DCL Western, WDW, SW, and DC December '08 - with photos! (Pre trip and POST trip up!)

[Stinasmom]

Alright, alright. I admit it... I have taken and taken and taken...:coffee:
I must give back now!:flower3:

After two other DCL cruises and multiple other Disney trips, I have yet to offer up a TR.

Many of you are so clever, witty, and descriptive;:worship: I have loved reading your reports... I can only hope to come close. I figure what I may lack in humor, I will try to make up for with PHOTOS!
Don't you just love the pictures that accompany a TR!?!:goodvibes

Here's one to start us off:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/Photo9-1.jpg
Yep, last night was Halloween, my DD11 has the dark hair, I'm the Witch...:rolleyes:

As most of you know, when you plan a vacation almost two years in advance, it seems impossible that your trip is finally just weeks away!:cool1:

To borrow a phrase from another (very popular!) trip reporter, we are "going for broke" on this trip. We will start with a week at the Marriott Horizons resort... we get timeshare from the in laws for free:cool1: no complaints! (Ok, side note here: nothing from family is “free,” there is always a price to pay of some sort.:upsidedow ) This resort is geared to kids and has really great themed pools.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_1883-1.jpg
This is from 2 yrs ago. This pool is pirate themed,pirate: and the other has big waterpark type slides and spray features.
The only drawback is that we have, once again, chosen to go in December when it really isn’t all that warm in Florida. Of course that is a matter of perspective since we will likely have some snow on the ground :cold: when we depart!
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_0900-1.jpg
December last year.

Free accommodations are all well and good, but we have to fly our family of 4 (mom, dad, DD11 and DS7) from the upper left corner of the country to the lower right. Because of issues like fuel prices, etc (until recently) airline tickets were CRAZY expensive compared to years past. I use to get RT tix from Seattle to Orlando for around $280 but this year they were running over $800 per person!:scared1:
Forutnately, my DH travels for work at times, so we were able to use mileage on Alaska Airlines to get all the exact flights and times we wanted...:woohoo: However, we had to use 160,000 miles to get 4 tickets! (We actually fly out of Yakima -via Seattle- to Orlando).

This pretty much means that we won’t go to Hawaii in June for our 20th wedding anniversary...may take another year to build back up the mileage account. Oh well.
Since we get timeshare condos from the in laws, if we can get ourselves there we can take some seriously awesome vacations on a budget.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_2479-1.jpg
June 2007

We chose to make the “budget” a bit bigger for this trip to Florida and DCL. We actually have had a good year (if we don’t count the current value of our retirement accounts--but we’re not retiring anytime soon). If you watch the news, it would seem that we are the only family in the whole country who can actually say that we’re better off now than 8 years ago!

More to come... is the anticipation killing you? :surfweb: Well, you won't have to wait long! :thumbsup2

[Stinasmom]

We chose to make the “budget” a bit bigger for this trip to Florida and DCL. We actually have had a good year :thumbsup2 (if we don’t count the current value of our retirement accounts:eek: --but we’re not retiring anytime soon). If you watch the news, it would seem that we are the only family in the whole country who can actually say that we’re better off now than 8 years ago!:confused3

On our first full day in Florida we are planning on going to Sea World. Our resort is near there and we will have “free” passes because... wait....wait...here’s one of the big splurges... we bought tickets to Discovery Cove! :woohoo: (Thank you “kicker check”) The kids don’t know about this part yet. :rolleyes1
We were at Sea World on our last trip, but, my DS is bigger now and really wants to go on Kraken :scared:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/kraken-seaworld-1.jpg
Guess I’ll suck it up and go too...for him. I actually love most roller coasters, the drop on this one is what kept me off it last time.

We won’t spend the whole day there though, because we have tickets for MVMCP that night:santa: ... another splurge. Gotta love holiday time... It sounds like this party will really get us into the holiday spirit.

The next three days will be WDW park days. We are purposely going in early December because the crowds are WAY lower. :goodvibes We haven’t made specific plans to see the Candlelight Processional at Epcot, but if it happens and we can walk in and get a seat, we will. Other than that, my DS7 is a junior animal researcher and wants to spend lots of time at AK. We also have to get over to DHS at night to see the Osborne Lights.

On Thursday of that week we will go to Discovery Cove. This should be one of the highlights of an already incredible trip! Every report I have found about DC just raves!:cheer2:

Friday is a “pick up” day where we can go do whatever we missed or want to do again. But we do have interesting dinner plans.
We really aren’t making dining much of a priority while at the parks because we know we’ll have all the good food we can handle on the cruise. This night will be an exception as we are going to Taverna Opa:banana: . I read about it in Attractions Magazine. It looks like a blast! Great Greek food, live music, dancing on the tables (which are specifically made sturdy enough for this!) and lots....LOTS of paper napkins flying through the air.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/images-1.jpg

And, finally, Saturday morning we will drive ourselves to Port Canaveral, return the rental car, and board the Magic!:hyper:

Our previous cruising experiences, all two of them, were with Disney too. The first was a 7-night West Coast Mexican Riviera trip that was suppose to include the in laws. In fact, they helped pay for us by covering the deposit and upgrade cost from an 11 to a cat 9. Unfortunately my MIL's health took a turn for the worse, and they couldn't go. Paying for the rest of that cruise was the first time we’d spent that kind of money on a trip!
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_1059.jpg
June 2005

Although it was convenient to leave from the west coast for us, we’d been to Mexico several times (the timeshare gift thing), and weren’t really interested in excursions. Couldn’t afford them anyway! We just really, really enjoyed staying aboard and exploring the Magic. DS loved his kids club, DD not so much. But she loved being able to watch movies in the room and order room service!princess:

Our second Disney cruise was a 4-nighter to the Bahamas two years ago, following a week visiting Sea World, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.
I actually booked this cruise before we’d even sailed that first time to Mexico! I have the DIS to blame! I had read so much about DCL that I knew we’d want to go again. We couldn’t swing another 7 nighter ($$) at the time, but we would get to go to CASTAWAY CAY this time!! And, as it turned out, we double dipped because the weather was not so good the first day.:beach:

We did book a day room at Atlantis, too so we could go to the DIG (aquarium) and the pools.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_1991-1.jpg

No other extras like spa treatments or excursions on this trip.

This next cruise, however, will include some time at the spa, excursions at Grand Cayman (snorkel & Stingray city) and CC (DH & DS are going fishing, :boat:and DD and I are doing the jet ski tour).
And, one of the things I am most looking forward to is the upgrade to the verandah! :sunny:
On our first cruise we thought we’d have some champagne (wedding anniversary)on secret deck 7 since we didn’t have a verandah. All was perfect as no one else was out there:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_1030.jpg

Until the kids club brought out the 3-5 year olds out for story time! Our DS was one of them!
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_1034.jpg


Well, if nothing else, from this pre-trippie, you can certainly see how excited I am! The other members of my family have also mentioned their excitement, which, as the planner, is nice to hear.

Stay tuned for the actual trip report!!

Marcy

[jedijill]

Sounds like a great trip. Can't wait for more details!

Jill in CO

[Stinasmom]

So, I have been ticking off the time before our vacation by significant milestones...
Summer, start of school, Halloween, the Election, Thanksgiving...etc...

and one more is checked off... not that it went the way I was hoping... but, me and 47% of the country will just have to make the best of it. :)

So, I did manage to get my FE done... having no real idea what it should look like, I found a few pix on the DIS and tried to copy it. I sewed, unsewed, and resewed and came up with this:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3398-1.jpg

We are also doing a magnet exchange too. I hope I understood that to mean refrigerator type magnets that represent your home town or region of the country. It looks like we are the only ones from Washington state, so that opened up my options.

I am wondering what I am going to do with all the magnets I get from all the others, I already have a collection of magnets from our travels:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3399.jpg I like to collect the die cut rubber frame type magnets and insert a photo from that place.

Well, dinner is upon us, so there's an update for now.

Posting to come!!:flower3:

Marcy

[pppiglet]

I can't believe how grown up your daughter is now. She looks way older than 11! (or maybe it's just the costume?)

Sounds like you are going to have a great trip!

[Stinasmom]

I can't believe how grown up your daughter is now. She looks way older than 11! (or maybe it's just the costume?)

Sounds like you are going to have a great trip!
Ha! yes, there is very little about her that is 11 yrs old. She is a bit taller than me now, not that that is much of an accomplishment :rolleyes:
She is wearing one of the dresses I am going to wear on the cruise!
Good thing she is a great kid. We are close.
OH, she just called and needs to be picked up from the football game...
no surprise that she is pretty popular too.

Marcy

[SILLYANDI]

Keep it coming Marcy! By the time we get on this boat I'll feel like you live next door. :rotfl:

[PenskeSth1]

Woo Hoo Marcy! Just think only a few weeks away....Great job and look forward to more.

[1char]

I am enjoying your pre-trip story, thanks for sharing. Charlie

[LivingtheWDWdream]

Great start can't wait to hear all about it!

[Stinasmom]

Oh my, I have to count the release of the "Twilight" movie as another milestone to get past before our vacation! My DD11 is crazy ready to see it this weekend!:woohoo:
Anyone else read all 4 books? All 4 in 2 weeks? Yep, that was DD... ok, and me too.:rolleyes1

Crushing on Edward is the newest pasttime!:lovestruc

I found my journals from our two previous cruise vacations. I had intended to make them into trip reports upon return but never did. I did, however, recently type them up, add pictures, print them out, and put them in report folders for the family to read on the flight over. It surely will get them even more excited for this adventure!

Here is a quick tour of our 12/2006 trip:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_1879.jpgSea World Orlando

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_1888.jpgUniversal Studios Orlando

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_1941.jpgIslands of Adventure (US)

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_1974.jpgVisit to the Grand Floridian to see the decor

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_1985.jpg 4-night Wonder Cruise

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_1993.jpgDayroom (excursion on own) to Atlantis

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_1997.jpgDinner at Palo

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_1999-1.jpgVisit to Castaway Cay

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_2004-1.jpgDecorations at Castaway Cay

Whew! There. That's one way to wiz through a 12 day vacation!

Of course that was 2 years ago, the kids are older and will likely have an even better time!
We leave in 18 days!!:cool1:

Marcy

[pppiglet]

Woo hoo Marcy...18 days!

We just got back from our RCCL cruise to Mex. Riviera. Had a great time. Food not as good as Carnival or Disney, but service and ship fine. (and all the people we met on cruisecritic). We all agree...Disney is the best. Just can't afford it anymore!

[Stinasmom]

Woo hoo Marcy...18 days!

We just got back from our RCCL cruise to Mex. Riviera. Had a great time. Food not as good as Carnival or Disney, but service and ship fine. (and all the people we met on cruisecritic). We all agree...Disney is the best. Just can't afford it anymore!
I'd love to hear about your trip too! Was it the same itinerary as we did on DCL in 2005? The weather had to be better even though it is November not June like 2005:rolleyes:
I wish we lived closer to a cruise ship port! It is such a major production to get to Florida, an so much more expensive since you want to do all the other stuff in Orlando while there. :earsboy:
I haven't decided if I should rebook on board... I hate to think how expensive the cruises will be on the new ships when released in 2011 and 2012... but I sure want to go! I think the deposit amount is still 1/2 right now... maybe that will encourage me to fork over the $$.

Wow! One more milestone past (Thanksgiving) and now we leave THIS Saturday!!! Six days until vacation!!
:banana: :woohoo: :yay: :cool1:

[lharter]

Thanks for sharing your pre-trip excitement! Looking forward to the trip report - I'm sure you'll do a good job.

[pppiglet]

Marcy....Have a great trip!

Yes we did the same itinery as 2005 only backwards. I think I liked it better this way. Also the weather was much better this trip!

[Stinasmom]

Back from our trip and time to start the POST report!
I am going to start at the end, however. Memories freshest in the mind... I know I said I would include lots of pictures, but anyone watching the local and national news lately will have seen lots of footage of this part of our trip! It was big news...

Seattle, WA in December is usually a dreary rainy place. But not this year! And that is where the beginning of the end starts:

We flew direct MCO to Seattle... Which, despite the weather in Seattle, went really smoothly... even arrived on time. :)
BUT....
We live in Central Washington.... east of the Cascade Mountain range. We thought we were smart to book ourselves in and out of a small airport 40 miles from our house, so we wouldn't have to drive over the mountain pass in December. This backfired on us!

The weather in Seattle is really snowy... VERY unusual! :cold:
Well, we went to the gate for our commuter flight, watched them de-icing the plane before ours going to Boise. Then they changed our gate... by the time we all got to that gate, the announcement was made that our flight was cancelled. Lots of flights were being cancelled all around us but we'd been hopeful.
Jet Blue and Frontier had cancelled ALL flights by then.

DH got himself into the customer svc line to try to rebook... it was a mile long. Within 10 minutes they announced ALL Alaska Air and Horizon Air flights were cancelled for the day. It honestly took 3 hours for him to get to the front of that line where they said there was nothing they could do. The only flight they could guarantee all 4 of us on was for the 25th... FOUR days later, yes, Christmas day!:sad2:
We only live 110 miles from Seattle!!
Problem was the mountain pass was closed on and off, traction tires or chains required, etc.

I paid the $7.99 to get online at the airport (other airports I’ve been in have free wifi!?) and went about booking a hotel room. Huge success here! We got the Marriott for $99 on Priceline! ($40 more than I've gotten it for when there was no crisis, but I wasn't going to quibble now) Within an hour we were hearing buzz around the airport that hotels were all booked up.
This Marriott has an interior atrium with tropical plants, sitting areas, hot tubs and a really nice pool. Just an extension of our vacation, right?

We decided I'd take the kids to the hotel and DH would join us after making his way to the front of that line. The next task was to get our luggage. They took all luggage that was to be transferred to other flights and just sent it to baggage claim. OMG!:scared1: I have never seen such a mess! There were primarily two lines that had formed both so long that there was no end in sight. Someone said their line was for tracking down luggage from transfer flights that had been cancelled. That was us, but I was NOT going to bother. We could survive with our carry on things. Although I didn't pack swim suits in the carry ons.

I had noticed some groupings of luggage here and there. I wondered if the people in these massive lines had even checked these groupings for their things or if they, as they did in the former USSR "saw a line and got in it." I checked one area and BOOM! there were 2 of our bags! The carousel nearby started up and our other 2 bags appeared!:banana:

The kids and I managed to get all the bags over to ground transportation and catch the shuttle to the Marriott. DH made it over later with the news that we had no flight options. We settled the kids into the hotel room and went to the bar for Martinis! They were so busy! The staff was not use to this much business on a Sunday night.

We discussed our options. Shuttle services across the mountains had been cancelled. Couldn't rent car unless we could get a 4-wheel drive SUV and there was an airport full of people already trying that. DH is an frequent flyer with Alaska Air and they have a special cust svc line we could call in the morning.

Took the kids swimming, ordered room service (at this point what was another $30 or so), and tried to sleep.

I got up just before 5am to make that call to the MVP hotline. I got through but was on hold for 40 minutes. The rep got all 4 of us on a flight that afternoon!!! We love being MVP's!:thumbsup2

Being near the airport this hotel had a big screen showing all flights in an out. Ours was "on time" as we went to breakfast. Unfortunately, as we went by again after breakfast it was cancelled. Back to square one. :sad1:

I had come up with the idea that if one of us could get on a flight or could standby and get on, they could at least get to our car, drive back over the mountains to get the rest of us, weather permitting.
Got back on the phone (what did we do before cell phones and laptops??!), on hold to get a rep for the airline for 50 minutes this time when I got cut off. Great. :faint:

Tried the shuttle svc, they had a seat the next day. Took it as plan “B.” Booked another night at the hotel just in case too. Then got through to the MVP line for Alaska Air, couldn’t get on a flight, nothing was getting out, but did have their travel agency division find us a rental car. By now the mountain pass had cleared enough that they were not requiring traction tires...just “advised.”

Finally it looked like we’d be making it home! Drawbacks: they would NOT allow one way rentals. We’d have to bring the car back to Seattle! :confused: And, it was $155 for a mid size!!! :rolleyes: We justified it by considering the cost of staying another night at the hotel, dinner, and martinis. :teacher: Besides, our dogs had already spent 16 nights at the kennel, that was getting expensive.

Got home safely, picked up the dogs, got some groceries, and got some sleep. Whew. Worth it. :worship:

Of course that meant the next day we’d be driving all day to return cars and pick up cars. DD and her friend stayed with DS while we kept in cell phone contact.

We took our 2nd car and the rental back to Seattle, drove back through our town to get to Yakima where our 1st car was, buried in snow. All in all, we put about 360 miles on the rental, and 320 on our 2nd car.:drive: Even if the weather wasn’t a factor, we had no interest in driving 240 miles to Portland for Christmas.

We were off the hook, the roads between here and Portland are terrible. The snow in the Pacific NW in the last week or so is the worst they’ve seen in decades.
So, today is Christmas day:santa: and we are at our own house for the first time since moving here (9 years), quite content. We even put up a Charlie Brown Christmas tree yesterday and bought some 1/2 price ornaments. I hadn’t intended to get out any Christmas things since we left town on December 6th. But, here we are. DH is going to cook a turkey, maybe we’ll go see a movie!

Actual vacation details to come! Stay tuned! Pictures galore to come!
hint: crowds make Grumpy grumpy, Dolphins make everyone smile!

[pppiglet]

Woo hoo! Marcy is back! What a nightmare for you getting home, but seems to have worked out in the end. Loving your report. Can't wait to hear the rest and see the pictures!

[Stinasmom]

On this end of the trip we were advantaged to fly out of a very small airport.
Security is a breeze and the only people there are the ones flying on the same flight.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3417.jpg
DS7 creating yet another zoo on Zoo Tycoon.

Once at SeaTac, only had time to grab some sandwiches and water for the flight to Orlando. Direct from Seattle is the only way to go! The flight was completely full, I was surprised as December 6th isn't exactly holiday, vacation, or high season... wondered if that was a sign of things to come:confused:

I watched Cars (Pixar movie) on the laptop... thought about how, especially in an aisle seat you have to be careful which movie you choose as others around you can see the screen!:rolleyes:

Our luggage was delayed at MCO so DD and I went to get the rental car.
I REALLY recommend joining the "club" for which ever rental car company you are renting from. Having their club card handy gets you into a shorter line or even in no line. Plus getting upgrades is practically par for the course. We ended up with a FORD Edge instead of a mid-size, in which all our luggage fit without the kids having to sit on bags!

OH-- I was organized enough to bring a roll of quarters for toll roads but BE SURE TO HAVE THEM HANDY! (not in the packed luggage in the back of the car!:upsidedow I had to pull over prior to the booth area and dig them out!

Our resort was not very full and not decorated for Christmas. The said they were working on it... OK, it is the 6th, but the Marriott across the street was all done up. We still really like this resort (Horizons by Marriott). Best pools!
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3524.jpgDS7 at "sprayground" area. No it is not warm, but does he care?

Settled in, went shopping for a weeks worth of food and even remembered where the liquor store was from 2 years ago... we'll be all set!:thumbsup2

Unpacked and filled the over the door shoe hanger:http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3554.jpg Love seeing everything and cuts down on losing stuff. It is indispensable on the cruise ship!

Sleep comes easy when you arrive from the West Coast!
Tomorrow: Sea World and MVMCP

[Stinasmom]

Sunday, Dec 7th

It is so hard to keep a secret from intelligent kids, but we were doing our best to not let ours know that we’d be going to Discovery Cove on Thursday. They’d guessed right already, but we wouldn’t let on. :confused3

As part of the all inclusive price of a day at Discovery Cove, you also get 7 days admission to your choice of Sea World, Aquatica, or Tampa Busch Gardens. Easy choice for us. Our resort is less than a mile from Sea World, and I still had to conquer the Kraken! :scared1:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3419.jpg

There is a huge construction area in the middle of the park right now as they are building Manta... the angry cousin of Kraken, apparently. From a distance, the best way to tell the difference fbetween the two coasters is by color.... Kraken is green, Manta - blue. Both put any Disney coaster to shame for pure thrill, although Disney beats all for theming.

First we went to pet the sting rays... an activity that would reoccur a few more times on this trip!
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3421.jpg

We worked our way counterclockwise around the "Manta in the Middle" construction seeing other animal exhibits and getting the constant stream of information about each from DS7... starting to think he has a photographic memory as he remembers everything in every book he reads. I should run some phone numbers by him that I still have to look up every time. :idea:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DVC00178.jpg

I really wanted to see the Blue Horizons show as DD & I missed it last time. Really great! I video taped it... I have a hunch it will look even better on our HDTV than it did on the 2x3 inch screen on the camera though. Unless there is a NEW Desperate Housewives on tonight, I’m thinking we’ll plug in the vacation videos.:goodvibes

Onto Atlantis! http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_1845.jpg
Having done this a few times before, DD & I remembered getting the most wet in the first row... then again, I believe it had something to do with the boat itself being out of balance due to the size and distribution of other guests in our boat because we were getting wet way before the drop!
Anyway, we were happy when the 4 of us were assigned to rows 3&4 out of 5 or 6 (I think). And, all went well, even the drop as far as us not getting too wet UNTIL the water cannon AFTER the drop! What the....! It dropped bucket loads on JUST ME! Great.
Good thing the beer is free... I was ready for some!

But wait, I promised DD I’d tackle the Kraken with her. DS thought he might try it, but alas, he wasn’t tall enough. I was kind of wishing I wasn’t either, but by 7 inches, I topped the measuring bar. It was that big drop that scared me the most... I love loops and corkscrews and all such inversions... but the long slow climb up to the steep, straight down drop.... aaacckkkk!
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DVC00179.jpg
I survived!!! And it was the best coaster I have EVER been on! “WOW!” is just not enough! It was nonstop inversions and action. No slowing or straight away, no little bunny hops at the end, just amazing all the way through! I though maybe I could go again as the line was not too long, but I was shaking too much to even describe it to DH (who had the video camera running on me as I got off... can’t wait to see that.)
NOW I AM DEFINITELY READY FOR THAT FREE BEER!

We went for a hearty snack and, of course, free beer at the Hospitality Center. They, thankfully, offer more than just BUD & BudLight. We latched onto a tasty seasonal, making sure to hit the outside lines alternately, getting different servers in an attempt to not be recognized when requesting that third serving. (they ask that you limit your “free 10 ounce tastes to two). http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3422.jpg

Our plan was to head back to the condo for an early dinner before going to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party that night. We purposely didn’t wear ourselves out at Sea World so we could stay late at the Magic Kingdom as it would be open to us until midnight. We were excited to be going to what was billed as and “exclusive” party, an event where only people who purchased extra tickets, above and beyond the regular park tickets, would be allowed admission. We looked forward to lower crowd levels, short lines, and the luxury to actually see the parade and shows without sending one of us ahead to secure decent viewing. YEAH, RIGHT.

Too bad it wasn’t like that. What a disappointment. 
The crowds were crazy! You couldn't get near the shows unless you staked out a spot 1/2 hour early, it was 8 people deep along the parade route...

and the parade itself? HUH? Kinda LAME!! The floats were not interesting, the dancers looked like they were bored with the really simple choreography, the music was just OK.

The Castle looked great... but it dressed up like this every night, not just for us
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DVC00189.jpg

The fireworks were great, but not anymore great than regular Wishes.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DVC00191.jpg

The ride lines were fine... no complaints there except that only the "big" attractions were open (missed Country Bears )
But there really were SOOOOOO many people in the park that leaving at the end was a madhouse! It took over 40 minutes to get from Main Street to our car (via monorail and tram) and we tried to "lay back" and wait out the crowds that left after the last parade.

To think we all paid an extra $56? Disney really knows how to rake in the $$ and I felt taken. I expected the attendance of a hard ticket event to be a little better controlled.

OK-- the hot chocolate was good. sheesh, $56 hot cocoa!

Lesson learned...

Better day tomorrow! EPCOT and a Turkey leg! Who knew they were so good?:love:

[pppiglet]

Jim loves the turkey legs!

[briarroselynn]

:cool1:
Lucy and Ethel will be attending this cruise!!!
No really, My best friend and I will be going without our kids.
My DD (15) knows that once a year my best friend (Ethel) and me (Lucy)
go on a trip.


I really want to do the fish extender daily gifts! I see there are only a few of us on the thread at this time but it really sounds fun?

ANYBODY GAME???????????:cheer2:

[o4me2playn]

:cool1:
Lucy and Ethel will be attending this cruise!!!
No really, My best friend and I will be going without our kids.
My DD (15) knows that once a year my best friend (Ethel) and me (Lucy)
go on a trip.


I really want to do the fish extender daily gifts! I see there are only a few of us on the thread at this time but it really sounds fun?

ANYBODY GAME???????????:cheer2:

What is the date of your cruise?

[Stinasmom]

Another sign that the second week of December is no longer a “down” time was that we arrived at EPCOT before 9am and were already directed to the second back parking lot. I no longer fear WDW at Spring break it will be just like December 8th.:upsidedow

We toured Future world clockwise starting at Universe of Energy, well, after the usual first stop at Spaceship Earth. :goodvibes

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Like good boys and girls we didn’t take pics or video inside. :3dglasses

DS has some Bill Nye Science Guy videos and recognized him right off. He was too young to remember last time we visited. I have to say that even though Ellen, Bill, Alex, and Jamie (Lee Curtis) made this show quite awhile back, it still holds up pretty well.

None of us was willing to ride Mission Space orange...:scared: DD remembers going on it with us before there were two choices. She was all excited and ready to go until she got closed up in the ride vehicle and it was too late. We had to talk her through it, she remembers it as a bad experience. I just remember feeling strangely dizzy after.

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Already hungry! I have seen those turkey legs at DHS but today I saw people at EPCOT with them... We decided to give it a try. YUM! :thumbsup2 It was a great snack for us to share and all that protein combined with the carb load from a pretzel should tide us over until lunch in the countries...
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Hit Living Seas w/Nemo.... why is this line always so slow and long? :confused3 With relatively older kids, entering the building this way is not worth it. I’ll have to search out the exit next time and enter there.

The Land boat ride was interesting as always especially with a DS so interested in science. The huge lemons are always a hit.:laughing:

Skipped Soarin’. We’ve done this multiple times at Disneyland. Not going to wait in a 45 min line or fast pass to come back later that afternoon. Besides, why soar over California when in Florida?:cool2:

Skipped the Imagination building too. DS wanted to see Honey, I Shrunk the Audience but it was near lunch and the countries of the International Showcase were calling. :listen:

Morocco here we come! The take out place is the BEST quick service in Epcot. Of course, we like ethnic foods. No wait, great food=happy family.
We were waiting for the Mo Rockin’ group to get going as they were set up, but instead they were just adding occassional back up music to a storyteller.

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We did get a front row (on the ground) seat to the Chinese acrobats. Now these girls actually looked 16 unlike their Olympic gymnasts!:cutie:
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When we walked past the American Pavilion people were already lining up for the Candlelight processional. popcorn:: Seeing how there were pretty steady crowds, I changed my mind about possibly strolling by and catching some of the show later. Oh well. I’ll catch it on You Tube.

Ok, a quick aside... EPCOT absorbs crowds pretty well except on most of the paths. But, we are pretty sure every available ECV was in use making it difficult to get around. Really people. :sad2: We are well aware of citizens who could not even approach a park this big without help getting around. But there were way too many people who looked like they were just lazy and could have benefited from the exercise. DS commented that they were one step away from those people in the movie WALL-E! I thought that was a pretty insightful comment!:lmao:

[Stinasmom]

DD and I enjoyed fragrance shopping in Italy and France. Whew did we smell good for the day! She has expensive and sophisticated tastes for a 12 year old. That paid off for her later in this trip!

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Dinner time approached, we actually wished we’d made our ADR for Rose and Crown for a bit earlier than 6:40pm, but I reminded the group that we had late seating on the cruise ship, might as well get use to eating later! We got there at 6:30 anyway, checked in and were not seated until 7:10! :headache: Over booking are we? This does not make Grumpy Happy. I believe that this was because of Disney’s idea to make you eat at a sit down restaurant at EPCOT if you want to be in the reserved seating section for the Candlelight Processional. They really can come up with the best ideas to rake in the $$ at the expense of the comfort and happiness of most of their guests. (see MVMCP!)

We were seated outside and unfortunately it started to get pretty cool. Our seats were right on the water. I considered trying to drag out the meal so we still had these seats for Illuminations, but between their signature “turn the table over as fast as possible” service and the wind kicking up off the water chilling us to the bone, it wasn’t possible. Someone after us got a really great seat! :woohoo:

The food was fine. Nothing to write home about. Nothing to rave about here. But nothing to really complain about. At least the beer choices were great!:drinking1

_________________________

[Stinasmom]

December 9th

Animal Kingdom! DS was especially looking forward to this park. We would have gone the day before but I was trying to tour by the crowd calendars I’d paid for (on another site). Toss those out the window! I’d heard on the DIS that this site up their numbers for the following week from 4’s to 8’s!:teacher:

We made the mad dash to Expedition Everest, got fast passes and got in the stand by line. After riding once, the stand by line was still moving pretty well so we rode again. AND then the kids rode twice more with the 4 fast passes we got! I took pictures.

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Sufficed to say, we all loved this ride. ::yes::

I had made an ADR for Tusker House at 1:15 so we could get the reserved seat tickets for the 3:00 Finding Nemo show... a tip I heard on the DIS podcast... But we went by around 9:50 am and there was no line, just walk right into the 10am show. Why not?! :cool1:

WOW!! This is the best stage show on property! And I LOVE the Aladdin show at California Adventure. DH has lots of experience with musical theater and usually not easily impressed, but this show did it!:dance3:
Go see it! Not just the music and acting was top notch, but the sets, costuming, and tech work was on par with anything on Broadway.

With that out of the way, we made our way to Killinmjaro Safari... good day for sightings!
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Toured around other areas:

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But we were thrilled to find DeVine! Twice actually! Got great pics and video!

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Our lunch at Tusker House really scored points for me (the vacation planner). It was buffet style but no characters at lunch. That is fine, we were looking forward to seeing them on the cruise. Oh, except for this pic we got with King Louie and Baloo since I have never seen them on the ship:

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So, lunch... YUM! I mentioned before that we love ethnic foods and the choices here were awesome. When DH is impressed by a restaurant, we are all happy. Those are his two areas of expertise... Music and Food! Even had a nice South African Sauvinon Blanc.

Worked our way to to Kali River Rapids, lots of REALLY wet people around there! We brought our dollar store ponchos. They helped but you have to remember to tuck or they fly up and you still get your lap wet. :rotfl: DH will remember that next time. Seems like I spent so much energy trying to keep my poncho in place, though, that the ride was over and I forgot to have fun. Still, it was nice to not be soaked.

Dinosaur ride was a hit... But then, DS has been telling people that we was going to be a paleontologist when he grows up since he was 4. Now he’s leaning more toward Zoologist (at 7 ;) )

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Finished with a quick ride on Dino-Rama-Whirl-whatever the heck that one is! Wait, did I say “quick?” HA! It took over 45 minutes, easily:sad2: . We waited, watched, snapped a few pics

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and marveled at the Pop Warner groups EVERYWHERE! I had read before leaving, here on the DIS, that these groups were there to play or cheer games in tournaments and were not a factor at the parks. HA! WRONG! Again, I credit Disney for their marketing skills, they have filled up what was previously a slower time with group bookings. :rolleyes:
We also noticed and met people with injured veterans groups and disabled kids groups.


At this point, I thought it was time to actually use that park hopper feature we paid extra for and go to the Hollywood Studios in time for the Osborne Lights to come on. Unfortunately, everyone else was really tired, hungry and verging on ornery. I insisted we go that night because the next night was purported to be the night the Pop Warner kids would be there and staying for a private party. As if we’d had any luck avoiding these groups.

Not only were there lots of Pop Warner groups at DHS (you can’t miss them as they travel in packs 15-20 kids :grouphug: all in the same tee’s or sweats with parents trailing), there were just TONS of people there! We made our way back to the street where they light up the buildings. Yes is was impressive. Haven’t seen the video yet, didn’t get many pics though.

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We’d been trying to stop at Photopass Photographers when we saw them since I pre-purchased the CD, but couldn’t seem to track them down at EPCOT, found a couple at AK, and stopped one at DHS.

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Did get some day shots the next day. All in all, it is still to be determined if getting this CD ahead of time was worth it. We only got 31 shots taken and actually sought out photographers!

Ate dinner back at the condo. We do like to get off property, not eat at restaurants all the time, and have a 2 bed/2 bath condo with laundry at which to relax. :cloud9:

Next... More DHS, the already infamous Toy Story Mania, and some fishing!

[Stinasmom]

I am hoping to actually get somewhere on this trip report this weekend! Between teaching Jazzercise this morning, shuttling kids around to ballet class, rehearsals, and birthday parties, that is... Typical Saturday:cool2:


December 10th

We went back to Disney’s Hollywood Studios today to catch the new Toy Story Mania attraction. We had NO chance of getting on it last night unless we wanted to wait 2 hours in line or more. The fast passes are all gone by 11 am on most days.... which was the case today. Fortunately we got ours around 9:30am with a return time of 12:30ish.

So, what to do until then? Well, Rockin’ Roller Coaster, of course! Loved that... but once was enough for me today. DH didn’t want anything to do with it, so before the kids and I rode, we got 4 fast passes. That way the kids could ride two more times while we waited. We got our pic taken by a photopass photographer while we waited...
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/image33.jpg

We did get a chance to go to the Little Mermaid show, but better than that is the Beauty and the Beast stage production.
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DD has had a taste of musical theater and is interested now in seeing anything she can. So we made sure to get a good seat.

We decided against Tower of Terror. DS wanted to go but take the “chicken exit” at the last minute but DD wanted to ride, I was the dissenting vote to bag it altogether.

We found snacks... you can actually find healthy snacks here if you look...
and then it was finally time for our fast passes on Toy Story Mania!
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Fun ride! Truly a family attraction. I can see why you would want to go multiple times to improve your score and compete with others. The technology is it's plus.

By now it's 1:00pm and we are ready to head back to the resort for lunch and to just hang.
Lakes are plentiful in Central Florida, our resort is on one with a dock. DH and DS brought a retractable fishing pole just to see what they could find.
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Also got in some swimming, or rather watched DS as it was not all that cold.

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We were constantly online all afternoon watching the weather for Thursday too. It did NOT look good. They were predicting not just rain, not just wind, but all out thunderstorms and tornados! The one day that we were planning to be in the water all day! (at Discovery Cove) It was suppose to hit around noon, so our plan was to get to Discovery Cove early to get the earliest dolphin experience time, which is assigned on a first come basis.

Success!
Stay tuned for the best day of vacation yet!!

[Stinasmom]

I had heard that Discovery Cove is worth every penny, but really, it is a lot of pennies for a family of 4. We did go on a discounted day... saved a few bucks but still, the cost for one day is comparable to a 5 day park hopper pass to WDW.
Given the choice, I would DEFINITELY go back to Discovery Cove for one day and skip WDW altogether! Yes, it is that good.

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This is a stock shot that came with our CD of pictures from around the park and the dolphin experience. It was NOT sunny that day... until 3pm or so.
In fact, we were still on the look out for severe thunderstorms. Any sign of lightening and we would all be pulled from the water. That would have been a serious bummer considering the cost!

The park officially opens at 9am, but we got there at 8:15 and were about the 6th family to be checked in. They couldn't have been nicer with the checkin process. They did NOT make us wait until 9am; the whole process was leisurely, easy, and cheerful. This is when you get your dolphin time. Ours was 10:15am... just what I wanted!

After touring you through the lush landscaping into the park they have you pose for your first picture... which turns out to be the only "dry" picture you're likely to have all day! Unfortunately I forgot to scan this one, and it didn't appear on the CD. If I remember right, there is not an extra charge for this picture.

Then they tour you in very small groups around the major areas of the park to orient you. You also have a park map on your lanyard with your ticket. The ticket is the size of a credit card and the park map, same plastic, is a bit longer. Very convenient!

Breakfast is next:
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Which is included. Everything is included. All food, beverages (including beer, but I heard today that this has been discontinued at all Anheuser-Busch parks... darn InBev!), towels, snorkel gear (you keep your snorkel), wet suit, soaps, shampoo, etc. All you need to do is show up on street clothes and bring a swim suit.

After changing into the wet suits, I put the camera in the locker, so many of these next pics are from their photographers.

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This is a favorite picture... it gives you an idea of what it is like. When I tell people about it, it is hard to call it a water park because then they picture all those gaudy plastic slides. This picture shows the coral reef lagoon, a bit of the sting ray lagoon, some of the pool (fresh water and warm!) and in the foreground, part of the 25 minute lazy river (also fresh water and warm!)

The coolest thing is that the lazy river flows right through the aviary! You get in by floating through these waterfalls as seen behind us:http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/M121108_00_0216.jpg You can then just look up and all around or actually get out of the water and walk through sections.
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Up next... DOLPHINS!

[pppiglet]

Nice report Marcy...I love the picture of you 3 in the water!

[OurOhana]

Sounds like a dream vacation. The pictures at Discovery Cove are great. I can't wait to see more.

[Stinasmom]

It has been so hard to find time to work on this trip report! It seems like a luxury I have to earn. I think I can spare some time today... so here is more on our FAVORITE day of our vacation.

Discovery Cove!

Does this look like a happy family??!!
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Our dolphin's name is Thelma. We got 30 minutes with her and the trainer... lots of "touch" time. She felt like a firm hot dog, I guess. The experience was really special. Dolphins seem so happy all the time.
We fed her fish, tossed out hand signals that made her do tricks, and got to be in the water when all the dolphins put on a little show.
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Best of all, though were the kisses and the rides we individually got to have with her. Here are our pics:

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The rides take place out in the deep part of the lagoon back into the shallow. You hold onto the left fin with your left hand and the dorsal fin with your right then just let her swim you back in! Best ride of the trip!
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DD even showed her braces in this smile!

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Ha! Look at his little legs dragging behind him. Fun to be small sometimes!

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And another big smile!

Here is DD at the Sting Ray Lagoon:
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Can you tell how hard it was raining at the time?

I think it rained the hardest during lunch but it was still warm enough to eat outside under covers. We, and most everyone else just wore our wetsuits and flip flops to lunch.
Luckily, despite the heavy, and I mean HEAVY rain from about 11:30am to 2:30pm, there was not lightening. Heck, we were wet anyway, the rain was kind of refreshing!
The best part of the weather scare, was that there were only 300 guests in the park that day! Discovery Cove limits admission to 1000, but 300 was such a luxury, especially after the unusually crowded Disney parks.

By 3:00pm the rain stopped and we actually saw some peaks of sun!
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Here I am enjoying the last of the free beers. The kids played in the sand...
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We used every minute of our day here. The kids and I floated the lazy river a few more times, back into the coral reef area to swim with the huge coral fish and eagle rays.
Although the park closes at 5pm, they were very nice to let people get showered and changed at their own pace and even had the snack bars open past 5pm.

On the way out you stop at the pavilion where you order the photo packages, if you want them. We, of course did. How could you not? These pictures are priceless, OK, they cost about $150. We didn't get the video. But, as I have said, this day was worth every penny!!!

[dvc4life]

Wow, what a day. It looks like you had an absolutely fantastic time! What's next?

[Stinasmom]

Wow, what a day. It looks like you had an absolutely fantastic time! What's next?

Discovery Cove was a fantastic day... :thumbsup2
I was quite wise, however, to book the cruise itself for the second week of the vacation... still have that to look forward to!

Our last day on land was still fun, though. It was our day to park hop and pick up any attractions we'd missed or wanted to do again.

Starting at Magic Kingdom we hit Space Mountain... the WDW version. Just heard that they are going to shut down SM for 5-6 months for rehab. Somehow I don't think they'll be able to replicate the Disneyland version in that short amount of time.

My main reason to go to MK was Mickey's Philhar Magic since they don't have that at DL. Saw that. Of course we had to see Country Bears. I found out why DH liked the Bears so much and could sing the songs... his sister and he had the record... yeah one of those black 33 inch things, of the songs from the Country Bear Jamboree! "There was..... (twang) blood on the saddle...(twang) and blood on the ground." Weird song for a kid unless you know the Bears !?:rolleyes:

We then park hopped to Epcot for lunch. DD and I wanted Mexican... even though EPCOT Mex food is really NOT something to write home about. Speaking of food to not write home about, the boys went to China for counter service. But they were happy enough with the vege stir fry.
They came back and found us in front of the Mexican Pavilion and we all were serenaded by the Mariachi band playing on the steps.
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We slowed down and lapped the World Showcase stopping to see the film at Canada, Malestrom at Norway... waited almost 30 minutes for that! ON December 12! Why is everyone at the parks then? Thought everyone came for Christmas! Oh, yeah, I already complained about this...:mic:

Anyway... one of our goals was to find all the photopass photographers we could... NONE! What was with that? So I have NO pictures from EPCOT on my $100 photopass CD. :sad2:

Happily we went back to the condo by mid afternoon. Guess you can get "Disneyed out." (AHHhhh! Did I say that? Are the moderators going to revoke my DIS privledges now?:scared: )

We had special plans for dinner... Taverna Opa!
I read about it in Attractions Magazine... <----- highly recommended BTW.

It was like eating in a Greek Disco... LOUD!:hyper: Constant driving beat of dance music with Greek influences for the belly dancers. REALLY strong tables for them to dance on... after your dinner is cleared away, that is!
They tossed paper napkins like confetti and even the servers would dance. They also got the diners involved. DS got in the spirit and pulled me out to dance. Here he is with his new friend (one of the belly dancers!)
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The food was good too. We enjoyed "small plates" or several smaller portions like appetizers instead of full meals.
So, I really recommend this restaurant if you are in the mood for a party. Go for a birthday, go with a group. But don't expect to have any romantic conversations!

Tomorrow morning... EMBARKATION! Here we come, Disney Magic!:cheer2:

[Stinasmom]

December 13, Embarkation onto the Disney Magic

It has been 20 years since I took a full 2 week vacation away from home. You can get pretty tired when you are actively being tourists at theme parks. But we woke up energized! The kids got up, dressed and packed without much prodding. We ate whatever we had left from the week for breakfast, whether it resembled breakfast food or not. Certainly don't need to bring any of it with us.

We did, however, bring 4 bottles of wine and some left over rum. Packed it well padded in a rolling soft sided cooler that we intended to "carry on" the ship. In case you didn't know, if you are fairly reasonable about it and don't pack bottles in the luggage you leave with the porters at the curb, Disney won't say anything about BYOB... despite what's written in the documentation.
A very nice perk. Besides, then you have a cooler which your stateroom attendant will keep full of ice, since the "beverage coolers" in the rooms are NOT refrigerators. (Seems like that would have been an appropriate update last dry dock...?:scratchin Did get the flat panel TVs though::yes:: )

We got out of town around 9:45am and to the Port around 11:00, but we still had to return the rental car. I dropped the crew and luggage then set out to find the Thrifty agency. It was about 4-5 miles away, not too big of deal.
They were easy to deal with and I was glad we rented from MCO and returned at Cape Canaveral so we didn't have to rely on any one else for secondary transportation. That is until I had to sit on the shuttle at the agency waiting for it to fill with other cruisers (from OTHER cruiselines:snooty: ) when I was so anxious to get to our ship. He did drop me first, I didn't have the heart to look back at all the jealous Carnival cruisers and their kids as I got out.:blush:

DH waited out side the terminal for me until DD finally convinced him to go in and at least get a boarding card. We got group 8 by then. Turns out, however, that it only takes 15-20 minutes more to get to group 8, gave DD and I time to get a pic with Minnie:
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They get you to pose for one more picture just before allowing passage onto the ship:
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We were able to board onto deck 4 from one gangway. Normally there are two, or really one that is "double wide" but it was damaged a few weeks earlier when a strong wind broke the mooring lines of the Wonder and the ships stern floated away from the dock. No one was hurt. Here is a link to this story:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2022493


We knew we wanted to go to Topsiders for lunch but not everyone found what they liked at the buffet:
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This was the first of many Pluto's hot dogs this kid consumed. Funny thing though, he is the most adventurous eater until in comes to everyday foods at a buffet.
Speaking of Pluto--->
After lunch we found him on deck!
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Found Goofy too!
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I managed to break away from the group briefly to check out the place I'd hoped I'd be spending lots of time... on the nice new teak wood and padded chaise lounges... no one else there yet:
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About now I wondered, however briefly, what those people embarking on the adjacent Carnival ship were doing...

We soon were able to check into the room... Yeah! Splurge for the verandah is going to be a luxury.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DVC00221.jpg

and here is Disney's terminal from our balcony:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DVC00220.jpg

Best of all were the sunsets from the verandah:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DVC00223.jpg
and:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DVC00226.jpg
This when those bottles of wine we brought aboard came in handy. I got glasses from one of the bars and took them back up to the room with the first bottle, but after that our stateroom attendant would replace the used ones with clean ones! What great service detail!

I am way ahead of myself now...
At 3pm we met up with our DIS group at the Promenade lounge:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3561-1.jpg
"HI everyone!!"

And, of course, at 4pm we met for muster drill:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3562.jpg

Up next: unpacking, Dinner, and .... well... OK, just sleep.... Zzzzzzz...

[Aunt KatKat]

We were with you! My family is in the back of the picture.

I'm loving your trip report. Has seven days ever gone by so fast?

Katherine

[scootch]

So glad to find this report... I am in the process of planning a Disney World/Discovery Cove/Sea World(we have never been there) and 3 day DCL for November. The DC pictures are just incredible.... what a trip!!

[Stinasmom]

So glad to find this report... I am in the process of planning a Disney World/Discovery Cove/Sea World(we have never been there) and 3 day DCL for November. The DC pictures are just incredible.... what a trip!!

Thanks! Guess great minds think alike! Just have lots of patience and energy to hit all those theme parks and a cruise in one fell swoop! Trip of a lifetime, for sure.

Let me know if you have any specific questions about any of the parks, experiences, or coordination of your trip!

Marcy

[Stinasmom]

So, we lost our PowerMac G4 (a bit ancient anyway) to a power surge (did you know there are different sizes to surge protectors?) a couple weeks ago and have all been trying to share this laptop. Just may latest excuse for it taking me a while to get through this trip report!
I am looking forward to finishing, because I will get to start scrap booking! Except that Rite Aid lost 113 of my WDW pictures. Thankfully I have them on a CD. I need to go reorder, I guess. It is always somethin'!;)

Unpacking is always interesting in a little stateroom with 2 weeks of stuff for 4 people. We did have a steamer trunk unlike last time which helped. I couldn't nest the luggage and still fit it under the bed, even lifting up the frame. But we were able to stash two under there and some in the closet. I should have gotten a picture of the sea of shoes that occupied the left side of the closet, I didn't even try to organize them.
I did, however get a pic of the over the door shoe hanger for our toiletries:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3565.jpg
I don't know how people function without this. I actually heard a veteran cruiser (different cruise line) say on a podcast that she didn't get the over the door shoe hanger thing... I wonder if she just left everything in a bag that she dug through every time she needed something?:confused3
I love having it all out and visible.
If you haven't cruised before, the bathrooms are great, but shelf space is very limited and, well, the ship moves... more at times than others, and who needs all your stuff on the floor.

At 5pm, while we DS and I danced at the Sail Away party (first time in 3 cruises!), DH got a massage at the spa... $30 off since it was embarkation day. DD had already made friends from the DIS meet. We saw her at dinner, then she was off to Ocean Quest! Something for everyone and it's only the first day!

Our dining rotation was LAPPLAP which would have been my LAST choice configuration because that meant we were in Parrot Cay for formal night as well as Character breakfast, last breakfast, and three times overall for dinner. Lumieres would have been preferred. But, it is still Disney Cruise Line and nothing is bad! Espeically when your servers are always so great!:thumbsup2

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/sc00774b78.jpg
Here is first night at Lumieres. After branching out with the hot dog at lunch, DS did strike up his adventurous palate for dinner at Lumieres...
He had escargot! DD had ratatoullie, duck and creme brulee.
I had the beef tenderloin but they served it with pureed baby peas (yep, looked and tasted just like baby food) and three steak fry style routebega slices. Not being as adventurous, I had to order some mashed potatoes to feel full and complete.


We also got our first Fish Extender delivery that first day. I neglected to take pictures of our door magnets and often over flowing Fish Extender. I was so impressed with the time and creativity many of our DIS friends put into their gifts. Here is your not so average chocolate bar all customized by the Egan family: (Hi, Sillyandi!)
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3564.jpg

With late dining, and all it took to get all settled onto the ship and the fact that nothing on the Navigator looked enticing, we actually went to bed shortly after dinner that night. :faint: Figured it was best to get rested up and really dive into cruise activities tomorrow!

It is still my goal to get through Key West Day today, but as I said we are sharing this computer now, and DH is requesting it... :)

Next: Conch in Key West

[Stinasmom]

Started the first full day with a jog around deck 4 and some weight training at the fitness center. Funny how busy the fitness center is on the first morning, we all have such good intentions. Caught breakfast at Topsiders... first of MANY bagels with cream cheese and lox. Tried to enjoy the verandah... smokers next door. Darn. This came up several times over the week but it wasn't enough to keep me from getting the verandah next time. Would be nice if they limited it to one side of the ship or something.
The ship doesn't actually arrive at Key West until Noon so it was a nice morning to relax, watch the ocean go by, walk the decks, and reacquaint myself with the beautiful Disney Magic.

Without excursion plans, we got off the ship at Key West.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3567.jpg

And another view:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3568.jpg

From the ship:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3574.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3575.jpg

Key West is really easy to walk around. The people there are a great part of the atmosphere... do people watch or chat up a local!:wave2:
We did get Key Lime products- cookies, ice cream, etc. But, our main goal was to find the conch! Again, adventurous DS wanted to check conch off the list...
Here is the place recommended by a retailer at nearby store:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3571.jpg
and this is what he got:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3572.jpg
Really, it was not all that different from calamari, except that we love the tentacles in our calamari. The drinks here were REALLY expensive... My Mojito was around $12 I think... something crazy. This restaurant was really geared to the bar crowd and probably not the hot spot for conch. Oh well.
We toured around a bit more.. lots of statues in Key West... not sure of the significance. But getting back on the ship while most everyone was still off was a nice change.
Here is the Mickey Pool on Key West day:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3577.jpg

Knowing we weren't doing much at Key West, we booked our Palo reservation for that night. Unfortunately, that dining rotation we ended up with also meant that we'd be missing the Animator's Palate experience too. But we settled the kids in at the restaurant and headed off to what we hoped would be the usual fantastic evening at Palo.
Well, it looked like we had a fantastic time:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3586.jpg
From the Shutters photographer:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/PaloDCL1208.jpg
And, can't forget the famous souffle! (and some pistachio ice cream):p
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3583.jpg

However, the service was rather... robotic. Not bad, but not interesting. The food was fine, great even, but this is Palo. It was just not magical. Oh well.

We skipped the show in the WD Theater that night... "Heath Hyche" comedian. And the late night music didn't temp us either... "Calypso Magic" was on - not interested. There was also Cabaret and DJ music later. I must have been pretty tired to give up the DJ music... it started at 11:30pm though!

Tomorrow: Day at Sea: "Up do's," Character Breakfast, Martinis, Flubber, Formal night, and The Golden Mickeys! :hyper:

[Stinasmom]

December 15th Sea Day

There is a lot of water between the southern most tip of the USA (a.k.a Key West) and Cozumel... and this big island in the way, named Cuba. So we motored all night, all day and all night again to get there...

This leaves us a Sea day today...
The day started early for DD who had an early salon appointment to get her hair done for formal night. Since she is under 18, 8am was the only time they were willing to schedule her, meaning she'd have to do her best to keep her fancy hair looking good all day.princess: They did book me for 4:30, however.

Having late dining means second seating for the Character Breakfast too, so I did get in another workout. Just as many people in the fitness center... yeah, go people!:cheer2:

DD sure looked good for the Character Breakfast that morning with that fancy "UP-do":

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3588.jpg

The characters come around individually for pictures with their handlers, but you better not get up to go to the bathroom or anything in the first 15 minutes or you might miss them. They are definitely moved right along.

Considering what you pay at WDW for a character breakfast I really appreciate this part of the cruise. It takes the pressure off trying to catch up with characters at their specific times in the atrium or else where... unless you are looking for the princesses, then definitely check the Navigators for times. And it is definitely better than the long lines at the parks to get a pic.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3590.jpg

Now, be careful what you order for food at this breakfast. The pancakes, eggs, "hash browns" (think Mc Donald's oval shaped things) and waffles are AWFUL!:crazy2: Stick with easy stuff like lox & bagels or cereal & fruit. Seriously. Plan to get a bite before going or look forward to a nice lunch somewhere (try the fresh pasta bar at Topsiders... tell them what you want, they make it right there and deliver it to your table!) because the food at this character breakfast is really an after thought. :rolleyes2

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3589.jpg
Is that Chip or Dale? :hourglass ???? :scratchin
Answer: CHIP! Notice the black or "chocolate chip" nose?::yes::

A sea day is when you do realize how many people are actually on this ship. I attempted to find a deck chair in the sun, which would have been down right hot if there wasn't such a strong wind... oh, yeah, this is a moving ship... practically at full speed no less.

Ended up on deck 10 where there were available chairs, lots of sun, but so much wind I lost a towel to midship somewhere. Good thing I didn't get my hair done yet! I tried to stay near the Quiet Cove Pool area as they advertised a "steel drum band." But, like many things Disney over the years, the steel drum band has been cut back to a husband/wife team who rap along to pre recorded tracks, sing some vocals, kinda advanced karaoke. Apparently it was Jimmy Buffet hour. I am sure there were lots of people enjoying them. This is what you think of on vacation, right? Unfortunately, they were the ONLY ones hired to play this kind of music for the whole week. Got old really quick.

Between the wind and the music, I was happy to cut my deck time short... besides, I had bought a ticket to Martini tasting at 3pm.

This took place in the Cadillac Lounge... the only bar onboard that is 21 and up at all times, by the way. Although I'd never had a true martini, I found that I prefer gin... Unless you are going to flavor it, yum.:drinking:

There was a lot more education and information presented at these "tastings" than I expected. I did learn some things, and the presenter is entertaining, but if you just want to taste a variety of drinks in smaller portions, order a "flight."

Today we finally got DS to spend time at his club... or lab actually. He will be 8 in February, has been on 2 prior cruises, is rather mature and very bright, so we asked he be put in the lab instead of the club. They had no problem with that. We, however found that they frequently take the 8-10 year old boys to the sports deck. Not surprisingly, our 7 year old didn't want to go play dodge ball or basketball with 10 year old boys. BUT, he definitely wanted to make FLUBBER!:thumbsup2
And so he did. Sorry, no picture... it did come home with us but didn't last much longer than that.

DD was easily having the best time with all the new friends she'd made. They would hang at Ocean Quest, go up to deck 9 for food and soft drinks, go to the arcade or the movie theater. And she managed to keep her hair looking pretty good all day! Just a few "re" curls and she was set.

Later, we got ourselves all dressed up for The Golden Mickeys and then dinner... Here we are:

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/FormalnightDCL1208.jpg

And the kids by themselves...

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/Kids3FormalnightDCL1208.jpg

We also had pictures with the Captain... ones I was really looking forward to because he is the same Captain from our first cruise in 2005 when the kids were so much smaller... us adults haven't changed a bit, of course. We have his picture on our refrigerator and I told him so earlier that day when I ran into him on a stairway. HOWEVER, Shutters damaged all of the pictures with the Captain!!!! :mad: We took this one with our camera... too bad the Captain wasn't in this one:

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3606.jpg

My "up-do" was very Ivana Trump... Word of warning about Salon... don't be afraid to ask "how much?" When they list a service, they say "$30 and up." And when they offer to put a barrett or clip in too, ask how much extra first?
Then if you don't like what you hear, feel free to negotiate or decline the extra until they drop their price. First hand experience. :rolleyes2

The Golden Mickeys show is really good and worth seeing... three times, however, maybe not. It is fun to go to a fancy theater with fancy clothes on with a fancy glass of wine... By the way, wine glasses do NOT fit in the drink holders on the arms of the seats.

Anyway, the show is a lot of movie clips, some singing, some dancing, and lots of characters, especially at the end. I wish it was no movie clips, and all singing, dancing, and characters. Oh well.

We have always liked late dining, but with the kids, there has been varying levels of success. Our DS rarely joined us on previous cruises but was really great this time... except after a full day of fun on the ship:

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3607.jpg
I think he had a few bites of that dinner first...:faint:

We had to go out after dinner, all dressed up right? Well actually we took off the formal wear but still went to the Rockin' D bar. The band Soul Drive was playing... another cover band that was on the docket ALL week. I liked them, really, but again, by the end of the week, it was old.
The comedian did a schtick too then the band was back. Fun, but not an all nighter. Off to sleep.

Tomorrow: Beautiful waters of Grand Cayman

[Kay1]

Great report, beautiful pictures. Thanks and I can't wait for more!

:thumbsup2

[mackeyapp]

Really enjoying your report. We are going on our first 7 day Western:cool1: in June and love seeing your pictures and hearing all about your adventures.

[Stinasmom]

Really enjoying your report. We are going on our first 7 day Western:cool1: in June and love seeing your pictures and hearing all about your adventures.

Thanks! I had no idea how much time this really takes, but I am enjoying reliving the trip as I go... when I finish, I can finally start scrapbooking!

_________________________________

We have been looking forward to Grand Cayman since first booking a "western" itinerary... Heard the snorkeling was amazing!
We are not new to snorkeling... have gone lots of times in Hawaii, were it was, well, amazing!!! So really looking forward to this day.

Before our excursion, which I booked for noon hoping to capture the warmth of the day, we walked around town. You do have to tender in which is the best way to get pictures of our beautiful ship.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DVC00231.jpg

The shopping here is easy but we were hearing the better deals were at Cozumel, so we didn't get much.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3609.jpg
This is as close as we got to seeing the famed "blue iguanas." I could easily enjoy a vacation just at the Cayman Islands. Much to do and see.

We booked the "Stingray City Reef Sail & Snorkel" and this is how Disney describes it:
"Set sail on an enchanting journey through the translucent blue waters before immersing yourself in a snorkel adventure awash with stingrays, tropical fish and unique coral."

Actually this was pretty accurate. The catamaran we "set sail" on was really nice, fairly new. They motor out of the harbor area where you board (on the other side of the island, so you get a 20 minute bus ride tour to there), until clear to cut the motors and reach the destination by sail! I think this was my favorite part! It is so peaceful to sail, and, yes, the waters are truly a "translucent blue!"

When we got to the reef, they explained that this isn't the "Sting Ray City" that everyone else goes to... we would be the only ones here versus the hundreds that visit the other one daily. It was 10 feet deep, so no standing. They attract the sting rays by feeding them squid. Sure enough about a dozen of them came ranging in size from a serving tray to BIG! Ahead of where we anchored was a reef to snorkel at.

Here are some pictures:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DVC00229.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3610.jpg

Then issue you snorkel gear and give lessons to those who haven't used it before.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3611.jpg
Just look at the color of that water. I could hardly get over it. That is one of the rays in the middle being held up by a crew member (one without snorkel gear). For those of us who don't like to dive with snorkels, they would go down and scoop up a ray and bring it to the surface. Sometimes they came up on their own, you never knew and had to watch out for them NO, they are not dangerous in any way.
Actually you had to watch out for the other swimmers the most. :crowded:

The reef fish were great but nothing like we had hoped. The sting rays were the attraction here. If you want a real coral reef experience, pick a different excursion.

The wind was VERY strong and we had a current to watch out for as well.

On the bus (small shuttle type bus) over and back it was obvious just how flat this island is. You could see how a hurricane could really sweep over and do some major damage. But many of the buildings are very nice... hotels and especially banks and seem to have withstood recent storms fine.

We got back to the ship just in time. They say "all aboard" time is 4pm, that was an early enough time that I wasn't taking any chances and so booked the excursion through Disney. There were a few tenders still bring people over until almost 4:30, but I wouldn't count on that!

That night was "Twiced Charmed" in the theater. This is a really cute original story that we did see back in 2005 on the Magic. Good show. No theme to dinner and again no real draw to the adult evening entertainment.
Same cover band at the Rockin' D bar:mic: , same piano player at the Cadillac:faint:

Got some more sleep instead.

Tomorrow: Cozumel, Mexico! Pirates IN the Carribean, and BOLT 3-D!

[Stinasmom]

We made no real plans for our day at Cozumel... at one point we thought some friends of ours would be there on the same day from a different cruiseline, but they went the week prior.
I am not sure what Cozumel would look like if not for it's cruise passenger business. They even have two port areas about 3 miles apart that supposedly have almost the same shopping.

We had three major ships at our port and there were at least that many at the other one we could see in the distance. Someone once posted that they have been there when 11 ship were in port on the same day!:scared:

I hear the beaches here are terrific and you can find very good snorkeling, but since we were in the water a lot the day before an Grand Cayman, and nothing beats a day at the beach at Castaway Cay, we decided to just be tourists and wander around, having never been to Cozumel.

Before we could get off we watched another ship coming up toward us... Ah heck, they were going to park right next to us blocking our water view from the verandah.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3617.jpg

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3620.jpg
Ha! Look at them admiring our beautiful ship. Once they tied up, we could practically pass drinks between ships!
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3621.jpg
Except that there were very few balcony rooms on that ship. Sorry!

We tried to get off before the mad rush of the Carnival cruisers... just barely making it. However, once off you realize that Cozumel is pretty use to this much traffic and can absorb it... except for the bars at Carlos & Charlies, Margaritaville, etc... those places became mad houses once the Carnival cruisers disembarked!!:lmao:

Here is a view back from the first shopping structure that separates the town from the cruiseline areas:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3622.jpg

And here is the main shopping area for our part of town:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3626.jpg
As typical of Mexico (and other poorer countries that rely on tourist dollars) the "barkers" outside all of the shops in this "mall" were quite aggressive. No one touches you but they ALL try to talk you in. Funny though, there was one restaurant that looked interesting so I actually asked the guy out front a question about it and it turns out he didn't know anything... he was just there to lure you in. Wonder if they get paid by the head?:rolleyes:

Our mistake was to keep thinking that the next street would reveal something more enticing as we were looking for somewhere to eat lunch. Unfortunately, with all four of us together, no one could really agree and we were getting hungry and grumpy. The decision was made to just walk back to the ship, save the $60+ and eat at Topsiders! They were offering TexMex for lunch and Margaritas could certainly be found aboard... with no fear of the water.

The boys had no interest in actually shopping but DD and I had seen MANY shops along the way to and from our failed attempt to find a restaurant of our liking. (Later I found that you should ask a crew member where to eat at Cozumel, they often get time of at this port and many know it well.)

So, we happily went back ashore to check it all out. The "barkers" were apparently on siesta or else they figure everyone from the ships who would come ashore has done so already. It was actually pleasant to wander without the shouting!

We found shirts and other gifts for family and friends, but our best score was at the duty free you can walk through just before going back to the ship... in fact, you can only shop here if you are going back to a ship.

From back at EPCOT, DD had been checking out the fancy fragrances... all the big name designers like Hermes, Givenche, and Bvlgari along with the Estee Lauders, etc. Prices were highest at EPOCT, followed by the shop on the Magic, but definitely cheapest for the very same thing at this duty free. She scored some JLo stuff that she'd had her eye... or nose on!
I got some Clinique eye cream for about half the price. :thumbsup2

As we headed back I caught two more pics of our ship:

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DVC00233.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3623.jpg
This one confused me until I remembered tonight was Pirate Night!pirate:
Is that a noose hanging there?:eek:
So much for walking the plank:rotfl:

Back on ship the decks were pretty deserted. Port day is the day to hang by the pool for sun as you are not moving so wind is minimal and it is not crowded. Here is the Quiet Cove Pool:

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3618.jpghttp://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3619.jpg

Up Next: Pirate Night and all that ensues....

[Keggy]

great updates!!

[Stinasmom]

Fortunately one looked like this:

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/JackSparrow1DCL1208.jpg
"It was a pleasure, Love," he said as I thanked him for the picture. pirate:

I took an old pirate outfit my DD wore for Halloween a few years back, made it fit me and packed it... No one else in the family had the spirit, but the servers got into the act:

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3630.jpg

We enjoyed our dinner... even if we were at Lumerier's!(which seemed odd for casual Pirate night)http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3629.jpg

Along with some fruity drink of the night here:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3628.jpg

But we didn't attempt the actual Pirate Party. Did that once. Good but lasts too long and is way too crowded. We did get to see the fireworks from our verandah! Made sure to be on the correct (and right - starboard that is) side of the ship to have the best view. Oops, didn't take pictures.



AH! Forgot to mention that we booked a spa visit for the morning we hit Cozumel...
"Exotic Rasul
Experience this pure retreat for two. Pamper each other in the privacy of a secluded chamber and steam room. Indulge yourselves with body mud, aromatherapy massage oils, a host of fabulous facial care products and more."

Now, I had read about "naughty mud love," where the spa products they give you to use are in plastic bowls and all resemble body muds. But, this was actually surprisingly different. The room you get (alone... and that is the real draw to this one :love: after sharing a hotel room and/or stateroom with the kids for several days or longer. ::yes::

The room was kind of two rooms actually... one that was dry with a bench (all tile like the rainforest room) and a shower cove at one end. There was also another room separated by a glass door where there were 3 shower type alcoves that had built in benches and a center fountain structure with 4 bowls and spouts of cold water. Sufficed to say there was lots of water to play with along with the products...
The products!! Wow! A whole tray of what seemed like one of everything they had. Creams, washes, oils, muds, exfoliants, you name it. It was tough to keep track of what you've tried and in what order to use things.
What I couldn't decide was how seriously to take this skin care opportunity! After all that wasn't exactly our motivation for booking this "treatment!":rolleyes1

Another special thing we got to do on this trip happened this evening, before all the pirate dinner stuff... Bolt in 3-D!:dogdance:
The movie was recently released in theaters but they had the 3-D version for us and showed it at the big Walt Disney Theater. It was good enough. We all enjoyed it. :thumbsup2

Tomorrow: another Sea Day... need to trek the entire length of the Caribbean by Friday morning!

[Stinasmom]

We started off the day, actually, with Brunch at Palo. This is not to be missed. The spread is beautiful and, of course, delicious! The offerings are quite varied... so much so that I could say there was plenty I wasn't interested in so I could focus on what I did like and not get too stuffed.
I did try the caviar with the complimentary glass of champagne:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3636.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3637.jpg

and DH enjoyed his caviar too (more than me):
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3638.jpg
That football shaped pizza there was actually not that good. We didn't eat more than a bite. There is just too much wonderful goodness to fill up on... skip the pizza.

BTW, the refill on the champagne (first one comes with your cover charge) was only $4.00... maybe the best deal on the ship!

Not a bad view:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3641.jpg

I think I would enjoy sea days more if the ship could stay still, but that would defeat the purpose of cruising, I suppose. After brunch, I attempted to catch some sun again on deck but the wind is sooooo strong! Oh well, I was still on the Disney Magic and not home where the snow was piling up! Overlooked the Goofy pool this time and watched DJ Mike getting the kids on the stage below the Jumbotron screen to dance the Cha Cha Slide, Macarena, and the like. It was really cute when the conga line marched from deck 9 up to deck 10 right past our deck chairs. I prefer this over the "steel pan sounds of Calypso Magic" of whatever that husband/wife team who just bang along to tracks are calling themselves over by the not-so-Quite Cove Pool.

Instead of being subjected to another rendition of Margaritaville, I signed up for the afternoon's Margarita tasting and this time got DH to join me...

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3642.jpg
Me sipping this one:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3643.jpg
It was really more of an education about tequila... now I know the difference between Blanco, Resposado, and Anejo. I did like the "Patron XO Cafe" which is coffee flavored tequila! And I am not a coffee drinker!
Also to watch out for Mescal, which is not made exclusively from BLUE agave... unless you are trying to save $$ and aren't worried about the next morning:headache:

Tonight is semi formal night and the Disney Dreams show. But with a little extra time before all that, and after being primed by the Margarita tasting, DH and I set out to find a place to enjoy a drink and the Cuban Cigar he purchased in Cozumel.
Now, we are not smokers and don't like to be around smokers and appreciate that Disney has restricted smoking to deck nine, forward, starboard, but that is only 5 tables.... all occupied by the habitual types. You can no longer smoke cigars outside the Cove Cafe or at the Signals bar. So, what was left? Deck 10, I suppose, but it is so windy up there that you cannot keep a match lit. We ended up back at our verandah.:rolleyes:
Glad we upgraded. Still it was so windy that we could hardly keep the cigar lit. Will have to plan this better next time. We did manage to enjoy our drinks and another sunset.

Since DS didn't want to go to the Disney Dreams show, I agreed to stay back and watch it on the stateroom TV instead. The production they show is not live but is the same show anyway. DD is really getting into these stage shows, she has stage experience and is looking forward to all the more she can get! princess:

Semi Formal dinner was also lobster night. I don't like lobster, but everyone else sure enjoyed it!
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3648.jpg
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I was more about the dessert... Lava cake!
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3650.jpg
And DH splurged on a bottle of the Fairy Tale Cuvee exclusive to Disney, yum!! (sparkling wine):flower3:

I delivered our FE gifts this day too. That was fun to tour around the hallways all stealth-like! Hope everyone liked what they got... we sure had fun with all the gifts we found in our FE everyday!::yes::

That evening I wanted to go to the "Who wants to be a Mouseketeer" quiz game at the Studio Sea... no other takers so I went alone. I didn't get called up but between contestants, the callout other random Disney trivia. I got the answer right to Mickey Mouse's birthday (November 18, 1928) and got pin for my lanyard. I am not a pin trader, but I have some interesting ones that I have earned or won, so I guess I am a collector.

Off to sleep! Tomorrow is Castaway Cay!! Saving the best for last!:beach:

[Stinasmom]

This is where Disney Cruise Line really shines.... not that they were slacking in any other area! Our last cruise ended up being a "double dip" where we went to Castaway Cay twice due to the weather the first day. It was a 4 nighter and usually the last day is "at sea" but they an use it as a second or back up day to the island. Our cruise before that was out here on the west coast to Mexico. No private island there (yet???), but we didn't know what we were missing.
Here is the view from our balcony as we approached the island:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3654.jpg

We didn't, however, book any excursions last time... this time, oh yeah!
The boys went bottom fishing... how many 7 year olds can say they've been fishing in the Bahamas!
Here are pictures of where they left from:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3655.jpghttp://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3656.jpghttp://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3657.jpg

There are no pictures of actual fish.... just some really great video!!
DS caught the first fish and several after. He was the first to identify everyone else's fish too... with the captain chuckling and confirming that he was right every time. :thumbsup2

Meanwhile, DD and I went on the "Eco tour" otherwise known as JET SKIING!:cool1: I first rode a jet ski when Kawasaki first sent them to the US... late 1970's, because my dad was a Honda/Kawasaki dealer at the time. I was about 9 years old. So, jet skiing is in the blood and I like to go FAST!:hyper:
Well, they start you out in a nice line, follow the leader style keeping 25 feet between you and the ski in front of you. They do say that if you want to pass, flag down a guide and signal, wait for a response. It only took 5 minutes of frustration before I waved down a guide and swung my arm around to motion that I wanted to jet a head. Thumbs up from him and we were off full throttle!!

Here are some pictures, they are fuzzy because I was using the "underwater" or waterproof camera as we took it on the ride with us:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/24a.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/12a.jpg

We did stop to hear a 2 minute spiel on the geology of the Bahamian Islands...
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/16a.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/17a.jpg

Upon departing our first stop, one of the guides started out and pointed at me to follow him! Yeah! I could go FAST! :woohoo:
DD had to really hang on as we caught lots of air and waves. The water was absolutely gorgeous, clear, you could see if you were on a reef or sandy bottom no matter how deep it was.
We stopped again on the other side of the island, away from the beaches. Here is a view back to the ship:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/14a.jpg

On the way back got a close up pic of the Flying Dutchman from the water...

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/21a.jpg

I will definitely do this excursion again!!!

So much more to come! :goodvibes

[pppiglet]

I loved the Eco Tour! Absolutely the most fun!

[dvc4life]

Your report makes me feel like I'm there. :goodvibes It is awesome. The jet ski's look like a blast. :cool1:

[Stinasmom]

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/ChipDale.jpg
Aww... Chip and Dale look so cute in their tropical/Christmas print shirts!


Once we all met up again after fishing and jet skiing, we ate lunch at Cookies BBQ. We hadn't done this before, not sure why. With the ship right there, you can eat aboard too. But, Cookies was fine. The line is a bit slow, some choices didn't look that great, but I stuck with the BBQ'd stuff like baby back ribs and chicken.The couscous is good. There is a drink station here too as well as ice cream (all included).

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/JackSparrow2CastawayCay1208.jpg
Found Jack again!

Also got some pics earlier in the day before jet skiing... before getting all wet and salty! Went and shopped first thing. Love getting that Castaway Cay merchandise! Can't get it any where else!

I made sure all four of us got off the ship at the same time so we could get this shot. I used it for our Christmas card, which Shutters printed up and had ready early the next morning:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/FamilyatCastawayCay1208.jpg

Other shots:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/MinnieatCastawayCay1208.jpg

and my favorite Disney Dog:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/PlutoatCastawayCay1208.jpg

Here are some shots of the Christmas touches on the island:
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I don't know anyone in this photo, hard to get a clear shot! If you recognize yourself, say "HI!":wave2:

One of the friends DD made also had a brother age 7, we luckily met up with them and left DD & DS to head to Serenity Bay.:beach:

Gotta love this place. Although I have no pictures... sorry! We did find a hammock... getting two people into one of those is tricky!
We had floats too, ah nice. December isn't really the warmest, however. Even in the Bahamas. It was nice, but with the sun low in the sky I didn't even use sun screen.

After our away time at the adult beach and after we'd used up all the "serenity now, Jerry!" jokes, we headed back to find the kids. This part could have been planned better! Ever tried scour the family beach for your kids? Oh well, we did find them eventually. It was time to get back on board, boy, to they let you know too... announcements and not so subtle stacking of chairs all around you!

We all love the beach but it does feel good to get a shower and get dressed in dry clothes!

Time to start packing too...:sad: It was nice that we weren't catching a plane right after getting off the ship, didn't have to worry about weight distribution with the bags. I am good at packing but apparently a bit rough.
I made this trip a bit more expensive than planned by breaking off 2 of the 4 prongs on my wedding ring holding the diamond in place. :( I didn't discover this until dinner later that evening. This is the second time I have done this... not meant to have diamonds I guess. :rolleyes2 I went back to the room to look for it, and did check & recheck the bag I was packing when I *think* it happened. No luck. Fortunately it was not a big diamond by any means. And I have no intention of replacing this one. I will stay with a basic gold band!

We didn't go to the last show "Till we meet again." But dinner was very good.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3674.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3675.jpg
DS, our hot dog boy, had another adventurous meal of Sashimi Tuna with sesame seeds and black caviar, seaweed wakame salad, lobster and crawfish bisque, seafood linguine (shrimp, lobster, clams, & scallops ---whatever was left over apparently!!), and topped it all off with a Mickey Bar!
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3677.jpg

So, disembarkation went as smoothly as always. We were in no hurry, just getting a rental car and spending on more day/night in Orlando.

I have some final thoughts about this cruise... much of this I actually wrote the night before we got off:

Adult entertainment really lacking. What happened to 80's night?? I even packed my 1984 Madonna outfit! :confused3

It is often bantered about whether adults can cruise Disney and not feel overwhelmed by the kids... I have kids and was overwhelmed by other people’s kids on this trip. Crying on the verandas, in the halls, screaming at parents, parents screaming at the kids, running around the restaurants... ah, hello, it is a RESTAURANT! Control the toddlers. :sad2:

Deck 9 adult areas have kids walking through constantly. Even Serenity Bay had some kids with parents. There really are not enough boundaries. I would never choose Disney for a romantic vacation with my spouse.

What is it about the bathrooms having that smell by the last night? Like the bilge needs to be pumped out. Probably does. Guess it’s good they don’t dump in the ocean, but yuck, the smell is unpleasant by the seventh night. What do they do on a longer cruise? :faint:

Music on this cruise was very average. They seem to be appealing to the lowest common deminator. The same 2 groups performed all week. The cover band was good at first but were like the slightly tacky group at a wedding , gets old after one evening. The duo who also did covers by the quiet cove pool and in the Promenade lounge were really bad. They sounded OK if you like Margaritaville and every other song you’ve heard that can be sung along with over and over. They looked like a parody from an SNL skit. When I heard their rendition of Le Freak, I had to physically pick up my jaw off the floor with my hand. Ack!:eek:

So much is awesome about DCL. Especially the service. They are almost overboard trying to do as much as possible for you. Those of us who are not use to having domestic help of any kind aren’t really sure how to keep thanking them for all they do. Too bad we can’t afford to tip double the recommmended amount... they deserve it.

Did we rebook onboard? YEP!:cheer2: They let us book two rooms with all the discounts and intend on having one set of grandparents join us...maybe other family too? We will not likely sail anytime soon, however. I am sort of hoping to get on one of the new ships in 2011 or 2012.

Last day: Swan/Dolphin!

[Stinasmom]

We chose to stay one more day in Orlando, post-cruise, so we didn't have to fly home on a red-eye, or stay overnight in Seattle... oh, wait, that ended up happening anyway.... see POST#16:rolleyes2

The DIS podcast has hyped up the Swan/Dolphin so much that we chose to spend our last night here and check it out. THEY ARE RIGHT! This place is really great. Just beautiful. And especially at Christmas.
The pool at the Dolphin (where we were) was cold but really pretty. These are the only pictures I have for some reason... taken with the remainder of the underwater camera:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/1a.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/00a.jpg


I think one reason I didn't take more pictures while here was that we only had one day and wanted to do and see so much! The location of this resort is really optimal too... except for the bus system. We had our rental car and really should have driven to Downtown Disney, but going to DTD wasn't where DD and I were intending to go at first. We waited at the bus stop in front of the Dolphin for 40 minutes of our precious last day hoping for a bus to the Magic Kingdom. Finally we hopped onto a DTD bus and decided to get our shopping done instead. Man, if I spent a week waiting for and riding on these buses :crowded: , I would have gone mad.:crazy2: This bus then proceeded to stop at ALL the Epcot resorts before heading to its destination. Won't do that again.

DH and DS were smarter. They walked to the International Gateway of Epcot and wandered a few countries. This surprised me, I thought DH was really sick of all the WDW stuff. Well, after today, I certainly was getting there.

Somehow, we managed to wander the Boardwalk, eat at the brewery there, swim in the pool, shop at DTD, and restaurant hop back at the Swan/Dolphin all in one day. Except for the whole bus thing and not ever making it to MK,
it was a great "taster" of an onsite resort experience.

This time packing meant proper weight distribution. After a great night sleep in the heavenly beds, we drove back to the airport and were ottta there ("wheels up") by 8:30am arriving in Seattle by 11:30am - west coast time that is. We weren't quite home yet, however... (post #16 will explain!)

_______________________________________

So, what did we do right on this trip?

*Rental cars worked out pretty well. We picked up the first one upon arrival at MCO and turned it back in at Cape Canaveral driving ourselves to the port. Not that it was perfect, but I really did like not feeling rushed or crazed when leaving the resort to get to the port. Last time we returned our car to MCO and took Disney transportation to the port, this was fine too, good pictures of the bus and all, but then you're on their time, not yours.

We then got another rental at Cape Canaveral after the cruise and drove to the Swan/Dolphin... on our time. Since Magical express doesn't serve the Swan/Dolphin, the rental was the least expensive option. Our flight left early enough the last morning that we were happy to drive ourselves and not get up Super early to wait for a bus.

*Horizon's By Marriott - This resort really fit our needs. Great location for everything (miles to WDW but easy freeway access). It's newer, well kept, huge rooms, well appointed. Great pool areas, especially for families, and a lake to fish at! Oh, yeah, DD and I loved the free WiFi!

*Discovery Cove! Worth every penny!

*The cruise... and the Western Itinerary. These ports are great, I could see going to them again, but with other plans. And the cruise, well, heck... hard to top a week on the Magic.

*Our kids... we really packed in a lot in these two weeks. Both kids were real troopers, even when things didn't go smoothly. I am extremely proud of them and how they behaved in varying situations and how they got along with each other as well as us (parents). They were a joy to travel with.
Here is how easy DS was on the way home:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/DCP_3684.jpg
_________________________________
What didn't go so well?

*Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party. Waste of money.
*Crowd levels at the WDW parks... guess there is no "down" time anymore.
*Bus system from the Dolphin
*Music and lack of adult entertainment on the cruise.

Hmmm... that' enough. Hope you enjoyed reading about our adventure!
Ask any questions! But, now, I get to scrapbook...::yes::

[mackeyapp]

I have read :coffee: along anxiously and escaped from this terribly cold winter to each destination with you. We will be doing our first cruise on June 27 with our two DS (12& 13). It was an unexpected surprise we gave to them on Christmas morning while we were spending Xmas Mickey. We can't wait to go and since it's a 7 day Western I was captivated with your report. Excellent job, beautiful family............thank you for sharing it with us. :thumbsup2

[Keggy]

Really great trip report! I love Castaway Cay too - just can't get enough!

[Stinasmom]

Hey all! Thanks for the "thanks!" I remember reading trip reports before our first cruise, building up the anticipation so much that when I saw the ship for the first time in person I couldn't help but cry!

I did manage to finish my DCL scrapbook! Still working on WDW and Discovery Cove stuff.
Not sure how well these pictures will turn out, but here's what I have:

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e369/stinasmom/100_0435.jpg
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What a fun way to drag out vacation memories! As I put all this together, the kids keep asking when we'll be going back... unfortunately the answer is in years not months...

Thanks all for joining me on this voyage!

Marcy

[OurOhana]

Great trip report. And really nice scrapbook. That's impressive. Makes me almost want to create one. But I'm not quite that creative. Maybe I'll try one in an electronic format.

[Pooh's-Honey-Pot]

Loved your report! You are getting me very excited!!

[frdeb1999]

Wonderful TR and fabulous pics!! :)

[bsusanmb]

Thanks for taking the time to write such a great TR. Loved it and all of the photos. Great scapbook. I love to scapbook...Did you get the DCL things on the ship? I have to look for that!

Susan

[Stinasmom]

Did you get the DCL things on the ship? I have to look for that!

Susan

Yep, they have "kits" in one of the stores on the ship. They run about $15 and are the only place you are going to get anything specific to Disney Cruise Line.

We have been on board on December the last two times so I got the dated kit for half price. As if saving $7.50 made all that much difference! This hobby is rather expensive and tricky as I have to get all my supplies out of town or online.

Thanks everyone for the nice comments!:)

[dvc4life]

Thanks for the wonderful trip report! Just loved all of your photos and your scrapbook is awesome! :thumbsup2

[bsusanmb]

Yep, they have "kits" in one of the stores on the ship. They run about $15 and are the only place you are going to get anything specific to Disney Cruise Line.

We have been on board on December the last two times so I got the dated kit for half price. As if saving $7.50 made all that much difference! This hobby is rather expensive and tricky as I have to get all my supplies out of town or online.

Thanks everyone for the nice comments!:)

Thanks! Don't know how I missed that on my last cruise...but I will surely look on the next one. I bought some of the fabric that the wait staff wears in Animator's Palate (the colored one) on the ship and made scrub tops! I just want everything I see, and that's a real problem!

Susan

[RLccweems]

I really enjoyed your TR and all the pics....you did a great job on your scrapbook as well.

[Carol G]

I really enjoyed your TR and all the pics....you did a great job on your scrapbook as well.

I also enjoyed your trip report and pics. Fantastic job.

The first time we cruised was in Nov. I was wondering what the weather is like in the middle of Dec. We're doing the 4 night Bahama Cruise. Looking forward to the Christmas deco on Castaway Cay.

The merchandise I bought was marked down 1/2 price when we went - great deal compared to the regular price.