A long time ago on a Fantasy far far away...Feb 2016 SWDAS TR, 5/17 CRUISE EPILOGUE - The End!

[chunkymonkey]

Just wanted to share a few things:

I have a Trip Report started for our WDW portion of the trip!
The (Foodie)Force is Strong with Us...
Hope to see you there!

Also, we put down deposits for our next cruise!
It's still tentative because we're not 100% sure if it's the right cruise for us yet.
A 7-night Alaskan Cruise on the Wonder!
September 2017
It sounds like an amazing cruise but we wanted to try and get some family to come.
And so far no one wants to go to Alaska! But we're working on it, still have plenty of time!

Just thought I'd share!!

Update June 2016: We have changed our cruise to the October 21st 2017 Canadian Coast cruise leaving from NYC!!! It is a 7 night cruise on the Magic! We'll be visiting Prince Edward Island which is someplace I've always dreamed of going ever since I read the Anne of Green Gables books and watched the TV movies as a kid. LOVED them! I'm so excited for this cruise because that means we won't need to get flights! The boat leaves right from NYC and we're only across the bridge in NJ. I look forward to being reunited with the Magic, the ship that started this Disney Cruising Obsession. LOL.
​

 

[Elevationist]

Since the princesses were first, CS and I got ready and headed down to the Atrium. Here was my outfit for the princesses. This would be the outfit I'd spend most of the day in, since we were also having brunch at Palo.

Adorable!!!!

OMG YOUR DRESSES!!! Ya'll look awesome!!!

It was a pretty cool meet n greet though! I think I was just in awe so I can't remember what Vader actually said.

When I met him at DHS in December, HE WAS SO INTIMIDATING! I have no idea what was said either!

Because I can't pass up bacon and those Mickey waffles!

You are a wise woman indeed!

I have a Trip Report started for our WDW portion of the trip!
The (Foodie)Force is Strong with Us...
Hope to see you there!

Beep beep, I'm on my way!

lso, we put down deposits for our next cruise!
It's still tentative because we're not 100% sure if it's the right cruise for us yet.
A 7-night Alaskan Cruise on the Wonder!
September 2017

OMG!!! How excitiiiiiiing!

 

[dmlovullo]

Darth Vader!!! I am so sad that we won't be able to meet him at the Launch Bay Next week since Ky-Lo Ren took over Loved yours and CS's Vader dresses!

Alaskan Disney cruise sounds amazing! DH and I were thinking of starting to plan one for our 5 year anniversary!

 

[chunkymonkey]

Adorable!!!!

OMG YOUR DRESSES!!! Ya'll look awesome!!!

Thank you!! My sister said I looked naked in my vader dress. She said I should have worn tights and a sweater like her so we could really channel vader, but I was just too hot!

When I met him at DHS in December, HE WAS SO INTIMIDATING! I have no idea what was said either!

I know! You're just kinda like in awe and fear...

You are a wise woman indeed!

I needed sustenance!

OMG!!! How excitiiiiiiing!

I know! Although I'm not sure it's actually going to happen too many variables plus it costs too much LOL

Darth Vader!!! I am so sad that we won't be able to meet him at the Launch Bay Next week since Ky-Lo Ren took over Loved yours and CS's Vader dresses!

Thank you! It was an impressive meet n greet. Most impressive.

Kylo ren is pretty intimidating himself. he gets angry when he see DH's han solo shirts, Haha,

Alaskan Disney cruise sounds amazing! DH and I were thinking of starting to plan one for our 5 year anniversary!

Good idea, just make sure to set aside A LOT! ...those things are expensive!! I am seriously thinking about backing out and booking another cruise...

 

[pagek83]

All caught up! Great report and can't wait to hear about Palo brunch!

 

[mlegerto]

Loving your recent updates!!!!!! Can't wait to hear more.

Star Wars DAS sounds like so much fun, but also extremely exhausting. Too much to do, not enough time, eeek!

 

[chunkymonkey]

All caught up! Great report and can't wait to hear about Palo brunch!

Thank you!! Palo brunch coming up soon!

Loving your recent updates!!!!!! Can't wait to hear more.

Star Wars DAS sounds like so much fun, but also extremely exhausting. Too much to do, not enough time, eeek!

Thank you!!
I know! I felt that it should be spread out over a few days. I think that way we can really experience everything! But either way, it was a blast!

 

[chunkymonkey]

Day 6 Part 2: A Decadent Palo Brunch

We headed up to Palo for our highly anticipated brunch! This was something CS could participate in since it was buffet style so she can be as picky as she wants to. She generally likes Italian though and I know she loves crab legs so I thought it would be perfect for her.

We all thought this chandelier at the entrance to Palo was super cool.

We sat in a lovely booth and were asked if we wanted champagne or mimosas by our server, whose name I totally forgot but he was super nice. I wish I wrote down his name but he was awesome!

CS took this pic of us:

CS and I ordered mimosas while DH got champagne.

Then our server led us on the tour of the buffet set up. On the Fantasy it was in it's own little room, whereas on the Magic it was kinda integrated into the main room. They were both great, but I can't help but think that there was more stuff on the Fantasy but maybe it only seemed that way because it was in it's own room so you're surrounded by food.

I'm going to apologize ahead of time for the food porn I'm going to post...

The carb station

Because what is brunch without carbs?

Mmmmm

Seafood station! Loved the selection.

Seared tuna, shrimp cocktail

More shrimp cocktail

Crab, mussels, snow crab

Caviar (my fave!) and other assorted goodies

Made to order items including chicken Parmesan, beef tenderloin, pasta shells with smoked salmon...

Strawberry soup, and Tomato soup

PIZZA!!!

Eggs selection

Dessert bar

Chocolate covered strawberries

Think this was some sort of fruit tart

Cannolli, a pudding of some sort, chocolate mousse

A fruity panna cotta

Are you drooling yet? Because I am writing this and I just had dinner too! We really had a great time picking out all the stuff from the buffet selections. Here's just a smattering of what we ate. We ate plates and plates of food!

We also ordered these made-to order items

Chicken Parm - delicious, probably some of the best I've had.

Lasagna - also really good, love the white bechamel sauce topping.

Pizza! Half sausage and half gorgonzola grape. I liked the gorgonzola side more, but we could only finish half as we were so carb loaded already.

Oricchette with smoked salmon and capers. I liked this dish more than DH and CS didn't want to try it. I thought it was unique.

Can't forget dessert!! My sister absolutely fell in love with this tray of sticky buns they had in a chafing dish. She ate about 4 of them. I had one and admitted it was good but I think sticky buns are one of her top foods ever, up there with bread puddings, so this was her favorite part of the meal.

My sister thought that if she added ice cream to her sticky bun it would be yet another recreation of the 'Ohana bread pudding, so she begged for some vanilla gelato and they gladly brought it to her. She was a happy camper!

Here one of my plates:

There was a champagne gelee which I thought was really refreshing! They also had my favorite cheese, which is a soft blue camembert - I think it's called Cambozola. Soooooo goooood.

DH's dessert choices:

DH liked the tiramisu which was served in a martini glass. Not sure what the short little glass is.

And finally, our chilled strawberry soup! Not as good as 1900 Park Fare's version but then nothing will come close to it!

We ended the meal with cappucinos for me and DH. What an amazing brunch! It was so delicious and we were stuffed!!

After brunch we all did our own thing. I think DH went to play midship while CS probably went character chasing. I relaxed in our stateroom with a glass of wine. Because it's 5 o'clock somewhere right?

I took some selfies while up there too. I might as well since I don't know when I'd have another perfect view. Really, it's the wine talking.

It was a beautiful but windy day!! Oh and guess what I saw? A helicopter making a landing on the Fantasy. There was an announcement that someone had to be medivac-ed somewhere and that a helicopter would be approaching from the Starboard side. I was lucky I caught it at that moment!

We then met up again and went to...where else...the Rainforest room! I pretty much spent the bulk of my time here up until we had to get ready for the evening's festivities. On the way to the Rainforest room I got myself a chocolate soft serve. Because apparently I could still eat more after our gastronomic lunch.

Oh here's when I also finally explore Satellite Falls. There were no "falls" today as the wind was strong. But it was very peaceful up there.

Coming up...Captain's Gala dinner with AYCE lobster!

​

 

[Dugette]

Just got all caught up.

Sounds like a wonderful (but windy/cold) finish to your Star Wars Day at Sea. I agree - they should add another day - just 1 on a 7 night cruise seems so short.

In that giant lightsaber battle, are those just all lightsabers people brought with? They don't hand them out or anything, right?

I love that your dress matches Princess Sofia's And I love the pic of Darth CS with Doc McStuffins.

Palo brunch photos are making me hungry too! We did both the brunch and dinner on the Dream and were surprised that we ended up bigger fans of the dinner than the brunch (not that I'm complaining about the brunch, of course). Still a ton of great stuff in that buffet, though.

Looking forward to more and I'll go check out your other report now too!

 

[bcwife76]

Gorgeous Palo brunch, as always!! Yum yum !

Ahh.... a nice glass of wine on the verandah.....heavenly way to pass an afternoon!

Cool shot of the helicopter (though too bad about the poor person that needed it!)

 

[soniam]

That Palo brunch looks decadent and filling. The desserts are getting to me. Today is my 24th day without added sugar, grains, corn, rice, dairy, and alcohol. Sugar, carbs, and cheese are my big weaknesses. Doing this though has tremendously helped with my what used to be constant cravings for sugar. I am holding out until Mother's Day, because we are going to the Four Season's for brunch Maybe we should do the Palo brunch and Remy for dinner and dessert Your balcony selfies are great. I like to sit out on our balcony and drink whatever we brought on board, which lately is prosecco, cava, or sake.

DH had to see the video of the helicopter. He is now trying to figure out if it landed or how they get the people into the helicopter He worked for Bell helicopter for summer during college, so he's always fascinated by them. He found something that says they drain the crew pool at the front of the ship and use the basket to hoist the person up while they hover. That reminds me that I am glad we got the cruise insurance. Helicopters are expensive. I wonder if the Coast Guard charges.

I don't think the satellite falls was there when we sailed in 2014. It looks cool though. Too bad it was closed. That is one problem with the non-summer cruises. It can be much windier and cooler.

 

[cheermom2four]

Im so going to try to book a Palo brunch for DH and I. He would probably grab the entire thing of snow crab and run LOL. Me, just give me desserts! Did the brunch include the mimosa? I know you can get packages for the dinner so I wasnt sure.

 

[LindseyJo22]

Oh wow, Palo brunch sounds like just our kind of thing - Remy was a little fancy for my husband when I showed him the pictures, but I'm putting this on the "to do" list eventually

 

[TigerTown]

That Palo brunch was amazing and I can't wait to do it again! What is the one item on the buffet that you could not pass up if you decide to eat there again on your next cruise? For me it was the Lasagna. I'm not normally a huge fan but that was really good Lasagna! It was also the first time I'd ever had a mimosa which was actually nice.

 

[disneyguy4life]

Dad-gum!!! That all looked SSSOOOOOOO GOOD!! I want it all!!

 

[chunkymonkey]

Just got all caught up.

Sounds like a wonderful (but windy/cold) finish to your Star Wars Day at Sea. I agree - they should add another day - just 1 on a 7 night cruise seems so short.

Definitely too short, but we tried to fit all that we could in! It was definitely a cold night but we made the best of it!

In that giant lightsaber battle, are those just all lightsabers people brought with? They don't hand them out or anything, right?

Yup as Disney would have it you could bring your own lightsaber, or you could PURCHASE one on board the ship. And they were those cool mulitcolored ones which had light effects so I'm pretty sure they sold a lot of them on the ship. I mean, I totally wanted one.

I love that your dress matches Princess Sofia's And I love the pic of Darth CS with Doc McStuffins.

Yeah CS's pic cracked me up! Usually she has a perfectly matching outfit for every character or theme but guess she ran out of time and couldn't get back to change! I didn't realize I was matching Princess Sofia but I guess that I am!

Palo brunch photos are making me hungry too! We did both the brunch and dinner on the Dream and were surprised that we ended up bigger fans of the dinner than the brunch (not that I'm complaining about the brunch, of course). Still a ton of great stuff in that buffet, though.

I'd love to do Palo dinner too! Definitely on our next cruise!

Gorgeous Palo brunch, as always!! Yum yum !

Yup, can't beat a Palo brunch! We all loved it!

Ahh.... a nice glass of wine on the verandah.....heavenly way to pass an afternoon!

It was an amazing afternoon where I finally got to sit back and take it all in!

Cool shot of the helicopter (though too bad about the poor person that needed it!)

Yeah I hope whoever had to be medivac-ed is ok!!

That Palo brunch looks decadent and filling. The desserts are getting to me. Today is my 24th day without added sugar, grains, corn, rice, dairy, and alcohol. Sugar, carbs, and cheese are my big weaknesses. Doing this though has tremendously helped with my what used to be constant cravings for sugar. I am holding out until Mother's Day, because we are going to the Four Season's for brunch Maybe we should do the Palo brunch and Remy for dinner and dessert Your balcony selfies are great. I like to sit out on our balcony and drink whatever we brought on board, which lately is prosecco, cava, or sake.

Wow you are very disciplined! I'm sure you will do great. Your brunch at the 4S sounds amazing. Yum! I'd like to try Palo dinner to at some point. I know it's just hard to miss one of the MDRs - I love all the themes!

Thanks!! Mmmmm prosecco. Have you tried sparkling dessert sake? It's really delicious. I'm contemplating bring a bottle of it on our next cruise but I'd have to bring it from home since it's only sold in specialty asian stores. Not sure how it will hold up in the suitcase...

DH had to see the video of the helicopter. He is now trying to figure out if it landed or how they get the people into the helicopter He worked for Bell helicopter for summer during college, so he's always fascinated by them. He found something that says they drain the crew pool at the front of the ship and use the basket to hoist the person up while they hover. That reminds me that I am glad we got the cruise insurance. Helicopters are expensive. I wonder if the Coast Guard charges.

Oh cool! I know that it landed on the foward part of the ship and I'm pretty sure the crew pool is there so that may be what they did, although it seemed like they were on top of the ship, like right on top of senses spa and the the crew pool is a few decks down.

I'm not sure how much all this charges but it'll be good to get that answered before we go on another trip! I'm gonna have to bite the bullet and get insurance for next time I think, just in case!

I don't think the satellite falls was there when we sailed in 2014. It looks cool though. Too bad it was closed. That is one problem with the non-summer cruises. It can be much windier and cooler.

The area wasn't closed, just no waterfall due to the winds, but you could still stick your feet in and lay out, although it would be very windy if you did!

Im so going to try to book a Palo brunch for DH and I. He would probably grab the entire thing of snow crab and run LOL. Me, just give me desserts! Did the brunch include the mimosa? I know you can get packages for the dinner so I wasnt sure.

Yup the brunch includes one champagne or mimosa per person! If that person doesn't drink I think they get sparkling apple cider instead. It's a definite must-do! Always so delicious!

Oh wow, Palo brunch sounds like just our kind of thing - Remy was a little fancy for my husband when I showed him the pictures, but I'm putting this on the "to do" list eventually

It's great!! Lots of options and those desserts...wow. It is definitely a must-do on any DCL cruise we go on!

That Palo brunch was amazing and I can't wait to do it again! What is the one item on the buffet that you could not pass up if you decide to eat there again on your next cruise? For me it was the Lasagna. I'm not normally a huge fan but that was really good Lasagna! It was also the first time I'd ever had a mimosa which was actually nice.

It's sooo good! Hmmm, one item...for me it would be the caviar and the snow crab, because I can't eat the crab they serve in cabanas so I have to compensate at Palo For DH it would be the crab too and any seafood stuff. For CS, definitely those sticky buns! We also loved the lasagna, it was the first made-to order item we finished first. Definitely one of the better lasagnas I've had.

Dad-gum!!! That all looked SSSOOOOOOO GOOD!! I want it all!!

It was amazing!!! So delicious and so many choices.

 

[schmass]

I'm loving your report! I will be on the Fantasy for the 2nd time 2 weeks from tomorrow and cannot wait! Your report is getting me even more excited for it.

The Palo brunch pictures are getting me very excited for our brunch there. The chicken parm and lasagna are amazing. I'm usually not even a lasagna fan, but my DH ordered it last time and I couldn't stop eating it. I even chose to finish that off rather than my desserts!

 

[soniam]

Wow you are very disciplined! I'm sure you will do great. Your brunch at the 4S sounds amazing. Yum! I'd like to try Palo dinner to at some point. I know it's just hard to miss one of the MDRs - I love all the themes!

The Four Seasons brunch is my favorite in town. I do like the MDRs, so the speciality meals are hard to fit in.

Thanks!! Mmmmm prosecco. Have you tried sparkling dessert sake? It's really delicious. I'm contemplating bring a bottle of it on our next cruise but I'd have to bring it from home since it's only sold in specialty asian stores. Not sure how it will hold up in the suitcase...

We actually brought a bottle of sparkling sake and a bottle of prosecco on our cruise in 2014 The sake is great. We got it at the sake bar in Japan. It wasn't outrageously expensive either. I don't know if DCL will allow people to bring on sake anymore though. It is a rice wine, but it has a higher alcohol content than regular wine. I don't think I could sneak it past them easily, and I wouldn't want to have to forfeit it if it wasn't allowed

Oh cool! I know that it landed on the foward part of the ship and I'm pretty sure the crew pool is there so that may be what they did, although it seemed like they were on top of the ship, like right on top of senses spa and the the crew pool is a few decks down.

I'm not sure how much all this charges but it'll be good to get that answered before we go on another trip! I'm gonna have to bite the bullet and get insurance for next time I think, just in case!

Cool! I hope everyone was ok though. We only get insurance on cruises. Most of the time, you can get some of your money back if you cancel, but cruises and tours are pretty strict. I also worry about medical care in remote areas.

The area wasn't closed, just no waterfall due to the winds, but you could still stick your feet in and lay out, although it would be very windy if you did!

Can't wait to try it!

 

[KathyM2]

It sounds like an amazing cruise but we wanted to try and get some family to come.
And so far no one wants to go to Alaska! But we're working on it, still have plenty of time!

We did that cruise a few years ago, it was really amazing!! Though I'm sure very different from a Caribbean cruise because well..it's not warm out lol...but there is so much to do inside on a Disney ship that we didn't mind!

Seafood station! Loved the selection.

Love the little shrimp cocktails!

Chicken Parm - delicious, probably some of the best I've had.

That looked really awesome...lots of cheese which makes a good parm!

There was an announcement that someone had to be medivac-ed somewhere and that a helicopter would be approaching from the Starboard side.

Yikes!! Well good to know they do that if necessary!!

 

[Naomi Collison]

Love all the food! We can't wait for our first cruise but I wish they would have some SWDAS during the summer so those of us who cant pull kid's out of school could participate