Disney Magic Redux part 1

IMG_0213, originally uploaded by Sandra Maynard.

Friday, March 11: Travel Day

Our flight left for Orlando at noon so I just kept Brenden out of school and started his Spring Break early. We took Air Tran, which just recently started flying out of Huntsville. The flight to Orlando was uneventful. This time around I had booked us a hotel room in Cocoa Beach instead of staying at a hotel in Orlando. How the hell did I ever plan a vacation before internet forums?

So we got our rental car, got to Cocoa Beach, checked in, and went and ate dinner at of all places Boston Beef and Seafood. Pretty doggone good food, I might add. Then we went to Wal-Mart to buy a soft-sided cooler and a case of Yeungling beer. Even adding in the cost of the cooler it was much cheaper than if we bought 24 beers on the cruise. I'm glad Disney lets you do that.

Once we got back to the hotel room we saw (and heard) something nifty kewl - a Delta rocket had just been launched.

Saturday, March 12th:

We weren't in a hurry to get to the port - the boat doesn't even start loading until 12:30. So after some dawdling, including checking out the beach, we returned our rental car and took their shuttle to the port terminal. We checked in and boarded almost immediately. Things went really smooth! I like that.

Then, while we were on deck 9 playing ping-pong, I saw another nifty kewl thing: a manatee! I ran downstairs to the promenade deck to get closer and snap some photos. I'll post those soon. Really! Any way she was leisurly swimming around, investigating the Magic and the nearby fueling barge.

Jon and I amused ourselves from our room's balcony by watching the dockworkers engage in a Charlie Foxtrot trying to load some steel sheeting aboard the ship. They were sweating and cursing up a storm and running their forklifts around in a tizzy because it was time for the Magic to sail. They made it by about a minute. They were still buttoning up the ship while the lines were being cast off.

So nothing else exciting happened that first day - we had an early seating for dinner (5:45) and this time we shared the table with a family of Canadians - Grandma, grampa, mom, dad, and their sweet daughter,Lilly, who was Brenden's age. I thought we all got along pretty well. I spent most of my conversations with the grandfather, who was a retired schoolteacher, comparing Ottawa's climate with Alabama's. I enjoyed it, he was a nice guy. Actually they were all really nice. Very Canadian, eh? I don't think I could have asked for better dinner companions who were strangers. That can be awkward.

Sunday and Monday, March 13th and 14th:

Okay, these two days are somewhat blurry. I do remember Brenden broke our trusty Canon SD 900 on Monday. He was so upset neither Jon nor I had the heart to punish him - he was doing a great job of punishing himself.

I do remember Jon and I got cruise passes to the Spa's Rainforest Room - basically a place to relax and listen to new age music and tinkling water fountains or sit in a sauna for a while or take a nice shower. I enjoyed it - wonderful quiet time.

When Brenden wasn't in the kids clubs he was swimming in the pools. Jon and I took turns watching him.

I remember a lot of food and a lot of beer. There was a reason I gained 5 pounds while on the trip.