Why a Disney Cruise with a Toddler is the Best Vacation

If you ask me what my favorite vacation is with my family it will be a Disney cruise hands down. 

I enjoy the ease of the trip, I love that dinner is planned, we visit multiple vacation spots on one trip, and the list goes on. So many of my friends are worried about taking their toddler on a cruise--they've heard you can't do pools, or they can't do the kids club, etc. Although they may be true, I promise you they (or you) won't miss it. I'm going to share about our Disney Dream cruise with our 2.5 and almost 5 year old and why this will be a yearly vacation spot for many years to come.

1. Who Needs a Pool When You Have a Splash Pad?!

Our little one was potty trained this go around, but even if he wasn't I'm pretty sure we would be in the splash pad more than the pools. The splash pad features a fun Finding Nemo theme with slides, water spouts, water squirters, and basically water everywhere you turn. There are tables sat up next to the splash pads for moms and dads to enjoy a drink while you watch your little one--or join in on all the fun! We did spend some time in the pools, but I promise you the splash pad is where it's at.

2. Life Vests are your Friends

Our oldest knows how to swim, and although our youngest thinks he knows how to swim--he doesn't. 2.5 was the perfect age (in our case) to put a life vest on and let him splash around with his brother. Life vests are available on the cruise and Castaway Cay. We brought our life vest from home for our youngest so he knew what it was and was familiar to how it felt. He used a puddle jumper in the ocean as well as the pools and it worked out great.

3. Take it Easy Off the Ship

The last time we took a cruise we stayed on when we were in Nassau. This time we used Resort for a Day and visited the Hilton Nassau where we had beach chairs, an umbrella and a beautiful beach area to lounge and play in the water. The price also included a $50 voucher for food, and the kids were free. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to just relax on the beach. The water was absolutely gorgeous and very calm. We enjoyed sitting on the shore and just watching the boys play in the sand.

4. Pay For It's a Small World Nursery--It's Worth It!

So many people tell me they are going to wait til their kid is in the kids club to go. I often give a puzzled look--do they not pay for a sitter at home? You pay all this money to go on a cruise but $9 an hour sets you back? I actually love the It's a Small World Nursery and almost sent my older one their when he was 3 just because of the environment. They have a sleeping area for little babies, little toilets for potty trained kids, snack provided, meals provided if you ask and the ladies are clearly Mary Poppins sisters. In the 3 nights we were on the cruise, my youngest fell in love with a lady. She let him face paint her face, and then she painted his. She wrote him a special note and left it on our door for him to have as a keepsake. He had a wonderful time and we did as well. It's like a vacation for the family, parents, as well as the kids. We enjoyed a date dinner, a ride on the Aqua Duck, and some ice cream without the kids. When you're debating whether a Disney Cruise is right for you because of your kids age--just go you'll love the nursery.

5. Room Service Saves the Cranky Kids

After a day spent at the beach and pool side you can have some hungry kids in the evening. While we got ready for dinner we would order a cheese tray, some PBJ, or some fruit. We would also order milk for the next morning for our toddler and a mickey bar or two at night. Just remember a couple dollars to tip the room service. It was so nice to have room service in the morning out on the verandah.

So next time you think you can't vacation until your little ones are older. Think again because a Disney cruise is the absolute best vacation for the little ones--and mom and dad will love it too!