October 7-10th three day Fall Getaway on the Disney Wonder!

[Dicecatt]

I suspect we will be a small group since there is no cruise thread yet! I volunteer to control this one...please join me!

I'll keep a current list of sailors, and I'd love to put together an FE for this cruise.

About me...Mom of 4, I own a travel agency, I love Disney like it is one of my kids, and I am surprising my husband with this cruise! I told him we are going somewhere for "two days" (because that is what he needs to know to take off work) and he has no idea what we are doing. If all goes well, he won't know until we get to Orlando! We had such a magical time in the Mediterranean on the Magic that I thought a quick one before the craziness of the holidays (he gets super busy at work) would be nice, plus he can go scuba diving which he loves.

*update* I spilled the beans, DH knows and is very excited, especially about the shark dive! He is very glad I told him, because now he has something to look forward to:cool1:




Dicecatt (Erin) & Dicedawg (Steve), Cat 12GTY
CarolAnnC, John, Kristen & Elaine 2 Cat 11 cabins
Chellealistic: Michelle & Hubby, Honeymoon!
Riskysmom (Debbie) and fellow celebrants!
Suzib, daughter and Mom
FrigulattoEA, mother, dd13, dd10, and ds6
Nikki'sMommy, DH and DD4, Anniversary!
DisneyFanTX: Connie, DH and 3 little ones
DD's Prince: DD9, DS7
LosChavez2K: Venita Chavez and family
WDWCP96 and family
Vminick: DW, DH and 3 year old princess

[IrishCowboy]

I have added your thread to the cruise meet list :thumbsup2

[Dicecatt]

Thank you! Hopefully I won't be sailing all by my lonesome:)

[CarolAnnC]

We will be joining you!

We have booked this recently as a birthday celebration trip for my mom. There will be myself, my DH John, DD Kristen (DD Jen has to work) and my mom Elaine. We will spend the night after the cruise at Vero Beach for a little beach add on day.

We have two category 11's in the forward area. Nice to see at least one other family will be on board from the DIS!

[Dicecatt]

Yay, how exciting! There are now 6 of us sailing :lmao:

I wonder why this one doesn't have much action yet? It is actually during our school fall break.

How old is your daughter? I was tempted to bring my oldest, she turns 16 on October 16th. She would live on a Disney cruise if possible. Although heck, so would I.

[CarolAnnC]

Kristen is 27. Jen (the one not going) is 24. Kristen is a high school english teacher. We always brought the girls when they were teens and they enjoyed the Teen Club immensely. Though they did love it when they were old enough to go to the adult pool, lol.

I am thinking we may get more people on board here as time draws near. I suspect the 3 day is one that many book close to sail date. Could be wrong, but time will tell.

Have a nice weekend! Raining and t-storms here in the Chicagoland area.

[Dicecatt]

We are in St. Louis! Funny that we live so close. I love Chicago...we usually spend a couple of weekends a year there.

I think I've decided to keep this one just adults...not that DH knows what we are doing :thumbsup2. The kids are doing the Mexican Riviera sailing in March so it isn't as if they will be hurting for Disney cruising.

Have a great weekend!

[chellealistic]

My husband and I will be on the three day cruise as part of our Honeymoon (we were married July 3rd 2010, but had to wait until Oct for our Florida Honeymoon due to work vacation scheduling x.x)

This will be our very first cruise and we are super excited!

I'm just now scheduling some of our excursions! :cool1:

~Michelle~

[Dicecatt]

My husband and I will be on the three day cruise as part of our Honeymoon (we were married July 3rd 2010, but had to wait until Oct for our Florida Honeymoon due to work vacation scheduling x.x)

This will be our very first cruise and we are super excited!

I'm just now scheduling some of our excursions! :cool1:

~Michelle~

Hi Michelle, welcome, and congratulations! You will have a spectacular time!

Ask questions if you'd like...I know the ships and DCL scarily well, and CarolAnnC is a moderator, so this thread might be small so far but you have a wealth of knowledge to utilize:)

[chellealistic]

Thank you! I appreciate it :)

The only question I can think of right now is...which night of the cruise is the pirate theme night? I imagine it's probably the 2nd night (because that seems to make the most logical sense) but I just want to be sure. We'd planned on dining at Palo on the second night, but I don't want to miss any of the piratey goodness!

Michelle

[Dicecatt]

Thank you! I appreciate it :)

The only question I can think of right now is...which night of the cruise is the pirate theme night? I imagine it's probably the 2nd night (because that seems to make the most logical sense) but I just want to be sure. We'd planned on dining at Palo on the second night, but I don't want to miss any of the piratey goodness!

Michelle

Pirate night is Nassau night, the second night. We will also be in Palo that night! What time will you be there? The party doesn't start until after the second dining seating is over, so you should be good as long as your seating at Palo isn't too late.

[chellealistic]

Pirate night is Nassau night, the second night. We will also be in Palo that night! What time will you be there? The party doesn't start until after the second dining seating is over, so you should be good as long as your seating at Palo isn't too late.

I booked it for 8pm. I think the second seating starts around that time, correct? So we should be good! I am looking forward to that night so much!

Another question (I may get annoying :laughing:): On the Nassau day, can we go on and off the ship or is it a once you leave you have to be there until everyone boards again thing? :confused3 You can totally tell I've never been on a cruise!

Michelle

[Dicecatt]

I booked it for 8pm. I think the second seating starts around that time, correct? So we should be good! I am looking forward to that night so much!

Another question (I may get annoying :laughing:): On the Nassau day, can we go on and off the ship or is it a once you leave you have to be there until everyone boards again thing? :confused3 You can totally tell I've never been on a cruise!

Michelle

You should be fine with 8 PM. The party won't even get going until about 9:45.

Not annoying, ask away! Yes, you can go on and off. People can get off whenever they'd like after they clear the ship to allow passengers off, and you can get back on whenever you want...and go back out too! What are you planning to do in Nassau?

[chellealistic]

You should be fine with 8 PM. The party won't even get going until about 9:45.

Not annoying, ask away! Yes, you can go on and off. People can get off whenever they'd like after they clear the ship to allow passengers off, and you can get back on whenever you want...and go back out too! What are you planning to do in Nassau?

We aren't doing any Port Adventures there, just at CC. I think so far we plan to wander around, go to the pirate museum and then maybe to Cabbage Beach. We don't want to spend a ton of money on the extras, as we are going to be honeymooning for two weeks in Florida (including WDW), so we just sort of want to get a feel for what it's like to cruise to see if we'd like to try a longer one at a different time :)

What do you do there?

Michelle

[Dicecatt]

We aren't doing any Port Adventures there, just at CC. I think so far we plan to wander around, go to the pirate museum and then maybe to Cabbage Beach. We don't want to spend a ton of money on the extras, as we are going to be honeymooning for two weeks in Florida (including WDW), so we just sort of want to get a feel for what it's like to cruise to see if we'd like to try a longer one at a different time :)

What do you do there?

Michelle

A couple of times we've wandered around. Last time we did a three stop snorkel trip with the three older kids. This time I am surprising DH with shark scuba diving, we've done it before when we stayed at Atlantis (on our honeymoon years ago) so I know he'll love it.

I think I also might surprise him with Parasailing on Castaway Cay!

[chellealistic]

A couple of times we've wandered around. Last time we did a three stop snorkel trip with the three older kids. This time I am surprising DH with shark scuba diving, we've done it before when we stayed at Atlantis (on our honeymoon years ago) so I know he'll love it.

I think I also might surprise him with Parasailing on Castaway Cay!

We've never really taken any trips together in the 6ish years we've been together, so we are trying to ease our way into it. We have booked one of the snorkel excursions at CC and then also doing the jet ski tour.

Thought about the parasailing, but I'm a little too nervous for that just yet! ;)

I hear that Atlantis is a lot of fun, but it just seems so expensive. I may look into it more the closer we get. Scuba diving sounds fun! I would like to get certified at some point so I can do cool things like shark scuba diving. Maybe by our next trip :)

Michelle

[CarolAnnC]

We have taken a taxi over to Atlantis before, and may decide to do that again on this trip. They have a nice casino there and it is a beautiful place to shop and just enjoy looking around.

We have done the Straw Market enough times in the past, so I don't think we will be heading there. Though if you have never been, it is an interesting take in. Just watch your wallets, lol.

[Crissup]

We have done the Straw Market enough times in the past, so I don't think we will be heading there.

But, what if I want to look for a woman?!? LOL!!

Explanation... On our last cruise to Nassau, CarolAnnC and I were wandering through the straw market with everyone trying to sell me cuban cigars. So, as we'd pass by, I'd just keep shaking my head no and continue on. Finally, we passed one guy who asked if I wanted to buy some cuban cigars, and when I shook my head no and continued on, he yell after me, "How about woman? You want a woman?". LOL! CarolAnnC was standing about 10 feet away from me. I just laughed, shook my head no and continued on.

[riskysmom]

hi...i'm debbie and i'll be joining you along with my husband and a bunch of celebrations. it's our first anniversary, my son's 16th bday, my daughter's 21st bday, my aunt and uncles 35th anniversary and my mother are all coming along..7 all together and many first time cruisers. we are so exciting and it is coming along here fast.

[Dicecatt]

hi...i'm debbie and i'll be joining you along with my husband and a bunch of celebrations. it's our first anniversary, my son's 16th bday, my daughter's 21st bday, my aunt and uncles 35th anniversary and my mother are all coming along..7 all together and many first time cruisers. we are so exciting and it is coming along here fast.

WOW! That is a lot of celebratios! Every October must be a party for you:thumbsup2 Glad to see you join us!

[CarolAnnC]

hi...i'm debbie and i'll be joining you along with my husband and a bunch of celebrations. it's our first anniversary, my son's 16th bday, my daughter's 21st bday, my aunt and uncles 35th anniversary and my mother are all coming along..7 all together and many first time cruisers. we are so exciting and it is coming along here fast.

Welcome! Always fun to have family along on a Disney cruise... :dance3:

[Dicecatt]

Do any of you have GTYs? I'm dying to see my cabin assigned. Should be any SECOND now:).

CarolAnnC, I read about your issue with the Alaskan, hope you find some resolution!

[suzib]

My daughter 16(HS senior) and mother & I are heading on our first Disney cruise. Couldn't believe the pricing, the shipboard credits etc, and it coincides with a long weekend for my daughter. We've cruised a lot in fact this is the third this year. We are Disney addicts. We've been 15 times since January. Yes we live in Florida. My daughter started a blog on disney for teens this summer. Can't wait to check this out.:grouphug:

[FrigulettoEA]

Please add 5 more to your list. This will be our 3rd Disney cruise. Like everyone else here we are also Disney fanatics. It will be myself, my mother, DD13, DD10 and DS6. I asked the kids if they wanted to do the FE thing again and the answer was yes. We did it 4 months ago on our last cruise and they loved it. We've already started gathering goodies for this FE. WE can't wait.

[Dicecatt]

Welcome, how exciting, more cruisers!

I'll send a message to everyone on this thread about FE participation, and then I'll post a list. I will ask you for your cabin number when I contact you so I can make sure everyone participating has it, but I WILL NOT post it out on this board, FYI, I'll keep it in PMs:)

FYI, got my cabin assignment, first time no upgrade but that is fine, we hit the upgrade lotto with the Med (11 to 6). This time around we booked 12GTY, with $25 OBC and another $50 for the Disney Visa, and we were assigned a Cat 12. I've never stayed in anything under a 10 so I am actually curious to see one "normal" bathroom, lol. I thought about upgrading to a Cat 11, only $50 more, but really it doesn't matter...plus where we are now is close to the adult areas (one floor up for the clubs, and an elevator ride up to the pool).

[Nikki'sMommy]

Hi all-

Myself, DH and 4yr.old,dd, will be celebrating out 10th anniversary on Oct.7th..We're annual passholders and we LOVE Disney!! Even though we are living in FL. it will be our 1st cruise ever..Joining us will be my BFF flying in with her family (dh and 2 ds-8&9) and my friend with her DH and dd(4)..I can't wait..And so happy that DCL lets you bring some alcoholic beverages in your carry on bag--- that will save a couple buck on beer and wine:) We're counting down the days..

[Dicecatt]

Hi all-

Myself, DH and 4yr.old,dd, will be celebrating out 10th anniversary on Oct.7th..We're annual passholders and we LOVE Disney!! Even though we are living in FL. it will be our 1st cruise ever..Joining us will be my BFF flying in with her family (dh and 2 ds-8&9) and my friend with her DH and dd(4)..I can't wait..And so happy that DCL lets you bring some alcoholic beverages in your carry on bag--- that will save a couple buck on beer and wine:) We're counting down the days..

Welcome! You will become addicted to cruising, especially Disney cruising!

[FrigulettoEA]

And so happy that DCL lets you bring some alcoholic beverages in your carry on bag..

LOL. This was the only way I could my husband on the cruise this past April. He didn't want to come with us this time. Oh well. We will still have fun regardless.

[FrigulettoEA]

Hey, Is anybody going to the Food & Wine Festival before or after the cruise?

I know that's a must for us.

[suzib]

We'll be at the Food & Wine on October 2. We are also volunteers for the 1/2 Marathon that night (great way to get free Disney tickets & T-Shirts):goodvibes

[Dicecatt]

5 weeks from today, we'll be sailing on the Wonder:banana:.

I'm sending PMs out now for the FE...

[DisneyfanTX]

Hello! I'm new on these boards... a fellow Passporter referred me over here. This will be mine and my DH's first cruise. It's kind of a celebration of our 5th Anniversary (actually back in April), my 40th birthday (yesterday) and a mini delayed honeymooon. We have 3 little ones, so a short cruise is all we can do right now... not many people will agree to watch a 4 1/2 yo and 2 - 3 yo twins...all boys! LOL

I can't wait... I am SOOOO looking forward to this trip and a little break from reality. We decided not to schedule any excursions and are just going to slug around and do as we feel at the moment. :-)

Question - what is an FE?

We aren't scheduling Palo, as we're pretty casual people and want to (again) slug around. {just to give you an idea - our wedding was a Hawaiian theme and my MIL had to threaten my DH to wear kahki's instead of shorts for the ceremony - I actually had a wedding dress though..lol)

Well, let me know please if there are any get togethers, as I'd love to meet other DIS's.

Thanks.
Connie

[Dicecatt]

Hello! I'm new on these boards... a fellow Passporter referred me over here. This will be mine and my DH's first cruise. It's kind of a celebration of our 5th Anniversary (actually back in April), my 40th birthday (yesterday) and a mini delayed honeymooon. We have 3 little ones, so a short cruise is all we can do right now... not many people will agree to watch a 4 1/2 yo and 2 - 3 yo twins...all boys! LOL

I can't wait... I am SOOOO looking forward to this trip and a little break from reality. We decided not to schedule any excursions and are just going to slug around and do as we feel at the moment. :-)

Question - what is an FE?

We aren't scheduling Palo, as we're pretty casual people and want to (again) slug around. {just to give you an idea - our wedding was a Hawaiian theme and my MIL had to threaten my DH to wear kahki's instead of shorts for the ceremony - I actually had a wedding dress though..lol)

Well, let me know please if there are any get togethers, as I'd love to meet other DIS's.

Thanks.
Connie

Hi Connie, and welcome! I have twins too, but mine are 11! I'll send you a PM about the Fish Extenders!

[FrigulettoEA]

We just got back from a mini vacation to the National Harbor in MD and had a great surprise when we arrived home....our cruise docs are here!!! Now I am getting really excited. Did anybody else get their docs?

[DisneyfanTX]

:cool1: Yes!! We got our too on Saturday!!! Doing the happy dance!!!:woohoo::banana::woohoo::yay::banana::wooh oo::cheer2:

[FrigulettoEA]

I am looking forward to just enjoying this cruise. I didn't book any excursions for us this time around and if feels great! In a few more weeks I can call to see what movies :3dglasses are playing onboard.

[FrigulettoEA]

I signed on to Disney Cruise Line website and noticed that you can have Mickey Mouse call your house. there are other characters too. I just had my children answer the phone and put it on speaker. My son loved it.

[Nikki'sMommy]

I signed on to Disney Cruise Line website and noticed that you can have Mickey Mouse call your house. there are other characters too. I just had my children answer the phone and put it on speaker. My son loved it.

We did that too...She loved it..I, of course, thought I would be able to do it more than once (I figured it would be nice if she got a call every week) but I guess it is a one shot deal.. Oh well, Special Agent Oso can keep calling..(from the playhouse Disney site)..

[DD's Prince]

Four and a half weeks til the Wonder. First time cruise for DW, DD(9) and DS(7). Very excited. Still trying to figure out this FE thing.

Also, anyone else thinking of doing the water park at Atlantis?

[Dicecatt]

Four and a half weeks til the Wonder. First time cruise for DW, DD(9) and DS(7). Very excited. Still trying to figure out this FE thing.

Also, anyone else thinking of doing the water park at Atlantis?

Hi, and welcome! I just sent you a PM with the Fish Extender information, you have to have 10 posts to do a private message but I included my email address!

No water park for us this time, we are leaving the kids at home. But Atlantis is amazing!

[FrigulettoEA]

No water park for us either. We did it 2 yrs ago and it was great. And then we did it again this past April and it was so cold that we weren't able to go on any slides. We were bundled up in sweatshirts. I think the weather was around 60 and windy. We are just relaxing this trip. You will have a fun time.

[chellealistic]

Woohoo! Got my cruise docs in the mail a few days ago. I didn't even realize it was them until I saw the luggage tags! LOL.

A question: I see that most of the docs that you have to fill out online are also in this notebook. Do I have to do both? I think it would be silly to fill this thing out AND fill out the one online and print it out. I assume you can do one or the other.

Also, what time do people usually show up at the port? And how early do they let you board the ship? I know I've read on the boards in the past that some people get on well before 4pm and then spend the afternoon on the ship swimming and eating lunch. I'd like to get as much time out of this experience as possible since it is our first time on a cruise.

SO EXCITED!!!

:D

[chellealistic]

Where do you get them pre-made? I'm not crafty at all :(

[Dicecatt]

A question: I see that most of the docs that you have to fill out online are also in this notebook. Do I have to do both? I think it would be silly to fill this thing out AND fill out the one online and print it out. I assume you can do one or the other.

Also, what time do people usually show up at the port? And how early do they let you board the ship? I know I've read on the boards in the past that some people get on well before 4pm and then spend the afternoon on the ship swimming and eating lunch. I'd like to get as much time out of this experience as possible since it is our first time on a cruise.

SO EXCITED!!!

:D

No, you don't have to fill it out...if you do the online version, you actually don't need the hard copy version at all, except the luggage tags. People show up at port at various times...I am usually coming from a Disney resort so I'll probably be there around noon. Some people want get their early, but they won't start boarding the ship until probably 11:30, maybe later. Cabins are ready at 1/1:30.

For the FEs, check ebay:thumbsup2

[chellealistic]

No, you don't have to fill it out...if you do the online version, you actually don't need the hard copy version at all, except the luggage tags. People show up at port at various times...I am usually coming from a Disney resort so I'll probably be there around noon. Some people want get their early, but they won't start boarding the ship until probably 11:30, maybe later. Cabins are ready at 1/1:30.

For the FEs, check ebay:thumbsup2

Is one way better than the other?

Oh! Good idea. Why didn't I think of that? ;)

[Dicecatt]

You mean, for the documents? The online documents are better, because all your stuff will be in their system. If you bring the hard copy, it will take longer to check in because they'll have to enter everything. Checking in is super easy if you have all of your documents!

Also, for those of you first time cruisers, consider getting lanyards, either before the cruise or during. You get them when you are a Castaway Club member. I don't wear them at Disney World, but on the cruise they are really handy because you need your room card everywhere you go!

[FrigulettoEA]

I do all of our cruise docs online then print it because of the signature page. I also register my children in the kids program just incase they want to go. I think mine only went once or twice. They like being up my butt. I plan to arrive around 10:00am. Checkin is very fast. Then I stand in line to get the kids club bands put on the children. Then we just wait for our number to be called. The kids want to be 1st but I'm not sure that I want to be there that early. We like getting on the ship and going to Parrot Cay for lunch. The kids will have their swimsuits on so that they can go swimming right after lunch. I really can not wait.

[Dicecatt]

FrigguletoEA makes a great suggestion with Parrot Cay. They will most likely point you to the buffet when it is lunchtime. If you want to go to Parrot Cay instead, they may tell you they aren't seating at that point...tell them you'll wait. You'll get in shortly after :goodvibes.

Also, although I've never been to port earlier than 11:30, we've never had to wait. When you get their early you will have to wait for your group to go in because the ship might not be boarding yet (which is fine if you want to get there early and are willing to wait!). The most we've ever waited is maybe 10 minutes and that was in Barcelona!!! Longer lines are possible, but in my experience if you get there after boarding has already started, you'll not wait for very long. It goes in waves, though...you can't really predict.

Also, as far as the kids clubs...if there is a line at Port, just skip it and wait...you can do the same thing onboard later in the day at deck 5:thumbsup2. Of course, if the ship isn't boarding yet and you are waiting anyway, might as well get it over with and do it then.

Another tip...if you are going to participate in the airline check in program (only certain carriers) then make sure you tell DCL when you check in. They won't automatically put you in, and you have to do it in advance.

[Nikki'sMommy]

I see that some people have already received their package.. Do they take longer if you go through a TA? I know we have a month but when should I start worry?

[Dicecatt]

I see that some people have already received their package.. Do they take longer if you go through a TA? I know we have a month but when should I start worry?

It will take longer for you because first DCL sends them to your TA, then you get them. I am a TA and an owner (meaning the docs come to my address...if you have a TA that works for an agency out of their house or something the main office gets the docs first) and I got mine close to two weeks ago.

[chellealistic]

I feel so overwhelmed and we still have a few weeks to go! I know it'll go smoothly when the time comes, but thinking about it now makes me nervous. LOL.

I'm already compiling a list of everything I need to remember to bring with us on the ship. Does anyone have any MUST HAVE items that most people wouldn't think to bring? Not just normal stuff, but items you never thought you would have needed until you did?

[Dicecatt]

I feel so overwhelmed and we still have a few weeks to go! I know it'll go smoothly when the time comes, but thinking about it now makes me nervous. LOL.

I'm already compiling a list of everything I need to remember to bring with us on the ship. Does anyone have any MUST HAVE items that most people wouldn't think to bring? Not just normal stuff, but items you never thought you would have needed until you did?

Michelle, I'll PM you with a link for a list I created...if anyone else wants it, feel free to ask. I don't want to post it out in the open:)

[FrigulettoEA]

Off the top of my head here are some of the things I like to bring are: a highlighter to highlight my navigator with things I would like to do, alot of $1s for room service, clothes pins to hang wet swimsuits.

[chellealistic]

Oh! I love those suggestions. I was wondering how I would get our swimsuits to dry overnight. Might have to bring two just in case. Is there a convenient place to hang them in the room?

[FrigulettoEA]

Oh! I love those suggestions. I was wondering how I would get our swimsuits to dry overnight. Might have to bring two just in case. Is there a convenient place to hang them in the room?

In the shower there is one of those retractable clothes lines. We always pack 2 bathing suits so that we can wear one while the other is drying.

[Dicecatt]

Another tip that was way too simple for me to think of...you can actually pull the drying clothes line through the straps on your swimsuits, eliminating the need for clothes pins! As I said...I did not think of that...I've been lugging clothes pins:thumbsup2

For those of you that asked for my "Tips" list, they've been sent or they will be shortly.

[Dicecatt]

Chellealistic, are you going to do the Fish Extender?

So far, we have 4 families (5 cabins) participating, possibly 5 if you are going to do it...I haven't heard from 3 others on our list.

If anyone else is interested in participating, please PM me or post here ASAP, so I can finish the list. You can do one gift per cabin, or one gift per person per cabin...it is really up to you. Just as an example, for the last cruise I was on I created magnets with the cruise Itinerary (Med) and Alice with the Cardinal's logo on her apron (I'm from STL). I gave caramel chocolates to the adults, pirate patches for the boys and giant rings to the girls. Don't tell your kids that because I might repeat their gifts:)

So far, here is what we have:

8 adults
1 4 year old
1 6 year old
1 10 year old
1 13 year old
1 16 year old

I'll give it a couple more days, and then I'll email everyone the list of names and cabins with the total count! Erin

[chellealistic]

I haven't ordered the FE yet, but I plan to buy one on Ebay. I hope it can get here in time. If not, then I will figure something out.

It's just going to be me and my husband, so I think we can handle joining in on the fun :)

Do we get to know the gender of the kids beforehand?

Chellealistic, are you going to do the Fish Extender?

So far, we have 4 families (5 cabins) participating, possibly 5 if you are going to do it...I haven't heard from 3 others on our list.

If anyone else is interested in participating, please PM me or post here ASAP, so I can finish the list. You can do one gift per cabin, or one gift per person per cabin...it is really up to you. Just as an example, for the last cruise I was on I created magnets with the cruise Itinerary (Med) and Alice with the Cardinal's logo on her apron (I'm from STL). I gave caramel chocolates to the adults, pirate patches for the boys and giant rings to the girls. Don't tell your kids that because I might repeat their gifts:)

So far, here is what we have:

8 adults
1 4 year old
1 6 year old
1 10 year old
1 13 year old
1 16 year old

I'll give it a couple more days, and then I'll email everyone the list of names and cabins with the total count! Erin

[FrigulettoEA]

there are directions for a no sew fish extender. It's easy to make. I will find the directions and post them if you'd like.

[Dicecatt]

I haven't ordered the FE yet, but I plan to buy one on Ebay. I hope it can get here in time. If not, then I will figure something out.

It's just going to be me and my husband, so I think we can handle joining in on the fun :)

Do we get to know the gender of the kids beforehand?


Yes, the gender will be specified on the list!

[chellealistic]

there are directions for a no sew fish extender. It's easy to make. I will find the directions and post them if you'd like.

I found the post last night after I replied here. I went ahead and ordered one off of ebay because it would be able to get here in time. *fingers crossed*

The no sew will be my last minute back up just in case the USPS decides to lose my package XD

Thanks!

[FrigulettoEA]

I think my 23 yo daughter might be coming too. I'm hoping that she will enjoy it if she does come.

[chellealistic]

I think my 23 yo daughter might be coming too. I'm hoping that she will enjoy it if she does come.

I'm only 25 and going on it as part of my honeymoon! :) I think your 23 yo daughter will enjoy it plenty.

[Dicecatt]

Okay, I'm sending out emails this morning for the Fish Extender participation! If you don't see it, please PM me.

[FrigulettoEA]

it's official. Tiff is going on the cruise.

[Nikki'sMommy]

Woo hoo!!!!:banana: Thanks Erin for organizing the FE's and for the list.. I made my own FE and I may may have to use the excuse that my 4 yr. old made it... Oh well, Martha Stewart I am not.. Also, I was able to talk my dh into driving up a day early and staying at a hotel the night before instead of driving 3 hrs. in Thurs. morning traffic!! I just hope a bid gets accepted on Priceline before I have to pay full price...

[chellealistic]

Woo hoo!!!!:banana: Thanks Erin for organizing the FE's and for the list.. I made my own FE and I may may have to use the excuse that my 4 yr. old made it... Oh well, Martha Stewart I am not.. Also, I was able to talk my dh into driving up a day early and staying at a hotel the night before instead of driving 3 hrs. in Thurs. morning traffic!! I just hope a bid gets accepted on Priceline before I have to pay full price...

DH and I are going to be staying in Orlando the night before, so I'm hoping that it won't be TOO horrible. I didn't even THINK about the traffic. Geesh. Just because we're on vacation it doesn't mean other people aren't going to work! I guess we will just leave the hotel REALLY early.

[FrigulettoEA]

We usually drive from Davenport to the port and traffic isn't that bad. I take 417 to 528 and over because I think there is way too much traffic on I-4 and 528 in the morning. This time we are leaving home early and driving up to Daytona Beach for 2 nights then down to the port. We are all gonna have a great time.

[Dicecatt]

We are coming the day before also...staying at POFQ. We wanted to play golf (okay, DH plays golf, I drive the golf cart and partake in the cocktails offered by the drive by beverage cart). The flight I want arrives at 11 AM, but the one I booked doesn't arrive till 3 (I keep hoping to change). The earlier flight is $267 just that leg per person, the one I bought was only $109:eek:. Amazing that 4 hours can save that much money, but unless I can change it I'm not sure golf will happen.

[chellealistic]

I imagine that there are some very common things that people give as FE gifts. I've read that a lot of people will give little favor-type gifts and maybe some candy or something like that. I think that those categories are wide enough that they don't have to be necessarily avoided, but are there any FE gifts that you guys think are overdone?

I just wanted some opinions before I start deciding what I'm going to do XD

Thanks!

Michelle

[FrigulettoEA]

I think on our April cruise I spent an average of $5 per stateroom for FE gifts. I made bows for the girls hair, pirate & princess craft kits for the kids, bracelet kits for older kids, a laundry packet those 3-in-1 sheets, made keychains using the shrinkey dinks paper and a few other little things. We received alot of little pirate party favor type toys, stickers, homemade scrap/picture book, magnets. It will be lots of fun. It was exciting for us to see what was waiting for us when we got back to the room.

Erin, are we giving our gifts on an assigned night or can we do a little each night?

[Dicecatt]

I think on our April cruise I spent an average of $5 per stateroom for FE gifts. I made bows for the girls hair, pirate & princess craft kits for the kids, bracelet kits for older kids, a laundry packet those 3-in-1 sheets, made keychains using the shrinkey dinks paper and a few other little things. We received alot of little pirate party favor type toys, stickers, homemade scrap/picture book, magnets. It will be lots of fun. It was exciting for us to see what was waiting for us when we got back to the room.

Erin, are we giving our gifts on an assigned night or can we do a little each night?

You can do it however you like! No assigned anything!

[Nikki'sMommy]

It's so funny how I will have more luggage and "stuff" for a 3 night trip than I would have for a week away!! DD wants to bring so much stuff/costumes- I have to remember that she is only 4 does not call the shots on what to bring and what not to bring :) We went to Disney On Ice last night and had the best time..It's always a great show. Priceline finally accepted a bid from me after 5 days- we got Country Inn and Suites for $75..

I lilke those FE tips..

[chellealistic]

That's amazing! DH and I decided to try out Travelocity's secret hotel. You pay for a hotel room based on star rating and a few listed amenities and you don't know which hotel it is until you book and pay for it.

Got the Best Western in Kissimmee for $25/night! Can't beat that! :)

Michelle

[chellealistic]

This FE thing is fun :) I'm having a great time picking out gifts. I wish I was a crafty person so I could make some things, but maybe next time we go on cruise I will have more time to learn how to do some things!

I just hope my FE gets here on time! It still hasn't shipped :worried:

[FrigulettoEA]

I pulled out my box of FE gifts and just realized how much I really have. I'm a bargain shopper and started this box in April. I think we will give a little magic in the FE each night since we have such a small group.

[CarolAnnC]

I think my 23 yo daughter might be coming too. I'm hoping that she will enjoy it if she does come.

Our DD who is coming with us is 27 and adores the Disney cruises! DD 25 could not make it due to work.. Glad your DD will be able to make it too.

Sorry I have been absent from here the past month - just so much going on here I have had to limit internet time a bit! We had some family from New Hampshire visit and spent a week or so showing them around Chicago. So much fun! But now I am down to the wire here and having to really get things organized for this trip.

We will be arriving after midnight and staying at the Country Inn & Suites. We will head to Vero Beach after the cruise just for one additional night. Spent all my vacation time on the Baltic last July. Never enough time off, lol.

Happy Saturday everyone! :)

[FrigulettoEA]

13 days and we will be at the F & W fest. :banana: I can't wait.

[chellealistic]

13 days and we will be at the F & W fest. :banana: I can't wait.

We're going to be there on Oct 5th or 6th. I've never been (to that event OR to epcot) but I'm really excited about it! Wee :D :cool1:

18 days until the cruise! :yay:

[FrigulettoEA]

Michelle you are going to absolutely love it. This is my DD23 favorite park...especially when it's F & W fest.

[chellealistic]

- We're booked in a Cat 11 on Deck 6, but I was wondering what the chances were of being upgraded? Does it ever happen after you get your room assignment, say when you are checking in? If it doesn't, do they offer the chance to upgrade for cheaper while you are checking in?

I'm okay with our room because I have a feeling that we aren't going to be in it very much, but I was just curious.

- I know that they give discounts on future bookings if you do so while on the cruise. My question is, if you book a dummy date for a year in advance and then it turns out you can't do it is there any cancellation fee or can you keep moving the date ahead? I ask because by this time next year I hope to be pregnant!

- When you put your luggage out the night of the last day aboard, can you lock it up and secure it or do they need it to be unlocked so they can go through it for any reason?

- I see a lot of lists of what people say to bring with you but it seems like so much stuff. Since this is only a 3 day cruise, what things do you feel are the necessities that won't contribute to over-packing? I am hoping to just take one small suitcase and one carry-on each at the very most.

I'm sure I will have more questions since we are getting closer to the big day :) I feel bad for people who are going on a cruise for the first time and don't have all you wonderful people to help us with those little nagging questions!

Thanks in advance!
Michelle

[chellealistic]

Michelle you are going to absolutely love it. This is my DD23 favorite park...especially when it's F & W fest.

I am really looking forward to it! I'm thinking that our park hopper pass may be wasted because I may just want to spend the entire time at Epcot :lmao:

[loschavez2k]

We are Disneyland fanatics and have been to Disneyworld one time last Nov.
On Oct. 1st we head to WDW and will then board the Wonder on Oct. 7. It will be me, my husband, our 8 year old son and 6 year old daughter. Also traveling on the cruise portion of the trip is my husband's brother-in-law. We're excited. Don't know what to expect. Just wanted to check in. How early should we get to Port Canaveral? We can get there early. First cruise for everyone except the brother-in-law. His was not a Disney cruise.

[Dicecatt]

- We're booked in a Cat 11 on Deck 6, but I was wondering what the chances were of being upgraded? Does it ever happen after you get your room assignment, say when you are checking in? If it doesn't, do they offer the chance to upgrade for cheaper while you are checking in?

I don't think upgrades are going to happen much for this cruise, it isn't very full. Normally they upgrade lower cats to higher so they clear out the lower cats and sell them again. I've never seen an unpaid upgrade at port, but if upgrades are available, they ARE cheaper at port than in advance! I've been upgraded on every cruise but this one.

I'm okay with our room because I have a feeling that we aren't going to be in it very much, but I was just curious.

- I know that they give discounts on future bookings if you do so while on the cruise. My question is, if you book a dummy date for a year in advance and then it turns out you can't do it is there any cancellation fee or can you keep moving the date ahead? I ask because by this time next year I hope to be pregnant!

You can move it, although you may lose the discount but keep the onboard credit. Suites have different rules though.

- When you put your luggage out the night of the last day aboard, can you lock it up and secure it or do they need it to be unlocked so they can go through it for any reason?

Treat it as you would at the airport.

- I see a lot of lists of what people say to bring with you but it seems like so much stuff. Since this is only a 3 day cruise, what things do you feel are the necessities that won't contribute to over-packing? I am hoping to just take one small suitcase and one carry-on each at the very most.

Those packing lists are huge...here off the top of my head are some musts for me:

Any pirate gear if you are into that
dressy clothes if you are going to Palo
Your own snorkel equipment if you will need some
light bag for shore excursions
larger cups for refillable sodas
lighted travel clock or similar, inside cabins are DARK and if you want to know what time it is, bring your own:)
there are very few plugs, so we usually bring a power strip


I'm sure I will have more questions since we are getting closer to the big day :) I feel bad for people who are going on a cruise for the first time and don't have all you wonderful people to help us with those little nagging questions!

Thanks in advance!
Michelle

Hope that helped:)

[Dicecatt]

We are Disneyland fanatics and have been to Disneyworld one time last Nov.
On Oct. 1st we head to WDW and will then board the Wonder on Oct. 7. It will be me, my husband, our 8 year old son and 6 year old daughter. Also traveling on the cruise portion of the trip is my husband's brother-in-law. We're excited. Don't know what to expect. Just wanted to check in. How early should we get to Port Canaveral? We can get there early. First cruise for everyone except the brother-in-law. His was not a Disney cruise.

Hi and welcome! You'll love DCL!

As far as when to arrive, you can't get in before 10 or 10:30 AM, and it is really up to you as far as when to arrive. If you want to be one of the first on the ship, get there early to get an early boarding. We usually arrive around noon or so.

[FrigulettoEA]

- I see a lot of lists of what people say to bring with you but it seems like so much stuff. Since this is only a 3 day cruise, what things do you feel are the necessities that won't contribute to over-packing? I am hoping to just take one small suitcase and one carry-on each at the very most.



I usually pack for a short cruise: power strip, 3 sets of day clothes, 3 sets dinner clothes (I try to bring 1pr pants, 1 skirt and 3 shirts/blousesto mix & match), 2 swimsuits, 1 dressy & 1 comfy sandals, travel mug for drinks and all this is packed in 1 suitcase which is packed in another suitcase because my mother is a shopaholic. Oh and lots of $1's for room service for my kids.

Most articles you read about packing tell you to pack & then take 1/2 the stuff out because you don't wear/use it.

[chellealistic]

Hope that helped:)

It definitely helped :)

Do you really think the cruise won't be that full? It seems that it will be from the fact that Palo is completely booked up for the entire cruise. I tried to call to change it because I was having doubts about having the 8pm seating and then being able to get away quickly enough to enjoy the Pirate Night stuff, but they said it couldn't be changed because there weren't any available seatings and that I'd have to wait until I'm onboard to see if we can switch. :confused3

[Dicecatt]

It definitely helped :)

Do you really think the cruise won't be that full? It seems that it will be from the fact that Palo is completely booked up for the entire cruise. I tried to call to change it because I was having doubts about having the 8pm seating and then being able to get away quickly enough to enjoy the Pirate Night stuff, but they said it couldn't be changed because there weren't any available seatings and that I'd have to wait until I'm onboard to see if we can switch. :confused3

I don't think it will be empty, but there are still a lot of cabins left in most of the categories. As far as Palo goes (FYI, we will be at Palo at 7 on Pirate night!) it is usually not hard to change it once you are onboard, except when you have a really full ship. I've changed my Palo reservation several times onboard. But I'll mention this too...DH and I wouldn't mind swapping with you if you can't change it while you are onboard, we don't mind missing Pirate night, I like to watch the fireworks but we have done Pirate night and aren't planning on attending. Once you get onboard try to change it...if you can't, call my cabin and we'll talk about swapping!

Also, if you can't change to what you want, you can always just show up early and ask to be seated as soon as possible.

[chellealistic]

I don't think it will be empty, but there are still a lot of cabins left in most of the categories. As far as Palo goes (FYI, we will be at Palo at 7 on Pirate night!) it is usually not hard to change it once you are onboard, except when you have a really full ship. I've changed my Palo reservation several times onboard. But I'll mention this too...DH and I wouldn't mind swapping with you if you can't change it while you are onboard, we don't mind missing Pirate night, I like to watch the fireworks but we have done Pirate night and aren't planning on attending. Once you get onboard try to change it...if you can't, call my cabin and we'll talk about swapping!

Also, if you can't change to what you want, you can always just show up early and ask to be seated as soon as possible.

Ah, I see what you mean. I was wondering if they would bump us because I'd seen previously that you thought it might be not as full. I understand how that works, from their standpoint. Whichever way makes them the most money! A lot of people seem to think you have to book a certain Cat from the beginning in order to be bumped up later. If we end up booking onboard for a future cruise, what is your suggestion to do?

By the way, in an earlier post on this thread, you asked if anyone else was GTY. What does that mean?

I will keep in mind about your willingness to switch! DH keeps saying that he doesn't think it'll be a big deal, but I'm paranoid. Hehe.

[chellealistic]

I usually pack for a short cruise: power strip, 3 sets of day clothes, 3 sets dinner clothes (I try to bring 1pr pants, 1 skirt and 3 shirts/blousesto mix & match), 2 swimsuits, 1 dressy & 1 comfy sandals, travel mug for drinks and all this is packed in 1 suitcase which is packed in another suitcase because my mother is a shopaholic. Oh and lots of $1's for room service for my kids.

Most articles you read about packing tell you to pack & then take 1/2 the stuff out because you don't wear/use it.

That sounds reasonable to me! It's just one of those things where if you've never been in the situation before you feel like you have to be over prepared in case something happens. I'm naturally cautious so my brain thinks I need to pack up my entire house to bring just to be on the safe side!

I like the suitcase in a suitcase idea! I never thought of that.

[Dicecatt]

Ah, I see what you mean. I was wondering if they would bump us because I'd seen previously that you thought it might be not as full. I understand how that works, from their standpoint. Whichever way makes them the most money! A lot of people seem to think you have to book a certain Cat from the beginning in order to be bumped up later. If we end up booking onboard for a future cruise, what is your suggestion to do?

By the way, in an earlier post on this thread, you asked if anyone else was GTY. What does that mean?

I will keep in mind about your willingness to switch! DH keeps saying that he doesn't think it'll be a big deal, but I'm paranoid. Hehe.

Well, a lot of people have theories about upgrades. GTY means Guarantee...you don't pick a stateroom, you give Disney the ability to put you wherever they want. In turn, sometimes they upgrade you, because they need to clear out a lower category. It is more likely for you to get an upgrade if you choose a GTY...however, you have to be willing to take whatever location they give you. If you don't like your location, you can choose to upgrade if there is availability, at more of a cost to you.

For me, I've had GTY with almost every cruise...and except for this one, I've gotten upgraded, from slightly to hugely. It really is luck of the draw, and what other categories are selling/not selling. I'd be happy to help you onboard if you'd like...I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to book also!

[loschavez2k]

On the very first post of this thread dicecatt mentions FEs. What is this?

[Dicecatt]

On the very first post of this thread dicecatt mentions FEs. What is this?

FE means Fish Extender...there are Fish clips outside of each cabin door that you can hang holders from, and when you are in a Fish Extender group, you exchange gifts. At this point, if you wanted to participate I'd have to ask eveyrone else involved if it is okay, because they may have already purchased/made their gifts, so let me know if you are interested and I'll contact everyone and ask.

If you do a search, you can find threads about FEs with pictures:)

[Nikki'sMommy]

I have no problem putting together another FE for another cabin if they wish to join...

TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY WE WILL BE CRUISING:banana::cool1:

(and 10/7 is my 10th wedding anniversary so there will be some Veuve Cliquot involved.:woohoo:)

[FrigulettoEA]

I have no problem putting together another FE for another cabin if they wish to join...



ditto

[loschavez2k]

Thanks for the offers. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed getting ready before we leave on 10/1 for the WDW part of our vacation so I think we won't do the FEs. I have a feeling that this will not be our only Disney cruise as we are already fanatics and all we do is plan Disney vacations. We'll learn the ropes this time. If any informal meetings take place it would be nice to meet you all, especially those excited newlyweds! We are Los Chavez:

Venita Chavez and family

[FrigulettoEA]

Disney Cruises are like potatoe chips. You can't stop at one.

[Dicecatt]

Disney Cruises are like potatoe chips. You can't stop at one.

I like this :goodvibes!

Totally true...that is why we are going on this one. We are itching to be back onboard, and it has only been since May!

[Nikki'sMommy]

I don't know how I was able to do it with a 4 yr. old looking over my shoulder and questioning everything put into the bags..(only the kids stuff).. I'm a rookie so I hope I did OK.... It was definately easier picking up things for the "younger" ones... I was so organized, too...Every bag had it's stateroom on it, with the cruisers and the ages if known... It will be nice and easy and truthfully, I am glad we are a small group- I was able to get a few more things for everyone and it was so much fun shopping!!!!! (We are allowed to bring live animals onboard, aren't we???).....:rotfl2:

[chellealistic]

Disney Cruises are like potatoe chips. You can't stop at one.

I'm already working on implanting the idea of booking a second cruise while on board in my husband's brain. He might not bite, but darn it I'm going to try my hardest!

[chellealistic]

I don't know how I was able to do it with a 4 yr. old looking over my shoulder and questioning everything put into the bags..(only the kids stuff).. I'm a rookie so I hope I did OK.... It was definately easier picking up things for the "younger" ones... I was so organized, too...Every bag had it's stateroom on it, with the cruisers and the ages if known... It will be nice and easy and truthfully, I am glad we are a small group- I was able to get a few more things for everyone and it was so much fun shopping!!!!! (We are allowed to bring live animals onboard, aren't we???).....:rotfl2:

LOL! I finished buying everything, but I haven't yet decided how to package all of it. I'm afraid I spent too much and didn't get as much things as I wanted...but this is my first time so I hope I did okay! I probably should've got all the kids the same thing, but since there aren't that many I tried to tailor it based on age and gender.

I'm really excited to see what everyone comes up with! I'm sure it'll be a learning experience for me!

[FrigulettoEA]

I have lots of fun buying gifts. I find it is easier buying for the younger ones and girls. And your 1st FE is tough because you don't know what to expect. It's fun to do. My kids really enjoy coming back to the room to see what is in the FE. It doesn't matter if the gift was big or small. They appreciate everything. They had a great time with handing the gifts out on our last cruise.

As for getting the hubby to go along with booking another cruise, he might be ready to do it after experiencing the service and great meals. As an added bonus there are perks to booking while on board. I think we got 10% discount, obc, and only paid 50% deposit. All of these things plus being able to bring beer onboard was what made my husband say yes to another cruise.

[chellealistic]

I have lots of fun buying gifts. I find it is easier buying for the younger ones and girls. And your 1st FE is tough because you don't know what to expect. It's fun to do. My kids really enjoy coming back to the room to see what is in the FE. It doesn't matter if the gift was big or small. They appreciate everything. They had a great time with handing the gifts out on our last cruise.

As for getting the hubby to go along with booking another cruise, he might be ready to do it after experiencing the service and great meals. As an added bonus there are perks to booking while on board. I think we got 10% discount, obc, and only paid 50% deposit. All of these things plus being able to bring beer onboard was what made my husband say yes to another cruise.


We were looking online at the cruises available later next year and he was shocked by how cheap some of them seemed to be. He really wants to do an Alaskan cruise next, but I'm not sure if we would be able to next year since it's only during certain months.

How far out can you set a dummy date?

[FrigulettoEA]

We were looking online at the cruises available later next year and he was shocked by how cheap some of them seemed to be. He really wants to do an Alaskan cruise next, but I'm not sure if we would be able to next year since it's only during certain months.

How far out can you set a dummy date?

I have the same issue with not being able to go during certain months. We booked this cruise while we were on a cruise 2 years ago. The dates had just come out for 2010. I am hoping that while we are on this cruise the 2012 cruise schedule comes out. I will book for then. Fantasy sails in 2012.

[chellealistic]

I have the same issue with not being able to go during certain months. We booked this cruise while we were on a cruise 2 years ago. The dates had just come out for 2010. I am hoping that while we are on this cruise the 2012 cruise schedule comes out. I will book for then. Fantasy sails in 2012.

Even if the dates for 2012 don't come out at that time and we book for the latest 2011 date...can we move it once the 2012 dates DO come out?

[WDWCP96]

Okay I just found this thread! We are sailing on the Disney Wonder on October 7th. It will be me, DH, DS(4) and DS2(7 months). It is our kids first cruise and DH and I's second Disney Cruise. I thought I had made reservations at Palo but I can't seem to find them anywhere online so I have to call them.

Ok now I am bummed out that I didn't find this thread before since I know my son would love to do the FE's. Oh well just one more reason to convince DH to book another cruise for us sooner than later.

Ok now I am off to read the rest of the thread!

[FrigulettoEA]

I have read about people booking a dummy ressie just to move it to a different date so that they could get the discount and discounted deposit. I think if we change the date then we would lose any OBC we would have received. Erin would probably know more.

Today is just about over and we are all 1 day closer to our much deserved vaca.

[chellealistic]

We are leaving for Florida in FIVE DAYS. I am so excited!! Of course, the drive down from Ohio is going to stink...but I think we can handle it.

I'm so excited that I'm starting to pack now! Here's hoping I don't forget anything!

Oh, yeah! And my FE came in the mail today! It's so cute! :) I hope that the pockets are big enough. I finished up packaging my FE gifts and I'm thinking it might be a struggle to fit the bags into the pockets of other peoples FEs if they are the same size as mine...Eep!

:banana:

[FrigulettoEA]

Nassau weather looking pretty good so far. This is from accuweather.

Friday 10/8/2010
Partly sunny with a couple of thunderstorms around in the afternoon
High Temperature: 85°F
RealFeel: 93°F

According to storm pulse any tropical/subtropical cyclones should be hitting Florida and Bahamas today or tomorrow. Does anyone know how long the seas stay rough after a storm passes?

[WDWCP96]

I was just wondering are we planning on doing a DISmeet on the cruise? I would love to meet my fellow Dis'ers while on board.

We leave in 3 days to drive to Disney! This is our first time driving so it should be interesting.

[Nikki'sMommy]

One week from today we will be on board!!!!!:cool1::banana::cheer2:

We can't wait!!! DD has a "countdown" calander so she can have a visual of how many days are left and she loves making X's on it and counting the days left..We are so paranoid about her catching a cold from anyone that we have cancelled playdates for the weekend and are nervous about sending her to preschool for 2 days next week....

[chellealistic]

Hubby & I are leaving tomorrow morning at 8am! 16 1/2 hour drive, here we come!!

:grouphug:

[chellealistic]

I was just wondering are we planning on doing a DISmeet on the cruise? I would love to meet my fellow Dis'ers while on board.

We leave in 3 days to drive to Disney! This is our first time driving so it should be interesting.

I don't think that there is a meet really planned at the moment. That could change, though!

We are driving too! Leaving tomorrow morning :)

[suzib]

I have been travelling for work 4 out of 6 weeks, and leave for California a week after the cruise. I probably should have changed the cruise date, but I am so ready to take a break. It's budget season - yuck!
I had fun stopping at the Disney Character Warehouse (outlet) in Orlando last week and picking up some really cute and very inexpensive DCL stuff, and some FE stuff. :cutie: Need to pack tonight, because I'm travelling again all next week. Let's hear it for hotel laundry:laundy: Hope to bump into you on the cruise.

[FrigulettoEA]

We can't wait!!! DD has a "countdown" calander so she can have a visual of how many days are left and she loves making X's on it and counting the days left..We are so paranoid about her catching a cold from anyone that we have cancelled playdates for the weekend and are nervous about sending her to preschool for 2 days next week....

We use to do the paper chains to count down.

[FrigulettoEA]

Hubby & I are leaving tomorrow morning at 8am! 16 1/2 hour drive, here we come!!

:grouphug:

At 8am tomorrow we will be in that big blue sky just beginning our 2.5 hr flight. We do drive in the summer though.

I had fun stopping at the Disney Character Warehouse (outlet) in Orlando last week and picking up some really cute and very inexpensive DCL stuff, and some FE stuff. :cutie:

My to do list:

shop at outlets
f & w festival
more shopping

[VMinick]

Hello everyone!

We just decided to book this cruise for myself, DH and DD (3). It will be the 3rd Disney cruise for DH and myself and the 2nd for our DD. Our boys are staying home for this one because they want to do a cruise with a big waterslide (like on Carnival or something) and would prefer to not have to worry about their sister being too little. The solution? Take her for a cruise that she'll love and then take them on a "big boy" cruise later! Everyone's happy! :thumbsup2 Of course, the boys don't know that we'll be on the Magic for Christmas this year...that's a surprise :banana:

I'm in the end stretch of finishing my dissertation, so I NEED this break! Can't wait to see you onboard! :cool1:

[ruadisneyfan2]

Hi all,
I'm not on this sailing but I've been checking Hotwire so many times, waiting for the Hyatt to show on my date. (10/29/10)

If any of you have plans to stay at the Hyatt pre crusie, I can see it on Hotwire for $69 + tax.


Here's what to do:
Search for MCO instead of Orlando.
Be sure to enter 2 adults and 2 kids, even if you don't have any.
The Hyatt is the only 4* in MCO area that has a recommendation rate of 95%.
Also when you click on it, below the map it will list the Tripadvisor.com rating. The Hyatt is 4.5 out of 5, so 4.5 green circles.

Anything else that is not an exact match to the above bolded parts will get you the Renaissance. Double check carefully since it's non refundable. Don't just use the price as a match.

We have gotten the Hyatt on HW at least 5x now with this method. We'll be needing 6 rooms this time so we'll be saving a lot of $$$$. :woohoo:

Happy Sailing!!!:goodvibes

[Nikki'sMommy]

Welcome, Vanessa....

I'm assuming you do so many cruises because of the Florida resident rates...We love the resident rates for annual passes/hotels etc..but this is our 1st cruise...We paid in full in July and they came out with the resident rates and they just kept credited our disney visa..It was great...Enjoy the trip and take some time to relax and forget the schoolwork!!!

[VMinick]

Welcome, Vanessa....

I'm assuming you do so many cruises because of the Florida resident rates

Actually, we've never taken advantage of the Florida resident rates because we're usually in a LOW (11 or 12) category that doesn't qualify. We booked each of our cruises (2006, 2008, 2010) two years in advance in a low category for the cheapest rate when they were first released. That gave us plenty of time to save! We added on the one next summer because we wanted to sail on the Dream, and our best friends are going on that cruise. It will be tight, but we couldn't resist that combination. This is our very first last-minute cruise, and it was a category 12 GTY as well. It looks like we were upgraded to a category 10, but with only three of us, we'd have been fine anywhere on the ship!!!

You will LOVE the cruise! My husband was extremely reluctant to try it the first time around, and now he is hooked! There's something for everyone, and you can be as busy or as "unbusy" as you like! :thumbsup2

[Dicecatt]

Hello everyone!

We just decided to book this cruise for myself, DH and DD (3). It will be the 3rd Disney cruise for DH and myself and the 2nd for our DD. Our boys are staying home for this one because they want to do a cruise with a big waterslide (like on Carnival or something) and would prefer to not have to worry about their sister being too little. The solution? Take her for a cruise that she'll love and then take them on a "big boy" cruise later! Everyone's happy! :thumbsup2 Of course, the boys don't know that we'll be on the Magic for Christmas this year...that's a surprise :banana:

I'm in the end stretch of finishing my dissertation, so I NEED this break! Can't wait to see you onboard! :cool1:

Hi and welcome! Your little princess will love having you two all to herself!

[ibouncetoo]

:wave: Hi Wonder Cruisers! Hope you all had a great cruise. :wave:


Did anyone book on board for a future cruise? We're all anxious to know with the new deposit system (20% of cruise price instead of a per person price), did they still offer the 1/2 price deposit (so 10% of the cruise price)?

Your DISboard friends eagerly await the answer!

.

[Nikki'sMommy]

Hi everyone-
Just got home from an amazing trip!!! We didn't book onboard but plan on doing this again next year.. (We get great discounts with Florida resident rates) I loved my FE gifts!! (so did dd).. I'm doing tons of laundry today and am going to work on my TR this week. Can't wait to hear about your experiences.

Lisa

[chellealistic]

We just got back home yesterday! We had a fantastic trip, all around. The cruise was amazing and although we didn't book onboard, we plan to do so in the future (probably not for a few years).

The one part that really made me mad was that on the last night, someone STOLE our fish extender :( I thought maybe our host took it down and put it in lost and found but he says that he didn't touch it. I can't believe some people would be THAT petty. We enjoyed all of the gifts that everyone gave and hope that everyone liked ours as well :)

[VMinick]

Hi and welcome! Your little princess will love having you two all to herself!

Thanks!

We had a ball! She loved all of the attention. It was our first time on the Wonder, so it was a treat to experience it before she goes out west. The weather on Castaway Cay was SO nice! I hope that everyone else enjoyed the trip! We didn't book onboard because we're planning to do that next year when we'll be able to do so as gold members. :thumbsup2

[FrigulettoEA]

We had a great time and thank you all for such great gifts. My kids (and us adults) enjoyed get everything. I hope everybody liked our gifts. My mom wanted me to give her one of those reusable shopping bags because she like it so much. Good thing I bought an extra one. Ths kids had a fun time making the little boxes for you all too.

We did rebook on the cruise. I will be moving our ressie to a 2012 date once the schedule comes out. I want Gold status. We still have 2 more cruises to go. I guess I will just have to take advantage of those FL resident deals over the summer.

I hope to see everyone on a future cruise.