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

[o4me2playn]

I found this online.....


Konk Kooler

Ingredients:

1/2 oz. dark rum
3/4 oz. light rum
1 oz. passion fruit juice
1 oz. piña colada mix
1 oz. orange juice
Directions:

Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously
Serve in a tall glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a wedge of tropical fruit
This is the signature drink on Castaway Cay (Disney's private island in the Bahamas)

 

[aljsmom]

yummmm....thanks for the recipe.
I might just have to try this out before we sail!

 

[castlegazer]

I did try out the recipe one time, and it just wasn't the same....

I needed to be sitting in a chair, feet in the castaway cay water, drinking one to have it really taste right.

The picture of the day today is a share from me. I violated a rule I set a long time ago about not posting my scrap book pages, recently to ask for help with inspiration on how to scrap our verandah pictures from our last cruise - if you are a scrappbooker, you should check out the DCL scrapbook thread. So, I wanted to make sure I wasn't leaving you all out of the loop and post it here too. I blurred the images and took out my son's name - the credits for the picture are at the thread (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1710064&page=24):

I am working like a maniac right now on a photobook from our last cruise. I am staying up waaaaay too late every night getting pages done, and I am only on day two! This is going to take forever!

 

[castlegazer]

Here's the verandah picture in question:

I am not happy with it - but I have such a hard time because I have a lot of photos that tell the tsory better than any paper could.

 

[o4me2playn]

All these beautiful pictures and we're STILL 7 months and 22 days out Well the good news is .. summer ends this weekend and then comes fall and then SPRING!!!

I really want the time to pass quickly, can you tell?

 

[castlegazer]

 

[o4me2playn]

LOVE IT!!!!!!!

 

[tinkerbelle77]

Hi everyone! I know its been a long time since I've posted! Things have been crazy this summer...Now that the girls are back in school, I have a lil more time! I have been catching up on posts and these great pics all along, just havent had the time to comment! Hepe everyone has a great Labor Day weekend!

 

[cctimmom]

ok... I keep missing the notifications that people are posting... grrrrr

My question of the moment... do I grab AirTran tickets for $354/pp or wait it out some more?????

 

[KandiB47]

My question of the moment... do I grab AirTran tickets for $354/pp or wait it out some more?????

I was wondering the same thing because I don't have the money for three plane tickets just sitting around right now. I was planning on waiting until I read an article by Pete Werner on the Dis Boards. Read #5: http://www.wdwinfo.com/discounts/beat-high-cost-airfare.htm

I feel like I got off very lucky compared to what the people from Mass. are paying. Good luck with prices.

 

[cctimmom]

I ended up booking it. I really don't like AirTran, and I'm fearful that they will change the flights/times sometime over the next 7 months... but my bigger fear is $2000 to fly us all down for this magical adventure.

So... we ended up booking the non-stop AirTran flights. We'll arrive Friday late morning (have to take the kids out of school)... stay overnight (which we would have anyway since I don't want to fly on embarkation day)... and we fly out the Saturday evening we disembark.

AirTran did sneak in $6 seating fees for the return trip home (but not the flight down) for me to reserve our seats now (I wanted to make sure we were each sitting with one of the children)... and we bought the $15 insurance (if we have to cancel due to sickness, etc.) All told, it came to about $375/ticket. And no baggage fees...

Not great by any stretch, but I've seen so much worse...

Now I'm just hoping I don't get snookered if they totally change the flights/routes, etc. (I've had that happen on two previous trips... not for a cruise and not to MCO)

 

[o4me2playn]

I feel for all of you on trying to guess what the airfare is going to be. If I didn't have the frequent flyer miles with AA, I would be sweating out the prices also.

Right now it's all a guessing game but I know one thing for sure, at least knowing that you have reservations has got to be a relief.

 

[cctimmom]

I have frequent flier miles through AA too, but the flights to Orlando, at least right now are insane (no non-stops, and the one stops are along the lines of Boston to Chicago to Orlando... or through Miami with longer layovers).

Sigh... it's never easy...

 

[castlegazer]

I think you did the right thing.

It will be interesting to see what JetBlue and SW come out with for fares.



I am killing myself staying up late every night doing these scrapbook pages from our last cruise. I need a vacation this weekend from scrapping.

I did some really cute ones last night while watching the speeches. I then felt guilty that I hadn't done anything with the photos of the first day of school this week, so I did one for that too. I am very tired.

Have a great weekend everyone! We're headed to Maine.

 

[tinkerbelle77]

As far as airfare goes from Chicago, I was sweating it...We paid $280 pp for our september flight, and it didnt look like it was going to come down at all. So I feared the worst for April, but was thankful that we had free flight credits coming. But just in the last 2 weeks it came down to $89pp. So after taxes, we are looking at about $210 pp. Hopefully its like this in April, and then we will save our free flights for July with the whole family! Good Luck to all!

 

[o4me2playn]

DO NOT BOOK IT!!! The airlines tend to cancel those flights and put you on a bus for 4.5 hours with NO LUGGAGE!

That is what happened to us in 2006 - no luggage for almost 3 days of the cruise - terrible experience. I was on the phone with AA for hours (we arrived in Miami at 2:30 am for a 5:30 flt to Orlando - should have been plenty of time) We AA said that is was Miami that would not release our luggage..back and forth..back and forth...no info..no flt...BARELY made the last bus to port (Disney Cruise held it for us) - but without any clothes our trip was all but spoiled. I guess that's one of the reasons that we're so excited about this one!

BTW - I'm visiting my parents in Fresno, CA this weekend and their local WM had a few XMas decorations on shelves... YIPPIE time is moving faster!

 

[cctimmom]

yikes! already booked it... so I'll just have to pray to the Disney fairies that it all works out for us.

But your story does provide some lessons -- maybe I'll pack at least a day's worth of clothing, and especially bathing suits, that we carry on the plane. The good news, for us, too, is that we are arriving a day early. So hope-hope-hoping we don't have an evil flight experience.

I have been burned on other trips (non cruises) by early booking (we are still 7+ months out). They cancel the entire route and the selection of options is slim to none by the time they do that.

In the meantime... I've already created a spreadsheet for my Packing List and the Itinerary (ideas of things to do) ---- yes, I'm insane with my spreadsheets... only way to keep myself organized.

 

[castlegazer]

you didn't book into Miami did you?

I thought you booked non-stops to Orlando from BOS?

Oh, you don't know spreadsheets until you see mine from the last cruise! We shared them on the yahoo shared site. I had color coding, pictures, everything.

So you are in good company doing spreadsheets around here.

Although... I am going to go a little more laid back this time around. The spreadsheets did nothing for me. The packing lists didn't really help, and I basically had a lot of things wrong. But I do have a spreadhseet already made to visualize the days - I need to see everything laid out - i.e. docking times, trip times, etc. To make sure I am not overbooking myself.

So, I am going to plan out a general plan of attack, and then go with the flow more this trip. Essentially studying my navigator very thoroughly every day with highlighters in hand!

 

[castlegazer]

That didn't work.


Day Port Ashore Onboard
18 Saturday Port Canaveral — 4:00 p.m.

19 Sunday Key West 11:30 a.m. 7:30 p.m.

20 Monday At Sea — FORMAL Golden Mickey's

21 Tuesday Grand Cayman 7:30 a.m. 4:30 p.m.

22 Wednesday Cozumel 9:30 a.m. PIRATE 6:30 p.m.

23 Thursday At Sea — SEMI-F Disney Dreams

24 Friday Castaway Cay 9:30 a.m. 5:00 p.m.

25 Saturday Port Canaveral 7:35 a.m.

 

[cctimmom]

I wish they'd publish the Navigators before the cruise... ugh... I'm too much of a planner... lol

On our RCCL we didn't really read the Compass too well because it was too overwhelming to make "last minute" decisions.

But yes... we are going non-stop BOS to MCO. I figure getting in so early the day before will also help. IF our bags get lost, WORST CASE, we'll just buy what we need (hate to buy frivolously, but if necessary, we can do that).

Any recommendations of where we should stay overnight the Friday night?

Also... is there a DCL shuttle from the airport to the port the next morning? Do we have to make reservations for that (especially since we are getting in the day before)?


Looking at your list below... WE already know (meaning I don't know) when the formal nights are, etc????

Gosh... I need to reengage in my planning!!!!