"magical moments" on the ships! Did you get one? Here is ours...

[Sparrow78]

OMG! I'm sitting at work right now (bad I know) and I'm in tears reading half of these stories! We're going on our first cruise in 30 days and even if none of this happens to us, to know it happened to others is enough to get me even more excited!

 

[mummy lee]

Our first cruise in 2010 had lot's of magic moments........

I was traveling alone with my 2 children the youngest of which Alice has severe microcephaly and cerebral hypoplasia and uses a wheelchair so everyone that met us remembered us.

We were always greeted by name by the cm's and the characters spent so much time with Alice because it was so obvious she adored them.

On our last evening there was an invitation left in our stateroom to go to a special character greeting. When we arrived there was us and 2 other families. The room quickly filled with all of the characters ready for the farewell party so Alice got to spend 30 mins playing with the characters, it was just so special.

Also that evening when we arrived at our table for our meal there was an envelope addressed to me, inside there was a note saying what a wonderful mom I had been and a mickey charm for my bracelet (somebody had spotted I had worn my charm bracelet every evening) I never managed to discover who it was from but it made me feel so special.

Looking forward to our next cruise on the fantasy, you just can't buy those special moments x

 

[BoosGram]

What wonderful stories you all have! Thank you for sharing and reminding me of the main reasons we cruise Disney...the cast members. There are so many caring, thoughtful, and kind people working on those ships that I wish I could hug every one of them. And that is the common thread among all these stories...the terrific CMs. Thanks to all of them for doing an extraordinary job and making our time with them so memorable.

 

[alikat99]

These are all wonderful stories! We've sailed on DCL 8 times and have ONLY sailed DCL, all because of our very first cruise on the Magic back in 2003.

We had stayed at the Hilton at Downtown Disney the night before our cruise (as we had gone to MNSSHP that night). In the morning, we headed out for our first DCL adventure. We boarded and were sitting at lunch when one of our DISfriends mentioned Formal night and panicked I realized that we forgot our Formal clothes in the closet at the Hilton. Immediately DH went to Guest Services to see how much time he had to get off the ship, drive back to Orlando and get our stuff and get back onboard. The CM made some calls and told DH to wait and not get off the ship yet. After a few calls, CM told DH that they had a driver heading over to the Hilton to pick up our stuff and they'd have it brought to the ship. And, if for some reason it didn't make it before we left, they promised to deliver it to Key West for us to get when we got there. After the lifeboat drill, our clothes were in our room. AMAZING service that I will never forget.

Other small things - that same cruise our server realized that my DD (2 at the time) only ate the grapes from the kids fruit cup, so every night he had a bowl of grapes sitting at her seat.

DH's favorite appetizer is the escargot, and after realizing that it was his fave, they had it every night for him!

We've made friends with some CMs and they still remember us, even after not sailing for a year.

There's a reason that we only sail DCL and it's all about their CMs!!!

 

[Disney Fool]

This is small but humorous. Disney Dream, November 2011, we had a Cat.4B cabin with a stuck locked veranda door. I called the steward, who said we probably weren't working it correctly. I persisted, he arrived and he couldn't open it. He called maintenance. Maintenance said he probably wasn't working it correctly. Steward persisted, maintenance arrived, they couldn't fix it. They said they'd be back with more tools. It finally got fixed--the lock was really stuck! It was repaired by the time we finished the sailaway party. After dinner, we returned to the room to find a platter of chocolate covered strawberries dressed in "tuxedos" with a card. "The DCL apologizes for any inconvenience you may have had due to the problems with the door"
It made me think of that Monty Python episode about the couple who complained about the dirty fork! it was just a stuck door! But, hey, they take their jobs seriously--I'm still smiling over those strawberries.

 

[mom4mad]

The Mellers' story brings tears to my eyes! Especially as I sit here watching Barbie with my DD2, who was diagnosed with a speech disorder last year-she is now climbing on me and screaming "Mickey Boat" in my ear. Her last speech therapy session is next week My DH and I haven't had even .01% of the worry that the Mellers have, so I can't imagine the relief you felt at those first words.

We have had many magical moments on our three cruises. First was on our MR cruise-DD6-who was 3 at the time kept falling asleep at dinner. The first night, the head waiter and our server came over, put two chairs together, and grabbed a clean tablecloth. They helped us put DD to "bed" tableside with chairs and a tablecloth blanket. This occurred 4/7 nights.

Second and more, were on the WBPC 2011. We boarded the ship and had some business to attend to at Guest services. DD 6 noticed Ariel on the balcony above the atrium waving to guests. She went up there and spent about twenty minutes one on one time with Ariel and waving at fellow guests who were boarding. Another night, we came back to pick up DD-18 months in Flounders. She was the only kid there, and was sitting in Princess Tiana's lap reading a book. Another night we came to pick her up, same scenario, but with Snow White rocking her in a rocking chair. The staff at Flounders made us a memory book of her cruise and saved all of her artwork and put in an envelope the last night for us to take home. Our server Mihailo made origami for our girls almost every night of the 15 night cruise. The last night our DD6 lost her first tooth ever! Quite inconvenient the last night of a 15 night cruise when all the "tooth fairy" has left is $20's-also had to field questions like "How will tooth fairy know where to find me?-we told her Tinkerbell would help her. Anyway, it hadn't fallen out yet at dinner and she was very unhappy, whining, crying. I took her back to our cabin before I had eaten, and 15 minutes later here comes Mihailo with both of our dinners. We didn't even mention anything to him about my not eating. He just took it upon himself to bring it up. Another one was Golden Mickey night-our DD6 got interviewed on the red carpet-much to the surprise of her grandparents who were already in the theater and watching it-magical moment for DD and grandparents. Can't wait for our next cruise!

 

[mom4mad]

Oh, I almost forgot! At pin trading with officers, my husband and DD 6 went in search of a specific Tinkerbell pin that DD had lost earlier on trip. They didn't find it, but someone sprinkled some pixie dust and a new pin was delivered to our room that night. Not the same pin, but an even better one with Tinkerbell on it.

 

[GetGlowing]

Pass the Kleenex. These are such great memories!

 

[mddisneyfamily]

We had stayed at the Hilton at Downtown Disney the night before our cruise (as we had gone to MNSSHP that night). In the morning, we headed out for our first DCL adventure. We boarded and were sitting at lunch when one of our DISfriends mentioned Formal night and panicked I realized that we forgot our Formal clothes in the closet at the Hilton. Immediately DH went to Guest Services to see how much time he had to get off the ship, drive back to Orlando and get our stuff and get back onboard. The CM made some calls and told DH to wait and not get off the ship yet. After a few calls, CM told DH that they had a driver heading over to the Hilton to pick up our stuff and they'd have it brought to the ship. And, if for some reason it didn't make it before we left, they promised to deliver it to Key West for us to get when we got there. After the lifeboat drill, our clothes were in our room. AMAZING service that I will never forget.

Wow! Talk about above and beyond! That is amazing service. Only Disney...

 

[Tehanna]

*bump*


I just love this thread and I'm hoping to hear more stories.

 

[Mom2Kaylee]

Our first cruise (including other lines) was on the Magic 4/9/11 Eastern. It was myself, my daughter, my mom & her best friend! We all went to the Tea with Alice and found ourselves with front row seats. At the end of tea everyone takes pics with Alice and the Mad Hatter and we ended up being last with where we were seated. DD spent about 10 mins talking Alice & the Mad Hatters ears off! We took so many pics and she had such a great time with them! As we were leaving my moms best friend told me the CM just asked her for our room number. The last night of the cruise we received the invite to the special Studio Sea private party with all the characters. Of course I had no idea what it was though, it wasnt specific at all, just please be at the side entrance at whatever time. There was only one other family there and they had no idea what was going on either. When we walked in and saw all the characters coming out it brought tears to see my daughter basically flip out! Heck, I was excited! I couldn't believe it! I recorded the whole thing & took SO many pics! It was a special night!

Our 2nd cruise was on the Dream 7/19/11 and when the till we meet again began, Mickey pulled my DD out and danced with her for a good few minutes She is such a performer so being infront of everyone was nothing to her lol!

We are booked again, thanks to my mom for the surprise, on the Fantasy in September and we look forward to seeing what this one brings Either way we LOVE Disney and will probably never sail with any other line now.

 

[Newfoundland Sailor]

We had a special moment on the Magic this past summer.

Our cruise had started off rocky (by our own doing) - first when my husband passed my carry-on (without DCL tags) to the porter on embarkation. I waited 5 hours in our cabin for my insulin to be found - and to be able to eat. Next day my eldest son left his prescription glasses on shore in our van - and I waited another 4 hours in the cabin again for the driver to call us. Then for my youngest, the unthinkable happened - my 24 mos old lost his Minnie Mouse somewhere between the 9th and 7th floor while walking back to our cabin.

We searched high and low...and his tears were flowing. Of course we were in dock so the gift shop was closed...there was no replacing. Officer John asked me what was going on...I told him and he helped look up and down the staircase...but no luck.

The next day, after a long day in port, there, on the bed, was a Captain Mickey just for my 2 year old It made all our exhaustion disappear and just made his day - and the rest of his cruise. Captain Mickey went everywhere with him from that moment. Minnie was soon forgotten.

 

[DisLyd2008]

This is a cool thread!

2 years ago we took our 6 month old son on his first cruise. He was in the nursery each night for our dinner time. The staff there was SO good to him and really enjoyed having him; probably because he was "easy" and went to sleep about 20 minutes after we dropped him off each night. On the last day of our cruise we put him in the nursery mid afternoon so we could pack and relax on our last day. The staff was SO EXCITED to have him there, and awake, to play with him. When we picked him up in the afternoon they told us how much of a pleasure he was. (Figured they say that to everyone but it was nice to hear). At the end of the night when we picked him up after dinner, they gave him a gift! We didn't open it right away, but it was a cute box wrapped and decorated with Nemo, Dori, and some glitter and silver marker. It was our first time to the nursery so we weren't sure if this was typical or not. The next day when we got home we opened it; it was a fisher price plastic ball that opened up and made sounds and had little things for babies to touch and manipulate. Cool little toy, and definitely not a 'disney stock' gift for everyone. We were pretty impressed. I thought the decoration was so cute that I saved the wrapping and framed it.

 

[DisSarahK]

I'm sitting here sniffling and teary-eyed. Love these stories.

 

[Renysmom]

But when they say, "It all started with a mouse," it means something entirely different to my family.

Totally cried over your story. Congrats to your wonderful daughter and to you for being such a great parent!

. Our server Mihailo

We also had Mihailo as a server and he was amazing!

My story goes like this.. DH and I were walking down the halls of the Dream late one evening last October when DH felt a tap on the shoulder. It was Captain Hook and he bowed, shook DH hand and then took me by the arm and out the door for a stroll on the deck just like in the commercials.. Completely magical

 

[jenandjuice]

There is one bit of pixie dust that still brings tears to my eyes even after all of these years, but it happened at the parks--however, it ends at the ship.

My daughter, at nearly 3, could not speak or walk, and could not really crawl (she would roll). At 3, she would be diagnosed with autism and cerebral palsy.

I was called to a conference in Orlando, and my husband was having difficulties at work, so I took along a neighbor and her child (who was about the same age), and paid for her ticket, and for her to go to the buffets (the girls were young enough that they could get in and eat free that way.)

We went through the Magic Kingdom together, and I couldn't figure out if it had much impact. The other three went to the parks while I went to the conference, and when I was through, I buckled her into her car seat on the plane and she looked at me (which NEVER happened), and said "I saw Mickey!"

I thought I'd lost it, finally. I didn't think I could possibly have heard what I just heard. So I asked her (not really expecting a response), and she replied "I saw Mickey!" They were the first words I ever heard her say.

The second time we took her, she doubled her vocabulary.

The third time we took her, she hugged us for the very first time.

Progress was slow but steady, and she worked very, very hard at school, at home, in speech and occupational therapy, and with all of the social skills training.

When she was in 7th grade, she walked in with a prep sheet for Radiologic Technology, handed it to me and said, "I want to do this. What do I have to do to make it happen?" It was a very demanding course of study--she would have to take summer school the summer before her Freshman and Sophomore year, and probably try to prepare for Running Start, a program which allows advanced students to take college courses instead of their junior and senior year in high school.

She did it all. The child who couldn't use complete sentences in kindergarten is now taking Precalculus and AP Biology. I am just about to scan in her application to Running Start, and everybody is certain she will be accepted, and she will be released from special education at the end of this school year.

For her 16th birthday, she asked to take a Disney cruise to Alaska again this year. (We took one last year.) I am so proud of her I can't even tell you. But when they say, "It all started with a mouse," it means something entirely different to my family.

I haven't completed reading this and had to stop just to say this made me bawl!!! Like a baby!!!

Truly inspiring and sounds like you have an amazing daughter!

Blessings to you and your family!

 

[ibouncetoo]

. Our server Mihailo made origami for our girls almost every night of the 15 night cruise. The last night our DD6 lost her first tooth ever! Quite inconvenient the last night of a 15 night cruise when all the "tooth fairy" has left is $20's-also had to field questions like "How will tooth fairy know where to find me?-we told her Tinkerbell would help her. Anyway, it hadn't fallen out yet at dinner and she was very unhappy, whining, crying. I took her back to our cabin before I had eaten, and 15 minutes later here comes Mihailo with both of our dinners. We didn't even mention anything to him about my not eating. He just took it upon himself to bring it up.!

We also had Mihailo as a server and he was amazing!

Isn't he great? He's on the DREAM now

.

 

[ewinme]

My magical moment occured on a cruise i didn't even get to go on. A couple of years ago my parents were going on a cruise for their 40th anniversary. My husband and I had been on one a year before and loved it and i was quite jealous.

I wanted to do something special to let my parents know how much they meant to me even though I wasn't with them. So I visited the dis cruise meet for their trip (she had not yet discovered the dis boards) and asked if there was anyway that someone could put a happy anniversay magnet on their door. Well I was not prepared for what happened. They did not get a single magnet, they got an entire door full. In addition those in the cruise meet took it upon themselves to make my parents a FE and included them in the gifts delivered.

Needless to say there were many tears shed, and they still talk about it today.

Last summer we took my girls on their first cruise with my parents. We did magents and we did the FE but we also tried to spread the magic by taking extra magnets with us and putting them on empty doors as we walked around the halls.

Disney is just full of magical moments for everyone!!

 

[miry]

We had our own sweet magic moment on the Wonder in December. I'm a single mom and I try and take my son, 13 years old, to as many different places as possible. He still enjoys dressing up and on the first night we were waiting for the tree lighting to take place when a cast members asked if he would like to help light the tree. I'm still not sure if he really wanted to or not, but he smiled and said he would. So off he went. I think he was the oldest child involved in the tree lighting. His role and that of the other kids involved was to throw pixie dust on the tree so that it would light up. Knowing that I am an avid scrapbooker, the first thing he did was put a few of the mickey mouse head pixie dust confetti into his pocket for my scrapbook. For me that experience was so much fun and so special because he of the simple fact that he thought about what I would like too. He also got a small cruise line bag with small treats in it for helping out.

Our server on this trip was James from St. Vincent. One of the other things that was really fun for everyone at our table is that each evening once James took our desert order he came back to the table with crayons and created puzzles for the kids to try and figure out. It was always fun and after the second night the kids were trying to plan their own puzzles for James.

We have never traveled on any other cruise line, but truthfully I can't imagine that they are as wonderful as Disney. When we travel with Disney we feel like we are visiting our favorite family members who are so happy to see us that the make a fuss and make us feel extra special. We love you Disney!

 

[Tehanna]

I bump this thread from time to time, because I love it so much.

There also have been some threads that have gone negative lately, and this thread always gives me a good "pixie dust" feeling that I want to share.