Just off 5 Night Double Dip on Disney Wonder - Some Quick Notes

[olozbal]

Did the 5/30/2010 Disney Wonder 5 day Double Dip (Sorry it says Magic in title).

 

First of all thanks to everyone who has contributed to us first timers on Disney Cruise. Some quick thoughts to help others; kind of a "best of". FYI Family in our late 30's with 5 and 7 year old boys.

- Things we really were glad someone said to bring: A digital alarm clock with a backlight, that Downy spray wrinkle releaser stuff, the over the door shoe holder thing.

- Things we brought but never used or really needed all that bad: About half our clothes, water shoes,

- Things we wish we brought: More of those cans of spray sunscreen (used about a can a day on four people) and it's expensive to buy them there.

 

Random thoughts:

- Don't know how we missed it but when you get off at Castaway we missed the towel hand outs and had to walk back. Maybe it was just us.

- Been said many a time, but Palo is an intense and awesome experience. Best place I've ever eaten.

- The spa is below the basketball court? Laying there doing our couples massage and it felt like living with loud upstairs neighbors. '

- I spent $560 for the Couples Choice massage after tip. You make the call on whether anything is worth that for two hours. I say no. It was fine, but that's a ton of $$$. If you're looking for a place to "be alone" with your significant other do the Exotic Rasul for $90. Like a big shower. You just have to be willing to do your thing on tile and be "flexible". Enough code for you?

- The dress code is a little blown up. Even in Palo I saw obvious repeat cruisers in way too casual a garb. For you guys out there just wear a dress button down shirt and some nice khakis and you're fine. For regular dinners you could even wear nice shorts and a golf shirt and be just fine.

 

In closing - Disney cruises are truly and excellent experience. They really have it together and I'd do it again in a second. The service is truly excellent and the servers are all great. My only mistake was doing the parks afterwards. I'm writing this from my dingy room in the Contemporary Hotel where the service stinks and the hotel is dirty as hell. The cruise line is awesome but the park stuff is slipping.

[Host Mick]

Did the 5/30/2010 Disney Wonder 5 day Double Dip (Sorry it says Magic in title).

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Fixed it for ya.

[mom x4,grandma x4]

Thanks for the review. Gla dyou had a good time.

 

Never stayed at the Contmepory.

We have stayed at the Wilderness Lodge and All star Sports and Movies and they were both spotless and the staff was great. Sorry to hear your hotel is not up to par. Be sure and fill out the comment cards.

I promise they do read them and take them seriously. My son and daughter in law worked for WDW for a few years an they were always talking about comment cards and how people really got chewed on if there was a legitimate complaint. They took it very seriously there.

 

 

Kathy

[LBumb]

thanks for posting review

[mushu11756]

What did you use the shoe door holder thing for? Also Thank you for your post we are going on a 5 day cruise in august:D with a stop in key west and I'm glad you posted about the wrinkle spray. Ive put it on my packing list

[olozbal]

Just keeping clutter off the floor. It's tight in there with four people. Between two adults and two kids think about how many shoes that is. I bought the thing on Amazon for 8 bucks and left it there when done.

[olozbal]

Thanks for the review. Gla dyou had a good time.

 

Never stayed at the Contmepory.

We have stayed at the Wilderness Lodge and All star Sports and Movies and they were both spotless and the staff was great. Sorry to hear your hotel is not up to par. Be sure and fill out the comment cards.

I promise they do read them and take them seriously. My son and daughter in law worked for WDW for a few years an they were always talking about comment cards and how people really got chewed on if there was a legitimate complaint. They took it very seriously there.

 

 

Kathy

Thanks. Will do. We picked the Contemporary because we were with young kids and only doing two days at Magic Kingdom so the logic was we'd stay close to the park as possible. But to keep it semi cheaper (>$300 a night) I stayed in that Garden Wing which was a death march back to your room from the monorail. Low ceilings, just dated looking, even with the recent upgrades in the room. The monorail had a power issue that kept it from going quite a bit as well which negated the proximity.

 

Our friends who stayed in the same hotel ate in one of the diner type restaurants and said it was downright nasty. They were joking about how they watched an employee walk around this froot loop that must have been on the floor for days and not clean it up.

 

I probably wouldn't complain normally, just after the cruise anything is a let down.

[cruzmaven]

Sad to hear that about the Contemporary. It was quite the thing when it first opened. I stayed there as a kid the first year WDW opened and had a blast and then again with my son about 15 years ago and it was still very nice. To get the true experience, you have to stay in the main building with a view of the park though, not the "garden wing". I seem to recall the rooms were refurbished a while back, maybe its time for it to be done again.

[hoosierdaddy10]

Thanks for the tips. Any tips for Castaway Cay?

[olozbal]

Thanks for the tips. Any tips for Castaway Cay?

My Castaway Tips and Opinions:

- Go there twice if you can. We did the double dip. It rocked.

- Get off the boat early. You hit Castaway Beach at 9am or so and you have probably close to two hours of really low crowds. It never gets bad ever because Disney has it all figured out, but if you want empty beach be there early.

- Walk to the farther away part of the family beach. Slightly less hectic down there because you don't have the snorklers and lazier people concentrating there.

- The new waterslide is fine, not great, but an upgrade. You do it once and then go back to where you were.

 

Really no major mind blowing tips because frankly Disney has Castaway down pat. Even at it's worst it's still awesome and not crowded. That's why it's so good. We skipped getting off the boat in Nassau - why pay to go do a substandard beach or pool when you have Castaway?

[jerseygal15]

Making deposit today for August 2011 The Dream!!!!

 

Can't wait! First time cruising as a "family"!!! I cruised about 29 years ago from NY via Holland America Lines to Bermuda and had a rough time around the Bermuda Triangle sick!

 

I've been told that the ships are bigger now and have better stabalizers, I hope!!!

 

We're doing 4 day itiniary..Can't wait to try Castaway Cay!!! Looks awesome! Can't wait to get back to Nassau as we'll either do 1 Day at Atlantis or 1 Day at Sheraton/Wyndam in Cable Beach! Cable Beach is a beautiful beach!

 

Booked Cat 4 7th Deck with Verandah! Decided to "splurge" first time around on this one!:cool:

 

Sorry you had a substandard experience at Contemporary! Try the Beach Club next time! You'll love it! So close to Epcot, The Boardwalk area!

Very nice Disney Deluxe property! Renovated I believe 2 summers ago!Immaculate and well kept!!:):)