After what seemed like non-stop action the last three days, we had a day at sea to relax. People have different approaches to sea days. Some people see it as an opportunity to experience all that the ship has to offer – and there is a lot! Tastings, mixology classes, napkin folding, trivia, bingo, the list goes on and on. And while I’m sure those things were fun, they were not for us. We went for the slower pace – pool, Aqua Dunk, sports deck, movies, and just general R&R.
But of course, no day would be complete without characters! JB had such a blast at the Character Dance Party in the lobby atrium. The characters made their way one by one down the stairs and each took up a spot on the floor to dance with the kids. Every character seemed to have some signature dance moves and JB went from one to another mirroring their moves and dancing with each of them. He could not have had more fun.
After lunch we were back on the character trail. Appearances took place in the atrium and just above on deck 4. Their shifts were staggered perfectly so we could go from the atrium to deck 4 and back to the atrium and never miss a character. We repeated this cycle for a solid 3 hours, bouncing back and forth between decks to see 7 characters! Normally, my idea of a good time on vacation would not be spending 3 hours in line to see characters but the pure joy that this brought to my son made it fun even for me. He was bouncing-up-and-down happy even while waiting in line and that happiness was contagious.
One of my most lasting memories of this vacation will be the many interactions JB had with the characters on the cruise. Stitch pretending to pick wax from his ears and chasing JB and the photographer around with it on his finger. JB getting down on his hands and knees to greet Pluto and them sniffing each other “because that’s how dogs greet each other”. Dale getting mad because JB had a Chip stuffed animal but not a Dale and then trying to steal the stuffed animal by hiding it in his shirt. One of the Cast Members who saw JB so often in line for the characters stopping Minnie on the way up the stairs as she was leaving to point to JB and say “Minnie, that’s my friend JB” so she could wave to him. Every single character meeting he had was a unique and memorable interaction.
And this was all the more unbelievable because when we went to Disney World two and a half years ago, he was absolutely terrified of the characters and could not get far enough away from them. Below on the left is JB at three and a half years old watching the characters from the safety of the other room at the Tusker House character meal. On the right is JB at six years old having an absolute blast being silly with Stitch. I will never forget the complete joy that these characters brought him on the cruise.
After character hopping we went up to the top deck to enjoy our last sunset of the cruise. And what a sunset it was! Absolutely stunning. The boys played on the Wide World of Sports deck while the adults enjoyed the view.
It was hard to believe our last night was drawing to a close. The boys were really interested in going to the Officer Pin Trading event. They had brought their pins and lanyard and already traded a few times in the shops but they were excited to trade with the officers. They were worried that they would miss the event if we went to the show (Disney Dreams) so we skipped it. I should have had more confidence in Disney’s scheduling because of course they had it timed perfectly so the trading started as the show let out. I was a little disappointed to miss the last show but they had a good time trading pins and got some pins that they will keep in their collection forever.
Our last dinner was in Animator’s Palate – a great place to finish! We loved the decor and all the little details around the dining room. Everything started white and as the show began, drawings appeared on the screens. They kept drawing and eventually splashes of color were added in and then everything burst alive in full animated color. It was really entertaining. To top it all off, Sorcerer Mickey even made an appearance. It was the perfect ending to the cruise.
Finally our day at sea was drawing to a close. Just kidding! There was still the Farewell Show (‘Til We Meet Again), which meant one last chance to see some characters. RB watched some from the balcony of deck 4 but JB had to be right in the thick of it. All of the characters came down the steps to the main atrium and then took up a spot for pictures. JB brought Pluto a card he had made for him. And he had to go to see Minnie “because she knows me now” (thanks to the Cast Member who introduced them). And of course we had to say goodbye to Captain Mickey.
Finally (for real this time!) it was time to call it a night. Ok actually his Cast Member friend brought him upstairs first to show him where to stand so he could high five all the characters on their way out. But then we actually went back to the stateroom. Our stuffed animal collection had grown over the cruise and they all got a ride on a turtle the last night.
I woke up relatively early the next morning and walked around taking pictures of the nearly empty ship. It was very peaceful up on deck before the crowds awoke to disembark. I enjoyed seeing the ship with a different eye. It really was beautiful. It was nice to have a moment to reflect on our vacation and appreciate all the wonderful family memories we had created.
We skipped our breakfast in the MDR and grabbed some at Cabanas instead. We enjoyed our last few moments on the ship before disembarking. The disembarking process was an easy one – we had set our bags out the night before with their character tags on them. When we got off the ship, we went to that character area and found them quickly. We grabbed our bags and made our way through the customs line. Outside we called for the hotel shuttle and waited for them to come. And waited. And waited. It was not the fastest process. Getting us there had been much smoother. But I suppose everything feels longer after your vacation is over when you are just ready to hit the road and head home. The excitement is gone and the reality of the trip home settles in.
So what was the verdict from this non-cruising family? We loved it! We still prefer land-based vacations where we can really explore an area in depth, but Disney definitely does cruises right. The service and overall experience were incredible and while we will not become frequent cruisers, there’s a good chance that Mickey may indeed see us real soon.
