We are just weeks away from travelling back to Walt Disney World in Florida for the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration and we can hardly contain our excitement! Like last year’s conference, there will be days on land to discover the parks and days at sea to experience a Disney Cruise. This year, we are going to be on the Disney Dream, and last year, we went on the Disney Wonder.
Last year was our very first experience on a cruise, ever! So naturally, I was on hyper-planning mode, doing major research and preparing for a trip we had never experienced before. Thanks to amazing bloggers and vloggers (some I will be able to see again), I received so much information to plan for the trip.
But like most things, experiencing first hand gives you a much better idea of what exactly you need and don’t need for your individual family. This year, knowing more, I feel less stressed and more excited to experience our second family cruise.
On our way!
Is a Disney Cruise for You?
My short answer is yes. I can tell you in complete honesty, that taking a cruise was never a vacation goal my husband and I had ever thought of for ourselves or our family. Papa MOE had travelled way more than me before we got married, and after we married, we moved to Europe and did lots of travelling together. Never in our thoughts had we even fathomed a cruise. Why? First off, it wasn’t something we knew much about. I had only heard of one couple going on an Alaskan cruise, and as beautiful as it sounded, I wasn’t keen on the idea for myself. Second, I’m petrified of boats (all cruisers are reading this, sighing at this annoying comment). The idea of being “stuck” on a boat, out at sea, crippled me with fear.
Captivating…
But then I was invited for the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration and thought, can I do this? I mean, it was my 40th birthday celebratory year and I vowed to do more things that were out of my comfort zone. Also, the Disney Celebration event allowed me to test out cruising with only three days at sea, so I figured it would be a good try to see if my family loved the experience or not.
Pirate Night on deck of the Disney Wonder
So, we did it. And we loved it! To my great surprise and pleasure, I spent as much time as I could just staring at the majestic sea as we sailed. I discovered I LOVED the whole experience and I was not scared in the least. So as any cruiser will tell you, cruises are not boats. The sheer magnitude of these incredible cruise ships blew me away. We couldn’t get over just how much there was on the cruise! Restaurants (plural), a movie theater, a gym, a spa, club rooms for kids, night clubs, boutiques…it seemed endless! I never felt like I was in a confined space and there was always something different to see and do, that time flew by (and I could have stayed longer).
As a family, we did not have any issues with sea sickness (something I made sure to plan for, in case, with the proper medications and sea bands). We savored all the food, activities and entertainment and the whole experience was delightful. Although I cannot compare it to any other cruise experience, I will tell you that a Disney Cruise is, you guessed it, magical. The themed restaurants were so special, the cast and crew were magnificent, and the entertainment was of Broadway proportions. Being able to experience the magic of Disney on a cruise is something we will never forget, and we can’t wait to experience the Disney Dream.
Right after that couch is a hidden bunk bed!
Planning Ahead
So what can I tell you about planning a Disney cruise vacation? LOTS. There is so much fun to be had and I did compile a list of tips for a follow-up post.
Like I wrote, I planned ahead and did major research for our cruise. Working with the folks from Disney for the DisneySMMC was beyond amazing. They were so helpful and, really, our experience was pretty much planned out for us. The best part about being a Disney Mama influencer is that I get to learn about really cool Disney things going on now and very soon.
Cruising with Disney allows you to experience the magic in a different way. Someone recently asked me which I preferred; the parks or the cruise. My answer was that they both have different amazing qualities. So, depending on your family’s desires, you could go just to the parks, just on a cruise or do both with a land and sea adventure like we did.
Fantastic band at Tiana’s Place
Our Favourites
As we plan our next land and sea adventure, I took a moment to ask my three boys what their favourites were. Here is their list of favourites.
3/3 – The ice cream station available on deck near the pool – all day ice cream!
3/3 – Animator’s Palate restaurant – more on this soon ?
3/3 – Pirate Night complete with Mickey and friends putting on a show PLUS fireworks. Yes, you read right. Fireworks…off the cruise! It’s amazing.
2/3 – the main pool with movie screen playing (even at night!)
Late movie on deck
2/3 – the theater performances (hands down, the Frozen Spectacular was incredible, and The Golden Mickeys came in a close second)
2/3 – the bunk beds in our state room – they had to play “rock, paper, scissors” for the top bunk!
2/3 – the recreation center – basketball was their favourite
The more we spoke, the more they mentioned, but these were their top favourites. My favourite restaurant was Tiana’s Place, complete with New Orleans band and beignets…oh the beignets…
Tiana was delightful!
So, you see, Disney cruising is a magical and fun experience, with something everyone. I hope his gives you a few thoughts on cruising with Disney. If you want to check out more, visit the Disney Cruise website. There is more to come about our last experience and to follow along this year, I’ll be sharing with the hashtag #DisneySMMC on social media.
Disclosure: I was invited with my family to the exclusive Disney Social Media Moms Conference. As such, I am provided with various discounts and products. I was not requested to write this post, but am more than happy to share my new-found Disney knowledge with my readers. All opinions are honest and my own. Photo credit for first photo: Disney Cruise Line.