davidmbfonz

Our position before we went to bed the first night:

IMG_3043 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Just a little detail - the regular-old plastic cups in Cabana's had Mickey ears chiseled into them! Does Disney miss a detail?

Disney Magic 2015 197 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

We missed the sit-down ('a la carte') breakfast service by about 10 minutes. This happened to us for the first 4 mornings, so we had to go to Cabana's. One of my personal favorites from the last cruise was having a peaceful sit-down breakfast. And those french toast pineapple towers! But we could never get our act straight with our wake-up time and when breakfast service ended. Some days, that was at 9:30, others (port days, I believe), that was at 9 am sharp.

Here's my daughter resting after breakfast that 2nd day:

Disney Magic 2015 217 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

She was gathering her energy for her Frozen meet-and-greet (a ticketed event).

Disney Magic 2015 226 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Animator's Palate was absolutely stunningly arranged/decorated for this. LOVE the lighting!

Disney Magic 2015 227 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Disney Magic 2015 261 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

So, to recap the first day, the order of events, in rapid succession were:

embarkation, lunch at Carioca's, getting into the room, checking out the pool deck, safety drill, sailaway party, "All Aboard" musical, dinner, dessert, exploring the ship and delivering our first FE gifts, bed. {phew!}

So far, this experience was almost exactly on par with what we experienced last time - another fantastic, exciting day. I had forgotten, though, how breathtaking the sequence of events was/is! It's easy to get swept up and to not take a moment to pause and reflect. We were intent on building that into our vacation this time around.

Some more pics from the first day:

Our fish extender, all set up and ready!

DSC03801 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

The boys' reaction to the first set of gifts - what an awesome bonus the FE is! So much fun!

Disney Magic 2015 204 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

If I'm not mistaken the first Christmas Tree lighting ceremony was held at 10:30 at night (we had 2nd seating, but were settled into our stateroom by then.) Since we were on Deck 2, midship, just a few doors down from the elevators, it was easy to keep tabs on what was going on in the atrium. I heard singing so I stepped out with the camera and took some pictures and video of the event. I was WOWed - should I reveal the secret? Not only does Santa and Mrs. Claus come, not only do they build a snowman on the stage, not only do they light that multi-story tree, but the Fab Five show up in holiday garb... and THEN... {drum roll} Anna and Elsa make a surprise appearance and make it snow in the atrium! Hearing the crowd roar at the appearance of the Frozen princesses was just awesome. This was grand fun!

I immediately put the next afternoon's encore performance on our must-do list, and it did not disappoint!

DSC03795 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Oh, and our first towel animal - a lobster, I believe.

Disney Magic 2015 179 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

So cool, Patricia. Yes, we remember your fish extender gift!

Let's not forget about the desserts that first night!

DSC03770 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

DSC03763 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

DSC03737 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Do we look like happy campers yet? ;-)

DSC03764 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

DSC03771 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Our servers made napkin hats for the kids!

DSC03776 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Hi Patricia - were you in our fish extender group? We received several Canada-specific FE gifts! (We're from Rochester, NY originally and love Ontario!).

I can't say enough nice things about Romeo - very warm and caring. If it was an act, then he was a master! We're going to write a letter to DCL about him. We've already sung his praises to Luis (from Portugal) - the head server, who was also awesome.

It really is all about the service. Everyone we passed by on the ship made us feel welcome, even in the corridors at all hours of the night.

Good summary post, Patricia (meatloaf). I noticed we were on the same cruise two weeks ago - I'm writing a trip report right now - will likely take me another week or two to finish.

Thank you so much! You guys will LOVE your Disney cruise!

Thanks also for the compliments on the pictures - they are a mix of iPhone, a Canon 70D DSLR, and a Sony NEX-5. The NEX-5 is a mirrorless lens system camera and takes GREAT photos and video and is quite reasonable in price. Love my Canon but I'm still learning how to make optimal use of it. Plus it's heavy.

Scan0007 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Scan0012 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Scan0009 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Scan0011 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Scan0010 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Scan0008 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

I'm going to lead with this banana bread from Carioca's - I make good banana bread, but this was in another league. The kids and I couldn't get enough of it!

DSC03761 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

The menu and theme of Carioca's is inspired by the cultures of South America.

DSC03719 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

We tried all the appetizers!

The empanadas were very good, as were the deep-fried lobster croquettes.

The main menu:

DSC03718 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

I don't do so well my first day at sea with all the excitement, so I ordered from the lighter fare side of the menu - I got the simple ribeye, which was quite tasty.

DSC03732 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

My wife ordered the lobster, shrimp and salmon skewer and liked it.

DSC03729 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

My DD4 loved coloring during the meals - the kids were so well-behaved!

DSC03722 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

We were behind two Carnival ships on our way out to sea!

DSC03686 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Here we go! It was really cool to float slowly by the traffic (you can see it off to the left of this picture). It provided a nice reminder that these folks were heading home to get ready for the work week and we were off to a magical vacation!

We noticed several spots where cars had pulled off to the side of the road to watch the ships going out.

DSC03695 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

We grabbed some treats from the Cove Cafe which was right around the corner from where I was taking these pictures. The blonde brownie with chocolate frosting on top was delicious!!

DSC03693 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

I loved soaking in all the design details and artwork around the ship - this hung prominently in the midship stairwell near the atrium:

DSC03709 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Off to Carioca's for our first dinner where we met Widi and Romeo - we loved both of them. Romeo especially is obviously a pro - just stunning service!

DSC03781 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

DSC03780 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

I'll try to get those Navigators scanned for you - does anyone know if I can attach them as pdfs? If not, I'll post jpeg scans.

After the safety drill, we headed to our stateroom briefly to get ready for the sailaway party. It was high-energy and a lot of fun. I noticed many of the cast members took on multiple roles throughout the cruise. For instance, the guy who mc'd the sailaway party was a really good dancer, but I saw him working as an usher outside the Walt Disney theater on several nights.

In these pictures, you can see the grey Miami skies - not how I pictured the city, after seeing it in pastel haze in movies and TV shows. But still a pretty sight!

DSC03667 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

DSC03672 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

DSC03656 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

DSC03660 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

This seaplane landed and 'hung out' next to our ship for about 20 minutes, then took off right as the party ended - we got video of it. Momentarily, it was the only thing cooler in the water than our ship! ;-)

DSC03665 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

DSC03692 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Here's an analogy that might explain the difference. I thought of this as I just opened a box of generic store-brand raisin bran for my kid. It started with the box itself - nothing exciting about it - the colors were drab. It was utilitarian - it did its purpose and that's it. When I went to open the top tabs for the first time, the glue had been thoughtlessly applied, such that the tabs didn't pull apart easily. In fact, the last quarter of the tab ripped as I was sliding my finger under it - now I had two interlocking tabs that no longer would aid in closing the box.

Next, the seam of the bag was difficult to pull apart. The raisins? Dry and lifeless - they would take a bit longer to rehydrate with the milk. Several clumps of bran flakes stuck together - I'd have to chop those up with my spoon. Not a big deal, but a sign once again that I wasn't getting "the real deal".

Now how about that box of Kellogg's Raisin Bran ? Colorful box, exciting sunny character on the front, a sturdy well-crafted box top that closes every time, sealing in the flavor. A bag that opens effortlessly, almost unzipping itself. Perfect, broad bran flakes, perfectly plump raisins and TWO scoops guaranteed! Tastes like "the real deal".

Now what's the practical difference between the two? Not much... REALLY close taste... really close presentation. I'd say on a 100 point scale, an 80 (generic) vs. 95 (near-perfection for the name brand). Worth the price difference? You only live once! ;-)

Thank you SunKissed!

I forgot to put an overall evaluation/comment at the top of my review, so let me do it here before I forget:

We continue to be amazed by the attention to detail, level of service, and just all-out high-end fun that Disney creates. A popular topic on these forums is the high price of Disney cruises relative to other lines. There are lots of different ways to attempt to describe what makes the difference, and people often resort to "pixie dust" or "supply/demand" explanations. I think the former is too vague, even if I agree with the sentiment, and the latter is too 'mechanical' of an explanation that leaves something lacking. After all, if it was simple supply and demand, one would think Disney would be building more ships ASAP since there is more than enough demand for their product.

Consider this fact as well: Magic Kingdom has a max capacity of around 80,000 (I know - have been there on New Year's Eve and it was NOT fun; don't get me wrong - I LOVE WDW!!). And that's just one of their parks. If all 4 cruise ships were full, it wouldn't even equal the crowd at Adventureland on a busy holiday! How's that for demand? A Disney cruise for me is like going and finding 2,500 people at Magic Kingdom on any given day, tapping them on the shoulder, and saying, "Hey, you want white-glove service, more direct access to characters, three tasty sit-down meals per day, tickets for all our shows, pools and waterslides, and to tour a couple different countries for the next few days? Well c'mon - let's go!" Many of those people in the parks are already paying similar per diem rates for a product that is much more frustrating and less seamless than what DCL offers. In short, my attempt at explaining DCL prices is to compare DCL with WDW and realize that you're getting a lot more bang for your buck - a hiqh-quality Disney experience without much of the hassle.

Here's the cute sandal one up-close:

Disney Magic 2015 169 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

After we explored our staterooms a bit, we changed into our swimsuits and headed to the top-deck. One thing to note - our steward came in and introduced himself, and left two rubber door stoppers. One for each door that formed the connection between the two rooms. We didn't remember that from last time on the Dream - I think the stateroom doors on the Dream slide into the wall perhaps? So far, you can see I'm hunting for differences. While we're on the topic, the stateroom portholes are different on the Magic - there was no cushion to lay in. No worries, but this was one of the things the kids LOVED on the Dream.

The top deck was the first time I noticed the ship was smaller. The midship of Deck 9 seemed much smaller and the main pool was very tiny. We don't go on cruises to swim, so this wasn't a big deal for us, and it turns out there are plenty of other fun attractions on the pool deck.

The Twist and Spout waterslide was A LOT more fun on the Magic - all of us loved it. Even my 4-year-old could go down it.

Here it is with the grey sky of Miami in the background:

IMG_8835 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Now, the Aquadunk was INSANE! It was at least twice as intense as I thought it would be, based on the youtube videos we had seen. Here are the pics of my DS10 getting in it with no worries. As it turns out, this was his FIRST and ONLY (almost) time on the AquaDunk. It completely psyched him out - it's at least as much a psychological thrill ride as a physical one. He just couldn't get himself to go on it again after his first try. He tried SO hard - he stood at the top of the stairs for many minutes trying to work up the courage. He now knows about the joys (and pains) of anticipation! On our last night, I took him up there and the cast member allowed me to sort-of forcibly put him in it one last time. He was relieved. He wanted to get in it so badly, but couldn't, so I 'helped' him. Phew...

IMG_8830 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

IMG_8832 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

We played and explored the pool deck and its amenities and soon enough it was time for the muster drill and the sailaway party!

Disney Magic 2015 173 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Thanks for reading so far...

Thanks!! ;-)

I loved the design/ambiance of Carioca's. You'll likely see me posting several more pictures of the lights/lanterns.

Disney Magic 2015 096 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

A few more pictures of the fabled gingerbread house. Seriously, this thing smelled fantastic!

Disney Magic 2015 128 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

It was about as big as I imagined it would be. The kids were amazed that it was all edible (we assume!). Perhaps Disney's next movie could be a re-make of "Hansel and Gretel"?

Disney Magic 2015 126 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

We headed to our stateroom and it was ready! For some reason, this seemed about an hour later than on our previous cruise on the Dream. I think we had gotten on earlier last time. Pieces of luggage showed up slowly over the first 3-4 hours. Our moving box was the last to arrive and it had a K-9 sticker on it. This box is packed with our fish extender gifts, and we use it to bring home all of our "loot". We were relieved when that box arrived at our stateroom door (it was the last to do so).

This was our first cruise as Castaway Cay members - since we had two rooms (deluxe family oceanview rooms), each room received a canvas tote and an unexpected gift of rice krispy treats!

Disney Magic 2015 167 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Disney Magic 2015 171 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

The first thing we did when we got on the ship was go to the atrium and check out the gingerbread house! What an incredible smell!

Disney Magic 2015 131 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

My daughter (age 4) yelled out, "Look, Cinderella!" I remember doubting what she was saying and as I turned and looked up, there indeed was Cinderella, two decks up, waving at us from the balcony!! I refer to this as a "shut up and take my money" moment! We chased my daughter up two flights of stairs and met Cinderella, within moments of being on the ship. Disney did it again!!

Disney Magic 2015 144 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Disney Magic 2015 147 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

My daughter showed Cinderella her freshly-painted nails!

Disney Magic 2015 156 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

After this excitement, we were ready to get lunch! Thanks to the Cruise Critic folks, we knew we could ask for the sit-down buffet instead of Cabana's, and so we headed down to Carioca's for a peaceful and delicious first meal. LOVE being able to sit down and relax during that first lunch - after such a rushed and exciting morning.

Here is the kids' plate:

Disney Magic 2015 098 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

And our first desserts!

Disney Magic 2015 105 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

We stayed the night before in Hollywood, Florida. I was very impressed with the Crowne Plaza Hollywood Resort. We've stayed at many different Holiday Inn properties, and several Crowne Plazas, and this is definitely one of the more upscale properties. The pool is incredible, the rooms were super-nice and modern, and honestly we'd consider staying here just as a vacation in itself. I had chosen this hotel off the web several months prior based on its pool and hot tubs (which my kids seem to REQUIRE - lol!) In retrospect, this location is a bit far from the Port of Miami (about 20 miles) and I would have liked to do a stay and park kind of situation (as parking at the Port cost us $100). Highly recommend this hotel though!

At the I-75 Florida Welcome Center:

IMG_2890 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Technically, we were in Hallandale Beach.

Disney Magic 2015 019 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Trying out the snorkel gear.

DSC03630 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Check out this pool! It was an infinity pool and backed right up to the intercoastal waterway (where there was a water taxi service).

IMG_2941-001 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

DSC03632 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

The cabanas came in handy, as it periodically rained that Friday - no worries, we were in the pool anyway!

DSC03633 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Hello to all! We got back from our 2nd-ever cruise (both on DCL) last Friday and I wanted to share our experiences and impressions, especially as compared to our incredible, over-the-top, amazing first cruise (last October - trip report in my signature). I have always loved the trip reports on this forum and have benefited greatly from the info. here that all of you share. So, thank you!

We booked this cruise last October while onboard the Disney Dream - we received 10% off, and got a nice onboard credit from Disney (and our travel agent) as well. This cruise was about the same price as our last one, but it was an extra night (5 nights vs. 4 on the Dream). Bonus! I chalked that up to perhaps the time of the year (the week BEFORE Thanksgiving), the smaller/older ship, or the itinerary (don't know how popular the 5-night Western Caribbean is).

In any event, we were looking for something different on this cruise, since we know how impossible it is to replicate an amazing experience. So, we chose a different ship, itinerary, and theme (Christmas vs. Halloween) and attempted to reset our expectations. My wife and I have always found that going in with neutral expectations often ends up being a rewarding attitude.

I had a few basic plans/ideas/goals for this trip: I wanted to take my kids to Mexico for the first time (I also had never been), we wanted to snorkle for the first time (with the kids), wanted to visit Miami for the first time, wanted to get into the Christmas spirit early, and wanted to have the kids spend more time in the clubs so my wife and I could relax/rewind a bit more this time. Some pretty modest goals, and fairly easy to achieve all!

Map-Magic-5-Night-Western-Caribbean-Cruise-Itinerary-A by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

I took this screenshot of Google Maps on my iPhone the night before we embarked - we were in Miami!

IMG_3009 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Disney Magic 2015 057-001 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Disney Magic 2015 079-001 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Disney Magic 2015 066 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

My wife made these ornaments for fish extender gifts:

IMG_8381 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Here are the first few pages of the playbill for "Tangled - The Musical". We were honored to be at the second-ever performance!

Scan0007-001 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Scan0008-001 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Scan0009-001 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

Just returned from the Magic today - the new show is really GREAT! We received special playbills with cast bios, etc. Really nice touch.

The musical tells the entire story of Tangled in about an hour!

This looks amazing - can't wait to see it in two weeks!

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2015/10/countdown-to-showtime-with-tangled-the-musical-by-the-numbers/

Wow! Really fascinating analysis. Thanks for taking the time. Lots of variables and feedback loops involved.

I'm sure DCL would like to run as its own entity/business unit, and make its own pricing decisions, but can't when it's part of a more complex organization.

Even at these current high (relative to other lines) prices, I think they can command them - all those folks back in WDW spending comparable per-day rates for a much less exclusive experience. We're sold!

Another possibility that you might consider - we were able to book two connecting deluxe family oceanview rooms (large portholes) for essentially the same price as a single verandah room.

There were five of us, and the kids slept in one room, while we had the other room to ourselves - plenty of bathrooms - we didn't even use all the closet space. Was great to have that extra space.

So cool, Maleficent!

To be honest, we don't have any good tips - we didn't really try all that hard to get photos with the characters, and still ended up getting plenty (and all the "key" ones, in our opinion). It sounds like you're really into the characters (which is cool!), and want to get the really unique ones. I'm quite certain you'll be able to get all of them, and more if that's what you focus even a little bit on. As others have said, those Navigators list the characters and their times - so use that to the fullest!

Hope you have a GREAT time!

:D

Oh, one other thing I thought to add - I LOVE how the Disney characters always stay in character and work hard at not 'breaking the 3rd wall'. For instance, in that Goofy shot, even when our kids weren't looking (because he was behind them), and even when they were finished taking photos, Goofy kept goofing around - didn't stop being Goofy for a second. I know this is a "no duh!" observation, but it's really one of the things that sets Disney apart - in the parks, or on these magical ships!

I've got some pics of a few of the characters in costume in my trip report. There were several characters setup during the Mousequerade Party with rope lines - very minimal wait times. Got some great shots!

DDR-141025-H_Goofy-13868622 by davidmbfonz, on Flickr

I'll add that if you're up for it - they DO have life jackets you can put on, right near the entrance, which would allow you to float at your leisure out to the platform and accompany your grandchild. It's a lot of fun!