April 15, 2006 - Spring Break -

[Marypoppinsiam]

I am so happy you made it back before all those cancellations! You never know what the airlines are going to do.

Thank you guys for all your great advice. I am feeling so much more at ease with the whole trip. The new travel agent has been so nice and has shared multiple tips on the whole cruise and all.

Ryan is also looking forward to the club. He is such a shy kid at times, but once things get rolling he is ok. It will be nice if he knows some kids in there before I go and leave him. I think it will make the transition a whole lot easier ( I don't know for whom, though ).

Mary

 

[Kimmielee]

I am so happy you made it back before all those cancellations! You never know what the airlines are going to do.

Thank you guys for all your great advice. I am feeling so much more at ease with the whole trip. The new travel agent has been so nice and has shared multiple tips on the whole cruise and all.

Ryan is also looking forward to the club. He is such a shy kid at times, but once things get rolling he is ok. It will be nice if he knows some kids in there before I go and leave him. I think it will make the transition a whole lot easier ( I don't know for whom, though ).

Mary

Mary, we'll make it a point to meet that first day before the drills... so the boys can have lunch together or something... that way, their first time in the club they will already be familiar with one another! Also, if he's uncomfortable in the clubs and you and hubby want to go to Palo's or something, Ryan can hang with us!!

 

[Marypoppinsiam]

That is so sweet and kind of you. I know I would love to meet the people we have been emailing to.

We are coming in the night before and staying at the Hampton Inn. So we "plan" to be at the ship around 12:00. ( you never know what might happen that am.) I am sure you know what I mean.

Do you guys have any plans for Easter? I am thinking of getting a basket delivered to our room for Ryan. Do you have any suggestions?

Mary

 

[Marypoppinsiam]

Oh yeah by the way, Thanks for the great info on the ticker, as you can tell it worked!

 

[Kimmielee]

I'm having a basket delivered for Noah as well. I'm going to work with Shirley at http://www.theperfectgift.cc/Cruises.htm, she comes HIGHLY recommended. I'm going to buy some stuff to ship to her in advance to make it even more "personal".

We are coming in on the Wednesday before the cruise and staying at POFQ, then having a towncar pick us up and deliver us to the ship around 10:30 or so on Saturday. I have this horrible need to be early and start enjoying our trip as soon as we can board... (I'll probably end up standing in line forever anyway...)

We haven't been "home" for Easter for as long as Noah can remember... so it makes sense that the Easter Bunny will find him on the ship since he finds him everywhere else we've been!

What part of Missouri are you from? My Mom was born in Gideon!

 

[Kimmielee]

welcome back kimmie

- D

Thanks David... by the way... I'm thinking of transferring my ressie to a TA so I'll give yours a call on Monday. It can't hurt to check.... however, I do have one question... can I still book my excursions and Palo (by the way.... have you ever been and did you go alone?) online if I switch to a TA?

 

[Marypoppinsiam]

Thanks Kimmie for the website to The Perfect Gift. I think Ryan will be so suprised!

We live in Lee's Summit Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City. It is not so big yet not really small.

Good luck with the TA. I probably would have tried David's too, but I had already found this girl, let me know what you decide.

Mary

 

[Kimmielee]

Thanks Kimmie for the website to The Perfect Gift. I think Ryan will be so suprised!

Mary

I can't take credit... as usual...all my good advice originally came from David! I'm beginning to think his last name is Disney!

 

[djs113]

Geez I missed many posts tonight, you two have been busy!

I thing Ryan, Noah, and my Jordan will be the 3 musketeers by the first night.

Shirley from the Perfect Gift is great!! We use her everytime.

We arrive the night before, we stand at the Hyatt at the airport.

We usually board the ship between 11:30 and 12 am on that Saturday morning.

Yes you can definitely book your ressies online, despite using a TA.

If you onto the disneycruise.com site, register and put in your ressie # - you can see the different tabs where your reservations will appear.

Any questions about the cruise, throw them at me! I have only been stumped a few times .. LOL

- D

 

[Marypoppinsiam]

thanks David I sure I will have a million in one question by the time the cruise gets here. I know once the boys meet they will have a wonderful time together.

Are Shirley' baskets nice? Is it easy to order one? I went to the website and I didn't know if the kids baskets shown were all she had. Does she custom make some?

I think we will arrive early at the boat too. We have to have the rental car in to Budget by 11:00 am.

-M

 

[djs113]

Definitely call Shirley directly - she makes anything you want. She always gets sand toys for us, so we don't have to bring our own, she gets the chips/candy my kids prefer - etc .... and long as she is able to get it, she will do it. To show you how great she is, when we went on the 10 day cruise this past Christmas, we decided to bring a case of our favorite wines on the trip with us, instead of buying it each night on board. I was able to UPS the case of wine down to Shirley in advance, and she brought it onboard for us with my baskets. That way we didn't have to drag it down on the plane with us.

When you call her, tell her you know her from the DIS boards - she posts on here everyday as well. Here is her current thread that she started.


http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=889001

- D

 

[Marypoppinsiam]

You are full of great information. I think the sand toys are a great idea. I wonder if I can just leave them on the boat so I don't have to pack them away to head back to Kansas City. What a great idea about the wine. I sure don't want to bring that from home. I thought we would just get some the night before we leave and then carry it on the ship, but I think your idea is a much better one. How far in advance did you buy your baskets? I thought I could order one around January or so, but I want to make sure we recieve it at the right time.

-M

 

[djs113]

Mary, it has only just begun - i will give you all the important tips before we go

i order it about a month in advance, and her team carries the basket onto the ship that saturday morning of our sailing

we leave our sand toys on board after the cruise - i had read somewhere that disney donates these type items to some local charities

Here is 2 of my most important tips on things to bring with you

- an extension cord - there is really only one outlet to use in the cabins and it is tucked under the TV's - if you want to use a hair dryer near the bathroom, charge a game boy, etc.... it is definitely needed

- an over the door shoe holder - the ones that are clear about six shoe holders wide by about 7-8 rows down --- they cost a few bucks at walmart / target - you should put this over your bathroom door facing outward and use it to keep everything in your cabin organized - sun tan lotions, sun glasses, walkie talkies if you bring them,etc ...... instead of everything ending up all over the cabin, wasting room - use this and stay organized - best investment we ever made

- d

 

[Marypoppinsiam]

I will mark it on the good old calendar now, so I don't forget in the hub bub of it all. It seems like March is a busy time in the nursery at our hospital and I never know if I will be working a bit more that month.

I read that bringing a over the door shoe organizer idea in my Passport Guide book (love that book!). But I didn't know about the extention cord. Great tip. Doesn't the boat have hairdryers installed already in the rooms?

Just out of curiousity, what night is the best night to go to Palo? My husband and I haven't decieded if we are going to go or not yet, I guess it all depends on Ryan. I know that the last night of the cruise is not the best time to go since they have a "suprise" for us that night.

-M

 

[djs113]

first of all - you have no choice - you must go to Palo

I insist

I usually go to Palo on the second night that we are scheduled to attend Animators Palate

They do the show at AP the first time thru, so by the time the second time we are scheduled to go there - we do Palo

so if we are APL schedule - which families with kids usually are, we would do Palo on night #4

Never a problem putting the kids in the club after dinner so we can do 2 hrs at palo

- d

 

[Marypoppinsiam]

I forgot that we are on the 7 night cruise and all. Many of these threads people are talking about the 3-4 night cruises. I am sure we can put Ryan into the Club one night (ok maybe two nights) so at least we can try Palos. I read that their Chocolate Souffle is to die for. Maybe I need to get one.

Thanks
-M

 

[djs113]

just so you know how palo works

when 2 of you order your entrees - they will bring you 4 different entrees to taste

when you order 2 diff desserts - they will bring you 4 anyway to try everything

we request Marco from Italy as our server each time in Palo

- D

 

[Kimmielee]

first of all - you have no choice - you must go to Palo

I insist

- d

David - is it "too romantic" to go alone? I'm dying to try it... but maybe I'll stick to brunch or something.... I posted this on the boards and got great feedback that I wouldn't feel out of place... but honestly... isn't it romantic?

 

[djs113]

romantic is in the eyes of the beholder

I consider it an upscale restaurant, similar to restaurants we frequent in Manhattan

plenty of families bring their over 18 year old kids with them to dinner
and a guarantee that no one is "making out " at the tables ... lol

as a single diner, you will probably get all the attention from one of the servers like Marco from Italy - so it should be loads of fun

brunch is great too - but you really shouldn't miss dinner there - best $10 you will ever spend

If you are comfortable with it, definitely do it

- D

 

[Kimmielee]

David - thanks for the advice.

When do we find out our dinner rotation?