We've been dreaming about a cruise with Madison for quite some time - back in January of last year, we saw the christening of the Disney Dream and began planning our big trip. On August 1st, the dream came true!
MONDAY, AUGUST 6, 2012
Tour de Rest Areas
What a long day! We left pretty late from Nana and Ba-Ba's house, after a very big breakfast. Daddy did his best to sleep in, but had a rough night just waking up periodically for no apparent reason. It didn't help that we were up a little later watching the Olympics. Still, we assumed we'd be sleeping in and that we'd get enough rest. No such luck, really.
Because of Daddy's fatigue, the trip home took a little longer than usual. It was a big more relaxed, where we stopped more frequently at many rest areas. One stop was amusing: we hit the vending machines big time. Daddy actually got an energy drink and all of us were munching on snacks inside the car. Madison watched "Bolt" and "Cinderella 3," and then played with her Leapster Explorer for a while, napping only once really.
The drive was uneventful, in regards to weather. We did go through some spots of rain, but it was nothing like the drives we had in Florida late last week. I think there were storms racing from west to east just north of us, and we'd keep arriving just after the downpour. That was fine with us.
We did stop at Chick-Fil-A in Valdosta, along with a traditional stop at our bookstore there. We didn't find much for ourselves, though we did find a few books for Madison. She picked them out for herself to add to her personal library.
I think we stopped at three rest areas on the way back - and three on the way down. That would be the most leisurely journey to and from that we've ever made. Frequently, Daddy tries to get there pretty quickly. But not these trips: in this case, we arrived at home just after 8:00 pm. We missed out on Atlanta traffic, which was good, and came home sweet home without any problem whatsoever. By the way, the energy drink seemed to work!
Sleeping in our bed once more - what a feeling!
Because of Daddy's fatigue, the trip home took a little longer than usual. It was a big more relaxed, where we stopped more frequently at many rest areas. One stop was amusing: we hit the vending machines big time. Daddy actually got an energy drink and all of us were munching on snacks inside the car. Madison watched "Bolt" and "Cinderella 3," and then played with her Leapster Explorer for a while, napping only once really.
The drive was uneventful, in regards to weather. We did go through some spots of rain, but it was nothing like the drives we had in Florida late last week. I think there were storms racing from west to east just north of us, and we'd keep arriving just after the downpour. That was fine with us.
We did stop at Chick-Fil-A in Valdosta, along with a traditional stop at our bookstore there. We didn't find much for ourselves, though we did find a few books for Madison. She picked them out for herself to add to her personal library.
I think we stopped at three rest areas on the way back - and three on the way down. That would be the most leisurely journey to and from that we've ever made. Frequently, Daddy tries to get there pretty quickly. But not these trips: in this case, we arrived at home just after 8:00 pm. We missed out on Atlanta traffic, which was good, and came home sweet home without any problem whatsoever. By the way, the energy drink seemed to work!
Sleeping in our bed once more - what a feeling!
SUNDAY, AUGUST 5, 2012
All Ashore
Talk about getting kicked off the boat! We were literally off the boat today at 8:30 am. That's when I looked at my watch, which is really when we were back at the hotel, actually. This morning we rose very early, and left our rooms for good - heading towards the Animator's Palette one more time for breakfast. We met the other families there one last time and shared our goodbyes. It was a lovely cruise, and it was certainly neat to see the children together.
We left very early though - and had ourselves a lot of time to spend! Our rule about that is simple: if there's enough time, and you're anywhere near Orlando, it's time to go to Ghirardelli's at the Disney Village. Or Disney Marketplace. What's it called now? I forget!
Anyway, we of course stopped there and did some shopping - we found a Minnie Mouse gnome to go with the Mickey one! We also got some pins, a DVD, and a great big lollipop for Madison. For later.
Yes, we stopped a Ghirardelli's and had our ice cream. And yes, it was completely awesome. We also stopped by the TrenD shop, which Mommy enjoys quite a bit. Right next door, Madison and Daddy found a big collection of Wenlock dolls. Up until now, we couldn't find hardly any online. Now we're seeing a bunch!
We left very early though - and had ourselves a lot of time to spend! Our rule about that is simple: if there's enough time, and you're anywhere near Orlando, it's time to go to Ghirardelli's at the Disney Village. Or Disney Marketplace. What's it called now? I forget!
Anyway, we of course stopped there and did some shopping - we found a Minnie Mouse gnome to go with the Mickey one! We also got some pins, a DVD, and a great big lollipop for Madison. For later.
Yes, we stopped a Ghirardelli's and had our ice cream. And yes, it was completely awesome. We also stopped by the TrenD shop, which Mommy enjoys quite a bit. Right next door, Madison and Daddy found a big collection of Wenlock dolls. Up until now, we couldn't find hardly any online. Now we're seeing a bunch!
After ice cream, we visited the gallery as well. This is a tradition of ours too - we spend some time looking at the art there, wishing we had a lot more money to buy much of it. It's still neat to look at. Madison enjoyed it too!
As soon as we were done though, it was time to leave and head north. We said a fond goodbye to Mickey and friends once more, vowing to come back sooner next time. Then we were off to Summerfield, home of Ba-Ba and Nana.
They were waiting for us with a great big dinner, and a recliner to plop down on and watch more Olympics! Seriously, it was nice to be with them again, although our visit was way too short this time. We stayed up late watching a few different events, and then it was off to bed to get a good night's rest before the big journey home.
As soon as we were done though, it was time to leave and head north. We said a fond goodbye to Mickey and friends once more, vowing to come back sooner next time. Then we were off to Summerfield, home of Ba-Ba and Nana.
They were waiting for us with a great big dinner, and a recliner to plop down on and watch more Olympics! Seriously, it was nice to be with them again, although our visit was way too short this time. We stayed up late watching a few different events, and then it was off to bed to get a good night's rest before the big journey home.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 4, 2012
Castaway Cay
We started today with breakfast from Cabanas, as Daddy brought everyone a little something to eat in the cabin. Outside our virtual porthole, we could see the Dream had arrived at Castaway Cay already. Yet our meeting time with friends on the island wasn't until 11:00. That's why we decided to do a little more swimming at the pool!
It turned out to be an ideal time to do it! Everyone was getting off the boat and going to the island, so we had the pool and the Aquaduck to ourselves essentially. What a pleasant morning - "Bolt" was playing on the big screen as Madison was having a lot of fun in the pool, and we hopped on the Aquaduck with no problem at all. Madison even enjoyed the big yellow slide. It was a very relaxing morning at the pool!
Soon after, we got off the ship, where we met Lilo & Stitch at the Castaway Cay Post Office. Stitch was hilarious, stealing Madison's autograph book and running off with it behind the building. Lilo got on to him, but then she herself started fooling around as well. Madison loved it! Of course, she got their autographs as well - and then we were off on the shuttle to Mt. Rustmore.
It was there that we eventually met our friends, and together we got several good shots of the kids all lined up at the beach, each wearing white (before Labor Day). Here the girls were, four years later. Yes, you can get ready for it: another sentence about time flying by. Can you believe it? Four years have glided by so quickly!
After Mt. Rustmore, it was time for a little fun at the beach. Madison and Daddy plunged right in, although the water was surprisingly cool! Still, we had fun immersing ourselves into the beach atmosphere, and having a good time in the sun and sand. Speaking of "sun," there was a bit much of it today - all of us got fried. Mommy got the worse end of the deal, wanting to head back to the ship for a bit. We walked her to the room, where she spent a little time napping while Madison and Daddy went back to the island to visit an area called "Spring a Leak," a water playground that Madison enjoyed thoroughly. She ran around with the other kids and had a splendid time running around with the herd from one water formation to the next. It was great fun!
We got back just in time for dinner. Tonight, it was dinner at the Animator's Palette, the best restaurant of them all. Here, Crush the turtle swam from table to table, interacting with guests as we continued our incredible meals. This was our final dinner of the cruise, and it was a great one to finish with. All sorts of characters from "Finding Nemo" would swim by and watch us, and the girls at the table were having a lot of fun guessing what shape the moonfish were making.
The ship pulled away from Castaway Cay, and we hardly noticed!
After dinner, it was time for yet another show. The shows on the Dream were all very, very good - and this one was probably the best. It was called "Believe," and it featured Mary Poppins, the Genie from Aladdin, Merlin, and a whole lot of other characters - including a tiny Tinkerbell. It was a spectacular end to the evening. Madison sat next to one of her friends, just as she did every other show this cruise. They both were loving every minute of this show, as they did all of them.
The show pretty much wrapped up our cruise. We were quite tired, although we did do a few things afterwards, like go down to collect photos - and grab a cup of tea from upstairs on deck.
While Daddy was up there, the boat was on it's way back home already - and the rain was pouring down in sheets, buckets, cats and dogs. It was raining hard! It was just amazing that today we encountered none of the wet stuff on the island. Can you believe there was an 80% chance we were going to have rain on the island? There was even a back-up contingency plan in place for us to have a day at sea. And yet, there was a lot of grace over our trip, and we had a rain-free day on the island.
Only once did the boat rock in such a way that we all noticed it. That was actually during tonight's big show. It was a very big rocking motion, back and forth - and it created quite a stir in the audience. But things moved on, as did the show, which continued to capture everyone's imagination. Bottom line: we hardly noticed it moving - although for a few days afterwards, Daddy still felt like he was rocking back and forth on the sea.
Everyone fell asleep easily again tonight - but tomorrow we'll be up very early. We have to be off the boat rather quickly after breakfast.
It turned out to be an ideal time to do it! Everyone was getting off the boat and going to the island, so we had the pool and the Aquaduck to ourselves essentially. What a pleasant morning - "Bolt" was playing on the big screen as Madison was having a lot of fun in the pool, and we hopped on the Aquaduck with no problem at all. Madison even enjoyed the big yellow slide. It was a very relaxing morning at the pool!
Soon after, we got off the ship, where we met Lilo & Stitch at the Castaway Cay Post Office. Stitch was hilarious, stealing Madison's autograph book and running off with it behind the building. Lilo got on to him, but then she herself started fooling around as well. Madison loved it! Of course, she got their autographs as well - and then we were off on the shuttle to Mt. Rustmore.
It was there that we eventually met our friends, and together we got several good shots of the kids all lined up at the beach, each wearing white (before Labor Day). Here the girls were, four years later. Yes, you can get ready for it: another sentence about time flying by. Can you believe it? Four years have glided by so quickly!
After Mt. Rustmore, it was time for a little fun at the beach. Madison and Daddy plunged right in, although the water was surprisingly cool! Still, we had fun immersing ourselves into the beach atmosphere, and having a good time in the sun and sand. Speaking of "sun," there was a bit much of it today - all of us got fried. Mommy got the worse end of the deal, wanting to head back to the ship for a bit. We walked her to the room, where she spent a little time napping while Madison and Daddy went back to the island to visit an area called "Spring a Leak," a water playground that Madison enjoyed thoroughly. She ran around with the other kids and had a splendid time running around with the herd from one water formation to the next. It was great fun!
We got back just in time for dinner. Tonight, it was dinner at the Animator's Palette, the best restaurant of them all. Here, Crush the turtle swam from table to table, interacting with guests as we continued our incredible meals. This was our final dinner of the cruise, and it was a great one to finish with. All sorts of characters from "Finding Nemo" would swim by and watch us, and the girls at the table were having a lot of fun guessing what shape the moonfish were making.
The ship pulled away from Castaway Cay, and we hardly noticed!
After dinner, it was time for yet another show. The shows on the Dream were all very, very good - and this one was probably the best. It was called "Believe," and it featured Mary Poppins, the Genie from Aladdin, Merlin, and a whole lot of other characters - including a tiny Tinkerbell. It was a spectacular end to the evening. Madison sat next to one of her friends, just as she did every other show this cruise. They both were loving every minute of this show, as they did all of them.
The show pretty much wrapped up our cruise. We were quite tired, although we did do a few things afterwards, like go down to collect photos - and grab a cup of tea from upstairs on deck.
While Daddy was up there, the boat was on it's way back home already - and the rain was pouring down in sheets, buckets, cats and dogs. It was raining hard! It was just amazing that today we encountered none of the wet stuff on the island. Can you believe there was an 80% chance we were going to have rain on the island? There was even a back-up contingency plan in place for us to have a day at sea. And yet, there was a lot of grace over our trip, and we had a rain-free day on the island.
Only once did the boat rock in such a way that we all noticed it. That was actually during tonight's big show. It was a very big rocking motion, back and forth - and it created quite a stir in the audience. But things moved on, as did the show, which continued to capture everyone's imagination. Bottom line: we hardly noticed it moving - although for a few days afterwards, Daddy still felt like he was rocking back and forth on the sea.
Everyone fell asleep easily again tonight - but tomorrow we'll be up very early. We have to be off the boat rather quickly after breakfast.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012
Day at Sea
So you'd think that we'd be nice and relaxed in the morning, sleeping in. Right? Wrong! We were all up on our own rather early - it was either the bed or the fact that we were all excited. The beds are nice, by the way. We all slept rather soundly, actually. Part of that may have been exhaustion - but even when you're tired, a good bed makes all the difference.
Today was a day to spend at the pool, which we did quite capably! Also, a bit of time on deck just resting in deck chairs or playing shuffleboard. It was really nice, relaxing day - and it started out with an awesome breakfast!
We had our breakfast at Cabanas upstairs, which simply has the most food - and quite a bit of it too. One thing that Daddy has to have each time: a Mickey-shaped waffle. And Mommy has to have tea. There were all sorts of tea bags to sample on this trip, and yes, we brought some home with us as well!
This afternoon, we met a whole bunch of characters in the lobby: Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Daisy, Donald, Chip and Dale. We even met Tinkerbell! Finally, we have a picture to put inside our Tinkerbell frame back at home. We loved that frame so much, but have been waiting for a picture with Tinkerbell to slide in it. One thing about the cruise is this: it's easiest to meet some characters that there are long lines for at the parks. You'll read about one of those characters in just a moment, actually.
But first, dinner time. It was pirate day, as all the characters listed above (except Tink) were dressed up like pirates! This may not have looked that good for the character we met just before dinner, Peter Pan. He let us slide just this once though.
Tonight's dinner was great, and all the waiters were dressed up as pirates as well. It was a scurvy good time. But we weren't done with the pirate theme yet. In fact, we had to get out of dinner to go meet the one person Madison wanted to meet the most.
It was Jack Sparrow! We were second on line for this one, and it was the highlight of the trip for Madison. She thought he was so cool, and the neat thing about the characters on these cruises is that they have more time to spend with kids. The two of them had a bit of a conversation, and Jack was surprised to see that Madison was dressed up like Angelica the pirate. Madison said that Jack had scared her initially, but didn't mean to. She repeated this story over and over again afterwards. We posed for a family picture together and then walked away, proud pirate parents. And we walked by a huge line too - we timed that just right!
After dinner there was a serious pirate party upstairs, which we had to go to - you see, we were pirates. Mickey and all his friends were there, and it was a great time on deck. There were a lot of "arrrs" and a visit from Captain Hook and Mr. Smee as well. After the party, we'd "hook" up with these two as well for autographs. Madison has a few autograph books now, and it's all part of the routine: hug the character (sometimes with a kiss on the nose), and then see about getting an autograph, and then pose for a picture (sometimes looking at the camera). Then there's time for a high-five or something else altogether different.
The party was a lot of fun for everyone, but there was an even better party a bit later that we were going to take Madison to. It was a late one, so we had to come up with something for her to do. Fortunately, we were there with some friends, so we went together to drop the kids off at the Oceaneer Lab, which Madison enjoyed quite a bit. In retrospect, I wish we had taken her there more often, just because she enjoyed it so much. Meanwhile, Mommy and Daddy talked with their friends nearby (Daddy even snuck away to get Mommy a special tea from the coffee bar).
When it was time for the show, we went upstairs and joined the crowd for the Buccaneer Blast. We were in the Caribbean, with no land in sight: pirate waters! Jack Sparrow returned again, to Madison's delight. There was a big fight scene on stage, all over a special gauntlet that would emit sparks and light and power. Of course, when Jack went to give a demonstration of the power it had, he wasn't fooling around. He aimed it to one side of the ship, and for the next few minutes there was an impressive fireworks show right there in the middle of the sea. I wonder what this must look like from afar - a big ship in the middle of nowhere shooting off all these fireworks. From on deck, it was incredible. As with most Disney fireworks displays, this was set to and timed with music: the soundtracks of all four Pirates of the Caribbean films.
There was a pirate buffet after this, and a pirate dance party - but it was pretty late. We were very tired pirates, and it was time for some shut eye. Tomorrow's a bit day at Castaway Cay!
Today was a day to spend at the pool, which we did quite capably! Also, a bit of time on deck just resting in deck chairs or playing shuffleboard. It was really nice, relaxing day - and it started out with an awesome breakfast!
We had our breakfast at Cabanas upstairs, which simply has the most food - and quite a bit of it too. One thing that Daddy has to have each time: a Mickey-shaped waffle. And Mommy has to have tea. There were all sorts of tea bags to sample on this trip, and yes, we brought some home with us as well!
This afternoon, we met a whole bunch of characters in the lobby: Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Daisy, Donald, Chip and Dale. We even met Tinkerbell! Finally, we have a picture to put inside our Tinkerbell frame back at home. We loved that frame so much, but have been waiting for a picture with Tinkerbell to slide in it. One thing about the cruise is this: it's easiest to meet some characters that there are long lines for at the parks. You'll read about one of those characters in just a moment, actually.
But first, dinner time. It was pirate day, as all the characters listed above (except Tink) were dressed up like pirates! This may not have looked that good for the character we met just before dinner, Peter Pan. He let us slide just this once though.
Tonight's dinner was great, and all the waiters were dressed up as pirates as well. It was a scurvy good time. But we weren't done with the pirate theme yet. In fact, we had to get out of dinner to go meet the one person Madison wanted to meet the most.
It was Jack Sparrow! We were second on line for this one, and it was the highlight of the trip for Madison. She thought he was so cool, and the neat thing about the characters on these cruises is that they have more time to spend with kids. The two of them had a bit of a conversation, and Jack was surprised to see that Madison was dressed up like Angelica the pirate. Madison said that Jack had scared her initially, but didn't mean to. She repeated this story over and over again afterwards. We posed for a family picture together and then walked away, proud pirate parents. And we walked by a huge line too - we timed that just right!
After dinner there was a serious pirate party upstairs, which we had to go to - you see, we were pirates. Mickey and all his friends were there, and it was a great time on deck. There were a lot of "arrrs" and a visit from Captain Hook and Mr. Smee as well. After the party, we'd "hook" up with these two as well for autographs. Madison has a few autograph books now, and it's all part of the routine: hug the character (sometimes with a kiss on the nose), and then see about getting an autograph, and then pose for a picture (sometimes looking at the camera). Then there's time for a high-five or something else altogether different.
The party was a lot of fun for everyone, but there was an even better party a bit later that we were going to take Madison to. It was a late one, so we had to come up with something for her to do. Fortunately, we were there with some friends, so we went together to drop the kids off at the Oceaneer Lab, which Madison enjoyed quite a bit. In retrospect, I wish we had taken her there more often, just because she enjoyed it so much. Meanwhile, Mommy and Daddy talked with their friends nearby (Daddy even snuck away to get Mommy a special tea from the coffee bar).
When it was time for the show, we went upstairs and joined the crowd for the Buccaneer Blast. We were in the Caribbean, with no land in sight: pirate waters! Jack Sparrow returned again, to Madison's delight. There was a big fight scene on stage, all over a special gauntlet that would emit sparks and light and power. Of course, when Jack went to give a demonstration of the power it had, he wasn't fooling around. He aimed it to one side of the ship, and for the next few minutes there was an impressive fireworks show right there in the middle of the sea. I wonder what this must look like from afar - a big ship in the middle of nowhere shooting off all these fireworks. From on deck, it was incredible. As with most Disney fireworks displays, this was set to and timed with music: the soundtracks of all four Pirates of the Caribbean films.
There was a pirate buffet after this, and a pirate dance party - but it was pretty late. We were very tired pirates, and it was time for some shut eye. Tomorrow's a bit day at Castaway Cay!
THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012
Nassau
We woke up in the Bahamas today,
although our first destination wasn’t the islands: instead, it was the Disney Princesses. Daddy and Madison got up early to go to the
Princess Gathering, an assembly of legendary Princesses. It was like “The Avengers” for girls. Lined up were Tiana, Aurora, Ariel,
Cinderella, Snow White and Belle – all signing autographs and posing for
pictures. Madison couldn’t resist!
For good measure, we also met
Jiminy Cricket and Pinocchio too! All
before breakfast!
By the way, breakfast was really
good too. We returned to the Enchanted
Garden, and although the wait was a little longer, the food was rather
good. We enjoyed a big breakfast
together, the three of us, as everyone got ready to disembark at Nassau.
Because of the threat of afternoon
showers, we decided to head off to the island earlier. The plan was to find the pirate museum, but
when we ran into some of our friends, we chose to hang out with them, doing a
bit of shopping. We visited a few
stores, and Madison had a great time being with her new friends. One store was Del Sol, which features
merchandise that changes colors when exposed to the sun. Madison got a few items, and Daddy even got a
t-shirt. We did go to the straw market
as well, but were pretty ready to head back to the boat after that.
One reason for the early
departure: “Brave” was playing at the Buena Vista Theater on the boat, and it
was in 3D! A few of the families joined
us at the theater – Daddy got popcorn for the kids, and collected drinks too. We sat in the dark and enjoyed the movie once
again, this time in 3D.
We ate lunch after that, a quick
bite from Luigi’s upstairs. Also,
Tow-Mater’s grill and Fillmore’s as well.
There were three restaurants that served up pizza, burgers, hot dogs and
a great roast beef sandwich. Of course,
there were the ice creams too!
It started to rain harder outside
at this time, but we hadn’t made plans to do anything more on the island. In fact, our next activity was entire inside
the Disney Dream: The Midship Detective
Agency.
This was a blast! One of the girls decided to join us as we
went from picture to picture all over the ship.
There were about twenty different stops along the journey, where we had
to uncover the real villain in our mystery.
Who stole the painting? In our
mission, we found out it was Maleficent.
But the answer is different every time, so it was something we could do
again if we chose to.
But we did need to get back to the
cabin to get ready for dinner, and a few more autographs! We saw Minnie Mouse again, and some other
characters as well. Soon the ship’s horn
sounded off – and it was time to leave Nassau once more. This was Daddy and Mommy’s fourth visit here,
and probably the shortest! We spent more
time on the boat!
Dinner was at the Royal Palace
Restaurant, which was really good again.
The food was very good and very extensive: tonight Daddy had a difficult time choosing
between two main entries, so they gave him both! Dinner has been a great time for everyone, as
the families connected and got caught up.
Meanwhile, the girls had fun playing and coloring and having a good time
together.
After dinner, it was time again for
another show. Tonight’s event: “Villains
Tonight.” This was a great show – a
really funny one too. It wasn’t too
scary for Madison, although that was an early thought as the show was pretty
much made up of entirely villainous characters.
But the comedy was rich and the costumes were fun. Hades, the main character, was a riot!
Once again, after the show it was
time for an early night. We had a very
full day, one with lots of running around and even a first visit to another
country. That makes Madison’s tally up
to three: Bahamas, China and The United
States.
Tonight before bed, Daddy went up
and got Mommy some tea and looked out over the ocean waves – far off in the
distance, lightning illuminated the clouds.
The wind was blowing hard up on the higher portions of the deck. We had no idea a tropical storm was brewing
in the Caribbean – actually, there were two!
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 2012
Disney
Dream
This morning we slept in a bit,
simply because we could – we didn’t have too much to do, although all of us
still did get up earlier than we thought.
I think we were all a bit excited about the upcoming trip.
Daddy snuck out the door and got
everyone some breakfast from the hotel room downstairs. It’s been a good hotel – very friendly
employees. The pool looked nice,
although this close to the beach, we chose the salt and sand.
Another feature is a shuttle bus
that drove us and our luggage to the Disney Terminal. There it was, towering high in the port - a beautiful sight!
We got there early, but the wait didn’t seem so bad with other things to do here: one was find hidden Mickeys!
We got there early, but the wait didn’t seem so bad with other things to do here: one was find hidden Mickeys!
The other Mickey was
not-so-hidden: he was posing for
pictures with families in front of a model of one of the cruise ships. We did that as well, after which we got in
various lines to check in.
Finally, our number was called and
it was time to board the ship! We walked
on board and they announced our name to the lobby as we walked in and looked
around. What a magnificent boat, the
Dream. We remember watching it get
christened a year ago, thinking to ourselves that someday we’d be aboard this
ship – and here we are, exploring each deck.
It was there we met Pluto, who Madison loved meeting as well. He put Madison’s autograph book on her head
for fun, and she laughed a lot at this.
The rooms weren’t quite ready yet,
but food was: we went upstairs to a
restaurant called Cabanas. Already,
Madison spotted the sculptures of seagulls inside: “Mine!
Mine! Mine!”
The food was so good there – lots
of crab, fish, shrimp, and more. All of
the sudden you were face to face with a cruise buffet and the memories were coming
back. Daddy probably ate a bit too much
this time!
The next thing we did was get to
our room. For this cruise, we chose an
indoor stateroom. Our thinking was that
we had Madison, and we were concerned about climbing overboard. But beyond that, nobody spends that much time
inside their stateroom (beyond the sleeping part). Still, the room was nice – and it included
one of those virtual portholes that had characters flying or floating by every
so often.
We got changed into our bathing
suits and went upstairs after that – it was time to check out the pool! Madison tried the big yellow slide once, and
after that we tried out the Aquaduck, which was – to quote our friend Crush –
totally gnarly! We also visited Nemo’s
Reef, which Madison really enjoyed as well!
We met up with some of the other
families here, families with children from China. In some cases, it has been four years since
we last saw each other – and then it was in Hong Kong, leaving our adventure in
China. We talked for a bit in front of
the ice cream station, which proved to be too much for us: yes, we broke down and had ice cream quite a
bit on the cruise.
We got changed at our room, and
went back up to the send off party, a song and dance fiesta with Mickey and
friends. The big finish was the cruise
ship’s horn, which sounded off “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes.” This was the signal: it was time to leave Port Canaveral and head
out into the big ol’ blue.
We headed upwards a deck or two,
leaning over to wave goodbye to Florida and those on land, and even saw a few
dolphins in the water. But we were so
close to the mini golf up there on deck:
Madison just had to play!
So as the boat drifted down the
channel and out into the ocean, we putted through nine holes of Goofy’s Mini
Golf on board. It was a fun course, in
the spirit of Goofy’s old “How To” cartoons, which are classic!
When we were done, it was time to
get ready for dinner. We returned to our
room downstairs, unpacked a bit and got ready for some more fun – and more
food!
Our dinnertime was 5:45, and we met
the other families at the Enchanted Garden for dinner. This was where all the girls first met, and
as you could imagine there was quite a bit of chaos here! It was a magnificent meal and a very fine place
to eat, where our servers Jason and Alex introduced themselves. This was actually Daddy’s favorite meal of
the cruise, a spectacular start to a week of some of the greatest food you can
eat.
After the meal, it was time for a
show! We went to the Walt Disney Theater
next, where we saw the “Golden Mickeys.”
We’ve seen this show before, believe it or not. Madison has too: the last time we saw it was at Hong Kong
Disney. Although the show had new
elements in it, the spirit of the production was the same. It was really good, with lots of characters –
some obscure and some legendary. Mulan
was in it, so you can’t go wrong there!
We had great seats, sitting next to some of our friends right there in
the middle.
But afterwards, it was time to get
some rest. It was a pretty epic day,
actually.
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