The Morthens Do Orlando (and the Caribbean) - Dec 2010

[churros]

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[mushu mama]

Sounds like a fantastic trip happening Sandie...

[ajp]

What's the latest Sandie? Booked anything more and made any more plans? You can't go quiet on us now after such a flurry of activity.

tell me Jess's favourite Hogwarts House and I will get her a pin or something

Gryffindore of course (is that spelt right?) I had to laugh the other day, she removed the photo of Hogwarts that I took from her desktop and replaced it with a promo photo from the website. Half finished just wasn't good enough!

[sandie]

I have all our ADRs booked but am not struggling over cruise stuff - what if any excursions, what seating time (picked early), do we do Palos.

Tips anyone?

[ColinA]

Have you booked the flights yet.

[sandie]

I went to book and was advised to hold off until the 1st August. Which is ok because I don't get my redundnacy $$$$$ until the 30th July!

Sandie

[ColinA]

I went to book and was advised to hold off until the 1st August. Which is ok because I don't get my redundnacy $$$$$ until the 30th July!

Sandie

Did you do an Anthony and get made redundant, tell me more.

[ajp]

I have all our ADRs booked but am not struggling over cruise stuff - what if any excursions, what seating time (picked early), do we do Palos.

Tips anyone?

We had late dinner seating, but I can't provide any reason or advantage of doing that. Your early seating will allow you to see the later seating of the main evening show and then slowly wander around and catch the adult shows in the evening. It will also allow the kids to eat, relax and then make their way up to the evening kids and teen club activities. You will also be able to enjoy dinner and then take your time to enjoy the evening's events on Pirate night. You will however miss the opportunity to see the "family" shows (which are the kid friendly version of the late night adult shows). They are both very funny and have similar jokes, but the adult ones just have a better edge to them. But this is Disney, so there is no swearing or sexual references. You may also be rushed to get ready early for the formal and semi-formal dinner nights, if you go ashore or relax a little too much in the afternoon. So it's a much of a muchness. Having done late, we'll probably give early a go next time and see what difference it does make.

Excursions are a personal thing. We only booked 1 excursion as a family and the kids did an organised (and paid) Teen event on Castaway Cay, which they really enjoyed. Our 1 excursion, which was interesting to do what we did, I didn't really enjoy that much. For what we paid for it, and they are expensive, I didn't see the value. The quandry is do you book an excursion through DCL, which is more expensive, but the boat will wait for you regardless, or book a cheaper excursion locally and risk not making the departure (we did see this happen on another cruise line, funny as for us, not them) and risk getting left behind. Also booking through DCL give some security, for example there quite a few cancellations due to weather on our cruise, and everyone who had booked were not charged for them, or got a refund. We did enjoy just getting off the ship and wandering around and self exploring. That way you spend as little or as much time on shore as you want. You can also make sure you get back on ship for lunch as well!

Palo's is supposed to be absolutely divine, and if the dining room quality is to judge, it must be extraordinary. Kids aren't allowed in Palo's (a distinct advantage), however, the food, and company if you get a nice family join you, in the dining room is also the best quality you will have eaten. If you do Palo's go for Brunch, but book early. If you do brunch that way you don't miss dinner in the dining room.

I do have 1 tip to give though. If you want to drink the "real" coffee in the cafe, when you order your first one, get the Frequent Drinkers card and your 5th one will be free. They don't advertise this, but it's there to use. Great coffee too!

Oh, and a super congratulations on the redundancy. -/

[sandie]

Did you do an Anthony and get made redundant, tell me more.

Yes aftter 12 years as a very vocal union delegate my employer found a way to get rid of me! However unlike Anthony I am lucky enough to have a good job lined up - I just have to make sure I don't blow the interview (I suck at them) but i have the ???? so I should be ok

Anthony I don't drink coffee so i am safe!!!!!!

Sandie

[mushu mama]

Oh Wow... Hope everything pans out Sandie.

Lisa.

[sandie]

Some important info:

1. Sandie has a new job - actually the job I have been doing for 6 months.
2. Absolutely everything is booked and paid for
3. Every single eftpos card Peter and I have has a $1000 per day limit which makes it hard to buy $5000 of travellors cheques
4. The Daytona race track is being resurfaced so all Richard Petty Expriences are cancelled for this year so we know have an extra park day


Sandie

[churros]

All sounds good but do you need travellers cheques?

[KeithS]

The Daytona race track is being resurfaced so all Richard Petty Expriences are cancelled for this year

Sob...sob...my heart breaks for Peter I'm surprised he's still going on the trip!

On the plus side - I see that WDW has finally renamed the Tomorrowland Transit Authority back to "PEOPLEMOVER" Yay! Now if they would just reopen the Disneyland version

[sandie]

All sounds good but do you need travellers cheques?

I really do! You obviously have not been around me in planning mode. (Sighs... ready for ridicule) I currently have 3 display folders - 2 pink with a plastic sleeve for each day of teh trip and 1 blue for the boys road trip. Each sleeve has a cover sheet with any relevant information for that day. Also in there are any print outs, e-tockets plus a small business card size piece of cardboard with ADRs printed on it. Also an envelope in which that days allocation of TC go into.

I can not be trusted to keep on top of cc spending and this keeps us on budget plus provides the incentive for me to save on tc from each day so I can go on a huge spending spree at the end and have Disney ship it home for me!

Sandie

[churros]

I too had a similar folder with a plastic sleeve for each day containing tickets etc and the day's schedule detailed with military precision but did not include travellers cheques.