Dave in the Frozen North
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- Joined
- Aug 28, 1999
- Messages
- 50
With so many great things about the Disney Cruise ships, and so much to do and see while on board, I found that sometimes we missed some of the little things, and the certain nooks, crannies and features that make the Disney ships special. Five tucked-away treasures that come to mind are:
1. The Secret Decks - Nestled way on the back of Decks 7&8 are two very quiet decks. On a warm evening, if you are lucky, it is possible to find this area deserted and you can relax and enjoy the peace and quiet of a starry night, snuggle up to the one you love, and watch the meandering wash of the engines trail away into the distance. (Barb has some great photos of this area on her Platinum Castaway Club site.)
2. Baggage Claim Murals - In the hustle and bustle of disembarkation, as everyone is fighting to reclaim their luggage in the baggage pick-up area at the Terminal, most people miss the series of wonderful murals on the walls of this subterranean room. The same Disney artists who created many of the Art Deco style scenes on the Cruise Docs and promotional material were obviously responsible for doing these wonderful murals of Disney characters in different settings. Unfortunately customs/security regulations prevent taking pictures in this area.
3. Top Deck at 6:00 a.m. - The Disney ships are usually full of busy people enjoying their vacations but the same decks and deck chairs that are usually crowded with people (or reserved with a towel and a singular piece of clothing!), in the afternoons and evenings are deserted in the early hours of the morning as the sun is coming up. Pulling yourself out of bed, grabbing a cup of coffee and a danish and enjoying the quiet calm of sun rise on the top deck is worth the effort at least once during your cruise. (If they are old enough you can let your kids sleep in and enjoy some well-deserved parental solitude before their vacation universe once again becomes your sole reason for being).
4. The Walt Disney Theater when its empty! During our first Disney Cruise, we did notice the beauty of this tremendous theater but like most everyone, we concentrated on what was ON stage rather than the theater itself. On the second cruise my daughter wanted to ask a question about the music so we stayed behind to catch one of the CMs and ended up being two lonely stragglers alone in this awesome space. Although the lull doesnt last long, to sit back in one of the plush chairs and appreciate this impressive hushed space all to yourself is a treat. I couldnt help marveling over the fact that I was sitting alone in this massive public room designed and engineered by numerous geniuses, on a ship floating above an ocean that stretched thousands of feet under my seat. Cool.
5. Beauty & the Beast Details in Lumieres As you sit enjoying dinner or lunch in Lumieres try checking out all the neat little details, from the smallest to the largest, that tie in to Disneys classic movie. The marble floor entrance, the embossed columns, the etched glass are all reminiscent of the ballroom scene in B&TB. Can you find all the rose motifs? The rose suspended in the glass case of the chandeliers, the rose motif floating over the recessed lights, the roses embroidered on the waiters cuffs during formal night. The attention to theme details in ANY of the Disney Cruise ship areas is always so neat but Lumieres is one of my favourite areas.
These are five of mine. Anyone else have their personal hidden gems on the Magic or the Wonder?
Dave in the Frozen North
1. The Secret Decks - Nestled way on the back of Decks 7&8 are two very quiet decks. On a warm evening, if you are lucky, it is possible to find this area deserted and you can relax and enjoy the peace and quiet of a starry night, snuggle up to the one you love, and watch the meandering wash of the engines trail away into the distance. (Barb has some great photos of this area on her Platinum Castaway Club site.)
2. Baggage Claim Murals - In the hustle and bustle of disembarkation, as everyone is fighting to reclaim their luggage in the baggage pick-up area at the Terminal, most people miss the series of wonderful murals on the walls of this subterranean room. The same Disney artists who created many of the Art Deco style scenes on the Cruise Docs and promotional material were obviously responsible for doing these wonderful murals of Disney characters in different settings. Unfortunately customs/security regulations prevent taking pictures in this area.
3. Top Deck at 6:00 a.m. - The Disney ships are usually full of busy people enjoying their vacations but the same decks and deck chairs that are usually crowded with people (or reserved with a towel and a singular piece of clothing!), in the afternoons and evenings are deserted in the early hours of the morning as the sun is coming up. Pulling yourself out of bed, grabbing a cup of coffee and a danish and enjoying the quiet calm of sun rise on the top deck is worth the effort at least once during your cruise. (If they are old enough you can let your kids sleep in and enjoy some well-deserved parental solitude before their vacation universe once again becomes your sole reason for being).
4. The Walt Disney Theater when its empty! During our first Disney Cruise, we did notice the beauty of this tremendous theater but like most everyone, we concentrated on what was ON stage rather than the theater itself. On the second cruise my daughter wanted to ask a question about the music so we stayed behind to catch one of the CMs and ended up being two lonely stragglers alone in this awesome space. Although the lull doesnt last long, to sit back in one of the plush chairs and appreciate this impressive hushed space all to yourself is a treat. I couldnt help marveling over the fact that I was sitting alone in this massive public room designed and engineered by numerous geniuses, on a ship floating above an ocean that stretched thousands of feet under my seat. Cool.
5. Beauty & the Beast Details in Lumieres As you sit enjoying dinner or lunch in Lumieres try checking out all the neat little details, from the smallest to the largest, that tie in to Disneys classic movie. The marble floor entrance, the embossed columns, the etched glass are all reminiscent of the ballroom scene in B&TB. Can you find all the rose motifs? The rose suspended in the glass case of the chandeliers, the rose motif floating over the recessed lights, the roses embroidered on the waiters cuffs during formal night. The attention to theme details in ANY of the Disney Cruise ship areas is always so neat but Lumieres is one of my favourite areas.
These are five of mine. Anyone else have their personal hidden gems on the Magic or the Wonder?
Dave in the Frozen North
Where the heck have you been? It's great to see you back on the Cruise Board, don't be a stranger! 
