Disney Wonder 2015

We recently got back from a wonderful trip.  We went to Disney World's Magic Kingdom, and then a 5-day Disney cruise on the Disney Wonder, out of Port Miami.

All in all, it was a great trip.  The fact that we went to the Magic Kingdom for a day added stress on my shoulders, because there was just that much more planning involved.  But, it was worth it.  

Here is a brief outline of our trip:

Day 1: flew into MCO. 

Rented a car from Sixt. Overall, everything was great with this company.  We ultimately picked this company because they had a drop off location in downtown Miami.  And a $12 taxi fare later, we were right at the Disney terminal.  That couldn't have worked out better.

The one thing, however, is the car (Honda Accord) was beat up a bit.  I actually took pictures of the dings so that I could prove, if need be, that they were there before we drove the car.

That night we stayed at the Fairfield Inn & Suites Lake Buena Vista.  I used points for the hotel, so we were looking for a good value.  This place had free parking, and a nice hot breakfast in the morning.  The drive to the park was about 15-20 minutes, but that was okay.  That night we ate dinner at Mexican joint that was right next to the hotel.  It was nice to be able to walk to a restaurant, so both Steve and I could enjoy a cocktail or two.

Day 2: Magic Kingdom.  Got to the park around 9am, and stayed until the fireworks at 8p.  We got back to the hotel around 9p.  Stayed again at Fairfield Inn & Suites. 

It's a Small World...my favorite! 

Jungle Cruise selfie

After a long day, back on the Monorail, back to the parking lot.  

Day 3: We drove to Miami, and stayed at Courtyard Miami Lakes.  We thought about doing an airboat tour on the Everglades, but the weather was a bit spotty.  Instead, we just swam at the pool.  We had a great first floor room that had a slider out into the pool area.  Really nice and convenient. 

That evening we drove about 15 minutes to a nice outdoor shopping area.  Steve needed water shoes, and they had a DSW.  Also, we had a Cheesecake Factory gift card to use, and they had one there. It all worked out great.

Day 4: The Cruise!  I discovered I broke my favorite sunglasses, so we had to make a detour to Marshall's so that I could get a new pair.  Have you ever driven in MIA?  Holy shit, the highways are confusing.  It was cool, however, to drive on the highway right next to the airport! 

We finally got onto the ship around 1p, and headed right up to eat, drink, and swim!  Well, the kids swam while Steve and I drank beer.

What was your favorite thing about the cruise, Ben?
The ice cream!

Setting sail selfie

Day 5: Day at Sea, and Pirate Night

Morning snuggles

movie poolside

Ready for the pool

pirate night
Nice photo bomb, Steve!

seemingly thrilled about pirate night

Day 6: Grand Cayman

This is a tender port, and thankfully the seas were fine and we were able to get there.

We did the Dolphin Adventure excursion.  Highly recommend it!  It started with a tour of a green sea turtle farm.  I love turtles, so it was just so neat for me!

We then went across the street to where we got in the water with the dolphins.  Since the kids are so young, and aren't strong swimmers yet, we went with the low key excursion.  We all got to touch the dolphin, Esmeralda, and do some tricks with her.  Being so close to such a beautiful creature was really amazing.  We also got these great pictures, at a bargain price of $35 each.

After we got back to the ship, the kids got some pool time.

And that evening, Ben tried escargot!

Day 7: another day at sea. The kids had some time at the lab and club, while Steve and I had some time at the adult area of the ship.

The evening concluded with the formal night.  Well, I say formal night...Steve counted, and at dinner there were only three males wearing jackets, and Steve and Ben were two of the three.  I really don't understand why people don't get dressed up anymore.

Cici was too busy dancing to get into the picture

Day 8: Castaway Cay
But, due to the 37 knot winds they were not able to dock the ship.  After four attempts, they decided to abort.  So, another day at sea.

After the Captain made the announcement, I immediately thought of Renewed Pilot's Blog post about the exact same subject: Do You Believe Me?

I spent the day in shorts and a fleece, so the weather really wasn't ideal for swimming.  We watched a movie, took a fat nap, and just enjoyed the last day on the ship.

Day 9: Travel day back home.  Flew out of FLL.  And lucky us got our seat assignments when we checked out bags!  I mean, how freakin' awesome!  I think there were 88 open seats that flight.  That never happens, and made for a very relaxing trip home.  So relaxing, as a matter of fact, that Steve was dozing even before we took off.  I don't even think the cabin door was shut yet when I took this picture:

Steve did wake up when we were taking off. I love these picture of Cici...you can see the awe and magic in her face as we were speeding down the runway and then lifting off into the friendly skies:

Another great trip on the Disney Wonder.  As a matter of fact, we have already booked our next cruise!  We are doing 7-nights on the Disney Fantasy next winter.  We have turned into the biggest Disney Cruise fans!