Molar Express 10/15 Eastern Cruise

[llyolf]

This trip report is for the 7 day cruise (same one that Brenda has reported on)

our fam:
Paul
Mollie
Lily DD5
Grace DD3 that talks to anyone and everyone...

We start out from Buffalo on Friday 10/14 with a 7AM Southwest flight to Orlando. Before an early flight, always ,ake sure the night before the exact time the flight leaves... I looked it over the day before and saw 7 something AM... ooops luckily we woke up early (5:45) and I rechecked it to find our itinerary saying 7:15... we hurry over the Buffalo Niagara airport. must be everyone flies out of Buffalo early on Friday morning as the security line is almost outside the airport... luckily we find out a number of people on our flight are in line in front and behind us... and the line moves fast enough that we get to our gate with 15-20 minutes to spare... phew....

Our flight is great, both girls have to use the potty a couple times each (poor Mollie - she wishes we had boys sometimes) in the 2 1/2 hour flight... We pick up our luggage (ooops another potty break for mom... then for Lily) and we get our car from Budget... the process is easy and painless... sign papers inside walk out show papers they tell me where to pick up the car and give me the keys and we're off... it was a 2006 Ford Taurus with 147 miles on it... we drive from there over to the Denny's on Samaron Rd for breakfast and yapb (yet another potty break)... while there we figure out our hotel (Courtyard by Marriott Airport) is right across the road... after breakfast we get over to the hotel (about noonish) and we get checked in... 1st floor... it has a verandah (at least we got a verandah somewhere ) that overlooks there nice pool... Mollie and I take turns resting while the other takes the girls adventuring around the pool... they find lots of those cute little lizards... and we find a real kewl looking tree toad/frog... eventually the rest time is over and we go to downtown disney to get our Disney on.

Here's a tip to those frugal folks trying to shortcut around the Beeline and all the Tolls... DON'T DO IT!!! man we got stuck in some major crazy traffic trying to get 1st to a SuperWally World (ended up at a Super Target) and then to DTD...

At DTD we parked on the east end, walked all the way to the West end and back... we warmed for the pack-it-all-on-one-plate buffets on the cruise by buying the pack-it-all-in-one-box My Little Pony Disney accessories (we already have tons of ponies)
and of course Lily/Grace got the oh so sticky and sweet and messy twisty lollipops that paint yer face if your messy enough...

We head back towards our hotel, grab dinner at Chili's (oh yeah! $25 cheaper thanks to Mypoints!). After that we head back and prepare for Embarkation Saturday! All the stuff is all filled out, we have our Mardi Gras beads to meet other happy smiling DISers and we are ready for da chilled Mango soup and..... the everybodys favorite, always fresh on the 1st day, Ladies and Gentleman, Boys and Girls.... Jumbo Shrimp!!!

 

[oybolshoi]

I was wondering when you were going to get moving on this! And how about those White Sox? I can't help but feel a grim sort of pleasure at the poetic justice of Houston getting it handed to them in the Series this year just like the Birds did last year.

Looking forward to reading more of your trip report...

Brenda


PS - saw some of the cruise pictures...they turned out really well. We're going to try to get ours posted this weekend.

 

[llyolf]

We're up and ready at a somewhat normal hour. We pack up the rental (Ford Taurus) and are on our way to port... We get there a good bit early so we drive past the port... want to find the Budget return and also get some breakfast... we find a Dunkin Doughnuts (mmmm high carb breakfast) and find a parking spot - phew! it's really busy.. and the locals drive like 50 in the parking lot... get in, get doughnuts & coffee, get out... we get a half dozen doughnuts and I get blueberry flavored coffee that I can't drink because it's the temperature of the sun.... look at my watch, we still have like an hour before the 10:30 rush for the terminal... so we end up getting some pre-cruise beach time.... we turn down one of the side roads and at the very end we park and can walk right down to the beach... we spend like a half hour there picking up shells (we find some beauties!!) and just frolicking in the sand... we pack up... fill the car up with gas (ironically, it came to like $10.25 versus the $9.50 cost that budget charges to refill if driving under 75 miles) and take it back to budget.

Once at budget, there's a couple of shuttles running... we are in line for the shuttle (I'm the goofball that takes the whole family instead of dropping them off). and Grace, ever the conversationalist, starts up a conversation with a big guy...
"Hi... What's Yer name?"
"Gary"
"Whatcho doin Gary? huh? You goin on a cwuise?"
"Yup"
"I'm goin on a boat! a mickey boat!"
"Me too... *shrug*"

just then the shuttle wizzes in..... one couple gets in, the elderly shuttle driver says ok... room for 5 more... we tell him numerous times we have 4... he says "OK 5, it is..." we offer gary to get in before us and a couple that arrived about the same time as us, but they let us go 1st... (remember Gary and the Budget couple... they come into play later in the It's a Small Wold After All category)..

so off we go... the shuttle drops us off... I discover my blond side... for got to tag out bags... ooops... we tag them and we're off to the terminal... get our IDs checked on the sidewalk to the terminal... get boarding pass #4... now inside we get our cards... and go to the bathroom two or three times.. and now the search for the DISsers begins... we notice a lot of people sporting their Mardi Gras beads... 1st one we see and talk to is Michelle (BabyJosie98) and who is sitting there next to her? none other than Grace's buddy Gary (Michelle's DxH)... next we see the Smiths... and PearlandPaige and txaggie and schmooo and Nancy and Chuck, and Jen and everyone else I have missed that I saw... and soon the rumour is that we'll be boarding late because they aren't ready because of some the the drydock things... so they hand our some bottled water.. and pretty soon the PA comes on with a voice...

"Attention ladies and gentleman, now boarding group <garbled>."

10 minutes later, the next garbled number is allowed to line up... by the 4th, we decide 4 garbled announcements probably means boarding group 4... so are lining up around a BUNCH of "lurkers"... we ask "are you in line" "no we're just standing here, go ahead"... so we now are in line... we get the 1st of our hand wipes... get in the doors... get our name announced... woo hoo... we're here... very nice lady right out front tells us how to get to our rooms... (later saw her in the kids club)... we go there and our room is ready (of course it's 1PM anyway... (no luggage) we rest a little bit... then we head upstairs to get some grub.... we do topsiders... find an good place to sit... we seem to like the tables next to the mickey pool... it's a bit away from the busyness and noise of topsiders yet close enough that we can get plutos, pinoccios and topsiders... mmmm shrimp!! yeah baby!!! and chilled mango/orange soup... (I always have wondered how much space is taken up by the shrimp in these reports...)

after lunch, we had back to our room (I stand in line for Palo ressies (Hi I'm Paul and I didn't over plan.. I decided to procrastinate getting Palo ressies).. I am the 1st in line on the waiting list... they will call if they have an opening. the folks in front of me have an issue where they have Palo's on Saturday night and have a baby that would be in Flounders, BUT no Flounders Nursery on the 1st night (tip for Parents of Nursery kids).

I head back to the room, Mollie's is pretty much out cold... recovering from a couple of early mornings (5AM Friday and 6:30AM Saturday) and the girls and I watch the stuff go by outside our porthole....

We have dinner at 6 in Animators Palate (we are really planning on keeping the girls with us for dinner.. do the family thing).. We have Girish (Server) from India and Kendell (Asst Server) from the Bahamas... they were great!!! Our meals are great! Kids eat next to nothing... oh yeah, Lily eats a mickey bar and croutons, and Grace eats a little salad... and both have choc. milk...

The folks at the table next to us... are the ones from the Budget return... we find out their names are Tanya and Mike and she's a fellow disser (lurks the DCL forums but is active over on the scraps forums)... They have four girls... all at home.. (phew!)... so we our next to them to help them remember there girls... and why the left them home this time
potty breaks at dinner 1st night: grace - 2 Lily 1 (not at the same time.. concurrent)

We go to the welcome aboard show... Freddy Fusion and the juggler... Paul is inspired!!! Paul and Mollie are involved in Children's Ministry back home and Paul would LOVE to learn how to juggle and be able to do the whole giant baloon/leafe blower trick!
The girls today spend a little while today checking out the Oceaneers Club... tomorrow is when the start the real programming at the clubs...

back to our room... there's towel animal.. It's a cool looking dog thing...
Off to bed.. lots to do tomorrow... Molar Express checkup and all..

 

[perdidobay]

Oh sweet memories!

thanks Paul for the report...it is bringing back great memories!

 

[ATCMickey]

Ilyolf,

Loved reading your trip report. I was looking at your picture and thinking the area behind you looked familiar...then I looked closer and saw both my kids in the background. Had to chuckle. We loved Orient Beach. Some of the cab drivers tried to steer us towards a beach on the Dutch side, but we were sure glad we held our ground and went over. Looking forward to reading your thoughts. To anyone considering, we thought it was one of the best beaches we saw. Again Ilyolf, thanks for the memories

ATCMickey

 

[llyolf]

My first encounter for the day is with Kevin and he's awake preparing all the DIStag information leaflets... coffee in hand and D-backs hat on head...

Today we have the Character Breakfast at Parrot Cay... the girls get lots of breakfast foods that they don't eat and we get some good pictures and even more autographs... Wow... they must have Disney character classes... we have autogrpahs from the ship and Chef Mickey and they look almost identical... and Goofy does it the same on land as at sea... over the head in typical Goofy style...

Why I don't remember between breakfast and the DIS meet, I don't know... Ahh yes..
We dropped the girls in "the clubs"... one was in 3-4 and the other in 5-7 and most of the time one dropoff was at the O-Lab the other at the O-Club and sometimes the opposite... anyway... We dropped them off to go "discover" the ship and get to the Disney Vacation Club reception!!! at this we get some hats, luggage tags and lanyards... and we win a really nice (can only get them on the cruise) DCL/DVC Beach Towel... They also have a little onboard quest... Brian the DVC guy will give away pins for referring people...

we found the secret verandah on deck 7 so be wonderfully refreshingly quiet. Mollie read her book (Hadessah, One night with the King) while I layed there and took in the surreal feeling... the kind where you're not looking at anything yet you see a whole sea....

Surreal moment over... we get the girls... get more food from plutos (I get topsiders) and Lily gets some swimming in... amongst the multitude... next up DISmeet on Deck 10.

On retrospect, maybe deck seven aft would have been better... the conversations start out a little loud (to be heard over the wind whipping by) and soon everyone is there and it's sorta raining, but it's so windy, that it's hitting us sideways... so we all decide to move under the Deck 10 bar roof (sorta) but of course how does that help when it's hitting us sideways?!?! I meet lotsa folks... notice nasoj72 kinda over on the side... Jason and I have a nice chat... apparently the prevent excessive queueing (UK/Aussie term I think meaning a REALLY LONG LINE) DCL decided to stagger the buses to port... so that flying-in-on-Saturday folks got put into a ball room at the MCO Hyatt and got to watch Finding Nemo and some snacks while waiting for us early folks to Deque (get out of line and on board) and make room in the terminal for them... never heard that type of thing happening before...

Soon the DISmeet meanders its way down to deck 9 on the fore side of the pool.. with more mingling and sharing of stories on the high seas so far... most everybody has noticed the rock and roll of the Magic so far... soon enough the DIS Meet has changed to the DIS tag meet where we get our tag magnets, our list of tag players and a couple of corrections... and we're off... I think I got 3 tags the 1st day/night... and as fast as I get them ths day and the next, I get rid of them... I also learn early on ***NOTE TO FUTURE TAGGERS: carrying you magnet in your lanyard with your KTTW car is a VERY BAD THING! Magnet + Magnetic Strip on card = KTTW not woking ever ever again...

I think after the meet, we dress the girls put them in the clubs for another hour or so while we have some alone time (so cliche!)... we pull them out again to go to reception, then formal night dinner at PC... Grace and Lily both take the Shirley Temples with glee... Mollie and I both get the free happy drinks (Mai Tais??).. Grace drops her glass causing a small disruption, but everbody's kewl... a crewmember mosies on over and stands there... blocking the area... seems very non-chalant.. we apologize he's kind like "It's OK... this happens all the time..." so kewl!!

ok... off to formal dinner... not real good with remembering what I ate... but again, Mollie spends more time in (back and forth to) the bathroom.... not for herself of course... we now have decided, that tomorrow is going to be a "kids do dinner with the clubs while Mom and Dad Eat Alone" After the show we do the Golden Mickeys... kids are real hyped up about the show but have to go potty at least once....

we walk by DVC Brian.. and the girls give him the big cute "Hi Brian! Whatchoo doin!" and he gives them BOTH a Beach Club Villas pin... (note to self... walk the girls by there often to say "Hi Brian" )

That's about the end of our day at sea #1 except that I know that my baseball team (the blue one from chicago BTW) will not win or lose on this cruise... so I have no problems cruising during the MLB postseason...

up next - Day at Sea part Due

 

[perdidobay]

Great reports Paul.... more please!

 

[llyolf]

jeesh... get back to the real world, and I forgot/haven't had time to finish my report...
1st off I apologize because it's now been a month since I was riding the ocean blue and now I can't remember everything... ya see, with my work there are constantly IP addresses and acronyms and things filling my brain... I think its pushing the cruise info out of the way...

By Monday, we are getting used to the ship... getting into a little bit of a schedule... we eat at Topsiders... Lily has now decided her new breakfast of champions is Oatmeal with brown sugar on it... post-cruise, it is her favorite for breakfast... sea day #2 ends up being a good day for Mollie and Paul to get some alone time... we do some things with the girls, but they spend a good part of the day in the clubs... I don't remember to much of what else we did that day... Maybe the DVC members reception? I know that we won a really nice DVC beach towel as a door prize... and they really talk up the next S.S. Member cruise... We go to the Michael Harrison Vent/Puppetry workshop... he really does just a little teaching of how to do it.. spends more time preforming some more stuff... I go to the juggling workshop as well... can only get two balls going... I drop one... bend over to get it... hurt my back... (only lasted that day)....

We do pull the girls out to go do Tea with Wendy Darling... it's nice... short... good for KWSAS (Kids with short attention spans).

We get the girls back into their clubs in time for them to go to dinner... That part is sooo nice!!! they take them up to topsiders and pile on food and say "Here dearie... eat up..."

Mollie and I spend a nice dinner talking with our table neighbors Tanya and Mike (nice folks). We're in Lumiere's so it's kinda nice w/o the girls... we have a secret order in for Palo's CS with the Head Waiter Jeff. After the entrees, we have about a half hour wait before the CS's arrive with the Vanilla/Chocolate sauce arrives... mmmm it's so good!

we get the girls out, go to whatever the show is (man I can't remember!)... I think this night Mollie and I go to the Secret Agent thing that Aimee and Pike do up in Studio Sea..

 

[perdidobay]

Oh wow! You got a CS without having to go to Palo? Sweet!

Yup, you got a really cool beach towel at the DVC reception (care to trade for a really nice beach bag?? lol). Dang I wish I'd won that!
Keep the reports coming as long as your memory holds!!