Five Things That Immediately Changed When I Booked Our Disney Cruise

I knew booking our Disney cruise would give me something to look forward to.

What I didn’t realize was how quickly that future vacation would start changing my present.

The moment I started seriously looking at dates, cabin categories, numbers, and availability, my heart rate went up. There was an enormous amount of excitement wrapped up in one very real question:

Can I actually make this dream happen for my family?

I’d done my homework. I’d looked at the options, reviewed our numbers, and figured out what I thought we could make work. But there was still that accompanying fear of disappointment that comes with really wanting something.

Then I placed the call.

We got the hold.

And then I made the payment.

We’re going. It’s really happening.

And that emotional payoff has sustained me for weeks.

Our cruise isn’t until October, but I now have a countdown to check (obsessively 😅), reservations to make, movies to watch, music to play, and a ridiculous amount of Disney trivia to master. Clearly you don’t have to be onboard for the Disney Cruise Line magic to start working.

And let’s be real: I’m not mad about it.

Want the specifics? Here are five things that immediately changed when I booked our Disney cruise.

1. My Mood Improved

Life hasn’t magically become less busy since we booked our cruise. We still have plenty of responsibilities, plenty of laundry, and an almost-one-year-old who is growing and changing each day.

But now, I have October.

In a couple of months, someone else will be cooking the meals. Someone else will be cleaning our room. We’ll be able to be as active or as relaxed as we want to be, and I won’t have to figure out what’s for dinner.

And in that future, there will be a morning when Charlotte is napping in our cabin and I’m sitting on our verandah with the ocean below me and absolutely nowhere I need to be.

I can make it through today knowing that’s ahead of me.

There’s something genuinely comforting about having a vacation you’re excited about already booked and waiting for you.

2. I Bought Travel Protection Pretty Quickly

Once the decision was made that we were taking this trip, I wanted to make sure it was protected, too.

I compared travel protection options and purchased coverage shortly after booking. For our family, I specifically wanted a policy that included Cancel For Any Reason coverage.

That’s not necessarily the right choice for every traveler or every trip, but it was important to me because I know that some of the biggest things that can disrupt a vacation have nothing to do with the vacation itself.

Someone gets sick. A family circumstance changes. Something completely outside your control happens.

This isn’t the glamorous part of booking a vacation, but it has certainly contributed to my peace of mind. Planning for the unexpected is part of planning a great trip.

This is something I recommend to everyone who entrusts me with their travel, and I walk the walk with my own family.

3. My Household Has Become a Disney Trivia Training Facility

This hasn’t gotten out of hand yet. Emphasis on yet…

I’ve been playing more Disney music in the house and in the car. I’ve been catching up on newer Disney movies I haven’t seen yet and rewatching some of the classics – did you know Bambi’s girlfriend’s name is Faline?

And then I remembered that our Disney Trivia board game was sitting on a shelf.

So you know what our weekend plans are now!

I’ve also been Googling Disney trivia Quizlets and gone back to the Disney Play app, since it has Disney trivia built right into it.

Am I preparing for an entirely optional trivia competition on a cruise ship?

Yes.

Do I intend to dominate?

Also yes.

But there’s actually something I love about this part of the anticipation. I’m not just counting down the days—I’m infusing the magic into our home so being onboard feels even more familiar.

4. I Chose a Sailing That Makes the Vacation Even More Special

Our cruise is a Halloween-themed sailing, which may be one of my favorite things about it.

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, so getting to combine something I already love with a Disney cruise feels like a pretty perfect pairing.

Disney Cruise Line offers select Halloween-themed sailings as well as Christmas and holiday sailings, which can be a really fun way to add even more anticipation to a season you already love.

And if you’re a mom, I don’t have to explain the pressure that can come with that.

We want

…to make the holidays special.

…to create traditions.

…for our kids to have those lifelong memories we remember from our own childhoods.

But sometimes we’re so busy creating the magic that we don’t get to enjoy much of it ourselves.

That’s one of the things I love about these themed sailings. So much intention and care has already gone into creating the atmosphere, activities, entertainment, and little details that make the season feel special.

You don’t have to give up the traditions you love at home. You can still decorate the house, bake your favorite cookies, watch the movies, go trick-or-treating, or do whatever makes the holiday feel like yours.

But now there’s also this week when you get to show up and enjoy the magic someone else has created.

That’s a breath of fresh air that I needed. 

5.  I’ve Started Paying Very Close Attention to Dates

Among the more difficult parts of planning a Disney cruise, making reservations somehow manages to be both stressful and exciting.

Once your cruise is booked, there are dates you need to know.

When can you start making certain onboard reservations? When do port excursions become available? What experiences have limited availability? What do you need to have completed before sailing?

I’ve been keeping track of those dates because I want to make this cruise as special as possible for our family.

And that meant setting an alarm for the middle of the night when our reservation window opened.

Less than an hour after I’d finally fallen asleep, that alarm went off. 😵‍💫

I started making the reservations I’d been waiting for, and of course Cody woke up too.

“What is it that you’re doing again?”

Fair question.

He doesn’t know all the things I’m trying to get lined up for our family or how quickly some of those opportunities can fill.

That’s one of the reasons I’m paying such close attention to this process.

I’m learning firsthand what it feels like to plan a Disney cruise as a parent, what I’m excited to prioritize for our family, and which details are worth knowing ahead of time.

I’m also learning what I want to be able to help my future Disney Cruise Line clients with.

Because when I tell a client, “Let’s make sure we’re ready for this reservation window,” I’m not just passing along something I’ve read. I’m drawing on my own experience—and making sure I have the right information so that when their window opens, I can be ready to make those reservations on their behalf.

Yep. I make those reservations for them. You’re welcome for a good night’s sleep. 😂

And Now…I Have a Countdown

At this point, the Disney Cruise Line app has earned a regular place in my routine.

I open it.

Look at the countdown.

And watch that number get a little smaller.

And every time I do, I am reminded that the thing I was holding my breath over a few months ago is actually happening.

We’re going.

The anticipation is part of the experience.

And I think that’s one of the most underrated benefits of booking a vacation: you don’t have to wait until you leave to start enjoying it.

You get the dreaming.

The planning.

The countdown.

The anticipation.

And then, eventually, you get the vacation itself.

If you’re already overwhelmed at the thought of making your holidays special on top of managing work, your kids’ activities, and getting dinner on the table, give yourself something wonderful to look forward to.

Maybe it’s a Disney cruise.

Maybe it’s something completely different.

Either way, you don’t have to wait for the perfect season of life to give yourself something to look forward to.

Sometimes, you just need to find the trip that makes you think, I really want to do that.

And then let’s book it.

If you’d like some help finding a Disney cruise—or another vacation—that gives you something exciting to look forward to, let’s talk. I’d love to help you find the right one.