Disney Cruise Line has a great new policy for booking onboard for a return cruise! You can make a $200 deposit per stateroom as a placeholder towards a future cruise. This allows you to book deposit and lock in the savings without choosing a specific cruise for the future.
This is a great option for the returning cruiser who is unsure of school or work schedules to be able to take advantage of the savings without worrying about choosing the dates or itinerary.
You will receive a confirmation number which can be used by yourself or a travel agent to modify the placeholder into a full booking.
This savings is 10% off the next sailing and reduced deposits on sailings 7 nights or longer. As well as up to $200 onboard credit per stateroom. It is limited to 2 staterooms so if you think you might want to return with others you can book two rooms at the discount and cancel one at a later date if you need.
If you think you might return it is always good to lock in that discount while onboard!
As always if you are interested in a Disney Cruise let us know at DoleWhipped@gmail.com
After going strong for a few days we slept in this morning. And dear reader, please forgive me I didn’t take many pictures today. Plus with it being a sea day we knew we had nowhere to be. Breakfast as at Beach Blanket Buffet with your typical buffet food: eggs, Mickey waffles, bacon, sausage, donuts, yogurt, cereal. I personally loved the corned beef hash and chocolate croissants with lots of fresh fruit and coffee.
As usual Petra was back to the kids club and I opted to do “Disney’s Innovations: Theme Parks”. This was put on by Briana who talked about things in Disney Parks that were completely innovative at the time. They were things like a single entry point, hub and spoke set up, single ticket and others. The room was filled by your classic Disney nerds, people like me who are always wanting to learn more about the interesting history of Disney. We were able to ask the Cast Member questions after and I talked to some other guests who were cast members at Walt Disney World.
Next I dragged my family to Wonder Quest. This is an interactive scavenger hunt where your group is given a number and the first person to bring the Cast Member the item he is asking for gets 3 points, the next 2 and everyone else before time is up gets 1. This was a lot of fun even if we didn’t win.
By this time it was getting close to lunch and so we had Beach Blanket Buffet again then did some more swimming. Do you see a pattern? My daughter pretty much adored going to the kids clubs and swimming! So after our swim we got an appointment for her to have her hair braided and she was ready to go back to the kids club.
With her off doing her own thing it was time for me to check out the “Art of the Theme Show Tour”. We started in Palo and were lead by Mark around the ship taking in all the little details. If you want to know more about the ship you are on like the style, little details or lesser known thing I would suggest you take a similar tour. The ships are a lot like the parks where you have to look up and down and all around and you might be pleasantly surprised at the little things you see that others miss. Mark was very knowledgeable about Disney and I really enjoyed talking to him. While I did this my husband signed up for a beer tasting class. The cost was $15 and it included a very nice cup to take home with you. We both finished up and it was time to get Petra and get her to Deck 9 for her hair braiding appointment. If you have never had it done before, my 5 year old says it does hurt a bit, but she loves the outcome so she suffers through. I believe it was a few dollars per braid.
This was our formal night and were had dinner at Triton’s. So we all went back to get dressed up! We thought ahead and decided to use our dress clothes for our formal dinner and then hang them back up to wear again for our Palo night. This saved us having to pack two nice outfits when we were just wearing them for a total of 4 hours. For dinner I had the breaded and baked brie, farmhouse salad, duck comfit and a dessert trio. Petra had macaroni and cheese (she is a creature of habit!) and a Mickey bar. Chelsey had shrimp, duck comfit, and a chocolate mousse. And I will tell you it was delicious! It was probably one of my favorite meals for the trip.
Per usual Petra was ready to go back to the kids club and off she went. We decided to take a break in the Cadillac Lounge for Music and Martinis with Tom Moss. We did indeed have martinis and listened to some amazing piano music. He played a combination of Christmas and pop music and we enjoyed relaxing a bit. Soon it was time to get Petra though because tonight was the first night she was going to see a show!
We topped off our night with “The Golden Mickey’s”. This is an “awards” show that a backstage cast member takes on even though she doesn’t want to. It was a cute show about conquering your fears but done in the amazing Disney way. Plus you get to see your classic characters throughout the show.
Tomorrow was another exciting day, Castaway Cay and Palo were on deck! Would they live up to my expectations?
If you haven’t read Day 1 or Day 2 check them out!
The third day of our cruise we all woke up nice and early! I apparently wasn’t alone in my “I can’t sleep at Disney” mode. We were already in port at Cozumel, Mexico. This day we had planned for a special character meet and greet, the Disney Junior characters. This meet had Sofia the First, Doc McStuffins, and Jake from Jake and the Neverland Pirates. If you have a kid under seven years old this is one meet and greet you will not want to miss out on. So again get those tickets first thing when you get on the ship. My daughter was wearing a custom Sofia-inspired dress and Sofia thought that was the bee’s knees! Doc and Jake were great as well and this is a great place to meet these characters as they only appear at Hollywood Studios so it is a rare thing to meet them in the parks.
After our morning meet we went to breakfast at Triton’s. This restaurant ended up being one of my favorites. It was just so pretty and the food and service were exceptional. I had eggs benedict, Petra had Mickey Waffles and Chelsey had something, probably food, but I didn’t snap a picture so I am just guessing.
After breakfast, Petra was wanting to visit the Oceaneer’s Club, but at this time there was an Open House which means you can come and play but parents have to stay with the children. We walked in and she said she wanted to color so we went in and to our surprise there were some princesses in there. Cinderella, Ariel and Tiana were just hanging out coloring with kids. Peter Pan soon joined them and we had a lot of fun just chatting. We learned that Michigan is the first star to the right according to Peter Pan. Soon, a Youth Activities Cast Member asked if they wanted to play Memory Wall. It is basically the game Memory with Disney characters but played on the wall instead of the floor. Petra thought this was pretty neat too as she got to really interact with the princesses and Peter Pan. It was absolutely hands down my favorite part of our cruise. I was probably more excited than the kid.
We decided to drop Petra off at the Oceaneer’s Lab and we would go check out Quiet Cove-the adult’s only pool. I will say it was a cool day but that wasn’t stopping me from getting in the pool and I had the thing to myself! It was quiet and empty and the loungers are beautifully padded. I could have stayed all day long. It was pretty glorious to be on a cruise ship of a couple thousand people and be the only one in a pool. But my kid apparently wanted to swim too so a quick stop to the kids club to pick her up and then another to the room and we were at the Goofy pool watching Aladdin while we paddled around in the very full pool. Not nearly as fun as having it to oneself but the movie made up for it.
The day before we settled on the Ocean View Explorer Tour. This tour is for all ages, last 2-2.5 hours and costs $47 for adults and $36 for kids 0-9. Our excursion started at 11:45am and we met in Promenade Lounge for our excursion to leave. When they called our group up they also told us the sea was pretty rough so they said we could take the anti-nausea medication and we did pick up two packets just in case. We went off the ship and were immediately greeted by the excursion company employee, Adrian who gathered us all up and walked us to the pier where we were met by our tour guide whose name eludes me. He broke us into groups of 8 and loaded us into taxis. The taxi ride to and from was also included in the price of the excursion. We rode a short way towards another pier and were soon boarding our mini-submarine. You are in a boat about four feet underwater and you take a tour around Paradise Reef. First we went to a shallower reef and we circled it twice so that each side of the boat could see it. After that we went out a little further and again circled it twice.
Once we were done we headed back to the pier. There was a person who took pictures before we got on the boat and when were returned they were selling a framed copy. My daughter refused to look at the camera so we didn’t opt to purchase it. We then loaded onto taxis and returned to our pier. Instead of getting right back on the ship we did a little shopping and walking around. So what did I think of this excursion? I think it was very nice! I liked how it was great for all ages, it was affordable, I didn’t have to pack a backpack full of extra clothes, towels sunscreen and so on. It was short and sweet but so neat! We saw a ton of neat fish and even a giant eagle stingray! I would recommend this one to people with young kids in particular. It is not outside a lot which can help if it is hot or really sunny. The only downside we had was it was pretty rough seas so that made us all feel a little weird even after taking the medication.
On our way back to the ship I walked under something that was dripping grease, I have no idea but the ground was super slippery and I almost fell too so it was time to get back. The laundry was really close to our room so I decided to do a quick load of laundry. I am not one who likes to do laundry on vacations on purpose but it worked out well! It cost $3 including the soap and you can use your key to the world card to pay for it. No one else was there so I had my pick of machines. In the laundry there is also a large sink for rinsing and ironing boards and irons for communal use! So don’t be afraid to take that nice shirt or dress for formal night.
After our excursion we had a late lunch of pizza, hot dogs and drinks. Petra again wanted to go to the kid’s club and they did an activity called “Hats off to Peter Pan” where she met him again. She didn’t last long and soon she wanted to swim so we let her go in the Mickey pool where she made lots of new friends while we tried to stay warm on deck. Soon it was time to get dressed and ready for dinner. Don’t laugh I am a northerner but it was chilly and the pool emptied quickly.
This night we were at Parrott Cay again but with a different menu. This dinner was much better than the previous night but we were all pretty tired from the medication and busy day. I had the Tuna Salad, artichoke dip, and Creole Crusted Grouper, Petra stuck with macaroni and cheese and Chelsey had a St. Maarten Stack and Slow Roasted Prime Rib. For dessert Petra had a Mickey Bar, I had a warm sticky date pudding and Chelsey went with a sorbet.
After dinner we split up again, Petra to the club (who is shocked?) I went to the gift shop and Chelsey went for a martini. But we were soon together again, tonight was “Toy Story: the Musical” and I knew we would all like it. Who doesn’t love a stage show with singing featuring some of your favorite Disney characters? She said this was her favorite show and I will admit it was a very close second to being my favorite. It was just so adorable! They really make the shows so that the entire family can see them down the littlest ones so they are well worth taking in! And really who doesn’t love to eat popcorn and listen to your favorite sarcastic potato.
Not related to the content but we were all so tired we were about falling asleep during this show so we went straight back to our room since we were all pretty much exhausted and were out in no time at all. We had another full sea day ahead! I’m sure you can guess there will be more swimming, kids clubs and food!
My family and I recently returned from a cruise aboard the Disney Wonder. It was a 5 night Western Caribbean from December 7-12th, 2014. We made our plans pretty late, about two weeks before sailing! Since cruising doesn’t require a huge amount of preplanning it worked out very well for us, almost instant gratification in the form of fun, sun and of course some Disney magic!
First things first, we did not tell our daughter, Petra, that we were going on a cruise. In fact we told her we were going to go to Detroit for a few days just for fun. We woke her up very early and surprised her. In typical kid fashion she was way more excited about her new Anna and Elsa headphones but she perked up after she had some breakfast and it sank in that we were really going.
Here is a video of our low-key surprise.
Against my own advice, we flew in the morning of our cruise. Typically, I do not suggest this, but being it was a direct flight and then a short drive to the port, I knew we would have hours to spare. Spoiler alert, it all worked out. We arrived at the airport and since it is a lot warmer in Miami than Michigan we changed into warm weather clothes and shoes. I also took this opportunity to re-pack our bags. I moved everything we would need or had to carry on into our backpack and put everything else in the suitcases.
We had decided to try out Uber, a ride sharing service, and we got to the port in no time at all! We dropped our bags with the porters and walked in to check in. Check it went pretty quickly, I was the designated documentation carrier (highly suggest if you have more than 2 people to do this) and we had our pictures taken. When we finished with this my family left to go to the Youth Activities line while I finished up. Once in the next line my daughter got her cruise band and we checked her into the youth activities.
At this point we got in line to see Captain Mickey, sadly he was off for a break so we did get to meet Minnie! After a quick photo we were ready to board. As we walked to the ship none other than Mickey Mouse was walking in by us! What an awesome moment that was!
We were announced and then I knew what I had to do! I sent my family off to lunch while I went to the Port Adventures Desk to get tickets for character meets. If you don’t get these tickets you cannot get in line, so while you are waiting read the Navigator for this information. I got tickets for a Princess Meet and Greet, Disney Junior Meet and Greet and Anna and Elsa Meet and Greet. After this I met my family for a quick buffet lunch at Parrot Cay. I know my husband and I ate a lot of shrimp, but also salad, breads and fish, but sadly we were so hungry I forgot to take pictures!
With our bellies full and time to spare before our room was ready we did the other big thing I was worried about, changing our dining. We were assigned to second seating which is 8:20pm. Well if you have a 5 year old this can be really hard so we went to Studio Sea (this info was also in the Navigator) and were able to make the change to the earlier seating at 5:45pm. We also decided to keep our Palo dinner reservation instead of changing it to a brunch.
After the boring stuff was all done we went to check out the ship. Our first stop was the Oceaneer’s Club and Lab. Petra was immediately enchanted with the Club and couldn’t wait for them to open so she could play. We also headed up to the pool deck to check out the 3 pools on ship. There were plenty of people already swimming! We did some more exploring of the ship and saw it was time for our room to be ready!
While my husband generously offered to unpack our suitcases (all 3!) my daughter and I went to the pool! She loved splashing in the Mickey pool and trying out the (kids only) slide. At this point it was time for us to head back to our room to get ready for muster. This is mandatory and doesn’t take too long but you have to check in when you are there.
Then it is all hands on deck for the Sail Away Party! This is high energy dance party and is pretty fun! Plus it is always a good time to wave to people on shore or on other ships as you leave.
Our next stop was dinner at Animator’s Palate. Here we met our dining team Jojo and Joselyn.They were both so, so great. Petra can be shy and she loved recognizing our hard working servers around the ship and adored their magic tricks. Animator’s Palate is such a cool restaurant, it changes color and it is so awesome watch the pictures gain color and dimension throughout dinner.
I had Arugula and Endive Salad and sliced serrano ham for starters, red snapper for the main course and a white chocolate fudge cheesecake for dessert. Chelsey chose truffle purses and butternut soup, red snapper and the cheesecake. My daughter chose a cheese burger which came with broccoli and fries, and a Mickey Premium Ice Cream bar for dessert. I was looking over the menus and said I thought the Mickey Bar sounded good but ordered the cheesecake, well Jojo had other ideas and also brought me a Mickey bar. I will say it is delicious, and knowing how much they cost in the parks and having it included is pretty darn awesome! To top off dinner Sorcerer Mickey put in an appearance and we were all pretty excited about that!
By now the open houses for the youth clubs were done so we went to the Oceaneer’s Club to let Petra have some fun with other kids. According to the Navigator there was some Disney Trivia going on so of course I had to do that and drag my poor spouse along. We checked out the shops and I picked up an ornament for our Christmas tree as I like to do with all my travels. After this we went to the Walt Disney Theatre to watch “All Aboard! Let the Magic Begin!” but we left early after we received a text on our wave phone that Petra was ready to be picked up. I will say right here they are so very handy but it will be pretty great when you can text via the Navigator app on the Magic and Wonder. We all headed back to the room but decided we needed water before bed. I knew early on that I wanted to bring some refillable mugs with us just to make transporting around easier. I made the quick trip the Deck 9 filled up with water and we were off to bed.
All this in just a few short hours we had been on ship! Our next day was a sea day so we would have plenty of time to get things in this day!
This week the whole gang gets together to hear all about Jamie’s Mediterranean cruise on the Disney Magic! She gave us lots of good information that we know you’ll enjoy!
Inspired by Jillian’s bucket list and Tara’s bucket list, I’ve decided to create my own! We’d love to hear about the items on your bucket list so leave a comment or head over to our Facebook page and tell us about all the Disney related things you’ve not yet had a chance to do!
1) Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Since Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is one of my absolute favorite events at Walt Disney World I have no doubt I’d love a Very Merry Christmas Party too! I’m hoping for a November/December 2015 trip so I can enjoy all the Christmas decorations in the parks and at the resorts and my very first Christmas party at Disney.
2) Disneyland. I know. How can I even call myself a Disney super fan if I’ve never been to Disneyland? I am so ashamed of this one. As a huge Walt Disney (the person!) fan I have a strong desire to visit the place he was able to make his dreams into a reality. Plus, I really want to see the World of Color show 😉
3) Disney Cruise to Alaska. This dream almost became a reality this summer! Instead my husband and I decided to cross a different item off our bucket list and do a Disney cruise in the Mediterranean instead. Alaska is still a priority for me though! Maybe once the Disney Wonder ship has had an overhaul?
Photo Credit: Disney Travel Professionals
4) 24 Hour Event. I know this doesn’t appeal to a lot of people but I’d love to do a 24 hour event at the Magic Kingdom. I’d probably be exhausted and cranky the next day but it would be so worth it! I might even make it into an Ultimate Challenge and try to do every attraction in the Magic Kingdom during those 24 hours!
5) VIP tour guide. With the right touring plan and visiting at a not very crowded time of year this would be totally unnecessary. But also totally fun! Special seating for parades and shows, skipping the lines at most attractions, and a totally customizable experience would be a once in a lifetime thing, thanks to the price, but it would certainly be a day to remember!
Thing’s that I’ve been able to cross off my bucket list: stay club level, stay at the Polynesian, eat at Cinderella’s Royal Table, visit Castaway Cay, and stay at Art of Animation in a Little Mermaid room.
I was inspired by Tara’s post about her Disney bucket list to make my own!
I have a long Disney bucket list, you are probably going to be yelling at your computer if you saw some of them. You are thinking, “Jillian, I cannot believe you haven’t done that yet!” Believe me, I know. So I will break them up into some that are easier to do and some that will take time. So now for the real list.
1) Disneyland, I am a true Disney nerd, I read books, listen to multiple podcasts, read forums and talk to anyone I can about Disney. Disneyland is the place where Walt Disney walked, his hands were all over the park. This is the motherland for Disney nerds. They also have some rides that I miss from my childhood still in that park.
2) Staying at all the resorts. If you read Tara’s you will know that this is one of hers too. She has a huge head start on me, but I am up to the challenge. I would love to get to all of them for at least one night.
3) Four Parks, One Day. This one sounds like so much fun, but not one to undertake with small children. I also have my own personal rules too, like I have to do at least 3 attractions and one snack per park.
4) Disney Cruise Line’s Mediterranean Cruise, though I would settle for the one to Hawaii. Disney is the Cadillac of cruise ships and I really, really would love to explore the Mediterranean with Disney, preferably combined with an Adventures by Disney in Italy or Greece.
5) Aulani, Disney’s resort in Hawaii looks just amazing! I think this is a great getaway the whole family would love. You can experience Hawaii with the Disney difference. Plus the Dole Plantation isn’t too far away and it is possible to get your Dole Whip fix while there!
6) Spend two weeks at Walt Disney World. There is so much to do there and you cannot get it all done in a week. So I’d like a couple week so that I can take those breaks at the pool and waterparks, do tours and take it slow.
7) Visit overseas Disney parks. Of course this one is going to make my list, I’d love to visit Disneyland Paris in particular but of course I would love to check off Tokyo and Hong Kong off my list too.
Here is a shorter bucket list of things that could get done with my next trip:
Country Bears Jamboree- Some may say to not bother, but then I love the Tiki Room and Carousel of Progress and I feel this is on level with that.
Hall of Presidents- as someone who holds a degree in history I still sad I’ve missed it, but then when you have a young child sometimes these attractions are easy to miss.
Festival of the Lion King- I missed this one because it was closed the last time and before that I opted for Finding Nemo the Musical.
Impressions de France- Again hard to see when you have kids, but I am very interested in France so I think I would enjoy this movie.
Keys to the Kingdom Tour- I admit I am a total Disney nerd so this is extremely appealing to me. My second choice would be Back Stage Magic or the Family Magic Tour.
I hope you enjoyed it and maybe even got a new idea or two. What is on your Disney Bucket List?
Dole Whipped 