Disney Cruise Magic for all

My family was super excited about our cruise on the Disney Magic. We couldn't wait to see Ben meet Mickey and the gang. I was looking forward to it, too, but I had one big concern. Max has loved the kids club on cruises, and staffers have been wonderfully accommodating. Now, though, he'd go to the teen club. I wasn't sure if he'd be OK with that, or how the logistics would pan out given that at times Max needs a helping hand. For our last cruise, we'd done an Autism On The Seas program. Would Max be engaged and occupied this time around? If not, there would be no smooth sailing for our family.

The cruise left from New York City, where I grew up. Passing under The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge I've driven over countless times: cool.

In the lobby.

Before families get on the ship, staffers announce their name. Max got his wish: "Please welcome aboard Fireman Max!" They greeted the rest of us separately. 

The Sailing Away party. Max used to be scared of it, but there he was, dancing onstage. 

At first, Ben was completely enchanted/starstruck/pinch-me-I'm-dreaming when he met a character.

Cinderella? Tee hee!

He warmed up to Minnie Mouse....

...and Chip and Dale, who he insisted were squirrels. 

Max was as happy as ever to hang with Goofy. Dave, too.

Nothing like seeing an old BFF

Even the most sophisticated teens cannot resist the lure of a princess.

The ship had a wide variety of activities, with bonus Halloween fun. We watched fireworks on Pirate Night, went trick-or-treating in the lobby, played Wheel of Fortune in the lounge, enjoyed evening shows including Twice Charmed and one with a ventriloquist, met up with other tots at Toddler Time (Ben), got a manicure at the spa (Sabrina), saw Incredibles 2 twice (Max),  hid from the family and read a book in the adults-only area (me). 

There was the magic of Mickey Pops...

...and a sunrise somewhere over the North Atlantic...

...and an equally glorious sunset...

...and date night...

....and a stop in Bermuda, the NY cruises's maiden voyage there...

...and watching Disney movies on the big screen on the top deck...

...and lounging in a porthole...

...and showing your little brother around the ship...

...and coming back to your cabin at night to a towel-animal creation...

...and chilling in the Splash Zone...

...and exploring the Kids' Club.

I'd brought an ID bracelet for Max to wear just in case (Road ID's are the best). Turns out I had no reason to worry: After Max hit the teen club, Vibe, on his first day, he only wanted to be there. I'd found out in advance that there is usually at least one counselor present, and that he or she could call us on our ship phone if Max needed to leave or chat with us. We knew that the club could not guarantee one-on-one attention. But it's always been our experience that they are able to offer that, to some extent. Sure enough, there was the wonderful Kathryn from Australia. She unhesitatingly agreed to alert us when Max needed a hand with the restroom. Our trusty waiter had meals delivered to Vibe, and she helped set Max up. We barely got Max off the ship when we docked in Bermuda. 

With Kathryn

Max played virtual bowling. He watched movies. He did crafts and made a drawing of the Dream—the next cruise he wants to go on—with help from Alejandra from Mexico. He downed copious amounts of mac 'n cheese. He didn't go in the pool once or do any activities outside of Vibe, and he couldn't have been happier. It was his kind of magic.