To begin day two of our adventure, we started with breakfast at Boma, a buffet-style restaurant located at Animal Kingdom Lodge. And this is no ordinary buffet. For starters, it is huge! So many choices, including unique dishes featuring flavors of Africa and of course, Mickey waffles! (We are still at Disney World after all!). And so it was with full bellies, we caught our bus to Port Canaveral to board the Disney Dream.
Upon entering the magnificent lobby, we were greeted with the sweet scent of gingerbread. There was a giant gingerbread house that had been decorated by the talented pastry team for all to enjoy. Each ship constructs a house for their Merrytime cruises and there is a friendly competition for bragging rights each year.
We began our ship explorations by heading to the top deck and checking out the snacks and drinks. There were plenty of small bites to choose from and I went with a veggie wrap, which was surprisingly yummy! We continued on to the adults only area and to Senses, the ships spa. Then we headed to our room for a rest, to unpack and ready ourselves for dinner.
Disney Cruise Line features three unique dining rooms on a rotational schedule. Our first night, we dined at Animator’s Palette, a fun-filled dining experience where the walls come to life! We were even visited by Crush from Finding Nemo. Included in your cruise fare, dinner starts with an appetizer, followed by a soup or salad course, an entrée, and of course dessert. With so much to chow down, you better come hungry!
Our first port of call was Nassau. We took a land and sea tour and grabbed a quick bite to eat on the way back to the ship. Dinner that night was in my (probably) my favorite dining room, the Enchanted Garden. It is a beautiful restaurant that looks like you’re in a green house filled with flowers, greenery and fountains. You would think you’re on the top deck of the ship because of the skylights, but you’re really on deck 2! We had ravioli in a tomato broth, prime rib, and a pecan tart – simply divine!
Entertainment for the evening was the star of the cruise for me (and a top reason I can’t wait to sail again!). The live stage production was Beauty and the Beast based on the live action movie. Oh, my! I was amazed at the magic of this production and is one of my top favorite live productions I have ever seen!
The last day of the cruise found us making a stop at Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island. After breakfast in the Royal Palace, we (swim)suited up and headed for the beach. Being November, it was actually quite chilly that day so we didn’t get to swim or lay out on the beach as long as we had wanted. Lunch, however, was quite tasty! There are two spots on the island to chow down on the all-you-can-eat buffet, Cookie’s Barbeque or Cookie’s Too. You can choose from barbeque chicken or pork, hamburgers and hot dogs, plus many delicious side dish options. And of course, you must grab a cup of soft-serve ice cream before more beach time.
The weather was starting to deteriorate so we headed back to the ship to clean up for dinner, which was our formal night. Like breakfast, dinner that night was in the Royal Palace, a restaurant of every princesses’ dreams. There were touches from many favorite princess movies, beautifully blended together in a very fancy space. Once again, we were treated to a fabulous four-course dinner and headed for the nightly show.
Since it was our last night on board, we decided to take advantage of the (included!) room service before bed and have milk and warm cookies delivered before we went to bed. A perfect way to top off the sea portion of this vacation.
Stay tuned for part three, featuring Disney Springs, coming soon!
Heather Brookshire
The opinions within this post are my own and no financial compensation was provided in exchange for this review.