You took soooooo many pictures!! I love it!! I felt like I was touring with you.
Your room is beautiful!!
So glad the boys liked the club! I agree, it's a neat atmosphere.
The mushroom risotto in Animator's is my favorite! I love it!
I
did take a lot of pics just like you told me to! I'm a good listener and take instruction well.
However, you know you may be too photo crazy when your server says, "Kellyyyyy, I take you to Japan & you will fit in with all the pictures you take. Why so many???" Then I have to explain about the trip reports.... LOL!
The room was really nice. No complaints. I didn't have to clean. That's the best part no matter what size the room is.
Both boys really enjoyed Vibe more this go around. I think it had a lot to do with the much smaller group of teens (maybe 1/4 of what was on the Dream). Also, I had put them in touch with the other teens in our cruise group prior to sailing so they'd already been conversing & set up their own "meet" on embarkation day. They also said the counselors actually hung out with them. This is a huge key for Chandler. Not to sound like the bragging/over-proud mom but he's never related closely with kids his own age. Even when he was a squirt. Very rarely did he bond with children the same age as him. The gap really widened in middle school. He has always preferred the company of people older. Put him with other teens and he shuts down. Put him with a room full of adults and he's like a butterfly. The counselors "hung" with the kids this time. Chandler bonded with all 3 of them and they helped bridge some gaps to the other kids as well. That's where the biggest difference was. On the Dream the kids said the counselors just kept to themselves. I think maybe from now on when we embark & go to Open House I'll be sure to steal a moment with the counselors onhand and explain the importance of them engaging the kids, Chandler in particular. He'll be their most loyal friend if they give him a chance.
OMG! That mushroom risotto was
da bomb!!!! I could so roll around blissfully in a giganto plate of the stuff. It's sooooo incredible!
Sooooo excited you've started your TR!!!
I've been back almost 2 weeks and have barely made a dent in mine. I'm just too busy!!
Can I say I am super bummed that we missed you guys by just one day!! Would have been awesome to meet you before the girls cruise next year!
LOVE the stateroom. That extra space must have been great to have! And nice choice in alcohol. I love to mix some Parrot Bay with orange soda for my 'drinky drink'!
I burst out laughing when I read the "I've got the golden ticket.." line. I so remember that from your previous TR. I think that might be one of things that no one in your family will ever forget and it will forever be brought up lol
And you have nothing to be self conscious about in those bathing suit pics! You have a beautiful figure. You're healthy, lady! I think it's better than being stick straight! I'd rather have a few curves than have the body of a 12 year old boy any day!
OK so seeing the pics of the food has made me hungry so it's off to find some breakfast. Probably just some yogurt but I could definietly go for that rissotto! YUM!!
OMG! Yes, coming down off the cruise is brutal. Like the first day home I was so annoyed by having to go to the kitchen, fix my own breakfast, and clean up after. Where's the list of restaurant openings???
I know! I wish we could've met up!
The extra space was cool but the layout wasn't as awesome as the well-thought-out room we had on the Dream that was 1/2 the size. On the way home Tracey & I discussed this at length. We felt like we had just as much space on the Dream even with half the square footage. The Dream really does make every inch count whereas in that 1 bedroom suite there's a lot of little quirks to work around (like the master tv placement) especially when the beds are all folded out for bedtime.
The golden ticket was hysterical! Yes, it still comes up every now & then. On this cruise it came up several times. Tracey would lean over randomly and whisper with a chuckle...Golden Ticket, Baby! It's so tacky which is where the humor comes in for me. LOL!
Ugh! Thank you for the bathing suit compliment. Y'all are the sweetest. I wish I looked as good as I did at Typhoon Lagoon at Castaway Cay. I'd been eating cruise food for 4 days at that point. It shooooowed! You'll see. I'll be shameless and embarrass myself. It was Mother's Day and I let it all gooooo.... LOL! I agree on preferring curves over stick-skinny. I think a lot of people misunderstand the plight of the stick-skinny, tho. Sure, those of us who battle to keep weight off look at those folks and think, "Gawd, I wish I had that problem." But do you know they look at us and think the same thing??? Most of Tracey's life he fought like mad to get pounds put on so he didn't look like a bean pole. Brian is very self-conscious about it, too. The difference is that everyone knows it's hurtful to call someone fat but not everyone realizes it hurts just as much to call a super-skinny person bean-pole. Ya know? I remember being in college and being upset that I wasn't small & petite. My brother informed me I was insane, that guys mostly prefer tall, long-legged, curves. I see my niece struggling with self-image now, too. She's danced ballet her whole life. She's not tall, swan-like, waif-thin. She's like a solid muscle with womanly curves. She still out-dances the skinny girls, too. But they all wear the leotards, etc. and she's grown to be self-conscious about not looking like the typical ballerina. We keep telling her she has the best of both worlds: more talent/ability than the skinny girls with all the curves the boys dig most. Ah, but I remember being that age. Even at a size 4 I thought I was a moose. Little did I know...I should've been running around naked living it up while it lasted.... :lol:
WOW! I am really enjoying your report! Your family is beautiful and seem like so much fun!!!
I can't wait to read some more!
Pictures are great!!!
Thank you! Such a nice compliment! I think we're pretty fun! I like to think we make life more interesting for the world around us. Heehee!
So happy that you started your TR! I always look forward to them. :wave:
Typhoon Lagoon looks like so much fun. I miiight have to make a trip there on my next WDW trip.
Totally agree with you about the Godmother of the Fantasy. Jennifer Hudson started out on DCL and has been a pretty positive role model. Mariah Carey on the other hand, makes no sense. I would have been happier if they made Maleficent Godmother of the Fantasy
Looking forward to reading more!
Typhoon Lagoon was so awesome!!! We really loved it! I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to go to any of the 4 main parks at WDW but I'd go back to Typhoon Lagoon in a heartbeat. I'd like to try Blizard Beach as well!
Oh yeah! I read that about Jennifer Hudson. I had no clue. I still remember my first impression before I knew she had a history with Disney which was...ugh...whyyyyy???? I totally LOL'd at the thought of Maleficent as Godmother! That'd certainly be a better fit. Mariah. Who the heck came up with that one? Were the powers-that-be sitting around the table trying to think of the most person to give the honor to needlessly and/or pointlessly???? I just don't get it.
More shall come! The ride gets sweeter as we go!
I'm in!
Love the report and pics on TL! You guys are braver than me. I never had the courage to get into the Shark Reef - not because of the sharks, but rather the cold water.
Looking forward to the rest of the report!
Yes, that water was frigid! I had to divert both boys when they got in because they didn't even think before starting to blurt out in loud voices the effect that cold water was having on...uh...their boys. :lookaroun Soon as they started to say something I talked loudly over them and shoosh'd 'em. Tracey, on the other hand, couldn't talk. I think he was choking and hyperventilating. :lol:
I can't wait to tell about Key West day! That was our favorite! I'm especially excited for you to hear all about it since you're gonna be there this summer. Lucky duck! I'd gladly go back for a full week. It's an amazing place with a really incredible, unique vibe. I felt like a duck in water!
OMG! My bags are packed and I'm so joining in on this adventure! :lol: GREAT trip report so far!
Typhoon Lagoon looks like fun, I've never been there before so I'll for sure need to make an appearance sometime! About the bikini, you so have nothing to worry about! You have a very nice shape and look great in that bikini! I, on the other hand, wouldn't look so great in a bikini! One-piece swimsuit for me please!
The cruise looks like so much fun so far! I've been on 1 Royal Caribbean cruise and 1 Carnival cruise but I've never been on a Disney cruise! I'm so totally thinking about going on the WDW Magic girls cruise though! Hopefully, it will happen!
Can't wait for more!
Great! Throw your bags in the truck and come on! I love company!
I can't recommend Typhoon Lagoon enough. Seriously! I know I sound like a broken record but we really enjoyed it
that much. One of the cool things I forgot to mention is that TL was under construction when I was a teenager, we were locals, and had seasonal passes. I remember seeing TL under construction, Miss Tilly way up in the sky, and my sibs & I discussing what the heck Disney was doing with THAT. Now I know. I only wish I hadn't waited so long to check it out.
The cruise is incredible. It's bliss in it's purest form. Truly. We've only done 2 cruises now, both Disney. We sailed the Dream last September and the Magic last week. I love them both about the same. They each have their pros & cons. I'll get to it later but on the way home I booked us on RCI's Allure of the Seas for Thanksgiving 2013. Tracey's family is doing a big gathering and everyone is sailing together. Should be fun!
I hope you can make the girls cruise! I'm so pumped for it! I keep looking at the sailings before/after ours thinking I could see about flying Tracey in for just the 2 of us to sail sans kids. 9/18/13 is our 20th anniversary. Well, mainly I want to be able to do a back-to-back but it sounds better to say it's for the anniversary. :lol:
And thank you for your compliment on the 2-piece pics! I can't thank y'all enough for that. It's like free therapy! Can you all just come to my house and follow me around saying nice stuff???? Haha!
