November 12, 2005....7 Night Eastern...Who Else?

[barkley]

since we have this list going, could we add one more item of information to it?

-when do you depart from home (so we know when you will likely last check this board)
-are you doing wdw, and if so before or after
-are you staying the night prior near the port/where at


for us: departure saturday 11/5
wdw 11/5-11/11
best western near the port 11/11.

don't be surprised if you could make a mint on selling those bands on board. we wore some tshirts for our last embarkation that had mickey saluting the american flag. everyone wanted to know where we had found them (target back home) and several people offered some good $$$ to buy them from us.
as has been said-anything disney that is a little bit unique could be quite a popular item.

 

[DIS NURSE]

barkley...please elaborate on your take on the new Willy Wonka movie....we are planning on going this weekend and I have almost had to talk my kids into seeing it....they think that Johnny Depp looks kinda' creepy!

We are leaving on Thursday, Nov. 10th and staying 2 nights at Ron Jon's at the Port.......
We are doing WDW/ Nickelodeon Hotel for 5 nights afterwards.....

 

[PrincessHaleysMom]

Jay,
My husband will gladly join you for any and all football games. We planned this cruise around his beloved Florida State Seminoles. He will watch anything with a football.

We are driving down from GA and staying at the Radisson the night before the cruise!

 

[Choc_marg]

disnurse - We saw Charlie & the Chocolate Factory last weekend. Johnny Depp is creepy, but I really liked the movie. My kids loved it. Willy Wonka is one of our favs though.

Looks like we have a place to stay finally too. We leave Phoenix on 11/10 & will be staying at the Radisson on 11/10 & 11/11. We are spending the day of 11/11 at Kennedy. I may still be checking in though. I will have my laptop with me. We'll see how addicted I still am when we get that close!!!

So, what does everyone do for a living?? I know we have a NICU nurse, a police officer, probably some so-called "stay-at-home-moms" or should I say "never-get-to-stay-at-home-moms" or "permanently-chauffering-moms" ... What else? I am a marketing researcher. I am a one-woman shop & it allows me to still have a career & be available for my kids whenever they need me. I work lots of nights tabulating survey results DH is a software engineer, DM is a realtor in Flagstaff AZ, & DF is a manager for the Walgreens distribution center in Flag. What keeps you all busy?

Later we can start a run of our hobbies/interests...

 

[DIS NURSE]

Who is the cop? I must have missed that one! Cops and RN's have alot in common usually....trying to help others but keep getting caught up in other people's weirdnesses!

My dear husband is a computer junkie/ Network manager for a community college here in Bend. He has been the Network gu-rue here for over 20 years and loves to talk computers!

FYI....I totally respect and give a huge round of applause to the "stay at home" moms......the hardest job in the world as Oprah calls it.

I wish I could be a stay at home mom....instead I go to work 3 days a week and change diapers and feed babies at the hospital. Not much different.

 

[Choc_marg]

JayPD is the cop Thus the "PD"

I am really lucky that I am in a field where I can work from home. My schedule is so flexible that I do the stay at home mom duties as well as the job duties. Although it does get a tad crazy at times, I am really grateful that I can be here for the kids and at their school for special days. Works out perfectly for us!

 

[barkley]

re. willy wonka-although i love tim burton movies (you will probably get a coming attraction for his next "nightmare before christmas" type flick-"the corpse bride" and it looks great) i just found johhny depp's performance way to flat-he just seemed very michael jackson kinda creepy with the voice and mannerisms. the rest of the actors were great though-and visualy it was stunning. i was impressed with the use of one actor for all of the oompa loompas (and note in the credits that danny elfman the composer did ALL of the singing for that roll-an amazing vocal range but the number of tracts they must have done for each song!). the other thing i did not care for was the way they changed the story line ending from the original book. but my daughter did enjoy it and is already eagerly anticipating the release on dvd.

boy the computer discussions that may fly around with this group! my husband is a systems analyst with health and social services. i am a member of the "early retirement club". i was with social services for 15 years-long story short i had 2 strokes in 2003 and that was enough for the doctors to tell me that i should listen to my body and retire. so i am now full time at home and realy miss the day to day adult contact and interaction. i do love that my kids no longer have to be in after school and summer care, and i can be much more aware of what's going on at their school.

choc marg-marketing research? cool. there are a couple of marketing research companies near us that my husband and i have done focus groups for. i found it interesting that lots of the women who participate take their cash "gratuity" and stash them into cruise funds

so, i have my calendar set to make my ressies. on line-i just hope the site is working. i've read some posts where there have been some glitches and people have had a hard time. has anyone decided what nights they are doing palo's-it's hard when you don't know what your dining rotation will be. i know monday is formal night (which will also be 3rd night of rotation), what night is pirate night? i figure to try and book for any night beyond the 3rd (since it will be a duplicate restaurant) with the exception of pirate night and the last night. i also wanted to ask if anyone is interested in doing any group brunch at palos (they're done on the at sea days right?) does anyone know if you're only allowed to book for the number of adults in your own cabin (or can you say i will need a table for 6?-if they let us do this we could take a poll on what day and those of us with earlier access to the ressie system could include all interested).

 

[Jaypd]

Choc is right the PD does not stand for Pixie Dust

PrincessHaleysMom I am glad to see someone will watch with me. I am also a FL State fan. Tell your husband I was hanging with a old Seminole named Bobby Jackson.

FairyDisMom the games are shown in Diversions.

 

[chip&dale&fun]

Hi folks - I will update the list at lunch time and repost.

Thought of this for new cruisers as we got caught last time. Some travel agents, like AAA offer a discount at the ships store. We purchased stuff the first night but I was very queasy and thought I would go bacl to make the difference and get the discount. After all it is all in the same store. NOPE - needs to be all at one time. So, please keep that in mind. (No, I did not return everything and re-purchase it).

I need to put in a plug for the Florida Gators, and as much as I do enjoy football, other than perhaps a polite "pop-in", don't think I will be joining you all on board, still we never know.

We are coming in the night before as well and staying at????? Best Western. Stayed at the Raddison last time, but decided to save a few $$$, this trip.

 

[smola09]

havent posted in a while but i see we have some football fans in here. I am a true browns fan. they're gonna go all the way this year. with crennel and the wholee bunch they got we got a chance to win more than 3 games this year. I went to the game last year and it was like -10 outside

 

[Favorite Auntie]

Choc Marg, if it will help get the Large count up, I can switch one of my mediums to a large, that would make it 4 medium and 1 large....

 

[Choc_marg]

Favorite Auntie - It doesn't really make a difference to me. As long as we all get what we want, I'm OK with that. Anyone who joins in after the order is in can pick from what's left.

 

[DIS NURSE]

Okay....I have always known the possibilities are there to get seated with bad table mates....but after reading the recent, "Has anyone not "connected" with their tablemates?" thread...I am now convinced that we would all be fools to not link tables! How does that work exactly? Does one person call ahead for the entire "early" or "late' groups? What happens when some or all of us have requested a certain dining rotation? Would it be best (for all of those interested in doing this)....we agree on requesting a certain dining rotation?

This is my take on what we would want....
Pirate night is on Tuesday (after St. Maarten) BTW.....
I would like to be in Parrot Cay on Pirate Night.
I would like to have our character breakfast on the last am possible (Thursday)
I would like to have Animator's Palate on the third night

Can you tell I like to save the best to the last?
We will not be trying out Palo our first cruise....am going to save that until our cruise in Nov of 2006.

So I have figured that with all of the above wishes taken into account, the best dining rotation for us would be to request PLAPPLAPP.

That is for what it is worth.....don't know if anyone else is interested.
Character breakfast later in the week is ideal....my kids will have no idea it's coming and yet, ANOTHER, surprise!

I know lots of us deep down would love to "sit by ourselves" at dinners.....and some of the groups here could probably get that? (large enough). Our party of 4 could never be gauranteed that so why not take the next best gauantee and sit with DIS'ers?

Some of those stories on the thread about bad tablemates are sad and funny!
But it's only humerous AFTER the fact.....

I have read months ago a similar thread that made my eyes water laughing about people's stories!
Again, only funny if it didn't happen to you and you just think to yourself, "WOW! There are some weird and rude people out in the world!"

 

[chip&dale&fun]

Here is the updated list where I have added the befores and afters, for those folk who have posted. I found a much better way to display this data in a chart - But I cannot figure out how to post the chart on the page, the rows and columes disappear and you are left with a mess.

So, read through and help me out with additions and those corrections. Thanks...

7 DAY MAGIC - DIS SHIP MATES

Early Dining

(4) 4forMickey DW Dk4 Dk2
2nd Cruise - WDW before.
Langsing, IL
Deck - 2 midship
Dining - Early

(5) Smola09 DTB14 DF DM DB8 DB9
Third Cruise - Celebrations?
Deck 5
Dining - early seating

(5) Favouriteauntie Dsis DNephew DM DF
Lots of Cruises
New Hampshire
Deck 2
Dining - Early Seating

(6) Choc Marg DH DD6 DS 4 DM DF
Cruise - ???
Phoenix
Deck 6
Dining - early seating.
Before - Radisson 10th, 11th

(8) Anastasia DH DS11 DS8 DD6
DU DMIL Aunt
DMIL 75th Birthday!
Pennsylvania
Deck 1 - wants Deck 2
Dining- Early

(6) PatzFan Jay DW DS8 DD6 DS3 Dsis
2nd Cruise - 10th Anniversary!
Andover
Deck 2 Forward
Dining - early seating

Late Dining

(4) DisNurse DH DD8 DS6
First Cruise - 10th Anniversary!
Oregon
Deck 2
Dining - Late Seating
Before - Ron Jon's 10th, 11th
After - WDW 5 days - Nickelodeon - Surprise!!!!!

(2) Chip&Dale&Fun DH
2nd Cruise - Anniversary/DH B-Day.
Florida
2nd Seating
Deck 6 aft
Before - Best Western, 11th

(4) Barkley DH DD11 DS8
3rd Cruise Celebrations?
N. California
Dinning - Late Seating
Deck 7
Before: WDW one week
Best Western 11th

(3) PrincessHaleysMom DH DD2
Second Cruise
Georgia
Deck 7
Dining - late seating
Before - Radisson - 11th

(4) FairyDisMom DH DD6 DD4
1st Cruise 10th Wedding Anniversary
Minnesota
Deck 8
Dining - Late Seating

(9) Jaypd DW DS5 DD1
DMIL DFIL SIL BIL Dmom
Vow Renewal - 10th Anniversary!
Bohemia, NY
Deck 8
Dining - Late Seating

(11) STB on the Beach DH DS4 DM DF DFSis
DSis DSis DH DS6 DD4 DS19 mths
Many cruises, first Disney - Family reunion
Gulf Shores, AL
Deck 2
Dining - late seating

Dining Still to be posted

HookedonMagic DH
6th Cruise - Celebrations?
Celebration, Florida
Deck 6 aft
Dining???

Bobsuzla DH DD10
Celebrations? -
Extreme South Jersey
Deck 7
Dining - ????

Ferastu DW DS8
1st Cruise - Celebrations?
Rhode Island
Deck ???
Dining ????

 

[chip&dale&fun]

Suggestions for linking dining reservations.

If you look at this list - I have sorted it into early and late dining to assist. On another cruise, one person volunteered for coordinating the early, and another for the late and left all the details up to individual PM's instead of posting with a deadline - just a thought.

I concur that linking dining would be fun. On the other hand, we are all balancing other issues. For DH and I - we are into Palos. We have also looked at requesting a specific dining rotation and decided that request was not as important as other things we are trying to balance.....Some of you may differ and the rotation may be more important....

As an aside, when is the character breakfast -- I have heard that this is the morning after one of the seatings, but do not recall which one. Perhaps I can look at some old navigators.

There are also many of us that will easily fill out a table by themselves.

Lots to ponder......

 

[chip&dale&fun]

DisNurse - still looking but you do not get to select the time of the character breakfast - it is early or late to match your dining schedule. You do not get a choice, I have heard the tickets will be in your stateroom.


I think I read that the character breakfast is the first sea day after animators dinner - so..... that would be

too much to think about - too much to plan......

 

[barkley]

i am still confused as to people requesting specific dining rotations-is this something that some travel agents mention? on the other 2 disney cruises we have done this was never an option prior to boarding (after you got in your stateroom and saw your rotation there was a period when you could go stand in line and request-same with changing dining times). rotation does'nt matter to me, i would like to be linked with other diners so whatever is the easiest for the person doing it. i believe the person on our last cruise who organized this needed the name the reservation was under and if available the stateroom number-they called the cruiseline and said it was a group who wished to dine together and wanted to be seated all at the same table (or at least at adjacent tables).

 

[DIS NURSE]

Yes...thanks for clarifying that about the character breakfast....I have also read it is the first sea day am after your Animator's seating. If I got PLAPPLAPP, then the breakfast would be Thursday AM like I am hoping for.
Yes, I am aware that our character breakfast will be somewhere around 9am to 9:30 start for the late seating people. That is exactly one of the reasons I chose late seating...getting the kids out of bed at 7:30 to make the 8am breakfast seemed futile to me. Going through the St. Thomas disembarkment will be painful enough! Way too early! Way too many people! YUCK!
Also, am aware that our breakfast options will be at the later staging time on the last AM before getting off the ship due to late seating

I have read and heard that once you are paid in full you can call DCL and REQUEST a certain dining rotation....obviously they will tell you to not count on it and that it merely a request. But LOTS of people of these boards have posted that their requests were fulfilled.

I am also finding the thread, "Why does dinner take so long?" very interesting in trying to plan our strategy....with the kids and all.

 

[PrincessHaleysMom]

It is very simple to link reservations for dining. You could tell your TA to link you to each reservation number and let them take care of it for you - that is why they get paid to do those kinds of things! I can say that (coming out of the closet) I am a TA!!
I try not to act like one since I really don't know it all - and some sure do act like they do.
So anyway - that's the secret of the day about me (Jessica - the travel agent who specializes in cruises).
My husband is Ben and is a Civil Engineer - designs large master planned communities.
And Haley is a terribly cute two year old who asks every morning if we are going on the Goofy boat today!
We leave in 3 weeks for Disneyland and a 4 night west coast cruise on RCCL. Hopefully that will hold her over for the next 3 months!

 

[chip&dale&fun]

PrincessHaleysMom -- Hi - thanks for the clarification. I do not have a TA as I am crusing on DVC points and thought of all sorts of horrors and things going wrong, were I to volunteer to touch the dining reservations. I have also heard that if one person decided to change to an early/later that the entire table changed (that would not be good. I would be like this scary smilie.)

So, who out there has a TA that they would like to volunteer to link the reservations for those of us who would like to have joint seating. I am not picky on a dining rotation. I really tried on the last trip, and ended up so disappointed, that I am not going to try to request any specific rotation. (where is the raspberry smilie face).

And I would enjoy speaking with your DH......unless work is off-limits on-board. I can appreciate that too.

Wow - can we leave NOW!