**Disney Fantasy June 30th, 2012- EASTERN**

[lbcrosby]

I was just thinking that a year from now I will be celebrating my 17th wedding anniversary on the Fantasy. What a wonderful glimpse into the future.

 

[kgoldenh]

365 days on the wall...365 days!!! If one of those days should happen to fall..............

love it. have been humming it to myself and the kids keep asking what i am doing. Since the cruise is a surprise I have to just smile and say Mommy's just happy.

kate

 

[kgoldenh]

ok so we cruised Halloween 2010 western and LOVED it. (anyone from that cruise on this one?) The kids wanted us to rebook after one hour on the ship. One evening while they were off having fun we sat down and did indeed rebook. BUT we told the kids that because of the new ship prices were going up and we just couldn't afford it.

So we have been talking about going to Florida June 2012 to go to Disney, see relatives, go to beach, etc. as a way to celebrate the end of elem school and middle school so we have been kinda planning/talking about that. I cannot keep a secret well but am proud I have so far.

Our plan so far is to leave VA after school gets out (maybe drive maybe fly) and then spend some time seeing friends etc. and then go to the cruise. I am trying to figure out when to spring the news on them about the cruise. What do you all think? Have you surprised your teens? How? Would love to hear the thoughts/ideas.

thanks

Kate

 

[IrenicMom]

Kate -
We've not surprised the kids with a cruise, but we are surprising them with our January Disney trip.

Honestly, with teens, if they're not the type of people who need to prepare for a big change, I'd wait until we were at the terminal, but that's just me. I've always wanted to pull off a huge surprise like that!

Even with our January trip, it won't be a surprise at their arrival, but we are telling them on Christmas morning - so they won't know but for a few days in advance (we leave on New Year's Day). This will be the most "surprise" we've ever been able to do - they love to plan as much as we do.

 

[lbcrosby]

We are surprising our DS with this trip but we are going to tell him on his birthday which is on March 29th. We figured that way he could help us plan the excursions we will be doing. He is 12 so surprises are fun but he would be disappointed if he couldn't help plan (he is like me). Anyway, I think it totally depends on the age of your kids. With younger ones showing up at the port would be fine. As they get older a lot more is going on in their life so you probably wouldn't want to wait until the very end. But I am getting so excited I am hoping I can wait until March to tell him.

 

[DCLaholic-mom]

That is a hard one. I guess it depends on your kids. I would personally wait until pulling into the terminal, but if one of your kids is sensitive to that type of thing and might get mad at you for not telling them earlier, then I would at least let them know earlier.

 

[kgoldenh]

thanks for the thoughts. I am beginning to think we will not make it all the way to the cruise but will wait til much closer to tell them about it. DD is a planner and would be annoyed to be in FL and then learn we were going on a cruise. DS would probably be too. hmmm now to figure out how to tell them.

I am ready to pack now!!!

 

[DCLaholic-mom]

I have been ready to pack. Already bought my son a few shirts so thank goodness he will not be growing a whole lot since he is 17 1/2.

Maybe you should tell them on a birthday, or like we did for our 2004 cruise. We put Disney stuff and a on board credit certificate as a present and had ours open them at the same time. That was fun. One year we did a Christmas morning treasure hunt so it took them 30 minutes to find the "big" present. They LOVED it. Maybe you could do something like that since they are older and the gift at the end may be something about the Disney cruise. It would take some work on your part, but I promise it is something no one will ever forget.

 

[love2travel]

Me, DH and our DD are booked for this cruise. Have always done the Western, looking forward to the Eastern. Me and hubby will be celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary.

 

[IrenicMom]

**sigh**

I have a friend in port right now, waiting to board.

Wish I was with her!

Less than a year, and I know that year is going to fly, but still. Tried to find a way to finagle a 5 day double dip in January, but just couldn't justify the price. Oh well - it will be here soon enough, I guess!!!

 

[DisneyMom70]

So Happy Friday everyone. I am trying to keep my mind occupied as I seem to be getting the shakes from my DL withdrawel, and DCL and WDW planning are kind of making is worse.

We do have Carmageddon this weekend to look forward to. (I think only in CA would this be such a RIDICULOUS issue. It is the hottest news topic right now. America is in a debt crisis - no biggie, but the 405 is partially closing and the whole world comes to an end. )

Anyway - I really came on the board to say that I just won a chili cook off at my DD's school. Yes, I just wanted to brag, and tell my cool Dissers.

Have a great weekend.

 

[Marla Hellwig]

just adding us

Marla and Kara - 21 - we will be celebrating Kara turning 21

5C 7152

second dining

we are doing a sort of b2b - doing the 5 night on the Dream 06/24

 

[DCLaholic-mom]

Are you going to share your wonderful chili recipe with us?

 

[DisneyMom70]

Sure...PM me with your email if you really want it. I will say this, it is super labor intensive. I have only made it twice outside of a contest. It requires the dicing of a tri-tip and that takes FOREVER, and then there is about 4 hours of cooking time not including the crock-pot. It is really tasty though.

 

[karana]

Anyone know how hot it can be in this part of the Caribbean this time of year? We are still trying to decide between a June/July cruise or a Thanksgiving week cruise.

 

[DCLaholic-mom]

OK. Nevermind on the Chili recipe!!!!! To much work for me!!!

I have no idea on the temps. I do not look at that when I make my decisions. Sorry.

 

[DisneyMom70]

So, now I am beginning to second guess doing WDW in July after the cruise. I have been reading a lot of posts about how awful the Tour Groups are, and it seems that they really peak in July and August.

I am thinking late June might be a little bit better. Has anyone here ever experienced a problem with the groups, or is this being over-stated?

 

[assisi811]

We are actually going to Disney three to four days before the cruise. Our last Disney trip was five years ago, but we also went the last week of June and we didn't have any problems with crowds.

 

[PRINCESS VIJA]

So, now I am beginning to second guess doing WDW in July after the cruise. I have been reading a lot of posts about how awful the Tour Groups are, and it seems that they really peak in July and August.

I am thinking late June might be a little bit better. Has anyone here ever experienced a problem with the groups, or is this being over-stated?

I know what you mean, I forgot about the tour groups until I started reading the recent threads. We are doing the week before our cruise in the parks, and I just hope they aren't bad then. We went in late June last time we cruised (2006) and I don't remember any tour groups at all.

 

[kgoldenh]

The cruise is the same time as DD's camp and she refuses to miss it so we are backing out of the cruise for the 30th. I am bummed about missing the fantasy and not meeting everyone.

Kate