Why a Disney Cruise is Worth Every Penny

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Over fall break, my family went on the Disney Fantasy Cruise. It. Was. Amazing! I know people often wonder if the price you pay for a Disney cruise in comparison to other family-friendly cruises is worth it. I am here to tell you that hands-down, a Disney Cruise is worth every penny! By the time you finish reading about our over-the-top cruise, you will want to start saving your pennies.

Spacious Staterooms

Many families avoid cruises because they dread being stuck in a teeny tiny cabin on a ship with their whole family. This is not the case with a Disney Cruise. Not only is there so much to do on the ship that you will practically never be in the room, but their staterooms are spacious and very (very) nice. Our family has traveled and stayed at exclusive all-inclusive resorts, and this Disney Cruise stateroom was just as nice.

Outstanding Ports of Call

Part of the fun of going on any cruise is getting to travel to different destinations within the same week. Plus, this is such a fun way to start filling up your kids’ passports!

But what makes Disney’s ports of call stand out from other cruise lines is that you can visit Disney’s own private island – Castaway Cay! It is what dreams are made of!

We also visited Virgin Gorda in Tortola (British Virgin Islands) and Secret Harbour Beach in St. Thomas (US Virgin Islands). They were both beautiful. Visiting these islands felt like stepping into the perfect beach postcard.

Character Greetings Galore

If you think going on a Disney Cruise means you will see a few characters, you are wrong. You will not see just a few – you will see a ton! It is like Disney Character Greetings overload! My girls were thrilled to get to meet so many of their favorite characters. For those of you who travel to Disney World, you understand how challenging it can be to ride all the rides and get to meet with many characters. This is not the case on a Disney cruise (as my pictures show).

Delicious Dining

One of the best perks of going on a cruise is having someone else do all the cooking. And those doing the cooking on a Disney cruise are doing an excellent job! The food on the cruise is delicious, and they have various options. For example, my husband and I enjoyed an amazing meal at the restaurant PALO, which is an adult-only Italian restaurant. We also loved the chocolate covered strawberries we had from the Sweet on You Café.

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Fantastic Entertainment

It wouldn’t be a Disney Cruise if it didn’t include signature Disney entertainment. We were truly blown away by the entertainment options on the Disney Fantasy cruise ship, like the Aladdin Musical show. It was a quality show with wonderful actors, musicians, and dancers that entertained the whole family.

Disney World Fun at Sea

As a huge Disney World fan, I was thrilled to discover some of my favorite Disney Parks options were also available on the Fantasy Cruise. For example, the cruise ship has a Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and offers a Royal Tea with Princesses. Since you typically dress up for meals and pictures on a cruise, these options are perfect for families with little princesses.

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The Amazing AquaDuck

Cruise ships keep getting cooler and cooler. And, the Disney Fantasy is one of the coolest! It has the first “water coaster” at sea. It is called the AquaDuck, and it is so much fun! This crazy fun water slide takes riders up, down, and around the side of the cruise ship, offering wild views and a wild time. But that’s not all. At night, the AquaDuck comes alive with multicolored lights making for the most fun water slide ever!

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Fun for Adults Too!

I’ve heard many parents say they are hesitant to go on a Disney Cruise because it is clearly geared towards children. While Disney Cruises are designed to be family-friendly, they are not just for kids. There are tons of things that are just for adults, such as the Senses Spa and the adults-only pool area.

Plus, many parents find their kids want to spend large amounts of time in the Oceaneer Lab (Disney Cruise’s youth program) away from their parents. Plus, the Disney Fantasy offers a childcare center and nursery. The Disney Cruise makes it very easy for parents to enjoy some kid-free time on their vacation.

The Absolute Best Customer Service

I don’t know if I have ever been more impressed with the quality of customer service as I was during our time on Disney Fantasy. It was amazing! Seriously, it was the best customer service we have ever experienced! From the time we arrived to board the ship until we said our final goodbyes, we were treated like guests of honor (even though we were on a ship full of people). They went out of their way to make sure every guest was having a wonderful time.

Magical Memories

Finally, I don’t think I can put a price on the magical memories we made on the Disney Fantasy. As someone once said, “The greatest legacy we can leave our children is happy memories.” While on the Disney cruise, we laughed and had fun together as a family. We watched our girls light up when they met their favorite characters and fall asleep soundly each night with the help of pixie dust. Our Disney Cruise truly was an experience “where dreams came true.”

Epcot, Magical Kingdom, and the Princess Makeover of a Lifetime!

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EPCOT CENTER

We spent a day at Epcot Center going on some of the rides and doing a lot of walking around visiting the different countries that were represented.  The girls had a mission - to find Belle and Mulan!  When they did find them, they were able to get their autograph books signed by the strong princesses they've always looked up to!  They also loved the Little Nemo ride that made them feel like they were all a part of living under the sea.

At night we saw the Epcot globe lit up purple and got together with our group to eat at Coral Reef Restaurant...what an adventure!!  We got to eat in front of a HUGE fish tank where there was an ecosystem of aquatic life which the girls adored.  We even had a diver stop by and join us for a bit inside the tank!  Other than the incredible view we had from our dinner table, the food was delicious and it was just such a relaxing and much needed place to unwind after the tiring daytime.

To finish the day off with a cherry on top we saw an amazing performance of Reflections on Earth which was a big show and a grand fireworks extravaganza show full of beautiful colors that blew my girls away!  

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MAGIC KINGDOM

Our final day was at Magic Kingdom, probably my daughter's favorite park.  We had an amazing breakfast at the Be Our Guest restaurant based on the movie Beauty and The Beast. We were served our breakfast in this beautiful ballroom that was designed to look just like the Be Our Guest scene from the movie. Even the waiters and waitresses were dressed accordingly in costumes!

My daughters finally got to meet after a lifetime of watching them on the TV screen and getting to talk with them in real life and taking pictures, holding hands with the characters really put a huge smile on their face. There are a lot of thing to do in this park and the girls had their first roller coaster at the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train! We went all together and as you can see my oldest in the front is holding on for dear life, while my youngest in the back has the biggest smile on her face (she’s more of a daredevil). When we got off the ride, the two of them both could not express how much they loved it. After, we went to the Disney Springs where it’s an outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment complex, good for both adults and kids to enjoy. We Had gone there for an early dinner trying the Chef’s Art Smith’s Homecomin’ where they had lovely options to eat. Soooo delicious!

Then we went for the girls favorite part.. the Bibbidi Boddidi Boutique to get princess makeovers!!  The girls got to choose their favorite princess makeover (my eldest chose Belle and my little one picked Aurora).  They were taken to to get the whole royal treatment as a true princess would get like having their hair, makeup, and nails done. Watching them was really such a delight to see their faces light up at the thought of transforming into real princesses.  Though in my eyes they are forever my Princesses. After the whole makeover process they went for a beautiful photoshoot with these incredible backdrops that made them look like they were in their Disney film.  And just like that, our trip ended with a Princess happy ending!

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DisneyWorld for the first time with a preschooler (and an older one)!

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This is our first time to Disney World with my two daughters, one which is a preschooler and I learned quite a whole lot of things.  Seeing their eyes go wide with amazement is true joy and exhilaration when they enter and see a real castle for the first time.  It’s best to be organized and prepare for smooth sailing without any unnecessary mishaps that might make the trip any less enjoyable. There are some things that I found to be really helpful to keep in mind that I’d like to share:

Firstly, let’s start with some packing tips. THE most important thing to pack, I believe, is a single stroller, and if not, get it at the park because although they are full of energy, preschoolers tire out really fast in a place as big as Disney. There’s tons of walking around involved and unless you want to be carrying around your tired preschooler around all day when they get hot and tired, stroller is a necessity! Always pack 2-3 outfits per day, just in case the weather does not go according to forecast (which we all know happens now more often than ever before).  Also, you never know if your preschooler might have some kind of accident or maybe make a mess in all the fun their having. There’s also lots of water splashing rides that maybe your child will want to stand by and get splashed, or even you and your entire family might unknowingly be in a splash zone (really… that happens).

Now if you're flying to Florida on a plane, sometimes toddlers need their afternoon nap and it’s best to find a flight sometime in the morning rather than in the middle of the day.  I would say between 9am-10am is your best bet. You don’t want it to be too early because you have to get them up and also allow yourself enough time to make it to the airport without any rush, because let’s be honest, rush = stress = everybody is upset. Then it’ll work out perfectly that by the time you’re on the plane, your kids can distract themselves with something like a movie or the iPad and then eventually fall asleep.  And the next thing you know, they’ve landed and you are trouble free for the duration of the flight plus they’ll be fresh and ready for the start to Disney World.

The flight on the way home we like to approach a little differently. I recommend finding flights in the later afternoon around 3pm-4pm, after their naptime. The reason I say this is that the timing will work out perfectly that when the flight arrives home, it’ll be just in time for dinner and then they’ll perfectly tire out from the flight (and the entire trip to say the least) just after, in time for bedtime. They’ll wake up back home the next morning, wide eyed and well rested,  with most magical memories of Walt Disney World!!

We had the pleasure of staying at the Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, which has the largest pool of the Disney World Resorts.  It is beautifully made with a Finding Nemo theme which was design for the kids to feel as if they were playing in the water as Nemo did with his friends. Though that was not the only theme there are also The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and Cars, which is the suite where we stayed. There were Cars animations all over the walls and hallways, as well as Cars models scattered around for the girls to pose cute pictures with. Disney really know how to integrate a theme in to all parts of to make the kids feel like they’re in the movies. Might I add, for the parents, they had great service and were sure to have our stay be as easy and convenient for us as possible. They have two location at which you can eat where the service was impeccable. One of them was by the pool for the adults and the other one is a dining hall which serves a delicious assortments of hot foods, all including the choice of pizza which is the favorite food to both my daughters… and I’m sure that stands true for many kids!!  We got to use these Disney Quick-Service Dine Cards which is a great option because these gift cards have more value that the price you pay for the card. You can using them at many dining locations around the park for your meals and snacks.  It’s so quick and easy and rids you of the burden of carrying around any money with you!

It’s really unbelievable how Disney World makes each park seem as if your stepping out of reality into another world! Unlike any other park, the Animal Kingdom was so full of green and nature everywhere you look. I was happy to see my kids enjoy a jungle like, natured theme park so much. We had gone on a few rides as a family such as the Triceratops Spin which is a perfect ride for preschoolers and small children. My youngest is in love with dinosaurs so she was definitely ecstatic about that one. But the most extraordinary ride was the Navi River Journey, located in Disney’s new (Avatar movie’s) Pandora themed area.

My goodness, it’s really something that has to be experienced for yourself and that words themselves could not do it justice! The Navi River Journey is calm boat ride, which can be done as a family even will small children, which takes you through the world of Pandora. Even if you’ve never watched the movie Avatar, this is something you’re going to want to experience… and then will probably end up wanting to watch the movie afterwards. You’re sitting in this boat that flows down the “Navi River” through this science fiction, luminescent jungle of glow lights, immersing you in the theme of the earth and animal, shining a light (literally) on the feeling of being one with nature. Everything is this area is very grand and colorful creating a very realistic environment as if you were really living in the Avatar movie.

We also experienced the River of Light which was a night show with these beautiful fixtures in the water, using tons of colorful lights and beautiful dancers dressed in marvelous costume designs. The show included some extravagantly designed animals and water structures that synchronizes to the music.  What a magical way to end the night!

As mother and parents, we are well aware of how tough it is to travel with young children.  Especially somewhere such as Disney World where they have many resorts and parks in which car travel between the destinations are unavoidable.  It’s always a concern of mine in the back of my mind that my girls won’t have car seats… We mothers just can’t help ourselves from worry for our most precious cargo!  But boy does Disney know how to allow you to enjoy your stay as worry-free and comfortable as possible!

They have this service called the “Minnie” Van Service where they partnered with LYFT.  Its an absolutely adorable van covered in Minnie Mouse polka-dots—which might I mention, our girls were freaking out about. It so incredibly convenient and most importantly cheap!  It's an easy thing to do, just order it off the LYFT app on you phone - you can just easily choose the 'Minnie Van" car.  For $25, the Minnie Van will pick you up from your resort and drive you to almost any of their parks and vice versa. I know you might now be thinking, “well I can just call my own car service and they would do the same” or “well I can just take the bus with my family instead.”  But firstly, let’s be honest with ourselves and think for a second… if you are a mother you know the difficulties of what it means to ride a crowded bus with your strollers, all your bags, and two little children.  The Minnie Van Service also provides two car seats for children and babies which was invaluable for us.  As I mentioned earlier, the girls were freaking out about the Minnie Mouse theme of the cars… to them it almost counted as an amusement park ride on its own!

At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we had breakfast at Disney Junior Play ‘N Dine where we were able to dine with the characters my daughters grew up watching on tv!  Their favorite character is Sophia so for them to be able to wake up in the morning and first thing was to have breakfast with Sophia and friends was an absolute joy for them.  Even though at times, our youngest was upset because she wanted to go to the pool everyday (irrational children problems… helloooo we still have all of Disney World to see!).

One of the best things that Disney built for families with young ones and babies are the Baby Care Centers in all the parks.  These are air-conditioned lounges set up for families with infants or children who need assistance with feeding or changing or cleaning.  They also have on-site shops where you can buy formula, baby food, diapers, wipes, sunscreen, or any emergency over the counter medications.  This full service facility is definitely welcomed and shows Disney's true commitment to making helping families out along with providing all the fun in the world!  

Later that day, we went to see “First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing Along Celebration”, which you already know they had the time of their lives… ‘cause what child doesn’t love Frozen!  The girls were singing their heads off to “Let it Go” with the live characters. The show later even had really snow that came down which was impressive and made the girls feel like they were really in the movie with the characters as they’ve always wished to be.

Us moms got a presentation of the upcoming Toy Story Land that is coming to the park this summer in June! It’s be a world created based on the Pixar’s Toy Story films, making you feel like you have shrunk to the size of toys as Woody and Buzz and all the other toys had felt, bringing the character to life on scale that you could only imagine!

With all the excitement during the day we ended going back to relax for a bit before our next stop:  EPCOT and Magic Kingdom!

This post is sponsored by Disney.  The content and opinions expressed below are that of Inrachelshoes.