planDisney Trip Reports

When my family sets sail on a Disney Cruise, we all look forward to leaving our cares behind, diving into fun activities, and making lasting memories together. Our time aboard the Disney Wish was filled with opportunities to play, explore, relax, and connect. We’re a family of four with varying interests and vacation must-dos, but we all agree on one thing: a Disney Cruise is the ultimate family vacation! Here are our family highlights from our sailing aboard the incredible Disney Wish: 

Favorite Onboard Activities: 

Feeling like an Imagineer at Disney’s Oceaneer Club - My daughter loved sliding down to the Oceaneer Club to join the Crew Member-led activities within the Imagineering Lab. Her favorite activity was decorating cakes. This place seriously makes me wish I was a kid again!

Making friends and playing video games in Edge - Edge was THE hang-out spot for my tween son. He could play video games, eat chips, drink soda, and gather a group together to play basketball (aka live his best life). 
Sliding into the story on AquaMouse - My family enjoys watching The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse cartoons together, so we loved splashing through this Disney attraction at sea and went multiple times to catch both versions of the attraction.

Free Throw Contest at Hero Zone - The free throw contest was a highlight for my husband and son. While neither of them won, they made some shots, shared some laughs, and enjoyed some bonding time on the court.
Trivia - I’m overly competitive and can’t help myself with all of the fun trivia games onboard. We won a Marvel-themed trivia during our cruise! I proudly wore my “Winner” medal to celebrate my achievement/humble brag for the rest of the day.

Disney Seas the Adventure in the Walt Disney Theatre- I wish I could watch this show over and over on repeat! The storyline is heartwarming, the music makes me want to sing along, and the performers are just fantastic. I was practically dancing out of the theatre. I cannot say enough good things about this live show!
 
Favorite Dining Experiences: 

Letting it Go at Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure - The entertainment at this dining experience onboard blew us all away! We laughed, we sang, we had special moments with our Frozen pals, and the whole family was happy. 
1923 - This was my husband’s favorite restaurant in the dining rotation. The atmosphere was sophisticated while still being very comfortable, and the food was a big hit for everyone. My kids fell in love with the pasta dish on the menu.
Donald’s Cantina - My son could (and did) eat here every single day for lunch during our sailing. He just couldn’t get enough of building his own custom-made tacos or bowls with an impressive variety of ingredients. 

Worlds of Marvel - We were all engrossed in the world of superheroes while we dined, but the one thing my daughter won’t stop talking about is the Pym Doughnut Sundae she had for dessert. It combined the flavors of caramel, fudge, and brownies and was topped with whipped cream and a chocolate-glazed mini-doughnut. What’s not to love?

Palo Steakhouse - My husband and I booked a brunch reservation for this adult-exclusive restaurant to celebrate our anniversary. The service was absolutely fantastic, and the meal was divine. I discovered a new-found obsession with their blueberry muffins, and we shared our all-time favorite Palo brunch dishes of Lasagna Bolognese and Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Breast
 
Favorite Activities at Disney Castaway Cay:

Castaway Ray’s Stingray Adventure - This Port Adventure experience might have been my favorite memory from the whole vacation. It was fascinating to learn more about stingrays and have an opportunity to feed, gently touch, and swim among these amazing sea creatures. I felt my kids were at the perfect age to appreciate a close encounter with a stingray and to be excited to snorkel among them.

Scuttle’s Cove - My daughter was so excited to check in to the kid’s area on the island. We did some activities together in the morning as a family and then she couldn’t wait to see what the counselors were up to at Scuttle’s Cove. She had a blast playing games and even took part in a friendly water fight.

Edge at In Da Shade Games - The 11-14 year-olds met up on the island for some counselor-supervised games at the shaded pavilion, and our son stopped by to play. They have checkers, foosball, billiards, table tennis, and basketball. 
Serenity Bay - With our kids happily engaged in their own activities, my husband and I took the opportunity to rent bikes and take a leisurely ride over to the adult-exclusive beach. We relaxed in a hammock, and as we swayed in the ocean breeze, we reflected on how grateful we were to be making such wonderful family memories. 

Trip: Disney’s Vero Beach Resort
Panelist: Lauren B.

As a Disney family who occasionally wants to expand our horizons and enjoy vacations outside of the parks, I was beyond excited when I learned more about Disney’s Beach Resorts! With locations on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina and the Atlantic coast of Florida, these two beachfront properties are the perfect mix of Magic and relaxation.

My family recently took a break at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort, and we are already counting down the days until we go back! Literally steps from the beach, this property is made up of the Inn, multiple outer buildings that house 1- and 2-bedroom villas and for Disney Vacation Club Members, a few of the most adorable 3-Bedroom cottages that sleep up to 12. While my family chose to stay in the Inn (which is the main building including the lobby on the ground floor) I can’t wait to try out a 1-Bedroom Villa the next time we visit.

My family and I have a deep love of Disney Parks, but we were looking for a slower pace trip and found exactly that at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort. With plenty of time to kick-back and enjoy the beach vibe we quickly fell in love with this unique resort.

Top 5 Favorite Things about Disney’s Vero Beach Resort

#5- The pool area (with onsite dining options): As a mom who constantly cautions my kids about being “too far” out in the ocean, the pool was the perfect alternative when they wanted to swim, and the slide was a huge hit with my kids. When we were lounging by the pool, it was so easy to grab a bite to eat or Dole Whip from the Wind and Waves Market. While there is a plethora of choices in the neighboring area, my family’s goal of the trip was to relax and leave our car in park, so it was great to have a table-service and quick-service option right at the resort!

#4- Cast Members: Every single Cast Member we encountered at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort helped make our stay Magical. They were warm, welcoming, and helpful from check-in to check-out. One of the reasons my family continues to visit the Walt Disney World Resort year after year is how the Cast Members try to spread extra pixie dust when they can. This was evident at Vero Beach too!

#3- The proximity to the ocean: I loved that I could wake up with an ocean view and enjoy that first cup of coffee while watching the waves. And… after spending a sun filled day in the sand it was amazing to be back in our room and out of the sun in less than five minutes!

#2- Games, sports, and campfire fun: While I would be content to lay on the beach with a good book all day, my 10 and 11-year-old love to be active and at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort we had plenty of opportunity for both. My kids signed up for crafts in the Community Hall (located near the pool area), used the basketball court, and played endless games of ping pong and corn hole every evening. Our favorite family activity, however, was the campfire sing-along. A short walk from the Inn, a large campfire was set up, complete with marshmallows for roasting. Two Cast Members kept the energy up and the crowd engaged and giggling through the songs.

#1- Sea Turtle Conservation: Hands-down, this was the most talked about aspect of the trip for my kids. When we first arrived at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort, we chatted with a Cast Member about some of the activities available for kids. She steered us toward the turtle experience, and we were so glad she did! Available to sign up (for a small fee), kids learn about Disney Conservation efforts, make a sea-themed craft and take a walk on the beach with a Cast Member, learning in real time about sea turtles and discovering their nests. They received a certificate at the end and felt so empowered to help turtles by small acts like picking up trash on the beach. This activity made a huge impact on my school-age kids and prompted them to really appreciate how much this resort does daily to protect the sea turtle. My kids will say that this is a “must-do” for any animal loving Mouseketeer!

To learn more about this Disney vacation, be sure to visit Disney’s Vero Beach Resort website. And for more great tips and recommendations for planning your next Disney vacation, stop by @planDisneypanel on Instagram, @planDisney on X, or planDisney.com. We look forward to answering all your Disney vacation planning questions.