POST YOUR DISNEY DREAM TIPS/MUST do'S!

[juliebug1997]

Does anyone have a good link to a site that lists the stateroom locations?

There is a link on the main cruise page (I think) that you can find links to maps of the ship.

 

[diznie]

How to celebrate a 25th anniversary and a 50th birthday on the Dream? Any tips?

 

[disneyholic family]

i'm also interested in birthdays - my sister will be celebrating her 63rd b-day on board!!

 

[boettj]

Rebook your cruise on Day 1.

What do you mean by this?

 

[juliebug1997]

What do you mean by this?

They mean to book your next cruise on day one. If you wait until we did on day four, you'll be in a line that goes forever. We waited an hour! However, we were happy to do it and I'm so excited about looking at booking when I'm on again in July!

 

[boettj]

I have gone from page 9-21 collecting all of the tips. Some of them are duplicates, but I didn't want to ignore any of the comments. I'll finish up the rest of the pages shortly.


Pre-cruise:

• Pack your suitcase and then remove about 25% of what you packed. Remember that you may spend the days in your bathing suits and cover ups so you will not need as much clothes as you think. - Brancaneve
• Pack $1 bills for tips - Francisca64
• Pack a water bottle or travel mug - Francisca64
• Pack a collapsible hamper - Francisca64
• Pack Post-it notes - Francisca64
• Pack a variety of simple meds (headaches, stomach aches) - Francisca64
• We never used a hamper for the 7 day cruise.I usually just fold the clothes back up put them in a garbage bag to bring them back home for wash. - NAB

Boarding:

• Unless you have specific questions or needs, pick up a cruise reservation card at the booking desk on your first day. Fill it out that night or the next with what you want and a credit card number and drop it off in the box. All done! If you're booking a dummy cruise, pick the farthest time out and a cabin that is the minimum you want. Don't wait until the last night to book or you'll be sitting in line for A LONG WHILE! Or book at the desk that first day. - sistert
• If arriving early to the port, eat a good breakfast before you arrive. If you're arriving late, have a good snack. In either case, you could of course just bring a snack. The area that is now check-in for concierge and platinum cruisers use to be a snack bar for those who have been in awhile. - sistert
• The earlier you arrive at port the earlier you can board. There is a CM handing out cards with boarding numbers. We arrived at port at 9:30am (really excited to get on) but they wouldn't allow anyone in the terminal until 10:30am. - hateras
• HINT: If you are driving - go up to the parking garage level three as there is a CM at a podium that will check you into the terminal. The mass of people will be down on ground level but there was virtually no line at the level 3 garage entrance. - hateras
• Once in the terminal you will go through security and then to the check in lines - when you enter that line there is a CM handing out the boarding numbers. The earlier your get there the longer (unfortunately) you will sit around and wait but you will have a very low boarding number. (on our sail date we were 4 but I heard there were numbers as high as 30). - hateras
• THERE IS NO PLACE TO BUY FOOD OR DRINKS IN THE TERMINAL SO YOU MAY WANT TO BRING A SNACK WITH YOU. - hateras
• I do think that with the earlier boarding time you have the advantage of less crowds when you go eat and more time to get to your room and get ready for the Show and dinner. - hateras
• Check in for the cruise at the airport.- BlondeJungleBookFan
• If you fly in the day before, staying at the Hyatt at MCO was great.- BlondeJungleBookFan

ROOMS:

• We had a room with a verandah - the room was decent the only issue I had was with storage for clothes. I don't like to live out of suitcases so I pretty much had to hang everything I had. My DH and DS's had to use every other nook and cranny they could find to put their clothes away. If you don't mind the suitcases there was plenty of storage under the bed which was still convenient to get to in the event you needed it. - hateras
• BRING EXTRA HANGERS. There were plenty enough hangers for 2-3 people but for a family of 4 or more you will need extra. - hateras
• BRING A MAGNETIC CARD: like a rewards card or old hotel room key - you will need this to keep the lights and A/C on in the room. There is a slot by the door that you need to place your room key in order for the lights and air to work. Using a generic card works and keeps you from having to remove your Key to the World Card (room key) from your lanyard everytime you enter or exit the room. - hateras
• HAIRDRYER ISSUES: Mine worked just fine as long as you used the plug that is designated for the hair dryer which is a 220 v outlet. It is a little odd to blow dry your hair in the main cabin by the desk area but my dryer worked just fine. - hateras
• You may want to bring a power strip as they don't have many standard electrical outlets. - hateras
• If you are bringing a magnetic card to use to keep your lights and air on in your room, bring at least 2. We tried this on our last Dream cruise and our room host removed it one night. This could have been on purpose or forgetfulness as I've seen room stewards use random KTTW cards to turn the lights on for cleaning. - sistert
• This time we finally took the advice of many and brought an over the door shoe holder. We will NEVER cruise without one again. It saved SOOOO much space in our stateroom and kept all the shoes handy for our family of 4. 3 of wich were girls(lots of shoes). We will probably take 2 next time. We did get 2nd dining this time, which was hard on our 3 almost 4yr old, but it was nice not having to rush around getting ready for supper at 6pm. - breakingd_awn
• If you have a veranda, consider watching the fireworks from there to avoid the crowds on the main decks. We had an aft veranda and could see it all perfectly in the comfort of our room. - Brancaneve
• Instead of a hamper, I bring two mesh laundry bags. One is white and one is red or blue (I have 2). That way my family knows to put the white clothes in the white laundry bag and the colored clothes in the color ones. They add no weight to the suitcase and when the cruise is over I just put the bags with the clothes in the suitcase. - BigDogHU75

Food/Dining/Room Service/Drinks:

• Consider ordering a second appetizer or entree and splitting it with your DH/DW/DS/DD/ETC... That way you don't over do it but still get to try several different items. - sistert
• If bringing a mug for use at the drink fountain, please be courteous and not let the mug rim touch the spigot, or use the cups at the station to fill your mug with. It's a sanitation issue. On more than one occasion I saw a CM at the station who would fill your mug for you for this reason. - sistert
• We ate at Palo's twice, both late seatings. Next time, because it was our first time on this ship, I would skip it completely (although, DH and I agree if there was a way to just get dessert - Tiramisu and Chocolate Souffle on their outside deck - we would DO that)! LOVED Animator's Palate and would recommend ending with this one (as you will eat at your ending restaurant three times ( for 2 dinners and the last breakfast). - ajwaspooh
• Food was exceptionally good in the main dining rooms! I would have skipped Palo and just eaten in these every night. On our next cruise, we may just do that. We are foodies and love great food so take that into consideration. Palo's service was wonderful!!! The desserts were sumptuous! But, I feel like we missed out on some great food in the main dining rooms. - ajwaspooh
• Also, Cabanas - WoW! So surprised by their food! I LOVED the beef short ribs - everyone in our party was amazed by them. And, Cookies on CC has vastly improved in my opinion, as well. My ribs were super tender, tons of meat with very little fat. The coleslaw was nice, as well. The only thing is I really missed the Cookie Dough soft serve ice cream. So sad that is gone..... (or maybe it is still there and I missed it?) - ajwaspooh
• Order Room Service coffee at night before you go to bed each night. Oh this was wonderful!!!! Thank you to every poster who has suggested this! I would still put out a sign with our continental breakfast requests, as well, but if I was up before that was to be delivered, that coffee was great to have (and still quite warm!).*
  IF AT NO OTHER TIME, ORDER ROOM SERVICE THE NIGHT BEFORE DISEMBARKATION! You can get coffee, cereal and milk for the kids, etc. We like to have something right when we get up and this was perfect. We actually ended up taking the kids cereal off the ship with us and they ate it as a snack later in the car.* - ajwaspooh
• This is my tip that I have not seen yet. Both Animator's Pallete and Royal Palace have alternate entrances. Animators is past the main entrance on the other sideof the restrooms, and RPs is on that long hallway. Using these makes avoiding the crowds really easy! - msteddom
• Don't miss the buffet lunch on board when in Castaway Cay. They service a seafood buffet that is just to die for. - Fosterlv
• I ordered a carafe of coffee every night and then drank the coffee(which was still hot) on my veranda in the morning. That was such a nice treat! Thanks to PPs for this incredible tip. - Brancaneve
• STRONGLY RECOMMEND: that you go to enchanted garden for a "sit-down" meal on that first day. Everyone seems to go to the buffet which was crowded but the "sit-down" table service (which was also buffet fare) was less crowded and much more relaxing. This gave us an opportunity to meet servers - one of whom we requested for our dinner service. Disney was able to make the changes so we could have that specific server - he was great! - hateras
• As far as other meals: Breakfast - I preferred a sit down meal at one of the main restaurants vs Cabanas. Cabanas is too crowded and it was difficult to find a place to sit if you had more than 4 people in your party. - hateras
• DON'T BE AFRAID TO ORDER MORE THAN ONE APPETIZER, ENTRE' OR DESSERT - WE ORDERED STEAK AND SCALLOPS OR FISH SINCE WE WANTED TO TRY MORE THAN ONE THING ON THE MENU. As long as you order it at the same time they have no problem bringing out the multiple plates. If there is something that you want but it is not on the menu - just ask as chances are they can get it from another restaurant's kitchen. - hateras
• Bring a large mug with you to fill up at the drink stations as the cups are pretty small - this will keep you from making several trips. - hateras
• DR PEPPER/MR. PIBB/ROOTBEER - etc. is NOT SERVED at your meals free of charge. We were told that it was available but at a separate cost. - hateras
• Try something new and different on the menus! You can always order something else if you hate it. I tried the carrot and apple soup, and loved it.- BlondeJungleBookFan
• Don't miss the dining rooms for your evening meal.- BlondeJungleBookFan
• Enjoy Cookies or Cookies too on CC, the food was good.- BlondeJungleBookFan
• Don't go to dinner early. You will just end up waiting in a long line. Wait until about 5 minutes after the time and just join the end of the line. We found the lines for dinner especially bad on the 3-night cruise for some reason. - jetskigrl
• Don't forget to order Mickey Bars from room service. After our stop at CC, we went back to the room and ordered Mickey Bars to enjoy out on the Verandah as we pulled away from CC. It was a great way to end a wonderful day. - jetskigrl

Safety:

• Pick an easily accessible spot on board to meet should family members become separated or need to meet up after activities that is not your stateroom. The Donald statue (when a meet and greet is not going on), Nemo's reef, etc... Some place that doesn't have a dozen different sides or can be very crowded. - sistert

General Ship:

• Take time to RELAX. There are loads of places on board to simply sit back and relax and not just the lounge/deck chairs. Several spots are actually open all day, not just at night (e.g. Meridian, between Palo's and Remy's). There's what I believe is a smoking area just outside of The District (looks like wooden "bubbles") that is rarely used earlier in the day. The lounges that are around midship, Bon Voyage and the Vista Cafe, seem to be rarely used and has great people watching opportunities. The list goes on and mom and I are working hard to find all of these spots. - sistert
• Make sure to note every CM's name that does something magical, no matter how small. The great CM who works the pin stand and gives you some great trading tips. The CM who always brings you room service, takes your goodies out to the verandah, and leaves you to enjoy yourself with a huge smile on their face. The CM at guest services you simply smiles and laughs with you as you go on and on about how much fun your having, or shows genuine concern (whether they can help or not) when you bring them an issue. When it's time to leave, fill out that comment card and list every last one of them, even if it takes more than one side and down the margin. - sistert
• Use the stairs or Forward / Aft elevators as much as possible.* - ajwaspooh
• Always carry your camera and autograph books and pens with you. We felt there were less convenient character greeting times on this sailing. We were at WDW first and I told the kids to wait until the cruise to see characters as we would see more with less of a wait. Not true this time. We got some great moments, but not as many as previous cruises. So, map that out on your navigators and I bet you will rack up the memories better than we did!
• Do something different--take your camera and go up and down the different stairwells and snap pictures of all the Disney art. So many people miss these gems because they take the elevators everywhere – Silver Cinderella
• Take the stairs! You will find that the elevators are incredibly busy the first few days, so my advice is to burn some calories and take the stairs. The artwork at the base of the stairs is incredible, and I was able to see some rare prints and posters that put a smile on my face. I wouldn't have seen all of that if I was stuck in an elevator. - Brancaneve
• As for the $1-$2 tips, you cash tip your luggage carriers (porters) and whomever brings you room service. $1 per item seems the norm, so it helps to have a stack of $1 bills for those times**We're actually going to the bank and getting a stack of $2 bills for tips. I mean, who just gets ONE room service item?!?!? - Mythicalbee
• Remember it's a Disney Cruise and there will be children. Remember they are there to have fun and be excited when they see the Aqua Duck and any of the characters. Squealing occurs on a regular basis. I find it refreshing and sweet. - BlondeJungleBookFan
• Remember too, that you are blessed to be taking a cruise with your loved ones.....some people are not that lucky. Don't sweat the small stuff*- BlondeJungleBookFan
• Use Onboard Airline check-in if you're flying.- BlondeJungleBookFan
• Explore the ship and enjoy the "artwork" as it is animated.- BlondeJungleBookFan
• Spend time on your balcony or if you don't have a balcony...find some chairs on one of the decks and just enjoy watching the ocean.- BlondeJungleBookFan
• We used Deck 12 for viewing the parties/celebrations and also the fireworks.- BlondeJungleBookFan
• Stop by Deck 5 (I believe) near the Atruim and find the ship picture with the wheel in front of it. It is interactive and your kids (or you) can drive the ship in the picture using the wheel. My DS loved this. - jetskigrl
• Be sure to be up on deck at Noon on the Sea Day (4-night cruise). The Captain plays all of the ships horns one right after the other. It was a great way to hear them all. - jetskigrl
• If your child loses a tooth while on board, let guest services know. They have an adorable button with the Cheshire Cat (missing a tooth) to celebrate the event. We were even able to purchase Disney Dollars from guest services to be placed under DS's pillow. - jetskigrl
• Go to the Skyline lounge at The District and try any of their fantastic cocktails. The background behind the bar shows a different city skyline every 15 minutes and the drink menu reflects the personality of each city. It was such a cozy, fun place to be, even if you aren't into bars(which usually I am not).* - Brancaneve

Shipboard Activities:

• Do the earlier show option if you have younger kids who usually go to bed earlier. We watched the early 4pm show each time it was offered and GREATLY appreciated this! You could arrive at the last minute, get a seat in the first section and be done by 5pm! Then, you had the rest of the evening to eat, roam, etc. - ajwaspooh
• LOVED the Mickey's Detective game. In fact, based on other posters I had the girls do this early in the cruise. They finished up the first one and decided to do it again on our last afternoon/night. We all enjoyed it!!! - ajwaspooh
• Ride AquaDuck right when you board (opens at noon, I think). We sat on the pool deck, enjoyed the counter service foods at Flo's and then checked out Cabana's, as well. All food was amazingly good (better than I remember the older ships being on our last cruise). Also, stay on board the ship on CC day first thing in the morning. We had the pool almost to ourselves and the AD opens at 10am and we went on a couple times before the line became long. - ajwaspooh
• Try to ride in off times - such as during the first dinner seating or 2nd show. Stay on the ship late on Castaway Cay day and catch a ride or two as everyone is rushing to get off the ship.* - hateras
• Don't try to walk up to the ride in bare feet - the deck is very hot. Once you get to the top they will make you take off your sandals/shoes but will allow you to sit on them in the tube for the ride. - hateras
  Rainforest Room. It was amazing and wonderful and relaxing and wonderful and amazing. Seriously the best $16 I have ever spent.* - chasingthedream
• Do a paddle boat or something similar at Castaway Cay.- BlondeJungleBookFan
• Do the Midship Detective Agency with your kids. It was a great way to see a lot of the ship and the pictures are incredible. - jetskigrl

Off Ship Activities:

• If you decide to go to Serenity Bay, you really do want to wear some think soled sandals on the beach and into the water. I only had Old Navy flip flops on; DH didn't think those were thick enough so I stayed on the beach the whole time while he went out into the water. - juliebugg1997

Kids:

• Our kids said to visit the Oceaneers Club/lab at least once. As parents, we recommend getting your kids to visit this place and stay on their own sometime in the first 24 hours. We did not do this and our kids are a bit more timid, I guess. So, by the time they would "release us", it was our 2nd to last day..... (our fault, I know). BTW, PJ party was at 10:30pm (way too late for our kids). So, we quietly asked for 2 pillowcases and they were able to let us take them home. We have permanent fabric markers at home so this was a great option for us. - ajwaspooh
• The boat is big could be a lot of walking. Even getting off at Castway Cay the walk to the tram would be a long walk if the child was heavy and didn't want to walk. Umbrella strollers are easy to fold up too and compact. So even if you didn't use it it can stand up in the closet but would be there is you needed. - NAB

Misc

• Our #1 tip: Book a future cruise early in your cruise. If you don't have a date in mind, book a placeholder. The DCL crew member can explain this to you. And, please give credit to your travel agent if you use one. Same rates whether you book with or without them. We use all seasons travel and LOVE them! This is my 9th sailing and they have provided invaluable information to us EVERY TIME! I feel like they are family at this point.*
  I say this is our #1 tip because, for various reasons, we never booked on board until this time. Now, with our travel agent's help, we realized that we do not need a specific date or tons of money as a down payment (again, thank you all seasons travel). So, learn early from our mistakes (before we had a travel agent....see how much I appreciate them, now?!). - ajwaspooh

 

[tiggspring]

I have gone from page 9-21 collecting all of the tips. Some of them are duplicates, but I didn't want to ignore any of the comments. I'll finish up the rest of the pages shortly.


Pre-cruise:

• Pack your suitcase and then remove about 25% of what you packed. Remember that you may spend the days in your bathing suits and cover ups so you will not need as much clothes as you think. - Brancaneve
• Pack $1 bills for tips - Francisca64
• Pack a water bottle or travel mug - Francisca64
• Pack a collapsible hamper - Francisca64
• Pack Post-it notes - Francisca64
• Pack a variety of simple meds (headaches, stomach aches) - Francisca64
• We never used a hamper for the 7 day cruise.I usually just fold the clothes back up put them in a garbage bag to bring them back home for wash. - NAB

Boarding:

• Unless you have specific questions or needs, pick up a cruise reservation card at the booking desk on your first day. Fill it out that night or the next with what you want and a credit card number and drop it off in the box. All done! If you're booking a dummy cruise, pick the farthest time out and a cabin that is the minimum you want. Don't wait until the last night to book or you'll be sitting in line for A LONG WHILE! Or book at the desk that first day. - sistert
• If arriving early to the port, eat a good breakfast before you arrive. If you're arriving late, have a good snack. In either case, you could of course just bring a snack. The area that is now check-in for concierge and platinum cruisers use to be a snack bar for those who have been in awhile. - sistert
• The earlier you arrive at port the earlier you can board. There is a CM handing out cards with boarding numbers. We arrived at port at 9:30am (really excited to get on) but they wouldn't allow anyone in the terminal until 10:30am. - hateras
• HINT: If you are driving - go up to the parking garage level three as there is a CM at a podium that will check you into the terminal. The mass of people will be down on ground level but there was virtually no line at the level 3 garage entrance. - hateras
• Once in the terminal you will go through security and then to the check in lines - when you enter that line there is a CM handing out the boarding numbers. The earlier your get there the longer (unfortunately) you will sit around and wait but you will have a very low boarding number. (on our sail date we were 4 but I heard there were numbers as high as 30). - hateras
• THERE IS NO PLACE TO BUY FOOD OR DRINKS IN THE TERMINAL SO YOU MAY WANT TO BRING A SNACK WITH YOU. - hateras
• I do think that with the earlier boarding time you have the advantage of less crowds when you go eat and more time to get to your room and get ready for the Show and dinner. - hateras
• Check in for the cruise at the airport.- BlondeJungleBookFan
• If you fly in the day before, staying at the Hyatt at MCO was great.- BlondeJungleBookFan

ROOMS:

• We had a room with a verandah - the room was decent the only issue I had was with storage for clothes. I don't like to live out of suitcases so I pretty much had to hang everything I had. My DH and DS's had to use every other nook and cranny they could find to put their clothes away. If you don't mind the suitcases there was plenty of storage under the bed which was still convenient to get to in the event you needed it. - hateras
• BRING EXTRA HANGERS. There were plenty enough hangers for 2-3 people but for a family of 4 or more you will need extra. - hateras
• BRING A MAGNETIC CARD: like a rewards card or old hotel room key - you will need this to keep the lights and A/C on in the room. There is a slot by the door that you need to place your room key in order for the lights and air to work. Using a generic card works and keeps you from having to remove your Key to the World Card (room key) from your lanyard everytime you enter or exit the room. - hateras
• HAIRDRYER ISSUES: Mine worked just fine as long as you used the plug that is designated for the hair dryer which is a 220 v outlet. It is a little odd to blow dry your hair in the main cabin by the desk area but my dryer worked just fine. - hateras
• You may want to bring a power strip as they don't have many standard electrical outlets. - hateras
• If you are bringing a magnetic card to use to keep your lights and air on in your room, bring at least 2. We tried this on our last Dream cruise and our room host removed it one night. This could have been on purpose or forgetfulness as I've seen room stewards use random KTTW cards to turn the lights on for cleaning. - sistert
• This time we finally took the advice of many and brought an over the door shoe holder. We will NEVER cruise without one again. It saved SOOOO much space in our stateroom and kept all the shoes handy for our family of 4. 3 of wich were girls(lots of shoes). We will probably take 2 next time. We did get 2nd dining this time, which was hard on our 3 almost 4yr old, but it was nice not having to rush around getting ready for supper at 6pm. - breakingd_awn
• If you have a veranda, consider watching the fireworks from there to avoid the crowds on the main decks. We had an aft veranda and could see it all perfectly in the comfort of our room. - Brancaneve
• Instead of a hamper, I bring two mesh laundry bags. One is white and one is red or blue (I have 2). That way my family knows to put the white clothes in the white laundry bag and the colored clothes in the color ones. They add no weight to the suitcase and when the cruise is over I just put the bags with the clothes in the suitcase. - BigDogHU75

Food/Dining/Room Service/Drinks:

• Consider ordering a second appetizer or entree and splitting it with your DH/DW/DS/DD/ETC... That way you don't over do it but still get to try several different items. - sistert
• If bringing a mug for use at the drink fountain, please be courteous and not let the mug rim touch the spigot, or use the cups at the station to fill your mug with. It's a sanitation issue. On more than one occasion I saw a CM at the station who would fill your mug for you for this reason. - sistert
• We ate at Palo's twice, both late seatings. Next time, because it was our first time on this ship, I would skip it completely (although, DH and I agree if there was a way to just get dessert - Tiramisu and Chocolate Souffle on their outside deck - we would DO that)! LOVED Animator's Palate and would recommend ending with this one (as you will eat at your ending restaurant three times ( for 2 dinners and the last breakfast). - ajwaspooh
• Food was exceptionally good in the main dining rooms! I would have skipped Palo and just eaten in these every night. On our next cruise, we may just do that. We are foodies and love great food so take that into consideration. Palo's service was wonderful!!! The desserts were sumptuous! But, I feel like we missed out on some great food in the main dining rooms. - ajwaspooh
• Also, Cabanas - WoW! So surprised by their food! I LOVED the beef short ribs - everyone in our party was amazed by them. And, Cookies on CC has vastly improved in my opinion, as well. My ribs were super tender, tons of meat with very little fat. The coleslaw was nice, as well. The only thing is I really missed the Cookie Dough soft serve ice cream. So sad that is gone..... (or maybe it is still there and I missed it?) - ajwaspooh
• Order Room Service coffee at night before you go to bed each night. Oh this was wonderful!!!! Thank you to every poster who has suggested this! I would still put out a sign with our continental breakfast requests, as well, but if I was up before that was to be delivered, that coffee was great to have (and still quite warm!).*
  IF AT NO OTHER TIME, ORDER ROOM SERVICE THE NIGHT BEFORE DISEMBARKATION! You can get coffee, cereal and milk for the kids, etc. We like to have something right when we get up and this was perfect. We actually ended up taking the kids cereal off the ship with us and they ate it as a snack later in the car.* - ajwaspooh
• This is my tip that I have not seen yet. Both Animator's Pallete and Royal Palace have alternate entrances. Animators is past the main entrance on the other sideof the restrooms, and RPs is on that long hallway. Using these makes avoiding the crowds really easy! - msteddom
• Don't miss the buffet lunch on board when in Castaway Cay. They service a seafood buffet that is just to die for. - Fosterlv
• I ordered a carafe of coffee every night and then drank the coffee(which was still hot) on my veranda in the morning. That was such a nice treat! Thanks to PPs for this incredible tip. - Brancaneve
• STRONGLY RECOMMEND: that you go to enchanted garden for a "sit-down" meal on that first day. Everyone seems to go to the buffet which was crowded but the "sit-down" table service (which was also buffet fare) was less crowded and much more relaxing. This gave us an opportunity to meet servers - one of whom we requested for our dinner service. Disney was able to make the changes so we could have that specific server - he was great! - hateras
• As far as other meals: Breakfast - I preferred a sit down meal at one of the main restaurants vs Cabanas. Cabanas is too crowded and it was difficult to find a place to sit if you had more than 4 people in your party. - hateras
• DON'T BE AFRAID TO ORDER MORE THAN ONE APPETIZER, ENTRE' OR DESSERT - WE ORDERED STEAK AND SCALLOPS OR FISH SINCE WE WANTED TO TRY MORE THAN ONE THING ON THE MENU. As long as you order it at the same time they have no problem bringing out the multiple plates. If there is something that you want but it is not on the menu - just ask as chances are they can get it from another restaurant's kitchen. - hateras
• Bring a large mug with you to fill up at the drink stations as the cups are pretty small - this will keep you from making several trips. - hateras
• DR PEPPER/MR. PIBB/ROOTBEER - etc. is NOT SERVED at your meals free of charge. We were told that it was available but at a separate cost. - hateras
• Try something new and different on the menus! You can always order something else if you hate it. I tried the carrot and apple soup, and loved it.- BlondeJungleBookFan
• Don't miss the dining rooms for your evening meal.- BlondeJungleBookFan
• Enjoy Cookies or Cookies too on CC, the food was good.- BlondeJungleBookFan
• Don't go to dinner early. You will just end up waiting in a long line. Wait until about 5 minutes after the time and just join the end of the line. We found the lines for dinner especially bad on the 3-night cruise for some reason. - jetskigrl
• Don't forget to order Mickey Bars from room service. After our stop at CC, we went back to the room and ordered Mickey Bars to enjoy out on the Verandah as we pulled away from CC. It was a great way to end a wonderful day. - jetskigrl

Safety:

• Pick an easily accessible spot on board to meet should family members become separated or need to meet up after activities that is not your stateroom. The Donald statue (when a meet and greet is not going on), Nemo's reef, etc... Some place that doesn't have a dozen different sides or can be very crowded. - sistert

General Ship:

• Take time to RELAX. There are loads of places on board to simply sit back and relax and not just the lounge/deck chairs. Several spots are actually open all day, not just at night (e.g. Meridian, between Palo's and Remy's). There's what I believe is a smoking area just outside of The District (looks like wooden "bubbles") that is rarely used earlier in the day. The lounges that are around midship, Bon Voyage and the Vista Cafe, seem to be rarely used and has great people watching opportunities. The list goes on and mom and I are working hard to find all of these spots. - sistert
• Make sure to note every CM's name that does something magical, no matter how small. The great CM who works the pin stand and gives you some great trading tips. The CM who always brings you room service, takes your goodies out to the verandah, and leaves you to enjoy yourself with a huge smile on their face. The CM at guest services you simply smiles and laughs with you as you go on and on about how much fun your having, or shows genuine concern (whether they can help or not) when you bring them an issue. When it's time to leave, fill out that comment card and list every last one of them, even if it takes more than one side and down the margin. - sistert
• Use the stairs or Forward / Aft elevators as much as possible.* - ajwaspooh
• Always carry your camera and autograph books and pens with you. We felt there were less convenient character greeting times on this sailing. We were at WDW first and I told the kids to wait until the cruise to see characters as we would see more with less of a wait. Not true this time. We got some great moments, but not as many as previous cruises. So, map that out on your navigators and I bet you will rack up the memories better than we did!
• Do something different--take your camera and go up and down the different stairwells and snap pictures of all the Disney art. So many people miss these gems because they take the elevators everywhere – Silver Cinderella
• Take the stairs! You will find that the elevators are incredibly busy the first few days, so my advice is to burn some calories and take the stairs. The artwork at the base of the stairs is incredible, and I was able to see some rare prints and posters that put a smile on my face. I wouldn't have seen all of that if I was stuck in an elevator. - Brancaneve
• As for the $1-$2 tips, you cash tip your luggage carriers (porters) and whomever brings you room service. $1 per item seems the norm, so it helps to have a stack of $1 bills for those times**We're actually going to the bank and getting a stack of $2 bills for tips. I mean, who just gets ONE room service item?!?!? - Mythicalbee
• Remember it's a Disney Cruise and there will be children. Remember they are there to have fun and be excited when they see the Aqua Duck and any of the characters. Squealing occurs on a regular basis. I find it refreshing and sweet. - BlondeJungleBookFan
• Remember too, that you are blessed to be taking a cruise with your loved ones.....some people are not that lucky. Don't sweat the small stuff*- BlondeJungleBookFan
• Use Onboard Airline check-in if you're flying.- BlondeJungleBookFan
• Explore the ship and enjoy the "artwork" as it is animated.- BlondeJungleBookFan
• Spend time on your balcony or if you don't have a balcony...find some chairs on one of the decks and just enjoy watching the ocean.- BlondeJungleBookFan
• We used Deck 12 for viewing the parties/celebrations and also the fireworks.- BlondeJungleBookFan
• Stop by Deck 5 (I believe) near the Atruim and find the ship picture with the wheel in front of it. It is interactive and your kids (or you) can drive the ship in the picture using the wheel. My DS loved this. - jetskigrl
• Be sure to be up on deck at Noon on the Sea Day (4-night cruise). The Captain plays all of the ships horns one right after the other. It was a great way to hear them all. - jetskigrl
• If your child loses a tooth while on board, let guest services know. They have an adorable button with the Cheshire Cat (missing a tooth) to celebrate the event. We were even able to purchase Disney Dollars from guest services to be placed under DS's pillow. - jetskigrl
• Go to the Skyline lounge at The District and try any of their fantastic cocktails. The background behind the bar shows a different city skyline every 15 minutes and the drink menu reflects the personality of each city. It was such a cozy, fun place to be, even if you aren't into bars(which usually I am not).* - Brancaneve

Shipboard Activities:

• Do the earlier show option if you have younger kids who usually go to bed earlier. We watched the early 4pm show each time it was offered and GREATLY appreciated this! You could arrive at the last minute, get a seat in the first section and be done by 5pm! Then, you had the rest of the evening to eat, roam, etc. - ajwaspooh
• LOVED the Mickey's Detective game. In fact, based on other posters I had the girls do this early in the cruise. They finished up the first one and decided to do it again on our last afternoon/night. We all enjoyed it!!! - ajwaspooh
• Ride AquaDuck right when you board (opens at noon, I think). We sat on the pool deck, enjoyed the counter service foods at Flo's and then checked out Cabana's, as well. All food was amazingly good (better than I remember the older ships being on our last cruise). Also, stay on board the ship on CC day first thing in the morning. We had the pool almost to ourselves and the AD opens at 10am and we went on a couple times before the line became long. - ajwaspooh
• Try to ride in off times - such as during the first dinner seating or 2nd show. Stay on the ship late on Castaway Cay day and catch a ride or two as everyone is rushing to get off the ship.* - hateras
• Don't try to walk up to the ride in bare feet - the deck is very hot. Once you get to the top they will make you take off your sandals/shoes but will allow you to sit on them in the tube for the ride. - hateras
  Rainforest Room. It was amazing and wonderful and relaxing and wonderful and amazing. Seriously the best $16 I have ever spent.* - chasingthedream
• Do a paddle boat or something similar at Castaway Cay.- BlondeJungleBookFan
• Do the Midship Detective Agency with your kids. It was a great way to see a lot of the ship and the pictures are incredible. - jetskigrl

Off Ship Activities:

• If you decide to go to Serenity Bay, you really do want to wear some think soled sandals on the beach and into the water. I only had Old Navy flip flops on; DH didn't think those were thick enough so I stayed on the beach the whole time while he went out into the water. - juliebugg1997

Kids:

• Our kids said to visit the Oceaneers Club/lab at least once. As parents, we recommend getting your kids to visit this place and stay on their own sometime in the first 24 hours. We did not do this and our kids are a bit more timid, I guess. So, by the time they would "release us", it was our 2nd to last day..... (our fault, I know). BTW, PJ party was at 10:30pm (way too late for our kids). So, we quietly asked for 2 pillowcases and they were able to let us take them home. We have permanent fabric markers at home so this was a great option for us. - ajwaspooh
• The boat is big could be a lot of walking. Even getting off at Castway Cay the walk to the tram would be a long walk if the child was heavy and didn't want to walk. Umbrella strollers are easy to fold up too and compact. So even if you didn't use it it can stand up in the closet but would be there is you needed. - NAB

Misc

• Our #1 tip: Book a future cruise early in your cruise. If you don't have a date in mind, book a placeholder. The DCL crew member can explain this to you. And, please give credit to your travel agent if you use one. Same rates whether you book with or without them. We use all seasons travel and LOVE them! This is my 9th sailing and they have provided invaluable information to us EVERY TIME! I feel like they are family at this point.*
  I say this is our #1 tip because, for various reasons, we never booked on board until this time. Now, with our travel agent's help, we realized that we do not need a specific date or tons of money as a down payment (again, thank you all seasons travel). So, learn early from our mistakes (before we had a travel agent....see how much I appreciate them, now?!). - ajwaspooh

OMG THank you, Thank you, thank you!
So many tips I've never seen before

 

[Jenleephoto]

thanks so much for the great thread. we just booked our first Disney Cruise (Dream) and this will really help me plan and think ahead!!

 

[juliebug1997]

I didn't see it, but my husband really enjoyed taking a tour of the ship to look at the "artwork". He enjoyed it so much that I will go on it this time with him.

 

[Abowers]

Bring a watch with you. There are not any clocks around. I am so used to using my cell phone for the time that I did not bring a watch. We didn't need to use the wave phone as we were always together but we did carry it for the time.

Make sure you do the detective thing. It was really cute. We did it on the sea day.

Allow for time at the dinners. They do take 1-2 hours. They are not fast bringing you drinks, but they do give ou water fairly quickly. We did have a hard time sitting for such a long time, but enjoyed ourselves.

I hope you have a wonderfu trip!

What is the "detective" thing???? Traveling with DS13 and DS8. Is this something that they would enjoy?

 

[dbxazd]

What is the "detective" thing???? Traveling with DS13 and DS8. Is this something that they would enjoy?

Yes I think they'd enjoy it. The Detective thing is called the Midship Detective Agency. It's an activity where you get a list of suspects & have to go from one piece of enchanted art to another through out the ship searching for clues to solve a mystery. You get a map of where the clues are located and an agent badge to hold in front of the art to get your clue. My DS11 and DD9 both loved it last year when we went in June. They did it twice each I think - and once together.

 

[Dave_MaryJo]

@boettj

Thanks so much for writing this all in one post. Made it a lot easier then reading 21 pages!

 

[cortes]

Subscribed. Awesome thread.

 

[MeLaNie9]

Thanks to everyone for their tips!
We will be taking our 1st cruise on the Dream - Aug 5th. :good vibes DH is taking a golf trip so it will just be me and my DS 5 & 8.
DS5 has a dairy allergy and I was told to go to the MDR serving lunch to talk to the head server about his allergy. From the previous posts, it would seem that this would be Enchanted Garden?
What other things do you need to do once you board the ship? We will do lunch and the allergy notification thing. Are there other things to register for that first day? I would like to do spinning classes and maybe some adult tours/classes while the kids are in the kids clubs. Do you go to guest services for this?
Thanks for any advice!

Sorry - edited to add one more question: What are the hours of the Midship Detective Agency?

 

[EWL]

Thanks to everyone for their tips!
We will be taking our 1st cruise on the Dream - Aug 5th.

What other things do you need to do once you board the ship?

Hi fellow cruiser! We're on the same cruise and also trying to figure out our "to do" list for when we board!!

For us, i think it is looking like:

-- Dining Time: Find out where they are taking requests for changes in dining times and get in line (guess it may not start until 1?) Only second seating was open when we booked and we could deal with 8:15 if we have to but would prefer the 5:45 seating. I hope we have a chance.

-- Wine Tasting: Sign up (at Guest Services I think?). (What else does Guest Services take sign ups for??)

-- Remy: Check if they're offering the new lunch ($50?) and make a reservation.

-- Ride the AquaDuck?

-- Have lunch!

What else?

See you on board!!!

 

[Grooovertoo]

Hi fellow cruiser! We're on the same cruise and also trying to figure out our "to do" list for when we board!!

For us, i think it is looking like:

-- Dining Time: Find out where they are taking requests for changes in dining times and get in line (guess it may not start until 1?) Only second seating was open when we booked and we could deal with 8:15 if we have to but would prefer the 5:45 seating. I hope we have a chance.

-- Wine Tasting: Sign up (at Guest Services I think?). (What else does Guest Services take sign ups for??)

-- Remy: Check if they're offering the new lunch ($50?) and make a reservation.

-- Ride the AquaDuck?

-- Have lunch!

What else?

See you on board!!!

Enjoy!!!

Here are a few tips I've put together from either this thread or others:

1. Ride the Aqua Duck
2. Ride the Aqua Duck at night
3. Order room service as much as possible. Order the wings, cookies, and especially mickey bars. The cheese plate isn’t bad either, but bring your own crackers.
4. Bring your own adult beverages on board. Rum, Vodka, etc…
5. Mix said beverage with the Orchard drink form Cabanas.
6. Bring your own insulated drink cup with a straw. Fill it up often at the drink station on deck 11.
7. If you need coffee the first thing in the morning, order it at night, they will bring it in a carafe and it will still be warm when you get up. Or just order it for first breakfast each morning in your room.
8. Bring extra one dollar bills to tip the room service attendants.
9. Bring a 3 plug or more extension cord. (The rooms only have 2 outlets)
10. Visit the Vista Café (deck 5, Atrium) and sample the free pastries as often as possible.
11. Get up early and just take in the ship in all its splendor, walk around and take pictures without all the people around.
12. Never get off the boat, NEVER! In Nassau anyway. (Well, you can especially if you have a cool excursion planed, but enjoy the ship, there is so much to do on board, it’s worth it and less crowded).
13. Sit outside at Cabanas, if you cannot get a seat outside, at least get a seat near the window.
14. At Cabanas for breakfast, go to the CM near the waffle maker and ask who is taking orders for omelets, they will then take your order and tell you to come back in 5 minutes and they will custom make an omelet for you.
15. The first day you are introduced to your room steward, ask for ice. The good ones will keep the ice bucket full for you the entire stay.
16. Join the cruise meets thread for your cruise.
17. Participate in the Fish Exchange/Extender. Who’ll be glad you did.http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-cruise-line/meets.htm
18. Get/make magnets for your cabin door. It reflects who you are and it helps in finding your cabin door too.
19. Tip well….http://cruisetip.tpkeller.com/
20. If taking Magical Express to the port from MCO, get to the DCL desk at MCO at 8:00AM and be ready to get on the bus by 9:30AM and away you go.
21. Take in all that you can in the port terminal. It truly is a great terminal.
22. Check the kids into the Kids Club at the Port Terminal. (beware the line can be long)
23. The Kids Clubs open up at noon on the first day and be sure to get there when it opens to tour the clubs.
24. Play Goofy Golf
25. See all the shows…sit in the balcony, Deck 4.
26. Catch a movie at sea…sit in the balcony, Deck 5.
27. Order two apps at dinner if more than one catch’s your eye.
28. Order two main course dishes if more than one catch’s your eye.
29. Order the beef products. (usually the best items on the menu).
30. If something doesn’t catch your eye on the menu and you really liked what you had the night before…order that. It all comes from the same galley anyway.
31. Order a Mickey Bar for dessert.
32. Get to know the Head Waiter for your dining area. He can hook you up with little ditty’s that nobody else gets.
33. Castaway Cay – Go to the far side of the Family Beach, it is less crowded.
34. Embarkation – Do your Palo/Spa reservations, then swim, then eat. It’s the slowest the pool will be all cruise (except while at port).
35. Embarkation – Don’t miss the sail-away celebration!
36. Entertainment – Call 888-325-2500, choose reservations, and find out what movies are showing during your cruise
37. Entertainment – Check the info board by guest services for the character schedule or call the hotline.
38. Kids – Allow kids to participate in kids program at the end of the cruise – they usually get free t-shirts.
39. Entertainment – See all the shows and don’t leave early.
40. Castaway Cay – Ask for 2 for 1 drink specials!!!! Usually Bahama Mama’s!
41. Play the Midship Detective Agency Game.
42. Get a day pass for the Rainforest Room in the Spa ($16)
43. Check out all the interactive art in the stairwells and in various common areas.
44. Swim at night.
45. Run the Castaway Cay 5K
46. Grab a coffee at Cove Café
47. Snorkel on Castaway Cay
48. Enjoy your veranda (if your cabin has one)
49. Book your next cruise early.
50. Take the stairs
51. Ride the mid-ship elevators with the glass overlooking the atrium once from bottom to top (trust me)
52. Do the Stingray Adventure on Castaway Cay
53. Take a nap
54. Don't sweat the small stuff
55. Sit back, relax
​

Have a GREAT TIME!!!

 

[Disfan15]

Hello,

Alot of tips and must-do's here on this thread!

Help me out by posting info and more about the Disney Dream on my thread!

Here's the link to my thread:http://disboards.com/showthread.php?p=45569770

Thanks!

Happy Summer!

 

[grahamgallagher]

We sailed the Dream on June 3rd and had a wonderful time. A few tips for future cruisers:


2. I ordered a carafe of coffee every night and then drank the coffee(which was still hot) on my veranda in the morning. That was such a nice treat! Thanks to PPs for this incredible tip.

5. If you have a veranda, consider watching the fireworks from there to avoid the crowds on the main decks. We had an aft veranda and could see it all perfectly in the comfort of our room.

Is the coffee ordered from room service?

Would we see any fireworks as we are in an aft room 8186?

Thanks

G

 

[Brancaneve]

Is the coffee ordered from room service?

Would we see any fireworks as we are in an aft room 8186?

Thanks

G

We were in an aft room and could see the fireworks very well. It was amazing!

 

[Snurk71]

Is the coffee ordered from room service?

Would we see any fireworks as we are in an aft room 8186?

Thanks

G

We were in 8188 and could see the fireworks - not the best view, but could see them.

I don't remember if 8186 was next to 8188 or not.