Re-Imagined Disney Magic

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We were supposed to be on the Disney Magic October 20-25 for the first cruise after its “re-imagining”….but last Thursday we received notification from Disney Cruise Line that the cruise had been canceled. The Magic encountered weather during the Atlantic crossing that delayed work, and it just wasn’t going to be ready.

We had planned our cruise over a year ago, when we first heard that the Magic was getting enhancements, so as you might imagine, we were VERY disappointed. In addition to experiencing the new Magic we were also looking forward to spending time with friends on the cruise.

Disney is offering compensation:

“Therefore, in addition to a full refund of their voyage fare, [guests] will also receive a complimentary sailing up to 5-nights in length on the Disney Magic when sailing from Miami or Port Canaveral, Florida, before May 16, 2014. This complimentary sailing is subject to availability, offered in the same category stateroom with the same party mix originally booked aboard the Disney Magic and is non-transferable. Guests who are unable to take advantage of this complimentary cruise offer are invited to sail at a 35% future cruise discount on any Caribbean or Bahamian sailing of up to 7-nights in length, taken by October 31, 2015, excluding holiday and select peak sail dates.”

That’s quite fair, but it’s all still very disappointing because we wanted to be the first guests on board. And the next three cruises are already sold out. We’d also made all of our plans and travel arrangements and had scheduled time off work – not to mention that we were REALLY looking forward to a vacation!

We will still get to see the Disney Magic, though – AllEars has been invited on the Media Cruise scheduled for October 25-27, and Lee and I will sailing then. I don’t think two days is going to be nearly enough time to see/experience all of the new things on board, but we’ll do our best.

The following is most of a preview blog I wrote before our cruise was canceled, when I was looking forward to five days aboard the Magic instead of just two!

If you’re a Disney cruise fan, I’m sure you’ve been following the posts on the Disney Parks Blog, Twitter, and Facebook describing the changes and upgrades the Disney Magic received on its recent dry dock in Cadiz, Spain.

From the atrium to the staterooms to the restaurants, kids’ club, spa, pool, and adult areas, it’s all new – in many ways it sounds like a brand new ship. (Click on the photo below for a larger version.)

Re-Imagined Disney Magic

Some of the things I’m most looking forward to checking out:

Dining

Carioca’s is the new restaurant replacing Parrot Cay. Named for Jose Carioca, the parrot from “The Three Caballeros”, the restaurant will offer cuisine inspired by South American dishes, with decor inspired by Rio de Janeiro.

Animator’s Palate has been updated (yay!) and will offer the new Animation Magic show from the Disney Fantasy. I really enjoy this show, and am looking forward to seeing it again. And according to the Disney Cruise Line site, we can also expect to “enjoy a visit from favorite Disney and Disney*Pixar characters too, such as Rapunzel from Tangled and Remy from Ratatouille.” Will these be interactive visits? I hope we’ll find out!

Cabanas will replace Topsider Buffet on Deck 9…we’ll see how this works. I have not been a fan of Cabanas on the Dream and Fantasy (though I have found the food to be much better) because of the way the aft stairwell comes out into the middle of the restaurant, but that might not be an issue on the Magic.

Most of the quick service dining on deck 9 will be changing. Pinocchio’s Pizzeria remains, but Daisy’s De-Lites replaces Goofy’s Galley, and Pete’s Boiler Bites takes over for Pluto’s Dog House. As on the Dream and Fantasy, Eye Scream and Frozone Treats will be serving soft-serve ice cream and smoothies and other frozen concoctions. I’ll be interested in seeing where these two are located.

After Hours is the new adult entertainment area. There are still three spaces, but they’ve been re-named and completely re-done: O’Gill’s Pub, a sports bar, Fathoms, the show/dance club, and Keys, a quieter, more relaxed piano bar. (And I have to admit that after seeing what they did on the Fantasy, I want to see what the public restrooms are like in that area, too!)

Lots of changes in the pool area…The AquaDunk will be the Disney’s Magic water thrill feature. It’s a three-story body slide through a translucent tube that partially extends over the side of the ship. Apparently it starts with a near vertical drop. I’ll try it, but I’m not sure how much I’ll like it! There’s also going to be a version of the AquaLab, first seen on the Disney Fantasy. That’s a fun place to cool off! Kids will have their own new Twist n’ Spout water slide, and there’s the Nephews’ Splash Zone for toddlers.

Re-Imagined Disney Magic

The Oceaneer’s Club, for kids 3-12, has been extensively remodeled, and offers four “storybook worlds”. I kind of wish I was a kid! I’ll definitely be touring it during the Open House they offer on boarding day. There’s Andy’s Room, where kids will feel toy-sized, which features a Slinky Dog slide. I wanna slide!!!!

Re-Imagined Disney Magic

In the MARVEL’S Avenger’s Academy, “Young crime fighters are invited to swoop into this top-secret command post of S.H.I.E.L.D., where earth’s mightiest Super Heroes, The Avengers, train and prepare for special missions.” And: “Avengers Academy is a multi-day, immersive entertainment experience where children interact with Marvel characters and unleash their inner super heroes.” How fun is that???

At the Mickey Mouse Club kids can engage in various craft activities and play games. There’s also Goofy Gears, “a wacky, large-scale wall game.” That’s as much as I’ve been able to learn about it so far.

Pixie Hollow offers crafts and costumes for dress-up play, in an area inspired by Tinker Bell’s pixie home.

The Oceaneer’s Lab will be offering new pirate-themed activities and experiments. “Navigator Simulators let young buccaneers steer a ship through the mysterious waters of The Caribbean.”

The spa has been renamed Senses Spa and Salon. In addition to the traditional spa services a barbershop and “Smile Spa” are new offerings. The new Chill Spa provides spa services to teens aged 13-17.

We’re really excited to see it all, and we’ll be doing our best to share it with you. We’ll be tweeting like crazy as we explore the ship before we leave port, and you can follow me on Twitter: @AllEarsLaura. On such a short cruise I don’t know if I’ll write a daily blog – though I hope that some of the Magic’s upgrades include better internet service!

What do you want to know about the Re-Imagined Disney Magic? Leave a comment below or use the Feedback Form to send me an email, and we’ll do our best to find the answers.

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Laura Gilbreath is a native of San Diego, CA. She has been making the trek up Interstate 5 to Disneyland since she was a small child and terrified of talking tikis and hitchhiking ghosts. She and her husband Lee enjoy trips to Disneyland and Walt Disney World, as well as sailings on the Disney Cruise Line.

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4 Replies to “Re-Imagined Disney Magic”

  1. We love Disney Cruises and will be taking our 10th disney cruise in Feb. We’ve been on almost all the other lines and nothing compares to Disney.. They might be a little more expensive but once you have been on one you will see why.. Now we only cruise on Disney “GREAT for all ages from infants to 60’s”

  2. Hi Laura,
    We were also scheduled to go on that cruise, and we’re now at a hotel near the beach in Hollywood Florida, just waiting until we can board the ship on Friday! We were already booked on the 2 day and the following 5 day, and were able to the next 5 day as our free cruise. So we’ll still have 12 days of cruising, but only one stop at Castaway Cay 🙁
    We look forward to seeing you and Lee onboard on the 2 day cruise!
    Beth and Harry Keast

    Laura replies: Wow! You must really love the Magic! Have a great time. (And I agree, what’s with some of the Magic’s cruises NOT stopping at Castaway Cay???)

  3. Regarding the main pool, I’m very curious to see if they have made change to the sides of the pool making it easier to see your kids in the pool from the pool deck without sitting on the edge. In one of the artist renderings it appears this may have been done, but it might be my wishful thinking. Anyway, in all of descriptions of the improvements the main pool hasn’t been mentioned, so just curious!

    Laura replies: Hi Kristie. We will look at that. My guess is that the pool edge has to be high because of the retractable floor, since they use that area for the parties.

  4. We just came back from a sail on the Fantasy and they now have an app you can use for the Navigator on board. It was great. They said the other ships were coming soon.
    I’d say just any details about as much of everything would be great. Food offerings, staterooms, entertainment in the adult district, etc.

    Laura replies: Thanks, Scott – that’s interesting to know, and we will definitely look into it.