Some people have asked for a schedule of our passage thru the Canal…

This is our projected schedule thru the Panama Canal. It should be noted that our start time is guaranteed… to be within 4 hours of the scheduled time, and our projected transit completion time is guaranteed… to be within 72 hours of our start time. It is very likely that we will be quite close to the projected times. The ACP – the Association Canal de Panama (or something like that) – does a fair job of keeping the cruise ships right on schedule, but if there is a big ship coming the other way thru the cut then we’ll have to wait for it in Gatun Lake, as they don’t let “Panamax” ships pass in the cut.

For a detailed map of our transit, please check out the Google Map that I built prior to our departure, here: Chris’ Google Map.

So, without further ado: 

Note: All times are for May 16^th – Central Time.

We’ll also be passing under the Centennial Bridge at some pont between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm at a guess. It isn’t listed on our itinerary so I’m guessing based on it’s location. We’re on Deck 8 Aft (one below the pools, two below the sports deck), Port (left) side. If I remember we’ll mark our cabin with two red baseball caps attached to the rail of our balcony.

Some people have asked for a schedule of our passage thru the Canal…

This is our projected schedule thru the Panama Canal. < more... >

Today I have a “Photo Spectacular” of sorts. We’ll see how uploading over a Meg of pictures from the ship works out for me…

To start with today we have Mickey’s Island Jam in the Parrot Cay. This was easily the most boisterous and fun character breakfast I’ve experienced on board a Disney Ship, and perhaps off of a ship also. Mickey, Minnie, Chip, Dale, Lilo, Stitch, and Goofy – who I think had consumed a case of red-bull before the start of breakfast – Joined us for our breakfast. Goofy performed several high speed limbo runs at one point, and the restaurant staff encouraged everybody to join in, but at a more restrained speed.

There were also many hats made from the brightly colored napkins found in Parrot Cay. Our victim was Sandy, who found herself the unwitting hat model for our server, Orlan. Soon after her hat was finished, George found himself in possession of a small blue hat with some ears. The last picture in the series below is Cleopatra meets Goofy.

After breakfast we went to the Walt Disney Theater for an educational talk by former Panama Canal Pilot, Captain Ken Puckett. Captain Puckett retired from piloting when the US returned control of the canal zone to Panama in 2000. Ken started with the interesting tidbit that because the Atlantic entry to the canal is 22 miles West of Pacific entry to the Canal, the sun rises in Pacific, and sets in the Atlantic. If that seems confusing, just check out the map below and you’ll see what he means. Captain Puckett had a ton of great stories and examples of how the canal works. As the Magic goes thru the locks, she will have two feet on each side of her. Four massive Mitsubishi electric locomotives will be attached to the ship by several steel cables each. The Canal Pilot will direct the drivers of the locomotives to increase or decrease their cable tension in order to keep the ship centered in the locks. 

On the way out of the Canal Transit talk we stopped by the Captains Signing at Treasure Ketch. We didn’t line up to get anything signed, as the line went out the door, down the hall, around the corner, and around to the walkway in front of the DVC desk.

I’ve got nothing for this picture of a display outside of Treasure Ketch, I just wanted to include it.

Beci was also able to pick up here pins and do a bit of pin trading today, but I believe she’s going to go into more detail on that tomorrow, so I’ll just say that it’s been a successful cruise for her.

Tonight, dinner was at Parrot Cay (we’re on the LAP rotation) and it was pointed out by somebody that we weren’t taking any photos of our food, so here’s Beci’s dinner. Moo.

And now, it’s early to bed for an early morning for the crossing.

Today I have a “Photo Spectacular” of sorts. We’ll see how uploading over a Meg of pictures from the ship works out for me…

To start with today we have Mickey’s Island Jam in the Parrot Cay. < more... >

LAND HO!!! We wake up to see land within sight as we pull into the Port of Aruba.  We are docking at this relatively small island at 19.6 miles long and  just 6 miles wide. Its located just 20 miles off the coast of Venezuela and will be the southern most point in the Caribbean on our journey.

Chris and I enjoyed a quick breakfast at Goofy’s Galley and reminisced about our last trip to Aruba. We have always said if we were to spend a week on a Caribbean Island, Aruba would be one of our first choices. With the beautiful white sand, blue water, Caribbean pastel buildings and general lack of street vendors waiting like vultures for tourists to disembark, its one of the most relaxed islands with a vibrant night life.

Here is the view off the ship….

Enjoy!… because thats all we saw of Aruba!

Chris and I had spend hours looking over the shore excursion offerings and the ones we saw that were appealing were the ones we had done before. We were lucky enough to visit the island to see the natural bridge in all its glory before its unfortunate demise a few years ago,  so a tour going up there to view what’s left wasn’t high on our list. The 90 degree heat and blasting humidity made us look sat each other and say… hmm…  empty ship!  Lets enjoy it!

We spent sometime roaming the ship and enjoying the art on board including the Special Disney Panama Canal poster going up for the silent auction.

and the reminder to get those postcards filled out and stamped to ensure they are postmarked from the Panama Canal! We bought a few to send to family and others that asked for the souvenir for their scrapbooks so we cant miss the drop deadline.

I decided this might be the perfect day to enjoy the infamous Rainforest room, so after a workout in the gym, I changed into swim wear and had almost 2 hours of the steam and warm chairs all to myself. Not having anyone to talk to gave me time to ponder the spa menu and of course they had all kinds of appointment times available.  Aruba day turned into “Beci’s personal spa day”.  Wow… I love my vacation.

Later that afternoon I returned to the cabin and got ready for the evenings festivities. Its ‘Taste of the Caribbean’ night and your best Tropical attire is required.

We were scheduled for Animators tonight and the servers are all decked out in their Caribbean flair.  Tonight is also Limbo tribute night and we all had to take part.  There was no saying no when the guy you rely on to bring you food tells you you must limbo for food. Here are some pics of the gang and some of the limbo happenings.  Deb made the round a couple of times, and I joined her on the second pass. There is one pic of me, but Chris wasn’t exactly at the right angle, so the only identifying mark is my hair… but I figured you would want proof,  so here goes:

After dinner, we headed up on deck for the buffet – yes… more food.. We decided to pass on dessert in the dining room and take part in the fun on deck 9!

It was a very warm night and the ice sculptures swayed a bit as chunks fell off now and then.  Chris sat for a while waiting to see if he could catch the potential catastrophe on video, but alas…  the carvings out lasted the dessert trays.

Tonight we turn our clocks back an hour so we get an extra hour of sleep, or partying, or blogging.  Whatever floats your boat!

LAND HO!!! We wake up to see land within sight as we pull into the Port of Aruba.  We are docking at this relatively small island at 19.6 miles long and  just 6 miles wide. Its located just 20 miles off the coast of Venezuela and will be the southern most point in the Caribbean on our journey. < more... >

First I will tell you that yes..  as predicted…  I do have a solid dislike for Mathew. But that means he did his job very well. I worked on a new leg torture device that managed to find muscles I didn’t realize I had and they were making sure I didn’t forget as I crawled out of bed this morning.

Of course, being a gluten for punishment I figured the best way to combat a tired muscle is to wake it up again,  so off to the treadmill I went.  (I think it was Vickie who was asking in the comments on a previous post for proof that I was actually spending large amounts of sea time doing something besides sleep…) Here ya go! and with a not-so hidden Mickey to boot!

While I have been on 40 plus cruises, this is the longest voyage to date. To be honest I wasn’t sure how I would do with so many sea days on this journey, but there are plenty of things to do during the day that appeal to everyone.

Some of the items of the agenda includes a presentation from Imagineer Jeff Kurtti on the design of the The Walt Disney Museum opening next year, wine tasting events, and daily specialty talks like photography tips and the art of entertaining series.

We even had the pleasure of listening to Ken Pucket, a senior pilot serving 16 years ushering ships thru the Panama Canal. He did a presentation on the history and construction of the canal.  In a couple of days he will do another talk on what we can expect on our crossing.

Tomorrow.. the port of Aruba!

First I will tell you that yes..  as predicted…  I do have a solid dislike for Mathew. But that means he did his job very well. I worked on a new leg torture device that managed to find muscles I didn’t realize I had and they were making sure I didn’t forget as I crawled out of bed this morning. < more... >

I am really enjoying this itinerary and its only day 3! Its the first sea day with lots of activities and items on the agenda, including such strenuous to-dos as; should I have breakfast in or go up to the buffet? Should I take a nap in the cabin or take my glass of asti out on the balcony? decisions, decisions….

Todays agenda started with an invite from Deb to join her along, with Ann & George another couple from out group, at the Concierge Reception at 10:30 am. We met in the lobby and made our way towards Sessions where cocktails and a nice spread of fruit, breads and other yummies were available for consumption. We spent a while chatting and enjoying the company of friends and halfway through the visiting ritual, a special guest arrived.

Cinderella spent about a half an hour taking photos and chatting with the guests. 

After our encounter with royalty, naturally we went shopping!  We had to check out all the Panama canal specialty items that are on sale to help plan the souvenir budget over the next few days.

Sorry to have to break the news…  but no matter what they say, Disney’s food does indeed have calories.  and the constant offerings of buffets, dinner seatings and yes… the infamous chocolate souflee can take a toll on anyones routine. So I decided I would test my self control and challenge myself to exercise everyday.

To help me on this quest, I decided to sign up for a personal trainer as soon as there was a spot available.  At 3:15 pm I was in work out gear and ready to meet Mathew.  A very fit 20–something with a great personality and a ton of energy. We started on cardio and we though a circuit of machines so I would have a good starting point for the next 2 weeks.  And I have a feeling I will wake up hating him tomorrow. 

Tonight was formal night for dinner, and of you know anything about my vacation habits, that means ‘Beci’s Room Service’ night. I stayed in and enjoyed my dinner watching the latest news and catching up on my email.

I am really enjoying this itinerary and its only day 3! Its the first sea day with lots of activities and items on the agenda, including such strenuous to-dos as; should I have breakfast in or go up to the buffet? Should I take a nap in the cabin or take my glass of asti out on the balcony? decisions, decisions…. < more... >

Monday I was able to attend the AP preview of Toy Story Mania and I have to say I was completely blown away with the attraction!  There is now another ride in Hollywood Studios that will draw you in again and again!  While other AP guests had waited in line for a couple of hours on Sunday, Monday after lunch was a perfect time to go - 15 minute wait!  This is one que line you will really enjoy standing in.  (This is where I give a little about my age)  The games I loved as a kid - Chutes and Ladder, Barrel of Monkeys, MR POTATOE HEAD!  The detail is amazing in this room.  Toys, games, puzzles are on all four walls. 

I didn’t spend a lot of time in front of Mr. Potato Head to get to interact with him, but he really does keep talk to you while in line.  He was quizzing those of us in line on our favorite attractions in WDW.  One guest said he made him tug at his ear when he was in line earlier, so this should make standing in line for this ride more enjoyable.

The ride itself is a 3D attraction where you play carnival type games at every turn.  First you are tossing balls at animals to knock them over, another screen you are at you are popping balloons with darts, then another time you are breaking plates, and then the one I never quite got the hang of, was tossing rings.  The last two screens are a rapid fire round… just when your arm is about ready to fall off from all the shooting!

Now, you are asking yourself why the title?  Because with every shot you make you have to pull a cord at the back of a small cannon looking gun. The cord has to be pulled out to make it shoot and then it has to retract back before you can shoot again!  Sounds easy, but after the first two screens, you are hoping you are ambidextrous because your one arm is very tired from pulling the cord so you could shoot.  You are also hoping that you can aim with the other hand!  So my advise to you is to start training that weaker hand and arm now to get a better score!  Learn to look for the small far away items for a higher score, and above all….. Have fun!  Because after all, you are riding around in Andy’s room and playing with all his toys!

Monday I was able to attend the AP preview of Toy Story Mania and I have to say I was completely blown away with the attraction!  There is now another ride in Hollywood Studios that will draw you in again and again! < more... >

Before I kick off today’s post, I wanted to share a strange picture I took yesterday during the life boat drill…

Today was fantastic weather, if perhaps a bit humid (it’s the ocean, there’s lots of water, what was I to expect…). Beci and I slept in a bit, and then at about 10 decided to head out to the adult beach at Serenity Bay for a swim and a bit of a layout. The Island is looking great right now. The trees and smaller plant life have all fully recovered from the two hurricanes that have come thru in the past 10 years, and the little improvements they have made all add up to an even better day on the Cay.

Before I kick off today’s post, I wanted to share a strange picture I took yesterday during the life boat drill…

Today was fantastic weather, if perhaps a bit humid (it’s the ocean, there’s lots of water, what was I to expect…). Beci and I slept in a bit, and then at about 10 decided to head out to the adult beach at Serenity Bay for a swim and a bit of a layout. The Island is looking great right now. The trees and smaller plant life have all fully recovered from the two hurricanes that have come thru in the past 10 years, and the little improvements they have made all add up to an even better day on the Cay.

Thursday night we jetted out from Seattle (after a 60 minute delay to fix a bad light on the coffee maker or something) and winged it on one of the only two direct flights from SEA to MCO. We both wanted to get to Florida early, because finding alternate flights at the last minute from Seattle is both difficult and wicked expensive. So we arrived in Orlando early Friday Morning and made the long trek to the airport Hyatt, where we both went to work remotely. Luckily, the view wasn’t about to distract either of us. While the view of a runway may not be everybody’s choice of perfect, the walk from the security exit of the terminal to the hotel is all of about 75 feet, and we were able to check into our room and then walk down to baggage claim and still get there a few minutes before our luggage came out. The free wifi is nice too.

This morning we got up early-ish and marched down to get in line for the ship. The amount of baggage in the halls of the Hotel was impressive, and so was the line when we got to the lobby. The first bus full of people (the Capt. Mickey bus) left just as we got into line, and the second bus (Pluto) filled just before we got to the front of the line. That put us as the first people on the third (Goofy) bus.

As we left on the bus I sent a simple text message to several of the rest of our party that were already on their way toward the port in a town car, simply saying “The bus is rolling”. This started a text-storm the likes of which has never been seen outside of the popular girl’s lunch table at the middle school of your choice. I was not involved, but Beci was getting what seemed like several texts per mile, and sending as good as she got. A few thousand messages later, we rolled into the port, about 5 minutes behind Deb’s group in the town car. Beci had managed to get us into the first row of seats on the bus, so we were first off, and right into the right-hand security line, which was surprisingly short. As we neared the front of the line I spotted our other group who had been ahead of us on the road swamped near the back of the left-hand line. So Karma had balanced out our line experience for the day. By the time the other group had made it through the security line, we had finished our check-in.

Boarding was the normal smooth Disney process, and shortly after noon we were were starting to board. This was my first experience with the (relatively) new numbered boarding card method, and while some of us went right at the start, most of the group were in the 11th and 12th sets. Those of us that got on early went right to Parrot Cay for lunch, claimed our table, and started the feeding frenzy.

After lunch we predictably started to run out of steam, so the night was quite and short. We did the sail away party, had a nice dinner at Lumier’s, and then went to bed. I did get some nice clean cabin pictures and a look at the swag they gave to Castaway Club members for this special sailing.

More tomorrow.

Thursday night we jetted out from Seattle (after a 60 minute delay to fix a bad light on the coffee maker or something) and winged it on one of the only two direct flights from SEA to MCO. We both wanted to get to Florida early, because finding alternate flights at the last minute from Seattle is both difficult and wicked expensive. < more... >

Although I love Walt Disney World and it is like home to me (wink to the CA girls), I find myself giddy to get to place where it all began. I’m heading to Disneyland this month before my Disney Mexican Riviera Cruise to pay homage to Walt.

I’m returning to the Grand Calfornian, which I had the pleasure to stay the first year it opened. I was so impressed with just the front door to this resort (and of course all that is beyond it) that I have a pin to commemorate it. The whole resort is done in the Arts and Crafts style and was designed by Peter Dominick, who also did the Walt Disney World Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge. The door to which I refer is a gorgeous sliding glass door that I literally have sat in the lobby and watched open and close as the guests arrive.

The private entrance to California Adventure and being in such close walking distance to either park is a special perk that I savor. But once I’m off for the day, it is the charming dark rides that draw me. There was a time when I’d head straight for Soarin’ Over California. But this time, being a bit older and more sentimental, my first stop following Main Street USA will be to photograph my foot on the spike that marks the center of the "land" just past Sleeping Beauty Castle. (Watch for that photo at the end of the month!)

From there, I must take a spin on those rides I just can’t find at the "World". Alice’s Mad Tea Party, Pinocchio’s Daring Adventure, Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin and Storybook Land Canal Boat are at the top of my list. And yes……….there’s the Toad. I have to admit, I fell in love with Mr. Toad at Walt Disney World. And although I do enjoy an occasional ride on "the Pooh", I feel Mr. Toad’s departure from Walt Disney World did leave a gaping hole where wild used to live. There’s a little bit of a dark side with this ride that appeals to me. I mean, where else can you have such a great time in hell? I’d like to know how come I never get to experience the heaven ending to this ride??!! What kind of secret meter did the Imagineers invent to determine that this is where I should end up?

And of course, there’s the modern dark ride that I will experience in a row until my travel mates scream "no more"! Indiana Jones Adventure is hands down one of my favorites at either Disneyland or Walt Disney World. And my timing couldn’t be better!! With the release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Skull to theaters on May 22nd, I’m hoping to ride IJA until my body gives in to my vertigo-esque motion sickness and then swoon over a still adorable Harrison Ford for a late show that evening!

Joanne
Joanne at MouseFanTravel dot com

Although I love Walt Disney World and it is like home to me (wink to the CA girls), I find myself giddy to get to place where it all began. I’m heading to Disneyland this month before my Disney Mexican Riviera Cruise to pay homage to Walt. < more... >

Of course, Beci has been out and about at least once per month so far this year. I think she’s already been to Disney World three times, on a cruise once, and two weeks ago she was in LA on the Backstage Adventure. But the last time I saw any of the Magic was at MouseFest 2007, where I surprised Beci by showing up when I was in the middle of trying to release my latest game.

So where is the magic leading us this time? Well, to the Magic of course. Or maybe the Wonder. I can never remember which is where and doing what any more. But whatever ship will be taking me from Port Canaveral thru the lovely Malarially de-infested waters of the Panama Canal is the ship I’ll be on. I suppose I should figure out where exactly we’re going, and how long we’ll be gone, sometime soon.

So I’ve got my new camera that takes lovely little videos also, and if the bandwidth on the ships has been improved I may try posting some video to YouTube. If the bandwidth is the same as the last time we were on-board together (The Mediterranean last year) I may try posting some thumbnail photographs instead! Here’s my first picture posted with the new camera. I’m the one behind the Pepsi can…

And if you’re on the ship too, look for Beci and me in the Vista Spa every day. Heck, join us on the treadmill or a bike and pre-discount that night’s dessert!

Of course, Beci has been out and about at least once per month so far this year. I think she’s already been to Disney World three times, on a cruise once, and two weeks ago she was in LA on the Backstage Adventure. < more... >