3 Families doin' a Surf & Turf Trip! AKL CL & Dream...Good-Byes

[StitchIsOurHero]

Love the character update! One of the things DS is most excited about is that there are actually characters on the ship!

And HOLY COW!! Less than 3 weeks? That's great! Can't wait to read about the Royal Rooms!

 

[Sue M]

Yay, another update goofy does look in his cups, lol!

I've stalled on my packing, lol. Have to figure out bottom, shoes and purses! Well, my friend who is meeting me down there is bringing 3,Lesportsac 1 of which is the Disney Small World pattern she bought on my behalf. You guys get good deals on the US web site, not avail for shipping to Canada!

I guess a couple pr long shorts, some capris, some long pants. Winter in Florida is so hard to pack for

Christmas break is over, back to work tomorrow. Sigh

 

[shan23877]

Great update Heather! Love all the character photos! I love that they have so many available to meet on the ships. You know that's important to some in my family.

 

[DisneyDoc5]

all caught up!!! Great updates Heather, wonderful pics too! I am quite jelly of all the pics of your family with characters, my crew just would NOT stand in picture lines.

So, hi to all of you following Heather's thread. I have been MIA on the boards for awhile. We did the Fantasy cruise the end of October and ended in Hurricane Sandy which was a very difficult and scary experience for us. Other than the last 24 hours, we had a great cruise, but it's taken me a bit to 'engage' the boards again. Needless to say we used the 25% off discount Disney gave us to re-book a future cruise - something about falling off a horse and getting back on again!

Next cruise....
1. NOT during hurricane season!
2. Mandatory family pictures with characters!

Thanks for your patience Heather! Magical wishes to you all! Erin

 

[DisneyDoc5]

....shocker

GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS!!! Check out my ticker!!! 21 days until we head to the MK!!! ​

Bill is such a sweetheart....believe it or not, this was his idea to surprise Faith for her birthday. I wanted to take her to Atlanta and do the American Girl Hotel package...he says "Why don't we just go to WDW for the weekend?" ....I couldn't get on the computer fast enough to price out rooms


Port Orleans, Royal Guest room is what I booked. Bill had a 30% off pin code....why let it go to waste

I'm just a little excited....

POR is one of our FAVORITE resorts - even comparing with deluxes! I LOVE the Disney vibe here! Make sure to enjoy the resorts photo threads for POR, it's a great place to photograph and there are tons of good pics to get you excited - I look at it all the time!
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1730158&page=87

 

[amandaw]

First....how exciting about the bday surprise for Faith!! That really is so sweet and y'all will have so much fun! Hmmm....my bday is Jan. 19th...anyone want to surprise me with a trip?

The pics with the characters are all great! That Goofy sounds like he was extra-goofy! But, I'm sure the kids really enjoyed his silliness.

I hope you don't mind, but I have some more ?'s about the late dining.

1. Did you kids do the Dine & Play option where the club counselors picked them up about 45 mins into dinner or did they at dinner the whole time?

2. Did y'all find that the younger kids needed a nap (even if they don't normally nap) to stay up at night?

I'm trying to figure out how our afternoons/evenings will go with having the late dining. I know I'll have do a heavy snack type meal - maybe around 3pm or so. But, I'm wondering if Reid is going to need a nap to stay up that night. He never naps at home but I am worried about him being wiped out. We'd like to just check out some of the adult bars and I was thinking we'd do that after dinner while he was in the club. But now I'm thinking it will be too late. When we were on the Dream, I think our dinners lasted about 2 hrs. Would you say it was the same for y'all? Although, Ed & I have already talked about not eating in the main dining rooms all 7 nights. UGH - I'm just so stressed about planning for this cruise.

 

[hstrickland]

Love the character update! One of the things DS is most excited about is that there are actually characters on the ship!

And HOLY COW!! Less than 3 weeks? That's great! Can't wait to read about the Royal Rooms!

There are PLENTY of characters and lots of meet n' greet times...your DS should have no problem finding one.

Our mini-trip should help with my WDW withdrawals....or at least I'm hoping!

Yay, another update goofy does look in his cups, lol!

I've stalled on my packing, lol. Have to figure out bottom, shoes and purses! Well, my friend who is meeting me down there is bringing 3,Lesportsac 1 of which is the Disney Small World pattern she bought on my behalf. You guys get good deals on the US web site, not avail for shipping to Canada!

I guess a couple pr long shorts, some capris, some long pants. Winter in Florida is so hard to pack for

Christmas break is over, back to work tomorrow. Sigh

Winter in South Georgia can be strange, too. It was in the mid 70s today...crazy! High 70s tomorrow then back down in the 40s. I'm hoping it's going to be good weather (no rain....keeping my fingers crossed) when we're down in Florida in a couple of weeks. Looking forward to having breakfast with yall

Great update Heather! Love all the character photos! I love that they have so many available to meet on the ships. You know that's important to some in my family.

yep! You have quite the collection of character photos in your TR!!

all caught up!!! Great updates Heather, wonderful pics too! I am quite jelly of all the pics of your family with characters, my crew just would NOT stand in picture lines.

So, hi to all of you following Heather's thread. I have been MIA on the boards for awhile. We did the Fantasy cruise the end of October and ended in Hurricane Sandy which was a very difficult and scary experience for us. Other than the last 24 hours, we had a great cruise, but it's taken me a bit to 'engage' the boards again. Needless to say we used the 25% off discount Disney gave us to re-book a future cruise - something about falling off a horse and getting back on again!

Next cruise....
1. NOT during hurricane season!
2. Mandatory family pictures with characters!

Thanks for your patience Heather! Magical wishes to you all! Erin

for another cruise!!! and double for no hurricane season!! You have to get pics with the characters...it's a must to complete the Disney experience!

POR is one of our FAVORITE resorts - even comparing with deluxes! I LOVE the Disney vibe here! Make sure to enjoy the resorts photo threads for POR, it's a great place to photograph and there are tons of good pics to get you excited - I look at it all the time!
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1730158&page=87

Thanks for the link....now to sneak over there and check it out!!! Can't wait...hoping the weather will be kind to us!

First....how exciting about the bday surprise for Faith!! That really is so sweet and y'all will have so much fun! Hmmm....my bday is Jan. 19th...anyone want to surprise me with a trip?

The pics with the characters are all great! That Goofy sounds like he was extra-goofy! But, I'm sure the kids really enjoyed his silliness.

I hope you don't mind, but I have some more ?'s about the late dining.

1. Did you kids do the Dine & Play option where the club counselors picked them up about 45 mins into dinner or did they at dinner the whole time?

We thought about it, but never did. The kids seemed to enjoy the meals so we didn't take advantage of that option. I was pleasantly surprised that we didn't HAVE to use it.

2. Did y'all find that the younger kids needed a nap (even if they don't normally nap) to stay up at night?

Faith (6) and Jesse (5) actually never took naps even with all the long days and nights. I'm pretty sure that Jonah (4) did do naps a couple of times. He did really well for the most part and kept up with the rest of us.

I'm trying to figure out how our afternoons/evenings will go with having the late dining. I know I'll have do a heavy snack type meal - maybe around 3pm or so. But, I'm wondering if Reid is going to need a nap to stay up that night. He never naps at home but I am worried about him being wiped out. We'd like to just check out some of the adult bars and I was thinking we'd do that after dinner while he was in the club. But now I'm thinking it will be too late. When we were on the Dream, I think our dinners lasted about 2 hrs. Would you say it was the same for y'all? Although, Ed & I have already talked about not eating in the main dining rooms all 7 nights. UGH - I'm just so stressed about planning for this cruise.

Our meal did last about that long but it looked like other families finished well before us. You should totally be able to skip one of the main dining experiences since there are only 3...you'll be repeating a couple of them. And you are right...it stressed me out, too, with the planning. Are yall going to try Remy's or Palo??

 

[Sweetpeamd]

Okay, how is it that I am soooooo excited about your upcoming trip????? I love the DISboards! I just can't wait for you all to go!

How will you surprise Faith? Does she normally like surprises?

You must ride the boat from DTD over to Port Orleans if you have not done that before. It is the most beautiful ride. Whenever we stay at OKW, we try to squeeze in the Pascagoola (sp?) river trip. It's just so relaxing and gorgeous, well worth your time, even for a quick round trip from the resort.

Have fun getting ready for your trip!

 

[Sue M]

Me too Heather, looking forward to it. Almost packed. We leave Friday to drive down to Seattle for our Saturday morning flight to Lauderdale.

 

[amandaw]

Our meal did last about that long but it looked like other families finished well before us. You should totally be able to skip one of the main dining experiences since there are only 3...you'll be repeating a couple of them. And you are right...it stressed me out, too, with the planning. Are yall going to try Remy's or Palo??

Thank you for answering all of my questions!!

I've shown the menues for Palo & Remy to Ed....for both brunch and dinner....and I think we've decided to just give dinner Palo a try. Of course, that may change by the time I get to book any of this stuff.

 

[pas130]

Single digit dance

 

[hstrickland]

Okay, how is it that I am soooooo excited about your upcoming trip????? I love the DISboards! I just can't wait for you all to go!

I know exactly what you mean!! It is exciting when people you know travel to the World. It's such a magical place, isn't it! I'm always hoping that my friends have an extra magical experience when they're there. And thanks for your excitement I'm just a little excited, too....

How will you surprise Faith? Does she normally like surprises?

Well....long story short. We were going to do the American Girl package at the Marriott in Atlanta. Bill suggested that we just go to WDW since he had a 35% off pin. I obviously jumped on that! (did I already tell you this???...if I did, sorry!) Anyway....it was going to be a surprise, but she's quite observant and her ears could pick up words through a sound proof wall! We finally told the kids, but Faith doesn't know that we are staying in the Royal Room....she just thinks it's a regular resort room. Jesse wanted to know if we were going for a week! Faith wanted to know if we were staying at the Grand Flo! Stephen wanted to know if it was the Poly!! Bill told them it was a very short trip and was NOT a deluxe resort. They wanted to know why....and that's when Bill had to give them the whole "you need to be grateful" speech

You must ride the boat from DTD over to Port Orleans if you have not done that before. It is the most beautiful ride. Whenever we stay at OKW, we try to squeeze in the Pascagoola (sp?) river trip. It's just so relaxing and gorgeous, well worth your time, even for a quick round trip from the resort.

Have fun getting ready for your trip!

Erin (DisneyDoc) told me the same thing! We will definitely do that for sure. This trip is sneaking up on me, and I really haven't made any major plans. We are leaving on Friday around 3 when the kids are done with school....check in around 8pm. Getting up bright and early Saturday to make Rope Drop at MK. We'll be park commandos that day!! Eating at Be Our Guest for lunch, Tony's for dinner. On Sunday, we're getting up and walking over to POFQ to meet SueM for breakfast. Then taking the boat to DTD for lunch at TRex...then coming home. So....very quick trip for us. And I guess I have made some plans, haven't I?

Can't wait to try a new resort!!!

Me too Heather, looking forward to it. Almost packed. We leave Friday to drive down to Seattle for our Saturday morning flight to Lauderdale.

Well...guess you will be flying the friendly skies this morning! Safe travels to you! I'll be getting some of my packing done today and tomorrow....I won't have time this week. Thank goodness Monday is a holiday. See you very soon!!

Thank you for answering all of my questions!!

I've shown the menues for Palo & Remy to Ed....for both brunch and dinner....and I think we've decided to just give dinner Palo a try. Of course, that may change by the time I get to book any of this stuff.

You're very welcome! Bill was just saying the other day that we should have tried Palo....it will be a definite on our next cruise. I'm going to be posting a few pics today of the restaurant. We did try to get a brunch ressie, but never could....always booked! Are you sticking with the late dining rotation?

Single digit dance

I know!!! Time to start packing!!! Can't believe my sweet DH had this idea...he's the best. Now I'm gonna start praying for good weather. Our last Disney vacation had some pretty stormy days, as you know.

 

[pas130]

I know!!! Time to start packing!!! Can't believe my sweet DH had this idea...he's the best. Now I'm gonna start praying for good weather. Our last Disney vacation had some pretty stormy days, as you know.

It'll be great

Happy Birthday to Miss Faith! WOOHOO!!! BEST SURPRISE EVA!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[hstrickland]

It'll be great

Happy Birthday to Miss Faith! WOOHOO!!! BEST SURPRISE EVA!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks!

 

[hstrickland]

Day 8
Early Morning Pics!




Many of you will not be surprised to hear that I was up at the crack of dawn with camera in hand! And in all seriousness&if you are going to be cruising, you should try this at least once. It is so amazingly peaceful and serene. Kinda like youre the only one on the ship&

No one in the halls&.shocker. The normal people are still asleep!

Again, I really liked our location on the ship&especially being close to the elevators for a quick trip up to Cabanas.


I wanted to see if I could take a quick look inside Remy and Palo when no one was around, so I headed up to Deck 12&.

In all honesty, Im not really good with directions. I get totally turned around. And I didnt carry a map of the ship with me&.so I was kinda just wandering around aimlessly hoping I would find what I was looking for.


And fortunately&I did!


In the aft of the ship, the Meridan (a bar) sits in between the restaurants&

We made a visit here before our Remy ressie, but more on that later.

On one side is&.

After taking a sneak peek, I was secretly disappointed that we didnt try harder for a ressie&

On the other side of Meridan is&.

The entrance to Remy&.Ill have many more pics of this restaurant (actually a full review since we ate here)

After a quick traipse through these restaurants, I decided to head outside to see what the day had in store&.the weather was still looking a little bleak

This was one of Stephens favorite places to play&.

Kinda nice seeing this pool empty&it does tend to get quite crowded!!

Perhaps the sky will clear for us a little&..

Continued to the next post&.more pics!




​

 

[hstrickland]

Continued from previous post....



Just another view of the pool from the other end….

The adult section was extra quiet at this hour just me and the cleaning crew…

We never tried the hot tub…...and not sure we ever will ....

Venturing back inside to the atrium area was a great idea….there wasn’t a soul around! This was the perfect time to get lots of pics, and a perfect time to really appreciate the décor and beauty of the Dream.

Well…even if the weather isn’t ideal, the day will still be enjoyable! Lots to do!

It was time to head back to the stateroom….I’m sure everyone was hungry! Bill, Pop, MaHopie and Sean will be taking a morning tour of the ship with a Cast Member (more on this later…and a "must-do" tour, Bill says). I’ll be taking the kids to breakfast….alone .....still wondering how I got got the short end of the stick??? ...just kidding...kind of

Up next…..a guided tour of the ship with a Cast Member!




​

 

[ProudMommyof2]

Awesome update!! I would so be the one to be up & out early. I can't sleep late at home forget when there is so much to see & do! My favorite morning at the Poly in 2011 was when I went out and about at dawn

 

[Pinkocto]

Gorgeous pictures Heather!!! I love seeing the ship empty, very cool.
Hopefully breakfast wasn't stressful.

Any thoughts when the next cruise will be?

Too funny about the kids asking why no deluxe. They're used to the good life! Can't wait to hear what you think about POR. Yes, the boat ride to DTD is very nice. We went exploring last month and saw POR for the first time. It wasn't what I expected but still pretty.

 

[hstrickland]

Awesome update!! I would so be the one to be up & out early. I can't sleep late at home forget when there is so much to see & do! My favorite morning at the Poly in 2011 was when I went out and about at dawn

I can see that we would travel well together Love early mornings at the Poly, too!!! Absolutely beautiful.

Last night before I went to sleep, I told everyone..."don't wake me up in the morning! I'm sleeping in!" ......up at 6:45am....that's sleeping in for me

Gorgeous pictures Heather!!! I love seeing the ship empty, very cool.
Hopefully breakfast wasn't stressful.

Any thoughts when the next cruise will be?

Breakfast was fine...not bad at all. I'm use to the adventures Not sure when the next cruise will be. MK this weekend....Cancun in June....BWV in 2014....just not sure. I would love to do a long weekend cruise since we only live 4 hours from Port Canaveral. We shall see...

Too funny about the kids asking why no deluxe. They're used to the good life! Can't wait to hear what you think about POR. Yes, the boat ride to DTD is very nice. We went exploring last month and saw POR for the first time. It wasn't what I expected but still pretty.

In all honesty, I really don't think they would care if we stayed at a value as long as they could go to Disney. I will say that I'm going to miss the shampoo and conditioner that the deluxes have Oh well....

Looking forward to exploring POR and POFQ. I'll be up super early on Saturday morning for sure

 

[Pinkocto]

Breakfast was fine...not bad at all. I'm use to the adventures Not sure when the next cruise will be. MK this weekend....Cancun in June....BWV in 2014....just not sure. I would love to do a long weekend cruise since we only live 4 hours from Port Canaveral. We shall see...

Lots of wonderful trips planned! I'm still impressed with Bill coming up with this idea, what a great dad

In all honesty, I really don't think they would care if we stayed at a value as long as they could go to Disney. I will say that I'm going to miss the shampoo and conditioner that the deluxes have Oh well....

Looking forward to exploring POR and POFQ. I'll be up super early on Saturday morning for sure

I was totally happy staying in values. I did find that the trip changes depending on where you're staying.

There's a nice little path connecting the resorts or you can take a boat. From the map it looked like Riverside has a water area on an island in the middle of the resort. It looked pretty cool. Unfortunately it was raining and I wasn't in the mood to get wet. I can't remember which side the royal rooms are in.