Welcome to Our Disney Cruise Line Experience

To make a long story short[er]....

I had to take vacation time at work. We looked up a Disney Cruise for the same week I had originally planned to be gone for a race. We found one with a military discount and couldn't pass it up. Meanwhile all cruises were being cancelled since March 2020, so we really didn't even think this would sail. Up until the last minute we were never positive it would and kept waiting for cancellation notices to come to our email. That never happened. Simultaneously we booked a Walt Disney World vacation with our DVC points and Military passes. Which vacation we would be on, we didn't know! It was fun, anxiety filled waiting game. In the end we were on the very first Disney Dream cruise to resume sailing since March 2020 when the pandemic shut it all down!

We created a vlog series to bring you along on the trip with us, but I thought maybe I'd try to add on any little things via the blog for those that enjoy reading things here! There are a bunch of videos of the Walt Disney World portion on our YouTube page if you are wanting to join us there as well! 

So to begin let us jump to Embarkation morning at Saratoga Springs! The video is shared below, so I'm not going to just give a minute by minute account. Mostly just added thoughts or maybe explanation of things that didn't get said. I don't know! I'm making up this plan as I go along... 😁

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I was up late the night before getting everything packed. Disney Cruise Line would have our luggage picked up starting at 8am on embarkation morning. To me that meant get everyone up, dressed, teeth and hair brushed ready to go by 8am so when our suitcases were taken away we didn't have to bother carrying anything extra with us. Whatever they didn't take we would be responsible for the entire day until we got to our stateroom. This plan worked and we were ready to go. Luggage didn't get picked up until just about 10am!! You KNOW if I wasn't prepared they would have been there at 8 o'clock on the dot!

So far so good.... or so we thought!

Katura and I went up to get breakfast and bring it back to the room. That was all good, but we had failed to find an ATM. In Oregon we never grabbed cash for extra tips on the ship and what tip money we had for bus drivers I had already used. So we needed to find at ATM fast before boarding that bus. The ships are all done cash free. Things are charged to your room. You can use cash to tip for room service or extra gratuities to your servers. We prepay our required gratuities in advance, but like to add on at the end of the cruise to show just how awesome they are! So we needed that cash!

Sure, it seems simple. 

The ATM at Saratoga was in an area closed for refurbishment. Since it was August in Florida and the surface of the sun we decided to hop a bus to Disney Springs at hit an ATM there. And then things went downhill so freaking fast. Of course the one time I decided to not vlog and just enjoy the ride is the time I put my phone in my pocket (which I NEVER do) and the time my phone falls out of my pocket and is left on the bus! 

It was instant panic. There are tonnnnns of buses in Walt Disney World. They don't just keep making the same circle over and over. My phone could be anywhere at this point! I had discovered it was missing only minutes after getting off, but once I ran back to the bus area it was long gone. Fortunately I knew where Guest Relations was and I was running to get there. The poor cast member that greeted me. I was sweaty, out of breath and crying. I had lost all of my photos, videos, records of things we needed to get onto the ship. What if someone found it, cracked my code and ended up accessing everything?? I had no idea what to do. I was prepared to run back to Saratoga to find that bus if that's what it took.

Fortunately for me I had noticed our bus had Guardians of the Galaxy on it. And I knew we got on just after 10am because I had heard the horse races music thing playing just as we were walking to the bus stop. These were key in getting my phone back! They only have ONE Guardians bus!! Still it seemed things weren't moving fast enough. I had to get back to Saratoga and be checked in for the DCL bus by 12:15. WDW is HUGE!! I was going to do whatever it took to get that phone back. Meanwhile I was trying to get the DCL app on Katura's phone I gave her to use for music. That phone was too old, the app wouldn't work. Dang it. 

I suggested to Shawn that he retrace my steps since I was still needed at Guest Relations. Off he went. Katura sat with me and tried to help me feel better and tell me it would all be alright. She was so sweet. I ended up using my iPad to message my mom so she knew I was out of touch possibly until I was home in Oregon. Meanwhile Shawn was back at the bus stop and calling my phone non-stop. I remember I had turned the sound on, so hopefully someone would hear the Oga's Cantina song from Star Wars playing in the back of the bus and grab my phone.

Once Guest Relations sent Katura and I on our way I was that mom walking through Disney Springs back to the bus stop with my iPad out trying to use FaceTime. I mean it was a good idea I guess, but it was trying to call using my phone, which obviously wasn't going to be working right now. Quickly, stressed and just broken down feeling I arrived back where the Sheriff deputy was with the security dog. He could tell I was in a state and asked if I needed help. I told him I was looking for my lost phone and that my husband had been retracing my steps. He directed me around the corner to the Disney transportation lost and found. Guest Relations never even mentioned this little gem to me!! I hurried that way and I spotted Shawn. He had a big smile and was waving me to him.

We had a Disney miracle you guys!! We think a fellow guest found my phone and gave it to the driver, Jean. I am so incredibly thankful that he broke the rules and answered it during one of Shawn's calls! I remember as a Cast Member we weren't allowed to do anything with a guest phone that was found other than take it to Guest Relations at the end of the day. Well my phone was now at Disney's Caribbean Beach resort and on its way back to Disney Springs! When I saw that Guardians bus come into sight I was just a bundle of nerves and joy. All 3 of us were eagerly waving at him as he pulled up to a stop. Jean appeared and had my phone in hand. Shawn immediately called it, and he was able to match the face on it to all of us... and I was reunited!!

Our cruise could officially begin!

So that's the behind the scenes story of this video that obviously didn't make the vlog due to the previously mentioned story!

See ya real soon!