PreTrippie (aka King Charming Takes Hypermommy (and family) on another cruise)

[mrp4352]

I think I'm going to have to get out the shopping list and the packing list and go over them with KC in the next few days. Thank goodness for Google docs and we can do this long distance.

Have you noticed that every shopping list now has a cruise item on it? Even the one for bread and milk - somehow sunscreen for the cruise made it on the 2-item list!

 

[Hypermommy]

Have you noticed that every shopping list now has a cruise item on it? Even the one for bread and milk - somehow sunscreen for the cruise made it on the 2-item list!

I know exactly what you mean! I popped into a thrift store yesterday to get a pair of jeans and as I was looking, I saw a tote bag that would be great for the cruise. Now, mind you... I only have 84,000 various bags and other pieces of luggage at home. But it was so cute and it was only $4!!!!

No, KC... I didn't end up buying it.

 

[King Charming]

Well first of all, I didn't know that you could make wine from cheese! But I guess they can because Mickey brought over a few(?) bottles the other night. We sat around drinking, playing backgammon (he's pretty good), and chewing the cheese. It seems that not only is he aware of this pretrippie, he has taken quite an interest in it. Turns out that he really is pulling the plug on the unannounced DisneyRebate program, and wasn't kidding about being steamed at me for starting the movement. But we're cool now. He just calls it an idiot rummor if asked, or the results of an over-active imagination. (But you nice folks knew that pages ago).

Anyway, we got to be talking about you readers, and I was wondering who you all were. Only a few of you have stopped by, and we do/would enjoy hearing what you have to say. Mickey offered to help by giving me the results (well, sorta) of a poll he took. (Granted, these questions were asked some time ago, so you might not remember it). It all boils down to this; our lurkers fall into three basic categories:
1) Will be on the cruise w/ them, trying to be polite,
2) Bored to tears, will read ANYTHING Disney, no matter how far fetched, or
3) Love the way they snipe each other, hoping they will fight.

So come on people, we've been together over a year and only have 10 weeks left. Leave a post telling us how your cruise was/is WAY better than ours, or a hello, or make up your own category. While you are doing that, I'm gonna go look for that fancy 'From Age'(?) wine the Mic drinks. I think it's imported from France .

 

[MassDisLovers]

Dear King Charming,

No cruise of mine will EVER be better than a cruise that you and your beloved HyperMommy are on. Athough we do have one planned for Presidents's week, we are realisitic enough to know that it will be bland compared to an outing with the Charming/Hyper family. This being said, I respectfully state that I do not belong in any of your suggested categories and would like to create a new one entitiled "Persons Who Have Cruised with the Charming/Hypers in the Past and Know that all Future Cruises will Never Be as Good".

Please give my regards to your delightful wife, and also to the Mouse, you seem to have cultivated a very close relationship with him, I'm envious.

Sincerely,

Your Friend from the "Showers of Happiness" cruise

 

[King Charming]

It's nice to hear from you again Karen. You were dead-on with your prediction of us becoming active Castaway Club members eventually, and we greatly appreciated all the guidance you gave a couple of newbies. I'll remind big white gloves about your plans, see what he can do for you. I'm sure that since we are moving to Orlando (at the Mic's request ), my newly bought shares of a cheese factory should pay big dividends.

Ya see that? Heres ANOTHER of the good reasons why we HAD to get onboard again. First you meet people on the boards, then meet them 'for real' at the terminal or the DIS meet, and suddenly you have friends all over the boat. Of course we had the time of our lives, and our alliance of DIS'ers set the standard for having a good time appallingly high.

So here's a big ole shout out to all my fellow 'April Showers of Happiness' cruisemates. With five different TR's written about that week, I'm surprised Mickey didn't use parts of them for advertising, as everything from the weather to the crew was near perfection.

Now if I could just figure out out a way to hide the scar from where the cruise bug bit me...

 

[daveyc150]

Really enjoying your PTR, we go on the Magic in two weeks time following our wedding (check out sig). Looking forward to keeping up with you over the coming months.

 

[Hypermommy]

"Persons Who Have Cruised with the Charming/Hypers in the Past and Know that all Future Cruises will Never Be as Good".

Awwwww, how very sweet of you! What a nice way to wake up this morning to find such a sweet message. I feel the same about this cruise.... while I know we're going to have a wonderful time there's no one to play in the cabin with on the afternoon of formal night. I had such a wonderful time that afternoon!

 

[Queenofallthings]

I cannot believe you are under the 2 month mark

 

[King Charming]

Mickey hasn't been around for a while, but Pluto did show up for another poker game with the dogs. Since I've been trying to increase my chances at getting (another) free upgrade, I did something you have to keep mum about; I spiked the water bowl! It didn't take long for big whiskers to start bragging about what a big shot he is, what and who he knew, blah, blah, blah. So I cornered him about it, asking to get moved to a 3 or 4. After some heming and hawing, he fessed up that he couldn't do it (right now). But what he did do is clue me in on what DCL looks for/considers when they apply pixie dust. These room bumps might seem random, but like everything else Disney, they have a formula.

Now understand right from the get-go, there is very little room swapping on a full ship. The less full, the greater the odds of upmanship. Peak times equal full boats, just like at the parks. That said, here it is....

Second and third time DCL'ers have the best chance of free ups. The rationale is that you have decided that Mickey's boat is cool, so they try to 'plus' it for you. And it does help ALOT if you start with a high cat at booking. Because they don't (usually) give the suites (1-3) away, 4's thru 6's have very little room for movement. Minnie still makes LOTS of money by selling as many cat 12's as possible, then moving folks around later to accomodate them. So upgrades are built in to the plan. Also, having made your booking either on the ship, or at least 10-12 months prior to sailing scores high. Mickey loves us folks who scrimp and save for that day in the far off future when we will GLADLY give him our money.

Now most folks have read some version of this on these boards, but there are several OTHER ways to qualify for your dusting.

1) Charge your tips to your room. This is proof that you are not a deadbeat who is looking for a cheap cruise.
2) Do a DCL excursion or two. Inasmuch as Mickey dislikes cheapskates, he adores people with deep pockets.
3) Check the website often. The more you let 'em know you are eager, the easier it is for them to comply.
4) Beg!!! That's right, call DCL and beg. Although I have NEVER heard of this working, the worst they can do is say no. (Then laugh uncontrollably after hanging up with you).
5) Write a popular TR and follow it up with a spellbinding, ah....er... I mean long, PTR.
6) And of course it sure helps to drink cheese wine w/ Mic when he comes over.

Miraculously, yours truely meets all the criteria set forth save one. (I'll be calling them in the am using my best old lady voice). Even with the Walt suite spoken for, I'll still try and act surprised (and grateful) staying with Roy.

 

[mrp4352]

1) Charge your tips to your room. This is proof that you are not a deadbeat who is looking for a cheap cruise.
2) Do a DCL excursion or two. Inasmuch as Mickey dislikes cheapskates, he adores people with deep pockets.
3) Check the website often. The more you let 'em know you are eager, the easier it is for them to comply.
4) Beg!!! That's right, call DCL and beg. Although I have NEVER heard of this working, the worst they can do is say no. (Then laugh uncontrollably after hanging up with you).
5) Write a popular TR and follow it up with a spellbinding, ah....er... I mean long, PTR.
6) And of course it sure helps to drink cheese wine w/ Mic when he comes over.

Miraculously, yours truely meets all the criteria set forth save one. (I'll be calling them in the am using my best old lady voice). Even with the Walt suite spoken for, I'll still try and act surprised (and grateful) staying with Roy.

If it works, please let me know!! Or maybe put in a good word for me! Tell Pluto that I could provide him a lovely bowl of water on the first night or two of the cruise! (much later than that and our stash may have run thin...)

 

[King Charming]

The Mic is nowhere to be found these days (least round these parts), and I was beginning to get concerned. Then it hit me..... of course he can't have a good time here, he's married . He's no different than the rest of us, and there will be no peace if the old lady gets kicked to the curb over a new friend. So in an effort to keep Mickey out of Pluto's house, I went ahead and ordered a bunch of flowers for Minnie. 'What should the card say?' the florist asked. BINGO! A new plot blossomed. My wildest idea yet! (really??). The attached note was kind of hokey and I won't go into details, but I figure if Mickey can make goo-goo eyes at my wife, theres no harm in flirting with her.

And wow, what a response I got, from HER! Minnie called right away to thank me. Daisies? My FAVORITE! How did you know? On and on she went, as if she's never got flowers before. At the apex of her gushing I made my move and asked. Oh anything Darling (yes, she called me DARLING!), I've got my book right over here, let me see, ah yes, here it is, cat 6? How about a cat 4? I was about to press my luck and ask about Roy, but chickened out and thanked her instead. She said we could stay in cabin 8588.

I sure hope Mickey is OK with all this and that it's not just a ploy to get me up on a deck 8 verandah so he can throw my sorry butt off.

 

[King Charming]

So maybe the flowers were not such a good idea, 'cause oh boy, Mickey came over and explained a few things. While I've seen steam shoot from his ears before, he really surprised me this time. (Insert your own "where else can Micky shoot steam from" jokes here). He said we were NOT staying on deck 8, and after some legal mumbo-jumbo, check the fine print, etc.,etc., and said something about the SRO(?) program. He probably meant the Pro program. I'm not familiar with that category, so now that he's gone I'm off to find out more about this super new program that was created just for me.

Hold on, big gloves is back. Excuse me for just a moment. (KC goes into the front room to talk w/ Mickey, but only half of the conversation can be heard.)

'What'd you forget?... Huh? ... Say that again... So I'm not... Really?...Oh good one Mickster, and thanks for giving the room back. Same one?... Any chance of....Yeah, I know, saved for the paying customers, but aren't I one?....No, it's NOT different!....But big guy, we go way back....oh sure, I see how it's gonna be... That's OK...Yeah, I thought it was a funny joke too...We still on for next week?... Good, see you then... sure, I understand, give Minnie my, ah.. I mean tell Minnie I said hi. Fine, see you later dude.'

(KC returns, muttering about what a barrel of laughs that overgrown mouse is).

Well, it's official; there will be no more upgrades for me. I ended up in a cat far beyond my dreams. So far I've booked a cat 11, re-booked a 12 for less money, re-booked (again) cat 6 same cost (Fla res), then was assigned a 4! I'm tickled pink (or at least a motley purple) about it. I'll get over the fact that I will not be able to title the follow up TR 'From a cat 12 to Roy's room!'

From what I've gathered on recent threads here, with most of the post Labor Day cruises, upgrading further will cost big time. At the port DCL wants $850-$1K extra for a 3, around $1.8K to go to a 2, and $2.5-$3K for Roy (when avail). While many folks have done this, I'm way too poor to spend an additional grand (or 2) to go on the SAME cruise. Inasmuch as I'd love to, that seems like way too much money for some extra space and anytime Palo. Besides, if some silly fellow told Hyper that he'd take over and do everything (concierge), she'd either bite the head off the competition or faint dead away.

In my fantasy world, those would be the 'discount' rates DCL offers in the weeks before sailing with those phone calls they sometimes make. On departure day they would roll out the 'you just can't pass this one up' deals. There's a reason so many folks show up early. When they tell us at the port that the new upgrade fees are 50-70% off the phone prices, I'm sure my checkbook would make an appearance. Given the cascade effect of moving folks up/out of verandah rooms, it has to be better (and more profitable) than letting the best rooms go empty. (Are you still listening in there?)

 

[Diamondintheruff]

Still listening!

Hope you get a "free" surprise upgrade.

 

[Hypermommy]

My Darling King Charming,

I'm so glad you and Mickey have started to get along so much better. I'm sure you see now that he can be quite generous with his friends. And remember, these memories will last a lifetime and it won't even cost you extra dollars.

What?

Something about the dollars that you've spent on the cruise already? But oh, dear, darling man... you have not yet begun to spend!

Now let's see... I'm going to be in Orlando all by my little lonesome this weekend. I do have that training class to go to on Saturday but I'm sure the new flea market they put in the old Dixie Stampede will still be open. And I've tried and tried to find a new bathing suit over on this side of town but to no avail. I guess I'll just have to head over to the tourist part of town this weekend.

Hmmmmm.... wonder if I could still sign up to view a timeshare and get a free day at Disney out of it. Hmmmmmm....

Excuse me, please... there are plans to be made.

 

[King Charming]

Just hold the phone on that spending oh unchaperoned one. There are still plenty of plans to be made. As if the first two weeks of Nov. won't be crazy enough with moving and all, I just remembered where I'll be on Veterans Day. Same place as every year, watching my boys march in the parade! They were both in scouts forever, only now DS16 is with the Young Marines unit. Dang, this will be the first year I will not video tape it, after kissing my camcorder goodbye last May. Anyway, between runs back and forth with the pickup, and renting a big truck for a day or two for the furniture and tools, there might not be much time for spending.

Summer finally ended this week. On Tuesday. Last day we will hit 90F. Winter starts right away as the temp is expected to bottom out at 40F by Mon. Since it seldom stays below 30F in these parts, the sudden temp change should get folks attention and help with the firewood sales that started today (1st load sold, yay!). I'll call the customer list and put out a few small road signs this weekend, so with luck 'we' might make enough so 'I' can buy a replacment camera and still have a few DODs.

And dearest, I'll be sure to let you know when Mickey says it's OK for you to cut loose on the spending...

 

[King Charming]

I nearly sprained my ankle the other day doing the 'cruise docs finally came' dance. It was so cool to see our cabin number on the luggage tags; to have this fantasy confirmed. And as we draw closer (20 days but who's counting?), I'm beginning to see more and more references to November! The magical month we sail. The month that seemed so far away for so long. Turns out there WILL be a Nov this year, and pretty soon too. So yeah, the excitment level is starting to climb.

Our DIS meet thread was capped and a second started. Recently we added a few more to our group as some just booked while others were lurking and came forward. I expect our group photo to have nearly 120 adults and lots of kids. Everyone puts up with us over there, so we should have lots of fun with our new friends.

And before things get too hectic with the move and all, I want to again advise you that I will not accept a nomination for the 'Most popular passenger' award. We have several other highly qualified candidates, and besides, I already have one in the trophy case. I'm working a different angle this time. Maybe (if I'm real lucky) I'll be able to hand out a few more 'Dang, some folks will believe just about anything' awards.

 

[MassDisLovers]

Dear KC,

I do believe that you are being a bit to hasty in stating that you will not be able to accept the "Most Popular Passenger Award" on this sailing. It was such an honor and a thrill to be there on your first sailing when you received that accolade, I hate to see you sell yourself short this time. In fact, I am free for the days of your sailing, and would be happy to come along as your personal campaign manager. I know that you and my dear friend HyperMommy have a full agenda planned, so I think having me along to attend to the campaign details would be very helpful. And, of course now that you have had so many upgrades, you will have plenty of room to accommodate me and my assortment of personalized "KC FOR MPP" luggage tags, DOD glasses, door magnets, etc.. I can also be useful in hauling kids out of kids clubs at 2 AM, formal night hairstyling, locating lost wallets on CC, fetching Pepsi at all hours of the day and night, and any other small "problems" that may develop during the cruise.

I have taken the liberty of reserving Sessions for an onboard "Meet and Greet" for you (time/date to be announced later....don't want to tip off the competition) and I have it on good authority that a VERY IMPORTANT PERSON wearing white gloves ( and no, it's not a Michael Jackson impersonator) will be attending, perhaps even with his sweetheart in tow.

I also must have sufficient time to get the "KC FOR FOR MPP" t-shirts screenprinted, as I plan to hand them out as people board the ship. So, as you can see, this offer is clearly time-sensitive and must be given careful consideration. Please reflect upon my offer and respond in a timely fashion, as I have other "highly qualified candidates" (your words, not mine) waiting to engage my services should you choose to decline

Regards to all~

 

[King Charming]

Some folks know me too darn well. Heck yes I want MPP! Why else would I have written about it so often? Even though I've been steadily increasing my booze comsumption for a possible nomination in one of the drinking categories, having that second trophy would balance out the display case nicely.

With so much to do in so little time, you are right K, I do need a campaign manager. You'd be the perfect fit for helping me rise to become the 1st DIS'er with TWO MPP's in the history of DCL!! And you got to believe that Mickey's in on it, as he made sure there was an extra bed in the room. We'll just waltz you aboard as part of my entourage, no problem. With your skills and attention to detail, those other suckers, ah.. I mean my fellow cruisers won't stand a chance.

I love your marketing ideas. Please be sure to stick DCL or the logo on there somewhere, as people love those types of trinkets. I'll be sure to have the newly formed committee to re-elect contact you ASAP to coordinate our efforts.

While you are busy promoting me, I'll get busy on the smear tactics necessary to discredit any potential front runners. Be it scolding children, borrowing office supplies, or not cutting their grass in a timely manner, it shouldn't take much digging to unmask them. We should have this locked up in no time!

I'll leave the hiring of the staff to MassDisLovers, so for those of you who want to join this winning team, please contact her at KC4MPP/org.

 

[MassDisLovers]

Thank you for your timely response. I have ordered the shirts and other "give-aways", and informed the other MPP wanna-bes that I am spoken for. Will start screening the applicants (there are SO MANY already!) tomorrow. Will contact you privately to discuss strategies.... never know who is lurking on these boards. Make room in that trophy case King Charming.... the honor will be all yours.

 

[LindaBabe]

I actually think that role (MPP) is reserved for Hypermommy.