Questions...First Disney Cruise

There is a shower seat in the HA cabins--MANY people cannot stand up and shower. The seat allows a person to sit and the shower head is hand held as well as having multiple "set" locations where it is hooked onto a pipe on the wall. It has the normal "standing" position as well as a seated position and the hand held option. And there are grab bars all around to aid with stepping in and out on the wet floor...although the drains are excellent and water doesn't go out onto the floor outside the shower.

There is a shower seat in the HA cabins--MANY people cannot stand up and shower. The seat allows a person to sit and the shower head is hand held as well as having multiple "set" locations where it is hooked onto a pipe on the wall. It has the normal "standing" position as well as a seated position and the hand held option. And there are grab bars all around to aid with stepping in and out on the wet floor...although the drains are excellent and water doesn't go out onto the floor outside the shower.

That's awesome ! Thanks. :)

Patti

There is a shower seat in the HA cabins--MANY people cannot stand up and shower. The seat allows a person to sit and the shower head is hand held as well as having multiple "set" locations where it is hooked onto a pipe on the wall. It has the normal "standing" position as well as a seated position and the hand held option. And there are grab bars all around to aid with stepping in and out on the wet floor...although the drains are excellent and water doesn't go out onto the floor outside the shower.

As a holy-roller myself on the last trip :cool: , I can vouch from experience that the HA showers are good quality:

The HA bathrooms are opened up "double-wide" (i.e. not split between the toilet and shower like the regular cabins), the shower seat in my Wonder HA cabin was a large sturdy bench that folded down from the wall with metal legs, and the shower area itself was a half-walled mostly-open area with pull-around curtain, which was easy enough to maneuver into from the rest of the bathroom.

The shower, as Mom points out, was a personal shower head on an adjustable pole holder, and the floor was just depressed enough to keep the water aimed at the drain.

Getting in and out of a tub might have been difficult, but the sit-down shower bench was perfectly ideal. Depending on how well she gets up and down from a seated position, no worries necessary.

personally, i wouldn't eat at palo on a short cruise..

the 3 dining rooms are all interesting, so you'd be giving that up to eat at palo..

i know others disagree with me, but we weren't all that impressed with palo anyway...

and the problem is, you have to book palo in advance, so you don't know which dining room you're giving up..

i wouldn't want to give up animators palate for example...

and i would think that if your niece is a disney maniac, she would definitely not want to miss animators palate

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personally, i wouldn't eat at palo on a short cruise..

the 3 dining rooms are all interesting, so you'd be giving that up to eat at palo..

 

i know others disagree with me, but we weren't all that impressed with palo anyway...

 

and the problem is, you have to book palo in advance, so you don't know which dining room you're giving up..

i wouldn't want to give up animators palate for example...

and i would think that if your niece is a disney maniac, she would definitely not want to miss animators palate

 

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I totally agree. Palo is on the level of a nice restaurant that we can do at home--the sort of place that we might choose for a special celebration, a step above one of our normal eat out places....It is totally nice, but not over the top. I often recommend that people NOT do Palo on a first cruise, especially if they have 4 or fewer nights. If you want to do Palo, try to get a brunch reservation rather than dinner.

And Palo is more of an adult get away--not a Disney themed place. Since a Palo meal is a platinum perk, we do typically eat there on each cruise. Most of the meals have been very good; a couple have been "just ok" to the point that we talked about it afterwards.

Since the cruise is likely a one time event, enjoy the MDRs for dinners.

So if concierge class can board at 11:20 do you still have to do a port of arrival time .??

So if concierge class can board at 11:20 do you still have to do a port of arrival time .??

Platinum does not do a PAT--that part of the registration process is grayed out and I get a notice that I am not required to select a PAT due to Platinum status. I'm guessing that concierge bookings are the same, but I honestly can't say that I remember. When Platinum and/or concierge bookings arrive at the terminal without a PAT, you go right in. You will go to the concierge check in line at the far end of the terminal (nearest the ship entry area), and after check in you are able to wait in the concierge waiting area. Boarding times are approximate. Typically concierge boarding is not announced, but those in the concierge waiting area are escorted thru a side door before any boarding is announced. THen they do the "family of the day" announcement, and after that Platinum.....and then each number follows. Concierge guests who complete check in after boarding has begun are escorted to the front of the line so that they board as soon as they have checked in.

Platinum does not do a PAT--that part of the registration process is grayed out and I get a notice that I am not required to select a PAT due to Platinum status. I'm guessing that concierge bookings are the same' date=' but I honestly can't say that I remember. When Platinum and/or concierge bookings arrive at the terminal without a PAT, you go right in. You will go to the concierge check in line at the far end of the terminal (nearest the ship entry area), and after check in you are able to wait in the concierge waiting area. Boarding times are approximate. Typically concierge boarding is not announced, but those in the concierge waiting area are escorted thru a side door before any boarding is announced. THen they do the "family of the day" announcement, and after that Platinum.....and then each number follows. Concierge guests who complete check in after boarding has begun are escorted to the front of the line so that they board as soon as they have checked in.[/quote']

 

 

Does platinum have to wait in the long TSA bag scan line or is there a way to go to the front of the line with that too when platinum/concierge?

 

 

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Does platinum have to wait in the long TSA bag scan line or is there a way to go to the front of the line with that too when platinum/concierge?

 

 

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There are 2 bag scan lines--normally one takes people who are getting off DCL bus transportation and the other takes people arriving from other sources. Yes, platinum waits in whichever line is appropriate. One hint--if you are on the first bus from MCO in the morning, the terminal won't open to "others" until all the people from that bus are thru security...or at least this has been our experience twice. This is at PC.

The presence or absence of a dedicated Platinum check in line has varied on different cruises...sometimes it is there, sometimes not. And it seems to come and go--no consistency at all. My all time favorite was in Barcelona where the computer went down for the Platinum line while we were checking in and we were told to go back to the beginning and wait in a regular line. I suggested that they take us over to a regular line and take us next since we'd already waited in line once.

TY these are great tips for DCL newbies.

We are doing a family reunion party of 15 on the DREAM SEPT 2017- just a month away- yeah.

Seasoned cruisers of more than 15 cruises but never Disney.

Its 3 generations- , we the grandparents, 4 adult kids with spouses an 5 grandkids ages 18 months- 4 years.

Question- how accommodating can head waiter be if we. request to eat dinner within as close proximity as possible to each other? What woud be the. most effective process for us eating close together- assuming theres no table for 15 even when pushing tables together.

In advance - thanks so much for your feedback.:cool:

TY these are great tips for DCL newbies.

We are doing a family reunion party of 15 on the DREAM SEPT 2017- just a month away- yeah.

 

Seasoned cruisers of more than 15 cruises but never Disney.

Its 3 generations- , we the grandparents, 4 adult kids with spouses an 5 grandkids ages 18 months- 4 years.

 

Question- how accommodating can head waiter be if we. request to eat dinner within as close proximity as possible to each other? What woud be the. most effective process for us eating close together- assuming theres no table for 15 even when pushing tables together.

 

In advance - thanks so much for your feedback.:cool:

First, having been at a table that large, I don't recommend it. You'll have better conversational options with 2 tables for 8. Otherwise, you can't talk to people at the other end of the table. OK, step 1--all your cabins need to be "Linked" which is also called "cross referenced for dining." If you used a TA, they will have to do this; otherwise, you need the reservation numbers--call DCL with all the numbers and they'll take care of it for you. That tells the people who do the dining assignments that you want to be together. Next, a serving station is typically 18 people. DCL will automatically place you at one serving station. Depending on how the other guest needs sorted out, you might have the whole station to yourself of there might be another family at a small table to make the 18ish. Bottom line--you can expect either one table for 15 or two tables set up for 7 and 8. If this doesn't work for the family set up, let DCL know. For instance, tell them that you need a 10 and a 5 or whatever split you want. With no further instruction, they'll probaby give you 2 tables that can each handle 8 people. If you want to know what you have before the first dinner, go to the "Dining Changes" location listed on the Welcome Aboard Navigator and ask....they can make some changes at that point if you are not happy.

TY these are great tips for DCL newbies.

We are doing a family reunion party of 15 on the DREAM SEPT 2017- just a month away- yeah.

 

Seasoned cruisers of more than 15 cruises but never Disney.

Its 3 generations- , we the grandparents, 4 adult kids with spouses an 5 grandkids ages 18 months- 4 years.

 

Question- how accommodating can head waiter be if we. request to eat dinner within as close proximity as possible to each other? What woud be the. most effective process for us eating close together- assuming theres no table for 15 even when pushing tables together.

 

In advance - thanks so much for your feedback.:cool:

It's not really the head server who sets the tables. It's done before you get on the ship. I'd suggest that you have all your reservations linked, and have the request to be seated as close together as possible placed on your reservations. Just call DCL to do this..

Each serving team serves a 4 top, a 6 top and an 8 top. It's entirely possible that they could assign you all to one service team's station.

TY both for your detailed tips.:D

I did use a TA so I will instruct him to contact DCL and do as you recommended linking all 5 cabin REZ # together for Dining.

Everyone's getting so excited!

It's not really the head server who sets the tables. It's done before you get on the ship. I'd suggest that you have all your reservations linked, and have the request to be seated as close together as possible placed on your reservations. Just call DCL to do this..

 

Each serving team serves a 4 top, a 6 top and an 8 top. It's entirely possible that they could assign you all to one service team's station.

The assignments are made shoreside, but the head of dining room has the ability to over-ride shoreside assignments.

Shmoo correctly listed the "normal" set up of each serving station. However, that is the standard, and does not necessarily apply to each situation. We were at a station with a 14 and our 6, an 18 + 4, and a situation where we were 16 and they didn't have another table....probably some more, but these I do remember. The 8 + 6 + 4 per serving team is the most common, but in no case is it fixed in stone. The biggest physical table in the dining room seats 12, but that's not an issue--they place tables together to make whatever you need. The biggest table I've been a part of was 21! Admittedly, that was a special situation and we were asked if it was OK before it happened.

I don't know how they do it too. Twice they've set us with families with transracially adopted kids and the last family adopted from the same agency we did! Now THATS some tinkerbell pixie dust magic! [emoji847]

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Did you have a question?

There will be 11 of us on a 3day Dream cruise to celebrate my husband's 70 th birthday. How do we get a table for 11 including a high chair? Do I arrange this beforehand or after boarding? If I get the reservations linked, will they automatically place us at same table?

Since this is our first Disney cruise I understand we can request a Port arrival time 75 days in advance. Unfortunately my husband and I will be on a cruise in Asia then. Can one of our sons request a PAT for all of us, or do we have to do it separately. How can we all get same PAT?

How do I arrange a bday cake for one dinner?

Do you make reservations for the nursery or kids program in advance or once on the ship?

Thanks in advance for your help.

To be seated together as a group, all of the reservations must be "linked." If you used a TA, they must do this (even if they didn't book all of the reservations.) If no TA, you can call DCL yourself with all the reservation numbers. The high chair will be automatic--nothing special to get one.

Anyone in the group who has your information can do your on line check in and select PAT for you. You get the same PAT by selecting the same time. The computer will show you all available times. Basically agree that everyone in the group will do on line check in at X day and time, and select the earliest available time (or whatever time suits you). If it isn't available, get the nearest time to that. You can edit the times later if you can't all get what you want, and you can always delay boarding until the later time so you will all board together. Your PAT is NOT a boarding time, but it is tied to your boarding number. Earlier PAT = earlier boarding.

You can purchase a cake on the DCL web site any time up to 3 days before the cruise. If you do nothing, there is a birthday dessert, a button, and the servers will sing HB.

Nursery reservations can be made in advance up to 3 days before the cruise; they are excellent about allowing you to change times on board if needed. Programming for kids 3-12 have on line sign up, but this only makes it easier to do it either at the terminal or on board. There are no time reservations for kids 3 and older--take them to the age appropriate area and drop them off. If you are not waiting around the terminal to board, it is far easier to do the kid registration on the ship. There is typically a long line at the terminal and no line on board.

To be seated together as a group' date=' all of the reservations must be "linked." If you used a TA, they must do this (even if they didn't book all of the reservations.) If no TA, you can call DCL yourself with all the reservation numbers. The high chair will be automatic--nothing special to get one.

 

Anyone in the group who has your information can do your on line check in and select PAT for you. You get the same PAT by selecting the same time. The computer will show you all available times. Basically agree that everyone in the group will do on line check in at X day and time, and select the earliest available time (or whatever time suits you). If it isn't available, get the nearest time to that. You can edit the times later if you can't all get what you want, and you can always delay boarding until the later time so you will all board together. Your PAT is NOT a boarding time, but it is tied to your boarding number. Earlier PAT = earlier boarding.

 

You can purchase a cake on the DCL web site any time up to 3 days before the cruise. If you do nothing, there is a birthday dessert, a button, and the servers will sing HB.

 

Nursery reservations can be made in advance up to 3 days before the cruise; they are excellent about allowing you to change times on board if needed. Programming for kids 3-12 have on line sign up, but this only makes it easier to do it either at the terminal or on board. There are no time reservations for kids 3 and older--take them to the age appropriate area and drop them off. If you are not waiting around the terminal to board, it is far easier to do the kid registration on the ship. There is typically a long line at the terminal and no line on board.[/quote']

Thank you for your help! Are we charged for the nursery at time we make reservation online pre-cruise, or is it charged to onboard account? Is it possible to cancel reservation for nursery once onboard if we find we don't need it?

Thank you for your help! Are we charged for the nursery at time we make reservation online pre-cruise, or is it charged to onboard account? Is it possible to cancel reservation for nursery once onboard if we find we don't need it?

The cost will be charged to your onboard account, regardless if you made the actual reservation pre-cruise or onboard.

And, from the DCL website:

Cancellations may be made without penalty 4 hours or more before your reservation time. No-shows will forfeit the entire cost of care for the time reserved while Guests who call to cancel fewer than 4 hours before their reservation time will forfeit half the cost of care.