Tag Archives: Disney Cruise Line

Things You Don’t Have to do on a Disney Vacation

Posted on by

RM-Main-Street-USA-Magic-KingdomDo you go on vacation for a little rest and relaxation?  Do you vacation to experience new and special things you can’t find at home? Do your travel plans include NOT cooking or cleaning?  Are you hoping to find fun, adventure and quality time with your family?  Us too!  We are all about getting away from it all and taking a little break from work, stress, and yes, the previously mentioned household chores.

There’s been a lot of negativity going around on the interwebs lately via message boards and the like.  Disney vacations are gaining a bit of a reputation as not being the magical family fun they were once upon a time.  There are a lot of “too’s” attached to those criticisms – it’s too crowded, there’s too much planning and research involved, there’s too much to know, too much technology – the fun is gone.  RM-Fantasyland-CrowdNot true, I say!!!  Disney vacations are our family’s favorite – and have been for many years.  Sure, getting used to the newest developments in customer care may take a minute or two, but new does not necessarily mean bad.  There’s still a lot to recommend about Disney parks & resorts and Disney Cruise Line.  Mainly I’m talking about…

Things you do not have to do on a Disney VacationWalt Disney World Summer Crowd

  1. Plan Every Minute – It’s simply not true that you have to plan too much too far in advance.  Prioritize and decide what’s important to your family.  Sure, if you want to eat at a super-popular table service restaurant or dinner show, you will need to make a reservation 180 days in advance for the best chance to dine there.  Citricos-WindowIf you don’t want to spend (possibly) an hour or more waiting in line for headline attractions, you’ll want to book FastPasses as far in advance as you can.  Planning some things in advance is very helpful, but planning every minute would eliminate spontaneity and be detrimental to the whole “rest and relaxation” part of vacationing.  Which brings me to the next point.RM-Tower-of-Terror
  2. Hurry All The Time – NO!  Sure, if this makes you happy, you’re welcome to hit the ground running and rush all day from attraction to attraction as fast as you can.  Just thinking about that makes me tired!  Better to take the most offered advice around – get up early (see #4) and beat the heaviest crowds of the day.  Then slow it down so you don’t miss the amazing Disney magic all around you.Epcot-Statue
  3. Sweat The Small Stuff – Yes, Disney details (sometimes the tiniest ones) are often the most fantastic parts of a Disney vacation.  BUT, there’s no reason to obsess over what you might be missing if you decide to detour from time to time as the mood strikes.  It’s about being together as a family for us – and maybe, if it’s that way for you too, it’ll be okay to not worry about being a super-parent.  You may think you know what will thrill your little one and it turns out to be 180-degrees the opposite – don’t worry about it!  Go with the flow, eat dessert first, change your plans suddenly – it’ll be okay.Bay-Lake-Tower-Sunrise
  4. Stay Up Late – Early to bed and early to rise does not negatively impact a Disney vacation!  I know this from personal experience – I’ve never taken advantage of any late night Extra Magic Hours and I’m perfectly happy about it.  We go to sleep early and appreciate that early morning is sometimes the most special (and productive) time of the day!Entrance for Toy Story Midway Mania
  5. Do It All – There’s just no way to do it all in one trip.  Here’s where research helps a lot.  Knowing what’s important to you and your travel party can help you prioritize.  Don’t think about what you might be missing at the expense of what you’re enjoying at any given moment.  Weather, heat, distance between activities or attractions can take a toll.  Go in with realistic expectations and a willingness to be flexible – nobody wants you to be a bossy, crabby vacation dictator.  Do what you can & come back again if you want.  Don’t mar your vacation memories by putting unnecessary pressure on your family.  Don’t do it!

What are your favorite “don’t have to do’s” on a Disney vacation?

 

 

Disney Rich, Cash Poor and Proud

Posted on by

Grand Cayman ExcursionIt feels incredible to know that we’ve been doing it right!  Well, some of it, anyway.  While we don’t claim to be the best parents ever (there were a few bumps in the road and, just between you and me, we are probably not the parents to come to for potty training advice), it’s nice to know that mixed in with our well-intentioned but certainly not perfect child-rearing decisions, we did one thing right!  We spend all our extra (and occasionally a little more) money on travel.

Disney Rich, Cash Poor and Proud

What makes us right?  Science!  Recent studies have revealed that spending money on experiences is more meaningful than buying expensive or fancy material items.  Most recently, this article caught my eye.  And it got me thinking about our vacations…DSCN3080

In all fairness, it was not all Disney travel.  There was an ill-fated (for me) ski vacation to Park City, short trips to places in nearby states (Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma) that were certainly fun, and wonderful visits to see family in Missouri and Illinois.  During the lean years, we spent many of our summer vacations on the “Red Neck Riviera” (Alabama’s Gulf Coast).  All of those places were great!  By far though, our most amazing vacations were (and still are) Disney ones.RM-Maharajah-Jungle-Stop

Raymond and I honeymooned at Disney World and sailed on the Big Red Boat (precursor to Disney Cruise Line).  Then we were parents with extremely limited vacation resources.  As time passed, we made the conscious decision to spend less on “things” and more on vacations.  The more we saw and did, the more we wanted to see and do!  Disney World became our favorite destination followed quickly by Disney cruises that would carry us as far and wide as we could possibly afford to travel.DSCN2852

So what if we drive our vehicles for 10 years or more?  That outdoor kitchen I’ve been dreaming about can wait a little longer.  Would I like a new washer and dryer? Oh, you bet I would!  But that will have to wait until we can no longer repair what we have.  We need our Disney vacation fixes and the memories they provide – long after the vacation is over.  I suppose the telltale truth in all of this is now that our children are adults, they tell us how much they’re looking forward to traveling with their own children someday.  DSCN3249They now appreciate that while they may have been jealous of their friends’ swimming pools, game systems, and trampolines, those same friends may not have dined with Mickey Mouse, zip-lined in Alaska, kayaked in Norway, or saw Michelangelo’s David in Italy…all things we did on Disney vacations.  Some of these trips took years of planning and saving to achieve, but every sacrifice was worth it!IMG_2025

We’ve taken some flack through the years for how much we spend on travel.  (Let’s not even start on the “You’re going to Disney World AGAIN?” comments.)  At the same time, not a single person ever criticized us for not buying our children the latest video game or most expensive sports equipment.  I’m not saying we are perfect parents or that anyone else is wrong for buying their kids whatever makes them happy – I’m just thrilled that in rearing our children, we got one thing right.  We showed them as much of the world as we possibly could, gave them tons of happy family memories, and wouldn’t trade a single moment.IMG_0263

What vacations have been your family’s favorites?  Where are you planning to visit next?

 

My Disney Life in a Countdown Calendar

Posted on by

Days to Go AppStep closer and listen to my story.  I don’t usually share bundles of personal information here at Living a Disney Life, but for this Friday Five, I’m going to have to.  Share, I mean.  See, I’ve been skipping a day or two of posting in recent weeks and that trend might continue (or worsen) for a little bit longer.  It’s not that I’ve run out of Disney stuff to write about – I’m pretty sure that might be impossible.  And it’s not you, I promise.  You guys have been great!  Your comments, tweets, Instagram and Facebook likes – that’s all been wonderful!  It’s me, honest!  I’ve been a tiny bit preoccupied.  Let me explain…

My Disney Life in a Countdown Calendar

In 29 days, I’ll be something I’ve never been before.  Kind of a short-term but life-changing gig, really.  I’ll be a Mother of the Bride.  A responsibility I’m taking very seriously.  It’s going to be a great wedding full of special, magical details I cannot wait to share with you.  After that, I’ll have yet another new role as a mother-in-law.  Since we’re crazy about our future son-in-law, that seems like a pretty good deal.  Megan’s going to be a beautiful bride and I’m sure I’m going to cry my eyes out!  You can probably guess where the happy couple will be going on their honeymoon.Mr.-and-Mrs.-Disney-Wedding-Pins

In 93 days, I’ll be running my 7th half-marathon.  I’m looking forward to it because our son, Joseph, will be running with me and this will be his first half marathon.  To be perfectly honest, I’m not very motivated to do the actual training for this race.  I’m hoping my attitude will change once the weather cools off a bit.  Someday, I’m hoping Joseph and Megan will both enter a runDisney race with me.  I’ll cross the finish line just in time to celebrate!  In 94 days, I’ll turn…well, let’s not discuss my birthday.  I’m having another one.  ‘Nuff said.

In 134 days, I’ll be at Walt Disney World!  Christmas will be over by then, but the spirit of the season will be everywhere at Disney World and Raymond and I will be soaking it up.  All those gorgeous decorations!  Wrapping up 2015 – for our family, an eventful year of both happy and sad occasions – Disney style.Christmastime at Walt Disney World

In 188 days, we’ll be headed to Walt Disney World again, but this time to meet up with my Disney Exchange Podcast co-hosts for runDisney’s Princess Half Marathon Weekend.  I’ve registered for the Glass Slipper Challenge (10k on Saturday, half-marathon Sunday) and Nick and Dave will be running (okay, Nick will be walking) the 10k with me.  I’m pretty stoked about this!!!  If you’re planning to be there, be sure to watch the podcast’s website or Facebook page for meet-up details!RM-Lisa-and-Glass-Slipper-Sign

191 days to go before we board the Disney Dream for a bit of rest and relaxation on a 4-night cruise to the Bahamas.  In Nassau, we aren’t planning to leave the ship – I’m planning to just rest and recover from the very action-packed Princess Half-Marathon Weekend and enjoy some guilt-free Disney cruise dining!

I’ve got no complaints.  I’m excited!  I’ve just got a lot in the works right now.  Bridal showers, rehearsal dinner, wedding, running, holidays, Disney, more running and finally, the grand finale, floating around with nothing to do.  I appreciate each of you for visiting me here, for your kind words, good-natured teasing, excellent debates, and steadfast support.  In 73 days, Living a Disney Life will be two years old…I could never have come this far without you.

How many days until your next Disney vacation?  Where are you going?

 

 

 

Disney’s Magic in Norway – The Grand Finale

Posted on by

Lifeboat Drill Lineup

Gracious!  We’d done and seen so much!  Having the last day of our Disney cruise in Norway be a day at sea might seem anticlimactic, but in reality, it was absolutely perfect.  We’d worn ourselves out hiking, kayaking, bicycling, touring and finally, an entire day of relaxation stretched before us.  To make it even more wonderful, the weather was incredible.  Clear, sunny, warm, calm – just spectacular.  Leaving Megan and Joseph sound asleep, Raymond and I took to the upper decks for a stroll – letting the day unfold the way it would.

First we grabbed some breakfast at Cabanas.  Then we walked around soaking up the sights and sun.  Magic-on-Deck6 Magic-on-Deck5 Magic-on-Deck4 Magic-on-Deck2 Magic-on-Deck3We ran into our new friend, Philip Walker, and chatted with him for quite a while.  Moving on, we decided an adult beverage in the form of a specialty coffee in the Cove Café was in order.  Magic's-Cove-Cafe Magic's-Cove-Cafe-MenuMagic's-Cove-Cafe-Foam-MickeyThis little grown-up corner of the ship is a great place to hang out and we visited for a while with a fantastic young couple from Colorado we’d first met on our hike to Pulpit Rock.  Then we just roamed around – trying to squeeze the last bit of magic from the Magic on the last day of our unbelievable vacation.Sailor-Donald

Suddenly, my phone started going crazy with notifications – Disney’s onboard texting service meant our kids could let us know if they needed us for any reason and, based on the number of texts rolling in (accompanied by many exclamation marks), Megan and Joseph were in O’Gill’s Pub and needed us immediately.  Hmmmm – what could that possibly be about?  TRIVIA!  It was Movie Quotes Trivia and we, ancient parents that we are, were actually going to be of some use for that!  We didn’t win, but that didn’t matter – we managed to get lots of correct answers and we had so much fun!Disney-Cruise-Movie-Trivia Disney-Cruise-Movie-Trivia-With-Jo

When the game ended, we realized it was time to do one of only two things we’d planned for the day – See Avengers – Age of Ultron!  In 3D! (Check out Meg and Joe’s tee-shirts – pretty cool, aren’t they?)  Movie-on-the-Disney-MagicWe’d seen the movie before, but something about seeing it at sea made it just as enjoyable as the first time.  Then it was time to get ready for the second thing we had planned – Dinner at Palo to celebrate Joseph’s birthday!

We had to hightail it back to our stateroom and convinced Joseph to take his shower first so we had time to get his presents ready and run them up to Palo.  We’d celebrated Megan’s 23rd birthday two years earlier on the Magic, also in Palo, on our Mediterranean cruise and knew that the Cast Members in Palo would be more than happy to hold Joseph’s gifts until we were between entrée and dessert.  Unfortunately, we’d taken a detour to the shop for a couple of last minute items and by the time we got back to our cabin, we were really pressed for time.

That’s when we discovered that the shower – sure, Joseph got to take his shower – was broken.  The handle was stripped and would just spin around…without turning on the water.  We’re not the type of family to let something minor like this throw us off our stride or make us grumpy.  We made two phone calls – one to the maintenance department and one to Senses Spa.  A repair person would be right up and, of course, the spa had no problem at all with us schlepping all our evening-out-prep-supplies there to get ready.  The spa is so posh and relaxing, it was tempting to curl up and take a nap, but NO!  We had to hurry!!!Magic's-Spa Magic's-Spa2

We arrived at Palo almost on time and looking pretty presentable, if I may say so.  Seated at the very same table we’d had in 2013, we were ready to relax and enjoy some incredible food, provided by exceptional service, in an enchanting atmosphere.  Palo-Entrance Palo-Megan-by-the-WindowPalo-ServerPalo has always been exactly what we’d hoped for, every single visit – and this time was no exception.  We loved our food and Joseph was (or at least acted) surprised when our server brought out his gifts.  I scooped up every moment into my heart and memory as fast as I could. (Joseph loved his new sunglasses!)Palo-Birthday-Toast Palo-Birthday-Joe

What a great way to end one of the best vacations we’ve ever taken!  Two years of planning and anticipation and the results exceeded our wildest expectations.  I cannot wait to get started on the next adventure.  We have plans…big plans!  And as soon as we know for sure they’ll work out, you’ll be the first to know.

Thanks for sticking with me for this lengthy trip report – I appreciate your comments and support here, on Twitter, on Facebook and on YouTube more than I can say.

Links to the other parts of this trip report: