Dreams do come true!
This Disney Wonder Very Merrytime Family cruise had been a dream of ours for six years! In December 2012, Brad and I were invited to sail on the Disney Magic when our friends won a cruise for four on the radio! Crazy right? We loved every minute of this cruise – even as adults it was magical. Ever since then it has been on our bucket list to do it again with our kids and grandkids. We wanted them to experience the magic of this cruise!
So, Erica and I started planning in April 2017 to get us all on board. We knew this Christmas would be our last opportunity for a while to pull off a Very Merrytime Disney Cruise, especially with kids getting older. We didn’t get everyone, but we did manage to get eleven on board.
Our journey to Galveston
The Disney Wonder leaves from Galveston, TX during the holiday season. We decided to drive down the day before so we could rest up for cruise day! So nine people piled into two cars for the 12-hour drive from Amarillo (yes, Texas is that big)! Two of our crew from Austin would meet us down there the next day.
We stayed at the Hampton Inn just a few minutes from the pier.
These two were up early and PUMPED!! To say we were excited for this day was an understatement!!
The next day it was time to board the Disney Wonder
Brad and I woke up early the day of embarkation. It was awesome to see the ocean from our hotel balcony and the ship out our window. We are not very good at sitting around and waiting, so we took a walk down to the beach. It felt great just being near the ocean again.
Although the pier was just minutes away, the drive seemed to take forever. Seeing the ship come into view was emotional for me. This was happening!
The check-in process went very smooth, and before long we were ready to board.
Disney makes boarding special by “announcing” families, kind of red-carpet style. It’s so much fun! For most of the family, this was their first cruise. They were blown away!
The ship was decked out for the holidays complete with a huge Christmas tree in the lobby atrium. We could also smell the life-sized gingerbread house made of real gingerbread!
After getting settled in our staterooms, it was time for an excellent evening.
Brad and I took a few minutes to look around the ship while the kids were getting signed up for kids camp. Later we all met on the top deck for the Bon Voyage party! The ship’s horn blasted “When You Wish Upon a Star,” and we were off! Later Galveston! Our first real family adventure since becoming a blended family.
That evening we joined Mickey, Minnie, Pluto and Goofy for Mickey’s Tree Lighting Magic and the Be Our Guest welcome show in the Walt Disney Theater.
We had a great dinner at Animator’s Palate, my favorite dining room. Giant paint brush columns are dipping into colorful painters palettes on the ceiling. Black and white Disney sketches and movies screens covered the walls.
The kids were eager to get to Kid’s Club. So off they went while the big kids headed to the After Hours section of the ship. This area is off limits to the under 18 crowd in the evening. We enjoyed an awesome comedy act and equally awesome martinis.
Next day was for relaxing at sea.
Coffee on deck in the morning is one of my favorite times on a cruise, especially when the ship is at sea. I am always memorized by the endless blue and imagining what is happening beneath the waves.
After breakfast, we roamed around the ship for a while. There is so much to see on a Disney ship. Disney puts so much thought into every detail. Every decoration, carpet, and piece of artwork has a purpose. It’s also fun finding all the hidden Mickeys.
The rest of the afternoon was spent lounging at the pool. I loved watching our kids having fun together just hanging out. We ate loads of food and unlimited ice cream. Crystal showed off her skills in the hula hoop contest. The day was topped off with watching “The Princess and the Frog” on the giant movie screen at Goofy’s pool.
Dinner tonight included a special surprise!
Our first formal night aboard was spent at Tiana’s, Disney’s New Orleans inspired dining room. The kids looked great all dressed up. Matt and Crystal had just celebrated their ten year wedding anniversary, and I arranged for a surprise celebration. The dining room staff went out of their way to make this occasion special, complete with a special anniversary song and a chocolate treat.
While we finished our dessert, the little kids got up and dance with Tiana and Louis from “The Princess and The Frog.” Just two days into our cruise and we had already experienced so much!
We hit the sack early because tomorrow is our first port-of-call – Cozumel!
Have you taken your family on a Disney Cruise?
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