WDW 1 week, then 4-day Cruise-- any tips?

[CdnMom2]

I figure we can do without Mickey Bars for the kids while in WDW because they can have them every day on the Cruise!
Won't be lining up for characters at WDW either for that reason. Oh, I guess I'd better check if certain ones are faves that aren't on the Cruise.
Can you think of any other time/money savers that we can do/not do in the Park because we will experience it on the Wonder? With so much to see, do, and spend $ on, we don't need to duplicate. Trying to go budget for the WDW part to help with the Wonder part!

I'm also wondering about ordering Cinderella slipper/Dalmatian bones special dessert while we're at WDW as a surprise treat. Are treats like that available on the Cruise?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[pdarrah]

Just FYI - None of the Pooh characters (Piglet, Tigger, etc) are on the cruise.

 

[CdnMom2]

We can't miss them! Glad you mentioned that.

 

[jrabbit]

You can skip Tower of Terror at MGM since they do have lifts on the Wonder. They just don't go as fast on the Wonder - if that's important to you.

 

[ll_california]

There are a lot more characters in WDW than on the cruise.

Characters on the boat:
- Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Pluto, Goofy, Mex, Chip, Dale
- Peter Pan characters
- Cinderella, Belle, Snow White, Mulan, Alice
- Pinocchio

There are other characters in the show, but they don't do greetings and autographs.

Other tips:
- Do laundry during the WDW days so that you can enjoy more stuff on the boat.
- Skip some of the fancy restaurants in WDW, since you'll have nice dining experience on the cruise.
- No need to go to paid shows on land, cause there'll be lots of entertainment later on the cruise.
- If you have little girls, pack their princess dresses; Also have the hair wrap/braid done before leaving if it's possible.

Hope that helps.

 

[Ariel Wanna-be]

Before we left home, I packed the "cruise-only" things (such as flip-flops and sand toys) in a separate suitcase. We did DW first for 8 days, and left that suitcase in our vehicle. Likewise, when we were packing to leave DW and go to the cruise terminal, I took all the things that were "park-only" (such as backpacks and ponchos) and put them in a separate suitcase, which was left in our vehicle at the port. This saved time and space. If you're flying, it won't save space but it will save time when you're getting ready to leave for the cruise. When you get to your stateroom, just stash the "extra" suitcase under the bed.

Another thing I did (and this is going to sound wierd) was to pack our "older" underclothes and socks for the DW part, and after they were worn, we pitched them in the trash. They would have gone in the trash anyway, and this saved me laundry time! "Good" underclothes were packed with our cruise stuff.

Also, we used the over-the-door shoe hanger thingy for our toiletries at the resort, and when we were packing up for the cruise, we just rolled it up (stuff still in it) and packed it. When we got to our stateroom, we just unrolled it and hung it back up. Big time saver.

BTW: I don't know if you have a Buzz or Woody fan, but they aren't on the ship either.

 

[CdnMom2]

GREAT tips. Just the info I was looking for. Thanks. I was wondering about leaving stuff in our vehicle in the port too.

And jrabbit... I skip Tower of Terror already! Now I may skip the cruise elevators!

 

[TheWog]

There are a lot more characters in WDW than on the cruise.

Characters on the boat:
- Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Pluto, Goofy, Mex, Chip, Dale
- Peter Pan characters
- Cinderella, Belle, Snow White, Mulan, Alice
- Pinocchio

Don't forget Capt. Hook.... or Lilo and Stitch.