October 17, 2009 Western

[lucky1]

I think everyone is still asleep an very late night or early morning of booking.

I need coffee

Laura

 

[momsully]

Momsully - we have the same push pull and swim time booked as you....we are a party of six. Me, DH, DS9, and DMom, DDad, DS...

My parents were a little worried about booking this, mom doesn't swim very well, I told her they wear lifejackets and only do what she felt comfortable doing...hope they do ok. We may end up canceleing for them, and just making them observers, we'll see.


Marci

I may end up cancelling for DH. He is not sure he wants to do this but DS10 and DS7 are very excited that I booked this.

 

[frndofpooh]

I forgot about the Character breakfast. Thank goodness I didn't remember it or I would have stressed about getting the perfect Brunch time. I am happy with our choices and who knows maybe our character breakfast will be on Monday.

Laura

After trying to figure out how to balance the Palo brunch with an unknown Character Breakfast day, I called Disney. When assigning the rotation for the Character Breakfast they do NOT look at when people have brunch booked in order to avoid a conflict. If both fall on the same day, you can try to get one of them switched at Rockin' Bar D when you board. You also could just go to both.

We decided on the 10:30 brunch time because we picked Thursday, which is lobster night for dinner. My wife is a big fan of lobster and wanted plenty of time to digest her brunch before dinner. If our Character Breakfast falls on the same day, we'll decide at that time whether we want to switch, or whether we just want to take the kids to the Character Breakfast and not eat (well, OK, maybe just one donut).

Congratulations to everyone who got what they wanted! For those of you who had problems, there's still plenty of time to get it sorted out and book something before the 75 day mark when reservations open to others. Remember also that they hold back a large number of reservations until boarding, so you can always get something later.

 

[Pennyb123]

Wow. What a late night! I checked again this morning and reservations still says parties of 1 and 2... Grrrrrr. Oh well. I know I can switch it at RNBD when I get there, I just don't want to. I hate trying to explain to my family in Texas that right now they aren't on it, but don't worry, it will be ok... I hope to have a low key day today after such a late night!

 

[calmpets]

I'm not a big fan of the character breakfast - it's one of my least favorite onboard activities. The food is mediocre at best (and I'm not that picky). It's cute for kids, I guess (we travel with all adults), but even though I usually enjoy the character appearances the breakfast somehow does nothing for me. I feel like it's significantly less entertaining that the character meals on land, but I can't pinpoint why. And I'm not sure why they automatically book it for everyone. Wouldn't it work out better to let people book for it like they do for Palo? I also think the kid's tea should be bookable that way, but maybe they tried that and it didn't work?

 

[mavdav]

Does anyone know if you still get lobster if you are having PALO dinner on the night they are doing lobster in the main dining areas?

 

[MommyTo5]

Does anyone know if you still get lobster if you are having PALO dinner on the night they are doing lobster in the main dining areas?

Lobster is a menu option in Palo on Semi-Formal night/Thursday evening.

 

[MommyTo5]

What a hassle, Angie!

I got my issue straightened out this morning! After 1 email to (and 2 emails from) Dreams Unlimited, a 5 minute call to DCL, and about 10 minutes on the DCL website... I am now booked along with my husband for both Palo meals and our Castaway Cay excusion --- AND most importantly, we will be dining together as a family!!! It was a litte more complicated than I originally thought and no fault at all on the part of our travel agent! The problem was basically due to an issue with DCL's computer system.

I'm so glad it's been worked out!!!

 

[aan1701]

I'm not a big fan of the character breakfast - it's one of my least favorite onboard activities. The food is mediocre at best (and I'm not that picky). It's cute for kids, I guess (we travel with all adults), but even though I usually enjoy the character appearances the breakfast somehow does nothing for me. I feel like it's significantly less entertaining that the character meals on land, but I can't pinpoint why. And I'm not sure why they automatically book it for everyone. Wouldn't it work out better to let people book for it like they do for Palo? I also think the kid's tea should be bookable that way, but maybe they tried that and it didn't work?

When it comes to the Character breakfast I personaly am with you %100. I could care less about it. In my five DCL cruises I have had breakfast a toltal of 6 times and keep in mind I have sepent 52 nights on DCL ships. 5 of those breakfasts came on disenbarkation day. So if my bunch is on the same day as the character breakfast, it will be like every other cruise I have been on and not attended by me. My wife loves it and will go no mater what. I am a late riser so I am normaly not up for breakfast anyway. One thing it try not to do is worry about when things are going to happen on the ship. If Brunch ( I think it just may be the best meal on the ship) confilcts with something that other thing is canceled. I pick my brunch and tea to the menu that is being servred that night. So like a pp said, Thursday is Lobster night and I have first seating so I need time to digest brunch.

 

[lucky1]

April and Alan,

I hear what you are saying about Character breakfast. I never think the food is that good and I really don't like the buffets, even all the ones at the parks. But I do have a 7 year old and DH that both love to believe, so we will be attending the character breakfast and realize that it isn't about the food, but about the interaction.


On the lobster at dinner, DD7 is licking her lips as I even mention it, so we knew we could not miss it in the regular resturants since she would have to have it.

Laura

 

[calmpets]

If Brunch ( I think it just may be the best meal on the ship) confilcts with something that other thing is canceled. I pick my brunch and tea to the menu that is being servred that night. So like a pp said, Thursday is Lobster night and I have first seating so I need time to digest brunch.

I totally agree - Palo brunch is my favorite meal on the ship! And you do have to have priorities. Mine are 1) Palo brunch, 2) spa, 3) martini & margarita tastings. Everything else is subject to change.

 

[yazee1]

I think everyone is still asleep an very late night or early morning of booking.

I need coffee

Laura

Being up at midnight is normal for me. I was so tired last night. That is abnormal for me. Nevertheless, after booking I stayed up another hour. So, yes, when you posted at 9:28am this morning, I was asleep and wouldn't be awake for another FIVE minutes. LOL.

 

[yazee1]

I got my issue straightened out this morning! After 1 email to (and 2 emails from) Dreams Unlimited, a 5 minute call to DCL, and about 10 minutes on the DCL website... I am now booked along with my husband for both Palo meals and our Castaway Cay excusion --- AND most importantly, we will be dining together as a family!!! It was a litte more complicated than I originally thought and no fault at all on the part of our travel agent! The problem was basically due to an issue with DCL's computer system.

I'm so glad it's been worked out!!!

That is very good news!

 

[lucky1]

Being up at midnight is normal for me. I was so tired last night. That is abnormal for me. Nevertheless, after booking I stayed up another hour. So, yes, when you posted at 9:28am this morning, I was asleep and wouldn't be awake for another FIVE minutes. LOL.

And that was 6:28am for me. I tried to sleep in, but couldn't.

 

[KJF]

Hello all! Boy, everyone's sure been busy on here - I've been so busy at work that I'm finally trying to get on a bit & catch up. I sneak a peak every so often!! I'm jealous of all of you that have booked your stuff - we don't get to book til 75 days since it's our first cruise. Not too worried though - not planning on Palo & still narrowing down which excursions to do, so nothing in mind that I'll be disappointed in not getting. I'll have to see what we end up w/ & if anyone here is going to the same ones. I'll be paying off the trip this week, so I have a feeling it'll be feeling a bit more "real" then!

 

[twinsr241]

We booked this cruise in February of 2008, and haven't done much to plan besides buying our airline tickets a few months ago. It seemed SO FAR AWAY when we booked. I can't believe final payment is coming due! This will be our second Disney Cruise. We took a 7 day Eastern in 2007.
Our family consists of me, DH, DD (7), DS(6) and DS(6) --twins.
I would love suggestions on excursions that would be fun to take the kids on.
Also, is it too late to get involved in a FE gift swap? I plan to surprise my kids with gifts, but thought it would be fun to swap with everyone else.

 

[yazee1]

We booked this cruise in February of 2008, and haven't done much to plan besides buying our airline tickets a few months ago. It seemed SO FAR AWAY when we booked. I can't believe final payment is coming due! This will be our second Disney Cruise. We took a 7 day Eastern in 2007.
Our family consists of me, DH, DD (7), DS(6) and DS(6) --twins.
I would love suggestions on excursions that would be fun to take the kids on.
Also, is it too late to get involved in a FE gift swap? I plan to surprise my kids with gifts, but thought it would be fun to swap with everyone else.

Welcome, twinsr241!

There are tons of excursion reviews for the Western itinerary but if you tell us what you and your kids enjoys that would help. For instance, we took our first cruise when our children were 10, 7, and 4. We thought Stingray City would be a big hit, but since the kids had never used snorkel gear, had never been in open ocean before, and in the case of the younger two weren't strong swimmers, it got a mixed reaction. They weren't so freaked out that they weren't willing to do it the next cruise, though.

 

[beansf]

I'm jealous of all of you that have booked your stuff - we don't get to book til 75 days since it's our first cruise.

KJF - You are not alone. I am anxiously waiting, too. The good news is, even if we are unable to book anything, we are still going on a cruise!!

Congrats to everyone that got what they were looking forward to on the days/times they wanted to do it.

 

[jeanneg]

Just wanted to post that we were pretty much able to get what we wanted at midnight Sunday morning:

We are a linked party of 6 and got a Palo ressie on Monday at 6:30 for a party of 4 and another one at the same time for a party of 2! No ressies for a party of 6 online so now we'll be on the line at RnBd to get those 2 ressies combined.

We also got the electric carts in OKW and the stingray tour in Grand Cayman.
I've been to Cozumel twice and have already done what I wanted so we may just spend the day at Carlos N Charlies!

Hope everyone got what they wanted. You guys were so good to post immediately afterwards.......I for one, was too tired to stay up another minute!

 

[twinsr241]

Welcome, twinsr241!

There are tons of excursion reviews for the Western itinerary but if you tell us what you and your kids enjoys that would help. For instance, we took our first cruise when our children were 10, 7, and 4. We thought Stingray City would be a big hit, but since the kids had never used snorkel gear, had never been in open ocean before, and in the case of the younger two weren't strong swimmers, it got a mixed reaction. They weren't so freaked out that they weren't willing to do it the next cruise, though.

I think we will just walk around a bit in Key West, we are thinking of the Turtle Farm and park in Grand Cayman, and will probably stay on the ship in Cozumel. Our favorite day is Castaway Cay!
It is hard to predict what the kids will like. They are not very adventurous and still fairly young.