Western Magic 1/26/08 -- tasty, touching & terrific!

[Ima Princess]

We're back from our Magical journey, and I have a trip report to prove it! Grab your coffee and settle in....

Cast: Me, DH, DD8 and DD3. Previous DCL cruises: 1
Supporting cast: Friends Beth (FB), Paul (FP), FD8, FD7. Previous DCL cruises: 0

The entire cast sat around my dinner table in summer 2006 to choose our cruise date. We needed youngest DD to be 3 for the clubs, so we chose a Jan 2008 date, using the school calendar to minimize school absences. We faxed our date to DCL Inventory and got a call in late Sept 2006. We were fortunate to secure the 2 non-connecting SPH rooms 5020 and 5520. Hooray!

Here we are, many months later, and it's hard to believe it's over. We all had a fantastic time, and I thank you in advance for allowing me to share these memories with you.

We chose to depart on Friday night, 1/25, to give us a cushion in case of wintery weather. We had 6:30pm SWA flight from Norfolk to MCO. At 4pm I got a call from FB that FD7 threw up. Noooo! We drove to the airport in prayer, and planned to meet them at the gate. They arrived with time to spare, but FD7 was still not feeling well. They had a rough flight, but we all made it to the Wingate hotel near MCO. The hotel was perfect – clean rooms, comfy beds, small fridge, friendly staff, free continental breakfast & airport shuttle. I would definitely stay there again!

Day 1: Squeals of Joy
By morning, FD7 was looking, acting and feeling better, and we were all excited! We were up early to partake in the breakfast and waited for our transportation to arrive. And waited. I was becoming anxious and impatient, but a call to Happy Limo alleviated my worries. Our white Excursion Limo pulled up in front of the hotel a few minutes later, much to the surprise of the kids. They were momentarily speechless, which was quickly replaced by squeals of joy! The limo was spotless and well-stocked, and the girls were elated to act like famous people and drink water from champagne glasses while watching a movie. It was the perfect start to our long- awaited cruise! After a quick grocery stop, we arrived at the terminal. After some outside photos and a quick pass through security, we split up as we're Castaway members and they aren't. When I was asked about the nausea / vomiting during the check-in process, I hoped FB knew the right answer (and she did). As I write this, I wonder if some out there are shaking your heads, upset that we boarded the ship despite FD7's issues, but in all honesty, what would you do? Especially when FD7 at that point was back to her normal self. It is likely she suffered more from nerves than illness, as there were no recurring issues with her or anyone else in our travel party.

Back to my story -- we were boarding group 14 since we arrived after some of the Disney buses, but that gave us plenty of time to get the kids registered for the clubs and secure our pager. The day was cool and gray and it started to drizzle, but our spirits were high as we looked at our beautiful home-to-be for 7 days! Finally it was our turn. Our friends were surprised and thrilled to hear them announce our arrival to thundering applause. Really, is there any better welcome than that on a Disney cruise?

Parrot Cay was at capacity, so off we went to Topsiders. (Warning: that phrase will pop up a few more times during this trip report...) We thoroughly enjoyed the shrimp, fruit and desserts, but were eager to get to our SPH rooms. We were in our rooms by 2pm and found our bed covered with gifts! The Castaway gift is fantastic, and our basket from Perfect Gift was truly perfect. The kids happily unpacked the gifts as we quickly settled in before the drill. We also decorated our cabins with the printed magnet sheets I made. One said, “This cabin is home to 3 princesses and 1 pirate” (in appropriate fonts and colors). Another had a photo of the Magic and said “We've WONDERed before, but now it's time for some MAGIC!”. I personalized each with our DIS names, cabin # and sail dates. (Those two signs in particular didn't even make it through the first night! How sad is that? Yes, I created them so I can also reprint them, but it still makes me sad.) We took some silly photos in our room before leaving for the drill, which was better than I remembered from previous cruises. From what the cast members said, we were lucky that it was cool and cloudy, as the sun can make it rather unbearable as you stand practically on top of your fellow cruisers...

We quickly dropped off our life jackets and went to deck 10 for the sail away party. Fortunately the rain stayed away! We had a blast, singing, dancing and shaking our streamers. After the party, we made a quick exit to prep for dinner. Our rotation was PLAPLAP. We had 5:45 seating at a table for 8 (#44) with server Cornwall and assistant Marcellito – both fantastic. DD3 had a long day with no nap, and dinner was longer still, so by the end I had a very grumpy girl on my hands. We were all pretty tired, so despite it being our first night on the ship, we were in bed early and rocked to sleep – ahhhh.

Coming up: Key West and first at-sea day...

 

[Micday]

IMA,

Great start, we are going on the Eastern 3/1 and we have the SPH 5520. How was the view and do you have any pictures ?

I can't wait to read more !

Mic

 

[Ima Princess]

Day 2: Southernmost Point
We awoke bright and early (that will be the theme of the week, as my children are always awake with the sun, regardless of bedtime – yawn!). We were eager to see the sea, so up to Topsider's we went for breakfast. DH then had a morning massage, and DD8 had a hair braiding appointment on deck, so DD3 and I played in the QuarterMasters for a short while. By played, I mean she sat in the various driving games and pretended to drive and while I made futile attempts to win a small prize. It was empty and we had fun, and that's what vacation is about, right? DD8's braids were beautiful. She did the hairband style, for lack of a better description, which kept her long hair out of her face all week. She was eager to get to the club, which happened to be in the Stack that morning, the only chance she had all week to see where the teens live. DH was thrilled with his massage, and said it was the best massage he has ever had (and he's had a few, including onboard the Wonder). Sorry, I forgot to ask who his masseuse was. Our friends had been up late, so they got a late start (their children clearly do NOT wake with the sun), but we met up before heading into Key West.

We grabbed a quick lunch on deck and were off the boat in no time. Our friends, who cruised recently on Royal Caribbean, mentioned throughout the week how much easier and/or faster Disney was at getting people on/off the ship in comparison. We did our own long walking tour down Front Street to Simonton to the Southernmost Point, then up Duval. We stopped along the way, of course, to eat Key Lime Pie, have a drink in Fat Tuesday's , and shop at Pirate Soul, Del Sol and Life is Good, to name a few. The day brightened considerably and was near perfect weather. DH and I recognized the B&B we stayed at many years ago (pre-kids) and we came across many wild chickens, which amused the kids.

We were on board in time for dinner in Lumiere's. Dinner was thankfully a little faster, and DD3 had napped, so it was much better dining experience for all. The food and service continued to be fantastic. The kids were off to their respective clubs while the adults played 80s trivia. We didn't win, but had fun trying. I took DD3 back to the room for a good night's sleep while DH, FB & FP went to Who Wants To Be A Mouseketeer before picking up the rest of the kids and heading off to sleep.

Day 3: Palo #1
We were up with the sun (see what I mean?) so off we went to Topsider's and the Mickey pool. I was glad we were there early – the pool was nearly empty for a while, but by 9am the Mickey pool was getting crazy! We had Palo brunch at 11am, so we brought the kids back to the room to get dried and dressed, then dropped them off for some fun the clubs before getting ready ourselves. We've never been to Palo brunch before and didn't know what to expect, but WOW! What a fantastic spread! We had Annie Marie as our server. She had excellent food and beverage recommendations and was nice enough, but I was a little put-off by her comment about how she only receives 40 cents tip as she gave us our “bill”. That can't be right, can it?? We planned to tip anyway, but I didn't like feeling like she was telling me to.

After brunch, DD3 and DH went back to the cabin for nap, while I went solo to a Disney Entertaining presentation, which focused on desert plating and cake decoration. To be honest, I didn't love it, so I wandered outside and watched some of the art auction – how interesting! I told DH after wards it was a good thing I was not registered, because I could see myself getting caught up in the moment and bidding on some of those items! Beautiful pieces, and I was surprised at how many were passed over.

I woke DH in time for our Martini tasting with friends and “the bartender formerly known as Prince”, as he introduced himself. The plain martini was NOT my style, but I loved the rest! Apple Pucker, Pomegranate and Chocolate – yum! Perhaps a little too much history from Prince, but enjoyable. We were all very happy by the end – go figure!

It was formal night, so we picked up the kids and got ready for dinner. We had just enough time to get photos, but then I never stopped by Shutters to see them! Can you believe that?! So I don't even know how they turned out... Animator's Palate was fun and the kids enjoyed watching the color changes and cartoons. Cornwall was attentive as ever, and Marc entertained the kids (and adults!) with some magic each night during dessert. Wow, is that peanut butter pie fantastic!

We went to Golden Mickeys before bed. I would have to say this was my least favorite show, primarily because of the “ditzy” host. But I thoroughly enjoyed the various numbers, and DD3 was absolutely mesmerized. It was a joy to see her joy. Another wonderful time was had by all.

Coming up: Grand Caymen and DOLPHINS!

 

[Ima Princess]

IMA,

Great start, we are going on the Eastern 3/1 and we have the SPH 5520. How was the view and do you have any pictures ?

I can't wait to read more !

Mic

LOVED the room! The view was great. Slightly obstructed, of course, but it's the least obstructed SPH on that side.

I have some great photos of the room, inside and out, to show you the view. However, I can't figure out how to include them in this post. I think I need to upload them to a different site, like photobucket, so let me try that and come back later.

Meanwhile, if any of you have suggestions...

Thanks,
CC

 

[chepic]

We had Annie Marie for our dinner at Palo, and she never said anything about a tip to us...we were on the week before you!!

You do need to load the pictures on photobucket, then copy the link from the IMG code box, without the IMG on the front or back of the link....am I making sense? I had to do it 10 times before I got it right. Hope that helps

cheryl

 

[Ima Princess]

Photobucket site is down for maintenance, so here's a link to a few photos on smugmug.

http://cookiechambers.smugmug.com/gallery/4287161#251221184

I added captions so you can tell what you're looking at/for. I may move the photos later, but I'll update the link if I do.

Not many photos, but for those curious about the SPH room locations and view, take a look.

CC

 

[Ima Princess]

Day 4: So Grand
The kids were again up with the sun, but for a change of pace we went to Lumiere's for breakfast before meeting for our excursion at 9:30. (The tower of french toast and pineapple is fantastic!)

We booked the Nautilus Semi-Sub, which was the closest I was going to get to snorkeling with DD3. The tendering was painless, and then we walked across the street to board small buses. We drove down various streets but were all laughing when we finally got to our destination and saw what a short distance we were from the port! Really, it was pretty comical. I bet it took longer to walk to the buses, board and ride than it would've been to walk to Nautilus directly. Anyway, transportation aside, we had a fun time in the semi-sub. We saw a lot of coral and went past a shipwreck and observed plenty of tropical fish. The sub was nowhere near capacity, so the kids (and adults!) were able to walk from one side to the other to see the sights. Watching the diver feed fish and wave to the kids was fun, and the guide was very nice.

When the sub was done, we chose to walk back to port instead of going via bus. It was absolutely gorgeous weather! We made only a few stops along the way (to buy rum cake, for one) before heading back to the Magic for lunch and pool time. I relaxed in the room while DD3 napped and the rest of our cast played in the pool. She was awake in time for the Twice Charmed matinee (no, I didn't take photos) which was a fun show. Again, just watching DD3's face was priceless.

The kids wanted to try Bingo, but we had no idea that Bingo cards start at $25(!), so we elected instead to go to the pool deck for music and ping-pong. That, my friends, was very comical. Imagine, if you will, DD8, FD8, FD7 and I playing ping pong. The ball pinged off plenty of surfaces OTHER than the table, and we had a great time laughing when we weren't hitting the ball. (Please note that no fellow cruisers were harmed during that episode.)

We had Palo dinner reservations that night, so the kids got some ice cream before heading to the clubs for dinner. The adults had a fantastic time at Palo. We were fortunate to have Marco as our server, who is simply phenomenal. He asked a few questions about what we liked and didn't like, and then brought item after item for us to sample. So good, so fun, so delicious. We're from Virginia Beach – very close to Norfolk, where the Magic and Wonder complete their renovations in dry-dock – so once Marco heard that, we talked at length about the area, restaurants, entertainment, etc. I hope he enjoyed talking with us as much as we enjoyed talking with him. His accent is like music.

We met the older kids at the sports deck where they were dancing under the stars – doesn't that sound like fun? We were all tired (and stuffed!) so off we went to dream land.

Day 5: D(olphin)-Day
Guess what? We were up extra early thanks to the clocks being turned back, so we had time to kill before Topsiders opened. (See why we go to bed so early? ) We jumped into the Mickey pool before it got too crowded and watched as we docked in Cozumel. From where I was sitting, it looked like we were almost touching the neighboring ship but obviously we weren't THAT close. It was a bit chilly thanks to the clouds/breeze, so we went back to the cabin for warmth and rest. Unfortunately it wasn't quite enough rest for DD3 because when we woke her up for lunch and to go into Cozumel, she was grumpy. Really grumpy. Fortunately, some cuddling with DH and juice improved her mood dramatically, so we were thankful for that! Our friends booked the Fury snorkel excursion, but DD3 was too young to participate. We grabbed a quick lunch on deck and proceeded on our own into Cozumel.

We've been on a Western before (pre-kids) so that combined with the good advice here on DIS gave us confidence to book the dolphin swim directly with Dolphin Discovery. We walked down the port to the taxi stand and were off to Chankanaab park. What a gorgeous park! The water, the landscaping, the flowers, the people – all beautiful. When I booked online I was only able to secure 3:30 Encounter time for DD3 and myself, but a 1pm Swim for DH & DD8. I was able to change our time to 1pm when we arrived, which worked out perfect! We had just enough time to change and slather on approved bio-degradable sunscreen, as the sun was now bright and very warm. We met the trainers, got a quick lesson on dolphins, and then walked to our respective meeting areas.

DH & DD8 were in the section next to us, which was fantastic as I could somewhat watch them when the others in my group were having their turns with Athena. There were only 6 in my group – the other 4 spoke Italian, so there wasn't much conversing between us and them, but I did catch that the Dad's name was Palo. Made me chuckle.

It was a bit more precarious than I expected. I knew DD3 wouldn't be able to stand, so I expected to hold her. I also knew I'd be standing on a metal grate, but didn't realize how narrow it would be. I also didn't fully understand that the waves would knock us around somewhat, so all 3 things combined made me a bit nervous. (Admittedly I'm a nervous person, so that in and of itself isn't newsworthy.) All things considered, I would not really recommend this for kids under 5 unless they are dolphin crazy OR have a strong stable person to hold them.

That said, we really did have a wonderful time. I learned more about dolphins in 45 mins than I had in 39 years. DD3 & I met Athena, a 7-month pregnant female. So sweet, soft, gentle. (She'll be a good mom!) We got to pet her, kiss her, receive a kiss from her and dance with her. Memorable to say the least! She showed us some of her impressive moves, and then we then learned all about her – anatomy, pregnancy, personality, intelligence. It makes sense, but it never occurred to me that dolphins would have belly buttons. Well, now I've seen one, up close and personal. How fun is that?

DH & DD8 had an even better time. They did the swim instead of the encounter, so they both had a chance to hold the dolphin's fins and swim, and they were also pushed while on a boogey board at nearly 25 mph. Of course, they kissed and learned about their new dolphin friend, too. DD8's face was absolutely priceless during the swim, so we had to buy the DVD and photos. Money well spent on memories that will last a lifetime.

After our swims and purchases, we changed and then browsed the park. We found beautiful tropical plants and huge iguanas! We caught a cab back to the port and shopped a bit across the street before getting back on board. We had just enough time to shower and change for the infamous pirate night! I brought some Disney pirate tattoos and eye patches, which we all enjoyed wearing. Our friends barely made it back in time from the Fury excursion, but met us in Lumiere's for dinner. The menu was great – good food, fun presentation. I'd been looking forward to the Pirate Party on deck, but DD3 was worn out and DD8 preferred National Treasure II to Pirates, so off to the theatre we went. A great movie, and so much fun to watch on a HUGE screen! I thought maybe we'd try to catch the fireworks, but after sitting in a dark theatre for 2 hours, DD8 was exhausted, so back to our cabin for another restful night. Guess I'll have to cruise again to experience the pirate party!

Up next: Day at sea & Castaway

 

[CapnJackGroupie]

Really enjoying your TR - thanks for sharing!!

 

[candiedoug]

We were on the Magic too. For such a cool looks like rain start, the weather turned out to be perfect.

 

[lvstitch]

Great report...thanks for sharing.

 

[Micday]

Thanks so much for the picture !!

I love your trip report, we are early raisers too.

Can't wait to read more.

Mic

 

[Ima Princess]

Day 6: Lots of Character
We woke early, despite the clocks being turned forward, but that was good news since we had Mickey's Island Jam to get to! The kids had so much fun dancing with the characters. I was initially upset at the change from visiting tables, but it was a very fun-filled breakfast with plenty of photo ops.

We all went straight to the pool after breakfast and lucked out with chairs near the Mickey pool. We stayed through lunch, then DH went back to the cabin for DD3's nap. I took DD8 shopping on board before she went to the lab to make cookies. Yum! DH & I traded and he hit the hot tub while I played Big Brain Academy (a weakness, I admit, but I have an A-!). We dropped DD3 off at the club and we headed to our Rasul Spa appointment. Trust me, it's fun.

We showered at the spa and went straight to the D-Sea-U graduation. (If you haven't had kids onboard, this is when the kids in the various clubs get onstage in the Walt Disney Theatre and there is a photo presentation of some of the activities they participated it). Mickey and Minnie, or course, preside over the graduation and it was fun to see all the kids on stage. They get to keep the Mickey ear grad caps and the t-shirt – nice souven-ears!

We quickly checked the kids out of their respective clubs and ran to our rooms to don our semi-formal attire and went to Animator's Palate for delicious food, good service and fun magic. Immediately after dinner we went to the theatre for Disney Dreams, my favorite of the onboard shows. Our friends loved it, too! After the show we went back to our room to begin packing and plan for our upcoming Castaway day!

Day 7: Just Beachy
Guess what? We were up early! We met our friends in Lumiere's for a leisurely breakfast before heading to Castaway. It was cloudy in the morning, and the water was rather chilly, so DD8 decided snorkeling was no longer a priority. The kids clubs were doing the Whale Dig at Monstro point, which is right up my future archeologist's alley , so all the kids went off to the clubs. Myself, DH & FB walked to the adult beach while FP read and relaxed. By the time we got to Serenity Bay, the sun was out and the clouds were gone! WOOHOO! To celebrate, we took the tram back, ate lunch and drank Conch Coolers. By then the older kids were ready to get picked up and swim, but DD3 insisted on staying in the club – she was having a blast. We eventually picked her up around 2pm and I took her back to the ship around 3pm for a bath and nap. She was COVERED in sand! I have no doubt that her skin (and scalp!) were completely exfoliated. FB boarded shortly thereafter to get our SWA boarding passes for our flight home. DH stopped by the post office to get stamps and mail post cards before getting onboard with DD8 and friends around 4pm. Plenty of time for showers and dressing for dinner, so we also got most of our packing done. Hooray!

Off to Parrot Cay for our final dinner. So sad! How will Cornwall survive without us? Tasty, touching, terrific. That sums up our week AND our final dinner.

My kids both begged for one last chance to go to the clubs, so we dropped them off and DH & I relaxed outside on deck 4. Quiet and comfy as we relived our favorite moments of the week. We picked up the kids by 9pm, completed our packing and attempted sleep.

Day 8: What next?
We awake early (on purpose this time!) and go to Topsiders for breakfast, because 6:45 is just too early to expect kids to eat. (They get up early but they don't like to eat right away. ) We catch up with our friends there, say a final goodbye to Marco (Palo) and we're off the ship by 8:30. It's a painless and easy process, expect for the hearbreak inside. I actually resented the TV and monitors onboard that were already showing that night's events for those boarding in a few hours. Were they mocking me?

Anyway, we made our way through customs and out to the Thrifty shuttle. The shuttle filled up with people there before us, so we waited for the next shuttle. And waited. And waited! I finally called and was assured that the shuttle was on its way. Sure enough, it was there within a few minutes of the call and they PACKED people on like sardines. We rented a 12-pass van for the 8 of us, primarily to ensure we had plenty of luggage space. The van was not very attractive, but the seats were comfortable and the a/c was cold. We spent some time at Ron Jon's before heading to Historic Cocoa – a quaint area with walkable streets, unique eateries and shops. We browsed and grabbed some lunch. (What do you mean I have to pay for my food?) We left for the airport with time to spare and were so glad that we did! There was a short line to get our luggage checked onto SWA, but the line for security was unbelievable! FB said, “Let's time it.” It took exactly one hour from the moment she said that to the moment I put my shoes back on after going through. One hour! I'm surprised at the inefficiency, considering the volume of travelers.

All was well, though our flight was slightly delayed. However, halfway through the flight DD3 got sick. Fortunately she missed us but got the seat pretty well covered. The flight attendants were so great – I was upset and a little embarrassed, but they gave us everything we needed and assured us it was no big deal. Unfortunately, we learned after arriving home that was suffering from post-motion sickness and continued to have issues for the next 24 hours if she wasn't laying down. Thank goodness that's all behind us now. And I'm even more thankful that it happened at home and not on board!

So, to recap: fun was had by all! The ports were great, the service and food were fantastic, the memories Magical.

If/when I have time, I'll post our thoughts on what we will do differently next time based on our observations and experiences. Hope you enjoyed my story, and I thank you again for allowing me to share my memories with you.

Disney Dreams to all!

 

[Ima Princess]

Thanks so much for the picture !!

You're welcome!
Honestly, having a SPH room made me feel like I won the lottery. Take good care of it for us!

CC

 

[kshabare]

Thank you for sharing your trip with us. We too had Cornwall last year when we went, and thought he was absolutely amazing, He even let me keep his name tag. I wonder if he wll be on at the end of the month when we cruise again. Here is a picture from last year with his assistant Abraham.

Thanks again..

Norm

 

[Ima Princess]

Thank you for sharing your trip with us. We too had Cornwall last year when we went, and thought he was absolutely amazing, He even let me keep his name tag. I wonder if he wll be on at the end of the month when we cruise again. Here is a picture from last year with his assistant Abraham.

Thanks for the photo! Cornwall is going home in mid-March, I believe he said, so you'll probably see him! Tell him the Megans said hello!

(DD8 & FD8 are both named Megan....)

CC

 

[Micday]

I prmoise to take good care of our stateroom, we can share it ok. You get it for a week then me !

Great TR, I hope you have time to reflect and share.


Michelle

 

[ALawley]

what is an SPH room? I am so curious! loved the report, going on the west on the magic in november!

 

[naner]

Great report!!!

 

[Ima Princess]

ALawley:

SPH = Secret Porthole Room

There are 6 rooms on deck 5 (Magic & Wonder) that have a porthole but are sold as an inside Cat 10 room due to the obstructed view. They aren't really a secret anymore, so it's difficult to find one available. While the view is minimally obstructed, you get plenty of sunshine at an inside price!

Glad you enjoyed my report. Have a great cruise!
(Can I come with you?? )

--CC

 

[triciap45]

We had the same server at Palo and I thought she was a little rude. She was a bit aggressive. I have dined there 3 other times and had wonderful service. She seemed angry from the start when we did not purchase the $50 bottle of wine she suggested. I wanted the $26 asti because that is what i like not because of the price. She was trying hard to upsell us and I did not like that at all.