Sweet Sixteen on the Dream! The Good, the Bad, and the Crazy!

[iloverags2]

Ugh! What a major bummer about the second excursion cancellation. But, you did an awesome job with the decorations and gifts for the b-day celebration...so the things you could control turned out beautifully.

 

[NancyLuvsMickey]

Great DVC gifts!!!!

And sorry about your snorkeling being cancelled... Not magical at all...

 

[pjstevens]

So sorry that yet another excursion has been cancelled. Love the DVC gifts, I think we need to go to that (even though we have DVC already, I like those)

 

[jenseib]

I can't beleive it. The nenxt one is canceled too? I guess that mean you just have to go back then!

 

[JKSWonder]

That really stinks. If you are like me, I know you probably spent months and months reading up on everything, deciding exactly what you wanted to do and when you wanted to do it, budgeted for it, etc.

And then bam, not one, but two big chunks of your plans go poof!

No matter what the reason, its still disappointing.

 

[mousetravel]

I am very sorry for your excursion issues. I'm hoping it gets better. First the poor stateroom attendant, then the Nassau cancel, now this. At least her birthday went perfectly! You did a good job, Mom.

Thank you!!!

So, was Brandon Duke (my friendly DVC sales-man) there? I saw him last time I was on the Magic. We did all of our transaction on the phone to become members so it was nice to put a face to the name.

I don't remember their names, but there were 2 guys leading the presentation.

We've used our points for cruise but so far NO trips off-property. We can't seem to leave the world. With an 18 year old daughter and a 9 year old daughter, we've decided it will be a nice wedding present for them as a wedding or honeymoon vacation (DD18 says her future husband MUST be a Disney addict like us).

That's what my DD says, that her husband MUST love to travel!!

Looking forward to the rest of the TR. I think you may not be done before I leave on Tuesday for our trip.

I will endeavor to do a TR 1/2 as good as you.

Hope you do a TR!!

Oh no! What a bummer that your other excursion got cancelled too! What are the odds of that happening? I would have been so disappointed, as I'm sure you and your DD were

I wish I knew the odds of all the bad luck I had been having....

Ugh! What a major bummer about the second excursion cancellation. But, you did an awesome job with the decorations and gifts for the b-day celebration...so the things you could control turned out beautifully.

Thank you!!

Great DVC gifts!!!!

And sorry about your snorkeling being cancelled... Not magical at all...

I have lots of those cloth recycle bags, but I LOVE my Disney ones!!!!

So sorry that yet another excursion has been cancelled. Love the DVC gifts, I think we need to go to that (even though we have DVC already, I like those)

Yes, I think you should. I also heard that if you attend the " DVC members-only" presentation, that they have more gifts!!!

I can't beleive it. The nenxt one is canceled too? I guess that mean you just have to go back then!

Yes, I know!! I checked out prices for next year around the same time (birthday), and it is EXPENSIVE!!!! So it may be a couple more years, but the time WILL COME for another one!!

That really stinks. If you are like me, I know you probably spent months and months reading up on everything, deciding exactly what you wanted to do and when you wanted to do it, budgeted for it, etc.

And then bam, not one, but two big chunks of your plans go poof!

No matter what the reason, its still disappointing.

We did spend a lot of time checking out different things online, like youtube videos, snorkeling stuff, etc. We REALLY wanted to do the "boat" snorkeling, not just "off the shore" type snorkeling!



Coming up: Golden Mickeys Show & Birthday Dinner at Royal Palace!!!!!!!

 

[mousetravel]

We met back up in the room to get ready for the show & dinner. I told DD about our excursion getting cancelled. I was surprised by her reaction, and thought she would be a little more dissappointed than she seemed to be. After a couple "Ugh" and "Awwwww", she just said.....
"That's OK, We'll just chill."



So for our next Castaway Day, chillin' it will be!!


We get ready and head out for a few pics before the show

 

[KS929]

Hey! I found your TR!

Sadly, I can see your first pictures, only from your last post :\

Is it finished or will there be more posts? I'm definitely subbing!

 

[mousetravel]

Hey! I found your TR!

Sadly, I can see your first pictures, only from your last post :\

Is it finished or will there be more posts? I'm definitely subbing!

there will be lots more to come but that crazy photo bucket does that sometimes if you have a ton of pictures on there. It will reset itself and the pictures will come back but not sure how long it takes. Hopefully not long!

 

[mousetravel]

I noticed that a lot of my pictures have went MIA!!!!!


This same thing happened to another Dis'er recently. Not really sure why, but photobucket blocks your pics sometimes if you have a ton of them on there. You have to wait till it "resets" itself, but it will bring the pictures back up!!

So ya'll please bear with me, and I'll post an update soon as it comes back up.


For anyone that's going on the Dream anytime soon, do you have any questions????????

We can have a Q&A session while we're waiting on the pics!!!!

 

[MommaMouse411]

i'm glad you mentioned the DVC presentation...I was thinking of doing that on the ship...I got the CD but I really still don't feel like I got the jist of it..(Not that I will be buying DVC membership anytime soon, but its one of those BUCKET LIST ITEMS)

 

[Pinkocto]

The dress up pics of both of you are just gorgeous! Frame worthy I think I'm so glad she wasn't more bummed about the cancellation. I hope the chill day was awesome

Did you happen to hear about anyone going on the kayak/walking excusion? I really would like to do that with my Mom on our March trip, but I've only been able to find one review, who did like it.

Thanks again for your awesome review!

 

[SoonerGirl]

I noticed that a lot of my pictures have went MIA!!!!!


This same thing happened to another Dis'er recently. Not really sure why, but photobucket blocks your pics sometimes if you have a ton of them on there. You have to wait till it "resets" itself, but it will bring the pictures back up!!

Photobucket only allows 10 GB of bandwidth free per month. The more views you have of your photos, the more bandwidth is used. It will reset when your current 'month' is over, the month is based on the day when you originally set up your photobucket account. Hope that makes sense! I am about to exceed my bandwidth too and it won't reset until the 11th, so I either have to stop updating until the 11th or go with a pro account until I finish my report. I usually end up going pro when I'm doing a report, you can do it by the month and it's only $3 or $4.

 

[mousetravel]

i'm glad you mentioned the DVC presentation...I was thinking of doing that on the ship...I got the CD but I really still don't feel like I got the jist of it..(Not that I will be buying DVC membership anytime soon, but its one of those BUCKET LIST ITEMS)

I think you should go to it. I felt the same way about not really "getting it". It was very interesting and I feel that they explained it very well. Even though it was only about an hour and there probably is more fine details to comb through, but you get the basic idea of it all. I won't be buying into it anytime soon, either, but hopefully one day I will be able to.

The dress up pics of both of you are just gorgeous! Frame worthy I think I'm so glad she wasn't more bummed about the cancellation. I hope the chill day was awesome

Did you happen to hear about anyone going on the kayak/walking excusion? I really would like to do that with my Mom on our March trip, but I've only been able to find one review, who did like it.

Thanks again for your awesome review!

Thank you! I usually don't like much pics of myself, but since I lost some weight for the trip, I am satisfied with our pictures!!!

I haven't heard anything about that excursion. Since both of our excursions got cancelled, we had thought about renting the bicycles, but it was just too hot. So I think the kayaking part would be fun, but I don't know about that walking part!

Photobucket only
allows 10 GB of bandwidth free per month. The more views you have of your photos, the more bandwidth is used. It will reset when your current 'month' is over, the month is based on the day when you originally set up your photobucket account. Hope that makes sense! I am about to exceed my bandwidth too and it won't reset until the 11th, so I either have to stop updating until the 11th or go with a pro account until I finish my report. I usually end up going pro when I'm doing a report, you can do it by the month and it's only $3 or $4.

Thanks for explaining that better!!! I have seen a discussion about that on another thread, but don't really know how to explain it. I may have to upgrade, as long as I can cancel the upgrade when I'm done with my TR.




Since my pictures won't show up for now, I should tell you about something you may or may not have noticed. You would probably only notice if you've read my other TR's. (and some of those pics are temporarily gone, too)...........


But anyway, I am 33 pounds lighter than I was in my past 2 TR's!!!!

I have sturggled with my weight for about 8 years now. When I started working a desk job and not ever moving around, my weight shot up!! Sitting at a desk, snacking, etc.... I was at my highest weight during the past few years. I had planned on trying to start losing weight when I booked this trip, and because it was DD's 16th birthday, I wanted to actually be happy with our pics (Well, the ones with me in them anyway).

I booked the trip 1 1/2 years in advance. But I still couldn't get the motivation to start doing anything. So when February rolled around, I thought to myself, if I don't start trying, I'll never lose any weight in time for the trip.

I had already started taking cardio kickboxing in November, but I wasn't losing any weight because I would take those classes, but still wouldn't eat better. I loved the classes, but by February, I knew I had to do something more.

So I cancelled my kickboxing classes and signed up to join the YMCA.
A friend told me about Zumba, which the Y offers those classes, too, which is included in your membership (places like the Rec Center for example, charge extra for each class).

From February to June, I went to Zumba at least 5 times a week. I also started changing my eating habits. Not drastically or anything. The weight started coming off pretty fast the first few months, then a little slower. So by June when we were going on the cruise, I had lost 33 pounds!!!!

Now, with all that cruise food, you know I had to splurge! No, but really, at the dinners, I would get baked chicken and baked potato, then for breakfast, lunch, snacks, etc., I ate what I wanted to. So for the total duration of our trip, including the cruise food and WDW food, I only gained 2 pounds!!!!

After the trip, it took me a couple weeks to get back in the groove and back to the Y. But I am back and going 5 days a week. I have lost that 2 pounds, but it seems like I am at a plateau right now. So I guess I've got to kick it up another gear to get the weight coming off some more.

In conclusion, I just wanted to tell anyone that is looking for a fun workout that gets you results, you need to try ZUMBA! I LOVE it!!!

 

[ljcrochet]

That is great that you lost the weight.

When my DH did his live dining report, we would up upgrading to the pro. We did the year since it wasn't that bad. i used his photobucket during that year since he had the pro.

 

[Schmoopsie Poo!]

Hope your pictures come back soon! We're going on a cruise for my sixteenth too, and I'm loving reading your TR!

 

[blueladybug]

Really loving your trip report. Looking forward to reading the rest.

 

[jenseib]

Photobucket only allows 10 GB of bandwidth free per month. The more views you have of your photos, the more bandwidth is used. It will reset when your current 'month' is over, the month is based on the day when you originally set up your photobucket account. Hope that makes sense! I am about to exceed my bandwidth too and it won't reset until the 11th, so I either have to stop updating until the 11th or go with a pro account until I finish my report. I usually end up going pro when I'm doing a report, you can do it by the month and it's only $3 or $4.

I have pro as well. I post sooo many pictures I have to have it, but you can get it really cheap. I do the trial offers to get it for free. This year I did the Vista print trial offer. (I always recommend that one). I got a free mug with an uploaded graphic and shipping for under $8. I gave the mug to my Mom for Mothers day and I have 1 year of free pro now. Last year I did Vista Print as well. I did the postcards. I got them designed to be the invites for my oldest DD's graduation party, something I was going to buy through them anyways, and I think it cost $25. So I got the invites that I had to buy anyways and a free year of pro upgrade.

I did notice you lost weight and you look fantastic. I lost 10 before our cruise (though I had gained more than that over the past year. Sadly, I put the weight back on and get get into the groove to loose it. If I could just loose about 15 or so, I could fit into several more of my outfits, but I am just not doing it. Some one beat me with a stick!!!!!

 

[Pinkocto]

That's awesome about the weight loss! I could definately tell. I read all your other TR's and said to myself while reading this one, she looks fantastic! I didn't say anything, because I myself have a weight problem and I'm pretty sensitive about it, so didn't want to bring attention just in case you were sensitive as well. I hope my meaning is getting through... Keep up the good work I'm trying for my upcoming cruise as well. I've heard good things about Zumba, it looks like you get an intense workout! I like to workout at home, so I do the Firm videos.

The reason I'm interested in the kayak/walking tour is because it says you get to go to a beach nobody else can get to. I just love secretative things, I try to do as much behind the scenes stuff as possible. I have heard from quite a few others, as well as your issues, that they cancel a lot of excusions on Castaway Cay. Here you're looking forward to something for months and then they up and snatch it from under you I love planning, it makes the anticipation that much more exciting.

 

[mousetravel]

That is great that you lost the weight.

When my DH did his live dining report, we would up upgrading to the pro. We did the year since it wasn't that bad. i used his photobucket during that year since he had the pro.

I think I'm gonna have to upgrade. I don't like this, pictures disappearing!

Hope your pictures come back soon! We're going on a cruise for my sixteenth too, and I'm loving reading your TR!

Yay! . I know you're gonna have fun! Thanks for reading my TR!

Really loving your trip report. Looking forward to reading the rest.

Thank you!!

I have pro as well. I post sooo many pictures I have to have it, but you can get it really cheap. I do the trial offers to get it for free. This year I did the Vista print trial offer. (I always recommend that one). I got a free mug with an uploaded graphic and shipping for under $8. I gave the mug to my Mom for Mothers day and I have 1 year of free pro now. Last year I did Vista Print as well. I did the postcards. I got them designed to be the invites for my oldest DD's graduation party, something I was going to buy through them anyways, and I think it cost $25. So I got the invites that I had to buy anyways and a free year of pro upgrade.

I did notice you lost weight and you look fantastic. I lost 10 before our cruise (though I had gained more than that over the past year. Sadly, I put the weight back on and get get into the groove to loose it. If I could just loose about 15 or so, I could fit into several more of my outfits, but I am just not doing it. Some one beat me with a stick!!!!!

I'll have to check into that.

I know what you mean by the weight loss thing. For as long as I had this trip planned, I could not get motivated to get started for a long time!!

That's awesome about the weight loss! I could definately tell. I read all your other TR's and said to myself while reading this one, she looks fantastic! I didn't say anything, because I myself have a weight problem and I'm pretty sensitive about it, so didn't want to bring attention just in case you were sensitive as well. I hope my meaning is getting through... Keep up the good work I'm trying for my upcoming cruise as well. I've heard good things about Zumba, it looks like you get an intense workout! I like to workout at home, so I do the Firm videos.

Thank you! It is a good workout and it's really fun. I don't think I could be motivated to do it at home, and I've made a few new friends there and have even ran into a couple old high school friends. We keep each other going, that's for sure!!

The reason I'm interested in the kayak/walking tour is because it says you get to go to a beach nobody else can get to. I just love secretative things, I try to do as much behind the scenes stuff as possible. I have heard from quite a few others, as well as your issues, that they cancel a lot of excusions on Castaway Cay. Here you're looking forward to something for months and then they up and snatch it from under you I love planning, it makes the anticipation that much more exciting.

Yeah, that was aggravating with both of my excursions getting cancelled .