Coffee on the Verandah -The Last Slide, Recap & Souvies 5/29 - Link to Aulani TR 5/31

[eandesmom]

Well, it sounds as if it is about what you expected. Maybe in the New Year you can convince him to slow down.

I doubt it. They actually want him to be active, as long as things are flowing good, that is what is best for him. It's just when they aren't, getting him to listen to his body as much as he should, is hard. He will definitely take this as an I'm good to go until my body says otherwise message, which is what the docs tell him. Which means he will still do stuff that heart aside, at his age, he just shouldn't.

I'm glad to hear that your Dad did well through the procedure. It's so very hard to wait on news from the doctors and hospital staff. I hated to hear that it sounds like ya'll will go through this every six months or so. I'll be sure to keep your nephew and dad in my prayers.

That is the frustrating part, we basically called them out on it and they said yep, you probably will be back in 6 months. UGH. It was frustrating, twice we had issues with them not telling us what was going on, which is very unlike our previous experiences there and all I can think was everyone wanted out for New Years Eve.

Sounds like you had a nice first dinner! That's great you ended up with nice table mates, that's always a good thing.

Great pics of the room, that's good you posted them, I have never seen any with all the beds set up either, usually it's just with the main bed set up and then a floor plan.

Exactly, sometimes I see the bunk but never the murphy. It was a nice first dinner.

Glad to hear your dad's procedure went ok and that your nephew is on the right track with his new doc.

Thanks!

Happy to hear the procedure went well, and they were able to open the artery for now. Thanks for the update.

Thanks Tammie! He is home resting now.

Glad your dad is OK. Well, it could be worse, right? It just must be very frustrating dealing with this chronic occlusion of his right coronary artery. Sorry your parents have to rearrange their trip.

It is frustrating but I do get where they are coming from, the analogy (for a bypass) was why replace the car for one bad tire? But it does mean we can likely count on being back there semi annually or annually at this point, they agreed with that. He's already double stented all the way down in that one so there will be no more stenting in that area and that is the one that keeps clogging up. What REALLY annoyed me is that right after he got back to his room, the nurse told him he could eat finger foods (he hadn't eaten in over 24 hours so was starving) and offered a roast beef sandwich as one of the options!

Those firework pictures look so beautiful, but the other pictures I have seen of the crowds yesterday make me very afraid to go to Disneyworld during the New Years. I guess NYE would make a good pool day and night.

Happy Planning. Can't wait to see the T-shirt!

We did debate but have decided to stick with NYE and will just have to plan and strategize accordingly. Since they are all planners I don't really see this as being an issue and between Jeff's ex and my sisters, NYE is just so much cleaner on every level. Plus my points go farther.

 

[eandesmom]

Happy New Year, Cynthia!!!

With some downtime this break, I actually get to catch up on the DIS!

Looks like lots of fun at Vero -- can't beat the price of the mini-golf, and the bikes were something new and different! Can't argue with the joy of having Mickey bars for lunch! Very cute Tervis tumbler, and I love the beach shot of all of you!

for downtime! I am so jealous, Jeff gets a full 2 weeks off every year. I get the actually holiday. WAH! I did take the 24th and 26th off but that's it. I think your gang would LOVE Vero Jackie! It was really wonderful.

Lots of prayers for your family and friends. What a rough time! You wrote a beautiful tribute to Tracy -- I was crying buckets. We will all miss her.

Thanks, I feel so blessed to have seen her in Oct and to have seen her in such a happy place, both inside and outside.

Aulani? Score!

Serious score. I am dreading telling the E's though.

What a pain about the ice before boarding. Thank goodness the retainer was found. My heart stopped when I read that it was left behind!

The ice thing was SO cold, oh my goodness. I about had a heart attack with the retainer. So relieved!!!

I have never seen The Hunchback of Notre Dame, either.

YAY I'm not alone!

Glad you Dad survived the test and is sorta okay!!!Loved the updates !The Gplden Mickeys looks awesome !! Question you can request which restaurant you go to twice ??? I definately need some input on all that sorta stuff !!I am pretty sure we will get the early seating , and with 10 of us prolly wont have table guests !!!

There are set rotations and if you call DCL, you can request which rotation you'd like. It varies by cruise but there are links on the DIS to show which rotations there are by ship and cruise length. You can request a rotation and also table mates (or no tablemates). I do not know if they can do a table for 10, you may be split up. Standard tables are 8 but there are some smaller ones, not sure about bigger.

First off, glad to hear that your dad is doing okay!

I loved the update! And I had to laugh about your comment of the bag being in the way. We were in the same type of stateroom and only two people and we tried to cram everything under the bed as otherwise it felt crowded in the room.

Everything BUT Kendall's bag was put away and the empty suitcases under the bed. K on the other hand lived out of the bag, spilled out of the bag and all over the entire dresser top. UGH.

Maybe next time we should use the pull down bed as well. We usually use the couch as our second bed. Are there any differences between the two?

I didn't try either one to be honest but the murphy looked bigger and the boys definitely thought it was and were jealous.

As for the whistling door - we had one of those too on our summer cruise, but we found once we locked the door it stopped.

Thank you so much for all those cruise updates - it makes me so longing for our February cruise!

I think it just wasn't fully locked or sealed. Jeff may have even gotten up in the night to re-shut it, I don't recall as once I'm out, I'm out.

Finally got caught back up! The ice fiasco had me cracking right up. Glad to hear the DVC purchase worked out. Looking forward to more!

Oh the ice, my hand is cold just thinking about it! Very excited about the DVC add on, thanks Matt and Happy New Year to you and the Great Lady!!

Oh my. That was some mess trying to get your add-on. Yea for pixie dust and knowledgeable cast members.

It was a hot mess to be sure. LOVE my rep that's for darn sure, there was a lot of pixie dust in so many little ways it makes it even that much more special.

 

[eandesmom]

Sorry and glad to hear about your Dad Cynthia...sorry he & your family has to go through all of this but glad that he is pretty much ok...

Thankfully he is pretty much ok and we are incredibly grateful for that.

Wow... must have been weird for Jeff and you to know he had another wife at your Dinner... It sounds like they were lovely table mates...That must have been hard and awkward for her as well...Your meal sounds lovely though...

Jeff was a little offended actually but everyone handled it well, it was just odd. They were a lovely lovely family.

Fabulous looking show...

Nice to know that Em isn't the only one who believes her suitcase is a piece of furniture on trips...

Oh my word it drove me nuts in every place we stayed. Easier to contain in the villas than it was in the stateroom but she never unpacked anywhere. It gets worse.

Happy to hear good news on your nephew and that the procedure went well for your Dad. Maybe slowing down will be one of his new year's resolutions. Very cool that the family brought up your New Year's trip... looking forward to seeing the t-shirt design.

He won't. He sees this as permission to go on as before and truthfully that is what his doctors encourage. The real problem is that he just does stuff that heart aside, he shouldn't at his age and it makes us all nuts!

The T shirt thing was funny. I think Evan is supremely annoyed as he wants to be the one to design it and we pretty much decided what we want so that took some wind out of his sails. I have to figure out how to involve him in it in a way that everyone gets what they want.

Thanks for posting the pictures of the family suite. It really does look very spacious... I am impressed!

I hadn't realized that you could be as specific in your dining requests as asking to be seated with families with kids of specific ages... good to know! Is it also possible to ask to be seated by yourselves or are all the dining room tables for larger groups?

I hadn't realized that either until Happydog posted once about their requests. You can request your rotation as well as tablemates and yes, you can definitely request not to have any at all. My request was a family with a girl K's age, or by ourselves if that wasn't an option. On the rotation you can call and I think they'd be able to tell you the options or it's all on the DIS by cruise (ship and length).

GORGEOUS Illuminations pictures. I've been hearing rumors of an Illuminations refurb... not sure how I feel about that. By far my favorite fireworks show.

Not sure how I feel about that either. Jeff really wants to do NYE at the Boardwalk/Epcot with Illuminations and then jsut see regular wishes with everyone on a non blackout date at TOWL which may work well. We will see what everyone wants.

Oh yes, I can see that that duffel bag is going to be a problem. Looking forward to that story.

Oh man, that thing was our 6th person on the trip, I swear!

 

[Poolrat]

Those firework pictures look so beautiful, but the other pictures I have seen of the crowds yesterday make me very afraid to go to Disneyworld during the New Years. I guess NYE would make a good pool day and night.

On actual NYE- Ak is the place to be during the day. Very manageable.

There are crowds but you just have to be ready. When it gets crowded.... get out.

 

[eandesmom]

On actual NYE- Ak is the place to be during the day. Very manageable.

There are crowds but you just have to be ready. When it gets crowded.... get out.

Yeah, I figure we are going to have to hit rope drop each day to really do anything before the 1st. Which really should be ok. If I am lucky it will be warm enough for pool time once the parks get crowded. If I am unlucky, there will be more Disney Quest than I can possibly handle. I will probably just get park hoppers for the E's and Jeff and upgrade there if it makes sense, or if the PAP deal gets offered again. I am really thinking we will do breakfast and lunch (maybe all of them, maybe not) in the villa but am concerned about the logistics of pulling off dinner in there. Realistically while a 2B sleeps 8-9, it only has dining seating for 4. A couple of the nephews are horrible eaters so not worth some of the normal ADR's we would do, or probably the DDP, it will be some different planning for sure. I have a good list going though so I think it should be pretty easy all things considered.

Good to know about AK, we can plan for that to be sure, definitely NOT going into the MK for NYE if I have anything to say about it. Wishes from the Poly maybe but I have a feeling if we do get Boardwalk view it may simply be Illuminations from our Verandah. We will see!

 

[MeMom]

Yeah, I figure we are going to have to hit rope drop each day to really do anything before the 1st. Which really should be ok.

That will be our plan, as well.

We like to do some resort-hopping to see Christmas decorations when we leave the parks before we go back to the room for afternoon rest.

 

[natebenma]

Thanks for the updates on your family. It sounds like you all have more confidence in your nephew's care now, so that is good. I'm also glad to hear that the news was not bad, just the same, with your dad.

It is also really encouraging that things are going forward with the family trip. When you start talking t-shirt designs, there is no going back!

I enjoyed the post about your first night on the cruise. So nice that the kids can have a little freedom to be on their own safely on the ship. Your dinner selections sounded yummy. That is really funny that the waiter poured a glass of wine for your tablemate. You have been very lucky with your dinner companions.

The shows on the Disney cruise sound really good. My family isn't really into shows, so on the couple of cruises we have been on (Royal Caribbean) and other vacations, we haven't really been to the theaters. I think we maybe say an ice skating show on a cruise, but that is all.

Love your pictures from the verandah!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Hope your dad improves and feels better soon. I'm sure dealing with things like stents, balloons and blockages can be pretty scary.

Looks like the Golden Mickeys is a bigger, longer show on the Dream. I didn't recognize several scenes/characters from when I saw it on the Wonder.

Nice sunset pics!

And yeah, that duffel bag...too bad you couldn't have tied it to the railing and hung it off the verandah!

 

[Flossbolna]

Hi Cynthia! Happy New Year to you and your family. I hope your Dad's health will be getting better!

I really enjoy your TR, but had to scroll quickly through your last update as the Golden Mickeys is the one show I am really looking forward on the Wonder and don't want it spoiled too much! And I think I am going to be on a different cruise than the one you looked at. I will be on a 5-night with stops at Cozumel and Castaway Cay. I decided that longer must be better and I really love the idea of sea days. I do have trouble relaxing and really hope that being on a ship out at sea will force me to slow down...

What a fun story about the wine at dinner, but if I had been "the other woman" I would have been soooo embarrassed!! How did you make your dining companion request? I am wondering whether we should put in a request of some kind for our cruise...

 

[eandesmom]

That will be our plan, as well.

We like to do some resort-hopping to see Christmas decorations when we leave the parks before we go back to the room for afternoon rest.

I think some of the gang would love that, others might rather poke a stick in their eye (some of the teen boys) so it will be interesting to see. I certainly hope to do some of it! Unfortunately those same teen boys do not rest so I hope the weather is warm enough for the pool at least a few of the days.

Thanks for the updates on your family. It sounds like you all have more confidence in your nephew's care now, so that is good. I'm also glad to hear that the news was not bad, just the same, with your dad.

It is also really encouraging that things are going forward with the family trip. When you start talking t-shirt designs, there is no going back!

That is true. I think we've got the core group committed and then a few that we won't know until it gets much much closer. Trying to set it up so there is flexibility in rooms for that. The cash cost at that time of year is insane so really hope we have some ability to get some discounts, we will see.

I enjoyed the post about your first night on the cruise. So nice that the kids can have a little freedom to be on their own safely on the ship. Your dinner selections sounded yummy. That is really funny that the waiter poured a glass of wine for your tablemate. You have been very lucky with your dinner companions.

We have been really lucky with our tablemates, really couldn't have been better. Well, the boys would love it if we had boys at the table but oh well, they do have each other and much as I wish they'd have branched out on the cruise, they really didn't but were happy as clams anyway.

The shows on the Disney cruise sound really good. My family isn't really into shows, so on the couple of cruises we have been on (Royal Caribbean) and other vacations, we haven't really been to the theaters. I think we maybe say an ice skating show on a cruise, but that is all.

Love your pictures from the verandah!

The shows really are excellent, I like some better than others but this time did see all of them, unlike the last cruise where we missed one. There is so much to do though you can miss it and not feel like you are missing anything.

Love the verandah. We are verandah junkies!

Hope your dad improves and feels better soon. I'm sure dealing with things like stents, balloons and blockages can be pretty scary.

The scariest is part is seeing him tire so fast when things are blocked, or have a hard time eating. He really needs to eat several small meals and that would help a lot but that's like turning the tide. He likes a big dinner and small meals the rest of the time and his heart doesn't like all that at once at night. We've been dealing with the rest since before Evan was born so to an extent it really is a maintenance program but it's hard to watch the maintenance become every 6 months instead of every few years or more.

Looks like the Golden Mickeys is a bigger, longer show on the Dream. I didn't recognize several scenes/characters from when I saw it on the Wonder.

It felt bigger for sure, not as sure about longer but there seemed less of the red carpet preamble stuff and more show, which I liked.

Nice sunset pics!

And yeah, that duffel bag...too bad you couldn't have tied it to the railing and hung it off the verandah!

that's a riot, somehow I think there is a fine for that kind of littering. I swear she brought everything she owned and wore 25% of it.

Hi Cynthia! Happy New Year to you and your family. I hope your Dad's health will be getting better!

Thanks! He is at home and feeling pretty well.

I really enjoy your TR, but had to scroll quickly through your last update as the Golden Mickeys is the one show I am really looking forward on the Wonder and don't want it spoiled too much! And I think I am going to be on a different cruise than the one you looked at. I will be on a 5-night with stops at Cozumel and Castaway Cay. I decided that longer must be better and I really love the idea of sea days. I do have trouble relaxing and really hope that being on a ship out at sea will force me to slow down...

The at sea day is good for that, kind of forces the issue. Are you going solo? I can't recall. 5 nights sounds nice, I think that extra night would make a difference for me. Fun that you scrolled through the pics, I've done the same thing for the same reason.

What a fun story about the wine at dinner, but if I had been "the other woman" I would have been soooo embarrassed!! How did you make your dining companion request? I am wondering whether we should put in a request of some kind for our cruise...

I just called DCL for my request. I do think they do a good job of matching up families and ages, it can depend on how full the cruise is too. If it isn't sold out or you are at a less full seating I think your chances of no tablemates are much higher even without requesting that. I was happy to know I could request the rotation. I don't think most folks do that and it sounds like you are pretty much guaranteed of getting that if you ask for it. On the Wonder if you can get Parrot Cay for Pirate night, that's awfully fun, it's what we had. We also had it for formal night which we thought would be weird but it worked out well. We LOVED our main server on the wonder (Wayan I think), I do think you can request servers and if we were to be on the wonder again, I would. I don't know what the rotation is on the 5 nights but DCL can likely tell you if you call and there is a thread on the DIS about it.

 

[Chilly]

Happy New Year! I can say that the MK fireworks on NYE from the Poly Beach is one of my all time fav WDW memories, they were A-MAZ-ING.

The room doesn't look bad with all the beds does it, apart from the giant bag. Did I miss you giving K her presents? Did she like them?

 

[eandesmom]

Happy New Year! I can say that the MK fireworks on NYE from the Poly Beach is one of my all time fav WDW memories, they were A-MAZ-ING.

The room doesn't look bad with all the beds does it, apart from the giant bag. Did I miss you giving K her presents? Did she like them?

Happy New Year Claire!

We will have to chat as a group and see what everyone wants to do. Seeing the MK fireworks from inside the park on NYE is probably not top on my list at all. Seeing them from the Poly beach or the Illuminations ones are much higher but I'll defer to the group.

K actually got presents twice. On her actual birthday she got a gift certificate to use at the teen spa on the Dream. She actually had another gift coming but didn't know it at the time. Her other gift was the Backstage Safari at Animal Kingdom but we didn't give her that until we revealed the surprise that we were staying a couple more nights at Animal Kingdom Lodge so that will come up later.

She was excited about the spa. Funny thing is she said she'd never been to one and I guess in terms of anything but a mani/pedi, she hadn't. But she's had plenty of those including one at the Grand Floridian. The idea was that she could pick something other than that if she wanted but she wasn't very good at picking on her own, I think maybe the other items like massage maybe intimidated her a little? I'll get to her experience a little later in the TR.

 

[CarolynK]

...In the spirit of that, since everyone seems to focus on the MK NYE fireworks, how about some Epcot Illuminations NYE (Carolyn, maybe you can share pics if you take any tonight?).

Well, we ended up at DHS, we wanted to see what else Disney can do for NYE. It was GREAT!! We arrived 30 minutes before the fireworks, there was a live band (Mulch, Sweat & Shears - Epcot only has DJs!) and they were playing 70s rock!

It's been a long time since I posted pictures, so I need to re-learn this! We are leaving tomorrow so I guess I should be packing right now....

And, great update! The family suite looks cozy. On other cruise lines, we'll get (depending on the cost) either connecting cabins or across the hall. DCL is more expensive, though, so if we ever cruise with them again, I don't know what we'll do! Not much privacy with everyone in the same cabin

 

[eandesmom]

Well, we ended up at DHS, we wanted to see what else Disney can do for NYE. It was GREAT!! We arrived 30 minutes before the fireworks, there was a live band (Mulch, Sweat & Shears - Epcot only has DJs!) and they were playing 70s rock!

Did they have their own special fireworks? Werre the crowds better there?

So many questions sorry!

It's been a long time since I posted pictures, so I need to re-learn this! We are leaving tomorrow so I guess I should be packing right now....

Packing is always so sad, I hope you had a great trip and the crowds weren't too bad. From everything I read it's still very crowded which doesn't bode well for next year, I think it will be crowded the entire trip from what I've been reading and where the holidays fall. Oh well, it's still a Disney trip and during the holidays!

And, great update! The family suite looks cozy. On other cruise lines, we'll get (depending on the cost) either connecting cabins or across the hall. DCL is more expensive, though, so if we ever cruise with them again, I don't know what we'll do! Not much privacy with everyone in the same cabin

It is cozy. The privacy curtain between the master bed and the living space really helps a lot.

And there is a deadbolt.



Seriously though, they've raised the bed on the Dream and so you can stash everything underneath and that helps a ton. They make and put away the beds for you so if it weren't for K's darn duffle bag it really wouldn't have felt cramped at all. And that didn't really make it feel cramped, just junky. I looked at 2 regular verandah's and the one family suite was less. Across the hall made me nervous at their ages but I have looked at that before. I think if you buy and book right it can be doable for about the same but every time I've priced it, it's been more. I'd have to have at least one verandah!

 

[MeMom]

I think some of the gang would love that, others might rather poke a stick in their eye (some of the teen boys) so it will be interesting to see. I certainly hope to do some of it! Unfortunately those same teen boys do not rest so I hope the weather is warm enough for the pool at least a few of the days.

Maybe you could entice them with arcade and food money. They could spend 30-45 minutes playing games and getting a snack, and you could have that time to walk around the main part of the resort to see the decor, displays, check out the gift shops, and take pictures.

I think it is interesting to see people swimming while lifeguards are trying to stay warm in their full sweatsuits. I thought it was pretty cool to see people swimming and watching the big screen movie from the pool when we arrived on Christmas evening several years ago. People were floating around watching The Santa Clause.

 

[eandesmom]

Maybe you could entice them with arcade and food money. They could spend 30-45 minutes playing games and getting a snack, and you could have that time to walk around the main part of the resort to see the decor, displays, check out the gift shops, and take pictures.

That is actually a great idea for the boys who won't be into it. Some will but one in particular could derail the group.

I think it is interesting to see people swimming while lifeguards are trying to stay warm in their full sweatsuits. I thought it was pretty cool to see people swimming and watching the big screen movie from the pool when we arrived on Christmas evening several years ago. People were floating around watching The Santa Clause.

So true! It's all about your starting point I think. For FL natives, it IS cold. For Seattle...

Our boys, ourselves and a handful of Northwesterners were the only ones in the pools and hot tubs most of our Alaska cruise. I think it is very likely they will swim if we are upper 60's or greater. I hope it's warmer than that but it really could be anything in Dec I think. When we went in Feb a couple of years ago it ranged from 50-82!

Oh God is so good today I have to share. I just got news that my HS friend with very rare cancer who underwent stem cell transplant and her last lumbar puncture came back clean with no evidence of disease. And my other friend battling breast cancer for 12 years (the one whose DH has brain cancer), who's doctors thought her cancer had metastasized to both lungs (but can't biopsy in her condition, too risky) it turns out she has a bizarre allergy to one of the chemo drugs, very very rare, but once they changed all her meds up she can breathe again and feels so much better. It's not in her lungs after all, I could cry with relief for both of these amazing ladies.

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Glad to hear some GOOD news Cynthia!!!

 

[rentayenta]

I swear I thought I read your update and posted. Going back to catch up.

 

[eandesmom]

Glad to hear some GOOD news Cynthia!!!

Thanks Sheree, it unfortunately was followed by bad, one of Jeff's co workers who actually helped us move out of my old house, passed this weekend. He had been having health issues but seemed to be better and was back at work so it was a shock.

I swear I thought I read your update and posted. Going back to catch up.

I know the feeling well! I thought I'd posted on your thread about Riley but it must have just been on FB.

 

[Flossbolna]

How wonderful that there finally are some good news on the health front!! Very happy to hear that!

Thanks for the advice about the dining requests. I will be travelling with a friend so I guess we need to talk about whether it makes sense to request anything. Tomorrow the first of the 5-night cruises from Miami will sail, so hopefully once they are back there will be some info as to when Pirates Night will be. We already know that we want to eat at Palo one evening - ideally on one of the two sea days and then brunch on the other sea day. We will see what we can can get once we can book it. But I am not that concerned as those cruises don't seem to sell that well...