5/27/06 "Il pochi il fiero i blabbermouths" We *will* sail again Part 12

[RachelTori]

Hey there, Mary & Mark!!! So glad you posted! Great to hear you arrived safely and are enjoying the beauty of Hawaii!

Have a fabulous time!!

 

[justmestace]

Good morning everyone! Well it is 3:30 in the morning here in Hawaii but we are wide awake!

Had a really great flight! It wasn't 10 hours it was actually 9 1/2. Really though it was very smooth and the time went relatively quickly. They showed 2 movies and we had brought out own movies and our books so it was all good.

The resort is beatutiful! Definately up to Disney stanards. We got an 11th floor ocean view room. Which also means we have a view of the construction site but that's cool. Saw an absolutely beautful sunset last night. I even got to see the famed green flash. Awesome!

Today the plan is just to explore the resort and maybe do some snorkeling. I definately see a nap in my future.

I looked at my watch yesterday afternoon, and I think I figured out that you were about halfway there! So glad you made it safely, and have a beautiful view!!
And I'm glad that someone I know has now also seen the Green Flash! Maybe people will believe me now.....


HAVE FUN!!!

 

[Dancind]

Our trip to WDW is a little over two weeks away. If anyone is going to be in the area, we will arrive in the afternoon on Monday, March 12 and will leave early on Monday, March 19. I had to take what I could get through DVC, so we are at Saratoga the first 4 nights, then Beach Club for 2 nights and finally a Priceline deal on Sunday night.

Jim -- I am sure Dale would love for Matt to come and hangout some at the parks is they are not in school that week.

I happen to know that Matt is available to hang at the parks when he is not in school. That is, if you have cute teenage girls in your group, room for his sleeping bag on the floor, and eat at good places.

 

[Dancind]

Shall we start a naming contest?

Morning All ---

TA sent an e-mail - do we want to be waitlisted.

What the heck --- SURE

Seriously? We have to get on the waitlist NOW? Well, it is only 4-5 years away. Doesn't hurt to plan, right?

 

[Dancind]

Mary and Mark, hope to read a trip report when you return. So, you are staying at one of the DVC resorts you can trade into? Definitely interested in hearing about that!

Update on the nose, it still hurts. I'm trying to get her an appointment next week when she's off school for three days, just to verify if it was broken. In case it needs fixing later. And the coaches/choreographers all do have the same philosophy, if they can still do their thing, the hurt appendage is unimportant.

However, I think the school administration got wind of all the injuries, they did not practice that routine on Friday. This would mean that the advanced ballet class won't have a routine for the recital on March 16, but at least the school won't be sued when one of the kids really gets hurt.

 

[Dancind]

And to continue my posting streak...

There's an item in our paper this morning about an incident in Costa Rica, Limon in fact. We stopped there on our Celebrity cruise, will it be one of the stops on the DCL repositioning cruises? Anyway, here is a link:

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/88-02242007-1303850.html

 

[justmestace]

And to continue my posting streak...

There's an item in our paper this morning about an incident in Costa Rica, Limon in fact. We stopped there on our Celebrity cruise, will it be one of the stops on the DCL repositioning cruises? Anyway, here is a link:

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/88-02242007-1303850.html

No...they're going to Cartegena, Columbia...and some people are having a fit. They think it will be scary. I'm looking forward to it, I can add South America to my list. And I'm thinking emeralds!

 

[tinytink]

No...they're going to Cartegena, Columbia...and some people are having a fit. They think it will be scary. I'm looking forward to it, I can add South America to my list. And I'm thinking emeralds!

Hi All,

Mark and Mary, glad you made it to Hawaii safely and are enjoying yourselves.

We had a cub scouts Blue and Gold banquet tonight. They had a company called Animal Ambassadors come and show the kids a snake, possom, milipede, and a toad. Gross!!! It was fun for the kids to hang out with their friends.

 

[WDWLVR]

Here are a few pictures that Mark uploaded for me:

First, we flew in right over the resort we're staying at, it's the two buildings near the bottom, the Ko Olina Beach Club:

They don't just give out lei's at the airport or such, but they do have vendors selling them. Mark bought us some. Beautiful plumeria which we both love. Mark grows them at home and we love the scent of them.

Yes, Bear gets to go too:

And, a better look at the ocean view from our balcony:

And last, for now, we did get some snorkeling in those lagoons shown above:

Tomorrow's plan is to go to a fish feeding at Lagoon 1, then the Marriott presentation, then a drive into Honolulu and maybe over to Sea Life Park.

This resort is really wonderful. Lots of activities and the pools and lagoons are fantastic. Would you believe we even ran into someone we knew here. What a small world! Diana - it is available as an II trade through DVC which is how we got it. Well actually we won the trade through II on the last Member Cruise. I was amazed that we got an ocean view room as I heard most trades got mountain views.

 

[ohiominnie]

Here are a few pictures that Mark uploaded for me:

Beautiful, Mary, just beautiful!! I'm glad you're having such a good time!!

 

[scuba diver]

I happen to know that Matt is available to hang at the parks when he is not in school. That is, if you have cute teenage girls in your group, room for his sleeping bag on the floor, and eat at good places.

And guys never change.

 

[scuba diver]

Seriously? We have to get on the waitlist NOW? Well, it is only 4-5 years away. Doesn't hurt to plan, right?

And we decided, why not. We are going on the wait list.

 

[Dancind]

I had forgotten about the vacation you won, Mary. What a great deal! That looks like a beautiful location.

So Jim, did you have to put down a deposit to go on that waitlist?

 

[justmestace]

Thanks for the pictures Mark & Mary!!! How beautiful!!
Looks like you have a GREAT room and view.
Keep the pictures coming!

 

[justmestace]

I had forgotten about the vacation you won, Mary. What a great deal! That looks like a beautiful location.

So Jim, did you have to put down a deposit to go on that waitlist?

We had Ann put in for us, too...and so far, no one has asked for a deposit. Then again, maybe IC is putting all of our requests into File 13 after the last debacle.

 

[tinytink]

Beautiful, Mary, just beautiful!! I'm glad you're having such a good time!!

Ditto, love the pics. Glad to hear you three are having fun.

 

[tinytink]

My aunt and her DH, DS-3, DS-2, would like to go to WDW in May. I told her I would check around(disboards) and let her know what if any good deals there are out there. I thought I would start here first, I have DVC but we use most of our 07 points for the member cruise so I have a few of those left and I guess I could borrow from 08? She also has a HiltonHonors Amex so she would like to stay there a earn more points she can use at the beach later this year. What all do you guys suggest? Go the DVC route or pay for the Hilton?

Second question, since we can get AP's through DVC is it cheaper to do that or get the (#)day passes. Can she park hop with the AP or does she have to get hopper passes for that? I hope I am making some kind of sense here, we have never done the parks yet so I am in the dark about the whole park thing(at least I experience the cruising part).

Thanks for any input.

 

[tinytink]

Woke up this morning and we find it snowing heavily go to church come home and still snowing. All in all we get about 2 inches, yeah. That beats the ice we got last week.

 

[ohiominnie]

My aunt and her DH, DS-3, DS-2, would like to go to WDW in May. I told her I would check around(disboards) and let her know what if any good deals there are out there. I thought I would start here first, I have DVC but we use most of our 07 points for the member cruise so I have a few of those left and I guess I could borrow from 08? She also has a HiltonHonors Amex so she would like to stay there a earn more points she can use at the beach later this year. What all do you guys suggest? Go the DVC route or pay for the Hilton?

Second question, since we can get AP's through DVC is it cheaper to do that or get the (#)day passes. Can she park hop with the AP or does she have to get hopper passes for that? I hope I am making some kind of sense here, we have never done the parks yet so I am in the dark about the whole park thing(at least I experience the cruising part).

Thanks for any input.

She can hop with the AP's, but does she want those? They "pay for themselves" I believe after 7 or 8 days in the park (it used to be 8, but with the DVC discount it may be 7).....that being said, I don't know that you could get her AP's with the DVC discount b/c it may have to only be the actual member and the immediate family living in the same household.

As for accomodations, how long are they staying? How much do they want to spend? Are you willing to "pay" for their accomodations with your points (or at least rent them to them cheaper) I always think DVC is nicer than something like POP or All Stars...definitely has that WOW factor. But with two little kids like that, something value may be just fine...or they may want DVC so they can have their own room and get away from the kids.

 

[Dancind]

You're right OM, no DVC APs unless they live in your household. We got the Hilton on Priceline for about $70 a night our last trip, then moved over to DVC on Sunday. It's nice, but parking there was a pain (Holiday parties) and we didn't try the shuttle service because we had a car. It is an easy walk to DTD, which is nice.