Dec. 7, 2008 4 nite Mousefest Cruise - who's all going?

[NancyIL]

Thanks for the welcome, and also welcome to the new people! This is the third year I'm attempting to go on the MouseFest cruise, and hopefully the 3rd time's the charm!

 

[Jazmine8]

I was kind of interested in hopping over to the Atlantis in Nassau, then relaxing in Serenity Bay on Castaway Cay. I was also interested in the watercraft eco-tour and/or the stingray adventure!

I was thinking of visiting Atlantis too to see if I'd want to come back sometime. I just don't have much info on it yet. I guess as time passes I will gather more info on getting to Atlantis and what they allow DCL guest access to and what fees are involved. I will definitley be taking advatage of Serenity Bay though

 

[the2princessesmom]

Lill

What are the 2 Univerisity's? I work in the hotel industry so my girls spend a fair amount of time around them and I can see one of them wanting a career the industry, I would think Disney training would be a great experience.


I found the Information on the International College Program site, it said Ryerson and Brock. I found tons of great information on the site that Jazmine8 ( Kim ) mentioned.

Lill

 

[mkmommy]

According to Passporter's, it's a personal watercraft eco tour, where you get to ride around on a Waverunner/Jet-Ski type watercraft and follow a tour guide. I've always wanted to try riding one of those.

I had images of a quite tour through a rain forest, I

Lill

What are the 2 Univerisity's? I work in the hotel industry so my girls spend a fair amount of time around them and I can see one of them wanting a career the industry, I would think Disney training would be a great experience.


I found the Information on the International College Program site, it said Ryerson and Brock. I found tons of great information on the site that Jazmine8 ( Kim ) mentioned.

Lill

Thank you.

I will have to tuck that into the for later file.

Lisa

 

[clarasunnyside]

The2princessesmom, we surprised our boys with our cruise in May 2006 the very day we left on the Magic. It was hard to keep quiet for 14 months, but so worth it when we saw their faces after they found out. It was our ds10's birthday (turning 9 the day of embarkation) and we handed him "one last present" which was the DCL booklet wrapped up. He was in utter shock and for the first few days he kept saying "I just can't believe we are on the Magic!"

I am taking our boys (7 and 10) down for a quick long weekend getaway to WDW in 16 days and can't wait. DH has to work and can't get off, but we really need it after the last 6 weeks. My ds10 was having shortness of breath/chest pains when running in gym and after x-rays and a CT was diagnosed with lymphoma. We were sent to Johns Hopkins Pediatric Oncology for his care and luckily found out there the mass is most likely benign. He was on medication for a month and the mass has gone from a grapefruit size to a golf ball. He has another CT in a month and they are hoping it will be gone. He's been a real trooper through it all and is now back to most of his normal activities and playing baseball. Up until that day in gym he did not have one single symptom so it really floored us. An experience like this has really made us so much more grateful for our family's health, which we had taken for granted.


Jasmine8-- I have been to WDW dozens of times and cruised DCL 5 times and still can't sleep the night before a trip. I make spreadsheets of tentative plans for our trip and stock little trip items in my closet weeks in advance. I'm always flexible with changing the plans I make, but it's part of the excitement for me. Luckily I also get tons of calls from family and friends each year to help plan their trips which I love doing and helps keep the magic going.

It's great to hear that your son is doing better. How scary, but you know kids are amazing. He for sure deserves a get away.

I am also taking my boys (6&8) for a mini getaway in May. They were not ill but they dealt with my sis being diagnosed with a brain tumor and then losing their grandmother in a gas explosion. They have been so great through all of it my sister & I thought they so deserved a disney trip. they don't know about it yet and I am trying very hard to keep the secret but it is so hard.

 

[mkmommy]

For those flying have you booked flights yet?

I got a really cheap flight on Air Tran Buffalo to West Palm Beach for Dec 6,(never been there) so I will spend the day there and then drive to the port on Sunday AM, but I am having a hard time find suitable return flights. I guess I will have to wait for Jet Blue and Southwest to open up for December, anyone have an idea when that will be? I am hoping stay at DW for a couple of days after the cruise and fly back from Orlando.

Lisa

 

[NancyIL]

For those flying have you booked flights yet?

I got a really cheap flight on Air Tran Buffalo to West Palm Beach for Dec 6,(never been there) so I will spend the day there and then drive to the port on Sunday AM, but I am having a hard time find suitable return flights. I guess I will have to wait for Jet Blue and Southwest to open up for December, anyone have an idea when that will be? I am hoping stay at DW for a couple of days after the cruise and fly back from Orlando.

Lisa

I have checked fares for Dec. 5-16, because I'll fly down 2 days before and probably return home the day after the MouseFest land events end. Right now the fare on American from my hometown airport is $304. That's not a bad fare from here, but I'm also in no hurry to buy my ticket. It's after Thanksgiving and before Christmas, so the demand isn't as high for those dates.

 

[mvlimmex]

Hi everyone and welcome to all of those who have joined us!

I can't wait for this cruise either and I am looking forward to meeting everyone too. My sister and her husband are on a Carnival cruise right now and I am so jealous how I would like to be on a Disney Cruise right now.

Hanover - Wow how scary about your son. I am so glad that he is doing better. Here is some for you and your family and I hope everything continues to go well for him. He definitely deserves a little getaway to WDW.

Clara, I bet you are looking forward to your getaway in May too. I would have such a hard time keeping it a secret - but the look on their faces when you get there will definitely be worth it.

I hope the weather is finally starting to warm up for everyone. We got a taste of spring over the weekend with 60 degree weather.

Vicki

 

[goofy4tink]

I haven't booked yet...waiting on JetBlue to open up. But that probably won't happen until mid-May...at least that's been my experience the past few years.
We're arriving on Dec 6, staying at the Radisson, in Cocoa Beach/Port Canaveral that night. Renting a car.

 

[mkmommy]

I was thinking of visiting Atlantis too to see if I'd want to come back sometime. I just don't have much info on it yet. I guess as time passes I will gather more info on getting to Atlantis and what they allow DCL guest access to and what fees are involved. I will definitley be taking advatage of Serenity Bay though

I have read that the cheapest way to get passes to Atlantis is too rent a room at the Comfort Suites, which gives you full access to Atlantis. Here is a link that gives you 20% off Comfort Suites, my only concern with doing this is what if the ship does not dock, you would have to check out the cancellation policy.
http://www.smartertravel.com/discounts/Save-Quality-Comfort-Clarion.html?id=16348

 

[the2princessesmom]

I have been checking flights too. Nothing up for JetBlue but the West Jet flights are listed out of Ottawa. Last time we took JetBlue out of Syracuse the price was great but we hit a big snow storm on our drive home and it took forever. Now we are trying to decide if we want to do that again or fly out of Ottawa.

Lill

 

[Donald_Quackers]

For those flying have you booked flights yet?

I got a really cheap flight on Air Tran Buffalo to West Palm Beach for Dec 6,(never been there) so I will spend the day there and then drive to the port on Sunday AM, but I am having a hard time find suitable return flights. I guess I will have to wait for Jet Blue and Southwest to open up for December, anyone have an idea when that will be? I am hoping stay at DW for a couple of days after the cruise and fly back from Orlando.

Lisa

I haven't booked my flights yet. I was going to fly in the night before, stay in the Orlando Hyatt at the airport, take the DCL coach to the port, and then stay a couple of days at Pop Century after the cruise. (Hey, I can't miss going to the parks as long as I'm in the area!)

 

[Hanover]

Southwest is releasing flights through the end of October 2008 on 4/17/08.

We booked our flights in January for a quick WDW getaway on April 24th for $89. We have gotten Ding rates the last 5 years for every SW flight we've taken until now. In October we flew from BWI to MCO for $34 each way per person and in December flew for $54 and $65 pp. The 4/24 flight is now $199 one way and the flight back is $189. We booked our flights down to MCO in August for $89 and are hoping to get the flight back 9/1/08 for $89 too when they are released next week.

Thanks for the well wishes for my son. He had blood work today and we are hoping for good news tomorrow.

Clarasunnyside, I'm sorry to hear about your sister and grandmother. I wish you sister the best.

 

[NancyIL]

After posting yesterday that airfare on American from my hometown was $304 for Dec 5-16, now AirTran from Bloomington, IL (an hour away) to Orlando the same dates has come WAY down to $193! It had been higher than American.

*I should add that I had an $18 AirTran credit that expires May 22, so I bought my plane ticket for $175 for Dec. 4-16.

 

[Hanover]

After posting yesterday that airfare on American from my hometown was $304 for Dec 5-16, now AirTran from Bloomington, IL (an hour away) to Orlando the same dates has come WAY down to $193! It had been higher than American.

*I should add that I had an $18 AirTran credit that expires May 22, so I bought my plane ticket for $175 for Dec. 4-16.

Ouch! Can you get a refund or a credit? We usually have an ongoing credit with Southwest from booking as soon as flights become available and then getting a ding rate/credit.

 

[NancyIL]

Ouch! Can you get a refund or a credit? We usually have an ongoing credit with Southwest from booking as soon as flights become available and then getting a ding rate/credit.

Ouch? The flights I booked had been $151 each way until yesterday, and that's why I was in no hurry to buy a ticket. Now they're $86 each way, which is a great fare from here. Yes, you can get a credit from AirTran - that's how I had an $18 one that had to be used by May 22. Refunds cost $75.

I had a $92 roundtrip fare from Indianapolis last November on Northwest, but by the time I drove 2 hours each way to the airport, stayed overnight in a hotel because of the early morning flight, and paid to park - the cost wasn't that much less than what I would've paid to fly from my home airport.

 

[mkmommy]

After posting yesterday that airfare on American from my hometown was $304 for Dec 5-16, now AirTran from Bloomington, IL (an hour away) to Orlando the same dates has come WAY down to $193! It had been higher than American.

*I should add that I had an $18 AirTran credit that expires May 22, so I bought my plane ticket for $175 for Dec. 4-16.

Thanks for the heads up, I went and checked my flight on Dec 6 went down $20. so now I have that for the return flight.

I haven't booked my flights yet. I was going to fly in the night before, stay in the Orlando Hyatt at the airport, take the DCL coach to the port, and then stay a couple of days at Pop Century after the cruise. (Hey, I can't miss going to the parks as long as I'm in the area!)

I know how you feel, I am going to head to the parks after and leave on Friday night or Saturday, I can't quite decide, as I do miss my girls so much when I am away.

Lisa

 

[Hanover]

Ouch? The flights I booked had been $151 each way until yesterday, and that's why I was in no hurry to buy a ticket. Now they're $86 each way, which is a great fare from here. Yes, you can get a credit from AirTran - that's how I had an $18 one that had to be used by May 22. Refunds cost $75.

I had a $92 roundtrip fare from Indianapolis last November on Northwest, but by the time I drove 2 hours each way to the airport, stayed overnight in a hotel because of the early morning flight, and paid to park - the cost wasn't that much less than what I would've paid to fly from my home airport.

I thought you had booked the more expensive flight at first. I now see you waited and got a great deal.

 

[NancyIL]

I thought you had booked the more expensive flight at first. I now see you waited and got a great deal.

For once I didn't book the expensive flight - only to see it go down $100 on an airline that charges $100 to make any changes! (That was on American last Thanksgiving.)

Airtran flies out of Bloomingtom, IL (1 hour away with free parking) and Indianapolis (2 hours away and no free parking). Usually Airtran's fares from Indy are about $40 less each way than from Bloomington. But when I checked the fares from Indy for December, they were $88 each way - so it was a no-brainer to fly from the closer airport for less money.

 

[Hanover]

That's awesome you can get free parking in Bloomington. I wish BWI had free parking. We do satellite parking for $6 a day from a deal we get online and I thought that was a great deal!

It's always my bad luck I book flights and the prices drop dramatically. At least SW gives credits if you cancel and we take advantage of every lower price we can get if they lower the flight costs. We have had up to $700 credit at times from getting ding rates. I am very lucky I got the $89 tickets in January for our trip in 2 weeks. My best friend and her kids are also going down to WDW at the same time on the same flights and she paid $108 just 2 days later and the flights have never reduced their prices that low. They are up to $199 and $189 each.