We just got home from our spring break, 7 day Disney Western Caribbean cruise (March 29 - April 5, 2015). I wasn't planning on writing a trip report -- so I didn't take that many pictures -- but then tonight looking at my other trip reports I decided to write one, because they are a good way to memorialize the trip.
So here goes. I'll start with our pre-trip. This year we decided to go for a couple days to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure in Orlando, before the cruise. My wife and I have been to Universal before. I didn’t like it as I get motion sickness from all the motion rides. But we’re also big Harry Potter fans, and always wanted to see those sights at Universal. We had a couple days before the cruise, so this seemed like the perfect time to go.
Something about me, I collect comics (along with other things, which I'll talk about later). I didn’t expect to get any comic related collectibles, despite the fact that Universal has the Marvel license, rather than Disney. But on our last day at Universal, I found Marvel pressed penny machines in the Marvel side of the park. And, Universal sells this cool book to store your pressed penny collection.
That got my collecting juices going. Could I find all the pressed penny machines to get a complete collection? Would I have enough time, since I discovered these machines only at the end of the day? Did I have enough quarters and, more importantly, shiny pennies? As my oldest daughter said to me, the game was afoot!
So, I limited my quest to just the Marvel and cartoon sections of Islands of Adventure. I went into every store and restaurant looking for pressed penny machines, and also scouted along the sidewalks. Along the way I found a few cool subtle signs of the Marvel universe.
In the end, I found 5 pressed penny machines.
Here’s one of the pressed pennies, of Captain America.
And here’s -- ta ta -- my “Universal Islands of Adventure Marvel Pressed Penny” collection.
So you’d think that would be the end of this story, BUT THERE’S MORE! On Sunday, the morning of the cruise, we arrived at the Disney cruise terminal and what do I find but pressed penny machines!
There are 6 variants, one for each of the Disney Cruise ships (Fantasy, Magic, Wonder and Dream), one of Castaway Cay, and the last a generic one of the Disney Cruise line. What people do is, they get a penny for each time they’ve been on a ship. So I immediately jumped on this! This will be our 5th Disney cruise. So I got 2 Magic pennies, 2 Wonders, and 1 Dream. We have not yet been on the Fantasy. I immediately told my family we have to go another Disney cruise next spring break – on the Fantasy – so I can complete my collection. As you can imagine, it didn’t take too much convincing for them to agree.
So here goes. I'll start with our pre-trip. This year we decided to go for a couple days to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure in Orlando, before the cruise. My wife and I have been to Universal before. I didn’t like it as I get motion sickness from all the motion rides. But we’re also big Harry Potter fans, and always wanted to see those sights at Universal. We had a couple days before the cruise, so this seemed like the perfect time to go.
Something about me, I collect comics (along with other things, which I'll talk about later). I didn’t expect to get any comic related collectibles, despite the fact that Universal has the Marvel license, rather than Disney. But on our last day at Universal, I found Marvel pressed penny machines in the Marvel side of the park. And, Universal sells this cool book to store your pressed penny collection.
That got my collecting juices going. Could I find all the pressed penny machines to get a complete collection? Would I have enough time, since I discovered these machines only at the end of the day? Did I have enough quarters and, more importantly, shiny pennies? As my oldest daughter said to me, the game was afoot!
So, I limited my quest to just the Marvel and cartoon sections of Islands of Adventure. I went into every store and restaurant looking for pressed penny machines, and also scouted along the sidewalks. Along the way I found a few cool subtle signs of the Marvel universe.
In the end, I found 5 pressed penny machines.
Here’s one of the pressed pennies, of Captain America.
And here’s -- ta ta -- my “Universal Islands of Adventure Marvel Pressed Penny” collection.
So you’d think that would be the end of this story, BUT THERE’S MORE! On Sunday, the morning of the cruise, we arrived at the Disney cruise terminal and what do I find but pressed penny machines!
There are 6 variants, one for each of the Disney Cruise ships (Fantasy, Magic, Wonder and Dream), one of Castaway Cay, and the last a generic one of the Disney Cruise line. What people do is, they get a penny for each time they’ve been on a ship. So I immediately jumped on this! This will be our 5th Disney cruise. So I got 2 Magic pennies, 2 Wonders, and 1 Dream. We have not yet been on the Fantasy. I immediately told my family we have to go another Disney cruise next spring break – on the Fantasy – so I can complete my collection. As you can imagine, it didn’t take too much convincing for them to agree.
