gometros
<font color=teal>WDWWDS Chief Weapons Inspector an
- Joined
- May 4, 2001
Disney Magic - Day 6, November 29, 2001
Today was a day at sea and a lazy day at that. We spent the whole day at the pool, breaking only for lunch. It was partly sunny, enough to get some color.
Tonight was the second formal night and we ate in Parrot Cay. We shared our champagne that was left for us in our room as return cruisers, with the rest of our table. After dinner, Judy and I took formal pictures with Minnie and in front of Helmsman Mickey. We then went to see Disney Dreams. We sat with Frank and Pat again. The show was still great. At one point, while the front trap door was still open, bubbles come out of the sides and some of the little kids up front were chasing them. A little kid wandered up on the stage and came within a hair's breath of walking into the open hole before a man grabbed him. Everyone in the audience gasped.
After dinner, we went to Rocking Bar D to see Dan Riley, a comedian who was on the Wonder with us last year. He is a singer/comedian who does comic renderings of popular songs ala Weird Al Yankovic. I love his interpretation of La Bamba
After Dan Riley was a 70s show. They played 70s disco music and did a cute little show, choosing women from the audience to lip synch to Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive and then three men to do a John Travolta impersonation. Some of the stuff they did was hysterical. It's amazing how uninhibited people can be when they are among strangers.
Disney Magic - Day 7, November 30, 2001
Castaway Cay and Disembarkation
Today was Castaway Cay day. I woke up at 8:00 and sat on the veranda to watch as we approached the island. We docked at around 9:00. Since, we backed into dock, our room was facing the island, a great view.
Judy and I went up to Topsiders for breakfast at 9:30 and after picking some things up in the room, went straight to Serenity Bay. We took the trams, rather than walk and as we entered the beach area, I saw Frank waving to us. He had recalled my mentioning that I wanted a hammock and saved one for me. In addition, he saved us two lounge chairs. We were right near the entrance, meaning we were near all the facilities.
We did nothing all day, except enjoy the beach. Judy went off for her massage at 12:00 and Frank and Pat went off to have lunch. Now, up to this point, I thought that lunch meant going back to the main area and getting on line for Cookie's Bar-B-Que. However, Frank and Pat came back quickly and I found out that there was a separate lunch for Serenity Bay. I don't ever remember reading that on the boards. They served hamburgers, hotdogs, grilled salmon, steak and chicken. There was fresh fruit and drinks. I don't recall seeing any desserts. So, I went off to grab a bite to eat and when Judy got back, let her know that she didn't have to go back to the ship to eat, because they had salmon. We never made it to Serenity Bay in 2000 and I don't recall this being set up when we cruise in Summer of '98. What a pleasure.
After eating, I went into the water. I love the grade at Serenity Bay. You can walk out pretty far and the water never gets above your waist. The bottom is not as smooth as the family beach, but it's so clear you can avoid the coral easy enough.
I went back to my hammock and got into a conversation with people sitting next to us. They were all from the same table and became friendly during the cruise. One gentleman drove the vans for the DVC tours. We were talking DVC and he was so knowledgeable, I just assumed he was a member. That's when he told me what he did. One of his tablemates was a woman we had seen the night before at the 70s show and was one of the contestants for the Gloria Gaynor look-alike contest. She also was a CM, working in the college intern program. Boy did we milk her for information! My daughter Sara is a senior in college and has always wanted to be a Disney intern. She was travelling with her parents, but not with her husband who didn't have any vacation time left. What a guy. I don't know if I would have let Judy go off cruising without ME. We also ran into the woman who won the Gloria Gaynor contest the night before and was not surprised to find she was also a cast member, who worked in entertainment in Fantasmic! No wonder she was so good last night. She was with two friends who were animators. We talked with them for a while, a lot about their experiences working in animation and how they began working with Disney.
It was getting close to 2:30, so I went to wait for my massage. I only had to wait a few minutes before my therapist came to get me. This was the best thing I did all week. The massage was absolutely heavenly.
By the time it was over, it was close to time to 4:00, so we headed back to the ship, stopping to do our obligatory shopping. I bought a bunch of Castaway Cay pins and Judy got another refrigerator magnet. We boarded and went up to the room to get ready for dinner.
<p><center><A href="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/viewimage.x/00000000/samsarmy/MagicatCC.JPG"><img src="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/samsarmy/.mids/MagicatCC.JPG" ALT="Image Hosting by auctionwatch.com" ><font size=1><br>Click image to view larger version</font></A></center><br>
Our last night was back where we started, in Lumiere's. We knew Pat and Frank were going to Palos, but when we got to the table, only Al and Sadie were there. No sign of Larry and Pam. Tonight was the "It's A Small World" series. The main attraction was the Prime Rib entree and the Baked Alaska dessert. Pam did show up eventually, to take care of Zoran and Yan. It turned out that Larry had too much sun and had a terrible headache.
After dinner, Judy went up to the room to finish packing and I went to buy the Helmsman Mickey pin that is only sold on the first and last nights of the cruise. I ended up talking with an older gentleman, wearing a Korean War Veterans cap, who was standing there with his grandson. I learned that he had been collecting pins for twenty years and got his grandchildren into it.
Judy and I headed to the Walt Disney Theater for the farewell show. As usual, Frank and Pat were there a head of us and were saving us seats. Judy was a little a head of me and all of a sudden, as I got to the lower section of the theater, I slipped on something and went flying. Two cast members were at my side in a flash to see if I was okay. I hit my knee pretty hard, but I was more concerned about my elbow, since I just had surgery on it two months ago. I was able to get up by myself, but I could tell that I was going to hurt in the morning. Before the show started, another cast member came to our aisle and asked me if I was okay.
The show was another winner. Dan Riley and Michael Harrison performed again. Harrison picked a boy from the audience and turned him into a ventriloquist's dummy using props (including a moveable mouth). It had the audience in stitches.
After the show was over, I went down to guest services to fill out an accident report. We then met Frank and Pat in Off Beat for the final performance of Dueling Pianos. I asked one of the servers for ice to put on my knee. He came up with a serving glove filled with ice. It was all he could find. Imagine the looks I got when people so me with my leg stretched out and a plastic glove on my knee!
I was starting to feel sore, so I left Judy and went back to the room, stopping at the Internet cafe for one last check. Before getting to the Internet Cafe, I stopped to take a picture of the finished Gingerbread House. All week, we were watching as it was built from scratch and it was finally finished and beautiful. By the time I got to the Internet Cafe, it was already closed, so I went up to the room.
<p><center><A href="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/viewimage.x/00000000/samsarmy/GingerbreadHouse.JPG"><img src="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/samsarmy/.mids/GingerbreadHouse.JPG" ALT="Image Hosting by auctionwatch.com" ><font size=1><br>Click image to view larger version</font></A></center><BR>
Debarkation Day
We got up at 6:30. I had a rough night sleeping and had trouble standing up from the low bed. I could hardly walk and my leg was stiff. Judy went down to guest services to get me a wheelchair. We got our stuff together and attempted to go up to Topsiders for breakfast. Problem was, Judy couldn't move the wheelchair! One of the stateroom attendants helped us out and took me up to Topsiders. We had breakfast, then Judy asked someone to help us with the wheelchair. One of the servers pushed us down to the atrium and passed me over at the ship's exit to someone from immigration and control. When we got down to the luggage area, a porter took over. We easily found our baggage and were outside in no time. Maybe it was being in the wheelchair, but I so no difference leaving the ship now than the last time we sailed Disney. The only difference I saw was the occasional National Guardsman.
Judy was allowed to get the car and pick me up curbside. We drove to Sanford, stopping at the Seminole Town Center to get some sandwiches at Subway before heading to the train. Unlike Lorton, we could have checked in and left, but we didn't know that. So, we hung around the terminal. One of the attendants got me a wheelchair and brought me into the waiting area. Judy got us an upgrade to the Deluxe Family room, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise, since the roomier accommodation made it easier for me to get up in the middle of the night. We ate dinner in the room. The train was a little ahead of schedule arriving in Lorton (why couldn't it have worked out this way going down?) and we had our car in an hour and were off for home.
Final Observations
1) If you have the opportunity to get a veranda, take it. Whoever says you don't spend a lot of your time in your room have never been on a Disney cruise. If for nothing but to sit on the veranda late at night before bedtime, or in the morning for a cup of coffee, it is heavenly.
2) We weren't sure whether to get dressed for dinner on the formal night, prior to going to the DVC gathering and decided not to. There was enough time before the dinner started, to get changed.
3) For people taking seasickness medication. If you think you're feeling better one day than another, don't skip taking it. Stay with the program.
4) If you have pictures taken on board (and you will), don't forget to go to Shutters to check them out. We were having such a good time, we never seemed to have time to go. While I'm glad I avoided spending a fortune, there were probably one or two pictures we would have liked.
5) If you plan to use the Internet cafe, do take the $89.95 special. At 75 cents a minute, the minutes add up very quickly, especially since navigation if not as straightforward as working from home.
6) If you want to take a cell phone with you, do so. We were able to call home from St. Thomas (I use Sprint PCS) and it wasn't that expensive, less than 75 cents a minute.
7) If you cannot make a decision on the appetizer or entree at dinner, don't be afraid to ask to try both. Some people may not be accustomed to doing this, but it is entirely an okay thing to do.
Oh yeah, one more thing. Don't forget to bring your pins
Today was a day at sea and a lazy day at that. We spent the whole day at the pool, breaking only for lunch. It was partly sunny, enough to get some color.
Tonight was the second formal night and we ate in Parrot Cay. We shared our champagne that was left for us in our room as return cruisers, with the rest of our table. After dinner, Judy and I took formal pictures with Minnie and in front of Helmsman Mickey. We then went to see Disney Dreams. We sat with Frank and Pat again. The show was still great. At one point, while the front trap door was still open, bubbles come out of the sides and some of the little kids up front were chasing them. A little kid wandered up on the stage and came within a hair's breath of walking into the open hole before a man grabbed him. Everyone in the audience gasped.
After dinner, we went to Rocking Bar D to see Dan Riley, a comedian who was on the Wonder with us last year. He is a singer/comedian who does comic renderings of popular songs ala Weird Al Yankovic. I love his interpretation of La Bamba
After Dan Riley was a 70s show. They played 70s disco music and did a cute little show, choosing women from the audience to lip synch to Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive and then three men to do a John Travolta impersonation. Some of the stuff they did was hysterical. It's amazing how uninhibited people can be when they are among strangers.
Disney Magic - Day 7, November 30, 2001
Castaway Cay and Disembarkation
Today was Castaway Cay day. I woke up at 8:00 and sat on the veranda to watch as we approached the island. We docked at around 9:00. Since, we backed into dock, our room was facing the island, a great view.
Judy and I went up to Topsiders for breakfast at 9:30 and after picking some things up in the room, went straight to Serenity Bay. We took the trams, rather than walk and as we entered the beach area, I saw Frank waving to us. He had recalled my mentioning that I wanted a hammock and saved one for me. In addition, he saved us two lounge chairs. We were right near the entrance, meaning we were near all the facilities.
We did nothing all day, except enjoy the beach. Judy went off for her massage at 12:00 and Frank and Pat went off to have lunch. Now, up to this point, I thought that lunch meant going back to the main area and getting on line for Cookie's Bar-B-Que. However, Frank and Pat came back quickly and I found out that there was a separate lunch for Serenity Bay. I don't ever remember reading that on the boards. They served hamburgers, hotdogs, grilled salmon, steak and chicken. There was fresh fruit and drinks. I don't recall seeing any desserts. So, I went off to grab a bite to eat and when Judy got back, let her know that she didn't have to go back to the ship to eat, because they had salmon. We never made it to Serenity Bay in 2000 and I don't recall this being set up when we cruise in Summer of '98. What a pleasure.
After eating, I went into the water. I love the grade at Serenity Bay. You can walk out pretty far and the water never gets above your waist. The bottom is not as smooth as the family beach, but it's so clear you can avoid the coral easy enough.
I went back to my hammock and got into a conversation with people sitting next to us. They were all from the same table and became friendly during the cruise. One gentleman drove the vans for the DVC tours. We were talking DVC and he was so knowledgeable, I just assumed he was a member. That's when he told me what he did. One of his tablemates was a woman we had seen the night before at the 70s show and was one of the contestants for the Gloria Gaynor look-alike contest. She also was a CM, working in the college intern program. Boy did we milk her for information! My daughter Sara is a senior in college and has always wanted to be a Disney intern. She was travelling with her parents, but not with her husband who didn't have any vacation time left. What a guy. I don't know if I would have let Judy go off cruising without ME. We also ran into the woman who won the Gloria Gaynor contest the night before and was not surprised to find she was also a cast member, who worked in entertainment in Fantasmic! No wonder she was so good last night. She was with two friends who were animators. We talked with them for a while, a lot about their experiences working in animation and how they began working with Disney.
It was getting close to 2:30, so I went to wait for my massage. I only had to wait a few minutes before my therapist came to get me. This was the best thing I did all week. The massage was absolutely heavenly.
By the time it was over, it was close to time to 4:00, so we headed back to the ship, stopping to do our obligatory shopping. I bought a bunch of Castaway Cay pins and Judy got another refrigerator magnet. We boarded and went up to the room to get ready for dinner.
<p><center><A href="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/viewimage.x/00000000/samsarmy/MagicatCC.JPG"><img src="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/samsarmy/.mids/MagicatCC.JPG" ALT="Image Hosting by auctionwatch.com" ><font size=1><br>Click image to view larger version</font></A></center><br>
Our last night was back where we started, in Lumiere's. We knew Pat and Frank were going to Palos, but when we got to the table, only Al and Sadie were there. No sign of Larry and Pam. Tonight was the "It's A Small World" series. The main attraction was the Prime Rib entree and the Baked Alaska dessert. Pam did show up eventually, to take care of Zoran and Yan. It turned out that Larry had too much sun and had a terrible headache.
After dinner, Judy went up to the room to finish packing and I went to buy the Helmsman Mickey pin that is only sold on the first and last nights of the cruise. I ended up talking with an older gentleman, wearing a Korean War Veterans cap, who was standing there with his grandson. I learned that he had been collecting pins for twenty years and got his grandchildren into it.
Judy and I headed to the Walt Disney Theater for the farewell show. As usual, Frank and Pat were there a head of us and were saving us seats. Judy was a little a head of me and all of a sudden, as I got to the lower section of the theater, I slipped on something and went flying. Two cast members were at my side in a flash to see if I was okay. I hit my knee pretty hard, but I was more concerned about my elbow, since I just had surgery on it two months ago. I was able to get up by myself, but I could tell that I was going to hurt in the morning. Before the show started, another cast member came to our aisle and asked me if I was okay.
The show was another winner. Dan Riley and Michael Harrison performed again. Harrison picked a boy from the audience and turned him into a ventriloquist's dummy using props (including a moveable mouth). It had the audience in stitches.
After the show was over, I went down to guest services to fill out an accident report. We then met Frank and Pat in Off Beat for the final performance of Dueling Pianos. I asked one of the servers for ice to put on my knee. He came up with a serving glove filled with ice. It was all he could find. Imagine the looks I got when people so me with my leg stretched out and a plastic glove on my knee!
I was starting to feel sore, so I left Judy and went back to the room, stopping at the Internet cafe for one last check. Before getting to the Internet Cafe, I stopped to take a picture of the finished Gingerbread House. All week, we were watching as it was built from scratch and it was finally finished and beautiful. By the time I got to the Internet Cafe, it was already closed, so I went up to the room.
<p><center><A href="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/viewimage.x/00000000/samsarmy/GingerbreadHouse.JPG"><img src="http://imagehost.auctionwatch.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/samsarmy/.mids/GingerbreadHouse.JPG" ALT="Image Hosting by auctionwatch.com" ><font size=1><br>Click image to view larger version</font></A></center><BR>
Debarkation Day
We got up at 6:30. I had a rough night sleeping and had trouble standing up from the low bed. I could hardly walk and my leg was stiff. Judy went down to guest services to get me a wheelchair. We got our stuff together and attempted to go up to Topsiders for breakfast. Problem was, Judy couldn't move the wheelchair! One of the stateroom attendants helped us out and took me up to Topsiders. We had breakfast, then Judy asked someone to help us with the wheelchair. One of the servers pushed us down to the atrium and passed me over at the ship's exit to someone from immigration and control. When we got down to the luggage area, a porter took over. We easily found our baggage and were outside in no time. Maybe it was being in the wheelchair, but I so no difference leaving the ship now than the last time we sailed Disney. The only difference I saw was the occasional National Guardsman.
Judy was allowed to get the car and pick me up curbside. We drove to Sanford, stopping at the Seminole Town Center to get some sandwiches at Subway before heading to the train. Unlike Lorton, we could have checked in and left, but we didn't know that. So, we hung around the terminal. One of the attendants got me a wheelchair and brought me into the waiting area. Judy got us an upgrade to the Deluxe Family room, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise, since the roomier accommodation made it easier for me to get up in the middle of the night. We ate dinner in the room. The train was a little ahead of schedule arriving in Lorton (why couldn't it have worked out this way going down?) and we had our car in an hour and were off for home.
Final Observations
1) If you have the opportunity to get a veranda, take it. Whoever says you don't spend a lot of your time in your room have never been on a Disney cruise. If for nothing but to sit on the veranda late at night before bedtime, or in the morning for a cup of coffee, it is heavenly.
2) We weren't sure whether to get dressed for dinner on the formal night, prior to going to the DVC gathering and decided not to. There was enough time before the dinner started, to get changed.
3) For people taking seasickness medication. If you think you're feeling better one day than another, don't skip taking it. Stay with the program.
4) If you have pictures taken on board (and you will), don't forget to go to Shutters to check them out. We were having such a good time, we never seemed to have time to go. While I'm glad I avoided spending a fortune, there were probably one or two pictures we would have liked.
5) If you plan to use the Internet cafe, do take the $89.95 special. At 75 cents a minute, the minutes add up very quickly, especially since navigation if not as straightforward as working from home.
6) If you want to take a cell phone with you, do so. We were able to call home from St. Thomas (I use Sprint PCS) and it wasn't that expensive, less than 75 cents a minute.
7) If you cannot make a decision on the appetizer or entree at dinner, don't be afraid to ask to try both. Some people may not be accustomed to doing this, but it is entirely an okay thing to do.
Oh yeah, one more thing. Don't forget to bring your pins
