NEW...DOLPHIN/SWAN..."questions and answers"...tips and hints!

[ozziewags]

Hi all,
Just picked up ds and his friends from their Vegas vacation! Sure am glad that went well. They had a great time, as I can only imagine!
So.......a girls trip to the S/D? Hmmm! Mama T and Thabo would love it!
I spent yesterday at a workshop, updating my school webpage. Such fun! I love doing stuff like that.
DF.....what are you doing for dd's birthday? Your notice just popped up, so you are probably answering it before I send this!
Try to stay cool everyone....reallllly hot here. Am so glad our schools are all air conditioned!

 

[dreamflight99]

Driving to VERO BEACH!

Our first night in the INN ROOM on the fourth floor w/Ocean View!
Very roomy...Queen Beds, Fridge, Microwave, etc.~

Our comfy VILLA...

Close-up of the towel on the island counter!

Our Living Room of the Villa (Humid outside after the rain!)

MORE yet TO COME....(LOL)...

 

[dreamflight99]

Wish you were ALL here!

Our little "FRIEND" on the porch! He LOVED the ritz crackers, and the canned planters assorted nuts....

Our Bedroom...so COMFY~

The front of the bedroom armoire (w/Tele)~

1/2 of the bath area (jacuzzi tub), other half has latrine and shower...

Walking in the front door of the Villa (HOME)...

More...to come!

 

[dreamflight99]

The OCEAN @ Vero is BEAUTIFUL and FULL of LIFE!

Something BIG jumped out of the surf!

The VERO shoreline...

Up Close and Personal with an ACTIVE Shoreline resident...

Another Ghost Crab of VERO BEACH...

DH holding a Fearless Fellow!

Hope you all enjoyed this montage of pics...

Time for me to run, we have PS ressies...I'll write more later.

TTFN... DF99

P.S. OZZIE...for DD's B.D. We are doing whatever she wishes to do! Breakfast in Bed in the AM, and from there...it's anyone's guess! I'll let you all know. We have purchased some special items (parfume in France, Charms in Italy, Etc.). We are also planning a huge LUAU bash upon returning to Cali. We are even celebrating this eve (LOL). We are driving to a "secret" location to light off some SAFE fireworks we purchased earlier this summer. She LOVES the sparklers and ground blooms, etc. Earlier today, we rented a SWAN boat, and paddled around the lagoon. We also went to MGM for some Soft swirled Ice Cream in BIG waffle cones (Big Dino by the lake) and "special" attractions (sound stage, Muppets, etc.). I'll post the fun we share. Thanks for all the wishes...she is excited, but seems to be this way every day. She's a "Happy" child...and always has been. XO ^_^

 

[jgates]

Another wonderful set of photos...........Just heavenly!!!!! A far cry from our room at Universal. We were at Royal Pacific in just a standard room booked at the Entertainment Rate. It was fantastic though (except they threw us in a smoking room) and I thought our view was fantastic - down towards the small golfing area.

 

[ladyjayhawk]

Thank you to everyone for your helpful advice! I talked about our options with my DH and DS (DD is too little) and after looking at pictures of POR and S/D, they both voted for Swan. DS liked the pool and "comfy" beds and DH liked the rooms plus internet access. I then told DH about the different room options at the Swan and fully expected him to say go with standard because it was the least expensive. But to my shock, he says lets get one with a nice view. So, one more question please ( for today ):

What is the difference between water view, lake view and resort view?

Thank you again for all of your help. Normally I wouldn't get so worried about cost but I was trying to keep the hotel bill down because DH's employer is going to reimburse us for 4 of the 7 nights because DH is going to a convention at the Gaylord Palms Resort at the start of our trip. I didn't want to be rejected later because we were being excessive. But tonight DH informs me that staying at the Gaylord would have been $260 a night, so if I can find anything for less than that, we should have no problem getting paid back. Now he tells me!!

Actually, I fibbed. I do have one more question for dreamflight99. In an earlier post you thanked mompoppins for info about discounted park tickets and meal vouchers. Would you be able to share that info? Thanks!!

Have a good night all!

 

[Mouseteacher]

Good morning! I can see us now @ the Swan summer 2004 and we take over one floor - preferably CL floor! Bunny slippers, Disney apparel and maybe mouseears for our runs down the hallway and into the Club Room!
ozzie needs a room --- check. Anyone else?

On a more serious note - DH was nearby having his coffee as I DIS and he said let's build back up our spg points for next summer. His suggestion is to charge groceries, gas, etc. the things we do on a regular basis - put the cash in the checking account so the bill can be paid off each month and watch those points rack up - Gold is 2 for 1 right? Need to go back and check. I'm hoping that spg offers "cash and points" at the S/D again next summer. It was an awesome deal.

Youngest DS has included in his most recent vocabulary the words "when we're at Disney next summer" -- hmmm... he's on board!

DF~ Love all the pictures! Please keep them and your accounts of your days coming in.

Disbug~ Come on up north! and help with the national convention. Approx 15,000 educators are expected to descend on Boston the week after Easter. You are so talented. I am craft-impaired to say the least.

firstmickey~ Thanks for the link - I'll take trip reports from wherever anyone stays - need that Disney fix. Besides, I've stayed at POR and POFQ so I can relate.

 

[lovingthemouse]

Ok Mouseteacher, we MA public school teachers are ready to help you take on the challenge of the convention in Boston! I know Boston fairly well, so o think i could get them around!!!

A summer trip to the world, huh? Please don't have it in July, one of our daughters is getting married at the end of the month, and we'll have tons of planning leading up to it!!!

LadyJayhawk - welcome to the board. What a nice thing to have your husband's trip partially reimbursed!!! You have many choices of water rooms - we have always stayed right above the top "shell "in the middle of the Dolphin's front side- that is our special "water-view" - it is beautiful at night - but i am so tempted to go clean the shells out sometimes.

Hope you all have a great day. Caroline

 

[ww52]

I may have a trip report up later today; nowhere near the quality of disbug and df, in part since I hammered it out on my commutes on the train. Will try to check for grammar and spelling (especially with all the teachers here) and then load it up.

If you ladies go through with this trip next year, you'll need your own web site for the reports, pictures etc. Someone mentioned it would be like a sorority. Maybe you could call it Sigma Delta (think about it - the initials that is.)

 

[madge]

ladyjayhawk I'm not MomPoppins, but I know what tickets you are talking about....She ordered them from Paramount International Travel http://www.gopitravel.com/OrderTickets.asp?saleto=U the 7 day park hopper plus passes come with vouchers for a free breakfast. I am planning on using ours for a breakfast with "dat Tidder" or "mouse" (as my 22 month old says it ). the vouchers are good at most of the character meals, not sure about other restaurants.

hope this helps!

DF...LOVE the pics

my trip is getting closer, but I don't want it here, just yet....

we are thinking of staying our first night at AS Movies. Along with "dat Tidder", our daughter is in love with Buzz and Woody. I'm going to call about Disney Club discounts today. One night there, 5 or 6 nights at the Dolphin, 2 or 3 nights at the Contemporary....am I crazed?

 

[adisneynut]

Connections price is around 295.00 without breakfast vouchers. TicketMania is offering mousesaver members a 5-day park hoper with 4+ for 257.00. I hope everyone we can hear back from other who use this tickets. I won't be at the world until 12/31-01/05/04.

Our first night is at the Swan.
That is why I am poking my head in here. Trying to get as much info as possible.

 

[Muffy]

We bought park passes from Paramount for the second time this year. Last year we bought the 10 day world pass becuse we still had our AP's to cover half of our vacation. This year we bought three 30 day fun in the sun passes for 310.00 ea and 15.00 shipping. We love these passes! They include unlimted access to DQ, PI, WDW waterparks, Kennedy Space Center and several musuems. Plus you get a free breakfest voucher for ea pass you buy. You have to call to get the 10 day world pass and the 30 day fun in the sun pass, 1 888 281 6699. Rosa is the best and very effecient. The passes do expire and days cannot be saved. It is great for those that only plan one trip a year. It is significantly cheaper than a PAP.

Mouseteacher, 12th floor of the Swan sounds heavenly! All I need is a spare park hopper! Nothing a call to Rosa won't cure! We put everything on our Starwood CC and pay it off monthly. The points really rack up fast. Even though you get 3 to 1 points for starwood stays(Gold), CC purchases are 1 to 1 as far as points go. If we charge $1000 on our CC we get 1000 starwood points. Still a good deal. Your DH sounds very wise to me....

DF, love the pictures! Can you believe how fast the summer has gone by?

Hi Ozzie, Disbug, Hockeymom, ww52, Madge and everyone else!

Muffy

 

[Mouseteacher]

Caroline~ Okay all you MA public school teachers willing to "help" out - oops, I'm not the Hospitality Committee - they're in charge of arranging tours of Boston and restaurant info, etc. However, I could use more volunteers - !

Our students get an extra week off right before the April vacation so our teachers can attend the convention - great professional development opportunity.

A room for Caroline- not in July - check! got it!

S igma D elta - YES that's it!! Good one, ww52.

madge~ Your plan sounds awesome not crazy. I love the CR and someday would do a split stay with S or D and CR. Nothing we DISers dream of are in the category of crazy IMHO.

Muffy~ Thanks for the clarification on the 2-1 or 1-1 points. We didn't get credit for our Swan stay b/c it was the cash and points.

 

[ww52]

Mouseteacher - glad you liked the Sigma ∆ suggestion. (I can't get the Sigma sign to show up right, but the delta does.)

By the way, I'm going to a conference in Boston end of September and we're having a dinner cruise one night. Have you ever done one, and is it a good tour? We went to Boston on vacation last year and loved it; looks like my family won't be coming with on the conference though.

And I have posted my thrown together trip report out on that board, if anyone is interested.

 

[Debbie7452]

Put me on the list for the slumber party. I have seen a cordless travel blender

Call me old fashioned though, I can't be seen in the Club lounge in my PJ's

Hve you all been reading that thread about CL abuse? Some of it is hysterical and some is just SAD! I have to confess that I have a close family member who would definitely act like that. She brags about raiding breakfast buffets with zip locs to save food for lunch time...aarrgh, how embarrassing.

Kindergarten update...my DS has been awarded a "gold star" twice this week. They only get this for really exceptional behaivor, so I am bragging. I was a little worried about how he would behave at school because he is NO angel at home He does have a very nice teacher and our school system (public) is just excellent. We are very lucky and grateful.

Hockeymom!!

You sound like you have your party mapped out but I had a few ideas for you. I saw a magazine with this kind of party and they roasted marshmallows over a small portable style grill (ringed cutely with rocks like a real fire). We had a "midnight fun" party once where the kids stayed til Midnight. One of the popular activites we did was looking through a telescope. If you can get your hands on one, Mars is closer now to the Earth than in the past 50,000 years and it is easily viewed! Have a great party.

 

[Mouseteacher]

ww52 ~ Is the dinner cruise on the Odyssey or Spirit of Boston from Rowes Wharf? No I have not done this...typical Bostonian not taking advantage of some of our wonderful touring opportunities. I have take the luncheon cruise of the harbor on the "Spirit of Boston" a few years ago and it was fun. I imagine seeing the city skyline and lights from the harbor must be spectacular. Plus you will see Logan Airport, too, with flights coming and going. I hope you enjoy your visit of our beautiful city.

Headed over to read your trip report.

 

[madge]

Muffy this is our first stay as SPG Gold we do get 3 points for every $1 spent...right? did I read that wrong?

I have scoured that flyertalk website for all sorts of "professional" tips as far as SPG goes....this site is for my "pixie dust" tips, LOL.

I still can't decide whether to cough up the points to get CL access before we leave or see what kind of upgrade we might get. I know the first 2 nights and last night (or two) the Dolphin has a good amount of availability, given the $149 rate. There are 3 nights that are booked pretty close to full for the big convention that is there every year at this time.....I still have a little bit of time to decide that.

Mouseteacher we have come to enjoy the split stay. we like staying on the monorail and at the S/D to add another night, at another resort shouldn't be that big of a deal. We are renting a car, and I'll pack accordingly. I'm not telling the kids, though. They think they always figure out all my secrets!

Sigma Delta, LOL...that's good!

 

[deedee723]

Dreamflight, we have eaten at the Outback a number of times over the last few years. We have always found the food to be excellent however we have had a couple of experiences where our waiters were not very friendly. Last year we went with dd and ds and our main waiter made some comments to the fact that we did not order drinks (only had water) and did not order any dessert. His demeanor made us feel somewhat uncomfortable throughout the whole dinner. We went back again this year since we have 2 entertainment cards and would be getting 2 free dinners (up to 34.00 each). We ordered three filet mignons and one lobster tail and once again the food was great only this time the service was excellent also. We asked our main waiter his name and sure enough it was Rashid. He told us to just request to have him next time we came. Dh tipped him very nicely especially since we did have the two free dinners.
By the way, we do not have the Orlando Entertainment card however we were able to use the cards from our 2 South Jersey books. We just had to check ahead to make sure the Outback card number (#4) had not been previously used at a South Jersey restaurant and luckily they had not been punched. We will definitely go back again next year and ask ahead for Rashid.

 

[Muffy]

Madge, Yes, it is 3 to 1 for starwood stays. I've corrected my post! Have a great time at all those resorts! It won't be long!

Muffy

 

[ww52]

Mouseteacher - Interesting that in Chicago we also have boats called the Odyssey and Spirit of Chicago that offer lunch and dinner cruises on Lake Michigan. My wife and I did one (can't remember which); also, the high school has a post-prom cruise on one of them each year. Probably the same goes in Boston (my second favorite city).

Anyway, not sure which it is, but is probably one or the other - the agenda just says "our 3-hour sightseeing boat tour of Boston, with a luxury four-course dinner".

Wait a minute - "a three-hour tour"?! At least the boat isn't named the Minnow.