Castaway Cay Archives - Through Heather's Looking Glass

Disney Wonder Cruise 2018: Part 4

January 28, 2019 by Heather

In case you missed part 3, jump back and read that first!

We left off last time at the end of our Key West Day. The next day was to be Castaway Cay, and let me tell you I was PUMPED.

Castaway Cay is my favorite place on earth, and I couldn’t wait to share it with Emma Kate. I had been talking it up big time. We woke up and I thought it odd that we weren’t pulling into the island. They said something over the speakers about a late arrival, and I couldn’t really hear the rest. Come to find out, we had somehow lost a generator in the night. Never fear, we were still getting to the island just a little later. However, I had a huge pit in my stomach and a bad feeling. The water was a little choppy (I’ve seen much worse) and it was gloomy and windy. The captain tried twice to get us docked, to no avail. It was one of the saddest things to be standing on the edge of the ship, with all the workers standing on the island waiting to greet us, and we inched closer and closer and closer, only to get aallmmosssttt there and then have the captain pull away. I will admit, I cried.

See, I have kind of a sour history as of late with Castaway Cay. In 2016, my husband and I sailed for the first time since 2013. We were SO excited to be going back to the island….only to have bad weather that made us not able to dock. I was so so so upset. Them last January I went on a girls trip, and while we were able to dock, it was FREEZING and super windy. The sand was pelting people in the face and they closed down Serenity bay it was such terrible weather conditions. So this year was going to be my redemption year. Having not been to the island since 2013, I was sssooo ready to be in my happy place…and then to have it happen again was just crushing. Maybe one day we will get to take Emma Kate to Castaway. (silently cries in the corner.) ANYWAY, moving on. The staff did their best to keep us happy and upbeat, adding in character meet and greets and activities. Emma Kate had fun, and I guess she just didn’t realize what she was missing which was probably a good thing at this point.

I honestly don’t remember what we did the rest of the day. I’m guessing we ate lunch at the buffet, and put EK in the kids club. Bobby probably went to the gym, and I probably took a nap (heh.) We did go to a Disney Jr. dance party but EK wasn’t really into it so we walked around the ship instead.

That night was also pirate night…and PALO night for Bobby and me. We took some cute pre dinner photos before dropping Emma Kate off and heading up to the adults only restaurant.

PALO was lovely as usual, a highlight of the trip. It’s just a great time to slow down, relax, and eat a nice meal in peace. Our waiter was amazing and we ate #AllTheFood

We went to bed quite full, watching Elf yet again, ready for a day in Nassau that was coming up next.

Email heather@travelwiththemagic.com for questions about Disney Cruise Line!

Filed Under: Disney, Uncategorized, vacation Tagged: Castaway Cay, Disney, Disney Cruise, travel, vacation

Everything You Need to Know About Disney Cruise Line’s Castaway Cay 5K

October 23, 2018 by Heather

Update: This post about the Disney Cruise Line Castaway Cay 5k was originally published in 2013, but I have since updated it and am republishing it now, in October of 2018.

Disney Cruise Line has a private island in the Bahamas called Castaway Cay. They also have a FREE 5k race you can run with a real medal given to you at the finish line. I have written other Castaway Cay 5k posts, you can search for them after reading this one, which is Everything You Need to Know About Disney Cruise Line’s Castaway Cay 5K including a walkthrough of how the morning goes. (If you want the short, bullet point tips version scroll down to the bolded wording)

Castaway Cay is Disney’s private island that most of their cruises sail to at the end of the voyage. The Castaway Cay 5k is considered a runDisney run. It is a free fun run and is a 5k distance that has a race clock so you can see your time at the end.

The process of the 5k has changed over the years, but as of January 2018 when I last ran, below is the process:

-You sign up at the shore excursion desk and are given “tickets” telling you where to be and when.

-There will also be information in your navigator on where/how to sign up and where to be the morning of the race.

-We met in the main nightclub area which will be different depending on the ship you are on.

-They won’t let you in to “sign in” until a certain time, and the line outside gets quite long.

-BRING YOUR ID AND SHIP CARD. They will sign you in, and give you a race bib and safety pins

-Take a seat and hang out and meet new people until they come on stage explaining the debarking process and race map to you.

Typically, you walk off the ship together and to the starting point by the bike rentals. Please note it’s a pretty long walk, so be prepared.

At 9:30 when we were cleared to go ashore onto Castaway Cay (time changes depending on sailing). We walked together off the gangway as a large group and onto the island. A cast member led the way.

PRO TIP: Grab some towels to put into your backpack. Backpack? What backpack? That leads to my most important pro tip. Bring all your stuff for the day with you! They have a large box to store belongings in at the start/finish line. Trust me, you don’t want to walk aallll the way back to the ship after to shower and change then come aallll the way back. That will waste an hour of your day on this beautiful island. Instead, we pack a bag with our swimsuits, shower wipes, deodorant, sunscreen, and anything else we will need for the day post-race. Then after we run, we shower off outside the bathrooms, then go in to change, wipe off, and get ready for the day.

Ok so where was I. The starting line is also the finish line, and there are directional arrows on the course. The biggest problem people have is that they don’t listen. You have to make TWO TOTAL LOOPS at one point in the race and for some reason, this is confusing for people.

There will be cast members there to help get everyone lined up and ready.

Just like any race, it’s harder to move at first then it thins out pretty quickly.

Soon after you start you will see your first directional sign in red (below). As long as you aren’t in first place just follow the people in front of you ha!

You will then see a cast member standing by a water stop directing you into the bike loop.

The loop is my least favorite because you have to run it twice and it’s just tree after tree.

After you exit the loop, you head down the airstrip to Serenity Bay.

Once you get to the end you are supposed to loop it like a cul de sac and come back the other way then head into the loop again. Some people cut this turn short and cheat but I feel that only cheats yourself so just run the whole thing. 🙂

You then head back down the airstrip and this would be a great time to grab water before heading back into the loop if you need it. After you make it out of the bike loop you head back towards the finish line which was the way you first came/also the start line. The finish feels great, and be sure to watch the clock as you cross so you can see what your time is.

There are water coolers at the finish line, plus your medal! There was a photographer as well who was taking pictures. If you buy a photo package they have adorable little race decals at the bottom!

There are bathrooms near the finish (which is where we change) and there is also a shop that sells 5k merchandise. Be mindful that they have been known to run out, so don’t wait until the end of the day if you want a cute shirt.

We then grab our bags out of the box and change, then head to the tram stop which happens to be right by the finish line. We then head out to Serenity Bay, and hit the beach for an amazing and relaxing day on Castaway Cay!

Here are my best tips summed up that I have learned after doing the Castaway Cay 5k 10 times that may be useful.

1.) Bring your beach clothes and things with you in a bag or backpack so you don’t have to go back to the ship. You will waste a good 45 minutes to an hour walking back, showering, and coming back out when you can change and shower at the beach. They have a large bin you can keep your things in at the start line.

2.) Get towels when you get off the ship. I am so glad we did because they did NOT have towels at Serenity Bay and we would have had to go back and get some.

3.) Sunscreen, sunglasses, hat. It’s HOT and there isn’t a lot of shade on the course, especially on the airstrip.

4.) Hydrate! They set up a water stop at the bike loop, but you can also take advantage of the water stops in the bike loop and at the Serenity Bay tram stop.

5.) SOMETIMES they have a Disney character waiting at the finish line (didn’t this time but did last time) so bring a camera or phone to capture the moment!

6.) If you want to see the island but don’t want to run, there is an “island power walk” that leaves just a few minutes after the 5k that you can join in with, or you can always rent bikes.

7.) Be sure to look at your finishing time as you cross, it’s on your left up high in a brown box

8.) At the souvenir shop right by the finish, they sell 5k finishers shirts. I wouldn’t wait until late in the day to get one in case they run out of your size. I snagged mine right after I finished the race and they had plenty.

9.) Bring your ID and ship card or you can’t check in for the race or get off the ship!

10.) Have fun! Just remember, you burned extra calories so now you can enjoy an extra Konk Cooler on the island!

(This photo is taken from the start. When you are coming into the finish, the clock is facing the other way so you can see your time.)

Special note: Apaprently this happens VERY RARELY but it does happen and unfortunately it happened to us. We were unable to dock on Castaway Cay on one of our cruises, but we still had the 5k on the ship! We had to run around a certain number of times (9 maybe?) and they had a water stop set up and we got our medals. Not ideal, but it was nice to still get to run the race anyway! Read more about that Castaway Cay 5k experience here.

I have loved running the Castaway Cay 5k on the beautiful island, it’s a great way to start your day and you get a fun souvenir, too. Slow or fast, it doesn’t matter, be sure to give this a try on your next cruise!

Visit Travelwiththemagic.com for Disney Cruise Line information.

Filed Under: Disney, Race Recaps, runDisney, running, tips, vacation Tagged: Castaway Cay, castaway cay 5k, cruise 5k, disney 5k, disney cruise 5k, disney's private island

Disney Fantasy Cruise 2016: The Castaway Cay Day That Wasn’t

March 17, 2016 by Heather

This is the last installment of our cruise recap, sad times! Unfortunately, this cruise did not end on a high note for us. Read on.

We woke up to gloomy skys, but I didn’t care. We were soon going to dock at my FAVORITE place on earth, Castaway Cay. A little gloom was not going to stop my happiness (oh really now.) We got dressed, ate breakfast, and headed to the tube to get our bibs for the 5k and wait for instructions. Keep in mind there are no windows down here so we couldn’t see what was going on with docking.

We waited…and we waited…and I knew we should have docked by now. Finally, someone got on the microphone and said that the wind was too high for us to dock, and was blowing us away from the dock. The captain was going to try again in 1.5 hours, and they were waiting to get the word on what to do about the 5k. We waited around about 20-30 minutes before we got the verdict.

We were not postponing the 5k until we (hopefully) docked later, but we were going to run around the ship….really.

Seven and a half laps to be exact. The boat is HUGE, so yup, that’s what it took to run a 5k. Now, this is where I got annoyed. I realize I am risking backlash by writing this, but honestly it got me so fired up that I am ok with people not agreeing with me. I know medals for people not finishing and runDisney races are a hot topic, but in this case, the people in question didn’t even attempt to START the race, so here goes…They told everyone that if they didn’t want to run around the ship, that they could “promise to run a 5k at home in the next few days” and come get their medals now and leave.

Huh? If you are already dressed to run a 5k, and were planning to run said 5k…why not just go ahead and run it RIGHT NOW? There were around 400 people in the room, and only about 60 stayed to run. EVERYONE ELSE GOT UP, AND COLLECTED THEIR MEDALS AND LEFT! Not only that, the race is for those 10 and up, but they were handing medals out to everyone! Little boys and girls, anyone who wanted one. (The kids were there because the adults were going to drop them at the kids club before the race). Here is a picture of everyone jumping up to get their medals. I just couldn’t believe it.

Now, I would like to believe these people went home and ran a 5k, really I do….(and props to you if you did follow through, you are my hero), but I’m also not dumb, and know that for the majority this probably did not happen. A lot of the other people that stayed to run were very annoyed as well. They are getting a medal for a race they didn’t even START? I was so worked up, that Bobby and I actually ran really fast for our 5k.

They send us out in two groups so we wouldn’t be all bunched up, and then off we went, 7.5 laps, around, and around, and around. It. was. so. boring. There were a few sweet families that stayed on the side and cheered for us as we went by, and Disney even put out a “water stop” for us on the deck which was nice of them. It was difficult to run because if you have ever run on a Disney boat you know this, but there are some tight spaces at certain points. Now imagine 60 runners PLUS people playing shuffleboard/just walking around the deck for enjoyment. There was lots of stopping and going, weaving and “excuse me, on your left” going on. After we finished, we met in the pub for water and to get our earned medals, and then back to the tube to collect our belongings.

In the elevator we had the chance to chat with some people who also ran and were frustrated that people who didn’t even attempt to start the run got medals, so it made me feel better we weren’t the only ones. I was very proud of myself for sticking out a boring frustrating run and that medal means more to me now.

(note how windy it was).

So even though I didn’t sail on the cruise to complete the castaway challenge and get the special extra medal, I DID still technically complete the challenge!

Later that day I saw people walking around wearing their medals that I distinctly remember getting up and getting the medal without running. Really? sigh. About that time, we tried to dock again, and could not do so, the winds had not changed. The captain tried a third and final time an hour later. It was SO disheartening to be looking over our balcony, just a few hundred yards from the island, seeing all the workers standing out there waiting to receive us, and have us get close, only to slowly drift and pull away again. I’m not going to lie. I cried. I cried because I was frustrated about the morning race, sad it was our last day, and mad I was not getting to go to my favorite place, the highlight of my cruise. It may sound pathetic, but in that moment, Heather was not having a good day and I’m owning it.

The rest of the day was pretty boring. We ate lunch, took a nap, watched TV in the room, etc. There was a noticeable change in the mood of everyone on the ship. We had already had 3 sea days, so we honestly were just a little bored. It was rainy and windy so there was no laying out by the pool which I would have been perfectly fine with doing.

It was finally dinner time, and we were at Enchanted Garden.

Here we are with our new friends and tablemates. We all decided to get mickey bars that night. Cheers!

Back in our room this guy was waiting. We sadly put our luggage in the hall, and I honestly can’t remember what else we did that night!

The next morning we had breakfast at the buffet before getting off the ship and taking the bus to the airport. I am so glad we had the opportunity to go on this trip, but between me being sick/losing my voice, lots of rain and not going to Castaway Cay, it wasn’t our best cruise. That just means we have to go again to make up for it, right?

Thanks so much for following along with this trip report. It was fun to relive the good times from the cruise with you all.

QOTD: ever run a 5k on a ship? Do you like Mickey bars?

Filed Under: Disney, runDisney, running, vacation Tagged: Castaway Cay, castaway cay 5k, Disney, Disney Cruise, vacation

Never Say Never…to runDisney

April 29, 2015 by Heather

Well, when I woke up yesterday morning I did NOT have plans of sitting in a virtual que in a panic trying to register for the runDisney marathon weekend! I found out yesterday morning that they are offering the castaway challenge after the race, which I ssoooo badly want to do. I have talked to and begged runDisney to partner with DCL for years, so it’s only fitting I do the challenge, right?

Bobby and I signed up for the half marathon with hopes of doing the Castaway challenge and cruising on the Disney Dream after the race, but we are realistic and also realize we may have to defer if things don’t work out in our favor. I am so so glad runDisney started to allow you to defer your race registration, it makes it a lot easier to pull the trigger and sign up!

After missing marathon weekend this year, it will be fun to go back without the stress of waking up four mornings in a row for Dopey! We probably won’t arrive until Friday, will hit up the expo, run Saturday, then relax Sunday before getting on the boat Monday. I’m trying not to get too excited in case we have to defer, but I am going to try to make sure it happens!

Who has done the Castaway Challenge? Any tips? What to do what to skip, any pointers? I need all the info I can get!

So, now I get to hopefully see a bunch of you during marathon weekend, and maybe even some of you on the cruise?

QOTD: Who is running and what are you running, and who is cruising with me?

P.S. I would love to book your cruise for the castaway challenge! Email me at heather@travelwiththemagic.com

Filed Under: blogging, Disney, runDisney, running, vacation Tagged: Castaway Cay, castaway challenge, marathon weekend, runDisney, running

Castaway Cay Challenge

May 15, 2014 by Heather

Have you heard the news? There is a NEW Castaway Cay 5k challenge coming to the Disney Dream when you sail on the January 12th sailing right after marathon weekend 2015!

Check out the press release below for details:

Runners taking part in the 2015 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend can add the ultimate finish to their experience – the new Disney Castaway Cay Challenge, a joint venture by runDisney and Disney Cruise Line.

After competing in the 5K, 10K, half marathon and/or full marathon during the Disney Marathon Weekend (January 7-11), runners can compete Jan. 14 in the Disney Castaway Cay Challenge, a special 5K race on Disney Castaway Cay, Disney Cruise Line’s private Bahamas island. Every runner who finishes this new runDisney Challenge event will earn two medals – an inaugural Disney Castaway Cay Challenge medal and a Castaway Cay 5K medallion, plus any medals earned for running any Disney Marathon Weekend events (5K, 10K, half marathon or full marathon).

The Castaway Cay Challenge takes place during the 4-night Disney Dream cruise itinerary that sets sail Jan. 12, 2015 from Port Canaveral, Florida and includes a stop in Nassau in addition to Castaway Cay. The cruise will feature exclusive activities designed for Castaway Cay Challenge participants, plus special menu items and merchandise.

To sign up for the Castaway Cay Challenge, runners must book the Jan. 12, 2015 Disney Dream cruise at www.disneycruise.com and then register for the Castaway Cay Challenge at www.runDisney.com. Race registration opens May 23.

My thoughts: WAY awesome, as I have wanted runDisney to get involved with Disney Cruise Line for years, and I already love the Castaway Cay 5k. However, I do wish they would have announced sooner, because now the only thing you can sign up for during marathon weekend if you now decide to do this is Goofy’s Challenge.

A cruise is a GREAT way to relax and unwind after marathon weekend if you can swing the time off work and the cost. The Disney Cruise Line has quickly become my favorite way to vacation, and Castaway Cay is my favorite place on earth!

You can see some of my Castaway Cay 5k posts below:

Castaway Cay 5k

Castaway Cay 5k take 2

My original post from before they made all the changes is HERE.

QOTD: What are your thoughts on this challenge? Is it something you would be interested in doing?

Filed Under: Disney, fitness, runDisney, running, vacation Tagged: Castaway Cay, castaway cay challenge, Disney Cruise, marathon weekend, runDisney

Disney Cruise Recap 12/13

December 17, 2013 by Heather

Hello! I am officially back home. I made it back late morning yesterday, and I have been playing catch up with work since then. I cannot believe Christmas eve is in a week, I feel so unprepared (my Christmas tree has NO GIFTS under it. I am so behind y’all). Anyway, we had a fabulous time on the cruise, and I plan to recap the Castaway Cay 5k (again) because I took some video this time. But for today, I wanted to share what we did the OTHER days of our cruise.

We did what is called a “back to back” which means we did a four night ailing followed by a three night sailing on the same ship. There is a certain procedure that you follow in order to do this which I will also be sharing about. So we were on the Disney Dream for a total of seven nights. We went to Nassau twice and Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island, twice.

We drove to Disney on Saturday and stayed with Jen and Jeff at Port Orleans Riverside in a royal room.

We took the boat to Downtown Disney for dinner at Earl of Sandwich.

The next day we drove to Port Canaveral and boarded the Dream. The ship looked gorgeous all dressed up for Christmas.

We had lunch then went to check our our verandah stateroom. (Category 5C is anyone is curious)

We then did some walking around and lounged at the pool until time for early dinner.

A Mickey Bar was my dessert of choice most nights.

After dinner Bobby and I went to one of the adult only areas to watch the Saints play on Sunday night football. (There was a HUGE screen to the right of this photo and we sat in recliners right in front of it. Aaahhh, bliss).

The next day was a sea day and we went to the gym then had Palo Brunch reservations which was amazing as always. My favorite part: dessert.

Bobby and I attended a special reception for gold and platinum castaway club members that afternoon. Free champagne? Of course I’m there! We got to hear from the captain which was neat.

At dinner we may have all been craving cheese sticks…

The next day in Nassau, the Disney Magic parked next to us. It was neat to see the ships side by side again and get some photos. A couple years ago I was on the MAGIC when we were next to the Dream. This time it was reversed!

We didn’t get off in Nassau. it rained, so we just read books up on deck and took a nap.

I love these guys

The next day we were at Castaway Cay, and we ran the 5k.

We had a great day on the island relaxing and also playing volleyball.

We had Palo dinner that night which was amazing, even though poor Bobby had a migraine. Luckily, with a special concoction from the Palo Maître d’, he started feeling better. Even though said concoction was disgusting.

The next day we had to get off the ship and say goodbye to our friends. Then, we got back on board shorty after.

Our new room was a deluxe family verandah stateroom, a category 4B.

We went to the hot tub, and honestly I don’t remember what else! We had late dining this time, so we got to see the sun set before dinner.

Our cute dinner table

The next day was Nassau day again, so we hung out at the pool, rode the AquaDuck waterslide, and took a 2.5 hour nap! We had dinner at Palo again that night, and I had the most amazing Crème Brule martini. Seriously. Order it. (The the way we had the same server for both Palo dinners and the brunch and he was amazing. his name is Matt he is from Poland. be sure to request him!)

These two goofballs were eating at Palo that night as well and came and found us.

Katherine, Amanda, and me.

The next day we were back at my beloved Castaway Cay for another day of fun in the sun. We had beautiful weather, high of maybe 80, crystal clear water, perfection.

The next day it was a 10 hour drive to Louisiana to pick up the dogs then back to reality yesterday. We had a wonderful time, it was a great idea to give the cruise as a gift to each other, and I can’t wait to go back some day!

QOTD: Have you been on a cruise? Favorite thing about them? Favorite cruise line?

*WINNERS of the Runner’s Christmas gift guide giveaways are posted on the Rafflecopter widget. See if you won!

**If you would like me to help you plan your magical cruise on most any cruise line (at no extra cost!) email heather@travelwiththemagic.com I would love to help you!

Filed Under: Disney, family, vacation Tagged: back to back cruise, Castaway Cay, Disney, Disney Cruise, Disney Dream, family, vacation

Disney Fantasy April 2013: Castaway Cay Day

July 4, 2013 by Heather

Happy Birthday America! I am so proud and blessed to live in a free country, and grateful to those who have fought to keep it that way!

We left off with our last sea day, the day before Castaway Cay which is my favorite day!

In a way I have already covered part of the day because I did my recap of the Castaway Cay 5k already, so I will just skip over the actual race which was first thing in the morning.

We were smart and brought our bags with us so we didn’t have to go back to the ship. We changed into our swimsuits and headed straight for Serenity Bay, the adults only beach at the end of the island. My favorite place on earth!

Since we ran the 5k we were a little late getting to the party, but were still able to find chairs and an umbrella. Some dark storm clouds were looming overhead, and I really hoped they would go away so we could enjoy our last day of the cruise.

The tide was way out and the sandbar was above the water, so we decided to go out to it and bring Bobby’s underwater camera and have some fun.

Looking back at the beach

Chillin on the sandbar

yes, my arm is double jointed. Wwwweeeee!

It got quite dark while we were out there.

Oh you know, just hanging out in the middle of the ocean on a sandbar while a huge storm rolls in!

Bobby decided t take a nap.

After awhile, I decided to go back in while Bobby did some snorkeling. We got SO LUCKY and the storm went right over us, no rain, and beautiful blue skies came out for the rest of the day!

I went to our chairs and started reading a book, when I saw this guy walking across the beach. Of course, I had to get a picture. Ssshhh don’t tell Bobby. He was still snorkeling!

I then proceeded to do my favorite thing. Ever. I ordered a Konk cooler (my favorite drink, ONLY made on Castaway Cay) and pulled my chair up to the water and just relaxed. Pure heaven. (You can see Bobby with his snorkel gear in the background!)

I sat like this for a long while, relaxing, reading books, and just being so thankful to be in a beautiful place…and then my stomach started growling. Lunch time! Bobby came in and we headed towards the smell of BBQ to the adults only outdoor restaurant for some grub, followed by ice cream of course. We headed back to our spots, more konk coolers were consumed, and we enjoyed an afternoon of bliss.

Mid afternoon we decided to take the tram to the family beach so Bobby could go on the snorkeling path with his underwater camera. We packed up and then set up a spot at the back of the family beach. We only had a couple hours left until all aboard, so it wasn’t completely full of people by this point. While Bobby snorkeled, I went to take some pictures and walk around.

A near empty beach before heading back to the ship

Bobby is out there snorkeling somewhere!

Sadly it was soon time to go. We like to stay on the island as long as possible, and the lifeguards gave the 15 minute call so we decided to go.

The island from our verandah. Bye bye!

That night was sadly our last night at dinner, and it was at Animators again.

The drawing show is super cute, and was one of my favorite parts of our dining experience! However, I think I should keep my day job. Drawing is NOT my gift.

We went to the adult’s club one more time for a fun game of battle of the sexes before heading off to bed for our last time about the Disney Fantasy. We truly had an AMAZING cruise, and spent a lot of time just relaxing and enjoying the boat. It was very laid back with no set schedule which I loved, and hope to do it again soon!

*Remember, I can book your cruise for you at no extra cost to you, on most cruise lines! Email heather@travelwiththemagic.com for a free quote!

QOTD: Do you like to get in the water or lay out on the beach?

Filed Under: Disney, vacation Tagged: Castaway Cay, cruise, Disney Cruise, Disney Fantasy, disney island, serenity bay, vacation

Disney Fantasy Part 1

May 17, 2013 by Heather

Back in April, Bobby and I boarded the Disney Fantasy for a much needed week of relaxing, just the two of us. We had an amazing time, and I wanted to share some of our trip with you! I won’t be doing a detailed report but will be sharing tidbits and photos! Remember, if you would like me to book your cruise at no extra coast to you I can help! heather@travelwiththemagic.com

We had a car from Southern Elegance Limousine bring us to the port. The car was beautiful, they were on time, and were so easy to work with. Highly recommended! We checked in and waited to get onboard the beautiful Disney Fantasy. We booked a category 4C, and once we got onboard and ate lunch, our room was ready.

We spent some time walking around and exploring the deck while we waited to sail away

Check out the beautiful couples villa at the spa!

We had a good time relaxing and hanging out but then it was time for dinner

Dinner was at Enchanted Garden and I absolutely love the theming!

We were lucky to get a table to ourselves, and we met our servers for the week, who we really enjoyed! After dinner, we went to the adult area for some fun game shows. I LOVE match you mate. Hilarious every time. If you cruise with Disney, don’t miss this! We turned in around 11:30, ready for Palo brunch reservations the next day!

QOTD: DO you like game shows? I like to watch and laugh at other peoples expense.

Filed Under: Disney, vacation Tagged: Castaway Cay, Disney, disney boat, Disney Cruise, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Fantasy, disney ship, mickey boat

Mickey Boat Time

April 13, 2013 by Heather

Fun news, Bobby and I are going on a CRUISE in two weeks! Yup, two weeks from today we will be setting sail on the Disney Fantasy for seven amazing nights in the Western Caribbean. We NEVER do anything last minute like this, but due to a few circumstances in our lives decided we needed to get away just the two of us. This week was the only one that worked for us, so yup, two weeks away, ah! I have been on the fantasy for a quick 3 night preview cruise, but Bobby has never been.

We will be staying in a Deluxe family oceanview stateroom with verandah.

We will be visiting Grand Cayman, Costa Maya, Cozumel, and Disney’s private island Castaway Cay.

Grand Cayman

Costa Maya

Cozumel

Castaway Cay

We have no big plans, no excursions, just a week of relaxing and hanging out, getting away from some crazy things going on.

Our awesome neighbors will be watching the house and the dogs, so all is taken care of. Don’t worry, I will have lots of great posts scheduled while I am gone so Through Heather’s Looking Glass will still be up and running!

Remember if you need help planning YOUR cruise on most cruise lines, contact me at heather@travelwiththemagic.com for information and a free quote!

QOTD: Do you plan out vacations well in advance or with short notice?

Filed Under: Disney Tagged: Castaway Cay, Disney Cruise, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Fantasy, disney ship

Cruise on the Magic Part 5: Castaway Cay

July 4, 2012 by Heather

Happy 4th of July! I am so blessed and honored to live in America, and am thankful for those past and present who have fought to protect our freedoms!

Check out my earlier installments of the cruise before reading this one!

We woke up very excited about this day, we were going to Castaway Cay! For those of you who don’t know about my husband and I’s obsession with Castaway Cay, here are a few posts you may want to read:

Castaway Cay 5k Take Two

Castaway Cay 5k

Disney Dream part 2

Disney Dream part 5

1st stop castaway cay

More of Castaway Cay day 1

Castaway Cay take 3

Get the idea? Anyway, because of our deep love the the island, we decided NOT to run the Castaway Cay 5k again. here’s why. I literally had just ran the race 5 weeks prior, and was totally cool not doing it again. Bobby didn’t care, he just wanted to be on the island. Also, it was very hot and I struggled 5 weeks prior due to my motion sickness patch, which I had on again and didn’t want to get dizzy like last time. We like to have as much time as possible and we love being the first ones out to the adult beach to get the best chairs and one of the coveted hammocks.

We watched us pull in from our verandah, it was really cool to see how everyone scurried around getting the boat tied off, and getting supplies on the island etc. before they let the passengers off.

As soon as we got the all clear to disembark, we headed to the gangway and were back in our favorite place on earth.

We hopped on the tram excited for a full day of relaxing fun in the sun. We switched trams to go to the adults only beach, serenity bay. I tell you no lie when I say we were LITERALLY the first people of the cruise to step foot on our beloved Serenity Bay, and it was fabulous. We have been the first one other time before and I just love those early morning few quiet minutes before it gets full of people.

This is the life

After awhile Bobby put on his goggles and headed out into the water, and I stole his hammock.

Bobby made a friend (don’t worry he put him back in the water!)

The sun was quite bright, so I found it necessary for my awesome hat to make a reappearance.

After lunch and more relaxing, we decided to head to the family beach so bobby could do some looking around underwater at some of the statues and things. We have never been to the family beach, and since it was about 2:30ish, it was already starting to empty out. We found some chairs/umbrellas in a quiet area and Bobby took off towards the water.

I may or may not have instantly fallen asleep for about 45 minutes. Bobby came back in from the water and we sat for a bit before decided to head back. Always the saddest part of the trip for me, walking back to the ship at the end of Castaway Cay day.