Planning - how do you decide what to skip?

[bridegirl]

To all you experts who have been on multiple Disney cruises:

It seems like there is too much to do!

Especially at night, do you miss the sit-down dinner sometimes to play a trivia game or bingo or go on family scavenger hunt?

We have lots of little kids (6 six year olds, 2 three year olds, 1 infant), and all our kids HATE to sit down and eat anyway.

Would you skip, say, the 2nd night at animators and plan something else fun?

Are there any of the shows that are aimed less at young children?

Also, is there enough to do on board if we don't go ashore at all the stops? We were thinking of skipping the Mazatlan go-ashore based on what I've read on the boards.

Thanks for so much for any thoughts or advice. We are sailing aug 13 west coast.

Susy

 

[webray]

You can never do everything on the ship, and if you skip dinners, no problem. We skipped several on our 14 night and ate at other places. Some nights you just aren't ready for dinner at your scheduled time, and you are correct, often there are more fun things to do.

Skipping Mazatlan..you have to be kidding me. That was one of the stops we enjoyed most. Don't schedule a guided excursion..but, when you get off the ship..hire a couple of the open air cabs and let them give you the guided tour. It is totally excellent, very reasonable, and you get to see so much more than a guided tour because the little cabs can go into roads that the tour buses can not. Shopping in mazatlan is also excellent..totally excellent. Very reasonable items and wonderful people.

Also..the food...ugh..you have to go into town..the Golden Zone, if not for anything else but to eat (or have a lime margarita at the open air cafe).

Don't let me or other people sway your too much, but there is no way I would spend all that money on a cruise, stop at a port I have never been and not get off the ship to explore. Mazatlan is beautiful, the people are wonderful..get off the ship and enjoy!

 

[bridegirl]

Thanks so much for your insight.

I don't know why, it seems like alot of posts I read that people didn't enjoy Mazatlan that much.

Any thoughts on the bingo, family scavenger hunt, trivia contests, etc?

I really appreciate the information, thanks!

Susy

 

[rsjj]

hi Susy! glad to see you here!

as for shows, golden mickey & disney dreams, i wouldn't miss. since you have little ones, i think they will enjoy, cuz it's got music from the various disney movies, that i'm sure your little ones will know! when we went, our DSs were 2 & 4 at the time, and they loved the those 2 shows. golden mickey, with all those "familiar" characters & music!

twice charmed is a disney version of cinderella, i hear...didn't see that one, but can't wait to see it!

but yes, there are so many things to do! and it's hard to decide what to miss & what not to miss! one thing sure not to miss is our DIS meet! hee hee...

 

[Disneynut4ever]

Especially at night, do you miss the sit-down dinner sometimes to play a trivia game or bingo or go on family scavenger hunt?

So if I want to play the trivia game, I have to skip a sit-down dinner? We usually do not skip those dinners.

 

[mmouse37]

I have to say that in our 13 DCL cruises we never onced skipped our dining room dinners...we had too much fun with our servers and enjoyed dinner so much....we still got to go to a bunch of trivia games and game shows....true we missed a few things but found the dining experience was great!!!

Even after the amount of DCL cruises we have been on, we still have not tried everything they offer onboard...and probably never will....so don't try to get it all done in one cruise....to rush yourself or makes yourself nuts...each day look over the navigator and highlight the things you really want to do.

MJ

 

[westjones]

So if I want to play the trivia game, I have to skip a sit-down dinner? We usually do not skip those dinners.

They seemed to have these games around 7/7:30 time frame. It is a 'open' hour between the shows and dinner, so you can still go to it.

We had late dining last time, and we would go to the show, then go to the trivia games, then go to dinner.

I don't think you have to miss it.

I wouldn't miss any of the Disney themed shows. I also loved all the dinners in the dining room. If you are on a 7 night, you may want to miss one to go to Palo. We tend to do the shorter cruises. I think we might try a 9:30 Palo reservation next time. We have early dining, then the show is over by 9:30 so we will go right to Palo for our second dinner . We would only do this one night because we really want to try it again (haven't been there since our first cruise in 2000).

You can fit in quite a lot. The one thing we found we didn't have time for usually was the movies we wanted to see. They tend to show movies at the same time the shows are held (I guess as an alternative), but we figured we could get them on video so we didn't worry about that.

DJ

 

[pdarrah]

If many of the kids "Hate" sit down dinners, why make them go? The kid clubs are great and I would think that your 6 - six year olds would have a blast at the club. Even the 3 year olds may be happier at the club. Just feed them earlier at Plutos, Pinnochios, or room service and then drop them at the club on your way to dinner. If having a group meal with the kids is important to you, take them all up to Pluto's together and sit with them as they eat. Then when it is time for your "grown up" dinner you can drop them at the club. They'll be happier and you can maybe have some "grown up" conversation at your meal!

good luck!

pdarrah

 

[staceymerrill]

IMO try not to miss rotation dining, Palo, or ay of the 3 big shows .....all are spectacular and a highlight of the cruise...the waiters are very engaging with the children.....

1) "Til We Meet Again"....this is the final farewell/photo op in the atrium on the last night of cruise, 10pm just great....

2) Rainforest Room in spa

3) reading a book/magazine on one of the deck 4 lounge chairs

4) ordering All Hands on Deck cheese platter from room service

5) at least 1 first run movie at the Buena Vista Theater....On your cruise, Herbie and Sky High will be playing in theaters and on the Magic simultaneously....

6) Last night jackpot bingo....what a thrill.....(I'm not kidding)

 

[Jsme]

To all you experts who have been on multiple Disney cruises:

It seems like there is too much to do!

Especially at night, do you miss the sit-down dinner sometimes to play a trivia game or bingo or go on family scavenger hunt?

We have lots of little kids (6 six year olds, 2 three year olds, 1 infant), and all our kids HATE to sit down and eat anyway.

Would you skip, say, the 2nd night at animators and plan something else fun?

Are there any of the shows that are aimed less at young children?

Also, is there enough to do on board if we don't go ashore at all the stops? We were thinking of skipping the Mazatlan go-ashore based on what I've read on the boards.

Thanks for so much for any thoughts or advice. We are sailing aug 13 west coast.

Susy

It is very hard to pick and chose. We normally have to schedule everything around 2 children. We do not skip our dinner rotation unless we are going to Palo's. On our first cruise we also did not skip any shows. Our last cruise we skipped several shows, but not dinner. We did not get to do alot of things. That is why we keep on cruising Disney.

 

[kcashner]

I think mmouse and I are sisters.....in 12 DCL cruises, I don't think I've ever missed a dining room dinner. You don't have to miss dinner to do the family trivia contests or see shows. You can do those.

You can never do it all in one cruise, or even in 12 (things keep changing). If your kids don't want to do dinner, have them eat with the club group (and the grown ups can enjoy dinner). Same for if they don't want to do actvities with you.

The schedule would basically be dinner at 6, trivia, family shows, etc. at 7:45, main stage show in WD theatre at 8:30....adult activities start at 9 and on from there. For late dinner, it would be WD theatre show at 6:30, family activities at 7:45, dinner at 8:30. It is designed so that you don't have to miss anything.

I don't think they have bingo during dinner...but I'm not a bingo fanatic, so won't swear to this.

Shows for kids...the welcome aboard, Golden Mickeys, Till We Meet Again, Island Magic (matinee, don't know if they have this on Calif. cruises), anything with characters. I haven't seen the new Cinderella show yet, by would guess it's good.

It is harder to plan what not to miss during the day. I make DD select one activity in the kid programming each day. Generally, she will make some friends and not want to miss stuff there (making for good ME time!). Be sure that the kids go to the meet and greet in the club on the first night. It's the best "get to know each other" time. I take my yellow marker and highlight what I want to do...compare it to the kid's navigator (you get their whole week on day 1)....and sort of plan my day.

You can't do it all! Remember to take time to relax and enjoy.

 

[sln88]

I am trying to figure this out too. I know I can't do everything, so how to pick what to do?
We are only doing a 3 day, so will be in port during the days, then get ready, go to the show(I think there is one every night), go to dinner, and after that I will probably be ready for bed!
And I still want to do a comedy club and the pirate party and some of the family stuff, and maybe a movie.
what do I pick!!??

 

[Jsme]

I am trying to figure this out too. I know I can't do everything, so how to pick what to do?
We are only doing a 3 day, so will be in port during the days, then get ready, go to the show(I think there is one every night), go to dinner, and after that I will probably be ready for bed!
And I still want to do a comedy club and the pirate party and some of the family stuff, and maybe a movie.
what do I pick!!??

The Pirate Deck party is a must. I have not been to a comedy show. We normally fill in our time with movies. You do not want to miss the dining rotation because of the shows. You do not want to miss Palo's so you can double dip.

 

[sln88]

well, I already decided to skip Palos. I have a weight problem already and don't need more food!
If we were on a 7 day, I might, but it just sounds like it takes forever for the meal, and I have STUFF to do! LOL

 

[mmouse37]

I think mmouse and I are sisters.....in 12 DCL cruises, I don't think I've ever missed a dining room dinner. You don't have to miss dinner to do the family trivia contests or see shows. You can do those.

You can never do it all in one cruise, or even in 12 (things keep changing). If your kids don't want to do dinner, have them eat with the club group (and the grown ups can enjoy dinner). Same for if they don't want to do actvities with you.

The schedule would basically be dinner at 6, trivia, family shows, etc. at 7:45, main stage show in WD theatre at 8:30....adult activities start at 9 and on from there. For late dinner, it would be WD theatre show at 6:30, family activities at 7:45, dinner at 8:30. It is designed so that you don't have to miss anything.

I don't think they have bingo during dinner...but I'm not a bingo fanatic, so won't swear to this.

Shows for kids...the welcome aboard, Golden Mickeys, Till We Meet Again, Island Magic (matinee, don't know if they have this on Calif. cruises), anything with characters. I haven't seen the new Cinderella show yet, by would guess it's good.

It is harder to plan what not to miss during the day. I make DD select one activity in the kid programming each day. Generally, she will make some friends and not want to miss stuff there (making for good ME time!). Be sure that the kids go to the meet and greet in the club on the first night. It's the best "get to know each other" time. I take my yellow marker and highlight what I want to do...compare it to the kid's navigator (you get their whole week on day 1)....and sort of plan my day.

You can't do it all! Remember to take time to relax and enjoy.

I think it means we like to eat!!! LOL!!!

Only kidding...we have very similar DCL histories....we were both on the Maiden Voyage of DCL and I belive both on the Sept. 25 Magic sailing that got cut short due to hurricane Jeanne....and we are both on the repo cruise!!!

It really is a small world!!!

MJ

 

[CM_Mom]

Another option for the kids dining, especially if you have early seating is to tell your servers to bring the kids food right away and they can eat while everyone else is having their appetizers, then a parent can take the group to the clubs and come back and enjoy the adult dinner. You would need Flounder's ressies for the 2YO and infant but in my experience, they aren't as much of a problem as the 6 year olds.

 

[Disneynut4ever]

Shows for kids...the welcome aboard, Golden Mickeys, Till We Meet Again, Island Magic (matinee, don't know if they have this on Calif. cruises), anything with characters. I haven't seen the new Cinderella show yet, by would guess it's good.

Are these all "stage shows" in the Theater?

 

[kcashner]

Island Magic was in the Buena Vista theatre. The others were in the WD theatre. In addition, there are sometimes matinees of the main shows--watch your navigator. They appreciate that little people may not stay up for the later shows.