Trip Report Dreaming My Way Back to Disney. A First Ever Solo Trip

I’ve been back for over a month now and am finally getting around to writing about one of my best ever Disney trips. I spent 2 nights at All Star Movies, the first time staying here.

This was my first time back at Disney World since January 2020 when I did this:

But, I’m getting ahead of myself because the main part of the trip was…

A transatlantic cruise on the Disney Dream.

This has been a cruise I’ve wanted to take ever since my first cruise 11 years ago, so I was very excited to finally be able to do it.

So the plans were:

October 20th to November 2nd: 13 night Westbound Transatlantic cruise from Southampton to Fort Lauderdale with stops at Vigo (Spain), Lisbon (Portugal), Ponta Delgada (Azores) and Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point.

November 2nd: Brightline train from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando

November 2nd to November 4th: All Star Movies resort only stay with lots of good food, resort hopping and fireworks

And I did all of this completely solo, which as a mum of four was not something I’d had the opportunity to do before.

 

[Mr Ferret 75]

Sunday 27th to Thursday 31st October: Sea Days Overview


These five days followed a very similar routine and were so relaxing. After breakfast I would take my morning walk around deck 4 and then sit there overlooking the ocean for a while. Then up to the adult pool deck (because nice people bring cocktails) where I liked to sit at the front of the ship overlooking the ocean. Four of the days were absolutely gorgeous weather, the middle day was too windy for the adult pool deck to be open so I spent some time on the family pool deck which was surprisingly pleasant because there weren’t a lot of children on board.

I like to spend most of my time on a sea day outside if possible but for those who don’t there was so much to do. As well as the usual animation classes, arts and crafts and trivia there were a pair of professional dancers on board giving lessons a couple of times a day. There was also a chef giving cookery demonstrations, there were free food seminars as well as the usual upcharge drinks seminars. There was definitely a lot more going on than on any other cruise I’ve been on, it would be very difficult to be bored.

As we were sailing westbound there were a lot of beautiful sunsets to be seen

View attachment 838183

The hardest decisions I had to make were when and where to have lunch and should I spend my time before dinner going to the show, sitting in a bar or chilling on the verandah.

I didn’t have any internet connection until the last few days and only got it then because I wanted to check my emails to make sure my reservations after the cruise were all ok. It was so nice being disconnected like that, I only looked at a little bit of social media on the port days and I didn’t read any news the entire cruise. I obviously missed my family but I was able to keep in touch with them via WhatsApp which worked on the ship’s free wifi.

I ate far too much food, I had dessert at every meal which I very rarely eat at home. I put on five pounds over the two weeks I was away but I regret absolutely nothing, it was worth it.

It really was the most wonderful five days and probably the most relaxed I’ve been in a very long time.

I’ll do some posts for each day with the few photos I have, I just didn’t want to do a detailed account for each day because they were so similar.

Sounds like an awesome 5 days .

 

[Piglet_the_brave]

Sunday 27th October: Day at Sea 4

Morning on deck 4

Edge now takes one of the rooms that used to belong to Vibe and has an entrance on deck 4 on the opposite side of the ship to Vibe. There is also a wheelchair accessible entrance on deck 5. The outside pool space that used to belong solely to Vibe is now shared but has timetabled hours so the two age groups don’t mix.

Luxuriate and hydrate on deck 13. Mango mojito and sparkling water, I’d already had my caffeine.

Relaxing, I take knitting or crochet everywhere with me

Progress across the ocean

Afternoon on the verandah with miles and miles of nothing but ocean. According to the daily Captain’s report we had 5km of water underneath us.

 

[Piglet_the_brave]

Sunday 27th October: Day at Sea 4 (cont)

Dinner was European themed, I’m pretty sure I had the shrimp to start

The beef was excellent

Dessert menu

It was a hard choice because there was a lemon dessert on offer, but my love of Panna Cotta won

We also shared the strawberry crème puff which was really good

Back in the room

 

[Piglet_the_brave]

Monday 28th October: Day at Sea 5

Tacos for lunch again, dessert would have been the blueberry flavour soft serve that I’ve only ever seen on this cruise

Verandah views

You can just about see a ship on the horizon

Sunset

Progress across the ocean

 

[Piglet_the_brave]

Monday 28th October: Day at Sea 5 (cont)

Dinner was the Land and Sea menu

Shrimp to start and I had the beef which was very good but the lobster medallions were tiny

Lemon dessert again, delicious

Back in the room

 

[Piglet_the_brave]

Tuesday 29th October: Day at Sea 6

This was the day that the weather wasn’t very good and I don’t have any daytime photos

Getting closer

Dinner was the World of Flavour menu

I had the spring rolls to start

Prawn curry for my main course

There was nothing lemony on the dessert menu so I opted for the tiramisu which was fine. I make my own (with a lot of alcohol in) and I’m always slightly disappointed in restaurant tiramisu.

After dinner K and I rushed up to the sports deck because there was to be something completely new to me on a ship - stargazing at sea. It had been cancelled due to rain a few days earlier and I was keeping my fingers crossed that it would go ahead despite having bad weather earlier in the day. It was very windy up there, I was having to hold my skirt down with one hand and my hair with the other but it was so worth it. All the lights were switched off and at first I could only see a few stars, then as my eyes adjusted I started to see more and more. It was absolutely beautiful . Two of the ship’s officers were up there explaining what we were seeing but it was just so windy I couldn’t hear them even though they had microphones. I was just happy to gaze upwards at the view.

Back in the room

 

[Tiki Traveler]

Enjoying your report! But this - I just don’t see it…. What is it? I’m guessing something Star Wars….

View attachment 838376

 

[Piglet_the_brave]

Enjoying your report! But this - I just don’t see it…. What is it? I’m guessing something Star Wars….

I thought it might be a turtle but now I’m not sure . I couldn’t always tell what they were.

And thanks for following along

 

[Go.Nijntje]

I've never been on a Disney Cruise. Your trans Atlantic sounds so relaxing. From the menus you have shown, it doesn't seem as if I would like the food as I mostly eat vegetarian meals. The desserts look delicious .

 

[Piglet_the_brave]

I've never been on a Disney Cruise. Your trans Atlantic sounds so relaxing. From the menus you have shown, it doesn't seem as if I would like the food as I mostly eat vegetarian meals. The desserts look delicious .

There were always two vegetarian options on each menu, there’s also some off menu items available if you ask. On one cruise we had vegan table mates and our servers brought out a few Indian style dishes for them and some extras for us, I remember a very nice chickpea curry.

The desserts were really good

 

[Go.Nijntje]

There were always two vegetarian options on each menu, there’s also some off menu items available if you ask. On one cruise we had vegan table mates and our servers brought out a few Indian style dishes for them and some extras for us, I remember a very nice chickpea curry.

The desserts were really good

Thanks for letting me know. I love cruising but the price has kept me away from a Disney cruise so far.

 

[Piglet_the_brave]

Wednesday 30th October: Day at Sea 7

Morning walk on a very quiet deck 4. I was usually at breakfast at 7ish so was walking by 8.

Then up to the adult pool area by about 9. It was lovely being there so early, it was so peaceful.

Even though it was cloudy it was lovely and warm, definitely swimsuit weather.

I took this photo of the Vibe outdoor area to send to Lexi because it was her favourite spot on our summer cruise. Far too early for teenagers to be there.

Later in the morning, I do love those mango mojitos

Another ship, the clouds were breaking up by now and the weather was gorgeous

Dessert from Cabanas. The cupcake was a bit dry but the cheesecake was yummy

 

[Piglet_the_brave]

Wednesday 30th October: Day at Sea 7 (cont)

Relaxing on the verandah

That evening the characters were out in their Halloween outfits. That lady looks very happy to see Chip and Dale.

Dinner was in Enchanted Garden

Shrimp to start which was good

Then I had the New York strip steak for my main course which I really didn’t enjoy. It was very tough and definitely the worst dish I had on the cruise. I know my server would have brought me something else if I’d asked but I had somewhere I wanted to be after dinner so didn’t want to take too long eating. I did have dessert but can’t remember what I had and my notes for that day aren’t very helpful as they’re just two words about later that evening.

 

[Mr Ferret 75]

I'm not surprised with how happy the lady was to see Dale and Chip. They were mysteriously absent on a lot of the European cruises.

 

[Piglet_the_brave]

I'm not surprised with how happy the lady was to see Dale and Chip. They were mysteriously absent on a lot of the European cruises.

That’s odd. I can’t remember now if they were on our summer cruise

 

[Mr Ferret 75]

That’s odd. I can’t remember now if they were on our summer cruise

We heard rumours that they were kept below decks after some crazy scenes on one of the first European cruises.

 

[Go.Nijntje]

Such nice pictures from your verandah.

 

[Piglet_the_brave]

Wednesday 30th October: Day at Sea 7 (cont)

The reason I didn’t want to take too long over dinner was that tonight we were having another fireworks show and I wanted to get a good spot to watch them. There was also a Mickey and friends dance show on the pool deck but I wasn’t bothered about seeing that so prioritised fireworks viewing. Once we’d finished dinner M and I rushed up to the adult area to claim a good spot.

Waiting for them to start

It was an excellent viewing spot and I was so happy to see more Disney fireworks

Back in the room, I really don’t know what this is maybe a bird of some kind

 

[Piglet_the_brave]

Thursday 31st October: Day at Sea 8

The final sea day

There was still some work being done on the ship

Another gorgeous day. This was the hottest sea day, in the mid 80s

Last morning on the pool deck

An empty concierge pool area, I never saw that many people in there

Almost there, I was excited to be going to Lookout Cay but a bit sad that the cruise was nearly over

 

[Piglet_the_brave]

Thursday 31st October: Day at Sea 8 (cont)

Even though it wasn’t an official Halloween on the High Seas cruise there were still some Halloween activities going on. During the afternoon there was trick or treating for the children, then before dinner there was a dance party in the atrium. I managed to get a good spot up on deck 5 to watch all the fun. It was so cute, highlights were Donald dancing along to Ghostbusters and Mickey doing the Time Warp.