What Happens on a Disney Cruise, Stays on a Disney Cruise? Right? Complete! 4/3/07!

[LovableGluttons]

Actually, I've never eaten there since my Dad owns a pizza shop so I get it for free (I'm not that big of a fan anyways) but I drive past Mystic Pizza all the time. My fav restaurant is right near it.

pierresgirl That's cool! I bet it is just gorgeous in the summer!

 

[LovableGluttons]

Whew that is good to know. I guess I can do a few tricks if they are willing to shove shrimp down my gullet

I already decided that we will rebook (whether my DH want to or not )another cruise when we are aboard. Id love to do the Med cruise or the transalantic, maybe a repo. Oh so many choices. I wonder if they need nurses

CDolacki2003 Pppssstt! Just remember...when you rebook...I heard the October 25, 2008 Double Dip cruise is going to be a good one!


LOL

 

[LovableGluttons]

Karen,
Sounds like a plan to me!! If I can ditch the DH and kids.....
Beth

BethRudy But them an arcade card for QuarterMasters.

They'll leave you alone for hours!

 

[LovableGluttons]

Hey ...I think a cruise with you would be a real party!
DH is always looking for your next chapter.... he told me that he was reading your last one and was very sad that you were having your last breakfast!
He doesn't think he'll be able to find anyone else's story this funny to read!
Maybe....who knows....just maybe we'll be booking our next cruise when we get on this one....october 2008 sounds good to me!
Beth

BethRudy Ooops! I forgot your husband reads this too!


and I posted the QuarterMasters thing.


Yikes!

 

[LovableGluttons]

Whiter Shade of Pale? One of 16 Vestal Virgins...

I'll take music for 200, please

Sean

PaDisneyCouple That's right!

Whitesnake also used the term in a song they recorded in 1978 called Lie Down A Modern Love Song (at least I think that was the title)

But I like Whiter Shade of Pale better!

 

[LovableGluttons]

Gosh, I hope I got the music question right.

Having flashbacks to the last day of our cruise. We'd already decided we'd be doing it again. Actually, DW announced on the first full day that, "next time, we'll do.....". But we'd neglected to rebook while onboard.

We ate at BBB, and didn't feel rushed, as some report. But there was a sadness.

sean

PaDisneyCouple I think we'll eat at BBB for our last supper, errr breakfast next time. I'm sure there's more selection and I didn't like being so rushed.

I can't wait for those two days at Castaway Cay! Those alone make it worth booking!

I'm so tempted to try to find a way to do one of those this Fall.


It's getting the Chief to go along.

 

[LovableGluttons]

I just found your report today, and I am glad I did!! Very enjoyable! I can't wait to hear about the WDW portion of the trip!!!

Kimberly815 Thanks for reading! It really encourages me to keep it going when I get such terrific feedback!

I'll start the WDW portion tonight!

 

[LovableGluttons]

So the cruise is over.

We're supposed to buck up for the kids' and move on to other things, right?

Most of the hour long trip to Orlando from Port Canaveral was in silence. While we didn't sleep much on board from all the excitement and activity, we were now too depressed to sleep.Too depressed to speak.

We find our way to Shades of Green and arrive at about 1030 am. Our room isn't ready, so we ask to check our luggage with someone until it is.

The desk clerk informs us that our luggage would be delivered to our room after check in, that we should call Bell Services. Then she whispers loudly "but they'll expect a tip for that, ok".

Yeah lady, we were born under a rock and didn't know about tipping.

I whipped off my glove and promptly female puppy slapped her across her face.

Or did I?


You wish!

But I did want to!

Then she pulls out a map of the complex and circles our room.

I had reserved a ground floor room with a pool view. Paid extra for it too! Didn't get a refund of the difference, was told they were "full".

You know, like that phrase"you get what you get and don't throw a fit".
What did I receive? A room on the third floor all the way at the back of the complex. Living large are the Gluttons. I mentioned that looked awfully far away for what I paid for and was greeted with silence. No explanation, just a remark that Shades of Green was full. Hhhmmm Didn't get a refund of the difference, was told they were "full".

You know, like that phrase "you get what you get and don't throw a fit". It's like that.

I felt obligated to stay at Shades of Green. Pressured since that was put there for the military and their families. You know, like that delightful outpatient center over at Walter Reed?

28. What may be a bargain to one person, might be a rip off to someone else. For the Gluttons? Shades of Green was no bargain. We could have stayed at a Disney value resort for less money and enjoyed skipping the Shady Shuttle and the SOG standard of acceptable resort condition and customer service. Shades of Green rates are based on rank, so lower ranks may not be able to beat the Shades of Green rate (rate only), even by staying at a value resport.

(although this is later quoted pre edit in a reply post, I'm still editing it.) The way it was worded before didn't fully convey what I wanted to point out, that for THE GLUTTONS, SOG didn't work out to be such a terrific experience. We researched it before booking, but for THE GLUTTONS, it was a disappointment. Others may have stayed there and loved it (which is what we read when we researched before booking). Whew! Tip toeing along!


We head over to the Ticket Sales Office with our four tickets earned from timeshare presentations and ask about upgrading them to two day tickets. We ask for two child tickets and two adults tickets and pull out our Florida drivers licenses.

We pay and go to leave. I peek at the receipt and the tickets and realize that the attendant sold me three adult tickets and one child ticket. I also see nothing on the receipt or the tickets referencing Florida residency.

So I go back and ask. I'm told there is nothing they can do, that all sales are final.

Nice.....NOT!

Whatever!

We park the rental car in the parking garage ($5 per day for this luxury), walk to the Shades of Green bus (now I know what they do with those old Disney buses once they've become decrepit) and head to the Ticket and Transportation Center. We hop on a bus and go check out Caribbean Beach Resort. Nice. Then ride to Disney MGM and hop the boat to Boardwalk Villas, Yacht Club, and Beach Club. Veerrryyy NICE!

The Gluttons figure the best cure for depression is over eating... so we pick Beaches and Cream as our treatment of choice.

DD and I split a bowl of chili and some onion rings. DH has a Philly cheese with fries, and DS has a cheeseburger.

DD and I split a rootbeer soda while DH and DS dig into a beautiful banana split! Sorry, but this ice cream just knocks Ghiardelli out of the water! Huge scoops of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream sitting on bananas, drizzled with toppings, and sprinkled with sliced almonds.

Did I mention is was HUGE? They couldn't finish it. The GLuttons couldn't finish it. DD and I did try to help out, but it was just too much!

We walk around this gorgeous resort a bit more then hop on the boat for a ride back to MGM, a bus back to TTC, then the Shades of Green Shady Shuttle (shady all right ew!) and head back to Shades of Green.

Our room is ready. We walk, walk, walk, walk, and walk. The elevator on the first floor was out of order, so we looked for another. The next one we found was out of order as well.

We see people walking down into an odd room and discover they are using the service elevator... a very filthy service elevator. We hopped on too, and rode up to the third floor.

We saw hand prints on the hallway walls, stains on the carpeting, torn wallpaper, areas where the chair railing had been ripped off the wall and was still hanging by a strip of wallpaper.

We find out room, enter, and it smells overwhelmingly like smoke. Gross!

There is a small balcony with a table and two chairs. We find an empty soda can on the balcony with cigarette butts inside and on top. No pool view. We say the tops of some trees and a parking lot.

The bedding was a bit worn.

What a let down!

We called Bell Services and had our luggage delivered. (Yes, the hick Gluttons did tip the poor guy! LOL)

We decide to try Mangino's, and Italian restaurant in the hotel, for dinner. LOL yep! We still wanted Italian food even after DS tossed his toenails at that Maggiano's on Plaza.

The gnocchi with Alfredo sauce was outstanding!!! The best $12.95 I've ever spent on a meal. I should have split it with someone. That was one BIG bowl of gnocchi! The kids chowed down on the kid's spaghetti meal, DH had a clams in white wine sauce pasta dish.

Mine was the best one! Mmm! The prices weren't bad, the service was great (just not like being on the cruise), and the ambiance was a terrific surprise! No one asked us for a military ID there, so I think it may be open to the general public.

We headed back to the room, took long baths, watched a little television, and crashed.

Next?? It's Partay Time!!!!

 

[Tink rules]

Tink rules LOL But that move Wild Things ruined me for Kevin Bacon. Remember the shower scene? When you could see EVERYTHING?

Oh my!!!

Gee... I would have thought Footloose would have done it for you!!!




YEAH...I'VE GOTTA GET LOOSE...

FOOTLOOSE!!!

 

[mjmjcrop]

Great TR. Can't wait to read more.

 

[First_Time_Dis_Cruzr]

Excuse my ignorance, but is Shades of Green a Disney property? I simply cannot believe they would run such an operation!!!

I know it must have added insult to injury for you to go from the penthouse to the - uh - outhouse!

Even if you had been at Windsor Palace, it would have been a disappointment after being in paradise, but this sounds awful!!! I am so sorry you had to endure it!

Hopefully, things started looking up!!!

We depart in less than 48 hours - let me get back to packing!

 

[princessjv]

Yuck!

I have a friend who is staying there in June. her husband will just be arriving home from a 1 year tour in Iraq (he was borrowed from the Navy). They promised their kiddos that they would go to WDW when he got home, before they get shipped to their next destination.

Now I really don't want her to stay there! It is supposed to be a wonderful trip....yikes, this is not sounding wonderful. I had heard that they resort was really nice...

 

[Tink rules]

Shades of Green is Military owned.

Disney used to own it - it started out as the Golf Resort and was later the Disney Inn.

Tell your friends to look into one of the WDW properties if they can. (maybe even a value if necessary, but it's probably better...)

Last year they had problems with the extra magic hours because supposedly SOG used to pay a set amount to Disney for each person who went at those hours. Budget cuts were used as a cause to cut the program, but alot of people screamed about it and it was re instated.

You definately don't get the services that you would get at Disney owned, from the way Lovable has said it. Disney GS at least takes care of almost any problem you have. I haven't stayed there, but I've heard alot from friends in the military who have stayed there.

 

[LovableGluttons]

Gee... I would have thought Footloose would have done it for you!!!




YEAH...I'VE GOTTA GET LOOSE...

FOOTLOOSE!!!

Tink rules Aarrgghh! Now I have that song in my head.

 

[LovableGluttons]

Great TR. Can't wait to read more.

mjmjcrop- Thanks for reading! I'll go back and edit my pictureless posts with pictures once I find where I miplaced the USB cable to our not so nice backup digital camera I used.

 

[LovableGluttons]

Excuse my ignorance, but is Shades of Green a Disney property? I simply cannot believe they would run such an operation!!!

I know it must have added insult to injury for you to go from the penthouse to the - uh - outhouse!

Even if you had been at Windsor Palace, it would have been a disappointment after being in paradise, but this sounds awful!!! I am so sorry you had to endure it!

Hopefully, things started looking up!!!

We depart in less than 48 hours - let me get back to packing!

First_Time_Dis_Cruzr Less than two days? I wanna go too!

We were disappointed as well in Shades of Green. We saw, but didn't stay at, the military resort on Oahu (Hale Koa) in September. Now that placed was very nice!

I was under the impression that Shades of Green was Disney managed too when I booked.

Per the staff, most of the place is run by contract. You know how that works, the low bid seems to win. So, sometimes when you take the lowest, you don't get much.

We drove by a couple of value resorts and didn't see anything run down about them at all.

I didn't like that the shuttle from SOG only took passengers to the TTC. I think that is another benefit of staying at one of the actual Disney properties. It saves you a bus ride.

 

[LovableGluttons]

Yuck!

I have a friend who is staying there in June. her husband will just be arriving home from a 1 year tour in Iraq (he was borrowed from the Navy). They promised their kiddos that they would go to WDW when he got home, before they get shipped to their next destination.

Now I really don't want her to stay there! It is supposed to be a wonderful trip....yikes, this is not sounding wonderful. I had heard that they resort was really nice...

princessjv I asked here on the DIS and found mostly favorable reviews on SOG.

We complained about our experiences there. Maybe they'll improve by the time your friends are due to stay there?

Sorry.

 

[LovableGluttons]

Shades of Green is Military owned.

Disney used to own it - it started out as the Golf Resort and was later the Disney Inn.

Tell your friends to look into one of the WDW properties if they can. (maybe even a value if necessary, but it's probably better...)

Last year they had problems with the extra magic hours because supposedly SOG used to pay a set amount to Disney for each person who went at those hours. Budget cuts were used as a cause to cut the program, but alot of people screamed about it and it was re instated.

You definately don't get the services that you would get at Disney owned, from the way Lovable has said it. Disney GS at least takes care of almost any problem you have. I haven't stayed there, but I've heard alot from friends in the military who have stayed there.

Tink rules- I agree. I think we'll stick with the Disney properties that are actually owned and run by Disney.

Then again, we plan on purchasing DVC soon, so that may take care of all that for us. LOL

 

[LovableGluttons]

It's a new day! The Gluttons awaken to the sounds of running, screaming, fighting kids in the hallway outside their door.

Hhmmm the noise continues.


and continues.

DH is in one bed with DS, I'm in the other with DD.

There's a plastic like upholstered sofa sleeper in the room, but its pretty decrepit, so we don't chance opening that up for a place to sleep.

I get up, try to peek out the peephole into the hallway.

It's painted over! Ack!

So I open the door and see three kids wrestling on the floor in the hallway in front of my room.

I don't see any adults in sight.

I ask them if they can go wrestle elsewhere, so I can't hear it, and shut the door.

I'm gathering my laundry when I hear adults outside the door arguing.

(sigh) Determined to ignore them, I gather the rest of my laundry items and open the door to leave.

Standing outside my door are Momma and Daddy with the three boys. The Dad has very small hands and a large sweaty neck. The Mom? She looks tired, really tired.

They just stand there, staring at me.


It was time to rumble!


Or was it?

I walked right through them and made my way to the laundry room.

Since it was about 7am, the laundry room was empty. It wa also really dirty. Trash cans overflowing, old dryer sheets littered the floor. Soda cans resting on top of washing machines, dust bunnies skittering across the floor.

For a brief moment, I considered not doing laundry. But I really needed to do laundry! We just got off a three night cruise.

So I started my laundry and sat in a plastic lawn chair to watch Stacy on a wall mounted television.

In no time at all, a couple of other women came in and started their laundry. And left. I watched a maintenance man come in, check the machine for change, peek in all the empty machines, then leave again. Nope, didn't clean it.

As I'm watching Stacy (who needs to lose the braids), I see something out of the corner of my eye. Something moving across the floor. Something furry with a tail, but it didn't look as cute as Precious (Mickey )

Or was it?


What exactly DID I see? Did it have fur? Did it have opposing thumbs?

I turn my head just in time to see a GIGANTIC bug scoot under the wall of dryers. IICCKKK! As I turn my head back to the television, I see another one!

No fur or tails on them though. There looked to be fur on the dust bunnies though!

Of course my washers have now stopped, so I have to go over and move my laundry to the dryers. Luckily, this is when DH shows up with coffee for each of us and walkie talkies. The kids are back in the north forty still asleep with a walkie talkie on the nightstand between the beds. DH and I have two more with us to contact them with.

DH moves the wash into the dryer and I chose not to tell him about the roaches/Palmetto bugs I saw. Why?

The chief is terribly proud of his military service. Its the only career he has known. He feels that the things provided for military members and their families are an honor bestowed upon us that we would be amiss not to partake of. When we do indulge and things are sub par, he feels stupid for encouraging it in the first place. Like Shades of Green, which we paid more for than we would have paid for the value resort owned and run by Disney.

Pointing out the existence of Florida wildlife in the laundry room just wouldn't have left the Chief in a stellar mood. Also, while we were slumming, we were still on vacation at the World.

He did look around and take in all that mess.

We called to the sleeping kids on the walkie talkies. They were encouraged to wake up, get cleaned up, and ready for our day. We stopped off at the little store and picked up milk and cereal on our way back to our room.

My parents called to say there had gotten lost somewhere in the World and were making their way to SOG. We agreed to meet them in the lobby after we were done with breakfast.

After a quick cereal chowdown, we left our luxurious quarters, and off to the lobby to meet my parents. We all boarded the Shady Shuttle for the TTC. We climbed aboard the bus with a good sized group of other people. I go to sit down and see a man toss his backpack across two empty seats and sit in two other seats. Yes, one man sitting on two seats and using his backpack to reserve two other seats. DD and I sit down and I motion to DH and DS to sit in the seat in front of us. I said aloud "Oh, I'm sure he'll move his backpack for you". and he did! LOL But not before giving me that look! LOL My parents sat in those two seats the backpack had occupied.


You know the look. When you've called someone on something they are doign that's outright wrong. They know it, knew it when they did it, but assumed no one would have the to say something to them, calling them out on it.

By this time, the bus is full, but more people are getting on. The sticker on the side window suggests you offer your seat to the elderly or disabled. A couple of ladies boarded and I offered my seat to them. I told DD to remain seated. I poked DH in the shoulder and we offered his seat to the women as well.

We were the only ones who did this! DS is a strapping young football player and I asked him to stand and let a woman holding her disabled child to sit in his seat. DH, DS, and I held on to some straps suspended from the ceiling of the bus, near DD's seat and we were under way.

DH chastized me for giving up my seat. Granted, I may have an injury, but I am Wonder Woman! While I'd like to think I look like this:

Alas, I fear this is closer to the truth:

Trick or treat anyone?

I like to stand up on a moving bus. I wasn't a Bus Patrol suck up in grade school. I wanted to be one, but wasn't one. Also, I feel like I need to do as many of these things that still define active, vibrant, vigorous, healthy woman to me. Like standing up on a moving bus. Like giving my seat to others who may not enjoy standing. Like teaching my gorgeous son chivalry. Like being nice to not so nice people.

Granted, sometimes my teeth are clenched when I'm being nice. But that could be a Glutton thing.

We arrive at TTC and people are rushing off that bus. I step in front of the exit and stop, trapping everyone behind me. I grab DD's hand (she's being squished between two stangers in the aisle) and pull her through and off the bus.

We wait until my parents, DH, and DS get off the bus and make our way over to the MK ferry. I love riding the boats at MK!

The morning is cool, but sunny. The ferry is a bit crowded, but not full. We're at Walt Disney World!

The kids are telling my parents all about the cruise. We're hoping my parents will go for the Oct 08 cruise, but so far we've had no indication that they are set on it.

Off the ferry at MK and on to a smaller boat bound for Fort Wilderness! One of the CMs comes over and talks to us about the Disney Cruise. He had been on one as well! We chatted all the way over to Fort Wilderness Lodge. What a terrific discussion!

We hopped off the boat and went inside Fort Wilderness Lodge. How gorgeous! We were just in Yellowstone in August and the comparison between the two was fun! Fort Wilderness Lodge is more colorful, with light colored wood. Old Faithful Lodge is darker, but also beautiful to see.

We sat in front of the fire. The kids played giant JENGA with a cast member in the lobby, we strolled around to look at all the carving and artwork. The pool was closed for refurbishment.

We checked in with concierge to pick up the Pirate and the Princess Party ticket I had ordered for DD. They gave it to me and we checked in at Whispering Canyon Cafe for lunch.

29. The grand hijinks you eat at WCC for don't happen at lunchtime. Book breakfast or dinner.

Bummer! How did I find this out? I hid the ketchup bottle under the table on my lap and asked our waitress for more ketchup. She left and brought back a bottle, telling me they don't holler for ketchup at lunch anymore. Apparently some WDW guests wanted to be able to eat there without the revelry.

DH and I split a stacked cold cut sandwich. DMom had the pulled pork. DS had Nachos. DD and DDad had cheeseburgers.

Mmmmm


Their iced tea is so good too!

DS raved about their bottomless chocolate shake.

We left, shopped in the store, and DS made his first pin trade with a CM. Aaawww!

DS and DDad played in the arcade for a while before we all headed back to the dock to catch our boat.

We rode the boat back to MK, then hopped on a bus to Old Key West. We wanted my parents to see it. We strolled around, went into the store there, where DD made her first pin trade and DS made another one!

We sat outside on the dock, people watching, and feeding this cool Disney birds French fries. I watched people on the Disney Dining Plan going up to the Counter Service place there and order their food. They carried nothing with them, but wore lanyards with their Keys to the World cards attached.

Mrs Glutton's mind was spinning, formulating the Plan. The notion of vacationing empty armed was very enticing. We did that, sort of, on our Disney Cruise. Three nights was just a sampling of what a carefree vacation could be. I knew I wanted more.....HAD to have more.

The Chief couldn't take his eyes off the golf course near Old Key West. I saw my opening and went for it. I explained to the Chief that resale DVC was much less expensive than purchasing it direct. I explained that we could start off with a small set of points, enough for a long weekend. He could play golf while the kids and I played in the World. Oh to have had a camera to catch the wheels spinning behind his big, dark eyes. I just needed to keep the pressure on and reel him in!

The Gluttons and Mrs. Glutton's parents hopped back on a bus and back to the TTC to catch the Shady Shuttle. My parents had also reserved a bottom floor pool view room and actually received one! Sheesh! The kiddos and my parents went for a swim while DH and I lounged on chaise lounges watching them.

Then it was off to the Garden Gallery for a buffet at SOG (food was pretty good there). We ate, I worked on the chief about DVC a bit more, and we went upstairs to change our clothes.

It was time for the Pirate and the Princess Party! DH, DS, and I donned our pirate gear while the Princess was a vision in her Sleeping Beauty costume with matching tiara. I grabbed my lime green Baggalini with the LGMHPC tag attached to it. We met my parents in the lobby so they could see us dressed up and hopped aboard the Shady Shuttle for a ride over to TTC. The bus was almost empty. We chatted with two other couples there who were vacationing with their grandkids. Nice people!

We go off at TTC and hopped the Monorail for MK. The monorail! It was about 6:30 PM and we watched fireworks at the MK from the monorail! Ooohhh Aaahhh! :

We made our way through security, through the entrance turnstiles, were given black booty bags, and we were in!

It was a madhouse of people!For a minute, I was worried it would be too crowded to enjoy. Then I realized. The mass of people were being directed by CMs out of the park. There were very few actually entering the park! Yippee!!!!

The sun was setting, the castle looked just beautiful lit up. It was the night before my birthday and I was with my family at the Magic Kingdom.

Wow!

We looked at the map given to us at the entrance, checking the locations of booty. We headed over to Adventureland to begin the fun!

30. If you have the opportunity to attend a special Disney event like the Pirate and the Princess Party...do it! Since separate ticket purchase is required, there aren't always the regular admission type crowds there.

Next up: A saw a bear BUM and something's stinky.....

 

[Jennifer48]

tinkerbell87512- oh YUM! You're near Mass? My mother was born in Lowell and lived in Farmington, NH for a while during her childhood. She has this thing for clams with bellies still on them.

I wonder if she's every been to Burlington?

I just wanted to say, I'm from Lowell!

I found your trippie today, apparently I'm blind and didn't see it before

Ok back to reading, its fantabulous so far!!