The Bloat and Float 06 Cruise Report: Now The Truth Comes Out!

[FatherForce]

The Bloat and Float 06 Trip Report
Version 2.0 – The Cruise.


Prologue

Fade in to a soft focused scene of a couple sitting on a bench outside of the Grand Floridian on a crisp November afternoon in 1997. They are reflecting on a romantic 3 day getaway, waiting for a shuttle to take them to the airport and back to a dreary Indiana fall.

As they wait a bus pulls by and into the GF convention center parking lot.
It was a Disney bus, but it was unlike any Disney bus these seasoned WDW vets had ever seen. It had a unique, classic look and soon it became apparent: This was a Disney Cruise Line Bus!

The DCL was not even sailing yet, but the bus was there for a media event.

The woman, glowing with love and affection for the man of her dreams that she held fast by the arm, immediately began incessantly nagging him to take her on a cruise.

Fast forward to the winter of 2006. The couple now had a six year old girl and a 24 year old in college. They had been to WDW 4 times since that afternoon and DisneyLAND twice, yet in spite of nearly daily reminding/badgering of her husband that she wanted to go on a Disney Cruise, she still had not set foot on the sandy beaches of Castaway Cay or drank rum infused fruit juice while dancing with Mickey Mouse with the ocean breeze in her hair.

It’s not that her handsome and virile husband did not want to take her on a cruise. He patiently and wisely explained the problems with expense and timing. He gently argued that their precious six year old wanted to go to Disney World not cruise. He brought up the expense again.
And again.
Plus, he just thought it would be boring.

The phone rang. It was his Mother. She and her husband wanted to take him and his family to WDW at the end of September. They’d pay for the room at the Wilderness Lodge and park tickets. All he had to pay for was transportation. “Great!” he enthused. There was just one catch. They were taking ALL of his family and his Stepfather’s family too. Almost 20 people. None of whom get along amazingly well.

He imparted the offer to his beautiful wife and adoring child.
The squeals of delight from his daughter were contrasted with the stony silence from his wife.

She had waited for this moment for nine years. She steeled her resolve, squared her shoulders to her husband, and definitely announced:

“If I’m going to Disney World with your entire family, YOU are taking me on a Disney Cruise immediately after!”

He had no way out. The money was saved for this year’s WDW trip.
She knew that.
There was no argument he could immediately retrieve from his MENSA-certified intellect to counter her brilliant assault.

He agreed.

The man set about researching the DCL, and the woman basked in her triumph.

She would finally get to go on a Disney Cruise.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2681.jpg



The first chapter of our 3 Day Wonder Cruise from 9/28 to 10/1 06 begins tomorrow.
In the meantime, feel free to check out the WDW portion of our trip at http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1241106.

[wendygirl]

I feel for you - your gonna need to cruise after "extended-family time" - don't walk! run to the bus! magic awaits .... :cloud9:

:listen: :listen: :listen: :listen: :listen:

[sleepydog25]

I wate with baited breath. . .or is it "I wait with bated breath?" Either way, the prologue was an excellent introduction and dovetails nicely with the landlubber's portion of your turf and surf trip. Eagerly anticipating more, even if reading yours will delay mine. . .:teeth:

[tamim]

Fantastic start! I too wait with baited breath for the trip report.... :rolleyes1

[DisneyZell]

I wate with baited breath. . .or is it "I wait with bated breath?" Either way, the prologue was an excellent introduction and dovetails nicely with the landlubber's portion of your turf and surf trip. Eagerly anticipating more, even if reading yours will delay mine. . .:teeth:


Delays on other trip reports cannot be blamed by time spent reviewing the work of others!!! :) :lmao:

[wendygirl]

:listen: :listen: :surfweb: :listen: :listen:

[E&BMom]

Can't wait to hear more!!!!!! :thumbsup2

[wendygirl]

:bored: but i don't wanna bloat while i float :guilty:

stupid brown salty water :blush: sorry, my momma said stupid is a bad word :blush:

lets see ... :bored: ... 7 days times 8 bottles of water (evian, yuck!) per day @ $35.00 per case of 24 = $95!!!!! just for me .... my daughter will just have to bloat ...

same 3 cases would be $18 if smuggled in! :sad2:

ok

i will bloat while i float :rolleyes1 or

smuggle! :goodvibes

hey, they are the ones who told us to be pirates ... pirate: are you a good pirate? :teeth:

[JDBlair]

Kudos to your wife for being quick on her feet! :thumbsup2 Can't wait to read the rest of your trip!

[ColoradoMom!!]

Hurry, Hurry, Hurry oh virile one. :Pinkbounc

[wendygirl]

i need to know what happened! :cloud9: (on the outside) :Pinkbounc (on the inside)

[itgirl1002]

The first chapter of our 3 Day Wonder Cruise from 9/28 to 10/1 06 begins tomorrow. In the meantime, feel free to check out the WDW portion of our trip at


It's tomorrow! :wave:

Subscribing to your TR.

[wendygirl]

[QUOTE=wendygirl]Q7 days times 8 bottles of water (evian, yuck!) per day @ $35.00 per case of 24 = $95!!!!! [QUOTE]

it's hard to add correctly when your :Pinkbounc

[FatherForce]

The Bloat and Float 06 Trip Report
Version 2.0 – The Cruise.



The Cast
Me Dad/Husband/Raconteur
Cheryll Mom/Wife
Samantha 7 yr old Center of the Known Universe



This report now picks up where our WDW TR left off.
You can catch up if you dare at: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1241106


Chapter 1

Six AM is early.
I realize this is not a deep observation, yet that was my first thought when I opened my eyes just before Mickey called to get us out of bed.
When the curtains are closed in a WL room and the lights are out, it is also DARK at 6AM.
I confirmed this by stubbing my toe on the chair on the way to bathroom.
I did not quietly get ready this morning as it was time to get up, get Justin to the airport and drive to Port Canaveral.
As I went down one last time to the Roaring Forks to get breakfast, a tried to soak in as much of the WL as I could. It really is a beautiful and relaxing resort.
The AKL is still our favorite, but the WL rates highly indeed.

One last time, I was asked by a guest where I got our mugs.
I patiently explained that I got them right here, at the RF.
“How much did it cost”?
“Only $7.99”
“Oh my gosh! It’s bigger than the ones they’re selling for $11.99. How can I get one?”
“Well, first you need to get at least a graduate degree in quantum physics. Once that’s accomplished, build a time travel device that can transport you back here in 1995. Don’t forget to stand right here, because the RF has been remodeled and you might wind up being transported inside a wall. Oh, don’t forget NOT to use too recent of currency since most bills have been upgraded since 1995. I wouldn’t want you to have gone to all of that trouble and then get arrested for counterfeiting. “

I’m a bit of a smart*ss when I haven’t had my coffee.

Back in the room, Cheryll is up, and Samantha is stirring.
Justin hasn’t moved.

We were all packed except for pajamas and toiletries.
We had our carry-ons ready too for the ship, and I packed my “MEDIA” case with camera’s, batteries, chargers, cell phones, etc.
Cheryll had laid out our matching “Mickey” Blues clothes she bought form the Disney catalog some years ago. After I changed, Justin finally stirred. He looked down from the top bunk and groggily pronounced me a “dork”.
Guilty.
Cheryll had also bought matching blue visors, but that’s where I as the MAN put my sizable foot down.
I’ll wear the matching Mickey Mouse clothes, but I won’t look the fool with a blue visor.
There has to be a line in the sand that will not be crossed.
Just ask Geraldo.

We had filled a huge bag with stuff for Mom and Steve to take back home with them. Most of it was toys and stuffed animals Sam had purchased on the trip, she was fretting about not taking her new stuff with her on the boat. I assured her that there would be more opportunities for frivolous purchases once onboard.

I got out my leather-bound Passporter, triple checked documents, and handed Cheryll and Samantha their glow-in-the-dark green bracelets that Fallon had so graciously purchased so the DISers could recognize each other.

“Dork”
Thank you Justin.
Thank you very much.

I had spent the better part of 4 months planning and researching this 3 day cruise. I spent most of it here at the DIS Boards and had virtually met up other equally obsessed types who would be cruising with us. We planned on meeting and had the green wrist bands as a beacon of recognition. I honestly can say I looked forward to putting faces with the names.

I felt remarkably informed and prepared. Between the Passporter and the DIS Boards, I was sure there was nothing I did not know. Plus we’d TiVo’d the Travel Channel special and had 2 copies of the DCL video. I’d read the trip reports. I’d followed many threads of interest. I had a plan!

We said our goodbyes to the family and pulled Justin out of the top bunk to get him to the airport.

I stopped and got some cash for onboard tips from the lobby before we left, and we were on our way!

I didn’t want to seem too excited about leaving for the cruise yet because Justin wasn’t going with us. He had to get back to class. So we drove uneventfully to the airport, went in with him to make sure his flight was still scheduled. (With AirTran that is not always a given). Hugs and a few motherly and sisterly tears were exchanged. He was great on this trip, and I dare say he’s become a man.

Now, as we left the airport’s garage, the excitement level in the car began to rise exponentially. We’ve been to WDW lots, but this was something NEW!
Even though Sam was very tired from getting up too early, she was bouncing up and down. Cheryll was giddy, and I, the guy who had to be virtually FORCED into this trip, could hardly contain myself.

The drive to Port Canaveral from the airport is quick and efficient. Being from Indiana, I love seeing palm trees, and there were more and more visible the closer we got to the Port. After about a half hour, we started seeing signs for Port Canaveral and about 10 minutes later, over a bridge, in the distance, we saw Her.

The Wonder.

Collective gasps and “Wow”s echoed in the rented Ford Taurus.
We pulled up without problems and there was the HUGE object of our desire.
Everyone who writes a TR mentions the majesty of seeing the ship for the first time, and now I know why.
Ever see the Simpson’s episode from the first season where Albert Brooks plays a RV salesman explaining the top-of-the-line model to Homer? Well the first thing out of my mouth was a paraphrase in an awestruck tone, “See that? Men built that. It’s a sea-going vessel!”
(It’s actually quite amazing how many of my commonly used phrases or exclamations are Simpson-based. I have a window cling on my car with a paraphrase of my favorite, but I can’t tell you what it is. I’m keeping this report apolitical. At least that’s the plan now. I doubt that will last though. )

I had planned on going down the road and getting some bottled water and alcohol to pack in our suitcase to save some $ on the cruise. However, I was not in charge of the packing, and there was ABSOLUTELY no room in any bag we had for anything else.
Ah, no problem. We didn’t spend as much in WDW as we budgeted, so let’s live a little.

I pulled up beside the terminal where all the other luggage was stacked up. I was sure I had to go through some kind of check in process, but hey, look at all this luggage on the curb. I unloaded the bags and then it dawned on me: it was 9:30am and these bags were for people DEPARTING!

Now, if you’ve been reading Sleepydog’s TR (And I’m sure that you have. He’s a better writer and looks better in toenail polish), you know he did the exact same thing. Here’s where we differ though. I played it off as if it was my plan!
I spoke to a porter and found exactly where the luggage would be loaded in at, moved ours to outside the gate, and had Cheryll and Sam wait with it while I parked the car! They were even happy to do so since it was a nice morning, and they were staring at the ship
Genius! (Your wife may be a M.D. Sleepy, but mine doesn’t mind standing with luggage!)
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2674.jpg

Now, even though I knew where we needed to park, and I knew that the gates would be opening in about 15 minutes, I asked the guy who seemed to be I charge exactly what the procedure was. He began a 5 minute presentation on just where to turn around, how to signal into traffic lanes, where I should enter AND exit, how fast to drive, exact longitude and latitude of my destination as well as the circumference of the 180 degree turn I would be making in the parking lot. I was expecting the PowerPoint presentation to start any moment.
He saw the glazed look in my eye and said, “Just drive up here and pick me up and I’ll
Walk you through it.”
Huh?
Something in my brain said this was a bit squirrelly.
I did as asked though, and he got in. I drove up 50 feet, turned, drove 75 feet, turned into the lot, and he showed me where I’d wait to cross the street in 5 minutes. As I drove him back the 50 feet, he explained he just wanted to get off his feet. He didn’t really need to do this.
“No Sh*t,” I crudely thought to myself.
Anyway, I tipped him and thanked my stars that I wasn’t abducted by some crazed traffic officer impersonator who was looking for just this opportunity!
Cheryll gave me the “What The?” gesture and I gave her the “Call Me” sign as I drove back to the waiting lot. We then talked for on our cell phones even though we were 75 feet apart.
Gotta love the Modern World.
She then said, “Hey! We’re being let in.”
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2675.jpg

Yep, she and Sam got to enter the terminal. They took our luggage, as I waited for the parking lot to open. It did almost immediately. (I was 2nd in line). I drove through and the porters were very depressed that I already had my luggage taken care of because that means they weren’t tipped.

I crossed the street again and parked very near the recommended white awning.
I grabbed my “media” bag and crossed the street.
Man, that bag was heavy.

As I approached the terminal, all the security folks ushered me on saying, “Your family are already inside,” with wry smiles on their faces. My matching Mickey clothes were causing a bit of twitter. Even the nice CM who handed me my coveted #2 Boarding Pass smiled and told me my wife and daughter were already upstairs. She then suppressed a chuckle.

Ah, I’m on vacation. I’m supposed to look like a goob.

Well, now we had an hour before loading began.


We checked out the Magic Model then got in line to check in.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2679.jpg

Waiting in line about 6 deep, I mentioned to Cheryll that we should look for others with the green wristbands. With that the couple in front of us revealed themselves to be Doc and Sleepydog. MomSully and her family and friends were directly in front of them!

We had a mini-DIS Meet right there. I felt fortunate that the folks I had been chatting with seemed so nice and cordial. MomSully had kids my daughter’s age, and Doc and Dog (which I began calling them in private) were going to be doing some of the ‘adult” stuff Cheryll and I had planned.

Cool.
We already felt comfortable.

Check in was a breeze thanks to the online check in, and we then headed over to register Sam for the Oceaneer’s Club.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2680.jpg
We waited.
More and more folks began to stream in the terminal.
I saw #3 and #6 boarding passes.
HA! We were #2!
More waiting.
Sam and I watched them load The Wonder with stuff from outside on the deck until 3 groups of smokers ran us back inside.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2676.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2678-1.jpg

Minnie came out to pose and begin prying $ out of us with a photographer.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/SamMinnie.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2682.jpg


A line began to form at the entrance. No announcements had been made had they?
It was 11am.
I checked the line out and found most of those in line had numbers MUCH higher than 2!

I smiled the smug smile of those who know.
After a wedding party and concierge guests were loaded came the announcement we had been waiting for, “All guests with #s 1 or 2 can now board” (or something like that)
I got out the video camera and we walked under the Mouse Ears and onto Paradise…



Up Next Chapter 2 Why, Yes, You Can Make That a Double, Thank You.

Here's those outfits...
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/EmbarkFam.jpg

[wendygirl]

ugh! your killing me! :guilty: I am now late, should have been out the door 30 mins ago! But it was worth it!!!! :cloud9: can't wait for the rest!!!!

[JDBlair]

Well, it's good I am reading Dog's report or I wouldn't be digging these "inside" jokes!! Love the outfits!! What a good sport you are! :rotfl:

[FatherForce]

Well I figure EVERYONE is readings Dog's report.
I'm just getting his spillover.

[tjeagle]

Okay, it's official...my DH has read (and I think is hooked) on his first TR!! Keep it coming.....
You had him at the dorky matching outfits (ours is the darker blue tiki version...only agreed to 'cause it'll be my birthday!!)
:lmao:

[sleepydog25]

Now, if you’ve been reading Sleepydog’s TR (And I’m sure that you have. He’s a better writer and looks better in toenail polish), you know he did the exact same thing. Here’s where we differ though. I played it off as if it was my plan!
I spoke to a porter and found exactly where the luggage would be loaded in at, moved ours to outside the gate, and had Cheryll and Sam wait with it while I parked the car! They were even happy to do so since it was a nice morning, and they were staring at the ship
Genius!I take exception at the first statement above. I am not a better writer, just odder. However, I will agree that I look better in toenail polish. And your plan with the luggage further exposes me for the maroon I am. I'm still laughing at that one. . .:lmao:

[JDBlair]

Well I figure EVERYONE is readings Dog's report.
I'm just getting his spillover.

Either way, it's still funny, I get it (the inside jokes) and I like your TR! :thumbsup2

[ESN]

I just want to know where I can find a husband who will agree to wear matching outfits...Can I order one of you guys from a catalog??

I gotta believe that a husband willing to do that is a pretty understanding and easygoing guy.. Your wives are lucky !

[wendygirl]

unfortunately my :love: loving hubby (of 20 yrs) idea of matching outfits is CAMO! and YES! they do have a catalog! and yes i do have to politely turn him down year after year ... (oh honey, spend it on yourself ... i don't need new clothes)

so if in a year or two (when he get brave enough to escort his "beautiful" wife and beautiful daughter on a disney cruise) you see a family in FULL CAMO outfits right down to the shoes and mandatory cap, PLEASE, just pass on by ... (just know i was worn down by the catalog; AND he bribed me with a disney cruise) .. i would do the same for you! :teeth:

soooooo, how do you ladies get your men to wear them there fancy matching duds? :goodvibes

[FatherForce]

My wife has a foolproof way to get me to dress in matching clothes:

I'm weak willed.

[taeja71]

I can't wait for your next installment fellow Hoosier. :thumbsup2

[dallastxcpa]

A line began to form at the entrance. No announcements had been made had they?
It was 11am.
I checked the line out and found most of those in line had numbers MUCH higher than 2!

I smiled the smug smile of those who know.
After a wedding party and concierge guests were loaded came the announcement we had been waiting for, “All guests with #s 1 or 2 can now board” (or something like that)
I got out the video camera and we walked under the Mouse Ears and onto Paradise…



Ahh.... to be one of those holding the ever coveted #2 boarding pass. I will live vicariously through you since I know there is no way I will be getting one of those in January.

[sleepydog25]

I just want to know where I can find a husband who will agree to wear matching outfits...Can I order one of you guys from a catalog??

I gotta believe that a husband willing to do that is a pretty understanding and easygoing guy.. Your wives are lucky !Of all the words Doc can use to describe how she feels about having me, I'm not sure lucky is among them. . .:teeth:

unfortunately my :love: loving hubby (of 20 yrs) idea of matching outfits is CAMO! and YES! they do have a catalog! and yes i do have to politely turn him down year after year ... (oh honey, spend it on yourself ... i don't need new clothes)

so if in a year or two (when he get brave enough to escort his "beautiful" wife and beautiful daughter on a disney cruise) you see a family in FULL CAMO outfits right down to the shoes and mandatory cap, PLEASE, just pass on by ... (just know i was worn down by the catalog; AND he bribed me with a disney cruise) .. i would do the same for you! :teeth:

soooooo, how do you ladies get your men to wear them there fancy matching duds? :goodvibesSure you would. . .;) And, I've never said anything about wearing matching outfits! I do have my limits (painted toes notwithstanding). :cool1:

[FatherForce]

WendyGirl said , "so if in a year or two (when he get brave enough to escort his "beautiful" wife and beautiful daughter on a disney cruise) you see a family in FULL CAMO outfits right down to the shoes and mandatory cap, PLEASE, just pass on by ... (just know i was worn down by the catalog; AND he bribed me with a disney cruise) .. i would do the same for you! "

If you were in CAMO from head to toe, I would naturally pass you by without saying anything.
I would'nt be able to SEE you.

[wendygirl]

"naturally" fatherforce! :thumbsup2

[wendygirl]

"Sir, can I have another please?" (in my best english accent) :teeth: :cloud9:

[FatherForce]

It'll be Monday before I have the time to do another installment.

These things take a good deal of time to write.

Imagine if I was trying....

[tksbaskets]

I'm loving your trip report. My DH balks at wearing a suit on formal night...not even going to go there with matching outfits!

Take care,
TK

[dmsbing]

I'm enjoying your trip report. Can't wait until Monday's installment.

[wendygirl]

:bored: i can't believe i am actually looking forward to a monday! ... :woohoo:

[wendygirl]

monday! :banana: monday! :banana: monday! :banana:

[lillygator]

it's monday!

[FatherForce]

Ok, here is the next installment. I've actually had work to do today, then there was all the pressure from WendyGirl, and then I found out LillyGator was following along and I got all flustered....(thanks for all the encouragement)

The Cast
Me Dad/Husband/Raconteur
Cheryll Mom/Wife
Samantha 7 yr old Center of the Known Universe



We’d been up since 6AM.

We were tired.

We were hungry.

We were dressed alike.

None of that mattered now because were walking the plank!

Ok, that’s not very funny, but my daughter LOVED the thought of walking the “plank”, any plank would do even a gang plank.

(Ya know, the word, “plank” is just not one you use in everyday conversation much. “Hey, Bill, careful you don’t run afoul of the boss. If you don’t get that report in by 5, you’ll have to walk the plank”. I know it could also be a plank of wood, but who calls a board a plank anymore? It’s an odd word, really. It doesn’t even look right: PLANK.
Look at it again:
PLANK.
I’m starting not to trust it.)


Yikes, I’m back.

For those of you who have never gone on a Disney Cruise, it hard to describe the sheer giddiness of those first few steps into the hallway. Of course you are immediately presented with not one BUT 2 photo opportunities.
Which backdrop would you like?
How about one with just the Princess?
Ok
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/EmbarkSam.jpg

More smirking/compliments on our matching outfits.

“I wonder what would happen if I accidentally left this shirt on our balcony and it just blew into the ocean”, I thought. I immediately decide not to do that, not only because I didn’t have an alternate place to sleep when we returned home and Cheryll kicked me out of the house, but also because it might fly onto the verandah of another room and some wife will find it and force some other unsuspecting husband into wearing it while she pulled out some piece of clothing of hers that matched it EXACTLY.

I’m really spinning off into some inexplicable tangents today.
Sorry.

The moment had arrived. We could see into the ship as we waited our turn to be “announced”. We heard the “Please welcome the BLAH BLAH family” echoing in front of us and the round of applause that followed.

We stepped in, and a beautiful, blonde Australian woman smartly dressed in a crisp, white officer’s uniform asked our name and then said “Welcome the Wilhelm Family!”
And one crew member applauded.
Where was our ovation?
Was it the outfits?

No, it’s just that every other of the very few families let in before us were talking with the crew in the lobby, so only our attendant (yet another stunningly attractive woman) was clapping. No biggie, really.
The atrium is spectacular, but you don’t get to look much. You're quickly ushered (or herded) down the hall toward Parrot Cay to eat.
Make no mistake; the first thing they want you to do is eat.
Eat, I say.
Eat now!
As hard they tried to usher us into Parrot Cay, I knew from my hours on the DIS Boards that the same food was to be had up on deck 9 and that we could eat outside.
I exerted my right to take the elevator up and away we went.

The glass elevators on the 3rd floor gave us a marvelous view of the ship’s interior. As we rose past the 4th floor, Samantha immediately spied the Oceaneer’s Club façade. She wanted to go there right then.
We convinced her that maybe we should eat first.

We had been concerned early in the planning process about Samantha’s interest in the OC. Being basically a single child (her older brother is 24 and lives on his own) and a spoiled one at that (I know this might come as shock to read a parent actually admit to spoiling his child), Sam is very shy of strange situations, especially social ones. We hardly ever use a babysitter, and when we do, its Grandma and Grandpa. She likes to be with us and usually ends up in bed with us no matter where she falls asleep. (For those who are now shaking their heads let me say 2 things – 1) If she wants to sleep with Mom and Dad, I’m going to let her. It won’t be too long before she wants nothing to do with either of us and 2) uh, I don’t have a second point. It just seemed like I should have had another one).
So I had spent quite a good deal of time talking with her about the Club and showing her pictures and video.
A lot of time.
The work must have paid off because she was PUMPED to go the OC, and my wife and I were PUM…er,..looking forward to some time alone too ( yeah, that word wasn’t going to have the same meaning in the second half of that sentence)

A few hand wipes later, we were in the buffet line, and I was cursing having packed all my “media” stuff into my carry on as it was now VERY heavy and awkward. I went out to stake us a table and put down the bags.

Here’s a tip to those of you planning a cruise: You don’t need that much stuff in your carry on. You just don’t. Trust me.

I was aware suddenly that my allergies were starting to flare. I was congested rather quickly. Ah, no worries. It’ll be fine.
Right?

I got a table at the very end of the ship.
(Bow? Stern? I know it's aft.)
ANYWAY, it was a hot but beautiful day, from our seat you could literally see for miles out into the ocean. On the horizon was on of the coolest things I had ever seen: Cape Canaveral! I was a kid during the 60’s and early 70’s so I have a huge fascination with NASA and the Apollo Space Program in particular. I’ve always wanted to visit the Kennedy Space Center, but it has been made plain to me that I am the only one in my family that would enjoy it.
I felt like a little boy staring off into the distance and seeing the launch platform….

I’m back.

Cheryll and Samantha came out with their trays, and I went back to get mine.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2684.jpg

I’ve read mixed reviews of the “Opening Buffet”, but I found it to be excellent!
There was an obscene amount of food and all of it good. I got shrimp with a brandy sauce, a tuna salad wrap, cheese, and oh man, I can’t remember all I got. It was good. And I was outside on a really big boat with a view of the place the Apollo Missions were launched from!
There were very few people outside except for the table next to us with MomSully and her family and friends. Another mini-DIS Meet ensued.

There was only one problem.
We had been on the ship for a good 15 to 20 minutes, and there was no rum laden fruit drink in front of me!
Seconds ticked by as Cheryll and I scanned the area for someone with a tray full of tropical delight. Then, just before a panic set in, I spied him! A young man in an obvious server’s uniform was entering the outside dining area with a tray full of glasses filled with what could only be the nectar we were so desperately searching for. I saw fruit skewered on a plastic toothpick protruding from the top of the Hurricane-style souvenir glasses.
YES!
He bent to take an order to a table near us.
I told myself and my parched wife to be patient.
He would come to us, and we could officially begin our cruise.
I saw the beads of moisture drip down the sides of the glass that we take home as a reminder of all that is good in the world. A golden ray of sunshine enveloped him as he reached to hand a lucky cruiser their first Bahama Mama of the day.

Then, something unspeakable happened.
The tray tipped slightly. The server went to correct the balance, but miscalculated. It teetered to the other side.
Drinks slid and then…. THE ENTIRE TRAY OF DRINKS SPILLED TO THE DECK!


NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

(Camera pulls away from above Brad as screams to the heavens with arms outstretched)

With a tear in my eye I turned toward my wife to tell her the awful news.

She had a Bahama Mama in hand.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2685.jpg
I noticed another server had come to our table behind me, served Cheryll, and he was now asking me if I wanted one.
“Uh, sure, Please. Thank you.”
“Would you like to make that a double”?

(Pause)

“Absolutely.”


I had intended to write up until dinner on the first night, but it looks like I’ve just written 1500 words on the first half hour.

I’m going to take my medication and write more tomorrow, and I PROMISE to be more succinct.

[wendygirl]

then there was all the pressure from WendyGirl, and then I found out LillyGator was following along and I got all flustered :blush: first of all FatherForce i apologize for the "pressure" (you see, our youngest is 15 nearly 16 and my house is clean and i don't wanna shave my legs again) AND i enjoy your writing style Immensely! (WIV: hugely, vastly, incalculably) :happytv:

but also because it might fly onto the verandah of another room and some wife will find it and force some other unsuspecting husband into wearing it while she pulled out some piece of clothing of hers that matched it EXACTLY. your wife must be so proud to have a husband that would sacrifice himself for his gender ... assuming you have shared this bit of info with her ... :rolleyes: smart man!

I promise to lurk only lurk from now on till your (or youre - i always got that one wrong) TR is complete :wave2: scouts honor.

P.S. for all those from Texas, webster's says "Succinct: concise, to the point, short and snappy or brief."

I sincerely hope you rethink that choice! ok ... last time .... MORE PLEASE! :Pinkbounc :cloud9: :Pinkbounc

[tjeagle]

Okay...I've posted before...but I LOVE YOUR REPORT!!
:rotfl2:

[tamim]

You have me hooked. :rotfl2: I too love your writing style. I think it is the truth shining through that delights me the most! :goodvibes
Don't feel any pressure just keep writing! :thumbsup2

[pppiglet]

No pressure here either, but it'd be nice to have another installment when I come home for lunch tomorrow!

[FatherForce]

I was actually being facetious about the pressure.

It's good to know people are reading.

[wendygirl]

I was actually being facetious about the pressure.

It's good to know people are reading.
:::lurking and talking to myself::: :rolleyes1 " reading AND learning ... (WIV) facetious: teasing, tongue in cheek. ... i gotta USE these words before i LOSE them!

gotta write it down, write it down" ...

:banana: banana whispers "MORE"

[wendygirl]

I promise to lurk only lurk from now on till your (or youre - i always got that one wrong) TR is complete :wave2: scouts honor.

:::lurking in camo and talking to myself::: :rolleyes1 "actually, girls can't be scouts ... so it doesn't count! ..." :banana: :cloud9: :banana:

[FatherForce]

They can be Girls Scouts though, right?

[curlybop]

Still loving the report! Trying to patiently wait for more....... :rolleyes1

[wendygirl]

They can be Girls Scouts though, right?

:::lurking and talking to myself::: :rolleyes1 "lets see ... daisy or some kind of flower type of scout (google is my friend) ok ... lets see ... yeah, brownie scout ... always though that one was kinda a funny name ... no :guilty: ... girl scout! ugh, he got me! and he didn't even have to use a BIG word ... just trying to renig on my deal" :goodvibes :banana: and friends :banana: :banana: :banana:

[wendygirl]

:::lurking and talking to myself::: :rolleyes1 "i wonder .... is PRESSURE and GAS the same thing? ... i feel sorry for Mrs. FatherForce" :banana:

[FatherForce]

Chapter 3 Sam Conquers the Slide and Dad Enters the Doghouse

The Cast
Me Dad/Husband/Raconteur
Cheryll Mom/Wife
Samantha 7 yr old Center of the Known Universe


So there we were, relaxed, sated, and blissful with the ocean breeze in our hair outside the Beach Blanket Bingo Buffet.
I mentioned in the last TR that my allergies were acting up just a bit.
Well now my throat began to feel scratchy too.
Hmmmm. Ah,no big deal.
Right?

Samantha desperately wanted to get moving and see the Mickey Pool and the Oceaneer’s Club, so I began hauling the 300lbs of carry on bags as we explored.

Just a few feet away was the fabled Mickey Pool.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2686.jpg

Samantha stood in awe of it and announced that she would go down the slide ( which was a pretty big deal for her) , but first we had to see the OC ( which struck me as an excuse to put off going down the slide).
Just a quick note about the Mickey Pool: it does look great, and at Noon it was already filling with young aquatic enthusiasts. Families were already in their swimsuits and playfully splashing and squealing with glee. We stood there only about 5 minutes, but in that short amount of time, it went from cool, serene pool to chaotic Toddler Soup.

Now, by this time my head was beginning to congest at an alarming rate.
I said nothing, of course. I knew this was my allergies and something must have set them off. I had some of my medications with me. Of course, they weren’t in my carry on.
No, I needed the room in my carry on for the bricks and anvils that were seemingly ripping my shoulder out of its socket.

Another more important observation had struck me while watching the Moms play with their kids: Mom’s today wear some pretty revealing swim attire.
When I was a kid, all Mom’s wore one piece, heavy swimsuits that resembled coveralls with no legs or arms. Now, it seemed to be Hef’s Grotto.

It made me happy to be living in these times.

Here is how congested I was getting.
I actually shared this observation with my wife.

Ok, in retrospect, with the clarity that only hindsight can bring, I can see how this may not have been the wisest thing for a husband to say to his wife on vacation. In my defense, I was just trying to be funny, jocular, whimsical, and so on. ( Hey, WendyGirl complimented me on my vocabulary so now I feel empowered!)

They say Comedy is Tragedy plus Time.
3 weeks later, she still isn’t laughing at that one.

ANYWAY…( so much for this report being succinct), we made our way past the Goofy Pool where I purchased my lovely and amazing wife another Bahama Mama as a penance. ( if you’re reading this honey, you are more attractive than ANYONE else on the ship.)
(Think she bought it?)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2688-1.jpg

Then it was past the adult pool and onto the elevator to take us to the OC.

Samantha was so very excited upon entering the place, and I must say it is VERY cool.
I wanted to stay and play a bit.
We once again met up with MomSully and her family. We found out we had the same dining rotation and dinner times. We promised to say “Hi” again at dinner.

We never saw them at Dinner any of the 3 nights.

Samantha wanted to stay, but it was pool time, and then we needed to get to our room.
She changed in a bathroom, and we went back up to deck 9.

As Sam frolicked in the Toddler Soup and Cheryll sipped her drink, I was approached by a nice young man who wanted to sell me a half case of water for only $400. At least it might as well have been $400. I asked if the water was so expensive because it had magical restorative powers. Was this water from the fabled Fountain of Youth? Was it drawn from a wellspring on an uncharted island in the Bermuda Triangle in which the person who imbibes from will be granted unnatural dominion over the creatures of the sea? Was it even cold?
The server smiled the smile of a young man who just wanted to do his job and not have to listen to smart *ss comments from a round, middle aged tourist who had carried way too much stuff in his carry on.
We were doing just fine hydrating ourselves, and we did have some water and juice for Sam, so I politely declined.

So the moment of truth had arrived, Samantha was going down the slide.
She can be such a scared little bunny, then such a holy terror 2 minutes later.
Her first trip up resulted in a quick trip back down the ladder from fright. I encouraged her to try again without wanting to exert too much pressure. So she climbed up and ZOOM, down she went!

You would have thought she hit the winning home run in the Word Series.
I was almost as proud of her as she was of herself.
Many more trips down the slide ensued.

Sam even got her own “Kiddie” Drink in a plastic coconut.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2693.jpg


Well, it was hard getting her out of the pool, but it was time to check out our room, and we had to hustle because we had our DIS meet in a half hour.

It was exciting to finally get to see our stateroom. We were a Cat 6 on Deck 6, 6580 to be exact. It was actually a near perfect location. We were very near the mid ship elevators and stairs. We were directly above the OC, and we could easily use the stairs and walk to wherever we wanted to go. Also our room was DIRECTLY above the under ship stabilizers. Cheryll gets motion sick very easily and was worried how the cruise would effect her. She had been taking Bromine all week and had packed Ginger to munch on just in case. She had absolutely no problems at all.

I quickly figure out the Verandah Door. (Yes, it does slide)

Cheryll and I changed into our swim suits.
I found I would basically spend the next 3 days in my blue trunks and Nat Nast Cabana Shirt. Nat Nast is a men’s clothier who specialize in “retro” wear. Tony Soprano wears a lot of Nat Nast. I like their stuff because it’s cut big and looks good on larger guys. It’s ridiculously overpriced though. I can only afford what I can find on eBay.

(Jeez, I haven’t even made it to 2pm yet!)

So we’re running late so we hustle back up to deck 9 for our DIS meet.

Since we’re late we miss some folks, but we do see the wonderful and gregarious Fallon who got us our wristbands, Beth SG, MickeforDiane, and more. I’m afraid we barely got to be introduced before it all broke up, I do apologize for being late, but Samantha found out that the TV had not one but TWO channels of Disney movies, so she had to be pried away. Oh yeah, MomSully was there too, and of course, Doc and SleepyDog who immediately began bragging that more people would be reading HIS TR than mine. ( I am kidding. His TR is awesome and you should stop reading mine right now and go back and re-read his.)

We relaxed just a bit more by the pool. The Mickey Pool had reached critical mass, and I do not care how chlorinated that water was, there were far too many swim diapers soaking in there for me to feel comfortable for Sam to be in there let alone me.

We moved over to the Goofy Pool, and I began to feel worse.
I heard myself getting a bit hoarse too.

***Warning. Graphic description of sinus drainage ahead.***

Have you ever turned on a facet that had been shut off for a long period of time?
You know how it sputters at first and then slowly spits out some thick, viscous sludge before the line is cleared and flows freely?
Well, that’s how my sinus’ felt.
I could literally feel that sludge slowly draining down my throat.
My throat now officially hurt.

So I did what any responsible adult would do: I got another drink and pretended I didn’t feel bad at all.

I was a very weird feeling, actually. Physically, I felt awful, but mentally I truly felt great.
Anyway, once the luggage arrived, I’d get my allergy medicine, and I’d be fine.
Right?

We headed back down to the room to find no luggage yet!

Samantha began to get very uneasy about the upcoming Lifeboat drill.
We explained what was coming, and that it was just a drill, but she was very anxious.
She announced she didn’t want to go.
“ Honey, we have to go”
“But I’ll be scared”
“There’s nothing to be scared of, " I now whispered.
“What happened to your voice Dad?”

My voice was almost completely gone!

Cheryll said a silent prayer of thanks.


It appears that despite my good intentions, this TR might go on forever.
Tomorrow I’ll get through the rest of Day One and try to figure out how to finish this whole thing this week.

[NJMermaid]

Thanks for all the details and the humor, I read doggies and now yours, I'm ready for my 11/4 cruise now.

[wendygirl]

ok ... i officially admit it ... i lied! :cool1: i cannot just lurk! this TR is just too good!

about the "skin" It made me happy to be living in these times. i hope your wife makes you take her to the Med. ... cat. 1! :rolleyes:

I was just trying to be funny, jocular, whimsical, and so on YES! i know that one!!! but it makes me laugh ... jocular ... (40 going on 12) :thumbsup2

So she climbed up and ZOOM, down she went! Yeah Samantha!!!

I could literally feel that sludge slowly draining down my throat. ... So I did what any responsible adult would do: I got another drink sludge and liquor .... oooohhhh; i bet it had the texture of a jello shot ::yes::

Samantha began to get very uneasy about the upcoming Lifeboat drill. “But I’ll be scared” I feel your pain Samantha ... its not fun! when they suggest packing light some people leave out the deoderant .... and altoids.

My voice was almost completely gone! but your hands are ok?! you can type right?!! :guilty: THIS WEEKEND!!!! i will be gone ... no computer access!!! no awesome TR fix!! :faint:

[sleepydog25]

Oh yeah, MomSully was there too, and of course, Doc and SleepyDog who immediately began bragging that more people would be reading HIS TR than mine.I did no such thing. I might have thought it, but I'm quite certain I never said it. ;)

Also, you have my funny. Give it back.

[LisaSp]

Also, you have my funny. Give it back.

don't worry Sleepy, you still have the funny. I am completely hooked on this trip report...and yours too!!

FatherForce, I don't usually read WDW trip reports but I had to read yours since I am enjoying this cruise one so much--and it too was hilarious.

[grumpydude]

I did no such thing. I might have thought it, but I'm quite certain I never said it. ;)

Also, you have my funny. Give it back.

You never know...sometimes, when I have partaken of many rum infused beverages, I tend to think outloud. I have yet to understand this phenomenon. Maybe there is a research center available were I can go and partake of said drinks while PhD types study my think aloud abilities. Maybe somewhere in the Caribbean where rum beverages are plentiful. Maybe...

Great report by the way FF. I am enjoying it. And you are not a dork, in matching outfits, on a cruise, on vacation. Try showing up at the airport in matching familial outfits only to be matching another family on the same plane, on the same cruise, on the same vacation. Now that is dorky.

[dallastxcpa]

Chapter 3 Sam Conquers the Slide and Dad Enters the Doghouse

Just a few feet away was the fabled Mickey Pool.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2686.jpg

Just a quick note about the Mickey Pool: it does look great, and at Noon it was already filling with young aquatic enthusiasts. Families were already in their swimsuits and playfully splashing and squealing with glee. We stood there only about 5 minutes, but in that short amount of time, it went from cool, serene pool to chaotic Toddler Soup.

Another more important observation had struck me while watching the Moms play with their kids: Mom’s today wear some pretty revealing swim attire.
When I was a kid, all Mom’s wore one piece, heavy swimsuits that resembled coveralls with no legs or arms. Now, it seemed to be Hef’s Grotto.

It made me happy to be living in these times.

Here is how congested I was getting.
I actually shared this observation with my wife.

Ok, in retrospect, with the clarity that only hindsight can bring, I can see how this may not have been the wisest thing for a husband to say to his wife on vacation. In my defense, I was just trying to be funny, jocular, whimsical, and so on. ( Hey, WendyGirl complimented me on my vocabulary so now I feel empowered!)

They say Comedy is Tragedy plus Time.
3 weeks later, she still isn’t laughing at that one.



You know I never understood why a Mom lugging a toddler around would want to wear something that could easily become a wardrobe malfunction. :scared1:

[lexmelinda]

OK................I'm in on this one, too. ;)

[Jillpie]

What a great read, you are hysterical. Please, we want this trip report to go on forever. :wizard:

[MagicMe]

Really enjoying both your reports and dog's (thanks dog for pointing us to ff)! However, you both really like to take your time!!!

[FatherForce]

Actually, these TR seem to take up A LOT of my time.
Each one has taken about about 3 to 4 hours. I'm writing them at night and then editing them in the AM.
(Trust me, initially these are MUCH longer. I am becoming a merciless editor)

I am very appreciative of folks like Zweihund who have obviously spent time on their TRs, not only to be funny and interesting, but also to balance that with information about the trip and how it might relate others who have already cruised or might be preparing to to cruise.

I also have a job and family.

Now, I can't speak for SleepyDog.
He's a kept man who just lays around the divan eating bon bons all day so I don't know what his excuse is.

( is there an Emoticon for knowing sarcastic laughter?)

Thanks for everyone's nice comments.
Next installment should be up soon.
I've been in meetings all day.

[zweihund]

I am very appreciative of folks like Zweihund who have obviously spent time on their TRs, not only to be funny and interesting, but also to balance that with information about the trip and how it might relate others who have already cruised or might be preparing to to cruise.


Thanks, FF :goodvibes
I too was amazed at how much time these things take to write.....it took me a good 2-3 hours per installment and I am generally a pretty quick writer. Still though, it's worth it when you see the finished product and get so many compliments.

I will give you one right now:
Funny stuff! :thumbsup2

And the weird thing is......Wilhelm was my maiden name! Are you sure they didn't announce the "wall-heim", "whillem" or "williams" family? Because that's all anyone ever did with me. I'm a Jacques now (aka "jack-ease", "ja-kwez" or "jacks"). I think growing up Wilhelm prepared me for the gross atrocities of mispronunciations I would have to endure as a married woman. :rotfl:

[tyedye]

I just wanted to let you know that I am enjoying your trip report!

I want to go on another cruise now!

Did you rebook on board?

[wendygirl]

your TR is worth the wait! and the ulcer ... :thumbsup2 keep up the good work! :banana: :banana: :banana:

[FatherForce]

Chapter 4

The Cast
Me Dad/Husband/Raconteur
Cheryll Mom/Wife
Samantha 7 yr old Center of the Known Universe

(Warning, in order to finish out the rest of day 1, this is really long. I took out whole sections too. You’d think I have nothing better to do)
Christian our Cruise Director began speaking. He was explaining the mandatory Muster Drill. I looked around and found that Cheryll and Samantha heard him too.
Good.
I thought I was hallucinating.

Samantha was now in a full on panic about the Drill. She was crying and very worried.
She was trying to be brave, but alarms and drills really scare her.
Those of you who don’t live in the landlocked locked middle of our great country may not know much about tornadoes, or I as like to call them, God’s Vacuum Cleaner.
Each spring most Midwestern communities will go through 3 or 4 tornado warnings or watches. A Tornado Watch is when there is a really bad storm, and hey, maybe a tornado might drop by too just for kicks. A Tornado Warning means a tornado has been spotted and it’s coming to kill you. There isn’t any “middle warning”, and it is immediate. You can’t predict tornados and sometimes you don’t even get a warning. They’re pretty freakin’ scary.
If a Tornado Warning is issued, sirens (hopefully) go off, all TV and Radio are interrupted, and everyone is told to take shelter immediately. School kids are rounded up and taken to safety, usually while a nasty thunderstorm rages outside and winds are whipping around.
This happens pretty frequently, and eventually we all adjust our lives accordingly, but some kids can get really disturbed by all this.
Samantha is one of those kids.

So, just as we are trying to calm her down and get our life jackets on, we hear a thump outside.
It’s our luggage.

Chaos officially ensues.

I drag in the bags while Cheryll tries to calm Sam and get her Life jacket on (which is also making her nervous)

All of this is happening in the oh-so-spacious foyer of our Cat 6 stateroom.

We make our way to our Muster Station, (K, which I like to think is the best Muster Station) and we dutifully pack ourselves up against the other passengers. I try and calm Samantha with some lame-even-for-me “Mustard Drill” jokes. She’s not crying, but she is shaking and holding our arms for dear life.
It broke my heart.

(Here’s another pointless aside)
As Samantha gets older, I am more and more aware that I can not keep her safe from all her fears and threats. This Drill was nothing but an annoyance, but it was terrifying for her 7 year old mind. Nothing I said could stop the horn from blowing or allow her to take off the lifejacket. She had to make the connection between a real and perceived threat. Now, she says the Drill was no big deal, and she understands. She is growing up so fast, and as I watched he shake and try and be brave, I teared up a bit myself. My little girl was growing up in front of me. I resisted the urge to reach out and pick her up and hold her close….


It was over very quickly, and we let Sam know how proud we were of her.

We left the bags unpacked (with my medication) because we wanted to get up to the Goofy Pool and PARTY!

Up on deck 9, EVERYONE had the same idea.
Once again, we were late, and the Embarrass the White Guy dance contest was in full swing.
Samantha and Cheryll danced and sang along.
I sang along as loud as I could which was now a whisper.
I sounded like I was auditioning for “Tom Waits Sings the Greatest Dance Party Hits”.
(I laughed out loud when I wrote this. Not at my wit, but at the thought of Tom Waits singing “Hey Ya”. If don’t know Tom Waits, then that won’t be amusing at all. Trust me. That would be funny)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2691.jpg

The troupe of performers in the Sail Away Party (and every other performance on the ship) is exceptional.
I stood in awe of their stamina if nothing else. They worked the crowd non stop, and I do mean NON STOP. They were constantly moving, dancing, forming a conga line, etc. The characters came out and these crewmembers worked just as hard ONLY IN HUGE COSTUMES. All of the young folks were drenched in sweat and they couldn’t even enjoy a nice glass of tropical fruit juice with too much rum in it like their audience.

By now, the on board servers knew EXACTLY who my wife and were and brought us doubles without asking. I would have been embarrassed if I cared.
Which I didn’t.

Soon we counted down and heard that HORN.
Steamers flew and hands and voices (well everyone but me) raised in exaltation as we began to move out of harbor and into the sea!

And those plucky kids kept dancing and urging us to dance too.

I get chills just thinking about that moment.
Everyone on deck, laughing and dancing and anticipating the time of their lives.

I had no sensation of being ill at all. Watching my beloved daughter on my wife’s shoulders dance with Pluto while the sea air blew through their hair brought me to a place I can only call Blubber Town.

Did I mention the double Bahama Mama?

After a bit we went up to deck 10 to watch the ship slip out of the dock.
Samantha and Cheryll had bubbles to blow over the side because I had read here on the DIS Boards that blowing bubbles as the ship leaves was a popular and fun thing to do.

They were the only ones with bubbles let alone blowing them.
Samantha soon found it more fun to blow bubbles down onto the people below her instead of over the side.

Some of our fellow cruisers found it fun to see bubbles and some found it rather annoying when a stray bubble would float into their beverage. The amusing thing to me was that since Sam isn’t that tall she had to blow over top of the railing and if you weren’t paying too close attention, you might not be able to tell where the heck those bubble were coming from down on Deck 9. I imagined some confused cruiser think that Disney must have a malfunctioning bubble machine that only spit out a few stray suds. I hoped that some comment card would mention fixing the outdoor bubble machine.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2695-1.jpg

Well we could only party for so long because it was time to get ready for our 5:30 Dinner at Triton’s.

We found or dinner clothes from our still unpacked luggage, I grabbed some allergy medicine and decongestants, and quickly hustled down to the Lobby.

We were ushered promptly to Table 29 against the wall.
Triton’s is beautiful, by the way.
Samantha’s favorite Disney Character is Ariel, so she felt this place was VERY special.
It was Ariel’s Dad, THE KING’S restaurant.
I chuckled quietly to the thought of THE KING’s restaurant because to me, THE KING is Elvis.
Can you imagine an Elvis restaurant on the DCL rotation?
“Would you like Percodan or Dilaudid with your Fried Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich, sir?”
"Ah Thankh Ya, Thankh Ya Verru Much"

We met our tablemates. They were a very nice family who had cruised before. A man and woman with their son, daughter-in-law, and young granddaughter out on their 3rd cruise. The girl was a couple of years younger than Samantha and they both were pretty shy.
They were a perfect family to share a table with. They had a lot of insight into cruising on DCL and how to get the most out of our trip. Of course, I knew most of this stuff thanks to the DIS Boards. I’m sure we might have scared them a bit, but since I couldn’t talk, we probably didn’t make too bad of a first impression.

Here is where my Ugly American genes rear their ugly heads.
I can not for the life of me remember the names of our Head Server or Head Restaurant Sever. Our assistant was Donovan which I remember his name because Donovan is a name I recognize and can pronounce. The Head Server was from India and our Head Restaurant Server was from the Philippines, and I could not pronounce either name and therefore, I forgot them. Remember I could barely speak above a whisper, so I could not really engage them in conversation (for which I am sure they were grateful).
I hang my head in Obliviously American shame.

Anyway, all 3 were fabulous. They were gracious, informative, attentive, and a joy to have around us. They made us feel very special, especially Samantha, and we could not have asked for a better serving team.
Cheryll works part time at a very nice local winery so she was keen on the wine package. We went with the Classic Package instead of the Premium, and she picked our wines each night. Although I like a nice wine, I am not passionate about the vino. I would have drunk whatever was put in front of me without questioning it.
Cheryll is trying to learn her Hoosier Hubby up on some fancy wine drankin’ as best she can.
I can be taught, btw.
After 13 years of marriage, I now always leave the seat down, I never use the decorative towels or soaps in the bathroom, and I can recognize when a tub is too small for my body.
(It seems like all my knowledge gained is bathroom-related. I think the less said about that fact the better)

Donovan explained that if we didn’t drink all of a selected bottle, then he could cork it, and we could take it with us or he would save it for the next night for us.

I guess the on deck servers don’t talk with the restaurant staff.

She chose the Rosemont Shiraz from Australia; it was nice and peppery which what I like in a Shiraz.
Like I know any better.

I had the Baked Camembert, the Chilled Vichyssoise soup, The Dijon Encrusted Tenderloin, and Crème Brulee.

YUM.

Cheryll had the Lamb and didn’t like it. Apparently it tasted too “lamby”.
Luckily for me I had the talking problem because that comment world have elicited a deliciously snappy and sarcastic retort form me that would have resulted in me re-entering the proverbial dog house.

So, as we are finishing dessert the Heard Server, who I called “The Big Guy” came by the table to see how we enjoyed our meal and give us a rundown of tonight’s activities, a preview of that night’s show, and out line late night and morning dining options. He was basically a Talking Navigator.
The Big Guy then went behind one of our tablemates across from me and announced that he knew there was a special celebration happening at our table tonight. He put his hands on the bewildered young man’s shoulders. I smiled at the thought of this poor guy getting surprised by his family when from behind ME, Donovan leaned over and put this luscious raspberry mousse cake with a white chocolate Happy Birthday cruise ship on top if it in front of ME.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2698.jpg

Devious smiles all around as our crew and the neighboring tables sang Happy Birthday to me. Everyone clapped and congratulated me. Just one problem, of course.
My birthday was two weeks away on October 15th.
I looked over to see my wife laughing hysterically.
It appears she never gets to surprise my on my birthday due to my superior intellect, so she thought I’d never suspect it on the cruise.
Plus, since I was vocally incapacitated, I couldn’t protest too loudly.

Touché.

The cake was unbelievably good, but way too much to eat. I shared some with everyone at the table and still had half left over to put in our mini-mini fridge in the stateroom. Donovan then asked if I wanted another steak to take back to the room.
????

Ok. I get it.
I’m a big guy.
I need to diet.
But Holy Crap, how could anyone have eaten another steak after all that food Donovan saw me eat?

I didn’t take it.
Promise.

Now that we all officially BLOATED, we took the cake back up to the room.
I spent just a bit of time on the verandah looking out to open sea.
It really is amazing to be out in the middle of nowhere. No land in sight for as far as the can see, and we were MOVING! Yet, it didn’t seem choppy or even unstable. I only got a sensation of movement form the moving horizon and the sound of the waves made by our huge ship cutting into the calm ocean.
It is truly breath-taking.

OK, on to see check out the ship and see Hercules-the Muse-a-Cal.
One problem.
Samantha wanted to go to the OC.
Now.
She had been patient with all the Muster Drills and sumptuous dining, but now she wanted to play and did not want to be with Mom and Dad!
(Cue the sad, touching music)

Fair enough.
This was her vacation too, so we took down to the OC, and she just assimilated into the throngs of other kids. It reminded me of Shoeless Joe Jackson fading into the cornfield.
Only the corn was squealing, delighted children who all looked eerily alike.
Yikes, was the Field of Dreams or Children of the Corn?

Had I taken too much decongestant?

Walking out of the OC, Cheryll took my hand.
She was smiling.
Oh, wait!
We were alone!
No child to look after. We didn’t have to entertain her. We didn’t have to go to Hercules if we didn’t want to do so.

So we just took a leisurely stroll around the ship. We had an hour before Herc started anyway. We walked around the outside of deck 4. We laid in the deck chairs for a bit. The outside of Deck 4 is the place where we felt like we on a Cruise ship. It has Wooden Slat flooring, and you can see the lifeboats hanging above you. Strolling around you can see the shuffleboard markings and look out into the dark sea with that calming breeze blowing in your face.

Ahh.

It was incredibly romantic, and then I realized once again why I fell in love with and married my beautiful wife.

We looked at each other, smiled, and almost in unison said, “Let’s get a drink.”

She’s a keeper.


We went over to the Cadillac Lounge, which seemed more, our style.
It’s a very swanky piano bar and Bobby Hamilton was playing all the songs you would expect him to play in that setting and sang with a voice that sounded as if it had been distilled in Kentucky Oak for 20 years.
I say the place was swanky, but that is just a guess really, since it was so remarkably dark.
How dark was it?
Thanks for asking.
It was so dark that my wife said I looked good.
It was so dark that the waiter had to literally bring over a flashlight so we could see the menu.
Cheryll had a martini and I, in honor of Bobby Hamilton, had a Makers on ice.
There was hardly anyone there, and we were in the back, hidden in the plush seats and the comfort of darkness.
We sipped our drinks, listened to the music, and just relaxed.
Then, we saw 2 familiar figures enter and sit up front in the light.
Yep, it was Doc and SleepyDog.

I began to think they were following us, and if you read his TR, you’ll find no mention of this visit they made to the CL.
Curious.

So, after finishing our drinks, we left to wander a bit more. We ended up in front of the Walt Disney Theatre. An usher said that Hercules had only been showing for 15 minutes or so and there were still plenty of seats.
Why not?

So we were whisked to seats and we watched the rest of the show.
It was surprisingly funny and very well presented.
The theatre is state-of-the-art, and the performers top notch.
In fact I recognized many of them from the Sail Away Party.
Do these kids ever get to sleep?

Speaking of which, as the show ended, I was becoming aware of how bad I felt.
My head was now pounding from congestion. We had been up since 6 and it had been a day crammed full of activity. I needed to sleep. Cheryll concurred.
We went over and drug Samantha out of the OC (who apparently didn’t miss Mom and Dad at all), and walked up the stairs and into our stateroom.

Before retiring, I walked out on the verandah and stared into the inky blackness of night at sea.
Even though physically I felt lousy, I had never been more calm.

Sleep came quickly and deeply.


Here’s a pic of the sunset as a reward for getting through this ridiculously overlong installment:
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2704.jpg




Next up: Chapter 5 Rasul! (Rated R for uh, Rasul)

[curlybop]

Wow, it made me feel relaxed just reading this episode. Still a great report. Though the preview for the next one sounds....ummm....interesting! :rolleyes:

[Jillpie]

Fantastic, just fantastic. It was neither ridiculous or overlong. Don't give it another thought, but just give us more. We're hopelessly addicted to this report :) . You have a way of putting all of our unspoken feelings into words. So well done :thumbsup2 . I'm holding on to see if you get full blown sick though, sure hope not. Can't wait for tomorrow.

[FatherForce]

Well, I don't want to give too much away, but I did survive!
:thumbsup2

[cntkg1]

Just subscribing.... :cool1:

[discruiselovers97]

Just Loving your report! I have jumped along this report to hear the rest! KEEP IT COMING!

[Jennifer48]

I was referred over here from SleepyDog. I figured if a writer this good was making me check out someone else's TR, it must be good as well! :woohoo:

You have a wonderful way of mixing your emotions with the descriptions of the ship. You put me in the exact spot you were in and brought me back to my first cruise (which was only this past April!). Thanks for sharing your experience and I can't wait for more! :goodvibes :hyper:

[lvstitch]

The characters came out and these crewmembers worked just as hard ONLY IN HUGE COSTUMES

What do you mean by Costumes? Oh you must be referring to their sailor outfits. Mickey did look cute in it :rotfl:

Great report, I am really enjoying it.

[pppiglet]

Beautiful sunset!

[FatherForce]

:teeth: I have about 20 pics of that sunset.
I also have about 6 hours of video of just cloud formations-sunrise, sunset, mid day, late morning, early evening, etc.
I was obsessed....

[JDBlair]

You and my DD share a birthday - October 15th. Happy Belated Birthday to you. :goodvibes We're going on our first DCL next year, about 2 weeks before her 4th b-day! Seemed kind of fair since we went to Disneyland this year 2 days after my son's 12th birthday. I'm secretly scheming to do some sort of Disney vacation on the kids alternating birthdays!! :stir: (Don't tell my husband - he's already thinking I'm up to something but he hasn't completely put it together!! :rolleyes1) But don't worry! There will be NO matching Disney outfits for the family. Maybe matching T-shirts, that could be kind of fun!! :rotfl:

[sleepydog25]

As Samantha gets older, I am more and more aware that I can not keep her safe from all her fears and threats. This Drill was nothing but an annoyance, but it was terrifying for her 7 year old mind. Nothing I said could stop the horn from blowing or allow her to take off the lifejacket. She had to make the connection between a real and perceived threat. Now, she says the Drill was no big deal, and she understands. She is growing up so fast, and as I watched he shake and try and be brave, I teared up a bit myself. My little girl was growing up in front of me. I resisted the urge to reach out and pick her up and hold her close….

All fathers of all little girls feel this way. . .I know I do. Just beautiful.

I sounded like I was auditioning for “Tom Waits Sings the Greatest Dance Party Hits”.
(I laughed out loud when I wrote this. Not at my wit, but at the thought of Tom Waits singing “Hey Ya”. If don’t know Tom Waits, then that won’t be amusing at all. Trust me. That would be funny)

I found this very funny. . .I'm not sure what that says about me. . .


you might not be able to tell where the heck those bubble were coming from down on Deck 9. I imagined some confused cruiser think that Disney must have a malfunctioning bubble machine that only spit out a few stray suds. I hoped that some comment card would mention fixing the outdoor bubble machine.

No wonder Disney's response to my card was, "Sir, we have no bubble machine."


Can you imagine an Elvis restaurant on the DCL rotation?
“Would you like Percodan or Dilaudid with your Fried Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich, sir?”
"Ah Thankh Ya, Thankh Ya Verru Much"
Now that's just freakin' funny! :lmao:

I can not for the life of me remember the names of our Head Server or Head Restaurant Sever.
They're called nametags. . .everyone has them. . .

I can be taught, btw.
After 13 years of marriage, I now always leave the seat down, I never use the decorative towels or soaps in the bathroom, and I can recognize when a tub is too small for my body.
Touche'

This was her vacation too, so we took down to the OC, and she just assimilated into the throngs of other kids. It reminded me of Shoeless Joe Jackson fading into the cornfield.
She's a lot cuter than Ray Liotta. . .


Ahh.

It was incredibly romantic, and then I realized once again why I fell in love with and married my beautiful wife.

We looked at each other, smiled, and almost in unison said, “Let’s get a drink.”
As true a definition of marriage as one could find! ;)

We went over to the Cadillac Lounge, which seemed more, our style.
I say the place was swanky, but that is just a guess really, since it was so remarkably dark.
How dark was it?
It was so dark that my wife said I looked good.
It was so dark that the waiter had to literally bring over a flashlight so we could see the menu.
We sipped our drinks, listened to the music, and just relaxed.
Then, we saw 2 familiar figures enter and sit up front in the light.
Yep, it was Doc and SleepyDog.
I began to think they were following us, and if you read his TR, you’ll find no mention of this visit they made to the CL.
Curious.
We were following you, but couldn't see you in the dark. And I know we couldn't have heard you. Funny, but I had totally forgotten that we stopped by the Cadillac Lounge before heading to dinner at AP. Great, now FF is writing my report better than me. . .
Looking forward to Rasul story. . .and you do remember we saw you afterwards, right? ;)

[zweihund]

Looking forward to Rasul story. . .and you do remember we saw you afterwards, right? ;)

Ah, the rasul.
Something I never added in my trip report was how well we tipped the people who are in charge of cleaning it between guests. I think there was even mud on the ceiling after we were done. :confused3 :teeth:

Love the sunset pic. Keep it coming!

[RoyalVizier]

So I've just spent the last hour reading your TR from the beginning! Awesome! :thumbsup2

You and SleepyDog are the TR tag team for sure!

And you pointed out that the verandah door slides. Good man. :rolleyes: ;) :teeth:

[suzij13]

Wow this is a really great TR :thumbsup2

[FatherForce]

Chapter 5 Rasul! (Rated R for uh, Rasul)
(Chock full of pics and no NOT of the Rasul)

The Cast
Me Dad/Husband/Raconteur
Cheryll Mom/Wife
Samantha 7 yr old Center of the Known Universe


Well before I begin the next installment, let me say that my daughter was not happy with me after the last update. I showed it to her and her professional opinion is that there were too many words and not enough pictures. I had even neglected to post the towel animal left for us on our first night. I am now smart enough to know that the 2 women in my life are smarter than me so let me correct mistake #1.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2705.jpg


Now, I took almost 500 digital pictures on our WDW/DCL vacation. (I also shot about 6 hours of video, but that’s another story). Although I won’t be showing them all, I will make an attempt to show more. I’ll let the events of the 2nd day unfold following some photos for a while.
Is that OK Sam?


I woke before everyone and made my way out on the verandah.
Here’s what 6:30 or so looks like:
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2706.jpg

I felt better, but still was very congested.
I’d left a room service breakfast request for coffee, bagels, English muffins, and a doughnut for Sam. Oh and a couple of Bloody Marys too. In my pre-planning, I absolutely adored the idea of “free” 24 hour room service. I was going to wake up at 4 and order a hot fudge sundae and a bottle of tequila just because I could (That’s obviously a joke and another Simpson’s reference. I WAS going to order a steak sandwich at 4 though. Just because I could). I made the order for 7, so I thought I’d take a stroll up on deck 10.
Now I began this journey without my morning coffee, so for some reason now unknown to me, I took a picture of the elevator doors.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2707.jpg


And the elevator floor.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2708.jpg

Don’t ask me.
I have absolutely no idea why.
I don’t even remember taking that pic.


It was overcast but still quite warm. It was pretty quiet as well so you could hear the waves breaking against the ships hull. I felt like I was intruding.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2709.jpg


Then over the port bow I saw one of the infamous Carnival Cruise Lines privateers steaming into Nassau ahead of us. (I was going to use the term “rum runner” but someone has already used that term in a recent TR. I’m not naming names though)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2710.jpg


As I looked over at the Dirty-Bathroom-Floor White hue (It’s an actual color. I think Benjamin Moore sells that shade. Maybe it’s Dinty Moore. I forget.) of that small floating tub of watered down drinks and re-heated cafeteria food I couldn’t help but feel superior. Sure they paid less for their cruise, but how much have they lost in the casino? I felt contempt for their hapless plight.
HA!

I checked out the front of the ship and crew pool which was surprisingly empty at 7am on an overcast morning.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2713.jpg


Now, as I walked back, I noticed that we already had almost passed the feckless Carnival tug.
I shook my fist defiantly in their direction safe in the knowledge that no one there aboard would see me. They were all still passed out or hopelessly hung-over.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2715.jpg

Uh oh….tangent coming up….
I wrote the above stuff about the rival cruise line in jest, but there were some of those feelings in me that morning. A lot of the TRs I’ve read feature some kind of dig at other cruises too. It is an unfortunately fascinating trait we humans have to pit ourselves against each other. It is especially noticeable how we like to square off against those in which we have the most in common. India vs. Pakistan, Shias vs. Sunnis, Harvard vs. Yale, Republican Senators vs. Democratic Senators all of which are much more similar than dissimilar. It just takes one or 2 points to violently separate us. Like how much smarter we are to book a Disney Cruise than those jerks on Carnival.

And I’m back!

I returned to the room that I easily found even without my morning coffee because my wife and daughter had clearly marked it for me:

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2717.jpg

I was surprised how few decorated doors that we saw.


Back in the room, Cheryll was up; Sam was stirring, but still no coffee or breakfast from room service! Huh? I called and they said it had been delivered.
No, it had not!
They promised a speedy resolution.
This was not enough for my wife who decided to trudge up to the drink station I had just passed to get coffee.

She wasn’t out the door 2 minutes before our food arrived.

The poor guy was very apologetic. He gave us the Bloody Mary’s for free and tried to refuse a tip. (He didn’t try THAT hard but he did pretend to not want it which actually made me tip him more.)

Sam and I went out on the verandah to watch the ship pull into Nassau, and I poured myself a delicious cup of coffee wondering where the heck my wife was.
Samantha did not want her doughnut, she wanted my bagel.
She offered a trade, but I didn’t want a doughnut. I wanted the warm, fresh bagel that I had just lovingly slathered with cream cheese.
Guess who ate the bagel AND later the doughnut?

While sitting outside I heard a splash and quickly looked up to 3 dolphins jump up to our right.

I raised my camera, but just missed them.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2718.jpg

Sam hadn’t seen them, but was excited to know they were there. We watched and waited.
Nothing.

Here’s Sam on Dolphin watch:
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2723.jpg


Cheryll knocked on the door. I opened it to find her carrying a huge tray of coffees, juice, bagels, and doughnuts. She spied the room service tray that had obviously been in use for awhile and let out a colorful expression more apropos for a Carnival Cruiser.

Just so you know, the room service coffee is much better than the drink station java.
Cheryll did get me not only a bagel, but lox and capers too, so everything turned out all right in the end.

Samantha excitedly explained that we were looking for the dolphins I saw.
We never saw them again, and of course, this led to some skepticism on my wife’s part as to if the dolphins were even spotted at all.
“Woman, I would NEVER lie to my daughter about Dolphins!”
(Said in my Samuel L Jackson as Frozone voice which delights Sam but annoys the heck out of Cheryll)

We spent the early morning watching the docking process while Cheryll unpacked. We did see some visible Stingrays, but no Dolphins.

We decided not to go to Nassau. Sam desperately wanted to get back to the OC, and Cheryll and I had an 11am Rasul appointment at the Spa.
Now we had decided to book the Rasul after reading the review of it on the Castaway Club site. Of course our having this treatment was dependent on Samantha being comfortable in the Club. IF all went well, this day would be OUR day. The Rasul, would be followed by a nice lunch and then the wine tasting that my wife was REALLY looking forward to doing. I went down to Guest Services and dropped off the pillowcase to sign as a surprise for Sam that I had forgotten yesterday and buy the tasting tickets. All of which I accomplished without any problems. I still felt like crap, but things were looking perfect!

Once everyone was ready, we dropped Sam off at the OC and we made our way to the Vista Spa.

Now in the time between us booking the Exotic Rasul and our trip, I read Zweihund’s TR. I copied it and gave to Cheryll who then immediately began calling me “Rasul Man”
Zweihund’s Rasul experience was now intertwined with ours as we would be gauging our treatment with hers. (I know that sounds creepy and it kinda is, but hey, I’m nothing if not honest. Especially about dolphins)

Before we crossed the Rasul threshold, we had to wait in the lobby of the spa and fill out the requisite forms. The striking woman who greeted us did not seem to judge us. Zweihund mentioned her slight embarrassment about the Rasul, since everyone KNEW what would be going on in there. I was quite the opposite.
I was defiant!
Yes, my wife of 13 years and I will be entering this private steam bath and shower for an hour.
Yes, we are all adults here. There is no need to snicker or blush, and Yes we will need extra towels.
Thank you.

Guess who was also in the lobby?

Yep, Dog and Doc!

Dog began talking about jogging through Nassau and the ship early in the morning and people thinking he was nuts.
I don’t know what else was said, because I had made another disturbing observation:
The woman who checked us in and the other employees of the spa that were milling about were very attractive.
Remarkably attractive.
Unnaturally attractive.

They all had such extreme cheekbones. I was afraid one would turn too quickly near me and slice me open like soup can in a Ginzu commercial.

Anyway, soon it was time to go to our separate but equal changing rooms and disrobe.
After trying on the robe given to me, I decided that I would be keeping my trunks on thank you very much.
We met in the Rasul and it is MUCH smaller than I anticipated.
The “main room” is basically a large closet with a tile bench. There is a shower and then a door to a mysterious room with a macabre-looking device in the center with knobs and pipes. It was exotic and more than a little intimidating. I tried not to stare.

The nice, yet dangerous woman explained what all the lotions and exfoliates and unguents and potions were used for and why. She showed how to work the shower.
She showed us THE ROOM.

She left pretty quickly (and with the knowledge of what was about to transpire in here with the congested large guy with swim trunks under his robe, I am sure she ran down the hall slicing any and all in her path with her cheeks until she got to a safe place where she could sit and shudder quietly to herself) and we began…THE RASUL

I got scratchy stuff rubbed on me, and I rubbed scratchy stuff on Cheryll.
We showered it off.

Then we went in THE ROOM

THE ROOM was basically just a Turkish steam room with tile benches.
Now I immediately noticed there were THREE benches in the steam room that encircled the steam pole in the middle.
THREE.
As the room filled with the thick and very hot steam, I wondered aloud about that 3rd bench.
3?
Really?
Who comes in here as a trio?
Maybe this RASUL was just brought over from a Carnival boat.
Soon I couldn’t see that 3rd bench or even the hands in front of my face,
This was a serious steam room.

Then a disgusting and wonderful thing happened.(no, not THAT. THAT is a beautiful thing that happens between Mommies and Daddies who love each other very much)
What happened was that my head cleared itself of my congestion!!!!!
Now those of you in the medical professions or medically inclined may have seen this coming, but I did not.
Without getting inexcusably gross, I’m glad we got the extra towels.

All of a sudden, I felt as physically good as I did mentally.
After I cleaned myself up, I was ready to PARTY!

I call it the RASUL MIRACLE.

Now I was a new man.
Sure, let’s have a mud fight!
Shower again?
Absolutely!
More Steam?
Bring it on!

After 3 trips back and forth from the steam room to the shower and the applying and reapplying of the unguents and oils and other adult activities, we were ready to go back to our stateroom and change (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it).
Although we felt like we’d been in for the hour allotted, there was no knock. So we sheepishly left the RASUL and back to our separate but equal dressing rooms.
On the way out I saw our Halberd (look THAT arcane reference up) Hostess
(Once again, as with Showerbeer, Halberd Hostess sounds like a great band. I know this is a Dave Barry rip off, but he’s retired.). She told me she’d knocked a while ago, but since there was no one scheduled behind us and she heard us laughing, that she’d let us go a little longer.
We were in there for an hour and a half.

They gave us some aromatic goodies, and I tipped.
Well.

I was in a trance.
I felt great; I was refreshed, relaxed, and HAPPY!

After we changed, we made our way out on the boat again.
Drinks were definitely in order.
We saw Doc and Dog on the stairs again! I told them we’d see them at the wine tasting, but they said there was no wine tasting.
Huh?
I have tickets. (See Dog’s TR)
I wanted to go dancing, but no club was offering dancing at 2pm.
We got drinks and some food from the Beach Blanket Bingo.
I was VERY Hungry.

(I don’t think I can leave any more coy hints about how much we enjoyed the day up to this point without being arrested. Let’s just say we were both in a good mood and leave it at that)

We had the Wine tasting coming up as I ate crab meat on the deck of a big honking boat while drinking a double of something tropical with the woman I love.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2744.jpg

That’s when our Oceaneer’s Club Beeper went off…



Let’s just assume that none of my remaining reports will be short.
I truly appreciate all your nice comments, but just realize that the more you encourage me, the more I write.
You have been warned.

Chapter 6 Sure You Can Go Back to the Club, and Pirates Golden Mickey in the Caribbean Night

[RoyalVizier]

I too have done the Rasul during our first ever cruise and it was lovely.... I neither thought of the smallness of the room or the "macabre" object of sinks and pipes in the center of the steamroom, but now... reading your description.... I can't help but think of the bathroom in the movie Saw. :eek: :rolleyes: ;) :)

I don't know that I can ever Rasul again. :sad2:

Hilariously described, my friend... you're doing a swell (yes, I said it) job. Keep it up! :thumbsup2

[zweihund]

THE ROOM was basically just a Turkish steam room with tile benches.
Now I immediately noticed there were THREE benches in the steam room that encircled the steam pole in the middle.
THREE.
As the room filled with the thick and very hot steam, I wondered aloud about that 3rd bench.
3?
Really?
Who comes in here as a trio?
Maybe this RASUL was just brought over from a Carnival boat.

I wondered that myself....... :confused3
Great writing, keep it coming! :thumbsup2

[Ski-and-Sea]

To directly quote the latest Passporter's Guide to DCL....

Under "Exotic Rasul"...it says....on page 147

"Cost is $83 for 1-3 people for 60 minutes". And it does mention to bring extra towels.

Hmmmmm....what is DCL trying to tell us with that???????

[tjeagle]

Okay....one more time for the record....LAUGH OUT LOUD FUNNY! :lmao:

[JDBlair]

Ah, the rasul.
Something I never added in my trip report was how well we tipped the people who are in charge of cleaning it between guests. I think there was even mud on the ceiling after we were done. :confused3 :teeth:

Love the sunset pic. Keep it coming!

On the ceiling!!!!!!!!!!!! :rotfl2: I read your TR and, well, glad to hear you tipped well!!! :lmao:

[tamim]

You have me totally in awe with your TR! :sunny: I believe you saw dolphins!
I believe you wore swim trunks for part of your Rasul time! I believe everything you write! :goodvibes :dance3:
Can't wait for the next chapter!

[grumpydude]

Your report is outstanding. It gets just gets better with each post.

WOW, so many pics and video...this was a three day cruise right? We were on a 7 day and I took less than 200.

I too was surprised that I did not see lots of door signs when I walked the decks during my evenings of inebriated stupor. My signs however helped me locate my room much easier during said evenings.

I so wish we had done the Rasul. This so gives me an excuse to go again.

[FatherForce]

Thanks all.
Grumpy, just for the record, the pics and video were from our 4 days at WDW AND the 3 day cruise.
I'm a freak, but I'm not crazy or nothin'.

[curlybop]

Still a great trip report! Glad you were feeling better after the Rasul. The cheekbones comments had me cracking up!!

[Jillpie]

oh darn, I didn't get my nightly fatherforce fix :guilty:

[FatherForce]

Sorry.
Next installment on Monday.
Promise.

[Jillpie]

just kidding. but you better be here for us!! :teeth:

[sleepydog25]

Now, as I walked back, I noticed that we already had almost passed the feckless Carnival tug

We saw Doc and Dog on the stairs again! I told them we’d see them at the wine tasting. . .

. . .(I don’t think I can leave any more coy hints about how much we enjoyed the day up to this point without being arrested. Let’s just say we were both in a good mood and leave it at that).
How can you not like a TR when the author used feckless? :thumbsup2

See my TR. . .re: list of attendees. . .;)

You forgot to mention you two were beaming from ear to ear and taking the steps two at a time, as if you were in a hurry. . .

As always, FF, you are a funny, funny man! :lmao:

[wendygirl]

:rolleyes: my husband just shook his head when he found me checking your TR instead of unpacking from our fishing trip .... good man! :cloud9: Can't wait for more! :banana:

[FatherForce]

Didn't finish my next Chapter today due to a mountain of actual work.
There will be a new one tomorrow morning, promise.

[zweihund]

Didn't finish my next Chapter today due to a mountain of actual work.
There will be a new one tomorrow morning, promise.

Yeah, whatever.....I'm totally going over to Sleepy's thread. ;)

[kaceyisme]

Didn't finish my next Chapter today due to a mountain of actual work.
There will be a new one tomorrow morning, promise.

Aahhh - fakeout! I thought it was a new chapter!!

[Bethipooh4]

Didn't finish my next Chapter today due to a mountain of actual work.
There will be a new one tomorrow morning, promise.


but....you promised one for today......
OK fine....tomorrow...remember...you promised.... :rotfl2:

[FatherForce]

Chapter 6 Sure You Can Go Back to the Club, and Pirates Golden Mickey in the Caribbean Night



The Cast
Me Dad/Husband/Raconteur
Cheryll Mom/Wife
Samantha 7 yr old Center of the Known Universe



There we were relaxing by the Adult Pool, crab claws and refreshing beverages in our hands when our Oceaneer’s Club Beeper went off.
It said, “Samantha would like to be picked up at Studio Sea”

Ok, time for SuperDad to take flight.
I asked Cheryll to make sure nothing happened to my drink (translation: just because you finished yours too quickly doesn’t mean you can just drink mine while I’m away taking care of our daughter)

Our wine tasting was in 1 hour.

Maybe Sam just wants to change clothes or something.

I quickly made my way down to Studio Sea. Apparently the group had left the OC and were making cookies in the SS. When I got there I found Samantha being consoled on the side by a counselor and she was crying.

“Honey, what’s wrong?”
“I want to go home.”
“Baby, we’re out on the ocean”.
“No, I want to go back to our hotel room.”

Well I scooped her up and carried her back up to get Mommy.
I tried to get her to tell me what had happened.
At first she said she was bored and missed us. Then she said she didn’t like the other kids because they didn’t like her. Then she said I’d left her there all day, and I didn’t want to play with her anymore!
Ok, notice how she didn’t say you and Mom? She directed that last stab through the heart directly at me.
Then she twisted it.
“Why don’t you want to be with me?”

MAN’S HEART OVERBOARD!

This little girl had learned the secret to crushing her overly-sensitive Father with a single blow. It’s her Intercontinental Ballistic Missile.
Only she’s not afraid to use her Nukes.

Back up to reunite with Mommy.
She climbed into Cheryl’s lap and sobbed.
I looked down at my plate of food.
All of my crab claws were gone.
I then in my heart knew what was also missing, but I held out hope that my loving wife, with whom I had just shared a romantic and intimate morning and afternoon, would not have done that to me.
I looked up on the table where my drink was left not 10 minute ago.
It was empty.

That didn’t matter now, but I included that information so that my faithful readers know just what tortures and indignities I have to endure.

Well, Sam wanted to go back to our room.
Cheryll wondered aloud about the wine tasting. She had really been looking forward to going. She even wore a shirt from the winery she works at to impress the sommelier and hopefully get bigger pours, I mean engage in some intelligent wine talk.
I urged Cheryll to go by herself, and I would stay and play with Samantha.
She didn’t want to go without me, bless her heart.

After we got to the room, Sam was fine.
I mean no tears, no pouting, no visible signs of distress at all.
She went to the bathroom and then announced she wanted to go back!

What?

It seems Snow White was scheduled to appear at the Oceaneer’s Club any minute.
Only her appearance was for the 3 to 5 year olds and not the 5 to 7 group which was at the Studio Sea.
So THAT was it.

It was 10 minutes to the tasting so I told Cheryll to prepare, and I would take Sam back to the Club and see if she could get in with the younger kids so she could see Snow White.
On the way down, Sam explained that she liked the OC, but didn’t like the other places they went. She just wanted to stay in the club. I later found out that they had to make her get off one of the video games so the whole group could go over to the SS. This had honked her off, and THAT is what started her meltdown.

I’m going on record to say that she gets that behavior from her Mom’s side of the family.

The OC accepted her in the younger group without even batting an eye.
Ok. Sam was happy, now to rush up, get Cheryll, and make the wine tasting so she’d be happy.

Once back in the room, my wife told me what a wonderful understanding husband and father I was, and it was obvious that Cheryll had decided not to go to the wine tasting.

(Ahem)

So, a few minutes later (not THAT few), we are sitting on the verandah and watching a MASSIVE cruise ship next to us. This was not on of those buckets of rust and STD’s operated by Carnival. No, this was a majestic beauty bigger than the Wonder with about 120,000 private verandahs. It was the Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas. It was a sight to see. It wasn’t as colorful or attractive as the Wonder, but HOLY CRAP it was big.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2748.jpg
As far as I could tell it had a rock climbing wall (just what I want to do on a cruise, btw), a water park, a softball field, an 18 hole golf course, and another cruise ship in the middle of it. (Some of that may have been an exaggeration)
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2749.jpg

Soon it was time to collect Sam and get ready for Pirate night and dinner at the Animator’s Palate

Samantha was in a great mood when I picked her up.
Go figure.
We got her in her Pirate outfit, and she did her own make up.
I’m sure you couldn’t tell that.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2750.jpg

Here's that sculpture:
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2752.jpg

Got our pictures with the Big Cheese, and yes, I am not dressed up in either a coat and tie or a pirate costume. I am wearing a Pirate WDW T with nice slacks.
Sue Me.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/FamMickey.jpg

AP was lot of fun. I know there are Negative Nellies (or Sardonic SleepyDogs)who were under whelmed by the AP. I think the food was great, and the whole ambiance was whinsical. Yes, the video’s and Travel Channel specials make it seem like Laser Floyd at the Planetarium (Want to have some fun? If you live in a city that has those late night laser shows in the local planetarium set to Pink Floyd or some other trippy-70s band’s music, go to one. They are kind of cool, but the most fun is to wait about half an hour into the show so that those who have come and timed their psychedelics are securely into their trip. When there is a pause in music start whispering “Snake. Snake”. Then louder, “I felt a SNAKE!” Hilarity will ensue. Trust me.) It isn’t that. It is a fun and colorful “show” that kids LOVE.

Oh, it was Pirate night and everyone got a bandana.
I have never worn a bandana in my life.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2754.jpg

Now you know why.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2755.jpg

Donavan made Mickey’s on a plate with Ketchup for Samantha and our table mates which also delighted her.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2756.jpg

Oh I forgot the food.
Cheryll both had the same thing except the dessert. We had the seafood and avocado wrap, the Caesar salad, and the filet. I had Boston Crème Pie and Cheryll had the Chocolate and Peanut Butter Pie if I am not mistaken.
We had the Pinot Noir as our wine. It was fine. I like red wine a little bolder, and this was a lighter taste. Cheryll like it a lot. She drank most of the bottle.
I honestly didn’t want more than a half glass anyway. I’d had enough alcohol this day.
Arrr.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/PirateFam-1.jpg

As Donovan was taking our dessert orders, he asked Sam what she wanted and she said “Nothing”. I looked at Donovan immediately and smiled. He nodded at me and asked her once again. Again she said, “Nothing”.

As a faithful read of the DIS Boards I knew what was coming.
Samantha didn’t at all, and she asked without me prodding.
So Donovan brought out a covered plate and lifted the lid:

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2759.jpg



Everyone laughed, but it kind of embarrassed Sam, and she asked to keep the lid on it.

We went back up to the room before the Golden Mickey’s.

Here's the day's Towel Animal:
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2760.jpg

Now those of you who have been paying attention to the reported alcohol consumption of this day might suspect that my wife was a little tipsy by this point.
You would be correct.
Actually she was just tired, so she suggested Sam and I go to the Golden Mickey’s while she laid down. We were to get seats on the end of the isle and save one for her. She’d join us soon.

Ok, no problem.
Sam and I walked around a bit. We looked at pictures in the steam room, I mean Shutters.
It was very nice to have some time on the ship with just the 2 of us.
As you may have noticed from previous installments, Samantha is the best thing that ever happened to me, and I love her like I have never loved anyone or anything, I got to spend the day with my beautiful wife, and now, I had my little pirate’s hand in mine walking to a show on the Wonder.
Am I a lucky man or what?

So we made the walk down the “red carpet” to the Golden Mickey’s. The “paparazzi” all asked Sam is she was a good or bad pirate. Of course, she was a good pirate.
We got to the front and “Rona” was interviewing children. It looked like those interviews were being shown inside the theatre.
Cool.
Well Sam looked at the goings on and the line of kids ready for their turn. I knew she wanted to do it, but there was a woman picking kids to participate, and she had just announced that the show was getting ready to start so there could be no more kids in line.
Samantha sighed, but I explained that it was ok, especially since she had been in the Captain Jack Sparrow show earlier that week in WDW. She wasn’t upset at all. She looked at me and said, “It’s OK Dad, other kids need some attention too.”
When did she get so magnanimous?
No sooner had she said that, when an ornately dressed pirate leaned down in front of us.
It was Christian our Cruise Director!
I was now convinced that he has at least a twin or maybe he’s a triplet because that guy was EVERYWHERE all the time.
He complimented Sam on her pirate outfit and then took her by the hand and added her to the end of the line!
He talked with her some more and then left before I could thank him.

So, I’m sure that Christian has plenty of time to read novel-length TRs on the DIS Boards in his spare time, so Christian, THANK YOU.

Sam waited in line and was the last child interviewed before the show started. She was with another little girl, but then “Rona” asked her to give us a big old “Arr” to start us off.
And she did.

My ship docked into Blubber Town’s port one more time.

We get aisle seats, making sure to save the outside for Cheryll.
The Golden Mickey’s were cute, and the show was, once again, very well done.
Samantha was enraptured.

As the show drew to a close, guess hadn’t shown up?

So as we filed out, I called her cell.
No answer, so I left a message that we would be at the Pirate Party right in front of the stage where Samantha wanted to be. I also left a message on our state room phone.

So we tried to look around in the shops.
I say tried because, to be honest, there was no way to “look” at anything. It was so crowded that all you could do is spot some item you might want as you were probably 4 or 5 people deep from the item. Now, with the item in sight, if out of reach, you had to mentally inspect the said merchandise using your powers of advanced telepathy. If the T Shirt or knick knack met your needs after an internal inspection, then you had use the FORCE to bring the item to you. Now, I had told Samantha that I only used the FORCE for good and then only when it was absolutely necessary, so I didn’t use the powers I perfected at the Jedi Training Academy on Dantooine. I just decided to come back later.

It was pretty crowded.


Up on deck 9, we got right in front of the stage as Sam requested. The “pirates” (who looked suspiciously like the Sail Away performers, and the Hercules cast, and the Golden Mickey’s cast) were out in the crowd warming us up. Sam didn’t want to move from front of the stage, but she also didn’t want me to not be with her, so I stood behind her with the camera while dancing and revelry ensued around me.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2773.jpg

Now I’m a jovial fellow by nature, but it was late, I was tired and hot, and I just didn’t feel like dancing. (Especially to the same overplayed dance songs we’d already heard 10 times in the last 2 days). So I stood in the middle of the dance floor while more than one pirate working the crowd gave me a dirty scowl for not participating.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2778.jpg

The show started, and it was fun. Samantha was very engaged by the characters and pirates. I, meanwhile, had been caught in the crush to the stage. I wanted to go watch from a safe distance to the side. Samantha wanted me right behind her.
Guess where I was?

Once again the cast were constantly moving and jumping and cajoling.
I got to hear all of my favorite dance songs like the “Hamster Dance”, and “The Safety Dance”, and “You Can’t Touch This, and “If I hear this Song One More Time I am Buying a Gun and Coming Down to the Radio Station”. (I’m not a huge dance music aficionado)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2787-1.jpg

The “plot” of the show is a bit convoluted, and for some reason, whenever there was a cool guitar solo, Mickey’s voice came on and made them put on ‘Gonna Make You Sweat” or something. Apparently guitar solos are for bad pirates, and Mickey was having none of that.

Hey, where was Cheryll?

So, Mickey finally arrived via zip line from one smoke stack to the next (which was impressive) and set off a very nice fireworks display and forever vanquished the evil, exciting guitar solos from the ship.

Oh another thing that was funny was the Cotton Ball Cannons.
They had these prop cannons on either side of the stage that shot cotton balls into the crowd (hence my clever name).
Kids went nuts trying to catch the cotton balls, and later they went nuts pelting Captain Hook and the pirates with said cotton balls.
The video I shot of the show is hilarious.

After the fireworks, Sam and I checked out the buffet, which was mucho impressivo, but we did not get anything. I was whipped and hot, and just wanted to go to bed.
Samantha was tired too.
I did grab a cold beer in a cup to take up to the room.

Samantha asked where her Mommy was.
I suggested that maybe she had just missed us.
I suspected she was in the Cadillac Lounge.

We got back up to the room, and Cheryll was standing there dressed in her dinner attire.
“There you guys are!”
“Yep here we are.”
‘Well come on, let’s go!”
“Let’s go where?”
“To see the Golden Mickey’s, and I don’t want to miss the Pirate Party”.

She thought it was 8:30.

Then she stole my beer.



Next Up Chapter 7 Castaway Cay has a Medical Center too.

[Bethipooh4]

TERRIFIC as usual....

Thank you for posting!

[curlybop]

Oh no - poor Cheryll missed it all? :sad2:

Once again, another great report. I love it!!

[tjeagle]

In case no one has mentioned it (okay...I know it has been mentioned many times!!) Your relationship with your daughter...and the way you express your feelings for her is absolutely incredible! It brought a tear to my eye (AGAIN!!) reading about how important she is to you!
You are awesome!! :thumbsup2

[sleepydog25]

Once back in the room, my wife told me what a wonderful understanding husband and father I was, and it was obvious that Cheryll had decided not to go to the wine tasting.

(Ahem)They've renamed the Wonder to The Happy Place. . .

[grumpydude]

They've renamed the Wonder to The Happy Place. . .


At least there was not any mud :rolleyes:

[pppiglet]

Hey...I think you look cool in the pirate bandana!

[miztigg]

ok you got me hooked just booked the rasul room for our dec cruise excellent tr

[JDBlair]

At least there was not any mud :rolleyes:

:rotfl: I see Grumpy (literally, the character) in just the pose you have on your sigy and saying those words above with a little grunt in his voice. I busted out laughing right here!!! :rotfl:

[wendygirl]

dad's who openly love their kids melt their wives hearts :cloud9: can't wait for more TR! :banana:

[NJMermaid]

Excellent, I'm leaving tomorrow, so sorry that I can't continue reading this TR.

[tyedye]

That was too funny the way you described the other ship that was docked next to you and from the looks of the picture you took of it, you are right I do think they were hiding another ship, 18 hole golf course, and an olympic sized swimming pool on it. :thumbsup2

On our first cruise we checked our youngest son (then 7 yrs) into the club and picked him up about an hour later. The next day he cried and cried and asked why did I make him go and do something he didn't want to. I thought the stuff they did in the clubs looked fun etc but we've been on 3 cruises now and you can count on one hand the number of times and hours our sons have been to the clubs.

Great report, thanks for writing. popcorn::

[FatherForce]

Chapter 7 Castaway Cay has a Medical Center too.


Good Day Faithful Readers.
Today’s installment will be a little different.
I’m going to confess something.
I wasn’t too pleased with my last installment. In fact, I was bored by it, and I needed to come up with a way to do the next chapter differently.
So, I have decided that our Castaway Cay experience would be done as a “Slide Show”.

In order for this to work, I’m going to have to ask you to play along.
Imagine you’ve come over to our house to return the pet carrier you borrowed to take you cat to the vet.
Now, since you’re somewhat in my debt, I’ve asked if you want to see some slides from our cruise.
You can’t think of an excuse quickly enough, so I rush to grab the projector and about 40 slide carrousels. As I set up the screen, you notice that there are probably 500 slides or more that you are going to have to sit through.
You wonder if you could realistically fake a seizure.
I ask if you’d like a drink, and since you haven’t acted since The Music Man in high school, you eagerly agree and demand a strong one.
After I deliver you drink, I dim the lights, and off we go…


(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2790.jpg

“This is the sunrise off our verandah.
I got up early as usual, and went out to watch the clouds and sea until our breakfast arrived from room service.”

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2795.jpg

“Yeah, room service is FREE! I wanted to get a steak sandwich at 4 in the morning, but Cheryll wouldn’t let me.
What?
Oh yeah, whatever you want basically. You have to pay for booze, though”

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2797.jpg

“Here are more clouds.
Huh?
Oh sure, I’ll get you another drink. Jeez, you finished that one quick. Here are some more clouds while I get you another one.”

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2792.jpg

“Here ya go. Hey, look more clouds. They were really beautiful.”

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2804.jpg

(40 more cloud pics are shown)

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2788.jpg

“Here’s Sam at 8am as we were pulling into Castaway Cay. She was zonked.”

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2815.jpg

“Now this is so cool. As we were docking, I noticed this rainbow.
We were all so excited to be spending the day on the beach at Castaway Cay. Samantha had never been in the ocean before. Cheryll was going to go Parasailing. I got her a Parasailing Trip for her birthday. Yeah, I am a great husband. Cheryll’s a lucky gal.”

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2813.jpg

“Now, look here. That’s the actual Flying Dutchman from the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie.
No, it’s not Johnny Depp’s ship, that’s the Black Pearl. It’s in Long Beach. This was the supernatural ship captained by Davey Jones.
Jeez, don’t you know anything? What a Maroon!
What do you mean you don’t follow entertainment news that much? What other kind of news are you reading?
Well, I guess if you’d rather know what’s going on in the world with all the politics and stuff, that’s your prerogative. Guess you’re just like Bobby Brown, only without all the crack and spousal abuse.
Don’t get mad. It was a joke.
‘My Prerogative’? Bobby Brown? Bobby and Whitney?
Oh never mind”

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2816.jpg

“So we left the ship early. We wanted to get a good spot on the family beach. I had my heart set on a hammock.
Huh?
It would have to be a big hammock?
Funny.”

[FatherForce]

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2821.jpg

“Here’s the Flying Dutchman again”

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2822.jpg

Here’s Sam standing next to a big plastic fish with a hat on its head. Isn’t she adorable?”

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2823.jpg

“Here’s the back of the ship. Don’t know why I took that one, but there it is.”

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2824-2.jpg

“Here’s another one of the Flying Dutchman. Pretty cool, huh?”

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2827.jpg

Now’s here’s yet another shot of the FD. I was trying to replicate a picture a saw online taken by this drunken geek named Zweihund.
No, I don’t really know her. I’m sure you don’t. I think her name’s Erica or something.
Well, I’m just kidding about her being a drunken geek.
No, I guess calling someone names to someone else who doesn’t know them isn’t funny or even appropriate.
Jeez, lighten up.”

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2830.jpg

“Now, here’s the FD in relation to the Wonder.
What?
Oh. I have about 60 pictures of the FD. I’ll skip ahead, I guess.
You want ANOTHER drink?”

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2833.jpg

“Here’s more of Samantha.
I know. She is very beautiful.
No, it wouldn’t be cute if she ended up dating your son. He’s 14!
Oh, your 7 year old son. I forgot about him.
No, it still wouldn’t be cute. She will never be allowed to date. After I’m dead and she’s 45 or so, she can talk to boys on the phone.”

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2835.jpg

“We got a great spot on the family beach with a hammock. Even though it was cloudy and even rained some in the morning, Cheryll thought we’d better get some sunscreen on.
Yes, she is lucky to have me.
Oh, you meant it the other way around?”

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2838.jpg

“Here I am lying in the hammock.
Huh?
Oh, well, yeah, I did take this picture myself.
I guess it is technically cheating.
What are you, the vacation picture police?”

[FatherForce]

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2840.jpg

“Samantha was upset that I wouldn’t buy her any new sand toys. She already had a lot. We saw MomSully and her family out early too. She was fighting the same battle with her kids.
Oh, MomSully is one of the great folks I met online who were on the cruise with us.
No, she wasn’t the one married to that Maroon with painted toe nails who got stuck in the tub, that’s Doc.
Yeah, that IS funny.
Anyway, MomSully was going snorkeling with her brood before the water got all cloudy. I wanted to go too. I even brought our own snorkeling gear.
We do too snorkel.
What do you mean snorkeling in our backyard pool doesn’t count?
Anyway, Cheryll and Sam didn’t want to snorkel yet.
Here’s Cheryll showing Samantha how to make a sandcastle with a discarded drink cup.”

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2843.jpg

“Isn’t that an awesome picture? Yeah, the rain stopped and the sun came out. Boy, did it ever come out! It got HOT!
Yes, I realize it gets hot in the Bahamas.
Anyway, it was here that Cheryll was finally realizing that she would soon be lifted up in the air by a parachute on a string and she was getting nervous. Also, Sam cut her heel on the hammock stand, so I had to take her to the med center. She was crying, even though it wasn’t more than a scrape. Inside the med center, the nice Dr cleaned it up and put a band aid on it. One thing to note though is that med center is right across from the gift shop.
Guess who got some sand toys after all?”

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/FH000025_EDITED.jpg


“So Cheryll went off to her parasailing adventure and Sam and I played in the sand.
Cheryll took our cheap water proof camera and got her pic with Captain Jack Sparrow.
No, he really doesn’t look much like him at all.
Hey, he was trying. That same guy also had to be Prince Charming and a bad dancing pirate, and one of Cruella’s thugs, and more.”

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/FH000019_EDITED.jpg

“Look. Cheryll took some pics of the FD too!”

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DadSam.jpg

“While we played in the sand, a very nice young man came by and asked if I wanted a drink. I said sure, bring me a banana daiquiri.
Hey, I was on vacation in the Bahamas. A banana daiquiri is a perfectly acceptable drink.
I am NOT a sissy.”

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/Bradcrop.jpg

“Here I am enjoying my beverage without shame. I want this picture on my tombstone, by the way.”

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2844.jpg

“I’m pretty sure this is Cheryll up there. At least that’s what we’re telling everyone.”

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/FH000024_EDITED.jpg

“Cheryll loved the parasailing experience. Here’s the only pic she took while in the air.
She was nervous, like I said.”

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/Samcastle.jpg

“Samantha”

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/SamSand-1.jpg

“Another one of Samantha.
What?
I am not crying, quite smiling at me.”

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/FH000016_EDITED.jpg

“Here’s the sandcastle Cheryll and Samantha made.
We ate lunch at the great BBQ place there. If you are ever there, I suggest the Mahi Mahi sandwich. It was delicious.
I don’t know who this boy is, but I think he peed in the sand right there.”

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/FH000015_EDITED.jpg

“Now, I had a Wave Runner Eco Tour scheduled for 1:45, but I still wanted to snorkel. No one else did, so I went. I used my mask and snorkel, but I forgot my fins. I didn’t see the point in spending $20 just to rent fins, so I went out in just my water shoes. It seems that the water shoes weren’t the best choice for kicking behind you. They fill with water making it harder to kick, whereas fins make it easier.
What are you laughing at?
So after what I thought was a half hour of swimming I still had not seen any fish or even anything interesting. Plus the water was pretty cloudy.
Yes, that MomSully did have the right idea.
I was just about to give up when all of a sudden I was SURROUNDED by barracudas!

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/FH000006_EDITED.jpg

Ok, maybe they weren’t barracudas, but they still scared the crap out of me.

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/FH000002_EDITED-1.jpg

Here’s a Mickey that had been abandoned. It’s pretty weird that Disney would buy an island that had a Mickey statue buried just off shore, huh? Pretty strange coincidence, if you ask me.
No, I’m not dunk. Why do you ask?

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2846-1.jpg

“I was very far out now, and I had to hurry back so I wouldn’t miss my Wave Runner tour. I started hustling back as fast as I could, but those water shoes were really slowing me down. Plus I’m not the most fit guy around.
Quit Laughing.
Anyway, it took forever to get back to shore, and by the time I did, my arms felt like limp noodles and my legs quivering.
Good thing Cheryll had bought 6 Heinekens in a decorative DCL collapsible cooler.
We really needed that. It’s out in the garage somewhere if you want to see it.
Anyway, Cheryll and Sam were heading back to the ship, as I went to the Eco Tour. They wanted to clean up before Sam went to her graduation ceremony. We parted ways and I went to the tour I had been so looking forward to doing.
Remember that Zweihind person I was talking about? She wrote a hysterical review of this excursion on her trip report. Here I printed it out so you could read it.
No, I’m not kidding.
ANYWAY, the tour was incredible.
However, I had a problem getting on the personal watercraft.
They were moored just out side the FD in about 5 feet of water.
Wanna see another pic of it?
No? Oh ok.
See you had to pull yourself up onto the craft in chest deep water and I had just completely burnt myself out snorkeling. I was exhausted and my arms and legs were limp.
I had to have one of the large Bahamian men help me up onto the Wave Runner while the rest of my group, including women and children who easily ascended their crafts, watched in horror.
STOP LAUGHING!
Well, as you well know from seeing me mow my lawn without a shirt, I am not easily embarrassed, but I was then. I vowed that I had to get serious about losing weight.
Thanks, I have lost 12 pounds since we got back.
Once out in the ocean though, I quickly forgot about needing help and enjoyed the speed and the freedom of the journey.
I didn’t find it nearly as bumpy as Zweihund did, and I was full throttle the whole way.
Our guide told us some stuff and then took us to a sand bar 2 miles out.”

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/FH000010_EDITED.jpg

“We got off our WRs and stood ankle deep in sand with nothing but ocean all around us.
It was pretty freakin’ cool.
Plus now my water shoes were filled with 4 inches of sand.

The trip back was AWESOME. Full speed and flying through the water I went. We buzzed by the Wonder and went right up next to the FD.

I made my way back to the ship convinced that this was one of the best days of my life.

Heading back to the stateroom, I was energized and pumped up. Here’s what I found when I got back to the room.”

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2847.jpg

They deserved the nap.
Here are some more pictures of the Flying Dutchman...
Bathroom?
Right down the hall there. Gotta go bad huh? Wow, you must if you’re running like that!
No, not that way. That’s the front door!
Hey! Where are you going?



Next up Chapter 8, Disney Dreams

[zweihund]

Now’s here’s yet another shot of the FD. I was trying to replicate a picture a saw online taken by this drunken geek named Zweihund.
No, I don’t really know her. I’m sure you don’t. I think her name’s Erica or something.
Well, I’m just kidding about her being a drunken geek.
No, I guess calling someone names to someone else who doesn’t know them isn’t funny or even appropriate.
Jeez, lighten up.”


rofl

I love it.

I have to look at this again when I get home so I can see the pics - what am I supposed to do at this hospital, WORK or something? Sheehs.

[FatherForce]

According to my Tv ( which is all-knowing), Hospital workers just spend their time sleeping with each other.
That is unles they are in the ER and then they spend their time sleeping with each other in bewteen helicopters crashing into the building.

[grumpydude]

Love the installment. Great idea. CLICK

[grumpydude]

I vowed that I had to get serious about losing weight.

Get in shape? I tell my wife I am in shape. Hey, round is a shape. Congrats on the 12. Keep at it.

[JDBlair]

dad's who openly love their kids melt their wives hearts :cloud9: can't wait for more TR! :banana:

I agree. Nothing makes my heart fill with so much happiness and tears come to my eyes faster than watching my husband with my daughter. Especially when he scoops her up and she places her head on his shoulder and squeezes him. There is nothing sexier than a man who loves his children! :love:

[kaceyisme]

Brilliant!! Loving this!!

[curlybop]

:lmao: Still loving it! The photos are excellent. :thumbsup2

[pppiglet]

Loved your slide show!

[Jennifer48]

Great slide show! :thumbsup2

Can I have another :drinking1 ???

[RoyalVizier]

(Click)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/FH000006_EDITED.jpg

Ok, maybe they weren’t barracudas, but they still scared the crap out of me.

(Click)

I think that's the yellow fish that tried to eat my daughter! :eek:

You were right to be afraid... very afraid! ;) :) :teeth:

[tinkerbellmom1]

:rotfl: My rear hurts from sitting here for an hour +, but I have truly enjoyed your trip report! My teenagers keep yelling to find out what I am laughing at! Yours is only the second trip report I've read (Erica a.k.a. Zweihund being the other); you both make me teary as I read! Thank you for sharing your trip, your emotions, your Rasul :blush: ,and your pictures with us! :lmao:

[tjeagle]

According to my Tv ( which is all-knowing), Hospital workers just spend their time sleeping with each other.
That is unles they are in the ER and then they spend their time sleeping with each other in bewteen helicopters crashing into the building.

Okay Erica....I am a therapist also.......I think I work at the wrong place...how about you?

[zweihund]

Okay Erica....I am a therapist also.......I think I work at the wrong place...how about you?

I was thinking the same thing! :rotfl:

OT POWER! :woohoo:

[Jillpie]

ok, this was floating around the middle of pg. 1, heading dangerously to the bottom. No can do. Not gonna let that happen :teeth: . We're here for ya Fatherforce, you CAN do this. :banana:

[FatherForce]

Well I certainly appreciate the vote of confidence.

Today it has been impossible to write, but there will be another installment tomorrow, albei without the clever artifice of the slide show.

Honestly (and this is how conceited I can be), I was very happy with the way that whole segment turned out. However, now I'm stuck having to go back to the old format for the conclusion because I can't think of anything nearly as clever ( at least to me).

[tjeagle]

I was thinking the same thing! :rotfl:

OT POWER! :woohoo:

Sorry Fatherforce, I'm gonna dip into your report space (LOVE THE REPORT THOUGH!!) :love: ....I need to bond with my OT Sista!

Go Girl!! :grouphug:

[FatherForce]

Dip away.

Now, everyone NOTICE, the hour I am posting this.
I am just getting home from WORK.

After I get up tomorrow and VOTE, I'll get back to finishing the TR.

Promise.

[curlybop]

2 AM? :scared1: Now that's just wrong! :sad2: Hope to read more soon, but if not, we totally understand!! :surfweb:

[tyedye]

Am really enjoying this report and the pictures! The pic of the back of the ship looks really good! Also like the rainbow one.

popcorn:: Waiting for the next installment... popcorn::

[JDBlair]

Dip away.

Now, everyone NOTICE, the hour I am posting this.
I am just getting home from WORK.

After I get up tomorrow and VOTE, I'll get back to finishing the TR.

Promise.

By my guess, you should be up by now and voted so, where is the promised TR??? :confused3

[discruiselovers97]

polls close in 3 hours so it should be sometime soon!!!

[FatherForce]

I am writing right now.
I promise I am!

[discruiselovers97]

Write! Write! And Now Take A 1 Sec. Break And Then Write Some More!!!

[pgfour]

Anxiously awaiting the next installment. . . popcorn:: :drinking:

[dallastxcpa]

Even though the wait has been excruitiating I know I will make it through because your trip reports are pure perfection..... :wizard: and we all no that you can't RUSH perfection. :teeth:

[LITTLEKID58]

We are patiently waiting...........

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

[DisneyZell]

I can honestly say that between you, Grumpydude, and Sleepydog, I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. keep it up! (and congrats on the 12 pounds, I know how hard that is) :cool1:

[FatherForce]

Chapter 8 Disney Dreams


I apologize for the delay. I’ve had some pretty serious work issues to deal with, and my daughter is in Indiana University’s production of the Nutcracker, so she is expected to be at practice every day for 140 hours or so, AND I’ve been lazy.

I was also trying to think of another creative way to finish this off, and folks, I got nothing. The “Slideshow” idea worked pretty well I thought, but then I painted myself into a corner, and NO ONE paints Baby into a corner.
Wait, that reference didn’t work, did it?
See, what I’m saying?
OK, no more whining.


I let my ladies sleep for bit while I continued to clean sand out of my water shoes.
Yes, I did shower and clean off before I re-entered, but I had been standing ankle deep in a sandbar while being told I was ankle deep in fishpoop (Yet another great band name. Tonight at the EnourmoDome: Showerbeer, Halberd Hostess, and Fishpoop!)

I roused the crew and got Samantha back to the OC so she could get ready for the “graduation” ceremony.

Everyone has a picture of their loved one in front of these portholes, and I am nothing if not a conformist.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2849.jpg

Cheryll and I strolled over to look at the photos in the boiler room, crap, I mean Shutters.
We had vowed to each other that we wouldn’t be getting too many of the DCL pics since they were so pricey and we needed booze money.
Well, as you may have noticed from the pictures already posted, we did indeed purchase quite a few of the well done DCL pics.
We even bought one of the packages.
See the DCL Photo Team is ingenious (or evil depending on your perspective).
They take gorgeous photos of your child and dare you not to buy them.

“Go ahead, look. We’ve already printed it out for you. You don’t have to buy.
Ah, she IS cute. Well, she was so adorable that we had to take 60 or so photos. Ah, look how she’s looking at you in that one. She must really love you.”

We got out of there under $200, but just barely.

We made our way to the WD Theatre of the “Celebrate the Journey” presentation.
We actually caught the tail end of Christian our Cruise Director’s lecture entitled, “Get off the Ship Early Tomorrow, No Really, We Want You Out of Here Early, oh and, We Want Your Luggage Out of Your Room in Five Minutes. What do You Mean you Haven’t Packed Yet? It’s 4:30PM. Start Panicking.”

It was a very informative and casual talk that sent my darling wife into a momentary panic. I assured her that I had read all the packing-in-a-hurry-on-the-last-night horror story Trip Reports (Hi Zweihund!) It would be no problem. I’ll fill out the forms, have the luggage tagged, and make sure we are ready. Let me handle it.

This didn’t have the calming affect I had hoped.

The Stinger I bought her at the bar did, however.

The “graduation” ceremony was very cute.
They went all out with the production too.

They had special graphics and lighting effects to set the scene.
Some smarmy infomercial lady came out and pretended this was an actual graduation.
Then the paraded the kids in and put them on the stage.
We had a hard time finding Sam at first, but soon saw the girl with her cap pulled over her eyes.
Our Angel!

They showed pictures of the kids at play on the big screen and then Mickey and Minnie joined them for a small talk.
They moved their tassels and off they went.

It was really cute, and the Blubber Town Express arrived just as Samantha saw me videotaping and broke into a huge smile and began waving.

We picked her up at the OC and found that not only did she get a T Shirt, but she also got to keep her Mouse Ears Mortarboard Cap.

Cool.

She loves that shirt.

Next stop was dinner at Parrot Cay.
I had my tip envelopes ready, and our table was next to a porthole.
A lot of reviews have listed PC as the least of the dining options, but truth be told, we liked PC the best.
Maybe it was because it was the last night, and we were giddy, but we had a ball here.
The food was good. The wine Cheryll picked was delicious (it was a Cab Sav from somewhere). I especially loved the Lemon Meringue Pie.
Donovan brought Samantha an ice cream sundae with side bowls filled with cherries and sprinkles.
She thought that was incredible.
“He remembered I liked cherries and sprinkles!”
I didn’t have the heart to tell her that liking sprinkles and cherries might not be exclusive to her as he served a lot of kids. It’s like a politician telling voters that he won’t raise taxes. It’s kind of a no-brainer.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2853.jpg

Samantha and Cheryll danced in the Conga Line.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2850.jpg

A good time was had by all.

Donovan once again tried to get me to take more steak back to the room.
I tipped him anyway.

Our serving team kept inviting us to a breakfast seating at 6:30 AM.
They repeatedly mentioned it, and they talked up the quality of the breakfast and how it would be their pleasure to serve us one more time.
And the most impressive thing to me was that they did it with a straight face.

I knew there was no way we’d be up and ready at 6:30.
However, I lied to them and told them we’d try and make it. It’s like some acquaintances you have invited you to a party that you have no intention of going to, but you tell them you’ll do everything in your power to make be there. You quickly think of an excuse to tell them later when you see them a week or so after the event. Like: “I’ve had some pretty serious work issues to deal with, and my daughter is in Indiana University’s production of the Nutcracker, so she is expected to be at practice every day for 140 hours or so”

I felt guilty.
Why?
Ask my parents. They made me this way.

Back at the room, not only did we have our final towel animal:

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2855.jpg


But also Sam’s Pillowcase was delivered.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2856-1.jpg


Now, to be honest, the pillowcase was an afterthought for us, and we had forgotten about it during the cruise.
That pillowcase is her favorite souvenir from our trip. Maybe because it was such a surprise and such a unique and personalized item.


We packed up, and I labeled the luggage.

On the way to Disney Dreams, Sam spotted the vacuum cleaner she liked so much and made me take a picture of it.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2854.jpg

Before DD we visited the human cattle car known as the gift shops.
Honestly, DCL needs to expand the size, reduce the inventory, or expand the operating hours of the gift shops.
It was so crowded, that while we were in there, there were 2 “Lost Child” alerts.
Oh and just one more thing, if you are a “Pin Person”, please be aware that others on the ship might want to look at the pins too, or maybe even walk by them.
I wanted to get my Mother a pin. It took me 15 minutes just to get near them.

I did not have a pleasurable shopping experience on the Wonder.
Now that I think of it though, I really didn’t need to spend more $.
Maybe I should thank DCL?

Fortuitously, there is a bar right outside the shops that put things in perspective for me.

DD was another well executed performance that tugged at the heartstrings
Samantha was, once again, mesmerized by the whole show, and kept asking over and over, how the characters “flew”. I tried the whole “pixie dust” and “Disney magic” response, but she was determined to know the REAL story.
I think she got big Santa doubts too.

Cheryll was exhausted and wanted to finish packing up.
Samantha and I went to the “Till We Meet Again” Character round up.
We had a lot of fun, and Sam got some very special one on one interaction.

She even got to talk to Peter Pan and ask him how he flew.
He told her it was Pixie Dust.
She then said, My Dad told me that lie too.
Then she hugged him.
(I did explain to her how it was actually done, btw)

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2858.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2857.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2859.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2862.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2861.jpg

The show ended with Christian lining all the characters up in front of Triton’s and up the staircases. They sang the ending to the Mickey Mouse Club, dropped some glittery confetti (a lot of which affixed itself to Christian’s shaved head), and said good bye to the characters one by one.

The Train to Blubber Town arrived along with the Blubber Town Airways 747, the Blubber Town shuttle bus, the Blubber Town Submarine fleet, and the Blubber Town Gryphon and Zeppelin Fleet (insider Geek reference) all at the exact same time and tears streamed down my face. Samantha grabbed my hand, and she was crying too.

Then Stitch tried to hide from Christian, and shook his butt at him.
Tears turned to laughter.
As we walked back to our room for one last night of sleep at sea, Sam looked at me and said, “Thanks for taking me on a cruise Dad. You’re the best Dad ever!”
She then hugged my waist and then ran off down the hallway toward our room.

I stopped in my tracks and made a mental note to remember that moment for as long I live.





Up Next The Conclusion

[tyedye]

Thanks for writing FF. Loved the pic of the vacuum cleaner. I wonder if I got one like that at home if my kids would want to vacuum?

“Thanks for taking me on a cruise Dad. You’re the best Dad ever!”

That's so sweet and you made a mental note of that moment. You'll need to print out this trip report and maybe read it again when she turns into a teenager. Not that I'd know anything about teens, except that I was one at some point in my life but if was long enough ago that I don't remember it... or did I block it out of my memory?

Anyways when you little girl grows up too fast, re-read your trip report.

Thanks again for posting. popcorn::

[LITTLEKID58]

I loved your report.. and yes daughters do grow up fast....please print it you will want to remember it when she goes off on her own...

Liz

[Jennifer48]

Awwww so sad that this is almost over!! :sad1:

[grumpydude]

I can honestly say that between you, Grumpydude, and Sleepydog, I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. keep it up!
What are you doing writing over here Zell? :confused3 You should be concentrating on writing in your own trippie. A trippie that some people have been patiently waiting for you to complete. Hmmmm? I am not naming names or anything...but people have been asking. Just so you know.

[tjeagle]

Talk about Blubbertown Express.....I just actually sobbed out loud reading the end of your last post (you know....it was like the dreaded escaped snort when laughing!!)

My son ran in to see if I was okay! I said no baby...mommy's story is almost over and I am sad!! :sad2:

[suzij13]

I'm a newly all grown up daughter off at college for the first time. I just wanted to reasure you that we never stop needing our Daddies. I am now and always will be my Daddy's little girl. :love:

[Seahunt]

Chapter 8 Disney Dreams
On the way to Disney Dreams, Sam spotted the vacuum cleaner she liked so much and made me take a picture of it.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2854.jpg



Be sure and tell Samantha that I took a picture of her vacuum cleaner's brother "Henry" on the Navigator of the Seas! :teeth:

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q177/seahunt_2006/DCP_0298.jpg

[APinCA]

[QUOTE=FatherForce]Chapter 8 Disney Dreams

“Thanks for taking me on a cruise Dad. You’re the best Dad ever!”


Are you listening Sleepydog?

[FatherForce]

oohhhh, THAT'S Cold.

[pppiglet]

[QUOTE=FatherForce]Chapter 8 Disney Dreams

“Thanks for taking me on a cruise Dad. You’re the best Dad ever!”


Are you listening Sleepydog?

oohhhh, THAT'S Cold.

But somehow funny at the same time! :rotfl:

[Ski-and-Sea]

[QUOTE=FatherForce]Chapter 8 Disney Dreams

“Thanks for taking me on a cruise Dad. You’re the best Dad ever!”


Are you listening Sleepydog?

I am so glad I had just swallowed what I was eating when I read that..... :rotfl:

touche

[curlybop]

No, no, no.......it just can't be over yet. Noooooooo!!

The ending to that post is so incredibly sweet. :cloud9:

[FatherForce]

The Conclusion

The month of October greeted us with a harsh reality.
I woke up, went to the verandah and looked out onto….a parking lot.
We were back in Port Canaveral.
As excited as I was to see Port Canaveral when we had first arrived only 3 days earlier, I was even more depressed to be back.

There isn’t a lot to report from this morning.
We all just got up and dressed in the clothes we’d saved from last night’s packing frenzy.
Double and tripled checked the room.

We walked without talking up to the Beach Blanket Bingo Bonanza Buffet. (Of course, we skipped our 6:30 breakfast seating at Parrot Cay. I hope our serving team was not too upset.)

We had a light breakfast, and then we got in line to leave.

The debarking was a bit frenetic, but the Captain and Christian our Cruise Director were there to say “See You Real Soon.”

I was so very sad.
(I’m even sad now writing about it over a month later)

The scene on the first floor of the terminal where you pick up your luggage was like the burning of Atlanta scene from Gone with the Wind. Suitcases scattered everywhere, while disoriented folks wandered aimlessly searching for their bags.
I was lucky enough to catch a porter, and folks, I CAN NOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH: use the porters working the room.
He got our luggage quickly (even the bag I had put the WRONG room # on) and worked us quickly through the line and customs.
He then took us right to the car (by the white awning), and helped me load it up.
He talked a lot, but honestly, I didn’t listen real well. I was just so grateful for someone to take care of everything.
I tipped him real well, and just like that, we were pulling out of Port Canaveral.

On the way to the airport, we talked little. Sam napped.
We were just exhausted, and spent.

I was amazed that I still had cash in my pocket too.

We had a nifty 5 hour wait in the Orlando Airport which meant we spent a lot of time in the Disney store. I got a commemorative Apollo 13 shirt in the Space Center shop.
As we waited by the gate I watched some football and read about the Foley scandal which was now erupting. I had been completely cut off from my news fix for 7 days, and now I resumed my addiction. I had a beer (and for those worried it was the last alcoholic beverage I’ve had since. I don’t normally drink like I do on vacation. Ok, I had some hard cider on Halloween. Sue Me).

By 7 that night I was driving down Indiana 37 toward home.

It was over.
No fanfare.
No celebration.
Over.

I have edited the hours of video, cleaned up the pictures, and wrote these remarkably long TRs.

In many ways, I do not want to finish this report.
Reliving that amazing week has been a panacea for the ills of the work and the world.
Forging camaraderie with SleepyDog after the fact has been nice too.
We have since discussed his family and mine cruising together in 08.
You’re invited too.
Imagine a cruise with everyone who has been reading his and my Rs.
(Shudder)

To all of you have followed and supported this incredibly overwrought tale, I say thanks. I even say thanks to those who wrote me to tell me they didn’t like my politics or parenting style.


Thanks to Nanci from Magical Journeys for wading through my family’s eccentricities and putting this awesome vacation together for us.

Thanks to those of you who have written TRs before me, especially Royal Vizier, GrumpyDude, LexMelinda, LilyGator, and of course Zweihund.

Thanks to my Cruise Mates including MomSully, Fallon, and of course, SleepyDog and Doc. Sleepy’s talent and humor forced me to attempt to step up my game. And as an aside, my TR may not have been as good as his, but I did finish before him!

Also due thanks (why is this like and Academy Award speech? I keep expecting to hear the orchestra trying to play me off) is the fantastic CMs of WDW and the Wilderness Lodge and the overwhelming awesome crew of the Disney Wonder.

Of course, the real thanks go to my Mom and family especially my lovely and understanding wife, Cheryll, and the best thing to ever happen to me: my daughter Samantha.

Until the next time, See You Real Soon.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2702.jpg

[LITTLEKID58]

Thank you so much for your report... :guilty: :guilty: I love reading it so much...

[Bethipooh4]

I am so sorry our adventure is over(ok it was YOUR trip, but I felt like I was there).

What a truly magical trip you shared with us! Thank you so much.

[Blythep]

Thanks for a great TR - only 206 days till our cruise. Although I know that I could never write anything like yours. So sad its over. :guilty:

[FatherForce]

Thanks for a great TR - only 206 days till our cruise. Although I know that I could never write anything like yours. So sad its over. :guilty:

Sure you could.
Just obsess about it for weeks and ignore all your other responsibilities!
:thumbsup2

[zweihund]

It was over.
No fanfare.
No celebration.
Over.


That was the hardest part for us after our cruises....going back to real life is hard and cruel!

Thanks to those of you who have written TRs before me, especially Royal Vizier, GrumpyDude, LexMelinda, LilyGator, and of course Zweihund.

You are MOST welcome, and thank you. It was a pleasure to read.

[Ski-and-Sea]

Bravo FatherForce. Well done.

It is downright depressing at the end of the trip to wake up and you're back in Port Canaveral. Its like returning from Neverland.

These trip reports have kept my sanity while we're all waiting for the release of the summer of '08 itineraries.

[tamim]

BRAVO :) Your TR's have been inspirational. Thank you! I can only hope our trip in 10 months will be as memorable! :sunny:

[BarbP]

Thanks FatherForce,

I Loved your report. Sorry that it hd to end. We are looking forward to our WONDERful cruise on the 14th of Jan. Thanks again for making me laugh and making me feel sad. You truly are a remarkable writer.

[DisneyZell]

What are you doing writing over here Zell? :confused3 You should be concentrating on writing in your own trippie. A trippie that some people have been patiently waiting for you to complete. Hmmmm? I am not naming names or anything...but people have been asking. Just so you know.

I know, I know, but with all this entertainment, who can concentrate. and now the digs on sleepydog too...whoa!

[DisneyZell]

[QUOTE=FatherForce]The Conclusion

Forging camaraderie with SleepyDog after the fact has been nice too.
We have since discussed his family and mine cruising together in 08.
You’re invited too.
Imagine a cruise with everyone who has been reading his and my Rs.
(Shudder)

we are definately going in 08 as well, we don't know when yet (if they would release the $#&$#*@$%&%$#%*@#$*#@$&#@%& itineraries, not that I'm angry, I'm just sayin... :furious: ) Let us know when you go, that could be interesting. or perhaps scary...or perhaps DCL wouldn't be up for that....

Anyway, thanks so much for writing, your TR was awesome, I stand in awe of your ability to spin a yarn. :worship:

Hope your video turned out well, that will be my next big task (ok, ok, after I finish MY TR!)

have a good one!

[pppiglet]

Great report! Sorry it's over, but now I can quit obsessing over the computer and all these reports to keep up with!

[JDBlair]

:thumbsup2
Not sure I'm ready for this to be over!
I guess it's good Dog is still dragging his on.... :rolleyes:

[sleepydog25]

[QUOTE=FatherForce]Chapter 8 Disney Dreams

“Thanks for taking me on a cruise Dad. You’re the best Dad ever!”


Are you listening Sleepydog?:tiptoe: I just couldn't sneak by, could I? Ouch. I have got to get my own daughter to come up with a good quote like that. . .I'm going to wake her up right now! "Princess!! Ohhhh, Princess! Wake u-u-u-ppp! Daddy ne-e-e-e-ds you. . ." ;)

[sleepydog25]

The Conclusion

The month of October greeted us with a harsh reality.
I woke up, went to the verandah and looked out onto….a parking lot.
We were back in Port Canaveral.
As excited as I was to see Port Canaveral when we had first arrived only 3 days earlier, I was even more depressed to be back.

There isn’t a lot to report from this morning.
We all just got up and dressed in the clothes we’d saved from last night’s packing frenzy.
Double and tripled checked the room.

We walked without talking up to the Beach Blanket Bingo Bonanza Buffet. (Of course, we skipped our 6:30 breakfast seating at Parrot Cay. I hope our serving team was not too upset.)

We had a light breakfast, and then we got in line to leave.

The debarking was a bit frenetic, but the Captain and Christian our Cruise Director were there to say “See You Real Soon.”

I was so very sad.
(I’m even sad now writing about it over a month later)

The scene on the first floor of the terminal where you pick up your luggage was like the burning of Atlanta scene from Gone with the Wind. Suitcases scattered everywhere, while disoriented folks wandered aimlessly searching for their bags.
I was lucky enough to catch a porter, and folks, I CAN NOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH: use the porters working the room.
He got our luggage quickly (even the bag I had put the WRONG room # on) and worked us quickly through the line and customs.
He then took us right to the car (by the white awning), and helped me load it up.
He talked a lot, but honestly, I didn’t listen real well. I was just so grateful for someone to take care of everything.
I tipped him real well, and just like that, we were pulling out of Port Canaveral.

On the way to the airport, we talked little. Sam napped.
We were just exhausted, and spent.

I was amazed that I still had cash in my pocket too.

We had a nifty 5 hour wait in the Orlando Airport which meant we spent a lot of time in the Disney store. I got a commemorative Apollo 13 shirt in the Space Center shop.
As we waited by the gate I watched some football and read about the Foley scandal which was now erupting. I had been completely cut off from my news fix for 7 days, and now I resumed my addiction. I had a beer (and for those worried it was the last alcoholic beverage I’ve had since. I don’t normally drink like I do on vacation. Ok, I had some hard cider on Halloween. Sue Me).

By 7 that night I was driving down Indiana 37 toward home.

It was over.
No fanfare.
No celebration.
Over.

I have edited the hours of video, cleaned up the pictures, and wrote these remarkably long TRs.

In many ways, I do not want to finish this report.
Reliving that amazing week has been a panacea for the ills of the work and the world.
Forging camaraderie with SleepyDog after the fact has been nice too.
We have since discussed his family and mine cruising together in 08.
You’re invited too.
Imagine a cruise with everyone who has been reading his and my Rs.
(Shudder)

To all of you have followed and supported this incredibly overwrought tale, I say thanks. I even say thanks to those who wrote me to tell me they didn’t like my politics or parenting style.


Thanks to Nanci from Magical Journeys for wading through my family’s eccentricities and putting this awesome vacation together for us.

Thanks to those of you who have written TRs before me, especially Royal Vizier, GrumpyDude, LexMelinda, LilyGator, and of course Zweihund.

Thanks to my Cruise Mates including MomSully, Fallon, and of course, SleepyDog and Doc. Sleepy’s talent and humor forced me to attempt to step up my game. And as an aside, my TR may not have been as good as his, but I did finish before him!

Also due thanks (why is this like and Academy Award speech? I keep expecting to hear the orchestra trying to play me off) is the fantastic CMs of WDW and the Wilderness Lodge and the overwhelming awesome crew of the Disney Wonder.

Of course, the real thanks go to my Mom and family especially my lovely and understanding wife, Cheryll, and the best thing to ever happen to me: my daughter Samantha.

Until the next time, See You Real Soon.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/WDW06/DSCN2702.jpgWell, thanks, FF. . .I just joined the Blubber Express. Do you have frequent traveler miles?

Lyrically done, my friend. You are pithy, witty, and most of all, a wonderfully compassionate observer of the details that make us tick. Somehow, some time, we have got to find a way to sit down and enjoy a beer or two. Yes, I drink beer, too. ;) Your TR has been exceptional--thank you. And thanks for the wonderful memories. . .let's plan on making more of them.

[FatherForce]

Somehow, some time, we have got to find a way to sit down and enjoy a beer or two. Yes, I drink beer, too. ;)

It would be my pleasure.
Unless, of course, it's in the shower.

[zweihund]

Somehow, some time, we have got to find a way to sit down and enjoy a beer or two. Yes, I drink beer, too.

It would be my pleasure.
Unless, of course, it's in the shower.

:confused3 :listen: :rotfl:

[sleepydog25]

Originally Posted by sleepydog25


Somehow, some time, we have got to find a way to sit down and enjoy a beer or two. Yes, I drink beer, too. ;)


It would be my pleasure.
Unless, of course, it's in the shower.

__________________
FatherForce


I have a feminine side. . .just not THAT much of one. . .

[HookedonMagic]

Thanks for the WONDERful TR, Father Force! Great details, excellent humor, really enjoyable to read. :cheer2: Sounds like you and your girls enjoyed a really terrific WDW/DCL vacation! :wizard:

[curlybop]

Thanks for such a great trip report. I have been so entertained! :teeth:

[callisa]

Okay,

I don't know you, you live half a country away from me in a city I visited once and stayed in a cheap motel, where I found a cockroach in my bed (got the room at 1/2 price, score!) but I cried, yes teared up at the office after reading your trip report.

You have to love a man who loves the women in his life so much.

And please, take the trip with SleepyDog, write about it and tour the country speaking of your exploits -- I'll be in the front rowwwwww.

Lisa

[FatherForce]

Okay,
I'll be in the front rowwwwww.

Lisa

Is that a Bob Eucher reference?

If so: :thumbsup2

Thanks to all for the kind words

[Off2Nvrlnd]

Loved your TR and trying not to cry at work. I can only imagine the last night and how sad it's going to be. I'm leaving tonight to experience this myself for the first time. I will be boarding the Wonder on Sunday and can feel the pixiedust: already. There was no traffic this morning, my Starbucks was free (my grocery store offers a frequent buyer card), I was on time, all the lights were green...and I could go on. You also made my day by mentioning there's a Disney Store in the airport. Something to do when I arrive the day before and stay at the Hyatt. Youv'e inspired me and I just may have to do my own TR when I get back. Thanks Father Force.

[grumpydude]

You also made my day by mentioning there's a Disney Store in the airport. Something to do when I arrive the day before and stay at the Hyatt. Youv'e inspired me and I just may have to do my own TR when I get back. Thanks Father Force.
There are two Disney Stores in the airport...and take notes for your report.


Father Force, I commend you. Outstanding. Magnificent. Thanks for sharing your trip.
Now I must go bug Sleepy

[Jillpie]

Oh no, is it really, really over?? Say it isn't so. :guilty:
I loved every word. Thank you so much for taking the time to share it all with us, humor and all. Awesome job!!!! :)

[DisneyZell]

Bumping this up to the top. if you haven't had a chance to read this you should. you will get your groove on! :thumbsup2

[firstmickey]

Sleepy sent me here to read this....and I'm glad he did!
(I was happy to see this one was finished at least) :rolleyes1

Great report! Laugh out loud funny and it was fun to see how the two trip reports intertwined with the banter back and forth.

You have a beautiful family....thanks for sharing! :teeth:

[Disneygrl36]

Yet again I am late to the party.........but here I am along for the ride. I really enjoyed your WDW portion so I am now off to :sail: with ya too!!!

[Disneygrl36]

opps..........

[Disneygrl36]

Chapter 8 Disney Dreams


The Train to Blubber Town arrived along with the Blubber Town Airways 747, the Blubber Town shuttle bus, the Blubber Town Submarine fleet, and the Blubber Town Gryphon and Zeppelin Fleet (insider Geek reference) all at the exact same time and tears streamed down my face. Samantha grabbed my hand, and she was crying too.

Then Stitch tried to hide from Christian, and shook his butt at him.
Tears turned to laughter.
As we walked back to our room for one last night of sleep at sea, Sam looked at me and said, “Thanks for taking me on a cruise Dad. You’re the best Dad ever!”
She then hugged my waist and then ran off down the hallway toward our room.

I stopped in my tracks and made a mental note to remember that moment for as long I live.





Up Next The Conclusion

Ok that right there did me in........... :sad:
That says it all. I don't have a Princess to share it with but I am fast forwarding to the last night of my upcoming cruise & knowing that I will be joining you on the Blubbertown express at that Goodbye show. Me & my sappy self will be :sad: for sure, ps.....bet my sappy hubby will be :sad: too!!

AWESOME TRIPPIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!YOU ROCK FATHERFORCE.

[FatherForce]

Thank you Melanie.

I don't know if rock, but I do roll.

[itgirl1002]

Hello FatherForce.

Just wanted to say thanks for sharing the TR with us! My husband and I are sailing on the 12/07 3 day wonder, and I am preparing myself now by reading everyone's TR's.

I know how you felt about the end of the cruise show. My son and I sailed on a 7 night Eastern sailing in June of '04, and that last night when the have all of the kids in the theater, it was great! When Mickey came in, thier little faces were lit with so much excitement. I was blubbering like an idiot - and trying to hide it until they did sign language for the M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E part. That was it, I was a goner!

Anyway, thanks again, and we just might cruise *with* the kids in '08!

[LCTsMom]

Amazing trip report FatherForce! Thanks for sharing your stories and pictures! Hope to meet you and SleepyDog in 2008, it'd be a blast!

Stay well and keep posting!! :grouphug:

[MommaForce]

Okay - I love my husband, but there a just a few FEW things I must clarify about his cruise report.
1 - The matching outfits? This is probably going to be the 4th year in a row that we use a picture taken of us in those outfits as the cover for our xmas/holiday (pc correct at all times) cards. Seriously. And see those shorts? They MATCH. I HAD to get them, and the only way you can tell that they match is if you look at the tag or one very small cargo pocket which has a little blue MM embroidered on it that matches the MM on our outfits. And I just wash our dresses, he sends his shirt to the CLEANERS, that's right - the cleaners. He has his shirt laundered expensively and by a PROFESSIONAL. He LOVES that shirt, he would have blubbered had it blown off the balcony on the cruise.

[MommaForce]

okay - maybe he doesn't LOVE that shirt, he only wears it on vacation when I ask him to, but still. And yes, I am a very lucky gal. Next post will be to make some clarifications regarding that Rasul experience we had.

[DisneyZell]

wow, and I thought my DW was feisty! Love it! adding a little intrigue to the story. FF, you should change the title of this one to "complete, but with some minor corrections coming from DW"! :rotfl2:

[MommaForce]

FF doesn't know I am setting some records straight.
I have the utmost confidence he will figure it out soon, very soon.

[FatherForce]

My lovely and charming wife sometimes doesn't appreciate the subtle nuances to telling a story.

Sometimes you leave stuff out or use flowery prose to enhance a moment.

I am more than a bit concerened about what she's going to add to the Rasul though...

[firstmickey]

OMG...this is gonna be good! popcorn:: :teeth: :rotfl:

[MommaForce]

Setting the record straight #2
First let me thank Zweihund for her TR about the Rasul - very helpful and funny.
Second - yes Dog and Doc were there, and I was a teeny bit embarrased but hey, like FF said, we are mommies and daddies who love each other very much.....VERY VERY much.

Okay - here goes.......
Here's what REALLY happened.
NO NOT THAT - you people are perverts. Here's the stuff I can tell you about that FF may have FORGOTTEN TO MENTION. Dum dum dum...

Those damn blue plastic shoes. Are you FLIPPIN' kidding me? Zweihund didn't even come close to giving a truly accurate description of the pain they would invoke. I don't have huge feet, it has been said of me that for my size I have freakishly small feet (I will always take that as a compliment, even though I know that in there, somewhere, someone has just delivered me an insult!) These things were invented for a very small oriental woman to wear. Seriously. My toes didn't even come close to coming out the end past the strap, therefore rendering my heel to hang off the back "lip" by at least an inch. FRICKIN OUCH. And then they had these "massage-torture" little bumps all over the sole of them they caused sooooo much pain, every step was "ouch, ow, owiee, yikes, ouch again" and that was just my left foot.
Anyhoo....arrive at destination making sure to clutch tightly closed that robe they give ya, HEY SPA PEOPLE - THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS "ONE SIZE FITS ALL". Especially if those persons are AMERICANS ON A CRUISE!! There my wonderful hubby is, experiencing the same foot and robe discomfort, but, love him to death, he has his swim trunks on. I have never been so proud of him. I really do love him, but at least he had the foresight to make sure that everyone he encountered from the dressing room to the Rasul room didn't see why mommies love daddies very much.
In we go with ginsu cheeks (he was right about that for sure) and she begins to explain the product.

MommaRant-when and why did they start calling this stuff "product"? And you can't even pluralize it. Let me put some product in your hair. Here is the product you will being using while in the Rasul. Let me sell you some product. Weird. Yes we all know someone "produced" the gels, ointments and unguents, but just call a spade a spade. Here is some gel-like crap that is going to make your hair very brittle that you will pay a butt-load for just to have to wash out tomorrow.

Sorry, I'm back.

So she explained the product. There was like 20 of them, but some of them were the same stuff only smelled different, and like Zweihund told us, we tried really really hard to remember the order, etc. But has FF mentioned that maybe, just maybe, we had already started our daily drinking regimin for the day? Well, we had. So we forgot it all.

And we did put stuff on each other. But the macabre-looking device? Has he never had to shower in junior high with one of those poles with 4 shower heads and no curtains. Just the big shower pipe in the middle of the tile covered floor. Sheesh. Really folks, that is all it was, only it only had 3 shower heads, but for each "station" there were 3 shower heads up and down. And they weren't really shower heads they were the STEAM heads. He's a goober.

So we go in there (Turkish Spa Room) and the steam starts coming out - FROM THE VERY BOTTOM NOZZLES. RIGHT AT YOUR FEET, YOUR FEET THAT YOU HAVE TAKEN THOSE DANG SLIDES OFF OF. SH*T that's hot. Run, don't walk back out and get those slides - seriously. Soon you can't see, but then you can, but we figured out that MommaForce can go out the door and push the button and make it start all over again.

Now FF says HE noticed bench numero 3 across from me first, but I was the one who said, when we were able to see again, HEY, why are there 3 benches in here? And FF says "well, the brochure did say $88 for up to 3 people" My brain went into overload "WHAT - NO WAY! 3 PEOPLE DOING RASUL - TOGETHER, AT THE SAME TIME, WITH PRODUCT? GROSS." More steam came, could not see creepy 3-way bench numbero 3 anymore, will not think about it.

And now comes the really important thing that FF forgot to tell you, but you'll have to wait just a bit for it. We made another important discovery: by our benches were 4 showerheads like the water spigots at some sinks that you press and water comes out for like 10 seconds. 2 aim at the top of your head and the other 2 aim at your torso, mid-section, whatever you call that middle place of your body. So I looked at one of mine, and I pushed it. Oooooh, nice cool water, not cold, very refreshing. Not bad, not bad at all, can live with this. Tell FF about it, he presses his, he likey too. So we are steaming and pressing those cool water buttons, and steaming, well you get it, when FF reaches down and goes "hey,what is this??" and he picks it up and he turns the spigot and he FREAKIN' HOSES ME WITH ICE COLD WATER FROM A REAL HOSE LAYING ALONG THE FLOOR. WELL FOLKS, WHEN ON A BOAT - CUSS LIKE A SAILOR!!!! I could not believe he did that, and I said (loudly) - "HEY, I don't think that is for people to use, I think it is for the spa people to wash all our "product" away from inside the spa YOU IDIOT"

MEN READING THIS - MommaForce TIP #1- women, especially wives do NOT, I repeat do NOT, like to be splashed, let alone HOSED with ice cold water. We do not mind getting wet, we actually do it on a daily basis, BUT ON OUR OWN TERMS. HELLOOOOOOOOO. People out there may respond freely to this little incident FF so conveniently forgot to mention!!!

I got over it, he felt bad (BETTER HAD), he rubbed more smelly product on me, he became uncongested, we stayed in much longer that we were supposed to, a good time was had by all and we were both ready to Party.
Woo Hoo - more drinks please!

[Jennifer48]

Bravo MommaForce! :woohoo: :drinking1

[sleepydog25]

Setting the record straight #2
First let me thank Zweihund for her TR about the Rasul - very helpful and funny.
Second - yes Dog and Doc were there, and I was a teeny bit embarrased but hey, like FF said, we are mommies and daddies who love each other very much.....VERY VERY much.

Okay - here goes.......
Here's what REALLY happened.
NO NOT THAT - you people are perverts. Here's the stuff I can tell you about that FF may have FORGOTTEN TO MENTION. Dum dum dum...

Those damn blue plastic shoes. Are you FLIPPIN' kidding me? Zweihund didn't even come close to giving a truly accurate description of the pain they would invoke. I don't have huge feet, it has been said of me that for my size I have freakishly small feet (I will always take that as a compliment, even though I know that in there, somewhere, someone has just delivered me an insult!) These things were invented for a very small oriental woman to wear. Seriously. My toes didn't even come close to coming out the end past the strap, therefore rendering my heel to hang off the back "lip" by at least an inch. FRICKIN OUCH. And then they had these "massage-torture" little bumps all over the sole of them they caused sooooo much pain, every step was "ouch, ow, owiee, yikes, ouch again" and that was just my left foot.
Anyhoo....arrive at destination making sure to clutch tightly closed that robe they give ya, HEY SPA PEOPLE - THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS "ONE SIZE FITS ALL". Especially if those persons are AMERICANS ON A CRUISE!! There my wonderful hubby is, experiencing the same foot and robe discomfort, but, love him to death, he has his swim trunks on. I have never been so proud of him. I really do love him, but at least he had the foresight to make sure that everyone he encountered from the dressing room to the Rasul room didn't see why mommies love daddies very much.
In we go with ginsu cheeks (he was right about that for sure) and she begins to explain the product.

MommaRant-when and why did they start calling this stuff "product"? And you can't even pluralize it. Let me put some product in your hair. Here is the product you will being using while in the Rasul. Let me sell you some product. Weird. Yes we all know someone "produced" the gels, ointments and unguents, but just call a spade a spade. Here is some gel-like crap that is going to make your hair very brittle that you will pay a butt-load for just to have to wash out tomorrow.

Sorry, I'm back.

So she explained the product. There was like 20 of them, but some of them were the same stuff only smelled different, and like Zweihund told us, we tried really really hard to remember the order, etc. But has FF mentioned that maybe, just maybe, we had already started our daily drinking regimin for the day? Well, we had. So we forgot it all.

And we did put stuff on each other. But the macabre-looking device? Has he never had to shower in junior high with one of those poles with 4 shower heads and no curtains. Just the big shower pipe in the middle of the tile covered floor. Sheesh. Really folks, that is all it was, only it only had 3 shower heads, but for each "station" there were 3 shower heads up and down. And they weren't really shower heads they were the STEAM heads. He's a goober.

So we go in there (Turkish Spa Room) and the steam starts coming out - FROM THE VERY BOTTOM NOZZLES. RIGHT AT YOUR FEET, YOUR FEET THAT YOU HAVE TAKEN THOSE DANG SLIDES OFF OF. SH*T that's hot. Run, don't walk back out and get those slides - seriously. Soon you can't see, but then you can, but we figured out that MommaForce can go out the door and push the button and make it start all over again.

Now FF says HE noticed bench numero 3 across from me first, but I was the one who said, when we were able to see again, HEY, why are there 3 benches in here? And FF says "well, the brochure did say $88 for up to 3 people" My brain went into overload "WHAT - NO WAY! 3 PEOPLE DOING RASUL - TOGETHER, AT THE SAME TIME, WITH PRODUCT? GROSS." More steam came, could not see creepy 3-way bench numbero 3 anymore, will not think about it.

And now comes the really important thing that FF forgot to tell you, but you'll have to wait just a bit for it. We made another important discovery: by our benches were 4 showerheads like the water spigots at some sinks that you press and water comes out for like 10 seconds. 2 aim at the top of your head and the other 2 aim at your torso, mid-section, whatever you call that middle place of your body. So I looked at one of mine, and I pushed it. Oooooh, nice cool water, not cold, very refreshing. Not bad, not bad at all, can live with this. Tell FF about it, he presses his, he likey too. So we are steaming and pressing those cool water buttons, and steaming, well you get it, when FF reaches down and goes "hey,what is this??" and he picks it up and he turns the spigot and he FREAKIN' HOSES ME WITH ICE COLD WATER FROM A REAL HOSE LAYING ALONG THE FLOOR. WELL FOLKS, WHEN ON A BOAT - CUSS LIKE A SAILOR!!!! I could not believe he did that, and I said (loudly) - "HEY, I don't think that is for people to use, I think it is for the spa people to wash all our "product" away from inside the spa YOU IDIOT"

MEN READING THIS - MommaForce TIP #1- women, especially wives do NOT, I repeat do NOT, like to be splashed, let alone HOSED with ice cold water. We do not mind getting wet, we actually do it on a daily basis, BUT ON OUR OWN TERMS. HELLOOOOOOOOO. People out there may respond freely to this little incident FF so conveniently forgot to mention!!!

I got over it, he felt bad (BETTER HAD), he rubbed more smelly product on me, he became uncongested, we stayed in much longer that we were supposed to, a good time was had by all and we were both ready to Party.
Woo Hoo - more drinks please!Dear God:
Please do not let Doc see this. She will get ideas.
Thanks.
Sleepy

[Disneygrl36]

Love the additions by Mommaforce :rotfl2:. Gotta get both sides to the story.
Note to self........if I write a trippie.......don't tell DH so he cannot come & comment (rat me out).

[DocLovesDis]

SleepyDog:Dear God:
Please do not let Doc see this. She will get ideas.
Thanks.
Sleepy
TOO LATE, honey :rolleyes:


MotherForce - Great clarification. What would our husbands do without us? ;)

[zweihund]

MamaForce,

First let me open by saying :rotfl: and then :lmao: and then :rotfl2: :rotfl2: :rotfl2: :rotfl2: :rotfl2: !!!

:thumbsup2

[Ski-and-Sea]

Mamaforce.....don't stop there!!!!

We want your version of the whole trip!!!!!

[APinCA]

MommaForce,

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

I was so sad when FF was finished :sad2: . And sooo happy to see the story continue! :yay: Please feel free to give your side of the whole trip! popcorn::

Rasul question: Would you do it again?

[firstmickey]

MommaForce,

Rasul question: Would you do it again?



I bet she says yes ....as long as that hose doesn't reappear! ;) :teeth: :rotfl:


Too Funny MommaForce! :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

[FatherForce]

Oh, she's a laugh riot!

Honestly, it makes me happy that I've sucked her into the black hole of TRs as well.

And just to clarify: I had completely forgoten about the hose incident!

Apparently, she hadn't.

[sleepydog25]

Oh, she's a laugh riot!

Honestly, it makes me happy that I've sucked her into the black hole of TRs as well.

And just to clarify: I had completely forgoten about the hose incident!

Apparently, she hadn't.They never forget. Your 85th birthday party roast will start something like this: "FatherForce and I have been married many years, but I'll never forget that time he doused me with cold water on that Disney cruise. . .and that came after he had a Showerbeer."

[ldeninge]

subscribing :goodvibes

[MommaForce]

I bet she says yes ....as long as that hose doesn't reappear!



I had a major Bevis and Butthead moment with the above sentence.


Uh, this is FatherForce btw.
Seems I didn't realize the Missus was signed on.

[FatherForce]

I don't know how to tell you all this but.....MommaForce is writing a complete trip report from her perspective.

:scared1:

Expect it done by St Patrick's Day, which will still be 4 weeks before SleepyDog finishes his.

:rolleyes1

[APinCA]

I don't know how to tell you all this but.....MommaForce is writing a complete trip report from her perspective.

:scared1:


:jumping1: :thanks:

Expect it done by St Patrick's Day, which will still be 4 weeks before SleepyDog finishes his.

:rolleyes1

:rotfl2:

[MommaForce]

when he calls me "the missus"
You didn't really drink that last beer coming up in just a few minutes!

[FatherForce]

For some reason, MommaForce can't post this installment.
She gets an error message.
So, against my better judgement, I'll post it for her.


You didn’t really drink that last beer did you?

Clarification continued:

First off – for all you out there reading this and wondering about all those “missing drinks” that FF continues to mention on the cruise - Let me just say this: read his TR about our DW part of the trip, in particular the LAST NIGHT. And also remember the now “infamous” showerbeer scene. That’s all I’m sayin’ is all. I have to live with RasulMan/Showerbeer man, and if every once in a while he leaves with a drink on the table and my glass is empty – I cannot be held accountable (and I’m an accountant!!) – (RasulMan – this goes for at home too!!)

So – we are up, we are on our way. Justin is at the airport – my hopes are that he doesn’t fall back asleep and miss his boarding call – can’t do everything for them, you know. He’s 24 now and I have to just pray I don’t get THAT call on my cell phone. We head towards the ocean. I must again agree with FF, when you pull up towards the terminal and get that first glimpse of the Wonder – it is truly awe inspiring. Totally amazing. I don’t care how many TR’s you have read, you have to experience it for yourself in order to truly appreciate it – which we did – in abundance.

So we pull up to what I will now refer to as the come in (smiles)/get out (scowls) area. Many people meandering about. (I think what tricked us was that most of them seemed happy!). Good. Pull over (not much traffic), unload rental car. Still good. RUDE AWAKENING – these are departing people, NOT arriving people. Why the F are they so happy??? They are supposed to be sobbing – that would have tipped us off! Seriously – I read in the Dis boards that some people tried to figure out a way to hide on the boat forever (not mentioning any names – but you know who you are!). What to do, what to do? Okay, look, we are from Indiana. I don’t know where whoever is reading this is from, but in Indiana, we don’t do things twice and especially not thrice. Once your luggage is unloaded, it stays unloaded. It’s like “what’s given is given”, and “if momma’s unhappy everyone is unhappy” and “once the cheesecake is gone, it’s gone”. (I sorta made that last one up, think it will catch on???) Anyway – FF decided that the best plan of action is for MommaForce and WeeForce (aw, I made a cutesy) to stay with said luggage while he parks the rental car. Okay by me, what else I got to do at this hour? So we did. And he walked down the sidewalk a bit, and started talking to some CM about who knows what. I, meantime, was talking to some ingrate (actually she was very nice) who just came back from a 10 DAY FLIPPIN DISNEY CRUISE (you gotta lotta nerve honey) yeah, yeah, this is a 4 day cruise – yeah yeah blah blah – keep it to yourself (actually, it was very interesting). I CAN’T EVEN IMAGINE – AN IMAGINEER COULDN’T FORCE ME TO IMAGINE - A 10 DAY DISNEY CRUISE. But I digress slightly. So here MF and WF sit with the luggage and FF is having a nice chat with some CM. He runs back to the rental car and drives the 50 feet up to previously mentioned CM and the guy GETS IN THE CAR!!!!!! HUH? WHAT??? What is up with that? Is this some dis board thing FF forgot to fill me in on? Are they running away together? Did FF forget to pay for the cruise and not find a way to tell me? Does that guy have a gun? And off they go.

HELLO???? What is going on? This is so weird. (This is an aside – not an actual “digression” – we have weird stuff happen to us all the time, and I mean ALL the time – but this was REALLY weird!) So here I am pondering this weirdness and listening to Ms. Ingrate’s wonderful stories about her cruise (blah blah blah blah more money than you’ll ever be able to afford blah blah blah you would not have believed the weather blah blah blah bought this pearl thing and this expensive blah blah blah) when here come FF and “gun guy” BACK to the come in/get out area. He drops gun guy off (note to self – guess I have to give him a different new nickname) and off FF goes again towards the parking lot. WHAT THE???? I mean REALLY – what is going on??? THEN…suddenly – the gate where you give your luggage to a porter opens RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. LITERALLY. First in line – that is my absolute favorite place in line (not making that up). So off goes the luggage. Woo Hoo. And now I realize that FF left me and WeeForce to take care of luggage so MommaForce would have to TIP THE PORTER. B*stard, sneaky, cheap, brainiac B*stard. He knows his stuff. So we are standing there, luggage-less. Wondering about this whole taking a CM for a short trip around the block (so to speak). When I see that the entrance gates have opened up AND WE ARE NOT FIRST IN LINE. OMG. Well, that is not good, not good at all. So I look down at Sam (WF) and say – MOVE IT MOVE IT MOVE IT. (not making that up, can’t make that stuff up). And we head towards the gate.

Digression #1
I am going to let you in on a secret…..I walk fast. Really fast. FF will agree. I can’t help it. The only time in my life that I was slow was when I was pregnant with Sam, and she’s been slowing me down ever since. For real. Because she dawdles. No, that is incorrect. She DAWDLES – all capital letters. Look it up in the dictionary – her picture is there. You should see our vacation videos (actually you should, FF does an AMAZING job. He uses fonts and music and things come in and then leave and there’s personal stuff only we would find entertaining) (is there such a thing as a digress within a digress??? What the heck would that even be called?? Sub-digression? Inter-Digression??? Is this a digression within a digression within a digression?? Is this a cunundrum???) Man can I digress!!! ANYHOO…..in our vacation videos, FF is taping and that speck way up there, well, that would be me. Seriously. Sometimes, when Sam can’t see me, she actually looks BEHIND her. COME ON I tell her, I will NEVER be behind you, I will ALWAYS be in front of you. I have been known to get to things like days before they happen, that’s how fast I walk. WHAT?? You think I’m exaggerating? SHUT-UP. I don’t even know you! Don’t talk about me that way – I’m just fast is all. All I know is that there is really important stuff way up there that we have to hurry up to get to and nothing right here is of any interest at all and that if we don’t get up there now we will miss that important and intriguing stuff and all this boring stuff right here is holding us back, so could everyone just PICK UP THE PACE just a little bit because this stuff is dumb and that stuff is really, really important and we must get to it as quickly as possible. Thank you.

And I’m back.
So I need for WeeForce to move it, so to speak, if I actually had made time to speak….Come on sweetie, little faster please, Move it along darling if you just could, just a wee bit more quickly pookie if that is possible, oh FOR THE LOVE OF…….COME ON, COME ON, COME ON……that line is getting longer and we are getting more and more not first in line……what in the world is so fascinating about that chain-link fence??? People - It is now when I do what I hate to have to do….I grab her little hand and I make her walk faster….people out there with children will know what I am talking about, the rest of you – get some kids. Seriously, you’ll find out, you’ll see. Double-Dog Dare ya (sorry Sleepy). So off we go in a hurried rush towards that ever-so-elusive GATE TO THE TERMINAL……no FF in the picture but no luggage to hold us back. We are let thru, but I believe I see smirking – is it our matching dresses or have they seen FF driving back and forth and back and forth from the come in/get out area??? Don’t have time to care because WE ARE IN THE TERMINAL AREA…and even the terminal area is awesome…really! You can see the Wonder behind it and it is just totally cool.

So there we are, total “landlubbers” (look at the state of Indiana on a map) and all agape and aghast and other “a” words, and we go into the terminal because I know our mission here is to get a piece of paper with a boarding number that is small, way small (Deal Or No-Deal anyone???). And the very nice non-committal CM hands me a card with a 2 on it. 2?????? 2nd place??? What???? After all that hurrying and rushing we are #2?????????
MAN…..that blows!!!!! Really.
NOTE TO SELF: Must try harder next time.

So we are in, and although FF is not with us, Sam is ready to board the ship, well heck, who wouldn’t be? And it is then that I have to explain to her that we a) have to wait for daddy and b) it’s going to be about an hour before we can get on board.
“AN HOUR????? Then why did we have to run?” she says. “HEY - we did NOT, I repeat DID NOT run – we just walked at regular mommy speed.”

We are in….we are officially members of the DCL “been there - done that” club,
even though we haven’t done “that” yet. FF? Nowhere to be found, just still driving back and forth I guess. Here us where I have to think that if the terminal is just the preface then the cruise is going to be totally amazing. Sure do wish FF was here, especially since he has the video camera. Calling FF, hello FF??? Oh, there he is (finally). He explains the whole CM with a gun thing (no gun actually) and the driving back and forth and back and forth, and we get into YET another line (to check-in.)

Line to check-in: while there we are talking quietly amongst ourselves about the fact that we need to make contact with the other goobers that Fallon has sent the gorgeous yellow day-glow bracelets to from the Dis-boards, when the couple directly in front of us TOTALLY eavesdrops on us (hey DOG – you know you did – you so much as admitted it in your TR) and then they turn around and introduce themselves as Dog and Doc!! Then right in front of them is MommaSully & Co…..COOL. I have not been involved in this whole “Dis” thing, but I have to admit that meeting these strangers who we have something in common with on this Disney Cruise is really kind-of (to coin a Kevin Costner word) “neat”. So check in was a breeze AND we met our fellow “DISers”.

Now begins the famous Disney “magic”. You see, they have these special “magic” powers that know that you have money in your pocket. And when they “sense” this, they send out characters with photographers to take your (or even more importantly – your child’s) picture and get that money from you. See? I told ya, see (think James Cagney). Money magically disappears. Look – it’s Minnie! Take a picture, Snap, Snap. Every time you hear that snap, $20 leaves your pocket. But that’s why we brought money, right? I’m right aren’t I? Someone please tell me I’m right. Snap – crap, just lost another $20.

So it is an hour before we can even think about getting on the Wonder. FF takes Sam to go get registered for the OC and MF takes all the carry-on and goes to these incredibly (sarcasm alert) “comfortable” sofas that Disney has provided for our sitting pleasure. MF needs a nap, big-time.

Aside here: MF suffers from EXTREME motion sickness. EXTREME. She cannot push Sam back and forth in a swing and watch her without getting nauseous, mention “teacups” to her, there goes lunch. Since Monday (it is Thursday for those out there not keeping track) MF has been taking some prescription-strength anti-motion sick medication (Doc could probably tell you what the name of it is) to try and keep from getting sea-sick, and the medication makes Momma drowsy. Aside within the aside – I don’t know if it was the meds or the “not-so-motiony” Wonder, but I never experienced a bit of motion sickness on the cruise. So all you big babies out there (cheapskates) who have been telling your spouses/significant others that you can’t cruise because of the motion-sickness thing – knock it off – they now officially know you are TOTALLY MAKING IT UP OR IT CAN BE TAKEN CARE OF MEDICALLY.

So I have a nice “lie down” and FF and WeeForce go do their thing.

Suddenly, other people in the terminal start lining up to embark. I sit up, (quickly - of course). WHAT THE????? (I say/think that phrase a lot) – did they call our number? Did I fall asleep and miss them calling our number? Where is FF and Sam? WHAT IS GOING ON? Family nowhere to be seen, must get in line…….can I haul all this carry-on luggage over to where that line is forming by myself….think..think…think…when suddenly, there is FF and Sam. Walking s.l.o.w.l.y, ever-so-slowly, towards me….and Sam …….has………..SNACKS! SNACKS??????? Well, she is going to have to eat those snacks standing up and standing in line because a line has formed and WE ARE NOT IN IT! I don’t think FF knew exactly what was going on either, but he said he didn’t think it was “our” line. (Impossible). The he says “do you really want to tote this 500 lbs. of luggage over there and stand in line if they didn’t call our number?” (no) Then he says “look around, the other people with the cards that say #2 aren’t in line yet” – those people in line must be “special”. WHAT??? Special, are we not special????? Did you really just say that in front of our daughter???? But he is right about the weightage of the carry-on luggage, so we waitage (weightage, waitage, ha ha – I made a play on words)

Then after what seems like a lifetime (to me) the loudspeaker guy says “passengers with #’s 1 or 2 may now embark”. DEPLOY DEPLOY DEPLOY. This is us, we are now the “special” ones. Man my family is slow ….. we are totally NOT first in line. But we do end up behind Dog and Doc, so we get to know each other a bit better. NOTE TO SELF: next time get to the line fast enough to be in FRONT of Doc and Dog!

Through those ears and down the gangplank……digression: FF is right about the word “plank”…it’s weird. Is “plankton” a derivative of plank? When you put the word “gang” in front of it, it makes it kind of “dirty”, doesn’t it? Is this another digress within a digress?

And I’m back.
So we go through the ears and onto the Wonder, oh wait, got a couple of “snap, snaps” to experience so that our pockets end up a bit lighter before we actually get on the ship. And we get on board and one CM, literally ONE applauds the “welcoming of the Wilhelm Family”

Happy Thanksgiving everyone – No parades or football for you….you are reading TR’s

Next up: I was going to make a few clarifications and now I am writing my own TR?
What is up with that?? Over and out – MommaForce

[zweihund]

Through those ears and down the gangplank……digression: FF is right about the word “plank”…it’s weird. Is “plankton” a derivative of plank? When you put the word “gang” in front of it, it makes it kind of “dirty”, doesn’t it? Is this another digress within a digress?

And I’m back.
So we go through the ears and onto the Wonder, oh wait, got a couple of “snap, snaps” to experience so that our pockets end up a bit lighter before we actually get on the ship. And we get on board and one CM, literally ONE applauds the “welcoming of the Wilhelm Family”


I like plank-let, myself. :teeth:

It still kinda freaks me out that you guys share my maiden name! I mean, how many Wilhelms are out there? Maybe we really ARE long-lost relatives. Hmm.

Keep it coming!

[Disneygrl36]

Lovin' that we are going to get the whole MommaForce version. :cool1:
Do you trip report as fast as you walk?????? :rotfl2:

[Bethipooh4]

I LOVE the whole MommaForce version.....it is going to be another awesome TR to read...

[DisneyZell]

Holy cow, MF is funnier than FF? is that possible.

It's just not fair that I have to write a trip report opposite you two...you are like a comedy routine! keep it up! nicely done MF! :banana:

[tinkerbellmom1]

Setting the record straight #2

Tell FF about it, he presses his, he likey too. So we are steaming and pressing those cool water buttons, and steaming, well you get it, when FF reaches down and goes "hey,what is this??" and he picks it up and he turns the spigot and he FREAKIN' HOSES ME WITH ICE COLD WATER FROM A REAL HOSE LAYING ALONG THE FLOOR. WELL FOLKS, WHEN ON A BOAT - CUSS LIKE A SAILOR!!!! I could not believe he did that, and I said (loudly) - "HEY, I don't think that is for people to use, I think it is for the spa people to wash all our "product" away from inside the spa YOU IDIOT"




Before I get typing Mommaforce, can we just clarify upfront that we are all like minded Disney freaks, who love to read about each others sappiness, rasul, drinking experiences, and love for each other before we go and do it with our own families? No judgement, right? :rolleyes1

I loved zweihund's trip report, and FatherForce- yours too! But Momma, you actually made me blow snot! :blush: I'm actually embarrassed typing that, but you caught me off guard with the hose incident and it.....happened! :rotfl2: I got a kleenex, read on, and :rotfl: thanked goodness that my bladder is still intact after 2 children! :rotfl:

Why do I live in the west when all you stinkin' fun people live in Indiana and Florida?

[Ski-and-Sea]

After this will we get Wee-force's trip report?

(seriously, I am loving MF's version - keep it up).

[sleepydog25]

Line to check-in: while there we are talking quietly amongst ourselves about the fact that we need to make contact with the other goobers that Fallon has sent the gorgeous yellow day-glow bracelets to from the Dis-boards, when the couple directly in front of us TOTALLY eavesdrops on us (hey DOG – you know you did – you so much as admitted it in your TR) and then they turn around and introduce themselves as Dog and Doc!! Then right in front of them is MommaSully & Co…..COOL. I have not been involved in this whole “Dis” thing, but I have to admit that meeting these strangers who we have something in common with on this Disney Cruise is really kind-of (to coin a Kevin Costner word) “neat” I don't know about this whole calling you MF thing. . .gonna take some getting used to. And I must clarify your clarification of FF's clearly funny TR--the bracelets are green. Obviously, the serious meds you took affected your vision. Yep, I WAS totally eavesdropping. It's that old adage, speak softly and carry a big ear. As for racing to get in line ahead of me? You're on! :thumbsup2 The Games of Wonder '08 coming to a DIS thread near you. Sponsored by Showerbeer and Pinkletoes, the nail polish line for men.

[grumpydude]

If mama is gonna be writing on this thread...you need to change the title from "Complete" to "Now the Truth Comes Out"

[zweihund]

If mama is gonna be writing on this thread...you need to change the title from "Complete" to "Now the Truth Comes Out"

:rotfl2:

[FatherForce]

OK Grumpy, I changed the title.

First, I am upstaged by SleeepyDog and now by my own wife!

So, Sleepy and the Missus are funnier than me.

Fair Enough.

However, I finished first and that has to count for something!

(and MF, I better not read some snide comment about our private time in relation to that above sentence)

Digging a deeper hole....

[FatherForce]

MF here:

so this in nowhere close to anything related to a trip report, but today (Thanksgiving) I said something to one of FF's cousin's that I (personally) thought was pretty innoucuous and he TOTALLY "got it" and the very nice wine I brought from "work" TOTALLY came out of his nose!!! AWESOME - sometimes there are reasons why families get together!!!!

[FatherForce]

Sea and Ski:
WeeForce just MIGHT give us her version -
she's got it in her genes BIG TIME!!!!!
to do that sort of thing!

[grumpydude]

Snot coming out noses. Wine coming out noses. This is all one big nose spraying festival.

[grumpydude]

OMG...I was just kidding :rotfl2: Who am I to infringe upon the literary genius that is the Force Family?

[FatherForce]

to Grumpy-Dude - I have always been in a quandry (so to speak) about those stupid "personalized" items you can purchase with your "family name" on them because I never changed my last name.....but you have solved the dilemma - for real - I can now buy a wreath for our front door that says (and I quote:"........
WELCOME TO THE FORCE FAMILY!!!
YIPPEE!!!(No, the wreath won't say YIPPEE on it, you goof-balls - don't take me literally all the time)

[FatherForce]

that last post was MommaForce - sorry

[DisneyZell]

I wanted to clarify something...in no way did I mean to imply that FF was not funny...it's a different funny. in fact...I think you should set straight what she is setting straight from your TR! :cool1:

[APinCA]

Okay, Sleepy's finished. I need more. Counting on you MommaForce. :thumbsup2

[FatherForce]

I'll add a slight mea culpa for my wife.

We've been very busy and sick. Samantha was in the IU production of the Nutcracker which took up WAAYYY more time than we anticpated ( I'm writing a blog about the experience now for those who might be interested)

Plus, she has found it a wee bit harder to write a funny TR than she thought.

She thought I was just whipping these things off.

Au Contraire Mon Frier ( I am sure that is not how that is spelled)

Hope everyone is having a great Holiday Season, and Cheryll promises more soon....

[APinCA]

Hope everyone is having a great Holiday Season, and Cheryll promises more soon....

Don't worry, it couldn't possibly take longer than Sleepy's :rotfl2:

[FatherForce]

Well, if anyone is still subbed to this thread, let me say that I have no idea if or when the wife is going to up date her version of the TR, but I thought I'd give you all a Christmas present in the form of our Angel from the Indiana University production of the Nutcracker:

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l181/FatherForce/Angel.jpg


Merry Christmas to All!

[LCTsMom]

Thank you! She looks awesome! Merry Christmas!

http://bestsmileys.com/christmas1/10.gif

[Disneygrl36]

What a cutie. Thanks for the present. Hope you & your family have a wonderful Christmas.

[Disney owl]

Great photos & report

[discruiselovers97]

MommaForce-Please do finish!

[FatherForce]

Well its now over 6 months since Momma has posted, so let's all just assume she isn't going to finish her side of the report, shall we?

:rotfl2:

We will be cruising again in 08 for the September Double Dip
and returning to WDW this October for 6 days.

SO be prepared fo more nonsense...

[figment52]

Well its now over 6 months since Momma has posted, so let's all just assume she isn't going to finish her side of the report, shall we?

:rotfl2:

We will be cruising again in 08 for the September Double Dip
and returning to WDW this October for 6 days.

SO be prepared fo more nonsense...

I just found this tonight and read it from start to finish and somehow I knew you were hooked and going on another cruise- I just wasn't sure when.

You are going to love the longer cruise - time to actually unpack and relax. I'll be looking forward to the trip report.

Thanks for writing. I love the reports and know just how much work they are. Heck, I can't even get my pictures labeled and you guys do real reports.

[mom2jcc]

I came across your TR today. We just decided last night after watching DCL on the Travel Channel to take the cruise next year. I absolutely love planning our WDW vacations, but this is different since we have never taken any kind of a cruise. I have so many questions about a DC, but finding your trip report has already answered a few of them. I'm just on your Day One, but look forward to reading the rest!!! Thanks for sharing!

[CPer'sMom]

I too just found your TR today. Great reading! :) -- Read day 1 and I'll be back for the rest .....

I just finished and I have to say this is one of the best TRs I have ever read!! Possibly even the very best!! And now I see I have more to read ~ I'll be going back through these pages and checking out TRs from some of you other posters. We've been thinking of a Disney cruise - we are WDW vets and my youngest daughter is even a CM (she did the college program and is now 'seasonal' so she (we!) can fly down every few months and work a day or 2 - great excuse for yet another trip!) Now I am going to start seriously planning.

Loved the great slide show. But I have to say this is my favorite line of all ....

I stopped in my tracks and made a mental note to remember that moment for as long I live.

I had tears in my eyes reading that one ~

Thanks for the awesome read!

[Foxes Den]

Great TR - Loved the pix, and the details. I wanted to ask about the pillow case? Is it one you buy on board, or brought from home? How did you get it signed?

Taylor

[FatherForce]

I found out about the "Pillow Case" here on the DIS.
All you have to do is bring a plain pillowcase from home and some fabric markers, place them in a plastic bag w/a nice "tip" ( phone cards are nice, or treats) and give it to guest services.
At the end of the cruise, the pillowcase will arrive in your stateroom signed by whatever charcters you ask (within reason).

Its a cheap, unique, and personal souvineer!

[LoveMickey]

I have enjoyed reading your reports.

Thank you.

[amystevekai&bump]

I too just found your TR today. Great reading! :) --

I had tears in my eyes reading that one ~

Thanks for the awesome read!



Just wanted to echo the above - I can't see what I'm typing as I still have tears in my eyes - fantastic report!!!:thumbsup2

[CSwan1]

[I]She likes to be with us and usually ends up in bed with us no matter where she falls asleep. (For those who are now shaking their heads let me say 2 things – 1) If she wants to sleep with Mom and Dad, I’m going to let her. It won’t be too long before she wants nothing to do with either of us and 2) uh, I don’t have a second point. It just seemed like I should have had another one).

I agree 110% We have a 5 year old DD who still likes to sleep with mommy and daddy. I'll take all the lovin I can get now before I'm not "cool" anymore.

I'm loving your report. I'm very new to the DIS boardand getting ready for our second Disney Cruise in May 08. Thanks for the entertainment|!

[chepic]

Well, that was an hour well worth it!!!! :surfweb: :thumbsup2 Thanks for the laughs, the tears, and the thought that this will be the best trip ever undertaken by my small family!!!! Fatherforce, you are right up there with the great TR writers....thanks again.

Cheryl

[PLANNER88]

Just found your TR today, read the entire thing, thanks so much for sharing!