1/3/09 Magic - First Time To St. Croix

[clower5luvzdiz]

I think we should just bring little tribute that either represent our state, who we are, what we are about or some other personal thing to make them more special and for us to not get a ton of the same thing, different variety. Or another idea would be to get fun things to use at dinner the next night to dress up or identify ourselves to each other.... IDK.....just thinking out loud or simple gestures, gum, mints, a trading pin etc.

Who has done the FE gifting and what were your guidelines?

I am totally getting ideas now... does everyone wear their castaway club lanyards or other type of lanyard most of the time on the ship?

Will we have an informal Dismeet somewhere on ship or will it be organized in a conference room? I am sooo getting excited about this chat group... I have always looked and listened but it is sooo much fun to have a group to chat with that are just as excited as I am about Disney cruising... my friends at work know I am the scrapbooker and the knower of all things Disney cruising... but otherwise.... they just don't understand the Magic of taking a cruise with family and knowing some people too to meet that we have gotten to know online will be even better!

It is only a little over 9 months away! Yahooooo!

 

[khakismum]

I posted a query to the FE thread to see what others have done that have participated in the exchanges. I got a reply back from a group who sounded very organized.

Basically what they did was on the cruise meet thread they had everyone who wanted to participate in the exchange (they called it DIStag) to e-mail one person and that person kept a master spreadsheet. Then at a designated cut off point the number of participants was announced. You were to then plan to bring that number of gifties to hand out over the cruise. During the cruise meet on embarkation day a spread sheet of name sof participants was handed out. Along with a special door magnet to each participant. Whoever is at the top of the list starts the game. They take one of their gifts and the magnet and goes to the next person on the list and leaves the goodie and puts the magent on the door up high. That person then takes one of their offerings and the magnet and goes to the person next on the list after them....and so forth and so on. When the first person gets tagged, they then start all over with the next name down on their list and so forth and so on until all participants have been tagged on your list.

It sounds confusing but if you talk it through to yourself it isn't that bad, and it isn't like you are having to hunt down 20 or however many cabins in one day... just one or two every so often every day.

They did say if the list didn't get completed (all goodies handed out) within the game's time frame that any left over gifts were just handed out all at once to the remaining players.

If we want to start thinking about this I'd be happy to maintain the "master list" of players we can establish some deadlines and guidelines if we like. I know personally I'd like to know how many gifts I'd be bringing well before cruise day like mid-November? That way I can be looking for deals or know how many things I might have to make and have time to make them! But we can discuss all that later...

For now I say....TAG!! I'm in!

 

[krhardy]

You win! I aint stupid when somebody volunteers for something, I am more than happy to let them! You know our cabin numbers...add us in.

 

[khakismum]

You know our cabin numbers...add us in.

Okay, so that is 2 families definite - krhardy and us!

Kelley, do you want the kids cabin to participate? If not which is which?
cabin 7623
cabin 7620

 

[clower5luvzdiz]

I posted a query to the FE thread to see what others have done that have participated in the exchanges. I got a reply back from a group who sounded very organized.

Basically what they did was on the cruise meet thread they had everyone who wanted to participate in the exchange (they called it DIStag) to e-mail one person and that person kept a master spreadsheet. Then at a designated cut off point the number of participants was announced. You were to then plan to bring that number of gifties to hand out over the cruise. During the cruise meet on embarkation day a spread sheet of name sof participants was handed out. Along with a special door magnet to each participant. Whoever is at the top of the list starts the game. They take one of their gifts and the magnet and goes to the next person on the list and leaves the goodie and puts the magent on the door up high. That person then takes one of their offerings and the magnet and goes to the person next on the list after them....and so forth and so on. When the first person gets tagged, they then start all over with the next name down on their list and so forth and so on until all participants have been tagged on your list.

It sounds confusing but if you talk it through to yourself it isn't that bad, and it isn't like you are having to hunt down 20 or however many cabins in one day... just one or two every so often every day.

They did say if the list didn't get completed (all goodies handed out) within the game's time frame that any left over gifts were just handed out all at once to the remaining players.

If we want to start thinking about this I'd be happy to maintain the "master list" of players we can establish some deadlines and guidelines if we like. I know personally I'd like to know how many gifts I'd be bringing well before cruise day like mid-November? That way I can be looking for deals or know how many things I might have to make and have time to make them! But we can discuss all that later...

For now I say....TAG!! I'm in!

what is the FE thread????

Count me and my family in... I am excited to know some folks and have a meet! So there is one magnet that is passed around to whoever is tagged???? sounds fun! Now to think of a unique idea for a gift for all.... do you give something the family can enjoy or something each person should be able to get in the family?

Thanks!

 

[MrsMork]

I am totally getting ideas now... does everyone wear their castaway club lanyards or other type of lanyard most of the time on the ship?

Will we have an informal Dismeet somewhere on ship or will it be organized in a conference room? I am sooo getting excited about this chat group... I have always looked and listened but it is sooo much fun to have a group to chat with that are just as excited as I am about Disney cruising... my friends at work know I am the scrapbooker and the knower of all things Disney cruising... but otherwise.... they just don't understand the Magic of taking a cruise with family and knowing some people too to meet that we have gotten to know online will be even better!

It is only a little over 9 months away! Yahooooo!

Meets will be informal. THere are no conference rooms to use that I know of. Traditionally, DIS meets have been on Deck 9 or 10 or at Promanade Lounge the first day, then whatever, wherever we decide.

I know exactly what you mean about family and friends not understanding and how fun it is to talk with like minded folks on the DIS.

 

[MrsMork]

I posted a query to the FE thread to see what others have done that have participated in the exchanges. I got a reply back from a group who sounded very organized.

Basically what they did was on the cruise meet thread they had everyone who wanted to participate in the exchange (they called it DIStag) to e-mail one person and that person kept a master spreadsheet. Then at a designated cut off point the number of participants was announced. You were to then plan to bring that number of gifties to hand out over the cruise. During the cruise meet on embarkation day a spread sheet of name sof participants was handed out. Along with a special door magnet to each participant. Whoever is at the top of the list starts the game. They take one of their gifts and the magnet and goes to the next person on the list and leaves the goodie and puts the magent on the door up high. That person then takes one of their offerings and the magnet and goes to the person next on the list after them....and so forth and so on. When the first person gets tagged, they then start all over with the next name down on their list and so forth and so on until all participants have been tagged on your list.

It sounds confusing but if you talk it through to yourself it isn't that bad, and it isn't like you are having to hunt down 20 or however many cabins in one day... just one or two every so often every day.

They did say if the list didn't get completed (all goodies handed out) within the game's time frame that any left over gifts were just handed out all at once to the remaining players.

If we want to start thinking about this I'd be happy to maintain the "master list" of players we can establish some deadlines and guidelines if we like. I know personally I'd like to know how many gifts I'd be bringing well before cruise day like mid-November? That way I can be looking for deals or know how many things I might have to make and have time to make them! But we can discuss all that later...

For now I say....TAG!! I'm in!

The 4 times we have been involved in FE exchanges, we just picked a day and went around the ship with our list of rooms that were participating. It was very fun.

 

[khakismum]

what is the FE thread????

Count me and my family in... I am excited to know some folks and have a meet! So there is one magnet that is passed around to whoever is tagged???? sounds fun! Now to think of a unique idea for a gift for all.... do you give something the family can enjoy or something each person should be able to get in the family?

Thanks!

The FE thread is a thread about Fish Extenders - the thing you make to hang off your door fishy to hold the goodies folks might leave in the tag game.
Here is the whole thread
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1219607

Here is one message from the thread that shows what some folks got during one cruise.
http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=21624095&postcount=222


The magnet...everybody will get one and it moves with the gifting. Your door will get a magnet when you get a gift. When you go to leave a gift, you take the magnet and put in on the door of the giftee. Everybody gets one and if the game goes as it should you just might wind up with the magnet you started out with. Doesn't really matter...they are all the same.

As far as the gift goes, I'm thinking pretty generic and not for each and every member of the family (unless you want). Just something potentially useful, informative, edible , what ever you think up! It could be a goodie bag or one thing. Look at the message above to see some ideas. Or read the thread...it has goodie ideas too.

You're in? What is your cabin # and how many family members? Kids ages? You can PM me or send it to the thread.

CTLO Diane - Chief Tag Logistics Officer!

 

[khakismum]

I'm making up the spread sheet and I thought I'd let you know what info I need so when you say you "are in" you will know what info to give!

I will need:

1. DIS user name
2. real name for you and spousal unit
3. cabin # participating (if more than one cabin participating ie. parents/kids both/all cabin numbers)
4. total number in party
5. number of kids
6. ages of kids
7. allergies anyone in party suffers. Don't want anyone getting food they can't eat! Don't want anyone sick!!
8. and just for fun...anything special you are celebrating on board. (Anniversary, birthday, graduation, parole ...)

okay, that is all.....

 

[krhardy]

Diane,
the grown ups (and I use that term loosely )will be in room 7620, while the kiddos are in 7623. Go ahead and include the kids...they'll love it, even if I will have to referee the distribution of the goodies! Do you really need me to give you a run down of allergies, or can you remember all or our peculiarities?
ALSO, just for my own information (and maybe that of others) maybe have the ADULTS list whether or not they drink alcohol

 

[SunshineGirl327]

DIS user name Diane - I don't even know who I am on a regular day and you're asking me who I am on this trip?!?!? I think I'm SunshineGirl which by January 2009 might be questionable. I might be the dwarf formerly known as Grumpy by then... ask the real Shellback ... he'll probably confirm.
real name for you and spousal unit - Anne and Don
cabin # participating - #2103
total number in party - 4 (2 over 18 and 2 under)
number of kids - 2
ages of kids by then, 15 1/2 and 7 weeks short of 17
allergies anyone in party suffers. - No NUTS for daughter and no alcohol for Mom.
and just for fun...anything special you are celebrating on board. (Anniversary, birthday, graduation, parole ...) so many things come to mind and none clean enough to post here.

 

[plutojudy]

The Tag game does sound confusing.
On our previous cruise we did a Secret Santa. Before we left home we knew how many items we would need and at the DISmeet someone handed out a list of staterooms, and how many people in each room, and we delivered our gifts when we wanted.
Maybe you could explain Tag again.

 

[khakismum]

The Tag game does sound confusing.
On our previous cruise we did a Secret Santa. Before we left home we knew how many items we would need and at the DISmeet someone handed out a list of staterooms, and how many people in each room, and we delivered our gifts when we wanted.
Maybe you could explain Tag again.

It's the same basic thing. We will know how many participants by November (I'll post a cut off date later) So from there we will know how may gifts to bring. You will get a list of cabins to 'tag' with presents during our DISmeet on embarkation day. Once or twice a day you will drop off a gift to a stateroom. Just the way this one is structured it keeps game going most of the week instead of one day.

You have a list of cabins provided by me. On this list might be

1. Mary - #4562
2. George - #7231
3. Jeff - #6324
4. Julie - #5534

Okay, day one Mary takes a gift to George's cabin.
Once George sees he has been 'tagged' by seeing the gift in the FE and the provided magnet on his door he then goes and 'tags' Jeff's cabin.
Jeff sees he is tagged and goes and tags Julies cabin.
Julie in turn goes and tags Mary's cabin.

***so far everybody has left one present and received one present****

so now, Mary, having been tagged, takes a gift to Jeff, the next person to be tagged on *her*list.
Jeff in turn takes a gift to Mary the next person on *his* list.

At the same time George is tagging Julie
and Julie is tagging George
each the next name on their respective list.

Basically every time you get tagged, you go and tag the next person on your list; 1-20 or whatever. Sort of like those chain letters where you send a tea towel or recipe to the next person on the list in the letter you have.



If others get it, maybe some one else could do a better job explaining? I may not be telling it the way some folks need to get it.

I just like this way because it is only a few minutes here and there and not an afternoon trying to run down cabins. Besides, like I said, it stretches the fun out over the whole week!

 

[krhardy]

OK...admitting to being dense...Anne, I saw your post and thought "oh how cool, somebody ELSE from this area" Then, I kept reading and thought...DUH!!!! She's traveling with ME! Geez...I think this funky weather we've been having has affected my brain more than normal!

 

[MrsMork]

It's the same basic thing. We will know how many participants by November (I'll post a cut off date later) So from there we will know how may gifts to bring. You will get a list of cabins to 'tag' with presents during our DISmeet on embarkation day. Once or twice a day you will drop off a gift to a stateroom. Just the way this one is structured it keeps game going most of the week instead of one day.

You have a list of cabins provided by me. On this list might be

1. Mary - #4562
2. George - #7231
3. Jeff - #6324
4. Julie - #5534

Okay, day one Mary takes a gift to George's cabin.
Once George sees he has been 'tagged' by seeing the gift in the FE and the provided magnet on his door he then goes and 'tags' Jeff's cabin.
Jeff sees he is tagged and goes and tags Julies cabin.
Julie in turn goes and tags Mary's cabin.

***so far everybody has left one present and received one present****

so now, Mary, having been tagged, takes a gift to Jeff, the next person to be tagged on *her*list.
Jeff in turn takes a gift to Mary the next person on *his* list.

At the same time George is tagging Julie
and Julie is tagging George
each the next name on their respective list.

Basically every time you get tagged, you go and tag the next person on your list; 1-20 or whatever. Sort of like those chain letters where you send a tea towel or recipe to the next person on the list in the letter you have.



If others get it, maybe some one else could do a better job explaining? I may not be telling it the way some folks need to get it.

I just like this way because it is only a few minutes here and there and not an afternoon trying to run down cabins. Besides, like I said, it stretches the fun out over the whole week!

I just wonder how this would work if you had say, 140 people on your tag list. Sorry, not trying to be difficult, but the times we have had these exchanges the DIS groups have been VERY large. HHMMM. Wonder if Disney would let us stay on board until we are done with our list.

 

[khakismum]

I just wonder how this would work if you had say, 140 people on your tag list. Sorry, not trying to be difficult, but the times we have had these exchanges the DIS groups have been VERY large. HHMMM. Wonder if Disney would let us stay on board until we are done with our list.

I get the feeling it will be a small group. The lady who gave me the details of their exchange had 20 participants. Personally I've never seen very many (140) active folks on any meet thread. Besides if you want to be included you have to submit your information to me...and quite honestly, if I see the list getting too big...approaching say 40 members, I'll call for a cut off. Quite honestly, I don't want the numbers to get too large either. I don't want to spend my whole vacation dropping off gifts at everyone's cabin. But with 20-30 players, it is doable. JMHO Do we want to go ahead and cap the number of players? 25? 30? That way no one has to go to great expense to purchase gifts or gift supplies and no one has to spend their days playing "Santa".

As it stands at the moment I only have 3 active participants; myself, krhardy and sunshinegirl327. If you DO want to participate please touch base with me and provide the information I sent previously on message http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=23645164&postcount=249

 

[brack]

DH and I are seriously considering booking this cruise for our family of 8. It would be our second trip on the big Mickey boat. We went in August of 06 on a double dipper and had the time of our lives! I have to say, the trip thread was one of the best resources we had so I'd love to "meet" others going this week.

DO IT! it will be great and we're really nice people .... most of the time.

 

[clower5luvzdiz]

I'm making up the spread sheet and I thought I'd let you know what info I need so when you say you "are in" you will know what info to give!

I will need:

1. DIS user name
2. real name for you and spousal unit
3. cabin # participating (if more than one cabin participating ie. parents/kids both/all cabin numbers)
4. total number in party
5. number of kids
6. ages of kids
7. allergies anyone in party suffers. Don't want anyone getting food they can't eat! Don't want anyone sick!!
8. and just for fun...anything special you are celebrating on board. (Anniversary, birthday, graduation, parole ...)

okay, that is all.....

clower5luvzdiz is only going to be 4 on the cruise as our 18 year old is staying home to hold down the fort and isn't a cruiser really... so he is getting his own special stuff while we cruise the maiden voyage to St. Croix! We keep asking and he keeps assuring us he does not want to go! No idea on cabin number yet but we have ressies for Cat 9 on Deck 2 for 4 with a window view.

No allergies except to leaving the Disney Magic.... hehehe

Also my DH and I will be post celebration of our 15 wedding anniversary! Yahoo!

I love the link to pics of what loot others have gotten... gives me great ideas.

I would love to make the magnet for the top of the door when we decide on our logo for this cruise... have we had any ideas yet?

I also like that there may only be 20 or 25 families as this makes it easier to make really fun gifts versus 50 or 100 families when it is hard to get great gifts for everyone.

So once we get our initial list in... can we circulate it so we can start thinking of ideas? Then once every couple months our great master list holder can send out updated info with the new families in a different color or something???? just wondering as this will give me something to do while I am jumping up and down with excitement to be on this cruise.

Love to get your point of view and everyone elses!



We are Kathi (me), Tony (DH), Mike (14 DS) and Brandi (10 DD). We are celebrating Brandi's 10 1/2 birthday as we do something special for our kids when they turn 10 and she gets the prize! hehehe and so do we!

Our last name is Clower.

 

[brack]

Meets will be informal. THere are no conference rooms to use that I know of. Traditionally, DIS meets have been on Deck 9 or 10 or at Promanade Lounge the first day, then whatever, wherever we decide.

I know exactly what you mean about family and friends not understanding and how fun it is to talk with like minded folks on the DIS.

The best first day photo of a DISMeet was at the Goofy pool on the steps of the stage. We could get a good look at everyone. I'll find the photo and post it.

 

[MrsMork]

The best first day photo of a DISMeet was at the Goofy pool on the steps of the stage. We could get a good look at everyone. I'll find the photo and post it.

Yes, that is a great place for a meet and a photo op! Howdy, Brack!