MAGICal Christmas 2008 - December 20, 2008

[tinksmom]

Angie's DH, "Santa" is delivering the cabin decorations and Christmas centerpiece offered on the cruiseline website. I'm not really bringing any other decorations besides those for the cabin door.

As far as gifts, I'm giving DH and DD DVDs and books. They're not hard to back and will wrap easily after we board. Santa will leave a little something in Carly's stocking so she can do some shopping at WDW after the cruise.

Cindy, I think one of us needs to check our calendars. I erased today's date off the wipe board calendar and it said we leave for Florida in 3 weeks. I've got us at 21 days to cruise tomorrow.

tenya

 

[nzdisneymom]

OMG!!!!!! You are right - we are leaving in three WEEKS - so change 30 and 29 days to 21 days..................... How could I have screwed that up???? I'll blame it on too much turkey for Thanksgiving (and my desk calendar being at home, not with me).

Panic - panic - panic setting in.....................

breathe - breathe - breathe......

Here's what we have coming up -- travel home this weekend. Next weekend (Dec 6th) be at St. George Island with SIL/BIL for the weekend. Weekend of Dec. 13th - buy new shoes for Nathan. Pack. Panic.

Oh - I see how I thought we had longer than we do - because when I started counting, we were leaving on the cruise on the 4th weekend - so I said 4*7=28+Friday+Thursday=30. But no, it doesn't work that way....

aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.......................................


LOL.

We went by Target today looking for one specific thing which we didn't find, but we stopped by the travel sized items and I got the liquid All Small and Mighty which I love. So I bought several bottles of it (2-loads each bottle). I like it better than the Tide packages because it will open easier.

breathe - breathe - breathe......................

 

[psharrock]

What we are going to do this year is on the 19th which will be their last day of school and the day we leave, we will leave a note that tells them we're going on the Disney Cruise for Christmas. This way they can be excited about it all day, share their news with their friends and teachers, and it will make the final packing / car-loading so much easier for us Now to find or write a cute poem or message that tells them about it.

Anyone here a creative writer? Or seen a cute way of telling someone they are going on a cruise? I know there are occasionally threads on the main board.

Our kids know they are going somewhere special on Xmas day, as they have each had some 'posh' clothes bought for them. Ever since we disembarked from our last cruise the kids have been asking to go again, but we have been telling them we can't afford to go again until at least 2010 as we had just bought a house in Florida and the cruise is very expensive, so I think this has been confusing them.

They are obviously very inquisitive and have been asking question which we have been answering sometimes cryptically.

Eg


Have they been there before?
This is a tough one as they have been on the Wonder but not the Magic, so we answered it with 'No you have not been to this exact restaurant before'
They have picked up that the word 'exact' means something but can't quite figure out what

Is it in Disney?
No its not in a Disney Park

After a bit of pressure we gave them a clue so we told them two separate ones - The restaurant moves and the restaurant rocks

Their imagination is now going into overdrive, ranging from were having xmas dinner on the rockin roller coaster to were having dinner at Hard Rock Cafe or Hard Rock Hotel but I pointed out how do those restaurants move.

Obviously they have asked if its numerous restaurants that we have said no to, we have told them we will explain the clues and tell on 12/19 whilst in Florida.

Only 3 weeks to go now, so they won't have long to wait.

We just ordered a christmas from DCL, and also a birthday cake and balloons for our DD, who will be 9 on Xmas Day.

Paul

 

[nzdisneymom]

Zachary asked the other day where we were going to be for Christmas. We told him that we had not quite figured it out yet (after all, we don't know WHERE in the Caribbean / crossing to the Bahamas we'll be on Christmas). We have told them that perhaps we'll go to the movies on Christmas day as there as several that they want to see and I'm sure they'll be playing on the ship. Nathan was concerned that the movies would be crowded on Christmas day but I assured him that I thought most folks would be busy doing other things besides going to the movies on Christmas

I dreamed last night about staying up all night packing.

 

[minnie1]

Post 100 I don't know why I am so excited about that.

Thanks for the info on Christmas decorations for my dh. I think we are going to bring a smaller tree that has no lights on it and just bring a few strands of lights.

Cindy D., thanks for the countdown information. I look forward to your list of what needs to get done. Also, I love the way that you are telling the boys about the suprise cruise. They will be so excited at school all day.

Kathy-Did you get a cabin number yet?

We did not get our cruise documents yet. I am so excited for them to get here.
I told my girls they have to clean their playroom really good today, because I want to start laying out all the luggage in there so I can see how much stuff I have. I am sure it is going to be a lot.

Angie

 

[KathyFP]

Just checked. Kind of weird, Dreams unlimited still did not have our room number, but Disney has us down as room 1030. I booked a CAT 11 and I think that we got an upgrade because we have an outside stateroom.

Does anyone know anything about this room?

Yeah! It now feels real.

 

[tinkerbell_29]

Hi everyone! Ya'll have been busy for the past couple days. I had to do soem reading to catch up. Went shopping yesterday and finished all of my shopping YAY! Now all I got to do is pack it. For Christmas trees we bought two little ones off of QVC with battery operated lights. Were bringing those and a few otehr things.

Robin I'm so sorry to hear about your mother. We don't check into the pop until the afternoon of the 18th. We plan on heading toward the monorail resorts and seeing those and then hitting main street in the MK then going to down town disney. Were going to spend the 19th in EPCOT.

Tenya we would love to meet any time our only plan for that day is to try and see the Candlelight processional. Just let em know when a good time would be for ya'll.

Lissa

 

[KathyFP]

I need the update spreadsheet. I am working on our fish exchange gifts. Got our ornament exchange ornament. Still have to get our secret santa gift.

I am starting to get excited!

 

[alikat99]

Hey everyone!!! How did everyone survive Thanksgiving and Black Friday??? We had a great Thanksgiving with family and friends (HI Diana!!). Diana and I left for Michael's on Thanksgiving evening to get some craft stuff, along with some Cricut cartridges.

Then, Chris and I got up early and headed to Walmart, Beall's, Target, Walgreens and CompUSA. The crowds were NOT as big as years past, that's for sure. And, we did get some stuff for Christmas.

I can't believe that we cruise in just 3 weeks!!! So, I finally ordered my FE gifts and Cafe' Press t-shirts, so that's done. Now, I need to start figuring out what we're going to wear and starting doing our packing lists, etc.

 

[nzdisneymom]

Kathy - I'm glad you got your room assignment! Send me an email at cindysjunk @ comcast.net and I'll send you the FE list by reply.

Angie - congrats on your 100th post!

 

[nzdisneymom]

While we were riding in the car today, I started working on my list of things to do to prepare for the cruise, especially since I'm still in a bit of shock that I've lost a week I thought I'd go ahead and send out my whole "countdown to cruise day" list - and you guys feel free to add in things that may not be on the list but are important for us to remember to take care of and do.

Nov. 30th - Designate a basket / box to collect odds and ends for the tip.

Dec. 1st - Do a happy dance that this is Cruise Month. Order shirts from Cafe Press if you plan to get them. This gives time to reorder if there is a problem with them (and thanks again to Diana Lyn and others for designing and setting up the Cafe Press shop - see first post in the thread for the ordering information).

Dec. 2nd - Check that you have all the medications that you'll need for the trip. Mark down if you need to refill prescriptions. Buy motion sickness meds if you want them.

Dec. 3rd - Check your bills to make sure that any that will come due while on the ship can be set to be pre-paid or automatically paid.

Dec. 4th - Schedule haircuts so there is time for the just-cut-look to soften.

Dec. 5th - Get suitcases out of storage.

Dec. 6th - Try on clothes that you plan to take with you. Check children's shoes for fit.

Dec. 7th - Tell yourself that holiday cards can go out late.

Dec. 8th - Confirm pre-cruise and post-cruise travel plans, air, hotel, car rentals...

Dec. 9th - Finalize door signs, magnets, business cards, FE gifts

Dec. 10th - Decide for sure on your room decorations, small trees, lights, etc. Put in Box.

Dec. 11th - Get sunscreen, sunglasses, and swim goggles together. Add flipflops and swimwear.

Dec. 12th - Call credit card companies and your bank to notify them that you'll be out of the country, especially if you plan to use your cards out of the country.

Dec. 13th - Shop for whatever you still need.

Dec. 14th - Charge up your digital cameras and other things that need charging. Pack extra batteries.

Dec. 15th - Put in your stop-mail request.

Dec. 16th - Put in your stop-newspaper request.

Dec. 17th - Get cash / change for the trip.

Dec. 18th - Double-check your travel documents.

Dec. 19th - Breathe - tomorrow is sailing day.

Dec. 20th - DIS Meet at 3 p.m. in the Promenade Lounge, Deck 3 between mid-ship and aft.

 

[DisneyZell]

Woo Hoo! I just finished making one of my FE gifts. Took me almost the whole day, but it is done! One more of these projects and I think I am done making the gifts...then I just have to buy a few more things and I'm done. I also just tried on a dress I am considering for formal night. I am sooo glad it still fits! Also ordered DH's tuxedo today and bid on a tux for DS on ebay (only $22.99 + $9.99 s/h)! I can't wait for the photos for that night. Can someone remind me what time on Monday the ornament exchange is? I'm trying to write everything down and can't remember the time.

Hope everyone has a great rest of their weekend!

Deanna

 

[SnowWhite2]

My sister Mandy and I are doing our Black Friday shopping. We are hitting Old Navy first -and then the rest of Arundel Mills (in Glen Burnie, Maryland). I really don't have a lot to get (that's where Downtown Disney comes into play for me).

Happy Thanksgiving all -
Robin

Hi Robin! I spent Friday at Arundel Mills also. We took the family, parents and brother's family to Medieval Times. We ended up parking across the street at the Golden Corral and walking over since we couldn't find a parking spot at 3 pm. I love going to Arundel Mills during my lunch break but I hate going on the weekends. The crowd is a tad scary on weekends. Be careful there as there have been multiple robberies in that area including a group of a few women.

 

[nzdisneymom]

Can someone remind me what time on Monday the ornament exchange is? I'm trying to write everything down and can't remember the time.
Deanna

Deanna - I think that it was set for 10 o'clock - just after the Digital Scavenger Hunt instructions which are at 9:30.

One more day til cruise month!

 

[minnie1]

I finished designing my door magnets last night. Now I just have to print them out. I am deciding between the magnet sheets or just laminating them and putting magnet strips on the back. Opinions?
Also, for those of you that make door magnets, do they ever get taken? How do you note on the magnet that they belong to you?

I am trying to find the right size box to send to the ship. I am hoping to get one sent out by Friday.

Cindy D.-I loved your countdown list.

Have a good Sunday!
Angie

 

[DisneyZell]

Deanna - I think that it was set for 10 o'clock - just after the Digital Scavenger Hunt instructions which are at 9:30.

One more day til cruise month!

Thanks Cindy...have it written down in my cruise folder now.

I put DH in charge of the magnets. Last time we printed them out on magnet sheets, but I was thinking this time we would laminate and then put on the magnet strips. I think it might be less $ than buying the magnet sheets. All our magnets are very personalized, so hopefully no one would even want them!

 

[tinkerbell_29]

Cindy I love your list. The time to go will be here before we know it. I realized today that I only have 13 days of work left. YAY looking at it that way makes it seem so much shorter. We are having packing issues and I'm not sure what to do. If we pack items in a box and take it with us will they deliver it with our luggage or will we have to drag it around until we can get in our stateroom? I keep having nightmares about suitcases exploding and other such stuff hapening.

Lissa

 

[alikat99]

Cindy I love your list. The time to go will be here before we know it. I realized today that I only have 13 days of work left. YAY looking at it that way makes it seem so much shorter. We are having packing issues and I'm not sure what to do. If we pack items in a box and take it with us will they deliver it with our luggage or will we have to drag it around until we can get in our stateroom? I keep having nightmares about suitcases exploding and other such stuff hapening.

Lissa

If you pack a box and bring it with you, they will deliver it with your luggage if you want them too. You just have to put one of your luggage tags on it, and they'll take care of it.

 

[tinkerbell_29]

That's what I thought. I hated to pay to ship it down there when it would easily fit in our car. Knowing that will make packing so much easier.

Lissa

 

[nzdisneymom]

We're doing the document dance!

Our documents were waiting for us when we got home today from Thanksgiving travels. Yay! We also got the AAA book on the Caribbean in the mail so I have info about Cozumel and Grand Cayman to read over before we go. I had forgotten that I had requested it.

I'm setting aside a basket when I finish typing this msg and will start putting all the things I've already set aside into it so it will all be in one place.

One uh-oh thing that I have to figure out is that one of our big suitcases started to rip in a corner - I have to decide if I want to try to repair it / use duct tape and hope it makes it through the cruise, or if I want to just go get a new suitcase. The thing is that it is a perfect size suitcase and works well for me *and* the other pieces are all fine, so I don't need a new "set." Although I saw some at WalMart this morning that looked like they would work but we didn't have room in the car.

I bought duct tape last weekend to bring on the trip, mostly as a threat to the boys that if they get out of line, I would duct tape them to the deck!

Happy Sunday.