Dylan_&_Blake's_mom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2006
- Messages
- 1,333
Ok, I just had to change the title because so much has changed. For some reason right before I reserved our condo I started thinking about a disney cruise. I have thought about this many times of course but didn't want it to keep us from going to WDW. I was thinking what a bummer it was because in order to do the cruise we first have to get to Florida, which includes a lot more costs, time, etc. Then I thought, " well, we WILL already be there on vacation in Dec." so I started wondering how much more it would cost to just take a few days off the end of our vacation and add a 3 day cruise.
Turns out when I took the cost off from 3 nights at the resort, the food for those days and what we would have done those days, it would cost about $2000 extra. Normally this would have been impossible, BUT, with my hubbies new job it should work out fine! So, of course, I started the planning of adding that to our trip!!!!!!!!!
After I started researching the cruise I bacame worried that the water on the islands wouldn't be warm enough to swim in in December. I didn't want to go on a cruise to the bahamas and not be able to fully enjoy those gorgeous beaches of course. Which means I had a decision to make. Either go on the cruise or see Disney at christmas time. I have been very excited about seeing disney at christmas but the cruise idea thrilled me beyond belief. I decided that if we went in October we could be almost sure that the water would be nice and we could always go to MNSSHP instead of MVMCP. We have never been when it is decorated in it's fall motif either so maybe this would soften the blow and we could save the christmas trip for next time. The boys were thrilled with the idea of seeing the haunted parade and especially the 'zombies' so they didn't mind missing the christmas lights for it.
Now, the only part that is going to be hard is that the boys don't know about the cruise. I was going to just keep the fact that they will see the flying dutchman ship a secret (POTC is their favorite movie) but when I told them we were thinking of adding something really fun to our vacation, to my surprise, they immediately stopped me and told me to keep it a secret. So, that is what we are doing. I think it will be so much fun to surprise them with the cruise but it's going to drive me crazy keeping a lid on it until then.
SOOOO, here is our new official plan:
Leave home on Oct. 15th and begin the drive to Florida. We will stay over night in Georgia on the 15th and arrive in Orlando on the evening of the 16th.
The next morning(the 17th) we will have breakfast with Stitch at Ohana (first character meal ever!) and then go to Animal Kingdom.
On the 18th we will go to Epcot. (our first time here)
Oct. 19th will be b/f at Crystal Palace with Pooh and friends and then Magic Kingdom day.
Oct. 20th we will go to DTD during the morning/afternoon, come back to resort and cookout on the grill and then head to MNSSHP that night
Oct. 21st will be Disney Hollywood Studios day (our first time here)
When we leave DHS we will head to Cape Canaveral, Fl and stay at the Raddison hotel that night. (they shuttle you to the port and let you leave your car parked at their hotel while you're on the cruise)
Oct. 22nd we will board the Disney Wonder!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oct. 23rd is Nassau, Bahamas day and hopefully a dolphin encounter excursion!!!!!
Oct. 24th is Castaway Cay day and seeing the Flying Dutchman!!!!
Oct. 25th we arrive back at Port Canaveral and start heading home
We will stay overnight in Tennessee and arrive home the next night.
Sorry for the long report. It's just that so much has changed so I had a lot to update. For now our cruise is booked and deposit is paid. I hope to finish booking our townhouse today and then I just have to wait 3 months until I can reserve the character meals. I AM SO EXCITED I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO TELL YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hope you will come along in my journey!
Turns out when I took the cost off from 3 nights at the resort, the food for those days and what we would have done those days, it would cost about $2000 extra. Normally this would have been impossible, BUT, with my hubbies new job it should work out fine! So, of course, I started the planning of adding that to our trip!!!!!!!!!
After I started researching the cruise I bacame worried that the water on the islands wouldn't be warm enough to swim in in December. I didn't want to go on a cruise to the bahamas and not be able to fully enjoy those gorgeous beaches of course. Which means I had a decision to make. Either go on the cruise or see Disney at christmas time. I have been very excited about seeing disney at christmas but the cruise idea thrilled me beyond belief. I decided that if we went in October we could be almost sure that the water would be nice and we could always go to MNSSHP instead of MVMCP. We have never been when it is decorated in it's fall motif either so maybe this would soften the blow and we could save the christmas trip for next time. The boys were thrilled with the idea of seeing the haunted parade and especially the 'zombies' so they didn't mind missing the christmas lights for it.
Now, the only part that is going to be hard is that the boys don't know about the cruise. I was going to just keep the fact that they will see the flying dutchman ship a secret (POTC is their favorite movie) but when I told them we were thinking of adding something really fun to our vacation, to my surprise, they immediately stopped me and told me to keep it a secret. So, that is what we are doing. I think it will be so much fun to surprise them with the cruise but it's going to drive me crazy keeping a lid on it until then.
SOOOO, here is our new official plan:
Leave home on Oct. 15th and begin the drive to Florida. We will stay over night in Georgia on the 15th and arrive in Orlando on the evening of the 16th.
The next morning(the 17th) we will have breakfast with Stitch at Ohana (first character meal ever!) and then go to Animal Kingdom.
On the 18th we will go to Epcot. (our first time here)
Oct. 19th will be b/f at Crystal Palace with Pooh and friends and then Magic Kingdom day.
Oct. 20th we will go to DTD during the morning/afternoon, come back to resort and cookout on the grill and then head to MNSSHP that night
Oct. 21st will be Disney Hollywood Studios day (our first time here)
When we leave DHS we will head to Cape Canaveral, Fl and stay at the Raddison hotel that night. (they shuttle you to the port and let you leave your car parked at their hotel while you're on the cruise)
Oct. 22nd we will board the Disney Wonder!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oct. 23rd is Nassau, Bahamas day and hopefully a dolphin encounter excursion!!!!!
Oct. 24th is Castaway Cay day and seeing the Flying Dutchman!!!!
Oct. 25th we arrive back at Port Canaveral and start heading home
We will stay overnight in Tennessee and arrive home the next night.Sorry for the long report. It's just that so much has changed so I had a lot to update. For now our cruise is booked and deposit is paid. I hope to finish booking our townhouse today and then I just have to wait 3 months until I can reserve the character meals. I AM SO EXCITED I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO TELL YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hope you will come along in my journey!
My Cole will be 23 months old next Thursday 
what happened to the time?! We have changed his party for the final time. I was tired of trying to piece things together for My Friend's Tigger and Pooh. Wanted to go with Cars but my bff who's little boy was born 2 days after your Cole wanted to do that one also. I decided to find something different then since we ended up doing the same theme last year(didn't plan it that way). I figure Cole will still like Cars next year and with the new movie the stuff will still be out. ANYWAY, we are doing his next favorite thing, dogs. The 'The Dog' bday stuff is really cute. I will post pics of the stuff soon. I'm finishing up on booking our condo today. I am making myself choose one to get it done. Then I can finally relax some. Will post pics of the final choice soon as well. Thanks for saying hi, sorry I rambled but you should know to expect that from me at this point,lol.
Thanks for coming along. I'm very excited about the cruise part also. Wow, you leave in 3 weeks! lucky you.
