03/01/2008 Eastern!!

[feiste]

I had problems even getting on.. Since they updated the server on Friday, it has not been right yet. The chat boards have been closed since Friday. I posted a thread on Tech. support and they gave me a new chat link which does not work either. They then mailed me back, to say they are aware and working on it. So we have to reschedule our chat for once they are up running again.

DS has been wondering about Audrey, she has not sent pictures for some time.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE
Talk with you in 2008​

We have been doing a little computer shuffling around here. I'm not sure if all of the addresses made it back into the address book. I'll check with her later today...

 

[ranidayz]

oh no -- our counters are off! Now it says we're back up to two months and a day until the cruise! Someone call Father Time -- it's going backwards!

 

[ranidayz]

Yup - I'm a little post-happy today....

Just added the sea-bands to the medicin cabinet for the trip....it seems Dramamine isn't for kids under 12 - which qualifies for all three of mine...I think I'll have to get some more sea-bands as well...

 

[kshabare]

I can't believe I only have 10 families signed up on my list. I guess we won't have a tough time finding each other.

So much for our Nor'Easter. We probably got under 3 inches of snow. Figures. The day I have off it's not a full-out storm.

Stay warm. 59 days and counting!!

Kim

 

[ejkjmom]

Thought since there has been so many of us on the boards the last few days..I would follow up with the Palo group brunch one more time, to see how many are interested in doing this....and also what day...would you prefer... Sunday or Monday... we did it on Sunday last year, it really was alot of fun and the food of course was YUMMMY!!!!

So what my TA needs in order to make the ressies is, your names, and stateroom number (this is something Disney requires in order to make the reservations), if you are not comfortable about posting your room # you can PM it to me ....The room can only seat 14.

Last year we just added our name to the list..so I guess I will start

Ron Jessen (either day will work fine for us))
Brenda Jessen

 

[ranidayz]

Questions on the green mickey name tags.....can I just grab some from home depot and write our names on them or is there some special way to do that?

thanks,
rani

 

[feiste]

Yup - I'm a little post-happy today....

Just added the sea-bands to the medicin cabinet for the trip....it seems Dramamine isn't for kids under 12 - which qualifies for all three of mine...I think I'll have to get some more sea-bands as well...

My kids have taken Dramamine before (on a week long sailing trip in Lake Michigan) Both girls are under twelve. Two of my SIL's have severe motion sickness and have taken Dramamine and i think Bonine since they were young. A word to the wise when shopping for this med - the "less drowsy" version that you pay more for is simply 1/2 dose of the regular version. My girls have never needed to take anything while on DCL, but it never hurts to be prepared.

 

[feiste]

Questions on the green mickey name tags.....can I just grab some from home depot and write our names on them or is there some special way to do that?

thanks,
rani

Yes, you can just pick these up at Home Depot.

I think last time I just added my name on with a Sharpie. If you have a way to laminate it might be helpful as mine was pretty beat up by the middle of the week.

 

[feiste]

Thought since there has been so many of us on the boards the last few days..I would follow up with the Palo group brunch one more time, to see how many are interested in doing this....and also what day...would you prefer... Sunday or Monday... we did it on Sunday last year, it really was alot of fun and the food of course was YUMMMY!!!!

So what my TA needs in order to make the ressies is, your names, and stateroom number (this is something Disney requires in order to make the reservations), if you are not comfortable about posting your room # you can PM it to me ....The room can only seat 14.

Last year we just added our name to the list..so I guess I will start

Ron Jessen (either day will work fine for us))
Brenda Jessen

We are already doing one Palo brunch (Sunday I think - but it might be Monday) and one Palo dinner with my parents both times, so I think I'll skip the group brunch. However if we want to all meet up for drinks or ice cream one day count me in. We could plan a meet at one of the bars one of the evenings too?

 

[ejkjmom]

GREEN MICKEY NAME TAGS....
YEP!!! That's what we did..infact I have quite a few(all different colors) from last March that I'd be more than happy to share...last March when we had our Dis meet before we set sail, I had them laid out with sharpie markers and self adhesive magnets so the kids could decorate them. They then used them for door decorations....also I have fun Mickey ears (cut out of black card stock,(w/ magnet on back) that fit's on the outside of your door's stateroom number (makes a fun Mickey) if anyone is interested

 

[ejkjmom]

We are already doing one Palo brunch (Sunday I think - but it might be Monday) and one Palo dinner with my parents both times, so I think I'll skip the group brunch. However if we want to all meet up for drinks or ice cream one day count me in. We could plan a meet at one of the bars one of the evenings too?

I agree, it would be fun to meet up at some point during the cruise....we did do a DIS group meet (at the Promenade Lounge) right before the life boat drill last MArch, and that seemed to work out well..

We'll have to put our heads together and come up with something

 

[ranidayz]

I like the idea of all of our families meeting up early on in the cruise so we can identify each other and the kids can have that much more time knowing each others faces....so I LOVE the idea of an ice cream party somewhere....but i don't really know the layout of the ship so i have no idea where that would be....

I'm not totally in love with the Palo thing - but maybe that's just inexperience and the fact that we rarely go places without the kids......

happy new year everyone!

 

[ejkjmom]

I like the idea of all of our families meeting up early on in the cruise so we can identify each other and the kids can have that much more time knowing each others faces....so I LOVE the idea of an ice cream party somewhere....but i don't really know the layout of the ship so i have no idea where that would be....

I'm not totally in love with the Palo thing - but maybe that's just inexperience and the fact that we rarely go places without the kids......

happy new year everyone!

i do know what you are saying about doing things w/out the kids..we too feel the same way, so I completely understand.
Emily is 14 and Kaylee will be turning 11 in a few weeks....they will probably hang out at the Ocean Quest (that way they can be together)as we will do a Palo's brunch,as well as doing the couples spa. That was the only time they really spent in the clubs last year as well....

As far as meeting up for ice-cream..that is fine w/ me, except that it is by the pool, and there is generally alot of people there, which may make it harder to find each other I am truy fine with whatever works with everyone else

Last March we met quite a few people just waiting at the terminal, and that was fun!!!!

We are getting SO EXCITED!!!!! Can't wait

 

[feiste]

I met Kim in the terminal a few years ago, looking for MICKY BARS!!!

 

[MAD on Disney]

I'm thinking we would probably prefer some sort of gathering at the terminal, somewhere on one of the decks, or some other type of non-Palo gathering for the reasons that (1) not all would be available to do Palo, either because the already are doing Palo at a different time or because of group size limitations, and (2) in case we decide we want to do Palo on our own.

- Mike

 

[atinkerbellmom]

We will pass on the Palo Brunch as a group due to we have scheduled both brunch and dinner for Sunday the second. We are totally open to meeting before the life boat drill in PL if this is what everyone wants. Good idea Brenda, I think this is what Kim has on the list already. Our family stays far away from the Mickey pools as possible upon arrival as it is a zoo . So the icecream thing is out for us unless we grab the icecream and hit the outside deck and chairs outside in the back of Topsiders. I do not know about meeting in the terminal either as we will all be arriving at different times. That would be too hard for our family as we can not tell you how soon we can get to port. We do not even promise the people we travel with we will be at the terminal at a certain time. So can we stick to doing it somewhere on the ship besides by one of the pools before the sailaway party?

The only thing we have planned for sure is we have to head to the dining room and plan DD's dinner for that night, but that only takes 15 minutes. So, just let us know.......

 

[ranidayz]

Question - What time do the bags arrive at the rooms? I'm making my list and checking it twice (good quote from a Jewish girl -- I know all the words!) about what to include in our day bags so I am trying to figure out when everything will be in place.

We are planning at arriving at the terminal around 11 am.

Also, when they say two bags per person -- do they mean, two suitcases, a day bag and a purse or what?

See, now the nitpicky questions come... oh, and good morning!

 

[feiste]

Question - What time do the bags arrive at the rooms? I'm making my list and checking it twice (good quote from a Jewish girl -- I know all the words!) about what to include in our day bags so I am trying to figure out when everything will be in place.

We are planning at arriving at the terminal around 11 am.

Also, when they say two bags per person -- do they mean, two suitcases, a day bag and a purse or what?

See, now the nitpicky questions come... oh, and good morning!

Good morning to you as well

I have always had anyone who wants to swim wear their suit under their clothes, and then I have packed their underthings in case they want to change later. Other than that we pack sunblock, chap-stick, hats, something to write/mark with, and our id's in the day bag. The only other bag I carry on with me is the camera bag which will have the camera and video camera ready to go. I might also throw in a sudoku or something to read by the pool. Don't forget that you will need room in your bag to put the clothes that are discarded when everyone jumps in the pool!

I don't carry a purse while I am board at all, and I generally don't even bring one on board with me. When we are in a port of call I have to bring the beach bag so this subs for my purse, and my wallet and such will go in there. I tend to be pretty scatterbrained, so the less things I bring to accidentally leave somewhere the better


Our bags have always been there well before dinner. Sometime between the sail away party and the lifeboat drill maybe? I'll have to ask my DH as he is the detail man in this duo!

Hope this helps.

 

[atinkerbellmom]

RANI-
Good Morning to You too.We do carry on the least amount of stuff as possible as you have to tote it around with you until you are allowed in your stateroom. We tend to dress for the show and dinner, so we carry our toliet items with us to go and freshin up prior to the show and by that time our bags for sure have arrived. DCL says everyone will get their bags by 6PM. Since this is the start of our show, I use to get a little nervous, because our 1st cruise, we did not get our Nanny's bag until 10 minutes before 6, which she was okay with as she was young at the time and felt she only needed a swim suite anyway. So the next cruise, I packed our dinner attire and that was crazy, so I realized that the bags will get there if you do not have any major ironing to do. So now we just come with swim suites, just by some fluke reason the pool is not that crowded, toliet items, ID, boarding documents, camera and my purse. Believe it or not, last cruise our bags beat us to the room before the room was even officially open. So Rani, I guess my responds to your question is, the bags will more than likely be there as soon as you can get into your room or shortly after. When you first board, you can not go to your room as they are ALL blocked off while the crew prepares them, so what ever you bring, know you are stuck carrying it around with you on the ship and the place is a busy mad house since noone is able to get in their staterooms.

Our family tends to board, go to Lunch. Let the kids get refamiliar with the ship. Tie up anything we need at guest services, go order DD dinner (remember our egg allergy problem), then we head to our stateroom get the bags in, valuables put away and ready for the life boat drill. After the drill, back to the room to dump the jackets and head up for the sailaway party. I guess this time we are doing a DIS meet somewhere in there as well. The kids need to "meet" their little friends to know whom their buddies are for the club. Now since my kids are familiar with the club/lab, we do not do them until the first day out, Sunday. We stay away from them during orientation night as it too is a zoo. We do the family thing the first day. After the sailawy party, it is usually time for us to get ready for our show and dinner.

The two bag thing is not a problem as it is what the airline allows you to travel with, so the exact requirements. You get your two siuitecases per person, so 10 if you could imagine taking that much luggage as there is really no place to store luggage in the room but under the bed, so I could not see you needing 10 pc. of luggage. Plus 5 carryons you are allowed, plus your purse and a lap top/ type case for your husband. Same as the airline, so do not worry about limits, because if you even came close to your limit, you will need to book another stateroom just for your stuff. We stay in a cat. 4 last time and our bags, which are less than your limit was too crowded. So you will run out of space before you reach your limit.

I'm happy you are making your list and checking it twice, now are you going to find out whose been naughty or nice...... I keep telling my DK if they are not little the cruise will go to another family of Nice kids.

I hope this helps Rani as you can e-mail me if it rambled a little. Talk with you soon.

EVERYONE-ANYONE of us Vet (oppps Melissa, no point intended ) Cruisers come up with a plan yet? We are open and can even try to tolerate the MAD pool area if needed, if some of you will have a problem pulling the kidos out of the pool. Just let us know and we are in..... Oh, we can drop all the kids with Brenda after the life boat drill for an icecream party in her room. , since she was so late coming back to the boards getting me worried about her.

Thanks everyone for the comment on the signing in and out thing. It helped a lot. We will talk soon, we are getting excited......

 

[feiste]

EVERYONE-ANYONE of us Vet (oppps Melissa, no point intended ) Cruisers come up with a plan yet? We are open and can even try to tolerate the MAD pool area if needed, if some of you will have a problem pulling the kidos out of the pool. Just let us know and we are in..... Oh, we can drop all the kids with Brenda after the life boat drill for an icecream party in her room. , since she was so late coming back to the boards getting me worried about her.

Thanks everyone for the comment on the signing in and out thing. It helped a lot. We will talk soon, we are getting excited......

We will be on the ship ASAP as I make the whole family get there as soon as the port opens (much to their annoyance). Since we do not have anything to sign up for we will go straight to the Goofy pool upon arrival.

We could say anyone who is at the terminal can meet at the model around 11:30, and then we could plan an onboard meet for the kids by the goofy pool or ice cream shop before the sail-away party. As we then have Sunday and Monday at sea we could plan a more relaxed meet and greet during the afternoon one of those two days? Another option would be in the first evening after the second dinner seating and the second show we could all meet in the Promenade lounge.

Furthermore if we all have our green mickey tags we will be easily spotted by each other. It's really amazing how often we will all cross paths during the week.