06/24/2006 - Twice the Magic Trip Report
- Thread starter SuJo
- Start date
Have a great time at the beach. We miss hanging out with all of you.
SuJo
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2003
- Messages
- 493
Hey everyone, I am back from the beach and maintaining that cruise tan 
Here is the next day on my trip report:
Day 6 June 28th Cozumel We woke up early again this morning as we had an excursion, Xcaret Eco Archeological Park, planned through Disney.
There were two reasons I planned it through Disney: one, it got us off the boat first and second in case there was a problem with the excursion we were with Disney and they wouldnt leave us behind. I had read on the boards that the boat that takes you over to the main land for the park can be pretty rough. I took some Bonine and then we headed up to Topsiders for breakfast. I didnt eat anything in case I had problems on the boat. After breakfast we headed down to Animators Palate as that was the meeting place for our excursion. I was debating on whether to take my digital cameras or not. I knew it would be a good place for pictures but I was worried about leaving our stuff out while we were swimming or doing the lazy river. So I decided to only take the water camera (later I realized that I should have taken the digitals). Jeremy was working with the excursions to get them together and off the boat. We had 2 other groups meeting in the restaurant but they did a good job keeping us all together and getting us off the boat quickly. We only had to wait about 10 minutes before we were asked to head down to deck 1 and the boat. The boat was really nice. The inside seats were plush and they had a screen showing things about the area. I headed to the second level in the back outside in the fresh air. I had read on the boards that if you think you may have problems with the rocking of the boat that this was the best place to be. My DDs didnt want to hang out with us so they headed back down to the first level to watch the TV. When everyone was aboard we headed off. This excursion is not in Cozumel it is back on the main land so we had to head across the channel which was pretty rough. The boat was really rocking and I was glad that I was up in the fresh air and could see the horizon. After about 20 minutes my oldest DD came running up and looked very green in the face. We tried to get her in the fresh air but it was too late. She was sick. I told my DH to go check on the other DD. He came back and said she was fine but within 5 minutes she arrived and also was sick. There were a lot of people getting sick at this point in the trip. The lady was handing out baggies for everyone. Luckily I was able to hang in there and not get sick. I had brought extra Bonine for the trip back and it came in very handy with the DDs. We docked on the mainland and got off the boat. The guide for our group split us up into 4 groups and assigned each group to a bus. We had to walk through a small town towards these buses. It was a pretty long walk but the girls really needed the fresh air. We boarded the buses and headed to the park. The ride was about 15 to 20 minutes. When we arrived the guide gave each of us a wrist band. We gathered by the map of the park and the guide explained where everything was located. This park is huge. They have snorkeling, snubaing, ruins, marine life, beaches with floats, the underground river, swimming with the dolphins, and various shows. We had to meet back at the front of the park by 3 so we didnt have much time. Our first stop was the underground river. It is about half way into the park. The first thing we did was get our life vests, everyone that goes into the river has to have a life vest. The next thing we did was to get a bag to put our belongs into. The river starts about half way into the park and goes along (under the park) to the ocean. They have you put your things into a locked bag that they take to the end of the river so you can get your stuff without having to walk all the way back. This is why I could have brought my cameras as we were able to lock our stuff in a secure bag. After bagging our stuff we headed for the river. There werent any lines so we headed right in. The water is pretty chilly but it felt great since we were sweating and hot. The average temp of the river is 65 degrees but considering how hot we all were it felt great. This was the neatest part of the whole day. The river has a small current so it pulls you along underground. I tried to take some pictures with my water camera but it was too dark without a flash so unfortunately I cant show you how cool the place was. The water is crystal clear and there are hardly any fish or plant life in the water. It can be shallow in some areas. I usually just sat with my feet floating in front of me and let the current carry me. Along the way they would have camera guys there to take pictures and exits in case you wanted to get out.
Since our stuff was at the end we didnt get out till the end. My DD-12 did not enjoy this at all. She was freaking out thinking that there would be something in the water. We kept telling her that there was nothing there but she was worried about fish or something. She started to calm down about halfway through the river. It is hard to describe how cool this was. You could also rent snorkel gear before getting into the river but we decided not to. We had our goggles with us and we just used that to look underwater. The only time we saw any really interesting fish was near the end of the river as you get closer to the ocean. So I would recommend not renting the snorkel equipment for the river. Floating in the river takes about 45 minutes to an hour depending on how fast you decided to travel. You can just float or paddle your arms to get around. We did a little of both so we were done in about 45 minutes. When we finished the river we returned our life vests and retrieved our bag. We then headed over to see the Manatee and to look at Jaguar island. The animals on Jaguar island were mainly resting and staying out of the sun. It was very hot and sticky. We then headed over to the aquarium and sea turtles. Along the way we ran across some of the Mayan Ruins that are in the park. The girls when exploring and we rested and tried to get our bearings. The maps and signs in the park were a little tricky to navigate.
We went through the Coral aquarium which was interesting but with us living near Baltimore we have made many trips to the National Aquarium and this one really didnt impress us. We then went and saw the turtle exhibit. That was really neat as there were these different ponds that had various sizes of turtles. The baby turtles were the cutest thing to watch. They were playing with the water spout that was pouring water into their pond.
We then walked through the shark area (only a few sharks) and went to see the dolphins. By this time it was close to 12:30 and we were hungry. We were given food tickets when we got off the bus and they told us which restaurants accept our food coupons. Of course all those restaurants were not near where we were located so we headed over to the area where we finished the river ride as there was a snack shack there that had hot dogs and hamburgers. There werent many people in line at this place but it took forever to get our food. They were very slow and constantly messing up peoples orders in front of us. There were a lot of groups there where they had many orders with only one person in line. So even though the line looked low it was a long wait. We finally got our food and sat under a shaded tree. It never rained while we were there but it was overcast, which was lucky for us because it was really hot when the sun was out. After eating we only had about an hour before we needed to be back at the bus and I wanted to do the river one more time. My DH and DD-12 were not interested in going back so I took my DD-8 and we went. Since we were rushed for time we only went halfway down the river. We met my DH and DD at the entrance and looked at the pictures from the river ride. We could only find 2 so we purchased those. We got back on the buses and headed back to the dock. I had given my DDs the Bonine during lunch so we were hoping for a less eventful trip back. We arrived back at the port closer to the dock this time so we didnt have to walk as far. We didnt have any time for shopping because we needed to get back to the ship. We boarded the boats and everyone headed for the 2nd level outside in the back (it seems like everyone realized how rough it was). We got seats out side and this time the trip was uneventful. I didnt see anyone getting sick on the way back which was good. Since we didnt have time to shop I bought three shirts on the boat that was taking us back to the ship. They had Cozumel Mexico on them and were the closest thing I was going to get as a souvenir. Once we got back to the ship it took a while to get off the boat as we had to go through security. We probably waited about 20 minutes to get back on the ship. Here are some pictures of the ship from the tender.
We headed straight to our stateroom to get ready for dinner as tonight was Pirate night. Before we left on the excursion I put out my Pirate door signs that I had made.
We all took a shower and put on our pirate clothes. I had bought my DDs pirate outfits but when we unpacked my DD-12 realized she left it at home in the closet. One of the nights we were up by the shops I picked up a pirates hat for her so she wouldnt feel left out. My DH and I had pirate shirts and my DD-8 had a costume that was really cute. We were in Lumieres for dinner and it was really neat to see the servers all dressed up for pirate night as well.
We had bandanas waiting for us at the table. The food was good and the servers put on a show at the end of the meal.
My DD-8 had already eaten and was heading to the kids clubs. My DH and DD-12 headed to the theater to watch Cars. Since I had already seen the movie and wasnt interested in seeing it again I went back to the room grabbed a book and headed to deck 9. I wanted to get a good seat for the pirate show and relax and enjoy my book. The crew was working on getting the stage ready and setting up the buffet (I dont see how anyone ate anything; I was still full from dinner). I grabbed chairs and tables on the starboard side right next to the stage. As I was sitting there, bartjwb walked up and joined me. Then the movie ended and my DH and DDs arrived. Carole88 and her family finished dinner and also met up with us. We had a great seat to watch the show and the fireworks. Our favorite server, Brianna, was working on our side of the ship as well so she kept our drinks full and told us to have our cameras ready around 10:30. At a point in the show Mickey comes swinging down on the stage from the stacks. We were ready with our cameras and got some great shots. After the party the kids headed to the kids clubs and we were going to go down to Rockin D Bar with Carole88 and her DH. Our DD-8 found out that they were showing the Pirates in the Caribbean movie after the party and wanted to stay on deck and watch the movie so we pulled up some chairs and watched the movie on the big screen over the goofy pool. It was really neat to watch the Pirates of the Caribbean movie in the Caribbean. After the movie we headed back to our rooms and went to bed. We were all really tired with the long day at the park and then the long pirate night.
End of Day 6
Here is the next day on my trip report:Day 6 June 28th Cozumel We woke up early again this morning as we had an excursion, Xcaret Eco Archeological Park, planned through Disney.
There were two reasons I planned it through Disney: one, it got us off the boat first and second in case there was a problem with the excursion we were with Disney and they wouldnt leave us behind. I had read on the boards that the boat that takes you over to the main land for the park can be pretty rough. I took some Bonine and then we headed up to Topsiders for breakfast. I didnt eat anything in case I had problems on the boat. After breakfast we headed down to Animators Palate as that was the meeting place for our excursion. I was debating on whether to take my digital cameras or not. I knew it would be a good place for pictures but I was worried about leaving our stuff out while we were swimming or doing the lazy river. So I decided to only take the water camera (later I realized that I should have taken the digitals). Jeremy was working with the excursions to get them together and off the boat. We had 2 other groups meeting in the restaurant but they did a good job keeping us all together and getting us off the boat quickly. We only had to wait about 10 minutes before we were asked to head down to deck 1 and the boat. The boat was really nice. The inside seats were plush and they had a screen showing things about the area. I headed to the second level in the back outside in the fresh air. I had read on the boards that if you think you may have problems with the rocking of the boat that this was the best place to be. My DDs didnt want to hang out with us so they headed back down to the first level to watch the TV. When everyone was aboard we headed off. This excursion is not in Cozumel it is back on the main land so we had to head across the channel which was pretty rough. The boat was really rocking and I was glad that I was up in the fresh air and could see the horizon. After about 20 minutes my oldest DD came running up and looked very green in the face. We tried to get her in the fresh air but it was too late. She was sick. I told my DH to go check on the other DD. He came back and said she was fine but within 5 minutes she arrived and also was sick. There were a lot of people getting sick at this point in the trip. The lady was handing out baggies for everyone. Luckily I was able to hang in there and not get sick. I had brought extra Bonine for the trip back and it came in very handy with the DDs. We docked on the mainland and got off the boat. The guide for our group split us up into 4 groups and assigned each group to a bus. We had to walk through a small town towards these buses. It was a pretty long walk but the girls really needed the fresh air. We boarded the buses and headed to the park. The ride was about 15 to 20 minutes. When we arrived the guide gave each of us a wrist band. We gathered by the map of the park and the guide explained where everything was located. This park is huge. They have snorkeling, snubaing, ruins, marine life, beaches with floats, the underground river, swimming with the dolphins, and various shows. We had to meet back at the front of the park by 3 so we didnt have much time. Our first stop was the underground river. It is about half way into the park. The first thing we did was get our life vests, everyone that goes into the river has to have a life vest. The next thing we did was to get a bag to put our belongs into. The river starts about half way into the park and goes along (under the park) to the ocean. They have you put your things into a locked bag that they take to the end of the river so you can get your stuff without having to walk all the way back. This is why I could have brought my cameras as we were able to lock our stuff in a secure bag. After bagging our stuff we headed for the river. There werent any lines so we headed right in. The water is pretty chilly but it felt great since we were sweating and hot. The average temp of the river is 65 degrees but considering how hot we all were it felt great. This was the neatest part of the whole day. The river has a small current so it pulls you along underground. I tried to take some pictures with my water camera but it was too dark without a flash so unfortunately I cant show you how cool the place was. The water is crystal clear and there are hardly any fish or plant life in the water. It can be shallow in some areas. I usually just sat with my feet floating in front of me and let the current carry me. Along the way they would have camera guys there to take pictures and exits in case you wanted to get out.
Since our stuff was at the end we didnt get out till the end. My DD-12 did not enjoy this at all. She was freaking out thinking that there would be something in the water. We kept telling her that there was nothing there but she was worried about fish or something. She started to calm down about halfway through the river. It is hard to describe how cool this was. You could also rent snorkel gear before getting into the river but we decided not to. We had our goggles with us and we just used that to look underwater. The only time we saw any really interesting fish was near the end of the river as you get closer to the ocean. So I would recommend not renting the snorkel equipment for the river. Floating in the river takes about 45 minutes to an hour depending on how fast you decided to travel. You can just float or paddle your arms to get around. We did a little of both so we were done in about 45 minutes. When we finished the river we returned our life vests and retrieved our bag. We then headed over to see the Manatee and to look at Jaguar island. The animals on Jaguar island were mainly resting and staying out of the sun. It was very hot and sticky. We then headed over to the aquarium and sea turtles. Along the way we ran across some of the Mayan Ruins that are in the park. The girls when exploring and we rested and tried to get our bearings. The maps and signs in the park were a little tricky to navigate.
We went through the Coral aquarium which was interesting but with us living near Baltimore we have made many trips to the National Aquarium and this one really didnt impress us. We then went and saw the turtle exhibit. That was really neat as there were these different ponds that had various sizes of turtles. The baby turtles were the cutest thing to watch. They were playing with the water spout that was pouring water into their pond.
We then walked through the shark area (only a few sharks) and went to see the dolphins. By this time it was close to 12:30 and we were hungry. We were given food tickets when we got off the bus and they told us which restaurants accept our food coupons. Of course all those restaurants were not near where we were located so we headed over to the area where we finished the river ride as there was a snack shack there that had hot dogs and hamburgers. There werent many people in line at this place but it took forever to get our food. They were very slow and constantly messing up peoples orders in front of us. There were a lot of groups there where they had many orders with only one person in line. So even though the line looked low it was a long wait. We finally got our food and sat under a shaded tree. It never rained while we were there but it was overcast, which was lucky for us because it was really hot when the sun was out. After eating we only had about an hour before we needed to be back at the bus and I wanted to do the river one more time. My DH and DD-12 were not interested in going back so I took my DD-8 and we went. Since we were rushed for time we only went halfway down the river. We met my DH and DD at the entrance and looked at the pictures from the river ride. We could only find 2 so we purchased those. We got back on the buses and headed back to the dock. I had given my DDs the Bonine during lunch so we were hoping for a less eventful trip back. We arrived back at the port closer to the dock this time so we didnt have to walk as far. We didnt have any time for shopping because we needed to get back to the ship. We boarded the boats and everyone headed for the 2nd level outside in the back (it seems like everyone realized how rough it was). We got seats out side and this time the trip was uneventful. I didnt see anyone getting sick on the way back which was good. Since we didnt have time to shop I bought three shirts on the boat that was taking us back to the ship. They had Cozumel Mexico on them and were the closest thing I was going to get as a souvenir. Once we got back to the ship it took a while to get off the boat as we had to go through security. We probably waited about 20 minutes to get back on the ship. Here are some pictures of the ship from the tender.
We headed straight to our stateroom to get ready for dinner as tonight was Pirate night. Before we left on the excursion I put out my Pirate door signs that I had made.
We all took a shower and put on our pirate clothes. I had bought my DDs pirate outfits but when we unpacked my DD-12 realized she left it at home in the closet. One of the nights we were up by the shops I picked up a pirates hat for her so she wouldnt feel left out. My DH and I had pirate shirts and my DD-8 had a costume that was really cute. We were in Lumieres for dinner and it was really neat to see the servers all dressed up for pirate night as well.
We had bandanas waiting for us at the table. The food was good and the servers put on a show at the end of the meal.
My DD-8 had already eaten and was heading to the kids clubs. My DH and DD-12 headed to the theater to watch Cars. Since I had already seen the movie and wasnt interested in seeing it again I went back to the room grabbed a book and headed to deck 9. I wanted to get a good seat for the pirate show and relax and enjoy my book. The crew was working on getting the stage ready and setting up the buffet (I dont see how anyone ate anything; I was still full from dinner). I grabbed chairs and tables on the starboard side right next to the stage. As I was sitting there, bartjwb walked up and joined me. Then the movie ended and my DH and DDs arrived. Carole88 and her family finished dinner and also met up with us. We had a great seat to watch the show and the fireworks. Our favorite server, Brianna, was working on our side of the ship as well so she kept our drinks full and told us to have our cameras ready around 10:30. At a point in the show Mickey comes swinging down on the stage from the stacks. We were ready with our cameras and got some great shots. After the party the kids headed to the kids clubs and we were going to go down to Rockin D Bar with Carole88 and her DH. Our DD-8 found out that they were showing the Pirates in the Caribbean movie after the party and wanted to stay on deck and watch the movie so we pulled up some chairs and watched the movie on the big screen over the goofy pool. It was really neat to watch the Pirates of the Caribbean movie in the Caribbean. After the movie we headed back to our rooms and went to bed. We were all really tired with the long day at the park and then the long pirate night.
End of Day 6
SuJo
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2003
- Messages
- 493
Day 7 June 29th At Sea Today was my relaxation day. I woke up late and went to Topsiders for Breakfast. At 11 I headed over to the spa for my Stone Body Massage. It was the first time I had booked a Stone Massage on the cruise but I love them at home and was looking forward to the relaxation. I was not disappointed; it was great, very relaxing and soothing. It is like a full body massage except they use these really hot stones in their hands while they do the massage. It helps to relax the muscles. The massage lasted about 90 minutes. Afterwards I went back to my room and put on my swimsuit. I headed to Plutos Dog House for a cheeseburger and fries and to find my DH. He was hanging by the pool and the kids were in the kids clubs. After lunch I rested by the adult pool and talked to MusicGirl. It was so nice and peaceful. There really werent any chairs near the pool so I just sat in the water on the edge and relaxed. At 2 oclock we had signed up for the Margarita tasting in Diversions along with the same crew from Martini tasting (Carole88 and DH and BethAs DH). We sampled three types of tequila and then a strawberry margarita and an 1800 margarita (which is really good and tastes like a lemon drop). My DH and BethAs DH did not like the tequila shots but we all enjoyed the margaritas. Carole88s DH answered a trivia question at the end and won a drink of his choice (the 1800 Margarita). We all had a good buzz going after the session was over. At 4:00 I had a pedicure scheduled so I left the crew at the bar and headed back to the spa. Again the pedicure was great and my feet felt very refreshed. I headed over to the Walt Disney Theater as they were running the last Jackpot bingo for the trip. My DH and DD were already there with my card as well as Carole88 and her DH. We all got close but were not the big winners. After bingo the kids were coming in for Kids Club graduation celebration. The kids were so cute coming in with their t-shirts and Mickey graduation hats.
After the kids were assembled on stage they showed the slide show of the pictures of the kids from the entire week. We love looking at these pictures and it is always a surprise when you childs picture is shown. After the show Mickey and Minnie came out to officially graduate the children from the kids clubs and have them move their tassels over to the other side.
The kids headed back to the kids clubs and we headed back to the room. Tonight we had scheduled Palos for dinner so the girls went to dinner by themselves. They were very excited about getting to eat in the restaurant without parents. My DH walked them down to Animators Palate and told the servers to make sure they behaved. We then headed to Palos for an amazing dinner. This was our first dinner at Palos. We had done the brunch earlier in the cruise but I wanted to try dinner there as well. Our server was Toni from Italy and he really took care of us. We ordered our appetizers and salads and then he would bring out a dish that he thought we should try. We would order our main course (the filet of course which is outstanding) and he brought out two dishes he wanted us to try. Then we had the chocolate soufflé for dessert and he brought out a white chocolate mouse and a banana fosters. After dinner I needed to go for a walk and walk off all the great food we just ate. We headed back to the room to change and to see where the girls were. Our DD-12 was at the show, Disney Dreams, and the other DD was at the kids clubs. BethAs family had invited the group up to see the Roy O Disney suite at 10 so we changed clothes and headed up there. This suite is beautiful and huge compared to the state rooms. They had cheese and crackers there for us and different types of wine. Each of the Dis members had brought a bottle of wine as well so we definitely had enough to drink. One of the Disney crew members was in the room helping to serve and we got to ask him a lot of questions about working for Disney Cruise lines. I dont know if he was ready for us and all our questions but he hung with us for the evening and answered them all. We were told from some of the crew earlier in the day that there was going to be a crew dodge ball game up on the sports deck at 11pm so we thanked BethA for having us and we headed to deck 10. This game was very funny to watch. It was the entertainment crew (Jeremy, Pike, Casey, Natalie, etc) against I think a group of counselors from the kids club. They made up all these rules for the game like no catching the balls or no using the balls to deflect other balls. I told them that I wasnt used to the European dodge ball rules. The entertainment crew killed the counselor crew in the first two games. We then received a page that our DD-8 was looking for us and was upset that we werent back in the room. I left my DH at the game and headed to the kids club to pick her up. We went back to the room and got ready for bed as tomorrow was our last day full day and our second stop at Castaway Cay.
End of Day 7
After the kids were assembled on stage they showed the slide show of the pictures of the kids from the entire week. We love looking at these pictures and it is always a surprise when you childs picture is shown. After the show Mickey and Minnie came out to officially graduate the children from the kids clubs and have them move their tassels over to the other side.
The kids headed back to the kids clubs and we headed back to the room. Tonight we had scheduled Palos for dinner so the girls went to dinner by themselves. They were very excited about getting to eat in the restaurant without parents. My DH walked them down to Animators Palate and told the servers to make sure they behaved. We then headed to Palos for an amazing dinner. This was our first dinner at Palos. We had done the brunch earlier in the cruise but I wanted to try dinner there as well. Our server was Toni from Italy and he really took care of us. We ordered our appetizers and salads and then he would bring out a dish that he thought we should try. We would order our main course (the filet of course which is outstanding) and he brought out two dishes he wanted us to try. Then we had the chocolate soufflé for dessert and he brought out a white chocolate mouse and a banana fosters. After dinner I needed to go for a walk and walk off all the great food we just ate. We headed back to the room to change and to see where the girls were. Our DD-12 was at the show, Disney Dreams, and the other DD was at the kids clubs. BethAs family had invited the group up to see the Roy O Disney suite at 10 so we changed clothes and headed up there. This suite is beautiful and huge compared to the state rooms. They had cheese and crackers there for us and different types of wine. Each of the Dis members had brought a bottle of wine as well so we definitely had enough to drink. One of the Disney crew members was in the room helping to serve and we got to ask him a lot of questions about working for Disney Cruise lines. I dont know if he was ready for us and all our questions but he hung with us for the evening and answered them all. We were told from some of the crew earlier in the day that there was going to be a crew dodge ball game up on the sports deck at 11pm so we thanked BethA for having us and we headed to deck 10. This game was very funny to watch. It was the entertainment crew (Jeremy, Pike, Casey, Natalie, etc) against I think a group of counselors from the kids club. They made up all these rules for the game like no catching the balls or no using the balls to deflect other balls. I told them that I wasnt used to the European dodge ball rules. The entertainment crew killed the counselor crew in the first two games. We then received a page that our DD-8 was looking for us and was upset that we werent back in the room. I left my DH at the game and headed to the kids club to pick her up. We went back to the room and got ready for bed as tomorrow was our last day full day and our second stop at Castaway Cay.
End of Day 7
SuJo
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2003
- Messages
- 493
I am glad that I can help everyone with their cruise withdrawal 
. I was at my neighbors house yesterday and they were on the Disney Cruise during spring break and then signed up for the one next year that is going to Europe. We talked about the cruise all night. It really made me vacation sick for the ship. I am going to work on the final days today so I can finish my report.
Susan
. I was at my neighbors house yesterday and they were on the Disney Cruise during spring break and then signed up for the one next year that is going to Europe. We talked about the cruise all night. It really made me vacation sick for the ship. I am going to work on the final days today so I can finish my report.Susan
garada3
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2004
- Messages
- 864
Thank you for posting your wonderful trip report!
I would like to ask about the independence that you allowed your children on the cruise. Obviously you trust your children a great deal and they must respect your limits
How did you make the decision to give them sign out privelages, allow them to move around the ship unescorted and be in the cabin alone?
This is something I am struggling with and my sons will be 13, 11 and 9.
I worry about them climbing the rails and falling over as kids will be kids and do silly things without thinking. I know that the oldest will be in the teen group and luckily he is our cautious one. I also worry about them moving around the ship on their own. I just watched a show on the travel channel about safety on cruise ships and it said to treat the ship like a city - be with a buddy, don't go down dark halls etc. I wouldn't let my kids wander a city but would love for them to have a bit of independence on the ship.
Anyone else struggle with this problem?
Thanks!
I would like to ask about the independence that you allowed your children on the cruise. Obviously you trust your children a great deal and they must respect your limits
How did you make the decision to give them sign out privelages, allow them to move around the ship unescorted and be in the cabin alone?
This is something I am struggling with and my sons will be 13, 11 and 9.
I worry about them climbing the rails and falling over as kids will be kids and do silly things without thinking. I know that the oldest will be in the teen group and luckily he is our cautious one. I also worry about them moving around the ship on their own. I just watched a show on the travel channel about safety on cruise ships and it said to treat the ship like a city - be with a buddy, don't go down dark halls etc. I wouldn't let my kids wander a city but would love for them to have a bit of independence on the ship.
Anyone else struggle with this problem?
Thanks!
SuJo
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2003
- Messages
- 493
Day 8 June 30th Castaway Cay Today was our last day of the cruise (not counting debarkation day) and we were at Castaway Cay.
It was a beautiful sunny day and we couldnt wait to hit the beaches. Today was our Character breakfast so we headed to Parrot Cay. We had a great breakfast and all the characters stopped by. These were the most pictures we had with the characters as my DDs never wanted to wait in line to get their picture with the characters in the Atrium lobby. We finished breakfast and grabbed our gear and headed off the boat. We lucked out this time as we were heading onto the island the tram was waiting for us. We hopped on and headed to the family beach. I stopped at She Sells to pick up our Twice the Magic shirts. I had heard from the last group that they were sold out by 12 so I wanted to make sure we got ours (Note: they did not sell out this time so you dont need to rush). I picked up a shirt for each of us and a Twice the Magic bag (I will tell you right now that the Twice the Magic bag is not holding up well. The picture on the front of the bag is an iron-on and has already started to peel off). I had sent my DH on to find us chairs. We really liked the location we were at last time as it was close to Cookies and the bathrooms.
My DH grabbed a bunch of chairs near the water. My DD-8 then decided that she wanted to go snorkeling so we headed over to Gils and Fins to pick up the snorkel gear. My DD-12 decided she just wanted to hang out at the beach so my DD-8, DH, and I put on our gear and headed to the beautiful blue waters of Castaway Cay. There were only a few snorkelers out in the water at this time so the water was very clear and we could see everything. Also there were more fish closer to shore this time. My DD takes my DH to all the places we found last time: the sunken ship, the sunken sub, the treasure chest, and the Mickey Statue. As we were heading to the sunken ship I noticed a large fish hanging out on the bow of the ship. It was huge. I was concerned that my DD would flip out and head for shore. It took her a while to notice the fish but when she did it was so funny to hear her yell through her snorkel tube. She backed up a little but seemed not to be too scared. Here is a picture of the ship, it is hard to see the fish but it is there.
After that we headed over to the coral area to see more fish and then to the Mickey statue.
I guess the big fish moved because when we got to the Mickey status he was hanging out below the life guard stand. I didnt tell my DD that it had moved figuring she wouldnt want to know it was following her. After we hit all the things in the snorkeling area we headed back to the beach. My DD-8 decided it was time to try her hands at the ropes on the play station in the middle of the water. She fell off the first time but was determined to make it across. On her second attempt she made it half way before she let go. On the third try she realized she needed to get her legs swinging and that helped her get all the way across.
We headed back to the chairs and found that Carole88s family and BethAs family had arrived. The kids headed off together and we sat down and had some Bahama Mamas. Our favorite waitress (Brianna) was working the beach area and made sure we were well taken care of. At around 12 we decided it was time for lunch and gathered the crew up and headed to Cookies. We had cheeseburgers, ribs, and potato chips for lunch. It tasted great. Like last time at Castaway Cay the kids sat at one table and we sat at the other. After lunch we ran into bartjwb who had spent the morning at the adult beach. Their DD was in the kids club and they were able to enjoy the peace and quite of the adult beach. They wanted to eat lunch so their DD hooked up with the group and we headed for the beach. I figured it was time to get some rafts so I headed back over by Gils and Fins and picked up a raft. Of course when I got back the girls wanted the raft so I sent my DH over to pick up some more.
After a while we were all in the water cooling off.
It was a very sunny day and hot. Since it was our last day everyone was just relaxing and having a great time. At around 3 they started the 2 for 1 drink sales so of course Brianna brought over our first round. The kids were starting to get tired and wanted to head back to the ship. On the way back we stopped and bought them a frozen drink and we picked up another Bahama Mama 2 for 1. We started walking back to the ship and noticed that they had moved the Flying Dutchman into the cove by the ship. We took a bunch of pictures:
Once on board we did our usual, shower and get ready for dinner. This was our last dinner and we were in Parrot Cay again. The food was great and we gave our servers their tip envelopes. My DD-8 headed off to the kids clubs again and my DH and I headed for the stateroom to start packing. My DD-12 headed in to the theater to grab some seats for the show. She grabbed three in the middle of the theater. As luck had it the group next to us didnt need the chairs they were saving so bartjwb was able to join us for the show. The show was Remember the Magic and it was really neat. The best part was the pictures they put up from all the days we were at sea. As we were watching the pictures Carole88 and her DHs picture from pirates night was shown. It was great to see a Disboard group on the big screen. After the show I headed to Shutters to look for pictures from the day at Castaway Cay and my DH headed to the room to continue packing. I forgot to mention that throughout the cruise we would stop by Shutters to look for pictures they had taken of us. It was a good thing we did because they didnt keep them up for very long. After a days worth of pictures has been up they take them down and put them in boxes. It is very hard to locate your pictures once they put them away. I would highly recommend that you stop by Shutters every night and look for your family pictures, buy the picture package and take the ones you like. You can always exchange a picture from an early day for one later but at least you have them all. I picked up all our photos and headed to Deck 4 to look into rebooking the cruise. Of course there was a line and I needed to be in Diversion by 10 as the cast was putting on a show. The line was moving slowly and I didnt have enough time to rebook (I did run into cykojoe who was also rebooking). I asked the lady if she would be available tomorrow and she said to come down to guest services and ask for her. I then headed off to Diversions. Carole88 and her DH, my DH, BethAs DH and Father In-Law were already at the bar.
I grabbed a beer and joined the group. My DH had finished packing and put our suitcases in the hallway. The kids were in the kids clubs and we were in the bar, all was good in the world. It is difficult to explain the skit that they performed but let me tell you that it was very funny. They each were dressed as a different profession and the song was What I would be Doing if I wasnt on the Cruise Ship or something like that. Each one comes out separately and tells what they would be doing and then does these hand motions. As each member joins the group these hand motions would interact with the other people in the skit. Like I said it is hard to explain but very funny.
After the show we said goodbye to Casey, Pikey, and the bartenders.
Then the group said goodbye to each other and exchanged email addresses. It was very hard to say goodbye as we had all become really good friends and we knew it was time to go home. We headed up to deck 9 so we could say good bye to Brianna. She was working at Café Cove that night. We found her over by Pinocchios. We exchanged email addresses with her as she was heading to Chicago later in the year and my DH was from the area. We gave her a hug and headed back to our room. I had bought iTune cards for the kids club counselors since I knew they didnt except money. We headed to the kids clubs and gave the girls the cards to hand to their favorite counselors. We then headed back to our room and to bed.
End of Day 8
It was a beautiful sunny day and we couldnt wait to hit the beaches. Today was our Character breakfast so we headed to Parrot Cay. We had a great breakfast and all the characters stopped by. These were the most pictures we had with the characters as my DDs never wanted to wait in line to get their picture with the characters in the Atrium lobby. We finished breakfast and grabbed our gear and headed off the boat. We lucked out this time as we were heading onto the island the tram was waiting for us. We hopped on and headed to the family beach. I stopped at She Sells to pick up our Twice the Magic shirts. I had heard from the last group that they were sold out by 12 so I wanted to make sure we got ours (Note: they did not sell out this time so you dont need to rush). I picked up a shirt for each of us and a Twice the Magic bag (I will tell you right now that the Twice the Magic bag is not holding up well. The picture on the front of the bag is an iron-on and has already started to peel off). I had sent my DH on to find us chairs. We really liked the location we were at last time as it was close to Cookies and the bathrooms.
My DH grabbed a bunch of chairs near the water. My DD-8 then decided that she wanted to go snorkeling so we headed over to Gils and Fins to pick up the snorkel gear. My DD-12 decided she just wanted to hang out at the beach so my DD-8, DH, and I put on our gear and headed to the beautiful blue waters of Castaway Cay. There were only a few snorkelers out in the water at this time so the water was very clear and we could see everything. Also there were more fish closer to shore this time. My DD takes my DH to all the places we found last time: the sunken ship, the sunken sub, the treasure chest, and the Mickey Statue. As we were heading to the sunken ship I noticed a large fish hanging out on the bow of the ship. It was huge. I was concerned that my DD would flip out and head for shore. It took her a while to notice the fish but when she did it was so funny to hear her yell through her snorkel tube. She backed up a little but seemed not to be too scared. Here is a picture of the ship, it is hard to see the fish but it is there.
After that we headed over to the coral area to see more fish and then to the Mickey statue.
I guess the big fish moved because when we got to the Mickey status he was hanging out below the life guard stand. I didnt tell my DD that it had moved figuring she wouldnt want to know it was following her. After we hit all the things in the snorkeling area we headed back to the beach. My DD-8 decided it was time to try her hands at the ropes on the play station in the middle of the water. She fell off the first time but was determined to make it across. On her second attempt she made it half way before she let go. On the third try she realized she needed to get her legs swinging and that helped her get all the way across.
We headed back to the chairs and found that Carole88s family and BethAs family had arrived. The kids headed off together and we sat down and had some Bahama Mamas. Our favorite waitress (Brianna) was working the beach area and made sure we were well taken care of. At around 12 we decided it was time for lunch and gathered the crew up and headed to Cookies. We had cheeseburgers, ribs, and potato chips for lunch. It tasted great. Like last time at Castaway Cay the kids sat at one table and we sat at the other. After lunch we ran into bartjwb who had spent the morning at the adult beach. Their DD was in the kids club and they were able to enjoy the peace and quite of the adult beach. They wanted to eat lunch so their DD hooked up with the group and we headed for the beach. I figured it was time to get some rafts so I headed back over by Gils and Fins and picked up a raft. Of course when I got back the girls wanted the raft so I sent my DH over to pick up some more.
After a while we were all in the water cooling off.
It was a very sunny day and hot. Since it was our last day everyone was just relaxing and having a great time. At around 3 they started the 2 for 1 drink sales so of course Brianna brought over our first round. The kids were starting to get tired and wanted to head back to the ship. On the way back we stopped and bought them a frozen drink and we picked up another Bahama Mama 2 for 1. We started walking back to the ship and noticed that they had moved the Flying Dutchman into the cove by the ship. We took a bunch of pictures:
Once on board we did our usual, shower and get ready for dinner. This was our last dinner and we were in Parrot Cay again. The food was great and we gave our servers their tip envelopes. My DD-8 headed off to the kids clubs again and my DH and I headed for the stateroom to start packing. My DD-12 headed in to the theater to grab some seats for the show. She grabbed three in the middle of the theater. As luck had it the group next to us didnt need the chairs they were saving so bartjwb was able to join us for the show. The show was Remember the Magic and it was really neat. The best part was the pictures they put up from all the days we were at sea. As we were watching the pictures Carole88 and her DHs picture from pirates night was shown. It was great to see a Disboard group on the big screen. After the show I headed to Shutters to look for pictures from the day at Castaway Cay and my DH headed to the room to continue packing. I forgot to mention that throughout the cruise we would stop by Shutters to look for pictures they had taken of us. It was a good thing we did because they didnt keep them up for very long. After a days worth of pictures has been up they take them down and put them in boxes. It is very hard to locate your pictures once they put them away. I would highly recommend that you stop by Shutters every night and look for your family pictures, buy the picture package and take the ones you like. You can always exchange a picture from an early day for one later but at least you have them all. I picked up all our photos and headed to Deck 4 to look into rebooking the cruise. Of course there was a line and I needed to be in Diversion by 10 as the cast was putting on a show. The line was moving slowly and I didnt have enough time to rebook (I did run into cykojoe who was also rebooking). I asked the lady if she would be available tomorrow and she said to come down to guest services and ask for her. I then headed off to Diversions. Carole88 and her DH, my DH, BethAs DH and Father In-Law were already at the bar.
I grabbed a beer and joined the group. My DH had finished packing and put our suitcases in the hallway. The kids were in the kids clubs and we were in the bar, all was good in the world. It is difficult to explain the skit that they performed but let me tell you that it was very funny. They each were dressed as a different profession and the song was What I would be Doing if I wasnt on the Cruise Ship or something like that. Each one comes out separately and tells what they would be doing and then does these hand motions. As each member joins the group these hand motions would interact with the other people in the skit. Like I said it is hard to explain but very funny.
After the show we said goodbye to Casey, Pikey, and the bartenders.
Then the group said goodbye to each other and exchanged email addresses. It was very hard to say goodbye as we had all become really good friends and we knew it was time to go home. We headed up to deck 9 so we could say good bye to Brianna. She was working at Café Cove that night. We found her over by Pinocchios. We exchanged email addresses with her as she was heading to Chicago later in the year and my DH was from the area. We gave her a hug and headed back to our room. I had bought iTune cards for the kids club counselors since I knew they didnt except money. We headed to the kids clubs and gave the girls the cards to hand to their favorite counselors. We then headed back to our room and to bed.
End of Day 8
Disney? Again?
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2006
- Messages
- 97
Thanks so much for sharing the magic! It was great reading!
Thanks also for the iTunes idea, I'll get some tomorrow.
Good luck getting back to grind...
Thanks also for the iTunes idea, I'll get some tomorrow.
Good luck getting back to grind...
SuJo
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2003
- Messages
- 493
garada3 - Orginally I wasn't going to allow my youngest to check herself in and out of the club until we hooked up with carole88 and her DD. They were allowing her to check herself in and out so we said that our DD could do it as long as she left with Carole88's DD. Mainly she stayed in the club or headed to our room. She didn't go up on deck or wander the ship. And our room was located one deck up and right off the hallway from the kids club. They also paged us every time she left the club so we knew where she was headed. Usually one of us would head to the room to make sure they were OK. Most of the time they were in the clubs so it wasn't that scary. My oldest DD was 12 and she did fine. She liked to be in the room by herself and knew not to answer the door to strangers (she would ask who it was). We also had a white board on the door and would put our location on it so they could find us if they needed. I don't think they ever used it. I would say as long as they have a buddy it's OK but it is you comfort level. Both of my DDs are very responsible and usually very cautious.
Hope this helps,
Susan
Hope this helps,
Susan
eeyore_lover_0101
~~Now All We Have Is The MEMORIES~~ 6/24/06 Double
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2006
- Messages
- 52
We were on this cruise as well and had a wonderful time!!! Me being a first time cruiser!! Your cruise report is great!! It helped me remember all the MAGICal times during the cruise!! Missing all the wonderful sevice, especially from our server Raman, and Oana!!
SuJo
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2003
- Messages
- 493
Day 9 July 1st Debarkation Day As all good things must come to an end, so did our wonderful cruise. We woke up this morning, early, as we had to be off the boat by 9. We changed into the clothes we kept from the night before. I headed down to the Guest Services desk to talk to the lady about rebooking. Luckily there wasnt any line yet at Guest Services so I spoke with the lady behind the desk who made a call back into the office. The lady I spoke to the night before came out and I was able to rebook another cruise. We arent sure when we are going again but I wanted to make sure we got the discount. I headed over to Shutters to make sure I didnt miss any pictures and to pick up a print that I had reprinted (it was a picture of our DD with Carole88s DD). I noticed that Carole88 had picked up her prints and didnt have this picture. So I bought both of them hoping that I would run into her before we left the ship. I went back to the cabin to meet up with my family and head for breakfast. We made one final check of all the draws and closets to make sure we didnt miss anything. We grabbed our bags and headed to our last trip to Topsiders. We dropped our stuff out of the way by the front of the restaurant and grabbed a table. It was very crowded this morning as everyone was getting there last meal on the cruise. We had a great breakfast and then headed to the Atrium lobby for debarkation. When I was rebooking a line had formed to get off the ship (not sure why people were eager to leave), but when we got there this time, there wasnt a line. We walked off the ship and grabbed a porter. He found our bags easily even though they gave us the wrong colored tags for our stateroom number. We easily went through customs and made it over to the line waiting for Budget rental cars. This is where we ran into Carole88 and her family as they were waiting for a shuttle as well. I was able to give her the picture I bought for them and the girls were able to have one last goodbye. There were a few people in front of us so we werent able to go in the first shuttle. We watched it leave. Carole88s shuttle arrived and they were able to load up. As the shuttle was leaving, BethAs family walked by the shuttle line and we were able to say one last goodbye to them as well. It was sad to be leaving such a great vacation and such great friends. Our shuttle finally arrived and we loaded into the van.
It was a short trip to the Budget Rental place. I jumped off the shuttle and headed inside to wait while my DH and DDs unloaded the van. We had one more suitcase than we came out with because we brought an extra one for souvenirs (and we definitely needed it). I had originally booked a small SUV for our trip to Orlando but after packing before we left for the cruise I felt we could not get all our bags into a small SUV so I upgraded us to a standard SUV like an Explorer. When I checked us in at Budget they gave us a Mitsubishi. I asked if it was the same size as the Explorer and they said yes. We went out and found the car and let me tell you that it is nothing like the size of an Explorer. It was more like the small SUVs. I went back inside to check it out but she said that Budget classifies this car as a standard SUV. Luckily I am married to the best packer in the world and he was able to squeeze all our bags into the back of this small car. I was not happy and do not plan to rent from Budget for a while. We headed out for Orlando. On the way out we saw all the cars headed on their way for the space shuttle launch. My DH is an Aeronautical Engineer and he really wanted to stay but I was worried about what we would do for the next 5 hours without a hotel or anything to do. Also I knew there was going to be a lot of people coming in for the launch and it would take forever to get to Orlando. I was able to talk him out of staying (which was lucky for us as the launch didnt happen).
I had booked us at the Nickelodeon Hotel for the next 3 days. My kids had been asking about this place every time they saw it on TV (which was every day as their favorite channel is Nick). It has an awesome pool with slides and a bunch of water stuff. Here is a picture:
I knew WDW was going to be really crowded for the 4th of July and didnt want to have a bad time at the park after having such a great cruise. So I figured we could do the Nick Hotel since next time we will be staying at the parks in WDW. We arrived around 11 and checked in. Our room wasnt ready but they were able to hold our bags. We headed to the mall thats inside the hotel to get tickets to the Nick Show that they had at night. We found out that all the regular Nick shows were full but we could do the late night one at 9 oclock. We then decided to head to Downtown Disney (just because we werent going to WDW didnt mean we couldnt get our WDW fix).
We went to Disney Quest to spend the afternoon. First we played Pirates of the Caribbean as this was our favorite game the last time we were there. There was a wait so I sent the DH and DDs off to Aladdin while I waited in line. I guess the line for Aladdin was very long because I got to the end of Pirates before they were done. So I stalled. Finally they showed up and we headed into our boat. Since we just got off the ship, being on the Pirate boat was real easy. DH was captain and steering the ship and the DDs and I were manning the cannons. We had a great time but my DH kept leaving my side of the ship devoid of targets. We defeated the king pirate and stole his gold but we only got to the second highest ranking for the game. We exited the ride and then got right back in line. This time I was the captain and my DH was manning the cannons. Again we only got the second highest ranking.
Next we headed over to the Invasion! An ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter. Last time we did this ride my DH drove and we shot at the aliens. This time I was the driver and I successfully saved all of the survivors. This is a really fun game and takes team work to get to the end. We rode it again with my DH driving. We werent as successful this time with the survivors so of course we had to try again. After the third time we decided it was time to move to the Mighty Ducks Pinball Slam. We played this game three times in a row and each time I was the high scorer. My DH wanted to keep playing so that he could beat me but I was unstoppable.
I received a call at 2 from the Nick hotel saying our room was ready but I told them we probably would not be back until the evening. We then headed over to Buzz Lightyear's Astroblasters. There was a wait for this ride as more people were starting to arrive. My DD-12 and I went into one Astroblaster and my DH and DD-8 were in another. I was driving and my DD-12 was having a difficult time figuring out how the cannons worked. Needless to say we spent most of the time spinning in a circle. The kids didnt like this ride very much so we decided to try Pirates one more time before we left. This time we found out that we could have a ghost captain and we could all man the cannons. This was the way to play as the computer sailed us into all the great places to pillage and plunder. We blew up the other ships, the town, the trees, the fort, and anything else on the screen (the lady running the ride told us to shoot everything and we did). This time we got the high score, we were psyched.
We left Disney Quest around 6ish and stopped by Wolfgang Pucks restaurant for dinner. We were able to get a table outside and it wasnt too hot. I just have to say that I love the bread at this restaurant. We finished dinner and Downtown Disney was starting to get crowded. We headed to our car and headed to the hotel. We picked up our room keys and told the porter our room number. We walked to the room and dropped off our bags and headed to the studio where the Nick show was being held. It was a generation show that pitted parents against their kids. They asked questions to the kids about their parents and the parents about their kids (kind of like the newlywed show but for families). It was pretty funny to hear what the kids knew about their parents and what the parent didnt know about their kids (the music group they like, if they have a boyfriend or girlfriend, etc ) After the show we headed back to the room for bed. We were pretty tired because it was a long day. The rooms at the Nick hotel are like suites were the kids have their own room with Sponge Bob painted on the walls.
There are bunk beds in the room and they have their own TV and phone. There is another bedroom for the parents and a living room with a kitchenette. We had a character breakfast planned in the morning so we went right to bed.
End of Day 9
It was a short trip to the Budget Rental place. I jumped off the shuttle and headed inside to wait while my DH and DDs unloaded the van. We had one more suitcase than we came out with because we brought an extra one for souvenirs (and we definitely needed it). I had originally booked a small SUV for our trip to Orlando but after packing before we left for the cruise I felt we could not get all our bags into a small SUV so I upgraded us to a standard SUV like an Explorer. When I checked us in at Budget they gave us a Mitsubishi. I asked if it was the same size as the Explorer and they said yes. We went out and found the car and let me tell you that it is nothing like the size of an Explorer. It was more like the small SUVs. I went back inside to check it out but she said that Budget classifies this car as a standard SUV. Luckily I am married to the best packer in the world and he was able to squeeze all our bags into the back of this small car. I was not happy and do not plan to rent from Budget for a while. We headed out for Orlando. On the way out we saw all the cars headed on their way for the space shuttle launch. My DH is an Aeronautical Engineer and he really wanted to stay but I was worried about what we would do for the next 5 hours without a hotel or anything to do. Also I knew there was going to be a lot of people coming in for the launch and it would take forever to get to Orlando. I was able to talk him out of staying (which was lucky for us as the launch didnt happen).
I had booked us at the Nickelodeon Hotel for the next 3 days. My kids had been asking about this place every time they saw it on TV (which was every day as their favorite channel is Nick). It has an awesome pool with slides and a bunch of water stuff. Here is a picture:
I knew WDW was going to be really crowded for the 4th of July and didnt want to have a bad time at the park after having such a great cruise. So I figured we could do the Nick Hotel since next time we will be staying at the parks in WDW. We arrived around 11 and checked in. Our room wasnt ready but they were able to hold our bags. We headed to the mall thats inside the hotel to get tickets to the Nick Show that they had at night. We found out that all the regular Nick shows were full but we could do the late night one at 9 oclock. We then decided to head to Downtown Disney (just because we werent going to WDW didnt mean we couldnt get our WDW fix).
We went to Disney Quest to spend the afternoon. First we played Pirates of the Caribbean as this was our favorite game the last time we were there. There was a wait so I sent the DH and DDs off to Aladdin while I waited in line. I guess the line for Aladdin was very long because I got to the end of Pirates before they were done. So I stalled. Finally they showed up and we headed into our boat. Since we just got off the ship, being on the Pirate boat was real easy. DH was captain and steering the ship and the DDs and I were manning the cannons. We had a great time but my DH kept leaving my side of the ship devoid of targets. We defeated the king pirate and stole his gold but we only got to the second highest ranking for the game. We exited the ride and then got right back in line. This time I was the captain and my DH was manning the cannons. Again we only got the second highest ranking.
Next we headed over to the Invasion! An ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter. Last time we did this ride my DH drove and we shot at the aliens. This time I was the driver and I successfully saved all of the survivors. This is a really fun game and takes team work to get to the end. We rode it again with my DH driving. We werent as successful this time with the survivors so of course we had to try again. After the third time we decided it was time to move to the Mighty Ducks Pinball Slam. We played this game three times in a row and each time I was the high scorer. My DH wanted to keep playing so that he could beat me but I was unstoppable.
I received a call at 2 from the Nick hotel saying our room was ready but I told them we probably would not be back until the evening. We then headed over to Buzz Lightyear's Astroblasters. There was a wait for this ride as more people were starting to arrive. My DD-12 and I went into one Astroblaster and my DH and DD-8 were in another. I was driving and my DD-12 was having a difficult time figuring out how the cannons worked. Needless to say we spent most of the time spinning in a circle. The kids didnt like this ride very much so we decided to try Pirates one more time before we left. This time we found out that we could have a ghost captain and we could all man the cannons. This was the way to play as the computer sailed us into all the great places to pillage and plunder. We blew up the other ships, the town, the trees, the fort, and anything else on the screen (the lady running the ride told us to shoot everything and we did). This time we got the high score, we were psyched.
We left Disney Quest around 6ish and stopped by Wolfgang Pucks restaurant for dinner. We were able to get a table outside and it wasnt too hot. I just have to say that I love the bread at this restaurant. We finished dinner and Downtown Disney was starting to get crowded. We headed to our car and headed to the hotel. We picked up our room keys and told the porter our room number. We walked to the room and dropped off our bags and headed to the studio where the Nick show was being held. It was a generation show that pitted parents against their kids. They asked questions to the kids about their parents and the parents about their kids (kind of like the newlywed show but for families). It was pretty funny to hear what the kids knew about their parents and what the parent didnt know about their kids (the music group they like, if they have a boyfriend or girlfriend, etc ) After the show we headed back to the room for bed. We were pretty tired because it was a long day. The rooms at the Nick hotel are like suites were the kids have their own room with Sponge Bob painted on the walls.
There are bunk beds in the room and they have their own TV and phone. There is another bedroom for the parents and a living room with a kitchenette. We had a character breakfast planned in the morning so we went right to bed.
End of Day 9
My DD has been begging to stay at the Nick suites! She will be so jealous that your DD's got to stay there! It does look like a great place!We are rebooked for a cruise as well. I can't wait for the 2008 dates to come out so we can plan our actual date and itinerary!
SuJo
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2003
- Messages
- 493
Bairdbeth - I will say that after being on the Disney Cruise the Nick Hotel was a little bit of a let down. It was pretty crowded due to the 4th of July weekend and it seemed that there were a lot people who live in Florida staying at this hotel. Also it seemed like a lot of people smoked. Maryland has really become a non-smoking state and we really notice it more when we go someplace that has a lot of smokers. This could be why we weren't as impressed with this place as we expected. It kind of felt like they were trying to compete with Disney but not at the same level. I would recommend that if you go, go during a not so busy time. The girls really enjoyed the pool but there was a long wait for the slides and after a while they stopped going on them.
Susan
Susan
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Eeyore in the Spotlight With New Loungefly Collection
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Broadway Musical 'Frozen' New on Disney+ June 20th
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Let's Make Disney's Lobster Nachos from Lamplight Lounge
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Add This New Limited-Time Sweet Snack to Your Disney Plans
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The New Disney x Corkcicle Release You Don't Want to Miss
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Disney Debate: Is Disney Really A MORE Expensive Destination?
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Could You Rock This New Disney Character Accessory?
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GET UP TO A $1000 SHIPBOARD CREDIT AND AN EXCLUSIVE GIFT!
If you make your Disney Cruise Line reservation with Dreams Unlimited Travel you’ll receive these incredible shipboard credits to spend on your cruise!
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She's Raising The Bar, a June 2025 Copper Creek Trip Report- Latest: ThreeBoyMama
Save Up to 30% on Rooms at Walt Disney World!
Save up to 30% on rooms at select Disney Resorts Collection hotels when you stay 5 consecutive nights or longer in late summer and early fall. Plus, enjoy other savings for shorter stays.This offer is valid for stays most nights from August 1 to October 11, 2025.
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