Roll call for August 29th 2004 wonder

[justus3d]

I saw the button...still not real sure...but I am gonna make somthing LOL I am with you Jane 14 more days till I am walking down Mainstreet MK. I told the kids if they dont get home soon just meet me in Orlando. They are in Texas with friends. Is there anything else to concentrate on other than Disney at this point??? The bills are paid so it should be time to go LOL. My son just called and they will be home on the 16th I will be able to talk more Disney with them for a week
My DD7 is freaking out...When I was small and would go out of town in the summer, my grandmother would tell me to leave some of my spending money in a jar in her china cabinet...Of course while I was gone my money would "grow . I told my DD to leave some of hers and now she wants to know how much she has...She will be mighty suprised to have over $80.00. LOL.
Thats it for now
Are we there yet??
Deborah

 

[DVC from NJ]

We've been away last week and running around alot so I haven't been checking the postings as much. But now the countdown has begun!!! My children are so excited. I love the idea of us all meeting at 3:00. My daughter Gabrilelle can't wait to meet Paige too! Count us in on bringing wine also! My husband (who is a certifiable Disney nut!!!! ) has been working on our itinerary for the park (we'll be at Disney's Boardwalk Resort on the 22nd-29th) as well as the cruise!!! He also made a terrific magnetic sign for our cruise door http://home.comcast.net/~fodc8/Lewis_Disney_Door_edited.jpg, and the villa door http://home.comcast.net/~fodc8/Disney_Door2.jpg
(magnetic sheets from Walmart). We are checking in at the Comfort Suites in Nassau -- they have an agreement with the Atlantis -- so we have full use of all the facilities including the pools and the water park for the day. It costs less than an excursion for 4 people through Disney, so the kids are thrilled! Oh well, it's 1:51 in the morning here, so perhaps I should go to sleep
Talk to you all later! --Maria

 

[Janemoj]

Maria

Just had to say your children are beautiful. Can't wait to meet you all. My daughter Beth is looking forward to playing with Gabrielle and Paige. They should have a lot of fun. And the door signs are so professional! Well done.

Just going slightly off the cruise theme, husband Phil wants to know if anyone staying at WDW from the 22nd August to 4th September plays golf. Disney will pair him up with somebody anyway, but he thought it was worth asking just incase anyone was interested.

Still counting.....

 

[D'AngelosdoDisney]

one day closer and still nothing done!!!! Thank god the weekend is coming.. got to get more shopping.... Are we getting excited everyone? Eileen

 

[D'AngelosdoDisney]

ok, so I have lost eveyone??? Maybe you all are gone and I am waiting all on my own????????/

 

[Pea-n-Me]

The other night I was stuck in traffic going to work, watching planes taking off and landing at Logan. I couldn't help but think of all of you and how soon it will be us up there! :thewave: If we don't talk before people start leaving for their trips, I just wanted to wish everyone a peaceful and safe flight. Are there any nervous flyers among us??

Marie, your signs came out beautiful!! Ours came out nice too, all are lined up together waiting to go.

I meant to ask, where is everyone else staying the night before the cruise and/or on the land portion of your trips?

It sounds like people have some fun shore excursions planned. DH and I will be relaxing by the adult pool on Nassau day, Bahama Mamas in hand, if anyone is looking for us, LOL!

I saw on the news tonight that WDW and Universal parks were closed from the hurricanes today. Bummer! Hopefully those will be well past by the time we get there!

Keep in touch!

 

[DVC from NJ]

Well, it's almost time. Is everyone packed! Just kidding !!!!! But I am wondering--how dressed up does everyone get for dinner?? Any ideas??
--Thanks, Maria

 

[mjvans]

flying out on the 26th and spending first night at the hyatt at the airport. Next morning it is off to cocoa beach for 2 days to spend at ron jon resort. Then we are off cruising! Can not wait.....will start packing this weekend. Still need to go out and take my oldest son shopping but this will be a chore as he hates shopping and it really is not any fun!
I am beginning to stress about my wardrobe too...........wish I was in better shape.......have really fallen off my work-out schedule and it shows!! Will vow to hit the gym religiously the next couple of weeks. (Yeah Right!! LOL)
What is everyone packing?? We have booked Palo's and I have 2 outfits in mind...........one a short black dress and one a silk wrap blouse and long black skirt.........can't decide.......would actually be more comfortable in sweats at this point........but I do like to dress up occassionally and can't wait for Palos'.
What do most people bring as far as clothes though........I'm pretty casual but don't know if that is appropriate either.......well, should probably get some sleep!!
Take care everyone!
Michelle

 

[D'AngelosdoDisney]

Have you guys been watching the news??? Wow, Orlando got beat up!!! The airport is a mess and all I could think of was all those poor people trying to get down there to get on the ship! Im flying into Stanford/Orlando and have not heard any word on how that airport was damaged. As far as packing, my kids are packed!!! That was after the kohls trip.. Still working on DH and self. We are staying at the Contemporary the night before... Got to get into the mood and have some PS for dinner and breakfast. Was originally going to park but flight time was changed till later and not worth the $ for a few hours. Thinking of going on Resort tour.. Few places we have not been in yet and would like to check them out. Getting very excited here.. going to get hair cut today.. one less thing off list to do.. Hope all is safe in the storm!! Eileen

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I was watching the updates on these boards last night as far as this w/e's cruises go - apparently the Magic was coming in to PC today as planned, the only change was that they would sail out tonight at 6:30 instead of 5pm to accomodate late flights in for people. Sure feel badly for anyone who misses the ship! (Maybe today would be a good day to get a bargain rate on the cruise??)
Imagine, too, how crazy the resorts must have been yesterday when the parks cleared out?? I read one report that said they just kept the buffets open continuously. FW cabins were evacuated. Hope everybody was well-behaved! (Have been following the thread What's the Worst Thing You've Seen at WDW - people amaze me sometimes...)

Re: wardrobe on the ship. First off, no stressing required!! It's a lot like the parks, pretty casual except for nighttime. Beachwear during the day around the islands and ship. Too hot for pants so don't bother with any of those with the exception of slacks for outfits. Do bring a lightweight sweater for restaraunts or shows.

Dinners for Men: Palo is the nicest, most formal restaraunt followed by Triton's. Jacket preferred for men at Palo's (DH HATES to dress up but keeps asking me if we're going to Palos so he knows whether to pack jacket, would have felt out of place without one as everyone was wearing them). For men at Triton's, dress shirt, no jacket necessary; AP and PC for men, polos ok with slacks. Shouldn't wear shorts with the possible exception of PC but should be "nice" and worn with nice top, no tees.

Dinners for Women: reserve nicest outfit for Palo's. (Michelle my vote is for the black dress: key word - SIMPLIFY P.S. Sweats with me at this point would work well too, Juice Fast isn't going to well! ) Second nicest for Triton's; AP and PC nice resort wear. (FYI if anyone needs still needs resort wear check out AB Lambdin online, can do fast shipping and sales going on now, etc...).


Dinners for Kids: mirror parents.

Additional thoughts for dinner: Clothes should be COMFORTABLE because you get really *stuffed* (they bring you LOTS of food whether you want it or not - last year waitress at Palo's brought 8 desserts for 4 or us unsolicited!!!) Usually go to shows around dinner time too so have to SIT in them afterward and unless you then want to go back to stateroom to change will be in those clothes the rest of the night. They do have formal pictures with ship in background taken outside of Triton's every night so may want to plan that picture for when family is dressed the nicest - can also order photo XMas cards on the ship if you reallywant to simplify things! There are threads on the cruise boards with LOTs of different opinions about dressing for dinner.

Hope that helps. There are laundry rooms on the ships too which I guess you have to use at "off" times, and send out laundry but that's ridiculously priced (something like $5 per item, we should charge our families the same thing, we'd be rich!) I'm planning to not overpack and to throw in a load of laundry late some night, our room is pretty closeby.

Michelle, I thought I saw a coupon somewhere for the Resort Tour but can't find it in the usual spots. Will keep looking and let you know if I find it.

Enjoy the packing!!

 

[justus3d]

Im still here waiting for the go also. We will be leaving from VA on the 23rd, stay overnight in GA at my moms. Leaving very early to be in Olrlando very early am. Staying 2 nights at the holiday inn doing Universal then to Port Orleans Riverside. The kids are coming home on Monday so this week will be spent running around and picking up last minute stuff. I have not been able to find a small can of Lysol this time but I will keep looking. Did you guys hear that the deck 9 beverage station now has soda on it? I hope that is true cause I crossed soda off my list. Maybe I will bring 1 12 pack just in case. Good idea on the little black dress...almost forgot that. Fot those that have done Palos before do you prefer it for the brunch or dinner. I would hate to miss any of the restaraunts for dinner. I have gotten tons of film can anyone think of the one thing any of us might be forgetting?? Mine is the little or big if you cant find the small can of Lysol...to keep things fresh. Any others?
See you guys soon!
Deborah
Are we there yet?

 

[Janemoj]

Phil and I thought we should give Palos a miss and just enjoy the other restaurants with the children. Are we making a horrible mistake? And would my black dress be too much in the other restaurants? Advice please!

I am beginning to feel a little fed up rather than excited. I think I have just been thinking about this for too long!!! And I am worried about everyone who might be affected by the hurricane.

Is everyone happy just to meet up on the ship? I have rather lost track of my emails and I'm not sure if anyone wanted to meet up in WDW. I think it might have been mentioned. We are at POR for 8 days before and the Polynesian for 2 days afterwards.

Thank you all for your information. I am really enjoying checking this thread for information. Please keep posting

Thinking of you all...

 

[mjvans]

only because Jay and I rarely get a chance to have a night out without the kids!! I am really looking forward to getting all dressed up for a night alone with Jay. Plus, with the romance at sea package that we booked, we will also receive a turn-down of our bed with rose petals that night.............the thought of actually having some alone time with out interruption is truly a godsend!! So, that is one part of the cruise I actually look forward too.............don't get me wrong, I LOVE spending time with my children, and I look forward to seeing their joy, and living their experiences and creating last memories, BUT there is something to be said about having some much needed alone time with Jay.
Hope you are not too stressed to look forward to a wonderful vacation. I tend to wait until the last minute for everything and then am overwhelmed. This time, I am doing something daily so that I am not waiting until the last minute to get everything done. Only thing I may put off until it is absolutely necessary is shopping with Russell..............gosh that kid truly hates shopping!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Looking forward to meeting you on deck!! Paige is beyond thrilled she gets to meet Beth!
Michelle

 

[D'AngelosdoDisney]

Hi Jane, Don't be surprised if some crazy blonde kid with braces attacks your daughter either the day before we leave or in the am on departure.. We will be at the poly for dinner and for breakfast... Remember, Eileen knows what kathrin looks like and she is flipping out at the thought of meeting her!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I enjoy reading everybody's posts, too! Told my friends and family this is the first time I've ever had a trip like this - meeting people online prior to the cruise. They think I'm a little soft but then again they don't really understand this *Disney addiction* like all of you do, LOL! This is really cool, especially for the kids who are old enough to be penpals (e-pals?) prior to sailing so they have a buddy already lined up (remember the pressure at that age???).

Re: Palo's: If you have a chance to go it's a really special experience. One way to do it without missing another restaraunt and/or dinner with your kids: eat a "light" meal at your regular rotation but plan Palo the same evening for another "light meal" or even just coffee (or tea, in Jane's case ) and dessert - chocolate souffle is unbelievable. Or schedule the Brunch which is what we hope to do. There are all windows the length of Palos so in the daytime the views must be spectacular!

Hey Michelle, no need to explain, we understand why it's nice to have time alone with your DH! I like the sound of the rose petals!

My DH just read my earlier post and is correcting me. He claims he got a dirty look from our Maitre D (Daniel) when he came to Parrot Cay with shorts on (despite their being "dressy").

It was really funny last year when, like Santa Clause, DH lugged a *huge* clear plastic sack of soda and water (enough for two families) onto the ship. We walked into Parrot Cay for lunch after just boarding and because it was so big he had to leave it at the entryway. A group of waiters was staring and shaking their heads; it was pretty embarrassing but hysterical, we haven't stopped laughing about it! (We had gone to the grocery store right before boarding the ship and when we dropped the car off at the rental agency they gave us this big bag since we had nothing at all) This year we wised up and will bring an extra suitcase for the liquid contraband!

I'm not stressed about packing. The only thing that's stressing me out a bit is the state of my hair. It is just growing in again after I lost it all this year from chemo (had breast ca, finished treatment last month and this trip is our celebration of the return of my health). My hair is really short and beginning to curl a little so it looks kind of strange, to me anyway. I am certainly happy to have it back again but I can't do a damn thing with it!! Oh well, I'm not going to worry about it. (Someone else said at least I won't have to worry about the *windblown look*, LOL)!

Countdown continues...

 

[mjvans]

I'm ecstatic to hear your health has returned. I had no idea your had struggled with breast cancer!!! So Glad to hear of your outcome, and what a perfect way to celebrate!! We, too our celebrating good health on this cruise too. In March, will fighting a fire, Jay had a heart attack. At the time, he just thought he was having difficulty breathing with all his apparatus on, and he was treated at the scene for dehydration. In the er, though, his EKG was found to be abnormal. Further tests showed he indeed had a heart attack but he never had any chest pains! Well, to make a long story short, he had a quad bypass on March 17th, and this cruise not only celebrates good health, it also celebrates our commitment to savoring each and every day as life is too fragile and so truly precious. It has been a very long road, and we so look forward to getting away!! We so look forward to making last memories once again as a family!! Don't exactly know what the future will bring and although Jay has a release to return to work following this vacation, the dept is not crazy about putting him back to full duites, nor can I say I am thrilled he can return too. Hopefully, my goal on the cruise is to take each day for what it is and not worry about what awaits us at home on hour return.
I can't fathom what you have had to endure, but I am so happy you are on the other side and now recovering!! That is so beyond the best news I have heard in a long time!! Congratulations again and I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers for continued good health and recovery in the future!! I'm so pleased we are going to meet!!
Now, in regards to the cruise, can our little boys, ages 4 and 6, wear nice dressy shorts to dinner?? Wondering if that would be ok or would they have to be in much the same attire as us and our fourteen year old son? Don't worry much about Paige as she has a thing for dresses and is planning to go all out with her dinner attire!! LOL
In regards to soda, do you just put them in a hard case suitcase or can you bring one of those soft sided coolers on board?? I love diet coke, especially the new one with lime and would hate be without for even 4 days!! It is bad enough I will be without my daily Starbuck's !! I'm going to go through withdrawls!!
Anyway, talk to you soon!
Take care!
Michelle

 

[justus3d]

Wow,
We are on page 7 now I am so glad we all have so much to celebrate I love celebrations!! I too have had cancer. From it I learned not to dwell and to totally enjoy life. As a single parent my biggest worry was who is going to take care of and raise my beautiful children. I have family but you know, no one can love and treat your children better than you. I was totally devastated. I know I am truely blessed and so are you guys That is why we are going to have so much fun together.
I can hardly wait to meet all of my new friends

Deborah

Are we there yet??

 

[Janemoj]

Linda,

Michelle has such a lovely way with words that I can't add anything to what she has said. Take it that her good wishes come form us too!

One of our children had MAJOR surgery just before our last Florida hol in 2001. We came so close to cancelling it, but in the end it turned out to be the turning point that the whole family needed. I hope that this vacation has the same healing effect on you and your family.

Michelle, I'm very tempted to sent Chris half way round the world for you to take him trouser shopping with Russell. If my bank balance could cope, I would. Think I'll take the cowards way out and order some online now and hope they fit!

Eileen, I'll get the girls to have a chat and see what we can sort out.

BTW I am fairly certain that the usual sodas were added to the free drinks station earlier this year...must search the boards to double check.

Bye for now

Jane

 

[mjvans]

and I have such a strong feeling that this is the first of many memories shared and friendships formed because of our upcoming cruise . I think we all originally found each other through a love of disney, but in the end, I really feel this is just a stepping stone to something so much more meaningful......I can't put in words how blessed I feel to board a ship knowing I'm about to be in the presence of such remarkable people!! I know it may sound corny, but I do really feel it a blessing!
PS......Jane........I'm about to give up on the shopping trip with Russell as I can see the writing on the wall and it is not going to be pleasant!! LOL
What internet site are you looking at?? I may just cave and go that route too!!
Good night one and all!
Michelle

 

[mjvans]

I can't even imagine what you must have gone through with your past struggles with cancer.......I'm just so glad it is in the past and you are well on your way to optimum health and absolute joy in being a MOM.........Way to go!! I am so happy to hear of another cancer survivor!!!!! That is so awesome!! I love hearing these kind of stories!! Thanks for sharing!! I think we all have more in common that just a love for disney! Looking forward to meeting you~
Michelle