MouseFest Cruise 2006: ºoº WONDERful Magical Christmas Tree Lighting ºoº

[RaySharpton]

Meet: WONDERful Magical Christmas Tree Lighting with Mickey Mouse and Friends.

Date: December 3, 2006, Sunday

Time: TBA (started at 7:30 P.M. last year, the earlier you get there the better.)

Location: Atrium Lobby on Deck 3 and midship (there will also be room on the two decks above at the railings looking down on the Lobby. The best place to stand is in front of the staircase in front of the Triton's entrance and looking to the right at the Christmas tree. Maybe we can take a group photo afterwards. This event is before the second dinner of about 8:30 P.M. and after the first stage show of 6:10 P.M.)

Photo:

Description: Experience the "WONDERful" Magical Christmas Tree Lighting as Mickey Mouse and Friends walk down the beautiful Atrium staircases. Join in a singalong as the Christmas Tree is lit and amazingly snow appears over the tree. A truly magical way to start the Mousefest Holiday Cruise.

Open to All Mousefest Sailors.

Host: RaySharpton from Tagrel.com




I was just posting on the cruise board and saw where there will be at least four people from Tagrel on the 4-day Disney Wonder Cruise.

I saw kathleena and Jim and StephenNC and myself will be on the cruise together.

May I request permission to host a WONDERful Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony meet for Tagrel for Sunday evening on December 3, 2006.

I think that it usually starts around 7:30 P.M. after the 6:30 P.M. Disney show and before the 8:30 P.M. later dinner.

It is a WONDERful magical way to start the cruise on the first evening.

As you enter the main lobby, in front of the stair case that goes to the entrance to the Triton's restaurant there is an almost two story Disney Christmas tree on the right.

If you get there early enough and find a space near the marble, curved staircase in front of the Triton's entrance doorway you can see the christmas tree on the right and the stairway on the right where Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, and Goofy walk down the staircase from the floor above and in front of the christmas tree.

A great photo op.

The characters will also walk down the stair case to the platform in front of the Triton's entrance way to sing songs and light the christmas tree and make it snow on the tree.

It usually on lasts about 10 to 15 minutes, but with all of the decorations it is very festive.

So Dave, would it be alright to host a Tagrel meet?

I would like it to be open to everyone with no RSVP since most will show up before or after the nightly stage show or dinner.

I'll try to get there early, but so does everyone else.

The lobby completely fills up for this and many will go to the upper two floors and look over the handrails.

Maybe we could meet afterwards and have a group photo in front of the tree.

Deb Wills had some great photos of the meet last year.

P.S.: Beware that I usually let some children stand in front of me and us if that is O.K. so that they can see better.

Ray

[Moley]

I think that's a great offer, Ray. I'm sorry that I will miss the cruise yet again this year. So much fun so little budget.

I hope it is wonderful and that y'all have a good meet!

[cshore]

This sounds like a lovely, magical meet. I sure wish I was among the lucky ones going on this cruise.

Chris

[Carrie]

I wish I could afford a cruise right now. Still dreaming...

[kathleena]

Hi Ray!!! Nice to see you again!

Count me in for this meet!

[DebWills]

It is very magical OPPS I meant WONDERful

[RaySharpton]

Originally Posted by DebWills

It is very magical OPPS I meant WONDERful

Hi, Deb. Does that mean that I could use one of your pictures this year, if Dave approves the Tagrel meet?

I hope so.

I am going to try my hardest to take pictures for your yearly Mousefest meets trip report this year.

And the word "WONDERful" is a wonderful word.

I think that I will add that to the title meet.

I sure am looking forward to the cruise again.

I hope that I can get on the same parasailing boat as you again this year. That was so much fun.

One of favorite pictures was the one of me and you on the parasail boat.

I think that I was looking straight ahead and scared to death and you were all smiles.

And I like your new yahoo 2006 Mousefest Cruise forum. I wish those that had suggested the forum would start posting. I guess more people will be posting more as the time gets closer. I think that it is a great idea.

Ray

[RaySharpton]

Originally Posted by kathleena

Hi Ray!!! Nice to see you again!

Count me in for this meet!

That's great, kathleena. I'm doing a sandwich cruise, too.

Ray

[Tagrel]

I think it sounds like a wonderful meet Ray - go for it! I just wish I could be there as well!

Deb - GREAT pictures! I have to talk the wife into doing this sometime!

[RaySharpton]

Originally Posted by Moley

I think that's a great offer, Ray. I'm sorry that I will miss the cruise yet again this year. So much fun so little budget.

I hope it is wonderful and that y'all have a good meet!

Thank you, Moley.

I wish that you guys, Moley, Chris and Carrie could go too.

I thought that it might be too expensive for me too.

But then I started to try and itemize the diffent perks that I would be getting as compared to being at WDW on land.

It would be even cheaper if there were two people to a stateroom.

For one person in a stateroom, they charge around 175% of the two person per stateroom cost. But as a one person you just pay taxes and port charges for one person.

The two travel agencies for Mousefest seem to buy a block of rooms when the staterooms first become available and early when the prices are usually less.

Most of the time, the early you purchase your stateroom, the cheaper the cost. I guess because as the ship fills up, Disney DCL can charge more for the remaining staterooms.

For the cruise, it always seems cheaper to go through the Mousefest travel agent.

Plus they will sit you at the dinners with other Mousefesters.

This trip for me was cheaper using a Mousefest travel agent.

The total cost for a Category 11 stateroom for one person was $695.13 including port and tax charges for one person.

That includes about $90.00 in Port Charges and Taxes, I think.

This was one of the things that was very hard to find out and get information about. I was told that one person does not have to pay port charges nor taxes for two people.

That includes four nights and five days in a stateroom.

That by itself would cost about $173.79 per night.

Plus all of the sitdown meals for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner are included.

Plus all of the counter service meals, snacks, non-alcoholic drinks are included.

Plus all of the room service is included, less a tip each time. Can you say Mickey Mouse Ice Cream bar?

Plus there is a WONDERful major stage show each night is included.

Plus newly released movies everyday in a huge movie theater.

Plus all of those dance clubs and music clubs every night.

Plus if you go during Mousefest, there are a lot of other free extras:

1. A Mousefest meet at the Port Canaveral DCL Coffee Shop with Deb Wills, web founder and author of www.AllEarsNet.COM , and Jennifer and Dave Marx, web founder's and author's of www.PassPorter.com .

2. A WONDERful, sardine stacked mandatory boat drill.

3. A Mousefest sailaway party as a group.

4. A Mousefest Cove Cafe Coffee Tawk with Deb, Jennifer and Dave in a relaxing adult lounge.

5. A Nassau Island Walking Tour by the author Dave Marx.

6. A Meet the Authors Mousefest Meet with Deb, Jennifer, Dave, and author, Steve Barrett of Hidden Mickey's book.

7. Several Lounging with the Author's Deb and Dave and Jennifer at Promenade Lounge.

8. Parasailing Meet on the Disney Island of Castaway Cay.(This is the only meet that costs extra money.)

9. Playdate Meet and Sandcastle Building Contest on Goofy's Sand Lot with sand castle tools provided by Jennifer and Dave.

10. A Trivia Contest by MEV travel agency.

11. A Pirate Costume Contest by MFT travel agency.

12. A WONDERful Stateroom Door Decorating Contest by Deb and Jennifer.

13. A Walk, Stroll, and Roll(that's for me) the Plank against Breast Cancer around the deck with Deb and Annette of MFT travel agency. Plus MFT will contribute $5.00 for each participant up to 30 people to Breast Cancer.

14. A Hidden Mickey Hunt onboard the Wonder by author, Steve Barret of his book on Hidden Mickeys.

15. Plus all the many things that you can do on your own.

Now I don't know how to price and divide that into what costs me per night. And it would cost much less for two people in one stateroom. I guess just 25% more plus taxes and port charges for the second person.

Of course, it involves extra money in addition to WDW at the parks and resort stays.

And if I had to make a choice with money, I would definitely want to visit MK and Epcot and MGM and AK and DTD during the Christmas decorated December.

So this would be something extra to go on a cruise.

But if you have the extra time off work and the extra time off of school and the extra money, then this deal is pretty good.

I don't know if I would go on a cruise by myself otherwise.

I like the idea of being onboard with so many Disney web founders and Disney authors, and Disney Fans.

I sure hope everyone can go on the Mousefest cruise sometime.

I don't know how much the Pop Century costs for December, maybe $99.00.

Plus maybe 12% tax or another $12.00.

And the the tickets to the parks.

And the meals and snacks.

And I don't know how much the Port Orlean's Riverside Resort would cost in December, maybe $139.00.

Plus maybe 12% tax or another $17.00.

That by itself is about $155.00 per night without the cost of tickets and meals, snacks, and drinks.

I guess when I compare it like this, and I have the extra money and time off work, then the Mousefest cruise turns out to be a great deal.

Sorry for the rambling.

I seem to be thinking out loud again trying to convince myself that this is worth doing.

For me, I think it is.

Of course, this is my major vacation every year.

Ray