Dream/Fantasy Muster Stations

[ruadisneyfan2]

We just got off the Fantasy a few days ago.

Our drill was on deck 4 and they had people shoulder to shoulder (we were told that if you were not rubbing shoulders with the next family you had too much space and they had to squeeze in 10 more families) each family lined up in a single file from the wall toward the railing (short person first and tallest behind) and it got very hard to breathe quickly and many people had to get out of line to get some air.

Some people were late and it took a good 30 mins (thankfully we had water with us) but I would recommend a portable fan as well. There was an occasional breeze but with hundreds of people standing so close there was little airflow.

It was a sold out ship. We were so exhausted from travel (6 hr flight delay (2.5 hrs stuck on the runway) meant only slept 1.5 hr the night before) and the drill that we skipped the sail away party and just relaxed on the loungers afterwards. There was a nice breeze once the ship started moving.

When we cruised before (a decade ago) our drill was in the theatre and it was nice and comfortable with the AC. I would seriously reconsider what room we book in the future.

We've had an outdoor drill many times in the past but it was never that crowded. We were line up closely but they never said you had to be shoulder to shoulder. I wonder if they have moved a lot the indoor drill stations to outdoors.

 

[Yensid29]

When we cruised before (a decade ago) our drill was in the theatre and it was nice and comfortable with the AC. I would seriously reconsider what room we book in the future.

Yes, many times we have chosen a room strictly on where the Muster Drill is located. If you have a muster drill on deck in Port Canaveral on the starboard side in the summer you will roast in the sun.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Yes, many times we have chosen a room strictly on where the Muster Drill is located. If you have a muster drill on deck in Port Canaveral on the starboard side in the summer you will roast in the sun.

I agree with the sun roasting in the summer. We’ve only done summer cruises for Alaska, Med and Norway. We have done September cruises and prefer starboard so we have somewhat felt that roast. We were not shoulder to shoulder though.

 

[Disturbia]

Is Disney Fantasy room 7094 muster drill E (Beuna Vista theatre?)

 

[randumb0]

Is Disney Fantasy room 7094 muster drill E (Beuna Vista theatre?)

Yes

 

[randumb0]

I am on the Fantasy in 5522. I have D and am in the Walt Disney Theater

 

[MickeyMouseLove]

Yikes. Thank you for the warnings. Will be on the Fantasy in station L (which is listed as starboard outdoors) with a person who can’t stand for long periods of time and a person who is very sensitive to heat/sun and anxiety/claustrophobia issues. Is there a way to be in the shade? Any seating? Or walls to lean on? Any tips on how to avoid as much standing in the sun/body to body as possible?

Also, if your muster group has late arrivals, would that mean you’d miss the sail away party?
That’d be a major letdown.

And any tips on how to get to the sail away party the quickest from station L that does not involve stairs? And suggestions for best viewing areas?

Thanks, everyone, for sharing all your info!

 

[RedHead0186]

Yikes. Thank you for the warnings. Will be on the Fantasy in station L (which is listed as starboard outdoors) with a person who can’t stand for long periods of time and a person who is very sensitive to heat/sun and anxiety/claustrophobia issues. Is there a way to be in the shade? Any seating? Or walls to lean on? Any tips on how to avoid as much standing in the sun/body to body as possible?

Also, if your muster group has late arrivals, would that mean you’d miss the sail away party?
That’d be a major letdown.

Thanks, everyone, for sharing all your info!

If you have concerns about standing/claustrophobia/heat/anxiety, get to the muster station early and let the cast member know. They should be able to give you a place to sit and maybe a bit of space. When I had an outdoor muster station it was pretty packed tight with people, but if they know you have an issue they can work to accommodate. Not sure about the shade, though, depending on which way the sun is facing (I don't have good enough spatial awareness to think about which side of the ship is facing east/west, lol, so maybe someone else can help me out there).

Seating and walls to lean on will not be readily available for an outdoor muster station, so best advice is to get there early and let them know of your concerns.

I don't think they will do sail away party until the muster drill is over (the whole ship pretty much 'shuts down' during the drill).

 

[Disturbia]

Here is a review with the muster drill crowd. They no longer require the life vest to be carried or put on. But it was and is shoulder to shoulder literally. It gets hard to carry a small child but the tallest person can lean against a back wall but (gets super hot). The men in the back needed to get out of line to get some air.

https://www.victoriaonvacation.com/2019/06/disney-wonder-day-1.html?m=0

 

[Disturbia]

You do need your key card. One person’s card (per stateroom) gets scanned to check in. They don’t start until everyone scheduled is present.

 

[MickeyMouseLove]

If you have concerns...

Here is a review with the muster drill crowd...

Thank you both for all the information and suggestions. It is so helpful! Blessings to you both.

 

[Uncwmark]

If only Disney would get on board (pun intended) with e-muster like every other major cruise line.... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[lucas]

Where is Assembly Station B on the Fantasy - cabin 9521? (I just noticed the assembly station on my Port Arrival Form.)

 

[lucas]

Here is a review with the muster drill crowd. They no longer require the life vest to be carried or put on. But it was and is shoulder to shoulder literally. It gets hard to carry a small child but the tallest person can lean against a back wall but (gets super hot). The men in the back needed to get out of line to get some air.

https://www.victoriaonvacation.com/2019/06/disney-wonder-day-1.html?m=0

View attachment 754164

That report is from 2019.

 

[RedHead0186]

Where is Assembly Station B on the Fantasy - cabin 9521? (I just noticed the assembly station on my Port Arrival Form.)

Walt Disney Theater

(FYI, this spreadsheet shows all staterooms/details, including muster stations and locations: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...JZ-yFsb4U1KPZUd3AC8RN-kl8/htmlview?fs=e&s=cl#)

 

[lucas]

Walt Disney Theater

(FYI, this spreadsheet shows all staterooms/details, including muster stations and locations: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...JZ-yFsb4U1KPZUd3AC8RN-kl8/htmlview?fs=e&s=cl#)

Oh thank you! That is a relief!

 

[Disturbia]

That report is from 2019.

That was what we experienced April 2023. It was the only photo similar to what we experienced on the Fantasy. It’s the same crowded no airflow experience now.

Like I said it was a sold out cruise, so if you’re claustrophobic or in a wheelchair you need to talk to a CM ahead of time and be prepared.

Needless to say I already rebooked our next year’s cruise stateroom midship specifically to avoid muster drill station M.

Here is a recent video on a not sold out cruise (early April right after ours). There is some room upfront where the CM stands to demonstrate using the lifevest if you need to get out of line to get some air. As the vlogger said it was 30 mins

Pros missing the sail away party and staying on deck 4 post drill: deck 4 had comfy padded loungers and after a while there was a photographer (no line) with magic shots (Mickey Minnie & Donald).

 

[MickeyMouseLove]

That was what we experienced April 2023. It was the only photo similar to what we experienced on the Fantasy. It’s the same crowded no airflow experience now.

Like I said it was a sold out cruise, so if you’re claustrophobic or in a wheelchair you need to talk to a CM ahead of time and be prepared.

Needless to say I already rebooked our next year’s cruise stateroom midship specifically to avoid muster drill station M.

Here is a recent video on a not sold out cruise (early April right after ours). There is some room upfront where the CM stands to demonstrate using the lifevest if you need to get out of line to get some air. As the vlogger said it was 30 mins

Pros missing the sail away party and staying on deck 4 post drill: deck 4 had comfy padded loungers and after a while there was a photographer (no line) with magic shots (Mickey Minnie & Donald).

View attachment 754530

View attachment 754533

That video is helpful. Thank you!

And it is another testimony that if you have an outdoor station you miss the sail away party (already started by the time you can get there and you cannot find a place to see the show because it’s already packed). I read a few similar accounts saying the same thing. This video actually shows it.

With that in mind, does anyone have any tips on how to get to the sail away party the quickest from station L that does not involve stairs? And suggestions for best viewing areas?

 

[scrappinginontario]

Yikes. Thank you for the warnings. Will be on the Fantasy in station L (which is listed as starboard outdoors) with a person who can’t stand for long periods of time and a person who is very sensitive to heat/sun and anxiety/claustrophobia issues. Is there a way to be in the shade? Any seating? Or walls to lean on? Any tips on how to avoid as much standing in the sun/body to body as possible?

Also, if your muster group has late arrivals, would that mean you’d miss the sail away party?
That’d be a major letdown.

And any tips on how to get to the sail away party the quickest from station L that does not involve stairs? And suggestions for best viewing areas?

Thanks, everyone, for sharing all your info!

The entire ship ends the muster drill at the same time with a good portion headed to the Sail Away Party. Initial movements will be shuffling for all as the entire ship is moving at the same time.

Elevators will be your biggest challenge if you don’t want to take the stairs.

We were in the WDW Theatre so Deck 4 forward and made it to the Sail Away but we chose to walk up a few flights, walk back to mid-ship stairs, walk up a few more flights then walk back to aft stairs and climb to deck 12. It was a lot of walking but we made it to the party.

If you have concerns about standing/claustrophobia/heat/anxiety, get to the muster station early and let the cast member know. They should be able to give you a place to sit and maybe a bit of space. When I had an outdoor muster station it was pretty packed tight with people, but if they know you have an issue they can work to accommodate. Not sure about the shade, though, depending on which way the sun is facing (I don't have good enough spatial awareness to think about which side of the ship is facing east/west, lol, so maybe someone else can help me out there).

Seating and walls to lean on will not be readily available for an outdoor muster station, so best advice is to get there early and let them know of your concerns.

I don't think they will do sail away party until the muster drill is over (the whole ship pretty much 'shuts down' during the drill).

At Port Canaveral and Miami - pirt side is in the shade and starboard side is in the sun.

If only Disney would get on board (pun intended) with e-muster like every other major cruise line.... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Some other cruise lines are starting to go back to in-person muster drills although e-muster drills would be great!

 

[Disturbia]

That video is helpful. Thank you!

And it is another testimony that if you have an outdoor station you miss the sail away party (already started by the time you can get there and you cannot find a place to see the show because it’s already packed). I read a few similar accounts saying the same thing. This video actually shows it.

With that in mind, does anyone have any tips on how to get to the sail away party the quickest from station L that does not involve stairs? And suggestions for best viewing areas?

I’m not sure about station L. We stayed deck 7 and took stairs down to deck 4 (station M); we did skip the sail away and just chose to rest instead (did not feel like walking up to deck 11 due to our flights delays/lack of sleep). The best viewing spot for the pirates show (there is a kids version with the fab 5 and a more adult version with Jack Sparrow and fireworks at 10:15 pm) was from the top rails looking down. I don’t see a kid’s reserved area at the sailaway in the video (there was one for the pirate show) so it would be difficult for younger kids to see from the pool deck, so I would assume that would be the best spot-top rails looking down (but the secret’s out as you can see in the video). There is a big screen TV (visible from most angles) in addition to the live characters below.

I agree with scrappinginontario that the drills would be better on TV, however we did pay better attention with a CM upfront in all honesty.

They could have an option to attend in person OR an e drill (so they can start sailing) along with a required second demonstration in a theatre when the ship is at sea.