20050618 - June 18, 2005 - Magic to Mexico

[DBinMV]

Nope, not pre-paying our account either. We'll be taking a Disney Rewards card to pay part of it, then paying of the rest of the bill w/ Disney Visa.

Re: Sea World and Legoland, here's a link for dining with Shamu:
http://www.seaworld.com/seaworld/ca/dp_dining_options.aspx Sea World's great even during the summer, being right on the water and all. Even my 1.5 year old (then) loved it last summer.

Personally, I've never really seen the appeal of Legoland, except for kids 5-10-ish. Plus, the cost of food there is even higher than DL. Call me a curmudgeon. Of course, I haven't been in 2.5 years, so maybe it's gotten better...

Still no word on nights or ability to make REAS reservations, eh? <grumble> I need my Disney Cruise anticipatory planning fix!

Sunny and mid-70's here today in SoCal....too bad I'm stuck in this cubicle.

DBinMV

 

[CruisingCA2005]

Yep Disneyland does have royal blue ponchos...the only place you really see people using them is on the Grizzly rapids ride. That's another ride I haven't gone on since DH clucks like a chicken. He's strange, he won't go on rides with me but he wants to go on the Canopy Adventure!!

CACruisin' - I hear ya about budgeting for a cruise. I'm slowly cutting things out like unlimited internet access and a few of my spa treatments.

 

[CACruisin']

dem old bones, aren't what they used to be -- to be 20 something again.

Legoland is definitely for the 10 and under crowd unless you are really into legos, then it doesn't matter how old you are. We live 15-20 minutes away so it is easy to go for just a few hours.

Seaworld has something for all ages. You will need those ponchos on the Return to Atlantis ride. DH and DD rode that a few weeks ago and were dripping wet as they got off. Then they went and rode the rapids ride!

CruisingCA2005: Yep, the internet access quickly got pitched (however DH could go into pretty serious withdrawl. I don't think he has ever been completely out of touch with work for a whole week. He has even taken business calls on the beach in Hawaii ) For the other stuff, I made up "coupons" a couple of months ago and use them as rewards a.ka. smoothie for extra chores, umbrella drink for finishing the tax package (actually, that earned a couple of coupons ), spa treatment as birthday present, etc.

 

[vacationbug]

So yes, I am trying (hard) to support UScarelines and purchased our RT tix to your beautiful state ahhh...well, a couple months ago on-line (no, I didn't get the $1.86 deal -shucks!) I got an email yesterday stating that the return trip was re-scheduled to departing the airport at ---8:30AM !!! YIPES!

Fortunately, they were nice and we got an alternate return flight for 1:00 PM on Saturday. I sure hope 1 PM is good - gives enough time to get to the airport and all AND they didn't charge an extra fee! (but yes, I was expecting that fee)

Made the PSs for Blue Bayou (Oops, I have posted that already.... ; Old-timers disease, please excuse) but not yet the spa or Palo. Still waiting...waiting....waiting.... (I'm still hoping for a pirate night - )

We're done with our nice weather here on the east-side. Yesterday it changed. We've got the usual gray cloud cover and yes rain is expected for a few days (until next Thursday) so I've got my umbrella

Everytime we've gone to WDW it has rained at least one full day. The occaisional showers I don't mind, but days of soaking rain are tiring. We have a small collection of WDW ponchos (yes, we've done the dollar store ones too, but they don't have the re-wearable power and don't last as long, so I don't save them) that we bring with us to re-use, so being that they're handy, we'll be wearing them (as needed) at DL.

 

[DBinMV]

1PM should be plenty of time to get you to LAX from San Pedro, presuming we're all off the ship by 10AM. Traffic around LAX iis always bad, but nothing compared to during the week. The worst part will just be dealing with LAX, not actually getting there.

As for ponchos @ DL, we usually don't see rain in the middle of June - just "June Gloom", where it will be overcast (and in the mid-60s) until about noon. Then, the sun comes out and it can get into the mid-80s. You might need them for Splash Mountain (doubtful) or Grizzly River Run, but what fun is it staying dry?

8 more weeks.....

DBinMV

 

[CruisingCA2005]

I think the 1 pm flight should be fine. It will probably take you 1/2 an hour to get to the airport. People often make LAX seem worse than it usually is. Sure there are long lines occasionally but I usually don't have a problem. I usually print our boarding passes ahead of time and I tip a porter to have our bags checked at the curb so you don't have to stand in a line at the ticket counter. Security lines can take 15 minutes to get through or over an hour. I've personally never spent more than 30 minutes to get through a line post-9/11 and we've been on different airlines (Hawaiian, Delta, Continental, Southwest, Air Canada).

I've been trying to schedule our activities for the week after the cruise. Sunday we'll be going to either Universal or Magic Mountain, Monday - shopping, Tuesday & Wednesday - DL/DCA, Thurs - Legoland, Friday - Sea World, Saturday - San Diego Zoo.

I'm still hoping for a pirate night too. I found the cutest pirate outfit for DD. I'm not sure if DS will wear a costume because he's getting to that age where he's "too cool" to wear costumes. If we do have a pirate night, I'll have to dig through his toy box and see if he still has all his pirate accessories that we can use.

 

[CACruisin']

I believe DCL is advising flights for no earlier than 12:30pm so your 1 pm should be fine. And like CruisingCA2005 says, LAX can be fine or horrible, it is really just luck. Are you returning a rental car or taking a shuttle to the airport?

As for the poncho's, if it rains in June here then that would really be amazing! However, I think it is "rainy season" down in PV and maybe Mazatlan, so we may get some showers there. I am assuming/hoping that it will be like in Hawaii where they are short cloudbursts and then the sun comes out again. Does anyone know?

CruisingCA2005: you have a busy week planned for after the cruise! Sounds like fun though. The SD Zoo is a lot of walking, so it is good to not do that too close to other big "walking" days. Your trip looks great.

 

[CACruisin']

I found this on another thread. It looks nice and warm in Cabo today!

www.allaboutcabo.com

The webcam seems to update every 15 minutes or so.

 

[CruisingCA2005]

LOL - I'm doing all that planning & I probably won't be going with them! DH will be the tour guide and will be driving DS, DD, Mom, and our guests around. I have to save my vacation days for our Hawaii trip.

I talked to my brother & he isn't sure if the wedding's going to be on July 23rd or the 30th..... I joked with him - I'm not going to be an aunt anytime soon so what's the rush??? LOL.

I've gotta look for the other webcam sites that I saw. I saw one for another port (can't remember if it's Mazatlan or Puerto Vallarta).

I know we don't have an official DIS meet planned but you'll probably be able to find me near the Mickey pool in the afternoon the day that we board. No, I will not be wearing a lime green DIS shirt and the lime green beanie. I did find a recent pic of the 4 of us together but I'm hesistant to post it 'cause I'm without makeup

 

[CruisingCA2005]

Here's a web cam for Puerto Vallarta:
http://www.puertovallarta.net/interactive/webcam/index.php

It looks like they need to clean the lens of the camera though.

 

[CACruisin']

PV looks like So Cal today -- Grey!

Congrats on your brother's wedding and have a wonderful time in Hawaii -- that is worth saving vacation days for!

Makeup? I am lucky if I get a shower and my hairbrushed most mornings! Actually, I really am looking forward to the cruise and getting to dress up and be a "grown up" for dinners, but the rest of the time, I will be in shorts and a swim suit sans makeup (I will try and shower and at least pull my hair into a pony tail though! )

Did you ever set up the website for our cruise list? I wasn't a member at the time you first suggested it.

I am planning on spending the first afternoon at the Mickey Pool as well. I don't know how much time I will be able have poolside though. DD will turn 2 on 6/18. She is not going to be happy in the Splash Ear for very long. She is going to want to be in the "real" pool.

We are trying to figure out the whole potty training thing now. If we wanted she could be trained by cruise time (she is pretty close to being ready now) PRO: she could use the Mickey Pool, CONS: 1. She is not likely to be completely "self-sufficient" so she still would go to Flounders, besides she is really too young for the Club; 2. The thought of being in Mexico (or even on the ship for that matter!) with a newly trained "let's try out every single bathroom in the city" 2 year old does not seem like a lot of fun! If I can get away with it, I would like to wait until after the cruise. Of course she could be like DD#2 and simply announce stubbornly "no diapers, I panties" one morning and ready or not, it was potty training time!

Disney: See the things I am thinking about right now? -- give us some theme night info so I can focus on something else!

 

[Hollyster2]

I made my Blue Bayou reservations, and am pretty sure Fantasmic would be sold out. I think I need to take my chances waiting for it in the trenches. We have a big goup of 12. Anyone heard a rumor that they may return Mary Poppin's Practically Perfect Tea?

 

[CruisingCA2005]

Happy Monday everyone!

We had a fabulous weekend. On Saturday we took the kids to the Long Beach aquarium. They had booths there for "Earth Day" and DS was so excited to see the San Francisco Zoo booth because they brought a bald eagle. It was my first time seeing one up close and I didn't know they were soooo big.

CA Cruisin' - yep it was me with the website. I have to update the June 18th part but I do have a spreadsheet with the cruisers, staterooms, etc. I'll add columns for our shore excursions too. We'll get to see each other for the Canopy Tour and then in Mazatlan there will be a whole bunch of us riding with Randi (Hollyster, Vacationbug, your group & my group).

I'm waiting to hear about theme nights too.... I think our schedule will be closest to the Eastern Caribbean and we may have our formal nights on Sunday and Thursday and our pirate/tropical/birthday night may be on Tuesday. I'm hoping that the West Coast cruisers will be lucky enough to have both a pirate night and a birthday night.

I think I've been obsessing about our cruise too much because I'm starting to dream about cruising at night.

 

[CACruisin']

I just saw this on the May 28th thread:

ATTENTION CRUISERS!!! There has been a change in dinner seating times. When my docs arrived they handed me a paper that says........

"Due to guest feedback, there will be a slight change in the rotational dining times. Guests currently schedualed on Main Dining will be assigned a dining time of either 5:45pm, 6:00pm, or 6:15pm. Concurrently, guests scheduled on Second Dining will be assigned seating times of either8:00pm, 8:15pm or 8:30 p.m. It is our hope that these staggered dining times will provide for greater ease of movement throughout the ship and prior to and following the dinner service. All guests should check their dining tickets located in their stateroom upon arrival for their assigned time and restaurant location. In addition, each evenings entertainment options will be revised to compliment the revised dining times. Nightly entertainment options will be detailed in the Personal Navigator that guests will recieve in their stateroom."

 

[CACruisin']

Happy Monday!

CruisingCA2005: Sounds like a great weekend! For your website, should I send you an email with our info? PM me if you like.

We got our confirmation email from Sylvie this morning for the Los Veranos Canopy Tour so now we are all set! We are on the 11 am tour. Anyone else going on this besides CruisingCA2005 and us?

It sounds like Randi's in Mazatlan will be a lot of fun with all of us. The youngest DD and I won't ride, but will hang out at the beach. Hollyster, are there others in your group doing the same?

VacationBug: Is it still raining? Hope you get some more sun soon

DD10 will be DD11 tomorrow!!! We made cupcakes for her class tonight after the other two DD were in bed. It was a bonding time. This year it is fun since her birthday is on Tuesday and she was born on a Tuesday!

I saw the DR this morning to have my foot checked. The DR here found a second cracked bone on my original XRay's that the ER doc missed apparently. The good news is he took new XRay's today and everything is healing nicely. Bottom line: I have to wear "the boot" for another 2-3 weeks. No jumping , running, high impact anything for at least 6 weeks. (Quick Math: Cruise is 7 1/2 weeks away -- should be ok by then!) But it is going to be hard to burn off these extra pounds now. So it will just have the be the "round" me on the cruise.

 

[Hollyster2]

It sounds like Randi's in Mazatlan will be a lot of fun with all of us. The youngest DD and I won't ride, but will hang out at the beach. Hollyster, are there others in your group doing the same?
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Yes! My twin 18 1/2 yr old daughters, my mother in law and her 20 yr. old nephew are going as non riders!

 

[CruisingCA2005]

CACruisin' & any other 6/18 cruisers who may be lurking: You can email me here.

1. First names of cruisers
2. Ages of kids
3. Hometown
4. Stateroom number
5. Early/Late Dining
6. Any fun facts? (# of DCL cruises, celebrating an event, etc.)
7. Excursions

Please email a recent picture. DBinMV is the only one who's sent a picture so far. I promise to add my family's picture to the next update.

In order to protect everyone's privacy, only the DISers who send me information will be sent the file/link to the June 18th cruiser info.

Happy Birthday to CACruisin's DD!!

I saw the change in dining times too! Since we have late seating, I'm hoping that we get the 8:00 seating. I wonder which dining rotation that will be...

I'm thinking about bringing my face painting kit.... Let me know if your kids (or you) would like to have their face painted. I can also do cheek paintings.

- This is DS....I thought this would be cool for pirate night (if we have one).
Here's a butterfly and a spider.

 

[CruisingCA2005]

CACruisin' - oops forgot to tell you the URL for the site.. http://cruisingdcl.mrspoppypuff.com/index.html

 

[vacationbug]

VacationBug: Is it still raining? Hope you get some more sun soon

Thanks for thinking of me you guys....(enjoying your sunshine no doubt )"But of course it is raining here!" Gracious, it snowed over the weekend. I am SOOOOOOOOOO ready for some nice warm weather and sunshine!! The usual grey and cloudy weather has enveloped my senses! I am feeling gray and cloudy (or is that the "old-timers" disease)

And don't worry CACruisin', I'll be "round" right along with you. Just take care and get those feet bones healed up! I would have liked to drop a few pounds before our vacation, but it's a slow process for me, and I'd decided that it really won't make that much of difference anyways (a couple pounds you won't see)...I'm not a young person of 20, so don't expect me to look like I'm there. Rather well past that time in my life like plus 24!

To quote the Rogers &Hammerstein (is that right?) musical "South Pacific", (Hollyster will have to do the singing...afterall she is practicing with Ariel's solo) I am definately... "broad where a Broad should be broad!" I will be eating s and enjoying them guilt-free!

Hey CruisingCA- great face-painting pictures! DD(9) has enjoyed getting her face painted in the past.

Can someone set me straight on "Early entry" to DL?

Right now I am under the impression that you can only take it certain days (my plan is for a Thursday) and that it is for anyone (Disney hotel or not) and that it is only for the Fantasyland area. So under this presumption, then as soon as the time in the park nears "regular" park opening, I should be walking to the popular attractions that we'd like to ride, such as Indy, Splash, etc. so that we won't have long waits? Or pick up fastpasses to those attractions?
Thanks as always!

 

[DBinMV]

Thanks for the update, CACruisin'. I think it will be nice not having a mad dash for dining.

Has anyone else besides me not received _anything_? <annoyed> I'm feeling very uninformed.

Lastly, for those of you who recently got passports, how long did it take? Just discovered that DW got the passport photos taken, but hasn't submitted paperwork yet. I'm just wondering if I should pay the $$$ for a rush delivery.

My co-worker officially has short-timers disease. He leaves for the repositioning cruise 3 weeks from tomorrow.