Our 2nd MAGICal Disney Cruise!

[karajeboo]

Just finished reading your 2 Magic reports! Enjoyed every detail! You are a hoot!

We are going on the Fantasy next February!

 

Rob

 

I just got off a 4 night Dream cruise yesterday...... I've heard they've done a lot to improve the Fantasy which will be amazing! there were some crazy design flaws on the Dream, but supposedly fixed on the Fantasy. Like the basketball court directly above Palo? That was nuts!!!! All we heard was thump, thump, thump..... We have the Fantasy booked in 2013.... sooo psyched!

 

Hi, your review is so much fun to read, and the horn video is just amazing. Thanks for sending laughter and Magic our way. Can't wait for October, now for our 1st 'Magical' cruise.

 

I think the Magic is still my first love, although the Dream was GORGEOUS!!!!

[DisneyKidsDad]

I just got off a 4 night Dream cruise yesterday...... I've heard they've done a lot to improve the Fantasy which will be amazing! there were some crazy design flaws on the Dream, but supposedly fixed on the Fantasy. Like the basketball court directly above Palo? That was nuts!!!! All we heard was thump, thump, thump..... We have the Fantasy booked in 2013.... sooo psyched!

 

 

 

I think the Magic is still my first love, although the Dream was GORGEOUS!!!!

 

But why does your ticker say " 5 days until dream cruise"?

[karajeboo]

But why does your ticker say " 5 days until dream cruise"?

 

Because apparently I don't even know when I'm going! lol I think I must have put in the wrong date - I actually noticed it a few weeks ago and never fixed it..... I have some issues.... lol

[Tina0922]

Oh this was so good to read. So excited to let my newphews get "the call" this weekend from Mickey telling them they are going in 4 weeks!!!! I think this is the most excited I have been for any of my cruises! Mom is really excited this time too.....

 

Thanks for the little tid bits you mentioned for this first-timer on Disney. I won't be as stressed waiting in long lines and know where to stand at sailaway! :)

 

Tina

[hardingk]

Oh this was so good to read. So excited to let my newphews get "the call" this weekend from Mickey telling them they are going in 4 weeks!!!! I think this is the most excited I have been for any of my cruises! Mom is really excited this time too.....

 

what does the "call" from Mickey say? I am surprising my DD and DH with a 2nt cruise out of NYC and was thinking of using this to tell them!!

[suffieldhockeymom]

what does the "call" from Mickey say? I am surprising my DD and DH with a 2nt cruise out of NYC and was thinking of using this to tell them!!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-97UDB4dC-0 This is one of many

 

I'm using the call to tell my 3 teens as well

[DisneyKidsDad]

So what happened next?? :confused:

[AmbeeBee]

What was the first night's show? I just got off the Magic wednesday and our first show was main announcements from Peter Hoffer (Popper, hehehe) and a 20 minute bit from Alfred and Seymour.

[Tina0922]

hardingk, I couldn't tell you what is said (even though I would have like to hear it) since I handed my cell phone over to my nephew once I pressed 1.... family was laughing though cause all the 6 yr old kept saying is "why is mickey mouse on the phone" We kept telling him to listen but all he would say "it's Mickey. Why is Mickey Mouse on the phone".... 15 min later the older(8yr old) nephew got his call...after throwing a fit he wasn't going & his little brother was... he just started to smile & said "It's Goofy" And he had big grin and wouldn't tell us what was being said....

 

I guess I will have to book another one just so I can get "the call"....We are all VERY excited it is coming close. The boys are counting school days since we leave right after they are out!!

 

Tina

[FM]

karajeboo ... just finished reading your last few trip posts on this board today ... did you post a trip report and do you have the link?

[karajeboo]

What was the first night's show? I just got off the Magic wednesday and our first show was main announcements from Peter Hoffer (Popper, hehehe) and a 20 minute bit from Alfred and Seymour.

 

It was a cheesy little skit with a family just boarding and all the things they were looking forward to. Last year we missed it but we saw the LAST night's show which is the same family looking back at all the fun they had. It was too sad for me to sit through again! lol

 

hardingk, I couldn't tell you what is said (even though I would have like to hear it) since I handed my cell phone over to my nephew once I pressed 1.... family was laughing though cause all the 6 yr old kept saying is "why is mickey mouse on the phone" We kept telling him to listen but all he would say "it's Mickey. Why is Mickey Mouse on the phone".... 15 min later the older(8yr old) nephew got his call...after throwing a fit he wasn't going & his little brother was... he just started to smile & said "It's Goofy" And he had big grin and wouldn't tell us what was being said....

 

I guess I will have to book another one just so I can get "the call"....We are all VERY excited it is coming close. The boys are counting school days since we leave right after they are out!!

 

Tina

 

We have yet to ever get the call. The call has come but for various reasons it's never been answered!!!

 

karajeboo ... just finished reading your last few trip posts on this board today ... did you post a trip report and do you have the link?

 

For this trip report? Or the actual one I did on the review section?

[karajeboo]

Well, Jeff woke up the first morning as he usually does on vacation.... at 530am! I have no idea why, but he doesn't do this at home.

 

So for those who said you oversleep in an inside stateroom? HA!

 

I woke up about 630 - again, HA! - and when I didn't see him, I got dressed and went up on deck and sure enough, he was out on deck drinking coffee and taking photos.

 

 

Apparently the funnel vision has the same internal alarm clock as Jeff...

 

 

This is the calmest you will EVER see the Goofy Pool!

 

 

And the Quiet Cove Pool is REALLY quiet at this hour!

 

 

We wandered around for a bit before heading back to get ready for our character breakfast, followed by our first port of the cruise!

 

Oh, and did I mention?

 

 

 

 

[karajeboo]

Happy 11th Birthday to my favorite daughter Ally!!!!!

 

As it turns out, LAST YEAR we also celebrated her birthday (Disney math.... 11 this year, minus 1 year ago = her 10th birthday!) at the character breakfast, too! How cool is THAT?

 

 

 

Now the really tough part was that Jeff, Tammi and I all had Palo brunch scheduled for today, and we talked about changing our character breakfast, but really, why bother? We could go and drink our coffee, say "hey" to Mickey and friends, and then turn the girls loose while we go and gorge ourselves, right?

 

I just LOVE Parrot Cay, and we would only have one meal in here this trip, so I was glad we came.

 

 

 

 

 

[karajeboo]

Before long, they came round one by one....

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, and Jeff's FAVORITE part of this breakfast!

 

 

Don't worry honey, your turn will come!!!!!

 

 

[karajeboo]

 

 

 

 

 

I was totally shocked that Chip n Dale were not there, like they were last year, especially since they are Tori and Ally's favorites! In fact, they were hard to find this entire cruise!

 

Maybe those squirrels were being chased by the rats around our cabin? Oh yeah, when you do see them? Call them squirrels, they REALLY like that!

 

Once Tammi and I finished our coffee, the girls finished breakfast, and Jeff finished his 1/2 breakfast ("gotta prepare my stomach for Palo buffet!"), and all the characters were gone, we headed out to go get ready for some adult time!

 

I mean, we'd already been gone for over 12 hours..... how much family time are we expected to endure??????

 

Heading back to our cabin, Jeff was careful not to work off too much of his breakfast, after all, it was "preparing his stomach" for brunch.... Need that expansion brother!

 

 

 

 

[karajeboo]

After we got changed, Ally wanted to show us the secret aft deck on 7, so we followed her and lo and behold.....

 

 

We tried to come out here a couple of other times and it was either locked, or filled with teenagers..... and I just don't wanna know.

 

So we took advantage of a late port day to make our Palo brunch reservations, and it was the perfect time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[karajeboo]

This was the first time we'd tried Palo for brunch, and I'm sooooo mad at missing it last year! Soooo much food, and all of it sooooo yummy!

 

Of course we started with mimosas....

 

 

And then our incredible server, Mo, took us to explain the buffet.

 

Are you ready? Cause we all know Jeff's stomach has been prepared....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[karajeboo]

 

 

 

After he showed us the buffet items, he took us to the special order section where we could choose from various breakfast items, eggs florentine, benedict, fritattas, or heartier lunch fare like chicken parm, veal saltimbocca, and of course their incredible pizzas!

 

 

 

Mo insisted we try the gorgonzola and grape pizza, which was already on my radar even before he ordered it for us.....

 

 

 

[karajeboo]

 

 

Just a few platefuls up close....

 

 

 

 

 

[karajeboo]

Mo was such an excellent server and he spent a lot of time at our table chatting with us. I was giving him a hard time about this being our captain's first voyage, and watching out the windows as we approached Key West.

 

I was asking Mo if our captain was really qualified, or if we were just guinea pigs? And of course the language barrier had poor Mo defending the captain (his boss!) and assuring me that we were in good hands, while I just giggled and giggled at all my own stupid jokes! So much so that Mo started giggling right along with me and grabbed my camera to take MY picture!

 

 

Once we finished our meal and waddled out of Palo, we all headed to our cabins to get changed for the day, and I wondered the whole way why oh why I didn't bring a wardrobe in the next size up..... ugh.

 

Can we just say that Ally was NOT impressed with Key West?

 

I swear, if I heard once, I heard a bazillion times, "Why can't we do what I want to do on my birthday?"

 

To which we replied, "Because you're 11!"

 

After Palo, we raced back to change clothes and then went out on deck to watch ole Captain Bobby park this big ole dinghy.....

 

 

 

Well, Key West still LOOKS like it did back when I spent a college spring break here. Oh, who's kidding who? I don't remember a THING about that trip!!!!

 

I did remember that KW is a beautiful little Caribbean town, with it's very own "flavor."

 

Ally was just excited that we were in the US on her birthday so she could make and receive calls on her BRAND NEW cell phone!!!! Happy Birthday and welcome to the 21st century, Ally!

 

 

We had made no plans this day, just walking through the town, although Jeff did have plans to meet up with an old college fraternity brother who lived in Key West, so we would have to see how that would play out.

 

First stop. Duval Street.

 

 

 

[karajeboo]

I'm not sure it's THE bar capital of the world (that title actually goes to Columbus, OH, for having the most bars in a one square mile radius around Ohio State and one of the reasons Ally will NOT go to OSU!), but it definitely has its share!

 

Just walking along the streets, Ally saw way more than she wanted to see. Street "performers." Body "art." You get the picture. She's not exactly sheltered, but she's pretty conservative here at home, and down south here, we don't see this every day..... thank goodness!

 

Second stop.

 

 

 

 

That would be Ally's in the middle.....

 

And of course, it just wouldn't be a cruise port without commentary from Ally...

 

 

Now the one thing we've discovered in small historic areas - take the shuttle tour if you want to learn anything. And since we were here for the next 8 hours, with no plans at all, and we couldn't very well stay in Sloppy Joe's all day with Ally......

 

Let's take the train tour!

 

Ally was very excited to get out of Sloppy Joe's. The music didn't do it for her, and after Palo, I don't think I could have another drink..... So... been there, done that, bought the t-shirt.... Literally!

 

 

We saw it all by tour!

 

Mile Marker 0

 

 

Hemingway's House - okay, more like brick wall in front of Hemingway's house.....

 

 

[karajeboo]

Southernmost Point - been there, done that, took the picture....

 

 

Oh, and I'll have you know. I pulled out a map. This is NOT the southernmost point in the US. It's not even the southernmost point in FL! Check it out. But don't tell the locals that. They get very upset. Not that I'd know anything about that.....

 

Ally was very alert and thrilled with everything she was learning!!!

 

 

 

I kept telling Jeff to hold onto her so she didn't fall asleep and tumble out the side!!!!

 

But it was nothing a little frozen key lime pie couldn't fix!!!

 

 

And this was NOT very good pie...... I do not recommend buying key lime pie anywhere near the port, or at any of the train stops. There would be much better key lime pie coming up. Hey! We're on vacation and we can eat as much pie as we want!!!!

 

While on the train tour, we could hop off at 4 different spots. The first stop was about 2 minutes and maybe 200 yards from where we got on.... don't ask.... so needless to say, we didn't hop off there.

 

After our guide drank about 3 bottles of Gatorade before we even left the station - that would be station #2. Which leaves and goes to Station #1. But you can't board at Station #1. That would be silly, why would you even try? No, you buy your ticket across the street from Station #2, they point out Station #1 but tell you not to go there. Go to Station #2. Ride 200 yards to Station #2 and if you need to use the restroom or get a snack, well then let me suggest Depends and a bag of chips, cause Honey, you in for a looooooong ride after this!

 

What was that about our guide? Yes, every time he lifted his sunglasses to read the log, he squinted, popped a couple aspirin and downed a Gatorade. When the gal from the sales desk (across from Station #2, NOT Station #1!) came out to check off paid customers, she attempted to talk to him. At which time he downed a couple aspirin and another Gatorade.

 

Something tells me ole train driver was on Duval St the night before!!!!!

 

When we finally got going, and the excitement got to be too much for Ally, we pushed her out and told train driver to hurry up before she caught us again!!!!

 

Not really...... Although that would have been funny, huh?

 

When we did hop off at Station #3, kind of close, but sort of far, from the not so Southernmost Point, we were hush puppying it quite a ways, when we saw....

 

 

Now do you understand? The question has been answered!!!! WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD?????

 

Anyone? Anyone?

 

To get to his home with a rock yard!!!! DUH!!!!!

 

Or it could have been to get out of the way of the hungover train drivers....

 

Anywho.....

 

Oh, one more tip for anyone riding with hungover train drivers and getting on at Station #2 before stopping for a potty break and a bag of chips 2 minutes and 200 yards later..... do NOT wait until Station #3 to use the "facilities." Because Station #3 is not a station, therefore there ARE NO FREAKIN FACILITIES!!!!! And every establishment has signs, "no public restrooms" - so now that I think about it, maybe the chicken crossed the road to get to his own blasted toilet!!!!!

 

And yet one more observation. It is VERY bumpy between Station #3 with no facilities and Station #4 which does!!!!!!!

 

And the sights between Station #3 and #4? I'm not sure cause all I could think about was #2......

 

About the time we got back to Station #2, which we all know followed Station #4, Jeff got a call from his college fraternity brother saying he was off work and could meet us in front of the cruise ship terminals, which was right near Station #2.... a mere 200 yards from Station #1.

 

So a few minutes later out pops Jeff's buddy and escorts us all to the Conch Republic Seafood Company.

 

Luckily we could walk without the assistance of hungover train drivers.....

 

But it was happy hour. So we decided to get happy. All except for Ally, who was NOT happy that it was happy hour.

 

But she LOOKS happy?

 

 

[karajeboo]

This was BEFORE Freak of the Day sat down next to her, lit up a clove ciggy, and introduced himself.

 

 

 

Freak: Hey honey, do you mind if I smoke?

Ally: I guess not.

Freak: Is this your first time in Key West?

Ally: Uh huh....

Freak: What do you think?

Ally: It's okay.

Freak: How old are you?

Ally: 11

Freak: Come back in 10 years and you'll love it......

 

Now in Freak's defense, he was really a nice guy who was trying to make small talk with an 11 year old. Not too many 11 year olds sitting at the bar in Key West.....

 

But it was the coolest place, and off the beaten path. If you're there, head to this place and bypass Sloppy Joe's, Margaritaville, etc. Conch Republic Seafood Company sits right on the marina, looked to have good Caribbean pub grub, and was an open air bar (which is why the smoking didn't bother me, and I'm a reformed smoker!) with a live band and cold drinks - and the best Happy Hour around!!!!

 

When we left the restaurant, Jeff's friend Mark pointed us to a small white building to the left.... Jimmy Buffet's recording studio!!!! Now THAT was not on any tour!

 

 

And right on the opposite corner....

 

Nirvana. In a plastic triangle.

 

 

Everyone asks, "Where is the best key lime pie in Key West?"

 

Right here, my friends, right here.

 

 

Well, at least I think it was good. Jeff had one bite. I had one bite and another trailing nibble, while Ally snarfed it down.

 

But let me just say.... it was goooooooood!

 

After that, I took Ally back to the ship and grabbed Tammi, who was at dinner with Tori, and asked her if she wanted to head back into KW and grab a cocktail.....

 

So off we went and met up with the boys again. This time we hung out in the plaza right next to the port, so we could watch a REAL Key West sunset.

 

 

You'll notice the blue skies? Yeah, not so much to the WEST, which is where the stinking sun actually sets!!!!! So no sunset tonight. But that didn't stop the freaks from hanging in Freakville and watching the Freakville performers in the square!

 

Actually, it was really nice. It was a very festive, if a bit raucous crowd. I think because the ONLY ship in port was a Disney ship, it wasn't bad. I'm imagining some of the party barges showing up and I'll bet it's a free for all!!!!

 

All aboard was 9:30 and at about 8:00 Tammi and I decided to head back - we were a bit nervous. I gave Jeff the look and told him to have fun with his little friend but he'd better not miss the ship.

 

Some pics of our beautiful ship on our way back, a full one and a half hours before all aboard.....

 

 

 

 

[lpizzuro123]

Can't read this now because I'm at work - but I'm signing up to read the whole thing tonight - and check out the videos.

 

Linda

[disney debi]

Really enjoying this trip report. Can't wait to read more!