February 17, 2007

[Sue (mom of 3 boys!)]

Hi Debbie-I know what you mean about the trees. ALmost all of our leaves blew down, and things are settling into that cold, brown dormant stage now... I didn't know you were close to Wachusett--we are about 45 minutes to an hour from there.

Lisa-How are you doing?? Hope you're feeling a bit better!

Everyone else-Any new plans made for the trip? It's starting to get closer!!

I think we may try to decide on excursions this weekend. It's supposed to be cold... ..and after sitting out on the baseball fields for a few hours, we'll need warm thoughts. My DS13 had tryouts for the Babe Ruth baseball team last night. He's NEVER cold, and he was freezing out there with underarmour and 3 layers of shirts to boot. I think I am ready to hunker down for winter and get going with indoor projects...

 

[christinou]

I agree, so much planning, when to go to Palo, for brunch for dinner, what excursions to book.......
I love planning a trip nearly as much as taking it, I completely drive my husband crazy....

 

[Sue (mom of 3 boys!)]

I agree, so much planning, when to go to Palo, for brunch for dinner, what excursions to book.......
I love planning a trip nearly as much as taking it, I completely drive my husband crazy....

You are not the only one, LOL! My DH is starting to get that glazed look in his eye when I talk about the trip. This may be a good time for me to mention an extra massage or something I am a totally obsessive planner, and proud of it too! I have a 1 1/2 inch binder that is just about full of plans for this trip. I'll condense it down to a 3 prong folder when the time gets closer. My DH thinks it's funny, but he has said he likes the fact that I take care of it all, and I double cross the "i's" and dot the "t's", so he can just relax. (He jokes, but I think he appreciates all the work that goes into planning. He just doesn't "get" how much I enjoy doing it!!)

 

[PhotoLisa]

Hey everyone! Thanks for all the well wishes!

I'm still here confined to bed with just a laptop and TV. DH returned to work today (offshore) for the next 3 or 4 weeks. He'll come home for a few days then back again. We're going to DC in December to see my son's graduation (hopefully) from Marine Security Guard School. He'll be guarding embassies worldwide for 3 years if he makes it through the school.

I have managed to lose the 10 pounds that I found in the hospital during the day and a half I was there! Wooohooo! Let's hope the weight continues to come off! I had my staples removed yesterday and was told to do NOTHING but lay in the bed and sit on the couch for the next 2 weeks. I have a doctor visit on Thursday.

Courtney is coming home from her dad's house today (she's been there for a few weeks while he is stateside - he works abroad) to take care of me. I'll get her and Kelli to look at excursions this weekend hopefully.

November 19th is fast approaching and is our magic day for excursions, Palo and spa reservations. I have to decide between a couples' cabana massage on CC or a villa couples massage onboard. I might make a case for both since we had to cancel our anniversary trip to NC/TN last week.

I'm getting greedy and want Palo reservations as many times as I can get them. We've never done brunch and I think that this will be the cruise that I endulge in that. Dinner is a must and I think I'll try to do that on semi-formal night. Dreaming of the chocolate suffle!!!!

Lisa

 

[christinou]

Lisa, brunch at Palo is great, I nearly like it better than dinner, so for us it is a must, my ohter big decision is which night to do dinner at Palo..... I feel so fortunate to have those kind of decisions to make.

 

[PhotoLisa]

I'm not a lobster person . . . gasp . . . but I'm from south Louisiana where all of our seafood is seasoned well. I just can't stomach a very large crawfish with hardly any seasoning. That will probably be the night we attempt to do Palo.

On our last cruise, I insisted that my daughter and her husband do a night in Palo's and they were so grateful that I forced them to do it. While they ate an adult meal, my dh and I took the kids to dinner in our regular dining room. It was a treat for all of us! That night, Bryce (then shy of 2) fell asleep at the table. It was the only night he did that and he was at late dinner every night. Kids never behave the same way when their parents aren't around and I'll just bet his parents didn't behave the same way in Palo that they usually have to with two young children.

Palo is a MUST!!!!

 

[christinou]

We can't go on Formal/Lobster night, because my 11 year old, really want lobster.......I think that we might go on Wednesday night, we did on our last cruise and it worked well.

 

[PhotoLisa]

Last cruise, we wanted to be with my grandbabies in the dining room so . . . . we went to an early Palo reservation and then joined everyone else (we were 13 travelling together) in the dining room. We only had a glass of wine in the dining room though.

 

[Sue (mom of 3 boys!)]

If I even suggest that DH and I will go to Palo on lobster night, my DS10 will disown me! He's a BIG lobster fan. I am too, but I am kind of a lobster snob--I likey the Maine lobster, and not any that's been frozen either . However, I will force it down if I HAVE to
DH and I are definitely going to try for brunch though!! Do any of you know the times for brunch?

 

[PhotoLisa]

I'll see if I can research to find brunch times.

Have any of you read SleepyDog's trip report? This thing is a riot! http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1246056 I can't wait for him to finish it. It definitely provided plenty of giggles and grins for me this morning. His bathtub fiasco is priceless!!

 

[christinou]

I think that you can reserve brunch from 10 to noon, we always go late, as I enjoy more the lunch aspect of the food, and my husband does not care for breakfast food.
Sue, I see that we both have kids with expensive taste.....

 

[PhotoLisa]

Christine:

You were quick! In researching I found the same -- 10 - 12 or 12:30 and only on sea days.

I did see a valuable comment . . . you would want to do brunch on a day other than your character breakfast!

Just did a little research bc I've never wondered when our character breakfast would be . . . your character breakfast will be on the first sea day following your first dining in Animator's Palette. 8:30 is the early seating and 9:45 is the late. This info is handy so that you don't schedule a spa appointment if you're planning on the CB with children. I missed the CB in February for that reason and missed seeing my grandbabies enjoy the experience.

Lisa

 

[justhat]

Wow, I'm so glad I found this thread cause I did not really know about these things-like the character breakfast or when the Palo brunch is. Very helpful everyone, thanks! So now I have things to figure out before the booking date. Actually, we'll be in WDW and Vero Beach 11/1-11/10, then my son's baptism is 11/12 so I should probably start thinking of this stuff now so I'm prepared.

What time on the 19th does the booking start? I think I remember reading something about it being a bizarre time when I was looking into that stuff for our Mediterranean cruise next summer. Also, what do you guys think is most important to book first, Palo's or Flounder's? I want to try to coordinate the times but not sure which one will book up first. I read some reports of Flounder's booking up right when the online window opened so I'm thinking I should do that first but not sure. What night do most people do Palo in terms of rotation, on an A, P, or L night? Our first cruise was just 4 nights so we did Palo on the 'extra' night.

Sorry, I didn't realize I have so many questions. Thanks to whoever knows the answers!

Lisa, glad to know that you're healing well and that you lost the 10 pounds too! Hopefully the rest of your recovery will go smoothly too.

 

[PhotoLisa]

I want to say that reservations for me will be at 2 AM (Central Time).

The night for Palo is usually made in relation to which menu you wish to avoid in the rotational dining.

We didn't have any problems making Flounders reservations for my grandbaby for the 2/25/06 cruise. We got all the times we wanted and were able to coordinate his times in the nursery with Palo reservations and other events.

 

[christinou]

Just a reminder that the November 19 date is for people who have cruised with Disney before. If it is your first time on a Disney cruise, I think that the date is December 2, or around there.....

 

[justhat]

So I have to be up at 3am to book then, right? Gosh, why couldn't I live in CT since I'm up with my son at 1:30 every night anyway! BTW, Lisa, my husband is from Metairie, LA. I'm not sure if that's near you or not since I keep forgetting to tell him that someone on our cruise is from LA too.

Thanks for the info. Last cruise they didn't have online booking and we booked Flounder's for every night when we first got on board and then went to Palo and picked a night. But it was only a 4 night cruise so we could book Flounder's for every night, and we had a cat 3 room so the concierge team actually took care of Flounder's for us.

But this weekend I was reading about people having trouble getting the Flounder's times they wanted so I panicked. Not that it would be the end of the world if that happened, but it would definitely make my life easier if it all worked out on the first try!

 

[PhotoLisa]

We're going to DC Dec 5-11 to see my son graduate from Marine Security Guard school in Quantico on Dec 8th. So -- we'll be in your neck of the woods!! Any tips you can send my way would be greatly appreciated.

Metairie is a superb of New Orleans and is about an hour from me! Its a small, small world.

 

[Sue (mom of 3 boys!)]

I'll see if I can research to find brunch times.

Have any of you read SleepyDog's trip report? This thing is a riot! http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1246056 I can't wait for him to finish it. It definitely provided plenty of giggles and grins for me this morning. His bathtub fiasco is priceless!!

That TR is too funny-I just read all 16 pages and I am hooked!

 

[PhotoLisa]

That TR is too funny-I just read all 16 pages and I am hooked!

I was just coming here to post a note to you saying that I saw you have been reeled in on SleepyDog's trip report but you beat me to it! Isn't is a riot! I love his writing style! That tub fiasco really made me laugh!!!

Today you spent your morning doing what I did all morning yesterday!!

 

[PhotoLisa]

Okay -- I'm officially obsessed! I woke up at 1 AM and have been up ever since and I'm completely finished with (most) all of my planning for the cruise.

That's it . . . it can't be changed, right? Its all typed up and no changes, right? At least I hope so.

I'm banking on PLA rotation and have requested it through DU and if it doesn't happen, I'll go to the dining changes place when we board on Saturday to see if it can be changed.

I've decided on Palo brunch on Sunday and Palo dinner on Wednesday (St. Thomas night - Master Chef Menu night).

I've decided for us that we're going to Orient Bay on St. Maarten (but haven't decided for sure if we'll do it on our own all day or do it as the Afternoon Beach Bash).

I've decided to do an independently booked excursion on St. Thomas - a daysail that will leave from RedHook or whatever that name is and return to there. It'll be an all day affair with AWESOME food aboard the sailboat.

Castaway will see the two teenagers getting a waiver from me so they can drive the waverunners for the eco tour and DH and I will parasail in the morning.

The only thing not set yet is my spa stuff. I need to research a little more to find out if they offer any port day specials for the spa villas. I believe I'll be successful in booking 2 spa appointments -- a villa and a cabana massage.

Now -- if November 19th would get here already!!!

Its amazing what happens when you can't sleep and are confined to bed with your laptop and a TV! The life of no washing/drying clothes, no lifting, no dishes, no cooking, no cleaning and no yardwork (yes, we still have to cut grass at this time of year in South Louisiana and its time to plant fall/winter flowering annuals right now) is beginning to set well with me!