Our 14 day Cruise on the Magic *COMPLETE 9/23/05* About This Page:

[disneyfan4994]

Even though I have been a passporter for over a year now I have never done a trip report! So this will be my 1st attempt at one. It may be very short if I can’t get the hang of this but I wanted to give it a try. Here goes:
The Cast: Me (Kathy 34) DH (Tim 32) DS (Matt 10) DS (Ryan 4) My Mom DM (Sharon 63) & My Dad DF (Bill 67)
The event: 14 day Panama Canal Cruise on the Disney Magic
Dates: 8/20/05 to 9/3/05

Day 1 8/20/05

Our day started out very early with a 7:30am flight out of Midway airport in Chicago. My Mom believes in being at the airport very early so by 5:15am I was at the airport. The flight was uneventful & due to the 2 hour time difference in our favor, we touched down in L.A. about 9:40am local time. We claimed our luggage & found the Disney rep in baggage claim; before we knew it we were on a bus & headed to the Port of Los Angeles. We were to the port by 11am & checked in with hardly any wait. We were assigned a boarding group #16 & they had just started with group #1! I had registered both DS’s for the kids club on line so I went to the check in desk & claimed our pager, before joining the family to wait to board. It wasn’t too long & we were hearing our names announced as we boarded the Magic for the 3rd time.

DS’s wanted a picture with the Mickey statue in the atrium.


They also had a lovely ice sculpture of the Magic.



Then it was up to Topsiders for the embarkation buffet. We took a picture of the port. It sure is different from Port Canaveral.


After lunch we explored a bit before heading to our stateroom then of course the mandatory life boat drill. If you have never done one it is an experience. You have to wear your very uncomfortable life jacket & walk to your muster station. You then have to stand very close together while attendance is taken & a few announcements are made. It is hot, sweaty, & many kids are usually crying, but safety first! After the drill it was on to the sail away party on deck 9.


A lot of people turned out to say goodbye to the Magic


After we sailed away we headed back to our room to get ready for dinner. We were on the APL (Animator’s Palate, Parrot Cay, Lumiere’s) rotation. Tonight’s menu was “Let the Magic Begin” & we met our server’s Glendene from Trinidad & Joy from India for the 1st time. Dinner was great. After dinner we headed to the Walt Disney Theatre for the “Let the Magic Begin” variety show. We saw a juggler David DiMuzio & a ventriloquist Taylor Mason who was fabulous, as well as a couple numbers by the Disney main stage performers. After the show we were all very tired so we headed back to our stateroom to unpack & get some sleep. We had 2 weeks of fun ahead of us!

Next up: Our 1st day at sea

[DawnDenise]

What a great start Kathy!!!!! Can't wait to hear about your fist day at sea!!!

[Colexis Mom]

Great start Kathy

More please

[disneyfan4994]

Day 2 8/21/05 Sunday

Today was our 1st day at sea. We woke up about 7:30am & headed to Topsiders for breakfast. We enjoyed the buffet for breakfast every morning. I tried to keep it light sticking with a bagel, or Danish & maybe hash browns. DH liked the scrambled eggs & toast. DS #1 stuck with bagels & several donuts. DS #2 usually had pancakes & bacon. DS #2 is very picky about his pancakes. At home the only microwave pancakes he will eat come from Market Days. If I try to give him any other brand he tells me they are the wrong color, so we were very happy to see the “Mickey Boat” had the right pancakes. After breakfast my Dad took the boys to the pool, & me DH & my Mom headed to the DVC member celebration. We received DVC baseball hats, lanyards & luggage tags as gifts. I also won a great DVC tote bag in a raffle. There were a lot of DVC members on board. After the celebration we headed to the Mickey pool to meet up with the boys & my Dad. The Mickey pool became one of our favorite hangouts during the cruise. The boys had a great time playing in the pool.

Matt & Ryan ready to jump in



Ryan trying out the Mickey slide


Matt in the pool



Ryan in the pool



DS #1 also tried out the Oceaneer Lab today which would become his 2nd home for the next 2 weeks. He was in the 10-12 age group. He went to a session of Mickeymation & learned to draw his favorite mouse. Spent time Stormin’ the Lab, which is basically free time where the kids can use the computers & the play station. Skipped the evening show to go see the Incredibles in the Buena Vista Theatre & attended a Carnival Party. He basically stayed in the Lab every night until they kicked him out, usually at midnight! We all joked he had the best night life of all of us.

Dinner tonight was in Parrot Cay. It reminds me of the Tiki Room at MK. It is very colorful & busy. The menu tonight was “Taste of California” & was great as usual. After dinner we took in the evening show which was “Art Imitating Art an Acrobatic Adventure.” The performers were very talented, especially when you remembered they were doing acrobatics on a moving ship!

We roamed the decks & stores a little after dinner, and then headed back to the room for some rest.

Our room steward Derrick always left us a towel animal, & DS #2 loved them.



Up Next: A stop in Cabo… or not; & will this ship ever stop rocking??

[Disneyfan62]

Great trip report!

[Colexis Mom]

What a cool towel animal! Glad the kids are having a great time More please

[Tara O'Hara]

What a report and great pictures!! Sorry that you missed Cabo San Lucas! I hope the stop you do make is great!

[Tig&Poo]

Thank you Kathy, I am enjoying your report. More please!

[dsnytina]

Kathy:
Great report!
So sorry you're having rough seas!
Can't wait for more!
Tina

[lauren-roxy]

Great report Kathy!! Sounds like you are having an awesome time so far!! Can't wait to read more!!

[DawnDenise]

Sounds like an incredible time Kathy!! the towel animals!

[disneyfan4994]

Day 9, 8/28/05 Sunday

We received a wake up call from Mickey at 5am it was a very exciting day we were scheduled to transit the Panama Canal. We got dressed & went up to Topsider’s for breakfast. We then headed up to deck 10 to stake out a spot to watch the 1st set of locks. We chose a spot on the port side aft. The front of the ship was packed with people & it was a little crazy up there. There were waiters walking around taking drink orders as well as waiters offering us free alcoholic & non-alcoholic drinks.

Passing under the Bridge of the America’s


The 1st set of locks we would enter were the Miraflores Locks, followed shortly by the Pedro Miguel Locks, both of these locks would be taking us up. We would then sail through Gatun Lake, followed by the Gatun Locks which would take us down. A pilot boards the ship & navigates us through the Canal. As you approach the locks, tug boats come along side to guide the ship in. As you approach the actual lock ropes attach the ship to small locomotives on the land on each side. These locomotives then pulled us into the lock.

Heading for the Miraflores Locks


Entering the 1st Miraflores Lock


You go through each lock with another ship & we had a container ship on our port side. It is a really tight fit.


The container ship leaving the 1st lock & entering the 2nd. We are still in 1st lock.



The canal is an amazing experience. They have a narrator who tells you what is happening & bits of history about the canal as you pass through. It is very interesting. We also received a book in our room about the canal & they were passing out pamphlets as we were going through that gave a summary. It was very exciting.

At 12:30 we were through the 1st 2 sets of locks. Matt had been at the Lab all morning. Why watch a once in a life time experience when you can play with other kids? He did say they took his age group out to deck 7 & had them watch a set of locks, so he did get to see it. We headed down to deck 9 for lunch. They had a BBQ & were grilling steak, chicken, & pork chops. They also had salads & of course deserts.

The kids swam in the pool while we sailed through Gatun Lake. We then decided to go to our room & watch the Gatun Locks from our veranda. Our room was on deck 7 starboard side, so we could get a different view. Matt, of course, headed back to the Lab for craft extravaganza, to learn to make towel animals, & to make Flubber.

In the Gatun Locks





We went to dinner in Lumiere’s at 6pm & finished the locks while we were at dinner. Lumiere’s is on deck 3 & we could see the sides of the locks through the portholes while we ate dinner. We had the “West Meets East” menu tonight. After dinner we went to the Walt Disney Theatre. They were showing the movie Valiant. It was cute.

After dinner Tim, Ryan, & I went back to the room. We were really tired from a long exciting day. Matt was off to the Lab again & came back to the room at midnight.

Tonight Derrick made us a blanket animal


Up Next: Another fun day at sea & a new Cinderella story!

[iamgrumpy]

Great Update I can't wait to go cruising in April!

Amy

[DCLFANATiC]

Great update ! Thanks for the great pics too !

[disneyfan4994]

Day 10, 8/29/05 Monday

We had another day at sea today. After breakfast at Topsider’s My Mom took the boy’s to family kite making at 10am & then took Ryan to the pool while Matt went to the Lab for animation with Ducky Williams. Tim & I went to a Disney behind the scenes presentation on the Expedition Everest rollercoaster at Animal Kingdom at 9:45am. Disney Imagineer Gary Landrum gave us a behind the scenes look at the development of the ride. It was so cool. I mean I always knew Disney did an amazing amount of research & work to make their rides authentic, but he showed us movies of the Imagineers on actual research trips to the villages around the real Everest & then what they came up with for the ride, & it was unbelievable. We also got a little glimpse of what the ride will be like, but said his boss wouldn’t let him give away too much.

After the presentation we met my Mom & the boys at the pool for swimming & some lunch.

The boys in the Goofy pool


Max was by the Goofy Pool & Matt got a picture


Ryan also played in the Mickey pool & Ian from England, a member of the cruise staff, joined him. Ian was so much fun. He was great with the kids & on more than one occasion joined them in the pool fully clothed.

Ryan & Ian in the Mickey pool


At about 3pm the boys went back to the room to stay with my Dad while Tim, my Mom & I went on a galley tour. You meet in Lumiere’s & a member of the kitchen staff takes you on a tour of the galley that connects Lumiere’s & Parrot Cay. It is really neat to see how they manage to prepare all that food everyday, & it is so clean & organized. We then headed to the room to get ready for dinner. On our way to dinner we stopped in the atrium & Matt got some pictures with the characters.

Matt with Pluto


Matt, Chip, & Dale all dressed up for formal night


Dinner tonight was in Animator’s Palate & we had the “Prince & Princess” dining menu.
Ryan was really tired tonight


My desert. A white chocolate slipper filled with fruit flavored moose.


Tonight’s show was “Twice Charmed an Original Twist on the Cinderella Story. “ It was great. The basic story is Cinderella’s stepmother’s evil fairy godfather turns back time & fixes it so the Prince does not find Cinderella. She then tries again to get the Prince to marry one of her daughters. Of course this is a Disney show & there is a happy ending. The show was wonderful, but almost as exciting as the show Roy Disney himself sat 2 rows in front of us to watch it! He had boarded with his wife to transit the Canal with us. Call me crazy but I was in awe being so close to someone who was actually related to Walt!

After the show Tim, Ryan & I explored the ship & did some shopping while Matt retuned to the Lab for Stormin’ the Lab & Ghost stories. At 10:30pm Tim & I went to the Buena Vista Theatre to see Fever Pitch & Ryan stayed with my Mom. We got back to the room about the same time Matt returned from the Lab, & Ryan was sound asleep in my Mom's room.

Our towel animal from Derrick


Up Next: Curacao & No I guess you don’t have to get off the ship.