Sept. 26, 2009 Magic

[Bareacuda]

I also hate the cold! I lived in the mountains of Az long ago!
Spent the past 20 years here in the dessert, and hate the heat!
I love our short spring, and our windy winters.

Hey ACL's... the passport things are very easy to go thru. Glad you are doing them now... it can take awhile to get them.Our's took anout 4 weeks, but our DD's took over 3 months.. just in time for the cruise.
And congrats on the new fur baby!

Ann

 

[Bareacuda]

Is anyone doing WDW before the cruise??

I need to know how to do it the cheapest way.
This past weekend we were at a Massage Therapy Convention in Phoenix and we found out next year's will be in Orlando!!!
And... all the week BEFORE the cruise

When is the free dining? and how can we do it the least expencive??? I'd rather spend the bucks in St Thomas

Ann

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

3 Months before getting a passport. Wow, what bureaucrazy! We can get them within a week or if you pay a nice amount more, within 24 hours.

Ann, yep I'm doing a week at WDW before the cruise. Or should I say we buy now? The girl I talked about before is already added to the stateroom and looks like she'll also be doing WDW. Anyhow, with the 2 of you free dining would be cheapest if booking through CRO. Dining is worth $39.99 per person, so that would be a discount of almost $80,- per night. Unless you get a 40% discount and use it at a deluxe, free dining would always be the cheapest package. Of course that is IF the dining plan fits your style.

Another even cheaper option is to surf to another part of the DIS and rent DCV-points from a DCV-member. The asking price tends to be $10/11,- per point. Depending on the DCV you want to stay at, a week can be done for somewhere in the 80-ish points. That's less than $1000,- for a week at a deluxe. I've done some math, assuming they'll offer us a bounceback when we're there in december. And the math was clear; it's cheaper to rent points than do a moderate with 30% bounceback. So I've decided to rent points. Hooked up with somebody and when the reservation window opens up, they'll try and get me the reservation. And than it should be; AKV, here I come!

Downside to this; it is based on trust and is less flexible than making a reservation through CRO. If you consider the option; be aware that members can start making reservations at their home resort at 11 months out. For our pre-cruise-time, that time is coming up next month. If you've got your mind set on a certain resort, it might be worth not waiting until a view months before.

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

Oops totally forgot! Free dining traditionally is in August and September. Looking at the dates for this year and the previous years, free dining 'should' be offered before our cruise.

And who knows what else disney will be offering by then? This year they started to sent out pincodes for free dining on certain dates in october, november and december. Maybe the economy is hurting them?

 

[Crystal_27]

Hi everyone! First off, welcome to our new members!!

I'm finally back in the swing of things after being MIA at Disney World and then taking another week off to hang at the house. We had a fabulous time: the weather was wonderful, the food was yummy, and MNSSHP was lots of fun. Of course, little did I know that when we came back that Atlanta would be smack in the middle of the gas crisis, but I'm dealing with it. Hopefully I can find gas tomorrow or I'll be working from home (wouldn't my bosses love that?!?). Anyway, I still have a pile of work to do but I just wanted to pop in and say hi. I hope everyone is doing great!

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

Welcome back Crystal! Wow, such great weather. Great! Didn't hear anything about the gascrisis yet (overhere they tend to focus on the elections and morgage crisis. Or better put; those things influencing our own economy), so I did a quick google on it. Sounds like an 'interesting' situation. Hopefully things will settle down quickly again!

Disappointing news from this front. No SD will be sailing with us next year. Turns out my general health silently went more down south since the last time we made sure it could deal with the things asked of it when hving an SD. Didn't find that one out until Xippe was actually already staying with me. Talk about painfull timing.

On the upside; I ran into a dress that I absolutely love and strongly consider buying for formal nights amongst others. We don't have such a large tradition as the US has with these types of dresses. Proms are only just about starting to be held (few and in between), marriages aren't such a big things as in the US (although we also slowly are following) and eveninggowns? Well most aren't to my likings and unbelievably expensive. Untill I ran into a couple of US websites etc. Ran into a dress that makes all of my friends drool and is affordable, so that's a good sign. Thinking about ordering it this winter and having it delivered to our resort during our december trip. Saves a bundle on shipping.

And now I'm off to read Crystals dining report. I need to see Kona with my own eyes!

 

[Disney Sweetie]

Hi Everyone!

Well 1 year from right now we will all be meeting in the lobby waiting to board the Magic!! It will probably fly by and we will wonder where the past year went. I can wait to meet all of you!

Have a great weekend!

 

[disztagal]

I can't wait for the cruise. I was so excited today when I realized in a year we'd all be getting on the ship.

Goofieslonglostsis, sorry to hear about your health going down and not getting Xippe. That must be hard to deal with since I know that you had already bonded with him.

Crystal_27, I can understand how you feel about the gas issue. Hopefully, it will be flowing soon since the EPA agreed to let us use the "not so clean gas"

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

Let the countdown begin! Hopefully the year will go by as quickly as this one did. Can't wait to get onboard.

Disztagal; thnx. No, it wasn't the greatest situation but it was the best decision for the both of us.

 

[aristocats_lover]

So, one year from today we'll be enjoying our second evening on the ship. Can't wait!

 

[Bareacuda]

Thanks Sis..

I forgot that one of my best friends are DVC members.
I talked to her and they want $15 per point.

Talked to DCL and see wht they could do. And guess what? We could have a 3 day at Caribbean or the Riverside for $560.oo no tickets.And no air change charge! Heck we'll have only 1 day to use a ticket to a park.So perhaps a day at DTD would be fun. No extra $$$ going out.

Hope everyone is doing fine for this weekend,mine has been great.

Ann

 

[Crystal_27]

Disappointing news from this front. No SD will be sailing with us next year. Turns out my general health silently went more down south since the last time we made sure it could deal with the things asked of it when hving an SD. Didn't find that one out until Xippe was actually already staying with me. Talk about painfull timing.

On the upside; I ran into a dress that I absolutely love and strongly consider buying for formal nights amongst others. We don't have such a large tradition as the US has with these types of dresses. Proms are only just about starting to be held (few and in between), marriages aren't such a big things as in the US (although we also slowly are following) and eveninggowns? Well most aren't to my likings and unbelievably expensive. Untill I ran into a couple of US websites etc. Ran into a dress that makes all of my friends drool and is affordable, so that's a good sign. Thinking about ordering it this winter and having it delivered to our resort during our december trip. Saves a bundle on shipping.

And now I'm off to read Crystals dining report. I need to see Kona with my own eyes!

Jacqueline, I must have missed this post from you. I'm so sorry about Xippe!

However, I must say that I'm very glad to read that you found a dress that knocked your socks off. I'm thinking about wearing something that I've had for years but I may just get something new and *hopefully* knock DH's socks off.

Anyway, I hope you are doing well, and I'm sorry again to hear about Xippe.

 

[i<3castawaycay123]

Hi everybody!!
My name is Chappel and I will be going on my 4th cruise w/ yall!
This is my family who is going (these will be the ages when we go):
Me (14)
Chloe (11)
Cole (6)
Missy -mom
Greg-dad
Wilma-grandmother
Elmer-grandfather
Stephanie- aunt
Codi- uncle
Anna Rae- cousin (4)

I cant wait!! please reply back and if you have any kids, tell me and i will start a kids only post where we can all meet and become friends before the cruise. Reply back!

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

Welcome 'on board' Chappel! Haven't seen any kids of around your age yet, but who knows maybe they'll be around very soon.


Ann, that's a high quote for CBR! DCL is known for it, but again it surprises me. Even at rack rate, CBR is only $149 ex tax per night. For sure there will be some kind of offer, which should make it cheaper. For instance; using the AAA-rate (already out for september by the way), we got CBR for next december for $119,something instead of $149,- + tax.


Crystal, are you guys settled back into the rythm of home yet? Or do you try to keep onto WDW as long as you can, through reports, photos and daydreams?

In a way I'm a sort of glad you missed that post earlier. The subject was rather touchy feely, so any word could either go over very well or rather wrong and no way of predicting it. It still takes some getting used there, but it is getting less so I'll get there.

The dress'mania' is getting around. The person joining me on the cruise got the same bug and sure enough; she also spotted a dress she just has to have. Friends all end up drooling over the same dresses. I stared to tell peop and myself to keep the secret somewhat, don't want to end up with half of the country ordering dresses from the same website. I like the "uniqueness" (they don't sell the brand overhere) and not running a major risk of wearing it at home and running into 3 other women in the same dress.

 

[Disney Sweetie]

Hi everybody!!
My name is Chappel and I will be going on my 4th cruise w/ yall!
This is my family who is going (these will be the ages when we go):
Me (14)
Chloe (11)
Cole (6)
Missy -mom
Greg-dad
Wilma-grandmother
Elmer-grandfather
Stephanie- aunt
Codi- uncle
Anna Rae- cousin (4)

I cant wait!! please reply back and if you have any kids, tell me and i will start a kids only post where we can all meet and become friends before the cruise. Reply back!

If you will let me know your cabin numbers and who is in which one, I will add them to our list of who is sailing. The link is listed in my signature. If you will be doing fish extenders I will add that also. Looking forward to meeting you and your family.

 

[i<3castawaycay123]

Disney Sweetie-
Thank you! I think we are in 6612 and 6614. We are not doing any fish excersions.
Thank you!!

 

[Disney Sweetie]

Wow you are fast!! I will get it added. What state are you from? Who is in which cabin??

 

[i<3castawaycay123]

Me, Chloe, Cole, Missy, Greg, Wilma, and Elmer are from Tennessee.
Stephanie, Codi, and Anna Rae are from Georgia.
The way that I listed them are the people in each room. I couldn't tell you who is in each room!

 

[Fire14]

Me, Chloe, Cole, Missy, Greg, Wilma, and Elmer are from Tennessee.
Stephanie, Codi, and Anna Rae are from Georgia.
The way that I listed them are the people in each room. I couldn't tell you who is in each room!

Welcome aboard, I've added you to list first post first page.

 

[i<3castawaycay123]

Cool, Thanks! So is this anybodies first cruise?