The Golden Mickeys, Part One

With our latest eating opportunity at an end, we say goodbye to Sutas and Nino and head out. Becky, Bob and Linda go to Shutters, while the boys and I step out into the atrium to check out this evening’s pin trading.

The same cast member is handling the pin station, but there’s still not a lot of trading going on. The boys do buy some new pins.

There’s an official photographer nearby with a really cool DCL backdrop, with the ship on the ocean at sunset – with the sun in the shape of a glimmering, golden Mickey.

We stop off briefly at the Walt Disney Suite to freshen up after dinner. The Suite has been prepared for the evening in our absence, with the curtains drawn and the beds turned down. Ah, the life of luxury. There’s a puppy dog towel animal on Brandon and Benjamin’s bed.

The chocolates on all of the beds are pirate coins tonight.

We’re not missing tonight’s stage show, The Golden Mickeys. It’s a fanciful “awards show” like the Oscars used as a framework for big musical production numbers honoring great Disney films and music. Those scenes are wonderful, but as a Disney fan I especially like that there is a focus on the man Walt Disney, with stories and pictures from his life helping to encourage one of the characters in the show to overcome adversity.

What made it even better when we saw this same show in 2005 was that the biographical info about Walt was presented (on video) by his nephew Roy Disney. It was an amazing and sentimental touch, and commendable especially because it debuted when Roy and the Disney management were in a fierce battle over the direction of the company.

I say “was” because I’ve since learned that Roy’s portion of the show has been removed, and now Whoopi Goldberg, of all people, talks about Walt Disney’s life. I cannot fathom why they’d make such a trade. I like a lot of Whoopi’s movies, but this is not a change for the better.

I resolve to try to enjoy the show anyway.

When we make it to the Walt Disney Theatre, we’re a little later arriving that we normally are, and all of the middle-aisle “long leg” seats are taken. Bummer. We find some pretty decent seats instead on the right side of the theatre, about a third of the way back, and settle in to watch the show.

“Rona Rivers” is on the video screen interviewing “celebrities” – kids – on the red carpet on the way into the theatre. It’s cute. Better yet is when cruise director Christiaan, in keeping with the pirate theme of the night, sneaks in behind “Rona” and steals the Golden Mickey statue behind her, then tries to claim that he won it.

The Golden Mickeys begins, as usual, with a big production number, followed by “Ensign Benson” fretting about having to host the show in stead of the Captain (who is incapacitated off stage somehow by Goofy). This is where Whoopi shows up to encourage her…

Hey, wait! No way!! Roy is back!!!! Yay!!!!

I’m going to love this show.