. Our days are filled with treatments and medicine. It's enough to wear on all of us. Our older daughter handles things so well...but I know it's hard on her knowing what Sydneys life will be filled with. I never gave much thought to what a wish foundation does...but now that we have a wish on the way...I can't say enough about them.....they are a god send....and I know for sure (even wihtout having our trip yet) we will some day do what we can to help another family with there wish. Just the thoughts our family has had....the breaks away from the medical issues....something else to think about and to look forward to. I could go on and on. Wish foundations small and large need a great big hand

Oh yea...back on topic... when you do look into excursions....like ksjayhawks mentioned it is cheeper to book on your own rather than through disney. They (disney) charge any one 9 and older the adult fare.

I also wanted to add...I love the idea for the stingray photo essay. I'm going to have to try and get that as one of girls assignments.

 

[The Adams Family]

Thank you for all the info. If there is anything else that anyone thinks might help us with our first i would be greatful.

Jill

 

[scrapperjill]

Jill,

I just wanted to add a couple other things we are doing to make the trip the most it can be. We have been gathering items to make a goodie bags for each of the girls for the trip (long plane ride). I've included things like...disney color books, pens, markers, gum, snacks and a toy or two. The good thing about goodie bags is... goodie bags can be modifyed to age however. I have also slowly set aside a little money for each of them...so they would have some of their own spending money for things at shore. We have tryed to talk with the girls to see what kind of things they want to do....All Sydney can tell me is....were going to do it all...right? LOL Makes me laugh everytime she says it. . Ohh....I also included bubbles...lots of bubbles for the sail away party. And I'm planning on getting some glow sticks...you know how kids like those things.
Ohh and were working on a special family door sign for our cabin.
.

Well if I can think of any other things i'll let you know.