mommb

My family of 4 stayed in 8032 on the Magic, which should be the same layout. It felt huge. It did have a pull-down bed and a sofa bed in the living room. We also stayed in concierge rooms 8102 and 8598, which didn't have a pulldown bed at all. We were able to request a rollaway bed so my kids didn't have to share the double sofa bed, but I wouldn't count on that. I would definitely go for 8032, 8034, 8532, or 8534 if any of them are available.

On a later cruise, I'd say you have a good chance of getting Enchante, based on my experience with Remy on the Dream and Fantasy. On an early sailing, though, there will be a lot of people who want to check out Enchante on the new ship. I don't know whether Haunted Mansion Bar will require reservations, and if so, whether they will be booked in advance or only available on board. The Hyperspace Lounge on the Wish started with onboard booking, then moved to in advance, then within a few months ceased requiring reservations altogether. Since the Treasure is doing longer cruises than the Wish, it's likely that even if you do need to book a visit, you will be able to at some point during the cruise. If you really want to be sure to experience everything on the Treasure, then waiting a few months will increase your chances. However, it appears there will be plenty to do even if you can't do everything.

I agree that for small children a Deluxe Oceanview (category 5 or 6) veranda cabin would be fine. The Deluxe Family (category 4) veranda cabin will have slightly more space by the veranda and may have a bed that drops from the wall in that space. When the dropdown bed is open, though, access to the veranda is limited. From the deck plans for the Wish, it appears that Category 4 cabins don't connect to Category 5 cabins. So, unless neither of the kids can/would use the upper bunk, I'd go with the Deluxe Oceanview.

My husband and I used International Friends in September and would happily use them again. The bus picked us at our hotel near Heathrow (after we'd arrived the previous night) on schedule. We were on a bus with maybe 20 other people that stopped at Stonehenge for a few hours and then dropped us off by the Southampton port. The guide provided information about what we were seeing on our drive. She also went with us to near the stones and offered to take pictures with our cameras. We had ample time for the visitors' center and lunch. If you are boarding the ship the same day, there's probably not time for another stop. You could choose Windsor in one direction and Stonehenge in the other, if you have a late flight back (or are staying in London after your cruise).

On a 7-night cruise, you should be able to book Palo dinner, on the ship if not in advance. We were able to book a dinner halfway through our 7-night Fantasy cruise last January. The Remy dessert experience allows fewer guests than Palo, but is also more expensive (though totally worth it) so that's harder to predict. All you can do is try, and ask to get on the waitlist if you're unable to book in advance. Good luck!

The highest status in the room dictates the booking and check-in times. As long as you and your wife are in the same stateroom, you will be able to do online check-in, including choosing a port arrival time, at the date for Platinum Castaway members (38 days before the cruise). Note that as of a few years ago, Platinum guests do have to choose a Port Arrival Time, although Pearl members do not.

Some of the Deluxe Family Oceanview staterooms (Dream/Fantasy/Wish/Treasure) and Deluxe Family Veranda staterooms (all ships) will have a bed that sleeps 2 people, a single sofa bed, a single bunk bed, and a single bed that fold down from the wall. You should be able to search online and find cabins that sleep 5. Note that not all cabins in these categories on the newer ships have beds for 5, but a search for rooms for 5 will bring up only the cabins that do.

As shown in the picture above, the balcony railing is almost entirely solid so wedging through it to fall out would be impossible for a 5 year old. The only possible concern would be a child climbing on furniture near the balcony. Of course, if someone is on the balcony with a child, it is necessary to watch the child closely to make sure the child isn't climbing on furniture anywhere near the railing, just as kids need to be watched when walking on the outside decks. If the top of the balcony door is locked, a 5 year old would be highly unlikely to open it, especially without anyone in the room noticing. As gometros described, there is also a lower door knob (middle right in the picture of the balcony) that must be turned and then pushed to the side to open the door. It took me at least 3 cruises (as an adult) to be able to open that door easily. If your friend is worried, she certainly doesn't have to get a room with a veranda, but you can assure her that Disney Cruise has designed the verandas to be as safe for kids as possible.

Even if the Adventure is beginning sailing in early 2025, Disney Cruise Line will probably want to give it a separate launch announcement, as they did with the Disney Treasure.

Thanks! I wish I'd thought of that last week. My husband had 20 or 30 pounds in older bills left over from a 2017 trip. We went to the post office near West Quay in Southampton to try to exchange them, and the clerk suggested asking at a bank. We then asked at a bank, which couldn't help us since we didn't have an account. It didn't occur to me to look for a currency exchange. If we're in Southampton for another cruise before we find another solution, that's what we'll use.

It is possible that you won't be able to book some onboard activities as a first-time cruiser. If there is nothing available when your booking window opens, you can continue checking online before the cruise, and continue checking once onboard. My family has had good luck getting beverage tastings and adult dining onboard even though they were "sold out" before the cruise. On our recent Disney Cruise out of Southampton, there were Royal Tea and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique appointments available a month before cruising, but of course, there's no guarantee that will happen on other cruises. Even if you can't book the Princess Gathering, though, there are character meets several times a day that do not require prebooking -- you just get in line and wait a few minutes. There are family game shows and craft activities throughout the day that similarly don't require booking. If you would feel the cruise wouldn't be worthwhile if you can't book the limited number of bookable activites, then a Disney Cruise may not be right for your family. I haven't cruised on other lines since I had kids, so I don't know what kind of family activities are available on other lines. I can tell you my kids never attended Royal Tea or Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, and did reservation-required character meets only a few times, but very much enjoyed every one of our Disney cruises.

You do not need to pay in full until a few month before the cruise, but you can't book onboard activities until you are paid in full.

It's not uncommon for document to say "Under review" for several weeks after check-in. My family's passports were "under review" for 2 weeks for our cruise next month even though we'd used the same passports for a cruise in January. As long as your daughter-in-law submitted an official US government birth certificate and she is on a cruise leaving from and returning to the same US port, I would guess that the birth certificate will be sufficient, but I haven't used such a document. You could call DCL to verify that this type of document can be used.

My family eats pescaterian (vegetarian and finfish) and we have not had trouble finding food we like on our 12 Disney cruises. The main dining rooms have vegetarian entree options, usually more than one, each night. I am not picky, so I've liked almost everything. My husband has mentioned that the food in general is not as well-spiced as he'd prefer. On our Fantasy cruise in January, we discovered a few days into the cruise that Cabanas had a plant-based lunch special every day. It was made to order and required a small wait, but it was always tasty. I will mention that while Palo has limited vegetarian options (I usually order fish there) we have had 2 phenomenal dinners at Remy composed mostly of vegetarian items. We just stopped by at Remy after we boarded to make sure our dietary requirements were noted on our reservations, and the chef prepared meals just for us. Obviously, you would need to get your daughter dinner elsewhere if you go to Remy.

If you have booked Disney Cruise transportation to the port, then you are registered. You do need to book the transportation in advance -- simply staying at a Walt Disney World resort won't entitle you to take the bus.

As of now, Platinum Castaway Members need to select a Port Arrival Time and are asked not to enter the terminal before that time. An exception is guests taking Disney Cruise transportation from a Disney resort or from the Hyatt at the Orlando airport, who are able to enter the terminal when their bus arrives.

There is still a buffet for breakfast and lunch. However, the buffet area has not been open at dinnertime since the post-pandemic restart. Even before the shutdown, Cabanas wasn't a buffet at dinner -- it served from a limited menu. Food is available from some of the counter-service restaurants on the pool decks, and from room service, in addition to the main dining rooms and adult dining areas.

I don't remember the order, but here are the documents and information you will need for each passenger you are checking in: Scan/photo of passport or (for US citizens on closed-loop US cruises) birth certificate -- I'm not sure if a photo ID is also needed for adults if a birth certificate is used Photo (from the neck up, no obscuring elements such as hats, not the same as passport photos) Emergency contact name and phone number Payment information (such as credit card number) Travel information (such as airline flight number, arrival, and departure times) Once all of this information is entered, you will select a Port Arrival Time, which will also generate a Boarding Group number. If you have booked Disney transportation from a Walt Disney World resort or from the Hyatt at the Orlando airport, you will not need to select a PAT. You will have the ability to indicate whether the emergency contact, payment information, and travel information are the same for all (or some) passengers -- if so, you'll only need to enter the shared information once. You must upload clear copies of the identity document and photo in order to move to the next step. The site will say "approval pending," possibly for weeks, and if you need to re-load anything, you'll be notified. If you are in a hurry to get your PAT, you can indicate "cash" for the payment information and "driving" for the travel information, even if that's not accurate, and go back later to update the information.

Yes, there is a corkage fee of, currently, $26 per bottle if wine brought onboard is consumed in one of the dining rooms: https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/faq/prohibited-items/carrying-alcohol-onboard/#:~:text=port of call.-,These beverages must be packed in carry-on (not checked,fee of %2426.00 per bottle. If you drink the wine in your stateroom, there is no fee. I have read that stateroom hosts can supply corkscrews, but I have not tried asking for one.

At the first check-in date, you can book everything available for booking except for some character meets (for example, Princess Gathering, Royal Tea, and Olaf's Picnic). This includes shore excursions, adult dining, alcohol tastings, spa treatments, and nursery time. So Palo and Mixology are in this group. The online check-in date roughly a month before your cruise allows you to book the character events that weren't available earlier, as well as select a Port Arrival Time (which connects to your boarding group number).

There will be characters of both types. There will be several princesses onboard who can talk with guests, who appear both at the free-ticket-required Princess Gathering and at other times around the ship. I've seen Peter Pan frequently, and specialty cruises may have Marvel or Star Wars characters who chat with guests. There will also be characters including but not limited to Minnie, Mickey, Goofy, Chip, Dale, and Pixar characters, who are great at non-verbal communication.

If your grandson is almost 11 when he boards the cruise, it is possible, but not guaranteed, that he would be allowed into Edge. The decision is at the discretion of the castmembers and does depend in part on how many kids onboard are in the 11-14 age range. You can ask after you're onboard.

As mentioned above, as long as you don't book Concierge (or a restricted fare), you can get a full refund up until your final payment date, which is typically 90-120 days before the cruise. If you do book a Concierge room, the deposit will be non-refundable but can be transferred to another cruise up until the final payment date. (The deposit amount will stay non-refundable even if the stateroom on the new cruise is not Concierge.) I hope your wife is able to take the cruise. If you do decide to go without her, note that you could save money by moving one of your grandchildren into your room "on paper" since you will pay for 2 people in your room anyhow. It doesn't matter where everyone actually sleeps, but there are a few complications. If the two rooms have different muster stations, the child in your room would need to go to your muster station, and you would need to sign a paper allowing your daughter to take her child off the ship.

For 2 people, the Concierge Royal Suite on the 1 September 2024 cruise from Southampton is £27,392. (To find exact prices on the Disney Cruise site, you need to select a room as if you were booking a cruise.)

During Open Houses, anyone is welcome, so your daughter would certainly be able to visit the Club/Lab.