Our 12/29 4-Day Wonder Land/sea vacation Report Part 1 - WDW to boarding the Wonder

[tksbaskets]

I know how I poured over this board before our vacation so I wanted to be timely with our trip report for future cruisers

We started our adventures on Christmas day - I added an extra day onto the resort stay because 2 1/2 full days at WDW wouldn't have been enough for my Disney-lovin' family. After an AA flight cancellation and rebook, we arose at 4am to 5 inches of snow so off we went to metro airport blazing our own trail down 1-94. AA had called us on 12/23 to inform us that they had 'cancelled our Christmas Day flight'. The other flights were almost full so she said, "I'll put you in bulkhead, is that ok?" My reply was, "anywhere ON the plane is fine with me". Well, our bulkhead was in FIRST CLASS! I told the DSs not to get used to that! Our Pixie Dust remained with us and even though we arrived in Chicago for our connecting flight 1 1/2 hours behind, our plane was the connecting flight plane so we didn't miss our Orlando flight. What are the odds of that??

We arrived in Orlando at about 4pm and quickly collected our luggage and went down to the Mears desk to get our bus. I had opted for the Disney transfers because I was uncertain about getting to the port and back to the airport from the Wonder. Because we came down the day before the actual land/sea vacation dates, there weren't any representatives to meet us. We did have quite a long wait for the bus (painful when we were used to having Liberty Town Cars meet us at our baggage claim and take us right to Dixie Landings). Finally we were on our way! The Mears driver 'hadn't been to Port Orleans in a while' (gasp) and tried to unload us at French Quarter. My DS told him, "sir, this isn't the right resort". I added my second and we redirected to the proper resort, Riverside. I had faxed a happy request for our beloved building 14 in Alligator Bayou and we got it! Happy, we hit the food court and then our room. Note to self, NEVER schedule a wildly expensive Character Dinner for the day you arrive!!!!! A pre-teen meltdown has negative vacation consequences

Enough of the land portion - we had a blast visiting our favorite attractions in proper commando Disney style taking full advantage of the EE program.

For our embarkation day we went to Animal Kingdom in the am. Very smooth operation there. Left our bags right in the room and headed to AK. I had already made PS reservations for our favorite "Donald's Breakfast-o-sauras" but the cruise line had a number of seats reserved too. When we arrived at AK, the cruise line desk was very well marked. We felt secure leaving our day bags (backpacks) with the reps there and were given our choice of the AK equivalent of a fast past for either the Lion King show (excellent) or Tarzan Rocks (good from past experience, but no Lion King show). At 12:15 we returned and after a 10 minute wait we were on our way to Port Canaveral! The bus ride went quickly - they played a cruise line video and then a couple of Disney cartoons. We arrived at port around 1:15 and went into the beautiful terminal to get in line to go through the Mickey ears. The DSs had their picture taken with Minnie who was hanging out around the model of the ship. Never had our name announced but by 1:30 we were on board the Disney Wonder!

Off to compose part 2 for the actual cruise! Hope you'll join me

 

[eml]

What a wonderful report! I was especially interested in the transfers, since we are also arriving a day early. My plan is to take the Amerisuites shuttle to their hotel near the airport for the first night and then back to MCO in the early morning and then begin using our Disney transfers. I've been a little worried about where I will meet up with the Mears bus and if it will even be running early in the day.

At the end of our trip we plan to take the Disney transfer to MCO, but not fly out until the next morning. Again, we will have Amerisuites pick us up. Obviously, I don't want my luggage to be automatically checked on a flight from the ship. I didn't realize this service was part of the transfer price when I bought it. How nice!

The reason behind this crazy plan is that there is only one non-stop flight a day between Buffalo and MCO. The last few years we've run into problems during connections with late planes, weather, etc., so when I found out that Southwest went nonstop each morning I knew I wanted to be on that flight!

I'd love any details or suggestions anyone might have to help this plan go smoothly. I'll be travelling alone with my 10 year old daughter until we meet my mother at the Beach Club to begin our 3 day land/4 day cruise "Once In A Lifetime, Girls Only Adventure!!"

 

[tksbaskets]

The Mears desk is very easy to find! You get your bags and then go to the lower level. (or come well rested from your suite) Their big yellow sign and desk is down there. If you arrive on a non-embarkation day, Go right up to the desk and give them the Disney transfer coupon and they will give you a boarding pass and send you out to the curb to another Mears worker who arranges the shuttles. I believe a Disney CM will be there on the embarkation days.

I recommend getting porters everywhere you go. They are very helpful and for a few $$ why should we schlep bags all over. We're on vacation@

The good thing about Disney teaming up with Mears is that they have shuttles going ALL the time. We just had to wait until a shuttle was going our way and full. Your trip sounds like it will go more smoothly because you'll be getting the mears shuttle on the actual cruise day. That day they run from 1030 am to 130pm I do believe.

Coming back, you don't have to check your luggage. We took ours on the bus with us in hopes of getting a stand-by flight earlier in the day. (har har). I hear you about wanting a non-stop flight.

Next time I think my family will cough up for the convenience and lack of ulcer inducing connecting flights. The Disney shuttle was super convienient. (even if I can't spell)

Did this help? If you have other questions, just ask!

 

[eml]

Thanks for all of the info. It's very helpful. I'm wondering now if I should try to change my transfer to the $46 non-air type. Am I correct that there are two levels of transfers you can buy?

I think I paid about $30 more for my tranfers than my mother did, since she is not flying into Orlando.

We'll be flying in on a Wed. On Thurs. morning I want to get to the BC very early and go to Epcot before my mother meets us at the hotel for lunch.

Does anyone know how much a cab ride from a hotel very close to the airport to the BC might be? It would certainly be more convenient than hauling our luggage from the Amerisuites to the airport and then to the Mears desk!

 

[Empire Day]

How wonderfull, can't wait to read more