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Disney Vacation

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Planning

Benefits of Booking Your Vacation Early!

Enjoy the benefits of booking your vacation early.
Does booking my vacation early benefit me or the travel companies?

Over and over you see travel companies saying “Book Now” or “Don’t wait any longer, book that vacation today.” Do you wonder, “Is this just to get me locked into a vacation? Is it just to get my money?” My answer to the question, “Should I book my trip now?” is YES. There IS a benefit to you, the traveler, to booking that trip earlier rather than later and not just the travel company. So, read on to discover the benefits of booking your vacation early.

Can’t I take a last minute trip??

Please don’t get the idea from this blog post that you shouldn’t book those last-minute, spur-of-the-moment trips or even 6-9 months ahead (this is my usual booking window). Last-minute trip planning can be super exciting and fun. Instead, I just want to show you the benefits of a little planning ahead, like a year or more.

Planning during the Pandemic

I am writing this in the midst of the Pandemic. We aren’t able to travel right now and for many that can be really hard. When this all started, we had just come back from vacation. So, we weren’t planning on going anywhere for a while, but, I still have the feeling of being trapped simply because I can’t travel. SO, since we cannot go, I feel that planning for a vacation is really important. Having something to look forward to brings hope in difficult times.

But, traveling costs money which might be in short supply right now! Continue reading and I will address this as one of the benefits of booking your trip early.

At the end of this post there will be a FaceBook live that I did a few months ago about the benefits of booking your vacation early.

Benefits of Booking Early

Definition of booking early–Booking a trip a year or more ahead of time. Now, many companies are booking well into 2021 with some going even into 2022.

Best Selection when Booking Early

Cruises

Stateroom Selection–As you know there are only so many staterooms on a cruise ship. And then, there are only so many staterooms in a certain category or the location you want. If you want connecting cabins, cabins right across the hall from each other, or some of the few larger cabins that sleep 5 or 6 then booking early will help get the perfect stateroom. Want one of the few suites or one of DCL’s Deluxe Family Oceanview split layout staterooms? Booking early is imperative! Especially if you want the one and only, super amazing, super awesome (and super expensive) Royal Caribbean Ultimate Family Suite which is booked up at least a year out.

River Cruise ships are small (100 staterooms or less) and definitely have a limited selection. Some boats have only 1 or 2 single rooms, a handful of the economical window, french balcony or lower balcony staterooms.

For those needing an accessible room booking early gives you the best selection as these are usually limited in number.

Cost–Often Cruise lines offer their best prices when they first release their cruise dates about 15-18 months out. This is especially true of Disney Cruise Line. The cost will then go up for a while and only go down a few months before with a Guaranteed fare so you cannot pick your own cabin (and that is often to the same fare as the time of release).

Dining–The main seating time in the main dining room is always the first to go. We booked our cruise 9 months ahead. Our family was able to get a main seating reservation only because we had children but the whole rest of our party was relegated to the second seating. We had to wait and wait and wait to see if our party could eat all together.

Excursions–There are some excursions and activities that are limited to a certain number of people. Once the numbers are filled you are out of luck. Cabanas on private islands are one example. Booking early is essential to securing a cabana for the day. Another is the water park on Royal Caribbean’s Coco Cay. The capacity of the waterparks is significantly lower than the capacity of the ship. If that is a must-do for you then early booking is important.

Resorts

Most Resorts aren’t in as much danger of booking up like cruises except at busy traveling times such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter/Spring Break. Popular smaller resorts might get booked up during the summer. So, there are some resorts that benefit form early booking.

Disney World–Disney World definitely is a place that benefits from booking your vacation early. Value and Moderate resorts are some of the first to fill up all year round but especially during the busy seasons. Getting a 5th sleeper at Disney’s Caribbean Beach or Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside becomes incredibly challenging if you wait too long. These rooms are the least expensive way for a family of 5 to stay on Walt Disney World property and as such, they are in great demand.

Dining reservations at Disney World–Advance Dining Reservations can be made 6 month ahead. In order to get the time you want to some of the most popular restaurants (Be Our Guest, Cinderella’s Royal Table, Le Cellier) need to be reserved at the 6 month mark.

Guided Tours

You cannot go on any tour, any time of year. Guided tours are scheduled at specific times and they are limited both in the number of travelers and the number of expeditions. Sometimes there might be only one trip to a country. Getting to go where you want, when you want is a big reason to book a tour early.

Ability to Budget Your Vacation

The ability to accurately budget for you vacation is another one of the benefits of booking your vacation early. Once you plan and book your vacation you know exactly how much it will cost. Some companies allow you to pay a deposit and then make the final payment at a certain point before you depart. This gives you the opportunity to make yourself a monthly budget in order to have the vacation paid off before you go. You can ask your travel advisor to set up a payment schedule for you to help you stay on track.

Companies that work well for budgeting:

  • Disney Parks–$200 deposit and final payment due 30 days ahead
  • Disney Cruise Line–20% deposit and final payment 3 or 4 months ahead depending on length of cruise
  • Adventures by Disney–10% and final payment due 4 months ahead
  • Royal Caribbean Cruise Line–$250/per person deposit and final payment 3 months prior (does depend on length of cruise above for 6+ days)
  • Norwegian Cruise Line–Same as Royal Caribbean
  • AmaWaterways–$400/person deposit and final payment 3 months ahead
  • National Geographic Journeys by G Adventures–$500 or $750 (some $2000) deposit depending on length of journey and final payment due 3 months ahead

This list certainly is not exhaustive. There are quite a few other companies that have the same deposit and final payment options. So there are lots of vacations you can plan early and be able to budget easily. Yippee!

Groups Get Choices You Want

If you are coordinating a group (or your travel advisor is–so much easier for you) a huge benefit to booking your vacation early is to get the features you want–rooms together, cruise dining times, excursions, dinner reservations, etc. We traveled with family for a reunion cruise and because we booked 15 months ahead we were all able to have main seating dining and we had a better selection choosing staterooms closer together. Groups usually take up quite a bit of room and it is best to book when there is a lot of selection available. One group of 10 couples on a river cruise ship could take up 10% of the staterooms. One extended family could fill an entire guided tour so if you want your choice of dates you have to book early.

Something to Look Forward To

I actually think that this is an important reason to book early. Studies show that it is good for your psyche if you have something good on the horizon. For me, when I don’t have a specific planned I feel a little at loose ends. Even if that vacation is a year or more away I feel better. Also, if you know for sure you are going on a trip it sometimes makes it easier to scrimp and save.

If you have any more suggestions you have experienced about the benefits of booking your vacation early just comment below!

Happy travels to you…Until we meet again!

Links you might be interested in reading:

Cruising

Disney World vs. Disney Cruise: Which is best for your family?

Of course, the best and the most fun option would be to go on a Disney Cruise and also have a great time at Disney World. But for many families, both is not an option. So, decisions need to be made to figure out which vacation is best for your family. Trying to decide between Disney World vs. a Disney Cruise can be tough but my goal today is to give you some things to think about to help with your decision.

I do give my opinion of which I think might be the winner in each circumstance. But, the winner truly depends on your family’s needs so that is why I say “possible winner.”

At the end of this post there is a link to a FaceBook Live I did on this subject but the opinion slants a little toward DCL.

Let’s look at some aspects that you might want to consider:

Disney World vs. Disney Cruise

Location of the vacation

Disney World is in Florida and it always will be.

But your Disney Cruise vacation can begin in quite a few different locations. Money can definitely be saved being able to drive instead of fly or just have less driving time. Plus, you can save a lot of time in transit before and after the vacation if you leave from a port closer to home.

What are the places that Disney Cruises depart from?

  • Vancouver, BC, Canada
  • San, Diego, CA
  • Galveston, TX
  • New Orleans, LA
  • New York, NY
  • Miami, FL (while only 5 hours from Orlando this port is closer for those near Miami)

Possible winner: Disney Cruise

Vacation Accomodations

At Disney World, there are a host of options for your family. There are possibilities from smaller rooms at Disney’s All-Star resorts to 3-bedroom club level suites at the Deluxe Disney resorts. In addition, these rooms are at all different prices that fit budgets for every family. Need a kitchen for your family? Want extended family to stay with you? Or, just want your family to have a bit of room to move around? At Disney World, you can book suites to accommodate these desires. Disney world has thousands of room options available to suit just about any family and just about any need.

On a Disney Cruise, your choices are limited. There are some staterooms that can sleep 5 but most are only for 4 or less. If you have a larger family you must book multiple staterooms (some can connect which is nice) or a suite. Staterooms are also limited in space and don’t provide much room for a family to move around. Extended families might end up booking rooms all over the ship.

Other special considerations: Children under the age of 17 must be booked in a room with an adult over 21. Children cannot be even booked in a connecting room (inside door) to the parents. So, for instance, if a single parents of 4 children wants to book a stateroom they would need to book a suite. This also means that extra thinking if you want to bring a under-21 childcare provider or childrens’ friends you might not want sleeping in the same room.

Possible winner: Disney World

Ease of Communication

Communication at Disney World is pretty simple if you have a cell phone. You can easily text or call your family at any time (as long as you have the proper cell service and battery life).

On a Disney Cruise, communication is quite costly since you are outside of the United States. In order to use your cell phone for calling you must purchase a plan through your cell phone company or onboard the ship. Through the Navigator App you can text other passengers for free but only while onboard the ship.

Possible winner: Disney World

Childcare

While the Disney World parks are super fun for kids there aren’t really any options for your kids to be taken care of while the adults go out and play.

A Disney Cruise is amazing for childcare throughout your whole vacation. Let me list the ways:

  • During the day children can have fun in the kids club appropriate for their age group
  • At dinner children can eat in the kids club or eat with the adults and then half way through be taken to the club so adults can have dinner together.
  • In the evening, kids clubs are open for parents to enjoy the nightlife
  • On port days kids can stay in the kids clubs while parents go on an excursion or just explore the port.
  • At Castaway Cay there special options for kids too

As you can see there are childcare options almost the whole vacation. Note: for children under the age of 3 childcare is limited and must be reserved ahead of time.

Possible winner: Disney Cruise

Variety of Dining Options

Disney World has so many different restaurant options and different types of cuisine. You can find everything from quick-service burgers and fries to five-star meals from gourmet chefs. Do you want Japanese, BBQ, Italian, or African food? It’s all available at Disney World. Also, there are so many snack and dessert choices at the parks, resorts, and Disney Springs. Pretty much anything you could ever want to eat can be found at Disney World.

Food on a Disney Cruise is delicious and of wonderful quality. But the menu is slightly limited and there are only a few different dining locations. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of options to satisfy most any palate but there just isn’t the variety you find at the parks. On the cruise, there are many lovely snacks but they also don’t vary much throughout the vacation.

Possible winner: Disney World

Ease of Dining

At Disney World, there are so many options of where you can eat it can be overwhelming. For table-service restaurants, you need to get reservations ahead and for the really popular ones, you have to do so 180-days before your vacation. That can be stressful! And then you have to figure out how to get to the restaurant from where you are which can take up to 1 1/2 hours on Disney transportation. Easy probably isn’t the correct descriptive word for dining at Disney World.

On the other hand, eating on a Disney Cruise is super simple. You have an already reserved table for your family in the main dining room every night. Even if you don’t want to eat at your assigned restaurant there are only a couple of other options. As I said, super simple!

Possible winner: Disney Cruise

Motion Sickness

At Disney World, you can easily avoid motion sickness. If you are prone to feeling nauseous from movement you can avoid the offensive rides such as the Mountains, Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups, or Flights of Passage.

On a Disney Cruise if you are prone to motion sickness it is a little more difficult to avoid. The ships are always moving on the water possibly causing a problem for you. There are some things you can do to help like anti-nausea medication or patches, pressure point wristbands, or ginger. For some, taking these precautions, choosing the right ship size or stateroom location is enough for a great vacation. For others, not so much!

Possible winner: Disney World

Access to Health Care

Since Disney World is in Orlando there is excellent health care available within a close proximity. You can easily find an urgent care center or hospital. If you have complicated medical needs you might feel more comfortable being within easy reach of medical care.

On a Disney Cruise they do have medical facilities staffed 24/7 with skilled physicians, but they are not as capable at handling very complicated needs. Plus, since you are outside the United States getting back for medical care can be difficult.

Possible winner: Disney World

Mobility Issues

There is so much walking at Disney World a person should really start training months ahead of their vacation. Those with mobility issues either have to sit and wait a lot for others or get some type of assistance (an ECV or wheelchair). While using an ECV or wheelchair might seem easy the navigation through crowds can prove difficult.

Disney Cruise ships are quite large but there is not nearly as much walking needed. You are always welcome to bring a wheelchair or ECV to make transportation on a cruise ship even easier. Plus, passengers with mobility issues have the option in some ports of choosing excursions created especially for them.

Possible winner: Disney Cruise

Vacation Pace

Disney World parks are very large with a lot of places to go, things to do and see. Most people want to see as much as they can and often find themselves criss crossing the park. This means lots of walking and often hurrying to make the FastPass, restaurant reservation or show on time. By the end of the day they flop into bed with just enough time to recharge for the next day and do it all again.

The pace of a Disney Cruise is quite different. Yes, there are a lot of activities onboard and you could be busy from morning to night but it still doesn’t have the same feel as the busyness of the parks. There isn’t as far to walk and many of the activities wouldn’t be considered active. Not to mention the fact that one of the major activities on a cruise is laying by the pool or sitting on your balcony overlooking the ocean.

Possible winner: Disney Cruise

Pregnancy and Babies

Disney World is a place for all ages and stages. The youngest baby can tag along with the rest of the family for a wonderful vacation together. There will be some rides that baby will have to wait behind with someone while the rest of the family does a rider switch but still a great time. Being pregnant at Disney World is fine at any stage. Granted, all the walking and the heat might not be too comfortable and you might have to miss the big rides but still fun. If you do bring a baby along make sure to take advantage of the Baby Care Center, a quiet respite in the midst of a busy park.

To sail on a Disney Cruise, Pregnant women cannot reach their 24th week at any time during the cruise. Babies must be at least 6 months old (1 year on some, especially longer cruises). . Keep in mind that staterooms are small and so sleeping arrangements with babies can be a little challenging. Feeding young children on a cruise can also pose some difficulties. Potty training is a whole other ball game I am not sure I would want to tackle on a cruise ship. Oh, and children must be potty trained to go in the pools, hot tubs, spas, or waterslides. No swim diapers are allowed (as opposed to the resort pools and water parks which allow swim diapers).

Possible winner: Disney World

Planning Ahead

A Disney World vacation takes A LOT of planning and way ahead of vacation time. Deciding on which resort to stay at and what kind of room can be just the start of the confusion. Dining reservations can be made 6 months ahead (very necessary for popular restaurants) which means you need to have a rough idea of what parks you want to visit each day (or how much you want to park hop). FastPasses can be booked 60 days ahead (if staying at a Disney resort) which takes a little planning of your day. If you don’t plan you run the risk of standing in a lot of lines or not getting to do what you what.

A Disney Cruise, on the other hand, is a bit easier to plan. Sure it may be confusing and take a bit to figure out which itinerary and stateroom are best for your family but that is really easy peasy compare to Disney World planning. You can take some time to plan what excursions you want to experience on port days. But, if you want to be more spontaneous and just wait until you are onboard the ship that is perfectly fine.

Possible winner: Disney Cruise

Character Interactions

Disney World is home to many, many characters. The variety between all four parks is astounding. But, (and this is a big but) you will most likely be standing in a long line to see them. You also have to find them in all different locations all over the park. You could spend all day just getting autographs and pictures.

On a Disney Cruise, there are fewer characters to see. Don’t get me wrong, there is a very good variety of characters just not as many as in the parks. But, you usually don’t wait in line for more than 15 minutes. Character greetings are in the same locations and are scheduled throughout the day. Princess greetings can be scheduled ahead and you get to greet them all (usually 3 or 4) in a short amount of time. And then, at some of the deck parties, you can get up close and dance and sing with them. So fun! Meeting characters is so easy on a Disney Cruise. If you want to learn more about meeting characters on your Disney Cruise then check out this post.

Possible winner: Disney Cruise

Price of the Vacation

Price is most always a consideration when planning a vacation. But it isn’t always cut and dry. Both vacations can be done on a budget or go over-the-top with luxury. Cost depends on the size of your party, desired accomodations, etc. When comparing be sure to compare apples to apples. Don’t compare a value resort with a concierge stateroom or an inside cabin with a verandah cabin. You probably want to include a dining package and park tickets (activities) to mimick the all-inclusiveness of a cruise.

Another thing to consider is that the level of service on a Disney Cruise is fantastic and cannot be quite compared to Disney World resorts. This is definitely something to think about when you are comparing value resorts with even an inside cabin.

It isn’t always true but generally, a Disney World vacation comes out a little less expensive than a cruise.

Possible winner: Can’t say. Too many possibilities.

I hope that giving you these things to think about will help you with your decision. Trying to decide Disney World vs. Disney Cruise can be challenging but I am here for you if you have any other questions! Please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Here is a link to a FaceBook Live I did on this topic (slants a little to DCL)

Happy travels to you…until we meet again!

Here are some other links you might be interested in:

Disney World

Welcome to the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival

In March, I was able to spend some time at Disney World. Spending time at the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival has been a dream of mine for quite some time so I was thrilled when I realized that my planned trip coincided with this festival. Woohoo! I am so excited to share some pictures (well, quite a few actually) with you to give you a glimpse of Epcot during this time.

Explore the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival

What’s the Flower and Garden Festival all about?

The Epcot Flower and Garden Festival celebrates the beauty of flowers, plants and farm-fresh foods. Master gardeners plan all year to magically transform Epcot with beautiful topiaries, garden play areas, landscaping masterpieces and beautiful floral displays. This year (and maybe every year) there was a butterfly garden for visitors to learn about and enjoy the lives of butterflies. You might even have one land upon your head!

When is the Flower and Garden Festival?

Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival runs every year from the beginning of March through the end of May (sometimes a tad into June).

What’s new during the festival?

  • Amazing topiaries of Disney characters
  • Beautiful floral arrangements
  • Rest and play area gardens
  • Inventive/very creative landscaping
  • Garden scavenger hunt ($6.99 for map)
  • Easter egg hunt of Disney themed egg (during the couple weeks before Easter–$6.99 for map)
  • Guided tours of the gardens and the planning behind the beauty (additional cost)

Click here for a full list of the topiaries and gardens!

Let’s not forget the food!

Outdoor kitchens are another important part of the Flower and Garden Festival. You will find all different kinds of foods focusing on the delicious flavors of farm-fresh specialties. Enjoy flavors from around the world and local cuisines (such as yummy citrus and honey). These cute little booths dot the perimeter of the World Showcase Lagoon. Below are some pictures of a couple of the booths. You can see the 2020 menus here but every year you are treated to something different.

French food booth at the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival
Delicous snacks in France
Drinks from Japan
Serving up yummy honey snacks was open the next day.
Plant-based selections from Impossible Foods

Pictures from Epcot Flower and Garden Festival 2020

Topiaries at the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival
Bo Peeps Play Area over by the Test Track
A lovely garden play/rest area on the way to the World Showcase
Beautiful flower garden at the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival
A garden on the way to the World Showcase
See Tigger and Friends in the England Pavillion
A Topiara taste of China
Each animal of the Zodiak was crafted out of beans and seeds. So fascinating!
A beautiful garden of spices.
A lovely miniature garden.
Butterflies lead the way to the Butterfly Pavillion
Inside the butterfly pavillion at the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival
Encounter hundreds of butterflies and learn about their life cycle.

One more thing–The Music!

Get your groove on in the American Garden Theater at the American Pavillion with the Garden Rocks Concert Series. Below is a schedule of the 2020 concert series. Each year has different performers and they schedule sometimes changes during the festival.

  • Rick Springfield — April 19 and 20
  • Christopher Cross — April 21 through 23
  • Plain White T’s — April 24 through 27
  • Don Felder – Formerly of The Eagles — April 28 through 30
  • Don McLean — May 1 and 2
  • Casting Crowns — May 3 and 4
  • Ambrosia with Peter Beckett — May 5 through 7
  • Thelma Houston — May 8 and 9
  • The Allman Betts Band – -May 10 and 11
  • Air Supply — May 12 through 14
  • Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone — May 15 through 18
  • Mike DelGuidice & Big Shot — May 19 through 21
  • Claudia Leitte — May 22 and 23
  • Daughtry — May 24 and 25
  • Marshall Tucker Band — May 26 through 28
  • Crowder — May 29 and 30
  • Survivor — May 31 and June 1

Want to guarantee great seats for the concert? Book a Garden Rocks Dining Package! Dining is available at the Biergarten Restaurant, The Coral Reef Restaurant, The Garden Grill Restaurant, or the Rose and Crown Pub and Dining Room. There is an additional cost or you can use 2 Table Service credits. With the package, you are able to choose one of three concert times for the evening. When you arrive at the concert you will be escorted to your special seats. What a great way to rock the night away!

Well, I hope that your imagination is brimming with excitement to see the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival for yourself someday. It was a fantastic visit for me and I am sure it will be for you too!

Happy travels to you…until we meet again!

Other links you might find interesting:

  • Check out how Epcot celebrates Christmas in this post.
  • Find out what might be new to you at Disney World in this post.

Disney Vacation

Disney World Monorail Dining Possibilities!

Disney World Monorail Dining Possibilities

Starving?  Choose a Restaurant on the Monorail Route!

Disney World Dining near the Monorail
The Monorail at Disney’s Polynesian Resort

Walt Disney World abounds with choices to fill a hungry tummy.  But, since the Disney World resort is HUGE the restaurant you might want to go to could be a long way away.  Consequently, a little preparation goes a long way! Read on to find out your Disney World Monorail dining possibilities!

When to choose a Monorail Restaurant:

Eating at a restaurant that is on the Monorail route is an excellent choice if you are staying at or visiting Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Bungalows, and Villas or Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, Villas and Spa.  All three of these resorts have the Monorail running right through them so the access to the restaurants is super easy.  

Playing at the Magic Kingdom?  The Monorail station is just outside the main gate.  At the station, board the Resort Train if you would like to eat at a Monorail restaurant.  This train stops at each resort.

Note: Eating at Epcot is not out of the realm of possibilities because the Monorail connects to Epcot through the Tickets and Transportation Center.  But, due to further distance, extended travel time from the Monorail track, and having to enter another park, the Epcot Restaurants will be covered in another post.

Magic Kingdom has fantastic restaurant options but those also will be saved for another post. 

Monorail Restaurants

Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower

The Wave…of American Flavors at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
  • The California Grill (2TS) Brunch, Dinner–Fine/Signature Dining–Savor the flavors of the Pacific Coast at this gourmet restaurant on the 15th floor for brunch.  Delight your taste buds with sushi, seafood, and American cuisine. Plus, enjoy an extensive wine menu. Dinner
  • The Wave…of American Flavors (TS) Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner–Serving up delicious American breakfast a la carte or buffet.  Enjoy delicious sandwiches, burgers, and salads for lunch and dishes such as beef tenderloin and seared potato gnocchi for dinner.
  • Chef Mickey’s (TS) Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner–Join Mickey Mouse and friends at this delightful character meal.  Serving up the classics for breakfast/brunch (don’t miss those Mickey waffles) and chicken, seafood, and kid’s favorites for dinner.
  • The Contempo Cafe (QS) Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner–Perfect for those in a hurry with many grab and go items.  A diverse menu includes flatbreads, hot and cold sandwiches, salads, and yummy, yummy cupcakes.

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Bungalows and Villas

The Kona Cafe at Disney’s Polynesian Resort
  • Ohana’s (TS) Breakfast, Dinner–Meet Lilo and Stitch at a fun-filled character breakfast serving classic American breakfast food (bring on the Mickey waffles).  Dinner is an all-you-can-eat feast of Polynesian cuisine. During your meal kids and kids at heart enjoy games, music, and dancing.
  • Kona Cafe (TS) Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner–American favorites with a hint of the South Seas.  Home of the breakfast favorite, Tonga Toast. Try an inventive Hawaiian-style, Ruben, for lunch.  Dine on sushi rolls, poke bowls or other deliciousness for dinner.
  • Captain Cook’s (QS)  Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Late Night–Have a hankerin’ for a quick meal of Tonga Toast to start your day?  Get some here along with sandwiches, salads, and flatbreads for lunch, dinner and late-night snacks.
  • Disney’s Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show (2TS)–An entertaining luau in true Disney style complete with dancers, drummers, and FIRE along with a family-style classic Polynesian feast.
  • Pineapple Lanai (QS) Snacks–This is not a restaurant but it is the only place outside of a Disney Park to enjoy Dole Whip.  YUM! They have Pineapple and Lime flavors. Double YUM!!

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, Villas and Spa

A delightful atmosphere for a special character dining.
  • Citricos (2TS) Dinner–Award-winning wines pair fabulously with the carefully crafted Mediterranean inspired menu in this vineyard inspired Old World restaurant.
  • Narcoossee’s (2TS) Brunch, Dinner–Savor the innovative selections of fresh seafood or delicious beef.  While eating you may enjoy the fireworks from the Magic Kingdom or the Electrical Water Pagent on the Seven Seas Lagoon. 
  • Victoria and Albert’s (Superior Fine Dining) Dinner–This is one of the preeminent restaurants at Walt Disney World and has earned the AAA Five Diamond award since 2000.  Choose to dine on extraordinary cuisine in the Dining Room, the Chef’s Table or the private Queen Victoria Room. This meal is not just dinner but an extra special event you will remember for years to come.
  • 1900 Park Fare (TS) Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner–Join favorite friends at the Supercalifragilistic Breakfast (Mary Poppins, Alice, or  Winnie the Pooh and friends*) or Cinderella’s Happily Ever After Dinner (Cinderella and family*) at this delightfully fun character meal.  Meals are served buffet-style with classic American breakfast choices in the morning and seafood, salad, pasta, and beef for dinner. *Characters are subject to change.
  • Grand Floridian Cafe (TS) Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner–Casual American dining with beautiful views of the Rose Garden and courtyard makes this restaurant a convenient, hidden gem.
  • Gasparilla Island Grill (QS) open 24/7–This is the perfect place to have a quick sit-down meal or grab something to go before heading out for a day in the park.  The menu consists of grill favorites such as burgers, and sandwiches as well as pizza, salads, and snacks.   

As you can see your dining options accessible from the Monorail are vast in experience and flavor!  The decision can be a bit overwhelming if you are deciding when you are hungry and ready to eat.  Therefore, my suggestion is to familiarize yourself with the menus at the restaurants above to see if they fit into your Disney plan.  If you click on each restaurant in this list you can find out more details about each dining venue and its current menu.

I hope you find this information useful! Here are some other links you might like:

Cruising

What Makes a Disney Cruise Special–Part Two

What Makes a Disney Cruise special

Hopefully, you have read Part 1 of this blog post giving you five great reasons that a Disney Cruise is worth the cost. (Click here if you missed Part 1) This post will give you seven more. Yes, there are seven more things that make a Disney Cruise special!

Rather watch a video? At the end of this post there is a link to a live video I recorded on what makes a Disney Cruise special. The post and the video aren’t identical.

Disney Characters

Yes! Disney Cruise Line is the only place at sea that you will still get to see Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Minnie, and Daisy. What could be better than spending your vacation with the Fab 5! But that’s not the only characters you will see. You might see Joy, Stitch, the Princesses, Elsa, Anna, Kristof, Dug, Boo, Mr. and Mrs. Incredible, Spiderman and even more. And get this! You don’t just see them in the awesome shows and deck parties. Nope! You can actually shake their hands, get pictures and autographs and tell them about your day. Woohoo!!!

Castaway Cay

Sure, other cruise lines have private islands so that doesn’t make Disney any different. BUT, what does set them apart is what they INCLUDE on their island experience. The really cool water slides and splash pad, INCLUDED! The tram around the island, INCLUDED. But since there is so much to see in the way of fantastic Disney Imagineering, walking is recommended. Special kids area with supervised youth activities, INCLUDED. Beach games and activities for the family, INCLUDED. Want to run a race on vacation? The Castaway 5K is, you guessed it, INCLUDED! There are so other really cool things to do but they will incur an additional fee. Any way you look at it though, your day at Castaway Cay will be AMAZING even if you don’t spend an extra dime!

Kids Clubs

Disney Kids Clubs have some of the longest hours at sea. Plenty of time for your family to have time together and time apart. The kids club is even open on port days if you should choose to use them. You can even choose to have your children eat dinner with you or relax without them while they enjoy the dinnertime kids activities. Or, opt for the best of both and have your kids go with the cast members halfway through dinner.

The counselors are all specially trained to work with children so you don’t have to worry. They are not just glorified babysitters but cast members who are there to interact with your children to give them the best vacation possible.

The kid’s zones are separated by age and they are quite strict about the cutoffs for the safety of all the children. Each area is themed to create an atmosphere geared toward that age group. The security measures are also dependent on age. Children under 12 must have a parent check them in and out. Tweens and teens get to decide when they come and go. Be careful, you kids may never want to leave!

  • It’s a Small World Nursery–ages 6 months to 3 years old
  • Oceaneers Club and Lab–ages 3-12
  • Edge–just for tweens (about 11-13)
  • Vibe–just for teens (about 13-17)

No Casinos

While for some this might not be a benefit for others it is definitely no casino makes for a better cruise experience. For those of you who love to win money or prizes on vacation, never fear! They do have Bingo almost daily!

No Beverage Package

This is another feature that some might love and others might not. The fantastic benefit of Disney Cruise line is that they include soda with all their meals and there is a beverage station on the pool deck. The beverage station is open all day long for everyone to enjoy as much as they want. Not only is there soda but also coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. My daughter and I loved the hot chocolate machine on our Alaska Cruise (just don’t try and take it off the boat). For cruisers who love to relax with an alcoholic beverage, they are available onboard. There are multiple bars and adult beverage locations.

Excursions

Yes, of course all cruise lines have excursions. But Disney Cruise line sets itself apart with the number of excursions available with kids in mind. Their goal is that the whole family be able to experience things together so many exciting things are crafted to allow younger travelers. Plus, where else can you see Disney Characters on your shore excursion?

Disney Cruise line not just wants kids to enjoy experiences but everyone! They have also crafted accessible port adventures in 25 different countries. So if mobility is an issue do a little research (or have your travel specialist) to find out which cruise itineraries might work best for you.

ICE CREAM!!

I know, I know. There is complimentary soft-serve ice cream available on other cruise lines. BUT, on a Disney Cruise you can savor many more flavors than just chocolate and vanilla. On our cruise we had strawberry, mango, blueberry, and quite a few others. I think that there were new flavors every day to try. That was awesome!

Watch my Facebook Live post on this subject

Well, I hoped you gleaned a couple facts to help you to decide if a Disney Cruise is worth it to you. There are many more great things about a Disney Cruise but these were standouts for me. Do you have something different? Let us know in the comments below.

Happy travels to you…until we meet again!

Links of interest:

Disney Cruise Line

What Makes a Disney Cruise Special–Part One

All cruise lines have some great features and things they do well.  But, today, I am going to let you know all the things that I think Disney Cruise does REALLY well.  Things that set them apart from the rest of the pack!

Rather watch a video? At the end of this post there is a link to a live video I recorded on what makes a Disney Cruise special. The post and the video aren’t identical.

What makes a Disney Cruise special. the pool deck.
The Pool Deck

How Disney Cruise Line Excels–Part 1

Accommodations designed with the family in mind.

  • A heavy privacy curtain divides the room between the bed and the couch/drop-down bed which makes the room feel like two rooms. The curtain is so heavy that it really blocks the light from one side or the other.
  • Ample storage is provided. The bed is a little higher bed for under storage. The closet is nice and large for hanging items with a small drawer unit inside. Another cabinet is provided in most rooms as well as a desk/mirror area with multiple drawers, mini-fridge, and cabinet. There is room for everyone’s stuff!
  • Divided bathrooms (found in most deluxe staterooms) are A…mazing! One bathroom has the toilet and sink and the other has a shower/bath with a sink. Since they both have mirrors over the sink two people can get ready at the same time with loads room to move. They are small but AWESOME!

Dining

  • Rotational Dining! Each cruise ship has three different, fantastic restaurants that you don’t want to miss. Upon check-in, you are given your dining rotation between the three dining rooms for your trip. Your servers will move with you to each dining room which means you don’t have to let other servers know your family’s needs and desires.
  • Kid specific meals that are more than just chicken nuggets and mac-n-cheese. Plus, kids can order food off of the regular menu if they choose.
  • Activity booklets are provided each night to keep your child entertained during dinner. Also, the Oceaneer’s club leaders will come partway through dinner time to take the children back to the club and you can enjoy the rest of your dinner.
  • Entertainment in some of the dining rooms. Listen to a jazz band, watch your own cartoons come to life, dance with your servers, or have Disney characters dance by your table. One dining room is quieter and without entertainment.
  • 24-hour room service available.

Family Entertainment

  • Evening shows are all child-friendly. You do not have to ever be concerned that the entertainment might not be appropriate for your kids (always consider your child’s age).
  • Many planned activities for the whole family both in the Oceaneer’s Club and Lab and other areas of the ship. Try a family dance party, family crafts or family trivia.
  • Classic and 1st Run Disney movies playing almost all day long in the Buena Vista Theater and the outdoor Funnel Vision.

Fantastic Service

From your Room Steward to your Dining Room Servers to the cast members you see around the boat, you feel like everyone’s mission is to help you have the best vacation ever!

Special Offerings

  • Pirate Night on most Caribbean and Bahamian cruises. You can don a bandana or bring your own Pirate garb to get decked out for the evening party. You might even be treated to some fireworks at sea. How awesome is that!
  • Frozen Night on Alaska cruises. Join Elsa, Anna, Olaf and friends for a day of adventure on the ship, dine on a menu from Arendel, and sing and dance at the evening deck party complete with “snow”.
  • Star Wars Day at Sea. On 7 night cruises, you can spend the day with your favorite characters around the ship and at special meet and greet opportunities (booked prior to the cruise). Indulge your inner child and bring an awesome costume, catch up on Star Wars movies in the Buena Vista Theater, join in special Star Wars activities such as droid racing, Resistance training, and learn the ways of the Jedi. Top the day off with an epic evening with games, music, and a galactic dance party and some FIREWORKS!
  • Marvel Day at Sea. Similar to Star Wars Day but geared all toward the best Marvel characters. Even Mickey and Minnie get into the action by dressing up in Marvel garb. Marvel movies and activities ALL DAY LONG!
  • Halloween on the High Seas (select cruises in September and October). Bring your costumes to really get excited about all the Halloween activities. Join Minnie and Mickey at the Mouse-querade party, try pumpkin carving, be pulled into the world of Tim Burton during an interactive movie with Jack and Sally, listen to haunted stories and trick-or-treat around the ship. This is only the tip of the iceberg of fun!
  • The Very Merrytime Christmas Cruise (select cruises in November and December) is a holiday wonderland. The ships become transformed with holiday spirit. Regular activities take on a Christmas theme as well as some special additions such as the Wonderland Ball and time with Santa.

Watch my Facebook Live on this subject!

What Makes a Disney Cruise Special! Part 1

Next week I will continue with Part 2. There are 7 more really cool things that make a Disney Cruise worth the extra cost. You won’t want to miss outt!

Click here for part 2!

Other Links that might interest you:

Happy travels to you…until we meet again!

Disney Cruise Line

Guide to Character Meeting on Disney Cruise Line

So many characters to meet, so little time!

As I am typing this Guide to Character Meeting on Disney Cruise Line I am excitedly watching movie on Disney+ (the new streaming service). There were so many choices but I decided to go with one of my favorites, The Apple Dumpling Gang and I am LOVING it!

Now, on to the real reason for this post.

A guide to meeting characters on Disney cruise line

Character appearances are a fantastic part of a Disney cruise. Some people avoid the parks and take a cruise instead. They still get to see the Disney characters but stay away from the madness of the parks. There is no shortage of characters. While on board it feels like they are everywhere! Hopefully you will find this Guide to Character Meeting on Disney Cruise Line helpful!

Where do I go to meet the characters?

The Navigator (paper and app)

Do you wonder how you are going to find all the many characters on your Disney Cruise? Who to meet? When they will be there? Where to go? The Navigator is your complete guide to finding the characters. Each evening you can pick up the paper Navigator at Guest Services and plan for the next day. OR…

Even better, is to use the Navigator App. Download the app before leaving on your cruise. On the app you can search by character or by day to plan your day or even your whole week.

Schedule of character meeting times on Disney cruise line
Navigator schedule showing character meeting times on Disney cruise line
Excerpt from a Navigator showing Character appearances

Meet and greets all over the ship

You will find characters all over the ship. Most of the time the characters on our ship were centered around the Atrium on 3 floors. They would also meet and greet outside the Walt Disney Theater, the ticketed gatherings (more later), character breakfast, and of course, the Oceaneers Club.

Character meeting with Spiderman at Oceaneers Club on Disney cruise line
Meeting Spiderman in the Oceaneers Club

At the parties, shows, dinner and some excursions

Your favorite Disney characters are also the stars of so many of the shows. It all starts with the Sail-a-Wave Party. Other shows with characters include the Pixar Pals Party (loved this one!), Frozen Deck Party, Pirate Deck Party, sometimes the Family Dance Parties, and the Goodbye party. Mickey, Minnie and Friends also show up at the Golden Mickeys. You also might book an excursion that gives an opportunity for you to spend some time with your favorite characters.

And, of course, you might see characters at dinner or just walking around the ship. At these times the characters do not stop for pictures or autographs. They welcome a high 5 or a wave as they pass by. You might even get really lucky with a quick hug.

When can we interact with the characters?

Meet and Greet

At the meet and greet times the characters will sign autographs, talk with you for a moment or two, and take a picture with you. There is a photographer that will take your picture. They are also happy to use your camera to snap a pic or two. This is your opportunity to bring your autograph books, pillowcases, photo mats, t-shirts or whatever else you might want the characters to sign as a keepsake.

MEET AND GREET DETAILS: The Meet and Greet sessions are scheduled for 15 minutes. A cast member will not allow anyone else to enter they line when it gets close to ending time. Some characters have nice backgrounds. The lines go pretty quickly even when they look long. Remember, the character will only be there for 15 minutes so you shouldn’t be waiting longer than that.

NOTE ABOUT USING YOUR OWN CAMERA: The lighting at the meet and greets is not very good. It can be kind of dark and often a lot of shadowing. I will note that the Disney pictures, while better than mine, were sometimes not spectacular.

Parties

You also get to have a lot of interaction during the parties. For example, during the Pixar Pals Party we could dance with the characters, take pictures and have a ton of fun with them. At the end of the cruise at the goodbye party the characters stood around for pictures and some fun.

A quick pic with Mrs. Incredible at the Pixar Pals party.

Gatherings

The gatherings are separate ticketed events. Prior to your cruise you can reserve a special time to meet the Princesses or Elsa and Anna. Reservations are free and are made based on your Castaway Club status. Platinum members can book 120 days before sailing, Gold members 105 days ahead, Silver members 90 days ahead and first time cruisers can book 75 days ahead. NOTE: If you are unable to get a reservation prior to departure check with Guest Service immediately after boarding to possibly get a time slot.

Character meeting at Frozen gathering on Disney cruise line

FROZEN Gathering: This is the only time you have to interact with Elsa and Anna.

PRINCESS Gathering: For us this was in the Atrium. It was nice to be able to see all of them at once. But, you will have a chance to see Princesses at other times. On our cruise we saw Cinderella, Belle, Ariel, and Tiana.

Royal Court Royal Tea Party

This extra special event delights children ages 3-12. During this whimsical tea time your prince and princesses enjoy stories, songs, and dancing with your Tea Party Hostess and Royal Pastry Chef. And, of course, devoted time with Disney Princesses.

In addition, your taste buds will be temped with tea and two delicious courses. Keepsake gifts will be given to remember this special teatime experience.

Cost: $220 for children and $69 for adults

Character Breakfast

Character meeting at breakfast on Disney cruise line

This is also a special ticketed event. It is free but reservations must be made. What characters will be at the breakfast is constantly changing. It is an exciting surprise when you get there. We saw Mickey, Minnie, Chip and Dale. Make sure you tell your server if all of the characters have not visited your child.

Is every session with a character the same?

Throughout the cruise you will see multiple greeting times for some characters. There are a couple reasons. One reason is to give many people a chance to visit the characters. There is so much going on during the cruise that there needs to be multiple scheduled times to accommodate.

The other reason is that some characters, mainly Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Friends want to don more than one outfit to brighten up your day. They might show up in cruise wear one day, formal wear on Formal night, pirate garb, rain gear, or local outfits. One day on our Alaska cruise Mickey and Minnie wore Native Alaskan Parkas.

My biggest character meeting tip!

Use your Navigator app to plan out when you want to go and meet specific characters. On the app you can choose favorites and it will remind you at the time. If you do this at the beginning of your trip you can relax knowing you won’t miss out on any characters you really want to meet.

Thank you for reading this Guide to Character Meeting on Disney Cruise Line. I hope you found some helpful tips and tricks for cruise.

Is there a character that you just have to meet? One you would be heartbroken to miss? For me it was Joy! I love her!

Happy travels to you…until we meet again!

Other posts you might be interest in reading:

Disney Cruise Line

Mistakes We Made on Our Disney Cruise

And hopefully you won’t!

Mistakes we made on our Disney Cruise

We had a fabulous time on our Alaska Disney Cruise. But since it was our first one we definitely made some mistakes. Certainly not anything that negatively effected our trip but things to learn from for next time. So read on and hopefully you can learn from the mistakes we made on our Disney Cruise.

1) Boarding time is not arrival time

I planned to be at the port before our boarding time but I didn’t realize how long the process would take. We arrived at the port in Vancouver about an 1 1/2 hours before our boarding time. This was not nearly enough time to actually board at our time. There are so many steps in the process–baggage drop off, initial check-in, security checks, and a couple custom checks.

Lesson learned: Get to the port more than 2 hours before boarding time. There is an area to sit and wait to board after you are all checked in.

2) Waiting to Purchase Key Card Holder

I didn’t really think about this at all before leaving. In past cruises our kids were older and didn’t want anything hanging around their necks. But, I quickly realized after boarding that it would be very important for my young daughter to have a lanyard to hold her Key to the World Card. I certainly didn’t want to be digging for hers all the time. I knew that if she was responsible for putting it in her pocket it would be lost before dinner.

So, the hunt for a card holder began. Unfortunately, we had to wait until after we left port for the onboard stores to open up. Finally, after waiting and waiting (this was very difficult for my daughter who frequently asked if they would open soon) the doors opened. In we went, excited to see all the possibilities.

Sadly, our choices were very limited. I think there was three styles to choose from. Now, there were lots of pin trading lanyards but since the pocket was detachable I knew that with my daughter that would be a recipe for disaster. After much agonizing, one was settled on. Even though it was expensive (in my opinion $13 was quite a bit for a pocket) it was worth every penny. My daughter kept track of her very important Key to the World Card the whole trip. Bonus: we have it for the next cruise.

I will say there was one benefit for purchasing the lanyard on the ship. The plastic pouch ripped so it was unusable. We brought it back to the shop and they replaced it with a smile.

Lesson Learned: Purchase a Key to the World holder before leaving on the trip. They are invaluable for young children who want to hold their cards themselves.

3) Overpacking

On our last cruise (non-Disney) we dressed up for dinner almost every night. Not always fancy but at least changing out of shorts/swimsuit and into a skirt or nice pants. But not this time!

Our cruise was very casual. VERY! We had the late seating so I was able to see all the people going into dinner for the early seating. I was so surprised the first night to see so many t-shirts, sweatshirts, and jeans.

I had packed a change of clothes for almost every dinner. Most of them languished in the closet never worn. Why change if I don’t have to?!

Now, we were on an Alaska Cruise in September so shorts never graced my body. It might be different if I was on a Caribbean cruise and had to change out of my shorts to go to dinner.

Lesson Learned: Pack extra clothing for Formal and Semi-formal night but don’t worry so much about the rest.

4) Under Utilizing the Disney Navigator App

I downloaded the app before our trip which was a good first step. I really like paper and seeing all the activities at once and in comparison to each other. For this reason I didn’t really use the app much.

It wasn’t until the 5th day of our 7 day cruise that I was lamenting the fact I had missed some of the characters and wished I could have known ahead all the meeting times for characters. Another passenger informed me that ON THE APP you can look up each character and see all the meet and greet times throughout the week. Boy, this would have been helpful on day 1 or 2.

I wished I had know this for planning out the movies too. I sure loved watching movies on the ship. I know, I know. I’m quite silly but I really don’t get much chance at home.

Lesson learned: Look through the Navigator App right away. Pick favorites and enjoy the trip!

5) Letting the weather stop me

This mistake we made on our Disney Cruise is probably the only one I actually regret. As I said before, I thought it was kind of cold on our cruise. I did come prepared with insulated water boots, down coat, hat, and gloves. I donned them all for the important times such as the Frozen Deck Party and traveling up Endicott Arm to Dawes Glacier.

Other than those two times I spent very little time outdoors. At the time I just didn’t want to be cold. But now, I look back and think, “Man! Why didn’t I even walk around the deck and sit for a bit and watch the beauty floating by?”

Lesson learned: Bundle up and spend at least a little time walking around the decks and watch the scenery.

6) Feeling Guilty About Skipping the Dining Room

We loved our dining room servers, the dining room atmosphere, and the dining room entertainment. We didn’t love the food and found ourselves wanting a change. I know it is silly, but we felt like we were letting down our servers if we ate elsewhere.

Finally, after looking at the next day’s activities we decided that we needed to skip dinner in order to do all we wanted to do. We hesitantly informed our servers and the next night ate at Cabanas for dinner.

When we walked in we expected to eat at the buffet. Boy, were we wrong! At night Cabanas is sit-down service. At first we were disappointed as we were in a bit of a hurry to eat. The initial look at the menu also was disheartening as it seemed very basic. But we ordered and it was actually our favorite meal. Go figure!

Lesson Learned: It’s your vacation. Do what you want!

7) Trying to Leave Ship with Hot Drink

As you know, we were on an Alaska cruise in September. Well, it was kind of cold and rainy. Having a hot drink while exploring Juneau sounded so fantastic! I went up to the drink station and poured myself a lovely cup of tea. Down I went to the exit the ship. But, unfortunately not with my tea! The security personnel informed me that drinks were not allowed to leave with me. Ah man!

Lesson learned: Find the first coffee cart on a cold day and get a hot drink. (or iced drink on a hot day)

Thank you for reading through all the mistakes we made on our Disney Cruise. Hopefully you find this a little helpful in planning your own vacation.

What mistakes have you made on your Disney Cruise that you don’t want to make again?

Happy travels to you…until we meet again!

Some other links you might like:

Disney Cruise Line

7 Things I LOVED About Our Disney Cruise!

Things I Loved about our Disney Cruise
Things I loved about our Disney cruise

My daughter and I sailed on our first Disney Cruise at the beginning of September. Other than a fantastic, relaxing trip my purpose was to experience a Disney Cruise in order to be able to better inform my clients. I brought my 7-year old daughter for special Mother-Daughter time and as my “guinea pig” for the children’s programming.

Our first Disney Cruise took us on the Disney Wonder back to our Alaskan home. It is quite typical for Alaskans to have never visited the city and towns of Southeast. So, I was thrilled to explore the ports of Juneau, Ketchikan, Icy Strait (Hoonah), and Skagway. But, I am focusing my gushing about the things I love to the the actual cruise ship.

Without further ado, here are the things that I LOVED about our Disney cruise!

1) Our Dining Room Servers–Potchara and Heny

Potchara and Heny, our dining room team, were fantastic. They made every dinner fabulous. They quickly remembered our likes and dislikes. They watched closely to when we needed anything and checked on us regularly (but not too much). They let us get to know them, about their lives.

2) Rotational Dining

The Disney Wonder has 3 main dining rooms. Rotational dining allows you to experience all the dining rooms during your cruise. Place’s decor is reminiscent of 1920’s New Orleans. Triton’s dining room style is more classic and subdued. The final dining room is Animator’s Palate. This last dining room initially looks bleak in all black and white. As dinner progresses this room transforms into a vibrant color palate. It’s so delightful!

3) Dining Room Entertainment

I vaguely remember reading something about live jazz in Tiana’s Place before we left on our cruise. But, I was totally unprepared for how cool it all was. The jazz band in Tiana’s Place was excellent. The second evening at Tiana’s our servers had a great musical number and encouraged all the guest to join in and dance around the dining room. So fun!

Animator’s Palate was my absolute favorite. The first time we dined there was a cute show after dinner. But, on our second dining at Animator’s Palate we experienced probably one of my favorite things on the whole cruise. Before they let us order we had to draw a character on a piece of paper. After dinner they took our characters and animated them into a cute movie. It was one of the cutest things I have seen in a long time! I LOVED it!!

4) All the Focused Attention on my Daughter

All throughout the cruise I felt that my daughter was respected as a traveler and not just along for the ride. I loved how kids were an important part of the cruise. It is truly a family friendly cruise with emphasis on creating special memories for children as well as adults.

At the Frozen Party a section was roped off just for kids so they could be close to the stage and join in with the dancing. So many activities could involve the whole family together. At the Oceaneers club, they would interact with the kids at things they enjoy doing. My daughter loved playing games with them.

One of the things that impressed me the most was how our servers looked at her in the eye (as much as she would let them). They spent time helping her decide what to eat, taking as much time as necessary without rushing her. They asked her what she wanted and listened to her requests. Every night Potchara would have a special activity planned such as origami or magic tricks. As soon as he realized how much my daughter loved the magic tricks he made sure he had one ready every night.

5) The Movies

I know, so silly. But, we rarely go to the movie theater. It was such a treat to sit and watch so many of the movies I really wanted to see but hadn’t. I loved the live action Aladdin and saw it twice. Watching the Lion King and Toy Story 4 on the big screen was so fun.

6) Frozen Deck Party

Freezing the Night Away! Even though cold and bundled up with hat and gloves I loved this show! It was so fun! Music reverberated across the deck. Dancing infected the feet of everyone. Anna and Elsa lit up the night. And even though I am very accustomed to snow, the snowfall on the deck was enchanting. I loved every minute of it! I can’t imagine how amazing a Pirate Party must be with fireworks on the Caribbean cruises.

7) Our Room Steward–Alvin

A cool cat courtesy of Alvin

Alvin was awesome! He always had a smile on his face. He always greeted us like he was happy to see us. One night we left our room a disaster only to come back to a neat and tidy space ready for us to sleep that night. He never made us feel like we were interrupting his duties when we changed our routine and messed up his. He crafted awesome towel (and blanket) creatures. He pixie dusted my daughter with Princess sheets and absolutely thrilled her by leaving them on a couple of nights. He made our trip extra special.

These were not the only things that I liked about out Disney Cruise. But, these were the things that, I believe, set Disney apart from other cruise lines. Now, I know that others may not agree with my opinions but that’s okay.

Now, it’s your turn. What was your favorite part of your Disney Cruise?

Happy travels to you…until we meet again!

Other links that might interest you:

Disney Vacation

A Disneyland Resort Christmas Guide

Christmastime is my absolute favorite time to visit Disney. I love walking down Main Street under the lights and holly garlands. All the special touches drag you into the holiday spirit whether you want it to or not and you just want to sing right along with all the Christmas music.

A Disneyland Resort Guide to Holiday Decorations

The Disneyland Christmas makeover starts at the beginning of November. Main Street comes alive with lights, holiday garland and decorations all leading each guest to the enormous, gorgeous and towering Christmas Tree. Cinderella’s Castle shimmers and shines with lights. Head back to Fantasyland where the It’s a Small World Every facade is covered in 50,000 lights and special video projections for and amazing transformation. Each and every land joins in the holiday fun!

What about California Adventure? How do they join in the festivities? Bring back nostalgia from times gone by with the beautiful vintage holiday decorations up and down Buena Vista Street. Feel dwarfed and inspired by the 50 ft. Christmas tree. Wander through Paradise Pier, Grizzly Peak and other lands immersing yourself in holiday cheer. And don’t miss Cars Land, where the residents of Radiator Springs have decked the streets in seasonal a-tire. Two not to miss attractions: Luigi’s Joy to the Whirl and Mater’s Jingle Jamboree.

Of course Downtown Disney and the resorts are not to be outdone. Find your holiday home-away-from-home festooned with frosty flair. The Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel and Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa welcome Guests with splendiferous displays that send spirits soaring. Each Disneyland Resort hotel features a unique holiday tree decorated with whimsical flourishes, traditional trimmings and dashes of pure Disney magic.

When can you see the decorations?

The decorations go up the first week of November and come down the first week of January.

A Disneyland Guide to Special Holiday Events and Activities?

Disneyland

Disneyland resort Christmas guide with the lights of It's a Small World

A Christmas Fantasy Parade— With prancing reindeer, marching toy soldiers, dancing gingerbread cookies and more, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Disneyland Park! Wave to all your Disney friends as they pass by on fantastic holiday floats.

“Believe…In Holiday Magic” Fireworks Spectacular— Feel your spirit soar during this splendid pyrotechnical spectacle. As the sky overhead lights up with dazzling color, more than 80,000 twinkling lights illuminate Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle with sparkling “icicles” and shimmering snow-capped turrets.

“it’s a small world” Holiday–This classic attraction dresses up for Christmas. The holiday dolls sing medleys of holiday music as well as the classic song. Outside each evening, every 30 minutes, thousands of lights come alive as well as video projections to bathe the exterior in colorful lights and images.

Haunted Mansion Holiday–The ghosts and ghouls are in festive holiday spirit and want to wish you a merry macabre holiday. Enjoy the spooky mansion inspired by Tim Burton’s Nightmare before Christmas.

“Holiday Time at Disneyland Resort” Guided Tour–This 2 1/2 hour guided tour will share favorite Disneyland holiday traditions from around the world. You will also enjoy reserved seating for the Christmas Fantasy Parade, delicious holiday treats, a collectible pin and more. Cost: $99 (theme park admission also required)

California Adventure

Explore celebrating the holidays at Disneyland in the Disneyland Resort Christmas Guide

Disney’s Festival of Holidays

  • Festive Foods Marketplace–Delight your taste buds with festive foods and treats from around the World
  • Disney ¡Viva Navidad!–Dance along with the Three Caballeros at the Viva ¡Navidad! Street Party. Celebrate Three Kings Day January 3-6, 2020 honoring Epiphany, a holiday in Mexico, South and Central America.
  • Meet Santa and his elves at the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail

Buena Vista Street Holiday Tree Lighting— Watch in wonder as the tree twinkles to life with a kaleidoscope of colored lights, hundreds of whimsical ornaments and swags of gleaming garland.

A Disneyland Resort Guide to Holiday Crowds?

This is a very busy time but all the special additions make it worth the extra crowds.

The busiest times are when schools are on vacation–the week of Thanksgiving and Christmas Break.

If you want to try to experience the parks with a little fewer people your best bet is the first few weeks of November and December. Weekends will be quite busy but Tuesdays-Thursdays might be a little less crowded.

How do I handle the crowds?

The best way to enjoy the holidays at Disneyland is to be prepared. Have a plan! Touring Plans is a great place to help plan your day.

Here are some other things to keep in mind:

  • Expect lots and lots of people and lots and lots of waiting!
  • Stay in the park on the busiest days (definitely Christmas and New Year’s Day). They often reach capacity and if you leave you won’t be able to go back.
  • Know what are your must do’s (keep the list short) and what can wait until another trip.
  • Purchase tickets before arrival. Ticket lines get very long.
  • Get to the park early (30 min-1 hour before opening)! Maximize your time while others are sleeping.
  • Get your FastPass for World of Color-Seasons of Light early in the day.
  • MAXPASS!! Make sure app is downloaded before your vacation so you are ready to roll right as you walk through the gate.
  • Stake out your spot for the Parade and Fireworks VERY early if you want a good spot.
  • Focus on entertainment and activities as well as rides.
  • Be patient! Everyone around you also desires a magical holiday.

I hope that you found this information helpful for your Disneyland vacation planning. Remember, even though November and December are very busy with lots of people you can still have a memorable and magical vacation!

Happy travels to you…until we meet again!

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