20050514..May 14, 2005...Official Check in Disney's 1st 14 Day thru Panama Canal

[seaulater]

Glad I am not on the lurking list!!!!! But, I will be so glad when school starts on Monday and I am not running the DD all over town!

I'm trying to get a business trip in during November which happens to be in Orlando! Don't know the dates yet, but as soon as they are posted on the Fundware website (non-profit accounting), I am going to check fares and add in a day or two for WDW.

I love NBC it is one of my favorites during the holiday season! I wonder if I can sneak in a DL trip this fall? Well, doubt that since we are doing the 10 day Christmas Cruise. Oh well.......nice thought......

Okay, work to do.

Linda

 

[jin diesel]

Linda, who knows...this is DCL's first Xmas cruise, right??? Do you think they have a lot of special *secret* stuff planned??? I think it would be awesome if they did a special screening of NBC in the theater onboard! They did a great production of that last year at Disneyland with actual cast members (voices) from the movie. This year they can't because the theater is being used for that "Snow White" show.

Maybe all of you Xmas cruisers can write in requesting something like that...

Either way, your xmas cruise is going to rock!!! Can't wait till you report back on that!

 

[seaulater]

Yes, we are hoping that they have some special things planned.

Last year, they had a gingerbread house family class. Limited number of participants, but up to 6 members of your family got to go and make a gingerbread house. We will be checking the navigator very closely as we want to do that as a family activity.

We are on the 10 day Christmas thread and have a great group there also, making plans for the cruise.

Can't wait for it to come. (But, it is almost time for that final payment!!!!!)

Linda

 

[JenKatt]

Originally posted by rcostello1


I will be in Disneyland in early November, that will be expensive. Do all my NBC shopping and some Xmas shopping.

NBC shopping?

Jindy said:
We normally go every Thanksgiving to DL for NBC. But this year DD has a 4-day weekend for Veteran's Day; so we're going the 11th through the 14th. I, too need to buy some NBC stuff. I had actually NEVER been to Disneyland until they installed the NBC overlay for the Haunted Mansion as it is my all time favorite movie!!!

WHAT?????

 

[kellib36]

Originally posted by JenKatt
NBC shopping? WHAT?????

Thank you, Jen! I thought either I was losing it, or we suddenly had some Tom Brokaw fans in our midst!!! Glad I'm not the only one TOTALLY lost!!!

Kelli

 

[JenKatt]

Ok now I don't feel so bad.. I was thinking Disney owns ABC, not NBC and there's a movie about NBC???

 

[kpros]

NBC = Nightmare Before Christmas

 

[JenKatt]

That's what I thought it might mean, but can't figure out the whole shopping thing

 

[rcostello1]

NBC=Nightmare Before Christmas

ABC=4th place network hehe

I forgot to mention my November trip is a business trip. Can you see how important the business is vs. the location!?!?!?

I would hope NBC at WDW would be in addition to Disneyland. There is so little exterior at the Haunted Mansion in WDW vs. Disneyland...in California there is an actual big ole mansion but in Florida it's kind of up on a hill out of the way.

I really like all the pumpkins and fun stuff in the yard/queue area in California.

 

[rcostello1]

JenKatt--

They have cool stuff at Disneyland that is special for the Haunted Mansion Holiday. My partner is a big fan so we have several framed pieces of artwork. His is the most expensive framed art we have, but I have the most expensive WDCC (and an Armani!).

There is some stuff in the new catalog...but it will be interesting to see what is new at the park this year.

Veterans weekend is good time to go, isn't that when "Christmas" is done at Disneyland? It was soooo pretty, I was there a couple of years ago.

 

[jin diesel]

Sorry, guys. NBC is how we refer to "Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas". So actually, it should be TBTNBC. That would be even more confusing!! I'm a huge Tim fan so read on if u want to know more....or skip it if u don't care for the background story

It's a Tim Burton movie released back in 1993. Tim Started the movie while working at Disney in his early days. But he left Disney because Disney wouldn't let him be creative (they thought he was too dark) and he was bored to death working for them. Anyway, lots of history there. (His biography on A&E is really good!) Basically, they sort of let him do whatever he wanted when they realized he was a little too talented and off-beat to work on *normal* Disney films. He just worked by himself a lot, on small projects that Disney never supported, and that's when he wrote the poem that would later be concept for the movie NBC. Eventually he quit Disney and became a director when Steven King recommended him to a studio. (His first full-length movie was "Pee Wee's Big Adventure").

Long story short - after Tim became a popular director and had more clout, he went back to finish NBC (it was his baby and his dream to make this movie) but of course Disney had kept his artwork since he had been working there when he came up with the idea. They did, however, give him the green light to finish it, but he did it how he wanted to do it. (Henry Selick directed it). They basically left him alone - which is a good thing! I believe the movie was released via Touchstone, so that's how it's housed under Disney. Disney never helped promote or market the film at all when it opened in 1993. The movie has sort of been a cult classic to all Tim fans. It's a great film, with a great story and the animation is incredible.

Years later, Disney was smart and decided to capitalize on the movie by marketing the beejeezuz out of it by selling tons of merch and redecorating the Haunted Mansion every year at Disneyland with the NBC overlay. I think they've been doing it since 2001 - someone correct me on that. (It is rumored that Tim has never visited the HM at Disneyland and still resents Disney for not caring about the project at all, but now - 10 years later - sucking every penny they can out of it. But I don't know the guy - so who knows if that's true or not?? Though I kinda don't doubt it...)

The theme of the movie Disneyland focuses on is "when two holidays collide": Halloween and Christmas. The Haunted Mansion looks awesome October thru January. It is not to be missed!!! All of New Orleans square is just awesome and buzzing!

 

[rcostello1]

I don't think Jin likes NBC, do you?

 

[Cap]

Originally posted by rcostello1
I have a whole $400 saved for my cruise. I should have 10 times that saved by New Year's.

So how many of us have the money for the final cruise payment all saved? (not me, but I'm working on it.) We're at about 45% saved, with seven paychecks to go until final payment is due (I think in early March, 2005). Maybe I should learn how to post a poll. What percent of reservations do you think will cancel when final payment is due?

We're watching the Disney Visa card rewards mount up, hoping to use them for cruise incidentials. It's amazing what you can charge now, at no extra cost. I've converted my homeowner's and auto insurance bills, and my cable and electric bills to Visa this month.

 

[Cap]

Here's a poll regarding the final payment percent saved. It may end up getting moved, as I mistakenly posted it to the Cruise Meets forum, instead of the main Cruise Line forum.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=629046

 

[Cap]

Here's a poll regarding what percent of the reservations will be cancelled at the final payment date.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=629053

 

[jin diesel]

Rcostello, I love Tim and NBC!! I'm such a big nerd!!

I think your partner will be very pleased with the artwork being offered this year. Have you seen the items available for the special Disneyland merch event in September?? I'm glad he's a fan - can't wait to meet him on the cruise!
http://www.register123.com/event/profile/web/index.cfm?PKwebID=0x95586508&varPage=location

Cap, we are saving month by month and should have the full amount saved in March 2005 just as the final payment is due. Each month I make a payment to our *vacation account* and don't touch it. I have also set aside our airfare money which I keep separate from the cruise bill money since that will prob be booked as soon as Southwest makes that available. You can't beat 79-99 bucks one-way to Orlando!

We will also have the tax return money to take onboard as our *spending* or whatever...so as long as nothing bad happens in the next 10 months - we should be ok. (*fingers crossed*)

I think a TON of people will cancel come March.

 

[BobandLee]

Originally posted by Hygiene99
the top ten list .....

O.K., now I've got 5
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Lee and Bob's 2004 Disney Magic Western Carribean Cruise
<marquee><font color=orangered>ºOº Can't Wait For Our 14 Day Disney Panama Canal Cruise ºOº </font></marquee>

 

[SandraLee]

BobandLee . . Love your picture. I find it interesting the ship pulled in forward. Most of the time (nearly all the time) the ship backs in so the port side is overlooking the dock.

Cool.

 

[JenKatt]

I'm a fan of NBC as well, I just never heard it abbreviated like that. And I was aware of the holiday thing they do at DL with NBC, and still hope they will bring it here, last year they did a whole NBC at Halloween at HM, and the Villians store at MGM has a large NBC section.....

 

[TikiGirl]

Wow...only 2 posts for me?? I have to confess I am a true blue lurker for the most part.

We are just counting down and saving away for the cruise. The people at work think I am insane as I have to announce each day how many days until my vacation!
That being said, THEY have never been on DCL so I imagine they would be JUST as excited as I am for the cruise.

We are doing pretty well on our saving, we've put about $1500 down so far (thanks to some lucky BINGO winnings) and we should be pretty well set for May '05. There is no chance on this planet that we will be cancelling.

We had to sacrifice our annual Halloween trip to New Orleans this year in order to save vacation time and cash. We're in a CAT. 6 (first time with a verandah) so I'm hoping it's well worth the sacrifice.

I will miss NOLA at Halloween though. I think we may take a trip over to D-Land to see the NBC overlay on the HM - it's my favorite also but due to our NOLA trips over these past 10 years, we've never been able to be there at that time of year. It looks incredible and I will have to leave the credit cards at home with all the awesome merch they are releasing!



Anyway, Even though we are still pretty far out, I am SO excited! It's that excitement that keeps me going. I can't wait for more info on the events and itenerary that they are planning for us, that just makes it seem all the more real.

Still praying for a stop in Costa Rica if the DCL Gods are listening...

I'll do my best to keep up but I will definately be around! Hope everyone is well!

Leslie

I'm up to 3 posts now!