Sunday, March 2, 2014

The Making of a #DisneySide Cruise Party

Life has many mysteries; "What happens to the pairs of socks that go in the laundry yet come out as singles?", "Why can't we grow a vegetable that tastes like chocolate?", and the one that boggles my mind and maybe yours..."How do you get on Disney's social media radar?". I've got solutions for the first two, I buy more socks and eat my chocolate with a multi-vitamin, but getting on the Disney radar...no clue.

So it came as no surprise when people began posting that they had been selected to host a DisneySide @Home Celebration party, and I had not received the coveted email. I justified not being included because my children are older, or I don't tweet often enough, or not enough Facebook friends, or a million other reasons to feel better.  But then, a second wave of emails was announced, and lo and behold, I got one. As happy as I was to get the email, I was sad and puzzled as to why Disney Gal Judy did not. She and her husband Paul live and breath Disney. Ahhh, the mystery at work again. BUT, no one ever said you couldn't do a joint party.

Judy and I both love our Disney cruises so the theme was a pretty obvious choice. But how do you turn a house into a cruise ship? We took our cruising knowledge, creativity, and our "Imagineer" Paul and got to work.

The plan was to turn separate rooms in the house into different areas of the ship, and to bring to life events that take place on every Disney Cruise.

Starting with the Sail Away party, the front deck provided the perfect space to wave our streamer wands, dance and wave "good-bye" to the neighbors.



Guests were all given Disney Cruise lanyards and a personalized key card. To make sure they didn't miss any activities on the ship, Personal Navigators were supplied.

While the chefs were busy preparing dinner, our guests were invited "poolside" to play BINGO and Family Fusion, thanks to the trivia questions and BINGO cards supplied in our kits. Winners could pick from a wide range of prizes, just some of which are pictured here.

O'Gill's Pub was open on Deck 4, Aft  for anyone needing an adult beverage. It was also a hit with the younger cruisers for the popcorn wagon and flat screen TV.


And what would a cruise be without food? We wanted our guests to be able to help themselves to their favorite entrees, thus the kitchen became Cabanas. The long counters were perfect for setting up many serving trays of Mickey shaped chicken nuggets, Mickey & Minnie mac n cheese, and many, many more favorites. No one could have left this cruise hungry, not even the seagulls.


Disney Cruises are are great way to meet characters for pictures and autographs, and our cruise was no exception. Guests were invited to Deck 5, Mid-ship to meet Captain Jack Sparrow and snap a photo,. no time for autographs though. Using their "Photopass number", guests are able to print out their photos from home on the HP photo cards found in their goody bags.


Since the weather (and a few state laws) would not cooperate, we had to forgo the fireworks at sea, but that did not damper our guest's spirits or their sweet tooth. The dessert buffet was open complete with; pirate cupcakes, Mickey cake pops, Mickey Rice Krispie treats and "sand" cups.



Of course what cruise would be complete without a stop at Castaway Cay, Disney's private island? Thanks to Paul's hard work, this frozen deck was turned into a secluded tropical paradise with sand and toys for building.


 When our ship pulled back into port, our guests were given their own Disney Cruise Line luggage to fill with treats to enjoy on their sad journey home. No one ever likes getting off the ship.



All good things must come to an end. We are so glad you took the time to cruise with us on the newest ship in the fleet, the #DisneySide. Thank you to Maria Bailey & her team, Disney, HP & American Tourister for providing this wonderful opportunity! And as Mickey would say:


Disclosure – We were invited to host a Disney Side @Home Celebration, and  received a kit filled with goodies to help facilitate our party. However, any stated opinions are our own and are never contingent on any product received.  

Kelly is a Disney Gal who loves finding fun and adventure on the High Seas aboard the Disney Cruise Line. Whether it's pampering, para sailing or the unlimited Diet Coke, she enjoys all the ships have to offer. She is currently wearing down Commodore Tom to allow her to blow any of the ships' musical horns. As of now, he is disinclined to acquiesce. To learn more about Kelly, click here.

 Judy is a Disney Gal who loves picking up hitchhiking ghosts, sailing the rivers of the world in search of the ever elusive backside of water and singing with the tiki birds while enjoying her dole whip. She is the mother to two sons in the military and their wives. She has several furry grandchildren and cherishes how her husband reacts when he hears "Welcome Home". To learn more about Disney Gal Judy go here.


13 comments:

  1. That was a fun party. Judy, Paul, and Kelly did an awesome job. Special thanks to Judy and Paul for opening up their home for a great evening filled with friends, fun, and of course our Disney Sides.

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  2. Your party looks like it was a blast-it makes me wish even more that I was there on board with all of you! It once again truly goes to show how creative and talented Judy, Kelly and Paul really are and how contagious their #DisneySide is!

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  3. The party was very fun! Had a blast drawing the "see ya real soon" poster. The BINGO prizes were really cool too!

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  4. Great fun--from the moment you were announced onboard and welcomed with "thundering" applause till you sadly returned to your home port. I wanted to book my next cruise! Thanks for all your hard work Kelly, Judy and Paul. You couldn't have "sailed" better.

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  5. I loved the idea of throwing a DCL party but the ideas you guys came up with from there were awesome!! LOVE the personal navigators and Disney "luggage", character meet-and-greets, tropical paradise, and poolside bingo. OMG...I love creative people!! Too cool.

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  6. I had such a great time! I enjoyed playing the Disney Bingo and Trivia! I won a Pluto mug. Now I'm in the mood to take another Disney trip.

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  7. Look like you guys had a great time! I'm hoping to do a Disney cruise soon since my family and I never been on one. But when it comes to Disney World and Disney Land, I've been there several times. I love Disney!!! Visiting you from #SitsSharefest.

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  8. What a clever and fun #DisneySide party! I love the cruise theme and how you included all the "must haves" like the navigators, character photos, and Mickey treats. Well done!

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  9. Creative party! Glad you got to host!!

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  10. You guys didn't miss a thing! Is your next cruise open for booking yet?

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  11. What a creative theme! It looks like everyone had a lot of fun. So glad you were able to have a party!

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  12. I love the theme, and the snow shoveling before the palm trees - how fun! Thanks for sharing your #DisneySide with us!

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  13. Of all the DS parties I've read about this might be my favorite. So clever and creative!!

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