Disney Cruise Archives - Through Heather's Looking Glass

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

Disney Fantasy Cruise 2016: Day 6

March 14, 2016 by Heather

In my last installment, we left off after our Grand Cayman day and dinner at delicious Palo. The next day was a big one, as it was the first ever Star Wars Day at sea. This had been hyped up immensely, and while they did do some things right and had the right idea, it wasn’t all executed well.

The day before we had two port adventure tickets on or bed telling us to be at the Tube at 9:15 for an immersive character experience. We had brunch at Palo at 10:30, so we decided to skip breakfast, do our character meet, then get ready to eat. We stood in line at the tube for ten minutes….to take a picture with a bounty hunter. You are not told ahead of time who will be your character. Some people got two characters at one time. Some people got 2-3 tickets. We got two (one the next day which was weird). It was just a photo, nothing immersive about it so that was kind of a let down.

We decided to head to the lobby because there were supposed to be characters walking around all day. Everyone was just kind of standing around waiting. These were the only ones we saw, below.

We decided to give up, and go get ready for brunch.

We LOVE Palo brunch. Before we ever did Palo dinner, we did brunch and it became a trip highlight for us. It’s a buffet but there are also plated items you can order as well. The chicken parmesan is amazing. As is the dessert table.

After we sufficiently stuffed ourselves, we changed and headed up to the pool deck to relax and do some reading. I ordered the Star Wars drink of the day which was called “galaxy in a glass”. it was like a strawberry smoothie but I tasted zero alcohol in it which was a bummer considering the price.

The quick service locations on the pool deck also had Star Wars themed food.

The ship horn played Star Wars music a couple of times throughout the day, but other then that there wasn’t the fanfare that we expected. The stores had TONS of great merchandise, though commemorating Star Wars Day at Sea.

We also finally had a chance to ride the Aqua Duck in the afternoon. We passed along the entire length of Cuba all day, so that was cool to see as well!

We may have gotten some ice cream, too.

We eventually got ready for dinner at Animators Palate.

One thing that was kind of cool was since this was the inaugural Star Wars Day at Sea, we were the first ones to hold the special new menus.

All the food was themed which was cute.

After dinner, we made our way to the Walt Disney Theater for a showing of the new movie, the Force Awakens, in 3D. There was plenty of Star Wars merchandise at the concession stand as well.

After the movie, we had to hustle to the pool deck for the deck party and fireworks. The fireworks were cool set to Star Wars music, but the deck party/stage show was lacking. We thought there would be a fight scene, or storm troopers taking over the ship, etc, but it was nothing like that.

Instead of having a buffet on pirate night, we had one after the deck party, and they had it decorated very nicely. The food was pretty much the same as you see on pirate night with a few additions, but I loved all the décor!

Crepes for the win!

We were bummed that the adult trivia challenge was at the same time as the buffet, because I know Bobby would have done really well!

We went to bed after we ate, all in all a good relaxing day. I just think Disney hyped up the day a little too much then didn’t deliver, but hopefully they will make improvements for the future, because there is a lot of potential!

QOTD: Do you like Star Wars? Have you ever done Palo brunch?

Filed Under: blogging, Disney, vacation Tagged: cruise, Disney Cruise, Disney Fantasy, star wars

Disney Fantasy Cruise 2016: Day 5 Part Two

March 3, 2016 by Heather

We ended halfway through our Grand Cayman day in my last installment. After we got back to the ship, we decided to go to the gym. I most definitely was not in the mood to workout, so I just did a few weight machines then did 45 minutes on the stationary bike while I read my book. I planned to eat a lot at dinner that night because we were going to Palo, so the gym was definitely needed! We were literally the only ones in there for the first half hour, which was nice, but also kind of funny.

Bobby stayed to do some more working out, so I sat on our balcony and read my book with Grand Cayman in the background. Not too shabby of a view.

I can’t remember what else I did that afternoon, probably took a nap, to get myself ready for my favorite dinner, Palo! Palo is an adults only restaurant on board the Disney ships, and it is amazing. If you have cruised Disney but never diner at Palo, I highly highly recommend you reserve a spot on your next cruise!

After we checked in, we went on the balcony and enjoyed the most gorgeous sunset. Sadly, my iPhone pictures don’t do it justice, but it was breathtaking.

We were soon seated at a table all the way in the back with a great view of the ocean.

Our server was great, and I love how they don’t rush you. Based on the below photo, you would think there were four people at our table. No no, just use two.

Always ALWAYS save room for dessert at Palo! Best chocolate soufflé ever.

We were also given this very sweet message from the chef for our anniversary.

After we were sufficiently stuffed, we headed out.

This guy was waiting foe us in our room.

Someone gave us this Star Wars mask and I think it’s SO FREAKY. Bobby saved it and occasionally sneaks up on me with it. I am never amused by this.

We got out of our fancy clothes and into some sweats and headed to one of the movie theaters to see Inside Out. I hadn’t seen it yet, and it was super cute. Then it was off to bed, because our Star Wars Day at Sea was the next day, and I knew a very excited little boy who wasn’t going to want to miss any of it…well, maybe excited big boy is a better term!

QOTD: Do you workout on vacation? Have you eaten at Palo?

Filed Under: Disney, fitness, food, vacation Tagged: Disney Cruise, Disney Fantasy, grand cayman, Palo, vacation

Disney Fantasy Cruise 2016: Day 4

February 15, 2016 by Heather

We left off the vacation recap talking about our day in Cozumel at Mr. Sanchos. After we took a cab back to the port area, we went on the hunt for some tequila. Our cab driver told us about a shop a few blocks down, but they wanted $35 a bottle (insanity) and then said he would give it to me for $30 (still insanity). We ended up just saying oh well, and headed to the ship.

That’s when we went through the outdoor mall area, and I saw a drugstore that had a big sign that said “tequila”, so we ran in to take a peek, and found big bottle for $7 and $9 a piece. Now that’s what I’m talking about!

We took a couple of photos then headed back to the beautiful Disney Fantasy.

It was pirate night, and we were eating in the Enchanted garden. Our table mates had Palo that night, so we dined by ourselves.

We had a great table right by the window. This is my favorite of the three main dining rooms, it’s so pretty!

We hurried through dinner and back to our room to change, because…

IT WAS FOOTBALL TIME! The national championship was on that night, and having been onboard a Disney ship during the NFL playoffs before, I knew it may get crowded. We headed to ‘O Gill’s Pub, and grabbed two chairs right in front of the big screen, and settled in to read out books…..because the game didn’t start for over an hour. (#Hardcore). Anyway, time went by and no one else came! Finally a few minutes before kickoff more people made their way in, but we were shocked at how empty it was…until I remembered this was a Star Wars cruise and we joked that was the reason there were so people in the bar for the game. Heh.

I ordered a drink and we had a great time watching.

Something I think I failed to mention in my other recaps is that I HAD NO VOICE. Right after the half marathon as we were sitting outside cheering in the other runners, I realized my voice was getting kind of raspy. I felt ok, and chalked it up to the crazy weather (very humid but cold). However, my voice got worse until it was completely gone. The first two days of the cruise I couldn’t talk except in a whisper, and even by the last day it still wasn’t completely back. My throat hurt and I felt tired and coughed, but I had no other sickness symptoms and it took a month for me to feel like my voice was completely back. SO random! I say all this to say, imagine me screaming at the TV in the pub with not voice. It was pretty funny.

The next day we were in Grand Cayman. We had to tender, but I don’t mind because the water is so beautiful and I like the ride to and from the ship.

I was just happy to finally see some sunshine! We usually hit up seven mile beach, but since we knew we still had a beach day at Castaway Cay (insert ominous music here) we decided to walk down to Margaritaville for some drinks and free Wi-Fi.

Hello, Georgetown!

It was crazy how warm it was! It was in the 80’s and pretty humid. I couldn’t get over it since it was January of course.

We had no wait (this place is HUGE) and even had a table where we could see the ocean. We ordered some Margaritas, chips and salsa, and just enjoyed hanging out listening to the music while we did some work on our phones/iPad and checked in back home.

Round two was a Pina Colada, it was delicious.

Pool upstairs? So cool!

After a couple of hours we decided to walk around a little more then head back to the ship. There were some clouds rolling in and we didn’t want to get trapped in a storm trying to get on a tender boat.

I was decked out in my ASICS gear this day, too. Nice and light for a hot day.

One thing I love about Disney Cruises is the special attention to detail. For instance, they were handing out freezing cold washcloths as we headed to the tender boats, and they had different types of water for us as well.

Such a nice touch!

The towels felt great on this hot afternoon, and we were soon headed back to the Fantasy.

This post is getting a little long so I will stop there for now.

QOTD: Have you ever been to Grand Cayman or Cozumel?

Filed Under: Disney, vacation Tagged: cozumel, cruise, Disney Cruise, Disney Fantasy, grand cayman, vacation

Disney Fantasy Cruise 2016: Mr. Sanchos

February 10, 2016 by Heather

We woke up the next day in Cozumel. We have been to Cozumel many times before on previous cruises, and we typically go to the same beach, but wanted to try somewhere different this time. I had heard great things about Mr. Sanchos through various message boards, so we decided to give it a try. Mr. Sanchos is an all inclusive beach club that has pools, drinks, tons of food, the beach, free wi-fi, and many other amenities. It is kid friendly, and open every day except Sunday.

We were so stoked to go bask in the sun and drink fruity drinks all day…until we woke up to a storm. When I say it was raining…it was raining, yall.

In true Disney fashion, we were handed awesome ponchos as we exited the ship. We trudged up the pier in the driving rain, getting soaked along the way. We made it to a taxi, and were headed to the beach. As soon as we got to our destination, it stopped raining! This was a miracle because it was supposed to rain all day.

Excited to get going, we headed to the entrance and were greeted by our server for the day. We were told what was included for us, and what was extra (the inflatable water toys are extra but because of the weather, they didn’t even have them out, also things like massages, hair braiding, wave runners, snorkeling, and horseback riding were extra.) If you don’t want to go the all inclusive route, there are al la carte options as well.

You get a LOT of stuff for the price! I am married to a garbage disposal, so I knew he would eat over $55.00 in food alone, and well, I like my fruity drinks. We were shown around, and explained that there was a buffet but we could also order from the menu. Because of the weather, there were not many people there, which was fine with us! There were plenty of lounge chairs and tables with adorable straw umbrellas.

We set up our little spot at a table, and ordered our first round of drinks as well as some chips and guacamole.

The drinks are good, yall. I didn’t taste a ton of alcohol, but they were delicious. My favorite was the Blue Sea. The chips and guac were amazing as well. II t was so nice to know we didn’t have to look at food prices all day!

I decided to take a walk around to get some photos while Bobby read a book. Also, the free wi-fi is up by the buffet under a giant pavilion, so I brought my ipad up there to check my email and text my mom to check on the wee one.

I also checked out the bathroom which were very clean, for those wanting to know (this is always important to me!) In fact, everything was very clean on the whole property.

The pool looked really awesome with the bar at it and there were tables and chairs IN the pool which I thought was neat.

Anyone care to swing?

Hammock for a nap maybe?

Our server was very attentive and balanced that very hard line between coming to check on us too much and not enough, he really did a great job.

After a little reading we ordered some more food. I got the quesadillas, Bobby got the shrimp tacos as well as coconut shrimp, and I got more of the delicious guacamole and a bottle of water.

We also ended up ordering a couple other things but I can’t remember now, however everything was tasty!

We left around 3:30 as all aboard for the boat was 4:45 and we still wanted to shop for some tequila. One thing to note is as you walk in and out you have to pass by a bunch of people trying to sell you things and some were kind of…persistent, and I just told them no thank you, but just a heads up for those who get anxious by those types of things. Some ladies came around a couple of times asking if we wanted a massage or hair braiding and we politely declined. They weren’t annoying or pushy though which was nice.

Would I go back here? Absolutely! Hopefully on a sunny day, and I would ask for double shots in my drinks. When I weighed out the price of the food and drinks alone, we would have spent more than $55 a person, not to mention the use of the facilities and what was super important to me, the free wi-fi. It’s great to be able to check in on work or family without paying the ridiculously high prices for data on board the ship!

All in all we had a great day at Mr. Sanchos despite the weather. If anyone has any questions about it I would be happy to answer! (Be sure to follow them on Facebook for updates and great beach pictures!)

QOTD: Have you ever been to a beach all inclusive? What do you do on a rainy port day on a cruise?

Disclosure: I was provided with two complimentary day passes from Mr. Sanchos, however all opinions are my own.

Filed Under: family, food, vacation Tagged: all inclusive, beach, cozumel, Disney Cruise, Mr. Sanchos, vacation

Disney Fantasy Cruise 2016: Day 2

February 2, 2016 by Heather

After my 12 hour sleep the night before, I was ready to enjoy our first full day on board the Disney Fantasy. It was a day at sea, as we sailed towards Cozumel. We got up, ate breakfast at the buffet at Cabanas, and headed to the adult pool area.

I brought three novels to read, something I haven’t done in a LONG time, and I was really excited to just relax, read, and nap, and that’s exactly what we did, with a mimosa thrown in at some point. We were officially on vacation.

We had lunch at Cabanas, and went right back out to our lounge chairs for more reading and napping. What an exciting day, huh? Check out our view. If you look closely, you can see land.

Later in the afternoon we headed back to our room to shower and get ready for formal night. Let me just take a minute to say how happy I am that formal night is early on in the cruise, before we ate all the things and then had to fit into a nice dress.

By the way the lighting in the cabins is terrible for picture taking! I didn’t think to go out on the balcony until later in the cruise. I blame the sun, or something like that.

We had dinner in Animator’s Palate, and we were also recognized for our 9 year wedding anniversary a couple of days prior. Yummy dessert!

After dinner, we changed clothes and walked around a bit before heading to the adult club for some fun and games. I want to say we also saw the show Aladdin in the theater this night.

I was so excited when I say the lady in charge of the adults for the week was one we have had before, and she is HILARIOUS, and did not disappoint. We played a game Bobby and I both love called “The Quest”. If you have been on a DCL cruise, hopefully you have played. It’s a scavenger hunt game, where you are in teams with a number and you have to bring “your number, AND ____” to the front, and the people who do it fastest get the most points. Think things like a man wearing a bra, two men skipping holding hands, a girl in men’s shoes, etc. etc. So many laughs my stomach hurt, and thankfully this time I didn’t have to be the one to take off my bra in front of strangers.

Anyway, our team ended up winning, which was even more fun! We were given Disney Cruise Line hats as a prize, because, it’s what all the cool kids wear.

We were worn out after all the fun, so headed back to our room to discover this guy:

The next day was Cozumel, and we had heard it was supposed to storm all day, so we crossed our fingers the weather would hold out, and went to bed.

QOTD: Have you ever played the Quest? Do you dress up for formal night on a cruise?

Filed Under: Disney, family, vacation Tagged: dcl, Disney, Disney Cruise, formal night, travel, vacation

Disney Fantasy Cruise 2016: Day 1

January 27, 2016 by Heather

Hey friends! So two weeks later I finally recapped the runDisney marathon weekend expo, race, blogger meet up, interviews, and marathon weekends at Bonnet Creek. Whew! So much to say for just being in town for 24 hours! Anyway, it’s time to move on to something fun, the cruise! I plan to only post a couple of these a week until I’m done so they won’t be back to back to back or anything. But let’s start with after the race on Saturday:

We got a ride back to our hotel from a friend, we quickly showered and checked out, and our car was waiting downstairs. We had a private transfer scheduled from Southern Elegance. They do an amazing job, are on time, handle your bags for you, and everything. it’s top notch and our favorite way to get to the port. We were SO exhausted from the race plus our 2.5 hours of sleep that as soon as we started for the port, we CRASHED in the back seat. I woke up about ten minutes from the port, so it was great to get a little power nap in before getting on the ship! We got out bags to the porters, got through security, and waited in line to get checked in. It was 12:30 and I decided I really like checking in at this time of day. There was no waiting for your number to be called or anything, we just walked right on at about 12:45, which was amazing.

Our name was called as we boarded the boat and the crew clapped and cheered for us. I was so ready to start a fun week of relaxing and cruising! The first thing we did was head to get our dining assignment changed to early dinner, and snag a Palo brunch reservation. Once that was handled, it was time to eat! Up to Cabanas buffet we went. After lunch, the rooms were ready so we went to put our stuff down and check it out.

We had a great aft location on deck nine, and I would totally get this location again. We were two flight down from the pool deck and buffet, and I much preferred the aft elevators because they weren’t as busy as mid ship.

We spent some time wandering around taking pictures and enjoying the ship before the muster drill. We had been SO go go go the past 24 hours, that it was nice to just finally sit and relax.

Oh, I forgot to mention that this was a special cruise. It was the first of the Star Wars day at sea cruises, but more on that later.

After the muster drill, we got ready for our 5:45 dinner rotation. For those not familiar with Disney cruising, they do this cool things called rotational dining. There are three main dining rooms you rotate between, and your servers stay with you the whole cruise so you can get to know each other. it’s really great, so we were excited to meet our servers and table mates!

I will admit, I was a little nervous about meeting our table mates, It’s totally luck of the draw, and on previous cruises we would do the late seating to get a table by ourselves. However, since we are now old and go to bed early (haha) we wanted early dinner which meant sharing a table. I have heard some people have amazing experiences and some not so much, so we went for it, and ended up making new friends!

We ate at Royal Court that night, and I had TWO desserts. I deserved it right? I did run a half marathon that morning…

Usually we go to the adult clubs for a really fun game show that they have the first night, but I was SO exhausted that I fell asleep at 8:00. EIGHT YALL! I ended up sleeping for twelve hours. I guess my body really needed it!

Up next time: Our first sea day.

QOTD: Mickey bar or Mickey ice cream sandwich? Have you ever been on a Disney cruise?

Don’t forget, as a Disney travel planner, I can book your cruise for you at no extra charge! Email heather@travelwiththemagic.com for details

Filed Under: Disney, vacation Tagged: cruise, Disney Cruise, Disney Fantasy, vacation

Disney Magic Photos

September 4, 2015 by Heather

I have really been missing cruising lately, and as I was going through some photos on my computer earlier this week, I came across these from when I sailed on the Disney Magic right after it was refurbished a couple of years ago. Disney went to great lengths to update this ship, and while it is still lacking in some areas, it looks much better than it did before.

One thing I love about the Magic is how cozy it feels. Bigger isn’t always better!

Now that I have a little one, I have been paying more attention to photos of kid areas.

Yes, I went down the slinky dog slide!

Superhero fun anyone?

I did NOT go on the new waterslide!

Disney made the rooms all look like the staterooms on the Dream and the Fantasy.

Something a lot of people didn’t notice was that Disney added shaded areas over some of the pool chairs. Definitely needed!

Also don’t forget there is an all new restaurant that took the place of Parrot Cay.

Who is ready to sail on the Magic? Have you been on this ship, or any of the Disney cruise line ships? Which is your favorite? I would love to book your trip for you, it doesn’t cost you anything extra! heather@travelwiththemagic.com

QOTD: What is your favorite cruise line or port that you have stopped in?

Filed Under: blogging, Disney, vacation Tagged: Disney, Disney Cruise, Disney magic, ship, vacation

What’s On Your Tree?

December 15, 2014 by Heather

When I visit someone’s house during Christmastime, I like to spend some time looking at the ornaments on their tree. Not only do I find them beautiful and fun, but I think you can find out a lot about a family by looking at their tree. I look at it kind of like a scrapbook of sorts, and think that Christmas trees have so much personality! Let’s take a look at what I am talking about.

Here are a few of the categories of ornaments you can typically find:

Hobbies: A lot of people have ornaments that tell you about what they like to do. For instance, my dad has a couple of golf ornaments, and at my house, you will find a volleyball ornament and running ornament.

Favorite things: Just like different hobbies, everyone has their favorites. Movies, sports, teams, animated characters, sayings, and colors. Bobby has a Gandalf ornament on our tree, and I have a New Orleans Saints Superbowl one. Also, anyone who looked at my tree would know that I am a fan of McAlisters, especially their sweet tea. You may also find a few Disney princesses chilling on my tree.

Occupation: Ornaments may also give you a hint as to a persons occupation.Fun fact some of you newer readers may not know, but I used to teach 5th grade!

Handmade/Kid ornaments: Whether you have children in your house or are just sentimental, you probably have a few very old handmade ornaments hanging on your tree (ok, some of them may have been pushed to the back). The two below are ornaments that I made in grade school but can’t seem to part with. besides, who HASN’T made a clothespin reindeer?!?

Places Visited: Another favorite category is places visited. I know a lot of people (myself included) that like to collect ornaments whenever they go on vacation or visit a new place. I think these are a great reminder of the fun vacations I have had, and bring back some of my favorite memories. I have several Disney resort ornaments, but the Polynesian and Grand Floridian are my favorites, along with my Disney Cruise Line and Disneyland ornament.

Favorite Memories: Following along the same thread as vacation/places visited, a special milestone such as a wedding or gradation always make great ornaments. Some of my favorites are ones that we purchased after running races. For instance, below you will see the ornament I bought after we completed the Inaugural Dumb Double Dare in Disneyland.

As much as I love all of my ornaments, this last one means the most. If it wasn’t for Jesus’ birthday, we wouldn’t even be celebrating at all HE is the reason for the season, so amongst all your shopping, wrapping, eating and baking, don’t leave him out. Happy Birthday Jesus!

QOTD: If I looked at your tree, what would it tell me about you?

Filed Under: Faith, family, holidays Tagged: Christmas, Christmas tree, Disney, Disney Cruise, Disney ornaments, Disney World, Disneyland, runner, teacher

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