Disney Cruise Log: Til We Meet Again

Following our unexpected sea day, our last full day was spent docked at Marseille, but as the weather was far from lovely, we opted to stay on the ship.

I actually started my day bright and early and was in the gym for 7am, then went for a short run around the jogging track on deck 4, then headed back to the room where our room service breakfast arrived shortly afterwards. Once we’d eaten and got dressed, we went to hang out in the Promenade Lounge for a little while, and then I decided to go to the onboard cinema and watch Beauty and the Beast

Lunch was our final trip to Cabanas, making the most of the buffet, and then we did make our way out onto the deck in the end, sticking to the 18+ area which was nice and quiet. Eventually we plucked up the courage to strip down to our swimsuits, despite the cold, and thought we’d found the courage to do the ship’s more extreme water slide, the Aquadunk, but once the four of us were up there, both Sarah and I chickened out and it was just Chelsea and Tilly who experienced the floor dropping out from underneath them! We all quickly recovered from that in the hot tub though..

Once it was about 4:30pm and had started to rain, we all abandoned the hot tub and went to change for the evening. Before the show we queued to meet Minnie and then Mickey who were out for their final time in their sailor best, and then took our seats in the theatre for Disney Dreams.

The show was sweet, and I teared up here and there but for me it wasn’t as incredible as some of the other shows we’d seen in the week, but it was a lovely ending. After that, Sarah and I both went to D-Lounge for the Q&A session with Josh Strickland, the Broadway star we’d seen perform the night before, and stayed for a photo and an autograph before rushing to dinner, which for the last time was at Animators Palate.

Now I’ve loved everything about Animators Palate on this trip, but tonight’s meal was so cool. Upon arriving at the table, we were asked to draw a little character onto a template, and these were then taken away from us before the food. After we’d eaten, we got to watch our creations come to life on the screens around the restaurant as our little people danced around with Mickey and some other Disney favourites – it was truly magical!

We rushed away from dinner to the atrium to get a good spot for the Til We Meet Again show, which was sad but also slightly underwhelming as it had been quite hyped up, but it was still great to see all the amazing characters and cast members who had made our trip so special. We went to get one final drink as a group, and then all headed for bed.

Disembarkation day came far too quickly, and we had to be up way too early as our final breakfast was at 8:15, and as we had opted to take our own bags off the ship, we had to lug them with us. After we’d eaten we finally had to accept we were leaving the boat, and had to drag our sorry butts and luggage back to the dock terminal and join the huge line of guests waiting for a taxi.

This trip has been really special. Not only have I experienced a side of Disney that I have never seen before, and experienced it with some of my favourite people, but without a doubt I have met the nicest cast members. From our servers and stateroom hosts to character attendants and the characters themselves, I have been absolutely wowed by people on this ship. Thanks for helping me make some truly magical memories.

Top 10 Most Underrated Disney Characters

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With over 50 animated classics filled with amazing characters, its easy for some to slip through the net when people think about their favourites.

This makes me kinda sad, especially as some of these absolute gems have disappeared from the Disney parks, while some didn’t even get their chance, so in honour of these forgotten wonders, here are my top 10:

1. Meeko

I frequently talk about my love of Meeko. As a kid, Pocahontas was one of my favourite films, purely for Meeko, and I once was so excited to meet him in WDW that I practically tackled him to the floor.

2. Esmeralda

Hunchback was another film I loved as a kid, and I had a toy set which included an Esmeralda doll. As an adult, I now obviously see the darker side of that film, but I still think she’s fab.

3. Oliver

I fell in love with Oliver and Company from the first watch as a child, and Oliver is just the cutest and most underrated of all the Disney kitties

4. Kida (and Milo)

Atlantis in general is totally underrated in my opinion, and the fact that Kida is forgotten as a Disney princess, despite having the title really gets to me sometimes. Also Milo is awesome.

5. Princess Eilonwy

The Black Cauldron terrified me and my sister when we were kids, but I always like Eilonwy. I finally watched the film again for the first time since my childhood last year, and its still pretty dark, but I’m happy to have gotten over my fear!

6. Nani

This is a big one for me. While so many people adore Lilo and Stitch, they totally look past the fact that this is a sister who has lost her parents, and is trying to do absolutely everything she can to keep custody of her little sister so her life doesn’t have to change any more than it already has. SHE IS EVERYTHING.

8. Pacha

Another ultimate family person right here. Just always doing the right thing, no matter the sacrifice for himself

9. Gus Gus

Wouldn’t Gus and Jaq make the cutest character meets?! I mean, you can meet Suzie and Perla, so why not the boy mice?

10. Dot

I had to throw a Pixar character in here too, but I do really love Dot as she’s so cute and a little bit sassy!

Who are your faves?

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Top Tips for Great Character Interactions

The more trips I make to the parks, the more confident and excited I am to meet characters. I’ve also found that the more confident I am, the better my interactions are getting, and that’s really spurring me on to meet more!

Loads of people recently have been asking for tips on great character interactions, so I thought I’d do a little post to share some of mine!

Don’t be shy!

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You’ll have the most fun with characters when you get into it; if you just stand there awkwardly and don’t say much, the characters can’t open up and it can be pretty disheartening for them too! Characters can tell when you’re not into it.

Bring something to play with!

Disneyland Paris bunnies

On my last trip to Disneyland Paris, I decided to take a selection of tsum tsums with me to show to the characters, and not only was it fun, it also meant I got some adorable photos!

Have something to talk about

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Don’t be afraid to introduce a topic of conversation. You might want to ask Rapunzel how she looks after all her hair, or chat to Peter Pan about the Lost Boys, but it gives the characters an opportunity to really be themselves and you’ll love some of the responses you get.

Ask for what you want

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If you want to twirl with the princesses, ask them! Want to pose like a bunny with Peter Pan? I’ve done that too! They’re always so obliging!

Dress to impress

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If you’re going to meet your favourite character, why not wear a shirt with them on, or themed Mickey ears? It always brings the characters so much joy to see how much they mean to you, and it can be really special.

Show some love

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Get those hugs in! A hug from your favourite character is like no other hug, and I always come away smiling from ear to ear.

The truth of it is, as long as you have fun with it, then any interaction is going to be great!

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