SEPT 24 2005 Enter and Sign in Please

[fourfoxesinpa]

Glad you all had a great trip. We did Soarin at California Adventure 3 or 4 years ago on our Disneyland trip. It was my favorite ride. DD was only 5 at the time and she still talks about it at almost 9 years old, so it really made an impression on her. I can't wait to try it out at WDW, even though I have no idea when that will be at this point. Erin

DD, age 6 1/2, didn't care for Soarin. I don't know if it was a fear of being pulled up off the floor or what but she was petrified. Now, DS, age 8 1/2 and DH, age secret, LUVED it too! It is so cool when you smell the oranges and pine trees.

 

[ErinC]

Jamie, Do you know if the one at WDW is the same as DL? I know at the very end of the one at DL you land on top of DL's castle. Did they change it to make it the castle at WDW, or is it the entire movie the California addition? I loved the pine trees and the oranges too. I remember when they were fly fishing, I felt as though my toes were inches away from the river. It was just such an awesome ride.

 

[smilingmouse]

Gasp!!! We were on page 2....gotta fix that.....

Is anyone buying trip insurance ? If so, who are you using?

TIA!!!

 

[b&j's_mom]

We will be buying trip insurance. I am such a worrier I would be crazy worrying if we didn't. We used Travel Guard (protect assist) last time, and we will probably use it again. If you want to compare a bunch of them, go to insuremytrip.com. You can see the different companies side by side and see which one covers what.

Not to change the subject but...where is everyone staying the night before? This might have been discussed already, I can't remember! We have a room reserved at Motel 6 (yikes!) in Cocoa Beach, but I am getting worried about it from a few things I have heard. We stayed at the Best Western last time. I thought it really was not a very good hotel AT ALL, especially for the price we paid. It was kind of yuck. I guess I just figured if I knew we were paying for a room at an "economy" hotel, I would at least know what I was in for. Any thoughts from anyone?!? Has anyone stayed in cocoa beach anywhere before?

 

[power_alaska]

Holy Smokes BatGirl!!! Glad you came along when you did ... For some reason, I did not check in this morning for the OCD Overnight report... I am pretty sure it had to do with the incredibly nice weather and longer days!!! Almost reached 60 today!! Yes ... I was complaining about snow about ten days ago... BUT all gone now - I hope.
I will have to find something "Alaskan" for you for coming to our rescue. Besides Moose Nuggets ... Not much else happening here except the golfing range opens this weekend. And the ice lake has broken up Will be heading to TX (El Paso) to see my honey in a few weeks And beyond that, just that work stuff ...

Well I will check back in the morning ... Gotta go RUN OUTSIDE!!!

It is now Wednesday 4/27/2005 at 7:10:25 PM
4 months 26 days 21 hours 49 minutes 35 seconds
or some number less than 13,000,000 seconds...

OKAY - Lurkers!!! ErinC still has the baton and will win the Alaska Special if no one else comes forth pretty soon .... There is still time!!!

 

[SouthernMouse]

Just dropping in to say HI! I hope everyone is having a great week!

B&J's Mom, I haven't gotten any insurance yet, but I've been thinking about it. I've discussed it, as well as all other details of this trip with my "Disney Travel Agent" and all around good friend aka ErinC . DH, DD, and I are using a few DVC points and staying at Saratoga Springs the two nights before the cruise. We're going to spend some time at Downtown Disney and use our extra +s left over from our last trip to WDW, probably at the water parks.

kcatoir, I wish I could say I have everything ironed out for this trip, but there's still plenty to do...airline tickets, transfers to the port, excursions. Looks like plenty more phone conversations with Erin ahead!!

PowerAlaska, can you post the countdown in weeks some time? I would find that info helpful. Thanks Here's some more sunshine to hopefully warm things up some more up there.

Have a great rest of the week everyone!
Keri

 

[smilingmouse]

Holy Smokes BatGirl!!! Glad you came along when you did ... For some reason, I did not check in this morning for the OCD Overnight report... I am pretty sure it had to do with the incredibly nice weather and longer days!!! Almost reached 60 today!! Yes ... I was complaining about snow about ten days ago... BUT all gone now - I hope.
I will have to find something "Alaskan" for you for coming to our rescue. Besides Moose Nuggets ... Not much else happening here except the golfing range opens this weekend. And the ice lake has broken up Will be heading to TX (El Paso) to see my honey in a few weeks And beyond that, just that work stuff ...

Well I will check back in the morning ... Gotta go RUN OUTSIDE!!!

It is now Wednesday 4/27/2005 at 7:10:25 PM
4 months 26 days 21 hours 49 minutes 35 seconds
or some number less than 13,000,000 seconds...

OKAY - Lurkers!!! ErinC still has the baton and will win the Alaska Special if no one else comes forth pretty soon .... There is still time!!!

Dennis, it was my pleasure....no worries

You mean I don't moose nuggets?! I'm very interested to see what they really are.....

I can relate about the weather...last week we had tems in the 60's....it snowed this afternoon

Sigh.....

 

[power_alaska]

Okay ... One bag of Moose Nuggets for SmilingMouse

Late for work ... so I need to run ... Here you go Keri ... Thanks for the

It is now Thursday 4/28/2005 at 5:26:06 AM
Scheduled For 9/24/2005 05:00 PM
4 months 26 days 11 hours 33 minutes 54 seconds or
21 weekends or
149 days or
3,587 hours (2,391 waking hours) or
215,253 minutes or
12,915,233 seconds

 

[ErinC]

Holy Smokes BatGirl!!! Glad you came along when you did ... For some reason, I did not check in this morning for the OCD Overnight report... I am pretty sure it had to do with the incredibly nice weather and longer days!!! Almost reached 60 today!! Yes ... I was complaining about snow about ten days ago... BUT all gone now - I hope.
I will have to find something "Alaskan" for you for coming to our rescue. Besides Moose Nuggets ... Not much else happening here except the golfing range opens this weekend. And the ice lake has broken up Will be heading to TX (El Paso) to see my honey in a few weeks And beyond that, just that work stuff ...

Well I will check back in the morning ... Gotta go RUN OUTSIDE!!!

It is now Wednesday 4/27/2005 at 7:10:25 PM
4 months 26 days 21 hours 49 minutes 35 seconds
or some number less than 13,000,000 seconds...

OKAY - Lurkers!!! ErinC still has the baton and will win the Alaska Special if no one else comes forth pretty soon .... There is still time!!!

Dennis, you are mistaken, I have bestowed the beloved party baton to SouthernMouse!! I'm glad that the weather is improving for you. Not to rub it in, but it is sunny and 80 degrees here in Fairhope! Tonight is DD8 bridging ceremony from Brownies to Juniors. We'll be dining at the Fairhope Beach Pavilion on some Sonnys BBQ, overlooking Mobile Bay! Not that I want to rub it in or anything!

We will be staying in Ocala(probably) the night before the cruise. That will leave us with a little over a 2 hour drive left on Sat. morning. I don't know what time DH will be able to break away from work, DD won't get out of school until 3:00, so no way can we leave any earlier than that.

We did purchase travel insurance through insuremytrip.com. I picked the least expensive, and the coverage seemed to be sufficient. Others on the dis said it was a good company, and it had an A rating. I think the total cost for the 5 of us was like $79. I figured for that price it was worth it, since we are traveling during hurricane season!

Well gotta go, I'll check back in later! Erin

 

[fourfoxesinpa]

Last year, we were on the 7 night western cruise that was delayed by Hurricane Jeanne. We had to shell out two nights of accommodations at the Airport Renaissance which was $179 a night (or something close) and food for two days for the four of us. The expenses were close to $500. Fortunately, we had purchased travel insurance and were reimbursed for every cent. We will NEVER take a cruise without insurance. Worth every penny!

We are planning to stay near the airport and get a room through Priceline. Last year, we had booked the Airport Marriott for $50 and it was a great deal with the free shuttle. After going through Hurricane Mean Jeanne, I don't think I'd ever stay near the port but will stick near the airport and pay extra to use DCL transportation. Folks who rented a car had to drive to Fort Lauderdale and then back to MCO after the cruise. We just left the worry to Disney as to how we'd get to the ship. I guess I'm once bitten, twice shy.

 

[b&j's_mom]

Four foxes- How does priceline work? Do you know what hotel you get before you book it? Or do you just put down the price you want and find out later what hotel you got? I have never used anything online like expedia.com or orbitz.com. Just wondering how all that works. I was looking at hotels on expedia.com and there were what looked like good deals on some hotels in cocoa beach, but I just wonder how it all works. Thanks!!

 

[kcatoir]

Hello everyone,
Happy Thursday..Its almost Friday .
We will be staying at the Best Western Airport inn and suites. We stayed there last time. Due to the fact we come from the West coast, Friday is an ALL DAY travel day, We don't arrive at MCO till almost Midnight on friday, with the time difference it will be 3am to us.....aarrrggghh...but their FF tickets so what can you do . Plus coming east you can't get from the west coast to the east coast much earlier than that.

I may regret it someday but we do not purchase travel insurance.. DH checked with CC company and our own health insurance and we have good coverage thru them so I decided not to this time.

I can't believe how fast the months are flying by, its almost May, Its going to get really busy here in June so that should make the time fly even faster

Talk to you all later,
kim

 

[power_alaska]

ErinC ~ Mea Culpa Mea Culpa ... You are correct - SouthernMouse has the BVP Baton. Which is probably a good thing cuz ye apare te hav a bit uf a NASTY streak!!! Sonny's BBQ on Mobile Bay at 80! Sounds like fun... Good news is that Alaska is having a HEAT WAVE ... Temps reached 68 today and low 70's are predicted for the weekend. Anybody got A Tee time yet?

BJ - Can't tell you about Priceline although I have used Expedia ... We usually use Expedia or Orbitz to narrow down what we are looking for and then either call direct or use the Hotel's website... Have been pretty successful that way. Problem with Expedia is refunds - Doesn't happen with plane tickets, not sure about hotels. If you need to cancel a plane ticket then you have up to one year to use the credit - MUST be same traveller - same airline. And for this "service", they charge you $5... As I said, I like the search fuinctions and when my OCD tendencies are resolved, I work direct with the airlines and hotels - asking for AARP, Military discounts and such. Most hotels will work with you to give you the best rate - No Middleman!!!

Chrystina and I will be arriving and staying at Wilderness Lodge for a few days and then travel to MAGIC by DCL transportation. Like KC, we have never used trip insurance and may regret it someday but ... NOT THIS TRIP!!! Although FourFoxes appears to make a good case for it... If there is a transportation problem, I will let Disney figure it out. If there is a "setting sail" problem, I can think of worse places to be stuck at than WDW. Between us we travel quite a bit and always seem to manage. However, again, I am not sure I wouldn't reconsider that strategy if I had others in tow.

Well ... need to do some writing on an academic project ... Later

12,867,972 seconds

There are 86,400 seconds in a day ... just in case you were wondering...

Dennis

 

[smilingmouse]

I will also be at WDW before the cruise too....I'll be staying at Pop from 9/22-24 I can't wait....Are we there yet?

 

[power_alaska]

Pop? Not Yet ... 148 days

 

[ErinC]

ErinC ~ Mea Culpa Mea Culpa ... You are correct - SouthernMouse has the BVP Baton. Which is probably a good thing cuz ye apare te hav a bit uf a NASTY streak!!! Sonny's BBQ on Mobile Bay at 80! Sounds like fun... Good news is that Alaska is having a HEAT WAVE ... Temps reached 68 today and low 70's are predicted for the weekend. Anybody got A Tee time yet?

12,867,972 seconds

There are 86,400 seconds in a day ... just in case you were wondering...

Dennis

Noooo, I'm really not that mean! That's okay, come August when it's 97 degrees and 150% humidity, you can rub it in about how great it is to be in Alaska! Although you said something about retirement awhile back, will you still be in Alaska then? We had a great time last night, the girls had a great time playing at the park and in the sand, although as soon as the sun started to go down, the Alabama state bird (the mosquito) started to make me want to clean up and leave fast! Maybe I should move to Alaska, do they have any biting, flying, critters there?


We've used priceline for several stays. I would check out www.biddingfortravel.com to see what others have gotten. Just don't post on the website until you have read the FAQ. The moderator over there is not so friendly, but the website can't be beat for bidding info. If you wanted to do an airport hotel or a Disney area hotel, you can usually narrow it down to a few choices that you will probably get. My advice would be to not bid on anything less than a 3 * and I think you would be pretty safe. If you need any specific help, let me know and I'll try to help you with my limited knowledge.

Erin

 

[b&j's_mom]

Thanks I am going to check it out!!

Dennis- I watched Jeopardy yesterday and there was a column on Alaskan State Stuff or something like that. I now know that the state fish of Alaska is the king salmon, state fossil is the wolly mammoth, state bird is the willow ptarmigan and the state animal is the moose. Impressed? Yes, I thought so.

 

[power_alaska]

Erin - It will reach 70 today. Which, believe it or not is incredibly warm, almost uncomfortable for Alaskans. With the increasing hours of daylight, that bodes for a HOT summer. It can easily hit 90-100 degrees in Fairbank in the summer time. Who knew? Anyhow, it is still up in the air as to where I will be. Here is my current schedule if you want to play where in the heck is Dennis? It may also give some indication as to why I appear so confused most of the time ...

May 15th - El Paso, TX
Jun 10th - Chicago, Il
Jun 12th - Anchorage, Ak
Jun 14-18th - Seward, AK
Jun 18th-21st - Homer, Ak
Jun 22nd-29th - Kenai, Ak
Jul 01-08 - Dawson City, Yukon Territory???
Jul 11th - El Paso, Tx
Jul 20th - Boston, MA
Jul 29th - Bangor, ME
Aug 03 - El Paso, TX
Aug 08-20th - Las Vegas
Aug 21-29 - Either Bangor Me or Seville, Spain
Sep 01-04 - Anchorage, Ak or El Paso, TX
Sep 04-19 - El Paso, Tx
Sep 20-24 - Disney Worl
Sep 24-03 - ASLEEP on Deck 8 Forward or doing the Magic Pub Tour!!!
Oct 01-08 - El Paso, TX
Oct 08-14 - Anchorage, Ak
Oct 15 - Dec 01 - El Paso, TX
Dec 02-18 Belize
Dec 19-31 - El Paso ...

Okay that's enough ... As you can see, I tend to wander around a little ... And it is always subject to change - rapidly

 

[power_alaska]

Julie - I am incredibly impressed!!! Have been wandering around here for about 25 years - on & off ... There is just SOOO much of it. Currently planning to take a nephew from New England fishing next month which is the root cause of me bouncing back and forth and all around Alaska in the next two months...

ErinC - Nothing poisonous in Alaska - No bugs or critters to worry about for the most part - It food chain kinda goes like this for thhings that feed on humans - Noseeums - Mosquitoes - Black Bears - Grizzly Bears - And you can find all of them whereever you can find any of them!!! BUT there are no snakes, no hornets (do have Yellowjackets), and MOST IMPORTANT none of those #@$% Fire Ants!!! What was GOD thinking?! Nasty insect!!! Grizzly bears are easier to deal with!!!

Okay - well back to my OCD planning for my last? Alaska summer - NOT!!!

 

[smilingmouse]

Erin - It will reach 70 today. Which, believe it or not is incredibly warm, almost uncomfortable for Alaskans. With the increasing hours of daylight, that bodes for a HOT summer. It can easily hit 90-100 degrees in Fairbank in the summer time. Who knew? Anyhow, it is still up in the air as to where I will be. Here is my current schedule if you want to play where in the heck is Dennis? It may also give some indication as to why I appear so confused most of the time ...

May 15th - El Paso, TX
Jun 10th - Chicago, Il
Jun 12th - Anchorage, Ak
Jun 14-18th - Seward, AK
Jun 18th-21st - Homer, Ak
Jun 22nd-29th - Kenai, Ak
Jul 01-08 - Dawson City, Yukon Territory???
Jul 11th - El Paso, Tx
Jul 20th - Boston, MA
Jul 29th - Bangor, ME
Aug 03 - El Paso, TX
Aug 08-20th - Las Vegas
Aug 21-29 - Either Bangor Me or Seville, Spain
Sep 01-04 - Anchorage, Ak or El Paso, TX
Sep 04-19 - El Paso, Tx
Sep 20-24 - Disney Worl
Sep 24-03 - ASLEEP on Deck 8 Forward or doing the Magic Pub Tour!!!
Oct 01-08 - El Paso, TX
Oct 08-14 - Anchorage, Ak
Oct 15 - Dec 01 - El Paso, TX
Dec 02-18 Belize
Dec 19-31 - El Paso ...

Okay that's enough ... As you can see, I tend to wander around a little ... And it is always subject to change - rapidly

Wow!!! And I thought I traveled a lot...you put me to shame(!!!)

Since you are traveling so much, I nominate you to buy the second round of drinks (water optional, lol) at the Pub Tour