Pre Trip Report 702

[tokyodisneydad]

ok just to give you an quick update on the others that may come with us. They still haven't booked, but that shouldn't be a problem. Hidemi is fairly sure that her and her boyfriend will go. I am going to try to encourage him to propose while on the DREAM. Maki and her husband also soent me a mail. They are less sure as they may be building a house soon and also they want to start a family. I sent her an email back saying that if they could wait just a little that the cruise would be a wonderful place to start trying to make a baby. No response on that one yet.

 

[bluejasmine]

Loving it! I am curious, how did you come to live in Japan? I wasborn in Okanawa, my dad was in the military.
I havent done a dcl cruise yet but my plans are to do a Palo brunch. I cant tip$50 either I understand what wait staff make but not everyone can afford to tip $50 but does that mean we should miss out on a nice dinner? I dont believe so! I will go and tip $20 and I feel certain my wait person will happy. So you go enjoy Palo and tip what you can/want with in reason. Looking fwd to reading more!

 

[tokyodisneydad]

Loving it! I am curious, how did you come to live in Japan? I wasborn in Okanawa, my dad was in the military.
I havent done a dcl cruise yet but my plans are to do a Palo brunch. I cant tip$50 either I understand what wait staff make but not everyone can afford to tip $50 but does that mean we should miss out on a nice dinner? I dont believe so! I will go and tip $20 and I feel certain my wait person will happy. So you go enjoy Palo and tip what you can/want with in reason. Looking fwd to reading more!

Thanks I am definitely hoping to experience brunch. I'm not so interested in dinner, but who knows.

I came to Japan in 1998 with my first wife. She was Japanese also and we met at the University of Georgia. Coming to Japan was a mistake, but now I don't regret it at all. My life is good. we are definitely not rich atleast money wise and this trip is going to be tight for us. It will be tight and difficult, but in the end worth it.

 

[tokyodisneydad]

Ok so I continue read trip reports left and right as they come out. To day I found one that I had somehow missed. I read through it, enjoyed the pictures and the story. What got me really excited was when I spotted a picture with what looked like my old server from my 2007 Wonder Cruise Brenton. The picture wasn't that clear, but I am about 90 % sure it was him.

Can anyone confirm? Below is a picture of him with my daughters. If it's true I will definitely request him.

 

[tokyodisneydad]

Ok everyone I am back. This post will not be about the cruise so much, but instead a little about me. Maybe you will understand a little bit better why boarding the Dream is so important to me.

So get a drink...

maybe not that one. How about...

hmmm...nope.

That's more like it. Now pull up a chair.

Nope...

Nope...

There we go.

Well I know that everyone has had ups and downs in life. I'm not trying to compare my life to anyone elses or say that mine has been any harder than anyone elses. I am thankful for where I am in life. I have a house, a job and a wonderful family. I promise you will meet them soon. Maybe even next post. Like a fellow Diser said I am a "BONUS" dad..(stepdad) to two wonderful daughters and my wife is very beautiful inside and out.I also have three sons from my first marriage, unfortunately they have been taken out of my life.
I moved to Japan back in 1998 with my first wife and sons. Between 1998 and the beginning of 2004 life was difficult. I don't blame my ex wife or myself for what happened. Culture differences and a very abusive ex mother in law led us spiraling down a steep hill. I won't go into details, but I will say things got ugly. I stayed in that marriage as long as I could for my kids. Then just when I thought things couldn't get worse I was diagnosed with CML a type of leukemia. At that time my ex..MIL did things that prevented me from getting treatment. I was given less than six months until this condition would go to Acute a level that is usually not stoppable and leads to death. I had lost 70 pounds and couldn't really move, but I still went to work and tried to support my family. One day I came home from work and found all my things in the driveway, divorce papers were waiting for me to be signed and within a week I was out of the house(parent's house) and sleeping at a coworkers.
This is where Kiyomi my wife now comes into the picture. She was a friend and had always listened while having lunch together. even though she was a single mother, she helped me find an apartment, loaned me the money to move in and get my medicine. Now my medicine (GLIVEC) is not cheap at all. In fact even now it eats up a third of my salary each month...otherwise there would be alot more DCL in my future. So the money she lent me was alot, especially for a single mom.
Over the next few years we would grow closer. Slowly at first, but things happened fast once we decided to get married. The DCL trip in the link at the start of this was actually our first "family" trip. Since then we have become a very close family...Junna and Akane are my daughtersand Kiyomi is my heart and soul.
Since that time we have bought a house, sent one daughter to college and another one soon to start, brought two toy poodles into our family and I even bought a TOY STORY themed motorcycle(scooter) for myself. We have had family trips and many a day at Tokyo Disney resort. Kiyomi and I have even had a few small trips on our own. Having said that Kiyomi and I have never had a "honeymoon" or a trip where I could say thank you for all that she has done for me. I also want to celebrate life and that my CML is under control and remission. It hits me sometimes in my mind about how short life is and we should live every moment like it was our last.
Will this trip be easy for us to take and can we afford it? NO, not even close. BUT I will do everything I need to do to get on that ship.....It is my DREAM and sometimes DREAMS do come true.

 

[tokyodisneydad]

Woke up this morning with a plan to go over to Tokyo Disneyland after a few errands. Instead I look out my window and see...

So instead I am here writing on my PTR again. Don't get me wrong TDL is beautiful with snow and it is rare, but I was in no mood to be cold.

Today it is time to meet my other half.

Here we are in Epcot

and in Nassau

and finally all dressed up on the Wonder

She is my heart, my soul and has been there for me through alot of hard times.

I have always wanted to take her back on a Disney Cruise or even just a honeymoon. Now is my chance.She shares a birthday with Mickey and her favorite character is the little alien in Toy Story. She hasn't quite gotten into the spirit of the cruise yet. She is just too busy at the moment. I know she will love the trip though.

 

[tokyodisneydad]

Haven't been feeling well recently. That is the reason for me not posting. Hopefully I can start picking myself up soon and continue this. Also I keep wandering if anyone is reading along.

 

[SaratogaShan]

I am here!!!! Please keep writing. I just finished reading your previous reports today and can't wait for more.

Hope you feel better soon!

 

[tokyodisneydad]

Well here is the latest.

1. Yesterday I had a little extra time for my lunchbreak, so I was just curious to see if there would be a difference in price if I used a Japanese travel agency versus the TA I use in the states. I went to Japan's two biggest agencys just to get a quote--H.I.S. and JTB. As it turns out there is a HUGE difference. Now keep in mind I haven't booked plane tickets yet, so I don't know the exact cost. But even with my highest estimate for the plane the difference is crazy.

I am estimating (high estimate) about 400-450,000 yen per person. That estimate includes everything except souveniors. It includes food, tips, transport to and from WDW and Port....everything that I can think of. Plus we will get some OBC.
The Japanese Agency wanted 625,000 yen per person...didn't include food or tips and no OBC.
My Jaw hit the floor....I said thank you, smiled and left. So thank you again Marsha.

2.Recently I have been reading alot about the Fantasy. A small part of me is tempted to drop the WDW part of the trip and just go for the longer cruise, but in the end I am thinking of the group as a whole and will stay on the DREAM.

3. I also got a professional opinion on some of the things that I am thinking of giving away for the FE. (Thank you Drew and family for your input--it was very helpful) I am feeling alot better about my possible choices.

 

[texfinn]

I am glad you are back and hope you are feeling better!

I have a question for you, been pondering all day and knew after reading your reports, could only ask you.

What is the best way to get my 7 and 10 year olds started with pin trading? I think they will love this on our upcoming cruise and WDW trip in May but not sure if I should order a lanyard kit from the Disney store, order off of eBay or wait until we get to Orlando.

Thoughts? I know there is a lot of information about getting ripped off with pins. Is it too risky? I just thought my DS Kai would really love looking for star wars pins when we are at HS for Star Wars weekend. Any advice (coming from an expert) would be greatly appreciated!!!! And, if it is a bad idea, please let me know!!

Mati

BTW - love the longer cruises and would normally do WDW first but because of school we are doing the reverse - 7 days on Fantasy followed by 3 WDW nights. I'll let you know how it goes!

 

[tokyodisneydad]

I am glad you are back and hope you are feeling better!

I have a question for you, been pondering all day and knew after reading your reports, could only ask you.

What is the best way to get my 7 and 10 year olds started with pin trading? I think they will love this on our upcoming cruise and WDW trip in May but not sure if I should order a lanyard kit from the Disney store, order off of eBay or wait until we get to Orlando.

Thoughts? I know there is a lot of information about getting ripped off with pins. Is it too risky? I just thought my DS Kai would really love looking for star wars pins when we are at HS for Star Wars weekend. Any advice (coming from an expert) would be greatly appreciated!!!! And, if it is a bad idea, please let me know!!

Mati

BTW - love the longer cruises and would normally do WDW first but because of school we are doing the reverse - 7 days on Fantasy followed by 3 WDW nights. I'll let you know how it goes!

Hmmm...pin trading?? It all depends on how you approach it with the kids. If you go into it thinking of monetary value of pins then I wouldn't get them started. I approach it from a sentimental value point of view. What memory does that pin have behind it or is it of my favorite character. Looking at it in this way it is alot more enjoyable for me. Of course I know the value money wise also, but it's not my first thought. There are completist and Pin sharks out there, but letting them trade with CMs or fellow cruisers should be alot of fun.
My advise would be to get them a starter lanyard set from the Disney Store or the parks. Ebay is cheaper and you can get alot more, but there are fakes out there. Check out PINPICS website and you will get some idea of just how many pins are out there. Also check out Disney Pin Forum..there are alot of helpful traders there and a sell board where they sell trader pins for reasonable price. I know most of those folks and can vouch for some of them.

In the end just let them have fun. with my kids I always said they could trade for whatever they wanted and I wasn't going to worry about it. In the end your kids can always trade with me.

 

[tokyodisneydad]

double post oops

 

[tokyodisneydad]

I'm back and ready to post a little more on the process of planning.

One piece of bad news. My ANDROID phone has stopped charging, so I can't use it at the moment. Which means I can't use the time I spend on trains for work to read information. It kind of stinks. They offered me an option to change it to an Iphone for about 20$ more a month or just get it repaired. I haven't decided yet. I have never used an Ipone, so I am not sure if it is better or not. Opinions? Either way I will have to re download my Cruise app.

Well it's official I have signed up for the FE exchange on our meet forum. I did request that if the group gets too large that we divide it up a bit. I just can't afford to do more than about 20 rooms. If someone wants to do more than 20 I figure they can sign up for more than 2 groups.

Now to the recent decisions I have been toying with.

Wine Package or No Wine package. I have never been a wine drinker and have little knowledge of what a good wine is versus a bad wine. BUT recently I have began to enjoy an occasional bottle of wine with cheese, crackers and salmon and shrimp. So I started to think I would like to enjoy some wine while on board. Now the hard part....buy a package deal, individual bottles or just bring some on board...(still hoping for that Captain Morgan's Rum also.)

The cheaper package seems reasonable, but also a few of the less expensive bottles seem ok also....I checked the site for cost. Then I read if I bring a bottle on to the ship there is a 20$ corkage fee...seems expensive just to open a bottle. Does the corkage fee apply if you buy on the ship? Opinions about what to do?
Also if anyone is sailing soon can they check the price of a bottle of Captain Morgans onboard....please.

Well that is all for today. I am busy running a Disney Murder game on another site at the moment so may not get to post much here, but I will still be checking in from time to time...especially if I get my phone fixed or replaced.

 

[disneyholic family]

getting on board this trip report!!!
i loved your earlier report - i was wondering what happened to you - i remember you had some medical issues..

anyway - how ya doing? congratulations on the new house!!! are you still close to TDR?

one day i'm going to get myself over there so that i can finally see TDS!
DD says it's gorgeous and i'm sure she's right!!

i haven't been in japan for....hmm....i don't have enough fingers and toes to count all the years....oh wait, i forgot i was there again when i was pregnant with DD...so that was in 1984....still a very long time ago!!...

i can't believe the yen is so strong!! when i was little the rate was actually 300 yen to the dollar! or worse.
well i hope the rate stays favorable for your trip!!

i just booked a Dream cruise for my mom, sister and me (DH can't get away and DD and DS are married).

that's why i'm suddenly in major planning mode!!

anyway, i'm looking forward to going along for the ride on your pre-trip and trip report!!

 

[tokyodisneydad]

Glad to see some old friends joining in for my Dream Adventure.

Well today is a good day. i made another payment on my trip and amnow halfway to paying off the cruise portion. This is actually a good thing as I am watching the dollar slowly level off and the yen get a little weaker. It's still not something to panic about as it's still a good rate, but changes can make a big difference.
I also got some REALLY exciting news. A really good friend of mine who I have been communicating with for years is going on the same cruise. I have never met Stef, but know her through my Murder games, pin trading and lots of emails and chat times. I mentioned about the cruise and now she has booked and we will meet for the first time. I am so excited as she has been a good friend for years now. It's funny how through the internet you can create friendships without actually meeting someone. It will be her and her mother on this trip. It is a Small World Afterall.

 

[Ready to go]

Hi, I have really enjoyed reading your posts!!!! We just booked our second Disney Cruise (2nd ever) for next May aboard the Fantasy. I feel a little guilty because we are leaving our teen at home as it is a 25th Wedding Anniversary trip (the good side is the trip is less). I have to say that in many of the posts I read, you were one of the only individuals that brought up the price of the Disney Cruises as being expensive. I too am a lowly State worker for WI (Which has been cut off at the knees thanks to our new Govenor) so I have to agree that this cruise is something we truly have to save for. I am envious of the people who are able to go on yearly cruises plus the parks....I don't get it, am I missing something? What are we doing wrong???!!!! Anyway, I really do enjoy your writing and I, too, can't wait to get to my cruise.

 

[tokyodisneydad]

Thanks for joining in. Don't feel guilty...after 25 years trust me you deserve some alone time. I know I don't feel guilty about my trip. I love my daughters, but I REALLY need some just wife and me time.
I definitely agree with you about how people can afford to take yearly (sometimes more) cruises. I know te cost coming from Japan...wooowee...I never thought I would be able to do that kind of thing. I will say I make more money as a teacher here than I did in the states, but still. The only way I am able to afford it is extra lessons, yearly bonus and tax refunds. it will all be worth it in the end.

 

[TaniaU]

What a touching story about you and your wife I know you'll have a fantastic time on your cruise!

re: the wine package. There's only a few bottles on the list that make it a good deal, so unless you really like those ones it's probably better to buy as needed. The corkage fee only applies if you bring your bottle and have them serve and/or open it. You can always ask for glasses at any bar and pour it in your room and then take it to dinner...no charge.

 

[tokyodisneydad]

What a touching story about you and your wife I know you'll have a fantastic time on your cruise!

re: the wine package. There's only a few bottles on the list that make it a good deal, so unless you really like those ones it's probably better to buy as needed. The corkage fee only applies if you bring your bottle and have them serve and/or open it. You can always ask for glasses at any bar and pour it in your room and then take it to dinner...no charge.

Thanks for the advice. So far I prefer white wines or sparkling...although my #1 favorite was a Spanish red wine

 

[luvslikepi]

As of right this moment as I start this report I have 702 days before my cruise, or 702 days and 16 hours too be exact.

I love IT!!!! There is no shame in being excited...my hubby thinks I'm crazy for counting down to our cruise (1 year, 1 month and 1 day today)....but it makes me happy so I do it anyway. Keep up the countdown. I look forward to reading more.