2006 DVC Member Cruise - SSMC06 - October 22, 2006 Part 2

[#1Mouse]

My vote for the front is D also

Cindy, glad you made it back. So how many different stores and restaurants are there at MCO?

 

[#1Mouse]

Welcome home Gail!

I like all the designs so that's my vote!

Just had to post a link to a new picture my daughter surprised me with yesterday - yes, it's a picture of Christopher - with a present from his grandma!

http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=17363&sort=2&cat=500&page=1

Mary - Christopher sure is a cutie, love the ears!

 

[cgcw]

I'm all caught up!

As Gail said, we ran into her at the airport yesterday. It's becoming a tradition of ours. For those who don't know, we ran into each other at the airport last September after SSMC05.

Our plane was delayed until 7:15 last night. Apparently, they didn't have a pilot who could fly because he/she had already met their quota of flying time. To me, that's a mis-management of their resources. I guess if it had to happen, I'm glad that it was on the way home, and not on the way down. I tell you, last night when we got off the plane, the people flying back to St. Petersburg were less than thrilled. Ironically, every other flight we've ever taken, the cabin crew is there to greet you on the way off the plane, last night, no one was in sight. How ironic. I'm sure they didn't want to have to face any of the miffed passengers. There was one little boy -- maybe about 13-14 months -- that the Dad was walking up and down the aisle of the plane. The poor boy didn't have any voice left to his scream -- he was one unhappy camper! I felt sorry for him and his parents.

If we had known, we certainly would have chose to spend the day at WDW instead of at the MCO airport. It was a long day. We arrived at O'Hare about 9:30 last night and didn't get home until 11:30 by the time the limo came to get us.

Two things we learned this trip --- always call the airline to check on the status of our flight and never use a shared limo again. We must have waited a good hour for the limo to pick us up. After a long day at the airport, the last thing we wanted to do was wait for a limo.

We had a great time at WDW! It was a very different trip because we actually rode most everything as a family. Walker had no fears whatsoever of any of the rides -- he did Expedition Everest, Mission Space (not with Mom, though ), Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Soarin'. The only one he chose to not do was Tower of Terror -- but he did ask in the airport if we could go do that.

We stayed at SSR & loved it. The only drawback was that Artists Palette doesn't open until 7:30 a.m. It would be so much easier time wise if they would open at 7.....it's hard to get a cup of coffee when your headed to the park opening at 8 a.m.

The kids loved watching the turtles appear in the pond from the balcony. At night, there were frogs all over the sidewalk the kids were able to pick up.

The pools were cold -- 78-80 degrees as they have said based on the Red Cross Standards. My kids didn't seem to mind -- but there was only one afternoon that I actually went into the water. I didn't stay in long as I was cold, but my kids enjoyed their swimming time.

We had a nice time meeting up with cruise friends. It won't be long now and we'll see each other again!

Straws? You want to see a picture of Gail & Straws? No problem -- I'll post one later. Let's just say, she was caught off guard.

 

[cgcw]

Cindy, glad you made it back. So how many different stores and restaurants are there at MCO?

Oh, there are a few! We did go into the Croc store and meant to head back there after hitting the food court but took a different route and didn't make it back. Their prices were not that bad. I paid more for Walker's crocs at Nordstrom than the prices they had there for the kids as well as what I paid for mine last summer at Dick's. Check it out if your in the market and have 6 hours to spare waiting for a plane.

The airline did give us food vouchers -- $10 per person. But, they had to be used at one location and couldn't be used to combine from several different eateriest. Getting my kids to agree on one place was a thrill -- and then Gary made sure to spend all of the $40 they gave us -- which was kind of hard. $40 at a food court location is actually a lot of money. Gary & Cameron were snacking on cold french fries just before we boarded the plane.

 

[ohanafamily]

Hi all,

Welcome back Gayle

Julie, I hope that you can at least come by occasonally.....

Question (OK,I'm being too lazy to look it up myself) when can we start making ressies for Flounders etc???

 

[alikat99]

Question (OK,I'm being too lazy to look it up myself) when can we start making ressies for Flounders etc???

We really won't know for a while. For regular cruises, it's 105 days out for Concierge, 90 days out for Castaway Club members and 75 days out for first-time cruisers. But, several of us last year found out that they did it differently for the DVC cruise. But, when it gets closer, we were able to find out from MS what the date would be. I believe that it was between the 90 and 75 days that we were able to do online ressies.

 

[cgcw]

I just remembered when I checked my answering machine that I wanted to post about our very positive experience with Gardengrocer.com.

I didn't order a lot of things -- bagels, cereal, pop (or is it soda ), water, chips. I spent just about $70 including the delivery charge of $10. When we arrived at SSR, the groceries hadn't yet. There was some confusion on the part of Bell Services who kept telling me to call Gooding (not where I ordered from) and I called Gardengrocer directly. Brian told me there was no problem, he was on his way and would be there between 4-6 as I asked for.

As luck would have it, we were not there when he arrived. But, no problem. He left our items with bell services and we picked them up about 11 p.m. that night.

Everything that required refrigeration was in a hot/cold bag and then placed in a refrigerator at SSR. Everything else was double bagged and packed well (as in the bread was not on the bottom ). Everything I ordered was there -- even the extra I added on when I talked to Brian to arrange payment -- Sun Chips -- Walker's favorite which were not on their shopping list.

Brian left me a message on my home phone saying he delivered the groceries. I'm not exactly sure how that happened but I suspect my cell phone forwards to my home phone because I also received a message from Amy saying they were at the parks.

I loved the personal touch and hope to use gardengrocer.com again on a future trip!

 

[Diana Lyn]

We really won't know for a while. For regular cruises, it's 105 days out for Concierge, 90 days out for Castaway Club members and 75 days out for first-time cruisers. But, several of us last year found out that they did it differently for the DVC cruise. But, when it gets closer, we were able to find out from MS what the date would be. I believe that it was between the 90 and 75 days that we were able to do online ressies.

I just want to add to what Amy is saying here because if anyone remembers I went nuts last year with 5 calls to DCL the day we could book. I guarantee you are going to run into this problem. You and Robin are CC members, but Ian "technically" is not. So when you sign on the morning CC member can book, Ian will not be able to book Flounders. What you have to do is call DCL and explain to them the Ian should be considered a CC member because he is your son. It's stupid, but it's how their computer system is set up. I talked to 4 reps who were completely clueless that day and then finally after I called back I got someone who said, hey, Emma and Julia aren't CC member, well that's dumb...hang on....it was fixed in 2.5 seconds. I was so frustrated but in the end I was happy I kept calling until I got someone willing to investigate it further.

 

[iluvdisney]

Steve - that is an awesome picture shot by Coleen and I love yours too - was that at OKW?

 

[cgcw]

Hey, does anyone have a straw?

Look, Walker does?

Looks like Gail needs a few! Actually, if you zoom in, which I don't have a clue as to how to do that and post it at the same time, you'll see the true surprise expression on Gail's face. She truly had no idea Walker was standing behind her.

Gail, thanks for being a sport for my son! Walker's actually taken a liking to you!

 

[cgcw]

Dinner pictures:

Left to right around the table -- Chris (DVCChrisVWL), Emily, Cameron, Cindy (cgcw), Walker, Madison & Amy (alikat99)

Again, left to right around the table -- Carol (scrappy910), Mary (MaryJ), Cheryl was hiding next to Mary and you can't see her in the picture, Todd (toddp3), Mary's husband, Ken, Mary's daughter, Dana, and Gail (#1mouse).

We did have fun! Thanks, Cheryl for making the ADR.

And, taking care of the cake:

 

[fireplug]

Steve - that is an awesome picture shot by Coleen and I love yours too - was that at OKW?

Thanks Mary! Both of them were from our balcony at BWV last Feb. The sunrise ones all came out great.

Squid

 

[ohanafamily]

Great Picks Cindy...

Amy, Thanks for the info.Iam already panicking...
Diana, should I call DCL now and see if they will make him a CC Member???

 

[alikat99]

I just want to add to what Amy is saying here because if anyone remembers I went nuts last year with 5 calls to DCL the day we could book. I guarantee you are going to run into this problem. You and Robin are CC members, but Ian "technically" is not. So when you sign on the morning CC member can book, Ian will not be able to book Flounders. What you have to do is call DCL and explain to them the Ian should be considered a CC member because he is your son. It's stupid, but it's how their computer system is set up. I talked to 4 reps who were completely clueless that day and then finally after I called back I got someone who said, hey, Emma and Julia aren't CC member, well that's dumb...hang on....it was fixed in 2.5 seconds. I was so frustrated but in the end I was happy I kept calling until I got someone willing to investigate it further.

What is SO weird about that Diana, is that I didn't have a problem booking Madison in Flounders, and she had never cruised before. Emily had when she was 2, but I was preggo with Maddie when we sailed. Who knows, maybe since we had one child that was a CC member, it just extended to Maddie. ?????? Bizarre ??????

 

[ohanafamily]

OK, I called DCL and was told that the bugs were worked out. Ian has a CC number assigned to him!!!!

You all are not only beautiful, but smart too!!!

 

[Diana Lyn]

OK, I called DCL and was told that the bugs were worked out. Ian has a CC number assigned to him!!!!

You all are not only beautiful, but smart too!!!

OK, good. Glad that worked out. Because I was losing my mind over it last year!

 

[#1Mouse]

Here are some pics to add to what Cindy posted.

Emily and all her bottles of Ketchup

Chris doing his Birthday Dance​

 

[#1Mouse]

Here's a couple more

Carol drinking her carafe of Diet Coke

Cameron drinking his teeny tiny coke

That's Gary under the table​

 

[ohanafamily]

I wonder if Chris likes Ketchup???

 

[WDWLVR]

Gail - I love the picture in your signature. Are those all your kids? Great looking family!