PTR JULY 2012: I talked my way into another Disney Day! 6-30

[mgsmom]

You are totally spoiled! But, that's a good thing I can't wait to read about it.

I can't believe you are so close to your trip and only have 2 ADRs - that is so unlike you! I know you will be all planned up and ready to go when it's time, though If it makes you feel better, we have 0 ADRs

 

[disneydreamingdebby]

Day 1 - Embarking

I picked up my mom at 9 and we headed to Baltimore, MD- only an hour and a half from my mom's. We fastpassed the line and went to a small office to check in. Then, we went to sit in the small VIP area in chairs facing all of the nonVIP people. Wow. Talk about awkward!

Our room:

They had several cruise channels--but it wasn't Stacey!

We ate lunch, hung out on the lido deck (girls swam), then went to dinner. After dinner, we played mini-golf and went to bed.

Day 2 and 3 were sea days. I exercised on day 2 (but didn't the rest of the cruise.) The days were filled with food and sun. We watched an ice sculpturer and saw a show. The girls were very wiped from being poolside so we were in bed each night watching TV shortly after dinner.

The waterslide wasn't a big hit. They only went down it a couple of times.

Each day was also filled with multiple ice cream/ yogurt cones. Emma was pretty good at it, while Hannah had difficulty. This picture shows Hannah's only good cone, and Emma's only bad one!

Day 4 - Port Canaveral

Ahhh - I could turn on my phone!!! Now, I wasn't without contact with DH or my BFF. I sent up a "Currently Onboard" thread on Carnival's website. I read that I could use that site on the ship for free. It worked out well for me, but the site was problematic for both BFF and DH. I was glad to have it, though. It helped me take notes.

We decided to go to Cocoa Beach for the day. This also included an excursion ride to a historic shopping district. Wow - it was hot! We shopped for an hour and hopped on bus to beach. At the beach, I rented chairs and umbrella for me and mom and the girls didn't leave the water (except to chow down lunch).

While here, I bought a great Vera Bradley (Frill) Wallet for 60% off at $15. I like it because it is nylon and can actually be used as a clutch. I also picked up a pair of reef flip flops at Ron Jon's. I have a hard time finding them around here.

As we were riding, I saw the DISBOARDS Welcome Center! I was so excited. Of course, I made a mental note to sit on the other side of the bus to get picture on the way back. My mom reminded me, but it was a bit too late.

Day 5 Sea Day

Each night except one, we dressed up and went to dinner. Two of the nights were Cruise Elegant, which really excited my girls!

Here are my lovely gals:

me and mom on a cruise casual night:

Up next - The Bahamas!

 

[Queenofallthings]

Thanks for the mini TR! Ok, it's time those 2 little beauties stopped growing up They are really becoming young ladies aren't they! Love the pic of you and your mom too!

 

[mgsmom]

Thanks for the mini TR! Looks like a great start! What an awesome room, VIP

I can't get over how much you look like your mom. So cool. And did I miss something? We are missing some braces... or I am very far behind the times...

 

[annmarieda]

Yay for the mini TR

Boy, you and your girls AND your mom all look so much a like. Love the picture of you with the girls all dress up. Very pretty.

 

[anjalee6]

Love the pic of you guys on the stairs. You all look so pretty.

 

[RooRach0906]

Loved your mini report those pictures are awesome!!

 

[newtexan]

fun mini tr, the girls look really pretty

 

[disneydreamingdebby]

Nice!

Thanks for the mini TR! Ok, it's time those 2 little beauties stopped growing up They are really becoming young ladies aren't they! Love the pic of you and your mom too!

They are getting so old so quickly! Next year is the last year of elementary school!

Thanks for the mini TR! Looks like a great start! What an awesome room, VIP

I can't get over how much you look like your mom. So cool. And did I miss something? We are missing some braces... or I am very far behind the times...

I do look just like my mom. Sometimes it's annoying...I like the idea of being my own person and looking like her sometimes takes from that...

The VIP aspect is going to cause a problem when dh wants to book a Disney cruise. Those are already super expensive and I am going to want similar accomodations...

Em's braces came off in February; Hannah's April. They both have retainers...Sorry that I failed to mention it... It was a big deal around here. They couldn't wait to eat popcorn and chew gum!

Yay for the mini TR

Boy, you and your girls AND your mom all look so much a like. Love the picture of you with the girls all dress up. Very pretty.

I do look just like my mom. I'll have to post a picture of dh's sister. Emma looks just like her (and acts similarly)...I can't figure out who Hannah looks like, but she certainly has my temperament.

Love the pic of you guys on the stairs. You all look so pretty.

Thanks. We had the ship photographer take some shots. He kept posing us in odd ways... Then my mom took a couple of pictures. This was the final shot. Hannah was ready to have a melt-down.

Loved your mini report those pictures are awesome!!

Thank you!

fun mini tr, the girls look really pretty

Thanks. They enjoyed getting all dressed up!

 

[disneydreamingdebby]

Mini TR continued:

Our port of call after Port Canaveral was Nassau.

We debarked into downtown and did a little shopping. This is stressful and annoying to me. I didn't like the "What can I find for you pretty lady" every five steps. I would have shopped more, but I just got tired of saying"just looking, thanks."

After shopping, we took the jitney (local bus) to the Sheraton. I bought us day passes to use their facility. I looked into Atlantis, but it was close to $200 per person and I couldn't justify it! It was $75 total for us at the Sheraton.

The research that I did indicated that the Sheraton had a slide for a fee, and water sports and snorkeling for free. The slide was $4 a turn or $25 a day. (I read that it was $15 a day, which I was ready to pay...but at $25, I knew my girls wouldn't go down it but a couple of times...

The girls had to be 12 to take out the water trike or kayaks. GRR. Then, they needed a deposit of $25 for the mask and snorkel. So, I did paperwork, and the three of us were going to snorkel. When I went to pay, I was informed that it was $25 each! I didn't have that much cash, so we decided against it. (I could have borrowed from my mom, but now I was annoyed and I didn't trust that they wouldn't fault us for something being wrong with the equipment upon return.)

Additionally, I knew we could use the Wydham's pool water slide. When we walked there (just next door), the waterslide was closed for a filter issue.

The ocean lacked waves which I see as a positive, but my girls were very disappointed!

So, the Sheraton didn't quite offer what I was expecting! We did enjoy their chairs, towels and safe beach, so it wasn't all a bust. However, I took great pictures of the girls!!

They are hams!

 

[disneydreamingdebby]

Our final port of call was Freeport. We saved the best for last.

Sorry for the overexposed pic! I forgot to change ISO.

The girls and I went on an excursion for a dolphin encounter. It was a wonderful experience! I was able to get a video of the dolphins kissing the girls.

When I scan the "photopass" pictures of the dolphins with the girls, I'll post them.

All in all it was a great trip. Cruising is not my vacation style, and I looked for all of the Disney magic. I have to say that the staff on Carnival's Pride is first rate! They were amazingly accomodating and friendly, and I highly recommend Carnival for anyone looking to cruise!

If you have any cruise questions, I'd love to answer what I can from my research or experience.

 

[disneydreamingdebby]

So back to Disney! We leave in 14 days!

I've been replanning some.

Arrival day: Jambo (I don't think the Boardwalk waitlist will come through).

We will have lunch at Mara and swim. Shower and have dinner at Sanaa. After dinner, we will take a nap, so we can head to MK for the evening magic hours until 2 AM.

So, this makes three dining reservations! Aren't I making progress?

 

[mgsmom]

Love the pics of the girls - they are hilarious!! Looks like you guys had a fabulous time!

So, Mara and Sanaa are at Jambo? I'm thinking we might head over there to check out the lodge and have lunch on our "off" day.

You are doing great on your ADRs! I still have, well, none.

 

[Queenofallthings]

So back to Disney! We leave in 14 days!

I've been replanning some.

Arrival day: Jambo (I don't think the Boardwalk waitlist will come through).

We will have lunch at Mara and swim. Shower and have dinner at Sanaa. After dinner, we will take a nap, so we can head to MK for the evening magic hours until 2 AM.

So, this makes three dining reservations! Aren't I making progress?

for 14 days! Oh I can't wait to see what you think of Sanaa....I've been dying to go there!

3....that's it....you've made 3 ADR's....clearly I need to fly down and help you get prepared for this trip wait a minute, can you imagine how much fun we would have

 

[disneydreamingdebby]

Love the pics of the girls - they are hilarious!! Looks like you guys had a fabulous time!

So, Mara and Sanaa are at Jambo? I'm thinking we might head over there to check out the lodge and have lunch on our "off" day.

You are doing great on your ADRs! I still have, well, none.

Beth, fyi just in case: AKL has two parts: Jambo (hotel with some dvc rooms) and Kidani (DVC property).

Mara is the counter service at Jambo and it is wonderful! The resort is a great place to visit and have lunch. In the lobby, dd can do rubbings. I'm sure she'll love the animals. There is a flamingo pond on near the pool where she can be pretty close to them.

There is, of course, the savanna with giraffes, etc...

Sanaa is a table service at Kidani. Boma is the buffet at Jambo. We ate at Boma a couple of years. I would have picked it again. However, since the girls are considered adults, I simply can't justify paying buffet prices for them.

So, is there a reason you haven't made any ADRs?

for 14 days! Oh I can't wait to see what you think of Sanaa....I've been dying to go there!

3....that's it....you've made 3 ADR's....clearly I need to fly down and help you get prepared for this trip wait a minute, can you imagine how much fun we would have

We'd have a blast. Of course, we might spend too much time and money at Target!

Btw, By this time tomorrow, I should have at least four booked. I have to say that the new credit card guarantee policy is my friend. People can't make multiple reservations so it doesn't tie up the system.

Now, I am still skeptical about them enforcing the fast pass and how that will affect our touring.

 

[Queenofallthings]

I am sad to say they were enforcing that new FP rule when we were there! We never tried it, but we did see people throwing fits because the CM wouldn't let them on the ride. The one in particular at RnRC was getting ugly so a manager soon appeared!

 

[disneydreamingdebby]

I don't mind them enforcing it; we will be sure to get there in time. I just liked being able to get them to ride when convenient...like Splash - I don't want to ride it until it is nearly time to leave the park for our afternoon break..

 

[newtexan]

two weeks! are you packed yet?

 

[mgsmom]

Thanks for the info on AKL - I was never really sure what all the names were for But, now it makes sense. It sounds like we would enjoy lunch at Mara and a little visit to the animals! We've never been there, but my SiL (who is serious Dis-peep) says it is her favorite resort on the property. Ever. And she got married at the Poly. So, I'm thinking we should check it out!

No story behind the ADRs. I mainly just decided to skip the character meals this time. Other than that, we will do CS or try to walk-up. We were going to the the Gospel Brunch at the House of Blues, but DH decided he didn't want to. He was hoping for some bluegrass gospel, but the day we are there it won't be bluegrass.

I am looking forward to hearing about Sanaa! Be sure to take pics!

 

[disneydreamingdebby]

two weeks! are you packed yet?

I am mentally packing...How about you? Only SIX days!!!!

What are your plans? Remind me (I don't remember if you told me), where are you staying? Where are you eating? What are you most excited for?

I have been looking up snacks and listing which snacks I want to eat.

Thanks for the info on AKL - I was never really sure what all the names were for But, now it makes sense. It sounds like we would enjoy lunch at Mara and a little visit to the animals! We've never been there, but my SiL (who is serious Dis-peep) says it is her favorite resort on the property. Ever. And she got married at the Poly. So, I'm thinking we should check it out!

No story behind the ADRs. I mainly just decided to skip the character meals this time. Other than that, we will do CS or try to walk-up. We were going to the the Gospel Brunch at the House of Blues, but DH decided he didn't want to. He was hoping for some bluegrass gospel, but the day we are there it won't be bluegrass.

I am looking forward to hearing about Sanaa! Be sure to take pics!

I can't blame you on character meals. How about Kona Cafe at the Poly? It is one reservation I still have to make. I can't decide on breakfast or dinner. I may have to book both. haha.