32 DAYS TO GO . . .

     TUESDAY MARCH, 22, 2011

     NOW THAT YOUR ON-BOARD AND AMONGST THE THOUSANDS ON A SHIP 1,115 FEET LONG (THAT'S ALMOST 4 FOOTBALL FIELDS BY THE WAY), HOW DO YOU FIND WHO YOU'RE LOOKING FOR?  HOW DO YOU KEEP IN TOUCH?  THE NEW WAVE PHONES, OF COURSE.
     MUCH LIKE AT DISNEY'S AMUSEMENT PARKS, PEOPLE HAVE REALIZED IT'S JUST TOO BIG A PLACE WITH TOO MANY PEOPLE TO HOPE TO FIND SOMEONE.  SO PEOPLE STARTED USING TWO-WAY RADIOS.  AS A MATTER OF FACT, AFTER I READ ABOUT THESE, I ASKED FOR THEM FOR CHRISTMAS ONE YEAR SO WE WOULD HAVE THEM FOR OUR FAMILY'S TRIP TO DISNEY WORLD.  WE ENDED UP HAVING 4 OF THEM BY THEN AND THEY PROVED INVALUABLE (WITHIN RANGE) TO TRACKING PEOPLE DOWN AND MEETING UP.
     WELL IT SEEMS PEOPLE HAVE REALIZED IT'S BECOME A NECESSITY ON DISNEY CRUISE SHIPS AS WELL.  WITH A CRUISE LINE THAT SPECIALIZES IN FAMILIES LIKE DISNEY DOES, YOU'RE RARELY TRAVELING WITH LESS THAN 3 PEOPLE, USUALLY MORE.  AND MOST TIMES FOR MOST PEOPLE, SOME OF YOUR PARTY WILL BE KIDS, ESPECIALLY ON DISNEY CRUISE LINES.  SO NOW THAT YOU KNOW THAT GOING IN, YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT ALL ALWAYS GOING TO WANT TO DO THE SAME THING.  ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE PARENTS OR GRANDPARENTS AND ANY OLDER KIDS THAT CAN MOVE ABOUT ON THEIR OWN.  SO THESE TWO-WAY RADIOS HAVE SPREAD LIKE WILD FIRE.
     DISNEY QUICKLY LEARNED THROUGH FEEDBACK THAT THIS WAS A REAL CONCERN FOR CUSTOMERS AND DEVELOPED AN IN HOUSE SYSTEM OF THEIR OWN FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS.  THESE ARE CALLED "WAVE PHONES". (www.disnology.com/2011/01/14/disney-cruise-line-wave-phones)  THEY REALLY JUST LOOK LIKE ANY BASIC HOUSEHOLD PHONE SYSTEM.  SLEEK AND BLACK AND SITTING IN A CHARGER AND TWO TO A ROOM.  THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE AND YOUR HOUSE PHONE IS THAT THESE ARE DESIGNED MORE FOR AN IN HOUSE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM. 
     EACH WAVE PHONE HAS IT'S OWN NUMBER, USUALLY YOUR STATEROOM NUMBER THEN 1 & 2 FOR EACH HANDSET, AND THAT'S EXACTLY HOW YOU CALL OTHER ROOMS.  YOU DIAL THE HANDSET NUMBER; ROOM NUMBER AND THE PARTICULAR HANDSET.  THEY ALLOW YOU TO LEAVE MESSAGES AND YOU CAN TEXT ON THEM AS WELL, JUST LIKE A CELL PHONE.  THEY HAVE GREAT RANGE, CAN BE USED ALL OVER THE SHIP, AND CAN EVEN BE USED ON DISNEY'S PRIVATE ISLAND, CASTAWAY CAY.  WHILE FAMILIES LOVE THE IDEA OF FREE COMMUNICATION (NO RIDICULOUS CELL PHONE BILL FOR THE SAME PURPOSE NOW), DISNEY DOESN'T DO ANYTHING JUST FOR THE GUEST.  THERE HAS TO BE SOME BOTTOM LINE INVOLVED.  IN THIS CASE IT'S SO DISNEY CAN GET A HOLD OF YOU AS WELL.  USUALLY, AND PROBABLY MOST IMPORTANTLY AS WELL, IS THAT THESE WAVE PHONES ALSO REPLACE THE OLD PAGERS FROM THE DISNEY CRUISE LINE'S KIDS CLUBS.  SO NOW WHEN YOUR CHILD IS HUNGRY OR CRYING OR JUST WANTS OUT OF THERE, THEY CAN REACH YOU WITHOUT PROBLEM OR EXCUSE FOR YOU TO COME GET YOUR KID!  lol 
     I LOVE THE IDEA IN GENERAL, BUT IT DOESN'T REALLY WORK FOR ME.  MY SON IS EITHER WITH ME OR IN THE KIDS CLUB, WHICH MEANS HE'LL NEVER NEED TO CARRY ONE.  SO THAT JUST LEAVES ME CARRYING ONE WHEN HE'S NOT WITH ME.  AGAIN, THIS IS JUST LIKE YOUR HOUSE PHONE.  WOULD YOU WANT TO HAVE TO CARRY AROUND ONE OF YOUR HOUSE PHONE HANDSETS ON VACATION?  I WOULD HAVE RATHER HAD THE PAGER.  WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH IT?  I DON'T CARRY A PURSE.  AND IT'S AN EVEN BIGGER PROBLEM FOR ME AND THOSE WITH THE SAME CONCERNS BECAUSE IF YOU LOSE (OR HAVE STOLEN) ONE, YOU'RE CHARGED $250!  I'M SURE I'M NOT THE FIRST TO NOTICE OR SAY SOMETHING, SO NOW THAT THE TECHNOLOGY IS IN USE, I'M SURE IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THEY GET SMALLER OR JUST BECOME AN "APP" FOR YOUR PHONE.  IN THE MEAN TIME, MAKE DUE AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FREE ON-BOARD COMMUNICATION AND NOT HAVING TO PACK TWO-WAY RADIOS ANYMORE.
     SEA YA REAL SOON!   ºOº
TONIGHT'S MOVIE IS "ROBIN HOOD".  OOH DA LOLLY!