"Double Dip Delight" Alternate Western 09/27/08

[tig82174]

Well, Double-Dippers, Jason and I are back. We had a fantastic 4 or 5 days in WDW...and had the most amazing visit with Hadley and her family. The are doing well and, while I don't want to speak for her or her DH Dave, I got the impression that they're in a very good place with the job switch...and are keeping a positive outlook and it might even end up being a good thing. Dave seems supremely able in this situation to take his proverbial lemons and make them into lemonade (or for many of you...a lovely Absolut limon lemon drop martini!! ). Anyhow we talked alot about stuff for the cruise and we're both really glad to have an exciting group of friends---old AND new---to travel with!

I am going to start working on creating a "final draft" of the cruise logo this week and next so that we can have an informal vote and pick one before the one year mark.

 

[pfishgirl]

has anyone decided where they will be staying the night before we leave. last year we stayed at downtown disney but we would like to stay at the port this year. i am looking for suggestions from personal experience. thanks.
18 DAYS UNTIL OUR 365 DAY COUNTDOWN STARTS

we have a house in winter garden.. so we will be spending the night there on Friday and again the following Saturday then Sunday off to the airport.. We have people traveling from different airports and even different states so we will all meet up at our house.. Something tells me there wont be too much sleeping going on that night..

we should be able to get some "Park Time" in on Saturday afternoon and Downtown time at night..

 

[pfishgirl]

JUST WANTED TO CELEBRATE MY
1000th post

CONGRATULATIONS ON 1,000 !!!!

these boards are sooooo addicting

 

[tig82174]

We will be staying on property using points for about a week before the cruise...we're hoping to stay in the new AKL Villas but if we can't get there and then we'll probably end up at Saratoga, Boardwalk or Beach Club.

 

[LuvtheEars]

We are still trying to decide how we want to get to CC. We are taking a train on our Oct 4 cruise and will see if this might work for the family, so we can leave the car at home. We are also planning to come in a few nights early and perhaps go to NASA and the beach. I think there was something posted about a shuttle to NASA from one of the hotels and if that is true, we will stay there.

I made my first door magnet yesterday! It's for our 3 day Wonder, but it is great practice for next year!

 

[cyndifan]

We had a great time in North Carolina. Fayetteville doesn't have much to speak of (which was what I anticipated), but we had a great time nonetheless. We met some really nice people there too. You may recall all the drama I had about not having our hotel ressies made far in advance (heart failure for us OCD VPs). Thankfully, we didn't have to call upon Mindy the killer licker to rescue us! (Thanks again for the offer Tiffany!) There was indeed a room at the inn waiting for us when we got there!

Kimberly:
So glad you had fun during your visit to our little state. Yeah, I was going to mention about Fayetteville being pretty quiet (unless you're military), but figured you knew what you were getting yourself into. Wow, w/the license fiasco, sounds like a long drive down took even longer.

We are also planning to come in a few nights early and perhaps go to NASA and the beach. I think there was something posted about a shuttle to NASA from one of the hotels and if that is true, we will stay there.

I made my first door magnet yesterday! It's for our 3 day Wonder, but it is great practice for next year!

Tiffany:
You didn't tell me you were planning on going early! Dang. I'm jealous. I wish we could, but don't think DH's work will let him take more than 1 wk vac at a time. Bummer. Have I mentioned lately how much I don't like the place he works for & the policies they have. <sigh> At least he does have a job though.
Love the magnet. Especially the 'without the kids' part. Teeheehee....

 

[pfishgirl]

We are still trying to decide how we want to get to CC. We are taking a train on our Oct 4 cruise and will see if this might work for the family, so we can leave the car at home. We are also planning to come in a few nights early and perhaps go to NASA and the beach. I think there was something posted about a shuttle to NASA from one of the hotels and if that is true, we will stay there.

I made my first door magnet yesterday! It's for our 3 day Wonder, but it is great practice for next year!

WOW That is GREAT!!!
I wish I could do something like that.. But I no nothing about making a pretty picture..

 

[rkandmjsmommy]

LuvtheEars
Great pic, I just started working on a few today for our cruise I like to plan!!!!! I dont know how to post it though, can anyone help???

 

[tig82174]

LuvtheEars
Great pic, I just started working on a few today for our cruise I like to plan!!!!! I dont know how to post it though, can anyone help???

you have to upload the jpeg (or other pic format file) to a site like photobucket.com

Once you do that it will give you a link and you just cut and paste that link into your post here.

 

[anewmac]

JUST WANTED TO CELEBRATE MY
1000th post
__________________
Denise

WOOHOO LOL congrats
OH and your not alone.. I too have started designing ours LOL I want to print them but my luck the kids would see them. This OCVP is killer LOL

Oh, and I'll join some club with you, since I don't drink or read for entertainment, either. (I do love history books, though!) Too bad you don't do yarn...we could have a knit club...but you DO sew, which is why I fell in love with you (wink, wink, we all know Jason need not worry!) so maybe a "creative genious" club! LOL

HMM I need to find some alternative logo and a reading logo LOL I will.. I dont like to leave anyone out LOL

Well, Double-Dippers, Jason and I are back. We had a fantastic 4 or 5 days in WDW...and had the most amazing visit with Hadley and her family. Anyhow we talked alot about stuff for the cruise and we're both really glad to have an exciting group of friends---old AND new---to travel with!
I am going to start working on creating a "final draft" of the cruise logo this week and next so that we can have an informal vote and pick one before the one year mark.

Well give us a mini TR Eric. Glad you guys had a good time!
I too am glad I found this board let a long the meet thread. I cant wait to put names and faces together (physically that is!)
Cant wait to see what you come up with!

I made my first door magnet yesterday! It's for our 3 day Wonder, but it is great practice for next year!

Tiffany... thats adorable! Great Job on the sign.


Hope all are doing well... E is in the field up on base for the week. So its just me and the boys... Kind of nice we get to eat whatever we want. See E isnt a pasta or pizza fan... heonly eats pizza if he HAS too and when he does he has to have mustard... YA I know he's weird... I didnt find this one out till right before we got married.. It was too late to call it off over pizza... BUT NOW I wonder if I made the correct move JK.. So this is when the boys and I go italian food CRAZY. Made lazangna tonight, tmrw raviolies, wed left over lazagna , Thur left over raviolies, Fri PIZZAAAAAAAA (but this is a standard Fri is always pizza day in our house, E stops and gets a burrito from his fav hole in the wall.. See win win situation. (where was I going with this? so youll see over time I do this a lot, get off track... sorry in advance)

OH YA to answer somene that asked where we staying.. NO CLUE. We are debating doing a few days at the World. So if so we will be near the world and drive over to the port. If its a no go on the world... then we stay near port I know I was of no help!

 

[Epperbiker]

Hello Everyone,

We just got back from the 9/1 - 9/8 Eastern and had our best cruise ever. I posted a mini review elsewhere. For all of us sailing next year post-drydock - When on the 'Art Theme' ship tour last week, the CM stated something like "when the Ships were launched, Animators Palate was state of the art, and (because of the huge number of repeat cruisers on DCL) after the drydock next year it will be state of the art again"

So it sure sounded like our cruise will be the first to experience an all new AP!!

 

[tig82174]

A change/improvement to Animator's Palate? OOOOOH! That's exciting!




Now, regarding a trip report....I wrote a short one last night (I don't usualy write out trip reports)...but there was an error and it didn't post!! AAAARGH!!! I will have to try to retype it a little later....but suffice it to say we had a very nice trip....the only complaints we had about the whole trip really were re: transportation...both the magical express and the bus service inside the parks kinda stank and was very slow and time consuming. Also this was our first trip using the dining plan and we really enjoyed that...but were very annoyed and frustrated to learn that in 2008 they're changing the dining plan so that it will be far less economical.

 

[Buckeye Gal]

Hello Everyone,

We just got back from the 9/1 - 9/8 Eastern and had our best cruise ever. I posted a mini review elsewhere. For all of us sailing next year post-drydock - When on the 'Art Theme' ship tour last week, the CM stated something like "when the Ships were launched, Animators Palate was state of the art, and (because of the huge number of repeat cruisers on DCL) after the drydock next year it will be state of the art again"

So it sure sounded like our cruise will be the first to experience an all new AP!!

That's exciting to hear about one of the changes!!! I'm all geeked up now!

Jeff, I'm thrilled for you that you had the "best cruise ever"! I'll look for your trippie tonight! I hope you're saying the same thing in 389 days when you step off the Magic back onto the port!

 

[Epperbiker]

That's exciting to hear about one of the changes!!! I'm all geeked up now!

Jeff, I'm thrilled for you that you had the "best cruise ever"! I'll look for your trippie tonight! I hope you're saying the same thing in 389 days when you step off the Magic back onto the port!

I Hope so too!! We're really missing being on board... It will be hard to improve on the service we received on this trip, but we got the feeling that DCL is working really hard to maintain high standards.

 

[LadyShiva]

I Hope so too!! We're really missing being on board... It will be hard to improve on the service we received on this trip, but we got the feeling that DCL working really hard to maintain high standards.

Isn't being home the pits? Having to wash your own dishes is horrid.

It's great to read you think DCL is working really hard to maintain high standards. The sticker shock is always daunting, and you have lots of time to second-guess the reservation!

I'm looking forward to your trip report, too.

Brandie

 

[LuvtheEars]

WOW That is GREAT!!!
I wish I could do something like that.. But I no nothing about making a pretty picture..

Trust me! If I can do this . . . anyone can! I used Power Point. The hard part was just getting the inspiration to get started.

OH and your not alone.. I too have started designing ours LOL I want to print them but my luck the kids would see them. This OCVP is killer LOL

I was printing this while DH was out in the garage. Wouldn't you know it he just had to get something from the office during this time. I leaned over the printer to cover it up. He did get a strange look on his face and ask what I was up to. I just said, "Nothing!" Thank goodness I only have to keep this a secret 3 more weeks!

but were very annoyed and frustrated to learn that in 2008 they're changing the dining plan so that it will be far less economical.

UGGG! Why would Disney do this? The dining plan is one of the best things about Disney! I loved trying anything I wanted and getting to go to a good restaurant every night! I hope they will not change it to much.

WOOOHOOO 100 posts!

 

[tig82174]

UGGG! Why would Disney do this? The dining plan is one of the best things about Disney! I loved trying anything I wanted and getting to go to a good restaurant every night! I hope they will not change it to much.

The changes that are slated are that table service meals will no longer include an appetizer (generally at least a $5-$8 value in most restaurants) and that gratuities will no longer be included so you will be responsible to pay them in cash or with room charge at table service meals. Now, to offset these changes they are proposing to cut the cost of the dining plan a whopping ONE DOLLAR per person!!

Jason and I figured it out using our table service at 50's Primetime in MGM as an example and the new cost will be just over $37 per person to enroll in the plan....we would lose our $7 appetizer and have to leave a tip of about $6.50 (bringing the ACTUAL total cost of the dining plan to about $45 per day, per person....$52 if you decided to order & pay out of pocket for the appetizer you would have gotten on the old plan). For Jason and I we really think this would account for breaking even at some restaurants....and for a savings of only $5 a day or so probably. Nowhere near as good a deal.

 

[cyndifan]

The changes that are slated are that table service meals will no longer include an appetizer (generally at least a $5-$8 value in most restaurants) and that gratuities will no longer be included so you will be responsible to pay them in cash or with room charge at table service meals. Now, to offset these changes they are proposing to cut the cost of the dining plan a whopping ONE DOLLAR per person!!

Thanks for providing the info, Erik. Glad to hear you had a nice time (other than the transportation woes).

That is SUCH a bummer about the dining plan. I'm disappointed in Disney doing this type of thing. The plan was a great draw for us the last time around (& I'm sure Disney made a profit on us - at least a little). I hope this is not the beginning of a new trend at Disney.

 

[rkandmjsmommy]

We are HUGE fans of the dining plan and sad to see they are chaning it We will be using it for the last time this December, after the cruise we will spend Sat after the cruise at the world and wont get it Hopefully the numbers will go down on people getting it and they will bring it back the way it is, we can only hope

LuvtheEars
congrats on 100 posts!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[tig82174]

We are HUGE fans of the dining plan and sad to see they are chaning it We will be using it for the last time this December, after the cruise we will spend Sat after the cruise at the world and wont get it Hopefully the numbers will go down on people getting it and they will bring it back the way it is, we can only hope

LuvtheEars
congrats on 100 posts!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes the change is very frustrating.....but I hope they get the MOST complaints from their staff!!

I think one of the most vexing parts of the change is the fact that it removes the gratuities for the wait staff....because the DP guaranteed that they would always make at least an 18% gratuity on the meals they served....and the flexibility of the DP meant that people might be able to order things they wouldn't otherwise afford. For instance at a table service if you wanted to order a $12 dinner salad or a $25 steak...both "cost" the same under the plan---one table service meal....but the server got tipped based on the value of what you ate. So a person who might never spend the money on ordering a steak in a restaurant now could do so and that meant that the server got more in return, as well.

Not to mention the fact that I am sure that many servers often get UNDERtipped (or not tipped at all) by self-paying customers. I know that there are many, many bad tippers (and some people with the audacity, or lack of understanding/awareness, to actually leave NO tip for a server!). So the guaranteed 18% probably worked in their favor for many staff in the long run.

My biggest fear is that once Disney starts making people pay the tips out of pocket that servers in the World are going to find themselves continually shortchanged----and undertipping wait staff is just a rotten, rotten thing to do....especially in the most magical place on earth!