The Bunny Has Nothing On Us: Re-Imaging Family Time On The Magic *Update 6/9*

[JKSWonder]

Victoria and Albert's is definitely on my must do list.

It was really sweet of your inlaws to do the port upgrade for you, BUT that would have totally freaked me out. I'm a hyper planner and I'm not sure how I would handle such a last minute change. I hope graciously, but I'm sure it would cause me a lot of anxiety. It does look like a very nice room though!

 

[PrincessForLife]

Victoria and Albert's is definitely on my must do list.

It was really sweet of your inlaws to do the port upgrade for you, BUT that would have totally freaked me out. I'm a hyper planner and I'm not sure how I would handle such a last minute change. I hope graciously, but I'm sure it would cause me a lot of anxiety. It does look like a very nice room though!

My In-Laws are some of the most caring and loving people in the world and I'm really lucky to have them!

It did freak me out a little because I wrote our stateroom on everything I was giving out and I had to make sure it was known that we moved. Didn't completely go over smoothly but we managed. Our coordinator Amanda for the FE Exchange was awesome. I was just happy that we had sunlight in our room! I love going out there first thing in the morning as well as late at night to relax.

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

Score on the upgrade! What a nice surprise.

 

[Cheryl726]

Enjoying your TR, especially now that you're on the cruise part! Congrats on the upgrade, how nice of your in-laws! Looks like a cool verandah! How did you work that out for the FE?

 

[PrincessForLife]

I would have to say that my first encounter with FE Exchange was little daunting and unique compared to most people. If you have read my PTR, you saw that I had a lot of reservations about them because I have heard so many negative things, but I was really impressed with all the support I had!! I'll start with the story of how the room switch played out and then FINALLY reveal what I gave out!!

When we switched rooms, I had already put our room number on all the gifts but I left the receiving room numbers off in case someone switched. Well, no one switched except me. Ironic, right? Our coordinator Amanda told all of us in the Facebook group that if there was a change, make sure it was known at the meet up or write it on her whiteboard on her stateroom door. We didn't go to the meet up because we religiously go to the spa raffle (and then ended up booking treatments for my BIL, MIL, and myself....more on that later!). I put up our door decs and the FE while my DH sought out the white board at Amanda's room. He said he wrote it on there and wanted me to go with to double check that it was okay, which is was.


Our room

My In-Laws' room

After my spa appointment that afternoon, I came back and found our first FE gift! We received a pair of awesome embroidered visors with 'Disney Magic' on them! It was a great start to the FE exchange. We thought that everything was going okay until the next morning when I woke up and found a giant zip lock bag on our FE that was filled with multiple FE gifts for us. Amanda wrote me a note that explained that someone erased our new room number off their whiteboard! She went up to our previously assigned room and found that a lot a people just left them there, so she gathered them and brought them to us. She is such a sweetheart! I ran to her room hoping to catch her to thank her but she already left. I re-wrote our new room on the board again and prayed for the best.


Our first gift!!


After that incident, we decided to go around that first morning and drop off our gifts with the new room number. We were hoping that everyone that hadn't already given gifts would see the new number on my gift. We took it floor by floor and we finished all the gifts in about 20 minutes. It was a great way to start my birthday day! We also checked our previous room twice a day to see if anyone dropped off anything else. We only found one gift there the rest of the cruise which was reassuring! We also think the room was empty after we switched which also helped. Overall we didn't get every gift in the actual FE but we were okay with that and still received them all. We also got some really cool gifts from everyone else. Some of the items included Mickey goblets, a homemade mini scrapbook, white board with notepads and pencils, a couple crafty bundles of key chains, magnets, and pictures frames, and finally the ever popular Easter candy. It was great mix! I'm really glad we did the FE exchange and I can't wait to do the next one!

And now for the big reveal! I have been very excited to show off what I created for the FE Exchange. First of all, I've had soooooo many great ideas that it was hard to tie down just one idea. I also had a budget for the gifts. My DH and I set a budget of $25 for the whole 14 rooms that we needed to make gifts for and decided to make cabin gifts rather than individual gifts. Since I'm turning into an avid knitter, I knew I wanted to do something with knitting that would be easy and practical. My first project for the FE was to make Hidden Mickey Washcloths! I found a pattern on Ravelry.com, a knitter's paradise and started my first square. It took me about 3 hours and I was actually impressed with the turn out. I went to the store and got multiple colors of 100% cotton yarn that would be good for washing dishes or for use in the tub. Since I had work, other knitting projects, etc, it took me about 3 months to finish all the squares. Let's just say that I wont be knitting anymore washcloths in the near future....lol. I Also wrapped them up with a little poem and directions for care. I think they turned out quite nice!!




All the different colors!





I've seen some really cool magnets on Pintrest and wanted to do something extra. I saw some that involved clothes pins and pictures of Disney characters and I thought that would be simple enough. I was already going to Disney in March at that point so I decided to make the clothespin magnets with park maps. The maps cost me nothing and the mod podge I had left over from other projects, so a quick trip the dollar store for magnets and clothespins was all I needed!! I think they turned out quite nice as well! I do apologize to anyone who has received them because the sticky stuff on the magnets were not very strong and I think a couple are missing on the backs of the clothespins. Note: never buy dollar store magnets....









While at the dollar store I also found some really cute boxes and decided that I had to include some kind of sugary goodness with the gift! I knew many people would probably be giving chocolate so I opt'd for fruit snack from Target. Overall my total price for the FE gifts came to $22.65. This of course also included the bags which were a dollar. I spruced them up with a Sharpie.


My fruit snack boxes!


My bags with the previous stateroom...lol.

Up Next: Getting Our Grub On and On-The-Whim Spa Time!

 

[scrpbookr]

I love that porthole balcony! So unique! I think I want one.

The washcloths and magnet clothespins you made are fantastic!!

 

[PrincessForLife]

I love that porthole balcony! So unique! I think I want one.

The washcloths and magnet clothespins you made are fantastic!!

That room is such a magical place for kids, especially boys! And thank you! I was really happy to see all my hard work pay off!

 

[PrincessForLife]

Instead of going to Cabanas for lunch after we arrived on the ship, we decided to go to Carioca's, the new Brazilian inspired dining on board. We were going to be in there later for dinner that night but we like the quieter atmosphere for the lunch buffet. Lunch wasn't anything special. In fact, it was about the same food at up in Cabanas during that meal. What we were really excited about for that meal was seeing the new decor! We've seen the restaurant when it was Parrot Cay, but like this theme much better!! Instead of the flower painted columns with iron birds, the ceiling was dark wood paneling and everything was painted white, with the exception of the beautiful wood lanterns that hung in clusters around the room. Lunch lasted us almost 2 hours and our rooms were ready by that time! lol





Instead of going to the DISboards meet up we went for a tour of the spa and participated in the spa raffle. Last time on the Fantasy my DH won a $50 gift certificate. Unfortunately we weren't so luck this time. Oh well. After the raffle my BIL and MIL booked hair appointments and a shave for my BIL as well. We also surprised my MIL with an early birthday present of doing the seaweed wrap and full body massage. My DH also surprised me with the same thing, as it was was my birthday the next day! lol The best part is that since we booked it for that day right after the safety drill, we got the full body massage and seaweed wrap for the price of the half body! Totally worth it!



The drill went off without a hitch as usual and or meet up location was Animator's Palette which gave us a sneak peak at the newly renovated space. Very nice I must say! After that, we went to the spa again to start the treatment. To start, we were told to strip and wear only a robe and sandals. I was then taken into a room with a massage table and shower and the hostess had me wear disposable underwear and a cloth to cover the chest. She then
slathered me front and back in a combination of a couple seaweed muds. After that she rapped me in a foil-like plastic and blankets that were meant to make me cook in it. She then stepped out for me to shower off the mud and had me lay down again. She once again covered me in the foil without mud and told me that she wanted me to sweat out everything. It worked! lol Then she did a full body, deep tissue massage that hurt so good! I felt amazing after the whole experience!! It was a little pricey at $220 but it was the discounted rate plus tip. It really is a treat for anyone who needs that unwind!

Some details from the After Hours District on the Magic:






I couldn't believe that the treatment lasted 2 hours! Instead of going to Villains Tonight! with my DH and FIL, I unpacked a little. By the time they got back it was time to go to Keys for some live piano and cocktails! Keys is the former Sessions that hosts a baby grand piano at the back. We were hoping to get Tim Moss on our cruise but we had Aileen de la Cruz. I tell you, this woman had the voice of an angel!! The first night was Motown classics and she did a wonderful job. We also had cocktails from the new bar menu. We both had the new coconut tequila and sparkling wine cocktail with shaved coconut. The bar staff also did "table-side finishing" and added the sparkling wine and shavings at the last minute! SO cool. And with every drink we got a little plate of moist towelettes for after. It was a really nice touch!


Aileen de la Cruz at the piano


My In-Laws singing to each other



Time flew by and dinner was quickly approaching. We headed down to Carioca's and met our wonderful crew. Our server was Limbert from the Dominican Republic and our assistant server was Mike from Greece. When we met them both, Limbert gave us a little fun fact that Mike is the ONLY crew member on a Disney ship who is from Greece. Awesome, huh? I didn't think Carioca's could get any better but it did! Where the buffet stations rest, a curtain covered in a mural of Sao Paolo at night masked the area and gave a great ambiance. It totally transformed the space from a bright and airy market to a seductive paradise.




My BIL didn't know what was with all the pictures! lol

The food was also amazing too! The menu had a Brazilian flair with empanadas, bean salads, and lots of grilled meats. I got the special skewered meats which came displayed on a medal stand in front of the seafood and rice. The taste was really great too! Also for dessert I got the caramel flan. It had a richer texture and taste than the traditional Mexican flan that most people are accustom to. Very, very good.


The skewered meaty awesomeness!


Brazilian flan

We were then treated to some magic from Limbert and mind games from Mike. Limbert made a crayon "disappear" which fooled my MIL even though he did it for me. lol And Mike was very good with the crayons and telling us to turn a number of triangles into a great number. They were both fantastic! This magic and mind games then continued throughout the cruise because both my DH and BIL do magic. They all had an awesome time exchanging tricks with each other! lol That night we ended up going to bed at a decent time because the next day was Nassau as well as my birthday.






Mike's awesome mind games!

Coming Up Next: Birthday Wishes from Nassau

 

[PrincessForLife]

When my DH and I woke up on our Nassau day, a.k.a. my birthday, we decided to start the day early by delivering my FE gifts. (It was also due to the room change) I was really happy to start the day with a quiet ship and almost no one around. It only took us about 20 minutes total to deliver the gifts and make our way back to the stateroom to get ready for an action-packed morning in Nassau. All ashore wasn't until 9:30 and we weren't in any rush because we were only going to Atlantis and maybe shopping if we were up to it. When we got back to the room, we were just pulling in to port so I got on the veranda and snapped a few pictures.





Since we just missed the cut off for breakfast at Lumiere's, we went to Cabanas. We were pleasantly surprised that it wasn't very crowded around 9:30. I guess everyone vacated the ship for port adventures as soon as they opened the gangways. lol Last time we were in Nassau we took the water taxi from the port to Paradise Island and walked the rest of the way. This time, to avoid the heat and ridiculous amount of walking and waiting, we took the cab. These aren't like the American cabs we are used to. These are van that hold about 8-10 people depending if they have the seat extenders and boy do they pack them too! They driver packed us in with about 4 other people and we made our way through the streets to Atlantis.




OMG the horse hat a straw hat!!!!


In the taxi


Once we got there, we walked around some shops before finally going to the casino to try our luck. I don't do any games but slots, preferably the penny slots. I probably bounced around between 5 different machines until I found one that gave me a good groove. With $100 gone and lost, I spent about an hour and a half on the machines and I was quite content stopping after that. While my MIL and I were on the slots, my DH, BOL, and FIL played Blackjack and Roulette. I was pleasantly surprised when we met up that DH won about $275! My BIL was the big winner though with $400. As usual at Atlantis the boys were successful and the girls weren't. Oh well, I still technically came out ahead. Lol










The boys and their winnings


And we lost...


Jimmy winning big!

An hour and a half of gambling takes a lot out of you! We decided to go back to the main street and decide on whether to go back to the ship or to go shopping. I wasn't feeling shopping the day before but I changed my mind and my DH, BIL, and I set out for the Del Sol store while my MIL and FIL went back to the ship to relax. To get to the main shopping we took an alley that was full of gift shops and there something there caught my eye! There was a man who had dozens of hand-painted canvases laid out and I couldn't resist! I love getting souvenirs and pieces that are made by local artisans. In fact, 99% of my jewelry is made by local and independent artists. I was able to talk down the price on a beautiful sunset beach painting from $50 to $35. I though it was quite a steal! We then headed for the Del Sol shop where my BIL got a t-shirt and I got color changing nail polish! It's a pale pink polish that changes into a rich purple in the sun just like the bag it comes in!


Taxi ride back to town



My painting for $35



And right across the street from the Del Sol shop was the Straw Market. I still have my bags I bought a couple years ago but the call of handmade straw items was too enticing! During the whole trip I had been looking at getting a sun hat because I've always liked them but didn't think they were for me. The first stall as we entered had an older woman sitting in front making a hat front scratch and I quickly diverted into that shop. She had dozens and dozens of beautiful hats all different colors and style along with bags. I finally settled on a blue and white hat made from the same fibers that are used in making ropes. It was a true masterpiece! I didn't even argue the price of $40 with the older woman who made them because it was such a well crafted and skilled piece. Our last stop was of course the Tortuga Rum Shop! We love going in there for the rum cakes! People sell rum cakes all over Nassau but the best are from the Tortuga shop. Before we got a couple individual cakes but this time we went for the 6 pack variety. I'm really surprised that we still have 2 left. lol


My DH got some candid pictures





I love this picture!!




My BIL and his first Tortuga Rum purchase ever!


Our awesome 6 pack of cakes!

We headed back to the ship after our lat stop and my DH and BIL decided to go to the Mixology class. I had a headache and I was really hungry so I stayed behind in the room while they went and had some brother bonding time. I was able to take some time to myself and relax with some room service. My lunch consisted of a Caesar salad, tomato soup, and a pepperoni pizza all washed down with a Mickey Bar! (my usual) I also got to chill and watch some TV while painting my nails in my cool new shade. I ended up falling asleep and I woke up with my DH next to me looking slightly glazed over from all the drinks they made. lol By that time it was almost show time for Twice Charmed, my favorite musical of all time! We also had an awesome surprise right before the show...

Up Next: Free Photos, Birthday Doings, and Princesses.

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

It sounds like you had a very good day in the Bahama's. Can you just take a cab to Atlantis and walk around the grounds or do you have to stay inside the casino?

 

[PrincessForLife]

It sounds like you had a very good day in the Bahama's. Can you just take a cab to Atlantis and walk around the grounds or do you have to stay inside the casino?

It was a wonderful time as always! Atlantis is a little strict about what areas you can visit. The main hotel lobby along with the aquarium and pools are strictly off-limits to the general public unless you pay to see those things. There are shopping areas, bars, restaurants, and a couple outdoor spaces that over look the main resort that you are allowed access to outside of the casino. It's pretty clear while wandering around what you can and cannot visit because there are guards at the entrances. You can experience a lot without access to the touristy areas.

 

[wallie40]

Great thread thanks for posting. BTW those eggs where amazing.

 

[PrincessForLife]

Great thread thanks for posting. BTW those eggs where amazing.

Thanks for joining along! Those eggs are like nothing I've ever seen before! The pictures don't do them justice!!

 

[JKSWonder]

The straw market intimidated me. So many stalls and I am not a haggler. Your hat is very cute though!

 

[PrincessForLife]

The straw market intimidated me. So many stalls and I am not a haggler. Your hat is very cute though!

I was SUPER intimidated the first time I went! In order to get the good, handmade things, look for the people sitting in front of their stalls making the products themselves. There are a lot of cheap souvenirs and sometimes it's hard to spot the difference. The people there are also very nice and love talking to the tourists! It's really true that women stick to their own kind so next time try starting up a conversation with one of the women making something in front of you. The haggling, I find, is very easy once you start talking to them!

 

[missjackiemcg]

I love your straw hat!! Definitely a great purchase, and totally worth the price.

 

[PrincessForLife]

I love your straw hat!! Definitely a great purchase, and totally worth the price.

Thank you! The Straw Market is definitely one of those places that people are either afraid venture or find that it has a bad rap. That's one of the places I always recommend for people to see!

 

[scrpbookr]

What a fun day in Nassau! Happy Belated Birthday! The new hat looks great on you! We have similar taste in souvenirs while in ports. I tend to pick handmade jewelry and I also really appreciate paintings.

 

[PrincessForLife]

What a fun day in Nassau! Happy Belated Birthday! The new hat looks great on you! We have similar taste in souvenirs while in ports. I tend to pick handmade jewelry and I also really appreciate paintings.

Thank you and thank you! There's something really gratifying about having a truly unique and exotic piece, isn't there?

 

[PrincessForLife]

We were preparing for Twice Charmed when my BIL got a special call on his wave phone.....

At the start of the cruise we were given one card per stateroom telling us to drop off the completed card at Shutters for a chance to win a free picture CD with all your professional cruise photos, or one of each 8x10 of the professional photos. DH and I were reluctant to enter it because we thought we had no chance at winning. Low and behold, my MIL was the lucky winner!! We of course took the picture CD because then we could get all the printed pictures we wanted. They told her that we should take as many pictures as possible. She took that to heart because she is a die hard scrapbooker and she was in picture heaven!!!! lol Before Twice Charmed we headed down to the atrium to start our photo-taking frenzy with a family photo in front of the ship backdrop.


Feeling great about the fact that we get these all for free!!!

It was FINALLY time for TWICE CHARMED! If you have not seen this musical on the Magic, it's the must see show that will take your breath away. It is the very fun and exciting story about Lady Tremaine and her wicked daughters acquiring a "Wicked Fairy Godfather" named Franco. He helps them go back in time to destroy Cinderella's glass slippers so one of the daughters can become the Prince's bride. Cinderella of course gets help from her barnyard friends and Fairy Godmother, but in the end she must show the Prince her true self in order to win his heart. The soundtrack and music is also to die for! I usually love the cast but this one was a little off. I think that 90% of the cast was on autopilot. After a while of doing a show, it becomes so routine that there is no energy and emotions. That's what totally happened here. I still enjoy the show though!!




The best opening sequence ever!

After the show we once again headed to Keys for our nightly dose of fine piano tunes and drinks. Since DH and I decided not to go to Twice Charmed again, we headed to Lumiere's with the family. I love this place because of the French-inspired food and all the Beauty and the Beast touches. As soon as we sat down, our head waiter brought over the nightly enjoyment of coconut shrimp that my FIL requested. Our head waiter was certainly on top of it!! We were also treated to some napkin folding lessons from Limbert!! I swear, Limbert and Mike were the best serving team we have ever had! They ALWAYS took the time to talk to the guests and enjoy their love of magic and entertaining.


My FIL and his jumbo plate of shrimp!


My MIL hates fish and shrimp so she always has the best reactions to it! lol


Learning our napkins!


Jimmy is a princess!!


Our new tradition!



We usually run a little late with dinner because we have so much fun with our serving team but this night DH and I had to book it out of dinner in time to get some princess pictures! I have never had a picture with Rapunzel so we headed down to Preludes and jumped in line right after the Tiana fans. We only had to wait a couple minutes because they were on a strict time schedule. And then there she was, the most energetic princess I have ever seen! Rapunzel has to be the best princess I have ever met because she was so animated and fun to talk to. We discussed my birthday, floating lanterns, and our love of birthday cake with sprinkles. She. Was. Awesome.




She had so much fun with the little princesses!!

After Rapunzel we wandered to the atrium to kill some time before Cinderella. Her scheduled time was 10:30pm and it felt like an eternity! (Probably because I couldn't wait to hang out with my favorite princess.) The time finally came and we were first in line! She was really good too. Our discussion included my recent wedding with my glass slippers and how my Fairy Godmother is really sweet to gove me a cruise for my birthday. lol I just love my princesses!!


Sitting and waiting for Cinderella...


Me and my girl!! lol

Up Next: The Castaway Cay Adventure