inthekitty
Emerald
My eyes are up here.
Posts: 10,394 Likes: 68,840
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Post by inthekitty on Mar 20, 2019 15:56:14 GMT -6
Can anyone who's done a Disney cruise tell me about the dining (or any other activity) reservations and how that works? I've only cruised Norwegian and you don't have to reserve dining. I've heard for Disney cruises there are character dining opportunities but they have to be booked in advance. How far in advance does that open up? Will I miss out on much/will on-board activities be filled if I book a trip just a month or two before?
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gussie
Amethyst
Posts: 6,331 Likes: 18,769
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Post by gussie on Mar 20, 2019 16:09:28 GMT -6
Us too but now they charge you if you don’t cancel more than 24 hours in advance and it really sucks. How was I supposed to know 180 days ago that one of my kids would be a monster or MH is complaining that if he walks another step his foot will fall off? To be fair, I could predict these things will happen every night at Disney. We didn’t find this to be true on our trip. We called same-day and explained that our kid was absolutely not going to be able to make it to an 8:50pm dinner at that point and they were willing to let us out of the reservation. I think their customer service is just so on point. We cancelled one night and they were going to charge us $50. We had to talk to two managers above the person, it was a whole thing.
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gussie
Amethyst
Posts: 6,331 Likes: 18,769
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Post by gussie on Mar 20, 2019 16:11:53 GMT -6
Can anyone who's done a Disney cruise tell me about the dining (or any other activity) reservations and how that works? I've only cruised Norwegian and you don't have to reserve dining. I've heard for Disney cruises there are character dining opportunities but they have to be booked in advance. How far in advance does that open up? Will I miss out on much/will on-board activities be filled if I book a trip just a month or two before? I can't answer the last two questions but for normal dinner, you either have early or late dinner (like 5:30 or 8) and they tell you which restaurant you are in each night. You can book a fancier restaurant for an additional fee, and you choose that time, it doesn't have to be the normal dinner time. I'm assuming character meals work like that, but we didn't do one when we went. IIRC breakfast and lunch were a go in anytime buffet.
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moosemom
Platinum
Posts: 1,248 Likes: 9,634
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Post by moosemom on Mar 20, 2019 16:24:43 GMT -6
You all need to come to Cedar Point. America's Roller Coast! lol Best rides anywhere. Good food. Breakfast with Peanuts characters. Plenty of kiddie rides. Hotel Breakers is steps away from the park entrance. Early entry when you stay on site. 3 nights, 2 adults, 2 kids package at Breakers All day drink & dining passes- free meal ever 90 mins & drink every 15 mins Unlimited pic downloads Fast lane passes 1 hour early entry Waterpark included about $3k plus flight That's not a bad price with food & drink included. There are cheaper hotel options too. And you don't have to purchase the Fast Lane package or waterpark. We have platinum passes and I will gtg:) Opens May 11th. Also, cheese fries! also funnel fries!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2019 16:35:20 GMT -6
We didn’t find this to be true on our trip. We called same-day and explained that our kid was absolutely not going to be able to make it to an 8:50pm dinner at that point and they were willing to let us out of the reservation. I think their customer service is just so on point. We cancelled one night and they were going to charge us $50. We had to talk to two managers above the person, it was a whole thing. well that’s lame.
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Post by justkeepmoving on Mar 21, 2019 7:59:07 GMT -6
I’m literally in the middle of trying to book a last minute Disney trip (going the last week of May). I know nothing. My kids are 6 and 4. Would staying for 5 days be good (we’re heading to the beach for a few days after Disney)? And how do you add more fast passes? Cher Can you do it from your phone?
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gussie
Amethyst
Posts: 6,331 Likes: 18,769
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Post by gussie on Mar 21, 2019 8:17:24 GMT -6
I’m literally in the middle of trying to book a last minute Disney trip (going the last week of May). I know nothing. My kids are 6 and 4. Would staying for 5 days be good (we’re heading to the beach for a few days after Disney)? And how do you add more fast passes? Cher Can you do it from your phone? Once your three fast passes are spent for the day you can add another one on your phone from the My Disney Experience app. I would download it now and play with the app. It's really cool, I got lost in AK once and i could type in where I wanted to go and the app led me there. And you can book dining, see all the wait times etc.
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Post by sammys on Apr 15, 2019 4:15:18 GMT -6
My fiance and I are planning on doing a 3 night mini honeymoon before going back to work after our wedding. Our real honeymoon will take place in 6 months after wedding. Disney has always been a dream for me because of the customer service and special treatment, but my fiance is concerned it will be filled with screaming kids and not relaxing at all. It would be great if we could go mid-May it wouldn't be too busy, as most kidds will be in school, but it would be mid June... I have found some useful hack from Walt Disney's Disneyland book, but still need some recommendations.
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Post by shan-ah-doo on Apr 15, 2019 4:31:02 GMT -6
My fiance and I are planning on doing a 3 night mini honeymoon before going back to work after our wedding. Our real honeymoon will take place in 6 months after wedding. Disney has always been a dream for me because of the customer service and special treatment, but my fiance is concerned it will be filled with screaming kids and not relaxing at all. It would be great if we could go mid-May it wouldn't be too busy, as most kidds will be in school, but it would be mid June... I have found some useful hack from Walt Disney's Disneyland book, but still need some recommendations. So you’re going to a place that’s geared towards children but you’re concerned about it being crowded with screaming kids and looking for ways to avoid kids? Good luck!
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RajahMD
Amethyst
Posts: 6,973 Likes: 41,657
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Post by RajahMD on Apr 15, 2019 6:53:51 GMT -6
I will put forth Busch Gardens as the cleanest amusement park ever. God yes. And the one in Williamsburg is just gorgeous. It's my go-to amusement park. I can't wait to take N. Now that she can walk, she can ride the kiddie rides. I'm hoping to take her this summer. Their Sesame Street section is amazing.
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Yogurt
Emerald
Posts: 11,889 Likes: 42,317
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Post by Yogurt on Apr 15, 2019 7:31:40 GMT -6
sammy I think your fiance is correct.
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Post by shan-ah-doo on Apr 15, 2019 8:40:03 GMT -6
There is a weird link in the post so maybe it's a spam bot here to preach about Adult Disney. Oh I thought I saw her before. Maybe I’m mixing her up with someone else. Either way I was foiled again 😾
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elle
Ruby
Posts: 17,970 Likes: 114,109
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Post by elle on Apr 15, 2019 9:21:47 GMT -6
This post is killing me: For this upcoming Christmas I will make homemade soap for all my family members. Just found this site which seems to have all I need to know about making soap. I guess homemade soap would be their favourite presents ever. Soap for Christmas! It's everybody's favorite gift.
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RajahMD
Amethyst
Posts: 6,973 Likes: 41,657
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Post by RajahMD on Apr 15, 2019 9:23:31 GMT -6
There is a weird link in the post so maybe it's a spam bot here to preach about Adult Disney. Oh I thought I saw her before. Maybe I’m mixing her up with someone else. Either way I was foiled again 😾 I was curious, so I looked at the post history. 7 posts total, all involving product recommendations. And all have or had (and then removed by admin) links to websites and spam. I vote bot.
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RajahMD
Amethyst
Posts: 6,973 Likes: 41,657
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Post by RajahMD on Apr 15, 2019 9:24:47 GMT -6
This post is killing me: For this upcoming Christmas I will make homemade soap for all my family members. Just found this site which seems to have all I need to know about making soap. I guess homemade soap would be their favourite presents ever. Soap for Christmas! It's everybody's favorite gift. Hahaha. I saw this one too. I particular like the "I guess". Such confidence. Lol.
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thatgolfb
Unicorn
Posts: 55,023 Likes: 234,914
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Post by thatgolfb on Apr 15, 2019 9:35:29 GMT -6
My fiance and I are planning on doing a 3 night mini honeymoon before going back to work after our wedding. Our real honeymoon will take place in 6 months after wedding. Disney has always been a dream for me because of the customer service and special treatment, but my fiance is concerned it will be filled with screaming kids and not relaxing at all. It would be great if we could go mid-May it wouldn't be too busy, as most kidds will be in school, but it would be mid June... I have found some useful hack from Walt Disney's Disneyland book, but still need some recommendations. So you’re going to a place that’s geared towards children but you’re concerned about it being crowded with screaming kids and looking for ways to avoid kids? Good luck!
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Post by goldenbird on Apr 15, 2019 11:24:04 GMT -6
This post is killing me: For this upcoming Christmas I will make homemade soap for all my family members. Just found this site which seems to have all I need to know about making soap. I guess homemade soap would be their favourite presents ever. Soap for Christmas! It's everybody's favorite gift. I'm dying 😂
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Post by radiantfate on Apr 15, 2019 19:54:07 GMT -6
I live in the land of Disney World (it’s about 30 mins from my house) and a lot of people around here get annual passes just to have a thing to do. Also locals who work there get in free and get guest passes.
There is also a HUGE international draw to the theme parks, I know whenever we go there are lots of international visitors there.
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Post by shambam08 on Apr 15, 2019 20:04:54 GMT -6
Drinking around the world is fun, so I will give you that. There was a poor girl who drank way too much around the world and was incredibly sick in the bathroom on the way out with her boyfriend in there holding her over the toilet and singing “let it go” to her while she puked. It was awful and funny all at the same time. Maybe it is a timing thing. My kids were awesome but it was so damn crowded and I felt like I was being constantly almost run over by mobility scooters or strollers. Isn’t it spring break for a lot of people this week or last week? There’s a crowd calendar that shows you peak weeks, basically the whole of March sucks www.dadsguidetowdw.com/image-files/2019-crowd-cal-full.jpgSpring break crowds rival Christmas crowds. It’s insaneky busy.
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Post by shambam08 on Apr 15, 2019 20:18:44 GMT -6
Kids under 3 get in free. Obviously the trip fulfills some need at the parent level but there isn’t a lot of hard costs bringing a baby/young toddler. Cost isn't even at the top of the list as to why I find this odd.
The kid usually isn't very aware, can't ride much, probably won't remember. I mean to go through the hassle of the travel, crowds, etc for that is not for me.
I mean I feel the same way about babies at the zoo.
I am not approaching anyone and accosting them and their babies. I am talking here. Someone brought up what they found odd and I expounded.
*Yes if you live in town and it's no hassle for you to go to Disney toting your baby, do you boo.
There’s roughly 12 rides throughout Disney World without height restrictions, so lots for little ones to do.
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Post by shambam08 on Apr 15, 2019 20:30:07 GMT -6
I’ve never been to Disney, but what’s the average cost with fast passes and the like? Fastpasses are free at Disney. You get to prebook 3 ahead of time. Tickets start at $104/day but the more days you go the cheaper it gets per day.
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auburn
Sapphire
Posts: 3,558 Likes: 12,880
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Post by auburn on Apr 15, 2019 20:49:53 GMT -6
I just read this whole thread. We went for the Halloween party and it was amazing. I don’t really get into Halloween, but the kids love it. I’ve been to Disney a lot and the Halloween party was, by far, the best. I can’t recommend it enough. I wanted to love the Christmas party but it was so crowded and then we’re struck by a stomach virus. TERRIBLE.
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Post by starrynight on Apr 15, 2019 21:55:21 GMT -6
Can anyone who's done a Disney cruise tell me about the dining (or any other activity) reservations and how that works? I've only cruised Norwegian and you don't have to reserve dining. I've heard for Disney cruises there are character dining opportunities but they have to be booked in advance. How far in advance does that open up? Will I miss out on much/will on-board activities be filled if I book a trip just a month or two before? I don't know if you are still thinking of the Disney cruise. We did one in January. The character breakfast and meet & greets filled up before I remembered to book them. I went to guest services after we boarded. They put us on a waitlist and confirmed our reservations within the next day or so. It was one of their smaller ships, so I don't know if it is harder on a larger one.
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inthekitty
Emerald
My eyes are up here.
Posts: 10,394 Likes: 68,840
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Post by inthekitty on Apr 16, 2019 4:50:15 GMT -6
starrynight thanks for the info. We still might do one next spring but we'd have to wait to book until about 60 days out. Glad to hear we still might be able to get character dining.
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Post by shambam08 on Apr 16, 2019 10:40:39 GMT -6
This thread inspired me to get started on our Disney family t shirts and dresses for my daughter from etsy. Yep, we are those people. I’m sitting on your bench!
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Post by shambam08 on Apr 16, 2019 10:43:46 GMT -6
I’ve never been to Disney, but what’s the average cost with fast passes and the like? I have never been so this could be way off, but people were talking about it in a travel group I'm in, and they said a 2-3 bedroom suite in an actual Disney property (not like a Hyatt a mile away) can be $8,000 a week. But that you can "rent" somebody's Disney vacation club for "only" $5,000 a week. Again, I'm not the experienced one here so I'm sure it varies by property and whatnot. This is very true. When you pay rack rate for the villas you pay a lot more. People will rent out their DVC points and you save a lot of money.
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Post by shambam08 on Apr 16, 2019 10:51:27 GMT -6
One of my employees emails me daily with the DVC deals. I really think we may just buck up and become DVC members. We already priced out the one we want. It would allow us to go and stay at a luxury resort every 3 years, which means we get to see other places in between. Kind of perfect for us. Is it like a time share though where there are high annual fees that might cut into your ability to go other places in between? It depends on which resort you buy into and how many points you buy. Our dues are $6.70/point. We didn’t buy a massive amount of points so it’s reasonable. You can choose to pay your dues all at once or monthly.
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auburn
Sapphire
Posts: 3,558 Likes: 12,880
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Post by auburn on Apr 16, 2019 12:02:37 GMT -6
I totally just went down a rabbit hole on renting DVC points. I now want to stay at the Wilderness Lodge.
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Post by shambam08 on Apr 16, 2019 15:53:22 GMT -6
I’m in the final planning stages of my Disney trip and I’m so excited. We will be there for 10 days. It won’t be kid-free but I’ll be solo parenting in Disney with my 2. I’m excited to see them both in action. Last time I was there, the youngest was an infant so I’m excited to see how he will react. Lots of flammable stuff in that paragraph. DH is taking all three kids (10, 5, 17m) on his own in a couple of weekends since I have to work. He's taking the bigger two out of school early Friday, and then they'll drive down (about 10 hours). Saturday will be MK in the AM and Epcot in the afternoon for their Easter egg hunt. They will then drive home in the early or late evening to be back at some point Sunday. This is 💯 so that they can do the Easter egg hunt because there just isn't another time that works with out schedule. And, while it is arguably the best scavenger hunt Epcot hosts, I think he's a little bonkers. 10 days? Sure, I do that every summer with the kids. 72 hours? Ehhhhh. But, whatever. Go in peace and just make sure they wear sunblock. I would love to take my kids to an Easter egg hunt at Epcot! DH wouldnthtink I was crazy. Too bad it’s either a plane ride or 20+hours in the car. We are a Disney family. We started going in Decemver of ‘15 and have gone every year since. Last summer we joined DVC and also got annual passes. It has been amazing. We’ve taken the kids 3 times since July and are going back this July. DH and I went down for a few days in November for the food and wine festival. It was amazing. We loved riding the rides we wanted and eating where we wanted without our kids. I remember feeling overwhelmed when I planned our first trip but now I can do it in my sleep. It’s also nice because we go so often that I don’t worry about missing anything. The only things on my must do list for this summer are to see illuminations since it is being replaced and ride spaceship earth since it is going to be closed for a long time for refurbishment.
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Post by spicysalmonroll on May 16, 2019 6:11:16 GMT -6
Bumping because this is hilarious. This girl I know IRL posted on a kids travel group "will my dress and flip flops be ok for Epcot?" 100 people replied wear sneakers and she said I didn't bring sneakers. One day later she updated the post to this. I am dying. How the eff did she not expect lines? Someone asked if she used/reserved her fastpass rides and she's like "no idea what that is". I'm just aghast that anyone would not bring sneakers, not expect walking or lines.
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