1st DCL cruise on the Disney Fantasy! 9.5.15 - TR Completed/Video Posted!

[TestingH2O]

Seriously we were the toddler character paparazi party!

In the future, I will be using this phrase to describe our cruise experience.

 

[DisneyDiva84]

In the future, I will be using this phrase to describe our cruise experience.

Ha! Thanks, maybe i'll make shirts for our next trip. We literally were in almost every line. We actually made a few friends who were doing the same thing It was fun to see who everyone's favorite character was. Mickey always had a huge line but you couldn't even see Tinker Bell behind her line, it was always huge!

 

[chunkymonkey]

Hi Ashley! I've found your TR! I love it! It's so cool to read TRs about the Fantasy! You have a beautiful family! Congrats on the pending addition!
It looks like you all had a lot of fun. Your son is really cute, and it's sweet how much he likes Ariel! Looking forward to more!

 

[ilovedevin]

Loving your trip report thus far can't wait to read more! Avery is so adorable the pic of him playing with Pluto on the floor was my favorite.

Hi Ashley! I've found your TR! I love it! It's so cool to read TRs about the Fantasy! You have a beautiful family! Congrats on the pending addition!
It looks like you all had a lot of fun. Your son is really cute, and it's sweet how much he likes Ariel! Looking forward to more!

chunkymonkey LOL I just finished reading both your cruise and WDW trip reports just before I found this one...can't wait for your big 40 celebration trip report!

 

[TestingH2O]

Ha! Thanks, maybe i'll make shirts for our next trip. We literally were in almost every line. We actually made a few friends who were doing the same thing It was fun to see who everyone's favorite character was. Mickey always had a huge line but you couldn't even see Tinker Bell behind her line, it was always huge!

 

[m3owbox]

I am really enjoying your trip report! It is very well written.

 

[DisneyDiva84]

Hi Ashley! I've found your TR! I love it! It's so cool to read TRs about the Fantasy! You have a beautiful family! Congrats on the pending addition!
It looks like you all had a lot of fun. Your son is really cute, and it's sweet how much he likes Ariel! Looking forward to more!

Thanks! We found out the day we left that we are expecting a GIRL LOVE having a boy but you can bet I'm excited to buy those princess dresses! I really enjoy your trip reports! You have an awesome family as well and everyone seemed to have an amazing time!

Avery adores Ariel, it's hysterical how much he clams up in front of her but will quote the movie to anyone who will listen!

Loving your trip report thus far can't wait to read more! Avery is so adorable the pic of him playing with Pluto on the floor was my favorite.

chunkymonkey LOL I just finished reading both your cruise and WDW trip reports just before I found this one...can't wait for your big 40 celebration trip report!

Pluto was so great with him. He usually greeted him on the floor cause Avery LOVED his whiskers! We had to keep reminding him to turn around so we could get a picture!

View attachment 124716

Okay, I'm stealing this for a magnet for our stateroom door next year! AWESOME!

I am really enjoying your trip report! It is very well written.

Thank you so much! I am having a great time sharing it!

 

[DisneyDiva84]

Day 5: Jamaica
​

I finally caught a picture of a character in the porthole this morning. They usually come on every fifteen minutes or so but we were always to busy watching them to grab our camera! Today was Dot from A Bug's Life. I really loved how the characters would wave and look down into the room as opposed to straight ahead. Again, another way Disney thinks of the little ones! Avery always thought they were waving at him!

After watching the porthole and getting ready we headed up to Cabanas. At first, we were not going to get off the ship in Jamaica. It was one of our ports of call last year on the Carnival Dream and looked really industrial. A Royal Caribbean ship docked alongside us and I was surprised to see that the area had been built up very nicely since we had last seen it. We actually decided to head down after Nemo's Reef to check it out.

Sleeping Beauty played on Funnel Vision today. The ship was a little busier in this port than the rest of the ports. I think it may be that folks either do an excursion here or just quickly tour the shopping center like we did.

Getting off the ship was soooo easy! And it docked right next to the shopping center so you didn't have to walk down a long pier. Inside the shopping center was really nice! The ships flanked either side which made for some really cool pictures. A nice lady took a picture of us but didn't grab the Mickey funnels. oh well, at least we got a family shot!

The shops included local Jamaican crafts, a straw market, and traditional Caribbean shops like Diamonds International that you find in every port. We bought Avery an elephant made of wire which was really cool (he loves Elephants). I think it was 8 dollars. We quickly discovered taking him in the straw market was a bad idea, he wanted to pound on every drum! Could not get him out of there!

After shopping we headed over to Margaritaville! In the past, Alex and I would always go to one of these and get a margarita and a quick bite. They always have a great atmosphere. Alas, with a toddler in tow and being 15 weeks pregnant that didn't make much sense so we just toured it this time. I will say that out of all the ones I have seen, this one was gorgeous! It had a huge pool, lots of outdoor seating, and even a margarita hot tub! There were about 30 people taking advantage of it. I was surprised there weren't more and bet it filled up as the day went on.

Avery met a bartender who LOVED his shirt. We had found this at a consignment sale a few months back. Technically it's a Bahamas shirt but we weren't going to tell him that. All there servers here seemed to be having a great time interacting with guests.

After walking around we headed back to the ship for lunch. I had to take a picture of the sushi display. I am a huge sushi fan so the fact that they offered fresh sushi daily was killing me! Next year on the Magic I will definitely be getting this every day! Carnival used to offer this on select nights and then stopped. And you had to get in a huge line for two pieces. I was so excited to see it just sitting here for the taking!

After drooling over sushi I couldn't have it was off to the Oceaneer's Club again for Open House. We were the only ones there! My husband talked to the Youth Staff a bit and again we stress that they seem to LOVE what they do. Everyone seemed really happy to talk about Disney and how excited they were to be a member of the Cast on the fleet. We played for a few hours but then went back to the room. We had to rest because it was PIRATE NIGHT!

Now this is a night that I had heard a lot about but I guess the Halloween stuff had kind of put Pirates as second in mind. This was by far, one of my favorite nights on the ship! I am so glad to know it will be on any cruise we take.

I made our costumes. Since a few people asked us about them I'll be happy to share here.

3 white t-shirts (basic craft shirts from Walmart for Alex and I and a 4T (one size bigger) for Avery)
black pants or shorts - we cut up Alex's pair from Goodwill
stretchy red fabric cut into long strips for the waist - also Walmart
Eyeliner for the scars, I just drew these on

Super easy to make. I think they turned out really well and it was a blast wearing them! I was shocked to find that Avery wanted to not only wear his bandana but keep it on. We never can get him to wear a hat at home! At daycare they asked him what he was going to be for Halloween and he said PIRATE. Thankfully I kept his costume!

We met Pirate Donald and Stich first.

Avery was really getting to know the characters at this point, so he was having a great time!

Donald Duck! Always good to see him!

At this point, it was divide and conquer for Alex and I. The lines had started to build and Peter Pan was due out for his first of his only two meet ups this whole cruise in 20 minutes. Alex was actually waiting in Peter Pan's line while I met Donald with Avery.

Afterwards, I walked over to find Alex was still way in the back with another guy who was waiting! And they did not look happy! I had been with the other guy's wife in line for Donald so we both asked them what was up. Apparently there had been some confusion on where Peter's line began and the attendant had let others into another line without telling our husbands. It was okay, but I can understand why they were frustrated. Peter's line was by far the longest we waited in but it was worth it.

While I waited, Alex took Avery upstairs and ran into a few of our friends For some reason, I had kept the camera with me in line. So I had to capture this from the atrium. Daisy Duck arrived on the fifth floor and started waving to those of us below. She saw Avery on the fourth floor and literally started jumping up and down.

I kid you not she came downstairs just to hang out with him for a minute. And here I had the camera!!! Note to self, always send camera wherever toddler goes.

Daisy led him over to the balcony so I could kind of get a picture lol

Alex came back down and got the camera after Avery's time with Daisy and got a photo with the chipmunks. Seriously, really loved how the characters would just appear like that! I think Chip and Dale were due to appear on the balcony though, Daisy was the surprise.

Peter arrived in typical fashion. Crowing down the stairs I think the line maybe took about 25 minutes or so. Usually they took about ten but we were really far back in line.

He taught Avery how to do a tick tock sound (peter had it down!) You could hear it echoing throughout the atrium.

See the line behind us? All for Peter and it wrapped around to the front near where this picture was taken. I don't think Avery was very happy to share this photo with Mom and Dad. Usually he would say Mommy and Daddy now too. Sorry lil man, was not about to miss out on Peter!

Tinker Bell came out around this time too. Again, her line was really long so we didn't get to meet her. We meet her in the parks though so I didn't mind missing her this time.

We had just enough time to show Captain Hook what Peter had taught us. He was not pleased Though I think he forgave us when we saw we were in pirate crew gear!

After this it was off to see the Pirate and Princess dance party in the Dlounge. Avery totally impressed us with these dance parties. He had such a great time and we could just sit back and watch. The entertainment staff was awesome! They had such great energy with the kids and made everything so much fun!

If you have a little one I would not miss any of these types of events. They always seemed to be having such a great time! They have a wake up with Disney Junior dance party twice during the 7 day voyages, a pirate/princess one, and then a Jake only one (which is coming on Day 6).

Tonight, dinner was in Royal Court. It was a little strange to be dressed as pirates in such a gorgeous restaurant but we didn't mind.

Menu reviews

I didn't write everyone's down this night so you will just have to settle with me

• Crab Cake - I thought it was a bit on the less crispy side but Alex loved his
• Potstickers - really good
• Pineapple - really refreshing!
• Shrimp and Scallops pasta - the presentation was good but the pasta was so/so
• I didn't have dessert

Alex got three appetizers. The servers were poking fun at him so I took a picture. I can't blame him though, everything looked so good. I totally hid my pineapple appetizer by ordering it for Avery cause I knew he wanted a bite. So I got three too.

Avery got another salad - he loved the ranch and tomatoes

By the way, yes, you read that right, we didn't do dessert. I know it was the rum cake night, and believe me that is first on my list for the Magic next year BUT we had good reason to miss it. Mickey was meeting at 7:15 which meant getting in line at 7. We hadn't seen him since Embarkation day because his lines were always really long so we knew Avery wouldn't want to miss him. He looked so cute in the Pirate gear!

After seeing the mouse of the evening we headed up on deck for the Pirates In the Caribbean Deck Party! I wanted to get there early to get a good seat. I got front row and was so happy to see everyone else sitting down around me. At first I thought no way is everyone gonna stay like this. In the parks you always start sitting than one person stands followed by the rest of the crowd. It was fantastic to see that everyone sat throughout the show (at least those of us in the first ten rows)

The pirate deck party was a lot of fun. I had bought cheap little light up bracelets from the store for a dollar before we left which Avery really liked.

After the party, Avery and I headed to bed. I also ordered room service (tomato soup and a big glass of water) I wanted to see if the soup was the same as Enchanted Garden. It was really close so I was a happy camper.

Alex went to work out and then went to see the fireworks. He really enjoyed them. I will see them on the Magic next year while he hangs back with the kiddos. Its a shame they do it so late (10:30) but I don't think Avery would have made it anyway and I'm sure the second dinner seating is a factor in the planning too.

Alex also went to check out Ant Man in 3-D at the Buena Vista theater. I wrote some thank you notes to the character team. We had been meeting so many of them so I wanted to be sure they knew how thankful we were and how much they were making our trip special. We included a Kinder Egg with Ariel, Tiana, and Cinderella's notes. Later in the cruise it was awesome to hear them tell Avery how much they appreciated it. We dropped them off at Guest Services and started hearing reports of them receiving it the next day so if you ever want to thank anyone Guest Services will definitely get it done!

Next up: Day 6 - at sea!

 

[chunkymonkey]

Nice update! Unfortunately on our Feb cruise we won't be stopping in Jamaica, but it looks like a nice port. I'll have to get a few kinder eggs in Cozumel/Grand Cayman! I guess we can't bring them back to the US with us? So I probably won't be able to give any to my nieces (well, unless we sneak it in) LOL.

The sushi surprisingly looks good! I didn't see sushi on the Magic, FYI, but I wasn't really looking for it/or just missed it. It could have been something only offered during lunch on port days? Not sure because we didn't stay on the ship during port days! I love sushi too so will have to look out for it next year.

Your pirate outfits are cute! I did the same thing with DH's outfit. I like how you all match as a family! Wow PP's line was long! I'd have waited too because I don't have a single picture with Peter Pan. For dinner on Pirate Night we ate the same meal! Potstickers, the pineapple, and the pasta! Enjoyed the potstickers and pineapple but I agree the pasta was only so-so. It was overcooked for me. We barely had dessert either because we were taking turns waiting in line for Pirate Mickey. It was worth it though because we finally got a family pic with Mickey!

I didn't know you could write thank you notes to characters! That is sweet! Looking forward to your at sea day on the Fantasy!

 

[DisneyDiva84]

Nice update! Unfortunately on our Feb cruise we won't be stopping in Jamaica, but it looks like a nice port. I'll have to get a few kinder eggs in Cozumel/Grand Cayman! I guess we can't bring them back to the US with us? So I probably won't be able to give any to my nieces (well, unless we sneak it in) LOL.

The sushi surprisingly looks good! I didn't see sushi on the Magic, FYI, but I wasn't really looking for it/or just missed it. It could have been something only offered during lunch on port days? Not sure because we didn't stay on the ship during port days! I love sushi too so will have to look out for it next year.

Your pirate outfits are cute! I did the same thing with DH's outfit. I like how you all match as a family! Wow PP's line was long! I'd have waited too because I don't have a single picture with Peter Pan. For dinner on Pirate Night we ate the same meal! Potstickers, the pineapple, and the pasta! Enjoyed the potstickers and pineapple but I agree the pasta was only so-so. It was overcooked for me. We barely had dessert either because we were taking turns waiting in line for Pirate Mickey. It was worth it though because we finally got a family pic with Mickey!

I didn't know you could write thank you notes to characters! That is sweet! Looking forward to your at sea day on the Fantasy!

Jamaica was unexpectedly really nice, we only spent about an hour off the boat but could have easily spent more time if Avery had allowed it I'm sure your ports of call will be awesome though! Especially in February! I'll take sun over snow any day! And as far as Kinder Eggs go, I know of a few who have taken them off the ships But i'm not naming names

The sushi was way in the back of Cabana's on the Fantasy so it was easy to miss. I'll keep my fingers crossed for sure!

PP's line was really long for sure, but we also got caught waiting with those that got in line right as he was about to come out unlike other times where we jumped in early so that didn't help. Definitely catch him on your next voyage, he was a lot of fun and doesn't really meet in the parks as often anymore without a huge wait.

Love the pirates menu, I really couldn't make up my mind. The pasta was definitely a little over cooked. I got it on Day 6 too when it was fettuccine and that was a bit better. LOVE that i'm not the only one skipping dessert for Mickey! Gotta love the mouse!

With regards to thank you notes, I just kind of thought of them halfway through the trip when I saw the stationary in our room. The staff in general were outstanding but the character team was just incredible so I thought why not tell them how awesome they are . Next time I want to bring something small from Atlanta (like peach candies or something) that we could give if someone really goes above and beyond. At first, I was a bit worried they wouldn't receive them since you can't really just give a character a note in line but the next day we had attendants and a princess tell us about them so I was so happy to hear they got them and were recognized by their manager etc.

 

[bbn1122]

Loving your TR! I am a Mom of 3 sons. We did not cruise DCL a till the boys were 10, 12 and 16. But they still fell in love with cruising and DCLS.

 

[DisneyDiva84]

Loving your TR! I am a Mom of 3 sons. We did not cruise DCL a till the boys were 10, 12 and 16. But they still fell in love with cruising and DCLS.

Thanks! That's so great that they had a blast. My husband and I are pretty much gonna take our kids until they tell us to stop (which hopefully never happens) After all it hasn't happened to me yet

 

[DisneyDiva84]

Day 6: Day at Sea
​

Day 6 started out with breakfast in the room. The boys were still sound asleep and I was up. We had Princess Minnie early followed by Jake and the Neverland Pirates in the DLounge so I figured breakfast in the room would be the easiest option. I went up to Cabana's and brought down a plate. I love that they have smaller glasses for the little ones. They are usually the bottom rack so they are easy to miss but it was so much easier for Avery to drink out of a smaller cup than a larger one! And they were easier to carry on the plate back to the room too!

After getting ready it was off to meet Princess Minnie!

Then it was off to Avery's favorite, the toddler dance party. The entertainment staff really does shine (I know this is a repeat) but the kids seemed to be having so much fun. Afterwards she continued the game they were playing up to the Oceaneer's Club. Since Avery couldn't go I had to distract him with a Princess.

Searching for Jake's lost flag? Where is it?

Finding the princess for a distraction!

Next up was Dopey! Avery loves Heigh Ho and will sing it often at home. Since they recently altered Snow White's meet up in Epcot to not include Dopey, Avery had never met him. It was really funny to watch them interact!

Daisy also came out, always a welcome treat! The line was a bit long for Dopey (we got there early so we were actually first for that one ) but not Daisy so we jumped in.

This took us to lunch so it was back up to Cabanas! After that we headed over to Nemo's Reef and the Aqua Lab.

photo credit Insidethemagic.net

While we loved Nemo's Reef, I wasn't really in love with the Aqua Lab. It's not that it wasn't really cool (it is) but no one is watching over the area from Disney so things can get a bit out of control. On this day there were 9 year olds playing slip and slide on the wet floor. This was our first time heading over that way so it could have been going on the whole time. Honestly I was worried for them. Obviously the area isn't intended for that and they were crashing into one another and the walls so it was pretty dangerous. Does this happen each cruise? I don't know but I could see it if one kid got an idea for it. I mean, I probably would have tried it if I was that age. My own issue came when I was taking a break on a bench watching Avery play with Alex and a 9 year old slipping down the floor collided with my ankle without me knowing what hit me. Thank goodness I was not in front of the silver base poles or else I would have been in a bit of trouble as it was a really hard hit. I just came out with a decent bruise. The girl was obviously concerned she hit me and I told her that it was partly my fault for not watching. We left soon after. So a note of warning, Aqua Lab may not be the best place for anyone under 5. I hope Disney starts sending someone over to keep an eye on it, that was really my only safety concern for the entirety of the trip.

We headed over to Flo's V8 cafe to see if anything would catch our eye. Surprisingly we didn't visit this area as much as we thought we would. Note of warning to not get too excited: I'm not sure if they had these the entirety of the cruise, I don't think they did though. They had Mickey pretzels with cheese sauce OR a Mickey Cream Cheese Pretzel! Those are my husband's absolute favorite snack in the parks so he was a very happy cruiser!

At this point, I had seen Wishes and Alex had seen Aladdin. We both agreed that watching the show live was better. When I looked at the dinner menu, Alex wasn't that impressed. So it was decided that he would go to Believe at dinner and I would attend after. It's not ideal but we really felt a bit guilty sending Avery to the nursery. He's just right at that in-between stage where he was just a bit too old for the nursery.

So I got a cute little dinner date and away Alex went. Menu review:

Ashley

• Shrimp for appetizer - really good
• Parmesan Chicken on Fettuccine - the pasta was good, the chicken was cooked well.
• Chocolate lava cake - SOOOOO GOOD! If Avery would have let me I would have gotten two!

Avery

• Salad
• Mini Burger
• Chocolate Ice Cream
• He's a creature of habit i know

I got a picture with our serving staff tonight. They were really great. Always willing to help us with whatever we needed.

We headed off to meet Minnie and Alex. Tonight was semi formal night. It was nice to give everyone the option of dressing formal or just cruise casual. Some of us weren't looking at the camera but I had to share anyway since Minnie looked so great in her outfit!

Happy to see Daddy!

After we headed over to meet Pluto. Avery really loved meeting him which was a plus since he and Cinderella are my two favorite characters

more whisker love, poor Pluto.

I have a slight edit, tonight was the night the pumpkin tree came to life. I think I mentioned it in an earlier post on Day 3 but that was just Spooky Storytelling which we did not attend. This was the actual "awakening" if you will. It was very cool and quite crowded since it only happened once. We watched from the balcony. I won't spoil it but if you get to see it I think it was very nicely done! Some of the cast members were watching too. This was the first Halloween on the High Seas voyage of the season so I don't blame them for being interested. I would watch too!

After this Alex and Avery headed to bed and I headed to Believe.

Wow, Believe!
Do not, I repeat, do not, miss this show. It was by far our favorite of the cruise (although Alex really liked Aladdin to) I sat next a Mom and her kids and got to know them pretty well during the wait for the show to start. At one point I was crying, will not say when. I looked over and the other mom was crying too , we looked at one another, had a good giggle, and then kept right on with the tissues. It was such an amazing show!

I took advantage of the hour and shopped a little bit. We really had just been glancing at the stores (hard to shop with a toddler is an understatement). We ended up buying two Disney t-shirts, the H20 Sea Salt Lotion (hooked on that stuff by the way, thanks Disney ), Animator's Palate butter knife, Cruise figurines playset for Avery, and a photo. I realized on this night that we hadn't taken a single professional shot of Avery. Usually we buy one each year. I threw him a few and tried to get him to smile. We ended up with a fantastic shot. While I was deciding on which one we would want, a girl in her twenties asked me if all the photos in the album were included in the cruise fare. I replied with an "I wish!" wouldn't that be something? It honestly took a few more minutes to convince her. I'm like please don't take that back to your room, that would be pretty crazy to get a 500.00 photo bill tomorrow.

After shopping, it was off to the Nightmare Before Christmas Sing and Scream. I really was excited. I love the movie but I also knew who would be out at the end. Jack and Sally have a three hour plus wait at the parks during the holiday parties, I've been so excited to meet them for awhile now. My turn to be the kid

And the stars of the show themselves

They really spent some time with everyone who met them (none of which were kids under ten, this was midnight after all). Jack complimented me on my garmet of choice for the evening saying black was one of his very favorite colors. Seriously i was giddy That meet up was so much fun.

After that it was off to bed, we had a big day tomorrow!

Next up: Day 7 - CASTAWAY CAY!!!!

 

[lillygator]

Jack and Sally are my favorite!! Wish they had them on the merry time cruises.

 

[DisneyDiva84]

Jack and Sally are my favorite!! Wish they had them on the merry time cruises.

I was so excited to meet them and others were just as ready behind me. I am a bit surprised that they don't meet during merry time cruises because technically the movie involves both holidays. Easily could apply to both. Fingers crossed they change it We are on the Magic for a Merry Time Cruise next year!

 

[Northof54]

Hi Ashley! Great TR - I love all the photos! We are contemplating doing the Eastern Caribbean in April on the Fantasy or the Panama Canal in August.
We went on our first ever cruise in May on the Disney Magic and absolutely LOVED it!!!! We have 2 boys aged 5 and 11 and they had the times of their lives! Like you, I don't have one negative thing to say about any of it. So much to do and see, LOTS of characters, food was excellent, and we found that even though the cruise was full, we never felt crowded.
If you have any questions about the Magic, feel free to ask!
Kari

 

[DisneyDiva84]

Hi Ashley! Great TR - I love all the photos! We are contemplating doing the Eastern Caribbean in April on the Fantasy or the Panama Canal in August.
We went on our first ever cruise in May on the Disney Magic and absolutely LOVED it!!!! We have 2 boys aged 5 and 11 and they had the times of their lives! Like you, I don't have one negative thing to say about any of it. So much to do and see, LOTS of characters, food was excellent, and we found that even though the cruise was full, we never felt crowded.
If you have any questions about the Magic, feel free to ask!
Kari

Oh wow thanks! I'm glad to hear you loved it! Did you see any sushi onboard? Says the pregnant girl who really wanted to sneak a bite on this past voyage. What was your favorite part about the ship itself? Anything we should be sure not to miss?

 

[DisneyDiva84]

Day 7: part 1 Castaway Cay
​

How do I describe this day? Perfection. Never wanting it to end, perfection

I had done everything possible to keep my hopes in check. I told myself the weather would be bad or we may not be able to dock at all. Truth be told, I have wanted to come to this island so much and I'm not even a beach person! it's not that I don't like the beach it's that my parents took us to the beach all day for a week each year growing up, so I'm honestly good. My husband is the same way though he didn't have as much beach time as I did. However, when you hear Disney created an island, it automatically goes on the bucket list!

So first it was breakfast in the room. I was not about to miss the call to disembark. Alex went up to grab some coffee and reported the weather was very nice. Getting excited. We had a medical emergency on board the day before so our arrival was delayed by a half hour. They added another half hour to the end of the day for everyone to make up for it which was very nice! I knew we would likely not take advantage of it though simply because we had to be sure Avery rested for the evening ahead.

At this time we noticed a note on our stateroom door. It didn't have our names on it, just our stateroom. Inside was an invitation to a special event at 4:15. It also asked us to be sure to bring our cameras. Signed the Disney character team. Well this day was starting out REALLY great.... excitement continues to build.

We got ready and doused ourselves in sunblock. They called to disembark and we were on our way. Stich was meeting just outside the ship and of course Avery had to say hi. It was beyond
cute to see Stich showing Avery the ship. He spent a lot of time with him just walking down the pier.

We took another picture by this guy - so excited!

The post office was closed today so we just decided to nix the idea of sending our in-laws a postcard saying see you in November 2016. They are excited anyway By the way we pre-purchased a bucket and shovel before we left so we wouldn't have to pay for it on the island. Avery saw the nemo bucket right away but was happy with his red one.

I loved all the picture spots!

We were too excited to take the tram so we walked to the beach. Word to the wise if you are pregnant and with a toddler. Take the tram Consider my lesson learned. It was a bit of a hike.

Excitement continues, we are so close!

See that spot coming up on the left... that's where the free wagons are. Wow, were those amazing!

And the spot right past it on the left? This guy.

Pretending to snorkel, love that you can see the ship in the background

Right beyond Pluto we saw Mickey. As Avery was pratically jumping out of the wagon we figured why not do this before we get all wet and sandy. We jumped in line only to find that we were actually going to be the first family for Minnie.

We knew Mickey would be out later so we would just catch him then.

All the characters looked so cute in their beach gear!

Map of the island! I could not get over how much this felt like we were in a Disney water park only so much better! We ended up selecting chairs at the first family beach, mainly cause we were ready to dump our stuff. But I will say i'm glad we did. The second family beach was a bit rockier on the feet. If that's even a thing. Way more shells at the bottom. This section was so soft.

Told you we had fun in that wagon!

Stopped to give Goofy a hi five on the way to Mickey

Loved the back of his life jacket!

There he is!

Finally we took in the beach. Such a great view! We were nervous because Avery had never been on the beach or in the ocean but he LOVED it! We actually had to keep him from going too deep because apparently you can just walk as far out as you want to. Toddler life

We played for about an hour and then got back in the wagon to explore and get something to eat.

Seriously, are we sure this is a beach?

We went to Cookies Too for lunch.

I was minimally excited for the food since Island BBQ is usually a bust but I forgot this is Disney. They had chicken sandwiches YUM! Again the servers here were beyond attentive. We loved everything we ate! We went around 12:45, it was pretty crowded but I hear it was worse after 1 since they only served until 2. There was also softserv ice cream and soda. They also have water. Cast Members were selling it on the beaches but next time I may just bring a larger tumbler so i don't have to keep going back.

Then it was off to the second family beach to watch Alex go on Pelican Plunge. Avery and I watched from the water and saw quite the splash. Alex actually lost his sunglasses! They are fairly expensive so he went straight to the lifeguard. The lifeguard had him fill in a lost and found report and told him to check back on the ship at the end of the day. Apparently they do a dive at the end of each day for items lost. Sure we thought... again it's Disney. Yep, they were found! Pretty amazing huh?

After Pelican Plunge we headed back to our side of the family beach. We played for about an hour when Alex said he thought it maybe time to go in. We didn't want to risk getting burned since we had been in the shade all week with Nemo's Reef and it was 1pm. We had a busy evening ahead. I was super sad to go but definitely thought it was a good move.

I took a few atmosphere shots on the way to the tram.

Gorgeous day!

The tram was just like the ones in the parks and Avery did not want to get off!

We went back to our room to unwind. We wanted to be sure we were ready for this event. We had our ideas on what to expect but honestly we were thinking it was going to be small.

Up next: our magical moment and final evening on the Disney Fantasy!

 

[DisneyDiva84]

Day 7: Part 2 - Our Magical Moment and Last Evening on the Disney Fantasy
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So as I said, we received an invitation the morning of Castaway Cay from the Character Team to meet at 4:15. This was about fifteen minutes before the See Ya Real Soon party. Alex and I had both thought about it and agreed it would likely be Mickey and Minnie with other families. It didn't give away much so we didn't even know how many other guests had gotten it. We imagined there were a lot just because it wasn't even addressed really. Seemed like a bulk invite of sorts. We did ask guest services about the invitation but they didn't know anything about it. So I will say it here that this is not something you can ask anyone for. Obviously given our track record though we were not about to miss it!

We arrived right on time. We were shocked to see only two other couples and one family in the room with us. This was our first clue something really neat was about to happen.

All of a sudden, the characters arrived. I mean all of them. Led by Mickey and Minnie. The night before a character greeter told us Ariel wouldn't be at the See Ya Real Soon which was a bummer since we wished we had gotten the chance to say goodbye. We had told him to convey our thanks to her and hugs. When she came out last and waved at Avery immediately I almost lost it. The Character Manager said there would be group photos and then a mingle session. That they just wanted to spend a few extra moments with us and do not do it every cruise. Yep, you guessed it, pregnant and officially losing it.... Avery was up first for the group shot. Of course he headed straight for Ariel and we had to place him in the center. We jumped in for a photo right after.

We watched the other groups take photos. Some we recognized from lines others we didn't. It was so random and amazing. I will stress again that the manager said this isn't an every voyage thing and that some people actually ignore the invite because of Castaway Cay. The invitation did not make it very obvious but seriously if you get one go! To set expectations cause i know some may ask, I'm honestly not even sure how or why we were chosen and this is coming from someone who used to pick Grand Marshals for the parade in the parks. Though there, i can tell you asking did not help. It's supposed to be a magical surprise which Disney really stands behind, and this one sure was, it blew us away. The families seemed random to us however there's always a reason. One family had a chicken and no children. Literally a stuffed chicken that they carried around. it was really funny. We knew them from the first night but hadn't seen them after.

During the mingle the princesses headed right over to us! And here is where I started crying big time, I just couldn't help it. Alex was also tearing up behind the camera. We had said all week that the characters were really great with Avery and just when we thought it couldn't get any better they brought this out of the bag. Truly memories that will last forever. Everyone who stopped by us made it a point to hug not only Avery but Alex and I too. Seriously, did I say I cried?

The characters had to go downstairs to See Ya Real Soon (really our time was over very quickly, maybe it was the crying that sped it up) Alex and I both thanked the team again, and they told us to be sure to come downstairs. After that magical moment we felt kind of guilty going downstairs but we hadn't seen a few of the characters during the mingle so we said why not? The lines were really short for this party, I think everyone was still at Castaway Cay so we didn't feel too bad saying goodbye since no one else was in the line we were in!

Since the photos I took of Ariel downstairs were a bit blurry (Avery was jumping up and down) , I'll share the one I took in here. Also included Mickey and Minnie and Donald and Daisy since we didn't catch her downstairs. They bear hugged him right after the shot it was so funny! Mickey was funny too. We have it on camera but he and Minnie kind of came up slowly with his hands behind his back as Donald was finishing our hugs, like "Hi guys, mind if we get a pic with you too?" Umm yes, MICKEY!

The See Ya Real Soon party should definitely be attended early if possible. The second is way more crowded than this one was and I could see how the lines were much longer. We had time to see everyone.

After seeing Ariel (of course she was first) it was off to see Cinderella. We basically took this time to give the characters extra hugs. Alex and I joined in as well. This trip would have been so different without the special magic they created! We were sure to thank each and every character and greeter we encountered. They did the same. I think it's amazing how much they truly enjoy what they do! You could see it all over their faces.

Tiana, she met a bride right before us and it was an awesome picture. Really made over her dress. It was so cute!

Donald! We loved him!

And of course Goofy! I think Avery almost knocked him down running over to him, sorry Goofy!

We also caught Chip and Dale at the last moment. The rendition of Sailing Away really made us tear up again. It was emotional after we got to know this team so well! 7 days is a long time for memories to be made!

So after that we headed back to the room to just take a few moments to soak everything in. Then it was off to Animators Palate for dinner! Tonight was Drawn to the Magic and we were very excited!

Alex starting in on his drawing. Avery's was basically all green lines. Give that kid a marker and he goes to town. Our server could not stop laughing. I will say they don't give you a ton of time to draw. I kept hinting to Alex that it was time to hand it over. Engineers

My finished product

Alex's

I didn't have a menu review this evening, they have the pre-set appetizers which were really good. Then Alex and I both got the Macaroni and Cheese Potato Soup (delicious) I can't for the life of me remember what we had dinner but we both agreed it was tasty! Dessert we splurged. Both of us got Baked Alaska and Mickey Bars. It was the last night after all!

I've said it before, but I loved this restaurant. Tonight our screens started with Lady and the Tramp, one of my favorite movies.

Mickey came out to tell us the show was about to begin.

Our drawings were only featured once but we didn't mind. It was really neat to see everyone cheer as their drawings came to life. Avery loved this night too! Lots to watch!

After that we wrapped up dinner. Our server reminded us that breakfast was here tomorrow morning at 6:45 am (OUCH) We also had to go back to our room and pack. Seriously is this happening? How is it over already!

Before we headed downstairs, we checked out the Tube one last time. We had a blast here with Avery when no one was around. The bartenders remembered us and we told them both thanks for letting us play in a clearly quiet area. Obviously it was busy at night but if you have little ones this area was great for Avery to play in because of the floor lighting up etc.

Then it was off to the room. We had our bags packed and out the door. We were Daisy Grey for bag claim tickets. more on that in the next post though.

Alex took Avery to bed and I walked around the ship. I hadn't even seen the adult area prior to this so I took some time to explore that. The Cove Cafe is really gorgeous. The tube or vibe (teenager area) looked to be very busy. You could see them playing through a window in the funnel. It looked like they were having an absolute blast. I talked to a couple of lifeguards who had earning their ears ribbons and wished them well. Again, everyone seemed so happy to be on board.

Final pictures at night

Nemo's Reef - closed after 7 i think each day, could have been earlier

Aqua Dunk sign - Alex rode this after I came back to the room. He said riding at night was pretty cool. I think he rode it a few times while we were on board (whenever the line was short) I couldn't because of the baby on board so that will be on my list next time

Movie playing on Funnel Vision - I think it was Fantasia

Goodnight you amazing ship you!

Next up: Debarkation... how on earth is it time already!

 

[lillygator]

awesome character invite.