🚀 Disney Wish Cruise With Kids: Splash Pads, SpaceX & Sea Days

Three nights aboard the Disney Wish, one canceled port, a surprise rocket launch, and two kids who reminded us that the best family adventures don't always go according to plan. Here's our honest experience sailing with Disney, from the unforgettable moments to a few things we'd do differently.

Higher winds had other plans.

That's how our first full day aboard the Disney Wish began.

There we stood on our balcony, waving goodbye to an island we were supposed to be visiting.

Nassau was canceled.

Instead of watching hundreds of passengers head ashore while we enjoyed a wonderfully empty pool deck, we were sailing right past the Bahamas with EVERYONE still aboard.

Selene and Gryffin couldn't have cared less.

They were already in their swimsuits, ready to hit the water.

Mom and Dad?

We were slightly less enthusiastic.

Our grand plan had been to stay aboard while everyone else explored Nassau, leaving the splash pad practically all to ourselves. A little peace, a little sunshine, and two happy kiddos running wild.

Instead, we had a ship full of people and absolutely nowhere else to go.

Spoiler alert: It turned into one of our favorite days of the entire cruise.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves.

Every Great Adventure Starts Somewhere. Ours Started With Cough Medicine

A few days before leaving Michigan, the kiddos were getting over colds.

Nothing major, just the usual sniffles and lingering coughs that seem to have impeccable timing whenever you've got a vacation approaching.

Thankfully, everyone was feeling better by departure day, and after making sure we were healthy enough to travel, we packed the remaining essentials, including enough cough medicine to make our luggage look suspiciously like a miniature pharmacy.

We were headed for our very first family cruise!

And because we've learned a thing or two about traveling with little humans, we had one non-negotiable rule:

Fly in the day before your cruise.

Cruise ships don't wait for delayed flights, rental car problems, traffic jams, or whatever other creative obstacle the travel universe decides to throw your way.

We like to give ourselves an extra day of breathing room.

Of course, when your favorite place happens to be Universal Orlando, arriving early comes with an additional benefit.

We spent the night at Loews Sapphire Falls Resort and squeezed in an afternoon at the parks, enjoying our favorite attractions and the incredible Halloween Horror Nights decorations scattered throughout Universal.

The truly frightening stuff is generally hidden during daytime operations, leaving plenty of spooky scenery to explore without giving the kiddos nightmares.

A little Halloween atmosphere before setting sail?

We'll take it.

💡 THE S&G FAMILY TIP: Whenever possible, fly into your cruise departure city at least one day early. An extra hotel night might add to the vacation budget, but having a cushion for flight delays or unexpected travel problems is worth considering. Plus, it gives you an opportunity to explore before setting sail!

Boarding the Disney Wish: A Grand Entrance, Indeed

The following morning, we made our way to Port Canaveral.

And we've got to give Disney credit here.

From the moment we arrived, everything felt organized. Parking, directions, check-in, boarding. The staff seemed to anticipate every question before we even had a chance to ask it.

Having since sailed from Port Canaveral with Royal Caribbean as well, we can confidently say that Disney's embarkation experience really stood out to us.

Then came our grand entrance.

As we stepped aboard the Disney Wish, a crew member announced our family into the magnificent Grand Hall.

The kiddos were impressed, although the announcement quickly became yesterday's news when they spotted Rapunzel waving from an upper balcony.

Thankfully, she'd kept her hair safely out of reach.

We certainly didn't need anyone attempting to climb it.

Before we knew it, the kids had acquired magic wands that Mom and Dad hadn't even realized were part of the experience.

Armed with their newfound magical abilities, they were ready to take on the ship.

And what a ship it was.

First Priorities: Food, Our Stateroom & a Little Disney Magic

Naturally, our first order of business was food.

We made our way to the buffet, where the kiddos wasted no time locating their beloved chicken tenders and french fries. Mom and Dad found plenty to enjoy as well, including shrimp and an impressive collection of sweet treats.

A solid start.

Around 3:00 p.m., our stateroom was ready.

We had booked a Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah, and it was beautiful.

The Disney-inspired décor, comfortable layout, and private balcony made for a wonderful home away from home.

Even better, while still docked at Port Canaveral, we could see the SpaceX and NASA facilities in the distance.

Mom and Dad were geeking out.

Little did we know that the universe had another surprise waiting for us later that evening.

For now, it was time to head upstairs for the sail-away celebration.

Characters, music, dancing, excited families, and two kiddos who were more than happy to join the festivities.

We danced our way out of Port Canaveral, officially beginning our first family adventure at sea.

Disney Cruise Dining: Magical Experiences, With One Surprising Catch

Here's something we genuinely didn't know before boarding the Disney Wish.

The main buffet isn't open for dinner.

Wait.

What?

A cruise ship without a dinner buffet?

Disney uses rotational dining, meaning your family visits a different themed restaurant each evening while your serving team follows along.

It's a clever system, and the restaurants are beautifully themed.

But for parents who occasionally want the freedom to grab something quick, eat whenever they're hungry, or skip a lengthy sit-down meal, it was a little disappointing.

There were still quick-service options on the pool deck, including pizza, tacos, barbecue, and hot dogs.

Nobody was going hungry.

We just would have appreciated a casual buffet option in the evening.

Our First Dinner: Avengers, Assemble... Eventually

Our first restaurant was Worlds of Marvel, the Avengers-themed dining experience.

Now, our kiddos aren't particularly interested in superheroes, so we already knew this might not be their favorite meal.

The experience was entertaining enough, but it ran a little longer than we would have preferred.

Gryffin and I spent a good portion of dinner coloring together, which honestly wasn't a bad way to pass the time.

The highlight came when Spider-Man made his appearance, running through the restaurant and giving the kids high-fives.

Thankfully, his webs didn't stick to any tiny hands.

Otherwise, we might have accidentally acquired a full-time superhero babysitter for the remainder of the voyage.

A Big Adventure for Selene, and an Unexpected Surprise for Mom and Dad

After dinner, it was time for something Selene had been looking forward to.

The Oceaneer Club.

For her, it was an opportunity to explore, play, and enjoy an adventure all her own.

For Mom and Dad, it was a slightly emotional parenting milestone.

Gryffin wanted to go too, naturally.

If his big sister was doing something exciting, he wanted to be right there beside her.

But he was younger then, and we weren't quite comfortable having both kids in the club independently.

So Selene headed off for her big-girl adventure while Gryffin explored the ship with Mom and Dad.

Looking back, now that he's five, we'd be much more comfortable with the idea.

But on that first evening, it was the right decision for our family.

And while Selene was off enjoying herself, the rest of us were about to witness something spectacular.

A Rocket Launch. From Our Cruise Ship.

Around 7:30 that evening, we headed up on deck for a stroll.

The sky was completely dark.

And then, out of nowhere, a brilliant streak of light shot across the horizon.

A SpaceX Falcon rocket.

Launching right in front of us.

Dad was holding Gryffin while Mom and Dad eagerly tracked the rocket climbing into the night sky.

For roughly twenty seconds, we watched in absolute amazement.

Did Gryffin appreciate the significance of what was happening above him?

We're not entirely sure.

Mom and Dad were a little too busy geeking out to notice.

Remember those launch facilities we'd been admiring from our balcony earlier?

Well, apparently the show wasn't over.

We've enjoyed plenty of wonderful cruise entertainment, but watching a rocket launch from the deck of a ship sailing into the Atlantic?

That's going to be difficult to top.

The Great Disney Wish Sleeping Experiment

Eventually, it was time for bed.

And this is where we discovered a rather important detail about our stateroom.

We had assumed the sofa converted into a slightly larger sleeping area.

NOPE.

Our room had a Pullman bunk that folded down from above, along with a small sofa that converted into a single bed.

Now, our kiddos aren't accustomed to sleeping separately, so we'd hoped Selene would take the upper bunk while Gryffin happily settled into the sofa below.

That would have worked beautifully.

Unfortunately, neither child was particularly interested in following our carefully constructed sleeping arrangements.

Which is how Dad ended up sharing the tiny sofa with Gryffin.

And by sharing, we mean Buddy spent practically the entire night sleeping directly on Dad's chest.

Adorable?

Absolutely.

Comfortable?

Not even remotely.

Total sleep for Dad on night one?

Approximately one glorious hour.

Surely night two would be better.

Surely.

Day Two: Mickey Waffles, a Canceled Port & Splash Pad Paradise

We woke up ready for our favorite meal of the day.

Breakfast!

And Disney did not disappoint.

The buffet had plenty of options, but one discovery immediately earned a permanent place in our family's breakfast hall of fame.

Mickey churro waffles.

If you happen to find these aboard your Disney cruise, do yourself a favor.

Get them.

Now, back to Nassau.

As we'd mentioned earlier, our scheduled port stop was canceled because of the winds.

Instead of disembarking, everyone remained aboard while the Disney Wish continued sailing.

Our dream of a quiet, nearly empty pool deck had officially evaporated.

Fortunately, the kids had no idea that our master plan had fallen apart.

They were too busy discovering the Toy Story-themed splash area.

And that was that.

Approximately 300 Trips Down the Waterslides

The Toy Story splash pad quickly became the center of our universe.

There were water features, little slides, and plenty of opportunities for the kiddos to run around and get absolutely soaked.

Selene had just barely made the age cutoff for the area, which made the discovery even sweeter.

And once they started playing?

Good luck getting them out.

They splashed, climbed, slid, ran, and repeated the process approximately 300 times.

That's our best estimate, anyway.

We stopped counting somewhere around infinity.

Dad found a comfortable spot beneath one of the Toy Story aliens, which conveniently kept spraying water and providing a little relief from the Caribbean sunshine.

Mom soaked up the sun and captured plenty of pictures.

The kids only emerged for food and ice cream before immediately returning to their aquatic headquarters.

Was the area busier than we'd hoped?

Absolutely.

Did Selene and Gryffin care?

Not even a little.

And somewhere between the hundredth waterslide trip and another round of ice cream, we realized something.

We were having a fantastic day.

Not the day we'd planned.

But a fantastic one nonetheless.

Arendelle: A Dinner Worth Singing About

That evening brought us to Arendelle for Disney's Frozen-themed dining experience.

Now THIS was more our speed.

The music was wonderful, the food was delicious, and the entire restaurant came alive with familiar songs, character interactions, and napkins swinging through the air.

The kiddos were completely invested.

After the slightly underwhelming Avengers dinner, Arendelle reminded us exactly why Disney's themed experiences can be so special.

It wasn't simply dinner.

It was another little adventure.

Pirate Night: Sometimes the Simplest Moments Are the Best

That same evening was Pirate Night.

And Mom deserves some serious credit for this one.

She'd done her homework before the cruise and purchased inexpensive pirate accessories so the whole family could join in the festivities.

We arrived at dinner already looking like a crew of questionable seafaring professionals.

Afterward, we headed up on deck for the pirate celebration, dancing beneath the stars with the characters and fellow passengers.

Eventually, the party began to clear out.

And that's when one of our favorite little moments happened.

The kiddos had brought inflatable pirate swords, and with the deck opening up around us, they had plenty of space to run, laugh, and challenge one another to ridiculous sword fights.

No elaborate attraction.

No perfectly planned activity.

Just our family being pirates together under the night sky.

And it was wonderful.

Unfortunately, our sleeping arrangements were still waiting for us.

This time, we decided to give the Pullman bunk another shot.

Selene could sleep up top, Gryffin could take the sofa, and Mom and Dad could finally enjoy something resembling a normal night's sleep.

A beautiful plan.

In theory.

In reality, Selene settled into the bed beneath the Pullman bunk, Dad and Buddy shared the main bed, and Mom found herself climbing into the upper bunk.

Yes.

Mom.

In the Pullman.

And somehow, despite rearranging the entire family, Dad still managed to get approximately one hour of sleep.

At this point, we were beginning to wonder whether Disney's nighttime entertainment package included mandatory sleep deprivation.

Castaway Cay: Paradise Found... for Approximately One Hour

Our second full day brought us to Disney's private island, Castaway Cay.

And the weather?

Absolutely beautiful.

Crystal-blue Caribbean water, white sand beaches, sunshine, and the kind of scenery that makes you wonder why you live somewhere that requires snow shovels.

We were up early and ready to be among the first passengers off the ship.

And we were!

We boarded the tram, took in the gorgeous island scenery, and made our way to a family beach with rows of lounge chairs, umbrellas, and a large waterslide structure sitting out in the ocean.

Best of all?

Almost nobody was there.

We'd found paradise.

Finally, Those Little Toes Touched the Ocean

Before the cruise, Mom and Dad each had something they were particularly excited about.

Mom, our family's resident Halloween enthusiast, had been looking forward to experiencing Disney's Halloween on the High Seas.

Unfortunately, that part of the voyage was rather disappointing.

The Halloween atmosphere felt minimal compared with what we'd expected.

If you're considering booking one of these sailings specifically for the Halloween experience, we'd encourage you to temper your expectations.

Dad, meanwhile, had a simpler goal.

He wanted the kiddos to experience the ocean.

Really experience it.

Not just look at it from a balcony or watch it pass beneath the ship.

He wanted those little toes in the sand and saltwater.

And Castaway Cay was the perfect place.

Selene and Dad swam out to the waterslide structure and were the first ones down.

Mom and Gryffin splashed around in the shallow water.

Then we all came together to build a family sandcastle.

It was beautiful.

It was peaceful.

It was everything we'd imagined.

And approximately one hour later...

The kiddos were ready to leave.

Wait.

What?

The Most Expensive Hour at the Beach

We'd barely finished the sandcastle.

The beach was practically empty.

The water was gorgeous.

We were on a private island in the Caribbean!

And our children wanted to go back to the ship.

Insert collective parental forehead smack.

Mom and Dad exchanged one of those looks that requires absolutely no words.

You know the one.

And just in case there was any confusion about their intentions, Selene and Gryffin made it perfectly clear where they wanted to go.

Back to the Toy Story splash pad.

Of course.

We'd traveled all the way to a beautiful Caribbean island, found a practically empty beach, and introduced our children to the ocean.

And they'd decided their favorite destination was still waiting for them aboard the ship.

But after a few seconds, we were over it.

They'd experienced the ocean, we'd built our sandcastle, and we'd enjoyed a wonderful little family adventure.

Now it was time for theirs.

So we packed up, hopped on the tram, and headed back toward the Disney Wish.

We passed a long line of passengers just beginning their island adventure.

Meanwhile, our family was already heading back aboard.

Apparently, we'd completed paradise.

The Small Feet Perspective: Paradise Looks Different When You're Five

We returned to the pool deck and discovered exactly what we'd hoped for.

The Toy Story splash pad was practically empty.

And the kiddos?

They were in heaven.

They ran from one water feature to the next, slid down the little slides, laughed, splashed, and repeated their favorite activities over and over again.

Mom and Dad sat nearby, soaking up the sunshine and watching two very happy little humans enjoy something so wonderfully simple.

We'd spent months planning a Caribbean cruise.

We'd sailed aboard a beautiful Disney ship, watched a rocket launch, enjoyed incredible themed restaurants, and visited a stunning private island.

And the thing our kids couldn't get enough of?

A Toy Story splash pad.

The funny thing is, looking back, we wouldn't change it.

We had experienced the ocean together.

We'd built our sandcastle.

We'd explored a little piece of paradise.

And when the kids were ready for something else, we followed their lead.

Sometimes, experiencing the world through your children's eyes means recognizing that their version of paradise might look completely different from yours.

Even if it happens to involve a plastic alien spitting water on your head.

Disney Wish Cruise With Kids: What We'd Do Differently

As much as we enjoyed the cruise, there are a few things we'd approach differently next time.

We'd Think Carefully About the Sleeping Arrangements

Two nights of terrible sleep taught us that stateroom configurations matter.

A lot.

Especially when you're traveling with younger children who may not be comfortable sleeping in a Pullman bunk.

Next time, we'd pay much closer attention to the exact sleeping setup before booking.

💡 THE S&G FAMILY TIP: When booking a cruise with younger children, don't just check how many guests the stateroom sleeps. Look closely at the actual bed configuration. A room that technically sleeps four doesn't necessarily mean four people will sleep comfortably!

We'd Adjust Our Expectations for the Pool Areas

This was probably our biggest disappointment with the ship itself.

For a cruise line built around creating magical experiences for families, we expected a little more from the swimming areas designed for younger children.

The Toy Story splash pad was wonderful, and thankfully, even on our unexpectedly crowded sea day, it never became so packed that the kiddos couldn't enjoy themselves.

But beyond that?

We found the other pool options rather underwhelming.

There were several smaller pools scattered throughout the deck, but they didn't offer much in the way of entertainment for children.

And those little pools?

They seemed to be permanently occupied by adults.

Now, we're certainly not suggesting adults shouldn't enjoy the pools on their own vacation.

But when you're traveling with two younger children who want to splash, slide, climb, and explore, a collection of relatively ordinary pools doesn't quite deliver the experience we'd hoped for.

Interestingly, the ship itself never felt overwhelmingly crowded.

There was plenty of space to explore, relax, and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

We simply wished Disney had devoted a little more of that space to imaginative water-play experiences for kids.

Thankfully, our two little adventurers found everything they needed in that Toy Story splash pad.

And considering how many hours they spent there, we'd say Disney got at least that part spectacularly right.

We'd Love More Casual Dinner Flexibility

Disney's rotational dining experiences can be fantastic, particularly Arendelle.

But not every family wants a lengthy themed dinner every evening.

We'd still appreciate having the option of a casual buffet dinner, especially with younger children.

We'd Keep Our Extra Travel Day

Just as we'd arrived in Orlando the day before sailing, we also planned an additional night at Sapphire Falls after the cruise.

Because after three nights aboard a Disney ship, there was absolutely no reason to rush away from our favorite place on Earth.

And yes, it gave us another opportunity to enjoy Universal Orlando.

We're nothing if not consistent.

Would We Sail on the Disney Wish Again?

Absolutely.

Despite the sleeping challenges, canceled Nassau stop, and a few disappointments, we had a wonderful family vacation.

The ship was beautiful, the dining experiences were memorable, and the Oceaneer Club made such an impression that the kiddos have specifically asked about sailing Disney again.

Our biggest hesitation would be the price.

We've since enjoyed another fantastic family cruise with a different cruise line at a significantly lower cost, which makes Disney's premium pricing something we'd have to consider carefully.

But there's no denying that Disney knows how to create special moments for families.

And we certainly collected our share.

From dancing through the Grand Hall to watching a rocket launch from the deck, our first Disney cruise gave us memories we'll be talking about for years.

Still, when we think back on those three nights aboard the Disney Wish, one image stands out above the rest.

Two soaking-wet kiddos.

A nearly empty Toy Story splash pad.

And two parents watching them laugh, run, and play without a care in the world.

We'd traveled all the way to the Caribbean for a family adventure.

Turns out, we'd found exactly what we were looking for.

Just not quite where we'd expected.

And for the record?

Those little toes touched the ocean.

Small Feet. Big Adventures.