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

[chunkymonkey]

I loved reading about your trip. We have a SWDS planned in March 2017. I was super excited before but even more so. My husband and I are thinking of doing either Palo for Remy. Which would you recommend for 1st timers? Also, when/how do you request your dining rotation before cruising?

Thank you!! Palo and Remy are beautiful but they are different Palo is more italian-influence, while Remy is French/New American. Both were really good. I guess it depends on if you want brunch or dinner too I love the Palo brunches so I will definitely do that, and if I had to pick Remy brunch or dinner, I guess it depends on how much I would want to spend. Dinner is more expensive, especially with the wine pairings and added courses. But it really was a wonderful fine dining experience but be prepared for a lot of time spent there (3 hours). Lunch was much shorter, and less courses but just a decadent, and cheaper too. I'd do the two brunches in a heartbeat and if you want to celebrate something special go for Remy dinner.
I have not been to Palo dinner so I can't speak on that but from what I have seen it is mostly fine Italian cuisine. I will probably try it on our next cruise!

 

[TinkerbellLuvr7]

I popped over to say Hi and sorry for being MIA! Life gets in the way sometimes! Seeing as I've neglected your TR as well as my own PTR, I have catching up to do haha! I'll be over to your other one which I'm hoping is still in progress!

 

[TestingH2O]

So, thanks again for a great report. FYI, I talked my parents in to trying Palo brunch, and they loved it! Your pics really helped me convince them.

But, now I totally need to read this again because we are doing this same cruise next March! I can't tell you how excited we are!

 

[chunkymonkey]

I popped over to say Hi and sorry for being MIA! Life gets in the way sometimes! Seeing as I've neglected your TR as well as my own PTR, I have catching up to do haha! I'll be over to your other one which I'm hoping is still in progress!

Hi Megan! Happy to see you back! No worries, all the TRs will be here for you to enjoy! My other TR is still in progress!

So, thanks again for a great report. FYI, I talked my parents in to trying Palo brunch, and they loved it! Your pics really helped me convince them.

But, now I totally need to read this again because we are doing this same cruise next March! I can't tell you how excited we are!

That's awesome!! I'm glad they enjoyed it as much as we did!
And your new cruise...SO EXCITED FOR YOU!!! Are you all dressing up?

 

[TestingH2O]

And your new cruise...SO EXCITED FOR YOU!!! Are you all dressing up?

I'd like to, but I'm cheap and don't want to spend a ton. Honestly, I'm hoping that we can get good stuff at Halloween. That's the advantage of planning so far in advance, right?

 

[DisneyEcho]

Thanks for sharing such a great trip report with all of us!

 

[chunkymonkey]

I'd like to, but I'm cheap and don't want to spend a ton. Honestly, I'm hoping that we can get good stuff at Halloween. That's the advantage of planning so far in advance, right?

Oh definitely! That is a great idea, I think there will be lots of Star Wars costumes on sale after Halloween.

Thanks for sharing such a great trip report with all of us!

You're welcome! Thank you for reading!

 

[TestingH2O]

I made a few tweaks since I posted the design in my PTR so here is the final result:

Ok, so your Mickey heads are exactly the scale I want for ours Do you know the dimensions?

Man I'm excited about this trip, but it's still so far away!

Also, I have Kinder egg shopping on my excel sheet comparing excursions. Lol!

 

[chunkymonkey]

Ok, so your Mickey heads are exactly the scale I want for ours Do you know the dimensions?

I have them at home so I'll go measure them. But I'd say roughly 6 inches in diameter. Actually I'll see if I can find the link of the ebay seller that made them.

Man I'm excited about this trip, but it's still so far away!

It'll be here before you know it! I know the time for us went by quicker than expected.

Also, I have Kinder egg shopping on my excel sheet comparing excursions. Lol!

LOL!! I'm not the only one! Your DD will love them I'm sure, although my nieces were more interested in the chocolate than the toy that came inside them. I remember at the Mega supermarket we saw different types of eggs, some were Disney themed, and some were other brands, but there was a lot to choose from. I can't remember how many pesos they were but they were cheap. I bought about six of them and they held up well in my luggage (it was a hard side luggage) and didn't melt.

 

[SplashMom]

Thanks so much for a fabulous trip report! I just read the entire thing and now I am even more excited for our cruise. I loved your details, food, and photos! In March, we are doing the Fantasy Eastern Caribbean with a Star Wars day. Can't wait...thanks again!

 

[chunkymonkey]

Thanks so much for a fabulous trip report! I just read the entire thing and now I am even more excited for our cruise. I loved your details, food, and photos! In March, we are doing the Fantasy Eastern Caribbean with a Star Wars day. Can't wait...thanks again!

Thank you for reading! You will have a great cruise! I think the SWDAS cruises can only get better over time. I think you'll be in for a real treat next year! I hope you do a trip report or share some pictures!

 

[kateydid75]

@chunkymonkey I am going on my first Disney cruise in September and found your trip reports during my research phase. I've really enjoyed them! You do such a good job and have definitely amped up my excitement for our trip.

Also, I have been watching some trip videos on youtube, and found a series by an adorable family who must have been on this same Star Wars cruise with you, because you show up briefly in their video! (I may have actually squealed when I saw you. Here it is!

(You're right around 7:23.

 

[chunkymonkey]

@chunkymonkey I am going on my first Disney cruise in September and found your trip reports during my research phase. I've really enjoyed them! You do such a good job and have definitely amped up my excitement for our trip.

Oh how exciting! Thank you so much from reading! Hope it has helped you in your planning!

Also, I have been watching some trip videos on youtube, and found a series by an adorable family who must have been on this same Star Wars cruise with you, because you show up briefly in their video! (I may have actually squealed when I saw you. Here it is!

(You're right around 7:23.

Yes! I have seen that video, someone else also mentioned it too. I actually commented on his video saying we're the Han and Leia at 7:24...lol
We have not heard back but I wasn't expecting to. He has a ton of followers! Thanks for pointing it out again and for recognizing me! I'm so flattered people could see me for a split second and called it out! THANKS!!!

 

[AussieMumma]

OMG I've watched that Evan Tube video before and totally missed you on there! I've just re watched it so i could see you

 

[allybabba98]

Another great TR! Evan tube is a favourite here in our house. I went back to watch that episode...very cool!

 

[chunkymonkey]

OMG I've watched that Evan Tube video before and totally missed you on there! I've just re watched it so i could see you

Another great TR! Evan tube is a favourite here in our house. I went back to watch that episode...very cool!

Aw shucks thanks guys! My 5 seconds of youtube fame! I had no idea who Evantube was but I'm sure my nieces have watched some of their videos. It's pretty cool they were on the same cruise, and it's awesome they featured us even for a split second!

 

[NORMA MUNOZ]

Love reading your trip report. Thank you.

 

[cforsythe]

I have really enjoyed your TR. It has been a few years since we have done a Disney Cruise but we are going again in a few weeks. Your report with all of the information and pictures sure does get me in the mood!! Thanks!!!

 

[chunkymonkey]

Love reading your trip report. Thank you.

Thank you so much and thanks for reading!

I have really enjoyed your TR. It has been a few years since we have done a Disney Cruise but we are going again in a few weeks. Your report with all of the information and pictures sure does get me in the mood!! Thanks!!!

Thank you so much and enjoy your cruise!! So jealous!

 

[Joyce T. Powell]

Cruise Epilogue and Best of Lists!



That's all folks! That's the end of this TR! Thought I'd share a few notes and favorites of the trip.​

Thoughts on SWDAS:

We had a great time at SWDAS, but for us it was non-stop all day. I think when you are in costume, it's harder to take breaks, go to the pool etc. You're pretty much in it all day. Plus, they had activities, movies, characters, so we were always on the go, looking for the next thing to do or see. I think if they spread it out over two days, there won't be so much pressure to do everything on one day. I really appreciated having the second meet 'n greet the next day, although if I were to have met Vader wearing my Leia outfit, I'd run up to him and say "Daddy!!" and hold up a sign that said "Best Dad Ever" or something funny like that. Was it worth the extra cost over a non-SWDAS itinerary? Well I'm sort of going to be biased because I was going on this cruise regardless of the cost since it was my 40th birthday (and I was going to splurge anyways!). I didn't even look into the price of other cruises. Would I do this itinerary again? Absolutely. I would probably wait a year or two to do it again though. I'd like to see what changes and improvements Disney makes to the program, although I'm pretty sure they will reuse a lot of items from the inaugural cruises. Hopefully they will learn from some of the feedback, like people being extremely disappointed their kids weren't able to participate in Jedi Training. Maybe they will start using a ticket system like they do with some meet n greets. Or just hold more sessions over the course of the cruise. Hey, wait, maybe they will even have a Star Wars week at sea!?!? #wishfulthinking The best part of the day as I said before, was the fan interaction. It's basically an excuse for fans to dress up and get into character and take pictures of each other. Having roaming characters was a nice touch. I enjoyed Star Wars Day at Sea and we made the most of it but I think overall there were many divided opinions over the day.


Thoughts on the Fantasy vs Magic:

I absolutely loved the Fantasy. It is modern, large, and beautiful. I loved the intricate details, the awesome adult areas, and the themed restaurants. Animator's Palate was a different beast than the one on the Magic. I liked how they had interactive games (midship detective agency) and I especially loved the Rainforest Room. I felt like there was more to do on board, more options for food, and we never got tired of exploring. The shops were also larger and had more stuff. I did not feel that the crowds were more prevalent on the Fantasy, even though there were about 1000 more people. I guess the ship just felt bigger overall, and there were more decks. We didn't use the pools that much. Both family pools on the Magic and Fantasy were packed every day. We used the adult pool and jacuzzis a few times. The Jacuzzis are a little bigger on the Fantasy. That said, I think the Magic is just a beautiful classic ship and I'd be really happy to sail on it again. The Magic felt slightly more intimate and the service was excellent, in fact I think it surpassed the Fantasy in terms of one-on-one service. But our team on the Fantasy was great too. I'd sail on the Magic again in a heartbeat but I'd really miss some of the features of the Fantasy. The Magic and Wonder have more interesting itineraries whereas the Dream Class ships are pretty much dedicated to the Bahamas and Caribbean. One day I'd like to do the Eastern Caribbean the Fantasy.

Food-wise, they were about the same standard and one ship wasn't better over the other. Some things were hit or miss in the main dining rooms, and the adults-only restaurants were definitely the highlight of both cruises we took. I really loved Remy so that is one reason to return to the Fantasy. On both ships I really enjoyed the Animator's Palate dining room the most.

Our Staterooms were comparable, but on the Magic we were in a 5C and on the Fantasy we were in a 4D which is slightly bigger. They were identical in decor - but the Fantasy had the round bathtub which was much larger than the smallish tub on the Magic. The Magic staterooms were definitely a little bit older and did have some wear and tear - not the decor or furniture, which were new since the refurbishment, but things like worn-out door hinges, and paint peeling on the verandah. Nothing to complain about really, just some things to note.

Here ia my best-of list from the cruise!

Best Restaurant Decor: Animator's Palate
Best Rotational Theme Night: Star Wars Day at Sea! Duh. Made even better because we were in Animator's Palate!
Best Food Item (Main Dining Room) - a tie between the truffle pasta pursettes and the seared tuna I had on our first Animator's Palate night. Those two dishes were executed extremely well and tasted delicious that it stuck with me.
Best Food Item (Palo or Remy) - gosh this is so difficult, but I'd have to say the deep fried egg dish we had during Remy brunch. I love eggs, and loved the preparation and flavor of this dish. I loved how the yolk was still runny and you cut into it and it was just a really great dish. I also really like the french-style caviar add-on we had at Remy but it was pretty expensive as an add-on.
Best Day of the Cruise: Well, there is no doubt about it but we went on this cruise because of Star Wars Day at Sea so that day wins!
Best Theater Show: It's between Wishes or Believe and I loved them both, but I'd have to give Wishes the edge just because it is teeny-boppy disney-channel fun!
Best Outdoor Show: Well, it would by default have to be the Star Wars Fireworks and pre-show because I think that's the only show I watched outside. Oh the Sail Away party but that was pretty standard.
Best Character Meet: it would have to be Darth Vader...I mean...he is Darth Vader. Plus, I had a matching dress! The droids come in a very close second!
Best Port of Call: Well considering we did nothing much in Cozumel and Grand Cayman, I'd have to say Castaway Cay despite the cold water and wind. It's just so pretty there, and the included BBQ lunch didn't hurt!
Best Area of the Ship to take a break: The Rainforest Room or Cove Cafe, which I didn't spend quite enough time in (most likely because I was in the Rainforest Room!)
Best alcoholic/specialty drink: I loved how they had Moet Ice with a twist of fruit!
Best Adult Ship Activity: Aside from eating, if you get the chance, try Mixology! Even though I came out a little tipsy, it was a ton of fun and well worth it!


I did a lessons learned type thing in my previous TR here. And I really tried to take my own advice!

• I brought more heels
• We brought less clothes
• I wore less "breezy" clothing up on deck
• We ordered room service
• We ate in one of the MDRs for breakfast
• We didn't need an alarm clock since the Fantasy did have one in the stateroom
• I brought higher SPF sunscreen and I even brought lots of bug spray with all the Zika warnings going on.
• I stored all my navigators in a folder.
• Took advantage of spa specials so didn't pre-book spa treatments and saved some money

OK everyone...It's a WRAP!!


Thank you everyone for reading and for your kind comments. I really enjoyed sharing our experiences and reading your feedback.
Hope to see you all on my WDW TR!

​

Thanks for a fun and excellently written TR! I loved the level of detail and appreciated all the cool pics. My vicarious adventure is done for the day lol! I apologize for not noticing the "like" button at the end of each individual post until the end.**facepalm** My son and I are huge Disney fans(we've been to WDW several times) so I am reading TRs in anticipation of booking a DCL cruise for us.

I'm off to read some more of your fun adventures with Chunky Hubby(and Sis). Thanks again!