December 4,2004 !!!

[flexsmom]

Hi guys! It's been ages since I visited, so thought I should pop in - looks like we have a few new joins, in addition to having lost a few. Gloria - I have a DD5 who will be in the clubs, so we'll have to hook up with your DD and DS in the same age group.
I finally got my mom focused on cruise events and getting a sense from my parents of what they do and don't want to do for excursions, Palo, spa, etc. Both of them even read the Passporter cover-to-cover! We all agreed on doing a Happy Limo van for our three-part trip to Port - WDW - airport (great deal when split three ways!) I'm in a state of shock over the spa price increase, so I think my spa time is going to be drastically reduced - just can't justify 25% more than what I pay at my still-overpriced spa here! (OK, maybe I can justify it for one treatment, but then I draw the line!) 5 1/2 months! I'm ready! DD and I took a quick 4-night trip to WDW last month and had a blast alone together - it was her "congratulations, you survived a year as a new big sister" trip - and she is ready to get back on the ship now, too!

 

[DISNEYFAMILYOFFOUR]

Well, I finally finished reading the entire thread--it took around two hours!!! I almost forgot what a terrible winter we had this year.

Thanks to all for welcoming me. I am sorry it took me so long, but I just finished my busy season at work and my childrens' committments (school, gym, swim & kiddie birthday parties have been completely non-stop).


flexmom: In NY they also do the pre-kindergarten screening. My son went through it two weeks ago. We are also going to WDW after the cruise, but for 4 nights only. We are staying at AKL. We are using Tiffany Towncar. I have been very busy planning those days also. We are going to do the "Magical Gathering Pirate Cruise" on the 11th and MVMCP on the 15th.

lbgraves: I can relate to having a close family member go through cancer; unfortunately, I have been there in the past and am going through it now also. Did your inlaws cancel? Also, I received that minnie pocket book in the mail that was talked about on the matching outfit thread and I have to say it is quite adorable. Also, I will try to e-mail you later tonight or tomorrow with our information.

Annmorin: I am glad you are feeling better and are now excited about the cruise. For us, it has been in the works for over a year so we feel that we are at the home stretch. I wish you continued good health.

jhalkias: We will also be cruising without a verandah. Originally we booked a Cat 6 but switched it to a Cat 9 using that money for our stay at WDW after.

We will be flying in the afternoon before and currently have reservations at both the Radisson by the port and the Hyatt at the airport--I am going to cancel one in the next couple of weeks. We are leaning towards the Hyatt.

Has anyone checked the price of our cruise lately? Ours went up over $1,400 since we booked!!

Sorry for the long post, but I justed wanted to catch up.

 

[DISNEYFAMILYOFFOUR]

In addition to my above post:

Nat&Magsmom: I hope you are also feeling better and have been healing. Did the brace ever come off?

TChrist05: I see you are from Bellmore, New York. I grew up in Wantagh (next town over for all other thread participants). Did you grow up in Bellmore?

 

[TChrist05]

Gloria....I grew up in Seaford and was in the Wantagh Fire Department for 9 years before getting married and moving to Bellmore....it is a great area.....just the taxes kill ya....where do you live now...I see Long Island.....great that you will be on the cruise....look forward to meeting you and all DIS'ers...
Tom

 

[AnnMorin]

thank you for your concern, I am doing so much better every day and my attitude is rebounding..(thankfully so is my hair) you will love the cruise, there really is nothing like disney!

 

[DISNEYFAMILYOFFOUR]

Annmorin: You are welcome. My husband and I are really looking forward to the cruise (he has never cruised before); but my two children are actually looking more forward to our WDW stay after the cruise.

TChrist05: We live in Holtsville. When I tell people we live in Holtsville, they think IRS; however, over the last few years they built alot of new developments. My husband grew up in Huntington. I know what you mean about the taxes, it is getting completely out of hand. Our taxes will go up more than $1200 this year alone. I think that after what happened in Roslyn, they should audit every public school on Long Island.

I hope everyone has a good weekend. We are getting down to five months out!!!

 

[TChrist05]

Gloria....glad you have your timer counting down to the cruise....you have to keep posting so I can keep track of the days....cannot figure out how to do it myself.....but our cruise is just around the corner....cannot believe next week is July 4th....my DW and will be spending a week in September at the Beach Club Villas....then we are spending 5 nights at Beach Club after Thanksgiving and then the week on the beautiful Magic!

 

[AnnMorin]

We just booked the REAS package, funny how one's priority's can change so, I am really looking forward to the breakfast on our veranda, I always wanted it but Jay and Mike like omletts and the regular menu does not include them.
Has anyone thought of what they are doing in Cozumel and GC? Since we have done the western before I want to do something different. I read about Sea Trek in Cozumel and might give that a try and maybe the ship wreck snorkle in GC. We did Stingray city last time, it was amazing but I want to try something new thing time. In key west we are just staying on the ship, Jay and I will get our couples massage and then just enjoy some family pool time with Mike. I don't know how much socializing we will be doing, we really want to have some good HAPPY quality time with our son where no one is worried or stressed. It has been a while since that was possible.
Hope everyone is doing well. Ann
ps.. notice there are hardly any people signed on to our thread, maybe our ship is half empty and well will all be upgraded to cat. 1-3

 

[lsmac]

Hello Ann and Rae,
Can you believe I just put in a request for this cruise and come to find out you two are gonna be on it! How cool will that be? Missed you Ann on our Thanksgiving cruise last year, but looking forward to another Christmas cruise.

Lisa

Pass the mango soup...here we come!

 

[AnnMorin]

Oh my goodness Lisa it would be SO nice to see ya again, I will be somewhat inkognito of sorts as we want to have some nice quality family time after this past year but I certainly will have a drink with you my friend, Rae is off this cruise from when I last checked, is hubby and son joining you?

 

[lsmac]

Well we will definately be incognito too, but I always have time for a drink with a friend. Yep, hubby and ds are coming. Ryan had a blast last time with the teen group...came home with hundreds of photos (mostly girls...)

Lisa

 

[AnnMorin]

Mike was thrilled to hear ryan was on board., email me and we can chat......

 

[DISNEYFAMILYOFFOUR]

Ann:

We already booked directly with Captain Marvins for GC (the three hour trip). My husband and I stayed part of our honeymoon in Cayman Islands and did Captain Marvin then. We both loved it and our children watch the video that we purchased. It was one of the reasons we choose the Western over the Eastern--so our children can do Captain Marvins.

In Cozumel, we are going right to Paradise Beach to spend the day at the beach. I have been reading alot about it and think everyone in my family will enjoy it. My brother and his family are going to do the Royal Dolphin Swim. They will probably spend the day at that park.

Lisa (lbgraves) has not posted lately, I wonder how things are with her MIL and if she is alright. I hope all is well with her.

Glad you are looking forward to the cruise--there is nothing like good, quality family time. My husband works an average 55-60 hours per week and I just came off a very busy tax season.

Enjoy the holiday weekend everyone!!! Happy Fourth of July!!!

Gloria

P.S.--Five months away!!!

 

[lsmac]

Well we did get our reclassified room...not the one we had last time, but the one across the ship. I was hoping there would be some teens that my ds could "meet" prior to the cruise? DS will be 14 1/2 almost 15 by the cruise.

Ann, you have email!

Lisa

 

[AnnMorin]

Gosh Ryan is growing up so fast, mike will only be going on 12. How did you manage it with his school schedule?
We did Captain Marvins two years ago and enjoyed it tremendously but I want to do something different this time, maybe the shipwreck snorkle in GC. I am thinking of Sea Trek helmet diving in Cozumel. we will see.

 

[lbgraves]

Thanks for thinking of me. Not feeling too festive here. MIL is still hanging in there. She starts radiation with an oral chemo medication this week for 5 weeks, then 2 more rounds of the pump chemo. The latest tumor has reduced a very small amount but of course it is still in her blood stream. I haven't cancelled their reservation because of the insurance but not feeling too confident that they will be joining us.

The summer is stressing me out with the kids after each other too. School starts in another month for DS and he will be in all day. DD starts PS on 8/25 so then maybe I can get this house back in shape & start working on projects that have been ignored for a few years. I also want to get excited about going on this cruise again.

We wont be doing any excursions. We like just walking around the port for maybe an hour if the kids let us stay off the Magic that long. We all enjoy staying on the ship. In a few years they will be old enough to start doing excursions or we will feel comfortable leaving them in the club while we take one.

 

[flexsmom]

OK - I've written this three times and each time I'm almost there, either my wireless connection drops or my DH walks in and accuses me of "DIS-boarding again"!

Lisa - Glad to hear you are hanging in there, although it sounds as if you're having rough times. I've been there with my mom (happy ending thus far - 3 years cancer-free), but I know how hard it is on everyone involved.

So, excursions: We have three parties traveling - my parents, my friends with their DS4, and us. So, lots of moving parts and varying desires. The one thing we all agree on is taht we probably won't be doing anything significant in Key West - I do want to walk around and get some key lime pie or ice cream, but after just getting on the ship, I can't imagine leaping right off for an extended time! Grand Cayman - Mom and I are taking my DD on one of the submarine trips to see the underwater life. She isn't quite there yet in swimming/snorkeling, so this seems like a good alternative. The guys want to hang out on the ship. Cozumel - my parents and our friends are doing Tulum Ruins, and we're doing the 1/2 day beach break. CC - want to try the jet ski eco-tour. That sounds way cool, and my DH wasn't so got on CC last time ("too crowded, too contrived, yada, yada, yada") - but I think this might be helpful. That, and I plan to get us a bit farther down the beach to avoid the crowds. Other than the Ruins, no one really wants to do the tourist thing - I think once the kids are older and are solid swimmers it will fun to do the stingrays, snorkeling, etc., but until then, we're in high-relax mode.

Seems like the calendar has slowed down a bit lately - even though it's only 5 months to go! Now I just have to stress over starting DD at her new school for kindergarten and saying to her teacher "hi, nice to meet you, my daughter will be out of school for two week in December - hope you don't mind!" At least it's kindergarten and not the year before SATs or anything!

Happy 4th of July, everyone! It's a great day to celebrate all of our freedoms!

 

[lsmac]

Ann,
This week works good with Ryan's school schedule, actually he gets most of December off. Yes, he is growing fast...he has bypassed me in height, but I told him I can still take him down if he gets too lippy...kidding! He's a year advanced in grade so he is 10th grade this year.

Excursions: isn't the aquarium close to the dock in Key West? That is where I thought we would go this time. As for GC, done all the stingray stuff and last time we just got off and went and got Doug his GC Harley shirt and rum cake. Cozumel...has anyone done Ixcaret (or however it is spelled)? Or the dolpin swim at Chankanaab?

Lisa (hope everyone is having a great 4th of July!)

 

[TChrist05]

The black cloud continues to follow me.....our home burnt down this morning....and it was not pretty....we may now have to cancel since I don't know how long it will take to rebuild....thank
god my wife and daughter got out safe....but we lost on of our dogs and 2 cats.....our other dog Spanky has serious smoke inhalation and is touch and go.....with allthe people sick on our cruise and now this....life is tough sometimes.....need some pixie dust please....
Tom

 

[flexsmom]

Oh, Tom - How awful I'm so sorry for your loss and particularly for your pets - I can't begin to imagine how sad and frustrated you must feel right now. Thank goodness you, your wife and daughter are safe - best thoughts to you.