Trip Report-Disney Dream, BLT, Animation resort and SSR.

[WanderlustNZ]

Thanks for the TR so far. I'm enjoying reading on.

I love that Disney matched you so well with your tablemates. I was thinking of requesting a table without another family until I read that Disney take great care to match you with families with children of similar ages. As my DS is an only child, I'm hoping for another family with a young son to be matched with us. Then, with a bit of luck, my son and him will hit if off and want to go to the kids club together much of the week. Lol. Hopeful thinking? Hopefully not.

Can I ask how you found the Disney transfer from MCO to the Port? Did the little video make your younger kids excited about the upcoming cruise? I'm trying to decide whether I'll use a towncar to get to the Port, or return to the airport first and jump on a Disney transfer. The latter will be a bit more expensive and time consuming, but potentially more enjoyable.

Also, do you know if Disney cruise transfer prices include gratuities, or did you need to tip the bus driver? Been to the States 3 times but I still get confused over who you should and shouldn't tip.

 

[nikdisney]

What an awesome TR! Thanks for taking the time to put it together

About your 30 day AA lounge pass - I'm loving the sound of that! Did you have to buy 2 passes (as in one for each adult)? We are flying Adelaide-Sydney-DFO-MCO. Then Toronto-LAX-Melb-Adelaide on the way home. That pass sounds like it would be worth it's weight in gold. Can you use the lounge as long as you have an AA or qantas flight that day? Did you get a hard time entering any other lounges, or just the Sydney one?

 

[kyl]

What an awesome TR! Thanks for taking the time to put it together

About your 30 day AA lounge pass - I'm loving the sound of that! Did you have to buy 2 passes (as in one for each adult)? We are flying Adelaide-Sydney-DFO-MCO. Then Toronto-LAX-Melb-Adelaide on the way home. That pass sounds like it would be worth it's weight in gold. Can you use the lounge as long as you have an AA or qantas flight that day? Did you get a hard time entering any other lounges, or just the Sydney one?

Hi we only purchased one pass. As AA will allow your partner plus all dependant children: was worth it for the qantas lounge but the AA lounge didn't compare in quality to the qantas.

 

[kyl]

Thanks for the TR so far. I'm enjoying reading on.

I love that Disney matched you so well with your tablemates. I was thinking of requesting a table without another family until I read that Disney take great care to match you with families with children of similar ages. As my DS is an only child, I'm hoping for another family with a young son to be matched with us. Then, with a bit of luck, my son and him will hit if off and want to go to the kids club together much of the week. Lol. Hopeful thinking? Hopefully not.

Can I ask how you found the Disney transfer from MCO to the Port? Did the little video make your younger kids excited about the upcoming cruise? I'm trying to decide whether I'll use a towncar to get to the Port, or return to the airport first and jump on a Disney transfer. The latter will be a bit more expensive and time consuming, but potentially more enjoyable.

Also, do you know if Disney cruise transfer prices include gratuities, or did you need to tip the bus driver? Been to the States 3 times but I still get confused over who you should and shouldn't tip.

Hi there,
Honestly get the car transfer from Disney to port it will most likely be cheaper. I think it was $30 per person on the bus each way. Yes its nice to listen to the movie but its really not something I would pay extra for next time. With five of us it was quite expensive as we got transfers from MCO to port then at the end from port to BLT. If you really really want to get the bus then it does pick passengers up from disney resorts as well. However my understanding is that you end up on board quite late if you do get the bus from the resorts. I would go a town car and get on early.....means more pool time

 

[Travel Mum]

Oh Kyl, the wait is excruciating as I'm so keen to hear how your DVC experience went!!

 

[kyl]

Today we woke up and headed to the enchantered garden for breakfast. You really could go anywhere you wanted on the first morning but our host from the night prior suggested this. It is really a beautifully themed restraunt. I loved this place. Having had gastric surgery only four months prior I was still a little restricted as to what I could eat. Well more I was careful with what I ate. Didn't want to put those 19kg back on So I asked our server if he would be able to organise some poached eggs as these were not at the buffet. Being disney of course he did. I did hear other tables ordering special eggs and omlettes from the server as well. Now I was confussed as this was not our server fromt he night before and what about tipping should I tip him as this was a sit down restrauant but with a buffet menu. He also served us drinks, coffee and juice etc. So I asked him at the end he refussed the tip....and said thank you but not necessary. I noticed that no one else tipped either. So I figure the servers we tipped at the end of our cruise who stayed with us for all our dinners must also serve at any breakfast place so all works out fair in the end. If that makes sense....I mention this as someone on the cruise page said that they have breakfast at the cabanas self serve of a morning so that they do not have to tip. My suggestion is go to the resturant and enjoy a smaller crowd take your time and enjoy.
O.k so with full bellys we decide to go to our room and gather our pass ports all our keys (passes) and head on out to Nassau. We missed Sandy by three days and you could see the effect she had left on the place. A few places with peeled back roofing material. A sign that read "welcome to the Baham" as the rest of it was ripped in half! Made us realise just how lucky we were to of missed that storm! Getting of the ship is easy...as you get off your bags are scanned through one of those xray machines and your keys are swipped by a staff member. Then its free to go. The water was just beautiful, it honestly looked like someone had placed blue food colouring in the water. It was a beautiful blue, not a cystal see through blue but a beautiful colour blue (picture says a thousand words I will post one below). Anyway they warn you about Nassau don't go down alleyways, don't take your pass port just a photocopy of it (which we forgot to do so had to take the real thing with us). The water is beautiful and I am sure if you stayed at a resort here you would have a great time. But honestly I didn't like the main street. It was dirty people just kept trying to sell you crappy things. The straw makets really didn't have much to buy, and I am a shopper I didn't find anything. I did find a nice blue diamond ring, but at $12,000 we didn't buy Hey thats another disney holiday, well airfares at least and change. Moving along we got back on the ship. Half an hour of our DD13 clutching to my hand and freaking out was enough. We were happy to get back and have a swim and lunch onboard. We went to the Cabanas for lunch. DD13 had ordered from the night prior gluten free pizza which was made for her when we arrived and asked for it. It was intersting to hear that night that the other family we sat with only walked around for half hour as well at Nassau for the same reason. So my advice would be get off if you haven't been there before but don't expect much. Or book an one of the activites. As this was only a four night cruise I was happy to let the kids get back onboard and swim. The pools and aqua duck were less crowded so they took advantage of this. At 4pm we played family bingo in the D lounge. This was o.k nice thing to do together but we came out $50 poorer DD13 had a call from her friend and off she went to tween club! I also forgot to mention that I had the girls hair braided on the first night. I wouldn't get it done at Nassau as it just didn't look clean. It was cheaper at Nassau but on board it was clean. They had corn row braids, so just the front part of their heads. This was money well spent. $30 each I think? BUT they would get up each day and just brush the back of there hair which wasn't braided. This meant no worrying about hair in the eyes while swiming and also no "mum can you do my hair" of a morning These braides stayed in for two weeks. Dinner that night was a Enchanted Garden. Like I said this is a beautifully themed restrauant. We meet with the other family and our two daughter rocked up to meet us all for dinner. The other mother and I would bring our "drink of the day" cups and of course have a cocktail for $5 each night. It was lovely to know at the end of the day we would all meet up and enjoy a drink! After dinner we watched the evening show I think it was Villians that night. This is as good as any disney show you would pay for at the entertainment center! The seating area is huge and you would be forgiven for thinking that you were not on a ship. Comfy seats, they do sell pop corn and drinks outside. But hey after dinner we really didn't feel hungry and if we did I would of gone up to the Cabanas and got something rather than having to pay for pop corn and drinks. Its all free on deck 11 We enjoyed the show. After this and another "drink of the day" with my new friend we decided to leave the men and the kids who I think ended up in kids club no surprises there We went shopping....we both decided to get pictures to take home from the art gallery store. These were prints and ranged in price form $20 to $60 each. Well worth it, I got each of mine one for their bedrooms and I look at them now and think about our time away. We also went to some other shops down on deck 3 and bought a few little things. I love shopping and when you just charge it to your room key card it feels even better. I think both our husbands were concerned when we said see you later we are shopping to funnySo after this we headed back to our room to find chocolates and beds all made up...I love you katut. Towel animals and plutos in funny dog positions(picture will explain all) all in all a great day. DD13 out till 11pm again. We on the other hand asleep

 

[Travel Mum]

Sorry Kyl, there I was moaning and you were busy writing another great update

 

[kyl]

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[kyl]

Oh Kyl, the wait is excruciating as I'm so keen to hear how your DVC experience went!!

To funny they say great minds think alike...

 

[kyl]

 

[kyl]

This was meant to be our day at Castaway Cay however due to storm Sandy the staff wanted an extra day to make sure all was nice for our arrival on the island. So they swapped the days around. This was anounced on the speaker system and also on our navigator that night. We also received a formal letter explaining why the days had changed. This was better anyway I felt as it meant a day at sea, port, day at sea, port then back home.
As we had booked a couples massage for our day at sea we ended up having it today! Now this was something I really looked forward to! That morning we had breakfast at the Enchantard Garden again, poached eggs again . Coffee we learnt to get at the coffee cove and order a double shot latte this was as close to an instant Aussie coffee as we could get. It was worth paying for, I just can't get Americans with their coffee. It may as well be water. DD13 was gone after breakfast, off running around the ship with her new group of friends. Now they were a group of five, looking back at her photos I can see they got up to a good time. One photo of a girl with her finger pointing up walts nose at the movie theater. (there is a massive picture of walt outside the theater this is where she is, I had to laugh when I came across the photo). Anyway she was having a blast! We promissed the other two if they let mummy and daddy have a massage and a swim in the adult pool for a few hours that we would take them in the pool afterwards. Kids oceaners club had some fun things on the navigator so we kinda talked DD9 into going. DS5 couldn't care as he had computers there so he was happy! Well I was expecting a phone call maybe about DD9 wanting out. So when the phone rang as soon as we laid down for our massage I thought great DD9. But no it was DD13 "I need the camera for a scavenger hunt with edge club" errrrrr after he told her where she could find it. He reminded her that we were having a massage to which she replied "oh well" ummmmm 13 not a good age sometimes
This was so relaxing I near feel asleep with it. Beautiful room at the front of the ship. It overlooks the teenage club pool. Just peaceful and very relaxing. But I do give a word of warning....they do charge and then some We walked outa there close to $500 spent. First they talked us into a stone massage that cost an extra $120 for the two of us on top of the close to $300 it cost for a couple massage. They talked us into it oh its much better especially for you sir with your job and you maddam it is much more effective deep tissue treatment. Yeah o.k what ever we said "yes". It was nice and the hot stones did feel good I wouldn't say don't do it. Just be aware that they are going to talk you into spending more I thought that would of been enough but then they came in afterwards and said we really think you should buy this bathing gel and oil another $100 we were so relaxed we said "yes" now that I wish we hadn't done its sitting in our bathroom never been used and smells like pinotarsel (chicken pox bathing stuff). Yuck reminds me of childhood illness. Anyways after this we decided to go to the rainforest room. This was $16 each, worth it I thought. Heated tiled beds relaxing quiteness. Then you walk out from this area and you find two spas over looking the water. My hubby and I sat in one it was bliss and he even got me a drink of the day to sip along whilst in there. What a good man, he must of been relaxed lol
Before we knew it was time to have a shower and get back to the kids. DH took them to the pool while I had a lay down which was nice. They came back all wet and excited. Time to get dressed for dinner at they royal palace. Tonight was pirate night. DD13 rocked up just as we were about to walk out the door to get dressed in her pirate t-shirt etc.
Dinner that night was good, I had the fish from memory. Some familys really dressed up for this night in pirate get ups. We all had stripped t-shirts and just the bandanas they gave us the night prior with our navigator. I thought this was good enough and others had done the same. Although our DS5 did have a pirate outfit I scored from Big W for $10. It was such a cool night. After dinner we went to the pirate party and fireworks. If you were single and young or just plain had engery. Staying after the fireworks and show would have been lots of fun. It was like one big dance party on two decks.....we however are getting old and tired and decided that 11pm was more than late enough. Back to our cabin we went. Once we got back I got "I am hungry" what Oh I know what I can do and with the push of a button I was onto room service. Yes I will have a couple pizzas, couple of salads five hot chocolates. Yum yes the cheese cake sounds nice we will have a couple of those as well, oh and chocolate chip cookies yes please! Room service is FREE even better...we did tip the guy a few bucks when he came but all free. Oh disney you do know how to make me happy.

 

[areweindisneyyet]

Loving it, the four day cruise is what I would like to try on our East Coast Trip, thanks for sharing.

Eagerly awaiting more.

 

[kyl]

Dont worry this is a mistake I was getting my days mixed up. Oh dear!!!

 

[kyl]

Loving it, the four day cruise is what I would like to try on our East Coast Trip, thanks for sharing.

Eagerly awaiting more.

You will have so much fun! We loved our time spent on the cruise dare I say more than going to WDW! I would recommend doing a seven night one though four days wasn't enough for us.

 

[australiankaren]

after your massage you are NOT allowed to buy anything else regardless of how good you feel.....

 

[areweindisneyyet]

You will have so much fun! We loved our time spent on the cruise dare I say more than going to WDW! I would recommend doing a seven night one though four days wasn't enough for us.

My concern is that I get seasick in the bathtub, figure 4 days I could cope with, 7 days I might be mad.

When we were dating we did a day trip in the Whitsundays visiting three islands. We ended up spending the night at the 3rd island as I was incapable of boarding the boat.

DH majorly embarassed, but so want to try a cruise.

 

[kyl]

Sorry this was taken by our five year old. But you get the idea.....

 

[kyl]

after your massage you are NOT allowed to buy anything else regardless of how good you feel.....

Very smart woman!!!!!!

 

[aussietravellers]

I had a good chuckle at the up-selling in the spa and your purchase of a pinetarsol smelling gel. How disappointing and grosse! I don't have good memories with pinetarsol so that would be hideous!

LOVING the free room service! That would be awesome.

Loving the whole TR! Looking forward to the next instalment.

 

[Marlea98]

We didn't get to try room service on the Wonder last year. DS came back to the room one afternoon before dinner saying he wasn't feeling well. I decided we'd go to dinner and leave him on his own to sleep so I called room service for something light for him to eat before we left. It was going to be a 40 minute wait for his salad or sandwich or whatever it was. I ended up telling them not to worry and ran up to deck 11 and got one and was back in about 10 minutes. Next time I'm ordering a light early breakfast from room service each morning to keep the kids quiet while we sleep in and not have to rush to get them to the restaurant for breakfast