11-23-2008 DCL per-Thanksgiving 3 night Wonder cruise!!

[Disney Fans]

Hey,

Starting a thread for this crusie. Anyone out there going?? LOL
We plan to do the cruise and then spend another 3 days at WDW!!
Great Thanksgiving Brake!!


Who is going so far:

Disney Fans:
DW-Kel
DH-Stef
DS- age 8
DS- age 6

Disney Fans Friends:
DW-Jamie
DH- Jack
DD- age 8
DS- age 6
DS- age 2

Spaddy:
DW-Anne
DH
DS- age 4

I Heart DL:
DW-Leslie
DH- Alan
DS- age 9
DD- age 8

TXBelle:
DW
DH
DD- age 10
DD- age 7
DD- age 7
DD- age 5

Do You Believe:
Disney?
Disney Child age 10
Disney Child age 9

Michael and Heather
DH- Michael
DW- Heather
DD- age 2
And freinds are coming also
with another 2 year old.

Pillow
DH - Mike
Myself - Jodie
DD Jill - age 8
DS Cary - age 11

My mother
Her DH
My grandmother
Niece Afton - age 6
Nephew Logan - age 5


NenaCruise
DW-Nena
DS- age 10
DS- Sister

Aseal
DW- Alana
DH- BJ
DS- Trey age 17
DS- Conner age 12
DD- Sabrina age 4
DGF-AL

Mrshindig
DW
DH
getting married at WDW!! How cool!!

TCB in FLA
DW-Tavel
DH
DS-age 7
DS- age 5

Etblank
DW
DH
DS- age 7
DS- age 4
DB
DM
DF

Skibum
DW - Laura
DH - Vince
DD - Michelle 16
DD - Kristin 11

 

[spaddy]

I am going too. I am so excited. It will be our first cruise as a family. Me, DH, and 3 year old son. Well, he will be 4 by that time.

I have only cruised before in college on Carnival. I am sure this is going to be a different experience.

We will be driving to see the in laws after the cruise for Thanksgiving. I hope I am not too stuffed for turkey.

We are booked in Cat 12. I am hoping for 3 days it will not be too cramped.

Anne

 

[Disney Fans]

I am going too. I am so excited. It will be our first cruise as a family. Me, DH, and 3 year old son. Well, he will be 4 by that time.

I have only cruised before in college on Carnival. I am sure this is going to be a different experience.

We will be driving to see the in laws after the cruise for Thanksgiving. I hope I am not too stuffed for turkey.

We are booked in Cat 12. I am hoping for 3 days it will not be too cramped.

Anne

Hello again,
We to are doing the Cat 12 GYT and I thinking we will get an upgrade!! Since there are 4 of us or at least that is what I have been told. You are going to LOVE Disney!!! Cruise I think it is really the best when it comes to family cruises!!! My mom was in a Cat 11 and so I know you all will be fine with 3 of you. Disney's rooms are much bigger then other cruise ships. We have always had a Cat 6 or Cat 5 before but for this being such a short cruise I think inside rooms are still great since we aren't in them that much anyway.LOL
I will have a 8 year old boy and a 6 year old boy for this time of sailing.
We are going to then go over to WDW for another 3 days and for the 1st time in about for what seems like forever I won't be cooking Thanksgiving Dinner!!! I think we will make ADR's for Thanksgiving day at LTT since it is known for more of a Thanksgiving style dinner.
We were suppose to go on the upcoming Mexican Cruise July 4th week DCL but my DH found out he has to work that week. So I had been searching and this Thanksgiving DCL and stay at WDW is going to be really cheap!! Much cheaper then the standard Land and sea DCL that we have taken before.

 

[spaddy]

Do you know where you are staying at WDW? I don't think I could talk DH into a stay at WDW. I was trying to talk him into staying Fri and Sat before the cruise. I have never tried LTT.

You will definitely get an upgrade because Cat 12 only holds 3. I am hoping for an upgrade, but I feel pretty sure it is not going to happen. When I booked it was $300 more for Cat 11. That seemed like too much money for 3 days just to be on a better deck. It seems like the boat is getting pretty full. I was glad I booked when I did. I was able to get main dining and it seems like that is full now.

Now I just really want to book my airfare. Southwest will probably not open their booking window until August. I hope by flying Saturday to Saturday it will not be as expensive as normal Thanksgiving flying.

 

[Disney Fans]

Do you know where you are staying at WDW? I don't think I could talk DH into a stay at WDW. I was trying to talk him into staying Fri and Sat before the cruise. I have never tried LTT.

You will definitely get an upgrade because Cat 12 only holds 3. I am hoping for an upgrade, but I feel pretty sure it is not going to happen. When I booked it was $300 more for Cat 11. That seemed like too much money for 3 days just to be on a better deck. It seems like the boat is getting pretty full. I was glad I booked when I did. I was able to get main dining and it seems like that is full now.

Now I just really want to book my airfare. Southwest will probably not open their booking window until August. I hope by flying Saturday to Saturday it will not be as expensive as normal Thanksgiving flying.

Yes, right now we are booked at the POP for 3 nights after the cruise. Most likely we will stay at just a hotel near by for the night before the crusie starts. I like to fly in the day before in case something happens with the airlines.
We really liked the POP and for the price you can't beat it.LOL
We have stayed at AKL-(love the hotel. LOL) Beach Club ( love it also) and Contemp (love it also)
This is a trip I am doing great Cost wise!!. Just need to hopefully get air that won't kill us.LOL
All the hotels are great at WDW, it just depends on what you want out of a hotel and cost because they are all different.

 

[Disney Fans]

We have friends that just booked today for this cruise!!!

 

[spaddy]

That is so great that your friends booked. Do they have kids around the same age as yours?

I am afraid to ask any of my friends to come with us. I feel like everyone I know thinks I am Disney crazy. I was reading your thread about this and I can definitely sympathize.

We are DVC members and I would love to stay at the Beach Club sometime. We were at the World in December and we stayed at AKV. It was really nice. I was thinking I might be able to get a reservation at Beach Club the night before the cruise (we own at SSR). I will try but I am not getting my hopes up.

Do you stay in Cocoa Beach or by Disney before the cruise? Now with parking $15 I might have to change my plan to stay at a place that includes parking. I thought Disney's $12 at the parks was a rip off.

 

[Disney Fans]

That is so great that your friends booked. Do they have kids around the same age as yours?

I am afraid to ask any of my friends to come with us. I feel like everyone I know thinks I am Disney crazy. I was reading your thread about this and I can definitely sympathize.

We are DVC members and I would love to stay at the Beach Club sometime. We were at the World in December and we stayed at AKV. It was really nice. I was thinking I might be able to get a reservation at Beach Club the night before the cruise (we own at SSR). I will try but I am not getting my hopes up.

Do you stay in Cocoa Beach or by Disney before the cruise? Now with parking $15 I might have to change my plan to stay at a place that includes parking. I thought Disney's $12 at the parks was a rip off.

These friends are nice and would never say anything rude like another friend I was talking about. But after thinking it over I think the other so called friends aren't really friends because if there were they wouldn't pick on me about going to Disney so much. I won't even tell them about this trip.LOL

Our freinds that are going have at time of cruise have a 18 month old boy, a boy that is 6 and a girl that is 8. There are so so happy to go on this trip. They usually do a big holiday thing with relatives but because the price is so good for this trip they are going to go.
We will fly in Sat. and stay around the airport area then go on other the next day to the port. ( most likley) I have never paid for the parking but have always heard it was a bit much anyway.
When will you found out about if you get the Beach Club ? stay.
Hope you get it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We made resv. at the POP and our friends are staying at ***.

 

[spaddy]

I own at Saratoga Springs so I cannot book Beach Club until 7 months before checkout date. I was hoping since it was a weekend I might have some chance. Friday and Saturday are a lot more points then during the week.

That is so nice that your kids will have friends on the cruise. I am hoping my son will enjoy the clubs. It usually takes him a little while to warm up to strangers.

My family is a little upset that I am going to be gone for Thanksgiving. We went on vacation last year over Thanksgiving at it was very fun.

 

[Disney Fans]

Cool that you have DVC. Can't talk my DH into it.
I hope you get to stay at BC when it is closer for you to find out.

My kids are the same why and kind of shy a lot when they are 1st around people. I would rather them be shy then just go up and talk to any stranger. Feel alittle safer that way.


We all are on Main dine to. Do you go to Disney last Thanksgiving to?
My family is spread out so it is hard to get together anyway during Thanksgiving with not that many days off for everyone anyway. We try to meet up other times of the year instead.
But our friends who are going also, have NEVER done anything else for Thanksgiving but travel to see there family but their family is near by so it has been easy for them to meet. They are not going to tell them unil this fall when it is closer to the holiday. They think their family will understand and I hope so.

 

[spaddy]

We actually went to Dollywood last year. It was really fun, but a totally last minute trip. This one will have to be better planned out.

Did you see Dreams Unlimited had our cruise in the group bookings? I swear I looked before and didn't see it. Seems like the prices are going up pretty quick. I would love to have a higher category room, but I just can justify the price. I can't see a verandah being worth 70% more. Of course, maybe when I am in the room I will change my mind.

 

[Disney Fans]

My brother and sister-in law like Dollywood. We have never been there.

Those are good prices for sure.) But we got the Cat 12 rate which was better.
I think we will be fine without the verandah. But this will be the 1st time we havne't had a verandah.
The only time we I will miss the verandah is when the ship is leaving and we are in the room, late a night talking outside when the kids are asleep or coming into a port and leaving. Then that is when it is nice to have one. Ot oh, I better not let myself be talked into getting one.

 

[IheartDL]

We'll be joining you! So glad to see a meet thread started. It's our first cruise on DCL, and we're staying at AKV five nights after for our first DVC stay. My brother, his wife, their four kids, and my parents are all joining us too, but they aren't Disney freaks like me and DH.

Our kids are 8 DD and 9 DS.

Woohoo!

 

[Disney Fans]

We'll be joining you! So glad to see a meet thread started. It's our first cruise on DCL, and we're staying at AKV five nights after for our first DVC stay. My brother, his wife, their four kids, and my parents are all joining us too, but they aren't Disney freaks like me and DH.

Our kids are 8 DD and 9 DS.

Woohoo!

Hello and

We also are so happy to go!! We and some friends going also.
I have at time of sailing kids : DS 6 and DS 8 and our friends will have their 3
kids DD 8, DS 6, and DS around 18 months.

The DCL is so nice!! You will LOVE IT!!
We haven't stayed in the AKV's but have stayed at AKL a few times. !! It is a great resort. We also are staying after the cruise for 3 or 4 days, right now we are booked at POP but might change to AKL or to Cont.
What I love most about staying at AKL is that even though the buses are a little farther out when you wait for a bus ( at the parks going back to hotel) there isn't any real big lines due to not as many people staying at the AKL. I like that AKL didn't make a lot of rooms due to the animals but it sure helps the humans out to.LOL

 

[IheartDL]

Thanks so much for the info on AK. This will only be our second WDW visit. We stayed 14 nights at Pop in January, and we're obviously totally hooked!

 

[spaddy]

I stayed at AKV in December. It was very nice. We were in a value studio. What kind of room are you staying in? Is that 12 people I counted?

The value studios were nice because they are all really close to the pool and the lobby.

That's a long way to come all the way from CA.

I don't know how to quote more then one post at a time. I think I am going to have to practice.

 

[IheartDL]

I don't know how to quote more then one post at a time. I think I am going to have to practice.

I'm a newbie at quoting too!

We're staying in a studio, but it's the four of us. My brother and his wife and four kids live in FL, and my parents will stay with them.
Hmm...a grand villa someday would sure be cool, though!

Thanks for the input on the location of the studios. It's always nice to have advance info!

 

[spaddy]

I'm a newbie at quoting too!

We're staying in a studio, but it's the four of us. My brother and his wife and four kids live in FL, and my parents will stay with them.
Hmm...a grand villa someday would sure be cool, though!

Thanks for the input on the location of the studios. It's always nice to have advance info!

Standard, Savannah, or Value Studio? All the categories there are confusing.

The pull out bed is really comfortable.

Do you own DVC or are you renting?

 

[spaddy]

My brother and sister-in law like Dollywood. We have never been there.

Those are good prices for sure.) But we got the Cat 12 rate which was better.
I think we will be fine without the verandah. But this will be the 1st time we havne't had a verandah.
The only time we I will miss the verandah is when the ship is leaving and we are in the room, late a night talking outside when the kids are asleep or coming into a port and leaving. Then that is when it is nice to have one. Ot oh, I better not let myself be talked into getting one.

I think the category 12 is definitely a good deal on this cruise. I just wish I had 1 more person so I knew I would get an upgrade. For the 3 of us it was $300 more for cat. 11.

I really like Dollywood. I love the mountains. Pigeon Forge is really fun totally cheesy tourist area. Thanksgiving dinner was not very good though. We didn't know we were going until Tuesday night before Thanksgiving.

 

[IheartDL]

Standard, Savannah, or Value Studio? All the categories there are confusing.

The pull out bed is really comfortable.

Do you own DVC or are you renting?

That's good to know about the pullout. We're in a Savannah view studio. It's our first visit as DVC owners. I really wanted the luxury of a one bedroom, but let's face it--an AKV studio is way nicer than I'm used to!

So, spaddy, this is our first DCL, but it looks like DisneyFan's a veteran!