Ep. 293 - He's a Disney Cruise Fan and He's Only Five: A Family's First Disney Cruise

00:00.56 dclduo Welcome back, everybody to this week's episode of the Dc L Duo Podcast brought to you by my path unwinding travel and Sam. Got a banner day of recording today is our first of 2 recordings we're doing today you you ready for the marathon. Not a sprint today I guess an honor of marathon weekend when we're recording. 00:15.26 Sam That's. 00:18.63 Sam Um, yes I am totally ready and i' am well caffeinated I've got a sweet cream cold brew right next to me instead of my usual Topo Chico so but 00:26.40 dclduo Whoo wow you know it's a big day when Sam's going so I've never heard you have a sweet cream cold brew before. So is that why the is that why the whole house is vibrating right now is that does that you yeah all right sam on caffeine is usually a. 00:31.34 Sam oh oh I definitely have I definitely have I get it I get it without the vanilla. Ah ah Brian no no be nice I always have a. 00:44.13 dclduo As a must don't in our house but ah, but. 00:48.43 Sam I always have coffee in the morning but there is a point at which I can get over caffeinated and it's a much lower threshold than Brian who basically lives on cold brew coffee. So that's I think where his concern comes from but I'm super excited. Um for this show because as. 00:58.74 dclduo Yeah. 01:05.96 Sam Audience knows I love talking to first time cruisers I think it's just such a fun experience hearing you know they're all like bright eyeed and bushy tailed and everything's new and hearing their first time experiences which sometimes can be disastrous but oftentimes can be really amazing and wonderful, especially with kids. Um. I love those shows and this is one of those shows. 01:29.61 dclduo Yeah, so do you missed you miss the let me take that back you you didn't you didn't you didn't intro the guest Sam oh okay, well I'm going to start back I'm goingnna start back then so I got I I got a covered I got a covered I got covered just hold on. Um. 01:34.32 Sam I know I thought you were going to do that. Do you do that? No I loved what I said I Loved what I said I don't want to all right? and this is one of those shows. 01:46.31 dclduo See you finished with caffeine. So yeah, but I was going to say. Ah yeah I think my auto butt. Yeah I think I've said on the show before I think my autobiography would be called life at the bottom of vinty coldber. So ah I am definitely a caffeine addict but we're excited because 1 we've got a great family here who's going to chat with us about their time on the wish but it was also a very merry time sailing. It was also their first sailing on Disney Cruise line and for several of them. It was their first cruise ever and for all of them. It was their first cruise in at least 20 years so we got first time cruising. We got the Disney wish from a first timers perspective and we got the Disney wish at. Ah, very merry time cruise which if the online chat was to be believed could be a potentially divisive topic out there. So we're excited for this show and we have to start by welcoming Dave and Kristen to the show. Welcome. So yeah, and so. 02:32.32 Dave _ Kristin Hello Thanks for having us Yes, hi us too. 02:35.60 Sam So yeah, we're excited to chat with you guys today. 02:40.68 dclduo We always start our show I mean I've already given away the the answer here but tell us about your Disney cruising background you have none but tell us about your background with disney overall like what made you choose a Disney Cruise and and your love of Disney. 02:54.64 Dave _ Kristin Um, let's see I grew up working in a theme park. It wasn't disney but growing up outside Chicago it was 6 flags. So I spent 3 years working at a theme park during college. Loved it in the entertainment part. So that. 03:00.99 Sam Ooh Oh cool. 03:11.36 Dave _ Kristin Led me to a friend of mine moved to l la and he's like you gotta come out and come to Disneyland I had never been so my first time at Disney any park was 2003 I think so in my early 20 s yeah and I'm like. 03:15.29 Sam Oh. 03:22.70 Sam Wow. 03:28.29 Dave _ Kristin This thing is great. How have I never been here before where's this been and so it took off from there. Um I have been to disneyland 3 4 Times um I've never been to Disney World until three years ago we don't talk about that I know um. He went without me I went I had a day off of work in Orlando and 2 co-workers and I went and she was not thrilled I taed it counts as irreconcilable differences. We worked through it you were through it. It's okay, it was a long process. Yes. 03:47.29 Sam Yeah, ah oh Kristen ah. 03:54.20 Sam Yeah, yes, yes, it totally does if that is grounds for divorce Dave I'm sorry um you a lot of counseling. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 03:55.75 dclduo Ah. 04:01.30 dclduo See I I texted cm I was in Dublin 1 time and I was sitting at the guinness storehouse I was then Dublin for work and I had a weekend there and so I was sitting at the guinness storehouse I heard these 2 guys next to me say that they were going to a Youtube concert that night and I went on my phone and I found some resale tickets that were available but I like stopped. 04:17.37 Sam That were super expensive. So. 04:20.61 dclduo And I texted Sam I was like it's expensive and you're not here and I feel bad and she just responded if you're in Dublin and you can see you too. You see you too so go go you go do it so but yes. 04:28.73 Sam Yeah I was super jealous I was super jealous but I was not going to begrudge him that experience when I was like you know I don't know how many thousands of miles Dublin is from Seattle but I that I was that many miles away there was no chance obviously for me to be there as well. But. 04:30.14 Dave _ Kristin Yeah, right? Yeah, oh sure. 04:48.90 Sam Super jealous but you know I you know I told him to go because yeah ever since ever since back. 04:52.23 dclduo But we've been in counseling about it ever ever since. So yes, ah. 04:52.58 Dave _ Kristin You've you've far to head sounds familiar but that was only a time at world right? That was other than us taking our kids three years ago years ago and then the the 1 time right before that? Yeah, so. 05:03.18 Sam Oh Wow! awesome. 05:06.60 dclduo And they have you have you have two kids is that right? Boys girls ages. Oh wow. Okay, 9 and 5 Awesome. 05:10.68 Dave _ Kristin We do 2 boys 2 boys they're 8 and 5 almost 9 and 5 Yeah. 05:14.25 Sam So awesome. Well Chris Kristen we need to hear your we know you have a prior cruise but it was a long time ago. So I want to hear that and also your Disney background. 05:24.87 Dave _ Kristin Absolutely I yes I did I did go on a cruise also early 20 s so um, dating myself here but about a million years ago and and it it was not disney obviously so that was through can we can. We stay the cruise line or do we have to tell you it's from the same place Aaron Dele and 05:37.12 Sam And yes of course. Yeah. 05:42.40 Dave _ Kristin Keep it Disney ish. No so we went on a Norwegian Cruise a bunch of girlfriends and I went ahead and so it was a little different kind of atmosphere. Um, but it was a great experience so we did have a little bit of an understanding um and a little bit of a sort of a standard low maybe but a standard nonetheless for kind of what to expect going into this. 05:47.95 Sam Yeah. 05:59.21 Sam So. 06:01.26 Dave _ Kristin Um, but from a Disney perspective I was the opposite of Dave I did grow up going to Disney Periodically my grandparents lived in l a so we got to go. My first experience was Disneyland is a really small child. Um, and then we did do the sort of obligatory family trip. The long drive from the midwest down to Florida. 06:18.71 Sam Oh gosh. 06:20.91 Dave _ Kristin To do Disney world and I've been since you know as a teenager and as an adult for conferences and things like that. So I have had a lot of introduction to Disney that way it. It hits differently as an adult as a single adult and then as a parent as well. So but I've been you know happily. Ah, surprised at each experience. They've all been really great and I I really couldn't tell you if I made a preference between world or land. They're so different from me. 06:49.30 Sam They are so different they are so different I'm going to tell you obviously Disneyland is better but they are very different I mean there is a few rides at Disney Worlds that either you don't have at Disneyland or are um or a little bit better at Disney world. But there's not that many so. 07:04.20 Dave _ Kristin No. 07:06.19 Sam Um, and I oh that's why I always give the the edge to Disney land. But that's a personal preference. Um, yeah, so what made you guys choose. 07:10.43 Dave _ Kristin No, it's all good I actually kind of like it I like the I'll say the intimacy of Disneyland a little bit better. Yeah I like that too. 07:22.74 Sam Ah, this cruise. Well first I guess what made you guys choose to cruise and what made you guys choose to cruise disney on Disney rather than another cruise line. 07:33.30 Dave _ Kristin I Think that was my doing um having never been on a cruise I've always talked about it I was like we should do a cruise like we should go on a cruise and then finally forgot what it was I probably saw something on the wish like oh it's gonna that's right, it comes out this summer and we. 07:33.12 dclduo So. 07:50.83 Dave _ Kristin Booked back in may something like hot something like may and was just poking around I was like well what about this. They do a short three or four night new no there was no poking about hold on. 07:58.30 Sam H. 08:04.75 Dave _ Kristin I think that words the words you're forgetting to introduce here is called obsession maybe because they're a and it was the marriage of 2 obsessions one was getting into cruising and the other one was Disney so it really was the perfect marriage for you? Okay, maybe right. 08:07.84 dclduo But. 08:08.20 Sam Yes, yes. 08:21.10 Sam Um, sounds kind of familiar. Um. 08:23.39 Dave _ Kristin Ah, you had really wanted to go cruising like you thought and that's absolutely true, but as soon as we started seeing things for the wish particularly the Star Wars pieces of it. That's true. There's a long I can pull up the text. There are a lot of emails and text messages from the middle of work out of middle of nowhere bing look what they have bing that would be fun. 08:30.57 Sam I. 08:42.17 Dave _ Kristin And would you consider bing what about? So this was this was a oh yeah, this is a little more of like a more obsessive journey than a casual as perhaps you may have portrayed it but go on by all means probably probably true. Maybe maybe? um, yeah, ah, but no so that was. 08:43.42 Sam Ah I love that Kristen has all the receipts I love this and. 08:54.91 dclduo I. 08:58.95 Sam So so then nice nice I Love it. Um, so why? why? why? it is well That's you know. 09:00.21 Dave _ Kristin Was all my doing I just showed up. 09:02.52 dclduo Some It's amazing How it's always. It's always our fault I Yeah it is It is yeah. 09:05.94 Dave _ Kristin Right? That wasn't fine and I was happy to let you take the lead because that's you know that's the unspoken contract in our marriage I do lots of great things for this home and our family and our marriage and I love the part I play it. But. Thank you and I give you all the credit for doing the vacation Planning. It is not my forte nor is it one I want to take on So Yay I'm all for it. 09:27.44 Sam That also sounds that also sounds suspiciously familiar. So and I don't know if this comes through in the show. Um, but Brian does 100 % of our vacation planning. Except for when it comes to the parks I will do our like disability access planning for Nathan like and and some of our dinner dining reservations. But every other detail of our travel is owed 100 % to Brian he does all of our you know. Well, he makes generally well together. We make the decision about what cruise to take but he's the one who is usually initiating those conversations and sort of facilitating the planning frequently. Yes, yes. 10:10.47 dclduo For frequently frequently initiating those conversations. Yes, usually usually well on a Disney ship planning. Ah another cruise for cruises from then but yeah, ah yeah. 10:17.26 Dave _ Kristin Um, familiar ha. 10:18.55 Sam Right? Well and then the airline and the hotel stuff all that stuff if that's all Brian's doing even the emails to like our travel agent. That's all Brian like I don't do any of that. But I like you Kristen I take on more of the at home stuff. So but I I don't I don't think the planning. 10:32.26 dclduo As as as as Maui would say you're welcome but I want to hear I want to hear all about this cruise. So what? what made you decide. 10:36.40 Sam Vacation part is my forte at all. 10:39.51 Dave _ Kristin Um, exactly. 10:42.96 Sam Um, yeah, yeah. 10:49.50 dclduo You decide to book Disney Cruise line but what means you decide to go after the wish maybe 1 question we haven't asked is where are you coming from to sale are you already in Florida are you having to travel down. Okay, okay, okay. 10:58.11 Dave _ Kristin We are in the midwest just outside of Milwaukee Wisconsin so a lengthy drive if we decided we wanted to do that but we quickly decided no um, yes correct. 11:08.84 dclduo Although this year that would have been a good safety net to have I'll just see that's but. 11:09.90 Sam Well thankfully you were early December not late December because it would have been a maybe a different outcome with late December versus early December yeah so 11:15.37 Dave _ Kristin Oh my gosh theory absolutely different. Um, so we you know planned on that What made us decide on the wish for me I think it was probably a little bit of the Star Wars aspect to it. Um, because I grew up as a Star Wars kid. 11:27.67 dclduo Who. 11:32.59 Sam So. 11:34.62 Dave _ Kristin Um, all the movies I'm I'm all in on Star Wars. So yes I do have a few thoughts on the hyperspace lounge. Um, but seeing that just a few. Um, but yeah I think that's kind of what led me to the wish and then just seeing what all they had and looking at the kids club. 11:44.69 Sam Ah, just a few. 11:53.61 Sam Yes, yes. 11:54.27 Dave _ Kristin Um, knowing that they had a star wars part there for the boys which they're just getting through all the movies. Simon's been through all the movies so he loves it. Max is into star wars now and Marvel oh yeah, big avengers stand big avengers spider-man that kind of thing so they're all in for those? um. 12:10.64 Sam You're gonna have trouble taking them on one of the other ships because the kids' club on the wish is like no other I mean I'm not saying the kids' clubs are bad on the other ships. They're not, they're still wonderful, but the wish is like another level of kids club in in my opinion. 12:13.99 Dave _ Kristin You know we said that. 12:25.10 Sam Um, but maybe if you can get them on like a Marvel day at sea or something which I know they're I know they're Sally Marvel day at sea again and so that might be a good one to try for for the boys if they're into the if they're into the avengers. Yeah. 12:34.84 Dave _ Kristin Yeah I think they've decided the same thing that there's we we started to high. We should have started lower and worked our way up because our youngest who has immediately joined the obsession has already asked when we can go on the treasure. 12:43.10 Sam Yeah, yeah. 12:51.49 Dave _ Kristin It's either going to be the wish or the treasure he will only do like the next level up or equal. Yeah, so we set that bar a little bit too high regrets that okay well, we'll just have to check out all the different ships and make sure it all compare and contrast for science. 12:51.95 dclduo Ah. 12:53.44 Sam So yeah, yep, yes. 13:04.14 Sam Yes, yes for sure for science for science for research purposes right? It's a sacrifice. Yeah. 13:09.52 Dave _ Kristin Absolutely for research purposes. 13:13.23 dclduo And now what and now what and now what length of Cruise was this and itineraries obviously Nasa cast to a key. Ah, but but how how long were you on board. Okay. 13:20.73 Dave _ Kristin Yep, we did a three night and we we went back and forth for a while between the three and the for night knowing that the boys hadn't ever been on a cruise we weren't sure kind of how they would enjoy it if they would. Right? It's close quarters what if 1 of them got sick what if they got seasick what if they hated it a four day five day six day seven day cruise when you absolutely are in love with the experience is phenomenal. A 4 5 6 7 8 Cruise when you're miserable. Forget it. So it was a real risk. 13:44.98 Sam Right. 13:51.33 Sam Yeah, well and you don't know if they're going to be seasick and I always you know I always tell people that you know for a first time, especially if you're if you're concerned about seasickness the three or the ah 3 or fornite are the way to go. Um. 13:51.37 dclduo Right. 13:53.55 Dave _ Kristin Yeah, so we right right. 14:07.74 Sam If you know that you are fine on a cruise ship then of course you want to be on as long as possible. But I think it's ah, a first time. It's a perfectly reasonable decision to go on a 3 or fournite. Yeah I'm not sure. There's a huge difference between the 2 Um. 14:18.55 Dave _ Kristin And we talked ourselves into it. Sorry as I say we talked ourselves into it by agreeing to do the parks afterwards so that helped us make that decision too. So we did 3 and 3 3 days at sea in three days of the parks. 14:25.76 Sam Yeah, yeah, yeah, very smart, Very smart. 14:35.28 dclduo Nice I think it's also smart frankly to do the shorter cruise with kids. So yeah, um I know our first experience with Nathan was eye opening to say the least. So. 14:48.10 Sam Ah. 14:48.21 dclduo Yeah I think it was nice to have like a shorter test run cruise that before we took him on a seven night sailing so yeah I think that's a smart move. What what was the process like that you first time booking a cruise doing that activity booking all the stuff leading up to actually getting on the cruise I think we're hearing more and more that well Disney Cruise line is not anywhere near as complicated as going to a Disney Park it's certainly getting slightly more stressful to plan these kinds of things but how did you find it in terms of the booking and activities and all that sort of stuff. 15:19.12 Dave _ Kristin Yeah, we used ah a travel agent three years ago and so I reached out to them again and said hey do you guys do the cruises as well as the parks and they said yes we do so we had a little help there. Um, we kind of knew what we wanted to do I said hey we're looking at this on the wish. Maybe this weekend. Maybe this one and so they kind of help me narrow it down and pick and choose what works with availability at the parks for hotels after and doing the cruise before. So then we nailed down the first weekend of December. Um. Merrytime cruise on the wish. So definitely had a little bit of help. But overall I'd say the process was pretty smooth as far as booking and knowing when you had to get the final payment in and when we could sign up to. Do all the fun things and I think ours was sixty days being first time cruisers. Yeah, we don't have the concierge level yet. 16:16.52 dclduo Ah, avoid it for as long as possible is my best recommendation. Ah yeah, ah so in terms of your booking windows. Yeah, as a new cruiser you would have been last in line. Um. 16:19.48 Sam Yeah, yeah, yeah, ah. 16:30.45 dclduo Did you get what you wanted it mean. It's a three night cruise and you're going to Nasa so there's you know, maybe one day of doing a short excursion maybe and then you know I doubt you would have booked adult dining but perhaps maybe a brunch or something but did did you get what you wanted or was everything kind of just blocked out. 16:48.25 Dave _ Kristin Ah, well so I would say we were really lucky in the sense that we had agreed ahead of time. We were not going to leave the ship for our first day in Nassau we've been to the Bahamas I've never been. 16:56.90 dclduo We. 16:58.66 Sam Um. 17:00.25 Dave _ Kristin Hasn't rainigned I you know there's not as much to do there and we were excited and the boys were really excited to see everything and experiencing everything on the ship and it's hard to cram that and with a ah day excursion and whatnot We knew we wanted to keep time to do castaway and so. 17:08.67 Sam Yes. 17:18.35 Dave _ Kristin We took that first day. Um at Nasa and just stayed on board and did everything we could there so we were lucky in that perspective. However, there were a few things mom and dad wanted to do that we couldn't quite get into. Ah you know, maybe some of the what was it like an old fashioned ta fashion tasting for me. Um, you're looking for that. But. 17:34.80 Sam Yeah. 17:37.56 Dave _ Kristin We thought about doing ah a spot package I'm glad we didn't you know for sure that the minute you sign up for a massage. The kids are going to call from kids club and there goes that how to guarantee it in 2 easy steps and so you know we didn't do some of those things necessarily. 17:47.22 Sam Ah, right. 17:53.96 Dave _ Kristin But I didn't I wasn't discouraged by it I don't know about you Dave I know there were a few things we like oh only we could have gotten into XYZ but I think overall I kind of knew we wouldn't have a lot being in the the shorter window as first-time cruisers and we didn't do apollo or enchantte just kind of knowing that. 17:57.16 Sam Um. 18:13.95 Dave _ Kristin Probably wouldn't have a whole lot of time for it. It's definitely on the list for the next one. But for this one? Yeah, we kind of knew that wouldn't be part of it I did get into a rum tasting so that was good. Um, and we did do an excursion it cast away. For the sting rate sting rate we fed this? Well we we the parents fed the sting race the boys flipped out at the last minute they put on all the garints and just noped out of there and said. Ah, nope. 18:31.95 Sam Oh nice. 18:40.47 Sam So yeah, yeah, we did it once and um, both Nathan and I noped out of it so I did go in the water. Um, for ah like a couple of minutes but I did not touch a single stingray. And Nathan didn't even get in the water so we definitely paid for that excursion and did not get the value out of it. That's not to say that other people won't enjoy it. But our kiddo is like not interested in touching any kind of sea animals. Um, so yeah and I'll be honest. 19:10.70 Dave _ Kristin It sounds really good on paper. It does. 19:13.89 Sam Yeah, sounds good on paper. Yeah and I'll be honest I'm not really interested in touching any sea animals I like snorrkling but I don't like I don't want to touch any of the fish I always want to look at them from a distance like from a safe distance. So yeah. 19:24.82 Dave _ Kristin Yeah, the boys were like yes we that sounds great. Let's do it and then they got there and like there's fish in the water we're like that's where they live. That's what happens and they're like no, we don't we don't want to go in there I thank you know they've done the aquarium bit where you take 1 finger and you can touch the stingrey as it. 19:27.43 dclduo Ah. 19:32.87 Sam Yep, ah win right? Yes, yes, totally. 19:41.47 Dave _ Kristin Flapped underneath you and they're like great. It's just a bigger version of it. No no, it's not. It's not and there was a lot of gear involved. They're like that's fine. We'll just you know we'll we'll be here. We ended it over the entertainment because we're all flapping our arms at each other between the water and the shore you stay there, you stay there? No I don't want to. 19:55.87 Sam I Love it. Well. 19:57.91 Dave _ Kristin Lesson learned. It's fine. 19:58.10 dclduo Well well speaking of the speaking of the boys I wanted to understand how did you? How did they learn about you taking this cruise and did you do anything with them to sort of prepare them for what a cruise would be like. 20:13.24 Dave _ Kristin We did. We decided to tell them we weren't sure if we'd surprise them this time or tell them. Um so we did tell them just to kind of give them the heads up like here's what it is. It's brand new but there was a lot of watching videos on the ships. Um. What other cruise ships look like what this one might look like um and then once everybody's starting getting pictures and videos and you guys included um from the summer and the inaugural sailings like guys here's what it looks like they were beyond excited. They were just ready to go. Every day they're like can we look at the countdown can we look at the countdown the countdown on the ag. So yeah, they were now always looking at the countdown almost every other day. It was great I think because it was their first time cruising it was important to us to try and set expectations for them and prepare them that it makes it sound really serious. 20:48.11 Sam Oh. 20:48.33 dclduo Who. 20:55.45 Sam I Love that. 21:07.32 Dave _ Kristin But you know traveling from the Midwest It's funny. We We talked about what it takes to get there. It's Iffy. You never know what weather's going to be like with Covid around. You know we we talked a lot about patients and about being ready to roll with the punches if someone got. Sick or a flight got delayed or a hurricane came and canceled a cruise and for that matter alone. It was helpful to explain some things but also to explain that you know you're going to be sitting with lots of different people for transportation and for the dinners For example. Um, you're going to be around other kids. Are you ready for that etc just trying to make sure that we alleviated anything that might pose a little bit of anxiety ahead of time Plus we wanted them to be involved and have to have a stay in what they wanted to do. 21:51.46 dclduo Smart Very smart. 21:53.95 Sam Well I think it's I think it's super smart the way you prepared them and I also think it's super smart the way you set your own expectations. Um, you know with the adult dining stuff on not just on the wish but on any cruise if you're doing a you know a three night um it's really hard to get any adult dining you know over those sort of that short of a time period and you don't have a lot of time to do it or a lot of options for those you know for those adult dining times. Um, but honestly, it's nice to get to experience main dining. And you also don't know how your kids are going to react when it comes to going to the kids club. So I think setting. The expectations is very very smart, not just for your your kids but for yourselves as well. 22:38.92 Dave _ Kristin And now that we know I will ditch them in a heartbeat and schedule adult nighting for the next one so 22:42.89 dclduo Yes, yeah. 22:43.62 Sam Yeah I love it and I love it. Well you know sometimes you got to graduate to that for us it was. We had to graduate to that because Nathan was not as ah, easy initially with the kids club and now he like loves it. So I you know also caution people. Just because your kid doesn't love the kids' club. The first time you're on a cruise doesn't mean they won't love it at some other time and if you want them to love the kids club. Go on the wish because it's just incredible and and you know I think Nathan loves the kids club on the wish even more than the other cruise the other ah ships. 23:17.24 Dave _ Kristin It's phenomenal. Yeah, we really loved it on the little tour day when we first boarded. Yeah, it was great. We had this great plan. We were going to get on. We had a somewhat early port arrival I think it's like Eleven o'clock or 1130 or something and and. 23:18.46 Sam Yeah, yeah. 23:28.32 Sam Nice. 23:31.90 Dave _ Kristin We're we're going to get on and we're going to look around really quickly. But then we're going to have lunch and then we'll go to the room. There's a plan guides. there's no there's no plan we we got on we looked around and we went straight to the kids club and everyone had to do the slide and oh they saw the slide and forget it. It was the slide. We were done and then the all 3 boys. 23:36.62 dclduo But. 23:38.12 Sam Ah. 23:46.15 Sam I'd love it. 23:50.40 Dave _ Kristin Ah, the Star Wars section and then I was just waiting pretty much so it worked out. It worked out well though we got ahead of pretty much everybody else we had most of the kids club to ourselves to wander around and check out every nook and cranny and. That really helped get the boys excited and then we had time to do all the riskbanding that we have to do and that takes a little bit of time and so I was glad after the fact we saw a huge line of parents you know trying to get everything attached to their children and so we you know we were a little late for lunch but that's okay I think it worked out really well and. 24:06.30 Sam Um. 24:11.82 Sam Oh yeah. 24:21.70 Dave _ Kristin And we all got excited about Kit's club then. 24:21.95 Sam So yeah, the food will be there. You know until I think three so it's you know it's no worry, get get the other stuff done first and then go get yourself some food? yeah yeah I mean and the chicken fingers are always on deck or the barbecue or whatever. So. 24:30.90 Dave _ Kristin Absolutely. 24:30.34 dclduo Um, yeah. 24:38.10 Sam You know and that's actually better than kabanas as we have said on this show multiple times are sorry, not caan is Marceline Market but same thing. But yay I know. 24:45.55 dclduo Well before we bo wait before we bounce everywhere because yeah, yeah, before I mean like we're bounce all over the place I want to I want to come back I want to come back for a second and just ask um, did you take time well actually see step back I want to come back and ask. 24:47.34 Dave _ Kristin Yeah, right? Yeah me. 25:02.52 dclduo Did you you flew down. Did you go down a day early at least did you have any time in the parks like what was the travel down like and ah yeah, what did you before the cruise. So. 25:10.54 Dave _ Kristin We went down so the crews left on a Friday we went down Thursday had you know, nice relaxing time left plenty of room in case. 25:16.72 Sam Good job. 25:23.50 Dave _ Kristin Any travel issues arose we have ptsd from our last trip to Disney where our flight was delayed while we were on the runway. So we we definitely we left it odark 30 on Thursday so lots of time just to make sure. Yeah, um so yeah, got down there. No problem. Um stayed in cocoa beach we rented a car. 25:28.50 Sam Oh. 25:28.64 dclduo Now. 25:42.93 Dave _ Kristin Drove out stayed in Cocoa Beach had you know, walked along the shore um max got a little too close to the water and a wave crashed up and got his shoes and traumatized. He's like oh it was pretty funny I beat the ocean. Yeah, it was very much I hate the ocean it was funny. 25:54.79 dclduo Yeah. 25:56.76 Sam Ah, ah oh. 26:02.34 Dave _ Kristin Um, but yeah, had a nice relaxing dinner plenty time to get you know sleep. Nice breakfast the next morning. So yeah, definitely recommend going ahead of time rather than the rush of trying to do a day of it made such a difference. We didn't have to panic about getting up super early or about wondering. What shuttle was going to take us and where they are on time and all this other stuff and we we debated going to the parks first and then the ship. Um, that would have put us in the Thanksgiving timeframe and that would have been just too much for us. But. 26:33.24 dclduo Yeah, yeah. 26:35.77 Sam Um. 26:35.80 Dave _ Kristin We talked about this a lot would you do it before after I totally understand the merit of going beforehand and then the crews become sort of this downtime and a relaxation you don't have to worry about where you're going or what you're going to eat for dinner. It's all planned for you but I will say that for us it worked out better to have the crew the cruise first and the parks after because there was. Such a let down at the end our boys and even myself we were all so sad when it was over and so we had something really to look forward to after the fact. 26:57.95 Sam Yes. 27:03.68 Sam That is a good point. Yeah, we we just did that ourselves over the Christmas holidays we you know went on a Backtoback Cruise and on the wonder and then we went to Disneyland for a couple of days and it helped knowing we weren't going home. We were still very very sad to be leaving the ship. But um, but it is obviously you know my my legs were you know on my feet were killing me when I got home and if we had the crews last that would not have been the case. So there's you know there it it can go either way I think on that but I think whatever you decide it just has to work in your schedule and that's really. 27:39.11 Dave _ Kristin Absolutely. 27:40.94 Sam You know sometimes the deciding factor. So that's that's very smart and. 27:43.87 dclduo Yeah, yeah, all right? Well you get to the port. The kids catch their first sight of Disney's newest ship and ah squeals of joy from the car ah on amazement. What what was the mood like as you pulled up to poor can averal. So. 27:59.28 Dave _ Kristin Oh yeah I don't remember exactly what he said in the shuttle from the rental car. Um, but there was definitely the whoa or something along those lines and it got a chuckle out of the driver. Yeah, they lost their minds day that thought it was just the best thing ever. 28:00.49 dclduo And. 28:14.20 Dave _ Kristin I think the funny part was there are obviously other ships there too from other lines and so we as we drove through we kind of saw different lines and then caught up to the wish and so it was just it mounted because that one's bigger that one's bigger. Da one has Mickey Mouse that's ours 28:15.80 Sam I. 28:24.24 Sam Um. 28:29.80 Sam Ah. 28:30.53 Dave _ Kristin Super excited, Lots of squeals. 28:31.52 Sam Yeah, well and the Disney Ships are just like I don't know objectively better looking than all of the other cruise ships I'm just going to put it out there and say that yeah that. 28:41.67 Dave _ Kristin It's true. Yes, it's true and I remember docking it Nasa um, and there was I I won't name the line but it's an older one and it it looked like it. It looked like it and so our boys are looking out the port window and they're they're asking. They're like. 28:51.60 Sam Yeah. 28:58.75 Dave _ Kristin People go on that ship too and we said yeah, it's it's another cruise line they're like but it doesn't have mickey so he created snobs basically little elitist cruisers Disney Cruise knobs yes 28:59.30 Sam I Love it I Love it. 29:02.98 dclduo Yeah. 29:11.55 Sam Ah, lead is group. 29:14.36 dclduo Ah, too funny too. Funny Well, how was the how was the embarkation process getting on the ship and sounds like you got on with enough time to get some things taken care of it. But but what what was embarkation like in boarding for you. 29:26.72 Dave _ Kristin I I thought it was really smooth. We had an eleven forty five arrival time and boarding group 9 We got on I think we. 29:32.15 dclduo Nice. 29:38.86 dclduo For first time for first time sailing. That's that's not terrible and ah frankly, they they roll through those boarding groups pretty quick. So. 29:44.50 Dave _ Kristin They did. It was super quick. Yeah I was trying to prepare the boys again and' like you were goingnna be in line. You're going to have to carry your backpacks. It's gonna take all the what do you mean? we're on what it it was. It was crazy. Yeah, we got there and got on and walked. 29:57.95 dclduo Ah. 30:02.14 Dave _ Kristin You know, walk through the line here's our passports checked in great head up the escalator and wait for boarding group 9 I think when we got to the top of the escalator they were already 1 through 8 yeah, they were and we're like ah boys we're going to be next take a quick look around because then we're going to go and that will definitely again set the standard for them because I do recall that. Process from a billion years ago when I went on my cruise very different. Yeah I'd say by the time we got off the rental car shuttle to the time they called our group was maybe 20 minute yeah super quick. It was perfect I want to travel like that for everywhere. Yeah exactly it was great. 30:27.29 dclduo Ah. 30:32.24 dclduo Nice That's sucked. Yeah, that's really good. That's really good. What what kind of room did you book on board. Did you get the like a veranda room or or yeah, what kind of room did you go for what. 30:42.52 Dave _ Kristin We thought about the veranda and then we realized our youngest max is very aventurous adventurous. Yes, and we're like probably not the best idea so we did the deluxe family ocean view room. 30:50.68 dclduo Who. 30:53.55 Sam Yeah, yeah. Nice. 30:59.50 dclduo Okay I will so I will say for future and for folks out there because we hear this a lot about you know verandas and kids um disney is actually pretty good about they have a lock on the door up really high and it's like 1 of those. Bolt locks so the door itself locks. But then they have another lock that you can engage as a child lock. So ah, pretty hard for kids to defeat that lock not impossible. Ah, but they have thought through that issue and I'd also say the verandas are I don't know same what do you think? I think they're pretty hard to climb on the way they've designed them. So um. 31:30.69 Sam They they are yeah. 31:33.36 dclduo They've taken a lot of precautions. Not a reason not to be cautious. Not a reason to let your young child out there unsupervised. Ah but but they have thought through that issue a little bit. 31:39.13 Dave _ Kristin Oh absolutely. 31:41.40 Sam Yeah, they are I mean there is a way like there are ways to get around it if your kid is super adventurous and you know pulls over the little like table or whatnot and stands on it to unlock it rates. Ah, there are ways to get around those sort of extra child per. Precautions. But um, but yeah I think they are pretty safe for for kids. So It's it's It's part of the Calculus I think in in choosing your room but I don't think it should necessarily discourage all families from booking one of those veranda rooms. 32:15.35 Dave _ Kristin No, and I would agree. 32:17.13 Sam Because it if you really want the verranda. It's a nice. It is a nice option to have we like the ocean view though rooms I think those are great right? right? So right right. 32:17.26 dclduo Yeah, if if you're if your child is a mastermind. All bets are off. So so yeah, yeah, ah. 32:25.79 Dave _ Kristin Yeah, ours we and we judge it would have been like you know challenge accepted on his part. So I think he would have been fine I think we would have to it just that we didn't want to have to even think about it. So this made sense but having wandered the dax having. 32:35.71 Sam Yeah, yep. 32:40.80 Dave _ Kristin Seeing some of the veranda rooms. You know after the factway I agree I think we would be fine doing that in the future. Um I I think when we walked around that first day I immediately was calm and had a sense of ease I wasn't worried about the kids trying out anything fun and adventurous. So. Um I wouldn't worry about it in general either but not knowing you know going into it. You're kind of like let's just take 1 more piece off the table that we don't have to worry about and the ocean view room was gorgeous. 32:59.69 Sam Yeah, yeah, exactly it's just yeah, 1 just one last thing. Yeah, 1 list thing to even have to concern yourself with I think is a smart choice especially for again for your first cruise. Just you know. 33:04.80 dclduo Hundred percent 33:18.60 Sam You're worried about a lot of different things and so just taking that piece off the table is makes things easier for sure. 33:24.48 dclduo Well, what did you do first once you got on board and and they have the greeting into the atrium was that fun experience for the family. So. 33:31.13 Dave _ Kristin That was I loved it. It was great. They're like oh the trout family were like oh this is great and we walk into that the grand hall that grand hall is amazing. Oh my gosh and of course it's stacked out for Christmas so there's a. 33:36.30 Sam No. 33:42.88 Sam Oh even better. 33:45.48 Dave _ Kristin Giant golden foil looking tree in the middle of everything and then you have the balcony there I think we had Cinderella Cderella yeah Cinderella and and it's prince charming. Am I going to mess this up. Um, perfect. Yes. 33:55.73 Sam No, you got it? yeah. 33:59.90 Dave _ Kristin Ah, waving and greeting everybody and um, we got there right in time because we were the ninth group to do the the star you have your wand your magic wall and and we like the star and make a wish and so it was just it all came together really really? well. Yeah. 34:08.48 Sam Um. 34:13.55 Sam Nice and so. 34:16.64 dclduo Yeah, so did they were they clapping in the atrium because ah the sailings we've done on the wish it's the entry has been a little different from what I'll call the classic ships or the legacy ships to the wish and that they don't have like the line of casting crew who are there clapping as you pour but did they did they have that. 34:30.74 Dave _ Kristin No, they didn't I think I think partly because they were handing out the magic wands and they were just going to do the ramp up the ramp up for the wish. 34:36.85 Sam And yeah yeah I think the the wishing star thing is really why they don't probably have that clapping Brian because it's like every every I don't know 10 minutes or something they're doing the wishing star thing and so it it's just a slightly different. 34:37.96 dclduo Yep, yeah, that makes sense. 34:50.23 dclduo So yeah. 34:51.97 Dave _ Kristin Um. 34:54.80 Sam Entry experience on the ship even though you still get your name announced. It's just a little bit different on the wish than the the other ships so you all went to oh no. 34:59.40 Dave _ Kristin We didn't get our wands either. So we were totally used. So I think they must they they ran out and so they were going to restock their arms or whatever and we walked in and everyone's waving wands were like what's going on and the boys are asking where do we buy thes but it was still fine. We did I walked over and asked I'm like. 35:05.41 dclduo Whoa. 35:11.44 dclduo Oh bummer, That's a bummer. 35:11.51 Sam Um, no oh did you get them later. Okay, good. Um. 35:18.32 Dave _ Kristin We didn't get any. They're like oh how many do you need like 6 no two 3 here you go. 35:22.33 dclduo Nice, nice. Something else was gonna add. 35:25.60 Sam And you guys went to the kids club after that I know to check it out and to the end to hyperspace lounge to check that out wondering what the first impressions were of those spaces. 35:27.41 Dave _ Kristin Um. 35:39.72 Dave _ Kristin Yeah, they because right across from where you walk in is where the slide is so they saw the grand hall and then they caught glimpse of the slide. Forget it and they were like let's go come on. Let's go. Ah and I think Simon was down the slide before we even had a chance to say boo. 35:41.62 Sam So. 35:51.12 Sam Um, ah. 35:57.44 Dave _ Kristin Right? Like who are you? Okay, well there goes that one and we're here trying to coax so look at the tree look at this giant Ginger bread castle. Okay, well there goes one and then it was just catching up at that point. So yeah, so we were down and so we got to take this slide too that was really the which is great. 35:58.84 Sam Ah, right. 36:10.63 Sam Ah, awesome. So yeah because you can do that during open house. Yeah yeah, for those for those who haven't been on the wish the slide is nor went during closed session meaning when it's in the secure mode. 36:15.94 Dave _ Kristin Absolutely. 36:26.19 Sam Adults cannot go down the slide because it enters right into the kids club past the sort of I'll call it security barrier. But when when the kids club is in open house mode. Anyone can go down the slide I guess I shouldn't say anyone. It is not the. Largest slide so there might be some larger folks who might have trouble getting into that slide but it is really fun and Brian and I have done it and yeah, it's it's a really fun way to enter the kids club. Frankly yes. 36:51.96 Dave _ Kristin It is. It's low to the ground so just watch your knees and if you can get up again from the floor. You'll be fine. 36:59.28 dclduo Yeah, so you you mentioned the Christmas decorations on board and these were a bit divisive within the Disney cruising community in terms of what they've seen on the legacy ships and even what we experienced on the wonder. So let me ask you first time. 37:06.00 Dave _ Kristin M. 37:17.95 dclduo Disney cruisers the ship is quote unquote decked out for Christmas. What did you think of the decorations on board and how and how I mean yes, it let me ask this how decked out was the ship I'm a little nervous that they've been. Shall we say skimping on the wish because it does the shorter cruises. So I'm I'm curious what you thought about the decorations. 37:37.90 Dave _ Kristin Here it comes here I was going to say you're not wrong in that aspect of skimping um the grand hall was decked out. Um Garland and the tree and everything and they played music. They did. 37:39.30 dclduo So okay. 37:40.36 Sam So. 37:50.14 Dave _ Kristin And they had a huge like I said like a gingerbbirad castle that was kind of tucked into a corner and I can understand why because you don't want anyone knocking into it that honestly was my favorite thing to check every day is it still standing is it still standing is it still standing. But yeah, those were all checked out. Ah but outside of that. There wasn't a lot outside of the grand hall I think Aaron Dell had a few decorations. It's hard to tell with that space though if those were part of the regular setup but there were a few wreaths here and there um but outside of that. Yeah, he's right there really wasn't anything else and there really wasn't a castaway either. No. 38:19.61 dclduo O. 38:26.62 Sam Oh interesting. 38:28.73 Dave _ Kristin And I I hear rumor is that it's different than what is generally available. Um I think there's usually like a sand man ah Stand Sandman not a snowman I don't know what you call that. 38:33.00 Sam So. Yeah, yeah, a Sand Snowman Yeah it Yeah, it is It looks like a snowman. It's it's not actually made of sand but it is like a I don't know a statue. Whatever you want to call it. But yeah, they usually have like a Snowman statue thing thing of a jig on Island and it's stacked out and I. 38:38.32 dclduo Yeah, yeah, yeah. 38:57.97 Sam Curious was the kids club at all decorated for Christmas because when we were on the wonder just you know a couple weeks ago that was like Garland's everywhere in all the dining rooms. There were garlands on all of like sort of the posts in the dining rooms and then there were garlands on it and in the kids club as well and so it was. Really quite decked out. Not just in the atrium of course atrium was the most Christmas deck dowd oh interesting 39:21.31 Dave _ Kristin Yeah, no I don't remember much at all like it marveled There wasn't anything I don't think so 1923? No no in the front but there really wasn't much there either and I'll even say I I know this is crude line but even for the parks themselves. There wasn't I think. Maybe my expectations were too high. Dave has been there during Christmas I have not been a disney lander Disney Lander in Christmas that is awesome and and I think there are 2 things at at play there one that was pre covered I don't know what has changed after covid if if it's the same kind of setup anyway and then the second part being you know it's the fiftieth. 39:44.98 Sam So. 39:59.57 Dave _ Kristin Anniversary so I don't know or the the hundredth sorry and so there are a lot of different things that may be set up that they don't want to have to tear down during all of that I'm just making guesses here. Um in terms of Castaway and. 40:06.30 Sam So. 40:13.80 Dave _ Kristin I don't think this impacts the cruise line itself but cast away we were right at the tail end of a hurricane as well. It had just passed through the last one maybe 2 2 weeks prior and that really impacted things at the parks and it impacted things you know for the weather around us too. So I don't know if that. Played a part in this I know that we were talking we a family friend of ours who we met at the parks as a cast member and she said that it's messed with a lot of things there like they have a whole new crop of mosquitoes that they don't usually have this time of year. It's unseasonably hot. It. 40:47.20 Sam So wow. 40:48.91 Dave _ Kristin We were there December first and it was 87 I was warm and yeah and it's and it consistently so and it's usually I think closer to low seventy s maybe mid 70 s so it was a lot warmer than usual the animals and plants were all very confused. She said they had birds that weren't supposed to be there and. 41:02.19 Sam So. 41:07.50 Dave _ Kristin All kinds of stuff just kind of messed up from the weather and we also found that impact from the cruise itself and we can come back and touch on this later if you want but I know one of the complaints was the motion. We had huge huge wins for the first two days and even that Thursday when we landed they were phenomenally. Big and there was question as to whether or not we would even be able to make port um for Nasa or castaway at that point so that had some impact too and it made the ship toss and turn quite a bit more. So for anybody who was a first -time cruiser there. It probably set the wrong tone. Usually you don't feel anything. It's smooth as butter. 41:41.67 Sam No no. 41:46.62 Dave _ Kristin You don't you know you might fill the engine turn on you might notice a little bit of motion. Especially if you look outside and you can put the 2 and 2 together that you're moving. But this one we were stumbling in the hallways. Yeah, there was there was some wobble going on big rocky waves. But for. 41:48.15 Sam Yes. 41:57.10 Sam Oh wow wow and especially early December I mean hurricane season is usually well past I mean often in Florida or in the caribbean the hurricane season does last well into november. 42:06.55 Dave _ Kristin Ah, yeah. 42:13.96 Sam But it's usually you know about halfway into November and then you're fine after that so that wow but you know global warming isn't a thing apparently so ah. 42:24.40 Dave _ Kristin So good, really unusual circumstances I would hate for someone to be discouraged just based on that. But I I I don't know I'm speculating I don't know how much that played a part in any of the stuff on Castaway I could see that for sure. Um I have a feeling um, Bryan's right that it's it's a shorter cruise. Not they don't invest in putting everything up and our Facebook group even mentioned like cruisers who have done it many times they were like we are missing. You know a whole bunch of stuff on castaway. It just didn't seem what it normally is so I'm not not sure what caused that to be but I don't know it was. 42:53.57 Sam Um. 43:01.61 Dave _ Kristin Staffing. Yeah, there are a lot of guesses we could make and a lot of you know things that they made too even we had we did get to meet santa so that was nice. They had Santa Clause and Mrs clause there and we got to go and meet them and having a sit in chat with them and when I say we I mean our children of course and they had a they. 43:01.65 Sam Yeah. 43:02.61 dclduo What? what. 43:15.79 Sam We on Castaway or on Castaway or on the ship. 43:20.56 Dave _ Kristin Um, on the ship on the ship on the ship itself and they had we were laughing because they had a big stand set up for cookies and hot chocolate and people were in their pjs to get pictures with Santa and I think we were there for about a half an hour and the cookies and hot chocolate were there for about 10 minutes they set it up. 43:37.50 Sam Oh wow. 43:40.30 Dave _ Kristin And then it was gone and so people were rushing out of the line to go get this and and and try and scoop up their cookies and hot chocolate for the experience. But even some of that was really rushed and forced. 43:54.27 dclduo Well I'm curious to hear what you thought about some of the aspects of the wish and so why don't start with the pools pools have been a little divisive. Ah did you have good enough weather to actually use the pools and what did you think. 44:08.14 Dave _ Kristin Um, we did accept Simon our oldest. He's the one that used the pools. Um, but yeah, we we got on the ship and then we went up onto the pool deck after the tour of the kids club and we did the Aqua mouse. 44:13.19 Sam Okay. 44:23.41 Sam Oh nice. 44:25.18 Dave _ Kristin So that was that was on our list to do it and see what it's like and I enjoyed it was a little cool um with you know with the with the breeze and then thirty mile an hour winds. Yeah, it was with the wind day and the ship moving which added to it and um. 44:34.26 Sam I. 44:34.34 dclduo No. 44:42.80 Dave _ Kristin So we kind of knew what to expect I think like okay, it's a water slide. There's going to be water the boys as Simon Um, could probably tell you he liked the Aqua mouse he didn't like the water Jets Why do they keep spraying at me. Yes. 44:46.23 Sam Yeah, yeah. 44:56.75 Sam Mm. 45:01.13 Dave _ Kristin Um, he's like I like the cartoons I didn't like the water jets he kept coming back to the water jets but not a fan. Um, max loved it though I really thought Simon would love it. Max would hate it and they flipped on us as kids do so keeping us on our toes. They loved it. But they were cold. We're like let's go again. No, we're good. Yeah. 45:02.43 Sam Yeah, yeah. 45:09.52 Sam Oh interesting. Yeah, so. Ah, ah when it's warmer. Yeah. 45:17.51 Dave _ Kristin They're like maybe but maybe we'll go again when it's warmer. We're like okay, it may not get warmer but um and then Simon jumped into a pool and then he actually jumped into a pool the next day um they're small nasau port day and you know they're small and they're grouped really bike sort of the. Height of the pool I guess you would say um and they're spread out so I guess that's nice. You know, but there a bunch of kids jumped on top of each other and in a small little pool so it it was in I think the same experience you might have. 45:43.27 Sam If. 45:50.30 Dave _ Kristin On a big on a different kind of ship a non- disney ship and even the adult pool was very small. We happened to walk past that one. Um I think people were taking it in shifts. Yeah I liked I liked how they were spread out. Yeah, it wasn't bad so it was I had 1 big pool I liked how you had a couple smaller ones. 45:58.23 Sam And. 46:07.80 Dave _ Kristin To the back and 1 big one towards the front under fun of illusionion I think one of our ah one of our regrets excuse me is that we would have liked to have come up and just been able to sit in the pool and watch a movie or you know, kind of hang out there a little bit more but again I think the weather played into that quite a bit and the shorter timeframe. 46:23.63 Sam Um, yeah, well I will say I I think you have displayed a pro tip which is to do that Aqua Mouse on day one because a lot of people aren't ah. 46:25.13 Dave _ Kristin The wind. Yeah. 46:37.90 Sam Don't bring their bathing suits on with them and their carryons they leave them in their check luggage and then they don't get their check luggage until later in the day and so then they're you know they got to run to dinner and they don't have any pool time on day one and even though it is usually cooler well depending on the season. It's often cooler in Florida than it's going to be when. In the caribbean probably the best time to hit the aqua mouse is that embarkation day you know sometime after or before a frankly sail away they do shut down the pools usually for sale away. Um, but yeah I mean that's when you're gonna have the shortest lines for that or during. First seating dinner that's ah, another good time to hit the aqua mouse without a line because most of the families with kids are at dinner. So if you do have later seating so good yeah so good job you guys yeah 47:26.62 Dave _ Kristin Yeah, that was perfect. Yeah, we we basically walked right on. Yeah, it was great but ah also a note the back seat does get more wet than the front seat a pro tip Pro tip Yeah I think we were We knew that we listened to this ahead of time so we took the notes. Thanks guys. 47:33.35 dclduo Oh. 47:39.71 Sam Yeah, yes, yes. 47:41.79 Dave _ Kristin And we made sure we had our suits on underneath our clothes for the muster drill and we went straight to the cast off party and the minute they opened those things we were there. Yeah perfect. 47:48.55 Sam Yeah, it. 47:51.82 dclduo Well what about the kids club did your kids love the kids club was it. Ah, you know you mentioned earlier they were down the slides and in the club and and yeah, so what did they think. 48:03.34 Dave _ Kristin Max is still in mourning. Oh my gosh he would have been there sunrise to to sunset if we let him and past sunset he kept telling us you know it goes to eleven fifty Nine I can stay and he's 5 you guys. So we we considered it. Um I think everybody. 48:11.90 Sam Yeah. 48:20.49 Dave _ Kristin The world at large and certainly our family would have suffered if our children had been up until Eleven Fifty nine um but had had they been given the opportunity they absolutely would have taken it. Oh my god max cried literally cried the last day when we had to take him out that I took the band off yeah he misses kids club so much. 48:23.57 Sam Right. 48:34.56 Sam Oh and they took the band off all that makes me so sad for him. Ah. 48:40.16 Dave _ Kristin Yeah Simon enjoyed it? Um, but he also a couple nights we went to see the shows he chose to go see the show as opposed to going to kids Club Max is like I'm going to kids club. See you guys? Yeah, like you don't want to see a ladit Nope Nope I'm good. Thanks seeing the movie down the slide. 48:45.67 Sam Yeah, oh cool right? Yup yeah that that would be Nathan he he. 48:59.31 Dave _ Kristin Um, we did have a couple of moments. Yeah. 49:02.79 Sam But he's not that big in the shows and he loves the kids club so he's like see ya go this club. 49:06.18 Dave _ Kristin And I love that that they felt comfortable enough to be independent of 1 another which is helpful because we're at that strange age where the next time we go back. Simon may be in the tweens club. So as long as they're comfortable enough in their own space and simon did well he. 49:10.17 Sam And. 49:23.78 Dave _ Kristin You know, even after the show there were times where he was like I'll go join max now that'd be fun and you guys go do something like if we must I guess um he was happy enough to do that and it was funny on the last night they had spent the day at the ky at the key and Simon was playing with other kids on the shoreline chasing fish doing whatever. 49:31.93 Sam Ah. 49:41.43 Dave _ Kristin And we go down there to drop off and he sees other kids and they're he's like you know hey Bobby hey Jimmy hey Joey and they're doing complicated. You know, fist bumps and handshakes that only kids know and he's got this whole crew of people that he's met and made friends with at this club so it was really nice that they had their. 49:51.54 Sam Yeah, oh I. 49:59.76 Dave _ Kristin They're truly their own space. Yeah, we were honestly a little lost at first we're like what what do we do? What do we do? This is great right. 50:06.72 Sam Ah, right wait We're allowed to hang out by ourselves and not watch our kids. It's like the best vacation ever. But but. 50:09.46 Dave _ Kristin Right? I texted you I was like what what do I do. 50:14.38 dclduo Well well speaking of that adult time. What did you? where did you spend it the adult spaces on the wish have been a little divisive as well and so I'm curious as a first time cruiser what you thought about the adult spaces and how you would choose to spend your time when the kids were in the kids club. 50:32.43 Dave _ Kristin Yeah, we did we Um, but the funny part was the first day we bought the rainforest passes because we did a tour the spa and we're like sweet rainforest passes. Yes, so when they're in the club. We'll go to the rainforest room. Perfect. Which we did which we did until about 15 minutes in we get the note that they want to be picked up. We're like no they hate it. We're so so no, they were hungry. That's all that was it. They just wanted to snack and then can we go back so I left Kristen in the rainforest and said all right you stay I'll go get the kids so we went up to the the deck and grabbed ice cream and. 50:48.75 dclduo Yeah. 50:51.11 Sam Ah, ah, ah. 51:05.34 Dave _ Kristin Hung out there but when we had the adult time and they were in the kids club we went and found the adult pool and the cove cafe back there and just to check that out man the the pool was kind of tiny. We were kind of shocked where there were a lot of people in it were like. 51:17.43 Sam Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 51:19.28 dclduo O. 51:24.97 Dave _ Kristin I Don't know that I'd go in there with everybody pretty much standing in there and standing on the sides and and I'll just I'll be really the blunt one here and say I don't I don't know if we had enough alcohol to have joined the rest of the group. And that party I felt like we were. We were either too old or we were missing something I don't know there were a lot of drinks on the side of the adult we we missed the memo. Well. 51:41.72 Sam I Yeah yeah, it's It's a little weird I think the the vibe in the adult pool on the wish because it's like I don't know it just is a. Seemed like to be more of a party atmosphere than on the other ships just to let you guys know like ah other ships. Especially the wonder and the magic have such an amazing adult pool pool area even even the fantasy and the dream have great adult pool areas. They're just kind of split up into 2 different areas. But um. 51:57.10 Dave _ Kristin Yeah. 52:14.73 Sam Yeah, on for some reason on the wish it seems like it had a more party atmosphere and I don't know if that's because of the setup or or what that is, but um, yeah, we we do not enjoy that pool area either. We are yeah we would rather spend our time you know I don't know in the I don't know. 52:25.74 Dave _ Kristin Now. 52:34.43 Sam Someplace else another adult area but the or the rainforest room is a great is a great area. So. 52:36.97 Dave _ Kristin But we checked it off the list so we went we saw we didre. Yeah, we grabbed a drink. It was fine. No sad looking out over over Nasau It was still nice If you're going to sit still somewhere. This is a really good place to do it So that wasn't a problem at all and then we did Bingo of all things we did. We went all the way to accruise to. 52:42.28 Sam And. 52:51.68 Sam Oh what'd you guys think about what'd you. 52:55.99 dclduo Well, what it what it? What do you think about bingo is usually played in Luna. What do you think of the luna space. 52:56.50 Dave _ Kristin Play Bingo but it was fun. 53:03.40 Dave _ Kristin Um, it was good. It was interesting that there was no way to get from the balcony to the stage area which I thought like how does this work like if you win Bingo Do you have to go down to the stage which I found out later you don't have to but that's the way my mind was working like hey if you zip like called. 53:11.53 Sam Um. 53:21.54 Dave _ Kristin Bingo. How do you go down and whatever. Do you have to show them your tablet or whatever card and then they're like no, you have people here and I'm like okay that makes more sense but it was a little odd that you'd have a stage with a balcony and no way to get there without going all the way out. Go down and around and then come back in. Yeah, but the setup was nice and you could see everything from pretty much every angle because we were there a couple times and we got to try different, try different spaces and eventually actually you had to go pick up the kids from kids club and they enjoyed watching the process too. Yeah and they came back to like we want to see Bingo like okay okay. 53:52.17 Sam So. 53:52.47 dclduo Night. 53:54.42 Dave _ Kristin They had a lot of fun with that 1 You did really well with bo the next day the next day yeah the next day I went back again. So I'm like wow I was kind of fun. Let's do it again? Um, and so I was going to go meet Kristen and I was like oh I'll do bingo I'll meet you in the rainforest you know before dinner no problem. Well she's like where are you I'm like um I had to. Fill out some paperwork for bingo so I'm not going to make the rainforest room so betty bingo Betty was was kind to me on the very last ah the last raw which was nice I just got this texted on the on the on the app that said Christmas is done we were we were thrilled. 54:21.61 Sam Oo. 54:28.85 Sam Um, no, that's awesome and now did oh yeah, you oh so it was yeah I mean if you you obviously won big enough to have to fill out paperwork. That's pretty good. Oh. 54:32.75 Dave _ Kristin She's like where are yeah so that was fun. They're like no, you have to come with us and fill out paperwork I'm like oh okay. Um, it was it was the blackout game so myself and 1 other split it. You were so close to the really big one too. But you guys missed it by like 10 calls I think oh yeah, the the really big like if you get it in so many like 45 numbers or something like that something like that. Yeah, but and we're not complaining. 54:46.88 Sam Oh my goodness you are. Wow. 55:01.42 Sam The yeah no I mean the progressive one is the is obviously the the big the big big one. But even the blackout one is usually ah bigger than some of the all the other ones all the regular ones So that's amazing. What did you guys think of the um of the rainforest room I know you you, it's. 55:02.20 Dave _ Kristin No, not at all. So. 55:12.16 Dave _ Kristin Dad. 55:17.80 Sam Sounds like that's at least where you were able to spend some daytime hours when the kids were at the kids club. What were what were your impressions. 55:23.46 Dave _ Kristin Yeah, it was. It's gorgeous. First of all, it really. All of it is and it's it's serene and it's really nice. The first day that we were there. We thought. Okay, well we're ahead of the curve. We know everyone's going to go on um on excursions or off ship. So. And we walked in we werere like nope chock full completely once here which is fine. We were able to find an nice tear outside like a swing and hang out there for a little bit of time and it was it was fine. We I think we got to try out the steam room and the saunans and I say we I think that was mostly me. To try out the showers and things like that. So we we tried to get our our time's worth and our money's worth in the room but the best time I found was actually after castaway there were maybe 6 people in the entire rainforest room and deck there after and this would have been for 30 maybe four o'clock that afternoon and I was pretty much on my own I actually got one of the heated beds in the room and when you didn't show up I didn't notice because I had one of the heated beds in the room so you were missed I'm sure I'm sure. Yeah, it was night. Are you wait? Oh you're not here. That's okay. 56:24.27 Sam Um, yeah, she's like forget you Dave ah yeah, that's all right? Yeah I love it. Um, what are um, what are what were your impressions. Sorry let me start that again. What were your impressions of the shows and I guess which shows did you end up seeing. 56:43.29 Dave _ Kristin We actually saw I saw 2 out of the 3 Kristen you saw all 3 and little background I have a tech theater background that was my minor in college. So I'm the guy that'll walk into a theater and start looking up. 56:54.51 Sam Ah. 56:57.91 Sam So. 57:00.13 Dave _ Kristin And be like okay, oh oh they have intelligent lighting okay look over there. Oh yeah, hu pars okay I can't go anywhere with him. So yeah, we saw seize the events of the first night and of course I walked down because we were under the the balcony overhang and so I walked down I start looking up to kind of see what all I have and. 57:07.80 Sam Ah. 57:19.19 Dave _ Kristin She's just shaking her head. Um, but yeah so I saw seize the adventure and Aladdin and then you guys Simon and I saw the little mermaid right? little mermaid and those two shows and they were um on the other side of it I'm I'm a singer so I was I was thrilled with it. It was amazing and to do. 57:19.24 Sam Yeah. 57:39.10 Dave _ Kristin All 3 of those very different shows with the same cast I was super impressed and so was simon the kids actually kind of fought us they didn't want to see sees the adventure that first night they were exhausted and when kids are telling you they want to go to bed. 57:49.73 Sam So. 57:54.56 Dave _ Kristin That was an interesting argument. We're like we'll just just try this one and then we'll go straight to bed and so they loved it. They were really glad they did it I think they were super excited when they found out you could get popcorn so that made their night as well. We had a lot of popcorn on this trip and they they were in love with it. Simon was just enthralled with the little mermaid. 57:55.88 Sam Yeah, well. 58:02.43 Sam So. 58:13.17 Dave _ Kristin And then Aladdin forget it. He was hooked. Yeah, he loved the genie. 58:13.80 Sam Oh I love that well and I I love that you did go to seeize the adventure because I know it is a lot. It's a long day for kids. But that show is the short one and so that one you know people go in thinking. It's going to be an hour because I think they show it as an hour in the app. But it's only like a half hour show 58:24.66 Dave _ Kristin Are. 58:33.33 Sam And I Honestly think it's one of the best. Um I It's I was really pleasantly surprised I'm usually not a huge fan of the I call them variety shows but the one where they've created a plot and strung together. You know a bunch of different musical numbers from different shows but that one I think is. So well done and you know the story is really cute. The musical numbers are Wonderful. I'm a big fan of that one. So Glad you saw that. 58:59.40 Dave _ Kristin It was great and shout out to the cast member I remember outside the door max wasn't so sure and he's like I don't know I want to go see it and so she kind of saw us working with them and she's like you know it's only about a half hour like you mentioned and so she kind of talked him up and got him to kind of be like okay I'll go see it. 59:12.25 Sam I. 59:18.93 Dave _ Kristin So and then she followed up with him after the fact caught up with him and said how did you like it was it good. Did you enjoy it and so they loved that the continuity of care from start to finish and anything that we started they they noticed that and for kids to pick up on that and I swear my kids are the least observant in the world sometimes. 59:21.79 Sam Oh. 59:36.46 Dave _ Kristin That was it that was a really big deal from anything like that scenario where you know the cast member caught up with them and said I think they what do they call him their crew members are ok anyway, but um, caught up with him and to make sure that he had a good time and then the service and I know everybody talks about the service but it's because it's the service. 59:53.14 Sam Yeah. 59:55.14 Dave _ Kristin And it goes up beyond just being Disney or just being a cruise line our our weight staff really max has allergies potent allergies for eggs and for and for peanuts and of course they knew about that but they were always checking them out if they were working on deck somewhere else. 01:00:05.48 Sam And. 01:00:12.18 Dave _ Kristin Would stop and say hi to him. Did you get something to eat today. Did you make sure that she got something or to making you know Mickey Mouse ketchup Mickey Mouses for them on their plates or making sure that they were eating enough. 01:00:19.86 Sam So. 01:00:25.60 Dave _ Kristin Um, our kids or ordering a head that was a huge pro tip Pro tip. Yeah, if you have allergies or any kind of of dietary restriction. Our our staff made sure that we saw the menu for the next day and ordered a head for um, both breakfast and for. 01:00:36.72 Sam So. 01:00:41.77 Dave _ Kristin For dinner which was really important for castaway that made a huge difference there too. 01:00:46.50 Sam Oh yeah, well and if you're even if your kid's just a picky eater. Um, you can order ahead certain things or really almost anything for Nathan he doesn't ever like any of their like salads or appetizers but he loves a caesar salad to start. Ah his dinner. And so it's something you can really easily do and just tell them hey can you have a caesar salad for Nathan every for every dinner and they will do that so super easy to do so. 01:01:10.52 Dave _ Kristin Yeah, we were really impressed I think it was Aaron Dell the limit the excuse me sorry the restaurant options there were a little more limited from terms of a kid friendly palette I would say and so max politely ordered something and he you know pushed it around with this fork a little bit and a. 01:01:21.66 Sam So. 01:01:29.61 Dave _ Kristin It wasn't just our staff members our usual 2 people who were watching who noticed that he wasn't really eating it. It was actually the head server over the 2 of them or that whole section who swung by and saw you're not eating it. It's everything okay max said I'm I'm giving. Thank you bites you know, put his head down I'm I'm trying to thank you bites and so without ever saying a word. He went and talked to the chef and had them make a special order of the chicken tenderders. What we called the max tenders because he can't have the egg breing but they just brought that out without question and said you know here have this it was we laughed because you know every cruise line they want you to make sure that you're happy, not just Disney but this was. This was extra really extra. We went to the hyperspace lounge and simon ordered the blue milk which was a little different than what you have in the parks there I think there's a big scoop of sherbert in it and he tried it and he just wasn't really his thing so he politely kind of put it down and the server came back and said are you. Do you not like it. He goes well I tried it. It was okay, it's not my favorite. She's well what do you like? Oh no, that's okay, she's like no, what do you like and I thought she was going to chase him out the door until he had something in him. It was like my grandmother at the dinner table. You were not going to leave until you had something. 01:02:28.97 Sam Yeah, yeah. 01:02:37.80 Sam Oh yes. 01:02:39.17 Dave _ Kristin And everybody was like that in a really positive way it was we were laughing. 01:02:41.92 Sam I I love that well this is a perfect segue to food right? Brian. 01:02:43.29 dclduo So yeah I was getting segue So so yet. So yeah, this sounds like a great time to talk about the food on board. What did you think of the restaurants the shows in the restaurants and the food in the restaurants. 01:03:02.29 Dave _ Kristin I thought they were good. There was one miss which I'm sure you could probably guess after listening to a few episodes but our first night was Marvel um, and the the boys loved it. They were they were glued to the screens. Um, and they they loved being able to push the button. 01:03:14.12 Sam And. 01:03:19.48 Dave _ Kristin Ah, the reactor and things like that so they loved it. Um, what did I have you had the bowel bun I did so good. All of it was so good and what was you have? oh you the tenderloin that was good I had a lemon shrimp which was fantastic. Um, and you got the pasta with the pasta with the scallops the scallops which is also good and we totally spaced and didn't realize you could order as much as you want and we're like oh we'll just do one of this and one of that totally didn't even realize what we were doing. We're like ah we realized it later. Um, you could have ordered all the desserts wait. What Why are you holding out on me I found this out on the last day guys the last day I felt cheated I know a nobody needed me to have threesert has to go back and do it again right. 01:04:01.17 Sam Yeah, ah, ah yeah, you just have to do a review. 01:04:11.87 Dave _ Kristin And I think Simon had cheeseburgers for literally every single meal if they had served him at breakfast he would have had them then too and he and we're not going to stop it I mean it's vacation right? He was over the moon to have that. So go ahead. Good have all the cheeseburgers he want max had the tenders every time every time he could absolutely. 01:04:19.10 Sam Ah, yeah, yeah. 01:04:29.10 Sam What? what. 01:04:30.92 Dave _ Kristin I think Marvel was the right way to start for us. It was you know there wasn't a lot of interaction where you had to keep your eyes up all the time you could relax a little bit. Enjoy the food and not have to worry about catching up with you know, live action show I think for some who were expecting more with that. Maybe that would have been a disappointment but if you. You know, want to start off with a little more casual dining or not casual. That's not the word for it but low-key not as interactive slower paced marble was perfect for us for that first night um 01:04:58.90 Sam Thats me. 01:05:02.64 Dave _ Kristin I enjoyed it and they loved seeing ant-man and wasp come through and and wave to everybody and you can see them on the cameras or on the televisions there so they were thrilled. Yeah and I totally skipped over what we did for lunch which was the marceline market So we did that we debated did we go up to the pool deck. 01:05:14.10 Sam Nice. 01:05:21.20 Dave _ Kristin Do like the the festival of foods there. Do we do marceeline so we did marceline but that was delicious as Well. Just to be able to grab whatever each person wanted and again they specially made um chicken tenderders for max and they're like oh where are you sitting right? over there. We'll bring it out to you. It. We're just. Blown away by the service. The service was phenomenal I made all the difference I think so that was night two at Aarenddae Oh aarenddae. Um, we were kind of in the back. So where you come into Aendale we were in the back left corner. 01:05:42.51 Sam That's awesome. What do you? What? what. 01:05:42.73 dclduo What was the what was the Miss I'm curious. What the miss was. 01:05:55.69 dclduo In. 01:05:58.10 Dave _ Kristin Almost by the windows and we were right at the Galley section I literally could have reached over and refilled soda for anybody at the table. Um, and then the audio mix for me the techie brain came out and even for you you I think anybody with ears had problem solved that. 01:06:06.70 dclduo Ah, that's terrible. Yeah. 01:06:15.56 Dave _ Kristin Audio mix the music and the background were overpowering the vocals so it was hard to understand the cast at times. Um, so there which was okay and then the food was all right? Um, it was my least favorite. Yeah I had the hammond cheese tart. 01:06:19.44 Sam So. 01:06:22.54 dclduo M. 01:06:34.37 Dave _ Kristin And then I grabb the rib-ye steak and I'm like perfect and it came out and I'm like this is prime rib as opposed to more of a steak I'm like okay and it we sound like the biggest snobs through yeah I know but. 01:06:40.16 Sam I. 01:06:47.47 Sam No no because I actually really don't like um prime rib or you know and I I feel yeah, it's not the same prime rib and riby are not the same steak and you can like 1 without liking the other and so yeah, if it's described wrong. It's it. 01:07:04.30 Dave _ Kristin It just I don't know if it was we're we're there with you I I don't know I pat it off as being this was like our tired cranky day right? You're coming off the high of day one. 01:07:04.48 Sam And you get something different that can really change whether you like it. So maybe I'm just a snob too though. Yeah. 01:07:21.46 Dave _ Kristin And we've had a long day doing suffer on the ship and I thought maybe that contributed and the motion and all of that stuff. But I don't after seeing other people discuss it too I felt a little bit vindicated in our opinions because yeah, we were far away. It was hard to understand I think at one point. Max leaned over and asked what are they I can't even understand what they're saying I'm like it's a norwegian it's fine or whatever I made up some language and I said you can't hear it. It's fine and they were a little disappointed they you know I think the characters came around and waved but we were at the end of the table and they wouldn't come over and talk they would just kind of wave and talk to the first 2 chairs and that was it. 01:07:39.83 Sam Yeah. 01:07:53.54 Sam E. 01:07:55.79 Dave _ Kristin Yeah, we were up against the wall and then they would stop at the other end of the table and just kind of like oh hi and move on. We're like okay they had a coloring book and that helped entertain them a little bit and you know we promised them ice cream afterwards or popcorn or something and so they weren't too. They weren't too disappointed but of all the 3 nights that was our may. 01:07:59.55 Sam Yeah, well. 01:08:14.79 Dave _ Kristin Yeah, yeah, well you had the sea bass I had to see bass. It was fine. Yeah man. 01:08:14.92 Sam Yeah, yeah, so I actually really liked the food and aarondae but I had different dishes than what you guys chose I Ah can't remember what the dish was that we had but I well I know he had the scal of appetizer which is fricking. Awesome. But then I can't remember the um, the main dish. Oh I had like a sweet is like a Swedish meatball type dish that was actually really really good. But I I Yes, but I do think that the placement where you're seated in that venue can really affect. 01:08:35.67 Dave _ Kristin Oh everything at linaberry. Yeah. 01:08:47.15 Sam Whether or not you enjoy the show and whether or not you can hear and see what's going on and that is a really unfortunate thing I think that's ah the layout of that dining room is also real. Everybody's really tightly packed in like sardines because of the stage. So it's it's It's not as enjoyable of an experience if you. 01:08:58.30 Dave _ Kristin Yes. 01:09:06.70 Sam Don't get a great seat and you know it sounds like you had a sort of a combination of of things that sort of went awry there. Um, what? what were your impressions of 1923 so 01:09:17.14 Dave _ Kristin I I really enjoyed it I Love the the decor of all the little drawings and just the little art deco kind of yeah and the art deco and just kind of the sneak peek of how they came up with certain things whether be drawings or storyboards or props or anything like that. 01:09:30.90 Sam M. 01:09:36.64 Dave _ Kristin I enjoyed it I loved it I thought the spacing was better. We were more comfortable in our in our table I laughing because of all the places our youngest max just he was excited for dinner there he kept talking about. We're going to 1923 but we're going to the Roy side. Okay. 01:09:52.43 Sam So. 01:09:55.19 Dave _ Kristin He was obsessed with having dinner there Walt I know no walt we did for breakfast that was fine but I want to go to Roy for dinner. Okay buddy and I asked to myself. Well why he goes it's fancy I like it because it's fancy. He felt so grown up and I think they enjoyed being a little more. 01:09:59.44 Sam Ah. 01:10:03.83 Sam Yeah, oh that's so cute. 01:10:14.56 Dave _ Kristin Private to you know, having your own table. It felt more like a real restaurant to them than a dining experience I think that's kind of what he was trying to hone in on but I loved it and the food was amazing and it was comfortable and we hit that for breakfast every day too. So yeah, we did. 01:10:16.89 Sam He. 01:10:22.83 Sam Awesome. 01:10:28.55 Sam Oh nice now. What? what were your thoughts so you I know you said you went to marceline on embarcation day for lunch I imagine you may have gone there for lunch other times as well. But I I'd love to hear your sort of overall impressions of Marceline and then also got to talk about. 01:10:32.34 Dave _ Kristin Um. 01:10:36.85 Dave _ Kristin Okay. 01:10:48.14 Sam Pool Deck food. 01:10:49.28 Dave _ Kristin Of course so marceline and I enjoyed we sat outside so that back aft deck which is great. We sat outside before we departed and looked gorgeous. There was gorgeous. Sun was shining the boys cool see. Um. The the Nasa buildings from there. They're like look it's Nasa so they they were thrilled to sit outside and be on the cruise ship seeing Nasa and just a little bit everything um and then yeah day two. Do we do lunch. We did the pool deck for that one because the boys had come up from um, kids' club right. 01:11:24.64 Sam I. 01:11:24.82 Dave _ Kristin Hungry tummies that we tried to fill at breakfast. It's a whole other conversation and they got their ice cream because who doesn't love getting ice cream in the middle of the morning and you know we're like well like get a real lunch before you go down. No, we're good on ice cream and snacks That's fine. Okay, so they did that and then we came back up and we tried the the barbecue. 01:11:33.39 Sam And of course. 01:11:44.60 Dave _ Kristin We did the brisket and the ribs and the all the other stuff which was okay, it was ah the brisket for me was a little rubbery but maybe it was just that the like that section of day. Yeah, kind of thing and you have to understand Dave is like a connoisseur. 01:11:44.92 Sam Yes. 01:11:53.87 Sam That day. Yeah, so. 01:12:00.18 Sam Oh. 01:12:01.72 Dave _ Kristin When it comes to barbecue. He will tell you if it's Kansas City of St Louis if it will you know North Carolina if it's Memphis I I work in sports television. So I've gotten to go cover like football games in Texas and Texas barbecue is just a whole another animal. So I've been spoiled in that. 01:12:16.30 Sam Ah. 01:12:21.60 Dave _ Kristin And Rat regard but it was still good. Don't get me wrong I Absolutely if you're listening to this go to the pool deck go get some barbecue and enjoy it. It's good. You won't you know you won't be. You won't be disappointed. Enjoy it I Wish we'd gone up there. There were times we went up there. 01:12:34.84 Sam Yeah, yeah. 01:12:41.30 Dave _ Kristin After dinner just I wanted the boys to see the deck and to see what the ocean looks like and you know when there's nothing else around you like you just look out into the void but to have a chance to see some of that check out the stars and whatnot and we'd walk past all the food places which were fairly empty at that hour and I so badly wanted to try all of them when it was empty but I had no room I was very conflicted I was like maybe if I just take some with me I'll just store it up in our room and I'll just eat it as I go because I really wanted to try the the cantina and I didn't have a chance and there was something else too. But sadly we didn't make it but we at least got ice cream and barbecue. 01:13:05.26 Sam I. 01:13:14.80 Sam Awesome! so. 01:13:16.89 Dave _ Kristin And I got to try I think I probably was the one who ate the most on the ship out of our family here I tried more places I think than the rest of you guys I'm I'm kicking myself for not trying as much as I should have so right? That's only a a bad time management on my part for lack of I made it to joys. 01:13:22.31 Sam And. 01:13:35.38 Dave _ Kristin You did sweet so I got a scoop of ice cream there I had to try that one and then I made it to the coffee. The coffee bar area. Oh the wishing star the wishing star and so I got to make sure I got some stuff there as well. Um, and I pretty much just left you guys all in my wake. 01:13:38.94 Sam Um. 01:13:52.91 dclduo Well so well. So I think we could keep going here for a long time talking about the way. There's so much to cover from the very maritime aspect. The first time sailing aspect so much to cover. 01:14:01.11 Dave _ Kristin Ah, oh my gosh. 01:14:06.18 dclduo Ah, but maybe just let me sort of wrap us up in the terms of the cruise with this question which is will you be back and if you're going back. Are you going to look at the wish or are you going to look at trying one of the other ships. 01:14:20.43 Dave _ Kristin Well we did do the placeholder so it took advantage of that so we have two years we have 2 years to figure it out. No minor so I was I was like oh I'm going to put the placeholder down Kristen is just kind of like okay um. 01:14:22.80 Sam And of course you did. 01:14:35.37 Dave _ Kristin Yes, going back for sure I think we'll do a different ship just to have that experience because the wish is only doing three and four night and we were talking about. Maybe we do a five night or you a 6 just to have that extra couple days to. 01:14:39.00 Sam I. 01:14:52.13 Dave _ Kristin Get more in that we didn't get to on this one. Ah, whether be adult dining or a different poored excursion that kind of thing I don't know I'm nervous I'm nervous because we started with the wish and I I can adjust because I'm an adult and I will make myself happy no matter where I land my children though especially max. 01:15:01.30 Sam Yeah. 01:15:07.69 Sam Yes. 01:15:10.62 Dave _ Kristin It' max wants to go to that kids club like ah we could drop him off with the wish and then we can take something else that would be fine but I don't know that they'll let us go on a different ship. We'll have to see but definitely we would love to return to the wish again Max is already asking about the treasure and he actually asked me the other day he said when are we going again. 01:15:16.60 dclduo No. 01:15:31.47 Dave _ Kristin And I said okay well you know if I had a billion dollars in my pocket buddy I'd bring you at the next available time he goes and when would that be I said probably spring break in March and so he took a beat and he said could you maybe look up what's available over spring break in March just in case mom just in case. 01:15:35.20 Sam Yeah. 01:15:48.10 Sam Ah, oh ah. 01:15:49.80 Dave _ Kristin He regularly asks us what kind of 7 day cruises. Do they have what kind of so we have a little new obsessor in our house as well. So he is he is a Disney Cruise line fan for life and he's only 5 so we're in real trouble I know it's just a matter of which one to take them. Yeah. 01:16:03.74 dclduo Um, nice, nice. Well I think we have reached that point in our show where I need to hand you over to Sam for some arbitrary rules a dash of arbitrary judgment and a bunch of arbitrary questions or. 01:16:06.84 Sam Right? Start saving your pennies. Yep, ah. 01:16:21.10 dclduo The segment we like to call rapid fire so Samuel take it away. Okay. 01:16:22.60 Sam So absolutely all right? Dave and Kristen I'm going to ask you some general Disney favorites and then I'm going to ask you your favorites on the Disney wish since this was your first and only Disney Cruise so we'll start with who is your favorite. Disney or Pixar character and Dave we're going to start with you. 01:16:42.38 Dave _ Kristin Um, oh um I would probably go with goofy or a puzzle. Oh. 01:16:44.83 Sam That nice. What about you Kristen awesome! So you must have really loved the wish then because she's on the back of the ship and. 01:16:52.81 Dave _ Kristin I did and we saw her at the balcony I never got to meet her but my son somehow managed to wiggle out of our grasp and meet her I don't know how it happened and at the park too. He saw her and at the park I don't how he keeps suing this. 01:17:02.29 Sam Ah, awesome them all right. Favorite Disney or Pixar movie Kristen this time we're gonna start with you? Oh love it. What about you Dave M. 01:17:10.89 Dave _ Kristin Oh it's always monsters in for me oh see as as a kid it was black cauldron still up Pixar listen to the rules Disney or Pixar oh all, right? My bad eithers both um, that's true which. 01:17:20.46 Sam no no disney or Pixar. Yeah, yeah, which means you can actually choose a star wars movie too because anything that Disney owns. Yeah. 01:17:28.73 Dave _ Kristin Yeah, yeah, that's true if I could do that then absolutely rogue one mm. 01:17:32.85 Sam Um, oh I love rogue one. Absolutely, that's my favorite too. Not my favorite Disney movie. But my favorite star wars movie. Let me just clarify there all right favorite Disney Song and Dave will start with you I get. 01:17:45.10 Dave _ Kristin The fantasticmic soundtrack. 01:17:50.15 Sam How many people answer with that. It's like such a good. It is such a good soundtrack for sure. Yeah. 01:17:51.72 Dave _ Kristin Really I love it. That's my it's my favorite show. He is he Disneyland is better than Disney world but he he will die on that hill no problem. Absolutely I don't know I I'm still stuck in little mermaid. It's got to be part of your world. 01:17:58.70 Sam Oh yeah, yeah, yeah for sure all right? Ah Kristin your your favorite song. Oh yes, we got to see Jody Benson sing that live oh my god yes oh my god she's 01:17:59.84 dclduo No. 01:18:09.92 Dave _ Kristin Joe to Benson that's right, you guys did oh my gosh. 01:18:15.15 Sam Just incredible. All right now we're gonna go on to the wish and find out what was your favorite rotational dining restaurant and it could be for any reason whether it be the food. The atmosphere of the show I don't care. But what is your individual favorite Kristen we'll start with you. 01:18:29.99 Dave _ Kristin 1923 because it's fancy as max said I would be oh 1923 as well. Yeah. 01:18:35.70 Sam Um, what next as I love it. What about you Dave oh both of you like the fancy all right? Well I I'm I'm thinking you might have to try Apollo or remy or an chante at some point then if you like fancy we must all right. 01:18:46.40 Dave _ Kristin Yes, if we must. 01:18:53.70 Sam Your favorite Disney Cruise stage show from the wish um from the ones you saw so Dave you gets choose from 2 and Kristen you get to choose from 3 so we'll start with Kristen. 01:19:02.60 Dave _ Kristin Oh hands down it was the little mermaid and not just because I like the movie or the music. The person who played Ursula was phenomenal absolutely phenomenal I don't know why she's on that ship and not somewhere else. So amazing. 01:19:11.21 Sam Oh yeah. Well I I wonder if she's I think she's the the broadway visiting artist so that role on the wish I believe is usually someone who has either been on Broadway or done a national tour. And they are on for just a 3 or 4 month contract and they are. They do usually a ah Broadway visiting artist presentation in one of the lounges as well. So that yeah, so. 01:19:41.84 Dave _ Kristin Um, oh mystery solved that has to be her. 01:19:44.22 Sam Yeah, so so that it's usually Ursula or there's 1 other role on a male role I can't remember what it is on the on the wish but on each on all 5 ships. There is not not 100% of the time but most of the time there is at least 1 Broadway visiting artist on there. So that's that. 01:20:00.51 Dave _ Kristin Cool. 01:20:02.44 Sam I'm sure that makes sense why she was the best all right? Dave what is your favorite stage show. Nice. 01:20:08.20 Dave _ Kristin I kind of like sees the adventure. It was tough because I'd love the genie in Aladdin oh my gosh he was so good. Um, funny think for overall show I kind of like sees the adventure with the mix of everything in that show. Yes. 01:20:19.27 Sam Yeah, really cool scene changes I would say and and sets in that one as well. So all right? Your favorite i'mma call it a bar space. Um on board. But you know there's a lot of spaces that can qualify in this category on the wish. So um. And I know you were with the kids a lot of the time so you might not have gotten to check out all of them but of the ones that you got to check out what did you like Dave. 01:20:43.19 Dave _ Kristin Um I liked the hyperspace lounge I thought the theming could be more but I liked it? Um, but as as far as like a drink I think I would have to go with the old fashion from Hooks barber. Oh my gosh I should've gone back more and more it was. 01:20:45.88 Sam E. 01:20:53.59 Sam Oh yeah, Brian loves that place too? Yeah, yeah, yeah, see you didn't even need to do the old fashioned tasting because you went to hooks baroo which probably has the best old fashions on board. 01:21:00.29 Dave _ Kristin Delicious. 01:21:07.80 Dave _ Kristin That's true. It was the bar has been set like every time we's had 1 since well it's not hook's bar but it's okay I did taste it. It was good. Um I I did like. 01:21:16.17 Sam Ah, what about Eu Krista is good. 01:21:20.55 Dave _ Kristin Likestar Wars I Liked the hyperspace lounge I Thought that was cool. The kids kept pressing the buttons on the doors I thought we were going to get kicked out. But besides that I liked the scenery and I loved the service and the menu was a really interesting selection I regret not going across the hall to um. Ah, was it the buy you the buy you one that looked really cool. But I think every time we tried to go past either. You know we were going somewhere else or it was closed off for a wedding or something night and gales look Good. We just never it did a chance to get there. Yeah. 01:21:39.28 Sam Yeah, yeah. 01:21:48.10 Sam yeah yeah I mean that's the that's the the 1 problem with the wish I don't know if this's really a problem but there are a lot of smaller bar spaces and so it's hard on a 3 on a three night cruise to get to all of them for sure. All right favorite space on the ship. 01:21:54.66 Dave _ Kristin There were. 01:22:06.78 Sam Other than the bars that you all mentioned Kristen we'll start with you? Yeah, love it. What about you Dave. 01:22:09.79 Dave _ Kristin Rain forestest room for sure man favorite Spaceless ship who range forestest is good pressure I know yeah. 01:22:20.94 Sam I Know it. 01:22:28.65 Dave _ Kristin Think I will have to go rainforest you sure it wasn't the elevators. No no, although watching people bump into those buttons was hilarious. Oh my goodness the elevator. Um, but yeah I'd yeah I'd have to go rainforest as well. 01:22:31.84 dclduo Or. 01:22:36.16 Sam Ah, yeah, yeah. 01:22:41.39 Sam Awesome! All right favorite onboard activity I'm warning you this is your second to last question. So favorite onboard activity dave will start with you. 01:22:56.57 Dave _ Kristin I Enjoyed Bingo although I kind of wish we had done the incredible course because we saw it in action. But we didn't have socks. We had sandals so we couldn't do it. Um, we're kids it would have just been us. You know? yeah it would have been us. But. 01:23:01.75 Sam E. I Love it. I Love it. 01:23:12.75 Dave _ Kristin So I think the incredibles course was awesome. We just didn't get a chance to do it? Yeah I'm panicking I don't know what was the question I'm just kidding. No no and I um I think from ah a family person I'll try and do it that way from a. 01:23:15.15 Sam Yeah Kristen what about you. 01:23:22.33 Sam But favorite onboard activity. Yes. 01:23:32.40 Dave _ Kristin Family perspective I Really love the pirates um pirate party the pirate Jamby and then I between that and maybe like the cast off party that we did too the boys had so much fun at dancing and they really got into it and I just I was overjoyed just watching everything happen. 01:23:35.91 Sam Oh yeah. 01:23:47.57 Sam Awesome! All right? So my final question this is the same question I ask in every rapid fire that I do bucket list cruise if you could go anywhere in the world on a Disney Cruise ship doesn't even have to be someplace that disney crews currently sails where. Where would you go Kristen Thanks. 01:24:06.53 Dave _ Kristin I would pick somewhere closer between either Bali or Fiji. Oh nice I would probably probably go with Japan. 01:24:13.21 Sam So oo love it. What about you Dave. 01:24:23.58 Sam Yes, Tokyo Disney C oh my god yeah, but perfect. Well thank you guys for playing. Ah you didn't get too much judgment because you had. 01:24:24.68 Dave _ Kristin Oh ooh, it even think about Tokyo Disney that's a bonus perfect po done us done I'm in. 01:24:38.96 Sam All the right answers So congratulations you have one rapid fire. But yeah. 01:24:41.16 Dave _ Kristin Who best whoo. 01:24:42.15 dclduo So for future guests. There is your roadmap to lack of judgment Although then we will just have homogeneity of answers. So yeah. Well I just want to thank you both for coming on and sharing your cruise experience with us I understand that at least 1 younger member of your household might be interested in chatting with us to share their experience I don't know if they are still interested in talking. But if they are we could pause and take a minute to do that. 01:25:11.10 Dave _ Kristin Sure and fetch that one homeland is upstairs. It probably would be no and your podcast has been a wealth of knowledge for us as first time cruisers. So thank you for that. It's been. 01:25:12.88 Sam So yeah, so. 01:25:20.44 dclduo Oh that's great to hear. 01:25:25.79 Dave _ Kristin It's been great to just listen and be like oh that's a great idea and things like that. 01:25:27.59 Sam Oh thanks, We love hearing that stuff We do it all for you. 01:25:36.86 dclduo I Worry we put tips out there people try them and like who are those idiots. Ah, ah. 01:25:38.90 Dave _ Kristin Now is great. Yeah. 01:25:40.49 Sam Yeah, you know, not everybody likes to do the same thing. It's like you know embaration day lunch I think is always 1 thing that gets a little controversy whether you like to do marcelene market or cabannas versus doing sit down lunch and um, we don't. We don't always do the sitdown lunch and we used to always do the cabanas or the you know buffet lunch and now we've gone back now. We've more often do the sit down lunch and so I think you know sometimes I wonder how people take some of the tips. But um, you know there's no as we like to say there's no right way to do a Disney Cruise um you can. Do them in a you know a lot of different ways and people have different preferences but it's good to try different things and to kind of know what you're getting into I think before you get on board. One of the ships that makes the experience. Ah I think more pleasant and if you sort of have a ah roadmap of. 01:26:30.28 Dave _ Kristin Um. 01:26:33.30 Sam You know I really want to do these like 3 things. Maybe it helps you from getting overwhelmed because there's just so much to do on board and you're not going to be able to even in ah even an eleven night cruise you're not going to be able to do everything you know that there is to do on the ship. It's just not possible and especially on the wish the wish has. Just as I as we were talking about just so many different spaces. There's so much going on. It's even for us in 8 nights we couldn't do everything we wanted to do and so we're really looking forward to getting back on the wish so that we can explore and do some of the things that we didn't get to do previously. 01:26:52.59 Dave _ Kristin There's so much. 01:27:06.82 Dave _ Kristin Nice, well Simon is here you could say hi hi. 01:27:11.51 Sam Yay! Welcome hi Simon. 01:27:12.28 dclduo Hi simon all right? Let me let me introduce Simon for just a second and then we'll ask well Sam I'm gonna let you ask Simon some questions. How's that sound? Well we're gonna take a minute because we're joined by a very special guest Simon. 01:27:22.27 Sam Okay. 01:27:31.11 dclduo Welcome to the show Simon hi Simon how old are you? How keen tell our listeners out there. How old you are eight and a half all right? So pretty close to Nathan's age actually I think I will let. 01:27:31.50 Dave _ Kristin Thought hi. 01:27:39.65 Dave _ Kristin Um, Eight and a half 01:27:39.80 Sam Awesome. 01:27:45.92 dclduo Sam My ah, my lovely co-host. Ask you a few questions about your cruise so we can get your opinions on does that sound good. 01:27:51.00 Sam Hi Simon I would love to hear what your favorite thing about the disney wish kids club was. 01:28:02.21 Dave _ Kristin Um, it was awesome. There is like a star wars room with all of the star wars animals like a loathcat um a poor. Oh yeah, and the loath Catt like cat. Little stuffed animal pork and it was like really cute. 01:28:21.44 Sam Oh I Love that I Love that did you play the game I Know there's a I'm going to call it an augmented. Yeah, so there's an augmented reality game. 01:28:25.13 Dave _ Kristin Yeah I did play the game. Yeah you so you had to like like so find the animal footprints then you had to like tap that like creature and then it like gives you the data of that to make sure it's.. It's on that ship. 01:28:42.29 Sam Awesome and I know you get to do that with an ipad as you're sort of well what I don't know if it's an ipad but was it some kind of tablet that you carry around in that room is that right? Awesome! That's so much fun. Did you go to the kids club a lot while you were on the Disney wish. 01:28:51.79 Dave _ Kristin Right. 01:29:00.42 Dave _ Kristin Um, not really. 01:29:01.97 Sam Yet sounds like your brother went to the kids club even a little bit more than you did is that right? and you went to a bunch of shows am I Right about that tell me what what was your favorite show and why. 01:29:05.45 Dave _ Kristin Right. 01:29:12.38 dclduo Kit can. 01:29:12.73 Dave _ Kristin You're right. 01:29:21.19 Dave _ Kristin Um, I really like the laddin because they had like the um like little screen like big screen a big screen on um, the wall for like where they put the Aladdin um a word on it. And the aladdin word when they they actually like put sound on it and it was actually a projector going onto that wall that could make um a like ah the wall um make a like. Little screen because the people like didn't know and then they were like sounds on it that um or like that actually like put like sand so it kind of made like the Aladdin um word was a made out of sand because it blew sand. 01:30:16.20 Sam Oh cool. 01:30:16.84 Dave _ Kristin Off it, you liked when he jumped into the yeah the mouth right? when he jumped into the cave of wonders or when he jumped out of the window here. 01:30:23.67 Sam Ah, so they gotcha so is sort of the special effects that were on the screen in addition to what's going on on the stage. That's really cool. Oh I love that what was your favorite. Sorry. 01:30:30.45 Dave _ Kristin Here. 01:30:34.90 dclduo Hey Simon can hey Simon can ask you? the kids club was it ah was it fun when you were in there or what would have made it more fun. Ah awesome. Awesome. 01:30:41.90 Dave _ Kristin Oh it was awesome. 01:30:46.53 Sam I Love it I Love it. What was your favorite food that you ate on the ship. 01:30:52.41 Dave _ Kristin You just speak that harder. 01:30:59.76 Sam Oh the cheeseburger did you have that for dinner every night that's what I was hearing from your parents. Yeah and can you tell me what shape was your ketchup in. 01:30:59.94 Dave _ Kristin Um I would taste a cheeseburger. Ah yeah, ah. 01:31:11.93 Dave _ Kristin A Mickey. 01:31:12.22 dclduo Yeah. 01:31:17.20 Sam Ah, did you think that was really cool when your waiter came by and made you a mickey catch up. 01:31:21.69 Dave _ Kristin Yeah, um in eridil um there um was like a show a wait. No. Let's are wrong. Oh wrong 1 raw wrong place wrong place. Ah I was thinking of the Walt. Um. Room and then there was a waiter that came by and he did magic stuff. Oh yeah, that's right, yeah, he he did like a rubber ducky squeak. 01:31:43.74 Sam O that's really fun I love it when the waiters do yeah oh that's really fun I love it when the waiters do magic tricks for us and and for our son Nathan who is 9 01:31:55.45 Dave _ Kristin Yeah. 01:32:00.66 Sam Um, it sounds like you had a really fantastic time on the wish what was your favorite part of the trip. 01:32:09.57 Dave _ Kristin Oh I would say Castaway K Um I really liked um, just swimming in the ocean when my mom and me just went in the inner tubes and then we just floated around and then I tried to sand the. 01:32:13.87 Sam Ooh What did you like about Castaway k. 01:32:21.61 Sam Ah I Love that. 01:32:29.19 Dave _ Kristin Fish with like Sand bombs. 01:32:31.28 Sam I Hear you weren't a big fan of the sting race am I right about that? Yeah I'm I'm not a big fan of the sting raise either right right. 01:32:36.63 Dave _ Kristin Yeah, ah. 01:32:41.31 Dave _ Kristin I Mean they didn't have stingers. 01:32:46.58 Sam Now are you are you wanting to get on ah another Disney Cruise which oh I was good. That's exactly what I was going to ask you if you wanted to go back on the wish or you wanted to go on and another ship but you are you're hoping to get on the newest ship that comes out next year 01:32:48.37 Dave _ Kristin Yeah, I'm open to go on the treasure. 01:33:04.71 Dave _ Kristin Um, oh and also we watched the um making of the Disney Wish to. 01:33:09.26 Sam Oh you watched the show on on Disney plus or no actually maybe on tv I can't remember. 01:33:15.45 Dave _ Kristin Ah yes, um, yeah on Disney plus wait wait I was on the Youtube National Geographic channel yep national 01:33:26.70 Sam Ah, that's right and it was on Tv or around over Chris yeah, we we missed it because we were actually on the ship and we forgot to set our a dvr but I think it's I hope it's available on Disney plus awesome. Well I'm very excited to hear that you had such a great time. 01:33:34.40 Dave _ Kristin Here saying. 01:33:42.21 Sam On the wish I'm I'm excited to hear that you want to go on the treasure. We really want to go on the treasure as well. Um, and our son Nathan really wants to go on the treasure because he loves the kids club on on the wish and I'm sure that the kids club on the treasure is going to be similar. 01:33:45.99 Dave _ Kristin Oh yeah. 01:33:59.76 Dave _ Kristin Um, yeah in like the first part where me I like the first part where we got on like when they announced our name like our last name where they went like Disney Wish Welcome Aboard The whatever family. 01:34:13.24 Sam Oh yeah, that's such a fun way to start the cruise. It's just yeah, it makes it really personal. Do you like meeting characters who was your favorite character to meet on board. 01:34:16.00 Dave _ Kristin Oh yeah, definitely. 01:34:21.86 Dave _ Kristin Oh yeah. 01:34:30.65 Sam Oh yeah, he's number 1 right. 01:34:30.94 Dave _ Kristin I would say Donald ah, oh yeah, and like I was like crossed arm because he sat on my sweatshirt like a couple years ago at magic kingdom and I was like. That was actually a min sheet. It was actually a mickey sweatsh shirtt because he thought he was number 1 You guys have an un mood and he suffocated him. 01:34:50.77 Sam Ah I can't believe you remember oh oh yeah, well that's I I can't believe you remember that from two years ago but that is awesome I love it. 01:35:05.34 Dave _ Kristin Yeah. 01:35:09.50 Sam Well thanks for joining us on the show Simon we really enjoy having you on and we've really loved having your parents on. So thanks so much. 01:35:18.14 Dave _ Kristin You're welcome. 01:35:18.50 dclduo Well same any last questions before I transition us out here all right? Well Dave Kristen just 01:35:25.00 Sam Nope I That that's all my questions I love it. He's a great guest. 01:35:33.36 dclduo Want to say? thank you for taking the time to share your crewise experience with us actually hold on a second but but but but I sort of make sure I forgot to check neither of you like did you have any or you travel agents or anything that you wanted to plug on the show at the end. 01:35:49.12 Dave _ Kristin We are not. 01:35:52.42 dclduo Ok, all right, perfect all right? Well Dave Kristen and Simon really great having you all on the show today to share your amazing cruise on the wish and we'd love to have you back when you sail in the future. But thanks for now for taking the time out of your weekend to chat with us. 01:35:56.41 Dave _ Kristin I find. 01:36:07.35 Dave _ Kristin Oh absolutely thanks for having us and yes, thanks for putting out the podcast. It's a great knowledge base of information. 01:36:14.31 dclduo Thank you I am hits. 01:36:14.48 Sam Thanks! thanks.