eye R.N.
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- Feb 11, 2000
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7/5 Magic Western Trip Report: Key West
Day#4 Now for something completely different.
Your crew: Denise, 40 something, compulsive trip planner, member of the DIS boards. Andy also 40 something middle school administrator coming off a challenging year. Chelsea, 17, high school senior, is getting an early graduation present by cruising, also a member of the DIS board. Taylor, 14 high school sophomore. Hope 11 just starting into middle school.
Ok I have made myself some promises this cruise. The foremost being I will enjoy every bite of what I eat without guilt. Hence, it is 6:45 AM and I am awake and ready to head up to the spa for some calorie burning. Shortly after I arrive and start pedaling the bike, the masses arrive. Seems Im not the only one who indulged last night. The spa is far and away one of my favorite spots on the ship. Where else can you do your mile while overlooking the bridge, watching the crew steer the ship. The weight machines are the same as our Community Center, so I can work out and not look like a jerk. One hour, three glasses of water and a few hundred calories are burned. So of course, its time to eat.
I go in search of Andy. He is up and dressed, the kids of course, are not. We have done the character breakfast thing to death over the course of 17 years as a Disney family, so we give that a pass. We discuss actually going to Lumieres for breakfast, but as it doesnt open until 9AM we head for topsiders instead. It is surprisingly empty for this time of the morning and we take an inside table near a window. Jasmine green tea, fruit and an egg white omelet (hey, this is as guilt free as I get) During breakfast we are joined by Maclean. Mac was our server two years ago. The last night of that cruise we told him we expected to see him as head server on our return. We seriously underestimated Mac. He now manages one of the dining rooms. We had a nice discussion about his life on the cruise ship, what his plans were for when the ship goes into dry dock and what had been going on in our lives. It is good to see that Disney does promote from within and that great people can get ahead.
Too soon it is time for me to return to the spa for a stretch and relax class. The rooms on the ship are just a little to small to practice yoga so here was my chance. A note of those of you who dont run right upstairs to sign up for all the fitness classes, this class was supposed to be full. Three people showed up! If you see something on offer that interest you, show up when the class starts and see if there is still room. This was a great class, 30 minutes of gentle stretching with some yoga postures I was familiar with.
Andy was going to the shopping talk and I met him there right after the class. Clyde is an informative and entertaining professional shopper. We decided of several of his recommend shops as well as Taylors stated goal of this trip. To get t-shirts from as many Key West bars as his budget would allow.
We parted ways after the shopping talk. He was off to the art of entertaining series; they were doing the appetizer this morning. I suspect he was hoping for the cold mango soup recipe. As for me, I had been hearing the call of the rainforest room since I first boarded the ship. Yes, I am the number one fan of the rainforest room. If ever publishers clearing house knock on my door with a mega check, I am building my own private rainforest room. A week pass is my one special treat to myself. Andy can have his conk cooler, the kids their smoothies; this is what I want for myself. I arrive to an empty room! Now this is wonderful, my choice of heated stone loungers that warm away every care and unhappy thought from my mind. The sound of the fountain and the changing colors of the water as it splashes into the pool. Steam rooms, sauna and showers all to myself. Ten minutes here, ten minutes there and an hour has gone by.
By the time I rejoin reality, the ship is docking at Key West. It must have rained at some point as Deck 10 has puddles. Docking the ship is a sight to see. It looks like they are using joysticks to gently get the ship right were it has to be. Time to see if the kids have surfaced yet, so I leave the crowd watching the docking to return to the room. Lo and behold, its noon and the kids are finally up. It seems they all want to head into Key West, but first we need to find some food. Parrot Cay is doing Italian for lunch. The rest of the family is happy with the items on offer. I go for the create your own pasta. Penne, pesto, black olives and a little cheese make me a happy camper. Dessert is a crème brulee. This is where the I will enjoy every bite without guilt comes in. I split one with Andy.
As most folks have already left the ship, getting off was easy. Water bottles from our soft-sided cooler and map in hand we set off. For some reason the Mel Fisher Museum doesnt look as promising in person as it did in the planning stages, so after a quick look in the gift shop we give it a miss. Over to Duval Street and the hunt for bar t-shirts. We took in some of the shops on Clydes list and some that arent. Of the ones that arent we liked Earthbound trading Company, a funky shop with some great deals on paper lampshades and essential oils. You just need to go in and experience it. Another experience is a place called Fast Buck Freddies. Everything from furniture, to clothes to kids toys to an adult section. Here Taylor found several items (tiki related) that he had seen on the Internet. Freddy will ship and the cost of shipping was offset my not having to pay the local sales tax. While we did not expect to get Taylors Christmas shopping out of the way, the two large boxes waiting for us when we got home are now safely hidden. Kino, they make sandals, only sandals, leather, extremely comfortable and very inexpensive. I now own two pair.
As parrot heads we disgraced ourselves by heading to Marguirtaville and not spending a cent. Too crowded and overpriced, sorry Jimmy. By now it was hot and humid and the delights of Key West were starting to fade. We were very close to a ticket counter for the Old Town Trolley. It took some convincing to get everyone to agree to the tour. The convincer was that the tour ended close to the ship. Tickets bought we waited for the next Trolley, which was full. No problems they send a special one.
Here we met up with Carlos. What a hoot, this guy was too funny. He did all the standard tour stuff. (We really did learn about the island) but also joked about the high school (the team was #1 in football because you better be tough if your mascot was a pink seashell) the airport (the only reason its an international airport is because they used to have one flight to Cuba a day). He kept us laughing all the way around Key West. Close to the ship the girls decided to head back. Taylor, Andy and I headed to the Hogs breath to complete the T-shirt collection. It is amazing how canine friendly the town was. We saw dogs on leashes, one giving a ride to a macaw, dogs on barstools, dogs in front of and behind the counters of almost every shop. I think in part that is what put me off the idea of actually eating or drinking in any one of those places.
We did make it back to the ship in time to change for dinner. One of the things I had been looking forward to was the Mallory Square sunset celebration. The family, minus Chelsea, decided to take in the sight together. Alas, this was one of those things that sound better in the abstract than in reality. The jugglers were entertaining and the crafts stands had very pretty stuff, but somehow I was expecting. . . .I dont know, something different. One tour up and down the square and some pictures were about all we were up for, besides, dinner was calling. We saw the actual sunset from the deck of the ship. The Disney horn sounded as the sun dipped below the horizon and it was on to Parrot Cay for dinner.
Now some folks dont like the Parrot Cay menu, but I found it much more to my liking then Animators Palate. Ferdinand was his ever smiling self and Leroy had the kids drinks ready before they could ask for them. I think if we asked for the moon Ferdinand would have found a way to get it to us. Hope is a big fan of steamed broccoli, so when she asked for more, she got it, each evening! Whether it was on the menu or not. Taylor and Chelsea would leave most evenings before dessert either to avoid calories or to get to the next activity at Common Grounds. Ferdinand would have their desserts to go. Dinner conversation was lovely. Doreen is my role model; I want to be just like her when I grow up.
The end of dinner and the start of the Movie Chicago came at around the same time. The one thing I regret not packing is some comfy sweats for those late night movies in the theaters. Oh well, I do have a teenage daughter and she had more than enough for me to borrow. While I loved the signing and dancing of Chicago, the plot left both Andy & I a little cold. Still this is the first movie weve seen together since, well since our last cruise.
Towel money was hanging from the curtain, sporting my Oakleys when we finally make it back to the room, very very early in the morning.
Day#4 Now for something completely different.
Your crew: Denise, 40 something, compulsive trip planner, member of the DIS boards. Andy also 40 something middle school administrator coming off a challenging year. Chelsea, 17, high school senior, is getting an early graduation present by cruising, also a member of the DIS board. Taylor, 14 high school sophomore. Hope 11 just starting into middle school.
Ok I have made myself some promises this cruise. The foremost being I will enjoy every bite of what I eat without guilt. Hence, it is 6:45 AM and I am awake and ready to head up to the spa for some calorie burning. Shortly after I arrive and start pedaling the bike, the masses arrive. Seems Im not the only one who indulged last night. The spa is far and away one of my favorite spots on the ship. Where else can you do your mile while overlooking the bridge, watching the crew steer the ship. The weight machines are the same as our Community Center, so I can work out and not look like a jerk. One hour, three glasses of water and a few hundred calories are burned. So of course, its time to eat.
I go in search of Andy. He is up and dressed, the kids of course, are not. We have done the character breakfast thing to death over the course of 17 years as a Disney family, so we give that a pass. We discuss actually going to Lumieres for breakfast, but as it doesnt open until 9AM we head for topsiders instead. It is surprisingly empty for this time of the morning and we take an inside table near a window. Jasmine green tea, fruit and an egg white omelet (hey, this is as guilt free as I get) During breakfast we are joined by Maclean. Mac was our server two years ago. The last night of that cruise we told him we expected to see him as head server on our return. We seriously underestimated Mac. He now manages one of the dining rooms. We had a nice discussion about his life on the cruise ship, what his plans were for when the ship goes into dry dock and what had been going on in our lives. It is good to see that Disney does promote from within and that great people can get ahead.
Too soon it is time for me to return to the spa for a stretch and relax class. The rooms on the ship are just a little to small to practice yoga so here was my chance. A note of those of you who dont run right upstairs to sign up for all the fitness classes, this class was supposed to be full. Three people showed up! If you see something on offer that interest you, show up when the class starts and see if there is still room. This was a great class, 30 minutes of gentle stretching with some yoga postures I was familiar with.
Andy was going to the shopping talk and I met him there right after the class. Clyde is an informative and entertaining professional shopper. We decided of several of his recommend shops as well as Taylors stated goal of this trip. To get t-shirts from as many Key West bars as his budget would allow.
We parted ways after the shopping talk. He was off to the art of entertaining series; they were doing the appetizer this morning. I suspect he was hoping for the cold mango soup recipe. As for me, I had been hearing the call of the rainforest room since I first boarded the ship. Yes, I am the number one fan of the rainforest room. If ever publishers clearing house knock on my door with a mega check, I am building my own private rainforest room. A week pass is my one special treat to myself. Andy can have his conk cooler, the kids their smoothies; this is what I want for myself. I arrive to an empty room! Now this is wonderful, my choice of heated stone loungers that warm away every care and unhappy thought from my mind. The sound of the fountain and the changing colors of the water as it splashes into the pool. Steam rooms, sauna and showers all to myself. Ten minutes here, ten minutes there and an hour has gone by.
By the time I rejoin reality, the ship is docking at Key West. It must have rained at some point as Deck 10 has puddles. Docking the ship is a sight to see. It looks like they are using joysticks to gently get the ship right were it has to be. Time to see if the kids have surfaced yet, so I leave the crowd watching the docking to return to the room. Lo and behold, its noon and the kids are finally up. It seems they all want to head into Key West, but first we need to find some food. Parrot Cay is doing Italian for lunch. The rest of the family is happy with the items on offer. I go for the create your own pasta. Penne, pesto, black olives and a little cheese make me a happy camper. Dessert is a crème brulee. This is where the I will enjoy every bite without guilt comes in. I split one with Andy.
As most folks have already left the ship, getting off was easy. Water bottles from our soft-sided cooler and map in hand we set off. For some reason the Mel Fisher Museum doesnt look as promising in person as it did in the planning stages, so after a quick look in the gift shop we give it a miss. Over to Duval Street and the hunt for bar t-shirts. We took in some of the shops on Clydes list and some that arent. Of the ones that arent we liked Earthbound trading Company, a funky shop with some great deals on paper lampshades and essential oils. You just need to go in and experience it. Another experience is a place called Fast Buck Freddies. Everything from furniture, to clothes to kids toys to an adult section. Here Taylor found several items (tiki related) that he had seen on the Internet. Freddy will ship and the cost of shipping was offset my not having to pay the local sales tax. While we did not expect to get Taylors Christmas shopping out of the way, the two large boxes waiting for us when we got home are now safely hidden. Kino, they make sandals, only sandals, leather, extremely comfortable and very inexpensive. I now own two pair.
As parrot heads we disgraced ourselves by heading to Marguirtaville and not spending a cent. Too crowded and overpriced, sorry Jimmy. By now it was hot and humid and the delights of Key West were starting to fade. We were very close to a ticket counter for the Old Town Trolley. It took some convincing to get everyone to agree to the tour. The convincer was that the tour ended close to the ship. Tickets bought we waited for the next Trolley, which was full. No problems they send a special one.
Here we met up with Carlos. What a hoot, this guy was too funny. He did all the standard tour stuff. (We really did learn about the island) but also joked about the high school (the team was #1 in football because you better be tough if your mascot was a pink seashell) the airport (the only reason its an international airport is because they used to have one flight to Cuba a day). He kept us laughing all the way around Key West. Close to the ship the girls decided to head back. Taylor, Andy and I headed to the Hogs breath to complete the T-shirt collection. It is amazing how canine friendly the town was. We saw dogs on leashes, one giving a ride to a macaw, dogs on barstools, dogs in front of and behind the counters of almost every shop. I think in part that is what put me off the idea of actually eating or drinking in any one of those places.
We did make it back to the ship in time to change for dinner. One of the things I had been looking forward to was the Mallory Square sunset celebration. The family, minus Chelsea, decided to take in the sight together. Alas, this was one of those things that sound better in the abstract than in reality. The jugglers were entertaining and the crafts stands had very pretty stuff, but somehow I was expecting. . . .I dont know, something different. One tour up and down the square and some pictures were about all we were up for, besides, dinner was calling. We saw the actual sunset from the deck of the ship. The Disney horn sounded as the sun dipped below the horizon and it was on to Parrot Cay for dinner.
Now some folks dont like the Parrot Cay menu, but I found it much more to my liking then Animators Palate. Ferdinand was his ever smiling self and Leroy had the kids drinks ready before they could ask for them. I think if we asked for the moon Ferdinand would have found a way to get it to us. Hope is a big fan of steamed broccoli, so when she asked for more, she got it, each evening! Whether it was on the menu or not. Taylor and Chelsea would leave most evenings before dessert either to avoid calories or to get to the next activity at Common Grounds. Ferdinand would have their desserts to go. Dinner conversation was lovely. Doreen is my role model; I want to be just like her when I grow up.
The end of dinner and the start of the Movie Chicago came at around the same time. The one thing I regret not packing is some comfy sweats for those late night movies in the theaters. Oh well, I do have a teenage daughter and she had more than enough for me to borrow. While I loved the signing and dancing of Chicago, the plot left both Andy & I a little cold. Still this is the first movie weve seen together since, well since our last cruise.
Towel money was hanging from the curtain, sporting my Oakleys when we finally make it back to the room, very very early in the morning.
