Anyone apprehensive about meeting other DIS'ers?

[RellingTwin]

I wanted to let future cruisers know a little about the past 3 cruises I have been on, 2 of which involved DIS meets.

I was a little worried at first, I mean...who ARE these people? What if they are weird, of rude, or just plain obnoxious???
After all this is a FAMILY vacation and I don't want to feel like I have to entertain stangers!!Meeting people really is not my reason for this vaction!!

Well, let me tell you, at least in my case nothing could be further from the truth! At the DIS meet during the sail-a-way, we all said hello, chatted, introduced the kids to one another, took some pictures,and enjoyed the sail-a-way party!THEN we all went our seperate ways! I saw some DIS'er frequently, in the hall ways, shops, dinning rooms, ect. Others, I never saw again!

My very smart sister said "You ARE going to be on a ship with 2600 people, you might as well "know" some of them before you get on board!"

I felt like I had extra "eyes" all over the ship, watching out for my kids. When searching for a table at Topsides (family was still sleeping) there was a DIS'er waving me over to join them. When I went to the wine tasting solo, there was a table of Dis'er asking me to join them! It was wonderful!

It took a few days for my DH (who is NOT AT ALL shy) to warm up to this whole thing, but when the cruise ended, he had to agree it was the most fun we have ever had on a vacation!

It takes a little effort to organize a DIS meet, but it's worth it!So if you are on the fence, GO FOR IT! Arrange a meet early in the cruise so you can meet, then...enjoy your cruise!

I would love for former cruisers to post their experiences about meeting other DIS'ers. The only negitive things I have ever heard are comments saying DIS'ers regretted not meeting, or meeting too late!

I have meet over 200 people and plan on meeting another 100 in about 3 months (OK 70 days but who's counting ) and there was not ONE Ax Murderer among them!!!

 

[Verandah Man]

I am so glad you put this thread on here. We are planning at least three different DISmeet gatherings for our 8-23-03 cruise. The first is at the Radisson the night before our cruise, we have about 8 or 9 DIS families gathering there. Then on Saturday, we have a another DISmeet planned for after the mustering on deck 9 behind Topsiders. Our third mini DISmeet will be brunch at Palo, where about 15 of us will be gathering together.

Outside of the DISboards, I really tend to be on the shy and quiet side, until I really get to know someone, but, I am quite excited about our DISmeet gatherings. It will be nice to meet other DIS'ers who are Disney and Mickey crazy like myself!!! LOL!!!

 

[alikat99]

Well said, Mary!!! I am so looking forward to meeting all my DISboard buddies. I've had a blast over the last several months getting to know everyone on our thread, and it's so exciting thinking about meeting new people. Plus, I've even gotten to meet some of them before we even go cruising. I wouldn't have had it any other way.

 

[Ginny]

Mary -

What a wonderful thread!! I, too, was really hesitant about meeting other Dis'ers although I had been reading and posting to these boards for 2.5 years when we went on our last cruise, Halloween 2001.

I was so nervous about feeling "stuck" or locked into something when we were just looking forward to a wonderful vacation. BUT, I can honestly say (and DH definitely agrees) that our Halloween 2001 Cruise was the best vacation ever because of the other Dis'ers!!

Everyone was simply delightful, from all different walks of life and all different sizes of families and traveling parties. The Dis'ers had our own "room to room" trick or treating for the kids, a Palo's brunch for the adults, t-shirts, buttons and nametags. And, it all started from a simple roll call thread! It was wonderful to have folks looking out for you and waving and saying hi!! Never did I feel that someone intruded on our time but when we ran into folks they always added something special!! When we played the family games, if we weren't going to win (and we never did LOL ) , it was so exciting when someone we know did win! And, at one of those games, one of the DIS Mom's gave her "I'm a Winner" medal to my DD. Talk about thoughtfulness!!

What is amazing to me is that one of those DIS families have become very close friends and we just returned from another vacation with them!! Two families who would have probably never crossed paths without the DIS. How very lucky we are!!

So, as our next cruise approaches (Dec 20, 2003), I've started the thread and am hoping for another "touch of magic" so we meet an equally lovely group of DIS'ers this time.

 

[AnnMorin]

I so enjoyed meeting Alex, Dagny and Michelle, the mod.'s who were on board, I had a blast with lisa at castaway cay and said hi to some others who's names now escape me.. bunny I think? anyhow it is fun to meet and you don't have to "hang out" all the time with DIS'ers,
My DH is on the shy side but he even got a chuckle when they sang me happy birthday.. it was like walking into a room of your old friends.
Can't wait until this year

 

[4myguys]

I chickened out last year but I won't next year. Look forward to meeting other Dis'ers!

 

[2tinksmom]

We're going on our first ever cruise May 15, 2004 and after reading this thread, I definitely want to set up a time to meet with the other families from the boards who are going. What a great way to meet people who understand the magic of The Mouse!!!

 

[beaniema323]

What a great testimony!

I went to the Dis meeting and I too felt very comfortable with everyone. My 14 dd spent most of the cruise with a 13 year old that she had been e-mailing from these boards. I think that these are fantastic!

 

[RellingTwin]

Andy..YOU SHY???!!!!I can't imagin!!! We also have several meets planned. A large group of us are going on the Capt. Marvin Sting Ray tour. I knew their boats hold about 20 and I figured ..why not have the DIS'ers take over to boat??We currently have 40 people signed up for Palo Brunch, so I guess we'll be taking over Palo too!

Alikat, as we speak (or rather while I type,LOL!) the Baltimore Meet is going on. I'd be willing to bet, that after the lunch, everyone will gather somewhere else to continue the party! I think about 1/2 of us will have met at least one other Dis'er before we sail!

Ginny, isn't wonderful!!! It is hard to explain to people who have not done it. On our upcoming cruise I'll be sailing with 2 couples for the 3rd time!!And 9 families for a 2nd time!Belive it or not we are already planning Fall 2004 cruise!

Ann...I told my hubby, I am going to ALWAYS want to vacation with 100 friends!LOL!

4myGuys....Don't chicken out next time. If you do nothing but say hello at the 1st get together, the rest will fall into place!

2tinksmom...it adds so much to the atisipation of the cruise. The kids on the 10/11 have even started e-mailing one another, so they will have "instant friendship" once on board!It makes getting "grown up time" much easier, if the kids have friends!

Another tip...Find out who is going to be staying in the area the night before. Our Radisson meets have been wonderful!

 

[Verandah Man]

Andy..YOU SHY???!!!!I can't imagine!!!

Yes, I'm afraid it's quite true, it's my phlegmatic personality. I'm very good one on one, but get me in a large group, and I tend to turn into an instant wallflower. I took a personality class and I was shocked at what I learned about myself. Everything about the phlegmatic personality, fit me to a "T"

 

[ncligs]

Originally posted by Verandah Man
[BI'm very good one on one, but get me in a large group, and I tend to turn into an instant wallflower. [/B]

 

[TinkerBellPixie4GOAL]

I wasn't sure about it either! But after a few months of talking online I felt like I already knew these people. I told them everything that happened...even about this bug project we had at school...and to my surprise, a day before the cruise a fellow DISer showed up at our church where she knew my dad would be with about 5 bugs...how happy was I!

We recognized each other while on line to sign in and we saw each other at the deck party...I even met a fellow DISer my age and we met at the deck party. Although we didn't spend 'every waking moment together' we still met up at times to see a movie or just chill. we had a great time!!!

And today I am still pen pals with those two people...all thanks to DIS boards!!!

 

[Verandah Man]

Originally posted by ncligs

You captured the real me ncligs!!! I couldn't have said it better myself, but, I'm trying to overcome my shyness, maybe this cruise will help!!!

When my DW is around, I really don't have to worry about saying much, she is quite the talker, and anyone that is going to be on our cruise will find that out. My DW is very out going, her personality, is that of a Sanguine, the life of the party type. That's why we get along so well, we are complete opposite, personality wise. We compliment each other rather well.

 

[Tulirose]

Mary - I agree with you 100%. We have been on two Disney Cruises with the third one coming up....oh.. some time in October! LOL

On the first Cruise, we knew Inkognito and hubby would be there and there was another DIS'er also going on that one but no one else from the DIS was signed up for that three-day cruise. No official meet was planned but we did end up meeting Inkognito and the other DISer which was kinda neat because it was unplanned. DH recognized Barb from a photo she used to have on her website and they were right where they always said they are prior to leaving port - in the hottub! LOL! It felt "safe" to go up and start talking to them because we "knew" them from the boards. Like Verandaman, I am rather shy and normally would never approach a stranger to begin a conversation.

Well, those two encounters on that first cruise was just a taste of what would come. On the 9/22/02 cruise, there as a large group of DIS'ers who would be on board and Mary (RellingTwin) was very determined to make an official DIS meet. We communicated via email and these boards for months prior to cruise and shared so much that when we finally met, it was like family.

Again, (I've said this so many to so many different people) we did not have to be each others best buddies but while strolling the deck or going onshore we always ran into someone that we knew and it was so nice. We had linked dinner reservations with a great couple and enjoyed dinner every night with them. I was picked to be a contestant on WWTBAM and I had an entire family in the front row rooting for me (and since it was dark, I didn't know who they were until later but it really made me feel good)!

And DH and I just returned from a mini-Cruise meet in Baltimore where 19 of us future 10/11 cruisers met up for a luncheon cruise around the inner harbor. It was a wonderful way to spend the day.

So I say, don't hesistate - go for it!

 

[inkkognito]

We have met DISers on almost every cruise, and we've always had a blast! They have been some of the nicest people. As a matter of fact, we're always dissapointed when we have a trip where we don't run into anyone from DIS.
But it does sometimes happen that you just don't click with someone. We met a couple on a different cruise board prior to one of our RCCL cruises. We chatted on the phone a couple of times before the trip, and at first we were all very compatible. But they had purchased a lot of liquor at one of the ports and got a little miffed when hubby and I kept turning down a drink. We're not big drinkers, and this was hard liquor that would have had us under the table! The husband was pretty intoxicated one night, and after that they avoided us for the rest of the trip. All I can figure is that they were embarrassed, and also uncomfortable because we're not major drinkers. It's a shame, because it doesn't bother us when others drink, even if we're not doing the same.
But so far, we have always been compatible with DISers. It must be that Disney implant chip.
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[WDWLVR]

Mary, This is a great thread. We've met DIS'ers on the last 3 of our 5 cruises and it has been great. I totally agree with her too about meeting up at the Radisson is you are staying there the night before. When we were on the DVC Member Cruise this past year my DH and I set up two meets - one at the Radisson and one for sailaway. I too can be a little shy with new people (now those of you who have met me don't laugh at that). What if no one showed up. What if when we were sitting by the pool at the Radisson no one came over? Well my worries were for nothing. We had a fun group and chatted for a couple of hours. The next day as we were waiting for the shuttle we ran into two of the couples again (Hi John, Gail, Cheryl and Todd!). We hopped in the Avus shuttle together and since they had all never been on a cruise before we showed them where to check in etc. We got in line - saw more DIS'ers at the front and waved - and then had a ball talking etc. A group of us ate at Topsiders together and then we went our separate ways to unpack. The sailaway meet was great. We had made up little bags with buttons in them that had everyones screen name and regular name.

We had so much fun meeting everyone! It was fun to go to Castaway Cay and have a Diser wave hello, or to be walking around Nassau or the grounds of Atlantis and run into someone. It made that cruise extra special for us!

This past May there was also a great group of Disers on board. Someone else took care of the organizing but we went to the meet and had a great time! We ended up sitting next to one DIS family and had others around us in the dining room. Again what a great experience to know others on the ship.

For the December 2004 cruise it looks like we already have a great group signed up. I'm looking forward to getting to know them and to get to meet them on that special cruise.

 

[eva]

I hope that there are some meets planned for our May 15th cruise. I really love meeting other DISers! Unless I missed them there weren't any planned meets for the 3-day we just went on this past May. I've never been to a meet on a cruise, but I have been to a number of meets at WDW. It is a bit nerve racking meeting. But the ones I've been to were great. The first meet I ever went to was in 98. That one had me the most nervous because it was a fireworks cruise with my family, another couple, and Pete & John. Meeting Pete was really special. I've even planned two meets myself. One at 50's Primetime Cafe with 32 people and just this past May 20 of us got together for drinks around the World. Maybe when it gets closer to my cruise I will have to grab the bull by the horns and invite everyone to meet at the sail away party.

Hope to see some you either on a cruise or at WDW!

 

[2tinksmom]

Eva, we (me, DH, DD11, DD6, DF, DFH, DFD9 & DFD7) will be on the May 15 Eastern. I have a post with the names of some other families who are going and have responded. Meeting for the sailaway party would be great!!

 

[bnlbebes]

Interesting post!

I have been reluctant to meet up with DIS members in the past just because of not being sure what you're going to get. (Like a box of chocolates, I guess.) DW would also probably say that it's corny to meet up with complete, Disney-obsessed strangers, but as I read it, it basically a time to touch base and meet a friendly face. That I could do! Looking forward to meeting up with some of you on our next trip.

 

[Mjasp]

Andy...The same goes for our family. My husband is the quiet and reserved one. Me on the other hand, am like your wife. I am a talker. I have 2 DD's. One is like me and one like him.

I really enjoyed our cruise in 2002. It was very nice going up to the coffeee station at 5 or 6 in the morning for a cup of coffee and seeing someone there from the DIS also getting a cup of coffee. At that time in the morning there is no one up and kinda spooky. So seeing a fellow diser up there was nice.

When we were on CC we happened to have chairs by TNRobin, she and her family went back to the ship earlier than us, and she gave us her hammock when she left. I know you are tired of hearing it Robin, but Thanks again.

Joanna