Experiencing the Disney Magic!
If you have read my other travel blogs you will see I am a recent devotee to cruising and I am also very fond of Orlando and theme parks, so when Disney invited me to take a trip over to Barcelona to inspect one of their ships, I jumped at the chance!
I'm not sure where to start! The ship we were invited on was Disney Magic. This was Disney's first ship and has been sailing since 1998. This summer it has been based in the Med doing a range of 3, 4 and 7 night trips. There are three other ships - Disney Wonder, Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy. The ship has a real Art Deco feel and at times it's hard to remember that you are actually on a ship!
I expected the ship to cater for the kids, but what I hadn't counted on was just how great it is for the big kids too (adults!) There is a whole adults-only area to the ship that includes the fabulous Quiet Cove pool area complete with coffee shop and bar, luxurious sun loungers and peace and quiet as well as Fathom's nightclub, O'Gills Irish Bar and Keys piano bar.
The spa looked amazing with a range of treatments you can enjoy alone, with children or maybe indulge in some of the amazing adults’ packages in the Couples Villa treatment rooms. There's also a well-stocked gym with stunning views over the ocean.
As you would expect, for kids this is truly a magical place. The newly renovated kids club is what dreams are made off! Catering from babies to 17 year olds, there's something for everyone! You can bake, draw and create, play, watch movies or just chill out! My highlight was the Toy Story room - complete with a slinky slide!
Another great thing about the Disney ship is you are able to go off on Port Adventures (excursions) and leave the children in the safety of the Kids Club when in shore if you want to explore on your own. There's even a nursery for babies.
The pool areas are awesome! There's the Aqua Lab pool with waterslide and waterpark for children, Goofy's pool for families and the Quiet Cove adults-only pool with the scary drop out water slide!
The dining is revolutionary. There are three main restaurants - Lumiere's, Carioca's and Animator's Palate and they offer rotational dining which allows you to eat in a different one each night. The great thing is that your waiting staff move with you so there's always a friendly face to greet you! There's also Cabanas buffet restaurant as well as Palo's, the speciality dining restaurant that came highly recommended.
Help-yourself soft drinks, tea and coffee and ice creams are included and there are a range of quick dining options dotted around including Pinocchio's Pizzeria and Daisy's De-lites.
The cabins are something special too. Larger than most cruise cabins, family suites have double beds and sofa beds and you can choose from inside, outside, balcony or suites.
Finally the entertainment is world-class. As well as the 3D cinema (showing the latest releases) there's also the 900+ seat theatre that showcases exclusive Disney shows each night.
I had high expectations for the Disney Magic - but the reality just blew me away! There really is something for everyone. These ships fill up fast and I can see why! If you have any questions or would like to see more photos, please get in touch as I could go on and on and on.....