April 18th, 2009! - PATRIOT'S OF THE CARIBBEAN - Western Magic!

[aljsmom]

yikes, I just went on Expedia. Even using the 'flexible travel dates' a non-stop flight was over $600/pp.

 

[castlegazer]

Yeah.... I've been watching it like a hawk. Not good....

I watch it because I get cash back if anyone books for less than I did on that particular route at the same times through Orbitz.

I really think that being able to fly out of Chicago is giving you a whole heap of better options for getting airfares that are closer to what you are used to for the trip even if it's higher than you would like to pay, KandiB47. I think you got a great deal.

It's now riding, for us in the NE, on JetBlue and SW coming in at reasonable rates. I wonder if the legacy airlines will come down once they release their fares.

Again, SW looks like absolute geniuses because gasoline prices are coming down, so they will be able to price based on that and, hopefully for all of you waiting to book, again scoop all competition on price.

well, on that note,

here is a a picture of the day to help all of us needing a vacation!

Cozumel again! ahhhhhhh - my shoulders just lowered by about six inches

 

[o4me2playn]

Mine too!! Especially since I hope to have had a massage by then!

 

[castlegazer]

What a beautiful weekend!

We did some neat stuff out in the Berkshires this weekend - went to a play about a Mad Pirate and a Mermaid at Shakespeare and Co. and then went to Sunday's performance at Tanglewood - such a beautiful day! It was great being outside, plus my children behaved which wa a bonus plan!

Here is today's pic of the day:

This is the Splash Zone on the Wonder, which, if rumors be true....arrrgggghhh....the Magic will be getting in dry dock in a few weeks!

So excited to be sailing, yet agaim after a dry dock! We sailed after the last dry dock and it was great to have all the new stuff like the Aerial Vision TV!!!!!

 

[cctimmom]

when do JetBlue and Southwest open their fares up? I've been checking like a hawk almost every day. Even my daughter is looking. I even contemplated driving, but that's two days on the way there and on the way back, and that will never work. I just can't imagine paying $2000 for us to fly down there!

 

[castlegazer]

You have a while to go before they open up.

JetBlue is 180 days and SW is between 3-4 months out depending. For example, like a I said a few posts back, SW announced they would open fares on a specific date but only to the end of March, so April will be another wait. Go to each airlines web site and they will tell you when they will be opening up. I would then go that day prior to 10 am.

I HIGHLY suggest signing up for DING. No need to watch like a hawk if you have DING. they will DINg you the minute they open up the fares and you can click immediately to get the best prices since fewer seats are now in the lowest price categories.

I also HIGHLY recommend paying close attention to the Transportation forum here at the DIS. This truly is the best information forum out there. People know the day and time that the fares will open. There is usually a watch thread you can subscribe to.

I am even stalking that forum right now because of the info on there and watching to see what trends are and that was the place I found out about bag fees prior to it being reported by the news media and airlines made it public. It is stunning what info you can glean over there and at FlyerTalk.com!

OK, yesterday pic didn't seem to work and it was good too!

I will post it again and a new one in a minute.

 

[castlegazer]

Yesterday's pic of the new splash area:
(best I could do)

Today's pic of Goofy's Galley - which was one of my favorite eating places while at the pool with the fresh vegetables and fruit and great wraps. I felt so healthy....for about three minutes prior to thinking about the other stuff I had eaten for breakfast and dinner....

 

[castlegazer]

I think we need a question of the day too to allow people to get involved.

Please feel free to ask questions too (as I stink at this).

Today's question:

if you have sailed DCL previously, what was you favorite food memory and what do you think it tells us about you?

if you have not, what are you most looking forward to related to food and what does this tell us about you?





My answer is two memories. I really loved the seafood lunch buffet in Parrot Cay one of the days - it was an amazing assortment of seafood! I also loved having at breakfast oatmeal with all the exotic fruit mixed in like lychees and the pineapple was to die for! having posted the innaugural question of the day as all about food, I would say that my answer tells you that I am a foodie and spend a good deal of time thinking about great food!

 

[castlegazer]

Just to prove my point about the Transportation forum, here is apost made in the last few days by someone from JetBlue (BriBri1984 - Or at least he purports to be from JB) - GO HANG OUT ON THE TRANSPORTATION FORUM, MY FRIEND, THEY ARE BECOMING RESTLESS WAITING FOR JET BLUE AND I CAN BET SOMEONE THERE WILL FIND OUT WHEN AND WHAT TIME FARES WILL BE RELEASED BY JETBLUE!:

Hey
Do not get Frusteated!!

Trust me

I am sorry they are not out yet, but they will be the best prices when they 1st come out.

May seem frustrating. But with Oil Sliding on Friday again, we are constantly adjusting prices..... ( Its all for the good of the customer, you! )

Just rrest assure we are doing things to help you.. And Remember Alot of our prices drop, so if you see you you can get a credit!

We are not looking to Stick it to anyone. We are here for you and do our best ( despite some of th negitave comments we do get from time to time )


But like i say, please send those comments in to JB, good and bad...


Thank you for flying JB. I am here to help, and i have a whole network of crewmembers to find answers..

Bri

 

[o4me2playn]

Well I can't really comment on the transportation issues as I was fortunate enough to have enough frequent flyer miles to "cash in" for the flights - good thing as flights out of CA are over the roof!

As far as food goes, I'm looking forward to Palo's - we missed this on our first cruise because our luggage was stuck in Miami for the first 2 1/2 days of the trip. I'm also a breakfast person so I like eating at the breakfast buffet in Topsider's. We missed the seafood buffet - I'll be checking this out also!

 

[aljsmom]

hmmmm...foood!
I am looking forward to all of it! This is our first Disney cruise and I've heard so many good things. I am looking forward to Palo, but also the Goofy place you just mentioned. If I eat 'healthier' during the day, I won't feel so bad about dessert!

 

[cctimmom]

can I be lazy and ask you to post the link to the Transportation forum?... lol

 

[cctimmom]

I'm going to try PIPing...

Here's a little taste of Key West

nope... sorry... I don't know how to PIP on this board... booooo

 

[castlegazer]

http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=16

That should help!

So, picture posting......Woohoo! I would love to see your photos!

If it's your own photos, you will need to have them hosted somewhere on the Internet, like Snapfish or here at the DIS using this link: http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/

Then you can copy it and paste it here. I think you also have to have a minimum number of posts to be able to post photos also.

I go to web sites and copy and paste here.

Big thumbs up for trying!

 

[castlegazer]

As I know you all don't read many posts on the main board, I wanted to let you all know about a post I just made over there:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1926268

Frances came at Cocoa Beach on September 6th, so I have to say that I KNOW I DO NOT vacation in Florida during these weeks at the end of August and beginning of Sept. Frances wiped out our condo - it was actually a tornado. So having another direct hit, but this time of a TS, is a bit disconcerting.

So My pic of the day is where my mind is today:

This is a currrent radar image:

 

[KandiB47]

I hope things turn out alright with your condo. Good luck!

 

[castlegazer]

Everyone is fine - stir crazy, but fine! Thanks for the well wishes!

OK today's photo of the day can be no other than this:

Oh YEAH!!!!

Woohoooooooooo!!! Jon, you and I didn't think they could pull it through, but THEY DID!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[castlegazer]

Question of the Day:

Do you like to:

Snorkel?

Swim?

SunBathe?

Scuba Dive?

Water Sports?

Drink Konk Koolers?

or simply read a book under shade?

or other?
When you are at the beach?



My answer is to swim, drink Konk Koolers, and read a book - I am fair so I can't sunbathe with abandon.

I spent a lot of the day just luxuriating in the water at Castaway Cay - that was heaven on earth in my opinion!

Today's pic of the day:

 

[o4me2playn]

Since Wes and I are "young" adults HA! We like to venture down to Serenity Bay. I like to spend as much time in the water as possible, even putting one of the chairs in the sand at the waters edge and taking a snooze The water is SO WARM and so calm that I want to spend as much time in it as possible!!!!

A Konk Kooler or 2 is welcoming also!

Wes likes to sunbathe and drink BEER!!! Anyways... he'll venture in the water for a short while, but he would rather sit in the shade.

 

[aljsmom]

Hmmm...what is a Konk kooler?? Sounds intriguing.
I love being in the water, but a good book and a chair in the water sounds just right!
Can't wait to snorkel as well.