April 23, 2005 Western

[sillysmom]

Hey all, so as I wrote the other day, Sunday, I booked my excursions, and I also paid for the REAS package. So they give me the number for "Debbie", but tell me that you CANNOT make any reservations until 45 days before. Okay I say, I mark my calendar. Today, I'm scanning the forum and I see someone who is cruising after us has already made her ressies. Now I'm getting a little p'd. I call up DCL and ask for Debbie's number, seeing as I have all my info at home, and the girl has no idea what I'm talking about, but says that the person will contact ME when its 45 days before. I tell her that they gave me the number on Sunday, but I left it home, so she talks to her supervisor, and gives me Debbie's number. Okay, so now I call Debbie, and NO PROBLEM, she can make my reservations. (Now I'm thinkin, thank god I didn't wait). Now, my anniversary is the 27th, so I figured, we'd book a 12:30 excursion, be back by 4:30-5:00, go to the spa for 6-6:30 and go to palo for dinner at 8-8:30. Well the Palo reservations were fine, but the only reservations for the spa that day (and not because their booked, just the time they work that day) is 8:00am, 9:15am, 11:00am, that is it for the day, nothing in the evening. Now 8:00 a.m. is out, kids clubs don't open till 9, 11:00 no good, we have to meet for our excursion at 12:00, so I booked 9:15, but I don't know if I'm going to keep it, I would have to get DD up at like 8:00 to eat, then bring her down to the club, have to talk to the hubby when I get home, maybe we'll do the massage another day. I can't stand getting up the early and start to rush around, especially when we have to meet for an excursion. I can't believe their are only 3 times for the couples massage. I thought I had everything planned . Oh well!

 

[dcbrown]

Hey Sillysmom,

What are you making reservations for? Can you reserve at the spa and Palo's ahead of time....and since when....this is news to me!! I just booked my Fury Catamaran cruise today....and I have NOT paid in full yet...thought I would give it a try and it worked.
DCBrown

 

[dcbrown]

Hey All,

I know.... I just posted....have not been very active on this board and do not know if this was discussed yet....on my last 3 Magic Cruises we all decided to go to home depot and get the "Alien Green" Mickey paint chips to wear to identify each other...we put our screen name on them and we also had a meet at 4PM just outside of Scoops....anyone made any plans yet or does that sound like one?

 

[Cathy V]

Anyone out there from the west coast?? I feel like I am the only one. Everyone is talking about cold and snow and sorry but all I know is about rain and unfourtunatly floods. Anyway I was just wondering if anyone else is leaving out of LAX. Everyone else on the east coast...try and stay warm and see you all in less then three months.. bye for now..

 

[Yankee914]

Sillys -

Do you really want to cram the massage in right before your excursion? A massage is meant to be enjoyed and savored. You want to be relaxed and not rushed. Why don't you try scheduling for a day at sea -- your child can be in the club and hubby can maybe schedule a tour of the bridge for an hour. That way you can enjoy. It might be nice to book one in the late afternoon, right before you get ready for dinner, and then you have the whole evening ahead of you! Just a suggestion.

 

[Yankee914]

Cathy -

Seems like most of us are from the East Coast. It just so happens that the kids have off from school the week for the Jewish holidays.

 

[sillysmom]

Hey DC, I booked the REAS package so I can book palo and my couples massage ahead of time. Hey Yankee, I don't know what I'm gonna do yet about the massage, keeping it for 9:15 on our anniversary, we don't have to be ready for the excursion till 12, maybe we'll change it, we'll see. And DC I still have the stickers from our last cruise, and yes they were lime green from home depot. I even mailed them to some folks who cruised with us. Talk to you all later. Bye the way, has everyone gotten their air yet?

 

[dkmjgal]

Believe it or not my family has voted to drive again. We drove Aug. 2003 and we had a great time. Of course portable DVD players help!!!
We also have friends that we stop to see in NC on the way home so that breaks up the trip that way. We also like getting to the port as early as we can and getting right in the car and heading home asap. We prefer not to deal with the airport hassles - but that's just us. It is a long drive!

kelly

 

[Stimpy]

Sillysmom, sorry the spa appointments aren't working for you. That kind of stinks. We were thinking of doing REAS but since we really don't have any interest in eating dinner at Palos we decided against it. Heck we're still trying to get moved to main seating! LOL

I'm surprised some of you said you were able to get your shore excursions w/o paying in full? I thought they would have some way of cross checking that? Maybe I'll try later today. Did you call on the phone, email or fax?

We got our air about 1 month ago w/ Southwest. I'm a little bummed by the rate we got, but we're used to traveling in value seasons. We're paying almost $900 for the 4 of us for the same flights that cost us a little more than $400 in December. We picked this time to cruise b/c DS will be out of school. We really didn't want to take him out anymore this school year. But in order to get the rate we did, we have to take a flight home on Monday. (Otherwise it would have been over $1200!) So he's going to miss 1 day.

 

[sillysmom]

Hey Stimpy, why is it that you have no interest in Palo? Have you already been and not liked it? Also have you had main seating before? I love the late seating, just wondering why you like the early. As for your airfare, I paid $800 for the 3 of us from Saturday to Saturday. So it was cheaper by $300 to fly home on Monday, but what will you spend if you have to stay in Florida until Monday? Just curious. I would say try booking your excursions, everyone seems to be giving different stories. Why then did I have to pay in FULL including the REAS package, to book mine on Sunday, if everyone else is just booking them without paying. I could have kept my money for another 30 days lol. oh well, just hope everyone sailing with us gets the excursions they want. Talk to you all soon.....bye for now

 

[dcbrown]

So Sillysmom,

I think I missed it....did this group decide to do the Lime Green Mickey thing....and did they already pick a meet time and place?
DCBrown

 

[sillysmom]

Nope, haven't even gotten around to talking about that yet. I would be happy to get the stickers, anybody want to be in charge of getting that set up? All they would need to do is figure out when and what time we are all going to get together to meet each other in person. Last cruise, we did it at scoops and whoever arranged it made it the day we were departing at about 4:30. Personally I would rather have it the first day at sea, it was kind of rushed the first day, and my DD did NOT want to hang around chatting, she wanted to see the boat. Any ideas anyone?

 

[Stimpy]

I have a few of the Home Depot Mickeys sitting on top of my computer shelf here from the last cruise LOL I would try to avoid the sailaway party too. We tried that during the last cruise and no one could find anyone else. (which is why I have so many extra Mickey heads laying around)

Sillysmom, we haven't been to Palo's for dinner. I hear it is great but DH and I really aren't too interested in eating there for dinner. OK, mostly DH is against it LOL DH is a plain meat and potato type guy so he really didn't see anything on the menus that interested him. We went to Victoria & Alberts in the Grand Floridian once and he hated it! I really want to go there for the tea though! I think you will have a great time at Palo's for dinner.

We've never had late seating before and I'm sure it's great for people with older kids. Honestly, I wouldn't mind it so much but we have a 5yr old and DD will just be turning 1. A late night for them is staying up til 9:30pm during a vacation but they can't do it every night.

The 2 extra days we are there will be kind of cheap for us. My parents own a condo in Orlando, so we'll stay there for free and we're AP holders at WDW so we get free admission there.

 

[NowaSki]

How many of you plan on getting dressed up for Pirate Night ?

My DW has found some great costumes for the kids online. I have some gear I usually wear on Halloween. I just don't want to be the only one dressed up, or the only one not dressed up.

 

[jnc1970]

I am dressing like a penguin on formal night, so I don't think we will be going to much trouble with other costumes....lol

 

[Yankee914]

We're planning on getting some eye patches and maybe some bandanas for Pirate Night -- nothing too elaborate. The last cruise we went on it was called Mexicali Night and we all wore tropical-type shirts. They had a Mariachi band that went through the Dining Room. We asked our servers to bring us a pitcher of Margaritas -- they looked at us like we had two heads! Instead, they brought us individual drinks. The Pirate Night sounds fun. I heard they brought back the fireworks. They did fireworks on our first Disney Cruise in 1999. They only started doing it again recently. As far as Formal Night -- hubby will not spring for the tux. He'll wear a suit, I'll wear a formal black dress. I usually make the kids wear suits as well. As soon as dinner is over they get changed --

 

[jnc1970]

Thanks for setting up the kids thread. Mine are anxious to get started messaging the great kids already posting. We look forward to sailing with you all!

 

[sillysmom]

Morning all, its 5:30 in the a.m. and I don't know what I'm doing up, so figured I'd check in. Pirate night is my anniversary, so I'll be in Palo. Don't see much I'd like on that nights menu anyway so it should work out well. I'll check in later!

 

[dcbrown]

So more snow here last night on the Jersey Shore ....anyone else?

Got the 2 of my youngest to get on the kids board last night....the teens should be on soon.

So it looks like we will do the lime green Mickey thing again...if anyone does not have a home depot near them (where the heck do you live?) I will visit mine and clean out the "alien green" again this year!! They must wonder what goes on every spring when they're missing all thier alien green swatches...does everyone want to paint rooms that color?

I will not be doing the pirate thing....I will only dress as a pirate if Jack Sparrow comes calling!! ( middle age ladies fantasy!) My 17 yo is in her school musical and coincidently has to dress as a sexy pirate (Hedi Laru in "How to Succeed") she was talking about bringing it on board...mom will have to check it out first.

So no meet then...we will probobly see each other as we check in ...we always seem to......make sure to put your screen names on your stickers.

DCBrown

 

[jordgubben]

Glad that you mentioned the pirate thing. I’ve been wondering about that as well. I’ve been scouring the internet for adult customs. My husband was thoroughly amused when I showed him the pirate stripper costume I came across – I told him that HE was more than welcome to wear it.

Anyway, I started checking some of the party stores in my area. We didn’t have any luck with adult costumes, however, children’s costumes were another story.

There is a Party Warehouse at the corner of Route 35 and West Park Avenue in Ocean, NJ which is changing owners. Everything in the store is 50% off. While you may have to dig a bit, there were definitely children’s pirate costumes.

As for us, I’m not sure what we are doing for pirate night yet. We were looking for the full blown outfits but I suppose that we’ll feel foolish if no one else is dressed. I suppose if all else fail we could get some hats and eye patches.