PizzieDuster
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2003
- Messages
- 3,925
3 day land (Grand Floridian) 4 Day Wonder
(April 24, 2003 Grand Floridian)
April 27, 2003 4 Day Wonder
Cabin 8582 Cat 3
Cast of Characters: Me - DW38
DH42
DS13 - Common Grounds
DS10 - Oceaneer Lab
DD4 - Oceaneer Club
First of all, I have to apologize for posting this trip report so late. Better late than never! However, because I have had time to review other trip reports, I will try to add details and information not previously mentioned. Which means, this trip report may be very, very LONG! But I - myself, love long, detailed trip reports.
We departed Los Angeles International Airport on Thursday, April 24th, arriving Orlando at 4:00 p.m. I tell you, we were correct in waiting for our daughter to turn 4 before taking such an expensive trip. DH, DD and I were in one row, DS13 & 10 were behind us. Once we exited the tram to the terminal, we just followed, our fellow passengers on our flight to the baggage claim. I had done my research and read from the boards that there will be a DCL representative waiting for arrivals but the location always seemed vague. I had been telling my DH how wonderful it will be to not have to carry all of our 7 suitcases. As we were getting closer to baggage claim, I was getting very nervous. Sure enough, as everyone was taking the escalators down to baggage claim there was a woman with a DCL CRUISE sign. We stopped and she mentioned we were the last ones to arrive.
She walked us out to the DCL bus. We had to show our paperwork at the desk and then we walked onto to a nearly empty bus! A nearly shocked DH just looked at me in amazement thinking do you mean they are taking care of our luggage? My sweet DS teen was so happy he wasnt carrying our luggage around We watched a very packed DCL bus take off before us. I then noticed that the each bus was designated for specific resorts. Our family had the entire back bus to ourselves. I wondered how long the family sitting in front of the bus was waiting for us. A rep walked on and gave a few instructions on the paperwork and we were off! They played cartoons all the way to the resort. We were the first and only ones at the Grand Florida arriving at about 5:00 p.m.! Now time for a swim! NOT! A premium hotel right? Not one you would expect to lose your luggage right? I had just bragged to my DH that our luggage was taken care of! I was having a heart attack where is our luggage and what happened to it? The staff at the hotel kept saying it is here, it will be delivered. One hour later, called down, what bags are missing? Luckily, I had our swimsuits packed in backpacks. We go swimming, eat by the pool. No luggage yet, 6, 7, 8, 9:00 p.m. By 10:00 p.m. I was so upset I called DCL directly. I left a desperate message and we got a call back from a representative from DCL at 11:00 p.m. DCL was in contact with the hotel. Our luggage was there at 11:45 p.m. We found out it was there the entire time sitting in another hotel room on the property. Huh? Im sorry but I just expected more from this resort.
Okay, please tell me, this trip will get better please, please, please, some Disney Magic please! The DCL rep called us to follow up that we had received our luggage. She was so wonderful during our first night crisis!
Sunday, April 27, 2003. Embarkation Parrot Cay
When we checked into the hotel on Thursday we also checked in at the DCL desk in the lobby. We gave our documents to the rep who asked us if we were going to take advantage of the Animal Kingdom Bon Voyage Departure Offer which we passed. We were given instructions to have our ready for pick up by 8:00 am and a 11:15 am pick up time, meeting in the lobby to board the DCL bus and we were given a SARS questionnaire.
We also received a letter from the Concierge Team inviting us to meet at the Cadillac Lounge upon boarding, between 1 and 3:15 p.m. for priority booking service for Shore Excursions, Palo, Hair Braiding, Vista Spa Treatments, Palo Reservations and Childrens Programming enrollment (including Baby-sitting) .. Please feel free to press the Concierge button on your telephone for immediate scheduling of any activities you desire or to arrange for a meeting time with your Concierge Team. If anyone is interested, they also mentioned that we were entitled to enjoy the cuisine of any of the restaurants in our own suite, videos, board games & CDs.
On Sunday morning we were up early, filled with excitement. DD all dressed up in her Minnie dress and shoes. DS13 & DS10 with DH went out on the power boats for one last cruise around the Seven Seas Lagoon.
At 10:45 a.m. we were in the lobby and were lined up and walked to the DCL bus. As we pulled away the reps were waiving good bye with big Mickey hands! DD just loved it! I was jumping out of my skin with excited and looked around and everyone seemed like it was a Greyhound bus to nowhere. The bus was filled as they showed cartoons all the way until we hit horrendous traffic what should have been a short ride to the pier, was an accident on the highway. We inched our way. We are from California so we know about traffic so were used to it. Thank goodness I packed snacks and juice and there was a bathroom on board! However, just as the video about the cruise dramatically finished with the dramatic climax? Wheres the ship we were stuck in a traffic jam. Leaving at 11:50 or so, we did not arrive to the port until 2:15 p.m. The staff at the terminal was quite aware of the delay as were the ship personnel. We were eagerly awaited by the port staff. Everyone went out of the way for us. As much as I planned for this, and as much as it killed me to see everyone chilling on the decks as we pulled up so late, it was still cool as heck! To watch the kids first find the ship and then pull up to it. They were bouncing in their seats! Plus I knew I would be meeting the concierge team and had until 3:15.
We strolled passed security, the kids taking it all in. Up the escalators to the replica of the ship. As we approached, there was Mickey & Minnie all alone waiving us over, taking pictures, pointing to the ship, asking us in their dramatic fashion, where was our room and basically dancing with us, making a fuss all over DD 4! It was very entertaining. I dont care how cool my DS think they are, they were grinning ear to ear! We checked it out, and turned around and took a picture in front of the Mickey ears. A complete walk on environment. We walked on, took a picture and were announced and just were in complete awe!
As you enter on Deck 3, there are many tables set up and what looked like a 3-man steel drum band playing. By this time, we were ready for whatever drink they would hand to us to begin our vacation. The elevators were jammed packed! We took the stairs up to Deck 8. We found our cabin and were so shocked at the size! Just gorgeous! There was a fruit bowl on the table with a Welcome Letter from Concierge reminding us to meet them in Cadillac Lounge or contact them at our leisure.
Shirley from The Perfect Gift completely outdid herself! We had bag full of goodies for the boys and daughter. They went nuts! There was also a bag for DH & I. Some red wine, white wine, champagne with a wonderful card! I completely recommend Shirley. The juice, water, soda, crackers and other snacks were very handy on our excursions. Id just stuff them in my backpack. On a long trip back to the ship, the look on the faces of some children as my kids at their cookies, crackers, fruit rolls, etc. I have Shirley to thank for that! Not to mention the wonderful memories of DH and I sitting on our verandah, sipping wine with the All Hands on Deck tray before us. Just wonderful memories! Thank you Shirley!
We went to Beach Blanket to eat. Loved the shrimp. A CM approached us about the wine packages which we purchased. The kids were jumping out of their skin to go swimming! Another tip from these boards: DH and the kids were in their swimsuits. There were just a few kids in the Mickey pool when they jumped in. The kids went up and down the Mickey slide no waiting. Some of the best pictures from this trip were taken at this time. I have pictures of the kids and DH all alone posing in the Mickey pool and in a Mickey ear! All Christmas postcard worthy.
About 3:00 p.m. my DS13 and I went to Cadillac Lounge to meet with Concierge. They had coffee, soft drinks, cookies, etc. Members of the team were there to meet with us on the sofa. Basically, while you sit on a sofa, a member of the team runs around to the Spa rep, Palo rep, Kids club rep and brings back your itinerary. We met a member of the Kids Club who gave us our pager and went over all the activities highlighting which ones were not to be missed for DS13, DS10 & DD4. Since Im a stay at home mom, I was worried about DD4. The counselor explained the program and I left feeling very excited for her she is going to have the best time! They talked to DS13 about the Teen Junkaroo and he signed up for it! Couldnt believe it! Since this was a 4 day cruise I passed on the spa treatments. But all I needed to do was request a time and day. I did watch the spa rep run around between the Flounder rep and Palo rep. Apparently, the mother was trying work out her schedule = spa treatment/ kids program/ Flounders/ excursions/Palo/day at sea, etc. This CM was running around like crazy! And this was just a 4 day!
After that, its about 3:30 p.m., while DD 4, DS 10 and DH swam and had ice cream, DS 13 and I went to Common Grounds while parents were allowed! He met the counselors who were pumped up and excited, calling him by his first name like they were expecting him, telling him to come back that evening after dinner for the 411 meeting that night. He left very excited and happy. Smiled all the way back to the cabin.
We met in the cabin for our safety drill. I was wondering when we were going to meet our cabin steward when just at that time a young lady came by and informed us that our steward was ill and she would help us, all we had to do was call. Huh? Wheres the ice? Wheres the trash? Who cares, its time for the drill. Harmless drill, everyone was making jokes and we were cracking up and it went by quickly. I was worried how my DD4 would handle it but fortunately it did not take that long. We did boo people who were late and some men were kidding asking what cabin was that? But it was all in fun. The Cms joke and make their point with a little bit of humor.
Now, time for the Sailaway Party! I learned from the DIS boards what were the best places to watch the Sailalway. After the drill, we headed up two decks and picked a table on Deck 10, port side, stage view right behind the life vest cabinet. We were there early and within 30 minutes it was completely packed! DH and DD went to dance, came back up, DS13 video taped and took pictures. It got closer to countdown and it was about 15 people deep behind me and we had a great view. We could stand up, dance and drink and just party to the music. Thank you DIS! The kids were so excited to hear the horn, which made me cry of course. The boys watched the boat pull out which was so exciting for them. My advice would be this. If you cant see the sail away party, go out to the front of the ship and stake out a spot to watch the boat sail out of the harbor! The crowd soon moves to the front of the ship.
DH, DS13, DS10, DD4 went back into the Mickey pool to swim but soon came back to the cabin. The pools were too crowded. I was unpacking and found that with the closet with shelves next to the door, a full bathroom there too, a walk in closet and a full bathroom in our room, tons of drawers, it was going to be easy to unpack! Still, no ice for our champagne from Shirley so we called Concierge. They soon had all the beverages, including the complimentary soda on ice or in the fridge. I dialed that number many times throughout the cruise. I figured, I paid for it, so why not. They were wonderful! Id call and theyd answer, Hello my darling, what can we do for you! Hee. We never saw our steward, O'Dell, until the evening of Nassau. We kidded with him about needing a sick day or late night again?! He confessed he had a basketball injury. Yep, sure! Right! We kidded him throughout the cruise whenever we saw him. My DH would say, youre not playing BB tonight are you? My DD4 loved his towel creations every night and only when I saw the trip pictures when I got home did I find out there were chocolates left on the pillows. Apparently she stormed in and confiscated them before we all caught on!
I scotched taped a Disney Princess picture on our cabin door so that our sons could find it without being disorientated. They told me it helped them a lot! If they got off the stairs and didnt see the picture, they new it was at the other staircase. Since there are three sets of stairs, this was very helpful. On another note, my teens friends found his room very easy. He told them the picture was on the door.
There was so much information in the room that I had to be sure I saw it before the kids moved it to the floor. I found our dining tickets just in time for our dinner. You dont really need them but it is so convenient to walk up to your dining room the first night and they seat you right to the table. I found a welcome aboard card by the fruit bowl while I was getting ready for dinner. Did not see it before.
Our first dinner was at Parrot Cay. We just loved the steel drum band. Especially waving those napkins in the air! We were seated with a family of five from Pennsylvania. To the delight of my DS13, they also had a DD13. During dinner my son turned to me asked me Mom, do we get to eat with them EVERYNIGHT? I said yes, and he just grinned. I noticed that they had a younger daughter with special dietary needs. The head waiter was with them during most of the meal. The chefs came out, the waiters and head waiter all huddled around our table mates. We would later learn that the family was thrilled with the way Disney handled her daughters dietary restrictions.
The servers really made no impression on us to remember them. Maybe because it was only a four day and our table mates kept them pretty busy. We were served by them only two nights. But I really am not into that stuff, like remember the food I ate, which appetizers, desserts, etc. I just remember things important to me, like Pluto finding my camera . That story is to come, just keep reading!
After dinner DS13 took off to Common Grounds. He did not return to the cabin until 1:30 am. We took DD4 to her club and stayed as the staff introduced themselves. Then before we knew it, she was off on some sort of Captain Hook hunt and just waved goodbye! Wow, this is turning out to be more then I ever expected! We took DS10 to Ocean Lab. We watched introductions and he too took off. DH and I looked at each other and sighed this is a good thing. We went to Cadillac Lounge and listened to the piano player and just enjoyed being together, soaking it all in. We walked the decks, looked through Shutters, took a glass of wine back to our verandah. We left to check out Deck 7 secret deck. Very romantic! We spied on the kids and went up to ESPN. We picked up DS10 and DD4 at midnight because WE were tired. DD4 was lying down on a mat along with a bunch of little girls watching a movie. She was tired and we took her back to the cabin where she was delighted to find an elephant towel animal and all the chocolates left on the pillows. DD4 slept in the pull down in our room. We left the bed in the sitting room for our boys. I never heard my teen come in, but got up during the night and there he was in bed.
Monday, April 28, 2003 Nassau, Dolphin Encounter, Blue Lagoon, Tritons
From a tip I learned from these boards, I had pre-ordered sandwiches from room service the night before. I packed them in ziplocs and along with our snacks from the baskets we ordered, we had plenty!
Our excursion meeting place was Route 66. Remember to bring your excursion tickets with the release signed. They will be collecting them there. We were given a sticker and left the boat together. A family was asked to be the last family to ensure everyone stayed together. We had a short walk from the pier to the Ferry boat. We zoomed by all the hair braiders. The women were yelling out their names. Come back to me, come to me We were one of the first families on the ferry which turned out to be a blessing. We were able to sit in front with a wonderful view and were then the first family off. Everyone received one towel each. The ferry seemed to hold about 150 people. There were seats on top also but the band and the bar were on the first level. We had a blast just on the ride to the Blue Lagoon! My DD4 joined a limbo line of other little kids. The snacks & cokes that I brought were a big hit. We would not eat again until after the Dolphin Encounter. We arrived at the lagoon and easily got off and strolled to the right.
We walked to the Dolphin Encounter location to the right. I took beautiful pictures of the kids here. We watched a video and listened to the sale presentation of various photo packages to purchase and video of your swim.
Then we were led by groups of 20 or so (about 5 families) to floating docks. There are lockers there right in front of the docks to store your belongings. A huge HINT: Do not take your video camera or camera to the water with you. Unless it is WATERPROOF! We sat around the dock that is in a square with a underwater platform that is about 4 feet underwater. The trainer, standing on the platform, brings in the dolphin, Annie, and she comes out and splashes everyone! Completely soaking everyone with no warning at all we all screamed and the people with videos jumped up and went running! They had to put their videos away. I dont think any one gave them warning. We had waterproof cameras which I was so thankful! Each family enters down to the platform where you get a kiss, a hug, get to touch belly, back, dance and feed the dolphin. My kids loved this so much! My DD4 was wearing a life vest we brought from home. Thank goodness! She mostly stayed in husbands arms the entire time. They take a family portrait with the dolphin kissing one member of the family. I love this photo. We purchased the video too.
While my husband waited for the video & pictures (45 minutes), we went to the lagoon to swim and just chill in the hammocks. They issue a ticket for lunch with two drink tickets. DH and I had some wonderful drinks from the bar. They boys rented a paddle boat. There were no chairs on the beach. There were picnic tables farther back with hammocks sprinkled around. The little towels were all we had to lay on. The lagoon was not deep at all with a sand bar extended into the middle of it. It was heaven for small children. We did not take the first returning ferry at 2:00 p.m. We wanted to stay until 4:00 p.m. The beach and lagoon cleared out and we went to eat lunch. The BBQ lunch was very good. My DS and DH took a nap in hammocks while I played with DD4 in the sand, DS10 found coconuts. We brought swim masks from home which the boys used almost the entire trip.
We took the ferry back and sat up on top and enjoyed the view. DD4 fell asleep so DH took her right back to the ship. DS and I shopped at the straw market awhile before making our way back to the ship. You have to show your ID and KTTW card before entering the dock area. The boys just could not believe how close the ship was to the dock. The Wonder just looked so beautiful when looking up at it from the dock. Its so exciting to think how lucky we are to be traveling this way. Just as we came to our cabin a thunderstorm struck and it poured for 15 minutes straight! Afterwards, a double rainbow appeared, another great photo!
As we were getting ready for dinner, (thank goodness for two bathrooms and a tub) the kids were starving so they went with DH to get chicken strips. DH & I popped open our wine and ordered the cheese and cracker plate from room service. We were to have dinner at Tritons tonight. I was getting out all the formal wear when we went over the Navigators. It all happened so fast! Thank goodness for highlighters!
DD4 - The Club was having playtime in the Lab then Do-is-do with Snow White at 7:15, then slide time, etc.
DS10 The Lab was going to Studio Sea and then to The Lab to make flub.
DS13 - The teens were taking the Teen Junkaroo Jam tour around Nassaus harbor.
Before we knew it, DH & I were alone! It was almost time for our 6:00 seating and we werent really hungry and the kids were gone having munched on chicken strips and French fries!
I called Jeremy at Concierge and explained that we were kid free and could he get us the late seating for two. Five minutes later it was done! This is just a surprise to us. We anticipated the kids would have fun but the thought of us enjoying time alone, we hadnt given it a thought. So here we are, all dressed up and sitting on our verandah sipping wine telling ourselves we have to do this again!. And then whom do we see? Our DS13 going by the Wonder on the catamaran cruising the harbor with lights flashing, music going and a bunch of noise! We waved to the kids and they looked like they were having a blast! That was a moment in time for us. I probably cried, I cried tears of joy constantly on th trip! We went to Shutters and Cadillac Lounge before our seating. I checked Shutters constantly and it was easier without the little one. While walking to dinner we passed DS10 coming from Studio Sea back to the Lab. He was having too much fun to even notice us! We stopped by the Club to check on DD4 and the counselor said very sweetly, Did you get a page? We said no and she said well there you go!. She must be use to paranoid parents like us thinking that shes crying in a corner! Nope! She was a happy camper!
Dinner was wonderful! Just a table for two was romantic enough! I enjoyed meeting new servers and we took their names to give them a small tip at the end.
We pulled DD4 out of the club to go the Deck Party and swim with daddy in the Mickey Pool. How brave he is! DS13 was in the room eating more chicken and telling us how much fun he had on the Junkaroo Jam. I thought he was staying in but as we changed into shorts/swimsuits our doorbell rang. (The doorbell was cool). His new made friends came and picked him up to go to the movies. I introduced myself, met them (boys and girls who were so cute) and then he was gone! Bye again! We had fun at the deck party. It was warm and breezy. Wonderful weather.
Concierge left chocolate covered strawberries tonight with a letter reminding us that tomorrow was Castaway Cay and that DS13 was scheduled for The Wild Side (his voucher was included) and when and where to meet, expected weather, etc. I have to mention that we had many voice mails from Jeremy. He called us as much as I called him! We had to pull DS10 out of the Lab at 1:00 am! When I showed up to get him, he was chatting up with a friend and didnt want to leave! I dont recall what time DS13 came in, DH said it was about 2:00 am.
We discussed curfew with DS13 prior to the trip. I read about the teens on these boards and knew there was no where for them to go, they mostly hang and talk and get to know their new friends. As long as he got up in the morning and did not act like he was at home and sleep in until noon. We had no problems yet. Dont tell him but every night but while DH was sleeping with DD4 & DD10, I walked the decks and found him and his new friends, a big group of teens talking and playing ping pong. I also found them playing volleyball on Deck 10. I spoke with security who roamed the ship late at night and said they always congregate and stay up late and talk. No where else for them to go, very harmless. He warned me about the last night----they dont sleep! Of course I never did tll DS13 that I was checking up on him but I did, along with another dad I always saw standing behind the corner! Hee!
Tuesday, April 29, 2003 Castaway Cay Day - Animators Palate
With all the excitement and fun going on, we were all ready to sleep in a little. I woke up and went out on the verandah to see that we were pulling into Castaway Cay. The weather was just gorgeous and the sound of seagulls made the whole scene surreal. Everyone was completely zonked out. I got our things together, left a note for DH that I was off for a light breakfast. I came back and they were still out! I packed our day bags, left a another note (thank goodness for post its) and went down to Deck 1 to disembark. I was one of the first to get in line. Soon, it was packed. Take advice of all who say there is no need to rush to the beach. There are plenty of chairs. The staff was handing out towels and I strolled down the beach (did not take the tram) and found chairs for the day. I stretched out and pulled out my book. The great thing about being early is shopping on the island without a crowd. Finally, the rest of clan joined me after eating at the buffet and DS13 promptly claimed the hammock and went back to sleep. Teenagers! We had the best time! The boys went snorkeling and DD4 and I swam and played in the sand. They came back in time for lunch at Cookies which was very good but having early dinner, we didnt eat too much. I took my turn on the hammock after one or two Bahaman Mammas. The worst part about Castaway Kay is 4:00 p.m. the time they MADE us leave. Again, I got the most beautiful Christmas card pictures of the kids in the water with the boat in the background, on the sand in front of the boat before catching the tram.
Again, thank goodness for two bathrooms and a tub. We all took our times getting ready because tonight we were all excited to have dinner at Animators Palate. We had five chocolate chip cookies waiting for us from Concierge. Well, thats what I heard, they were wolfed down before I even saw the plate. I was afraid DD4 would fall asleep before dinner and would miss the show. But she took a long bath, long enough for us to get ready and it worked out just fine.
We were very excited to see our table mates who asked where we were the night before. We had a great location to see everything. I wasnt impressed with this dining room as I had heard so much about it. But it didnt matter because my kids just loved it! Even DDSs. The look on DD4s face during the meal was priceless. If not for the show, she would have probably had a meltdown and/or fallen asleep at the table.
We went to do a little shopping before we all went to go see Hercules the Muse-cal and just loved it. DS13 took off during it to go to Common Grounds. DS10 soon followed and went to the Lab. Oh well, its their vacation too. I had given my camera to DS13 to hold at some point during the show. After the show ended, we looked for the camera and could not find it.
Back to the cabin to change and put the exhausted little girl to sleep. DH was tired and offered to stay with her. DS13 had gone to Common Grounds and came running into the room to change into trunks. I asked him if he had my camera no, he did not. Bummer! Ill have to check lost & found tomorrow. DS10 also came back to change into swimsuit. I went to roam the ship and checked out Barrel of Laughs. I was getting tired so I took Deck 10 back to leisurely walk back to our cabin.
At 10:30 p.m., walking by the Mickey pool (which closes at 10:00 p.m.) I see my DS10s group and his counselors in the pool all by themselves. The girls in one Mickey ear and the boys in the other. I watched them play relay races for about 25 minutes and he was having a blast! Then the counselor said who wants me to open the slide? and then they opened the Mickey slide just for their group. Then as they played, Pluto came to the pool to play with the kids. They took a group picture. Then Pluto came up to Deck 10 to me and gave me a hug and motioned to get my camera so the cast member with him could take our picture. I told Pluto I lost my camera in the Walt Disney Theatre earlier. He put his hands to his head and shook it back and forth cracking me up! You cant get this at the parks Im telling you! The cast member with him wrote my cabin number on his hand and said he would try to help. I watched the kids a little more the weather was just beautiful. Warm wind blowing, who wants to go back to the room! So I went to go check out the 80s show at Wave Bands. I had the best time! The cast members danced to Footloose and other old songs. NOW it was time to go to bed. When I got back to the room there was a message from guest services stating they had heard that I lost a camera and they think they found my camera in the Walt Disney Theatre. I went downstairs to identify it and told them to thank Pluto for me for finding my camera! Okay, so Pluto is my favorite now.
I wont bore you with all the stuff my kids told me about what they did in their clubs. I will say a lot of eating pizza and swimming together after the pools were closed for the night and even a scary story telling session at night at Beach Blanket Buffet.
Wednesday, April 30, 2003 Day at Sea Palo
We had planned to take advantage of this sea day to catch up on much needed sleep. We all slept in. DH, DD4 and I had breakfast in Tritons and the eggs benedict were heavenly. DS13 and DS10 slept until noon. With all the sun we had gotten, we were happy it was overcast and soon started to rain. We were in no mood to sit in the sun all day.
We came back to the cabin and the boys woke up and went directly to their clubs. DH & DD4 went to have a swim in the rain and had ice cream. I took this time to pack because I did not want to do it at night, since this was our last evening and we were having dinner at Palo. I also went down to the shops because I had heard they were very crowded the last evening, especially before and after the shows. Then, I took my newly purchased items back to pack them up also.
We received a note from Concierge that as a courtesy we could make a personal appointment in addition to the regular sales hours with Cruise Sales Manager, Colleen to rebook another cruise. Cool. We new upon boarding that we were going to come back and four days was not enough on this beautiful ship.
We also had an invitation to attend a party at 6:00 p.m. at Cadillac Lounge for Concierge Guests. Cool.
I had everyone meet back at the cabin by 2:00 p.m. so that we could go to the matinee of Disney Dreams since the kids wanted to spend the last evening with their friends in the clubs. This show had me in tears! Tears of happiness! My DD4 was in Disney heaven! Not to be missed!
We left the show and found Cruise Sales Manager Colleen all by herself! What a perfect time to rebook! We did so and will return to sail on the Magic for a Western cruise on May 8, 2004! We took advantaged of the on board discounts and booked the same Category 3 but a slightly larger room mid ship. Although, I will miss being directly under Beach Blanket and the drink station, Scoops and Mickeys pool, etc.
The boys took off to their Club/Common Grounds and we returned to the room which made my finishing touches on packing a little easier knowing we were going to come back! DH went to the early seating at 6:00 p.m. to take care of our servers. He explained to our servers and to our table mates that we were dining in Palo tonight and thanked them for being so gracious.
We had a meeting with the family and told the boys our plans to eat at Palo at 8:00 p.m. This was their last night and they were eating with their friends in their clubs. DD4 was dressed and DH was ready, dressed for Palo and going to take DD4 to her club. This is the time she decides she doesnt want to go. A quick look at each other, I shrug my shoulders, Im coming back, I can pass on Palo and have room service delivered, fine with me. He picks her up and they take a walk, eat some chicken strips, ice cream and he then takes her to the club and a counselor walks up to him while he is standing there holding her. He tells the counselor our plans for Palo and DD4 is swooped out the arms and the next thing he knows she is happily sliding down the slide! Doesnt even notice he is leaving. We keep our pager VERY handy this night. In fact, it was put right on top of the table during our meal. We saw a few couples getting beeped and the wonderful staff wraps up the meal so the parents can take care of their family and enjoy the remainder of their meal too.
We enjoy a wonderful evening at Palo and were so impressed that our wine we purchased followed us there too! The soufflé was wonderful! We mentioned to our server how much our DS13 loves cheesecake while looking over the desert menu. When our meal was over, she brought us a piece of cheesecake to go to take to our son! As soon as we were leaving we got a beep! Perfect timing! We picked up DD4 who was tired and returned to the cabin.
I changed and went for my last stroll around the decks, saying to myself Im so glad I get to come back. I was also glad we werent back in the room packing, our luggage was already out. I stopped by Shutters one last time. While walking on Deck 10 I heard a Mom! I turned around and there was my DS13 with his friends just hanging out! I chatted for a while, took their pictures and told them I'll send them a copy (which I did). I went to the cabin and sat out on the verandah waiting to go pick up DS10. Well, at 1:00 a.m. I went to go check him out and he reluctantly left.
We all went to bed when I woke up at 2:30 a.m. to find my DS13 was not in bed! I put on shoes and head out in search of my teen who must be up to no good! I didnt see him so I went back to the cabin and called guest services. They told me that on the last night the teens usually stay up the latest and always congregate on the decks. She thinks they may be on Deck nine by the Goofy pool because she just got a call from teens wanting a pizza delivered to Deck 9! Sounds familiar! She assured me there was no problem that she would have security look for him and I gave her his description. I couldnt take it! I went out again to look for him and found about 15 teens, by the ping pong tables just chatting away and then there was my son too. I didnt see them before so I pulled him aside and he calmly explained that they had just ended a dance in Studio Sea (I knew about this) and it just ended and they dont want to go home, they just want to stay and talk. Whew! Okay, call off the search party. Security found me and we had a little chuckle and he said this ALWAYS happens with the teens on the last night because they just dont want the trip to end. I can understand that but we have a plane to catch tomorrow! No sleeping late for this teen tomorrow. I gave him 30 minutes and he was in the cabin in 15! By the way, there were not the only people on the deck. There were always a lot of people wandering around that time of night. Probably parents doing the same thing I was!
Thursday, May 1, 2003 Time to go Home!
We woke up the next morning regretfully at about 7:00 a.m. (I was anyway). I had ordered room service and bagged leftovers for our bus trip back to the airport. We also had the snacks from our Gift bags that I packed also. Thank goodness for ziplock bags. I had separated my film the entire trip and had them in bags so I could easily pull them out at the security gates.
Another doorbell and there were DS13s new friends wanting to go up on deck to say goodbye. Well, I couldnt have gotten him up thats for sure. But the minute the friends come by, he is up, dressed and out the door! I take a mental note and look to see WHO is out side the door. They have their Navigators out to sign and I give my son a marker and a camera to take more pictures. Im happy hes up so I can go through the cabin to be sure we got everything. A sad boy comes back in to tell me how much fun he had and it was sad saying good bye to his friends. He said by the time he got to know them, it was time to go home. Aw how sweet, now shower and brush your teeth!
By the time we got up and packed our day bags, we were out of our cabin at about 8:30 a.m. As we walked off some of the kids counselors were there to wave goodbye to the kids. My DS10 looked very heartbroken saying goodbye, my DS13 was all gloomy and DD4 wanted to go back to our stateroom.
We waited in a very long Delta line before getting on the DCL bus to the airport. Thank goodness for snacks and Game Boys! We were all very sad to leave but I kept reminding the kids we were coming back in one year and would be staying longer!
We got to the airport about 11:30 a.m. and went to the Hyatt and got a day room for $60.00. Our flight would depart at 5:00 p.m.! I knew 3 to 4 hours waiting at the airport would be miserable! We checked in and had lunch and went back to the room to nap! On the way to the room, my DS10 started to cry! I couldnt understand what he was trying to say when he finally said he didnt want this vacation to end. He wanted to go back to the ship! This was the best vacation! I turn and see DS13 with tears too! Guess who started to cry too! We will be back I said, we are coming back!
(April 24, 2003 Grand Floridian)
April 27, 2003 4 Day Wonder
Cabin 8582 Cat 3
Cast of Characters: Me - DW38
DH42
DS13 - Common Grounds
DS10 - Oceaneer Lab
DD4 - Oceaneer Club
First of all, I have to apologize for posting this trip report so late. Better late than never! However, because I have had time to review other trip reports, I will try to add details and information not previously mentioned. Which means, this trip report may be very, very LONG! But I - myself, love long, detailed trip reports.
We departed Los Angeles International Airport on Thursday, April 24th, arriving Orlando at 4:00 p.m. I tell you, we were correct in waiting for our daughter to turn 4 before taking such an expensive trip. DH, DD and I were in one row, DS13 & 10 were behind us. Once we exited the tram to the terminal, we just followed, our fellow passengers on our flight to the baggage claim. I had done my research and read from the boards that there will be a DCL representative waiting for arrivals but the location always seemed vague. I had been telling my DH how wonderful it will be to not have to carry all of our 7 suitcases. As we were getting closer to baggage claim, I was getting very nervous. Sure enough, as everyone was taking the escalators down to baggage claim there was a woman with a DCL CRUISE sign. We stopped and she mentioned we were the last ones to arrive.
She walked us out to the DCL bus. We had to show our paperwork at the desk and then we walked onto to a nearly empty bus! A nearly shocked DH just looked at me in amazement thinking do you mean they are taking care of our luggage? My sweet DS teen was so happy he wasnt carrying our luggage around We watched a very packed DCL bus take off before us. I then noticed that the each bus was designated for specific resorts. Our family had the entire back bus to ourselves. I wondered how long the family sitting in front of the bus was waiting for us. A rep walked on and gave a few instructions on the paperwork and we were off! They played cartoons all the way to the resort. We were the first and only ones at the Grand Florida arriving at about 5:00 p.m.! Now time for a swim! NOT! A premium hotel right? Not one you would expect to lose your luggage right? I had just bragged to my DH that our luggage was taken care of! I was having a heart attack where is our luggage and what happened to it? The staff at the hotel kept saying it is here, it will be delivered. One hour later, called down, what bags are missing? Luckily, I had our swimsuits packed in backpacks. We go swimming, eat by the pool. No luggage yet, 6, 7, 8, 9:00 p.m. By 10:00 p.m. I was so upset I called DCL directly. I left a desperate message and we got a call back from a representative from DCL at 11:00 p.m. DCL was in contact with the hotel. Our luggage was there at 11:45 p.m. We found out it was there the entire time sitting in another hotel room on the property. Huh? Im sorry but I just expected more from this resort.
Okay, please tell me, this trip will get better please, please, please, some Disney Magic please! The DCL rep called us to follow up that we had received our luggage. She was so wonderful during our first night crisis!
Sunday, April 27, 2003. Embarkation Parrot Cay
When we checked into the hotel on Thursday we also checked in at the DCL desk in the lobby. We gave our documents to the rep who asked us if we were going to take advantage of the Animal Kingdom Bon Voyage Departure Offer which we passed. We were given instructions to have our ready for pick up by 8:00 am and a 11:15 am pick up time, meeting in the lobby to board the DCL bus and we were given a SARS questionnaire.
We also received a letter from the Concierge Team inviting us to meet at the Cadillac Lounge upon boarding, between 1 and 3:15 p.m. for priority booking service for Shore Excursions, Palo, Hair Braiding, Vista Spa Treatments, Palo Reservations and Childrens Programming enrollment (including Baby-sitting) .. Please feel free to press the Concierge button on your telephone for immediate scheduling of any activities you desire or to arrange for a meeting time with your Concierge Team. If anyone is interested, they also mentioned that we were entitled to enjoy the cuisine of any of the restaurants in our own suite, videos, board games & CDs.
On Sunday morning we were up early, filled with excitement. DD all dressed up in her Minnie dress and shoes. DS13 & DS10 with DH went out on the power boats for one last cruise around the Seven Seas Lagoon.
At 10:45 a.m. we were in the lobby and were lined up and walked to the DCL bus. As we pulled away the reps were waiving good bye with big Mickey hands! DD just loved it! I was jumping out of my skin with excited and looked around and everyone seemed like it was a Greyhound bus to nowhere. The bus was filled as they showed cartoons all the way until we hit horrendous traffic what should have been a short ride to the pier, was an accident on the highway. We inched our way. We are from California so we know about traffic so were used to it. Thank goodness I packed snacks and juice and there was a bathroom on board! However, just as the video about the cruise dramatically finished with the dramatic climax? Wheres the ship we were stuck in a traffic jam. Leaving at 11:50 or so, we did not arrive to the port until 2:15 p.m. The staff at the terminal was quite aware of the delay as were the ship personnel. We were eagerly awaited by the port staff. Everyone went out of the way for us. As much as I planned for this, and as much as it killed me to see everyone chilling on the decks as we pulled up so late, it was still cool as heck! To watch the kids first find the ship and then pull up to it. They were bouncing in their seats! Plus I knew I would be meeting the concierge team and had until 3:15.
We strolled passed security, the kids taking it all in. Up the escalators to the replica of the ship. As we approached, there was Mickey & Minnie all alone waiving us over, taking pictures, pointing to the ship, asking us in their dramatic fashion, where was our room and basically dancing with us, making a fuss all over DD 4! It was very entertaining. I dont care how cool my DS think they are, they were grinning ear to ear! We checked it out, and turned around and took a picture in front of the Mickey ears. A complete walk on environment. We walked on, took a picture and were announced and just were in complete awe!
As you enter on Deck 3, there are many tables set up and what looked like a 3-man steel drum band playing. By this time, we were ready for whatever drink they would hand to us to begin our vacation. The elevators were jammed packed! We took the stairs up to Deck 8. We found our cabin and were so shocked at the size! Just gorgeous! There was a fruit bowl on the table with a Welcome Letter from Concierge reminding us to meet them in Cadillac Lounge or contact them at our leisure.
Shirley from The Perfect Gift completely outdid herself! We had bag full of goodies for the boys and daughter. They went nuts! There was also a bag for DH & I. Some red wine, white wine, champagne with a wonderful card! I completely recommend Shirley. The juice, water, soda, crackers and other snacks were very handy on our excursions. Id just stuff them in my backpack. On a long trip back to the ship, the look on the faces of some children as my kids at their cookies, crackers, fruit rolls, etc. I have Shirley to thank for that! Not to mention the wonderful memories of DH and I sitting on our verandah, sipping wine with the All Hands on Deck tray before us. Just wonderful memories! Thank you Shirley!
We went to Beach Blanket to eat. Loved the shrimp. A CM approached us about the wine packages which we purchased. The kids were jumping out of their skin to go swimming! Another tip from these boards: DH and the kids were in their swimsuits. There were just a few kids in the Mickey pool when they jumped in. The kids went up and down the Mickey slide no waiting. Some of the best pictures from this trip were taken at this time. I have pictures of the kids and DH all alone posing in the Mickey pool and in a Mickey ear! All Christmas postcard worthy.
About 3:00 p.m. my DS13 and I went to Cadillac Lounge to meet with Concierge. They had coffee, soft drinks, cookies, etc. Members of the team were there to meet with us on the sofa. Basically, while you sit on a sofa, a member of the team runs around to the Spa rep, Palo rep, Kids club rep and brings back your itinerary. We met a member of the Kids Club who gave us our pager and went over all the activities highlighting which ones were not to be missed for DS13, DS10 & DD4. Since Im a stay at home mom, I was worried about DD4. The counselor explained the program and I left feeling very excited for her she is going to have the best time! They talked to DS13 about the Teen Junkaroo and he signed up for it! Couldnt believe it! Since this was a 4 day cruise I passed on the spa treatments. But all I needed to do was request a time and day. I did watch the spa rep run around between the Flounder rep and Palo rep. Apparently, the mother was trying work out her schedule = spa treatment/ kids program/ Flounders/ excursions/Palo/day at sea, etc. This CM was running around like crazy! And this was just a 4 day!
After that, its about 3:30 p.m., while DD 4, DS 10 and DH swam and had ice cream, DS 13 and I went to Common Grounds while parents were allowed! He met the counselors who were pumped up and excited, calling him by his first name like they were expecting him, telling him to come back that evening after dinner for the 411 meeting that night. He left very excited and happy. Smiled all the way back to the cabin.
We met in the cabin for our safety drill. I was wondering when we were going to meet our cabin steward when just at that time a young lady came by and informed us that our steward was ill and she would help us, all we had to do was call. Huh? Wheres the ice? Wheres the trash? Who cares, its time for the drill. Harmless drill, everyone was making jokes and we were cracking up and it went by quickly. I was worried how my DD4 would handle it but fortunately it did not take that long. We did boo people who were late and some men were kidding asking what cabin was that? But it was all in fun. The Cms joke and make their point with a little bit of humor.
Now, time for the Sailaway Party! I learned from the DIS boards what were the best places to watch the Sailalway. After the drill, we headed up two decks and picked a table on Deck 10, port side, stage view right behind the life vest cabinet. We were there early and within 30 minutes it was completely packed! DH and DD went to dance, came back up, DS13 video taped and took pictures. It got closer to countdown and it was about 15 people deep behind me and we had a great view. We could stand up, dance and drink and just party to the music. Thank you DIS! The kids were so excited to hear the horn, which made me cry of course. The boys watched the boat pull out which was so exciting for them. My advice would be this. If you cant see the sail away party, go out to the front of the ship and stake out a spot to watch the boat sail out of the harbor! The crowd soon moves to the front of the ship.
DH, DS13, DS10, DD4 went back into the Mickey pool to swim but soon came back to the cabin. The pools were too crowded. I was unpacking and found that with the closet with shelves next to the door, a full bathroom there too, a walk in closet and a full bathroom in our room, tons of drawers, it was going to be easy to unpack! Still, no ice for our champagne from Shirley so we called Concierge. They soon had all the beverages, including the complimentary soda on ice or in the fridge. I dialed that number many times throughout the cruise. I figured, I paid for it, so why not. They were wonderful! Id call and theyd answer, Hello my darling, what can we do for you! Hee. We never saw our steward, O'Dell, until the evening of Nassau. We kidded with him about needing a sick day or late night again?! He confessed he had a basketball injury. Yep, sure! Right! We kidded him throughout the cruise whenever we saw him. My DH would say, youre not playing BB tonight are you? My DD4 loved his towel creations every night and only when I saw the trip pictures when I got home did I find out there were chocolates left on the pillows. Apparently she stormed in and confiscated them before we all caught on!
I scotched taped a Disney Princess picture on our cabin door so that our sons could find it without being disorientated. They told me it helped them a lot! If they got off the stairs and didnt see the picture, they new it was at the other staircase. Since there are three sets of stairs, this was very helpful. On another note, my teens friends found his room very easy. He told them the picture was on the door.
There was so much information in the room that I had to be sure I saw it before the kids moved it to the floor. I found our dining tickets just in time for our dinner. You dont really need them but it is so convenient to walk up to your dining room the first night and they seat you right to the table. I found a welcome aboard card by the fruit bowl while I was getting ready for dinner. Did not see it before.
Our first dinner was at Parrot Cay. We just loved the steel drum band. Especially waving those napkins in the air! We were seated with a family of five from Pennsylvania. To the delight of my DS13, they also had a DD13. During dinner my son turned to me asked me Mom, do we get to eat with them EVERYNIGHT? I said yes, and he just grinned. I noticed that they had a younger daughter with special dietary needs. The head waiter was with them during most of the meal. The chefs came out, the waiters and head waiter all huddled around our table mates. We would later learn that the family was thrilled with the way Disney handled her daughters dietary restrictions.
The servers really made no impression on us to remember them. Maybe because it was only a four day and our table mates kept them pretty busy. We were served by them only two nights. But I really am not into that stuff, like remember the food I ate, which appetizers, desserts, etc. I just remember things important to me, like Pluto finding my camera . That story is to come, just keep reading!
After dinner DS13 took off to Common Grounds. He did not return to the cabin until 1:30 am. We took DD4 to her club and stayed as the staff introduced themselves. Then before we knew it, she was off on some sort of Captain Hook hunt and just waved goodbye! Wow, this is turning out to be more then I ever expected! We took DS10 to Ocean Lab. We watched introductions and he too took off. DH and I looked at each other and sighed this is a good thing. We went to Cadillac Lounge and listened to the piano player and just enjoyed being together, soaking it all in. We walked the decks, looked through Shutters, took a glass of wine back to our verandah. We left to check out Deck 7 secret deck. Very romantic! We spied on the kids and went up to ESPN. We picked up DS10 and DD4 at midnight because WE were tired. DD4 was lying down on a mat along with a bunch of little girls watching a movie. She was tired and we took her back to the cabin where she was delighted to find an elephant towel animal and all the chocolates left on the pillows. DD4 slept in the pull down in our room. We left the bed in the sitting room for our boys. I never heard my teen come in, but got up during the night and there he was in bed.
Monday, April 28, 2003 Nassau, Dolphin Encounter, Blue Lagoon, Tritons
From a tip I learned from these boards, I had pre-ordered sandwiches from room service the night before. I packed them in ziplocs and along with our snacks from the baskets we ordered, we had plenty!
Our excursion meeting place was Route 66. Remember to bring your excursion tickets with the release signed. They will be collecting them there. We were given a sticker and left the boat together. A family was asked to be the last family to ensure everyone stayed together. We had a short walk from the pier to the Ferry boat. We zoomed by all the hair braiders. The women were yelling out their names. Come back to me, come to me We were one of the first families on the ferry which turned out to be a blessing. We were able to sit in front with a wonderful view and were then the first family off. Everyone received one towel each. The ferry seemed to hold about 150 people. There were seats on top also but the band and the bar were on the first level. We had a blast just on the ride to the Blue Lagoon! My DD4 joined a limbo line of other little kids. The snacks & cokes that I brought were a big hit. We would not eat again until after the Dolphin Encounter. We arrived at the lagoon and easily got off and strolled to the right.
We walked to the Dolphin Encounter location to the right. I took beautiful pictures of the kids here. We watched a video and listened to the sale presentation of various photo packages to purchase and video of your swim.
Then we were led by groups of 20 or so (about 5 families) to floating docks. There are lockers there right in front of the docks to store your belongings. A huge HINT: Do not take your video camera or camera to the water with you. Unless it is WATERPROOF! We sat around the dock that is in a square with a underwater platform that is about 4 feet underwater. The trainer, standing on the platform, brings in the dolphin, Annie, and she comes out and splashes everyone! Completely soaking everyone with no warning at all we all screamed and the people with videos jumped up and went running! They had to put their videos away. I dont think any one gave them warning. We had waterproof cameras which I was so thankful! Each family enters down to the platform where you get a kiss, a hug, get to touch belly, back, dance and feed the dolphin. My kids loved this so much! My DD4 was wearing a life vest we brought from home. Thank goodness! She mostly stayed in husbands arms the entire time. They take a family portrait with the dolphin kissing one member of the family. I love this photo. We purchased the video too.
While my husband waited for the video & pictures (45 minutes), we went to the lagoon to swim and just chill in the hammocks. They issue a ticket for lunch with two drink tickets. DH and I had some wonderful drinks from the bar. They boys rented a paddle boat. There were no chairs on the beach. There were picnic tables farther back with hammocks sprinkled around. The little towels were all we had to lay on. The lagoon was not deep at all with a sand bar extended into the middle of it. It was heaven for small children. We did not take the first returning ferry at 2:00 p.m. We wanted to stay until 4:00 p.m. The beach and lagoon cleared out and we went to eat lunch. The BBQ lunch was very good. My DS and DH took a nap in hammocks while I played with DD4 in the sand, DS10 found coconuts. We brought swim masks from home which the boys used almost the entire trip.
We took the ferry back and sat up on top and enjoyed the view. DD4 fell asleep so DH took her right back to the ship. DS and I shopped at the straw market awhile before making our way back to the ship. You have to show your ID and KTTW card before entering the dock area. The boys just could not believe how close the ship was to the dock. The Wonder just looked so beautiful when looking up at it from the dock. Its so exciting to think how lucky we are to be traveling this way. Just as we came to our cabin a thunderstorm struck and it poured for 15 minutes straight! Afterwards, a double rainbow appeared, another great photo!
As we were getting ready for dinner, (thank goodness for two bathrooms and a tub) the kids were starving so they went with DH to get chicken strips. DH & I popped open our wine and ordered the cheese and cracker plate from room service. We were to have dinner at Tritons tonight. I was getting out all the formal wear when we went over the Navigators. It all happened so fast! Thank goodness for highlighters!
DD4 - The Club was having playtime in the Lab then Do-is-do with Snow White at 7:15, then slide time, etc.
DS10 The Lab was going to Studio Sea and then to The Lab to make flub.
DS13 - The teens were taking the Teen Junkaroo Jam tour around Nassaus harbor.
Before we knew it, DH & I were alone! It was almost time for our 6:00 seating and we werent really hungry and the kids were gone having munched on chicken strips and French fries!
I called Jeremy at Concierge and explained that we were kid free and could he get us the late seating for two. Five minutes later it was done! This is just a surprise to us. We anticipated the kids would have fun but the thought of us enjoying time alone, we hadnt given it a thought. So here we are, all dressed up and sitting on our verandah sipping wine telling ourselves we have to do this again!. And then whom do we see? Our DS13 going by the Wonder on the catamaran cruising the harbor with lights flashing, music going and a bunch of noise! We waved to the kids and they looked like they were having a blast! That was a moment in time for us. I probably cried, I cried tears of joy constantly on th trip! We went to Shutters and Cadillac Lounge before our seating. I checked Shutters constantly and it was easier without the little one. While walking to dinner we passed DS10 coming from Studio Sea back to the Lab. He was having too much fun to even notice us! We stopped by the Club to check on DD4 and the counselor said very sweetly, Did you get a page? We said no and she said well there you go!. She must be use to paranoid parents like us thinking that shes crying in a corner! Nope! She was a happy camper!
Dinner was wonderful! Just a table for two was romantic enough! I enjoyed meeting new servers and we took their names to give them a small tip at the end.
We pulled DD4 out of the club to go the Deck Party and swim with daddy in the Mickey Pool. How brave he is! DS13 was in the room eating more chicken and telling us how much fun he had on the Junkaroo Jam. I thought he was staying in but as we changed into shorts/swimsuits our doorbell rang. (The doorbell was cool). His new made friends came and picked him up to go to the movies. I introduced myself, met them (boys and girls who were so cute) and then he was gone! Bye again! We had fun at the deck party. It was warm and breezy. Wonderful weather.
Concierge left chocolate covered strawberries tonight with a letter reminding us that tomorrow was Castaway Cay and that DS13 was scheduled for The Wild Side (his voucher was included) and when and where to meet, expected weather, etc. I have to mention that we had many voice mails from Jeremy. He called us as much as I called him! We had to pull DS10 out of the Lab at 1:00 am! When I showed up to get him, he was chatting up with a friend and didnt want to leave! I dont recall what time DS13 came in, DH said it was about 2:00 am.
We discussed curfew with DS13 prior to the trip. I read about the teens on these boards and knew there was no where for them to go, they mostly hang and talk and get to know their new friends. As long as he got up in the morning and did not act like he was at home and sleep in until noon. We had no problems yet. Dont tell him but every night but while DH was sleeping with DD4 & DD10, I walked the decks and found him and his new friends, a big group of teens talking and playing ping pong. I also found them playing volleyball on Deck 10. I spoke with security who roamed the ship late at night and said they always congregate and stay up late and talk. No where else for them to go, very harmless. He warned me about the last night----they dont sleep! Of course I never did tll DS13 that I was checking up on him but I did, along with another dad I always saw standing behind the corner! Hee!
Tuesday, April 29, 2003 Castaway Cay Day - Animators Palate
With all the excitement and fun going on, we were all ready to sleep in a little. I woke up and went out on the verandah to see that we were pulling into Castaway Cay. The weather was just gorgeous and the sound of seagulls made the whole scene surreal. Everyone was completely zonked out. I got our things together, left a note for DH that I was off for a light breakfast. I came back and they were still out! I packed our day bags, left a another note (thank goodness for post its) and went down to Deck 1 to disembark. I was one of the first to get in line. Soon, it was packed. Take advice of all who say there is no need to rush to the beach. There are plenty of chairs. The staff was handing out towels and I strolled down the beach (did not take the tram) and found chairs for the day. I stretched out and pulled out my book. The great thing about being early is shopping on the island without a crowd. Finally, the rest of clan joined me after eating at the buffet and DS13 promptly claimed the hammock and went back to sleep. Teenagers! We had the best time! The boys went snorkeling and DD4 and I swam and played in the sand. They came back in time for lunch at Cookies which was very good but having early dinner, we didnt eat too much. I took my turn on the hammock after one or two Bahaman Mammas. The worst part about Castaway Kay is 4:00 p.m. the time they MADE us leave. Again, I got the most beautiful Christmas card pictures of the kids in the water with the boat in the background, on the sand in front of the boat before catching the tram.
Again, thank goodness for two bathrooms and a tub. We all took our times getting ready because tonight we were all excited to have dinner at Animators Palate. We had five chocolate chip cookies waiting for us from Concierge. Well, thats what I heard, they were wolfed down before I even saw the plate. I was afraid DD4 would fall asleep before dinner and would miss the show. But she took a long bath, long enough for us to get ready and it worked out just fine.
We were very excited to see our table mates who asked where we were the night before. We had a great location to see everything. I wasnt impressed with this dining room as I had heard so much about it. But it didnt matter because my kids just loved it! Even DDSs. The look on DD4s face during the meal was priceless. If not for the show, she would have probably had a meltdown and/or fallen asleep at the table.
We went to do a little shopping before we all went to go see Hercules the Muse-cal and just loved it. DS13 took off during it to go to Common Grounds. DS10 soon followed and went to the Lab. Oh well, its their vacation too. I had given my camera to DS13 to hold at some point during the show. After the show ended, we looked for the camera and could not find it.
Back to the cabin to change and put the exhausted little girl to sleep. DH was tired and offered to stay with her. DS13 had gone to Common Grounds and came running into the room to change into trunks. I asked him if he had my camera no, he did not. Bummer! Ill have to check lost & found tomorrow. DS10 also came back to change into swimsuit. I went to roam the ship and checked out Barrel of Laughs. I was getting tired so I took Deck 10 back to leisurely walk back to our cabin.
At 10:30 p.m., walking by the Mickey pool (which closes at 10:00 p.m.) I see my DS10s group and his counselors in the pool all by themselves. The girls in one Mickey ear and the boys in the other. I watched them play relay races for about 25 minutes and he was having a blast! Then the counselor said who wants me to open the slide? and then they opened the Mickey slide just for their group. Then as they played, Pluto came to the pool to play with the kids. They took a group picture. Then Pluto came up to Deck 10 to me and gave me a hug and motioned to get my camera so the cast member with him could take our picture. I told Pluto I lost my camera in the Walt Disney Theatre earlier. He put his hands to his head and shook it back and forth cracking me up! You cant get this at the parks Im telling you! The cast member with him wrote my cabin number on his hand and said he would try to help. I watched the kids a little more the weather was just beautiful. Warm wind blowing, who wants to go back to the room! So I went to go check out the 80s show at Wave Bands. I had the best time! The cast members danced to Footloose and other old songs. NOW it was time to go to bed. When I got back to the room there was a message from guest services stating they had heard that I lost a camera and they think they found my camera in the Walt Disney Theatre. I went downstairs to identify it and told them to thank Pluto for me for finding my camera! Okay, so Pluto is my favorite now.
I wont bore you with all the stuff my kids told me about what they did in their clubs. I will say a lot of eating pizza and swimming together after the pools were closed for the night and even a scary story telling session at night at Beach Blanket Buffet.
Wednesday, April 30, 2003 Day at Sea Palo
We had planned to take advantage of this sea day to catch up on much needed sleep. We all slept in. DH, DD4 and I had breakfast in Tritons and the eggs benedict were heavenly. DS13 and DS10 slept until noon. With all the sun we had gotten, we were happy it was overcast and soon started to rain. We were in no mood to sit in the sun all day.
We came back to the cabin and the boys woke up and went directly to their clubs. DH & DD4 went to have a swim in the rain and had ice cream. I took this time to pack because I did not want to do it at night, since this was our last evening and we were having dinner at Palo. I also went down to the shops because I had heard they were very crowded the last evening, especially before and after the shows. Then, I took my newly purchased items back to pack them up also.
We received a note from Concierge that as a courtesy we could make a personal appointment in addition to the regular sales hours with Cruise Sales Manager, Colleen to rebook another cruise. Cool. We new upon boarding that we were going to come back and four days was not enough on this beautiful ship.
We also had an invitation to attend a party at 6:00 p.m. at Cadillac Lounge for Concierge Guests. Cool.
I had everyone meet back at the cabin by 2:00 p.m. so that we could go to the matinee of Disney Dreams since the kids wanted to spend the last evening with their friends in the clubs. This show had me in tears! Tears of happiness! My DD4 was in Disney heaven! Not to be missed!
We left the show and found Cruise Sales Manager Colleen all by herself! What a perfect time to rebook! We did so and will return to sail on the Magic for a Western cruise on May 8, 2004! We took advantaged of the on board discounts and booked the same Category 3 but a slightly larger room mid ship. Although, I will miss being directly under Beach Blanket and the drink station, Scoops and Mickeys pool, etc.
The boys took off to their Club/Common Grounds and we returned to the room which made my finishing touches on packing a little easier knowing we were going to come back! DH went to the early seating at 6:00 p.m. to take care of our servers. He explained to our servers and to our table mates that we were dining in Palo tonight and thanked them for being so gracious.
We had a meeting with the family and told the boys our plans to eat at Palo at 8:00 p.m. This was their last night and they were eating with their friends in their clubs. DD4 was dressed and DH was ready, dressed for Palo and going to take DD4 to her club. This is the time she decides she doesnt want to go. A quick look at each other, I shrug my shoulders, Im coming back, I can pass on Palo and have room service delivered, fine with me. He picks her up and they take a walk, eat some chicken strips, ice cream and he then takes her to the club and a counselor walks up to him while he is standing there holding her. He tells the counselor our plans for Palo and DD4 is swooped out the arms and the next thing he knows she is happily sliding down the slide! Doesnt even notice he is leaving. We keep our pager VERY handy this night. In fact, it was put right on top of the table during our meal. We saw a few couples getting beeped and the wonderful staff wraps up the meal so the parents can take care of their family and enjoy the remainder of their meal too.
We enjoy a wonderful evening at Palo and were so impressed that our wine we purchased followed us there too! The soufflé was wonderful! We mentioned to our server how much our DS13 loves cheesecake while looking over the desert menu. When our meal was over, she brought us a piece of cheesecake to go to take to our son! As soon as we were leaving we got a beep! Perfect timing! We picked up DD4 who was tired and returned to the cabin.
I changed and went for my last stroll around the decks, saying to myself Im so glad I get to come back. I was also glad we werent back in the room packing, our luggage was already out. I stopped by Shutters one last time. While walking on Deck 10 I heard a Mom! I turned around and there was my DS13 with his friends just hanging out! I chatted for a while, took their pictures and told them I'll send them a copy (which I did). I went to the cabin and sat out on the verandah waiting to go pick up DS10. Well, at 1:00 a.m. I went to go check him out and he reluctantly left.
We all went to bed when I woke up at 2:30 a.m. to find my DS13 was not in bed! I put on shoes and head out in search of my teen who must be up to no good! I didnt see him so I went back to the cabin and called guest services. They told me that on the last night the teens usually stay up the latest and always congregate on the decks. She thinks they may be on Deck nine by the Goofy pool because she just got a call from teens wanting a pizza delivered to Deck 9! Sounds familiar! She assured me there was no problem that she would have security look for him and I gave her his description. I couldnt take it! I went out again to look for him and found about 15 teens, by the ping pong tables just chatting away and then there was my son too. I didnt see them before so I pulled him aside and he calmly explained that they had just ended a dance in Studio Sea (I knew about this) and it just ended and they dont want to go home, they just want to stay and talk. Whew! Okay, call off the search party. Security found me and we had a little chuckle and he said this ALWAYS happens with the teens on the last night because they just dont want the trip to end. I can understand that but we have a plane to catch tomorrow! No sleeping late for this teen tomorrow. I gave him 30 minutes and he was in the cabin in 15! By the way, there were not the only people on the deck. There were always a lot of people wandering around that time of night. Probably parents doing the same thing I was!
Thursday, May 1, 2003 Time to go Home!
We woke up the next morning regretfully at about 7:00 a.m. (I was anyway). I had ordered room service and bagged leftovers for our bus trip back to the airport. We also had the snacks from our Gift bags that I packed also. Thank goodness for ziplock bags. I had separated my film the entire trip and had them in bags so I could easily pull them out at the security gates.
Another doorbell and there were DS13s new friends wanting to go up on deck to say goodbye. Well, I couldnt have gotten him up thats for sure. But the minute the friends come by, he is up, dressed and out the door! I take a mental note and look to see WHO is out side the door. They have their Navigators out to sign and I give my son a marker and a camera to take more pictures. Im happy hes up so I can go through the cabin to be sure we got everything. A sad boy comes back in to tell me how much fun he had and it was sad saying good bye to his friends. He said by the time he got to know them, it was time to go home. Aw how sweet, now shower and brush your teeth!
By the time we got up and packed our day bags, we were out of our cabin at about 8:30 a.m. As we walked off some of the kids counselors were there to wave goodbye to the kids. My DS10 looked very heartbroken saying goodbye, my DS13 was all gloomy and DD4 wanted to go back to our stateroom.
We waited in a very long Delta line before getting on the DCL bus to the airport. Thank goodness for snacks and Game Boys! We were all very sad to leave but I kept reminding the kids we were coming back in one year and would be staying longer!
We got to the airport about 11:30 a.m. and went to the Hyatt and got a day room for $60.00. Our flight would depart at 5:00 p.m.! I knew 3 to 4 hours waiting at the airport would be miserable! We checked in and had lunch and went back to the room to nap! On the way to the room, my DS10 started to cry! I couldnt understand what he was trying to say when he finally said he didnt want this vacation to end. He wanted to go back to the ship! This was the best vacation! I turn and see DS13 with tears too! Guess who started to cry too! We will be back I said, we are coming back!
No wonder why he stood in line while I took the little ones to go sit down. 
