12/29/07 Western - New Year's Eve

[Caitsmama]

For those with little princesses, the Princess Palooza is usually scheduled for Thursday around noon. One set of Navigators has it starting at 11:30, another at noon. We went with brunch on Tuesday so our DD-5 can attend.

What exactly is this?

 

[WiscBill]

On the seven day cruises, there is a special Princess Gathering on one day around noon. All the Princesses on board march into the atrium and sign authographs and pose for pictures with your child for one hour (although they stay till everyone who was in line gets taken of). On the Eastern Cruise we did, the PG was held on Tuesday, the second sea day. The Princesses (Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Mulan, Pochonatas) were placed in various areas of the atrium under a large banner with their name on it hung from the ceiling. I still remember Snow White asking my DD(then 3) to turn around since she had the same dress as she did If I find the pictures, I'll post them. Some clever person on the DIS boards referred to it as the Princess Palooza and the name stuck.

I'm not sure what will happen on our cruise. I had read a trip report from a Christmas cruise which said that the Princesses in that case all sat on a single table and only signed autographs, with no pictures. That doesn't sound as nice as what we saw. I think the different arrangement that the poster talked about may be because of the Christmas decorations which will still be up when we cruise.

 

[Caitsmama]

Great! Thanks so much for the info!!

 

[WiscBill]

These photos give you an idea of what it looked like. I think with the christmas tree and the gingerbread house in the atrium, there is probably not enough room to have the princesses in their own areas

.

 

[Caitsmama]

Ohh, thanks for the pics!! Well, wherever they do it, i am hoping Belle will be in her yellow dress -- this is our 4th trip to WDW in November with our dd -- and we have never seen belle in her fancy yellow dress.. So, here's hoping for the Magic!

 

[birkner]

Ohh, thanks for the pics!! Well, wherever they do it, i am hoping Belle will be in her yellow dress -- this is our 4th trip to WDW in November with our dd -- and we have never seen belle in her fancy yellow dress.. So, here's hoping for the Magic!

I actually bought the entire yellow Belle outfit for my GD Bailey for our last cruise. This time with her being 10, I think she has outgrown some of the Princess viewing.

 

[Caitsmama]

Well,i had the yellow dress for my dd's 3rd halloween.. she was so cute, and Belle was her fav then.. now, she loves Mulan, and she will probably be her for halloween too..

I wasn't planning on bringing any princess dresses for the cruise though.. Seems like i bring them to WDW and then she doesn't wear them, and they just take up too much room.. We'll see .. this is one of those fun last minute planning things i guess.. LOL

 

[JimV]

Okay. Now I am beginning to compulse.

So I was thinking about what day the character breakfast will be given that I just made reservations for Palo's. With the NY holiday, stops, etc. how do I know what day we will have the character breakfast and whether or not I really want to take Thursday AM for the brunch.

Can anyone here help? Or should I put a post on the general forum?

Thanks,

JimV

 

[Caitsmama]

Jim, from what i have now read, the Character bfast has been changed to some sort of "island dance party" bfast.. so the characters no longer stop by each table for pics. They don't do pics or autographs, it is strictly a lil' show for the kids to participate in (think dancing in the middle of the asile)..
We are thinking we may just skip it.. from the bad reviews i have read here...

 

[WiscBill]

The character breakfast is the morning after your first dinner at Animators' Palette. That means it will be either Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday. If you have the first dinner seating, the breakfast is around 8,; second seating is around 9. So if you have a reservation for Palo brunch, it should not interfere.

You won't know what your dining rotation is till you board, but families with small children apparently have a large chance they will get the APL rotation (Animators, Parrot Cay, Lumiere) according to the boards and by what I saw on my previous cruise.

According to the DIS boards, the breakfast has been changed and the characters no longer come to the table for autographs and pictures, but do some sort of dance show in which they invite the kids to participate.

 

[JimV]

I haven't been paying attention to the boards very much (too busy planning the other 6 weeks off I have taken this year ) but I was unaware of the change.

Last time (Spring Break 2006) we really enjoyed the character breakfast, I guess I won't stress if we miss it. My kids range from 13-21 and while it is fun to get a picture of mom with Mickey kissing her, or DD18 with Chip and Dale, I won't worry about it.

Thanks for the notes. Three months from today we will be in Grand Cayman!

- -JimV

 

[birkner]

I think we will skip the Character breakfasts as we are usually too busy doing something else. Wahooo to being in Grand Cayman!! Nice to see my DD who will have just turned 22 will have someone to hang out with on the cruise. We should have them email each other and introduce themselves.

 

[birkner]

I haven't been paying attention to the boards very much (too busy planning the other 6 weeks off I have taken this year ) but I was unaware of the change.

Last time (Spring Break 2006) we really enjoyed the character breakfast, I guess I won't stress if we miss it. My kids range from 13-21 and while it is fun to get a picture of mom with Mickey kissing her, or DD18 with Chip and Dale, I won't worry about it.

Thanks for the notes. Three months from today we will be in Grand Cayman!

- -JimV

Jim, it would be nice if your 21 year old got to know my almost 22 year old DD before the cruise. Any chance of them exchanging email addresses?

 

[JimV]

DD21 will be back from college next weekend for a little fall break. I'll let her know then...

Let's see, 90 days from today. Our second sea day, I'll be having brunch at Palos with my daughters, and relaxing after the activities at Cozumel and GC. Hmmm. But at 7:30 in the morning, still sleeping and not on the way to work.

-- JimV

 

[birkner]

DD21 will be back from college next weekend for a little fall break. I'll let her know then...

Let's see, 90 days from today. Our second sea day, I'll be having brunch at Palos with my daughters, and relaxing after the activities at Cozumel and GC. Hmmm. But at 7:30 in the morning, still sleeping and not on the way to work.

-- JimV

Sounds good. I love your descriptions of what you guys will be doing!!

 

[JimV]

Plan change:

DD20 -- decided she did not want to do the manicure. But, she added the stingray encounter. Good clue to her temperament.

Anyway.

Why do you think this cruise group is so subdued and why this thread is relatively inactive compared to other meets?

Does this cruise attract a lot of first-timers? People that don't go on the DIS? People with lives that don't have time/desire for forums? Because people that go on NYE cruises don't know how to use a computer? Because we choose a bad name? Because they don't want to associate with birkner?

Inquiring minds want to know!

-- JimV

STILL too lazy for a proper signature block.

Part of the ignored cruise on the DIS.

 

[birkner]

Plan change:

DD20 -- decided she did not want to do the manicure. But, she added the stingray encounter. Good clue to her temperament.

Anyway.

Why do you think this cruise group is so subdued and why this thread is relatively inactive compared to other meets?

Does this cruise attract a lot of first-timers? People that don't go on the DIS? People with lives that don't have time/desire for forums? Because people that go on NYE cruises don't know how to use a computer? Because we choose a bad name? Because they don't want to associate with birkner?

Inquiring minds want to know!

-- JimV

STILL too lazy for a proper signature block.

Part of the ignored cruise on the DIS.

Jim, I would like to know also. I am very active on the WB Panama Canal cruise thread. Plus, I have noticed that the 2008 NYE Magic thread is extemely active because some of the posters on my WB thread are also taking that cruise.

Maybe you are right and we have many new cruisers who are not familiar with the DIS????

The orginal poster who started this thread changed to the Med cruise and some of the other posters seem to have vanished.

Anybody else have any ideas???

 

[Caitsmama]

No idea, but think of it this way -- WE will all know each other very well! LOL
I wondered why too though.. the 5 nighter i am on in Sept.08 is VERY active! Almost too much to keep up with and keep everyone straight.. LOL
But, This being our first cruise, we have no idea what to expect, so it's nice to chat with some "vets".

I am so excited watching that ticker go down - I just can't wait!!

 

[birkner]

No idea, but think of it this way -- WE will all know each other very well! LOL
I wondered why too though.. the 5 nighter i am on in Sept.08 is VERY active! Almost too much to keep up with and keep everyone straight.. LOL
But, This being our first cruise, we have no idea what to expect, so it's nice to chat with some "vets".

I am so excited watching that ticker go down - I just can't wait!!

I agree that we sure will know each other very well. I am just sad that some of the original posters have not come back. Maybe their plans have changed???

We are very excited to be on the Magic again!! Can't wait!!

 

[JimV]

Agreed -- Even booking the excursions and so on, many Palo's slots are still open, etc. and I would expect that if a lot of return cruisers were going, that there would be more options already filled up.

At the same time, the cruise is fully booked...

Hmm

Well back to work I go.

-- JimV