Coast 2 Coast Mom

Intel What About Me? Social Media Twitter Party

Intel has unveiled a new way to look at your digital life, their "What about me?" tool that consolidates your social media interactions to give you an overall picture of, well, YOU. The digital you. The you that appears online only via Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for instance.

Intel's What about Me? site is fascinating in that it lets you see what you're actually doing and saying online, and assess whether that accurately represents you - or if you want to change how you interact online. It's a picture of your digital life.

I know that while technology is my career association, my personal life is pretty well-rounded.I share and discuss food, sports, travel, TV, movies, shopping, fashion and beauty - I enjoy these things, but don't consider myself an expert in them as I don't have the education or dedicated experience in any of these areas. But these topics are a core part of who I am and how I spend my days, and are reflected in the Intel infographic on my digital life. The technology topic is lower than I'd have thought, but the majority of my tech writing and sharing have been on behalf of Techlicious, About.com or other sites and events that wouldn't have necessarily appeared online on behalf of myself.

Here's a look at Intel's view of my digital life:

What's your digital life look like? Try out Intel's tool to create your own infographic and join #Intelsocialbutterfly  Twitter party tomorrow, May 17th at 8 p.m. EST as we chat about and discuss our own Intel infographics and social media. (The "we" being @LittleTechGirl, @TechMama, @IntelEdge, @TechSavvymama, @Tech4Moms, @ScrappinMichele and me :-) ) We'll be giving away five $50 Best Buy gift cards and two $250 Best Buy gift cards! RSVP to join in the fun!

Port Canaveral Residence Inn Hotel: Great for Pre-Cruise Stay

The Residence Inn Port Canaveral is the #1 hotel in town according to TripAdvisor, and after staying there the night before our Disney Fantasy cruise, we give it two thumbs up ourselves. It was clean, well maintained, the staff was helpful, and our stay included a complimentary hot breakfast.  While shuttle transfer to our cruise ship was only $3 per person, the Residence Inn offers packages that include free parking at the hotel during your cruise too - which is a huge cost savings over paid parking at the port!

Our stay was so convenient and comfortable the night before our cruise - but I think many people associate Cape Canaveral with NASA and space shuttle launches. We didn't have time to head to the Kennedy Space Center (we were bummed), but we did snap a pic of the Kiddo by the astronaut figure in the hotel lobby:

Our room was spacious and included a working kitchen, which was nice as we had some subs delivered for dinner.

We spent about an hour at the pool, which was nice to have that down time for a bit - and entertain the Kiddo. The pool and BBQ area with outdoor fireplace were a nice bonus for the hotel, and they offer some BBQ dinner nights - so call to see if they're hosting anything before you arrive.

The Kiddo and c2cDad played some basketball on the basketball court near our room while I researched and prepped for my Disney Cruise Line writing assignments. The front desk has basketballs that they loan out, so no need to bring your own.

Of course, the next morning, the Kiddo was excited to be able to make his own waffles again, like he did last summer when we stayed at the Residence Inn North Shore in Pittsburgh.

We wholeheartedly recommend the Residence Inn in Port Canaveral as a great hotel to stay the night before a cruise.

 

Castaway Cay Stingray Adventure

One of the excursions on Castaway Cay is Castaway Ray's Stingray Adventure - where you can touch, feed, and even snorkel with stingrays! The Kiddo and c2cDad did this while I was doing interviews and tours with Dolby aboard the Disney Fantasy ship.

This takes place in Castaway Cay's Stingray Lagoon, a special divided area. After a brief orientation chat and some facts and background about stingrays, everyone had the opportunity to wade into the shallow water for the stingray feeding. The stingrays are trained to swim up onto special feeding platform ramps and you can hold food out to feed them or touch them as they swim by.

The Kiddo tried to feed them, but didn't like the vacuum-like sensation of them sucking up the food from his hand, so c2cDad fed then from then on. He admitted that while stingrays don't have teeth, they do squeeze a bit sometimes when they suck up the food. The Kiddo was content just touching the stingrays himself.

I can't believe they were in the water with stingrays and that my son enjoyed touching them!

Castaway Ray's stingray adventure is for kids age 5+, and costs $29 for kids, $35 per adult for the one hour excursion.

Our Disney Fantasy Stateroom

Our Disney Fantasy stateroom was immaculate and even somewhat spacious. We were in a lovely deluxe stateroom with verandah on Deck 10, which included a divided bathroom so we could get ready simultaneously, without having to wait for one another in the bathroom. Another smart and efficient stateroom design decision was that the hair dryer outlet was embedded into the desk and dresser away from the bathroom area. The back of the sofa turned down to serve as the mattress for a single bed, and the ceiling above the sofa manuevers down as well to create a top bunk bed to sleep a family of four. We didn't need to pull the bunk down, but you can see it if you view the stateroom slideshow on the Disney Cruise Line site.

Our stateroom was on Deck 10 (a floor below the deck of pools, Jumbotron movies, etc. - dangerously close to the soft serve ice cream on Deck 11 ;-) ), and the turndown service by our steward each evening - including making the sofa bed, leaving chocolates and pulling the drapes to separate the room into two sleeping spaces - was a luxurious way to end each day. The bed pillow was even turned over with a sleepy message each evening . . .

The bed was adorned with a different Disney towel shape each evening...here's a frog. Another night it was a monkey hanging from the drapes!

How cute are these Sleepy chocolates??

Trumping this, however, was the view from our verandah and that amazingly blue Bahamian water . . .

Looking directly down from our verandah . . .

Sailing Away Party on Disney Fantasy Cruise

Setting sail on the inaugural Disney Fantasy cruise was a literal party. We arrived on deck to find champagne flowing, Disney characters, music and the first of many fun and magical experiences that the Disney Cruise Line fleet is known for. It was a gorgeous sunny day, and the "Sailing Away" party was the perfect way to focus the kids' frenetic energy and  get us all in the mood for the wonderfully memorable cruise. . .

We were so excited to be a part of the press preview and had an absolute blast counting down to our first family cruise adventure!

A Mickey and Minnie welcome:

A welcome from the Captain . . .

A toast by Karl Holz, president of Disney Cruise Lines. . .

Time for the "Sailing Away" dance party!

Guess the song . . .

Streamers to start the party . . .

Tangled streamers after . . .

SO MUCH FUN!

 

Disney Fantasy Pirate Party Night

The Pirate Night Party aboard the Disney Fantasy was one of our family's favorite nights on the press preview cruise. After a day on Castaway Cay, and after a whimsical dinner at Animator's Palate, we'd arranged for the Kiddo to receive a pirate makeover at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for the celebrated pirate party.

Visiting the Pirates League is a special experience where the Disney Fantasy transforms the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique into a pirate's paradise offering pirate makeovers to boys, girls and adults to prep for the pirate party.

Not only does the staff change from the fairy godmothers of the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique into veteran pirates, but the chairs and couches are covered with burlap, red LED lights shine down from the ceiling, and all of the princess-y costumes and accessories are stored away to make room for pirate costumes and accessories. The Kiddo LOVED the experience of transforming into a pirate! And not just ANY pirate. A pirate in the Caribbean!!

We learned that there'd be a pirate night party before we left home for the cruise, so we picked up a few things from Party City to pack along with us. We picked up a pirate shirt, parrot and a swashbuckling sword for the Kiddo. C2cDad and I donned Mickey and Goofy pirate bandanas (thanks to @AndiAnswers and a recent TravelingMom twitter party :-D).

Here's the Kiddo before we went to dinner and the pirate makeover. (LOVE that we found that parrot!)

The Pirate League offers two makeover packages to choose from: a $34.99 First Mate option that includes the facial scars, tattoos, fake teeth, an earring, eye patch, bandana, and sword and sheath. (We chose that package.) There's also an Empress package that includes a bandana, shimmering makeup, face gem, tattoos, nail polish, earring, eye patch, sword and sheath. (About a half dozen women were getting that package while we were in the boutique with the Kiddo!) There also is a $99 package that includes a high-quality costume.

Here's a look at the Pirate League transformation . . . one of the staff of pirates offered to give c2cDad a scar too. Lol!

Taking the pirate oath:

After the transformation:

All in all, the pirate makeover was a terrific way to kick off Pirate Party Night on the ship! We had time to spare as the party and fireworks didn't start untiil 10:30. (LATE for the Kiddo! Yikes!) So c2cDad and the Kiddo fenced a bit up on deck . . .

 . . . and we watched The Muppets Treasure Island up on the FunnelVision jumbotron. Loved watching the movie lounging on a deck lounging chair under the stars. So relaxing.

Then the Pirates IN the Caribbean party started with some live entertainment . . .

Everyone patiently waiting for the party to start . . .

All together now: "Arrgh!"

Pirate Night Party fireworks off the Disney Fantasy . . .

And what's a party without some dancing?? Pirate night dance party!

A special thank you to Dolby Labs for inviting me to sail on the Disney Fantasy press preview cruise to learn more about their technology aboard the Disney Cruise Line.

Dining on the Disney Fantasy Cruise Ship

One thing we discovered aboard the Disney Fantasy was that Disney Cruise Line is unique in offering rotational dining options for their cruisers each night. Meaning, that you're assigned dinner at a different restaurant each night, and your table companions and serving staff rotate with you. So we ate with the same other family (a lovely threesome from Long Island) at our table each evening, and we were served by the same staff each night.

The first night aboard, we ate at Royal Court, we dined at Animator's Palate our second night, and at Enchanted Garden our third evening. We ate at Cabana's self-serve dining for breakfast and lunch on the ship, usually choosing to eat on the outside deck or near the pool. (Gotta love some fresh sea air, spring sun, and the amazing Caribbean blue hue of the sea and sky!)

Unlimited Soft Serve Ice Cream

Of course, I'd be remiss if I ignored the fact that there's self-serve soft serve ice cream conveniently located on Deck 11. I'm sure many families found themselves stopping by the stations once (dare I say twice?) a day.

Chocolate and banana swirl...and nope, I've never worked in an ice cream shoppe :-)

Disney Cruise Line's rotational dining experience allowed Disney's customer service to really shine. The serving staff took our drink orders, and noted any special requests (c2cDad asked if they had liquid sugar for his ice tea the first night, whereas I ordered ice tea straight-up, or sugar-free), or any dietary needs (a tablemate tweaked a menu item to make it kosher). Then, much to our surprise and delight, the second evening when we arrived at our table for dinner, our drinks were waiting for us! The same drinks, the same way we'd ordered them the first night! The Kiddo's drink was set up with a cute straw and his name on it.

Disney's Magical Customer Service

The Disney magical service didn't stop there. When the Kiddo ordered a dish that came with French fries, our server, Melody, tapped out ketchup onto his plate with flourish - in the shape of a Mickey. She, Erasmo and Lily developed a raport with us, sharing tidbits each night about each restaurant, about their maiden voyage leaving the shipyard in Germany to sail to the US, about how they came to work for Disney Cruise Lines, about their shifts and what they do aboard the ship. It was fun and fascinating. Plus, whenever we ran into them in other places throughout the cruise, they made a big point of calling out the Kiddo's name and giving him a hug. It was a warm and welcome touch.

I should say, that EVERY STAFF MEMBER aboard the Disney Fantasy was warm and friendly and helpful. Even staff members whom we didn't remember meeting, greeted us with the Kiddo's name and a "Good Morning, Evening," etc. or asked how we were doing, or offered to help us with anything. Perhaps even as employees, it's impossible to have a bad day with Disney? The staff helped make for a stress-free and enjoyable trip and definitely added to the magic of vacationing with Disney.

I mean, how many times do you go on vacation, and have the staff - and you - asking to nab a photo together before you leave? Our dining serving staff will be aboard the Disney Fantasy through early June, and future cruisers would be lucky to be seated with them.

 

Food aboard the Disney Fantasy

Many people who've gone on a cruise before know that food and dining is an integral part of the experience. The four course dinner menus and food were terrific. Just remember that they're serving over 1200 people at once twice a night, so there's mass platings and I'd compare it to eating at a large wedding. Very good food that Disney prepares according to any special requests.

Here's a few of the dishes we tried:

Ahi Tuna and Avocado Tower at Enchanted Garden . . .

Triple corn soup dish at Animator's Palate . . .

Tuna Trio appetizer at Animator's Palate . . .

Kid's fruit and veggie appetizer at Animator's Palate . . .

 I'd show you more, but we dug into our other dishes before taking pics to share!

Soft drinks, hot/cold tea, milk and black coffee are free and included in the cruise, but any alcoholic or specialty coffee drinks are charged to your stateroom. I ordered a latte one evening with dessert and had to sign to accept charges. There's free open fountain/self serve coffee, tea, water and soda on Deck 11 from morning until night too.

Enchanted Garden Restaurant On The Disney Fantasy Ship

We ate at the Enchanted Garden restaurant for our third night of dining aboard the Disney Fantasy cruise ship, and for our "See ya real soon" breakfast before we disembarked. The design of the restaurant was inspired from the Gardens of Versailles in France, and the lighting changes throughout the meal mimic the transition from night to day and back.

The little touches at Enchanted Garden reminded me of a lovely garden party: the hot air balloon images on the backs of the dining chairs, the water fountain in the center of the room, and the real working shutters on the inside of the porthole windows.

Here's a taste of Enchanted Garden on the Disney Fantasy:

Our table...

 

 Here's a look at taste of the buffet lunch that was served while cruisers arrived. . .well, at least the desserts. ;-)

Ice cream scoops!

Animator's Palate Restaurant Aboard Disney Fantasy Cruise

By far the most interactive and fun dinner aboard the Disney Fantasy cruise ship was the night we dined at Animator's Palate restaurant. The dining experience there was creative and delightful, from the moment we walked in and were struck by the Mickey Mouse-inspired chairs, the painter's palette of table centerpieces and the featured movie scenes of animated Disney cooking and dining playing on the screens on the walls. We loved it!

Here's a peek at Animator's Palate:

The center piece and interactive placemats...

How cute is this bread plate and knife? Just another creative touch on Disney Cruise Lines...

The highlight was drawing on our placemats when we were seated, and watching them come to life on the screens during the meal. It was thrilling and magical! Here's our drawings in animation - see what we mean?

I think the question everyone was asking as they smiled through the end of the meal, how do they do that??

Royal Court Dining Aboard Disney Fantasy

Our first night aboard the Disney Fantasy cruise ship, we dined at Royal Court. The restaurant designers aimed to create a dining experience and atmosphere worthy of royalty and the Disney princesses who inspired them: Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Belle and Snow White. Royal Court delivered the palace-like experience in elegant and subtle ways like the lighting fixtures, chairs and marble-looking columns.



There were a few intricate mosaics depicting scenes from princess stories along the walls, a great chandelier in the center of the room, and even the little touches like the fine china, the napkins. . .

. . . even the bread baskets were tweaked to become bread carriages. The pumpkin-shaped brioche didn't go unnoticed either. ;-)

The upholstery fabric on the chairs and the drapes were made of rich materials too.

Royal Court is located Midship on Deck 3, just off of the main welcoming atrium lobby. It was the fanciest experience of the three rotational dinner restaurants we tried on board and we recommend that cruisers wear their nicest dresses or outfits to dinner at Royal Court. It is open for a buffet breakfast on select days of the cruise, and the same is true for an open seating full service lunch (check your daily Personal Navigator for when they're open for breakfast and lunch). Dinner is by assignment as part of the rotational dining experience.

Disney Cruise Lines uniquely offer rotational dining, and this was our experience at the restaurant our first night aboard the Disney Fantasy. Next we'll share our experience at Animator's Palate on our second night of the cruise.