The Disney Grump is taking me on a DREAM vacation! TR Link, pg 30

[karajeboo]

OK, just got caught up and I vote for the Aquarium in Atlanta. It is incredible!!!! World of Coke is just "eh."

And we were told that Palo (and probably Remy) hold back 40% of their reservations to be booked after boarding. So you can probably get your brunch!!!!

 

[SoonerGirl]

Michelle, the cruise plans sound terrific. I'm so happy you were able to get the Dolphin event with your DIS friends and your special dinner at Palo.

I will be really eager for your review of the cruise because Mark and I want to do it in 2013 for our 30th wedding anniversary (and his 60th birthday).

Two dates very worthy of celebration!! Our 20th anniversary is this August, it's amazing how quickly the time passes isn't it, I can't believe it's been 20 years already!

Yay on booking your cruise excursions and dining reservations!

Nassau Island looks amazing!

Am glad you managed to get a spot at the adults only dinner - good luck with getting the brunch reservation

Doesn't Blue Lagoon Island look just beautiful? Everytime I think I might regret not going to Atlantis I look at those pictures and that regret melts away!

I'm very excited to see and read about all the yummy things you get to eat at places like Palo. Other than that extra $20, everything on the cruise is included, right?

Most everything is included. Obviously you have to pay extra for excursions, but your meals are all covered, even room service is included! You also have to pay for alcohol, and some speciality coffees and smoothies. And there is a charge for snacks at the movie theater. I think your 'extra' expenses can be kept pretty minimal if you want them to.

Wow! Everything is shaping up so nicely for your cruise. I am so happy you got your dinner at Palo and your Dolphin excursion at the same time as Wigd and Shocker. That's great. I'm sure you'll get your brunch too. I can't wait to hear all about your cruise. It's going to be great!

I'm excited about our excursion with Marc & Anita, it's going to be so much fun!

Thanks for that info, and YES, do have your friend report back! I did online checkin, we are in the second slot again (the 11am time) so I am going to follow our same plan... knowing that we will likely get the same boarding time, b/c we didn't get a "late" slot. This all seems to complicated Just get in line already!!!!

Well that is good to know about the Dolphin encounter. Perhaps that will be something we can do in November!

My friend is back, but still trying to get back into a normal routine. She did tell me that she did NOT do online check in, arrived at the port before opening and received boarding group 5. I'll get more details soon!

I agree, they are making it way too complicated!!

I'll be sure and bring back a full report for you on the Dolphin Encounter so you can decide if it's something the boys would like

Awww Michelle...I'm stinking page 9 LATE!

Love your plans so far and I'm so glad that you're finally getting on the Disney cruise that you've talked about.
And I hope that your family in Japan are still doing okay.

The boys are growing up!

Looking forward to more.

Hi Sharon! Don't worry about being a little late, I've been struggling to keep up on the DIS myself! I need to check your siggy and see if you've got anything going on....

Whooo hooo Michelle! So glad everything is slipping into place. And I keep hearing luck along the lines of what you mention in getting Palo brunch reservations, so hopefully luck will be on your side there as well!

I actually didn't know that Disney gives repeat cruisers 1st booking opportunities. Of course I have heard about the many other perks and benefits they receive. Too bad the parks and resorts didn't do the same thing!!!

I am getting excited right along with you! 2 months??!!! Wow!!!

I really want to try Palo brunch, it looks amazing! Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Oh my, could you imagine how complicated the ADR system would get if they staggered when you could make them based upon how many times you've visited?!

Less than 2 months now!!

 

[SoonerGirl]

Boy, do I know that scene well! I ran the concession stands for football, basketball, and soccer for about ten years at the kids' school. Thank heavens the baseball team did their own thing. I did the buying, stocking, getting people to work, and overseeing it all. It was much fun to get to see everyone and talk with them as they served their turns, but it was also a lot of work and involved a lot of time. It's fun to help our kids' teams like this and build relationships with other parents along the way.

That will be a lot of fun!

I think the hardest part of concession stand duty is finding people to work! No one wants to step up and help, it's the same people over and over again I have met parents and players that I otherwise wouldn't have gotten to know through it though and that has been great!

Can't wait to cruise with the Wigdout gang!

Hurray for booking your reservations!!!

The dolphin encounter sounds like a lot of fun!!! Can't wait to see your pictures from that!

Hanging out with Anita, Marc, and Baylor will be a blast! You are going to have such a good time with them!

Doesn't the dolphin encounter sound great? I just sent Don an email with a link to a waterproof camera that I want for my birthday so that I'll be able to take lots of pics of this encounter and our day at Castaway Cay! I did hear him cough out the price of it from across the room when he opened the link though........

Hello. I'm finally back, I've found your PTR! and I've always started my PTR for May today.. I'm on top of it today!

Here is the link you would like to follow along. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=40489079#post40489079

Hi Jen! It's good to see you back and posting. I subscribed to your PTR the other day, I need to get over there and catch up though

Well I am all caught up! Your reports are always so interesting to read and exciting. I feel your pain about the whole DH wanted to take another vacation. See I could take a Disney vaca once a year or even more if our schedules would allow.. and although DH likes WDW a lot.. he just wants to do other things, he doesn't LOVE it. So I told him for our next vaca we could go and do whatever he wanted.. but I wanted to go to Disney to celebrate my graduation!

Your family pictures are cute! That looks like a nice campus. And your road trip/ journey sounds like a lot of fun. I always love driving or any type of road trip because I feel like the vaca starts then and like you said, you can make many stops!

The cruise and excursions look amazing. My parents went on a cruise in 2009- not disney- but they had a lot of the same excursions and things and they loved it. I'm thinking Don will like the laid back feel of the cruise. My parents thought it was amazing to come and go as you please, so much to do, delicious food at your fingertips anytime you wanted it.
I look forward to hearing and seeing more!

I bet Austin will grow to love Disney more when you guys have little ones, there is nothing like seeing the joy of Disney on your child's face

Thanks for the compliment on the family pics. I was kicking myself that we didn't go down to the campus a couple of weeks earlier, the entire south oval is full of beautiful mums every fall, but we had just had a freeze the week before we went and they were all dead. We still got some nice photos though.

Glad to hear your parents enjoyed their cruise. I'm a little worried about all the food, I hope I don't come back another 20 pounds overweight

I found your TR through KristMC (she and I were on the same cruise last week!) and just reading your intro, I think we were separated at birth! Or at least our husbands were!!!!

AFter living in Florida for 3 years and seeing the mouse every 6-8 weeks, when we got transferred back to SC and got ready to plan a big vacation, my DH also said, NO DISNEY! So I said, "how about a Disney Cruise?" And he said YES!!!!

And let me just tell you, he is SOLD on DCL now waaaaaaay more than WDW! So there is hope for you, too!

Hi there! Thanks for joining in!!

Ooooo, I love what your telling me about your DH becoming a Disney cruise lover, maybe that will be Don's downfall!

I think I saw a link in your siggy from your cruise, I'll head over there today and check it out

OK, just got caught up and I vote for the Aquarium in Atlanta. It is incredible!!!! World of Coke is just "eh."

And we were told that Palo (and probably Remy) hold back 40% of their reservations to be booked after boarding. So you can probably get your brunch!!!!

I really do think we would probably enjoy the Aquarium more, but I am worried about not having enough time to really check it out, kwim? We'll see, I'm still torn.

I've heard that about Palo holding back reservations so I'm very hopeful about getting my brunch!

 

[SoonerGirl]

It feels like it's been forever since I've updated here, so sorry for that!

First things first, we made our 60 day countdown chain last week and have started removing the links. I think it turned out really cute, take a look

And a few that we've already removed so that you can see how adorable these links are

I found the link designs on the DISigns board. I forgot to jot down who I downloaded them from though so I can't give the proper credit to the designer. All I can say is, there are some VERY talented people on that board, so much cute and creative stuff! Anyway, on the back of each chain link I put a piece information about the Dream. Each night we take off a link and read the fact on the back, this is helping the rest of the family learn more about the cruise since they aren't nearly as into research as I am.

OK, back to pre-cruise plans.....

This is our one full day in Orlando, I'm thinking the plans for this day (and the day before) may change somewhat based on some news that was recently revealed on another PTR, but more on that later.

This day is going to be all about relaxing. We will get up when we wake up, grab a quick breakfast at Mara, then spend the day exploring AKL. I'm sure we'll spend plenty of time at the pool

Maybe we'll go on a hidden Mickey hunt (there's one in this photo of Mom from May, can you find it?).

Does anyone know if they have a list of them anywhere that we can pick up?

Since I love to take pictures I'm sure I will go on a photo tour of the resort. Here are just a few of the photos I took on my visit to the lodge last May.

It's such a beautiful resort with so much to look at, I can't wait to capture it all!

I know they offer different activities for kids throughout the day. We'll be sure and check out this board to see what there is to do

I also must take some time to shop, I LOVE the gift shop at AKL, lots of unique items in there!

And I can guarantee you that at some point during the day these will be consumed

YUM!!

For dinner tonight we are venturing over to the dark side and driving to Universal's City Walk. I've never left Disney property before when we've been in Orlando, but I figured that since we will have a car we'll take advantage of it and leave to go eat at one of my favorite restaurants

I've loved Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. since the first time I ate at one in 1998 during a trip to Maui. Since then I've eaten at the one in Honolulu a few times, and at the ones in New Orleans and San Francisco. It seems a shame that I've never been to the one in Orlando as often as we've travelled there, so it's time to mark that one off the list!

Now, as I stated earlier, the plans for these two days in Orlando may change somewhat. Those of you who are also reading Jackie's PTR know that they have had to cancel their trip to Disney this year. This means that there is really no reason for us head directly to DTD on our arrival day. We may switch things up a bit and just relax by the pool that afternoon and then go to DTD when it opens the next morning. I enjoy DTD right after opening more anyway because of the lack of crowds, so I'm thinking this may be the option we go for. I'm so bummed that Jackie and I won't have a chance to drink that margarita together, someday our paths will cross though!

 

[jeremysdisneymom]

The first day looks great! I love your pictures of AKL. You have got me sooo excited for our summer trip.

Love the countdown calendar! I need to do something like that for Jeremy for this trip. I have never done a calendar but the chain looks too fun. I will have to check that board out.

Ooooo, Bubba Gump! Yum! Love that place.

I vote for DTD in the morning. So much nicer with less people!

Can't wait to read more of your plans!

 

[MEK]

You are going to love AKL (but I probably told you that already). I think its one of the best resorts for just chillin'. There is so much to see and do. You dinner plan sounds great. I might have to try the same thing when Denny and I go in December. It might be good to go over to the dark side for a visit.

 

[manntra]

How pathetic am I that I just looked at the Bubba Shrimp website to look at the menu?!! Yummmmmmmmm! The garlic shrimp sounds fabulous and the clams/mussels or the cocktail. Yeah...I could eat a lot there!
Your family will love staying at AKL. Besides the kids activities there are pool games such as Bingo, etc. I absolutely adore AKL and hope that you will also. Your kids can also take the short walk over to Kidani and check out their pool as well. The slide is more fun and then there is the water play area too. The pool itself is much smaller but it also makes it a quieter and more relaxing environment. I am picturing lying on one of the lounge chairs staring up at the beautiful, cloudless, blue sky.

Don't forget that zebra domes are delicious for breakfast

Tracy

 

[RachelNinja]

Do you have Hidden Mickeys book? I bought it for Matt before our last trip. He loved it! It's done in a way where they give you a hint in terms of where to look, but then they give more details about the location in the "answers." Haha, we mainly used the answers. They set it up so that you can get points for each one you find. We just get it for the list.

I'm even more excited than before to read your TR because I just saw today on DIS that New York is one of the Disney Cruise Line homeports! So that means I could totally plan a Disney cruise from here, which would be easier to some degree!

 

[Happydog]

Your kids can also take the short walk over to Kidani and check out their pool as well. The slide is more fun and then there is the water play area too. The pool itself is much smaller but it also makes it a quieter and more relaxing environment. I am picturing lying on one of the lounge chairs staring up at the beautiful, cloudless, blue sky.

Tracy

Tracy I agree with this suggestion, the Kidani pool area is nice! Michelle, you guys might like checking it out...

Great update! Loved the chain, tooooo tooo cute! Great way to share the Disney Dream trivial! Have you heard about the new cruises? Maybe Galveston TX is closer than Port Canaveral.... JUST sayin' Maybe a rebook will be in order... if Don and your family like cruising... and the drive to get to another Disney cruise is only 1/2 the time I suspect! It looks like a great itinerary!!!!

 

[wdwgirl03]

The countdown chain did turn out super cute! Nice job!

I know where the hidden Mickey is. Gotta love AKL.

 

[wigdoutdismom]

We're going to take a little break here from the pre-cruise plans because I'm very excited to report that we have finally been able to book excursions and specialty dining reservations for the cruise! Being first time cruisers we are the last group with access to reservations and I was very nervous that we wouldn't get what we wanted. The day that I was able to make them was Sunday the 20th, and I'll admit it, I was logged on at 11pm my time on the 19th, which was 12am ET on the 20th, to make sure I had the best chance of getting what I wanted.

The biggest thing on our wish list was the Blue Lagoon Dolphin Encounter in Nassau. The island looks beautiful

And I'd love to meet these guys or some of their friends

Not only did we want this excursion, we wanted a specific time, you see we have friends that we are cruising with. Anita & Marc, known around these parts as Wigd & Shocker, and their son Baylor are also on this cruise.

Since they have cruised before they were able to book their excursion a few weeks before I was. I'm happy to report that I was able to secure a spot with the time I wanted, so we'll be able to experience this with our DIS friends - yippee!! We have also put in a request to be tablemates at dinner and I was able to clearly see that our ressies are linked so we should be dining with them as well.

Speaking of dining, that brings us to the next item on the list, Palo reservations

For those of you unfamiliar with Palo, it is an adults only restaurant on board all 3 of the Disney cruise ships. There is a $20 per person surcharge to eat here on the Dream. I was hoping to get one dinner and one brunch. There were no spots available for brunch. However, I did manage to snag a dinner reservation for Don & I for the 3rd night of the cruise. I chose the 3rd night for a reason, I want to be able to experience all three of the restaurants in the regular dining rotation, and being as we are on a 4 night cruise we will have one night that is a repeat. According to my TA, the night you have a repeat is typically pirate night which is currently occurring on day 3 of the 4 day cruises. Now it may shock some of you that we are skipping pirate night, but honestly, none of my 3 boys are into it at all. Since they didn't care about it, I decided that was the perfect night for Don & I have our date at Palo. Plus we should finish with our meal in time to see the fireworks which is really all I care about seeing on pirate night anyway.

After reading Happydog's TR about her recent experience on the Dream, I am definitely not going to give up on the brunch reservation. She had no problem booking several ressies at Palo once she arrived on board. I'm just going to use her strategy and go straight there after boarding to try and get a second reservation.

As of right now we don't have any excursions booked for Castaway Cay. We're kicking around the idea of the stingray encounter, but haven't decided for sure yet.

Neither Don or I have much interest in the spa, so nothing to book there. Which lead me to the final thing on my to-do list, completing online check in so that I could select as early a port arrival time as possible. It seems as though your boarding number is now assigned based upon when you complete your online check in and what arrival time you select. They also only allow a certain number of people to sign up in any given arrival time slot and needless to say the early slots fill up fast! Not sure how they work this since I'm certain not everyone checks in online, but this is what I've been reading. Anyway, it was really pretty quick and painless to do the online check in, my TA had already entered the vast majority of my information so it didn't take me long at all. I got an arrival time of 11:00-11:30, which should work out well, we shouldn't feel rushed at all getting to port that morning.

I'm super excited to have gotten this done this week, the cruise feels totally real now, just a little over 2 months to go!!! I can't wait to see this beautiful vessel in person!

Can I say that this post has me super excited???

I think I must have been about six pages behind...
I am all caught up now.
So do you think you will be up for shopping after the dolphins? My daughter just got back from Nassau and got some great stuff at the "Straw Market". I've been taking orders for watches at work!

We just need to plan a time to meet up before the cruise. Maybe you all would like to come over and hang out at our pool? I just need to check our ADRs...

 

[Charleston Princess]

Doesn't the dolphin encounter sound great? I just sent Don an email with a link to a waterproof camera that I want for my birthday so that I'll be able to take lots of pics of this encounter and our day at Castaway Cay! I did hear him cough out the price of it from across the room when he opened the link though........

Just make sure you point out to Don how much it would cost to replace your other camera if it got damaged by water.

This is adorable!!! Makes me want to take a cruise even more (if that is possible)!!!

This is a gorgeous photo!!!

Ah, my sweet pretties!!! How I love thee!

I'm so bummed that Jackie and I won't have a chance to drink that margarita together, someday our paths will cross though!

I am so bummed, too.

 

[disneyfan61]

I love your countdown links. So cute!!! Wow I guess they do have some great designs on that thread.

Your plans sound great. AKL is such a beautiful resort. Zebra Domes-YUM!!

I think your plan to head to DTD in the am is a great idea. Very low crowds in the morning.

I debated on where to eat at Citywalk on this trip & Bubba Gumps was in the running but we decided on Margaritaville. We have not been to any of them so we are anxious to try it out.

 

[stace208]

That sounds like a wonderful beginning to the Disney part of your trip! I need to practice relaxing at the resort more. I'll love reading about your AKL experience as John switched our ressie for our short Oct. trip to there. We're pretty excited to stay somewhere new!

Off to school I go. We still have all of next week to get through before spring break. I'm so tired now, by next Friday I will be like a roast...stick a fork in me, I'm done!

Have a great day and upcoming weekend!

 

[karajeboo]

You picked a perfect resort to relax.... there is just SOOO much to see and do at AKL without ever setting foot in a park. And to me DTD is the 5th park. I love it too!!! But save some money for all the great DCL merchandise on the ship!

I got my Olympus point and shoot underwater camera at Office Max - check them out from time to time - they have a table up front with drastically reduced merchandise on it. I think the camera was originally about $300 and it was 50% off with another 25% off, so I got it for just over $100 and it's perfect! Waterproof and drop proof (so I can let Ally use it and not worry when it bounces on the sidewalk...... which is has done on several ocassions.....

 

[MeMom]

All the pictures are great!!!

Can I make a request for a phone picture while you are walking around AKL? I love that place. It can be of feathered creatures or furry ones or of the pool or lobby or whatever...I don't care. I will just jump right into that picture from here at school and be so happy!

 

[999ghostslover]

Plans look so good. I have NEVER eaten at a Bubba Gump Shrimp. I have wanted to in Charleston but our local family says that would be blasphemy because the only good seafood bust be consumed at a place called the Wreck or Billy Bob's cooler of shrimp on a dock where you have to know a guy just to get on the dock. Anyway, one day I will eat at one!

 

[TanzUnited99]

Love your countdown chain - it looks awesome! Yay on these boards having some very creative disigners

Love the relaxing day - I tried looking for the hidden mickey but couldn't find it

Those are great pics of AKL - enjoy the shopping and Zebra Domes!

 

[karajeboo]

Plans look so good. I have NEVER eaten at a Bubba Gump Shrimp. I have wanted to in Charleston but our local family says that would be blasphemy because the only good seafood bust be consumed at a place called the Wreck or Billy Bob's cooler of shrimp on a dock where you have to know a guy just to get on the dock. Anyway, one day I will eat at one!

We ate at that Bubba Gump in Charleston!!!! It was okay, but you are right about needing to eat at a fresh seafood place in Charleston.

 

[SoonerGirl]

The first day looks great! I love your pictures of AKL. You have got me sooo excited for our summer trip.

Love the countdown calendar! I need to do something like that for Jeremy for this trip. I have never done a calendar but the chain looks too fun. I will have to check that board out.

Ooooo, Bubba Gump! Yum! Love that place.

I vote for DTD in the morning. So much nicer with less people!

Can't wait to read more of your plans!

The countdown chain is fun, at least it is for me and Jared, the other two members of this household just humor me and play along I'll do a 30 day calendar too, but more on that later...

I really think that DTD will be better in the morning, fewer people and it will be cooler!

You are going to love AKL (but I probably told you that already). I think its one of the best resorts for just chillin'. There is so much to see and do. You dinner plan sounds great. I might have to try the same thing when Denny and I go in December. It might be good to go over to the dark side for a visit.

I'm honestly afraid to take the boys to the Universal parks, they both LOVE thrill rides so I'm afraid they'll start wanting to vacation there I'm hoping that just going to City Walk won't be enough to sway them

How pathetic am I that I just looked at the Bubba Shrimp website to look at the menu?!! Yummmmmmmmm! The garlic shrimp sounds fabulous and the clams/mussels or the cocktail. Yeah...I could eat a lot there!
Your family will love staying at AKL. Besides the kids activities there are pool games such as Bingo, etc. I absolutely adore AKL and hope that you will also. Your kids can also take the short walk over to Kidani and check out their pool as well. The slide is more fun and then there is the water play area too. The pool itself is much smaller but it also makes it a quieter and more relaxing environment. I am picturing lying on one of the lounge chairs staring up at the beautiful, cloudless, blue sky.

Don't forget that zebra domes are delicious for breakfast

Tracy

Not pathetic at all, just curious I haven't eaten a bad meal there yet, and it's such a fun place to go, especially if you are a fan of the Forest Gump movie!

Is there a bar next to the Kidani pool?????

Do you have Hidden Mickeys book? I bought it for Matt before our last trip. He loved it! It's done in a way where they give you a hint in terms of where to look, but then they give more details about the location in the "answers." Haha, we mainly used the answers. They set it up so that you can get points for each one you find. We just get it for the list.

I'm even more excited than before to read your TR because I just saw today on DIS that New York is one of the Disney Cruise Line homeports! So that means I could totally plan a Disney cruise from here, which would be easier to some degree!

I used to have the DL Hidden Mickey book, I bought it before we went and then we never once pulled it out of the backpack so I gave it away to another DISer. Does the WDW one include the resorts?

I heard about the new homeports for DCL, I'm excited about Galveston, TX!

Tracy I agree with this suggestion, the Kidani pool area is nice! Michelle, you guys might like checking it out...

Great update! Loved the chain, tooooo tooo cute! Great way to share the Disney Dream trivial! Have you heard about the new cruises? Maybe Galveston TX is closer than Port Canaveral.... JUST sayin' Maybe a rebook will be in order... if Don and your family like cruising... and the drive to get to another Disney cruise is only 1/2 the time I suspect! It looks like a great itinerary!!!!

I think I need a week at AKL instead of just a couple days...just sayin'

I did hear about the new cruises! We can get to Galveston in about 7 1/2 hours, so almost a third of the time! I mentioned this piece of news to Don, his response, 'so' *sigh* I have my work cut out for me don't I??

The countdown chain did turn out super cute! Nice job!

I know where the hidden Mickey is. Gotta love AKL.

I think you were the one that originally pointed that hidden Mickey out to me!