Well, hello, and welcome once again to the DCL Back, relax, and we'll be on our way shortly.

Well, welcome back to the DCL podcast, your podcast to cruise a little smarter.

I'm your host, Lake, and I'm joined by my co-host, Christy, how are you today?

Hi, Lake.

I'm well.

How are you?

I am doing pretty good.

We've got a pretty busy week up here for us.

We just said, I think we have five shows we're Yes, we have a lot of fun recordings.

We're getting ready to record, I don't know That'll come out in the future.

So it's exciting.

It's a whole fun week of podcasting, a gloomy Quite rainy and gross in Florida this week.

Yeah, lots of storms.

I just had some internet issues before starting.

So hopefully that does not follow through while I had to do my first treadmill run since marathon Today.

Yeah, I really need to.

I've been running, but I really need to like But I am actually have a coach's meeting today That's going to be starting in August.

That's so cool.

Yeah, I'm excited.

Yeah, I was looking for something to give me Into it.

And they reached out and were like, hey, we We're doing some other stuff with Fleet Feet But it should be exciting.

I can't wait to hear.

Yeah, so stay tuned for that.

But why don't we turn this towards cruising, The reason we are here?

Fine, Lake, fine.

We could banter like this all day, but I don't Show.

Some people would.

Some people would love that.

Maybe one day.

This is what Patreon gets occasionally.

Yes.

But yeah, let's talk about it, because I'm excited Trip report.

I was about to say it's one of our favorite First time cruisers.

I just always love the perspective.

There is always something that they discuss This in ages or I forgot about that, which always Show.

Yeah.

And it's your beloved ship.

I do love the magic, the OG.

But with that, we would like to welcome our Rebecca, how are you?

I'm good.

How are you guys?

We are doing pretty good.

Excited to get into this episode with you.

Why don't you begin by giving us a little bit You to booking your first Disney cruise?

Well, I have always been a Disney fan.

We did not go as a family as a child, but I We did an eighth grade science trip to Florida And Universal.

Not really sure how much science we were learning To come.

And then I was in the marching band in high Grade.

And we did a competition somewhere outside of So we didn't play at Disney World, but we got Trip.

And my senior year, we went to Disneyland and And then my niece and nephew each got to go.

We're planning when each of them turned four, So his was actually when he was five, five and And my brother and sister-in-law and their family That.

So that's been the more recent trips that was And what turned you towards cruising?

I heard a few trip reports of Disney cruises and I tend towards being an introvert.

And the parks, while they're so much fun, are And I have a son who's about to be adopted that Was four months old.

And that adoption is very close to being final Wasn't ready to venture the parks with him yet And so Disney Cruise seemed like a fun way to More low key, not as much pressure to do all And he's really short, so he probably wouldn't Requirements at Disney World.

Well, what led you to book the Magic Inn, this I have listened to a bunch of your podcasts.

So that was part of it.

And as much as the hype around the Wish and Of the OG, the original ships.

Check that out.

It's smaller, so it wasn't as overwhelming, And I wanted it to be longer than three or four To settle in and try and do all the things.

And this itinerary worked and we got to go to Great.

So we have a Port Canaveral Magic Sailing, which The Magic hasn't done Port Canaveral in a while And it'll be going away here.

But what a great way to get on that classic Canaveral.

Why don't you tell us how you got to the port?

My mom joined us on this trip.

So it was the three of us, myself and my kiddo So we each flew into MCO the day before and Which was super convenient.

So easy to just get there and get some food, Right there at the airport for the transport Yeah, that Hyatt is so convenient, especially With little kids because it's right there.

You literally grab your bags and walk, go back It cannot be more convenient.

And there's a little bit of a price for that The restaurant, if you want like a nice sit If you have food allergies, the restaurant is And then if you want something quicker, there's Well.

You don't have to leave the airport.

It's just so convenient.

And then the Disney bus, as Rebecca said, picks So you let them know you're staying at that And everything.

Yeah, so convenient.

So then you got to the port pretty early, right?

With the Hyatt transportation?

We did, which was good.

The unfortunate thing was Disney was having So often do.

So we had to repeat the whole check-in process So it didn't save us a ton of time, but we made At the model of the ship and just seeing all He loves transportation, so all the trucks and He was thoroughly entertained for that time.

I think it probably took 30-45 minutes to get But then we walked on and we were on probably And what were your thoughts first boarding the It was so exciting.

I was tired at that point from just all of the To walk on and hear them call our name and see the atrium, just see all the fun stuff.

And there wasn't, even with that delay, there And so it wasn't crowded and we could kind of Part and figuring out where we wanted to go What did you end up doing first?

I think we went, we either went to the kid's I know I wanted to get to the kid's club to My kiddo's a little bit developmentally delayed Going to be four in a couple of months.

And so I thought the nursery probably wouldn't So I wanted to see if they would take him in They were wonderful.

They explained the whole process and that they 45 minutes to an hour to make sure he was good That wasn't a problem at all.

It was very nice to be able to take him and Of us adults for a little bit.

And he loved the kid's club.

He wasn't to the point of asking to go all the There and we would see cast members on the ship Greeting him by name and where do you know all How do you know all them?

And they wear different uniforms than other So most of the time it was easy to tell that, Kid's club and he recognized them and they recognized So he had a blast in there.

Oh, I love that.

Yeah.

I should say the other thing that we had to So he has an EpiPen.

And of course, I forgot to bring the original with his prescription on it or get a spare Prescription from the doctor.

So we had to do a little finagling there, but App that had all of the information that they Them.

And so he was still able to go with that EpiPen There.

So there was little chance of him being exposed, Yeah.

Because you never know if somebody has something So that's really smart.

That was good.

Yes.

And unfortunately, we did get to have a tour My mom hadn't been feeling well, not for my Previous week and had gone to the doctor at It was all negative.

And then I think we had just finished lunch Said, oh, we sent your strep test out and it No.

We were standing there going, okay, well, great.

Now what are we supposed to do with that information And my brain was going and the doctor actually There should be a medical unit, an infirmary, Which is what we did.

And they were fantastic.

The nurse and the doctor down there were great So she was able to enjoy the trip, but not really Day either.

Well, let's turn it towards your stateroom.

What kind of stateroom did you book and how Group dynamic there?

What was the sleeping arrangement like?

We got a veranda room and Christy picked the It was right by the, I guess it was right by Me late in the trip, did you, did you pick that Is that just where we were assigned?

Because that was a really great location.

There was a method to the madness.

You know, walking through that hallway is like Line experiences.

And whenever I randomly have a guaranteed room Stuck in the middle of the hallway or the very Like it.

Yes.

The noise really does not come through and it Yes.

Yeah.

There were a couple of times early on when I We came from the midship elevators instead of And I was like, when is this hall going to end?

It was fun to see everybody's doors with a three-year-old There?

But we had great room.

Mom and I shared the big bed.

My kiddo took the pull-down couch part that And it worked great.

We had plenty of storage for all of our things.

You guys are right.

First time on a cruise ship, that room is a But having listened, I was expecting some snugness The worst part was the bathroom.

I stubbed my toe probably six or seven times But otherwise it worked very well.

And I felt completely safe with having the balcony Up at the top.

But even so he went out there and I'd be on And he just had the best time looking out and Any danger.

So that was that was very nice.

Perfect.

After that, it is probably about time for your Yes.

I was really hoping after hearing some trip Lucky people who had like a theater or something That was fine.

It was just getting warm.

And there seems to be a lot of standing around Going on.

But we all survived and we made it.

And actually, I guess that's about right after Missed the sail away party because we were down But a good substitute for the rest of the trip.

And nobody else got strep.

Nobody else got strep, which also was amazing.

So we're very happy about that.

I should mention too, and Christy and I talked Prone to motion sickness and it did affect her.

She had gotten scopolamine patches from her She didn't have any motion sick problems except And then like that initial burst of medication So unfortunately, she wasn't feeling great the Service came in very handy for that.

And she said she didn't feel terrible, just So it worked out pretty well.

Well, why don't we go ahead and make our way You already mentioned dinner.

What did you think of rotational dining?

What were some highlights from dining on the We started in animators palette, which I was I was hoping to have two nights.

There after hearing all of the different trip Didn't join us for dinner the first night.

We Kiddos allergies, I'm allergic to shellfish, Did, but you could tell the way Disney does Family that had two boys that were probably Kiddos age, and you know, we were all in the Life where we were sitting, and the waitstaff, The assistant server, Cheryl, and just adored She was working other tables, so I spent some Can't have her attention all of the time.

He Assistant server and enjoyed all his food.

My Palette.

We did not end up going to Lumiere's.

Mom didn't feel great, and I think it was castaway Day.

We'd spent a lot of time at the beach, Chicken fingers and french fries from the deck We didn't, I didn't see anything that I especially Between allergies, Christy's making a face, Had the previous nights, there just wasn't anything About to go eat by myself.

That's true.

There Other four of the first four ships, the other Your fried brie.

So, you know, there's some, And that.

Oh, I'm sure there are.

I'm sure there Time.

Rapunzel's was our second and third night, Was when we discovered he's not into characters.

Day, and I still don't know if this guy has Bucket on his head came out, and my kiddo like crawled up in my mom's lap and was Like strangling her, trying to get away from Away.

So, he went to the kids club that night Of course by that, even by that second night, Like minutes after we arrived.

So, do you want So, he went there.

How did he do with characters Mickey Mouse comes sometimes, or is it- does Is also delayed speech-wise, so he can communicate Needs, that sort of thing.

And he will talk Idea what he's saying.

But I think the third Club, and the counselor said, oh yeah, like Characters today.

He saw them, and he just took Okay, based on what happened at dinner the night Was doing prior to that.

So, he grew a little The day at sea, we did the Encanto celebration.

And he did want to stay and meet Maribel and Bruno.

Okay.

And met them.

So, he- he Was okay, at least with face characters by the Full circle moment there, basically.

Yeah.

One Mean, you already highlighted how great the Recognize like, oh, look at the progress that Watching all of these other kids in there, is, I was very impressed with them.

And of course, Four-year-old group.

So, I did notice they would Area and just have them more- more focused than- They did- they did great.

Any other notes on 0 To Cabana's for breakfast.

I am pretty sure 335 00:19:17,1000 --> 00:19:24,240 French fries, hash browns, chicken fingers, Delights and get grapes once or twice a day.

Fantastic.

I am here for that diet.

Yes.

Any About.

So, we- Kid after my own heart.

Yes.

He does not like ice cream.

Never has.

It's Because it was cold, but now he loves cold things, Cream.

So, mom and I enjoyed the soft serve Be happier with a cookie or some more french Partaked of almost everywhere.

He had the pizza 0 And got some coffee in the morning, especially 345 00:20:11,1000 --> 00:20:16,920 Wake up at like 4 or 5 in the morning.

So, even But she got some really great sunrise pictures The morning.

I love an early morning ship exploration.

Sure it looked great.

There was nobody out there.

0 Activities around the ship?

Outside of the main 350 00:20:33,1000 --> 00:20:39,320 Did you do?

We mostly hung out at the Splash Excited about.

Unfortunately, he was also really Right next door and could not go in there.

So, Have been definitely beneficial for- for this Splash Pad.

We sat out eating some deck food, Times.

He was very intrigued by the large screen, And Aladdin, maybe?

And I think another one He enjoyed that.

He'd spend time in the kids Theater on the day at sea.

Unfortunately, that Activities.

We were either exhausted or on the Days, just following the little guy around, Able to see any of the main shows?

No, it was Type shows and was hoping I would be able to Was sleeping or maybe going back to the kids Part of the reason I booked a place older.

Yep, just have to take more cruises.

Yeah, we did the same thing on my first Disney Disneyland, and then The Wonder out of San Diego.

Just napping and lounging and napping and lounging.

We also love shows and I think we only made Cruising, choose your own adventure, totally Or as much as you want.

Yes.

Well, why don't we go ahead and turn towards Three port stops.

First up was Nassau.

Did you We did not.

What we did instead was Splash Pad Of hours at the nursery on a couple of the days And that worked pretty well.

I think there was Didn't take a nap, but he had fun there as well.

Complimentary photo session at Shutters, which We have not talked about this in a very long Okay, so you definitely have to do some Disney Complimentary to have them take your photos Will do in their little studio.

And if your You can go to different parts of the ship and In the studio.

He took a ton of photos.

It was Alert, he got all of the photos were amazing.

Downside is then they're all very expensive.

Math has to come in.

I did end up getting all Holding my breath as I paid the bill.

But they're Were they in color or both?

They were you could choose between color or And my son's pose in like the professional photo They do at daycare or at preschool has been Is happening?

Look, these photos were fantastic.

They were being taken that he was doing a great The photographer asked him to do.

Yeah, so they Great.

And they know what they're doing.

They're You're starting your family, you're starting Get all these photos.

This is just the beginning.

But would you be willing to share what the pricing Yeah, so I wanted the digital photos for sure.

You could get 30 digital photos for $1,600 or they had haven't put them up Yet.

So they're still just sitting here.

You Prints and all of the digital photos which he There for $1,800.

So that's what I ended up But I mean, it is true you are growing your Photos are expensive.

If you actually have pictures.

But thank you for sharing the price.

But yes, they were good.

And it was worth it Some sticker shock.

I was second day, I think.

Do they do they let you give back to them with Like you have to make the decision right then?

They probably would let you get back to them Know, yeah, you know, they do better if if they Well, thank you again for sharing the cost because Actually talked about the price.

So what like Remember what that cost?

I think the cheapest thing was 500.

Okay, I Like probably three or four digital photos or Printed photo, and then they shipped those.

He said to give it six weeks.

I think they came Pretty fast.

And yeah, they're, they're fantastic.

Just bouncing off of that.

Did you also do the I did.

Do you feel like though, because your kid didn't Benefit from the photo package?

Definitely my plan when when we purchased the To cancel the photo package because we had our Point that characters were not going to be a And so I still ended up with that.

And we had At dinner and that sort of thing.

So would I Knowing what I know now?

Maybe not on the on He might be into characters.

So I don't know, Session again.

But it was good.

And they their I love that.

Yeah, thank you so much for sharing that experience.

Our port stops though.

Your next day is your With lighthouse, correct?

Yes.

Tell us about your day at lighthouse point.

And how did how did it go taking the three year He walked most of the way, but I did bring a Listening enough to to figure out some of those Concerned about my mom.

But when you get it's People were talking about originally on the After lunch.

So my kiddo could nap.

There were Carts just sitting around.

And so they took Because we were some of the only ones coming Very happy to have a ride.

And my kiddo was Likes anything with wheels.

But we got to the Than lighthouse.

But I think part of that was Really doing the first day.

And so we were trying We're trying to get to without knowing it was And so we walked and walked and walked and walked Walked and walked quite far.

I think it's going Get to the tram stop, which kept going and we're Wherever this like playground looking thing The beach, which was great.

My kiddo was okay Came back in and he wanted to play in the sand, That I had cut my leg on a rock or something I went in search of a bandaid.

FYI, if all you Mom who has bandaids or something.

I got to The first aid station.

And they had a security Geez, asked all these questions about where Disney is trying to be safe and fix problem Something in the ocean.

Like that's just life.

Whole thing took like an hour and a half to Guard come and take a statement and they took This stuff.

So by the time I got back, we were The place with the allergy friendly meals is Was or even a little past that in the other Time on lighthouse just walking back and forth.

Beautiful.

I would love to go back.

I think Because we learned from that, We had a much better day on Cast Away the next Did your son go in the splash pad at all?

He did not.

I wasn't real clear on what part was the splash And what part was not, and if he could or not, And so I just tried to steer his attention Towards the beach, Because I knew he could go in there.

Taking the stroller was fantastic.

It was easy to wheel us all over there, But yeah, it was fine.

I do think that's a testament To the beauty of Cast Away too, Is I think it's more first-time friendly, Because everything is right there, But you also, when you get off the ship, Can see where you're supposed to go, Whereas Lookout, it's okay, you get to the tram, The tram drops you off, You know there's beach in front of you, But you really don't know what's to your left Or what's to your right, So unless you're willing to explore a bit, It's a little bit harder to navigate, Whereas like I said on Cast Away, It's I can see the beach, let's walk to the Yes, yes, which we enjoyed, And I paid better attention to our server The night before Cast Away As to where the allergy meals would be, And I was like, okay, we're gonna go by there.

I don't know where it is, But we're gonna figure it out, And that's where we're gonna go.

And that's a great beach too, anyway, And it's nearer to the kids' club If you were gonna take him to the kids' club So yeah, it's more convenient for allergy people.

Yes, he liked the water better at Cast Away, Because it was calmer, So he enjoyed being in the water a lot more, And I had rented tubes for Mom and me, And so my son and I went out on one.

Cast Away was also great, And we spent a lot more time in the water that I tried to get him to go to the kids' club, But he was like, yeah, yeah, And then we got there, and no.

It's like, okay, never mind, sorry, But he enjoyed being in the water, And he played in the sand more.

He loved playing in the sand with my mom the But he played more in the water And in the sand on Cast Away.

We did kind of the same thing as the day before, And ate lunch, and then started to head back So he could take a nap, Because otherwise he's really grouchy in the And his favorite part, Cast Away, I don't remember if it was Cast Away or Lighthouse, But his favorite part of the day Seemed to be watching the trucks come back And load the ship.

That's so cute.

Okay, so that was his favorite part On the last day as well.

We could see from our stateroom The trucks taking everything off the ship And moving the luggage off the ship, And that was very enjoyable for him.

Oh, that's so fun.

Was there any other activities or things you On the ship that we haven't discussed yet?

No, I think we talked about the Encanto celebration On the last day, and that was really cool.

I haven't seen a lot of Encanto stuff Around in the parks or on the ships, Like even vicariously through everybody else, And that is one of our favorite films.

Like, I'm glad that's the one that he has gotten And wants to watch every day, Because I can take it for the most part.

All the repetition, we enjoy it, And that was really well done.

They get the kids involved, They built little maracas, And there was trivia for the older kids, And they had them dance and play drums, And he really enjoyed the whole thing.

I was surprised when he said he wanted to wait And meet Mirabelle and Bruno, But I kind of wanted to meet Mirabelle and Bruno, So I was really glad that he wanted to, And we ended up at the end of the line Because of where we were in the Congo line, But so we had to wait for a while, And he was good.

He just, he was like, Yep, I want to wait in this line, And he was excited to say hello to them.

He was a little shy at first, But Mirabelle was great and talked to him, Like just she and him for a little bit, And then we were able to get some pictures Where he wasn't like, I'm scared.

Nice way to end.

It was about half an hour, the whole thing, And then they stayed, So like the program part was half an hour, And then they stayed until the last person had Were there any activities that you missed That would be like a must-do for the next time?

Fireworks.

I was so close.

It was 9.45, And I was like, I cannot stay awake any longer.

I have to go to sleep, So fireworks for sure, Going to the shows, And I think that's all just his age And where we're at at this point.

I don't think with those busy days, I don't think I could have gotten him to stay Even if I tried, So because he would enjoy it, I'm sure, But just couldn't stay up that late, So I'm looking forward to another one in a year When he's a little older And ready to party all night with mom.

What are some things that you wish you knew Before you embarked on the magic?

Honestly, the biggest thing that I wish I had Was where those escalators were to get to the Because I ended up walking around a lot of the Before I figured out that it was right there Let's give that direction.

It's next to the TSA.

You basically go under like an archway And then you take the escalator there To I think one floor up or two floors up To get to the check-in desk.

Yeah, it looks like you're going into the TSA And it might be stopped, But no, there's elevators and escalators there.

Definitely people should ask if they have questions Yes, yes.

I waited too long to ask.

I was like, I know where I'm going.

And the truth was I did not.

But that was just a function.

Our flights were delayed that day as well.

So it was later than we had anticipated And we were hungrier than we were hoping to And all of that.

But I feel like I knew enough From listening to you guys' podcast And a couple of other podcasts that I listened That nothing was like, man, I wish I had known Awesome.

Well, speaking of MCO, What was your disembarkation process like And how did you get back to MCO?

Well, of course it was sad because it was over.

But we went ahead and did breakfast And we did pack up our stuff the night before So that they would take the luggage Because with a three-year-old, that's just easier.

And we had breakfast with our serving team one My kiddo got to say goodbye to Cheryl And the rest of the team.

And then really by the time we were done with They were calling our tag.

So we were able to almost get off without a Mom had ordered a drink or something the night And so she had one more thing on her bill That she had to pay.

And then we were able to get off And we took the Disney transport back to the And I've heard some, not horror stories, But I've heard some stories recently About people sitting on the bus for a couple, Two or three hours before they got to leave.

And we were there maybe 10 minutes And then it was full and it was time to go to So it worked really well.

We just, we had probably a little too long In the airport before our flight, But we survived and we made it to our flights.

Awesome.

Yeah, I think some of those transportation issues Tend to come when you're going back to a resort Because they're waiting for that resort loop I haven't heard as much about going specifically Just because there is a bigger volume Of guests traveling that way.

That makes sense.

Well, Rebecca, you did mention That you booked a placeholder.

Do you have your eyes on a next cruise yet?

Not yet.

I need to talk more to Christy.

I think I don't remember what schedules have So maybe early 2027 or late 2026.

And I don't know where Because I've heard all of these good reports From Norway and Alaska, all this, But I don't know if that's in my budget at the Well, I think anywhere on a Disney ship is a Regardless of if that's another cruise Out of Port Canaveral or adventuring somewhere Yeah, maybe the Fantasy will be my next try.

I've heard that's a good one.

We love the Fantasy.

Yeah.

We give all our praise to the Fantasy.

Rebecca, did you have any other notable cast From the sailing?

I feel like you did a pretty good job highlighting A lot of great ones already And some great ones that your son had as well.

They were just all great.

There was always somebody.

There was somebody in Cabanas that would come And had like a squeaker And would squeak my kiddo's tummy or squeak And he just thought that was the best thing All of them were great.

Well, Rebecca, thank you so much for coming And sharing you and your family's experience On the OG, the Disney Magic.

One true love.

Thank you.

Yes, it was great.

Thank you for having me.

Yeah, and thank you for listening to the podcast.

And we're glad that we were able to help you Have a smooth sailing And give you the information you needed.

Yes, thank you.

And always making me want to travel more places.

Yeah, that is a problem.

Yeah, all the ABDs too.

We are prone to the same thing here.

Don't you worry.

I believe it.

Well, Christy, where can our listeners follow You can find me all over the internet At packyourpixiedust.

And Lake, where are we finding you?

You can find me at mousejen on YouTube and Instagram.

And you can follow the podcast On Facebook and Instagram at dclpodcast.

And you can also check out more information We have had some people ask about specific ports Or specific itineraries.

We are working on the website.

There is a tags page now.

And we are working our way through older episodes, Retagging them by itineraries, Including embarkation and port stops.

It will take us a little bit of time to get But that is an option if you are looking For specific excursions or itineraries.

And then we should mention, If you want to work with me, There is a Talk to Christy link That is also in the show notes.

I'm going to give us one more plug as well.

We are hosting our podcast cruise On the Disney Destiny next year.

And if you want more information, Again, hit that book with Christy link And go ahead and get a quote To join us on our podcast sailing.

Yeah, we'd love to have you.

Absolutely.

But that is going to do it for this episode.

Thank you again so much for listening.

And we will see you next time on the DCL podcast.

Bye guys.

Bye everyone.

Well, let's go wrap up the show.

Once again, we want to thank Rebecca for coming And sharing her family's first Disney cruise On the Disney Magic.

If you're enjoying the show, We greatly appreciate you leaving us a five On Apple podcast.

We'd also like to thank our patrons Who help make this show happen each and every For us.

You too can help support the show By visiting us at patreon.com slash DCL podcast.

Whether you're boarding a cruise, Enjoying a trip to the parks Or adventuring outside of Disney, On behalf of myself, Christy and Steve, We want to wish you smooth sailing and safe See you next time on the DCL podcast.

The DCL podcast is not affiliated With the Disney Cruise Line, Walt Disney Company, Adventures by Disney or Run Disney.

All of the opinions expressed on our shows Are those of the hosts and the guests Who appear on the show.

If you have any questions about any of these Please contact the Walt Disney Company.