As per the usual when it comes to Disney's websites, they're not lightning fast at updating. LOL! The rumors came from both a person who was on a cruise that was told the change would be effective I believe on August 5, 2013 as well as a Disney-specific travel agent who was informed (somehow) of the impending change. I'm not 100% because I personally have not called but when more than 1 source is being told on different occasions by DCL this is what's happening I suppose it's fairly plausible. We'll have to wait and see when the website posts it and it becomes officially official.
For us it's a matter of buying clothing that gets worn on the cruises then never again. My husband works on-site in refineries. His work clothes are fire resistant jeans & long work shirts with steel-toe boots. We homeschool so school clothes are pretty much pajamas, sweats, or gym shorts with tshirts. We don't attend church on Sundays. Before we cruised if we had khakis, polos, casual dress shoes, or dresses it's because someone died or someone got married. With teenage boys they grow out of things so fast we're getting 1 or 2 wears out of the dress clothes and they're gone to the donate pile. The husband has been able to rewear a lot of what we've bought previously but with the boys every cruise is precipitated by a week of mad rush to assess what no longer fits and buy what they need. Can't buy new clothes too early or they'll inevitably hit a growth spurt and the stuff won't fit. I literally do this whole process 3 or 4 days before we leave. 2 dress pants, 2 polos, a button-up, and shoes runs roughly $200 each. It's an expense and chore that I don't want to deal with. Annoying to say the least. Then, for people who live their lives as casually as we do, khakis & uncomfortable shoes are pretty un-fun and counter-productive to the laid-back vibe, like being in someone else's skin. We all know that each evening at a set time we have to stop the fun, go to the room, dress in clothes we're not that fond of, then go try to pull off a look that's foreign to us. No, it's really not that big a deal but it is what it is. It's the one thing we all readily say blows on a cruise. That's just us. We do it out of courtesy to others and respect to our hosts but we do not like it. We put the uncomfortable clothes on, eat, then run back to the stateroom to get back into normal clothes. The shorts aren't the biggest step towards comfortable for us but at least it's less to buy specifically for each cruise and it's articles of clothing the guys are likely to wear more than just on the cruise.
Formal and semi-formal nights are still there so those who enjoy all that still have the opportunity to indulge. On our upcoming cruise Tracey & I plan to have some drinks in the adult pool and steer clear of the frou-frou. I think we'll be muuuuuch happier for it, too!
