Disney's Hawaiian Resort and Spa, AULANI

Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa, in Ko Olina, Oahu, Hawaii, represents Disney's first major resort not affiliated with a theme park. (Its Disney Vacation Club has timeshare resorts in Vero Beach FL and Hilton Head SC.)

Set on a man-made lagoon about a half hour west of Honolulu, the resort is comprised of a central lobby area and two 14 and 16 floor towers featuring both Vacation Club studio, one, two, and three bedroom units and hotel rooms.

As this is written in January 2012, many rooms in the east Ewa tower are still undergoing interior construction though there appeared to be no exterior cranes or site work underway. For all practical purposes the resort is complete for the average guest.

When complete, the resort will include 360 hotel rooms and 481 Disney Vacation Club two-bedroom equivalent timeshare villas.

Our room was a deluxe studio on the third floor, the lobby level, which made access to most public areas very easy. The room had a queen bed and a sleeper sofa, flat screen TV and full bath. The WIFI was excellent both in the room and in public areas, even by the pool near the beach.

The decor aims at authentic Hawaiian style and the use of native woods, rock, and artwork throughout set this resort apart from the gleaming white (and sterile) look of the J. W. Marriott resort next door. Lush landscaping and use of water in ponds, fountains, and streams belie the fact that this resort has been open only five months.

We are DVC members and had an eight night reservation following a three day stay in Waikiki. Ko Olina is an exclusive tourist area much like Kaanapali in Maui and there is a security gate needed just to enter. A common complaint of some reviewers has been that there is not much to do here unlike busy Waikiki or a Disney theme park. We didn't find this a problem; while a concierge and tour desk can arrange trips around the island, we enjoyed lounging by the pool and making use of the resort's own amenities.

Chief among these is the Waikolohe Valley pool area. This is called a valley as it resides between the two massive resort towers, Ewa and Wai'anae, akin to a tropical space between two Hawaiian mountain ranges. Within this valley is children's water play area where staying dry would be a great challenge. Two infinity spas overlook the lagoon and there are two other spas in the valley, one almost invisible from nearby trails.

For security hotel guests are issued different colored wrist bands each day when they use the pools. This is to dissuade non-Disney folks from using the pool. And, thank goodness, there is a policy against "towel on the lounge chair" saving of pool chairs. Items are removed after an hour of non-use. The message: use the chair or use it. This will be even more important once the resort is fully finished. And with fewer nearby attractions available, there will be more people staying in the pool areas.

A lazy river, Waikolohe Stream, surrounds a huge mountain that includes both an inner tube slide and a standard water slide (though this second slide is totally dark as it winds through the mountain.) Occasionally the mountain erupts with some mild fire effects and there is a small cave where one can see some lave and fire effects close up. Like the Tree of Life in Animal Kingdom, the mountain and rock work around it feature well concealed carved sea life much of which I did not see until I had taken a few trips around the river. There is even a chicken, a reference to the wild birds that roam neighboring Kawai.

Some of these carvings include whales that "blow" occasionally as a result of guests playing the Menehune Adventure Trail, a KimPossible type activity involving a smart phone device which leads guests around the Valley to activate fires, rocks, music, and even whales carved in rocks. The host is a pleasant Hawaiian woman known only as Auntie. This is same character in Auntie's Beach House, the children's child care and activity center. Guests may use these facilities including the child care free (for children 3+ years and potty trained) just like on Disney Cruise ships.

One activity that is fun (and free) is locating the little Menehune statues throughout the resort. These mythical Hawaiian sprites can found lounging around the gardens in Waikolohe Valley, asleep atop a moulding in an elevator, or riding a decorative outrigger near the water slide. Hidden Mickey's? I haven't seen many, though the Disney characters are available for photos during the day and there is a musical revue with them and native musicians three nights a week in a lawn area near the quiet pool.

Two admission fee based activities are the Rainbow Reef and the Makai Reserve adjacent to the pool area. Rainbow reef is akin to the salt water snorkeling area of Typhoon Lagoon. For $20 guests can swim with multicolored tropical fish ($39 for a length of stay pass.) Two aquarium type windows are available for landlubbers to view the many small multicolored species that inhabit the pool. This may be to your liking if swimming in the lagoon a few hundred feet away does not appeal to you. But the lagoon is free and, while cloudy due to guest activity in the near shore, there are plenty of fish out by the rocky areas that mark the mouth of the lagoon. My advice is to walk to either side of the mouth and swim toward the middle. I saw lots of fish and even a three-legged turtle that I discovered goes by the name of Lucky. The Makai Reserve is an area where for $50 one can interact with sting rays in a pool.

On a couple of evenings each week a musical show, "Starlight Hui," is presented on a stage by a grassy area on the west side of the property. This mix of Hawaiian storytelling, hula, ukulele playing, and audience participation was a pleasant way to spend an evening. Of course, Mickey and friends came to the stage at the end of the program.

If the costs of some activities seem high, well, welcome to Hawaii. Though even for Hawaii, local prices are higher due to the fact that this area is tourist oriented and, at least for the near future, is in a place that is away from much of the commercial activity. As we were staying in a DVC unit, we had a modest kitchen area with microwave and refrigerator. About four miles away are a number of shopping sites such as Costco, Safeway, and Target as well as nationally recognized fast food places. An ABC store is across the street north of the resort. A small gift shop is near the main lobby .

The resort also features a full service spa called Laniwai (varied treatments for a fee) and an exercise area (free.) Near the spa is a pleasant teen lounge, Painted Sky, with computers, games, and a frozen yogurt bar.

We only tried one of the restaurants at Aulani. As frequent visitors to both Maui and Disney World where prices can be high, we were taken aback by the cost of onsite dining here. The Makahiki dinner buffet is $43 and the beachfront Ama AMA restaurant has entrees in the $30-80 range.

We had a dinner at the Makahiki buffet on the lower level near the lobby. This is an Asian/Pacific/Japanese buffet in a restaurant partially inside and partially on the patio adjacent to the Waikolohe Stream and koi ponds. The menu featured sushi, sashimi, a variety of fish plates, fish and pork lau lau (wrapped and steamed in leaves), beef, vegetables, and a good array of desserts. We initially were seated inside it the area was quite loud due to the hard surfaces and busy clientele; we asked to be seated on the patio. Once on the patio our dinner was accompanied by a phalanx of pre-schoolers running around and, by all appearances, were intent on re-enacting the Battle of Midway. (Think Chef Mickey's without the peace and quiet.) Parents, part of a wedding party, were oblivious to their activities. A manager we contacted seemed distressed to have to deal with the issue, but things seemed to calm down a bit.

The big problem here is that around Ko Olina, there are not many child-friendly restaurants and hotel restaurants are expensive. Our advice is to observe a dinner here when you are not dining and see if this is your cup of tea. If it looks okay to you, try it. If you are looking for a quiet dinner, go elsewhere. Plans are now underway to install another quick service station near the pool deeck and I received a note the other day that Makahiki is now offering an ala carte menu.

Menus can be viewed online at a number of websites.  I was told by a DVC staffer that the resort will install electric barbecues when the Ewa Tower DVC room are completed.

If Aulani is your sole target for a Hawaiian vacation, a car is a must. Shuttles from the airport run about $70 each way. Parking at the resort is $35 per day (free for DVC members using points for their stay.) An Alamo car rental is onsite. Some people rent a car on a daily basis on the resort and avoid the parking charge. A day long shopping tour into Honolulu is a featured activity that the resort offers. The bus travels to a few big malls including the Ala Moana Mall near Waikiki; the cost is $30 per person for a day of shopping. There is a strong draw here for tourists from Japan, a demographic to which Disney is aiming a great deal of marketing. Signage around the resort is in both English and Japanese.

Staying at Aulani is not cheap. Rates for standard rooms, ocean view, is about $400 per night that adds up to about $3,500 a week with taxes. A studio like ours runs about $600 per night. We were lucky; we used points for a pool view room and, while we are on the lobby or 3rd floor, we still see the ocean as well as parts of the Waikolohe stream and children's water play area.

Having stayed at many Disney resorts in the US, Asia, and Europe, this resort ranks in the top tier. And in Aulani Disney has found a surefire ticket to providing a quality vacation experience that does not require a theme park.





Hits and Misses at Aulani
Hits
Overall environment and theming
Room quality and comfort
Pool area with easy beach access
Staff service and hospitality

Misses
Lack of nearby activities
Restaurant prices
Need for a car

REVIEW: Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas

Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas actually includes two time share resorts- the original and the Westin Kaanaapali Ocean Resort Villas North built a few years later than its sister property. The resorts timeshare properties managed by the Westin and its parent organization Starwood. Each is comprised of a number of six story buildings on the beach about two miles from the main part of Kaanapali. This leads to some confusion as there is a Westin Hotel in Kaanapali and some guests assume they will be able to amble down the beachfront walkway to their resort. It will be a LONG walk.

The resort includes hundreds of studio and one bedroom units that can be combined into spacious two bedroom suites. Studios include a queen be and sofa bed in the room and the one bedroom has a separate bedroom with a king bed. Each unit has a kitchen area though the studio features a small rangetop and microwave. All units have washers and dryers which can be a godsend to families with small children. Televisions are in every living room and separate bedroom.

A significant difference between the two resorts is that the Noth property has studios with small lanais; the south resort studios have a patio door and a railing to allow fresh air but no chairs. All one bedroom units have lanais. the grounds are luxuriantly tropical with palms and other foliage that whisk in the wind.

As the resort is on the west side of Maui, guests have a beautiful view of the islands of Lanai and Molokai across the strait. There are several large pools and a kiddies' pirate ship play area. A full range of resort activities is published weekly and the resort offers free shuttle buses to Kaanapali and Lahaina- a boon as parking can be difficult in these tourist meccas. Snorkeling is exceptional here as there are schools of tropical fish as well as a number of green sea turtles.

The resort has several restaurants and bars as well a a spa in the North property. There is a business Center and free WiFi for guests.

During holiday seasons and Spring Breaks the resort is apt to be crowded and getting a poolside lounge chair can be a challenge.

This is not an inexpensive resort- studios range from $300 to $450 per night depending on view to $500-$700 for a one bedroom. Units can be rented through the Westin or Starwood's SPG.com website though you might find better buys on sites like VRBO.com where owners (like us) rent their units out to others.

Room Tip: Upper floors are best as is ocean view. Island view rooms in the South property may face a parking lot and highway. In the North property all units face the ocean or pool/garden area.

REVIEW: Westin Desert Willow Resort

We were guests at this resort from August 21-28 when the heat was absolutely sizzling. Our party of eight were in a two bedroom unit that we reserved as timeshare owners with Westin. For three days prior to this stay a smaller group in our party were in a smaller standard one bedroom. The first room was in Building 6 near the new construction. The unit was on the first floor of the three story building with all windows and the lanai facing a parking lot or dusty construction. Avoid building 6 until construction is completed in 2012. The two bedroom was in building 1 on the second floor. A short walk from the pool area and lobby building.


The two bedroom is comprised of two separate one bedroom units- a smaller unit with kitchenette, living area, standard bath, and queen bedroom; a second larger one bedroom with full kitchen oversized bath with whirlpool and shower and a king bedroom. Despite the redundancy of two kitchen areas, the extra space allowed our four adults and four teens some modicum of private space. The rooms are well appointed with earth tones and desert themed art. Kitchen areas are well equipped and guests have access to several well-maintained and clean gas barbecues on adjacent patio areas on the ground floor.

Due to the heat much time was spent near the pool area that includes a waterside pool, an activity pool, child's pool, and larger pool on a upper level of the pool deck. There is no specific adult pool which is regrettable as adults often had to avoid splashing young ones in the larger pool area. Besides a plethora of umbrellas, there are a few cabanas for rent and large pavilions with sofas and tables where one can escape the direct sun if not the heat.



A small deli/gift shop was open only 7-11 AM during our stay. The Agave restaurant is near the lobby building though we used the barbecues for our dining. Concierge services are available for Palm Springs activities. The resort has a sales office for Starwood Vacation ownership. The concierge desk can arrange discounted excursions if you attend a timeshare sales presentation. Be forewarned; your vacation time is precious.



Retail costs for the resort are discounted during the summer and higher during the Spring and summer. Check out www.spg.com for current rates. Parking for guests who are not owners and staying on their ownership time is $15 per night.

TRAVEL TIP: Disney's Paradise Pier Resort

My son and two grandsons spent three nights here during the D23 Expo, a Dismey fan convention. We had a 10th floor city view room with a nice view of Anaheim, pool area, and parking. The room was very spacious with room for five as there is a fold down sleeper sof- along with two queen beds.
The bathroom is large and there is plenty of storage.

Guests have early theme park access and, while we were there we were given FastPasses for Disney park attractions.

We have previously stayed at Disney's Gramd Californian hotel and find these rooms more spacious and as well appointed, though without the easy access to Downtown Disney.
We stayed at the resort using our Disney Vacation Club ownership point; real rates for our stay would have been about $220 per night plus taxes and parking.

REVIEW: Disney's Old Key West Resort

We have stayed at Old Key West since 1994 as we are Disney Vacation members who own there. and we have stayed at at least half of the Disney hotels in Disney World over the past 20 years. Old Key West continues to provide rooms superior to most other Disney hotels.
In our most recent stay we were in a second floor one bedroom unit in building 46 adjacent to the river leading to Downtown Disney. The room features a large living area with kitchen. The sofa is a sleeper ad the easy chair fold out into a smaller twin bed large enough for a teen. A flat screen tv is hidden in the kitchen island. Off the living area is a large patio with table and four chairs. The mast bedroom has a king bed, tv, and an adjacent spa tub and sink. The bathroom proper offers a large sink and counter and a spacious shower. There is ample storage. The one bedroom has a fill size washer and dryer. Studio units do not have these and guests can use units adjacent to the pools areas of which there are four including a large pool with sandcastle themed water slide and small children's pool. All pool areas including the three smaller ones in different areas of the resort have spas and ample towels for guests.

Recently renovated the units in OKW feature pastels with tile accents and tropical prints. Furniture is designed for durability rather than comfort as the cushions and fabrics are a bit
hard. The fully equipped kitchen is great for cooking though there are no outdoor barbecues

other than rustic campground types that require briquets and appear in need of cleaning. Disney could take a lesson from Westin/Starwood time shares that offer clean well - maintained gas barbecues. Of course, Disney has lots of restaurants they would love you to visit.

The resort has a gift shop near the check in building as well as a restaurant Olivia's and a smaller walk up grab-and-go counter and. Small outdoor bar. Prices are comparable to other Disney eateries and offer children"s menus.

The resort is spread out in 46 buildings with the most distant at the south end of the
property being a half mile from the main building. All buildings have rooms accessible from the outside not through hallways. The resort is on the Lake Buena Vista golf course and many rooms feature golf views. Lanes with palm trees and lush landscaping add to the tropical feel. While there is Disney bus service to parks and within the resort, a car is a MUST to fully enjoy this resort and to travel around the square miles of Disney World. Even if you use Disney's Magical Express to and from the Orlando airport, we advise guests to rent a car. Once at the resort you can get picked up by Alamo, Enterprise, and National and be taken to a rental car office near the Magic Kingdom if you need a car for a few days. Rates are competitive.

While we are Vacation Club members and do not pay rack rates, one bedroom units a can run over $400 per night depending on season. In shoulder seasons Disney often offers free dining programs for guests paying full rack rates. Experts online have suggested this is not a good buy as rooms discounts for these large units can exceed the cost of free meals.


Room Tip: If you do not nave a car, request a room near the Registration Building and restaurant. We like rooms at the south end which has a nice smaller pool. Second floor rooms are quieter but there are no elevators in buildings we have stayed. Avoid buildings that run parallel to Bonnet Creek Parkway (19-22 and 38-42).

REVIEW: Sheraton Suites Orlando Airport

We have stayed at this hotel near Orlando International Airport several times most recently in May. Coming from the West Coast, we generally get into the Orlando area in the late afternoon or, more likely, late evening. The Sheraton Suites offers transportation to the hotel, so we sometimes do not even rent a car until the next day when the hotel returns us to the airport where car rentals are cheaper. We have also been shuttled back to get Disney's Magical Express transportation to Disney World resorts.

The hotel is a large rectangle surrounding a pool garden area. There are three floors, though elevators are difficult to find. We have had to walk a couple of times to one in the back corner of the hote as the front elevator was being used by workmen.

Rooms are two rooms with a living area with sleeper sofa, TV and desk and a bedroom with either one king or two queen beds.

There is a small restaurant with Starbucks cafe, though we have used neither. A few computers are in the lobby for customer use and their is a slow WiFi service.


Getting late into MCO? Try this place for a night. For a longer stay? There are better places.

European Trip and Transatlantic Cruise Part 1

OVER THE ATLANTIC, August 29-30, 2010
The flight from Orlando was long and a real challenge. Sleep was near impossible despite purchasing an upgrade to Comfort Class, the best description of which is "uncomfortable." yes, we had a glass of wine and some Bailey's, but the flight was rough. Believe it or not, the captain of the plane was introduced as Captain America and I found out his first name was Roger. The five hours in Amsterdam that followed was even worse. We were half asleep and exhausted. Once we were on the plane to Venice, it went very well. Our seatmate was a gentleman from Norway on his way with his wife he add to Venice and a Mediterranean cruise.

Once we landed we chose to take the water bus or vaporetto to our hotel rather than the more expensive water taxi- this saved us about $80 but took over an hour. After getting off the boat we were able to find our hotel easily though the entrance was down a couple of very narrow alleys off a main street.

VENICE-August 31, 2010
Today we woke late after 12 hours of sleep interrupted by waking at about 1:00 AM. When we got up, we had only an hour and a half to get ready for our Venice walking tour that we'd arranged at home.
Our hotel is on the Grand Canal, a peek of which we can see from our window. We are on the third floor, or the fourth if you consider the ground floor is floor 0 according to the elevator.

The room is older with some modern updates such as a flat screen tv. No Internet without paying a fee and then it is only available on the first floor.

We walked to St. Mark's Plaza for the tour. Our guide was Rita, a Venice native. We were in a large tour group. We learned a lot of Venetian history as well as touring St. Mark's basilica, a very Byzantine church as it was built under the aegis of the Eastern Roman Catholic church. Rather than frescos, the interior of the vault and the upper walls are gold leaf mosaic with scenes from the Bible and church history.

After the church we walked through the narrow streets through the city ending up near the Rialto bridge. Then Donna and I left and sojourned south of the Rialto Bridge near a market and some very narrow streets along which were many small shops, restaurants, and little markets. While walking we ate our lunch of an open face Italian sandwich and a Coke. At a little storefront near our hotel we picked up wine and some snacks for later.

VENICE-September 1, 2010
As I write this we are watching CNN International- The World during Ramadan. Fascinating viewing. The German and Italian channels were bleaker and I was afraid the Bloomberg channel would let me know we are broke and cannot get home. As for the AlJazeera channel, we did not watch it much.
Today involved a great amount of walking- first to the public market near the Rialto where we viewed the vegetable and fish markets. There were bunches of small peppers wrapped like flowers and very colorful if unusual fish items. One of these was the seppe, or cuttlefish that is a cephalopod, like squid, but larger in general and mostly black.

In the afternoon we had a chance to see a seppe as a glass artwork on the island of Murano. This island includes most of the famed glass artisans in Venice. Like the island of Venice, Murano is made up of a close set of islands connected by bridges. We saw some glass being blown- a goblet made of two colors. It took two craftsmen to do the task.

Facing the many canals are restaurants and many glass shops. Some of these had large expensive pieces of beautiful execution while other shops had smaller figures, plates, and tourist-oriented items. Donna picked up a small plate in one of the shops. Rather than eat there we took the return vaporetto to St. Mark's Plaza then grabbed some items for a dinner in our room.

VENICE-September 2, 2010
Today the good news is that we were able to go on the vaporetto to Lido where we visited the site of the 2010 Venice International Film Festival. The bad news is that neither Donna nor I were discovered as the next big movie stars. Lido is the beach island for Venice and is seven miles long and about 1 mile wide. Unlike the city of Venice it has cars and buses. We took a ride to the west point of Alberino after stopping by the Film Festival site. We had a short snack at the festival and walked around the exhibition which surrounds the casino and movie theater. George Clooney was visible on a jumbotron display but we did not see him in person. Most people were wearing ID tags that allowed them to sign up for the movie previews. Security was very high and we did not see much. The movie that seemed to have the greatest visibility as determined by signs was "The Town" with Ben Affleck. Ben Affleck!?!?

The island is much more residential than Venice proper. We even found a small grocery store where we picked up some things. We ate at a sidewalk cafe and had our first real "Italian" food, lasagna and gnocchi. Later we took the boat back to Venice where we discovered our room permeated with a lacquer smell due to construction in a nearby room. I complained about the smell getting stronger, so we were moved to another room in the Europa wing (this hotel managed by Westin is comprised of two older hotels the Regina and the Europa). While it had no appreciable view, it was a gorgeous suite with a sitting area, large bathroom, and king bed. Cool.

After the big move we headed to that Venetian tradition, the Hard Rock Cafe, where Donna picked up a shirt for Caidin. Then we explored an area of the city we had not seen. Through the labyrinthine streets we looked for a restaurant recommended by a girl who sold us a Venice print yesterday. We finally found it, but it was closed. Many businesses are closed from about 2 PM till late afternoon. We headed back to the hotel and even found a Disney store on one of them.

Back in our room we had plenty of room, a glass of wine, some good bread, and CNN.

VENICE-September 3, 2010
We are sure you have been glued to your televisions regarding the important news about the Pakistan Cricket team. There has been little else on the tube over here. Imagine those guys cheating!

Anyway, today was our official "Get on a boat and see where it goes" Day! We had not seen the entire Grand Canal so we hopped on a Number 1 vaporetto and headed west toward the rail station where we will get on our train to Rome tomorrow. The station seemed simple enough. So we then waited for the next boat that happened to be a direct boat to Murano, the glassmakers island, where we had been two days ago. It was a quick trip and it gave Donna a chance to look again at some glassware gifts. During our stay the clouds thickened and darkened and we were caught in a downpour and would have been drenched had it not been for some strategically placed awnings.
We missed the direct boat to Lido so we took a circuitous route ending up near the hospital on the north side of the island.

As we had not been in that particular area, we jumped of and tried to find our way back to our hotel near San Marco place. There are yellow signs on walls at key intersecting streets or "calles" indicating major areas of interest such as Sam Marco or Rialto. Occasionally, the signs are missing or confusing, so we saw many new parts of town. Once we dropped things off at the hotel and snacked, we headed back to Lido and the film festival to get a couple more copies of the Venice Film Festival program. Our original one had gotten wet. And we did a little more shopping at the Billa store for dinner- some salads and more bread.

Tonight there is some packing to do as we want to be on our way to the train station by 9 AM or so as it takes an hour to get there by boat and our train leaves at 11:27.

European Trip and Transatlantic Cruise Parts 5 and 6

BARCELONA - September 17, 2010

The rain last night turned into a real storm in some nearby towns with some flooding and avalanches of hail sliding down into streets and garages. Fortunately we were in our room all cozy.

The Disney crew was setting up in the lobby by 9 AM, so I went down to the lobby to get us registered. It was a simple process, though I had to call Donna to bring down our passports because the cruise line actually checks people in at the hotel for their cruise. The clerk gave us our keys cards, silver status lanyards, and other information. We spent some time packing and only went out for a little window shopping. Donna really liked a store we have seen in other places but here there are several under the brand Desigual (but with the s reversed). Very bold, colorful clothes. At a bookstore nearby we picked up two books to read. I considered, but rejected buying a book, We the Drowned, given our destination the next day.

We had lunch at the hotel's restaurant called CentOnze (111 in Catalan, the address). The food was very good. Donna had cod and I had lamb chops. This was the most reasonably priced hotel food on our trip- €16 each.

Later we watched the awful Spanish television for a while as it had begun to rain again.

ONTO THE MAGIC- September 18, 2010

Our last day in Barcelona began with our getting our bags packed and set by the door so the staff could pick them up to take to the ship. I ran over to the Carrefours store to get a bottle of Bailey's and wine for the ship. We had to wait until about 12:30 PM to get on the bus, but before that we had the chance to meet some others who would be on the cruise as well.

The trip to the port did not take very long and, as we had already checked in, all we had to do was go through security, show our key cards, and walk the gangway into the ship where we were announced to the staff. We went up lot Topsides for lunch. I may have been wrong, but this ship does not seem very full and there are very few. Children and fewer teenagers. Our room was ready by 1:30 PM so we walked down to deck 5 aft where it was located. Very nice room. Some Castaway Club gifts as well.

Without our luggage, we did not have much to do, so we walked around a bit and settled in near the Cove Cafe after reviewing its lending library. We endured the mandatory emergency procedure muster at 4 PM by which time our luggage began to appear. Our bag with souvenirs and books was missing but was eventually found next to another room. There was a party of sorts on deck 9 to celebrate our departure though the ship did not leave until 9:30 PM. We were given little streamers on a stick to shake around. We met some folks from Eugene there.

Our first dinner was in Animator's Palette. We were seated at a table for six but there was only another couple there with us. They are retired from Vancouver, Canada, and have been traveling in Europe since May.

After dinner we walked around, did some shopping in the stores on board, and eventually went back topside to we the ship leave by actually turning 180 degrees around narrowly moving past a larger Royal Caribbean liner behind us then heading out to sea. It was after 10 PM before we got to bed, much later than the past few weeks. We read a little: Donna read her new Spanish cookbook purchased earlier (at 50% off as the ship was discounting its 2010 Mediterranean merchandise) and I read the Navigator for the next day's activities.

AT SEA- September 19, 2010

Last evening Donna took an anti- seasick pill so as to avoid nausea on our first night. Unfortunately, the seas were calm and Donna had a bad reaction with some dizziness and sleepiness all day. I brought a few items from the breakfast buffet early hoping it might make her feel better then headed for the full buffet later.

We attended a DVC presentation with too many people in too small a space. A mimosa later, we left with two more DVC hats putting our totals DVC hat inventory into double digits. Then we went to lunch then I swam while Donna laid in the sun. Donna wanted to take a nap, so I went down to the art auction here few people bid on the pieces and there was a drawing for a painting. Donna was still sleeping when I came back to the room, so I read and took a nap, too.

When we got up, dinner had already started so we figured we would go to the buffet on deck 9. However, the dress for the evening was formal and even the buffet had spruced itself up and offered a menu dinner, not the regular buffet. So we went back to our room and did room service. Cool. And we watched a movie.

GIBRALTAR - September 20, 2010

Donna was feeling better today and we were up before 6 AM. I could see the Rock of Gibraltar and the lights of the city.  Swarms of seagulls fly around the side of the ship and the smaller boats could be seen below.

We ate breakfast then waited until the announcement was made about the process to leave the ship. We had been told about the possibility of rain and naturally as soon as we cleared the dock area it began raining but only briefly. We walked into town past tall apartments and small store fronts. Many shops were closed and most featured alcohol, jewelry, or electronics. The main street was both pedestrian walkway and delivery lane for trucks.

Intending to try the cable car that went to the top of the monolith, we walked along the street and finally we reached the cable car station. Then a young man approached us and told us the cable car was closed due to wind and that we should take his van up to the summit for only €50. We declined and started walking back via another path closer to the water.

The aim of our walk was basically to return to the ship via Morrison's, a large supermarket near the docks that used to be a Safeway. In fact, some of the tour buses show Safeway as one of their stops. Once at the store, we picked up some wine then carried it back to the ship. It had just rained so it was warm and very steamy. A nice shower was in store once we returned.

We had lunch at Topsiders then went to the adult pool area where I used the pool and Donna read. Of course, by this time the sun had broken through and the cable cars were moving up and down the mountain. Then we walked around and went back to the room where we had a glass of wine and watched Leap Year. Cute movie.

Dinner was at Lumiere's; the dress was cruise casual and the menu was French. Our table mates of the first evening were absent and we found out that they were not there last night. (Of course, neither were we!) On Tuesday we found out they has opted for a later dinner session at 8:30 PM.  We asked to be at another table after that night as it was awkward to be the only two at a table for six. The maitre'd said he would arrange it. Following dinner was a Beatles tribute band playing in the big Walt Disney Theater forward. It was very festive and loud, but both of us were tired from our day and we returned to our room and read for a while right after it was over.

IN THE EASTERN ATLANTIC- September 21, 2010

We actually slept in this morning which could have been difficult given that we turned our clocks back one hour. For a day or two we will be 8 hours ahead of Oregon time. This is a day at sea and tomorrow we will be in Madeira, a Portuguese island where we will spend our last 20 euros. We made a reservation to go on a bus tour through part of the island.

Later we spent time by the pool and up on deck 10 o get some sun. After lunch we checked on our reservation for a couple's massage. I am glad I called as it was scheduled for later that afternoon. Before we went to the spa we sat out on a deck and read.

I decided it was time to do the email, so we headed to the Cove Cafe to set up the wireless. If you get this message, it means I was successful.

No luck. Well, the connections was so slow, I decided to try to find a wifi area in Madeira tomorrow.

We went to the Vista Spa for our couples massage early and waited for a while in separate lounging areas. Two girls, Lauren (Ireland) and Juan Mare (South Africa) met us and took us to the couples massage area. The treatment was for 50 minutes and we expected to get out in time for dinner, but we did not. However, we both felt the experience was wonderful. At the end of the massage, while our eyes were still covered with some sort of scented material, the girls put our hands together and rang a little bell. Nice touch. We spoke to them later and asked about their backgrounds. They were looking forward to their time in Florida, but apparently staff are used to help clean and work on the ship when it is in for its dry dock period.

Having missed our regular dinner service, we had a glass of wine and watched some CNN, then proceeded upstairs to the Topsider buffet.

Meanwhile the ship that had been gently rocking in calm waters is now sailing through waters best described as a lake. Very calm and glassy.

MADEIRA -September 22, 2010
Even though the wake up call service failed to operate we were able to get up, eat, and get to our meeting place for our Views and Parks tour. Packed into a long touring bus we left the port and maneuvered through the narrow streets of Funchal and up to the top of a high promontory overlooking the sea. The area is under construction and the bus and car parking left little room for movement. Eventually there will be a glass floored walkway out over the cliff. Right now there is a cobblestone path bordered with souvenir peddlers.

Back down the mountain that was lined with terraces and gardens filled with grapes and banana trees, we visited Camera de Lobos, a fishing village where we tasted a sample of Madeira Poncha, a punch made from rum, lemon juice, and honey. Very sweet and tart. We later found out we had been given a variant version of the drink with passion fruit.

Around the small bay where we were was a restaurant named after Winston Churchill who liked to come to this island and paint in the 1950's. Our guide also provided is with a wooden pestle to be used in smashing the lemons for the drink. She also gave us a recipe for the poncha.

We then went to downtown Funchal where our ship is berthed. We looked for a post office to mail postcards. Then we met up with our group again at the wine shop where they were doing a tasting that we had passed on.

Back on the ship we had the buffet lunch up on deck 9 then decided to do some laundry. This was our second attempt at doing this and the first time someone had taken our clothes out of the dryer and taken over our machine. This time we stayed in the cramped room until things were done. We then went for a walk on deck 10 ( three laps is about a mile). The weather had gotten cloudy but it was still warm and humid. The town of Funchal is very beautiful with its red roofed houses cascading down the steep slopes of the island. Madeira is much like Maui with its plant life- many plumeria, palms, and even Norfolk pines like those around Kapalua. We would not mind coming here again.

Our dinner was in Parrot Cay at 6 PM and we were with a nice couple from Colorado. The ship left port during our dinner and by the time we were done eating the ship was really rocking. The captain left the port earlier than scheduled as there is a growing storm in the Atlantic, Lisa, and he wanted to avoid it.

Deciding not to go to the magician show, we stopped by one of the shops and Donna bought some pressure bands to avoid sea sickness. Many others also had the same idea; there was a real crowd. By the time we left the ship was in what appeared to be rough water. We went up to deck 10 to see. The western sky was beautiful and we could see the bow of the ship bobbing up and down in contrast to the crimson horizon.
We spoke to an officer who told us that the ship would avoid the storm.

The bands we bought seem to work because, either we would not get sea sick in any case, or they eliminated the symptoms. However, as both of us woke up in the night a few times, the rolling did not cease. And dawn showed the sea to be relatively calm (no whitecaps) despite the swells.

ABOARD THE MAGIC SOMEWHERE IN THE ATLANTIC - September 23, 2010
The boat is rocking in all three dimensions due to our being in the remnants of Hurricane Igor, now near the east coast of the U.S. The Captain announced at his daily loudspeaker report that tomorrow could be rough. I noticed last night that the attendants had placed ample supplies of stomach distress bags in the restrooms adjacent to the restaurants. (Is this a comment about the weather or the food?)

We chose to have a sit-down breakfast in Lumiere's this morning. Better than carrying a buffet tray around deck 9. We met our evening waiters there and they were very entertaining. One of them took a menu and folded it so it looked like a tulip on a stem. There was still a gentle rolling of the ship, both side to side and back to front so the pools were sloshing a lot of water. I took some video of the sight and later swam in the forward pool as its water level rose and dipped about a foot as the ship encountered the larger swells.

Reading out on the top deck in the breezy but warm weather took up our after breakfast time then we went to a culinary demonstration of saffron risotto by the supervising chef of Disney Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Downtown Disney. He made it look easy and the samples distributed were tasty.

Lunch was at Parrot Cay with an oriental buffet and then I tried my luck swimming in the sloshing pools. At about 2:30 PM we went to the art auction but did not bid on anything, nor did we win the drawing like we did in 2007.

Reading and watching TV in the room came next. (Just call us Mr. And Mrs. Excitement!) Donna finished a book and I returned it to the Cove Cafe and got another from the lending library.

European Trip and Transatlantic Cruise Part 8

ABOARD THE MAGIC IN THE ATLANTIC - September 26, 2010 (Continued)
The morning was very warm so after an hour out on the deck, we went inside to a presentation about Disney innovations in parks and resorts. We were to come up with 10 Disney innovations then these were compared to the presenter's list. I got most of them though mine were more specific; I specified monorails and the official answer was innovative transportation.

We had lunch in Lumiere's then went back out to read and be by the pool. The adult pool was very full and with the water not sloshing as much as yesterday, all the people in it resembled so many fleshy marshmallows in a cocktail. The water was much warmer than in the morning when Donna got in the pool, this was her first pool experience on the cruise.

Dinner was in Lumiere's and the theme was Caribbean. Colorful outfits and the food was good, too. Donna had seafood fettucine and I had a ribeye steak. As I had gotten up very early in the morning, we decided to head back to the cabin and Donna read and I went to sleep.

ABOARD THE MAGIC APPROACHING THE CARIBBEAN - September 27, 2010
The only problem with going to bed early when you turn your clock back an hour is that you wake up very early (again). This is our last sea day before St. Maarten so I go up and took three laps around deck 9. The sunrise was beautiful despite the rain that fell intermittently.

I brought coffee back to the room and then walked to the guest services to get our room bill to see how much damage had been inflicted on our credit card. We had been given a $224 room credit at the start of the voyage as our payment (in DVC points) had included a fuel surcharge when oil prices were high. Oil went down so we were refunded the amount.

Every day in the ship's daily Navigator is a game in which a portion of a picture or design on the ship is printed. Readers are challenged to identify the location of the piece so Donna and I tried to find today's. No luck; after breakfast we looked all over and could not find what appeared to me to be a carpet pattern.

Up to deck 10 we went to sit in the sun and cool off in the pool. It was expected to be in the 80's as we sailed into the Caribbean.

In the afternoon we attended a presentation by Don "Ducky" Williams, a Disney illustrator responsible for much of the artwork done for Disney advertising and merchandise. He discussed his history at Disney while drawing 24 large drawings of Disney characters with crayon. These were given out later through a drawing. We came within one number of wining one. After this was another art auction featuring his paintings including an original oil that went for $7,000.

We went back to our stateroom and decided while watching a movie to stay in our room for the evening. We ordered some cheese and crackers through room service and I went up to Pinocchio's and got some fresh fruit. We drank some wine while we ate.
Another big meal is not what we needed.

Unfortunately, the television is still pretty bad as we have seen most of the movies we might have been interested in and CNN is still not available. We are now only. Three hours earlier than Salem.

Taking Children out of School for a Disney Trip? A Vacation Dilemma

Part 1: The Decision
Three scenarios:
Family A takes its vacations during the summer when school is out and Dad has his annual two week time off for a trip.
Family B has two parents working and need to coordinate their times off for a vacation. Needless to say, this sometimes means vacations during the school year.
Family C has a single parent working a job with no paid vacation. If there is a vacation at all, it must be during off-seasons when prices for lodging are lower. These are invariably during the fall or early winter.

The decision to take students out of school for any vacation is now driven by numerous social, educational, and economic factors. As a retired school administrator (including service as a high school principal) I was often called on to deal with students whose attendance was impacted by parental vacation decisions. Simply put, my position was that students need to be in school when it is in session. Absenteeism is strongly correlated with lack of success in school. To paraphrase Woody Allen, "Half the secret of success is simply showing up."
However, as the three scenarios above indicate, times have changed. America may have moved beyond the agrarian calendar that drove its educational system a century ago, but that same calendar refuses to give up the wheel. Just as families have changed, the types of vacations (and even the ability to have one!) have also changed.
And sometimes the school calendar and vacation windows simply do not cooperate. This means that decisions to take trips during the school year including those to Disney World should be made with foresight and an open consideration of a variety of factors. While there is no one good answer for every situation, what follows is a series of questions that should be discussed as plans are made. Part 2 is a set of activities that can help one maintain an element of educational rigor during a Disney World vacation on school time.

FAMILY ISSUES:

• Do parent work schedules allow for time off during non-school periods?

• Can the family afford vacation costs during school vacation periods (read: Peak Season)?

• Can the parent(s) properly supervise homework assigned during the absence?

• Can the parent(s) properly develop a series of activities that take advantage of Disney World and the travel itinerary?

• How many days will the student remain out of school?

• Can the trip be scheduled so as to minimize days of school missed? More than a week can set any student back.

STUDENT ISSUES: These should be answered for every student and more critically for student in grades 6-12

• Does the student want to go? Your college-bound senior may like the idea but not the timing. Is there a responsible adult available to serve as a guardian in your absence?

• Has the student been successful in school?

• Has the student missed more than ten school days in the past year?

• Is the student enrolled in a performance class (band, choir, and orchestra) or an extra-curricular activity that would be missed during the trip?

• Is the student in the habit of doing homework on a daily basis?

• Is the student enrolled in special education, accelerated, or other specialized program?

SCHOOL ISSUES:

• What are the state law and district and school policies regarding pre-arranged absences from school?

• Will the teacher/s assist the student is assigning homework for the trip?

• Will the student be able to make up work on his return from the trip?

• Can any element of the Disney World experience be used to supplement or enhance the material covered in specific classes?
Remember that most educators have worked in a system that starts in the fall, takes winter and Spring Breaks, and shuts down in the summer. It is sometimes assumed by educators that the rest of the world is on this schedule.
As one can see, the answer to the question posed in the title of this piece is: It depends. My own view is that, if the parents are forced to take time off during school time, they will. But if they have a choice of vacation times, then they need to seriously consider the second and third question sets and weigh the pros and cons. These all lead up to a single compelling question: Can my child afford to be away from direct instruction and participation at school for the duration of the trip?

PART 2: Educational Opportunities- Those Taken and Those Missed
If the decision is made to remove students from school for a trip, it has hopefully been done with the blessing of your student's school and that teachers have cooperated in providing homework in advance. This is not always as easy as it seems; one would like to think that teachers can just whip out the assignment for the next week or two at the drop of a hat -- some can, some cannot. Hopefully, it will not be busy work. On the other hand, are you ready to help Sally with her calculus? Again, the decision for an older student will be in part driven by the student, and Sally might rather be in calculus class.
But if you have homework with you, your students should be able to do some of it in the car on the way to the World or on the airplane. The educational advantage of this is obvious, as should be the lesson that "play" time sometimes requires "work" time.
Even if there are no lessons to do, your job as parent-mentor can be enhanced by providing supplemental work materials at a grade-appropriate level. Any bookstore or American Automobile Association store can provide these types of workbooks. And, if the student is old enough, the simple act of reading is beneficial. Bring BOOKS in their carry-ons!
A couple of years ago my daughter by necessity had to arrange a vacation during school time. My twin grandchildren, Colin and Caitlin, had reading books as well as a journal that they were expected to complete. Each journal had a page with the date at the top. Each filled out boxes on each page covering topics like naming three activities of the day and their favorite event, person, or place of the day. They were also asked to draw something they saw that day. My daughter also had them do the World Showcase tour with Passports to have signed at the Epcot Kidcot stations.
One key to providing some thinking skills in the trip to Walt Disney World is MAPS. Traveling to Orlando either by plane, train, or automobile can be enhanced by having younger children learn the geography through which (or over which) they are traveling. Maps from AAA can be a godsend. Similarly, the park maps can be used to let children plot their daily activities. Disney makes beautiful, customizable family-specific maps for free and they can be ordered through the Disney World website www.disneyworld.com
Advanced students interested in art and architecture can learn a great deal though the recently published Imagineering Field Guides to the Walt Disney World parks. And, of course, the parks themselves and especially Epcot and Animal Kingdom can be considered living lesson plans. Even as experienced an educator as I recognize that a trip to Harambe Village is going to be more memorable than Miss Feeny's scintillating lecture on African quadrupeds!
So the decision is yours to make. But in doing so, be thoughtful about your own family's flexibility to travel, your children's educational needs and maturity, and how YOU can make a school time trip to Disney World educational as well as fun.

Welcome to the TRAVELSCRIBBLES Blog!

TRAVELSCRIBBLES is a blog featuring travel reports, advice, and idea sharing for those interested in both domestic and international exploration.

Roger Sauer and his wife Donna have spent years traveling the world but many places yet to see. You can follow their past and current travels here as well as post comments and questions about places they have visited.