Our last day at sea *sniff*. We rouse ourselves and get downstairs in time for the Stage Works backstage presentation at the Walt Disney Theatre.
They typically can't offer these sorts of backstage glimpses on the shorter cruises, as time in the theatre is apparently at a premium--the schedules are so tight, shows or rehearsals are nearly always taking place. It's interesting to see how much stuff they can cram into such cramped spaces--all the props and sets are carefully and specifically filed/positioned/located so that they can be quickly located and retrieved for the next time they do that show. They have representatives from each production department give a little summation of their area of expertise, and then they let us up onto the stage to wander about, gawk, and ask questions. We are also amazed at the stairs leading up to the stage--each night, the performers bound up onto the stage, sometimes in huge costumes where they can't possible see their feet, with no problems at all. In reality, the steps are fairly steep, and with no handrails, proof a little tricky for some of our members to mount.
The actors had said earlier that they have no one behind the scenes designated to help them with their costume changes or anything, so it's up to their fellow actors to fill the gap--one of them mentions that there's more activity going on offstage than onstage at the Golden Mickeys, trying to get everyone ready in time. They also have a rack of costumes available for people to try on and model. If you're that much of an exhibitionist, that is.
We duck out a little early to make a showing of Wall E. It had showed earlier as the main evening show, but we skipped out on it, in lieu of standing in the rain, watching the Panama Canal pass by. This was then the only other time that was convenient for us to see it, and it was apparently a last-minute addition as it wasn't listed in the movie schedule, but only in the daily Navigator. We speculate that it was so last-minute that they forgot to tell the projectionist, as we all sit in the theatre for about 15 minutes after the schedules time, waiting for it to start. Finally, after several phone calls, people come running, and the movie commences. If you haven't seen Wall E yet...you must. It's great, and like the kinder, gentler version of Idiocracy. In any case, it's nice to know that, not matter what happens to the rest of the world, Costco (and it's equivalents) will survive, along with the cockroaches.
We go for lunch afterwards, and finding nothing terribly exciting offered at Lumiere's (jaded, much?) we head up to Topsider's Buffet, where we are pleasantly surprised to find an Asian buffet, complete with Sushi table.
The rice, is frankly, not very good, being by turns hard and mushy, but the fish is good, and they have ikura, so we are satisfied. Amusingly, the CMs that get the food for you, do not appear to know what any of them are, and persist in saying anything with green is "wasabi." A trend I notice is that at the beginning of any meal shift, everyone is bright and perky and accommodating...and while they try to maintain it throughout the mealtime, it is only natural that there is a little fading off by the end. The CM that, at the start of lunch is going "what would you like? This one? That one? Let me get that for you..." by the end is pretty much "...I don't know. It's good. You'll like it."
After lunch, we split up as Mom goes to origami class, and I take in a juggling workshop. I don't think either of us reaches professional levels of performance. Mom then carpe diem's a naptime, while I wander around more and take in the sites. I think I tried to do some blogging on deck 4, but found the chairs entirely too sleepifying to be very productive. While there, a parade of munchkins meanders by.
There are a lot of children on board, some of whom are unfortunately, only marginal in their behavior. It's a crapshoot anytime you get in the elevator, as to whether someone will have punched all the buttons for every floor, and Christiaan has to make multiple announcements pleading with parents to stop their kids from congregating and running around in the hallways and public areas. Towards the end of the cruise, there are rumors that graffiti has had to be removed off the murals around the elevators, which is unhappy, if true.
Tonight's show Disney Dreams starts at 6:15pm. Getting ready for it, we find our latest fabric animal addition:
I can only think that the 15 days is really pressing his ingenuity, because I cannot tell what this is. Mom thinks it's a seal.
Anyway, Dreams is the DCL signature show, probably because it's won awards for best cruise line show or something. There's no denying that it's well-produced, but I find it a little hard to get around the 20+ year olds that are playing ~5-8 year olds. The story is that Anne-Marie gets told by the Blue Fairy that she has to find her own magic by 0600, or...I guess you grow up and go into Marketing, or something. Peter Pan comes by to help her figure out how to fly and we try not to let creepy thoughts enter in when he says he comes by to watch her through the window most nights. On her way to finding her magic, there are many good production numbers and the regulation number of characters make their appearances to new and improved technical effects.
Anyway, I won't spoil it for you, but I'll just say that it doesn't end with Anne-Marie becoming an accountant. At the end, Christiaan comes out and gives us last-minute information that he probably gave during the disembarkation talk that we ditched for Wall E (oh, we watched it on the TV later.) He tells us we have to have our bags out by 11pm tomorrow night, and to make sure we don't pack everything, as every cruise there are families having to disembark in their nighties, with bare feet because they packed away all their stuff. Now, I imagine the implications are more dire, as they now have direct airline check-in, which means the family that packs everything but their sleepwear is flying home in feet pajamas.
After a visit to the stateroom where we uncover our second animal of the day (and wonder where one of our pillows is,) we go down to dinner, which is the Captain's Gala menu tonight.
This is possibly our favorite menu of the trip, along with the Panama Canal menu. For appetizers, we have the garlic shrimp and the Oysters Rockefeller which are excellent. The entree is lobster tail again, and happily the green beans are a little more cooked than normal (perhaps the attacks at the Food Manager Q&A yesterday did some good?) If the rice is still a bit hard, well that's of little moment. Dessert is a lava cake that resembles nothing so much as a Ho Ho, but which is pretty good.
We actually make it out in time for the adult cabaret which is somewhat underwhelming, and eventually take a turn around the big dessert buffet in Lumiere's. This turns out to be more of an ordeal than I would have anticipated, as the line extends out the door, around the corner, and down the hallway. As I'm waiting, one lady walks by jeering loudly "look at all the creepy people, waiting for dessert at a quarter to twelve!" You Ma'am, are not magical.
Inside, most of the desserts have been demolished in a surprisingly barbaric fashion--it literally looks like people have clawed chunks out of the cakes with their bare hands, which begs the question of how hungry do the people from early seating get? Most the children in line seem primarily interested in the spun sugar/chocolate decorations that they pluck and cart off by the plateful. It's an unholy mess, but everyone appears to have a wonderful time.
Plus, there's a chocolate fountain. But no strawberries! My God, Why Hath Thou Forsaken Me?!
Tomorrow: Castaway Cay, and our last full day.
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