Glad you liked the report lstark! Wish we were going back!! Let me start off by answering some of your questions (as best I can).
We didn't use the nursery, but we visited a few times during the "family times". According to the nursery staff, the nursery on our 5/24 cruise was never full (rare). When we visited on the 2nd day, they said not to worry about signing up for time slots (which usually you have to do on the first day for the entire week and guess what times you might want). But our DD doesn't do well at this stage of the game leaving her off somewhere without us... so we knew (besides the family times) that we wouldn't be using the nursery. The counselors looked very competent, though, and looked to be having a genuine fun time with the babies. It is exceptionally clean too.... the babies have to sanitize their hands before going in and coming out.
The food for this age is limited. There's only mac-n-cheese, hot dogs, quesadillas, pizza, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and fruit. Our DD had mac-n-cheese every night and lived off fruit (she won't eat the other stuff). We did stop at a store before the cruise (a must in our opinion to accomodate our DD) and picked up milk (didn't need as they have pints of milk), white grape juice (glad we did as our DD is alergic to apple juice) and jars of baby food (to supplement to make sure she got her essential vitamins she wasn't getting by eating mac-n-cheese everyday)! There is no avocado, beets (she lives off this stuff). Our DD doesn't eat that much meat and the vegis she eats in the jar, but was pretty finicky being out of her environment (sounds like yours). What I thought was great was we mentioned she loves raspberries and strawberries and our servers from the next day and on had a bowl of each waiting for her at her place setting. They really try to accomodate the kids IF you ask. They ran out of raspberries/strawberries on the 2nd to last day (I think because of Elissa)!
They have Graco pack-n-plays for the babies. They are okay. You can tell they've been used quite a bit, but they do the trick. We asked for an extra bed sheet when we got to our room, wraped that around the matress, and brought a pack-n-play sheet from home with us, and put that on top as I don't trust the cleanliness of a crib matress that's been used a gazillion times. It did the trick and it also cuts down on the crinkle noises that the vinyl mattresses can make.
What I wish I was prepared for more before the trip..... the room IS IN NO WAY baby proof (like it is at home). The area to walk is pretty limited and the drawers slide open easily with a simple pull. She pulled one open onto her face at the start of the cruise (she didn't do it again, though). Just know that you might feel a little paronoid at first, but you eventually get into a groove and somehow we just got over it. But wish someone had told me that. We brought a few of her favorite toys and she played with them on the floor occasionally (ie. when we got ready in the morning). Also, there is no fan in the bathroom for white noise.... Elissa sleeps with that on at home, but she did fine without it.... though we were a little panicked at first.
You're going to have a blast! But know that it IS different than home and you will be a little frazzeled the first day or two while you get your barrings straight and get into a routine (you and your daughter). Just know that'll happen and you'll be ahead of the game. Also, just go with the flow and have fun... it'll be over before you know it and you'll want to go back!! Also, Disney saves the best for last....
Castaway Cay... and incredible place.
