Dec 5, 2009 -- now traveling to Tortola

[carmie3377]

Are any of you pin collectors? DD9 enjoys pin trading, and I am thinking of introducing DD4 to it on this trip. Is is too early?

DD10 enjoys trading pins too. I won't allow Cameron at age 4 to trade pins UNLESS I keep them myself. I will not let him have them on a lanyard or any way he can have access to them. I had a co-worker who lost her 4 YO son because he swallowed a thumbtack! If I hadn't known someone that it happened to I would probably think "Oh, he's four, he knows not to put that in his mouth". But after that happened, he'll have to be quite a bit older for me to let him have his own lanyard or pin bag.

 

[rowst3]

Are any of you pin collectors? DD9 enjoys pin trading, and I am thinking of introducing DD4 to it on this trip. Is is too early?

We started my DD6 on it a few years back, but she is not too interested in trading them, just collecting them. I'll pack them for the trip, but I typically encourage her to trade with Cast Members since we have a few Castaway Club duplicates and thats the best way to get rid of them.

 

[Inkmahm]

How about, say . . . a cruise? Do you have your packing list ready? Without a list I would take forever to get packed, and still leave important stuff behind.

I make up a folder with a calander of the cruise days (plus any pre or post days of vacation) and what we are doing on each of them. I also put in it any forms I need to board the ship, reservartions for pre and post hotel stay, airline information, tickets, Castaway club card, Disney dollars card, park tickets etc. Also go in it. A three prong/two pocket folder with clear pages one can put pages in and take out easily works well. I even include a lists for what I need if I go to a theme park, or a beach/water park for the day. I'm one of those people who heads into the kitchen and once I get there I can't remember why I headed there to begin with. I'd blame old age, but I did the same thing when I was in my twentys.

BTW Does anyone know what is appropriate for FL and the Carabbean in December? If it's warm enough for shorts I'm sure white is OK. But what about slacks? White or black? White shoes or black?

Okay, now people may say I'm crazy. After all the talk of snow shoveling, I figured out that this January may be the one and only January that I can ever take a vacation and head to Florida to get out of the snow. That's usually year end work for me but I won't have that to worry about this year. I figured out how many DVC points we were going to have left over in 2010 and called to see what was open. We'll be spending 6 nights at WDW at the end of January. Airfare was cheap and I used miles for one of us. NOW I have something to look forward to in the dead of winter!

I have to admit I don't generally use packing lists and I don't often forget things that I need. But then, I'm packing only for me and not for a family. I do have a spreadsheet to keep track of all the trip details though.

As for what to wear in December, I've done two DCL cruises in early December previous to this one. You'll see anything and everything. White or black would be fine, whatever you're comfortable in.

 

[mrstbalt]

Haven't had too many of them! I left for awhile to take the kids but my dad said he'd hand it out. Wasn't much out of the bowl. Either he didn't hear the doorbell or he was too involved in the Texas football game that he didn't want to get up and get the door. Either are very possible!!! ANyway, we've been home about 30 minutes and we've have had one set of kids come by. The kids got a ton of candy and that is the last thing I need! I've worked too hard to loose several pounds and I don't need to gain it all back! I think I'll send it to the hospital with DH and let him give it away.

We didn't get lots of kids this year either. Our town always has done it on a Sunday, this year we actually had trick or treating on Halloween from 1-7pm. We bought lots of candy and have tons left. It was really cold here and mostly the older kids were out. They were not creative and most trick or treators didn't even say "Trick or Treat". So we didn't give them anything until they said it.

 

[Tower]

But I still have questions for those seasoned cruisers who have taken the DME from the resorts to the port.

Anybody know what time the buses start coming to pick up the cruisers from the resorts?

 

[carmie3377]

We didn't get lots of kids this year either. Our town always has done it on a Sunday, this year we actually had trick or treating on Halloween from 1-7pm. We bought lots of candy and have tons left. It was really cold here and mostly the older kids were out. They were not creative and most trick or treators didn't even say "Trick or Treat". So we didn't give them anything until they said it.

I found out about a great program called "Halloween Candy Buy Back". Dentists from across the country will pay $1/pound (or you can just donate it like we are doing) and then they send the candy to our troops! You can find a participating dentist at http://www.halloweencandybuyback.com/. I found one just down the road from me and I will go tomorrow to donate what we have, which is quite a bit. It serves a good cause and keeps me from eating it all. I have been picking at it since Saturday and I need to get it out of sight, out of mind!!!

 

[Tower]

Dentists from across the country will pay $1/pound (or you can just donate it like we are doing) and then they send the candy to our troops!

That's a wonderful thing Carmie!

Our school is doing something similar, but not for the troops. There is a charity called Feed the Children Canada. All the students can donate whatever candy they can from their trick or treating and it's all collected at the school. On Friday, volunteers will take it all to the Feed the Children Canada warehouse on Friday for the big donation. Those candies are actually placed into a container and shipped directly to an impoverished country they're working in. I believe this year is Haiti, but I'm not sure. (When I was in Haiti 10 years ago, it was most definitely in a terrible state of poverty)

 

[NHdisneylover]

HI everybody. I am green with envy reading about everyone's Halloween fun (even if you did not have as many ToTers are normal). Legoland's festivities were not really very Halloween like. We so miss seeing all the cute costumes--and we don't eat a lot of the candy but we did miss having a couple of mini American style candies that night too. It is really the first time we have been very homesick. BUT we have a cruise comming up so all should be okay

so here is a new Question of the week

Lots of people like to bring along a good book (or five) on vacation. What have you read recently that you would recommend as a good vacation read???

Me--well I am reading Robin McKinnley's Sunshine right now. I am not big on vampire novels, but of the ones I have read it is by far the best. It is not soemthing I am ever likely to pick up again, but it is a fun one time read. I also recetnly reread (for about the gazillionth time) The Princess Bride which is a perfect fluffy and fun vacation novel.

Dave--thinks the only things you should read on DCL are the Navigator and the menu

Marika--She is not good at narrowing things down when it comes to books She says anything by Robin McKinnley, anything by Robert Heinlein, any Sherlock Holmes books, or perhaps the new (she has not read it yet) Septimus Heap book (I cut her off and left teh room at that point--she was still going on. . .)

Rio--The Kingdom Keepers books (DIsney After Dark and Disney at Dawn

 

[Tower]

HI everybody. I am green with envy reading about everyone's Halloween fun (even if you did not have as many ToTers are normal). We so miss seeing all the cute costumes--and we don't eat a lot of the candy but we did miss having a couple of mini American style candies that night too.

Hmmm, note to self, 'Dump all Halloween Leftovers into Hadley's bag when she's not looking, the kids don't need 200 candy bars'.

Ooops, did I say that out loud?

 

[NHdisneylover]

Hmmm, note to self, 'Dump all Halloween Leftovers into Hadley's bag when she's not looking, the kids don't need 200 candy bars'.

Ooops, did I say that out loud?

mmm twix, kit kat, peanut butter cups, nerds, whoppers, york mints. . . You better send them to Hati--I have a formal to get into on Sunday

 

[Tower]

What have you read recently that you would recommend as a good vacation read???

Barry - I don't really have a particular book, but I enjoy the motivational type of books out there and I'll likely bring 3 or 4 along. Christine and I will share. I might also pick up one of those Jason Bourne series books. Robert Ludlom wrote the original 3 (not at all like the movies) but another author has taken on the character and Jason Bourne lives on!

Christine - She'll share my books, maybe pick up a magazine for the flight etc.

Betty - Barry's Mom - She'll bring along one or 2 of her Christian books along but likely not read much.

Erik/Holly - We'll be bringing some homework-style books along to keep their minds active and not drop too far behind in school. Erik also has a new Pokemon activity book

Peter - 'What are those squiggly things beside the pictures mom?'

 

[Tower]

I also want to go to the Cruzan distillery. I know everyone says it's not all that but I'm a Kenny Chesney fan so it's kind of mandatory...LOL

Hey Ellen!

I know you were saying you wanted to go to the Cruzan Rum Factory when we went to St. Croix. Sorry we're not heading there now, but at Mountain Top at St. Thomas, they have lots of it there!
http://www.magensbaybeach.com/mountain_top.htm

 

[carmie3377]

but at Mountain Top at St. Thomas, they have lots of it there!
http://www.magensbaybeach.com/mountain_top.htm

Mountain Top burned down http://www.havefunwithus.net/mountain_top.html

I sure was looking forward to checking it out and trying one of those banana daiquiris.

 

[wuv tigger]

Mountain Top burned down http://www.havefunwithus.net/mountain_top.html

I sure was looking forward to checking it out and trying one of those banana daiquiris.

I think we may have planned on visiting there ...

 

[Tower]

Mountain Top burned down http://www.havefunwithus.net/mountain_top.html

I sure was looking forward to checking it out and trying one of those banana daiquiris.

Hi Carmie,

Yes, I posted the original post about that fire. I could not find any reference since then about it being closed down until you found that link. I was really hoping that they managed to quickly rebuild.

 

[mommyoftwinfants]

HI everybody.
so here is a new Question of the week

Lots of people like to bring along a good book (or five) on vacation. What have you read recently that you would recommend as a good vacation read???

Before I had the boys I read John Grisham faithfully......... just started reading again this summer and found Mark Gimenez I plan to take his 2 newest with me (pretend the computer is a book)
It is crazy that we absolutely can not be caught reading at work but it's OK to surf the web.... (well unless it's story time then I have to read)

 

[carmie3377]

Hi Carmie,

Yes, I posted the original post about that fire. I could not find any reference since then about it being closed down until you found that link. I was really hoping that they managed to quickly rebuild.

I had remember reading it somewhere on here but couldn't remember who mentioned it. I did find this in a forum on trip advisor:

St Peter's Greathouse is substituting for Mountain Top, and IMO, it's a prettier property. They used to charge an admission fee, but since Mountain Top burned and they have the same owner, he's now waiving the fee for The Greathouse. The sign says, "The Banana Daiquiri Has Found A New Home!" (or something like that!).​

Might be worth checking into.

 

[Tower]

"The Banana Daiquiri Has Found A New Home!" (or something like that!).[/I][/INDENT]

Might be worth checking into.

I dunno, I was at the original when I climbed a broadcast tower directly across the street from it. Once the work was done, we crossed the street for a well deserved beverage before heading back into town for dinner to follow with a flight to St. Croix. I managed to write off a Banana Dacquiri as a business expense and I wanted to bring my wife there too. They had a neat little board there that pointed from the mountain top the various islands around St. Thomas like St. John, St. Croix and Tortola. (I took a picture of it, but can't find it now)

 

[PirateMaiden]

Tower, Carmie thanks for the info... I'm sure I can find enough trouble to get into even without the extra rum stop...LOL Actually going to go over to
St John to Caravan Gallery and Annaberg Plantation- hopefully.

 

[ajstaud]

What resort are you staying at? In the past when we have taken the DME we were at the Port by 1-1:30 p.m. We will be staying at the AKL this time so I think our pick up time will be earlier because the bus will stop at other resorts to pick up more passengers. Once were on the highway to the Port they show a "what to expect at the terminal and on the cruise" movie. It's always fun to watch even though I've seen it lots of time. It just gets me even more excited!