Disney Magic Itinerary Change

[fbp]

Soooo, I just got an e-mail informing me that our cruise for Oct 2015 had an itinerary change. Instead of visiting Key West for a day, we'll be visiting Castaway Cay for two days.

Is this kind of a change a regular occurrence? Does anyone know what might have caused this change almost a year in advance?

 

[EOD K9]

Who cares? I'd love a double dip at CC. BTW, I don't mean to sound rude in this comment.

 

[belledream]

Hmm, that is interesting! And a good change IMO! This led me to go to the site to check on ours (also sailing on the Magic around that time). No changes on the DCL website. Wonder if one is coming my way as well...

 

[fbp]

Hmm, that is interesting! And a good change IMO! This led me to go to the site to check on ours (also sailing on the Magic around that time). No changes on the DCL website. Wonder if one is coming my way as well...

I don't have a strong feeling one way or the other about an extra day at Castaway Cay. I have not previously visited Castaway Cay or Key West. Might as well keep an open mind! All though I was maybe excited about trying to track down the original Margaritaville.

I've now read about some other cruise ships re-scheduling Key West visits due to the Coast Guard commandeering the entire port for training exercises. No idea if that is what is happening here.

The Disney Cruise website still shows my cruise as visiting Key West as well, but I did get an e-mail about an hour ago from Disney Cruise stating otherwise.

 

[belledream]

I don't have a strong feeling one way or the other about an extra day at Castaway Cay. I have not previously visited Castaway Cay or Key West. Might as well keep an open mind! All though I was maybe excited about trying to track down the original Margaritaville.

I've now read about some other cruise ships re-scheduling Key West visits due to the Coast Guard commandeering the entire port for training exercises. No idea if that is what is happening here.

The Disney Cruise website still shows my cruise as visiting Key West as well, but I did get an e-mail about an hour ago from Disney Cruise stating otherwise.

Well to be honest, I haven't been to Key West either, but Castaway Cay is like beautiful Disney paradise on a island! Most reviews I've read about Key West are passable, but getting that extra day at CC might be so much more fun.

But yes, you are right to keep an open mind. I wouldn't mind taking a gander at Key West either.

 

[MaryJaneP]

If they gave us a choice of 1 day CC and 1 day Key West or 2 days CC, we would choose 2 days CC. But that's just in our humble opinion. If it is Coast Guard, that is new to us as we haven't heard of this happening before.

 

[fbp]

Update - It looks like the schedule was changed because of a festival happening in Key West on Oct 31 2015. I think a Parrot Head meet up and something called Festival of the Fantasy (which looks like a Caribana kind of thing) are scheduled in Key West.

 

[Donfan]

When we were at Castaway Cay last year, someone in our party wondered why Disney doesn't have any hotels there so that you could stay for more than one day. If your days are consecutive, staying on the ship would be the same thing. Even if not consecutive, two days there will be pretty terrific since on the second day you can do all the things you didn't get to do on the first day.

 

[belledream]

Update - It looks like the schedule was changed because of a festival happening in Key West on Oct 31 2015. I think a Parrot Head meet up and something called Festival of the Fantasy (which looks like a Caribana kind of thing) are scheduled in Key West.

Thanks for the update! Looks like it won't be affecting my cruise then. Key West it is then!

Enjoy your double dip!

 

[fbp]

When we were at Castaway Cay last year, someone in our party wondered why Disney doesn't have any hotels there so that you could stay for more than one day. If your days are consecutive, staying on the ship would be the same thing. Even if not consecutive, two days there will be pretty terrific since on the second day you can do all the things you didn't get to do on the first day.

Thanks for the update! Looks like it won't be affecting my cruise then. Key West it is then!

Enjoy your double dip!

Yeah, our days aren't consecutive. We're looking forward to it though. Key West isn't going anywhere (depending on sea levels)!

We're thinking of running the free 5k on one of our days, or maybe staying on the ship for half a day to hit up some of the amenities with smaller crowds. All though I have no idea if things are open when the ship is in port.

Worst case scenario I have to spend an extra day snorkeling and/or swimming on the beach. Probably the best worse case scenario of all time.

 

[belledream]

Yeah, our days aren't consecutive. We're looking forward to it though. Key West isn't going anywhere (depending on sea levels)!

We're thinking of running the free 5k on one of our days, or maybe staying on the ship for half a day to hit up some of the amenities with smaller crowds. All though I have no idea if things are open when the ship is in port.

Worst case scenario I have to spend an extra day snorkeling and/or swimming on the beach. Probably the best worse case scenario of all time.

Haha! That made me laugh. If I remember correctly, shops aren't open while the ship is docked at ports, but everything else like pools, spas, theaters, are all open. There might just be less activities than there would be during a Sea Day cause they expect most people to be at CC.

There's lots of fun things to do at CC that is not really beach related. One of my favorite memories was riding bikes around the island! It was so much fun!

 

[KIsAPrincess]

If it's the last two weeks in October, they are rerouting from Key West because of Fantasy Fest. This is a yearly festival and something like 80,000 people come into town over the two weeks. The last weekend of Fantasy Fest has the parade and it is definitely not a place you would want your young children. I could post some pictures but then I would probably be banned. Lol. Let's just say that there is a lot of body paint and little clothing on the people walking around. The best way to describe it to someone who has never been is like a Mardi Gras - but in Key West. Think beads and what people do to get said beads.......

 

[DisneyJoe]

When we were at Castaway Cay last year, someone in our party wondered why Disney doesn't have any hotels there so that you could stay for more than one day.

I hear the insects can be extremely bad when the sun goes down.

 

[jaklgreen]

I wish they would skip Nassau for 2 days at Castaway Cay.

 

[jencor]

We did a double dip last year and it was fantastic. Around the same time of the year also. You did have to get back on the ship like normal as it set sail again and returned to Castaway Cay again the next morning. Enjoy it and I wish we were on that trip.