Trip Report Day Eight: Leaving the Disney Magic

So today is the final day of this Disney World and Disney Cruise Line trip report...I hope you've enjoyed reading along!

On the morning of Sunday, January 5th, we woke up for our last Disney meal - breakfast.  On the final night, you get a piece of paper delivered to your stateroom detailing what time you go to breakfast, and at which one of the sit-down restaurants you'll go to.  Since we had the first dining rotation time, we were to meet at Carioca's at 7:30 for our last meal on the ship.  We brought our luggage down with us, and they had us place it in the hallway to the restaurant while we ate.

It was standard breakfast fare; pancakes, eggs, danishes, etc.  

After saying goodbye to our wait staff (who were wonderful!) we made our way out of the ship, into the terminal at the Port of Miami, and towards our cars in the parking garage.  We said our goodbyes to our family; we'd had a great vacation together - and have already booked our January 2nd, 2015 cruise!  We'll be back, Disney Cruise Line!

Our cousin Sam attends school at UCF in Orlando, and so he was kind enough to drive us from Miami up to Orlando, so we could catch our flight at the Sanford airport.   It took about 4 hours to get from the port to Sanford, so if you're driving that, keep that in mind.

We got to the airport and as we were checking into our flight, found out we had a delay.  In hindsight, we were lucky we got OUT of Florida, back to Moline.  That Sunday was the start of another set of winter storms, and we found out later that a fair amount of flights leaving Orlando were not getting out, due to the backup of flights getting canceled in other areas.

We arrived to a VERY windy, snowy, 20 below zero night in Moline.  Blessedly, the car started with no issues, we threw in the suitcases and made our way home! 

We'd had a great vacation, experiencing both Disney World and Disney Cruise Line.  Noah LOVED cruising, so I am pretty sure I can get him to come on another cruise in the future!

Thank you agin for following along!  I will next share some photos and experiences that my friend and I had when we went back on the Magic in early February, and be sure and stay tuned when I blog LIVE from the Agent Education Program at Disney World next week!

Have a magical day!

Trip Report Day Seven: Last Dinner of the Cruise

After a wet day in Key West, we headed to our final dinner of the cruise.

(Sniff, sniff.)

Tonight we were dining at Carioca's, which replaced Parrot Cay when the Magic went under its refurbishment.

picture copyright Disney Cruise Line

It's a very nice restaurant, very bright and cheery.  I LOVED the lanterns they have hanging from the ceiling.  They would look super in my dining room.

But I digress.

I chose their broth-based chicken soup for my appetizer, and it was good but VERY spicy, so I only ate about 1/2 of it.  I also got the empanada for my appetizer, which was excellent.

For the entree, I (along with quite a few others at our table) chose the Flank Steak, which I really liked.  It was served with rice and black beans, and I thought the seasonings were perfect.

For dessert, I chose the sundae, which was your basic sundae but hit the spot.

After dinner, we went our separate ways.  The boys headed to their last night of karaoke, and I headed back to the room to pack up our things.  I found a movie playing on the TV, ordered a glass of wine from room service and packed up our room.

Disney Cruise Line has a service where you can place your luggage outside your room (I believe it's by 9PM) and they will have it waiting for you as to exit the ship.  If you are sailing from Port Canaveral, you can also do a transfer to the Orlando International Airport, they will take your luggage to the airport for you, and you won't see it until your final destination (this can be set up before you leave on the cruise, or at Guest Services one you're on the boat).

We did not utilize this service, so we kept our luggage in the room with us that night, and carried it off the ship as we were leaving the next morning.

Next: We Disembark the Disney Magic

Trip Report Day Seven: Key West!

Our last full day of the cruise was upon us and today, we were in Key West.  The day started off pretty normally; we got up, got dressed for the day and grabbed some breakfast.  We also had to meet in the D Lounge about 10:30 with our passports and documentation, so we could be checked out by US Customs.

This passport check was something new to me; I haven't experienced it before on Disney Cruise Line. In Key West port, it's one of the rules that when you're coming from a non-us port before Key West, you need to present yourself to the customs officials.  Since we were in Nassau the day before, this was necessary.

The night before, we received a note in our stateroom letting us know about this requirement and what time we were to report to D Lounge, on the 4th Floor.  They had staggered the times as everyone on the ship is required to do this, and it would be madness to have thousands of people in a line, all at once.

I don't have any pictures of this, but it was a pretty quick experience.  The line moved quickly and although it looked long at the start, it was over and done with in about 15 minutes. 

Noah and I then went out on the deck to look out on Key West.

As you can see, it was raining.  And REALLY raining, not just a delicate sprinkle.

We decided to make our way into Key West, so we could say we'd been there.  As we disembarked the boat, they were handing out Mickey ponchos for everyone, which was very nice.  (They were the same clear, plastic ponchos that you can buy at Disney World for about $10).  As we didn't have umbrellas, this was a lifesaver.

We didn't have a game plan in mind, so we did a bit of walking and then decided to eat lunch at Margaritaville.

Hey, when in Rome, right?!

I couldn't go to Margaritaville and NOT get a margarita - I think that's against the law in Key West!  :)

We ordered some YUMMY nachos to share, and then each had an entree.  I think mostly everyone got salads or burgers; I do remember that Noah got a Cheeseburger in Paradise. :)

After lunch, we walked around for a bit; notice the ponchos and rain-soaked children.  Happy, but soaked.

More rain soaked (big) kids.

We wandered into a few shops, and then decided to split up.  The boys wanted to wander around more, and Scott was going to watch a game.  Wendy and the kids and I headed back to the boat.  Justin particular wanted to ride the AquaDunk, so we stood in a dry spot while he and Sadie went on it a few times.

It was nice to get off the boat in Key West, but I don't think I'll rush back there anytime soon.  I would have liked to have seen the historical areas of Key West, but that wasn't possible with the rain.  I wasn't that impressed with the shopping and "touristy" areas - it honestly reminded me of Nassau in that way.  I certainly would cruise through Key West again, but would probably only get off the boat if I was doing a tour or excursion.

Up Next: Our last dinner on the ship! (Sniff!)

Upcoming Disney Plans

It's March already?!  This year is really going fast.  Now only if winter would leave, and spring would come.  :)

I have a a couple trips coming up in the next few months and have been preparing for those.  Both are going to be new experiences for me, and I can't wait to share them with you!

* March 17-21, 2014: Agent Education Program (AEP) at Walt Disney World

In just a few weeks I'm headed back to Orlando, to participate in the Agent Education Program.  This is a five day training course for travel agents who sell Disney, and looks like a ton of fun.  We'll tour resorts, go to seminars to learn more about the new products and services, and we'll also head over to Port Canaveral one day to tour the Disney Dream!  I will be live-blogging and posting on Facebook and Twitter while at the AEP, so be sure to follow along.

In addition to the AEP, it's also Flower and Garden Festival time at Epcot, so I am planning to visit those displays and take lots of pictures for you.  I've not been during F&G time before and can't wait to experience it!

We're staying at the Yacht Club, where I've not stayed before, so that has me very excited.  I am rooming with my Mouse World Travel friend/agent Ellen - I can't wait to meet her!

photo from TripAdvisor

* May 3, 2014: Running the Expedition Everest 5K

I have been training for my first runDisney race, the Expedition Everest 5K.  I'll head down to Orlando for a long weekend trip in early May, and run the race on Saturday night with my aunt.

I've been using a 5K training app from Jeff Galloway that I really like.  His method of training is a run/walk interval, which I have found to be really helpful for a beginning runner.   I plan on using the run/walk method on race night as well, but hope to be at a higher running interval by the time May rolls around.

I am hoping SO we get a thaw so I can start running outside; I don't necessarily mind running at our local recreation center, but nothing compares to being in the fresh air.

image from runDisney

I hope you follow along as I head back to Orlando!

Toby the Bear, and the Disney Difference

Perhaps you've seen this story about the lost bear that made his way back to his owner, after he was lost at Walt Disney World.  If you haven't, you can read their story here.  (And if you don't have tissues handy, I'll wait here until you grab some.  You're going to need them.)

When this sweet girl's bear was lost, I remember seeing multiple Facebook posts asking for help in finding Toby the bear, and after reading their story, praying that it could be found.  This was more than just a lost toy; this was a tangible link between this young woman and her deceased father.

To my glee and surprise, a few days later, the Facebook posts were updated that Toby had been found! A Disney employee had found Toby, and his family was called a few days later with the good news.

Toby was on his way back to Alabama, but not before he took a VIP tour of Disney World, complete with a photo scrapbook.

copyright Disney

copyright Disney

(Is that not the cutest thing you've ever seen?!  Toby's a star!)

Toby's story highlighted for me the Disney Difference.  Disney is so much more than theme parks, rides and attractions.  It's more than resort hotels, shopping and entertainment.  The Disney Difference is the people, the cast members that make Disney destinations some of the best in the world.   They could have simply put Toby in a UPS box and sent him home, and that would have been OK.  But they took the time to make this little girl's day, and to let her know that Toby was cared for and taken care of before his journey back home.

And those cast members, with the excellent service they provide, are the reasons I turn to Disney again and again when I vacation.

Trip Report Day Six: Rainy Day

Back to the Trip Report...

The rest of our day in Nassau was nice and relaxing.

After the massage and a nice breakfast, Sadie and I changed into our swimsuits and headed up to the pool.  We met up with Scott and Justin, and then headed into the pool.

I thought the temperature was pretty good for being in the water.  It wasn't super hot, but at about 80 degrees the water felt nice.

While in the water, we enjoyed Disney's Hercules!  (This is what Disney Cruise Line calls Funnel Vision, their HUGE screen which faces the family pool.  They show movies here during the day - this is also where we watched the Super Bowl when I went back on the Magic later in the month!)

It was nice to just sit in the pool and relax for a while.  As you can see, the clouds started rolling in; we would be dealing with that for the next 24 hours or so.

Another Disney ship was docked next to us, which was pretty cool.  (I am 99% sure it was the Dream!)

After about 1/2 hour in the pool, the skies opened up and it started to really rain.  We headed back to the room, got changed and went to Cabanas for a nice lunch.

After lunch, Wendy, Scott and I went to Keys lounge and did a wine tasting, which was a lot of fun.  There are typically a few tasting classes you can take during a cruise; on ours they were offering the wine tasting, beer tasting and margarita tasting, I believe.  The class is available for a nominal fee, and has a small group size which is good for interaction and asking questions.  Our sommelier taught us a lot about wine and it was very interesting.

The rest of the day was very relaxing; we went to dinner that night at Animator's Palette, which was very good.  (I have some videos of that night that I will post in the coming days.)  After dinner, we all decided to go to the Buena Vista Theatre and watch Frozen, which was a nice way to end our day.  If I remember correctly, after the movie the older boys went to karaoke and I went to our stateroom to bed.  It had been a fun day but I was wiped out!

Coming Up: Wasting away in Margaritaville.....

My Disney Bucket List

Today we're going to take a brief break from the trip report to talk about Bucket Lists.  You've heard of a Bucket List, right?   For those of you that haven't - a Bucket List is a list of things you want to accomplish before you leave this earth - ie, before you "kick the bucket."

I have a general life Bucket List, and not surprisingly, a Disney Bucket List.  Here are a few Disney to-dos I hope to check of my list in the coming years:

* Visit all of the Disney parks around the world.

It's been a goal of mine for a while now to visit each of the Disney parks around the world.  I have been to Walt Disney World many times, and I *might* get the chance to go to Disneyland Paris in 2015 (squeal!!!!) but there are still quite a few I have yet to see, including one right here in the US of A (shame on me!).

 - Disneyland, California
 - Tokyo Disney
 - Disneyland Paris
 - Hong Kong Disneyland
 - Shanghai Disney

picture copyright the Walt Disney Company

(The picture above is an artist rendering of Shanghai Disney, which is set to open in 2015.)

* Run and finish a Disney World Marathon, 1/2 or Full.

I'm doing my first runDisney race in May, the Expedition Everest 5K, and although a bit nervous I'm excited too.   I hope one day to be able to complete either a 1/2 or full runDisney Marathon!

picture copyright runDisney

You accomplish a goal AND get jewelry, too?!?! Sign me up!!

* Do a coast-to-coast travel challenge and go to Disney World and Disneyland in the same day.

I've read a few blogs and trip reports where people have started their day at Disney World, then booked an afternoon flight to California and spent their evening at Disneyland in Anaheim.  I think it sounds like an adventure and a ton of fun.  And it'd be SO COOL to take a picture in front of, say, the Haunted Mansion at Disney World in the morning, and then again in front of HM at Disneyland ON THE SAME DAY.  (The Disney geek in me is freaking out over the possibility!!)

* Go on one of the multi-week Disney Cruises.

Disney Cruise Line has what they call repositioning cruises, which is where the boat has to get from one port to another (for example, getting the boat from Port Canaveral, Florida to Barcelona, Spain). The cruises are typically anywhere from 12-15 days and include many glorious at-sea days, which are my favorite on any cruise.  It would be a total dream to be able to spend all that time on the ship.  And how cool would it be to sail across the Atlantic Ocean?!

(They are also doing Los Angeles - Hawaii cruises again!!  YAY!  Adding that to the Bucket List....)

picture copyright Disney Cruise Line

What items are on YOUR Bucket List (Disney or otherwise)?