MAY 4-7, WONDER-Vacation Time, HELLO!

[brianpilon]

Come on people , i know there was a site already for this date but noone wrote anything . lets get to know each other people . only 32 days left and no ones excited out there . hello- share some ideas for us new disney cruisers

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

Howdy,
We are not sailing unti september, however you asked for people to share some ideas about the cruises so here goes.
I will assume this is your first DCL cruise, probably with a kid or two, so here are a few tips for things a lot of people may not know about.

1. You can take a couple of white pillow cases and water poof markers(sharpies) and put in a zip lock baggie. Take the FIRST day to guest services and ask for characters signatures. The last night of the cruise it will be delivered to your oom or you can pick it up at guest services the last night. Oh, be sure and include your name and room number with it.


2. At guest services you can ask for a hidden mickey scavenger hunt paper that will help you find the hidden mickeys around the ship. This is something most kids like to do.

3. There is a scavenger hunt at CC too. They have the clues at the gazebo on CC. I know you can get th elcues on the ship too so you can study it before you go ashore, but not sure where to get them. I'm sure guest services could tell you,if your interested.

4. Pirate deck party. You can dress as a pirate, you will be given a free pirate bandana at dinner to wear if you want. some people dress up completely others just pirate t-shirts and bandanas or eye patches. On the Magic themajority of people dress up, but on the Wonder just a few do it. I think it is a growing thing, they havnt had this party but a few months. The party is toppe doff by fireworks which are awesome and a buffet out on deck 9 too. save room at dinner that night, becuase the buffet is yummy!!!!

5. If you have kids and they are old enough, the day before you arrive at CC they have akite making event. Check your Navigator for where and when. An adult is suppose to go and help some. Then the kids decorate them and on CC there is a place to fly them. They also fold up small so they can keep them as afree souvenir, just like the pillowcases.

6. If the kids go to the clubs, make sure they particiapte in the show on the last evening for the parents because the kids clubs usually will give them a gift. I think they still do this, they do change things all the time.

7. again if you have kids in the clubs, if they choose to sign up to make flubber, they will get to keep it to take home, another free souvenir for them.

8. On DVL unlike other cruise lines, all the food around the pool areas is free. There is a drink staion on deck 9 where you can get free pop, milk, coffee, tea, Hi C, hot cocoa too. Pop and other non alcoholic beverages are free in the restaurants, the buffet and the drink station, however if you order coffee or pop in a club or at a lounge you will be charged for it, plus a gratuity.
so if you or your family go to a show or amovie, dont pay for snakcs. Go to deck 9 and get free beverages, a hot dog, pizza, fries, fruit, what ever you want and take it to the shows with you for free. People do this all the time, so you wont feel strange doing it. This can save you BIG BUCKS if you have kids with you especially. Room service food is free also, accept for the gratuity. On the menu it doesnt have it listed, but you can get mickey ice cream bars too. Kids love that for dessert. I shouldnt say Kids everytime, I LOVE mickey bars for dessert too!!!!

If you want some music and perhaps dancing but no the crowds ro really loud noise of the clubs, go to the promenade lounge when they have a duo playing there.it is good music, a relaxed atmosphere, with a samll wooden dance floor. This is a family lounge so the entire family can go there if you want. Plus they have board games there for kids or adults to play too.I think whiel your sailing it is Don andTommie in the lounge. They are really good and will do requests if it is something they know and of course is within their range to sing.

I guess the best tip I can offer to get the most from your cruise is to read your Navigator paper that will be in your room as soon as you get to your room, then you can plan out your evening. That night they will deliver a new one to your room with the following days events listed.

The terminal opens around 10 a.m. they wont lwt you board until 11:40 to noon, depending on how quickly the cleaning is done. They will usher you to have lunch in either Parrot cay or the buffet, then at 1:30 you can go to your rooms. I choose the buffet since you can sit inside or outside or by the pools. This really get the excitement going!! Much nicer than sitting in a restaurant. i can do that anytime. i want to be out by the pools and to have the view. A lot of people do wear swim suits under their clothes and div ein as soon as they are done with lunch too.
Dont miss the deck sail away party too!!! It is on deck 9 right after the mandatory safety drill. That will get you in the mood for curising and vacation!!!
I'm sure you will have an awesome time!! We have done 10 DCL cruises so far and 2 more booked this fall. I cant wait!! I am worse than any kid you'll see on the ship, I get so excited!!! We live in Florida, so when DH can get an extra day off we zip off for a 3 day cruise, but mostly we do the 7 day ones. I would love a 30 day one!!! But in order to pay for the crusie we have to work too. You would think after 10 cruises the excitement would be less, but I am worse with each trip!!! I love it,
I hop you have a magical cruise!!! Please le tme know if you have nay specific questions I can answer for you, I'm glad to help. I hope this has helped you some.
wish we were going too!!
mom x4,grandma x4

 

[mmrweaver]

Thank you for the great tips! It will be our first cruise, and we are all very excited!

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

Glad i could help some,
please let me know if you have any other specific questions and I will be more than happy to try and answer them for you. I certainly dont know it all, but I do know quite a bit, after 10 cruises.

mom x4,grandma x4

 

[brianpilon]

oh you are my hero - that will help alot- ive been aabout 5-6 other cruises but never a disney one. thought i would take advantage since we were going to be at disneyworld anyway- i am a huge cruise fan . love them. so i hear you when you say you dont get sick of them, just more excited. thanks again for all the amazing tips.

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

Hi Brianpilon,
I'm happy my tips helped some.

WOW, your doing WDW too!!! That's awesome!!!

We live near WDW and go almost every weekend and never tire of it. There is always something new happening.
Is this your first trip to WDW too?
Are you doing the land sea package or just going on your own?
If you guys like coasters, check out the new Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom. It is a real RUSH!!! It just opened so there will be long lines, but get a fast pass just as soon as the park opens and you'll save a long wait in line. Of course in May the crowds are down, so that should help. It is very exciting and in case anyone asks, it doesn't go up side down, so it is easier for kids to do. i dont know the height requirement, but it is awesome.
Hopefully your doing WDW first because you will need some rest like the cruise after wards. It is a busy place to vacation, but it's so much fun.
If this is your first time at WDW and if you have any questions, let me know I'll be glad to try and help. If I don't know the answer my son will, he works at WDW in guest services. So ask away if you have question.
mom x4,grandma x4

 

[brianpilon]

you are my hero- ya this is our first time to wdw. so we are very excited. we go to disneyland alot because we live so close to there but never have been to wdw. so any tips is very welcome. one question though. what water park is better. my daughters are 4 and 6 and do swim very well. they love water slides but have no idea which on we should try. can you help me three. also any other info will be very helpful. thanks again. life saver-
brian

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

Hi Brian,
Both water parks have a great kids area. I would say Blizzard beach is a little larger and has a few more family type places to do things together. All of the slides that are out of the kids area your kids wont be able to do. There are height requirements. I'm sure they wont be tall enough.
But both places have a lazy river to float in tubes around the park. It is a long river so will take sometime to do. Lots to see along the way. The big pool is great for everyone. At Typhoon Lagoon it is a wave pool. About every 10 minutes it will shoot big waves out. Some kids will stand at the edge or hold parents hands or they will loose thier balance as the wave comes there is an undertow with the wave. One tip, arrive 20 minutes before the park opens so you will have time to get a locker and towels, unless you bring your own towels. Crowds in May during the week arn't too bad, but if you do them on the weekend it will max out by noon, so go early and get chairs and then you can relax and spend the day.There are places to eat and lots of things like snow cones to cool off with. Also a gift shop. You can buy a drink mug and refill it as often as you want for the day. If you guys share, it will save you a fortune. Not sure what it costs for the mug.

with the ages of your kids I am assuming you will be going to Magic Kingdom. The kids area is the busiest for lines, so arrive before the park opens and then head straight back to the castle. all the kiddie attractions are just behind the castle. Do those first, then use fast passes for the rest to save time. Flight of Peter Pan, Philharmagic 3D show, Dumbo, Snow White, It's a samll world line up really fast, but they are a must for the kids. Winnie the pooh ride is towards toon town from fantasyland, it is slow loading so you may want to wait on that one. At toontown the Barnstormer roller coaster is for kids and it a lot of fun. Mickey and Minnie's houses are there too. Mickey can always be found in his barn.You can get by with fairly short lines until around noon. Always eat before noon or after 2 p.m. or you wont find a place to sit down. Cosmic Rays starlite cafe has the biggest selection and has indoor and outdoor seating. Prices are reasonable too. Or Pecos Bills will be second best in frontierland.
I will warn you ahead of time that The Pirates of the Caribbean ride is closed down until July. They are fixing it up to be themed with the Pirate of the Caribbean movie. It will reopen about the time the next movie is released.
I will add some more later when I have more time.
mom x4,grandma x4

 

[taeja71]

sorry to jump in, but I saw your thread title and had to chuckle a little bit. I know you will be in good hands this cruise while having mom X4 grandmax4 with you here on this thread. Have a WONDER ful cruise! If you think you have more questions, feel free to PM me or I'll keep lurking on your thread. I cruised in 2004 and have been DISing for a while now. I'll be happy to help if I can. I don't do laundry or dishes.

6:30pm Here's some more thoughts. Be prepared to stand in line to see characters just like being at the parks. At least you will be standing in line in an airconditioned ship. That's one advantage of not having to wait outside. OH, bring your kids costumes. My girls wore their princess dresses to dinner and they felt like royalty.

Did MX4 X GX4 mention pirate night? You can bring a pirate costume or just wear the bandana (with your other clothes of course) they hand out to you. There's debate of if pirate night is the 3rd or 4th night. I can't remember which, but there's been recent pirate threads on the cruise forum you might want to take a look at.

Sorry there isn't a bigger group of cruisers posting with you. Our group (9/3/06) has expanded and we're pumped for Sept.

Again, I'd be happy to answer any questions (to the best of my ability) or thow out other hints/suggestions. Wow, I'm excited for you. Wish I could be cruising sooner.

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

Brian,
if you take the girls to AK, go directly to africa for the safari ride. The animals are out and more active early morning. Everyone else will be doing the same thing, so if it's a 20 minute or longer wait, get a fast pass and come back when it says to ride. Lines move slow for this ride. It is a great ride though, it is a must do!!!!` While you waiting for your fast pass time there is a trail just to the right of the safari ride to walk. Lots of animals to see too. By the time you finish the trail it will probably be about time for your fast pass. If you have a few minutes left there is a gift shop there to browse in for a few minutes, plus I would have the kids use the bathroom first since this is a faily long ride and it's bumpy. Once you get in lines, there are NO bathrooms until after the ride.
When you enter with a fast pass, a cm will check it and then hang on to the passes because as you get closer to boarding another cm will actually take the pass from you. They do this so people will not slip under the rope from the main line to sneak into the fast pass line. So hang on to those passes. there are always cm's around the fast pass kiosks if you have a problem or question about them too.
Ok, there are two shows to see there is your girls like music. The Lion King show is very good and it is under cover with some cooling, so ok to do in the afternoon. Tarzan rocks I would go at the first show if your going to see it because it has a roof but is open air and gets hot really fast there. It is a LOUD rock n roll type show with rollerblading, dancing, singing and Turk and Tarzan, it is a good show, just LOUD!!! It is very fast paced. Good view no matter where you sit.
Ok, Dino land. I think the girla will be tall enough for the dino institute ride if you want to do it. It may be kind of scary to a child, I dont know your kids so I cant judge it. Basically you sit in a jeep and go back in time to look for a dinosaur to bring back with you. Of course things go wrong. The jeep moves kind of fast, but it stops and goes a lot. So it is a jerky ride and lots of huge dinosaurs will be there. It is very dark, and loud roaring from the dinosaurs, a meteor storm and a dinosaur who tries to eat the jeep!! So it is fun, but may be too intense for a 4 and 6 year old. In the center if dinolan d there is a fun ride called prime ? whirl. cant remember exact name but it is fun, there is a height requirement so not sure if girls can do it. But right across from it is the triceratop ride which is for kids and a few carnival type games. Then there is the boneyard playground which is huge and the girls will probably love to run through it. This is a good place to let them run when they are tired of standing in lines.
I know they cant do expedition everest so will skip that.
Asia,
has a raft ride I think you dan all do called Kahli river rapids. This is a fun ride with a couple of exciting parts. you WILL gwe wet on this, no way around it!!! There is a plastic covered palce in the center of the raft to put your camera to help protect it. I dont think there is a height requirement on this ride. You may have to get a fast pass for this ride too. If you do there is a trail to hike near there too. This one featiures tigers where the one by the safari ride features gorillas. excellant trail for kids to walk. NO bathrooms on either, so go before you walk!!
The parade is very good too, about 30 minutes long and easy to find a place to see it, if you dont try to stand near the gift shops. More people seem to stand there. The tree of life has a 3 D show that is really cute. It features Flick from it's a bugs life. I love this show, but I must warn you it has a couple of loud noises and it is very dark a couple of times, so if your girls are afraid of the dark or loud noises this may not be for them. I hope it doesnt bother them because this is a great show. They do have fast passes, but it is along trail to get to the show and by the time you look at all the carvings on the tree and actually get there you wont have along wait. The show is about 10 minutes long.
They have character scattered through the park, but camp mickey minnie, by the lion king show has them too, but the lines are usually pretty long and move slow there. This park doesnt have as many places to eat as the other parks. Pizzafari is pretty good and you can sit in air conditioning and cool off for a bit, which you will need. We are in the 90's everyday for 2 weeks and should be that way while your here too.
to be continued:

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

Hi Brian,
well after re-reading my info I figured out that I never explained what a fast pass is. Guess I should explain that too so you can understand what I am saying.
Lots of the attractions will have some kiosks off to the side that say fast pass. You take your passes that got you into the park, and put them in one at a time inot the kiosks and it will pop out your tickets back to you, plus another ticket for each one of you with a time printed on it such as 10:30 to 11:30. You keep those passes and return to the fast pass entrance for that ride during the time printed on it and you will have little to no wait for the ride. It's that simple. You can only get one pass per person and when the time is up (first time printed on pass) you can then get another pass for a different ride. There are always cast members around to help you too if you have a question or problem with the machine. Use this system an dyou iwll get to do so much more with your time and you will spend less time standing in line!!

OK. MGM studios
Lots of chances for character meet and greets here. On your park guide it will say times that characters will beout in ceetain areas. The big sorcerors hat is one place that about a dozen characters will appear several times a day. They scatter around the courtyard so lines arnt too long if you are there right at the designated tiem on your map. Also on Mickey avenue there is a building, right next to who wants to be a millionaire show where Mickey is pretty much all day long. It is inside so it's air conditioned and most people walk right by and dont notice it.The only time he isnt there is when he is out by the sorcerors hat and in the parade, because he cant be in 2 places at the same time!! Also in front of this place are 3 tiny air stream trailers which characters come out of and do pictures and autographs. They change often so you never know who you will see there.

If the girls arnt too tired, stay for Fantasmic. It is a night show and it is awesome!!!! Bad thing, you must arrive about an hour before the show to get a seat. This one fills up everytime. You will sit on metal benches with NO backs on them. If the girls need to use the bathroom, do it ahead of time, or you will have to ask someone next to you to save your seat or you will loose it when you get up to take them. They will walk around with cold drinks and snacks to sell you, but most take food and drinks in with them and eat while waiting for the show to start. It has to be dark out and it will be cancelled if there is rain or lightening. But if you are up to it, stay for this one, it is really worth the hassle to see it.
OK towerof terror, girls too short, rock n roller coater, girls too short.
Great movie ride . OK for girls. slow moving vehicle. There are different secenes from well known moives. There is one with skelatons and one from Aliens where it is kind of spooky for kids, but they dont have to look if you think it will bother them. It is a good ride . Lots of young kids on this one. Star tours, I think they will be too short. Indiana Jones is a great action show. Try to do this one at their first show as it is outdoors, under a roof but it does get hot in there, the same goes for beauty and the beast show. Try to catch a early show if possible. all seats have a great view although it doesnt seem like it until the show actually starts. Indiana Jones has a couple of loud explosions too, but it is really good andlots of kids are in the audience.again, no bathrooms in the show area, so go before the show. You can tell I have raised kids when I keep giving bathroom reports!!!
Muppets 3D show is a must!! The preshow is cute too. Once you get into the theater it is about a 10 minute show. really cute, kids will love it. Near the exit is Al's Toy Barn where you will find toy story characters during the day too. extreme stunt car specatcular was an OK show,but I would leave it for the last show of the day, if you have time. Not a must do! Ok, The backlot tour is a good one too. You start with a water tank demonstration, then walk through a prop warehouse and then to a tram ride to see movie props and then to a building with costumes of villians you love to hate. They are actual costumes worn in the movies. Darth Vadors costume, the bad pirate captain form Pirates of the caribbean, wicked witch from wizard of Oz etc...
a good tour and easy for kids, again alittle rest for their tired feet.
Bear int he big blue house, I have not seen, but it is very popular with the kids. One mans dream is a great tribute to Walt but kids most likely would be bored. same with the animation tour, we loved it, but young kids are bored on it. Also there is aplace that is hard to describe where to find it, but Monsters Inc are there on and off for pictures and autpgraphs. It is the road that runs in front of the Commissary restaurant and the sci fi diner.A
Just ask cm and they will direct you if you want to find it.
Drew carey sound show is really neat, but probably not for your girls. It is 95% done in pitch black setting with only audio and things feel very real due to the sound system.
The parade there is very good. Not too bad to find a place to watch is you dont go to the main street that you first enter the park on. They will really see lots of characters up close in this parade.
I dont know if they will still have it, but they did have a display of props and a short film clip from the movie Narnia. This is easy to miss, it is across from the end of the millionaire show building and kind of back off the sidewalk alittle ways. Plenty of places to eat here. continued:
Kathy

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

Howdy Brian,
I'll bet your getting tired of reading all these pages.But you asked for it!
So here we go again,
Epcot
I would save this park for last, if you do it at all. very little for kids there.
There are 3 main rides , all of which the girls are not big enough to do. They can do the 3D show, Honey I shrunk the audience. I tis very good and does have a few loud noises.
The aquarium would be good for kids, they can talk to Crush the turtle from Nemo while there.
They do have a good character meet in a building in future world where you are in air conditioning and you wait in line to see one character and then you go right to the next and next and next until you see them all. In other words, once you get up to see the first one, there isnt any real wait to see the others, it is usually from 9 to 5 that they are there. If you have to wait in line for character meets, this is a great place to do it because it is cool and moves quickly. coke has a place by the fountain where you can sample free coke products from around the world. some are OK, but a couple are AWEFUL!!! so take little sips until you are sure of the taste. Your girls might like to try these and it is free!
The boat ride in Mexico is ok for kids, not much to it but one room has fireworks in the ceiling that look pretty neat, It is about 5 minutes long. There is a small volcano you pass by and you can see it from the gift shop too. stop and watch it for 2or 3 minutes from the gift shop because about every 90 seconds the smoke poofs out the shape of Mickey's head, but it fades fast, so you must look fast. There are hidden mickeys all over WDW, this is one of them. They do sell a book for about 7 dollars there with clues to finding the hidden mickeys all over WDW. You might want to get this and help the girls look for them as you go through the park, it would give them something to do at each world Space ship earth is ok to do too. It is a slow moving tram that educates you onthe way our communications have improved over the years. I tis 11 minutes long, so its a nice break fromt he heat and a good rest time. Tis is the first ride you will see as you enter the park, but if there is a line, skip it. Do it in the afternoon, there is never a line late in the day. People just stop there first part of the day because it is the first thing they see. Dont tell the girls that it is educational, they will enjoy it more if they dont know. Ha! Ha!
Norway has a 2 minute viking boat ride. It is a little more adventurious, it has one 10 foot drop and it does travel backwards towards a waterfall, but the girls would probably like it. It is big enough you can all be in the same seat too. skip the movie when you get off, just walk across the theater and out the exit. most people do this.
On the time guide you pick up with the map guide they have each world listed and the time for some kind of entertainment they will have for you to enjoy. read this before you go to the worlds so you can time things out for this. In the back of the Morocco world there is a meet and greet for Aladin and Jasmine. In Germany you will often find Snow White and the 7 dwarfs. In the United Kingdom in the back of the toy store you will find the Pooh characters a lot too. Times should be on your map.
At the first world you see, stop at the kid spot and the girls will make a mask on a stick. Then at each world they need to stop aat the kid spots to get the handle stamped and add to the mask if they want. If they get a stamp from every world they get something. But I'm not sre where you go to get it or what it is. I'm not 100% sure they still have that program, they did a couple of years ago, so ask a CM and they can tell you.
Oh, I almost for got when you exit the 3D show there is another ride there called Journey into imagination, it features Figment (a purple mischievous dragon). This is a slow moving ride that the girls will probably get a kick out of it. Plus as you exit the ride there is a large room with interactive things for kids to do. Playing music with the wave of their arms is a favorite of the little ones. This is a short ride, but well worth doing for your girls.
mor eon magic kingdom later too:

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

Hey Brian,
well at MK there are so many things to do you wont be able to do them all, so dont even try or you'll be miserable. Talk to your girls and find out which would be their favorites to do and head for those first, then anything else you do will be extra and you will feel good about it. Lots have fast passes which will help.
There are lots of things that you can do while waiting for a fast pass time, depending on which side of the park you are on. So here is a list of some things you can get in fairly fast to do while waiting.
Tom Sawyers Island
Robinson caruso's tree house
Tiki bird show
Country Bears Jamboree
Hall of Presidents( kids would probably hate this one)
TT and A transit authority at rocket tower plaza in tomarrow land
Carousel of Progress in Tomarrow
Timekeeper in Tomarrowland
Character meet and greets
Train around the loop of MK about 25 minutes to do the loop.
Liberty Belle boat about 25 minutes long
stop for a snack

Everything is fun at MK and you picked 2 great restaurants to eat at.
Parade at MK people will start lining up an hour or more ahead of time on main street. When we want to see the parade we catch it near the country bears, because it is a little less crowded and 30 minutes ahead of time usually will get you a descent place to view it.If you and the girls need a little quiet time to cool off while your there, right near the entrance to the park there is a large building, cant remember the name for sure but it is on your right as you enter the park, just after you walk under the train station. They sell camera film in there and there is a restaurant on one end. Usually there is a bench in front of it with a statue of goofy on it. Go in there and walk to the back of the building and you will find a few cute places to pose for pictures and a small theater to watch cartoons. They are old black and white cartoons, but kids can watch them while you relax a few minutes. It is quiet in there and cool. sometimes moms will be sitting in there with sleeping babies. Not many people know about this spot because it is in the back and no one seems to wonder there. Also if one of your girls gets tired , go on the TT and A tram which is in tomarrowland. it is an 11 minute loop and you can stay on it for as long as you like. Many a kid has napped on the seats on that ride while they just keep going around the loop, it goes slow and never stops, so a good place for a nap or a rest and who ever is awake can look at the scenery as the tram moves. You go up an escalator at rocket tower plaza to get on it.
I wish you all a great trip! I'm sure we will hear about it on the ship at the meet.. One last tip for a good trip that I can offer. It doesnt sound like much and most people ignore it, but drink lots of water!! Save the juice and pops for meals. The humidity isnt too bad yet, but everyday the EMC's take away lots of people from all the parks, including kids with heat exhaustion. The one thing they all have in common was they drank lots of pop but no water. Water is the only thing that will replinish your body. The rule of thumb that the paramedics will tell you is if your not having to go to the bathroom once an hour, your not drinking enough water. I will admit Florida's water isnt the greatest so you can buy a bottle or just stop at the fountains. some of the fountains at Epcot will talk to you when you get a drink too.
So if either girl starts to get a headache or stomach ache, think about how much water they have had. Those are some of the first signs. Just SLOWLY start drinking lots of water and sit in airconditioning and you will come out of it. My son Peter works at WDW and he has had to call the Medics countless times for people and has seen dozens being taken to first aid or even the hospital. This happens everday!! Not just once in awhile. I'm not trying to be pushy, but I wouldnt feel good about myself if I didnt warn you about it. People get so busy having fun they forget to drink water.
It is suppose to be upper 80's to low 90's while your here, but luckily the humidity isnt too bad yet. May is pretty good.
looking forward to meeting the 3 of you at the cruise meet.
mom x4,grandma x4