Food, Fashion, Fun and Everything Fabulous in Delightful Disney

My family’s Disney Dream Vacation started with two and a half days at Walt Disney World, followed by a five night Bahamian Cruise on the Disney Dream.  As you can imagine, there is so much to talk about, but I don’t want to overload you with Pixie Dust. So in true mom a la mode form, I thought it would be appropriate to highlight the key parts to our vacation in regard to Food, Fashion, Fun and Everything Fabulous:

Food
Let me start by saying that I had managed my expectations of the quality of the food on this vacation long before I stepped foot on the plane.

“It’s Disney and a cruise,” I told myself. “How good could the food possibly be?”

Admittedly, I do realize this makes me seem like a bit of a food snob, but I prefer to think of myself more as a food realist. And I’m happy to report that my family and I were blown away by at least two meals at Disney World, while the food on the Disney Dream far exceeded our expectations.  More impressive, however, was Disney’s commitment to providing healthy options – franchise wide – as well as their careful attention to food allergies.  More on this below.

Disney World:
A special thank you to Jennifer Whitney of Create Memories Travel who suggested we check out the Liberty Tree Tavern within the Magic Kingdom. Not to be missed!  Thanksgiving dinner served family style in a warm, colonial inn setting.  Roasted turkey, sliced steak and pork tenderloin were accompanied by macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and a string bean/carrot veggie medley. We were equally impressed with the Pan Asian steak and seafood selections at Kona Café within the Polynesian Resort (where we stayed).  My husband and I both had the black cod over white sticky rice and were quite pleased.

Disney Dream:
The magic began with the lunch buffet – which was available daily — that included gourmet delights like rosemary thyme polenta cakes, lamb chops and a raw bar that rivaled that of a wedding.  Every. Single. Day. For.Lunch.  The icing on the cake?  Krispy Kreme donuts at breakfast every morning.  I gained 2 lbs. just looking at them!

My brother, his fiancée and my husband and I treated ourselves to a dinner at one of the adults-only formal restaurants on the ship, Palo, which specialized in Northern Italian cuisine. For only $20 pp upcharge, it was highly worth it, as we enjoyed the gorgeous views from Deck 12, the generous portions, and quiet conversation over housemade antipasto with aged balsamic, pureed white bean soup and short rib ravioli.

Healthy Eating:
I was recently diagnosed with a sesame allergy and was very careful on our trip about what I’d be eating.  The folks at Disney were far more vigilant than me, even.  Our service team (your waiters travel with you from restaurant to restaurant on the cruise ship) would submit a special pink ticket for every meal that I ordered with them, supplementing out any sesame-tinged items before they hit my plate.

Equally as impressive was Disney’s commitment to healthy options for kids and adults alike.  For example, within the franchise, you could not get a hamburger or hotdog on a white bun – both in the parks and on the ship, all burgers and dogs were served on the same whole wheat buns.  Fresh fruit was in abundance, ripe and delicious.

Fashion
I was a very good girl and did not overpack (by my standards.)  This trip was more about functionality than actual fashion, sadly, but I can assure you that I still aimed to keep things stylish.  My go-to accessories included my kate spade fruit punch wallet, which was tucked into my diaper bag while at Disney World, and once on the cruise, my candy pink Coach wristlet was the perfect, waterproof accessory for some lip gloss and my Key to the World Card (that got you everything you needed on the ship). 

A University of Delaware travel-size poncho was also a key part of my wardrobe for two days in the Disney Parks, as the skies were bound to open at any part of the day (thanks, Julie R. for that tip!)  Sundresses, shorts, sneakers for the park but flip flops everywhere else kept me comfortable but stylish.  I adored my bathing suits by Tommy Bahama, Miraclesuit and Nautica.  On my tips and toes was Essie’s Tour de Finance (my fave color, lately!)  And yes, I did sport Minnie Mouse ears for exactly two days while at the Magic Kingdom.  Judge me not, folks!

Fun
There was lots of fun to be had at Walt Disney World – from zooming through Space Mountain to the cheerful parades down Main Street. But I’d like to focus on a few points of fun from the Disney Dream:

The AquaDuck:
Unique to the Disney Dream, this 765 ft. tubular structure is like a lazy river-meets-water slide. It runs all around the perimeter of the ship, up high above Deck 12.  And despite the 40 minute wait to ride, it was pretty awesome!

Door Decorations:
Being new to cruising with Disney, we weren’t too familiar with the traditions of more seasoned cruisers.  Families really get into the spirit of things by bringing magnetic stickers, dry erase boards and even these personalized cloth mail boxes which the staff (and I suspect, the mommies and daddies) fill each day with goodies.

Birthday Flair:
We celebrated Roc’s 2^nd Birthday at Disney World, but continued the festivities on the ship days later.  He received several buttons, badges, songs and character visits for it not only being his birthday, but his 1^st visit to Disney.  No doubt about it, Disney sure makes the birthday boy feel special!

Pirate Night:
On the third night of our Disney cruise, our daily newsletter informed us that it was “Pirate Night.”  Because I’m a mama in the mode, we were already prepared (thanks to Lauren S.!) so Roc came to the cruise packed and ready with his pirate gear. The rest of us improvised with some souvenir purchases from Disney World’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride gift shop (don’t you just love how you’re dumped into a gift shop after an iconic ride?) 

Pirate Night was pretty awesome – cruise guests’ attire ranged from fun and festive, to downright tacky and scary but hey, who cares – you’re on vacation! Dinner that evening was island themed, with jerk chicken, mango salsa, specialty cocktails and coconut desserts. But the coolest part was following dinner – Captain Hook and the gang put on a show on the pool deck, and later that evening we were treated to fireworks off the ship (which we could see from our verandah!) and a late night buffet that included a baked potato bar, chocolate station and more.  All guests received Pirates of the Caribbean bandanas to wear and take home with them, which was an added bonus.

Castaway Cay:
Saving the best for last – the Disney-owned island of the Bahamas, Castaway Cay.  Calm, clear, crystal blue waters. Water slides. A splash zone for my tot.  Lounge chairs and umbrellas already set up for you. BBQ lunch buffet. All the water/soda/iced tea you can drink. And the best part?  You already paid for it. No money was needed on this island unless you were purchasing booze or souvenirs.

Everything Fabulous

Disney Shows/Parades:
We had heard rave reviews about the nightly shows on the Disney Dream, and that the parades throughout Disney World were worth seeing.  Both turned out to be amazing opportunities for my 2 year old to really experience the Disney characters from a safe, guarded distance. The little guy did not react well to Character Breakfasts, where the life size characters interact with you at your table. However, from 50 feet away on the street or up in the mezzanine from the stage, he was A-OK.  And did he enjoy those shows.  Clapping, dancing, cheering and signaling for “more!”  I think we all delighted in watching his reaction just as much as we enjoyed the shows themselves!

Equally as cool was being able to see Disney’s latest animated film, BRAVE, on board in the ship’s theater.   The cruise director said it best, “We own the movie, so we can show it here, even while it’s running in theaters nationwide!” 

Disney System:
I’ve been on two other cruises with two different cruise lines:  Carnival and Norwegian. Disney blows them out of the water.  Yes, you pay more for the services and experiences of a Disney Cruise vacation, but I happen to think it’s worth it. From seamless transfers utilizing Disney transportation to/from airport/hotel to the baggage labeling system for the hotel and cruise ship, to embarking and disembarking the ship – Disney has it down.  The folks who work for Disney truly aim to please and the customer service was exceptional. 

Spa Tour:
On the first day aboard the Disney Dream, my husband and I checked out the Senses Spa for a little tour while Roc napped in his stroller. I’m sure most onboard spas do this, but I was highly impressed with the mini-services I received while inquiring about the different spa specials.  I was introduced to a new massage – a bamboo massage – where the therapist uses a rolling pin made of bamboo to press out the kinks and tension in your back and allover your body.  It was heavenly!

Pixie Dust:
Ah, the pixie dust. It’s there by way of the memories you are making with your family.  It’s there in the way that the “Cast Members” (what Disney calls their employees franchise-wide) interact with your child – regarding him as a “prince” and even cutting up his food, or dolloping his ketchup in the shape of Mickey ears before serving it to him on the ship.  I know this sounds so sappy but it’s really the truth – the joy and smiles coming from our son during the shows, or upon seeing the Country Bear Jamboree, or loving, loving It’s A Small World were so very special and so very priceless.

There’s one more post coming to complete the Disney Dream experience – traveling with a toddler for the first time, tips for traveling with a large group, my raffle winner and more….

oxox
-mom a la mode

{The opinions expressed in this post are solely mine.  I was not compensated except for a Miraclesuit bathing suit that I won from a previous Twitter contest.}