A 23 day Extravaganza! DCL, WDW, F&WF & More! *Updated 9/12*

[MissMet]

Hey everyone! In just a short amount of time I will be heading on quite an adventure and I thought you all may want to join me. I have been keeping a PTR over on the DCL boards, but my former 18 day trip just changed to a 23 day trip and now includes a stay at WDW for Food and Wine Festival!! So I thought I'd start a PTR over here as well. I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me start with introductions and then we'll go from there.



Me: Lisa
Age: just shy of 25
Useless info that I feel obligated to share: I am a DVC member, huge NY Mets fan, addicted to cheeseburgers, loves to cruise, obviously loves WDW, favorite "ride" Philharmagic, event planner- therefore obsessive vacation planner and sarcastic... with a side of sarcasm.



My Dad: Don
Age: 62
Useless info that I feel obligated to share: DVC Member, not at all into any type of sports, loves all food, especially chicken & white-on-white cake, obsessed with cruising, loves WDW, favorite ride the rocking chairs on main street, goes with the flow and does whatever my mom tells him to do, hence married 40 years.



My Mom: Rose
Age: just shy of 61
Useless info that I feel obligated to share: DVC Member, HUGE NY Mets fan, likes all foods, feared all boats until finally trying a cruise 5 years ago, loves WDW, favorite ride Tower of Terror & frequents it ALONE, sarcastic, stereotypical Italian wife & mother, married 40 years and is the rock of the family.


I also have an older brother & SIL, but they will not be joining us on this trip. They'll be watching the baby of the family... my Yorkie, Rocky who is deeply offended that DCL/WDW is not pup friendly as you can see in this picture.



That's everyone. Now for the trip. It started out as just a 14 day Transatlantic cruise on the Disney Magic and then somehow turned into a trip visiting Ireland, Spain, all the ports on our 14 day cruise and now WDW. Our travel dates are September 13th - October 7th. I have been doing my PTR on my travel blog and posting the updates via links on my DCL PTR and that seems to be working, so that's what I'll do here. It's much easier this way, as I'm not typing things multiple times. This will also help once I am on my trip as, I will be going live via my blog. I did this back in May when a friend of mine went with me to WDW. It worked out great so I decided to continue.

I'll post each update's link on here whenever I have an update. I'm also going to post each post individually on this post so that way you guys can get caught up on my previous posts regarding this trip. I don't know... do you think I could have used the word "post" one more time in that sentence? If you're familiar with blogs then you wont need all these posts, but I gotta be all things to all people.

Also, feel free to look back at my May WDW TR on my blog...we had quite the adventure!

Finally, please feel free to let me know you're out there. I'm not gonna pick on anyone or anything buuuuuuut... the DCL TR boards are pretty dead. Anyway, let me know you're out there & if you're enjoying it... or if you're not. I can take it. Also, please feel free to follow my blog. It's not hard, all you have to do is click "follow" on the right. Also you can comment on my blog or here on the boards. I'll keep on eye out on both.

Here we go!

I can't believe we're going:
http://www.serenitynowtravelblog.com/2010/02/i-cant-believe-were-going-trip-aka.html

A Very special day:
http://www.serenitynowtravelblog.com/2010/04/very-special-day.html

Let the planning begin:
http://www.serenitynowtravelblog.com/2010/06/let-planning-begin.html

I Won:
http://www.serenitynowtravelblog.com/2010/06/i-won.html

Two months out:
http://www.serenitynowtravelblog.com/2010/07/two-months-out-with-some-sad-news.html

Can this get any bigger? I think so.:
http://www.serenitynowtravelblog.com/2010/07/can-this-get-any-bigger-i-think-so.html

Let the whining begin:
http://www.serenitynowtravelblog.com/2010/07/let-whining-begin.html

Plans for Day 1 & 2.
http://www.serenitynowtravelblog.com/2010/08/plans-for-day-1-2.html

Plans for Day 3 & 4.
http://www.serenitynowtravelblog.com/2010/08/day-3-4-plans.html

Plans for Day 5 & 6.
http://www.serenitynowtravelblog.com/2010/08/plans-for-day-5-6.html

Plans for Sea Days.
http://www.serenitynowtravelblog.com/2010/08/plans-for-sea-days.html

Special Dis Boards Update on Trip Surprises
post #9

Good God! It's September already!!
http://www.serenitynowtravelblog.com/2010/09/good-god-its-september-already.html

Plans for Port Days.
http://www.serenitynowtravelblog.com/2010/09/plans-for-port-days.html

It's here!
http://www.serenitynowtravelblog.com/2010/09/its-here.html

The Last Day for Errands.
http://www.serenitynowtravelblog.com/2010/09/last-day-for-errands.html

Last post before I leave!!!
http://www.serenitynowtravelblog.com/2010/09/last-post-before-leaving.html

 

[MissMet]

Let the whining begin!

http://www.serenitynowtravelblog.com/2010/07/let-whining-begin.html

 

[Queenofallthings]

Oh my goodness, this trip of yours sounds like pure heavencannot wait to read all about it...

 

[MissMet]

Oh my goodness, this trip of yours sounds like pure heavencannot wait to read all about it...

Yes, this is going to be quite the trip! Glad to have you reading along.

 

[MissMet]

New update...

http://www.serenitynowtravelblog.com/2010/08/plans-for-day-1-2.html

 

[MissMet]

Plans for Day 3 & 4.

http://www.serenitynowtravelblog.com/2010/08/day-3-4-plans.html

 

[MissMet]

http://www.serenitynowtravelblog.com/2010/08/plans-for-day-5-6.html

enjoy.

 

[MissMet]

http://www.serenitynowtravelblog.com/2010/08/plans-for-sea-days.html

 

[MissMet]

Hey guys. Well, I'm going with the more traditional post this time. I have some trip surprises that I want to share but my mom reads my blog. She doesn't, however, read the DIS boards! How perfect!

So anyway, I just planned a pretty major surprise as well as a smaller one. First for the smaller one that will probably be semi-expected. Every cruise I've gone on with my parents, I always have something waiting for them in their room. I've done the birthday celebration, sparkling cider (we don't drink) & desserts tray, etc. Well, this time I was on the fence. My options are getting smaller, as Disney doesn't really have that many adult options for stateroom gifts to begin with & this is cruise #4 with DCL. So I ended up getting them each a one day pass to the rainforest room. I know, I ended up paying a dollar each more, but it's worth it. Also, my mom is obsessive about bottled water, aka the biggest waste of money on the planet. Especially when you live in NY & you have the second best tap water in the country!! Anyway. Normally we do the whole, slap a luggage tag on the case of water at the port... or as of late with disney, put it in an extra suitcase. So in Barcelona I don't want to be tracking down a case of bottled water and carrying it around. So I also pre-ordered my mom the 24 pack of Evian for my mom. I wrote "So you feel at home...Mickey Mouse". She hates mineral water, but that's all you'll find in Barcelona anyway, so tough. We're talking about water here.

Now for the bigger surprise. We had gone back & forth a lot about excursions in the caribbean ports. At first we were doing one at every port, then we felt, seen one caribbean port, you've seen them all. So we weren't going to do any. We knew we definitely didn't want to any water activities 'cause we're babies & we felt the water would be too cool for us to enjoy, plus my mom doesn't swim. So that was it, no plans. Then I saw the sailing trip at St. Martin/St. Maarten (Seriously?!). My dad's dream is to own a sailboat. I'm sending him for a private lesson when we get back. So I asked him if he'd want to do it, even though he'd be alone (my mom is terrified of boats, it's a miracle we get her on cruises, but she loves them. She is very nervous about crossing the Atlantic.). He said he would rather not go alone, but he didn't want me to go with him and have my mom alone. So I booked it for him. My mom & I decided that while he was gone we'd go on the island tour, as it had the same times as his sailing trip. Then we realized that we were going back to St. Multiple Person Disorder Island next year and that we'd wait until then to do it, so that way my dad could join us. So my mom & I are just gonna get off the boat & shop. Then the more I got thinking about how we were just going to get off the ship and wander aimlessly in Tortola the more I felt like we'd be missing out. Then I saw September is Tortola's warmest month & the average water temp is 85 degrees. That's a good temp for us. Sooooo. I booked the swim with dolphins for the three of us as an (almost) end of the trip bang! I am SOOOOOOOO excited! Since my mom doesn't swim I went with the one where you get a song, hug, kiss, something else & free time. For that one you can stay on the platform in waist deep water. I wanted to do the biggest one with the toe push, etc. for my dad, but I wanted us to all be able to do it together. Now for the best part. I went through the place itself so it only cost me $200 and all that's left is the $6 taxi ride to & from the place. If I went with Disney it would have cost me almost $400!! I always knew that the cruise line totally rips you off for excursions, but in researching this I saw just how extreme it's become. Disney charges $129 per person just to be a Dolphin Observer. Do you know what it would cost you to tag along with family to watch them swim with dolphins if you book it alone??? $6, if you don't share the taxi fee! The place doesn't charge observers! Tisk, tisk! So that $129 you would pay DCL is total profit, as they already have the taxis for the participators. Is that even legal???

So that's the surprises. I am so excited! Oh, by the way... I'm 16 days out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MissMet]

Good God! It's September already!!
http://www.serenitynowtravelblog.com/2010/09/good-god-its-september-already.html

 

[MissMet]

http://www.serenitynowtravelblog.com/2010/09/plans-for-port-days.html

 

[HashHoney]

Subscribing

I can't wait to read about your cruise! We're going on our first cruise in February and I can't read/hear enough about DCL.

Have a great trip!

 

[MissMet]

It's here!
http://www.serenitynowtravelblog.com/2010/09/its-here.html

 

[MissMet]

Subscribing

I can't wait to read about your cruise! We're going on our first cruise in February and I can't read/hear enough about DCL.

Have a great trip!

Thanks!

Glad you joined! Your first DCL cruise is always the best! Actually, any DCL cruise is the best! A 3 day to a 14 day! It's all good!

 

[MissMet]

The last day for errands...
http://www.serenitynowtravelblog.com/2010/09/last-day-for-errands.html

 

[anewmac]

Following along with you, cant wait to hear all about your adventures!

 

[MissMet]

Following along with you, cant wait to hear all about your adventures!

Thanks & Welcome!

You're just in time!

 

[MissMet]

http://www.serenitynowtravelblog.com/2010/09/last-post-before-leaving.html