Walt Disney World Florida & The Bahamas
First of all, we agreed we could have stayed longer, we loved Disney so much, adults and children alike! However, the short cruise was wonderful and a great way to visit this part of the Caribbean which can be pricey as a land-based holiday destination.
Walt Disney World offered so much, not just for children although families do make up a large proportion of visitors especially in school holiday periods. We arranged a Disney 14 day Ultimate Pass which gives the best value over a fortnight holiday. There are 4 theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios & Epcot), 2 water parks (Blizzard Beach & Typhoon Lagoon) and Downtown Disney with the DisneyQuest Interactive Theme Park. You can enter as many times as you like with this pass and it is recommended to spend at least 2 days in each park. As our boys are only 4 and 1, we were limited to the rides we could all go on but we discovered there was still so much we could see and do, frequent shows and parades which we all enjoyed and our days were packed!
Highlights for our family (there are so many!) include the Character Greetings and collecting Autographs, the Lion King Show, It’s a Small World ride and dancing in the parade with Woody & Jessie from Toy Story 3!
We stayed in a villa which was beautifully furnished and well equipped for the occasions we did eat in. With it’s own pool, spa and games room, it is a very convenient choice for families and good value too. There are many villa developments within a short driving distance of all the theme parks in the Orlando area.
The 4 night Bahamas cruise departed Port Canaveral, approx 1 hour drive from the villa. It was well signposted and parking is right outside the terminal so it is easy to unload luggage and cross the road to security and check in.
We chose a Royal Caribbean cruise, Monarch of the Seas. It is one of the smallest and oldest ships in the fleet but it was very well maintained, spotlessly clean, with hardworking, friendly crew and the food was delicious. We used the Kids Club for our 4 year old and the Playgroup for our 1 year old. The gym and the spa although small, were both well equipped and offered a range of classes and treatments.
The first port of call was Coco Cay which is Royal Caribbean’s private island and reached by tender. It has been developed to offer guests a range of different leisure activities including a traditional Bahamian straw market, a range of watersports including jet ski hire and pedalos, it has the largest aquapark at sea and there are Kids Club facilities too including a racetrack for battery cars and quads – very popular within our family! There are plenty of sunbeds for all guests and different beach areas to relax. Drinks are served at your lounger or from the various bars and at lunchtime, a large buffet is served. The water is so turquoise and looking back at the photographs, they do not do it justice! It was amazing for us and the boys to walk through the shallow water and have fish swimming around our ankles! The second day we arrived in Nassau. We opted for an island tour in order to see as much as possible. As the ship departed at 2330, we also had time to look around Nassau itself and also eat our evening meal at the fish market at Arawak Cay with visitors and locals alike.
Our 3rd day was spent at sea which is always a bonus so you can enjoy all that a ship has to offer!
It was a great family holiday and we decided that we would definitely like to visit Florida again in the near future – a fantastic destination with so much going on!