Dining at "Pablo's" -- 1/24/09 first-time DCL family vacation! DAY ONE ADDED!

[BeccaGrace]

Intros first!
Me: Sara -- Disney obsessed, overly emotional and easily amused
DH: Joey -- Stress-inducing travel companion, Disney Pin Collector
DD #1: Grace -- Super high-energy; way too smart for her own good! Just decided she "outgrew the Princesses"
DD #2: Becca -- Sweet, adorable and mommy's little helper Loves Enchanted, HSM and Belle

Also traveling with --
MIL: Janet -- She booked the cruise for all of us for her 60th birthday (1/26!); Generous and wonderful, she deserves a spectacular vacation!
SIL & BIL: Kim & Jay -- Live in GA so we don't get to see them very much (we are in NJ)...we are still all close though and are so excited to travel together!
DNiece: Amelia -- Super cute 3 year old

Background!
As I mentioned above, the main purpose of this cruise is to celebrate my MIL's 60th birthday. My dh is also having a birthday on board, so lots of happy celebrations to share! However, we are also celebrating just being on the cruise because we almost had to cancel Becca has epilepsy that was well controlled with meds for several years but she has had several bad seizures since November that have led to three hospitalizations (including one that caused us to cancel our Christmas trip to Georgia to see BIL & SIL). Her neurologist just cleared us to travel on Thursday So now we are on full planning mode and really want to give the girls an amazing vacation since they've been through a lot recently and had their Christmas vacation cancelled.

Reasons for doing a trip report:
1) Keeping a record...I didn't do a trip report for our '05 WDW trip and really wish I had...so I don't want to make that mistake again!

2) Info to share...I know I've had a lot of questions while planning about cruising with a special needs child and with children on special diets...the girls are both on a gluten free/casein (dairy) free diet and Becca is a walking pharmacy...so we have an interesting perspective and I plan to document it well so that others with similar issues won't have to hunt for some of the info I hunted for So there will be lots of pictures of the girls' food

3) My silly DH...I only decided to do a pre-trip report because Joey keeps cracking me up with his comments about the cruise. He's one of those guys that doesn't listen to your hours of info about the vacation until the week before you leave when he suddenly has a million questions. Today's installment is...

"Why do I have to eat at Pablo's?" ..."um, that would be Palo honey"
Joey and Jay are taking their mom to Palo for dinner on her birthday. Originally they were going to rent tuxes but then the boys convinced her they were having hamburgers in the room and it turned into a huge misunderstanding...so now they are back to Palo but just wearing suits Better for dh anyway since he's not much of a dress up kind of guy

So once I determined that Pablo's was actually Palo, he asked for a menu He asked why it was in Mexican and had no desserts.
I explained it was Italian and that the desserts were listed under Dolci
"Well if I have to pay extra to eat in a Mexican place, I shouldn't have to learn another language to read the menu"
I would seriously love to be a fly on the wall during that meal...if anyone is at Palo at 8:30 on 1/26 my dh will be the one asking if they have hamburgers and if they can burn them

When is the underwear exchange?
As we spent the afternoon packing, I started telling dh about the Dis meet, the door decorations, FE exchanges and the pillowcases that SIL got to have the characters sign...his response? "When's the underwear exchange?" Ummm, what? "Well you people are sharing everything else..."

God help me, it's going to be a long trip! But we are going and it's going to be awesome. If you are on the 1/24 Western you will recognize me as the one that is always crying...I cry when I am happy, so it's a good thing

 

[BeccaGrace]

Forgot about...The Exotic Rasul

I booked Joey & I an Exotic Rasul (it really never gets old saying that!) for his birthday. I thought I explained it well, but apparently not because he was very disappointed that he isn't, "Going to sit sipping a Coke in a vat full of mud". I tried telling him that the fun of it is putting all of the products on each other (and enjoying the "alone time") but his new impression is that it's going to be "a lot of work for a birthday present" Hopefully I'll be able to change his mind

 

[OurOhana]

Sara - I love your pre-TR. It's great. Your daughters are adorable and your husband is a riot. I can't wait to read more.

 

[SandieT]

I am enjoying your pre trip report. My husband does the same thing. He finally looked at out room location last week because "we were in the same year as our trip". But you can be sure the day before we leave 1000 questions about what we are doing, when we have to be there and why did you plan that, I didn't agree to THAT!!!
I don't dare tell him about the FE. I'll never hear the end of it. I am hoping my daughters and I can quietly participate without his knowledge. Probably not but by the time I tell it will be too late.
I just think my girls will get a kick out of the FE.
Have FUN!

 

[DutchsMommy]

Great start!! Looking forward to reading more. I am going to try my hardest to find Joey during out Meet and Greet and ask him if he is ready for the underwear exchange!

 

[LisaSp]

...your DH is very funny and it sounds like it will be a fantastic cruise for your family!!

 

[cyndik1111]

underwear exchange

 

[BeccaGrace]

So DH is quite happy to know that the underwear exchange comment was well-received. He will turn a lovely shade of red if it's mentioned while onboard

We are three days out now and my progress is exactly where it was when I last posted. I have the pile of clothes and the spreadsheet...but only DH's clothes are actually packed (and yes, his undies are in there!).

My schedule for the next few days had a wrench thrown in it. DD needed an MRI before we left and it was supposed to be scheduled for early in the week...well, they forgot to put her on the schedule I usually work Wednesdays and Fridays but already couldn't go in Friday since we leave Friday afternoon. And of course the only day they could fit her in was today, so now my work day switched to tomorrow and I get to spend the afternoon in the hospital with Miss Cranky Pants. She usually isn't a grouch unless you tell her she can't eat...which she can't . I just gave her the last bite of food and sip of juice and now she has to "starve" until the test at 1:00. I don't think this will be pretty since she just asked for more food!

This is why a cruise is good for my kids...they eat alllllllll day. If you ever see them eat, you will think we starve them. They could both eat from morning until night but they eat r-e-a-l-l-y slowly. We don't get to do buffets usually due to their dietary restrictions but when we do it's a several hour affair And yet they are the tiniest things, Grace is turning 8 and is barely 40 pounds...we joke that she will be in her booster seat until her junior year of high school! I can't wait to see their faces when they see the food on the boat...especially the fruit since they are fruit fiends

Speaking of food, and this is totally off topic ...I was teaching 1st grade CCD yesterday and I was asking the kids about special celebrations and events (of course thinking about the cruise the whole time!) and a little boy in class said that his favorite celebration was eating a plum I just thought it was the cutest little answer. Back on topic...see, this is why I am not packed...keep going off on all these tangents!

I also hit Home Depot for Mickey heads...if you are in the Milltown, NJ Home Depot getting ready to paint your room DIS lime green, I'm sorry to say you will only have one remaining swatch to use (I couldn't take ALL of them ). So my afternoon of the hospital will be spent cutting out Mickey heads for luggage tags, name tags and door decorations. PROGRESS!!!!

I also closed Target down last night and wished I had gotten to the dollar spot sooner! I got some Tinkerbell gifts (I can't remember if I made this up or read it on the DIS but we did it in WDW, Tinkerbell left them a little gift each morning--stuff we bought dirt cheap at home to cut down on expensive souvenirs in the parks!) for the girls and my niece. Amelia loves Toy Story and the girls love Monster's Inc. and they had markers and colored pencils, sticker books, note pads, even ice packs! I also got DH a coloring sheet of his "girlfriend", Mrs. Incredible

Oy...this is what I get for trying to multi-task and write the pre-trip report while the girls are getting ready for school They were singing Happy Working Song (from Enchanted) while they brushed their teeth and Grace (who doesn't live up to her name) fell off the toilet. Guess I should have bought the Monster's Inc. ice pack!

Off to do some before school first aid. Only 3 more days!!!!!!!

 

[BeccaGrace]

Two updates in one day! But am I packed yet? Nooooooooo

How can I pack, Lost is back on tonight!!!!!! And the suitcases are in the basement and it's cold down there! Why am I procrastinating on this? Not good, if I wait much longer Joey will take packing into his own hands and it won't have good results!

The MRI went okay...I'm hoping to get the results before we leave Friday. Our nurse and I had a nice conversation about WDW...talking about Disney makes everything better
Unfortunately, I had my Home Depot Mickey paint swatches to cut out and Becca decided to "help" me...she went all Van Gogh on the Mickeys and they all have one ear Not sure I'm going to have any time to make cute stuff at this point.

Joey's aunt called tonight...she and my MIL's other sisters have been trying to come up with a birthday gift to give her on the cruise. They kept asking me to get her a stripper and I'm like, "It's a DISNEY cruise!" They suggested finding one in port and I'm like, "Ewww" and "She's going to be with her grandchildren!" They finally realized that the stripper wasn't going to happen, so they are giving her the cabana massage on Castaway Cay that I booked. Which means that I need to find a different gift for us to give her!

I think our dog knows we are leaving...she's alternating between needy and moody, just like the kids She's staying with my mom and I can't imagine it's going to go well...I have visions of her barking non-stop for an entire week!

I posted on the disability board about realizing we need a last minute med-alert bracelet for Becca and someone had the idea of making on with the id tags you get for pets at Petco...I'm thinking that it's a super cute temporary fix, so I'm going to try to hit Petco either before work, after work or my last few hours of desperate preparation on Friday morning. You are not going to want to see me Friday morning! If only I had more Xanax than what I need for the flights!

Need a Joey story...there was some more confusion about the Exotic Rasul Seems Joey didn't realize that the spa was on the boat He thought it was outside and surrounded by palm trees. When I told him it was on the ship's spa he said he won't be able to enjoy it with the kids around...ummm, it's in a room, not in the middle of the kid's club!!!! Why am I sensing this isn't going to be as romantic as I was envisioning? We'll probably end up in a mud fight

Hope you followed my random, stream-of-conciousness musings tonight It's been a loooong day!

Only two more days until I am in FL!!!! That is totally going to get me through work tomorrow!

 

[AndymanGA]

Not that this has anything to do with your trip report but... several years ago several of my friends and I decided to get another friend a stripper for her birthday. The job of hiring one was placed in my hands because nobody else wanted to do it. So I called around and found one company in Atlanta that had an Elvis stripper and since my friend was a big Elvis friend I said sure why not. The company asked if I wanted a younger or older Elvis. Of course I booked the old cape and sequin wearing, doughnut eating Elvis. One of the best and funniest parties ever. So does your MIL like Elvis


Have a great Cruise

 

[BeccaGrace]

Not that this has anything to do with your trip report but... several years ago several of my friends and I decided to get another friend a stripper for her birthday. The job of hiring one was placed in my hands because nobody else wanted to do it. So I called around and found one company in Atlanta that had an Elvis stripper and since my friend was a big Elvis friend I said sure why not. The company asked if I wanted a younger or older Elvis. Of course I booked the old cape and sequin wearing, doughnut eating Elvis. One of the best and funniest parties ever. So does your MIL like Elvis


Have a great Cruise

OMG--too funny that you picked the old one!
Nope, don't think she's an Elvis fan

 

[Palmfam]

I hope all is well with your family and you have a great trip!
I will be following your Trip Report!!

 

[BeccaGrace]

Thanks Palmfam!!!!

Today is the day and I pray I survive the journey! As much as I love to travel, I am a TERRIFIED traveler So I woke up to heart palpitations, a pit in my stomach and an overwhelming sense of fear...what a fun start to a trip! Unfortunately, I only have anxiety meds for the flight itself so this morning will require a great deal of deep breathing! I don't think I'll be able to relax until after we are on the boat.

I'd love to say I was packed but it wouldn't be the truth...I'm MOSTLY packed but we don't have a scale and our suitcases feel WAY over 50 pounds so I need to find myself another suitcase this morning! It stinks because I did an awesome job packing but I certainly don't feel like paying $50 a bag to prove it!

I'm still deluding myself that I have enough time this morning to get my nails done...once reality sets in and I realize I don't, I hope to have enough time to apologize for how scary my feet will look without a pedi

Need to go do some actual work stuff before I can get to trip "work"...ugh, I just thought of a few more things that need to get done before we leave. Yep, the anxiety level isn't good today...I really must chill.

My day:

6:00-7:00 -- Work

7:00-8:00 -- Get kids ready for school; pack a bag for my poor friend who is running my CCD class and Brownie & Daisy meetings while we are gone...she is a very good friend! We are going to WDW with their family in November, so I will find a very Disney way to thank her!

8:00-9:00 -- Run to Wal-Mart for fabric to make fish extender Yeah, I got the cheapo hanging thing from Target and realize now it's WAY too wide and not suitable for a FE...I really want one...I need to get a grip; Dollar Store for glow sticks, also need ribbon for the suitcases since I never made the stinkin Mickey luggage tags...oh and some magnets to stick on our door signs (picture very minimalist decorations) I feel like a DIS failure...my only excuse is that I was scared to get excited until the doctor cleared us, so I technically only had a week to prep.

9:00-11:00 -- REALLY want a mani-pedi AND a haircut...yes, I realize I am fully delusional...

11:00 -- Pick Becca up from Kindergarten

11:30 -- My mom is coming to pick up the dog and (hopefully) bring another suitcase, otherwise I'll pick one up at Wal Mart at my earlier stop. Re-pack with better weight distribution!

2:00 --I need to go pick up our Daisy troop's girl scout cookie order! Like that's exactly what I need to worry about two hours before we leave for the airport but it's the only time I can do it!

2:45 -- Get Grace from school

I MUST be ready to go before 2:00 because if Joey gets home and we aren't ready to go I will NEVER hear the end of it! When we were driving to Maine in September, I was running late because I was finishing a work project and had pulled an all-nighter. We weren't on a set schedule but wanted to leave by 11:00...well, at 11:05 he shut my computer mid-sentence, threw all my partially packed bags in the car and said "We're going now or we're not going" Well, he got me out of the house but it was a tense start! He is a nervous traveler as well, so this is one time when we aren't a good match...I run around to make sure we're ready and he stews that it should have all been done. So I'd love to have it all sitting at the door ready to go when he gets home at 2:30

The car picks us up with MIL at 4:30 and then we are heading to Newark. I am hoping we miss traffic and it's not too bad at the airport because I am nervous going through security with so much medication. My entire carry-on is prescriptions, most of which are liquid and gel-based, so I know they will review it closely.

Oh and I need to do laundry! I really better stop writing and get moving!

Oh, speaking of moving. I twisted my ankle two nights ago and didn't realize I hurt myself until I woke up in the morning)...so I'm limping on top of everything else! And my sweet concerned husband said..."It's just a foot." Thanks honey

Can't wait to do the actual trip report...I will take detailed notes all week!!!!! If I don't get to write it during the Super Bowl, I will be in the hospital with Becca from Monday-Thursday the week we get back and will have PLENTY of time to draft it and upload it when we get back.

Have a great week everyone!

 

[SandieT]

Dollar Store for glow sticks

Be careful with dollar store glow sticks. We have purchased these in the past and they have broken all over my kids and even in their mouth. YUCK!!! I guess it tasted gross but we just rinsed their mouths and looked inside their mouth in the dark. They thought their glow in the dark mouth was really cool.

 

[BeccaGrace]

Be careful with dollar store glow sticks. We have purchased these in the past and they have broken all over my kids and even in their mouth. YUCK!!! I guess it tasted gross but we just rinsed their mouths and looked inside their mouth in the dark. They thought their glow in the dark mouth was really cool.

Oh my goodness!!!! How did it get in their mouths!?!?!? That's definitely a cool for the kids gross for the mom thing! I'll definitely keep an eye on them! Thanks for the warning

 

[BeccaGrace]

I survived the day and we made it to FL!!!!!

My SIL has a business trip after the cruise, so I hopped on her laptop while the rest of the family is sleeping! It's been a busy day but I am wired...good thing too because I still have a bit of work to catch up on before it's officially vacation time!

I got to do everything on my schedule today except the haircut...at least my feet aren't gross anymore! And my mother is a saint...she hand sewed the most precious fish extender this afternoon since Grace lost the bobbin for the sewing machine and I was about to staple the darn thing together....it's so pretty and princessy!!!!

The car service came early and I was accused by Joey of being "the most disorganized organized person he ever met"! We were a bit testy on the way to the airport and I swear the Xanax didn't kick in until we landed. Becca, Joey and MIL slept most of the ride down...Grace was a chatterbox and I tried to watch TV and not think of the plane as a death machine. It was quite mortifying when we landed...my eyes were glued shut and I was clutching Joey and Grace says quite loudly...":It's okay Mommy, we landed and we aren't in the water"...it got a few laughs from the rows around us

BIL picked us up in the airport...it was a tight fit with all the luggage and I think we will need to strap the kids to the roof to make it back to the airport next week

We are at the Residence Inn Marriott (staying on SIL's rewards points) and it seems very nice. We're in a King suite with the sitting room and kitchenette...very clean...I can see the pool from the room and am so wired that I wish it wasn't closed

I'm hoping everyone rises early so I can do a Wal-Mart run or something in the a.m. even though I don't think I forgot anything...but apparently my extended family all packed 5 pairs of shoes each and I only have the flip flops I'm wearing and dress sandals!

I just can't believe we're actually here With having to cancel our Georgia trip and all the uncertainty of whether we would have to cancel, I guess I didn't let myself believe it was really going to happen...but it did and I feel SO happy right now!

Can't wait to meet all my fellow DISers tomorrow...I was going to make mickey ear nametags so everyone could spot us but it didn't happen That's okay, we're kind of hard to miss!

 

[BeccaGrace]

We are back and had an AMAZING trip!!!!!!!

I'm going into the hospital with Becca tomorrow for her next round of tests and we will be doing our trip report and trip scrapbook while we are there. I will post a full report when we get back as I won't have internet access (as an aside...as a major internet addict, I honestly enjoyed being unplugged for a week!).

Just a few things to mention...

1) Michelle, Liam, Jason are the best! We had the best dining experience this week and I spent several meals in happy tears at how well DCL handled the girls' GFCF diet.

2) Awesome character interaction...one of the best memories of the trip was Stitch, Grace and Becca scooting down three flights of stairs together like they were the only ones on the trip!

3) I only met a few fellow DISers because I missed both meets BUT...I cannot thank all of the DISers that included us in the fish exchange even though we dropped out. My BIL, SIL and MIL were blown away by the generosity once I explained the FE and vowed to pay it forward on our next cruise...you all made our bare door just gorgeous and the girls were so excited to see all the treats!

4) The weather was absolutely perfect and gorgeous...and I have the sunburn to prove it...we are definitely standing out in snowy NJ!

I can't wait to do the full report before I miss anything but have to go re-pack to leave again! I just can't believe it's over...I'm having PCSD...Post-Cruise Stress Disorder

 

[BeccaGrace]

Oh, and DH loved Pablo's

 

[jay.austin]

I am BIL... I just registered and wanted to thank everyone who filled the fish extender and decorated the door. It made it exciting for Amelia (DNiece) to come back to the room each day. I wish Sara had told us about this before went so we were prepared (she may have, but I don't really listen very well - DH is my brother...) but we will definitely participate next time.

The chocolate souflee (sp?) at Palo's is unbelievable.

 

[Had2disneycruz]

I am BIL... I just registered and wanted to thank everyone who filled the fish extender and decorated the door. It made it exciting for Amelia (DNiece) to come back to the room each day. I wish Sara had told us about this before went so we were prepared (she may have, but I don't really listen very well - DH is my brother...) but we will definitely participate next time.

The chocolate souflee (sp?) at Palo's is unbelievable.

Sorry but I'm new here and have to ask....what is a Fish Extender? Glad you enjoyed your cruise!