Video Killed the Trip Report Star: A Little Halloween Magic (Western) Complete!!

[TotallyAngelic]

Those white background photos are stunning.

Chocolate lava cake ... yum .... my favourite DCL dessert ( well a tie with the creme brulee )

 

[nenner1]

Actually the line did get pretty bad at Pelican Plunge after awhile. I tried to go back to try the other slide and it was about a half hour wait. So I recommend doing it as early as you can to avoid crowds. Also, if you keep your KTTW card in your pocket you will most likely lose it when you plunge from the slide. Seems obvious, right? Guess who didn't think about that...me... In case you are wondering, they will not leave you behind on Castaway Cay if you don't have a KTTW card to present to get back on the ship. Darn!

Ron

Yeah...it was weird when I went mid-day that there was virtually no wait. I guess it was a lunchtime lull I caught!

We were sitting not too far away from you- a little more towards the ship. It was soooo crowded on that new beach when we arrived, but it really made the old beach so much better!! I wonder how CC is on the Dream?

Oh ITA, it was so nice to not be basically on top of your neighbors. That's how the new beach was, and the biggest reason we decided to move spots. It was so nice on the old beach. And we almost got a hammock too, sadly someone ran up to it first and dumped all of their stuff in it (and of course walked away. In fact we never saw them actually in it, but we did come and go a lot)

On the Dream, I have a feeling it is going to be just as busy as it used to be on the Magic and Wonder. IDK. And if there were lines that bad for PP on our cruise, wow...they msut get really bad for the Dream when they are sailing at full capacity! I'll be interested to hear how it goes with some of the prime time sold out cruises this spring break and summer!

I agree on the water slide time with Ron- it got VERY busy, which is right after we arrived- the kids waited about half an hour for their ride. So go early, or go late- late was great, too! And I DEFINITELY got shot outta there like a canon- totally got my clocks cleaned!

Loved all your pelican pics!!

Sorry, I didn't mean to mislead on the wait times. I got really lucky!

I love the new additions. Don't get me wrong, it was great before but having more stuff for the kids to do is great!! (oh and for us to do too! LOL!!!)

Awe, so cute. Ron, you are going to have to budget bigger with those pretty girls to take pics of!

I keep warning him!

Okay, now I'm up to speed. I'm loving your report, Jen!

Random thoughts:

I like chunky peanut butter better than..Oh! I mean thoughts about your updates!

Sarah's braids are so cute - How cute she fell asleep - must have been relaxing.
Great interaction with Mickey for semi-formal night.
Beautiful pics of the kids! Shutters really does do a great job

They do. Our pics on DCL are WAY better than our pics from RCCL. And they were WAY cheaper too! I totally <3 Shutters!!!

Nachi Cocum looks like a great day! After reading your report and Ellen's, I am sure I would love to spend our next Cozumel day there! Could you snorkel there, too?

Yes, it was great!!! You could shore snorkel but honestly there isn't much to look at there (sandy bottom). They do have a little charter at the watersports area that will take you out to Palancar Reef. IIRC it was VERY reasonably priced. IMO it would be worth looking into, we really loved Nachi!

I love the way your own personal room service brought you Mickey waffles every day! I'm going to see if mine will do that!

Aw, yes he is better than a butler any day!

Even though your day at CC was a little cooler, looking at the pics is warming me up on this snowy day! Thanks for keeping the updates going!

Thanks girl!

I finally loaded up the last one (I also have my Disney pics on it as well).


The name of the song??



What else but:

"Video killed the Radio Star"



It was fun reading your tr and look forward to many more fun reading from you and your family.


P.S.

WOW! Love the pics from CC and am impressed w/all the changes out there!!



T.T.F.N.

Kris, love it! I do get the song stuck in my head when I look at the title...hope it doesn't do that to everyone else!

Yes they did find a way to make the best even better with Castaway Cay! It is really great!!!!

Those white background photos are stunning.

Thanks Sarah!

Chocolate lava cake ... yum .... my favourite DCL dessert ( well a tie with the creme brulee )

oooh creme brulee...yummmmmm!

 

[podsnel]

Let's all make a pact- the next time we see some LOSER dump all their stuff in a hammock and run away for the day and never even sit in the hammock, let's help them with their stuff and DUMP IT OUT onto the ground where it belongs. I HATE it when people are that selfish. It is a BIG pet peeve of mine.

Ok. Rant over.

Hey- I'm stuck on level 9. WooHoo!!

 

[dvc4life]

Let's all make a pact- the next time we see some LOSER dump all their stuff in a hammock and run away for the day and never even sit in the hammock, let's help them with their stuff and DUMP IT OUT onto the ground where it belongs. I HATE it when people are that selfish. It is a BIG pet peeve of mine.

Totally agree with you on this.

 

[anewmac]

WOW, wonder if the happy couple paid extra to get the dude in the TIGHT RED SHORTS into the pics?

Let's all make a pact- the next time we see some LOSER dump all their stuff in a hammock and run away for the day and never even sit in the hammock, let's help them with their stuff and DUMP IT OUT onto the ground where it belongs. I HATE it when people are that selfish. It is a BIG pet peeve of mine.

Ok. Rant over.

Hey- I'm stuck on level 9. WooHoo!!

Im in!, that urked me too ... along with needing a lounge chair on deck to put all your crap when no one was sitting there. A table ok I can see that but not a lounge chair in the sun where im trying to work on my GTL.. minus the G & L.

Jen your camera takes some awesome ZOOM shots! I could almost see the nose hairs on B while on PP. LOL.

Hmm wonder has anyone read about the new wave phones? Wonder if you take them on CC if they work...idea for someone to try next time they are on a Dis cruise! That way you can keep track of who finds the better spot, lol. Or find the rest of your family when someone goes to find the best CM ever if their KTTW card is lost.. just saying.

 

[In Luv with Disney]

I spent today reading all 27 pages of this Trip Report, since I leave in a week and 4 days for my Magic Western adventure!!! Can you say EXCITED?!?!

What a GREAT report, with AMAZING pictures!!!! We don't have ANY excursions booked, we were going to wing it. I had planned to do Stingray City in Grand Cayman, but my 5 year old will have none of it. She started HYSTERICAL crying when I mentioned it! So we'll see...my 9 year old is totally game! What an AWESOME pic of your family holding (and kissing ) that HUGE Ray!

The beach in Cozumel looks blissful...reminds you of those Corona commercials. If it's not sold out, this sounds like something we might like to do.

I have been to Palo before for dinner, and of course booked it for my trip. However, now I'm thinking we NEED to do Brunch!!! Of course, it's not available online...but I'm hoping they hold a few spots that I can book when we get on the ship. Wishful thinking...

THANK YOU for sharing your report and REALLY putting me there along with you guys! It has gotten me REALLY excited for our first 7 night DCL Cruise!!!!

 

[nenner1]

Let's all make a pact- the next time we see some LOSER dump all their stuff in a hammock and run away for the day and never even sit in the hammock, let's help them with their stuff and DUMP IT OUT onto the ground where it belongs. I HATE it when people are that selfish. It is a BIG pet peeve of mine.

Ok. Rant over.

Hey- I'm stuck on level 9. WooHoo!!

Totally agree with you on this.

Im in!, that urked me too ... along with needing a lounge chair on deck to put all your crap when no one was sitting there. A table ok I can see that but not a lounge chair in the sun where im trying to work on my GTL.. minus the G & L.

Ya know I honestly thought about it but I really just didn't want to touch anyone elses's stuff. I am pretty sure they heard our comments about how rude it was to "save" a hammock if they weren't ready to use it right then (like we were)...was just hoping they would offer to share it, but no. Whatever... I wasn't going to let it ruin our day, but seriously who could snatch away a hammock from a 2 year old running to it? No wonder they walked away, if they had any conscience they couldn't be there to see this:

Oh and Drea, there was a day on deck we couldn't get any kind of chair anywhere-not even the ones with the tables. Just wanted one... We had nowhere to put our stuff either so I just put it on the ground between a pole and someone else's chair. LOL! No way would I steal one of the good ones so my diaper bag and towels could get a tan though. Why in the world DCL has not put cubbies out there yet I'll never know.

WOW, wonder if the happy couple paid extra to get the dude in the TIGHT RED SHORTS into the pics?

And the way he is standing is hilarious, it looks like he is doing pelvic thrusts or something!

Jen your camera takes some awesome ZOOM shots! I could almost see the nose hairs on B while on PP. LOL.

Yah, it does have a killer zoom. I'm probably unnecessarily down on it just cause I want a new one so bad, but it is a good little camera. It has served us well for the past 4 years!

Hmm wonder has anyone read about the new wave phones? Wonder if you take them on CC if they work...idea for someone to try next time they are on a Dis cruise! That way you can keep track of who finds the better spot, lol. Or find the rest of your family when someone goes to find the best CM ever if their KTTW card is lost.. just saying.

LOL yes, I hard the wave phones do work on CC! On the DDD we actually were using our walkie talkies to communicate on CC-I was on the boat and Ron was out on the island (just in the Post Office area, but still, they worked)

I spent today reading all 27 pages of this Trip Report, since I leave in a week and 4 days for my Magic Western adventure!!! Can you say EXCITED?!?!

Hi Kim! Wow, I'll bet you are excited!

What a GREAT report, with AMAZING pictures!!!! We don't have ANY excursions booked, we were going to wing it. I had planned to do Stingray City in Grand Cayman, but my 5 year old will have none of it. She started HYSTERICAL crying when I mentioned it! So we'll see...my 9 year old is totally game! What an AWESOME pic of your family holding (and kissing ) that HUGE Ray!

Yes, it can be very intimidating. Savannah was 7 when we did it in '08 and she was so freaked I had to carry her in the water, but once she was in there she was good! If you decide to do the stingrays, hope all goes well with your younger DD!

The beach in Cozumel looks blissful...reminds you of those Corona commercials. If it's not sold out, this sounds like something we might like to do.

Believe it or not, Ron read somewhere that Corona commercials WERE indeed filmed at Nachi Cocom! It was wonderful. I totally recommend it!

I have been to Palo before for dinner, and of course booked it for my trip. However, now I'm thinking we NEED to do Brunch!!! Of course, it's not available online...but I'm hoping they hold a few spots that I can book when we get on the ship. Wishful thinking...

Do be sure to check as soon as you board the ship, they definitely will have some spots open but they will go quick! It is really very nice. I think I still prefer dinner, I love the atmosphere and the food does seem a step up at dinner, if that makes sense but brunch is awesome!!! Hope you snag a spot!

THANK YOU for sharing your report and REALLY putting me there along with you guys! It has gotten me REALLY excited for our first 7 night DCL Cruise!!!!

Oh you are so welcome! Thank you for reading and I am so glad you enjoyed it and found it helpful! Have a fantastic cruise!!!

 

[nenner1]

After a big morning of playing, we had worked up quite an appetite! It’s lunch time!

Being towards the “new” end of the beach, we decided to go to the newly open food pavilion to eat lunch, Cookie’s Too. It seemed a little bit smaller than the original Cookie’s but otherwise was exactly the same in design, implementation, and offerings. Like the original Cookie’s there is plenty of seating available in the covered pavilions nearby, so I took a seat with Sarah, while Ron and the kids went through the line.

Cookie’s Too was very busy and perhaps our decision to come here instead of making the trek back to the Original Cookie’s was a mistake. Considering she was hungry, Sarah waited patiently. We were entertained briefly by listening to the Jimmy Buffett’s ‘Songs You Know By Heart’ CD playing on a heavy rotation in the background. In fact, that was the only rotation…and and they had only selected about 3 or 4 songs off of the CD, so we heard the same songs over…and over….and over again.

At least Sarah enjoyed it: (video, click to play)




It took about 15-20 minutes for Ron and the kids to return with their food. Cookie’s and Cookie’s Too have identical menus, and if you have been to Castaway Cay before then you are familiar with the offerings, as the menu has not changed in years. If you have not been before you will find standard barbecue fare- hot dogs, hamburgers, BBQ chicken and ribs, corn, fruit, pasta salad, cookies and more!
Brendan’s plate!

Savannah's:

Sarah and Ron’s plate:

Originally I believe Ron intended to share this food with Sarah, but it didn’t quite go down that way. She took the entire tray over and completely annihilated it!! She chowed down like we had been starving her for weeks. I had never seen her eat like that before, and haven’t seen it since. It was quite a spectacle.

With all the kids (and Ron) happily eating, I went up to take my turn at the buffet. I got in what appeared to be the shortest line, over on the far left side..but I was so wrong. A little tip when you visit, the right side of the buffet actually has two separate serving lines. The lines often merge together at a point and appear to be one huge monster line but it moves faster since it eventually breaks off into two serving lines. On the left hand side, however there is only one line (and boy did it move slooooowwww). So keep that little tidbit in mind if you choose Cookie’s Too. I waited at least a half hour in line, and all the lines were bad, but the one I ended up in was significantly slower moving.

Keep to the Right!

Finally!

Hot dogs, corn, couscous salad, banana bread, apple spice cake, and of course a chocolate chip cookie!


Everyone else was pretty much done eating when I returned but I was able to shovel in my food quickly and we were soon on our way and out of Jimmy Buffett Hell (OK, I am the biggest Parrothead out there but you can only take so much...an hour of Fins, Boat Drinks, Volcano, Margaritaville, repeat ad nauseum was putting me slowly over the edge!)

On the way out, we stopped for ice cream. Yes as you may have heard there was not any of the amazing Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough soft serve. I have read it is a supplier issue and that it will be back, but as far as I know it has still not returned, and that is a shame.

While we were eating, Jonathan (fastpaks) came by and told us about the “Dis” sandcastle they had built over on the new beach, so we decided to take a stroll that way and check it out. That new beach area was absolutely packed, and we were glad we had decided to move our home base for the day.

I didn’t quite know what we were looking for, but it was easy to find!

Savannah and I decided to ride Pelican Plunge, and everyone else must have been at lunch because there was virtually no line at all. We probably did not wait even 5 minutes, there were only about 2 people each in front of us! It was a lot of fun, but with our full bellies, and the cold breeze making the water quite nippy, one slide was enough and we headed back to our spot.

Sarah saw some kids making a sandcastle and she decided to go join in. She is not in day care at home so she hasn’t quite figured out the whole sharing thing, but the family she decided to encroach upon could not have been nicer! I sat with her and enjoyed a nice chat with the kids’ mom. This cruise was just packed full of super friendly folks!

When they decided to head out for some fun elsewhere, Sarah and I headed back up towards the tree and our chairs. Savannah and Adriane were making sandcastles too, even their own version of the Dis Mickey ears, and Brendan…well he had just laid down for a long winter’s nap.

We enjoyed relaxing on the beautiful beach for quite a while. Even though the clouds had looked rather imposing earlier, it hardly rained more than a light sprinkle, and now the sun was back out.

 

[nenner1]

Sarah wanted to go back to the “showsers” (Spring A Leak), so we obliged. There were more kids here now, and she had so much fun playing a game with all of them. The water fountains spring up and disappear in a pattern, where some of them come on, then others, then all of them, then none. The kids delighted in running from one fountain to the next and then going crazy when the entire setup is splashing.

After quite a while, we decided it was time to head back to the boat. Even though it was probably one of the longest stays we had enjoyed on Castaway Cay, we could have stayed longer. And yet, it almost seemed like we were among some of the last to head back. It was probably around 3:30 when we finally headed in.

We walked back instead of taking the tram, for all of the photo ops:

Just the very next week, the Flying Dutchman was towed away and dismantled. In the more recent pics of Castaway Cay, frankly it looks naked without her. RIP Dutchy…2006-2010.

As we approached the ship, Goofy and Max were out to greet us. The wind threatened to blow all of us right off the dock!

Another perfect day at Castaway Cay! Now on to the dreaded…packing!

Up Next: ‘Til We Meet Again…

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Nice day at CC! I guess I would have liked it to be hotter if it were me, but it was probably nice not to fry like an egg! I wonder why the line was so long for lunch - I guess everyone wanted to try Cooki
es 2

I love the joy on Sarah's little face in the "showsers"

 

[Jennifer48]

Love Savannah's poses!

Sarah in the "showsers" adorable!

 

[DundasDad]

Love the pics ...

Looks like you'll be finishing up your TR just as I am getting ready to follow your footsteps doing a Western Magic run!

 

[livingis2me]

Sarah was so cute in her "showshers". It was so hard to drag her away.

Two more weeks and she can go to the Adventure Island showshers.

Another great update. I can't believe it's almost over...

Ron

 

[nenner1]

Nice day at CC! I guess I would have liked it to be hotter if it were me, but it was probably nice not to fry like an egg!

It was very nice when the sun was out, I'd go so far as to say nearly perfect, but yes...when the wind kicked up and the clouds came out it was a little chilly.

I wonder why the line was so long for lunch - I guess everyone wanted to try Cookies 2

Well, I wasn't looking at the pictures of the Cookies Too building when I wrote, but now that I have... it is probably half the size of Cookies (3, maybe 4 lines). And since most of the family beach population had moved down towards the new beach/Pelican Plunge/Spring-A-Leak area, that's just where everyone was I guess.

I love the joy on Sarah's little face in the "showsers"

I think the only thing she likes better is roller coasters!!!!

Love Savannah's poses!

Sarah in the "showsers" adorable!

Thanks! It was fun to even watch, all the kids had such a blast in it!

Love the pics ...

Looks like you'll be finishing up your TR just as I am getting ready to follow your footsteps doing a Western Magic run!

Woo hoo! It's really close now!!!!

Sarah was so cute in her "showshers". It was so hard to drag her away.

Two more weeks and she can go to the Adventure Island showshers.

Another great update. I can't believe it's almost over...

Ron

I've tried to drag it out as much as I possibly can!

 

[CRdisMom]

this and ellen's TR have made waiting for May that much easier. Thank jen!

 

[nenner1]

this and ellen's TR have made waiting for May that much easier. Thank jen!

You're welcome! I'll tell you what, it will be here before we know it! I'm looking forward to joining you all on Sunday 5/15 for some Dis Moms Drinking around The World fun!!!

 

[jns]

Thanks again
look all the water photos

 

[CRdisMom]

You're welcome! I'll tell you what, it will be here before we know it! I'm looking forward to joining you all on Sunday 5/15 for some Dis Moms Drinking around The World fun!!!

AWESOME!!!!! I am sooo glad that you are able to join us.

 

[nenner1]

Thanks again
look all the water photos

It was beautiful. more beautiful than I remembered!! Even on a (mostly)cloudy day!

AWESOME!!!!! I am sooo glad that you are able to join us.

I can't wait, I didn't realize until yesterday that is the last day of Flower & Garden, we've never been to that so...very excited! (LOL usually we do Epcot in the fall for F&W!)

 

[CRdisMom]

duh that is the best time to go to Epcot...LOL