09/08/2024
🎉Review of Disney Cruise Line - August 30 - September 2🎉
✈️ Thursday, August 29
My mom, daughters and I flew down to Fort Lauderdale where the ship was departing from. We started school earlier that day so had to opt for the evening flight. Weather in Florida delayed our flight about an hour but otherwise was a smooth travel day. I cannot stress enough how important it is to fly the day before a cruise or even two days prior to be safe. I belonged to a Facebook group specifically for our cruise (more on that later) and there were people who had their flights getting canceled due to weather in their area. Just reduce your stress and opt for time between your flight and your cruise!
🏨 We stayed at Springhill Suites Fort Lauderdale Airport, Dania Beach and had no complaints. There is a free airport shuttle but pick-up time can take 30 minutes after you’ve collected your luggage so we just opted for an Uber at that point. Free hot breakfast in the morning. Nice pool. Close by shopping and restaurants. There is a shuttle for port transportation (for a $25 per person fee). We chose to Uber instead.
🚢 Friday, August 30
When you check in for your cruise, you are provided a Port Arrival Time (PAT) which is the earliest time you can arrive at port. Our PAT was 11:45am. Between breakfast, quick morning swim, and packing up, we probably arrived at the port around 12pm. We provided our luggage to the porters (the bags had their Disney Cruise Line luggage tags already attached indicating which room we were in). Checking in was very easy and there were no lines or crowds.
🫶🏻After a few pictures, we boarded the ship. Disney announces each family as they step onto the ship. The Cast Member did her best with my last name 🤣 We spent the next few hours exploring the ship, checking out the Oceaneer’s Club (kids club), meeting Pluto, grabbing lunch, and having a rest in our cabin when it became available at 1:30pm. We needed to complete our muster drill at 3:45pm so we congregated at our designated location. This was definitely crowded so if you’re claustrophobic, just be prepared. Immediately following the muster drill, we headed to the pool for the Sail Away Party. Lots of dancing, characters, and the famous ship horn to “When You Wish Upon A Star.” I definitely got choked up hearing it.
🍽️ After the party, we headed to our room to get ready for dinner. We had the first seating at 5:45pm. Disney does rotational dining so you are assigned to every themed restaurant each night. Our first night was at Rapunzel’s Royal Table, which included Rapunzel and Flynn Rider visiting every table, musicians, and a marching parade at the end. Food was very good.
🎭 Afterwards, we went and met Tiana then took our seats in the Walt Disney Theater for the performance that evening, “Tangled: The Musical.” There is always a performance opposite your dinner time. The show was Broadway-style and fantastic! Afterwards, we headed back to our cabin for the evening.
☀️ Saturday, August 31
Today we were docked at Disney’s newest private island, Disney’s Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. Apart of the country of Eleuthera, this island has plenty of excursions beyond the beach. While we arrived around 10:15am, we took our time with breakfast so we didn’t get off the ship until after 11am. Reading more about this island ahead of time, I knew the pier that connected the ship with the island was very long. It took us about 15 minutes. Mind you, I have a 4 and 6 year old with me so it was a mild stroll. Once you entered the main entrance, you then had to take a tram to get to the other side where everything was. This is brand new developed space so the vegetation needs time to grow and kinks are still being worked out. Once we arrived on the other side, there was a long beautiful beach, water playground, cultural center, food stations all centrally located to each other. The sand is soft and the water is a pretty shade of blue. We lasted about 2.5 hours before heading back to the ship for a nap. We were able to use a provided wagon to walk the long pier from the entrance to the ship so that was nice.
🍲 Dinner this night was at Lumiere’s and the performance was Twice Charmed, a twist on Cinderella. Also amazing! I wasn’t crazy about the dining experience at Lumiere’s.
🏴☠️ This night was also Pirate Night, a Disney Cruise Line signature event! Everyone dresses up, there are pirate activities all night, and the Pirates of the Caribbean Party on the pool deck, complete with fireworks (weather permitting). It was a lot of fun!
🌴 Sunday, September 1
We were docked at Nassau, Bahamas this day but decided to stay on the ship and enjoy the amenities. 30 days prior to our cruise, I was able to register for the Royal Encounter, which is an opportunity to meet several Disney princesses with little wait. The princesses were so kind and spent good time with the girls. After this, we enjoyed breakfast at the buffet then headed to the pool deck. On the Disney Magic, there are three small pools. One shallow pool, one pool in front of the giant movie projector, and one pool for the adults. There is also a splash pad area for the littles, as well as two water slides. The pool deck also featured the beverage station, quick-service food stations, the ice cream station, and a few bars so everything is conveniently right there.
🍿 Following the pool, we caught a double-feature inside the movie theater (Wish and Inside Out 2) before getting ready for dinner. Tonight’s dining location was Animator’s Palate which featured a very sweet ‘final bow’ by the Cast Members at the end. We skipped the musical this evening and I enjoyed a massage at Senses, their spa. Like any cruise, prices will be elevated but I was pretty disappointed in the amount of money I paid vs. what I received. The massage itself was fantastic but I didn’t have access to all of the spa amenities like you would at a regular spa, so I won’t be returning to the spa on future trips. On the way back to my cabin, I was able to catch “‘Til We Meet Again,” a very sweet character interaction and so-long which happens on the last night of every cruise. Total character bonanza! I counted at least 12 characters you could meet with in the grand foyer. Then we had to opportunity to say “see you next time” to Captains Mickey and Minnie. Very cute and a do not miss event!
✈️ Monday, September 2
Ate breakfast in the buffet before disembarking. Took at Uber back to the Fort Lauderdale airport and headed home. No delays, no issues.
✨Final Thoughts:
🚢The Disney Magic is the OG, departing for its first sailing in 1998. The ship has a more quaint, nautical vibe and is small in comparison to other Disney Cruise Line ships (as well as other competitors). I actually really liked the size. I could easily get where I needed to be and it didn’t feel like a trek. The decor is a bit tired so if you’re deciding between two different itineraries, I might recommend sailing Magic first before another ship because doing a newer ship first then sailing on Magic will feel like a downgrade.
⭐️Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point is very beautiful but creates barriers for families. It was really a haul to get from the ship to the island’s amenities. There is no shade on the pier, all the wagons were used, and while there are ample beach chairs and umbrellas, they are primarily away from the shore as the beach itself is narrow. Knowing what I know now, I would feel more comfortable heading back with two younger kids. I wish we had more energy to explore Lookout Cay but we just didn’t have it in us. Still worth exploring though!
😴This was my daughter’s first cruise and my first cruise sailing with children. Personally, I will wait another 2-3 before taking my daughter’s on another cruise. All of the signature activities were later at night, around or after 10pm. My kids just can’t hang that late multiple nights in a row so I want to cruise again when they’ll be more equipped to handle that.
🧇I will dream of those Mickey Churro Waffles and that strawberry soft serve ice cream forever.
🧍♂️The Cast Members really do go above and beyond when it comes to service. Our dinner servers (which stay the same every night) were wonderful with the girls, doing magic tricks, catering to their needs, and remembering the drink orders for the adults 😉 Disney considers their staff the best of the best, and I really think they might be. Everyone was incredible.
🖥️ Most of the cruise itineraries will have a Facebook group where you can chat with others who will be on the ship, sign up for special activities (like ornament exchanges among cabins), and learn more about what to expect. Recommend joining so you can get a feel for what’s to come.
❤️I can’t wait to go on my next Disney cruise and I can’t wait to help you plan yours! Let’s get you on your way! 🥂
