Day Seventeen: In Which We Enjoy the Magic Kingdom and I Take A Lot of Photos of the Castle.

I don't care if it's been nine years since we went on this trip.  I'm going to finish this blog anyway.

After our usual late start (how anti-touring plan!) we make our way to the Polynesian, where we split a bowl of overpriced, yet tasty, chicken chow mein and vegetable chips.  Ah, to have to pay for our own food again!  How the mighty have fallen.  Finishing up, we toddle off to the Magic Kingdom for some quality ride time.

 

It's a nice day, and the crowds are not too oppressive.  Also it doesn't rain on us, which is always a plus.  We manage to finish off all the Fantasyland rides in short order, and, breaking with our usual counter-clockwise tradition, we decide to be rebels and go to Tomorrowland next.

 

Our favorite ride there, that's not at Disneyland, remains the Peoplemover, which is, of course, not called the Peoplemover there.  But, for those of us who kick it old school, it will always be the Peoplemover.  As usual, we have a moment of silence as we pass by the model of the City of the Future, which was Walt's final dream, which was summarily dismissed as soon as he died.  And that's why we don't have flying cars today.

After I beat Mom at Buzz Lightyear again and we once again decide to skip Stitch's Great Escape, we cross the hub and finally catch a showing of the (relatively) new forecourt show, "Dream Along With Mickey."

The new articulated heads now add a greater element of verisimilitude to all the characters.  It also ensures that, just like with real people, you'll pretty much always get someone with their eyes closed in any photo.  The show involves that wacky madcap Donald, who apparently doesn't believe in the power of dreams--a Dream Atheist, as it were.  The others are shocked, and determine to show the power of dreams by sharing their dreams...which just happen to involve Princesses and Pirates!  Who would have thought?  You know, they ought to have some merchandise about those things.  I bet it would sell well.

What I find really amusing, is that they looked at the guy in the duck suit, and said, "you know, it's probably not hot enough, in Florida, in the 100 degree heat, for you to be dancing and gyrating around--let's add a hat and a longcoat on top of it!"  Anyway, Donald has a good time as a pirate, until Captain Hook shows up and shows off his new face, which appears to me to be sort of a segue from a full head costume to a complete face character.  Certainly his head is a good deal smaller than it used to be.

Eventually, it all becomes too silly for Malificent who shows up to take over everything...because if you lose your belief in your dreams, evil women will come down from Alaska and take over everything!  Wait, that was another story...

 

Ultimately, good triumphs, and Malificent slinks away, down but not eliminated, as she promises to be back the next time someone's faith in their dreams wavers, or the next election.  Whichever comes first.

After admiring some pavement-painters decorating the hub, we continue on our way to the left side of the park, and enjoy the Country Bears and manage to stay awake for a change.

After going to Tokyo Disneyland, I'm always hoping for a House Curry restaurant right outside Country Bears, but no.

Finally, the line for Jungle Cruise shrinks to the point where we feel like waiting in it.  The skipper is a little better than last time, probably because the heat isn't quite as crushing, but it still wants for some improvement.

When you think about it, that hyena and the zebras in back are pretty brave, considering the rhino's probably going to lose interest in the treed guys soon and look around for something else for lunch. 

After that ride, oddly enough, we began to get hungry ("them's good eatin'!") so we decided to try the (relatively) new sushi bar back at the Polynesian.  Since Mom hates the walk up the ramp to get to the monorail, we try the boats which are closer, but definitely not the speediest way of getting around.  In the daytime, it's ok, but I refuse to take the boats at night, generally, when they turn into what we lovingly refer to as "The Mosquito Express."

The sushi bar is only open at night, as it's a coffee bar in the daytime, and when we got there, we were the only ones.  The sushi menu is fairly limited, but the quality is good, and you can also order anything off the menu from the adjoining Kona Cafe.  Although there were a few things that looked good, some included the spicy tuna about which we're not crazy.  The sushi chef's name appeared to be Elwood from his tag, which we thought was a little odd for a sushi chef, but we don't discriminate.

We sampled the crab cake roll, and the sashimi platter, with the duck potstickers from Kona.  Everything was very tasty, and in particular the rice was cooked well, which was a relief from the sub-standard rice we had on the cruise.  It wasn't all that cheap, but at least the portion size was reasonable, and not like 1 piece/$5.

After that, it was Extra Magic Hours back at the Magic Kingdom, so we monorailed back again and finished up Pirates of the Caribbean and a few things we hadn't done yet, and wandered around looking in the stores and things.

Eventually we were forced to call it a night and wandered back outside to the monorail station...where a huge line had built up.  Apparently there was some sort of malfunction with one of the monorails, and we had to wait until they carted it off and brought up another one, which took about 1/2 hour.  So it was some time before we made it back, which only forestalled the packing we had to do, in preparation for the flight home the next day.  Which is why I was wheeling some of our luggage over to the bell station at about 3am, for them to hold onto until we were ready for our Magical Express.

Tomorrow:  Journey's End.

Day Sixteen: In Which They Force Us Off The Boat and We Retreat To Disneyworld.

Disembarkation is always a pain. You have to get up at the crack of dawn, stuff all your belongings from the night before into your carry-on, and face the unenviable prospect of going back to paying for food again. In general, the air is one of misery, as the children who you heard every morning laughing and giggling down the corridors for the whole cruise are now carted off sobbing and wailing. Breakfast is at the same location that you ate at the night before, so we head off to Artist's Palette again.

On our way there, we find the lobby completely jammed full of people waiting to get off, and the overhead announcements seem to indicate that the ship's clearance to let people out has been delayed. Consequently, all the folk trying desperately to get to the airport to meet their flights are a little peeved. We make our way cautiously around them.

Breakfast is corned beef hash, and hash browns. So, sort of a hash-heavy meal. While we dawdle around, they finally let people off the boat, and the hordes of people depart. We say a last goodbye to Sailor Mickey, and head out through customs with our enormous amounts of luggage with only minimal problems/hernias. After dragging everything onto the shuttle bus, we pick up our car at Thrifty and are off to our room at the Pop. Actually, it's not really that uncomplicated, as I have a huge logistical problem getting our many large bags stuffed inside the compact car (which is the crappiest car in CrappyTown. Manual locks and windows? Thanks Thrifty!) and it is sometime and several gallons of sweat later that we get it sorted and are away.

After checking in, we succumb to the need for a nap, after the early rising and the subsequent game of Luggage Tetris. When we finally, groggily awake, we go to MGM as they're having Extra Magic Hours that evening.

We wander around hoping that Toy Story's line will drop below 90 minutes, and drop into Muppetvision 3-D and Voyage of the Little Mermaid.

Finally, the line gets to 70 minutes right before closing, so we go for it. It is a long line, however the gameplay is great fun, and even Mom enjoys it. She particularly likes how it's easier to aim than the guns in Buzz Lightyear. I beat her handily.

Tomorrow: A Day in the Magic Kingdom.

Day Fifteen: In Which All Good Things Must End.

Our last full day on the ship began with our docking at Castaway Cay.  While we heard it rained first thing in the morning, we slept through it, safely immured in our category 11 inside cabin.  By the time we got outside, it was actually fairly lovely weather, with the Flying Dutchman out to greet us, as always.

We took a tram out to the main drag with the family beaches and shops and things, and wandered around there for awhile.  Then, after spectating a little at the stingray experience, we (I) decided to walk down to the adult beach.  The heat and the length of the walk caused some of us (Mom) to decompensate a little, but we eventually made it there and found some beach chairs to sit in, while looking at the sea.

It's really a beautiful place, with the water incredibly clear and blue.  And yes, there was an interdimensional rift that made half the island a different hue when I took the photo.  I'm here to document these things for you.

After a certain amount of lolling about (with me keeping a careful eye out for bugs, because I got bit to the point of anemia last time here,) lunchtime arrived.  We grabbed some sodas and ice cream to ward off the heat that was becoming a tad oppressive, and then trammed back to the ship for a nice lunch at Parrot Cay.  They like to tell you that the food is the same on the island as it is on the ship--not so much.  There was a lot more variety onboard, beyond the usual barbeque and mahi mahi they serve seaside.  While we ate, we were seated at the next table over from where all the entertainers were sitting.  This was amusing, as Magical Danny seemed totally amazed that with all the food onboard, people still eat hunks off the gingerbread house they display on the Christmas cruises.  Welcome to America, Magical Danny.

More walking around the decks ensued after lunch, until people rebelled and retired back to the cabin for an afternoon nap.  We then found our next-to-last blanket animal for the cruise:

I'm going to go with "squid" for this one, but honestly, it's a little bit of a reach.

After napping and showering were accomplished, I went out on deck to see the stunt-bike demonstration put on by Kevin Robinson, who is an X-Games gold medalist.  They constructed a little ramp alongside the ship where he did a number of jumps and totally wiped out once, making a good case for the wearing of helmets in such activities.

We attended our last origami session with Ponz, the multifaceted CM, and then went off to our last show, "Remember The Magic" which was partially a variety show, involving all the entertainers we've seen in the last few days, and the continuation of a sketch started in the first day's show.  The family that was shown all happy and excited at the beginning of the cruise is totally depressed and dejected that it's all over and they have to go home, until Peter Pan and Anne-Marie come back from yesterday's show, and assure them that the magic will always continue, with "faith, trust...and a little bit of pixie dust!!"  I'm thinking a wad of cash doesn't hurt either.

We get our gratuity envelopes ready, and head out for the last night's dinner, entitled "'Till We Meet Again."  This had one of the best appetizers of the cruise, seared ahi, and I fall for the soup again which is a sort of watery chowder.  At least it was consistent to the end.

My entree was a seafood pasta which was billed as having lobster, but which looked a little more langoustine-like.  Nevertheless, it was pretty good, although the noodles were a little al dente...but maybe my taste has gotten corrupted since everyone else here likes their pasta mushy.

After the entree, they had the traditional parade of the baked Alaska, along with a parade of the servers, carrying their home flags.  Baked Alaska in general is not the most outstanding dessert, being just ice cream and meringue, but I always feel obliged to have it, given that they've gone to the effort of setting it on fire.  Ox was not as sensitive, and went with the sugar-free cappuccino mousse.

   

We race back to the room to get our luggage out by the 11pm deadline, and manage to make it, although not before Felindro asks if we're ready.  No, Felindro.  We'll be ready at 11pm.  He does make us one last towel animal however, and we admire it before going off to see the crew perform in their late-night goodbye cabaret.  As is traditional, it's a tad on the raunchy side, but I'm sure nothing like what it would be on another cruise line.

After making sure we have everything we're supposed to for the next day, we finally retire for the last time in our tiny cabin.  Not, however, before we close the circle on this cruise as it was always meant to be.

Thanks, Mickey.

Tomorrow:  Disembarkation...

Day Fourteen: In Which We Finally See Wall E, Ditch the Disembarkation Presentation, and Watch Disney Dreams.

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.