*Sept 10th 2011 WB Transatlantic* - From Spain to Space Mountain - Part 5

[auntlynne]

You can take a train from London Charing Cross (CHX) to London City Airport, changing from Southeastern service (train company) to DLR (Docklands Light Rail) at Lewisham. Travel time is 50-69 min, depending on time of day.

If you get an Oyster Card for riding subway, bus, and trains in London, this can be used for the journey. The Oyster Card is a prepaid card (you buy at subway, train stations...) which has a daily cap on your fares (you will pay no more than 8 GBP/day no matter how much you ride, even in peak times).

I got this info from:

http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/planjourney/search

I find the trains to be less crowded and easier to board than the subways.

 

[Beauty & the Best]

bought some clothes for the cruise today, and was cheered up in the process by finding out i can fit a medium in gap. havent bought anything in medium for years......

Karen, you should also be able to fit in a medium from Old Navy and Banana Republic - they are all owned by the same company as Gap so their sizing is similar.

I had trouble with the second batch of magnet paper I bought too, I got it working eventually though by feeding it one at a time and really pushing it in until the roller picked it up and pulled it through.

Thanks Liz, he has just got home from work and is laying on the sofa resting it as it is throbbing.

Yeah, try as I might, I couldn't get the darned thing to go through - I tried too many times to count and tried with other sheets from the same pack, it was an exercise in futility. Lucky for me I got a very sweet call from my nieces earlier in the day so I resisted the urge to smash the printer into a million pieces.

Today we picked up another 2 sets of 3 sheets from Walmart, so I will try it again tonight before bed. *crosses fingers*

We went to DSW today and Joe found a pair of Keens that he really liked and I found......nothing! I had to pinch myself b/c it is so unlike me, but they just didn't have any styles I like I was looking for in my size.

Tomorrow we are getting our air conditioning completely re-done. It has been a long time coming and we are going to be so glad to have cool air blasting out of every vent in the house - what a luxury

Night-night everyone!

 

[MandyGirl]

Thanks for the pics, Lynne! Our older daughter is almost 44 inches tall... I am trying to visualize if she will be able to see out the single porthole, which I think she will be able to. We are in a single porthole with no steamer trunk.

Probably a good thing the couch is not against the window... little bit would stand on the couch to look out the window all the time I think! I know we are going to be cramped with the pack-n-play though -- maybe that can go near the window.

My mom is in town, and we spent about an hour or so at Hobby Lobby. Still need another trip back though... but at least we have the stuff to make the FE with now. Completely girlyfied. Curt isn't getting his inside stateroom or any "manly" looking FE... poor guy!

 

[sinnika]

Well, if I had to choose I would go with the brunch because I am committed with a group. I'm just not sure if I would be able to book a different dinner night on Palo - it seems like they sell out from what I've seen posted. I would probably cancel dinner - or maybe I would force myself to eat there for brunch AND dinner

You should be able to switch dinner to a different evening once you board. They hold back a good percentage of reservations.
I had to check in for the group brunch dining in Rockin Bar D when I boarded as I was the coordinator for our Med cruise brunch and was offered several dinner slots on various days for group dining in the center area of Palo's (where they set up the brunch). They could seat groups of 8-10 there. Since most of us had kids and it was so port intensive on the Med cruise, we passed. One other thing, when DH and I showed up for high tea, we were one of 4 couples there. The maitre de said they received alot of cancellations (it was a beautiful sea day), so if you would like to try for high tea, call and keep checking, esp the day of. We personally enjoyed it and I would do it again!

 

[auntlynne]

...Yeah, try as I might, I couldn't get the darned thing to go through - I tried too many times to count and tried with other sheets from the same pack, it was an exercise in futility. Lucky for me I got a very sweet call from my nieces earlier in the day so I resisted the urge to smash the printer into a million pieces.

Today we picked up another 2 sets of 3 sheets from Walmart, so I will try it again tonight before bed. *crosses fingers*...

A few cruises ago, I bought some "inexpensive" magnetic paper on ebay. Well, it was too thick and broke TWO printers. Not so inexpensive! Now I print on photopaper, do a cold laminate and put self-adhesive magnetic paper on the back.

 

[IansGran]

Just a little about myDH Charlie and I. We're retired, and have lived in Orlando for 8 years. Moved from West 'by God' Virginia when the winters just got too cold and the interest rates for mortgages went down. We've cruised a number of times on other lines, but Disney is a new experience. I really like the DIS board idea - getting to know people - at least names- a little ahead.

 

[auntlynne]

Thanks for the pics, Lynne! Our older daughter is almost 44 inches tall... I am trying to visualize if she will be able to see out the single porthole, which I think she will be able to. We are in a single porthole with no steamer trunk.

Probably a good thing the couch is not against the window... little bit would stand on the couch to look out the window all the time I think! I know we are going to be cramped with the pack-n-play though -- maybe that can go near the window....

Check out the left side of this picture - it looks like they have some form of netted rail on the sofa.

 

[MandyGirl]

Check out the left side of this picture - it looks like they have some form of netted rail on the sofa.

Oh wow.... that would be super sweet to be able to avoid the pack-n-play.... Thanks for pointing that out!!

 

[IansGran]

My grandson Ian is now 7 years old and has 5 cruises under his belt 2 on Disney! Need you ask his favorite line? That's the incentive for us. Charlie and Jean

 

[STLUCIELADY]

I really thought going from London to Barcelona was going to be the easy part I had no problem booking a great flight to london, no problem booking the cruise, have ressies for the london tour, afternoon tea etc. This is the one item that just won't come together for me. Last year we took easyjet from Barcelona to Paris and back and it was just so cheap, like 40 euro. I can't seem to find the deal this year. Maybe I should check Paris to Barcelona and just take the train over to Paris. Hmm. brb

 

[auntlynne]

More info:

The back of the couch actually folds down - it doesn't fold out like a sleeper sofa.

Here's a photo of the couch turned down, with a bed rail:

The couch bed is either out or not...there's no part way. It doesn't pull out, it does a flip deal. The back of the couch is actually a twin sized matress. During the day, you see 1/2 of one side of the matress holder (the other half if behind the back of the seat. At night it flips so that the back becomes the bed. Yes, you can ask your stateroom host to put rails on the bed. You can have one or two. One will cover about 3 feet in the mid part of the bed. 2 will cover the full length literally from head to foot.

These posts were from 2010.

 

[IansGran]

Is anyone staying in the Renaissance -airport on the 8th/9th?

 

[auntlynne]

My grandson Ian is now 7 years old and has 5 cruises under his belt 2 on Disney! Need you ask his favorite line? That's the incentive for us. Charlie and Jean

Put two little posts out there and you are qualified to make PMs.

In the meantime, I am sending your info to Josh (giraffe104) for Palo Brunch.

Bon appetite and Bon voyage!

See you in a little over a month. Don't forget to join us in the Promenade Lounge (a big open area, not like a dingy bar) at 3pm on boarding day. Just drop by and say hi - make sure you tell birkner (Noel) you want a lanyard w/name badge so we'll recognize you as one of us (when you are wearing it). And YOU DO want one; can't get one after we board.

 

[auntlynne]

Is anyone staying in the Renaissance -airport on the 8th/9th?

There are a bunch! Probably more that haven't given us their hotel info:

Here's a list of the hotels people are using and also a list of when everyone arrives. Please PM me if you want to be added to the list....

Renaissance Barcelona Airport Hotel:
Ebony- Jan & Carl 9/9
Fly4free2- Evelyn 9/8
GatorMomInNC- 9/9
Julie2009- 9/9
Just Love Eeyore- Christina 9/9
Michelle2- Michelle, DS
Namsupak- Lauren 9/9
Nick262- Nickole 9/9
Squitty- Michelle 9/9
Susie2- Susie

 

[auntlynne]

...I can't seem to find the deal this year. Maybe I should check Paris to Barcelona and just take the train over to Paris. Hmm. brb

Yeah, add on the cost of Eurostar to that easyJet and there's goes your savings. And you would probably take a taxi to St Pancras for the train. Then you have to get to Orly. That London City doesn't look too bad.

 

[heatherLOVESmickey]

My grandson Ian is now 7 years old and has 5 cruises under his belt 2 on Disney! Need you ask his favorite line? That's the incentive for us. Charlie and Jean

Are you bring Ian with you?

 

[nick262]

HI Susie2




Can you let me know how you do with these people. I used their website twice and never got a response. Then I emailed (carefully making no reference to our mode of transport to the island) and they finally answered telling me that they had a group booking that day (I highly suspect the Disney one) and would be able to confirm whether they had room for me (3 of us) by this Friday (i.e. tomorrow - Aug 5).

So I'm waiting...
Matthew

Hi Matthew,

They do not care if you are coming in on the ship. I have spoken with them twice and they have been more than helpful. Her only thing was making sure that Disney was not going to charter the entire boat. If they don't, then we can go on the same morning tour. If they do, there is always the afternoon tour which gets back into port by 6pm, well in advance of us leaving at 9:30. Let me know what they say to you tomorrow as she asked me to wait until the 17th to call back as Disney does not confirm until 30 days out.

 

[STLUCIELADY]

Yeah, add on the cost of Eurostar to that easyJet and there's goes your savings. And you would probably take a taxi to St Pancras for the train. Then you have to get to Orly. That London City doesn't look too bad.

LOL! I know! Just priced out easyjet and it is considerable less(like half price) but not the fab deal that we got last year. It's 85 euro each plus the 40 for the Eurostar. It would be out of CDG so thats not too bad but it would take twice as long. Ugh!

 

[GatorMomInNC]

What part Orlando? My family moved there in 1972 when WDW opened and my dad got a job there. I lived there for 35 years and even though I wasn't born there I consider Orlando my hometown. It is weird to go back sometimes and things have changed, even in just 5 years... I miss my friends, my pool, my old job, but most of all, I think, I miss not paying state income taxes!

Just a little about myDH Charlie and I. We're retired, and have lived in Orlando for 8 years. Moved from West 'by God' Virginia when the winters just got too cold and the interest rates for mortgages went down. We've cruised a number of times on other lines, but Disney is a new experience. I really like the DIS board idea - getting to know people - at least names- a little ahead.

 

[auntlynne]

LOL! I know! Just priced out easyjet and it is considerable less(like half price) but not the fab deal that we got last year. It's 85 euro each plus the 40 for the Eurostar. It would be out of CDG so thats not too bad but it would take twice as long. Ugh!

and we were quoting you the price for BA in US $, not 85 euros x 1.4 exchange = 119 + 40 euros x 1.4 = 56 (that's $175) - and if you need to check a bag on easyJet, another 15 euros if booked ahead of time and under 20kg.

And loss of time in Barcelona!