Just off the Fantasy...

[DisneyMom2000000]

Everyone keeps saying the replacement for Aladdin was a magician, or a movie. This is simply not true. Both of those entertainment options are available on any 7 night cruise. The replacement for Aladdin was the Broadway singer Josh Strickland.

I don’t have the navigator with me, but I am pretty confident that Josh Strickland was not on the April 6th sailing. I don’t remember seeing his name and we certainly did not see his show. Instead it was David DaVinci... a magician.

 

[DisneyMom2000000]

So then I guess the terrible magician WAS the replacement for Aladdin

So I did some reading on David DaVinci yesterday. He did not perform any of his signature (seemingly more impressive) acts. It looks like he does a lot of acts with birds, also makes his wife disappear. On the April 6th Disney Fantasy sailing, he did card tricks, a prediction with darts, and a rope tying trick. It was boring and not impressive, particularly sitting mid way back in a theater. It might have been fun up close but I’m not sure. We didn’t leave because of the “surprise” coming as well.

 

[FigmentSpark]

So what was the "surprise"?

 

[DisneyMom2000000]

So what was the "surprise"?

All the characters had an informal Meet and greet with guests.

 

[DisneyMom2000000]

I don’t have the navigator with me, but I am pretty confident that Josh Strickland was not on the April 6th sailing. I don’t remember seeing his name and we certainly did not see his show. Instead it was David DaVinci... a magician.

We also had some cloggers from Amercas Got Talent perform. They were good but....

 

[Numtini]

Why not swap shows between the ships.

A better question would be why not swap the ships. The Fantasy is taking over the 3/4 days while the Dream is in drydock, why not do a full swap at that point?

 

[FastPasser.]

Everyone keeps saying the replacement for Aladdin was a magician, or a movie. This is simply not true. Both of those entertainment options are available on any 7 night cruise. The replacement for Aladdin was the Broadway singer Josh Strickland.

Add me to that list. If he was there on the March 30th cruise, we didn't know about it. And even if he was, it's not an equivalent substitution.

 

[mousefan73]

How long is Aladinn not running? We sail Aug 24th

 

[johnnyblz20]

EXACTLY. They made that big announcement about waiting till the end of the show for something new and all it was were the character meet and greets which they do everyday. Not sure how they felt this was something brand new.

So, so bad. The only reason we stayed until the end was because the cruise director said beforehand that there was a surprise after the show. I wonder if she knew half of us would leave if she didn't say that.

I found out about Aladdin being cancelled before the cruise, but only from following these boards. I wrote to DCL about how upset I was and got a very unsatisfactory, canned response about all the great entertainment they'll still have on-board.

They are crazy if they think that magician was a decent replacement for Aladdin…and forgive me if I'm wrong, but they they were also showing Dumbo one night in the Walt Disney Theater…was THAT supposed to replace Aladdin?? It was playing all week in the Buena Vista theater, so I sure hope not.

The Great Dubois show was really excellent, and we actually really liked All That, the men's clogging dancers, but the rest of the entertainment was sorely lacking.

 

[johnnyblz20]

Everyone keeps saying the replacement for Aladdin was a magician, or a movie. This is simply not true. Both of those entertainment options are available on any 7 night cruise. The replacement for Aladdin was the Broadway singer Josh Strickland.

If that was the replacement where was he? Pretty sure we didn't have that at all and sorry but a singer is not anywhere close to comparable to a broadway show like the Aladdin one was.

 

[johnnyblz20]

So how was it other than that? I remember reading you had to rebook quickly after Oasis was damaged. What were the good things?

Plenty of good things, food, entertainment is good if you haven't seen it a bunch of times, service, atmosphere, characters, etc. You will have a great time but I just wish they would update some things.

 

[pixiedustedme]

A better question would be why not swap the ships. The Fantasy is taking over the 3/4 days while the Dream is in drydock, why not do a full swap at that point?

If everyone could get to sail on the Fantasy via a 3 or 4 night cruise, that would reduce some people's motivation to sail her on a 7-night cruise.

Plenty of DCL cruisers begin cautiously with the Dream, then move up to the Fantasy. DCL probably wants to keep it that way. It's motivation to come back and do a longer, more expensive cruise on a different ship.

 

[lklgoodman]

If everyone could get to sail on the Fantasy via a 3 or 4 night cruise, that would reduce some people's motivation to sail her on a 7-night cruise.

Plenty of DCL cruisers begin cautiously with the Dream, then move up to the Fantasy. DCL probably wants to keep it that way. It's motivation to come back and do a longer, more expensive cruise on a different ship.

While it's true a lot of first time cruisers start off on the Dream with a shorter cruise, my family didn't. We've only taken 7night cruises, so we've been on all of the ships(more than once) except for the Dream. And because we are getting tired of the same old shows, food, places, we are now looking at other lines to sail on. I'd love for them to switch the Dream and Fantasy, but I agree with your reasoning and don't see it happening. I'm just hoping the new ships will give us a reason to stay with DCL.

 

[mmouse37]

How long is Aladinn not running? We sail Aug 24th

May 18th Fantasy the revamped Aladdin will start.

MJ

 

[pixiedustedme]

While it's true a lot of first time cruisers start off on the Dream with a shorter cruise, my family didn't. We've only taken 7night cruises, so we've been on all of the ships(more than once) except for the Dream. And because we are getting tired of the same old shows, food, places, we are now looking at other lines to sail on. I'd love for them to switch the Dream and Fantasy, but I agree with your reasoning and don't see it happening. I'm just hoping the new ships will give us a reason to stay with DCL.

The Dream is a great ship and worth a cruise. I hope someday you'll be able to do so, and see Beauty and the Beast, which is very good.

 

[mj2vacation]

We had the chance to talk to one of the directors that works in Toronto. That is where they do the training and rehearsals for the entertainment. Also spoke with some of the onboard theater production people.

The revised show will be based on the live action Aladdin.

 

[buzzrelly]

Everyone keeps saying the replacement for Aladdin was a magician, or a movie. This is simply not true. Both of those entertainment options are available on any 7 night cruise. The replacement for Aladdin was the Broadway singer Josh Strickland.

That may have been true on other cruises, but not on the April 6th sailing. And it STILL wouldn't have been a worthy replacement, in my opinion.

 

[Xalthon]

Everyone keeps saying the replacement for Aladdin was a magician, or a movie. This is simply not true. Both of those entertainment options are available on any 7 night cruise. The replacement for Aladdin was the Broadway singer Josh Strickland.

As others have noted, Josh Strickland was not a performer on the April 6 Fantasy cruise.

 

[cgolf]

On the 7-night cruises, they often have a movie for the WDT show one night - even if it is also playing in the Buena Vista Theater. That is nothing new.

Tt is kind of new. Back in the day (I feel old now lol) the only movies with the WDT I remember was when they did a premier of a movie the same day it was happening on land, and it was late at night too. Other then that for a seven night it was the first night cringe worthy show, 2 main acts, 3 DCL shows and the see you again show. Took me a few cruises to see the golden mickey's for some reason I always seemed to miss the show.

 

[daisyx3]

Plenty of DCL cruisers begin cautiously with the Dream, then move up to the Fantasy. DCL probably wants to keep it that way. It's motivation to come back and do a longer, more expensive cruise on a different ship.[/QUOTE]

We have trouble taking a 7 night cruise in the summer because DH runs a small business...but I'm a teacher and summer is my main available time, so 3 or 4 nights are better, at least in years we take another trip as well. Last year we got on the 3 night Fantasy when it was repositioning after an 11 night cruise, and my main motivation at first was to get my "grand slam" without taking a 7 night.