10-14-2006 Cruisetoberfest IV

[Viking]

Michele,
you'd better send Daisy ASAP - I guess she won't fit into a standard FedEx box for very much longer She's adorable!!!

 

[WDWCrazzyCunninghams]

Thanks everyone! She is pushing 30 pounds now and showing no sign of slowing down! We wanted a big dog and by golly, we're going to get one! I had to call the vet this am. She started limping last night. They seem to think it's just growing pains. She is now on 1/2 of an adult asprin 2 times a day. We have also been told to limit our walking for a few days. Only doing a mile total today, and that okay because it is FINALLY raining!

Steve told me last night that we might be able to squeeze in a FL trip over Thanksgiving! BUT, there's always a but isn't there?, we will have to watch our $$ and go easy on Christmas. I think I can handle that! Now, of course the boys have had a taste of US/IOA so they want to do that, and Sea World, and I was even concidering Busch Gardens. As of now, the boys want to do Sea World, MGM, MK, US/IOA and Disney Quest. I am going to have to figure up how much all these separate tickets are going to cost! I am also going to see if MVMCP might be one night before we leave, then we can have another day of R&R or another park! Let's just all hope and pray I can figure this all out and make the budget work!

 

[Laurarn]

Michele,
HOpe you get to do your trip. Also, Daisy is ADORABLE!!!!
Laura

 

[WDWCrazzyCunninghams]

thanks Laura! I am crunching the costs now. I see that MVMCP won't be available when we are there. I am thinking that we are going to have to ditch SW or DQ. It just costs so much! Now US/IOA has a good deal since Connor would get in for FREE!!! AND we would get 4 days instead of 2 for $100...that's $300 for the 4 of us for 4 days. hmmm...maybe we need to ditch WDW! <gasp> Say it isn't so! We stay in our condo, so that is no cost. Just gas, food and tickets.....I'll figure it out!

 

[wendym]

In this instance I would ditch WDW - you can go to the resorts and DTD for free. Single day tickets are really expensive and think of it this way you will enjoy the parks all the more the next time!
Wendy

 

[bettemom]

Hi Jenn & Peter,

Remember this photo..

Can't wait to see you all on Sunday,

Bye, Kim

 

[jeanneg]

Michele:
Hate to say this but I would do the US/IOA thingy.....There's not much new at WDW and besides, IOA has such Badass rollercoasters!
We are back from Maine, which is a beautiful state. John and I sat down and made our list of the states we've been to. I was shocked because I thought I had done so much more than I actually had. I've only done 38 and he did 40. Technically, I could probably count Ohio because when I once switched planes there, I had to take a shuttle bus to the other terminal, so my feet touched the actual ground there, but we're still not counting it! I still need Washington, Oregon, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin (maybe Tracy will invite us!), Ohio and Indiana. John has been to Michigan and Indiana, but he's missing the exact same others.

 

[Laurarn]

Jeanneg: I thought of you last week while on the Wonder. I tossed out my underwear at the end of the trip!
Laura

 

[PlutoQT7]

I still need Washington, Oregon, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin (maybe Tracy will invite us!), Ohio and Indiana. John has been to Michigan and Indiana, but he's missing the exact same others.

Jeanne, didn't you say you were born & raised in Chicago? I'm surprised you've missed all the border states of Illinois.

(Didn't realize I'm being Heidi tonite. )

 

[Tulirose]

Welcome back all!

I have to post a quick post because I somehow got off the email notification list for this thread. Must have done something weird when I tried to edit that last post and came up with a duplicate post.

Is that Gulliver!??! Somehow he doesn't look as large as I remember him to be! My gosh, he was the biggest dog in the world to me last December. Hope you are feeling better Kim!

Guess he still holds the title because look at Jen's little puppy, getting lost in Gulliver's dog dish!! ug:

 

[Viking]

Bette & Kim,
I think I will get a saddle for Gulliver so that Anja can ride out on him

Michele,
forget WDW and DQ - do USF/IoA and SW.
Did you check out Univeral's online tickets? We had them last time at $79 for five consecutive days. We bought them online, received a PIN and when we got to the parks I inserted the credit card I used for the purchase in a vending machine, punched in the PIN and it printed our tickets.

 

[bettemom]

Hi everyone,

Keep your fingers crossed today, I see my orthopaedic surgeon and get the MRI "news" this afternoon. Hopefully it will not involve another trip to the O.R.

We are spending Sunday with Hygiene99 & the Germs, we have a FUN day planned. Rosemary, I promise gulliver will look bigger by cookie night, Saturday he will get a bath at the groomers so that he smells pretty for the company Sunday.

Off to work,

Bye, Kim

 

[WDWCrazzyCunninghams]

Gulliver is a cutie! He looks so huggable! Good Luck at the Drs Kim! I'll be thinking of you today! Sending *~*~*~ and /\.

Well, I am shocked! All my WDW fans are telling me to ditch WDW?!?! What's up with that? That's okay. We were just there in Decemeber...but we also were at US/IOA too. It was a 2 week extravaganza! We did WDW, then went on the cruise, then did US when we got back off the cruise. So, we have been there done that...except for SW and I think that is why Connor REALLY wants to go. He LOVES animals and says he's going to be a scuba diver when he gets older. He has said that since he could talk. Loves ALL things in the ocean. Anyway, if we do just SW, US/IOA and DQ, tickets are under $700 and that would be 4 days at US! the deal they have is kids 3-9 get in free with a paying adult. Colton is 10...almost 11, don't think I could pull off him being 9. Anyway, Connor gets in free and then the tickets are $99 for 2 days, BUT you also get the 2 extra bonus days. SO, 4 days for $99 and Connor gets in free. The only thing I'll miss is that AWESOME front of the line room key! The 2 times we have visited US we stayed at the Hard Rock and Royal Pacific. But if we have 4 days instead of just 2, we should be able to get it all done and then some, even without the FOTL.

Now I just need to run all this by Steve and see what he thinks. If we do all the parks the boys want....SW, MGM, MK, IOA, US, DQ we are looking at $1110. If we just do SW, US, IOA, DQ it's $657. If we do 4 days WDW, SW, DQ it's $1060. If we do the Orlando Flex ticket we get SW, IOA, US, Busch Gardens and WetnWild for $865, then add DQ and it's $995. Any thoughts on BG? Steve and I went in '87, but I don't remember much about it! Gosh, it stinks that Colton has turned 10! Not only for me as a Mom...i wish they could just stay little...but to buy these tickets he is costing us more!

Boy, have I rambled on! Oh, and Eric, we used the machine to get our tickets too! I love that feature and think WDW could learn by it, HOWEVER, WDW is more for the service of it's guests and I think it would rather be hands on.

Well, off to get ready for the day. It's Daisy's day! She has her first beauty appointment at 9, then puppy classes this afternoon!

Have a Zippity Do Dah, Zippity Day!

 

[Viking]

Michele,
BuschGardens is great. It combines thrilling coasters with a zoo. Be sure to bring a set of clothes for changing: They have three great waterrides where you won't get wet - You'll get SOAKED One's like the KaliRiverRapids, but wilder. One's like Splash Mountain, but it really deserves the name as it ends with a horrible drenching splash. And the last one is a flume ride in some kind of logs. We usually do the animals and some tame rides first. Then we slip into swimming trunks and T-shirts, put all ouf our stuff in a locker, and do the three waterrides. Then we change back into dry clothes, store the wet stuff in a locker, and do the thrill rides and what's left of the park.
BG isn't half as nice as MK, but the Gorilla Habitat is wonderful, and the coasters are cooooool.

 

[WDWCrazzyCunninghams]

Thanks Eric, I'll have to look into it more. Especially the height chart and what Connor would be able to ride. At least at MK and US he has a good chance of not sitting out on a bunch of rides. He is 8, but the shortest in his class.

We are home for a short break before getting the boys off the bus and heading to class. Here is a photo of her after grooming! You can see her pretty eyes and the "mask" that she has. She is SO SOFT I can't even describe it. Like cotton balls or fleece. The groomer did a GREAT job! Exactly what I wanted! Off to get my house work done!

 

[Viking]

OK Michele,
you can wrap, pack, and send her now

 

[WDWCrazzyCunninghams]

I would have at 4 am!!! I know of a few that are available! You could pick one up while you are here!

Okay, another question.....if we decide to do US/IOA, SW and DQ...our cheapest option, Which park do you think would be the least crowded on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day? How about Friday or Saturday? The only thing about the US/IOA tickets is they are for 4 days in a row. If we do US on M, T, W, then SW on Th, we loose a day. If we do SW on M then US, are we going to just hit HUGE crowds on Th and Fr? Although, we can probably do quite a bit on T and W as the crowds won't get thick until Th, right? Hhhhmmm, what would be our best course of action? We arrive on Sunday...late and would leave on Sunday early since we will drive down. I kinda thought Saturday would be a visit WDW Resorts/DTD/DQ/packing to come home day. Gotta go to the resorts to get my WDW Christmas decor fix! They are just SO beautiful!

 

[Viking]

Just kidding, Michele.
With dogs it's the same for us as with kids: We like 'em as long as they aren't ours
With us both working, being abroad for vacations about six to seven weeks per year, and working out at the gym five to six days a week, there isn't any time left for canines nor kids.

 

[jeanneg]

Jeanne, didn't you say you were born & raised in Chicago? I'm surprised you've missed all the border states of Illinois.

(Didn't realize I'm being Heidi tonite. )

Nope, maybe that was jeanniec......I just visited Chicago for the very first time last year....and i'll be going again in 3 weeks! I was born and raised on Manhattan Island in NY!

 

[Viking]

Sorry,
but I can't answer your question about the best day. We would N-E-V-E-R go near a themepark on a holiday. We always go off-season and are very flexible:
We usually have a 30Day WDW-ticket including all parks, the waterparks, Pleasure Island, Wide World of Sports, and DisenyQuest. If one park is too full, we just hop over to another one. Same for USF/IoA as we always buy a four or five day pass top be able to hop. And Seaworld usually offers 'Second Day For Free' when we're there. So we often leave the park early in teh afternoon to come back one of the next days. And being in Florida for four weeks also helps to avoid stress.