Guest Post - Cruising for the First Time on Disney Magic

This cruise was our first.  Not just a first on a Disney Cruise Line, but on ANY cruise line.  We had lots of questions, lots of concerns.  Today's blog comes on the heels of our 7 day Western Caribbean cruise on the Disney Magic.  I'm told by other guests that we have set the bar high for any other cruises we take.  We were told that other cruise lines are not as personable, as friendly and well.... as Disney as the Magic was for us.

Graduation Celebration....decisions, decisions, decisions!

One of the great things about cruising with Disney is, it's up to you how much you spend on board the ship and what kinds of activities you participate in.  On a tight budget? No problem! You can prepay your gratuities and once you get on board you don't have to spend a single penny! Enjoy all the food, sun and entertainment you want!

Of course, there is always something you can add on.  On a Disney Cruise you will find a variety of adult dining, family activities, excursion and more for an added cost. In the past we've done pedicures at the spa, as well adult dining and an excursion once or twice. Oh and let's not forget our addiction to Bingo.....

So when we sat down to figure out what we wanted to do for our upcoming Graduation Celebration cruise, we decided we would pick ONE big thing to do.  Eric has decided that we'll swim with the dolphins...we'll put that on the back burner for now as we are still deciding on which one and how much :)

As we discussed what we'd like to do the topic of a cabana on Castaway Cay was brought up. Now hubby and I aren't really beach people. We like to DO stuff, but not necessarily sit around. Our traveling companions are really looking forward to this beach day however.  The price of the Cabana is costly but let's break down the reasons why we decided to book one.

1) We are traveling without any kids! That means we could get the less expensive cabana on Serenity bay as it's just the 4 of us traveling. This also means spending a good amount of time on the adult beach...with no kids. Now let's be honest...by the time we get to this point it will have been about a week since we left the kids at home and I'll be missing them like crazy BUT let's pretend I'm looking forward to peace and quiet!

2)A home base of sorts.  I like the idea that we can still go and do things, but have a place to meet back up. My husband and I are thinking of taking some bikes out or maybe snorkeling (Him, not me). It's nice that we don't have to save chairs with towels or remember just which white chair is ours

3) Some "inside" space. Remember I said I'm not a beach person? I love the idea that these cabana's have some open air. They have some seating, both inside and out as well as a refrigerator, magazines, sunscreen and more. If I want to get out of the sun or off the beach for a few minutes, we have the space to do so!

Now keep in mind these book quickly! We are silver cruises (about to be gold!) so we could book at 90 day prior to sailing. The family cabana's were gone but there were 2 adult cabana's left. The price tag is $399 but since 4 of us are sharing, it's only a $100 a piece for the day. To us it's completely worth it!! I'm actually looking forward to our beach day!

Graduation Celebration Resort Selection

When we began planning this trip we knew we wanted a full week.  My husband has been working very hard and we've been lucky enough to take a few vacations along the way (2 Walt Disney World trips and a few cruises) but this trip was special and we really want to let loose and relax...and CELEBRATE! After we decided on the cruise, we thought about our pre-cruise stay. So here is the plan!

Wednesday- We'll leave around dinner to head to the airport. We are flying out of the next city over at 5 a.m. the next morning so we booked a stay and fly rate at a hotel nearby the airport.

Thursday-Fly out bright and early! Direct to Orlando where we'll hop in our rental car and head straight to the parks. We'll play until Sunday where we'll pick up friends and head to the Port (more on that later).

So we  knew we'd be at Disney for 3 nights...but WHERE to stay?  Let's take a look at this...we'd only be there 3 nights and since we had no kids with us, we won't be in the room much. Budget is a concern since we are cruising too BUT we are celebrating.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Guest Review

Thanks to Stacey for sharing her humorous review of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train!!

Here is my review of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Keep in mind that neither me nor my daughter enjoy coasters, but we wanted to at least try this one. Also note that my husband is the guy behind us (the two screaming ladies) and looks like he’s out for a Sunday drive. :) So, here’s my review….

Normally, I wouldn’t share such an unflattering photo of myself, but this one is just too funny not to share. While on our recent trip to Disney, we rode the new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. I don’t particularly care for roller coasters, but I had watched a few point-of-view videos and didn’t think it looked too bad. That, combined with the fact that Disney advertises this ride as a “family friendly” roller coaster, helped me find the courage to want to try it at least once. So, it was with anticipation that I booked my FP+ 60 days before our trip so we could ride the mine train. In fact, I was so confident we would like it, I reserved three FP+ (on different days, of course).

Expectations of Disney

This blog post is a long time coming.  Lately I see more and more negative posts around the internet regarding Disney...or more like what Disney is doing wrong. There are two problems I see with this...

1) Many people seem to think Disney owes them something

2) It's hard for first time visitors to sift through what is the occasional rant or something they should genuinely be aware of.

Let me address the first point.  Are we entitled to expect certain things of Disney? Of course! We have expectations in mind, many of which Disney has set us up for.  We expect to enter the park, on a perfectly sunny day, not to hot or cold and definitely no rain. Mickey will run up and embrace our children and we will immediately get in line for our favorite ride with no wait.  Oh and we'll also have our favorite dinner...all of which happens spontaneously.

Ok in all seriousness, there are certain things most of us expect from Disney. We expect it to be clean, we expect amazing guest service, and our children to have a magical time seeing and experiences all their favorite characters and movies. However, upon reading a lot of blogs there seems to be a whole other set of expectations, seemingly from those of us who frequent the parks often. These posts bash Disney news systems like Fastpass+, the invasion of Frozen and Starbucks, the removal of their favorite character/restaurant/snack...well you get the point.

Are they entitled to their opinions? YES! Of course! Today though, I want to share my opinion. Maybe my version is a bit skewed. I'm lucky enough to help a lot of people plan their first trip to Disney.  Most of them don't sweat the small stuff...they are so thrilled to visit the parks for the first time that they don't stress about the future of Fastpass+, or what restaurant they've missed out on...but occasionally I hear comments about what they HAVE to get on their vacation or it will be ruined.

Dear First Time Visitor...I implore you to take a step back.  Take Disney for what it's worth...and not for what you've read online about what is wrong with the parks or where you HAVE to eat. I'm not saying turn a blind eye or that Disney is perfect but the things that seem to affect repeat visitors (and I mean repeat often within a year) don't affect you the same way. Disney is an amazing place. They are constantly working to improve their systems for YOU as the guest.

Here are some things that people said when I asked them why they LOVE Disney!

• I absolutely love the atmosphere that you're totally somewhere else at Disney World. That the outside world doesn't even exist (I was fully convinced it was its own country when I first went as a kid.)
• The total immersion. Every detail planned out so you get 360 degrees of atmosphere. All your senses take you to a different world and it's truly magical. The customer service is also fantastic
• One word. Magic.
• I love it all! They do everything so well. The parks really transport you somewhere else where you can forget about the real world and be a kid no matter how old you are! The customer experience is unmatched in my opinion and worth every penny!
• Family friendly, clean, great service, being able to escape from the real world for a few days, good food, making memories...should I go on?
• he reason(s) why I love Disney so much are that it is a place where a family can go and be totally involved in a vacation 24/7. From the resorts, to the transportation, to the parks, to the meals - it is possible to make the entire trip an all inclusive Disney-themed trip. There are so many options so each trip can be quite different from the the last, and visitors really can pick and choose their own ways to enjoys Disney.

So here's my suggestion. Enlist the help of a great travel planner to help you sort through the info...find out what's important and what's not.    If it's your first time, remember you don't know what you don't know...so you won't miss out!  Soak it in, enjoy every second, pay attention to the little moments of wonderment, sing along, dance, act silly, put away your phone, be a kid again, enjoy your children (no matter what age), and believe in the magic...even if it's just for a few days.

My passion

Often times when people ask me what I do and they hear my answer (Disney Travel Agent) they roll their eyes. I'm used to it by now and I realize that many people don't know what my job entails or how I got here.

It all started when I was about 8. As a child Disney wasn't a huge part of my life. My earliest memory involves a Beta machine and the movie Cinderella but that was a special treat. Our family vacations consisted of visiting our grandparents in the Adirondack mountains, not visiting the Mouse. I didn't have lots of Disney merchandised outfits or toys...heck visiting the Disney store at the mall was a big deal!

So many changes at the Magic Kingdom

My wife and I decided to go to the Magic Kingdom this past Sunday, a trip we make quite often as we live here in the Orlando area.  We came to see the new FP seating areas in front of the castle primarily.  There are so many changes happening in the Magic Kingdom and it's far more than just ticket prices, although they've gone up too!

Please forgive my unsteady hand yesterday, I get a little eager when I hit those turnstiles!

We haven't been to the Magic Kingdom since right around Christmas.  The crowds have been so thick over the last two months that wait times were above 2 hours for the popular rides.  Some may say that a 2 hour wait for Space Mountain is not a big deal, but how about lines for not so popular rides?  Have a look at our pictures of the Carousel of Progress lines and then the HUGE line for the People Mover this past December!!

I realize the pictures above don't look very much like the winter weather most people are used to, but I assure you this is Winter in Florida.  The lines were crazy, I don't ever recall seeing a line like this for the People Mover.  WOW! 

Our trip yesterday was much better in regards to crowd levels.  We had our three fast passes which included the very cramped seating on the mine train as well as Jungle Cruise and The Haunted Mansion.  We also managed to get on the People Mover, The Carrousel and Country Bear Jamboree.



Cramped, but a great ride!

The areas we came to see were not a disappointment, although we did not stay much past dark for the fireworks.  The areas you'll see in our pictures are in front of Casey's Corner (10) and Plaza Ice Cream Parlor (8) as designated on the maps below.  Also the area designated (P) for Parade Viewing is changing, but not yet completed.

 The areas are open for general use during the day with no restriction.  We found guests lying in the shade of trees and shrubs and standing at the rails to watch an ongoing show at the castle stage area.  The grass is artificial, soft and comfortable to relax on.  The areas offer great views of the castle and are a welcome change to the landscape, especially since they simply covered up areas previously occupied by water.

The pictures actually taken in front of Plaza Ice Cream Parlor (8)  Moving forward from here we found the "Partners" statue covered by four wooden walls.  The area was under construction for new walkways and more artificial grass.  There appears to be a fountain being installed as well.  The crowds were light on this particular day, but traffic seems to flow well around this hub even with the construction barriers in the middle.



Once we had left the area in front of the castle and began our connection to our scheduled fast passes we found a very nice new area in front of It's A Small World that had several short 'stumps' with receptacles in each where people all sat around charging their gear.  There appear to be multiple receptacles and plenty of seating.  The trees in the area provide plenty of shade.  This is a great addition for todays guest who carries rechargeable cameras and cell phones.

We finished our day on the People Mover and watched the sunset over Astro Orbiter.  It was a great day and it was time for us to head over to one of the resorts for some dinner and drinks.

See you next time....

Guests Without Bags

 Doug