Our last full day aboard the Disney Dream was a sea day as we sailed full steam toward England, and the Atlantic apparently wanted to make sure we remembered it. I have been on A LOT of Disney cruises, and I have to admit that these were some of the roughest seas I had ever experienced. I woke up that morning feeling a little nauseous, which is very unusual for me. After such beautiful weather throughout most of our trip, we could also feel a definite chill in the air as we headed north toward London. Still, I had priorities.
Spain with Adventures by Disney and Disney Cruise Line
Day 1: Arriving in Barcelona & Welcome Dinner
Day 2: Gothic Quarter, Park Güell & La Sagrada Família
Day 3: Montserrat, Flamenco & Viva Espana!
Day 4: Farewell Barcelona, Hello Disney Dream
Day 5: Cartagena
Day 6: Malaga & Granada
Day 7: At Sea
Day 8: Santiago de Compostela
Day 9: Betanzos and A Coruña
Day 10 & 11: At Sea
Churro Mickey Waffles Come First
Even with the ship rocking, I somehow managed to get my beloved churro Mickey waffles and take them outside to enjoy in the sunshine on the pool deck. The sun was out, but there was a definite coolness in the air that hadn’t been there during our days sailing around Spain. It really drove home just how far we were traveling. Only a few days earlier we had been sitting in the Spanish sunshine, and now we were racing north toward England. I enjoyed my waffles, and back to bed I went. I put on my Sea Bands, took a Dramamine and slept for another couple of hours. When I woke up, I felt like a NEW PERSON. Which was excellent news because I had a very important brunch reservation.
Brunch at Palo
Honey and I headed to Palo for brunch, one of my favorite experiences on a Disney cruise. I love Palo at dinner, but brunch is its own wonderful thing. After feeling crummy that morning, sitting down together for a leisurely meal and realizing that I actually wanted to eat again felt particularly glorious. And Palo happens to serve some of my favorite dishes anywhere… the lasagna and the chicken parmesan.
I could happily build an entire meal around those two things, and I pretty much did. After weeks of Spanish food, tapas, cheese, wine and churros, there was something incredibly comforting about sitting down to a plate of Palo’s lasagna. This was also our final full day aboard, so I was trying very hard not to think about the fact that it was our last Palo meal of the trip.
A Concierge Visit from Stitch
We finished brunch just in time for another little bit of Disney magic: Stitch was coming to visit us on the Concierge sun deck.
One of the fun perks we’ve experienced while sailing Concierge is a special character appearance just for Concierge guests. Disney brings a character into the Concierge area during the sailing, giving guests a chance to visit and take photos in a much smaller setting than you typically find elsewhere on the ship.
I love that even after so many Disney cruises, there are still these little experiences that make me ridiculously happy. We had spent the previous week exploring some of the most historic and culturally significant places in Spain, and I was still completely delighted to see Stitch on the sun deck. Both things can be true.
One Last Happy Hour
Eventually it was time for our final happy hour in the Concierge Lounge. We had spent so much time there over the course of the cruise that it really had become our gathering place. We stopped in for drinks and snacks and settled into a VERY competitive game of UNO with our friends, the W family. This was also when the reality that our trip was almost over started creeping in.
We said goodbye to our wonderful Concierge Hosts, who had taken such good care of us throughout the sailing, and to so many of the families we had gotten to know along the way. What made this particular cruise even more special was that many of those friendships had started before we ever boarded the Disney Dream.
From Adventures by Disney Friends to Disney Cruise Friends
This was exactly why I had loved pairing our Adventures by Disney Barcelona Escape with our Disney cruise.
We had arrived in Spain as a group of people who mostly didn’t know one another. For three days, we explored Barcelona together with our Adventure Guides. We toured the Gothic Quarter, visited Park Güell and La Sagrada Família, traveled to Montserrat, shared meals, watched flamenco and somehow ended up celebrating a Spanish World Cup victory together in the streets of Barcelona.
Then several of those same families boarded the Disney Dream with us. By the end of the cruise, we weren’t simply recognizing familiar faces around the ship. We were meeting for happy hour, playing cards together and sharing another week of memories.
One Last Cozy Night in Our Suite
For our final night, we didn’t need a big finale. We ordered room service, put on a movie and stayed in our suite while the Disney Dream continued toward England. After ten days filled with Barcelona, Montserrat, Cartagena, Granada, Santiago de Compostela, Betanzos, incredible meals, new friends and more history than I could possibly absorb, a quiet night together was exactly what I wanted.
There were suitcases that needed to be packed and goodbyes that I wasn’t quite ready to say, but for one more night, the Disney Dream was still home. So we curled up, watched our movie and enjoyed the last few hours of our cruise. Sweet dreams from somewhere between Spain and England.
Waking Up in England
The next morning, we woke up in England. Just like that, our Spanish adventure was over.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to add any extra days in London to this trip, which was especially hard for me because some of my fondest college memories are from the time I spent studying abroad there. I would have loved to stay, revisit some of those places and finally share that part of my life with Honey and Whit. It just wasn’t in the cards for this trip, but I absolutely hope to bring the family back one day.
Instead, we said goodbye to the Disney Dream and headed to the airport for our flight home. I did manage to squeeze in one final bit of England before we left: a BIG English breakfast at the airport. I truly love an English breakfast. Eggs, sausage, bacon, beans, tomatoes, toast, all of it. Give me the whole plate. After that, we boarded our long flight home with full bellies, very full suitcases and ten days of incredible memories to unpack.
It had been one incredible adventure. And even though I was sad to see it end, I already knew this wouldn’t be our last Disney adventure in Europe.
Planning Your Own Disney Vacation in Europe?
I don’t just know Disney Cruise Line and Adventures by Disney from brochures or online training courses. I’ve traveled with both of them extensively.
That experience matters when I’m helping a family decide whether to add Adventures by Disney before a cruise, which European itinerary makes the most sense, what stateroom to choose, whether Concierge is worth it, which Port Adventures fit their interests and how to pace the trip so everyone can actually enjoy it.
My planning services are complimentary when you book your Disney vacation with me, and I would love to help you put together a European adventure that’s right for your family.
