Disney Magic

The Disney Ship came the excited cry on the pier, only the cry was from a mom who was trying to keep her hyper-active kid entertained. Maybe they were staying at the nearby hotel and the concierge had let guests know of this exciting event. For everyone else on the pier, the spectacle had much less impact. The immense boat passed by the stationary fishing poles with out incident.

Disney Cruises, who knew? The Magic is just one of the fleet. Some people love Disney, Mickey Mouse and company, other people; well they’re parents with kids in need of entertainment.  Can’t say I’m a fan but I like some of the films they make – I dug John Carter – so the appeal is lost on me. Talking mice creep me out. The idea of being on a Disney Cruise line terrifies me.

Well, one reason I hadn’t seen the “Disney Magic” from our shores before is that the ship is only recently berthed in the New York City harbor. Time Square domination was only the beginning.  Those of us who happened to be on the Exchange Place pier Sunday witnessed nautical history.  According to Wiki: “For 2012, Disney Magic will be located in New York City starting in May, where she will sail to the Bahamas and New England/Canada; in September she will be relocated to Galveston, Texas.”

Built in 1998, the ship holds 2,400 passengers and a crew of 945. The decks were not crowded at all, so I don’t think it was sold out. Or maybe they were more interested in the big screen on deck, visible from the J.C. banks.  Again wiki: “On the ship's forward funnel, there is a 24-by-14 foot Jumbo LED screen known as the Funnel Vision, due to its location on the rear of one of the ship's funnels.”

Yes, why enjoy the skyline of Manhattan (or a-hem, Eastern Hudson County), or the Majesty of the vast Atlantic, when you can watch a really big T.V. (a very blurry picture of the screen is below). The ship’s horn blasted a few instantly recognizable notes of When You Wish Upon a Store. The people aboard are trapped on this floating theme park for seven days! Never felt so happy, proud and relieved to stay a landlubber.