Saturday, June 11, 2011

Disney Cruise Line ~ Two Sets of Near Identical Twins ~ Part 2

Disney Cruise Line ~ Two Sets of Near Identical Twins

Part 2 ~ The Elder Twins ~ The Magic and The Wonder



Let’s start out with exploring the older set of twins, the Magic and Wonder. Both were built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy. The Magic was actually built at two different shipyards and the two parts floated into place and welded together. The Wonder was built in one piece but a weld was added at the midship in the exact location as the weld on the Magic.

Let’s talk general stats. Both the Magic and Wonder are 964 feet long and 106 feet wide at the maximum. They can carry 2,700 guests and 950 crew. At a gross tonnage of 83,000 they were some of the largest ships at sea when built.

The interior décor of the Magic is art deco while the Wonder is art nouveau. Both were built to be modern classics that bring back the feel of he great ocean liners of the 1930’s & 40’s.
Parrot Cay
Wicker Furniture, Festive Lighting and Parrot Murals Decorate the Restaurant
Two of the main restaurants are the same on both ships. Both Magic and Wonder have Parrot Cay and all four ships have Animator's Palate. On the Magic the formal dining restaurant is Lumiere’s. On the Wonder it is Triton’s. All four ships have Palo for adult only dining..
Lumiere’s
A Bright, Elegant, Large Dining Area with Chandeliers
Triton

A Bright, Sophisticated Dining Hall with a Little Mermaid Mural
Lumiere’s, on the Magic is themed after Beauty and the Beast. It has beautiful chandeliers that have the beasts rose. There is a mural that shows the Beast dancing with Bell. Triton on the Wonder is themed on the Little Mermaid. The chandeliers are designed to look like floating jellyfish. They can be lit so they glow in cool greens and blues making the room feel like you are under water. There is a beautiful mural of King Triton and Ariel on the wall.
Animator's Palate
Animator's Palate Sign and Hall
I’ll tell you about Animator's Palate on the Magic and Wonder so you can compare it to with the Dream and Fantasy in the next post. Animator's Palate on both the Magic and Wonder is a room in black and white. From the black and white tile floors to the white walls with pencil style drawings adorning them everything is black and white. Even the tables and chairs are black and white. On “show night” (only one night on a 7 night cruise) the room changes before your eyes as you enjoy your meal. The room starts out black and white, even your servers are dressed in black and white. Then things begin to turn monochrome colors as the first course of the meal is brought to you. As the meal progresses the changes continue until the room is full of color. Even your servers change their black and white vest for a full color ones.

The deck nine buffet is different on this set of twins but both have a Beach theme. The Magic has Topsider and the Wonder has Beach Blanket Buffet. They have wonderful food there and it is a fantastic place to get a relaxed buffet breakfast or lunch or full table service meal for dinner if you are not interested in the main dining room or are late for your seating. These restaurants are at the aft of the ship and have inside and outdoor seating. On both ships you will find a beautiful view to enjoy while eating your meal.

The entertainment is enjoyable on both ships. Some of the live stage shows are the same but they do have one or two different shows that are unique for each ship. Any show you see is good and worth going to see. Golden Mickey and Pirates IN the Caribbean is on all Disney ships. The Disney Dreams:  An Enchanted Classic is also on both the Magic and the Wonder. Twice Charmed: An Original Twist on the Cinderella Story and Villains Tonight is on the Magic. The Wonder has Toy Story: The Musical.

The Magic has Beat Street while the Wonder has Rout 66. This is the lounge and pub area. Beat Street is an upbeat “nightclub” district with music and fun in mind. The entire area is musically themed with notes and sheet music all around. Rout 66 has an all American feel with carpet that looks like a map of Rout 66! The appointments include the back end of a classic “airstream” style trailer and gas pumps along the walls.

Throughout both ships you will find beautiful art work. Some of it commissioned just for the ship. Some is animation cells or art work from classic Disney movies. You will also find in the classic style of the ship hidden Mickeys and other Disney characters that bring subtle whimsy to the ships.

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