Disney Magic: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow!

Disney Magic now features an AquaDunk waterslide from one of its stacks. (all photos courtesy Disney Cruise Line)

Nearly a lifetime ago I sailed on Disney Magic’s maiden voyage in the summer of 1998.

Mostly I remember dining at one of the ship’s rotational restaurants, Animator’s Palate. I recall my awe at Disney’s creativity, which made my amateurish drawing come to life on a big screen.

I also remember basking on a scenic beach and snorkeling at Castaway Cay, framed by warm turquoise water. There was also Disney Cruise Line’s innovative cabin bathroom design, an industry first, feature with two separate compartments with sinks. I remember thinking: “Why hasn’t this been done before?”

But as a newlywed with a long previous life as a single, of course, I didn’t fully appreciate the appeal of a Disney cruise for families back then.

I also traveled to Fincantieri shipyard in Trieste, Italy, for a preview of Magic before its launch. Those late 1990s were heady days for a travel writer, who also experienced Venice for the first time on that trip, thanks to Disney Cruise Line.

The Venice float-out was a convivial and festive event, memorialized with a red-framed souvenir photograph. Ironically, I had just unpacked that souvenir a few weeks before boarding a “re-imagined” and massively renovated 83,000-ton, 2,700-passenger Disney Magic in late October.

Still trying to settle back into Miami with my husband and daughter after a recent cross-country move from Seattle, I drove 30 minutes to the Port of Miami with our 13-year-old daughter to board Disney Magic for a two-night sailing. Anticipating the cruise, this sometimes cynical but still baby-faced teen told me, much to my surprise,  “Disney is my childhood.”

We discussed favorite attractions at Disney parks in Florida and California (her 10th birthday present with a Seattle friend) and Disney television influences. (Hannah Montana, much to my chagrin then and still today, was a favorite).

Aboard the ship, however, her eighth-grade attitude slowly began to dissipate as we stopped first at Oceaneer Club.

She immediately gravitated toward the computer games, while I checked out the impressive Marvel’s Avengers Academy, Andy’s Room and Pixie Hollow, new for kids age 3 to 12.

PHOTO: Family-friendly suites remain one of Disney Magic’s great features.

Inside the cabin, she expressed delight to have her own space, one that could be separated with a curtain. “If I were on the ship for a week, I would want to bring a sleeping bag to sleep out on the deck,” she said. (Luckily, parents can hear the lock if unlatched.)

We toured Senses Spa & Salon on Deck 9, where our daughter was especially impressed with Chill Spa, new for ages 13 to 17. A girly type of girl, she expressed dismay that we couldn’t take home Disney’s fragrant custom-salt exfoliating scrubs (chocolate peppermint and vanilla orange brown sugar) from its RainForest.

Elsewhere on the ship, a handsome and tall Captain America, star of Marvel’s Avengers Academy, posed for photo ops with guests.

Dinner at Animator’s Palate was delicious, and the new “Drawn to Magic” show is an emotional heart-tug for lovers of all things Disney.

“I would love to work on a cruise ship just for the shirts,” our daughter told me, referring to the wait staff’s black and white shirts sporting animation designs and worn by wait staff.

PHOTO: Disney Magic Oceaneer Club now features interaction with Avengers characters.

Dining attendants Romeo Andrade and Aris Aristadi were exceptional, providing menu details and friendly conversation. Aris entertained by demonstrating origami and teaching a math game.

I have frequently thought of Romeo, who is from the recently devastated Philippines and has crewed on Magic since its christening. “Our service comes from our heart,” Romeo told us.

During a day at sea, top Disney executives discussed Magic’s extensive renovations and contemporary family appeal.

“It’s not a Spring Break cruise, obviously,” said Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “We have great food, great entertainment and great places to enjoy inside the ship.

“There’s great appeal of bringing kids and grandkids. They can have the run of the ship because it is safe and secure. They get a fun burst of independence.”

During evenings, our daughter hung out at Edge, a kids-only club targeting 11- to 14-year-olds, where an icebreaker game, “Would You Rather,” involved gross and hilarious quizzes about body parts and imagined experiences.

The freedom and separation from “mom” was a vacation highlight our daughter will never forget. Meanwhile, I enjoyed some adult time with old friends.

AquaDunk, a waterslide experience, is an exciting new thrill ride that’s similar to AquaDuck on the newer Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy ships. Will it be duplicated on Disney Wonder, Disney Magic’s twin?

At the end of the cruise, our daughter pronounced Magic as ideal for families.

“If you have an infant, and all the way up to a 100-year-old, you’re fine,” she said.

That assessment might please Joe Lanzisero, senior vice president of creative development for Walt Disney Imagineering.

“It’s all about creating happiness for all members of the family,” Lanzisero said. “We took something that was great but tastes have evolved and technology has evolved.”

After 48 hours onboard the Magic, Disney gave me back a more subdued, wide-eyed child, which once again proves that famous Disney adage: making memories that will last a lifetime.

Laura L. Myers is a veteran Florida-based freelance travel writer on assignment for TravelPulse.com.