The Art of the Dream, French Quarter, land and sea and land Completed 2/22/17

[cheapster316]

The Art of the Dream, French Quarter; land and sea and land

We are back from 8 nights (Jan 21-29) at WDW and Disney Dream. We stayed at AOA, Finding Nemo for 2 nights pre cruise, 4 Nights on the Dream and then 2 nights at POFQ, hence a little bit of everything in the title. We did 1 park day, Sunday 1/22 at Magic Kingdom pre cruise.

This will be a no picture, heavy on text report. We traveled as a family of 4, me, DH, DS who turned 8 on the trip and DD, 10 who was now considered a Disney Adult. This was our 5th trip with kids, 2nd on the Dream. We tend to go every 2 years in January and like to stay at AOA. We have done Cars, Little Mermaid and this time Finding Nemo. Last cruise we tried Pop after the cruise and were not fans. After the cruise we stayed 2 nights at POFQ. We flew Southwest, took Magic Express to and from the airport, Disney bus to the cruise and a limo back from the port to POFQ. We did 1 park day, Sunday 1/22 at Magic Kingdom pre cruise. Last time we did1 park pre cruise and 3 parks in 3 days after the trip and it was too much. Everyone was tired and we just wanted to go home. This time it was only going to be just 1 Magic Kingdom day.


We flew with Southwest. I opened the Southwest Visa when they had a promo for 50,000 points. I never needed them because DH and I both had points left from our last time opening the southwest card. I booked the trip with points, paid $15 each for the Early Bird check in for each of us. In August Southwest changed our flight so we left an hour earlier and got in earlier yeah! I actually changed the dates of my trip 3 times which made me a little crazy. Originally I wanted to come back the Sunday before Martin Luther King day so we could have a day to recuperate. Well I thought I booked that, I didn’t, I booked the week before, so I changed it. Then someone else at DH’s work wanted the same week off. Who goes on vacation in January besides us (They were doing Disney too)? Work would not guarantee both of them the time off, so we switched again for the 3rd time. Fast forward a few months and I find out I have to take a civil service test for work that comes out every 7 years the day of the test. We originally had an 8 am direct flight, we ended up changing the flight to 5:20 pm and got in around 8:00. I did not want to do it, I was like stomp my feet mad, take my toys and go home about it. I did not want to lose my full day, the kids were going to go swimming and I had an ADR for Paradiso 37. After talking it out with DH, we made the adult decision to switch our plans and it all worked out.

The night before the trip, everything was packed, we went out to dinner. We shared some mozzarella sticks and nachos. DS got grilled cheese, which is his usual. I had everything ready for the morning. All of sudden I am woken up by DS vomiting. It took a while, got him cleaned up in the shower, bed changed, laundry in and he thankfully went back to sleep. I think he had too much cheese and would not eat any cheese on the trip until almost the end when he had pizza. This kid lives on grilled cheese, chicken tenders and pizza. He ate a lot of chicken tenders. I got up took the test, Dh and the kids did some errands and my mom came to drive us to the airport. As we were loading the car I got an email and a text at 2:37 that our room was ready, you do not have to check in with our room number (which I can not remember 4th floor building 5 lakeview). They gave us a map but I could not tell exactly where our room was. We got to the airport and no one was there. This was around 3:00 in the afternoon. I asked the lady at the airlines if this was typical and she said yes, most people fly out Friday night and home on Sundays. Maybe this late flight was not bad? We went through security in 5 minutes. DH took the kids to McDonalds and I got smoothies at some banana place. The worker did not want to make smoothies and told me they were out of coconut. I asked if I could have a berry one then, she was like I guess if you want it. Um, really. The manager heard her, came out and said, we have a ton of coconut. They started arguing and I was like seriously. You work at a smoothie place, sorry that I asked for a smoothie. I joined DH and kids and he was like what took so long. I was like the worker did not want to make smoothies and her and the manager were fighting. He said they were fighting at McDonalds too. I then went to Villa Italia for a salad. While we were eating the manager came out and was yelling at the kid working how gross and dirty the place looked. I wanted to say, can you wait until the customers who are eating are out of earshot. We finally boarded and took off 6 minutes early. We landed 40 minutes early. I went back and forth about the luggage. One of the reasons I love Disney vacations is the not having to deal with luggage at the airport. When our flight was originally getting in at 9:40, I told DH that we would need to pick up our luggage. Now I was like, HMMM, do I want to deal with the hassle of carting it through the airport or possibly being woken up at 12:30 when it gets delivered. I was smart and packed a bag with everything we needed before the cruise so I would not have to repack the suitcase. I eventually decided to get the luggage. I read the Transportation threads, studied maps of the airport, made notecards on what levels to go to. Our luggage would be on side A and we had to get to side B for magic express. So we got our luggage on side A, went back up to level 3, walked across to the B side and went down to magic express. Oops, we need magic bands, put those on and finally were in line for ME. We had 2 sets of magic bands, old style for the first part and the new style for the 2nd part. I think I liked the old better but could not tell you why. I get in line and the people in front of me did not have their magic bands out, I switch lines, go up to a lady who was doing nothing and she was like sorry you have to go to another line. I get behind another group who left their magic bands in their luggage and was ready to explode. I wanted to raise my hand and say I read my paperwork, I’m prepared, let us go first. DH reminded me I was acting like a crazy woman and to relax. We finally got on the ME at 8:41 and he started complaining because the kids in front of him had their seats reclined too much and he was feeling claustrophobic. I switched with him and by 8:50 we left and arrived at AOA at 9:18.

We went to the room, dropped the luggage and went to food court for our mugs. DS got create your own pasta with just butter, I got it with alfredo and shrimp and DH and DD got burgers. I reminded everyone to get a bottled drink to go for the morning as we were on the dining plan. I asked if anyone wanted a snack, no one did. We ate, I went and got DS a birthday button and requested a late check out for Monday. They said it probably would not be a problem and to come back the next day. We went back to the room. DH got the queen private bed, I slept with DS on the fold down Nemo murphy bed and DD slept on the fold out couch. Everyone slept well and the next day was Magic Kingdom. We set the alarm for 6:00 am and were fast asleep.

 

[cheapster316]

Day 2 Magic Kingdom

I set the alarm for 6 and wanted to be at the bus stop for 7. We had a pre park opening adr 8:05 am for Be Our Guest Breakfast. We got dressed, drank our bottled drinks from yesterday, grabbed a granola bar brought from home and headed to the bus stop. I saw the bus pull away as we were exiting the ink and paint shop. I went over to the bus board to see when the next bus would be. The sign said 7:16 and that is what time it pulled up. By 7:19 everyone was loaded and we were at MK by 7:32. We were able to get a few photo pass pictures of a relatively empty main street. We followed the signs for dining reservations and had to check into 2 different spots before getting to the castle to show we had PPO ADR’s. We got to the castle at 8:06 am and because we preordered, we skipped a rather long line, paid with magic bands (did not have to verify order) and were seated. We got 2 of the croissant donuts with a side of fruit. They were very sweet and I would not pay oop $24 but with the dining plan it was 1 qs credit. We had the kid’screpes, DD was not a fan and DH got the Croque Madame, which he really liked. You help yourself to drinks and can get refills and they bring out a platter with maybe 5 pastries, DH was the only one who ate it. I was hurrying everyone along because I wanted to get in line for Mine Train. We left BOG at 8:40 and walked over to Mine Train.

I was prepared to wait in a semi long line for 9:00 when the park opened. The ride was already up and running. We rode it 3 times before 9. Everyone loved it. We even got the front car once. My husband then told me the magic words I longed to hear. “I guess all your planning paid off and you really know what you are doing.” The 3rd time through the cm said this will be your last of no line, they are coming through. We got off and headed to Peter Pan. I wanted to head to Pooh but DS wanted Peter Pan. I reminded him that we had FP for later but he wanted to try. At 9:05 it had a 45-minute wait. We were like forget it. DH had to use the restroom and we went to Elena and Cinderella as they had a 15 minute posted wait (It was 18). DS wanted no part of the princess and I told him he did not have to go but I wanted to see Cinderella and DD wants to see Elena. She was like um, not really. I don’t really like Elena. I was like then why are we waiting, we will see Cinderella on the cruise. Why did you have me buy you an Elena doll for your birthday? It was still a good meet and DS jumped in the Cinderella picture because she is my favorite.

We then headed over to Pooh (25-minute wait), tea cups were walk on, Barnstormer was 5 minutes and headed into Pete’s silly show with maybe 2-3 people ahead of us. We did Goofy and Donald. The Goofy pictures were awesome. Everyone was thirsty, so we headed into the shop to get drinks and a treat. We planned to come back for Minnie and Daisy but never made it back. We got slushies (DDP snack) and I got a chocolate covered rice crispy treat with M&M’s (DDP snack). I tried sharing it with everyone but ended up throwing some away, it was too sweet with both the M&M’s, dipped in chocolate and white drizzle. It definitely looked better than it tasted. It also started to melt.

The weather that day was iffy. We almost changed our MK day until the end of the vacation based on the forecast. I told DH if we did than we would have no fast passes or ADR’s. When I first started checking the weather at 10 days before no rain was forecasted. Well then a storm came through the south. It was supposed to rain and thunderstorm in the afternoon. I told DH if it does, we will buy ponchos and can always do another park day at the end. Well it did not rain until probably 3:00. That night after Dinner it rained hard and a message came through the MDE app about tornado warnings. That made me nervous and we ended up leaving the park at 7:45. So with the exception of the people mover, the Incredibles dance party and fireworks we did everything plus more than we had planned.

After snack it was time for our fp for peter pan. We then did IASW (posted wait 15 minutes actually 9 minutes). We did our Mine Train fp and then DD wanted to do Enchanted Tales with Belle. No one wanted to do it (including me). She wore a Belle tutu type top on purpose for this and insisted she get to try. DS and Dh did POC and flying carpets while we did this. She got picked to be Chip and loved it. Photo pass photographers were there and gave you a card to add the pictures manually, it worked no problem. We met up with the boys for Dole Whip Floats which is our favorite snack and then headed over to BTMRR which was our third fast pass. Once mb’s werescanned I tried to make one for Splash but they were for later that night. No one liked BTMRR. I was terrified the kids were going to fly out and held DS the whole time. Next we did Splash. In all my January Trips, it has never been open and it finally was. I was so excited. I took my glasses off because I was worried about losing them on the hill so I do not really know the storyline because my vision is that bad. Everyone loved it. We ended up making a fp for after dinner but it was shut down due to weather.

We made a fp for buzz and stopped to watch the parade over by the hub. We stood behind a garbage can and it was actually perfect because no one could push ahead of us and we were right on the corner where the floats turn and it just worked out nice. We had Mickey Pretzels with cheese (DDP Snack) and bottles of water. It was hot. Captain Hook made a heart gesture at me and then proceeded to break and crush it and laugh. It was very funny. While on Buzz, it began to pour. I bought ponchos (2 ripped but I exchanged them at the resort no problem) and attempted to buy 1-day photo pass there. They showed me on the sign where it can only be bought through the app. Which I tried to do multiple times without success, you have to love the Disney App as it never seems to work when you need it. It was $59 for 1 day and so worth it to me.

We waited out the rain and headed out towards Dinner. The kids wanted to do people mover -it’s their favorite but it was running with empty cars on it. We stopped at the barber shop to see ifthey could do a walk in, DS son seemed to have grown out of control even though we just got it cut 2 weeks ago. They could not but could give us an appointment while we were at dinner. We said no thanks and I remembered about the Sorcerer’s cards. I knew we would have no time to play but figured DS would love them and he did. We all got a pack and everyone was all mad at me because I did not explain why we were getting the cards. DS was thrilled to have the cards. We did a final photo pass and left the park.

We left the park and headed out to Ohana. We went to take the boat and they were not running. We did not think anything of it until later when we got the tornado warning. We got to the Poly via a crowded monorail and went to check in early. I did not see the check in desk and went into the bar area where they gave me a pager. We were seated after our ADR. Our waitress, Brenda, was not bad but she was not very good. Everyone was thirsty and it took a while for drinks. This was our first time and she explained it was family style all you wanted but never offered to refill anything and seemed highly annoyed when DH asked for more beef. DS was still not eating much after being sick on Friday night so I asked if he could get chicken tenders, they said no problem and brought it with fries. No one really liked the bread. I loved the salad, no one else did. The noodles, wings and pot stickers were a huge hit, the chicken was so so, the beef was dd and dh’s favorite and I loved the shrimp. All around us kids had leis, I asked the assistant waiter as DD would not stop asking me but he said we would get them later. I had indicated on the adr reservation that I wanted to celebrate DS’ birthday here but nothing was said or done and after a long wait for the check I just wanted to leave. The kids did the coconut broom races, got the lei and we had dessert. I had been dreaming about the bread pudding, sending DH pictures people would post, left room for it and it was ok. Just ok, we left most of it.

We headed back to MK via mono rail again. We stopped at guest services as I had tried multiple times to buy photo pass. Of course it came right up on the app, but the CM was super nice and said let’s make sure it works.

We entered the park in the rain, lots of people were leaving. One side of main street was closed down and they would not let you walk on the sidewalk at all. The kids kept asking me why and I finally snapped and said, ask a worker who might know instead of me, I have no idea. DH wanted to do Splash. I was like not in the thunder and lightening. Lets go inside and do laugh factory which is one of DD’s favorites. While in there we got the tornado warning and decided that would be our last ride. I was nervous. DD was furious as we left. She wanted to ride the people mover and watch the fireworks. Just as we were walking out of tommorowland they announced that fireworks would be postponed. We were like if only they waited 5 more minutes we would beat the crowd as a mass exodus followed that announcement. We walked in the rain to bus stop 33. We got there at 7:45 and were on our way back at 8:01. Once we were back in the room, I felt relieved. All of a sudden everyone was hungry. I was like it is thunder and lightening out. It eventually stopped raining and we went back to the food court. We had gelato, vanilla, Nutella and a pistachio(DDP snack and you could add sprinkles too-which the kids did). DH got pizza. We made some pressed pennies and they had an engraving machine for $12 which DD made a mickey head and DS made finding Dory. I stopped and asked for a late checkout which had already been granted, paid off my balance with Disney gift cards and went back to the room. I set the alarm for 7:00 as the luggage had to be ready for 8:00 am and we had a 9:10 adr for 1900 Park Fare breakfast which I had made while at dinner at Ohanas. The paperwork detailing what we needed to do for the cruise was waiting for us. We had booked 1 way transfers from the resort to the port for $35 each person through Disney. Everyone went right to sleep. We had walked 9 miles according to my fit bit.

 

[cheapster316]

Day 3 Monday Cruise Day
I set the alarm for 7. We got up got dressed, got the luggage together for 8:00 pick up. They actually called to ask how many bags (5) and then said they would come after 8:30. We left the room and took the bus to mk. We got the bus at 8:33 and were at mk at 8:55. As we were walking to the monorail I saw the boats were running and asked if they were going to Grand Floridian and they were. It was starting to sprinkle but the kids loved the boat. We got on the boat at 9:01 and were at the resort by 9:07. We checked in at 9:12 and we're seated about 3 minutes later. DS immediately noticed the gummy bears and the chef told us that they were the only place on property that serves gummy bears for breakfast. We were at 1900 Park Fare. They had Mary Poppins, Alice, Tigger, Pooh and Mad Hatter was out in the hall for photo pass. Mad Hatter we did on our way out and he was the best character we had the whole trip. The buffet was awesome. They had scrambled eggs with or without cheese, bacon , sausage, eggs Benedict, Mickey waffles, French toast, made to order omelette and so much more. Our server was not quick to clear plates or refills or bring the check but it was a great breakfast and everyone was full. Afterwards we went up to the gift shop looking for 1900 Park Fare pins, there were none. We walked by a salon and I peaked my head in to see if I could get DS a quick trim. No one was at the desk and the one person was painting a little girls nails. I waited about 8 minutes and she ignored me. I finally walked out and DH said she knew you were there and turned around when you left. Ok, we will check on the ship.
We took the monorail back and then the bus. We chilled in the room for a little bit. We then went back to the gift shop, DS bought a big stuffed Maui , we finished up our snack credits, refilled our drinks and started the wait for the bus.
We checked in, showed our licenses and then got shuttled to the port. We did this through our hotel reservation. It was $35 pp and we only did it 1 way. I knew last time that it came late and you were one of the last ones on the ship. I hired a limo for after the cruise but was hesitant to get to the ship without using Disney. Next time I'll do a car service to the port through Happy Limo. That is who I used for the limo and they were wonderful. They were a few dollars cheaper than the bus before tip. Tip is suggested at 20 percent.
We got on the bus at 12:49 and were checked in with all our paperwork at 2:12.

 

[cheapster316]

Disney Dream Time
We registered the kids for the kids club and they got their "magic like band". The only thing it does is get them in and out of the kids club. It does have a GPS in it so they can tell you DS is in the bathroom, DD is playing infinity. They set the kids club up so that you designate who can pick up the kids. They make you pick a secret word and when you pick them up you need to know the word and have your key to the world card. The club is for 3-12 year olds and they have to be potty trained. I think at age 8 you can designate them to sign themselves in and out. Umm no thanks I am not comfortable with my child roaming the ship by herself. They have all the different activities scheduled and you read about the activities and times in the navigator and/or the cruise app. They also have open house times where you must accompany the kids. This is a good way to check out the club, make the kids comfortable and take pictures. The Dream has the millennium falcon which is so awesome and we took lots of pictures of the kids driving that.
We did some welcome aboard pictures. I bought the length of cruise photo package. Similar to photo pass. It was $194 for 4 nights. I got 149 pictures on a Zip drive for an extra $75 I could have all the photos printed. Most are 8x10 so I'll just print what I need. It's nice some are with the characters, some are family portraits, some are just 1 kid, or dh and I .
As you enter the ship, they announce "please welcome ------ family. You tell them what name to announce.
We boarded and went right to port adventures to put our name on the waitlist for a cabana. We got there and they told us we had to go to guest services but suggested we just call from our room so we did. We headed up to cabanas for lunch. It was crazy busy and no tables any where. We finally sat at the bar and ate. We then went to the room so I could check out the navigator and get ready for the muster drill after a quick detour to eye scream. Eye Scream is free 24 hours a day self serve ice cream. Usually vanilla or chocolate but sometimes banana or strawberry.
We met our room steward Jesus, who was very good. I talked to him about the bed situation. I had requested bed rails for both. Dh and I shared the queen bed and then there was a bunk that comes down from the ceiling that the steward drops each night and sets up. The rails are part of that bed,. The sofa also converts and we did not need any rails. DS loved it and called it his den.
We checked out the balcony. Everyone loved it. Last time we had a huge oversized port hole that the kids enjoyed. I struggled with the balcony, would DS try and climb it. Nope no issues st all, they have a plexiglass wall up and a high lock in the room.
We started unpacking and got ready for the muster drill. Our station was in the Lake Buena Vista theater which was nice because we had chairs and air conditioning. You no longer have to bring your life jacket.
After the drill we went back to the room and had a sail away party. We skipped the show because we had already seen it, we did some family pictures and character pictures before dinner.
We went to dinner where we requested a table by ourselves, we were at a table for 8 but the other people did not show up that night. The waiter , Sam and Terri was the assistant, told us their kids were 7 and 10.
We ate at Animators Palate. This is a dining room that changes as the night goes on. It starts out black and white and slowly gets colored in. Crush also talks to various people. This was my favorite meal. The table behind us was a train wreck. They were drunk the whole cruise and the kids were out of control. Grandma was screaming and swearing at the waiter and the head waiter spent a lot of time at their table. I felt bad for their waiter. At one point the kids had a steak knife and were trying to saw the wave phone in half.
After dinner we did some more pictures and ordered room service. I read they had uncrustables, not on the menu and Mickey bars. I asked and no problem, we got Mickey bars, uncrustables, cookies (hard as rocks) and I got a blt. Yummy. Room service is free but you need to tip the waiter. I gave him $10 because we ordered a lot. I usually bring 50 $1 bills for tips.
We then went to bed. Next day Nassau Bahamas.

 

[cheapster316]

Day 2 on the Dream- Tuesday Nassau Day

We have been to Nassau before and we are not fans. Last time we stayed on the ship. My BIL and his friend got off to go to the straw market and explore and had a run in with someone who put a bracelet on him that he did not ask for or want. Bil’s friend tried to give the lady $5 and she reached into his wallet and pulled out a $20 bill. BIL and her had words and she eventually left without the $20. A few years before we were with a group and someone tried to sell my dad Cigars, drugs or a boy. Some people enjoy Nassau, we do not and treat it as a sea day.

We got up a little late after 8:00 which is late for my kids but they were tired). I fed them the uncrustables from room service that I kept in the fridge. We got dressed and headed out for meet and greets with Sofia the First and Jake. We had 9:15 tickets for the Princess meet and greet. DCL has started something new where you can go online before the cruise and arrange ticketed meet and greets and book things like Bibbidi Bobbidi- we did Pirates league for Pirate night. I booked us the princess for Nassau day and Anna and Elsa for the sea day. I did have some problems on the Disney website (shocker) that I ended up booking them on separate days as I would get an error. I did not think DS would want to go but knew you needed a ticket so I booked them for the 4 of us. The only way to meet Anna and Elsa on the Dream is through the ticketed meet. The princesses meet separately at various times, but this is a nice way to knock out a bunch of meet and greets at once.

We met Rapunzel, Snow white, Belle and Cinderella. The last one was with Cinderella and DS had on a Star Wars shirt with a hood that covers his eye and is Darth Vader’s face. I told him if he was patient while we did pictures he could put his hood on and get a picture with Cinderella. He laughed and did so. Without missing a beat, in her sweet voice, she said. Well Hello there Vader how are you today. I think he was crushed but it was such a great picture.

We headed down to the kid’s club for open house because we wanted to get pictures of the kids driving the MillenniumFalcon. They also had Jedi Training Experience the Force that morning at 11:45. Just prior to Christmas DD decided she wanted to see Star Wars. We borrowed it from my BIL and literally spent every weekend watching all the Star Wars movies except the new one. I knew it would be playing on the ship. The kids became huge fans. DS told me he wanted to do Jedi Academy because we missed it last time because DH was sick- only problem we only had 1 park day and it was mk. I read they had Jedi academy on the Dream and did many searches with little information. I read that it happens in the area where they have the shows. I read they tend to pick kids with Star Wars shirts, no open toe sandals or flip flops and kids who sat on the aisle. There were no details on how many kids. When we got our wrist bands for the kids club I tried asking when it would be and how to get picked. I was told it would be either Nassau or Castaway Cay Day- It was the Sea Day and to come early. That was it. I told my kids to make sure when they were at the club to be on their best behavior because the staff may be the ones who pick the kids for Jedi academy. We signed the kids in for the club. The navigator had very little info but the app talked about the youth telling the Star Wars story in character and I knew they would like it.

We headed up to the rainforest room, where I had bought 6 passes for us($113.28 with automatic 18% tip) prior to the cruise. DH and I love the private hot tubs and heated chairs. We signed in, asked if they did kids haircuts at the Spa and the price and made DS an appointment for 1:00. We used the hot tubs and were relaxing in the heated chairs when the wave phone rang. It took me a while to figure out what the noise was and then I could not work it. I thought it was the kids club, nope missed call from Concierge. Oh no, they were probably calling about a cabana. I told DH that I was going to the room to call them and he came with me. I called them back and we were able to get Cabana #17. The cost was $590.46 and it was worth every penny. They said they would send paperwork and they did. I threw a load of laundry in $2.00 for both washer and dryer and you swipe your keys to the world card. I brought Tide pods from home. We went to get the kids. I could see them doing their Star Wars play and they had hats and accessories. I tried to take a picture from outside the club and was told no pictures for other kid’s privacy. I asked if I could take a picture of them with their costumes and was told no. We ate lunch at the quick serve cars places on deck 11, chicken tenders, fries and these yummy turkey sandwiches. We took DS for the hair cut which was phenomenal. They automatically add 18% but I added another 20% and it was $34.32.

 

[cheapster316]

Day 2 on the Dream- Tuesday Nassau Day Part 2

We headed over to the AquaDuck. We each took a kid and the sign said 30-minute wait, I did not time it but I think it was less. We did it once, the kids loved it and headed back to the room to change so we could go see Rogue One in the Walt Disney Theatre. They must have been expecting a huge crowd but it was pretty dead. I bought 2 BB8 drink holders (filled with either soda or water), a Star Wars popcorn holder that was like a space craft, an extra popcorn and 2 bottles of water $35.29, refills of popcorn were $1.50 and they did not fill the Star Wars container, just gave you a disposable container. We never remembered to bring the container back for refills. After the movie, we did the midship detective agency. This is an interactive game that takes you all over the ship. The kids love it and the later it gets in the cruise the longer the lines get at some of the spots. You basically have to solve a mystery either, Muppets (hardest), the missing puppies or missing paintings. Each portal gives you clues and you have a paper to keep track of things. My kids love it!

We went back to the room to get ready for dinner as it was optional dress up might and we were getting portraits done. Last cruise we had an awesome round shower with a really cool shower head. This time we still had the separate shower but it was square and hard to work. There were no directions, water was usually very hot and just very frustrating. I got ready first and while helping DD wash her hair she somehow managed to get me soaked with the shower head. Nothing I could do because tonight’s show is my favorite. Villains tonight! I love this show and so does my whole family. The problem with doing the same ship is it is the same shows, but this show we were going to. We headed down and thoroughly enjoyed the show. Afterwards we did some pictures and went to dinner. Dress up night seems to have the longest lines to wait in. That night at dinner we met our tablemates who had 2 girls 10 and 7. Dinner tonight was in Enchanted Garden and the kids could not wait to rush of with the kid’s club staff. I think it is called Dine and Play. The kids club counselors come around for about 10 minutes, round up the kids, you sign them in with your key to the world card and they go to the kid’s club where you pick them up after dinner. The kids were watching but we did not see them come around. The assistant waiter flagged them down. After dinner we picked up the kids, did some photos, had room service and went to bed. The next day was Castaway Cay.

 

[cheapster316]

Day 3 on the Dream- Wednesday Castaway Cay Day & Pirate Night

Today was the day we had been waiting for, Castaway Cay. Last time DH was sick and did not get off the boat. The day before DCL had delivered an envelope with our wrist bands, a map and instructions on how to get to the cabanas and what was included. Forecast Partly Sunny high 78*. All ashore 8:30 am, All aboard 4:45.

We got up, wore our beach clothes and cover-ups, packed our beach bag and headed up to cabanas for breakfast. As usual it was packed and crazy. As we made our way down to the gangplank we saw Belle walking around the atrium in her blue dress outfit. There were no photographers, just her and we took some pictures with our phones. This was something new this trip, several times we would see characters just randomly roaming around and grab a picture or high five.

We exited off the ship (Deck 1) and saw them selling water and cooler bags. They also hand out towels. We did not need them as the paperwork said we would have them at the cabana and we had more than we needed. I looked for a Star Wars cooler bag but they just had the plain dcl once they had at the bars. We did some photo pass (I know they are not called that on the ship-but you get the idea) pictures in front of the ship. I was disappointed that unlike other cruise lines in the past I did not get a picture with the life saver and port. As we walked by the post office beach Daisy was out, so we stopped for some more pictures and DD was so excited as Daisy is her favorite.

We then boarded a tram to Pelican Point and followed the signs to Cabana check in. The cabana cost with taxes was $590.18. They asked us if we wanted snorkel equipment and bikes. We decided to try the snorkel equipment even though we don’t snorkel and were directed over a few stands for it. They asked shoe size and gave us a big blue sand bag to carry it on. We then went back to check in and were transported by golf cart to the Cabana. We had #17, it was very close to the public bathroom. They had a welcome sign with our name spelled wrong. We then went in to explore. The fridge was stocked with 12 bottles of Evian water, 4 coke, diet coke, sprite and sprite zero along with a plate of fresh fruit (Best strawberries I ever ate) plus a plate full of cold wet face cloths. There was a bucket with 2 brand new sunscreens, Coppertone, 1 continuousspray and one lotion for kids. There were 4 granola bars (Kashi maybe) and some bags of lays chips (plain and BBQ). There were couches, tables, lounges and beach pails along with a hammock, umbrella and beach chairs. There was a section with tubes and rafts to use. It came with a fresh water shower and a ceiling fan and shade. There were 4 magazines, 1 in Spanish, a travel magazine, a wine one and I forget the 4th, nothing I really was interested in.

A short time after we arrived the cabana host arrived. She showed us a button to press if we needed anything or if we wanted a ride to Cookies II for lunch. It was within walking distance and she said most people walk down and bring their food back to eat. She told us bar service was available as well (extra cost and they had a drink flyer in the cabana).

I sprayed the kids often with sunblock, kept them hydrated and let them enjoy the beach. In the beginning there were some families using the beach, most had young children. Our kids almost 8 and 10 were the oldest. I brought our sand chairs down and sat right in the water. The beach was very rocky with lots of shells. I did see another kid get his foot cut on a big piece of corral that someone brought out of the water after I heard him crying. As lunch time came closer more people left. We walked down and got lunch. The Caribbean chicken and cous cous were really yummy. Kids got burgers and hot dogs and chips. We let them get a soft serve before lunch because we knew it would melt if we tried to bring it to the cabana. They had the same self-serve drinks as up at cabanas on the ship. They had fruit, ribs, fish, banana bread, pineapple cake and more. My only complaint was the burgers came with lettuce and tomatoes maybe-I can’t remember what was on them exactly but I asked for 2 plain, the worker gave them to me, I walked away, DH said can I have a plain one too and she made a rude sighing noise and made a huge deal out of giving DH a plain one. He told me later and DD confirmed it. I was so mad. Her job was to put burgers together on a platter and it was actually less work to make one plain. I told DH that Disney is usually super good about things and are well known for their allergy handling. He told me let it go, it was not a big deal but I was disappointed.

We walked back to the cabana, away from the crowds and enjoyed the quiet and shade of the cabana. We covered our plates with napkins as the little birds that kept flying inwere aggressively picking at the food even while we were eating. By this time no one was at the beach and the kids had the whole things to themselves. After using the public rest room, I saw the drink waiter and ordered a Pina Colava and Konk Cooler. Both of which were very cold and refreshing-$17.17 for 2. I saw Chip & Dale were meeting at 3:00 at the gangway and figured we could time it to meet them. We started packing up and the cabana host appeared, we told her we were going back and all done, she said she would call the golf cart and we left. I did not even think about tipping her at the time and I did not bring any cash. I’m not sure what I would have tipped her for, but I am one to tip. She showed up at the beginning, told us about the cabana and checked in just as we were leaving and called us a golf cart. I’m sure if we had pressed the button and used her for anything she would have earned a tip and really then I would have felt bad because we did not have cash on the island.

We loved the cabana and empty beach. It was worth every penny and given the chance we would do one again. I did carry the water we did not use back to the ship along with the sunblock. I had bought a 6 pack of water before we sailed and was $12. I was not going to waste the waters. I loved the wet cloths as well, they were great for cleaning up the sand that was stuck to you and refreshing as well.(I did not keep them).

We took the golf cart to Pelican point and then the tramback to the ship. The lines to get back on the ship were very long and did not seem to be moving. They did have big containers of ice water and cups out for while you waited. Chip and Dale came out and we headed down to their line, no Photo pass photographer so we took our own pictures. We also had bought DD a waterproof disposable camera that she used in the water, I actually had to bring it to Walmart wait 6 days for it to come back to be developed. FYI the pictures are pretty dark and I am spoiled by my camera on my IPhone. We decided to clean up and do the aquaduck and get ready for Pirate night.

 

[cheapster316]

Pirate Night- There she blows

After getting back on the ship, we made plans to send the kids to the club and we would do the spa. I got everything together and DD said she had a headache and her stomach hurt. I thought she had too much sun. Just as we were getting ready to leave the room, she headed to the bathroom and got sick. Uh Oh, is she sick, too much sun? She said she felt better. We told her lets rest and see how she does.

DH sent me to the rainforest room and he would hang with the kids. I went for maybe 20 minutes. Went back to the room and they left me a note they went to do pictures with Capt. Hook and Smee by preludes. A few minutes later DH called me on the wave phone and asked me to come get her which I did. She again said she had a headache. I had her watch tv and chill. They had Pirates league scheduled for 5:30. They were so excited for this. At 5:15 she said she just could not go, she did not feel good. I called Bibbidi Bobbidi and said she was not feeling well, I wanted to keep his appointment and cancel hers. I asked how much the cancelation fee was and they said they would wave it because she was sick. Dh took Ds and we hung in the room where I gave her a bath. She said she was feeling better so we put on our costumes and told her we could do something fun at home to make up for it. We decided to skip the dining room that night and after DS & DH returned we would take some pictures and go get some chicken tenders upstairs.

DS loved Pirates league, they renamed him, Basil Storm fury (Not sure how or why but he got an official paperwork proclaiming his new name. They gave him a plastic sword, an eye patch, a necklace key and a pouch of something. He had a black eye, beard and a scar and they even gave us some makeup remover wipes and an eyepatch for his sister since she missed it. The kids ate, took some pictures and we headed back to the room for room service for DH and I. DD got sick again. Ok, glad I had Lysol and wipes and zip locks for the clothes. She went to bed, slept all night, missed the fireworks and the pirates party but did not get sick again. Dh took DS to the fireworks and a little of the party. We fell asleep and everyone slept through the night.

 

[cheapster316]

Thursday January 26- Sea Day & DS 8th Birthday

DD slept through the night and did not get sick again all day. We decided to take it slow, keep an eye on her and not force her to eat. I woke up early and hung some birthday magnets and a Nemo Happy Birthday banner for DS. Our room steward gave him a birthday pin and a card from the Dream. The forecast for today was 76* partly cloudy and Cruise Casual was the evening Attire. We had Anna & Elsa tickets for 9:45 in the Animators Palate and did a few character pictures and then went to Royal Palace for breakfast. We usually avoid the sit down restaurants as we do not like to make conversation with strangers but truthfully I did not want to deal with the crowds at Cabanas. We ordered off the menus. DD got water and that was it. We saw Sam our waiter when we walked in and I asked if we could do something little for DS’ birthday tonight, he said No, we can do something big. Breakfast was nice and the boys did not want to meet Anna and Elsa. I felt bad that we had tickets that we did not need and looked around to see if I could find a party of 2 to give them away too but no luck.

The kids did some shopping. DD decided to spend all her money on a BB8 robot that you control through your IPad. Once home, we purchased these smart bands you can use as well to control him. The staff told us about them but they did not sell them, we asked at a couple of places at Disney Springs including Once upon a toy and they thought Hollywood Studios might sell them. We got them on Amazon for $68. I also remembered that if you spend over $50 and you have a Disney Visa you get 10% off. Ds bought a stuffed captain mickey, pins and I bought them both some pins and mini Captain Mickey and Cruise director Minnie Tsum Tsums.

The Animators Palate was transformed into an ice scene from Arrendale. We did the meet and greet and then met up with the boys for the event we had been waiting for Jedi Training-Trials of the Temple. I had done a lot of researching on this event before we cruised and only had vague ideas of what could happen. I had no clue how many kids would get picked, when it would happen, how to get picked. I had read they pick kids with closed toe shoes, no flip flops or sandals (kids wore sneakers). I had read they sometimes pick kids in Star Wars shirts (ok kids had on shirts and DD had Princes Leia buns). I also made a sign that said Today is my 8th Birthday, please pick me and my sister, that I hid in a bag to use if I thought we needed it. (We did not-yes I am that Mother). It was listed on the navigator for 11:15am. All it said was Jedi Training Trials of the Temple Walt Disney Theatre (Limited Availability). Our whole day was going to be planned around this. We went 1 hour early to get in line. I was worried that there would be lines on both entrancesto the theatres. There were not, just on the side by the gift shopwith the toys. There were 7 kids in front of us. DD did not like the motion in the front of the ship but did fine. Staff came out and said this is how we do it; we take the first 30 kids in line who can understand directions in English. If we determine that they can’t understand or do not want to be on stage, they will not get picked. I watched them carefully talk to the very young children to assess them. Finally, it was DS & DD’s turn. They answered the questions and they took their names and room numbers and sat them in the back row of the theatre. They said there would be audience participation (but there was none).

We filed into the theatre. The first few rows were blocked off. My kids were separated and they both came out in Jedi robes with light sabers. It is hard to find your kid on stage with 30 other kids in the same robe with the hood up but I found them. The staff were phenomenal. The guy playing the Leader was great. He had all the kids line up in front of the stage and they even had on the screen a little thing like in the movies, telling the story in a galaxy far away type thing. Eventually Darth Vader came out on stage in a loud sounding burst of smoke. DS ducked for cover and it was hysterical. He told me he was startled not scared. 1 by 1 the kids lined up and they did 3-4 practiced moves where each would defeat Darth Vader with their light saber and he would say different things. There are no words to describe it and my kids loved it. If you ask them about their favorite part of vacation they will both tell you fighting Darth Vader by light Saber. DS will also add on my 8th birthday while on a Disney cruise. My only complaint is there was no photo pass photographer to get pictures as mine were not close up. Overall it was the moment I think of when people ask how was your vacation. They were so excited to beat Vader on stage. DD was also excited to see back stage. Afterwards they had a Certificate delivered to the room with their names for completing Jedi Training.

I ran up and booked a placeholder cruise. You put a deposit down of $250 and you get 10% off your next cruise but it must sail in 24 months. I was able to give the credit to our TA and I had an email from both her and DCL when I got off the ship. If you cancel before final payment time, it is fully refundable.

We went back, changed into swim suits, ate lunch and the kids did the aqua duck. I then took them swimming. DS wanted to use the mickey slide in the kids pool and did so a few times and then they wanted to use the family pool where a Princess Sofia meets Elena movie was on. We then headed to Vanellpoe’s for Ice cream to celebrate DS birthday. Usually I would be against paying for ice cream when there is free ice cream on the same deck, but it he really wanted to go there and it was cool looking. Each kid got a cup of ice cream, DH and I split a big Mickeyhead chocolate chip cookie dipped in chocolate (was not that good, too sweet-left most of it in the trash), DS wanted cotton candy (in the tubs) and DH got some gourmet jelly beans for $19.47. We ate it at Cabanas, went back to the room, packed and got ready for dinner. You needed to have all your bags packed and in the hall by 10:30 pm. You will not have access to them until after you get off the ship so it is important to remember to leave out anything you need for the next day. You can also bring all your bags yourself but you would have to carry them.

I forgot to mention in the pirate night section that we went to the Magic & Illusion show by Justino Zoppe. The kids loved it however it was not so quite dangerous as the navigator indicated. He talked a lot about his wife and daughter. At the end he said he would be holding a show in Evolution lounge on Thursday night where you could see how to do the tricks. DS was bugging us all day to go and see this. We got to Evolution, we had never even been to the bar sections and they looked really cool. They gave out paperclips, rubber band and popsicle sticks and really needed to have it in a bigger venue. He showed how to do a few tricks and told us that his wife and daughter were onboard but she had gotten sick around noontime the day of their show and they literally had to re design the show without her. OHHH, that made sense. It was still a great show;he is very entertaining but it explained why there was nothing dangerous. DS had to buy a $40 magic kit that night but at least he got it autographed and a picture with Justino.

We went to do some pictures before dinner but everything was packed up. We headed into dinner and explained why we were not there that last night to our tablemates. We enjoyed dinner and DS ordered chocolate mousse (I did not realize this was not on the menu- he had it at a different restaurant the first night- they brought it to him without any problems and never said a word that it was not on the menu).

The head water came out, put it in front of the girls who were at our table and started to wish Mikayla a happy birthday. We quickly explained that it was DS birthday, they gave him a celebration pin and everyone sang to him. We thanked them again and went to turn in the kid’s club bands at guest services so we would not get charged the $12.95 fee for each one, they directed us to the kid’s club. We went back to the room, DD went to bed and DS & DH finished up the detective agency and had 1 last ice cream from eye scream. We then all went to bed and prepared to say good bye to the Dream.

 

[cheapster316]

Friday January 27- Disembarkation Day

The night before disembarking, you are given paperwork in your room. There is a sheet like the navigator that gives you info on luggage, Express Walk -Off and Breakfast Dining Rotation. They also gave you tags for your luggage, ours were Pluto Gold I think, tip envelopes and a paper with the pre-determined tip amounts. I did not flip it over to see this. I knew the tips were prepaid and I told our waiter I did the prepay and slipped him some cash as well. We had planned to eat in the dining room at 8:00 because we had second seating. It would be the same table and restaurant as the night before. I had the alarm set for 7:00 am and we were woken up at 6:30 by DD vomiting in her bed. Ok, it had been more than 24 hours, I guess it was not too much sun. I threw her in the shower, Zip locked her clothes and threw them out wiped down everything I could. Usually the room steward was always around, I could not find him, so I left a note and $20 apologizing. We got dressed and took our carryon’salong with some empty plastic bags which we did not need and went to Shutters to get our zip drive. I had pre purchased the digital package ahead of the cruise. It was $194 for a 4-nightcruise and we got 146 pictures. It was worth it to me. For an additional $75 I could have all the prints but really who needs that many 8x10’s as that is what the majority were. They leave the zip drives in an envelope out by the balcony where the do character portraits.

We then headed into the dining room. I told DD she did not have to eat. Sam kept trying to feed her and then he brought her 2 sealed cereal containers of fruit loops which were perfect for when she was hungry later. He told us all about his life at home with his family. It sounds heartbreaking how they can work so hard and have to leave their family for such a long time. He said he likes working for Disney.

We filled out our comment card and raved about Sam and Jedi training. I showed him what I wrote and he said they have a bulletin board where they post the comments and seemed very happy with my comments.

We then disembarked the ship. It was 8:38 am. We went to the Pluto section after getting a porter- they do not give you a price- I gave $35. The porter got all of our luggage relatively quickly, we went through customs and the porter asked what transportation we were using. I told him car and then pulled him aside to say we have a limo coming but it is a surprise for the kids.

I had booked Happy Limo and for an 8 passenger limo for 4 from Port Canaveral to Port Orleans French Quarter resort it was $287 plus 20 % tip. They had sent me a text the night before from the driver with his number. I texted him when we got off the ship, he asked what number we were at, I told him and a few minutes later he showed up in a gorgeous white stretch limo. We had told DD that she was going to have a surprise on Friday. DS got lots of attention for his birthday, I had offered to make one of the days her birthday, but she did not want to do that. We told her we were celebrating her becoming a published author as she had written an essay on her hero-her grandmother and it was published in a local paper for students. The limo pulled up and as she realized it was for her, she got very excited.

He asked if we wanted our pictures taken with the limo, um YES! Took some pictures and put a movie(More Sophia) in for the ride which I think he said was about 1.5 hours. DD looked pale but did not get sick again. They loved it and was definitely worth the extra $. He dropped us off right at the front of Port Orleans, I signed the paperwork, tipped him in cash $60 and off he went. We were charged a week before for the cost without tip. There is the opportunity to charge the tip if you need it.

 

[cheapster316]

Some thoughts on the Dream:

Cabin location- 8076. This was midship on deck 8, 2 doors down from the mid ship elevators. I loved it. Little to no motion even when captain announced rough seas the first night. Last trip we were in the front of the ship and this was so much better. No worries about extra noise from the elevators. I wanted deck 6, but after switching my dates 3 times, that was not left. I like taking the stairs at times and deck 8 was a hike from 3 or 4. I definitely recommend mid ship. We also really enjoyed the balcony. The kids loved it. I was also worried about having the bunk bed. No problems at all, there is a built in bedrail. I did hate the shower in this room. I also love having magnets on the door to find your room.

Pirates Night- We love dressing up, love doing the pictures and was very sad I missed the fireworks and dance party. If there was a night to miss in the dining room, I was glad it was pirates menu.

Pirates League- I made the appointments month in advance, upon entering our room were cute pirate passes with the kids names inviting them with the date and time. It was $44.95 for the cheapest package and DS loved it. He had a patch, a necklace with a key, a pouch with something-don’t remember what was in it, he loved it, a sash, bandana and a plastic sword. He had a black eye, scar and beard. DD was sick and they did not charge us a cancellation fee because of illness. We brought our own costumes which I bought at Target for 90% off after Halloween.

Movies-I always think I am going to watch all these movies on board and never do. This time we made it into Star Wars Rogue One in the Walt Disney Theatre. Very few people attended but I was glad we did. It seemed like a lot of the times the movie times were just not convenient. The popcorn was yummy and you could get cheap refills $1.50 if you bought a container. We bought a Star Wars fighter ship.

Kids clubs-My kids are 8 and 10, last time they were 6 & 8. They definitely had more of an interest and wanted to do the Dine and Play every night. Last time they went to a few activities. This time they would look at the navigator and be like we want to go Super Sloppy Science or any Star Warsactivity. DS loved playing Infinity and DD loved doing crafts. DD can’t wait to do the Tween club next time.

Characters- This time we saw a lot more random characters around the ship without a photographer. Belle was in her blue dress in the Atrium as we were debarking on Castaway Cay, I met Pluto hanging out by the railing on deck 5.

Cabana- Castaway Cay- Worth every penny and would love to do it again. Shade, ceiling fan, cold drinks and the beach to ourselves at times. It was great. I am not one to splurge but we loved it. We also do not do any excursions so I was fine with the cost. I also brought back to the ship the unopened drinks we did not use.

Aqua Duck- We only did it twice this time. Waits were less than posted and the kids loved it.

Room Service- Nice treat, ok food. This was great for snacks like Mickey Bars and Uncrustables sandwiches. I brought $50 in singles for tipping and had $ leftover.

Service- Our Dining Room waiter Sam, was amazing. Assistant waiter was pretty bad and the head server brought my son’s birthday dessert to a different kid at the table, wished Makayla happy birthday, instead of my son, but fixed it when we told him who’s birthday it actually was. We could have whatever we wanted. The one night I wanted to try scallops with my steak and asked for a small portion of scallops to go with my dinner. He brought me a whole scallop dinner and said Surf and Turf. He did magic tricks, brain teasers and most importantly told me to go sit down and eat when I tried to cut up DDS chicken.

Food- It was Ok, I liked the dinners but the kids got sick of the food fast and are not adventurous eaters. We all liked up by the pool at the sandwich place, chicken tenders, pizza etc. Cabanas always was busy, difficult to find a seat and when you would go at off times, never silverware. I do like the unlimited fountain drinks on the top deck and often filled up our WDW mugs and brought back to the room. The kids loved Eye Scream which was free soft serve. We tried Vanellope’s once and it was not too expensive.

Birthday Celebration- DS actually turned 8 on our cruise. The room steward brought him a birthday pin and card, the night before. At dinner they had a celebration pin for him. They were similar to the park pins but smaller. At dinner they sang to him.

Favorite Activity- Jedi Training in the theatre. This was so awesome, truly a never forget moment. The kids loved it, we loved it. Darth Vader was so huge, the effects were great and it was DS 8th birthday. Definitely a magical memory.

Paying with Gift Cards- I went to guest services on 2 different occasions to pay on my bill with absolutely no issues.

Entertainment- We loved Villains Tonight, so sad it is going away. We skipped Believe and Golden Mickeys and really liked the Magician Justino. Ds bought a $40 magic kit that he was selling onboard. We never went to any bars except Evolution when Justino had a family show where he shows how to do some tricks.

Rebooking while on board- We tried a few times but the hours were odd and finally were able to do it on the day at sea. You sign in and they have a computer screen, showing who they are waiting on and who is next. It was easy. We booked a place holder cruise since we will want to do January 2019 and it is not out yet. The deposit was $250 and you have to sail within 2 years. The amount is refundable prior to final payment and you get 10% off your next cruise. I was able to give my TA credit and when I got off the ship I had an email from both her and DCL about rebooking.

WDW and DCL- we did 2 nights prior to the cruise at Art of Animation, 1 day at Magic Kingdom. We loved the Nemo suites. We booked transportation 1 way from AOA to the port. I do not like getting to the port so late, it was after 2 when we did our paperwork and only having time to eat really quick and hurry to the muster drill. Next time I will do a car service. We did a limo from Happy Limo back to POFQ and the kids loved it. I was very happy with Happy Limo and will definitely use them again. I did not do any parks after the cruise, just relaxed at POFQ. Last time we did 3 parks after the cruise and it was too much.

Final thoughts- I loved DCL. I have sailed Princess, RCL and Carnival before we had kids. DCL is more money but while my kids are young it is worth it to me. I like that the fountain drinks are included. I am not a Bingo person and do not feel it was pushed on me all the time like Carnival. I also like not having drink waiters constantly in my face. I love the rainforest room and kids clubs as well as the shows. I love getting all the pictures digitally, having character pictures and the memories for my family.

 

[cheapster316]

Friday Post Cruise

We were dropped off at POFQ, without DD getting sick, yeah! When I did online check in my first request was room available early. We had no plans other than resort and Disney Springs but I really was hoping we had a room so DD could rest. I checked in and asked if it was possible to find a room ready. They told me no problem and gave us room 6320. I had booked Garden View but really had no preference. At some point the cm called the room to check on if DD was feeling better, they really had outstanding customer service here.

We went over to the room with our luggage. It was sprinkling and we used the elevator as we were on the top floor. We chilled in the room, watched some tv and I fell asleep watching the price is right. We left our luggage and headed to the food court. I had been waiting for beignets and could not wait to try them. DH was checking out the menu trying to decide what to order. I have to say it took a really long time and the food court was pretty empty. He was very annoyed by the time he got food. Dh and DS started eating, I was not hungry, my stomach was not the best and DD did not want to eat. I looked over and the guy next to me was eating spaghetti with butter. I started to gag and made a run for it. The bathroom was really far and I did not make it in time. I got a little sick in the hall (DH said everyone could hear me) and I tried to make it to the stall and could not. After I finished I went out to find a cm and tell them stall 1 would need to be cleaned. I felt so bad but I was in no condition to clean anything, I could not move. I left the family and went back and slept. DH got the kids ready for the pool and took them while I slept. He came back several hours later, I got sick several more times that day. We had Raglan Road ADR for that night. I thought I was feeling better and showered and got dressed. DH was not convinced and said let’s walk outside and see how you feel because if you get on that boat, you are trapped. I got to the end of the walkway on our floor and said I can’t do it and started to cry. DH said, I will take the kids, go back to sleep. I was so disappointed but went back to sleep and get sick. He called me at 6 and said we are coming back, DD was very pale and looked like she was going to pass out, she told him she was dizzy and wanted to come back. I called Disney Dining and apologized and they waived the cancellation fee. They came back, DD drank lots of water and the boys went back to the food court. They brought back chicken fingers and a shrimp bowl. DH said the staff was much better, the food was delicious and he was happy. I could not believe he brought shrimp back to the room, it smelled so bad. I went back to bed and slept all night. I did not get sick again.

 

[cheapster316]

Saturday- Disney Springs

The next morning, I was feeling better, tired, weak and sore but I felt like I could leave the room. We went back to the food court and someone pixie dusted us an order of 6 beignets. I tentatively tried one but was scared so I had about a bite and really could not tell you if they are good or not. Everyone else liked them. We decided to eat breakfast at Earl of Sandwich and take the boat to Disney Springs. I loved the boat to Disney Springs, so easy and fun.

We ate at Earl of Sandwich and a receipt printed to do a survey and get a free drink and chips when you purchase a sandwich, we were on the dining plan but would have to pay oop for some things so I was excited for the coupon. We then went to the pin store where we spent a ton of money( $372.30 total on pins after the cruise and first part of the vacation- I just added up my receipts.) The kids forgot their pins to trade and they wanted specific ones anyways. We also spend a lot of time in Once upon a toy, where DS really wanted an ewok backpack for $65, he was running out of money.

I had called rainforest café directly for an ADR when I could not find anything on the MDE and easily got a lunch reservation. The kids love Rainforest Café and even though we had wanted to try new things DD was begging to go there. She had not eaten much the past few days so we said ok but she had to eat. She ordered the burger from the adult menu, the Beastly and it was huge. I had steak, DS had chicken and DH had shrimp and ribs. Everyone was happy and the food was good.

We also did World of Disney which is too overwhelming for me, and Disney Coop. I wanted a Vera Bradley hipster for my birthday and we walked all the way to the other side of Disney where I got my bag and a pouch type thing. I wanted more things but they had a small selection. Later on I found the Vera Bradley Mickey stuff at POR, Airport and a few more stores which had I known I would have bought it there. I also saw at the resort gift shop they had some older pins leftover from Christmas and Halloween. I got 2 Disney exclusive beads at Pandora (around $130). We used up some snack credits at Goofy’s, fill straw with sugar candy for each kid, cookies to bring back, a caramel turtle and we headed back to the boat.

The kids played on the playground and we went back to the room to freshen up for dinner at Boatwright’s. We had asked earlier about taking the boats to POR but they stop going from resort to resort at 4:30 so we decided to walk over. It was a short walk and we checked in. The restaurant was not very full and we waited about 20 minutes, DD kept complaining how much longer so I said go ask the lady nicely. We were shocked when she did and they immediately sat us. They gave us 2 adult and 2 kid menus and I explained that she was considered a Disney adult, so they gave us another adult menu. DS ordered the kids pizza, I got the prime rib, DH got the pork chop and DD got the meal of the night, Voodoo chicken and waffles. It was so delicious; I think everyone stole some chicken. Everyone enjoyed their meal, it was relaxing and dessert was good too, we all decided it was our best meal of the whole trip. We also talked about where we would stay next time. Everyone liked some things about each place but everyone said AOA. We like the suite, 2 bathrooms make a huge difference and being spread out. The beds were way more comfortable well. At POFQ, the beds were not comfortable and the springs were shot. DH woke me up several times just by rolling over in bed with the squeaking and we were not in the same bed. The bathroom was tiny (trust me I spent a lot of time in there). The fan always stayed on and the light was dim, the water pressure was ok but it was nothing like AOA. We did love the bus to Disney Springs, the mall resort and how nice everyone was. We liked the idea of queen beds but they were just too noisy and uncomfortable. The water slide was ok, and we did not use the hot tubs, Boatwright’s was incredible and DH said he would be willing to take 2 busses to get there.

We walked back, hung out, packed and went to bed.

 

[cheapster316]

Sunday-Departure Day

We woke up and brought our luggage over to the airline check in desk with no problems. DH told me his stomach hurt. I was like oh no, we stopped and got some beignets and pepto from the gift shop. We had planned to go to Disney Springs to Earl of Sandwich and shop a little. Dh said he was going back to the room and to go without him. I called the front desk and requested a late checkout as ME was not coming until 12:30 and checkout was 11, I think. No problem. We headed over to the boats but they do not run until 10, so we headed for the bus and jumped on at 8:52. I think there were 4 stops at POR, before we made our way to Disney Springs and got off the bus at 9:12. We headed to Earl and got grapes for a snack, a bacon egg and cheese sandwich and used the coupon for a free drink and chips. I paid oop $5.96 and 1 snack credit. DS and I split the sandwich and he wanted another one so I bought oop 1 more. We went back to pin traders, Ghirardelli- where they each got a snack- cookie dough in a waffle bowl and cookies and cream in a cup, they had a handout of what was on the DDP. I went back to Earl and used my last qs on a Earl Caprese to go and substituted my drink for a side and got 2 things of cookies for later. We took the boat back, made 1 last trip to the store and used up the rest of the snack credits, pretzels (in case DH needed something light), trail mix and mixed nuts. We went back to the room, filled our mugs, bought more pepto and got on the ME at 12;12.by 12:50 we were at MCO. It took 12 minutes to go through security. DH got sick at the airport. Afterwards he stretched out on the floor and took a nap while I fed the kids. We went to Chipotle where we got a make your own beef and cheese soft taco, a cheese quesadilla (both kids meals) for $9.16. I got a small drink at McDonald’s $1.80 and ate my earl sandwich and chips. We stopped and spent $15 on bottled water and ginger ale for the flight. We took off at 2:54 and landed at 5:19. Fortunately DH made it the whole trip via plane without getting sick but we sat all the way in the back so he could be right there if needed be.

 

[cheapster316]

Final thoughts
Even though we got sick we still had s great time. It will probably be 2 more years until we go again and we will probably do pre cruise and after or maybe a 7 day cruise. We like January. Sorry this was so long. If anyone has any questions please let me know. I learned so much before I went from reading these boards I just want to give back.

 

[tweis]

Hi! Great review! Do you by any chance have a photo of the verandah of this room?

 

[jamesbarry1]

Loved this report. Too bad you and DD got ill but did not seem to ruin the trip.

 

[cheapster316]

Thank you both. 2 years is a long time to wait to go back. Luckily I have this site to give me my Disney fix.