The McSparklesons Sail the Magic... AGAIN! $500 Potato Chips! 3/13

[CRdisMom]

i about ate my computer screen when I saw all those pastries. droooooolllliiinnnggg!!!

 

[rndmr2]

That's so cool Ally got to have her B-day at the CHaracter Breakfast again, great character pics and such fun napkin hats!

Oh wow, that Palo Brunch looks soo yummy, I would love to try that someday!

 

[kgoldenh]

Oh wow! I can remember it like it was yesterday. yum yum. Those pics are great! I did not even think to bring my camera. May I use a few in my scrap book?

Cannot wait to keep reading.

Kate

 

[karajeboo]

Just in case you are interested.... DISmoms 4 TR has begun!!!! DISmoms 4 - The Hunt for Jack Sparrow"

 

[karajeboo]

Wow! Love the brunch pics! DH and I did dinner first night there, and I took pics of the antipasta spread. They are so awesome up there!

Love the hats! They gave one fella at our table the ones where the ears are the plate covers, it was huge!

Happy Birthday Allie! 2 more years until teenager!

Bite your tongue!!!! I do NOT want to think about teenage years... lalalalalala... I can't hear you!!!!

no way....I never saw them there. I got theirs at the Disney store online.

\

Way! But it was a long time ago.... And of course anything BUCKEYE sells out quickly cause there are so many of us!!!!

Wow! The food at Palo looks amazing! I can't WAIT to finally take a Disney Cruise!

Go book it NOW!!!! You will not regret it!

Can't remember if I have commented before, but I have been following along with your report. We just went on our first Disney Cruise (4-night Bahamian on the Magic). We went without our children, but I didn't book Palo because I didn't want to miss any of the dining experiences in the MDR on our first trip. I am now kicking myself for not booking the brunch! It would have been PERFECT. We are going as a family in December on the Dream, but I am afraid it will be much more difficult to secure a reservation then. Our Magic cruise was not full, and the Dream cruise has few rooms left. I guess I'll try at the 90 day mark and then try again when we first get on board if I don't have luck online. WHY did we not do this? So jealous!

After 3 cruises now, I would no longer be afraid of missing anything in the MDR for Palo. So totally better than ANYTHING they serve en masse in the MDR..... And I think the food is really good on DCL, but Palo is just that much better! When we went on our Dream cruise a couple weeks ago, we didn't have Palo brunch but we headed there first when we boarded the ship and had no problem getting it..... good luck!

brunch looks fabulous...I'm gonna be t rying for that in Nov.!

Go get it!!! You will not regret it!

I didn't notice that part. I guess that must mean there is some good people watching at least.

It's like the Walmart of the Caribbean!

i about ate my computer screen when I saw all those pastries. droooooolllliiinnnggg!!!

That would not be a good thing....

That's so cool Ally got to have her B-day at the CHaracter Breakfast again, great character pics and such fun napkin hats!

Oh wow, that Palo Brunch looks soo yummy, I would love to try that someday!

Next year her bday falls on the day we get OFF the ship! I don't think it will be nearly as much fun....

Oh wow! I can remember it like it was yesterday. yum yum. Those pics are great! I did not even think to bring my camera. May I use a few in my scrap book?

Cannot wait to keep reading.

Kate

Absolutely!!! What day did you eat brunch at Palo?

Will be back soon with update!!!! This is the last week of school and we've had Field Day, homeroom party, and tomorrow is the last day and awards banquet so I'm sure I'll be a sorry mess, what with my baby leaving elementary school!!!!! But starting Tuesday life will be much slower so I can get this TR moving again!!!!

 

[tony64]

Will be back soon with update!!!! This is the last week of school and we've had Field Day, homeroom party, and tomorrow is the last day and awards banquet so I'm sure I'll be a sorry mess, what with my baby leaving elementary school!!!!! But starting Tuesday life will be much slower so I can get this TR moving again!!!!

Yay, can't wait for the next instalment.

 

[kgoldenh]

Absolutely!!! What day did you eat brunch at Palo?

Will be back soon with update!!!! This is the last week of school and we've had Field Day, homeroom party, and tomorrow is the last day and awards banquet so I'm sure I'll be a sorry mess, what with my baby leaving elementary school!!!!! But starting Tuesday life will be much slower so I can get this TR moving again!!!!

We were there on Sunday also - by the window - we started about 1030. I showed DH the pics and he just sighed....

I am so jealous school is out for you all. We are in til June 15. We are in the midst of SOLs and finals and all kinds of end of year things. We are in the same boat - Stephen is on to middle school next year and Addie on to high school. Where does the time go?....


Kate
Enjoy the slower pace. Cannot wait to read and relive more of that cruise.

 

[cheryllarsen]

Best thing about the cruises is the FOOD!! Yum I can't wait for the next one!!

 

[cheryllarsen]

Glad our babies are still young enough to go during the cheaper seasons!!

 

[karajeboo]

Yay, can't wait for the next instalment.

Working on it now!

We were there on Sunday also - by the window - we started about 1030. I showed DH the pics and he just sighed....

I am so jealous school is out for you all. We are in til June 15. We are in the midst of SOLs and finals and all kinds of end of year things. We are in the same boat - Stephen is on to middle school next year and Addie on to high school. Where does the time go?....


Kate
Enjoy the slower pace. Cannot wait to read and relive more of that cruise.

We were there the same time!!!! Same place almost! Well, there are a lot of windows, so maybe not.....

Best thing about the cruises is the FOOD!! Yum I can't wait for the next one!!

Glad our babies are still young enough to go during the cheaper seasons!!

I must admit, the food on this cruise was not as good as last year..... but still very good IMHO. And yes, I would LOVE to turn back time and discover cruising when Ally was younger!!!! But now we pay the premium.....

 

[blaken09]

[

We wandered around for a bit before heading back to get ready for our character breakfast, followed by our first port of the cruise!


[/COLOR]

For the Character breakfast.....is that something you have to have reservations for? and is it every day or just once? cruising the magic on the 30th and can't wait and would love to do a character breakfast!

ps- LOVE your TR! can't wait for the next part. you should write a book!

 

[FloridaNative8]

I've been a lurker, but I am obsessed with your Trip Report! I followed you over from the CC Forum, and you just make me so excited to go on a Disney cruise (Fantasy in March 2013)! My oldest will be celebrating his 6th birthday on the ship, so I'm happy to see how special the birthday celebrations are!

Can't wait to hear more!

 

[mauigal]

Ohhh Maaaa Gaaaaaa Palo........to die! I want to go on the cruise JUST for that! Looks so good!

 

[karajeboo]

I'm soooo sorry it took me so long to come back! But I'm here and ready to detail for you, in full color, our day in "Freakville."

Can we just say that Ally was NOT impressed with Key West?

I swear, if I heard once, I heard a bazillion times, "Why can't we do what I want to do on my birthday?"

To which we replied, "Because you're 11!"

After Palo, we raced back to change clothes and then went out on deck to watch ole Captain Bobby park this big ole dinghy.....

Well, Key West still LOOKS like it did back when I spent a college spring break here. Oh, who's kidding who? I don't remember a THING about that trip!!!!

I did remember that KW is a beautiful little Caribbean town, with it's very own "flavor."

Ally was just excited that we were in the US on her birthday so she could make and receive calls on her BRAND NEW cell phone!!!! Happy Birthday and welcome to the 21st century, Ally!

We had made no plans this day, just walking through the town, although Jeff did have plans to meet up with an old college fraternity brother who lived in Key West, so we would have to see how that would play out.

First stop. Duval Street.

I'm not sure it's THE bar capital of the world (that title actually goes to Columbus, OH, for having the most bars in a one square mile radius around Ohio State and one of the reasons Ally will NOT go to OSU!), but it definitely has its share!

Just walking along the streets, Ally saw way more than she wanted to see. Street "performers." Body "art." You get the picture. She's not exactly sheltered, but she's pretty conservative here at home, and down south here, we don't see this every day..... thank goodness!

Second stop.

That would be Ally's in the middle.....

And of course, it just wouldn't be a cruise port without commentary from Ally....

Freakville! - VIDEO - click to play!

Now the one thing we've discovered in small historic areas - take the shuttle tour if you want to learn anything. And since we were here for the next 8 hours, with no plans at all, and we couldn't very well stay in Sloppy Joe's all day with Ally......

Let's take the train tour!

Ally was very excited to get out of Sloppy Joe's. The music didn't do it for her, and after Palo, I don't think I could have another drink..... So... been there, done that, bought the t-shirt.... Literally!

We saw it all by tour!

Mile Marker 0

Hemingway's House - okay, more like brick wall in front of Hemingway's house.....

Southernmost Point - been there, done that, took the picture....

Oh, and I'll have you know. I pulled out a map. This is NOT the southernmost point in the US. It's not even the southernmost point in FL! Check it out. But don't tell the locals that. They get very upset. Not that I'd know anything about that.....

Ally was very alert and thrilled with everything she was learning!!!

Ally on Train Tour - VIDEO - click to play!

I kept telling Jeff to hold onto her so she didn't fall asleep and tumble out the side!!!!

But it was nothing a little frozen key lime pie couldn't fix!!!

And this was NOT very good pie...... I do not recommend buying key lime pie anywhere near the port, or at any of the train stops. There would be much better key lime pie coming up. Hey! We're on vacation and we can eat as much pie as we want!!!!

Up Next..... Key West Sunset?

 

[kid-at-heart]

Key lime pie???? That looks more like a fudge brownie. Wellllll, Allie looks like she is about to fall asleep in the video. Like me when I am prepping for classes. Here is the video I posted today for my students to view, not nearly so interested as your video but - hey - I was drinking my new favorite Merlot while working (one of the advantages of online courses) and I thought this video was funny and educational.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo7jcI8fAuI

I hope Allie's birthday improved for her. I think it would be really cool to be able to say you celebrated your birthday on a cruise ship.

 

[jenseib]

It's been awhile since I've been to Key West, but it didn't seem like freakville to me. Maybe things have gotten wierder since I was last there. Or maybe I am so freaky that the freaks run from me.

 

[karajeboo]

Key lime pie???? That looks more like a fudge brownie. Wellllll, Allie looks like she is about to fall asleep in the video. Like me when I am prepping for classes. Here is the video I posted today for my students to view, not nearly so interested as your video but - hey - I was drinking my new favorite Merlot while working (one of the advantages of online courses) and I thought this video was funny and educational.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo7jcI8fAuI

I hope Allie's birthday improved for her. I think it would be really cool to be able to say you celebrated your birthday on a cruise ship.

It was chocolate covered frozen key lime pie!!! But it was bittersweet chocolate, for one, and also just not great pie. But much better pie will be featured later!!!!

It's been awhile since I've been to Key West, but it didn't seem like freakville to me. Maybe things have gotten wierder since I was last there. Or maybe I am so freaky that the freaks run from me.

It wasn't that bad really. But a lot of tattoos and piercings, and dogs with dyed hair, just really blew her mind!

 

[Beth D]

Freakville sounds like a great place to people watch!

Happy BDay Allie! Love the pic of the phone queen!

I think OU has just about as many bars as OSU & Key West, ever do the Court Street Shuffle anyone? (Stop and have a drink at every bar on the street, in one day! It's only about 4 blocks long, but I think there's 15+ in that short area!)

 

[tony64]

Hi Kara

We have a week in the keys in November and we are planning one day in Key West, is there anything we shouldn't miss?

 

[podsnel]

No! You can come visit ME!