2/15/2013 - 8 Night Western Cruise, Galveston, TX

[Gina]

Originally Posted by FloridaFun

FEE - It sounds like smaller groups works best for everyone, so I am planning to split the group if I get 20 cabins and will try and make sure there are not more than 15 in a group if it goes up from there. I would like everyone who wants to participate to do so and not feel overwhelmed. I will keep everyone up tp date on how many cabins are participating.

If anyone else has organized the FEE before, can you let me know how long you had people still joining in and when did you get the list to those that are participating. Thanks for any advice.
Beth

You are awesome, Beth, thank you!! I will PM you my details.
I'm trying to remember when our cut-off day was for the 2/1 cruise before that got all screwed up... I know it was pretty soon, like next month. I know that I personally need as much time as possible to pull this off, lol. The sooner we have firm numbers the better. The person organizing ours had a spreadsheet in Google docs that anyone could update themselves, and it made it so easy for her and the participants to keep track of everything. Just a thought, in case you hadn't already done something like that!

Originally Posted by samily

I was able to book our excursions this morning - yay! It makes it feel more real!!

Awesome! I can't remember, who gets to book that stuff at 120 days? Gold? I'm still silver until this cruise... is that at 90 days?

For those looking for this info...the busses are starting at 7:15 for all parks except Epcot, which starts at 6:30. For Magic Kingdom they are leaving every half hour, to the other parks it is every hour , all ending at 9:15am. (Epcot has a 6:30, then a 7:15, and then every hour to 9:15am. Epcot also has a 4:45pm listed). You can reserve your time under port adventures. I didn't see any info on the return busses.

You just made my day!!! A 6:30 bus means we can get to Epcot for EE, then hop to MK later in the day. Perfect!! Now I just hope there will still be spots on the early bus once I can book it!


-gina-

[wdrl]

Originally Posted by samily

I was able to book our excursions this morning - yay! It makes it feel more real!! . . . [snip] . . . Hope this info is useful!

Yes, its quite useful! Thanks for posting. However, since this is our first DCL, we can't book until 12/02/2012.

For the port stop at Port Canaveral, we've planning on starting our day at Animal Kingdom and then switching to Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios after lunch. We made an ADR for Tusker House at 11:30 AM for lunch. I doubt we'll have dinner at WDW -- in fact, we'll probably be on one of the early buses going back to the ship.

[wdrl]

Originally Posted by jzandmeplus3

What to do in Key West? Not sure, we're not there for very long, and my youngest is 5. May just go it on our own? Suggestions?

We've never been to Key West, but a friend who has been there several times recommends we do the Conch Train Tour. Its a 90 minute tour of Key West on a trolley shaped like a train (or what passes for a train to a 5 year old). You'll see the sights and then have time to explore more of the port on your own. Google "Conch Tour Key West" and you'll get several web pages that will give you more info.

[Kimbo71]

Just wondering-I'm assuming that w/ a park hopper pass, we will be able to ride the monorail & busses between the parks as we want to the day w/ are at the parks.

Also, we have to reserve spots on the busses from PC to WDW? Our date to book exursions etc. will be Nov 17th, since we have only cruised 2 times before.

[duck_widow]

Hi!!

I'm subbing in to join the fun. We knew we'd do a Disney cruise someday and couldn't pass up the KSF sale while our kids are on winter break, also got fairly cheap air from SF so couldn't resist. Any other west-coasters among us??

This will be our 7th cruise for DH and I, and the 4th one for the kids and our first DCL cruise and first trip to WDW. We love cruising and I'm sure will be wanting all DCL after this. We love Disney and are also DVC members.

I am so excited, but trying to keep it a secret until Christmas and need ideas for a clever way to tell the kids. Any ideas?

I just learned about decorating doors and FEE, so I will definately be doing those and keeping that stuff a secret. I think those will really make the cruise extra-special. I will PM my FEE info shortly. Thank you Beth for organizing!!! I also do the Mickey tie-dye shirts for our DL trips and will make more for the cruise. Any other tie-dye folks here??

I am soooo excited!!!

[FloridaFun]

Samily – Thanks for the excursion booking information. I would love to be on the 6:30 bus to Epcot, but highly doubt my mom and Step-Dad would do very good with that early start, so I am hoping there will be a 7:15 bus slot still available when my booking time comes (also Nov. 17 as I am Silver).

Gina – I will look into Google Docs as right now I just have it in an excel spreadsheet. Thanks for the tip.

Duck Window – Great to have you on our cruise and in the FEE. I didn’t know about it in my first Disney cruise and all I could think when I saw everyone having so much fun doing it is, “I’m missing out!” My DH and I lived in Sunnyvale when he was at Onizuka Air Force Station, so have hung out in your neck of the woods for a couple of years. We both loved our time there, but that was coming to an end anyway as they closed it.

FEE- Confirmed for the FEE I have FloridaFun (me with 2 cabins), Dismom73 (2 cabins), Kimbo71 (1 cabin), I Heart Mickey (1 cabin), Gina (1 cabin), Duck Window (1 cabin). Please let me know if I missed you or PM me if you would like to join in. I will be looking into the Google Docs that Gina mentioned and let everyone know if I get that set up to put in your own information.

I hope this email makes sense. The granite people are putting in my new bathroom and wet bar counter tops and the glue smell has me ready to pass out. UGH!

Beth

[I❤MICKEY]

Originally Posted by wdrl

Yes, its quite useful! Thanks for posting. However, since this is our first DCL, we can't book until 12/02/2012.

We are first time cruisers too. December 2nd feels like an eternity. I've read that you can log on at midnight and sometimes the servers crash. I plan to pay in full November 30th so that is at least taken care of and doesn't cause any delays.

I really hope the bus situation isn't too full. I'm also worried about the ride back since it doesn't appear that you are required to reserve your return bus.

[jzandmeplus3]

Originally Posted by wdrl

We've never been to Key West, but a friend who has been there several times recommends we do the Conch Train Tour. Its a 90 minute tour of Key West on a trolley shaped like a train (or what passes for a train to a 5 year old). You'll see the sights and then have time to explore more of the port on your own. Google "Conch Tour Key West" and you'll get several web pages that will give you more info.

Thanks, that sounds like that would work well for us.

[wdrl]

Originally Posted by I❤MICKEY

I really hope the bus situation isn't too full. I'm also worried about the ride back since it doesn't appear that you are required to reserve your return bus.

Disney and DCL have shuttled passengers back from WDW to the ship many times, so I trust they will manage the buses well enough to minimize backlogs on the return buses.

Although there is something to be gained if DCL let us reserve a specific return time from a specific Park, I like having the flexibility of picking my own return time and Park at the last moment. Right now, we think we'll be trying to return on the earliest bus from Magic Kingdom. But if we are having fun and aren't getting too tired, we might stay much later. Or we might want to go to DHS and leave from there. We'll just enjoy our day at WDW and trust that, sooner or later, we'll get back to the ship.

[I❤MICKEY]

Originally Posted by wdrl

Disney and DCL have shuttled passengers back from WDW to the ship many times, so I trust they will manage the buses well enough to minimize backlogs on the return buses.

Although there is something to be gained if DCL let us reserve a specific return time from a specific Park, I like having the flexibility of picking my own return time and Park at the last moment. Right now, we think we'll be trying to return on the earliest bus from Magic Kingdom. But if we are having fun and aren't getting too tired, we might stay much later. Or we might want to go to DHS and leave from there. We'll just enjoy our day at WDW and trust that, sooner or later, we'll get back to the ship.

I like the open ended return too. We normally come close to closing the park. But after spending the day before at Castaway not sure how my little ones will make it.

[the great cornholeo]

Wow. Look at all if the posts. I can't believe that we ate already within the booking Windows. I'm silver still so I can't book yet either :'( . I may have to talk to dismoms about booking a rental car instead of the bus so we can get there fast and stay late. We will see.

[dismom73]

Originally Posted by duck_widow

Hi!!

I'm subbing in to join the fun. We knew we'd do a Disney cruise someday and couldn't pass up the KSF sale while our kids are on winter break, also got fairly cheap air from SF so couldn't resist. Any other west-coasters among us??

This will be our 7th cruise for DH and I, and the 4th one for the kids and our first DCL cruise and first trip to WDW. We love cruising and I'm sure will be wanting all DCL after this. We love Disney and are also DVC members.

I am so excited, but trying to keep it a secret until Christmas and need ideas for a clever way to tell the kids. Any ideas?

I just learned about decorating doors and FEE, so I will definately be doing those and keeping that stuff a secret. I think those will really make the cruise extra-special. I will PM my FEE info shortly. Thank you Beth for organizing!!! I also do the Mickey tie-dye shirts for our DL trips and will make more for the cruise. Any other tie-dye folks here??

I am soooo excited!!!

Welcome ...We will be flying out of SFO as well. We will either be flying late Wednesday or early Thursday, not sure yet. Where in the Bay Area are you? We are in Vacaville, it would be closer to for us to fly out of Sacramento, but I work for United and get free parking at SFO, plus all of our direct flights to IAH are out of SFO.

[kreedham]

We'll probably jump in but have to check with DW. We were on the 1st Fantasy and there was a huge FE group. Ended up having a large group and a small group (about 18 in small) Then they got fancy. Large group giving to all, Large group giving to only large group, and small group. It was fun though! Manageable at 15-20.

Will let you know soon. Thanks for coordinating!

[kreedham]

Don't know if they will cut off departure times but they'll probably have to (or already have a set # of buses) so if you want to go early sign up as soon as possible. We've decided to start at Hollywood, switch to MK early afternoon, have dinner at Tony's (Be Our Guest was already full) and a short time at Epcot to see Illuminations. Thought about Cabana but it's a roll of the dice...if it's too cold we'll just stay on the ship!

[Ichiban]

I am so excited!!! I just snagged a family stateroom with the kfo offer. I almost booked last weekend, but we weren't 100% sure and waited. When I went back a couple of days later to book, there was no availability. I have been checking every day hoping for a. Cancellation and today was our lucky day.

It will be me, DH, DD13, DS11, and DD7. This is our first time on DCL and our first cruise with kids.