MB MinnieGirl
<font color=red>Elmo killer/Muppet murderer<br><fo
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2004
First of all - THANK YOU THANK YOU to every person on the Dis who gave me countless advise, tips and kind words for this very special cruise. It was more magical than we had dreamed possible and something that neither of us will ever forget - no matter how many cruises we may take!!
Saturday August 5th
ARRIVING IN ORLANDO/HYATT
This was our 2nd DCL cruise. Our first was 2 years ago with my parents, but this was the first real vacation that DD6 and I have ever done just us so it was very special.
Our trip started EARLY with a 6am flight to Orlando. I am a bit paranoid about all things travel (luggage, missed flights etc.) so we flew in the night before and stayed at the Hyatt. After 2 flights and 4 hours of travel (which were all cake walks) we were at Orlando airport. DD6 was SO excited when she started seeing the Disney stores in the airport and the DCL people with the Mickey hands.
We walked straight from baggage claim to the hotel lobby. It was very early so I was unsure if we would be able to get into the room just yet, but at 10am, there was no problem at all. We walked up to the lobby and were immediately taken to our room on the top floor with a sweeping view of the planes coming and going. The odd thing was, we never heard one engine in the room if our balcony doors were closed. DD6 began to REALLY get excited when she looked down below and started seeing all the WDW and DCL buses! It was actually real now - we would be on one in the morning!!
We ate lunch, did a little shopping, then dinner, more shopping and looking around before heading up and to bed. We repacked a few things so that we would only take a very small shoulder bag onto the ship the next morning and send the rest with DCL which would be picking our bags up at our room at 9am. THIS is why I love DCL travel.....no work involved on my part just relaxing with DD.
Sunday, August 6th - IT IS TODAY!!!
DAY ONE
We woke up bright and early and headed down in the airport for some breakfast. After walking around a bit we headed back up for one last check in the room then checked out (a breeze!!) and then to CHECK IN with DCL in the hotel conference room. We played a few games of UNO before the lady with the Mickey hand came for us all (about 20 in all) and down to the bus we went. This was such a smooth and painless process with very little wait time at all.
Once on the bus the video started and DD began to get....oh God....cranky!
I knew it would happen at some point, and here it was. She wanted to be there NOW - not in 50 minutes - NOW NOW NOW!!! I have to say that she held it in longer than I thought since we had been traveling for 24 hours to get there and then now it was a car/bus - whatever ride (which for dd6 - is the WORST!). It soon faded when we started looking for alligators out the window and then played a few games. Then....TA DA!!!! LOOK MADDIE!!!! IT'S THE SHIP!!!!!!!!! I think we were on the bus with a bunch of corpse's who probably thought we had lost our minds because we started snapping pictures, Maddie was jumping up and down and I was in actual tears. Good thing I had warned her that would happen.
Once at the port everything was so simple I was in shock actually. We went up the stairs to the terminal to the CC member line (no wait at all), handed over my ID, and signatures on the forms I had printed online and POOF!
We were done. Two seconds later we had our KTTW cards and lanyards. We then went to the kids club area to grab our pagers and the navigators and that was it. We were officially done with any and all "work." We arrived about 11am and were #5, but were on the ship in 30 minutes flat after checking in.
We had not been finished with check-in for 5 minutes before Mickey arrived. Of course we went right over and had a visit and then photos. DD6 and I thought Minnie would be next so we hung out to try and be first when she did. While waiting we ran into some Dis friends that we were planning on meeting at Scoops. Maddie had a ball with Katie and Jenny at the terminal coloring and getting to know them (I had to laugh because she was SO mad that I had "planned" to meet people on vacation then she LOVED them!). She was also first in line to see Minnie and was again thrilled!!!
It seems as though they had just called number 2 when all of the sudden #5 was shouted out and away we went!
Now - I almost cried again. We walked onto the gangway had our photos snapped and then were ask our names. DD was 4 when we were last on DCL and didn't remember much so it was ALL new to her. She told them our names then beamed when they announced us. Again - mom almost cried (are you getting that I'm a big sappy baby yet?). After the announcement a cast member took us aside and ask to take our pictures with my camera at the entrance. More tears....I simply could not grasp that we - just Maddie and I - were actually HERE!!!
We walked around for a few minutes then headed up to Beach Blanket (which I happen TO LOVE!) for lunch. DD6 was in total shock when I uttered the words, "get whatever you want, and yes, you can have soda."
She had whatever was there that included fried batter and ketchup, and I had some shrimp salad, salmon, and fresh fruit - YUMMY!!! We sat outside over looking Port Canaveral - it was so beautiful. Again - tears. We called my parents for a final farewell and Maddie could not stop sayin, "You should see this....and guess what...." I loved it!! THIS is exactly what I had wanted. Wide huge happy eyes taking everything in without a worry in the world.
From lunch we headed straight to the Mickey pool. I had seen photos here of it basically empty but thought we would never see that. Well, we had it almost to ourselves for awhile....even a POOL CHAIR IN THE FRONT ROW! Maddie went straight to the slide and immediately made new friends and met up with Katie and Jenny from earlier. They played in the pool and acted as if they had known each other for years.
After our fill of the Mickey pool we went to the Goofy for a bit and I made a much anticipated stop at the pool bar for a BBC (again - THANK YOU DIS!). We played in the water a bit. This - not my favorite place. It had started to get a bit crazy with people and kids were jumping left and right. This won't be the only time I say it but...WHERE ARE THE PARENTS?? I would not let Maddie in there with out me for fear Johnny Jump In would plummet her to the ground.
We left and went to check on our room as it was now after 1:30. We walked in and there were our CC gifts. WOW! Was about all Maddie could say. Then we made fools of ourselves because we could not - I mean NOT get the !(*#@#@ verandah door open. So, when you hear rumors, I am the idiot who actually called guest services to ask how the heck it opens.
Our luggage wasn't there and with the beautiful sun out we went back up to deck 10 to walk around some. We then went to Scoops to meet our Dis friends for some ice cream and this is when Maddie ran smack into Dale who she happens to adore so her day just got better!
More swimming and playing up on deck 9 and we headed down to our room about 3:30 and our luggage was there. My biggest fear was having it lost so I was one happy cruiser! (Keep reading - it does happen - only on the way home.
) We unpacked a bit then headed down to the lifeboat drill which did NOT thrill Maddie. I do have to say though. The crew at our station was so CUTE! They played with Maddie just about the entire time so time passed quickly and it was over soon. Thank God our station was also on deck 4 which was completely shaded!!
After that - Sail Away Party baby!
We went straight up to deck 9 and stood front and center. When the crew started coming out, and then the characters I thought Maddie's mouth would drop to the ground! She was dancing so hard I thought she would trip over her toes. One of the cutie pie crew members from the muster station was dancing on stage and noticed Maddie. He started teasing her because she is missing her 4 front teeth. Maddie kept sticking her tongue out through the gap and from that moment on it seems all crew members referred to her as "Dale's sister."
He danced with her and she was in Heaven. Mickey and Minnie came out and were so close we could have touched them. When Chip and Dale came out they kept pointing at Maddie's missing teeth. Again - I started to cry. I really think I must have looked like a crazy person with a perm-a-grim a mile long and watery eyes. Thank God these people don't know me!
After the party we went to our stateroom, 6092 - WE LOVED the location! We realized that our dinner was at 5:45 and oh man did we rush. Just in case it's ever ask, yes, you can fit an adult and a 6 year old in the shower when needing to get ready in 20 minutes flat!
I also found a great use for the hair dryer in the bathroom. MADDIE! She used it alone with no problems and it cut down on me having to get us both ready!
Our first dinner was at Animator's Palate. I am not complaining and I won't about anything on this trip, as it was all so perfect really, but this was our least favorite night. We walked in to see our table mates a husband and wife with a DD2 and a DD6. We were seated and then looked up to say hello and introduce ourselves when THEY WOULD NOT LOOK AT US. They physically did not speak. I was in total shock. I was a bit po'ed as they had seated themselves to where Maddie and I could not sit beside each other and even when seeing that we were alone they did not offer to move the seating around.
HELLO!!!!!!! RUDE?? Ok - vent over. Actually, Maddie and I started laughing about it out loud. It was so obviously strange. The woman made it a point not to speak or look in our direction. Our server (John) came over and we began ordering. When I ordered items for Maddie not on the menu - THAT is when they looked - they stared at me like I had six heads - it was so fun to watch! Their DD began to pitch a fit and the mother left with her and NEVER RETURNED! POOF! She was gone and had never said a word. The odd thing...when she left, her husband and son immediately became friendly. Anyway - we didn't let any of it ruin our dinner or our time, we just laughed it off and thought of it as another "adventure" for the day.
After dinner Maddie wanted to do "family time" in the club. So off we went. Before making it to the club we walked around a bit and ran into both Alice in Wonderland and then Cinderella. Maddie was the ONLY person in site when we bumped into them so she was in Heaven. We walked around a bit on deck 4, I found the big cushy deck chairs and she peered out to see....more tears from mommy! Then we went up to the club. We walked around a little and within 5 minutes....my DD...MY angel girl who I TOOK on a cruise....ASK ME TO LEAVE! 
I was so happy - not to be alone but because I knew that meant she was enjoying herself as much as I had prayed she would. So, I left and off she went into the club.
While she was in OC I went walking about. I'm not really a club or bar person so I headed up to the shops and bought a few things then went to deck 10 with BBC in hand to have my time with the full moon (Thank you God) and a book). I walked around a bit more, went to Shutters...which I have to say is where one of my FAVORITE staff were (I know they don't work for DCL). She was SO SWEET!!!! I bought a package and left with some photos for the room.
I picked up my camera and went to grab Maddie from the club after about an hour and a half. When I got there, all the kids were crouched in front of the stage pretending to sleep and snore. The crew member on stage were hilarious! They were telling them all (which by they way - ALL KIDS were dressed in hula costumes) to go to sleep and mayyyybe Stitch would be there. I snuck into the corner and OUT popped Lilio and Stitch from the side door. All the kids were laying face down eyes closed and then opened up to see them on stage. I almost cried again watching Maddie's face light up and beam from the (again) front and center row watching Lilio and Stitch. They both came down onto the floor with the kids and played games, danced, etc. I took about 100 photos before they left and then Maddie and I made our way up to our room after another little snack at Scoops.
For weeks Maddie had talked about room service. She could not wait to order the cake of the day. HAHA!! So off to the cabin we went. When we got there our room attendant, Kirk - who we fell in love with - was there. He had made Maddie towel animal (elephant) and hidden chocolate around the room for her. Oh yea - she is never leaving! I took him aside and ask if he would leave small gifts that I had for her out each night from "Tink" with the towel animals. He did that and more every night!!
Maddie ordered the cake of the day - which rightly so the first sugar filled day was DOUBLE CHOCOLATE!
After scarfing that down she fell asleep while watching The Little Mermaid. I took my BBC 
and out to the verandah I went with my journal and camera.....I was truly in Heaven!
DAY TWO TO COME TOMORROW ......
(day 2 is on page 2)(day 3 is on page 4)
Saturday August 5th
ARRIVING IN ORLANDO/HYATT
This was our 2nd DCL cruise. Our first was 2 years ago with my parents, but this was the first real vacation that DD6 and I have ever done just us so it was very special.
Our trip started EARLY with a 6am flight to Orlando. I am a bit paranoid about all things travel (luggage, missed flights etc.) so we flew in the night before and stayed at the Hyatt. After 2 flights and 4 hours of travel (which were all cake walks) we were at Orlando airport. DD6 was SO excited when she started seeing the Disney stores in the airport and the DCL people with the Mickey hands.
We walked straight from baggage claim to the hotel lobby. It was very early so I was unsure if we would be able to get into the room just yet, but at 10am, there was no problem at all. We walked up to the lobby and were immediately taken to our room on the top floor with a sweeping view of the planes coming and going. The odd thing was, we never heard one engine in the room if our balcony doors were closed. DD6 began to REALLY get excited when she looked down below and started seeing all the WDW and DCL buses! It was actually real now - we would be on one in the morning!!
We ate lunch, did a little shopping, then dinner, more shopping and looking around before heading up and to bed. We repacked a few things so that we would only take a very small shoulder bag onto the ship the next morning and send the rest with DCL which would be picking our bags up at our room at 9am. THIS is why I love DCL travel.....no work involved on my part just relaxing with DD.
Sunday, August 6th - IT IS TODAY!!!
DAY ONE
We woke up bright and early and headed down in the airport for some breakfast. After walking around a bit we headed back up for one last check in the room then checked out (a breeze!!) and then to CHECK IN with DCL in the hotel conference room. We played a few games of UNO before the lady with the Mickey hand came for us all (about 20 in all) and down to the bus we went. This was such a smooth and painless process with very little wait time at all.
Once on the bus the video started and DD began to get....oh God....cranky!
I knew it would happen at some point, and here it was. She wanted to be there NOW - not in 50 minutes - NOW NOW NOW!!! I have to say that she held it in longer than I thought since we had been traveling for 24 hours to get there and then now it was a car/bus - whatever ride (which for dd6 - is the WORST!). It soon faded when we started looking for alligators out the window and then played a few games. Then....TA DA!!!! LOOK MADDIE!!!! IT'S THE SHIP!!!!!!!!! I think we were on the bus with a bunch of corpse's who probably thought we had lost our minds because we started snapping pictures, Maddie was jumping up and down and I was in actual tears. Good thing I had warned her that would happen. Once at the port everything was so simple I was in shock actually. We went up the stairs to the terminal to the CC member line (no wait at all), handed over my ID, and signatures on the forms I had printed online and POOF!
We were done. Two seconds later we had our KTTW cards and lanyards. We then went to the kids club area to grab our pagers and the navigators and that was it. We were officially done with any and all "work." We arrived about 11am and were #5, but were on the ship in 30 minutes flat after checking in. We had not been finished with check-in for 5 minutes before Mickey arrived. Of course we went right over and had a visit and then photos. DD6 and I thought Minnie would be next so we hung out to try and be first when she did. While waiting we ran into some Dis friends that we were planning on meeting at Scoops. Maddie had a ball with Katie and Jenny at the terminal coloring and getting to know them (I had to laugh because she was SO mad that I had "planned" to meet people on vacation then she LOVED them!). She was also first in line to see Minnie and was again thrilled!!!
It seems as though they had just called number 2 when all of the sudden #5 was shouted out and away we went!
Now - I almost cried again. We walked onto the gangway had our photos snapped and then were ask our names. DD was 4 when we were last on DCL and didn't remember much so it was ALL new to her. She told them our names then beamed when they announced us. Again - mom almost cried (are you getting that I'm a big sappy baby yet?). After the announcement a cast member took us aside and ask to take our pictures with my camera at the entrance. More tears....I simply could not grasp that we - just Maddie and I - were actually HERE!!!
We walked around for a few minutes then headed up to Beach Blanket (which I happen TO LOVE!) for lunch. DD6 was in total shock when I uttered the words, "get whatever you want, and yes, you can have soda."
She had whatever was there that included fried batter and ketchup, and I had some shrimp salad, salmon, and fresh fruit - YUMMY!!! We sat outside over looking Port Canaveral - it was so beautiful. Again - tears. We called my parents for a final farewell and Maddie could not stop sayin, "You should see this....and guess what...." I loved it!! THIS is exactly what I had wanted. Wide huge happy eyes taking everything in without a worry in the world.
From lunch we headed straight to the Mickey pool. I had seen photos here of it basically empty but thought we would never see that. Well, we had it almost to ourselves for awhile....even a POOL CHAIR IN THE FRONT ROW! Maddie went straight to the slide and immediately made new friends and met up with Katie and Jenny from earlier. They played in the pool and acted as if they had known each other for years.
After our fill of the Mickey pool we went to the Goofy for a bit and I made a much anticipated stop at the pool bar for a BBC (again - THANK YOU DIS!). We played in the water a bit. This - not my favorite place. It had started to get a bit crazy with people and kids were jumping left and right. This won't be the only time I say it but...WHERE ARE THE PARENTS?? I would not let Maddie in there with out me for fear Johnny Jump In would plummet her to the ground.
We left and went to check on our room as it was now after 1:30. We walked in and there were our CC gifts. WOW! Was about all Maddie could say. Then we made fools of ourselves because we could not - I mean NOT get the !(*#@#@ verandah door open. So, when you hear rumors, I am the idiot who actually called guest services to ask how the heck it opens.
Our luggage wasn't there and with the beautiful sun out we went back up to deck 10 to walk around some. We then went to Scoops to meet our Dis friends for some ice cream and this is when Maddie ran smack into Dale who she happens to adore so her day just got better!More swimming and playing up on deck 9 and we headed down to our room about 3:30 and our luggage was there. My biggest fear was having it lost so I was one happy cruiser! (Keep reading - it does happen - only on the way home.
) We unpacked a bit then headed down to the lifeboat drill which did NOT thrill Maddie. I do have to say though. The crew at our station was so CUTE! They played with Maddie just about the entire time so time passed quickly and it was over soon. Thank God our station was also on deck 4 which was completely shaded!! After that - Sail Away Party baby!
We went straight up to deck 9 and stood front and center. When the crew started coming out, and then the characters I thought Maddie's mouth would drop to the ground! She was dancing so hard I thought she would trip over her toes. One of the cutie pie crew members from the muster station was dancing on stage and noticed Maddie. He started teasing her because she is missing her 4 front teeth. Maddie kept sticking her tongue out through the gap and from that moment on it seems all crew members referred to her as "Dale's sister."
He danced with her and she was in Heaven. Mickey and Minnie came out and were so close we could have touched them. When Chip and Dale came out they kept pointing at Maddie's missing teeth. Again - I started to cry. I really think I must have looked like a crazy person with a perm-a-grim a mile long and watery eyes. Thank God these people don't know me! After the party we went to our stateroom, 6092 - WE LOVED the location! We realized that our dinner was at 5:45 and oh man did we rush. Just in case it's ever ask, yes, you can fit an adult and a 6 year old in the shower when needing to get ready in 20 minutes flat!
I also found a great use for the hair dryer in the bathroom. MADDIE! She used it alone with no problems and it cut down on me having to get us both ready!Our first dinner was at Animator's Palate. I am not complaining and I won't about anything on this trip, as it was all so perfect really, but this was our least favorite night. We walked in to see our table mates a husband and wife with a DD2 and a DD6. We were seated and then looked up to say hello and introduce ourselves when THEY WOULD NOT LOOK AT US. They physically did not speak. I was in total shock. I was a bit po'ed as they had seated themselves to where Maddie and I could not sit beside each other and even when seeing that we were alone they did not offer to move the seating around.
HELLO!!!!!!! RUDE?? Ok - vent over. Actually, Maddie and I started laughing about it out loud. It was so obviously strange. The woman made it a point not to speak or look in our direction. Our server (John) came over and we began ordering. When I ordered items for Maddie not on the menu - THAT is when they looked - they stared at me like I had six heads - it was so fun to watch! Their DD began to pitch a fit and the mother left with her and NEVER RETURNED! POOF! She was gone and had never said a word. The odd thing...when she left, her husband and son immediately became friendly. Anyway - we didn't let any of it ruin our dinner or our time, we just laughed it off and thought of it as another "adventure" for the day. After dinner Maddie wanted to do "family time" in the club. So off we went. Before making it to the club we walked around a bit and ran into both Alice in Wonderland and then Cinderella. Maddie was the ONLY person in site when we bumped into them so she was in Heaven.
We walked around a bit on deck 4, I found the big cushy deck chairs and she peered out to see....more tears from mommy! Then we went up to the club. We walked around a little and within 5 minutes....my DD...MY angel girl who I TOOK on a cruise....ASK ME TO LEAVE! I was so happy - not to be alone but because I knew that meant she was enjoying herself as much as I had prayed she would. So, I left and off she went into the club. While she was in OC I went walking about. I'm not really a club or bar person so I headed up to the shops and bought a few things then went to deck 10 with BBC in hand to have my time with the full moon (Thank you God) and a book). I walked around a bit more, went to Shutters...which I have to say is where one of my FAVORITE staff were (I know they don't work for DCL). She was SO SWEET!!!! I bought a package and left with some photos for the room.
I picked up my camera and went to grab Maddie from the club after about an hour and a half. When I got there, all the kids were crouched in front of the stage pretending to sleep and snore. The crew member on stage were hilarious! They were telling them all (which by they way - ALL KIDS were dressed in hula costumes) to go to sleep and mayyyybe Stitch would be there. I snuck into the corner and OUT popped Lilio and Stitch from the side door. All the kids were laying face down eyes closed and then opened up to see them on stage. I almost cried again watching Maddie's face light up and beam from the (again) front and center row watching Lilio and Stitch. They both came down onto the floor with the kids and played games, danced, etc. I took about 100 photos before they left and then Maddie and I made our way up to our room after another little snack at Scoops.
For weeks Maddie had talked about room service. She could not wait to order the cake of the day. HAHA!! So off to the cabin we went. When we got there our room attendant, Kirk - who we fell in love with - was there. He had made Maddie towel animal (elephant) and hidden chocolate around the room for her. Oh yea - she is never leaving! I took him aside and ask if he would leave small gifts that I had for her out each night from "Tink" with the towel animals. He did that and more every night!!
Maddie ordered the cake of the day - which rightly so the first sugar filled day was DOUBLE CHOCOLATE!
After scarfing that down she fell asleep while watching The Little Mermaid. I took my BBC and out to the verandah I went with my journal and camera.....I was truly in Heaven! DAY TWO TO COME TOMORROW ......
(day 2 is on page 2)(day 3 is on page 4)
on a cruise together. But, this trip daddy is going. Can't wait until Day 2.
Your report makes me smile...can't wait to get back on the ship.
Kelly
Just have 2 questions that maybe someone can answer. What is a BBC and you can order the cake of the day? Is that an extra? What can you order for kids that is not on the kids menu? Oops, that's 3 questions. 
