1/19/18 -- Disney Dream Mouseketeers!

We have had nothing but great experiences with them both. There are extra add ons, but no more than we paid when we flew American coming home from San Juan in January. On Spirit you get a free personal item which is pretty large. We are taking a 4 day trip in a little bit, and we each are just bringing our personal item (large back pack). The $25 check bag fee seems pretty standard. When we flew last year with Frontier, we were able to bring one standard carry on, plus a personal item for free. They charged the same for checked bags, as I have seen from most other carriers, if you pay before you get to the airport. I think the bad feelings come from charging for upgraded seats. I can't say for sure as we have always been taken such good care of. The only real extra we paid for on either was to get our son a seat with extra leg room (he is 6'4). It was the best $15 we spent on that trip.

~Tink~

Thats interesting. Maybe I'll try them for my August cruise. lol
 
I booked my room Disney resort room this morning. My niece happened to mention that if she went back to Disney she would like to stay at the Little Mermaid hotel. So I got a Little Mermaid room for her. From the pictures it looks really nice. Based on the price and theme I thought it was a moderate. I was shocked to find out it was a Value resort.
 


I booked my room Disney resort room this morning. My niece happened to mention that if she went back to Disney she would like to stay at the Little Mermaid hotel. So I got a Little Mermaid room for her. From the pictures it looks really nice. Based on the price and theme I thought it was a moderate. I was shocked to find out it was a Value resort.
Yeah, I agree. We looked into a getting a Cars room. When we were talking to our travel agent and comparing resorts, she explained that it was because it was a suite. I am sure she will love.
The room I am interested in staying in is at the Port Orleans. They have rooms where the head board has a fiber optic firework display.

~Tink~
 
Happy Monday everyone, we have only 15 Mondays until we set sail.
And I have a short but helpful Monday Forget me Not for your this week.

This is a Disney cruise, so a great number of us are traveling with kiddos, and we need to remember that adjusting to a new environment may be a little difficult. You can help bedtime go a little smoother with a simple item that could easily be forgotten. No, I'm not talking about a night light, we're not supposed to use those, plus your precious outlet space will probably be completely filled up over night charging you tech gear (phones, tablets, etc ). Instead, you can bring a flameless (battery operating ) candle. These small tea light candles, are a cheap, safe way to bring a little bit of light to an otherwise very dark cabin. You can place one on the desk, and one in the bathroom to help everyone find there way when the lights are out. One extra benefits of having the lights is emergency preparedness. I know no one likes to think about the what ifs, but it is a good idea to be ready for them.

Oh, and one last thing, you don't have to travel with kiddos to have a cabin mate that is afraid of the dark. That is a fear that can come in adult size as well. FYI we always have to leave a light on in hotel rooms when we travel.

~Tink ~
 


Here is a list of my past favs: (I added a few pics at the bottom)
First Aid or Travel emergency kits (put in things like bandaids, sewing kit, energy / immune boost powder packs, etc)
Coasters
Anything specific to your locale (like key chains, magnets, cups, specialty food, etc.)
Pirate stuff for pirate night
Cup koozie /coffee cup sleeve
Bows for the girls
Duct tape wallet
Picture frames for autographs
Picture matting (cardboard type boarder) for autographs
Autograph books
Also, here is a list from our last cruise:
beach toys
clothes pins
paracord bracelets
tins w/ candy
trading pins
personalized post cards to send back to friends
door magnets
book marks
various different items with the group name, and logo / picture ( we named our last group, and I drew up a picture for the group)
special items for cabin celebrations
Coasters-2-1.jpg
images
images
a6c56348f8679e6748cdd6eb3eaa075d--mouse-crafts-classroom-crafts.jpg
bf8bcb4ed9d36a7e53fbd6d1bcdabded--crochet-mickey-mouse-crochet-disney.jpg


Hope this got your creativity going!

~Tink~
 
Woo Hoo we are all paid off!:woohoo:

Just in time to stay up really late this coming Thursday for the online check in window opening for Castaway Gold members!

~Tink~
 
Here is a list of my past favs: (I added a few pics at the bottom)
First Aid or Travel emergency kits (put in things like bandaids, sewing kit, energy / immune boost powder packs, etc)
Coasters
Anything specific to your locale (like key chains, magnets, cups, specialty food, etc.)
Pirate stuff for pirate night
Cup koozie /coffee cup sleeve
Bows for the girls
Duct tape wallet
Picture frames for autographs
Picture matting (cardboard type boarder) for autographs
Autograph books
Also, here is a list from our last cruise:
beach toys
clothes pins
paracord bracelets
tins w/ candy
trading pins
personalized post cards to send back to friends
door magnets
book marks
various different items with the group name, and logo / picture ( we named our last group, and I drew up a picture for the group)
special items for cabin celebrations
Coasters-2-1.jpg
images
images
a6c56348f8679e6748cdd6eb3eaa075d--mouse-crafts-classroom-crafts.jpg
bf8bcb4ed9d36a7e53fbd6d1bcdabded--crochet-mickey-mouse-crochet-disney.jpg


Hope this got your creativity going!

~Tink~

Thanks for this!! I'll have to look through these and see what jumps out at me. I'm also looking at a couple of things on Etsy too.
 
Are there any other Gold Castaway members waiting up for online check in tonight? It is open now.

~Tink~
 
Happy Monday everyone (okay, I know it is Sunday, but I will be on a college tour tomorrow, before heading to the Grand Canyon for a few days).
We are 14 Mondays away from our cruise and it is time for this week's Monday Forget Me Not's.

Okay, this one is for the lady's....I always wondered what that phrase could ever be used for! :upsidedow

When your packing for a Disney Cruise, you have a choice to make - Pack your whole bathroom, or Take advantage of Disney's complementary bathroom essentials.

Disney does a great job at covering your bathroom needs. They have soap (bar form for face and hand), shampoo, conditioner, lotion (body butter) and even an ion hair dryer. These toiletries are top of the line H2O products.

So, why am I adding this to the forget me not's then, you ask. Well, for those of us who have sensitive skin, or those that have a product they swear by because the results are amazing, we need to plan ahead to take those items even if Disney has already stocked the bathroom up for you.

Being a sailor w/ sensitive skin, and very long hair, I am one who has to consider what to and what not to bring.

Below, I am going to go over each of the amenities 1 by 1 (or 2 by 2).

Hand soap and face soap bars - On prior Disney cruises we have used the bar hand soap and been very
pleased. However, on our last cruise, some one gave us a foaming hand soap
from Bath and Body as a gift during the cruise. We put it in the bathroom, and
found that the pump style soap was easier to use and made less of a mess. We
decided that we would be bringing our own hand soap from that point on. As
for the face bar (which is basically the soap you are expected to use in the
shower), it has never been open in our cabin. This is because of a personal
preference. We prefer to use a body wash w/ a puff.
Shampoo and conditioner - My husband and the boys love the shampoo and conditioner. They smell
wonderful, and do an awesome job. I on the other hand, because I
suffer from sensitive skin, and have found that the H2O hair products and I don't
get along, I have to pack these items. For those of you who expect certain results
from your products, I would suggest packing your own as well. That way, you
can give the H2O products a try, and if they don't work for you, you will have
your own there as a back up.
Lotion (body butter) - With sensitive skin, one might think I need to bring my own lotion as well. However,
I do not. The H20 body butter is outstanding. It does a great job moisturizing skin
that is all dried out from wind and sun
Hair Drier - This item is one that you will find debated on many cruise threads. "Is the dryer a good enough
quality, and does it have enough power to dry my hair?" I would answer yes to both of these
questions. As a matter of fact, I bought my ion hair drier after using one on the Disney cruise.
My hair is extremely long, and tends to take quite a bit of time to dry. However, with the ion
drier, I can dry my hair in about 5 minutes (that is straight out of the shower, with out time
for any air dry time). I do not know how well the drier will work for thick hair, as mine in very
fine, but I would assume it would work just as well.

Hopefully, this helps you narrow down what is a must pack from your bathroom, and what can be left at home. Oh, and always remember to pack any liquids (like your bathroom items that are going in checked luggage...no drinks :drinking: those must be in carry on) in a zip lock bag. One of our favorite pass times on boarding day is to watch them load the luggage on to the boat, and see if we can spot ours. And I promise you, there is no "Handle with Care" taking place on the dock. Our luggage is thrown, and dropped, and squished. It would be a horrible way to start you cruise if your soap or lotion ended up all over your clothes.

Have a great week
~Tink~
 
Happy Monday everyone!!!!
We are down to 13 Mondays until our cruise!!!!

I was planning a special forget me not this week, and I was going to have a video to go with it. Unfortunately, the lens on my camera is cracked, and I have to wait for the replacement to arrive so that I can get the video ready. While fretting over my camera, I started to look back at previous cruises for an inspiration for today. I found one that I think is just as relevant today as it was back in January (as there are still travel advisories pertaining to this matter). Keep a look out for a 'Special Edition' Forget Me Not sometime this week. As for now....

This weeks Monday Forget Me Not is inspired by an email I got, just prior to our last cruise from Disney Cruise Line warning us about the Zika Virus. :cold:
(I have attached the email to the end of my reminder.)

Anytime you travel to areas that are prone to mosquitoes it is a good idea to have a defense plan. In central and south Texas, this is a battle we prepare for in early Spring every year. If you are not used to fighting off this sucky pest, I have a few tips.

You will read in the email from Disney that a bug repellent with DEET is recommended. However, several people are severely allergic to DEET. There are good repellents out there that are DEET free. Bull Frog sells what we call bug screen. It is a sunscreen that has a bug repellent in it. Also, we use Sun X towelette sun screen (I mention this because the same company also makes a bug repellent towelette - there are actually quite a few companies that make an easy to use towelette applicator including Avon {Skin So Soft}).
If you want to stay away from the liquid / lotion type all together, there are bug bands available (little stretch bracelets, or live strong type of bracelets). There are a few different types out there (if you would like a picture of one, I can post the type that we got last season from groupon. Theirs advertises that 1 band lasts for 100 hours...we find that about 3 days is the limit). As I just mentioned, you can find them on groupon. If you are in an area that does not have a mosquito problem, you may need to search some place like San Antonio or Houston's groupon page to find them. I have also seen a similar product in the camping section of our local Walmart. However, they are starting to run out of them this time of year, and they will usually not restock until early spring.
Finally, a solution that works for a good number of people ( I am not sure if the difference between working or not is due to blood type, or body chemistry), is peppermint oil (it is one of the essential oils). I know you can find the actual oil at health food stores, but we have found that anything with peppermint oil in it works. Mine and my youngest son's favorite is a hand sanitizer spray that has the peppermint oil in it. EO peppermint hand sanitizer is the one we get from Lucky vitamin (online). With the spray, you are getting the sanitizer, which comes in handy on the boat (we like to have more than just the sanitizer wipes they give you before entering the dining areas), and the peppermint all in one. Bath and Body sells a Twisted Peppermint lotion, soap, and I think hand sanitizer during the Christmas season.

I would suggest putting what ever type of bug repellent you plan to use on your shopping list soon. The farther away from summer we get, the harder it will be to find.

Here is the email I received from Disney just prior to our cruise last January:

Important Information About Your Cruise
bottom.jpg

Reservation #:

Dear...,

We appreciate you booking a Disney Cruise Line vacation.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a travel alert for countries and territories in Latin American, the Caribbean and Bahamas
where Zika virus, a mosquito related illness, has been found. They have also issued specific guidance for people living in or traveling to a specific areas in
Florida.

The precautions recommended by the CDC are similar to those to prevent other mosquito borne illnesses and include wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants
and using EPA-registered insect repellents containing an active ingredient such as DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535 according to the label.
While the most common symptoms are usually mild and include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes, pregnant women should pay special attention to the travel
alert and take necessary precaution to avoid mosquito bites.

Additional information can be found under the Travelers Health and Zika virus update sections of the CDC website at http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices and
http://www.cdc.gov/zika.

Should you have any questions related to your sailing, please feel free to call us at 800-939-2784 or 407-566-7000.

Sincerely,

The Cast and Crew
Disney Cruise Line
 
Frozen47, are you still interested in do a wine sampling. I haven't gotten anyone else showing interest. If you do, tasting 2 bottles is fine with me. If not, I
okay with that tool
Is there anyone else that would be interested in anything (listed or not)?

Group Activites Lists & Participants

Meet and Greet

Pixiehallow


magnet exchange

Pixiehallow
helloiambaymax

ornament exchange

helloiambaymax

This suggestion is more of a get together. Wine Sampling
We have done this before. Everyone brings a bottle of wine from there area of the world, and we meet in someone's cabin (I would offer our as our veranda is one of the larger ones on the boat), and sample different wines from all over.

Wine Sampling
Pixiehallow

frozen47

~Tink~
 
Just curious, are we traveling with anyone in the medical field? My son it getting very close to taking his EMT test, and he will be missing a class and a ride along while we are gone. So I was just wondering if there was anyone that may be able to quiz him our just chat shop? I know you are on vacation, and I don't want to take that away from you, so I wouldn't be hurt if your not interested?

~Tink~
 
Frozen47, are you still interested in do a wine sampling. I haven't gotten anyone else showing interest. If you do, tasting 2 bottles is fine with me. If not, I
okay with that tool
Is there anyone else that would be interested in anything (listed or not)?

Group Activites Lists & Participants

Meet and Greet

Pixiehallow


magnet exchange

Pixiehallow
helloiambaymax

ornament exchange

helloiambaymax

This suggestion is more of a get together. Wine Sampling
We have done this before. Everyone brings a bottle of wine from there area of the world, and we meet in someone's cabin (I would offer our as our veranda is one of the larger ones on the boat), and sample different wines from all over.

Wine Sampling
Pixiehallow

frozen47

~Tink~

I'd be interested in the meet and greet.
 
Group Activites Lists & Participants

Meet and Greet

Pixiehallow
Mimi-Anne


________________________________________________________

Mixology
Pixiehallow

______________________________________________________

recipe exchange
Pixiehallow

magnet exchange

Pixiehallow
helloiambaymax

ornament exchange

helloiambaymax

This suggestion is more of a get together. Wine Sampling
We have done this before. Everyone brings a bottle of wine from there area of the world, and we meet in someone's cabin (I would offer our as our veranda is one of the larger ones on the boat), and sample different wines from all over.

Wine Sampling
Pixiehallow

frozen47

~Tink~
 

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