Sunday, March 27, 2011

27 DAYS TO GO . . .

     SUNDAY MARCH 27, 2011

     FINDING YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTERS ON-BOARD.  SINCE THE DISNEY CRUISE LINE IS SO DOMINATED BY FAMILIES THAT ARE ALREADY FANS OF DISNEY, YOU CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO SEE YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTERS AROUND THE SHIP, JUST LIKE AT THE PARKS.
     WELL AT THE PARKS YOU KNOW YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE CHARACTERS SPREAD OUT INTO THE DIFFERENT "LANDS" AT DIFFERENT TIMES.  YOU CAN FIND CHARACTER SPOTS ON MAPS OR ASK AS TO WHERE TO GO AND WHEN.  THE PROBLEM AT THE PARKS CAN BE THAT ONE DAY MAY ONLY HAVE 10,000 VISITORS, WHILE ANOTHER DAY OF THE YEAR CAN HAVE 100,000 PEOPLE ALL TRYING TO SEE THE SAME THINGS.
     THIS IS WHERE THE REAL ADVANTAGE OF TAKING A DISNEY CRUISE CAN COME INTO EFFECT.  NO MATTER WHAT DAY OF THE WEEK, OR WHAT MONTH OF THE YEAR YOU'RE CRUISING, THE SHIP IS NEVER GOING TO HAVE MORE THAN A FEW THOUSAND PEOPLE ON IT.  IT'S A FINITE NUMBER.  MAXIMUM OCCUPANCY.  TRUE THAT IT CAN FEEL MORE CROWDED ON SOME DAYS THAN OTHERS, BUT NOTHING LIKE THE DIFFERENCE OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. 
     TO MAKE THINGS EVEN EASIER ON YOU, THE DISNEY CRUISE LINE PRINTS IN YOUR PERSONAL NAVIGATOR WHAT CHARACTERS YOU'LL BE ABLE TO FIND WHEN AND WHERE.  NOW THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH SPACE ON A 4 PAGE DAILY ITINERARY PAPER SO YOU CAN FIND EVEN MORE DETAIL ELSEWHERE TOO.  THERE IS A DIGITAL BOARD IN THE LOBBY OF ALL DISNEY SHIPS THAT HAS THE TIMES AND LOCATIONS FOR ALL CHARACTERS FOR THAT DAY SHOWING CONSTANTLY.  BUT YOU CAN GET EVEN MORE DETAIL EASIER THAN THAT TOO.  YOU CAN PICK UP YOUR STATEROOM (OR ANY HOUSE) PHONE AND DIAL 7-PALS AND FIND OUT THE EXACT TIMES AND LOCATIONS OF EACH AND EVERY CHARACTER APPEARANCE FOR THAT DAY RIGHT FROM YOUR PHONE IN ADVANCE AND EVEN PLAN OUT YOUR PHOTO OPS WITH THEM.
     THE DISNEY CHARACTERS ARE KNOWN TO APPEAR FROM THE BEGINNING OF YOUR CRUISE ALL THE WAY TO THE END.  YOU CAN SEE CERTAIN ONES APPEARING IN THE TERMINAL BEFORE YOU EMBARK, AROUND THE POOL DECK, AT DECK PARTIES, IN THE ATRIUM, THE LOUNGES, THE KIDS CLUBS, THE SPA, AND EVEN JUST RUNNING INTO THEM IN THE HALLWAY OR ELEVATOR.  AND AGAIN, IT COULD BE JUST YOU, OR A FEW OTHERS WITH YOU AND THAT'S IT, COMPARED TO POSSIBLY HUNDREDS WAITING FOR THE SAME AT THE PARKS.
     MANY SCHEDULED CHARACTER APPEARANCES WILL HAVE PHOTOGRAPHERS STATIONED NEARBY WITH THEM, JUST LIKE THE PARKS.  ALTHOUGH ON THE DISNEY CRUISE LINE THERE IS NO "PHOTOPASS" LIKE THE PARKS.  PHOTOGRAPHY IS RUN BY "SHUTTERS", A PRIVATE COMPANY.  BUT YOU CAN PURCHASE PICTURES THEY TAKE JUST LIKE AT THE PARKS.  THEY WILL TAKE PICTURES OF YOU WITH YOUR OWN CAMERA AS WELL, OR LET YOU TAKE SOME OF YOUR KIDS OR FAMILY WITH THE CHARACTERS TOO.  A REAL ADVANTAGE TO THESE SITUATIONS IS IF YOU FIND YOURSELF IN LINE WITHOUT YOUR CAMERA.  AT LEAST SOMEONE WILL BE THERE TO CAPTURE THE MOMENT FOR YOU.
     IF IT'S A PRINTED AND SCHEDULED APPEARANCE, ODDS ARE THERE WILL BE AT LEAST A FEW OTHERS THAT ARE THINKING THE SAME AS YOU, SO YOU SHOULD TRY TO PLAN ON BEING THERE A FEW MINUTES EARLY.  LIKE AT THE DISNEY PARKS, EACH INDIVIDUAL CHARACTER IS USUALLY ONLY SCHEDULED TO APPEAR FOR 15-20 MINUTES BEFORE BEING REPLACED BY ANOTHER.  A CAST MEMBER WILL USUALLY TELL A CERTAIN PERSON IN THE LINE THAT THEY ARE AT THE CUT-OFF POINT FOR THAT PARTICULAR CHARACTER.  IF YOU KNOW WHO'S NEXT AND WHERE THE CUT-OFF POINT IS, YOU CAN ALSO PLAN TO BE THE FIRST PERSON IN LINE FOR THE NEXT CHARACTER.  BY FAR THE MOST POPULAR APPEARANCES HAS GROWN TO BE THE PRINCESSES.  THEY USUALLY APPEAR IN A GROUP AND THE DISNEY CRUISE LINE HAS ONE LINE FOR YOU TO SEE ALL OF THEM SO THE TURN OUT OF LITTLE GIRLS IN GOWNS IS HUGE, SO MAKE SURE YOU PLAN ON IT . . . AND TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES!
     SEA YA REAL SOON!   ºOº
TONIGHT'S MOVIE IS "THE RESCUERS".  GREAT VOICE TALENT IN THIS FILM.

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