| PassPorter.com Feature Article Original article at: http://www.passporter.com/articles/disney-wonder-freezing-the-night-away.html Freezing the Night Away on the Disney Wonder: A Disney Cruise Line Reviewby Amy Wear, PassPorter Featured ColumnistLast modified 04-14-2016 A Frozen-themed event called Freezing the Night Away debuted on select Disney Magic and Disney Wonder sailings in 2015. We were among the lucky ones who got to experience the event on the Disney Wonder. Since our sailing was also a Very Merrytime cruise, the event fit in well with the theming. In addition to the Freezing the Night Away event, guests who remembered to get free special event tickets on embarkation day, also had the opportunity to meet the Frozen characters for photos and autographs. In sharp contrast to the famous two hour waits at Walt Disney World, we got to see Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and Olaf at our appointed time with less than ten minutes of waiting. Spoiler alert: My 6 year old daughter didn’t think I should write this article because it would ruin the surprises. If your family likes surprises and is going to get to enjoy this event, you may want to stop reading! A warm-up to the event, Anna’s Chocolate Chase, began on our first night of the cruise. Anna left a note in our cabin, inviting the kids (and grown-ups) to participate in a scavenger hunt around the ship. Our girls enjoyed spending much of their first day at sea finding all of the clues around the ship. Though it wasn’t chocolate, they were giddy to find four Frozen rice krispie treats in our cabin the next night, their reward for finding all of the clues. On night three, we returned from a picturesque day in Cozumel to find four light-up snowflake necklaces waiting for us in our cabin. We weren’t entirely sure what we were supposed to do with them, but our girls enthusiastically wore them to dinner. These made for great entertainment for the four little girls at our table that night. The Frozen themed events began with a specially themed dinner in Parrot Cay. The servers were in character, wearing blue vests with large snowflakes. Our head server was dressed as Kristoff. Kids and adults got their own special Frozen menus. As with every night, the kids’ menus came with crayons and games relating to the theme to entertain kids through dinner. This particular one included a maze game to help Kristoff and Sven find their sled and a Frozen themed word search. Appetizer options for adults that night included Arendelle Gravlax and Elsa’s Coronation Scallops. For the main course, we had selections such as Anna’s Honey-Mustard Marinated Salmon and Kristoff’s Rosemary Marinated Striploin. Kids could choose from Arendelle’s Appetizers, Kristoff’s Main Event, and Elsa’s Sweet Finish. After dinner, we headed to deck 9 to scope out good spots for the Freezing the Night Away deck party. True to Disney character, the deck 9 stage and surrounding area had been transformed into Arendelle. We loved that the ship cast members reserve a kids viewing area for every deck party. The middle section covering the goofy pool was always roped off just for the kids. It was monitored by cast members and parents could stand just outside the ropes. As the kids sat waiting for the show to begin, most of them were wearing the light-up snowflake necklaces we had received for the event in our cabins. Some of the little girls were dressed for the occasion in Anna and Elsa dresses. Some citizens of Arendelle got the party started, selecting a few of the kids to play instruments while Kristoff cut through the ice, just like the opening scene from the movie. Soon Anna joined the gang on stage and Sven appeared on the large screen. We were led in singing and dancing to the Fixer Upper song. Next, Olaf came on-screen and appropriately led us in a sing-a-long of In Summer. Of course, no Frozen event is complete without the Queen of Arendelle. Elsa invited all of the kids to, “use your snowflake medallions to open up your hearts and use your imagination to find the strength within yourselves to create magic.” Much like the Frozen Sing-a-long at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, cue the music for the most overplayed song in 2014. While Elsa’s performance didn’t quite live up to the quality we’ve come to expect from Disney theatrical productions, who can resist “letting it go” and singing along? Or was that “let it snow”? Only the magic of Disney can make it snow on a ship in the Caribbean. Even we Canadians, who get more than our fair share of snow each winter, were excited to see the magical snow falling all over the ship during the grand finale. Kids all around us were cheering and screaming with excitement. With the majority of the ship’s passengers hailing from Texas, I’m sure it was the first time many of the kids had ever seen snow. It was the perfect ending to yet another Wonder-filled day. About the Author: Amy Wear is a work at home mom, travel agent, writer, and registered occupational therapist. She lives in New Brunswick, Canada, and specializes in planning magical vacations for people of all abilities at Click The Mouse. You can find her online at http://www.clickthemouse.ca/amy-w.html This article originally appeared in the PassPorter newsletter -- subscribe to our popular newsletter today for free at http://www.passporter.com/news.htm Updated 04-14-2016 Check for a more updated version at http://www.passporter.com/articles/disney-wonder-freezing-the-night-away.html |