Disney Cruise – Disney Magic Final Impressions

So here it is, our last post about the Disney Magic, at least for now.  Just for information, this past cruise was the 3rd time that my wife and I have sailed on the Disney Magic, but the first 2 times were for our honeymoon and 2 year anniversary.  Both of those times were when Disney Cruise Lines were still newer and only had their 2 original ships, Disney Magic and Disney Wonder.  A few years ago, we cruised with Disney on the Disney Fantasy, the first time our kids we able to take a cruise vacation.  It was interesting to go back to the Disney Magic after many years and now we want to give you our overall impression of this ship. 

Chad – When you first get on a ship that is now 20 years old, it is hard to imagine what you are going to see.  You hear horror stories of cruising on old ships and seeing the disheveled look that these older ships seem to fall over time.  Even though there were signs of the age of the ship, overall, I thought that the ship was almost as beautiful as the first time my wife and I were able to sail the ocean, Caribbean, blue back on our honeymoon in 2003.  In many ways, the “ears” of experience made this sailing better than our first two on the Disney Magic.  The shows during the cruise were amazing, I always love to eat great food and the service is always top notch.  This cruise was a memory-making experience for our whole family.  It was also a memory evoking trip back to when we were younger.  The only thing that I can say negatively about this trip is that it wasn’t long enough.  After all, it was a 4-night cruise and not the 7-night cruise that we would prefer.  If I were to rate the Disney Magic on a 4-star scale, it would get an overall score of 3.75 stars.  Slight signs of aging that will hopefully be fixed during the refurbishment that they just received.  I can’t wait to get back on board myself.

Ami – Overall, I enjoyed the Disney Magic.  This is the ship we have been on the most because it happens to match our wants at the time of booking.  The food, shows, and service are fantastic.  I can’t wait to try the new Tangled themed restaurant when we board this summer.  Our most recent cruise on the Disney Magic, we were only on board for 4 nights and it just did not feel like enough time.  I also felt that some of the ship needed extra attention and was showing its age.  However, neither of these would keep me from booking another vacation on the Disney Magic.

John – I believe the magic is an amazing ship. It and the Fantasy are the only ships I have been on, and both are amazing.  Pirate night is amazing the first time, but you need to get there early and DO NOT LAY ON THE GROUND during to show.  All the stage shows are amazing, and so are some of the side shows.  The lunch is amazing and so are the destinations.  And of course, the ice cream is free.

Josiah – The ice cream, the slides, and the movies. The ice cream will fill you up.  The slides are super fun! The movies are the best.

Disney Cruises – Disney Magic Food

Since we took last week to discuss the entertainment aboard the Disney Magic, we decided that we would take this week to discuss the delicious food that we all enjoyed throughout our cruise.  If you read our post last week, I think that we can all guess that the Ice Cream is going to be a popular topic today.  However, we will let everyone make their own decisions so that you can see what everyone has to say about the Food on this Magical ship.

Chad – I LOVE THE FOOD on the Disney Magic.  One of my favorite aspects of a cruise is that most of the things that you want to eat on board is complimentary.  In other words, I paid for it at the beginning so that I don’t have to budget for it during the cruise.  The rotational dining has many great meal options that I don’t eat when I am at home.  Plus, I take advantage of the buffet at the breakfast and lunch throughout the voyage.  However, one of my favorite things is the specialty restaurant, Palo, on board.  Unfortunately, there is a surcharge for this but it is reasonable considering the quality of the meal.  The options for brunch in Palo is wonderful.  Plus you do get to order from the menu at no extra charge.  I had the chicken parmigiana and yes, Chicken Parm you taste so good. 🙂  The main fact about the food is that there is not a reason to ever be hungry on the ship.  With great options for everyone, even those on special diets, you can always find food available.  I enjoyed the burgers and brats at Pete’s Boiler Bites, the Pizza at Pinnochio’s and the ice cream all poolside.  However, beyond the quality of the food that is being served, you can’t beat the Disney service provided by all the staff on board.  During the rotational dining, your servers move restaurants with you so they get to know your family.  It is a wonderful part of the cruise that elevates Disney to a higher level each and every time.

Ami –  From the moment you step onto the Disney Magic you are surrounded by food.  The cruise starts with a fantastic buffet.  We try to get the earliest embarkation time we can get and then once on board we  head straight for the buffet.  As more people embark, the buffet gets more crowded.  During the cruise, there are many options for food.  My favorite was the Gyros available at Pete’s Boiler Bites.   Dinner is in one of the three restaurants that are rotated through.  Animator’s Palette is my favorite.  I love how everything begins in black and white and then throughout the meal changes to full color.  I could go on and on about the food aboard the Disney Magic.  One thing to keep in mind is that while soda is free from the soda fountains, if you order it with room service, you will need to pay.

John – The food on the Disney Magic is amazing!  With the menu at even the non-dinner restaurants having the best in the world(the dinner is better though).  For lunch my favorite is the lamb.  For breakfast and lunch you can go to a buffet too.  It has so much food that I bet you haven’t heard of at least one of the meals.  Of course all the stops have amazing food too.  And of course so I can beet everyone(I was the first to write again), they have fantastic free ice cream.  The ice cream is chocolate, vanilla, and different special flavor that is different everyday(at least on out four day cruise).

Josiah – I enjoyed the chicken fingers at dinner.   In the buffet, they had crab legs that I enjoyed.  I like the Ice Cream a lot.  We ate in the buffet for breakfast as well where I got to eat doughnuts, Mickey waffles and cereal.  I ate ice cream for lunch on a couple days.

Disney Cruises – Disney Magic Entertainment

Our family enjoyed a wonderful 4 Night cruise on the Disney Magic this past January.  If we tried to take a single post to write about the whole trip, it would be a very long post.  Instead, we decided it would be best to break this out over a couple of different posts.  Today’s post is about the Entertainment on board the Disney Magic and as usual, from our each unique perspectives.

Chad – Cruising is my favorite vacation and Disney does it in the same way that they do everything else, Right.  The entertainment on board was fantastic.  As much as I enjoyed Tangled, The Musical on board, I was surprised that Twice Charmed: An Original Twist on the Cinderella Story was probably my favorite.  However, I did thoroughly enjoy Disney Dreams as well during our stay.  All of their theatrical performances and actors are amazing to say the least.  However, for a short late night show, I really enjoyed when they turned O’Gills Irish Pub into the Ugly Duckling from the movie Frozen.  Yes, I know, Disney makes a ton of money off that movie several years later but when the actors came out and played a game of Thug Bingo with you, it was a funny and enjoyable hour.  I also enjoyed watching new releases in the movie theater with the kids right before bed.  Great way to calm down at the end of a busy day.  Overall, I was entertained no matter where or what we were doing.  Even when playing Bingo.  After everyone else made their notes, mine wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t mention the complimentary ice cream available on the pool deck. Different flavors every day.

Ami – We have sailed two of Disney’s four ships: the Disney Magic and the Disney Fantasy.  I have always felt that the offerings of Disney have been amazing.  The musicals were absolutely fantastic.  Disney Dreams was by far my favorite, as it searched for the child in all of us.  Disney also brings on board acts from around the world.  We were lucky enough to be entertained by both Buckets & Boards and Junnk.  These  percussionist groups use objects from around the house to play music.  If you are seeking to be entertained, the daily Cruise Navigator has everything listed and every day is jam-packed with things to do.  Don’t worry though, if you want to kick back and do nothing, you can do that too.  My favorite thing is sit in a pool chair, read, and eat the yummy complimentary ice cream while the boys swim.

John – The Disney Magic is an amazing ship that has a lot of fun things to do. On the four day cruise there was one show per day, with multiple showings.  There was a night for pirates on deck, and fireworks at sea. Plus the Edge room where I could go to as my brother and parents can’t.  There were a lot of channels on the T.V., and one of them is the front of the ship where you can see other ships at port, or the water as we sail.  And of course, just so I can beat Josiah, the ice cream is free (I was the first to write).

Josiah – In the Oceaneers Club and Lab, you can sail a ship as in a video game including one of the Disney Cruise Ships.  You can also go down a slide in Andy’s Room.  I enjoy the Free Ice Cream.