Changes over time on the Magic

[kittb]

Hello!
We have had 3 cruises on the Magic over in Europe but the last one was in 2011 ....

We are now looking at the potential of another trip .... can you think of anything that might have changed in this time? I'm a planning fanatic ;-) so I am sure I'm at home here lol

Can you think of anything that we might miss/ enjoy on the cruise now. Obviously the ship has had its refurb so there are the slides and revamped restaurants/ kids clubs. How about character meet and greats, character breakfasts, fireworks, food offerings etc?

We returned to WDW last year after a 12 year break and got a bit of a shock at how much was different, the crowds and queues and general crush and tbh were a bit disappointed :-( can't bear to have the same experience on the cruise - would rather never go again and keep our amazing memories!

Thank you

 

[gismo1554]

These are the things I could think of

• Carioacas instead of Parrot Cay which has a much nice menu
• Keys has replaced Cadillac Lounge
• OGills has replaced the pub (can't think of the name)
• Fathoms has replaced Diversions
• That whole night club area has been renamed and looks nicer
• Animator Palate got an overhaul more like the Dream & Fantasty with a great show night 1 night on the cruise
• The Aquadunk was installed next to the Goofy pool (which incidentally has no Goofy anymore)
• The Mickey pool is now a splah zone area
• Cabanas is now the buffet place and a lot more like Dream & Fantasy in that there are stations not just a long line of food
• Marvels areas added to the kids club and they now do Marvel meet & Greets
• New central chandelier (which I don't like as much as the older one)
• And probably a million things I can't remember

I cruised in 2010 and then again last year and was not at all disappointed. I found it so nice and it still had the nice feel of the Magic

 

[mmouse37]

One one staircase now in the Atrium. As much as I do miss the second staircase, it makes it more roomy when there are lots of people in the atrium for dance parties (till we meet again) or photo ops.

Shawarma (chicken or gyro meat) is now served as an additional food option up on Deck 9.

I have been sailing on the Magic since her first official maiden voyage cruise back in 1998 and most recently on the May EBTA and none of my trips on the Magic have been a disappointment!!!

Side note about the Chihuly chandelier. I really do miss it and think it was beautiful. I have been to a few Chihuly shows and saw his work hanging in Vegas and the Atlantis. Last weekend I went to my nephew's wedding in small Poughkeepsie New York and at the hotel I saw what looked like Chihuly's hanging all around. I commented that those look just like Dale Chihuly's work and an employee overhead me and said "Yes, they are Chihulys". I was pleasantly surprised!!



Ok, back to cruise talk!!!

MJ

 

[SillyInventor]

Crowds are the same as no staterooms have been added. No worries about that. Some meet&greets are now ticketed to manage the cue better. Tickets are free, but limited in supply, so if you want to enjoy these M&G study the Navigator for time and place and get the tickets on embarkation day. We only sailed the Magic after the reimagineering and had a blast.

 

[GatorMomInNC]

There is another dry dock coming up in a couple months and there will be a few more changes, including a new show (Tangled) being added. And I believe they are moving the Edge to where the arcade is (it's done for) and adding a BBB and Concierge lounge IF I RECALL CORRECTLY (there are threads on it here).

The "Mickey" pool is still there, but no longer Mickey-head shaped. And there is a splash zone next to it. And lifeguards. The Mickey Hand slide has been replaced by a longer, twister slide. Secret deck 7 is gone. In addition to Marvel Avengers, the kids clubs were completely redone (including addition of Andy's room) and now kids can freely go through the tunnel between the two, without waiting for CMs to take them. Adults can no longer accompany their children into kids club during normal club hours (as I could do in 2011 on our first cruise). Now there are open house hours where adults and kids can come, and (on longer cruises at least) they even have special adult only open houses to make a volcano, flubbed, etc.

 

[GatorMomInNC]

Just like to add, other than the loss of the chandelier and deck 7 (which had to be used for additional machinery, I believe) everything else, IMHO, is an improvement.

 

[gumbypee]

Wait-adult only open houses to make flubber?!??

Seven night cruises?

I haven't heard of this awesomeness!!

 

[gismo1554]

lol they def do them on the longer cruises!

 

[kittb]

thank you for taking the time to reply

 

[MPS516]

The longer cruises have 2 "shows" in Animator's the first is the color experience through dinner and the second is the drawing and animation. O'Gills was formerly Diversions and I don't think has changed that much, prior to that it was Barrel of Fun which I think only lasted a couple years before name change.

We have been on the Magic several times and have never experienced the overcrowding that you experienced at WDW.
Even on deck going through Panama Canal or Alaska Fjord it did not feel too much, not even on Pirate Night. If you enjoyed your 2011 cruise you should really enjoy your next one, the crew and ship are just as great as ever.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

There is another dry dock coming up in a couple months and there will be a few more changes, including a new show (Tangled) being added. And I believe they are moving the Edge to where the arcade is (it's done for) and adding a BBB and Concierge lounge IF I RECALL CORRECTLY (there are threads on it here).

The "Mickey" pool is still there, but no longer Mickey-head shaped. And there is a splash zone next to it. And lifeguards. The Mickey Hand slide has been replaced by a longer, twister slide. Secret deck 7 is gone. In addition to Marvel Avengers, the kids clubs were completely redone (including addition of Andy's room) and now kids can freely go through the tunnel between the two, without waiting for CMs to take them. Adults can no longer accompany their children into kids club during normal club hours (as I could do in 2011 on our first cruise). Now there are open house hours where adults and kids can come, and (on longer cruises at least) they even have special adult only open houses to make a volcano, flubbed, etc.

Agree I have posted threads here and information on my trip report about the changes coming the moves if edge vibe the arcade the BBB and the knock through of the middle stack at midship with sunglasses bar going and a CL there and private sun deck.

The longer cruises have 2 "shows" in Animator's the first is the color experience through dinner and the second is the drawing and animation. O'Gills was formerly Diversions and I don't think has changed that much, prior to that it was Barrel of Fun which I think only lasted a couple years before name change.

We have been on the Magic several times and have never experienced the overcrowding that you experienced at WDW.
Even on deck going through Panama Canal or Alaska Fjord it did not feel too much, not even on Pirate Night. If you enjoyed your 2011 cruise you should really enjoy your next one, the crew and ship are just as great as ever.

We had two AP shows last week and Frozen deck party and the upgraded Disney Dreams.