Disney by Sea

On board the Disney Wonder, M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E spells fabulous. What better word to describe a vacation that sizzles from the minute you set foot on deck to the moment you disembark. Kids, grab your favorite grown-up and bring them on this fabulous adventure for people of all ages.

We flew to Orlando and boarded the Disney buses to Port Canaveral, Florida. In perfect Disney style, the buses leave on time and the kids are entertained during the forty-five minute ride with vintage Disney silent cartoons, just background music. The adults are thrilled. After the hustle and bustle of airport travel, there is peace and quiet at last.

Arriving at the pier, the first sight of our boat, the Disney Wonder, is magical--Mickey ears on smokestacks and Donald Duck hanging off the bow of the boat with paint cans in his hand. Mickey Mouse, dressed in sailor attire, was there to greet us with a hug and a photo opportunity (the first of many). Age didn’t matter—children and adults were delighted to see this classic cartoon character standing in the lavish grand lobby. Every guest’s arrival is announced over the loudspeaker so it seemed like walking down the red carpet to our very own vacation. What an enthusiastic start…..and it got better and better as we sailed along.

I must admit, I was somewhat skeptical about a Disney vacation. As a former Disney employee (in the television division), I was afraid we would be smothered in all-things Mickey. But, in typical Disney fashion, everything had just the right touch—-enough to delight the children and enchant the grown-ups. We set sail with a great send-off party attended by many of the Disney characters, which took place next to the Goofy (family) Pool and Mickey (children’s) Pool. A special feature of the children’s pool is a slide supported by Mickey’s glove. There are several pools on the ship but I have never seen more inviting swimming areas on land or ship. It was a parent and child’s dream come true.

There is endless entertainment on board the Disney Wonder. The Oceaneer Club and Lab for children and teens is fabulous, with specific attention paid to various age groups. While our three and a half-year-old daughter kept busy with princess projects, the seven-year-olds made goop in the lab, while the teens participated in video tournaments documenting their adventures at sea. The kids can have meals and naps at camp or eat in one of the three spectacular dining rooms with the grown-ups. Parents are given a beeper when the kids are registered, so adults are free to go about the ship without children and pursue the wide variety of activities—the spa, basketball courts, karaoke games, etc.

Disney does something I have never experienced before in terms of meals on cruises and it was brilliant. Families are assigned a table number and a wait staff and rotate dining rooms every night. The first evening we ate in Parrot Cay, a casual, tropical, and bedazzling dining room. After the first course, we followed the rhythm of the steel drum band and, along with many of our fellow passengers, danced the limbo all around the dining room. The overall Caribbean cuisine was outstanding. The next night we ate in Tritons, a bit more formal than Parrot Cay but the cuisine, more geared towards steaks and seafood, was equally terrific. The third dining room, Animator’s Palate is Disney at it’s best--the dining room evolves from black and white to color throughout the meal. It was completely enchanting and the kids were mesmerized by the ever-changing cartoon images on the screens placed on all the walls. Despite yet another great menu, the kids were most delighted with the Mickey Mouse ice cream bars for dessert.
Palo, the adult-only dining room, was part of our original plan for a romantic dinner sans kids, but we had to cancel at the last minute. A good reason to book another trip aboard the Disney Wonder.

The nightly entertainment, following dinner, was outstanding. The shows we saw were Broadway quality--the talent, sets, costumes, music. After the performances, the characters came out to pose for photographs and mingle among the guests. Lucy, our daughter, is still telling anyone who will listen that Minnie wiped her tears with her skirt when they said goodbye. Pure magic. Did I mention the fireworks and dessert buffet that followed?!

There’s so much to say about the ship but the ports turned out to be great too. For those who are ho-hum about Nassau, having been there numerous times, we saw it in a new light through the Blackbeard’s Cay excursion. We ferried over to the small Cay and snorkeled with the stingrays, played on the beach, and had an open-air lunch. On the way back we shopped along the infamous Bay Street, where goods are duty free, and bought a couple of items in the straw market.



The second port was Disney’s own island Castaway Cay—more sparkling-water snorkeling, a glass bottom boat trip, bicycles, rafts, snorkels and fins--it’s all there. Even Goofy, Chip and Dale, and Donald Duck joined us for a day at the beach. If you’re looking for some quiet time, there’s an adult beach nearby.

Now, while most of you don’t know my husband, trust me when I tell you it was most unusual when he asked me why we booked three nights instead of seven. Our only regret on this sensational vacation was that it wasn’t long enough. Three nights were good, four nights would be better, but someday…seven nights will be perfect. Don’t cry Minnie, we hope to be back soon.