I love Disney cruises, but my kids don't. I've started going with friends and we have a blast.
My friends have truly bonded through traveling together, and we've all become closer.
We're already planning our next cruise in the group chat, and we're so excited.
My kids are good sports. They've never been huge fans of cruising, but they still go with me sometimes. I, on the other hand, love cruises with all my heart and would choose a cruise over most other kinds of vacations.
And while I've always thought of them as perfect for a family getaway, to let my kids off the hook, I decided to try something new and took a group of girlfriends with me on a Disney cruise last year. It was exactly what I needed, and now, we cruise together all the time. We've sailed on three cruises together in the last year, and have a fourth in the works.
This group of friends and I have a lot in common. We all like Disney quite a bit, love a ship spa day, and have similar evening cruising styles — we like grabbing an early dinner and seeing a post-dinner show, followed by activities like late-night karaoke or trivia.
What's more, even though these friends and I all live within a 30-minute drive from each other, schedules, jobs, and family commitments often keep us from seeing each other as much as we'd like, so cruising together gives us several days to catch up and connect without the interruptions of daily life.
Traveling with friends has been a win-win
Traveling with these friends instead of my teenagers has been a win-win for everyone in my family. While my husband and I have also done Disney cruises kid-free, he can't always take off work to go along with me. My kids, who are deep into the years of teenage social lives and part-time job schedules, get to skip a trip they wouldn't really enjoy, anyway.
Plus, there's something incredibly fun about experiencing a cruise with your girlfriends. What's more, none of us drinks alcohol, so there are no wild nights at the bar or morning hangovers nursed over Bloody Marys. Instead, we prioritize wellness and fun while on board, fitting in everything from spa treatments during the day to dressing up in themed outfits each evening.
Cruising has made our friend group stronger
Whether we're meeting Daisy Duck on the Disney Magic's pirate-themed night or watching the Broadway-quality stage production of Moana aboard the Disney Treasure, traveling with my friends has taught me that sometimes, it's fun to be a kid with your adult pals.
While cruising with these ladies, I've laughed so hard my stomach hurt, cried while sharing about tough times in my life, and made memories that will last forever. Everything about growing our friendships through travel has been magical, and I credit cruising together with deepening our bond.
We've already scheduled our next voyage
In fact, we've enjoyed traveling together so much that we have another trip on the calendar. In November, we'll hop on board Disney's brand-new ship, the Disney Destiny, and add it to our list of ships we've explored together.
Anticipating a trip is almost as fun as the actual cruise, so our group chat has already started pinging with outfit ideas, thoughts on which excursions to book, and plans for how to decorate our stateroom door during the cruise.
I highly recommend taking a cruise with friends
Would my friends and I have just as much fun on other cruise lines together as we do aboard Disney ships? Probably. Still, our shared love of Disney magic and embracing our inner children makes a Disney cruise the perfect adults-only girls' trip for us. I'm well aware of the "Disney adult" jokes and some people's disdain for grown women wearing sparkly Minnie Mouse ears, but the criticism doesn't bother me. Life is too short not to experience things that bring you joy, and being those Disney people with my friends is something that makes me happy.
Through our time together on Disney cruises, our friendships have gotten stronger. This means that when life gets hard for one of us, we're all ready to support each other, and when one of us is celebrating a win in their own lives, it feels like something great happened to each of us. Cruising with friends is about taking a fun trip together, yes, but it's also about building a closer relationship, something that's hard for busy, working moms to do.
If you're considering taking time away from your family to travel with girlfriends, this is your sign to try it. Not only will you have fun and build stronger friendships, but there's a chance your kids (and husband!) will be relieved to stay home, too.
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USA Today
7 hours ago
- USA Today
Ariel and Moana are racing to see who swims farther. Disney is tracking them.
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Disney's Vero Beach Resort sits along the southern end of the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, a roughly 20-mile stretch of beach that U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service describes as the 'most significant area for loggerhead sea turtle nesting in the world and the most significant area for green turtle nesting in North America.' 'If you go back several decades, these turtles were really in bad shape. Their populations were really struggling,' said Disney Conservation Director Dr. Zak Gezon. Disney has helped monitor and protect sea turtles near its Vero Beach Disney Vacation Club property since 2003. 'We've estimated that over 1.8 million sea turtle hatchlings have come out that we've been monitoring there over this time,' Gezon said. 'This year, we already have over 1,000 nests.' What are the different kinds of sea turtles? Three different sea turtles species nest near Disney's Vero Beach Resort: leatherbacks loggerheads and green sea turtles, like Crush and Squirt from 'Finding Nemo.' All of them are protected under the Endangered Species Act, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Dr. Mark Penning, vice president of Disney's Animals, Science & Environment, said turtles who come to Vero Beach likely hatched there, too. 'It's why, for us, it's important that we're not just protecting these sea turtles from hatching out and going to the sea,' he said. 'We're protecting this coastline so that those babies can come back in 30, 40, 50 years from now and lay their eggs as they need to continue the cycle.' What are the things that harm sea turtles? Humans are among the greatest threats to sea turtles, whether directly through boat strikes, fishing entanglements and harvesting meat and shells or indirectly contributing to pollution and threats to sea turtle habitats. Each Tour de Turtles competitor represents a different sea turtle cause. Ariel, who's sponsored by Disney Cruise Line, is helping raise awareness for beach erosion. Moana, who is sponsored by Disney Conservation Fund, is drawing attention to light pollution. "If you watch 'Moana,' her connection to the ocean and nature begins with her as a toddler out on the beach, helping a sea turtle get back out to the ocean,' Gezon said. 'And then as an adult ... she's a master wayfinder, navigating open oceans by looking at the stars and the moon, and she wouldn't be able to do that if there was huge amounts of light pollution.' During nesting season, Disney's Vero Beach Resort uses dimmed lighting to avoid confusing hatchlings who rely on the moonlight to guide them to the water. 'Just think if there was a light up at the hotel that looked like the moon. Then they're going to go the wrong way ... and probably not survive their journey," Penning said. Story continues below. 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A Disney-sponsored sea turtle, Ebb, won last year's hard-shell race. While Gezon was proud to finally win, he said, "Being able to have a positive impact on nature and have fun and be an inspiration, that's what it's all about." How to protect sea turtles Beachgoers can help protect sea turtles by taking care of the beach, picking up litter, clearing obstacles like sandcastles that could encumber hatchlings, and not using bright lights near the shoreline at night during nesting season. For beachgoers lucky enough to see a sea turtle coming up to nest, Penning suggested staying away. "Let her do her thing and be respectful of the fact that this is a very important event for her. Let's leave her to it.' Godfrey said people who care about sea turtles can also support businesses and organizations that support these creatures. He recommended using Charity Navigator's website to find top-rated charities. 'There are small, local organizations that work with turtles. There are larger organizations. People can do their own research online and find out what groups are doing,' he said. Disney Conservation Fund has funded Sea Turtle Conservancy for 25 years and donated millions of dollars to supporting sea turtle conservation worldwide. Not just for thrills: The real-life magic Disney is working to save animals What's the best time to see sea turtles? Florida's sea turtle nesting season runs from March through October, according to Florida State Parks. Leatherback turtles nest on the early side while hard-shell sea turtles like loggerheads and green turtles nest later. Eggs hatch about two months after they're laid, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which maintains a list of public sea turtle walks and state-approved sea turtle facilities for people interesting in viewing. Penning said the Tour de Turtles is the best time to see sea turtles at Disney's Vero Beach Resort because guests can 'come up close and know you're not doing any harm.' Disney World guests can see loggerhead and green turtles all year-round at EPCOT's Seas with Nemo & Friends. Is Vero Beach close to Disney? Vero Beach is about 100 miles away from Walt Disney World, on Florida's Atlantic coast.
New York Post
19 hours ago
- New York Post
Here's how most people get injured at Disney World — and it's not what you'd think: study says
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Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Want to feel like a Disney character? Visit The Antler Farm in Almaguin
Think deer are just another animal to avoid on the highway? Think again. A deer farm in Almaguin is aiming to change that, offering a unique chance to learn about these animals and the often-misunderstood world of deer farming. Wendy and her husband Chris MacCrimmon have owned and operated their venison farm for nine years but six weeks ago, they decided to open it up to the public. Located on 21 rambling acres in Machar, The Antler Farm is a combination of both of their passions: alternative livestock and photography. 'The vision started with opening the gallery and then we decided why wouldn't we just mix both of our passions together,' said Wendy. 'We thought that there might be a lot of interest in the farm and people getting to experience it.' The Antler Farm offers year-round tours, photo safari experiences, ethically raised venison and a gallery of Wendy's photography — not limited to white-tailed deer. 'Our focus here is producing the healthiest whitetails we can for the highest quality venison,' Chris told Almaguin News, adding that there are other venison farmers in Ontario and regulations for venison producers fall under the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. While there are other deer farms, Almaguin's appears to be the only one inviting people in to meet the deer. A unique experience from the moment you disinfect your footwear and hop in Chris's side-by-side to hit the trail. It's 9 a.m. and sunlight is filtering through the trees, your tour guides throw some deer feed and then you see them. The tiered tines of the first deer's rack glint in the sunlight as he comes to eat. You turn around and the rest of the herd cautiously makes its way over and you're surrounded by these majestic forest creatures usually only seen darting across the road. Caution: you may experience whimsy and feel like an enchanted Disney character after. Chris and Wendy's knowledge on the whitetails is only surpassed by their 11-year-old son, Sawyer, who can often be found on tours and said the best part is getting to hang out with the deer. 'I like getting to see the deer a lot of the time … just being around them, going into the pen and hanging out with them,' he said, adding he hopes coming to the farm gives people a better understanding of deer. 'They're not thought about as much as people should,' he said. 'They're cared for but not in the wild, they go as a hunted animal.' Asked about misconceptions people might have about having a deer farm, Chris replied that some people seem to think the animals aren't healthy but added people don't understand what challenges they face in the wild, including antler development, gestation periods and diseases that impact their health. 'Winters up here are heavy,' Chris explained. 'Deer wintering yards are huge up here because of the snow that we get and how harsh our winters are. It's pretty much the only chance the deer have to recover after breeding season.' According to , white-tailed deer are Ontario's most abundant cervid species, playing a crucial role in the province's ecosystems from the boreal forest to the southern agricultural belt. The deer, whose population and range are primarily limited by winter severity and habitat changes, offer significant ecological, social, and economic benefits, including being a popular game species for hunters and wildlife viewers, despite occasionally causing conflicts like crop damage and vehicle collisions. Health concerns among whitetails in Ontario, according to the province's website, include Chronic Wasting Disease and Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease. Chris also emphasized that white-tailed deer are an excellent alternative livestock for the often challenging agricultural environment in Almaguin. 'It's not strong,' he said about farming on the Canadian shield that makes up the region. 'So for us to be able to raise whitetails on property that really isn't beneficial to do anything else with, we benefit from it.' 'They also have the best life. We make sure of it,' Wendy added, noting that one of their oldest deer is 16 years old. 'It's what comes first to us.' You can see the love and care that takes place on The Antler Farm when you meet the deer for yourself. Prepare to be doe-eyed when you find yourself immersed in this awesome experience found only in Almaguin. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
