What is up you guys? I am here again with another installment focusing on our Disney Wish and Disney World Land and Sea trip.
The one we did in the summer.
Like, at the beginning of August.
It’s now early Fall.
This is taking a while. Is what I am saying to you now.
And yeah, I know. It’s been a whole ForkKnife since I wrote last. And for that, I am truly sorr…
Hm?
Oh right. A ForkKnife. You know. Two weeks. Duh.
You need to learn English gooder.
So yeah, it’s been a while but at least this post is insanely long. At least we have that. And each other.
Let’s get on with it!
Our 2023 Disney Land and Sea Extravaganza: Day 5
Since we had no real early morning plans and I had decided to forego my morning run, we slightly slept in on Day 5.
Slightly.
We woke up at 7:45AM. So I mean.
And when we woke up and stepped out on the verandah, we found we were docking in Nassau.
But other than providing us with a slightly different view, this had really no bearing on our day. Since we all decided to stay on and explore the ship.
Honestly, leading up to the trip, we were back and forth on this decision. It’s not that we had no interest in seeing Nassau. But you know, this was a new ship and there was so much to see and experience, we kept going back to thinking we would need that additional Wish time.
Back and forth. Back and forth.
One day, we were like, “Nass-AW YEAH.”
And the next day? We’d be all, “Nass-Naww.”
In the end, we all agreed the ship was worth some more time. Plus, we did end up securing some reservations for today that solidified our decision.
Also, even if we wanted to go to Nassau, I had already started High School Musical 2. So, like, we weren’t going anywhere for a little while.
Anyone who ever says the sequel is never as good as the original has obvs squad never seen this shining example of what a film can be.
We also, as we do, put out our pre-breakfast breakfast room service order on our door the night before for delivery at 8AM. So at 8AM, this bit of wonderful showed up at our door.
We got coffee. We got fruit. We got Froot Loops. Juice. Chocolate Croissants. And Cinnamon Rolls.
Pre-breakfast breakfast is the best because it really eases us into the idea of having breakfast. Which is helpful.
Because sometimes pancakes can be very overwhelming.
As we were listening to the dulcet tones of Ashley Tisdale and stuffing pastries into our mouth-holes, we continued to dock in Nassau.
We pulled up next to Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas as well.
And we proceeded to, as one does on a cruise ship pulled up next to another ship, completely talk about that ship behind its back.
Sorry. Behind its stern.
Yeah, we were totally ship-shaming. But come on, man. That thing wishes it was the Wish.
Nickie and I had some fancy-pants-ness to get to today so we got hella-pretty.
We are legit the coolest.
Also, I know I mentioned them before but those sunglasses I’m wearing are the ones Nickie had custom-made. Nickie put them not only in my bag but also in all the fish extender bags she put together, both for our party and everyone in her fish extender group (again, fish extenders explained here.
Not only did these sunglasses make me look like some sort of model but they also acted as a memento for our trip, sporting “Let’s Set Sail” on one temple and “Disney Wish Cruise ‘23” on the other.
And these things were hot commodities you guys. A couple people on the cruise asked me where I got them and I had to be like, “oh these? Pfft, these are custom Nickie Goodreaus” and then walk away dismissively.
Like I said, we had some stuff reserved today and at around 9AM, we had to head down for the first activity we reserved – The Royal Gathering. For those not in the know, the Royal Gathering offers one-on-one meetings and photo opportunities with 5 different Disney princesses. And while this doesn’t cost any extra, it does book up so we had to reserve it in advance.
On our way there, I snapped a picture of this terrifying painting of our ship having an entire side being ripped off in what I can only imagine was some sort of devastating natural disaster.
So yeah, we had to get down to the Royal Gathering. But I mean. Pfft. Disney princesses. Who cares, right? Yeah, we booked it and everything but we were down there with the Falzones. You know, for Mia.
I like football, you guys. And cars. Disney princesses are really not my thi…
OMG LOOK AT CINDERELLA.
Sorry. Ha. She’s just a statue.
But yeah, there were real princesses there too you guys. So, relax. I’m getting to them.
Yeesh.
OK, so the way this works is you get in line close to your reservation time. Then, once you get through that line, you see your first princess. Then you get in a smaller, but still existent line. Then, the next princess. Then, another line. Princess. Line. Princess. Et cetera.
I know I made that sound like a lot of lines. Technically, it is. But those subsequent lines after the first line? Not all that line-y.
Whatever. Rapunzel was up first. And look how cute this picture is.
And even cuter? Mia also drew pictures for each of the princesses.
Which yeah, cute.
But it also made me look really bad in front of Moana. Thanks A LOT Mia.
After the Falzones, it was our turn to grab a picture with Rapunzel.
Next up was Tiana.
Guys, I am loving this whole Princess and the Frog resurgence. Like, in the parks. On the ships. It’s like Tiana is everywhere these days and I. Am. Here. For. It.
Belle was next up. What a puzzle to the rest of us. Amirite?
And last but certainly not least? The aforementioned Moana. Make way.
MAKE way.
Moana is obviously a born leader. On account of she even got Tony out there.
Moana kind of killed it out there. She was super interactive and seemed genuinely happy to see us. Which always feels like magic on account of it’s a relatively unknown feeling to me.
After our audience with royalty, Nickie, Larissa, and I headed over to the Wishing Star Café, right off the Grand Hall, for some caffeinated situations.
And, like, we got some lattes. But not just any latte. These lattes had caramel in them. And coconut. And. AND. They were pretty AF.
Here’s Nickie’s.
And here’s mine.
Larissa got one too but I neglected to take a picture of it. It was a dog. Not Goofy. Not Pluto. Not even Bolt. Just a rando dog.
It was a ruff choice.
The Wishing Star was a cool little location though. On account of all the Pinocchio up in here.
Very cool place.
But we couldn’t spend too much time there. On account of, guys. We had plans.
And the best kind of plans are the plans we had. Because these plans? They were BRUNCH plans.
And not only were they brunch plans. They were adult-only brunch plans at Palo Steakhouse. And ALL THE ADULTS in our party were going.
All ten of us. And we looked GOOD.
Epic shizz right there.
The kids were sort of spreading out all over the boat. Myles, Owen, and Jimmy went to explore the boat and participate in some assorted trivia while the rest of the kids made use of the kids’ clubs and nursery. Cruises are the best because they really give us the chance to walk in the shoes of neglectful parents.
It’s not bad.
We all first met up at The Rose, the Beauty and the Beast-themed lounge next door.
Which is awesome. Because I love Beauty and the Beast. It’s one of my favorite fi…
Oh. It’s the live-action one. Dammit.
Ah well. Still. It’s a beautiful spot. Those windows are all like, “hello.”
Outside The Rose, there was another cruise ship that looked a little nicer than the other ship we saw that morning.
Oh, guys. Ha. Do I have a story for you? A story about pants.
Which, like, we all know are the best kinds of stories.
So, ok. This one starts with a little flashback. Come with me…back to Day 2 at the Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport.
As you might recall, we ended that night having some drinks out by the pool and talking about what we had to look forward to the rest of the trip. While we were there, Tony informed us that he brought no long pants. Which would be fine. I mean, we were heading to the Bahamas in the middle of the summer. Who needs pants?
Welp. Tony needed pants. Because pants are, in fact, required at Palo Steakhouse. And Nickie reminded him of this multiple times leading up to the trip. But he wasn’t having it.
“Pants, schmants.” – Tony (paraphrased)
He was really slacking on the whole pants thing.
That night out by the pool, Tony assured us this wouldn’t be a problem. He figured they’d let him go in shorts or, at the very least, we could pretend he had some sort of pant-allergy.
However, when we got onto the ship, he looked into it and it turned out he was actually going to need pants. When he called down to ask, the cast member on the line told him this happens frequently and he could use some…
…
Loaner pants.
Lulz.
He obviously made them look good though.
Those pants though. They’re like less-than-tailored for sure. It looks like he got them from a one-size-fits-all “80s Businessman” Halloween costume.
So great.
Tony is legit the best.
Let’s go brunch you guys.
When the time came, we were led into the restaurant, past two of my favorite things in this godforsaken world.
Wine.
AND cheese.
Those are the best things.
Prior to the trip, a while back, we requested the restaurant’s private room in the back since we had such a big group. We had no idea if we would get it or not so all of us had individual brunch reservations a few days before we embarked. But, thankfully, we ended up getting it so we let go of those in favor of BRUNCH PARTY!
But yeah a private room. And, like, I took no actual pictures of just the room. I am teh suck.
Also, this room came with its own private deck on the aft of the ship. Oh yeah. We VIPin up in here.
I did take pictures out on the deck but hold up. Let’s get situated first.
Here’s a dish with a napkin on it.
And here’s the menu.
OK, we’re situated.
Actually, I guess I should explain how this whole brunch thing works. As you can see on that menu up there, there aren’t really that many prices aside from a few drinks at the top. That’s because this brunch is sort of a flat fee situation. The brunch experience costs $45/person (with a wine add-on for another $70 if you want) plus extra for most alcohol.
That $45 covers your entire meal, as much as you want. So buckle up guys. Because this brunch is A LOT.
As I said above, there is an extra charge for most alcohol. Most. Because they do include a starter drink – a mimosa, straight prosecco, or a non-alcoholic option. I opted for the straight prosecco because I have a drinking problem and juice would only get in the way.
We brought our morning cocktails out to our private deck.
But I mean. It was hot. And like, we had A LOT of food coming.
I also have to at this point mention our server, Silvio. I know I have had some mixed feelings on the waitstaff and servers on the Wish. But MAN, Silvio was best. He was attentive. He was completely versed on the menu. He provided actual recommendations. And he was charming, easy to talk to. A real gem of a human being.
Pfft.
No.
I am NOT in love with Silvio.
But dude was great.
Alright. Let’s get to the food.
To start, we had our choice of antipasti. Or I mean, I am sure you could get both if you want. Whatever you Wish.
But we had our choice of either the Seafood Antipasti (Jonah Crab Claw, Lemon-Marinated Shrimp, Marinated Green Lip Mussels, Spiced Ahi Tuna, Gravlax served with Meyer Lemon, Saffron Aioli, Dill Honey Mustard and Cocktail Sauce).
Or the Meat and Cheese choice (Sliced Prosciutto, Sliced Coppa, Sliced Bresaola, Salame Gentile, Marinated erignola Olives, Roasted Garlic, Caciotta a Tartufo, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Sweet Pepperdew).
There was a good mix of each around the table. I went in for the seafood choice. And it was deffo good stuff. I have a hard time deciding which piece of the antipasti I liked most – the tuna, the shrimp, or the gravlax. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the crab claw or the mussel though.
I also did try some of Nickie’s meat and cheese. And oof, that parmigiano-reggiano. Old cheese > crab legs. That’s a fact.
Silvio also gave each of us a little bit of some special balsamic the chef prepared. And this stuff was like…I’d bathe in it if it were socially acceptable. This balsamic will feature a little bit later too.
We also had a couple bread baskets to go along with our antipasti.
For my egg dish, I went with the Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise, Smoked Salmon, and Caviar. And hooked it up with some fresh ground pepper.
So insanely good. The buttery flavor of the Hollandaise. The smokey salmon. The runny egg yolk. All topped with a pop of caviar. Legit.
It was at this point the balsamic made its next appearance. Check it out.
Yup. It’s in there.
That drink is a Balsamic Grande – a signature cocktail at Palo Steakhouse. Made with vodka, muddled strawberries, and a splash of 5 year old balsamic vinegar. And man oh man…this drink was incredible. Refreshing but with a good amount of depth to it.
And there was vodka. So I mean.
As we were talking about the chef’s 5 year old balsamic, Silvio started filling us in on our chef for this meal, Marco. We could already tell Marco was some sort of wizard but also? According to Silvio, Chef Marco was Michael Jackson’s chef.
Soon after this revelation, Marco came out to join us. And dude was a character.
And yeah, Michael Jackson’s chef. I had questions.
None of which I asked.
Next came the soup. We had a choice of Heirloom Tomato and Basil (with Grape Tomatoes and Virgin Olive Oil) or Celery (with Spiced Italian Sausage and Focaccia Croutons).
I went with the celery. Look at this masterpiece.
This was a great soup. I mean, I’m sure the tomato was good too but how often does one get celery soup? And that sausage was mwah. I tried to save a couple pieces for after I finished slurping up the rest of the soup. And pro tip – you should too. It was like a soup dessert.
One would think at this point, we would get to the entrée portion of our meal.
One would be wrong.
Because it was flatbread time.
There were three flatbread choices on the menu.
So we ordered four.
You know, for the table.
We got the Spicy Italian Sausage…
…the Margherita…
…the Goat Cheese and Sundried Tomato…
…and an off-the-menu choice we heard about. The Grape and Gorgonzola.
I tried all four of them. You know, for research.
And every single one of those flatbreads were fantastic. If I had to choose one, I’d probably go with that Spicy Sausage but the Grape and Gorgonzola was definitely one I would get again.
OK finally. It’s entrée time. But I just want to restate – we’ve had bread, antipasti, eggs, soup, and flatbreads already.
This day? It’s great. Seriously. It was. It’s so great to be at a table filled with people whose company you truly enjoy. We laughed far too much at this brunch. Especially at the story Mikey told us about Steph when they went to Cancun. I guess she had enjoyed a tad too much tequila because when she sat down to dinner, she just started eating the apples from the centerpiece in the middle of the table thinking they were snacks.
These are my people. Is what I am saying to you now.
I had finished my Balsamic Grande at this point and I decided to move to beer to complement my entrée. Silvio recommended a La Fin du Monde triple blonde. Which rhymes.
I’d also like to point out that it was 12:30PM at this point.
Our brunch started at 10:30AM.
And that is in NO WAY a complaint.
For our entrees, Nickie and I both got our own dish plus one to split. We both wanted our own helping of Palo’s Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Breast (Topped with a San Marzano Tomato Basil Sauce and Mozzarella Cheese, on a Creamy Arborio Rice Risotto).
And yeah, it’s chicken parm. But it’s REAL good chicken parm. The legends were true.
And to split, we ordered the Lasagna Bolognese with Roma Tomato Sauce.
And again. Lasagna, right? NBD. But look at this friggin thing.
The chicken is great. Probably the best of the dishes on the menu. But that lasagna was a very close second.
Garfield would have been psyched. He loves lasagna. In case you didn’t know.
Also? Not the biggest fan of Mondays I hear.
I also took a picture of Robyn’s Rollatini Melanzane (Lightly Breaded Baked Eggplant filled with Prosciutto, sweet Ricotta and Mozzarella, Toscana Sauce, Aged Balsamic Modena).
Which I didn’t try but Robyn said was very good.
After we finished up our entrees, it was of course time for dessert. Nickie and I ordered three different desserts to split. Because why stop now.
We got the Buttermilk Panna Cotta Pot with Strawberry Popping Pearls and Pistachio Crumble.
The Italian Zabaglione with Fresh Berries, Marsala Wine, and Biscotti.
And the Limoncello Torte (Citrus Cake, Crème Cheese, Lemon Curd, Citrus Salad).
All three were delicious but I’d give the nod to the Zabaglione. The berries and cream both tasted incredibly fresh and it was light enough so as to not make me feel like the Gluttony guy in Se7en.
But honestly, all three were great. I actually think Nickie preferred the Panna Cotta. And the Limoncello Torte was a good choice as well.
I also actually tried a bite of Robyn’s Warm Amarette Chocolate Fondant with Double Chocolate Sauce, Hazelnut Gelato, and Mocha Chocolate Soil as well.
You know. Again. For research.
Which was also rull nice. Super duper chocolatey and rich but the gelato helped to temper that a bit. Real good.
I paired my dessert with the best cappuccino I had on the ship.
What an incredible meal. From the food to the drinks to the service to the company, it was literally perfection.
By the end of the meal, the parents around the table with younger kids were starting to get their summonses from their children. I mean, in their defense, it had been literal hours. So we wrapped things up. But we capped off the meal by getting a picture with Silvio. Who, again was fantastic.
I also want to preface this picture by saying I toyed with the idea of not including this picture because, post-Palo, I was looking a bit…erm…bloated.
But guys, I live my truth on here. So have at it, celebrity gossip sites. Tear me apart.
Man, it looks like I ate my earlier self along with my chicken parm.
When Nickie and I got back to our room, the boys were already back and they were awash in victory. While we were brunching it up, they and Jimmy…
…won Muppets trivia!!!
Here they are, um. Tasting their medals?
Pfft, Myles was all, “germs and blah blah blah” before the cruise. Now look at him. Eating trivia medals.
He really grew as a person on this ship.
In addition to all that medal-eating happening on the balcony, we also spent some time exchanging stories out on the verandah.
It was an intensely pretty day on Day 5.
And that was some intensely pretty water.
And we were an intensely pretty family.
We also got some more fish extender gifts!!
Including the ones from the Falzones. We were swimming in bags today.
Which is great since I have so many things that go inside bags.
At this point, it was about 2PM. The boys and I headed up to Deck 11 to potentially go for a swim. When we got there, Tangled was playing on the Funnel Vision. So we obviously got distracted.
Nickie messaged us at this point to tell us the Family Time Game Show was about to start in Triton’s Lounge so we told her we’d meet her there. But before we headed back, the boys wanted to stop off at Wheezy’s Freezies for some shaved ice.
Owen ordered a Watermelon and Myles got a Pineapple.
Cool stuff, that Wheezy’s Freezies. But not nearly as cool as Freezy Freakies, the gloves that revealed robots and unicorns only when they got cold. And just now, as I was looking up Freezy Freakies to make sure they weren’t some sort of awesome 80’s fever dream, I found out they are making them again?
Ahem, Nickie. Christmas is around the corner.
Hell, it might even BE Christmas by the time we finish this blog series.
To Triton’s!
We arrived at Triton’s Lounge a little before 2:30, which was when the show was going to start, so Nickie and I grabbed a couple beers at Keg and Compass before the show began.
Tony ended up meeting us there too. And he also got a beer.
Because he is in fact a huge copycat.
The game show itself was fun. The show hosts picked three different parent/child two-person teams and the game consisted of two different rounds. In the first round, the kids sat in front and were asked different Disney-related personality type questions. The parents behind them had to write down on a white board what they thought they kids would say. Points were earned for every matching answer.
In Round 2, the parents sat in front, kids behind. And the kids had to guess what the parents would say.
It was a lot like the Newlywed Game. You know. Without the “whoopie”.
And ok. So first round. Everything went fine. Second round? When the kids were guessing? I don’t wanna say there were some shenanigans going on.
But well. There were some shenanigans going on. White boards erase far too easily. Is all I’m saying.
Still tho. The show was really fun. The hosts were quick and funny and high-energy. And they kept the audience involved as well. It was good times, great oldies.
After the show, since we already had our swimming shizz on, we headed to the Chip and Dale pool.
The Chippendale pool?
No no. I mean, it was a lot like that. Just way more handsome.
But eh, that pool was a little crowd-town so we all decided to go to the adults-only infinity pool. On our way, we passed another look at the Independence of the Seas.
And oof, the sky was blue today. Like so blue Smurfs be like, “that’s smurfin’ blue.”
The infinity pool was once again magical.
And I say that without one single Long Island Iced Tea. But this view? This view was my Long Island Iced Tea this time around.
We probably spent about 45 minutes or so in the infinity pool before deciding to head to yet another destination. I know, we were bipping and bopping you guys.
Bipping and frikkin bopping.
On our way to said destination, we stopped off for some soft serve. And today’s flavor was blueberry, which was all kinds of exciting.
So good, btw. I mean, I love me some chocolate and vanilla obvs squad but blueberry feels to me such an underrepresented flavor. Know what I mean? Like, why was Boo-Berry always the one that felt like an afterthought to Count Chocula and Franken-Berry? That is a travesty, my guy. BOOOOOOO.
Berry. Boo-Berry.
But yeah, good ice cream. Is what I am saying to you now.
So right. Our destination. We were off to a galaxy far, far away.
Yup. Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge.
Pew Pew.
So I mentioned this before, but the whole deal with Hyperspace Lounge is that it’s supposed to feel like you’re on a luxury starcruiser traveling from planet to planet. Every so often, the lounge jumps to hyperspace and you go to a new location seen outside the viewport behind the bar.
There are of course little Star Wars-y touches here and there.
But I mean, the whole place feels a tad…I dunno…empty? I get it’s a completely different vibe but like when you walk into Oga’s Cantina in the parks, the place just feels Star Wars. This place? Sort of felt like a Star Wars-themed Air BnB. Like themed and everything but themed by someone that doesn’t theme things for a living.
The viewport thing was pretty cool though.
And I dug the menu as well.
Though again, I mean look at this page on the menu.
That there is a $5000 cocktail. The Kaiburr Crystal. And the only line of description? “The galaxy’s rarest and most valuable cocktail.”
That’s it. I mean I get it if they want to keep the ingredients a mystery or whatever but at least put some work into it. The whole thing had a very half-baked feeling to it. You know, like Attack of the Clones.
Hey-oh!
But seriously, Attack of the Clones was straight up dooku.
BTW – if you wanna know what actually is in that situation, here is a link describing the whole thing.
All the drinks on the menu were portrayed as hailing from different locales. I went with, for example, the Freetown Reserve from Tattooine.
The drink is described as being made of Bantha hides mashed with fermented grains. The description also states it’s made with Woodford Reserve Double Oaked. And the whole thing is a presentation. It started with a glittery BB-8 ice cube and the glass from which the drink was poured was filled with smoke.
It was a heck of a presentation.
And the drink itself was delicious. I mean it basically tasted like bourbon. So again, delicious.
Nickie actually didn’t see any drinks on the menu that appealed to her so our waitress asked her what kinds of drinks she liked. When she answered, “Cosmopolitan,” our waitress said she would make something up special for her.
And that was this. Which was a drink. With a smoke bubble.
This waitress btw? She was great.
The boys each ordered a Cloud City (Oat Milk, Blue Raspberry, and Galaxy Ice Cream).
I love how the light is catching that smoke bubble just right so it looks like a cute little Death Star. Capable of so much adorable destruction.
Also, just like we were served in the Bayou, they gave us a little dish of Fava beans to enjoy with our cocktails.
So again…
Also, while we were there, the Marquados and the O’Learys joined us. Which was…
…
Here it comes.
…
It had to happen at some point.
…
I apologize in advance.
…
Out of this world. It was out of this world.
We hung out in Hyperspace Lounge for a while but eventually we had to get out of there so all of us could get showered and ready for the night’s activities.
I brought what was left of my drink back to the room and there, in the light of day, I had a clear view of just how glittery my drink had become.
I do love me some glittery drinks. I’m sure someday I’ll be watching daytime TV and a commercial will come on asking me if I’ve had glittery drinks between 2020 and 2024 and if so, I may be eligible for compensation.
But for now? Let’s glitter it up mofos.
So right. We got ready and headed out at around 5:45. For dinner tonight, we were back at Worlds of Marvel.
But our menu tonight would be different. Since tonight? It was Pirate Night!
Here’s a closer look at the menu.
I should also mention we were sans Tony and Larissa tonight because they were having an anniversary dinner back at Palo Steakhouse.
Yup, two meals at Palo Steakhouse in one day. I feel like I’d sink the ship.
But the rest of us were looking all kinds of ARRRR-dorable.
Our meal started with a Bread Service consisting of Johnny Cake with a Mango Dip.
The bread was lovely but the mango dip was a little too much, I thought. I like mango. But this was way too mango.
Unlike Chris Kattan. Who was just the right amount of Mango.
I also know, in keeping with the theme, I ordered a Captain and Diet Coke. The theme obviously being pirates looking to lose a couple pounds.
For my appetizer, I went with the Deep Fried Calypso Crab Cake with Cajun Remoulade, Green Onion, and Lemon.
Which was a real good crab cake, especially when dipped in that remoulade.
I also got a Carrot and Cilantro Soup.
It was a good soup, but the menu said it should have come with Banana Bread Croutons and these were nowhere to be found. And between you and me? The Banana Bread Croutons were the only reason I ordered said soup.
Still though. Solid soup.
Well, not solid. It was definitely a liquid.
For my entrée, I went with Tia Dalma’s Jerk Chicken. 48-hour Jerk Marinated Chicken, Grilled and served with Rice and Peas, Fried Plantains, and a Pineapple-Chili Salsa.
This was actually pretty tasty as well. The chicken wasn’t dry in the least and the jerk seasoning added a good kick without being overly spicy. And that pineapple-chili salsa was noice.
It’s interesting. You know, I feel like when we got back I was kind of disparaging the Pirate’s Night menu but honestly? I really liked my food tonight. I think the issue is just compared to the menus every other night, this one just wasn’t all that exciting. But still, it was all good stuff.
For dessert, a bunch of the kids went in for some Mickey bars.
Nickie and I, once again, split a couple desserts. We got the Pirate’s Treasure Sundae (Rum Raisin lce Cream, Pineapple, Whipped Cream and Florentine shard).
And the Bananas in Paradise (Layered Banana Bread with Hazelnut Fudge filling served with a Banana Spice Purée).
Both of these were….fine.
Rum Raisin is deffo an interesting ice cream flavor choice and the Bananas in Paradise. I mean, I dig banana bread and everything but overall, it was just sort of boring. Not a ton there. Again, that’s sort of where the Pirate Night menu falters in comparison to the other menus. It lacks the more showier dishes you find at other dinners. Which is kind of shocking considering how much pirates love putting on a show.
Especially Captain Feathersword.
After dinner, we all went up to Deck 11 for the “Mickey’s Pirates in the Caribbean” deck party. As we arrived on Deck 11, we got to watch the sun start to go to sleep for the night.
And yeah. It was a pirate-themed Disney character theme party. Of course it was fun. A-doy.
Soph and Scarlett had the best seats in the house, obvs.
Although whatever. When Scarlett hops on Mikey’s shoulders, its all “omg that’s so cute.” When I try to jump on Mikey’s shoulders it’s all “omg what the hell are you trying to kill me get off you almost broke my neck you stupid drunk idiot.”
At some point in the show, Sophia switched to Myles’s shoulders. But still. Shoulders.
And right. It wasn’t just Mickey and friends. It was also pirates you guys. Like look – Captain James Hook.
Oh check it out. Me and my booty.
The party was super fun tho for sure. Lots of singing, lots of dancing. And like, we got into it y’all.
Yeah, we asked the kids do their best Captain Hook impressions. And I mean, while they’re all obvs squad adorbz, the whole hook thing looked much better in my mind.
I think the party ended at around 8:30 or so? Which worked out because there was some trivia happening in Triton’s Lounge we wanted to hit up. On account of it was Walt Disney Trivia!
Now I want to be clear. This was WALT DISNEY trivia. Like, trivia about the man Walt Disney. Not general Disney trivia. I only bring this up because while we knew that, it kind became clear by the completely full house when we arrived, not everyone there was aware of this.
A bunch of us went so we split into teams. The teams were Robyn and Maryanne…
…Jimmy, Myles, and Owen…
…and me, Nickie, and Terry. Though I only have a very blurry picture of me and Terry. I think Nickie was grabbing beers maybe when I took it?
But I think that was probably for the best. Honestly, Nickie was kind of doing her whole thing and filling in her own sheet of answers throughout the whole thing anyway.
So ok. This trivia situation.
There were 20 questions asked about Walt Disney. The host asked all the questions and we wrote our answers down as he asked. At the end, he read off the answers and we got a point for each one we got right.
After everyone had marked off their answers, the host started asking, “who got more than 10 right? 11 right? 12 right? Etc. etc.” As hands started going down, I started to get the feeling it was going to come down to our team and the Myles, Jimmy, and Owen team. And sure enough, when he reached 15 we were the only two teams with our hands up. And when he reached 17, both teams put their hands down.
A tie. Oof. And the crowd had, by this point, figured out it was a parent vs. child situation. Which added to the drama.
The host proclaimed it would come down to a tie breaker question. One question. And the team with the answer closest would win.
He asked the question. It was something along the lines “what year did the company change their name to the ‘Walt Disney Studios’”? I don’t fully remember our answers honestly, but I do remember one thing.
I was closest.
And I erupted into a whole NO CHILD CAN BEAT THE GRINCH sort of vibe.
Because I am THE BEST sport.
It was pretty epictown tho. And the host, seeing this was the kind of thing that could divide a family, gave our team all 4 medals. So we kept one and gave the other three to the kids. Because I mean, we all kind of won.
But also, we won more.
So at that point, we all headed back to our rooms. When we arrived at ours, we saw these hanging outside of the Falzones’ room next door.
Aw Tony’s loaner pants. It’s been great and we will miss you.
When we got into our room, we had a new towel animal waiting for us along with some chocolate coins.
And um. It’s a um. A pirate? Is that what it is? It must be a pirate right?
Owen also was in the mood for some milk and cookies so he called in a room service order. Which was a big deal. On account of I am not 100% he’s ever used a phone with a cord on it.
It was a big step.
Also, given it was pirate night, we felt it was apropos to watch some Peter Pan. But apparently, we mistakenly ordered the horror remake because this picture? It’s terrifying.
Oh wait. No, its just normal Peter Pan.
Phew, that was scary there for a second.
At around 10:00PM, it was time to head back up to Deck 11 for the Pirate’s Rockin’ Parlay Party. Well, actually, some of the kids headed up a little bit earlier than us to secure a spot. When the rest of us got there, we grabbed a spot on the upper deck on the starboard side underneath the AquaMouse. And the kids came to meet us.
So, like – Adults : 1, Kids : 0.
The Rockin’ Parlay Party was pretty frakkin awesome man. The show features the Scalawags pirate band, headed by Captain Redd.
I think the plot of the show was something like, “pirates gotta rock” or something like that. They played a bunch of classic rock songs (like for example “We’re Not Gonna Take It”) as well as, duh of course, “Yo Ho Yo Ho a Pirate’s Life for Me.”
And they kind of killed that shizz you guys. Legit rocked the boat.
Don’t rock the boat baby.
Rock the boat.
Don’t tip the boat over.
Rock the boooooooooat.
Sorry. Whenever anyone says that phrase, I HAVE to sing the Hues Corporation.
You: What phrase?
Me: You know the one that I mentioned up there. The one that ended that last sentence there.
You: Rock the boat?
Me: (sighs) Don’t rock the boat baby rock the boat don’t tip the boat over rock the boooooooat.
Please stop.
But yeah, they were killing it.
And of course, Jack Sparrow showed up. Drunk. Per usual.
And dude brought fireworks he shot off the side of the ship.
After the fireworks, the band played on. Though they did so without Captain Redd at that point. And I wish I could remember the guy’s name who took over lead singer duties. Because he was pretty incredible stuff. He played a pretty wide range of songs from Pharrell to the Weeknd to Journey to an insane rendition of “Sweet Child O’ Mine.”
The kids all got pretty into it.
They even formed a dance circle.
And that dance circle was pretty tight man. I know this firsthand. On account of they wouldn’t let me in.
Jerks.
The party ended around 11PM so we all went back to our staterooms. And when we got back to ours, there was some pooh on our TV.
Oh you.
I mean that Owen started up Winnie-the-Pooh as our movie for the night. I also may have had a tiny little Scotch on the verandah but I have no photo proof of said activity. But trust me. It was dark out. So I was obviously drinking a Scotch.
And yeah, that was Day 5. It was A LOT you guys. Like 24 Word pages in 11-point Calibri worth. Holy crud.
Stay tuned though for Day 6. On account of Day 6? It’s Castaway Cay day!!
See you guys then!
Last post – Day 4
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