🦙Live from Utopia 🦙- Sailing with Daryl 🦙8/2-8/5 🏰with bonus feature of a week at Disney Parks post cruise🏰

[#55worktoplay]

Great trip report. I have to say you must be a master Disney planner. When I go back I will need to reference this thread to learn how it’s all done. 
 

Thanks.  Have a great last week of SOF.

[h20skibum]

I will try to wrap up this report with my impressions of both Utopia (that already seems so long ago), and the Disney Parks.  It may take a while, because I have a lot of cleanup to do from the storm while we were away. 
 

Six hours of labor later, and I only have my back yard cleaned up. Side and front will take that long also. 

[h20skibum]

Final thoughts on the cruise portion of this trip.
 

Utopia is a beautiful ship, but unless they change the itinerary to longer sailings, I doubt we will sail her again.  Even the grandkids said that three days was too short.  This is marketed to a younger, party crowd, but none of us, from pre-teens to 70+ found those jam packed pool parties appealing. Maybe that is why we stayed healthy, and so many brought home that unwanted souvenir. 

 

We had the pool to ourselves on boarding day, because we all boarded in bathing suits, and we all had multiple rides on the slides since they were not busy then either.  It was the same when we were at Coco Cay.  We enjoyed them, then went ashore later.
 

 

The Pesky Parrot is a nice improvement over the Bionic Bar, but it was never really busy.  The couple times we went there, we found seating for seven of us.  I never found a drink that I wanted to order twice.  Maybe I should have asked if they could make a classic Mai Tai instead.

 

Never made it to Schooner Bar, or Bolero’s.  Bell and Barley was like the Pub on the other ships, with a nice pub atmosphere and good music. Although they have a different drink menu, they made me my favorite Dublin Ice tea.  I probably got most of my drinks here. It is a good place to pick up your remains voucher drinks at the end of the day.  
 

 

To be continued……..

 

 

 

[h20skibum]

Cruise Summary, part 2

 

Hooked was a great restaurant.  The food was great and the service was attentive.  We booked it on the day we had cancelled excursions.  Although the app would not let us book it for 5:15 because we had a 7:00 show, we were able to call and book.  Since 5:15 is opening time, it wasn’t busy, and there was no problem making our show.

 

 

 

 

The layout of Windjammer is much improved, with a better flow.  I like the touch-less beverage dispensers for coffee and juices, plus some selections I haven’t noticed in WJ before. (Maybe that’s because we rarely go there, but we did this cruise with the kids. )

 

 

For some reason, I don’t remember donuts

 

 

 

Lots of fruit, which our one grandson eats tons of. 
 

 

 

 

and, of course, desserts 

 

 

 

 

 

More to follow…….

[Sea Dog]

2 hours ago, h20skibum said:

Final thoughts on the cruise portion of this trip.
 

Utopia is a beautiful ship, but unless they change the itinerary to longer sailings, I doubt we will sail her again.  Even the grandkids said that three days was too short.  This is marketed to a younger, party crowd, but none of us, from pre-teens to 70+ found those jam packed pool parties appealing. Maybe that is why we stayed healthy, and so many brought home that unwanted souvenir. 

 

 

 

The Pesky Parrot is a nice improvement over the Bionic Bar, but it was never really busy.  The couple times we went there, we found seating for seven of us.  I never found a drink that I wanted to order twice.  Maybe I should have asked if they could make a classic Mai Tai instead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think you are spot on. I am looking forward to our sailing on Utopia to check it out but I am not interested in short sailings or a heavy party crowd.

 

Interesting that the Pesky Parrot was not crowded at all. I wonder if people don't like the drink menu. It would be interesting if they could make some standard tiki cocktails if you told them the recipe. I have had some bartenders receptive to that and others who are not.

[NHProud]

@h20skibum What is a Dublin ice tea ? Obviously, Guinness and tea , anything else . Thank you 

 

It would take me weeks to recuperate from your trip. 

Edited August 12 by NHProud

[h20skibum]

2 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

I have had some bartenders receptive to that and others who are not.

I have had that same experience.  I had that old RCI drink training manual on my phone, and pointed out what I wanted them to make.  I think as long as it isn’t too complicated, take a recipe and see if they will do it. 

[h20skibum]

1 hour ago, NHProud said:

@h20skibum What is a Dublin ice tea ? Obviously, Guinness and tea , anything else . Thank you 

 

It would take me weeks to recuperate from your trip. 

Here is what is in it, from the old Pub menu. 
 

 

[h20skibum]

Cruise Summary Part 3…,

 

The Crown Lounge was about the same as on some of the other Oasis Class  ships that have it on deck 4.  I only stopped in once to give the grandkids a tour, and Daryl gave one small child one of his ducks.  I am not sure if they were limiting access to D+ and up.

 

The casino seemed larger with the latest machines.  Very few of the old style reels could be found.  The casino treated me poorly. Take, take, take, and give nothing in return.

 

Can’t really comment on Sorento’s, other than to say that my son-in-law had some, and he is still alive. 😉

 

 

More to follow…..

 

 

Edited August 13 by h20skibum

[h20skibum]

Cruise Summary Part 4…

 

With only one flow rider ( I guess one is better than none), the lines could get very long.   My grandson did well for his first time out, and he would have liked more time. 
 

 

Daryl would like a less aggressive wave.  

 

 

I was talking with the couple in the cabin next to ours, and they thought it was steeper than on other Oasis Class ships, but I didn’t notice a big difference. 

 

I would be interested to see how much the new play area gets used once school is back.   Just my opinion, but I would much rather see that second flow rider instead of this. 

 

Part 5 coming soon. 
 

 

 

Edited August 13 by h20skibum

[NHProud]

1 hour ago, h20skibum said:

Here is what is in it, from the old Pub menu. 
 

 

Thank you ! Very interesting and intriguing 🍺🍻

[perfect match]

On 8/11/2024 at 9:46 AM, Kteacher said:

A net full of Jello 😀

Exactly! 😂 There are so many of these references throughout WDW and Disneyland that I can’t possibly list them all here. Annette was my favorite Mouseketeer way, way back when so I always look for her when I visit the Muppets. 
 

In case anyone hasn’t figured it out by now there is literally a cargo net full of fake Jello cubes hanging in the pre show area of the Muppets theater. Always take in the little details when you’re wandering through Disney parks, watching Disney movies, cruising on a Disney ship. You never know what, or who you might find there either literally or in in some unexpected way.  

 

On 8/11/2024 at 4:34 AM, h20skibum said:

I remember her, but did not see her 

 

 

I’ll bet you probably did see her but just didn’t know what that net full of some kind of gel cubes was doing there. It’s those little details that keep me interested in Disney after all these years.

 

Did you at least see any hidden Mickeys? Or Minnie’s? Or any of the other characters? 
 

Should I have mentioned this stuff before you started touring? I didn’t because I think discovering them on your own is the very best.

[perfect match]

On 8/11/2024 at 5:21 PM, Ozark_Kid said:

Soarin was always my favorite until Avatar came out.   I would say Avatar is Soarin on steroids!

That’s exactly what I say too. Soarin’ is still great but Avatar is next level. 

Edited August 13 by perfect match

[laedw]

On 7/31/2024 at 11:47 AM, Luckynana said:

Our first cruise also in 1982!

My sister and I always sailed on the SS Norway for the Jazz Cruise. Great memories!   

[A&L_Ont]

13 hours ago, h20skibum said:

Daryl would like a less aggressive wave.  

 

 

 

At least he didn't have any height or weight restrictions come into play. 😉

Edited August 13 by A&L_Ont

[h20skibum]

Cruise Summary Part 5…

 

I will finish up the cruise summary with a few comments about the shows on Utopia. 

 

Instead of broadway style shows, they have a shorter show in the theatre. All the shows run 50-55 minutes, and that is about the right length.  Heavy on lighting effects and drones, we all enjoyed the show. 

 

 

The ice show was a little different, but they have some skilled skaters as always. It was very cold, and half our crew had to run to the cabin to get jackets. 

 

 

The Aqua show was good, but I much prefer Aqua80 over the Aqua80too that they perform here. Much of the same type of high dives and aerials.  

 

 

 

 

I have mentioned before that the sound levels are too LOUD in these venues.   I was constantly getting loud environment notifications on my watch.  Sound was averaging 95dB with peaks around 115 dB.  I do wish they would dial it back

 

With that, I will end my cruise summary and hopefully move to a Disney summary.  If any has questions, please ask. 

 

 

 

[h20skibum]

13 hours ago, perfect match said:

Did you at least see any hidden Mickeys? Or Minnie’s? Or any of the other characters? 

 
We didn’t actively seek them out, but we saw a couple.  
 

We also saw som pretty obvious ones. 
 

 

[h20skibum]

1 hour ago, A&L_Ont said:

 

At least he didn't have any height or weight restrictions come into play. 😉

But, without legs, he can’t do stand up. 🤣

[Ocean Boy]

2 minutes ago, h20skibum said:

Cruise Summary Part 5…

 

I will finish up the cruise summary with a few comments about the shows on Utopia. 

 

Instead of broadway style shows, they have a shorter show in the theatre. All the shows run 50-55 minutes, and that is about the right length.  Heavy on lighting effects and drones, we all enjoyed the show. 

 

 

The ice show was a little different, but they have some skilled skaters as always. It was very cold, and half our crew had to run to the cabin to get jackets. 

 

 

The Aqua show was good, but I much prefer Aqua80 over the Aqua80too that they perform here. Much of the same type of high dives and aerials.  

 

 

 

 

I have mentioned before that the sound levels are too LOUD in these venues.   I was constantly getting loud environment notifications on my watch.  Sound was averaging 95dB with peaks around 115 dB.  I do wish they would dial it back

 

With that, I will end my cruise summary and hopefully move to a Disney summary.  If any has questions, please ask. 

 

 

 

I wrote to RCI after my last cruise on Odyssey. The sound level was so high at one of the shows that I found myself with some hearing impairment for over 24 hrs before it resolved. Apparently the folks running this cruise line don't care about the issue.

[h20skibum]

Disney summary Part 1….

 

What can I say about Disney other than it takes a lot of planning.  With the recent switch to the Lightning Lane Single and Lightning Lane Multi-pass system, it pays to be staying at one of Disney’s top resorts. 

 

In the old system, everyone was trying to get online the morning of your park visit to book your rides, or in hopes of scoring a Virtual Queue for the most in-demand rides. Now, those staying at the top resorts can book those seven days in advance of the first night of your stay, and book them for every night of your stay. 

 

Those staying in lower tier Disney properties could book rides three days in advance, and those staying off property would be booking day of their visit.  

 

Do you need to book in advance?  No, but it depends on what kind of experience you expect.  Neighbors of my daughter took their girls to Disney this summer, and they only had park passes. No lightning lanes booked, and no virtual queues, and they were only able to ride two rides the day they were there.  

 

The thing I disliked about this system, other than paying extra above your park pass, was the timed system to redeem your ride pass.  You could find yourself going from one end of the park to the other, then back depending on where your ride is.  

 

I much prefer Universal’s fast pass, because you can get in their fast pass lane anytime.  

 

Could I have planned better?  Possibly.  I would have liked to book each ride so you could make a natural progression around the park.  With how fast times book up for popular rides, I am not sure that is possible.   I think it takes a little spontaneity out of your visit.  

[h20skibum]

Disney Summary Part 2…

 

To navigate Disney, you will be using the My Disney Experience App.  You will constantly check it to navigate to a ride or to check wait times for standby lines.  Sometimes, if we found a low wait time for something, we would join the standby line while waiting for our next booked ride time.  

 

All this app use seemed to affect our phone’s battery life.  Probably that, plus the August heat, and our phone charge was lucky to last from park opening until 1 or 2 pm.  So my advice is to make sure you have a fully charged portable charger with you.  We each carried one. 

 

Another piece of advice….If you get a notification that your ride times overlap, don’t worry about it.  You can make them. 
 

 

 

[h20skibum]

Disney Summary Part 3….

 

If you are visiting the parks, bring your walking shoes.  Our step count kept ramping up each day we were there. 

 

 

If you are there in the heat of August, make sure you have plenty of liquids to stay hydrated.  

 

I carried a lightweight backpack every day that had disposable rain ponchos, portable chargers, and water bottles. The advantage at Disney is you can take the backpack on every ride, except Tron.  There, you had to put it in a locker. 

 

[h20skibum]

Disney Summary Part 4….

 

Disney Dining Plan.  For us, this made sense, because it was offered free to us because we subscribe to the Disney + streaming service.  It was a special when we booked, so I don’t know if it is always offered.  

 

Since we were staying 6 nights, it gave each of us 6 table service credits, 6 quick meal service credits, 6 snack credits, and it gave us resort refillable mugs to refill with sodas. 

 

A quick service meal is typically a main, a side and a drink, and table service meal has a more upscale main and adds a dessert.  You can substitute an adult beverage instead of a soda at these meals, so that more than maximizes your value.  I would typically have a $15-$20 cocktail with each meal.  

 

It was always nice to see that zero receipt.  For the table service restaurants, tipping is extra, but still a good deal. 

 

Two restaurants I recommend are Ohana’s at the Polynesian Resort, and Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary.  Both used only one table service credit, and at Chef Mickey’s you had several characters come around for photos and autographs 

 

 

Character Dining at Artist’s Point at Wilderness Lodge used two dining credits.  We had a nice prime rib dinner, and photos with characters, but I am not sure it was worth using that extra credit.  

 

Be Our Guest at Magic Kingdom also used two dining credits.  Although the Beast made his rounds and waved, no pictures with him, and we never saw Belle.  Our filet mignon was not the most tender, so this was not worth the extra credit.  

 

Space 220 restaurant in Epcot doesn’t accept the Disney Dining Plan, so you are paying over $100/pp here.  To me, it is all about the atmosphere, and this was our grandson’s favorite restaurant.  We had filet mignon again, and the ones we eat at home are more tender. 

 

Our last table service restaurant was the Sci-Fi Dine in.  We paid here because we were out of dining credits.  It is a unique atmosphere, and food choices are limited to sandwiches and salads, but we all enjoyed eating in the cars at a drive in venue.  Just be prepared to use your phone flashlight, because it is dark in there. 

[Ocean Boy]

I think this thread has convinced me that I don't want to go back to Disney.

 

And to think that people were grumbling when Oasis came on line because they didn't want to have to plan ahead of time to reserve shows.

[h20skibum]

Disney Summary Part 5….

 

Wilderness Lodge.   This resort was our home for the week.  We were in. Fireworks View room on the sixth floor and had a nice view of the fireworks at Magic Kingdom every night.  It is a nice property with a great pool that was refreshing to use. 
 

 

The lodge was showing some wear, it it was just starting to undergo some exterior renovations as we left.  Not sure what the renovations will include, or how long it will take them, but you may want to check if you plan a stay.  

 

If I were to do the Disney Parks again, I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here.  The staff was helpful and accommodating.  
 

Disney busses ran fairly often, and the times were pretty accurate and updated in real time.