My Solo Land/Sea Adventure-with Pics

[Linda in sunny SC]

Background: This was my first solo Disney trip. I live upstairs from my Sis2 and BIL. They are going on a big family trip to WDW in Dec. but I am not going then because I didn't want to board my cat, Chance who is diabetic and requires insulin twice a day. So, Sis2 took care of him so that I could take this vacation, my first in 3 years. I taught her how to inject him and he only bit her once while I was gone. I really had a good time on this trip. I hope you enjoy my report.

Wednesday-November 5
I left home around 3:55 pm and arrived in Florence, SC at the Holiday Inn Express at 4:25. The drive down was rather scenic. There were many blazing golden and red-orange maples visible as well as other fall foliage lining the interstate. After checking in to the hotel, I walked to the nearby Zaxby’s to get dinner and return to the room. I tried to retire at a reasonable hour but nearby truck traffic noise disturbed me. Besides, I was too excited to sleep!
Thursday-November 6
I didn’t get much rest. The bed was pretty uncomfortable and I had to get up early to catch my 5:45 am flight. The airport in Florence is fairly small. My flights were on time and I made it to Orlando around 10:30 am. I saw Epcot from the airplane window as we were coming in for our landing. The wait for Magical Express bus service was about an hour altogether. The driver’s name was Fernando but he sounded just like Juan Valdez from the coffee commercials. I only understood a few words that he said but I did understand when he said “Polynesian.”

I was happy to get to the Poly and get checked in. There was a room all ready if I wanted it. I did. I then went straight to the DCL desk and checked in for the cruise as well. I already had my signed paperwork from the online check-in. I handed it over and showed the cast member my passport. I received a Castaway Club lanyard with a plastic holder for my Key to the World card. It was all very easy and soon I was off to see my garden view room in the Tokelau longhouse.

Upon entering room 3933, I immediately began taking pictures to show everyone what a deluxe room looks like. It was very spacious. I really enjoyed my stay there, but I think that I liked the Animal Kingdom Lodge better. After a couple of days at the Polynesian I started feeling like the tiki men were all giving me the evil eye. The transportation service can’t be beat from the MK area Deluxe resorts though.

By 2:00 pm I was out the door and on my way to Epcot. I walked to the TTC and caught the monorail. My first ride at the park was on the recently refurbished Spaceship Earth. I cannot say that the narration is an improvement. I felt like the script was dumbed down somewhat. There were some boring stretches around the descent as well although the computer screens were amusing.

My next stop was the Land Pavilion where I waited 20 min. to ride Soarin’. I got to cut the line a little as a single when an extra rider was needed. I had to climb over a railing to get there though. The ride was as wonderful as the last time I was on it. This was the longest wait time that I experienced while at the parks. If an attraction had a long wait then I generally skipped it. This trip was about relaxing. After Soarin’, I was starving. Those two strawberry pop tarts that I had for breakfast had not nourished me for long and it was now after 3:00 pm. I ordered grilled salmon with rice and carrots from Sunshine Seasons. It tasted very good, especially the olive sauce that came on the side. I can’t remember what it was called exactly, kalamata olive pesto or something like that, but it complimented the fish well.

Leaving Future World behind, I entered the World Showcase. I could hear Off Kilter in Canada playing “Loch Lomond” as I passed that country. I walked through England and France. My destination was Japan and the Mitsukoshi Department Store. My plan was to pick a pearl and have it set in a piece of jewelry. I picked out the hairiest, ugliest oyster shell I could find, the theory being that it would produce a superior pearl. It must have worked because I received a larger than normal 7.5 mm pinkish white pearl. I had it set in a sterling pin with three flowers. The setting was marked down so I think I did well. It came out beautifully. I browsed the store while waiting for my setting to be done. I purchased a pair of socks with the split big toe for Sis2. I thought she might like to wear them with her flip flops. I also called to tell her about my pearl and check on Chance.

Next, I went to the American Adventure to see the show. I got to listen to the Voices of Liberty sing in the rotunda. I also viewed the exhibits in the museum area. There was a tribute to our space program and they even had a moon rock on display. The show was stirring as usual and the longer film montage at the end really inspires patriotism.

I walked slowly around through Italy, Germany, and China. Many opportunities presented themselves for me to take pictures of the various sights. I came to Norway where I finally got to taste the famous school bread that I had read bout on the Dis Board. It was pretty good, kind of cinnamon flavored bread covered in caramel and coconut with a dollop of custard in the middle. I then found myself in Mexico looking around the shops but there wasn’t anything that I wanted to buy. I had hoped to wait for Illuminations, but my day had been a long one and I felt exhausted. The monorail whisked me back to the Poly where I stopped at Capt. Cook’s and purchased some vegetable sushi for a snack. I ate my sushi, which was excellent by the way, called Sis2 and Sis1, watched a little TV and went to bed.

 

[Linda in sunny SC]

Friday-November 7
Even though I slept pretty well, I was up at 5:45 am. Kona Café opens at 7:30 for breakfast. I went there specifically to have the macadamia pineapple pancakes. The restaurant was not busy and I was seated immediately. Breakfast was delicious but I couldn’t finish it.

I caught the bus to the Marketplace where I had plans to see the Festival of the Masters and buy a pin for the event. I strolled over to the West Side where the artists were set up. I enjoyed looking at everything but the only thing I bought was my pin. Back at the Marketplace, I shopped in the World of Disney where I purchased Sis2’s Christmas present as well as a little shirt for my nephew's little boy and a Tinkerbelle keychain for Sis2.

I looked briefly at the pin store but it was very busy. Next, I went to Goofy’s Candy Co. and ordered my customized pretzel rods. It took longer that usual because a film crew came in and they were shooting a little girl and her family receiving a birthday treat and song. This required two takes but when they all finally left, I was able to pick up my pretzels. I went to Earl of Sandwich and had a BLT with no mayo for lunch. The sandwich was hot and fresh. I sat outside where a flock of little birds were constantly flying around eating crumbs from the ground and eyeing my sandwich with interest. I’m afraid that I wasn’t generous with them.

I had planned to take a little break when I returned to my room at the Polynesian, but the mousekeeper had not been there yet. I did sit down long enough to eat one of my pretzels, the one with chocolate, crushed Reese cups and caramel drizzle. Oh how rich that thing was!

Down to the dock I went to catch the little boat to the Magic Kingdom. There was only one other passenger from the Grand Floridian onboard with me. The time was around 1:00 pm and the crowds seemed massive. But when I reached Pirates of the Caribbean the wait time was minimal. I think that the ride is much improved with the addition of Capt. Jack Sparrow. I went through Frontierland and it seemed very busy. I got to the Haunted Mansion and there was a 30 min. wait time posted. I decided to go see Mickey’s Philharmagic instead. Afterward, I returned to the Haunted Mansion where the wait time was down to 20 min. There were some interesting people in line with me. There was a family of Goths. They all had dyed black hair and the one guy had a nose ring. I guess even folks like that love Disney. This attraction has been improved as well. The new bride is much cooler than the old one and Madam Leota’s crystal ball now floats in midair over the table.

After singing along with the grim grinning ghosts, I decided to take a leisurely cruise on the riverboat. Then I went back to Frontierland to obtain a fast pass for Big Thunder Mountain RR. I had a half hour to kill so I rode the train all of the way around the park. My ride on Big Thunder Mountain was indeed a wild one. I sat in the last car and there is no way to really brace yourself when you are alone in the seat. It was much fun. I decided not to do Splash Mt. because I didn’t want to get wet with the chilly evening approaching.

Columbia Harbor House sounded good to me for dinner. I went there and ordered a fish basket with apple slices. The upstairs eating area was all but deserted. I sat at a table by the window and enjoyed people watching while I ate. After dinner, I proceeded to walk to Tommorowland. There was only a 10 min. wait for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. My score was over 200,000 points. I took a nice quiet ride on the Tommorowland Transit Authority. Then I went to see Carousel of Progress. And I did sing along.

I returned to Main Street and commandeered a bench in front of City Hall while I tried to decide what, if anything, to do next. Although I was getting tired, I decided to try to hold on for Wishes, the fireworks show over the castle. I went over to the Exposition Hall and stood by a column to watch the Spectromagic parade. Then I found a place along a path near the castle to await Wishes. Unfortunately, the show was delayed so I ended up standing there for about 45 min. A helicopter was flying around so that must have had something to do with the delay. I think it was worth the wait even though I was getting cold and had a headache. It was so easy to catch the monorail back to the Polynesian. I decided that I would be too tired to attempt to get up early for Hollywood Studios Extra Magic Hour the next day. Toy Story Mania would have to wait for another trip.
Saturday-November 8
I slept until nearly 7:00 am. My last pretzel from Goofy’s served as my breakfast. Not particularly nutritional but it tasted great. And I was off to the Animal Kingdom. I got there shortly after opening and proceeded straight to Asia. I rode Expedition Everest with only a short wait. It was a lot of fun. I got a fast pass to return later, after I took in the Maharaja Jungle Trek. It was fun to see the bats, monitor, and tigers again. At the end of the trail, I encountered a Dream Squad Cast Member who presented me with a Dream Fast Pass for the day. Wow.

I couldn’t wait to call Sis2 and brag about it. I went back to Expedition Everest and rode it with my first fast pass, and then I rode again with the tab from my Dream Fast Pass. When the train was going up the first big hill, I looked up and saw a vulture flying high overhead as if it were keeping an eye out for victims of the yeti.

Since I now had a Dream Fast Pass that included Dinosaur, I decide to ride it. I walked over to Dinoland, past Chester and Hester’s tacky carnival area. Dinosaur was very bouncy but entertaining. I probably wouldn’t have ridden it without the fast pass.

It was early and my reservation for Tusker House was still a while away. However, I went to Africa to see if I could get a table as they opened at 11:30 am. It did not take long to be seated. The food was very good. I had chicken, pork, mashed potatoes, jasmine rice with almonds, couscous salad, some kind of orange bread, and a curry vegetable samosa which was a triangular stuffed pastry. I especially enjoyed the chicken, as well as the wide variety of desserts. I sampled chocolate lava cake, a macaroon, a passion fruit tart, and some whipped strawberry chocolate things. My stomach was stuffed to capacity.

The train to Conservation Station was my next goal. I thought a walk around that area might give me some time to digest my food. I saw some colorful frogs. Apparently, 2008 in the year of the frog according to some posters they had hanging. They also had some reptiles and insects on display. Next I returned to Harambe where I obtained a fast pass for the Kilimanjaro Safari ride. I rode it once with my Dream Fast Pass and then again with my regular fast pass after walking the Pangani Trail. I got to see a baby giraffe and the pair of cheetahs. While on the trail, there was a hippo swimming laps around by the observation window. The gorillas weren’t very active though.

I strolled around the park for a while, taking lots of pictures, browsing the shops, and trading pins with Cast Members. Around dusk, I had a light meal of chicken fried rice and a small bottle of water at the Yak and Yeti counter service in Asia. It tasted fine. I wandered around as darkness fell and took many pictures. I had never been to Animal Kingdom after dark. The park is beautiful at night but kind of weirdly quiet. There is also a strange smell that rises up after the sun goes down. It smells a bit like garbage but it probably comes from the river. I had a really good time at Animal Kingdom this day.

I took the bus back to the Poly. It stopped at the Contemporary first. I had a look around the shops then went to Capt. Cooks and devoured a chocolate cupcake for a snack, then I found a spot on the beach from which to view Wishes at 10:00 pm. I enjoyed the show from this perspective. Although the music was barely audible, the fireworks really looked nice from across the water of the Seven Sea’s Lagoon. I was very cold by the time I made it back to the room. Time to get ready for the Wonder!

 

[Linda in sunny SC]

Sunday-November 9
After making sure my suitcase was packed and placed by the door for pick up, I went to Capt. Cooks and had a breakfast platter. Then I took the monorail to the Magic Kingdom this morning just to see the opening ceremony and do a couple of rides. I spent an hour at the park in order to ride Pirates and Haunted Mansion as well as to roam around and take many more pictures. Then I was on the launch back to the Polynesian. I retrieved my carry-on bag from room 3933 and said goodbye to the Poly. My stay at this resort was a great experience that I probably will not have the opportunity to repeat. I waited in the lobby with my fellow cruise passengers until the DCL bus arrived to transport us to Port Canaveral.

We arrived at the cruise terminal around 12:45 pm. I lingered there just long enough to shoot some pictures then I walked through the mouse ear shaped portal and up the gangplank. I was welcomed onto the Wonder by several Cast Members. The atrium was beautiful and elegant as I remembered. Now there was a towering Christmas tree standing next to one of the sweeping staircases. I was directed to Beach Blanket Buffet on deck 9 for lunch. The food was all good. I had fried tilapia, chicken, rolls, chilled strawberry mint soup and salad. For dessert, I had chocolate cake and a cream puff.

My room, 7624 was ready at 1:30 pm. I couldn’t wait to see my navigator’s verandah. It was wonderful! My room was neat and clean and the verandah just made it superb. My Castaway Club gift was on the bed, a tote bag with water bottles and other goodies inside. I took some pictures and then went to the spa to take a tour and book the Rainforest Room for the next day. Later I met my stateroom host, Emy. She was very pleasant and efficient. My suitcase was delivered and I was able to unpack and hang up my fish extender and door magnets before the lifeboat drill at 4:00 pm. My station was located in Animator’s Palate so I didn’t have to stand out on deck in the sun while wearing the bulky orange life jacket. The drill didn’t take too long. I returned my life jacket to my stateroom closet and went to join the festivities at the Sail Away party. I bought my drink in a souvenir glass and went to see if there were any folks from the Dis boards meeting up on deck 10. The party was much too loud for me and I couldn’t find any Dis people so I went back to relax on my verandah. I took many photos as we were slowly sailing out of port in the sunset. I saw a dolphin in the water near the ship. I had a great sense of optimism about this voyage.

The show scheduled for this evening in the Walt Disney Theater was The Golden Mickey’s. The premise is that of an awards presentation for different animated films while highlighting the career of Walt Disney and emphasizing how confidence and hard work can make your dreams come true. The performance included a lot of my favorite Disney songs. Quasimodo was onstage singing his song “Out There” from the Hunchback of Notre Dame. He sounded just like the actor who used to do the show at the Studios. I loved that show. So many wonderful songs were done in The Golden Mickey’s. There was a really hot Tarzan on stage as well. This show was excellent. Of course, I adore Disney musicals.

I did have one incident happen prior to the show though. I arrived early and found a seat with an excellent view. A family came into the theater a little later and asked if they could occupy the seats beside me and I said that would be fine. Right before the show started, the husband, who came in late asked me to move so he could “sit with his family.” There was plenty of room for him to take a seat at the other end of the row and still be next to his family. But being the courteous Southerner that I am, I moved back a row to the less desirable seat although I did inform him that I had been there first. His wife whom I had been sitting next to apologized for his rudeness and finally she made him go back to the end of the row and offered me back my seat. I felt a bit uncomfortable after that but it didn’t ruin the show for me.

Dinner this first night was at Parrot Cay. I met my server, Grace from Jamaica and my only table mate, Mario, who was also traveling alone. There were only the two of us seated at a table for eight. It felt kind of strange. Mario was nice though. He had some health problems and had lost his wife but was determined to relive some good memories on this trip. Grace was an amazing server. She was always so enthusiastic, friendly and helpful. We had banana bread placed on the table. I had a tropical fruit salad for my appetizer, followed by a main course of grouper in lemon butter sauce. My dessert was s’more cake. Wow, was it good. We met our head server, Kapoor, from India I think, and our assistant server was Jose, but he was only filling in one night for Julia who was ill. I was stuffed to the gills after dinner. I returned to my room to enjoy relaxing on my verandah. Emy had left a towel bunny (or it might have been a pig, I’m not quite sure) and a chocolate on my bed. I took my Bonine upon retiring and soon was unconscious.

Monday-November 10
I slept fairly well and was awake by 6:00 am. I decided to do laundry this morning but when I got to the laundry room the detergent dispenser was empty and ate my quarters. I couldn’t get guest service to answer the phone so I had to walk all of the way down there to deck 3. I obtained my Tide and returned to the laundry room. When I got back to my stateroom, there had been a delivery to my fish extender. The Canadians had left me maple syrup and other goodies. I had a lot of fun with the fish extender exchange over the course of the cruise.

My room service breakfast arrived at about 7:30 am. I had ordered it the night before by filling out the card and hanging it on the door knob outside my room. I had chocolate glazed doughnuts, croissants, apple juice and milk. It was quite enjoyable to relax in my room and have breakfast. I looked up and a rainbow was descending into the ocean right outside my verandah. It was a spectacular sight. I couldn’t get a picture because my camera fogged up in the warm humid air. I’ll never forget it though. I continued to watch it until the colors faded from the sky.

The Wonder was heading to port in Nassau. I watched as we approached and then as we pivoted to back into our slot. I took some pictures from various locations on the ship.

I had no desire to go into Nassau so I went to the Rainforest Room instead and spent 2 hours there relaxing before lunch. I loved this place. I tried out the two steam rooms as well as the dry sauna and heated tile loungers. It was so nice to feel really warm and tranquil. The mild steam room was very hot but I spent some time there. It smelled very good. The less hot steam room smelled a bit like eucalyptus. It was a smaller room. The dry sauna was a large room with hot tile bench seats running around the walls. I had to take a towel in to sit on the hot seats. I read and dozed for a long time in the warm tile loungers. A few people came and went while I was there but it was not crowded.

I had lunch at the Beach Blanket Buffet again, fried chicken which was good and a beef rib which was not. Then I went out to deliver the first of my fish extender gifts. I didn’t have any trouble finding everyone’s room and it only took me about 10 – 15 min. to finish. The fish extenders were creative and cute.

In the afternoon, I returned to the Rainforest Room to relax for another hour and a half. That place is like heaven for a person like me who hardly ever feels warm. I wish I could build one in my house!
I stopped at Goofy’s Galley for some fruit before heading back to the room. I needed to dry my hair and get fixed up for the evening. This was to be dress up night in the dining rooms.

I attended the show at 6:15 pm. It was Toy Story, the Musical. I didn’t have high expectations for this performance, but it was surprisingly good. The actress who played Sid, the mean kid, really seemed to get into the part. We were pulling out of port as I was leaving the show. I looked around the shops and traded some pins with cast members.

Tonight’s dinner was at Triton’s. This is the nicest of the three main dining rooms on the Wonder. I had Normandy salad for my appetizer, beef for my main course, and crepes Suzette for dessert. Mario told me enthusiastically about his experience swimming with the dolphins in Nassau. I don’t know if I would enjoy hugging a dolphin or not, but he had a great time. My food was fantastic, especially the beef. I couldn’t finish my crepes. After dinner, I went back to the stateroom and took my Bonine. Emy had made a hanging towel monkey for me tonight. The ship was rocking a bit but I didn’t feel too queasy.

 

[Linda in sunny SC]

Tuesday-November 11
The wake-up call that I set the night before rang at 6:15 am. I headed up to deck 9 and got some hot chocolate at the drink station and a couple of muffins from Goofy’s Galley. I breakfasted on my verandah while observing our approach to Castaway Cay. The ship pivoted again and backed in to dock at Disney Cruise Line’s private island. The Flying Dutchman prop from the Pirates of the Caribbean movie was sitting in the lagoon. I had a great view of the island from my verandah. The all clear sounded at 8:30 to leave the ship. I waited a few minutes for the lines to dissipate then proceeded down to the gangway on deck 2. I showed my Key to the World Card and my driver’s license and soon I was making my way toward the family beach to pick up my rented bicycle. I took many pictures along the way. This island is just gorgeous. And the weather was perfect, warm and sunny featuring a bright blue sky scattered with puffy white clouds. The water is a clear turquoise and the paths are lined with palms and tropical flowers.

I was a bit concerned about the bike ride being as I haven’t ridden one in years. It wasn’t bad. I didn’t pull any muscles anyway but I did get a good work out between pedaling and climbing the stairs at the observation tower. I shot many more pictures along the bike paths. I rode to Serenity Bay and decided to take a break. I ordered a non alcoholic pina colada and sat in a lounge chair for about a half hour. Serenity Bay is nice but the water isn’t as pretty and it felt like it was getting a little crowded after a while. The sun was starting to peek around my umbrella so I took my leave and retrieved my bike. I rode back down the old runway to the family beach. It was getting kind of hot so I was glad I had done this excursion early in the day.

I found a hammock in the shade of some palms and relaxed there for a while. I saw a bride and groom having photos made out on the point. The sun began to get past the palm fronds so I left in search of refreshment. I found a shaded table at the Heads Up Bar out on the point and ordered a non alcoholic Konk Kooler. It was quite refreshing. There is a great view of the beach and the ship from this place. Next, I checked out the Grouper game pavilion. It looks like a good place to take a break fro the sun.

Lunch time was quickly approaching so I made my way back to Cookie’s BBQ. A cast member was manning the drink station. DCL is making great efforts to keep its passengers healthy. They distribute hand wipes before every meal and have them at the drink station as well. This impressed me and I did manage to stay well. For lunch, I had chicken, corn, and fruit salad. I was trying to save my appetite for Pirate Night. I went shopping after lunch at She Sells Seashells. I found a Castaway Cay pin and a hat for BIL. I also got his Christmas present so now I’ve got my holiday shopping covered. I re-boarded the ship and stowed my packages back at the stateroom. I went up on deck 9 to walk around and noticed that Quiet Cove, the adult pool area was nearly deserted. I got to enjoy the hot tub in the shade for a good while. It was so very relaxing. I stuck a toe into the empty pool but it felt cool after the hot tub so I didn’t go in. When more people began to show up I decided to go take my shower and change out of my swim suit.

I spent the late afternoon relaxing around the ship. The lounge chairs on deck 4 are ideal for that. There were very few of my shipmates about. Many must have stayed the entire day on the island. I can’t spend that much time in the sun though. Still, I enjoyed the island a great deal. Around 3:30 pm, I spotted Goofy down on the dock greeting people as they returned to the ship. There was an elderly lady in a wheelchair. She rose slowly to take Goofy’s hands and he did a little dance for her. It was a sweet moment to watch. That’s Disney.

I attended the Castaway Club meeting in Wavebands at 4:45 pm. I got to meet some of the officers and fellow club members. I had snacks and played the trivia game with some help from Pub master Jay from Canada. Cruise Director Clayton from Minnesota was there as well. He has quite a personality. Before each evening’s show he would have the audience stand up and perform the “I’m on Vacation Dance.” This was done to Tom Jones’ “It’s not Unusual.” He would also come on the ship’s intercom at times an ask us to do the dance. I met him in the atrium later and had a picture taken with him.

Tonight was Pirate Night so I dressed the part with a loose blue shirt and sash. I also wore my Pirate’s socks with my crocs. I planned to skip the main show this evening. It was a ventriloquist act and those dummies creep me out. I thought about seeing the movie Wall-E in the Buena Vista Theater but then I would have to miss meeting Capt. Jack Sparrow. That was out of the question. I waited my turn and had a couple of pictures made with him. He was good. I purchased both prints the next morning at Shutters.

My assigned restaurant for the Pirate Dinner was Triton’s. I chose pineapple salad and a jerk barbeque chicken salad for my appetizers. Both were tasty. I then had the macadamia crusted mahi mahi. Now, normally this comes with curry sauce but Grace was kind enough to get it for me with the sauce on the side. I found the dining staff to be extremely accommodating about special requests. This was a big difference from my last cruise and I very much appreciated it.

Even though I was quite full from dinner, I decided to check out the party up on deck 9. Mickey saved the celebration from being spoiled by pirates by flying in on a zip line. I watched the fireworks from up on deck 10. Disney is the only cruise line with a permit to shoot off fireworks. It was nice, but no Wishes. Then I went to the dessert buffet and got some sweets to take to my room.

Wednesday-November 12

I woke up at 3:30 with acid reflux. I guess the dessert buffet wasn’t such a great idea after all. Since I was fairly wide awake, I decided to get dressed and deliver the Christmas ornaments that I had painted to the fish extenders. It was eerie walking ship’s the deserted corridors at that time of morning. When I returned to the room I went onto the verandah and found a nearly full moon shining on the ocean. I took a few pictures. It was a peaceful view and I took a few minutes to enjoy it before heading back to bed.

I got up just after 6:00 am. Soon the sun was rising and I took some pictures from my verandah. After getting ready, I left for Triton’s to have breakfast at 8:00 am when they opened. I ordered Atlantis Secret Tower. It was made up of French toast rounds layered with grilled pineapple with syrup and fruit. It was beautifully presented and tasted good too. I wandered around the ship this morning, visiting Shutters to purchase my pictures and taking more of my own.

Around 10:30 am, I decided to have a second breakfast at Beach Blanket Buffet. I had a doughnut, croissant, bacon, eggs, some fruit and some potatoes. I took small amounts so I wouldn’t overdo it. I had been taking the stairs instead of the elevators and walking a lot on deck 4 so I figured I might as well enjoy myself.

When I returned to my stateroom, my debarkation documents had been delivered. The television was on and it was tuned to the debarkation lecture. I packed my suitcase so I wouldn’t have to rush that evening and I put the tag on the handle. I also filled out my customs form and signed it. There wasn’t much for me to declare. I had restrained myself when it came to buying stuff. I returned to the buffet at around 1:30 pm for lunch. My meal consisted of grilled salmon, rice and bread as well as three desserts.
In the afternoon, I went on a tour of the galley led by Chef Vijay from India. We walked through the kitchens for both Triton’s and Parrot Cay. We each got a chocolate chip cookie as well. It was interesting to see behind the scenes and learn a little about how things are done there.

I attended Disney Dreams in the Walt Disney Theater this evening. It was good, but I enjoyed The Golden Mickey’s better. I don’t think I’ll see it if I ever cruise DCL again. I went to the atrium after the show for pin trading with the ship’s officers. I did a couple of trades but it was kind of crowded. My dinner for this last night was in Animator’s Palate. I had given Emy her tip envelope on my way out of the stateroom earlier. The other envelopes, I presented at dinner. I hope my tips were OK. I did tip a bit more than the recommended amounts. During the early show and then dinner, the ship was really rolling from side to side. Without taking the Bonine nightly, I probably would have been turning green. I was staggering all over the place when I tried to walk. I had butternut squash soup, black forest ham on greens, and for my main course, filet mignon. It was all delicious. My dessert of strawberry shortcake was a little dry though. I enjoyed the show that this restaurant puts on with all of the animation artwork, music, and changing colors. This dinner ran a little late. I said goodbye to Mario and wished him a pleasant trip to the parks after the cruise. He was planning to skip breakfast and catch an early bus.

There was a towel swan on my bed this evening and a survey card to fill out. I gave excellent marks to almost everyone and everything. This had been the absolute best vacation that I had ever taken. It was even much better than the last Disney cruise back in 2000. I was sick on that sailing but this one was still more wonderful. All of the cast members were so friendly and helpful. I felt so pampered. By bedtime the ship was rocking a lot. After making sure to place my tagged suitcase outside my door before 11:00 pm, I took my Bonine and went to bed.

Thursday-November 13

I awoke at 4:30 am and we had slowed down. Looking out from the verandah, I could see we were nearing Port Canaveral. I returned to my bed feeling a little sad that the whole thing was nearly over. Docking noises woke me up again at around 5:45 am. I got up, showered, dressed, and took one more stroll around deck 10. I was scheduled to have breakfast in Animator’s at 7:45. I ordered the Route 66 which consisted of scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, ham, and sausage. I also had a chocolate croissant. This would be my last meal onboard the Wonder for now and I enjoyed it. The sausage was especially good. I said goodbye to Grace and Julia. It was sort of depressing to see my fellow passengers leaving the ship. I disembarked around 8:45 am and made it through customs an on to the bus. I didn’t have to worry about collecting my luggage because Disney was sending it to the airport. The onboard airline check-in worked out very well for me.

I was at the airport early so I browsed the shops in the main terminal and bought some freeze dried ice cream for Sis2 at the NASA store. At security I was pulled aside to have my carry-on bag checked. I think it was because of the metal Castaway Club clock that I had won at the meeting. It didn’t take long, and I was in no hurry. My flight was actually delayed about an hour. I had a hot dog for lunch and read my book while waiting. Once I got to Atlanta I had to move to different gates about five times and my flight was delayed about 2.5 hours. We landed hard in Florence and I overheard the captain say that we just made it in. The fog was very thick. I finally found the interstate and made it home around 11:45 pm.

This really was a fantastic trip for me. I got to relax and not rush from place to place. The Wonder and her crew were amazing. The weather was perfect. If I had the money to spare, I would have booked another cruise while onboard. It was just that special. I took over 1200 photos and now I’ll have them and this report to remember this adventure by. Maybe someday I’ll sail again. I would love to do a 7 or more day DCL cruise and skip the parks altogether.

 

[Olga]

Lovely trip report. Very relaxing to read. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Silly Little Pixie]

Linda, what a great TR!! Love it. I also so thoroughly enjoyed the cruise, and the staff were just wonderful to us. Your pictures are amazing, especially the ones of Castaway Cay!! I'll be sure to forward your TR to some family members so they can see your beautiful pictures. Mine do not nearly do it justice.

And I thought I had a lot of pictures!! 1200? Wow! What kind of camera do you use? Your shots are terrific.

Christine

 

[mkmommy]

Thank you for sharing, I am heading out on my first solo cruise on the Wonder in 2 weeks and I am glad to hear that you had a great time.

Did anyone else ever show up for dinner? I am thinking of skipping dinner as there is so much I want to do and I much prefer a big breakfast over a big dinner, but I am not sure.

 

[TiggerzFan]

Awesome trip report, Linda! Your cruise sounds WAY more relaxing than ours! Clearly I need to sneak onboard without the family sometime. LOL!

 

[Linda in sunny SC]

It really was a wonderful trip. I'll try to answer some of your questions.

mkmommy: No, nobody else was assigned to our table as far as I could tell. That's why it seemed strange to have only 2 seated at such a large table. But my dinner companion was nice and he seemed to share a love of Disney so we got along OK. I wouldn't skip all assigned dinners if I were you. Then you would miss out on the wonderful service and the fun of discussing your day with your table mates. It really is relaxing and the servers are great.

Christine: I have a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5. I got it specifically for this trip since it is smaller and lighter than my other digital camera. It has a 10x optical zoom which you can't find on many small digital cameras. I didn't have time to practice a lot with it before the trip but I really like most of the pictures I took. I used auto settings some and tweaked the settings other times. This camera has a setting called intelligent auto which seems to do very well in low light situations. Of course, I only posted some of the best shots. I still have my share of blurry and poorly framed shots like anyone. I do have a lot of nice ones though. I have one up as wallpaper on my monitor right now.

Donna: Leave the kids with DH sometime and take a solo cruise. Tell them it is a "mental health" break. They say that caregivers need to first take care of themselves afterall.

 

[frdeb1999]

Great TR and ics! Thanks for sharing it!

 

[nvcruiser]

Thanks for the report. I'm going solo on the Magic in September (7 night Western) and can't wait! It's nice to see others cruising solo also!

 

[Silly Little Pixie]

You've made me wish for a solo cruise too! I got to spend all of 4 minutes on those comfy loungers on Deck 4, before one of my kids was tugging on my hand and saying, "Come ooooon, Mom..."