A Happy Dog's Summer of Sea and Shore - *cough,cough, nudge nudge* 7/11

[Happydog]

So, how many cruises do you have to take to become gold or platinum? Surely you are approaching that ranking soon!

Ha! Well unfortunately we are still lowly silver members, Gold not until the Feb 2012 cruise!! Do you know how many lanyards I am going to have by then??!!

Just coming over to say hello!

I haven't had tons of DIS time, as I am trying to get this house overhauled for Bella's party. I'm about out of income tax money now, so the overhauling is coming to a halt. It was nice while it lasted.

Hope you guys are doing well and are having happy countdown days. We are at 100 today.

Oh I know that tax money. easy come easy go WELL, I am sure your house is cheery and fun for the party!

Glad I got a chance to get over to your TR!!!! Can't wait to read and count down with you!!!!

The current ranking for Castaway Club are
Silver after our first cruise until your 5th cruise (1-5)
Gold after your 5th cruise until your 10th cruise (6 -10)
Platinum after your 10th cruise (11 +)

YES, BOOOOOO... soon enough

 

[Happydog]

Your plans sound great! I think your scouting mission helped you put together a fantastic itinerary.

Thanks! I think it will be great fun! We are looking forward to it!

Sounds awesome HD! I'm looking forward to hearing about Remy, I'm curious to hear if it's really worth that much of a surcharge.

I'm very jealous of your 2 Castaway Cay stops! You guys are going to have so much fun.

I don't know that it will be, I even have reservations about it, but DH wants to try it out so we can say we have and curiosity got him (and our wallets...) It better be, that is all I can say!!! That is the same price as a D & B purse!!! NOT that I want one

The only way we were going on a family cruise was this 2 stop at CCay... that is the reason why DH signed us up for it. He really loves CCay. YOUR guys will to, I am quite certain, especially with great company!!!!!

That is so great! I saw the coolest pirate sheets at TJ Maxx today. They have a good thread count and this very subtle pirate motive running through the entire sheet. They were sooooooooooo cute! But I knew my boys are too old for them. They are certainly are perfect for the all the DISers who have young men who love pirates.

You plans for the cruise sound so fabulous. I would love to do a cruise followed by Vero Beach. It sounds like a perfect trip!

Awwww. Cute! I have not been to TJ Maxx lately -- I am avoiding it in case they have that dang Mickey luggage and a suitcase accidentally falls into my cart....

We are super excited for Vero. We had another DISer give it a rave review, so we are really looking forward to another new Disney-oriented Family vacation!!! I am hoping Aulani is next!!!

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

Ah yes the joys of longing on to the DCL website at Midnight. Did it try to kick you off and tell you that you weren't paid in full?

 

[jeremysdisneymom]

Wow, it sounds like a wonderful cruise vacation. I can't wait to read about all your fabulous adventures.

I am really anxious to hear about VERO Beach as well. I would like to go there sometime in the future.

Our spring break is in one week but with all the snow in Ohio, it has been shortened. Even so, I am looking forward to it as DS needs a break!

 

[eandesmom]

fun plans!
Have you done the brunch at Palo before? I can't recall.

2 stops at CC sounds heavenly!

So the reservation window opens at 12:30am EST? We are at the bottom of the totem pole since it's our first cruise and our cruise is sold out. That'd be 9:30pm my time if that's so, so that's actually not so bad of a deal for me!

 

[manntra]

Yay!!! So excited you are trying out Remy's! It is much cheaper than V&A's I believe and along the same lines
I was in TJ Maxx last weekend and got a cute coverup....It is hard for me to shop in there...have to be in the right frame of mind because it is so chaotic Happy I stopped though because I found a few cute things

Tracy

 

[Happydog]

Ah yes the joys of longing on to the DCL website at Midnight. Did it try to kick you off and tell you that you weren't paid in full?

Well it was later than 12:01 But no trouble on my end. I had paid the balance a few weeks ago so maybe that helped. I was able to get on really easy.. Not nearly the same level of stress as ADRs for WDW at Christmas

Wow, it sounds like a wonderful cruise vacation. I can't wait to read about all your fabulous adventures.

I am really anxious to hear about VERO Beach as well. I would like to go there sometime in the future.

Our spring break is in one week but with all the snow in Ohio, it has been shortened. Even so, I am looking forward to it as DS needs a break!

I am really looking forward to Vero as well. It is a new place for us, obviously, and I am want to see what a Disney resort outside of the World is like! We went to the Hilton Head resort for one night last February, but obviously that wasn't a great opportunity to see what it really is like during the vacation season.

fun plans!
Have you done the brunch at Palo before? I can't recall.

2 stops at CC sounds heavenly!

So the reservation window opens at 12:30am EST? We are at the bottom of the totem pole since it's our first cruise and our cruise is sold out. That'd be 9:30pm my time if that's so, so that's actually not so bad of a deal for me!

Yes! Go check out my TR Yes, CCay twice is the main reason DH agreed to the cruise with the kids. That plus the kids club!

I think it is officially "midnight" b/c it is the day they give you, so when it is "officially" that day.... so 12:01... and yes, I guess you have the three hour advantage! Just like with ADRs, right?

Our cruise is sold out as well... as was the one we were on in February. I was still able to get Palos for dinner online (1 time and day available only) but I took it, and then as I mentioned in my TR, once we were on board, we scored a second dinner reservation as well as Brunch. So I am crossing my fingers for the same luck.

We don't have much of an advantage, either -- only an additional couple weeks, but that group of Castaway Club is growing, since once you have one cruise you are in Silver... so I doubt it is much of an edge. Besides, they don't put all the reservations out online, so I think you'll be fine.

Yay!!! So excited you are trying out Remy's! It is much cheaper than V&A's I believe and along the same lines
I was in TJ Maxx last weekend and got a cute coverup....It is hard for me to shop in there...have to be in the right frame of mind because it is so chaotic Happy I stopped though because I found a few cute things

Tracy

 

[Happydog]

Yay!!! So excited you are trying out Remy's! It is much cheaper than V&A's I believe and along the same lines
I was in TJ Maxx last weekend and got a cute coverup....It is hard for me to shop in there...have to be in the right frame of mind because it is so chaotic Happy I stopped though because I found a few cute things

Tracy

I know, so I hear, so yes, it should be fun!!! We are looking forward to trying it.

I don't go to TJ Maxx very often, I get easily frustrated looking for stuff in places where everything is all together! I sometimes go for purses and house stuff, they often have good deals on things... and I have found a few bath products I like there sometimes... But I agree. It takes the right frame of mind! It is like the Nordstroms Rack IMO!

 

[Charleston Princess]

Oh, I am just in love with your itinerary!!! And you get to try Remy's!!! A definite cause for celebration! Can't wait to see what you think of it! If the food is half as good as the ambiance, you are in for a treat!

Two stops at Castaway Cay? I know you are looking forward to that!!!

 

[Happydog]

Oh, I am just in love with your itinerary!!! And you get to try Remy's!!! A definite cause for celebration! Can't wait to see what you think of it! If the food is half as good as the ambiance, you are in for a treat!

Two stops at Castaway Cay? I know you are looking forward to that!!!

I am excited too! I hope Remy's is worth it. Everything I read says it is, I hope I will be able to relax and enjoy it and not be too worried about the kids... Something tells me they will be happy as clams in the club, they have enjoyed their disney kids club time before, but this will be far superior, the kids areas are AMAZING with so much interactive imaginative stuff! The $$ is a lot, but, with the reveiws I have read, and DH really interested, he said let's do it! So it is his Bday dinner of sorts... which justifies the dent to the pocketbook.

And yes CCay two stops!!!

 

[Native NYer]

After an exhausting week at school, I definitely need to catch up here!

Your cruise plans sound lovely.

 

[Happydog]

After an exhausting week at school, I definitely need to catch up here!

Your cruise plans sound lovely.

Oh I know how that kind of "exhausting" -- It is the count down until spring break that does it around here....

 

[eandesmom]

Well it was later than 12:01 But no trouble on my end. I had paid the balance a few weeks ago so maybe that helped. I was able to get on really easy.. Not nearly the same level of stress as ADRs for WDW at Christmas

It's funny, you can't book until PIF but our PIF date is a good 6 weeks before our allowed booking date and still before I think even the earliest dates (but I'd have to look to confirm that. It is interesting. Our PIF date is 4/25, which is the DCL date, even though we went through a TA. Some TA's seem to pad that by a good 10 or so days so some folks have earlier PIF days. Not a biggie to me as we are paying 2 weeks before our date anyway but it's interesting how early the full amount is due compared to some of the others.

I think it is officially "midnight" b/c it is the day they give you, so when it is "officially" that day.... so 12:01... and yes, I guess you have the three hour advantage! Just like with ADRs, right?

Our cruise is sold out as well... as was the one we were on in February. I was still able to get Palos for dinner online (1 time and day available only) but I took it, and then as I mentioned in my TR, once we were on board, we scored a second dinner reservation as well as Brunch. So I am crossing my fingers for the same luck.

We don't have much of an advantage, either -- only an additional couple weeks, but that group of Castaway Club is growing, since once you have one cruise you are in Silver... so I doubt it is much of an edge. Besides, they don't put all the reservations out online, so I think you'll be fine.

Much less of an advantage on ADR's, it makes adr's at 3 in the morning here. but 9:01pm works great! We'll probably only do Palo's once, the boys would not like it if we ditched them twice at dinner but might consider the brunch.

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

Well it was later than 12:01 But no trouble on my end. I had paid the balance a few weeks ago so maybe that helped. I was able to get on really easy.. Not nearly the same level of stress as ADRs for WDW at Christmas

I guess that comes from my experience of being on two cruises where it was about 90% castaway club members all trying to book at midnight at the 90 day mark. In those cases DCL's servers could be a pain in the you know what. Even if you had paid your cruise in full a week before the date, if you were logged in to the site before midnight it would tell you that you were not paid in full and would have to wait until you were, then you would have to log out and log back in, in the mean time everyone else that was logging in at the same time as you had already gotten what they wanted or you have to book one item at a time otherwise the server would crash and you would have picked nothing. I guess DCL has learned from those days and fixed thing not just by dividing up the Castaway Club members into deferent groups but hopefully they also upgraded there serves too.

 

[Happydog]

I guess that comes from my experience of being on two cruises where it was about 90% castaway club members all trying to book at midnight at the 90 day mark. In those cases DCL's servers could be a pain in the you know what. Even if you had paid your cruise in full a week before the date, if you were logged in to the site before midnight it would tell you that you were not paid in full and would have to wait until you were, then you would have to log out and log back in, in the mean time everyone else that was logging in at the same time as you had already gotten what they wanted or you have to book one item at a time otherwise the server would crash and you would have picked nothing. I guess DCL has learned from those days and fixed thing not just by dividing up the Castaway Club members into deferent groups but hopefully they also upgraded there serves too.

That definitely sounds like the ADR days when it was 90 days for booking them at the World! TOO much stress... at least on the cruise you know you have dinner plans regardless

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Your plans sound great. Especially two stops at CC and Remy's!

 

[dbxazd]

Hi!!
Joining in

Robin

 

[Happydog]

It's funny, you can't book until PIF but our PIF date is a good 6 weeks before our allowed booking date and still before I think even the earliest dates (but I'd have to look to confirm that. It is interesting. Our PIF date is 4/25, which is the DCL date, even though we went through a TA. Some TA's seem to pad that by a good 10 or so days so some folks have earlier PIF days. Not a biggie to me as we are paying 2 weeks before our date anyway but it's interesting how early the full amount is due compared to some of the others.



Much less of an advantage on ADR's, it makes adr's at 3 in the morning here. but 9:01pm works great! We'll probably only do Palo's once, the boys would not like it if we ditched them twice at dinner but might consider the brunch.

I think it is several weeks, I agree. I think they want to confirm all of passengers. They have sold the cabins, but that final date is the last date before canceling without penalty... Maybe that is why it is such a big slot of time.

Well dinner is great, and brunch is amazing... I tell you, after looking at the kid clubs, my guess is that our kids will be "see ya later, bye" and won't look back!!!

Your plans sound great. Especially two stops at CC and Remy's!

Thanks! We are excited for it!

Hi!!
Joining in

Robin

Well HELLO!!!! Welcome!!!! Gee, do I know you??!!
Glad you are here.. we can share the countdown!

 

[Happydog]

Hey!!! My email was read on the DIS UnPlugged!!! FUN! Just made me laugh that I heard them read my question on the air!

I guess they give the listeners whose questions they read a lanyard or pin... so that is kinda fun!! I can't wait to see what surprise comes my way. Can I tell you I love that show! It helps me get through laundry every week! That and frosting cookies, or things like that. Love it!

 

[Charleston Princess]

So neat that your question was chosen for the DIS Unplugged broadcast! So, what was the question? And the answer of course!

You'll have to make sure you post a picture of the surprise they send you!