We’ll blame the Force: The UnDisney family on their 5th cruise - SWDAS (Eastern) Jan 28-Feb 4, 2017

Check luggage weights frequently - not only is this a great upper body workout, this means you avoid those fees...
How do you check luggage weights? Do you have a hanging scale you use or is there one on the ship you can use? I always worry I'm going to have to repack my bags when we get to the airport. It would be awesome to know ahead of time that my bags are not overweight!
 
How do you check luggage weights? Do you have a hanging scale you use or is there one on the ship you can use? I always worry I'm going to have to repack my bags when we get to the airport. It would be awesome to know ahead of time that my bags are not overweight!

Yes- we have a luggage scale- it's small but invaluable. You can find them at any luggage store, at Costco - they even have them in local drugstores around here. They've saved us literally hundreds of dollars. Super-easy to use.
 
So, one must start out fully fueled for what will be a long day. We breakfasted at Cabanas. Note that being real Canadians ... we always travel with real maple syrup. That which is on the ships is NOT the real thing. It's always included in our FE gifts as well- share the wealth!

Real maple syrup??? We want to be on your FE group if we ever travel on the same cruise.

they stole him away

This was so cute.

Cay and Day look like they should rhyme, but they don't. That's the kind of thing that drives Conor nuts.

I agree with Conor.

When
Conor politely asked what kind of dancing (he can be great), she told him Irish dance, and he proudly declared (shut up kid!) that I used to do that. This is true

Our daughter is an Irish dancer, well, was an Irish dancer, did not compete but belonged to a children's group for about a decade that danced for community service, i.e., schools, retirement homes, fund raisers, etc... She is now a "Scottish" dancer because the collage she attends offered her a scholarship in Scottish Arts if she Highland danced at band events. She spent the summer between high school and college learning/transitioning to Highland dancing.

Conor is a gem. Love reading your reports. Looks like you will soon be gold. :rolleyes1

Kate
 
Before we get home ... DH's photos and a few things I forgot, as usual.

I raided DH's photos - which include some that Conor took.

First up: Some better photos of the Baths - which also give you an idea of the 'course' if you go through the actual caves.

Here is our view at port.

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Next: Conor swimming- right next to huge rocks. My nerves were a bit shot after this!

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Now the men went back into the caves- just in the easy parts..
. but you'll see how much water you walk through, and a bit of the rope you have to use at one point. Plus, bonus karate poses....

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We'll go next to SWDAS ... DH version.
 


DH version of SWDAS

DH got a few better pics than me of a few things (hmph).

I only got blurry versions of this glory... a replica of Rey's speeder (see? I saw that movie). Conor loved it.

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Next - we see the Jawa episode from the other side...

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And a better pic of the threesome.

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And, that bounty hunter - she didn't talk, and neither did the hooded Jawa.

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What I forgot in all this was that I retreated to the Rainforest room for about 2 hours in the midst of all this- I had saved my pass, knowing that I would need a break. It was nearly empty, not surprisingly, and gorgeous. I won't even pretend I didn't nap!
 
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Real maple syrup??? We want to be on your FE group if we ever travel on the same cruise.


Our daughter is an Irish dancer, well, was an Irish dancer, did not compete but belonged to a children's group for about a decade that danced for community service, i.e., schools, retirement homes, fund raisers, etc... She is now a "Scottish" dancer because the collage she attends offered her a scholarship in Scottish Arts if she Highland danced at band events. She spent the summer between high school and college learning/transitioning to Highland dancing.

Conor is a gem. Love reading your reports. Looks like you will soon be gold. :rolleyes1

Kate

Thanks! And yes, always real maple syrup. We live in a region where it's plentiful, so it's a no-brainer. :)

I danced before the era of Riverdance...so back when no one (outside of Ireland) had heard of it. :) How awesome that she got a scholarship!

Thanks for reading. We're quite fond of the kiddo- he's entertaining, and, yes, if the planets align, we'll be experiencing the golden life, which is, um, unexpected!
 
OK- back to the regularly scheduled getting us home part of things.

One of the reasons I like to stay at the YYZ Sheraton Gateway so that I can go to bed still in vacation mode, and wake up in 'we're back in winter' mode. I know this makes no rationale sense, but hey, what can I say... it works!

Conor and I were up at our usual early hour, and we quietly (or not) escaped to mosey over to the nearest Starbucks to pick up coffee and breakfast. We got DH moving by waving coffee under his nose, and showed him this:

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It might be hard to tell, but that is wet snow falling, and, ironically, a building named Orlando in the distance.

Fortunately, we are Canadian, so we are prepared... (the hat, by the way, is silver .. a Hoth hat, we're told).

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By the time we got to the 401, (big icky highway) we had progressed to full-on snow. Oh joy.

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Fortunately, DH is a good driver, and we just took our time, and made it home safely.

One final note... when I am on vacation, I am ON VACATION, so I do not check work email. Turns out life goes on ... but there is this joy upon one's return...

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Happily, at least 100 of those emails were either junk, useless, or already dealt with by the time I returned... but still ... ICK. It's all worth it though.

With that- I shall go to bed, as tomorrow is the first day back at work after another one of these away from email vacations. Must sleep well to weed through this vacation's backlog!

I will finish up though, with final thoughts, and ... why/how/what do you mean actually gold???
 


Don't think for one minute I didn't notice your new ticker!!

The UnDisney Family hits GOLD and is going BIG for cruise #6 I see :flower1:

Ok so if you didn't rush off the ship at CC how did you still score a great seat? We did CC all WRONG apparently......ugh...I must soak up your knowledge!

I love how prepared your are and how you have it all down to a fine science (packing, etc). I bow to the master :rotfl2:

Oh the Irish dancing little girl made me smile, I bet it made her night to have Conor cheering her on :jumping3:

See, now coming home to snow.....bleck. Going away in Winter is always a great idea....until it's time to come home. We had a horrible winter with snow snow snow (I know, you're thinking lady please....but still ....for Vancouver it was endless from end of November to beginning of April). When we returned from this cruise in January the weather gods smiled on us and it was about 10C! Usually we're coming back to a car that needs to be scraped and scraped before leaving.

Can't wait to read your final thoughts :cool1:
 
Don't think for one minute I didn't notice your new ticker!!

The UnDisney Family hits GOLD and is going BIG for cruise #6 I see :flower1:

Ok so if you didn't rush off the ship at CC how did you still score a great seat? We did CC all WRONG apparently......ugh...I must soak up your knowledge!

I love how prepared your are and how you have it all down to a fine science (packing, etc). I bow to the master :rotfl2:

Oh the Irish dancing little girl made me smile, I bet it made her night to have Conor cheering her on :jumping3:

See, now coming home to snow.....bleck. Going away in Winter is always a great idea....until it's time to come home. We had a horrible winter with snow snow snow (I know, you're thinking lady please....but still ....for Vancouver it was endless from end of November to beginning of April). When we returned from this cruise in January the weather gods smiled on us and it was about 10C! Usually we're coming back to a car that needs to be scraped and scraped before leaving.

Can't wait to read your final thoughts :cool1:


I think we define 'great' differently re: CC than many folks. We skip the first beach (whatever that is again), head to the second one, and just look for shade. We're usually far away from the water, but that's fine. We also only need 2 chairs, because Conor just plunks down in the sand.

Conor and I actually like winter and snow, so that part doesn't bother us, but the driving is the stressful part. It wasn't too bad, or we would have just waited.

Explanation of ticker to follow!




This is the problem with mobile, you don't see the tickers! Can't wait to see what it's for. :jumping3:

It might say something about Norwegian Fjords. Maybe. In August 2018.
 
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.
 
Will we experience gold?

So- having enjoyed our time with Big Mouse, DH and I had discussed on about day 5 that we might as well do the place-holder thing (whatever the name is now). At that point, we were not sure we would be back, but figured we could swing the deposit in case we decided to go back.

We picked a cruise in December 2017, as we had talked about going away for Christmas one year. I was looking at a course I could take on the cruise as well, but all in all, we weren't sold.

In early March, though, I came home from work to find DH in a tizzy (technical term). Our friend, DCL Queen, had texted him about the new summer 2018 itinerary. He had looked, thinking he would be most uninterested. But then there was ...

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This would be basically his perfect cruise.

a) It will not be hot and by mid-August he is truly hating summers in Ontario
b) It goes to places he really wants to see - particularly Iceland.

As well... (not that he thought of this) it ties in with a milestone birthday for him and a significant anniversary for us.

All in all, we discussed, he called, and the price wasn't too horrifying. I mean, it was mild to moderately horrifying, but we worked out a few things that would make it affordable for us, as it really seemed like a great opportunity. (We also plan to fix the Canadian dollar before April 2018 when the balance is due...)

It sounds a lot like the Alaskan cruise in many ways, and we loved that one. Conor will be 10, so old enough we feel to really appreciate it.

So- for now, we're booked. It's still not certain we'll make it- if we can't find reasonable flights, that may kibosh the whole plan. We decided to have a low-key vacation this summer (just got back from a great trip to Quebec city - highly recommend it!) and we'll not go South this winter if we decide that we are doing this trip for sure. Conor may miss a day or two of school depending on fatigue/jet lag (he starts back before Labour day) - or we may bring him just for a half-day on day 1.

For now, though he doesn't know about it in case it doesn't work out.

The fact that we will be gold actually plays no role in this. Honest!

So- I guess we'll all (myself included) have to just stay tuned.

And with that- I'm out! I'm glad it's done, and I'm sorry it took so long. I will gradually (sigh) fix my photos in the other TRs.... I think anyway! (I will, actually- as it will bug me until I do...)
 
Thank you for another wonderful trip report (I have been pouring over your Alaska report, as we are heading there in May, 2018)! I had hoped you would come back to finish it...and am now selfishly hoping that you write one for the possible Norwegian Fjords cruise as we dream of that one in 2020).

And a belated Happy Canada Day to you and yours!
 
Thanks for another great trip report. The Jawa video was perfect! That was what they call major "Pixie Dust" ! Your next cruise in 2018 sounds like an adventure of a lifetime. It's a long time to wait for another report, but I'll be sure to check back here for it!
 
Woohoo, thanks for another fabulous trip report!!

We are celebrating some milestones in 2019 and both DH and I are dying to go to Iceland so I'm keeping my eye on this cruise and will definitely keep an eye out for your TR (if you end up taking the cruise). Enjoy the rest of this summer :flower1:
 
Thank you for another wonderful trip report (I have been pouring over your Alaska report, as we are heading there in May, 2018)! I had hoped you would come back to finish it...and am now selfishly hoping that you write one for the possible Norwegian Fjords cruise as we dream of that one in 2020).

And a belated Happy Canada Day to you and yours!

Thanks! I'm delighted you are going to Alaska - we loved it, as you could tell from my TR.

If we do decide for sure to do the Norwegian Fjords, I may actually do a pre-TR ... but I've said that before and it didn't happen. :) I met up with DCL Queen today and we will start looking at some options now that we're a year out. So much planning... even I am a bit overwhelmed.


Thanks for another great trip report. The Jawa video was perfect! That was what they call major "Pixie Dust" ! Your next cruise in 2018 sounds like an adventure of a lifetime. It's a long time to wait for another report, but I'll be sure to check back here for it!

Thanks! He calls the Jawas his 'friends'. :)

Woohoo, thanks for another fabulous trip report!!

We are celebrating some milestones in 2019 and both DH and I are dying to go to Iceland so I'm keeping my eye on this cruise and will definitely keep an eye out for your TR (if you end up taking the cruise). Enjoy the rest of this summer :flower1:


Thanks! I'm cautiously optimistic we'll go. Enjoy the summer and your upcoming cruise!
 
I'm stuck at home with 2 kids who acquired strep on our return trip home from summer visits to family and friends around the US. (First time for this parent to have them come down with the exact same illness at the exact same time!) So obviously I needed a distraction, which usually ends up being Disney trip reports, and I just blitzed through your whole report. SO FUN! You are such an entertaining writer! If you ever decide to write a book, let us all know, b/c I'll buy it. :) And now I want to do a Star Wars cruise, which wasn't that much of a draw for me before, so DH thanks you. Maybe 2019... we're doing Alaska 2018. I guess that means I need to read that previous trip report of yours, except that dang photo buckets thing is ruining trip reports for us all.
 
I'm stuck at home with 2 kids who acquired strep on our return trip home from summer visits to family and friends around the US. (First time for this parent to have them come down with the exact same illness at the exact same time!) So obviously I needed a distraction, which usually ends up being Disney trip reports, and I just blitzed through your whole report. SO FUN! You are such an entertaining writer! If you ever decide to write a book, let us all know, b/c I'll buy it. :) And now I want to do a Star Wars cruise, which wasn't that much of a draw for me before, so DH thanks you. Maybe 2019... we're doing Alaska 2018. I guess that means I need to read that previous trip report of yours, except that dang photo buckets thing is ruining trip reports for us all.


Oh... I HATE summer sickness. It's not that I like strep or colds in the winter, but somehow, it's easier to handle. UGH.

I'm glad you enjoyed the report ... and um, yippee for DH? :)

I am currently procrastinating from cleaning the kitchen, so I decided to blitz through the first posts of the Alaskan cruise and fix the photos. I'll do more over the weekend. It's not that hard to fix, and it's fun to look through them again. I can't believe it was almost 2 years ago now.

Good luck- and may those kids recover super-fast- here's to antibiotics!
 
I enjoyed your trip report! We will be getting off the Magic the day you're getting on! We're doing the 7 nt Northern European one. Your cruise interested us, but it didn't work for multiple reasons...number one: our place holder expires on 8/14/18! Also, my oldest starts college that fall...no idea 'when' we'll need to drop her off or when she'll have orientation--most colleges seem to have them in mid-late June or late August, so a cruise ending on 8/26 is too late for us. DD17 really wanted to see Norway...but the thought of 'marzipan making' in Tallinn and 'feeding reindeer' in Helsinki make her happy. I'd love to visit Iceland someday, there is so much for this geology major to see...and I want to see the Aurora Borealis too... I hope you get to make this trip to work, sounds like a great one!
 
Her family was then heading off to ... start packing. (I controlled my anxiety for them here...!)

First, I ADORE your report and love your writing style! Second, your comment above made me laugh. Typically, we avoid packing (because it reminds us that we have to end vacation) until after the late show on the final night. Then we throw things into suitcases haphazardly (and a bit frantically) in order to get them outside the door by whatever deadline (10:00??). Maybe I'll try a different approach on the next cruise (if there ever is a next one - kids are old now and don't care anymore which is a little sad).

Off to finish reading . . .
 

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