We are planning on flying in the day before. Initially, we planned to stay at the Hyatt in MCO, but now we are considering a night at AoA. It will ultimately come down to what time our flight arrives, but I would really like to try AoA and spend some time at the pool and DTD to "set the mood". My only concern is the later time that the Disney transfer would get us to the port. Does anyone have a different transfer/car company that they prefer to use to be able to arrive earlier? The only thing with using a different company, is that 3 of the 5 kids will still need to be in booster seats if we are not on a bus. I'm not sure what the law is in Florida, but in Ohio they have to be in seats until they are 4'9", and regardless of the laws, I would be more comfortable if they were in boosters.
If you do a quick Google search using words like "Port Canaveral Transfers" all kinds of options pop up. One of the links I just got was for the port and I followed a link to the
Greater Orlando Limousine Association. Shop around the different companies. Many have pricing on their websites but some you have to obtain quotes. I know many companies offer car seats/boosters, some free and some not. Also the different companies have different sizes of vehicles that might fit your party size. Check prices and shop it. See what you can come up with and compare to what Disney's transfers will cost. Ask questions! I'm sure you can find something that will work for y'all!
Now for questions about arrival at the terminal.
I know you check in online and can fill out your paperwork ahead of time, but do you fill it all out online and submit it, or do you fill it out online and print it and bring it with you, or do you print it out and then fill it out and bring it with you?
I'm assuming that we will need our passports and the kids birth certificates when we check in at the terminal?
If we don't use the Disney transfer, is it easy to get our luggage checked in? Do they send you tags like DME does that you attach so they end up in the correct stateroom?
I know you can register for the kids club online, but is it easier to check them in at the terminal or once we get onboard?
Yep, check-in is online and most info will all be submitted there. The only thing you'll print & bring is the contract signature form. BUT, don't worry if you forget or lose it. I misplaced mine (found it on the way home where it fell between the truck seat & console) on our recent cruise. The CM that checked-us in at the terminal was able to reprint and have us sign there.
Yep, passports or birth certificates will be needed at the port when you check in for the cruise.
Yep, they send luggage tags with your cruise docs prior to sailing. We usually attach them to each checked bag riiiiight before we're loading the luggage into the car to go to the port. When you arrive at the port via private transportation there will be tons of porters waiting by the curb in the drop-off zone to take your checked bags for you. Just hand off the bags to those wonderful folks. We generally tip the porter $1 per checked item, too. The next time you see your luggage it'll be standing outside your stateroom door.
Not sure about the kids club registration. Our boys have always been in the teen clubs where you don't really need to do all that with getting the Mickey bands. You can take care of that at the cruise terminal or if the line is long I know you can do it after you get on the ship by going up to your childrens' clubs. Oh! Take that back! We did have to "register" them at Vibe on the 2 new ships because they get reissued special room keys that have Vibe artwork on them. Those special room keys also grant entry to the secured entries for Vibe. We took care of that after lunch when we hit up the Open House.
Shutters
I know that they keep track of the pics by stateroom, but my oldest will be in my parent's room. I'm guessing that it won't be an issue since he will be with us for the majority of the pics taken. When we have group pics taken, do they put them in all 3 rooms, or just one?
Can anyone tell me about how much the CD costs? Is it worth it?
How do you look at your pics? Are they on a computer, or do you see actual prints? Do they automatically add borders or can you choose which borders and on which pics?
We recently cruised the Fantasy with my brother & his girls in a connecting stateroom. Basically when we had group pics taken we'd hand the photographer a key for each stateroom so the same pic would go to each account. Then when we did separate we'd just hand off the key for each family individually. Shouldn't be an issue about your son at all. Just make sure if he's with you and your family is doing a picture one of the people in YOUR room (not your son) hands off the room key to the photog.
The CDs are priced by the length of cruise. I'm not 100% sure if I'm remembering right but I think the CD is $199. I also think I read somewhere that for like $50 more or something they'll let you have all the printed photos from your Shutters folio. Not certain on that either. Worth it? Well, that depends on how many pictures you have that you want. Our method for determining whether or not to buy the CD is to go thru the folio on the final evening and count how many keepers we have. Each printed sheet is $20. I generally will do an 8x10 size as my sheet because that's easy to scan then reduce without distortion upon printing. Anywhoo, so we count how many keepers we have. At $200 for the CD, I'd need to have 10+ keepers. If I only have 6 keepers I'll buy the 6 8x10 photos and scan them in at home. Each person is different, though. Sometimes we don't even have enough of the professional pictures done to add up to that magic "worth it" number. I know on like the 3rd night of our last cruise we pulled our folio and there was only 3 pictures inside, 2 of them from embarkation at the port. LOL! I looked over at another guy who already had so many prints he couldn't hardly fit the stack back into his folio. I'm guessing that family had been hustling to a loooot of meet-n-greets and photo-ops. I'm sure for them the CD would've been a bargain! LOL!
You can look at your pics at the Shutters touch-screen kiosks as well as in your folio on the shelves on Deck 4, midship. I'm trying to remember where the kiosks were. The kiosks are cool because you can actually scroll thru and create orders of your prints right there. Those are open 24/7. The folios are only open to viewing when you're not in port and during hours similar to the shops. The actual folios are kinda like a "store" of sorts. I'm not sure if you can edit or choose borders on the kiosks. I don't think you can. I'm also thinking when you order the CD with all your prints the pictures with borders will still have them and those without won't. It's not customizable the way Photopass is. That's somewhat unfortunate when you think about it because a lot of Disney's cruisers are accustomed to the way Photopass works. If I'm not mistaken, Shutters is not owned by Disney so maybe that contributes to the lack of continuity and/or consistancy between the 2 photo services.
General ship questions:
Is there milk or juice available all the time for the kids like soft drinks are fot the adults? None of mine drink pop and would much rather drink milk than anything else.
I know the shops are not open while we are in foreign ports, so how late are they open in the evening? Are they open the first day when we are still in Port Canaveral? This is a major concern for me, I already have a list of must buys for this cruise!
I believe milk is available at the drink stations just like the sodas, tea, coffee, etc. At least that's what I'm reading when I searched for the answer. Honestly, I don't remember ever seeing it but then I wasn't looking for it. We generally just grab cartons at breakfast. Now, if your kids like chocolate milk I would try to grab some cartons at breakfast then put them in my stateroom fridge. It might be convenient to grab some white milk, too. That way you have them available to you when you want them without having to go fetch. Oh! You could also put out the little card with your continental breakfast order before bed the night before. I think milk is something you can request! There's a spot where you can fill in how many servings. That might help!
The shops aren't open in ANY port. No, not open in Port Canaveral. They'll open soon after you set sail, usually around 6 p.m. They stay open late, tho. I'm thinking at least 11:00 p.m. but maybe until midnight.
Miscellaneous questions:
Since we are only on a 3 night cruise and will not have a day at sea, I think that we will stay onboard when the ship is at Nassau. I figure we will hit the pool and AquaDuck, the Midship Detective Agency, miniature golf, get in a few meet and greets, and just take in all the Disney details on the ship. Any thoughts on this plan?
We will definitely be leaving the ship on Castaway Cay day!
My husband and I are contemplating doing the 5k. My oldest wants to do it also, but he will only be 11 1/2 at the time of the cruise and it says you need to be 12. Does anyone forsee this being an issue?
After the cruise, we will be spending a few days at WDW. What time can we expect to arrive at Pop Century if we use the Disney transfer? I think I have read that we have to take our luggage to the resort ourselves. Is this correct?
Well, that is all for now, but I'm sure I will come up with more questions along the way! Thank you in advance for any answers and help you can provide!! Any suggestions are welcome, even if they have nothing to do with one of my questions!
Your Nassau plan is one a LOT of people opt to go with. Not a thing wrong with it! Think of the Aqua Duck as a parks attraction. Early & late, when it rains, or during popular activities the wait will be much less. Apply your park sense on that one and you'll be in-for-the-win!
I've done the 5k w/my then-14 yro son. He was the only kid participating. I have no idea if they'll give you a hard time about your under 12 kiddo running it. For the most part the 5k is pretty informal. When we did it there was no sign-up or anything but I've read on other sailings where there was. We all just showed up at the 5k start, pinned on bibs, got the info-talk from the CM w/the stopwatch, and off we went. Without any sign-up I don't see how they could determine your kiddo isn't yet 12. Maybe you can find some recent Dream 3-night Navigator's online to see what they say about the CC5k. If they say to meet and sign up somewhere on the ship prior to walking onto the island it may be more difficult. There's no way to tell for sure. Maybe just go and let them tell you no.
Additionally, not to discourage you and all....I'm glad we did it and have the memory, but I gotta tell ya - running the 5k was HOT. I live in a climate very similar to WDWs: hot & humid. Even we were suffering. They don't start until around 8:30 or 9. By then the sun is up and beating you down. We both found it extremely draining. Again, proud we did it but not likely to do it again during a warmer weather month. I'd rather get my run on before the sun is out to kill me. Literally. Just thought I'd share that with you. A little something to consider.
I'm really not sure what time the Disney transfers start running back to the resorts. Perhaps someone else can help with that. If you took a private transfer to the port you could do it as a round-trip and have more control over your time. You would tell the transfer provider what time you want them there. You have the option of express debarkation which would get you off the ship around 7:30. For express debarkation you have to carry all your luggage off the ship with you, no puting it out in the hall the night before to have it delivered down to the terminal for you (tons of porters are in the terminal to assist with luggage when you get down there). If you walk off the ship at 7:30-7:45 there's no reason you couldn't be checking-in at Pop before 9:30 a.m. Except traffic of course. That's always the wild card.
If you wait for general debarkation, that usually starts around 8 or so. Gonna be pretty busy but you could prob'ly still get to the resort before 10:30.
I'm not sure about how the luggage transport happens when you use Disney's transfers from the ship to the resorts. It would be oh-so-very magical and quite a perk if you could put your checked bags out the night before then see them again in your resort room the next afternoon. However, when you think about all the formalities of entering the country from a foreign destination it makes total sense that you'd have to fetch your own luggage (w/a porter to help!) from the terminal and physically bring your own belongings thru customs for reentry. Somehow, I think that's what has to happen. You'll have to go get your luggage from down in the terminal, have a porter load it onto a cart, then the porter will accompany you as your proceed thru the customs line and while you are presenting your customs form, passports, and other documentation.
You're doing GREAT! Best thing you can do is ask questions if you need to know something!
