October 22, 2005 Roll call

[joemuseum]

Thanks everyone, for being so friendly !!

We DID link our reservations a while back. But Disney said they wouldn't guarantee we would be dining together. That's why I said we were "hoping." But reading your comments has made me feel that we will probably get our wish.

My sister, a former travel agent, had always told me to go to Chicen Itza, from Cozumel. But I don't see a Disney sponsored excursion to the ruins there. I'm thinking it looks too expensive anyway with guide books telling us we should fly. We kinda want a more relaxing cruise anyway, but I sure hate to miss something my sister recommends.

I think we have decided on the Tulum ruins, so that we will have a more relaxing experience. Last year on St. Martin, I rented a car and we roamed wildly around the island. I think that took a toll on my girlfriend who has been using the phrase "relax more this time" a lot.

 

[ThreeSmiths]

joemuseum --

Chichen Itza is AWESOME!!! We went while on vacation in Cancun about 7 years ago. It is truly incredible, and I would love to go back again. However it is a haul...from Cancun, anyways...so I assume it would be from Cozumel as well. From Cancun it was a 3 hour bus ride one way. We did not go to Tulum, but would love to do that as well one day. It is much closer to Cancun and probably a short (relatively speaking) boat ride from Cozumel.

Stacy

 

[pdarrah]

Hi Joemuseum,

I just added your info to the website - please take a moment and check it for typos. I try to be careful, but sometimes my fingers seem to have a mind of their own!

Hey Everyone! - We now have 50 of us listed on the "Who's Going" Page! I know there are a few who have posted here that haven't requested to be added to the page, so we are OVER 50 DISers on board this cruise! (Just a reminder - I will only add your info if you specifically ask me to - if it is just posted here in this thread I won't take it and add it to the page without your OK.)

Many of you haven't sent a picture - that is OK if you don't want to - but if it is just that you are unsure about format or something, it isn't really a problem - I can work with nearly any file you can send. If you don't have anything digital, you could snail mail a photo if you want and I'll scan it. (Just PM or email me and I'll get my address to you.)

Lastly - if anyone has any suggestions for the website, just let me know. Do you know of any cool sites we could link to? Is there information you would like to have there?

pdarrah

 

[disneyfan551]

Sorry for the quick note, but I'm at a CRAZY time of year here at work (inventory!). Can anyone tell me when we (CC members) can make our excursion ressies?

Hope everyone is having a terrific summer!!

 

[pdarrah]

disneyfan551 - I have it on my calendar as July 24th. However, I will probably try and login to the website on the 23rd just in case I didn't count right!

SCDizneyDawn - I just added your info. As usual, please check for typos...

joemuseum - Thank you for the graphic. I just added it to the website a few minutes ago.

Hi Everyone,

Joemuseum kindly made a graphic for our website. I just updated it if you want to check it out.

Is anyone else an annual passholder who is staying before/after the cruise at Disney? I just found out yesterday about the changes to the AP resort discounts and immediately went to the new website. Since you have to book 120 days out for this new program, I had to book yesterday for our Oct19-20 stay since Oct 19 was exactly 120 days! Fortunately, I was able to get a moderate (Riverside) for $109/night + tax. We are going to drive to Port Canaveral on Friday night (Oct 21) so we don't have to rush around in the morning and still get to the ship nice and early. I still need to book our stay for the night after the cruise, but at least I have a few days to do it! No one seems to know if there will be "regular" AP resort rates coming out or if the new online system will be the only AP discounts available.... since I didn't have time to wait and see how this works out (& got a decent rate) I went ahead and used the new system.

Now if only I could book airfare! I am checking Southwest every day to see if they have extended their dates past Oct 28th - in the past, we have found that all the airline "deals" from Chicago to Orlando seem to use the same dates as Southwest. Once Southwest is available, then everyone else also has good rates and we can pick the best options for us.

Only a few more months to go!

pdarrah

 

[scrapperjill]

We are not AP holders..but were planning on going to WDW a few day's before the cruise. 10/19-22...our first WDW trip.

 

[UKANGEL]

Hi
Hope you dont mind a couple of 'brits' joining your party?

We ( Dh and myself) shall be cruising on october 22 as well It'll be our 3rd cruise with disney, 1st time in May 03 on the Magic for our honeymoon, then December last year with some friends, on the Wonder So this 'll be our first time on the Western cruise...can't wait!

 

[joemuseum]

Hi
Hope you dont mind a couple of 'brits' joining your party?

Welcome Angel and family!!!!


oh and "BBC America" is the only "real" news Wanda and I get these days!!

 

[Landy]

Nineteen of us going on October 22nd. 10 Adults, 9 Kids Ages 3-15. Hope to see some of you there!!!!!

 

[scrapperjill]

Welcome, Welcome, Welcome....all the new people.

Landy... What a BIG group you have . We have a good sized group comming also...with kids ranging from 13-6...I think there's 18 in our group(10 adults and 8 kids)....


Well...again Welcome aboard

 

[Timon]

Welcome to all the new DISers !! The more the merrier!!!!

Wow, it's getting close now! We leave for WDW in a little over 15 weeks!!!


I canceled our Stingray City trip with Nativeway and rebooked with Cpt. Marvins short morning tour as it leaves later, so now we can sleep in a bit instead of getting up at 6 am!

I booked our rooms at Radisson at the port for the night before, I also booked two nights at the Royal Pacific Resort at Universal for the week-end before the cruise, I am so excited to stay on property there for the first time and use FOTL Express all day long!! !

We are booked for Discovery Cove (our 7th wedding anniversary gift to us ) for swimming with the Dolphins, going to Seaworld for the first time and spending 5 nights at BCV with 4 days at the parks.

I am so excited I am almost shaking!! 15 weeks to go and I still have 15 pounds to lose

We need to set up a DIS meet!!! Any suggestions???
I wouldn't recommend one at the sailaway party. We did this last cruise and everyone is too excited (and loud!) to really have any conversations.
Too much adrenaline pumping!!!

 

[pdarrah]

Hi UKAngel - Welcome! If you check out our website (www.bwdarrah.com/dcl) you'll see that there are some other "Brits"! Our DIS friends we dined with on our last cruise included a "Brit" that now lives in the USA and his wife - we had a fantastic time and laughed our way through every meal. If you would like to be included in the "Who's Going" list on our website, just let me know.

Hi Landy - Welcome to you also! That's a large group. If any of the kids are interested, we have a "Kid" version of this thread going where they can post and meet some of the others before we sail. (It is at http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=783780) My DS is 6 and asks almost every day if there are any more "DIS Kids" his age going on the cruise! If you would like to be included in the "Who's Going" list on our website, just let me know.

Hi Timon - I'm getting excited too! I have my WDW resort reservations all made (the new Annual Passholder system worked out OK for us) and we will be at Riverside for the 19th and 20th. I haven't booked yet, but we plan to stay at the Radisson at the Port on the 21st - Did you get any kind of deal there? Then we'll be at French Quarter on the 29th and fly home on the 30th. Hopefully, Southwest will release flights for after Oct28th soon so I can get the airfare booked - it's making me nervous having everything else, but not the flights!

I agree that we should setup a DISMeet other than the sailaway - we could try and do something before the safety drill and then party at the sailaway together later.... We did the sailaway thing last year & I agree that it is difficult - some of us stayed afterwards and actually were able to talk, but there were some we only saw for a few moments and never really "met".

pdarrah

 

[pdarrah]

Hi Everyone!

Joemuseum thought it would be neat to have a DIS door magnet that we could all use. This would be in addition to any other door magnet you want. We came up with this - my idea, his great graphics. What do y'all think? Good idea? You think we're crazy?! Cool! No way!

If everyone likes the idea, there are a couple of options on how to do it. Those who have a color printer can print it either on magnetic paper or onto regular paper and get some magnet tape from a hobby store. For those who can't print their own, either joemuseum or myself (or anyone else who volunteers) can print some extras and hand them out at our first DISMeet on board.

Actually, it would probably make a pretty neat t-shirt if printed onto the iron on stuff.... That would be more effort/cost than just doing door magnets, but it is always an option.

pdarrah

 

[Timon]

I booked the Radisson with the AAA rate and got a king room for $109. Not a great rate but it's nice and close to the port and we'll be taking the free shuttle.

I booked our flight there since it was on sale but don't have a return flight yet...oh well, at least I know we'll get there That's all that counts right??

 

[Landy]

Not familiar with the door magnets. Is this something that alot of people do? Don't remember any from our Wonder cruise in October 2001.

 

[pdarrah]

Hi Landy,

I think door decorations are a little more common on the 7-day cruises, but even there, not everyone does it. A lot of DISers enjoy decorating their door - just for the fun of it and to make it easier to recognize that one door amid the long hallway of identical doors! Since the doors are metal, the easiest way to decorate is with magnets. (Also, tape would be a problem for the stateroom hosts to clean up afterwards.)

When I get a few moments, I'll post a picture of my magnets from last year....

pdarrah

 

[joemuseum]

Timon... someone else recommended Captain Marvins Stingray City excursion to me. Where can I book it?

And.. I remember magnets on the doors on my last October Magic Eastern Carribean cruise. While I was just beginning to read the DIS board at that time, I wasn't really connected with the DIS group. Seems like I saw other magnets on various doors like family names, just married, etc. Seems like a great tradition in the making..

michael

 

[Timon]

joemuseum,

here's the link for Cpt Marvins
http://www.captainmarvins.com/index.htm

The graphic looks great guys! I will have to go look for some magnetic paper, hopefully I can find it up here!

Great job!

About the DIS meet, before the drill sounds great! Maybe 3pm??? Would that be enough time before the drill? Any thoughts on a good place to meet?

 

[pdarrah]

Hi Michael,

I see Timon got the website for you. We are also using Capt. Marvins and I think a few others here have mentioned them as well. We are doing the "half day" from 10am to 1pm. There is also a "short" trip that is only 2 hours - I think it is something like 8:30 to 10:30.

Hi Timon - I have seen some postings about 2 locations that seem to work for other meets: The Promenade Lounge (deck 3 between Lumier's and Parrot Cay) or The Mickey Pool. The Promenade Lounge is probably quieter and won't have many other people around. The Mickey Pool has the advantage that the kids can play and enjoy it in relatively uncrowded conditions while the grownups do their "boring" meet! I would think 3pm would be OK for a quick meet. The drill is at 4pm isn't it? That should give us about 40-45 minutes.

We could also try to schedule something else later in addition to that first meet. Last year, one of the DISer families held a wine party - everyone brought a bottle to share. However, they had a LARGE suite so there was plenty of room - that might be harder without that space. Another meet we tried last year was that a bunch of us women wore long gloves and tiaras for formal night (every woman should get to be a princess sometimes!) - we tried to meet for a group photo between the two seatings. That didn't work too well, some of us made it - but most were either still eating, in line for photos or still getting dressed! I have heard of other groups setting up a meet at one of the lounges like Sessions - I don't know if this is in the afternoon on a day at sea or in the evening, but it is an idea....

Once we all agree to something here, I'll add it to the website.

pdarrah

 

[scrapperjill]

Oh boy you gals have been busy....chatting away ... The graphics look good. We could even add a Mickey or something if we liked before printing it. I'll also try and find a pic of our magnet from last year...Just to share what other magnets look like.

We had our first dis meet around 3:00 at the Mickey pool on our cruise last Sept...not alot of folk made it...but enough to make it worth having at that time (I'd say....8-10 groups were there..not alot of hubby's showed). Myself I think it was a perfect time. And the pool was nice for the kids...they were able to swim...which is what they REALLY want to do...even if it's just for a little bit....but there wasn't alot of space. Somehow we lucked out and got a group of lounge chairs right next to the pool..but I guess even if we didn't get the lounge chairs...the tables in the back would be fine also. What dose eveyone else think...I'm up for a change if eveyone doesn't like the pool idea....But I think the time is good...and we can always set up other meets through out the week. We tryed that last time and it didn't work at all...people got to busy and forgot...So I think it would help to have them pre-scheduled before we get on the ship...and we can do a print out of where and when all the meets are.