ThreeCircles
<font color=blue>Stays up past 3:00 am (have you s
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2002
- Messages
- 2,679
August 16th Disney Magic Trip Report
Embarkation Day Saturday, August 16th
As always, the first half of Embarkation Day (the half prior to boarding the beautiful Disney Magic) was more than a little hectic. Being severe procrastinators, Travis and I had finished our packing in the early evening but had yet to secure our trip money from the ATM, fill up the car with gas for the trip to Port Canaveral, or take our beloved children (two of our five cats) to his mothers house to be looked after. To make the situation worse, I ended up staying up until 2:00 a.m. to watch The Sum of All Fears on Show Time. Needless to say I was a little tired when I awoke on Saturday.
At 8:30 a.m. we had managed to drag ourselves out of bed, shower, and cram the luggage into the car. We ran to Publix to make our ATM withdrawal and to exchange some rolled-change for singles for tips. We drove across the street and filled up the tank and then dropped off Mocha and Sisyphus at Traviss moms. Finally, we were off!
The drive to Port Canaveral is a relatively easy and stress-free one. Although there is much construction on Interstate 4, the main thoroughfare connecting the Tampa Bay area to Orlando, the traffic is relatively light on Saturdays until to get closer to Walt Disney World. We soon saw the famous three-circled power line tower and knew we were close to WDW and our turn onto the Bee Line Expressway.
The Bee Line Expressway is even quieter than I-4 as it is a toll road and is not as heavily traveled. To amuse ourselves on the last leg of our journey to the port we popped in a Disney CD and kept the lookout for those DCL busses. Each time we saw one headed West towards the Resort we honked and waved!
Finally, the moment that we all wait for! Our first glimpse of the Magic! There she was just waiting for us to board! Even though this was our fourth Disney cruise, and our fourth trip on the Disney Magic, it is still an amazing sight to come over that last big hill and see the ship. The Disney ships really make the other cruise ships in the port pale in comparison.
After checking our bags with the porter Travis paid for parking and as he was doing so pointed out a sign next to the parking lot. It read: Do not leave open containers of food or drink in your car as it may become infested with ants. I had NEVER seen this sign before and was amused by it considering all of the talk about ant infestation on the boards. Never the less, I think it is a little overboard.
We entered the Disney terminal and had our carryon luggage x-rayed. Next, up the steps to the check-in counters.
Even before we made it to the Castaway Club check-in line the first Disers had spotted us. It was Hannosmom near the front of the boarding line waving to us! She mouthed who she was and we waved and smiled back and then proceeded to check in. After check-in, as we waited in line to board the ship, several other Dis Boarders came up and introduced themselves. Hannosmom (Linda) came over and introduced herself, husband Ed, Daughter Sarah, and sister Debra. They were all exceptionally nice people and we would see a lot more of them in the coming days! (The relationship between Debra and myself would prove to be especially interesting!
) Next came Disney3144 (Jennifer) and husband Joe. They too seemed very nice and mentioned that they had recognized us by the pictures on the August 16th Cruise List site and the picture in my signature on the boards.
Soon Chip n Dale came out to pose for photographs and shortly after the ship began boarding shortly after 12:00 p.m. Once onboard we made a mad dash to Beat Street to claim our reservations for dinner, Champagne Brunch, and High Tea at Palo. Surprisingly the lines for Palo reservations in Rockin Bar D were very short and we were able to get all of the time-slots that we desired. Next it was up to Deck 9 for the Vista Spa. Travis and I had tried to get reservations for the Surial Ritual Chamber on our November and May cruises but it never worked out. In November something happened with the equipment on the day before our scheduled visit and in May all of the time-slots had been booked. After a long wait we managed to get a spot for Thursday at 11:30 a.m. As it turns out, this time was really great because we ended up sleeping in on that day!
After making the spa reservations the time was about 1:30 p.m. We headed to our stateroom to drop off the carryon luggage and met Elmer, our Stateroom Host for the next seven days and nights. He was a very nice guy and always made small talk with us whenever we saw him in the halls.
We decided to have our Embarkation Buffet at Topsiders as it has become somewhat of a tradition. I gulped down the shrimp (watch out Momma-Rae! Youve trained your son well!) and chilled Mandarin-Mango soup. (I'm not sure if this is my poor memory or if this is new? Was this always an orange-mango combination or am I just imagining that it was once *only* mango?) Anyway, its SOOO nice to be back on the Magic!
After lunch we decided to run back to our room and start to unpack so we wouldnt have to worry about it later that afternoon or evening. We finished this up, donned our life vests, and headed down to Animators Palette just in time for the mandatory life boat drill. With this taken care of, my stomach was a little nervous about the upcoming Dis Meet! After two months of meeting everyone online and talking to them I couldnt believe I was a little scared about meeting them all! I guess I just dont do well in large groups, as I tend to be a shy person.
Finally, the time was upon us! We dropped off our life vests at our stateroom and headed down to the Promenade Lounge. The first person we saw was Maleficent59 (Sarah) and her daughter, Ashleen, frantically sorting out the Dis Name Tags for everyone. This was a really great idea and really helped everyone at the meet. With so many names of people attending, the tags proved VERY useful! (Thanks Sarah and Andy!) We helped Sarah sort the tags out and soon the other Dis members started to trickle in. Hannosmom, Max123, Disney3144, VCASEY, Marcotta, Lynr, 10yrann, Buckaroos Dad and others! (Sorry if I missed anyone!) The meet proved to be a really nice way to introduce yourself and put faces with names (and screen names!) It was quite a large group and I would estimate about 50 or 60 people attended by the end. It was quite funny to see the varied personalities of the Dis members, as that is something that doesnt show through messages on the Dis Board.
Close to five, Travis and I headed upstairs with Marcotta to watch the Sail Away Celebration. Its always the best to hear When You Wish Upon A Star and know that youve got seven days and nights of brilliance ahead of you. I miss it just thinking about it!
We watched Port Canaveral and Florida slip into the distance from Deck 10 as we sipped on those wonderfully tasty frozen concoctions in the DCL glasses. We also ran into Maleficent59 and she dialed up Andy and handed the phone to Travis and I. Travis spoke with him briefly and asked if he was excited. I think we all know the answer to that one!
Travis and I watched the Welcome Aboard Variety Show with the musical comedy of Dan Riley and the physical comedy of Michael James. Both were very good and this was the first time I had seen Michael James.
Dinner was in Lumieres that night with our tablemates Marcotta (Scott and Donald from CA). We greatly enjoyed their company over the course of the cruise and it was wonderful to get to know them. They are both very nice individuals and will sail with Disney again Im sure! Our Server Philip from Croatia and Shantol from Jamaica were outstanding. Although Philip seems to be soft-spoken, he worked very hard to make sure our meals were perfect. And Shantol has a wonderful wit to her that kept most of us smiling and laughing throughout the length of the voyage.
Travis and I finished up the night in Off Beat watching Dueling Pianos. As Rae519 has said numerous times on the Dis Boards, they totally ROCK! They are exceptionally good at what they do and get the audience VERY involved in the show. (You dont want to get on the bad side of these two, especially Fidelio and his Pink Folder!) I REALLY hope DCL keeps these two around!
Embarkation Day Saturday, August 16th
As always, the first half of Embarkation Day (the half prior to boarding the beautiful Disney Magic) was more than a little hectic. Being severe procrastinators, Travis and I had finished our packing in the early evening but had yet to secure our trip money from the ATM, fill up the car with gas for the trip to Port Canaveral, or take our beloved children (two of our five cats) to his mothers house to be looked after. To make the situation worse, I ended up staying up until 2:00 a.m. to watch The Sum of All Fears on Show Time. Needless to say I was a little tired when I awoke on Saturday.
At 8:30 a.m. we had managed to drag ourselves out of bed, shower, and cram the luggage into the car. We ran to Publix to make our ATM withdrawal and to exchange some rolled-change for singles for tips. We drove across the street and filled up the tank and then dropped off Mocha and Sisyphus at Traviss moms. Finally, we were off!
The drive to Port Canaveral is a relatively easy and stress-free one. Although there is much construction on Interstate 4, the main thoroughfare connecting the Tampa Bay area to Orlando, the traffic is relatively light on Saturdays until to get closer to Walt Disney World. We soon saw the famous three-circled power line tower and knew we were close to WDW and our turn onto the Bee Line Expressway.
The Bee Line Expressway is even quieter than I-4 as it is a toll road and is not as heavily traveled. To amuse ourselves on the last leg of our journey to the port we popped in a Disney CD and kept the lookout for those DCL busses. Each time we saw one headed West towards the Resort we honked and waved!
Finally, the moment that we all wait for! Our first glimpse of the Magic! There she was just waiting for us to board! Even though this was our fourth Disney cruise, and our fourth trip on the Disney Magic, it is still an amazing sight to come over that last big hill and see the ship. The Disney ships really make the other cruise ships in the port pale in comparison.
After checking our bags with the porter Travis paid for parking and as he was doing so pointed out a sign next to the parking lot. It read: Do not leave open containers of food or drink in your car as it may become infested with ants. I had NEVER seen this sign before and was amused by it considering all of the talk about ant infestation on the boards. Never the less, I think it is a little overboard.
We entered the Disney terminal and had our carryon luggage x-rayed. Next, up the steps to the check-in counters.
Even before we made it to the Castaway Club check-in line the first Disers had spotted us. It was Hannosmom near the front of the boarding line waving to us! She mouthed who she was and we waved and smiled back and then proceeded to check in. After check-in, as we waited in line to board the ship, several other Dis Boarders came up and introduced themselves. Hannosmom (Linda) came over and introduced herself, husband Ed, Daughter Sarah, and sister Debra. They were all exceptionally nice people and we would see a lot more of them in the coming days! (The relationship between Debra and myself would prove to be especially interesting!
) Next came Disney3144 (Jennifer) and husband Joe. They too seemed very nice and mentioned that they had recognized us by the pictures on the August 16th Cruise List site and the picture in my signature on the boards. Soon Chip n Dale came out to pose for photographs and shortly after the ship began boarding shortly after 12:00 p.m. Once onboard we made a mad dash to Beat Street to claim our reservations for dinner, Champagne Brunch, and High Tea at Palo. Surprisingly the lines for Palo reservations in Rockin Bar D were very short and we were able to get all of the time-slots that we desired. Next it was up to Deck 9 for the Vista Spa. Travis and I had tried to get reservations for the Surial Ritual Chamber on our November and May cruises but it never worked out. In November something happened with the equipment on the day before our scheduled visit and in May all of the time-slots had been booked. After a long wait we managed to get a spot for Thursday at 11:30 a.m. As it turns out, this time was really great because we ended up sleeping in on that day!
After making the spa reservations the time was about 1:30 p.m. We headed to our stateroom to drop off the carryon luggage and met Elmer, our Stateroom Host for the next seven days and nights. He was a very nice guy and always made small talk with us whenever we saw him in the halls.
We decided to have our Embarkation Buffet at Topsiders as it has become somewhat of a tradition. I gulped down the shrimp (watch out Momma-Rae! Youve trained your son well!) and chilled Mandarin-Mango soup. (I'm not sure if this is my poor memory or if this is new? Was this always an orange-mango combination or am I just imagining that it was once *only* mango?) Anyway, its SOOO nice to be back on the Magic!
After lunch we decided to run back to our room and start to unpack so we wouldnt have to worry about it later that afternoon or evening. We finished this up, donned our life vests, and headed down to Animators Palette just in time for the mandatory life boat drill. With this taken care of, my stomach was a little nervous about the upcoming Dis Meet! After two months of meeting everyone online and talking to them I couldnt believe I was a little scared about meeting them all! I guess I just dont do well in large groups, as I tend to be a shy person.
Finally, the time was upon us! We dropped off our life vests at our stateroom and headed down to the Promenade Lounge. The first person we saw was Maleficent59 (Sarah) and her daughter, Ashleen, frantically sorting out the Dis Name Tags for everyone. This was a really great idea and really helped everyone at the meet. With so many names of people attending, the tags proved VERY useful! (Thanks Sarah and Andy!) We helped Sarah sort the tags out and soon the other Dis members started to trickle in. Hannosmom, Max123, Disney3144, VCASEY, Marcotta, Lynr, 10yrann, Buckaroos Dad and others! (Sorry if I missed anyone!) The meet proved to be a really nice way to introduce yourself and put faces with names (and screen names!) It was quite a large group and I would estimate about 50 or 60 people attended by the end. It was quite funny to see the varied personalities of the Dis members, as that is something that doesnt show through messages on the Dis Board.
Close to five, Travis and I headed upstairs with Marcotta to watch the Sail Away Celebration. Its always the best to hear When You Wish Upon A Star and know that youve got seven days and nights of brilliance ahead of you. I miss it just thinking about it!
We watched Port Canaveral and Florida slip into the distance from Deck 10 as we sipped on those wonderfully tasty frozen concoctions in the DCL glasses. We also ran into Maleficent59 and she dialed up Andy and handed the phone to Travis and I. Travis spoke with him briefly and asked if he was excited. I think we all know the answer to that one!
Travis and I watched the Welcome Aboard Variety Show with the musical comedy of Dan Riley and the physical comedy of Michael James. Both were very good and this was the first time I had seen Michael James.
Dinner was in Lumieres that night with our tablemates Marcotta (Scott and Donald from CA). We greatly enjoyed their company over the course of the cruise and it was wonderful to get to know them. They are both very nice individuals and will sail with Disney again Im sure! Our Server Philip from Croatia and Shantol from Jamaica were outstanding. Although Philip seems to be soft-spoken, he worked very hard to make sure our meals were perfect. And Shantol has a wonderful wit to her that kept most of us smiling and laughing throughout the length of the voyage.
Travis and I finished up the night in Off Beat watching Dueling Pianos. As Rae519 has said numerous times on the Dis Boards, they totally ROCK! They are exceptionally good at what they do and get the audience VERY involved in the show. (You dont want to get on the bad side of these two, especially Fidelio and his Pink Folder!) I REALLY hope DCL keeps these two around!
You're gonna love the cruise!
Well, I guess it's all good as long as he comes home with me at the end of the cruise! 
