Our 2020 Walt Disney World + Disney Cruise Trip
It’s been exactly one month since our trip to Walt Disney World and our Disney Cruise trip, and my daughter is already requesting to go back. There really is something so special about family trips to Disney, and before I share some of our Disney Cruise and Walt Disney World tips, I thought I should share a little recap of our own trip.
We’re Going to Disney World!
On Christmas morning after all the gifts seemed to be unwrapped, I headed to the kitchen to put some breakfast dishes in the oven. My husband, Alex, kept asking me to come back into the living room because he wanted me to open his gift.
Outfit Details: Shirts from Designs by Danielle / Lilly’s Jeans / My Jeans / Mommy and Me Minnie Mouse Ears / Lilly’s Shoes / My Shoes / Fannypack
I kept putting it off, knowing my in-laws had to leave shortly and not wanting to have a burnt Christmas breakfast…until he came into the kitchen to badger me AGAIN about his gift for me.
So…into the living room I went. My daughter, Lilly, and I were both handed wrapped boxes. After ripping them open we found that the only thing that was inside was a card, and inside the card was the itinerary for our Walt Disney World and Disney Cruise vacation.
I cried. Which I think was the opposite reaction of what my husband was expecting but since I was a little girl, Disney has always held such a special place in my heart. Now, that joy has been passed down to my daughter…and I am telling you right now, that if you are taking your family to Disney for the first time in the near future…PACK THE TISSUES because I guarantee you will have at least ONE moment where you will be overwhelmed with joy watching the magic through your child’s eyes.
Port Orleans Riverside Resort:
A month after Christmas, we were on a plane headed for Orlando. Once we landed we took Disney’s Magical Express to the Port Orleans Riverside Resort.
The Port Orleans Riverside Resort feels like your stepping right onto the French Quarter of New Orleans. From the white mansions with columns to the cottages along the bayou, this resort is the picturesque vision of the south.
There are some special and unique features of this resort, like the boat rides down the Sassagoula River that will take you into Disney Springs to the pools with waterslides! We had so much fun exploring this resort.
Our hotel room was princess themed complete with a note from Tiana and headboards that lit up!
We took the boat to Disney Springs to meet some friends and it was such a fun experience. Our first night we ate at the Rainforest Cafe to watch all the animals come to life!
Outfit Details: Dress / Shoes / Sunglasses
Magic Kingdom:
The next day we took one of the resort’s buses to the Magic Kingdom! Some highlights of the day were:
- Festival of Fantasy Parade (I cried watching Lilly light up during this parade. What real magic feels like)
- Meeting Alice in Wonderland (she was so incredible with Lilly)
- Riding Dumbo (three times)
- Dinner at the Crystal Palace where we met our favorite characters from Winnie the Pooh!
- Meeting Tiana and Rapunzel
- Happily Ever After Fireworks
Matching shirts are from Designs by Danielle
I honestly don’t think there is ever a bad day at the Magic Kingdom. The rides remind me of my childhood and are so blissful to ride with my own daughter now. The entertainment is incredible, and nothing beats watching your child beam from ear to ear the whole day.
Our Cruise Shirts are from Designs by Danielle
Disney Cruise:
The very next day we left Port Orleans Riverside Resort on a Disney Cruiseline bus that took us to board the Disney Dream Cruise ship in Port Canaveral.
I will be sure to share this in my tips but it is so nice to take the bus system that Disney offers instead of renting a car. They take you right from the airport to the cruise or resort you have booked or right from the resort to your cruise and vice versa. I love that I don’t have to think about transportation once I arrive at Walt Disney World.
Outfit Details: Sunglasses / Cover-up / Swimsuit
When we arrived at Port Canaveral we went through the boarding process and were welcomed on board by the crew members.
Outfit Details: My Swimsuit / Lilly’s Swimsuit / Mommy and Me Minnie Ears / Lilly’s Sunglasses / My Sunglasses / Lilly’s Shoes / My Shoes
Once onboard we were notified that our stateroom was ready so took the bags we had carried with us to our room. Our suitcases were being checked and transported to our room. Another nice thing that Disney does, is take care of your luggage for you!
Day 1 on the Disney Dream:
Once we checked out our stateroom, we headed up to the top deck to explore and grab a quick bite to eat. We took pictures in front of the smokestacks and Lilly and Alex were daring and changed into swimsuits to go down the Aquaduck (the waterslide that goes around the pool of the cruise ship!
Our shirts are from Designs by Danielle // Cruise Minnie Ears
That evening we headed to the Buena Vista Theater to watch the first night’s live show called The Golden Mickeys. My family and I always make it a point to watch the live shows because they are Broadway-caliber and so much fun.
Outfit Details: Lilly’s Dress / My Dress / Mommy and Me Minnie Ears / Lilly’s Bag / My Bag / Lilly’s Shoes / Lilly’s Necklace / My Earrings
Our show let out just in time to stop and say hello to a few of our favorite characters, Minnie Mouse and Pluto, before heading to the Enchanted Garden for dinner!
Day 2 on the Disney Dream:
Port of Call: Nassau, Bahamas
Alex and I decided that in Nassau we would go on a snorkeling excursion…BY OURSELVES. There are a ton of kid-friendly excursions but we wanted an afternoon alone. Lilly stayed on board the ship at the Kids Club known as the Oceaneers Club while we took a catamaran out to “Treasure Island” to snorkel.
We saw so many amazing fish, starfish, and even a sea turtle. It was such a fun excursion and we loved that it was only three hours long which was perfect because we were able to head back to the ship to get Lilly.
After we got back to the ship, Lilly had her Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique appointment. She chose to be transformed into Queen Elsa from Frozen. I will share some tips on how to save money on the boutique in the next few posts but we got her the “Frozen Package” that was complete with an Olaf doll.
Outfit Details: Frozen Dress is from Kids Dream / Lilly’s Disney Princess Flats My Dress / My Headband
It was also perfect timing because the second night on the cruise was the formal night for us.
Before dinner, we enjoyed the live Beauty and the Beast performance and got to meet all of the cruise ship captains!
We enjoyed our dinner at the Animators Palette and got to hang out with Crush from Finding Nemo!
Day 3 on Disney Dream:
Port of Call: Castaway Cay
This is always our favorite day on our Disney Cruises. Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay is just so much fun. There is something to do for everyone from snorkeling to riding bikes around the island or taking a ride down the Pelican Plunge slide. There is also a 5k you can run when the cruise ship just docks. You even get a t-shirt and medal for completing the race!
Outfit Details: My Swimsuit Top and Bottom / Lilly’s Swimsuit
We always love to hang out at the family beach. We built sandcastles and played it the shallow water and enjoyed the buffet lunch on the island. After we all “hung out” on the hammocks until it was time to board the ship again.
Pirate Night:
Lilly’s favorite night on the Disney Cruise is Pirate Night. Complete with live performances with your favorite Disney Characters (even Captain Hook joins the party) and an incredible fireworks display shot off from the ship in the middle of the ocean.
Lilly’s Outfit: Pirate Dress / Pirate Minnie Ears / Shoes
After the fireworks are over, there is an incredible Pirate Night-themed buffet filled with the most incredible desserts. Lilly and I sampled them all to be safe.
Day 4 on Disney Dream:
Day at Sea
I always love the days at sea. There is just so much to do onboard the ship. We always visit some characters and make sure to spend time at the pool. Lilly wanted to go to the Oceaneers Club for a while and it allowed Alex and I to enjoy the adult-only section of the ship!
Outfit Details: Lilly’s Swimsuit / Lilly’s Ears / Lilly’s Sunglasses / Lilly’s Bag (similar) / My Swimsuit / My Sunglasses
That night we watched the last performance called Believe and ate dinner at the Royal Palace.
Lilly’s Outfit: Belle Tutu Outfit / Belle Moto Jacket / Disney Princess Flats / Bow / Purse (similar)
Four days is just simply not long enough. After doing both the 7 and 4-day cruises, I would highly recommend taking a longer cruise!
Lilly’s Swimsuit // Lilly’s Sunglasses
Walt Disney World:
As sad as it is to say goodbye to the Disney Cruise, I always make sure to book a day or two at the parks after to “ease back into reality”.
After taking a bus to The Caribbean Beach Resort, we left our bags with the bellhop and took the new Disney Skyline over to Hollywood Studios where we met up with some of our best friends!
Hollywood Studios:
Outfit Details: Our Toy Story Shirts are from Design by Danielle // My Skirt // My Ears // My Toy Story Sneakers // Lilly’s Sneakers // Lilly’s Ears
Lilly was ALL ABOUT Toy Story Land. We probably could have spent most of the day there. We rode Slinky Dog dash twice and my blogging bestie, Lauren, and I even got to ride one of the new Star Wars rides, Millenium Falcon.
We also thought it would be a great idea to take our five-year-old daughters on the Tower of Terror. I am not sure who was more afraid: my daughter doing the “show” part of the ride or me, praying I didn’t pee my pants on the “drop” part of the ride. Either way, I think we are both okay with not riding it again until next year!
Here are some of the highlights from the day:
- Riding Slinky Dog Dash
- Toy Story Land
- Meeting Vamperina and Fancy Nancy
- Millennium Falcon
Caribbean Beach Resort:
Outfit Details: Lilly’s Shirt/Leggings Set // Lilly’s Jacket // Lilly’s Shoes // Lilly’s Ears // My Ears // My Shirt // My Jumper // My Shoes // My Backpack // My Fannypack
My husband LOVES the Caribbean Beach Resort. From the colorful buildings to the incredible pools and the new convenience of being able to take the Disney Skyliner over to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, it’s such a convenient and fun resort. I know we both would definitely stay here again on another Disney trip.
Grand Floridian & 1900 Park Fare:
Our last day at Walt Disney World, we met family friends at the character breakfast at 1900 Park Fare where we met Mary Poppins, the Mad Hatter, and the Winnie the Pooh characters! Everyone was happy and full of Mickey Waffles by the end.
Given that it was our last day at Disney, we headed back to the Caribbean Beach Resort after breakfast. We explored a little bit and even walked over to the new Riviera Resort and took one final ride on the Disney Skyliner!
Trip Highlights:
As always, it’s always so sad for a vacation to come to an end but we took with us memories that we will cherish forever. My one piece of advice to families is if you have the means to take a Disney trip, do it because there is nothing like it in the world. Now to start planning our next trip to see Mickey!
Trip Highlights:
- Watching Lilly meet the characters is always one of my favorites. They truly are one of the best parts of any trip to Disney.
- The Disney Cruise as a whole. From start to finish. Just such a great vacation for my whole family.
- Castaway Cay
- Disney cast members on the cruise and at the resorts!
- Magic Kingdom parade and fireworks
I hope you enjoyed this post. It is definitely more personal than some of my Disney posts and stay tuned because I have some great Disney tips coming up this week!
xoxo,
Kalyn
