Mickey Chick's Magical Adventures

    The name Disney is synonymous with service that goes above and beyond, and Disney Cruise Line is well-regarded throughout the industry for raising the bar on guest service. Regardless of age or stateroom category, every guest onboard a Disney ship is treated like royalty. So when guests book a Concierge level stateroom, they are in for a real treat!

Suite Dreams: The Lion King themed Concierge stateroom on the Disney Treasure.

The VIP treatment starts with spacious vanities and a fresh welcome amenity waiting in your suite.

  

The famous Disney split-bath design, upgraded with custom mosaics and double vanities for Concierge guests.

     Disney Cruise Line has some of the biggest stateroom designs at sea, and their Concierge level cabins are no exception. The famous split-bathroom design, upgraded amenities, and spacious accommodations are just the beginning. Your room becomes a true retreat with a pillow menu for personalized comfort and a mini-fridge stocked with your favorite beverages. For those staying in a one-bedroom suite or higher, you can even skip the morning rush and enjoy a full hot breakfast delivered right to your suite’s dining table. 

Elegant small bites: A curated selection of savory and sweet offerings change throughout the day.

       Disney Concierge level also includes access to the Concierge Lounge, which opens as early as 6:00 AM. There is a serving area offering specialty coffee, beverages, and small bites throughout the day. 

      One of our favorite perks here was the pantry; a simple request for small snacks to bring on shore with us yielded items like chips, granola bars and trail mix. In the lounge area, a curated menu is available with elegant offerings for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as a happy hour every evening that spans the dinner and theater rotations. The lounge also hosts an exclusive character meet-and-greet, allowing for photos without the long lines found elsewhere on the ship.

An exclusive enclave: The multi-level Triton Class sun deck features a private bar and plenty of quiet space

      For many, the defining feature of the Triton Class concierge is the massive, multi-level sun deck (see above). On ships like the Wish and Treasure, this exclusive enclave offers its own bar, multiple hot tubs, and a serene atmosphere. All of these exclusive spaces offer plush loungers, cooling face-towels, sunblock, and some self-serve beverages. On the Dream, Fantasy, Magic, and Wonder, you’ll find a serene, elevated sun deck on the port side. 

The best way to enjoy the sun deck? With a signature Dole Whip cocktail in hand!

     While these newer ships offer a prime vantage point for the fireworks on Pirate Night,  our personal favorite Triton Class perk was the dedicated Dole Whip Station! Whether you prefer it as a simple refreshment or as part of a "grown up" cocktail, having this signature Disney treat available on demand on the exclusive sun deck was pure magic. 

A private retreat on the sand— complete with comfortable seating and a stocked fridge.

    One of the biggest advantages of "Suite Life" actually starts before you leave home. The Shoreside Concierge team is at the ready to assist with booking difficult-to-reserve activities. Right after the booking is finalized, guests should be on the lookout for a Welcome Aboard email from the shoreside concierge team. The email outlines the special privileges and amenities available to concierge guests and opens the line of communication for any questions or special needs a guest may have regarding their upcoming voyage. There will be a number of contacts throughout the pre-trip period introducing the ship, providing information about the stateroom accommodations, and encouraging guests to peruse the port adventure offerings for their sailing. 

The ultimate concierge perk: Securing  a private family cabana on Castaway Cay!

Nothing beats a day at the beach when you have a private cabana as your home base!

 

    The team will reach out again, this time encouraging guests to compile their requests for the priority booking window. While other guests are waiting for their windows to open, the concierge team will be working on your behalf starting at the 130-day mark. This is the "secret weapon" for securing the much-beloved (and coveted) Castaway Cay Cabanas, as well as Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique or spa appointments, onboard activities like the Royal Gathering and adult-only dining reservations such as Palo Brunch. 

The elusive Palo Brunch: Secured effortlessly thanks to the Concierge shoreside planning team

      Once onboard, the team remains available throughout the day to handle any schedule changes or challenges. For instance, on our last sailing, the ship was diverted to a Western Caribbean sailing due to a hurricane in the Atlantic. While other guests onboard were scrambling to schedule shore excursions for the new itinerary, a quick trip to the concierge lounge had our desired port adventures secured before the revision to the app went live.

The quiet elegance of 1923 while the rest of the ship boards.

    

     The VIP treatment begins the moment you arrive at the port, where Concierge guests are led to a special waiting area with comfy seating and refreshments. Once the ship is cleared for boarding, you are among the first guided onboard for a private welcome lunch in one of the ship’s beautiful rotational dining venues. While thousands of guests head to the pool-deck buffet, Concierge guests enjoy a multi-course sit-down meal in a serene table-service environment complete with a welcoming flute of prosecco! 

Fresh starts: Enjoying a chilled seafood appetizer

     After lunch, the lounge provides a relaxing environment to await your stateroom—which typically opens to Concierge guests earlier than the rest of the ship. You’ll find your stateroom’s mini-fridge stocked with water and soda, which can be replenished via the open fridges in the concierge lounge. 

A serene retreat: The Disney Treasure Concierge Lounge offers plush seating and a quiet atmosphere for guests to unwind.

     Other exclusive perks include priority seating and popcorn at each evening’s main-stage performance, as well as for movies in the theater. 

Prime views for 'Moana'—one of the many perks of priority theater seating for Concierge guests.

     You’ll also receive a starter WiFi package to check in with folks at home and enjoy priority boarding for tenders in port. 

    From the shoreside planning to the final morning on the ship, Disney Concierge ensures every moment is as seamless as it is magical.

  

There's no night like Pirate Night!

     If you'd like to learn more about the Concierge experience or sailing on Disney Cruise Line, leave a question or comment. I'd love to hear from you!

 

Mickey Chick is a passionate traveler who has explored various corners of the globe. As a travel advisor for FamilyTale Vacations with years of travel experience, she enjoys sharing her tips and insights to help fellow explorers make the most out of their journeys. She believes that travel is not just about sightseeing but also a transformative experience that opens doors to new perspectives and enriches our lives. You can follow her adventures on her blog and social media channels.

     Choosing the right Walt Disney World Resort can be a difficult decision. Did you know that there are 25 Resorts of varying levels and amenities, with an array of accommodation options within those choices? It can be overwhelming to try to take all of that into consideration, so I thought I would break down my favorites - like potato chips, you can't have just one- and the reasons why.

5. Pop Century Resort 

4.  Port Orleans French Quarter 

This is another resort with exterior passageways. While its affiliated resort, Port Orleans Riverside, boasts an expansively spread out but beautifully landscaped environment, French Quarter is a compact alternative for those seeking moderate accommodations that do not require an internal bus system to get from their room to the main pool or dining facilities. The resort features a modest main pool with a water slide, a festive food court with delightful Mickey shaped beignets for breakfast, and a unique Jazz club. In room amenities include a coffee maker and a small fridge. Although transportation to the parks is limited to buses - that are sometimes shared with Port Orleans Riverside - if we want a bit more quiet, less walking, daily housekeeping, and access to Disney Springs, French Quarter fits the bill. 

3.  Disney's Yacht Club Resort  

It's no secret that I prefer Disney's deluxe resorts. Although these are well-known to boast more spacious rooms welcoming families of up to five guests, we have the luxury of having a smaller family so the generous size seems even more vast. Having a smaller traveling party also affords us the ability to dedicate more of our budget to our lodgings. Being DVC, one would think that Beach Club would be tops on the list where the popular Boardwalk area resorts are concerned, but we prefer this hidden gem to its counterpart. First, we love the proximity to Epcot's International Gateway. A short walk after an afternoon break at Stormalong Bay - the expansive Yacht and Beach Club pool complex - puts us at the park's back door, where a world of epicurean adventures await. 


If we'd like to take a stroll after dinner, Disney's Boardwalk offers a quaint nightlife with street performers, shopping kiosks, an array of sweets, beverages, and snack options, as well as the expansive ESPN Sports Club, the Dance Hall and a dueling piano bar for night-time adult fun. If we're not up for walking, a serene ride on a Friendship Boat can take us to any of the resorts on Crescent Lake as well as  Disney's Hollywood Studios or Epcot. 

So why not stay at the Boardwalk Inn? Simply put, we prefer the more compact, laid-back, and sophisticated atmosphere at the Yacht Club. The resort is a bit more refined, and houses fewer guests than the bustling Boardwalk. With it's larger
DVC options, Beach Club is a favorite for families looking to enjoy the energetic waterpark-esque feature-pool area, while we appreciate the more peaceful pace of the Yacht Club. So, for location, amenities, and accommodations, Yacht Club is tops on my list. However, all magic comes at a price and rack rates at this resort can be formidable. 

2.  Disney's Old Key West 

Perhaps I'm a bit biased because we're DVC and it's our home resort, but I sure do love this one. While I found the internal bus system at the moderate resorts inconvenient, I actually don't mind them at Old Key West. Perhaps it's that neighborhood feel, or the opportunity to see the spectacularly manicured golf course, or just the feeling of being "home." And even though they're considered Disney Deluxe Villas, accommodations are accessed through exterior entranceways. When we go to Old Key West, we tend to spend a bit more time appreciating the hometown feel. Whether it's taking a family walk, visiting the table service restaurant, or stopping by the shop to pick up more coffee filters for our villa,  there's a laid-back atmosphere here that allows us to breathe a bit more. We're a small family and I hate to cook, so we usually just stay in one of their extremely spacious studios which offer a kitchenette with a sink, coffeemaker, microwave, toaster, and a small fridge. We're pretty neat, so the lack of daily housekeeping doesn't bother us, plus it just makes it feel more "homey." Our stays here are generally more impromptu, with very little - if any -  pre-planning at all. Many times, we decide which park we'll go to when we see the bus coming. 

1. Disney's Polynesian Village Resort and Villas

My favorite resort is another Deluxe accommodation. Over the years, we've stayed in differing levels at "the Poly",  from Club Level to Villa. But no matter which, the atmosphere, amenities, transportation, and location cannot be beat. As one of the original three resorts on property, having been envisioned by Walt himself, the Polynesian boasts some of the largest rooms on property. In fact, the DVC studios even have TWO bathrooms, providing a shower and sink area for multiple family members to get ready to hit the parks at the same time. 


We never skip out on breakfast with Stitch at the popular, 'Ohana restaurant before boarding the monorail to the Magic Kingdom. Or, we might choose a leisurely stroll to the Ticket and Transportation Center to get us to the Epcot monorail. A (shared) bus ride to Disney's Hollywood Studios or Disney's Animal Kingdom can be accessed just steps from main building. This iconic structure, known as The Great Ceremonial House is exquisitely detailed, immediately transporting you to the South Pacific within seconds of stepping inside. At check-in, guests are greeted with leis and hearty "ALOOOOO-HA!" Following the meandering paths to or from your island destination (each of the buildings is named for one of the Polynesian isles), past the volcano pool, or along the shoreline with vistas of over-the-water bungalows with a glimmering castle peeking up from a distant horizon, offers a captivatingly serene escape from the hustle and bustle of the most popular family vacation destination in the world. Disney's Polynesian Resort is truly an oasis. 

When you're ready to experience one of the 25 Walt Disney World Resorts, be sure to contact FamilyTale Vacations and make your vacation dreams into reality.

       The most-awaited, highly anticipated, favorite offer of the year is here! Enjoy a FREE dining plan with a non-discounted 5-night/6-day vacation package that includes a room at a select Disney Resort hotel and ticket with a Park Hopper Option.  
Book through September 29, 2019 for arrivals most nights: 

• September 1 through September 18, 2019 
• November 17 through November 27, 2019 
• December 8  through  December 23, 2019 

Ask us about packages of shorter or longer lengths of stay. While a minimum 4-night length of stay and 4-day ticket with a Park Hopper Option or Park Hopper Plus Option is required for this special package, other discount offers may apply. Explore Disney Resort hotels and the eligible Disney dining plan in the link below or contact Second Star Travel for more information.
 

     On a recent back-to-back sailing on the newly re-imagined Disney Wonder, Mickey Chick had the good fortune to view the new Broadway-quality stage show, Frozen: A Musical Spectacular not once, but twice.

Mickey Chick w/the Main Mouse in D-Lounge

      On a recent back-to-back sailing, Mickey Chick explored just about every corner of the fresh-from dry dock Disney Wonder. There was so much to share, that I needed to break it up into a deck-by-deck tour. Today's blog takes us from aft to fore along deck four:

Shutters' Portside Seating Area

       The most prominent change can be found on the port side, where Shutters has taken its cruise photo program into the 21st Century. Gone are the days where passengers crowd into the limited space searching for familiar faces on the walls. And, while the photobook library system on the Dream class ships are a more civilized step up, guests still needed to contend with a crowd in a cramped space while vying for a table to peruse their photos. The new Shutters does away with the printed pics in favor of more streamlined digital kiosks and comfortable porthole seating areas.

Disney Wonder: Shutters Re-imagined

      With a simple tap of the Key to the World card, guests can scroll through their photos, make minor edits, save their favorites, and order prints, photobooks, or flash-drives with as many or as few pictures as they wish. Package prices appear on the welcome screen and options are offered as you explore. Checkout is super simple, as the charge is made directly to the stateroom. It's also quite easy to find any pictures that haven't appeared in the account for whatever reason. By simply choosing the date, the approximate time, and the location, guest's can scroll through the photos until the wayward picture is found. We actually used this feature a few times and were able to locate every one of the photos that we remembered had been taken.

Shutters' Digital Photo Kiosks

       Due to the shorter itineraries, we decided it would be more economical to have our few favorites printed, rather than pay for a 10 print package or photobook. (We adore the photobooks and have chosen to have them made the last few times we sailed on the Fantasy, when the itinerary was longer and we had more varied photos to choose from.) We actually ordered our photos through the kiosk on debarkation morning and were able to pick them up at the guest services desk before disembarking.

Shutters' Service Desk

Shutters' Portrait Studio

    Of course there are several Shutters employees in the shop area to help guests with any questions, issues, or special purchases.

Shutters Portrait Studio

     Just forward of the photo shop we find a brand new offering: Shutters Portrait Studio. While a bit cozy, guests who would rather not wait in long lines, want pictures sans characters, or just want a more quiet, intimate, private place to have family portraits made, the new studio fits the bill. There are contact cards and brochures available for guests who might be interested in this service.

Mickey Chick posing at Shutters

Re-imagined D-Lounge

D-Lounge Carpet

       A few steps more and we reach the newly redubbed D-Lounge - formerly known as "Studio Sea." The name change is part of the homogenization of the fleet, eliminating distinctive monikers for a more streamlined presentation of offerings.

Disney Wonder D-Lounge

     The room is brighter and more open than its predecessor, with clean modern design, and flexible seating. While there are numerous nods to the emblematic tri-circle, the room does lack the thematic touches of the original. Be sure to check out the carpet, however, which has references to classic Disney stories throughout the room.

Princess Gathering from Deck 4

       Exiting D-Lounge via the forward exit brings us to the atrium balcony.

At the port side, cruisers can visit the DVC desk for information about the popular timeshare program. At starboard, just past some cozy booths perfect for passing the time on an embarkation

Deck 4 Starboard Lounge Area

morning, guests can contemplate their next Disney adventure at the Disney Vacation Planning Desk.

Disney Vacation Planning Desk

       If you've ever cruised with Disney before, you know that their future booking desk becomes busier as the days go by. While I believe the superb service and attention to detail motivates families to want to repeat the Disney Cruise experience, I'm sure the incentive flyers in staterooms outlining the 10% off plus onboard credit of $100 or more towards a future cruise doesn't hurt. The desks get so busy, that Disney has implemented a new feature only on the newly re-imagined Disney Wonder: The Check-in Kiosk.

Using the Vacation Planning Check-In Kiosk

Future Cruise Booking Slip

 
     It's very simple and intuitive to use - allowing folks to relax and enjoy their time, rather than waiting untold hours for their turn with the Vacation Planning cast member.  Guests who aren't quite sure what they want, or who don't care to wait, can fill in a booking slip and drop it in the box at the desk.  A DCL representative will send confirmation via email when the booking or placeholder reservation has been made.

Disney Wonder Shopping and Theater District

Mickey's Main Sail

White Caps

   The shopping hall opens to the expansive lobby of the Walt Disney Theater.

Walt Disney Theater Red-Carpet Ready for Golden Mickeys

     The tastefully appointed venue is host to Disney Cruise Line's most highly-anticipated Broadway-quality production, Frozen: A Musical Spectacular. As you'll find in my next blog post, the name does not disappoint.