Magic Christmas Cruise 2010 (Dec 18th - 29th) - PART II

[sarahlovespooh]

Thanks for all the great welcomes! I am sure this has been discussed but I am so far behind the 8-ball for this cruise, please forgive me for asking--How is everyone going to handle Santa? Maybe ask him to deliver larger toys to the house and deliver small ones to the ship?? I assume these would be packed instead of shipped to make sure they get there. I understand he does come aboard for a little r and r after his Christmas eve run?? Wow! I never thought we'd be away from home on Christmas morning so I need to make it absolutely believable!! Ideas??

 

[Lolobellica]

Thanks for all the great welcomes! I am sure this has been discussed but I am so far behind the 8-ball for this cruise, please forgive me for asking--How is everyone going to handle Santa? Maybe ask him to deliver larger toys to the house and deliver small ones to the ship?? I assume these would be packed instead of shipped to make sure they get there. I understand he does come aboard for a little r and r after his Christmas eve run?? Wow! I never thought we'd be away from home on Christmas morning so I need to make it absolutely believable!! Ideas??

We are going to bring very small presents for our 4 year old DD, and take pictures of the bigger item and wrap the pictures for her and say Santa delivered it to the house.

For the running/ walking group, I am interested in joining too! I just completed my first 10k race and amd in training for my 1st half marathon (a year from now.) I am hoping to do the 5k run on Castaway Cay.

 

[3PrincessGrandma]

Thanks for all the great welcomes! I am sure this has been discussed but I am so far behind the 8-ball for this cruise, please forgive me for asking--How is everyone going to handle Santa? Maybe ask him to deliver larger toys to the house and deliver small ones to the ship?? I assume these would be packed instead of shipped to make sure they get there. I understand he does come aboard for a little r and r after his Christmas eve run?? Wow! I never thought we'd be away from home on Christmas morning so I need to make it absolutely believable!! Ideas??

Welcome, welcome, welcome. The more the merrier!
We always cut pictures from catalogs, etc., wrapped the pictures in small packages for opening "away from home" on Christmas morning. The only time we didn't was when Joann got her first 2-wheel bicycle. DH dressed as Santa the day before we left and rang the doorbell to give her the bike. Should have seen the neighborhood kids as "Santa" rolled the bike from half a block away.

 

[BBQMommy]

Santa will be doing stockings in our room and visiting our house in TN while we are on the ship.

Caryn

 

[BBQMommy]

I'd enjoy walking with the group as well. Did 2.5mi yesterday and 2.25 today at the gym. Getting there.



Caryn

 

[mickey squared]

We always hang stockings ( both of my boys have autism so they still believe!) and fill them with gift cards so we all go shopping after Christmas and spend them. We also put up our tree before we leave and magically presents appear under the tree for the kids upon our return. It works out well for everyone. Plus 2 of my kids have December birthdays so it feels like we're opening gifts all month long.

 

[DVC4US]

I'm seeing two threads for this cruise, so I don't know which one to post on, but....

We may be late to the party, but we are here!! Just booked!!
Our 3rd Disney cruise...but the last two I had a year to plan and obsess--how in the world will I do it all in two months?
It will be:
Melanie (me) stay at home mom
Stephan my German carpenter hubby
Flannery daughter age 9
Helena daughter age 7
coming from Mississippi

don't know if I have time to do all the fish extenders and ornament exchange, but I'll be with you in spirit First priority is pirate costumes, door magnets, and of course, making sure Santa has stuff there for Christmas (Insert Santa smiles here--still haven't figured out how to do that)

Anything I need to know without having to read 1000 of posts with everything else I have to do, fill me in.

Welcome Aboard Melanie!

Most of the main information for our cruise bigAWL has organized on the first page of this thread so that would be a great place to start. We have a lot of fun things going on for this cruise and a great group here on the thread.

 

[DVC4US]

Lisa - Happy Anniversary to you and Mike!

I might join those walking on deck 4 in the mornings. It just depends on how the night before goes!

We will be doing stockings with small gifts and gift cards. Of course, I have older kids so it's eaiser to get away with that. It's all they want anyway!

 

[mickeyteachers]

The past two Christmas cruises I have always decorated the staterooms with Christmas decorations and the door and wall around the door with lots of decorations. I also have my older son write a letter to his little brother from Mickey Mouse. I sneak into the staterooms before he arrives and decorate the rooms and leave a gift from Mickey with the letter. He still thinks the letters are from Mickey. I love seeing his smile on his face. I then continue with changing the decorations every day of the cruise. I put new decorations around the door and in the room. It is so much fun to see my son smile. Since it will be my moms birthday on the 19th I will make sure I decorate her room with lots of birthday decorations. This will be so much fun.

 

[jgura]

We have discussed with the kids that elves are on the ship and will probably fill our stockings. Santa will surely come on Christmas while we are gone and can open the presents at home.

I do like the above idea of gifts magically appearing before the cruise. Even though my kids never want to leave the ship, I can see them asking to come home just to see if Santa came. That would bother me!

We will be missing the last day of school before break to go to Magic Kingdom on Friday. Anyone else?

Even though I know it is far off, I keep looking to see if I have a GTY room assignment yet.

Mailing package: Did anyone find how far in advance the port will accept a package? I wonder how they store things?

Don't type too much, I am off to a ACL music festival for the weekend.

 

[disneycruising]

We have always been away from home on Christmas morning...so my kids already understand that Santa come no matter where you are.

Our kid's Christmas present from us is the trip. The MVMCP, the Christmas Cruise with a back to back New Years cruise. So, I will not have to pack a gift from us. Leave me more luggage space! lol

I am thinking Santamight bring-- a christmas ornament (hopefully a DCL or WDW), christmas pajamas (he brings them every year), plus a stocking with gift cards, candy, and a book.

It helps that my kids are older 16, 15, 12, & 10.

 

[disneycruising]

We will be missing the last day of school before break to go to Magic Kingdom on Friday. Anyone else?

My kids will also miss the friday before break start. We are doing an over night flight on the 16th. Then we will take a much needed nap, before we attend MVMCP on the 17th.

 

[mickeyteachers]

My entire family will be missing Friday. I really hate missing the 17th. But, we cannot get to Florida unless we leave on the 17th in the morning. So, I guess my students will have a sub. I hardly ever miss school.

 

[Dagny]

I would also be interested to know of any good resources for port calls. Let me know what you find out! I have the 2008 Passporter guide book, but it doesn't cover, Martinique, Guadaloupe, or Barbados.

Ditto - we are really struggling with some ideas here as well

Also, we have not received confirmation on participation in the F/E - would love to know how many are participating so I can starting picking up the necessasry amount of gifts

 

[disneycruising]

My entire family will be missing Friday. I really hate missing the 17th. But, we cannot get to Florida unless we leave on the 17th in the morning. So, I guess my students will have a sub. I hardly ever miss school.

Mickeyteachers-I see you are also in CA? Where do you guy live? We live in Northern CA.

 

[TammyAlphabet]

Boy do I want to book this cruise!! All categories are still available and the great cat 12 prices are still available. I wish I knew if I could go! I won't know till the last minute!!

 

[Meemous]

Thanks for all the great welcomes! I am sure this has been discussed but I am so far behind the 8-ball for this cruise, please forgive me for asking--How is everyone going to handle Santa? Maybe ask him to deliver larger toys to the house and deliver small ones to the ship?? I assume these would be packed instead of shipped to make sure they get there. I understand he does come aboard for a little r and r after his Christmas eve run?? Wow! I never thought we'd be away from home on Christmas morning so I need to make it absolutely believable!! Ideas??

I have two kids that are older and know the Santa Secret and my 12 year old son is mildly delayed so he still believes in Santa, my 11yo daughter says she still believes this year so it will still be fun for us!

I bought small stockings and found some Disney Gift Cards to give them that they can use on the SURPRISE visit to WDW after the cruise. I also thought I'd get them some arcade cards for the ship and I think they can use the disney gift cards in the gift shops on board too. I bought a few christmas gifts to send ahead of time with our FE stuff, pirate stuff and decorations to be waiting at the port for us.

Welcome to all the newcomers and happy birthdays and anniversaries! I'm sorry I'm late but in the middle of selling/closing on my home in Atlanta at the end of the month and the realtors/closing attorneys have me going crazy. Happy to be selling though at a time like this!

Have a Magical Day!!!

 

[momssurprise]

I will let you know what I find on the new Southern ports. I would like to book a few things - but I may wing it. Maybe a group of us can make some decisions once we are all ON BOARD. (can't wait - can't wait - can't wait)

I too am taking my DD out of school on the 17th, and I'm the bad room mom who won't be there for the party. But, I just don't want to chance something going wrong with our flight on the 18th. The consequences are too horrible! On our first Disney cruise we flew in the morning of. It was fine and Disney made it so easy with the transfers, etc. But I later realized I like having a day's cushion -- just in case.

DK about presents. Will need something for all of us in our stockings. DH will probably get his tie for the formal that night. I might have an AG doll for DD, with matching DCL girl/doll dresses. The rest she can open when she gets home. She says she believes but we know an older girl told her -- fortunately she still very much wants to believe, so we're going with that!

Wonder what I should get myself to put in my stocking? I definitely consider the cruise my present!!!!

 

[disneycruising]

A couple of questions for the parents that are surprising their children with the cruise:

1) When are you going to tell them?
2) How are you going to tell them?

I have spent alot of time trying to decide on when to actually tell & how...
I want to wait until my DD (10) birthday to 'tell' which is 12/15. Our flight is late on the 16th. That would give them 24 hours to be excited before we go.

My issue is that we always go to my parents for Christmas and I am concern that DD (10) is going to be very upset about not going to Grandma. My DD is one of those kids that loves traditions. I thought about telling her we were thinking of not going to grandma's this year, but was worried that by saying that...it might 'give away' that we have other plans. I am trying to balance giving her enough notice about the change in plans, with getting a great "Christmas Surprise".

My oldest DD (17) has (mild) aspergers so advanced notice is good. I think a 24 hour notice and a long plane ride will give her enough time to adjust... to the new plans. She will have 'everything mapped' out before we land.

I don't think my 2 DS's (15 &12) will be any problem. They are very easy going. They will probably be glad that we will not have to do the 10 hour drive (each way) to Grandma's house. lol.

Right now, I am planning on putting together a "present" with a cruise shirt, MVMCP tickets, Cruise magnets (with dates). That we will put under the tree and they will open early. Unless I can come up with something more creative...still working on it.

I would love to hear what everyone else is planning?

 

[HFC1969]

This is the first year we haven't surprised them... We always got up real early and had them open a present under the tree that said.... Merry Christmas we leave right now for a Disney Cruise... We just always packed and hid the suitcases in the basement.

70 til vaca​

Welcome to all the newbies..