Is Hubby Crazy (or am I)?!?!

[atigeg]

I'm appealing to our fellow DISers to help us decide an issue that has come up over our Aug/Sept trip. Traditionally, we would do a Wonder cruise Labor Day weekend and spend the following week at WDW. Last year, we were very dissapointed in the WDW part of the trip, as cost-cutting measures were very apparent, even prior to 9/11. So we added a Wonder cruise at the end of the trip as well as at the beginning, cutting down the WDW portion to only Sun. thru Thurs.
Now hubby has gotten it into his mind that we should skip WDW altogether and just stay on the Wonder for three consecutive cruises. I know he was inspired by our meeting the 13-time cruisers, as they told us the love to do back-to-back trips and they've also done a three-in-a-row. But I really want to get to WDW this year to see the 100 Year celebration. Even tho' things have changed there so drastically, I still need my yearly WDW fix. So I told hubby I'd leave it to you all. What would you do? Wonder/WDW/Wonder, or just stay on the ship for three trips??? I don't think we could swing the cost of a verandah for all those cruises, so it would probably be in a secret porthole room.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.*****************

[Cruise]

Did you consider maybe doing a 7 day on the Magic and then 3 days at WDW before or after? You'll still have lots of cruise time and get in a visit to the parks as well.

Julie

[Casey's mom]

I'm with you Barb. I like spending some time at WDW, even though we have really enjoyed our cruises. We are trying our first 7 night cruise on 3/23, but are spending the night before and the night after the cruise at WDW, which gives us time for a few dinners at restaurants we like, some time by the pool at AKL (looking forward to checking it out) and a day at the MK, followed by a night at the Poly. I find hauling around parks to be exhausting and with young kids, our park days are reasonably short, but I still enjoy it. I am sure you will have fun no matter what you decide! :)

[Mjasp]

I agree with Cruise, I would do the 7 night magic and then do WDW.

Wouldn't that be cheaper than doing back to back Wonders?

[imgoingtodisney]

Id go for the week on the Magic. Have you done all the itineraries?
DH, DS and I stayed 9 nights at the Wilderness Lodge in Oct 2001. Dec 2001 I went on my first ever cruise to Key West and Cozumel.
This year we are skipping Walt Disney World. (Oh my! We bought into DVC in Nov and will be doing some type of disney for the next 40 years). Instead, Nov 30th-Dec 7th DH, DS and I (and MIL has been invited) are cruising on the Disney Magic to the Eastern Caribbean since I went to the Western Caribbean in Dec.

[goofy33]

dh & I are doing 7 day cruise we will stay at disney first for a couple days just for celebration. I can't wait to see that hat and eat at brown derby.
goofy

[inkkognito]

I guess I should have said that we are doing the new Magic itinerary in May and have done the Eastern already, so the 7-day cruise is not an option...it just doesn't fit well with our vacation days, and we prefer the Wonder (we pretend Nassau is a day at sea, and we want to do Castaway Cay twice, or three times if hubby gets his way). So our final choice will either be all Wonder or the Wonder & WDW combo.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.*****************

[Dave_from_Marietta]

I don't think you need all that much time to see the "100 Years" stuff at WDW. Other than the Walt and Mickey statue at MK and a Walt exhibit at MGM, there's really not all that much. Oh, yeah, there's the big scorcerer's hat at MGM. So, one attraction and two photo ops.

On the other hand, with 10 consecutive days on the Wonder, your spa bill would probably pay my mortgage for a couple months.

[Rikersmom]

I would always choose to do a day or two at WDW before the cruise. If you go afterward, it's quite an adjustment paying for every appetizer and dessert!

I'm really looking forward to seeing the new parades. I hear that the snowglobes are really neat at MK. Also, the new Studios parade is reported to be fun.

[disneygal58]

Will you adopt me? I don't require alot of space/maintenance and I am willing to massage (I am a CMT) for room and board.

Dawn Hope

[PolyGirl]

Hi Barb,

I just had to respnd to your post. I love Tony's idea on three back to back cruises but I would have to go with two cruises and a trip to WDW. After we left you on the Wonder this January, as you know, we took the kids over to WDW. Wow, what a great vacation we had. WDW can be a very magical place.

Depending on what your budget is I would HIGHLY recommend you and Tony try staying at the Poly and go for a concierge room. They pamper you (as they do on the Wonder) and the amenties there can't be beat. Watching the fireworks from your room at night and seeing Tinker Bell fly down from the castle, or watching the Electric Water parade go by at night, or just relaxing by the pool is a truly fantastic way to enjoy WDW. As you probably know, there is so much more to WDW than just the parks. We also did the Hoop de Doo and the concierge got us a front row table and it was FANTASTIC!!!! You also can rent the water sprites, there is parasailing offered, water skiing or whatever your heart desires.

I agree the Wonder is a fantastic vacation but WDW still has a lot magic to it even after all the cutbacks.

Just my two cents worth!!!! I'm sure you will have a great time no matter what you choose.

Stacey

[callahanjulie10]

Barb-

I would do a 7 night/3 night or a 7 night/WDW. Or even better, since it will be around Labor Day you could do 7/7. Eastern and Western! I don't know about the rates but they are usually good during this time. We have done 2 of our cruises during this time and have gotten good deals.

I know how ya feel- we went to WDW 4 times last year and I am really so ready to go again. I am missing it. You know- life is hard sometimes. Don't you just hate decisions- wish I had your problems instead of mine!

Good luck and see ya on the May 25 WESTERN!

[wovenwonder]

I'd have to go with Tony on this one. I really think that you will appreciate the relaxation of the last legg of your trip on the wonder this way. Barb's option would have me feeling just too lazy after the 3 cruise stretch.
:)

[disny4ever]

I've got to admit Barb, that I also need my WDW fix as often as possible. Yes, I also am crazy for DCL, so I would cruise front and back, and infill with a trip to the parks.

I hope you two can see eye to eye......or ear to ear o o
0


I know you will enjoy either way !!!



:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[irishdoll7]

Barb, My vote is wonder/wdw/wonder.

The 100 Year Celebration is MAGICAL!

We love the AK parade - GREAT PUPPETS. The MK snowglobe parade will make you feel like a little kid all over again and the brought back SpectroMagic for the night parade. Two things at MGM that you just have to do - picture in front of the hat and visit the tribute to Walt and Mickey (it is all about how the MAGIC started - you may even find yourself a little emotional). Also the MGM parade will take you back in time - all the movie characters are in it. EPCOT - everybody has to see the TAP parade - we like the original TAP from the Millenium celebration but still a great parade and who can pass up seeing Illuminations when you are that close. Busy times but you would be going on another cruise right afterwards and you can have your aching body massaged in a cabanna on Serenity Beach.

Shanon

PS - read your report about the Spa - just brid your husband with two trips to the Surial Bath for each cruise
:)

[disneyholic family]

first a question for stacey.....
is the poly concierge nicer than the GF concierge?

ok...now for my vote.....well...i've never been on the cruise so i guess i shouldn't.....
though if you ask me i think i'd go for WDW-wonder-wonder......
that way you'll get your WDW fix....plus not have so much checking in and out....
by the way, if you do two consecutive cruises, do you get to stay on board the ship on the last day of the first cruise/first day of your second cruise?

[chrisn]

Hi Barb. I vote for WDW. We are doing a Disney Magic/RCCL Voyager back to back cruise this month! I am totally having withdrawals because we are missing WDW this year. We'll be gone for 16 days so there is no way that I can add a WDW portion onto our trip or believe me I would. Originally I wanted to do a week (we usually do 2) and a week on the Magic but hubby wanted to have a break from the parks and could not decide between Eastern and Western cruise itineraries so he came up with the brilliant (?) idea of cruising both. I don't know what came over me, I usually don't listen to him ;-). I am really having a hard time with this plan because I am a Disney World girl. To me WDW is truly wondrous and magical. I am one of the weirdos hiding behind my sunglasses walking down mainstreet bawling. I love the energy and euphoria I feel the moment my feet step off the plane and it stays with me until it's over. I have already started planning our WDW trip for February of next year. I not hard to please and I just hope that I come home from this trip happy and satisfied. Who knows I might even come home relaxed. I vote for the world!

[danicaw]

Hard Call.

For me I would just need to check out WDW. We did the 7-day last Dec and never made it to WDW. I really missed it.

If this would be your only chance to see the 100yrs, I would check it out. If you have other chances to see it...maybe do the 3 cruises.

If you don't think you'd get sick of ship ;)
Obviously I am Kidding :D

[Hygiene99]

cruise 3
skip the parks the 100 years of magic celebration
is not a big deal and besides it will still be there in 2003 until October, as it started then and it is for a year.
and if u dont catch this celebration they will have another.
back to back to back u go tony....
i have always wanted to do a back to back 7 day and now we might some day with the 2 different trips :D

[Michelle]

Hmmm, tough choice.

I think I'd do the parks then back-to-back Wonder cruises, so you could get both the 3 and 4-night cruises. Or do the parks after the cruises for a few days. Much as I love cruising I need my WDW fix too and there is ALWAYS something new to try (a new restaurant or something) each trip.

Good luck deciding! :)

[PolyGirl]

Disneyholic Family,

I've never done GF Concierge so I'm not sure which is better. All I know is the Poly Concierge is fantastic!!! The concierge CMs are just the greatest. They knew us all by name within 24 hours and they were there to help us any way they could . The food was outstanding and the view was awesome!!

[natsmom125]

Barb....whatever you decide....please don't change your 9-5
cruise date....

I'd have to vote with Tony. I can't think of anything more wonderful than a 9 night cruise. You love your "Day At Sea" and
CC...so why not. I do however, agree with Dave..your Spa bill
would be so high you wouldn't be able to pay it. Which brings up
another point...if you couldn't pay the bill...maybe they would
throw you in the BRIG and you'd get to stay on the ship!!!!

We can go to the parks anytime since we live so close...so I guess
for us that's not a fair question.

I'm sure whatever you decide..you will manage to have the greatest time...but please, please don't change the 9-5 date.....

Phyllis
:cool:

[inkkognito]

Don't worry, we're DEFINITELY not changing the 9/5 cruise date...that's one of the reasons that the Magic is out of the question!! We are really looking forward to sailing with you guys. It looks like I am winning in popular opinion, but hubby is still lobbying me for the three cruises. But if I gave in to that, he'd probably start lobbying for a verandah, as we are currently booked in secret porthole rooms. Really, tho', I think the Wonder crew would probably get so sick of us that they'd ditch us in Nassau on the second or third one!
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.*****************

[dianthus]

Barb-

How about Wonder/WDW/Wonder & stay at AKL.

It is such a beautiful resort- very laid back. The pool is great, JIKO's is outstanding and the atmosphere & artwork within the lodge is so impressive. It's off the beaten path, as resorts go, so it's very relaxing. Book a savannah room on Zebra Trail ( right of Arusha Rock & you'll have a wonderful view of giraffes and zebras. It's more of an adult place- you really feel like you are in Africa. The CMs are from the various countries & they love to talk to everyone about their culture, customs,etc. They are one of the best features of the place. And of course, they have a spa too!

You could get your Disney fix and experience something really different too!

Good luck deciding!

:)

[MickeyMagic]

What about WDW/Wonder/Wonder? You could cut down on transportation costs. You could be last off one cruise and first on next (unless they would let you just stay on the ship between the 2 cruises - that would be real cool!). If that doesn't work, what about Wonder/Wonder/WDW?

[pallamb]

I agree with you Barb. I added a couple of days at WDW to my cruise vacation because I couldn't be in Orlando and not see the 100 Years Of Magic. I do like the suggestion of WDW/Wonder/Wonder if that would work for the two of you. Tell Tony you can do the 3 times back-to-back in 2003.
Patty:earsgirl:

[jiminyC_fan]

I agree with you, Barb. Sorry Tony! I, too, need a WDW fix when in Florida. My vote, Wonder-WDW-Wonder! Get serious, Barb, after talking to Sasha I know that the Wonder crew would NOT get tired of you two. I KNOW for a fact that they look forward to your trips!!!

[Daria]

I agree with Michelle and Mickey Magic. WDW,3day,4day. I don't know if it's a Freeport day or not but if you haen't been it is really pretty and people don't bother you as much as in Nassau. I think I remember that you have not been there.

Daria :wave:

[RickW]

Originally posted by atigeg
Is Hubby Crazy (or am I)?!?!

Yes. ;)

(Oh, was that not the answer you were looking for?)
I say keep WDW, you need to break up the cruises occasionally.
See you on the 9/5 Wonder.

[gfolchick]

Barb & Tony,
You have to go to WDW! I don't think I could be that close and not go! We just returned from 2 weeks there and I'm already having withdrawals.

DCL is great. The best vacation I've been on, but I wouldn't turn down the chance to visit Mickey on his home turf. As appealing as it sounds to go on 3 back to back cruises you should head for the parks (before or after, in between seems like a lot of work).

GOOD LUCK.
Thanks for all the advice and assistance you both provide. I'm very jealous that you even have to post this question. What I wouldn't give to be in your shoes.