Panama Canal: Day 6 – Sea Day

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.