January 13, 2007 - 7 Night Magic Western

[blacksmithcrm]

Just logged in to the cruise site to see about maybe changing the time on our Palo reservations. " Sorry, we cannot book your reservation because there is no availability" - Sold out!

I know they hold back few tables for on-ship booking, but boy did those others go fast!

 

[thomprod]

Well, just paid off our balance w/ our TA. Luckily I will be at work tomorrow night and will be able to be online at the time the bookings go public...

Bytor, I hope your TA actually gets your final payment processed today. Unfortunately, if Disney doesn't show your reservation as paid in full, you will still not be able to make online ressies tomorrow. Sending pixie dust your way

...do I have to log on at 3:00 am EST and then bring up the planning page or can I be logged on already and then bring up the planning page at the prescribed time?...

You can log on early and then go to the reservation pages about 2:59 ET. Keep refreshing your browser and at 3:00, it will accept your reservation like magic.

 

[thomprod]

Just logged in to the cruise site to see about maybe changing the time on our Palo reservations. " Sorry, we cannot book your reservation because there is no availability" - Sold out!

I know they hold back few tables for on-ship booking, but boy did those others go fast!

Blacksmith. don't despair. I have read that once you book one type of meal at Palo (brunch, tea or dinner), the system will not let you even see the page again to book another meal of the same type or to change the day or time. This doesn't necessarily mean they are sold out. You can always try and make the change on board, but do it as soon as you board.

 

[Colorado Mom]

Door signs--- I would love to do it! Just not sure what to really put on it. Do I really want our names on it? Is that a safety issue?? Although. what I need is a sign that says DEB! This is your room! then arrows pointing to what I want to go to. I get so mixed up and never go the right way or end up where I thought I would.

I had such a good time meeting Skylynx and her husband!!!!! There were so many questiuons I wanted to ask you, I wish we had more time I can't wait to see ya on the ship

 

[cepmom]

for those of you worried about getting Palo dinner, as of right now, there are plenty of spaces left. I just checked online and here's a run down of what is available (this is for 1-2 diners ~not sure if this availability changes for more people)

Saturday 6:30, 7:00, 7:30, 8:00, 8:30
Sunday 6:00, 6:30, 7:00
Monday 9:00
Tuesday 8:30 9:00
Wednesday 6:30, 7:00, 7:30, 8:00, 8:30, 9:00
Thursday 8:30, 9:00
Friday 6:00, 6:30, 8:00, 7:00, 7:30, 8:30

I couldn't check on Palo brunch since we already have that booked and it won't show that option again once it's booked. Good luck tonight (tomorrow)!

 

[blacksmithcrm]

I thought there had to be some other explanation!
Thanks!

Has anyone any idea how full the ship is at this point? You guys seem to be able to find anything out!

 

[Bytor01]

Well I got everything I wanted. Hey, it also excepted the reservations at 2:59 am. I know it was that time because I have a nuclear clock that is set to Greenwich time. Lucky me that I was refreshing the page constantly. Too bad for everyone else . All the shore excursions worked out and the twins were registered for the Club. Secured reservations for the DW for the Spa. She has a massage on Tuesday evening after we get back from GC and before we go to dinner at Palo's. I got an 8:30 pm reservation there. I like that because we have the early seating all week and a little change will be good. DW also has a facial reserved for Thursday at 11:45. Her only complaint is that she would like them to have some combo packages instead of just one service. Question, if you make dinner reservations at Palo, does that prohibit you from making brunch reservations online? I did not see Brunch in the drop down menu, just "all meal types". Now, I am really looking forward to it. I also want to thank Cepmom for putting the times up that were left for Palo. It helped tremendously knowing what was still available.

Tim


Here are my reservations (if anyone cares):

Day 2 - Key West - Sunday, January 14, 2007
Pirate Scavenger Hunt 1:50-3:20pm

Day 4 - Grand Cayman - Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Seaworld Explorer Semi-Submarine 11:15AM-1:25PM
Well Being Massage 5:45PM-7:00PM
Palo Dinner 8:30PM-10:30PM

Day 5 - Cozumel - Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Cozumel Beach Break 10:30AM-5:30PM

Day 6 - At Sea - Thursday, January 18, 2007
La Therapie Hydralift Facial 11:45AM-1:00PM

Day 7 - Castaway Cay - Friday, January 19, 2007
Castaway Ray's Stingray Adventure 11:00AM-12:00PM

 

[Ginny]

Tim -

Congrats on your ressies!! Your plans sound great and I'm so glad you got everything you wanted. We are heading closer to the two months mark every day!!

Ginny

 

[DiaLady]

. . . Hey, it also excepted the reservations at 2:59 am. I know it was that time because I have a nuclear clock that is set to Greenwich time. . .

Wow! Where did you get a "Nuclear" clock? Do you have a power plant out back? . . .LOL. . . I believe you mean an "atomic" clock . .. LOL. Okay, I may find this more funny than most b/c my dh works at a nuclear power plant. Believe me. You don't want a "nuclear" clock. It would have to be behind a very thick concrete wall and then what is the use . . .LOL

Glad you got your ressies . . . here's hoping to cruise . . .

Theresa

 

[skylynx]

We absotely LOVE making our door signs...we do ours using photos from previous cruises, and port names and logos cut out of travel brochures and our extra DCL travel book. We elected to make ours on 12x12 scrapbook paper and then laminate it at Kinko's, so after each cruise, our door sign becomes the title page of our scrapbook for that vacation. We actually have our Skylynx and Impala sign (which we re-use each cruise) and a second one specific to just that cruise (so if there's an anniversary or birthday attached to it, it can be noted).

As far as security goes, I guess you should do whatever you are comfortable with...there's no reason for any names to have to go on the signs at all. We use our DISboard "aliases" and are happy to have our cabin recognized by the only people on board who would connect those names with us..other DISboarders! I personally think my kids are more "at risk" of being noticed/watched wandering around the ship than being pictured on our door sign, but that's just me. I just try to use a reasonable amount of caution (kids MUST return to the room and update where they are on a note if they divert from what they'd originally planned) but I think overall my kids are safer roaming about a Disney ship than our neighborhood back home! In fact, I used our last cruise to see how my kids (DD13 and DS10) handled a bit of freedom. They proved to be extremely responsible, and I felt this was a very safe environment for their "test flights." YMMV.

 

[Bytor01]

Nuclear/Atomic ah well what's the difference, we'll never know anyways. Just kidding, yes, atomic clock it was.

Tim

 

[Vulcandream]

Well, my ressi experience was a mixed bag.
My alarm went off at 2:40 AM and I goggily tromped into my office, fired up the puter and logged in. It was 3:01 when I got in and was a bit confused for a moment. I unintentionally started a ressie for an activity before I noticed the Palo tab. Still, it was about 3:07 when I got over to the Palo tab, only to discover that it was already too late to get a brunch ressio (which is what my wife wanted most). I did get a dinner reservation for Day 5 (Cozumel) at 8 PM and hope that's not Pirate Night. If it is, I will change it. We will see if we can get a brunch time as soon as we get onboard.
We didn't plan a lot on the excursion docket: Babanba Boat Rides at Castaway Cay & Stingray City at Caymen. My wife is getting a manicure late in the afternoon on Day 3.
Something a little different I decided to try however is: I booked a "Well Being Massage" for myself and a "Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Facial" for my wife at 4:30 on Day 1 (Sat). My wife isn't a fan of massages but I love them. My thinking is, after a number of hectic days leading up to the cruise, and a harried schedule on that day [flying from Harrisburg, PA, taking the bus, checking in, etc. etc.] that this would be a nice way to relax as we enter into our week of magic. Just dawns on me though, will we miss setting sail by being in the spa from 4:30 to 5:45?

OH, I too want the link to the DISboards sign so I can make a nice copy for our door.

 

[sopandbass]

If anyone would like to do this for our cruise, please say something here and I'll put a link to the full resolution JPG file on the cruise website. (Edit: I just added the full resolution version to the photobucket site.) If you have a color printer, you can either print it onto the magnetic paper (I bought mine at Walmart) or onto regular paper and then add magnets.

Anyone else doing door signs?

pdarrah

I'd like the link to the sign as well. We haven't decorated our door in the past but would like to this time around. Whenever I pass other people's creative artwork on their door, it makes me smile. On a previous cruise, we missed the Sail Away party get-together so I thought I wouldn't have a chance to meet anyone from the DIS thread that we had been involved with. But because of one member's decorated door, we found out that a DISfamily was right across the hallway and I had a chance to say hi.

For any of you who might be a tad leary about the meeting-people-who-you-don't-know-except-on-this-thread-and-what-if-they-turn-out-to-be-wackos thing, you might still want to give the Sail Away or meal or terminal Meet a chance. It doesn't constitute a long-term relationship or commitment and it really is pleasant to recognize and greet/be greeted by others during the cruise.

On our last cruise, someone put together all the info about our cruise, like pdarrah has done for this sailing. We dared to give our room number - I know what you're thinking...one never knows who or what may show up at your door. But as it ended up, we found all sorts of unexpected and fabulous treats from time to time. So, you might want to consider sharing that along with your info.

Well, Happy Halloween, everyone! DD is going as a cheerleader and she insisted that she needed a blonde wig. Interestingly, when she dons the wig she acts a little dizzy and speaks Valley Girl.

Peace,
Sharon

 

[Ginny]

VulcanDream -

I'm so glad you got your dinner ressies at Palo! I believe the Pirate Party is on Wednesday night but you can always go to Palo is your Pirate costume and then up to the party as it will run quite late! I would recommend keeping what you have and then seeing if you can change to Thursday or another night once you board.

One note of caution about your Spa Ressies on Saturday............and it may not actually be a priority for you............but you did book that first massage during the Sail Away Party.

As I said, it might not be as important for you to hit the Sail Away Party as it is for us. I have been counting down. As I stood on the Deck of RCCL Mariner (much bigger and much taller ship) at their Sailaway Party last November with our friends...............we could look down and see the Magic's party and hear "YMCA" and "Mickey Macarena" playing and the laughter and fun on the Magic! It was so hard for me because I really wanted to be over at the Magic's Party! The Mariner just didn't compare at all!!

If you do want to go to the party, I would suggest revising those ressies now so there isn't a charge for a late cancellelation. Anyone else remember if they do that: cancellation charges for no-shows in the spa??

 

[Vulcandream]

Ginny, thanks so much. I'll go and change those spa treatment ressies right now. I sure don't want to miss that party. Likewise don't want to miss the Pirate party and our dinner reservation is for 8 PM so I will likely try to change that once onboard.

 

[Vulcandream]

Oh yeah, one other thing while I'm thinking about it. For you who have been before, where do you reccommend for the difinitive key lime pie in KW?

 

[DiaLady]

For any of you who might be a tad leary about the meeting-people-who-you-don't-know-except-on-this-thread-and-what-if-they-turn-out-to-be-wackos thing, you might still want to give the Sail Away or meal or terminal Meet a chance. It doesn't constitute a long-term relationship or commitment and it really is pleasant to recognize and greet/be greeted by others during the cruise.

I'm with you sopandbass! On our last cruise, my dh didn't have a clue what the DISboards were. He was amazed how many folks came up and asked him how his mom was doing (she had been ill for quite awhile on the left coast while we live on the right coast). They even asked him about our ongoing kichen remodel. He was pretty taken aback at first, but made some wonderful friends. Now, dh is even cruising the boards in anticipation of cruising in January (though he still hasn't committed!). DISboarders are awesome!!!

 

[Colorado Mom]

I have my husband talked into Paradise Beach in Cozumel, seafood and beer on the beach was just too appealing to him to pass up. Anyone else doing this? or done it before?

Now, we know we are going on the cruise, very excited about it and counting down the days, but actually planning the beach day made it more real.

 

[cepmom]

I have my husband talked into Paradise Beach in Cozumel, seafood and beer on the beach was just too appealing to him to pass up. Anyone else doing this? or done it before?

Now, we know we are going on the cruise, very excited about it and counting down the days, but actually planning the beach day made it more real.

we're planning on going to Paradise Beach too....never done it before but have heard good reviews.

It's getting closer!

Pdarrah ~ I would like to print out the DIS boards sign too. When we went in 2005 we put a couple of signs on the doors, but nothing like I seen from other DISer's. I think I'll do some more this year though and really get into it!

 

[woody64]

Bad/Good News

We have had to cancel our 1/13/07 cruise. We cancelled last weekend because at that point my DW had not found a job yet. Her job was "outsourced" in June and we had hoped she would find one beofre Oct. It didn't happen so we had to cancel.

Now the good news. She accepted a job yesterday! It will be a great new beginning for her and her career (and its really close to home)! She did ask if she would have been able to cruise in Jan. and they said she would not have been able to miss any time in Jan. so it was a good call to cancel.

Have a great trip and we will be looking for trip reports when you get back and who knows, maybe there will be a cruise in 2008 for us and we'll meet up then.