May 2023 Disney Fantasy Cruise
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Nervous. Worried. Tired. Stressed. These are the words I thought were going to fill my vocabulary telling you about my Disney Fantasy cruise. It was my first cruise with my two-year-old daughter. It was the first trip of more than 5 days away from home. It was on a large ship in the middle of an ocean, with a toddler who loves to run away when she gets frustrated. I finally heard the voices in the back of my head saying,
“She’s too young.”
“She won’t remember it anyways.”
“What about YOUR vacation?”
“You are taking HER with you?”
The fear of her falling off the ship, getting lost in a room full of people, being so tired and cranky she would scream and cry the whole time, the judgment of others about my parenting styles, and so many other fears filled my body. Little did I know, that walking on the ship, hearing “Now welcoming… the Bowers Family” a sudden sense of calm, relaxation, and joy came over me.
My daughter, Hadley’s, face lit up seeing the beautiful atrium, the characters on the balcony waving to welcome her, and every cast member greeting us with the warmest welcome. The fear was gone, and the joy and anticipation set in.
We were on a 7-night Disney Fantasy Cruise to:
Cozumel, Mexico
Grand Caymen, Mexico
Foulmouth, Jamaica
Disney’s Private Island - Castaway Cay
Hadley was nervous when interacting with many of the characters, but she got so comfortable with the that by the last day she was high-fiving, hugging, dancing with, playing peek-a-boo with, and kissing them. It took time, patience, and some help from incredible cast members to change Had’s fear into excitement of seeing her favorite characters in person.
Disney is the place for kids… right… but, adults have to have some fun too! My parents, husband, and I enjoyed some rum tastings, mixology classes, and an adults-only exclusive dining experience with wine pairing.
So what did we do with the little one? Disney has kids clubs for ALL ages on board the ship. Since Hadley is 2, we were able to use the It’s a Small World Nursery for 2-3 chunks of time over our cruise stay. It is a small additional fee but is so worth the money. Hadley LOVED playing with other kids, coloring pictures, painting, seeing characters, and of course, watching Disney movies.
Little did I know those fears that were weighing me down as we got on board the ship, would be pushed to oblivion behind joy, smiles, giggles, high-fives, hugs, beauty, and love. Watching my daughter experience Disney, is hands-down on the best experiences of my life. Now what words, do I use to describe my trip?
Magical. Love. Laughter. Joy. (and at times Patience)
