We’re back from our three-night cruise on the Disney Dream and it was nothing short of spectacular! Here, I wrote about this being a Spring Break / Stinky’s 11th surprise birthday celebration rolled into one. Was it a surprise? Yes! Was it the best surprise ever? Also, yes!
The first half of Spring Break was unmemorable, save for one morning when Blinky helped babysit the neighbor’s toddlers. It was super cute watching her prepare a lesson plan including story time, outside play, sing-a-longs, and nap time. Otherwise, the kids shuffled between friends and our office break rooms with way too much iPad time.
While they knew we were heading out Thursday morning, they had no idea where. It wasn’t until we were halfway to Orlando that they received a call from Mickey and Minnie saying they’d see us real soon that they made the connection – albeit the wrong one. The call was generic and did not mention a cruise, so naturally they thought we were going to Walt Disney World. (I promised Stinky that on our next trip to Walt Disney World, he could do The Void – Star Wars simulation at Disney Springs – so for a moment, he thought he’d won the lottery.) Luckily, I made souvenir boarding passes which gave it away. All. the. squeals. (There was a brief moment Stinky was disappointed that a Disney cruise meant he wasn’t going to The Void, but that did not last long.)
We arrived in Orlando just before dinner and spent some time exploring Disney Springs. The weather was absolutely perfect!
We ate at Rainforest Cafe where you truly feel you are in the middle of the rain forest. Stinky and Blinky enjoyed seeing the animals come to life.
The next morning we were up bright and early to take advantage of a 10:30 am port arrival time. There was virtually no line for check-in, and a short wait to board. The kids spent the time gazing at a gigantic model of a ship, and taking pictures with Goofy.
Once we were cleared to board, the crew enthusiastically announced each family by name. I thought this was such a special touch. We immediately spotted Princess Tiana and Captain Mickey on the balcony and raced over for pictures. In the atrium, Max (Goofy’s son) was strolling by so we nabbed a picture with him too.
We explored the ship some on our way to lunch at Cabanas. The Dream is absolutely stunning. The attention to detail is spectacular; from paintings in the elevator shaft to hidden Mickeys in the chandelier, there is magic everywhere!
To our utmost delight, Cabanas had a cold seafood buffet ready with gigantic crab claws. All diets were officially out the window!
By this time lunch was over, the cabins were available. We could still hear families being announced as they boarded. We dropped off our carry on luggage, decorated our cabin door, and the kids swiftly changed into their swimsuits. Stinky preferred to sit in the water watching Disney movies, while Blinky was all about the Aquaduck. There she goes…
After a few hours of that, we wandered around the ship a little, hit the Sail Away Party, then freshened up for dinner. Disney Cruise Line utilizes a rotational dining system. This means that we dined in a different restaurant each night, but our waiter and servers followed us. On our first night, dinner was in The Enchanted Garden. Designed to look like the Garden of Versailles the decor is delicate, in shades of green. At night, the lights which look like flowers, glow in muted shades of pink.
Food wise, all three restaurants served nouvelle cuisine which is wonderful for foodies. The DH of course loved it! Stinky stuck to the kids’ menu, while Blinky went between the kid and adult menus. Dessert was my favorite!!
After dinner, the kids ditched us for kids club. The DH and I went to see The Golden Mickey’s in the Walt Disney Theatre. The story line followed that of an awards show where the lead character learned that with a little bit of courage and pixie dust, all her dreams came true. This was my absolute favorite of the three and the show received an enthusiastic standing ovation from the crowd.
So ended our first day on board the Disney Dream. There is still so much more to cover. Read about Days 2 and 3.
As an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner and lover of all things Disney, I would be honored for the opportunity to plan your visit to The Most Magical Place on Earth! Email ebony@familytraveladventuresllc.com to learn more.
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