No more kids club reservations?

[lanejudy]

I’ve never been on a DCL (or any cruise) and am not totally following this discussion but what is the kids club “open house” referred to in an earlier post? Thanks!

As others have said, Open House times are when the kids' spaces are open to anyone and everyone. Families can attend and play together, older or younger siblings can play, kids who have difficulty attending the drop-off programming can go with an adult to help them, kids older or younger can go. The CMs are there but not in true supervisory mode; parents are expected to be present and supervise with their children. Open House times are typically offered at least once each day in each kids' space (nursery not currently open, Club, Lab, Edge and Vibe).

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Usually happens on the first day when you board and occasionally during the cruise and will be listed in the app. It's when everyone and anyone can go "play" in the kids clubs! We took advantage of an open house to play with all the cool Star Wars stuff on the Fantasy on our 11 night Southern Caribbean. I think the men enjoyed it more than the kids! lol The rest of the time the kids clubs are exclusively for their age ONLY. No exceptions.

Well, there are (or used to be) Open House hours in the Clubs at random times during a cruise, also.

 

[HeatherLassell]

Well, there are (or used to be) Open House hours in the Clubs at random times during a cruise, also.

True. I haven't cruised since pre-covid.

 

[bbel]

Keeps whom safe from what? Everyone except the under-5s is vaccinated, so why do they need to be protected from the under-5s? And you're not protecting the under-5s from anything either by putting them in exclusively with other unvaccinated under-5s.

I genuinely don't understand who is ostensibly being helped or protected by this.

(I know, like you said, you don't make the rules.)


What does a vaccinated-and-boosted CM need to be protected from?

exactly. And if they’re not going to be separated for the other 90% of their time on the cruise, what’s the point for the hour and a half they’re in the club?
They’ll leave the club and go join all those they’ve been kept away from at or the buffet or the pool…

they’ll be more likely to be getting their ‘super spread’ on all over the ship if they have such limited kids club offerings.

I’ve worked with unvaccinated, unmasked 4, 5 and 6 year olds all the way through.
if I was still youth staff i would still find it ridiculous, being triple jabbed and healthy (remember all crew have an in-depth medical before joining…)

 

[disneylandlocal]

I’m confused, will unvaccinated still need a reservation? We cruise in 17 days with an unvaccinated 3 year old and her 2 older vaccinated siblings. I don’t like the idea of her being separated from her siblings in kids club or needed a reservation for her but not the other kids. I agree the communication from Disney isn’t great on this issue. Would also love the pool capacity to be removed since we are cruising spring break and I hear they are increasing capacity.

 

[Dug720]

What does a vaccinated-and-boosted CM need to be protected from?

Even vaxxed and boosted people can get and/or spread COVID.

The only alternative to these regulations is to kill the cruising industry and put thousands more people out of work. Sorry, but I’m not ok with that.

 

[Melissa518]

I’m confused, will unvaccinated still need a reservation? We cruise in 17 days with an unvaccinated 3 year old and her 2 older vaccinated siblings. I don’t like the idea of her being separated from her siblings in kids club or needed a reservation for her but not the other kids. I agree the communication from Disney isn’t great on this issue. Would also love the pool capacity to be removed since we are cruising spring break and I hear they are increasing capacity.

I would like to know this too. I will be traveling with a 5 year old but he falls in that 5 week grace period of getting vaccinated.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Even vaxxed and boosted people can get and/or spread COVID.

Exactly! That's the point.

Vaxxed and boosted people can get and spread COVID.......... so stop treating my four year old like a leper.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Exactly! That's the point.

Vaxxed and boosted people can get and spread COVID.......... so stop treating my four year old like a leper.

I think what they're doing is trying to minimize the risk that the unvaccinated will get the disease from someone who isn't aware they've got the disease (vaccinated people may not even be aware they've got it). Since the risk there is/can be death.

 

[KT2038]

exactly. And if they’re not going to be separated for the other 90% of their time on the cruise, what’s the point for the hour and a half they’re in the club?
They’ll leave the club and go join all those they’ve been kept away from at or the buffet or the pool…

they’ll be more likely to be getting their ‘super spread’ on all over the ship if they have such limited kids club offerings.

I’ve worked with unvaccinated, unmasked 4, 5 and 6 year olds all the way through.
if I was still youth staff i would still find it ridiculous, being triple jabbed and healthy (remember all crew have an in-depth medical before joining…)

It is a bit ridiculous, but what can you do?

 

[TestingH2O]

I’m confused, will unvaccinated still need a reservation? We cruise in 17 days with an unvaccinated 3 year old and her 2 older vaccinated siblings. I don’t like the idea of her being separated from her siblings in kids club or needed a reservation for her but not the other kids. I agree the communication from Disney isn’t great on this issue. Would also love the pool capacity to be removed since we are cruising spring break and I hear they are increasing capacity.

Yes the unvaccinated kids need reservations and will not be able to play in the same spaces as the older children. That is the policy this week. As with all things, policy is subject to change.

 

[disneylandlocal]

Yes the unvaccinated kids need reservations and will not be able to play in the same spaces as the older children. That is the policy this week. As with all things, policy is subject to change.

Thanks, really hoping they change this before our cruise.

 

[KT2038]

Thanks, really hoping they change this before our cruise.

In my opinion, it probably won’t have changed by the time you cruise. Might be a good idea to prepare the kids now so they understand that while they are in there they won’t be able to play together. If you have any further questions, please let me know.

 

[MomOTwins]

In my opinion, it probably won’t have changed by the time you cruise. Might be a good idea to prepare the kids now so they understand that while they are in there they won’t be able to play together. If you have any further questions, please let me know.

Thank you for providing first-hand information and insights in a confusing time. Your posts have been very clear and helpful.

 

[hnthomps]

I was on the Fantasy last week. The change went into affect the day we departed. There was open house at least a few days, at somewhat random times. My kids are 8 & 10 and I didn't realize until we were on board that the rules had changed - and I didn't know the little kids rules were different until my son told me he'd played everywhere except Andy's Room "because it's for the little kids" -- and I didn't even realize until seeing this thread that the room was literally separated off.

I totally understand why that would stink for families with kids across the age groups, but I do think the vast age range at Oceaneers is not great.

 

[lolomarie]

I don’t make the rules, I just have to implement them. It was a fairly quick and last minute change for us too. There were many different solutions discussed for the unvaccinated kids, which as far as I know included not having them in at all, having them in the nursery space or having specified “Preschooler time”. This was deemed the closest way to “normal” for them, makes it easy to keep track of them and keep everyone safe. They are still getting a kids club experience. Is it normal? No. But that’s how it has to be at the moment until this age can be vaccinated.
And who knows? After a while, management might change it and try something different. But if they do, it will be as a result of our feedback and the feedback of the guests who have experienced it onboard.

My comment was in general and not specifically to you. Not sure why you would write “I don’t make the rules,” I didn’t imply you did.
Thanks for your insights and the work you do on board.

 

[slindamood]

We just got off the Magic on Saturday and the kids club options seemed to work pretty well for us. Our 9 yo DGD came and went as she always did with check in-out privileges for the first time. Our 6 yo autistic DGS only likes Toy Storey, not Marvel, so he was happy during open house but would not stay during regular times. The 4 year old DGD experienced the club for the first time and being limited to Andy's room was fine with her - she did not know any difference. She loved it. We did not get her signed up for as much time as she would have liked, but they were quite flexible about adding if possible.

 

[disneylandlocal]

We just got off the Magic on Saturday and the kids club options seemed to work pretty well for us. Our 9 yo DGD came and went as she always did with check in-out privileges for the first time. Our 6 yo autistic DGS only likes Toy Storey, not Marvel, so he was happy during open house but would not stay during regular times. The 4 year old DGD experienced the club for the first time and being limited to Andy's room was fine with her - she did not know any difference. She loved it. We did not get her signed up for as much time as she would have liked, but they were quite flexible about adding if possible.

This is helpful, thanks. How did you go about getting extra kids club time? I also have an older kid on the spectrum and am glad he won’t have to do structured activities like slime making (hello sensory aversions!) but would also like to be able to prep them for what it will be like and not much info from Disney.

 

[lovingeire]

This is helpful, thanks. How did you go about getting extra kids club time? I also have an older kid on the spectrum and am glad he won’t have to do structured activities like slime making (hello sensory aversions!) but would also like to be able to prep them for what it will be like and not much info from Disney.

Have you contacted DCL special services? I"ll have to look up the email, but my son is on the spectrum and they are really helpful. With all the changes maybe they can provide you with some guidance. They can also note this on the reservation and you can confirm it at check-in at the kids club the first time around.

For what it's worth, and take it with a grain of salt as every child on the spectrum is different, my son found the club a bit overwhelming. It was too loud, with too many kids running around. He didn't go nearly as much as I thought he would. He had a friend from our cruise group who was really gregarious and helped him enjoy the club, but he was happy to sit in the room and watch movies on the TV. (My parents traveled with us and had a connecting room so they'd just open the door for him.). He is feeling optimistic about Edge now that he's old enough and I found wearing Vibes headphones helps him a lot with noise. (This brand is "low profile" for lack of a better term so my son likes that they don't stand out.)

 

[slindamood]

This is helpful, thanks. How did you go about getting extra kids club time? I also have an older kid on the spectrum and am glad he won’t have to do structured activities like slime making (hello sensory aversions!) but would also like to be able to prep them for what it will be like and not much info from Disney.

For the autistic 6 yo we contacted special services before the cruise and they told us to speak with the kids club counsellors once onboard. The counsellors allowed him to come to the club but he did not want to stay. Had he stayed it seems, based on the older child, that any group activities are optional. During open house time his father would take him and he loved running around to see the different areas but mostly to play on the slide and balcony in Andy's room. I believe they also have art supplies available.

For extra time for the 4 yo I would just stop by with her at the club to see if there was space. They would make a call and tell us when the next group time for under 5s would start.