Sleeping*Beauty
Waiting For My Prince
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Can't wait to read more!
Everyone has a story to tell and this is mine! MR Sailing March 13-20, 2011!
- Thread starter JDBlair
- Start date
JDBlair
DIS Veteran
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- Sep 2, 2006
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Because of my early bed time Monday night, I was awake around 7:30 am on Tuesday. (At least I think it was 7:30, who knows for sure!) The family was sounding sleeply or soundly sleeping (perception and all) and after a quick glance out the window, I confirmed we werent in Cabo yet. So, I decided Id go for a run.
I started running in August 2010 and had dreamed of doing my training on the ship. Except, dreams arent quite reality, because in my day dreaming of running on the ship, I imagined an empty deck 4. My training is 53 minutes total and man oh man, I spent so much of that time trying to dodge people out for a look over the rail, people walking, people checking out the engine room, people playing shuffle board, and people observing me as though theyd never seen anyone running before. I accept that there is nothing attractive about me when I run but really, do people need to stop right in the middle of the path and gawk?
I didnt expect that much traffic on deck 4 so early in the AM but as I neared the end of my training, Cabo was in sight. Not a bad view at all for my stretch!
Returned to the room to wake the snoring symphony and collect DD and DH for breakfast. I always extend the invite to DS to join us but he always declines. The line for BBB was pretty long, confirming the tip I had read on DIS years prior that its best to order room service on port days! We found a table outdoors, closer to the Mickey pool, and had a lovely view.
The plan for the day was for DH and I to go in to port and leave DS and DD on board. DH finished his breakfast quickly and DD and I went to deck 10 to get an unenclosed view of the rocks.
After dropping DD in the club, DH and I headed to the Walt Disney Theater to board our tender. It took about an hour of waiting before our row was invited to head down to the tender. I have to give DCL props for how organized this system was. As you enter the theater, you are seated in the main center rows. We found ourselves about 6 rows back from the stage, with all rows behind us completely full. Kat, our friendly DCL CM kept us entertained, and made absolute sure everyones watches were in sync with the ships time. When it was our turn to board the tender, we were lead out of the theater, outside on to deck 4, all the way to the aft stairs and on to the tenders. My only request here is: people demonstrate some patience. Yes, it took about an hour before we were able to board our tender but thats the reality of having to tender. Quite a few people were impatient with the CMs and complaining about having to wait. Their complaints didnt get them on the boat any faster than the rest and sheesh, relax people, were on vacation!!
DHs goal in Cabo was to 1) step foot in Cabo, 2) grub some food, and 3) drink some drinks. I would have been happy to stay onboard but DH says you cant say youve been to Cabo if you havent actually set foot on Cabo. And Ill admit, I was very nervous about going in to Mexico. Very nervous! But as we made our through the port area, I wasnt terribly nervous. We stopped at a restaurant/bar called No Worrys because we could sit outside and have a nice view of the ship.
We ordered Coronas, guac for DH and ceviche for me.
Another family from the ship was seated across from us and we had a small conversation with them. DH said his guac was just okay and my ceviche was about the same. Living in Arizona grants us pretty easy access to good Mexican food, and Im not talking about from restaurants. The authentic homemade stuff cannot be beat! Yum!! We asked for our check, laughed at it being the most expensive tab weve ever had, paid, and were on our way!
I saw signs pointing to Cabo Wabo and because I was feeling pretty comfortable, I told DH I wanted to go to Cabo Wabo. I think DH was just happy I wasnt demanding to go back on the ship! We find Cabo Wabo and were pointed in the direction of the bar. Except, there didnt seem to be an area you could just walk up to and get a drink. My idea was to do a shot of Cabo Wabo, in Cabo Wabo, just to say we had done one and be on our way. But instead, I took some pictures and we used the restroom and then we were on our way to find the Hard Rock.
I collect Hard Rock shot glasses so definitely had to get one of those. Except, finding Hark Rock wasnt so easy. DH asked a local for directions to Hard Rock and he gave us vague instructions, 3 blocks that way. So, we start walking and walking and DH says, We should turn around, this is starting to look too much like Mexico. We turn around and see the port area and then a symbol that appears to be the Hard Rock logo and we start making our way towards it. Thats when DH slows. I tug on his hand to move along and realize hes talking to someone. I turn to look and hes talking to a local. I see the local is trying to sell DH cigars. Much to my surprise, DH is negotiating with him. Say what?!?!
This was not an easy transaction and theyre battering and Im squeezing DHs hand to indicate I want to go! The local is insistent on making a deal stating its a slow day. DH is asking if he can take the cigars back to the U.S. *Rolls eyes!* They finally make a deal, the local threw in the plastic bag for free, and DH and I start towards the Hard Rock except as we get closer, we realize its not Hard Rock, its Johnny Rockets. I tell DH I just want to go back to the ship because I realize the friends of the guy DH just made a deal with are following us. 
DH continues to comment back to the guy that hes not interested, etc. Im trying to walk faster. DH is telling me we should get my shot glass and Im saying I just want to go. DH approaches a store worker and asks for directions to Hard Rock and he sends us back up the alley. Im telling DH I just want to go, the cigar guys are still following us, and DH is still telling him no thank you. DH spots a Starbucks and says, Lets get you a Starbucks! and Im telling him I just want to go and then cigar guys are offering us wacky tabacky and points to an ATM when DH says hes out of money! Oh boy! Now I really want to go and suddenly, Hard Rock appears as if from nowhere. I go in, buy the shot glass, and return to tell DH I want to go back to the ship now.
Closer to the tender area, DH and I stop at Senor Frogs for a drink. But man, Spring Break has sprung and there are some rowdy party goers. Theyre dancing raunchy and Im asking myself, Where are their parents? and starting to feel very old. Its loud, rowdy and Im in no mood. So, DH and I make our way to the tender area. Except, we got in the HUGE line, not realizing that line belonged to the very drunk Norweigan cruise passengers and the line for DCL was nonexistent. So, righting our wrong, we walked straight up to the DCL entrance, showed our IDs and KTTW cards and boarded a tender about 2 minutes before it pushed away from the dock!
There was quite a traffic jam there in the marina with all the tender boats and what have you, and these poor kids got caught up in the mess. Im pretty sure the tender boat operators were messing with these kids. Finally, one of the pirate ship operators intervened and held traffic up so the kids could cross and get away from the boats.
Back on the boat, we took DD to the pool for a swim in the Goofy pool. At 4 pm, they did Minnies Fiesta Grande and DD was one of the kids chosen to go on stage. She was quite pleased with this!
A couple of turns down the Mickey slide, a stroll around deck 10, a DS sighting, and then time to clean up and ready for the 6:15 showing of Hip Hop Comedy of Alfred & Seymour in the W.D. Theater. Since DH missed the adult show the night before, we got to the theater early so we could get good seats. But the theater wasnt open yet so there was time for character meet and greets!
We chose front row, center for our seats and ordered Coronas for us and a chocolate smoothie for DD from Modesto. When Modesto delivered the smoothie, DD demonstrated her pure delight over the cherries on her whipped cream. Modesto asked if she liked cherries, as though the answer wasnt obvious. He later returned with an entire glass full of cherries just for DD. Disney magic, right there. It made her night.
We told DD to use the restroom before the show and explained that if she tries to go during the show, the guys will yell after her. Should have .known!!! The show starts up, its hilarious, DH is laughing his head off, and about 10 minutes in to the show, DD announces she needs to go to the restroom. She quickly stands up and starts up the stairs. This did not go unnoticed by Alfred and Seymour and in true A & S fashion, they hollered after DD. I think I fell out of my chair laughing. They instructed DD she had to crawl up the stairs and by George, she got on her hands and knees and started crawling.
OH MY GOSH!!! I had tears flowing out of my eyes I was laughing so hard. 
I should have known my showboat of a daughter would have done something to draw attention to her with the understanding it would somehow incorporate her in to the show. Should
have
known!!! It was hilarious and Alfred & Seymour absolutely fall in to our do not miss category.
8:30 pm meant it was time for DH and me to have our Palo dinner. We returned to Toni as our server and Ill just let the photos speak for themselves. Again, we came, we stuffed our faces, and we rolled back to our room with very full tummies.
I started running in August 2010 and had dreamed of doing my training on the ship. Except, dreams arent quite reality, because in my day dreaming of running on the ship, I imagined an empty deck 4. My training is 53 minutes total and man oh man, I spent so much of that time trying to dodge people out for a look over the rail, people walking, people checking out the engine room, people playing shuffle board, and people observing me as though theyd never seen anyone running before. I accept that there is nothing attractive about me when I run but really, do people need to stop right in the middle of the path and gawk?
I didnt expect that much traffic on deck 4 so early in the AM but as I neared the end of my training, Cabo was in sight. Not a bad view at all for my stretch!
Returned to the room to wake the snoring symphony and collect DD and DH for breakfast. I always extend the invite to DS to join us but he always declines. The line for BBB was pretty long, confirming the tip I had read on DIS years prior that its best to order room service on port days! We found a table outdoors, closer to the Mickey pool, and had a lovely view.
The plan for the day was for DH and I to go in to port and leave DS and DD on board. DH finished his breakfast quickly and DD and I went to deck 10 to get an unenclosed view of the rocks.
After dropping DD in the club, DH and I headed to the Walt Disney Theater to board our tender. It took about an hour of waiting before our row was invited to head down to the tender. I have to give DCL props for how organized this system was. As you enter the theater, you are seated in the main center rows. We found ourselves about 6 rows back from the stage, with all rows behind us completely full. Kat, our friendly DCL CM kept us entertained, and made absolute sure everyones watches were in sync with the ships time. When it was our turn to board the tender, we were lead out of the theater, outside on to deck 4, all the way to the aft stairs and on to the tenders. My only request here is: people demonstrate some patience. Yes, it took about an hour before we were able to board our tender but thats the reality of having to tender. Quite a few people were impatient with the CMs and complaining about having to wait. Their complaints didnt get them on the boat any faster than the rest and sheesh, relax people, were on vacation!!
DHs goal in Cabo was to 1) step foot in Cabo, 2) grub some food, and 3) drink some drinks. I would have been happy to stay onboard but DH says you cant say youve been to Cabo if you havent actually set foot on Cabo. And Ill admit, I was very nervous about going in to Mexico. Very nervous! But as we made our through the port area, I wasnt terribly nervous. We stopped at a restaurant/bar called No Worrys because we could sit outside and have a nice view of the ship.
We ordered Coronas, guac for DH and ceviche for me.
Another family from the ship was seated across from us and we had a small conversation with them. DH said his guac was just okay and my ceviche was about the same. Living in Arizona grants us pretty easy access to good Mexican food, and Im not talking about from restaurants. The authentic homemade stuff cannot be beat! Yum!! We asked for our check, laughed at it being the most expensive tab weve ever had, paid, and were on our way!
I saw signs pointing to Cabo Wabo and because I was feeling pretty comfortable, I told DH I wanted to go to Cabo Wabo. I think DH was just happy I wasnt demanding to go back on the ship! We find Cabo Wabo and were pointed in the direction of the bar. Except, there didnt seem to be an area you could just walk up to and get a drink. My idea was to do a shot of Cabo Wabo, in Cabo Wabo, just to say we had done one and be on our way. But instead, I took some pictures and we used the restroom and then we were on our way to find the Hard Rock.
I collect Hard Rock shot glasses so definitely had to get one of those. Except, finding Hark Rock wasnt so easy. DH asked a local for directions to Hard Rock and he gave us vague instructions, 3 blocks that way. So, we start walking and walking and DH says, We should turn around, this is starting to look too much like Mexico. We turn around and see the port area and then a symbol that appears to be the Hard Rock logo and we start making our way towards it. Thats when DH slows. I tug on his hand to move along and realize hes talking to someone. I turn to look and hes talking to a local. I see the local is trying to sell DH cigars. Much to my surprise, DH is negotiating with him. Say what?!?!
This was not an easy transaction and theyre battering and Im squeezing DHs hand to indicate I want to go! The local is insistent on making a deal stating its a slow day. DH is asking if he can take the cigars back to the U.S. *Rolls eyes!* They finally make a deal, the local threw in the plastic bag for free, and DH and I start towards the Hard Rock except as we get closer, we realize its not Hard Rock, its Johnny Rockets. I tell DH I just want to go back to the ship because I realize the friends of the guy DH just made a deal with are following us. DH continues to comment back to the guy that hes not interested, etc. Im trying to walk faster. DH is telling me we should get my shot glass and Im saying I just want to go. DH approaches a store worker and asks for directions to Hard Rock and he sends us back up the alley. Im telling DH I just want to go, the cigar guys are still following us, and DH is still telling him no thank you. DH spots a Starbucks and says, Lets get you a Starbucks! and Im telling him I just want to go and then cigar guys are offering us wacky tabacky and points to an ATM when DH says hes out of money! Oh boy! Now I really want to go and suddenly, Hard Rock appears as if from nowhere. I go in, buy the shot glass, and return to tell DH I want to go back to the ship now. Closer to the tender area, DH and I stop at Senor Frogs for a drink. But man, Spring Break has sprung and there are some rowdy party goers. Theyre dancing raunchy and Im asking myself, Where are their parents? and starting to feel very old. Its loud, rowdy and Im in no mood. So, DH and I make our way to the tender area. Except, we got in the HUGE line, not realizing that line belonged to the very drunk Norweigan cruise passengers and the line for DCL was nonexistent. So, righting our wrong, we walked straight up to the DCL entrance, showed our IDs and KTTW cards and boarded a tender about 2 minutes before it pushed away from the dock!
There was quite a traffic jam there in the marina with all the tender boats and what have you, and these poor kids got caught up in the mess. Im pretty sure the tender boat operators were messing with these kids. Finally, one of the pirate ship operators intervened and held traffic up so the kids could cross and get away from the boats.
Back on the boat, we took DD to the pool for a swim in the Goofy pool. At 4 pm, they did Minnies Fiesta Grande and DD was one of the kids chosen to go on stage. She was quite pleased with this!
A couple of turns down the Mickey slide, a stroll around deck 10, a DS sighting, and then time to clean up and ready for the 6:15 showing of Hip Hop Comedy of Alfred & Seymour in the W.D. Theater. Since DH missed the adult show the night before, we got to the theater early so we could get good seats. But the theater wasnt open yet so there was time for character meet and greets!
We chose front row, center for our seats and ordered Coronas for us and a chocolate smoothie for DD from Modesto. When Modesto delivered the smoothie, DD demonstrated her pure delight over the cherries on her whipped cream. Modesto asked if she liked cherries, as though the answer wasnt obvious. He later returned with an entire glass full of cherries just for DD. Disney magic, right there. It made her night.
We told DD to use the restroom before the show and explained that if she tries to go during the show, the guys will yell after her. Should have .known!!! The show starts up, its hilarious, DH is laughing his head off, and about 10 minutes in to the show, DD announces she needs to go to the restroom. She quickly stands up and starts up the stairs. This did not go unnoticed by Alfred and Seymour and in true A & S fashion, they hollered after DD. I think I fell out of my chair laughing. They instructed DD she had to crawl up the stairs and by George, she got on her hands and knees and started crawling.
OH MY GOSH!!! I had tears flowing out of my eyes I was laughing so hard. I should have known my showboat of a daughter would have done something to draw attention to her with the understanding it would somehow incorporate her in to the show. Should
have
known!!! It was hilarious and Alfred & Seymour absolutely fall in to our do not miss category.
8:30 pm meant it was time for DH and me to have our Palo dinner. We returned to Toni as our server and Ill just let the photos speak for themselves. Again, we came, we stuffed our faces, and we rolled back to our room with very full tummies.
JDBlair
DIS Veteran
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- Sep 2, 2006
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- 1,627
They are amazing. Really love them!!
DH said the WD Theater was standing room only for the adult show. They're such a crowd pleaser, I can't imagine DCL not continuing with them! Enjoy your cruise!!!! Come back and write a TR!!
Great TR so far Jac!!! We are so so jealous...you got to see Alexander. We wouldn't have totally embarrassed ourselves. He was such a great part of our first cruise..along with some pretty sweet table matesI am sure he is giving many other cruisers great memories too.
I will never forget when Alex questioned why we'd miss dinner that one night. He is definitely the CM that stood out to us that cruise. Our tablemates were the bestest!! 
Thanks. Didn't you have late dining? We had 5:45 but never saw you? Great trip report! Your writing style makes me feel I'm on the trip with you! Can't wait for the next installment.
Aww..thanks for the very nice compliment! Glad you're along for our journey!
Just posted Cabo. I'll work on P.V. tomorrow night!
Mindyjoy
DIS Veteran
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- Oct 25, 2010
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- 1,528
Oh goodness, your Cabo story had me cracking up but I'm glad you eventually got your shotglass!! I'm also pleased to hear there's a Starbucks (they are EVERYWHERE!!!). Can you tell me how far of a walk was it from port to Cabo Wabo? We want to grab a meal there for sure. 
Really enjoying your report, thank you for sharing!
Really enjoying your report, thank you for sharing!
JDBlair
DIS Veteran
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- 1,627
Oh goodness, your Cabo story had me cracking up but I'm glad you eventually got your shotglass!! I'm also pleased to hear there's a Starbucks (they are EVERYWHERE!!!). Can you tell me how far of a walk was it from port to Cabo Wabo? We want to grab a meal there for sure.
Really enjoying your report, thank you for sharing!
Once we were safe and sound on the ship, I commented to DH that I can't believe he got us chased through Cabo by locals on mopeds.
We get a good laugh out of it. 
Sometimes I say to him, "Remember that time we got chased in Cabo by those guys dressed in all black, on mopeds, wearing helmets with sombrero's on their heads?" I get a little whacky with it. Now my co-workers and I add to it every day. Today the locals were chasing us through the streets of Cabo while they were on horseback, waving lasso's and nets in the air! But every time I tell the story, they're trying to sell us cigars and wacky tabacky and that part is still true! Cabo Wabo was about a 10-15 minute walk from the tender. I walk fast and DH walks slow so I base that time on a medium walker. There are signs that point you in the direction of Cabo Wabo and it was a LOT easier to find than Hard Rock.
It's not on the water so don't expect to have a view of the ocean if you go there. I read some reviews about Cabo Wabo on TripAdvisor so I wasn't hard pressed to go there for a meal. I did want to have a shot but you read how that worked out.
JDBlair
DIS Veteran
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Oh really, is the food not good? I haven't read any reviews. Maybe I should check it out.
When it comes to reviews, I think you have to take it with a grain of salt. Some of the comments I read said the place is expensive. I can't speak to that since we didn't even get a drink. Boo!
Mindyjoy
DIS Veteran
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When it comes to reviews, I think you have to take it with a grain of salt. Some of the comments I read said the place is expensive. I can't speak to that since we didn't even get a drink. Boo!
I see ... maybe I will do a little research before eat there ... but I at least will walk over and take a few pictures
Thanks for the info. SoCaOC-Mom
DIS Veteran
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- May 30, 2010
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Love your TR.
I think you and my DH shop at the same online store because he also has the "I void warranties" tee-shirt.
I think you and my DH shop at the same online store because he also has the "I void warranties" tee-shirt.
CopaDave
Mouseketeer
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- Jun 24, 2010
- Messages
- 246
You're right. Same rotation, different seating.
yukongirl123
DIS Lurker
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- Oct 8, 2008
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- 433
I remeber your daughter from karaoke.......we were there every night, my son Trevor was the HSM3 fanatic. I think all the kids had fun at karaoke!
Janice
Janice
TotallyAngelic
Disney Addict
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- Aug 14, 2005
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Really enjoying your trip report ... sounds like you had a wonderful time. That situation in Cabo sounds a bit scary though.
belle'ssister
Fiona's Nanna
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- Apr 3, 2005
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Our first sea day and it started bright and early with our character breakfast at 8 am! Now is a good time to explain how these cruises work with our DS. Just as before, DS ditches us as early on night 1 as possible and hangs out with the staff and teens in the teen area. What they do, we never get a full and complete story on. All we know is it keeps him entertained. DS is a good kid..as good as any teenager can be. Sure, hes full of attitude towards his parents and loves to fight and argue with his annoying little sister. But in general, hes a good kid and we trust him to behave himself appropriately on the ship. Any time weve accidentally bumped in to him roaming the ship, hes not doing anything wrong or crazy so we trust that hes on the up and up. With that explanation out of our way, he never joins us for character breakfasts. Might be because they happen less than 5 hours since he went to bed but what do I know?
DD really enjoys the character breakfasts and I get the feeling so does her daddy! Hes always happy to grin and pose with the characters since DD has to sit across from me, next to daddy, so I can take the pictures.
After breakfast, DD went to the club and DH and I set out to find a place to chill. Chillaxin was the name of the game for this cruise and we did it in style! We took some pictures in the forward part of the ship.
And then stumbled upon Outlook Café and Wine Bar. This was certainly new to us, at least they didnt have it on the Magic when we cruised in 2009. Its a nice, largish area located on Deck 10, overlooking Quite Cove. Theres even a winding staircase that you can take down to Cove Café (oooo...fancy)! We were the only people in there so we found comfortable chairs overlooking the pool and directly in the sun!
Heres a picture of the half of the lounge behind me.
DH excused himself to use the restroom and I dozed while sitting in my warm chair, until DS knocked on the window and waved hello to me. So, I guess I should warn you that passer-bys on Deck 10 can see inside the lounge area. I met DS in the hallway, next to the entrance to Vibe, which wasnt open yet so thats why he was roaming Deck 10. I was surprised he was up and about before 10 am!
After we parted ways, because the Vibe finally opened their doors, I returned inside the lounge to find DH drinking a bloody mary! After all, it is a breakfast cocktail and were on vacation! I perused the menu and happened upon a jasmine green tea, my favorite tea! So I ordered a cup of tea! While waiting for the tea, I was worried I was going to pay $4 and change for a tea bag and that would upset me. But I was very surprised with the presentation of my loose leaf tea and the flavor was fabulous!!
After I finished my cup of tea, we returned to our stateroom to prepare for Palo brunch! I love Palo brunch
I love the artwork they display on Deck 5 (I think its deck 5) and this painting caught my eye. I really wish I could afford to buy every Disney painting I fall in love with because this would be one of them!
We arrived on time for our brunch and were being escorted to our table when we stumbled upon a very important person from our first cruise! Our dining server, Alexander!!! We loved Alexander and he had told us in 2007 he would be moving with DCL to the west coast in a few years. Of course, DH and I were very excited to see him, greeting him and shaking his hand and hes looking at us like were crazy people. Not kidding. I think we scared him. Then a Palo manager quickly rushes over and asks us if we know Alex (hes going by Alex now) and if so, he can seat us in his area. I look to our escort and realize hes dressed like the other servers so Im not thinking hes just a hostess seating us. We look back to Alex and felt very uncomfortable. I asked if Toni, the gentleman escorting us, was to be our server and they said yes. I said we were find staying with Toni, I would have felt very wrong ditching Toni. I mean, itd been 3.5 years since we had been served by Alex, do you know how many cruisers he must have seen in those 3.5 years? He cant be expected to remember us and clearly, he didnt seem to. Our feelings werent hurt, it didnt change that we were super excited to see that Alex made it to the west coast and he was working in Palo!! Yay!!!
So, on to the food with our amazing server, Toni!!
We came, we stuffed our bellies full, and we rolled out of there very happy people.
We checked on DD to find her in the middle of Mouseketeer Training, being led by Mr. Mouse himself!
She was having a great time in the club but was hungry so we took her up to Deck 9 and through the kids line of the buffet.
At 3 pm, we saw the showing of Tangled 3D in the Buena Vista Theater. I love Tangled, its a super cute movie but when we saw it in the theater at home, we didnt see 3D. So it was a treat for us to see it on the ship! After the movie, DD went back to the club and DH and I had about an hour to kill before our tequila tasting!!
Tequila tasting was in the Cadillac Lounge and here is where we met a CM that would become one of our favorites of the cruise, Romy! The tasting was fun and I definitely like tequila. Yum! At the end of the tasting, many of the participants rushed off but DH and I were quite content to hang out. I guess nows a good time to point out that this was our formal night but prior to the cruise, DH and I had agreed to skip formal night. Were not a family that likes to dress up, formal night usually turns in to a very stressful event for me trying to force 3 people in to clothing they dont want to wear. Since the name of the game was chillaxin, formal night didnt work with the game plan!
We grabbed very comfortable chairs in front of a large porthole in the Cadillac Lounge and ordered a round of margaritas, the same ones we had tasted during our tasting. Then we were given some of the leftovers from the margarita and tequila tasting. Score!
I really liked this lounge. It was cozy and the bartender, Romy, is a rock star in my book.
DH and I went to check on DD to see if she was ready for dinner. We were greeted by Ariel!
She was ready to eat so the three of us dined in BBB! After dinner, DD returned to the club and DH and I went to the room to chill until the 10:30 pm Alfred & Seymour adult show. DH was very excited to see Alfred & Seymour! So excited that he even went without me when I fell asleep and didnt feel like going to the show. I crashed out and later woke to the sound of DD and DH ordering room service.
The next morning, I learned DD paged DH about 7 minutes in to the Alfred & Seymour show and DH had to sneak out of the packed, standing room only Walt Disney Theater. You know how Alfred & Seymour are, if they catch you sneaking out you get put on blast
.
We also had Toni for our server in Palo at brunch. He was great! Glad he recommended the chicken parmesian, way yummy.
I'm enjoying your report. We sailed on the 20th and I've started writing one too.
JDBlair
DIS Veteran
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- Sep 2, 2006
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- 1,627
I see ... maybe I will do a little research before eat there ... but I at least will walk over and take a few pictures
It's not like it's a place right around the corner from your house. Go, do, and be able to say you did it!Love your TR.
I think you and my DH shop at the same online store because he also has the "I void warranties" tee-shirt.
He was going to wear his "Meh" t-shirt but I asked if he wanted that recorded forever in photos. More more more!!!!
Going to work on PV today. I'm sorry for the delay.
Oh my gosh!! My DH and I loved Trevor's performance!!! "SCREAM!!" He was quite a celebrity in our book!!
Really enjoying your trip report ... sounds like you had a wonderful time. That situation in Cabo sounds a bit scary though.
Thanks for reading. The Cabo situation was probably worse in my head because I was already nervous about being in Mexico. It didn't help that they kept following us and we were walking down an alley and had no idea where the alley was leading us.
But at least we can laugh about it now!I'll have to check out your TR! My goal is to add at least 2 more days to my TR this weekend.
Thanks for sticking around!!
JDBlair
DIS Veteran
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- Sep 2, 2006
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- 1,627
Puerto Vallarta Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Good morning, Puerto Vallarta!
Before Mickey had a chance to wake us up from our snoring slumber, room service was knocking at our door. They were early but that’s okay! DD, DH, and I were scheduled for our very first DCL excursion, Paradise Beach Adventure. When we visited St. Thomas in 2003, we went on our own to Maagen’s Bay! DD loved it and talks all the time about the beach.
Because this cruise didn’t offer a stop at Castaway Cay, it was important to me to arrange beach time for DD. However, I didn’t really want to figure things out for ourselves. So, Paradise Beach Adventure it is!
After meeting in Wave Bands, we were on the first bus to the resort. Our tour guide was Victor and he shared with us some information about Mexico, he told some jokes, and he expressed his pride of being a resident of Puerto Vallarta. Victor was very personable and he made the 45 minute ride entertaining.
Upon our arrival at Paradise Beach Resort, we were given wrist bands and explained where our lunch would be served and what bars we could order from. We had to be wearing our bands for the “all inclusive” to be honored. It was made very clear what time we were to meet at which location to return to the ship. Victor asked that we enjoy ourselves but not get so drunk that he had to carry anyone back to the bus. Wow, I bet he has some stories to tell about stuff like that!
After we were dismissed, DD was very eager to get to the beach. So, we found some chairs, dropped our stuff, pulled out the beach toys and made our way to the ocean. Wow, the water was cold. Too cold for DD to really play in so we convinced her to go to the pool, surely it was heated. It took some time to find a lounge chair that wasn’t reserved by a towel. There weren’t very many people in the pool so I imagine it was a situation similar to that on the ship, someone got up from their bed early, came down and claimed chairs before the masses ascended on the area.
After we found a chair, we were quickly greeted by a waiter for our drink order. I’m not sure what DH ordered but I ordered a Mai Tai, forgetting my rule about not drinking the water in Mexico (ice = water). When Sergio (I think that was his name) brought our drinks, I found 4 dead bugs in mine. Little black bugs. DH told me to drink it and just consider it protein. But those floating dead bugs reminded me to not drink the water so I didn’t drink the drink and ordered a bucket of Corona’s instead. And did DH really think I was going to knowingly drink bugs, Mexico or not? Really?? While I waited for the Corona’s, DD and DH were sliding down the waterslide and splashing around in the pool!
Did you know Corona comes in a can? Our bucket was delivered with 5 cans of Corona in ice and sliced limes!
For all you adults who have had to stand on the sidelines and watch your kids go down the Mickey slide endless times, only willing DCL to lift the rule about “no adults”, Paradise Beach Resort is the place for you to get in some slide time. Adults can, and do, enjoy the alligator slide. I realize it’s not quite the Mickey slide but it is a good time!
Although DD was enjoying the pool, she really wanted to be at the beach so we took her back over for a dip before we had some lunch.
As soon as the lunch buffet opened, we made our way for some grub. The buffet was good. They had all the fixings for a fresh green salad. Some Mexican style meats. Quesadillas. And burgers and hot dogs.
There was plenty to eat and enough variety to please anyone.
I particularly enjoyed the view we had during lunch. The seating area is outdoors and this is a view that cannot be beat!
Do be careful to wear shoes to lunch. Someone dropped a glass very close to our table and I wasn’t wearing shoes. I didn’t get cut but I don’t suggest going to lunch without shoes!
DD filled 2 plates of desserts but I didn’t sample any. She primarily ate the fresh fruit.
After lunch, we made DD rest for about 20 minutes to avoid cramping in the pool. Then she begged to go back to the beach. So, I took her over and left DH to rest in the sun. (I’m sure he ordered another bucket of Corona’s as I seem to recall we had 2 buckets total.) DD and I had a great time splashing in the ocean and seeing how far out we could get while still being able to touch the ground. There were a lot of people trying to body board. One body boarder assured DD and I we were having the most fun of anyone on the beach with all our “whoo hoo’s!” He was right, we were having a good time!
When we “cashed out” for the day with Sergio, he just brought us a receipt to sign. It just confirmed everything we had ordered and had a $0 total due. However, we left a cash tip with Sergio. That man was working hard and was all over that pool area tending to people. We cashed out about 20 minutes before we had to meet our group but Sergio came up to us 3 separate times to thank us for the tip. He was a very sweet man but it concerned me that other people may not tip him? I certainly hope that’s not the case. Although the resort is all inclusive, his service added to our enjoyment of lounging and playing around the pool. He brought us cold, bottled water every time he brought drinks. He was a very sweet person and I do hope that all DCL folks going on this excursion tip the wait staff at this resort. They work hard for us to have a good time! *Stepping down from soap box now!*
We were supposed to meet our group at 2:20 pm, giving us a total of 4 hours at the resort. We definitely could have stayed longer and enjoyed our time but Victor informed our bus at the beginning of the tour that if we chose to stay beyond our scheduled meet time, we’d be responsible for getting ourselves back to the ship! Not wanting to deal with that kind of aggravation, we arrived at our meeting location on time.
Our tour guide, Victor #1. (His name was Victor and our bus number was 1. Our bus group nicknamed him Victor #1)
Victor said he wouldn’t be speaking as much on the way back because a lot of people like to sleep. But as we got closer to the ship, he pointed out some things including the whales mate in Puerto Vallarta and all Humpback whales are Mexican! Who knew?!
Back at the port, DD, DH and I got back on the ship. However, I have no idea what we did next. Would you believe this is the only day I don’t have our Navigator to aid me in writing my TR!? My photos skip from the bus ride back to the ship straight to dinner. So, what did we do between 3-4 pm and dinner time is a mystery to me.
So, we skip to dinner in this TR. It was our first night in Triton’s. I liked Triton’s, I thought the lighting was cool. Our serving team always delivered DD’s meal before ours and tonight she quickly ate and her brother gladly escorted her to the Club.
After dinner, our serving team presented DS with his birthday button and treat. (DS turned 17 3 days before our cruise so I indicated such on our reservation!)
I’m really glad DCL did away with the cake they use to give at birthday celebrations. DD got the cake on our cruise in 2009 and the cake went to waste. DS had no problem eating his birthday treat and his Mickey bar!
After dinner, DH and I had some time to ourselves so we went out on to Deck 4 to watch the ship leave port.
It wasn’t very peaceful outside because the deck was very busy with passer-bys. And then a character (can’t remember which one) appeared and then there was mass hysteria. I mean, people were acting like they hadn’t seen a character before!
But after the character disappeared, so did much of the crowd and we were left to sail out of port in peace. It was kind of neat to watch all the camera flashes from shore as we made our way into open water. Do you think people on the shore take pictures of Carnival or the other cruise lines as they leave port? No, I didn’t think so either!
Tonight was Toy Story The Musical and I went to get seats while DH collected DD from the Club. As I waited, I watched all the waiters selling the kids drink cups with light-up Buzz Lightyears clinging to the straws. DD is a HUGE Buzz Lightyear fan. She’s a HUGE Toy Story fan, but specifically Buzz. She dressed as Buzz for Halloween 2 years in a row. So, I already knew what would fly out of her mouth as soon as she reached me. And how could I say “no” when the purchase got a reaction like this?
So, do you want my honest opinion about the show?
I liked parts. Like this one with the Aliens, it was pretty cool.
DD was entertained, I liked that. The costumes were cool, I liked that. But for me, I didn’t like it totally. I love the movies, I bawled my head off at the end of Toy Story 3. Toy Story has been a favorite of each of my children, who are nearly a decade apart in age. It’s a story that can and has stood the test of time. I feel like the “musical” didn’t give the movie justice.
There. I said it.
Moving on!
After the show, DD went back to the Club and DH and I found Remy in the Cadillac Lounge. We really enjoyed ending our evenings with Remy. Because I don’t have our Navigator, I can’t tell you if our evening ended in Wave Bands or if we just finished in Cadillac. I do know we were out late, picked DD up, and said our good-nights to Ariel!
Good morning, Puerto Vallarta!
Before Mickey had a chance to wake us up from our snoring slumber, room service was knocking at our door. They were early but that’s okay! DD, DH, and I were scheduled for our very first DCL excursion, Paradise Beach Adventure. When we visited St. Thomas in 2003, we went on our own to Maagen’s Bay! DD loved it and talks all the time about the beach.
Because this cruise didn’t offer a stop at Castaway Cay, it was important to me to arrange beach time for DD. However, I didn’t really want to figure things out for ourselves. So, Paradise Beach Adventure it is!
After meeting in Wave Bands, we were on the first bus to the resort. Our tour guide was Victor and he shared with us some information about Mexico, he told some jokes, and he expressed his pride of being a resident of Puerto Vallarta. Victor was very personable and he made the 45 minute ride entertaining.
Upon our arrival at Paradise Beach Resort, we were given wrist bands and explained where our lunch would be served and what bars we could order from. We had to be wearing our bands for the “all inclusive” to be honored. It was made very clear what time we were to meet at which location to return to the ship. Victor asked that we enjoy ourselves but not get so drunk that he had to carry anyone back to the bus. Wow, I bet he has some stories to tell about stuff like that!
After we were dismissed, DD was very eager to get to the beach. So, we found some chairs, dropped our stuff, pulled out the beach toys and made our way to the ocean. Wow, the water was cold. Too cold for DD to really play in so we convinced her to go to the pool, surely it was heated. It took some time to find a lounge chair that wasn’t reserved by a towel. There weren’t very many people in the pool so I imagine it was a situation similar to that on the ship, someone got up from their bed early, came down and claimed chairs before the masses ascended on the area.
After we found a chair, we were quickly greeted by a waiter for our drink order. I’m not sure what DH ordered but I ordered a Mai Tai, forgetting my rule about not drinking the water in Mexico (ice = water). When Sergio (I think that was his name) brought our drinks, I found 4 dead bugs in mine. Little black bugs. DH told me to drink it and just consider it protein. But those floating dead bugs reminded me to not drink the water so I didn’t drink the drink and ordered a bucket of Corona’s instead. And did DH really think I was going to knowingly drink bugs, Mexico or not? Really??
While I waited for the Corona’s, DD and DH were sliding down the waterslide and splashing around in the pool!Did you know Corona comes in a can? Our bucket was delivered with 5 cans of Corona in ice and sliced limes!
For all you adults who have had to stand on the sidelines and watch your kids go down the Mickey slide endless times, only willing DCL to lift the rule about “no adults”, Paradise Beach Resort is the place for you to get in some slide time. Adults can, and do, enjoy the alligator slide. I realize it’s not quite the Mickey slide but it is a good time!
Although DD was enjoying the pool, she really wanted to be at the beach so we took her back over for a dip before we had some lunch.
As soon as the lunch buffet opened, we made our way for some grub. The buffet was good. They had all the fixings for a fresh green salad. Some Mexican style meats. Quesadillas. And burgers and hot dogs.
There was plenty to eat and enough variety to please anyone.
I particularly enjoyed the view we had during lunch. The seating area is outdoors and this is a view that cannot be beat!
Do be careful to wear shoes to lunch. Someone dropped a glass very close to our table and I wasn’t wearing shoes.
I didn’t get cut but I don’t suggest going to lunch without shoes! DD filled 2 plates of desserts but I didn’t sample any. She primarily ate the fresh fruit.
After lunch, we made DD rest for about 20 minutes to avoid cramping in the pool. Then she begged to go back to the beach. So, I took her over and left DH to rest in the sun. (I’m sure he ordered another bucket of Corona’s as I seem to recall we had 2 buckets total.) DD and I had a great time splashing in the ocean and seeing how far out we could get while still being able to touch the ground. There were a lot of people trying to body board. One body boarder assured DD and I we were having the most fun of anyone on the beach with all our “whoo hoo’s!” He was right, we were having a good time!
When we “cashed out” for the day with Sergio, he just brought us a receipt to sign. It just confirmed everything we had ordered and had a $0 total due. However, we left a cash tip with Sergio. That man was working hard and was all over that pool area tending to people. We cashed out about 20 minutes before we had to meet our group but Sergio came up to us 3 separate times to thank us for the tip. He was a very sweet man but it concerned me that other people may not tip him? I certainly hope that’s not the case. Although the resort is all inclusive, his service added to our enjoyment of lounging and playing around the pool. He brought us cold, bottled water every time he brought drinks. He was a very sweet person and I do hope that all DCL folks going on this excursion tip the wait staff at this resort. They work hard for us to have a good time! *Stepping down from soap box now!*
We were supposed to meet our group at 2:20 pm, giving us a total of 4 hours at the resort. We definitely could have stayed longer and enjoyed our time but Victor informed our bus at the beginning of the tour that if we chose to stay beyond our scheduled meet time, we’d be responsible for getting ourselves back to the ship! Not wanting to deal with that kind of aggravation, we arrived at our meeting location on time.
Our tour guide, Victor #1. (His name was Victor and our bus number was 1. Our bus group nicknamed him Victor #1)
Victor said he wouldn’t be speaking as much on the way back because a lot of people like to sleep. But as we got closer to the ship, he pointed out some things including the whales mate in Puerto Vallarta and all Humpback whales are Mexican! Who knew?!
Back at the port, DD, DH and I got back on the ship. However, I have no idea what we did next. Would you believe this is the only day I don’t have our Navigator to aid me in writing my TR!? My photos skip from the bus ride back to the ship straight to dinner. So, what did we do between 3-4 pm and dinner time is a mystery to me.
So, we skip to dinner in this TR. It was our first night in Triton’s. I liked Triton’s, I thought the lighting was cool. Our serving team always delivered DD’s meal before ours and tonight she quickly ate and her brother gladly escorted her to the Club.
After dinner, our serving team presented DS with his birthday button and treat. (DS turned 17 3 days before our cruise so I indicated such on our reservation!)
I’m really glad DCL did away with the cake they use to give at birthday celebrations. DD got the cake on our cruise in 2009 and the cake went to waste. DS had no problem eating his birthday treat and his Mickey bar!
After dinner, DH and I had some time to ourselves so we went out on to Deck 4 to watch the ship leave port.
It wasn’t very peaceful outside because the deck was very busy with passer-bys. And then a character (can’t remember which one) appeared and then there was mass hysteria. I mean, people were acting like they hadn’t seen a character before!
But after the character disappeared, so did much of the crowd and we were left to sail out of port in peace. It was kind of neat to watch all the camera flashes from shore as we made our way into open water. Do you think people on the shore take pictures of Carnival or the other cruise lines as they leave port? No, I didn’t think so either!
Tonight was Toy Story The Musical and I went to get seats while DH collected DD from the Club. As I waited, I watched all the waiters selling the kids drink cups with light-up Buzz Lightyears clinging to the straws. DD is a HUGE Buzz Lightyear fan. She’s a HUGE Toy Story fan, but specifically Buzz. She dressed as Buzz for Halloween 2 years in a row. So, I already knew what would fly out of her mouth as soon as she reached me. And how could I say “no” when the purchase got a reaction like this?
So, do you want my honest opinion about the show?
I liked parts. Like this one with the Aliens, it was pretty cool.
DD was entertained, I liked that. The costumes were cool, I liked that. But for me, I didn’t like it totally. I love the movies, I bawled my head off at the end of Toy Story 3. Toy Story has been a favorite of each of my children, who are nearly a decade apart in age. It’s a story that can and has stood the test of time. I feel like the “musical” didn’t give the movie justice.
There. I said it.
Moving on!
After the show, DD went back to the Club and DH and I found Remy in the Cadillac Lounge. We really enjoyed ending our evenings with Remy. Because I don’t have our Navigator, I can’t tell you if our evening ended in Wave Bands or if we just finished in Cadillac. I do know we were out late, picked DD up, and said our good-nights to Ariel!
jajomo0118
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2007
- Messages
- 929
loving the TR!..I hope to be part of one again someday We will probably both be empty nesters..by that time..could be a good thing..
Mindyjoy
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2010
- Messages
- 1,528
Either size is fine by me! I just like seeing pics!!
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