Sailing Solo: My Disney Dream Cruise Adventure

Embracing Magic, Connection, and Relaxation on the High Seas

Traveling solo can be one of life’s most magical experiences—especially when it happens aboard a Disney cruise. In this episode of the Me and the Magic podcast, I took listeners along for my memorable solo cruise, sharing insights, tips, and plenty of honest reflections about everything from upgraded rooms to pampering in the spa, island adventures, delicious eats, and those special concierge perks. Here’s a deeper dive into what made this voyage truly unforgettable.

Starting Solo—The Journey Begins

The adventure kicked off on the Brightline train from Orlando to sunny Fort Lauderdale, where I enjoyed a stay at the Hotel Maren (a Hilton property). The location selection is key when sailing out of Port Everglades: staying by the beach offered walkable restaurant and activity options and serenity.

For future solo travelers, I suggest weighing the convenience of location versus cost, especially with added resort fees, and remembering you can often use points or loyalty perks to make your stay more affordable.

Riding BrightLine: A Modern Train Experience

Getting to the port set the tone for how smooth travel can be: I took the BrightLine train from Orlando, opting for the premium class. With convenient luggage services, a comfortable lounge, and snacks galore, the experience rivaled first-class rail travel elsewhere. Bonus tip: premium gets you a free Uber voucher in Fort Lauderdale; just remember to use it ASAP before it expires later that day.

BrightLine’s app-based meal delivery system is a solo travel game-changer—no more standing in café car lines. The train staff were friendly, and the space felt especially inviting for someone journeying alone. I especially appreciated the attentive service as a solo passenger and the ability to easily move from train to rideshare and on to my hotel.

The Disney Dream Concierge Upgrade: Is it Worth It?

Here’s where the trip took an exciting turn. I decided to splurge on a concierge stateroom—and the perks began before I even boarded. Despite a minor hiccup with a stateroom assignment, I landed in a delightful Deck 12 veranda stateroom, complete with complimentary stocked fridge, exclusive concierge lounge access, and a large balcony.

The new Hercules-themed concierge lounge was stunning, loaded with gourmet snacks, a specialty coffee machine, and rotating culinary treats throughout the day. The concierge sundeck was a peaceful haven when the ship’s public decks became crowded—a true sanctuary for unwinding, reading, or simply soaking in ocean views.

Early show access, character meet-ups, and a concierge escort off the ship made me feel genuinely valued. If you’re debating the value, the answer depends on your personal travel style. For me, the tranquility and service were well worth this solo indulgence.

Onboard Adventures: Spa, Trivia, & Making Connections

I full enjoyed the Senses Spa’s fire and ice pedicure, and the Rainforest Room was pure bliss.

Solo travel doesn’t mean isolation; trivia sessions and communal dining sparked new friendships. It was heartening to find other solo travelers as my table mates at dinner, and spontaneous invites to dinner at Palo underscored the open, welcoming spirit of cruising solo.

Instead of running around to every event, I followed my whims—sometimes skipping a show to watch from my stateroom, wandering the ship, or reading on the pool deck. That freedom is solo travel at its finest.

Island Days & Port Reflections

Castaway Cay dazzled as always, though the hunt for the perfect beach chair remains real! Lunch on the island was hit-and-miss, but the turquoise water and soft sand more than made up for it. Lookout Cay was cloudier and rainier, but I embraced the change of pace, opting for shipboard relaxation and a Marvel movie matinee.

Effortless debarkation (with concierge escorting us past the very long line!), easy customs courtesy of biometric scans, and a seamless BrightLine return wrapped up the trip perfectly.

Final Thoughts: Why I’ll Cruise Solo Again

My Disney Dream solo cruise delivered more than a relaxing escape—it reminded me how choosing yourself, following your pace, and opening up to new people can make travel truly magical.

For anyone considering a solo journey, especially on Disney Cruise Line, my advice is simple: take the leap. You’ll find adventure, connection, and so much more than you imagined—often in the most unexpected places.

Ready to set sail solo? Tune in to the full episode of Me and the Magic for more tips, stories, and inspiration! See you on the high seas!

Navigating Last Minute Disney Cruises: Pros, Cons, and Planning Tips

Discover the nuances of booking a Disney cruise closer to the sail date, with insights on flexibility, cost savings, and potential challenges.

Embracing the Last-Minute Disney Cruise Adventure

The allure of spontaneity brings with it both excitement and apprehension, especially when it comes to planning a Disney Cruise. Whether you’re driven by the need to take a sudden getaway or a need to unwind after a stressful period, last-minute bookings come with a unique set of advantages and challenges.

The Pros: Flexibility and Cost Savings

More Flexibility

For many, the primary appeal of booking a cruise last minute is the flexibility it offers. If your personal or professional life comes with unpredictable schedules, being able to plan a vacation on a whim offers a refreshing freedom. Flexibility is especially beneficial for those with work constraints, caregiving duties, or undergoing medical treatments that necessitate adaptable travel plans.

Potential Cost Savings

Booking closer to the departure date can sometimes unlock unexpected financial advantages. Often, Disney releases special offers or discounts near the cruise date. For instance, as of this episode release date, Florida residents can save significantly on certain cruises, like Amanda found, with her cruise savings reaching 28% due to a special resident discount. This not only helped mitigate the usual “solo supplement” costs but also made a premium vacation more affordable than anticipated.

Pay Your Deposit Later

Unless you paid $250 for a placeholder for a future cruise while on a Disney cruise, to use toward your next cruise, then typically your deposit is due when you book your cruise. That deposit is usually around 20% of the cruise fare, though sometimes Disney will offer deals for a lower deposit. An advantage to booking the cruise closer to the sailing date is that you pay that deposit much later. However, the flip side is that if you book your cruise later, then your full payment is likely going to be due when you book. For cruises 5 nights or less, the final payment is due 90 days before the cruise, and for cruises 6 nights or longer, it’s due 120 days before. So just be prepared to pay for the entire cruise if you book it after those dates.

The Cons: Limited Choices and Potential Disappointments

Port Arrival Time

For cruise enthusiasts who value maximizing their time aboard, securing an early port arrival time is critical. Booking last minute might limit your options to later time slots. Despite the rush of securing an early port time when online check-in opens, some travelers prefer later arrivals to avoid terminal crowds. However, maintaining an optimistic outlook, regardless of your arrival time, ensures you won’t miss the ship’s initial excitement or its embarkation day lunch.

Dining and Activity Reservations

Adult dining reservations and onboard activities might already be fully booked if you’re securing your spot within the dwindling days before the cruise. Popular experiences like Palo Brunch or certain spa services become elusive. Yet, persistence pays off. Staying vigilant about cancellations or joining waiting lists on board can yield surprising opportunities. Flexibility with dining choices, such as opting for late dinner seatings, can lead to unexpectedly delightful experiences – fewer rushes and a slower, more relaxed dining pace.

Limited Stateroom Availability

The closer you are to the sail date, the more limited your stateroom choices become. If proximity to a specific area of the ship or room type is crucial, this could be a concern. However, cancellations are not uncommon, and monitoring potential openings can sometimes lead to better accommodations than anticipated.

Transportation and Hotels May Be More Expensive

Depending on how you will travel to your cruise port, booking closer to your cruise date may mean you’ll pay more for airfare, train tickets, and hotels.

Weighing the Decision: Is a Last-Minute Booking Right for You?

Ultimately, the choice to plan a Disney cruise at the eleventh hour hinges on personal priorities and circumstances. While Amanda herself deliberated between the joys of spontaneity and the prudence of early planning, she found last-minute cruising personally rewarding. The key lies in balancing what you’re willing to forego in the way of convenience and availability, against the benefits of agility and potential savings.

The thrill of embarking on a Disney voyage more adventurously doesn’t just lie in what’s included in a standard itinerary, but also in embracing the excitement of unforeseen experiences. With a positive mindset and these helpful tips, even a last-minute decision can morph into a treasure trove of delightful surprises and magical adventures.

So, whether you’ve planned months in advance or are still contemplating a spontaneously exhilarating journey, there’s magic waiting both on deck and beyond the shore. Until next time, keep dreaming and exploring – Disney style!

Join us In this special episode, as we recap our first Me and the Magic group cruise.

Our group sailed November 11-18, 2023, on the Disney Fantasy for a Very Merrytime sailing. The itinerary was a 7-night Eastern Caribbean sailing, with stops in Tortola, British Virgin Islands; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; and Disney’s Castaway Cay in the Bahamas. We also had 3 glorious sea days.

Several people from our group are here to share our favorite memories as we talk about the Disney Fantasy ship, the Eastern Caribbean itinerary, excursions at Tortola and St. Thomas, activities on board the ship, and what it was like to sail on a Very Merrytime cruise. 

Thanks to everyone for being on the show today. A special thanks to Beci Mahnken and Grace Korba, with MEI-Travel and Mouse Fan Travel, for sailing with us, and to all at MEI-Travel and Mouse Fan Travel who planned our group’s travels for the cruise and also pre-cruise and post-cruise. Also, thanks to Grace Korba for being part of this episode recap. Connect with Grace online on Facebook, or email Grace at gr*********@********el.com to plan your next trip.

Are you going on a Disney cruise, but you’re not sure what to pack? Join Amanda as she shares the ultimate Disney cruise packing list, cultivated from lessons learned on her several Disney cruises and from interviewing cruise experts and others who love sailing on Disney cruises.

What makes an ultimate Disney cruise packing list?

Start with experience and lessons learned from several Disney cruises, and add in interviews with cruise experts and other Disney cruise enthusiasts. Wrap all that up with helping others plan their Disney cruises, and there you have it… the ultimate Disney cruise packing list! Amanda covers what you need for packing supplies. Then, it’s on to the essentials you will need for travel, including travel documents and why you will want to bring smaller bills for tips.

Outfits and accessories are where you can have a lot of fun on your Disney cruise, and Amanda covers it all, including themed events and why you may want to dress up. Of course, you’ll need toiletries and any medications to stay healthy and feel great on your cruise. Amanda also shares what types of food and drinks are allowed to carry on to your cruise.

Of course, remember your electronics and chargers to stay connected. You can opt to purchase a Wifi package on board, but at a minimum you’ll want a smartphone to use the Disney Cruise Navigator app. This app will have all your cruise info, including the daily schedule, your main dining room restaurant rotation, restaurant menus, and a handy chat feature.

If you’re going on a Disney cruise, embrace your Disney side! Bring Disney pins to trade. Decorate your stateroom door with magnets. Meet characters and get their autographs in your autograph book. Join gift exchange groups and participate in a fish extender exchange, magnet exchange, and more.

There are many more items you’ll need for your cruise. Listen and then let Amanda know if you have any items you must pack for your cruises that she needs to add to the list!

Amanda’s Favorite Items to Bring on Your Next Disney Cruise

Read about Amanda’s favorites that she packs for every cruise in this in-depth article about the ultimate Disney Cruise packing list.

Get your free Disney Cruise Packing List

Download your free Disney Cruise packing list from Google sheets here.

Plan for Your Next Disney Cruise with This Checklist

If you missed Episode 114 about the ultimate Disney Cruise planning checklist, be sure to check that episode out, along with all other Disney Cruise episodes on the Me and the Magic podcast.

Amanda’s Disney Cruise History

Amanda’s love of Disney cruises started in January 2018 with her first Disney cruise with 2 friends on the Disney Dream. That 3-night cruise was amazing but way too short, so Amanda followed that up with two 7-night sailings on the Disney Fantasy and the Disney Wonder. The Disney Fantasy cruise was a Very Merrytime sailing and also Amanda’s first solo cruise. After the pause in cruises due to COVID, Amanda sailed on the Disney Magic on a 5-night Marvel Day at Sea cruise. Then, Amanda sailed twice on the Disney Wish, with the second sailing being a Very Merrytime cruise. Next up will be the Me and the Magic group cruise on the Disney Fantasy in November 2023, and then the Disney Treasure may be the next sailing!

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one’s little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

– Mark Twain

Travel connects us all, and a Disney cruise is one of my favorite ways to travel! Whether you are sailing solo, with friends or family, there’s a lot that goes into planning a Disney cruise. Whether it’s your first or fifth Disney cruise, a planning checklist is always a helpful way to take the stress out of planning and to make sure you aren’t missing any important details.

This ultimate Disney Cruise checklist will help you plan your next cruise vacation, so that you know when you need to be ready for booking activities and excursions. Listen as Amanda shares her lessons learned for the online check-in process that she’s done several times on her Disney cruises. 

Scroll down for links to resources mentioned in this episode, as well as a timeline of topics covered in this episode.

Download the Ultimate Disney Cruise Checklist

This Disney Cruise planning checklist breaks down the timeline and the steps for everything from booking activities to online check-in. Download your free Disney Cruise planning checklist PDF.

Resources for your next Disney Cruise 

LIsten to previous Me and the Magic podcast episodes about planning for a Disney cruise:

Episode 073: What to Do Before Your Cruise

Episode 051: Top 10 Planning Tips for a Disney Cruise

Episode 005: Planning a Disney Cruise – Solo and Family

Look up your departure port with all relevant information on the Disney Cruise Line ground transportation page.

Episode Timeline

• [06:31] Breakdown of Disney Cruise LIne’s Castaway Club levels, as well as first-time Disney cruisers and concierge cruisers.
• [08:31] What you need to do before your booking window opens for activities and excursions.
• [14:17] How to book activities and excursions, and when your booking window opens.
• [20:03] Planning travel to and from the ports.
• [21:53] Everything you need to know about the online check-in process.
• [31:11] Final month of planning before your cruise.
• [33:30] What to do the day before and the day of your cruise.

Grace Korba and Jaime Williams are back to share their top tips for saving money as you plan your next trip, and how to travel on a budget. We all share money-saving tips specifically for solo travelers as well.

Connect with Grace online on Facebook, or email Grace at gr*********@********el.com . Connect with Jaime online at Journeys by Jaime Leigh and on Facebook. Also, you may contact Grace and Jaime through MEI-Travel and Mouse Fan Travel.

Today, we are sharing Disney Cruise insider tips from a crew member. That crew member is Jessy Voris, who recently worked on the entertainment team on the Disney Wish for several months. Enjoy this fun conversation about what it’s like to live and work on a cruise ship for months and Jessy’s recommendations for enjoying the Disney Wish. Plus, we discuss the ports of call for the Disney Wish and how you can make the most of your time at each port. Last but not least, Jessy shares great tips for solo time aboard the Disney Wish and in each of the ports.

Connect with Jessy

You can find Jessy on Instagram here, and follow along on her next adventures.

In this episode…

Dawn Niebling and I share our experience aboard Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Disney Wish, after our 4-night Bahamas cruise with stops at Nassau and Castaway Cay. We give a full review of the Disney Wish and all it has to offer.

Resources from this episode

Be sure to listen to Episode 073, if you haven’t already, for our pre-cruise activities before we sailed out of Port Canaveral.

Connect with Dawn

Connect with Dawn on Facebook and Instagram.

Cruise with Us!

In Episode 069, we shared all the details of our first group cruise! We will be sailing on the Disney Fantasy, November 11-18, 2023, for a Very Merrytime 7-night Eastern Caribbean sailing with stops at Tortola (British Virgin Islands), St. Thomas (US Virgin Islands), and Disney’s Castaway Cay (Bahamas).

Join us for this special cruise! Go to DisneyTravelforAll.com/Fantasy2023 for all the details, and request a free quote.

You must book with the official group to be part of all the group activities (and surprises!).

In this episode…

My friend and I recently sailed for 4 nights on the Disney Wish! Before we dish on the Wish, we are sharing what to do before your cruise, including our the fun adventures we had before our cruise out of Port Canaveral. Plus, we share what you must do before you check in at the terminal.

Resources

In Episode 051, I shared the top 10 planning tips for your next Disney cruise.

Disney Cruise Line has suggestions on what to do around the Port Canaveral area before or after your cruise.

We really enjoyed our stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Cocoa Beach Oceanfront.

Cruise with Us!

In Episode 069, we share all the details of our first group cruise with the Disney Travel for All community! We will be sailing on the Disney Fantasy, November 11-18, 2023, for a Very Merrytime 7-night Eastern Caribbean sailing with stops at Tortola (British Virgin Islands), St. Thomas (US Virgin Islands), and Disney’s Castaway Cay (Bahamas).

Join us for this special cruise! Go to DisneyTravelforAll.com/Fantasy2023 for all the details, and request a free quote.

You must book with the official group to be part of all the group activities (and surprises!).

In this episode…

We share all the details of our first group cruise with the Disney Travel for All community! We will be sailing on the Disney Fantasy, November 11-18, 2023, for a Very Merrytime 7-night Eastern Caribbean sailing with stops at Tortola (British Virgin Islands), St. Thomas (US Virgin Islands), and Disney’s Castaway Cay (Bahamas).

Join us for this special cruise! Go to DisneyTravelforAll.com/Fantasy2023 for all the details, and request a free quote.

You must book with the official group to be part of all the group activities (and surprises!).

Resources from this episode

In Episode 006, Dawn and I talked about our 2 sailings in November 2019 on the Disney Fantasy with this same itinerary.

Connect with Grace

Connect with Grace on Facebook, or email Grace at gr*********@********el.com.