August 12, 2006-DIS DREAMS DO COME TRUE-Magical Western Cruise

[MICKEY'S DREAMERS]

Very very welcome to you and family !!! It sounds like your kids have already found new friends for your first cruise !!!! BTW What are their names ? Will your son be celebrating his Bday during our cruise ?

I'm Laura travelling with DH Marco and our very wonderful friends Beckie and Terry !!!!
We had cruised before ... so should you need any info /tip ... PLEASE fell free to ask ... whatever question !!!!

Waiting to hear from you SOOON !!!!!!!!!!!

Laura

 

[MICKEY'S DREAMERS]

Reggie, I have a daughter who will turn 14 the next day on August 13. She is so excited to have a birthday on a cruise ship!
My DH had a double knee replacement in December and was doing so well, then developed a staph infection in his left leg. Quite a nasty bug and he had to have more surgery. He is so looking forward to this vacation!
We booked our dolphin royal swim with shoretrips. Very nice and helpful. It is quite a bit of money, but this is once in a lifetime opportunity.
Still hoping we get some more people who are going. I would love for my daughters to know someone before we board. I know how nice it is for me that I have met you all and am looking forward to meeting you in person.
Especially for my 13, almost 14 year old, who is a shy.
Hope you all are well.
Michelle

Ciao,Michelle !!! how is your DH doing now ? I bet he will be sooo active and happy during our cruise !!!

It sounds like Donna and indimini have DDs more or less same age as yours !!!! Maybe they could start to know each others...through PMs Mums will NOT read ???

ALL OF YOU : have a nice Sunday !!!!

Laura

Beckie, PM sent !!!

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

"We're on this cruise too."
Just found the DISBoards, so this is my first post here. I'll be traveling with my wife and two children - this will be our first first cruise although we've been going to WDW every year for the past 12 years.
Our daughter is 14 and our son will be 8. It would be great to meet some other families/kids before the cruise.

indimini

First WELCOME to THE DIS, and our little group here on the Meet Board.

You have a lot of reading too do, but it's all fun. If I can help please just ask.

I'm Beckie my DH is Terry while we did take a cruise last year in August it was a 4-day, so we are still rather new to all the options we have on the 7-day.

If you have read any of the other post you know there are several family's with children that are close to your daughter and son's age so that will be nice for them and you.

Just jump in and post whenever you can

Beckie

 

[indimini]

Thanks for the warm welcome.

We've started with the book "The Passporter's Field Guide to Disney Cruise Line" and I'm working my way through all the posts on the forum. You can never be too prepared for a Disney vacation, lol.

Our son is very out going and I know he would love to share some PM's with others his age.

Right now, we're trying to decide if we want to travel down a day early and if so, where to stay. We're leaning toward a night at the Disney Swan (very cheap rate since my wife is a Gov't employee)and hang out on the boardwalk and then take a car out to the ship Sat. morning.

 

[firstmickey]

We are staying 3 nights at the Swan (on the nurse's rate) before the cruise.

We were supposed to drive but just booked our airfare instead!
I think we are using FL Tours towncar service to haul us around from airport to the Swan to the PORT back to the airport! I have used them several times and love them!

 

[MICKEY'S DREAMERS]

I think we are using FL Tours towncar service to haul us around from airport to the Swan to the PORT back to the airport! I have used them several times and love them!

Ciao,Donna !!!
We too used FL tours towncar service last year : very reasonable prices and great service !!!
Do you know that ... if you apply for a DISboard BRONZE sponsorship, you get a discount with FL Tours, which allows you to save almost the same amount of money spent with the sponsorship ? They also give you two nice Sponsor PINS !! My DH collects them ... together with Disney pins ...especially the Grumpy pins !!!

http://www.wdwinfo.com/dis-sponsor/

So glad our little group is growing : more people more fun !!!
CIAO ; Laura

WOW !!! 1500 POSTS !!!!

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

I’m going to try and start a file or list of everyone that will be on our cruise August 12, 2006.

If you would like to share your information please do:

You may answer the questions here on our Meet Thread or
If you would rather not post your information on the public forum I understand. We could keep the information between just the guest that are sailing together by sharing through Private Messages PM’s here on the DIS. Just PM your answers to me.

If you had rather not participate that’s OK too, just keep posting here on the Meet Thread and we can still share thoughts and idea’s.

I have never tried doing this before so we will all learn as we go. I’ll start by requesting a few basic questions
(We can add as we go)

1) DIS Name(s)
2) First Names/Ages/Relationship (ages for adults optional)
3) Hometown (State or Country)
4) Stateroom #
5) Dinning Time (late/main)
(a) Would you like to link your dinning reservations with another DIS family?
(This way you will at lest have something in common with your table mates)
6) Will you be visiting WDW before/after your cruise?
(a) Arrival Date/Departure Date/Resort
(b) What Resorts have you stayed @ and which is your favorite?
7) Will you be staying @ Port Canaveral the night before our cruise?
(a) Arrival Date/Hotel or Motel
8) Any special events that you and family will be celebrating?
9) Any special activities that are a must while onboard? Palo Diner, Brunch, High Tea, Character Breakfast, Spa Treatments?
10) Any special excursion that you or your family must do?
11) If you are a Castaway Club member: How many, when, what type cruises have you taken?
12) Any special stories about your family you would like to share?
13) Would you like to attend a DIS MEET while onboard?
14) Would you like to plan any excursions with other DIS members in our group?
15) Would any of the Adults like to try and Meet for dinner @ Palo one night? (They have a special area for larger groups.)
16) Can anyone think of any more questions we should add to this list?


I will correlate the information then PM the information to each person.

Thanks everyone is advance.
Beckie

P.S. I will also post this list of questions on page one so anyone joining our group will see this

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

WOW !!! 1500 POSTS !!!!

Way to go girl...

Congratulations

 

[MICKEY'S DREAMERS]

OMG !!! Beckie , what a wonderful job !!! So nice to get to know a little better our lovely cruise mates !!!! SOOOOOOO MUCH FUN for everyone , little ones, teens ... and we adults !!!

I'm going to bed now ;tomorrow I'll be waking up at 5.30AM ... but I'll do my homework and ANSWER as soon as I can !!!!

THANK YOU for doing this !!!!

Laura

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

I'm going to go ahead and post my information here on our thread most of the information has already been posted so...Here Goes


1) DIS Name(s)
MAGICinMYHEART
2) First Names/Ages/Relationship (ages for adults optional)
Beckie/Age /DW
Terry/Age 55/DH
3) Hometown (State or Country)
Orange Park, Florida
4) Stateroom #
5013 Cat 11 sideways cabin.
5) Dinning Time (late/main)
Late Dinning trying for 8:00pm APLAPLA
(a) Would you like to link your dinning reservations with another DIS family?
(This way you will at lest have something in common with your table mates)
Yes, while I already plan to link our reservations with Laura & Marco, if any others want to link up with us it would be great.
6) Will you be visiting WDW before/after your cruise?
(a) Arrival Date/Departure Date/Resort
I'm planning on a quick trip down to WDW the week-end before our cruise August 5th for a few days, to visit with friends at the Wilderness Lodge.
(b) What Resorts have you stayed @ and which is your favorite?
My favorite Resort @ WDW would be The Wilderness Lodge & Villas.
It will be easier to list the Resorts I haven't stayed in...
I have stayed in all the Deluxe Resorts except: Yatch Club.
I have stayed in all of the Moderate Resorts except: Port Orleans Riverside.
I have stayed in all the Value Resorts:
I have stayed in all the Disney Vacation Clubs except: Saratoga Springs.
I have stayed in the Cabins @ Ft. Wilderness Campground: Not the campgrounds.
7) Will you be staying @ Port Canaveral the night before our cruise?
Yes
(a) Arrival Date/Hotel or Motel
Arriving August 11, 2006/Staying @ either the Radisson or the new Residence Inn. Need to decide soon, we stayed at Radisson last year but I'm leaning toward the newer Residence Inn just to try something new. This Hotel opens later this month will wait to read some reports before I make a reservation.
8) Any special events that you and family will be celebrating?
Just celebrating being on the MAGIC.
9) Any special activities that are a must while onboard? Palo Diner, Brunch, High Tea, Character Breakfast, Spa Treatments?
I have to do all of the above, loved Palo for dinner, I enjoyed the Brunch even more, so the High Tea should be "My cup'a tea." While I know I would/will enjoy the Character Breakfast it will depend on if the date gets in the way of Brunch @ Palo. Last year we booked REAS package and will be doing so again this year. The new Spa treatment will be 7 days of the Tropical Rain Forest Can't wait.
10) Any special excursion that you or your family must do?
Must do Stingray City and snorkle at Grand Cayman, I would also enjoy seeing Rum Point. If Costa Maya I have to see the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins. If Cozumel some Mayan Ruins or the Dolphin excursion.
11) If you are a Castaway Club member: How many, when, what type cruises have you taken?
Only one previous cruise last August it was a 4-Night Bahamian Cruise. Ports Nassau and Castaway Cay.
12) Any special stories about your family you would like to share?
I'm sure there is but can't think of anything now.
13) Would you like to attend a DIS MEET while onboard?
Oh yes I would love to meet everyone.
14) Would you like to plan any excursions with other DIS members in our group?
This sounds like fun to me, when we get closer to our sail date we could maybe join each other on some excursions. Like we could all book with the same excursion to Stingray City be on the same boat.
15) Would any of the Adults like to try and Meet for dinner @ Palo one night? (They have a special area for larger groups.)
I was reading on the Cruise Line Forum where there is a room that other DIS Members have reserved for adult dinners and brunchs. If we do this I believe that the room holds 14 guest we will need Cabin #'s first and last names and maybe reservation #'s I could call to verify.
16) Can anyone think of any more questions we should add to this list?
Still can't think of any more

Beckie

 

[mgbagley]

Donna and Indimini
I have a daughter who will turn 14 on 8/13. She is lots of fun, but a bit shy at meeting new folks. Do your daughters do IM? If so, they could share their screen names and chat a bit before the cruise. It would be so great for my daughter Christina to know a friendly face. Our other daughter is 20 and very outgoing, so I don't have to worry about her. On our last cruise she was the "hula-hoop queen" and had no problem wearing her crown!
Laura, Thanks for the well wishes for my DH. He is progressing well and things are getting back to normal here.
We are going down 3 days early and staying at Pop Century. We will be on Deck 7.
I am so glad to have found you all. It makes the trip even more fun to look forward to.
Beckie, I too will answer ASAP.
Michelle

 

[indimini]

...Do your daughters do IM? If so, they could share their screen names and chat a bit before the cruise.

Yes, our daughter has an IM account. I will PM that information to you this afternoon when I talk w our daughter after school.

Here is our info re: the questionnaire.

1) DIS Name(s)
indimini (from my life on the MINI Cooper forums)
2) First Names/Ages/Relationship (ages for adults optional)
Bob - 42 (at time of cruise)
Deb - 44
Rachel - 14
Bryce - 8
3) Hometown (State or Country)
Maryland (just north of Washington D.C.)
4) Stateroom #
6521 and 6520
5) Dinning Time (late/main)
Main
(a) Would you like to link your dinning reservations with another DIS family?
(This way you will at lest have something in common with your table mates)
Sure, as first time cruisers we're up for anything
6) Will you be visiting WDW before/after your cruise?
(a) Arrival Date/Departure Date/Resort
One day at the Swan
(b) What Resorts have you stayed @ and which is your favorite?
We own a time share in Lake Buena Vista and usually stay there during our visits. My DW and I have stayed at Coronado Springs for conferences. We've visited most of the hotels for dinners out and would love to spend a week at the villas on the Boardwalk
7) Will you be staying @ Port Canaveral the night before our cruise?
(a) Arrival Date/Hotel or Motel
No, we opted to spend the day before in WDW and take an early car ride out to the port
8) Any special events that you and family will be celebrating?
Not really - just looking forward to a week of no work, home or school obligations.
9) Any special activities that are a must while onboard? Palo Diner, Brunch, High Tea, Character Breakfast, Spa Treatments?
DW and I are looking forward to dinner at Palo's, Pirates in the Carribean night is a big must for the family, and we want to do a game show with the kids.
10) Any special excursion that you or your family must do?
11) If you are a Castaway Club member: How many, when, what type cruises have you taken?
N/A[COLOR]
12) Any special stories about your family you would like to share?
Can't think of any off hand...
13) Would you like to attend a DIS MEET while onboard?
Yes.
14) Would you like to plan any excursions with other DIS members in our group?
Perhaps. The only things we have as must-do's are the dolphin experience (my son really wants to go to that. Last time we did a dolphin experience, he was 2 and wasn't interested so he and I sat it out.), and the Ray encounter.
15) Would any of the Adults like to try and Meet for dinner @ Palo one night? (They have a special area for larger groups.)
Yes, definitely!
16) Can anyone think of any more questions we should add to this list?

 

[mgbagley]

We are in Maryland too! We live in Howard County and I teach in a high school here.
I am new to this and I am not sure what PM means. I know Laura mentioned the girls could talk in PM without the adults reading it. Let me know. You could also email me at mgbagley1@yahoo.com and give me your daughter's IM if she is interested.
Michelle

 

[indimini]

Michelle,

We're in Montgomery County - Boyds to be exact. I just booked our airline tickets today, flying Ted out of Dulles on Aug 11th. It's become too much of a hassle dealing with BWI which we used to prefer flying from.

PM is "private message". It's a message sent between two accounts as part of the forum, sort of like e-mail built into the message board. I'll send you an e-mail with our contact info, both my daughter's IM info and our e-mail addresses.

I wonder how many other Marylanders will be on the cruise.

 

[ReggieB]

Michelle,

We're in Montgomery County - Boyds to be exact. I just booked our airline tickets today, flying Ted out of Dulles on Aug 11th. It's become too much of a hassle dealing with BWI which we used to prefer flying from.

PM is "private message". It's a message sent between two accounts as part of the forum, sort of like e-mail built into the message board. I'll send you an e-mail with our contact info, both my daughter's IM info and our e-mail addresses.

I wonder how many other Marylanders will be on the cruise.

Cue the music "It's a small world after all" You aren't going to believe this but I live in Boyds.

What's the issue with BWI by the way? I refuse to fly out of Dulles if I can possibly help it. I am a very nervous flyer, and that place just does not help my comfort levels!! We're looking at Southwest out of BWI, or National.

 

[MICKEY'S DREAMERS]

Cue the music "It's a small world after all" You aren't going to believe this but I live in Boyds.

OMG !!! We have TWO families from Boyds !!!
IT IS really A SMALL WORLD !!!!

AWWW, I'm so happy that our teens here can chat and get to know each others before our cruise !!!!!
I work with teens everyday and know how they are MARVELLOUS ... but also sometimes very "complicated" !!
This way they are going to enjoy EVEN MORE all the activities on board : I hear that their club is so cozy - soooo many games and very professional counselors !!!! In one of our past cruises my friend's kids (13 and 15) spent most of their time with people their age ; we saw them ONLY at dinner !!!
They listened to music , played games ,watched videos ... I recall they did karaoke, scavenger hunts, and had a GREAT FUN at Castaway.
My friend too had great fun and could relax ... as the kids were easy to track down at any time!!!!

HAPPY kids ...happy parents !!!!

Laura

 

[ReggieB]

It's funny isn't it? I've been walking around the grocery store today thinking how spooky it is!! Boyds is a lot bigger than it used to be, but that's still a pretty amazing coincidence!

 

[MICKEY'S DREAMERS]

Here is my "simple" WHO IS WHO :
Laura (54 on Aug. 15th !!!!! )
Marco (Dear Disney GRUMPY Husband ) 53
We both are from Italy and live in Milan.

We have no stateroom # as for now , but only a guaranteed cat 12
We will link our dinner reservation to Beckie , Terry ... possibly someone else ??? ( I guess DCL has tables for 8 /10 people !!)

We'll be flying from Italy to Miami /then we'll rent a car and DH will drive to Orlando :
We'll be staying at WILDERNESS LODGE which is our favourite resort !!!!
I guess we will take a town car to Port Canaveral on departure morning : planning to check in around 11:00 AM .
I would like to try and do MOST of the on board activities : Palo Diner, Brunch, High Tea, Character Breakfast, Spa Treatments (surely the FRANGIPANI scalp ritual ... possibly a massage or a facial Is someone willing to join me ?)

We have already visited the ports we are going to ... so we are open to try whatever excursion our friends will like to take ; as I'm very much into History I would love to visit a Mayan site.


Any special stories about your family you would like to share? Oh yes !!! DH and I have been celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary for a few years !!!! NOW we are starting celebrating our 30 wedding anniversay !!!!( our celebration usually lasts ... a few years !!!!!! )
Would you like to attend a DIS MEET while onboard?
Would you like to plan any excursions with other DIS members in our group?
Would any of the Adults like to try and Meet for dinner @ Palo one night?


CAN'T WAIT to meet you all !!!!!
Laura

 

[ReggieB]

1) DIS Name(s)
ReggieB
2) First Names/Ages/Relationship (ages for adults optional)
Me - Louise
DH - Tim - we are both 35
DS - Ben - he turns 6 on the cruise.
3) Hometown (State or Country)
live in Maryland. DH & me from UK originally. DS is proud to be my little American boy.
4) Stateroom #
8058
5) Dinning Time (late/main)
Main - DS is early to bed, early to rise. Hoping we will get some matinees of the shows!
6) Will you be visiting WDW before/after your cruise? No, we are doing that at another time.
What Resorts have you stayed @ and which is your favorite?
Check out my sig - favorite was Grand Floridian, but the Animal Kingdom Lodge was pretty great too.
7) Will you be staying @ Port Canaveral the night before our cruise? Yes
(a) Arrival Date/Hotel or Motel - possibly the Radisson
8) Any special events that you and family will be celebrating? Ben's 6th birthday!!! Our anniversary is a few days after we get back to dry land (and DH's birthday too!, we had to marry on his birthday, I couldn't guarantee he would remember anniversaries otherwise!!)
9) Any special activities that are a must while onboard? Palo Diner, Brunch, High Tea, Character Breakfast, Spa Treatments? Probably everything but the spa.
10) Any special excursion that you or your family must do? Not so bothered about excursions, we might to some sort of sightseeing trip on Grand Cayman
11) If you are a Castaway Club member: How many, when, what type cruises have you taken?
Disney Wonder, last November a 4 day cruise.

Love to meet up with you. My DH will think I'm some mad crazy woman talking to strangers on the ship (little does he know!!)

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

Michelle

If you move your pointer (cursor) over to the far left-hand side of the screen, over my username MAGICinMYHEART (on this post) it will highlight my name:
Left click with your mouse on my username once.
This will bring down a list of options:

MAGICinMYHEART
View Public Profile
Send a private message to MAGICinMYHEART
Find More Posts by MAGICinMYHEART
Add MAGICinMYHEART to Your Buddy List

Click on the second line:
Send a private message to MAGICinMYHEART:

This will give you access to the Private Messages mine or any DIS Member. You send a message that only that DIS member can see or read just like an E-mail. The screen that comes up looks very similar to the normal screen you post on.

Now when you receive a Private Massage PM a message should pop-up on your screen when you login or when the message is sent/received…
At the top of your screen while you are logged in there is a small block That says
Welcome, mgbagley
You last visited: Today at 12:04 PM
Private Messages: 0 Unread, Total 1.

Just click on the Private Messages:

This will let you read any messages you have received.

I’m going to send you a test message now so you can see how it works.

Beckie