I am jealous Alan.I keep telling my DH that if we take a cruise from LA that we will do a few days at Disneyland. We have never been there.
Was just opening my envelope(boy did it not want to open) when i read about Dan's upgrade. Sadly our online details still match the luggage tags. NO upgrade for us
Thanks for the tips about under the pool though. If we ever happened to be upgraded to that area we will get it fixed
The noise there will be from the party animals all around me. 
I think 3 days there before a cruise would be great.
Sorry I could not donate an upgrade to you. That would be a nice upgrade for you to a cat4. It is nice to given one but I wish DCL would ask first. An upgrade from a cat5 to cat4 may sound nice if you did not know that the room is under the Mickey pool. DCL did not do this out of the kindness of their heart but it is easier to sell a 5c that a cat4. I am staying on DIS deck 6 with the Paradise crew.
I am doing the Cruise Doc Dance too!!
It feels very real now having the luggage tags in hand!!!
And no upgrade (though we really knew we wouldn't)..but it's still exciting!
So this newbie has a question:
For those who have rented cars and have to drop them off before boarding:
Where does dh drop family off? Is there a 'loop' for drop offs? Is there a sign? Or do you just 'follow the crowd'?
And after dh drops us off, do we just wait for him to return before checking in? A little confused, I did read on the boards where we needed his passport but he needs to keep his license to get back in the port. But, can we check in without him? Any advice?
(actually they are there to be helpful and keep things moving). While you are still in the car, you will all have to show ID that will be checked against a list of those sailing to be allowed on to the property.
We have done the rental car drop off on each of our four previous cruises. I believe that the drop off location has changed due to construction at the terminal since our last cruise in 2009, but that shouldn't matter. Once you enter the Disney Terminal area there are CMs at every step along the way to make sure you don't step out of line and mess the process up for everyone else
Here's how it has worked for us: At the drop off area, we unload the car. Since it is a rental, we unload everything in the car. DW keeps the bag that she will carry for the next few hours with our documents and other items we might need before we see our luggage again. We have a few small bills ready for a tip for the baggage handlers. DW and the kids enter the terminal as I leave to return the rental car. DW has all cruise documents and my passport to get me checked in. She also keeps the credit card that all on board charges will go on, since that is needed for check in.
She enters the terminal and checks us all in and gets a boarding number (that's the reason not to wait until DH returns).
I drive to the car rental location a couple miles away, stopping to fill the fuel tank on the car. Then I ride the shuttle back to the port. Occasionally there are enough people waiting for the shuttle that I have to wait for a second shuttle to come, particularly if there are large families who all went to the rental car location (instead of being smart like we are!).
When I arrive back at the port, the shuttle drops me off at a gate that allows me to walk to the terminal. At that gate I have to present my drivers license to allow me in. Once through security, DW can direct me to where I need to go to sign my paperwork and get my KTTW card.
About a half hour or so has passed while I return the car, so the wait to board is only another 20 - 30 minutes. Then it is through the Mickey ears, snap a couple photos, have your family name announced and head to Parrot Cay or Topsiders for lunch!
We have done the rental car drop off on each of our four previous cruises. I believe that the drop off location has changed due to construction at the terminal since our last cruise in 2009, but that shouldn't matter. Once you enter the Disney Terminal area there are CMs at every step along the way to make sure you don't step out of line and mess the process up for everyone else
Here's how it has worked for us: At the drop off area, we unload the car. Since it is a rental, we unload everything in the car. DW keeps the bag that she will carry for the next few hours with our documents and other items we might need before we see our luggage again. We have a few small bills ready for a tip for the baggage handlers. DW and the kids enter the terminal as I leave to return the rental car. DW has all cruise documents and my passport to get me checked in. She also keeps the credit card that all on board charges will go on, since that is needed for check in.
She enters the terminal and checks us all in and gets a boarding number (that's the reason not to wait until DH returns).
I drive to the car rental location a couple miles away, stopping to fill the fuel tank on the car. Then I ride the shuttle back to the port. Occasionally there are enough people waiting for the shuttle that I have to wait for a second shuttle to come, particularly if there are large families who all went to the rental car location (instead of being smart like we are!).
When I arrive back at the port, the shuttle drops me off at a gate that allows me to walk to the terminal. At that gate I have to present my drivers license to allow me in. Once through security, DW can direct me to where I need to go to sign my paperwork and get my KTTW card.
About a half hour or so has passed while I return the car, so the wait to board is only another 20 - 30 minutes. Then it is through the Mickey ears, snap a couple photos, have your family name announced and head to Parrot Cay or Topsiders for lunch!
Now...one more question? What's the consensus on here? Do y'all let the cm's take ALL your luggage including your carry ons to your room or do you lug your carry ons with you? And if you don't carry them with you, how are you getting to your stuff (like bathing suits, etc...). If we're all carrying carry ons , and then checked a few bags, when we get out of the rental (I really don't want to hold up traffic) do we give the cm's ALL of the luggage?About 11 pieces? Isn't that what the luggage tags are for? Or do we keep the carryons and give them the checked luggage from the airlines...
but hope it helps! Just remember what you keep with you, you will have to carry around with you until your room(s) are available, approx 1:30pm.
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First of all, know that there are porters, not cms that take your bags when you get to port. Bring some cash tips for these guys. You will probably want to leave most of your bags with these porters, and they will need those luggage tags that come/came with your cruise docs on them. To answer your question about carryon bags, it really depends on what you need with you. We typically just bring a couple of little string bags or backpack type bags as our carryons, and even then only two or three of the five of us bring them on. You should get your bags delivered to your stateroom by 5pm, sometimes sooner. So we just bring the necessities....of course the cruise docs and passports, then what you feel you will need. Swimsuits, sunscreen, jacket, camera, meds, etc. I realize this may not really answer your question
I agree. Give as much to the porters as you can. You have to find the balance between what you might need before your luggage arrives in your room and how much you want to take with you everywhere for a couple of hours. A backpack or large bag is about right, I think. A rolling bag would be cumbersome.
I figure the right amount for me is no more than I can convince my wife to carry around in her bag for me
Also, I agree with the suggestion that everyone boards the shuttle to the rental car location after the cruise. Then once you have the car you don't have to return to the port.
Mornin' y'all! It's dark here, and brrrrr chilly! FINALLY feels like fall down here. High of 79 today..which beats our heat and humidity!
