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Lots of ?s (considering a Disney Wonder 7 Day Mexico trip 1/30/11)


12legs2tails

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Hi cruisers. I'm so glad I discovered this forum! Reading your posts has been incredibly helpful.

 

In celebration of our 5 year wedding anniversary, my husband and I are considering booking a room on the Disney Wonder for the 7 day Mexico sailing out of Long Beach, California on January 30th, 2011. We are 27 and 29 years old with no children.

 

I cruised on Disney out of Florida with my family 20 years ago when it was "The Big Red Boat." I also enjoyed two Royal Caribbean cruises with my family in my teens and at 21. My husband has never cruised before.

 

We have a bunch of questions about Disney cruises and hope we don't overwhelm you with them. We appreciate your help!

 

Our questions about Disney cruising:

1) We would love to have our own table in the dining room, just the two of us. When we phoned Disney Cruise Line, the representative said, "That shouldn't be a problem, talk to the maitre d' as soon as you board to make that request." Has anyone had their request turned down? Or been successful in obtaining a table for two? Any tips for achieving this? [e.g. Is it more likely in early seating or late seating?]

 

2) What do the majority of cruisers wear to dinner on formal night? Do most of the ladies wear knee-length cocktail dresses, or long gowns? Do the majority of the men wear suits, or just nice slacks and a collared shirt with a tie? How about on non-formal nights? Are there a lot of sundresses, or do most women wear pants with a nice shirt?

 

3) I was only able to find the Palo menu online. Does anyone have other menus, or links to them?

 

4) I am a vegetarian (my husband is not). Will there be a variety of choices available to me at each restaurant, or are there some restaurants I should avoid?

 

5) How is the weather on board in late January between L.A. and Mexico? Is it windy in the daytime? We are hoping to lounge around by the pool if the weather permits.

 

6) We definitely want to purchase a few photos of us on board. On what occasions are cruisers' photos taken by the Disney staff? [boarding? Formal night? Character dining?] Is there usually a long line of people waiting to be photographed? What is the price per print and are various sizes of prints available?

 

7) How far is the Long Beach Airport from the dock? Approximately how much does a cab ride cost? Is there a long line for taxis from the ship back to the airport on the final day?

 

* Any other tips and information about Disney cruising/the Disney Wonder is greatly appreciated as well.

 

Thank you so much!

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Hi there!

 

I work for the Mouse so I am somewhat biased -- LOVE OUR SHIPS!! Can't wait for this one to be convenient to me here in L.A.!!

 

I can answer some of your questions -- I am fairly certain you can get copies of the Triton's, Animator's Palate, and Parrot Cay menus on line -- there is an "unofficial" Disney site - allears.net - I'd be willing to bet you can find them there.

 

Disney will absolutely prepare vegetarian meals if you ask -- I would make sure you let your waiter know right away.

 

The weater...wellllll...it's more than likely NOT going to be pool weather during your first two days -- January can be in the 60's and rainy here - or it can be warm - just depends on the luck of the draw! My gut tells me you'll need a sweatshirt for at least the first couple of days (embarkation and Day 1 at sea) and on your last day heading back in -- the sea can also be adventurous heading back to Long Beach so be prepared for that.

 

Check with Disney Cruise Line and see if they are going to be supplying shuttle service to the port from the airport -- they do it in Florida. Cabs can be pricey in the L.A. area -- I know, I know, it's Long Beach but the prices won't be any different and it's not SUPER far, but it's not super close either!

 

Formal night varies -- you'll see people in evening gowns, cocktail dresses or even nice slacks and a top -- it's pretty dialed-back out of California...because, well, WE'RE pretty dialed back!

 

There will be photographers EVERYWHERE - including Palo - and do NOT miss Palo - get your reservations in early - it's fantastic!

 

Your own table - my husband and I didn't request this but we were matched up with another couple traveling on their own so we were fine - you shouldn't have a problem getting your own table - just MHO though - can't verify.

 

My husband and I loved the Wonder - we spent all of our time at the adult pool and had a great time! Hope you have a great time as well! We're going to try to jump on at some point in the Spring as well :D

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* Is there mini golf on board? How about Bingo? If so, what is the cost to play Bingo and what prizes are available?

 

* Are there horse races with faux horses every day? How much does it cost to purchase a "horse" to race and decorate?

 

* Is there a fireworks show every night?

 

* How far in advance do we need to line up to get a good seat at the live performances?

 

 

Thanks again! :)

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Hmmmm...don't remember if there's Bingo -- there's no casino (part of why we like Disney....) but I'm not sure on the faux horses and bingo - maybe somebody can weigh in on that one - not something we would have done so I guess I didn't pay much attention.

 

Are you early or late seating? Most people with kids opt for the earlier seating so the later show might be busier -- we never had a problem actually GETTING a seat at the shows (which are fantastic, by the way!) - if you want a good one, however, I would get there early.

 

allears.net - great site for Disney fans -- lots of pics and everything :D

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The Bingo prizes are not as good as Royal . I think the highest I saw on our Med cruise was about $500. The cost for Bingo ranges from $30-$60 depending on how many cards you want to play.

 

I didn't see any long gowns on our Med cruise. I think formal night was also pirate night. Our cruise was so port intensive, the formal nights just passed me by.

 

There were good seats available at the shows 5 minutes before they started.

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In regards to Long Beach port, we used that last year on another line. The day we came in and there was us and a Princess ship. The area was pretty chaotic with the number of people. We had booked a transfer on a shuttle service (van service) and that particular service was pretty screwed up.

 

Depending on what time your flight leaves, if you have a chance to wait for the crowds to clear that would be best or find a reputable shuttle/limo service.

 

Dining attire can be simple to elegant (no jeans - see disney cruise line site or other posts).

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First off, be careful, as the Wonder is going to be sailing out of the Port of Los Angeles in SAN PEDRO, not Long Beach. You might check out the "West Coast Departures" board for more information on transportation, accomodations, etc. Basically, there are two hotels in San Pedro - the Crowne Plaza and Doubletree. Both offer free shuttles to the port. If you stay in Long Beach, it is approximately a $25-$30 cab ride from the hotels to the port in San Pedro.

 

Disney is offering bus transportation from LAX to/from the Port of Los Angeles, to/from the Port to the three Disney owned hotels and to/from the three Disney hotels back to LAX. It is $30 per person for each leg. To get from LAX to the port, you are better off taking Super Shuttle for $17 per person. If you want to arrange for Disney transportation, once you make your reservation, you can log onto the Disney Cruise website and find a "transportation" link.

 

Regarding sitting at a private table, you can put in the request when you make your reservation (either on the phone or under your reservation info on the website). No guarantees, and you should check as soon as you board the ship (as opposed to waiting for your first meal) to make sure your request was met.

 

Regarding menus, Navigators, etc. you can find many of them if you Google the info. Another good resource is the Disney Cruise Forum on the Dis Boards.

 

Regarding vegetarian.... Disney goes to great efforts to meet dietary restrictions (allergies, kosher, vegetarian, etc). There is a place to indicate your dietary needs on under the reservation section on the DCL website.

 

Weather in late January/early February can be quite cold in LA. When you get farther south in Mexico, you'll find that it is warmer but coming back to LA again, it will be cold.

 

Long Beach airport isn't all that close to the Port of Los Angeles. It is expensive to take a taxi. You are better off taking Super Shuttle. I believe it is also $17 pp from the Long Beach Airport to the port (or hotels in San Pedro).

 

Photos are everywhere, whether you like it or not. The only long lines we experienced were on formal night when people wanted to get photos taken before dinner. They had several backdrops available and each had a line.

 

Fireworks are only once/cruise - on the night of the pirate party. No golf or horse races but yes to Bingo.

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