Archives for May 2011

Disney Wonder Day 2: Stateroom, Oceaneer Club, Pools, Entertainment & Pyrotechnics, Oh My!

May 3, 2011 by Amber

“Home sweet home.”

That is what I referred to our stateroom aboard the Disney Wonder for seven blessed days. Only our home doesn’t have a balcony with ocean views (more than 70 percent of staterooms have them), a door adorned with Mickey, or James, our doting stateroom steward who kept our room meticulously clean.

I have yet to convince my own beloved husband James to follow his fine example.

Sleeping with my kids in the same room is not my top choice but with a curtain partition, bunk beds for the kids and a large comfy bed for Linda and I, it was pretty ideal. The split “bath-and-a-half” design provided us with the convenience of a sink and tub/shower in one room and a sink and toilet in a separate room.

Our stateroom had all makings for a good slumber but I’m a neurotic sleeper and need complete silence. Combine a snoring roommate (who shall remain anonymous) and the creaking of the ship (the only time it testified of its age), I awoke exhausted.

Which is why it made perfect sense to checkout the fitness center.

Disney Cruise Line Fitness Center

The adults-only workout facilities are a part of the Vista Spa & Salon and are open from 6 a.m.-8 p.m. The equipment is state-of-the-art with a complete range of cardiovascular and weight machines and classes. There is also an open-air track for walking and jogging, about 1/3 of a mile in length.

When I worked out the first day it sea, the facility was crowded. On the final day on the cruise, it was a ghost town. After a week of leisure and gluttony, I think my fellow devotees instead opted for the buffet.

Perfect Palo

Speaking of food, it doesn’t get any better than Palo, Disney Wonder’s signature adult-only Northern Italian restaurant. After dropping the kids off at Oceaneer Club, Linda and I indulged in the Champagne brunch. The options included made-to-order entrées, seafood, a selection of international cheeses, fresh breads and pastries, desserts, Champagne and mimosas. Favorites were the Eggs Benedict and strawberry-mint soup.

In addition to brunch, Palo also offers elegant dinners. On our final night, we began with antipasti selections and the choice of six different kinds of pizzas. We moved on to fresh pastas and then came seafoods and meats (my classic beef tenderloin with Gorgonzola sauce redefined tender) and our evening was topped off by chocolate souffle dessert.
Our beloved and adorable Italian waiter Daniel summed up our culinary journey by this statement: “It’s a moment you never want to end.”

He was correct but fortunately for my waistline, it eventually did.

Reservations are required for Palo and there is an additional $20 charge for dinner and brunch.

An Expert Opinion of Disney’s Oceaneer Club

When Linda and I retrieved 6-year-old Hadley from Oceaneer Club, she reported: “I made a friend and we pretended we were Captain Hook on the ship.”

She was referring to Captain Hook’s pirate ship straight from Never Land with a treasure chest-themed television set, lamps that resemble barrels, hanging ropes, wooden planks and a glistening fiber-optic night sky.

“Oh, and Bode? All he did was play Mario Kart and just watch TV,” she snitched.

The Club has a computer lab with child-friendly computers, video games and multiple televisions. In 4-year-old Bode’s own defense, “I had the most fun ever.”

To each his own.

Oceaneer Club is open from 9 a.m. to midnight daily for children ages 3 to 10, no reservations are necessary. Bode preferred The Club (which is more geared to younger kids) and Hadley liked the Oceaneer Lab (stay tuned for that review tomorrow).

Water Play

There are three pools on-board the Disney Wonder: Quiet Cove Pool (an adult-only oasis), Goofy’s Pool and Mickey’s Pool a.k.a. my descent into hell.

Let me explain: My kids are finally getting old enough that they can be relatively independent in shallow waters. Goofy’s Pool had an ideal location with a state-of-the-art, jumbo 24-by-14-foot LED screen that played Disney animated or live-action movies poolside. Unfortunately, at a depth of 4 feet, it is too deep for my kids.

That left Mickey’s Pool. In theory, this is a fantastic pool that features Mickey Mouse’s famous smiling face, a maximum depth of 2 feet and a twisting, one-deck-high yellow slide suspended from an over-sized Mickey Mouse hand.

The problem is 85 percent of the ship’s children think this mouse is the cat’s meow. By afternoon, Mickey’s Pool was absolute bedlam every day and my dreams of relaxing poolside in a chaise with a Pina Colada smoothie were replaced by having to keep a vigilant watch they didn’t get trampled.

The kids still loved it, though. Haddie tore up the slide, we grabbed burgers and fries from Pluto’s Dog House (healthier options were at nearby Goofy’s Galley) and topped it off with soft-serve ice cream. Basically, it was every kid’s dream and every parent’s nightmare.

To each their own, Part II.

Tip: To avoid the crowds, skip swimming in the afternoon and go after breakfast or during the first dining hour (around 6 p.m.) Stay tuned for our favorite moment aboard the Disney Wonder, which happened on our final night in Mickey’s Pool.

On-board Entertainment

Upon returning home from our cruise, I was asked, “Did your kids ever get bored?”

A Disney Cruise is the very antithesis of boredom. Between song-and-dance shows starring our favorite Disney Characters in the Disney Theatre daily to first-run movies like Tangled and Gnomeo and Juliet in the Buena Vista Theatre, magic shows, karaoke, dancing and games, we were never, ever bored.

One of our favorite performances was the Golden Mickey’s, a Disney-esque version of the Academy Awards. We arrived with fanfare: Paparrazi snapping pictures, red carpet and even a “celebrity” reporter who interviewed the little ones. The show combined live-action theatre from talented performances with our favorite clips from Disney films, an emotional tribute to Walt Disney and pyrotechnics.

It doesn’t get much better than that for kids.

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If you missed it:
*It’s a Wonder Cruising with Disney: A Day-by-day Guide
*Day 0.5: If Getting There is Half the Fun Then I’m in Trouble
*Day 1: Kids Club, Sail Away Party and Fat Kitty Stowaway
*Day 2: Stateroom, Oceaneer Club, Pools, Entertainment & Pyrotechnics, Oh My!
*Day 3: Our Slacker Character Breakfast, Oceaneer Lab’s Little Red Hen and the Magic of Animator’s Palate
*Day 4: Puerto Vallarta, Boogie Boarding and Not-nude Beaches
*Days 5 & 6: Cabo, Lands End, A Brush with Death and a Newfound Love
*Day 7: Farewells & Our Favorite Moment of the Trip

Filed Under: Disney, Family travel, Humor, travel Tagged With: Disney Cruise, Fat Kitty

Disney Wonder Day 1: Kids Club, Sail Away Party & Fat Kitty Stowaway

May 2, 2011 by Amber

My least favorite part of cruising is the check-in. Even the most highly efficient system will result in headaches when dealing with an onslaught of 2,400 people.

When our shuttle bus arrived from LAX to the Port of Los Angeles, the process went quickly. The only confusion I had was as we waited for our group number to be called so we could board the Disney Wonder. I glanced over and saw frantic parents high-tailing it to the youth activities registration desk at the terminal.

Prior to the cruise, the Disney Cruise Line sends passengers a very thorough information packet. In the guide, it talks about registering children for the activity centers on the ship but I panicked when I saw the herd charging over to the desk. Were they taking all the spots? WHAT IF IT FILLS UP AND I’M STUCK WITH MY CHILDREN FOR THE ENTIRE TRIP?

Judge me all you want. I’m just expressing what all those frenzied parents were thinking.

Turns out we had no reason to panic. All children have access to the kids clubs and it is not necessary to register for specific activities. Haddie and Bode’s wrists were fitted with Mickey Bands (free but there was a $50 charge if they got lost). The bands provide secure access to the children’s facilities and act as a monitoring device.

Think ankle bracelets for criminals but in one of the happiest places on earth.

Then it was our turn to board. As we walked into the lobby of the Disney Wonder, an overenthusiastic lady announced our names into the microphone. We jubilantly stepped onto the red carpet, relishing in the roar of the crowd (OK, more like six gracious staffers) but we were thrilled that they gave each individual family their own special memory of boarding the ship.

Beach Blanket Buffet

We all have our priorities when cruising and ours was eating (we had not done so since early that morning). The Beach Blanket Buffet on Deck 9 serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and we gorged on classic American and international cuisine. I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the buffet that had plenty of healthy and non-healthy selections, though I would have liked to have seen more choices in the salad bar.

Gotta make a few healthy choices to offset desserts like these.

Kids Clubs

There are several difference options for kids of all ages aboard the Disney Wonder:

Flounder’s Reef Nursery: Infants and toddlers (ages 12 weeks-3 years) are entertained with toys, crafts, book and games. Disney’s babysitting services services offer the longest operating hours of any cruise company.

Oceaneer Club (ages 3-12): This pirate-themed adventure areas is home to Peter Pan’s Never Land with games, storytelling, video games, musical fun and dancing.

Oceaneer Lab (ages 3-12): Offers exploration with experiment stations, music stations, computers, video games and more.

Edge (ages 11-13): This lounge and interactive play space is set up with plush couches, high-tech entertainment—videogames, televisions and computers—and features guided activities.

Vibe (ages 14-17) is the ultra-cool teen-only hangout patterned after a college dorm with plasma-screen TVs, Internet access, MP3 players, games karaoke and snacks.

There was been a lot of talk (and a bit of controversy) about Disney Cruise Line’s decision to revamp their youth activities program in 2009. While most cruise lines generally create smaller groups with kids of the same age, Disney eliminated age restrictions for kids ages 3-12 and activities are divided up by interest, not age in the Oceaneer areas.

While I liked the idea of Bode (age 4) and Hadley (age 6) being able to participate in the same activities, I was a bit worried Bode would get trampled by the older kids. Turns out, I had no cause for concern (as you’ll see later):

The boy simply migrated to his beloved Wii and life-long friendships with his home boys were born.

Sail Away Celebration

Following the mandatory Assembly Drill, we partied it up with Captain Mickey Mouse and Friends at the Sail Away Celebration on Deck 9. I caught a glimpse at Beatlemania during this 45-minute deck party with Minnie, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, Pluto and Captain Hook. Confetti rocketed through the sky and my kids joined the countless others in the revelries.

Parent tip: Bring earplugs. And your loudest voice.

Fine Dining, Disney Style
The nine restaurants on the Disney Wonder range from the adult-only fine cuisine at Palo to casual poolside dining at Goofy’s Galley. The ship features a Rotational Dining system that lets you rotate to one of three theme restaurants (Triton’s, Parrot Cay and Animator’s Palate) each night, while your servers follow you from venue to venue.

The good: I have never experienced this level of service on a cruiseship. Our beloved waiters Balwan and Titta always had our preferred beverages and Bode’s booster seat ready when we arrived and catered to our every need. The food was always delicious and the ambiance ever-changing and enchanting.

The bad: There is no flexibility on when and where you eat. There are two assigned seating times at 5:45 p.m. and 8:15 p.m., the latter obviously not desirable for families with young children (5:45 p.m. fills quickly).

On our first night, we were assigned to Triton’s grand dining room with French and under-the-sea cuisine. The children’s meals were varied and always served with a side of vegetables. Hadley devoured steak, shrimp, sea bass and topped it off with a chocolate sundae.

At the end of the meal, she coined the most beloved quote of our entire trip as she groaned in her chair: “Ugh, I’m starting to feel like Fat Kitty” (our very portly cat).

It wasn’t the first time we all felt that way aboard the Disney Wonder.

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Filed Under: Disney, Family, Family travel, Humor, travel Tagged With: Disney Cruise

Disney Wonder Day 0.5: If Getting There is Half the Fun, Then I’m in Trouble

May 1, 2011 by Amber

My kids and I have traipsed all over Canada and Colorado without my husband Jamie.

But our Disney Cruise to the Mexican Riviera was different for a couple of reasons:

1) It’s international. And yes, I know some of you consider Canada a foreign country but when you’re raised there, poutine and “eh” are as natural as Marilyn Monroe’s blonde hair (work with me, here).

2) This was my children’s first cruise. There’s a bit of a learning curve when cruising—from check-in at the port to security to registration. It’s all a bit overwhelming for a newbie.

And moms who are accompanying them.

But our speed bumps began long before that when our flight was delayed. (Did I mention that out of 200 flights leaving Denver that morning, ours was only 1 in 4 that had any issues?)

Long ago, I abandoned asking “what’re the odds?” because they are never in my favor.

Fortunately, we arrived at LAX with plenty of time to spare and good thing, too because that is when our next debacle occurred. After disembarking, my bladder-the-size-of-a-pea son raced to the bathroom, after which time, we followed the signs to baggage claim.

And kept following them.

And followed them some more.

I’ve always hated LAX. It’s old, dingy, congested and it is currently being renovated, which only added to the chaos. There were no trains or moving walkways and we walked for about a half hour until we finally arrived at baggage claim.

Only, it turns out it wasn’t ours. We had flown on a friendly jaguar from Frontier (Terminal 5) and had somehow trekked around the airport and ended up in very unfriendly United (Terminal 7).

My mother-in-law Linda had flown from Salt Lake City and was inspired enough to call me at that exact moment to track us down. By the time we high-tailed it back to Terminal 5, I was the final person to arrive on our transport shuttle and was brimming with accusations about the convolted airport.

Until I noticed other people from my same flight had somehow managed to do a straight-shot to the correct baggage claim.

I shut up, grabbed my luggage, consolidated everything I needed into a carry-on (tip: keep your swimsuit and other essentials with you) and sent the rest of our suitcases with the Disney Cruise porter. I was promised the next time we saw them, it would be in our stateroom after 3 p.m.

Relief set in that I would finally be able to enjoy a stress-free vacation. Linda, the children and I lined up to board the bus and that is when I realized I had forgotten my son’s booster seat…

Back at baggage claim.

That would be the second baggage claim we’d been to that day for anyone keeping track.

At that point, I was almost tempted to leave it behind but I had brought it for a reason. Apologetically, I told the bus driver my predicament, she kindly told me to retrieve it and I high-tailed it across the parking lot.

And then I became that person. You know—the one that makes everyone wait.

When I arrived back to the bus, I slunked into my seat beside my daughter, sweaty and humiliated. As we watched the video with Mickey & Co. giving us a tour of the ship, I resolved husbands are kept around for a reason.

And it has everything to do with upping my odds.

In case you missed it:
*It’s a Wonder Cruising with Disney: A Day-by-day Guide
*Day 0.5: If Getting There is Half the Fun Then I’m in Trouble
*Day 1: Kids Club, Sail Away Party and Fat Kitty Stowaway
*Day 2: Stateroom, Oceaneer Club, Pools, Entertainment & Pyrotechnics, Oh My!
*Day 3: Our Slacker Character Breakfast, Oceaneer Lab’s Little Red Hen and the Magic of Animator’s Palate
*Day 4: Puerto Vallarta, Boogie Boarding and Not-nude Beaches
*Days 5 & 6: Cabo, Lands End, A Brush with Death and a Newfound Love
*Day 7: Farewells & Our Favorite Moment of the Trip

Filed Under: Disney, Family, Family travel, Humor, travel Tagged With: Disney Cruise

It’s a Wonder Cruising With Disney: A day-by-day guide

May 1, 2011 by Amber

For Spring Break, Bode, Hadley and I joined my mother-in-law Linda aboard the Disney Wonder to sail the Mexican Riviera and life has never been the same.

I mean, just look at this kid.

Since Disney Cruise Line’s inception back in 1995, I knew I wanted to take my children someday but I must confess, we were not huge Disney fans. Sure, we love most Disney films but we’ve never been to the theme parks and consider Mickey only to be a mouse (and not a god).

But after seven days aboard the 2,400-passenger Disney Wonder, we’re now bonafide mouseketeers. It wasn’t any one thing that made this our favorite vacation ever but rather the culmination of superb service from the 945 crew members, fantastic amenities interspersed throughout the 10 decks, delicious food at the nine restaurants, professional-quality shows, first-run movies like Mars Needs Moms and the simple magic that only Disney can provide.

I’ve been on cruises before that offer wonderful children’s programs but the difference with a Disney Cruise is everything is about the kids. Little girls wandered the halls wearing princess dresses and boys sported Mickey ears. Some families went all-out decorating their cabin doors. Our waitress even patterned our ketchup into Mickey ears.

The Disney Wonder launched in 1999 and many of the reviews I read on TripAdvisor were harsh (too old, not maintained, etc.) While there were times it definitely showed its age (particularly creaking most noticed at night), crews work around-the-clock cleaning and painting.

This old ship (me) should be so lucky to have that kind of TLC.

So, welcome aboard! As you’ll see from Day 0.5, our trip did not start well….