From Ahoy To Aloha- Our May 2025 Disney Adventures! July TR 7/8!

[Mollydolly334]

WDW July 2025- Mini TR (Part 1 of 3)!


Hi everyone!! We just got back from an amazing WDW trip last night.



This trip, the guests were myself, Jake, my sister Haley, Nana (my mom), and the kiddos (Ethan, Oliver, and Evelyn- my nephews and niece)! Evie and Ollie are twins and just turned 4, and Ethan is 17 months old. Haley’s husband Ryan couldn’t make it this trip due to him being on his own family vacation in Costa Rica- we missed him SO much!



It was our third trip with the kiddos, and I have to say it was BY FAR our best trip with them yet. We’ve really gotten our touring style down and were so much more efficient than we’ve been on trips past. Also, Evie and Ollie have matured a lot in the last 9 months! They did an excellent job keeping up with all the walking and were true Disney park commandos!!







We were in WDW for 5 nights (July 2-7)! Jake joined us one day later and flew in late on the 3rd. The rest of us flew in late on the 2nd and did 3 full park days (Epcot, AK, and MK), plus one full resort day! We stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter in two connecting rooms this time.



We LOVE this resort; the price is reasonable, the theming is adorable, the size is nice and small, and the rooms/grounds are extremely clean. It also had a great pool area/splash pad for the kids. We will stay here time and time again; it’s definitely become a go-to for us.



We had fantastic TS meals at Akershus (breakfast), Via Napoli, Boatwright’s, Crystal Palace (breakfast), and Chef Mickey’s (dinner)!

















As you can see, this trip was all about the CHARACTERS!! We met so many amazing characters and the kids loved every minute of it!













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[Mollydolly334]

WDW July 2025- Mini TR (Part 2 of 3)!

They are at such a perfect age for characters… the magic is SO real to them!!















I mean… COME ON!

This was Mr. Ethan’s first trip as a walker!! So, he loved walking all around the parks and resorts and just EXPLORING!









The twins hit exactly 40 inches tall this trip!!! So, we were able to try new rides like Dinosaur, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and Soarin’!





The adults also got to ride Cosmic Rewind and we got a new song this time (One Way or Another)!



We did an excellent job of cycling out and taking turns riding big rides. We were able to get on every major ride except Tron! We rarely broke out the phones and we are determined to not make the kids “iPad kids”- but they did come in clutch during these times.



New snack highlights included…..

Ube Cold Brew from Satuli Canteen



Key Lime Pie Pop from Flame Tree BBQ



Mango Poptail Margarita from Choza De Margarita





Pistachio Macaron from Sunshine Seasons

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[Mollydolly334]

WDW July 2025- Mini TR (Part 3/3)!


Overall, the weather this trip was SO much better than the weather in May. Like, I cannot reiterate enough how amazing the weather was. Mid-80’s, partly cloudy, and breezy!





AND barely ANY rain! I was a little concerned; they had been predicting a lot of rain for this trip, and on our flight out to Orlando, we ended up getting stuck in a holding pattern for an extra hour due to storms. We had one hour-long wash out on our Epcot day, some consistent rain from like 7-10 PM on our resort day, and 20-minute midday showers on our other two park days. But, not NEARLY as much rain as they were anticipating (there was actually a small chance of a TROPICAL STORM earlier in the week that Florida completely bypassed)!



Also, the parks were DESERTED. This was totally unexpected for us; we thought that it would be packed due to the holiday!!



But, the lines were short all weekend- like, the standard wait times were 35 minutes for PPF and 7DMT, Cosmic Rewind was regularly at 45 minutes, and FoP was 15 MINUTES for the last 2 hours of the day on the 4th! The park walkways were also SO open all weekend and everything just felt very chill.

Our resort day was perfect! I will say- POFQ definitely felt more crowded than the parks (maybe that’s where everyone was hanging out?). We did our resort day on July 5th and the pool was PACKED!





We walked over to Port Orleans Riverside for dinner at Boatwrights and also got to roast some marshmallows!



Jake and I were able to sneak away for a nightcap at Scat Cat’s Club as well!



Overall, it was really just an incredible vacation from start to finish. We had so many amazing and magical moments from CM’s, everything was just very smooth and light-hearted… it makes me feel so grateful and blessed that I get to have these cherished memories with my family. Just feeling very lucky over here today.



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[Steppesister]

HAHA- well the Mai Tai was strong to Jake I guess!! Surprising I know! We did think that the cruise drinks were stronger than the drinks you can find in the parks! Take with that what you will

Of this I have ZERO doubt.

Hey, y'all have the Chunky Dump goin' on!!! I approve.

 

[kclark9830]

It sounds like an amazing trip .

 

[ThreeBoyMama]

What a great trip! The kids are getting so big!!

 

[piglet1979]

Oh My. This sounds like a awesome trip. Ethan is really starting to look like Evelyn. I loved there matching outfits.

 

[cindianne320]

Thanks for the awesome mini-trip update! Looks like everyone had a fabulous time!!

 

[Newsies]

Hi Molly!!! Just popping in to let you know I'm caught up with your adventures so far this year and following this thread. So happy you've had such amazing travels so far this year with Jake & your family! Hope you're doing well!

 

[missjackiemcg]

Last year when he went to a minor league baseball game, he completed a challenge in which he had to drink one beer and eat one hot dog every single inning. He also completed that no problem You guys are kindred spirits in that you both love your beer!!

That's so funny! Rob brings it up all the time when we go to Chicago Dogs games, and I tell him the beers will be no problem, but there's no way I can eat 9 hot dogs!

Love all the character pics from your trip!!!! Taking Jimmy at that age will always be some of my most favorite memories of WDW. I can't wait to get him back there in December as a 16 year old baby-giant that he is! He is still so excited about seeing his favs, so some amazing Now and Then pics will be 100% necessary!

Glad you lucked out with great weather and crowds. Looked like you all made some incredible memories!

 

[Mollydolly334]

Of this I have ZERO doubt.

Hey, y'all have the Chunky Dump goin' on!!! I approve.

Awww I didn't even notice the Chunky Dump- love it!!

It sounds like an amazing trip .

It was!! Everything just perfectly lined up for this one!!

What a great trip! The kids are getting so big!!

I know!!! I can't believe the twins are already 4 especially

Oh My. This sounds like a awesome trip. Ethan is really starting to look like Evelyn. I loved there matching outfits.

I KNOW!! They totally have the same face!! Haley is a pro at the matching outfits, haha!

Thanks for the awesome mini-trip update! Looks like everyone had a fabulous time!!

We definitely had some amazing family time together

Hi Molly!!! Just popping in to let you know I'm caught up with your adventures so far this year and following this thread. So happy you've had such amazing travels so far this year with Jake & your family! Hope you're doing well!

Hi Kait!!!!! Thanks for popping in to say hi! Your cruise is coming up soon right??? So exciting! I love following along with what you're up to on TikTok!

That's so funny! Rob brings it up all the time when we go to Chicago Dogs games, and I tell him the beers will be no problem, but there's no way I can eat 9 hot dogs!

Love all the character pics from your trip!!!! Taking Jimmy at that age will always be some of my most favorite memories of WDW. I can't wait to get him back there in December as a 16 year old baby-giant that he is! He is still so excited about seeing his favs, so some amazing Now and Then pics will be 100% necessary!

Glad you lucked out with great weather and crowds. Looked like you all made some incredible memories!

Hahahah I'm laughing so hard because Jake said it was the opposite- the hot dogs were easier than the beer Men!!!

I'll be eagerly following along with that trip!! I feel like it's been awhile since you guys were there, right??

 

[Mollydolly334]

“Sea Trip”- Day 4, Part 2!


Hi everyone! Long time, no update! Where I last left off, Jake and I were boarding the ship at 3:35 PM after a fun-filled day at Castaway Cay.

Right when we got back on the ship, we immediately headed up to the adult’s-only pool area to take a dip in the infinity hot tub. It was pretty crowded yesterday since it was a sea day, but lucky for us, it was empty now!



OMG, this felt HEAVENLY after swimming in the cold ocean all day. We were so relaxed and blissed out; we chilled in here for about 20 minutes. It was nice, because the clouds rolled in so it was a bit cooler now.

Before we headed back to the room, I grabbed another Salted Caramel Coconut Latte from Cove Cafe. I asked for another surprise character, and they gave me Belle.




The coffee here was an extra charge but a million percent worth it. The coffee was absolutely delicious and the foam characters were such a cute Disney touch. They also have a loyalty card that I definitely would have taken advantage of if we were on a longer cruise; you get a free drink after buying a certain number!



We got back to the room at about 4:15, showered/got ready quickly, and we were back in the atrium by 5:30!



The show tonight was “Believe!” I had been looking forward to this show all cruise- I was intrigued because it was an original show to DCL, but excited since the songs are all from Disney movies (besides “What Makes The Garden Grow” which is a GREAT song)!

I bought a Ginger Ale and some more popcorn for the show- I could NOT resist!



The coffee must have been catching up to me, because before the show started, I had to use the bathroom. We were 3 seats from the aisle, with a mom, dad, and little girl next to us, and the parents rolled their eyes when I squeezed past. I’m sensitive to stuff like that, so it stuck with me.

Unfortunately, during the show, I realized that I had to pee AGAIN. I tend to be one that has to go multiple times if I “break the seal”, and all of the different beverages I had today were totally affecting my bladder!

I was so anxious about it, but I simply COULD NOT hold it once we got to the Pocahontas portion of the show. I waited until the song was over and the theatre darkened and tried to squeeze past as fast as humanly possible, but I could tell the family next to us was PISSED. The mom literally looked at me, asked “Are you serious?” and gave a giant sigh.

I felt sooooo bad but also, like, I’m sorry you have to stand up for 0.2 seconds during a dark theatre and applause?? Like what if I was sick? I dragged Jake along with me since I knew that this family would be that way, and after I ran to the bathroom, we took different seats away from others and up in the balcony so we wouldn’t disturb anyone for the rest of the show.

I took this SUPER hard and it bothered me... Jake is the exact opposite and is able to brush things right off his back. He was like “What were you supposed to do, pee on the seat?” I wish I was like this!

I’m sad to say that this affected the show a little bit for me. I had heard SUCH amazing things about DCL shows and I think that they both were kind of busts for us? Obviously due to some outside circumstances but I also think I just came in with too high of expectations. This show was SUPER cute and I loved all of the different Disney scenes (Mary Poppins, The Lion King, etc.). It was also VERY cheesy and saccharine and I’m pretty sure Jake rolled his eyes a couple times.

I understand that it’s more complicated with all of the props and puppetry, but I personally would LOVE to see them do Finding Nemo: The Musical on a Disney cruise ship!! It’s the perfect length and subject matter for a cruise!

I have to say, though, the man who played the lead role in Believe was FABULOUS. So talented!! He was also Jafar in Aladdin on the first night, and we later found out that he is a Broadway actor who was a guest performer on this cruise!!

After the show, we rushed off to The Tube for our last trivia of the cruise- 2000’s Music Trivia!





When we got to The Tube, we realized that the entire place was SHAKING! Like, it was hard to read the TVs because they were vibrating so much. I had read reports of this happening on the Fantasy, particularly on the lower levels in the aft of the ship (The Tube is located on Deck 4 Aft). Also makes sense; we were sailing the fastest we had gone all cruise to make it back to Port Canaveral! It didn’t make me feel weird at all but was a little distracting at times! The Fantasy has a dry dock for about 8 weeks after their Mediterranean cruises this summer, and people are hoping that they will fix this issue then.

We had Izzy as our moderator again (Get Quizzy with Izzy), and as always, she was SO fun! My heart was racing; I figured that we would definitely have a shot at winning this one, and I could practically taste the victory!!

This was the best trivia of the week. Everyone would scream along the lyrics every time Izzy gave out an answer! It just shows that DCL IS good for adults, we had so many adults-only groups in this bunch and everyone was so much fun!!

And..



WE GOT 100%!!!! I was SO proud!

We were one of 4 groups who got 100%. And although we didn’t get the tiebreaker correct, Izzy was sweet and still gave each group who got 100% a medal. I’ll take that!!





I wore my medal like a badge of honor all night! If we cruise the Fantasy again, we would skip the shows and do more TRIVIA, since that was one of the highlights of the trip for us.

The exact same couple won Disney Music Trivia, TV Music Trivia, 90’s Music Trivia, and 2000’s Music Trivia… Methinks that we had some repeat cruisers or cheaters in our bunch… Every time we saw these two show up to trivia, we’d roll our eyes and be like “UGHH, NOO!” Like come on people, save some fun for the rest of us!

After trivia, we were off to our final dinner of the cruise at…



Enchanted Garden!

This was such a beautiful restaurant. I loved the lighting in here and how it got dimmer as the night went on!





By now, we were old pals with Brad and Cassie and picked up right where we left off. They were at Serenity Bay all day as well! I’m so surprised that we didn’t run into them at all outside of dinners and at Europa the first night! We also met our other tablemates who were very nice.

We ordered waters all around, and got our appetizers quickly. I ordered the Spanakopita (there was a Mediterranean menu tonight due to the upcoming European itineraries)!



The Spanakopita was pretty dry and had absolutely NO feta or creaminess inside. It was literally plain spinach wrapped in puff pastry.

For my entree, I ordered the Yogurt Marinated Chicken and Fennel Kabobs.



This dish comes with Tzatziki , but, of course, that sauce contains onions and garlic. I knew I would have been fine since I had smothered my burger in Tzatziki at Castaway Cay today and was feeling normal, but I didn’t want to “go back” on my allergy and confuse people so I just let it be.

So, as a result… once again my entree was extremely dry. It was pretty much just plain chicken and rice and there were no sauce alternatives they could offer me. It was edible but the Tzatziki would have upgraded this so much. Not really blaming the chef on that though- this was DEFINITELY on me and was the price I had to pay in order to not risk any stomachaches.

I will say that if you are traveling with any food allergies, DCL is THE PLACE to be. Everyone was so helpful, careful, and accommodating during the entire cruise. Pepe even offered to order separate burgers/chicken for me while at Castaway Cay, but I politely declined. They truly go above and beyond to make you feel safe and taken care of.

The lights were starting to darken as dinner went on!



For dessert, I ordered the Sticky Date Pudding!



This was very tasty and hit the spot! We usually get this dessert at a local European restaurant near us and it tasted exactly like that one. The flavor of this dessert always reminds me of Honey Nut Cheerios!

So… food on the Fantasy was DEFINITELY a hit or miss. And, overall, I’d say more of a miss than a hit. I do want to take my intolerances into account though; I feel like disclosing that was good because it made me avoid any tummy issues. But, as a result, a lot of my dishes lacked flavor. I also wasn’t crazy impressed with the buffet or food court options. They were perfectly fine for the 3 days, but I couldn’t IMAGINE being on the Transatlantic Cruise with 14 days of that food. I like that the newer ships seem to have more variety when it comes to QS food in particular!

After dinner, we said goodbye to our tablemates, since we weren’t planning on doing the sit-down breakfast at Enchanted Garden the next morning. Since I didn’t eat too much at dinner again, I figured this would be a perfect time to check out the candy shop on Deck 11 called Sweet on You!



These treats cost extra money and are not included in your cruise fare, but in my opinion, are VERY reasonably priced. They were a lot cheaper than you’d find at the Confectionary at MK.

I loved how this place had different flavored cones to pair with your ice cream! I decided on some Bubblegum Gelato in a Matcha Cone. Yes, I realize that this sounds absolutely GROTESQUE, but what can I say. I like what I like.



These two flavors actually paired very well together; the sweetness of the bubblegum flavor was nice with the mellow matcha cone.

Ice cream in hand, we headed back down to the Atrium. We went up to the counter for Guest Services to see if they could book a rental car for us the next day. Some of you lovely DIS friends had suggested this idea, and we decided to do a last minute “Hail Mary” and see if one was available. Of course, they weren’t, but we thought we’d at least try!

No worries though, now it was time for the “See Ya Real Soon” gathering!







It was a cute little show, but right after they announced the characters, they decided to have a 20-minute chaotic meet and greet before continuing on with the show. Jake and I didn’t want to wait around that long, so we just headed out after the character parade. We thought that this was a weird choice… why wouldn't you have the meet and greet at the end so it doesn’t disrupt the show??

Instead, we took the elevators BACK up to Deck 11! So many of you suggested watching a movie on the Funnel-Vision by the kid’s pool area at night when the pool was nice and quiet. And, this was SUCH a good decision!





They were playing “Mary Poppins Returns” tonight, so Jake and I just laid in a lounge chair and watched the last 20 minutes or so of the movie!

r

Since everyone was in the Atrium, the pool was dead and we were some of the only ones up there. The ship looked so beautiful lit up at night. They really knew what they were doing with the design of the Fantasy! Sometimes those mega-ships can look so clunky, but the Fantasy was very stately and ornate while still being big and impressive.

When the movie ended at 10:45, we figured we should head back up to the room. We were both feeling the blues pretty badly- this trip felt so long but went by SO fast at the same time!

I turned on the T.V when we returned to our stateroom, and realized that there was a WHOLE channel with a good selection of Disney movies and shows!! We wished we would have discovered this earlier in the trip!



Sadly, nothing was tripping our trigger, so we just watched the Navigator channel and some classic cartoons before drifting off to sleep.

The vibrating from earlier in The Tube continued in our room, since it was technically in the “aft” of the ship. Our whole bed was shaking at one point! It was a little distracting at first, but it calmed down and we didn’t have any issues falling or staying asleep. Good thing, because we had another early alarm set for 7:00 AM!



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[scrappinginontario]

Thank you so much for sharing your cruise and recent Disney trip with us! I'm always excited when a note pops into my email that your trip report has been updated!

I’m so sorry that family was so rude to you!! Don’t sit on the aisle if you’re not willing to let people by - as often as they need to get by! Like you, things like that can be hard for me to let go and normally cone na j at night in the way of a restless sleep. ((Hugs)) You did nothing to receive such unkind treatment!! So glad you changed seats. Great call!

Love the Fantasy! We hope to someday sail in her again.

Do you have any other adventures planned?

 

[BellaBaby]

I'm the same with both the "breaking the seal" lol and feeling bad when someone acts that way, it would've ruined it for me too. You didn't deserve that! Some people, jeez!
The Enchanted Garden looked like a very pretty restaurant with the dimming lights. Congrats on your trivia win!!
Always enjoy your reports!

 

[Steppesister]

Awww I didn't even notice the Chunky Dump- love it!!

but lucky for us, it was empty now!

WOOT!

The show tonight was “Believe!” I had been looking forward to this show all cruise- I was intrigued because it was an original show to DCL, but excited since the songs are all from Disney movies (besides “What Makes The Garden Grow” which is a GREAT song)!

I loved this show. Very cute!

I was so anxious about it, but I simply COULD NOT hold it once we got to the Pocahontas portion of the show. I waited until the song was over and the theatre darkened and tried to squeeze past as fast as humanly possible, but I could tell the family next to us was PISSED. The mom literally looked at me, asked “Are you serious?” and gave a giant sigh.

Such a bummer. People can be so mean and lack all semblance of empathy. Just yuck that they'd respond that way.

I understand that it’s more complicated with all of the props and puppetry, but I personally would LOVE to see them do Finding Nemo: The Musical on a Disney cruise ship!! It’s the perfect length and subject matter for a cruise!

Now, that's a great idea!

WE GOT 100%!!!! I was SO proud!

Huzzah!! Well done!

 

[cindianne320]

I'm so sorry you encountered that at the show! I am also super sensitive and remember comments people made to me over ten years ago, so I hear you! <3

 

[EpcotFan59]

Happy to see another update from you! So sorry about that grumpy family during your show-I feel like getting up and using the bathroom once or twice isn't even that unreasonable?

 

[missjackiemcg]

Hahahah I'm laughing so hard because Jake said it was the opposite- the hot dogs were easier than the beer Men!!!

I'll be eagerly following along with that trip!! I feel like it's been awhile since you guys were there, right??

We could team up and do the challenge with ease then! LOL!

Jimmy hasn't been to WDW since our Christmas/NYE trip in 2021. (Well, one AK day to do the Wild Africa Trek in 2023, but that barely counts!) He's like a whole different person since four years ago!!

The mom literally looked at me, asked “Are you serious?” and gave a giant sigh.

What an obnoxious response. You never know what someone else is going through; just plain rude.

WOOHOO!!!!!!

The lights were starting to darken as dinner went on!

I do love that, and how the flower light fixtures open as dinner goes on, too!

Jake and I didn’t want to wait around that long, so we just headed out after the character parade. We thought that this was a weird choice… why wouldn't you have the meet and greet at the end so it doesn’t disrupt the show??

That is definitely weird! Whenever we've sailed, the meet and greet is always the last 20 minutes and then they head back up the stairs and just wave. It is insanely chaotic though! Jimmy was awesome at worming his way through the crowds to get to every character though, LOL

 

[amazingact21]

I really enjoyed reading your recap of your cruise. I feel like you captured an honest picture of DCL. The positives and negatives, etc. My kids have been wanting to do a cruise for a year or so now, but I wasn't a fan of the cruise I went on in 2011. Reading your reports, it seems like the things I had issues with are still there, but you definitely reminded me of all the amazing aspects of going on one, as well. I legitimately was reading about your Castaway Cay day going, "Maybe I can convince my in-laws to go here next summer for our family trip."
I'm sure you'll say in your departure morning update, but I'd be curious to know if you would go on another Disney Cruise.

Your July trip sounds like it was amazing! I'm glad it wasn't too hot or crowded for you all, and all those character pics with the kids are adorable. It's so fun to see the Disney magic through a little one's point of view.

 

[vamassey1]

I'm finally caught up. Really enjoying your first cruise. Maybe someday I'll get brave and do one. The Castaway Cay day sounds so perfect.

Enjoyed your short July trip with the family too. We had my 3 year grandson with us in July and he was 40 inches too. He did not like some of the rides we took him on. He said 7 Dwarfs went too fast and did not like getting wet on Tiana's..

I'm sorry things didn't work out for us to meet up back in May, but maybe someday. You are definitely have a "Disney Year" this year.