neon below us. Sensory overload for some, but pure heaven for a kid. For adults, we can either bemusedly watch the kids from afar, remembering vaguely how it once felt to be so deliri- ously thrilled, or just cut loose and laugh and howl and share in the joy. We catch our breath, put on dry
In Andy’s Room on the
Disney Dream, the world of Disney-Pixar’s
“Toy Story” fi lms comes to life.
Small soft white shells adorn the beach, dime to quar-
ter size, and someone before us has started the outline of Mickey’s round head and ears on the rain-spotted sand. Together we improve the design, making it ours. But more rain threatens, so we sigh, pack up and walk back to the Dream through a warm summer drenching, laughing, sharing time and space, father and son together again in the elements, smiling. After dinner, we scamper to Deck 11, for Mickey’s Pirates in
the Caribbean stage show. Keanu is inspired so we buy swords and don bandannas, as this is a night for pirates! Keanu and I swordfi ght under the giant movie screen playing the Muppet’s Pirate Movie, and many other equally inspired young pirates in training are sword fi ghting all about. It’s nearly a free-for-all, yet somehow no eyes or ears are lost and no one walks a plank. Very much a pirate parent’s dream. Then Keanu smiles and says, “Aaarrr—let’s AquaDuck!”
and soon we’re tucking down the route of the screaming duck, with sunset painting the sky pink and rose above us,
clothes, and return to Deck 12 for the Buccaneer Fireworks Blast, the only fi reworks display at sea! Under a cres- cent moon, black sky festooned with stars, the fi reworks shells arc and spin, exploding in evanescent glory above one ship alone on the high seas. After the 20-minute gaudy display and a rip- ping grand fi nale, the Club Pirate on the pool, not the poop deck, moves to booming music that no one can resist. Pirates know how to party, it seems, within a scene set by Disney’s sound and light artists. I prefer quiet places and times, but
there is a perfect place and time to immerse oneself in all that is Disney. The best part of the trip for me was the gift of time with my son, and the chance to feel again what childhood is all about. Castaway Cay and the Dream will always be part of Keanu’s memories, and mine. I can hear the Cay calling me now, over the rippling night waters. And neither of us gained a pound.
Kerrick James earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography from Arizona State University in 1982. He has photographed lands and cit- ies of the American West, Mexico and the Pacifi c Rim for more than 25 years, shooting both adventure and destination travel features. His work has appeared on more than 200 book and magazine covers and in major features for Arizona Highways, Alaska Airlines Magazine, National Geographic Adventure, Conde Nast Traveler, and Sunset.
EnCompass January/February 2012 25
Courtesy of Disney Cruise Line/Kent Phillips.
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