If you don't want to read the whole review and just want the nutshell version, here it is: The ship was nice. Service was top-notch. Shows were unparalleled. The food selection and availability was poor. The pace of the ship was somewhat frenetic, and the kids seemed to run wild a lot. Granted, the free sodas probably didn't help the situation, as they were all overcaffeinated and oversugared. The kids' activities were mostly geared towards older kids, and many of the other activities were adults only (as in, literally you could not come in with the kid, even if they were asleep). We MAY sail Disney again in the future when our child is older, but for now I'm looking forward to our January cruise on NCL, where their "Freestyle cruising" fits our lifestyle better.

Introduction- This was our first Disney cruise, and our second cruise with our 18 month old son (he sailed with us on NCL at 8 months or so). We've also sailed Princess, Royal, and Celebrity. Our toddler is pretty flexible and social, so we thought he'd enjoy the cruise. We chose Disney partly because they leave out of Port Canaveral, and we didn't feel like driving far to a departure port, partly because my son loves Mickey Mouse, and partly because we'd heard it was top notch. We did pay a little more than the other 4 day cruises, but there are not many 5 star ships that sail shorter itineraries, and I will gladly pay extra for a nicer ship.

Embarkation- We parked at the port, which is much smaller than other ports I've been to, and therefore more convenient. The lines moved quickly and smoothly, and we were through security and off to the ship within ten minutes. One cool thing that Disney does is announces each family over the microphone as you board the ship. Read more