I've been reflecting this past week on the 12 days prior. Our family spent 12 glorious days on an epic Disney extravaganza. I won't bore you with *all* the details, but instead the highlights:
We left home at o'dark hundred on Wed. the 28th for the airport. Our flight to Orlando was uneventful and Cub was entertained the whole time either by the in-flight TVor our iPad. Retrieving our luggage and obtaining the rental car went smoothly. Our ritualistic dinner at a favorite BBQ joint was fantastic! Shopping for a few items went quickly and were on our way to our "Disney Home" for 3 nights.
Being members of Disney Vacation Club (DVC - Disney's timeshare) we got to choose which resort to stay at for the 3 nghts we'd be there. We chose Animal Kingdom Lodge. We thoroughly enjoy waking up in the morning and going to our balcony to see which animals are outside our window at that moment. We've taken what has already become a treasured family picture of Cub looking through the view finder of Camera Guy's camera with an enormous lens while it was pointed at the savannah a year and a half ago. We wanted that same experience, if not another picture.
After traipsing through a couple of different parks and riding the requisite attractions (they're not rides, don'tcha know, that's for "other" theme parks. At Disney parks they're called "attractions") we retired to our Disney Home on the final night of that leg of our journey. The next day was the day we had waited 15 months for! It was finally here! It would be a miracle if I would sleep at all!
We were to be passengers on the Maiden Voyage of the Disney Cruise Line's newest ship, the Fantasy! We booked this trip 15 months ago. We were terribly excited and couldn't believe the day was finally here to get on board! As we arrived at the port and got our first close-up view of the magnificent ship, we were in awe. She is a much, much larger ship than the first two "classic" ships of the Disney Cruise Line. She was beautiful, shiny and awaiting us! The line to check-in went quickly and soon we were told we could immediately board. What? No wait in the terminal for our number to be called as we've experienced every other time we've sailed? Yay! YAY!
As we boarded and were announced to the Grand Lobby we were whisked aside by a waiting officer and told that our cabin was ready for immediate occupation. What? Say, what? Really? No waiting til 1:30 p.m. (it was now 11:30 a.m.) as we've experienced every other time we've sailed? Yay! YAY! This cruise was getting better and better.
We were unable to obtain brunch reservations at the adults-only restaurant Palo, but did secure a dinner reservation for the last night of the cruise. Score! We attended the Sail Away Party and equipped Cub with his noise cancelling headphones and had a blast! We returned to our stateroom and waved our Mickey mitts signs at the folks on shore as we sailed away and saw thousands on people lining our route through the channel to open water. It was thrilling to see sooo many people turn out to wave good-bye to us. To us! Well, ok, to the ship mostly, but we waved back enthusiastically from our balcony.
Cub was the first paying guest to go in the Nemo's Reef area, a splash zone for kids 5 and under. He splashed and slid and giggled and then tackled the pool shaped like Mickey's head known as Mickey's Pool. We have so many pictures of his time here with huge smiles on his face. It was hard to drag him away to get ready for the muster drill.
We got the Mommy/Daddy time we'd hoped for. We played backgammon. We went to the Art of Entertaining series and watched the chef make Lobster Ravioli and then we got to taste it (I got to eat Camera Guy's portion since he doesn't like seafood) and have a few sips of wine that had been paired with it. We played an '80's music trivia game in the ship's pub one day and didn't do too badly thanks entirely to Camera Guy. I know how songs go but have never professed to know their titles or the artist who sings them. We should've had Cub's godmother along for that game. She'd have cleaned up. We played Bingo the last day when the jackpot was the largest. We didn't win. We sat in the adults-only areas and sipped adult beverages.
Walking alone, holding hands, not having to run interference on a 4 year old was nice for a change. It was just the 2 of us. Relaxing. No cell phones, no computers, no nothing but us. We needed this.
We ate in the restuarants each night and had as tablemates a very nice family from D.C. with 3 children ages 7, 5 and 3. As much as the parents tried to reign the children in, it was close to a train wreck each night and frustrated us to the point of unenjoyment, unfortunately, and asking for a table to ourselves the night Cub stayed in the Oceaneer's Club for 12 hours.
We went ashore 3 of our 4 port days, and had shore excursions 2 of the days. We did a Dolphin Encounter which allowed us to get in the pool with a dolphin and pet it and kiss it and have it "kiss" us. We held a ball in the air for it to rise up out of the water to touch and then we had the opportunity to purchase pictures of our encounter. Since Camera Guy and I have had a similar experience previously, we didn't want to have pictures of us but we did manage to find one fabulous picture of Cub receiving a "kiss" from the dolphin and he has an unguarded, truly gleeful smile on his face. It was worth every penny of the experience.
We played in the sand and water at Disney's private island, Castaway Cay. We ate lunch and Cub explored the Oceaneer's Club extended kid's area on the island called Scuttle's Cove. He didn't stay too long. Oh well. We had great fun after lunch with an inner tube and Cub sitting on top of it as I spun it around and around or let it be carried ashore by the current.
Cub slept incredibly well on the trip and I even had to wake him up a couple of mornings so we could get a move on. As usual I felt as if we were on the ship when I closed my eyes for 2 nights after we got off the ship, the rolling sensation so ingrained in my body and mind.
The days were warm and humid, as one would expect it to be in the Caribbean. I don't usually do well in humidity, but it was early enough in the year that I didn't melt too much. The time went slowly and we savored each moment. We booked another cruise for this same ship to depart a year from now while we were on this one. We enjoyed it that much. And the incentive was that good. We also added more points to our DVC account, ensuring we may end up having two trips a year to Orlando. We're Disney freaks that way. It's ok. We know it and embrace that side of who we are.
After we were unceremoniously kicked off the ship (not really, but we hated to leave) we drove back to Disney World and conquered one of the parks we had done a week prior. We checked into our Disney Home and met friends from home at the BBQ joint for dinner. They had just landed at the airport and were beginning their week-long vacation. We shared a bottle of wine with them that we had purchased on the ship that Camera Guy was wary of putting in our luggage for the trip home.
We met them at the Magic Kingdom the next day and spent a couple of hours with them before it was time to say good-bye and go to the airport and fly home. We hugged them and wished them a grand time.
The trip home was uneventful. Except for the last half hour. Cub had been asleep almost 2 hours at the point the plane bagan it's initial descent. As that happened I looked over at Cub and noticed blood running out of his nose. As I wiped it up he woke up. Sort of. Not entirely. He became combative and wouldn't let me take measures to stem the flow. I let Camera Guy take over since he experienced frequent nose bleeds as a kid and still gets them occassionally. I plyed him with tissues and provided a trash bag. He got the blood stopped and skillfully distracted Cub's attention to other matters.
We got home and went to bed. Exhausted but thrilled for all we had the great fortune to experience the previous 12 days. It truly was a Fantasy trip. One we had hoped for, planned for and anticpated with great eagerness. Other than the last half hour of the plane ride, I wouldn't change a thing. The time spent with my family was precious and irreplaceable. The smiles and giggles that eminated from all three of us throghout the trip were memorable. The pictures we took as lasting memories already bring back smiles and stories. We had the most grand time and rode a wave of happiness the whole time. I wish a similar expereince for each of you with those you love. It truly was a Fantasy Journey.
