Welcome Back!!

Welcome back and Happy New Year!! I'm glad to return to Living with the Magic and I think it's going to be a fun year! I've got a lot of great posts lined up and one spectacular Disney Cruise line trip to share with you all...you know us though and hopefully we'll have a Walt Disney World trip to share too!

If this is your first visit, Welcome!! Living with the Magic is a fun, Disney loving blog where I share tips, tricks and hints about Disney vacations. Along the way we'll throw in a cute baby...

...a puppy named Walter...

...a couple of crazy best friends...

....and who knows what else!

Are you returning to Living with the Magic?  Welcome back!! If you are a client, I'm looking for trip reports, reviews and pictures! Be sure to email them to me at Amanda@Mouseketrips.com.

Thanks again for reading....now let's get on with the show!

Osborne Family lights

An extra post today because I'm in the Christmas Spirit and my hubby is hanging our Christmas Lights today, a little Osborne Family Lights!

Disney Magic- Wrap Up

Hello everyone! We've come to the end of our magical voyage at Sea! I hope you all enjoyed coming along for the ride. I'd like to do a little recap today! Some of it will be specific to Galveston, while some will be about Disney cruises in general!!

• Traveling to Galveston was trickier than it needed to be.  We opted  to rent a car because I had trouble finding car service that was more affordable, plus we had the car seat for Kennedy. I wish Disney would offer transfers the night before.   If were to travel to Galveston again, we'd probably opt to do it the same way again but bring less luggage!!!
• The Comfort Suites in Galveston was AWESOME!  Clean, quiet, easy to find and only about 15 minutes to the port. They offered a shuttle for just $20 per room (up to 4 people) and had a great breakfast.

• The Check-in process at the port was easy enough.  One point I'll make is that we were traveling with our Enhanced Drivers Licences. These licences are used instead of passports for Canada, Mexico and some places in the Bahamas. I brought our Birth Certificates with us just in case, but wasn't asked for them. When we returned to Texas, customs insisted on seeing them.  I didn't argue although I know this is an unnecessary step....thankful that I brought them anyway!
• We had a Category 5b, Verandah room, midship on Deck 7. This is probably my favorite stateroom and location.  We didn't use the Verandah this time because of the baby BUT I did like having the space to separate her from us. I also love being midship and near the elevators. We didn't find it to be noisey at all and were the perfect location for shows, bars, dinner, the pools....you name it!!  Unfortunately for our next cruise we will be staying inside but I really love this room type!
• I must have missed it in my daily blogs, but we did have the opportunity to go to Palo for both brunch and dinner. They were both AMAZING! We aren't big sea food fans so there was less to eat at Brunch but still awesome.  Dinner was wonderful. We requested the same server for dinner as we had for brunch, Nicolo.  He was AMAZING and told how he'd been with Disney for years and worked his way up to be one of the NINE servers in Palo. He was also engaged to another cast member on the ship. He charming and attentive, but left us alone to have our date night.  I would do it again in a heartbeat!
• If you and/or your kids love to meet with the Characters, there is no better place than on a Disney Cruise. There were a few times the lines got a little long, but over the 7 night we had AMPLE time to meet anyone we wanted.  Often with little or no wait. One of my favorite moments came when we were waiting for my parents outside of Animators Palette when Chip and Dale came up the stairs. The spent 10 minutes just playing with Kennedy and she LOVED It!!  They really made some awesome memories for us!

• The photo's on board the ship are expensive, but for us there were a few really great ones we couldn't pass up. We spent $150 for 10 digital photos that we can print at home.
  (See all 10 photos here)
• BINGO!! This was one thing we didn't expect to love and I wish I had budget more for it. We had a great time playing BINGO and plan to play even more on our next cruise. It can get pricey, so save your pennies

Things I wish we had done 

• Spa!! I didn't take any time this trip to schedule at the spa. I wish I had done at least a pedicure!
• More time for the nightlife! Unfortunately the nursery closes at 11 p.m. and the adult stuff doesn't get going until 10:15/10:45.  We had some great nights at Sessions listening to the piano player/singer but we didn't get to do much more than that. 
• Go in the ocean! I'm still upset about this one, but with the baby I still don't have an answer. We didn't feel comfortable taking a random taxi and none of Disney's excursions would allow us to take her. 

Disappointments

• There were moments where I felt like because it was just the 2 of us and a baby, that we slipped through the cracks.  Many of the family events were for older kids, and the adult only stuff was at night when we couldn't go.  They had a baby event everyday at 9 in one of the lounges, but the Cast Member literally dumped out a bag of toys and let them have at it.  It was good for her to interact and play with other babies, but it wasn't something we all could do.  
• Halloween...I'm still a bit upset about this.  We got an email from Disney weeks before our trip listing events like a Halloween party, Trick-or-Treating, and a Costume Contest!  The Halloween party happened too early for us to get back from our excursion and the Costume Contest was for adults only at 10:15 at night (we weren't nominated).
• Our last cruise was on the Disney Fantasy in March. I remember leaving that ship thinking how amazing the food was.   This trip we didn't have the same opinion. The food was ok, but nothing was amazing (besides the Chocolate Chip Cookies from Room Service!!). I was hoping for better but it just didn't happen.

Even with the VERY few disappointments we had, we LOVED this cruise and will continue to cruise with Disney. For our 2013 Alaskan cruise, we knew there were "cheaper" options but the bottom line is Disney does it the best.  The number one comment I hear from my husband regarding our cruises, is he gets treated like a King!! 

The Cast Members go above and beyond and we felt like we were spending a week with family.  From our servers (Andrea and Julia) to the front Desk to the nursery staff....they were all amazing!  By the end of the week, everyone knew Kennedy and would say hello to her in the halls. We were even given a "I lost My First Tooth" button...for someday :)  At the airport, we ran into a Cast Member who came up and hugged Kennedy like they were life long friends.  At Topsiders, when it was just Kennedy and I, cast members were falling over themselves to grab my tray, get us a table and a high chair.  At dinner, Andre would actually cut up Kennedy's food and learned what she loved and didn't love. They played games with her, hugged and kissed her.

Honestly the list is endless!!  We loved EVERYONE on board the ship and wouldn't hesitate to sail again in a heartbeat. The experience is like nothing you get anywhere else and we'll continue to sail with Disney for years to come.

Disney Magic-Day 6 and 7

Hello and Happy Thanksgiving!! Today we celebrate the first of 2 family Thanksgivings! I wanted to pop in and share with you another magical day at sea!!

Our last port day was spent in Cozumel.  I loved the how the coast looked as we approached. Today we had different plans. My parents had booked a private excursion to drives jeeps and then go snorkeling. We were just going to take a walk into Cozumel and see if we couldn't buy a few souvenirs.

We spent a little time walking around but honestly, we didn't have a great time. First of all, right when you get off the ship it look just like a mall...nothing special.

2nd of all, the vendors were very aggressive. At one point I thought they were going to physically grab us and pull us into their store.  Eric bought a few coconut bracelets and the baby got a set of Maraca's, but after that we got back on the ship.

Bringing the baby on the cruise was an amazing experience, but there were moments when it made things more difficult. I'm very disappointed that we didn't go to the beach. We traveled all the way to Mexico and never even got in the water. It was our choice because most of Disney's excursion wouldn't allow us to take Kennedy and we didn't feel comfortable taking a taxi or shuttle to the beach without a car seat for her.  I'd definitely consider cruising to Mexico again when she's older or just as adults.

Tonight was Semi-Formal night and also the night we had planned for Kennedy to wear her Princess dress!!

Now I'd like to share with you one of our favorite moments of the entire trip...if not the TOP moment.  Kennedy loves the characters.  She hasn't really met the Princesses and doesn't get as excited as say, Chip and Dale, but she has a great time.  Our first character of the night was Snow White.

As we approached her Snow White said, "Why Kennedy, it is lovely to see you again!"

We were SHOCKED! Dumfounded!!  How did she know Kennedy's name? We hadn't met her yet. We looked around to see if maybe they were feeding her lines...but nope!  She had a lovely little moment with Kennedy and we left for the next character.  We were so confused for the rest of the evening!

Later on when we dropped Kennedy off in the nursery, we mentioned to the Cast Members what had happened. How in the world did Snow know Kennedy??  Well it turns out earlier in the week, not only had Snow White stopped by the nursery, but so had Cinderella!!  They both spent some time playing with the babies and Snow White had remembered her!!   It was quite the magical moment for us!

Next up was Mickey Mouse!!!

We spent the rest of the evening enjoying dinner and catching one more Disney show.  Tomorrow would be our last day at Sea and we had no big plans. We spent some time playing Bingo and hanging out around the ship. Also, that night we got to see the premier of Wreck It Ralph!! We absolutely LOVED It!!

I'll be doing one more post with a recap of the cruise, tips and hints and maybe even a few more pictures!!

Disney Magic- Day 5

Our 2nd port day was very exciting for us.  This was something I've always wanted to do. I've never been totally excited to visit Mexico but this was a bucket list item. Today we were going to visit the Mayan Ruins!!

While we were very excited about this day, I just have to add how disappointed we were in Disney. We had been so excited about Halloween for MONTHS and had planned our costumes very carefully.  When we got our navigator we were saddened to learn that they would be throwing the Halloween party while we were on our excursion.   The kids Halloween would party would be held at 4:30 and we wouldn't get back until 5:30. There were quite a few kids in our group too that were upset to miss the festivities!!

Back to our excursion though! The Mayan Ruins were approximately $75 per person.  We had instructions to meet in the Walt Disney Theatre at about Noon. Here are a few pictures from the morning.

We were afraid of rain as it was pretty overcast when we disembarked!

It's quite a walk!

We were soon boarding our bus. The trip was about an hour. Our tour guide was great! Very friendly, spoke English incredibly well and had a fun personality.  If you plan on doing an excursion like this, don't forget the bug spray! It was $8 in the gift shop on board!

Approaching our first ruin!

This is a tough picture to see, but there are lots of green specks on the tree...those are ANTS and each one was carrying a leaf down the tree...FIRE ANTS!

The ruins were spectacular! I expected them to be taller but honestly it was breathtaking!  It was amazing to hear the stories and to think about how OLD they are!!

Beware of the fire ants...they were EVERYWHERE!

The biggest ruin we visited. We climbed up a ways to get here. The pictures just don't do it justice!

The hubby and I!

My husband, Dad and I. We left the baby on the boat with my Mom.

View from the top!

Before we knew it, it was time to head back to the ship.  Some pictures of the scenery on our way back.

A small local cemetery  He told us this is a really happening place around Dia De Los Muertos...I would LOVE to be there for such an amazing celebration!

Pineapples for sale!

Army Guard Stand we passed

Even though we missed the big Halloween party, we still had plans to get dressed up after dinner and get some photos taken!

We had been keeping our costume's secret, so are you ready to know what we chose?

That's right! The Little Mermaid!  It's handy that my hubby's name is already Eric! Here are a few more:

One of my favorite pictures...if you look down below you'll see another family that is dressed up as the little mermaid too! They even had a King Triton!! One of our favorite Cast Members pointed them out to us and we all started waving like crazy! I wish we had gotten a group picture!!!  We did have several families ask to take our picture but we never got in one with them :(

Disney Magic-Day 4

Day 4 was our first port, Grand Cayman. We originally decided not to get off the ship since I wasn't comfortable leaving the baby in the nursery and taking her on the Tender and on the shuttle, into a strange town I've never been to didn't sound appealing either.

My parents headed to the Buena Vista Theater to get their tender tickets since they didn't have an excursion booked and wanted to head in fairly early.  We got up and had breakfast....and then couldn't figure out what to do! There weren't a lot of activities scheduled since it was a Port Day.  We decided to stop down at Guest Services and ask them about traveling into Grand Cayman with the baby. The assured us lots of people do it and it would be just fine.

 So we packed ourselves up and headed Down to Deck 1.  Getting into the tender was easy and soon enough we were on our way!

Once we docked, you simply headed up to the Disney Shuttle.  A cast member handed you 2 tickets each, one to board the shuttle INTO town and another to board the shuttle coming back.

The ride into town was short. We were surprised by...well how American everything looked.  The biggest difference was we were driving on the "wrong" side of the road, but it wasn't what I thought it would look like.

We got there before we knew it. Our plan was just to walk around town. Hubby wanted to get a watch if he found something good.

It wasn't long before we ran into my parents, who were shocked to see us, lol.   We walked around a bit more but didn't stay very long.  We found that all the stores were way to high end and expensive for us. It was nice to get off the boat for a while and the water was SOOOOO blue!!

 We found our shuttle back to the ship and took the quick 10  minute ride.

We decided to grab a bit to eat when we got back on the ship.  

Have I mentioned how much Kennedy loved our cups?

And the chocolate chip cookies?

After lunch they were doing a Chip In Contest in the lobby.  My hubby and Dad both played but neither won. It was a lot of fun though!

We then put the baby in the nursery and decided to play a bit of BINGO. We didn't win but boy was it fun! We played several times throughout the week and will definitely save money for our next cruise to play more!

Dinner that night was in Parrot Cay. If I haven't mentioned it already, our servers were AMAZING with her! Here is some pineapple that Andre brought for her.

And for dessert? Her very first Mickey Bar! All by herself!

I can't remember, but I think that night we put her in the nursery and went to a show. We called it a pretty early night, like most nights.  My Dad spent some time taking photos of the ship at night. It's just so pretty! I could honestly stay up all night just looking at it!

Up next....Costa Maya and the Mayan ruins!!

Disney Magic-Day 3

Day 3 was our 2nd day at Sea. I really love Sea days. There is just something about being on the open ocean and the rocking of the ship!

The baby and I got up and grabbed breakfast in Topsiders.  We decided to spend some time in the kids splash area today.  Since she's still in swim diapers and not potty trained, she can't go in the big pools. She loved it all the same and there were other babies to run around with!

Kennedy really loved the cups we bought on Etsy!!

We took a walk around Deck 4 so that Dad could check out the not so "secret" room!

Tonight was formal night and we have only  have 2 pictures of us dressed up! Dinner was in Animators Palette.

Next up... Grand Cayman!!

Disney Magic- Day 2, Part 2

Good Morning! It's a quiet Sunday morning here and I find myself wishing I was waking up to a beautiful, sunny day at Sea.  Instead, I'll have to reminisce about it!

When we left off we were just about to board the Disney Magic! It was very exciting as it was my husband's first time on a smaller ship. He was shocked at how small the atrium was compared to the Fantasy but that was the last time all week he made any comparisons. For those interested, we loved the Magic just as much. We loved how small and intimate it was vs. the Fantasy which, due to it's size, doesn't have the same feel.

 First things first, we headed off to Parrot Cay for lunch! They had a wonderful spread and there was a little something for everyone!

You can see we had quite the schmorgesbord! Not all that food is for me btw...I had the baby's food there too!

The desserts were amazing! Had I known how good the cookies were, I would have taken that whole tray lol!

After lunch we had some time to kill before our rooms were ready, so we set out to explore!

Before we knew it, our rooms were ready! I hate to say this but....I didn't get a picture of our room! Can you believe it?? Here is a stock photo and this is exactly what our room looked like.

It was a good size for the 3 of us. I liked being able to pull the curtain closed and place the Pack N' Play on the other side. The TV was swivel mounted and we were able to still watch it from the bed, with the curtain closed and the baby sleeping on the other side.

Here is a photo from later in the week of my parent's inside room.

After we get acclimated to our rooms, it was time for the Safety Drill.  If you are cruising anytime soon, here are a few tips:

1) Please don't be late. The sooner everyone gets there, the sooner vacation begins!!
2) Please do not answer phone calls or be on your cell at any time during the drill. This is serious! In case of an emergency we all need to know what to do
3) Please follow the Cast Member's directions...this is not fun and games.

It was finally time for the Sail Away Party! Did I mention that it was FREEZING this day? Even for us New Yorker's!!  We opted to stay out of the wind a bit, but we had a great time and the baby LOVED it!

The minute the characters came out, Kennedy got so excited and started dancing!

Yay Chip and Dale! They were her favorites all week!

This kid was pretty funny! We saw more of them on Halloween although I have no idea what the costume was!

We had the early seating for dinner so we waited around for our luggage before getting ready. Dinner tonight was in Lumerier's! Our servers were Andrea and Julia and they were simply amazing all week.  Andre even cut up Kennedy's food for her!!

We ordered the 5 night wine package which I think was around $150. It ended up being a great deal and just perfect for our 7 night trip!!  We loved dinner but were pretty exhausted. We just hung out for a bit before calling it an early night.

Disney Magic- Day 2

Good Morning!!  I'm sure you are all ready for me to actually get on the cruise so you can see the interesting pictures right?? Well I'm getting there today, I promise!

Saturday morning we got up fairly early (and sorry to our neighbors who heard the baby crying off and on all night!). Despite not enough sleep in the last 24 hours, we were hanging in there. We all went downstairs for breakfast...and it was great! They had an awesome spread for breakfast and we even enjoyed some Texas shaped waffles!! Not as good as Mickey shaped waffles but still...

After breakfast we still had a lot of time to kill. The shuttle wasn't arriving until 10 a.m.. The guys decided to make a stop at the drug store and return the rental car.  Their plan was to hop a taxi back to the hotel as Enterprise doesn't offer a shuttle, however they offered them a FREE ride back with a mini-tour of Galveston, lol! My dad was super pleased!!

Around 10 am. we went down to the lobby with all of our stuff. I wish I had taken a picture because when I say a lot of stuff...I mean A LOT!! There was another family waiting and we were certain we wouldn't all fit. Miraculously, we all fit (and our stuff) and we were soon on our way to the port!

We got there in about 15 minutes and a porter was waiting to load our stuff.  We had already placed our DCL luggage tags and before I knew it, our bags were on their way and so were we!

We were among the FIRST to walk through the doors and get in line for security. I made the mistake of telling my dad to take pictures of EVERYTHING as my hands were full with the baby.

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT take pictures of security...my Dad got yelled at immediately after taking these, lol.

We made it through security pretty fast and we got in line to check-in. I sent my parents on ahead because my Dad was going to try and upgrade his inside room.  We were checked in very quickly but all of a sudden my Mom was there. She said her Cast Member told her she needed to check in with us (untrue). We got our photos taken and quickly had our Keys to the World card in hand!

Unfortunately my Dad was another story...his Cast Member was VERY confused by a few things:

1) My dad booked a room with just his name on the reservation
2) My Mom was going to be staying with him and wanted a card to access his room
3) My Mom had the same card linked to her card that my dad had linked to his

I felt bad but my Dad was with her more than 20 minutes and she managed to mess up his whole account. He got it all corrected very quickly once on board. He did wait in line for an upgrade but Disney wanted $1,700 to upgrade to a Vernadah so they politely said No, Thanks and stuck with their inside cabin.

It was probably close to an hour before we were able to board, which isn't easy with a 16 month old who is overtired and wants to run everywhere. We also heard there was some technically difficulties but soon enough the Family of the Day was selected and we were on our way.

Remember you are given a Boarding Number when you arrive.  Ours was 8 but we were boarding with other Mousektrips Agents and one of them had a number 2! You are able to board with the lowest number in your party.

Before we boarded we got to see Minnie Mouse!! She was on her way to the ship too!

Time to Board!!

I think that's enough pictures for the day! Up next will be Day 2- Part 2!

Disney Magic- Day 1

Hello everyone!! I'm back and finally recovering from being sick!!  After 2 1/2 weeks I think my medicine is finally kicking in and giving me a break! I'm ready to share with everyone our wonderful cruise on the Disney Magic!! First off, some details!!

Disney Magic
October 27 to November 3
4 adults
1 child

Ports of Call:
Grand Cayman
Costa Maya
Cozumel

2 staterooms- Verandah and Inside


Anytime you are cruising, unless you are local to the port, it's recommended that you arrive the day before.  In case of any weather or airport releated delays, this will give you plenty of time to arrive and NOT miss the boat....remember it won't wait for you!

Luckily we didn't have too early of a start on Friday, October 26th. Our flight wasn't until Noon so we had plenty of time to drop off Walter at the kennel...

After Walter was settled, we headed to pick up my parents and then it was off to the airport!!  My husband is afraid of flying, so I'm usually lucky to get him on a direct flight to Disney. This was his first connecting flight and I wasn't sure how it was going to go.  Fortunately he did really well!! We arrived in Atlanta with plenty of time to grab something to eat and get to our next gate.

One sleepy baby!

Unfortunately I dealt with a few nasty people on the plane who felt it was more important for them to get off the plane first, while I struggled to get my bag and the baby. I actually had one woman scream at me that she had a connecting flight and had ever right to budge in front of me.  Let's remember our manners when flying and everyone has somewhere to be!

Our 2nd flight was pretty uneventful and before we knew it we had landed in Houston!! I was pretty excited that the first person I saw in the airport was wearing a cowboy hat!

Ok for those of you FLYING to Houston for a cruise out of Galveston, this info is for you.  You have a few options for getting to the port

1) Fly in the day of the cruise and take Disney transfers (not advised to fly in the day OF)

2) Fly in the night before and use a car service to get to your Galveston hotel (2 Galveston Area hotels offer shuttles to the port)

3) Fly in the night before and stay near the airport (not a great option...the area around Houston Hobby is not great)

4) Fly in the night before and take a rent a car

We opted for option number 4.  Our main reason for this was because we were traveling with an infant and many car services didn't offer a car seat or were just priced too high. We rented a mini-van for about $125 (half the price of the car services).  Also, Enterprise is the ONLY car rental company in Galveston and they are NOT open on Sunday's.

The line at Enterprise in the airport was LONG and the other rental companies had NO one in line, but as this was our only option we stayed put. Once our reservation was taken care of, we had to board a shuttle to the Enterprise location, about 10 minutes away. This was NOT easy with 5 people, 6 bags, a stroller, car seat and carry ons!!

Soon enough we were on the road...unluckily we ran into Houston traffic for over 30 minutes.  We chose the Comfort Suites in Gavleston and I can't say enough good things about it. It was super clean and quiet and had a great breakfast. Plus they offered a shuttle to the port for just $20 per room.

By the time we go to our hotel, the baby was asleep and it was almost 8 p.m. Did I mention the baby didn't sleep at all the night before? We were both exhausted!!!  She went right to sleep and after we got some food, I was quickly behind her! After all, Saturday was a big day!

It was too dark when we arrived to see, but this is the view across the street from the hotel!

 Up next...boarding the Disney Magic!





Time to Pack

With just a few days left before our big trip, I still haven't packed!  I usually leave our packing for the last few days. We are in the process of catching up on laundry for the whole family which makes packing so much easier!!

Packing for a 7-night cruise can be daunting. You can't just run out to Walmart and pick up what you forgot.  Today I want to run through what we will be bringing with us.

Carry-on Bag
If you've seen my previous posts you'll know that I use the Weekend Bag from Vera Bradley.  This bag is big enough to be used as a diaper bag/carryon and fits everything I need!
-Laptop
-Wallet
-Diapers & Wipes
-Travel Documents and Confirmation Numbers
-Nook
-Baby Toys

My husband will use a small rolling suitcase as his carry0on that is actually the baby's suitcase.  That way we usually only have to check 2 bags. We'll rearrange stuff once we arrive as this carry-on will be used to bring some wine and alcohol on board.

Checked Bags
Hubby and I usually each bring one large suitcase but this time since we'll need 2 outfits a day, plus a bunch of other things we don't normally bring (Halloween Costumes) we might end up with 2 regular suitcases and another small one.

-We will each need 8 day time outfits plus I need to set aside our traveling outfits for Friday.  For day time activities on the ship we'll just be packing shorts, T's and Tank Tops.  We only have on excursion planned so we don't need to worry about anything special.

-We'll need 7 dinner outfits; this includes 5 regular dinners, 1 semi-formal night and 1 formal night.  Disney's official policy for the Main Dining Room is no shorts, swimwear or tank tops.  We break this rule just slightly as my hubby packs golf shorts. We still like to dress nicely and I will have several dresses packed.

-Bathing Suits

-Underwear/Undergarments

-Shoes; mostly sandals for the ship but we'll also pack sneakers for our excursion to the Mayan Ruins and some dress shoes for dinner.

-Halloween Costumes...while still top secret, rest assured they won't take up too much space!

-Toiletries (makeup, shampoo/conditioner, sunscreen, etc) Can't forge the baby's bath toys!

-Fish Extender Gifts

-Kennedy's bag will also have some baby specific items like diaper cream,Tylenol, teething tablets, etc. Luckily we don't need to pack formula and baby food this trip!!

It's very easy to over pack on a trip like this so I like to have a list to stick to. I may not pack EVERYTHING on the list but it's a good guideline.

Packing List

• cruise documents & airline tickets
• passports/birth certificates
• driver's licenses and insurance cards
• credit cards (call credit card companies to alert them you are traveling)
• ATM card
• cash
• Tips for Porters both on embarkation and debarkation, room service and if you buy stuff in the ports
• 3 copies of airline tickets, cruise tickets, passports/visas, itinerary - pack 1 copy in carry on, 1 copy in checked luggage and leave one copy with someone at home
• contact numbers to report lost/stolen credit cards or traveler's checks
• emergency numbers at home
• prescription drugs and any other essential medications (carry-on bag)
• small first aid kit (band aids, Q-tips, vaseline, dramamine, antibiotic cream, bandages, anti-diarrheal medication, cortisone cream, aspirin/tylenol/advil)
• sun screen/sun block and lip sunblock
• germicidal hand cleaner
• body lotion/after sun care
• empty folding tote bag - for souvenirs and extras
• hats/caps/visors
• insulated large coffee mugs and/or refillable water bottles
• watch
• glasses, case, extra contacts, contact lens cleaner and case
• sunglasses
• reading material - books to read while on the plane or lounging by the pool
• journal or notebook and pen/pencil
• backpacks for daybags (double as kids' carry-ons)
• zip-topped bags, plastic grocery bags and/or garbage bags -- wet swimsuits, for extra garbage or if someone gets sick
• collapsible laundry hamper
• clear, plastic vertical hanging shoe organizer for toiletries in the bathroom
• small umbrella and/or rain ponchos
• camera (and disposable waterproof camera)
• binoculars
• extra film or memory cards
• extra batteries or battery charger (chords)
• iPod, iPhone, iPad, Kindle, Nintendo DS/charger
• laptop
• extension chord/power strip

MOM AND GIRLS

• Curling/Flat Iron/Rollers
• Comb/Brush
• Hair Products (mousse, oil, gel, spray)
• Shampoo/Conditioner (specialty)
• Shower Cap
• Face wash/make-up remover
• Deodorant
• Perfume/cologne
• Toothbrush/Toothpaste/Floss
• Tweezers
• Hand held mirror
• Make-up and Make-up Bag
• Moisturizer
• Nail Polish and Remover
• Nail Clippers and File
• Razor and Shaving Cream
• Bras (sports, strapless, regular)
• Undergarments, camisoles, slips
• PJs
• Exercise/walking socks
• Exercise clothes
• Belts
• Scarves
• Trouser Socks or Pantyhose
• Walking and Hiking Shoes
• Walking Sandals
• Swim Suit
• Swim Suit Cover-up
• Sandals, Flip Flops
• 5 Dresses/outfits for informal nights on ship
• Shorts
• Tops of All Types (sleeveless, short-sleeved, long-sleeved)
• Capri Pants, slacks, jeans
• 2 dresses/outfits for formal/semi-formal nights on ship
• Evening sweater, jacket or wrap
• Evening Bag/PurseEvening Shoes
• Costume Jewelry/Hair Accessories

DAD AND BOYS

• Shaving Kit /Shower Bag
• Toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, mouthwash
• Razor and shaving cream
• Hair brush/comb
• Deodorant
• Pajamas/t-shirts and gym shorts
• Underwear, boxers, briefs, undershirts
• Socks - exercise, walking, evening wear
• Jeans
• Shorts
• Khaki Pants
• Belt
• Casual Shirts and Golf Shirts
• Long-sleeved tees or casual shirts
• Waterproof windbreaker jacket
• T-Shirts
• Exercise/workout clothes
• Comfortable walking shoes, casual shoes, dock siders, dress shoes
• Exercise/running Shoes
• Swimming Trunks
• Baseball cap/hat
• Slacks
• Dress shirts and ties
• Sport/dinner jacket
• Dark Suit or tuxedo

BABIES AND TODDLERS

• Diapers, swim diapers, wipes and baggies for soiled diapers
• Formula, jar food and dry snacks (pre-packaged only)
• Baby/toddler-sized eating utensils
• Pacifiers
• Plastic or disposable bottles, accessories and sippy cups
• Disposable bibs
• Favorite stuffed animals, books, coloring books, crayons and toys
• Infant backpack or front carrier
• Diaper bag
• Diaper rash ointment, PediaSure, teething ointment and other meds unique to babies and toddlers
• Pediatrician's emergency contact info
• Tear-free and allergy-free shampoo, body wash and lotion (sunblock, too)
• Water shoes (for tender feet)
• Miralax

Getting ready

With less than a week to go my to-do list seems to get longer and longer!!  Today I want to talk a little about arrival day!

Before we get to that, let's start at the beginning!

75 Days prior to your Cruise
This is the point where you can begin online Check-In. In my opinion it's good to pay your balance a few days prior so that once 75 days hits you will be ready to go!!  A few things you can do once you are 75 days prior to your trip.

-Sign up children for things like the nursery
-Book excursions
-Book adult only meals like Palo and Remy
-Complete online check-in and print your paperwork (have flight and passport info handy!)

Remember this applies only to first time cruisers! If you have sailed before you have an advantage of booking anywhere from 90-120 days in advance!

While Disney's online system isn't the GREATEST (understatement of the century) you should be able to navigate it pretty easily.  Here's a few things we did already:

-Booked Palo dinner for the hubby and I and brunch for ourselves plus my parents
-Signed up Kenendy for the nursery and booked time for everyday. Remember on cruises that are full, nursery times will fill up!
-Booked an excursion (Mayan Ruins)

I have all our paperwork printed out. Here are somethings you don't want to forget:

-Online Check In for the Cruise
-Boarding passes for the flights (I'll print those Thursday)
-Confirmation for pre-cruise hotel stay
-ID...this includes Driver's Licenses, Passports and possibly birth certificates. We are lucky enough to live i a state that offers Enhanced Drivers Licenses and the baby will have her birth certificate
-Credit Cards

When you complete your online Check-in you'll be given a Port Arrival time.  Ours is 11:30 although we'll try and arrive a bit early although we won't be able to board the ship any earlier.  If you have any issues you need to talk to Guest Service about, are interested in upgrading or anything else, arrive early! I'd rather be checked in and then have to wait to board then be rushed!

Boarding area in Port Canaveral...we are sad that we won't be going through the ears this time!

Of course packing will be a whole other post as it's lengthier than this!  Keep in mind this is just an overview!   Cruising can be overwhelming, especially the first time! If you are thinking about cruising, contact me today! Amanda@Livingwiththemagic.com

One week countdown

Good morning and happy Saturday!!  With just one week to go our house if FULL of excitement! We have so much to do this week!

-Pack (I'll post about this later this week!)
-Drop the dog off a the Kennel
-Clean the house
-Finish our Halloween costumes (top secret)
-Finish our Fish Extender gifts

Ok so I know many of you have the questions...what is a Fish Extender?  Well let's talk about the Fish first! Outside of your room you have a small, silver fish.

Well this Fish is used to hold a Fish Extender. A Fish Extender can be a variety of things, but it's typically a hanging pocket system. Here is ours:

My amazingly talented Mother-In-Law made this for us. We each have a pocket! What is the pocket for?? PRESENTS!!

That's right! Not only are you on an amazing cruise but you get presents!! What you need to do is head on over to a Disney Fan site (like the Dis) and find your cruise.  Once you find your group, there will be a sign up for the Fish Extender exchange. Keep in mind you are more than welcome to head over and check out sailing and even meet up with other cruises WITHOUT participating.

This is our first exchange although I've read about it for years! I won't give away what our gift is until we get back but it's been a ton of fun! Gifts are usually on the small side (both for the size of the pockets and the size of your luggage!). Some cruises will craft small items, while other's will put together goodie bags. You can do whatever type gift you'd like (in whatever price range).

You can also choose to do one gift per stateroom like we are doing, or gifts for each person (adults vs. kids is common).  Also, most cruisers will just deliver ONE gift for the entire cruise. You simply pick a day and make your deliveries! I'm excited to meet my other cruises and to exchange our gifts!!

I'll have a few more cruise posts this week before we leave including one on packing!  Stay tuned!

10 days and counting!

Hello everyone! Before I get started I know I still owe you a few posts from our last trip.  For now it's time to get started talking about the cruise! We leave in just TEN days!! I thought I would write a little today about the planning, cruise itinerary and the first 2 days of our trip.

Planning
For us, we hadn't planned on doing a Disney cruise.  We had our Fall vacation planned and that was going to be our last one of the year. Then Disney announced some AMAZING deals for cruise out of Galveston and we couldn't pass it up.   We love cruising and it gave me a great opportunity for you all to learn more about why cruising is so great!! In March we sailed on the maiden voyage of the Fantasy (you can read about it here).  That was only a 3 night cruise but this time we are cruising out of Galveston for 6 nights to the Western Caribbean.

There are 5 of us traveling for this trip:

Of course there is me and my hubby. He's so excited to be cruising again...unfortunately he is afraid of flying. We always fly direct to Florida but this time we'll have layovers. I'm nervous about getting him to fly 4 times but I know he'll be ok.

Then there is our crazy adorable daughter, Kennedy. I wanted to wait until she was a bit older to cruise. She can't use the pools as she's not potty trained yet and this is so disappointing because SHE loves the water!    The deal we got was too good to pass up but I know she'll have a great time. For those keeping track she'll turn 16 months just before we leave...time is FLYING!

The three of us will be in a Category 5b Verandah Stateroom on Deck 7. We booked a GTY and are really happy with our location.

Also joining us again is my parents. This will be their VERY first cruise and I'm so excited for them!

They booked after we did. We booked them an IGT room. If you aren't familiar this is a deeply discounted rate that is usually available last minute.  It means that they were guaranteed an Inside room. We just got their room assignment and they indeed got an inside room on Deck 2. They will try and upgrade once we get to the port.

When selecting a stateroom type you have several options:

-Inside Room (no windows except on the Dream Class Ships where you have a real time Porthole)

-Outside Room (Large Porthole Window (sometimes 2)

-Verandah Room

-Suites

You can pay full price for these in advance and select your stateroom if you wish.  As you get closer to the cruise you may have the option of a GTY room which means you are GUARANTEED that category or higher and you won't be assigned a room until about 30 days prior. Then of course are the last minute deals I already mentioned.  If your ship isn't full you may have the opportunity to upgrade once you check-in at the port.

We will be flying down the day prior to ensure we arrive in plenty of time.  When sailing out of Galveston you have two options for airports:

-Houston Hobby HOU (closest)

-George Bush (IAH) (further)

Disney does service both of these airports if you choose to use them, but remember that is only the day OF the cruise. Since we are flying in the night before we've opted for a rental car. We also have selected a hotel in Galveston (Comfort Suites) which offers a shuttle to the port.

We have an arrival time to the port at 11:30 a.m. (selected during online check-in).   We've also pre-selected a few things prior to our arrival:

-A Pedicure appointment for my Mom

-Palo Brunch for the 4 of us

-Palo Dinner for the hubs and I

-Nursery time for Kennedy

-Mayan Ruins Tour for my Dad, hubby and I

Be sure to take advantage of online check-in before you sail!

Day 1

Our arrival day will be pretty simple. After we check-in and board, we'll have lunch and explore the ship.  Hubby and I are meeting up with some other people sailing the ship in the afternoon prior to the Muster Drill. Then it's time for the Sail Away party and dinner!

Day 2

I'm really excited about our first day at Sea! We'll be dropping the baby off at the nursery for our Palo Brunch. I'm most excited (and nervous) about being unplugged!  It will be odd to be disconnected for so long!

I hope that you find walking through the process step by step with me is helpful! Don't hesitate to ask questions or contact me if you are interested in booking a cruise!