Latest news with #DisneyMagic
Business Insider
a day ago
- Business Insider
I love Disney cruises, but my kids don't. I've started going with friends and we have a blast.
I've taken several Disney cruises with my family, but I just started cruising with friends instead. My friends have truly bonded through traveling together, and we've all become closer. We're already planning our next cruise in the group chat, and we're so excited. My kids are good sports. They've never been huge fans of cruising, but they still go with me sometimes. I, on the other hand, love cruises with all my heart and would choose a cruise over most other kinds of vacations. And while I've always thought of them as perfect for a family getaway, to let my kids off the hook, I decided to try something new and took a group of girlfriends with me on a Disney cruise last year. It was exactly what I needed, and now, we cruise together all the time. We've sailed on three cruises together in the last year, and have a fourth in the works. This group of friends and I have a lot in common. We all like Disney quite a bit, love a ship spa day, and have similar evening cruising styles — we like grabbing an early dinner and seeing a post-dinner show, followed by activities like late-night karaoke or trivia. What's more, even though these friends and I all live within a 30-minute drive from each other, schedules, jobs, and family commitments often keep us from seeing each other as much as we'd like, so cruising together gives us several days to catch up and connect without the interruptions of daily life. Traveling with friends has been a win-win Traveling with these friends instead of my teenagers has been a win-win for everyone in my family. While my husband and I have also done Disney cruises kid-free, he can't always take off work to go along with me. My kids, who are deep into the years of teenage social lives and part-time job schedules, get to skip a trip they wouldn't really enjoy, anyway. Plus, there's something incredibly fun about experiencing a cruise with your girlfriends. What's more, none of us drinks alcohol, so there are no wild nights at the bar or morning hangovers nursed over Bloody Marys. Instead, we prioritize wellness and fun while on board, fitting in everything from spa treatments during the day to dressing up in themed outfits each evening. Cruising has made our friend group stronger Whether we're meeting Daisy Duck on the Disney Magic's pirate-themed night or watching the Broadway-quality stage production of Moana aboard the Disney Treasure, traveling with my friends has taught me that sometimes, it's fun to be a kid with your adult pals. While cruising with these ladies, I've laughed so hard my stomach hurt, cried while sharing about tough times in my life, and made memories that will last forever. Everything about growing our friendships through travel has been magical, and I credit cruising together with deepening our bond. We've already scheduled our next voyage In fact, we've enjoyed traveling together so much that we have another trip on the calendar. In November, we'll hop on board Disney's brand-new ship, the Disney Destiny, and add it to our list of ships we've explored together. Anticipating a trip is almost as fun as the actual cruise, so our group chat has already started pinging with outfit ideas, thoughts on which excursions to book, and plans for how to decorate our stateroom door during the cruise. I highly recommend taking a cruise with friends Would my friends and I have just as much fun on other cruise lines together as we do aboard Disney ships? Probably. Still, our shared love of Disney magic and embracing our inner children makes a Disney cruise the perfect adults-only girls' trip for us. I'm well aware of the "Disney adult" jokes and some people's disdain for grown women wearing sparkly Minnie Mouse ears, but the criticism doesn't bother me. Life is too short not to experience things that bring you joy, and being those Disney people with my friends is something that makes me happy. Through our time together on Disney cruises, our friendships have gotten stronger. This means that when life gets hard for one of us, we're all ready to support each other, and when one of us is celebrating a win in their own lives, it feels like something great happened to each of us. Cruising with friends is about taking a fun trip together, yes, but it's also about building a closer relationship, something that's hard for busy, working moms to do. If you're considering taking time away from your family to travel with girlfriends, this is your sign to try it. Not only will you have fun and build stronger friendships, but there's a chance your kids (and husband!) will be relieved to stay home, too.
Daily Mail
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The Radfords jet off to Florida AGAIN - just four weeks after £52,000 Disney blowout for mum Sue's 50th
The Radford family are back in Florida - just a month after their lavish £52,000 getaway to the sunshine state to mark matriarch Sue's 50th birthday. Britain's biggest family, known from Channel 5 's 22 Kids and Counting, have returned to the US for another sun-soaked adventure and are sharing every moment with their fans on social media. Posting to Facebook, the Morecambe-based clan uploaded snaps from their visit to Alligator Farm in the Everglades, where they got up close with the wildlife. Both older and younger children looked thrilled, beaming in the sunshine, as they sat together on a wooden boat. Dad Noel got into the swing of things as he posed with a straw safari hat and even held up a giant cricket, with the family joking: 'Think Noel thinks he's turned into Indiana Jones with his new hat.' Elsewhere, the youngest Radfords were seen building sandcastles and playing on the beach while wearing adorable sun hats as the family made the most of their time away. The group also took in the sights at Disney World once again, with a front-row seat to the famous Epcot fireworks show. 'The Epcot fireworks display was pure Disney magic! Noel even got a front-row seat… From the pram! Bless him, it's been a LONG (but exciting!) day,' they captioned one video. This time, the Radfords were joined by their close friends, the Walkers - another supersized family who have 11 children of their own. Fans were quick to share their support, flooding the Radfords' comments with praise. One person wrote: 'I have so much respect for you all as a family. Really well behaved children and grandkids as well. A big pat on the back for you both. You've done a brilliant job.' Another added: 'I would love this. I have friends in Florida and sometimes alligators appear in their back garden - I wouldn't be so keen on that!' And a third noted: 'Lovely photos, looks like a great time, beautiful family x'. Another person commented on the children's big smiles, saying : 'The faces say enough.' Their latest trip comes just weeks after their headline-making £52,000 Florida holiday for Sue's milestone birthday. The family previously told The Mirror they had been 'feeling the pinch' financially but didn't hold back when it came to celebrating Sue's big 5-0. That trip featured visits to Disney parks, pool days at their luxury villa and plenty of sweet family moments, including a snap of Sue wearing Minnie Mouse ears and another of two of her daughters wearing matching outfits and backpacks, each with identical dolls tucked inside. One photo showed the whole family posing happily with Donald Duck, while another captured carefree moments by the villa pool. But the birthday trip wasn't entirely without its bumps. Sue shared her frustrations on Instagram over lengthy wait times at the theme park, particularly for the Guardians of the Galaxy ride. '95 minute wait for Guardians of the Galaxy?' she posted. 'Not liking the fact they removed the virtual queuing system. Anyone else wish they'd kept that system?' The change meant park guests could no longer join a virtual queue from their phones and instead had to wait in person, often for well over an hour. Meanwhile, the family also made headlines this week for a very different reason - a personal update from the Radfords' eldest daughter, Sophie. Sophie Radford, 31, took to Instagram to reveal she is no longer with her husband, Joseph Broadley. The couple married in 2015 and share three children: Daisy Mae, 12, Ayprill Louise, 10, and Leo, nine. Adoring fans rushed to the Radfords' comments to express well wishes for their latest trip In a Q&A with fans, the TV personality, who has over 60,000 followers, gave quickfire answers to a series of personal questions, revealing her favourite food is pizza, her shoe size is four-to-five and her age is 31. But the question that caught most attention was: 'Are you single?' Sophie replied with an all-caps 'YES' and added: 'THAT'S ALL THAT WILL BE SAID ON IT.' She offered no further details on the split but made it clear she was not open to discussing the matter further. With their second Florida trip underway and their eldest daughter back in the headlines, it seems the Radfords are showing no signs of slowing down.
Miami Herald
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Disney Cruise Line quietly makes big plans for Texas
Right now, if you want take a Disney cruise on one of the line's buzzed-about new ships, your departure port options are mostly limited to Florida. The brand-new Disney Treasure is now sailing from Port Canaveral, Florida alongside the 2022-launched Disney Wish. And in November, the Disney Destiny, the cruise line's new heroes- and villains-themed ship will debut from Fort Lauderdale. Related: Savvy Disney vacationers use this service to save big on trips But as Disney Cruise Line continues its multi-year fleet expansion, which includes new Disney cruise vacations in Asia, too, the cruise line may be about to go bigger in Texas. Although Disney Cruise Line has not yet made any announcements about its future plans in Texas, Port of Galveston CEO Rodger Rees recently made some bold statements regarding the cruise line's plans for its sailings from the Texas port. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise. In a recent meeting with the Galveston City Council, Rees revealed that Disney Cruise Line plans to expand its cruise schedule from the port in 2027, the Galveston County Daily News reported. Rees said that in 2027, the cruise line will begin sailing year-round from Galveston, and likely on a larger and newer ship. Currently, Disney Cruise Line sails seasonal cruises to the western Caribbean from the port on board the oldest ship in its fleet, the Disney Magic. Recent incidents of plumbing leaks and backups reported on board the 27-year-old Disney Magic have left passengers wondering whether it's about time for the cruise line to retire its beloved maiden vessel. Related: Disney Cruise Line dealing with plumbing problems Considering that most mainstream cruise lines expect to get about 30 years of service out of each ship, it would make sense that Disney would replace the 2,700-passenger Disney Magic as it expands in Galveston. Rees even suggested that the bigger ship headed to Galveston could be Disney Cruise Line's biggest ship yet - the 6,700-passenger Disney Adventure megaship that the cruise line is launching in December from Singapore. However, Disney Cruise Line has previously said that the Disney Adventure will sail from Singapore for at least five years as part of a collaboration with the Singapore Tourism Board. It's much more likely that a 4,000-passenger Wish-class ship will sail from Galveston in 2027 - potentially the fourth ship in the class, which the cruise line plans to launch that year. Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. Although Princess Cruises recently dropped Galveston from its future cruise itineraries after 20 years of sailing from the popular port, other cruise lines are making major investments in Texas. Cruise lines plan to invest more than $200 million in western Caribbean cruise itineraries and Galveston is well poised to facilitate much of that growth, Rees told the city council. He said that's because Florida's biggest cruise ports are running out of room to expand and more people than ever now live within driving distance of Galveston. Royal Caribbean invested in a new cruise terminal at the Port of Galveston in 2022, and other family-focused cruise lines including Norwegian Cruise Line and MSC Cruises have since inked long-term agreements with the port, too. Related: MSC Cruises takes another bold step in its ambitious growth plan Galveston is a convenient cruise departure port for many families in Texas and surrounding states who want to explore the western Caribbean, so it makes sense that Disney Cruise Line would want to increase its capacity there, too. This year, more than 400 sailings carrying around 1.75 million passengers are scheduled to depart from Galveston. Following the opening of MSC Cruises' brand-new $156 million Galveston cruise terminal in late 2025, the growing port expects eventually welcome more than two million passengers annually. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Disney Cruise Line to send two ships to Alaska in summer 2026
Disney Cruise Line's expanding fleet is opening up new opportunities for families to explore bucket-list destinations in magical style. As families plan their summer 2026 cruise vacations, they can choose from double the Disney adventures in Alaska, as well as a new destination in Europe, plenty of sunny Caribbean getaways, and sailings in Singapore on Disney Cruise Line's biggest ship in May 2026, both the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder will embark on seven-night Alaska cruises from Vancouver, Canada. Itineraries will vary and include ports of call such as Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, all famous for their prehistoric glaciers, rich histories and eclectic shopping. Most Alaska sailings will also visit Dawes Glacier, a majestic tidewater glacier that towers over 600-feet tall. Itineraries on the Disney Magic will feature a stop at Icy Strait Point, known for its unique Disney Dream will return to Europe for the summer 2026 season, offering families the opportunity to cruise to picturesque ports in Italy, Greece, Croatia, Malta, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. For the first time, the Disney Dream will call on the island city of Cagliari, located in Sardinia, Italy, a brand-new destination for Disney Cruise Line. The Disney Dream will kick off summer 2026 with a 14-night transatlantic crossing from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to Barcelona, Spain. Departing from Barcelona or Civitavecchia, Italy, the ship will then sail seven- to twelve-night Mediterranean cruises. The Disney Dream will end the season with three-, four-, and seven-night sailings out of Southampton, United Kingdom to Northern Europe and the Norwegian Port Canaveral, Florida, three different Disney cruise ships will sail to destinations in The Bahamas and Eastern or Western Caribbean, including stops at Disney's private destinations, Disney Castaway Cay and Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. The Disney Fantasy and Disney Wish will both offer Bahamian itineraries while the Disney Treasure sails seven-night sailings to the Eastern or Western Disney Destiny, the cruise line's new heroes- and villains-themed ship launching in November 2025, will sail four- and five-night cruises to The Bahamas and Western Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale in summer 2026 visiting Nassau, The Bahamas, Disney Castaway Cay and/or Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. The ship will also offer two seven-night itineraries to the Eastern and Western cruise line's biggest ship yet, the Disney Adventure, which sets sail in December 2025, will offer a new type of Disney cruise in 2026. The ship will sail three- and four-night itineraries with only magical days at sea from the Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore from April through summer 2026. The ship will feature three brand-new, Marvel-themed attractions at sea, an array of dining options, and Broadway-style musical spectaculars including 'Remember,' developed exclusively for the Disney Adventure. Disney Cruise Line Castaway Club members can book the new summer 2026 itineraries before the general public during an early booking window that begins on Feb. 10, 2025. Bookings will open to the public on Feb. 17, 2025. Are you taking a cruise or thinking about taking one?
