8/21/08 Wonder 3 night

[Pluto's Gal]

Very true - ask away. We did a three night a year ago.

The best thing I did was print out the latest 3-night Navigators right before we cruise and look over what activities are scheduled when and where then pick out the "must do's".

Hi Ski,

This is only my second cruise, and the first was wonderful but we didn't know about everything available to us. Still don't actually! Where do you find the 3-night Navigators? This is the kids' first cruise, so they're really excited and so are we! Any suggestions for young ones (DH-4 and DS-6)?

I didn't know there was a pirate night too?! That's awesome! We'll definately have to dress up, I know the kids will love that!

 

[Ski-and-Sea]

well you guys also convinced me not to wait until we get to Disney to buy our pirate stuff!! now i just have to figure out where to get it here?? where do you get your stuff ski-n-sea???

I just searched on the web by typing in the words "pirate costume" and then checked out the different places that sell costumes. Some where halloween costume stores and others were more serious costume stores.

Sometimes I looked at stores that sell "Renaissance" clothing.

Then it comes down to who sells it cheapest because some of those costumes can get pricey

You can look on Ebay as well for pirate costumes.

Hi Ski,

This is only my second cruise, and the first was wonderful but we didn't know about everything available to us. Still don't actually! Where do you find the 3-night Navigators? This is the kids' first cruise, so they're really excited and so are we! Any suggestions for young ones (DH-4 and DS-6)?

You can get the navigators by going on the wdwinfo web site and clicking on Disney Cruie Line and then clicking on "navigators". Then look for 3-night Wonder cruises.

For kids your age the best time to hit the pools is early in the morning or late in the afternoon. The pools are a zoo in the middle of the day and its just too stressful on you.

The best advice I can give with kids that age is to be very flexible. They will be off of their regular routine and can get crabby. I remember one time DD was going to go to the kids club to do an activity and at the last minute changed her mind and wanted to hang out in our room.

Don't be surprised if both kids take an unplanned afternoon nap.

There are some family activites to do in addition to what is offered in the kids clubs.

On the Castaway Cay day, plan on getting off the ship as soon as possible. You have a better choice of beach chairs and the family beach isn't as crowded yet. I believe they start serving lunch at 11:30am. I would eat then and then you can see how tired the kids are after lunch. If the sun is getting to them then just return to the ship. It can get very, very hot at Castaway Cay in August and that sun will zap their energy.

And I always tell everyone - order a drink from the waiters that walk around the family beach. Its a wonderful luxury. What I do is ask that waiter to mix up something special - each CM has their own favorite drink that they like to make. And I usually ask for no alcohol and that's not a problem.

I've had some of the most yummy frozen drinks made by the CMs.....hmmmmm......delicious.

 

[Pluto's Gal]

thanks much for all the info!!!

 

[minniemandy]

Hallooo,

Well got both dd's outfits sorted, our woolworths (dunno if you have them where you are) have fab cheap pirate outfits for little ones. My eldest daughter is almost into ladies clothes now so I have thrown a few bits together and am planning on sewing a few piratey bits and bobs on to make her feel a bit more special!

Still haven't got myself sorted, but some of the u.s fancy dress sites are awesome! Trouble is, with all the travelling we will be doing, I need a pirate hat that will bounce back into shape if it gets squashed. Either that, or I will look more like captain jack than anyone else on board!

We are due to pay on 7th june,

I am going to book my shore excursions then too, planning to do the dolphin encounter at least. Are the kids programs good during the day? I assume they will spend a fair amount of time inside? Don't want my 2 in the sun too long, but I plan to burn myself to a crisp personally!!!

Don't forget, I'll be the one with illuminous white/lobster red legs by the pool glugging the speciality drinks! Haha. Hey, how does the drink thing work on board? Is it charged to your room or do you pay as you go?

TTFN!

 

[Ski-and-Sea]

18 WEEKS TILL WE CRUISE!!!!!!
I will win the contest for the whitest legs which will turn cherry red by the end of the cruise.

I'm the one on Castaway Cay that is completely covered with towels on the beach chairs desperately trying to keep out of the sun.

Minniemandy......I like what you did with the pirate outfits. There are definitely some fantastic dressy outfits you can get on the web.

And yes, I know exactly what you mean about the hats getting smooshed. What I do is put the pirate hates in a paper bag and literally carried it onboard the plane.

And worse....I discovered the hard way that you have to be careful how to store the pirate hats at home. I wore my hat at Halloween and discovered it had gotten crushed in the bag in the cloest. Yes, its a felt hat.

The kids programs are generally indoors onboard - sometimes they will go out on the sports deck for 45 minutes. And they do not go in the water either on the ship or on Castaway Cay.

Drinks are charged to your stateroom account. You just pay with your KTTW card. The best deals are the drinks of the day. We've been disappointed with the margarita's they make on the ship. Too sour. We've even asked to put premium tequilla in it instead and that still doesn't help.

The dolphin encounters are great. We did the one in Cozumel.

We are planning on doing the eco-tour on Castaway Cay (aka the jet skis).

 

[postalcop]

18 week!!!! yikes~ that sounds sooo very far away!! but it will fly by.... im sure.

well we have about another month and a half or so to book our shore excursions... has anyone done the Atlantis tour?? are we aloud to use their pool or beech?? dh wants to do that, but i know a co-worker who just got back from a RC cruise and she said -NO way- you have no access. the only way is to book at the comfort suites, and i really dont know if i want to do that.

anyway ski- how did you enjoy todays weather... it looks like its time to finally break out the shorts (well at least for tomorrow, anyway)!!

~Sue

 

[Ski-and-Sea]

18 week!!!! yikes~ that sounds sooo very far away!! but it will fly by.... im sure.

well we have about another month and a half or so to book our shore excursions... has anyone done the Atlantis tour?? are we aloud to use their pool or beech?? dh wants to do that, but i know a co-worker who just got back from a RC cruise and she said -NO way- you have no access. the only way is to book at the comfort suites, and i really dont know if i want to do that.

anyway ski- how did you enjoy todays weather... it looks like its time to finally break out the shorts (well at least for tomorrow, anyway)!!

~Sue

Yes, you have to be careful which Atlantis excursion you book. I believe the tour does NOT include access to the pools/beach. You just do the tour.

DCL did introduce an Atlantis excursion that does include full access to the pools/beach (Acquadventure), but its pretty pricey and you're better off booking the day room at Comfort suites.

Did you get your Wonder vacation guide yet? You can see the difference in the three Atlantis excursions.

Yes, the weather has been outstanding. And very dry, too. I'm taking my Girl Scout troop to a dude ranch and we're leaving tonight. We've been planning this trip for three years now. I've got 25 in total coming (moms and younger siblings included).

Everyone is so excited. I've heard nothing but great things about the ranch.

 

[pierresgirl]

Hey fellow cruisers, I just booked mine yesterday and am a virgin cruiser I figured the 3 day would be best for us and we want to do a 7 day next year so I'll take the discount they give out! We are doing 3 days at AKL first, 3 day cruise then Nick Hotel (my kids, I swear freak out each time we pass by it on our way back to MCO) We are all VERY excited!!!! I used to read all the cruise trip reports and wrote one about our trip last Sept. and started a pre-trip report on the reg. disboards so I'll include the link since I'll be talking about the cruise as well! They don't seem to do pretrippies over here.... just click on the first link in my sig to get there!

It will be me, dh and dd8 and ds5. Let's keep this thread going!

 

[postalcop]

Pierresgirl~ welcome!!! i'm sure you will have a great time on your 1st cruise!!! i just love cruising!! its been 5 years since we had our last real cruise. we wanted to wait for the kids to be old enough so they could participate in the childrens programs. this is our 1st Disney cruise!! i can't wait. we had a room booked at ALK, but switched over to OKW, after we exchanged our timeshare week to stay on Disney property!! i will def. check out your pre-trip report and say hi!!!

ski-n-sea ~ how was you dude ranch trip with the girl scouts?? hope everyone had a great time!

we had a busy weekend my sister and her family came up from Atlanta, so we had a crowed over for dinner, it was fun!!

bye for now~
~Sue

 

[pierresgirl]

Pierresgirl~ welcome!!! i'm sure you will have a great time on your 1st cruise!!! i just love cruising!! its been 5 years since we had our last real cruise. we wanted to wait for the kids to be old enough so they could participate in the childrens programs. this is our 1st Disney cruise!! i can't wait. we had a room booked at ALK, but switched over to OKW, after we exchanged our timeshare week to stay on Disney property!! i will def. check out your pre-trip report and say hi!!!
~Sue

Well, thank ya! I looked back and saw that your ds is 5, mine too, he'll be 6 in Dec so they'll probably get to play in the kids club together! OKW looks SO pretty, I'd love to stay there one day (mainly for the fact that you can walk to Epcot) I really wanted to stay in the WL but my best friend is doing the land part with us and she wants AKL. She's never been so.... guess I'll be nice and give in Hope to see you on my pretippie! BTW- we are in CT so not too far from you Jersey folks!

 

[solgent]

Hi Everyone

August 21 is our first cruise ever! DH and I have 3 daughters-- twins age 13 and a 9 year old. They will all be within 1 month of their next birthday. We are all super excited.

I have booked a day room at Comfort Suites. It costs $234 for the 4 of us (myself + girls, DH will stay onboard). Compare that to $155 per person through Disney! (OK, it would be "only" $105 for DD9-- but still!)

We decided not to do any excursions at Castaway Cay. We figured the Atlantis day would be the big outing and at CC we would just enjoy the water & the sand, get floats or something simple like that.

We have pirate hats and pirate-themed T-shirts that we got for PPP in August 07.

Sara

 

[Ski-and-Sea]

Welcome everyone

We had a great time at the dude ranch this weekend. The weather was absolutely perfect....sunny skies/low humidity/comfortable temperatures.

DD rode for four hours on Saturday and three hours on Sunday. I rode for two hours on Saturday and one hour on Sunday. My sprained ankle was hurting too much to do more so I stayed with the beginner class. DD rode in the advanced class.

My moms had a great time, too.

The food was excellent. Very much like DCL - you showed up at the dining room at assigned times and sat down to eat. Heavenly.

We are all sore - mostly sore bums.

Lots and lots of wonderful memories. The resort booked us in connecting rooms so the girls had rooms to themselves while us moms were in the connecting rooms. So everyone had their "privacy".

We're already planning our next "big" trip. We talked about doing a cruise but we could only go in the middle of June and that is just too expensive a time for our budget. So I placed a call to the Smugglers' Notch resort in VT and they are working out a price quote for us because June is a "cheap" month for them.

 

[postalcop]

solgent- welcome aboard!!!
wow you booked at comfort suites!! maybe i should look into that, too! since everyone is telling meto do that.

pierresgirl- yes my ds is 5.. so our boys will be hanging out at the oceaniers club, (i think thats what its called)!! my dd (4)l be there also.
my dh, really want to stay at ALK, but when i saw a Disney property on II for an exchange, i just had to jump on the deal-- it's only $139 for the week!! so i saved us a bunch of money!! i guess he really couldn't complain. we will not be spending the full week there, only 5 days... then it's off on the boat!!!
i do have to go on your pre-trip report. which one is it, i see you have 2... opps nevermind i just answered my own question, by scrolling down.. it's to late now, (10 pm). have to get off to watch "gene simmons family jewels" love that show!!

ski- i'm glad you had a good time at the dude ranch, sorry to hear that you are a little sore. wow! you are already looking for another trip, good for you guys!! how fun!!

ok i must go for now!!

welcome all the new cruisers!!

 

[pierresgirl]

Welcome everyone

Thanks for the welcome! I don't think I'm EVER not planning some trip

pierresgirl- yes my ds is 5.. so our boys will be hanging out at the oceaniers club, (i think thats what its called)!! my dd (4)l be there also.
my dh, really want to stay at ALK, but when i saw a Disney property on II for an exchange, i just had to jump on the deal-- it's only $139 for the week!! so i saved us a bunch of money!! i guess he really couldn't complain. we will not be spending the full week there, only 5 days... then it's off on the boat!!!
i do have to go on your pre-trip report. which one is it, i see you have 2... opps nevermind i just answered my own question, by scrolling down.. it's to late now, (10 pm). have to get off to watch "gene simmons family jewels" love that show!!

welcome all the new cruisers!!

I love that show too! I don't blame you for switching resorts to get the savings! One of the reasons I'm doing this cruise is to get a discount for a 7 day next Aug (providing I like cruising in the first place!) I think I got that special offer in the mail but my best friend wants to do AKL. If she can't go we'll switch to WL.


SO- any one done the Castaway Cay excursions? I can bet my dd and dh will want to do either parasailing of the banana boat. Well, who am I kidding, they'll want both!

 

[Ski-and-Sea]

The reality show I got a big kick out of was CMT's my Big Redneck Wedding. OMG that show was so funny.

Talk about a different side of life.

The only excursion I've done on CC was the boat snorkeling one. We're going to try for the eco-tour (jet skiing). Hopefully DCL will work out the vendor issues in the meantime.

And yes, I'm in vacation planning mode all the time. Yesterday, I just booked my ski trips for next winter.

 

[minniemandy]

Hi Everyone,

Good to see some new cruisers on here, was beginning to think that it would really be the quietest cruise ever!

After a week of hell I'm back! Had my purse stolen last weekend so have been unable to do ANYTHING! Cancelled all my cards n stuff, but it's surprising how much information you carry around with you!

Nevermind tho, I have my Disney trip to continue with, that keeps me very busy! (Now that I have my cards back!)

Girls still don't know about the cruise, I can't wait to see thier faces! Maybe we could all plan to meet up at some point? I think it would be good for the kids to meet up with each other so they'll at least know each other in the kids clubs. (That's assuming that everyone is like me and plans to ditch kids and chill!!!!)

Anyways, just thought I'd check in n say hi, hope everyone is well.

TTFN, Mandy.

 

[postalcop]

Mandy- OMG i'm so sorry that happened to you! yikes!! i'm glad everything is all settled, but i'll tell uou the nerve some people have!! ugh, that gets me so mad!! make sure you have your credit score checked and all of that stuff.. DH had a problem one year when we went to visit family in GA. someone got his CC # and boom we were charged some crazy stuff!! it was all taken care of though by his CC company.
yes that will be great to to have DIS meet. are you just doing the cruise or are you in the parks too? opps, i don't remember, sorry!!

ski- i know what you mean about planning mode. i am trying to plan our trip to Myrtle Beach. we are going in june right after school gets out. we are only going for 3 days, though. but i have never been there. so ihave to do my research!!

Pierresgirl- i was reading your other trip report, how funny your dd is a Hannah Montana fan. so is my DD. i have to go out today to get some stuff for her b-day party. we have'nt decided if it should be HM or High School Musical. i'm only thinking of HSM, because there will be some boys there. so who knows!!

bye for now
~Sue

 

[minniemandy]

Yep, it's a weird one. Purse was handed in at a police station in Liverpool (dunno if anyone knows it, most people say, "Oh, where the Beatles are from"!) I live over the river from it (a very big, very dirty river!!,"Ferry 'cross the Mersey" as the song goes) So at least I don't have to go through the procedure of getting a new driving licence etc. Y'know, I was more upset about losing a badge I'd gotten from a bar in Amsterdam. It was called the 'Black and White', and I have been going there for years. It played lots of Rock music which I loved, and the people were fab. Anyhoo, it shut down this year, and all I have left is that badge. I will find out if it's still in my purse when I go get it from the police station. What's that all about? I guess my purse had a little vacation of it's own!

Yeah, we are vising parks the week before. Staying at POFQ 15-20, then to cruise, then to Hardrock till 29th! We're gonna be very busy bunnies me thinks!

My eldest LOVES Hannah Montana, and HSM What party did you decide on in the end? Just got her a Hannah Montana game (from U.S) for her Nintendo DS, it's fab, I've been playing it myself! You can play guitar, drums etc, now I'm waffling, doh!

Got our pirate stuff sorted now, Yippee!!! Can't wait.

OMG, I read a cruise trip report, it was by a guy (Dreamfinder2) on the cruise trip reports, (titled: 3 day wonder - more info than you can possibly stand) it was amazing. He had me addicted, I couldn't wait for the next installment. There is one picture on there though, WOW! It's of the sunrise from aboard the ship, it made my hair stand on end. If you haven't already, you must check it out! I can't post links as I'm too new hence the stuff in brackets.

I'm not a slushy type of person, but some of the stuff on here brought tears to my eyes, seriously!

Ski-and-Sea, dunno when your op is, but good luck! Hope you are ok.

Well hope everyone is well and happy, I certainly am.

Talk soon then.

 

[pierresgirl]

Pierresgirl- i was reading your other trip report, how funny your dd is a Hannah Montana fan. so is my DD. i have to go out today to get some stuff for her b-day party. we have'nt decided if it should be HM or High School Musical. i'm only thinking of HSM, because there will be some boys there. so who knows!!

bye for now
~Sue

Thanks for sloughing through the other one! Yep, she just got the HM electric guitar yesterday for doing the radio show. It will be aired on Sat morning so I'm really excited! For her bd we had an HM cake with HSM plates and napkins, made it easy!

Yeah, we are vising parks the week before. Staying at POFQ 15-20, then to cruise, then to Hardrock till 29th! We're gonna be very busy bunnies me thinks!

My eldest LOVES Hannah Montana, and HSM What party did you decide on in the end? Just got her a Hannah Montana game (from U.S) for her Nintendo DS, it's fab, I've been playing it myself! You can play guitar, drums etc, now I'm waffling, doh!

Got our pirate stuff sorted now, Yippee!!! Can't wait.

OMG, I read a cruise trip report, it was by a guy (Dreamfinder2) on the cruise trip reports, (titled: 3 day wonder - more info than you can possibly stand) it was amazing. He had me addicted, I couldn't wait for the next installment. There is one picture on there though, WOW! It's of the sunrise from aboard the ship, it made my hair stand on end. If you haven't already, you must check it out! I can't post links as I'm too new hence the stuff in brackets.

I'm not a slushy type of person, but some of the stuff on here brought tears to my eyes, seriously!


Talk soon then.

WOW, you guys really ARE doing alot! The Hard Rock Hotel looks so cool, I've thought of staying there before. We stayed at POFR before and really enjoyed it, it's very prtty, the pool is great and it's a small resort so you don't have to walk far to get anywhere! I read his report yesterday and it was SO good!

 

[minniemandy]

Yeah, livin in U.K. it's not so easy to get there regular, so I'm making sure we make the most of it! Hardrock is my idea of heaven! (Maybe Steve Tyler will pop in for cocktails? I can live in hope!!!)

Just checked out your thread, haha, we are such similar creatures. My hubby does exactly the same, holiday begins at airport and that's that! At least they're chilled out enough to let us get on with what we want to do then!

Anyways, just taking girls to get passport photos sorted,

See ya soon, Mandy.