Bragging time

So, I've had writer's block all week. Today, I'm going to continue working on describing scenes.
But, since I don't have any other writing news to share with you today, I'm going to write about my Disney Cruise in detail, complete with pictures.
Here goes.

After driving from Salem to LA, we finally got to board the Disney Wonder, after weeks of anticipation. We arrived, and guess what? It turns out the one thing I forgot to legally change my name on was my passport. I was still Jillian Reid. But, after sweaty palms and a mild anxiety attack, we finally got it figured out. The lady at the counter told me not to worry: Micky would know we were married and not living in sin, even if my Key to the World card suggested that Josh and I weren't legally wed. True story.

Anyway, after being greeted regally by a cast of cheering crew members, we immediately headed to lunch...did you know that on average, an adult will gain 7-14 pounds on a cruise? The eating starts as soon as you get on, and doesn't stop until you're gone. It was bliss.

After that, we decided to explore. We went up to the spa, just for fun, and ended up taking a tour. After the tour, we got to enter our names into a drawing...and I won! $150 toward any spa treatment! I've never won a drawing before, and I booked a seaweed soak/massage thing for that night. Unfortunately, I was wearing a seasick patch, had taken some supplemental Dramamine, and some anxiety medicine...so I woke up the next morning, thinking the entire thing was a dream. But it wasn't. I have pictorial proof!

The next day, the fun really started to kick off. We began the morning with a character breakfast, where Puto, our Indonesian waiter, made us all napkin hats. Then, we watched Aladdin by the pool on the 9th deck, and explored the ship. It was gigantic and amazing.

But the really fantastic part was the formal night. We got all dolled up, went to a beautiful dinner, and then saw a spectacular show: The Golden Mickeys. All of the entertainment on the ship was top notch that week, and the Golden Mickeys were certainly no exception. Then, we went to an after party, where we danced like idiots and Allison fell in love with a cutie crew member named Robin. After that, we saw Michael Harrison's adult only ventriloquist show and played 80's music trivia, where our team kicked butt, and there was a lot more dancing. Robin was dressed up as Elton John, and he danced with Allison. Just in case you were wondering.

Because Monday night was exhausting, we decided to sleep in Tuesday morning. We had a late breakfast buffet, and then tried to see Brave at the Buena Vista theater. But, it was in 3D, and the enclosed room + the 3D glasses + the seasickness made for a very bad combination. So, instead we hung out in our state room, where they played old Disney movies (as well as a few newer releases that weren't Disney) 24/7. We grabbed some lunch (free food and soda whenever you wanted it!) before heading to movie quote trivia, where Josh, Jordan, and I won a metal. No big deal (it totally was).


That night, we played Banana Grams, ate more, took pictures with Peter Pan and Ariel, and saw Lincoln. It was a very relaxing day.

 Wednesday, however, was less relaxing. Don't get me wrong, it was still a blast. But, that's the day the seasickness and heat exhaustion hit me the worst. I'm an Oregonian. I don't fair well in the heat. This was the day we went on a Pirate Adventure!

We took the ship to a private beach, where we played in the water and got huge, rocky grains of sand everywhere. The crew of the pirate ship was nice and funny, and everything was fine once I took a couple of Dramamine. I even got to drive the boat for a little while! This was our day in Puerto Vallarta, and I bought a couple of pairs of cute, hand-made earrings as well. Also, that night was Pirate themed, so we had a pirate dinner and there was a deck party. Josh and I didn't go though, because we went to bed super early, but we did get to see the fireworks out of our state room window.

For Thanksgiving, we spent the day in Cabo San Lucas. If I learned anything from my time in Mexico, it's that their economy is driven by pushy vendors trying to get you to take their water taxis. "No thank you," was an important part of my vocabulary there. It was really fun though, and I loved how bright and colorful everything was. It was awesome to see Josh haggle with the vendors: We got a hand-crafted plate and bowl, a hand-made doll, a finger painted tile with the Wonder on it, some salt and pepper shakers, and 2 pairs of "90% genuine" Raybans. We spent the day on the beach, and then watched Toy Story the Musical and a magic show back on the ship.

Friday was another relaxing day. We spent the morning in Cabo, but the ship left for LA at one in the afternoon, so we spent the rest of the day reading in the hot tub and hanging by the pool, as well as watching more movies in our state room. This was the night of the semi-formal dinner, and we saw Disney Dreams for the on-board entertainment, played a "newly weds" game, and saw Ed Alanzo's magic show. Also, I just have to say, Josh looked awesome that night.

We slept in our last day of the cruise. The morning was leisurely, and we ate lots, did more trivia, and played Banana Grams. The final show was called 'Til We Meet Again, and we saw the juggling, joking, and music act of Steve Carte. Then, our favorite crew members did a skit ("If I Were Not Upon the Sea"), and we went to bed, sad to be leaving in the morning. I will always miss Boniface, Puto, Robin, Simon, and all the other crew members who made out week so enjoyable.

Sunday, we drove straight home, and everyone had work early Monday morning.
But, it was the best vacation ever. The crew was amazing, friendly, and on top of things, we didn't have to clean or cook, the entertainment was awesome, we could relax when we wanted to and play when we didn't, the food was spectacular, the experience was unforgettable, and of course, the Disney magic was undeniable.

(P.S. 2012, not ZOIZ. In case you were wondering.)
It was a Reid Family Reunion to Remember!