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

[GrayFal]

Anyone by chance know anything further about the IBEROSTAR resorts south of Cancun? We are headed there in March. Our resort is okay after Hurricane Wilma.....still repairing things though.

We are excited and I will give you all a full report afterwards.

TUG Mexico Forum

TUG is to Timesharing as DIS is to Disney - look here for information regarding the Mayan Riviera

 

[faireygod mother]

Well I jout tortured myseld by looking at the web cam and seeing the Magic in port.

We stayed at AKL before we cruise and had a wonderful time and even received towel animals. It was a great prelude to the cruise.

We have also sayed off site and rented a house with a pool. We rented through familiesfirst.com. The house was wonderful and it really helped with off setting the food expence.

 

[GrayFal]

Oh, and I know what you mean about the shock after stepping off of the cruise. Even on Disney Property, they don't treat you the same way. We went to the AKL after one of our cruises and I was so disappointed that the staff didn't say hello or go out their own way for anything more than what had to be done.
That's why NOTHING BEATS A DISNEY CRUISE!

I agree 100% - I don't know if it is an 'emersion' thing but the cruise is truely unique. The level of service, the friendliness of the CM's AND the other guests...when I was in the Disney Park before the cruise this past December plus my Park visit in October - I was struck by the number of stressed out people! It is suppose to be FUN at Disney and there was lots of comando style vacationers....

Maybe because you KNOW you are on the ship for the whole week - All Disney ALL the Time - that people appear more relaxed and enjoy the experience. I enjoy seeing the characters on the ship interacting with the guests, young and old alike. At the Parks, people look as if they will KILL you if you try to talk/take pictures of the characters while it is 'their turn'.....

Anyway, this trip after the cruise, I am staying a few days off site at a timeshare resort to unwind....probably go to Epcot on Monday to do the countries - haven't done that in YEARS and not without kids ....and fly home Tuesday evening.....would stay 'on-property' but it is Thanksgiving week and it would be impssible to get a trade into DVC .

 

[faireygod mother]

OKay this is what I have so far for the hyatt booking. I am trying to finalize everything this week so we can keep this deal (seeing how it is 10.00 cheaper than the original request)
# rooms type rooms
Faireygod mother 8 king/dbl
Grayfal 1 king
Joycepa 2 dbl/king
Disnurse 1 dbl
cjlkim 1 dbl
kaykels 1 dbl

Is there any one else interested?

Did I forget anyone?

This rate is booked on 15 rooms, so far we are at 14. We need one more, but can add more than that.

 

[DIS NURSE]

Jeez.....thanks everyone for all of your input! It really helps!

Are we all just total nut cases to be planning this stuff so far in advance? I love it though! Makes the trip even funner!

Thanks so much GrayFal for the Mexico link. The Iberostar resorts do have their own "DIS" discussion site (NOTHING as elaborate as here, or course!) and I read that often, but it is great to have another place to look and learn! It'll keep me busy this afternoon! Thanks!

......come on someone! One more person to add a room to the Hyatt and we are set!

I did read (at length) Timon's Magic thread, when they were on the ship only. Thanks for the tip and I will go back and read the Discovery Cove part. that vacation must have cost them $25,000, at least! Do they have kids? Why didn't they bring their kids along?
I did enjoy that thread immensely 'cause it was right before we left for ours! I did, however, get really burnt out reading day after day how incredibly sick they both were! It almost made me achy, feverish, and cruddy feeling just reading it!
All I could think about was disinfecting every surface I touched on the Magic, as I knew they touched it too!.....just days before we sailed!
That would surely ruin a trip....being that sick!

 

[DIS NURSE]

Anyone know why all of the sudden my "user CP" doesn't work? I can't instantly see the threads I am subscribed to anymore and have to go hunting for them.

 

[jcemom]

You can count us in for 1 room at the Hyatt...double please.

 

[Hannosmom]

Jeez.....thanks everyone for all of your input! It really helps!

Are we all just total nut cases to be planning this stuff so far in advance? I love it though! Makes the trip even funner!

Thanks so much GrayFal for the Mexico link. The Iberostar resorts do have their own "DIS" discussion site (NOTHING as elaborate as here, or course!) and I read that often, but it is great to have another place to look and learn! It'll keep me busy this afternoon! Thanks!

......come on someone! One more person to add a room to the Hyatt and we are set!

I did read (at length) Timon's Magic thread, when they were on the ship only. Thanks for the tip and I will go back and read the Discovery Cove part. that vacation must have cost them $25,000, at least! Do they have kids? Why didn't they bring their kids along?
I did enjoy that thread immensely 'cause it was right before we left for ours! I did, however, get really burnt out reading day after day how incredibly sick they both were! It almost made me achy, feverish, and cruddy feeling just reading it!
All I could think about was disinfecting every surface I touched on the Magic, as I knew they touched it too!.....just days before we sailed!
That would surely ruin a trip....being that sick!

They don't have any kids...yet. I think this trip was the last big "hurrah" trip before starting their family. I hope they share the good news, when it happens.

 

[miatamel]

Hello! I would love to try and get in on the chat stuff. Even though, I do need to quit obsessing about a trip that's 11 months out! Anyway, would someone send me Grayfal's link to AIM so I don't have to wade thru 50+ pages? I have to do it while naughty DD2 is napping!!

 

[GrayFal]

CHAT - AOL IM - Tuesday 1/3 @ 10 pm Eastern​

What do you all think?
Does anyone need to get AOL IM? http://www.aim.com/download.adp?aolp=

Please post your AOL IM name so we can add to our lists....I am starting a new AIM Buddy Group "DIS DD"

My name is TUGmom2​

Will add the new people to the first page....​

Glad You Found Us!​

 

[miatamel]

thank you for that! I'm on an Apple, but I'm supposing that wouldn't be a problem....
I was trying to read back a few pages (she's still asleep!) and see that faireysomething or the other is addicted to The Amazing Race!! Me too! The only TV I'll watch!! I got Season I for Christmas (from myself!) and am currently watching that. It was so much harder then (and so much more enjoyable when they weren't casting models, aspiring actors, TV star wannabes, etc. And I SOOOO want to run this race!) Anyway, that's off topic...
Would love to join the chat so we might know people this trip. I'm a SaHM in a very RURAL area and I feel quite lonely and isolated most all the time. Knowing people to visit with would be an awesome thing for me. We were tablemates with an non-English speaking family in November, so I'm wondering if we'd be able to request some of you guys for table mates this trip? Do y'all do much of that? And I still have so many questions--I can't believe y'all are actually able to plan flights, hotels, transfers this far out. We booked it and I just have to hope we can swing it come 8/29 when payment is due in full. DH is self employed, January is our worst month, so I feel like we are starting out behind on saving for it already!!
So, the closer it gets the more I'll want y'all to let me in on all those "getting there" tips.
Thanks for including me...
Melanie in Mississippi
Oh! And just got in my Disney Visa CC today! Gonna start charging and storing up those reward dollars!

 

[jcemom]

I'll also be looking for table mates for dinner if anyone wants to adopt me. It will be me, DS 13, DS 12, and DD 4. I have a feeling the kids will skip out on me most nights and I'd prefer not to dine alone, LOL. (We're on late dining.)

 

[GrayFal]

thank you for that! I'm on an Apple, but I'm supposing that wouldn't be a problem....

Click on Macintosh - that is Apple

 

[Hannosmom]

OKay this is what I have so far for the hyatt booking. I am trying to finalize everything this week so we can keep this deal (seeing how it is 10.00 cheaper than the original request)
# rooms type rooms
Faireygod mother 8 king/dbl
Grayfal 1 king
Joycepa 2 dbl/king
Disnurse 1 dbl
cjlkim 1 dbl
kaykels 1 dbl

Is there any one else interested?

Did I forget anyone?

This rate is booked on 15 rooms, so far we are at 14. We need one more, but can add more than that.

(Raising my hand) Me, me! Add me to the list. Me, meaning I need 1 room with 2 double beds, or a King and a sofa bed, whatever you can get. There are 4 of us. Thank-you, Dee!

 

[DIS NURSE]

Yes, thank you again and again!
I was just outlining this premeditated vacation to DH and he said, "gee, that's great someone is so together to organize that!" What nice people!"

He met other DIS'ers on our last cruise and was pleasantly surprised then that none of them were "axe murderes", as he once may have mentioned as a possibility.

Ohhh....BTW....have spent the last hour and a half reading about Discovery Cove! Wow! So cool! Timon's video and pictures are on the SW/DC board and they are so amazing!

.....We will be booking that soon. The prices are outrageous now, though! It's $279 a person! OUCH! Better start pulling some extra shifts!

 

[DIS NURSE]

Oh...one more thing.

DH says he'll set our DD up with her own email here pretty soon. I'll let anyone who cares know when that happens. She would love to "chat" with other kids going on this cruise.
Maybe they can all help EDUCATE eachother a little bit as to their part of the country and their state.....especially since these priveledged little bunch is being pulled out of school to go DOUBLE DIPPIN'!

On our last cruise every child brought a postcard from their state or town and gave one to every child at a DIS meet. Someone from our group copied off a generic map of the USA and also handed them out. The kids then "plotted" out their new peers and I thought that was a great idea. We still have all of the postcards! Pretty neat.

 

[kaykels]

GrayFal, I'm with you. I'm going to stay in a timeshare outside of the park and plan on leaving Tuesday as well. We're also doing Epcot because I can't wait to take my son on Soarin'. I know he will LOVE it. And he will also love the dinosaurs in the Energy Pavillion. Can't beat a double dip cruise and top it off with a little Disney. The kids don't have school anyway!

 

[kaykels]

On our last cruise the fellow Dis-ers brought really cool things. One guy made pins and mailed them to everybody (he had a lot of extra time), another lady gave a little jar of bubbles to all of the kids for the cast-off party, somebody else brought light up skull earrings for pirate night, etc.
I like the idea of the postcards from our state.
I'm a balloon twister, so I'll be the one making the balloon hats for the kiddies at the cast-off deck party.

 

[jcemom]

Do the King bed rooms at the Hyatt have a sofabed also? If they do that would be better for us than the two doubles. The boys won't sleep together. If one DS and I could bookend DD on the King bed, the other DS could take the sofa.

 

[faireygod mother]

DH says he'll set our DD up with her own email here pretty soon. I'll let anyone who cares know when that happens. She would love to "chat" with other kids going on this cruise.
Maybe they can all help EDUCATE eachother a little bit as to their part of the country and their state.....especially since these priveledged little bunch is being pulled out of school to go DOUBLE DIPPIN'!

My DGD would love to write. How old will your DD be on the cruise?




On our last cruise every child brought a postcard from their state or town and gave one to every child at a DIS meet. Someone from our group copied off a generic map of the USA and also handed them out. The kids then "plotted" out their new peers and I thought that was a great idea. We still have all of the postcards! Pretty neat.

I love this idea or even a form of this. We should consider doing something like this.