HI October 2004 082 MK Resorts 1 HI October 2004 083

An outpost at the intersection of Life and Disney

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Disney Cruise - Lobby Atrium

Those of you with long memories may recall that I've been working on a series about cruising aboard the Disney Magic.

(Click here if you want to go back to the start of the tour).

Last time we were topside, so this time let's take a look below decks.

Guests board the Magic in grand style, with their arrival being formally announced at a party in the Lobby Atrium:
Disney Magic - Below Decks 05

This fantastic space starts at Deck 3, Midship and stretches all the way up to Deck 5. Here's the view from Deck 5 looking down:
Disney Magic - Below Decks 04

From Deck 5 you can see the "signature" statue of Mickey at the wheel:
Disney Magic - Below Decks 08

Behind the statue is the entrance to Lumiere's, which is *almost* the nicest place to eat (we'll cover the restaurants in a future post).

The Lobby Atrium contains some of the best decorative details aboard. For example, the banisters on the grand staircases feature character silhouettes. While I don't have a picture that does them justice, these menu covers contain a reproduction of the detail:

Disney Magic - Dining - Parrot Cay  23 Disney Magic - Dining - Parrot Cay  07

Back in the lobby, take a closer look at the elevator shafts -- the design incorporates familiar headgear (in multiple scales!):
Disney Magic - Details  36 Disney Magic - Details  35

Between each deck there's a delightful series of classic characters, including Mickey, Pluto, Clarabelle(!!),
Daisy, the Goof, and many others:
Disney Magic - Details  52 Disney Magic - Details  48

Disney Magic - Details  51
We were told by a crew member that each character is dressed to represent one of each of the different crew disciplines on board. (And yes, I was informed that employees of the Disney Cruise line are "crew", not "castmembers".)

In our next installment, we'll leave the Lobby Atrium and take a walk down this hallway on Deck 4:
Disney Magic - Below Decks 26

"See you real soon!"