Featured Foto Friday - Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue

Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue is a fun-filled dinner show inside Pioneer Hall at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground.  It has been in its near original format since it premiered in 1973.  The dinner is an all-you-care-to-eat family-style meal filled with fried chicken, cornbread, beans and other tasty selections.  It's corny at times, but a very fun performance.

A Magical Stateroom

Upon boarding the ship, the beautiful Disney Magic, it was truly magical to hear our name announced in the Central Atrium.  As we had been working our way up the gangway to the ship’s entry, while we didn’t quite know what exactly what we would do at first, I had read in the “Personal Navigator”, the daily newsletter given to us while still in the terminal, that until 3:30 pm we could talk with the Dining personnel regarding any changes we’d like to make.  We had a dinner reservation for Palo – for the very first night – which I was not overly thrilled about.  But it was the only one that I could get when I made the reservation.  Nothing else was available through the online system.  Even when I phoned to talk to someone, that’s “all” they had. 

I had also previously heard that Animator’s Palette undergoes a beautiful transformation from “black & white” to “color”, but only on the first evening you dine in that restaurant.  As luck would have it, we were scheduled to dine in Animator’s Palette that evening, except for the fact that we were going to Palo.  Our first destination was Rockin’ Bar D, right there on Deck 3, just forward of the Central Atrium, where we could ask about reservation changes.   “No problem”,  “whatever you want”,  and “when would you like to dine with us?” were the wonderful phrases that Palo’s manager had to say when we inquired.  Not only did he say these things, but he gave us multiple time options when we said we would like to switch it to the second night.  Now that was a wonderful beginning to our cruise!  

It was now about 1:15, and we could not access our stateroom until after 1:45, and we both realized that we were feeling a bit hungry.  We’d eaten at around 9:00, and with the various swirl of activity to that point hadn’t really paid attention to the feeling until now when we were finally able to start to relax.  So our next destination was up to Deck 9 and Topsider’s Buffet.  We enjoyed a nice meal and some time to just sit and relax, as multiple servers came to our table trying to get us to purchase the refillable beer mug (we don’t drink) or the water package.  We’d already purchased water, so we didn’t need more.  Finally it was 1:45, and time to head down to see if our room was ready. 

As we worked our way around Decks 9 and 10, trying to figure out the deckplan, we enjoyed seeing the main pool area, the Mickey pool, and the adult pool near the Cove Cafe, as well as finding the Vista Spa, where we were invited in (I say that loosely, as it was hard to say no to all the smiles and charm being poured out) for a tour of the spa.  (I’ll share about the spa later in the updates).  We also got a tour of the terrific gym they have onboard. 

Finally we found our way down to our stateroom.  We were on Deck 2, in a Deluxe Oceanview stateroom.  When I first learned the placement of our room prior to sailing, I wasn’t all that thrilled about being “way down” on Deck 2 – but as the week wore on, I grew to really love where we were located.  I’ll talk about that later.

So I titled this entry “A Magical Stateroom”;  which is of course a play on the ship’s name, but also a little bit of reality as to what we felt about that room.  In and of itself, it’s just a room on a ship, with no balcony or private verandah – just a window looking out to sea.  BUT, and the big BUT here – is that that room, was enormous.  I’ve been in Oceanview rooms in the past, on other ships from other cruise lines – and WOW, this room was like night and day from those other ships and lines.  It was HUGE as cruise line staterooms go.  (Remember this was our first Disney Cruise Line voyage), so we were definitely impressed with what we were getting. 

Upon entry, the bathrooms (yes plural) were on the left, and the huge closest on the right.  There is a split bath situation with the first room having commode and sink with a neat little corner shelving unit – and the other bathroom having a tub (with shower) and another sink.  Certainly the tub wasn't large enough for an adult to enjoy a bath, but great for families traveling with small children who take baths instead of showers!  Immediately my lovely bride determined that we would have a his & hers bathroom situation for getting dressed for dinner, etc.

Beyond the bathrooms was the bedroom portion, with a dresser and a cool storage unit made to look like an old-fashioned steamer trunk standing up on its’ side.  There’s a night table with lamp on each side of the bed, which can be separated into two twin beds when guests are traveling together who don’t normally share a bed. 

 Beyond the main sleeping area is the sitting area, which of course is a sleeper sofa or a secondary bedroom area when traveling with children or if you just have 3 or 4 guests who want to share a single room.  There is a curtain to divide the two spaces.  The sitting area included the vanity table/desk area, with additional storage drawers.  But the best part of the sitting area is the enormous window.  It is circular in shape, but not just a mere porthole, it’s double to triple the size of a typical porthole window.  We had a great view! Sure having a balcony would have been even nicer, but with the size of the window, the room didn't really feel constrained. We were able to see a lot from that window. 

The décor of the room of course is a “Disney”.  We had the typical above-bed artwork found throughout the ship, but also had a piece of concept art on the wall, created by legendary imagineer Marc Davis for Disneyland back in the ‘60s for the last attraction that Walt Disney had been supervising before his untimely death, “Pirates of the Caribbean”.  Additionally the room sported a photo of Walt & Lillian Disney on deck of a ship that they sailed on to Europe back in the ‘50’s. 

Moments ago I mentioned that during the week we grew to really love our location, on Deck 2.  A big part of the reason that we liked it so much was that we were Mid-ship. Not only were we Mid-ship, but we were also just a few doors away from the Mid-Ship elevators.  Now normally I don’t recommend to clients being right near the elevators, but wow, it was great to be able to quickly head up the stairs to Deck 3 and all of the fun and excitement that was found there, or to head down our corridor in either direction to get the Forward or Aft elevators or stairs for things that were going on in those areas on other decks.  Because we were right below the Central Atrium, getting back to our room was very quick and easy any time we needed Guest Services, were in the Atrium or up to Studio Sea (just off the Atrium on Deck 4) for activities, or in the shops on Deck 4.  It’s a personal preference I know, but I just loved being right the heart of it all, rather than stuffed up on an upper deck away from it all – which is where I was on my last cruise.  This location just really fit my preferences a lot better. 

So there you go, our Magical room, with more to come in the next update. 

Until next time,

Tips on Thursday - Gratuities

Gratuities

The subject of gratuities can and often does provide much angst among travelers.  How much should I give?  To whom should I give to?  Do I give to one and not the other?  How should tips be given?  Many cruise lines provide travelers with the option of pre-paying their gratuities when booking, some do not.  If you feel this amount needs to be adjusted, whether increased or decreased, arrangements can be made onboard the ship, generally at the end of your cruise. Tipping guidelines vary slightly between the individual cruise lines, and are usually detailed fairly well once onboard.  

On most ships, plan on tipping your room steward about $3.50 - $4.00 per person per day, and an equal amount for your dining room waiter, with half of that amount for the busboy; tip the maitre d' or dining room captain only if you ask for special favors or table-side service - $5 to $10 is normal;  tip bartenders and wine stewards approximately 10 to 15% of your bill, however many cruise lines will automatically add the amount directly to your bar or beverage bill.  Be sure to check your bill to see how it is handled.  

Tips for special services such as salon & spa treatments and room service are left to the discretion of the guest, depending on services rendered.

Gratuities are generally placed in envelopes from your cabin's stationery supply, and passengers on cruises of 10 days or less will tip at the end of the cruise.  On longer voyages, you might find that tipping weekly is the norm.

Please note that most luxury cruise lines discourage tipping, including Azamara, Paul Gauguin Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn, SeaDream Yacht Club, Silversea, and Swan Hellenic.  Crew members on these lines are paid at a higher rate than other cruise lines, and therefore are not as tip dependent; therefore many will outright refuse the gesture when offered by travelers. 

Tuesday Trivia - Electrical Water Pageant

South Seas performers are featured nightly at Disney's Polynesian Resort in the Spirit of Aloha dinner show (originally known as the "Polynesian Revue") at Luau Cove at the resort.  This tradition began in October 1971 with the Grand Opening celebration for the resort that was then-known as the Polynesian Village.  

 At that time guests were served on the sands of the resort, and saw the Electrical Water Pageant for the very first time, which has been delighting Magic Kingdom area resort guests since 1971!

A Not-So-Magical Beginning

Setting sail on board the Disney Magic began for us in Galveston, TX – or at least – that’s where the cruise voyage began.  But let me take you back just a little before the actual departure day.  For you see, the voyage, with my lovely bride, actually began about 2 months ago when I first presented the opportunity to sail with Disney Cruise Line to her.  Indecision was the word of the day, along with a number of other words – trepidation, uneasiness, and an overall sense of uncertainty.  This went on for several weeks until just before the absolute cut-off day where a decision must be rendered and given to Disney in order to secure ground transfers from the airport and purchase airfare.  That was 3 weeks prior to the sailing – so for roughly 5 weeks there was a virtual, mental game of ping-pong taking place in our household.  Finally the decision was made, and there was no turning back.  It was to be a couple-voyage, and not a solo trip.  :-)

Once the airfare had been secured, and the ground transfers arranged, now came my bride’s largest conundrum – finding the right clothes to wear and bring on board.  The concept of “Formal Night” just threw her for a loop.  You see my bride doesn’t wear dressy clothes unless she absolutely has to.  She is very much a shorts & a t-shirt, or jeans and a sweater gal.  In the 18 ½ years we’ve been married – she’s probably only worn a dress the equivalent of a month’s time.  I LOVE it when she does get dolled up, but it just doesn’t happen very often.  So it was a quest for her to find something appropriate to wear.  And that filled the next 3 weeks, between clothing, footwear and accessories.  Phew – I’m glad that’s over, and she has something already to wear again the NEXT time we cruise together.   :-)

Our flight plan was with Southwest Airlines, so we had to fly in to Houston Hobby airport, which is better since it’s located on the southern side of Houston, and closer to Galveston.  We had the Disney transportation, which in Houston is not a nicely identified bus as they have in Orlando, but still quite functional and comfortable.  They did play the standard onboard video however, which once we got going, was quite enjoyable since we had not previously experienced that particular onboard video before.  But I’m getting a bit ahead of myself.

We knew that we had to be onboard the ship no later than an hour prior to departure, and the various flight times out of Indianapolis weren’t super conducive to that, so we were scheduled to fly on Friday night.  Our kids were not going with us, so they needed to be dropped off where they were going to be staying.  The eldest attends the local public high school (he’s a junior), and the other two are still home-schooled.  So there were inherent scheduling differences built in to our child-care situation.  So the two younger ones stayed with another home-schooling family (who happen to be the best friends of the two youngest anyway, so that was really cool), and our eldest stayed with another family who we’re good friends with (their son is a senior).  So there was some good compatibility vibes going from the get-go.

As soon as school was out for our eldest, we drove over to the house where the younger ones were going to be staying.  It was going to be a nice time of about 15 minutes in order to be able to say goodbye, etc – but as we drove up to the house.  Note I said WAS.  Ridiculous how your best laid plans can go haywire at the last minute, isn’t it.  Sure enough, as we pulled up in front of their house – my Jeep got a flat tire.  There must have been something in the street, because it just blew the air out so quickly with such a loud hissssssssss!!!  Ugh.  My wife pulled up in her van just as I was getting out of my vehicle, and yeah, suddenly instead of a nice farewell, it became a mad rush to change the tire to put the “donut” tire on.  I DID NOT have time for that!!!  We had already cut the time to get to the airport close enough, but now this.  I was frantic, and not very happy at all.  Both boys sprung in to action to help move the luggage around while I quickly worked to jack up the Jeep and make the switch.  Let me tell you this, I have changed many a tire in the past 26 of driving, but never once has it been done as quickly as I did it that Friday afternoon.   As soon as it was done, I quickly went in their house to wash up, and we were hugging, kissing and saying goodbye as we drove off headed for the airport.  WHAT a “fun” way to start a trip!

After the then near-frantic drive to the airport (45 miles on the spare tire), and fear of being late, we arrived at the airport only to learn that the plane we were waiting on was delayed due to weather.  Fair enough, and sighs of relief all around.  I had planned on getting dinner in Chicago (yes, we had to fly north to ultimately go south), but with the delay I suggested we just get it there in Indy.  Finally after nearly 30 minutes of waiting beyond the scheduled boarding time, the sighs of relief began to disappear.  Once again the anxiety began, as the originally scheduled hour and a half layover time was shrinking away.  Upon boarding, we got comfortable in our seats, and awaiting the door being closed, and the requisite safety announcements.  But they didn’t happen for quite some time.  Soon the Captain came on announcing there was some sort of delay that would keep us at the gate for a “few more minutes”… which quickly turned into 20 minutes.  Ugh.  By this time we knew we would be running between gates.   Sure enough, we landed at 7:10pm Central Time – 5 minutes AFTER our plane was supposed to take off.   And the worst part of it was that they parked at A19, and we had to run over to B18.  We were not happy, but set out on our way to see if there was any possibility that our plane was still there.  Thank goodness we had made the decision to fly in the night before! 

After lots of running and weaving through the crowded airport, we finally arrived at our gate, and praise the Lord, the plane was still there.  There was a large number of passengers from our first flight onboard the plane, all huffing and puffing as we had done.  Wow.  We were able to sit down, but sadly not together.  We both ended up in middle seats in different rows, but I was just behind my lovely bride, so we could at least chat from time to time.  She read, and I worked on my computer catching on some business things since it was a WI-FI enabled flight.  But we had to wait once more before we could taxi and take-off… we all wanted our luggage to be transferred too.  :-)  Finally we were in the air, and on our way to Houston!

I had selected a hotel moments from the airport, and not having a bus transfer until 11:00 in the morning, we were able to have a leisurely morning enjoying breakfast in the on-site restaurant.  With just a 4 minute shuttle ride back to the airport, we were there with plenty of time to spare.  I checked us in with the Disney cast member wearing that ubiquitous 4 fingered white glove, and sat down to wait until they called us.  It was only a wait of about 10 minutes, and we were soon herding our way over to the bus with about 70 other people.

The ride to Galveston was quite pleasant, and the stresses of the prior day were finally washing away.  Soon we were pulling in to the port area, and saw the beautiful red stacks, white middle and black underbelly of the Disney Magic sitting in the port just waiting for her next load of eager passengers.

 

The unloading of the bus was fairly quick, and the short walk inside the terminal was brief.  The line for the security checkpoint went smoothly, and soon enough we were in line to check-in!  How exciting.  The Cast Member was so pleasant and so excited for us.  Her name was Eva, and told us how envious she was of us, since she still hadn’t been on a cruise – not a Disney Cruise – but any cruise – and she’s worked for the company for 10 years!   After taking our pictures for the Key to the World cards, and processing our passports, she then gave us our boarding group number (16) and directed us to the chairs over to the side to wait for the announcement that we so wanted to hear – when we could board!  And our wait was extremely short, as just as soon as we sat down did they announce on the PA system that groups 1 through 17 were able to board!  It was time to go!

We went through the last portal on the lower level of the terminal and worked our way up the escalator to the gangway.  We had our picture taken, and then we were on our way inside the beautiful ship’s Central Atrium.  Ahhhhh, despite all of the mishaps and frustrations of getting there - it felt so good to be on board that ship. 

Until next time,

 

A Magical Overview

Sailing with Disney Cruise Line has been a dream of mine for many years, and last week it came true.  My lovely bride and I set sail out of the port of Galveston, Texas on a Western Caribbean cruise itinerary on the Disney Magic, the original ship in their fleet.  It was a 7-night itinerary sailing south through the Gulf of Mexico to the largest of the Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman – then on to Costa Maya, Mexico, followed by Cozumel, Mexico before returning once again to Galveston.  The sailing included two full at-sea days, then three port days, and finally another at-sea day.  I know many of you readers have sailed with Disney before - but we hadn't - so bear with me as I go through and share all about OUR voyage and some of the experiences we had, and memories that we made.  For those of you who have not yet had the pleasure of sailing with Disney Cruise Line - or this particular itinerary or ship - hopefully it will be of some benefit to you.  And of course, again, in the interest of full disclosure, I am a travel professional, and would be more than happy to help you get booked onto the Disney Magic (or one of their other ships) if you are interested in sailing with them in the future.  But aside from that comment, the rest of these DISNEY MAGIC entries will simply be our experiences and memories - with some personal opinion thrown in from time to time.  And, my lovely bride has even consented to provide a guest feature with her own view of the voyage.  So be sure to watch for the female point of view in the days to come.   

The Disney Magic originally set sail at the end of July 1998, and has been sailing all over the world in the 14 years since she first set sail.  Just as Disneyland, Walt’s original park, was a proving ground for theme parks yet to be built in the years and decades following his death, the Disney Magic has been just that for the fleet of Disney ships.  It certainly has some great things going for it, as well as some flaws /drawbacks that have been modified or improved on the Wonder, Dream & Fantasy.  But for a first time sailing with Disney Cruise Line, we were very pleased to begin our DCL career onboard the beautiful Magic. As my lovely bride stated on Facebook to a friend asking about our trip, “Disney’s ship lived up to its’ name…Magic.”  

There are just so many things to talk about regarding the cruise, I simply cannot do it all in writing.  So I will be breaking it down into various categories – food (yes, I've even got a whole lot of "food porn" - we got pictures at just about every meal), entertainment, port adventures, transportation, shipboard amenities, fellow passengers, deck parties, Fireworks at Sea, the ship itself and more.  We took well over 1,500 pictures during the week, and I will be sharing a good number of them, but of course not all of them.  We had such a good time, and cannot wait to be able to return to the sea and sail once again with Disney.

During our sailing, we enjoyed the food and their legendary service; we really enjoyed their stage productions; the spa; the adults-only areas including the pool, hot tub and after-dinner entertainment in Rockin' Bar D.  They provide a wide array of port adventures, and the crew does an absolutely amazing job with entertainment for both kids and adults alike.  For too long I've heard from friends and clients alike that Disney Cruise Line is really only for families traveling with kids - but - that is hands-down, absolutely NOT TRUE.  We sailed without our kids - and had a simply marvelous time.  There are so many terrific things/areas just for the adults, which totally debunk the myth that Disney is just for kids.  I'll share more about that soon.   

Until next time,

The Clock Struck Midnight...

So our cruise on the Disney Magic came to an end this morning. Our beautiful trip to the "ball" is over, but as they say onboard the memories will live forever. I took hundreds of pictures throughout the week, as well as tons of notes... so be sure to check back throughout the weeks for reports about our Western Caribbean cruise out of Galveston! 

More to come... 

Flashback Friday - Disney-MGM Studios 1991

Time to go back in time thanks to fun old family photos of days gone by.  Growing up in Southern California, Disneyland was the only Magic Kingdom that I knew as a kid.  It was, of course, the ONLY Magic Kingdom when my parents were kids.  My dad was almost a teenager when the park opened, becoming one just a couple of months later, and my mother was still in single-digits at the time.  Walt Disney World and all of the other Disney Destinations were still decades in the future when they were young.  


As a youth, I didn't get to go to Walt Disney World until I was 21, but have certainly enjoyed many, many visits there ever since.  Here we take a look back at that first trip to Walt Disney World, with a view of Disney-MGM Studios, as it was then known, (now Disney's Hollywood Studios) at the beautiful recreation of the famous Grauman's Chinese Theater - the home of The Great Movie Ride -  which once was the view all visitors to the park encountered at the end of Hollywood Boulevard.  Sadly this view was blocked in 2004 or 2005 when the Sorcerer's Hat was constructed directly in front of it.  The theater itself is a faithful, full-scale recreation of the famous Hollywood landmark.  As a kid I enjoyed going to it for numerous films with friends.  Here I am standing in front, basically where the front of the hat stands today. 

Tips on Thursday - Corporate Gatherings Onboard Ship

Corporate Gatherings Onboard Ship

When it comes to corporate gatherings, meetings or retreats, cruises offer the best overall value for businesses.  Whether simply organizing an annual meeting, offsite retreat, building an incentive for the sales team or designing a special event for the staff, partners or clients you simply cannot overlook the nearly all-inclusive nature of cruises.

Modern megaships provide so much!  They offer the perfect social environment for professional groups to mix and mingle; opportunities for your group to dine together in a gourmet restaurant; gather by the pool for sun and fun or other recreational activities; enjoy a Broadway-style show; comedy clubs and so much more.  Additionally, cruise ships provide those participants looking to break away from the official company action for a while can find solace on a secluded balcony, retreat to the spa, or enjoy a book in a well-appointed alcove.  And it doesn’t have to just be the employee either – many companies encourage their employees' families to come along too, especially since there are plenty of activities to entertain the spouse and kids onboard, including extensive youth programs run by trained counselors.

When it comes to booking, groups often get the best overall value, when planned well enough in advance, particularly when you factor in special group amenities like complimentary wine or champagne, shipboard credits, cocktail parties, chocolates, casino credits, spa services, and private gatherings.  Cruise lines will also work to brand your company's event at every opportunity with items such as ice sculptures of your corporate logo. For full charters, cruise lines will even let you set your own itinerary!

So what’s included on a group booking?   Typically, your group will receive:  

• Stateroom accommodations
• Gourmet dining
• Fitness center, exercise classes, spa
• Pool, water sports
• Transportation to interesting ports
• Access to business facilities and meeting rooms including small and large conference rooms with variable lighting and food & beverage services
• High-speed internet access
• Digital projectors
• Audio systems
• Showrooms for group presentations
• Informal gathering venues
• The planning process for all details
• Vegas- or Broadway-style shows
• Discos, clubs, bars
• Youth programs (as needed)
• Movies (theater and in-room)

Every corporate and incentive group must sign a contract with the cruise line that covers the prices, amenities, terms, and conditions for their group booking. Cruise Planners’ industry standing provides you with strong buying power and access to competitive rates on every ship which enables us to negotiate the best contract on your behalf.   We succeed when you succeed, and are here to make sure that your corporate group function comes together as easily as possible.  But know that all successful corporate and incentive groups require the involvement of a dedicated travel manager within the company working together with your Cruise Planners travel consultant.  This professional is responsible for designing the meetings and events the company desires onboard and communicating booking details like the payment process, documentation requirements, and dining requests to all participants.  Together we’ll make your event a knockout success! 

For more information about how you might take your company's next gathering out to sea call 855.776.1733 or submit a request at: www.neverlandadventurestravel.com or www.neverlandadventurescruises.com.  Be sure to follow me on Twitter, like my page on Facebook, circle me on Google+, and pin me on Pinterest. 

Today in Disney Parks and Resorts History - Ticket Books

October 11, 1955
Disneyland - Anaheim, CA

Ticket Books are first introduced at Disneyland.  "A Day at Disneyland" booklets offering guests 8 exciting attractions for one low price is a brand new-concept in the theme park industry.  Adults are just $2.50, juniors are $2.00 and children are $1.50, and each booklet includes 3 A tickets, 2 B tickets, and 3 C tickets, good for attractions throughout the park.  (D tickets would not be introduced until a year later, and the famous E tickets debuted in 1959).  

Tuesday Trivia - The Empress Lilly

The Empress Lilly riverboat, with its elegant cargo of fine restaurants and lively lounges is a gleaming centerpiece among all of the shops, boutiques and other restaurants in Downtown Disney (formerly known as the Walt Disney World Village).  While it is no longer known as the Empress Lilly, the riverboat still houses fine dining opportunities as Fulton's Crab House.  At one time there was a charming character dining experience onboard the ship.  

Today in Disney Parks and Resorts - Mickey's Philharmagic

October 8, 2003
Walt Disney World - Orlando, FL

Mickey's Philharmagic officially debuts inside Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. 

Sunday Spotlight - Disney Magic

© Disney

Disney Cruise Line_® boasts four majestic, family-friendly ships in its’ fleet, which first set sail in July 1998. 

The Disney Magic, is the original ship in the fleet, and had its’ maiden voyage July 30, 1998.  It is a ship that takes guests of all ages to exotic destinations in the Caribbean, Mediterranean and Northern Europe, as well as Canada and Mexico.

The ship blends the classic beauty and grace of the “golden era of ocean travel” with all the modern luxuries, technology and comforts that make cruising a pleasure.  This ship itself is 20 feet longer than the infamous Titanic, and can transport 2, 400 passengers.  Back in 1998 Disney Cruise Line received special permission from the government to allow it to have bright yellow lifeboats, a la Mickey Mouse’s shoes, instead of the normally required bright orange. 

© Disney

Onboard guests can delight to a wide array of dining and entertainment options.  The Magic incorporated a fun new, rotational dining system when it premiered, that allows guests to dine each of the themed dining rooms on board:  Lumiere's, Parrot Cay and Animator's Palate.  Each night, as guests rotate to another restaurant, their table mates and wait staff remain the same which allows for a greater deal of familiarity. The ship includes highly seasoned chefs, and the wait staff is very efficient and quick with their service. By keeping the same wait staff as guests rotate around, they are able to quickly learn guests names and remember beverage choices and whether you like coffee, tea or something else with dessert or not.

Like almost all of the large cruise ships, onboard entertainment includes shows in the beautifully appointed Walt Disney Theatre,  some of which, have been nominated, or have won, multiple awards.  There’s also a movie theater, The Buena Vista Theater, showing both first-run and classic Disney movies.  First-run films are typically the same Disney movies that are currently in theaters on land.  There’s also a large, 24x14 foot Jumbo LED screen on the ship’s forward funnel known as FunnelVision which is used in various ways during deck parties, such as the Sail Away Party.   Deck 10 features the Wide World of Sports deck, offering basketball, foosball, ping-pong and workouts.  And of course there are the pools.  Youth activities, nightclubs and lounges add a lot more fun to the entertainment offered onboard the Disney Magic.  And, weather permitting, Disney Cruise Line pioneered fireworks at sea, and is the only cruise line to do so, all starting on the Disney Magic.

Watch for more detailed information about the Disney Magic in blog entries yet to come.  Ahoy mateys!

The MAGIC Begins NOW

It has been a LOOOOOONG 55 days since I was first able to book my sailing on the Disney Magic leaving out of Galveston, TX for a 7-night Western Caribbean itinerary – but the day has finally come!!!  My lovely bride and I are currently in Houston, TX, getting ready to head back over to the airport to catch our bus down to Galveston.  We’ll soon be going through the boarding process, and then heading across that gangway onto the beautiful Disney Magic, the first vessel in their fleet.  How fitting that this, our first Disney cruise, is aboard their first ship.  Just as our first Disney theme park experiences were in the original Magic Kingdom – Disneyland. 

© Disney 

Full disclosure, of course, I am a travel professional selling through my franchisor, CRUISE PLANNERS, and from time to time do include information about my services in my blog posts.  This is a business research and building trip.  It is a FAM, or familiarization trip, offered to travel professionals so that we might experience first-hand the ships & itineraries for ourselves, so that we can then have a better understanding of what we sell – and of course, to be able to sell even more of it.  But beyond the deeply discounted price, there are no special perks that I’m receiving as a result of going on this voyage. With all that said, I am so very excited about this sailing.  I have expectations certainly, but am excited to watch and see how the stories I’ve been told; the research I’ve done; and yes, even the information that I’ve shared with my clients ) comes to life for my lovely bride and me.  So I’m trying to put off any pre-conceived notions or ideas about the legendary service, the food, the accommodations, etc, etc and just see how it all plays out for us.  

Our western Caribbean itinerary includes stops in Grand Cayman, Costa Maya and Cozumel.  We’ve picked out some fun-sounding port adventures, and we are excited to get out and explore a part of the world that we haven’t personally been to yet.  The best part is that we’re doing it together.  (The last adventures I went on were solo, so it will be nice to share this with her as well).  Another fun thing is that we are – gasp – NOT taking the kids along.   What with school schedules and all, we just had to leave them at home.  Ah the joys of being a travel professional and having to work on a cruise ship! ;-)

So, I will be sharing about this experience in the week ahead, but really not until AFTER we return home again.  I will be taking lots of pictures, and documenting our journey.  Lots of information will be coming here in stopher’s stuff.  I’ve pre-loaded several items to broadcast throughout the week while we’re on board.  Hopefully you’ll enjoy those, and then return to read more about our MAGICal adventure thereafter.  I do try to include a variety of  information on this page.  Yes, it’s heavily Disney, but there are other nuggets about cruising, and other destinations as well.  So thank you, stopher’s stuff readers for stopping by and checking out what I have to share.  I know that some of it won’t appeal to all of you, but hopefully most of you will find something appealing and then tell your friends about me as well. 

In the meantime, I'd love it if you would like my Facebook page, or follow me on Pinterest, or on Twitter, or circle me on Google+ or simply check out my websites:  www.neverlandadventurestravel.com  and www.neverlandadventurescruises.com.  

October is National Cruise Vacation Month!  The cruise lines are offering some of the BEST deals of the year throughout the month, but the absolute best deals will be offered between October 21-27 - National Cruise Vacation Week!   You can learn more about that here. As a member of CLIA (Cruise Line International Association), I have access to all of the different lines and their specials.  So if you'd like to go somewhere in the months ahead and need some help with it all, I'd be delighted to help you out.  

Until next time,

Today in Disney Parks and Resorts History - Disney California Adventure

October 6, 2002
Disney California Adventure - Anaheim, CA

a bug's land officially opens at Disney's California Adventure theme park at the Disneyland Resort. 

The Excitement is Full Blown

What an exciting day today is!!  The excitement has been building and building, but by today it is absolutely full blown - I'm absolutely ready to burst!  My lovely bride and I are busily scurrying about with final last minute preparations, as we fly to Texas tonight in order to head out on our western Caribbean cruise on the Disney Magic!  If you can't tell yet, we are so excited. Just like those old Walt Disney World tv commercials that showed a family trying to sleep the night before... and it's the parents who are more excited than then kids - that's me right about now.  

There’s been a lot of things going on as I’ve been preparing for this journey.  But now it’s finally here!  Stay tuned to stopher’s stuff, as there will some great photos and information about the sailing soon. 

Until next time,