Nostalgia Thread: How Has Disney Cruise Line Changed?

[pfp258]

Disney University....my girls have three or four T-shirt’s they received in the kids club and the graduate hat with Mickey Ears. I always loved the show they had at the end of the cruise when all the kids would march down the aisles and come up on the stage. They showed photos of the kids week in the kids clubs on the screens and played the song On My Way from the movie Brother Bear. (I just looked it up on YouTube and listening to it brought tears to my eyes)
Steel drum music by the pools, dessert buffet with chocolate fountain, nightly entertainment, dinners used to have more fun (international night with the flags, sorcerer Mickey, magic tricks for the kids)
We love our Disney Cruises, but after 14 cruises we may be ready to jump ship to another line. We brought my sister, her husband and my two nephews who are 5 and 9 (along with our grown daughter and their boyfriends) on a recent week long Fantasy Cruise and I just found the “magic” missing for the kiddos. We all had a wonderful trip, but I knew what was missing.

 

[keaster]

Some of the things I miss have already been mentioned:

Flying Dutchman

Age groups separated between club/lab

The Friendship Rocks! show the kids in the club would do in the theatre!

 

[DVC Doc]

What is Voyage of the Ghost Ship?

Voyage of the Ghost Ship was one of the original 3 Broadway-style shows on the Disney Magic. Back then, DCL was very big on promoting activities geared for kids, families, and adults. Disney Dreams was the “kids” show, Hercules: The Musical was the “family” show, and Voyage of the Ghost Ship was the “adult” show. It had all original music and some neat special effects, but was never very popular. You can find it if you look around on YouTube.

 

[disneylove69]

Waving at the people on the Big Red Boat (anyone else besides me old enough to have sailed on it?)

Fireworks while docked in Nassau

Common Grounds teen club (where Cove Cafe is now)

Dueling pianos bar

Jackets required for men in Lumiere’s

Konch Kooler on Castaway Cay served in a souvenir conch

If I Were Not Upon the Sea

I have been on the Big Red Boat. My first Disney cruise.

 

[Soham KB]

I went on the Disney Magic in November 2008, Western Caribbean.
I was four years old, so I don’t remember much, but here goes:
The Mickey Slide - I loved it and don’t know why DCL had to get rid of it.
Topsiders - I don’t know if they still do this, but the waving of napkins (?) in the air.
OC & OL - I remember going on that pirate ship slide in the OC like there was no tomorrow. I mean like I loved it. I did some other things there, including coloring. I skipped out on the trip to Topsiders, and I didn’t even go to the OL
The Stack - Yes, I know. I was only four. But on the open house day, I went into TS and was thinking how cool it would be when I grew up to be there. Obviously there’s Vibe, but I don’t like how they changed that.
Beat Street - I went once with my parents and grandparents, and I remember going to a show/performance there; no longer mentioned on the website.
There must be many things I’m leaving out, but you get the idea.
Overall, as someone mentioned earlier in this thread, I don’t like how DCL changed the Magic and Wonder to be like the Dream and Fantasy. Now knowing what I know, I would have done much more before reimagination.

PS: If someone has a time machine that I can borrow, can I use it?
PPS: Sorry for the long post

 

[kramden88]

Fireworks while docked in Nassau

I have no recollection of that! Although I love the fireworks at sea and it makes sense for them--no free shows for the other ships!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

--no free shows for the other ships!

Have you looked around in Pirate night and see the number of other ships that "just happen to be in the area"?

 

[slg]

I agree that there are lots of things I miss...I really loved the age different clubs and the activities they used to offer. I loved the gold and platinum party...it needs to come back for shorter cruises. I really prefer more shows and hate the doubling up.

There are good changes too....harder to think of those though. I do like the auto tipping though. The fridges are better and the safes are better too. I think the shops aren’t as good as they used to be.

I miss the better perks for castaway members although I get there are too many now. They should just add categories....why are they waiting for That?

Also, I like the placeholder deposit instead of having to book a cruise although I liked that it would never expire.

I am disappointed that they never upgrade anymore. That was always something to hope for!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I agree that there are lots of things I miss...I really loved the age different clubs and the activities they used to offer. I loved the gold and platinum party...it needs to come back for shorter cruises. I really prefer more shows and hate the doubling up.

There are good changes too....harder to think of those though. I do like the auto tipping though. The fridges are better and the safes are better too. I think the shops aren’t as good as they used to be.

I miss the better perks for castaway members although I get there are too many now. They should just add categories....why are they waiting for That?

Also, I like the placeholder deposit instead of having to book a cruise although I liked that it would never expire.

I am disappointed that they never upgrade anymore. That was always something to hope for!

They still do upgrades. We've had them on several cruises.

 

[slg]

They still do upgrades. We've had them on several cruises.

Really? Not on GTY or VGT? Just regular? I didn’t think,they did them anymore.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Really? Not on GTY or VGT? Just regular? I didn’t think,they did them anymore.

Well, they were GTYs. Not sure about upgrades on specific room reservations.

 

[dcassetta]

Have you looked around in Pirate night and see the number of other ships that "just happen to be in the area"?

A friend on a RCCL crew said they actually announced it. "Look over there, Disney's going to be shooting off fireworks."

 

[tvguy]

The whole cruise industry has changed so much since my first cruise in 1980. Much much much more casual than it used to be. Disney was much more casual than other lines when they launched, and continue to be. And they have fueled the "family" cruising industry as opposed to the "once in a lifetime" cruise industry.
I remember the celebrations on these boards when Disney decided to include soda at no extra charge. We cruised Disney before then, and my kids did just fine with the fruit punch that was available in the buffets.

 

[DynamicDisneyDuo]

I remember the celebrations on these boards when Disney decided to include soda at no extra charge.

With the rate at which DCL is moving to be "more in line with the industry" or however they put it, I wouldn't be surprised if soda packages come back some day. Throw in that they used to charge for it in the past and they can just say they are going back to the old days.

 

[tvguy]

With the rate at which DCL is moving to be "more in line with the industry" or however they put it, I wouldn't be surprised if soda packages come back some day. Throw in that they used to charge for it in the past and they can just say they are going back to the old days.

I've always felt DCL was very good at reading their passengers wants and predicting their tolerances to change. I suspected the fare hikes they imposed about the time more than offset the lost revenue with soda became included. And one of the most amazing things I learned being on a Little League Board and running a snack bar is how little soda costs. We had a debate about "snack bar bucks". $1 each, kids got a hot dog and a soda. Our cost.....1/2 cent for the soda, 1 cent for the cup, and 17 cents for the hot dog and 10 cents for the bun.