Over 2000 pix! Our first Disney Dream cruise + Fantasy pix + Our Wonder cruise!

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I'm so glad I clicked on your trip report! I'm not sure if you remember, but we talked several times on both your trip reports and mine a couple of years ago. We just got back from a trip to Disney and are planning on doing our first cruise next year. Can't wait to see more :).
 
I'm so glad I clicked on your trip report! I'm not sure if you remember, but we talked several times on both your trip reports and mine a couple of years ago. We just got back from a trip to Disney and are planning on doing our first cruise next year. Can't wait to see more :).

I had to take a look, but YES I do remember you. :) I don't know how we did not become facebook friends...must make it happen now. :surfweb: How have you been? Did you have a great stay? I'd love to hear all about it.
 
I had to take a look, but YES I do remember you. :) I don't know how we did not become facebook friends...must make it happen now. :surfweb: How have you been? Did you have a great stay? I'd love to hear all about it.

I've been good.....I'm so glad to have found you again :thumbsup2. Our trip was wonderful, and, since we're DVC now we even got to do a preview of the new Fantasyland. We're trying to make trips about once a year now, but this one was kind of a last minute add on since DH and I had been there in January. The kids gave us a guilt trip for going without them, and I think that may have been part of the reason we were there again this year ;).

Your kiddos have gotten so big!
 
We rarely do those huge blowout birthday parties anymore. People are too busy this day and time to participate in something that doesn't benefit them. Instead of spending $700+ on a party people may or may not show up to, we give the (what would you want to do?) option to our kids. Every single time they choose a night out on the town with a special friend, OR a trip to Disney. The trip to Disney ends up costing the same when all is said and done. (Annual passes, FL room rates...it can happen)

Please don't take that the wrong way. I love a fun birthday party. I just got sick of dealing with monstrous in laws who have better things to do than claim their grandchildren, and people who lie. In January we cleared our lives of these people, never looked back, and it's been the best year of our lives since 1997! That being said, this is probably the best year of birthday parties EVER! :hyper: (Or it will be...two more are still in progress)

This is the kind of thing we used to do...We had over 100 people at this party. We gave away stuffed animals and toys to the kids when they won carnival style games. Our theme was sort of like a fall festival/fair. Bounce house, a BBQ pig pickin' (mainly for the adults), 5 filled pinatas...we made sure our guests had a great time.

The prizes...

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Some of the games (my goodness our place looks completely different back then)

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We had a costume contest and gave away a HUGEMONGUS stuffed animal. LOL It was bigger than three of the kids put together. Look at little Eeyore. Awww.

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It's just easier to plan a trip than to do all of that.

When DCL asked about the birthdays I figured they'd do a button like the parks, and they did.

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But they also came out in a huge group singing...

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Someone wanted to kill me right there!

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Someone else was tickled to see this happen.

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Look at that sweet smile...

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Dessert closeup

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He wasn't sure if he could eat it...

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He finally dug in and loved it!

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The rest of us enjoyed dessert time too!

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Earlier in the evening our server overheard me talking to Sidney about Creme Brulee, how I was craving it and couldn't wait 'til tomorrow night. This is what they brought me for dessert!

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Yes, our server went to the other dining room and got me my "dream" dessert. How sweet is that? They really do good by you on these cruises. If they can make magic happen, they will. I often wonder why...why did we wait so long to sail with Disney? :rolleyes1
 


I've been good.....I'm so glad to have found you again :thumbsup2. Our trip was wonderful, and, since we're DVC now we even got to do a preview of the new Fantasyland. We're trying to make trips about once a year now, but this one was kind of a last minute add on since DH and I had been there in January. The kids gave us a guilt trip for going without them, and I think that may have been part of the reason we were there again this year ;).

Your kiddos have gotten so big!

I am so happy you posted on here. That is one of the reasons I came back to Dis. To reconnect with old friends I had made a few years ago. Everything is different now. It's like most people are lurkers, and don't want to share anything about themselves. I don't get it. :confused3 I'm thinking about ending both current trip reports so I can concentrate on things around here. I have about two weeks to prepare for this huge trip. I hate to waste time on something people aren't reading.
 
I am so happy you posted on here. That is one of the reasons I came back to Dis. To reconnect with old friends I had made a few years ago. Everything is different now. It's like most people are lurkers, and don't want to share anything about themselves. I don't get it. :confused3 I'm thinking about ending both current trip reports so I can concentrate on things around here. I have about two weeks to prepare for this huge trip. I hate to waste time on something people aren't reading.

Believe me you are not wasting your time sharing this report! We are planning to sail the Dream next Sept and I really appreciate you allowing us to follow along with your family on this trip! it gives a great perspective on what to expect that time of year. Thank you.

We are new to cruising also, having only sailed twice - the Disney Dream May 2011 and the Disney Fantasy June 2012. We would love to sail on all 4 ships but like you, aren't sure what it would be like to sail the Magic following the Dream. We are planning a 4 nt out of Miami on the Magic in Dec 2013 after she's gone thru an extensive refurb. so who knows? It may feel like a new ship!
 


I am loving your TR!!! My fiancee and I are going on the Dream in April for our honeymoon! This is our first cruise, so I'm slowly learning. :upsidedow Castaway Cay looks heavenly, and the food looks delectable! Thank you for sharing your experience! :)
 
Um!!!??? I skip a few days and go back to photobucket for a shock! OMG, how does this work now? :eek: Okay, well, found a way to go back to the old site. Thank goodness.

Still working on the bathroom. We're almost in the single digits for the next Disney trip. Not one single item packed. Nothing planned out the way it should be at this point, but hey, it's all good. A few fun things did happen today. My business cards came in. I renewed my ID's. Oh, and a few nights ago I found my June tix from Disney while cleaning up! Now we can surprise the kids with water park/Disney quest AP's! I'm just hoping the water parks are open while we're down there. The weather is so crazy this time of year.

I can't remember what all I had posted on Castaway Cay so I'm going to start from a random area. If I repeat anything I apologize. If it looks like this it's all good, right?

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Have ya'll seen the DCL video where the little boy keeps going back for an ice cream break? My youngest thinks this is the funniest thing ever. I know my kids loved ice cream breaks, and Sidney too. I may have had two or three the entire time. I'm just not into the soft serve ice cream like they are.

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At this time lunch had not been served yet, but it was getting close to that time.


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Oops, got sidetracked by the palm trees.

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How delicious does this look?

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Where the little kids eat...

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Bathrooms

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I LOVED this!

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Love this picture!!! I love the colors, the characters, all of it!

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I loved this look too. I bet this beach is normally covered in people!

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Today it's just my babies...

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The pictures above are from our first visit to the island. After we had breakfast on the ship we went onto CC to look around and take some pics with the good cameras. We are headed back to the ship here towards the end. I will have one, maybe two more posts with pix similar to this. I actually started the Castaway Cay pictures with the second half of our day there. The second part of the day was lunch, bike riding, and the beach visits. Trying not to confuse anyone. If you guys are like me you could care less what order they are in as long as you see what the island has to offer. That's the important part, right? Okay...there you go. Fun at Castaway Cay part unknown.
 
Believe me you are not wasting your time sharing this report! Thank you for saying that. Seems like more people lurk than in the past. I miss the communication part of Dis. LOLWe are planning to sail the Dream next Sept and I really appreciate you allowing us to follow along with your family on this trip! it gives a great perspective on what to expect that time of year. Thank you. If it is this slow again next year, same time, we may be on the ship with you. I'm from Myrtle Beach, hurricane season doesn't scare me. :)

We are new to cruising also, having only sailed twice - the Disney Dream May 2011 and the Disney Fantasy June 2012. We would love to sail on all 4 ships but like you, aren't sure what it would be like to sail the Magic following the Dream. We are planning a 4 nt out of Miami on the Magic in Dec 2013 after she's gone thru an extensive refurb. so who knows? It may feel like a new ship!

I was thinking the same thing. To leave the new ships and then sail on an old one...will it be just as fun? It may even be better because it's more intimate. I'm just not sure. I know we really enjoyed the Aqua Ducks, and it would be weird not to have those. We set a goal to sail all four by the end of 2014. Hopefully we can make that happen sooner than later.

I am loving your TR!!! My fiancee and I are going on the Dream in April for our honeymoon! This is our first cruise, so I'm slowly learning. :upsidedow Castaway Cay looks heavenly, and the food looks delectable! Thank you for sharing your experience! :)

You guys picked a great ship to have your first sailing on! That's for sure. Are ya'll going to WDW too? We did a cruise (RCCL) and WDW for our honeymoon back in '98. We had a lot of fun. Congratulations on the upcoming marriage! :cheer2:
 
No, we are just cruising, trying to cast the Disney spell on the future hubby. I'll have him hooked in no time I'm sure! ;)

I do have a questions, if you don't mind...

Whats the adult areas like? That's one of the concerns he had about using Disney for our honeymoon. I on the other hand don't mind hanging with the kids, I'm a big kid myself (he is too, just to manly to admit it).

Thanks! :)
 
No, we are just cruising, trying to cast the Disney spell on the future hubby. I'll have him hooked in no time I'm sure! ;)

I do have a questions, if you don't mind...

Whats the adult areas like? That's one of the concerns he had about using Disney for our honeymoon. I on the other hand don't mind hanging with the kids, I'm a big kid myself (he is too, just to manly to admit it).

Thanks! :)

The adult beach, like most of Castaway Cay on our stop, was empty. It was beautiful though. They have a place just for adults to eat. The beach itself was full of hammocks, so you had plenty of places to relax. On the ship they have adult only swimming & a jacuzzi. The bars and clubs were really nice. We never went into the clubs at night because we did have kids with us, but you could heard the people inside having a great time. Since this is a honeymoon trip I would pay the fee and hit up the adult only restaurants. We did not go inside, but I have done research on them, and if I were able to I'd definitely experience those. I think your husband will have a wonderful time. You should look and see if there is a travel group on here, if not start one, just for your sailing. That way you can meet up with other adults and honeymooners you will be sailing with.

We cruised RCCL on our honeymoon and met quite a few couples on the ship. We had a great time and new life long friends by the end of our sailing. Also, during regular dinner they will probably team you up at a table with another couple. If you make friends now, before you sail, you might be able to request a table with them. :)
 
Have you ever imagined what it would be like to work on this island? Well they are hiring right now! I can't imagine myself heading off to Castaway Cay as a married mother to three young children, but back in my early 20's I would have loved that job! Just imagine the fun things they get to do for fun while waiting for the next ship to come in.

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I can see it now. DVC comes to Castaway Cay! It would not surprise me one bit. They could build little cabins that match the beach cabanas. They could charter boats to other Bahamian islands like Nassau or Freeport. Of course that would kill the fun for those who work there if they had to share paradise after dark.

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This is one of my favorite pictures of my daughter on the island.

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Take advantage of your photo ops. Especially if you get a day like this!

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Hi--just have to say THANK YOU for your trip report and all the photos--a picture tells a thousand words right? Your report will be dug up over the months and years to come and will help and enlighten people---thanks again!
:artist:
 
Fabulous photos! We are going on our first cruise in April but it's just RCCL. The Freedom of the Seas is an impressive looking ship, but it's not nearly as pretty as the Dream. Thanks for posting them.
 
I can't wait to go to CC!!!!! Is it true that if you can't dock on the first day at CC then they will try to on the 2nd day as long as you're on the 4 day cruise??!!
 
Hi--just have to say THANK YOU for your trip report and all the photos--a picture tells a thousand words right? Your report will be dug up over the months and years to come and will help and enlighten people---thanks again!
:artist:

I agree. A picture speaks for itself. Who needs text? :rotfl2:

As soon as I get the time I plan to read some of my first ones I wrote a few years ago. It'll be neat to go back and see how much the kids have grown.

Thanks for posting!

Fabulous photos! We are going on our first cruise in April but it's just RCCL. The Freedom of the Seas is an impressive looking ship, but it's not nearly as pretty as the Dream. Thanks for posting them.

Love the hat in your picture! :thumbsup2

RCCL was my first cruise "line" and I have yet to find anyone that can compare to their above and beyond details to food, decor, and presentation. I love DCL, don't get me wrong, but RCCL would have ice, cheese, pretzel, fruit, and bread sculptures set up at every meal/midnight buffet. Their island Cococay...AMAZING! Are you stopping there? I'm sure it has changed a great deal since 1998 but back then it was absolutely gorgeous! (We walked the entire thing, even the backside where the waves are crazy and the rocks are rough) I am due for another RCCL cruise!

Thank you for posting. :blush:

I can't wait to go to CC!!!!! Is it true that if you can't dock on the first day at CC then they will try to on the 2nd day as long as you're on the 4 day cruise??!!

I really don't know. We stopped at CC on day four so we couldn't have done that. We went to Nassau first. If something were to prevent a stop at CC I know I'd be extremely upset. They pretty much canceled everything the day we stopped, but we only saw rain. No strong winds or thunderstorms. Maybe I missed something while we were sleeping? The first part of the day on our stop was overcast, but the second part was bright and sunny. We sailed last minute, so I didn't have time to plan, research, nothing.
 
Castaway Cay looks so beautiful. I love that you post tons of pictures, cause I they're so fun to look at. :goodvibes
 
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