An Amazing 10-Day Hawaii Experience with Disney Cruise Line

Hi friends! I am finally home and settling in after an amazing 10-day cruise on board the Disney Wonder. While I will have LOTS of new stuff to post in the coming days and weeks about Disney Cruise Line and Hawaii, I wanted to give you a quick synopsis of our trip to 'wet the appetite'. 

The Itinerary

The sailing we took with the Disney Wonder is actually one the do only every few years. Leaving from Vancouver the ship sails five days across the Pacific and then spends five days sailing around the Hawaiian Islands. In total you visit four of the islands with an overnight stay in Honolulu. What really drew us to this sailing was the opportunity to really experience the ship and relax while also getting a sample of the uniqueness of each of the islands we visited.

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Vancouver

We got into Vancouver a day early, mainly so we did not feel rushed trying to make it on board the Disney Wonder. While there we stayed near the port at the Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown. The taxi ride from the airport to the hotel cost us about $30 Canadian and was a quick ride over. The location of the hotel gave us easy access to Water Street, which had lots of great restaurants, bars, and shops.

The one thing that really caught my attention in Vancouver was the natural beauty surrounding the city. In almost every direction you looked you saw amazing mountain vistas and beautiful forests. Unfortunately we got into Vancouver in the later afternoon the day before our cruise, so if I could do one thing over on this whole trip it would be to add an extra day in the city.

Getting On Board the Disney Wonder

The trip from the hotel to the cruise terminal was quick-- maybe a 10-minute cab ride that cost us less than $10 Canadian. The Hampton Inn did offer a complimentary shuttle, but we got impatient and wanted to get to the terminal early! This allowed us to be at the front of the line to get on board.

Now a unique part of this cruise was the large amount of on board activities available. Special character meets, character meals you do not see on some of the other ships, and a wide selection of activities that required reservations. So while I normally advise heading right to lunch to avoid the crowds, on the Disney Wonder you head right to guest services to get your tickets for the fun stuff! By doing this we were able to get tickets to the Princess Gathering, Pixar Pals, Frozen Meet & Greet, and a character breakfast. Now you can do the first three without tickets, but by getting them we skipped waiting in lines... Always a good thing on vacation!

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The Ship Itself

Now I am a massive Disney Cruise Line fan as you all know. I have had the opportunity to sail 3, 4, and 7 night cruises on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, the newer ships. I have also toured the Disney Magic since its major re-model just a few years ago. But I had never stepped foot on the Disney Wonder, which still maintains its "Classic Ship" design and feel.

I must say the Disney Wonder is now by far my FAVORITE ship of the fleet. Sure it may not have some of the modern touches of the new ships or the re-imagined Magic, but what it lacks in that area it more than makes up for in its intimacy. Often on the big ships I feel like I am walking forever to get between two points or I just feel crowded even though the spaces are much bigger. I never once had that feeling on the Disney Wonder. Getting anywhere was quick and easy. The spaces were more comfortable and intimate. I just really loved this ship.

Now as you may have read the Disney Wonder is due for a drydock next year and many expect it to be in the early fall (hence no Hawaii 2016 sailings). I really do hope though that when updating the ship they keep what makes this ship so unique!

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The Trip to Hawaii

I know what you're thinking, "5 days on a cruise ship sailing would get boring!" I worried about the same thing when we first got on, but we would all be wrong! Each day was jam packed with lots of fun and relaxation-- I loved it!

While I'll write more in-depth reviews on each item later here is a quick sample what we did:

• Enjoyed multiple character meets with our young daughter. During each one she got a good bit of time to talk and interact with the characters, more than we ever do at Walt Disney World.
• My husband and I took multiple courses with the beverage crew... We took a chocolate and wine course, a class on 'new world' wines, a beer tasting seminar, and even a mixology course. Each was led by one of the very knowledgeable professionals on board that were not only knowledgeable, but extremely fun!
• We had two adult-only meals in Palo, Disney Cruise Line's amazing restaurant. We were able to enjoy dinner with friends and a romantic brunch for two, a great experience with amazing food and staff. 
• Our daughter got to have fun in the kids club and nursery... Now Maddie is in that in-between stage in life. At just over three years old she is old enough for the clubs, but she is also semi-potty trained. The kids club let her in anyways, we just had to check on her every 45-60 minutes to remind her to go to the bathroom. For the longer stints where we wanted some adult time they  took her into Flounders Nursery where the staff worked with her on going potty. She loved both areas and it was a perfect balance for her age!
• Relaxation at the pool-- we really enjoyed the pool deck. We did the pool as a family, but we also enjoyed the adult-only area Quiet Cove. A great mix.
• WE ATE... and ate and ate and ate... the unlimited ice cream did me in and my husband was all about the pizza and soft pretzels. The dinners were absolutely amazing as well.

Bouncing Around the Islands

This trip took us to the islands of Hawaii, Kuau'i, Maui, and Oahu. 

For this trip we rented a car at each island so we could explore ourselves-- and save money by avoiding cruise excursions! With the exception of Honolulu, each port was right next to the airport with convenient shuttle service for the rental cars. It was extremely easy to hop off, get our cars, and be on our way before the first excursions even departed for the day!

Each was a great island with a very different feel to them:

• Hawaii, or the Big Island, truly is the largest of the islands. We docked at Hilo, which is on the east side of the island. From there we drove to the Volcano National Park to explore the Thurston Lava Tube and the Chain of Craters. Lots of cool lava flows, but unfortunately we did not get to enjoy some of the amazing views due to rain. After this we also stopped by a black sand beach, which was really cool! The one downside to this trip is we did not have enough time to visit Kona on the west side of the island, but we will next time!
• Kuau'i was our next stop on the trip. The ship docked on the south end of the island. This island truly is beautiful and in my opinion gets you as close as possible to the 'natural' non-tourist Hawaii. Here we spent more time on the beach and then did a little bit of shopping in Waimea. What we did not see was the Waimea Canyon, which is called the "Grand Canyon of Hawaii".
• Maui was our third stop and here we headed down the famed "Road to Hana". I have to be honest as the passenger I got freaked out several times on the drive! Hair pin turns and sometimes one land road makes it an adventure. We used Gypsy Guide for Maui, which was an awesome audio tour on our smartphones that activated based on GPS location. Without that we would have been lost! After the drive we spent a little time in the small town of Paia, great boutiques and food here!
• Oahu was our final destination. Of course here we had to visit Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial. I must say seeing this in-person really brought to reality the bravery of our men and women in service. It was a very somber part of the trip, but a time to be reminded at just how fortunate we are to live in such an amazing country. We also took a trip to the Dole Plantation where we learned how pineapples are made and grabbed ourselves a Dole Whip. A quick stop at Waikiki was also part of the trip.

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A Visit to Aulani, Disney's Hawaiian Resort

When the cruise was over I think EVERYONE on board headed over to stay at Aulani, Disney's resort in the Ko Olina area of Oahu. This is an absolutely beautiful resort that blends together that Disney touch with the local characteristics of Hawaii. I'll do a much more in-depth write up on the resort in the near future with the pros and cons of staying here as well as some tips and tricks to make the most of your stay.

Overall this was an amazing trip and I cannot wait to share more details on the experience. In the mean time be sure to check out my video from ​Freezing the Night Away, the limited time special show Disney Cruise Line is running based on the movie Frozen.

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About the Author

Jennifer Whitney, Owner and Travel Advisor
Jenn has a passion for travel. She loves helping families create amazing memories while exploring the world.  From fun family road trips through the mountains of California, to climbing Machu Pichu, conquering Disney Parks, and even sailing the seas, she has either been there or helped a family get there! Jenn is an Accredited Cruise Counselor, Hawaii Destination Specialist, Certified Sandals Specialist and graduate of the Disney College of Knowledge. She also holds a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from the University of North Texas