Holiday Happenings on the Disney Dream and Castaway Cay

Our fifth Disney Cruise is quickly approaching.  We reserved the cruise almost a year and a half ago while sailing on our fourth Disney Cruise.   We are sailing the same ship—the Disney Dream—in the same stateroom (5022—click here to read more), and the same itinerary—5 night Bahamian with two stops at Castaway Cay, a “double dip.”

Why, you ask, would we take the SAME cruise again?  Well, the last time we sailed it was July, and this time, it will be the holiday season, Christmas actually, and we have some different activities to look forward to and the ship, and Castaway Cay, will be decorated for the holidays.

Here are some of the festivities we can look forward to:

• “King Triton’s Tree Lighting” in the atrium.  A child will assist the Disney characters as the three-deck-tall tree is lit.  This happens on the first night and is aptly named, as King Triton is both Ariel’s father and king of the sea.
• The Disney characters will be dressed in their holiday outfits throughout the cruise adding to photo and autograph sessions.
• There will be special holiday craft activities including making holiday cards, decorating stockings and gingerbread houses, and creating holiday animation cells.
• Holiday storytellers will tell tales of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.  There will even be a story written just for guests about the magical feeling of the holidays on a ship.
• Crew member caroling—international style.
• Of course, special Disney Cruise Line holiday merchandise will be available—click here to read more.
• On Christmas Eve, there will be a midnight Mass.
• Christmas morning will feature Santa Claus (on vacation from his busy night) and his elves will be offering surprises for the kids at the Christmas tree in the Lobby Atrium with a snack of cookies and milk.
• And, on the last night of the cruise, there will be a special holiday edition of “Till We Meet Again”—click here to read more.

So while we will be in a holiday haze on board the ship, the festivities continue when the ship docks at Castaway Cay—TWICE!

Here are some of the happenings we can look forward to at Castaway Cay:

• Disney character meet and greets among “snow flurries” in the Bahamas!
• Christmas trees and holiday carolers.
• Mr. and Mrs. Snowman will pose for photos.  I’ll look for their shell noses and tropical shirts.
• The tram that takes us to the Family Beach will be decorated like a reindeer with antlers and a tail.

I can hear Christmas carols and smell gingerbread just thinking about all of it!

The boy keeps asking me about my favorite holiday.  Usually my answer is “it depends” as each holiday brings special joys and events to look forward to.  This year, my answer will be Christmas.  Definitely, Christmas!