New Disney cruiser with questions

[sara mom]

Hi all! We are contemplating a Disney cruise on the Majic and have a few questions.

 

1. Dining...everynight you eat at a different MDR? How do you know where to eat each night? We've done RCL and Carnival are have always had assigned tables at the MDR so this is a bit new to me.

 

2. Kids programs/clubs..according to the web site they are open 9am to midnight. Is it a once you are there you stay for the day or can parents sign them in and out for blocks of time during the day?

 

3. Debarkation..does Disney offer the option of walking off the ship with your luggage or do you have to leave your luggage outside your cabin to have the luggage fairies take it away?

 

4. Laundry...is there self service laundry available? Is there a laundry service available?

 

5. Alcohol...has anything been changed with their alcohol policy (I read an earlier thread)....can I bring 2 bottles in my carry on bag to enjoy in our cabin?

 

6. Room readiness...what time can we have access to our cabins? RCL was 1:30 or so. Just checking to see if kids should wear bathing suits under their clothes when we board.

 

Thank you all for your answers.

[ducklite]

Hi all! We are contemplating a Disney cruise on the Majic and have a few questions.

 

1. Dining...everynight you eat at a different MDR? How do you know where to eat each night? We've done RCL and Carnival are have always had assigned tables at the MDR so this is a bit new to me.

 

Your room key will have your dining rotation on it. It will have three letters representing the first initials of the three dining rooms as well as your assigned dining time and table number. If you have any problem, any crew member will help you decipher it.

 

2. Kids programs/clubs..according to the web site they are open 9am to midnight. Is it a once you are there you stay for the day or can parents sign them in and out for blocks of time during the day?

 

You can sign them in and out as you please. The counselors can advise as to the times they will be doing special activities the kids might not want to miss so you can plan around that.

 

3. Debarkation..does Disney offer the option of walking off the ship with your luggage or do you have to leave your luggage outside your cabin to have the luggage fairies take it away?

 

You can walk off with or without your bags anytime after the ship is cleared. You don't have to wait for your color to be called, even if you wanted to leave the bags outside like on RCCL. The DCL disembarkment procedure is so painless that I can't believe all other cruiselines haven't adopted it.

 

4. Laundry...is there self service laundry available? Is there a laundry service available?

 

Yes to both. There are also irons and boards available for guest use in the guest laundry.

 

5. Alcohol...has anything been changed with their alcohol policy (I read an earlier thread)....can I bring 2 bottles in my carry on bag to enjoy in our cabin?

 

I got off the Dream a week ago today and the policy remained as always, carry on as much as you want, no questioins asked--other than "where's the party?" with a big smile by the security staff.

 

6. Room readiness...what time can we have access to our cabins? RCL was 1:30 or so. Just checking to see if kids should wear bathing suits under their clothes when we board.

 

DCL is about the same, wear the suits under clothes if you'll want to use the pools right away.

 

I've sailed both lines, let me know if you have any questions.

[disneylynn]

Hi Sara mom

 

1.once you get to the port you will be issued your key card it will have you rotating for dinning on it.

 

2.Yes , you can pick up your kids at anytime and they can go as many times a day that they want.

 

3. Yes

 

4. Yes

 

5. Yes

 

6. Just to be safe have you swimsuits in your carry on bag.

 

 

I hope this helps

Lynn

[eh2zed]

I think you will like Disney. Rotational dining is great IMO. Your waiters go along with you.

[sara mom]

Another question I forgot to add....

are there such thing as character breakfasts and how does one get tickets for that?

 

I read somewhere about tea with princesses (my 5yo would love that) or was it with the Mad Hatter (then she would be petrified).

 

Thanks!

[ducklite]

Another question I forgot to add....

are there such thing as character breakfasts and how does one get tickets for that?

 

I read somewhere about tea with princesses (my 5yo would love that) or was it with the Mad Hatter (then she would be petrified).

 

Thanks!

 

There is a character breakfast on the longer cruises--I don't know about the four day but definitely on the seven day. You need to request tickets at guest services, they are limited, so ask when you board and keep asking until they become available.

 

I think there might be a childrens tea on the longer cruises, but I'm not sure.

[Modern_Viking]

I was on a 7 night cruise earlier this year (2011) on the Disney Magic, and here are some dining experiences I had:

 

 

(1) It seemed as if every family on-board was automatically assigned to one character breakfast during the cruise. Not that I asked everyone about that, but that is how it seemed to work. It did sound like it was possible to ask to move to a different day/time, and while Disney tried to accommodate such requests, there are no guarantees that they can move you.

 

(2) When I got to my cabin the afternoon of embarkation (rooms were made available at about 1:30pm, by the way), there was a small reference ticket summarizing my dining for the week. The paper was about the size of the theater ticket and slightly thicker/more durable than note paper. It listed, for every night, the dining room assignment. It also listed the day, time, and location of the character breakfast I was assigned. In my case, the breakfast was the last sea day (day before Half Moon Cay) in Parrot Cay dining room. The four characters at the breakfast were Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy. We had our normal dinner servers that day, and food was ordered off the menu (not a buffet). If you bring your own camera, the cast members will take group photos for you with your camera (so you don't have to buy their photos).

 

(3) On your "Key to the World Card" (the Disney name for your combination room key and charge card), there was a seven letter code listing the dining room I was assigned to each of the seven nights. I believe I was assigned "PLAPPLA" with each letter representing the first letter of the dining room assignment for that night. It wasn't a strict rotation in that everyone was in the same room for the 4th and 5th night. This was an Eastern Caribbean itinerary, by the way, so a Western Caribbean cruise might have a different schedule.

 

(4) My table number was written on both my dining cheat sheet and on my Key to the World Card. Showing either of those items to a dining cast member would have been enough information for them to direct me to the proper place for dinner.

 

(5) Since each of the three dining rooms is arranged slightly differently (they do have the same number of tables of a given size, but they are in a different order), there are many head servers and other servers situated at the main dining room entrance every night. When you walk in, they ask you for your table number (or to see your card) and then guide you to your table so you won't get lost. Toward the end of the cruise, we often spotted one of our own servers in the crowd, in which case we would just meet up and go to the table (no need to tell them your table number since they usually remember you). All in all, very civilized, I think.

 

 

I did not attend any "tea time" events, and I don't remember if they were offered.

[Sauer-kraut]

Viking, what a great summary, thanks so much!

[shanley]

We attended the tea party with Alice and the Mad Hatter on the Disney Magic, 7 day cruise November 2010. There were two tea parties, both on sea days. You had to ask at guests services to get tickets. I got my tickets on the first day. I was told they go fast. There is no charge but limited seating.

 

One mom & daughter thought they had tickets for the first day, but found out when they got there, it was for the 2nd. They got to wait until everyone arrived and there was still seats, so they got to come in.

 

It was a fun little party. Alice teaches you the Queen's way for tea and the Mad Hatter gets everyone to run around there table swinging their napkin! A couple of kids are chosen to be party of the show.

 

Apple juice and cookies are served.

[OneParticularHarbour 71]

The character breakfast is offered on 7 night or longer cruises. Everyone is assigned a day and time. There will be tickets in your stateroom with your day and time and your servers will also remind you the night before. It will be on a sea day, so you don't have to worry about excursions, etc.

 

The tea with Alice and MadHatter you will need to go to Guest Services to try to get tickets.