The MAGIC is Back!!! ~ WBTA 2014 ~ Come & join the fun!

[SapphireMind]

No, I was offering to do it, I just didn't want them to think I was trying to take it over if I did the transfer. I wouldn't expect people to do the data transfer, unless they wanted to.

 

[PFlamingo]

as I said, I'm just providing the tech to be able to do it, not doing any of it myself. (unless someone asks me to help with something)

No, I was offering to do it, I just didn't want them to think I was trying to take it over if I did the transfer. I wouldn't expect people to do the data transfer, unless they wanted to.

Well then, I guess I was a bit confused by your previous comment. If you want to copy and paste all of the page one info elsewhere, I don't see why anyone would object. Keeping it current will be the trick. Honestly, though, I don't really see the point in doing it now, when we're still 15 months or so out and participants, room numbers, etc. are bound to change. I can see doing something like this a couple of months beforehand, when everyone's plans are firm.

As for activities that are already "closed," PM the organizers anyway if you are interested in something. There will be plenty of people dropping out before we sail, so there's a good chance you would get into anything you're interested in.

I don't think anyone here is trying to be difficult. Some of the people who are organizing things have already gotten a lot of grief because they are not organizing their activity the way others think they should. When I did the FE on the 2011 (and understand, I was a total newbie on that cruise), I had people telling me, "do it this way," "do it that way," "I don't like this," when I was single-handedly trying to organize over 100 cabins. It was pretty annoying, as they kept insisting it would be too confusing for them, when what they needed to do was wait til I had the final product ready to present.

Right now, it's being done this way because it's what we're all used to and comfortable with, and we are creatures of habit.

 

[youalleverybody]

A big welcome to all the new folks!!

Sapphire, our boys will be 15 and 13 on the cruise, and our oldest daughter turns 11 on one of the sea days. Glad to hear of some more cruisers their age.

I feel sad about the misunderstandings / miscommunications on the thread. It's difficult, isn't it, when we can't hear one anothers tone of voice and see the non-verbal communication. But I know we are all so excited about the cruise, and everyone means well and has good intentions. I am thankful for everyone who has volunteered in any way.

We all love Mickey, and we are going to have a fantastic time on the Magic!!!

Peace and joy to everyone.

 

[SapphireMind]

Well then, I guess I was a bit confused by your previous comment. If you want to copy and paste all of the page one info elsewhere, I don't see why anyone would object. Keeping it current will be the trick. Honestly, though, I don't really see the point in doing it now, when we're still 15 months or so out and participants, room numbers, etc. are bound to change. I can see doing something like this a couple of months beforehand, when everyone's plans are firm.

As for activities that are already "closed," PM the organizers anyway if you are interested in something. There will be plenty of people dropping out before we sail, so there's a good chance you would get into anything you're interested in.

I don't think anyone here is trying to be difficult. Some of the people who are organizing things have already gotten a lot of grief because they are not organizing their activity the way others think they should. When I did the FE on the 2011 (and understand, I was a total newbie on that cruise), I had many people telling me, "do it this way," "do it that way," "I don't like this," when I was single-handedly trying to organize over 100 cabins. It was pretty annoying, as they kept insisting it would be too confusing for them, when what they needed to do was wait til I had the final product ready to present.

Right now, it's being done this way because it's what we're all used to and comfortable with, and we are creatures of habit.

I was afraid if I copied everything without being asked to do so, someone would think I was "stealing" their posts/information/activities that they had worked on.

All that detail stuff is already on there. As they said, they've been diligently updating those posts.

I'm just frustrated and feel like no matter which way I do it, it will be wrong. I'm sad that it is over a year out and there's already a line between when you signed up. I'm upset with myself because I let it bother me.

It's hard for me to follow (maybe some others too) and if it means I miss out on stuff, so be it. That's my own problem, not theirs.

I apologize for getting frustrated and being snippy.

 

[CDNDisneyMom]

Holy crap. There's a lot here.

I'm Susan, I will be traveling with DH (Sean) DS (Declan, 14 at sailing) and DD (Ciarrai 11, will turn 12 on-board) We're from Ohio, but living in TX right now.

binkytel can vouch for my mad computer skillz, would anyone object to me making a little wiki or separate community type thing to keep track of all this information? I'm totally overwhelmed with everything in the thread and can't even really process it. (and we're still over a year out!)

Welcome,
Our daughters are close to the same age. One will be 13 and the other turns 14 on-board

 

[nannylori]

Claire and all the other organizers of this thread here on the Disboards,

I appreciate everything you've done so far trying to keep all the information organized. It was quite overwhelming when I first found this thread to wade through all the information but once I read through everything I started sending out my PM's requesting space in different events that have already started getting organized. I guess not being in at the beginning of it all in February I can see where some people are feeling like they are going to be shut out of some events. I appreciate all the time & effort the different organizers are putting in trying to keep track of everyone's requests. People need to realize that this is still well over a year away and many more people will join while some for whatever reason will end up not being able to go. I personally dislike having to go to many different places to get the same information. That's part of why I dislike FB so much because I find that so many companies and groups rely too much on the little mostly uninformative news flashes they post to supposedly keep their many fans up to date with the latest news. Call me old fashioned but I prefer coming to these message boards much better than any of the newer methods such as FB, Twitter & whatever Pinterest is. Everyone needs to relax & take a few deep breaths.

Everything above is 100% true and correct.
Starting so far out,the lists are only going to grow, and just let me run one more situation past you......

I'm a retired middle school counselor,retired on disability due to brain damage from Lyme Disease. Not only did I realize professionally,but eventually learned personally,that not everyone processes information the same way. Sometimes, just laying out information in a slightly different format makes it easier to understand. A person with no learning/processing issues won't see a difference in how they receive their info,but someone else might find a different format easier to understand.I deal with this everyday and there's always a level of frustration hanging out there,waiting to take me down.

So I thank EVERYONE willing to donate their time to put ALL this info together.I wouldn't mind having a few formats to choose from,eventually choosing the presentation that will provide me with the information structure that will help me feel the most prepared while reducing my stress level because that feeling of being overwhelmed will be reduced.
Just my 2 cents,as the saying goes....

 

[PFlamingo]

There's no line based on when anyone signed up. Most of us have known each other for a long time. We've been waiting over a year for this cruise to be announced and we jumped on it when it opened up and immediately began planning. It's not that we don't want new people and suggestions. That would be silly, and we were all new at one time or another.

But, we've had to contend with people coming along and saying, essentially, "on *our* cruise, we did it this way and if you're not doing it our way, we don't want to play." So we tend to be a bit touchy when we hear, "this would be better." We tend to think, it's working for us, what's the problem? (Apologies to the group if I'm speaking out of turn here. )

All the activities are listed at the beginning of the thread, so one doesn't need to sort through every post in order to not miss something. Anything new that's suggested will be added there, usually with a lot of fanfare.

All the rest is chat about hotels, airfare, packing, and so on. If you don't want to read through it all, you don't have to. If you have a question that's already been asked and answered, ask it anyway. Someone will either answer it, or point you to a post where it has been answered.

Trust me, if new people weren't welcome in this group, I wouldn't be here, as I was the consummate newbie on the 2011.

 

[PFlamingo]

Not everyone processes information the same way. Sometimes, just laying out information in a slightly different format makes it easier to understand. A person with no learning/processing issues won't see a difference in how they receive their info,but someone else might find a different format easier to understand.I deal with this everyday and there's always a level of frustration hanging out there,waiting to take me down.

You make a good point. Understand, the organizers are already having to keep up with this, the FB page, and for some, the dibb. The implication that there needed to be one more site to maintain was a bit much, since most everyone works at least one job in addition to keeping up with their families and cruise commitments. We also have a long time to go, and many changes will occur, so really, no rush.

For past cruises, we had one person who organized everything we had already done on spreadsheets that we could print on our own if we chose. If I recall correctly, no one objected to that. But she did acknowledge the organizers of each activity. Credit where credit is due, you know?

 

[JessicasMom]

A big welcome to all the new folks!!

Sapphire, our boys will be 15 and 13 on the cruise, and our oldest daughter turns 11 on one of the sea days. Glad to hear of some more cruisers their age.

I feel sad about the misunderstandings / miscommunications on the thread. It's difficult, isn't it, when we can't hear one anothers tone of voice and see the non-verbal communication. But I know we are all so excited about the cruise, and everyone means well and has good intentions. I am thankful for everyone who has volunteered in any way.

We all love Mickey, and we are going to have a fantastic time on the Magic!!!

Peace and joy to everyone.

Everything above is 100% true and correct.
Starting so far out,the lists are only going to grow, and just let me run one more situation past you......

I'm a retired middle school counselor,retired on disability due to brain damage from Lyme Disease. Not only did I realize professionally,but eventually learned personally,that not everyone processes information the same way. Sometimes, just laying out information in a slightly different format makes it easier to understand. A person with no learning/processing issues won't see a difference in how they receive their info,but someone else might find a different format easier to understand.I deal with this everyday and there's always a level of frustration hanging out there,waiting to take me down.

So I thank EVERYONE willing to donate their time to put ALL this info together.I wouldn't mind having a few formats to choose from,eventually choosing the presentation that will provide me with the information structure that will help me feel the most prepared while reducing my stress level because that feeling of being overwhelmed will be reduced.
Just my 2 cents,as the saying goes....

Well said, ladies. I will say that, on all three of our (14-day) DCL cruises, the "vibe" of the group was very different, but everyone worked together to make the trips enjoyable for the group. We've had great websites produced and terrific organizers to set up tastings, FE's, etc, all adding to the fun (but with different levels of enthusiasm and commitment). This group of people is particularly passionate! In the end, it's a vacation, and nobody wants to be stressed when planning a vacation.

I think that anyone who wants to set up anything should be free to go for it , and each of us will choose the pieces of the information pie that help us plan the best cruise for our family. I personally love dedicated trip websites, because all the pertinent info is easy to find (and I am the first to admit that the creators are FAR more tech-savvy than I). I am also indebted to those fabulous few (like Claire!) who are willing and able to give so much time to bring us together and get the party started .

So, to the new additions to our rolls, and to those who have been here since the beginning, trying to make our little family more functional. As long as we all try to respect each other and appreciate everyone's attempts to contribute, we'll get along just fine.

Now, back to complaints about the weather...and I have plenty!!!! In the 80's the past two days, and in the 40's today!!! Pure craziness . We'll be in winter coats at our AAA baseball game tomorrow night!

 

[TotallyAngelic]

Welcome aboard to all the new folks

[

Thanks. It is easy to register. I'm looking forward to having everything in one spot.

From what I can see everything is already in one spot ... on the first page of this thread

I personally find it easier to go to the first page of each of these threads to keep track of what's what rather than having fb, disboards and yet another lo tion for the same information.
The FE. List will be updated on this board, what anyone wants to do with it after that is up to them.

Claire you've done a fantastic job keeping this thread and FB page going even with the hiccups from some along the way
X x x x x x x x

Have to agree Hazel, with a very busy life I find it difficult as it is to keep up with this thread and FB groups etc as it is, having another website to keep up with would be more of a hassle to me and I wouldn't use it. However it may be useful to others and I appreciate that. If people want to set up a website then that's up to them, and it people find it useful then that's great. But if it isn't going to add much to the already extensive information we have on here re. planning, activities and events than why complicate matters ? Keep it simple Just my opinion.

We're all adults. You want to shut me out because of personal pique because I offered to help, that's your choice.

Well, I've had plenty of words put in my mouth about things I supposedly felt or said too. It's all about perception. When someone made an inclination that they thought possibly I was judging the organizers - I apologized if anyone thought I said or implied that. My perception is what I posted.

I don't want your real or perceived power. I didn't want anything but to try and help. I should have known better.

Like I said, let me know if you are ever willing to accept help, or when I've gotten enough experience to be able to offer help.

Kind of sucks. My last group was willing to let anyone help. And I never felt like "lesser" because I didn't book as soon as they did.

From reading through the posts re. this issue, I don't feel that this is a personal attack on you or an attempt to undermine a newbie or a person who booked later than some of the others. It just appears to be a discussion on whether or not it would be helpful to have another website with the same information. It is very difficult to relay an opinion via written message on a forum of this nature without it being misconstrued.

 

[TotallyAngelic]

I think that sometimes people are forgetting that this is supposed to be about a vacation which is supposed to be enjoyable and something to look forward to, and sometimes it appears to me that some people may be taking things way too seriously and jumping to conclusions and taking offence way too easily and that makes being a member of this group sometimes uncomfortable and unpleasant for others especially new cruisers who may be disinclined to post and join in after seeing some of these posts. Just because new ideas may lead to discussion and evoke differences in opinions, it does not suggest that this is in any way personal or because people are new to the group. Lets just try and keep things positive, friendly and welcoming to all.

This cruise is also over a year away, and so many things will change before the departure date arrives, so perhaps people should chill out a bit more, relax and enjoy the ride. Lets try and keep things in perspective. The world is not going to be a better place because we have the same information in fifty different formats.

After many cruises and many DIS groups this is the first time I have started to doubt whether being a part of the DIS group is actually enhancing my cruise planning experience.

 

[Tod&Copper]

I'm doing this on my iPhone, so I'm not quoting as it would be a nightmare. I agree with the last few comments and everyone needs to chill, this is not the spirit of the boards/group, it's about having a great vacation. Sarah's right, I also have a busy work/life schedule and keeping up on the Dis, FB etc is difficult enough without having a third place to go to update events as organiser of the Champagne Girls.

I don't mind what you're doing SapphireMind if that helps some people, but Claire has been so diligent keeping everything up to date and page one has all the info that everyone needs.

I think a PM at least to Claire in the first instance and secondly to the event organisers before starting up your separate wiki website would just have been the courteous thing to do

 

[lyn9856]

I think that sometimes people are forgetting that this is supposed to be about a vacation which is supposed to be enjoyable and something to look forward to, and sometimes it appears to me that people are taking things way too seriously and jumping to conclusions and taking offence way too easily and that makes being a member of this group sometimes uncomfortable and unpleasant for others ( in my opinion )

This cruise is also over a year away, and so many things will change before the departure date arrives, so perhaps people should chill out a bit more, relax and enjoy the ride. Lets try and keep things in perspective. The world is not going to be a better place because we have information in fifty different formats.

After many cruises and many DIS groups this is the first time I have started to doubt whether being a part of the DIS group is actually enhancing my cruise planning experience.

I was thinking much the same Sarah. I can't keep up here, as have other trips to concentrate on before this one. This is so far out, much can change. When I do dip in and out of this thread I do admit to feeling a bit left behind.
Perhaps everyone could go back to simply getting to know each other? Which is after all what these meet threads are all about.

Expressions of interest for all activities is great, but too early to finalise much, whatever the format

Lyn

 

[squitty]

I think that sometimes people are forgetting that this is supposed to be about a vacation which is supposed to be enjoyable and something to look forward to, and sometimes it appears to me that people are taking things way too seriously and jumping to conclusions and taking offence way too easily and that makes being a member of this group sometimes uncomfortable and unpleasant for others ( in my opinion )

This cruise is also over a year away, and so many things will change before the departure date arrives, so perhaps people should chill out a bit more, relax and enjoy the ride. Lets try and keep things in perspective. The world is not going to be a better place because we have information in fifty different formats.

After many cruises and many DIS groups this is the first time I have started to doubt whether being a part of the DIS group is actually enhancing my cruise planning experience.

Well said Sarah.

I'm doing this on my iPhone, so I'm not quoting as it would be a nightmare. I agree with the last few comments and everyone needs to chill, this is not the spirit of the boards/group, it's about having a great vacation. Sarah's right, I also have a busy work/life schedule and keeping up on the Dis, FB etc is difficult enough without having a third place to go to update events as organiser of the Champagne Girls.

I don't mind what you're doing SapphireMind if that helps some people, but Claire has been so diligent keeping everything up to date and page one has all the info that everyone needs.

I think a PM at least to Claire in the first instance and secondly to the event organisers before starting up your separate wiki website would just have been the courteous thing to do

That was my thoughts too Mary.

I was thinking much the same Sarah. I can't keep up here, as have other trips to concentrate on before this one. This is so far out, much can change. When I do dip in and out of this thread I do admit to feeling a bit left behind.
Perhaps everyone could go back to simply getting to know each other? Which is after all what these meet threads are all about.

Expressions of interest for all activities is great, but too early to finalise much, whatever the format

Lyn

Same here Lyn

 

[JustAnnieNotHazel]

There's no line based on when anyone signed up. Most of us have known each other for a long time. We've been waiting over a year for this cruise to be announced and we jumped on it when it opened up and immediately began planning. It's not that we don't want new people and suggestions. That would be silly, and we were all new at one time or another.

But, we've had to contend with people coming along and saying, essentially, "on *our* cruise, we did it this way and if you're not doing it our way, we don't want to play." So we tend to be a bit touchy when we hear, "this would be better." We tend to think, it's working for us, what's the problem? (Apologies to the group if I'm speaking out of turn here. )

All the activities are listed at the beginning of the thread, so one doesn't need to sort through every post in order to not miss something. Anything new that's suggested will be added there, usually with a lot of fanfare.

All the rest is chat about hotels, airfare, packing, and so on. If you don't want to read through it all, you don't have to. If you have a question that's already been asked and answered, ask it anyway. Someone will either answer it, or point you to a post where it has been answered.

Trust me, if new people weren't welcome in this group, I wouldn't be here, as I was the consummate newbie on the 2011.

As many of you know we Did the wbta in 2011. It was our first ever cruise.
Some of these Fab people had had the thread going for almost two years, but we signed up a mere two and a half months before the cruise and not once Did I complain about being an outsider and it not being fair that activities had already been organised.
We simply introduced ourselves,took a wealth of useful information, pm'd the people that were organizing activities that interested us and spent that time getting to know lots of people that helped us to have one of our best holidays ever.

So people please just chill out, let the next 16 months pass smoothly and if you spend less time thinking that you arrived being made an outsider, you May find that you slot in a hell of slot quicker.

 

[liesbeth1012]

I'm doing this on my iPhone, so I'm not quoting as it would be a nightmare. I agree with the last few comments and everyone needs to chill, this is not the spirit of the boards/group, it's about having a great vacation. Sarah's right, I also have a busy work/life schedule and keeping up on the Dis, FB etc is difficult enough without having a third place to go to update events as organiser of the Champagne Girls.

I don't mind what you're doing SapphireMind if that helps some people, but Claire has been so diligent keeping everything up to date and page one has all the info that everyone needs.

I think a PM at least to Claire in the first instance and secondly to the event organisers before starting up your separate wiki website would just have been the courteous thing to do

I totally agree with you. That what I thougt when I read all the stuff about this.

As many of you know we Did the wbta in 2011. It was our first ever cruise.
Some of these Fab people had had the thread going for almost two years, but we signed up a mere two and a half months before the cruise and not once Did I complain about being an outsider and it not being fair that activities had already been organised.
We simply introduced ourselves,took a wealth of useful information, pm'd the people that were organizing activities that interested us and spent that time getting to know lots of people that helped us to have one of our best holidays ever.

So people please just chill out, let the next 16 months pass smoothly and if you spend less time thinking that you arrived being made an outsider, you May find that you slot in a hell of slot quicker.

That was the same for us. I was so pleased to find the Disboard for our first cruise ever the WBTA 2011. So many things organized and I think we came in at the 4th tread?
By that time each organizer has his own post on the first pages and we can found everything there.
For the rest we chat here and on FB and had a lot of fun.
We were waiting for more then a year on a next WBTA and had a treat and FB for that, so when the WBTA came to book everyone knew and booked the first day.
But we are pleased to welcome every new booker to this cruise. The more people the more fun. We exclude nobody.

Thanks for what you have done to date Michelle.

I cant say I blame you for not wanting to organise an event, I am beginning to feel that all the time I have spent getting all the information together in one place on the 1st page, along with updates every few days and all the votes & polls to keep everything fair has been a waste of my time.

Claire you did and do a great job. Everything update on the first pages, so we can found everything. And all the polls to make all the decisions fair.
And when the first treat is full, every organizer get its own post and it would be easier for you.

And then when the cruise is nearer I liked to have a spreadsheet or something like that with all the information, like what Noel made. I downloaded it as PDF on my iPad and had all with me on board. So if you want to make that SapphireMind then everyone will pleased with that.

 

[hazelandannie]

 

[hazelandannie]

 

[PFlamingo]

I also have a busy work/life schedule and keeping up on the Dis, FB etc is difficult enough without having a third place to go to update events as organiser of the Champagne Girls.

I don't mind what you're doing SapphireMind if that helps some people, but Claire has been so diligent keeping everything up to date and page one has all the info that everyone needs.

I think a PM at least to Claire in the first instance and secondly to the event organisers before starting up your separate wiki website would just have been the courteous thing to do

Excellent points, Mary.

Expressions of interest for all activities is great, but too early to finalise much, whatever the format

Yes, and things will change so much between now and then.

That was the same for us. I was so pleased to find the Disboard for our first cruise ever the WBTA 2011. So many things organized and I think we came in at the 4th tread?
By that time each organizer has his own post on the first pages and we can found everything there.

Yes! And I think we should do that again when we get to the next thread. The organizers are already updating their info and sending it to Claire, so having each organizer do that on their own post would take a lot off Claire. I think that made it easier to read, too, as each activity had its own post.

For the rest we chat here and on FB and had a lot of fun. We were waiting for more then a year on a next WBTA and had a treat and FB for that, so when the WBTA came to book everyone knew and booked the first day.
But we are pleased to welcome every new booker to this cruise. The more people the more fun. We exclude nobody.

In spite of what some would like to believe and have others believe. People have to understand, no one minds suggestions. But to say something someone has worked hard on is confusing or not to your liking is, well, rude. It's like, if you join a sports team that has already organized, you can't come in and say they need to do everything differently. You may politely make suggestions, but don't be insulted if they don't want to do it your way.

Claire you did and do a great job. Everything update on the first pages, so we can found everything. And all the polls to make all the decisions fair.
And when the first treat is full, every organizer get its own post and it would be easier for you.

And then when the cruise is nearer I liked to have a spreadsheet or something like that with all the information, like what Noel made. I downloaded it as PDF on my iPad and had all with me on board. So if you want to make that SapphireMind then everyone will pleased with that.

Yes, indeed. Claire is awesome and I'd've given up on coordinating all that long ago.

Spreadsheets will be very helpful, if someone wants to do them, when we're ready to go. Until then, everything is just a rough draft, so lets all just relax and chat.



I really miss all the stuff we used to post on the 2011 threads - all the day-to-day, here's what's going on with me, etc. That's how I got to know everyone and feel comfortable. No one cared that it was "off topic" and not related to the cruise. I know we do that on our FB pages, but we don't get the new people in on that. Once I learned Claire and Mary had dogs who were like their children, I knew I'd found some friends. Maybe we could do a bit more of that. Not so much the "here's who we are," as I find that hard to process, but like I said, more "I had this happen today."

Speaking of which, Claire, how are your babies doing? Anything new, healthwise?

 

[SapphireMind]

Like I said before, perception is everything. I have repeatedly apologized if my words have been perceived differently from my meaning.

But it seems from some of the defensiveness that maybe I haven't been the only one to feel that way, and obviously while it may not be your intention, it could be that it is being perceived that way. I'm sure everything was very democratic when things started (and would continue to be in the future) but it seemed like there had been a bit decided already and you would think coming on so far ahead of time, that would be pretty much be wide open. (Heck that everything would be wide open) do people who come in then feel like it was all decided and done before they even had a chance to join. Again, I am just talking about how it can be perceived.

It does seem like there is a group of friends who have some things they definitely want to do together (which is great) but maybe those activities could be more closed planning between your group/not promoted as open events to then rest, and then other events that are truly open, people could express interest, with the actual "assignment" of people to the activities much closer to the actual sail time. (I was thinking like the brunches and the champagne girls thing-if you have a group that is doing it then opening up to extras, you could list the core group, and then take names of others who want to participate and then divvy it out later so people don't feel shut out.)

Again, while I am sure the intention isn't to be clique-y or exclusionary, maybe that is way to try and help the perception and make it more open.

And if people won't complain that I've "stolen" their work from the front page, I am happy to copy it all, with credit given.