Revamped Disney cruise ship offers new amenities

The latter is an interactive, walk-through experience made up of eye-widening special effects, animatronics and more.

The Beauty and the Beast-themed restaurant, Be Our Guest, remains in high demand. The walk-up lunchtime wait can be long, so dinner reservations are recommended.

Combat the longer lines by visiting other sections of the park, including the evolving and recently tricked-out Haunted Mansion and the streamlined version of the endearing Country Bear Jamboree.

Lesser crowds can be found at some of the sister parks, including Epcot. Fans of “Frozen” can find its characters hanging around Norway in World Showcase.

When it comes to on-site accommodations, Disney recently reached a new level of theming with its Art of Animation. Billed as a moderately priced resort, the Art of Animation features family suites inspired by animated films, including “Lion King” and “Finding Nemo.”

If you go

Spring breakers take note: March and April include three- and four-night Bahama cruises on the Magic out of Port Canaveral. 1-800-951-3532; http://disneycruise.disney.go.com.

When Disney gussies up its original cruise ship, don’t simply expect splashes of fresh paint. Hop aboard the Disney Magic and you’ll soon find yourself plunging down a three-story body slide, noshing in fresh dining rooms and escaping into the ship’s adult-themed nightclub district.

Those are just a handful of the new amenities on the Disney Magic, Disney Cruise Line’s first vessel, launched in 1998. This flagship set the course for three others to follow, and garnered rave reviews in the process. Yet, once it sailed into its 15th year, the House of Mouse saw fit to navigate the Magic into the 21st century.

But don’t call it a makeover. In Disney-speak, the correct term is “re-imagined.” Disney’s creative think tank, known as Imagineers, came up with an updated Magic twinkling with enough pixie dust to rival Walt Disney’s own percolating cranium.

Welcome aboard

Set foot on a Disney ship, and the staff makes sure you feel as if they’ve been waiting for you to board. Each individual party gets a grand, customized welcome over the loudspeaker, followed by a gaggle of clapping uniformed crew members serving as a welcoming committee.

The pageantry stays the same on the revamped Magic, except now a sparkling new lobby awaits. From its classic celluloid to its sprawling theme parks, Disney is known for meticulous detail, and the same goes here.

Look high above the three-level art deco atrium to see a chandelier symbolizing the beaming sun. Pay close attention to the atrium’s deco-style, hand-tufted carpet. Custom-crafted in aquamarine, coral and other dynamic seafaring colors, the design depicts a body of water, complete with the sun’s reflection in the center. A jumbo gold Mickey Mouse statue, featuring Disney’s trademark character grasping a ship’s wheel, remains the lobby’s centerpiece.

Kiddie escapes

Since nobody trades in childhood escapism like Disney, don’t expect anything less aboard the Magic. The ship comes equipped with a nursery, play areas, and hang-out spots for tweens and teens. Even the most clingy tots will likely detach after getting an eyeful of the Magic’s kid-friendly areas. And with brand-spanking nods to Disney-Pixar and the Marvel superhero properties, getting young ones to leave their respective zones might be a whole new challenge.

The Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab, designed for ages 3 to 12, spring to life. The Oceaneer Club, geared toward the younger set, finds kids gravitating toward Andy’s Room, which takes guests into the “Toy Story” movie universe. Young explorers climb stairs to the top of Andy’s bed, seemingly supported by giant Tinker Toys. Once on the bed, kids bounce their way across its springy surface toward a slide shaped like a huge Slinky Dog. They then glide down and land upon the floor, greeted by a life-size, interactive Mr. Potato Head.

Superhero fantasies ring true in Marvel Avengers Academy, a crime fighter headquarters within the Oceaneer Club. As Iron Man’s suit stands at attention, and Captain America’s shield and Thor’s hammer hang on display, wannabe titans participate in a variety of themed activities. Motion-capture technology allows a child to bust heroic moves on screen as Iron Man.

Other kids retreat to the fairy-centric Pixie Hollow or indulge in Wii games in the Mickey Mouse Club. Older guests tend to visit the Oceaneer lab, with its science experiments, animation lessons, crafts, games and more.

Parents can rest easy as each child has an Oceaneer band, which tracks his or her location at any given moment. Children can only be released to parents or parent-approved adults. And if kids happen to be in the midst of play during mealtime, lunch and dinner can be provided.

“When parents say their kids didn’t want to leave (the play areas), that’s the biggest compliment,” said Erika Solano, manager of youth activities on the Magic.

AquaDunk

A major Magic enhancement, and perhaps its star attraction, proves to be the AquaDunk, that three-story body slide. Perched high atop the ship next to rows of faux smokestacks sits a translucent tube. Riders step inside and wait for the bottom to drop out, literally. As the trap door slings open, guests experience a free-fall sensation before zipping through a tube that eventually extends 20 feet over the side of the ship.

See it, eat it

Upon greeting guests on the Disney Magic, cruise director Jimmy Lynett often shares the mantra, “If you see it, eat it.” These prove to be words to live by, with lunch and breakfast buffets, quick-grab food stations, on-the-house room service and dinner each night in one of three themed main restaurants.

Among the dining experiences are the Latin-themed Carioca’s and the Pacific Rim-American fusion found at Animator’s Palate. The latter, designed to resemble a Disney animation studio, plays host to the “Draw to Magic” dinner animation show. As guests devour their meals while sitting in Mickey Mouse chairs, wall art seemingly comes to life from sketches to animation. Pay close attention to the servers’ uniforms as the meal and show move along, and keep an eye out for a surprise appearance by a certain Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

Not just for kids

The Magic dispels the misconception that Disney Cruise experiences are strictly family affairs. Its refashioned nightclub section, dubbed After Hours, becomes adults-only after 9 p.m. The venues boast comedy, dancing, live music and variety shows. Those simply looking to kick back can opt for a more subdued experience at Keys, a piano bar and lounge. Just because you’re at sea doesn’t mean you’ll miss the big game. Sports broadcasts regularly kick off at O’Gill’s Pub.

Although families typically splash the days away at Goofy’s Pool, with a massive nearby movie screen showing Disney flicks, adults have their own secluded retreat. Quiet Cove Pool offers a pool, hot tub and sun-bathing areas specifically for grown-ups.

Even during the Pirates in the Caribbean fireworks show, with its pulsating party tunes and blasts of above-the-ocean illumination, the sounds somehow remain nonexistent in Quiet Cove. As Mickey and company tangle with Disneyfied pirates on one end of the ship, the mature cruisers in Quiet Cove stay oblivious to the action while a singer-songwriter strums away.

Insider’s tips

• Take advantage of first-run Disney movies in the Buena Vista Theatre. Don’t be fooled by its 1930s style, with lavish curtains and wood-framed seating. The venue comes loaded with Dolby Digital 3-D technology and state-of-the-art speakers incorporated into the walls.

• Each night includes a Disney-themed, Broadway-style stage show in the Walt Disney Theatre. Don’t miss “Disney Dreams — An Enchanted Classic,” an award-winning production that tells the story of a young girl struggling to believe. Characters and songs from Disney film classics, including “Peter Pan,” “Cinderella,” “Pinocchio” and “Aladdin,” pepper the production.

• Although nightly dinner at each of the main themed restaurants comes with each cruise, couples often opt to slip away to Palo, an adults-only, upscale Italian pay restaurant. During the revamping of the Magic, Palo received its own enhancements, including new wood fixtures and stone floors. Popular menu picks run the gamut from lobster pappardelle to beef tenderloin.

• Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island, remains a definite highlight. Make sure and disembark to experience this pristinely kept tropical treasure. The island offers beaucoup excursions, but move snorkeling to the top of the list. The snorkeling course includes a sunken statue of Mickey Mouse and a submarine, once used at Walt Disney World, as man-made reefs for a bevy of tropical fish. With photo ops aplenty, it’s worth investing in an underwater camera.