1/19/18 -- Disney Dream Mouseketeers!

Tink,
I would love to hear about the door decorating. What are your go to sites to get the decorations?

Alicia

Alicia, I will get some info for you put together for you and get it posted as soon as I can. I, currently, am taking a few minute break from working on my next video (it's all about pirate night). I want to try to finish that up tonight. So if you don't see a post about the door decorations by the time I get my forget me nots up tomorrow, jump on and remind me that I forgot about it, and I will have it posted right away.

So I need to add another cabin or two to the FE list. Should I wait until I have their cabin info? They are part of our extended group and will have their own cabins. They were excited to learn about the fish extenders but weren't as tech savvy to navigate the disboard.
Thoughts?
Thanks!
Alicia

We can get them added and fill in their info when you get it.


Awesome journey to 10!
Heads up ~ I will send you a PM for the FE in just a second.

~Tink~
 


Happy Monday....We only have 27 Mondays to go!

The Mondays forget me not for this week is about Tipping or Gratuities.

Tips are added to your on board account automatically. If you would prefer to give the tips in cash personally to your room steward and wait staff, you can stop by guest services and ask for those charges to be removed from your account.

You will receive a sheet with suggested tips for each of the CMs that were assigned to you, and an envelope for each in you cabin Sunday night. I would suggest if you are planning on giving cash (or plan on adjusting the amount of the tip for any of your CM's), visit the guest services early on in the cruise, because once the tally for your on board account and your tipping sheets arrive in your room the lines at guest services begin to get very long. Actually the closer to the end of the cruise we get, the longer the lines will become. Guest service will also be able to make change for larger bills, which makes dividing up your tips much easier.

For planning purposes, I am including the recommended tipping below. You may also find a Disney tipping calculator HERE.

Server - $4 a day (=$12) per person ($12 x # of guests)
Assistant Server - $3 a day (=$9) per person ($9 x # of guests)
Head Server -$1 a day (=$3) per person ($3 x # of guests)
Stateroom Attendant - $4 a day (=$12) per person ($12 x # of guests)

This basically breaks down to $36 per person.
All amounts are suggested, and it is at your discretion, based on service, whether the CM's deserve more, less, or the suggested amounts.

A few other tipping reminders:
- a 15% gratuity is automatically added to bar, beverage, wine, and deck service tabs. These gratuities can be charged to your shipboard account during your sailing.
- Tipping for room service is at your discretion. We normally plan to tip $1 to $2 each time we order room service. This is something you give at the time the room service is delivered.
- Tips for the porters when arriving at the port and when departing from the port. We typically tip $1 per bag. There are some ports that do not allow you to tip the porters. Port Canaveral is not one of those ports.

~ Tink ~
 
Tink,
I would love to hear about the door decorating. What are your go to sites to get the decorations?

Alicia
Alicia, I have a friend, that I met on a previous cruise group, that has a shop on Etsy. Her shop is Merida Merchandise. Here is the link https://www.etsy.com/shop/MeridaMerchandise?ref=l2-shopheader-name
She doesn't have any listed currently, but you can let her know that you were referred to her and ask if she still does the door magnets.
If she doesn't, there are several shops on Etsy that sell them. You can do a quick search for: door magnets for Disney cruise. You will find a great number of shops that do sell them.
First thing to do is decide on what you want your door to look like. You can choose a theme, and have your magnets centered around that theme. You could have your door show off an occasion your are celebrating. Or, you could just let each family member pick out characters or magnets they like and go with those.

By the way sorry for the floor and chalk board shots, I could not find the pics of them all on the doors.

On previous cruises.

Our theme door: Star Wars -
upload_2017-7-10_12-23-6.png
Merry Christmas sailing -
upload_2017-7-10_12-24-14.png
Set our door up to be a postcard. These are the stamps. We had a new postcard everyday, with a new stamp, a new to and from, and a new letter. If I can find the picture of the door set up later, I will post it.
upload_2017-7-10_12-26-24.png
All Mickey (sorry - I was holding the phone upside down....and being lazy (I did not take the time to do a full download and edit)
upload_2017-7-10_12-28-35.png
A character a day (couldn't find Grumpy :oops:)
upload_2017-7-10_12-31-31.png
Great banners for the doors. The area highlighted in yellow is a magnet for hanging it on the door. There is another one at the other end on the backside of the yellow mark. These are simple to make. Cut 3 triangles of your chosen fabric out, and then sew them to o 3 ft length strip of material of your choosing (you can use fabric glue or stitch witchery if you don't like sewing). And then glue a magnet to the back of the 2 outer triangles.
upload_2017-7-10_12-38-57.png
And finally, a fun dry erase sheet made from a laminated piece of paper.
upload_2017-7-10_12-41-44.png
Have fun and be creative. Oh, and share what you came up with!

~Tink~
 
Hello! I am new to the forum but not to Disney cruises! My parents and I have been on quite a few in the past couple years :smooth:
I know that FE's are very popular to participate in, but I was wondering if any other exchanges would be taking place? My friend (who has also gone on a few Disney cruises) has mentioned her boat is planning a recipe exchange, a magnet exchange, and an ornament exchange to name a few, and I think these would be super fun to do!
 


Hello! I am new to the forum but not to Disney cruises! My parents and I have been on quite a few in the past couple years :smooth:
I know that FE's are very popular to participate in, but I was wondering if any other exchanges would be taking place? My friend (who has also gone on a few Disney cruises) has mentioned her boat is planning a recipe exchange, a magnet exchange, and an ornament exchange to name a few, and I think these would be super fun to do!
Welcome to the group helloiambaymax!
:welcome::welcome::welcome:
That sounds like a great idea. Especially for a short cruise. It definitely would not be a burden on our suitcases. I will add those to the Page 1 list sign ups, and make a post after this as a sign invite.
I am interested to see who else would be interested in these.

~Tink~
 
There has been a suggestion for at least 3 other types of exchanges -
recipe exchange

magnet exchange

ornament exchange
If you would be interested in participating in any of these exchanges, please let me know, and I will add you to the list. Also if you have an idea for an exchange, please let me know that as well, and I will add that as well.
One suggestion is more of a get together. Wine Sampling We have done this before. Everyone brings a bottle of wine from there area of the world, and we meet in someone's cabin (I would offer our as our veranda is one of the larger ones on the boat), and sample different wines from all over.

Look for the lists on the first page.
Thank you helloiambaymax for the suggestion.

~Tink~
 
Hey pixiehallow !
I would be very interested in participating in the magnet exchange and the ornament exchange! :D
 
Awesome! I will add you to those lists.
For reference for those who missed the additional choices for group activities, check out post 10 on the 1st page.

~Tink~
Thank you!
Since I'm still new to navigating and such how will I know how many staterooms to prepare for?
 
Thank you!
Since I'm still new to navigating and such how will I know how many staterooms to prepare for?
When we do FE groups for shorter cruises, we usually limit the group size to 10. If you are good with that size of a group, we will have groups of 10 for these as well.
I will be keeping a running list on page 1 post 10 so that you (and other participants) will know how many are signed up.- 2 posts back (#91) has a link to the post I am referring to.
I will also get a spread sheet for each activity set up here pretty soon. When I get it ready, I will reach out to the members of each group to get the information that will be needed for the spreadsheet. I also will share the spreadsheet with all of the group members.
And, IF I have enough time after the lists are finalized and before the cruise, I will get deck maps for all of the participating cabins.
I hope this helps. Please let me know if there is anything else you need.

~Tink~
 
Happy Monday everyone!!
We are down to only 26 Mondays until our vacation.
Monday Forget Me Not for this week is about not forgetting the date.
The dates for pre-booking and online check-in are quickly approaching, and if your cruise is paid in full you will be able to take advantage of them.

So, check your calendar and mark the date that fits your family.

:beach:Only 185 days until we set sail! :boat:
And even fewer days until you can start making your reservations: **Note - Platinum, Gold, and Silver refer to levels of the Castaway Club (you will automatically be a member after your first Disney cruise and will start as a Silver member)

Platinum/Concierge- 120 days out (Thursday - September 21)
Gold- 105 days out (Friday - October 6)
Silver- 90 days out (Saturday - October 21)
new cruisers-75 days out (Sunday -November 5)

Who else is getting excited?:wave:

~ Tink ~
 
Last edited:
There has been a suggestion for at least 3 other types of exchanges -
recipe exchange

magnet exchange

ornament exchange
If you would be interested in participating in any of these exchanges, please let me know, and I will add you to the list. Also if you have an idea for an exchange, please let me know that as well, and I will add that as well.
One suggestion is more of a get together. Wine Sampling We have done this before. Everyone brings a bottle of wine from there area of the world, and we meet in someone's cabin (I would offer our as our veranda is one of the larger ones on the boat), and sample different wines from all over.

Look for the lists on the first page.
Thank you helloiambaymax for the suggestion.

~Tink~

Me and my husband would be interested in the wine sampling gathering :) We can definetly bring a bottle of wine :) let me know of any further details.
 
Me and my husband would be interested in the wine sampling gathering :) We can definetly bring a bottle of wine :) let me know of any further details.
I have added you to the list. We will work out the logistics when we get closer.
But what I do know is to avoid the corking fee, we need to plan to meet in a non public area.
Something to consider, is a cabin with a good veranda (or cabins if we want to include a cabin crawl). I am willing to include our cabin in the mix for possibilities. Check out cabin 8184 on a deck map. We have a nice veranda this go round.
Have a great night and rest of your week,

~Tink~
 
Happy day after Monday everyone! I forgot about the Forget Me Nots yesterday. :sad2: Sorry about that.

We now have only 25 Mondays to go.

The Forget Me Not for this week is your 'Water Bottles'!

On Disney cruises, non-alcoholic drinks are free (well, aside from the smoothies, and specialty coffees). When you are not in one of the dining rooms and you are feeling a bit parched, you can head over to the drink station to quench your thirst.

You have a large range of choices available. Disney carries Coke products, so your sodas will be coke brand (such as sprite, coke, diet coke and so on). You also can get fruit punch, water, and all different varieties of tea. There is even hot water for coffee and cocoa (packets are available).

Disney does have small (8 oz) cups available at the station for both warm and cold drinks. When thirst strikes me, however, I need a little bit more than 8 oz. Well, to be honest, I need a lot more. Just in water alone, I drink about a gallon and a half every day. My husband, on previous cruises, drank somewhere between what would be 12 to 18 cups of soda (not including dinner) everyday. :drinking1:drinking1:drinking1:drinking1:drinking1
*Side note - He has cut way back on how much soda he drinks each day, so he will not take in as much on this cruise.....I hope.
If we had been using the small 8 oz cups, we pretty much would have had to set up camp at the drink station. And because they want you to get a new cup each time you come up, we would have gone through way to many cups. :eek:

So, what to do.......
Make sure you pack a refillable sports bottle or cup for each person in your family. We typically do the water bottles with the straws that I paint for our crew. Last cruise our TA also sent us insulated mugs with lids. These were great for hot beverages. I liked the water bottles for all our other drinks because you can get the kind with a clip on loop, and you can hang them on your lanyard.

*another side note- If you want to get the drink of the day, you can transfer it to your water bottle. Which will then safe guard against any spills!!!

Oh, and if you are coming to the Wine tasting, you can bring your cup along, and fill it up with your favorite before you leave the cabin, and no one will know what your sipping on!!!!!

Basic hygiene rules do apply. Please rinse your cup out between uses. Do not touch the top of your bottle/cup up against the soda nozzle. And, please fill the little kids cup/bottle up for them.

Have a great week!

~Tink~
 
Happy Monday Everyone!!!
We have 24 Mondays until we set sail!:sail::boat:::yes::

Today's For Get Me Not is all about Curb Appeal.

There are 1,250 staterooms on the Disney Wonder, and it is easy to get lost or even just walk past your cabin (that is why we like to get the cabin at the end of a hall ::yes::). Plus it is also possible to suffer from cabin door envy ;).

What in the Great Wide World of Disney am I talking about? For those of you who guessed door magnets, you are right. It is time to start thinking about how you are going to decorate your door. We are just a little over 5 months away from our cruise, and 2 of those months are busy holiday / family time months. When the summer ends, time will start to fly. So, if there is something you want to make, believe me, you will want to get started sooner rather than later. And if you are going to order something, keep holiday shipping times in mind.....Ok, I will get off my soap box and move on....
-If you missed post #86 check it out to see some of our door decorations.
The only items Disney allows you to adorn your door (both inside and out) with is magnets.
.....and yes we decorate inside as well as outside!
And I know the word 'ONLY' typically means there are constraints, and you will be limited in what you can do. No worries. If you can imagine it, and put a magnet on it, ....OH, and you keep it Disney (not as in the sense that you have to use Disney themes, but as in the sense of G rated).....you can decorate with it.

Door decorations serve several purposes.
1. You get to show off your Disney side, your creative side, or heck, your families uniqueness. :eeyore::darth::ccat::earboy2::charac4::stitch2::tinker:
2. It makes it easy to find your cabin :confused3 :magnify:.
3. Get a group together that wants to have a door decorating contest, and have a chance to win with your awesome design!
4. Put a dry erase board out to leave messages for family and friends.
5. Share what you're celebrating with everyone.
....and so on. I am sure there are more, but I am going to stop there so y'all can share your decoration ideas.

With all that said, please do not mistake my encouragement as a must do. If door decorations won't fit into your planning, it is okay. This is not one of those hidden parts of the cruise contract that you need to read before leaving for the airport. It is just a suggestion. I also wanted to let our 1st timers know that door decorating is a thing. Speaking of, if your interest is peeked :scratchin, do a search for Disney Cruise door decorations. I will also try to find some pics I haven't shared yet for inside and out side decorations.

Okay.....share your ideas, and have a great week.

~Tink~
 
I have a very busy day tomorrow, so if I don't get a chance to hop on and wish everyone a happy Monday, I am saying it now....
Happy (early) Monday!
If I miss tomorrow, I will get the Forget Me Not up on Tuesday.
Until then, I thought everyone would enjoy an interesting distraction. I came across a fun article today....8 Best Cruise Cocktails (one of which is found on a Disney Cruise). Here is the list, and here is a link to the article (8 Best Cruise Cocktails article). Enjoy and I will be back with your next item to remember soon.

  1. Cucumber Sunrise, Carnival Cruise Line
  2. Jalapeno Martini, Holland America Line
  3. The Isaac, Princess Cruises
  4. Coco Loco, Royal Caribbean
  5. High Tide, Disney Cruise Line
  6. Martini Flight, Celebrity Cruises
  7. Kiss on the Lips, Carnival
  8. Rebellious Fish, Norwegian Cruise Line
~Tink~
 
Happy Monday! I was able to squeeze a few minutes out to let everyone know.....
We only have 23 Mondays until our cruise!!!!
This weeks Forget Me Not is about candy and snacks.
I was reminded of this little treat, that is over looked more often than not, while I was prepping for a recent little turn around trip to Disney World.
I love Disney as much as any other fanatic, but I also know they waaaaaaaaay over price things. That is true for candy and snacks on board as well. And finding that must have candy bar or energy drink in port is not always easy either. So, if you are a chocoholic like everyone in my cabin, you may want to plan ahead to pack your favorite chocolate item. In our luggage, you will typically find a bag or 2 of M & M's (the type depends on the time of year....mint for Christmas time, the special Easter ones when traveling in March or April, and so on) and possibly some peanut butter cups or kisses. This year, we are thinking about a special room make over that will include a basket with chocolate bars attached to mini light sabers, and other fun nerf herder themed candy items.
For those asking "Well I have heard about cruise food. You have food available all hours of the day. What do you need to bring your own for?" Let me answer that with another question. Do you have a family member that has something they LOVE to snack on, and substitutions just won't do? If so, plan for those snack attacks. Also, I have B12 vitamin drinks that give me the energy to go from 8 AM to 1 AM every day. I can't find those on Disney, and I would be to pooped to keep going at that pace after day 2 with out it. And I know some cruisers that just can not do with out their specialty coffee. Yes, you will find free coffee on board, but if you want specialty coffee, it will cost you dearly. You can save by planning ahead and bringing some instant packs.
One secret for those wanting to bring extra items that they do not want to lug in their suitcase is to mail your items to the boat (actually to the port, but it will be delivered to you on board). If you are interested in shipping items (such as snacks, diapers, etc), you can call the port Canaveral, or your travel agent.
Have a good week!

~Tink~
 

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