MY "ADVENTUTRES N WALT DISNEY WORLD & DCL;" 01-7-09 to 01-15-09 *(WITH PICS & VIDE

[knewton64]

“MY VERY 1ST TRIP TO WALT DISNEY WORLD & THE CARIBBEAN”

BY

Mr. Kris P. Newton (A SOLO TRAVELER)


Wednesday January 7th 2009 “Downtown Disney Day”

1am: I am up!! Good lord I must be wired!

3am: Leave for DFW airport – I am ready

5:30am: arrive @ DFW

7:45am: Plane departs DFW – YEA!!!!! I am officially in “vacation mode.”

10:45am: Arrive in Orlando. Rode Disney's "Magical Express" bus system. Love it! It sure is nice NOT having to mess with your luggage at all & your luggage is in your room when you get back to your room after a big day visiting the parks.

1pm: Get checked into Caribbean Beach hotel (love it!).
Below is an outside shot of Caribbean beach, section Aruba - where I stayed.

1:30pm: Arrive in Downtown Disney – WOW!!!!!!!!! All those primary colors.

1:30pm to 4:00pm: I shopped til I dropped!! Picked up a few Mr Potato Head parts, key rings, License plates, T-shirts..you name it - I bought it.

4pm: Late lunch at Bongos. …Am I tired yet?? NO! Must see Cirq! WOW that lady at Bongos is C-U-T-E! Had the Cuban sandwich - wonderful!
Below are some pictures taken from inside Bongos:

5pm: Cirque Du Soleil

7:30pm: end of Cirq show - COOL SHOW! A MUST SEE

7:30pm – 8:30pm: More shopping (Man can I shop!)

9:15pm: Arrive back at CBR room #5026.

10pm: Bed; feeling tired, worn out but very happy with total time spent walking of 8 hrs 15 min BEFORE I GOT ANYTHING TO EAT OR DRINK.

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Thursday January 8th 2009 “Epcot Day”

1:15am: What am I doing up?? Geez – I must be committed! Or was that I need to be committed?????

“I wanna go to the parks…..NOW!

3am: Still up. Walked around the hotel outside….very peaceful. Even startled the groundskeepers when I said Good Morning!..when it was 3:30am. Love the area lake as the steam rises up off of it in the am.

5am: I am up for good. Good grief! I MUST be goofy – but I am up!

6:30am: Recvd wake up call from Stitch. But hey...I am ALREADY UP!

6:35am: Left to get 4 cups of Coke (my equivalent of Coffee) @ Old Port Royal.
Had fun everyday at WDW getting my am early walk /jog around the lake area of CBR - below is a pic of the CBR lake:

“NO MORE SLEEPING!! GET MOVING! Says Stitch via the wake up call. So hey…I gotta do what he says….right????

8:15am: Get done with DCL c/I @ Customs house.

8:45am: Arrive at Epcot
** DID ROPE DROP AT EPCOT - PRETTY NEAT **

Fast Passed “Soarin” (cool ride) - glad I fp it.

Rode “Misson Space” (level orange). That ride rocked!!!!!!!!!!! But had to also FP it.

Rode “Test Track (kinda boring!). I want thrills! Spills! & Chills!!!!!! Not worth FP ‘ing it.

2pm: Rode Space ship earth.

Attended the “Honey I shrunk the kids” show. GOD HOW I NOW HATE MICE!
** ( EXCEPT FOR MICKEY & MINNIE .....OF COURSE! )**

Attended turtle talk w/Crush. How did they do that??
Ok **** FYI ABOUT CHARACTER INNERACTION ****
I made an error while I was standing in line waiting to get my pic taken with Goofy & the gang. I made mention of it to a guest in front of me. She sounded confused. I held out my arms out wide for her to see what I was wearing. "Yup! she said, You are gonna get it!" Sure enough, I did.

** Not a "good idea" to wear a character's likeness on your shirt when you are getting your picture taken with Disney characters. Goofy & Pluto "told me" that WHATS UP WITH THAT????? The character on my shirt? Mickey Mouse. Boy, did I ever feel sheepish! **
Below is a picture of me with the Big Cheese himself:

Rode Journey into Imagination with Figment – Cute ride.

Saw the "Voices of Liberty" at the American Pavilion at World Showcase - GREAT GROUP -

Saw the "Americam Adventure" - Fantastic attraction!
Finished World Showcase @ 5:15pm.

Rode monorail to Mk but only saw Main Street Usa for 10 minutes. Couldn’t do anymore! WWWAAAAA!!!! SENSORY OVERLOAD – had to go back to CBR but....the monorial was cool - even rode up front where the driver person is.
Though I got a chance to see Cinderella's Castle for the very 1st time. As I was looking at it, up popped on my I-pod (chose to wear it listening to Disney music while riding the monorail) "When You Wish Upon A Star."
**** Ok I will admit it ---- I started crying ****

6pm: Got back to CBR.

6:15pm: Eat dinner at CBR. Had their Cheesestake. Was pretty good considering I has nothing to eat all day.

7:30pm: arrive in CBR hotel room.

9pm: took a swan dive into the comfy bed – with peaceful dreams of Minnie & the Mouse. AFTER I literally pried my socks & shoes off my feet w/total time spent walking 8 hrs 45 minutes BEFORE I GOT ANYTHING TO EAT OR DRINK.



HIGHLIGHTS OF THURSDAY:
My conversation with Belle: …..she didn’t understand what the word “cruise” meant (priceless). But crisis averted when i explained to her what that word meant as she went on to explain to me that has been doing a lot of reading about boats.

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Friday January 9th 2009 “Hollywood Studio Day”

Woke up at 3am – Didn’t want to go back to sleep. I WANNA GO BACK TO THE PARKS…..NOW!...... GEEZ….talk about instancy issues!!!!

5am: Took B bath w/ cucumbers & Tea Leaves (to soak my feet & get them ready for another big day)

6:30am: Recvd wake up call from Stitch.

6:35am: Headed out to CBR Food Court (old Port Royal).

7;45am: Back at CBR hotel room & off to DHS.

8:45am: Arrived at park & allowed in. PRETTY COOL PLACE.
** DID ROPE DROP ** "LET THE ENTERTAINMENT BEGIN! ****

9am: FP TOT.
Enjoyed inneracting with the park characters - esp the Cop & "Dorma Desmond."

Rode TSM “standby” (40 min wait) I scored 129,000…..that sucks!!

Rode TOT ----OOOOMMMMMGGGG!!!! THAT RIDE ROCKED!

** AND pic of me infront of TOT...

Rode Aerosmith roller coaster: THAT ROCKED MY WORLD AS WELL!!!! WOW!!
did my best to get this shot of the Hollywood Tower Hotel, looks great being reproduced but not here - sorry for the fuzziness of the pic:

2pm “ish”: Rode the “Great Movie Ride,” “Muppets 3-D”. (I lOVE THE MUPPETS)

(photo taken just right in front of the attraction, "MUPPETS 3-D")

Saw “Disney – One Man’s Dream. Very sweet & from the heart exhibit.

5pm. Dinner ressies @ 50’s Prime Time Café. WOW! Felt like I walked into a time warp as the “bell hop” At Hollywood & Vine restrnt befriended me for a few hours. He was hilarious in his costume..looked straight out of the sitcom “Happy Days.” Had a comped PP&J milkshake (surprisingly tasted great) as a celebrated my birthday there.

6pm: Danced to HSM 3…..had fun w/the block party bash that was held earlier in the day.

Had fun all throughout the day inneracting with the character at the park; esp “Dapper Dan” (I lost at the Shell game w/him), I flirted w/ “Dora Desmond” & had fun razing the Beat Cop.
Below is a pic of Ms Desmond.....love those shoes!

7:30pm: back at CBR room.

8:30pm: Took another b bath (2 soak my feet) as I pried my shoes / socks off my feet. Man..that’s beginning to be habit forming here.

9pm: Went to bed. Very tired but happy with total time spent walking today at 9hrs 15 min BEFORE I GOT ANYTHING TO EAT OR DRINK.



HIGHLIGHTS OF FRIDAY
“Bo Peep” Blew me a kiss as I was taking her picture. Dang - she's cute! Even "made" me blush when she blew me her kiss.

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Saturday January 10th 2009 “Magic Kingdom Day”

(photo shot just right outside entrance to Magic Kingdom)

Woke up at 4am. WHY??????? Man - I must be crazy!

Took B bath @ 5am (to get my feet ready for another big day & a lot of walking).

Recvd wake up call from Goofy @ 6:30am.

Arrived at MK @ 8:35am.
** DID ROPE DROP ** GLAD I DID **

Stephanie (CM) taught me how to do the Minnie /Mickey pose! I Love it!!

Rode Space Mtn.

Saw Swiss Family Treehouse. Pretty cool “house.”

Enchanted Tiki Room was pretty cool. lOVE THE NEW UPDATES.

POTC WAS JUST FANTASTIC!!!!!!! (LOVED SEEING CAPTAIN JACK).

So was HM!!!!!!

Mickey’s Philharmagic was very sweet. I even caught myself many times "reaching out" for objects!
Got even a pic of these two walking by....

Rode It’s a Small World….& SURVIVED!!! Even though we got “stuck” for about 5 minutes & 5 boats in front of me I heard a rather blood curdling scream of “NNOOOOO”!

Rode Carousel of Progress. Pretty neat ride. But…..ya can really tell the difference between older aa’s & newer ones.

Left park @ 4:30pm
BUT WAIT!!! HOW COME I DIDN'T TRY ONE OF THESE????????

Went to Grand Floridian: LOOKS OVERATED.

Arrived back to MK @ 5pm. Tried to stay for Spectromagic & Fireworks but couldn’t do. I “Disney’ed Out” & had to leave for my room. WWAAAAAA! I DON’T WANNA!


Ok…..Disney moment here. Everyone Breathe.
Saw "Celebrate Today" parade. Pretty cool parade. Amazed to see all the characters all at once. Esp the brooms from "Mickey's Apprentice" section of Fantasia.

Arrived back at CBR @ 7pm.

8:30pm: took quick b bath (to soak my feet) & then off to bed but…..that was before I had to laugh myself silly prying off my socks & shoes again from my feet. But…..knowing that I asked a few other “COMMANDO” guests who said that yes, they too had to take their socks & shoes off that way as well.


HIGHLIGHTS FROM SAT @ MK
I rode the “It’s a Small World” ride & sitting next to me was one of the people (now retired) who was on the team of artists who created a lot of the costumes for the ride.


But…I had to literally ask the Goofy question of the day: Me to a CM: “What all is served at Tusker house (AK)…..His Response: "Food" (PRICELESS)…..Hey..atleast I didn’t ask him what time does the 3pm parade start!


TO be Continued.... w/ Sunday January 11th as AK & DCL DAY.......will Mr Rated "G" me actually have a margarita while on board the Wonder?? Who will I run into????? What interesting pieces of gossip ran across my path while ON the cruise ship??? HHMM......



Kris
__________________

 

[WDW Princess 71]

Hey Kris, it's Nicole from our DISmeet. Nice trip report so far, have you seen mine yet? I've done up to Nassau day so far. Anyway, sounds like you had a great time in WDW before the cruise...couple questions though, why did you not eat all day everyday until really late? I'm surprised you didn't stop, there are some great places for lunch in the parks (or right outside in the resorts). Just curious. And I'm sad you didn't have the energy to see the fireworks in Epcot or MK! Those are soooo good! You definitely need to go back now. Next time you should plan to have dinner at a "country" in Epcot and stay for the fireworks, and for MK I'd recommened going to dinner at Contemporary or Grand Floridian (yes I agree it's overrated to stay there but nice to look at/dine at) for a nice meal, then monorail back to MK just in time for the fireworks. That way both at Epcot and MK you have a chance to rest for a couple hours over a nice dinner so you can be energized for the fireworks.

 

[jenseib]

Fun report. I like the way you did it. It's different than most, so it makes it unique and interesting. Can't wait to hear the cruise portion.
Did you go by yourself?

 

[knewton64]

Sunday January 11th 2009 “AKL / DCL Day”

Woke up at 4am to the tunes to the Disney tv channel. Pretty cool tv station. Put me again in the mood to have a total blast at the parks as today is Animal Kingdom day.

Switched channels to the “Top 7 must sees at WDW” tv channel – a continious loop of a promotional showcasing the parks. Put me in the mood to get up & get moving BEFORE that ol Stitch dude calls me.

5am: Took b Bath to soak my feet & get them ready for another big day.
6:30am: got my one last “free” soda refills at Old Port Royal. Man ya don’t know what 6 twelve ounce cups of cocoa cola does to a person’s system!
7am: Sugar rush kicks in as I get on the bus to AK.
7:45am (late due to marathon weekend): arrive at AK. Had fun cheering the people running the marathon as the first person 2 cross the finish line was wearing a Goofy Hat. I love Goofy. He is my favorite.
8am: let in 1 hr early for character breakfast at Tusker house. YYUUMM!!!!!!!

LOVE THE WICKEY WAFFLES!

( HEY-----YA GOTTA HAVE YER DONUT! ****)
9am: Finished literally eating ALL of their Mickey Waffles as I have never tried one during this whole vacation of mine. Now…..if they just had a Mickey rice crispy treat (a BIG ONE) as I haven’t had one of those either! Had fun talking with Goofy, Donald, Daisy & mickey over Breakfast. ** Man….Goofy is Tall!!! ****

I also ran into this guy while I was nibbling on some Mickey Waffles!

9:15am: Rode the safari animal adventure. Pretty cool seeing all those different animals in different settings.
10am: Had a total blast w/ character greetings. Even had a private 5 minute individual photo shoot with two characters – Goofy & Donald. The pictures are just priceless as I was taking different reaction shots of them based upon me saying things like:
“Ok Donald…a spider just crawled up your leg. You look frightened!”

“Goofy, Uncle Scrooge just gave you a zillion dollars! How do you feel?”
Below is a photo of Ms Minnie & I:

10:30am: Saw “Bugs Life” and the Tree of Life. That “Tree” is big! Loved seeing all those different animal carvings into the side of the tree.
12pm……..DUM DE DUM DUM!!!!!!!!!
IT’S THE BEWITCHING HOUR …..as I switch gears & make my way to the front of the park. All dcl guests met at far left of the entrance and we boarded the DCL bus for the port.
12:30pm: We all leave for the port & onto the Wonder….YYEEAA!!!!
2pm: Arrive at the Wonder. WOW!! I admit I teared up a bit seeing that boat for the 1st time. I had fun video taping myself boarding the boat; esp as I looked over the side of the boat. That’s a long way to drop should one fall! EEWW!!!!
** I tried video taping a few minutes of comng onboard the Wonder BUT it didn't come out the way I wanted it ** But hey, there is always next time!
2:30pm: Went immediately to my cabin (#2068 deck two). Totally felt overwhelmed by the size of it – just right for one person – as I sat down & had to collect my thoughts & feelings. Wow..I am actually on this boat! C-O-O-L.
Below is a picture from my stateroom cabin:

and ya can't forget a short video of what my stateroom cabin looks like:
(JUST CLICK ON THE BELOW VIDEO & IT WILL PLAY)



3pm: Went about decorating my door (FYI…the way it looked is the same way it looks now on the inside of my door at my home).

3;30pm “ish” quickly went upstairs to have a bite to eat at the buffet.
Boat drill happened next. Had fun talking with the other guests in section “L” as I was stressing to them that lets all have fun but please……no

one cavorting around late nights in a white bathrobe (SOME of them understood what I meant but most did not. Had to fill in the gaps & explain via wftv.com the story about the white-colored bathrobed lady jumping over the side of the ship on Dec 27th 2008. Wicked story. Her family is saying she felt troubled. YA THINK??
Sail Away party was FUN! HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!

...and click on the video below for more sail away fun!


5pm: Went back to my cabin to get changed into an evening outfit. After all, ya wanna look like something the dog dragged in when you meet your dinner compadres for the 1st time??
6pm: Golden Mickey’s show was just fantastic. Took a lot of pictures (no flash).
7:15pm: Went shopping (what else) at Mickey Mates ** WOOHOO **
8pm: Dinner at Castaway Cay. Dinner mates were ok – could tell everyone was trying to be on their best behavior. Geesh!!! It’s a vacation! Time to let loose & have fun! So after
9:50pm ( and a few margaritas later) everyone at the table was cutting up & having fun. I could tell that they were going to turn out to be ok dinner friends. But…I had to cut it short & catch our DISmeets Meet & greet – 10pm..
** Ok where is the nearest bathroom???????? ****
10pm: Wobbled (applicable word here) on over to our Meet & Greet. First walked on over to the internet area. No One. Oops! Are people a gonna show up or I am the only one?? So I casually walk on over to the other side. & Sit down. People began to approach me & ask if I was here for the meet & greet.
Here is a pic of some of our DISmeets fellow cruisers:

YYEEAA!! We finally have the opportunity to meet after all these months of talking on-line. Had a lot of fun talking /listening as after a while we all headed off to the Local bar (Diversions I think was the name of it).
here I am just hanging out with somke of my DISmeets buddies while at Diversions:

11pm “ish” to 1:15am: Conversation was just great but the show just sucked bilge water!
1:30am: Wobbled back on over to my cabin. Stopped. Pivoted a quarter turn & just fell backwards into my bed as I kicked off my shoes. I didn’t care. I was having fun. But….why oh why did I get up at 4am????????? What possessed me to do that?????? And why did I repeat that cycle the next day?? Getting up sooooo early! More to come....

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SUNDAY:

Seeing the Disney Wonder for the 1st time
Our Meet & greet (10pm)


Monday January 12th 2009 "Nassau day"

4am: Woke up. WHY??
went jogging out on deck 4. had fun jogging when out on my right is just pitch black darkness & out into the distance you can hear thunder. Was surreal to hear rain but you couldn't see it. Afterwards... 5:30am - went around ship looking for others in our FE list and handed put FE gifts in their extenders. That was fun!
7am: Breakfast at Goofy's. Love those Mickey waffles! YUM!!
from 8am ish to 11:30am was spent just breathing in the ship & seeing what she is all about. I have been running around "commando style" these last few days & it sure felt good to just walk leisurely around someplace.
Below is a picture of us arriving into Nassau:

and of course you can't forget a pic of the Disney food!

**** Disney has great food...be it on the Wonder or the Magic! ****
Here is what I had for breakfast:

(......ya can't forget the donut!!). he he he...
12pm: Left for the Ardastra garden tour. Tour was ok but it needed to be "plussed" a little so I had fun "taking over" the tour explaining to the back of the bus guests that off on our right is the hotel where a few yrs ago that lady murdered her husband in the parking lot by running over him (Hilton Nassau as she acussed him of maritial infidelity). And what is the catch phrase of the Hilton?? "It only happens at the Hilton."
********** PRICELESS ***************
Mental note: don't think the bus driver dude liked me very much after that. But their garden / zoo tour???? It was "ok" but I wouldn't do it again. Here is a picture of me feeding some birds while at their zoo...Now keep in mind I am in the bird cage feeding these birds & all you see is just my fingers!

Here is another pic while out and about in Nassau:

5pm: Got back from the tour. Weather was very hot & humid that day.
**Some guest had their wedding on the ship that day. **
6pm: Watched "Toy Story" the musical. Very cute. Love that Bo-Peep.

8pm. Dinner at Tritons. Love those margaritas!! Glad I brought some key lime cookies onboard the ship (in my luggage). Those go great with margaritas. Dinner conversation seemed to be kicked up a notch from the night before. THANK GOD! No offense but hey..this IS a vacation ya know!
10pm: Had fun bumping into these ladies while at Diversions:

11pm: Went to bed but hmmmm what time do ya think I got up the next day???? Will other dinner guests be joining our table???? and with Pirate night approaching, what silliness awaits us?? Stay tuned.
HHHmmmmm...now what deck is my stateroom cabin on???

HIGHLIGHTS FROM Monday January 12th

1) striking up a dismeets friendship with one of our fellow dismeets guests (& I ain't a telling who or what cuz after all......."WHAT HAPPENS ON A CRUSIE SHIP, STA.. .. . ..... ....").


- Kris

 

[knewton64]

Fun report. I like the way you did it. It's different than most, so it makes it unique and interesting. Can't wait to hear the cruise portion.
Did you go by yourself?

----------------

yes, I went by myself & I had a total fun time doing it. You can go anywhere you want, when you want & not be constrained by anything. Now you can see why I was able to cover so much territoy in so much little time. Yes - I saw all the parks during my 4 days there.
-
Kris

 

[knewton64]

Hey Kris, it's Nicole from our DISmeet. Nice trip report so far, have you seen mine yet? I've done up to Nassau day so far. Anyway, sounds like you had a great time in WDW before the cruise...couple questions though, why did you not eat all day everyday until really late? I'm surprised you didn't stop, there are some great places for lunch in the parks (or right outside in the resorts). Just curious. And I'm sad you didn't have the energy to see the fireworks in Epcot or MK! Those are soooo good! You definitely need to go back now. Next time you should plan to have dinner at a "country" in Epcot and stay for the fireworks, and for MK I'd recommened going to dinner at Contemporary or Grand Floridian (yes I agree it's overrated to stay there but nice to look at/dine at) for a nice meal, then monorail back to MK just in time for the fireworks. That way both at Epcot and MK you have a chance to rest for a couple hours over a nice dinner so you can be energized for the fireworks.

------------------------

Ah all good points I am afraid to admit! One good piece of wisdom I accidently tripped into is I found out that the parks begin to "thin out" crowd wise approx between the hours of 11am to 1pm. So, I began to modify my trip planner a wee bit and continue being in the parks & riding the rides / attractions rather than stop for lunch. Therefore I was able to cover more ground & see more things in the shortest amount of time possible.
Now, yes one disadvantage to this is that I "ran out of gas" around 5:30pm everyday but considering that I was up since approx 4am everyday - well .....that's pretty good considering I saw all the parks (execpt for the water parks).
In short, this is how I wound up looking everyday at about 7pm:

So, this is another reason why I rebooked for the 10-day Southern Caribbean cruise (commencing on 12-29-10) with a pre-day back at the Caribbean Beach hotel. And yes........I will be doing an ADR somewhere followed by "a little something else" - like possibly a Cirq show or possibly the Blue Man Group or mabey a "behind the scenes tour. But again, I have 12 months to figure out where / what my "little something else will be.
My intention was to see all the parks & cover a much ground in as little time possible. Mission acomplished. Now my next trip will be spent more behind the scenes but one thing is for sure.....I agree about the issue of fireworks...not to be missed (will be seeing them nxt year) but I do know that I WILL BE booking for another "ALL DAY PASS TO THE VISTA SPA while onboard the Magic!!!!!" Wow! While on the Wonder, that place rocked!!
& yes - I haven't had the opportunity to FULLY read your TR but I plan on tonight. I take it Atlantis was a total blast??

- Kris

 

[WDW Princess 71]

------------------------

Ah all good points I am afraid to admit! One good piece of wisdom I accidently tripped into is I found out that the parks begin to "thin out" crowd wise approx between the hours of 11am to 1pm. So, I began to modify my trip planner a wee bit and continue being in the parks & riding the rides / attractions rather than stop for lunch. Therefore I was able to cover more ground & see more things in the shortest amount of time possible.
Now, yes one disadvantage to this is that I "ran out of gas" around 5:30pm everyday but considering that I was up since approx 4am everyday - well .....that's pretty good considering I saw all the parks (execpt for the water parks).
So, this is another reason why I rebooked for the 10-day Southern Caribbean cruise (commencing on 12-29-10) with a pre-day back at the Caribbean Beach hotel. And yes........I will be doing an ADR somewhere followed by "a little something else" - like possibly a Cirq show or possibly the Blue Man Group or mabey a "behind the scenes tour. But again, I have 12 months to figure out where / what my "little something else will be.
My intention was to see all the parks & cover a much ground in as little time possible. Mission acomplished. Now my next trip will be spent more behind the scenes but one thing is for sure.....I agree about the issue of fireworks...not to be missed (will be seeing them nxt year) but I do know that I WILL BE booking for another "ALL DAY PASS TO THE VISTA SPA while onboard the Magic!!!!!" Wow! While on the Wonder, that place rocked!!
& yes - I haven't had the opportunity to FULLY read your TR but I plan on tonight. I take it Atlantis was a total blast??

- Kris

Are you planning doing any other Disney trips between now and the end of next year? Your 10-day Southern Caribbean cruise sounds awesome but it is nearly 2 years away! I would need some kind of Disney fix before then.

Glad you were able to make the most of your time in WDW. I know 4 days is hard to do it all, so you do have to pick and choose. Next time you'll be able to relax more and enjoy more of the food, fireworks, etc.

Atlantis was awesome. Looking forward to your thoughts about my TR, hopefully I'll have time to write about CC day today!

 

[knewton64]

Are you planning doing any other Disney trips between now and the end of next year? Your 10-day Southern Caribbean cruise sounds awesome but it is nearly 2 years away! I would need some kind of Disney fix before then.

Glad you were able to make the most of your time in WDW. I know 4 days is hard to do it all, so you do have to pick and choose. Next time you'll be able to relax more and enjoy more of the food, fireworks, etc.

Atlantis was awesome. Looking forward to your thoughts about my TR, hopefully I'll have time to write about CC day today!

------------------------------------
......going to be up in your area in a few months (October). I will be in Philly, Wash D.C. & the Williamsburg area during the 2nd week in October as this is a ABD sponsored trip ("Spirit of America"). I have never been up to the Philly area & would like to see if you 2 would like to meet someplace & take in the sights followed by a excellent restaurant. I don't know anything about the Philly area & it would be greatly appreciated if you 2 could welcome me into your area. I will be at the Hyat @ Penn's landing during this time so anyway - please send me a pm if interested.
Anyway - I am off now to finish reading your TR. Sounds cool so far -

 

[WDW Princess 71]

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......going to be up in your area in a few months (October). I will be in Philly, Wash D.C. & the Williamsburg area during the 2nd week in October as this is a ABD sponsored trip ("Spirit of America"). I have never been up to the Philly area & would like to see if you 2 would like to meet someplace & take in the sights followed by a excellent restaurant. I don't know anything about the Philly area & it would be greatly appreciated if you 2 could welcome me into your area. I will be at the Hyat @ Penn's landing during this time so anyway - please send me a pm if interested.
Anyway - I am off now to finish reading your TR. Sounds cool so far -

October is awhile away, but keep in touch and when it gets closer we'll see if we can arrange to meet up. Philly is a little over an hour away from where I live. I'm sure we'll talk on here over the year and go from there!

 

[knewton64]

Tuesday January 13th 2009 “Castaway Cay Day”

4:30am – woke up. I must be crazy! Yes, I know----must complete FE list. So….
4;40am: Completed FE list when the whole ship was practically asleep. Man it sure was fun walking around the ship when no one is up.
5am: jogged around deck 4 for a while. Very peaceful. Even heard rain & thunder off in the distance even though you couldn’t see a thing because it was pitch black (still nighttime). Wish there was a full moon. Wouldn’t that be cool!.
6am: Worked out in the Salon Fitness Center. VERY NICE. Did 2.2 miles in 30 minutes. Wish I could have one of those treadmills at home. They sure are nice.
8am: Waited out by gangway for 5-K out on Castaway Cay. Never seen the island & looking forward to it.
8:25am – S bumped into me. Surprised that she is doing the 5-K. Cool. Got a running buddy. Had fun jogging it until my dang right knee acted up. WWAA!!
9am-3pm spent the day out on Castaway Cay with S & C. Had a total fun time relaxing and enjoying the sights & sounds of the island. Snorkeling out there was just Fab! Very quiet and took lots of underwater pics. Water temp was just right and saw some small fish. Even saw a baby stingray.
3pm I started the infamous“THE ICE COLD CUP OF WATER THROWING INCIDENT” with C (priceless) but wait…retaliation for C was bittersweet & she dumped a whole ICE COLD CUP OF WATER IN MY FACE!
3-4pm – got cleaned up back at #2068. Had fun out on the beach but…..I felt like I was “beachy” & did it ever feel good to get rid of that sand while getting cleaned up via a shower.
4pm: Relaxed in cabin for a bit over a margarita & some Key Lime cookies. YUM!

Afterwards, I played "Pirate Wheel of Fortune" for a bit up on deck 3 over an "adult beverage."
Didn't have any GOOD shots to show ya of my Margaritas but here is another excellent drink (YUM!):
....there is a story behind that drink. I was playing "Pirate Wheel of Fortune" with a bunch of people...had fun - was the leader of the group - had us WAAAAAYYY ahead of everyone else U-N-T-I-L I promptly bankrupted the group! OUCH!! They were "threatening" to have me walk the plank!
Oh well - like they say, "Say Vanna, I would like to have an RRRRRRRRRRR."

5:30pm: Meet up with S & C.
6pm: Rats! Had to miss most of ‘Bolt 3D” cuz I ‘had’ to do errands! BBOO!! BUT........having a few minutes talking with Captain Jack made it all worth while! I first approached him with my arms all crossed as I squinted at him stating very wryly, "So....it's Captain Jack!"
Now of course his response was, 'Have me met somewhere before?"
To wit my response was, "YES! AND YOU OWE ME MONEY! Besides I am dating your SISTER Who is a REDHEAD & ...."
His response was just priceless!
...and lets not forget about Pirate Stitch!

and.....

Had fun also spending a few minutes talking with Wendy Darling. NOW THAT"S A CONVERSATION!

But....talking with Pirate Goofy.....that was pretty cool.
Below is a picture of he & I just "Goofing around:"

8pm: 2nd seating dining. S & C joined our table (yea!) but I could tell C felt nervous. WHAT'S UP?? Lemonaid with my meal tasted quite well as I devoured it in no time. Felt hungry after a pretty big day of doing things.
*** FOOD ALERT: Out of all the places to eat, I would say Animator's was the best. Why? Atmosphere and food are a can't miss ****

9:30pm: All 3 of us made our way up to the Pirates in the Caribbean party up on deck. NOW THAT"S A PARTY! ESP when capt Mickey saves the day...

and even had fun checking out the Pirates shaing their "booty."

Last but not least ---- Karoke night at Diversions…..enough said....
1am – hit the hay and got 20 winks back at #2068. but before the pixie dust got to me, I asked myself the following question:
"SHOULD I DO OR NOT DO on WEDNESDAY????

The pixie dust got to me before I could answer as I was soon sound asleep with the thougths of Minnie & The Mouse.



HIGHLIGHTS OF TUESDAY

1) Castaway Cay
2) Pirates in the Caribbean Party (missed the cake though)
3) spending the day w/ S & C.
4) margaritas w/ key lime cookies!! YYUUMM!!!!

 

[Alice_on_WONDERland]

I'm lovin' every bit of your TR OTHER than the 4:00 am wake up call! Dude, why can't you SLEEP?!

Seriously, great report, can't wait to read more!

 

[knewton64]

I'm lovin' every bit of your TR OTHER than the 4:00 am wake up call! Dude, why can't you SLEEP?!

Seriously, great report, can't wait to read more!

.......you are talking to a person who just really really gets into all things Disney. So much that a very nice young lady in Guest Services (on the Disney Wonder) named Dana gave me their internal business job website & said that I would make the perfect CM! Now keep in mind this is not the first time I have heard this but this time it was different as it happened WHILE I was on a Disney vacation.
So, should you see her when you go next month, please let her know that I have sent to her some information concerning this (my resume, cover letter, etc) & I need her help in making this dream of mine come true.
So by getting up at that time, (and getting done what ya wanna get done before the CROWDS begin to appear), you see these kinds of sights a little while later in the am:

Anyway, hope all of you have fun in February. Now - back to more of my Trip report!........

 

[knewton64]

Wednesday January 14th 2009 “Day at Sea”



5am: Wow!.....actually “slept in late!” Dang! Last day on the ship! This stinks!
Anyone for a rebooking????
5:15am: Took b bath

6:30am: got laundry out of the road as it sure was cool knowing the laundry room was just a few doors away from my cabin.

7:30am: S called me. We met at Tritons for breakfast. Felt pretty cool to have a sit-down breakfast & be waited on. We talked a bit about meeting at Vista Spa later on in the day. Little did I know that was a FANTASTIC IDEA!
11am: Meet S at Vista Spa. Had a total blast checking out those heated benches, the Turkish baths, shower room was way cool & the heated recliners??? WELL....
THEY ROCK!!!!! I set my watch alarm cuz I tell ya what..in the first 15 minutes, I felt my body "going asleep" on me 6 times!!!! I couldn't read from my book anymore that heated recliner felt sooooooooooooo nice & relaxing!!!!!!!!! A MUST SEE FOR ANYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cost = $15.

1pm: Met up with S & C for awhile

3pm: went back to cabin for a while & caught some much needed z’s.

6pm: Sat w/s & c - took in “Disney Dreams.” Fantastic show.
Below is a pic from the performance:

7:15pm: Did some pin trading w/s& c while we were down on Deck 3 midship during officers's pin trading time. pretty cool doing some pin trading w/ the ship's officers. Even helped a shy little girl jump in (her mother tried to coax her out into doing some trading but the girl said no!) and do some pin trading with the rest of us.
Also during this time , I got a great shot of all the Officers:

But wait! Ya can't ferget about my fav! MR GOOF!

8pm: Had 2nd seating dining at Animator’s. Loved the place!

9:30pm: Called it a day. Yes….called it a day. & hit the hay feeling that this was the best vacation….ever.





HIGHLIGHTS OF WEDNESDAY



1) Pin trading. Love it!

2) “Disney Dreams”

3) Spending time at the Vista Spa! WOW!!!!

But wait.....did I JUST pack my bags & go home the next day???? Or did my Blue Angel come out of no where & help tremendously in making my very last day on the ship a memorable one? What did we do & we did we go??

- Stay tuned.

 

[Alice_on_WONDERland]

.......you are talking to a person who just really really gets into all things Disney. So much that a very nice young lady in Guest Services (on the Disney Wonder) named Dana gave me their internal business job website & said that I would make the perfect CM! Now keep in mind this is not the first time I have heard this but this time it was different as it happened WHILE I was on a Disney vacation.
So, should you see her when you go next month, please let her know that I have sent to her some information concerning this (my resume, cover letter, etc) & I need her help in making this dream of mine come true.
Anyway, hope all of you have fun in February. Now - back to more of my Trip report!........

I'll see what strings I can pull for ya!

 

[knewton64]

I'll see what strings I can pull for ya!

.....thank you for your string pulling!

 

[knewton64]

6:30am = WOW!!!! Felt great to sleep in.
watched the Disney promtional tv channels for a while. Love watching the Adventurers by Disney channel. That's my next Disney related trip ("Spirit of America" via ABD).
7am = took one last b bath. Glad I was "in" with Mousekeeing cuz he kept the room well well stocked with goodies.
8am = received my very last wake up call. BBOOOO!!!
at about 8:25am, I turned around and took one last look at what was my home for the last few days......gheesh! I am ever going to miss home!

8:30am = sauntered on up to Animator's P for my last bit of Disney food. And out of all three of the on board ship restaurants to eat, I would rank this one the best: Best food and best atmopshere.
8:45am: Meet S & C there for some great food & conversation.
9:30a "ish" disembrked from the ship...but wait........ surprise!!
*******
S & C were kind enough to invite me out with them via their car rental to spend the day with them before we all have to head back to the airport!!***


11am: reached Downtown Disney. Had total fun checking out the place. We all ate at Bongos....but.........S just "had" to tell that lady at Bongos that I thought she was cute!!
Here are 2 more pictures from that great place ** HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE WHILE AT DWNTWN DISNEY**

and...

12-1pm: Had fun discovering the art of pin trading - LOVE IT!
even checked out "Once Upon a Toy"

...and these two were very helpful in the helping me pick out my Mr. Potato head parts

...now Disney Quest?? In my opinion....I would skip it. Why? Because one can play video games at home - this is Disney - a place you DON'T have at home (ok....that was just MY opinion...).

...Now "Candy Cauldron?" - Pretty cool place. Worthwhile checking out.

2pm "ish" had a Ghirardeli Milkshake!! YYUUMM!!!!!!

3pm: We all left Dwntown Disney and headed back to the airport. Fought back (yes.....willing to admit) crying on those two cuz it meant the end of a beautiful trip.
4:45pm: Plane left for Dallas Texas. WOW!! I SLEPT ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE PLANE RIDE.
9PM: Arrived back home. Tumbled into bed with my i-pod playing Disney music. WHAT A WONDERFUL VACATION.


TIPS / SUGGESTIONS
---------------------
1). It helps to have a basic plan/idea of what you are doing when you go to WDW or DCL.
2). Pack an extension cord, your i-pod, I-pod speakers.
(it is FANTASTIC to listen to Disney music off yer I-pod throughout the day & esp at night in yer stateroom...on LOW)
and ext cord? how many times have you LEFT a battery charger or what not in your hotel room - get home - then remember where you left it?? This way, the extension cord will be a very obvious visual to you to where ALL your techno devices are....and ya won't ferget them!

3). Bring t-w-o pair of inexpensive sun glasses.
4). forget about dieting - this is DISNEY
(besides on average...I walked 9 miles a day while at WDW & 2 while on DCL)
5). take PLENTY of pictures & have fun.
6). jump in & inneract with the Disney characters - it's fun!
7). *BOOK ATLEAST 1 TRIP 2 THE SPA *(be it Grand Floridian Spa or Visa Spa and Salon).
8). REWARD YOURSELF - YOU HAVE WORKED HARD TO GET TO THE HOUSE OF MOUSE.
9). Try something new (once) everyday.
10). Keep a daily blog (trip report)
11). Photo-mats are a must! - make for a great keepsake/memory.
12). leave your laptop & cell phone at home - this is a vacation.

My best memory can be summed up by the following as this was shot while on the Wonder:
(CLICK ON THE VIDEO AND IT WILL PLAY)



and...

But wait.........is it the end???? NO...........!

- Look for me in late September 2009 on over on the "Adventures by Disney" side of Disboards as my next Disney trip will be the Spirit of America trip; Sept 16-26th.

P.S. I gotta pre-trip report for the Sept Adv By Disney trip.....ya gotta check it out!

 

[knewton64]

BUT WAIT....I SEEMED TO HAVE JUMPED SHIP!!!!

- (photo taken while at CBR - January 2009) -

LOOK FOR ME TO NOW BE ON THE Adventures by Disney section of Disboards as my next Disney vacation takes me to Philadelphia, Washington DC and Williamsburg VA.



C YA !

 

[knewton64]

.....and are you checking out my Sept Adventures by Disney pre-trip report????


C-YA!

 

[john970]

This really has been a GREAT informative review. We have cruised many other lines, and are trying our first Disney cruise soon.

A few questions:
-Are there any must do's, must see's, or must-eats?
-Is it true that there are no live bands (at the pool or throughout the ship)?
-Is there a live orchestra that plays during the "broadway" type shows, or is that prerecorded music?
-Did they bring on any good entertainment?

Thanks for the great review! Glad you had a great time.

 

[knewton64]

This really has been a GREAT informative review. We have cruised many other lines, and are trying our first Disney cruise soon.

A few questions:
-Are there any must do's, must see's, or must-eats?
-Is it true that there are no live bands (at the pool or throughout the ship)?
-Is there a live orchestra that plays during the "broadway" type shows, or is that prerecorded music?
-Did they bring on any good entertainment?

Thanks for the great review! Glad you had a great time.

......like your questions! For the "must see and dos" well....."in my opinion" I would suggest:

1) get involved with your fellow cuisers via your DISmeets specific date of sailing. Talk with them in that chat room then later on have a "meet & greet" during your first day on the Disney cruise ship.
2) Participate in "Fish Extenders" while on the cruise.
3) DON'T MISS CASTAWAY CAY!
4) DON'T MISS THE SHOWS! ESP "DREAMS."

MUST EATS: Actually have a sit down breakfast one day. Don't just ALWAYS go to the buffets. Feels nice to be waited on while you are eating your breakfast.


OK....sorry about this but NO LIVE BANDS....but what I have is the next best thing......go out early one morning and shoot some video on your digital camera of whats playing on the jumbotron tv or shoot some video of the ship's bow (forward) as it is pulling away from the dock or any other video -makes for a great keep sake (OR IF YA COMBINE IT WITH CRUISE SONGS....MAKES FOR A GREAT FISH EXTENDER GIFT).....which is by the way what I am currently working on now for my Oct 31st 2009 Disney Magic cruise DISmeets cruisers. (try saying that 3 times quickly with crackers in your mouth!!) HE-HE.
GREAT ENTRTAINMENT: Well....my suggestion is JUMP IN & have a total blast inneracting with the Disney characters! They are totally fun & a delight to talk with - just ya gotta know who they are and their background.
Example: While out at Epcot one day, I asked Beast if he ever had a flea problem. His reaction was just priceless!
But overall, through inneracting with your dinnermates and your fellow cruisers, yes - fair to say you will be able to pick up very quickly what suits your fancy when it comes to entertanment.
"Match Your Mate" was just total fun to watch. So was the "Art of Entertaining" as I now know how to make a swan and monkey towel animal!
WAY COOL!

Oh....and watch out for "Seastian" during one of the shows....can't tell you which one but.....will say with his orchestral backups playing (with him singing "Under the Sea"), it just left me in such a great mood.

ENJOY - feel free to converse more - you will see me also on the Adventures by Disney section of Disboards; look for my "Spirit of America" trip report.

C -YA!

Kris