April 11th 2009 Magic Eastern Easter cruise--UPDATED WITH ROLL CALL PG 1

[cruising fun]

We are getting so excited here! I am starting to pull out clothes and make lists. I just stocked up on the suntan lotion when I went shopping today! Counting the days!!!

Question for you experienced Disney cruisers. What toiletries do they supply and do you like them. I especially wondered about shampoo and conditioner. My hair gets real dry in the sun and sometimes the "hotel" stuff just doesn't cut it. Your thoughts on this would be appreciated. (I hope you don't think this is a wierd question...my husband is rolling his eyes at me right now...7 days is a long time to go with crappy shampoo though!)

 

[kellimomo3]

We are getting so excited here! I am starting to pull out clothes and make lists. I just stocked up on the suntan lotion when I went shopping today! Counting the days!!!

Question for you experienced Disney cruisers. What toiletries do they supply and do you like them. I especially wondered about shampoo and conditioner. My hair gets real dry in the sun and sometimes the "hotel" stuff just doesn't cut it. Your thoughts on this would be appreciated. (I hope you don't think this is a wierd question...my husband is rolling his eyes at me right now...7 days is a long time to go with crappy shampoo though!)

I remember loving the body lotion. The shampoo and conditioner had a strong smell but I liked them.

 

[Had2disneycruz]

Hi. I am new at this so here goes: DW belle (me), DH grumpy, DD tink (15), DD aurora (12), DD jasmine (9) & DD ariel (4) are all set to sail on 4/11 on the Magic. We are one of the several families sailing with PPFQP from Va. Beach. This is our second Disney cruise. We did a land/sea package back in 2001 and spent 3 days on the Wonder. It was great but too short. We originally booked this cruise last April and the DH's job was outsourced so we canceled in Oct. Good news, DH got a new job in Dec. and we rebooked last week! (It was going to be hard to be left behind when all of our friends were going.) We are very thankful that it all worked out so this cruise means a lot to us! We love everything Disney and try to get to WDW every two years. Looking forward to meeting everyone.

 

[PPFQP]

Hi. I am new at this so here goes: DW belle (me), DH grumpy, DD tink (15), DD aurora (12), DD jasmine (9) & DD ariel (4) are all set to sail on 4/11 on the Magic. We are one of the several families sailing with PPFQP from Va. Beach. This is our second Disney cruise. We did a land/sea package back in 2001 and spent 3 days on the Wonder. It was great but too short. We originally booked this cruise last April and the DH's job was outsourced so we canceled in Oct. Good news, DH got a new job in Dec. and we rebooked last week! (It was going to be hard to be left behind when all of our friends were going.) We are very thankful that it all worked out so this cruise means a lot to us! We love everything Disney and try to get to WDW every two years. Looking forward to meeting everyone.

::::waving:::: Hi belle! SO GLAD that you are cruising!

 

[Had2disneycruz]

Hi PPFQP! I am so excited. DD tink wants to know if any cute boys will be on the cruise. Great!

 

[cruising fun]

Welcome! "Belle" We are really excited to go also! Our DD is 5! Will your DD be joining the Oceaneer Club? Our DD is very excited. She was driving us crazy asking how many more days until we go so we made a special count down calendar that we put on the fridge. The days aren't going fast enough!!!

 

[cruising fun]

Kelli..at one point you mentioned making an additional thread (or something that we sent you info for) for this cruise. I am so new to this stuff that I may have missed something. Are you still working on that and if so .....where do I need to go to find it?

 

[Had2disneycruz]

Welcome! "Belle" We are really excited to go also! Our DD is 5! Will your DD be joining the Oceaneer Club? Our DD is very excited. She was driving us crazy asking how many more days until we go so we made a special count down calendar that we put on the fridge. The days aren't going fast enough!!!

Hi Cruising Fun! Yes, our DD "ariel" will be in the Oceaneer Club. We have been pumping her up about her "very own club" on the "big boat"! We look at pictures online and she is getting excited. She hasn't cruised before but her sisters have. The calendar is a great idea and we will do that soon. It will be here before we know it!

 

[Had2disneycruz]

We are getting so excited here! I am starting to pull out clothes and make lists. I just stocked up on the suntan lotion when I went shopping today! Counting the days!!!

Question for you experienced Disney cruisers. What toiletries do they supply and do you like them. I especially wondered about shampoo and conditioner. My hair gets real dry in the sun and sometimes the "hotel" stuff just doesn't cut it. Your thoughts on this would be appreciated. (I hope you don't think this is a wierd question...my husband is rolling his eyes at me right now...7 days is a long time to go with crappy shampoo though!)

We learned the hard way on our last cruise never to travel without conditioner. I'm sure things have changed but when we cruised in 2001, Disney did not supply conditioner and with 2 girls with long hair, it was rough. We had the girls' braided at Castaway Cay and there were lots of tears and tangles. We now bring our own conditioner whenever we travel!

 

[kellimomo3]

Kelli..at one point you mentioned making an additional thread (or something that we sent you info for) for this cruise. I am so new to this stuff that I may have missed something. Are you still working on that and if so .....where do I need to go to find it?

Yes, I did it. It's on the first page of this thread in the original post I did. It's the section called roll call. Counting down....

Kelli

 

[Freddyfishstix]

Woo Hoo 2 months to go!

 

[Big Willie]

We are getting closer and everyone has caught the fever. Not a day goes by without some DCL plan being discussed.

We have Southwest flights set to arrive Friday night then we stay at the Hyatt Airport. Airfare is ridiculous this time around. Normally we can get to Orlando for under $200 roundtrip. This time its $375ea. Plus I have three award trips which Southwest has blacked out my travel dates. I still love them for family travel.

We got the Hyatt at $150/night. I'm not doing the Hotwire thing.

Ordered a Navigator Limo to take use to the port on Saturday. (Happy Limo - $255 one way, 11 persons) The kids think we have rental minivans. Can't wait to see their faces. We reserved two minivans for the return as we are spending Saturday night in Orlando. Got a great rate using a SWA code on Mousesavers. $110 for a two day rental. I wanted to take the DCL bus for the return to the airport as we orginally had a Saturday return flight. But since we are spending the night I'll try that another time.

On the return day we are going to the new Aquatica Waterpark. Its part of the Seaworld, Busch Gardens family. We are Platinum Pass holders so t doesn't cost us anything extra. We are staying at Staybridge Suites Saturday night. We have two of the two bedroom suites.

I get to go to Tony Romas!!!!!!!!!!! (next door to Staybridge). LUV Their RIBS!

 

[kellimomo3]

We are getting closer and everyone has caught the fever. Not a day goes by without some DCL plan being discussed.

We have Southwest flights set to arrive Friday night then we stay at the Hyatt Airport. Airfare is ridiculous this time around. Normally we can get to Orlando for under $200 roundtrip. This time its $375ea. Plus I have three award trips which Southwest has blacked out my travel dates. I still love them for family travel.

We got the Hyatt at $150/night. I'm not doing the Hotwire thing.

Ordered a Navigator Limo to take use to the port on Saturday. (Happy Limo - $255 one way, 11 persons) The kids think we have rental minivans. Can't wait to see their faces. We reserved two minivans for the return as we are spending Saturday night in Orlando. Got a great rate using a SWA code on Mousesavers. $110 for a two day rental. I wanted to take the DCL bus for the return to the airport as we orginally had a Saturday return flight. But since we are spending the night I'll try that another time.

On the return day we are going to the new Aquatica Waterpark. Its part of the Seaworld, Busch Gardens family. We are Platinum Pass holders so t doesn't cost us anything extra. We are staying at Staybridge Suites Saturday night. We have two of the two bedroom suites.

I get to go to Tony Romas!!!!!!!!!!! (next door to Staybridge). LUV Their RIBS!

Willie,
We have a Navigator Limo through Happy Limo taking us to the port too!! Same thing as you, the kids don't know! We will be arriving in Orlando on the 8th and spending a few days at the Coranado SPrings Resort at Disney. I can't believe it's less than two months!!!

 

[PPFQP]

We have Southwest flights set to arrive Friday night then we stay at the Hyatt Airport. Airfare is ridiculous this time around. Normally we can get to Orlando for under $200 roundtrip. This time its $375ea. Plus I have three award trips which Southwest has blacked out my travel dates. I still love them for family travel.

Southwest has gotten much more restrictive about their award travel. We booked exactly at the very second that reservations opened up for this time period and were able to get our flights for this trip, but we had to rearrange our times a little bit. We had wanted to fly in Thursday night (schools are closed Friday) and spend 2 nights before the cruise, but we could only get the Friday am flight.

I still love them too. When we fly other airlines, you notice such a difference in the quality of service and the attitudes of the employees.

 

[Big Willie]

Hey Kelli

I just left CT. My job takes me to Groton (New London) area there on the Submarine Base and Electric Boat Shipyard.

I'm on to Seattle for a week and then back to Hawaii.

What a life!

 

[cruising fun]

Thanks for the tips on the conditioner...I will keep that in mind!

Kelli thanks for setting up the roll call....that was nice of you to do that for all of us!!!!

 

[Had2disneycruz]

I have been checking out other threads getting info.....what is a fish extender? I don't want to miss anything! Thanks!

 

[itutorfortravel]

Hey everyone! Sounds like you guys are on the ball with your plans for traveling down...wish I could say the same! I've had so many other things distracting me lately that I haven't made a final decision on hotel or travel plans yet - YIKES! We do have a room booked in Melbourne for 2 nights prior to the cruise but I think I might change that and stay closer to the port...I don't know, what do you veteran DCL cruisers think? Our hotel in Melbourne is oceanfront and I thought that might be nice...it costs about the same to stay there as it does to stay somewhere closer to the port with no beach...but of course it's like 30 miles from Cocoa Beach. And it's south at that, so it means even MORE driving!

Getting excited about telling DD we are going! I am in bday party planning mode right now and she is driving me nuts! It is so hard to cut down the guest list...you know, you invite this one and you have to invite that one...the party that was supposed to be 10 little girls has now grown to 15 - and it's at my house so that is major!

I just hope I survive it
Well, hope everyone is doing well. See ya soon!

 

[PPFQP]

We do have a room booked in Melbourne for 2 nights prior to the cruise but I think I might change that and stay closer to the port...I don't know, what do you veteran DCL cruisers think? Our hotel in Melbourne is oceanfront and I thought that might be nice...it costs about the same to stay there as it does to stay somewhere closer to the port with no beach...but of course it's like 30 miles from Cocoa Beach. And it's south at that, so it means even MORE driving!

If it's a treat for you to see the ocean, then stay there, especially if you are going to be there for two nights and will have time to actually enjoy the beach. For us, we live near the ocean, so our priority is more on being as close as possible to the cruise terminal so that we can get there quickly on Sat. morning.
I've never been to Melbourne, so many someone else will have an opinion. But it doesn't sound like it's that far away.
Good luck with the party planning!

 

[Had2disneycruz]

I agree with staying closer to the port. I just want to make it there safe and sound sometime Friday night. (If the car doesn't start or if we accidentally sleep in Saturday morning, I want to be close! The less stress, the better.) We will either stay at the Radisson with our friends, or use rewards at a Holiday Inn Express. It will depend on when we get in that night or morning. DH does not have Friday off so we will get a late start! As long as we are at the terminal by 10am-11am, we are good to go!!! Can't wait!!! The warm weather here has been a teaser!