**@@** October 6th, 2007 Magic**@@**

[Selket]

Well everyone on the cruise forum convinced me to go to the MNSSHP the night before the cruise as we get into Orlando (if the airline is on time) about 1pm on Friday. I was able to get a free room at All Star Music using some reward points from my bank. I have never really wanted to stay at All Stars but the price was definitely right! I figure we will dump stuff in the room and go on over to the MK by 4pm which is when folks say you can get in.

We just have to drop off the rental car by 1pm at the Cape Canaveral office. That should mean not having to get up too early on Saturday.

 

[Ham Ham]

Lime Green geek site..

http://web.forret.com/tools/color.asp?RGB=32CD32&name=Lime+green

Your Right about the caesar, we will have to sneak some good old MOTTS!! Clamatto on board. Unless you'll settle for Mary

I see you have the HABS logo on there .. A montreal fan ??

I'm more of a fan of Montreal. It is my hometown and if I put a Motreal logo most people wouldn't get it so I post a Habs logo instead.

 

[rdy2bpampered]

We will be wearing our green T's and wearing our buttons...

 

[stenogoddess]

I enjoyed Music well enough when we stayed there. (Movies is my fav) But the Halloween Party is great fun. (we got in at 4:00 too) I wish we were going this year, but can't do it all I guess. We actually rode Space Mt. with NO LINE! I couldn't believe it. My one tip is to not get bogged down in the candy lines as the candy itself is only so so. If there wasn't much of a line we went through, but if not we didn't. When we went Cindy's carriage was set up for pictures around near where the old sky bucket ride used to be around the Haunted Mansion. Talk about a great photo op. Have a super time!

Well everyone on the cruise forum convinced me to go to the MNSSHP the night before the cruise as we get into Orlando (if the airline is on time) about 1pm on Friday. I was able to get a free room at All Star Music using some reward points from my bank. I have never really wanted to stay at All Stars but the price was definitely right! I figure we will dump stuff in the room and go on over to the MK by 4pm which is when folks say you can get in.

We just have to drop off the rental car by 1pm at the Cape Canaveral office. That should mean not having to get up too early on Saturday.

Hey TexasGirl! We'll see ya at the Radisson and on the shuttle the next morning at 10:00! I can't wait.

 

[Laurabearz]

Woot! I can't beleive how close the cruise is... two weeks from Thursday...

I think it's now legal to start packing

 

[Selket]

Candy at the MNSSHP - I think we can (hopefully) skip it. My younger one is allergic to peanuts (including "may contains) and is a type 1 diabetic. Seems like a lot of the candy at WDW is "may contains." He's not a huge candy eater fortunately!

I have a tipping/cash question. Do most people bring cash with them to do the tip envelopes or do you go to that gift shop (or whatever it is) and put the tip onto the accounts on Friday? If I do that, will I be waiting in line forever? Could I go in there Thursday and get the tips done? I will need to tip my servers Thursday anyway cause we have Palo's scheduled for Friday (unless I get that moved or we decide we can't go).

I'm trying to figure out how much cash to bring and because the tips are several hundred dollars I'd hate to carry that much cash plus cash we need for the smaller tips and at ports, etc.

 

[wifeofgrumpy]

Candy at the MNSSHP - I think we can (hopefully) skip it. My younger one is allergic to peanuts (including "may contains) and is a type 1 diabetic. Seems like a lot of the candy at WDW is "may contains." He's not a huge candy eater fortunately!

I have a tipping/cash question. Do most people bring cash with them to do the tip envelopes or do you go to that gift shop (or whatever it is) and put the tip onto the accounts on Friday? If I do that, will I be waiting in line forever? Could I go in there Thursday and get the tips done? I will need to tip my servers Thursday anyway cause we have Palo's scheduled for Friday (unless I get that moved or we decide we can't go).

I'm trying to figure out how much cash to bring and because the tips are several hundred dollars I'd hate to carry that much cash plus cash we need for the smaller tips and at ports, etc.

As far as tips go, I've done it both ways. I didn't know I could do any different on the first cruise so I put cash in the envelopes, last time I didn't have enough cash left so I just went to the whatever the desk is called downstairs (having a brain lock right now) and they put the tips on my account for each service person and gave me a ticketed reciept for each one to put in the envelopes to give the servers and ect., I believe I did this on Thursday or Friday.

 

[Ham Ham]

Woot! I can't beleive how close the cruise is... two weeks from Thursday...

I think it's now legal to start packing

So I assume your heading down a couple of days early or did Disney move up the departure date and not tell us?


I tried to embed the map below but can't do it. Can any of you folks PM me and tell me embed the link?

Click on the link. I sure most of you will find it interesting.

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=28.413106,-80.627997&spn=0.004095,0.00721&t=k&z=17&om=1

 

[Selket]

And since Palo's is different servers how do you tip them? (I realize there is a some debate as to whether the $10 fee is part of the tip, etc). But if you are tipping them - do you just leave them cash there on the table?

 

[Selket]

So I assume your heading down a couple of days early or did Disney move up the departure date and not tell us?

Didn't you hear that Laura got DCL to add a couple of extra days to our cruise?

Very cool link!

 

[Laurabearz]

So I assume your heading down a couple of days early or did Disney move up the departure date and not tell us?

You forgot the manatory two day hike through the rainforest before the cruise didn't you Ham? (giggle)

No, we are heading down Thursday night, and spending Friday at the parks, before the cruise.

I made groovy tip evelopes and have been squirlling away money and sticking it in them. At first we were going to just charge them to out stateroom, but I am trying to keep our tab on the low side haha But mostly because tips came out of last months pay checks and the on board stuff comes out of this months pay check Doesn't hurt as much that way..

I plan on tipping extra at Palo, but that tip I will charge to the stateroom.

Last cruise I went to Guest Services and took care of them. Went very fast, but I went the night before the last night. No Line.

 

[Ham Ham]

You forgot the manatory two day hike through the rainforest before the cruise didn't you Ham? (giggle)

No, we are heading down Thursday night, and spending Friday at the parks, before the cruise.

What no comment on my link?
http://maps.google.ca/maps?client=f...,-80.627847&spn=0.00419,0.00721&t=k&z=17&om=1

OK here I go on my rainforest hike.

"Only 2 more days until Port Canaveral. I hope we don't wind up like the Donner Party"

 

[TexasGirl]

You guys are a riot!

We always charge ours to the room via the guest services desk, very handy. You can do it early. I'm not as creative or organized to make special tip envelopes and squirrel away cash. VERY impressive!

We went to MNSSHP before this same cruise last year! Yes, last year we had such a blast we book on board for "same time, next year" can't believe its already almost here. MNSSHP was amazing. We loved basically walking up to the rides. Prob my best park experience ever! We too didn't waste time on candy, went down one Alice in Wonderland themed path that was interesting and giving out candy. Otherwise skipped it. We loved the spooky parade and also the dance with Cinderella's mice friends. Go and enjoy and have a GREAT time!

I've made all of our hotel arrangements, booked our excursions, now just need to start making lists and packing.

 

[Laurabearz]

What no comment on my link?
http://maps.google.ca/maps?client=f...,-80.627847&spn=0.00419,0.00721&t=k&z=17&om=1

OK here I go on my rainforest hike.

"Only 2 more days until Port Canaveral. I hope we don't wind up like the Donner Party"

giggle

The link was marvy. I have google earth and I love it. I showed the kids all the ports, and my oldest likes playing with it. She once found an island just made up of Volcanos.

 

[CM_Mom]

so we're taking some bags of Halloween candy as gifts (not tips) for each of them. We bought some Hershey's minatures, some Reeses Peanut Butter cups, and one with Milky Way, Snickers, Twix and something else. Got some big bags and we plan to mix them up in Quart Ziplocs. (Besides by putting them in Ziplocs, I can sneak one while packing) I'm thinking of giving them out the first night we're in the dining room. We will tip later, probably above like last time if we get the same fantastic service.

Chocolate is a good treat for the crew if you want something "additional" to your tips. A big bag of individually wrapped chocolates would be a great "thank you" for the Counselors in the club or lab for those of you who have kiddos and are so inclined. It's easily shared with all the counselors and shows you recognize the great job they did and care - which actually is the best part. Plus, if you throw in a couple of big bags of candy, when you give it away you have more room for souvenirs!

Chocolate makes everything better, right????

 

[MadJoker]

I'm more of a fan of Montreal. It is my hometown and if I put a Motreal logo most people wouldn't get it so I post a Habs logo instead.

Cool i'm on the south shore of Montreal...!! How are you going to Orlando ??
I booked the flights with Disney !

 

[Laurabearz]

Here is a link to the 9/8 western cruise Navagators...

http://www.cruisingthecaribbeanprincess.com/magicwest.html

 

[Ham Ham]

Cool i'm on the south shore of Montreal...!! How are you going to Orlando ??
I booked the flights with Disney !

I'm from Greenfield Park. I went to St Jude Elementaryl, MacDonald Cartier High School and Champlain College.
I've lived in the Toronto area for 21 years. My mom still lives in Greenfield Park, we go back once and a while to enjoy the local food.

We're flying to Orlando out of Detroit on Spirit Airlines, $511.00 CDN of all of us.

Montreal home of the world's best steamed (steamies) hot dogs and poutine.

 

[Laurabearz]

Are those some sort of french fry with cheese/ gravy or something on them? They look kinda of good in a scary sort of way lol

And I am from Chicago... Home of Chicago style Pizza and the Chicago Style Hot Dog... YUM!!! (beware of any pizza or hotdog outside of Chicago, claiming to be Chicago style... it's not lol)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago-style_hot_dog

 

[Ham Ham]

Your observation on poutine is correct.
The concoction of french fries, gravy and cheese curds, is huge in Quebec and popular through the rest of Canada. Myself I'm not a big fan of poutine but the DW enjoys an order when we're in Montreal.

I do however enjoy the steamed hot dogs aka steamie's. Topped with mustard and exrtra chou (pronounced shoe). Chou is French for cabbage but in this case means an oil and vinegars coleslaw, IMHO much tastier than sauerkraut.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_hot_dog
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poutine

Perhaps one day on baord would could challenge the culinary staff on the Magic to create all of our regional dishes?

Ok cruisers let us know what bizzare food they serve in you neck of the woods.

Quebecs poutine............................................................Russia's Poutine