April 7th, 2005 3-night Cruise WONDER

[agotta]

Hey Everyone! I didn't see a post for this sail date yet so I thought I would start it. It is our first cruise and we are so excited. We wanted to take the 4 night, the 3 night seems so short, but they were booked. Can't wait!

Amanda

[agotta]

No one else is going with us?? Good chance for an upgrad?? LOL in April!! :boat:

[Asil65]

Hi Agotta,
We will be on the cruise with you as well. You have probably forgotten about this post. My family of four, kids 7 and 5 and my Mom will be travelling on the Wonder with you. I noticed that you are from Centerville Va. We are from Earlysville, Va. Are you doing the Land/Sea package as well? We are staying at the Poly before our cruise. My husband and I have cruised by ourselves on Princess and the kids have begged us to take them so we figured Disney was the best option. Wish we could have more time on the ship. This will be a quick cruise. Do you have any kids? Have you thought about any excursions? Not sure what we will be doing yet. Maybe we will see you on board. Lisa

[agotta]

We are from Centreville. We are actually members of the DVC so we are doing our own version of land and sea. Our first night will be at POR and then we will be at SSR in a one-bedroom for 2 nights. We are spending the day before the cruise at Cocoa Beach. I have only lived here in Virginia for a year so I am not sure where you are located, but Independence Air is having a HUGE sale on airfare out of Dulles. We are geting both of our air for $233 ($49 each one way)!! I am so excited to go. My husband and I both former cast members (thats where we met) so we have been to WDW a ton, but never on the cruise. No kids for us yet. We have thought about the excursions to Atlantis but I heard that none of them are very good. We will probably wander around Nassau for a little bit and head back to the ship, maybe to the spa!! I am so excited that someone else from the boards will be on the ship with us!! Thanks for the post!!

Amanda :Pinkbounc

[Asil65]

Hi Amanda,
Welcome to Virginia. How do you like it so far? My family moved here 5 years ago from California. We are originally from Ct.We live just outside of Charlottesville. Most people have heard of that city.Is Centerville near DC? Wow, I need to look into airfares from Dulles. That is soo cheap. We live right next to an Airport but the fares are 300.00 a piece. Expensive wilth a family of 4. Then we have to rent a car. We will likely drive unless we can get a great deal. Have agood weekend. I also think it is weird that noone is on this cruise with us. Lisa

[Asil65]

Hi Amanda,
Just had to tellyou we just booked our airfare through Independence Air. Thank you so much for the recommendation. $490.00 for 4 of us. Amazing. It will be so worth it not having to drive for 30 hours in a car with 2 kids. Our kids are actually good travellers bu still what a relief. By the way where did you and your husband work at Disney? Lisa

[agotta]

It is so funny that you got that good deal on flyi, because at the time my husband and I couldn't afford the tix, and we missed the deal!! And then airtran was having a special, and we missed that one too!! I have been out of work for 2 1/2 months and finally found a great job, so now I can afford the tix!!!

My husband and I met while working at Disney MGM studios, him at Muppets 3-d and me at The Great Movie Ride. I have also worked on Main Street, MK. We love Disney and while on our honeymoon their, joined DVC, which we LOVE!! Can't wait for the cruise!!

Amanda

[Asil65]

Hi Amanda,
Glad the job situation has improved. How are the ticket prices now? Are they still 48 dollars one way? Will you be going to any of the parks this time? Have you ever been on a cruise before? Erik and I have been on 2 Princess cruises without our kids. Our kids have been bugging us to take them so we figured Disney was the best bet.I am thinking that we will wish that we had more time on the ship. 3 days will fly by. Lisa

[agotta]

Lisa,

We can't find any airfare cheaper than $445 (round trip for both of us) We really missed the boar (pardon the pun) on that one. We are going to the parks from either the 2nd or 3rd until the 6th. We are so excited about the cruise, because we haven't cruised before. Been to Disney TONS but never cruised.

Amanda

[Asil65]

Hi Amanda,
I had to laugh when I read your post. I'd never heard the expression "missing the boar". As you can see from my previous posts I make mistakes as well. That is a drag that the airfare has gone up. I was talking to Erik the other day and asked him if we all really loved the cruise on Disney if we could book a 7 day cruise while on board? He said if we all loved it that we could. Yea! I think that you get a 10 percent discount and 200.00 ship credit.You will love cruising Amanda. It is such a relaxing way to travel. No worries about reservations, so many activities on the ship and always new places to see. I always love to splurge and get a massage.We just made our final payment today. 76 days until we leave. Lisa

[agotta]

That is great that you are all set to book a 7-night. I think in two years or so, we may book a 7 night as well. Since we are on DVC points, it will take 2 years worth of points to do a trip like that.

We just decided to go down a night early, so we are arriving on Saturday the 2nd now. I didn't think I could sit around all day Saturday getting ready to leave on Sunday :). We are ready for just a nice relaxing trip. We really want to do Palo and are trying to figure out how to squeeze it in. I think we might miss Parrot Cay.

We have been to Disney so many times that we are taking this trip to try some new things, mostly restaraunts. We are going to try Narcoossees and Bongos (I have been my husband hasn't). But we are so excited! Plus we still have some friends who are cast members so we are excited about seeing them.

Your kids must by so psyched to go!! That is so great that they have been cruising before. I heard that Disney isn't like any of the other ships. I went on a ship tour once, some cruise ships that leave out of Baltimore. The ship seems kinda small and the rooms were tiny!! Everyone told me that Disney is so much better and the staterooms are bigger too.

Amanda

[agotta]

Hey Lisa,

We got our excursions! We faxed them in over Christmas and just got the confirmation today. We are going on the Atlantis Beach Day and we got the Castaway Cay getaway package. We are getting so excited!!

Amanda

[amy2girls]

Hi lisa and amanda,

We will be joing you aswell: myself, husband two girls 3 and 5 and my parents. We are doing land sea. Flying in on the 2nd staying off site one night then cbr 3rd - 7th. We are so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :cool1: :cool1: :love:

[agotta]

Yea!! Someone else on the cruise with us!!! Dh and I will be arriving on the 2nd as well. 2 nights at POR and 2 nights at SSR then spending the next at Cocoa Beach to be the first ones there on Thursday (jk)!! Can't wait 74 days!!!

Amanda

[Asil65]

Welcome Amy. Glad you will be joining us. Counting the days here in frigid Virginia. Amanda, I didn't think that you could book the excursions yet. How did you get away with that? I thought we could 60 days before. I don't even know if we will book any excursions. We may do a glass bottom boat ride somewhere. I would like to snorkel some. We may just do it at castaway cay.I heard if you swim out a bit it isn't so cloudy. We may just hang out on the ship in Nassau. I would like to see Atlantis but feel like it is pricey for four of us.It may be nice just to hang out on the ship. I could get a massage. Woo hoo. I too want to go to Palo's but I don't think we will do it on this cruise. All the more reason to sign up again. So Amy, maybe we'll see you rushing around the parks before the cruise. I hope it wont be too busy for us. Amanda any recommendations for places to eat with kids relatively close to the Polynesian that are not Disney restaurants? Thanks, Lisa

[amy2girls]

Lisa and Amanda,

Hi, We were able to book excursions as of January 7th. I booked the fishing for my husband I heard it sells out fast, although he is thinking of just hanging out instead.

[agotta]

Hey Lisa,

Yea, we found out that excursions can be booked 90 days in advance. We heard that Nassau was not a great place, so we figure we won't spend too much time there. So we figured we spend the better part of the day at Atlantis.

As far as restaurants, a good place to go is Cross Gates Shopping Center, located near Downtown Disney. There are a TON of chain restaurants around, but if you are looking for something different, I would stick to Disney. Bahama Breeze on 535 is good, and you HAVE to go to Marble Slab Creamery at Cross Gates. The have the best (expensive) ice cream. They serve HUGE portions, so I would say get 2 and split it! I will try and think of more!!

Amanda

[Asil65]

Amanda and Amy,
Hi ladies. I was looking over the excursion packet last night and now we are thinking of doing the Discover Atlantis package.It was a little cheaper and not quite as long as the Beach Atlantis package. I had gotten a response back from a post where I asked about the glass bottom boat ride. I heard it was not very good. Guess we won't do that one. I hope we haven't waited to long to book things? Amanda, Crossroads has been coming up a lot for a place to get something to eat outside of Disney. We have a couple of meals planned , breakfast at Chef Mickey's and the Luau one night. I think we will eat BF at the Poly for the other days, get a quick meal at the parks and have dinner off site. Although Teppanyaki at Epcot seems pretty neat. I don't know how people can plan all of their meals using a PS. How do you know where you will be all of the time? Heard good things about Ohana's and the Kona cafe. It will be nice to have those close by. Hopefully we could get into these without a PS.

[agotta]

Lisa and Amy,

I just booked our flights!! I am so excited. Got a pretty good deal, I had to use to seperate carriers though. And we fly into Sanford Orlando, but we fly out of Orlando. Can't wait!!!

Crossgates is a lot of fun. Kinda expensive and nothing that is great, except ice cream!!

Often times we make PS that day. We have a couple of places planned out. I highly recommend Ohanas, and make the res about an hour before fireworks are planned that night. They lower the light and pipe the music in. We love doing this at California Grill, but Ohanas is more kid friendly and has GREAT FOOD!!!

Teppanyaki is awesome. We love eating there. Have you been to Tom Sawyers Island?? Great sandwhiches and if you go on off times, its a nice quiet place to eat. We love eating at Disney and can't wait!!

Oh, and I just saw the dinner menu for the Wonder, and it doesn't look great. I guess during our planning we kept looking at menus for the 4 night or 7 night. Dinner looks the same at all restaurants, just different appettizers. What are your thoughts???

Amanda

[Asil65]

Hi Amanda,Where did you see the menu? Do we know the park hours yet? I don't think thev'e posted them yet. Do you know what time the MK firework show is. I definitely want to see the fireworks at MK one night so we can hear the music in the background. I have heard it is something to definitely see. Never ate at Tom Sawyer island. I have actually never even been there. We will be at the parks for 4 days. Still trying to figure out which park to go to when. I think we will go to MK 2 times and MGM and AK one day. Hopefully we can hit Epcot one night. I would like to see the extra hour schedule to help make up my mind about where to go. Lisa

[agotta]

No hours schedule yet. If you call PS they may be able to give you a good idea. Going to MK twice is a good idea. Try to split it up, and try not to go on a Monday or Saturday if you can help it. I will think of some more ideas for you!! I am so excited for you guys!!

Oh, and I wanted to put this out there too. Anyone interested in doing an illuminations cruise with us?? I have the 2 of us and another disboards family of 3 who are interested in sharing. It is $120 (total) and can fit 10. Let me know!! We haven't made reservations yet, so they might not be available. I will check tonight!! 4, or 5th I think.

Amanda

[agotta]

So we booked a Magic Kingdom Fireworks cruise. It is on the night of the 4th, 45 min before fireworks at MK. There are 3 adults and 2 kids so far, so we have room for 5 more. Let me know girls!! Right now its $140 plus tax, so not bad at about $15 a piece!!

Amanda

[amy2girls]

Amanda,

Thanks for the offer for the fireworks boat but there are six of us and I am not even sure I will be able to keep my kids awake until the fireworks. Two years ago my oldest daughter and I went to disney world when she was three and she fell fast asleep every night in a carriage just before the show. I think she can probably stay awake now but her sister is three now and it will be a stru :love: ggle to keep her awake. Thanks any way.
Amy

[lovwdwalot]

The April 17th date is a 4 night cruise not a 3 night. pirate: So it looks like you have booked a longer cruise than you think.We will be on taking our first cruise ever also.

[agotta]

We are on the April 7th cruise, a 3-night cruise.

Amanda

[lovebuzz]

Hi guys!!! We are on the same cruise as you too!!! I cant wait we are doing the land sea. Also, I am intrested in doing the fireworks cruise if you still have room on the boat it sounds like alot of fun. Pm me if there is still avalibility. Thanks!! :charac4:

[amy2girls]

Hi lisa, amanda and welcome lovebuzz,

How is everyone doing with the planning? Lovebuzz who will be joing you on your trip? Are you all dressing up for the pirate night?
Amy :cool1: I hope there are fireworks!!!!!!!!! :banana:

[agotta]

Planning is so crazy!!! DH is tired of my constant planning. We are excited about Pirate night!! Dh and I are a little worried I haven't heard of too many people on the cruise who don't have kids. I mean I know we will have a great time and we LOVE kids, but I was hoping to meet some people to hang out with who don't have kids. On the other hand maybe this cruise will convince DH to start having kids :) princess:

[amy2girls]

Amanda,
I think with the kids club there will be a lot of couples looking to have fun when there kids are in the club, I know we are. And my girls are so much looking forward to the club. I hope they like it. :cheer2:

[agotta]

Amy, how old are you girls again?? I know a lot of parents leave their kids in the club, and the cruise is probably not long enough to worry about meeting people. I am so excited!!!

Amanda

[amy2girls]

Our girls are 3 and 5.

[lovebuzz]

hi everyone! We also have kids but we also like to have fun without them. :) I hope they like the kids clubs. What do you guys plan on doing in Nassau? We were thinking about doing Cable beach and doing some gambling. Or if the weather is nice I was thinking about a day room at Atlantis. anyway I can't wait. See you there!!! Stacey

[Asil65]

Hi Stacy,Amanda and Amy,
Two months until we will be at Disney. I can't wait.We were originally going to stay on the boat in Nassau. We booked a fun excursion with Disney that is new. We are taking a ride on a speed boat called Thriller in the morning and I think we will just hang out on the ship for the rest of the day. I rented the snorkel, float, bike package for two for Castaway Cay. I figured our family of four could share it. I would love to have Cabana beach massage. Not sure if we will be able to snag a reservation for that one. I had a question for all of you. My Disney books are from 2003 and I'm trying to decide if I should get the Passporter or Tour Guide Mike. Any suggestions? Lisa :cool1:

[agotta]

Lisa,

Although I have not used Tour Guide Mike, I think you are better off going with Passporter. We got the DCL passporter and LOVE IT!! That or the unoffical guide, but I would say Passporter. I was a UG worshipper until I used the Passporter! Can't wait to go!!

[Asil65]

Hi Amanda, Thanks for the info. I was looking at the Passporter site last night. I guess the 2005 edition is coming out really soon for the ship and park. Not sure if I should wait or not. I saw the cruise book on sale at Walmart.com for 11.00. Good price. What do you like about the cruise passporter?

[agotta]

Since this was our first cruise I am way overthinking everything :) The passporter has a ton of information, and it's all first-hand. The way the book is set up makes a lot of sense and it's easy to find all the info. It has times that everything is open, info on excursions, menus and a ton of other stuff! I bought mine cheap on amazon from another user, came in great condition!!

Amanda

[Asil65]

Thanks Amanda, I was just looking at the passporter site. You can get alot of info from that site too. It looks like the new additions won't be out until after our cruise. I think I will buy the two books at Amazon. I can get them for 27 bucks with free shipping. I tried to look overthem at Barnes and Noble today. They didn't have any for me to check out. Did you get some takers for the firework cruise? I love this dancing banana! :banana: Lisa

[agotta]

Lisa,

We did find 2 families to go with us, and 2 of our friends are going with us. We can't wait!!

:banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

[jclark3]

Hi Gang,
We'll we be on the Wonder that week too (land/sea). Just me (DM) and my DS14. Can't wait!
I'm going to check out the Thriller boat ride. I'd seen it on some other cruise line excursions and wondered why Disney didn't have it. It sounds like my son would love it!
We're from Roswell (northern suburb of Atlanta) GA. The entire Atlanta metro area is off for spring break that week so I expect I-75 to be solid headed south.
We have second seating, for the first time. I think we're going to like it. This is our 5th cruise, 3rd with Disney.
Jocelyn

[Asil65]

Welcome Jocelyn,
If you call up DCL you can book the Thriller ride with them. That is what I did. I saw it on the website but not in the excursion packet.We are doing the land sea package too. I am so glad that we are flying after reading your post. We were originally going to drive from Virginia but wonderful Amanda our lead off poster gave me some info on a really cheap airline.Now all 4 of us are flying for 470.00 dollars.Where are you staying before the cruise? Any great insider tips about the ship? This will be our first cruise with Disney. I have a feeling that it will fly by. I looked into booking a 7 day cruise for next year around the same time. Yikes 6,000 dollars. I know that yo can save 10 percent if you book on the ship but still that is a lot of money. Glad you will be joining us. Lisa :rotfl:

[jclark3]

I called DCL today and the guy hadn't heard of the Thriller excursion. But this morning, I got an email from the Dolphin Swim saying they have accepted our reservation. So I think we'll do that instead. People just rave about it!

In the past, we have always driven to WDW. Ideally we stop (either with a friend in Lake City FL or a hotel in Valdosta, GA) and arrive at WDW EARLY in the am. But I have also driven straight through-- leave Atlanta around 10pm! That way there's much less traffic. If I drive thru- I make frequent stops at rest areas for little naps -- that's the only way I can make it! My DS jokes that he's seen every rest stop between Atlanta and Orlando...

This will be our second land/sea vacation. I already know the cruise portion will be way too short, but the price was right. We're returning to the BC for our land portion. We love the proximity to EPCOT and are looking forward to the renovations at Stormalong Bay.

[lovebuzz]

hi Joeclyn! It's a small world. we are also from Roswell.

[jclark3]

Hi Lovebuzz,
Good to know you! How old are your kiddies?

[lovebuzz]

I have 3 sons... 17,5 and 4. :earsboy: :earsboy: :earsboy:

[KarenMom]

We'll be on the April 3rd and April 7th Wonder, so we'll be with you all for part of our trip. It's me (mom) and my two boys (14 and 10). We've been on two previous Magic cruises, but this is our first trip on the Wonder. It's spring break for my kids and I had originally planned on a 4 day cruise and 3 days at WDW, but changed my mind and decided to do all 7 days on the ship. I can't wait for April to get here! :cool1:

[Asil65]

Hello all,
I just realised that I'm a mouseketeer now. I guess that I've earned my ears. Amanda, I just got my 2004 passporter and cruise book from the same authors. I'm really glad that I got them. Couldn't wait for the 2005 edition.Great books. It probably would have been nice to have them earlier to help decide which resort to stay in. I just like that there is a lot of info packed into one place. I just booked a p.s. for Ohana's and sci fi dine- In theater. I have heard great things about Ohana's . I liked the theme of sci-fi. I figured it would be good to have some p.s.'s and that I could cancel if needed. I think we decided on MK-Sunday,MGM-Monday,AK-Tuesday and MK again on Wed before the cruise. We may try Epcot on the evening we go to AK. We are trying the Luau at the Poly the night before our cruise. Heard mixed reviews but thought we'd try it.Here's that banana again. :banana: Lisa

[agotta]

OOOhhh we booked Ohana's too. Here is what our schedule looks like.

Sat - Free Day
Sun - EPCOT & MGM
Mon - Free Day (Ohanas and Wishes Cruise)
Tues - AK & EPCOt
Wed - MK (open late!!)

We are trying to decide if we want to add on another day to our PH and maybe hit the parks on Sat. We figure it will be like noon before we get to the hotel and we have to hit church that day too. Getting so excited!!! We love to go to Ohanas. We also booked lunch at Le Cellier and Kona Cafe for breakfast. How is the planning going for everyone else??

Amanda :cool1:

[Asil65]

Hi Amanda, Sounds like a great plan. Maybe we will see you somewhere at the Poly. We'll be there from Sunday to Thursday am. We are definitely eating breakfast at Kona cafe one am. You are doing your cruise on Monday. I think that is the late night at MK. It is also the only night we can see Spectro magic. I really want to see that this time. By the way how is the parade at MGM? Lisa

[agotta]

From what I have, MK is open late Sat and Wed that week. Sat just normally and Wed for EMH. The parade at MGM is pretty good, DH and I were grand marshalls in it last year. You can see pics on our website. You will have so much fun at Poly, I am kinda jealous!! I guess maybe next trip. Its just so expensive to stay there with our DVC points. :confused3

Amanda :goodvibes

[agotta]

I don't know if any of you have seen this site yet, but it rates dates at Disney from a 1-10, 10 being the busiest. We got all 4's for the week we are going. Check it out http://www.touringplans.com/BestDays.htm. It also tells you which park to visit on which day.

Amanda :cool1:

[jclark3]

Only 44 more days to go until Spring Break and the trip! Still haven't decided what to do on Nassau day. I love Blue Lagoon but I've been there so many times and the dolphin swim is soooooo expensive! Anybody planning to stay on the ship that day (with maybe just a little shopping?) My DS14 would love the Thriller boat, however...

[agotta]

Dh and I will be on the ship. We might just go off for an hour or something, but since the cruise is so short, we though spending time on board might be nice.

Amanda

[amy2girls]

I think we will go to cable beach for a few hours then return to ship and hang out there for the rest of the day, if the kids are into the kids club and want to spend more time there.
Amy :cool1:

[Asil65]

We will be doing the Thriller boat ride in the am. I think after that we will come back to the ship and have lunch and just hang out. Maybe get a massage on the ship if I can't book the cabana massage. My daughter asks me every day when we are going to Disney World. She is so excited. I just borrowed a neat book from the library called Birnbaum's WDW for kids. Emma my 5 yr old loves looking at the book. It shows a lot of the rides. She tells me she really wants to go on the Dinosaur ride at Animal Kingdom. Has anyone been on this? Is it scary? I think she will chicken out when we get there. Four day weekend for us starting tomorrow. We may try the circus in Richmond this weekend. :flower:

[agotta]

Dinosaur is scary, even for me :) A lot of it is in the dark and its kinda jerky. If she isn't afraid of that, there is only one other scary part and it includes a giant T-Rex....I love it!! It's a must do every trip. Make sure to take advantage of baby swap on rides like this if both you and your DH want to try it out!!

Amanda

[agotta]

Ok, I posted before about the menu on the Wonder, it turns out I was only looking at the first page...LOL. So the second page has all the actual entrees and yummy!! My dh is so excited that he can have whatever he wants and as much of it as he wants. I can feel our tummys getting bigger!!
Here are the menus...
http://www.dcltribute.com/menus/3day.htm
Lisa I forgot your Mom was going, so you wouldn't need baby swap, but try it anyway (the ride I mean).

Amanda

[jclark3]

We will be doing the Thriller boat ride in the am.

I still haven't found anyone at DCL who knows anything about the Thriller boat ride! :confused3 That's where you said you booked the excursion, right?

[Asil65]

Hi Jocelyn,
You scared me when you said that about the Thriller boat ride. So I called DCL to verify that we did have a reservation with them. DCL assured me that yes we did have a reservation for that morning in Nassau. I mentioned that you had called DCL and the person that you talked to had not heard of the excursion. She told me that she wasn't suprised because it had recently been added to the excursions. Not very organized if you ask me. If you would really like to do that excursion keep trying. I'm sure that you will find someone there who can help you. Even my 60 yr old Mom will be on the Thriller ride with us. I am so looking forward to this trip. :Pinkbounc Lisa Amanda, I forgot to mention that I got my Passport books. They are great.

[agotta]

Hey girls!! 37 days to go!! Who else is excited!! I can't wait, I also can't stop playing with my Disney spreadsheets :rolleyes: I keep planning, it's really sick!! We just signed up for the half marathon in January and DH is so afraid I am going to overplan that trip too, even though it's only a couple days. April here we come!!

Amanda

Oh, and I just upgrade the car we rented to get from Disney to the port. We pick it up wednesday morning and drop it off in cocoa beach on thur morning. It's a CONVERTIBLE!!! Can't wait! Here's hoping for god weather!! :wizard:

[jclark3]

We're counting down the days too! :banana: Are any of you planning to take dress-up clothes for Pirate night?

[agotta]

I think we might, if I can convince DH.

[Asil65]

Hi girls,
Yes, I am getting so excited. I too feel like I am way overplanning. Instead of cleaning my house (which really needs it) I am on the boards looking for more info. I don't think we will dress for Pirate night. If I had something already I might bring it but alas we have no pirate attire. Did any of you catch the DCL show on the travel channel last Tuesday at 2:00 am? I used my Tivo. That got me so excited about going. Gotta love Tivo. Amanda, How bout this snow? The kids were off from school today and will be off likely tomorrow. It is still snowing. Have a good night all. Lisa :dancer:

[jclark3]

Just read a really good list of things to take/tips to do on a cruise. Even though this is cruise #5 for us, I still learned a lot by reading through it.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=468132

[agotta]

Yea the snow really sucks. I am used to it, being from Upstate NY, but I have enjoyed a snow-free winter for the most part. Apparently, DH refuses to dress up for Pirate night. Oh well! I feel like I am overplanning too!! Check out our website www.thegottafamily.com. If you click on Interests and then on Disney you will see that DH has posted 2 of my planning worksheets. These are only 2 out of 5 :) Can't wait for the trip!!

Amanda

[amy2girls]

Hey girls,

We are very excited here. My girls have their suitcase already packed!!!!!!!!!! They were so cute packing and deciding what to bring. Not sure if we are dressing up for pirate night, they already packed thier princess dresses. Unfortunatly, We were at children's hospital in Boston yesterday and Mickey made a surprise apperance. My five year old was jumping for joy telling him, actuallly shouting at him that we will see you in April. My three year old on the other hand wouldn't go near him, hope she warms up soon. :cool1 Happy plannning!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :love:

[Asil65]

Hello ladies, Hope you all are having a good weekend. Amanda great site. Are you guys web designers? I love all your pictures. I tried to find your worksheets. I found a neat area with info on all of the parks but didn't find your worksheets. I didn't realize that you were a Disney planner. No wonder you can always answer my questions. Amy, my 3 year old was scared of the characters 2 years ago when we were there as well. We had a great time at the princess breakfast . Not scary because you could see their faces. We went to Liberty tree tavern on our last night. Just walked in without a ps. She tolerated the characters but still was a little tentative. Those characters are pretty big for a little person. I was thinking that it would be fun to meet each other somewhere on the ship. On the last 2 cruises I have been on we set up meeting times and had a quick drink by one the poolside bars. I must admit these were cruises my husband and I took without kids so it was easier to schedule things like that. Is this crazy to even suggest? Just thought I'd put it out there. We will likely check in sometime around noon. Make our spa reservations eat a bite and take the kids swimming. Maybe we could meet by one of the pools? :flower:

[jclark3]

Amanda,
What a cool website! I'm in charge of one at work but I've never had the motivation to do one for the family (lazy!) I love your spreadsheet. I do mine in MS Word (complete with attraction by attraction), but yours is easier on the eye.

Amy,
I hope all is well with your kiddies. We are surrounded by the flu down here in Atlanta. It always hits us bad in Feb. I've given DS14 a bottle of antibacterial soap for his backpack and told him to wash his hands at school as often as he thinks of it! Don't want any surpirse illness now that we're on the home stretch! :earboy2:

[jclark3]

I'd love to meet y'all! It will just be me and DS14.

Jocelyn :cool1:

[amy2girls]

A get together would be fun for us.
Amy :cool1:

[amy2girls]

Jocelyn,
Hope the flu misses you!!!!!!! :cool1:

[agotta]

Lisa, on the page with all the park info click on the words that say plan of action and disney dining. My husband is the web expert, I am the Disney expert :) We have just convinced two friends to join us! I can't wait. They are Disney virgins. The won't be on the cruise, just at the parks. Would love to meet up with you guys!!

Amanda

[jclark3]

Ladies,
Is there a formal night on our 3-day cruise? I seem to remember there isn't. :dancer:
Jocelyn

[agotta]

No, I don't think so.

Amanda

[amy2girls]

no, I don't think so, I hope not b/c I have nothing to wear!!!!!!!!!!!!! :cool1:

[agotta]

DH and I will dress up for Palo though :)

[Asil65]

Hi all,
No, there is no formal night on the 3 day. They recommend a dress/pantsuit for ladies at Triton's. The other nights are pretty casual. Can't believe our trip is one month away. What day do you think we should tr to meet up with each other? I was thinking that first afternoon if people are planning to get on early. How many people are hanging around the ship when we are at Nassua? We are doing our Thriller boat ride in the am and then planning on hanging out at the ship in the afternoon. A time in the afternoon when we are at Nassau might
work if people will be around that day. Not sure if any of you are going to Atlantis or not. What do all of you think? Do you think meeting somewhere by the pools would work for all of you? :thewave:

[agotta]

Dh and I will be there early as can be!! We are also planning on hangin out on the ship the day of nassau. We might get off in the a.m. for an hour or two, but thats it. Just tell us the time and place to meet!!

Amanda

[amy2girls]

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!! I GOT OUR DOCUMENTS TODAY. FOUND THEM BURIED UNDER A FOOT OF NEW SNOW RESTING BY MY GARRIAGE. :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc :banana: :banana: :bounce: :bounce: ::MinnieMo :love:

[Asil65]

Amy, You inspired me to look for our documents. We got ours as well. Woo Hoo!

[agotta]

We didn't get ours yet :confused3 :confused3

[jclark3]

We hope to get on board around noon. We're not planning anything excursion-wise for Nassau day either. Just let me know where and when. Anybody else have second seating?

Girls, did you know we have a celebrity among us? Amanda has offered to do itineraries on the Boards and got over 30 requests! I hope you can work things out with the TA, Amanda, and start a business! :Pinkbounc

[agotta]

I can't believe what response I have had!! I was offered a job with Small World Vacations about 3 months ago, but couldn't do it financially so I thought this would be fun and make a great hobby! So many people jumped at the chance!! So I have some things in the works! We will see...

Dh and I have second seating, we will be there everynight except the night of Parrot Cay (Hopefully will have Palo reservations). I hope my documents come today!!

Amanda

[jclark3]

Well, Ladies, here I am home with a sick child. I guess he held out as long as he could (the high school is just FULL of it) but he's got the flu, respiratory AND stomach. I told him, if you had to get sick, better to do it now than the first week of April! Let's just pray that I can stay well.
Hope you all avoid it too!
Jocelyn

[Asil65]

Hello girls, I tried to find Amanda's itinerary site but was unsuccessful. Congrats Amanda , I think that is a terrific idea.We are doing early seating because our kids are younger. ::MickeyMo How do you folks feel about meeting on Thursday at 2:30 by the Goofy Pool on the Port(left) side close to the stage.Maybe I can make up a sign and stick it on the table. It seems like we are all boarding around noon, signing up for spa or Palo's then eating lunch. Do you think we can get all of this done by 2:30? Would 3:00 be better? I think we will have to do the lifeboat drill at 4:00 then the big deck party starts at around 4:45. I know what Amanda looks like from her website so I should be able to pick you out in a crowd. Not sure if you drink Amanda ,but I would like to buy you a drink when we meet to thank you for saving our family a lot of money by recommending independence air. If any of you have already been on the ship and know of a better location please chime in. On the last cruise we went on one of the ladies made up a list of all of our names with ages,where we were from, people in our group. I think that would be neat to do. I however am computer illiterate an don't know how to set that up. I did look back at our Thread and pulled up some names. How does this look?
Amanda&Kevin Centerville,Va
Lisa 39,Erik 39 Earlysville, Va children Brian 7 Emma 5
Jocelyn& son 14
Amy,husband two girls 3 and 5
Stacey,husband and kids
Karen and 2 boys 14 and 10
I apologize if I missed anyone. Feel free to add info and correct mistakes if needed. Lisa

[agotta]

2:30 sounds great. And yes I do drink. Actually the spending money we will bring will be spent mostly on little fruity drinks with umbrellas in it!! :cool1: I can't wait to meet up with you guys!!

Amanda

[jclark3]

2:30 sounds good for us too.
Jocelyn and Colin, Roswell, GA :flower:

[krdisneybound]

Hi all:

I am on the July 7th cruise. I started a thread a while back but no one responded to it. :sunny:

We have been booked since last October. :banana:

What are your cabin numbers??? Ours is 6147 and we have early seating.

I'll have to read this complete thread to see what is going on with everyone.

We must keep chatting. :grouphug:

[agotta]

We are on the April 7th Wonder.

[krdisneybound]

Before the July 7th cruise, we will be on the Disney Magic 14 day cruise through the Panama Canal. We end up in LA and then home to Florida.

:cheer2:

Just wondering if anyone is from FL????

[agotta]

I tried :confused3

[krdisneybound]

I know of several people who have canceled their trip just this week. Calling on a daily basis just might get you on the ship.

I did not get my confirmation until last Friday. I was so excited that I am sailing on the Panama Canal Repo. cruise.

It is worth a call if you still want to go. :wave2:

[agotta]

I am extremely confused as to why you keep posting about your July Cruise on our April 7th cruise meet thread.

[krdisneybound]

Sorry I read the post as July 7th. :confused3

Guess I more confused than anyone............ Didn't mean to upset anyone.

[agotta]

No you didn't. It was just confusing because I posted that this was the post for April 7th and then you kept posting. Have a great time on your cruise!! :cool1:

Amanda

[amy2girls]

Too funny amanda :earsboy: I was beginning to get confused. :confused3
Lisa, not sure on our plans for boarding we hope to board early so that time would be fine for us as long as everything goes as planned. Our info for your list: Amy(30), Paul (33), Katie (5) and Abbie (3) from NH. We have early seating as well. Can't wait.
Jocelyn, Sorry about the flu hope you all recover fast!!!!!!!!!!!

[lovebuzz]

Hi! I can meet at 2:30.Here is our list...Stacey(35), Michael (38),Daniel(17), Chad(17), Brandon(5) and Ryan(4). We are from Roswell,Georgia.I am getting so excited about the trip I cant wait.

[agotta]

Stacey did you get my PM about the wishes cruise?? And then the next one saying nevermind we are still meeting up?

Amanda

[Asil65]

Hi girls,
Krdisneybound, you can still talk with us if you'd like. Very funny. Glad some of you will be able to make it at 2:30 on Thursday. I will try to make a new list. I apologize ahead of time if I mess something up. Here goes....

Amanda & Kevin Centerville,VA
Lisa & Erik 39, Brian 7, Emma 5 Earlysville, VA
Jocelyn & Colin 14, Roswell,GA
Amy 30, Paul 33, Katie 5, Abbie 3 NH
Stacey 35, Michael 38, Daniel 17,Chad 17, Brandon 5, Ryan 4, Roswell,GA
Karen 2 boys 14 and 10

I still find it so amazing that Stacey and Jocelyn are from the same town. Wow! Are you all getting excited? I can't wait. Have all of you gotten your tickets? Maybe Amy and I got ours because we booked a Land Sea package? Amy are you still buried in snow? New Hampshire is sure a beautiful state. Our snow is finally melting in Virginia. I pray that we are done with the snow. Lousy plowing in VA. In the last 2 weeks our kids missed 3.5 days. Have a good weekend gang. Lisa :flower1:

[krdisneybound]

Lisa: thanks so much. I know. Am very glad you guys are getting together - you'll have a wonderful time.

Perhaps I will be on a cruise with everyone at a later time.

Have a wonderful and safe weekend

:wave2:

[jclark3]

Uh, oh, I think I'm the oldest in our group! 52 on Mar. 1!
Jocelyn :cheer2:

[amy2girls]

hi girls,

Yes we are still buried in snow, just got off the snowmobiles, at this rate about a storm a week we will be snowmobiling to the airport. :rotfl2:
I forgot to add to the list, my parents will also be joining us: Ed and Linda 55 and 56. :banana: :banana:

[PaulaK+C]

Iam also going on the April 7th cruise! I can't wait. So looking forward to vacation, its been a long winter. We will be staying @ the Poly 3rd to 6th. I also have 2 daughters, 3 and 5. None of us has ever been before! Any advice???

[churchlady]

We will also be on the Apr. 7th Wonder! Would love to join you at the Goofy Pool on Thursday. We are the Gants from Lawrenceville, GA (Not too far from Roswell!). I'm Leigh (44), then there's Mike (43), Jessica (12), Mallory (10), and Christie (8).

We'll be at the Beach Club 3rd-6th. Already tried this once in Sept. but had to turn the car around and reschedule due to hurricanes. The car was pack to the gills- this time I'll try to travel lighter.

[PaulaK+C]

That's a coincidence we were going to Disney the end of Sept 04, but had to reschedule our trip. We are Paula(34), Brian(39), Kiley(5) and Cara(3).

[crazy4tigger]

Hi all

My girls(15,11 & 6) and I will be joining you on 4/7. :rotfl: My husband and I went on our first cruise last year on Carnival although I have always wanted to do DCL. Anyway promised girls next one they could go. Well dad can't get off so the girls and I are off on our own. :cheer2: We are very excited! dad isn't as much into disney anyway. We are driving from GA on the 6th and staying near the space center. Any tips on anything would be great. 31 days and counting.

[lovebuzz]

Hi everybody!!! We got our cruise docs in the mail. We are also doing the land/sea. we are staying at the CBR. I cant wait.See you guys there. :bounce:

[PaulaK+C]

Is there anyone here going on the cruise from Massachusetts?

[agotta]

Paula, We are from VA but my husband is originally from Ludlow (outside of Springfield) we have only lived in VA about a year and half.

Amanda

Welcome to all the new families!!

[jclark3]

Picked up documents from AAA yesterday. Yippee!!!!! :banana:

[agotta]

You guys are really teasing me with these cruise documents. I feel like we are the only ones who haven't gotten them. We booked with DVC though so it might make a difference. What deck is everyone on?? We are on Deck 6.

Amanda

[churchlady]

We picked up our docs from the TA yesterday, too. We're on deck 8. I heard our cabin 8550 is a little noisy (under pool, midship), but our kids are pretty big so no naps to disturb. What excursions are you doing? We're doing the Dolphin Encounter in Nassau and Banana Boats on CC. Scheduled a little later in day so we won't be rushed. We have the late dinner seating. How about you guys?

[Asil65]

Hello All,
Welcome Paula,Leigh and Crazy for Tigger. Paula, We will be at the Poly prior to the cruise as well. I have a daughter who is 5 named Emma and a son 8 named Brian. I forgot to mention that my Mom Ginny will be with us. Don't think I'll mention her age. Amanda we are on the 6th floor. Our room numbers are 6120 and 6122. They are connecting rooms or adjoining. There is a door between them. Counting the days. Lisa :banana: :banana:

[agotta]

We are in cabin 6092. Can't wait! We have friends joining us for the WDW part so it will be nice to have a couple days to ourselves on the boat!! We aren't doing anything for Nassau, have late seating and will be spending each morning at the gym or on Deck 4 running laps :goodvibes

Amanda

[jclark3]

We're on Deck 8 too, right NEXT to the Walt Disney Suite. Don't know how that happened because I thought I paid for Category 6, not 4.... Just noticed it today!
Haven't decided on how we're spending Nassau day yet. I love to snorkel but DS14 does not. (I think I forced him to watch Jaws--my fav movie--too many times.) Still pondering Thriller boat ride. Dolpin swim just too expensive.
At CC we're doing banana boat and Eco Tour.

Jocelyn

[Asil65]

Jocelyn, The upgrade fairy must have visited you. Congrats! Come brave the Thriller boat ride with us. By the way did you ever talk with someone a DCL who could verify that there was the Thriller excursion boat ride? Lisa

[jclark3]

Lisa, the Thriller excursion is now listed on the DCL website.
http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/disneycruiseline/funonshore/excursiongroupingindex?id=NassauExGrping

[jclark3]

Lisa, Thriller ressie made! (for 9:45am!)

[amy2girls]

hey all,
We are on deck 5 two connecting rooms. :cool1:

[Asil65]

Hooray Jocelyn, We can hold onto each other for dear life. I'm sure it will be a blast. I did a search. I think I plugged in Nassau and Thriller boat ride and found a neat website with some info and a little video snippet. I wonder how my Mom will do? She said she was willing to try it. Lisa :bounce:

[jclark3]

Oops, misread our stateroom number. It's 6626, not 8828. DCL's printer needs a new cartridge! So no upgrade afterall :sad2:
Jocelyn

[amy2girls]

Jocelyn,
Not to late, we can all still hope for an upgrade.
amy :earsgirl:

[agotta]

Wow! We take up 4 rooms on Deck 6. Pm with your email Lisa and Jocelyn if you want the deck plan with each of our rooms labeled. Lisa, you are I are just a couple rooms apart!!

Amanda

[Asil65]

Hello girls, I just spent the whole morning filling in the yellow pages of my Passporter book. It took me forever. I feel a little more organized. This is a neat planning guide. Tell me all of you Disney Cruise veterans can we really get an a room upgrade on this ship? Are there still any rooms available? I have been on 3 different cruises and have always had some kind of upgrade. None of these were Disney ships. We likely won't get one this time because we asked for connecting/adjoining rooms. That is pretty funny that we take up 4 rooms on the 6th floor. Jocelyn, you get to hang out with us now on the 6th floor. Yeah! I promise you all when we get upgraded to the WDsuite we will have a big bash for the April 7th cruisers. Hee hee :rotfl2: When I first saw this icon I thought it was a person having a temper tantrum. Lisa

[jclark3]

It's spring break for my kids and I had originally planned on a 4 day cruise and 3 days at WDW, but changed my mind and decided to do all 7 days on the ship.

KarenMom,
This is too cool! Do they make you get off the boat and back on again for the second cruise? Can you keep the same stateroom? Everytime I cruise I wish I could turn around and go again!
Jocelyn

[Asil65]

I know I wish we would be on the ship for a week. 3 days will fly by. Wish we could have gone to Disney for 4 days and spent a week on the ship. Money is the limiting factor. We arethinking about rebooking while on the ship for the same week next year on the Eastern cruise on the Magic. This will be the trial run. But you know that my family will love it. Lisa

[crazy4tigger]

Hello all

We are getting very excited! We recieved all paperwork in mail. Can't wait we are counting down the days. My kids have are making a plan of all the things they want to do that don't include me DH is not going so what will I do all by my lonesome :confused3 :rotfl2: . We have agreed to do an excursion together at each stop. How nice of them to include mom. Anyone driving down on the 5 or 6 from GA ?

[Asil65]

Hi girls,
Found a neat site last night. I was looking for some navigator copies. Really wanted to find out what the kids could do on the ship. Check this out.
************************/ Sorry I don't know how to link the site. I need to take a computer class. :confused3 Lisa

[Asil65]

I don't know what happened to my post. Can we not put in other web sites? :confused3 Lisa

[jclark3]

Took the plunge today and made plane reservations. We usually drive to Orlando (8 hrs) but with gas prices as they are, plus having to spend a night in Valdosta each way (I CAN'T drive 8 hours straight and Colin doesn't have his permit yet), driving was going to be as expensive as flying! Plus the aggrevation of driving! Only problem is, our flight back doesn't leave until 8pm. OH NO, I'll have to find something FUN for us to do on Sunday! (like a day at Sea World?)
Are you all flying? Guess we'll be on the bus together to Canaveral! We're staying at the BC. :Pinkbounc

Jocelyn

P.S. Anybody ever seen a good land/sea list of things to pack? I guess I'll be doing laundry at the BC!

[agotta]

We won't be taking the transfers as we rented a car. We would offer you guys a ride with us, but we have to take friends to the airport first so our car is full! We are dropping off at Budget and they have a shuttle to the port. We can't wait and guess what?? WE GOT OUR DOCUMENTS YESTERDAY!! I was still hoping for an updgrade, but nothing :( That's ok, we are happy with our cabin.

See ya in 21 days!!

Amanda

[Asil65]

Hello ladies, I was curious if any of you on this thread have been lucky enough to get an upgrade? I wondered if the ship was full or not? I have taken 2 Princess cruises and a Carnival cruise and have always had some sort of upgrade. Now for the really scary question. How many of you are feeling ready for a bathing suit? Yikes! I for one am not. Doing the South Beach diet now. Don't think I can lose 20 pounds in 3 weeks however. Can't believe that we will be on the ship in almost 3 weeks. Wow! I am planning to go to MK on the Sunday before our cruise. Are we crazy to go on a Sunday? Is Monday a better day? I also wonderd if any of you have gone to the water parks? It looks like Blizzard beach is more younger kid friendly. My kids are 5 and 7. Anyone have any experience at the water parks? Thanks, Lisa :flower:

[jclark3]

Lisa,
No upgrade that I know of.
With regard to the bathing suit issue, I am what the boards call a pooh-sized mommie, so instead of trying to lose weight, I just bought a new bathing suit! :earboy2:
I think some of the guidebooks say Sunday is a very crowded day for the MK. We're headed there on Wed., which is a EMH day and some of the guidebooks say never to do that! So pick your poison!
Jocelyn

[agotta]

I for one am not ready for a bathing suit. I know we have two more weeks, but that is not enough time!! We are also headed to MK on EMH night. I figure it will be busy but at least it won't be busy out in the hot sun!!! Sunday we are doing EPCOT and MGM(emh). See you in two weeks girls!!

Amanda

[jclark3]

We've done both waterparks and like them both but I prefer TL, I think because the wave pool is so much fun--the waves are about 8 ft high. We're both strong swimmers (and daredevils). We're going to TL immediately after we arrive on Sun. I plan to swim with the sharks! (it formerly cost extra but now it's included.) I LOVE the family tubes and Colin loves the slides. I like the slides too but I'm getting a little old to be plummeting down shoots at 60mph (remember the more you weigh, the faster you fly!) :flower:
Jocelyn

[lovebuzz]

hi all!! We did not get an upgrade. Oh well I'm just happy to be on the ship. We are also one of the crazy ones that are doing the MK on Sunday. we have small children also and, I dont think they will let us get there and not go to the MK first. :) So look for my dis tag if you see me and say hi!! I'm with you I can not lose the extra 30 lbs before the cruise so, I did what you did and just bought a new suit with extra coverage. see you guys there. Stacey

[amy2girls]

Hi all,

No upgrade here. We can all keep hope, there is still a chance!!!!!!! :flower: I bought a few new suites still working on the baby fat three years later, ohwell. :sad2: I think we will try mk on sunday aswell. see you all soon.
Amy

[Asil65]

Well Amy I have got you beat. I'm still working on my baby fat 5 years later. I think that my metabolism has just stopped. It used to be that I could eat whatever I wanted. No longer the case. Jocelyn, Is Typhoon Lagoon the one that has more of the family type slides? My kids are too little for the individual slides but do great on the rides that can hold 2 or more people. I was hoping to go to the water park after a day at the parks and realized that they are only open until 6. Are any of you going to the parks on the day of our cruise? Since we are at the Poly I was thinking that maybe we could go to Epcot for a couple of rides or even MK. I wish one of the parks had an early entry on Thursday. I had a question about clothes on the ship. I have been to Disney in April and you really need to be prepared for hot or cold weather. Is the ship pretty much the same?I was thinking about a nice pair of pants and a 3/4 length top, a skirt with sleeveless top and sweater. That kind of stuff. Does that sound Ok? Lisa :wizard:

[jclark3]

I'm pretty sure that each water park has only one multiple-person (family) raft ride. The one at BB is supposedly the longest family raft ride in the world. I would say the slides, etc. are longer and faster at BB and therefore for more "adventuresome" kids. However the surf pool and shark reef at TL make it my first choice. And there's a new "watercoaster" ride at TL that opens this week! Here's a link to some info about both parks http://allearsnet.com/btp/faq_tl.htm

[amy2girls]

I forgot all about making ps for meals while in Disney, can you believe it. :guilty: Well it turned out ok, my girls only wanted a few things and I was able to get the resevations. I booked the princess breakfast at norway and dinner at chef mickeys per their request and I also booked dinner at ape May one night, they rest I guess we will wing it, I don't like to be locked into times etc. My 3 y.o. is so excited about meeting the princesses, I can't believe I was able to get a time. All my five year old wanted was to eat with mickey at "the hotel the monorail goes through." So thank god all went ok even though I messed up. Not much longer to go. How is the packing going for everyone? :cool1:

[jclark3]

Those of you doing land/sea, what's your plan for the 4 days at Disney?
Here's ours and I'd be happy to hear comments! (because we're at the BC, we can walk to EPCOT and take the boat to MGM, which means quicker hopping)

Sun.--TL in morning/SAB at BC for late afternoon with lunch at Beaches n Cream/EPCOT with dinner (Japanese)/DQ (DQ may be pushing it)

Mon.--EPCOT all day, lunch (Morrocco), dinner Canada/monorail to MK for 2 nighttime parades

Tues.--MGM in morning, lunch at Mama Melrose/AK in afternoon/Flying Fish for dinner--this PS was made before EMH schedule came out.../back to MGM for Fantasmic

Wed.-- rest and SAB in morning/MK afternoon and evening/Crystal Palace lunch, Liberty Tree dinner

Thurs.-- last bit of EPCOT (which probably means Mission Space for Colin, Test Track for me)

[agotta]

Jocelyn,

Looks great!! My only comment would be this

Sun.--TL in morning/SAB at BC for late afternoon with lunch at Beaches n Cream/EPCOT with dinner (Japanese)/DQ (DQ may be pushing it)

Looks like a lot!! I would do lunch at Typhoon instead of going to Beaches and Cream. Just seems like too much running around, especially if you do DQ.

Amy, Way to go on getting those PS!! That is awesome. I sent the check yesterday for out last PH ticket. I just hope the friends we are bringing with us did the same!!

Our sched looks like this

Sat - Hang out at hotel, Church, DTD for Dinner and pick up friends from MCo

Sun - EPCOT, Le Cellier for lunch and EMH and MGM

Mon - TL, free afternoon, Dinner at 'Ohana and the wishes cruise

Tue - Kona for Breakfast, MK and then EPCOT for Illuminations, Boardwalk

Wed - AK for the morning and MK for EMH

Just over 2 weeks!!!

Amanda

[Asil65]

Hi ladies, Jocelyn thanks for the info about the water parks. Amy so glad that you were able to get the ps's you wanted. We did the Princess BF two years ago. My daughter loved it. Here is our schedule. It sure looks busy.
Sunday-MK ,dinner at Ohana's
Monday-Chef Mickey's BF, MGM early dinner 4:30 SciFi Diner, Spectromagic 9:00
Tuesday-AK, Epcot pm
Wednesday-MK again ,Luau at Poly then Wishes that night
We want to add Typhoon Lagoon and Disney quest in someplace but don't know where. I would also like to relax at the Poly some of the time. I think we nedd more time. On Thursday Am we still may hit Epcot or MK when it opens before heading to the ship. We have our own car so I think we can do it. I haven't started packing yet but I am trying to figure out what I need to buy for each family member.I am afraid we will have too much luggage. We have a minivan and 5 people. Not a huge amount of luggage space. Guess we will figure it out when we get there.Also thinking about the car seat issue for my 5 yr old. I guess I can try to pack the booster seat. I think 5 yr olds need a booster seat in Fl. Anyone up on the car seat issues? Lisa

[amy2girls]

Lisa,
We also rented a minivan and their are six of us. We will be brining both car seats, we are going to check them with luggage some how.
Amy

[churchlady]

Hi Ladies, Sounds like everyone has been doing lots of planning. We come in Saturday night April 2nd (Hampton Buena Vista) and hope to check out DTD. Sunday we're off to the BC, may hit TL early w/lunch, then MGM Fantasmic dinner at 4:30 at BD and enjoy EMH. Monday we're off to Epcot for EMH w/1 pm ,lunch in Mexico (you eat inside but it looks like a starry night sky). Monday night we go to DQ w/a PS at PH at 8:30 (using our free $25). Tuesday breakfast at Cindy's 8:15, take a break at BC pool, back to MK for duration. Maybe dinner at Peco's-cheap and good fixins. Wed. we'll do AK, maybe check out BB, back to MK for EMH. Thur morning we have PS at Cape May at 8:20, then head for the ship.

Now I'm wondering about Chef Mickey's. Also, is the evening buffet at Cape May that good?

My DH thinks it's too much planning, but you guys don't think I'm crazy, do you?

We'll be in our minivan with the girls 8/10/12. I'm counting on them having lots of stamina.

I am starting to feel panicked- so little time, so much to do.
Your stressed out pal, Leigh

[jclark3]

Now I'm wondering about Chef Mickey's. Also, is the evening buffet at Cape May that good?
Leigh,
We had dinner at Chef Mickey's in April '01 and loved it. Got lots of attention from the characters and I thought the food was very good.
We stayed at the BC last year but didn't have dinner (clambake) there because I had read a lot of reviews that said it wasn't that great (and although I love fish, shellfish and I don't agree.) This year we have a PS at the Flying Fish at the BW--right across the lake, which gets a lot better reviews.
Jocelyn

[jclark3]

Talking about TL reminded me of THE FUNNIEST story I've ever read on these boards. :rotfl2: :rotfl2: You will laugh your head off. And I can picture this happening to me! Here's the link:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=509578
Jocelyn

[Asil65]

OMG Jocelyn that story was sooo funny. I can't believe the CM put her on the slide backward.Need to definitely wear a 1 piece at the water parks. Looking at all of our itineraries is making me tired. Now I wish I was on the ship for a week just to relax.I think 5 days at the park and a week on the ship would be perfect. Too bad money doesn't grow on tree's. We are all going to need to have some down time when we get on board.I hope that my kids will like the kids club. Let the Happy Hour Begin. I have been trying on my summer shorts. How depressing.
Well I'm off to a scrapbook party tonight to get some much needed adult time. Busy weekend for us. We are seeing the Indigo girls tomorrow and then going to a Monster truck show on Sunday. Wish me luck with the Monster Truck show. The things we do for our kids. Have a great weekend ladies. Lisa

[jclark3]

I don't know if anyone is on tonite but DCL is on the Travel Channel at 9pm tonite (Fri).

[churchlady]

Hi, I'm here. Thanks for the tip! I'll be watching. I did my trip grocery shopping today. 3 bottles of white, 3 bottles of red, snacks, instant punch & lemonade, small cereal boxes, bottled water, 3 12 packs of sodas, a few paper products. We ordered a frig for our room at the BC. $10 a day. We always have so many leftovers when we eat out. Hope to enjoy a refreshment break each day. I plan to bring some wine on board the ship in bubble wrap. Enjoy the show! Leigh

[agotta]

Does anyone else find themselves buying special "for the trip" items?? We spend $200 today between Target and Walmart. DH bought a new watch. Why? For the cruise! We keep seeing things and saying, oh we need that for the trip, but we probably don't!! We spent $16 on underwater cameras!!LOL. Can't wait! 14 days!!

Amanda

[Asil65]

We haven't bought any big ticket items as of yet. We did buy some suitcases. Got a great price at Che Marshall's. We are off to the monster truck show today. Can anyone say earplugs? I read a post that the water will be chilly on our cruise. Has anyone been to Nassau or Castaway in April? When we went to Disney in April we never were anywhere near the ocean.

[jclark3]

I bought something called a High Definition disposable camera at my home away from home-- TARZHAY. I don't even know what it is or what it's for but it sounded like something one should take on a cruise!
With regard to water temps in April, they should be fine. But if it's rainy, or rainy and windy, it won't be ideal conditions. On our last cruise in April, two years ago, the sea was so choppy it took the Capt. several attempts to dock at CC, but it was so windy, they cancelled many of the excursions anyway. I was glad I had made a reservation for a cabana massage...
Accuweather predicts weather 15 days out. I'll keep my eye on Nassau

http://www.accuweather.com/adcbin/public/int_8to15day_local.asp?metric=0

[Asil65]

Hi ladies, Here I am again on the computer rather than cleaning my house. I was so glad to haer that you have had a Cabana massage Jocelyn. How was it? I am hoping that my hubby and I can get a couples Cabana massage together. It will be our big splurge on the ship. I too can't to wait to see what the weather will entail. When we went to Alaska last summer it forcasted rain the whole time we would be there. So glad they were wrong we didn't have a drop of rain. My theory is if you pack a raincoat it never rains. So let' s all pack raincoats. Have a good week. Lisa :banana:

[jclark3]

The cabana massage was wonderul. Just keep in mind it takes a while to get there (it's at the adult beach end of the island.) Hearing the ocean in the background and feelling the sea breeze, I wanted it to go on and on and on... One word of caution-- they will try to sell you VERY EXPENSIVE products after it's over. And since you are in a super relaxed state, you're bound to say "YES" (can you tell I have the word "SUCKER" written on my forehead?)

[Asil65]

I am glad that you liked the cabana massage. Now I just need to be able to book it. I had heard about sales pitches on the Princess cruise. When I got a massage on the Grand I wrote on the info form that they make you fill out No sales pitch please. I think it helped. How are everyones Easter plans coming along? We will have about 17 people here for Easter. I am going to try to make a ham. Never made one before. Wish me luck. Don't think I can mess things up to bad with a ham. Happy Easter all. Lisa :wizard:

[Asil65]

Hello Ladies,
5 days until we leave for Disney and 11 days until our wonderful cruise. Yea! finally made a list today of what I needd to pack. I checked into the extended forcast and the weather looks nice for Sunday through Tuesday. Higs in the upper 70's and no rain. I hope the weather man is right this time. Our we still going to meet at the Goofy pool at 2:30 on Thursday port side? We will be there.Think we will head over to Epcot on Thursday am before we leave for the ship. At least we can ride Test track, the space ride and see Figment. Good luck with getting organized this week. Lisa

[agotta]

I am so excited!! I feel like I will be useless at work this week! My dh went out of town this weekend and my family came down so I didn't get any packing done! :guilty: This week will be crazy though. I saw that the weather looked good too, let's cross our fingers. I am still planning on heading to the Goofy Pool at 2:30! See you girls in 5 days!!

Amanda

[amy2girls]

WE ARE ALL VERY EXCITED HERE!!!!!!!! I HOPE IT WILL BE A FAST WEEK. :cool1:

[churchlady]

I can't believe it's almost here!!! I've got so much to do this week before we leave. Which of you ladies is also doing the Land part of your cruise adventure? It is so hard to pack for 80 degree weather when it's 45 degrees and raining here in GA!

My latest shopping treasures were Pirate supplies at Party City (eyepatches, earrings, jewelry), collapsible coolers from Sam's Club (one on wheels so coming onboard it will hold beer and wine, leaving it will hold souveniers), 89 cent ponchos from Target (just in case).

Guess what the Easter Bunny brought in the girls (8,10,12) Easter baskets? Googles, flip flops, Disney disposible cameras from Circuit City, and a Princess paddle ball from Dollar Tree! How did he know??? Leigh

[amy2girls]

LEIGH,
WE ARE DOING THE LAND PORTION 3RD - 7TH A CBR. ALSO STAYING THE 2ND IN DTD.
AMY :banana: :love:

[jclark3]

Hello Girls,
I hope to see you at the Goofy Pool at 2:30, but we're taking the bus and therefore at its mercy.
Our plane leaves from Atlanta at 7am on Sunday. I bet I won't be able to sleep Saturday night... Talk about useless at work, Amanda, I sure know that feeling...
We'll be at the BC Sun-Thurs.
Went bathing suit shopping on Saturday. What an ordeal! When I told Colin I got a 2-piece I thought he was going to have a heart attack! (He doesn't realize they're making 2 pieces that look like one piece...) But I understand his concern. I'm the one who threatened to go topless at Dawn Beach in St. Maarten two years ago...It's so much fun to embarrass your teenager!
See you soon! pirate:
Jocelyn

[amy2girls]

JOCELYN,
TOO FUNNY :rotfl: I CAN ONLY IMAGINE YOUR SONS FACE, PRICELESS........ WE HOPE TO MEET AT THE POOL TOO, BUT NOT SURE WHAT TIME WE ARE PLANNING ON GETTING TO PORT WE ARE GOING TO PLAY IT BE EAR. :banana: I AM ALMOST DONE PACKING BUT I FEAR I TRIED TO FIT TO MUCH INTO OUR SUITCASES AND THEY ARE PROBABLY OVER THE 50 LB LIMIT, WE MAY HAVE TO BRING ANOTHER SUITCASE, OH WELL :confused3

[agotta]

Ok did you girls know that Saturday the 2nd is DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME?? What a rip off!! LOL, I don't want to lose an hour!

We are doing the land portion too. April 2-4 at POFQ and the 4th - 7th at SSR. We are driving ourselves to the port on Thursday. We have a full-size car and if I wasn't bringing friends back to the airport I would offer someone a ride :teeth:

I am so excited, and I don't know why, because it's not like we haven't been before. I think I just put so much work into this trip. We went last Jan for our honeymoon and I didn't really plan this much.

I called this morning to verify our Wishes cruise and was so excited to here POTC music :wizard: I am trying to make my boss think I am busier than I am, but I get distracted so easily and I think he is sick of hearing about my trip!

[churchlady]

Jocelyn, Looks like you're pretty familiar with BC. Can I make any special room request at check-in? What would you suggest? Leigh

[Asil65]

Hello Ladies,
Too funny Jocelyn about the two piece. I also bought one of those 2 peices that covers a bit more. Haven't worn a two peice in 15 years. My family is leaving on Saturday and start our trip at Cypress Point Grand Villa's. Got a 3 bedroom condo for 135.00 at a site called Hotelkingdom. Then on Sunday we check in at the Poly for 4 nights. Then off to the ship on Thursday. This week is so hectic. It seems like everyone has crammed meetings into the end of the week. I am stressed. I am also waiting to hear from my sisters friend who may be coming to stay with us the end of the week. She is in Richmond on a business trip. I am really praying that she decides to stay in a hotel. Does thats soud terrible? Started packing. Wow , I seem to be bringing so much stuff. Hope my big suitcase isn't too heavy. I had 17 people here for Easter and I am happy to report that the everything went well. Those Ham's from Sams Club are great. Safe travels. Looking forward to meeting all of you. Lisa :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

[agotta]

Hey girls! Lisa, that isn't terrible. You just want your space!! We started packing last night too and I feel like I have brought way too much, but can't leave anything out! I am going to today to try and find a bathin suit. I have a one-piece that fits ok, but was looking for a second one to bring. I don't know about those two-pieces!! You girls are brave. Maybe I can find one that looks like a one-piece too!! We leave in 3 days. It is supposed to rain here Saturday morning, so here's to a safe trip!!

Amanda

[jclark3]

Leigh,
Here's a good link with lots of info about the Beach Club http://allearsnet.com/acc/faq_bc.htm

The BC is all about location, location, location for me. It's so easy to get to EPCOT (a quick walk) and even MGM (boat ride) that it's no big deal to park hop to 3 parks in one day! (Once you're in EPCOT you can take the monorail to the MK.)
Look for/ask about the short-cut to EPCOT. There's a path from the back of the BC through a garden gate. If you're like us, and plan to spend lots of time at EPCOT, ask for a room closest to the short cut. If you want a great view of the lake or Stormalong Bay-- those rooms are at the front of the hotel.
Can't wait for Sunday! :Pinkbounc
Jocelyn

[jclark3]

Planning and packing got you down? Read this thread http://disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=15892
Good thing my office door is closed... :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

[agotta]

Jocelyn,

That is one of my favorite trip reports!! So funny!! Unfortunately I don't have any walls....have to be quiet!! So I got a bathing suit today at Ross for $9.99!! I didn't try it on, because I was on lunch. We will see tonight...It looks cute though:) 3 days and counting. What time does everyone leave. The shuttle to the airport will be at our apartment at 5:25 A.M.!!!

[churchlady]

That report was too funny! Nothing like kids to bring you back down to earth. Amanda, I also bought a bathing suit at Ross today! It was $7.49. Then I went to the suit shop at the Mall and got a half price one for $35. One of those crazy 2 pc you guys mentioned. My kids didn't believe it was actually 2 pieces- great coverage! It's time for me to stop shopping and start packing! DH has been travelling all week, gets home Fri. afternoon and plays a tennis match that night. All this with us leaving at the crack of dawn Sat. No stress for him, Mon! Jocelyn, thanks for the BC tips!
Leigh

[agotta]

Well my great bargain at Ross didn't fit so well :confused3 Oh well, I still have my good ol' one-piece!!! Better for Typhoon Lagoon anyway!!

So we are all set to go, until last night...DRAMA!!! Our neighbor was supposed to take our dog for the week, because Kennels here are sooo expensive. And last night she said she couldn't take her anymore!! WHAT!! :sad2: So now we are scrambling trying to find someone to take her. I have a couple people in mind, but feel so bad asking them at the last minute!! Geesh!!

[Asil65]

Hi ladies,
Only 2 more days utill we leave. Yea! Amanda sorry about the dog situation. I was just talking to my friend about how much it would cost her to board her 2 dogs. 450.00 dollars Yikes. That is almost what we are paying to fly to Disney. I hope one of your friends can help out. Well, I am happy to report that my sisters friend is not coming. At least I haven't heard from her yet. I suppose she could show up on my doorstep but I think that is highly unlikely. That has helped relieve some stress. OK, the weather report looks good for the beginning of the week then what is going on when our cruise starts?Tell me it isn't so? I still think my theory is true and if we all bring raincoats it will be sunny and gorgeous. I am going to check the weather right now. See you all soon. Lisa

[agotta]

Well, we found someone to take the puppy. A girl I used to work with has 2 boxers and get this. Last week she went to Disney and 2 days before she left her sister called to tell her she couldn't take her dogs. So she was more than happy to help out!!

Lisa, our ponchos and umbrella are packed!! Rain Rain go away!! Here is some sunshine for everyone!!!

:sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny:

[amy2girls]

Hi Girls,

Just looked at 10 day forcest with msn, no rain in forcast through the 9th. I hope they are right!!!!!!!!!! :cool1: :sunny: :sunny: :flower: :banana:

[lovebuzz]

Hi ladies!! ok so am I the only one who isnt packed yet??? We leave on Saturday so, I guess I better get a move on it. Amanda... Thank you so much for letting us go on your wishes cruise. I got the pm. We will see you Mon. night at 9:15. Also, I can relate with you and the doggie drama. Our friend was supposed to keep our puppy but, last thursday she decided to go into heat. luckly my vet is able to kennel her. Add another $250 onto our vacation price. Oh well! Amy... We are also staying at the CBR so.. look for us there.Lisa... I will pack my rain coat if you think it will help to keep it away.I'll also sing the rain,rain go away song.Leigh... we are also leaving on Saturday maybe we will see you on the road. Jocelyn... I see we are from the same town so, if you need me to bring anything for you just give me a call..770-643-0602. see you guys at the goofy pool on thursday.

[agotta]

Hey girls!! So we leave in the morning!! I am so excited and driving everyone nuts talking about Disney!! I think we are almost packed. We drop off the pooch tonight and will hopefully get a good nights sleep without her :) Our flight leaves early, but we are expecting rain and thunderstorms :umbrella: I hope everyone has a safe trip and I will see you all next week!!

Amanda

[Asil65]

Well ladies our journey is about to begin. Safe travels everyone. Will be looking for you at 2:30 port side(left) at the goofy pool on the day we embark. I made up a little sign to stick on a table. I am hoping that there are tables by the pool. I will be easy to find. I will be the one relaxing by the pool in a white cover up with some sort of delicious cocktail. See you all soon. Lisa :flower:

[jclark3]

I haven't started to pack yet either!
Guess where I'm going this afternoon? To have Colin's arm x-rayed for a possible break! He was playing mixed doubles last night and "tripped" over his partner while going for a ball. I don't call him Calamity Colin for nothin! Hopefully it's just sprained but I doubt it... On Thurs. look for the kid with the cast and the two banged-up knees, with the Mom in-tow who REALLY needs a cruise! :earboy2:
Jocelyn

[churchlady]

Welcome home, everybody! Wasn't the ship just great? Can't wait to hear your thoughts. Sorry didn't get to meet you guys. We arrived late at the Goofy Pool- then I embarrassed myself for awhile asking around (especially several ladies in green shirts). I was the only one on the 8th floor with a door sign. Met no other DISers. The DIS board helpful hints made our whole trip great! The kids loved the Lab, I loved my massage, and DH finally relaxed our hectic but fun 4 days at the Park. What did you all think? Did anyone else rebook on the ship? We just couldn't leave without plunking down a deposit on a future cruise!

[amy2girls]

Welcome home everyone,

Hope every one made it home safe and sound!!!!!!!!! We never made it to the goofy pool for the meet we arrived a bit late hade to go to the pharmacy for some benadryl my five year old had a sunscreen reaction. We loved the ship it was the best part of the trip. Unfourtunatly our girls didn't care for the club but that was fine their really wasn't much time for it anyway. My girls loved all the character opurtunities esp.. the princesses. We had a good service team. We did AP,PC then Tritons. I thought the fireworks on the last night worked out better a good conclusion to the trip. CC day was awesome, but we thought the water was a little cold. We went to Cable beach on the Nassau day that was good.
Disney world was crazy busy, we did fastpass as much as possible and was able to take advantage of it often. The girls were so tierd after the four days in the parks. We didn't rebook but will definatly cruise again in the future.
Amy

[agotta]

So we are back to work :( Disney was ok. So busy and Kevin and I defintely learned some lessons the hard way! We loved the cruise! I was seasick for the first 2 nights, but by Saturday night I was great. Next time we plan on doing a 7 night. Lisa and Stacey you girls rock!! It was so much fun meeting up!! Hope everyone else had fun too! Oh and we won BINGO!! YEA $97 for us!! :cool1:

[jclark3]

We had a great time. Colin said it was our best vacation ever! :cool1:
4 Days at WDW
We followed my itinerary pretty much to the letter, which meant rising EARLY and using fast passes as much as possible. If it had a line of more than 10 minutes, we skipped it!
Pluses...Since we were at the Beach Club we took full advantage of the 5 minute walk to EPCOT. I think we went there every single day. Favorite attractions-AK Safari, Mickey's Philharmagic, Pirates of the Caribbean, Fast Track, Splash Mt. are all favorites of mine. Colin loves all of that plus Mission Space, Space Mt., Carousel of Progress (go figure) and Lion King show. He ENDURES It's a Small World for my benefit.
Dining... Thoroughly enjoyed Canada, Morrocco, Japan and Mexico. By the way, I've always steered clear of the San Angel Inn but Colin wanted to go and it turned out to be one of our best meals! You just never know. Also liked Crystal Palace in MK (lots of Pooh characters). Didn't make it to Liberty Tree AGAIN. Flying Fish at Boardwalk was very good but not for picky eaters like my son. Fortunately I remembered to ask for a kids plate for him and saved myself big $$. Spoodles was good for breakfast.
Accomodations... Loved the Beach Club, especially Stormalong Bay which we swam in every day.
New Stuff... Didn't go on Stitch, Soarin or see Stunt show in MGM, primarily because I didn't want to stand in line.
Minuses... The SpectroMagic parade in the MK was way too crowded. We felt like sardines and could barely see anything. And once again, we didn't make it to Fantasmic at MGM or Wishes at MK because we were too pooped by the evening (that's the trouble with rising early...)

3 day Cruise
Transfers... I would definitely do transfers with Disney again. They were superb (with the exception of the 45 min. checkin line for Delta at debarkation -- but that was Delta's fault for not having enough staff.) Also, we booked a room at the airport Hyatt which was a top notch recommendation from these boards. Our flight didn't leave until 8:30 pm so we had a place to flop after the bus dropped us off at 10:00 am! More on this further down...
Pluses...Servers and Mousekeepers. Shows (I thought Hercules was fabulous and I loved Golden Mickeys (even though I saw it in the morning!) Reflexology massage in spa. Day at Castaway Cay. Food. Thriller boat ride, even though we felt like we were being "pressure washed" for 45 minutes! (Lisa and her mom can verify this!) Colin LOVED the time he spent in the teen club. And I thought the cruise director did a wonderful job, considering the weather and technical glitches she faced.
Minuses... I had a run-in with a security guard in Nassau whilst returning to the ship after an excursion.. It's a long story and I did report it to Disney. Suffice it to say I don't plan to set foot in Nassau again!
Health... We washed our hands religiously onboard and neither of us got the Norwalk virus. BUT Colin got one heck of a sunburn on Castaway. Mom, "Did you put enough sunblock on?" Colin, "Yes, Mom..." And then Sat. night I started getting a respiratory virus. The Hyatt room (which was fabulous) was a welcome sight for two hurtin' pups. We just laid in our beds and watched the Masters all afternoon... I ended up missing 3 days of work when we got home! And then two weeks ago I had my first bout of diverticulitis! (But I don't think that had anything to do with the trip, unless it was the ritual partaking of Escargot onboard...) Dizziness lasted 2 weeks after the cruise this time.

But I'm finally back to normal (for me) and already planning our next cruise. Next spring break (Apr. 1-8) on the Magic- Eastern! :Pinkbounc

Jocelyn