[00:00:00] Speaker A: I have one moment. This is not like a big memory, but just sitting on Castaway and I'm in this in the chair, like further up from the beach, and my kids are just in the water playing. And it's just like this moment where you're just like, this is beautiful. And you feel you didn't bring the chairs to the beach. I don't got to worry about where the sand's getting. I don't got it. Like, it's that feeling that it gives the parents of, like, safety and memories without that stress that always happens.
[00:00:34] Speaker B: Welcome back, everybody, to this week's episode of the DCL Duo podcast. Brought to you by my Path Unwinding Travel. And Sam, I'm gonna skip all the normal pleasantries. I'm throwing it right over to you. We got a great guest. We got a great guest.
[00:00:45] Speaker C: That's. We have, like such a amazing show for our listeners today. We have a Disney. I'm gonna call her a Disney celebrity. She's specifically a Rundisney celebrity, but a Disney celebrity in our minds. I'm fangirling here quite a bit. We've got with us a legendary Carissa G.
She is a race announcer, a registered dietitian, a public published author, a podcast, a TV host, of course a mom. But we all know her as really the face of Rundisney announcing. If you're, if you ran any Rundisney race in like the last, I don't know, like 20 years or so, you would have seen Carissa on the the podium announcing the race before, during, after the race at all of the expos for rundisney weekends, both on the east coast and on the west coast. And of course, she also is a race announcer for Ironman races. So if you are a triathlete or do any of those Ironman races, you would have seen her. But you announce races all over the country. Carissa, I can't believe you're here on our show today, but welcome to the DCL Duo podcast.
[00:01:56] Speaker A: Thank you. I mean, anybody that's like a Cruise fan knows, like, you just want to talk about. You want me to talk about cruising? Like, let's talk about cruising. I'm not an expert, but I, you know, would like to be more of an expert, but we love it. But thank you for that very kind introduction. I just love truly all things Disney.
[00:02:12] Speaker C: Yeah, you just mentioned that you were just at Magic Kingdom today checking out Buzz Lightyear because it just reopened with all the new stuff in it.
[00:02:20] Speaker A: Yeah, we didn't intend to go to check out Buzz Lightyear. It was just my son had a half day and he's in a Magic Kingdom phase. And then we saw that it was open and had to check it out, and I need some practice. It is you. Apparently, you can get over a million. I barely got over 100,000, so. A little embarrassed.
[00:02:37] Speaker C: I'm the same way.
[00:02:38] Speaker A: I'm not.
[00:02:39] Speaker C: Not good at Buzz Lightyear at all. Brian's decent at it, but neither of us are.
[00:02:44] Speaker B: I've never hit Galactic Hero. I much prefer Toy Story, Midway Mania at Disneyland.
[00:02:49] Speaker A: Me too. But Weston is a Galactic. Does hit Galactic Hero, and he only got, like 400,000 this time, so it was definitely like, he's gotten the sticker from the stores that level. And it's funny. We let Weston sit by himself, and then Ellie and I will ride together so he can focus.
But it is said, much improved. Very fun.
The tip that we learned was you just hold the trigger.
[00:03:12] Speaker C: Oh. Instead of pulling the trigger. Okay.
[00:03:16] Speaker A: That's what you get.
[00:03:17] Speaker C: Good to know you heard it here first. Yes.
Well, we wanted to talk about your experience with, of course, Disney Cruise Line, since we are a DCL focused podcast.
We love all things. Things run Disney. I would say that's probably our. Our second passion.
We are not, I'll say we like the parks, but we're definitely more into a race weekend than just a regular parks weekend.
But our first love is Disney Cruise Line. And we know that you love Disney Cruise Line. You just got back from your fifth cruise on dcl, so we have to say welcome to Gold.
[00:03:52] Speaker A: Yes, we are. My kids are way more excited than, like, what you like, what you get. It's great. Right? But, like, my kids are way more excited.
But yeah, no, we're excited for some new lanyards.
[00:04:03] Speaker C: Yeah. And an extra gift. Of course. The next time you sail, you'll get the gold, the silver gifts, and the gold gifts. So always extra gifts is fun. Now we gotta ask you, like, what. What does your cruising experience look like? Meaning, like, what kinds of itineraries have you been on and what ships have you sailed? I know you just got off the dream.
[00:04:22] Speaker A: So we are based in Orlando, so a lot of times, you know, we went on the first cruise, I was not, like a cruise person. I had been on a carnival.
This is a lot. This is like, we're like in the early 2000s, and then Weston and I went on a couple royals of, like, because it was cheap and we live in Orlando, we could drive over. But when the wish came out, I was honestly influenced by the Influencers showing me everything that was on the boat. And at that time, Elliot was 2, which means Claire was 7. And they were like the perfect age. And I was like, this looks way different than any cruise ship I've ever been on. Like, I want to go on it. So we did our First Wish in 2022 and Fun Story about that wish. We spent the night in Nassau because the boat broke down.
[00:05:08] Speaker C: Oh, it was that cruise with the propeller issues or the propulsion.
[00:05:12] Speaker A: Issues of propulsion. And we also didn't get to cast away because the part didn't come in time. So like, I wouldn't say our first one was like, wow. And I think, I'm sure you have listeners say this all the time. Your first cruise, especially on a wish, is like super overwhelming.
He was in the nursery at the time. So we're trying to juggle, like, because you have to pre book the nursery hours. Like, we had no idea. So it was fun and we knew we liked it, but we definitely were like, well, we want to go to Castaway. We want to do more. And we got like an extra 10% off.
[00:05:43] Speaker C: Right? You got that onboard credit for the next.
[00:05:45] Speaker A: Maybe it was 15 or something. Like you do the placeholder and you could combine them.
[00:05:49] Speaker C: So.
[00:05:50] Speaker A: So the next year we went to Alaska on the Wonder, which, you know, if you're gonna get a big credit and a discount, you might as well.
[00:05:57] Speaker C: Like, that's what we always say. If you get an onboard credit, you use it for like a European cruise or an Alaskan cruise. Use it for one of those big ticket cruises so that you're getting the most money off, not just like a three night on the Wish in the Caribbean.
[00:06:11] Speaker B: I tell people it's like an appreciating asset. Cause like, if you use it smartly, you can actually save more on the next cruise than what you spent on the cruise than it took to get.
[00:06:21] Speaker A: Yeah, I wonder where ours netted out.
But not. Yeah. So then we went from there to wonder, which was just. I mean, the Alaska cruise was mind blowing. It was like every, like beyond our expectations. Just so much fun, so much amazing things to see. We did the helicopter to the dog sledding, which I said I wasn't going to do because it was too expensive. And then we had like a different helicopter that got canceled. And then there was still somehow space available on board for four of us. So I was like, I don't care, I don't care. Take all my money. I want to. I want to go in a helicopter. We did that and then We've come back and we kind of stay in the Caribbean because, you know, for our vacations it's so nice to drive. I mean for us to Port Canaveral is like an hour. It's so, so easy. So we've kind of stayed in that. This is the first time we've gone out of Fort Lauderdale.
We are getting tired of going to Nassau. But we do try to get off the boat. So that's kind of, you know, where we've, we've stayed just because even this summer, looking at vacations, it's $500 a person for us to fly to Jama, where that gets us like, you know, that much more value. I feel like going on a cruise when you're not having to pay for flights and everything. Yeah.
[00:07:26] Speaker C: And you could go to Jamaica, you take the Western Caribbean on the Treasure and you can have a day in Jamaica at least and then a day at, you know, Grant Cayman and, and a day passed away of course.
[00:07:36] Speaker A: Really want to go on Treasure. But seven days is challenging for us because my daughter's like a high level competitive gymnast.
So to get seven days is five is like we're at, we're missing two days of practice for the Destiny. But that is my, my son really is excited about the Treasure. But we just, we've just had so much fun doing it. It's something that my kids look forward to and it's always nice to have that one thing on the calendar that you don't have to stress about that you're going to get there and it's just going to be like, here we are.
[00:08:01] Speaker B: I'll give you the black box warning that should accompany Disney cruises, which is once you go longer, the longer you sail like the, the more you're like, oh, I don't know, three nights, it seems so short as compared to that five night.
Yeah.
[00:08:14] Speaker C: So yeah, for us on the west coast, try not to come out for anything now. I mean we, we have in the past, especially when with the reopening post Covid, when like everything was a short cruise, you couldn't get a longer cruise. But now we really try to not fly out unless it's five nights or more because it's just, it's, you know, the being on the west coast that would be maybe worth it to go down to San Diego, but being coming all the way to Florida for a three night cruise is just, just too much travel to justify it.
[00:08:44] Speaker A: No, we've done two, three nights recently. We did, we did the Utopia of the Seas because the Worked for us. So we're not anti Royal. It's not the same. But you know, it was again, three nights. We did it the day after Christmas and our kids got it for their Christmas present and it was like, we're going tomorrow.
And then we did just did the three night dream. And three nights is like, you just don't really get to settle in. You don't get to see. I love a sea day. I love a day where I don't feel like I have to go get off the boat and see something. So we're really looking forward to the next one. That'll be. That'll be five days.
[00:09:12] Speaker B: So since your kids have sailed Royal and Disney, do they have a favorite? Do they like prefer Disney over Royal or.
[00:09:17] Speaker A: So I. What's funny is my daughter has her sort of gymnastics summer break and I've been looking at cruises today and there was a Royal that's going to go to different places that we haven't been. And I said that to my son just now after we got back from Disney. He's like, what about a Disney one? So they definitely do. Disney has the magic, right? Like, and for me it's just the music in the halls, like, makes me so happy. It's just all those little things. And we're not people that need to wait in line for characters, which I'm so grateful for that. I don't just send my crews, like beholden to that. But they just. But the act of seeing them excites them. There's just so many little things.
But the Royal ones have been fine.
This is really controversial so early into this. We like the Royal Island a lot.
[00:09:59] Speaker B: Oh yeah.
I don't disagree with you there. I actually kind of prefer the big pool on the Royal island, like Castaway or something.
[00:10:08] Speaker A: Like, it just gives the variety that I'm looking for.
[00:10:12] Speaker C: I'm with you on the pool, but I will say I don't like the water park and I don't like how big Coco Key is. Like, I think it's just, it's just like too spread out to like get to do everything. I feel like you have to like pick up and move your stuff around in order to like sort of see the entire island. Whereas at Castaway, I don't feel like I have to do that. But I just, I hate the water park. I'll be honest, I hate the idea of also paying extra for the water park.
[00:10:38] Speaker A: We have to pay extra every time because my kids are like, once, once you like open the box one time we have to go to the water park and then. So we'll dig. Exactly. You're saying like we'll go right away, you know, get off right away, go to the water park, go to the slides and then we'll go over to that other like hideaway beach or whatever. But then you're moving everything and then if they want to go back to the water park that we're schlepping, you
[00:10:56] Speaker C: have to move all the way back
[00:10:57] Speaker A: back to the water park. So yeah. So I totally like. Is it more laid back environment at Castaway or look out but do like the pools.
[00:11:05] Speaker C: Yeah, absolutely. Well, I want to. I want to ask some of your favorites on dcl and I would love to ask about some of your kids favorites on dcl. Now how. How old are all three of your kids?
[00:11:18] Speaker A: Two kids. So they're five years apart. So right now Elliot is five and Claire is ten. And we're about to. To plus up their birthdays are a week apart at the end of May. So 5 and 10. So they've been doing it for three years.
So you know, we're kind of seeing some changes in preferences and things like that.
So it's.
[00:11:35] Speaker C: And so they're both in the Oceaneers Club still. Although your daughter is going to age out very soon, she is not interested
[00:11:42] Speaker A: in the Oceaneers Club. My daughter has never, even when she was little that was just. She did not want to go. We forced her our first wish to go so we could do the Castaway Key 5K. But because we didn't get off the boat the first cruise, we did it in the gym. They still. And we still got medals.
So we made her go to the kids club. But my son loves the kids Club. He's like always excited to go.
So that's one part that he just really looks forward to, especially on the islands. He really likes the kids Club on the islands and I like it because they have better lunch for the kids. And he'll eat that food.
[00:12:17] Speaker C: Yeah, absolutely. Well, and, and on Lookout. I feel like the kids club on Lookout is like even better than the one at, at Castaway. I know you. You recently went to Lookout.
[00:12:28] Speaker A: We spent like two and a half hours there like.
Right. But we wanted to make sure he was in there for lunch. We took him right before lunch and then I went back checked on him twice because you know, you feel like you got to go check on it. Like you want to just ignore them and leave him there. But you also don't want to be that parent where your kids like Having a terrible time. And the WI fi didn't work and he didn't get the pickup thing right. Like, that's what I don't want to be.
But I could see him, like, running back and forth, but he. He just loves it. It's. And I love that. That, like, even though he's not with us, I know he's having a great time and kind of expanding his horizons and talking to other kids and playing games and learning to, like, interact and speak with other adults. I think all that stuff is kind of important, too.
[00:13:02] Speaker B: So what are your daughter's favorite activities on the cruise, then? Since she's not big into the kids club, what does she like to get up to?
[00:13:08] Speaker A: Well, we have been very lucky to have concierge three times, so her favorite thing's to go to the concierge lounge.
[00:13:14] Speaker C: I mean, she's not wrong.
[00:13:16] Speaker A: It's. You just have to, like, go in. But she loves the pool, so she's a big fan of the pools and just kind of exploring and walking around. So we do a lot of that. And she loves the beaches, so she loves Castaway. She loves Lighthouse. She went on a snorkeling excursion last time, so she wants to get in the ocean and see everything. So that's what she likes. She just doesn't want to go to the kids club.
[00:13:36] Speaker C: Does she like the snacks in the concierge lounge? I will say I love the snacks in the concierge lounge.
[00:13:42] Speaker A: Cloud Em.
[00:13:43] Speaker C: Oh, yeah.
Sprinkling blue.
[00:13:46] Speaker A: Have a bottle of it at home now, because I bought it for our amenity. And then, you know, she got us as she really likes that one. It just. And we'll give her that little bit of freedom because I don't always feel super comfortable letting her go out on her own. But, like, usually you're pretty close to where concierge is, and I think that's a good, you know, place for her that you're going to go there. I'm going to know you there and there. And so she. She enjoys to go and get a water.
[00:14:09] Speaker B: And the hosts are so great with kids, too. They are so great with kids.
[00:14:13] Speaker A: Yeah. Shout out to Andy. I don't know if you.
[00:14:16] Speaker C: Energy, energy, energy.
[00:14:19] Speaker A: We had him in Alaska, and we walked into, like, Board the Dream, and I think I screamed. I was like, oh, I gotta do this. And then somebody else was like, I know.
But we sang his coffee song every morning. Coffee time, coffee time. And we have since 2023. He's just so. I had to say his name because he literally is the best.
[00:14:37] Speaker C: He's the best. He's so great. We had him on the. No, not the wonder. Did we have him on the Magic or the Wonder? Brian? Actually, I think it was the wonder.
But he's now, he's now on the Dream. I think I heard that he's the lead baby.
[00:14:52] Speaker A: Who is? Oh, our kids favorite cruise ship director. Oh, so they were. They love Jimmy. They have Jimmy impersonation.
It's very funny. I think I have a video of one of them that I got somewhere. It's just funny. Like the things that make your vacations are not the things you would go into it like thinking like on the cruise we're gonna do this, this, this, and they're gonna love this. And then they may like didn't really like that at all. But Jimmy makes him happy. So watch Jimmy on the tv.
[00:15:19] Speaker C: But it's so true that like the cast members that you meet and that you interact with on Disney Cruise Line can really make the experience. And that's not to say that other cruise lines don't have that too. There are amazing, standout, you know, crew members on royal ships, on celebrity ships, what have you. But maybe not on Carnival. I don't know. I haven't sailed on Carnival, but.
But there are. But I feel like the people on those Disney ships are what sort of make that experience. And it's like the cast members at the park, right? They're the ones who are making that magic happen.
And it's not always Mickey Mouse. I mean sometimes it's Mickey Mouse, but it's not. It doesn't have to be Mickey Mouse. It can be the cruise director or a bartender or somebody like that.
What about now you mentioned that sometimes those are the things that make your kids happy. What about like the entertainment on board? Are they like, do you all go see the shows on board or play, you know, the trivias or the different family game shows? Like what do you all get up to when you're on a Disney cruise?
[00:16:19] Speaker A: So we don't do a lot of the family game shows with trivias. I try not to be too beholden to like this is this time and we gotta be there. We kind of like to let it like go and flow. And my kids are, what's so funny is Wes and I are like, are outgoing. We were the kids that always wanted to volunteer for stuff. That's not my kids. They're like inherently like a little bit more like if you know them, you're going to be like, wait, they're not, but they are. So, like, that's not necessarily their favorite things to do, but we do. I love going to the shows because I grew up a Disney, you know, kid, these shows are amazing. They're gorgeous. So we do try to go to the shows. If there's a movie we want to see, you know, we go to that as well. Hoppers was on our last cruise, but because it was a three day, it didn't really make sense, like, for us to go. And then. My son's favorite part of any show is if confetti comes down at the
[00:17:03] Speaker C: end, of course, does he pick it up and take it home with him?
[00:17:07] Speaker A: We were sitting. We like to sit, if we can, at the first row of like the split in the theater where no one's going to be in front of you, because isn't that the worst when you sit and you've been there for 30 minutes and then your kid can't see?
So it was one show on the Fantasy and the confetti came down and before we could do a thing, he leapt over the railing and it was like, in to get this confetti. And he was safe and it was fine because nobody's in front of him. But, like, he passionately loves confetti. And then I have to apologize to our stateroom attendant because he takes it off confetti everywhere.
[00:17:37] Speaker B: I always say it's one of the smartest things that Disney Cruise Line did is, oh, we're going to make the confetti Mickey shape. Because then the kids will do all the cleanup for us. They will collect every piece of streamer and every piece of confetti that we
[00:17:46] Speaker A: drop, and then it's all on the floor in our room.
[00:17:48] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:17:49] Speaker C: Our son is 12, actually almost 12 and a half, and he still wants to pick up the confetti for in the theater. We try.
[00:18:01] Speaker A: Who doesn't want the confetti?
[00:18:03] Speaker C: We try to say we're not going to take that home. Occasionally we'll let him bring it back to the room, but then it'll get thrown out when he's not paying attention. Exactly. Exactly.
[00:18:15] Speaker B: What's your favorite show been on board? Carissa.
[00:18:18] Speaker A: So I'm really excited to see Hercules. I know we're not there. My favorite show on board, I think think is. So I've only seen Believe once, but I've seen Golden Mickey's twice. And then we just saw Be in the Beast. What's the show? This is my favorite show is the show. I can't remember the first night of The Wish. We're dating.
[00:18:32] Speaker C: Seize the Adventure.
[00:18:34] Speaker A: That is my favorite show.
[00:18:35] Speaker B: Oh, yeah.
[00:18:36] Speaker A: For some reason, I like everything. I couldn't remember the name, but I also like the Golden Mickeys. I like the ones that are not the shows that we might have seen. Like, I was lucky enough to see Aladdin a thousand times in Disneyland, which is amazing show. And I don't know why I never left.
Do you know what I mean? So, like, I've seen those.
Yeah. So I really like that show.
[00:18:56] Speaker C: You and Brian are birds of reflection.
[00:18:58] Speaker B: I love the Golden Mickey.
[00:18:59] Speaker C: He loves the Golden Mickeys. I do love Seas the Adventure. I think that's the best of those. I'll call them jukebox ones. Although we. Brian and I haven't been on the Adventure. We hear that, remember, is fantastic.
But I personally, I think Beauty and the Beast and Hercules and Moana are all just, like, standout. Amazing.
[00:19:20] Speaker B: You will love Hercules. It is such an amazing stage production. I loved the Golden Mickeys because it still had Bob Iger in it, even when he wasn't the CEO. And then he came back and I was like, see, they didn't even have
[00:19:29] Speaker A: to update the talk track, but now they've updated it.
[00:19:33] Speaker C: Now Captain Minnie, I believe, has replaced
[00:19:36] Speaker B: Bob Iger, at least until Josh records his segment, maybe.
[00:19:40] Speaker A: I just like that. It's like, legit, old school Tim Allen. Like, how old is that? Because we were just talking about it. I don't. I like the ones that are fresh and new and they bring, like, different things together, I guess. But Beauty and the Beast was. I love that version of Beauty the Beast is phenomenal. Like, it was. It was so good. It scared Elliot a little bit, but I think he's in a phase where I think there's, like, something. He's bored. He just tells you he's scared.
[00:20:01] Speaker C: Well, there are the wolves. The wolves, yeah. It's a little bit. It's a. I can understand in live theater that can be a little bit much. Even watching the animated version, there are some kids who get, you know, nervous around that. Around that time.
[00:20:15] Speaker A: There's plenty of Disney movies in that part that I'm still like, oh,
[00:20:20] Speaker C: now. So you've been on the Wonder, the Dream, and the Wish, have you? Are those the only three?
[00:20:25] Speaker A: Fantasy.
[00:20:26] Speaker C: Oh, and the Fantasy. That's right. Okay, so you've done that whole. You've been on all classes, then You've. So you've done an entire dream class. You've been on one on the wish class and one on the. The magic class. I Have to ask which class is your favorite? Like, do you have a favorite because of maybe the layout or the theming or, you know, obviously they're different because the Wonder and the Magic have a lower number of passengers on. So it could be because of that. But yeah. Do you have a favorite class in the. In the Disney Cruise line portfolio?
[00:20:55] Speaker A: I think we like the smaller boats. Just the less, less crowds and they don't feel as overwhelming and you feel like you can see everything and do everything. I love like the more modern like the show. I mean the dinners on the Wish, you know, are so much better than that. And why does animators palette only animate on long cruises? Why do I got to see Crush?
[00:21:15] Speaker C: I don't know.
[00:21:16] Speaker A: Change the name. Change the name. Then don't call it Animator's Palette.
[00:21:19] Speaker C: I'm with you, Karissa. I think it's we. I don't mind having Crush on a seven Night as the second show, but I want to animate his palette. I need to animate. I agree.
[00:21:29] Speaker A: I think we just do like the smaller ones because it's less crowded. You seem like you to know the cast members a little bit more and then you feel, I think the more you feel at home in a ship and comfortable and we're, you know, I think that kind of translates to the sort of the whole vacation, if you will. But the modern conveniences are nice in the Wish, like kind of the cooler bars and the different theming and everything.
[00:21:49] Speaker B: So what about. So since we brought up in a mirror's palette, like restaurants on board, what have been your. Your favorite spots and how have your. Your kids branched out beyond the kids menu? Because sometimes that's a fun little thing that.
[00:22:00] Speaker C: Well, our son won't. He'll.
He's Mickey's Mac and cheese all the way.
[00:22:04] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:22:06] Speaker A: So overall I'd say Weston and I are not like foodies. Okay. So we're not like those people.
[00:22:10] Speaker C: So you're not going to enchante or Remy.
[00:22:13] Speaker A: We have kids.
[00:22:14] Speaker B: So I would love.
[00:22:16] Speaker A: So my point of view, and I'm. I'm. My son is with Weston and I. And then my daughter I share with my ex husband. So like when I have them, like I'm not going to take away that time from them. And because I think the dinners for me as a mom are one of the nicest times because I'm not getting up a hundred times, I have to think about what we're making. You don't like it? Okay. Can you please bring something else like that to me? Is honestly, like, one of my favorite times. Because we're just sitting. Hopefully they're sitting. Sometimes they get up and they're like, it's okay.
[00:22:42] Speaker C: It's Disney Cruise Line. Nobody that's PSA to anyone who's listening. If you're on Disney Cruise Line and your kids are not sitting in their seats and they're going a little crazy, it's okay. Nobody cares. Everybody else's kids are doing the same.
[00:22:54] Speaker A: Yeah, but, like, my daughter's 10, and she had this little pair of heels that she was going to wear to dinner, and she was like, when they see my heels, they know I mean business. They mean, I need all the circle roles.
The waiter's gonna see your heels and be like, oh, this girl needs more bread.
Fun little things. So in terms of the food, I want to say, like, we're not always blown away, especially on, like, the Dream Wish. And I don't want to say this is a bad thing. We don't care. We're not there for the food. I think the food was better on the Wish than on, like, the Dream Fantasy class. And then I think when you're on, especially on a seven day, you eventually just get tired of. Of know what I mean? On any cruise. Right. Like, you just.
[00:23:33] Speaker C: And you don't really have a lot of control. Like, you don't have control over, like, the food preparation and stuff. And so the food, I think over the course of, like, a whole week cruise, like, it feels like it's real heavy by the end. I don't know. That's. That's kind of how I feel about it. I just feel like, okay, I just want to go home and eat a salad or something.
[00:23:51] Speaker A: Yes. And so, like, Elliot does not branch off Claire.
Like, when we were on the Fantasy, we had an amazing server. I wish I could remember his name. But, like, she tried our Chilean sea bass one night and loved it. So, like, every night he would bring her sea bass, like, and I think he must have had to go to a different kitchen or whatever he did. But, like, she'll do. She'll try, like, an appetizer or, like, a bite of something. So, like, we're making progress with her. Elliot is like a heart. He's in that phase where it's like, you know, it's still. And you know he likes it.
[00:24:17] Speaker C: Right.
[00:24:17] Speaker A: When your kids put something in your mouth and you know they like it, don't like it, he's there and in time. But that's what I also like about the cruise. I say to People like, why are we going to fly my kids to Jamaica, pay all this money and they don't like their food and they say, yeah man. And Disney, I'm like, can you bring me something else?
[00:24:35] Speaker C: Yeah, because if you, you're gonna have to pay for another meal if you're out at a restaurant. I mean we say that about the parks. I think a lot of people don't realize if you're, I mean you live in Orlando so you can just go to the parks and like go for a day. But if somebody's taking like a full on trip to Disney World and they're spending a week in the parks, you're paying for all the food on top of that. And guess what? Half the time your kids are gonna be like, I don't like that. And then you gotta order something else. And maybe if you have a nice like waiter, they won't char the first thing you ordered.
[00:25:02] Speaker A: I mean most restaurants do, you know, that's not their fault. But like we just, just, I feel a little guilty about like the gluttony that are triers. Like I think on the last night of the dream we wanted like five things from the first menu and we felt bad about it, but we did it.
[00:25:19] Speaker C: Well, I gotta ask you because you are a registered dietitian. Now for folks who don't know this, like the title nutritionist is kind of one that anybody can use. The title registered dietitian is actually a professional tit that somebody with education and certification to know what they're talking about when they're talking about food.
You're very welcome. I have, we've worked with both, we've both of you and we know, we know the difference.
But I want to, I want to get your take on like how, how does someone eat well on a cruise? And when I say eat well on a cruise, it's hard, right? Because you don't, like I said, you don't have control over the preparation of your food like you do when you're at home. I'm curious if you like, if you have any thoughts about how either you deal with it or how you tell clients to deal with that fact when they're traveling on something like Disney cruise line or even another cruise line.
[00:26:13] Speaker A: So to be honest. And I have, you know, I have an online nutrition course and we work, we talk about this a lot. Like I don't want people to be stressed when they're on vacation. I don't want them to be there like willing themselves to not try a bite of something that's not the life we want to live. So what I would say to them is, make sure we're getting enough protein and that where are we getting our fiber from? Because a lot of times on vacation, we're low on fiber, and that can cause other gut issues. And then we just don't feel good and we're not able to enjoy things as well. So that's kind of the route I take. So it's making sure. Did I grab an apple? Did I grab a pear? Have we had, like, fruit and stuff like that? And then not skipping the vegetables. Then if you don't like something, you don't have to finish it. Also, you know, most people, science says that you're satisfied by, like, three bites of something. So if it is that dessert, get it and have the three bites. And then the other thing I say to my clients, and this is sort of not necessarily a Disney cruise thing, but this is like, in normal life, if you're going to restaurants or something, pick one. You can't have a drink. The bread basket, an appetizer, and a dessert.
[00:27:02] Speaker C: You're killing me, Carissa.
[00:27:04] Speaker A: I'm not thinking on the cruise, but, like, if somebody really was trying to.
[00:27:07] Speaker C: No, I skipped the dessert, actually. I will go for all the other things. I'm not a dessert person. I'm not a sweets person, but I.
[00:27:14] Speaker B: Unless it's an espresso martini.
[00:27:15] Speaker C: Unless it's an espresso martini. Then I love an espresso martini. But I prefer the cocktail and the bread and the appetizer over the dessert.
[00:27:25] Speaker A: And you know that, right? And you kind of make that shift. But then they do have that, like, lighter side menu, and sometimes even I'll order from there because I love a good baked potato. You know, I. I tend to get a lot of red meat when I travel or what I'm out because I don't cook it at home. So, like, I use that opportunity to be like, okay, let me, you know, have that. So I think that menu is actually. Sometimes tastes better to me because you may not necessarily like the seasoning or. Or whatnot. So, yeah, it's just not stressing. And then lunches can be the meal where you try to focus more. Right. If it's not. If you don't love it, eat healthier. I guess that's kind of also how I think about it. If you're not loving what you're eating, don't. If you don't like the pasta, stop eating the pasta.
[00:27:58] Speaker C: I will say my dietitian always said the first bite of the dessert tastes the same as the last bite of the dessert. That was her motto in telling me so she's like, you don't need to have that. You know, like you said, it's like you're probably satisfied in three bites.
[00:28:14] Speaker B: And so I always heard that and was like, wait, the logic there doesn't add up because yes, it tastes delicious in the last bite too. But I, I, I get what you're saying.
[00:28:24] Speaker C: Brian's a dessert person. As you can, as you can tell
[00:28:26] Speaker A: from that, we're a big like, get bring us every dessert family. And again, I feel a little guilty about it. But like, I don't want to be pigeonholed. I want to try. And if I don't like it, you
[00:28:35] Speaker B: know, that's the way you paid for
[00:28:36] Speaker A: it with the no sugar dessert and be like, yeah, it's probably not that good. Let's just be honest. No sugar added dessert.
[00:28:42] Speaker C: Like, there's one that's good. There's one that's like a, like a tiramisu. That's actually pretty good because I, I've ordered that a couple times just cause I it's on. I don't remember what menu, but I don't like any. I don't, I'm not dessert person, but I didn't and I wanted dessert but I didn't like anything else that was on the menu. So I tried that one and now I've actually ordered it a couple of times and yeah, yeah, I love tiramisu as well.
[00:29:08] Speaker D: Are you listening to our show because you want to make the most out of your next vacation. Great news. The fabulous team over at MyPath Unwinding Travel can help guide you so you don't miss a thing. Their team of professional travel advisors are caring, knowledgeable and experienced. It's why we use them to book our own travel. Mypath Unwinding Travel is an authorized Disney vacation planner with which means they are recognized by Disney for their expertise and service. They have sailed on all the Disney ships, including in concierge, visited the theme parks, Adventured with Disney, Relaxed at Aulani and so much more. Whether it's a Disney cruise, a theme park vacation or adventures by Disney, or if you are looking to expand beyond the mouse, MyPath Unwinding Travel will elevate your next vacation planning experience. Even if you have already booked, reach out for a complimentary consultation to make your vacation even more magical.
[00:29:50] Speaker B: Right.
[00:29:50] Speaker D: Ready to talk to the experts? Head over to mypathunwinding.com DCLDUO or email DCLDUOYpathunwinding.com so they know we sent you their way. Thanks, MyPath Unwinding for sponsoring today's show. Now back to the episode.
[00:30:06] Speaker B: I've gotta ask. So you've been on a ship with the Aqua AquaDuck and you've been on with the Aqua Mouse. Do you have a favorite? And then do your kids have a favorite?
[00:30:15] Speaker A: That is an interesting question, because my son did not get to go on the AquaDuck. He's never been on the Aqueduct, even though he's been tall enough. Um, it was too. He was too scared. We were on the Fantasy. And then this time, the first day, Weston forgot to pack his bathing suit in our carry on.
And that's when you're supposed to go, right? You board early and you go.
And then we thought we were going to go the third night, and then it was too rough and it was closed. So I.
That's a hard question for me to answer. I don't.
Because every time I rode the Aqua Mouse, I was really, really cold. And then I just, like, wanted, like, I just like, oh, God, it's so. You know what I mean? Like, this movie's great, but I'm really cold. I'm going to say Aqua Mouse, though.
[00:30:52] Speaker B: Yeah. I always find it's also. It's like they're spraying you with cold water on the way up, too. So, like, you're doubly freezing somewhere.
[00:30:57] Speaker A: Like, it's because one time. So Claire and I were in Aladdin and she. This was the second wish we were on. And she was. I could tell she was bored. And I was like, do you want to go on the slide? And she was like, yeah. And that was like a really. And then we could do it like a bunch. But it was not, you know, I don't know. It's still August, but you're still cold. I don't know. But that was like a good memory.
[00:31:13] Speaker B: So have they done the. Have you. Have you Bibbidi bopped them on the cruise line?
[00:31:18] Speaker A: So my daughter was 5. During COVID we were supposed to go to the castle. Bibbidi Bop St Glare and Floridian. Didn't happen because of COVID And then when Covid was done, we were unbibidy bopped. And then Elliot was also no part of that. So I've never been able to Bibbidi bop. Maybe I can go myself. Like, maybe.
[00:31:36] Speaker C: I mean, you can do the pirate makeover. They do that for adults. And then on the. And then on the adventure. Yes, they'll do. So they. They don't do a princess makeover for the adults.
[00:31:45] Speaker A: They'll do.
[00:31:45] Speaker C: They'll give you some pixie dust. So they'll give you all the sparkles that you won't be able to wash out. I've done it once. It takes. It takes a week to wash that stuff out of your hair. But they will do a pirate makeover for adults. And actually on the Disney Adventure, if you're willing to fly all the way to Singapore, you can get. You can get a Marvel makeover. And they'll do that for adults or kids.
It could be like, Captain Marvel or
[00:32:10] Speaker A: Captain America would be if I got a pirate. No, that would be.
[00:32:14] Speaker C: That would be. How awesome would that be?
[00:32:16] Speaker A: I'll be like, wouldn't go to dinner. They'd be like, we're like. My daughter would be like, I'm going to the kids club, mom.
Get less than a good pipe.
[00:32:22] Speaker B: I feel like that's one of the core responsibilities of a parent, is to embarrass the children.
[00:32:26] Speaker A: So, yeah, I'm interested in this idea. Okay.
[00:32:31] Speaker C: Our son won't do the makeover either. He's not interested. We were able to get him at Aulani. They have.
It's a much more tame makeover where they just kind of put. For the boys, they just put, like, color in their hair, and they do, like, temporary tattoos all over their arms. So he had all these, like, tortoise tattoos all over his arms, and he had, like, this bright red hair color and gel. And literally by the time. By the time we got back from the luau, he was like, get this stuff out of my hair. And he took a shower immediately. I mean, honestly, I'll.
[00:33:05] Speaker A: I'll save my money for something else. I have to buy him stuff anyway. I'll buy him. I'll buy him a present. It lasts longer. But no, I miss. I missed the whole Bibbidi bobbidi. My girlfriend, we went with three of my friends, the first wish, and her daughter was doing it, and she was super excited. And then my girlfriend was like, I'll never forget it. Every time I see the kids with the ponytail one, she was so mad. That's what her kid picked because she did not want her to pick that one. And then she was just angry.
Every time I see the girls walking around with it, I was like, oh, is your mom angry? Did she want a better updo for you to pick?
[00:33:33] Speaker C: She wanted the bun, right?
[00:33:35] Speaker A: And once the kid picks it, you can't be like, no, don't Pick that. You just gotta be all in with it. So that's my joy. I get from the Bibbidi Bobbidi.
It's never meant to be for me.
[00:33:44] Speaker B: We would be remiss, Carissa, and not given your Run Disney background. Not asking you, like, do you have any, like, so tips for people? Like, we, we get questions quite often actually, about, oh, I'm going on a Disney cruise, but I'm doing this Run Disney event. Like, what, what should I do? Should I just do the castaway key 5k? Should I run on the deck? Like, what. What's available to me? And so I'm curious.
[00:34:05] Speaker A: Like, you, you.
[00:34:05] Speaker B: You must keep up with training even when you're, when you're vacationing. So curious, like, what. What tips would you give people who are going to do, you know, training for a run, whether it's Run Disney or not, that they're out on a cruise ship?
[00:34:15] Speaker A: I think first of all, it's like making that plan before you even step on the cruise ship. Like, this is. This is when I'm going to work out. You know, it's kind of like I am lucky to live in a family that, like, no one questions you needing to go work out. Like, everyone's super supportive of like, okay, you're going to do this and I'm going to do this. So we'll kind of, usually on sea days, map it out where one of us will go and then the next one will go. I'm not a run on deck kind of person.
It feels like harder. For some reason, I'm. I'm better off getting in the treadmill and like, I'm doing this workout and I'm changing the things and it just kind of goes by a little faster, easier. My favorite thing is running on a cruise ship when it is sort of rocky and you have to hold onto the hand, you're like, here we go.
That's why you just have to plan, you know, plan it, make that plan and stick to it and commit to it. If you're doing something like, you know, the Castaway 5K, like, that's awesome. You know, then you are kind of looking forward to it. It's like part of your day. But please do it early because you guys know it gets spicy out there and there's not really any shade. This woman on this last ship, she was in the concierge and she was already in her workout clothes. And because it's only three days, I, like, didn't even bring workout shoes. I was like, I don't I'm going to want to work out. And if I don't have the shoes, I was like, oh, I'm so jealous. She's like, yeah, there's a 5K on this island. And I was like, is there a video? And I was like, you can probably do a 5k.
So I tried to, like, not totally burst her bubble.
[00:35:34] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah. Lookout doesn't have any signage up yet. There's no official 5K. We do have friends who have done. Who have run a 5K, you know.
Yeah. But it's not, it's not an organized. And they're not giving out medals yet. Even though there are. There is a medal or a picture of a medal that's sort of out there on the, on the interwebs, but it's still not something that Disney is giving out yet. So at some point in the future, I'm crossing my fingers and toes that there will be a more official 5k on the island. But I think Castaway is the best place to run. But I think you're. You're right. Like, you have to go. You got to do it first thing. Because especially if you're sailing in July or August, it's. Yeah. I mean, you're going to get here
[00:36:19] Speaker A: and I run in it all the time, you know, so I'm a dap. But if you're coming from somewhere that's not, you know, you're just, it's not going to help your vacation. So you get some drinks the night before. Then the dietitian to me comes back out.
Weston has this idea that he wants to do next time we go to Lighthouse. He wants to see if he can run faster than the tram to get back from the beach.
And he had his garment on. What was that, babe? It was like, it was like 7 minute per mile pace. So of course my husband can do it.
Maybe we'll have to.
[00:36:45] Speaker C: I can't. I mean, neither of us can do that pace. So.
[00:36:48] Speaker A: Race the tram back to Disney.
[00:36:50] Speaker B: Have to do a new metal. The Beat the tram medal.
[00:36:52] Speaker C: Beat the tram medal.
[00:36:57] Speaker A: You could easily get 5K, you know, coming off the walk, which I don't mind the walk. I actually enjoy it anytime to get extra steps and stuff. You know, the stairs. My family has a saying. Stairs, let's take them.
[00:37:08] Speaker B: Yeah, I was in percent when we're on a cruise, we take stairs. Yeah.
[00:37:12] Speaker C: Yeah. Well, I mean, that's. That in and of itself is the. Is great advice, though, for keeping up with your, you know, just your activity level while on vacation.
[00:37:20] Speaker A: Right.
[00:37:21] Speaker C: Like if you are just someone, I mean, you're going to eat more probably. And you're not, like we said, you're not going to have control over the food preparation. So you're probably taking in more calories even if you're not eating more actual food.
And so just. Yeah. Getting a little extra movement is always a good thing.
[00:37:38] Speaker A: Now I got to, I can motivate you then more. You know, when you eat that big meal, walking right afterwards is going to lower your blood glucose and your blood sugar. So just taking those extra sets after dinner, if you do feel guilty, just do a little like 10 minute walk. And you're totally going to help your body metabolize that and you're totally going to help your blood sugar levels go back down. So, you know, just so you're saying
[00:37:56] Speaker C: I can have that extra espresso martini next week? Yeah. All right. Yeah.
[00:38:01] Speaker A: Alcohol, metabolism, but I can help with the sugar.
Love it.
[00:38:07] Speaker C: We're getting on the Treasure a week from tomorrow. So as we're recording this.
Yeah. So I'll, I'll just, just, I'll have that espresso martini and then I'll just go walk around. You know, I'll walk, I'll bar hop.
[00:38:19] Speaker A: How about that? That's how I'll do it. Okay. Yeah, just a long way. Okay. How long has it been?
[00:38:23] Speaker C: Okay, now I love that. Well, I gotta ask you, you mentioned the Destiny. I know you, you guys are going to be sailing on the Destiny next month.
Now tell me you, you've only been on the Wish, you mentioned being curious of of course about the Treasure, but that just being difficult because of the seven day schedule and. But tell me what you're looking forward to about the Destiny. I'm guessing you've seen a lot on the Internet about the Destiny. Very Marvel themed, very of course heroes and villains, but very villains forward I would say. Yeah. What are you looking forward to? What are you worried about? Let's talk a little bit about destiny.
[00:39:01] Speaker A: So I think I am really excited for some new shows like the Hercules show. I don't know what the other night shows are, but I'm super excited to kind of experience that and some different dining since we've done Fantasy and Dream are like the last two that we've done and then we did Wonder, which was all kind of very similar. Like I'm looking forward to getting back into like those exciting shows. I think that's Lion King, right?
[00:39:19] Speaker D: Yes.
[00:39:20] Speaker C: No, no, not Lion King. No. So Lion King is the dining. So it's no Lion King is on Lion King's, the restaurant on the desk.
Oh, you mean. Sorry. Oh, I thought you meant theater shows.
[00:39:33] Speaker A: Different dining experience.
Getting more into that. Like, I think there's a huge change, obviously, from, like, the Dream class to the Wish class of, like, the dining experiences. So I'm excited to get more to that, like, show thing because that's what we first had with the Wish, you know. Oh. Everything's, you know, besides 1923. Like, you're entertaining me somehow. Like, this is cool.
And I love the Marvel dinner on Wish. I think that's one of my favorites. I just. I'm a big Marvel fan. But again, we don't. Like, we went on the Dream because of Bluey, but we like all the characters. We just like Disney. So it's not like, I must see this. I must do that. It's just being immersed in it.
And even today, Elliot asked me if he could go to the Haunted Mansion bar with me, which I think he can early in the. Just not too late. Yeah. Because his sister went to the Hyperspace Lounge, and so he's excited to just. Just to see these different spaces and to experience the imagineering and all of that creativity that we love about Disney, like, in these spaces. And I think it being five nights, I won't be stressed, because when it is three nights and all we've done on the Wish, it is a little bit stressful making sure you can kind of do what everybody wants. So I'm excited to sort of have that calm time to explore and adventure. Maybe we will do a family game night, but most likely not. I'm always like, can we do a craft? No, let's just. We just explore and find things that way.
[00:40:46] Speaker B: I'm with you. I like. I like to take the quiet moments. I just. Sometimes I'll just sit in the atrium, just kind of. People watch. Like, it's. Yeah. Like, I always see cruising is supposed to be relaxing. That was supposed to be kind of the baseline experience, and I have held onto it.
[00:41:00] Speaker C: Yeah, I can't do that. I'm. I'm the one bouncing from activity to activity. I have too much fomo. I can't help myself. But I think you're gonna love the Haunted Mansion Parlor. It is. I mean, it's fantastic. They did a great job with it on the Treasure. Great job with it on the Destiny. It's not.
[00:41:17] Speaker B: I don't think it's super scary for your son, who's.
[00:41:20] Speaker C: Yeah, it's a little spooky, but it's like, you know, Haunted Mansion is cool with.
[00:41:23] Speaker A: Currently it's just, you know, wolves.
[00:41:26] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:41:27] Speaker A: No, that if I met a wolf in the woods, I wouldn't love either.
[00:41:31] Speaker C: Now the shows, though, on the Destiny, in addition to Hercules. So seize the adventure again, which you like, so you'll go see that again. And then Frozen is the third show on which I'm sure you've seen a
[00:41:44] Speaker A: little vanilla on Frozen.
[00:41:46] Speaker C: Doubt you're a little Frozen down.
I have to say, I think this might be a controversial statement. I'm not sure how you feel about this, but I think Frozen on Disney Cruise Line is better than Frozen. That was at the Hyperion Theater in.
[00:41:58] Speaker A: Okay, that's what I was going to ask for.
[00:42:00] Speaker C: Disneyland.
[00:42:00] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:42:01] Speaker C: I think it's the best version in Hyperion.
[00:42:04] Speaker A: Like when it first came out and it was like an hour and a half long. In Hyperion, it was aggressively long. And it just is hard to replace. Aladdin was so good. Like the genie, you know, you would go for the genie and it was always this great experience. So I don't want to be. I don't feel. To be mad at me. Like, she hates Frozen. I don't hate Frozen. I just don't. Doesn't feel like to me, the classic, I'll go back and watch Aladdin a million times. But for me, Frozen. I like Frozen two better.
[00:42:30] Speaker C: Yeah, Frozen two is better.
No, I agree with you. But I think the Disney Cruise line version of Frozen is the best. Better than the Broadway. I've seen the Broadway version, the Hyperion Theater version, and the DCL version. And the DCL version, I think is the best. It's also the shortest. So it's.
[00:42:47] Speaker B: Although your favorite Hyperion Theater show is
[00:42:50] Speaker C: probably the musical Rogers the Musical. Yeah.
[00:42:55] Speaker A: I never saw it.
[00:42:56] Speaker C: It was only there for like a
[00:42:59] Speaker A: massive Captain America obsession. Like when we had Avengers races. I would always, like, be awkward and insist to stand next to him. Like ridiculous. Like, to the point where, like, it was. I. I was obsessed with him.
[00:43:10] Speaker B: You've got to get on a Marvel DC Similarly.
[00:43:12] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:43:13] Speaker B: To get on a Marvel D at sea.
[00:43:14] Speaker A: Well, just the scheduling is so when you're with your sports, it's so hard. Every. They want to go Halloween and they want to do this. Sometimes it just doesn't.
[00:43:22] Speaker C: Plus you have all the races that you're announcing, and those are all weekends too.
[00:43:25] Speaker A: Also very difficult. Yeah. I mean, anybody who have kids, like, I would love to do the Monday to Thursdays or whatever those are, you know, the four days. But it's just, you know, kids. Yeah.
[00:43:34] Speaker C: The darn thing called school. It just keeps. It's cramping our cruising style. Here we go.
[00:43:38] Speaker A: Yeah, I'd love to just cruise all the time because Wes and I, you know, when we don't have events, we can work from wherever, so that would be fantastic.
[00:43:46] Speaker C: Yeah, that would be amazing. Well, I would love to ask, like, what's. Is there anything that you're like, concerned about for, you know, for this, this ship being mar. Like being Marvel themed or being villains themed? Like, do you think that the kids are going to enjoy this ship other than. Of course. I know you said they're excited about Haunted Mansion Parlor.
[00:44:05] Speaker A: No, I think they're gonna love it. They'll. You could ask them things and they think they won't. Like, they just, they love all Disney. Like, they're not really, like, yes, no. And even if they don't love it, it's still like, you do. Like, the people watching, it's interesting. Like, let's look at the characters, let's see them, let's talk about them. Like, there's really nothing where they're like, like super anti. They're probably better about Frozen than I am. They just love. It's just an environment that they just are so happy in. And like the little things like the pixie dusting and the magnets on the doors and kind of all that little stuff, like, they just want to do it over and over again. And then the things that are consistent, like we get the ice cream. You. We, you know, we're eat. I'm not a buffet girl. Probably. Everybody could probably guess that, like, we're a go to a sit down breakfast kind of people. Like, those are just those little things that we do and the hash browns and the bread, like, that's their expectations. And the Disney is just sort of that. That cherry on the top. It's like the service and the consistency that we love and then the characters and all that is just sort of extra. But I do, I love Marvel.
[00:44:59] Speaker B: Do you have a favorite, like, moment that stands out for you from one of your cruises? It's just like, you know, it's that memory that you made that you. You just constantly kind of revisiting.
[00:45:09] Speaker A: I have one moment. This is not like a big memory, but just sitting on Castaway and I'm in this, in the chair like, like further up from the beach and my kids are just in the water playing. And it's just like this moment where you're just like, this is beautiful. And you feel you didn't bring the chairs to the beach. I don't got to worry about where the sand's getting. I don't got it. Like, it's that feeling that it gives the parents of, like, safety and memories without that stress. That always happens. And then on our first wish, we had amazing servers. Oswald and Jill was our assistant server. And there was a moment I thought this was the norm. My kids had their iPad, I think for one of them or something. There was a. There was a group of kids with us. And she came and sat down and was like, playing the games with them.
Like, and it was just so fun and like, nice. And so they always, like, we always, you know, I wonder where Jill is. I wonder where Oswald is. And Oswald's on the treasure now.
So it's just those little things, you know, that kind of make it all sort of come together.
[00:45:59] Speaker C: Yeah.
I gotta ask you probably the most important question there is, which is what is your favorite soft serve ice cream flavor on Disney cruise line?
[00:46:10] Speaker B: That is decidedly not the most important question there is. But I like where you're headed with the question.
[00:46:15] Speaker A: You're not gonna like my answer.
[00:46:16] Speaker C: Oh, no, pizza.
[00:46:21] Speaker A: I'm not an ice cream person, so I would rather have pizza.
I'm walking by and grabbing something, it's pizza.
[00:46:30] Speaker C: That's hilarious. I will say like. So I will typically go for pizza over ice cream. I'm a savory person, not a sweets person.
But when they've got that like banana ice cream, I don't know what it is about the banana ice cream, but I just can't pass it up.
[00:46:46] Speaker A: Yeah, it's. Maybe I'll have to try that one. I usually just don't even. I think I'm always on the other side. I rarely even like, walk by the ice cream because it's just not, you know, I would rather have pizza or a drink.
[00:46:56] Speaker B: I'd rather.
Do you have a favorite? Do you have a favorite, like bar space on board? I mean, you can't go to them late night with the kids.
[00:47:04] Speaker A: Clearly that, I mean, yes. The concierge lounge. I'm happy out for my dinner.
That's my favorite part.
[00:47:12] Speaker B: You're not wrong. You're not wrong.
[00:47:17] Speaker A: You cannot have proper time management.
[00:47:19] Speaker C: Right. You take them to the show, you take them to the dining room, you send somebody up. Yeah, absolutely. I love that.
[00:47:28] Speaker A: I love that.
[00:47:29] Speaker C: Well, I gotta ask. What, what do you've got planned on the horizon? You have destiny next month. Do you have any other cruises, like, lined up? Are you, are you hitting going back to royal anytime soon?
[00:47:41] Speaker A: We're deciding that for our summer cruise, there's a Royal out of Tampa. That might make sense because it'll be places we haven't been.
[00:47:48] Speaker C: Ooh, which ship would you be going on?
[00:47:50] Speaker A: Oh, I don't know. A really old one.
[00:47:53] Speaker C: Don't do it, Karissa, then. Don't do it.
[00:47:56] Speaker A: Well, we went on the.
An old one last year and we had a. We had a fine time.
[00:48:01] Speaker C: Oh, really? Okay. Because I. I don't think there's anything wrong with Royal, like, to be. I mean, we've been on Royal and we had a good time. I just. Just feel like I would probably stick to, like, Oasis class.
[00:48:13] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. No, we were on the Adventure of the Seas, and we were.
It was fine. Like, the shows are, like. I think it's interesting to us.
[00:48:20] Speaker B: I think it so depends on what you're going for out of the vacation.
[00:48:22] Speaker A: Yeah, we're not. I'm bougie in terms of, like, my accommodate. Like, I don't know, but I'm not bougie about that. Like, we're still getting that same experience of, like, ease and comfort and family time together. And so I think more, this decision, if we went on Royal this summer would be based on Port, because I literally really don't want to go to Nassau and have to pay to go to the Bahamar Water park again.
[00:48:42] Speaker B: Yeah, well. And I will say Royal has some interesting shore excursions at times that Disney would never even think to offer. So, like, I think it was. Was it Tortola or St.
Oh, it was in.
[00:48:55] Speaker C: I think it was.
Was it in Tortola or Was it in St. Louis?
[00:48:59] Speaker B: It was one of the. It was one of the Eastern Caribbean ports. They had a. A shore excursion that was like the Amazing Race.
[00:49:05] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:49:05] Speaker A: Type.
[00:49:06] Speaker C: So Weaver Hunt, kind of.
[00:49:08] Speaker B: There was a family. There was like a. Like a young. A very young child. And then, like, our son came. But, like, we were running all over the streets of this port city, like, from place to place, and I was like, Disney would.
[00:49:18] Speaker C: Solving puzzles. Yeah.
[00:49:19] Speaker B: Like, yeah, across the street. That's not happening. Right. And, like, we had. We had so much fun. It was just a lot of fun.
[00:49:25] Speaker D: So. Yeah.
[00:49:26] Speaker B: Yeah. I think Royal sometimes one.
[00:49:27] Speaker C: And they gave us a bottle of rum. So that was.
[00:49:30] Speaker B: Yeah, that. Which Disney would never do.
[00:49:33] Speaker A: We went to last year on Raw. We went to Jamaica. We went to this place, inflatable bounce house on water type thing with, like, these very, like, janky life jackets. And you had to be, like, I don't know, seven. And our son was Five. And they were just like, yeah, he's fine. Yeah, we had a great time and we were okay.
But that was like the highlight of that trip. So it's like, so it's. Yes, it's definitely a toss up. Like, and Disney is more expensive, but there's reasons why.
[00:49:58] Speaker B: What's the cruise that you want to take that you haven't been able to take? You know, regardless of like, just set aside schedules and everything. Like, like, is there one out there even you've been thinking, God, it would be so great to take this cruise.
[00:50:08] Speaker A: I mean we definitely want to do. I did look for 27, the European ones, the Disney ones, one of those. But I think that it might be more beneficial if my kids are a little bit, my son is a little bit older so that all that culture doesn't go over its head. Can I take the seven day treasure and put it on the adventure, like and go out to Singapore for seven days? I guess if we did that, we'd probably do it back to back because my husband. I'd love to go to Asia. We were in Japan in October, so that would be awesome. But honestly, it would just be the treasure. I would love to do the treasure because of where it goes. I want to take my kids to this park. We got married in St. Croix, so we love the Virgin Islands. I would like to do that. I mean, I'm not going to say no to anything that's. I want to do Europe, but I don't think my kids are ready yet.
[00:50:46] Speaker B: Yeah, no, totally understandable. Yeah. Yeah. We waited until Nathan was, What was he, 8 or 9 when we did that first river cruise with him, he
[00:50:54] Speaker C: was, I think he had just turned 8 or he had just turned 9. No, he had just turned 9. I think when we took him.
[00:51:01] Speaker B: And it was a lot. It was a lot when he was,
[00:51:03] Speaker C: he was, he did great. We did a river cruise, not an ocean cruise through Adventures by Disney and he did great.
But it was in the winter, it was very cold.
[00:51:13] Speaker B: Lots of walking, lots of walking rides. Like.
[00:51:16] Speaker C: Yeah, he had his first Coca Cola
[00:51:18] Speaker B: in Munich because we needed him to get the caffeine.
[00:51:23] Speaker A: I mean, if you're asking me, my dream, dream cruise, it would be like a Christmas river market cruise.
[00:51:28] Speaker C: That's what ours was.
[00:51:29] Speaker A: That's what ours was. That was like my dream dream. But yeah, we're not there yet.
[00:51:33] Speaker C: Do it on. We highly recommend.
If you're going to do it in a couple of years, do it on the Danube with Adventures by Disney.
It's fabulous.
[00:51:44] Speaker A: You're that bad, you're booking it now.
[00:51:47] Speaker C: Book it for like Christmas, 2027 or 2028.
[00:51:51] Speaker B: But fabulous adventure guides are almost like concierge hosts. So, like, they're great, they're fantastic with kids.
[00:51:57] Speaker C: Yeah. Some of them are former Disney Cruise Line employees. Others are Disney Parks employees. In fact, one of our favorite adventure guides, Danny, was the genie at the Hyperion Theater in Aladdin. Yeah, for many, many years.
[00:52:13] Speaker A: Yeah, a couple years. I just, I love Christmas. Like that's what we did. We did the fantasy, the very merry. That was kind of why we did that one.
I love that. Yeah. My mom, I think my mom, I don't know, my mom goes on so many trips. She's in Albania right now. I think they're going on a Christmas market cruise.
[00:52:28] Speaker C: That's amazing.
[00:52:28] Speaker A: To be retired with income is a nice. Must be like, fathom that world yet. You know, we're like, oh, we just got another three month trip and yeah, that's amazing.
[00:52:43] Speaker C: Well, Carissa, it's been so amazing talking to you about all things Disney Cruise Line. Your favorites, our favorites, your kids favorites. I love that.
[00:52:52] Speaker B: Can I ask one last question? Just one last question. I'll just put the specific question to you. So you're, you're going to do a rundisney event at let's say Disney World, since it's the closest all the ships.
Do you do that event after a cruise or before a cruise? What's your. What's your.
[00:53:08] Speaker A: You do it before?
[00:53:08] Speaker B: Like, yes.
[00:53:09] Speaker A: 100. Like that's not even. Like you do it before.
You do the run before and then you do the cruise. Yes. You're not worried, you're not thinking about anything else you're having. Living your best life and you're not hungover.
[00:53:20] Speaker C: Right. You gotta like, you gotta be hydrated and all of that before the race.
[00:53:25] Speaker A: It would be amazing. It's so easy to get there from A to B. Disney makes it so easy. So like. Or you could do it back to back, one on one. I'm just kidding.
And then bring us, bring Wesson and I along.
You're one coach and your dietitian.
[00:53:39] Speaker B: There you go.
[00:53:40] Speaker A: Love it.
[00:53:40] Speaker B: There you go. There you go.
[00:53:42] Speaker C: Well, thank you again so much for joining us. It's been so fun chatting with you. Why don't you tell folks where they can find you, if they want to follow along in your journey, if they want to see where you're announcing races, if they want to buy your book, if they want to listen to your podcast, tell them all the things.
[00:53:59] Speaker A: Well, most everything you can find on Instagram, Carissa, underscore g way or my website is carissa angalloway.com I'm getting into, like, crazy races and it's been a nice little break. So we'll have springtime surprise. I'll be at the Coast Guard Marathon this weekend.
Then we have the Indie Mini Marathon, a race in Nebraska. And then into Ironman season. So Ironman, Jacksonville, Ironman 70.3 Gulf Coast, Ironman, Happy Valley, Ironman, Lake Placid, Ironman, Chattanooga, Ironman, Wisconsin, Ironman, California.
And then by then, I can't wait to get back to Disney. I'm so excited.
So, yeah, if you see me. And people will always, they'll say on Instagram, like, I'll probably look in the park. I saw you in the park. But I didn't want to say hi. Like, just say hi. Like, I'd love to hear your stories. I'd love to hear talk about Rundisney. So, you know, if you see me, say hi.
[00:54:49] Speaker C: Well, thank you so much. Thank you for joining us. You're so kind. Carissa, for those who don't know the way that this all got set up is our friend Tracy, who's our first fan and number one fan, one of our very dear friends. She actually met Carissa on a flight home from Orlando, or not from Orlando, from California. From Disneyland to Orlando. Yeah, it was from Disneyland. Going back to Orlando was one row away from Carissa, Saw Carissa, started talking, started chatting her up and found out that she was headed on her fifth Disney cruise.
And.
And this was kismet. So I feel like, you know, it was meant to be.
[00:55:31] Speaker A: And I do feel like I need to say to the people that might be going to the dream to see Bluey, just the tip for seeing Bluey is on embarkation day, he meets and greets. I think it was at 1:30. So go to that right away. Then you won't have to worry about meeting Bluey and Bingo afterwards. The shows are super cute. Wakey Wakey was very cute too.
[00:55:48] Speaker C: Yes. And I saw your video on Instagram. I shared it on our stories because I loved it so much. Seeing Ellie run up to Bluey and Bingo and give them a hug.
[00:55:58] Speaker A: Definitely worthwhile.
[00:55:59] Speaker C: I can't wait to meet Bingo and Bluey myself. We have not been on the journey.
[00:56:03] Speaker A: They're here now, right?
[00:56:04] Speaker C: Yeah, they're still. Yeah, they're still meet and greet.
[00:56:07] Speaker A: You can't meet and greet in Disneyland, can you?
[00:56:09] Speaker C: Not yet.
They're just doing the show I think right now in the. What is it called, that fairy tale theater thing they do that shows Fairy tale fair.
[00:56:18] Speaker A: Yes. By where the good baked potatoes are. Yes.
[00:56:21] Speaker C: And the really good bread things at Maurice's too.
[00:56:25] Speaker A: Opposite sides, right? Yeah.
[00:56:26] Speaker C: Yes, exactly.
[00:56:27] Speaker A: So yeah, I just thought I would tell people that it is very fun if you are blue and Bingo fans to go see them.
Wakey wakey. I would suggest pajama parties at 9:30. Which kids late. But anyway, yeah, go see them. Awesome. Sorry to throw that in.
[00:56:41] Speaker C: No, no, we love it.
[00:56:43] Speaker A: You can give some love because they're kind of new out there.
[00:56:45] Speaker C: They're the best. They're the best. Well, thanks for everybody who's listening and thanks to Carissa and we will see you real soon.
[00:56:57] Speaker D: Well, thanks everyone out there for listening this week. We really, really appreciate it. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast. You can keep getting great content from us every week. In fact, twice a week we publish shows. So be sure to hit the subscribe button to get all of those great episodes. And if you want to watch us alive, we have a live show now every week, Monday nights, 5:30pm Pacific, 8:30pm Eastern over on on YouTube.com DCLDUO so be sure to head over and check that out. If you want help support the show, be sure to hit those five stars on Apple Podcasts. And if you leave us a written review, a five star written review, we will read it at the top of one of our main episodes. So please head over there and hit those five stars. Of course you can also help support the show by supporting our fabulous show sponsor, My Path Unwinding Travel. You want to book your next Disney vacation? Head over to mypathunwinding.com forward/dclduo or email them at dclduomypathunwinding.com so they know we sent you their way. If you've got questions or you'd like to connect with us, the best way to do that is to head over to DCLDuo.com it's got links to all of our things. Full catalog of the podcast episodes including a searchable catalog for the podcast. Links off to our vlog, a link to our Etsy store. We sell some fun fan inspired magnets Link to our Patreon. If you'd like to help directly support the show each and every month, just head over to the website or patreon.com DCLDUO also has a way for you to sign up for our substack newsletter that we're hoping to start really pumping out monthly here at least, and a few blog articles that we've written, so DCLDuo.com is the best way to connect with us. You can also, of course, email
[email protected] or reach out to us on our voicemail line at 402-413-5590. That's 402-413-5590. The DCL dual PI Podcast is not affiliated with Disney Cruise Line, the Disney Company, or the Disney family of theme parks. The views expressed on the show are solely those of the individuals on the podcast and in no way reflect the views of the Disney Company or Disney Cruise Line. If you have questions about a Disney Cruise or Disney vacation, please contact the great folks over at My Path Unwinding Travel or Disney directly or your own travel agent. Thanks again for listening, and we'll see you next time for another fabulous adventure with the DCL duo.
[00:59:00] Speaker C: Sam.
