April 29, 2012 ~ Aloha! ~ Inagural Wonder to Hawaii-Part 3

[BoosGram]

First of all I would like to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers. A simple surgery turned into more than I expected. I was in the Hospital for 10 days and am now home. I am still very weak but glad to be here. My daughter has been keeping me up to date. At this point we booked DCL transfers from hotel to ship and vice versa. We would like to stay at Paradise pier April 26 AND 27 AND MAY 15 AND 16. I know I will not be able to lug suitcases around so this I hope will work out. Let me know if you get a group rate from them.

So glad to hear you are home!

Is everyone that is booking VGC DVC members? I'm not a DVC member, so I don't know how this works, so any explanation of how this all works is greatly appreciated.

Anyone can book regular hotel rooms at the Grand Californian if you are not DVC, it's just that there are certain "villas" set aside for DVC members (which we are) that we can use our DVC points for (the villas have kitchen facilities, washer/dryer in one-bedroom and above, jacuzzi tubs, among other things). Some of the villas are made available to the general public if they are not booked by a DVC member. I don't know the timing on this, though, or the cost. I hope that helps.

 

[Lexa]

First of all I would like to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers. A simple surgery turned into more than I expected. I was in the Hospital for 10 days and am now home. I am still very weak but glad to be here. My daughter has been keeping me up to date. At this point we booked DCL transfers from hotel to ship and vice versa. We would like to stay at Paradise pier April 26 AND 27 AND MAY 15 AND 16. I know I will not be able to lug suitcases around so this I hope will work out. Let me know if you get a group rate from them.

I'm glad you are hope now.....with you speedy recovery....

 

[MrsMork]

First of all I would like to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers. A simple surgery turned into more than I expected. I was in the Hospital for 10 days and am now home. I am still very weak but glad to be here. My daughter has been keeping me up to date. At this point we booked DCL transfers from hotel to ship and vice versa. We would like to stay at Paradise pier April 26 AND 27 AND MAY 15 AND 16. I know I will not be able to lug suitcases around so this I hope will work out. Let me know if you get a group rate from them.

Glad to hear you are home. Hope your recovery goes well.

Glad to hear you are home and recuperating! It seems like for the last week, every time my computer switched to my wallpaper (which is photos) the picture of you and Clayton dancing would be the one to come up first! (That or on of the photos of Handsome Daniel )

.

You and your handsome Daniel!!

Is everyone that is booking VGC DVC members? I'm not a DVC member, so I don't know how this works, so any explanation of how this all works is greatly appreciated.

Happy Goofy, I'm glad you're home and can recover, best wishes.

So glad to hear you are home!



Anyone can book regular hotel rooms at the Grand Californian if you are not DVC, it's just that there are certain "villas" set aside for DVC members (which we are) that we can use our DVC points for (the villas have kitchen facilities, washer/dryer in one-bedroom and above, jacuzzi tubs, among other things). Some of the villas are made available to the general public if they are not booked by a DVC member. I don't know the timing on this, though, or the cost. I hope that helps.

As Joanne says, or you can rent points from a DVC member, which can be less costly than paying Disney price for the villa. There is a rent points area on the DVC section of the DIS.

 

[Pixiegran]

I have been playing around on DL site pricing hotels..yuck. I physically need to stay at CA or DL because I have to push daughter in wheelchair, but the price is soooo much better if we could stay at Fairfield Inn (Marriott) which we have stayed at many many times. It's about 1/2 price but a good two block walk since they built CA This also was much easier when I was younger Has anyone stayed in a good neighbor hotel that is a little closer and you liked?

 

[MrsMork]

Judy, Candy Cane Inn has their own shuttle, I believe. Perhaps that could work for you.

 

[cquick]

We are staying at the VGC for two nights afterward (3 of us) and haven't yet made our transfers from the port. We were thinking of doing the DCL transfers, but if anyone has a group going, we would definitely like to join in!

What's VGC?

 

[emum]

Hi All,

LTNP(ost), but a quick pop by to say that I've just cancelled our 2 Cat. 6A cabins for the cruise. Unfortunately, we just couldn't justify taking eldest DD out of school for that long. I'm majorly bummed, but it could be worse, right ?

We're planning a trip to Aulani and the islands for our actual anniversary now, which only requires 3 days off school instead of 3 weeks.

I hope you all have a fabulous cruise, and enjoy that gorgeous ship With any luck, DCL may do us Southern hemisphere folk a favour, and put another 2 week cruise on in January 2013. One can hope, and we'll be waiting with baited breath come the 2013 cruises release date (tomorrow ?!?!?)

Cheers,
Sally

 

[cquick]

Hurray for you,Happy Goofy!

 

[BoosGram]

What's VGC?

The Villas at the Grand Californian, which is one of Disney's three DL hotels. It is also a Disney Vacation Club property. It opens up directly into California Adventure.

 

[BoosGram]

Hi All,

LTNP(ost), but a quick pop by to say that I've just cancelled our 2 Cat. 6A cabins for the cruise. Unfortunately, we just couldn't justify taking eldest DD out of school for that long. I'm majorly bummed, but it could be worse, right ?

We're planning a trip to Aulani and the islands for our actual anniversary now, which only requires 3 days off school instead of 3 weeks.

I hope you all have a fabulous cruise, and enjoy that gorgeous ship With any luck, DCL may do us Southern hemisphere folk a favour, and put another 2 week cruise on in January 2013. One can hope, and we'll be waiting with baited breath come the 2013 cruises release date (tomorrow ?!?!?)

Cheers,
Sally

Hope you have a wonderful anniversary trip to HI! Sorry we won't get to meet you, though.

 

[debg]

We have eaten at all the Downtown Disney restaurants at one time or another. The food is good at all of them. A few we "always" try to hit even on a short trip are
-Naples Risortante - really good Italian, fun but relaxing if you can get outside table, inside noisy
-Ralph Brennan's - incredible southern food..we tend to eat a early dinner/late lunch time there so it is a little cheaper and snack later at night. The prices are a little higher than most but we are southerners who live in Seattle and the opportunity to eat #1 quality southern can't be passed up! (House of Blues also does southern in a very spicy non traditional way...it's good but not where I would eat the night before going to sea
-ESPN actually has a fun menu and the burgers and meat selections we have had have been really good. We love a really top of the line burger and salads were really good.
-Rainforest cafe has a fun menu also and not just a good breakfast place, but we have one locally so only go there if we are meeting others who have never been to one .
-there is a Mexican restaurant also that everyone says is good but we have never gone to...we save Mexican for inside Disneyland when we need to eat in the park.
Really the dining selections are so varied we usually go and read all the menus posted outside and decide what really just sounds good that night. We only pre-plan for Brennan's since we leave the park mid day to eat there.
Hope this gives you an idea of some of what is available.

Thanks so much for this information! Ralph Brennan's sounds very intriguing. While they all sound good, and Mexican food is my favorite, southern food is something we never get so Ralph Brennan's it is! Like you, we generally check menus and go with what sounds good right then but we'll have just completed a rough travel day and it will be nice to not have to think/make decisions. I really appreciate your help on this!

We won't be landing until 5:25 p.m. (SNA) and think we'll get to VGC sometime between 6:30-7:00 so we'll be wanting to get straight to dinner.

Thanks again,
debg

 

[dolphingirl47]

Hi All,

LTNP(ost), but a quick pop by to say that I've just cancelled our 2 Cat. 6A cabins for the cruise. Unfortunately, we just couldn't justify taking eldest DD out of school for that long. I'm majorly bummed, but it could be worse, right ?

We're planning a trip to Aulani and the islands for our actual anniversary now, which only requires 3 days off school instead of 3 weeks.

I hope you all have a fabulous cruise, and enjoy that gorgeous ship With any luck, DCL may do us Southern hemisphere folk a favour, and put another 2 week cruise on in January 2013. One can hope, and we'll be waiting with baited breath come the 2013 cruises release date (tomorrow ?!?!?)

Cheers,
Sally

I am sorry that you won't be able to join us. I hope you will have a wonderful time at Aulani.

Corinna

 

[Pixiegran]

Judy, Candy Cane Inn has their own shuttle, I believe. Perhaps that could work for you.

Thank you...so does other Good Neighbor. Sometimes it is easier to walk and push rather than fold and lift chair on and off shuttle . I am sure a solution will present itself if I am patient.

 

[Pixiegran]

Thanks so much for this information! Ralph Brennan's sounds very intriguing. While they all sound good, and Mexican food is my favorite, southern food is something we never get so Ralph Brennan's it is! Like you, we generally check menus and go with what sounds good right then but we'll have just completed a rough travel day and it will be nice to not have to think/make decisions. I really appreciate your help on this!

We won't be landing until 5:25 p.m. (SNA) and think we'll get to VGC sometime between 6:30-7:00 so we'll be wanting to get straight to dinner.

Thanks again,
debg

Call and check with them but I think you may be able to make a reservation so you don't have to sign in and wait.

 

[gurlwithwings35]

Hi all! I'm new to the board...well I've been on the boards before, but this is my first post

So my fiancee and I have been booked for the Hawaii cruise in April since the day it opened up! We got so lucky because it leaves the day after our wedding so it's going to be our honeymoon

Is anyone else going to be newly weds??

If not, I'm still excited to talk to anyone else that's going to be there!
I cannot wait till April!!!!!

 

[Pixiegran]

Hi all! I'm new to the board...well I've been on the boards before, but this is my first post

So my fiancee and I have been booked for the Hawaii cruise in April since the day it opened up! We got so lucky because it leaves the day after our wedding so it's going to be our honeymoon

Is anyone else going to be newly weds??

If not, I'm still excited to talk to anyone else that's going to be there!
I cannot wait till April!!!!!

Welcome. I don't know if you started here at the end of this forum, but we have been a very active verbal group and this is the third forum because we maxed out the others . But some of the nice knowledgeable people on here (and I am not-knowledgeable that is) have put a ton of important information on the first page of this current forum. I would highly recommend you go read the first page or two and then come back here and ask questions as I am sure you will have some. We have a lot of fun things planned for those on Dis forum and you might want to participate in some.

 

[Lexa]

Hi all! I'm new to the board...well I've been on the boards before, but this is my first post

So my fiancee and I have been booked for the Hawaii cruise in April since the day it opened up! We got so lucky because it leaves the day after our wedding so it's going to be our honeymoon

Is anyone else going to be newly weds??

If not, I'm still excited to talk to anyone else that's going to be there!
I cannot wait till April!!!!!

Welcome to DIS board and congratulations on your upcoming wedding.

 

[Pixiegran]

Welcome to DIS board and congratulations on your upcoming wedding.

Where in Missouri are you? My family was from there.

 

[BoosGram]

Hi all! I'm new to the board...well I've been on the boards before, but this is my first post

So my fiancee and I have been booked for the Hawaii cruise in April since the day it opened up! We got so lucky because it leaves the day after our wedding so it's going to be our honeymoon

Is anyone else going to be newly weds??

If not, I'm still excited to talk to anyone else that's going to be there!
I cannot wait till April!!!!!

Welcome and congratulations! What a lovely way to start a marriage. As for being newlyweds, not here (going on 39 years w/the best man in the world for me ).

 

[sshaw10060]

I have been playing around on DL site pricing hotels..yuck. I physically need to stay at CA or DL because I have to push daughter in wheelchair, but the price is soooo much better if we could stay at Fairfield Inn (Marriott) which we have stayed at many many times. It's about 1/2 price but a good two block walk since they built CA This also was much easier when I was younger Has anyone stayed in a good neighbor hotel that is a little closer and you liked?

You might want to check the Sheraton. One of the podcast team (can't remember who) took there mother in a wheel chair and found their shuttle service to be great. I can try to dig out the details if you want.