Jumping, Dancing & Jamming Our Way Through Walt Disney World! I'm With the Band Now!

[mickeystoontown]

Happy Belated Birthday, Lisa!
Happy New Year! I hope the black eyed peas and cabbage bring you lots of $$$!

Thank you! I hope that they bring me luck as well!

Lisa, we've had a busy weekend, but I wanted to pop over here and wish you a Happy New Year.

Thank you Kathy! I hope your's was good as well! Tell Markie I'm thinking about him today.

I think I have finally caught up . How did I miss so much???? New car? Don't you just love that smell? There is nothing like it. Merry Christmas, Happy Birthday and Happy New Year!!! I'm glad we keep up in text messages because or I would miss out on everything if we didn't.......

I think you have a perfect excuse for not being on the Dis much. I love my new car. Hunter and I were laughing this weekend what we were supposed to call it. It's not a car and it's not a full blown big SUV. It's a crossover. Hunter suggested we call it a Scar. Part SUV and part Car.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Hello out there! I hope that everybody had a safe and happy New Year's Eve and Day! We didn't do anything special and opted to stay at home and shoot a few fireworks and eat Taco Bell. Man, did we live it up or what?

I'm going through my memory cards because I am now thinking I have more Animal Kingdom day pictures than what I have uploaded to Photobucket. Knowing me, I had two cameras going at once.

Give me a little while and I promise I'll be back to post another update.

 

[mickeystoontown]

I am sorry that I didn't get back to post another Disney update but I had a very good reason. I booked a Disney cruise to the Bahamas!

For some reason, I started playing around on the Disney Cruise Line site today and came up with three different figures (3 different types of staterooms). I was trying to get the cheapest price for the cruise so that we could still go to Walt Disney World afterwards. I needed to stay within $500 or so of what our existing WDW vacation.

Well, wouldn't you know it, by the time I finished pricing the cruises out, all three categories of rooms were booked. I would get to the point where it would let me go all the way to where you enter your credit card information and then click submit and I'd receive an error message. After doing that three times, I called Disney Cruise Line and spoke with someone who said those three categories were booked and there was a waiting list for them. The next step up would cost $300+ which would put me quite a bit above my extra $500 when combined with a WDW stay. I told them thanks but no thanks.

I couldn't let it go though and kept trying to book any one of my three saved cruises. After about 3 hours, I was able to book........get this.......the cheapest of the three!

I should be right? Right? Yeah, right. But, then the plans hit a snag. What about Mama? She had already booked a vacation at WDW. I called her and asked her if she would be interested in the cruise. She said that she didn't think so but for us to do what we wanted because she really didn't know if she was going to be able to go to WDW anyway. It's a lot of money for a solo traveler (she refuses to room with us and "be in ya'll's way) and she's been having quite a bit of pain from the arthritis in her foot so lots of walking is hard for her. I really hate for Mama to think that we are "kicking her out" of our vacation plans because that's not what we are doing.

Honestly though, I think she's been seriously considering canceling on us anyway. She has only paid her deposit and hasn't made any other payments so far. Usually, she's made quite a few already.

So, I'm leaving all plans for both the cruise and WDW the way they are until we definitely decide what we are going to do. I'm in the process of seeing what it will cost if we modify our existing WDW vacation to 6 days instead of 10. The cruise would leave on a Thursday and we had planned on arriving at the CBR on a Wednesday.

If we modify this is what our plans will be:

Tuesday evening, leave Louisiana and drive most of the way to Florida.
Wednesday morning, get up and drive to a hotel near the Port.
Thursday morning, we may spend the morning at Kennedy Space Center.
Thursday afternoon, board the Disney Dream.
Friday, cruise and Nassau.
Saturday, cruise and Castaway Cay.
Sunday, leave the cruise, drive to WDW and stay at the CBR.
Monday through Friday, go to the parks.
Saturday, leave for home.

It's been a really long time since we've only spent 5 days in the parks and I don't know how we would like it. We are used to having our relaxation days mingled in between park days and we like to take our time touring the parks. With the cruise, we'd have all of our relaxation days at the beginning of the vacation. That's our only hesitation. It may not sound like a "real" reason to hesitate but to us it's a semi-big deal.

Oh well, we'll see how it all works out but for now the plans are to go to the Bahamas aboard the Disney Dream and then spend 6 days at Walt Disney World!

 

[Caretames1]

Awesome! Can I stow away in your bags!

 

[ronnmel]

I think a Disney cruise would be awesome. Yes it would mean a bit less time in the parks, but you guys have been going so many times that a little change in the routine can't be anything but good. Worst case scenario, you realize the cruise is not so much for your family and it renews your love of the parks. Best case scenario, you enjoy both parts a lot and have lots of new things to experience in the first part, while doing your favorites in the second part. It's a win-win.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Awesome! Can I stow away in your bags!

Of course you can!

I think a Disney cruise would be awesome. Yes it would mean a bit less time in the parks, but you guys have been going so many times that a little change in the routine can't be anything but good. Worst case scenario, you realize the cruise is not so much for your family and it renews your love of the parks. Best case scenario, you enjoy both parts a lot and have lots of new things to experience in the first part, while doing your favorites in the second part. It's a win-win.

That's the way I am looking at it right now. If we are going to go on a cruise, it needs to be a Disney cruise and it needs to be a short one. That way, if we don't like it, I won't feel like my entire vacation is ruined.

 

[PhoenixStrength]

I agree with Mel! It is certainly worth a try, and even a bad Disney cruise can't be that bad! And hopefully you will love it And you will still get some park time to enjoy after it.

 

[deedeew80]

Yay for the Disney Cruise!!!! I hear they are a lot of fun!!! I have never been on any sort of cruise, but if I were to go on one I would definitely choose a Disney Cruise!!! I understand about going to the parks for only 5 days.....it doesn't really give you any down time at all! However, I have done it several times, just not in awhile! Good Luck with everything! Hope it all goes well!!!

 

[KatMark]

Lisa, a cruise sounds wonderful. As you know, we had planned on doing that in 2013, but decided after staying at AKL, that we really would rather stay there for a week. But I think with John's love of the beach, that this will be perfect.

 

[mickeystoontown]

I agree with Mel! It is certainly worth a try, and even a bad Disney cruise can't be that bad! And hopefully you will love it And you will still get some park time to enjoy after it.

That's what I am thinking. How bad can it be if it's a Disney cruise? I priced out a Carnival cruise and it was only slightly less than the Disney cruise. The beds were twins and you had to push them together if you wanted a king bed. I don't have a clue where Hunter would sleep but it did say it would sleep 3.

Yay for the Disney Cruise!!!! I hear they are a lot of fun!!! I have never been on any sort of cruise, but if I were to go on one I would definitely choose a Disney Cruise!!! I understand about going to the parks for only 5 days.....it doesn't really give you any down time at all! However, I have done it several times, just not in awhile! Good Luck with everything! Hope it all goes well!!!

I've never been on a cruise either but I think if I want to take the plug, I'd rather do it on a Disney cruise.

It's been a long time since we've had so few days in the parks but I am sure we'll be fine.

Lisa, a cruise sounds wonderful. As you know, we had planned on doing that in 2013, but decided after staying at AKL, that we really would rather stay there for a week. But I think with John's love of the beach, that this will be perfect.

I thought about you when I was looking at the cruises 'cause I knew you were pondering one. I think John will be blissfully happy while on the beaches. I, on the other hand, am going to be looking into the excursions.

 

[francis6306]

About the New Year's thing in GA/NC we did Collards, blackeyed peas, ham and cornbread!

I didn't eat any of that stuff… cause I only like cornbread out of the bunch!!!

And YAY for the Cruise!!!! I say go for it!!! It's not like you are newbies to the World!! You know you will still enjoy the 5 days in the parks!!!

 

[mickeystoontown]

I have even more good news! As soon as I booked the trip, I sent a text to my friend Dana. She and I text back and forth all the time and met each other here on the Dis a few years ago. We had a Dis Meet in May, 2010 and have kept in touch every since. As a matter of fact, we were supposed to meet up on our 2011 trip but, somehow, our ships passed in the night and we were never able to see one another.

Anyway.....sorry.....I sent a text to Dana. We texted back and forth and it now looks like she may be changing her March plans to our travel dates. She's also looking into booking the same Disney cruise as we are. Can you believe it? I think we both know we can be each other's shoulder to cry on if we hate the cruise or we can live it up if we love it. She working on the alternate plans now but she's like me, she's not changing anything until she sees what is available in May.

On my end, I've gone through the Disney site and priced out the modified WDW vacation. The vacation would, of course, go down but I didn't quite meet my goal of not going over $500.00. The price difference would be $568.00. If I look at it one way, I see: Oh no, I went over the extra $500 goal. If I look at it another way, I see: Hey, I saved almost $500.00 when I took advantage of the Spring Room Offer. When I look at it the "another way", the vacation is really only about $75.00 more than the original price I received when I booked our vacation back in August.

Isn't it funny how Disney Math is totally different from "real" Math? And, isn't it odd how we can make spending more money seem like such a good deal?

 

[rndmr2]

Yay for booking a cruise! I think you guys will love it, I haven't been on a Disney Cruise but have been on quite a few on other lines and they are awesome!

 

[BelleTinkMom]

The cruise sounds great. As you know, we are going on a 7 day cruise in June. I can spin the numbers anyway just to make it seem logical for me to go on vacation!!!

 

[PittypatBR]

Lisa I think a cruise is a wonderful idea! Why not experience ALL Disney has to offer? We have been on only one Caribbean cruise but it was wonderful! So relaxing, and so much FOOD!! Prepare to gain a few pounds, but then of course you can walk them off in WDW!

I would love to go on a Disney cruise with all my grandkids. My daughter has just about decided to do one in a year or two, so I will probably tag along for that one. My husband and I are just now planning an Alaskan cruise/tour for May with another couple. It will be 7 days cruising and 7 days on land. Both couples are celebrating our 45th anniversary so we are splurging, but it is on Holland American rather than Disney this time.

 

[elder]

yay for the cruise! Our family had so much fun on our Carnival cruise, but was quite jealous with the Disney Dream right next to ours.....that waterslide looked awesome!!!!

Maybe one day we can cruise Disney also!!

 

[natebenma]

What exciting news about the cruise!!! Never know what I am going to find when I click on your report! We have been on a few cruises- never Disney, though. My husband really wants to try one. I hear Castaway Cay is AMAZING!!! And watching fireworks from the ship or movies from the pool...

So much or so little to do.

I'll be interested in hearing about what you decide to do for excursions in the Bahamas. We stayed at Atlantis for 5 nights in Feb 2009 and we are returning this year during April vacation. The place is incredible: The Digs Aquarium is fantastic and the waterpark is first rate, but I believe the cruise ship excursions here are PRICEY!!!

That is so cool that your friend Dana may be cruising with you! We just learned yesterday that one of Ben's friends, a boy who has been in his class every year except 3rd grade will be at Atlantis the same week as us.

Dee

PS- Back to the photo- I thought the bark looked like a cobra too!

 

[Angies1274]

Hi Lisa!!

Catching up after taking a little break from the DIS. I'm not completely caught up yet but I wanted to pop in and say Hi!

**edit- YAY! I just read about your cruise! How exciting! We almost went on a cruise this year...had it booked and everything but decided to wait for a couple more years. I did a ton of research and the Dream looks so beautiful and Castaway Cay...awww...what can I say. It looks so relaxing. You are going to have such an amazing time!

Okay..now back to catching up!

 

[ddstratton]

Wow! A cruise -- how wonderful! Can't wait to hear how it works out for you. We've considered one, but I am not sure DH would be comfortable. He's not a fan of being on the water...

 

[oopsiDAISY]

A cruise? CONGRATULATIONS!!! We want to do that for our kids in the next few years, too...so excited for you guys!