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By Jodi Noding | Special to the Sun Sentinel

We tried to have a bad time on our latest Disney Magic cruise. Really, we did.

Normally low-risk, uber-planning vacationers, we stacked the deck against ourselves with a series of missteps from the second we left the house. That all-important suitcase with the paperwork, cameras and bathing suits? Yep, left it at home, I realized halfway to the airport. The mad dash back to get it, during rush hour, with a crying 6-year-old in the back seat, made us late enough to miss our plane — except it was delayed. (For once, a very good thing.)

And those cardinal rules about not traveling during the busiest times for families (Presidents' Day week, also known as the height of cold and flu season — more on that later) and not taking work on vacation? Well, rules are meant to be broken, right?

By midweek of our cruise, after a visit to the infirmary with a listless kindergartner and hours spent in our cabin writing on deadline instead of on the deck sunning or splashing around in Grand Cayman, we had to ask ourselves: Why are we still having fun?



The answer, we found, is that if you are stupid enough to make vacations hard, it's good to have a fleet of people pampering, feeding and entertaining you 24/ 7.

From having your family's name announced over the loudspeakers by cheering cast members when you step aboard ("Now welcoming the O'Connors!") to offering a slate of family activities and creating some of the largest staterooms at sea, Disney caters to tykes and their parents like no other cruise line.

"This is a cruise line run by an entertainment company," says author Dave Marx, who just finished the sixth version of the PassPorter's Field Guide to the Disney Cruise Line.

The key difference is how Disney Cruise Line works for each age group. Here, children are not simply tolerated as pint-sized party crashers. Disney factors in kids in its entertainment and dining. Your stateroom host will know your kids' names before they know yours. But parents never feel out of place on a Disney cruise.

Gone is the casino that dominates the center of most ships. In its place are multiple kids clubs, divided by ages, as well as security measures like wristbands to keep everyone safe and accounted for.

The Oceaneer Clubs for ages 3 to 7 features a pirate ship playground, computer games, a movie area and space for myriad activities, from Goofy's pajama party to pirate training parties. Across the hall is the Oceaneer Lab for ages 8 to 12, where kids learn to make flubber, build a volcano and line dance. And The Stack hosts the teen club for those 13-17.

And for those who aren't yet 3 or aren't potty trained, the Flounder's nursery area is stocked with cribs, rocking chairs, Disney videos and age-appropriate toys.

Only the nursery has an hourly charge; the rest of the clubs are included in the cruise price and are open from the morning until midnight or so.

Our son, often not a fan of group activities with strangers, eagerly went to the kids' club (after being cleared by the ship's doctor) and even participated in the "graduation" ceremony at the end of the cruise, led by commencement speaker Mickey Mouse. Hundreds of kids from 3 to 17 crammed the stage, singing and wearing graduation mortarboards with ears.

And the grownups aren't forgotten. "It's not just a matter that they have the best children's areas afloat," says Marx. "They have adult areas that are equally appealing." Those spaces include a coffee shop, spa, gym and specialty restaurant called Palo. The nightclub area is adults-only after 9 p.m.

"For extended families, there's a lot of concern among older adults that they'll be served well. The reality is that Disney probably does a better job than most cruise lines of giving a better experience to older cruisers," Marx says.

Three pool areas help to carve out space for everyone. There's the Mickey children's pool, complete with a three-story slide held up by a huge gloved Mickey hand; Goofy's pool for older kids, which is in the center of the ship, with a dance area, hot tubs and movie screen; and the adult pool, reserved for those 18 and up.

Another unique feature: All the pools are freshwater — key for kids like my son who disdain the salt water most other lines use in their pools. I lost count at about 30 of how many times he tramped up the slide steps.

There's plenty of opportunity for families to play together, too. Daily activities might include kite making, karaoke, dancing together in the family lounge, or taking part in a game show. (Maybe your child will let you dance. Ours commanded that we sit down ... only he was doing the dancing in our family.) A full-size movie theater features Disney films and other family fare.

Disney's Walt Disney Theatre, a Broadway-style venue, also offers daily productions. The shows range from those featuring its characters, such as Toy Story The Musical, to comedians and magicians, and are geared for all age ranges.

Another unique feature is rotational dining, in which guests rotate nightly between three themed dining rooms (including Animator's Palate, where the decor goes from black and white into color as you dine), accompanied by their servers, who rotate with them each night. There's also a buffet, and pizza and other snacks located by the pools.
And for those families like us who end up spending an inordinate amount of time cooped up inside because of illness and work, Disney has designed some of the most livable staterooms afloat, complete with 24-hour room service.

Each stateroom has a queen bed that can be split into two doubles, and a sofabed, coffee table and desk that create a living room area during the day. A really handy curtain separates the two areas at night. A split bathroom features a sink and toilet in one small room, and a sink and bathtub in the other. Bathtubs, a rarity at sea, are another family-friendly nod by Disney and a welcome relief for anyone who has tried to shower a slippery 18-month-old.

And with all this, if you actually want to get off the ship on its Bahamas, Eastern or Western Caribbean itineraries, Disney makes it easy: It pulls up into port instead of tendering at most every place it stops, including its private island, Castaway Cay (which now boasts the pirate ship set piece from the film Pirates of the Caribbean).

But Disney's success has its downside when it comes to families like ours who want to cruise more often. For those used to great deals, Disney's rates come as a shock — particularly at Christmas, spring break and summertime.



"The biggest failure is scarcity," says Marx, "and the direct relationship to the rates. If anything, they are too successful. They have a large number of repeat cruisers. It makes it difficult to find bargains."

Luckily for Floridians, Disney does target its best rates for them. Particularly during May or early June and September (often the busiest time for hurricanes), Florida resident rates may be available at a fraction of the cost of other times of the year.

They are normally released just a few months before cruising. Proof of Florida residency, like a driver's license or state ID, is required. And if a Florida resident rate comes out after you've already booked, Disney will often give you the better price.

Freelance writer Jodi Noding is a Florida expatriate now living in Michigan.

If you go
Disney's Wonder offers weekend trips to the Bahamas and its private island, Castaway Cay. Disney's Magic offers weeklong trips to the Eastern and Western Caribbean and Castaway Cay. Port Canaveral is home port to both ships.

Do your homework: There are a zillion little things to do on a Disney cruise. But you'll miss some of the fun if you don't seek it out. Invest in a book like the latest PassPorter's Disney Cruise Line (PassPorter Travel Press, $18.95) or Birnbaum's Disney Cruise Line (Disney Editions, $13.95). There are also message boards to contact past cruisers. Check out disboards.com, cruisecritic.com, or cruisemates.com.

Get the best rates: Book ahead — DCL fills up quickly with only two ships. And once onboard, you'll get a special offer: normally a 10 percent discount and onboard credit if you book the next cruise before you get off the ship.

Also, keep on top of Florida resident rates. They are released a few months before sailing. You can sign up for e-mail alerts by going to allseastravel.com, run by the All Seas Travel agency. Another travel agency that deals extensively with Disney is Dreams Unlimited (dreamsunlimitedtravel.com). You can reach Disney Cruise Line directly at disneycruises.com or 800-951-3532.