9/10/2012 ~ 6 WONDERful nights ~ VC to L.A.

[Tehanna]

...there is nothing left to do but wait.

I think that's why I find the FEs group to be so much fun. I plan the heck out of things, and this gives me another thing to plan. Now that we're in the same year, my DH is more enthusiastic about the planning. I've been driving him crazy with this since before we booked in October.


And you guys can throw me into the Disney Loony category.

 

[suzanneaz]

We are in this very strange position. We have our 25th anniversary cruise to look forward to and are starting to get excited about that one being it is in June. But we're also starting to plan what we want to do in SanFran for two days. We are stoked for our RCI FOS sailing but really looking forward to this one too. Airfare and hotel is booked on both of them ... so there is nothing left to do but wait.

sounds great....you are in a strange position whereas the rest of us are just strange....

 

[msbiscuit]

sounds great....you are in a strange position whereas the rest of us are just strange....

I resemble that remark!

 

[NHdisneylover]

We are in this very strange position. We have our 25th anniversary cruise to look forward to and are starting to get excited about that one being it is in June. But we're also starting to plan what we want to do in SanFran for two days. We are stoked for our RCI FOS sailing but really looking forward to this one too. Airfare and hotel is booked on both of them ... so there is nothing left to do but wait.

That's a great position to be in

 

[karatstravels]

Hi Everyone!!

We are very excited, our first Disney Cruise! We are from Vancouver and last summer watching the ship leave the port (with the "when you wish upon a star" horn) every week from my office sealed the deal for us. I have a feeling this will be the first of many. There are 10 of us in total (my parents, my brother and sister in law, my husband, myself and our gang of little pirates 9,8,6 and 2). We have done 2 WDW trips with all of us the last few years and DL last year.

As always the DIS boards are a huge help as I am the official "Disney Trip Planner" in the family (and with so many of us trip planning is essential - especially WDW). We will be spending 3 nights after the cruise at the GCV (just rented our points - 7 month window). So I am now in planning mode and getting really excited, my husband thinks I am crazy but is used to it by now.

I would be happy to help with any Vancouver related questions

Can't wait to sail with you all!

Leanne

 

[msbiscuit]

Welcome to the group! You have a lot of people to keep track of!

 

[*tinker*bell*]

Hi Everyone!!

We are very excited, our first Disney Cruise! We are from Vancouver and last summer watching the ship leave the port (with the "when you wish upon a star" horn) every week from my office sealed the deal for us. I have a feeling this will be the first of many. There are 10 of us in total (my parents, my brother and sister in law, my husband, myself and our gang of little pirates 9,8,6 and 2). We have done 2 WDW trips with all of us the last few years and DL last year.

As always the DIS boards are a huge help as I am the official "Disney Trip Planner" in the family (and with so many of us trip planning is essential - especially WDW). We will be spending 3 nights after the cruise at the GCV (just rented our points - 7 month window). So I am now in planning mode and getting really excited, my husband thinks I am crazy but is used to it by now.

I would be happy to help with any Vancouver related questions

Can't wait to sail with you all!

Leanne

Wow quite the crew! We have the same plan I just bought our airfare from LA back to Vancouver for the night of the 19th I was going to rent points for GCV but I can get a hotel across the street for almost nothing so I think we will do that instead... anyways Welcome! and if you wana join the FE let me know! your kiddos would probably enjoy it!

 

[Tehanna]

Hi Everyone!!

We are very excited, our first Disney Cruise! We are from Vancouver and last summer watching the ship leave the port (with the "when you wish upon a star" horn) every week from my office sealed the deal for us. I have a feeling this will be the first of many. There are 10 of us in total (my parents, my brother and sister in law, my husband, myself and our gang of little pirates 9,8,6 and 2). We have done 2 WDW trips with all of us the last few years and DL last year.

As always the DIS boards are a huge help as I am the official "Disney Trip Planner" in the family (and with so many of us trip planning is essential - especially WDW). We will be spending 3 nights after the cruise at the GCV (just rented our points - 7 month window). So I am now in planning mode and getting really excited, my husband thinks I am crazy but is used to it by now.

I would be happy to help with any Vancouver related questions

Can't wait to sail with you all!

Leanne

Welcome!

Wow! You must be the queen of all planning!

If you're interested in participating in our FE group, check out post #76 of this thread. It's on page 6.


Marsi set up a great Facebook group, too. Post #136 on page 10 of this thread has details.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Wow, welcome to you and your big clan.

We are doing B2B and have been busily planning our day in your city this past week

 

[GrumpyMom1]

We just booked I am soo excited!! This will be my 5th cruise, but DBF and DD first! It will also be a part of our honeymoon! We are so excited!

I am MagicMommy33's mom and we are now officially also booked on this cruise. It will be me, DH, DD6, and also DD19 and her BF.

We are hoping to spend a few days in Seattle and Vancouver before the cruise but haven't worked out the details yet.

 

[Tehanna]

Welcome!

 

[Sillysox]

We booked this sailing earlier this week. We haven't sailed with Disney since September 2000, so obviously we have a lot of catching up to do with the product as it is today.

For those a few posts up looking for airfares, I, too, found them quite expensive ($275 and up) when I checked earlier this week. (We are flying from SFO to YVR).
But today I checked again, and obviously West Jet and Alaska are having some sort of sale because I bought nonstop tickets SFO-YVR for $160 per person for travel on Saturday, Sept 8.

I just checked LAX to YVR and prices are similar to those from SFO for one-way nonstops. So anyone in Southern California looking for reasonable nonstop airfare to Vancouver, you might want to check it out.

Welcome! I saw those prices! It's nice to see the prices coming down.. Call me nuts I'm still hoping to see it go down to $100 per person.....it may be my undoing but I'm thinking of waiting until we're about 3 months away before booking flights. in march 2010 we got one way LAX to YVR for LESS than $100 per person (after taxes!) but I haven't been watching prices since then I dont' know if it's realistic to think they might come down that low again. We'll see!!

Hi Everyone!!

We are very excited, our first Disney Cruise! We are from Vancouver and last summer watching the ship leave the port (with the "when you wish upon a star" horn) every week from my office sealed the deal for us. I have a feeling this will be the first of many. There are 10 of us in total (my parents, my brother and sister in law, my husband, myself and our gang of little pirates 9,8,6 and 2). We have done 2 WDW trips with all of us the last few years and DL last year.

As always the DIS boards are a huge help as I am the official "Disney Trip Planner" in the family (and with so many of us trip planning is essential - especially WDW). We will be spending 3 nights after the cruise at the GCV (just rented our points - 7 month window). So I am now in planning mode and getting really excited, my husband thinks I am crazy but is used to it by now.

I would be happy to help with any Vancouver related questions

Can't wait to sail with you all!

Leanne

Welcome Leanne! Disney Planners unite!! on our last trip in 2010 I was the self appointed planner for a group of 12, my parents, my DB and his DW, my DS and her DH and two DS and my DH and myself and our DS and DD. It was hectic but so worth it to have everything sorted out and planned for.

I am MagicMommy33's mom and we are now officially also booked on this cruise. It will be me, DH, DD6, and also DD19 and her BF.

We are hoping to spend a few days in Seattle and Vancouver before the cruise but haven't worked out the details yet.

Welcome! Seattle and Vancouver are both really beautiful places to visit with lots to see and do.

So today I just transferred our booking to Dreams Unlimited, i was lured over by the promise of a little bit of onboard credit (every bit helps right?) But I have to admit my control freak side is really nervous of handing the reins of power off to a travel agent haha!! I'm so used to booking everything myself through expedia etc. I'm sure it will be fine, and they've assured me that very little will change, I will still be able to go on the dcl website and book excursions, palo etc. So, should be fine, right?

 

[squirrel]

I am MagicMommy33's mom and we are now officially also booked on this cruise. It will be me, DH, DD6, and also DD19 and her BF.

We are hoping to spend a few days in Seattle and Vancouver before the cruise but haven't worked out the details yet.

Were you by any chance on the 4-night Wonder at the beginning of Dec. 2000?

 

[GrumpyMom1]

So today I just transferred our booking to Dreams Unlimited, i was lured over by the promise of a little bit of onboard credit (every bit helps right?) But I have to admit my control freak side is really nervous of handing the reins of power off to a travel agent haha!! I'm so used to booking everything myself through expedia etc. I'm sure it will be fine, and they've assured me that very little will change, I will still be able to go on the dcl website and book excursions, palo etc. So, should be fine, right?

I am using Dreams Unlimited for the first time also. I have always booked directly with DCL so I've been struggling a little with giving up control. But everything has been fine so far and I'm looking forward to the OBC to buy a couple of trinkets or drinks.

Were you by any chance on the 4-night Wonder at the beginning of Dec. 2000?

Yes, our first cruise was in December 2000 on the Wonder.

 

[cyclenut]

Wow. Love that the group is continuing to grow!

Was looking at the official Disney excursions for San Fran today. The two "must do" places for us are Alcatraz and the Disney Museum. Not sure if we are going to book Disney excursions or go it alone. The last time we were in port on a cruise ship we did our own thing, which was great, but it also meant lots more walking than we had originally planned.

I know a lot of threads talk about booking excursions outside of DCL and I've been a little aprehensive about it. In this case, I can see where there are a whole lot of options available in San Fran that DCL just doesn't have. For instance, biking the Golden Gate bridge. There is a place called Blazing Saddles that will rent you bikes (and others too). I didn't see anything referencing Coit Tower or Lombard street. Maybe they are part of the complete city tour? I also recommend a trolly ride. So much fun!

Love to hear what some of you might be thinking of doing in San Fran for two days!

Does anyone know if the ship has a "curfew"? In other words, can we stay out late in San Fran and still return to our cabin?


For those of you planning a Disneyland visit for after the cruise, it might be fun to check out a few things.

1) Ghiradelli Chocolate in San Fran and compare to the Ghiradelli Chocolate that will be open by that time in DCA.
2) Clam chowder in a Boudin sourdough bowl and compare to the same offered at DCA. I've done both and the San Fran version is much better I think.

We'll get a chance to see the real deal and then look at the Disney version and it seems ironic that we'll be doing both courtsey of a Disney ship.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I don't think the ship has a curfew. I am sure that my friends did an on their own tour of Alcatraz by night after dinner last year.

We plan, on the first day, to rent a car, drive out to the Muir forest and spend a half day or so hiking among the redwoods.

Then, after dinner, we plan to take a ferry over and tour Alcatraz by night.

On the second day we plan to go to the Walt Disney Museum in the mornings and then try to fit a bit into the afternoon in the city (Fisherman's Wharf, China Town, etc).

I have never been to Northern California at all and am very excited to see it

 

[suzanneaz]

Hi! I have a nothing-to-do-with-the-cruise question for the self proclaimed bald, well fed guys with fancy camera equipment that like to take pictures....Do you have DL passes? If so, can I inquire about hiring you to take our family pictures at DL on Wed or Thursday March 7/8? My sister, her husband and son are flying out from VA. My parents and our family will be meeting them there. This is our first trip together and getting family photos is really important to me. I am not looking forward to paying the huge premium they charge in the park but want professional pictures. PM if you would consider it so I don't hijack the thread anymore. Thanks!!!

 

[msbiscuit]

I am hoping to schedule two excursions:

1) Muir Woods & Sausalito
2) Chinatown at Night

I hope those aren't on the same day! I enjoy riding the trolley cars and may visit the Trolley Car Museum again. The Maritime Museum is very nice, also. The old ships are fun to board and look around.
Of course, there's always the Farmer's Market and the Tonga Room! So much I want to do...so little time!

 

[suzanneaz]

We want to ride the cable car and possibly go to the museum. My best friend from HS lives about 2.5 hours from San Fran so we are going to try to meet up. I haven't seen her in at least 15 years and we have never met each other's kids. Hopefully it will work out

 

[msbiscuit]

Oops, I meant the Cable Car Museum...the fingers typing are willing, but the mind is weak.