June 25, 2005 Mexican Riviera..anyone going with us?

[Corl4]

Anyone going with us on the June 25, 2005 Mexican? We got off the Magic on June 26 and after going thru cruise withdrawl needed to book again!

It will be me, DH, DD (19) and DS (15). Looking forward to talking to anyone else who is going with us!!

Beth

 

[got2gp]

We're on board as well! We are DL veteran, we are AP holders and live about an hour from DL. This will be our first experience with DCL. It will be dh, myself, dd 16, and ds turning 12 on the cruise. We had a great time on RCCL's Voyager of the Seas in January, and are looking forward to cruising "Disney style", expecially since we will be able to drive the port and save on air fare. The only "downer" on the Voyager was that the teen programs were,...shall we say weak. Fortunatlly dd found a friend to hang with. Did your teens go to the stack and is so, did they enjoy it?

Cheryl

 

[Corl4]

Hi Cheryl,
Yes, our kids have always loved the teen program. On our last cruise our DD was 18 so she was "allowed" to be in the adult clubs but our son who will be 15 when we cruise was in the stack or hanging out with friends he made there! He usually went to the organized activiites and enjoyed them. Make sure your kids go to the "411" the first night...that's when they meet the counselors and all the other kids on the cruise.
We have been to DL twice and have really enjoyed it. It has a much cozier feel than WDW. We haven't done CA yet and DS is really looking forward to Tower of Terror since that's one of his favorite rides in WDW.
We usually drive to WDW and the cruise out of PC so now we'll be the ones flying in! I'm keeping my eye on Southwest to see when they start taking reservations for June!

Any other ?'s about the Magic, just ask! Maybe some more people will be joining us!

Beth

 

[got2gp]

Hi Beth,

I'm glad to hear that the clubs are more organized. DD went to the 411 on the Voyager and that is where she met her cruise buddy. She said there were only about 15 kids who attended. Unfortunatly, every teen event she tried to go to was a wash out and many were canceled. Don't get me wrong, she had fun, just had to make her own.

If you need any help with DL or CA planning let me know. We are regulars there. We went to WDW for the first time this year. DH and I loved it, but the kids say they prefer DL. lol. I guess it's just more user friendly. DS loved TOT at MGM and was thrilled when it opened here. It's his new favorite, with Indiana Jones at DL a close second.

BTW, can't help but ask because of your signiture. Are you by any chance a teacher? I ask because DH and I both work for schools.

Cheryl

 

[Corl4]

Hi Cheryl,
Yes, I am a teacher. I'm a reading specialist and work with Kdg., 1st and 2nd graders. My DH was also a teacher for 24 years,but retired this year to go into fundraising!
What do you and your DH do?
We are getting geared up again for the start of school. Our DD will be a freshman at Temple University in Philly and our DS will be starting his freshman year of high school. We start back on Aug. 30. Do you guys have year round school out there?
We've been in Cali. the past 2 years over Thanksgiving. Our dd plays field hockey and played in the National Tournament in Palm Desert. That is a beautiful area...the kids say they would move there in a second! Our trips to DL have just been day trips and we've driven in from Palm Desert...what a nightmare some of those highways are!
We are planning to come out a few days before the cruise and spend 2 days in the park. I think we'll stay at the Marriott that is right across the street from the parks...we can use our Marriott points that way.
Any ideas how far the port is from DL? In Florida, Disney has transfers from the airport and hotels to the port but I haven't heard anything about that for Cali. yet!

Beth

 

[got2gp]

Beth,

I am an instructional aide at an elementary school. I work for a number of teachers during the day, doing everything from admin tasks like making copies and correcting tests to testing and tutoring kids. I love the variety of my day; I can go from painting with 1st graders to tutoring 6th graders in math and then read with 4th graders. DH is a young adult advisor at an adult school. He is responsible for the high school students who take classes there.

We are getting ready for school also, but we go back a bit before you. Scool starts August 12th for DS and I, and August 16th for DD. Some of the elementary schools are year round, most are not. We have a blended schedule. A week off in October, 3 at Christmas and 2 for spring break. DD will be in 10th this year at a brand new high school and DS is going into 6th. I can't even imagine sending one off to college even though we are almost there!

The parks should be beautiful for your visit. Hopfully everything will be up and running by then (except Space Mountain) They're certainly doing a lot of work. We love DL best but have a couple don't misses in CA, TOT, Soaring, and Cal Screaming. I'm not positive about the distance to the port, but my guess is that it may be 25 to 30 miles. I'm sure they will work something out about transfers. It'll be easy for us this time, just drive down and park.

DH and I lived in Maryland for 5 years( he is retired Army), in fact DD was born there. While the area was beautiful I"ve become such a wimp after 10 years in So Cal I could do without the snow!

Cheryl

 

[Corl4]

Hi again Cheryl!
Looks like we are the only 2 families going onour cruise!

Wow, you have some nice breaks built into your school year. We have 3 days at Thankgiving, one week at Christmas, 2 days at Easter and a few snow days built in here and there which we always end up having to use! We are out on June 8 this year...when is your year over?

As much as I love Cali. I think I would miss the snow here in PA. I love the change of seasons although it would be nice to be able to shorten the winter just a bit!

Where did you live in MD? We have relatives that live just on this side of the MD line right off Rt. 83. And until we discovered cruising several years ago, we always vacationed in OC!

Well, back to watching the US Olympic b-ball team playing in Germany. Our DD is at the game...she' been in Germany for 3 weeks visiting a friend. Keep thinking I might see her when the camera pans the crowd! She gets home on Sat. and then we'll be in the rush to do all the college buying!

Take care!

Beth

 

[got2gp]

Beth,

Yes, we do get some nice breaks (DS and I that is), but we pay for it in June, plus we start next week! DD is out by early June and we don't finish until the late in June, the 17th I think. We have three school calendars to work vacations around and it can get tough finding non peak times to travel. DH works year round with breaks between quarters and of course his breaks don't match ours except Christmas and 4th of July.

DH and I have lived all over. In order, first 1 year in Hawaii on the island of Oahu, 2 years in Washington state, 3 years in Stuttgart Germany, 5 years in Maryland where DD was born (Bel Air, about 30 miles Northeast of Baltimore), 3 years in Nuermburg Germany where DS was born and finally nearly 11 years and counting here in the LA area.

I know we can't be the only ones on this cruise! In fact there was another roll call thread earlier that I posted on with a couple people from Cali and I think one from PA as well. It just kind of petered out.

Wishing your DD a safe trip home. Have fun with that college shopping. My DD gets back from Cheer camp today and I know she will be wanting to get going on her back to school shopping as well even though we will still be wearing summer clothes for another month or more. DS doesn't even want to think about it lol.

Cheryl

 

[mdvasquez]

We will also be joining you guys on the cruise. It is me Dena, my DH Michael, my DD's Ashley, and Emily who will be 15 and 16months at time of sailing. It will be our 8th Disney Cruise. We are taking #7 on the magice this Halloween.

CHERYL, I used to be an ESE teachers aide at an elementary school. I did that for 7 years, and before that I taught pre-k for 2. Now I am a stay at home mom, since my youngest is 5 months old. My 13 dd will be going into 8th grade and she will be home schooled this year. My 14 DS will be in 9th, starting his first year of high school. And my oldest DS 17 will be starting his first year of college. he will be staying at home and attending the community college. School here starts on the 18th of August.

Well, I wish I could tell you more, but my dd is crying. Have a great evening.

Dena

 

[got2gp]

Hi Dena,

Welcome, we are glad to see other families join us! Sounds like there will be lots of educators on this cruise. My, you must certainly have your hands full with 4 kids and such an age range to boot. I can't imagine having one in college and one in diapers at the same time!

Wow, homeschooling. I have a neighbor who homeschools also; she's been doing it for years. While there are times that not having to get everyone up and out in the morning sounds wonderful, I don't think it is for me, or for that matter for my kids. I have the ultimate patience with other people's kids and can explain the same concept over and over again, but with my own...

Are you planning to extend your stay in CA to visit DL or any of our other tourist attractions? Let me know if you need any help in planning. Have a great weekend, looking forward to talking to you more.

Cheryl

 

[Corl4]

Hi Dena and Cheryl!

Glad to see another family will be joining us! I'm just killing some time before I head to the airport to pick up DD...she's on her way home from Germany after spending 3 weeks there! I'm so excited to see her and she will be soooo excited when I tell her about the cruise....we booked it while she was gone. I thought about keeping it a secret but since DS knows, he won't be able to keep it to himself.

Dena - have you given any thought to transfers when you fly out? I talked with my TA and Disney does have transfers from the airport, port and DL but each transfer is $25 pp. So for our family, transfers alone would cost $300! I think we could probably rent a car for cheaper than that. Of course, then we do all the driving!

If any of your kids would like to IM my DS who is "almost 15" let me know and I'll give you his screen name. He always likes to talk to kids before he gets on the ship.

Have a good weekend everyone!

 

[llachance]

Having been on the thread that disappeared......we are

Lisa and Josephine (Mom and Daughter). This will be our third MAGICAL cruise. We have been on the Eastern and Western.

John and Jon (Father and Son). This will be their first Magical cruise. John and I are getting married two days after the cruise ends. John and I cruised on RCCL last January. It was his first cruise. He is going to be amazed. His son has never cruised.

Jim and Dorothy(John's Father and Step-Mother). This will be their first Magical cruise although they have sailed on other lines.

Nanni and Papa Bill (My Mother and Step-Father). This will be my mother's second Magical cruise (I took her when she retired from "teaching" a couple of years ago) and Bill's first Magical cruise. Since he isn't a disney fan we are surprised he wanted to come along.

Shannon - my daughter's best friend. They have been joined at the hip since 8th grade. Gets her adventures by tagging along with my daughter.

This cruise is a celebration of the kids graduating from high school and probably the last trip before college and life interferes.

My daughter, I, John and Jon reside in San Jose, California. Jim and Dorothy live in Indiana while Nanni and Papa Bill live in Hawaii.

We will drive down the day before the cruise and park at the port.

 

[got2gp]

Hi Lisa, welcome to our new thread! Sounds like you have quite the family affair going on for this cruise. Congrats on the wedding, always an exciting time. Is everyone going back up to San Jose with you for nuptuals? Any plans to do DL while you are here?

Beth, hope your DD had a good flight home. Those transatlantic flights can be rough sometimes. DD (16 in January) said she'd be glad to "talk" to your DS. Never hurts to get to know someone before hand.

Can't believe school is almost here. DD's school held a jamboree over the weekend and her cheer squad performed in front of the school for the first time. Talk about nerves, I'm not sure who was worse the girls or the parents and coaches. We had registration for DD this morning. What a mess! This being the first time at a brand new school, it was a bit chaotic. The school isn't even quite finished yet. There is no furniture in the classrooms, the phones arn't in yet, no parking space lines in the lot, but at least the bathrooms are up and running LOL. It will be a race to get it livable by next Monday.

Cheryl

 

[llachance]

Nuptials will be held in Los Angeles. My sister is a minister and lives in West Hollywood. Then, folks can get on planes and head back to their respective domiciles.

School is coming quickly. We had the county fair last week, my daughter showed a steer and a lamb...they did well as a group. Future Farmers of America....it is also why the cruise is right at the end of the school year, we will have fair animals as well next year. Took her for her senior portraits this evening! 18 years has sure flown by!

 

[mdvasquez]

Cheryl: Yes, homeschooling is quite an undertaking. However, my dd is a dream child!! Thank God. As you can see, I am NOT homeschooling my 14 yr old ds. He is ADHD and even though he is 100% better on his medication, I still wouldn't have the patience to work with him.

We do plan on staying in DL for two days prior to the cruise, as our 10 yr wedding anniversary is on the 24th of June. We are DVC members, so we will probably use points to stay there. I am not sure how we will get to and from the airport, hotel, cruise terminal and back again yet. If you have any ideas or suggestions, that would be great!!

Welcome Lisa!

Today I am off to Orlando to pick up my dd from the airport. She just spent a week in Kansas City with her dad.

Have a great day everyone!:thewave:

Dena

 

[mdvasquez]

Just giving us a little bump.

I am sitting at home waiting to see what hurricane charley is going to bring my way today.

Dena

 

[got2gp]

Hi Dena,

Here's to hoping that Charlie will pass you by! I've been through a couple of those big storms while we were in Maryland and a typhoon (sp?) in Hawaii. I'm not sure what's worse, the hours and days watching and waiting through a storm like that or the sudden terror of an earthquake like the Northridge. For either one all you can do is prepare and wait, you never know what nature has in store for you.

If you are only planning to visit DL while here you really don't need a car, but I understand those transfers can get expensive. You may want to look into renting a car for the land portion. I don't know if there is a car rental returm near the port, but worth looking into. It might even be cheaper to rent a car for the entire time and just park at the port. I know a lot of people are leary of driving in LA but it's not as bad as you might think, especially since 90% of it would be on the freeway. Now NYC, that's a different story alltogether! LOL

If you have your pick of the DL hotels, I'd have to recommend the Grand Californian. Great location in DTD, it's the closest to both parks and is absolutely beautiful and of course the most expensive. Disneyland hotel is nice also but a further walk, though it is convenient to the monorail. I haven't stayed in the Paridise Pier so no input there except to say it looks like quite a haul on foot to DL.

Cheryl

 

[Corl4]

Hi everyone!

I've been off the boards for a few days while taking DD to Temple U. for her college orientation! Had a great time, learned lots and am ready to send DD off for 4 years! She's ready to go too!

Cheryl: DD's flight was very rough...said she had to hold onto her food to keep it from falling off the tray. She was very glad to be back on the ground!

Lisa: Welcome to the thread and congrats on the wedding! Sounds like the cruise will be very exciting for you...I always love cruising with first timers!

Dena: Hope things are quiet down there in FL. We had water in our basement last night from Charley or Bonnie....first time in 15 years! We have friends on the Wonder right now and are hoping that they are having smooth sailing.

Well, 2 more weeks and then back to school. I have to get used to getting up at 5:30 again and working all day....I know...the life of a teacher!

 

[Corl4]

Just bumping!

 

[got2gp]

Hi everyone.

Well we are starting to get back into the routine of school. DS is happy with his teacher and class. I have the same schedule as last year, it's all good. Wish I could say the same for DD who started Monday at a brand new high school. It's not even quite finnished yet and the first couple of days have been rough. No running water, no phones, no food service (except 1 small cart) no shade and the bus schedule is messed up just to name a few of her complaints. Of course it is still hot here, upper 90s, which doesn't help. DD is not happy at all! (quote" I hate it here!) I keep telling her it will get better but she doesn't want to hear it.

Hope all is well with everyone.

Cheryl