We just got back from our Easter Surprise week at Walt Disney World.  One of the events that stands out from our trip was the cake decorating experience at Amorette's Patisserie at Disney Springs.  It was a fantastic experience that we would definitely do again.

Since we stayed at the Beach Club Resort, and we had to be at Disney Springs by 9AM, which is before normal operating hours, we decided to take the Lyft Minnie Van Service. I will discuss that experience in a later blog, but suffice to say we ended up using the Minnie Vans at least 6 times.

We were greeted in front of Amorette's by our instructor, Reuben. He was very knowledgable, friendly, easy to like, and clearly LOVES his job.  Upon entering the patisserie, we were welcomed to complimentary drinks which included non-alcoholic and alcoholic refreshments such as mimosas.

The tables were set up waiting for the arrival of the participants.

​Rueben started by describing the history of Amorette's and then introduced the hard working staff behind the scenes creating the beautifully delicious treats found at Amorette's Patisserie daily.  My husband and daughter were the actual participants, as I was side-lined to be the official photographer. I took some time to get some shots inside Amorette's, as it is lovely and loaded with delectable sweets and the staff was hard at work making magical yummies.

Now onto the decorating lesson. Reuben was VERY thorough and explained every detail and every reason why particular ingredients were used over others. The buttercream, in particular, was made with real butter and was not as sweet as perhaps a child would prefer, but was just right for me. I could have eaten a gallon of it. I'll let the pictures below tell the story of the actual decorating.

After all was said and done, Amorette's was available to keep the cakes for us while we shopped around. We also got a couple surprise extras that were great.  

Overall it was a great experience and I am glad that I booked it. If you want to do this magical extra, be sure to book it well in advance. They only allow for 14 people to participate. It fills up tremendously quick.  I would definitely do it again, and this time, I won't be the resident photographer.

​It still amazes me how Disney is constantly changing. Since our last cruise, just 2 years ago, the entire website for DCL is completely different.

​You really cannot do much with your reservation besides look at your itinerary and see where your stateroom is located, prior to your opening booking date, on the Disney Cruise Line website. As silver Castaway Club members, we are able to book at 90 days out. For more info on Castaway Club, click here. You can explore the website for excursions and such, but as far as adding to your reservation, you have to wait until your window opens.

You start with online check-in and go though each tab, one at a time, entering your information. It is VERY easy to do and you can easily do it yourself, or have me do it for you. There are certain sections that MUST be completed by the guests, as travel agents do not have access to those tabs, such as the child registration for clubs and the final documents sections. (See below)

​You do NOT have to have your online check-in completed to begin booking your activities, but you do have to wait until 12:00AM on your opening booking day to do so. Some cruisers, including us, were able to complete online check-in before midnight, but don't count on it being available for your cruise. It is not a consistent thing for all cruises, as of yet.

At midnight, select Book Now to begin.

​You will simply go day by day and select Add Activities to get your drop down menu of available activities. Obviously, Port Adventures will only be available on days you are not at sea. Nursery is not available for us as we do not have a nursery age child.

​Day 2 is all about Mom and Dad. LOL. Husband wanted to try the acupuncture and then we are having one of our most favorite meals ever, Palo Brunch. We were debating on doing one of the adult-only dinners, but we decided we didn't want our daughter to not have dinner with us. We will eventually try the dinners, but for now, we want to eat dinner as a family.

My daughter and husband are trying a new experience onboard. These simulations book FAST and wasn't even an option for our last cruise. I will report back how this experience is for them.

​We have booked an excursion on our own for St. Kitts. We chose to book directly through the company Dolphin Discovery.  I ALWAYS use Trip Advisor to see reviews. The experience gets rave reviews, and the negative reviews are mostly regarding the push to sell photos. We booked a package upgrade that includes photos, to eliminate that part of the experience.  I will review our visit upon return.

We are also trying a new excursion experience. None of us have ever been on a catamaran, so this should be a lot of fun! We LOVED snorkeling in St. Thomas on our last cruise and do NOT want to miss out on that fun.  Again, I will report back. 

​We decided we wanted a lazy beach day this time at St. Thomas. Magens Bay is one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean, and though it is supposedly very touristy, we feel like we need to see it at least once. 

Day 7 is another at sea day and I booked a 2nd golf simulator just in case the daughter really loves it early on.  I also booked 3 days of the Rain Forest Room, which I have discussed in previous posts. See here for more adulting information.
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Day 8 is our Castaway Cay day.  We are trying the Stingray Adventure, but other than that, we will snorkel, relax, eat, and did I say relax?

That pretty much sums up our cruising plans. I do plan to visit the Spa area on our embarkation day to possibly book a spa experience for myself. They usually offer pretty good deals on embarkation day and they have been known to have drawings where you can win spa experiences.

Mixed in with the above plans, we will definitely be playing BINGO and seeing Toy Story 4. It releases the day before our cruise and will be showing in the Buena Vista Theater. There are also plenty of other shows and activities that will keep us plenty busy if we choose to be busy.

I am most looking forward to our aft room that has the extended verandah off the back of the ship. 90 days and counting . . . 

My mother cruised with us a couple years ago and stayed forward on deck 10, while we were aft on deck 8. You'd never have known we were together, had we not met up for dinners. She was on vacation too and her idea of a vacation is not the same as our idea, seeing as we had an 8 year old with us.  We had 2 completely different experiences, despite being on the same ship going to the same locations.

She was right under the SPA, Salon, and Fitness Center and VERY close to the adult only Quiet Cove and Satellite Falls pools.  She said that she hardly saw ANY kids except for when she was meeting up with my family. She even booked adult only excursions and enjoyed being with her guest and other adults.  So how is it that she was able to have an adult cruise on a Disney ship??  

Disney Cruise Line (DCL) offers SO many opportunities for adults to have JUST adult time. There are the above mentioned areas, but there are also clubs, dining, and even an entire deck area restricted to children.  They even offer adult only excursions and there is an adult only area reserved on Castaway Cay, Serenity Bay. 

If you are into the nightlife, Disney Cruise Line will not disappoint. There are many different clubs, entertainment, lounges, & live shows for you to enjoy. Click here for more detailed information.

Maybe clubbing isn't your thing, or you also want to relax and unwind, well, Senses SPA & Salon is perfect for you. They are a full service spa and salon. You can even get your teeth whitened while cruising.  Now, just so you know, DCL does have a Spa for younger folks too. The Chill Spa is for those 13-17 and is located inside the Senses Spa. It is separate from where the adults are enjoying their experience AND a parent or guardian must be present during the entire duration of their spa treatment. 

Another well kept adulting secret is the Rainforest Room.  Once our booking window opened, I was able to reserve The Rainforest Room for both myself and my husband. Click here to see where I discussed the Rainforest Room and how to book it, scroll towards the end of the blog to find it. (I can book this for you, fyi)

As for adult dining, in a previous blog, I discussed the adult-only experiences that my husband and I enjoyed. Here you will see how amazing our adult only Palo Brunch was. Though we toured Remi, I have yet to dine there. It is fairly fancy and those that have dined there call it an 'experience' and rave about how fantastic it is. 

I will say, since my husband and I are not big drinkers, we did not really check out the adult lounges or clubs, except for walking through the area getting from one place to another. However, on the tour, I really was impressed with Pub 687. It is a very masculine area (not stuffy at all) and is the spot to catch all ESPN has to offer. Across is a place I'd like to visit, Pink Wine & Champagne bar. It is just bubbly fun and well, pink. It looks like a girly dream all the way down to the pink piano in the corner. 

Below are pictures from the tour. Again it is impossible to do this ship or these locations justice snapping quick photos on a tour. I hope you are able to get a better idea of what is available for adults and are as pleasantly surprised as my mom was. I think she and her guest thought they were going to be inundated by children, and they most certainly were not.

So, let's book that cruise. Take that adult only trip. Let me help you plan the perfect DCL vacation for you, your friends, and your family.  Sharing  is caring! Every booking helps a small business to grow. Thanks for reading!!

If you’re thinking a Disney Cruise is only for children and children and more children, think again. Now, there are PLENTY of areas for kids, but Disney thinks of EVERYONE and knows that adults are also on their vacation and they make sure to take VERY good care of you too.  Whether you’re adults traveling with kids, traveling alone, or on an adult-only trip,  you may be surprised to see all the activities and adult only areas created especially for you. 

Let's suppose you are a parent or grandparent that have brought your children to experience the magic of a Disney Cruise, there are oodles of programs and fun planned just for them. You can send your children and teens off to special programming in the coolest spaces, so there’s no need to feel guilty about dropping them off. 

Let's start with what to do with those children you brought with you:
​For the youngest children, It's a Small Work Nursery is dedicated to the youngest guests. Children from 6 months - 3 years old (or from 1 to 3 years old on Transatlantic and Panama Canal itineraries) can play games, make crafts, watch movies or even take a nap while you embark on adventures of your own. You can pre-book a select amount of nursery time, then book more upon availability once on board.

For Children 3-12, Disney’s Oceaneer Club and Disney’s Oceaneer Lab is the place to be. Upon boarding the ship on Embarkation Day, both children and parents must check in either in the cruise terminal or at the club/lab location on the ship.  Parents will fill out final paperwork and children will receive a Disney Cruise Line Youth Activities wristband, which grants them access to both Disney’s Oceaneer Lab and Disney’s Oceaneer Club. You can decide at that time if you will allow your child to check themselves in/out of the club or if they will require a registered adult to do so.  During this confirmation process, parents are invited to tour the facility, meet the counselors and learn more about the many activities offered.  No adults, besides cast members are allowed within the clubs including the other designated clubs, Vibe (teens) and Edge (tweens), except during designated open house times.
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Now, because while we were on the ship, it was open house times, there were a lot of kids and parents in the clubs. I did not want to be accidentally getting photos of kids, so my picture taking was limited.

​We did NOT get a chance to visit Edge (11 - 14 yr olds), which bummed me slightly as this year will be the first year my daughter can go there. I will get photos during open house on our June cruise and add them to a later blog.

And yes, before you ask, Disney is very strict in honoring their age policies. It never hurts t ask if an 'on the edge of the next club level' is allowed to move to a different club, but do NOT assume they will allow it. Even if your friend that knows everything about Disney Cruises tells you otherwise, NEVER assume Disney will bend a rule for you (even if they did so in the past).

Part Two of this blog will be all about what adults are able to do now that we know where the children will be.  Thanks for reading. Stay tuned for part Two.

After our delicious breakfast at Boma, we were whisked away on the other most magical bus in the world, The Disney Cruise Line bus.  Considering where the DCL bus usually takes you, which is on a most fantastic voyage with superior service,  first class entertainment, and top notch accommodations, I'd say it is neck and neck with those Magical Express buses.  

Unfortunately for us, we were ONLY going on a tour and not to be a negative Nancy, but it is just cruel to put ME on a DCL bus, take me to Port Canaveral, parade me around The Disney Dream cruise ship, then make me get off said ship without so much as even a 3 hour tour of the coast of Florida. But I digress. I did bring my passport just in case they reconsidered. Alas, they did not.

There is just nothing better after an hour long bus ride from the most magical place on Earth, than to look out your window and see a Disney cruise ship anchored, awaiting your arrival.  I was just as excited to see it for the tour as I was when I actually was going on my own cruise. (Well almost) And I may be biased, but I think Disney ships are the most beautiful ships and the others pale in comparison next to her. 

We headed straight to the Disney Cruise Line exclusive terminal at Port Canaveral. Though not owned by Disney, it is completely created for Disney so that guests can begin to feel the Disney magic the moment they clear security and ride that escalator to begin their check-in process.  There are Disney friendly cast members waving at and greeting guests and directing them where to go to begin their magical journey.  

We arrived close to 10:00AM and the terminal was virtually empty, but that didn't last long as guests started to trickle in. Once guests check-in, they will be assigned a boarding group number. Once they start allowing boarding, the numbers are called fairly quickly.  As a perk, Platinum Castaway Club members get to enjoy priority check-in in the concierge area of the cruise terminal. Then receive priority boarding following Concierge Guests, which board at 11:30 vs regular boarding which begins at 1:30.

The Disney Dream is the sister ship to The Fantasy which we sailed upon 2 years ago on a 7-night Eastern Caribbean Cruise. We will be returning to the Fantasy this June. The two ship are VERY similar and really the only real difference I noted was the theming in the adult areas and minor decor differences in main atrium . Other than that, the only other major difference is the itineraries, which makes the cost of the cruises different as well.

On the tour we literally went from top to bottom and forward to aft and both port and starboard sides of the ship. We saw a wide variety of categories of staterooms offered. Unfortunately, because the rooms were not guest ready, and were in the process of being prepared for sailing, we were not allowed to take photos within the rooms.

Suffice to say that I have a thorough understanding and can now say I have seen just about all there is to see regarding every category available on the ship, from inside staterooms with a magical porthole to ocean view with a porthole so late you can comfortable sit in it, to the top of the line Walt Disney Suite with it's own huge private sundeck and hot tub. There are rooms to accommodate those with disabilities, both inside staterooms and those with verandahs. There are staterooms that can sleep up to 5 or only accommodate 3.  Adjoining rooms and shared balconies are available for larger groups/families.

We were allowed to take photos of other areas of the ship as they were guest ready, seeing as guests were boarding by this point. The pictures below will be a glimpse at the beauty of the Disney Magic. It is quite difficult to determine the best way to share what I learned and/or saw on this tour or on my personal cruise.  I have previous blogs detailing some of the previous cruise, but I apparently did not want to bog you all down with every detail of my trip and didn't. 

I will do another post regarding adulting on a Disney Cruise. Here I will share the SPA experiences and the other Adult areas. I will also briefly discuss the kid's areas of the ship and how that works. 

Click here for a link to the dining options on Disney Cruise Line. Some are ship specific, but you can reach ship specific details in the drop down menu. Below I included some photos of the dining areas we visited, including the adult only Palo (My blog of our experience during my cruise) and Remy and where we had lunch, Cabanas, which is a massive buffet dining area.  

Thank you for reading my blog. Hope you enjoyed visiting the Disney Dream with me and are ready to see it for yourself.  Request a quote to get yourself on this or any of the other ships among the Disney Cruise Line.  Be on the look out for my next blog regarding adulting on Disney Cruise Line. It is NOT just a cruise for kids!

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If Boma wasn't over 18 hours away from me, I'd be there right now eating ALL THE FOOD. I literally have never seen so much food at a breakfast buffet in all my life. If you can't find something to like here, you might as well starve.

Is it necessary to have 56 photos of nothing but a breakfast buffet? Yes. Yes it is. I am not exaggerating when I say this was the absolute best breakfast buffet I have ever eaten, not just at Disney, but really, anywhere on the planet. So, if like me, you've never considered going to Animal Kingdom Lodge just for breakfast, you are missing out. And if you are actually staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge, eat there every single day. #EveryDay #Seriously

​The menu does NOT do this place justice. I went a little crazy with the pictures, but I didn't want to miss anything. Man, I wish I was at Disney right now. Nom Nom Nom

As for our group, we had to scarf this awesomeness down with a quickness. We had a date with the Disney Dream cruise ship at Port Canaveral and time was of the essence.  I never ate so much so fast. For this reason, we did not tour Animal Kingdom Lodge, though you know me, I did snap as many photos as I could between Boma and our DCL bus.

Again, I have never stayed here as we, my family, are creatures of habit and once we found resorts we liked, we go back again and again. That is why this AEP was such a perfect trip for me. I would never, as much as I'd want to, take time out of my family trips to tour Disney Resorts. I just wouldn't. Because of this AEP, I don't have to.

I visited so many resorts and dining locations that I never would have otherwise.  I learned so much about all the resorts, where they are located, how the rooms are set up, what each has to offer, and so on. I learned things you simply can only learn through being there. The photos and web descriptions do not do any of the places we visited the justice they deserve.

I have an all new respect for Disney's value resorts. They may not be for everybody, but I think everyone could find something to enjoy at any of them, especially the theming that is just over the top Disney perfection.  I was pleasantly surprised at not only the incredible theming, but also the dining experiences at these resorts. You do NOT miss out by staying at a less expensive value resort. In fact, you could feasible stay at any of them, and if your budget allows, put more money into deluxe dining or adding extra magic like an After Hours event or even VIP tours. Ask me about any of these, if you are interested.

The moderates we visited were also just beautiful. The attention to detail that Disney painstakingly has perfected did not go unnoticed by me. I LOVE that in Coronado Springs, Disney paid homage to The Three Caballeros, my favorite hidden gem in the Mexican Pavilion at Epcot. (If you never ventured inside the Mexican Pavilion, do it and in the back left corner, you will find this fantastic little piece of Disney perfection) And the refurbishments at Caribbean Beach are top notch. The lobby alone is just overflowing with deluxe quality decor. Be sure to take the time to wander through the resort properties. Curved tropical tree-lined paths wind you through walking trails, play areas for the kids, sunrise/sunset viewing areas, and even hammocks dotting the landscape overlooking the water.  

And what can I say about the Deluxe resorts we visited? The attention to detail is unimaginable. What a creatively explosive job that must be for those imagineers that plot and plan and decorate these spectacular destinations.  From the characters imbedded in the tiled floors at The Grand Floridian to the characters constellations on the drapes at the Yacht Club, you could spend all day just taking in all the visually pleasing magic (and Hidden Mickeys) Disney has sprinkled seemingly effortlessly into the decor of each resort. And though it seems randomly silly, at the Beach Club Resort, I took a photo looking outside a window of a corner where two buildings meet. It isn't even an area that guest can visit, but Disney made that area a beautifully landscaped square, simply because if you look out the window or over a railing, you'll see it. I can imagine that at any other place on Earth, this would have been a void of nothingness maybe even a place for garbage bins, but Disney doesn't miss a chance to make even this little square of nothingness, simply lovely. That is what sets Disney apart, the DISNEY DETAILS. (Go back and see if you can find the photo I am referring to)

​Next up is our visit to Port Canaveral and The Disney Dream.  As always, please give us a LIKE and sharing is caring. 

The best part of the night for me was spent by myself, though I did love my time with my fellow agents. Something I can't possible do with my family or with the crowds, I was able to do on this night. I was able to go sit directly in front of the castle and enjoy the view and the relaxation and the view. Alone. Virtually. It was magically wonderful and I will never forget being able to do this. The below photo shows the difference between sitting during After Hours and sitting on a regular day. I think you can see a slight difference. LOL

Our last stop of the day was at Disney's Beach Club Resort, then we walked over to Disney's Yacht Club Resort, the sister resort to the Beach Club.

What can I say about these 2 resorts that I haven't said before?  They are my favorite resorts on property. Click here to read my previous post about deciding upon our April 2019 stay at Beach Club and there you will find a link to our previous stay at the Yacht Club Resort.

The Beach Club Resort is considered the more 'laid back' of the two resorts. Our guide even said someone told him that they considered the Beach Club more masculine and the Yacht Club more feminine. Not sure I agree there, but Disney defines it as a New England-style resort. Whatever it is, I love it and find both of them every bit as beautiful as The Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.

The Yacht Club Resort, I guess you could say, is more fancy or elegant.  It definitely has more of that yacht club feeling rather than just a beach-themed resort. Again, similar to my experience at The Grand Floridian, it manages to not be pretentious or stuffy and you feel just as at home here as you would anywhere else on property.  It has a convention center associated with it, and therefore it isn't uncommon to see folks dressed in business attire, as opposed to more resort casual attire that is more common at The Beach Club Resort.  Between the two resorts, I think I like them both equally and could stay at either and not have any regrets.  

The one selling point that cannot be overlooked is the pool these two resorts share. Stormalong Bay has been called the best pool on Disney resort property. I'd have to agree. I have other photos from a previous blog that do not do it justice.  It has a huge slide, several hot tubs, a lazy river, a sand-bottom zero entry HUGE pool and sandy areas for the building of sand castles and such. You can see the fireworks, at a distance,  from both Epcot and Hollywood Studios at night if you pick your lounge chair correctly.​
Stormalong Bay

• Take the plunge at this beachside water park area that offers 3 acres of aquatic fun for the whole family.
  
• Catch currents in an expansive sand-bottomed pool. From atop the mast of a life-sized shipwreck replica, zip down a 230-foot-long waterslide, one of the highest hotel slides at Walt Disney World Resort. Float down the lazy river on an inner tube, unwind in one of 3 whirlpool spas or simply relax on the elevated tanning deck.
  
• Children can wade into the main pool from the gently sloping, sandy beach and cool off in the Shipwreck Pool—complete with a miniature waterslide.
  
• With 795,000 gallons of water comprising an impressive complex of pools that range from swirling to placid, open to secluded and cool to warm, every member of your family can find a place to make a splash at Stormalong Bay.

I am not going to talk a lot about either place today as I will literally be staying in a Water View Club Level room at the Beach Club in April and I will have LOTS more to say then.  Below I included Beach Club Resort photos, accommodation information for both resorts, some standard room photos at each resort and a few photos of the Yacht Club Resort.

​Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Please share us with your friends and family. Feel free to leave a comment or question either here on on our Facebook page and remember to give us a LIKE. 

The Yacht Club Standard Room- Newly Refurbished Since Our Last Stay

We started the day back at The Contemporary Resort and we were served a delicious buffet style breakfast at The Wave . . . of American Flavors. There was a wide range of items to choose from and I loaded up my plate to just about overflowing.  

​As a southerner, I was always a little sad that grits were never a thing I liked. When I saw them on this buffet, I decided to give them another go. They were delicious. Ceddar grits, to be specific. YUMMY! Our trainer also highly recommended the Wave Signature Sweet Potato Pancakes, and they also did not disappoint. Try them WITHOUT syrup first, and you may decide they stand alone and do not need extra anything.

After breakfast, we went back to our meeting room and learned all about why you should visit Disney in 2019. So many new and exciting things happening that I have shared and will continue to share as the year goes on. After that, it was time for more resort tours and this day was PACKED with touring. Our first stop and what I will focus on in the Blog is our visit to Art of Animation and Pop Century.

The way to our heart is through food, and they fed us VERY well on this trip. Upon entering Art of Animation, we went directly to their quick service location, Landscape of Flavors.  Let me just say, if you can't find something delicious to eat here, you won't find it anywhere. This place had such a wide variety of selections, it was almost impossible to choose what to eat. And the dessert. . . Lort have mercy, just fabulous.  I was completely impressed with this dining experience, and frankly was surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

Area between Art of Animation and Pop Century that will be a pick-up station for the new Skyliner Gondola System

Can I just tell you how much I loved Pop Century Resort?  This ended up being a surprise to me as I had never been here, nor had I given it much thought. I left here feeling like this resort is a fantastic option for those wanting to save on accommodations, and maybe splurge on extras like the Deluxe Dining Plan, Early Morning Magic, Disney After Hours, (I will have a Blog dedicated to THIS soon), or even VIP tours. FYI- I can book all of these for my clients.

My husband and I are bed snobs and require a minimum of a queen size bed. When our daughter was young enough to thoroughly enjoy theming offered at these resorts, we turned our noses up because of the double bed situation. Well that has all changed. With recent refurbishments, which, by the way, do NOT feel like you are staying in a value resort, Pop offers a king or queen size beds in all the rooms, plus a fold down desk that converts into a queen size bed. And the rooms are so nicely done, you would have NO idea you were in a value resort.

And let me also point out how fantastic the theming is. It is over the top. I think no matter your age, Pop Century will have a theme that appeals to you. It was just an adorably eye pleasing resort with surprises around every corner and details details details.

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