Wrap-up and final thoughts
So. Cruise #5 with Big Mouse. Back on the Fantasy, our 'home ship' according to Conor. It was an interesting comparison in terms of traveling with a 4 year old vs. an 8 year old too.
We did fulfill our promise to ourselves to try new things. Overall:
Disney Springs: A very pleasant surprise. Perhaps not too busy due to the cold when we went..? It was fun. And not too Disney!
(Except that one store...)
Room decorations: For us, this was a no-brainer, and it was worth every penny. We still have things up now around the house. That blanket is still my favourite in terms of coziness, and the 18 year old cat agrees with me.
Sail-away: This continues to be a gong-show of a mess for us - realizing that it was no one's fault that the door incident happened. Regardless, it's too loud, too crowded, and, well, too Disney.
Sharing a table: Well, we've done it, and it was fine - lovely folk. However, we are SUCH introverts, the idea of doing it again makes us break out in hives.
Selected shows: Chosen carefully, these were a hit. Specifically- that would include whatever they put on on day 1, Aladdin, and Shawn the magician. I realized quickly that on port-days there was no way we could/should stay up for them. So- a qualified - we liked them, but only if we're not exhausted. There is no way in a million years I would go to all of them. Pick the good ones. How do I know which ones are the good ones? Why... I read about them here!
Art class: A hit with the men for sure.
Mixology: DH enjoyed it. I tolerated it. I won't be going back. (Note: I drink very little at all so this might be a part of it...)
Remy supper: HUGE hit. Well worth the money in our books.
In terms of things we've learned before, we reinforced the following:
Hyatt MCO is worth the money for us: I know we could have saved money by skipping out of Hyatt MCO, but ... it's right there! And it's a really nice place to spend a night. The rooms are nice, and it's convenient to be able to pop out and get what you need (unless what you need are socks).
Happy Limo is OK: I think Conor would have preferred the
DCL bus, but his parents appreciated not being on one. The stop at Publix was helpful for sure (not just for the wine/beer). I'm still perplexed as to why we were suddenly the customers with texting problems, but whatever. We figured it out.
No More Paddles of Power: Excursions were 10 times more enjoyable for us on our own. We picked the times we left. We generally beat the crowds. We spent about half as much money on them. Now- we were super-careful and researched them to death. We always planned to be back on board at least 2 hours before all aboard. We didn't actually go that far- even the Baths are pretty close, and we made darned sure we knew when we had to get our ferry, and planned lots of extra time for it. In that case, we were initially a bit worried about the lack of taxis from the Baths to the ferry, but then a whole bunch appeared in plenty of time.
Mysteries are good: Conor still loved them- less, perhaps, than he did at 4, but still a lot. It's still smart.
Characters are OK: Dude brought his autograph book, but only visited Mickey. He likes to look, but does not feel that standing in line to meet up with them generally is worth his time on board. Buddy loves at-sea days, but doesn't want to be standing around for them.
Rainforest rooms on the Dream class ships are awesome: Those heated loungers make me a very happy camper. DH tried them this time too, and was a fan. If you can figure out when it's a low-time to go, it's incredibly peaceful- such a contrast for me on SWDAS- much essential recharging was done.
The lab is now cool: Having checked out the club on day 1, I don't think Conor went back. He feels like a lab kid now - at least on the Fantasy. Mostly, he drew things, chatted up CMs, and watched activities from afar, which he seems to enjoy. He sometimes picked up a new friend for a few hours which is his style (never learned their names, though
).
Officer pin trading is worth the crowds: He just gets such a kick out of it.... and his special pin made his day.
Fish extending is still worth it: Conor is now more interested in the giving part of things, and was helpful in pulling things together. He does get disappointed when he gets 5 things on day 2, then none for 3 days, but this is a life lesson I figure, and it's all fine.
The food is incredibly consistent: The food is still very good. We used what we've learned before. Ask for water for Conor on night one, and then just get special drinks as treats on other nights (as they'll bring out the chocolate milk or the Shirley Temple every night otherwise.. which might be fine for some, but it's an easy way for us to cut down on sugar in a painless way). Ask for veggies and you'll get them (they are oddly missing from most kids' meals unless your kid likes salad). Definitely order from the adult menu for kids - the portion sizes are reasonable.
Deck 9 is great: Still a good place for us. Close to Deck 11 but not right under it; a few flights down to the kids clubs.
And, of course, thoughts on Star Wars Day at Sea
This was, honestly, amazing. It is Big Mouse at his organizational best. The whole day is masterfully designed. Watching Conor's face was incredible ... just with all the characters just wandering around the ship, doing their own thing. The Jawa thing was a huge bonus, but it was still a great day without that part.
It was a bit of sensory overload though for us ... so I'm glad we planned some downtime. That allowed us to get to the fireworks, which were a great ending to the day.
I cannot imagine the day if one was not interested in Star Wars. I'm not a huge fan, but since I live with 2 fans, I am at least part of it, and I can enjoy vicariously. It would be hard to avoid.
All in all- I agree with Conor. The Fantasy is my favourite ship- probably because it was our first ship, but I also like the Rainforest room, the stores, the restaurants, and room 9120.
(Yes, these are generally the same on the Dream, I know.)
DH feels he is 'done' with Caribbean cruises (though he notes he prefers Eastern to Western) ... but will admit that avoiding the Paddles meant we had a much nicer time on the islands. He still rates Alaska as his favourite cruise, and I would agree.
So... what is up with that new ticker? See the next post.