Passing through the Panama Canal - a Passporter's Tale **Updated 8/21** About This Page:

[DrDolphin]

OK - so it starts - the Pre-Trip Report (please hold me to finishing this one!!!)

The Westbound Panama Canal Relocation Cruise aboard the Disney Magic.
15 nights
Your cast –
DrDolphin (Terri) – DCL veteran 3 times (2 Wonder; 1 Magic)
WDWfan (Lesley) – DCL newbie!!!

Lesley and Terri in front of the Tree of Life - Mousefest, Dec 2007

How did this trip happen?

I actually don’t recall the details. I know that Lesley and I were planning on attending Mousefest together when the idea of the cruise came up – I knew it would sell out fast – and I had desperately wanted to do it last time – but money made it not an option. When the news was released that Disney was taking the Magic to California again – I knew I HAD to be on that ship!! And I knew I needed a roomie to be able to afford it! Lesley may be able to recall the details of how we got here – but it has been more than 400 days in the planning… and I can not recall.

In reviewing my email folder for the trip, I can find the following milestones of our planning of this trip -

Jan 2007 – Reservation hold in the system for Lesley and I
July 27, 2007 – Officially booked!!!

We decided that Lesley would fly down to Orlando and Terri would drive from Jacksonville. Our TA warned me that DCL would not let me park my car at the DCL dock – since the ship was not returning there would not be security… so now I had to figure out what to do with my car. Since we would leave from Canaveral, but I would return to Jacksonville’s airport – and I would need my car to be there waiting for me. I am a frequent traveler – and as such I get free parking at a local parking facility (for every 45 days I park, I get 5 free) and it happens that I have 15 days free… I decided that I would park the Sonata at ParkSpace, get a rental car and drive to Orlando to meet Lesley. From there we had to decide when to go and where to go.

Originally, we talked about heading to Cape Canaveral for a day or two before the cruise – since it has been years since either of us went to the Space Center (of course I have lived in Florida for 6 years now…). After a few months of this (I think it was May) we decided that since the Flower and Garden Festival was going on – I had not been in a few years (don’t remember how long it had been for Lesley), but we decided to bail on NASA and head to F&GF!!! This is about when I left to go to the Med on the magic with my parents and DNiece (Cruising the Med with Mickey and the Crew **Updated 11/25** COMPLETE), so the PC cruise planning went on hold.

I returned from the Med SO excited about the PC cruise, and as a new DVC member. I called Lesley and told her that with my DVC membership, I would book us a room for Mousefest as well as a 1 bedroom at Saratoga Springs for the couple of days before the cruise!!

I also had another benefit of my excessive travel with work – free rewards plane tickets on Southwest. Since Lesley and I will be flying one-way from LAX back home (Chicago and JAX, respectively) – I took my free rewards ticket and “bought” 2 one-way tickets from LAX to Chicago and JAX.

Continued in the next post -

[DrDolphin]

The months passed by, I saved my dollars, my quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies too – and waited for what felt like it would never arrive – departure day!

In December, Lesley and I attended Mousefest and had a ball (and yes I know I never finished that trip report)…. And after a week together for Mousefest – I know I felt like Lesley and I could room together on the cruise for two weeks (I hope she felt the same!!)

After the hubbub of Christmas and the New Year died down – we had to make our final payment right at the end of January and then we could book all of our spa appointments, Palo reservations and excursions online. I am a Castaway Club member – so 90-days out was February 10. We had read, looked, planned charted (although will never hold a candle to Karen’s BA Spreadsheet) and were all ready to go with our choices… However, the Disney website failed us miserably!! It appears that 90% of the people sailing on the West-bound relocation cruise must be Castaway Club members who all tried to book on the evening of 10 Feb after 12 midnight…

Neither one of us had any success – and I ended up on the phone with DCL being a very unhappy camper that this website was the only way to book anything – but they lacked the capability (after knowing for almost a YEAR that they had a HUGE number of Castaway Club members that would all try to access at the same time) to handle the load. I send an email to DCL later – but never heard a single peep back.

The following morning I managed to get on for a bit and get spa, excursions and one Palo dinner – but no luck on the tea or the brunch . We will have to plan to be there as soon as we board to get those two!!

Excursion list
Castaway Cay – Parasailing (on my life to do list and now I weigh low enough to do without fear)
And I am taking snorkeling gear so I will snorkel this time (third time is the charm!)
Lesley has an EcoTour by personal watercraft planned for Castaway Cay and she is also parasailing!

Aruba –
Kayaking – Terri

Aruba Island Tour – Lesley

Acapulco -
Walking Tour – Terri & Lesley

Puerto Vallarta –
Horseback riding for Terri
Walking Tour for Lesley

Cabo San Lucas – Canopy Excursion for Terri (Zipline!!! - Another life list item!!)

Spa treatments (only mine here – Lesley is still deciding)
-Cabana massage on castaway cay
-Massage and body wrap on one sea day
-Rainforest (of course!)

At some point (and I don’t have emails on this to tell me when) Lesley decided to extend her trip by 5 days – plus a friend of hers is joining her… so she will be at Beach Club before I arrive on Thursday. She also booked our stay at Boardwalk since I used my points for our Mousefest accommodations back in December (with her newly minted DVC membership!).

Next installment - the plans!

[Colexis Mom]

Great start Terri!! More please

[DopeyGirl]

YAY!!!!!!

And might I say, you are far braver than I with the zipline and parasailing! That's too far off the ground for this girl with a serious fear of heights!

[emtpej]

I think it is really neat that you are doing different excursions and are not 'joined at the hip' -- that gives you more to talk about!

[PrincessSharon]

Great start! You've both got some great excursions planned. Sorry about the Castaway Club issue, though. Can't wait to hear the plans!

[iamgrumpy]

Sounds like a great trip is planned

[NanaTink]

Ooh! Terri, you and Lesley have some exciting stuff planned! You will LOVE the parasailing...we've done it twice at CC and loved it! You will have to tell me about the zip line stuff...I'm looking at that but afraid the climb might be too much of a strain on my knee. Please let me know how rough of a climb it is!
Can't wait for more!

[ariel14]

What an amazing trip you have planned!!!! More pls!!!!!

[WDWfan]

Glad you started this Terri. I'm notoriously bad at finishing TRs so I'll try to chime in here. As I remember it the trip came about in January of 2007. Terri and I had met the previous October at a PPer meet at Jellyrolls with Dawn and her DH Chuck and Rachel (who had just found out she was pregnant ) and her DH Wally. We ended up running into each other a couple of nights later at MK and spending the evening touring together and then spent the next morning together at AK.


When DCL announced the PC cruises there was a thread with many people talking about how much they wanted to go (didn't we all?). I read a post Terri made about wanting to go, but needing to find a roomie. Since we had enjoyed each other's company in October I took a chance and sent her a PM to see if we could work it out. After a couple of phone calls and some PMs we were set.


If you looked at the excursion list you probably noticed that we're going our own way. As much as Terri and I enjoy spending time together we're also very different people. I'm more of the shopper, sightseer type. Terri enjoys more active excursions. We're also both very independent (that's an understatement if there ever was one!) so we decided early on that we would each choose our own excursions. Parasailing is something I've always wanted to try and I figured Disney would do it as safely as anyone so I signed up for that with Terri at Castaway Cay. We're also doing a tour together at Puerto Vallarta, but everywhere else we're splitting up.


I have a feeling we'll do some of that on the ship, too. I'm not big on working out and Terri is much more motivated. I did sign up for one massage and am planning to take the spa tour on board to see what else I might want to do. With 15 days on board ship and 8 days at sea I think I'll do at least one more spa treatment and will sign up for the Rain Forest.


Terri was kind in her description of trying to get online at 90 days to book our Palo reservations and excursions. I was up until 3:00 am the first night and got NOTHING booked! I was sooooooo frustrated. I even sent an e-mail to our TA who was actually up and online. Many of her clients were experiencing the same frustrations. I finally went to bed and by the next morning nothing was avaiable for the Palo Brunch or Tea. I hope we can get something on the ship, but I have a feeling everyone will be trying to do the same thing. Wouldn't you think with that many days there would be plenty of chances for everyone to attend one? Wish us luck!


I actually leave next Saturday for WDW. I'm going to try to do a TR for the WDW portion in the WDW TR forum so I'll leave those details for there. I can't believe it's almost here after a year and a half of planning. Terri called today to say the Cruise documents came. Before you know it we'll be sailing away.

[chezp]

Great updates both of you! It sounds like you've got a magical trip coming up - and what a great plan to go for excursions that suit your personalities. What a shame about not being able to snag the brunch or tea at Palo - I'll keep my fingers crossed that you get those when you board.

[NanaTink]

Looking forward to reading all about it!

[lauriep]

Great start, both of you!

I look forward to meeting you either in the terminal or on board--probably in the line for Palo tea and brunch, since the same thing happened to me trying to book on line. How frustrating was that! Up all night trying and trying--for nothing. It seems ridiculous that we could actually be on the ship for 15 nights and unable to do these two meals!

I'm neither ready, willing or able to do the more adventurous excursions and will probably shop and take a bus tour or two. My travel-mate, Carol, is thinking of doing the parasailing. We've known each other for over 40 years (!) and have shared many a WDW trip, so we know we're good traveling buddies. I've done one 3-day Wonder cruise, Carol has never cruised. We've both done a lot of foreign travel, but these ports are new to us.

I'm so glad you've started the report, Terri. It'll be fun to get another viewpoint on it all.

We're going to have a blast!! Two weeks from today.....

[WDWfan]

Originally Posted by lauriep

I look forward to meeting you either in the terminal or on board--probably in the line for Palo tea and brunch, since the same thing happened to me trying to book on line.

Wishing us all getting the reservations.

Originally Posted by lauriep

II'm neither ready, willing or able to do the more adventurous excursions and will probably shop and take a bus tour or two. My travel-mate, Carol, is thinking of doing the parasailing.

Maybe we'll end up on some of the same excursions. I'm looking forward to meeting both of you!

[DyanKJ130]

Great start, you two!!! Your excursions and spa treatments sound wonderful! Can't wait to hear more