~Snowbird Chat~

[Kurby]

i agree with you - i wish they would let you choose not to pay for a child because my dd eats like a bird so most of the time we just share from dh and myself and that works out fine but if we did the ddp or dddp we'd have to pay for her not to eat anything.

plus i HATE most of the food on the kids menu. hamburger, hotdog, nuggets and sometimes mac and cheese or a fish that is usually covered if breading and fried. she eats what we eat and doesn't even like nuggets.

i wish for health reasons they stop shoving the "once and a while" foods down our throats when that's all they offer kids for 10 days.

if dh orders salmon she gets some, if i order pork or ribs she gets some.

the ddp isn't worth it for us.

 

[Pluto_fan]

Two FULL DAYS in St. Petersburg a hands down absolute must.
In addition, HIRE A PRIVATE TOUR GUIDE.

Our cruise had 11 people at our dinner table. The other 7 people used the ship excursions and when we compared, we got a HECK of a better deal - in terms of time and what we saw. Price-wise was extremely similar, too!

The two FULL days in St. Petersburg was the hands down highlight of our trip! Gothenburg was a "eh maybe leave it" port, but we arrived on a Sunday at 9am. It wasn't great.

We went to Copenhagen (surprisngly dirty), Stockholm (LOVED it), Helsinki (very nice, small city), two days in St. Petersburg, a day in Tallinn (another gem), and Gothenburg. We had four sea days and we left from Harwich, England. We chose that cruise with the extra sea days so that I have the time to relax and get less grumpy.

So if you're already in Europe, you might look at the cruises that leave either from Copenhagen or Amsterdam. I picked, in addition to the sea days, the cruise that avoided what I called the "easy" ports - like Germany. I feel that a lot of continental western Europe is easy enough to get to on our own and I wanted the cruise to hit the harder to reach spots and I think we succeeded.

Feel free to PM me for more details! There were a lot of kids on our cruise, too, so it's certainly not just for old people. Here's my photo set. It's insanely large, but enjoy! http://www.flickr.com/photos/sarbah77/sets/72157624338378187/

Thanks for the input, Sarah! I especially appreciate the advice on St. Petersburg, as that's my one must-do port. On our western Med cruise last fall we did not do any shore excursions through the ship--we just prefer to do it on our own, and for five people it's much more cost-effective. We will plan to go with a private guide for Russia.

I asked the boys what they'd like to see on a Baltic cruise, and DS12 immediately said, "Days at sea!" Yeah, we always say we're going to relax more on vacation, and end up with lots (too much, according to the boys) of sightseeing.

It would be easiest for us to take a cruise out of Amsterdam or one of the London ports so we could drive there, but there aren't many to choose from (or they're more expensive because they're longer). My top choice as of right now is Norwegian's 9-night out of Copenhagen, although I think we'd probably have to fly to there. We'll see. DH is interested, so I'm lining up all my research.

 

[MindyLuvsMickey]

Alright Snowbirds! I DID IT! I've already booked our vacation for November, 2011. Ridiculous, I know, but I can't help myself! We will be at the Poly from Nov 27-Dec.4 with a theme park view. Here's hoping for free dining next year . . . or a great pin code

Wendy~Your party sounds like it will be tons of fun! I can't wait to throw a Mickey party for Chase. Ry's already had one

totally bummed that Le Cellier is a 2 TS dinner. I will be scratching that one off my list. We'd rather use 2 for Hoop Dee Doo.

 

[crzyred]

Woo-Hooo Mindy!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Good for you!! I agree...I don't want to spend 2 for LC either! This might be our last time there for a while!

 

[Kurby]

totally bummed that Le Cellier is a 2 TS dinner. I will be scratching that one off my list. We'd rather use 2 for Hoop Dee Doo.

i wasn't all that impressed with Le Cellier. Not sure what I expected but last year we tried it and i was disappointed. Being from Canada people said oh maybe it's because you get all that stuff up there but no not really.


i'd much rather to the bbq or hoop de doo too.

actually we're talking about trying coral reef again. had a bad experience the first year we tried it with the ddp but we don't take that option anymore plus that server is prob long gone (i think she hated her job)

 

[Pluto_fan]

Yea Mindy! I'd love to stay at the Poly again...that's where we stayed when WDW and I were young.

Kurby, I just read your TR. Loved it! Your daughter is just darling.

 

[sarbah77]

Thanks for the input, Sarah! I especially appreciate the advice on St. Petersburg, as that's my one must-do port. On our western Med cruise last fall we did not do any shore excursions through the ship--we just prefer to do it on our own, and for five people it's much more cost-effective. We will plan to go with a private guide for Russia.

I asked the boys what they'd like to see on a Baltic cruise, and DS12 immediately said, "Days at sea!" Yeah, we always say we're going to relax more on vacation, and end up with lots (too much, according to the boys) of sightseeing.

It would be easiest for us to take a cruise out of Amsterdam or one of the London ports so we could drive there, but there aren't many to choose from (or they're more expensive because they're longer). My top choice as of right now is Norwegian's 9-night out of Copenhagen, although I think we'd probably have to fly to there. We'll see. DH is interested, so I'm lining up all my research.

We ONLY did a ship excursion in Gothenburg! That was because, at the time, I didn't know that the ship (and I expect most ships will!) had shuttle buses into each town for us. And we were there on a Sunday, early in the morning. There's not much to do in northern Europe on an early Sunday morning.

The shuttle buses were certainly a nice option! Decent drop-off/pick-up spots, too, I heard. We just walked, for better and for worse!

Alright Snowbirds! I DID IT! I've already booked our vacation for November, 2011. Ridiculous, I know, but I can't help myself! We will be at the Poly from Nov 27-Dec.4 with a theme park view. Here's hoping for free dining next year . . . or a great pin code

It's NOT that silly! I booked my June 2010 cruise in March 2009! And I'm currently hammering out the details for our family trip next July. When there's 6 adults, these things take longer. (Mom wants POFQ, I've never stayed at any moderate BUT POR - 3x now, so I'd like to branch out, my brother is going to have a baby so he's not sure AUUUGH hahah)

Welcome, Kurby, btw. I do like LeCellier because it does have tasty steak. Does anyone else remember that it used to have a set-up more like a Ponderosa many MANY years ago?!

OH!! It's my 10th wedding anniversary today! I can't believe 10 years! Where did the time go? It's so amazing to think that my DH has put up with me, my quirks, my bad behavior for that long... and he's still waking up next to me, every morning.

 

[MAGGIED]

Alright Snowbirds! I DID IT! I've already booked our vacation for November, 2011. Ridiculous, I know, but I can't help myself! We will be at the Poly from Nov 27-Dec.4 with a theme park view. Here's hoping for free dining next year . . . or a great pin code

Wendy~Your party sounds like it will be tons of fun! I can't wait to throw a Mickey party for Chase. Ry's already had one

totally bummed that Le Cellier is a 2 TS dinner. I will be scratching that one off my list. We'd rather use 2 for Hoop Dee Doo.

Yeah Mindy... congrats... I agree with Le Cellier... looks like November will be our last time there... unless for some unknown reason we have extra credits...

Party preparations coming along... last night while Maggie was at work I made rice crispi treats and used by Mickey cookie cutter... then dipped the ears in white chocolate and covered with colorful sprinkles... today I am making MIckey cookies and Mickey cake pops..... finally decided on menu... Italian sausage w/ peppers and onions, chicken breast on grill with crab topping, zucchini and yellow squash, salad... cheese and crackers, bread bowl, veggie tray, the rice crispi treats, cookies, cake pops and red velvet cupcakes...

 

[MindyLuvsMickey]

Happy Anniversary, Sarah!!

Wendy-where did you find your Mickey cookie cutter? I looked last time we were down and couldn't find one.

Can't believe that my little Chase is 9 months old today! Where does the time go?

 

[Pluto_fan]

Happy anniverary, Sarah!

Wendy, can we all come to the party? My mouth is watering over your menu!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Sarah~ Happy 10th!
Wendy~ Wow Girl!!! You are going all out!! I love the Mickey rice krispies!!!
Mindy~ 9 months is crazy to believe...seems like you were just talking pregnancy!!!!

Today is a benchmark for us:

3 MONTHS TODAY!!!

 

[Kurby]

Yea Mindy! I'd love to stay at the Poly again...that's where we stayed when WDW and I were young.

Kurby, I just read your TR. Loved it! Your daughter is just darling.

thank you i think i'll keep her LOL


i love doing the tr's because when i'm done i print them out and put them in a journal for her when she's older.

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Wow, too many to quote so here goes:
Mindy - awesome booking Poly!! That's a great time to go too!
Sarah - Happy Anniversary!!
Kurby - I'm going to head over and read your TR (hopefully today!)
Wendy - your food sounds delish. What time are you serving?
Shawna - HAPPY 3 MONTHS!!!


I'm not too thrilled about LeCellier either. I would still go for lunch and use 1 credit, but I would guess they might change the menu and not have the mushroom filet on it for lunch now. When we ate there in Jan 09 it was on it and we had a 2:00 late lunch I believe.

Coral Reef - we just ate there two weeks ago and I was not blown away by the food. It was just okay. The atmosphere is cool, but I probably won't be back any time soon. I will do a full review in my TR (eventually!).

 

[Dancegrl624]

Alright Snowbirds! I DID IT! I've already booked our vacation for November, 2011. Ridiculous, I know, but I can't help myself! We will be at the Poly from Nov 27-Dec.4 with a theme park view. Here's hoping for free dining next year . . . or a great pin code

Awesome! I'll keep my eyes peeled for you for any discounts (it will be awhile).

OH!! It's my 10th wedding anniversary today! I can't believe 10 years! Where did the time go? It's so amazing to think that my DH has put up with me, my quirks, my bad behavior for that long... and he's still waking up next to me, every morning.

Happy Anniversary!

3 MONTHS TODAY!!!

Hooray for 3 months!!!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Hello Snowbirds!

Alright Snowbirds! I DID IT! I've already booked our vacation for November, 2011. Ridiculous, I know, but I can't help myself! We will be at the Poly from Nov 27-Dec.4 with a theme park view. Here's hoping for free dining next year . . . or a great pin code

Congrats Mindy! I priced out Thanksgiving week for 2011 and the prices are awful!! Went WAY up from this year. So we'll see what next year brings. . .

OH!! It's my 10th wedding anniversary today! I can't believe 10 years! Where did the time go? It's so amazing to think that my DH has put up with me, my quirks, my bad behavior for that long... and he's still waking up next to me, every morning.

Happy Anniversary!

Party preparations coming along... last night while Maggie was at work I made rice crispi treats and used by Mickey cookie cutter... then dipped the ears in white chocolate and covered with colorful sprinkles... today I am making MIckey cookies and Mickey cake pops..... finally decided on menu... Italian sausage w/ peppers and onions, chicken breast on grill with crab topping, zucchini and yellow squash, salad... cheese and crackers, bread bowl, veggie tray, the rice crispi treats, cookies, cake pops and red velvet cupcakes...

Your party sounds yummy!

Today is a benchmark for us:

3 MONTHS TODAY!!!

Congrats on 3 months Shawna!!

 

[sarbah77]

Thank you, everyone!! It's kind of amazing to think that it's been a whole decade. Where do the years go?!

Today was otherwise a little bizarre. I got my annual merit award (read: payraise) letter. Now, I work for a state-funded institution so I don't expect much. Based on what our overlords said, I got more than I expected... but my boss still came in and apologized. That left me feeling a little weird. Of course, it also means that someone got a higher percentage than I did, but it was likely someone who earned less than me. Whatever? But, next, my boss came in and gave me permission to take, on the department's dime, two highly sought after courses that help *me* with professional development and have little impact on the department. The cost of those was about half the amount of my increase, so I'm back to feeling happy.

But it's hot and humid out. "Hey, Michigan! Florida called. They want their weather back!"

 

[MAGGIED]

Happy Anniversary, Sarah!!

Wendy-where did you find your Mickey cookie cutter? I looked last time we were down and couldn't find one.

Can't believe that my little Chase is 9 months old today! Where does the time go?

They grow up so fast..... I think I bought the cookie cutter in the kitchen store in DTD.... do you want me to check into it next week when I am there? I would be happy to get you one and mail it to you... I have two difference sizes... I will try and take a photo later and post them,..... let me know though if you want me to get you one...

Happy anniverary, Sarah!

Wendy, can we all come to the party? My mouth is watering over your menu!

Of course... all our friends are welcome!!!

Wow, too many to quote so here goes:
Mindy - awesome booking Poly!! That's a great time to go too!
Sarah - Happy Anniversary!!
Kurby - I'm going to head over and read your TR (hopefully today!)
Wendy - your food sounds delish. What time are you serving?
Shawna - HAPPY 3 MONTHS!!!


I'm not too thrilled about LeCellier either. I would still go for lunch and use 1 credit, but I would guess they might change the menu and not have the mushroom filet on it for lunch now. When we ate there in Jan 09 it was on it and we had a 2:00 late lunch I believe.

Coral Reef - we just ate there two weeks ago and I was not blown away by the food. It was just okay. The atmosphere is cool, but I probably won't be back any time soon. I will do a full review in my TR (eventually!).

Appetizers at 5pm... dinner between 6 and 6:30.... I agree about only doing lunch at LeCellier... one table credit... if I am going to use two credits its going to be for something a little nicer... sorry you didn't care for coral Reef... we have had some great meals there...

Thank you, everyone!! It's kind of amazing to think that it's been a whole decade. Where do the years go?!

Today was otherwise a little bizarre. I got my annual merit award (read: payraise) letter. Now, I work for a state-funded institution so I don't expect much. Based on what our overlords said, I got more than I expected... but my boss still came in and apologized. That left me feeling a little weird. Of course, it also means that someone got a higher percentage than I did, but it was likely someone who earned less than me. Whatever? But, next, my boss came in and gave me permission to take, on the department's dime, two highly sought after courses that help *me* with professional development and have little impact on the department. The cost of those was about half the amount of my increase, so I'm back to feeling happy.

But it's hot and humid out. "Hey, Michigan! Florida called. They want their weather back!"

Congrats on the merit award... I think it says alot about you that your boss was willing to step up and find another way to compensate you for your great work... he must think very highly of you to find a way to pay for those classes even though they will have little impact on the department... good for you!!!!

We are also having beautiful weather... mid 80's.... its wonderful....

 

[MAGGIED]

Today I got to check in on line for our Boardwalk villas stay.... I was also able to get two nights at the SOG for next Friday and Saturday... its going to be kind of wierd arriving in Disney on Friday... only going to Magick Kingdom on Sunday... and then leaving on Wednesday... one park in 5 days... we are going to spend Saturday at DTD and go to Disney Quest... Sunday at MK, Monday is move in day for Maggie, then Tuesday is open depending on her schedule.. and we leave Wednesday evening...

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Sarah~ good for you! But yeah, I would have felt kinda weird too!!! But, how cool that you get to take some classes on their dime!!
Wendy~ you are the ultimate party mom! I just order pizza and put the kids in the pool!! I know Maggie is soooo excited!! And yeah,...I would feel strange coming to disney on a Friday too!! I have never done that before!
I was so tickled when I saw my ticker this morning!! It starts with a 2!!!!