Showing posts with label cruise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cruise. Show all posts

Friday, 10 June 2016

Recent Trip!!

So I got back from my most recent Disney trip just over a month ago and have finally managed to post videos from the trip :)

Click here to view my video from Walt Disney World


And Click here to watch my video from our Disney Cruise! :D

Sunday, 13 March 2016

Disney Cruise Line Tips


Click here to view my newest video where I talk through some tips for first time cruisers :)

Friday, 17 April 2015

Why I love Disney...



One of the questions I get asked so much in my life is "Why do you love Disney, isn't it just for kids?". The majority of people who ask me this have never been to a Disney park, so I want to explain why I love Disney.

 The Parks




The Disney parks are what I love the most about Disney, don't get me wrong I love the films and the music and the characters, but Disney parks bring all that together, along with so much more. 
I first visited a Disney park in the summer of 2013 when I participated in the International College Program, I didn't really know what to expect when I went, I've loved Disney films my whole life and I was really excited to see what it would be like, but I had no idea I would fall in love with the place as much as I did.
Living and working at Walt Disney World was everything I hoped and so much more, I made friends who I hope will last a lifetime, and experienced so many new things. Walt Disney World honestly feels like a second home to me now, and going back there just makes me remember all the good times I've had, and excited for all the memories I can make.
Being in a Disney park is like being in a bubble, everything is clean and everyone (more is less) is friendly and happy. Cast members will go out of their way to make your day special, from a smile and a wave, to the odd magical moment, greeting your children as princess' or space rangers and helping out in anyway that they can. 
You can become you inner child and no one will judge you, wearing Minnie ears while meeting your favourite princess is just as acceptable at the age of 3, as it is at the age of 53.


The shows and parades are spectacles that make you smile, the rides aren't for the thrill seekers of the world, but they are so well themed and the stories behind them mixed with the nostalgia make them just as good as the fastest roller-coasters in my book.
The resorts offer service that I've never experienced at any other hotel I've stayed in.  
It really is not just a place for kids, there's plenty for adults to do, from fine dining, spa's, golf courses, drinking around the world. 
I've spent over 3 months worth of time at Walt Disney World over the last 2 years and there is still so much that I still haven't done, parks that I still haven't visited (Typhoon Lagoon). My short trips to Disneyland and Disneyland Paris even though they are much small resorts, there is still plenty I haven't done and there are still resorts I haven't visited in destinations I've always wanted to see.

 The Films
The first film I ever saw in a cinema was Pocahontas, I loved watching Sleeping Beauty and Snow White as a child. As I got older I watched more and more films, some classics I never even properly watched until I was in my teens. Pirates of the Carribean are films me and my family loved to go to the cinema to watch together, people forget that Disney don't just make animated films, Mary Poppins, The Princess Diaries, Alice in Wonderland and lets not forget that the Walt Disney company now own Marvel and LucasFilm and some people also don't seem to realise that Disney has owned Pixar since 2006 and has been involved with the studio since before Toy Story was released. 


 Everything else
Disney own the Disney channel and Disney junior but they also own ESPN and the abc channels in america and have produced many well loved shows such as Lost, Grey's Anatomy, Scrubs, Ugly Betty, Once upon a time...
All of which I love and there are so many more.
Disney musicals are some of the best loved musicals going, the main one being the Lion King which is still hugely successful on Broadway and the West end and has been going for over 15 years.
I went on my first Disney Cruise in 2014, and it was my first ever cruise, and I loved it, the Disney bubble at sea and getting to visit new countries. Castaway Cay is the Disney bubble on an island it was great, and I can't wait to plan my next Disney Cruise.
So when people ask my why I love Disney, really what's not to love? There is so much going on in that company, that at some point everyone in their life has probably loved Disney in one way or another. Is it just for kids? No way, the whole point of the Disney parks when Walt first opened Disneyland was somewhere that families could enjoy together, something that wasn't just for kids or adults, but for all ages. I personally think that the parks do that and so does everything else that they do. 
The people I have met through Disney and the memories I have made being in Disney parks, watching Disney films with friends and family, laughing and crying at TV shows are all the reasons I love Disney.

Monday, 6 April 2015

A Disney Dream... Day 4

Day 4 was our day at sea, when originally booking the cruise I wasn't really sure how I'd feel at this point and if there would be enough to do on the ship for a whole day. As soon as I stepped onto the Dream I knew I had nothing to worry about as there is LOADS to do!
We got up early in order to watch the sunrise from the front of the ship. 


We went back to our room for a bit more sleep and to get ready and then as we had the whole day on board we decided to go to the Enchanted Garden for breakfast, it's still a buffet breakfast but in a more formal environment than Cabanas.
We went around the shops on the ship and I bought myself the Disney cruise ship charm for my Pandora, afterwards we made our way to the main lobby of the ship for a dance party which was fun.



After the dance party we went along to the movie quotes trivia quiz and towel folding class before going to meet Goofy & Donald, and they along to a magic workshop where we learnt some card tricks.






After the magic workshop we went to another quiz, this time on Disney tunes, where they played an extract of a Disney song on a piano which was a nice twist on a normal music quiz.
We then went to go and get ready for our dinner at Palo, an adult only restaurant on the ship, it was amazing, but I will describe it in a post about the restaurant :)

After dinner we went along to the Believe show, which was good and again alongside the same lines as the Golden Mickey's but with more of a story line :)
Afterwards we went to get changed before the see you real soon party, the party was almost like the character palooza at Hollywood Studios with lots of characters available to meet in a short space of time.







And that was it, time for bed and our last night on the cruise.
The next morning we had to get up super early for breakfast at Royal Palace as we had to be off the ship by 8am.

Monday, 30 March 2015

A Disney Dream... Day 3

Our third day was spent at Castaway Cay, we got some breakfast from Cabanas, before making our way off the ship. As we went past the Aquaduck we noticed it was just about to open and there was no queue, so took our chance to ride, it was cool and a great way to see the ship :)


We debarked the ship and could instantly tell the island was owned by Disney, compared to leaving the ship at Nassau, I was still in the Disney bubble. We made our way to the tram/transport thing, we decided to go to the adult only beach first which is called serenity bay, you have to get two seperate transports to get there, I'm unsure why there isn't one that goes straight there but it was easy enough to do.
The beach was everything I imagine a tropical beach to be, beautiful white sand, clear water, hammocks, cocktails on the beach and quiet due to the lack of people on the cruise without kids. It was so relaxing, we spent the morning on the beach, there were bbq's on the island for lunch, and one was at serenity bay so meant it was pretty quiet. The food was great and there were ice cream machines and cookies for dessert :)




After lunch we got the transport to the regular part of the island to explore the shops and get hair wraps :)
By about 2pm it was super hot so we made our way back to the ship.






When we arrived back on the ship we got changed and went to the animation class, it's very similar to the animation classes at California adventure & Hollywood studios, we also went along to the Disney quiz and we won!! haha turns out having Disney knowledge comes in handy :)





We got ready for dinner and the pirate night, the show that night was a Magic show with the magician we saw at the club the first night. Dinner was pirate themed, and there were pirate characters to meet and a pirate party with fireworks :) There was even a Monkey waiting in our rooms when we went to get ready for dinner with gold coins. We also watched the sun set from the end of the ship, it was so odd watching it set with nothing else on the horizon and made the decision tat the next day we would get up early to watch the sun rise.

Wednesday, 11 February 2015

A Disney Dream... Day 2





Day 2 on the cruise was an early start, we had booked to go on the Catamaran sail & reef snorkel excursion for our day in Nassau, which meant we had to meet at 687 pub ready to go at 9:15am. We went and got breakfast from Cabanas before meeting, when we arrived at 687 we checked in and were given a sticker and towels if you needed them, we made our way in our group off the ship and through Nassau port to the Catamaran which was waiting for us. 
We boarded the Catamaran and set sail, as we approached where we would be snorkeling we were handed snorkels and flippers. When we arrived we got off the boat and had over an hour to swim around, there were plenty of fish around and it was really nice to float around and just watch it all :)














On the way back to Nassau port we got a packet of crisps and some rum punch. We arrived at a different part of the port than where we had originally boarded, though we could see the ship to get back, we had planned on wandering around Nassau for a while, however the area around the dock is rather run down and it was much too hot to try and find out where we needed to go so we decided we would have a better time back on the Dream. I fully agree with most people that if you haven't booked an excursion it's a much better use of your day staying on board the cruise, as the ship is so much quieter and there's not all that much to do in Nassau itself without going further afield.
In the afternoon we went to the cinema and saw Guardians of the Galaxy in 3D after the film we went and got ready for dinner and went to see Villains tonight which was the show that evening, we went to meet Donald in his fancy outfit before our Dinner at Enchanted Garden.





















Friday, 6 February 2015

A Disney Dream... Day 1










So in the summer I went on my first Disney Cruise to the Bahamas on board the Disney Dream. I had never thought about going on a cruise before and didn't know if it would be for me or not, we went for the 4 night cruise to the Bahamas over the 3 night cruise so that we would have a day at sea to experience the ship. 
We arrived at the terminal by magical express from Walt Disney World, the magical express is not included with the cruise line like it is with the parks and costs and additional fee.
The terminal check in process is pretty similar to that of an airport, except that you don't have your luggage with you as you leave everything on the magical express and that is taken to your stateroom for you, you just take a day bag with you.
When you check in you get given your room keys and told that your rooms will be ready after 1:30pm. Everyday on the ship you get a personal navigator to help you decide what to do that day, you get the first of these navigators on check in, you are also informed of the dinner rotation you will be in either the 1st sitting at 5:45pm or the 2nd sitting at 8:15pm. We were in the 2nd sitting and found this much better as we weren't ever hungry enough at 5:45pm plus when it comes to debarkation day 1st sitting dining has breakfast at something ridiculous like 6:45am and 2nd sitting eats at 8am.
On the first day there is a mandatory safety practice where each room has to go to their specified lifeboat, however other than this you are free to do whatever you want the rest of the day. 
At 4:30pm was the sailing away party which we went along to, it's like a dance party mixed with a castle show, super fun with some Disney magic and you get to watch as the ship leaves Port Canaveral.
After setting sail we went to see our room and to see if our luggage had arrived to our room, your luggage gets left outside your room, and as safe as Disney is, we didn't feel too comfortable thinking that our luggage could just be sitting in the corridor even with locks on.
We had chosen an inside state room as it was the cheapest option and we didn't plan on spending much time in the room, you get a virtual window which does succeed in making the room feel more roomy, however if I went on another cruise I would definitely pay the extra £100 for a room with a large window and seat or even a balcony room as it would be cool to hang out there while everyone's getting ready.


As we were on the 2nd sitting for dining it meant we could go and see the nightly show at 6:45pm, as it was already gone 5:30pm we decided to get changed ready for the night. The show on the first night was called the Golden Mickeys and is an awards show where they will announce candidates for best villain and hero and these characters will come on and perform a song from the movie, it's a really nice show and features some more unusual characters, including Quasimodo singing 'Out There' which is a song I love and always want to see in a musical setting.
Our dinner that night was at Animators Palate and combines a restaurant with the experience of turtle talk with crush, it was really cool and crush had a conversation with our table and was surprised by our extensive turtle knowledge :)
On the ships you have 2 waiters who follow you to each restaurant you go to so you get to know your servers and they get to know you, it's a nice feature and it's nice to see a friendly face everyday.

After dinner we went to the adult section of the boat to evolution, which is the Dreams nightclub, that night there was a team challenge quiz thing which was really fun and then a magic show. After a fun filled day we went to bed ready for the next day in Nassau...
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