Virtual Maiden Voyage – Day Five
DISNEY FANTASY VIRTUAL MAIDEN VOYAGE – DAY FIVE
Location: Costa Maya, Mexico
Sunrise: 6:40am Sunset: 7:04pm
All Ashore: Approximately 7:30am
All Aboard: 2:30pm
Evening Attire: Cruise Casual
Time change: Set clocks ahead 1 hour tonight
Dinner menus:
Animator’s Palate: Prince & Princess Menu
Enchanted Garden: Prince & Princess Menu
Royal Court: Prince & Princess Menu
Our dining rotation: AERAERA Table: 20 Dinner: Second seating (8:15pm)
(On Disney Cruise Line, you “rotate” to one of three different “main dining” restaurants each evening. You have the same table number and waiters at each and a different theme nightly)
Drink of the day: Key Lime Margarita (Alcoholic) and Cranberry No-Jito (Non-Alcoholic)
Walt Disney Theatre entertainment: WORLD PREM-EAR: Disney Wishes (6:15pm & 8:30pm)
About Disney Wishes: On the eve of their graduation, three best friends go on a magical journey down the wishing well. A host of Disney characters help them discover the connection between children who are becoming adults, and adults who stay in touch with being a kid at heart.
Character Meet & Greets today: Belle, Buzz Lightyear, Emille, Goofy & Max, Lilo & Stitch, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Princess Tiana, Remy, Timon
ABOUT THIS PORT – COSTA MAYA, MEXICO
Although it may feel like an island, Costa Maya is actually located on a peninsula. This tourist region is located on the Yucatán Peninsula 100 miles south of Playa del Carmen near the border of Belize in Mexico. Comprised of 2 small villages, Mahahual and Xcalak, Costa Maya provides a picture-perfect getaway that visitors are sure to love.
Local Culture and Flavor
Today, Costa Maya is home to one of the largest indigenous populations of Mayans in all of Mexico. Still a relatively new location for tourists, the area feels more authentic than many other cruise destinations.
Timeless natural beauty lingers around the small seaside village of nearby Mahahual—a fisherman’s haven for thousands of years. Notwithstanding the restaurants, shops, pools and bars that can be found in the in the center of town, dirt roads, thick green jungles and tranquil lagoons are still the norm in this part of Mexico, offering a restful retreat unlike any other.
Past and Present
Early Mayans were predominant in the area from 200 B.C. to 900 A.D. In the 16th century, English pirates ravaged the coast and battled the Spanish for control of the region. At the end of the 19th century, the Mexican Navy took over the land. A treaty with Britain was signed soon after, limiting the territorial rights of Mexico, thereby forcing Mexico to build a new trade port in Xcalak.
By the 1950s, the economy was flourishing as businesses—including stone and wood construction companies—made the area a supply center for the region. Steady growth continued until the mid-1990s, when the government outlined a plan to make Costa Maya a tourist destination.
Today, tourism is Costa Maya’s main economic revenue stream, thanks to the island’s plethora of unspoiled natural beauty that has remained untouched for thousands of years.
Things to See and Do
Discover the sites and attractions of a destination with natural wonders on both land and sea.
Shopping
Mayan Pavilion Park is a retail mall with a cultural twist, conveniently located at the port. Here, you’ll find arts and crafts kiosks, restaurants, bars, saltwater pools and fantastic shops.
Chacchoben
Costa Maya’s most famous landmark, the ruins at Chacchoben, was constructed by the Mayans around 350 A.D. and includes awe-inspiring stone temples and pyramids. Still undergoing excavation, this ancient city invites all who visit to walk in the shadow of Mexico’s wondrous past.
Uvero Beach
For those who want to kick up their feet and just relax, Costa Maya’s beaches are as abundant as they are beautiful. Costa Maya includes a number of picture-perfect, white-sand beaches with eateries and various shopping opportunities located nearby. The most popular beach is Uvero Beach, located about 20 miles north of the Mahahual town.
Banco Chinchorro
Snorkelers and divers will surely want to explore this natural reef, considered to be the largest in Mexico and the second largest in the world. The reserve is home to a vast array of underwater wildlife and a number of shipwrecks.
Here are the highlights from today’s Personal Navigator:
Tonight we return to the Enchanted Garden, but all three restaurants will be enjoying the “Prince and Princess Dinner” menu:
With our early afternoon departure from Costa Maya, we will have plenty of time to check out the coolest feature of the ship: The AquaDuck, a special attraction available onboard Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream.
Developed by Disney Imagineers, this elevated “water coaster” is the first of its kind at sea. Unprecedented on a Disney Cruise Line ship—or, for that matter, any cruise ship—the AquaDuck boldly goes… everywhere!
Located at Deck 12, the AquaDuck is a an exhilarating waterslide that takes riders on a wet and wild journey up, down, around and off the side of the ship, through the Forward Funnel—on a daredevil 4-deck drop.
As you whiz through 765 feet of snaking tubes, transparent and uncovered sections afford you breathtaking views of the ocean and ship below—assuming you can keep your eyes open! Get a bird’s-eye view of pools throughout the ship as powerful water jets propel you and your 2-person raft through uphill climbs, and then splash into a lazy river at the end of the plunge.
For an added thrill, ride the AquaDuck at night and experience dazzling multicolored lights!
Since we can’t board the ship right now, we thought you might enjoy a virtual ride on the AquaDuck:
As we return to our stateroom tonight, we find another nice Maiden Voyage souvenir – a replica of the keel coin for the Disney Fantasy.
Tomorrow is our final “sea day” and we’ll explore some more of the fun features of this amazing ship. Until we meet again, a virtual “good night” from onboard Disney Fantasy.
