Dream Vacation

When Jason's parents told us they wanted to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary with them by taking a family cruise, we couldn't believe it. What a special treat and a great way to spend time together. They told us they wanted to cruise on the new Disney Dream, especially to watch the kids experience all that Disney has to offer. We were so thankful and excited!

After a year of planning, we left for our 8-day vacation Jan. 7, 2012 - which just happened to be Natalie's 6th birthday. (No, the gravity of this is not lost on us. We can just imagine where her birthday party expectations will be next year.)

The trip included a four-night cruise to the Bahamas, with port calls at Nassau and Disney's own island Castaway Cay. We bookended the cruise with a one-night stay in Port Canaveral and two nights at Walt Disney World in Orlando, where we took in Downtown Disney and Hollywood Studios.

Did I mention that none of us, ages 3-73, had ever gone on a cruise before?

Having been to Disney World before, however, we had high expectations for the trip. We knew we would be spoiled, entertained and amazed. We'd watched the videos, surfed the Web and dug up all of the information we could find.

But nothing could have prepared us for what we'd actually experience those five days.

It was simply amazing.

The ship was enormous, gorgeous and spotless. The staff went out of their way every moment to make us feel like royalty. The food was divine - oh, the heaps of fresh-cut fruit. Pools, theaters, characters, restaurants, lounges, movie screens, fireworks, views, confetti...the list just keeps going. Even our staterooms were enormous, with plenty of room for four and an adjoining room for grandparents. A giant porthole with cushioned seat made the perfect reading nook (if we'd had any time for that.)

Time, oh, time. It just disappeared on the ship. We went steady from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. with two grandparents and two children who normally nap during the day and go to bed by 7 p.m. There were simply too many fun activities and we couldn't resist checking them out. Jason and I never did make it to any of the adult clubs and wine bars. We simply passed out soon after the kids fell asleep each night.

Disney has outdone itself. They've made it incredibly easy to travel with young kids AND enjoy all of your time together. With two kids-only clubs, kid pools and water parks, the Disney channel and twin beds in the staterooms, all of the special attention by waiters in the restaurants, and non-stop entertainment, it's a dream come true for little ones. The fact that it's all in one amazing location makes it a dream come true for parents.