MAGICal Christmas 2008 - December 20, 2008

[tinksmom]

Who is heading to WDW after the cruise and where are you staying?

Carly and I are heading to VWL for 3 nights. Joe has to head home and back to work.
tenya

 

[nzdisneymom]

Who is heading to WDW after the cruise and where are you staying?

Carly and I are heading to VWL for 3 nights. Joe has to head home and back to work.
tenya

We are going to stay over in Port Canaveral area one night after we get back -- we plan to go to Kennedy Space Center on that Saturday.

 

[minnie1]

Who is heading to WDW after the cruise and where are you staying?

Carly and I are heading to VWL for 3 nights. Joe has to head home and back to work.
tenya

We are headed to OKW after the cruise. We will be celebrating DD's 8th birthday and celebrating New Years Eve.

Angie

 

[DCLInauguralXmas]

We are staying at Port Orleans from 12/27 to 1/2. We love New Years at WDW.

 

[ShannonR]

Hey Denise! We too are staying at Ports Orleans from 12/27/08 to 12/31/08!! Maybe we can get together at some point during that time. I know Morgan would love to see Shelby and hang together after the cruise! Where are you staying before the cruise? We are staying at the Hyatt.

Shannon

 

[pillow]

We did our one and only DCL cruise in Dec. 2005 - the week before Christmas, so we got to experience the holiday celebrations / decorations (we got back on Dec. 24th). We're still talking about that trip over a year later! My pc background is a sunset picture from the ship leaving from Castaway Cay.

I realize your post was from January, 2007!! This thread has been around a LONG time! I just found it since we're thinking about one of the 2010 Christmas cruises. Was wondering what special things they do on Christmas Eve and Day??? (Sorry - too many pages to go back and read everything.)

Also, nzdisneymom, you and I were on the same cruise back in 2005!! That was our first as well, and it was CHEAP!! Since we finished up before Christmas, it was actually value season pricing. Doubt we'll ever see that happen again!

Jodie

 

[nzdisneymom]

I realize your post was from January, 2007!! This thread has been around a LONG time! I just found it since we're thinking about one of the 2010 Christmas cruises. Was wondering what special things they do on Christmas Eve and Day??? (Sorry - too many pages to go back and read everything.)

Also, nzdisneymom, you and I were on the same cruise back in 2005!! That was our first as well, and it was CHEAP!! Since we finished up before Christmas, it was actually value season pricing. Doubt we'll ever see that happen again!

Jodie

Wow Jodie - that is from a bazillion months ago! Hard to believe our family has cruised with DCL twice more since then... and now we're planning our 5th DCL for 2010

I haven't been able to determine what special things they will do for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I remember in 2005 that they had stories with Mrs. Clause and they had cookies and cocoa on Castaway Cay but that was the week before Christmas (we got off on Christmas Eve, remember?).

 

[pillow]

Wow Jodie - that is from a bazillion months ago! Hard to believe our family has cruised with DCL twice more since then... and now we're planning our 5th DCL for 2010

I haven't been able to determine what special things they will do for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I remember in 2005 that they had stories with Mrs. Clause and they had cookies and cocoa on Castaway Cay but that was the week before Christmas (we got off on Christmas Eve, remember?).

We've only cruised once since then - the June 16, 2007 Med trip. We've got a 3 nighter coming up Thanksgiving week and then a week planned over Thanksgiving 09. I would LOVE to cruise over Christmas in 2010, but I'm afraid my family would give me way too much grief for leaving at Christmas time. I think I'll book it and then wait and see. Which 2010 cruise are you thinking about?

Jodie

 

[nzdisneymom]

We've only cruised once since then - the June 16, 2007 Med trip. We've got a 3 nighter coming up Thanksgiving week and then a week planned over Thanksgiving 09. I would LOVE to cruise over Christmas in 2010, but I'm afraid my family would give me way too much grief for leaving at Christmas time. I think I'll book it and then wait and see. Which 2010 cruise are you thinking about?

Jodie

We booked the Christmas cruise as a surprise for our children. And partly as a reason to not have to spend the holidays with extended family (LOL). We are so looking forward to this cruise as a nice vacation from work and school and every-day stuff.

We are thinking about the July 6th Baltic cruise for 2010. We did the July 18th Med, so just a month after you guys.

I'm sure everyone here can attest to how great it is to be anticipating spending the holidays onboard the Magic! We're having lots of fun with our plans and are all in count-down mode!

 

[pillow]

We booked the Christmas cruise as a surprise for our children. And partly as a reason to not have to spend the holidays with extended family (LOL). We are so looking forward to this cruise as a nice vacation from work and school and every-day stuff.

We are thinking about the July 6th Baltic cruise for 2010. We did the July 18th Med, so just a month after you guys.

I'm sure everyone here can attest to how great it is to be anticipating spending the holidays onboard the Magic! We're having lots of fun with our plans and are all in count-down mode!

What is everyone doing about Santa and presents?

J

 

[alikat99]

What is everyone doing about Santa and presents?

J

My girls are still pretty little, so this was a HUGE concern for us and them!! So, we decided that we would bring a few gifts onboard, from mommy & daddy, and maybe one small gift will arrive from Santa (or maybe just their stockings), but we're writing a letter to Santa to have all of our presents delivered to home (since the staterooms are so small and we wouldn't have the room to lug it all home ). Then, I'm having my neighbor, who also watches my house and my cats, just put the presents out the night before we come home (don't want those presents just sitting out while we're gone).

 

[nzdisneymom]

Santa only brings one item each to our boys, and always unwrapped, although sometimes it is a joint item (like last year's Wii). They haven't yet decided what they want to ask Santa for, but whatever it is, I'm sure Santa will make a delivery to the stateroom as every other year when we've been away from home on Christmas, he has managed to find us. I just hope he'll manage to fill the stockings QUIETLY and not wake anyone up. We're on the cusp, if you know what I mean.

As for our own gifts, the cruise is the main thing, but we will have a couple of things for the boys to unwrap when we get home.

It will seem weird to not track Santa via NORAD this year.

 

[DisneyZell]

What we are doing this year for Santa is that he will bring a couple of little gifts to the ship for Christmas morning, but will be dropping off everything else at our house while we are gone. We are heading down to Orlando on Wed. so while the kids are in school that day, we will be getting the presents out. We'll pick them up from school and go straight to the airport so they will not see anything. I am thinking of giving the boys the presents from us before we leave b/c I want to give them stuff they can use on the cruise.

Deanna

 

[pillow]

Thanks! I'm gonna try and talk the rest of my family into the 2010 trip. I'm not sure its gonna fly though - you know, tradition and all. I don't think I can go on a cruise and leave everyone else home to celebrate Christmas by themselves - think the guilt would ruin my trip. Wish me luck!

Jodie

 

[minnie1]

For gifts this year we already told the girls that the cruise is their gift from us.
For Santa, they usually get one thing from Santa so I am going to try and bring it with me in my suitcase. My one dd(10 years) is on the verge and so I think if I can pull off Santa bringing gifts to the ship she will be amazed.

I bought all my FE gifts last night. I also got a stocking to use for our FE that is personalized with our name.

Thanks for the info about Palo. I keep checking each day just in case I get lucky and something shows up. Or else I will just check when we get on board.

Angie

 

[nzdisneymom]

There's a thread about Fish Extenders on the Main Board that I thought might answer some of the questions about what kinds of things people include, etc.

 

[tinksmom]

A few years ago when we first started going to WDW over Christmas, Carly was still in the believer years. I bough Disney Dollars for Santa to put in her stocking. It worked great -- not a lot of noise and then Carly got to shop, which even at a young age was one of her favorite activities.

For the cruise we're giving each other things like books, dvds or cds. Smalls things that are easily packed. Santa will put a Disney gift card in Carly's stocking so she can shop for what she wants at WDW after the cruise.
tenya

 

[minnie1]

A few years ago when we first started going to WDW over Christmas, Carly was still in the believer years. I bough Disney Dollars for Santa to put in her stocking. It worked great -- not a lot of noise and then Carly got to shop, which even at a young age was one of her favorite activities.

For the cruise we're giving each other things like books, dvds or cds. Smalls things that are easily packed. Santa will put a Disney gift card in Carly's stocking so she can shop for what she wants at WDW after the cruise.
tenya

Tenya,
Can you get the Disney gift card or Disney Dollars at the Disney store or on the ship? I also wanted to do this in their stocking.

Angie

 

[dbxazd]

My girls are still pretty little, so this was a HUGE concern for us and them!! So, we decided that we would bring a few gifts onboard, from mommy & daddy, and maybe one small gift will arrive from Santa (or maybe just their stockings), but we're writing a letter to Santa to have all of our presents delivered to home (since the staterooms are so small and we wouldn't have the room to lug it all home ). Then, I'm having my neighbor, who also watches my house and my cats, just put the presents out the night before we come home (don't want those presents just sitting out while we're gone).

We are pretty much doing the same thing. Just a few little things for DS (8) and DD (6) - plus one of Santa's elves always brings pj's on christmas eve - so we're gonna have to continue that tradition. We're just gonna put a note there too saying that Santa couldn't get everything on the ship so he put stuff at home so we could then have Christmas again on the 28th! My pregnant sister and her hubby will be our "helpers" this year!

Lissa - sorry to hear about your grandfather.

BTW all - been out of touch for a few days - but wanted to add that we have main dining this go around. We had the late dining last year - and just didn't feel like we got to do much of the "adult" lounges etc. becuase dinner finished so late and we were sooooooo bloated by the end of it! So we're trying the main one this year. Oh and our friends who origianally were going with us - have cancelled - so there's another main dining seating available - who knows - maybe we'll wind up sitting together!!!

Robin

 

[nzdisneymom]

Tenya,
Can you get the Disney gift card or Disney Dollars at the Disney store or on the ship? I also wanted to do this in their stocking.

Angie

You can get Disney Dollars and/or Disney gift cards at the Disney store, and I know you can get a gift card from the Disney Store online. And you can get some Disney Dollars from Guest Services on the ship.

Or in our family, you can get Disney Dollars from the Tooth Fairy.