EARLY CHECK IN: December 15th, 2007 - Seven night Western - 12/15/07

[cristit14]

Hi all! My kids are pretty disappointed today. They went for the first day of choir and found out their winter concert is going to be Dec 18th so they will be missing it. DS is pretty sad about it. He said it should be rescheduled, I am not sure if he was talking about the concert or the cruise. But we told him if he didn't want to go on the cruise so he can sing, maybe Grandma could come and stay with him. He didn't really like that idea.

Speaking of DS are there any boys in the 8-10 year old range that are going and would like to penpal with DS before the trip?

 

[dutch_girl_scout]

Cristi--Sorry about the chior concert. My DS's band concert is on the 13th (the night we're flying out). He doesn't seem to be disappointed at all. He will be missing his semester tests for his year long classes, they are the week of the 17th. The semester doesn't end until late January, go figure. I guess he'll take them before he goes, unless the teachers are feeling generous and let him take them when he gets back.

 

[cristit14]

DS is better about missing the concert now. I think he thought that since he couldn't participate in the concert, that meant he couldn't join. It is a little disappointing though because they were actually going to have this on in the High School auditorium instead of us all crammed in the gym/cafeteria at the elementary school.

Stacie, that would be nice if he could take his exams before he left, then he wouldn't have to worry about it.

 

[feinfam]

Hi everyone -
My DD will be missing a week of school too (the district calendar was published 8 months after we booked the cruise). So far, we don't have word regarding what she'll be missing, but I just hope it's not major, given that she's in middle school now. Where I live (the heart of Silicon Valley), there are a huge number of people with immediate and extended family living in Europe and Asia, so loads of families take off extra days around the holidays so that the kids can have a chance to reconnect with family (and get over the jet lag). So, the District is fairly generous with extra days around major holidays (fingers crossed).

Stacie, did you and your DD decide on home-schooling? I remember an earlier posting where you were wavering. I'd be interested to know how it all turns out if you decided against public school this year.

I'm so glad that most everyone who's posted recently can still go on the cruise - we look forward to meeting everyone. We're truly excited - this is our first Disney cruise. We've been filling out our documents on-line, looking at shore excursions, wondering if our dressy clothes will still fit... We were thinking of being on our own for Key West, hitting the Hemingway Museum and eating some key lime pie. In Cozumel, we're hoping for dolphins and Paradise Beach (DH to Tulum). In Grand Cayman, buying rum cakes and hanging out at the beach.

Counting down the days...
Kathryn

 

[dutch_girl_scout]

Hi everyone -

Stacie, did you and your DD decide on home-schooling? I remember an earlier posting where you were wavering. I'd be interested to know how it all turns out if you decided against public school this year.

Kathryn--
Yes, we decided to homeschool this year. I think most people, including my parents, think I'm nuts. Our town has a great homeschool co-op and we have four families in our development that homeschool. My mom was worried about her "missing out". DD goes to school for chior, band, orchestra, and volleyball, she's in Girl Scouts, swim team, and church activities, I don't see that she's missing out, in fact she can participate more not having to come home and have 2 hours of homework every night. It's nice to get to know her and have her around.

DS started high school this fall. He goes to school at 7 every morning for band and doesn't get home until 6 because of cross country practice. Then he has something school realated in the evening at least 3 times a week, like tonight the band is marching at the football game (6:30) then there is a dance afterwards until midnight, followed by cross country at 7:00 tomorrow morning. YIKES! We've hardly seen him since school began. He's driving me crazy because he keeps wanting to join more things. I guess I have to let go of him at some time but I'm not ready to yet.

 

[dutch_girl_scout]

Here is the list as I have it for Palo brunch on Monday, December 17th, at 10:00:

PinkPrincessMom - 2
Cristit14 - 2
Queen2 - 2
yearbook50 - 3
feinfam - 2
kcwildcat - 2
dutch_girl_scout - 2

As I understand it, we have the meeting room reserved and do not need to make seperate reservations online or onboard for this brunch.

I was also wondering if the DIS families wanted to participate in a gift exchange/goody bag exchange while onboard. I know the Dollar Tree will have cheap Christmas socks that could be hung from the fish outside of the cabins (I would buy those) and thought it would be fun for each family to bring something to put in the other's stockings. It could be something from your hometown (magnets, postcards, etc) or something whimsical and fun like tatoos or glow sticks, or a homemade card. I plan on e-mailing everyone next week that I had for the website to double check that they are still going, then I would have final numbers. I certainly don't think that it needs to be anything expensive just something fun to do. Let me know what you think.

 

[cristit14]

That sounds fun Stacie. I would be up for the stocking idea. Just let me know how many are interested.

 

[dutch_girl_scout]

I sent PMs out to everyone that had posted to this thread that we haven't heard from for awhile and/or that I don't have info for the website from. I've heard back from a few and updated the website accordingly and it's pretty sad, I only have info for ten families. I know that there is more than that going on this cruise. Hopefully I'll hear from more over the weekend.

 

[disneycruise05]

Hey everyone....

Am I wrong or was the date to book excursions and Palo for us Castaway Club members like, now? Or did I just count wrong and it's actually tomorrow night? I'm so excited for our trip! I can't believe that it's so close!

 

[cristit14]

It is today that we can book!!! I am glad they changed the time to book. I think I only need to stay up until 10pm to do my booking. I think we are going to do Wed night Palo, EcoPark & snorkel in Cozumel and Nautilus undersea tour and snorkel in Grand Cayman. Unless of course I change my mind before tonight.

 

[cristit14]

Okay, scratch that.... I want to do dinner at Palo on Tuesday night, not Wed. I think Wed is Pirate night, don't want to miss that.

How many people are dressing up for Pirate night? We did last time, it was a lot of fun! A bunch of us dissers met in the atrium at dinner time and did a big group photo. DS has a pirate costume that I think will still fit him, I have a wench costume, we did a homemade pirate costume for DH that we still have. I would just need to get something for DD if she wants to wear one.

 

[cristit14]

I sent PMs out to everyone that had posted to this thread that we haven't heard from for awhile and/or that I don't have info for the website from. I've heard back from a few and updated the website accordingly and it's pretty sad, I only have info for ten families. I know that there is more than that going on this cruise. Hopefully I'll hear from more over the weekend.

On my last cruise we had a bunch of people that we on our website (I am thinking maybe 30 families), but once we got on board there were only about 9 or 10 families that came to the meets. We should start thinking about meets. Any ideas?

 

[yearbook50]

where are people staying the night before the cruise?

Us three are at the radisson.

 

[dutch_girl_scout]

I have pirate night down as Wednesday night. We were going to try to do Palo on Tuesday also because Friday night is Captain's night (lobster). I'm going to reserve another brunch, haven't decided yet if we're going to it or not, but we'll have it just in case.

We found a pirate costume for Andy at Babies R Us last time so I know he'll be dressed up, and DD wants to also. Not sure about the rest of us.

For a meet, if it is going to be on Saturday, it should definately be somewhere away from the pools. Maybe up in the atrium area by Studio Sea after the safety drill? Somewhere where there won't be mass quantities of random people.

 

[cristit14]

I am pretty sure that lobster night is on Thursday night and the Til we meet again menu is on Friday night. We are going to try for dinner on Tuesday night also. We are going to stick with just the group brunch we have planned.

It seems like the sailaway party starts right after the safety drill. On our last cruise we planned on at around 3pm(I think) on deck 10 overlooking the pool area. We didn't have a bunch of people show up, but a few of us were there. It wasn't that crowded up there either.

 

[cristit14]

where are people staying the night before the cruise?

Us three are at the radisson.

I am not sure yet. I haven't even bought airline tickets yet. It probably depends on what time of day we get in. If we get in really late on Friday, we will stay close to or at the airport hotel. If we get in before dinner time I am thinking we will go on over to the port and stay.

 

[dutch_girl_scout]

Cristi is right--Captian's night (lobster) is on Thursday night.

We are staying at POFQ before the cruise, we get in on Thursday night and are going to MVMCP on Friday night. I already bought the tickets and now am hoping that it won't be too crowded since it's a Friday night. Last time we went was on a Sunday night and it was absolutely empty. I think Queen2 (Sharon) is staying at POFQ also, at least the last time I talked to her.

 

[Kadorto]

where are people staying the night before the cruise?

Us three are at the radisson.

We're staying at the Wilderness Lodge and will be over at the Magic Kingdom for MVMCP

 

[cristit14]

I am sure that everyone else on here is smarter than I and already has their flights booked, but I was just looking today and it is going to cost a lot of$$

 

[yearbook50]

I am sure that everyone else on here is smarter than I and already has their flights booked, but I was just looking today and it is going to cost a lot of$$

I haven't bought yet either b/c I'm waiting on two other people so we can buy together. $259 a person right now though which is a lot but not too much. (worst I have paid was a BOS to ATL that was $375!)

look at http://www.kayak.com