Disney Cruise with kids

[mickey7879]

Wow, it's been a long time since I've been on this board! Thanks to all who helped plan my trip last September while I was preggo. Now I need help again......

We are driving from Maine to Florida in Feb. Staying 1 week in Panama City Beach, 1 week off site and going to Disney and then 1 week Disney cruise....western caribbean.

I've gone on 2 previous Disney cruises, but never while children. My kids will be 3.5 years and 15 months (yay, little Jackson is 6 months old now!). Today I upgraded our room to an oceanview stateroom....we liked how these rooms were set up compared to the inside stateroom we had originally booked.

What tips do you have with cruising with kids at this age? Any and all info is welcome!

Tell me about the nursery, children's programs, how can the kids sit for such a long time in the dining room, going on shore with them, which shore excursions are recommended, how many hours did you put your LO's in the nursery.....I want to hear it all!!!!

Please help!!!!!!!!

 

[mickey7879]

Come on, someone must be able to help me!:shrug:

 

[bradandsarabr]

sailing first week of March?? We're on that cruise. Youngest is 5, sorry.

 

[Disneyfalcon]

I've been with little ones before.

I'd recommend booking nursery times as soon as possible. You don't want to miss Palo, and you can't bring the kiddos!

Are you on late or early dining? There is a program set up to come get the kids and take them to their respective clubs during late dining. It's a big help.

I'd play it by ear for the kids clubs during the day. Some kids never want to leave, others don't like leaving their parents. If he's not crazy about them, then just put him in when you are going to Palo and when there's an activity he'll like.

 

[mickey7879]

Yes, we're sailing March5-12th and have the main dining sitting. We're not fans of fancy meals, so Palo is out for us.

Any other tips with sailing with kids?

 

[HS0411]

Wow, it's been a long time since I've been on this board! Thanks to all who helped plan my trip last September while I was preggo. Now I need help again......

We are driving from Maine to Florida in Feb. Staying 1 week in Panama City Beach, 1 week off site and going to Disney and then 1 week Disney cruise....western caribbean.

I've gone on 2 previous Disney cruises, but never while children. My kids will be 3.5 years and 15 months (yay, little Jackson is 6 months old now!). Today I upgraded our room to an oceanview stateroom....we liked how these rooms were set up compared to the inside stateroom we had originally booked.

What tips do you have with cruising with kids at this age? Any and all info is welcome!

Tell me about the nursery, children's programs, how can the kids sit for such a long time in the dining room, going on shore with them, which shore excursions are recommended, how many hours did you put your LO's in the nursery.....I want to hear it all!!!!

Please help!!!!!!!!

Just take it easy. There's alot to see and do.

As far as the nursery goes, they are fantastic. Most of them actually have college degrees from their respective countries in education. Just remember the nursery actually costs and times do book up fast. There are a few space available spots once you board.

I know they are in the process of changing the youth programs. If you child likes new people and doesn't cling, you'll probably never see them if you want. Your 3.5 year old most be potty trained to enter the kids spaces.

Dining can take 1.5 to 2 hours. Servers are usually good about entertaining kids. You can also walk around the ship with them between courses. Come visit with the crew. We get bored during meal times cause everyone is eating!

Shore excursion if I remember correctly all have age restrictions of 2 or older. Feel free to explore on your own with your kids of take advantage of the nursery and kids spaces.

I'm drawing a blank right now on everything else. If you have any other questions, ask and if I remember something, I'll post!

 

[Phonedave]

Kids and 'day care' are pretty much a crap shoot. Some want to stay in the kids programs all day long. Others - such as mine - want to hang with dad. The programs are great, it is just that my kids think I am better

On my first cruise, our tablemates had a young child - maybe 6. He would eat as fast as he could, and then they would bring him back to the childcare. Some nights he didn't even show for dinner.

-dave

 

[mickey7879]

Our almost 3 yr old is a seasoned traveler....been to Disney 3 times and as near as we can count, he's spent roughly 150+ nights in a hotel so far. He loves to travel and is pretty laid back and goes with the flow. So far, our 6 month old likes to take his naps and go to bed at a certain time. Any later and he gets cranky.

We understand the nursery charges......do they have cribs the kids can sleep in? What are the hours of the nursery?

We've already discussed that on some nights we'll take turns on who stays with Jackson so the other parent can take Tyler to see a show or hang out.

Tyler loves to meet new people and play with kids and isn't too shy.....sometimes he is but it doesn't take long for him to get over it.

We don't want to put the kids in the programs all the time....just a couple hours here and there to get a break and enjoy the adult pool or see a show together.

During the main dining time will they come and get the kids? Do they provide like paper and crayons for the kids to keep them busy during dinner or should I bring my own bag of tricks?

Anyone do the thing where you can have the diapers delivered right to your stateroom? Was it worth the cost?

Do they have strollers available to *rent* or should I bring our own double stroller?

How much is parking at the terminal?

How early can you board?

Are there any *baby* items that you can't take onboard?

Is it true the kids can't go in the pool unless they are potty trained even with swim diapers on?

Sorry for all the questions.....I'm sure I"ll have more though!

 

[HS0411]

Our almost 3 yr old is a seasoned traveler....been to Disney 3 times and as near as we can count, he's spent roughly 150+ nights in a hotel so far. He loves to travel and is pretty laid back and goes with the flow. So far, our 6 month old likes to take his naps and go to bed at a certain time. Any later and he gets cranky.

We understand the nursery charges......do they have cribs the kids can sleep in? What are the hours of the nursery?

We've already discussed that on some nights we'll take turns on who stays with Jackson so the other parent can take Tyler to see a show or hang out.

Tyler loves to meet new people and play with kids and isn't too shy.....sometimes he is but it doesn't take long for him to get over it.

We don't want to put the kids in the programs all the time....just a couple hours here and there to get a break and enjoy the adult pool or see a show together.

During the main dining time will they come and get the kids? Do they provide like paper and crayons for the kids to keep them busy during dinner or should I bring my own bag of tricks?

Anyone do the thing where you can have the diapers delivered right to your stateroom? Was it worth the cost?

Do they have strollers available to *rent* or should I bring our own double stroller?

How much is parking at the terminal?

How early can you board?

Are there any *baby* items that you can't take onboard?

Is it true the kids can't go in the pool unless they are potty trained even with swim diapers on?

Sorry for all the questions.....I'm sure I"ll have more though!

Love to see a well traveled kid. They make for good kids on the ship.

I can answer what I remember. It's been a while!

The nursery keeps very similar hours to the kids programming, but they do shut down for a few hours during the day around lunch/nap time.

I always recommend to bring your bag of tricks for your kids. Expect the best, but prepare for the worst is my motto.

You can rent strollers onboard. They are single jogging strollers though, so you may want your double. There are a very limited amount of wagons to use on Castaway Cay for the kids to get through the sand.

You can board as early as about 1030-1100. But rooms are not ready till about 1PM.

I can't remember any baby items that were prohibited. The gift shop/ Guest Services sells all basic baby needs.

Kids with swim diapers are not allowed in the pool, but there is a "splash pad" with fountains and stuff for them the play in right next to the kids pool.

 

[takeleus]

If you are taking the Western Cruise, I have a bit of advice for you. Key West and Grand Cayman were great but the sidewalks in Cozumel were narrow and the place was dirty. That day might be a good day to check them in and you and the hubby go out alone. Place to see if you like pie, stop by the Key Lime Pie Factory in Key West and eat a piece of pie for me.

This was one of our favorite stops in Grand Cayman:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell,_Grand_Cayman


Remember the nursery reservations are first come first serve. Get there early the first day and plan to put your little ones in so you can have some adult time. esp. in the evenings.

Most couple’s take first dining or they just eat outside at Goofy's. They have a child's menu that they can play and color on; in fact my 15 year old loves to color the menus.

Unless you are flying I would bring my stroller so you are comfortable with what you have and how it works.

Parking at the port will cost you:
$15/night for vehicles up to 20 feet in length
$26/night for vehicles over 20 feet

I have seen hundreds of kids in the Mickey pool with swim diapers on so that should not be a problem. The water is usually a shade of yellow by midday and I don't think that is all from the babies.

We have not used the service on delivering the diapers to the room but will on our Alaska cruise next year. We will also use the service of having a bathtub and day stroller so we don't have to pack our and fly it to Vancouver.

We are using this service which is recommended by Disney:

http://www.babiestravellite.com/?AFFIL=DCL

If you have late dining your can have a counselor come get your little on in front of Tritons at 9:00 so you can finish your dinner.


http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/ships-activities/ships/magic/youth-clubs/flounders-reef-nursery/

The most important advice I can give you is. Your kids are 3 and younger; YOU need to find time to enjoy the cruise cause in all likelihood they are not going to remember much about it when they are older. You find a way to have a good time in spite of the kids.

 

[mickey7879]

Can't you make some reservations online for the nursery and register our oldest for the programs? If we make a ressie for the nursery for both kids and then decide not to use it then, can we cancel and not get charged?

We are driving from Maine and will be in FL for 2 weeks before the cruise, so we should be able to have everything with us already, but was wondering about the diaper service....would be nice not to have to worry about packing diapers for him, but yet we wouldn't be flying with them so we could just run into Wal-Mart. Their service is just so expensive!

And whoa! $105 for parking for a week??? Yikes!

Thanks for the info on the ports of call.....we've done the western before, but went to Costa Maya instead of Cozumel because of a recent hurricane.....I was debating on taking them. We really didn't care too much for our shore excursions so were just thinking of taking the kids for a walk ourselves....but of course want to keep them safe too! When we went to Key West, we ended up walking all over the place....got lost, but it was great to see so much of Key West just walking around.

On Castaway Cay, can you put the kids in programs that day? I know it's on shore, but what do they do with the kids and babies?

Do they feed the LO's in the nursery? By 15 month he'll be eating regular foods by then. What about in the kids programs?

On our first cruise we took, we did mostly just buffet or grab and go for our meals since I get sea sick pretty easy and didn't take any meds til it was too late. On our second cruise since we were with my grandmother and mother in law, we mostly did the sit down restaurants. Probably will do half and half this time......not planning on doing the formal night.....think it would be too hard on the kids....well, actually us! To get everyone all dressed up and stay dressed up.....plan on taking advantage of everyone else doing it and us hanging by the pool that shouldn't be crowded.

Can you ever get anything good to eat and not eat in the restaurants....say by room service or just by going and picking it up?

 

[mickey7879]

Found this site tonight while searching for tips with sailing with Disney. Just wanted to share the link I found. It's AWESOME!!!! :sohappy::sohappy::sohappy:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=287632

 

[Phonedave]

During the main dining time will they come and get the kids? Do they provide like paper and crayons for the kids to keep them busy during dinner or should I bring my own bag of tricks?

The people I was sitting with brought their kid up to the childcare center. They did it between courses. It only took one parent maybe 10 minutes tops.

Do they have strollers available to *rent* or should I bring our own double stroller?

Where would you need a stroller? Unless you plan on walking around at some of the ports of call. Most excursions have age limits, and on the ship there is no need for a stroller. A double stroller in a stateroom - there goes your entire closet.

How much is parking at the terminal?

Too much. $15 to $20 a night depending on your vehicle size - paid in advance.

Most hotels in the area do some sort of stay and park deal. You stay with them the night before and you can park there for $10 or so per day.

How early can you board?

When the ship is ready - noon to 1:00 is a good bet. Be at the cruse port early, so you are in one of the first waves to board. There are cartoons (Disney) at the terminal to keep kids busy, and there is a coffee shop with limited (pastries and coffee) offerings.

Are there any *baby* items that you can't take onboard?

Such as what? You cannot bring anything that plugs into the TV (games, DVD player, etc) - maybe thats a baby item.

You can bring baby food. But no homemade foods or snacks - so if you make your own baby food, you will have to resort to store bought. You can't bring your own bottle warmer. They have some on board that the will lend you. Room service will also devlier a container of warm water if you need it.

No weapons, or anything that looks like a weapon. So if the kids have toy guns, leave them home. No balloons either.

Is it true the kids can't go in the pool unless they are potty trained even with swim diapers on?

The kids pool is shaped like a Mickey. Non-potty trained kids are only allowed in the ears sections. If there is an 'incident' the ears are on seperate filter systems and can be drained, cleaned, and refilled fairly easily. They are not allowed in the other pools. E. Coli and the enclosed environment of cruise ships do not mix well.

Sorry for all the questions.....I'm sure I"ll have more though!

Bring em on!

-dave

 

[Phonedave]

Found this site tonight while searching for tips with sailing with Disney. Just wanted to share the link I found. It's AWESOME!!!! :sohappy::sohappy::sohappy:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=287632

Looked at that site.

Tip #1 is wong.

The one about bringing your own float and saving $7.

First off. Really? On a $1,000+ cruise you are going to try to save $7 by dragging a pool float with you in your luggage, then onto the beach, then inflating it, and then keeping track of it and bringing the wet salty sandy thing back on board, when for $7 you can pick one up at the beach, and when done with it just leave it on the beach and Disney (or some other family) will retreive it.

Second - it's not allowed. Floats (rings, noodles, rafts) are on the list of things you are not allowed to bring on board. PFDs and those bathing suits with the foam sewn into them are OK.

-dave

 

[mickey7879]

Well, some of the tips may not be good, but there are tons that are awesome and I didn't know about. Like anything, you look through and see what would work for you...

 

[Phonedave]

Well, some of the tips may not be good, but there are tons that are awesome and I didn't know about. Like anything, you look through and see what would work for you...

Just take what you see on that thread with a grain of salt.

There are a few dicey suggestions there that could get you in hot water. Smuggling sausages off the ship to feed the fish in the snorkeling area. Bringing balsa wood planes to the beach and just leaving the litter around because it's "biodegradable". Those are not great ideas.

There is also some wrong information in that thread, mainly about what you can and cannot bring on board.

Some people rave about the shoe holder over the door thing. I don't have that much stuff, but to each their own.

The leaving a item for the character to sign is a nice thing to do.

While it is not a baby thing, Disney is one of the few cruise lines that let you bring your own alcohol on board.

Paying extra to have your clothes pressed is something I do as well. It makes life a lot easier.

-dave

 

[mickey7879]

Bump

Anymore ideas with cruising with young kids?:shrug: