How early is too early? An EBPC/DL/DCA PTR

[ShellB8585]

Hi folks!

I have been abandoning this PTR a lot unfortunately. We are just back from Disneyland Paris which I will finish the TR for and once that is done I expect I will be able to move onto this trip so there will be more info in the near future. Hope you're all good.

Did anyone book any of the fall 2016 sailings?

 

[ShellB8585]

I have been neglecting this PTR a little but now I am back from DLP My main focus is this trip!

I have spent the last few days doing a little rearranging but I am not used to the DL opening hours being released only 6 weeks out (used to WDW and DLP releasing months in advance!)

Someone from our group has found out some great info for the cruise too so at the moment the itinerary looks like this:

Fri 16-Oct - Drive to London after work
Sat 17-Oct - Fly to LAX, pick up car rental, do a little grocery shopping, check into condo then walk over to DTD
Sun 18-Oct - Disney Day
Mon 19-Oct - Disney Day
Tue 20-Oct - Beach, Universal Studios or 3rd Disney day
Wed 21-Oct - Drive to San Diego via Carlsbad premium outlets
Thu 22-Oct - San Diego exploring
Fri 23-Oct - Board Disney Wonder
Sat 24-Oct - At Sea and Formal Night
Sun 25-Oct - 11:15 - 16:30 Cabo San Lucas where we are hoping to do a tour of some sort
Mon 26-Oct - 10:30 - 15:45 Puerto Vallarta hoping to Snorkel
Tue 27-Oct - At Sea - Palo Brunch and evening is Freezing the night away
Wed 28-Oct - At sea
Thur 29-Oct - At sea
Fri 30-Oct - At sea
Sat 31-Oct - Cruising through the Panama Canal and Halloween
Sun 01-Nov - 09:30-17:45 Cartagena where we'll do a tour
Mon 02-Nov - At Sea and Pirate night (my fave menu )
Tue 03-Nov - At Sea and semi formal night
Wed 04-Nov - 08:00-17:45 Cozumel where we'll snorkel
Thu 05-Nov - At sea
Fri 06-Nov - Disembark, transfers to Houston and fly home

There is currently a long list of things we need to take care of. The most important things are

• Flights!!! - This is the single most important but we will be booking over the next couple weeks. (We decided to put it off until after the 24 week mark just in case I happened to become pregnant and couldn't cruise)
• Car hire - We have decided we're better off booking this after the flights so we know a more accurate pick up time
• Disney Tickets - Ok my most important purchase
• Sort out our ESTAs
• Buy a much bigger memory card for my camera! (I ran out of space at DLP but I had my laptop so could remove them all and take more - I wont have this luxury for this trip)

We have paid in full for the cruise and, as Silver members, we have to wait until July 25th for our online check in. I will be getting up at 5am UK time (on a Saturday) for that. This weekend we're going to sit down and pick 2 excursions for each port (1 we really really want to do and a back-up just in case)

 

[ShellB8585]

We have finally booked our flights!

Originally we were looking at flying from Heathrow with British airways direct and would have gotten into LAX at 12:55. We were going to drive up the Friday night and spend over £200 to stay at the Sheraton and park for 21 nights. It also meant we would have to drive back from Heathrow and neither of us sleep on planes and that journey is just torture!

Then I started searching around and came across KLM connecting flights for a little cheaper then there was a light bulb moment

KLM also fly from Bristol airport which is just a 45 minute drive from our house (as opposed to over 3 hours) so I headed over to their website and found indirect flights getting us into LAX at 11:45am on arrival day and we arrive back in Bristol at 09:45 (ish) with only a 45 minute drive home! This sounded much more appealing and an extra hour in the states It gets even better as the flights are £250 cheaper than the others and we'll save £200 on driving and staying at the Sheraton as far as I am concerned this is our first bit of for this trip! The slight downside is we will have to leave for the airport 3am UK time on Oct 17th by the time we get out of the airport and to our condo it will prob be about 10/11 pm to our body clocks. I already have half a plan though for the Friday though. I am thinking we will order dominoes (no dishes or cooking as I am already on holiday ) and we can stay up and watch some Disney films and drink lots of coffee (I am so grateful I bought DH an Espresso machine for Christmas!)! around 2am we'll take showers, change and make all of our final checks before we get in the car . DH operates much better on little sleep than I do (You've seen the walking dead?) So I will make him drive and we'll grab coffee at the airport and I am hoping we will be so exhausted we will get some good sleep on the 10hr flight from Amsterdam to LAX so when we arrive we'll be ready for an afternoon and evening at Disneyland!!!

Well that's the plan anyway. We'll see how it pans out...

I have also booked our car. As I have promised DH he gets his convertible we went for the mustang or similar from Alamo and he's pretty happy. It's not cheap and to be honest we could have gone with a compact car for half the price. But we didn't have any vacations last year and we want to treat ourselves this year. Plus this particular vacation is mostly what I want so I wanted to give him something too

I have also applied for our ESTAs which have been approved so that's already 3 things off the list. last night I even started our packing list I know I'm crazy but I want to whittle it all down so I am starting with what I think we need then take out some stuff that we don't. This will be a process of many weeks and I want to try and keep it to just 2 hold luggage. Wish me luck.

 

[bcwife76]

So how's your list going now? Only 2.5 months to go

 

[ShellB8585]

Hi bcwife76 thanks for the prod bringing me back into this!




9 weeks Saturday we’ll be on our way Stateside!!


Firstly apologies, It has been a busy year. I think I mentioned we are trying to finish our renovations before this trip AND we have just decided to start work on the garden . Heck to I need a vacation!!! Also, helping my sister get ready for the wedding is taking up a little more time and I have to make 130 cupcakes so have been doing some practising!


Anywho, the last time I updated we had just booked our flights – this was the final “this is definitely happening” moment and since then I have been in full prep mode.


I have mentioned we don’t do FE but I am participating in an ornament exchange this year. I didn’t want to pay for an FE AND I am not very crafty so I thought I would paint a plain bag. What do you think of the final outcome:

I bought the bag for £1 (approx. $1.55) and borrowed the paints from a friend. I left the gap at the bottom to add names of any future children (I am hoping it will last us sometime!)


I have also made my first ever magnets –

​

http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/S...2-48FB-9519-A26F8D1EEC95_zpsisqwathx.jpg.html
As you can tell I am really getting into it this time around!


I wont share the ornaments with you as there might be someone in my group who sees then the surprise is over. So you will have to stick around for my TR when that gets going


Costumes – My new Pirate costume is complete and we are just waiting the final parts of our Halloween costumes (We have decided to go as Toy Soldiers A La Toy Story) I will try and give you a preview a little closer to the time.


As for other packing I have made a start (things we won’t need between now and then). We have an incredibly busy 9 weeks ahead (only 2 weekends we’re at home) so I am eager to get packed as swiftly as possible. The intention is to have everything ready and washed by the end of October then I expect I will iron everything around the 10th and double check my packing so I can have a stress free week. I did find these beauties which I am saving for the trip:
http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/S...2-48FB-9519-A26F8D1EEC95_zpsisqwathx.jpg.html

http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/S...9-4D54-9CAB-FA2711A03AEA_zps8o1u5o6m.jpg.html
The only flaw is there is no Donald Duck!!


We have completed our online check in!!

PAT of 11 – we like the earlier time and early board time – lunch is another meal we don’t have to budget for and I’m always pretty excited to get on board.


We have booked 1 Palo brunch and 1 Palo dinner and I may book another brunch for later in the cruise. DH isn’t the hugest fan of Palo – the last complaint was that it was too early so I have gone for brunch at 12:30 so it’s lunch really, I’m hoping he’ll enjoy it more or the second will be solo – which I am perfectly fine with.


We are holding off on any spa treatments until we’re there in the hope they run some offers – keep your fingers crossed for us!


Excursions – We are visiting Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Cartagena and Cozumel​

Cabo = Santa Maria Snorkel & Sail –

On this tour you will:

• From the pier, board a sailing catamaran and embark on a cruise along the Gold Coast to some of the Mexico's most picturesque destinations. Pass Lover's Beach, Los Arcos at Land's End, the Arch of Poseidon, and even a resident sea lion colony, en route to the picturesque palm-studded Santa Maria Cove.

• Receive your snorkeling gear and the instructions from your experienced crew.

• Take the plunge on an eye-opening snorkel adventure in an underwater wonderland of magnificent marine life as you explore life just beneath the ocean's surface

• After your approximate one-hour visit, sit back, relax and enjoy the spectacular coastal scenery with a refreshing drink in hand during your one-hour cruise back to the pier.

Puerto Vallarta = nothing booked, thinking we may just get off the ship and get a Taxi to the boardwalk then taxi back


Cartagena = Best Of Cartagena –

On this tour you will:
​

• 
  
  
  • Board your air-conditioned bus to explore the city of Cartagena, which has earned the reputation as a treasure chest and the most impenetrable city of the Spanish Main.​
  • Depart from the pier accompanied by an English speaking guide and enjoy the "Republican" architecture of the Manga residential area on the approximate 20-minute drive up the winding road to the Convento de la Popa.​
  • After an approximate 15-minute stop to see the Popa Monastery, where you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the harbor and city, continue on your tour to the Fort of San Felipe de Barajas, the most important work of Spanish Military engineering in South America, for a photo stop.​
  • Next, it's on to Las Bovedas for approximately 20 minutes of handmade craft and souvenir shopping. Las Bovedas were originally dungeons and vaults used to store munitions and provisions in the late 1700's.​
  • Continue on to the Church of San Pedro Claver and admire the narrow streets and squares inside the walled city. Your next stop is the Naval Museum, where you will be treated with a traditional folkloric show and a bottle of water.​
  • Continue your time in the Old City with approximately 30-minutes of free time to explore and shop on your own.​
  • Your return drive to the pier will take you through the sights of Bocagrande and Castillo Grande residential areas.​

Cozumel = Caves Caverns & Paradise Lagoon

On this tour you will:
​

• 
  
  
  • Embark on a 45-minute ferry ride to Playa del Carmen, on the Mexican mainland.​
  • Meet your eco-guides and walk approximately 5 minutes to your air-conditioned mini-van before taking a 40-minute drive south to 2 natural cenotes. Cenotes are natural water formations caused by sinking limestone bedrock. The Mayan culture sometimes used cenotes for spiritual rituals.​
  • Hear about the history of these impressive rock formations and enjoy a refreshing snorkeling session in the crystal clear waters.​
  • Travel to a unique natural aquarium where you will have approximately 45 minutes to snorkel among a variety of tropical fish and colorful marine life. Note: This is a freshwater lagoon, not a typical aquarium with sea life in a tank.​
  • Next, arrive at a beach club for a typical Mexican lunch and complementary beverages. Here, you can relax, enjoy the sunshine or take a swim at the beach.​
  • Take a short ride back to Playa del Carmen where you will board your ferry back to Cozumel.​

Do any of you have any experience of these?

There are some great people in our meet group who have organised a lot of fun sounding stuff for us! For the first time we are getting really involved and we can’t wait to meet everyone!

We are signed up for

Mixology

Beer Tasting

Chocolate Tasting

Mojito Tasting

And it would seem I am organising a “pub crawl” of sorts.


There is also talk of an open bar event and an afternoon tea which I am contemplating. Although I don’t want to pre book too many things as I also just want to chill out on our verandah and take advantage of onboard entertainment offerings.


So to my list of things to do –
​

Finalise my packing list

Pack

Make a final decision on Disney days

Buy Disneyland tickets

Make dining reservations at DLR – opens next week

Buy tickets to see Anaheim Ducks on 18th

Exchange some £s to $$$s​

That’s a nice short list thankfully! I think the next 9 weeks are going to fly by as we're so busy! I can't wait!!!


I promise I wont leave it so long for the next update!


TTFN ​

 

[bcwife76]

Wow, for someone who isn't crafty I think you've done very well!! Those shoes are adorable!! Are they Vans? I've got my eye on a pair of Vans but they are kind of pricey....grrrrr LOL

I love all your countdowns!! It's getting so close!!! We'll try and keep the Wonder in good working order for you, ;-) although there are a few 2 night and 5 night cruises between ours and yours I think. We get off the Wonder on Oct 1st and you're getting on, when - the 23rd?

Love Puerto Vallarta, I think our fave part of Mexico.

 

[ShellB8585]

Hello! Long time no see

Sorry folks, as predicted this year has been very busy and up and down and back and forward and all over the place BUT.........




This vacation is only next week

I work for an online bicycle part retailer and our busy times are March - September. Our managers know we work super hard during the summer months so we are able to do a little personal online bits and pieces during quiet winter times to make up for it. Thus, here I am finally with some updates! since we are 10 days away I am itching for this time to go really quickly so I thought the PTR may help that. I expect I will start the TR next Friday (as far as I am concerned my vacation starts the moment I leave work


So I will let you in on our plans....

Friday 16th October
I will do our online check in for the flights as soon as I get to work. We will be finishing work by 5pm, DH actually has a half day on a Friday so will be home before 2. We are going to get a take away for dinner (no dishes to worry about on vacation ) then have an early night.

Saturday 17th October - Travel and concert
This is going to be a very long day! we will be getting up at 2am showering then driving to our local airport our first flight is at 06:15 and we always like to be there around 3 hours beforehand. We will hit Starbucks for a caffeine fix and a snack of some kind to hold us over. We arrive in Amsterdam 08:45 Dutch time which is 07:45 to us so it is only a short 90 minute flight. Once in Amsterdam we have 65 minutes to get to our next gate for flight number 2 this one boards at 09:50 Dutch time and is a 10 hour 55 minute flight. We have never flown KLM before so this will be a new experience for us. I have had a look at their entertainment offerings for this month and have chosen a few things I would like to watch but I will be hoping to get a fair bit of sleep!

We are scheduled to arrive at LAX 11:45am (19:45 to our, by now, confused brains ) at which point we will head over to Alamo to pick up our car. We can't enter our rental property until 4pm. I expect waiting for luggage and car hire will take a little while once we have the car we are going to head to Walmart to stretch our legs, and pick up a few essentials I have decided to just get there rather than pack! We are then going to go to the Cheesecake Factory - my cousins love this place and I promised we would check it out and this is our only chance. By this time we should be able to access our home for the next 4 nights.

Once in I expect a very short power nap will be had (by me at least) showers and change out of our travel clothes so we are refreshed for the evening. We will then walk to the gates of Disneyland so we know exactly how long it takes then we are going to get a cab (hopefully they are easy enough to find at Disney) to the Honda Center as we have just, maybe foolishly, bought tickets to see one of my favourite bands - The Foo Fighters!! We will certainly then be ready for bed!

Sunday 18th October - Disneyland and Ice Hockey
We are usually pretty good with getting up after time zone changes whilst in the states. The ambition is to get to Disneyland for park opening. If we don't make opening we will make sure we get there for our 09:30 reservation at Plaza Inn. A character breakfast is compulsory if you are visiting Disney with me. We prefer to do it the very first day (the only exception has been Paris this year as I wanted to go on my birthday instead). We loved Plaza Inn on our last visit - the other option was Storytellers but our cousins have been recently and the review wasn't great so we will stick with what we know.

Fed we will head around Disneyland - riding some of our favourites and I can't wait to experience the Halloween edition of the Haunted mansion (Nightmare before Christmas is my favourite all time film) and Space Mountain before a 14:30 reservation at Cafe Orleans - Do you think you can guess what I'm having????

A little while after we are going to have a break from Disney as I promised my DH an Ice Hockey Game so we are heading back to the Honda Center for the Ducks game!

Disneyland is open until midnight so after the game we'll head back and stay until closing before heading back to bed after a second long and busy day.

Monday 19th October - DCA
When I bought our Disney tickets I decided to go for a 3 day 1 park per day pass as I expect we'll want 2 days at Disneyland and one at California Adventure. We will upgrade to a hopper for the last day if needs be.
So today is billed as our DCA day! There are no concrete plans other than ride as much as we can! We do have a world of color lunch reservation at Wine Country Trattoria and will take in WOC but other than that we'll see how it goes. The park closes at 8 and if we're up to it I would like to check out Downtown Disney and fit in a cocktail at Trader Sams - but after a busy few days we may be too tired! Otherwise no other evening plans.

Tuesday 20th October - Disneyland
Our last DLR day which will most likely be spent at DL but we may upgrade to a hopper depending on how we got on the day before. We do have a lunch reservation at Big Thunder Ranch BBQ but other than that we're going to ride rides, check out the merch and soak up the atmosphere. Park closes at 10.

Wednesday 21st October - San Diego
We leave Anaheim today for the next part of our adventure! The aim is to leave by 08:30 and heading down to Carlsbad premium outlets for a little shopping and breakfast at Rubys Diner. We will then drop the car off at San Diego airport and head to our hotel - Best Western Bayside. We will spend a few hours walking up to and around Balboa Park before freshening up at the hotel and heading to Dinner at the melting pot. (we both love fondue and we are very excited about this meal!

Thursday 22nd October - San Diego
When researching San Diego one thing stood out to us - it's craft brewery scene. We are moderate drinkers but we do love a decent beer. There were a lot of tours being offered that you could pay to be taken to various bars or micro breweries. We decided that we'd do a little research, pick a few of those places that appealed to us and design our own walking tour which will mean we see a lot of San Diego and try a lot of nice different beers. I have made us a dinner reservation at Hard Rock - this is another vacation tradition I'm not about to give up

So you see a LOT of walking so far so it works out well for us that we are doing the Eastbound Panama Canal so we can relax for the next 2 weeks rather than relaxing first!

Friday 23rd October - Embarkation Day.
And RELAX! We have a PAT of 11:00 and the only other plan for this day is a Meet and greet for our disboard group at 14:30.

Saturday 24th October - At Sea
The only plans I can now share with you are our preboked events as otherwise we are going to take each day as it comes. We are also aiming to get up to get to the gym at opening everyday up until Panama Canal (no promises for after ;-)) It's my plan to help us get up early canal day but we'll see how we do in the TR .
Todays Only plans in Palo Brunch at 12:30 (DH doesn't like to eat heavily too early and didn't enjoy our first visit for that reason - I am hoping he will enjoy a lunch reservation much more as I want to go again later in the cruise )

Sunday 25th October - Cabo San Lucas
We are only doing Disney excursions. Whilst I like to plan I also like an easy option sometimes if it is the right choice for us. Todays excursion is Santa Maria Snorkel and sail here's DCLs description :​

Cruise along the coast by Cabo's most recognizable landmarks to snorkel in the beautiful waters of Santa Maria cove.

On this adventure you will...
​

• 
  
  
  • From the pier, board a sailing catamaran and embark on a cruise along the Gold Coast to some of the Mexico's most picturesque destinations. Pass Lover's Beach, Los Arcos at Land's End, the Arch of Poseidon, and even a resident sea lion colony, en route to the picturesque, palm-studded Santa Maria Cove.​
  • Receive your snorkeling gear and the instructions from your experienced crew.​
  • Take the plunge on an eye-opening snorkel adventure in an underwater wonderland of magnificent marine life as you explore life just beneath the ocean's surface.​
  • After your approximately one-hour visit, sit back, relax and enjoy the spectacular coastal scenery with a refreshing drink in hand during your one-hour cruise back to the pier​

Monday 26th October - Puerto Vallarta​

We ummmmed and ahhhhed about what to do here. We wanted to do a food tour but everyone I found did not fit within the time frame we had. Then we thought we would just get off the ship and explore on our own but I was a little concerned we may not make the most of our time. SO finally we decided on the Puerto Vallarta City Tour which leaves us a little time for self exploration after. Here is DCLs description:
​

On this adventure you will...​

​

• 
  
  
  • Drive approximately 15 minutes to the city center of Puerto Vallarta.​
  • Stroll along the picturesque waterfront boulevard known as the Malecon (sea wall) as your guide shares stories of Puerto Vallarta's rich history. The area is brimming with restaurants, shops, music and stone sculptures. Note: This tour includes approximately 0.5 miles of walking at a steady pace, part of which will be on cobblestones and/or uphill, including stairs. Wear comfortable walking shoes.​
  • Visit the cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe, built over 12 years in the early part of the last century, and marvel at the hand-carved columns and magnificent moldings that adorn its interior.​
  • Shop and sightsee on your own for approximately 45 minutes before boarding your coach to begin the second leg of your journey.​
  • Journey south to a beautiful restaurant that offers views of Banderas Bay and enjoy refreshments. During the stop you can also peruse some of the eye-catching work of a number of local craftsmen. Your children will delight in a fun-filled piñata party where treats will be had by all.​
  • Finally, return back to the ship or take the optional drop-off in downtown to continue exploring on your own. Note: Guests choosing to stop in town will be required to take either a 30-minute walk back to the ship or (at Guest's expense) a 10-minute taxi ride back to the ship​

Tuesday 27th October - At Sea
I expect I will start delivering our Christmas decorations for our ornament exchange today. The only set plan is Mixology at 2pm! We are pretty excited about all of our scheduled tastings as this is something we haven't done before. Otherwise we will be living the cruising life and chilling out or doing anything that takes our fancy.

Wednesday 28th October and Thurday 29th October - At Sea
No pre made plans for these days

Friday 30th October - At Sea
We have a spa appointment booked at 17:00 and Palo Dinner at 19:30 so a bit of luxury today!!

Saturday 31st October - Panama Canal
Today is the day this cruise is about, going through the Panama Canal. It has the added bonus that it is halloween so I am expecting this to be a fun day! We want to get up early and watch the approach and first part from the top deck but as the day progresses I expect we'll retreat to our verandah for a little respite and peace.

Sunday 1st November - Cartagena
First day to step on land for a little while and, as we expect this may be the only time we visit Cartagena, we have opted for the Best of Cartagena tour:
​

On this adventure you will:
​

• 
  
  
  • Board your air-conditioned bus to explore the city of Cartagena: the treasure chest of colonial Spain and most impenetrable city of the Spanish Main.​
  • Depart from the pier accompanied by an English speaking guide and enjoy the "Republican" architecture of the Manga residential area on the approximately 20-minute drive up the winding road to the Convento de la Popa.​
  • After an approximately 15-minute stop to enjoy a breathtaking view of the harbor and city at the Popa Monastery, continue the tour to a photo stop at the Fort of San Felipe de Barajas: the most important work of Spanish Military engineering in South America.​
  • Next, it's on to Las Bovedas for approximately 20 minutes of handmade craft and souvenir shopping. Las Bovedas were originally dungeons and vaults used to store munitions and provisions in the late 1700s.​
  • Continue on to the Church of San Pedro Claver and admire the narrow streets and squares inside the walled city. Your next stop is the Naval Museum, where you will be treated with a traditional folkloric show and a bottle of water.​
  • Continue your time in the Old City with approximately 30 minutes of free time to explore and shop on your own.​
  • Your return drive to the pier will take you through the sights of Bocagrande and Castillo Grande residential areas.​

Monday 2nd November - At Sea​

One of my favourite DCL menus tonight. A lot of people disagree with me here but tonight is Pirate night Arrrrrr

Tuesday 3rd November - At Sea
If there is availability I would quite like to get a second Palo Brunch today. We have beer tasting at 4pm

Wednesday 4th November - Cozumel
Today we are doing an excursion I am particularly looking forward to - Caves, Caverns and Paradise Lagoon:​

On this adventure you will...
​

• 
  
  
  • Embark on a 45-minute ferry ride to Playa del Carmen on the Mexican mainland.​
  • Meet your eco-guides and walk approximately 5 minutes to your air-conditioned mini-van before taking a 40-minute drive south to 2 natural cenotes. Cenotes are natural water formations caused by sinking limestone bedrock. The Mayan culture sometimes used cenotes for spiritual rituals.​
  • Hear about the history of these impressive rock formations and enjoy a refreshing snorkeling session in the crystal clear waters.​
  • Travel to a unique natural aquarium where you'll have approximately 45 minutes to snorkel among a variety of tropical fish and colorful marine life. Note: This is a freshwater lagoon, not a typical aquarium with sea life in a tank.​
  • Arrive at a beach club for a Mexican lunch and complimentary beverages. Here, you can relax, enjoy the sunshine or take a swim at the beach.​
  • Take a short ride back to Playa del Carmen where you will board your ferry back to Cozumel.​

Thursday 5th November - At Sea​

Sad times is this is our last day onboard We have a Chocolate tasting at 12:15 but otherwise we are continuing with our chilled cruise.

Friday 6th November -
Today our epic trip ends . We will go to the breakfast in the MDR before getting Disney transportation to Houston. Our flight is at 15:35 so I expect we will just chill out and have lunch at the airport. Walk around a little before we are sat for hours. We will arrive back in the UK at 09:45 on the 7th.

Saturday 7th November - Possible bonus post​

Here in the UK we have a bonfire night on or around the 5th of November to celebrate Guy Fawkes failing to blow up the houses of parliament. In Somerset they also have a series of night time carnivals with clubs spending a year creating themes and floats to compete. The biggest carnival is held where we live - in Bridgwater - and it's quite the spectacle! Providing we aren't too jet lagged we might head over. If we do I will definitely share it with you!!

​

 

[Anemone]

Hi Shelley, just catching up on your DL/Cruise plans - how quickly did that come round?

Do you think you can guess what I'm having????

Are you having Gumbo?

So today is billed as our DCA day!

If you get to watch the parade I'd love to see some photos - I managed to miss the DCA parade on my trip.

lunch reservation at Big Thunder Ranch BBQ

I also had to cancel my BTR BBQ reservation and I read recently that it will be closing soon for good to make way for something new. Gutted

We will spend a few hours walking up to and around Balboa Park

I loved Balboa Park when I was in SD - it is wonderful.

Palo Brunch

What does Palo mean on Disney Cruises hun?

 

[ShellB8585]

Hi Shelley, just catching up on your DL/Cruise plans - how quickly did that come round?

Are you having Gumbo?

It's come around so quickly, this whole year is flying by but I hope it really slows down the 3 weeks we're away! Boy do we need this vacation right now! I expect Carl will have the Gumbo if i had to guess but he isn't very like me and prefers to see a menu when he arrives but I am going for Monte Cristo sandwich and we are going to share the Pomme frites.

If you get to watch the parade I'd love to see some photos - I managed to miss the DCA parade on my trip.

I am in 2 minds on the parades as we very much want to get on the rides and I would like to see the Aladdin show - it seems such a shame that so much is being replaced by Frozen. I did really like the film but there is so much of it I am starting to be put off a little I think parades will be a last minute decision depending on how we feel. However, I will definitely take lots of pics - you saw my DLP TR . Since Paris I have actually bought 2 64GB memory cards so that should demonstrate how many pics I am intending on taking haha!

I also had to cancel my BTR BBQ reservation and I read recently that it will be closing soon for good to make way for something new. Gutted

We actually had this as a reservation on our last trip but the park closed early due to bad weather so we didn't make it. I almost didn't make a second reservation as there are other things we wanted to try but when we saw it was closing we thought we should make a visit!!

I loved Balboa Park when I was in SD - it is wonderful.

What does Palo mean on Disney Cruises hun?

San Diego excites me quite a lot as it's a new place for us to visit/explore and it doesn't have the distraction of the theme parks. When we visit Florida we pretty much only visit the parks (might as well get the most out of those tickets) We have visited LA but I doubt we will do anything other than parks if/when we make it back over there in the future. We loved San Francisco and I expect we'll love San Diego!

Palo is an upcharge adults only restaurant that can be found on all 4 ships and its an additional $30 + tip each but it is worth it. The brunch is our favourite but the evening meal is pretty good too!! I will take lots of photos - you'll be well versed in DCL by the time i have finished the TR DH isn't much of a foodie so may not do a second brunch but I enjoy it so much I will be more than happy to have a second on my own!

SDD!!


I am actually getting pretty excited now! DH doesn't get excited like normal people so at least I have this outlet

Have decided to start taking measures so that I am able to sleep before we fly. Getting up gradually earlier each day and going to bed earlier. Hopefully it will mean I am able to get a good few solid hours Friday before we have to get up so early the Sat. Fingers crossed I can also sleep on the plane!

KLM release the entertainment on their website at the beginning of the month so I have already seen a couple things I want to watch but I am saving Inside Out and Ant man for the cruise. I have been longing to see Inside Out but we agreed we'd wait to see it at sea so that's another exciting thing to look forward to.

There is one thing I am a little worried about at the mo - the weather mid 30 (celsius) is a little on the hot side for me! I hope we don't get worn out too much by the heat and get to do everything we want whilst at Disney - Lot's of water, shade and ice cream is the answer I'm not too worried about the rest of the trip as there are plenty opportunities to be inside but Disney will be go go go for us!

I can't remember if I told you the decision for our halloween costume so sorry if this has already been discussed! We are going as Toy Story Toy Soldiers - the idea came to me whilst watching a parade at DLP in May and I thought it'd be fairly simple to pull off and won't take up too much room in the case. Here's me showing off my 2 costumes (apologies for poor mobile phone pictures!!)



To be completed with green face paint. We can't take fake guns onboard so our prop will be binoculars.
What do you think?
Unfortunately DH's soldier costume is a very slightly different shade to mine. His also came with a beret rather than a helmet so, for continuity and to save room on packing, I have also reduced mine to just the beret (the green is detachable from the plastic helmet). I don't expect we'll win any of the prizes but we'll have fun taking part and that's all that matters right!?!? I wonder if I should start practicing the robot for more authentic dance moves...

Anyone who is up to date with DCL will know the alcohol policy has recently changed. On previous cruises you were able to take on as much of any alcohol you wanted, the only stipulation was that it must be in your carry on luggage. It doesn't affect us greatly as we have never taken alcohol on board before. Although we were planning on it for this longer cruise. The new limits are 2 bottles of wine per adult or 6 bottles of beer per adult. The only gripe I have is that the limit is the same if you are on a 3 night or 15 night cruise. I know you can bring on the same at each port of call but last yr the EBPC missed 2 ports because of weather and the WBPC this year missed 1 because of civil unrest (or something to that degree) so it could be a long time for some. We'll have beer mugs so we have decided to just take on 4 bottles of wine for when we are chilling on our verandah. We might pick up a couple local beers in port, we'll see. The only thing we actually wanted to take was a decent bottle of Whiskey as DH fancied a nightcap on the verandah - he'll just have to get one from one of the bars now. We'll still have a fantastic time - our bar bill may just be a little higher than originally planned

DH goes out to play football (soccer) on a Thursday night so intend on using that time to finish our packing.

Saturday I am getting my haircut and then we'll be ready.

Ahhh I'm so excited




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[bcwife76]

Oh my gosh it's just a couple of days away!!!!!!!!! So, so excited for you!!!!!

 

[ShellB8585]

I'm excited too!!! I can't even begin to tell you how much we need this - it has been a roller coaster the last few months to say the very least but everything is on the up and we fly out to the states THE. DAY. AFTER. TOMORROW!!! It seemed to be forever away and now it's come around quickly!

We have been pretty good with our sleep patterns this week - up 30 mins earlier everyday and bed earlier to cushion the blow a bit on Saturday - there is nothing I love more than a good vacation with my favourite person and a Disney element but I also very much love my sleep
We'll see how I do at work tomorrow when I wake up at 4:00 I just have to keep reminding myself this tiredness is worth it in the long run. Not sure what we'll do for over 3+ hrs mind, DH leaves for work just before 7:30 and I leave just before 8. I am contemplating a couple Disney films though, my shortlist is
Cars - would like to see it again before our visit to DCA
The nightmare before Christmas - Halloween themes everywhere (and it's one of my favourites)

See it's a very shortlist so could watch both! I did also want to watch saving Mr Banks again but I did that last night.

The only thing we have to do is our online check in for our flights which is tomorrows job then drive to the airport in approx 35 hours from now

I am not sure I will get back on tomorrow - I will try but I have a few things to tie up at work and will be getting an early night. If I don't I will see you on the other side with my TR link

Take care folks !!

 

[bcwife76]

Wheeeeee!!! Will keep an eye out for your TR upon your return. Safe travels!!!

 

[ShellB8585]

Home after the best Vacation ever!! it is going to take a few days to really get going but for those of you interested my TR for this trip can be found here - http://www.disboards.com/threads/disneyland-and-eastbound-panama-canal-aka-patricia-who.3461881/