I've read a fair share of TR & got so many great tips/suggestions so I hope I can do the same for some others. PLUS the fact that I had 2 kiddos w/ us might help ease some of the panic/questions...
If you have questions along the way...please feel free to ask...it was a huge help getting advice/tips prior to our cruise. My DH was amazed sometime on the info I could provide....LOL!
CAST: myself, DH, DD (4.5) and DS (1) INSIDE STATEROOM 7565
my Mom & DH also came w/ us but had a room w/ a verhanda (across from us, I want to say it was 7566)
This is us (minus Mom & her DH)
Andres 1st time seeing Mickey & my DD 1st time seeing characters w/out crying!! This was a magical moment...even thought it might not look like it...LOL!! (waiting to board the Wonder!)
Home a away from home for a WEEK (YIKES!)
1st question I asked myself was the room going to be big enough for all 4 of us...and the answer was YES, we were fine w/ it. Our host (Eric) routinely got to our room ASAP pulled the pack n play out & had my DD bed ready. Yes, it was a bit tight but we managed & would do the same type of room again (2013, deposit set...waiting on dates to come out to pick!) We actually checked the day we were boarding on a price of an upgrade & it still was way to expensive/not in our budget for us. Quick note: we were VERY suprised how comfy our bed was, it actually was 2 singles put together but it was comfy & pretty big!
As for as noise...we couldn't hear anything...every once in awhile you would hear kids running down the hall or towards last night we did hear some music but nothing that kept us awake. I did talk to one of our neighbor & I apologized in advance if she had heard my son crying/fussing at any time & she said she heard very little but nothing to keep her family up...which made me feel good.
Below pics show are inside Stateroom:
Our dear friends surprised us w/ having a 6 pack of Budlights waiting for us...this was so awesome!
The room was a decent size for us to move around in or for the kids to roll around on the floor & play a bit.
After the 1st night we told our room host the top bunk did not need to be pulled down...we didn't need it since we had the Pack N Play, BUT in 2013 this will be the room configuration we'll go w/ since the kids will be older.
What are we doing w/ the kids!?
My DD LOVED the Oceaner Club, she asked on a daily basis to go...after dinner we normally planned to walk the ship (we had the 1st dinner & DS wouldn't sit through a show @ 8:00) PLUS he wouldn't even sit through dinner (will touch on that shortly) Once my DD heard we wouldn't be doing much she would request to go to the "CLUB" There was so much going on for them, characters, sing a-longs, activities & just plain FUN!
My DS on the other hand refused to stay in Flounders Nursery! The 1st time he stayed for 2 hours & the 2 times after that it was only an hour...we got messages via our wave phones asking to pick him up...at 1st it was disappointing because I know we needed our "alone" time BUT at the same time it was nice to spend some time just w/ my DH & DS. One night my boys even played basketball, my DS loved being able to walk around the court (deck 10) w/out us being worried others bumping into him...he had the whole court just to cruise around (he learned to WALK ON THE SHIP...very memorable time & place for him to finally get his walking down!)
The 1st day you board they have the clubs/childcare open for "Open House" it was nice to to take a peek prior to all the madness & crowds. Below are pics from the "Open House" from Oceaner & Flounders:
I'm searching for another pic of the entrance into the Oceaner...but for now this is what I have:
Computer lab/dress up area-
**PS you can see my DD Oceaner Club bracelet on her ankle...this can be put on at the port (they open a line for this) It was nice to get it done & out of the way, one less thing to do when you actually board the ship. Majority of the kids had it on their wrist but I knew it would bug my DD so I had it placed on her ankle...and there was no problems what so ever!
Entrance into Flounders-
2nd part of Flounders-
AND this is a message I hope you don't receive from any of the clubs/childcare on your Wave Phone!
What's to EAT...Dinners, Meals, Food-
Well, I packed for a 2 formal nights...1 family & 1 Palo...well pretty much either of those happened
for us! The 1st formal night my DS wasn't having it, I think it was all so much for him so soon...I ended up taking him back to the room & was highly disappointed & sad that I couldn't enjoy such a nice dinner w/ the rest of my family BUT to my surprise there was a knock on the door & it was one of our server (Gorin) w/ my YUMMY HUGE STEAK...I was already in my pj's but he made my night by delivering that dinner...it helped ease my sadness (shortly after DH & DD arrived)
We ended up cancelling Palo because things weren't going good for DS w/ nursery. The rest of our dinners were either room service or Beach Blanket Buffet. We were fine w/ these...we actually really enjoyed the room service option for dinner & breakfast. Made things a lot easier w/ kids! (We always know there is a next time & will do Palo then.)
I had packed Gerber snacks for my DS & it was a huge help to have them on hand at all times (by the pool, meals, in port etc.) and when we were in PV I was able to run to Wal-Mart & grab some more snacks for my DS that helped finish the rest of the trip.
If your kids like fruit...there is plenty of it, which saved me big time w/ both my kids for snacks & meals. My DS is normally a REALLY GOOD eater but I don't know what happened to him
, he was pretty picky or it was extremely challenging to get him to eat. I think there was too much going on around us or he might have been feeling the boat. This is where room service came in handy or just grabbing a bunch of stuff from the buffet was helpful. We would take the food back to the room & able to sit him down & concentrate on just feeding him w/out all the other distractions going on.
ALSO if you’re like me & when it's meal time it's meal time...I had to let it go, I was getting so frustrated that they wouldn't eat that it was causing me to get upset right when we sat down...finally I gave up. I figured if they were hungry they would eat...and they did. The outside eatery’s were also big hits for my kids, hot dogs, burgers, fries, chicken strips & pizza. (NO we don't eat this normally & it was hard for me to let them eat a lot more of these foods during the trip BUT they had to eat...so for everyone to be happy these were routinely a option. BUT don't forget you can grab some veggies at the buffet!
ALSO there is milk dispensing machine in the same location the soda was (deck 9.) **You could also order room service the night before & order your milk (in cartons) for the next morning.
Another note on room service after about 2 times ordering we had to make a note on our slip for the AM (you leave the slip outside your door the prior night) that it was only 2 adults & 2 small kids...they gave us way too much food for us to eat! LOL! If you have a smaller kids w/ you, you might also need to do this. I felt bad wasting so much food the first 2 times.
Character Breakfast- was a lot of fun (ours was Monday morning) I really feel that the characters took their time coming around to EACH TABLE & didn't feel rushed. We were able to get pictures, sign autographs & a little play.
@ Tritons- one of the better breakfast places IMO.
On one of our rare "alone" times we hit up the deck for pizza, beer & a movie.
AND for room service DON'T FORGET TO ORDER YOUR **MICKEY BAR'S!!**
BOOZE!
So a month or even a few weeks before our cruise I started hearing a bunch of rumors over the alcohol policy being changed. Disney (at least at that time of our cruise) let us bring as much alcohol we could fit into our carry on & let me tell you WE DID!! W/out this we would have spent a ton more! I'll list what we had & please don't place judgment...LOL, we just wanted to make sure we had enough...LOL!
1. One handle of Captain Morgan
2. One 18 pack
3. Two premade margarita bottles
BUT we came back w/ the following:
1. ONE premade margarita bottle
2. less than a 1/2 bottle of Captain Morgan (left in stateroom)
AND while we were in PV we also purchased 1-12 pack & 1-18 pack of beer...we left a total of 3-4 beers in our stateroom fridge!
FOR US...this was a huge savings for us to bring our own booze on board! I really hope they don't change their alcohol policy in the near future because it does cut the cost of the bill when it comes time to cash out.
I had made our own cups, this was helpful for a nice cold BIG cup of ice water OR my DH coke & Captian Morgan OR the premade margaritas:
And we did buy the DCL beer mugs which I thought was a great buy also & a cool souvenir!
$15.00 EACH...we personally thought it was a great deal. You get charged for a 16oz BUT you get a 22oz instead...for 2 Budlights, I want to say we paid about $12 (and change) IF you don't want to carry the mug back to your room, they give you a card & you exchange the card for the a clean mug & beer when you’re ready for another. *Original price DOES NOT include a beer.*
Packing:
I OVER PACKED TOTALLY!! Jeans-were not needed OR if so only 1 set! SHORTS, SHIRTS, TANKS & swim gear are all must! And pretty much all you'll need.
I also brought to many sweatshirts...ony 2 are needed, you will need them on some evenings at night.
Shoes = flip flops or your favorite 2 comfy ones. Try to make your dress shoes match all your formal attire.
For the kids, the same...to many jeans. My DD did wore leggings in the evening & my DS sweatpants w/ a tee. My kids were in Disney shirts daily & they seemed to like that. They also only needed a varity of shorts & light weight pants.
I did pack my kids some coloring books, light weight soft ball, cards & my DD doll, it was nice to have on some evenings we ended up back in the cabin a bit early OR even on the deck.
Tidbits & Dislikes:
We didn't do any port adventures...we just did shopping that was near by the ports & we felt comfortable w/ that & it did take up a good amount of time.
Pirate Night-
If you have a costume wear it, if you don't have a costume get one! I really thought it was so cool to see a entire family dressed up. From young little ones to Grandparents dressed up really made the evening a lot of fun. In our party it was just myself & kids but next time I think my DH might be up to it a bit more since he did see how many people did dress up. AND I personally will now be on the lookout for a better pirate costume then I actually had...LOL!
I was very unhappy w/ the Pirate Night...dinner was fine but the show for the evening was WAY TO LONG!! It was a dance party that last FOREVER & could have been cut lot shorter...kids were getting restless & parents were getting tired. This night was the night of the long Cabo day so lots of people were tired & it was HOT ALL DAY....so waiting & waiting for the fireworks was a pain!
BUT ON THE GOOD NOTE- it was very good firework show & seeing Mickey zip down was pretty cool! I just wish it wasn't as long or maybe even a bit earlier. And since younger ones are on board, it might be cool to do a bit more pirate theme the entire day...gives them more of a chance to participate in case they can't last till fireworks.
LOVED all the character meet & greets...there was plenty & I felt like you weren't rushed. For the 1st Princess gathering (Belle, Snow White, Cinderella & Tianna) we did get in line early & it was well worth it. It was nice to also hear that they were closing off the line OR a different character was going to come in & change out if you were in a certain point of the line (this happened throughout the cruise) We went to DL the Monday we had returned from the DC & didn't even bother to stand in line for characters at the park, it just seemed such a long wait & we were so spoiled with much shorter waits on the cruise. SO long story short, if you’re going for characters or your kids love the characters it’s a PERFECT place for them to meet & greet them on the DCL!
The character dance party that also happened in the lobby & that was VERY CROWDED, we ended up staying on one of the higher decks that had Belle & Cinderella hanging out. I wish the characters would have maybe routed floors w/ this...the crowd on the lobby was way to much for my little ones. It still was fun though especially since we got Belle & Cinderella.
The crowd-
BUT LOOK who we got pretty much have to ourselves...it was a handful of us in this area...
Toddler Splash area was very neat & my DS loved it! BUT...it kinda was a pain because I couldn't enjoy both my kids @ the same time. My DH & I had to seperate...the splash zone is for kids that aren't potty trained (or in swim diaper still) the Mickey Pool & Goofy Pool is for all others BUT my issue was that I couldn't see my DD playing on her side & my DH couldn't see my DS enjoying the splash zone...yes we could have switched but the joy of it was to see both of them at the same time & also be a family during water time. SO I went over the rules one day & let my DD come & play w/ her brother in the splash zone. (Sorry if your really against this BUT I had to do it for my family & we did enjoy the bit of time we spent there.)
Shops...I kinda was disappointed about the shopping. I was really looking forward to more DCL Exclusives items & the fact that that didn't have the Mexican Riviera Vinlymation was a bummer (was purchasing one for a friend) ALSO, I wished they had more options for toddlers. If you found something you liked or wanted...best thing is to purchase at that time because items do run out.
We defiantly will be participating in FE next time around. The few that I did see hanging looked cute & my DD kept saying she wished we did it. I did do magnets for our door & would do them again! I could hear people walking by & commenting on them. Only thing is I would switch the magnets I used to heavier/better quality ones.
Our door-
I'm at my limit of pictures on this post...but if you have questions or would like to see more...please let me know. I sure hope I have answered any of your questions or showed you a few new things.
Enjoy your trip or planning!
If you have questions along the way...please feel free to ask...it was a huge help getting advice/tips prior to our cruise. My DH was amazed sometime on the info I could provide....LOL!
CAST: myself, DH, DD (4.5) and DS (1) INSIDE STATEROOM 7565
my Mom & DH also came w/ us but had a room w/ a verhanda (across from us, I want to say it was 7566)
This is us (minus Mom & her DH)
Andres 1st time seeing Mickey & my DD 1st time seeing characters w/out crying!! This was a magical moment...even thought it might not look like it...LOL!! (waiting to board the Wonder!)
Home a away from home for a WEEK (YIKES!)
1st question I asked myself was the room going to be big enough for all 4 of us...and the answer was YES, we were fine w/ it. Our host (Eric) routinely got to our room ASAP pulled the pack n play out & had my DD bed ready. Yes, it was a bit tight but we managed & would do the same type of room again (2013, deposit set...waiting on dates to come out to pick!) We actually checked the day we were boarding on a price of an upgrade & it still was way to expensive/not in our budget for us. Quick note: we were VERY suprised how comfy our bed was, it actually was 2 singles put together but it was comfy & pretty big!
As for as noise...we couldn't hear anything...every once in awhile you would hear kids running down the hall or towards last night we did hear some music but nothing that kept us awake. I did talk to one of our neighbor & I apologized in advance if she had heard my son crying/fussing at any time & she said she heard very little but nothing to keep her family up...which made me feel good.
Below pics show are inside Stateroom:
Our dear friends surprised us w/ having a 6 pack of Budlights waiting for us...this was so awesome!
The room was a decent size for us to move around in or for the kids to roll around on the floor & play a bit.
After the 1st night we told our room host the top bunk did not need to be pulled down...we didn't need it since we had the Pack N Play, BUT in 2013 this will be the room configuration we'll go w/ since the kids will be older.
What are we doing w/ the kids!?
My DD LOVED the Oceaner Club, she asked on a daily basis to go...after dinner we normally planned to walk the ship (we had the 1st dinner & DS wouldn't sit through a show @ 8:00) PLUS he wouldn't even sit through dinner (will touch on that shortly) Once my DD heard we wouldn't be doing much she would request to go to the "CLUB" There was so much going on for them, characters, sing a-longs, activities & just plain FUN!
My DS on the other hand refused to stay in Flounders Nursery! The 1st time he stayed for 2 hours & the 2 times after that it was only an hour...we got messages via our wave phones asking to pick him up...at 1st it was disappointing because I know we needed our "alone" time BUT at the same time it was nice to spend some time just w/ my DH & DS. One night my boys even played basketball, my DS loved being able to walk around the court (deck 10) w/out us being worried others bumping into him...he had the whole court just to cruise around (he learned to WALK ON THE SHIP...very memorable time & place for him to finally get his walking down!)
The 1st day you board they have the clubs/childcare open for "Open House" it was nice to to take a peek prior to all the madness & crowds. Below are pics from the "Open House" from Oceaner & Flounders:
I'm searching for another pic of the entrance into the Oceaner...but for now this is what I have:
Computer lab/dress up area-
**PS you can see my DD Oceaner Club bracelet on her ankle...this can be put on at the port (they open a line for this) It was nice to get it done & out of the way, one less thing to do when you actually board the ship. Majority of the kids had it on their wrist but I knew it would bug my DD so I had it placed on her ankle...and there was no problems what so ever!
Entrance into Flounders-
2nd part of Flounders-
AND this is a message I hope you don't receive from any of the clubs/childcare on your Wave Phone!
What's to EAT...Dinners, Meals, Food-
Well, I packed for a 2 formal nights...1 family & 1 Palo...well pretty much either of those happened
for us! The 1st formal night my DS wasn't having it, I think it was all so much for him so soon...I ended up taking him back to the room & was highly disappointed & sad that I couldn't enjoy such a nice dinner w/ the rest of my family BUT to my surprise there was a knock on the door & it was one of our server (Gorin) w/ my YUMMY HUGE STEAK...I was already in my pj's but he made my night by delivering that dinner...it helped ease my sadness (shortly after DH & DD arrived)We ended up cancelling Palo because things weren't going good for DS w/ nursery. The rest of our dinners were either room service or Beach Blanket Buffet. We were fine w/ these...we actually really enjoyed the room service option for dinner & breakfast. Made things a lot easier w/ kids! (We always know there is a next time & will do Palo then.)
I had packed Gerber snacks for my DS & it was a huge help to have them on hand at all times (by the pool, meals, in port etc.) and when we were in PV I was able to run to Wal-Mart & grab some more snacks for my DS that helped finish the rest of the trip.
If your kids like fruit...there is plenty of it, which saved me big time w/ both my kids for snacks & meals. My DS is normally a REALLY GOOD eater but I don't know what happened to him
, he was pretty picky or it was extremely challenging to get him to eat. I think there was too much going on around us or he might have been feeling the boat. This is where room service came in handy or just grabbing a bunch of stuff from the buffet was helpful. We would take the food back to the room & able to sit him down & concentrate on just feeding him w/out all the other distractions going on.ALSO if you’re like me & when it's meal time it's meal time...I had to let it go, I was getting so frustrated that they wouldn't eat that it was causing me to get upset right when we sat down...finally I gave up. I figured if they were hungry they would eat...and they did. The outside eatery’s were also big hits for my kids, hot dogs, burgers, fries, chicken strips & pizza. (NO we don't eat this normally & it was hard for me to let them eat a lot more of these foods during the trip BUT they had to eat...so for everyone to be happy these were routinely a option. BUT don't forget you can grab some veggies at the buffet!
ALSO there is milk dispensing machine in the same location the soda was (deck 9.) **You could also order room service the night before & order your milk (in cartons) for the next morning.
Another note on room service after about 2 times ordering we had to make a note on our slip for the AM (you leave the slip outside your door the prior night) that it was only 2 adults & 2 small kids...they gave us way too much food for us to eat! LOL! If you have a smaller kids w/ you, you might also need to do this. I felt bad wasting so much food the first 2 times.
Character Breakfast- was a lot of fun (ours was Monday morning) I really feel that the characters took their time coming around to EACH TABLE & didn't feel rushed. We were able to get pictures, sign autographs & a little play.
@ Tritons- one of the better breakfast places IMO.
On one of our rare "alone" times we hit up the deck for pizza, beer & a movie.
AND for room service DON'T FORGET TO ORDER YOUR **MICKEY BAR'S!!**
BOOZE!
So a month or even a few weeks before our cruise I started hearing a bunch of rumors over the alcohol policy being changed. Disney (at least at that time of our cruise) let us bring as much alcohol we could fit into our carry on & let me tell you WE DID!! W/out this we would have spent a ton more! I'll list what we had & please don't place judgment...LOL, we just wanted to make sure we had enough...LOL!
1. One handle of Captain Morgan
2. One 18 pack
3. Two premade margarita bottles
BUT we came back w/ the following:
1. ONE premade margarita bottle
2. less than a 1/2 bottle of Captain Morgan (left in stateroom)
AND while we were in PV we also purchased 1-12 pack & 1-18 pack of beer...we left a total of 3-4 beers in our stateroom fridge!
FOR US...this was a huge savings for us to bring our own booze on board! I really hope they don't change their alcohol policy in the near future because it does cut the cost of the bill when it comes time to cash out.
I had made our own cups, this was helpful for a nice cold BIG cup of ice water OR my DH coke & Captian Morgan OR the premade margaritas:
And we did buy the DCL beer mugs which I thought was a great buy also & a cool souvenir!
$15.00 EACH...we personally thought it was a great deal. You get charged for a 16oz BUT you get a 22oz instead...for 2 Budlights, I want to say we paid about $12 (and change) IF you don't want to carry the mug back to your room, they give you a card & you exchange the card for the a clean mug & beer when you’re ready for another. *Original price DOES NOT include a beer.*
Packing:
I OVER PACKED TOTALLY!! Jeans-were not needed OR if so only 1 set! SHORTS, SHIRTS, TANKS & swim gear are all must! And pretty much all you'll need.
I also brought to many sweatshirts...ony 2 are needed, you will need them on some evenings at night.
Shoes = flip flops or your favorite 2 comfy ones. Try to make your dress shoes match all your formal attire.
For the kids, the same...to many jeans. My DD did wore leggings in the evening & my DS sweatpants w/ a tee. My kids were in Disney shirts daily & they seemed to like that. They also only needed a varity of shorts & light weight pants.
I did pack my kids some coloring books, light weight soft ball, cards & my DD doll, it was nice to have on some evenings we ended up back in the cabin a bit early OR even on the deck.
Tidbits & Dislikes:
We didn't do any port adventures...we just did shopping that was near by the ports & we felt comfortable w/ that & it did take up a good amount of time.
Pirate Night-
If you have a costume wear it, if you don't have a costume get one! I really thought it was so cool to see a entire family dressed up. From young little ones to Grandparents dressed up really made the evening a lot of fun. In our party it was just myself & kids but next time I think my DH might be up to it a bit more since he did see how many people did dress up. AND I personally will now be on the lookout for a better pirate costume then I actually had...LOL!
I was very unhappy w/ the Pirate Night...dinner was fine but the show for the evening was WAY TO LONG!! It was a dance party that last FOREVER & could have been cut lot shorter...kids were getting restless & parents were getting tired. This night was the night of the long Cabo day so lots of people were tired & it was HOT ALL DAY....so waiting & waiting for the fireworks was a pain!
BUT ON THE GOOD NOTE- it was very good firework show & seeing Mickey zip down was pretty cool! I just wish it wasn't as long or maybe even a bit earlier. And since younger ones are on board, it might be cool to do a bit more pirate theme the entire day...gives them more of a chance to participate in case they can't last till fireworks.
LOVED all the character meet & greets...there was plenty & I felt like you weren't rushed. For the 1st Princess gathering (Belle, Snow White, Cinderella & Tianna) we did get in line early & it was well worth it. It was nice to also hear that they were closing off the line OR a different character was going to come in & change out if you were in a certain point of the line (this happened throughout the cruise) We went to DL the Monday we had returned from the DC & didn't even bother to stand in line for characters at the park, it just seemed such a long wait & we were so spoiled with much shorter waits on the cruise. SO long story short, if you’re going for characters or your kids love the characters it’s a PERFECT place for them to meet & greet them on the DCL!
The character dance party that also happened in the lobby & that was VERY CROWDED, we ended up staying on one of the higher decks that had Belle & Cinderella hanging out. I wish the characters would have maybe routed floors w/ this...the crowd on the lobby was way to much for my little ones. It still was fun though especially since we got Belle & Cinderella.
The crowd-
BUT LOOK who we got pretty much have to ourselves...it was a handful of us in this area...
Toddler Splash area was very neat & my DS loved it! BUT...it kinda was a pain because I couldn't enjoy both my kids @ the same time. My DH & I had to seperate...the splash zone is for kids that aren't potty trained (or in swim diaper still) the Mickey Pool & Goofy Pool is for all others BUT my issue was that I couldn't see my DD playing on her side & my DH couldn't see my DS enjoying the splash zone...yes we could have switched but the joy of it was to see both of them at the same time & also be a family during water time. SO I went over the rules one day & let my DD come & play w/ her brother in the splash zone. (Sorry if your really against this BUT I had to do it for my family & we did enjoy the bit of time we spent there.)
Shops...I kinda was disappointed about the shopping. I was really looking forward to more DCL Exclusives items & the fact that that didn't have the Mexican Riviera Vinlymation was a bummer (was purchasing one for a friend) ALSO, I wished they had more options for toddlers. If you found something you liked or wanted...best thing is to purchase at that time because items do run out.
We defiantly will be participating in FE next time around. The few that I did see hanging looked cute & my DD kept saying she wished we did it. I did do magnets for our door & would do them again! I could hear people walking by & commenting on them. Only thing is I would switch the magnets I used to heavier/better quality ones.
Our door-
I'm at my limit of pictures on this post...but if you have questions or would like to see more...please let me know. I sure hope I have answered any of your questions or showed you a few new things.
Enjoy your trip or planning!
We brought plenty ourselves but found that we didn't even put a dent in it because we were too busy running around all day! I still had an unopened bottle of Maker's Mark that had to come home with me (I tried pawning it off onto cruise staff, but they all said they'd get in trouble if they took it 
