We have just returned from a Disney adventure that included:
Dad (me)
Wife
2 daughters - ages 6 and 5
We sailed on the Disney Wonder on Jan 24th for a 4 night / 5 day cruise followed by a stay at the Grand Floridian from the 28th through the 1st in celebration for one of those milestone birthdays my wife was having.
To give a little background, as stated my wife was going to celebrate a birthday on the 26th and was opposed to having any sort of party at our home. So I had to come up with something different that would meet her request, but throw her off at the same time and surprise her with this trip.
After throwing her off with bogus random thoughts and emails I knew she would sneak a peak at, on Christmas morning the last gift she had to open was a t-shirt that had the sail dates with Mickey and gang. In true spirit of Christmas, I did not want her to get off that easy, so I had a scavenger hunt for her and the girls that led them around our house finding clues which were pieces to a puzzle that identified the date of our cruise...I know, mean, but since I have been planning this since Sept, I wanted the surprise to go on as long as possible.
When she saw that her birthday was going to be celebrated on a cruise, I was not sure who was more excited, the girls, my wife or me now having the surprise out there for everyone...good times.
To give you an idea of who we are to set the table so to speak:
* We have never cruised before and had some idea of what we wree getting into from others that have.
* We are not HUGE Disney fans. That is not to say we don't like Disney, more along the lines that we like what they have to offer - good, clean fun for everyone. In other words, we don't have Disney themed bedrooms, tattoos or Disney nicknames, we are just your average Disney fans that own their movies, visit their parks and wish we could visit more often than we do.
* Our girls are on the quiet side and we were unsure how they would do with another family at our table for dinner, so we requested our own table - I know, going against the cruise way of doing things, but as you will see, it worked out for us.
* We have traveled to numerous places and have stayed at some very nice resorts and went in with realistic expectations of food, atmosphere, entertainment etc.
* Knowing that this was for a birthday, I booked a deluxe family stateroom with verandah thinking this would make it that much more special for all of us.
* Worst case, is that we would not like this at all and it was only for 5 days so we could tolerate it knowing we were going to Disneyworld to end our week.
Now that those are out of the way, our trip really began when we got a call from our Travel Agent on Friday (2 days before we were to leave) saying that Disney was on the other line asking if we would like to be upgraded to the Concierge One-bedroom suite....HELLO, no brainer on this one especially when she said that there wasn't a charge for this upgrade. We were now in full vacation mode after looking at the floor plan and seeing what comes with this suite.
After reading a lot of reviews and opinions on when to get to Orlando, we decided to risk it and stick with our original flights that left Sunday morning and not fly in the night before. Our luck was holding out as Sunday turned out to be a nice, but cold, day. After packing the final stuff into our suitcases late Saturday night, the alarm clock went off at 3 AM ugh; but hey, we are now officially starting our vacation, so we have to roll with it.
Our Travel Agent set us up with a limo to take us to the airport in Boston; considering how much is costs to leave your car at the airport, the limo to and from was a breakeven. The limo showed up at 4 AM and we were ready to roll typical last minute checklists such as do we have everything, check; do we have both girls, check; did I turn off all of the lights, check; did I close the front storm door tightly, no, but more on that later. Getting up for work at this hour of the day does not bother me, but I cannot say that for the other 3 in the family. Though excited to get to the plane and the cruise, I am sure this will be a very long day for all of us.
I travel a lot for work and I am used to being in my routine when I get to the airport shoes off, laptop out, all valuables in the carry-on etc; but I forget how much stuff kids travel with DS with games, snacks and a change of warm weather clothes it was 18 degrees when we left pretty sure it was going to be warmer in Florida. I was prepping them for the security line and all that we had to do just to get onto the plane.
Uneventful ride to the airport and the limo was most likely will be the first thing the girls will mention when anyone asks how the trip was. We had a direct flight on JetBlue that left at 6:30 AM and was scheduled to arrive at 9:40 AM. As anyone knows, there are limitless reasons on what could go wrong and delay all of this, but we have rolled the dice and need to continue with the original plan.
First stop, the check-in line for JetBlue. Not too bad at 5 AM in the morning. I would highly recommend taking the earliest flight in the morning as the line was quick and since everyone looked pretty much sleep deprived, no one was complaining or screaming. Said goodbye to the bags and crossed our fingers that we would see them outside our room on the Wonder (we signed up for the Disney transfer from the airport to the Wonder more out of laziness to find alternatives than anything else).
The Security line was uneventful and we all had to take off our shoes and pretty much anything else and walk through the detectors. Our carry-ons had snacks in there, but no gels or liquids so we were through that line in no time. Now we were at the gate and my wife was off to find some Dunkin Donuts coffee and some munchkins for the girls.
For those that have not flown with JetBlue before, you should. They have direct TV and for those of us like me who are tall, plenty of legroom. Onto the plane we get and settle into our seats and listen to the Captain say that it was going to be a smooth flight and that we were going to be there earlier than scheduled .should have played the numbers that day as our luck was holding.
Land in Orlando, early, and off to find the cruise line bus transfer. For those that have used the transfer to the resorts at Disneyworld, you remember that there is a line where you get your tickets and then are directed to the line for the resort. With the cruise transfer, there is a desk that has a cruise banner on it where you fill out some legal documents and they then direct you to another line were they giver you your key cards for the ship as well as a character card (we got Stitch) that identifies you to which group you will be taking the bus with. This process seemed to take longer than it should have, but overall there is a lot of paperwork and documents to sign and complete make sure you do this online and print it out prior to the deadline.
We didnt wait long for our group to be called to load onto the bus. The bus is clean and it takes approx 1 hour from the airport to the cruise terminal. Florida is pretty boring landscape, but they do show an informational video on the way that helps pass the time. As we approached the cruise terminal, the Wonder stuck out like an oasys in the desert. You can see all of the pictures online and still not have an appreciation for how nice it looks in person. Compared to the Carnival ship next to it, the Disney Wonder looked pristine. We arrived at the terminal around 11 and were directed to the main doors where we had to pass through another metal detector; not like the airport where we had to basically strip down, but just another line to be waiting in for a short period of time.
Our anticipation grew as we took the stairs up to the main floor of the terminal. We could hear people up there and knew that we were so close to the Wonder we could smell it. As we reached the main floor, there were people everywhere. We saw Captain Mickey holding court by the ship model and the line was at least 20 people long. There are lines for Mickey, lines for registration and lines for getting onto the ship. We asked one of the many cast members which line we needed to go in and she walked us right over to where we needed to be. On a side note, this will be a general theme on the cruise, the cast members go out of their way to make it special and stress free.
There was only one couple in front of us registering for the concierge floor and I noticed that he had a rather large carry-on filled with over a case of beer I asked the cast member which room he was in as I am sure they were going to have a very good cruise. Though we had a key cards from when we registered at the airport, the cast member gave us new ones after taking our pictures right there at the desk.
As we were registering, we heard names being called as they were starting to board. The lines were forming and there were a lot of people there at this point. Once our registration was complete, the cast member asked us to meet her over by a door she pointed out. Not knowing what was happening, we did as we were told. She comes out from behind the door and asked us to follow her. She walked us around the line of people right to the front and up to the gangplank to get onto the ship said goodbye to us and wished us a great cruise how great is that, we cut the entire line, a little embarrassing, but we didnt complain. I did not tell the girls that they would announce their name when we boarded, so when they did, the girls thought that was great as they felt like princesses with the other crew members clapping for them.
Walking onto the ship was amazing. Not only hearing your name, but finally seeing the lobby we have seen pictures of online was incredible. We were actually on the Wonder and it almost felt surreal. The chandelier in the lobby is gorgeous and bigger than any picture could capture. The ship looked clean and fresh and it seemed as though we were the only ones on board, which was close as we were among the first to board at this point.
We were directed to Parrot Cay for lunch and decided to eat there as we have been up for hours, hungry and wanted to take it all in at this point. When we approached Parrot Cay, there were crew members there with hand wipes, over the trip we noticed that they were always in front of the restaurant and ensured that each and every guest received one. We were seated promptly after being walked through the buffet area which was explained in detail by the person seating us. Drinks ordered and plates filled we settled into our meals and planned out what we wanted to do afterwards.
On the food front, Parrot Cay is a buffet for breakfast and lunch. Knowing that we boarded around 11:45, they were serving the lunch buffet. If you are going on a Disney Cruise and expect to have a 5 Star meal, you need to consider the cruising industry as a whole. Understand that the kitchens are cooking to meet the average person without compromising taste, considering all types of allergies and every other complaint people have when they eat. That being said, we did not have one meal that was bad and had to be returned and were pleasantly surprised at how good the meals were. Some of the dishes were so good, my wife asked (and was given) the recipe. The fruit was fresh and the options were plentiful. You could eat as healthy or as unhealthy as you wanted to and eat as much as you would like.
Lunch was completed and we were off to explore the ship. We walked around inside and out and though the Wonder is on the smaller side, there was a lot to see and I am sure we missed a lot of it on day one. When they say the rooms are available at 1:45, they mean 1:45. We read some reports that said they open early, but on our cruise it was 1:45 on the dot. Once you get the lay of the land (ship), it is pretty easy to navigate through the decks. Being on the 8th floor at the very rear of the ship, made our navigation very easy, there was only one way to go.
Prior to us getting access to our room, we were notified that there was a reception for those staying on the concierge floor. We finally found our way to the Rt 66 trail and found the room where this reception was being held. We met our concierge for the week, Jerome, and he explained what he does and answered any questions we had and ensured us that everything would be taken care of. We signed the girls up for the kids clubs and met with one of the crew members in charge of that area. They gave us a pager and said that it worked everywhere on the ship or at Castaway Cay except under water glad he mentioned that because it would be very easy to put this in your pocket and forget to take it out when you went into the pool or the ocean.
The magical hour of 1:45 arrived and could not wait to see our room. We opened the door and were absolutely surprised at the size of it .I know that Disneys rooms are on the larger size, but having a one bedroom suite was over the top large. We walked in and on the left was a full bathroom and as we continued down the hallway, it opened up into a sitting area complete with an in-room dining table with four chairs, a couch with two separate chairs and a TV. Off to the right was the bedroom with a queen bed and its own separate full bathroom. There were two sliding doors that opened onto the verandah that had a lounge chair and 4 sitting chairs with a small table to say we were in awe would be putting it mildly. Again, this was not what we paid for or signed up for and if we were to do this again, I am not sure how we could top this.
As with any vacation, time was flying by already. Before we knew it, it was time for the drill where everyone puts on their lifejackets and assembles in their area to be counted and given instructions in case of an emergency. Since we have been up since 3 this morning, our youngest started to hit a wall and wanted nothing to do with wearing the lifejacket, but once she saw everyone else wearing these, she started to go with the flow. As you assemble in your assigned area, they mark you down as present and then call out cabin numbers to those they either missed or were not there .they need everyone there for this and will track you down if you fail to show up. The instructions were done and over and we are off to drop the lifejackets and head to deck 9 and 10 for the sail away party.
People were already gathering on deck 9, so we decided to go to deck 10 to get a better view. I would recommend deck 9 for those that want to be in the party and deck 10 for those that want to view the party while still somewhat being a part of it. I have to say that Pikey has a ton of energy and though this is not his first sail away party, his energy level was high and he got everyone into it.
Then just when things started to get rolling, the magical notes from the ships horn sounded. Reading about this and hearing it in person is completely different. When you wish upon a star sounding through the ships horn is magical it truly lets you know that you are on a Disney Cruise .
Now the party was going on full speed ahead. I believe we were the 2nd of 3 ships out and we passed another ship and Pikey had the crowd going nuts. We were chanting Disney and waving at the other boat and I felt like they werent having as much fun as we were and we were just leaving port. Some of the crew members were up on stage, they had characters up there and everyone had a ton of energy. The party broke up slowly as the first seating was at 5:45 and we were scheduled to eat at Animators Palate.
As we cleared the harbor and were in the open seas, the report from the bridge (shown on one of the TV stations) reported 8 12 foot seas. Rough enough to feel it and it made some of the guests get up and leave, but I would recommend not missing Animators Palate. Regardless how the meal was, the color changes in this room is something you should see. As mentioned earlier, we requested a table just for the four of us and this is something that is not guaranteed but again our luck is holding and Disney fulfilled this request. As with any restaurant, you are seated near people, but on the Wonder, our table was seated very close to the tables on either side of us which allowed us to have our own conversation with our family or strike up a conversation with those next to us.
The table to the left of us was a family of 4 (Mom, Dad, Daughter 5 and Son 9 mths). We did end of having a good conversation over the course of the trip, but tonight seemed to be a very long day for them. This family was from New York and it was their first cruise as well.
The table to the left of us was also a family of 4 (Mom, Dad, Daughter 13 and Son 8). We struck up a conversation with this family immediately and what a nice family. They were from Ohio and have cruised before and mentioned that they booked this trip two weeks before at the last minute. Looking back on this, I would still ask for our own table, but having the tables so close, allowed us to speak with those next to us. I can say that this family really added to the trip. At the end of this trip, it was almost sad to say goodbye after having 4 dinners with them and running into them in Nassau, Castaway Cay and on the ship at different times. It was good for my wife and I to have a quality adult conversation with other adults while having a good meal; who says a Disney cruise is all about the kids. My only regret on the dinner was not exchanging contact information with this family as they made this trip enjoyable for us.
Now back to Animator Palate. As you have read, the dinning room walls change colors from black and white to full color at the end of the meal. Some of the other things that change are the servers vests, also from black and white to full color. What also makes Disney special is that your servers stay with you for all dinners. Our head waiter was Kiat from the Thailand and his assistant was Aiko from Japan. To say that they work very hard to please is an understatement. They accommodated any request we had and by the last dinner, knew what we wanted and liked so much that they either had it waiting for us or suggested it as an appetizer or entrée, even if it wasnt on the menu (such as the cold mango/papaya soup which was outstanding).
As we were seated at our tables, the girls already had their cups of water ready with their names written on the tops, not only in English, but Aiko wrote them in Japanese as well. Again, Disney Cruise takes it over and above to do the little things that make it special. First up, a bottle of wine. Though there is a markup on the price, I didnt think that they were that bad and we ordered a bottle of something we liked at home and paid just a little more for it. Note if you are going to order a bottle of wine at each dinner, I would suggest paying for their 4 night wine special and saving the 25%, the only catch is that you can only order from a select few bottles based on how much you are paying.
As far as dinner, the girls ordered off of the kids menu that consisted of the regular items chicken, pasta, cheeseburger etc, while the adult menu had a variety of choices from seafood to steak. There is enough variety on the menu so that most everyone could select something they would like. As I recall, my wife and I had delicious meals and mentioned that we were surprised it was as good as it was.
The servers could not have been more attentive to us or to the other tables they were assigned. As mentioned, they work very hard and earn their tips at the end of the cruises. It is also nice that they are assigned to the same people for the entire cruise. We were on Castaway Cay and our head server saw us in line and directed us to a shorter, less known line around the corner.
Towards the end of our dinner, the restaurant host led the entire wait staff out of the kitchen and had them do a mini parade through the dinning room. He then introduced the chefs for the evening. This may seem a bit hokey, but it all seemed to flow for the evening. Even though we were all tired from an early morning and an exciting day, the meal was good and the conversation was better, but it was off to our room and though we planned on making the show, we did not as both girls fell asleep almost immediately; thinking that sleep was better than forcing them through a show and have them tired the next day.
Sorry for the length and have re-read this to realize this is only Day 1 of our trip. Let me know if this is too long, too much/too little information or any other feedback as I work on Day 2.
Dad (me)
Wife
2 daughters - ages 6 and 5
We sailed on the Disney Wonder on Jan 24th for a 4 night / 5 day cruise followed by a stay at the Grand Floridian from the 28th through the 1st in celebration for one of those milestone birthdays my wife was having.
To give a little background, as stated my wife was going to celebrate a birthday on the 26th and was opposed to having any sort of party at our home. So I had to come up with something different that would meet her request, but throw her off at the same time and surprise her with this trip.
After throwing her off with bogus random thoughts and emails I knew she would sneak a peak at, on Christmas morning the last gift she had to open was a t-shirt that had the sail dates with Mickey and gang. In true spirit of Christmas, I did not want her to get off that easy, so I had a scavenger hunt for her and the girls that led them around our house finding clues which were pieces to a puzzle that identified the date of our cruise...I know, mean, but since I have been planning this since Sept, I wanted the surprise to go on as long as possible.
When she saw that her birthday was going to be celebrated on a cruise, I was not sure who was more excited, the girls, my wife or me now having the surprise out there for everyone...good times.
To give you an idea of who we are to set the table so to speak:
* We have never cruised before and had some idea of what we wree getting into from others that have.
* We are not HUGE Disney fans. That is not to say we don't like Disney, more along the lines that we like what they have to offer - good, clean fun for everyone. In other words, we don't have Disney themed bedrooms, tattoos or Disney nicknames, we are just your average Disney fans that own their movies, visit their parks and wish we could visit more often than we do.
* Our girls are on the quiet side and we were unsure how they would do with another family at our table for dinner, so we requested our own table - I know, going against the cruise way of doing things, but as you will see, it worked out for us.
* We have traveled to numerous places and have stayed at some very nice resorts and went in with realistic expectations of food, atmosphere, entertainment etc.
* Knowing that this was for a birthday, I booked a deluxe family stateroom with verandah thinking this would make it that much more special for all of us.
* Worst case, is that we would not like this at all and it was only for 5 days so we could tolerate it knowing we were going to Disneyworld to end our week.
Now that those are out of the way, our trip really began when we got a call from our Travel Agent on Friday (2 days before we were to leave) saying that Disney was on the other line asking if we would like to be upgraded to the Concierge One-bedroom suite....HELLO, no brainer on this one especially when she said that there wasn't a charge for this upgrade. We were now in full vacation mode after looking at the floor plan and seeing what comes with this suite.
After reading a lot of reviews and opinions on when to get to Orlando, we decided to risk it and stick with our original flights that left Sunday morning and not fly in the night before. Our luck was holding out as Sunday turned out to be a nice, but cold, day. After packing the final stuff into our suitcases late Saturday night, the alarm clock went off at 3 AM ugh; but hey, we are now officially starting our vacation, so we have to roll with it.
Our Travel Agent set us up with a limo to take us to the airport in Boston; considering how much is costs to leave your car at the airport, the limo to and from was a breakeven. The limo showed up at 4 AM and we were ready to roll typical last minute checklists such as do we have everything, check; do we have both girls, check; did I turn off all of the lights, check; did I close the front storm door tightly, no, but more on that later. Getting up for work at this hour of the day does not bother me, but I cannot say that for the other 3 in the family. Though excited to get to the plane and the cruise, I am sure this will be a very long day for all of us.
I travel a lot for work and I am used to being in my routine when I get to the airport shoes off, laptop out, all valuables in the carry-on etc; but I forget how much stuff kids travel with DS with games, snacks and a change of warm weather clothes it was 18 degrees when we left pretty sure it was going to be warmer in Florida. I was prepping them for the security line and all that we had to do just to get onto the plane.
Uneventful ride to the airport and the limo was most likely will be the first thing the girls will mention when anyone asks how the trip was. We had a direct flight on JetBlue that left at 6:30 AM and was scheduled to arrive at 9:40 AM. As anyone knows, there are limitless reasons on what could go wrong and delay all of this, but we have rolled the dice and need to continue with the original plan.
First stop, the check-in line for JetBlue. Not too bad at 5 AM in the morning. I would highly recommend taking the earliest flight in the morning as the line was quick and since everyone looked pretty much sleep deprived, no one was complaining or screaming. Said goodbye to the bags and crossed our fingers that we would see them outside our room on the Wonder (we signed up for the Disney transfer from the airport to the Wonder more out of laziness to find alternatives than anything else).
The Security line was uneventful and we all had to take off our shoes and pretty much anything else and walk through the detectors. Our carry-ons had snacks in there, but no gels or liquids so we were through that line in no time. Now we were at the gate and my wife was off to find some Dunkin Donuts coffee and some munchkins for the girls.
For those that have not flown with JetBlue before, you should. They have direct TV and for those of us like me who are tall, plenty of legroom. Onto the plane we get and settle into our seats and listen to the Captain say that it was going to be a smooth flight and that we were going to be there earlier than scheduled .should have played the numbers that day as our luck was holding.
Land in Orlando, early, and off to find the cruise line bus transfer. For those that have used the transfer to the resorts at Disneyworld, you remember that there is a line where you get your tickets and then are directed to the line for the resort. With the cruise transfer, there is a desk that has a cruise banner on it where you fill out some legal documents and they then direct you to another line were they giver you your key cards for the ship as well as a character card (we got Stitch) that identifies you to which group you will be taking the bus with. This process seemed to take longer than it should have, but overall there is a lot of paperwork and documents to sign and complete make sure you do this online and print it out prior to the deadline.
We didnt wait long for our group to be called to load onto the bus. The bus is clean and it takes approx 1 hour from the airport to the cruise terminal. Florida is pretty boring landscape, but they do show an informational video on the way that helps pass the time. As we approached the cruise terminal, the Wonder stuck out like an oasys in the desert. You can see all of the pictures online and still not have an appreciation for how nice it looks in person. Compared to the Carnival ship next to it, the Disney Wonder looked pristine. We arrived at the terminal around 11 and were directed to the main doors where we had to pass through another metal detector; not like the airport where we had to basically strip down, but just another line to be waiting in for a short period of time.
Our anticipation grew as we took the stairs up to the main floor of the terminal. We could hear people up there and knew that we were so close to the Wonder we could smell it. As we reached the main floor, there were people everywhere. We saw Captain Mickey holding court by the ship model and the line was at least 20 people long. There are lines for Mickey, lines for registration and lines for getting onto the ship. We asked one of the many cast members which line we needed to go in and she walked us right over to where we needed to be. On a side note, this will be a general theme on the cruise, the cast members go out of their way to make it special and stress free.
There was only one couple in front of us registering for the concierge floor and I noticed that he had a rather large carry-on filled with over a case of beer I asked the cast member which room he was in as I am sure they were going to have a very good cruise. Though we had a key cards from when we registered at the airport, the cast member gave us new ones after taking our pictures right there at the desk.
As we were registering, we heard names being called as they were starting to board. The lines were forming and there were a lot of people there at this point. Once our registration was complete, the cast member asked us to meet her over by a door she pointed out. Not knowing what was happening, we did as we were told. She comes out from behind the door and asked us to follow her. She walked us around the line of people right to the front and up to the gangplank to get onto the ship said goodbye to us and wished us a great cruise how great is that, we cut the entire line, a little embarrassing, but we didnt complain. I did not tell the girls that they would announce their name when we boarded, so when they did, the girls thought that was great as they felt like princesses with the other crew members clapping for them.
Walking onto the ship was amazing. Not only hearing your name, but finally seeing the lobby we have seen pictures of online was incredible. We were actually on the Wonder and it almost felt surreal. The chandelier in the lobby is gorgeous and bigger than any picture could capture. The ship looked clean and fresh and it seemed as though we were the only ones on board, which was close as we were among the first to board at this point.
We were directed to Parrot Cay for lunch and decided to eat there as we have been up for hours, hungry and wanted to take it all in at this point. When we approached Parrot Cay, there were crew members there with hand wipes, over the trip we noticed that they were always in front of the restaurant and ensured that each and every guest received one. We were seated promptly after being walked through the buffet area which was explained in detail by the person seating us. Drinks ordered and plates filled we settled into our meals and planned out what we wanted to do afterwards.
On the food front, Parrot Cay is a buffet for breakfast and lunch. Knowing that we boarded around 11:45, they were serving the lunch buffet. If you are going on a Disney Cruise and expect to have a 5 Star meal, you need to consider the cruising industry as a whole. Understand that the kitchens are cooking to meet the average person without compromising taste, considering all types of allergies and every other complaint people have when they eat. That being said, we did not have one meal that was bad and had to be returned and were pleasantly surprised at how good the meals were. Some of the dishes were so good, my wife asked (and was given) the recipe. The fruit was fresh and the options were plentiful. You could eat as healthy or as unhealthy as you wanted to and eat as much as you would like.
Lunch was completed and we were off to explore the ship. We walked around inside and out and though the Wonder is on the smaller side, there was a lot to see and I am sure we missed a lot of it on day one. When they say the rooms are available at 1:45, they mean 1:45. We read some reports that said they open early, but on our cruise it was 1:45 on the dot. Once you get the lay of the land (ship), it is pretty easy to navigate through the decks. Being on the 8th floor at the very rear of the ship, made our navigation very easy, there was only one way to go.
Prior to us getting access to our room, we were notified that there was a reception for those staying on the concierge floor. We finally found our way to the Rt 66 trail and found the room where this reception was being held. We met our concierge for the week, Jerome, and he explained what he does and answered any questions we had and ensured us that everything would be taken care of. We signed the girls up for the kids clubs and met with one of the crew members in charge of that area. They gave us a pager and said that it worked everywhere on the ship or at Castaway Cay except under water glad he mentioned that because it would be very easy to put this in your pocket and forget to take it out when you went into the pool or the ocean.
The magical hour of 1:45 arrived and could not wait to see our room. We opened the door and were absolutely surprised at the size of it .I know that Disneys rooms are on the larger size, but having a one bedroom suite was over the top large. We walked in and on the left was a full bathroom and as we continued down the hallway, it opened up into a sitting area complete with an in-room dining table with four chairs, a couch with two separate chairs and a TV. Off to the right was the bedroom with a queen bed and its own separate full bathroom. There were two sliding doors that opened onto the verandah that had a lounge chair and 4 sitting chairs with a small table to say we were in awe would be putting it mildly. Again, this was not what we paid for or signed up for and if we were to do this again, I am not sure how we could top this.
As with any vacation, time was flying by already. Before we knew it, it was time for the drill where everyone puts on their lifejackets and assembles in their area to be counted and given instructions in case of an emergency. Since we have been up since 3 this morning, our youngest started to hit a wall and wanted nothing to do with wearing the lifejacket, but once she saw everyone else wearing these, she started to go with the flow. As you assemble in your assigned area, they mark you down as present and then call out cabin numbers to those they either missed or were not there .they need everyone there for this and will track you down if you fail to show up. The instructions were done and over and we are off to drop the lifejackets and head to deck 9 and 10 for the sail away party.
People were already gathering on deck 9, so we decided to go to deck 10 to get a better view. I would recommend deck 9 for those that want to be in the party and deck 10 for those that want to view the party while still somewhat being a part of it. I have to say that Pikey has a ton of energy and though this is not his first sail away party, his energy level was high and he got everyone into it.
Then just when things started to get rolling, the magical notes from the ships horn sounded. Reading about this and hearing it in person is completely different. When you wish upon a star sounding through the ships horn is magical it truly lets you know that you are on a Disney Cruise .
Now the party was going on full speed ahead. I believe we were the 2nd of 3 ships out and we passed another ship and Pikey had the crowd going nuts. We were chanting Disney and waving at the other boat and I felt like they werent having as much fun as we were and we were just leaving port. Some of the crew members were up on stage, they had characters up there and everyone had a ton of energy. The party broke up slowly as the first seating was at 5:45 and we were scheduled to eat at Animators Palate.
As we cleared the harbor and were in the open seas, the report from the bridge (shown on one of the TV stations) reported 8 12 foot seas. Rough enough to feel it and it made some of the guests get up and leave, but I would recommend not missing Animators Palate. Regardless how the meal was, the color changes in this room is something you should see. As mentioned earlier, we requested a table just for the four of us and this is something that is not guaranteed but again our luck is holding and Disney fulfilled this request. As with any restaurant, you are seated near people, but on the Wonder, our table was seated very close to the tables on either side of us which allowed us to have our own conversation with our family or strike up a conversation with those next to us.
The table to the left of us was a family of 4 (Mom, Dad, Daughter 5 and Son 9 mths). We did end of having a good conversation over the course of the trip, but tonight seemed to be a very long day for them. This family was from New York and it was their first cruise as well.
The table to the left of us was also a family of 4 (Mom, Dad, Daughter 13 and Son 8). We struck up a conversation with this family immediately and what a nice family. They were from Ohio and have cruised before and mentioned that they booked this trip two weeks before at the last minute. Looking back on this, I would still ask for our own table, but having the tables so close, allowed us to speak with those next to us. I can say that this family really added to the trip. At the end of this trip, it was almost sad to say goodbye after having 4 dinners with them and running into them in Nassau, Castaway Cay and on the ship at different times. It was good for my wife and I to have a quality adult conversation with other adults while having a good meal; who says a Disney cruise is all about the kids. My only regret on the dinner was not exchanging contact information with this family as they made this trip enjoyable for us.
Now back to Animator Palate. As you have read, the dinning room walls change colors from black and white to full color at the end of the meal. Some of the other things that change are the servers vests, also from black and white to full color. What also makes Disney special is that your servers stay with you for all dinners. Our head waiter was Kiat from the Thailand and his assistant was Aiko from Japan. To say that they work very hard to please is an understatement. They accommodated any request we had and by the last dinner, knew what we wanted and liked so much that they either had it waiting for us or suggested it as an appetizer or entrée, even if it wasnt on the menu (such as the cold mango/papaya soup which was outstanding).
As we were seated at our tables, the girls already had their cups of water ready with their names written on the tops, not only in English, but Aiko wrote them in Japanese as well. Again, Disney Cruise takes it over and above to do the little things that make it special. First up, a bottle of wine. Though there is a markup on the price, I didnt think that they were that bad and we ordered a bottle of something we liked at home and paid just a little more for it. Note if you are going to order a bottle of wine at each dinner, I would suggest paying for their 4 night wine special and saving the 25%, the only catch is that you can only order from a select few bottles based on how much you are paying.
As far as dinner, the girls ordered off of the kids menu that consisted of the regular items chicken, pasta, cheeseburger etc, while the adult menu had a variety of choices from seafood to steak. There is enough variety on the menu so that most everyone could select something they would like. As I recall, my wife and I had delicious meals and mentioned that we were surprised it was as good as it was.
The servers could not have been more attentive to us or to the other tables they were assigned. As mentioned, they work very hard and earn their tips at the end of the cruises. It is also nice that they are assigned to the same people for the entire cruise. We were on Castaway Cay and our head server saw us in line and directed us to a shorter, less known line around the corner.
Towards the end of our dinner, the restaurant host led the entire wait staff out of the kitchen and had them do a mini parade through the dinning room. He then introduced the chefs for the evening. This may seem a bit hokey, but it all seemed to flow for the evening. Even though we were all tired from an early morning and an exciting day, the meal was good and the conversation was better, but it was off to our room and though we planned on making the show, we did not as both girls fell asleep almost immediately; thinking that sleep was better than forcing them through a show and have them tired the next day.
Sorry for the length and have re-read this to realize this is only Day 1 of our trip. Let me know if this is too long, too much/too little information or any other feedback as I work on Day 2.
Looking forward to reading more
Great way to spend a snow day from school
