Magic Kingdom Introduction

I can’t quite explain the feeling I get when I first step foot onto Main Street U.S.A. in the Magic Kingdom- the smell of popcorn and baked treats, the sight of dozens of helium-filled Mickey Mouse balloons floating high overhead, the enchanting turn-of-the-century (to 1900!) music, and finally- Cinderella Castle in all of its beauty and grandeur standing tall and graceful. It’s enough to bring a tear to even the biggest Disney non-believer.

(Cinderella Castle- the focal point of the Magic Kingdom)

When asked my favorite theme park, it’s always very hard for me. I truly love each theme park for different reasons- but with that said, the Magic Kingdom is just that- it’s simply a magical place. It’s the first thing most people think of when one mentions Walt Disney World. And for those who don’t visit often (and perhaps even for those that do), fully exploring the Magic Kingdom will take at least a few days. The Magic Kingdom is broken up into six lands- Main Street U.S.A., Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland. Personally, I love Fantasyland best- it’s a beautiful land full of wonder and whimsy, and for me, it is full of nostalgia- though after New Fantasyland was built a few years back, I developed some new favorites as well!

(Riding Dumbo with my son in Fantasyland)

Let me lead you through my favorite attraction of each land, as well as my Top 2 quick-service and Top 2 table-service dining spots in the Magic Kingdom- and I’d like to give you some tips along the way. Let’s go!

Main Street U.S.A.

(My husband and I on Main Street U.S.A. in the autumn season- notice the cute fall decorations in the background!)

Dana’s Favorite Attraction: The Walt Disney World Railroad is a nostalgic way for me to tour the Magic Kingdom, or to easily get to either Frontierland or Fantasyland, the two other stops on the Railroad. Personally, I love taking the full-circle tour of the park. Now that my son is older and has a love for trains, I have a feeling that for a while, the Walt Disney World Railroad is going to be a do-not-miss attraction for our family!

(The Walt Disney World Railroad- photo from wdwlive.com)

Mouse Tails Tip: My family is full of night owls, and we enjoy checking out the shops on Main Street U.S.A. after grabbing dessert upon the park’s closing in the evening. Do not let the cast members scare you off- last year, my family was finishing our dessert at some outdoor tables after the park closed, and a janitor came up and told us that if we were staying at a Disney Resort, that we’d better hurry out of the park in order to catch a bus back to our resort. We knew better, and after finishing our dessert, we lingered in some of the shops on Main Street before finally making our way out of the park to an ample number of busses. Disney Transportation will NEVER leave you stranded- there will always be a bus to take you back to your resort!

(One of my favorite treats can be found at the Ice Cream Parlor on Main Street U.S.A.)

Adventureland

(Walking into Adventureland)

Dana’s Favorite Attraction: This is really difficult for me, as I love both Pirates of the Caribbean and The Jungle Cruise, but I think I’d have to say The Jungle Cruise. I LOVE the silly scripted humor of the skippers, I enjoy being in a boat on the water (though you are on a track), and this is another nostalgic attraction that I remember riding with my family as a small child.

(A nice late-February cruise through the jungle)

Mouse Tails Tip: DO NOT MISS Aloha Isle and the infamous Dole Whip served here- pineapple ice cream, and if you get the float variety, it is served atop cool Dole pineapple juice. You can use a snack credit for this yummy treat, and for my family, it is one that we look forward to months before our trip!

(My family enjoying our Dole Whip Floats)

Frontierland

Dana’s Favorite Attraction: Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad both hold spots in my heart as favorites, but my #1 in Frontierland would be Splash Mountain, simply due to the cute storyline of this attraction. Join Brer Bear, Brer Fox, and everyone’s favorite, Brer Rabbit on their adventures through Splash Mountain- it’s a lot longer of a ride than one would expect, and there are multiple drops leading up to the big one at the end!

(Chick-A-Pin Hill, aka Splash Mountain- photo from wdwtourguide.com)

Mouse Tails Tip: A great dining spot, Pecos Bills Tall Tale Inn & Café is located in Frontierland- my family tries not to eat here (or anywhere!) at peak times, which are between 11 and 1 for lunch, and 5 and 7 for dinner. If possible, I’d recommend eating earlier or later if possible in order to avoid the mealtime rush. There are plenty of delicious snacks to tide one over, or if you’d prefer, a later brunch coupled with an early dinner (plus maybe a snack in the afternoon) is a great way to dine through your day!

(Pecos Bills Tall Tale Inn & Cafe- photo from disneyworld.com)

Liberty Square

Dana’s Favorite Attraction: Even though I am not a fan of anything scary, I always enjoy The Haunted Mansion. I don’t find it too scary, it’s intriguing and fun, and you’ll be singing the ride’s song, ‘Grim Grimming Ghosts’ long after you walk off the ride!

Mouse Tails Tip: Be sure to check out a restaurants lunch and dinner menus if you are planning on eating a meal there- at several restaurants in Walt Disney World, the lunch and dinner menu varies greatly, and at some spots, the type of service is even different! For instance, at Liberty Tree Tavern here in Liberty Square, dinner is a family-style, all-you-can-eat meal that reminds me of a yummy Thanksgiving dinner- lunch, however, is a traditional order-off-a-menu meal. Another spot located nearby, Be Our Guest in Fantasyland, is quick-service for breakfast and lunch, but for dinner, this dining location turns into a table service eatery.

(Camden enjoyed his quick-service breakfast at Be Our Guest in Fantasyland!)

Fantasyland

(Babies love many of the whimsical attractions in Fantasyland!)

Dana’s Favorite Attraction: Oh how do I choose? I could probably spend a full day in this beautiful, colorful land- and if you are traveling with young children, you just may find yourself doing just that! Although I am a big fan of the new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train roller coaster, my favorite is probably Peter Pan’s Flight. This attraction is unique in that the ride’s track is above you rather than below, and I just love the sensation of flying through London and Neverland. I remember riding this attraction as a kid; and now as an adult, I just adore taking my son along for the fun ride!

(My son Camden's first flight through Neverland at eight months)

Mouse Tails Tip: A lot of the queues in Fantasyland have lots to offer children- at Dumbo, you are given a pager rather than waiting in a traditional line, and kids are allowed to play in a fun, indoor circus-themed area until your pager goes off. At The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, there are lots of interactive activities for kids to play with while in line. Sure beats the days of waiting in a plain old boring line when I was a kid!

(Our friend's sweet daughter having fun while we waited to ride Dumbo the Flying Elephant)

(Kids love the interactive features that many of the ride queues now have- here is my son in line for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh)

Tomorrowland

Dana’s Favorite Attraction: Call me crazy, but I just LOVE the Tomorrowland Transit Authority (TTA) in all of its simplicity. There is rarely a wait for this attraction, it’s a nice, relaxing ride that leads you throughout Tomorrowland (Camden has been known to nap through this one!), and I enjoy the trek through Space Mountain (although they’ve boarded off a lot of what you used to be able to see). For our family, it’s a basic, but do-not-miss attraction!

(Enjoying our ride through Tomorrowland on the TTA)

Mouse Tails Tip: If you are a breast-feeding mother, or have young children that just need a break, an indoor show can be a great respite from the craziness of the parks. Several times, my family would head into attractions like Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress here in Tomorrowland so that I could nurse Camden in a cool, dark place while still enjoying the attractions of the park. He’d often fall asleep after nursing, and after the show, we could simply put him in his stroller or carrier and be on our way!

(If you are unable to find a dark ride to nurse baby in, there is a Baby Care Center at each theme park which features nursing lounges, changing tables, bottle warmers, and more!)

Dana’s Top 2 Quick Service in the Magic Kingdom

1. Be Our Guest (Breakfast and Lunch)- I just love the atmosphere here, which is, of course, inspired by the movie Beauty and the Beast. There are three different rooms to dine in- the Ballroom, the West Wing, and the Rose Gallery. The food is delicious, and one feature I love is that the drink stations here are self-serve (atypical at the Disney theme parks), so you may help yourself to all of the beverages you like while dining here.

(Having lunch at Be Our Guest in Fantasyland)

(Yum! Turkey sandwich, fries, and dessert at Be Our Guest)

2. Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café (Dinner)- There are three different bays here, which means lots of variety- rotisserie chicken, burgers, salads, and barbecue pork sandwiches are just some of the offerings. My favorite spot to sit is by the window close to the castle at dusk- watching the castle begin to light up for the evening is simply breathtaking!

(I enjoyed my Angus bacon cheeseburger, fries, and carrot cake at Cosmic Rays Starlight Cafe)

(I know this is a blurry photo thanks to the rain and the window, but I wanted to showcase the beautiful view you can enjoy from Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe)

Dana’s Top 2 Table Service in the Magic Kingdom

1. Liberty Tree Tavern (Dinner)- I just love the all-you-can-eat family-style dinner here, which includes salad, turkey, pot roast, ham, mashed potatoes, veggies, and more. We love the Colonial theming, including the mementos hanging around the rooms. And a cute touch is that when your table is ready, the cast members make a spectacle of it, announcing your name and what state you are from!

(My wonderful husband waiting to be seated at Liberty Tree Tavern in Liberty Square)

2. Crystal Palace (Breakfast)- If you can score a reservation here before the park opens, then you can get some pretty fantastic photo opportunities of a nearly-empty theme park! Pooh and friends visit guests here, and the all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet will fill you up for a busy morning in the park! The restaurant is pretty and airy, and even includes four topiaries of the characters you will meet here!

(The Crystal Palace is just beautiful- photo from disneyworld.com)

Thank you for joining me on our tour through the Magic Kingdom. As always, feel free to email me with any questions or comments at dana_aimee@hotmail.com. Happy Travels!

Character Meet and Greet 101

Hey guys! So I was working on an August post that I wasn’t thrilled about, and while trying to figure out what direction to take it in, I had a ‘Dana’s Mouse Tails fan’ message me requesting a post covering character meet-and-greets. I told her that I would incorporate it into my current August post, but last night as I thought about it more, I became more and more excited about creating a post dedicated solely to character meet-ups. So… ask and you shall receive!

(In France at Epcot meeting Sleeping Beauty, who was talking to Camden about being asleep)

As a child, I loved meeting the characters! I can still remember one of the most magical character meets of my life- my family was dining at Chef Mickey’s, which used to be located at what is now called Disney Springs. Chef Mickey’s was a special place for us, and this is where we’d usually eat our Christmas and Easter dinners if we were spending the holiday at Walt Disney World. Chef Mickey’s back in the 90’s was a little different than the present-day Chef Mickey’s- back then, it was a sit-down restaurant where you ordered from a menu, as opposed to the buffet that it now is. I believe it featured steaks, fish, and some gourmet entrees. So anyway, it is Christmas night, and my family of 5 (my parents, my 2 older brothers and myself) are ending our night, slowly making our way out of the restaurant after a great meal. My mom went in to use the bathroom, and my dad was still at the table, settling the bill. My 2 older brothers and I went out to the ‘lobby’ of the restaurant to wait for them, and I decided to look around at the Disney art on the wall. Suddenly, THE MAIN MOUSE HIMSELF comes over to me, takes my hand, and leads me over to a piece of art featuring him dressed in his chef gear, as he was dressed this evening. He starts pointing at the artwork, and then back to himself, and I say “Yes Mickey, that is YOU! Did you make my dinner? It was yummy!” and he nods yes and gives me a ‘thumbs up’. After another amazing Mickey hug, he leads me back over to where my parents were now standing, my mom undoubtedly with tears in her eyes after catching our interaction. There is true magic at Disney. This is a moment that I will never forget- a moment which made me feel like the most special kid in the world.

(A Character meet at Epcot)

(Camden loved meeting Mickey when he was 8 months old!)

As you can see, I’ve always enjoyed character meets. Personally, there has always been something special about the costumed characters as opposed to the face characters like the Princesses. When I hug Mickey and friends now as an adult, the same ‘warm and fuzzy feeling’ washes over me like it did when I was a child hugging Mickey Mouse. And while my husband and I did a character meet or two per trip before our son was born, we now find ourselves more interested in the character meets, as well as character dining. And for those of you with children, I would place character dining very high on my Disney to-do list. It is a great opportunity to meet characters without having to stand in line at the theme parks. There are many different character dining opportunities throughout Walt Disney World. I have taken the liberty of breaking down the list by the characters you can meet.

(Meeting the Green Army Men from Toy Story at the Princess Half Marathon)

Mickey & Pals:

Garden Grill, Epcot- What makes this family-style dining location unique is that the restaurant actually revolves as you eat. I am told that while Chip & Dale are the hosts and so are always here, Farmer Mickey and Pluto are USUALLY here, but it is not guaranteed.

Hollywood and Vine, Hollywood Studios- Minnie hosts this lunch and dinner buffet, in which she and her friends are dressed for the current season!

Tusker House, Animal Kingdom- This buffet, hosted by Donald Duck, is one I have not yet been to, but always hear great things about- typically several of Donald’s friends will also show up in their cute safari gear!

Chef Mickey’s, Contemporary Resort- The one meal that Mickey himself is guaranteed to show up to! The fabulous five are all here wearing their chef gear at this fun all-you-can-eat buffet.

(My 3-year old nephew meeting Donald Duck at Chef Mickey's)

(Meeting Minnie at Chef Mickey's)

‘Ohana, Polynesian Resort- At this festive all-you-care-to-eat family style breakfast, Lilo & Stitch appear along with (typically, but not guaranteed) Mickey and Pluto.

Cape May Café, Beach Club Resort- Minnie, Goofy and Donald typically are here, and they are all donning their cute beachwear at this enjoyable breakfast buffet.

(Two handsome dudes at Cape May Cafe)

Princesses & Friends:

Be Our Guest, Magic Kingdom- The Beast (not Belle!) greets guest out in the hall upon leaving the castle after a sit-down meal where you order off a menu. Please note that Beast is present AT DINNER ONLY.

Cinderella’s Royal Table, Magic Kingdom- There is a rotation of Princesses at this very difficult to score eatery inside Cinderella Castle.

(Not a character breakfast, but meeting with a Princess at the Disney Princess Half Marathon)

Akershus, Epcot- An eatery which features all-inclusive dining along with a rotation of Princesses, along with Scandinavian favorites at this restaurant located in the Norway Pavilion in World Showcase.

(Again, not a character meal, but my favorite Disney Princess, Jasmine with Abu at the Disney Princess Half Marathon)

1900 Park Fare, Grand Floridian Resort- This pretty spot features Cinderella and her Prince Charming, as well as her step-sisters and step-mother at this all-you-can eat dinner buffet.

(With Cinderella's Stepsisters and Stepmother- who were hilarious during the quick photo op at the Disney Princess Half Marathon)
 

Trattoria al Forno, Disney's Boardwalk Resort- This prix-fixe breakfast features Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, and Ariel and Prince Eric. (I have heard that at times, Disney has swapped one or two of these characters, so please take note!)

Winnie the Pooh and Friends:

Crystal Palace, Magic Kingdom- Pooh and Friends make the rounds inside this cute and airy buffet on Main Street USA.

1900 Park Fare, Grand Floridian Resort- At this breakfast buffet, Pooh and Tigger join Mary Poppins and Alice and the Mad Hatter at my favorite breakfast spot on property! (Note that these specific characters are not guaranteed)

(Without a doubt, one of the sweetest character interactions I have ever seen- Mary Poppins took a lot of time with this sweet girl!)

(Ms. Poppins, you truly melted my heart that morning seeing the way you interacted with our friend's sweet daughter)

Disney Junior Friends:

Hollywood & Vine, Hollywood Studios- Doc McStuffins, Sofia the First, Vampirina, and Goofy in his Roadster Racer gear greet guests for breakfast at this all-you-can-eat buffet.

I would also like to point out that there is a character meal at the Swan Resort, at Garden Grove Restaurant. Goofy is typically there, as well as a rotation of his pals. We have never eaten here, so I cannot speak for the quality of food or the character interactions!

There are also two other opportunities to meet characters. There is a Wonderland Tea Party located at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort for kids ages 4-12, and Mickey’s Backyard BBQ, which is located at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. The BBQ is a seasonal event, but if you will be visiting Walt Disney World in the summertime, I am told by a coworker of mine that this is a MARVELOUS event that the kids really enjoy!

(Alice was fun and whimsical at character breakfast at 1900 Park Fare)

Of course, there are always going to be characters you wish to meet that simply aren’t at any character meal. One example is Anna and Elsa from ‘Frozen’. Back when my family met them, they were located at the Magic Kingdom- now, however, they have their own Royal Sommerhus at Epcot in the Norway Pavilion. As I sat and thought about which characters are available for meet-and-greets at each park, I became a bit overwhelmed, as there are so many characters to potentially meet. I am going to instead give a link to the character list on All Ears, which is a GREAT website to use to plan your trip.

Magic Kingdom: http://allears.net/tp/mk/mk_char.htm

Epcot: http://allears.net/tp/ep/ep_char.htm

Hollywood Studios: http://allears.net/tp/mgm/m_char.htm

Animal Kingdom: http://allears.net/tp/ak/ak_char.htm

(Queen Elsa meet-and-greet)

(Princess Anna is one of my favorite meet-and-greets to date- she was so lively and fun!)

I really like how All Ears character meet-and-greets are set up on the website, but as I look through it more, I am thinking of characters that aren’t listed, which means that they do not have the most updated list. This will, however, at least give you a start. I am also going to link Kenny The Pirate’s website- I am not a fan of how it is organized, but it seems much more updated. Between the two, you should be able to locate your favorite characters. If there is a specific character meet that you are wondering about, feel free to email me at dana_aimee@hotmail.com. I read a LOT of blogs and Facebook posts, and so there is a good chance I’ll know where the best place to find that character is. If not, I am going to the parks next month, and so I’d be happy to find the answer for you then! 

Magic Kingdom: http://www.kennythepirate.com/disney-world-character-schedules/disney-world-magic-kingdom-character-schedule-list/

Epcot: http://www.kennythepirate.com/disney-world-character-schedules/disney-world-epcot-characters-schedule-list/

Hollywood Studios: http://www.kennythepirate.com/disney-world-character-schedules/disney-world-hollywood-studios-characters-schedule-list/

Animal Kingdom: http://www.kennythepirate.com/disney-world-character-schedules/disney-world-animal-kingdom-characters-schedule-list/

When my family heads to Disney next month, we are planning to do two character meals. We have reservations for the Supercalifragilistic breakfast at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian, which my husband and I just love, as well as dinner one night at Chef Mickey’s. I would like to be honest and point out that the food at these meals is not gourmet- I think that sometimes visitors are disappointed because they pay $40-$50 per meal (if not on the dining plan), expecting amazing food, and it’s just not. It’s GOOD, and we always leave very full, but please be aware that you are paying for the experience and not the food. If you prefer to spend your money on amazing food, the Signature dining locations are going to be your best bet! I also wanted to mention that for those of us with children under 3 years of age, the buffets are a great value, as kids eat free! So my husband and I receive free dining under the promotion that we booked last year before we left Disney, and our child eats free at many of the meals we have selected- this can’t be beat!

(Donald Duck tickling baby Camden's belly at character breakfast)

(My son was 8-months old and loved meeting the characters on his first Disney trip!)

I’ve got one final tip before I go. I know a lot of my readers have young children, and please be aware- at the age of 8 months, my son was FASCINATED with the costumed characters. But from the age of 1 on, he has been very scared of them. He has always loved the princesses and other face characters, with one exception which I’d like to share. On our last day of our Princess Half Marathon trip in February, we went to breakfast at 1900 Park Fare with friends. My son, who had just turned 2 the month before, actually did better with Pooh Bear and Tigger than he’d done in the past, but he still didn’t want to meet them, which was fine. I thought he would be okay taking a photo with the Mad Hatter- even though he has a funny nose, he is a face character, which as I stated, my son has always enjoyed. So I scooped him up to come take a photo with the Mad Hatter, and as I was picking him up, my son grabbed a KNIFE off the table to bring to the encounter with the Mad Hatter! We did get a quick photo, but I realized that the Mad Hatter may not be my son’s favorite! I’m looking forward to seeing how my son does with the characters on this trip- he may or may not like the costumed characters, as he will now be 2-years-and-8-months old. My nephew LOVED meeting Mickey and friends on our trip last fall when he was just over 3 years old, so I am wondering when the time will come that my son enjoys the characters.

(It all went downhill right before this photo- Camden did NOT like Baloo and King Louis!)

I hope this post is helpful for those of you excited to meet the many characters who call Walt Disney World home. As always, please feel free to email me at dana_aimee@hotmail.com with any questions. Happy Travels!

Cruising the High Seas with Mickey and Friends

“Mickey’s Boat! Mickey’s Boat!” is my son’s response every time he sees a photo of the Disney Cruise Line ships lately (actually he calls Mickey ‘Mia’, so it’s “Mia’s Boat!”). After a lot of hesitation (on my part), and a lot of pleading (on my husband’s part- he’s been on 2 Disney cruises in the past), my family has booked our very first Disney Cruise Line (DCL) vacation for 2017. These vacations are not cheap- in the past when we have cruised, we have always cruised with Carnival, and so the price of DCL vs Carnival is a bit of a shock. But our family motto's have always been ‘tomorrow is never guaranteed’ and ‘you can’t take your money with you’, and so we are splurging and doing a 7-day Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Disney Fantasy.

(The Disney Fantasy- photo from www.disneycruise.disney.go.com)

Our early 2017 vacation plan had been to run the Star Wars 10k and Half Marathon in April 2017 for quite some time. I tried to book a 2-bedroom value villa at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge through David’s Vacation Club Rentals the day it became possible, but these villas were already sold out. Our friends that we were going to be traveling with agreed that we’d just wait a bit until we booked, so that we could take our time in deciding where we’d stay. While we were sitting on this, my husband somehow convinced me that a Disney Cruise would be even better than the Star Wars run. Our friends agreed that they’d like to do a cruise, and so my first stop was to my local AAA to pick up a DCL travel brochure, and from there, the planning ensued!

(Doing what I love to do- Disney trip planning!)

My mom has a good friend who is a Disney Cruise Veteran- in fact her most recent cruise just docked back in Port Canaveral yesterday! Her advice to my family was to cruise when school was in session in order to get the best fare. So I’m passing this onto you- we checked the cruise prices for January, February, March, and April 2017, and the fares SKYROCKET in March and early April- definitely avoid those times of the year if you can! The Disney Magic and Wonder are the ‘older’ ships (which have been refurbished), and so they are smaller and more intimate, whereas the Disney Fantasy and Dream are the newer, larger ships. Earlier this year, Disney announced that they are in the process of adding 2 more ships to the fleet, which I can only assume will be the largest ships yet.

(An inside stateroom on one of the newer Disney Cruise ships- photo from www.disneycruise.disney.go.com)

Another good tip is to avoid flying the day the cruise departs if possible- if it is wintertime, and you are flying from a cold-weather location, I encourage you to avoid flying the same day at all costs! If it is snowing or there is ice present and your flight is delayed or cancelled, you could easily miss your cruise. We will be flying out 2 days before our cruise departs, and we have a couple of nights booked at Port Orleans French Quarter (Edit: We switched to a studio at Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa when a sale popped up!) at Walt Disney World so that we can relax and get into vacation mode before our cruise departs. The day of the cruise, we will catch a shuttle from our resort over to Port Canaveral, and at the end of our cruise, the shuttle will take us to Orlando International Airport. Unlike the Magical Express which is free and takes you from the airport to your Disney resort hotel and back, there is a fee for the DCL shuttle. Since cruising with DCL is new to us, we have opted to use a travel agent to make sure that all of our bases are covered- we are using Tiffany at Paradise Falls Travel Company (love the name, inspired from the movie Up!) and she has been phenomenal in planning everything just the way I ask (I can be very particular when it comes to Disney!) and answering my 20 questions a day!!

(One of the first things we'd like to do on our cruise is check out the waterslides onboard the Disney Fantasy- photo from www.disneycruise.disney.go.com)

So what am I most looking forward to on our cruise? Well for starters, I hear the food is delicious! One neat thing about cruising with Disney is that you rotate through several different dining rooms for dinner, but your servers rotate with you (my husband and I love getting to know our servers on our cruises!), so you get several different experiences at dinner. My husband and I have been excitedly talking about the ‘AquaDuck’ water coaster onboard, and I just know that our son is going to love the kid’s water play area, Nemo’s Reef. Of course exploring the Caribbean Islands we’ll be docking at is always exciting, and though my husband has been there before, Castaway Cay, Disney’s own private island is someplace I’ve been wanting to check out for quite some time. I am hoping that the ‘Castaway Cay 5k’ is still offered- currently, this is available free-of-charge to any guest wishing to participate the morning the ship arrives at Castaway Cay! Finally, I can’t wait to check out the stage shows offered onboard- at this time, there is an Aladdin stage show, and I am REALLY hoping this is still showing- as an 80’s baby, this was one of the ‘3 Disney Princess Classics’ of my time (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin are the 3 ‘classics’ I speak of).

(Animator's Palate dining room- photo from www.disneycruise.disney.go.com)

(Nemo's Reef children's water play area- photo from www.disneycruise.disney.go.com)

(The Aladdin Stage Show currently showing on the Disney Fantasy- photo from www.disneycruise.disney.go.com)

There are multiple options when it comes to cruising with Disney. You can choose to do what we did and book a 7-night out of Port Canaveral, or you can do a 3-night or 4-night and combine it with a longer stay at Walt Disney World. The option to cruise out of Miami is also available- my family had strongly considered the 5-night cruise out of this port, combined with several nights at Walt Disney World- in the end, however, we decided that it would be too much to rent a car with a car seat and make the trek to Miami with our then 3-year old. DCL also has multiple European cruises, Alaskan cruises, and Hawaiian cruises- some which are round-trip, and some which are not (e.g. Transatlantic cruise from Barcelona, Spain to New York). Finally, rounding out the mix, DCL has cruises departing from Puerto Rico, New York, Texas, and Canada. As you can see, there are MANY different itineraries offered throughout the year, and I highly encourage you to look into them all before making a decision regarding which cruise you will take!

(A DCL ship docked at Castaway Cay, Disney's own private island- photo from www.disneycruise.disney.go.com)

A few more things which set Disney Cruise Line apart from other cruise lines that I have been on are the interior rooms with ‘magic portholes’ on some of the ships- these are screens that look like portholes, which come to life with animation and real-life images! Most of the staterooms have split bathrooms with an actual bathtub, which is unheard of on most other cruise ships, truly making DCL one of the most family-friendly cruise lines out there. One of the nights I am most looking forward to is the Fireworks at Sea night on the cruise- yes, Disney actually puts on a fireworks show while sailing in the middle of the Atlantic! Yet another cool thing is that if a new Disney movie is released in theatres while you are onboard DCL, you can see this movie for free on the ship! I am hoping that my son will enjoy the children’s ‘Oceaneer Club’ so that my husband and I can check out the European-inspired bars on the ship, if even for only an hour or two one night!

(Fireworks at Sea- photo from www.disneycruise.disney.go.com)

(Ooh La La, a French boudoir-inspired champagne bar- photo from www.disneycruise.disney.go.com)

I love to meet fellow Disney-lovers, and so I have joined a Disney Facebook group for my cruise, and through this group, I have learned of a fun DCL tradition called ‘Fish Extenders’. Basically, a volunteer on the Facebook cruise page creates groups of cabins (about 10 cabins per group) who wish to participate in the Fish Extender. Once on the cruise, participants place some kind of gift holder outside of their cabin door (the hook for the holder is in the shape of a fish, hence the name Fish Extender), and throughout the cruise, the cabin will receive a small gift from each of the other 9-or-so cabins in the group. I am planning on making a small cabin gift, and then I will probably give a small inexpensive gift to each child as well. I am really looking forward to making AND receiving the Fish Extender gifts!

(Just one example of a Fish Extender- photo from www.Etsy.com)

Next year after we cruise, I will write a recap post highlighting all of my favorite experiences on the ship, and of course posting lots of beautiful photos from the ship and the Caribbean islands that we visit! Please feel free to email me with any questions or comments at dana_aimee@hotmail.com. Until next time- Happy Travels!