I was skeptical, ok? No vacation could be worth .53 cents a minute..yeah, I figured it out, from the time we took off until the time we landed back home...53 cents a minute.
Disney is simply THE best tour/cruise operator ever, and why others don't even TRY to emulate them is beyond me.
My wife, my daughter (4) and myself flew from boston to orlando at 7am on the 27th. Disney meets you at the terminal and puts you on a bus, baggage handled for you...all transfers are EXTREMELY efficient. We were at the magic kingdom by 1:00. Small crowds, we hit most of fantasy land Sun afternoon.
Monday back to MK, getting crowded by 11:00 so we went to MGM for lunch (sci fi drive-in, fun!) . Most parks are almost empty. walked on to tower of terror and Rockin roller coaster...did both rides in 15 minutes. Great parade, then over to epcot for parade. (three parks, one day, with a four year old!).
Tuesday wednesday...we did at least two/three parks a day. my four year old went on every ride available...T-mountain, test-track. tower or terror, dinosaur...most rides we could simply go right back on...or on things like thunder mountain..just stay on the ride! Parades and fireworks it was easy to walk up five mins before the show and sit curbside.
Thursday we opted to depart for the ship from animal kingdom, this is a no brainer and disney cruise reps are at the park to check your carry-ons. TIP! PACK A DRY CHANGE OF CLOTHES IF YOU INTEND TO RIDE THE RAPIDS(which you should, it's an excellent ride!) Riding the bus in wet clothes is no fun. Transfre to, and boarding of, the ship is incredibly quick.
The boat(wonder) is simply beautiful, cabins are downright spacious and beautifully appointed. I found the three main dining rooms to each be excellent. dining staff is excellent, food on deck is plentiful and quite good I thought.
Let me rave for a moment about the Oceaneers club. If your youngster is in daycare/preschool, by the time you get to the ship they NEED to be with other kids. Far from a place to "stick" your child while you sneak off, Oceaneers is a place your child WANTS to go to, the "curriculum" is entertaining and imaginative, and the staff incredibly helpful and attentive, my daughter simply loved it and attended several functions each day/night.
Others have reviewed the shows, excellent.
MY GRIPE, here it is, NASSAU is a TERRIBLE cruise destination. DISNEY!, SKIP NASSAU and spend TWO DAYS at castaway! Filthy town, filthy stores...here's a hint, when the biggest attraction on your island is a HOTEL something's wrong. Cruisers, do yourselves a favor and stay on the ship. I've been in several cruise ports in my life and Nassau is FAR and AWAY the worst!
Castaway was immaculate and fun for all, the day could/should be longer since the trip to canaveral is short and SLOW.
Debarcation is the best I've encountered, at the airport by nine, but Disney put us on a 2:30 flight...if your flight is similar(and you have early meal seating), CALL YOUR AIRLINE from the ship the night before and book yourself on a flight as early as 10:30...do not do as I did and wait until you're at the airport...Standby will never work when you have hundreds at the airport early for flights.
All in all an excellent vacation, even for 53 cents a minute!
Disney is simply THE best tour/cruise operator ever, and why others don't even TRY to emulate them is beyond me.
My wife, my daughter (4) and myself flew from boston to orlando at 7am on the 27th. Disney meets you at the terminal and puts you on a bus, baggage handled for you...all transfers are EXTREMELY efficient. We were at the magic kingdom by 1:00. Small crowds, we hit most of fantasy land Sun afternoon.
Monday back to MK, getting crowded by 11:00 so we went to MGM for lunch (sci fi drive-in, fun!) . Most parks are almost empty. walked on to tower of terror and Rockin roller coaster...did both rides in 15 minutes. Great parade, then over to epcot for parade. (three parks, one day, with a four year old!).
Tuesday wednesday...we did at least two/three parks a day. my four year old went on every ride available...T-mountain, test-track. tower or terror, dinosaur...most rides we could simply go right back on...or on things like thunder mountain..just stay on the ride! Parades and fireworks it was easy to walk up five mins before the show and sit curbside.
Thursday we opted to depart for the ship from animal kingdom, this is a no brainer and disney cruise reps are at the park to check your carry-ons. TIP! PACK A DRY CHANGE OF CLOTHES IF YOU INTEND TO RIDE THE RAPIDS(which you should, it's an excellent ride!) Riding the bus in wet clothes is no fun. Transfre to, and boarding of, the ship is incredibly quick.
The boat(wonder) is simply beautiful, cabins are downright spacious and beautifully appointed. I found the three main dining rooms to each be excellent. dining staff is excellent, food on deck is plentiful and quite good I thought.
Let me rave for a moment about the Oceaneers club. If your youngster is in daycare/preschool, by the time you get to the ship they NEED to be with other kids. Far from a place to "stick" your child while you sneak off, Oceaneers is a place your child WANTS to go to, the "curriculum" is entertaining and imaginative, and the staff incredibly helpful and attentive, my daughter simply loved it and attended several functions each day/night.
Others have reviewed the shows, excellent.
MY GRIPE, here it is, NASSAU is a TERRIBLE cruise destination. DISNEY!, SKIP NASSAU and spend TWO DAYS at castaway! Filthy town, filthy stores...here's a hint, when the biggest attraction on your island is a HOTEL something's wrong. Cruisers, do yourselves a favor and stay on the ship. I've been in several cruise ports in my life and Nassau is FAR and AWAY the worst!
Castaway was immaculate and fun for all, the day could/should be longer since the trip to canaveral is short and SLOW.
Debarcation is the best I've encountered, at the airport by nine, but Disney put us on a 2:30 flight...if your flight is similar(and you have early meal seating), CALL YOUR AIRLINE from the ship the night before and book yourself on a flight as early as 10:30...do not do as I did and wait until you're at the airport...Standby will never work when you have hundreds at the airport early for flights.
All in all an excellent vacation, even for 53 cents a minute!