The big achievement of the day was negotiating our way to Dover on public transport. A cab was impossible to find, I went searching up Regent St and brought one back to meet Gab, the kids and our flotilla of luggage. All that Tetris time meant we somehow wangled our way in to the cab and on to St Pancras.

Boo and I went breakfast shopping at M&S and got trapped in a queue returning to the platform just as boarding commenced. We chose a carriage with only one empty row, with kids and bags stowed Gab and I joined some fellow travellers at a table and off we went. The trip was about an hour, Fid made friends with a French translator who spent 25 yrs in Northern France, I miss France already.

At Dover we were off and in a taxi van in a flash. Halfway through the town we caught our first glimpse of the Disney Magic! Hysterical kids battled hysterical parents to prove who was most excited. We were through and checked in before we even took a glimpse of the white cliffs. Before we knew it we were getting our photo taken with Mickey, we're all beaming as the cast member announced us to the lobby crowd, "Please welcome the Aurisch Family!"

This year there are some special character events to book in for, a Princess Gathering, Marvel and Frozen meet and greets and a breakfast with the Characters. Were booked in for all of them now :) They've also brought on a frozen boutique, we were the first to book in for this cruise, excited much?

The safety drill over Fid and I headed up to the deck party while the girls disappeared to the room for something important. Just like at the wedding Fid was bursting to dance. The girls joined us just in time for the characters to arrive and the parties official start. I'm not sure if Fid cared most about the Characters or the dancing, as soon as they left he was beaming and voicing up centre stage with his glowing happy mug on FunnelVision.

Both of the kids were bolted for kids club the second they could leaving Gab and I to lend charitable attention to the poor bar staff. We'd hounded the kids about not being late to dinner. Both arrived a good 20 minutes before us.

We met a nice family from Pennsylvania, Boo made instant friends with their two daughters. While Fid spent dinner checking his watch to make sure he had a precise understanding of how much club time he was missing out on. Last year he made friends with Maarten from Copenhagen, and he couldn't wait to tell us he was on board. We missed post dinner family photos because those depths of despondency portrayed on Fid's face convinced us both making him stay with us a second longer was some kind of crime. Lesson learned, photos before dinner from now on.

We continued learning the back story of our dinner companions, then met the girls for the opening night show, Fid and Maarten were nowhere to be seen. Magic ensues, the entire audience are reduced to 5 year olds when the characters come out for their numbers.

Kids gone once more Gab and I start the difficult job of bar assessment. It is blustery and chilly on the open decks. They say it will be 30c tomorrow, perhaps it will be that thing of hot days and chilly nights. None of us have been as far north as we're heading this year, exciting!