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

[chunkymonkey]

LOVE the aftermath video! My sister and I along with a friend we made on the cruise had the same struggles on that set of steps after our Mixology. I blame it on DCL... they must have a way to make those steps move that we don't know about!

I swear, it was the boat that was rocking! Not us!

 

[KathyM2]

Then I decided we all needed some pictures in portholes.

I love those portholes! When we went on our cruise my DS loved to just sit there and hang out for hours!

That mixology class looked like a blast! Although I'm a total lightweight too...I don't think I would have even been able to drink the first four lol...but they all looked so good!

 

[BlvInMagic]

Joining-in! Wow -- the Ship is absolutely beautiful -- excellent pics, as always! We've never done a Disney Cruise before, so this TR is perfect insight. Loved your Mixology and Aftermath post... the video was just priceless.... hee.. hee.... CS is hilarious

 

[natebenma]

UGH!!! I read your first chapter, but apparently I forgot to subscribe. Catching up....

All aboard!!!

You are off to a great start. That is pretty scary about your ride to the airport going missing. I never even thought about how he had all your stuff!

I loved your description of the boarding process. I have only been on a couple of cruises, both Royal Caribbean. The ones I was on did not have cool things like character greetings or announcing our party as we boarded. We did have pictures taken when we got on board (I don't think they actually let us skip the photo)

Bummer about the wrong dining rotation. I hope it was not a pain to change.

So far what I have seen of the ship is gorgeous. Not that I expected anything different!

 

[DisneyMusicMan]

Watching thread...9 pages too late. Thanks, I'm getting excited for our Apr 23 cruise. This is just the fix I needed. Thanks for the detailed trip report.

It looks like the layered shot in Mixology was a B52...Kahlua on the bottom, Bailey's in the middle, and Gran Marnier on top. Layered beautifully, by the way!

 

[disneyguy4life]

LOL, I'm glad I inspired your appetite! I really could use some Disney soft serve ice cream right now!

I know what you mean. When I need a Disney fix I go to the movie theater down the street to buy a dole whip and remember the good times.

 

[chunkymonkey]

I love those portholes! When we went on our cruise my DS loved to just sit there and hang out for hours!

I loved them! I'm actually considering a porthole room for our next cruise because I think they are cute and round! I may miss the balcony but to be honest I didn't spend much time on it as I thought I would on this trip.

That mixology class looked like a blast! Although I'm a total lightweight too...I don't think I would have even been able to drink the first four lol...but they all looked so good!

It was fun! But yes, it's an only on vacation thing for me!

Joining-in! Wow -- the Ship is absolutely beautiful -- excellent pics, as always! We've never done a Disney Cruise before, so this TR is perfect insight. Loved your Mixology and Aftermath post... the video was just priceless.... hee.. hee.... CS is hilarious

Hii there!! Happy to see you here! Thank you!! Yeah Disney Cruises...I'm warning you, once you go on one you'll be addicted, LOL.
Yeah my sister...she's a character!! Always gives us some good laughs!

UGH!!! I read your first chapter, but apparently I forgot to subscribe. Catching up....

All aboard!!!

Hi Dee!!

You are off to a great start. That is pretty scary about your ride to the airport going missing. I never even thought about how he had all your stuff!

Yeah, slight moment of panic there, but crisis averted! Thank goodness.

I loved your description of the boarding process. I have only been on a couple of cruises, both Royal Caribbean. The ones I was on did not have cool things like character greetings or announcing our party as we boarded. We did have pictures taken when we got on board (I don't think they actually let us skip the photo)

Disney takes everything to the next level! I guess that's why their prices are elevated too

Bummer about the wrong dining rotation. I hope it was not a pain to change.

It's so odd. It's like they didn't read my request. In any case, it was very easy to change. The only thing that we could have done that we didn't do was have them reprint our Key to the world card because it still had our old rotation on it. But I memorized the rotations in any case. Of course DH and CS did not so I had to tell them where to go every day.

So far what I have seen of the ship is gorgeous. Not that I expected anything different!

Yup! My expectations are so high with Disney but this ship really lived up to the hype!

Watching thread...9 pages too late. Thanks, I'm getting excited for our Apr 23 cruise. This is just the fix I needed. Thanks for the detailed trip report.

It looks like the layered shot in Mixology was a B52...Kahlua on the bottom, Bailey's in the middle, and Gran Marnier on top. Layered beautifully, by the way!

Thank you!! You're gonna have a great time! Is it a Star Wars cruise?
Thanks for the shot info! I guess indeed it was a B-52! I'm not sure I'll even get to the point where I'll drink the entire shot but maybe in the next Mixology class I'll build up a tolerance.

I know what you mean. When I need a Disney fix I go to the movie theater down the street to buy a dole whip and remember the good times.

Oooh you're lucky you have Dole whip near you! Does it taste the same?[/QUOTE]

 

[disneyguy4life]

Oooh you're lucky you have Dole whip near you! Does it taste the same?

[/QUOTE]
Well everything tastes better in a souvenir cup and you are Disney. But it is a close second.

 

[DisneyMusicMan]

Thank you!! You're gonna have a great time! Is it a Star Wars cruise?
Thanks for the shot info! I guess indeed it was a B-52! I'm not sure I'll even get to the point where I'll drink the entire shot but maybe in the next Mixology class I'll build up a tolerance.

[/QUOTE]

No, it's not a Star Wars cruise. I'm a big fan as well, and that would've been perfect. But, they didn't have the room availability we were looking for. Maybe next year.

 

[chunkymonkey]

Day 2 Part 5: Formal Night at Animator's Palate!

OK after our crazy afternoon at Mixology it was a miracle we sobered up in time to change into our "formal" wear and make it to the early showing of Aladdin. I think sitting outside on our balcony helped a bit as the breeze helped diffuse any lingering effects of the alcohol. The All Hands on Deck platter which was basically cheese 'n crackers also helped, hehe.

Here's my outfit for formal night. My dress was 39.99! I am not kidding. I got it on Amazon (link here) and it fit perfectly and it was stretchy too, good for gorging and lounging in.

I even had to time to go get a picture with Pluto! The atrium was pretty empty this early, which was really nice as it got super crowded later!

Pluto is such a fun dog...

He had his ear to lift and I had my dress!

Oh and of course CS would not miss an opportunity for a Character pic!

After Pluto we were just in time to get to the show. We walked outside deck 4 to get to the theater. It was such a lovely evening!

The Aladdin show was great. If you've seen the NYC show on Broadway note it's slightly different, it's shorter in length of course, as well as having a different (not better, not worse) tone for Genie. It was fun because it's such a classic Disney story and everyone recognizes the music in these shows!

After the show we got some pictures taken. Thankfully this round of portrait pictures were NOT horrendous. We clean up well too.

We then went to get a pic with the SWDAS backdrop. What's formal night if it's not a STAR WARS formal night?

Apparently here I still have some lingering effects of mixology...

CS got these character pics but I was honestly just tired of waiting in line so much. It was only our second day of cruising and I didn't want to spend it in a line so I just hung out in the atrium with DH people watching and soaking everything in.

I did get on line for Captain Mickey though. The atrium was packed at this time. Lots of pictures going on with everyone in their formal gear. It's actually quite nice to see people so dressed up. I never dress up, the last wedding I went to was 2 years ago so it's been a while and it was actually quite fun. DH though was not so happy he had to wear a suit a few times on this trip. Men.

The much more crowded atrium

Captain Mickey!

Finally it was time for dinner at Animator's Palate! It was the Crush show tonight. It's funny because our server, Nyoman kept saying we'd be going "under the sea" which is essentially true but everytime I think of "under the sea" I think of The Little Mermaid.

I loved Animator's Palate on the Magic and the Fantasy's version is different but I loved it just as much. It's much more colorful and there are many more screens on the walls giving everyone a great view of the action.

I did miss these little paintbrush knives! I have 2 at home and love using them, but it's even better when you're actually using them in Animator's Palate!

Our drinks were brought to us by Joseph right after we sat down. I MISS THIS LEVEL OF SERVICE!!!! The bread tonight was a garlic herb foccacia. There were also regular dinner rolls as well. The dip was a roasted garlic dip.

As soon as our orders were taken, the room changed to a deep blue color and soon Crush appeared! We were not sitting near the wall, so we were pretty certain we would get no interaction with Crush. It's ok though, as the kids around the perimeter looked like they were having fun.

This was also when our first course was served, and the blue light did nothing for the pictures of the food, so they all look well, blue. Just imagine what the food would look and taste like if it wasn't...blue.

First up, my favorite appetizer in Animator's Palate, the Truffle Pasta Pursettes. CS and I both got this and it was delicious and just as I remembered it to be.

DH got 2 appetizers, the Sliced Serrano Ham, and the Smoked Salmon Tartar

CS also got the Butternet Squash Soup. She loves butternut squash soup and her favorite version is the one they serve at Animal Kingdom Lodge. She would eat it at Mara or Boma every day. This version was a little more on the tomato-y side and not as creamy as she'd like.

After our appetizers, the lights went back to normal again. Everytime Crush would appear, it'll get darker and blue again.

As an entree, CS got the Lemon Thyme-Marinated Chicken Breast served with sour cream mashed potatoes. She thought it was pretty good.

I got the Grilled Tuna Steak with Caponata, Sun-dried Tomato Pesto and Aioli. The tuna was great! It was cooked perfectly and still had a medium rare temperature (these things tend to be overcooked in general). I really enjoyed my dish. Didnt' really care about the caponata but really liked the tuna and it went well with the aioli.

DH didn't want to indulge too much so he got the Jumbo Shrimp Salad with arugula. He said it was really good!

Overall, we were very happy with our meal at Animator's Palate. It kinda exceeded my expectations since I thought I'd only like the truffle pasta pursettes and nothing else. (I wasn't wowed by my entree on the Magic).

For dessert, CS and I got the sundae, with cookies n cream ice cream and a Mickey chocolate!

DH got the Sweet Temptation which is usually a trio of some of that night's desserts.

It was a pretty great dinner on our first sea day, although we didn't really have much interaction with Crush. For once I think the food outshone the ambiance at least in our case! Some people think Animator's Palate isn't the most "formal" of restaurants so may not want this rotation, but I thought it was perfectly fine. Everyone else is going to be pretty much dressed up so it's the people, and not the ambiance that make it formal too.

Although there were a small population of people who didn't bother to do the formal thing. It's fine, I respect that. They wore resort casual wear. It didn't matter since we were all on vacation we can do whatever we want to do!! Life was good at this moment. I'm not at work, I ate a divine brunch at Remy, survived mixology, and I'm on a DISNEY CRUISE!!



After dinner, DH and I changed and went to catch the 10:45pm showing of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. CS was going to sleep instead. I figure I'd try and catch the original trilogy on the big screen again since it was probably my only chance too. I hadn't seen this movie on the big screen since college when they did their big re-release. It was great!

Tonight's towel animal:

Wow we had a long day but it was so much fun that it didn't feel like it! Coming up, our first port, Cozumel!! Stay tuned...


​

 

[Dugette]

Here's my outfit for formal night. My dress was 39.99! I am not kidding. I got it on Amazon (link here) and it fit perfectly and it was stretchy too, good for gorging and lounging in.

I love everything about this!

Pluto is so much fun when he gets to really showing his dog side like that.

Your dinner looks tasty! On the Dream, we were near a Crush screen and the little boy at our table had a conversation with him (well, the mom did), which was really fun.

I figure I'd try and catch the original trilogy on the big screen again since it was probably my only chance too. I hadn't seen this movie on the big screen since college when they did their big re-release. It was great!

Very cool that you had the chance to see it on the big screen!

 

[bcwife76]

Your dress is gorgeous - and so are you in it!! CS looks super adorable in her dress as well, love the purple mickey heads!

Nice photo of you and DH

Ahhh the truffle pursettes at AP.......on my next cruise I'm ordering 3 plates

 

[cheermom2four]

Here's my outfit for formal night. My dress was 39.99! I am not kidding. I got it on Amazon (link here) and it fit perfectly and it was stretchy too, good for gorging and lounging in.

OMG I never thought of Amazon to get a dress (and your choice of a dress is perfect!). I dont get dressed up much except weddings and funerals LOL and I have my oldest daughter's wedding in Oct right after our Sept cruise. I may need to check out amazon to get a dress for formal night!!!

 

[natebenma]

Exploring, Cabanas, Stateroom

Wow! Love the Toy Story room in the kids club.

That Cabana's mural!!! I am a sucker for anything with a coral reef motif.

And followed by yummy food!!!

Your stateroom is awesome. I got a cooler bag on a cruise about 10 years ago (not a cool Star Wars one, though) and I use it all the time at home and when I travel.

Nice job on your stateroom door. It is incredible!

The picture of you on the throne is perfect!

:

 

[dmlovullo]

What a great day! Mixology looks super fun! And at $20 per person, that is not bad for 5 drinks! And the whole experience of actually making some drinks and learning proper ways to do so looks like it would be worth it too! Ohh and Aladdin show! That sounds really good. I hope it comes to our Buffalo area Off-Broadway some time soon. Formal night looks like it would be really fun! Your dress was beautiful and I definitely could get on board with that. Simple and comfy looking! Can't wait for Cozumel!

 

[starousse]

Looks like it was a great first day at sea. I absolutely love that dress!

 

[TigerTown]

After dinner, DH and I changed and went to catch the 10:45pm showing of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. CS was going to sleep instead. I figure I'd try and catch the original trilogy on the big screen again since it was probably my only chance too. I hadn't seen this movie on the big screen since college when they did their big re-release. It was great!

​

So how often did you nod off during the movie? I went to all of the late night showings but always managed to miss a few things due to inadvertent little naps throughout the films

 

[chunkymonkey]

I love everything about this!

Thanks!!

Pluto is so much fun when he gets to really showing his dog side like that.

Your dinner looks tasty! On the Dream, we were near a Crush screen and the little boy at our table had a conversation with him (well, the mom did), which was really fun.

I love it when Pluto gets like that! I've only actually seen it on a cruise and not at WDW. I guess no one wants Pluto to get his fluffy costume all dirty at WDW!
I wasn't expecting much on the Crush show since I was pretty sure considering we were 3 adults that we would get little to no interaction. I was right. I was contemplating doing Palo or Remy on this night but I'm glad I did not as I really liked the food and I did want to experience the crush show once.

Your dress is gorgeous - and so are you in it!! CS looks super adorable in her dress as well, love the purple mickey heads!

Thank you!!! Her dress was cute, it's from Torrid and we saw at least 2 other people in the same dress!

Nice photo of you and DH

Thanks! He tends to blink a lot in pictures so this was one where he did not!

Ahhh the truffle pursettes at AP.......on my next cruise I'm ordering 3 plates

I ordered twice last time! I should have probably gotten another order this time though but just wasn't that hungry after the All Hands on Deck platter!

OMG I never thought of Amazon to get a dress (and your choice of a dress is perfect!). I dont get dressed up much except weddings and funerals LOL and I have my oldest daughter's wedding in Oct right after our Sept cruise. I may need to check out amazon to get a dress for formal night!!!

Thanks! The dress is really great. I'm surprised it fit so well and it seems to fit a lot of different body types too. I hope you do get it as I think it'll look really nice on you!

Exploring, Cabanas, Stateroom

Wow! Love the Toy Story room in the kids club.

Everything is so awesome when you first board the ship! It's exciting and there is a real sense of adventure!

That Cabana's mural!!! I am a sucker for anything with a coral reef motif.

Me too! It was a great mural!

And followed by yummy food!!!

Even better!!

Your stateroom is awesome. I got a cooler bag on a cruise about 10 years ago (not a cool Star Wars one, though) and I use it all the time at home and when I travel.

Nice job on your stateroom door. It is incredible!

Thanks! I love the cooler! It even has it's own dustbag! I can't wait to use it!

The picture of you on the throne is perfect!

Thank you! There are so many pretty photo spots on the ship! Even the elevators. Some of them have changing scenes as you go up and down. I should have gotten a picture of this too but I wasn't in the elevator too much.

What a great day! Mixology looks super fun! And at $20 per person, that is not bad for 5 drinks! And the whole experience of actually making some drinks and learning proper ways to do so looks like it would be worth it too! Ohh and Aladdin show! That sounds really good. I hope it comes to our Buffalo area Off-Broadway some time soon. Formal night looks like it would be really fun! Your dress was beautiful and I definitely could get on board with that. Simple and comfy looking! Can't wait for Cozumel!

We had a great day! Everything we did that day was super fun and everything we ate was yummy! I really love the sea days as I can really appreciate the ship!

Thank you! I loved the dress! Now looking for someplace to wear it again...maybe I need to book another cruise, LOL.

Looks like it was a great first day at sea. I absolutely love that dress!

It was!! Thank you!!!

So how often did you nod off during the movie? I went to all of the late night showings but always managed to miss a few things due to inadvertent little naps throughout the films

LOL, I was pretty tired but usually I'm awake mentally while my body is tired physically and usually my mental side wins so I was up through all of Episodes IV and V. For Episode VI I knew it was SWDAS the next day and I needed to get more sleep so I just watched up until Boba Fett was swallowed and then left.

 

[pagek83]

Just found your report and love it!

 

[PiperGirlInWondrland]

Another awesome update! I love that dress, absolutely fabulous!

Those little animators palette knives are so cute aren't they?