Sept 4-8 2005 Wonder S.S. Member Cruise! Part 2

[alikat99]

Surprisingly, we have not been to the Lego store since it was remodeled. We'll have to stop by there. Our plan on the Saturday before the cruise is to just relax. We're not heading to the parks at all. I think that we'll hang out by the pool, have a relaxing lunch and try to get the girls to take a nap.

 

[WDWLVR]

Amy - the Lego store is real close to where we'll be meeting between 3-4 pm so after the girls naps you could head on over and check out the store before meeting up. One back wall is all full of bins and you can buy the pieces by the pound. Very cool store.

Edited to add - of course the pieces are really small so don't know if your girls (especially Madison) would be into them yet.

 

[alikat99]

Amy - the Lego store is real close to where we'll be meeting between 3-4 pm so after the girls naps you could head on over and check out the store before meeting up. One back wall is all full of bins and you can buy the pieces by the pound. Very cool store.

Edited to add - of course the pieces are really small so don't know if your girls (especially Madison) would be into them yet.

Thanks Mary - we'll probably try to go to DTD on Saturday too and check out the Lego store. Right now, they are both still into the Lego Duplo blocks, since they are a bit bigger. But, I'm sure that they would love to check it all out.

 

[WDWLVR]

I'm sure they will love seeing everything made from Lego's outside the building. The serpant in the lake, the family walking a group of dogs - all made out of Lego's!

 

[WDWLVR]

Here's our rough plan for before and after the cruise.

We'll get into Boardwalk Friday night after driving down Thursday/Friday.

Saturday our plans call for meeting up with a friend from our December '04 cruise to ride Soarin'. Sometime that day we have to meet up with someone from our May '06 cruise to pick up the cruise mascot. Then we'll head over to Downtown Disney to set up by 3pm. After the party we are looking at doing the Irish Pub and then I'm sure we'll call it an early night.

Sunday we plan on driving over to Mary Queen of the Universe for Mass, maybe stopping for breakfast, and then driving over to the port.

Thursday we'll drive back from the port and check back into Boardwalk. Epcot will most likely be our park of choice and we are having dinner with friends on that night in Japan.

Friday we are totally open. Not sure what we will do.

Early Saturday morning we head out for the road trip back home.

 

[Diana Lyn]

...and try to get the girls to take a nap.

My goal for the entire trip is to get the girls to take ONE nap!! Like a real nap, not just passing out in the stroller from utter exhaustion because mom is a park commando!

Our plan is for Friday, we get in at 10am so we are going to head over to MGM to see Bear and JoJo. I'll be the mom sobbing with joy the entire time.

Saturday we are going to do AK. It's a quick park and that way we can make it over to DTD for the Bon Voyage Party after....dare I say....naps!

We are pretty much up in the air for Thursday/Friday/Saturday after the cruise. Our flight doesn't leave until 6:45pm so that gives us almost all of Saturday to play. We'll probably spend most of our time at MK, because I need to do those VMK quests and Julia needs her 1st haircut!

 

[alikat99]

My goal for the entire trip is to get the girls to take ONE nap!! Like a real nap, not just passing out in the stroller from utter exhaustion because mom is a park commando!

Our plan is for Friday, we get in at 10am so we are going to head over to MGM to see Bear and JoJo. I'll be the mom sobbing with joy the entire time.

Saturday we are going to do AK. It's a quick park and that way we can make it over to DTD for the Bon Voyage Party after....dare I say....naps!

We are pretty much up in the air for Thursday/Friday/Saturday after the cruise. Our flight doesn't leave until 6:45pm so that gives us almost all of Saturday to play. We'll probably spend most of our time at MK, because I need to do those VMK quests and Julia needs her 1st haircut!

You and I are so much alike, Diana. I would love for them to get a good nap, but I know that it probably won't happen. We'll see.

Also, Madison needs her first haircut too. Right now, she has the Pebbles ponytail on top of her head to keep her hair out of her eyes. I just haven't had the chance to take her to MK to get it cut yet.

 

[cgcw]

My goal for the entire trip is to get the girls to take ONE nap!! Like a real nap, not just passing out in the stroller from utter exhaustion because mom is a park commando!

This is don't get.

Little kids fight to take a nap. When they get to be teenagers (or pre-teens in our case), we can't get them to wake up in the AM. When we get to be our age, we'd love to take a nap everyday.

It's such a vicious cycle.


I guess it's time for us to really finalize our plans. Right now, most of our focus is getting ready for Disney's Hilton Head Island the end of next week. Our most favorite family vacation spot.

We need to work on our September plans. And, October plans. Cameron & I are returning to WDW in early October. We've never done back to back trips before so it should be fun. That will also be our first mom-son trip ever. We are going to have a blast but I'm starting to feel bad for Walker who will be left behind - going camping for a long weekend with Gary . It's just my mommy-guilt kicking in.

 

[iluvdisney]

Wow - these pages took some of my driving time to read - I'm sure I'll have lots of catching up to do in a few days - it's driving time again.

Hope to be in chat this weekend Mary - at least one of them

 

[alikat99]

This is don't get.

Little kids fight to take a nap. When they get to be teenagers (or pre-teens in our case), we can't get them to wake up in the AM. When we get to be our age, we'd love to take a nap everyday.

It's such a vicious cycle.

I totally know what you mean. I would love to take a nap every day. Heck, I live for those days that I actually can take a little nap. And, when I do, I always feel guilty that I really should be doing something else. Oh well!! So the nap fight goes on!!!

 

[WDWLVR]

Wow - these pages took some of my driving time to read - I'm sure I'll have lots of catching up to do in a few days - it's driving time again.

Hope to be in chat this weekend Mary - at least one of them

Safe travels Mary! Will do my best to be in chat as well!

 

[alikat99]

Well, I called member services about a studio at BCV for Saturday before the cruise, but no luck. I'm on the waiting list, but I'm not hopeful since it's only a couple months away. No big deal though, we have ressies at BWV.

 

[chrissybear]

I got very excited this morning when I went to the post office, I got mail from DCL. It was only the info on excursions and a card to fill out for names. Which is old news, so it was a tad less exciting. My big dilema is what name to put for my DD. Her given name is Dakota, but we have been calling her Kody since she was born. Just this year, I found out that some of her friends call her Dakota and others call her Kody. I asked her what she wanted me to call her, she said it didn't matter. She still doesn't know about the cruise, I'll have to ask her in a tactful way how she wants to be introduced to new people, I just wish I knew what was being personalized. Though I do love surprises.

 

[bonzie1]

My big dilema is what name to put for my DD. Her given name is Dakota, but we have been calling her Kody since she was born. Just this year, I found out that some of her friends call her Dakota and others call her Kody. I asked her what she wanted me to call her, she said it didn't matter. She still doesn't know about the cruise, I'll have to ask her in a tactful way how she wants to be introduced to new people, I just wish I knew what was being personalized. Though I do love surprises.

Surprises are a LOT of FUN!!!

When we were asked to provide names for last years DVC Member Homecoming, we spent all kinds of time wondering what kind of personalized "gift" we would receive. As it turned out, DVC was very overwhelmed with pulling everything together for the event, and never did get to use the names for anything...

I am hoping, along with you that this time, the name information will be used, and, I'm trying VERY HARD, to just go with the flow and let the surprises just happen!

If this cruise is like the Member cruise in 2003, we will be in for a WONDERFUL time. They really rolled out the red carpet and treated us like royalty!

I can't believe how quickly this is coming down...

 

[alikat99]

Since this is our first member event, I have no expectations, except to have fun. I've read reviews of the last member cruise on Mark & Mary's website, but I can't wait to experience the whole thing. We've been so excited since this first was announced, and I was amazed when I got in to book so quickly. We even ended up snagging a SPH room. So, in 7 1/2 short weeks, we'll all be sailing away, and I can't wait!!!

 

[WDWLVR]

Amy, we didn't know what to expect when we booked the first Member Cruise. We had already cruised DCL and had put up with a lot of negative talk on the DVC board about how stupid we were for booking a cruise more expensive than a regular 4 day cruise.

It didn't take long toknow that we were in for something special. Coming up the escalator we saw the Welcome Home signs. Then it was getting special Member Homecoming KTTW cards. Our check in materials were also special for this cruise and we also got the Member Challenge which was a way for everyone in line to start talking to each other.

Boarding the ship we were welcomed home again. Not welcome aboard - welcome home! Up to the buffet and the watermelons say welcome home. Got to the room and the tv had welcome home on it. Oh yes this was going to be special.

Of course what made it extra special were the DIS'ers. We had half as many DIS'ers on that cruise but it was fun! Sailaway came and we took over the ship. They hoisted a DVC flag! Then we were off and sailing away on our magical voyage!

To me that would have been special enough but was DVC finished - no way! First there were the gifts...the paper hand for sailaway, the mesh bag for shopping in Nassau, the t-shirts, the tea pot. It was like Christmas coming to our room every night.

There were also the guests. Getting to hear a concert by Andrea McArdle was nice. My favorite, however, was taking the ship tour with one of the Imagineers who helped design the rooms. Awesome!

Most of all it was the feeling that it was a giant reunion. You had something in common with everyone. It was a DVC Block Party that went on for 4 days.

I don't know what surprises they may have in store for us this time, but I know that it is going to be awesome!

 

[Scott H]

Safey note to Mary (Iluvdisney) :

Driving and reading DIS posts is not advised, worse than cell phones.....

Drive safely

 

[alikat99]

Thanks Mary! We cruised DCL once before, so I know that the cruise part of it will be awesome. And, I know that I'm going to have a good time, because of the DISers that I've already met on this board. I feel like I already know some of you, and I've never met ANY of you. Plus, this is DVC, and it was popular the first time, so it has to be even more exciting the second time.

This really is going to be a LOT of fun!!!

 

[Malone]

Surprises are a LOT of FUN!!!


... and, I'm trying VERY HARD, to just go with the flow and let the surprises just happen!

Me Too! I even thought I should stay away from this thread for a while, so I didn't get too inundated with information.....But, like a bad penny, I keep coming back and reading, laughing, reading, reading!!

I am trying very hard to not overplan either. It is killing me! Everyone in my family makes fun of me for overplanning and knowing too much about Disney (or traveling in general). But guess what? Any time anyone in my family goes on a trip, who do they call before hand to get the scoop? Me!!!

 

[Diana Lyn]

Sure Mary, Tease us with the trip down memory lane! I was on the Member Cruise, but I didn't know anyone from the Dis. Still, we had a great time and managed to meet some great people!

And that mesh bag they gave us for shopping in Nassau is the BEST gift I've ever got in my entire life. I use that everywhere I go. And every trip to WDW, without fail, every security guard complements me on how much easier their job would be if everyone carried a bag like that.