November 11, 2006 - MAGIC - Special Western "Double Dip" Cruise 11/11/06

[Vanvmom]

Thanks for the offer Devin. I think I will make my signs here and laminate them so that they do not get trashed during the packing. I'll get glue of some sort (super glue, or whatever else will stick the magnet to plastic) in FL. We arrive at MCO shortly after "way to early in the AM" (known to others as 6am) on Friday morning. I think that will give me plenty of time to stop at a Wallyworld and find glue. We are going to spend the day at KSC, then are spending the night at the Residence Inn (the way I understand, it is pretty close to the Radisson- we've never been to FL). I know you seem to be running out of magnets, but I will likely only need about 8. Sorry I couldn't help you unload more.

By doing it this way, if the magnetic signs cause a problem on the flight home, I will just throw them away. We have a short layover on the flight out to FL at LAX, and I just don't want to be delayed there. I'll already be traveling with a laptop, so who needs the extra hassles. I'm telling you, this was SO much easier to plan when we just drove our own van to the port.

 

[woody73]

I think I'd like some of those magnets. We're flying not driving (thank goodness), and I wonder if they would create a problem during the whole luggage search stuff. . .

Also, be careful to not place the magnets next to any magnetic media -- such floppy discs, credit cards, or your KTTW card.

Woody

 

[Vanvmom]

That's good advice Woody. I once had a store clerk set my ATM card down on the magnetic pad they use at the register to deactivate the security strip. Needless to mention, it also deactivated my ATM card. I was so frustrated with that guy! I know to keep magnets away from my laptop too.

 

[Spotdude]

I got the lunch info from The Passporter

 

[shelwoj]

I had a thought yesterday about the door signs. Everyone says not to hang any that you want to keep but what if you put a note on the back saying "If found please return to cabin #2598" or to that effect? I'm guessing that most people would return them. I'm going give it a try because I think I'd like to hang my signs at my desk to remind me of all the fun I had.

 

[miatamel]

Um, can Jackie or someone explain to me the need/benefit of "fish extenders?" I looked it up on eBay, saw the completed listings, but not real sure what I'd need to extend me fish for??

And if we are doing DIStag, somebody let me know pretty quickly so I can start making bags! (I'm going to ship stuff ahead since I'm on luggage limit). If I buy one or two things a week for the trip, I can slip it in and hubby doesn't notice it so much!

Melanie

 

[michelle9343]

Hello everyone!!!!
Welcome ktkberg This is a great group .
LInda and Sarah
I am glad you had no water in the house. The pictures are wild. When we lived on LI we would have flooding like that . No fun at all. It is really amazing what will wash up in a flood.
Jackie
I love those smiles. So cute.
I really like the idea of playing tag. It really sounds like fun!
Happy planning!

 

[ibouncetoo]

Um, can Jackie or someone explain to me the need/benefit of "fish extenders?" I looked it up on eBay, saw the completed listings, but not real sure what I'd need to extend me fish for??

Nope, can't explain a NEED for them, at lease in 'our' case. Actually, it was the folks on the DVC members cruise that got them. That is traditionally a cruise FULL of DISers...bagillions of them...and lots of note passing and games and folks meeting up for different activities. I think people mostly got them to use in their child's bedroom (which is what I believe they were designed for) after the cruise.

Can't remember if txaggie has "officially" volunteered to organize DIS TAG for us, or is looking for a helper first? Elizabeth, what say you?

 

[miatamel]

Thanks Jackie--I would just hate to miss out on buying something else for this trip that was completely unnecessary!! I've already got box full of same and hope to head to Hobby Lobby today before Labor Day celebration in the big city so I can spend more money and make yet more unnecessary items!

 

[ibouncetoo]

Thanks Jackie--I would just hate to miss out on buying something else for this trip that was completely unnecessary!! I've already got box full of same and hope to head to Hobby Lobby today before Labor Day celebration in the big city so I can spend more money and make yet more unnecessary items!

Hey DEE add these puppies to the drinks list:

For the Love of Chocolate $6.75
Godiva white & dark, Bailey's Irish Creme, Grand Marnier, Grey Goose L'Orange, served up, chilled to the bone - YOWSA! This one sounds like it could just send you over the top!

and Green Pearl - Baileys and Creme DeMenthe

 

[Vanvmom]

If you are a Bailey's lover, try Carolinas. I like it better!

Another note regarding the tag game...

anyone object to just giving a treat bag to the room you tag? Sort of like how our neighborhood plays "boo" at Halloween. This way we only have to do a treat bag for one cabin. I know my schedule as we get closer to cruise time, and it is getting busier and busier. I love the idea of playing tag, but I don't want to make myself trying to get enough goodie bags together. Heck, I'm already but most of you have likely already figured that one out!

Now, if only stress sould burn calories... we'd ALL be skinny!

 

[woody73]

I've been on Disney Cruises where people on the boards would sign up for different activities, tag being one of them. You could have a goodie bag for just the next victim, for all participants, or a specific number (say, five goodie bags for the next five people on the list).

Another activity is a goodie bag exchange. Those who participate agree to give a goodie bag to everyone else on the list (that way you know how many to make). Some people included things they bought (usually at the dollar store -- items like sunscreen and small picture frames), made momentos (theme craft items to commemorate the cruise, like magnets), bags of fun stuff (bandanas and glow sticks for Pirates night), or snack bags (goodies to take to the evening shows).

The exchange could be open to anyone who signs up by a certain date (allowing time to shop). Then, depending on the number of cabins, divided into smaller groups if necessary (20 to 25). Making and bringing 50 goodie bags might be overwhelming.

The Fish Extender becomes handy when multiple goodie bags get delivered to a cabin.

Woody

 

[Spotdude]

the travel Channel is showing DCL at 3.00 eastern. I have missed every time it has been on I am watching it today!

 

[Hannosmom]

Thanks Jackie--I would just hate to miss out on buying something else for this trip that was completely unnecessary!! I've already got box full of same and hope to head to Hobby Lobby today before Labor Day celebration in the big city so I can spend more money and make yet more unnecessary items!

This just cracked me up! You are describing me, too.

 

[Spotdude]

Has anyone done tea with Wendy?

 

[faireygod mother]

We did tea with Wendy and I beleive we are doing it again. It was cute and the cookies were good as well. Wendy reads a story and then there is a photo op after.


Now about the tag game. If we are gonna do goodie bags, maybe we could do it as a swap. Everyone bring a set# of the items (maybe something specific from your state or area. We meet and exchange. That way everyone who participates gets a goody bag. As for the tag game. The way we played it was that your door got tagged and then you tagged someone elses and the idea was to not get caught.

Wht do you all think about these ideas?

 

[faireygod mother]

Hey DEE add these puppies to the drinks list:

For the Love of Chocolate $6.75
Godiva white & dark, Bailey's Irish Creme, Grand Marnier, Grey Goose L'Orange, served up, chilled to the bone - YOWSA! This one sounds like it could just send you over the top!

and Green Pearl - Baileys and Creme DeMenthe

Wow this sounds good. I may have to try this myself. Heck maybe while in vegas.

 

[faireygod mother]

I just read this on another thread and loved it. Shame that the ones who should read this are probably not Disers.

10 cruise etiquette tips

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Let us forswear the role of Ugly American and start to mind our manners. These 10 tips were developed after a week on the high seas, but they are equally applicable to a land-based vacation or business trip. Read them and resolve to restore some civility to the art of travel.

1. Don’t expect perfection. With today’s ships carrying three and four thousand people at a time, trust me, the experience is not going to be perfect for everyone. Your toilet may clog. The handle may fall off the sliding door. Your table mates may sometimes be rude (my own children come to mind). Have a good attitude and your cruise will go a lot more smoothly.

2. Get some exercise. Fact: The elevators are going to be crowded around dinner and show times. A bunch of crabby people waiting for the elevators will only stir each other up even more; I saw it happen time and again. If you are physically able, why not walk off that crème brûlée and take the stairs — or maybe do a lap on the Promenade Deck.

3. Shut up. It is not necessary to slam your cabin door each time you enter and exit the cabin, and it is rude to do so at 3 a.m.(some passengers actually sleep — at night! — on a cruise). Close the door slowly and preserve some of the peace. Never been on a cruise? There are probably a hundred cabins within earshot of each slammed door.

4. Practice moderation. OK, it’s your vacation: Have fun and party on. But know your limits. No one likes a sloppy drunk, and the last thing you want to do is spend a night in the medical facility because you planted your *** through the glass coffee table. No one will convince me that excessive drinking is not a huge factor in all the recent “crimes” at sea.

5. Be discreet. Aboard ship, we are all equals. I don’t need to see your Rolex watch, or that 10-carat diamond. No need to flash a wad of cash in the casino either. For one thing, you could be asking for trouble; for another (listen carefully): No one really cares! And another thing, while the ship is your home away from home, it isn’t actually your home, so if you feel the need to wander the hallways, please do so wearing street clothes not your curlers and nightie — or less!

6. Remember that you are a world traveler. You may hear others speaking a different or unfamiliar language. (No, it is not a foreign language; it may be foreign to you, but it is not foreign to millions of perfectly competent speakers). If an announcement needs to be made, it will likely be made in several languages; after all, people who speak a language other than yours have the same right to safety and information as you do. Do not demand that people accommodate you. It is all about compromise.

7. Be a good audience member. If you are tired, don’t sit in the front row. How demeaning is it to a performer who is giving his or her all to look out and see an audience member nodding off mid-performance? Now imagine the reaction if there is also a line of drool dribbling from the corner of your mouth. Not a pretty sight, although the photograph I took is a good conversation piece!

8. Stop whining. If something has gone wrong or you are unhappy, there is no need to drag a few thousand other people into your mess. There is a simple solution: Ask management to correct the problem. Whining just brings everyone down and — who knows? — your expectations may be way out of line. And another thing: There’s not much anyone can do about a cloudy day.

9. Dress for public view. If you wouldn’t walk into Wal-Mart wearing short shorts and a tube top, you probably shouldn’t wear them on vacation, either. Same with a thong. People come in all shapes and sizes, but most of us are not looking to become acquainted with your every bulge and curve.

10. Be generous. Tip. Our waitress on the Freedom of the Seas is paid $50 a month. Yes, you read that correctly! The rest of her income comes from gratuities. To the family in the cabins across from me: I heard you all making plans to order room service for 16 on the last night of the cruise so you could avoid having to tip in the dining room. Shame on you!

Fortunately, rude passengers were a minority on this cruise. For now I will step off my soapbox (endless ranting isn’t polite either, even for a good cause).

John Frenaye is the president of JVE Group, Inc., a diversified company based in Annapolis, Md. With a background in business management, he writes about the travel industry as an insider with an outsider's perspective.

http://www.tripso.com/archives/2006/08/etiquette.html

 

[Spotdude]

That is a really good tip list. On our last cruise I do not remember anyone acting a fool but I am sure there were. That is one of the big reasion why I want to do it again. Even at DW there are people who I would choose not to remember, but yes I do. I would say 99% of the people I have met at DW and DCL were great. EXTREAMLY frendly and well mannered.

 

[PoohJen]

Hi Y'all!!!! I've started my Trip Report , enter at your own risk and only if you have 14 hours to kill! I am posting this here not to drive up my view count... ...but to pay homage to Hannosmom, who was not mentioned in my report. She had to endure not only my months-long taunting about my impending cruise, but also had to hear every detail of my pre-boarding panic (short story: DH lost his ID before we boarded!) and was SO VERY SUPPORTIVE throughout! Thanks LInda!! She even put up with a rub-it-in phone call during the Sail Away Party! Cheers!

SHELLY - saw your post about sign worries. On my recent cruise, we were RIGHT BY the elevators, and teens were constantly roaming the halls. Just a few times signs were "missing" (they were always just a door or two away) or rearranged. I too had been worried about losing signs, but you just get over it and "move on". I'm glad to report we didn't lose any signs, although next time I might make a back up sign for each one, just in case.

Also, I think it helped that all the signs were personalized; who else wants a sign that says "George and Janet" on it?!!