First time Cruiser from Down Under - Need Advice Please

[lffam]

Hi all

AS the title says we are first time cruisers with passage booked on Disney Fantasy for December 2015 (sailing over Christmas day). If you are interested in my Pre Trip report it is here

At the moment the itinerary looks something like this:

Leaving Australia end Nov
6 Nights Disney Grand Californian [booked]
13 nights in Orlando
- Split between 3 or 4 at Universal Studios
- 9 or 10 at WDW resort still TBA
7 night Cruise on Disney Fantasy - Disembark Boxing day [booked]
7 nights in New York including NYE

We will likely do Kennedy Space centre the day before the cruise.

Now to my questions.... We want to do KSC but dont have time to do it after the cruise so will leave WDW the day before our cruise boarding, drop our bags at a Port Canaveral Hotel (recommendations??) and do KSC the day prior to the cruise. Then be ready for boarding the next day. I know we will be forgoing the Disney Cruise Line bus transfer, but I'm not sure we have any the option. Is there any advantage in using the Disney Bus transfer to the port vs making your own way there?

Another thing I want to try and do, and I know this might be a pipe dream, but I would like to give myself the best opportunity I can to be able to do a port upgrade. I would love to get a concierge room .We booked 4A - Family Ocean Stateroom, which I think is the highest class below concierge, which was more than double the price of the 4A for the Family Ocean Stateroom. Is there anything I can do to give myself the chance?

thank you

 

[novice101]

Your trip looks like the one I'm trying to plan for dec 2016 also from australia! Lol 14 nights disney a couple of nights in universal, a week disney cruise and a week in newyork! Although depends how much I can save! I heard the best way to upgrade is to be one of the first at check in and ask if it would be possible to upgrade as it's usually cheaper than if you pay for that level at the start.
Where are you planning to stay for your other part of the disney stay? And also New York? Is it mega expensive to do the cruise and newyork at Xmas / new year time, I thought of going early dec coming back for Xmas, but I don't really enjoy Xmas in oz compared to the uk would love to try America for the festive period just don't know how much extra I would have to budget! Do the hotels etc charge a lot more per night?
We went in sept but just did disney was too far for just 2 weeks hence wanting to more

 

[lffam]

Your trip looks like the one I'm trying to plan for dec 2016 also from australia! Lol 14 nights disney a couple of nights in universal, a week disney cruise and a week in newyork! Although depends how much I can save! I heard the best way to upgrade is to be one of the first at check in and ask if it would be possible to upgrade as it's usually cheaper than if you pay for that level at the start.
Where are you planning to stay for your other part of the disney stay? And also New York? Is it mega expensive to do the cruise and newyork at Xmas / new year time, I thought of going early dec coming back for Xmas, but I don't really enjoy Xmas in oz compared to the uk would love to try America for the festive period just don't know how much extra I would have to budget! Do the hotels etc charge a lot more per night?
We went in sept but just did disney was too far for just 2 weeks hence wanting to more

Hi Novice101, thanks for dropping in. The cruise is definitely more expensive over the Christmas period. To give you an idea the 7 night cruise at the beginning of December is $3000 cheaper for 2adt +1 child than it is for the Christmas cruise for the category we chose. I expect anywhere you are at Christmas will be a premium price. We made the decision to do the cruise over Christmas so that our time preceding and Christmas day was taken care of ie food, activities, being somewhere that was going to be "Christmasy". It is just up how much or how little we wanted to do on the ship. yes we are paying for it, but thats our choice.

I know the upgrade is a a long shot but I couldn't justify paying the price upfront which was $7k more. Even on the remote chance there is an upgrade I still might not be able to justify.

I might answer your other questions re NY/WDW on my Pre Trip report if you don't mind to keep this one On topic about the cruise.

 

[DizneyNutz]

Hi all

AS the title says we are first time cruisers with passage booked on Disney Fantasy for December 2015 (sailing over Christmas day). If you are interested in my Pre Trip report it is here

At the moment the itinerary looks something like this:

Leaving Australia end Nov
6 Nights Disney Grand Californian [booked]
13 nights in Orlando
- Split between 3 or 4 at Universal Studios
- 9 or 10 at WDW resort still TBA
7 night Cruise on Disney Fantasy - Disembark Boxing day [booked]
7 nights in New York including NYE

We will likely do Kennedy Space centre the day before the cruise.

Now to my questions.... We want to do KSC but dont have time to do it after the cruise so will leave WDW the day before our cruise boarding, drop our bags at a Port Canaveral Hotel (recommendations??) and do KSC the day prior to the cruise. Then be ready for boarding the next day. I know we will be forgoing the Disney Cruise Line bus transfer, but I'm not sure we have any the option. Is there any advantage in using the Disney Bus transfer to the port vs making your own way there?

Not aware of any benefit using Disney Transportation. We will be using the Residence Inn by Marriot at Port Canaveral. They allow discounted parking for cruise travelers and port shuttle service from Motel. You can walk to Fishlips where the Port Canaveral web cam is located.

Another thing I want to try and do, and I know this might be a pipe dream, but I would like to give myself the best opportunity I can to be able to do a port upgrade. I would love to get a concierge room .We booked 4A - Family Ocean Stateroom, which I think is the highest class below concierge, which was more than double the price of the 4A for the Family Ocean Stateroom. Is there anything I can do to give myself the chance?

Don't have any answer for this question.

thank you

See responses above.

 

[lffam]

See responses above.

Thanks DizneyNutz, I'll check out that Marriott hotel too.

I see you must be a Wilderness Lodge fan, I just love that place, our first (and only so far) WDW resort!

 

[DizneyNutz]

Thanks DizneyNutz, I'll check out that Marriott hotel too.

I see you must be a Wilderness Lodge fan, I just love that place, our first (and only so far) WDW resort!

We were DVC Owners at the Wilderness Lodge for 10 Years. We recently sold it and started travelling.

 

[rosaciri]

Would luv any responses/help as well. 2 family - 4 adults and 6 kids agd 4 to 9 travelling in April 2016 and we have started our planning already.

Doing WDW before we do our second DCL Trip - Disney Fantasy - Eastern Carribean. Have been to DL in Anaheim but not WDW - stuck on accommodation at the moment. Would luv any advise. I know its early but trying to start all the research and gathering of info now.

Will read your reports etc and would luv an after trip report as well. Travelling from Melbourne Australia and so worth it to do a DCL Cruise. Doing Carinival Spirit around Pacific Islands May 2015 but I imagine it wont be quite the same.

 

[novice101]

Rosaciri accommodation in DW really depends on your budget, were you looking at value, moderate or deluxe?