2005 RPR/ WONDER/ AKL (Pictures, 4 videoclip on signature! END OF REPORT!)

[Figaro57]

Ciao Laura!

I will be on the Wonder next September 3-7. Oh, how I wish you and Grumpy would be on that cruise too. It would be a guaranteed fun time, I'll bet. I will be in Italy next May on Carnival cruise, but only for 2 days (Livorno & Roma). The cruise is from Florida to Roma and I can only take 2 weeks vacation at a time, so I won't be able to remain in Italy after the cruise. I have been there 4 times but you can never be tired of Italy. Thank you for writing such a fun report and I will continue to check for updates!

Grazie,

Figaro57

 

[AspiringCindy]

I love the video!...it really makes me excited for my cruise!!!

 

[MICKEY'S DREAMERS]

For the first time we had the view of Castaway from our room , while approaching the island (we always had inside, low cost staterooms… and we always enjoyed them!!)

But Castaway day started in a wrong way: it was very cloudy and everything was giving the “grey” impression of lots of rain all day long … can you imagine DGH grumping?

We disembarked quite late and had some fun taking pictures …

… with characters …

and with the ship as background !!!

But, as supposed, even before we reached the beach it started raining cats and dogs …

I tried to distract DGH … singing in the rain … but he was really GRUMPY !!!

Fortunately the rain stopped and we had some “ almost sunny “ time to enjoy the beach:

We had a quiet lunch at the adult beach buffet. Almost nobody knows about this buffet … looks like it's one of those " best kept secrets " that you can eat also at Serenity bay Bar-B -Q !!
This year the lobster burgers disappeared, but were replaced by excellent salmon burgers !! Yummy!
( … “Lobster burgers were better though !!!”, grumped DGH)

We also had much fun taking pictures and some videotaping of our friends leaving for a Banana Boat experience (“They will sink ! Too many people !!! There might be an hungry barracuda out there !!! What if a sword-fish perforates the banana boat?” grumped DGH) !!

Too soon it was time to board our Wonder-ful ship again !

To be continued

 

[diberry]

How do you always manage to look so stylish Laura? Very chic!! Love the banana boats!!

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

How do you always manage to look so stylish Laura? Very chic!! Love the banana boats!!

She doesn't ride on the BANANA BOAT, She waves from shore while GRUMPY takes photo's of their friends soaking wet looking like wet dogs.

Laura & Grumpy

I have managed to catch up on all the reports love them and the video, funny about the life vest, I carried mine down to Deck 4 and a very cute CM assisted me, not sure what I would have done if there had been an emergency.

Beckie aw:

 

[MICKEY'S DREAMERS]

How do you always manage to look so stylish Laura?

No one among our friends here in Italy would call me "stilish" !

Maybe sometimes at Palo I have been "chic" ... but never under the rain on a sandy beach!!!

Thank you!
Laura

 

[Cyrano]

Laura, glad I caught up with all the latest installments.
Cruise has now made it on to our wish list for visit to Florida.

Reid

 

[MICKEY'S DREAMERS]

But the evening was still long! Time to wash all that Castaway sand away and we had to hurry for something else: as repeated guests we were invited to the Castaway Club party, where there was the opportunity to chat with the captain and other officers … still no sign of ship #3 … DGH thinks it’s time to give a name to the “hopefully – soon -upcoming” third ship … he proposed DISNEY GRUMPY … as everybody is waiting for it BUT DCL has never announced the new ship !!!!

This is Henry, my favourite captain !!!! … DGH grumps that he isn’t really so thin …and handsome !!!! It’s just a camera special effect !!

Unfortunately we had to skip the Pirate dinner (it was our Palo night) … but at least we have been able to take a Pirate picture (“Is that a real Pirate ?”, grumped DGH)!

Palo was excellent as usual. DGH grumped that it is very “strange” that an Italian restaurant doesn’t have an Italian chef … but he had ALSO to grump that the food was “quite very good” … especially the chocolate soufflé (“I don’t love the chocolate soufflé”, DGH grumped, ” I just hate the other desserts !!”) ( Note : he did eat a lot of those desserts !!!!)

Btw … when we got back to our room that night … DGH had to admit that Palo food was looking like really Italian stuff … maybe not really Northern Italian food (as they claim) … but Italian enough !!!!

Well … time to wear our pirate dress …

… and we were ready for the Pirate night.

As expected Mickey Mouse saved the day (“the night”, grumped DGH) and we were ready to try “a little something” at their “Pirate buffet” !!! Yummy !!!!

“Let’s hope that Alberto doesn’t claim all the buffet”, grumped DGH.

To be continued

 

[diberry]

Lovely photos again Laura - looks like you had a wonderful time!

 

[lzj21428]

Laura, loving these reports and I must agree that the food at Palo was very good. The chocolate souffle was fabulous. Dh and I each had one of those. We could barely look at the Pirate buffet we were so stuffed from dinner.

Waiting patiently for part 12.

Nina

 

[MICKEY'S DREAMERS]

DIANA : I love your counter !!!!
As soon as we are finished with our Summer report ... I'll start reading of your TRIP to my "second" love, DLP !!!!!



NINA: always nice to think of you and all of our "chat" waiting for the cruise !!!
Is your house WONDERFUL now ? are you happy with all the changes ?


CIAO !!!!
Laura

 

[MICKEY'S DREAMERS]

We feel like our WONDERful cruise has just started … but it’s almost over !
This time I GRUMP TOGETHER WITH DGH: “A FOUR DAYS CRUISE IS TOO SHORT!!!”

BTW … let’s enjoy our last day at sea.
We had booked ( Thanks, Beckie !!) their Palo Brunch, that we like even better than Palo Dinner.
The seafood was delicious and the sweet pizza was a real good experience (“We don’t have sweet pizza, in Italy!” grumped DGH)

We also explored a few unusual corners of the ship, including the “hidden” verandah, just outside our room (deck 7 AFT);this nice place is known by very few people thus allowing for some relax with nobody around !!!
DGH also “discovered” the small crew pool!!! (“When can they swim, considering they are working all the time?” grumped DGH !)

Time to book next year cruise!!!!!
Fortunately the Magic is back from the West, so in 2006 we will be able to take a seven days cruise! We got the 10% discount and 200 USD shipboard credit while booking on board … quite a big saving … DGH was doubtful about a REAL discount, so … before leaving home, he had checked the current prices for that cruise … and we verified that there was a real discount! … DGH commented … “GRUMP!”

In the afternoon we took the galley tour.

DGH grumped all visit long that there should be another galley somewhere, where they really cook our meals !!!!! “This is too clean!” DGH grumped that this galley was just “part of the show” for the guests tours !!!
“HOW CAN IT BE that – grumped DGH – nobody is working in here …… a couple of hours before dinner ?!”

And just before leaving the sparkling clean galley we saw a poster, reminding of how the crew have to behave…

Can you imagine DGH while reading that sign ???

To be continued

 

[MICKEY'S DREAMERS]

Their “Dreams” show was excellent as usual !!!

It’s my preferred show … DGH says ”GRUMP … mine too … GRUMP!”

Time to join our friends for the last dinner.
Even if this was our fourth cruise, we have seen the Animator’s Palate lighting just once. And it was very fun to admire it again.

As usual, waiters “reversed” their jacket for the “coloured” part of the dinner. DGH is still grumping, wondering if Terry’s shirt was black and white at the beginning of the evening and then changed colour too … to be in line with the atmosphere or, maybe, was it coloured since the beginning of the meal ?

We both always enjoy very much their “Good night kiss” mini-show:“Until we meet again”, a big assembly of characters ……… very fun and friendly !!!
DGH’s opinion is “We can make all the pictures we like for free…NOW, while on previous days we had to pay A LOT for them! GRUMP!!!!!!!!!!!”

But the farewell was very touching … until we meet again …

And this was really the end of our cruise: grump !!!!!!!!

Let’s start a little contest: WHERE this picture of DGH and Grumpy has been taken?

To be continued

 

[Ruth B]

Hi, just wanted to say thanks for your great report.
I am especially interested as i stayed at RPH and AKL last year and have just booked at RP-DLC 3 night-AKL stay for next summer.
I loved the picture of the Lula at RPR and was considering booking this to go to with my 11 year old? do you think children would also enjoy it?.
How did you book it? (direct with the hotel or ticket company).
I was also interesetd in your comment about FLtour car- Dis sponsorship?- does this mean DIS member can get discount on town cars.(any info would be great.
Thanks again for your report and all the tips- i will remember the 'turn down service' for our RPR stay.
Looking forward to hearing more about your saty at AKL.
Best wishes
Ruth

 

[MICKEY'S DREAMERS]

I loved the picture of the Luau at RPR and was considering booking this to go to with my 11 year old? do you think children would also enjoy it?.
How did you book it? (direct with the hotel or ticket company)

We booked the luau at the hotel directly.
Not sure about your 11 year old, don't remember too many children there ! maybe a child would like the fire show ... IMHO musics and dances are adult oriented, though very enjoable by everyone .

I was also interesetd in your comment about FLtour car- Dis sponsorship?- does this mean DIS member can get discount on town cars.

Yes. A good discount. Check at

http://www.wdwinfo.com/dis-sponsor/

Bronze sponsorship cost 39.99 USD and gets you a 15% discount on FLTours.
If you use FLTours for a couple of trips, the saving will be quite a lot!


Did you notice / watch the short footage in my signature ? it's about our staying at AKL !!!!


CIAOOOOOO !!!!! Laura

 

[Ruth B]

Thanks for the info, best wishes, Ruth

 

[MICKEY'S DREAMERS]

Do we REALLY have to debark ????
Wake up call was at 5.30: we need to go through immigration.
At 6.01 we were cleared …and we had to wait until 8.00 for Triton’s breakfast among lot of grumps … no more early buffet breakfast at Beach Blanket

The cruise is over … but our vacation is still long !!!

Tony, our FLTours driver , was on schedule to pick us up after debarkation and very quickly we reached Orlando.
Once again we had a very good discount as Annual Passholders … DGH grumped that he already had an AP, so we were entitled to check-in … but I convinced him that his Universal Studios AP was not acceptable at WDW
So we dropped our luggage at AKL and went to MK to buy our AP, delaying the check-in… but we had time to enjoy the beautiful view of the resort:

At lunchtime we met again Beckie and Terry. Beckie was so nice to dig out a way to let us having a DDE (Disney Dining Experience) for the vacation.
DDE is an excellent way to save money: it costs 50 USD, but entitles you for 20% discount in almost all table service restaurants at WDW for up to 6 people. She phoned to Disney and we have been able to pick up our temporary card at Epcot Guests Relation the day after.

When we went back to the hotel we got a nice surprise: we have been upgraded (for free !!! ) to a Savannah view !!!!!!

DGH grumped that three years ago we stayed at rack rate in a Savannah view, paying, for three nights, the same amount of money we are spending now for ten nights and that… NOW we even have a better view.
I told him that his grumping was … three years late he should have grumped at that time … not now … but he kept on grumping all vacation long !!!!!!!!!

By the way : going back to our hotel in the evening or for a midday break and finding , just outside our balcony , giraffes, ostriches and other animals waiting for us ……… was sooooo magic !!! It looked like we were in the parks … even staying in our resort room !!!!

And sometimes we had also more nice surprises waiting for us back in the room …

As we like very much “African food” we ate at AKL sit down restaurants 4 times (2 Boma dinner, 1 Jiko dinner and one Boma breakfast buffet) , in addition to several snacks at Mara… when DGH ordered for the second time an African salad and an African stew at Mara, the waiter asked him “Do you really like this stuff ?” …Can you imagine the DGH’s grumpy answer ?

We like to go to WDW mainly ” to feel the magic” (and to grump, DGH adds ) … so you will not find here a day by day description of our staying at WDW, but just a few highlights of our vacation and some new things we experienced this Summer….

Still to be continued

 

[lzj21428]

Laura, the videoclip of AKL was great. I have never seen that resort and looks wonderful. May have to give it a try one trip.

Can't wait to read more. I don't want your trip report to end.

The house is 99 % finished and it is wonderful. We are really enjoying the extra added space and the new changes to the older spaces. The only thing left to do is carpet and paint the basement. Since it's not an all the time used space we aren't hurrying to get it done. My new home office is just waiting for some furniture to arrive this Monday and that will be complete and I can get my office organized. I'm a bit behind in some of my work and need to get caught up.

I have booked a 7 day cruise for April (spring break) It is a mothers & daughters cruise. DD 17 and friends and their moms. But, I feel like a traitor... It's on Carnival Not quite sure what's in store for us on this trip.

Sorry to babble. Waiting patiently for part 15!!!

 

[Cyrano]

Laura, caught up with last days of cruise and start of AKL.
Looking forwatd to reading highlights of AKL and WDW

 

[Ware Bears]

Laura, I have really enjoyed reading this.
One day I would love to stay at AKL.