Craziest Thing We've Ever Done
A lot of people ask me this question: Can I do Disney and Universal in one trip?
Absolutely. But this one time, we did Disney, Universal, AND a Disney Cruise in one trip. We named it the "crazy vacation of 2011" because that's exactly what it was. Crazy.
What did this itinerary look like? Well, it looked like I needed 47 days of sleep after the trip. Below is what we did: Tuesday/Wednesday - Universal and Islands of Adventure
Thursday (embark)/Friday/Saturday - Disney Dream cruise
Sunday (disembark)/Monday - Walt Disney World
This was our first trip as a family of 3 to Universal, and it coincided with the recent opening of Hogsmead. If I'm being honest, this was the real reason we went. But following this amazing experience of being immersed into the world of Harry Potter, we went on our first Disney Cruise. That cruise solidified our love for the DCL and the paramount service they provide. It truly is unmatched by any other cruise line - but you pay for it. With money. (You get what you pay for? LOL)
The cruise was one of those short trips to the Bahamas and back, including a stop at their private island, Castaway Cay. This itinerary style was perfect for our family. No one got stir crazy on the boat, and there was lots to do. (It makes me want to leave. Right now. Let's go.) Our ship, the Disney Dream, was in it's inaugural year, so everything was sparkly and new. (We've been on this ship two more times since, and it's no worse for the wear. Disney sorcery.)
When we got back to the mainland, we took the cruise shuttle to our resort at Walt Disney World. For this trip, we stayed at a savanna-view room at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Laney was just 4 at the time, and she LOVED seeing the animals outside our window. This is a perfect spot for people with littles. The resort, despite it being a deluxe level, is always the most reasonably priced of the deluxe options. We also were in town for the Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot, which we've seen at least 5 times. The topiaries and flower patches are AMAZING.
So, that's what we did all in 7 days. Was it fun? ABSOLUTELY. Was it something we'll do again? I don't know. I know that with a 4 year old, it was definitely too much. ...But she's almost 11 now. Maybe we should test it out. Get in touch with my friend Brenda and she can help you manage your travel arrangement sanity.