View from our room
Waiting for the elevator
We stopped at Ihop for breakfast. Jack and I split a breakfast platter, I ate the pancakes and he ate the bacon and eggs and some of the hash browns.
We spent a while shopping around. I told Jack he could get one thing, and it took forever for him to decide. He finally ended up with a Buzz Lightyear Astro Blaster gun, which I felt was fitting since it was his favorite ride. I got a travel mug.
On the way out I saw these shirts which made me miss our cruise…
Then we headed to one of my favorite things about California!
And Jack experienced his first Jamba Juice!
Pretty soon it was time to head back to the hotel
We got our suitcases and waited in the lobby until the shuttle came.
We got to LAX and hung out for a bit. We ate at McDonald’s and got a present for my mom from See’s before heading to our gate which was tucked back in this tiny corner of the airport. It was really weird. I was hoping to charge Jack’s DVD player there, but no luck.
Soon we were heading home!
We made it back in one piece. Depressed, but in one piece.
Here are some of the souvenirs from our cruise:
One of the biggest reasons I wanted to take this trip was to find out what all the hype was about in regards to Disney Cruise Line. I had always heard about their cruises but I just couldn't understand why people would be willing to pay the rates when you can get cruises to the same places on other lines at much lower prices. I am a single mom and I am most definitely not made of money, so I really didn't think there would be a way for me to justify paying those prices. I got such a great deal on this sailing that I knew I had to take the opportunity. Now... I totally get the hype!
I have been on two other cruises with Jack in the past 2 years and this was by far our best experience ever. I have sailed on a 3 day Bahamas cruise with Norwegian and a 5 day Caribbean with Carnival. DCL one blew the others away in terms of service, atmosphere, food and entertainment, no questions asked. I know that because I am sailing with a child, the amount of fun Jack has on board weighs heavily in my comparisons, and despite not spending a whole ton of time in the Oceaneer's Club, Jack had a much better time on this cruise. The whole experience really is more magical, and I can say without a doubt I will be sailing with Disney whenever possible.
That being said, if there is a time when I don't have Jack with me, or when I have a more limited budget, I can see myself trying other lines as well. I had the luxury of renting a cabana on Carnival's private island, Half Moon Cay, and it was only $200 for the day compared to DCL's Castaway Cay and their $500 cabanas. There are some experiences I really wouldn't be able to afford with Disney and that will always play a part in my decision making (unless I find myself independently wealthy one of these days).
As I mentioned before I am booked on Disney's Dream for 2013 and I am most definitely counting down the days. The Wonder is an older ship, and while it's age is showing in some spots, it is still the most luxurious of the three ships I have been on. I can't wait to see the new innovative aspects of the Dream and her sister ship, Fantasy.
When it comes to the Disneyland portion of our trip, I am glad we did it, but it was the wrong decision to make. That one day alone cost as much as the entire cruise, if not more, and that was with staying off property and eating cheaply, not to mention minimal souvenir buying. I have had the pleasure of visiting Disneyland several times when I used to live in California, but I never really appreciated how much those trips cost until now. The park tickets alone set us back over $200. I do want to visit Disneyland again sometime after Carsland is finished and when we can spend more time (and $) and really enjoy ourselves.
I hope you all enjoyed our adventure. If you have the chance to take this cruise, I would highly recommend it! We both had a fantastic and magical time!
I have been on two other cruises with Jack in the past 2 years and this was by far our best experience ever. I have sailed on a 3 day Bahamas cruise with Norwegian and a 5 day Caribbean with Carnival. DCL one blew the others away in terms of service, atmosphere, food and entertainment, no questions asked. I know that because I am sailing with a child, the amount of fun Jack has on board weighs heavily in my comparisons, and despite not spending a whole ton of time in the Oceaneer's Club, Jack had a much better time on this cruise. The whole experience really is more magical, and I can say without a doubt I will be sailing with Disney whenever possible.
That being said, if there is a time when I don't have Jack with me, or when I have a more limited budget, I can see myself trying other lines as well. I had the luxury of renting a cabana on Carnival's private island, Half Moon Cay, and it was only $200 for the day compared to DCL's Castaway Cay and their $500 cabanas. There are some experiences I really wouldn't be able to afford with Disney and that will always play a part in my decision making (unless I find myself independently wealthy one of these days).
As I mentioned before I am booked on Disney's Dream for 2013 and I am most definitely counting down the days. The Wonder is an older ship, and while it's age is showing in some spots, it is still the most luxurious of the three ships I have been on. I can't wait to see the new innovative aspects of the Dream and her sister ship, Fantasy.
When it comes to the Disneyland portion of our trip, I am glad we did it, but it was the wrong decision to make. That one day alone cost as much as the entire cruise, if not more, and that was with staying off property and eating cheaply, not to mention minimal souvenir buying. I have had the pleasure of visiting Disneyland several times when I used to live in California, but I never really appreciated how much those trips cost until now. The park tickets alone set us back over $200. I do want to visit Disneyland again sometime after Carsland is finished and when we can spend more time (and $) and really enjoy ourselves.
I hope you all enjoyed our adventure. If you have the chance to take this cruise, I would highly recommend it! We both had a fantastic and magical time!
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