>> April 1, 2012 - Disney Dream Spring Break Frenzy! <<

[tellyaddict]

I thought Dutch was harsh but compared to Swiss German, I find Dutch rather melodious.

Lots of coughing and spitting required for Dutch! If you don't learn it as a child it is almost impossible to pronounce some of the sounds!

 

[tellyaddict]

Wouldn't the Swiss German be similar to Bavarian German? I could hardly understand their English and I've heard that even native German speakers have a hard time with Bavarian German.

Oh yes, it must be something to do with the mountains Bavarians can be a bit tricky to understand.

But a lot of English/British accents can be hard for other Brits to understand never mind Americans.

We change our English when we visit the US and we think we have pretty easy accents to understand. We have to practise saying to-may-to instead of to-mah-to in Subway, makes a world of difference. And we can't ask for war-ter (the stuff that comes out of a tap, sorry fawcett) it has to be wah-ter (or something similar!)

 

[WDWExpress]

Tellyaddict- oh you don't have to change the way you speak, I love it... My entire family is English Canadian and I had to learn that a Napkin was what my family called a Serviette when we moved to the US, I miss it.
We have lived in VA and no in TN, all my boys are history buffs.. my 12 year old is a WWII specialist and can tell you more about that then the civil war. Looking foward seeing you and your family.

 

[WDWExpress]

 

[ccbride412]

Oh yes, it must be something to do with the mountains Bavarians can be a bit tricky to understand.

But a lot of English/British accents can be hard for other Brits to understand never mind Americans.

We change our English when we visit the US and we think we have pretty easy accents to understand. We have to practise saying to-may-to instead of to-mah-to in Subway, makes a world of difference. And we can't ask for war-ter (the stuff that comes out of a tap, sorry fawcett) it has to be wah-ter (or something similar!)

Here in the southern US war-ter is perfectly acceptable (I hear it a lot) and it does come out of a tap! Now, if you head north, say to New England, things change...

 

[Deb T.]

It's Monday, and exactly 6 weeks from today it is our Nassau port day! Some wake up at the crack of dawn and watch the sunrise (6:45ish) in complete and total awe as the captain skillfully steers our massive ship into the tiny Nassau harbor and gently nestles it up against the dock. Amazing! Some of us, on the other hand, are still sleeping soundly and don’t even realize the ship has stopped moving!

Our first decision of our first morning onboard is where to eat breakfast. A large assortment of American and European breakfast delicacies are waiting for us at both Cabana’s and Enchanted Garden. Flo’s Café has a variety of grab and go pastries, and a fancy sit-down breakfast is available at Royal Palace. Espresso lovers head straight to the adults-only Cove Cafe for made-to-order specialty coffee. (Note that you will be charged for any beverage ordered from a bar, be it coffee, alcohol, or soda. Self-serve coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and soda at the 24-hour Beverage Station are complimentary, as are non-alcoholic beverages served in restaurants during mealtimes. Another fee-based item to be aware of is the special kid’s drink that can be ordered at dinner that comes with a cute light-up character on the rim.)

A few families with early rising children are enjoying the Mickey pool all to themselves! Those who like to work out have already hit the gym or are walking/jogging laps around the Deck 4 promenade where 2-1/2 laps equals one mile! The Aqua Duck opens around 9am, which is a great time to try it without a wait.

Quite a few of us are planning to stay on the ship all day but many others are preparing to debark for their Nassau port excursions. Sunscreen, check. Hats, check. Sunglasses, check. Souvenir money, check. Camera, check. KTTW card, check. ID, check. (Every time we leave or return to the ship, our KTTW card will be scanned and we must show a photo ID.) We’re ready to go! As we step off the Dream’s gangway, we realize we are actually standing right next to the ship! You can almost reach out and touch her! And again, we marvel at how large she is! We pause to take photos with our ship in the background. We can’t help but compare her to the other cruise ships that are docked nearby in port. Is it our imagination, or is the Disney Dream clearly the most beautiful ship in the world? Funny story – on our very first Disney cruise on the Magic in ‘98, we were docked directly across from Carnival’s Big Red Boat, which our teen-aged children promptly dubbed the Little Red Raft because it looked like an old rusty bucket compared to the size and grandeur of our magnificent vessel.

Walking toward a row of brightly tropical-painted buildings, we stop again for photos at the “Welcome to Nassau” backdrop while becoming faintly aware of live Jamaican music in the distance. Ahhh yes, here in da Bahamas we be jammin’, mon! Soon, we step out into the hustle and bustle of the tiny island. We’ll be asked, cajoled, pleaded with, flattered, sweet-talked, and begged to take a taxi, guided tour, buy some trinkets, or get our hair braided. Women will be called “Pretty Lady” dozens of times by almost every local resident. It is an experience like no other!

On the ship, there are plenty of activities to keep us busy throughout the day. First-run movies are playing in the Buena Vista Theatre and on the huge Funnel View screen by the Donald Pool. Maybe we’ve decided to play shuffleboard, ping-pong, foosball, basketball, putt-putt, Wii games, board games, bingo, the Midship Detective Agency adventure, find all the interactive art, or take a guided ship tour. The Navigator is full of so many options of things to do that we sometimes have to choose between two or more enticing activities. The kids aren’t the only ones enjoying their age-specific areas… we adults can partake in beer/wine tastings, relax in the spa , work out in the gym, read, relax, snack, sample delicious treats in Cove Café, etc., etc., etc. Characters will be out and about in various locations for photos and autographs. Hey, isn’t it time to eat again? Lunch awaits!

As evening approaches, those with Main Dining will head to restaurant #2 on their dining rotation. What was that table number? Some servers will greet you by name as you enter the dining room! How in the world do they remember us when their guests change every 3-4 nights?!? We, in turn, greet our tablemates again, asking how their day was and comparing notes. We’ll also notice that our servers wear different outfits for each restaurant, reminding us that everything Disney does is a “show” and the entire crew is part of the “cast”. The rest of us with late dining will soon be entering the Walt Disney Theatre for Villians Tonight! But first, maybe we’ll stop by Tow Mater’s Grill and pick up some piping hot french fries as an "appetizer" to tide us over until dinner… or better yet, get some ice-cream from Eye Scream!

Nassau’s all-aboard time is usually 6:00 p.m. (although occasionally DCL will extend the time to 11pm as a special treat for the hard-working crew). Will everyone make it back on board in time? We’ll know some guests are AWOL if we start hearing names being paged over the sound system! As the ship pulls away from the dock, keep an eye out for the Pilot Boat. It is a small tug that has a very thick black rubber bumper all the way around it. Once we’ve cleared the channel and are heading out to sea, watch as the pilot boat speeds closer and closer to one side of our ship, carefully matching our speed. When it gets within inches of The Dream, you’ll see a person jump (yes, JUMP!) from our ship onto the Pilot Boat! You have to watch carefully… blink and you’ll miss it! And that, Ladies and Gentlemen, Girls and Boys, was the Nassau Port Pilot whose job is to help guide large ships safely out of the tiny harbor.

Soon, late diners are headed to dinner and main diners will have their turn to watch Villians Tonight! And after everyone has had a full day of fun, it’s time to head back to our cabins for a good night’s sleep before docking at what I refer to as "paradise on earth" in the morning! Another check in our FEs yields more bounty! We’re so glad we signed up for this! And, another towel animal patiently awaits our arrival inside our cabin, along with little chocolates and the Castaway Cay Navigator! We fall asleep thinking about what a great time we've had so far and how happy we are that we brought our families on this wonderful cruise!

 

[ccbride412]

Has anyone else started packing yet? Is anyone done packing? I'm about halfway and I know DF and FSIL and her family are all half done too! I can't wait and Deb's posts are just making the wait harder!!

 

[WDWExpress]

Meaghan we started organizing, getting clothes ready, making our pirate costumes (my DH is doing a great job) and picking up those little things we need, like water shoes for the beach, sunscreen and dress pants for our boys. It's the fun stuff and your right Deb's posts are making the wait much harder and makes we want to get there today.

 

[RemoCat]

Has anyone else started packing yet? Is anyone done packing? I'm about halfway and I know DF and FSIL and her family are all half done too! I can't wait and Deb's posts are just making the wait harder!!

We have a secret stash that is slowly piling up! No suitcases out yet since I can't hide them well, but we've set aside new Disney shirts, new pirate costumes, etc., etc. for the kids. When putting away the kids' summer clothes last fall, I had them try on shorts that I thought were still a little big on them, and told them they would go in a "maybe I can wear this next year" pile (they will still fit - no huge growth spurts this winter so far) so I didn't have to have them trying things on before we leave.

Deb's posts are fantastic!! After doing the preview cruise last year with my hubby, I can totally picture everything she describes. Although, we didn't get to see Villains Tonight, as we were on the very first cast member preview and it had not yet passed safety inspection. So, something new to look forward to!!

 

[guarn3md]

Here's a question for all those who live oversees...
Our son, Connor, was accepted into the IB (International Baccalaureate) program for middle school. We are going to a registration night next Tuesday and he has to pick his language and his encore class. He has a choice of Spanish, French or Mandarin Chinese. Whatever language he picks he will have to stick with for 6 - 8th grade because it is an accelerated language program for the three years. We keep going round and round with what his choice should be. I don't want him to take Spanish, for a few reasons... so we are down to French and Chinese. He really wants to take Chinese but so many people are dissuading him from the choice, telling him how difficult the langauge is... So that leaves French... I am ok with him taking French but DH isn't, doesn't think it will be very helpful. There are so many people on this thread who speak multiple languages and live abroad - I was curious what you all thought! I appreciate the advice. Deciding to send him to this program has been a very difficult decision, since it's not in his home middle school. But he really wants to do it!
Thanks! Debbie

And now back to your regularly scheduled cruise talk...

 

[WDWExpress]

guarn3md... my husband is a former US State Dept employee and I posed your question to him, from an international job and global perspective. He said go with the Mandarin Chinese, it is what is in demand and what goverment jobs are begging for now and in the future. Yes your son is only going into 6th grade but, what will get him the furthest and get him the leg up.. Chinese.
Just his perspective... Hope it all works out for you and congrats to your son, IB is a wonderful program, my 21 year old sister just graduated college 6 months early because of IB.

 

[guarn3md]

Deb T - I was just reading your Monday entry and two things from last year struck me that I just had to share!
First - being up at 6:45 to watch them tether the ship. My Dad is an early riser. He hit the gym every morning last year and then would walk all over just accumulating information. Being a boater, he was enthralled with how the tethered the ship. I think it was on Castaway Cay that he watched them shoot something from the boat to the dock in order to tie it up. He would come back to the room every morning and report all that he had seen and done. Made me want to get up early and explore with him, for about 5 mins, then I remembered I like to sleep.
Second - we just happened to see the Pilot boat and the man jump from our ship to the boat by accident. We were standing out on our verandah watching us pull out of port and we were trying to figure out why a boat was speeding right next to the cruise ship...when my Dad explained it all and then told us to watch for it. We could hardly believe our eyes! It was amazing to see the man jump from the huge cruise ship to this boat! Wish I had my video camera!!

Thanks for all this! So much better reading it this year as opposed to last year, when I knew nothing. It is making me relive it all and get more and more exicted for the trip!
Debbie

 

[guarn3md]

I was reading all the obsessive planning posts and add me to the list. I even have the big a$$ spreadsheet planning template in Excel. DH and DS groan loudly when they see me working on the spreadsheet, knowing that planning and changes are coming. The worse thing Disney ever did was put Disney reservations online! I obsessed by dining reservations...
Speaking of dining reservations...
Anyone ever do the Fantasmic dining package? I have it reserved for Thursday night after cruise at Mama Melrose. Connor's favorite show is Fantasmic and we didn't see it when we were there at Thanksgiving so I figured doing it this way might be good.
Debbie

 

[guarn3md]

guarn3md... my husband is a former US State Dept employee and I posed your question to him, from an international job and global perspective. He said go with the Mandarin Chinese, it is what is in demand and what goverment jobs are begging for now and in the future. Yes your son is only going into 6th grade but, what will get him the furthest and get him the leg up.. Chinese.
Just his perspective... Hope it all works out for you and congrats to your son, IB is a wonderful program, my 21 year old sister just graduated college 6 months early because of IB.

Tell your DH thanks for the insight. I really wish people would stop telling DS how difficult the language is to learn. I guess what scares me from him taking it is the three year commitment. The good thing is you can only take Chinese if you are recommended for Advanced Language Arts so it makes the class size smaller.
Good to hear your sister did well with the program. The annoying thing with our county is that even though he was accepted into the Middle Years Program for IB there is no guarnatee that he will be accepted into the Diploma programme.

 

[tellyaddict]

My thoughts about the language are exactly the same, Mandarin Chinese. My first suggestion would have been Spanish as it is probably the most accessible in the US to practise, same alphabet, fairly regular pronounciation etc but if you have personal reasons why not, that rules it out.
We still teach French as the main language in the UK, which most people do not speak at all well as languages are really badly taught and learned here. But it is more of a 'minority' language unless you are spending a lot of time in Canada or France, IMO.
But if you consider the impact of China on the economy and globally, Mandarin has to be the way to go. Learn it early enough and it'll be less of a problem. The Chinese characters make it more challenging (similar issues with Russian, which I started learning years ago) but I am sure it is easier to learn as a child than as an adult.
HTH - the IB is studied over here too but is less common than A levels. The IB is a real 'all round' qualification.

 

[tellyaddict]

Has anyone else started packing yet? Is anyone done packing? I'm about halfway and I know DF and FSIL and her family are all half done too! I can't wait and Deb's posts are just making the wait harder!!

We are at the 'checking clothes still fit' stage at the moment, hoping the weather doesn't get too mild, too soon, so that I can put them to one side. Then thinking about sunglasses, pirate costumes etc so it doesn't become a mad rush at the end.

 

[guarn3md]

Update 2/21/12

ROLL CALL
Disney Dream Spring Break Cruise
April 1, 2012 (wow, just caught my mistake with the date!!)

1) Removed Poeticmoe - think she moved to another cruise
2) Donna3271 - Donna (?), DS (10), DD (6), DD (6)
3) VA mouseman - Jamie, Suzanne, DS (13), DS (10) [Deck 8 - 8023]
***Traveling with but not on DISboards DIL & DSIL, DS (5), DS (5)
4) WhoDat - Nancy, DH, DS (13) [Deck 7]
5) MASrules - DH, DW, DS (8), DS (6)
6) RRL38 - DW, DH, DS(14)
7) mantaz - Angela, DH, DD(7)
8) drthies - DW, DH, DS (12), DD (9)
9) Guarn3md - Debbie, John, Connor (10) ***Traveling with but not on DISboards [Deck 10]
Judy, Harry (Parents) and Asia (8) (Sister) [Deck 10]
10) tinkerbellfriend - Jen, DH, DS (14), DS (10), DD (8) [Deck 8]
11) Brookie1972 - Brooke, DH, DS (9), DS (5), DD (5)
12) sdzimm - DW, DD (14), DS (16)
13) tinklover - DW, DH, DD (13), DS (10), DS (9)
14) Remocat - Erin, DH, DD (10), DS (6) *** Traveling with but not on DISboards
DGM, DGF
15) Disneynerds2012 & Showready - DW, DH
16) CLC053103 - w/ DM, DS (6) ****Traveling with [Deck 9]
Sister, DS (9), DS (13)
17) DebT - Deb, DH
18) TAKitty - Tracie & Dfriend (Becky)
19) mshoo1 - DH, DW, DD (6)
20) SSinWYO - Shelli, DD (12)
21) ccbride412 - Meaghan, DF (DH during cruise)
22) Mom Minnie - DW, DH, DD (14), DD (10)
23) ddeal1957 - DW & DH
24) Chavez Family - DW, DH, DS (10), DD(8), MIL and FIL
25) Happy N Doc - Deck 10 - Tom & Barb Traveling with...
26) Happy N Doc - Deck 10 - Doug, Lizzie, Thomas (5), Mary (2)
27) Skinnineminnie123 – Kim, DH, DS (12), DD (8)
28) WDWExpress – DW, DH, DS(11), DS(12), DMom [#6010]
29) mubriankoz – DW, DH, DS (8), DD (6)
30) SpartanDis – DW, DH, DD (9), DS (7)
31) D73 - Christopher
32) Peytoncolts – DW, DH, DD(10)
33) honeypot13 – Heather, DS, DD
34) MMDDMD – Michelle, DH, DD (13), DD (10), DS (8)
Travelling with a group of 30 in 10 cabins
35) ncbeachme – DW, DH, DD (1)
36) micks - Tonya, DH, DD (13), DS (10)
37) Kindman - DH, DW, DD (6), DS (2)
38) tellyaddict - Wendy, DH, DD (11), DD (9)
39) virginiafam

 

[RemoCat]

I was reading all the obsessive planning posts and add me to the list. I even have the big a$$ spreadsheet planning template in Excel. DH and DS groan loudly when they see me working on the spreadsheet, knowing that planning and changes are coming. The worse thing Disney ever did was put Disney reservations online! I obsessed by dining reservations...
Speaking of dining reservations...
Anyone ever do the Fantasmic dining package? I have it reserved for Thursday night after cruise at Mama Melrose. Connor's favorite show is Fantasmic and we didn't see it when we were there at Thanksgiving so I figured doing it this way might be good.
Debbie

Okay, no spreadsheet here (just a Word doc), so I can tell my husband I'm not the craziest one here! j/k I did the Fantasmic! dining package in December (week before Christmas) when I went with my parents. We ate at Mama's, too. As with any sit-down, it took some time to get through, but it was a fantastic meal, great service, and it was nice to just walk up and be ushered to our seats at the show.

I have it booked again for Friday the 6th (I know, a non-recommended day on easyWDW, but it's how it had to work...and again my OCD planning mind starts twitching...) I keep hoping that come March, we'll see that they are bringing back what they did over Christmas. Over the busiest 2-3 weeks they had a picnic-to-go option that was MUCH cheaper, and you could grab it whenever you wanted, even taking it to the show if you wanted. They were test-driving it, and it wasn't announced until a few weeks before they offered (was not yet being offered the day we were there...I think it started a day or so later). We do not have the dining plan this time, so whatever we do will be out of pocket. The kids would rather eat at 50's PTC (this "summer" ha), so if they end up offering the picnic deal, we'll drop our Mama's ressie and keep our 50's (I have both made and will cancel the one we don't go with). We will only be in HS one night late enough for Fantasmic!, so it's a must-do for us (they've never seen it). I have gone back and forth about whether we should just cancel our package and hope that the 10:00 show isn't shut out....I don't know...there goes my crazy brain again!!!! If we were doing dining plan, it'd be a no-brainer for me, we'd just do it. It's just not worth it to have the dining plan for the other days that we are there, especially since DD will be 10 and full price.

 

[D73]

Here's a question for all those who live oversees...
Our son, Connor, was accepted into the IB (International Baccalaureate) program for middle school. We are going to a registration night next Tuesday and he has to pick his language and his encore class. He has a choice of Spanish, French or Mandarin Chinese. Whatever language he picks he will have to stick with for 6 - 8th grade because it is an accelerated language program for the three years. We keep going round and round with what his choice should be. I don't want him to take Spanish, for a few reasons... so we are down to French and Chinese. He really wants to take Chinese but so many people are dissuading him from the choice, telling him how difficult the langauge is... So that leaves French... I am ok with him taking French but DH isn't, doesn't think it will be very helpful. There are so many people on this thread who speak multiple languages and live abroad - I was curious what you all thought! I appreciate the advice. Deciding to send him to this program has been a very difficult decision, since it's not in his home middle school. But he really wants to do it!
Thanks! Debbie

And now back to your regularly scheduled cruise talk...

Hi Debbie.

I think that what is most important when it comes to learning a new language is not what is best for the future consideration but what is best for now. Learning a new language requires motivation and if your DS is driven to the Mandarin regardless of the warnings of others than he seems motivated to me. The fact that Mandarin is offered is a telling statement of its importance in the way the developing world. I mean there is a reason that Latin is no longer taught in schools.

I teach in an IB school and I am a strong advocate of the balance and international focus of the program. It is becoming readily recognized by US colleges and universities especially completing the Diploma program. Having a strong MYP portfolio will prepare him and really help in his application for the DP.

I say Mandarin!

Christopher

 

[guarn3md]

Hi Debbie.

I think that what is most important when it comes to learning a new language is not what is best for the future consideration but what is best for now. Learning a new language requires motivation and if your DS is driven to the Mandarin regardless of the warnings of others than he seems motivated to me. The fact that Mandarin is offered is a telling statement of its importance in the way the developing world. I mean there is a reason that Latin is no longer taught in schools.

I teach in an IB school and I am a strong advocate of the balance and international focus of the program. It is becoming readily recognized by US colleges and universities especially completing the Diploma program. Having a strong MYP portfolio will prepare him and really help in his application for the DP.

I say Mandarin!

Christopher

Is the IB program you teach in MYP or Diploma? So cool to hear from someone familiar with the program. We currently have three Middle Schools and three High Schools that offer the program. It is still a relatively new concept to our county and many parents don't get it. Some of my friends don't understand why I would pull Connor from his home school and have him apply to this program. I think the global way of teaching will be good!
DS was motivated to take Chinese until he heard all the negative comments. I think his concern is he may not get an "A" and it will blow his straight "A's"! I'm not sure where I got this overachiever from but he doesn't get it from me! We may have to discuss the Chinese again.
He also has an interest in learning French. We go to Canada quite a bit since my parents have a vacation home there, it's near Toronto - so not much French spoken in that area. My DH said he won't have much use for French... choices... but I like what you said about it not being something he is learning for the future but opening him up to a new language.
Thanks everyone for your input!
Debbie