No Pool Day For You
Our final day on the Disney Wonder was a sea day (see our other Nauti adventures here), which meant taking the slow, lazy route from Ensenada back to San Diego since a cruise ship can easily cover the distance in 3 to 4 hours. My bestie and I had planned a day lounging on the pool deck, soaking up a little sun and fresh air. Unfortunately, the cloudy skies and chilly winds foiled our plans. We always plan a pool day, packing our swimsuits, hats, and sunblock, but we never make it to the pool. Maybe one of these days we’ll stop trying, but I highly doubt it 😀
When our poolside plans fell through, we decided to shift gears and go shopping. I’ll admit the shopping was disappointing, which was sad because we love cruise shopping. Unlike other ships, Disney shops mostly carried Disney-branded merchandise, which I get; it is Disney after all. Much of it felt a bit over-the-top, with “Disney Cruise Lines” in bold, loud letters on almost everything. I love Disney merch, but this just didn’t appeal to me, so we decided to spend our money on hot beverages instead.
Thumbs Up For the Lattes, but Still Looking for Satisfying Sweets
We had found the little coffee shop on our first day. We had a rewards card, so we went back to collect our free chai tea lattes, since neither of us like coffee. I know, I’m weird that way, but I figure, more coffee for the lovers! The drinks at the coffee shop were not included, but worth the extra cost. They did have free sweet treats, but like most of the baked goods on the ship, they weren’t good. It surprised me. Even the theme parks have better desserts. However, the prepackaged snacks were the same as the snacks at the parks and were much tastier.
After our lattes, we made our way to the buffet. We had given up on the sit-down restaurants. At the buffet, I found some tasty cod bites. I enjoyed them. The buffet also had some delicious vegetarian Indian dishes that were quite a revelation. My best friend also found an amazing veggie dog that included BBQ coleslaw. I know it sounds weird, but it was perfect. Then again, maybe we were just hungry! Even though I usually avoid buffets, I would eat there again if I cruised with Disney.
B-I-N-G-O
Lunch acquired and bellies satisfied, we played a few games of bingo. Disney doesn’t have casinos like other cruise lines, so bingo is the only gambling option. Since I live near Las Vegas, I have never found cruise ship casinos interesting, but bingo is right up my alley. The best part: we decided to do the electronic version. You pay for bingo cards on a device that does everything for you. You just sit back and wait to win. We did not win.
After bingo, we noticed the sun was out, so we relaxed in deck chairs and enjoyed the ocean waves and sunshine before going on a walk around the track, which was fully open since we were out to sea. We even got cool pictures of the forecastle, where the anchor and mooring lines are kept. It was nice to get some exercise since it’s easy to be lazy on a cruise. After a couple laps, we went back to our room to relax before getting ready for dinner at Animator’s Palate.
Animation with a Little Seasickness on the Side
I was so excited for our final restaurant experience. I had already seen the menu and thought I would be able to have a decent meal on our last night. The restaurant was decorated in black and white; it is almost a little overkill. Even the staff wore shirts with sketches of Disney characters. I was also happy to see normal-sized silverware, unlike the ginormous silverware in the other dining rooms. It felt deadly. I know, I’m weird, but I’m me 😉
Unfortunately, our most anticipated night didn’t go as planned. We encountered some rough seas earlier in the evening, and my bestie did not fare well. She had to leave after her appetizer. I ate dinner alone, which felt a little awkward at first, but the show was worth it. I wish my bestie had seen it.
She Missed It!
The screens stationed around the room came to life. First, we saw drawings appear on the screens; the drawings then turned into animations. The animations were eventually colorized and began to tell a story. It is so hard to describe (I tried to capture some pictures of the process), but I am not doing it justice.
As the show was coming to a climactic end, I realized the wait staff was missing, so I began to look around. Sorcerer Mickey appeared and started dancing around the room, and as he reached one side, the staff joined him and paraded around the room to thunderous applause. It was a lovely way to end our dining experience and to show our appreciation to the staff.
After leaving the Animator’s Palate, I went back to the cabin to check on my bestie, who was feeling better. I also discovered our final towel animal, but I couldn’t identify the character. If you know who it is, let me know in the comments! Our evening ended with another classic Disney movie, which I promptly fell asleep to.
Back to Our Reality
The next morning, we were up early for our farewell breakfast. We stayed until the final call to go ashore rather than disembarking early, since our train was scheduled to leave in the afternoon. We walked back to the train station with our incapacitated luggage, boarded the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, and headed back to reality.
Although I’m not sure I’ll take another Disney cruise, I did have an enjoyable vacation. I always enjoy traveling and having new adventures with my best friend. I can’t wait until our next trip. How about you? Where do you like to travel? Would you consider a cruise? Let me know in the comments!
