Sept. 11th, 2004!!! Roll Call!

[NancyDVC]

Packing? Packing? I have no clue what to pack. I have read the 'All the Best Tips in One Place' post and it scares me. I may need an extra suitcase for the 'essentials' that it mentions.
And then the best tip of all is to pack less!
Great, how do I pack less, take my daytime clothes, my evening clothes and all the 'suggested' extra essentials and still get the bag on the plane without having to pay for an overweight bag?
Maybe I should move to Florida now to assemble my bag and all the 'essentials' and get ready for the cruise that way? Okay then I will just have to downsize, plan and not get too obsessive about it!

 

[amgpmg]

UGH! I don't even want to think about packing. I always overpack. I am actually thinking about renting a tux for my DH through cruiseformals. That way it will be one less big item to pack. I too do not want to be doing laundry on board.

We are starting to look at excursions and I know that we want to do the swim with the stingrays, but am not too sure as to what else to do. Gives me more of a reason to search the boards .

I hope my kids will go in the club the night of 70/80s night. Last year I missed it because my DD was too tired. This year I plan on going! Maybe I will need to search through my boxes - I bet I have some original 80s clothes for the night! Oops, I am showing my age! LOL! Oh what fun it will be!!



Kathy

 

[cathyscrapper]

scrapperjill
How wonderful for your daughter and family to have a wish granted! Is this similar to the Make a Wish Foundation? How old is your daughter? How great to be able to combine the two trips to make one long vacation.

We are looking forward to meeting everyone. It sounds like 3:00 will be the best time before everyone gets too busy on the first day.

Packing? The lists go on and on if you look at all that is needed. I just want to throw on shorts and a bathingsuit all the time. I guess I'll have to pack more than that LOL!

As far as picture swapping I use an automatic 35mm but have a new digital so I will probably bring both. Already collecting scrap stuff related to beach, water and ships. Can't wait to do some of that scrapping.

dvcspain
Hola!

 

[scrapperjill]

Cathyscrapper...Her wish was granted through the Wishing Star Foundation..which is a wish granting foundation like Make a Wish. The Wishing star foundation grants wishes of kids in the Northwest. Where Make a Wish is nation wide (i beleive). Same concept...and pertty much same rules...but a smaller foundation than Make a Wish...

She (my daughter) is turning 6 today . She is sooo excited...giggling all day yesterday...and telling everyone she met that her birthday is comming. The only thing she has told me that she wants is "princess" stuff. Anything and everything princess.

I can't wait to pick her up at school today..(she is in Kindergarten and goes half day)..I'm having balloons delivered to her school ...of course princess balloons..and a big snow white princess pillow...I think she'll love it. Currently I'm in the middle of baking cupcakes for the class (2:15am)...don't think I'll be done until its time to start getting her ready for school. To make matters worse..I'm making double the cupcakes for my older daughters class also...her birthday is Monday And yes she is also getting balloons (tinkerbell) sent to school but no princess pillow....she's going to be 11 so I didn't think she would care much for a big stuffed princess being delivered to her. But hey I could be totally wrong...if so I'll hear about it after school.

I can't wait for the picture swapping to start...I love looking through peoples posts with photos of their trip...So it will be great getting dozens of diffent views of the whole trip.

Well I better go start frosting.

 

[amgpmg]

Scrapperjill - I wish your daughters a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! That is such a great idea to have balloons sent to the school. It will really make them feel special.



I am soo excited about the picture swap also! As we get closer to the cruise, maybe we should post pics of our families so that we will be able to recognize each other when we have our dismeet.

Have a wonderful long weekend everyone!

Kathy

 

[NancyDVC]

Scrapperjill_Happy Birthday to your daughter! I hope that it is a very 'princess' one.

My best friend watched "Keeping up Appearances" on PBS last night. It was the episode where they went on the QE2. Now my friend says that she is not taking as many clothes as Mrs. Bucket did! (Mrs. Bucket changed her clothes about 6 times before she left the cabin the first time!

I am trying to learn how to use my digital camera so that I can share pictures with all of you. So far I am doing okay with taking the pictures but still have to learn how to download them to my computer.
I am still having a dilemma about what to pack. What clothes should I take? What 'essentials'? Maybe I just worry too much.
These boards keep me sane.

Have a great weekend!

 

[inluvwithpluto]

First cruise for us! Just me(mom) andy my son (9). We Leave 9/11 too!
Any comments on excursions??

 

[scrapperjill]

Welcome inluvwithpluto..

We are in the process of researching excursions now. I'm thinking of booking on my own to save $$ and because my oldest daughter is turning 11 tomarrow therefor she would be charged the adult rate per disney standard. From what I understand we can save quite a bit just with that alone.



Packing....that has me totaly lost. I am trying to decide if we have enough luggage or may need to look into getting one more. Currently we have...each girl has a hardside carry-on size suitecase..dh also has one carry-on size suitcase...and I have one carry-on size and one lager size suitecase. I just wonder with formal wear, semi formal wear, swim gear, sleep wear, lounge wear, dinner wear...for the four of us if it will be enough space...not to mention we will be bringing our own snorkle gear...and all the other MUST bring items like sun screan and duct tape lol. That's not even taking into consideration if we want to lug pop, beer, or water aboard.

I think we need to to a trial run of packing to decide if it will fit or not...that way we will be able to have time to find another bag if needed.

Since we are going to WDW the week before we will be packing for that week also. We will defintly be doing a round of laundry between places but I'm sure there are things we will need there that won't be needed on the curise and same the other way (like the snorkle gear) And since were doing Disney first I think we will be bringing a stroller also....I need to find out if GKTW has strollers available for all families or if it is limited....that could save some space.

Well I've got house work to do...have puppies to clean up after...it's just so much funner planning and researching cruise info.

 

[amgpmg]

Welcome inlovewithpluto! We are just starting to look into excusions and have only decided on the swim with the stingrays so far. We have not booked anything yet, but will probably go with Captain Marvins. I have heard alot of good things about them from these boards. Now for what else to do?

Decisions! Decisions! Thank goodness for these boards!!

Kathy

 

[HookedonMagic]

Hey Everyone!

All of your planning is putting me to shame! I haven't even given a thought to excursions or packing, yet!

Sounds like lots of good ideas for a cruise meet. We did a DIS meet on our 2001 cruise...we all wore green ribbons...we ended up meeting almost everyone in the terminal, at the spa reservations line or at Palo. By the time we got to our official meet (at 3:30 on Saturday), we all "knew" each other already! My daughter, 11 at the time, met a friend that first day that she hung with the entire cruise. In fact, she and Kaitlyn correspond by email to this day. It was really great for both of them.

Just thought I'd check in...I see by the countdown clocks that we're less than 100 days. Cool!

Lisa

 

[ldb1030]

Welcome inluvwithpluto

Wish I had more time to think about packing and excursions!!!
Just too busy right now!

It will be final payment time soon also!!!

 

[scrapperjill]

Just had to stop in to check the count down timmer Looks like we are under 100 days...


Yeepyyy

 

[amgpmg]

Yahoo! I finally fixed my timer to reflect our arrival to Orlando on the 10th and now I am under 100 days!!! YEAH!!!

 

[HookedonMagic]

Has anyone purchased the REAS package? Can I purchase the package directly through DCL even though I am booked with a TA? My original TA has left the agency and my replacement TA has NO personality. She isn't familiar with REAS and doesn't want to bother adding it to my package (I'll be giving her a lot of business in the future! ) Any tips are appreciated.

Lisa

 

[inluvwithpluto]

Hey ,
me and my son(9) will be on it. I"m glad I'm not the only one that chose the 9/11 cruise! I was haveing 2nd thoughts about the date! It's our first disney cruise!
We are going to be staying at the radisson oceanfront in melbourne, the radisson at the port is all booked! see Ya there!

 

[scrapperjill]

Welcome...inluvwithpluto. This is our (DH,DD11,DD6 and myself) first crusie also...and were getting more and more excited as the days get closer.

Hookedonmagic...I was also looking into the REAS package. When I went to check it out at the TA's the TA who I have been working with was out (her daughter had twins)...The stand in TA had no clue of what the package was..needless to say when I went back the next week to talk to my TA she also had no clue of what it was. After letting her in on the package and what you got she thought it was pertty cool...anyway back to your question on booking it on your own...I'd just call DCL and ask them....the worse thing is they'd say no. I'd like to know if you you find out.

 

[ldb1030]

Just booked our group of 7 on the 1/2 day Stingray trip with Captain Marvin's in Grand Cayman!!!

NOW, I'm getting REALLY excited!!!

 

[amgpmg]

Wow! I better get booking my excursions too! All I have been doing is looking. We are thinking of doing the morning Captain Marvins. I would like to have the afternoon to do some shopping! It is coming fast (but not fast enough).

Anyone else book any excursions?

Kathy

 

[scrapperjill]

We haven't booked any yet...but have spent alot of time looking. Does anyone know...if you book through other groups...other than DCL, do you have to pay up front...or day of excursion?? We too we looking at the Cap. Marvins 1/2 day..or some of their other options....they have quite a few. I would really like to do the stingray city and two snorkel/reef trip drop the kids back at the ship then do the wreck and reef excruion...but I don't think the timming would work...I'm afraid we wouldn't get back to the ship in time.

We have also thought of doing things on our own...w/o a lot of planning...not to sure if I like that idea to well...I like to know whats going on and what options there are.

I saw a post on the electric cars, and are thinking of doing that.

There is just to much to choose from.

 

[aaronamy]

Welcome inluvwithpluto! My DS is 10 and their is also an 8 year old boy on our cruise. My son was starting to worry that there wouldn't be any boys. Im finally starting to get a few things done. I have my rental car booked, my hotel for both ends of the trip and 1/2 day with Capt. Marvins Yippeeeee!!!! I think a quick dis meet at the pool around 3 or 3:30 would be great, just to put faces and names together. That way the kids could play and meet other kids too.