Correct order of priorities for booking

Sleepyluke

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jul 17, 2008
I know there have been some changes since i last did this. Our booking window opens this week and want to make sure and get our Palo, PAT, and ticketed meet and greets. Not real sure excursions are a sell out, so that can be last.

Wonder out of Galveston if it matters.

Should I book the meet and greets and Palo, then go through and hit reserve, or take the chance on the site and select eveything and then hit reserve and hope the site can take the pressure?

Any recent bookers have success, or is everyone getting most things if you log in at midnight?
 
Love the Wonder! You know, I am now platinum, but my last sailing was 2.5 years ago, so I'm going to let some of the experts here tell you the order you should book! I would lean toward Palo and PAT first, but that's just me. :cutie:

Our upcoming cruise I booked at less than my platinum booking window for activities, etc., so I just crazily started grabbing stuff I wanted! :joker:
 
I did registration for the Nov 2nd Wonder out of Galveston a few weeks ago...

I may have done it wrong, but I think you start with all your info on your travel party and during that process you do PAT.

After that you have all of your activities open. Palo brunch was the only thing I noticed that had options already grayed out, but we still had plenty of choices. Keep in mind that the character meet and greets and tastings will have different schedules on different days, so it may take a you a minute to find what and when you want it. I did mine right at midnight when my window opened and had lots of choices. I have gone back a few weeks later to look at other things and now a lot of stuff is full.
 
What CC level are you? If you are platinum, probably won't have trouble with any of those if you book when it opens. If you are Silver or 1st time cruiser, things may be a bit tougher. Meet and greets fill up fast, so I'd go there first. Palo brunch fills up fast, but dinner you should be able to get even if you have to wait until embarkation day. I've heard PAT don't always fill up fast, so I'd go there last. If you don't get a great PAT you may have to sit around the terminal a little while longer, which is better than missing on activities you want.
 


We just got back from a trip on the Fantasy. It was sadly our first and last cruise on Disney. This trip I learned I get really sea sick. it was no fun. So land trips from now on.

The order that I went with was what was more important to me. PAT was my priority and then port adventures. Being new I forget about the ticket meet and greets until a few weeks later and they were all gone. Though DD and DS wanted nothing to do with many meet and greets. I am a very picky eater so we didn't even try for Palo. But my suggestion is to go for what is the most important to you.
 
This trip I learned I get really sea sick. it was no fun. So land trips from now on.

Oh Piglet, PLEASE search for threads on seasickness! :flower3: My DD#2 has had dreadful motion sickness since she was very small. She has cruised LOTS of times, but she must get prepared first. She has only gotten nauseous a couple of times out of all our cruises, and one was on a Pacific crossing in very rough seas. VERY.

She starts taking Bonine the day BEFORE the cruise, and finds that the homeopathic motion sickness pills help too (they can be taken with Bonine/Meclizine). One thing we learned a couple of years ago was that the acupuncturist onboard in the spa can do acupuncture "seeds" to help with this. It was only like $35 I think, and she had little tiny round bandaids with an acupressure point under them and they were placed around her temples and ears. She was instructed which ones to place pressure on if she started feeling queasy at all. DD swears they are a HUGE help to her!

And lastly DD says that having a verandah room really helps her so that she can step out for fresh air at any time, and she liked to sleep on the couch bed with the curtains to the verandah open so that if there was enough light, she could see the horizon. Trust me, if she can cruise, about anyone can cruise! You've just got to be well prepared. :cutie:
 
We are Gold and traveling with Silver, but what they end up with is not my problem :) We ahve always done DCl out of PC and used the Disney transportation so we have actually never picked a PAT and the last time we cruised the only ticketed events were picked up with really no line at the port adventure desk.

I am not sure I like them going to the park model that I have to prebook the entire trip.....

My priority of the trip is probably meet and greets (5 year old daughter), Palo, then PAT and then excursions. Just checking if that is how I should try to find them on the site! and if i should go one at a time and finalize the reservation before I get kicked out!
 


Oh Piglet, PLEASE search for threads on seasickness! :flower3: My DD#2 has had dreadful motion sickness since she was very small. She has cruised LOTS of times, but she must get prepared first. She has only gotten nauseous a couple of times out of all our cruises, and one was on a Pacific crossing in very rough seas. VERY.

She starts taking Bonine the day BEFORE the cruise, and finds that the homeopathic motion sickness pills help too (they can be taken with Bonine/Meclizine). One thing we learned a couple of years ago was that the acupuncturist onboard in the spa can do acupuncture "seeds" to help with this. It was only like $35 I think, and she had little tiny round bandaids with an acupressure point under them and they were placed around her temples and ears. She was instructed which ones to place pressure on if she started feeling queasy at all. DD swears they are a HUGE help to her!

And lastly DD says that having a verandah room really helps her so that she can step out for fresh air at any time, and she liked to sleep on the couch bed with the curtains to the verandah open so that if there was enough light, she could see the horizon. Trust me, if she can cruise, about anyone can cruise! You've just got to be well prepared. :cutie:

I wasn't well prepped. I have been on two other cruises before and was fine. Granted 13 and 14 years ago. I brought stuff just in case the kids were sick. This was their first time on a cruise. I took 2 Bonine a day plus the sea bands. I knew the second the boat untied form the dock each time. This did work enough for me to enjoy the trip just never felt 100%. The first night was the worst and then the 3rd night was bad but that was somewhat my fault. We book a port adventure on a boat where you sit under the boat and look out windows at the sea life. I lasted all of 30 seconds before I was back at top watching the horizon. I should have just stayed on the cruise ship and the Dh and kids go. This afternoon would have been better. Tight now I say I won't go again. I just don't want to do all the meds and stuff. This might change as I get older. Right now land is my friend.

I do have to say all the cast members I talked to were great. I got so many tips that all helped. Though I did not try the sour apples. I just couldn't bring myself to try these when not feeling good. I left dinner the first night after about 20 minutes. Our servers were very concerned about me. I saw one the next morning at Cabanas and he picked me out of a crowd and asked if I was doing better. Our housekeepping lady was the same way all week. SHe was always checking in to make sure I was good. The cast members were all great.
 
I wasn't well prepped. I have been on two other cruises before and was fine. Granted 13 and 14 years ago. I brought stuff just in case the kids were sick. This was their first time on a cruise. I took 2 Bonine a day plus the sea bands. I knew the second the boat untied form the dock each time. This did work enough for me to enjoy the trip just never felt 100%. The first night was the worst and then the 3rd night was bad but that was somewhat my fault. We book a port adventure on a boat where you sit under the boat and look out windows at the sea life. I lasted all of 30 seconds before I was back at top watching the horizon. I should have just stayed on the cruise ship and the Dh and kids go. This afternoon would have been better. Tight now I say I won't go again. I just don't want to do all the meds and stuff. This might change as I get older. Right now land is my friend.

I do have to say all the cast members I talked to were great. I got so many tips that all helped. Though I did not try the sour apples. I just couldn't bring myself to try these when not feeling good. I left dinner the first night after about 20 minutes. Our servers were very concerned about me. I saw one the next morning at Cabanas and he picked me out of a crowd and asked if I was doing better. Our housekeepping lady was the same way all week. SHe was always checking in to make sure I was good. The cast members were all great.

So sorry to hear you suffered so much during your cruise. :( That just makes it so tough to enjoy all a cruise has to offer. Bless you! My DD has really suffered with it for pretty much her whole life. She has learned to deal with it pretty well with the aforementioned tactics, but even with that, if it REALLY gets rough and especially if the ship is rolling, she can feel badly. I totally understand your sentiment to stick with land-based trips! :goodvibes

Happy but not surprised to hear how good the crew was to you and concerned for you. Isn't that nice when you're feeling rough? :flower2: Some of them have suffered with motion sickness too (can you imagine??) They were equally wonderful the evening my daughter got quite ill as we were crossing the Pacific and got a day or so out of Vancouver. The Pacific current is really strong through there and the ship was rolling pretty badly.
 
I know there have been some changes since i last did this. Our booking window opens this week and want to make sure and get our Palo, PAT, and ticketed meet and greets. Not real sure excursions are a sell out, so that can be last.

Wonder out of Galveston if it matters.

Should I book the meet and greets and Palo, then go through and hit reserve, or take the chance on the site and select eveything and then hit reserve and hope the site can take the pressure?

Any recent bookers have success, or is everyone getting most things if you log in at midnight?
Typically, it's best to "confirm" and "reserve" each reservation as you make it. If you just confirm each as you make it, and hit reserve once all are done, you run the risk of someone getting those last 4 spaces because they did the individual reservations thing before you got your bid in.

It's best to decide what's most important to you - meet & greets; Palo; PAT; excursions. For example, is a Mickey Meet & Greet more important to when you do Palo? Then book the M&G first. Is Palo more important than, what your PAT is? Then book Palo first.
 
Honestly? The priority is what is most important to you. If Palo brunch is most important, book that first. If a ticketed meet and greet is most important, book that first. Everyone's order of booking is going to differ according to their priorities.
 
Honestly? The priority is what is most important to you. If Palo brunch is most important, book that first. If a ticketed meet and greet is most important, book that first. Everyone's order of booking is going to differ according to their priorities.

Sorry, did not mean it like that, I meant more how should I go about the booking process to make sure and get those things done. I have never booked without some glitch, so with this many things now needing to be booked early, trying to stack the odds as much as I can with the help of those who have been booking lately.
 
Sorry, did not mean it like that, I meant more how should I go about the booking process to make sure and get those things done. I have never booked without some glitch, so with this many things now needing to be booked early, trying to stack the odds as much as I can with the help of those who have been booking lately.

I guess I wasn't and am still not clear on what you're asking. It sounds to me like you're asking the priority order for booking things and that will be different for different people depending on what is most important.

That said, sometimes the check-in window doesn't open until you've booked at least one activity. Other times it might be the opposite. Some people get in on one browser, others don't. There's no rhyme or reason. The only constant I've ever known is to make sure you are signing in right at midnight - you can't be signed in already.
 
Meet and greets and if you have a special night you want Palo. After that, everything is gravy. Unless you want to look for a Cabana. Try that first.
 
I think Palo is the hardest thing to get, followed by drink tastings. But we were on a 7 day and had extra chances for the meet and greets.
 
Hi there. First time cruiser here with late April Fantasy cruise booked. What does "PAT" mentioned above stand for? Thanks!

Don't feel badly, I still have to try and figure out some abbreviations here! :cutie: PrincessShmoo gave you the answer right before this post! :flower2:
 
PAT is separate from all the activities (which includes excursions, Palo, meet and greets, alcohol tastings). It's pretty typical that either one or the other (PAT or activities) doesn't actually open right at midnight. So - do whichever opens first, that's my advice! There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to which will open first and/or on time.
 

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