Our boarding time that we chose during online check-in before leaving home was at 2:30 pm but we dec

While we have made numerous trips to Disney Parks over the years, there is one morsel of Disney-goodness that has alluded us: a Disney south carolina jimmy buffett tour dates Cruise.  We love cruising you may recall our Bahamian Carnival Cruise south carolina jimmy buffett tour dates or our Western Caribbean Carnival Cruise that I reviewed.  Both were fun trips, but sorely lacking in facilities and activities for the under-3 south carolina jimmy buffett tour dates crowd. This wasn t a huge issue last year Lily was 4 and rocked kids club and we had yet to learn that Landon was on his way.  We knew for a next cruise, it had  to be kid and baby friendly and from everything we ve heard, Disney Cruise Lines were the way to go.
Once we settled on DCL, we made a couple decisions that made the trip a bit more cost effective we cruised during off-peak season (February 28th) and we opted for a shorter, 3-night trip. Both of these choices dropped the price a bit.  We saved further by finding booking incentives for free shipboard credit ($50 for booking with our Disney Visa and $100 from our travel agent).
We sailed south carolina jimmy buffett tour dates on the Disney Magic .  Of the 4 ships in the DCL fleet, the Magic is one of the original, smaller ships.  It recently (2013) underwent a big-time renovation with a shipwide facelift, including a big water slide ride called the AquaDunk on the top deck.
Our cruise set sail on a Friday afternoon.  We drove from PA so we left plenty of time to get there, not knowing how many times we d be stopping to feed the baby, etc. We hit the road around 3 pm on Wednesday and drove into the evening south carolina jimmy buffett tour dates with a stopover in southern Virginia.  Thursday we plugged ahead and made it from VA all the way down to Cocoa Beach, FL.  We stayed at the DoubleTree hotel on the beach, just minutes from the Port Canaveral docks.
On the morning of our cruise, we used the character phonecall feature on DCL s website to set up an automated phonecall from Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Here is Lily (and Landon! LOL) learning about our trip:
Our boarding south carolina jimmy buffett tour dates time that we chose during online check-in before leaving home was at 2:30 pm but we decided to head over around noon to see if we could board any earlier.  From the first security guard in the parking lot to the porters who unloaded our luggage to the receptionist who checked us in everything was seamless .  We were on our ship in no time ready for fun!
Our Disney Cruise was jam-packed with activities and things to see, do and eat.  This all began (literally) the second south carolina jimmy buffett tour dates we stepped on the ship.  Lily thoroughly enjoyed the personalized welcome over the microphone that we received as we walked into the atrium.  Disney Cruise Lines welcomes . THE WEAVER FAMILY!   Our staterooms were going to be ready by 1:30 pm and it took us until almost that time just to get an elevator to our floor.  We had Landon in the stroller and it was impossible to get an elevator that wasn t already full.  We ended up popping him out of the stroller frame and walking up 4 floors of steps with all of our carry on luggage, a kid and a baby.  Not fun.
By the time we huffed and puffed up the steps to Deck 6, we only had a few minutes to wait.  We made a beeline south carolina jimmy buffett tour dates to our cabin to check it out before grabbing lunch and getting Lily signed south carolina jimmy buffett tour dates up for kids club.
Our cabin was by far the best cabin we have ever stayed in on a cruise.  It was pretty spacious (as far as cruise ship accommodations go) and had a queen sized bed, a sofa bed and a bunk that popped down out of the ceiling.  Since Landon s Pack n Play was going to take up a decent amount of floor space, we opted to leave the couch as a couch.. and Lily enjoyed sleeping on the bunk bed every night.
Our cabin had a private verandah with 2 chairs and a table.  After our last cruise (which happened south carolina jimmy buffett tour dates to be the first time we ever sailed with a balcony) we vowed that the balcony was an absolute must-have amenity for us.  It s a gorgeous view and we love watching the scenery as we sail on by.  The balcony is also great when you have young children who still take naps.  They can nap inside, you can sit and relax, read, whatever outside.
A REALLY cool feature in our cabin was a SPLIT BATHROOM. south carolina jimmy buffett tour dates Two entirely separate rooms gave us a sink in each room, toilet in one, decent sized bathtub in the other.  This was such a convenience on many occasions.  The bathrooms come stocked with a nice starter supply of Disney Spa bath products.  I loved them!
When you re traveling with a baby or child still in diapers, you can request south carolina jimmy buffett tour dates a diaper genie for your cabin.  How convenient!  There are also bottle warmers and other baby items available upon request.  Make sure you request these as soon as you get to your cabin as they are limited in supply.
We had ample closet and drawer space.  The bed was on risers so there was a TON of space underneath to fit our luggage. We were able to fit 6 or 7 bags under the bed with room to spare.  Other features in the room included a desk, flat panel tv on swivel mount and a REFRIGERATOR.
When you re on a Disney Cruise, guess what the television in your cabin plays?  Disney movies.  ALL SORTS OF DISNEY MOVIES.  At any given time, we were able to find popular flicks like Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Finding Nemo, Mary Poppins, The Lion King and more on tv.  In addition to ABC, Disney Channel, Disney Junior and ABC Fam, there were also some newer movies for adults.  Gravity, south carolina jimmy buffett tour dates for instance, was playing round the clock when we cruised.
As far as location of our cabin in relation to other ship amenities goes, we were located midship, directly off the main set of elevators.  I was worried that this meant we would be bothered by loud passersby, but we heard less from our fellow shipmates on this cruise than any previous cruise we have been on.  We were central to so many of the ship s popular locations.  We were a 1 minute (if that) walk to kids club and not far from the theaters, restaurants, etc.
ONE LOUD DRAWBACK to our cabin   it sits directly above one of the lifeboats.  Directly above one of the lifeboats.   One morning at 4 am and another at 6 am we were startled out of a dead sleep as crew pulled the lifeboat in and performed some sort of maintenance on it.  It was super loud and I couldn t go back to sleep!
Adults south carolina jimmy buffett tour dates Only Area Well, in addition to standard features like a spa, gym, jogging track, etc, the Magic has some really fun spots that are well worth checking out.  On the very front of the ship is an adults-only area. There is a pool and lounge area, along with a great little coffee shop called Cove Cafe.  We grabbed some lattes at the cafe and Bob almost jumped for joy as the barista pointed to a whole display case of complimentary gourmet baked goods.  We sampled several and they were incredible!
Pools and AquaDunk south carolina jimmy buffett tour dates Water Ride A big drawback that we have found on other cruise ships is a huge lack of water entertainment for the non-potty trained south carolina jimmy buffett tour dates kids.  Disney is the complete opposite!  Not only is there a fun kid pool with an elaborate splash-area and twisting water slide for young children, there is a toddler splashzone specifically for anyone in a swim diaper. Lily spent an entire afternoon in the pool and she even attempted the water slide once.
In the middle south carolina jimmy buffett tour dates of the ship is the regular pool for the masses with two hot tubs on the end.  There is a huge movie screen that plays, you guessed it, Disney movies!  A little Mary Poppins while you swim?  Sure!
New to the Magic after its big renovation is the AquaDunk.  This thrill ride water slide features a vertical drop at crazy-fast speeds.  Bob tried this ride and LOVED IT!! Me? I don t do vertical drops.  ;)  But seriously every single person coming off this ride was proclaiming its awesomeness.
The Magic has a photography area where you can look for pictures taken of your fam throughout the trip.  There are a couple of gift shops brimming with Disney merchandise.  The prices in the gift shop didn t appear to be too inflated (if at all) than what you d pay at the parks.  One store is pretty much a giant Disney store with plush, character toys, dresses, etc.  The other store has all sorts of DCL branded merch.
I haven t been able to curb my accolades, why stop now?  We have had our share of gourmet meals and I ve got to tell you the food on the Disney Magic WAS INSANELY south carolina jimmy buffett tour dates DELICIOUS.  Like, even the buffet lunch selection after selection that made us go, Ooo!!  Mmmm!!
Quick Eats For quick food on-the-go try Daisy s De Lites on the back of the ship by the kids pool area.  Lighter fare like sandwiches and plates brimming with fresh fruit are available there. south carolina jimmy buffett tour dates Find pizza at Pinocchio s Pizza, Pete s Boiler Bites for burgers and dogs, ice cream at Eye Scream. south carolina jimmy buffett tour dates They are all located by the pools.
Room Service Available 24 hours a day (except on the last night of your cruise), if you re hungry, just pick up the phone!  We ordered from room service a couple of times and it always came quickly.  Don t forget to tip your waiter a couple dollars it s always appreciated!  Hot tip: You know those premium Mickey Mouse ice cream bars that are all the rage in the parks?  You can order em from room service even though they re not on the menu.  FOR FREE.
Fine Dining The Magic has a fine dining restaurant, Palo.  For $25 per adult (gratuity INCLUDED), you can enjoy a Northern Italian cuisine for dinner.  We did not get to check out Palo on this cruise because we were only on a three-night trip and wanted to experience south carolina jimmy buffett tour dates the other restaurants on the ship.
Table Service Meals There are 3 different restaurants on the Magic.  On your first night on the ship, you head to your assigned restaurant (main seating or late seating we chose late seating at 8:15 pm so that we could watch the nightly theater show before dinner).  You are rotated through the three restaurants during your trip and your waitstaff (waiter, assistant waiter, head waiter) travel with you!  We loved this.  It gave us the chance to check out each unique restaurant on the ship while enjoying the camaraderie south carolina jimmy buffett tour dates that comes with having consistent waitstaff south carolina jimmy buffett tour dates each night.  For t