Disney Magic
What continues to intrigue about a
cruise aboard Disney Magic is that it blends the traditional elegance of a
vintage ocean liner with a kid-friendly environment. Entering on deck
three, adults' eyes go right toward the massive chandelier-esque glass
sculpture by Dale Chihuly in the three-story atrium, while kids are more
interested in being welcomed by Goofy or Pluto, who wait at the door to say
hello. Huge portholes line walkways through common areas on decks three,
four and five. Lovely fabrics, inlaid wood, and marble are used to great
effect. In fact, my first impression on entering the ship was "it's too
nice for kids!"
Disney Magic's biggest attribute is its ability to please families of all
ages and backgrounds, no easy task. One of the most joyful sail-away
parties I've ever experienced involved Goofy and Pluto "getting down" to
"Y-M-C-A." Absurdly comical and strangely moving, parents and kids, from
three year-olds swinging in dads' arms to too-cool-for-words teens, all
danced together, mouthing the words and wildly outlining the letters.
Easily the most popular scheduled "events" were character appearances
(autograph and photo opportunities) by Mickey, Minnie and the gang,
generally held before and after dinner in the Atrium. Another popular photo
op was the five five-foot high bronze statue of Mickey. Be prepared to
spend money at Shutters (the on-board photographers) and opt for one of
their packages!
Since the 83,000-ton ship was launched in 1998 to tremendous criticism that
Magic offered little enticement for cruisers who happened to be child-free,
Disney has attempted to highlight existing and new offerings with middling
success. There is, of course, the ship's adult-only Beat Street, an evening
entertainment district with clubs offering country music and karaoke,
cigars and cognac, and comedy.
We met very few couples who were sailing without kids except our dinner
tablemates, admitted Disney fans, who were celebrating their 25th
anniversary. They were disappointed with the lack of quality activities
although Disney has attempted to add more traditional onboard fare, such as
bingo, skin care clinics, fitness workouts, volleyball games and belly flop
contests.
On our four 7-night western Caribbean cruise, Castaway Cay was the trip's
biggest hit. Castaway Cay, Disney's private, 1,000-acre Bahamian island has
its own dock (you just walk off the ship) and passengers head for beaches
(adults only and family), underwater snorkeling trails, open-air massages
and rental sailboats, bicycles, kayaks and paddle boats. Outdoor bars, most
designed to look like Caribbean shacks, abound. Barbecue lunch is served.
Scuttle's Cove is the outdoor version of the Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer
Lab; while teens can participate in dedicated shore excursions.
A highlight of the cruise was Disney's unique rotation
dining scheme. Cruisers are assigned to a table number (with the same
tablemates and wait-staff) and then revolve around the ship's three dining
rooms, all different in style and, supposedly, cuisine, although everything
sort of tasted alike. Lumiere's is the most elegant but a trifle boring. In
Animator's Palate, conversation comes to a complete halt as diners watch
the walls, which feature portraits of Disney characters and cartoon
sketches of famous scenes, change from black and white to color. At the end
of the evening, the waiters parade around the room, having changed from
black and white vests to colored ones -- and the audience applauded. It was
the first time on a cruise that the audience cheered for the decor. Our
favorite was Parrot Cay, a Caribbean-themed restaurant that was colorful
and casual. If you are on a four-night cruise, you eat twice at the last
restaurant but all passengers, whether they're in Lumiere's or Animator's
Palate or Parrot Cay, order off the same menu. One night was a Mexican
theme night, another had an international theme. We found the food in the
dining rooms to be quite good and better than we were expecting. There's a
great kid's menu and crayons/activities are provided while they wait.
Our wait-staff was very good, particularly in entertaining children,
performing magic tricks, making hats, making Mickey faces with the ketchup
and keeping them happy so the adults had an enjoyable meal.
During the day, there were plenty of choices, from the Topsiders Buffet,
which opened at 6:30 a.m. and nearly always had lines and is unfortunately
feels very cramped inside, to poolside options like Pinocchio's Pizzeria,
Pluto's Dog House and Scoops, an ice cream bar. Two of the restaurants were
open for breakfast and lunch. Lumiere's offered traditional cruise menus
and formality (eggs Benedict, etc.) while Parrot Cay offered a buffet with
beverage table service.
Palo's, the adults-only alternative dining restaurant is elegant and quiet,
serving Italian/Mediterranean cuisine and fine wines. We enjoyed both a
delightful champagne brunch and a romantic dinner for two. But with room
for only 80 at a time, only a small handful of passengers -- those who go
in person for reservations immediately after getting on board -- can be
accommodated. Try for high tea if you can't get a brunch reservation. You
might also ask about cancellations. A $10 per person service charge for
brunch and $5 for dinner will be added to your bill.
Aside from the Deck 3 Atrium, which was used mostly for
captain's parties and character appearances, the Magic had a wide variety
of lounges, from themed bars to theaters. We loved The Walt Disney Theater
-- just like Broadway!
Before dinner, it was fun to sip an aperitif in the Promenade Lounge,
amidships, where a duo played popular tunes and kids and adults danced.
ESPN Skybox "sports now, all the time," tucked into one of two (this one
cosmetic) smokestacks, featured two big screen televisions surrounded by a
dozen smaller ones. It was never crowded but wasn't terribly pleasant --
the continual sports-on-television was too loud to foster any kind of
conversation and the cigarette smoke was unpleasant. Sessions, an
adult-only bar on Beat Street, was a lovely and elegant hideaway with deep
purple armchairs tucked next to oversized portholes. One warning: wines by
the glass were expensive, by cruise standards, with the cheapest starting
at about $7.
Two big omissions for traditional cruisers: no casino, or library. It's
very difficult to find a quite space anywhere on deck to read with constant
Disney music being piped in. Disney has added a cybercafe.
Charming, comfortable, decorated in a classy nautical/
art deco-ish, detail with sleek fixtures, the standard outside cabin (with
or without balcony) is clearly designed with families in mind. First you
notice the "bath-and-a-half" concept; two rooms, one with a toilet and
sink, the other a small tub and sink. Very convenient, though they do take
up more space than the typical cruise bathroom. The only cabins that don't
have the dual bathrooms are the cheapest inside accommodations.
Beds convert from twins to queen and are cloistered in the middle section
by a curtain that divides the bedroom area from the sitting area, which is
particularly useful at night, after the kids are asleep. In the sitting
area, there's a sleep sofa, coffee table, desk and color television, which
features mostly Disney channels and CNN. Verandahs, pretty plentiful at 44
percent of outside staterooms, are equipped with two plastic chairs and a
small table. We splurged for a family outside cabin with balcony, which had
plenty of room for our family of four and can comfortably sleep 5.
You expect more from Disney -- and by and large it
delivers. The highlight of each night was the theatrical production. We
enjoyed the Hercules musical, although there were brief scenes that were a
little too scary for younger children (particularly when a leering devil
rose from beneath the stage in a puff of smoke). Younger kids will enjoy
Disney Dreams, a more traditional-style production about famous characters
(Peter Pan, Beauty and the Beast, Hercules) that teach a young girl life's
lessons. Our kids also really liked the ventriloquist, magician and the Who
wants to be a Mousecateer show.
The adult entertainment was particularly weak because, it seemed, the
different performance venues were trying to please all passengers all the
time. In Sessions, the sophisticated wine and cigar bar, a pianist usually
played show tunes, which was lovely, but every once in a while would
launch, jarringly, into a 1970s pop tune. Studio Sea featured more game
show type entertainment geared towards the kids, however, there was a fun
dueling pianos bar.
Disney's onboard cinema, the Buena Vista Theater, is a big plus and
features first-run movies such as Chicago on-board for all of the studios
Disney owns -- not just Disney animated classics -- which are released on
the ship the same day they are released nationwide.
The 8,000 square foot spa offers massage/beauty
facilities and a relatively small exercise area with glass wall with a view
of the working bridge, located a deck below. The spa is off-limits to
youngsters but fitness enthusiasts rued the small workout room.
Three main pools are found on Sports Deck, the Mickey pool with a lengthy
slide tube into the pool for kids, Pluto's pool one for families and the
the one adult pool, the "Quiet Cove," offers nouvelle jazz and classical
music instead of Disney tunes, however, it's hardly quiet, being in close
proximity to the other pools. Mickey's and Pluto's pools are
disappointingly too small for the large number of children on board who
wanted to go in the pools.
More traditional onboard fare, such as bingo, skin care clinics, fitness
workouts, volleyball games and belly flop contests are available each day.
A full promenade deck is designated for jogging and walking and additional
activities include a batting and driving range and basketball court.
The children's program is organized and run by dozens
of caring youth counselors, along with scheduled character visits too
throughout the day. Spanning nearly an entire deck, Disney's Oceaneer Club
is aa supervised program for children aged 3-7 spilt into age groups of 3-4
and kids 5-7. The Oceaneer Lab; split into groups for kids aged 8-9 and
kids 10-12, where they will experience high-tech interactive programs,
hands-on science experiments, and ship-wide treasure hunts. All of the kids
from 3-12 had time scheduled in the Oceaneer Lab, which they seemed to
enjoy. Kids 11-12 can compete in a marine biology knowledge quest game show
and send digital post cards to friends. Teens (13-17) have their own
private club, Common Grounds, a New York-style coffee house plus
competitive sports and nighttime activities. Children's facilities are open
from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.
We traveled with a 3 and 7 year old. The 7 year old had a blast, the 3 year
old was a tad on the young side, however, she would have done better with a
smaller kid to counselor ratio. For the 3-4 year olds there are 15 kids per
counselor, which we felt was too many for that age when some of them need a
bit more individual attention in a large group setting. I saw some tears
and kids left on their own I the bathroom who needed help among the 3 year
olds. The 8-10 year old program seemed good, however, we talked to teens
who were bored and felt they were left too much on their own.
The inclusion of a brand-new nursery, Flounder's Reef, fills a void for
parents looking for childcare for their infants through age three.
Flounder's Reef Nursery is for the infant set, with afternoon and nightly
hours available on a first-come, first-served basis according to babysitter
availability. Rates are $6.00 per hour for the first child ($5.00 for
additional children).
Parents are issued beepers which we thought was great. Our kids could have
us beeped if they wanted to leave for any reason or if a problem arose.
Keep in mind that kid's area at Castaway Cay is very sunny.
This is family ship; most passengers are traveling with
children of various ages. Adults range from 20s to 40s while children's
ages range from 3 months to teens.
The attire in Animator's Palate and Parrot Cay is
casual. In Lumiere's, and Palo suggested attire is a jacket for men and
dresses or pantsuits for women. No shorts, T-shirts or jeans are acceptable
in any of the restaurants in the evening. The new seven-night Caribbean
cruises include one semi-formal and one formal "black-tie optional" night.
Disney's brochure recommends a per person, per cruise
tipping amount of $32.50 for a three-night cruise and $43.75 for a
four-night sailing and $76.75 for a seven-night cruise.
Disney Magic - Stats - Schedule - Itinerary - Ship Features
