Living the DREAM!

So finally the day the kids had been waiting for had arrived...the day they'd get to step onto Disney's new ship the Dream and test out the AquaDuck! This is the waterside that we've been anxiously awaiting since we saw the video of it on Disney's website. The Dream is just doing three and four day cruises but they did add a couple special five day cruises which are nice because not only is it a longer cruise but it stops at Castaway Cay twice which is a big plus! We were on the first five day sailing of the Dream. When we saw that this cruise was being offered during Memorial Day weekend which is also when Jack's birthday falls, we had to book it!

At first we wondered if the vacation would end up happening since the week before our departure date Sage came down with some sort of stomach bug that lasted almost a week, ending literally the day we flew out. Then the morning of the cruise we sat in our hotel room wondering if we'd be heading back to WA because Connor woke up with a sick stomach. Thankfully he felt better before even stepping foot on the ship and everyone was fine for the duration. I can't imagine any worse time to be sick than on a cruise...

We had never cruised this time of year but have decided this is the perfect time to do Florida and the Bahamas/Caribbean. The weather was perfect with mid 80's and thankfully not much humidity, the skies were blue, and the seas calm.

So here are some of the highlights:

Thankfully we were able to board the ship early so we hit the pools and slide before the crowds started to swarm. Most people don't think to board with their swimsuits on but after doing this several times we've figured out it's best to do that rather than wait for your luggage to make it's way to your room. By the end of the cruise I can't even tell you how many times they did the slide but it was over a dozen.






Next it was on to the sail away party. By this time Connor had enjoyed several rides on the AquaDuck and lamb chops and grilled asparagus at the restaurant so it was fair to say that whatever bug he woke up with was thankfully gone!



One of the highlights of a Disney cruise is the the dining experience. The restaurants on the new ship are beautiful and our dining staff was a lot of fun too. Mircrea and Erdem were our servers and although they were both new on the ship, they did a great job entertaining the family! This was our first cruise that we were sitted with another family. Kevin and Patty had a daughter Sage's age named Katelyn. Sage and Katelyn immediately hit it off! It made meals much more enjoyable for Sage as she and her buddy would laugh and giggle through much of it! I continue to love watching Connor enjoy new things. He learned on this trip though that duck is not one of his more favorite menu items...






We spent Jack's birthday on Castaway Cay so I surprised him and the boys with booking them on a parasailing excursion. Jack was able to video tape the whole thing as they all went up tandem which is fun to see. Cost per minute = RIDICULOUS but well worth the smiles on their faces! On the second day at Castaway, we did what's become a tradition, renting bikes to tour around the island.







Not only were we excited to experience the new ship but we were all looking forward to our stop in Nassau where we'd get to spend a day at Atlantis. We love Atlantis! About five years ago we took the kids to Atlantis for a vacation and had such a great time that we now make a point to spend a day there whenever our cruise stops there. We always start off our day hitting the slides and pools, then head over to the rapids, back to the slides and pools and end our day doing the "Dig" which is where all the aquariums are. Ty finally as he put it, "faced my fears" by going on the Leap of Faith water slide with Connor and Jack. Last time, he wasn't up to the experience but we were so proud of him for making the "leap" this trip. There are so many amazing watersides here and the boys were able to do all of them! Of course Sage and I enjoyed a couple but spent most our time in the pools and on the "rapids".







Sadly both boys have decided that they no longer are into the character photo ops but there were a couple that caught their eye that they couldn't pass up on. Of course Sage still loves getting her photo taken, with or without a princess...








What a great time we had. Jack will tell you he prefers the smaller Disney ships. The jury is still out with me. The ship was beautiful, the pools crowded but we still found ways to enjoy them and also times when the crowds were smaller. We toured the kids clubs and they looked amazing. Unfortunately or fortunately depending on how you look at it, our kids have no interest in them. They just prefer hanging out with us. The boys are at an age where we can let them wander and swim without being right there but we still stick to Sage like glue. As for the stateroom, it was great. I was worried that we'd be disappointed staying in a family stateroom after staying in a suite the past two cruises but all the suites were sold out so we were in the biggest they offer before you get to the suite. I don't know if it was because we were rarely in the room or because it was a shorter cruise but it worked out just fine.



Next it was on to Universal/Islands of Adventure! We actually surprised the boys with this pit stop. They thought we were only doing the cruise. We had told them on the cruise after Sage had picked out a bunch of stuff from the gift shop that if they didn't find anything they wanted, not to worry because we'd stop at a "special Harry Potter store" on the way home that was "near the airport". Of course they were thrilled with that idea since there was really nothing on the ship that they wanted. Jack pulled up to our Hotel and I jumped out and checked us in. The boys were still clueless at this point. After checking in we left our bags in the car and headed to the water taxi that took us from the Hard Rock Hotel to Universal. They still hadn't figured it out so we finally told them that we actually were going to be staying here for a few days and visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter where they would find a gift shop! They were very excited to say the least. If we were going to travel across the country, I was going to make it worth it!!! Universal did not disappoint! I had researched and learned that the best thing to do is stay at one of Universal's three onsite hotels. You may pay a higher cost per night but the huge benefit is your room key serves as a pass to the front of the line on the rides plus they offer onsite guests only early entry into Harry Potter every morning. It put Disney's fast pass to shame. Clearly with all the onsite hotels Disney has, this system wouldn't work for them but it worked out well for us because we literally stepped right onto almost every ride with having a 10 minute wait at most for a couple. We preferred Islands of Adventures because that's where the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is along with some great roller coasters but we still found plenty of fun things to do at Universal Studios too. Here are some shots from our three days here!



First stop, the gift shop! The boys had decided long before arriving that they each wanted a wand. Dad gave into a couple Triwizard trophies and some candy too. Ty was pretty excited with his chocolate frog, Connor loved his mysterious "every flavor beans" even if some do really taste like dirt and hard boiled eggs and Sage had to have the largest lollipop she could find.



Highly recommend the food at Three Broomsticks. YUMMY! I don't think there was one kernel of corn left on Sage's corn on the cob... Of course the trip wouldn't be complete without testing out the frozen butterbeer!



Enjoying a break from the parks at the hotel pool...



Sage loved the merry go round and whenever we walked past this dinosaur, she insisted on a photo but it couldn't include her...



We loved Universal. I think we are entering a new phase in our lives. Disneyland may be something of the past now...sadly.