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

[Lyrah]

I'm considering this. I'm trying to surprise my kids with the cruise and wanted to wait until December to tell them about it. I might tell my 14 year old daughter just so she can start posting. Hmm... decisions...

Great idea!

I also wanted to encourage you to surprise your children with the cruise. They will never forget it!

Don't worry about your 14 year old, she will make the same friends when she meets them at the Disboards meet. Maybe the teens could even let her know that everyone was keeping it a secret so that she would be surprised.

I'll tell you how we surprised our 2 daughters (15 and 12), and maybe this will help you with a few ideas.

First we did let them know that we were taking a trip to Disneyworld. We started by telling them that after a few days we were going to change resorts. They kept asking what resort we were moving to, and we would just tell them that we wanted it to be a surprise.

The morning of the "move" we all packed up and went out to the front of the resort to wait for the "bus" to take us to our new resort. Here's where the fun started. After about 10 minutes a stretch limo pulled up. Now my girls have always wanted to ride in a limo, so they were all excited checking it out and waiting to see who was going to get in it. We just stood there for at least five minutes before my DH says "watch this, I'm going to just go over there and put my suitcase in the limo and see what the driver does". And he actually does it. At this point my daughters are dying of embarrassment! Then finally the driver announces our names, we all load up and we are on our way.

After the excitement starts to calm down, we tell them that since they have always wanted to ride in a limo that we would surprise them with a one hour ride, and then we would be dropped off at our new resort. After awhile my 15 year old started asking questions about our destination, but perfectly timed was a large u-shaped turn in the road, where I assured her that we we now turing to go back the other way! I will never forget the look on my daughters faces as we crested the brigde before the port and they saw the cruise ship!! It was so magical, that it gives me chills as I write this.

Secrets like this are hard to keep, so whatever you decide to do, it will still end with a Magical Disney Cruise!!

Have fun deciding,
Charyl Lee

 

[HFC1969]

81



Happy Monday

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[TheBeadPirate]

I've was looking around the shops for FE gifts and wondered what was the average cost people spend on things?

Do you (general you) prefer to make your own gifts or to buy something 'ready-made'?

I haven't done this before so I'm a bit stumped...

We usually do a combo.

For our Oct cruise I'm doing logo bags(they're small) using premade bags and heat transfers and filling them with "cabin necessities"- purell, highliter, pen, post its, single sunscreen, single detergent, sewing kit.

For our 12/12 cruise we're doing cds with Holiday music done in a tropical way- I'm almost done burning those- 96 FE cabins!

Our favorite from last Christmas was from a lady who just came back from working in Kuwait. She found handcarved "trinkets"-ours is a camel- at a bazaar(ours hangs on our tree now as an ornament) and added some candy and a package of chicken stock cubes(really!) with all of the Arabic writing on it. I asked her about the chicken stock cubes- she picked them because alot of products there have pictures on them so people know what they are that don't read arabic! I still have mine in the kitchen on a shelf.

It is a 100 degrees in late September! Where is fall in SoCal? It is definitely not here. My DD is enjoying Halloween Time at Disneyland today with her cousin, Aunt Cheryl, and Uncle Scott. I am home recovering from an RA flare-up.

Wow, it appears that our FE numbers are growing. I am getting a little nervous. I purchased items for fifty. Oh well, I might have to agree with the dividing of the group into two groups.

This is year three of our credit free lifestyle so we purchased our first Disney Gift Cards for the trip. I needed to start organizing our spending money since we only have three more paychecks before we leave.
Time is flying friends!
Take care and talk to you soon.

We'll be out your way at the end of the week- how's the weather now? LOL Should I pack any long sleeves? We're doing a long weekend at DL- our first DVC trip to Grand Californian.


We just called and pre-loaded OBC, before I spent it at DL over the weekend. Makes getting on board for a longer cruise much easier knowing I already have credit waiting. I know what a 4 night costs us- so an 11 night was kind of daunting.

 

[3princessMommy]

We are on the second dining. We would love to join other disboard families at dinner. We would also love to have Lumineers for formal dining. We are a family of three. My son is 11. He would love to meet other children his age. Do we have a disboards started for 11 year olds? We are staying at the port the night before so we can see the ship in the morning. We will be staying at Country Inn and Suites.

We are also staying at the CI&S the night before! Party!!!!

Anybody else planning on ordering baskets from Shirley?

I need some ideas for basket contents. I figure it could have some Christmas themed items. I have a DS 13 & DS 10. Help me come up with some stuff for boys that are not into toys/coloring/sand toys, etc.

We will get a basket from Shirley too. Haven't really thought about what to put in it except sand toys for all the beaches we'll visit and some good U.S. snacks that we can't get here in Uganda. What about music or things associated with the cruise ports of call like treasure maps? I'm the mother of three girls, so I don't know anything about tween boys!!!

 

[HFC1969]

. My son is 11. He would love to meet other children his age. Do we have a disboards started for 11 year olds?

Our DS turns 11 second day of cruise and is already corresponding with another boy on the cruise..

PM me for his email...

Plays football, basketball, baseball and loves DCL...

 

[mickey squared]

We just booked this cruise and following in our tradition will keep this cruise a secret from our kids. We have 4 kids, ds15, dd 13, ds turning 11 on trip and dd turning 9 on trip. We cruised last Christmas as well - Hello Lori and Rick aka TheBeadPirate. Looking forward to seeing you at Bingo again!!

We have lived in Orlando for the past two years, but are from LI, NY. We usually just load the car with our luggage and tell the kids we're going on an adventure!!
My dh works for an airline, so my kids are used to last minute trips.

I will pm details for the FE later. Now, I have to start researching and reading the previous threads.

Can't wait for another Magical Holiday and to meet everyone.

Marguerite

 

[3princessMommy]

We just booked this cruise and following in our tradition will keep this cruise a secret from our kids. We have 4 kids, ds15, dd 13, ds turning 11 on trip and dd turning 9 on trip. We cruised last Christmas as well - Hello Lori and Rick aka TheBeadPirate. Looking forward to seeing you at Bingo again!!

We have lived in Orlando for the past two years, but are from LI, NY. We usually just load the car with our luggage and tell the kids we're going on an adventure!!
My dh works for an airline, so my kids are used to last minute trips.

I will pm details for the FE later. Now, I have to start researching and reading the previous threads.

Can't wait for another Magical Holiday and to meet everyone.

Marguerite

We also have a DD9 - she'll be 9 in Oct. If you're keeping it a secret, I guess there's no way to get them together via e-mail. But if you would like them to chat (we kept our last cruise a secret and had e-mail pen pals that were in on the secret - but our DDs knew we were going on a future cruise, so the pen pals played along), feel free to PM me and I can send you the e-mail address that the girls can use.

 

[bigAWL]

Hello! My family and I recently booked our first Disney cruise! We are so excited and so ready - but have so many questions!

We want to participate in the FE, but I'm not sure if I signed up the right way. I sent a message to Tinkmischief (?) - is that all I need to do?

And how do we get on the roll call?

This is such an awesome thread! Thanks so much for doing this!!

Thanks!
Aly

Dave & Aly (Husband and Wife)
Zachary - 7 (Son)
Abigail - 3 (Daughter)

We just booked this cruise and following in our tradition will keep this cruise a secret from our kids. We have 4 kids, ds15, dd 13, ds turning 11 on trip and dd turning 9 on trip. We cruised last Christmas as well - Hello Lori and Rick aka TheBeadPirate. Looking forward to seeing you at Bingo again!!

We have lived in Orlando for the past two years, but are from LI, NY. We usually just load the car with our luggage and tell the kids we're going on an adventure!!
My dh works for an airline, so my kids are used to last minute trips.

I will pm details for the FE later. Now, I have to start researching and reading the previous threads.

Can't wait for another Magical Holiday and to meet everyone.

Marguerite

Excellent! Two new families on the roll call!

I also updated the Brunch entry. The reservation being organized by DVC4US is full. So anyone else interested will need to arrange a separate brunch directly with DCL.

 

[Meemous]

Yay! I just added 4 nights at the Yacht Club after the cruise so we can celebrate the New Year in the most magical place on earth! My kids are going to be so excited!

Did I read that I can buy a small tree and have it delivered to our stateroom?

 

[decked out]

Do you know the Florida Resident Rates? I am just wondering how much they save. When the Wonder finally calls SoCal home, I hope DCL has a California Resident Rate for us. Thanks

I calculated about 40% of the base fare on this cruise, CAT 9.

 

[mickeyteachers]

I am sure you can have Shirley deliver a tree to your room. I am going to bring a small one in my luggage.

 

[BigHugsForEeyore]

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[Meemous]

I noticed on the DCL website they are selling Halloween stateroom gifts. Will they sell Christmas gifts too and are there likely to be little trees available?

Now THAT would be awesome!

 

[Lyrah]

When I booked this cruise through DCL, the lady I spoke with told me they would offer fully decorated real miniature Christmas trees. She also said that they would have different themes. I wish I had asked how much they were and when the info would be available. I think it would smell wonderful to have a real tree in our stateroom! I bet it's going to be pricey though. Maybe someone who has cruised at Christmas before can give us more info.

 

[mickeyteachers]

In the past they have always had Christmas items available. I am sure after Halloween they will start posting those items. I really like the items that Shirley has available and it is always a much better price. She delivers whatever you want to the ship and is in your stateroom when you arrive.

 

[BigHugsForEeyore]

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[Lyrah]

In the past they have always had Christmas items available. I am sure after Halloween they will start posting those items. I really like the items that Shirley has available and it is always a much better price. She delivers whatever you want to the ship and is in your stateroom when you arrive.

Thanks so much! Could you please tell me about Shirley and how to find out what items she offers?

 

[VA Girl]

I know there are a lot of folks at the Hyatt the night before. Anyone else at the Radisson? I don't know what time we will be getting there; it depends on if we decide to take DD's out of school early. But if anyone else is going to be there, we would like to at least attempt to meet up.

We are also staying at the Radisson Friday night but we probably won't get in until really late. We are planning to take our kids out of school at about 11 or so but it is a 12-13 hour drive with a couple of short stops. If nothing is going on at school that morning we may just leave first thing. We'll have to wait until we get closer and see. What time do you think you will get there? I would also love to meet up, if we get in earlier...

 

[DVC4US]

Anybody else planning on ordering baskets from Shirley?

I need some ideas for basket contents. I figure it could have some Christmas themed items. I have a DS 13 & DS 10. Help me come up with some stuff for boys that are not into toys/coloring/sand toys, etc.

I order baskets from Shirley for every cruise - except for the Med since I couldn't get her to set up shop in Barcelona for the summer.

When the girls were younger we did things like a sand pail and shovel and then she put snacks in it. One time she did a Mickey beach towel and a disposal camera inside a small beach bag with snacks. Now that they are older I usually just have her make up a basket with a favorite drink(diet pepsi, diet rite, gatorade) and some favorite snacks. For the adults I usually have her put in some beer or a bottle of wine.

She will do whatever you want and base it on the price you would like to do. She has also done so many of these that she usually has some great ideas.

 

[DVC4US]

I just changed ours to second seating last week! We have a 4 & 6 Yr. old and thought the Dine and Play would be better. Our kids have such a hard time staying through dinner! I'm sure you will be able to get the earlier time - but you may want to check out the Dine and Play - the club comes to get your kids about 45 min. into the meal.

Welcome to the group!

I'm trying to get the late diners together so we can all eat in the same restaurant and in the same area. You do not have to have other DISers at your table if you want it to just be your family we can request that. We did this on another cruise and it was a lot of fun. Let me know if you want to join the list.