eTAO Owner, Chris, and his partner decided on a Disney Cruise when their daughter was just 18-months-old,
giving them time to relax while offering Clare lots of opportunity to explore in a safe environment. Needless
to say, they booked their next Disney Cruise before they got back to port in Florida!
"Disney does it right," said Chris. "The word 'no' is not in their vernacular, whether it was changing
our dining table or borrowing a stroller in Cozumel. Disney just does it right!"
Disney Ships
Disney currently has a fleet of four ships, the two original ships being the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder,
both refurbished every few years to ensure the decor holds up to the constant traffic of children and adults.
While the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy are the newest ships, larger and great features like their water coaster,
don't discount the original ships -- the offer intimacy and the same great shows and lots of amenities that
are perfect for first timers. Work yourself up to the Dream and Fantasy!
Disney Cruise Line Destinations
Disney offers many destinations throughout the Caribbean, Mexico as well as Europe. Chris and his family have
signed up for the Mediterranean out of Barcelona for August 2013 so we expect many more photos to be posted upon
their return!
Disney Cruise Line Personal Notes
Chris was astounded with Disney's attention to detail and made several notes to post upon his return, including:
- Dining Options - While seating is assigned, guests rotate restaurants giving a change of scenery over
the old cruise style where you sat in one dining room each night. For those with young children and a late seating, one of
the buffet restaurants offers table-service on a walk-in basis to ensure you get the little one to bed on time. The wait
staff was so concerned we were able to enjoy our meal, they would deliver it to the cabin should we have to take Clare
back and get her ready for bed.
- Wave Phones - Each room has 2 portable, wireless phones that are linked to your cabin. Call other
cabins, make reservations, etc. wherever you are on the ship or the private island. The daycare even texted us messages
on Clare's fussiness while dining (which is good and bad!)
- Called by Name - We noticed that the wait staff called us by name right away, a nice touch and we
quickly felt as though we had known them the entire time. Another staff member, Leonara, met us and Clare and always called
her by name after the first meeting. I asked if she had a trick to remember so many people and she didn't have one - she
just loved her job and the people. We will see Leo next year in the Mediterranean.
- Reservations Not Required - While we don't recommend this for everyone, I tend to wing things when
on vacation and therefore I leave reservations until I get on the ship. Thankfully Disney limits their babysitting
services to 18 or so hours maximum per stateroom, ensuring there is plenty of time to make a reservation for a quiet evening
together. We made reservations for Palo Restaurant as well and were able to take advantate of the spa throughout our trip,
knowing that "port days" are slow for the spa.