Greetings from the Disney Wonder!  I’m currently sailing on the 11 night Southern Caribbean Disney cruise and had the opportunity to do the Doubloon Sail & Snorkel excursion in St Thomas.  What a fun excursion for young and old alike.

This excursion is offered through Disney Cruise Line on the Eastern Caribbean itinerary for $49 ages 10 and up, $32 ages 3- 9.  On this excursion you board a “pirate” sailing ship approximately 65’ long and sail from St Thomas to Buck Island.  Once there you don your snorkel gear, (provided for you), and jump in for a guided trip around the small cove.  You will see many different fish, some coral, and the highlight – TURTLES!

My six year old son was in awe of everything.  He is not a strong swimmer and had never been snorkeling but he had a blast.  By the end of our hour in the water he was off exploring on his own.  Once everyone is back onboard the rum starts flowing and the pirate tattoos are applied!  They offer rum punch, beer, soda, chips and salsa  for the trip back to St Thomas.  There were two children on this trip and they got them involved in raising the sails and steering the boat on the way back.

They also offer T-shirts for sale and will direct you to their store on shore where you can purchase many different items, and if you show your pirate tattoo you get more free rum!  We really enjoyed this excursion, the crew takes wonderful care of you and they are extremely friendly.  We will definitely do this excursion again!

Greetings from the Disney Wonder!  I’m currently sailing on the 11 night Southern Caribbean Disney cruise and had the opportunity to do the Doubloon Sail & Snorkel excursion in St Thomas. < more... >

*THIS BLOG CONTAINS PHOTO SPOILERS OF THE DISNEY WORLD MAGIC KINGDOM PIRATES UPDATE!  Don’t look if you don’t want to see ‘em….aye?*

Isn’t it sad that when anyone under the age of twenty hears the name "Davy Jones" that they’ll think of the Medusa-like man in "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest"?  Maybe it’s just sad for me.  Everytime anyone says "Davy Jones" to me, I can’t help but see my childhood crush on stage at the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival singing "cheer up sleepy Jean…"  beneath snake-like hair.   Okay, admittedly, I was more of a Mickey fan (that’s Dolenz, not the mouse!).  You just have to love a guy as whacky as that. 

I don’t think that Disney’s crying over Davy Jones or the success of Captain Jack Sparrow!  Hey, so don’t you think they should now turn Cap’n Jack’s Oyster Bar at Downtown Disney to Captain Jack Sparrow’s?  Or did I miss that transformation?

By now, you’re used to my digressions, but I will ask you to pardon them anyway.  The point of this blog is to show you that Pirates have indeed invaded the Magic Kingdom, Downtown Disney and Disney’s MGM Studios!  I have brought back photos from my recent trip to demonstrate just what I describe!

Okay, it’s difficult to tell but this is a VERY cool Davy Jones effect.  It seems like you’re going right through a waterfall! 

Captain Jack does show up quite a few times!

This was taken at the villain’s store on Sunset (going towards Tower of Terror) at Disney MGM Studios.  Cute aren’t they?

This is in front of the World of Disney store at Downtown Disney!

And all of this for you to savor on that most fun of all days in September, Talk Like a Pirate Day!  No, really it is!  Click the link.  Ahoy, have a great day, gar!

Joanne
Joanne@MouseFanTravel.com

*THIS BLOG CONTAINS PHOTO SPOILERS OF THE DISNEY WORLD MAGIC KINGDOM PIRATES UPDATE!  Don’t look if you don’t want to see ‘em….aye? < more... >

I have never before paid for a special event that Disney puts on, until last Friday night.  I was in Florida the same weekend that Disney had their first of many "Mickey’s Not so Scary Haloween" parties.  Let me just say, Disney knows how to put on a party!!!!

There was a special parade JUST for this event.  The parade is called Mickey’s "Boo-to-you" Halloween Parade and it was scheduled for 2 performances.  When it started raining, and then went to a drizzle, I thought they would cancel the first performance.  Especially when they had another parade scheduled.  To my surprise, they still had the first parade!  There were a few characters missing and the performers had modified choreography, but the show still went on!  The parade was fantastic!  They had characters that don’t normally appear in the park during the day, and some that you do.  Of course you had your fab 5, and being that it’s a Halloween party there were villians.  There were even some hitchhicking ghosts.  But the true hightlight for me was at the begining of the second parade when the headless horseman came galloping down the parade route to get you in the spirit of the season! 

The firework show, Happy HalloWishes-Grim Grinning Ghosts Come Out to Socalize, was also special for this event as well as the Cinderellabration stage was used for a special Villian show called Villian’s Mix & Mingle.  There were various candy locations and dance parties throughout the park.  There were also special decorations and atmosphere talent as well.  One of my favorite was the barbershop quartet outside of Haunted Mansion.  They were dressed up as cowboy ghosts.  Disney just paid so much attention to the little details which make a huge difference.  There was even a PhotoPass location by the hurse in front of Haunted Mansion where there’s a ghost that shows up in the picutre.  VERY COOL!

I highly recommend this party to all Disney Fans, big and small.  Where else can you go as an adult and dress up as their favorite Disney Character, go trick or treat-ing and not have someone say you were too old. 

I have never before paid for a special event that Disney puts on, until last Friday night.  I was in Florida the same weekend that Disney had their first of many "Mickey’s Not so Scary Haloween" parties. < more... >

I have traveled to Orlando many times over the years and have imagined how exciting it would be to time it just right with a shuttle launch. I was thrilled to hear one was scheduled during our visit last week and caught snips of news as each day went by with a delay. Last night we heard today was the last possible day in this launch window. and wouldn’t ya know it… the morning was jammed with to-dos. Get up to prep for meeting, travel to meeting, attend meeting,  return from meeting, and oh yes… pack for the transfer from Disney’s Beach Club Resort to the next hotel. There was no way I would see it with my own eyes. Right?

After the morning festivities, Annette and I returned to our rooms connected by the "ease of bantering, chatting, etc, in hopes of getting more work done during our off hours" connecting door.  As we packed we both had our TVs tuned to random stations televising the event. When we first checked in a couple of days ago, I must admit we were slightly bummed that our view was not of the usual Boardwalk across the way but was in fact the top of a building over the lobby drive up area. But in true ‘things truly happen for a reason’ form, the view was even better.

As count down went from 5 minutes to 2, we debated which way was east and which was west. 2 minutes… naw… we MUST be facing the wrong way - lets just watch it on TV… 1 minute… hmm we can still see the TV if we prop the balcony door open with the chair!… 30 seconds… well its certainly worth a look right?  10, 9, 8, (In an effort to avoid disappointment, I have now convinced myself we just couldn’t be THAT lucky -  I mean, even if we are facing the right way there are a lot of clouds in the sky…) 7, 6, 5, 4, (hmm… I should finish packing shouldn’t I… We are past check out now….) 3, 2, 1… Nothing. All attention turns back to the tv.

As the shuttle clears the tower, I think about a couple of days ago when I went on my third Mission Space ride - "green card please" - more on that later.
Anyway …

We run back out on the balcony just for one last look and just as I begin to give up hope, I hear  "BECI - LOOK! THERE IT IS!" - coming from the balcony next to me. I looked in the general area Annette was pointing, and with a few head bobs around a building support, there its was. A very bright dot light, like a small piece of the sun had fallen off and was trying to ascend back to its position, followed by a long trail of billowing smoke.  I had to blink a few times and when I realized it was really the shuttle, a chill went up my spine in the 90 degree heat.

I was frozen in awe of this incredible site and we slowly sank to the floor of the balcony as we kneeled to watch to shuttle rise beyond the roof line. A few short moments later, the bright light vanished but the trail of smoke remained. I quickly turned back to the tv and sure enough the cameras reflected the sunlight had begun to turn to the darkness of space.  wow.

A few seconds later we snapped back to reality that at any moment a maid would want us out of her way, so we finished our packing and headed for the lobby to catch the transfer.

Just goes to show that more often then not situations that might not seem like the best at the time actually turn out to have a true purpose ( a personal mantra of mine actually)  AND that Disney can work its magic in many different ways.  Just imagine if you were boarding the Disney Magic today! wow- what a sight!

I have traveled to Orlando many times over the years and have imagined how exciting it would be to time it just right with a shuttle launch. I was thrilled to hear one was scheduled during our visit last week and caught snips of news as each day went by with a delay. Last night we heard today was the last possible day in this launch window. and wouldn’t ya know it… the morning was jammed with to-dos. Get up to prep for meeting, travel to meeting, attend meeting,  return from meeting, and oh yes… pack for the transfer from Disney’s Beach Club Resort to the next hotel. There was no way I would see it with my own eyes. Right?

After the morning festivities, Annette and I returned to our rooms connected by the "ease of bantering, chatting, etc, in hopes of getting more work done during our off hours" connecting door.  As we packed we both had our TVs tuned to random stations televising the event. When we first checked in a couple of days ago, I must admit we were slightly bummed that our view was not of the usual Boardwalk across the way but was in fact the top of a building over the lobby drive up area. But in true ‘things truly happen for a reason’ form, the view was even better. < more... >

I know what you are thinking…  "holiday"  and "walk right on the ride" are not terms that typically go together when referring to the same visit, but I assure you, it happened today. Labor Day.

Annette and I left the husbands at home (sorry guys) and are here at WDW for a couple of days of much needed R&R before a series of meetings and our plans to meet up with 20 of our other Mouse Fan Travel affiliates for  a special industry event. (my apologies to the rest of the gang who are staying home to hold down the fort!)  So today was play day number one. After a sleepless red eye flight I was in no shape to do our typical "park commando’ routine so we planned an easy day of wandering the Magic Kingdom to soak up some magic!

I know what you are thinking…  "holiday"  and "walk right on the ride" are not terms that typically go together when referring to the same visit, but I assure you, it happened today. Labor Day.

Annette and I left the husbands at home (sorry guys) and are here at WDW for a couple of days of much needed R&R before a series of meetings and our plans to meet up with 20 of our other Mouse Fan Travel affiliates for  a special industry event. (my apologies to the rest of the gang who are staying home to hold down the fort!)  So today was play day number one. After a sleepless red eye flight I was in no shape to do our typical "park commando’ routine so we planned an easy day of wandering the Magic Kingdom to soak up some magic!

Join Tom Joyner and the "Morning Show Crew" as they host the return of the Tom Joyner Family Reunion. Go "Park-Hopping" with Tom and his friends, starting at Walt Disney World® Resort and continuing through Magic Kingdom® Park, Epcot®, Disney-MGM Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park. In 2005 families partied with Ashanti, Omarion and the rest of "the family" at a special concert on Saturday night, while also enjoying the Tom Joyner Southwest Airlines Sky Show, "Kid’s Night Out" featuring Doug E. Fresh, the Sunday Morning Gospel Explosion and much, much more!

For reservations and package sales, please call 1-888-TJ-Family.

Dates:
September 1, 2006 - September 4, 2006

Location: Walt Disney World® Resort, Magic Kingdom® Park, Epcot®, Disney-MGM Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park.

Join Tom Joyner and the "Morning Show Crew" as they host the return of the Tom Joyner Family Reunion. < more... >

Celebrate fun, freedom and fellowship! Revel in the rockin’ sounds and movin’ messages from some of today’s most powerful voices in Contemporary Christian music. Live concert performances on stages throughout Magic Kingdom® Park showcase the best of Christian Pop, Rock, Urban and Gospel music. It’s a magical, musical celebration of inspiration and joy!

Rejoice in two inspirational nights with these performers: 

September 8, 2006	* September 9, 2006*
MercyMe	Kirk Franklin
Casting Crowns	tobyMac
BarlowGirl	BarlowGirl
Rebecca St. James	Jeremy Camp
David Crowder Band	Smokie Norful
Building 429	Hawk Nelson
Todd Agnew	ZOEgirl
Matthew West	Tonex
Vicky Beeching

Dates:
September 8, 2006 - September 9, 2006, 7:30PM - 12:30AM

Location: Magic Kingdom® Park

Additional Information

* Admission to this event requires a separate ticket.
* Tickets valid only during specific dates and hours.

Celebrate fun, freedom and fellowship! Revel in the rockin’ sounds and movin’ messages from some of today’s most powerful voices in Contemporary Christian music. < more... >