Disney Dream: Day 3 Part I

This was the day I was waiting for-- Castaway Cay (Pronounced Key)

I was looking forward to a nice relaxing day at the beach, even though i am not a huge beach fan. I was longing for some crystal blue waters and sunshine.

We ate a nice sit down breakfast (the only dining room that does this is the Royal Palace). Then we headed to the beach. The weather was the best it had been.....80 degrees and full of sunshine.

There were several photo ops along the path to the beach. I wished we would have gotten the one with the ship in the background, but instead we got the one with the character drums. It was still cute. It was a little bit of a walk (maybe 10-15 minutes) but it wasn't bad. They have a shuttle if you don't want to trek it -- or have small children who have little feet that get tired quickly. We found some beach chairs and an umbrella without much issue despite the fact that we were not the first ones off the boat. Aubreigh immediately headed towards the water. It was a tad cold, but not too bad. My mother found some sand pails that they were selling so the kids could get to work building their sand castles. Note to self: if we ever go again, pack some pails and shovels or spend $20 on new ones.

I also rented a tube ($6) for the day. Overall, I didn't feel the prices of the rental equiptment was bad at all. My sister and I did an aqua trike (one of those bikes that float on the water) for about $15. You had the bike for 1/2 hour, but the girl who rented us one said that they don't calculate the time you are on them. She said that you will get a work out on them and probably be ready to return it at about that time anyway. She was correct! I couldn't take Aubreigh on them because she was too small. I don't remember the exact age, but i think it was around 5 yrs old to ride them. That was fine, however, because I could only imagine how tired I would have felt to have to do all the peddling!

They had a special area called "Spring a Leak" for the tots. Michael loved it. He didn't care if the water shot right up and hit him in the face. He had a smile from ear to ear the whole time!

We also gathered in front of one of the Pavillions for a Character dance party. Mickey and Minnie came out in some beach attire and danced with the kids. Castaway Cay was turning out to be an awesome place. But really, how could it not be awesome with soft serve (self serve) ice cream stations that greeted you as you walked along the pathways?

Castaway Cay also provided lunch (so you didn't have to pay anything extra or go back on the ship). They had a huge buffet line of ribs, chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, slaw and salads. It was pretty good:) And Aubreigh is a huge ribs fan, so she rather enjoyed herself.

For the last hurrah on the Island, Darren, Deneen, and I decided to try the water slide that goes into the sea-- Pelican Plunge. You actually have to swim out to the dock that it is on. The water was a bit could at first, but it was actually quite refreshing. There wasn't much of a line--maybe 5-10 minutes. All 3 of us did the second slide. The line was slightly longer on the first one. OK, so there was a reason for that. The slide we chose was the fast, enclosed tube slide. One second I was starting the slide, the next thing I knew had a rush of salt water up my nose. One thing for sure, my sinuses were cleared out afterwards! :::me thinks waiting for line 1 would have been the better option:::

Darren actually lost his sunglasses on the slide (i did warn him ahead of time. There was no way that i was going to lose my new Juicy Couture aviators- so I tucked them in a shirt and left them on the beach). One of the life guards heard us talking, and told Darren to check back with guest services later. Apparently they have a dive team that goes in after the slides close and finds all sorts of stuff that is lost. Only at Disney.... (but they never did find the glasses).

I don't remember the exact height restriction for the slide. However, I do remember thinking Aubreigh would almost make it, and she is only 3. And she is a peanut. I can't imagine a 3 y/o going on this. Let alone swimming to the dock (the water is 6 ft deep). I am sure they have to wear life jackets, but I still think I would want my kids to be 6 or 7 to do this....and to definitely wait for the first slide!

There is another area on the beach called Scuttles Cove. It is similar to the Oceaneers Club onboard. If kids are 3 and potty trained, you can leave them in the adult supervised setting (it was not near the water). Darren and I have said that we would love to go back when Michael is older. They also have special cell phones on the cruise. Every room has 2. You can call each other or other staterooms on the ship (and I believe Castaway Cay too) so you are never too far out of reach. Normally, I would be leery of kids clubs, however, I was very impressed with Disney, and I am sure they do all that they can to insure the highest standards since that is what their name is built upon and associated with.

After the Beach We headed back to get ready for Dinner and Pirate Night. Since there is still so much more to talk about, I think I will save that for the next post.

They may say that Disney World is "The Happiest Place on Earth", but I am thinking Castaway Cay may claim that title. Just think about it. When you go to the parks, kids are having melt downs everywhere, you are always waiting in line for something or another, and you are overwhelmed by EVERYTHING...trying to make the most of each second. On Castaway Cay, there is a nice balance of relaxation and stimulation. Heck I would like to take a vacation just to Castaway Cay:)

Disney Dream: Day 2

As I woke up for the second morning, I could see the sun starting to peak out. This was going to be a much better day...I could feel it.

Aubreigh and I got in line early to meet the princesses. They had 3 princess meet and greets set up on the ship. Aubreigh took her story book for them to sign, and I was armed with the camcorder and camera--because I am obsessed with preserving memories. We stood in line for a little bit (20-30 min) but it wasn't too bad. We got to meet Snow White, Belle, Aurora, Cindy (apparently she and Aubs are on a first name basis), and Tiana. We were very excited to see Tiana since we she was the only one that we hadn't met at the Dinner we had in the Castle while at disney a few days prior.

After we left the princesses, we stood in line for Pinocchio and Peter Pan since they were short. We also saw Tinker Belle walking through the hallway (she was being escorted to an appearance or something). When characters are being escorted you are unable to take pics and just say a quick hello. We also saw Aladdin just roaming the halls as we walked back to our stateroom. He stopped to say hello to Aubreigh and asked her to keep a look out for Abu--his pet monkey. She thought this morning was the best. She loved the characters!

Afterwards, I took Aubs to my mothers room and brought us back some things to eat from the buffet.. Michael and Darren had eaten while we went to the princesses. Then we got ready and headed out to Nassau.

A lot of people had said that it was best to just stay on the ship that day. However, if I am somewhere new, I have to check things out-- If only for the fact that I can say I have been there.

We were greeted at the port by tons of Bahamians wanting to give us a taxi ride somewhere. We could see Atlantis in the background and decided to go there-for 4 bucks a person (It was my mom, Deneen, Michael, Aubreigh, and myself). We got to Atlantis, but honestly it was not as nice as I expected it to be (at the reception area). We were not going to do the water parks because the kids were too young, and I didn't feel it would be worth the extra $40 pp to visit the aquarium, so we just walked around the shops and stopped at the candy store, and then headed back.

The cab driver on the way back was very informative. He showed us different landmarks and one of them was the PRIVATE hospital that Anna Nicole Smith had her baby in. Let me just say, I would never want to have a baby in the Bahamas, and I could only shudder at the thought of what the public hospital looked like. My mother and I looked at each other and thought the same thing....Thank GOD that my father did not have his heart attack in the Bahamas!

When we got back we decided to go on a horse and carriage ride. I am a sucker for them. I love to get a tour of the city and hear what the tour guide has to say. I do believe, however, that this tour guide was drunk. I was also a little worried that the carriage was going to fall apart every time we hit a bump--it was super rickety. But, we made it-and Aubreigh said she enjoyed it and Michael's eyes were as big as quarters the whole time. I was also worried that our city mini jogger was going to be sold to the highest bidder by the drivers assistant who promised she would watch it while we went. Fortunately, she was standing there with it as we got back. She asked for a tip and I gladly gave her 5 bucks and she seemed good with that. Something on this trip worked out.

Then we headed back to the ship. Nassau was not a destination that I would long to go back too, but I am definitely glad that I experienced it.

On the way back I saw some pay phones and was going to try and call my father. I couldn't find any info on how to get them to work or how much they would cost, so I just let it be. I was actually having a semi good day, and I was kind of nervous about calling my dad. I knew that if something happened they would contact us immediately on the cruise ship. And I kind of just needed a break from stress. I had not been sleeping for a few nights and had an upset stomach the day before, and as terrible as it sounds, I just wanted to hide from the chaos for one day.

We got back and Darren took Aubreigh to the pool so Michael and I could nap, which of course didn't work out too well. We got ready for dinner and went to the "Enchanted Garden" for dinner. Miguel, our assistant waiter was top notch again. He did magic tricks for the kids and had apple juice and water waiting for them as they were seated. Afterwards we went to see "Villian's Tonite" another broadway-esque disney themed show about the lighter side of the villians. It was pretty good, but Aubreigh and Michael both fell asleep, so we left towards the end.

Day 2 was actually nice. Could it be quite possible that the doom and gloom mood we started the trip with was getting a little lighter?

Disney Vacation: The Disney Dream Day 1

How does that saying go....the best laid plans????

That pretty much sums up our vacation this Feb 9-16th. My father, who was traveling with us ended up having a heart attack during the first leg of our trip. Fortunately, he was well taken care of by both the Florida Hospital and my extended family that lived nearby. He would have to miss the cruise portion, but since it was all paid for and he wanted us to go, we went (with a bunch of worries and guilt of course).

The first day we boarded, we (myself, Darren, Aubreigh, Michael, Mom, 2 sisters, and my Neice) were in a bit of a haze. We were unsure if we should even be on the cruise, worried about how my father was managing back in the hospital, and guilty for actually going on the cruise while he was recovering.

The weather was not pleasant at all. In fact, it was downright cold and windy. It was actually fitting for our mental state. Instead of being excited to enter the ship, I kind of just wanted to get this vacation over with, but I had a very excited little 3 year old, and I was determined to make the best of an unfortunate situation.

There was a photo spot as soon as you were entering the cruise. I didn't know how the rest of my family felt, but I just couldn't bring myself to take a picture of my whole family without my father in it. So I just quickly passed the photographer stating we were not interested. I pretty much had this attitude at any photo opportunities for the 8 of us.

We had the buffet lunch in the Enchanted Garden Dining room. We were all starving. Then we went to our rooms to rest a bit, and went to the sail away party. I took Aubreigh. By the time we got their, we really had a hard time seeing the characters and it was rather cold. So we went back to the cabin to get ready for dinner.

There are 3 main dining rooms on the Disney Dream. You have a rotating schedule and get to visit all of them. Our first night was the Animator's Palate. It was probably the least formal looking of the dining rooms, but was still very cute. There were cute Mickey themed seats and there was a large screen TV at the foot of our table. This is where "Crush" would come and talk to Aubreigh. Our assistant waiter was Top Notch. He had water in a children's cup waiting for the kids as soon as we were seated. He drew pics of Mickey mouse on them and totally catered to the children. He even made a Mickey Mouse with ketchup for Aubreigh to dip her chicken in. Once he learned what their drink choices would be, he would have them ready each night for the kids as we sat down.

I don't remember a ton about the meal, as my head was still in the clouds, but I do remember ordering some blueberry drink that was really good. I am not much of a drinker, but I definitely needed it.

Afterwards, we took Aubreigh to one of the character meet spots. Donald was there and there wasn't much of a line (it was in the bingo room instead of the atrium, which normally gets swamped). We got some pics and then it was time for Mickey to make his debut, so we just stayed and got some more. The Characters usually only did 15 minute greets, and there was always a crew member who would stand at the end of the line designating who would be the last family to have their picture taken. There was a list of where the characters would be, but it is hard to hit them all with all of the other activities going on. I am sure that if you are on a 7 night cruise it would be much better.

We took Aubreigh back to the room to change in her PJs for the show. My family watched Michael so Darren and I could spend some alone time with her. We went to "Golden Mickey's" which is like an awards show for Disney (We also got to see Minnie in the bingo room on the way to the show). Aubreigh enjoyed it very much. She especially loved seeing the princesses on stage. Then we went back and got some much needed sleep. The few nights prior had been rather restless. Was it possible that we were actually starting to relax and enjoy this cruise?