Explore every episode of the podcast DCL Duo Podcast: A Disney Cruise Line Fan Podcast

One ship, two completely different cruises. Cindy sailed a three-night Disney Dream cruise from Southampton to Bruges alongside a crowd that was almost entirely from the UK. Then she stayed on board for a DVC member cruise to Denmark and Norway packed with Broadway stars, Disney legends, and daily gifts. She joins Sam and Brian live to compare both halves of her Disney Cruise Line back-to-back in Europe.

In this episode:

• Why Cindy swapped a pricey ABD London Short Escape for a cheaper three-night Disney Cruise Line sailing to Belgium
• What it's like to sail Disney Cruise Line with an almost entirely UK crowd, from luggage tag lines to near-empty Match Your Mate
• The DVC member cruise as "D23 at sea": a Frozen Broadway showcase, a Broadway stars concert, and talks from Marcy Carriker Smothers and Karen Dotrice
• Member gifts, European merch, and why you need an extra bag
• Port days in Skagen, Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens, and a waterfall drenching on a Stavanger fjord cruise
• Plus: reusable cups being tested on board, the Meyer Werft shipyard talks, and the October 7 Disney Believe reveal

"I've never been to D23 and... for me it's like D23 at sea." — Cindy

Support the Show:
Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor - We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing.

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store.

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon. Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#10)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Sarah is a travel advisor, and she brought 19 family members on the Disney Wonder to Alaska: grandparents, grandkids, teens, and everyone in between. She walks Sam through how she got the whole group to Vancouver, why she let everyone choose their own adventure in port, and what it's really like dining as a party of 19.

In this episode:

• Why Sarah flew her whole crew straight into Vancouver instead of juggling 19 people through Seattle
• A choose-your-own-adventure excursion strategy: Beyond Skagway into the Yukon, Jayleen's Alaska whale watching in Juneau, and Wild Wolf Tours in Ketchikan
• Bubble-net feeding humpbacks, sea lions, and how many whales you can actually spot from the ship
• Sarah's hot tip for booking the Disney Cruise Line-exclusive Lumberjack Show directly
• One serving team for 19 guests, plus Sam's go-to trick when the menu and your server disagree
• The honest take on booking the least expensive inside stateroom

"I love when I go on an excursion, my favorite thing is to... really learn about the place I'm at. I don't want to just do the touristy stuff. I want to really learn about the people that live there and how they live there." — Sarah

Plan Your Trip with Sarah
Sarah is a travel advisor with Vacation Daze, LLC. Find her on Facebook

Support the Show
Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor - We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing.

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store.

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon. Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#10)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Castaway Cay, Lookout Cay, then Castaway Cay again. First-time guest Courtney joins us straight from her classroom to talk about her family's five-night Disney Fantasy "Double Duo Dip." It was three private island days with two little kids, a nap after every beach day, and one very determined top-bunk daredevil.

In this episode:

• Why a Castaway–Lookout–Castaway itinerary lets families with young kids spread out the beach time without skipping naps
• The smallest Fantasy interior stateroom, the first bunk-bed sailing, and the stateroom host who talked Courtney into it
• Pirate makeovers, a Captain Hook meet-and-greet that created a superfan, and timing naps around Pirate Night
• The picky-eater verdict on the new Kraft mac and cheese
• The black truffle pierogies at Animator's Palate
• Castaway Cay 5K with a jogging stroller, bike rentals, and the missing Lookout Cay 5K medal

"My son has talked about Captain Hook nonstop since. He refers to me as Mr. Smee all the time and he thinks he's Captain Hook." — Courtney

Connect with Courtney:
Courtney is a travel advisor with Kingdom Seekers Travel. Email Courtney

Support the Show:
Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor - We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing.

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store.

Want to directly support the show? Join us on Patreon. Every pledge helps us keep bringing you great DCL content every week.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group | Watch on YouTube

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#10)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Melissa flew all the way from Ireland for a late-season, adults-only sailing to Alaska on the Disney Wonder — six DCL sailings and nineteen cruises deep, and this one still delivered bears, whales, dueling pianos, and one gut-punch moment from home she wasn't expecting.

In this episode:

• Why a late-September Alaska sailing means an almost entirely adult ship — and everything that changes onboard
• Chasing bears in Ketchikan and sled puppies at a Juneau dog camp she almost didn't book
• Real vegan dining tips across the fleet, from crew curries to a Palo brunch workaround
• The Shutters photo-package trick that can save your travel companions money
• A Vancouver hotel booking gone sideways, and the lesson in it for third-party bookings
• A moving, unscripted moment about staying connected to loved ones back home while at sea

She's not a DVC member. She doesn't even really know what DVC is, but we always joke she'd be able to talk herself out of Alcatraz... she was sitting there, she already had a drink. Hilarious. - Melissa

Support the Show:

Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor - We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing. We Do Travel Right

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store. DCL Magazine

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon. Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot: Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#10)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

We put a single microphone on the table and asked one question: was our Adventures by Disney river cruise through Holland and Belgium actually worth it? What we got back wasn't a travel review — it was four completely different answers about why people travel at all.

In this episode:

• Why one lifelong "pool girl" pushed herself onto a bike through Kinderdijk's 19 windmills — and what she said when it was over
• The friendship-bracelet trick one traveler uses to turn total strangers into breakfast companions
• An unfiltered review from a family of six that couldn't agree on whether they even had a good time
• What a 5-guide, 119-traveler ratio actually buys you on an ABD sailing
• Two stories from a veteran adventure guide that explain what this job really is
• A real look at the Holland and Belgium river cruise itinerary

"A vacation is where you go to stop. A trip is where you go to go."

Support the Show:

Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor - We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing.

Subscribe to DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store.

Want to directly support the show? Join us on Patreon — every pledge helps us keep bringing you great DCL content every week.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot: Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1), Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2), Top Disney Podcasts (#4), and Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12).

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

We went live with Benji from LaughingPlace.com to get the full scoop on the 25th Disney Vacation Club Member Cruise — this year sailing Copenhagen, Skagen, and Stavanger aboard the Disney Dream. Turns out it's less D23 spectacle, more "mini D23 at sea," and yes, there's a John Stamos karaoke story.

In this episode:

• Why Benji calls a DVC Member Cruise "a mini D23 at sea." Inside the Norway and Denmark itinerary, including Tivoli Gardens, the Little Mermaid statue, and a castle opera performance.
• A rare public talk from Imagineer Michel den Dulk, plus a Halloween deck party with Nina West, Susan Egan, and Jodi Benson.
• The DVC gift and merchandise culture, and Benji's number one packing tip.
• DVC Member Cruise versus D23: who each one is actually for. 

"I discovered that it is kind of like a mini D23 at sea." -Benji

Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor - We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing.

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store.

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon. Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today.

Stay Connected with DCL Duo:
Website | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot: Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1), Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#4), and Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#10).

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Rebecca joins us to recap her family's 5-night Bahamian sailing on the Disney Destiny — a true multigenerational trip spanning three connected staterooms: her husband and their two daughters, her in-laws, and her sister- and brother-in-law's family, all sailing together. A crew member told them the ship was close to capacity, with an estimated 1,800 kids on board, but the crowds weren't what made this cruise memorable.

In this episode:

• How they coordinated three connected staterooms across three generations, and the MagicBand glitch that nearly derailed embarkation day
• Why her husband was a self-described "reluctant cruiser" and what finally won him over
• The night her mother-in-law unexpectedly ended up a contestant on Match Your Mate, and became a ship celebrity for the rest of the cruise
• Which rotational dining restaurant was the runaway favorite, and which one missed for their group
• Castaway Cay versus Lookout Cay: weather, snorkeling, and the beach wagon that saved the day
• A Marceline Market seating hack for anyone traveling with a big group

"The Tiana performer for Almost There brought me to literal tears. She had an amazing voice. She was so good. That to me was worth all of the other songs."

Support the Show:
Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor, We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing. We Do Travel Right

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store. DCL Magazine

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon. Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

After nine sailings on Disney Cruise Line, Lindsey's family tried something different: a seven-night Caribbean cruise on Celebrity Beyond. Sam sits down solo with our returning guest for a full, honest comparison — service, dining, kids club, and one very polarizing stateroom design.

In this episode:

• Why a Greek Isles cruise turned into a Celebrity Caribbean sailing instead
• Living with Celebrity's "Infinite Veranda" stateroom in Caribbean heat
• How Celebrity's kids club, casino, and dining compare to Disney Cruise Line
• The one thing Lindsey's daughter now prefers about Celebrity
• A behind-the-scenes ship tour, captain included
• Would she book Celebrity again? The honest verdict

"On Disney Cruise Line, I feel like I'm taken care of... I don't have to ask for the manager."

Support the Show:
Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor - We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing.

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store.

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon. Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

A while back, we did a show on the early growing pains of the Disney Adventure — and more than one of you wrote in afterward saying we needed to talk to someone who'd sailed it more recently, because things have gotten so much better. So we did. Rich just got back from his second Adventure sailing, this time with his whole family instead of just him and his wife, after a points-fueled trip through Shanghai Disney and Hong Kong Disneyland on the way there.

In this episode:

• What's actually changed on the Disney Adventure since Rich's maiden voyage
• Sailing concierge as a family of four, including the stateroom's oddly configured extra room
• Why Rich's party of four had a wine pairing tasting entirely to themselves
• The Marvel Speakeasy's secret entrance, and how you learn it
• What his 16- and 13-year-old made of the ship's teen and tween spaces
• Rich's day-trip tips for Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Singapore before and after the cruise

"It was our intro to Prima Notte — the first night at Palo, a wine pairing tasting experience for adults only. The four of us in our party were the only four that participated, so we really got a personalized experience from the sommelier, from Palo's manager." — Rich

You find, connect and book your next Disney adventure with Rich (and his wife MacKenzie) via their website.

Support the Show
Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor - We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing: We Do Travel Right

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store: DCL Magazine

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon. Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

She's been on 10 Disney cruises — but the Disney Destiny's brand-new 7-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary still had a few surprises. This week Heather joins Sam and Brian to break down the first-ever Destiny sailing to San Juan, Puerto Rico and St. Maarten, plus what it's like cruising with two kids who are now old enough to plan for themselves.

In this episode:

• Why this family skipped Disney's shore excursions entirely in San Juan and St. Maarten and built their own port days instead (with a little help from AI trip planning)
• Their honest verdict on sit-down embarkation day lunch at Pride Lands vs. their usual buffet routine
• What made the Prima Notte tasting at Palo and the Old Fashioned flight at Hook's Barbary worth booking
• Why the walk down Lookout Cay's pier is nowhere near as intimidating as it looks online
• The design choice that makes Destiny's Grand Hall feel completely different from Wish and Treasure
• How two kids under 10 kept themselves entertained without waiting in a single character line

Heather on Destiny's theming: "It's a Heroes and Villains theme ship. It's not supposed to feel warm and cozy. It's supposed to feel exciting and epic."

Support the Show:

Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor - We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing. We Do Travel Right

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store. DCL Magazine

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon. Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Two sisters, a GTY stateroom, and a three-year-old with strong opinions about gondolas. Kory and Lyndsey booked their Disney Magic Alaska cruise just 30 days out, and it turned into one of their most relaxing sailings yet. From a musty stateroom mishap to a $200 parking hack near Canada Place, this episode is packed with real, DIY-tested tips for doing Alaska with young kids on a budget.

In this episode:

• Booking a seven-person Alaska cruise just 30 days out with a GTY stateroom, and what to do if your room isn't great
• A $200+ parking hack for anyone driving up to Canada Place in Vancouver
• Renting a car through Turo to build a DIY White Pass itinerary in Skagway
• The Icy Strait Point trick that gets you a gondola ride, a scavenger hunt, and a surprise visit from Koda
• Why you should pre-buy your Disney Cruise Line photo package before you sail
• Sailing with a toddler, seven-year-old twins, and a Kids Club goal for baby number two

"It was very smelly and being pregnant, I just had a little bit of an emotional breakdown... I don't know that I can stay in this room feeling this kind of nauseous, but the cast members were wonderful."

Support the Show:
Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor - We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing. We Do Travel Right

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store. DCL Magazine

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon (Patreon). Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Beth just wrapped her ninth Disney cruise — a Mediterranean sailing from Barcelona to Southampton with four families and 15 people along for the ride — and it delivered everything from a World Cup Final erupting in the streets of Barcelona to an actual maritime rescue mission that held the ship in place for hours.

In this episode:

• Traveling with a 15-person, four-family group across Barcelona, Cartagena, Malaga, Vigo, and A Coruna
• Why the World Cup Final in Barcelona turned the smoothest embarkation into chaos the next morning
• A real maritime rescue mission that delayed arrival into Cartagena
• The UK visa pro tip every Southampton-bound sailor needs before online check-in
• Palo, rotational dining with a table of 15, and Pirate Night's best photo backdrop
• What made sailing the Strait of Gibraltar the highlight of the entire cruise

"The most memorable part by far for me was being out there on deck sailing through the Strait of Gibraltar. It really was something that just felt really unique and just like we were seeing a part of the world that we just didn't expect to really see in that way." - Beth

Support the Show:
Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor - We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing. We Do Travel Right

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store. DCL Magazine

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon. Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Fresh off cruise #17, a platinum Disney Cruise Line sailor joins Sam solo this week (Brian's away at a work conference!) to talk through her Fourth of July "duo dip" on the Disney Fantasy — hitting both Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay in one five-night sailing. She shares a real operational fix to the biggest long-running complaint about the Mickey & Minnie Cabanas, plus a few practical tips every DCL fan should hear before their next cruise.

In this episode:

• Why a 5-night Fantasy sailing won out over a nearly-identical-price 7-night Destiny cruise
• How DCL airport check-in and Disney transportation smoothed out embarkation day
• What Disney changed about the Mickey & Minnie Cabanas at Castaway Cay — and why it matters
• The real answer to Castaway Cay vs. Lookout Cay from someone who did both on the same trip
• A heads-up about "tier three and tier four" test menus that can show up on certain sailings
• An easy Disney Cruise Line app trick for anyone traveling with a CPAP machine

"He is either number one or number two of all time... incredible." — on her Fantasy stateroom host, from a cruiser with 17 sailings under her belt and the Destiny already booked for next spring.

Support the Show:

Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor - We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing.

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store.

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon. Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

She's sailed the Disney Magic to Alaska three times, and this trip finally convinced her to skip one of Disney's own shore excursions for good. Repeat guest Shannon joins Sam solo this week (Brian sits this one out) to recap her family's ninth Disney sailing, a group cruise with nine people, two private excursions that beat anything booked through the app, and one Broadway star shoutout her teenager will never stop talking about.

In this episode:

• Why Shannon's group skipped Disney's totem-pole-painting excursion at Icy Strait Point, and what a string of guest complaints had already warned her about
• The $80 private crab feast with a local Hoonah family that turned into the highlight of the whole sailing
• A rare bear sighting on a private, Haida-guided tour of Ketchikan's Totem Bight State Park
• What it's actually like sailing Alaska with a group of nine, and how to plan excursions together without locking your whole trip together
• The Disney Magic's Broadway Stars Series, including an onstage shoutout for one very starstruck teenager
• Why "Disney sells it" doesn't always mean "book it" when it comes to Alaska shore excursions

"You do run into a lot of the same people, and so you kind of become your own little floating community, which I think is really cool." — Shannon

Support the Show:
Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor - We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing.

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store.

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon. Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

She flew a toddler across the Atlantic and didn't stop there. Emily, a Disney Cruise Line travel advisor based in Denmark, spent five straight weeks aboard the Disney Dream — a transatlantic crossing followed by three back-to-back European itineraries. Four cruises, five weeks, one very well-traveled four-year-old.

In this episode:

• How a "why not, since we're already over here" idea turned into a five-week, four-sailing itinerary
• The transatlantic crossing itself — booking it, flying in, and what those sea days are actually like
• A local guide near Civitavecchia who turned one port day into the best day of the entire trip
• Why hitting the Parthenon mid-morning was the wrong call (and when to go instead)
• How the kids club experience changes once your toddler ages out of the nursery
• Real talk on eating the same rotational menus for five straight weeks

"There are these waterfalls that you — it's like one of these crazy Instagram pictures you can't even believe is real. And it was free. My son and I just played in the water for like two and a half hours, we got some snacks, we got ice cream, and it was... the best day. It was so great."

Connect with Emily: she shares her travel content on Instagram and YouTube 

Support the Show:

Book your next Disney Cruise Line vacation with our presenting sponsor We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing.

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store.

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon. Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

She'd sailed Disney Cruise Line ten times before — but never across the Atlantic. Jen joins Sam to break down her family's first-ever European vacation: the Disney Dream's Mediterranean season opener out of Barcelona, complete with a canceled excursion that turned into the trip's best day.

In this episode:

• Sailing the very first Mediterranean season cruise out of Barcelona on the Disney Dream, right behind the transatlantic crossing
• Jen's original Rome excursion got canceled onboard — and the last-minute replacement became the highlight of the whole trip
• Comparing port days in Florence, Rome, Naples (Herculaneum vs. Pompeii), and the brand-new Sardinia port of call
• Palo brunch AND Remy dessert on the same sea day — plus a vegetarian dessert mix-up worth knowing about before you book
• Why this sailing had the best cast member service Jen's experienced since her very first Disney cruise
• Real talk on train strikes, long port-day logistics, and why late dining is the move for Europe sailings

"Our service throughout... the cast members, no matter what, are amazing... on this cruise, I feel like we've gotten the best service we've ever had in the restaurants since our first cruise." — Jen

Support the Show:

Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor - We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing. We Do Travel Right

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store. DCL Magazine

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon (https://patreon.com/dclduo). Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today. Patreon

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
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We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Adventures by Disney canceled Sam's Japan trip because they didn't have enough people booked — and because ABD's customer service doesn't work weekends, Tauck ended up with her business instead. That gap became a real, lived comparison of the two companies, plus a full concierge-class review of the Disney Adventure sailing out of Singapore.

In this episode:

• Sam's concierge-class review of the Disney Adventure, sailing out of Singapore
• Why an ABD cancellation sent her Japan tour to Tauck instead
• A 10-day Tauck Bridges tour through Tokyo, Hakone, Hiroshima, and Kyoto
• Head-to-head: where Adventures by Disney still has an edge, and where Tauck holds its own
• Fireworks, Palo Brunch for teens, and the longest rollercoaster at sea
• Plus: Disney Cruise Line news — a coordinate-decoding itinerary tease pointing to a New York City season

"And Tauck does work on the weekend. So Tauck got my money." -Sam

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon (https://patreon.com/dclduo). Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today.

Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor - We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing. We Do Travel Right

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store. DCL Magazine

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

132 itineraries dropped this morning, and by the end of the night three of us had agreed on which ones we would not book. Travel advisor Jamie from We Do Travel Right joined Sam and Brian live for a ship-by-ship walk through the entire Fall 2027 and Spring 2028 release — the Disney Wish's return to New York, the Disney Destiny's move to Port Canaveral, two Panama Canal crossings with brand-new ports, and the full Castaway Club booking ladder.

In this episode:

• The complete booking schedule — Pearl on August 31, Platinum September 1, Gold September 2, Silver September 3, and first-time cruisers on September 8
• Why the 6-night Canada-and-Bermuda sailing out of New York covers 1,935 nautical miles, and why Jamie won't recommend it
• The Disney Wish transatlantic from Southampton to New York City, September 17 to 29, 2027, with an overnight in Reykjavík and a call at St. John's, Newfoundland
• Sleuthing Sam's prediction for the Disney Believe — Fort Lauderdale, December 2027 — and the terminal math that got her there
• Only 8 Galveston itineraries in this release, and what Sam turned up looking for a full-year port agreement
• By the numbers: 33 duo dips, only 4 double dips, 24 Halloween on the High Seas sailings, 43 Very Merrytime, and just two one-night gaps in the whole fleet schedule
• Jamie's favorites — the 8-night Disney Fantasy overnighting in Bermuda with a duo dip, and the ABC Islands run out of San Juan

"So sailing out of New York truly is iconic. And I'm calling it like Broadway to Bermuda." — Jamie, We Do Travel Right (54:16)

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Book your next Disney Cruise Line vacation with our presenting sponsor, We Do Travel Right! Let We Do Travel Right handle the planning, so you can focus on relaxing.

DCL Magazine — your ultimate guide to Disney Cruise Line tips and tricks! Join the waitlist and use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off at the WDW Magazine store.

STAY CONNECTED WITH THE DCL DUO
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We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Alexis had sailed every Disney ship except the Dream — until a European itinerary out of Barcelona finally got her there, alongside a promise to her daughter that had been six years in the making: finally going inside the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

In this episode:

• Dream vs. Fantasy vs. Treasure vs. Wish-class — how the Dream stacked up once she'd already sailed the newer ships
• A port-heavy European itinerary hitting Cagliari, Naples, Civitavecchia, and Livorno in four straight days
• The Rome transportation mishap that cost the family their Colosseum tour
• How dining times, crowd patterns, and daily rhythm shift on a European Disney Cruise Line sailing
• A dining service mix-up neither Sam nor Brian had heard of before
• Her honest take on whether she'd combine a cruise and a European vacation again

"Now that I've gone on Disney, I feel like I can't go back."

Support the Show:
Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor - We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing. We Do Travel Right

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store. DCL Magazine

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon (Patreon). Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Soshian and his wife brought their 7-month-old daughter on their very first Disney Cruise Line sailing — a 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Disney Treasure with his sister's family in tow — and by the end of the week he was already plotting how to stay longer. He came in worried there wouldn't be enough to do. He left wishing he'd booked more days.

In this episode:

• Soshian and his wife's full packing and planning strategy for a 7-night sailing with a 7-month-old
• The "linked reservations" trick that got them added onto a sold-out Palo Brunch once on board
• Why booking nursery hours around show times on embarkation day is one of the smartest first-timer moves you can make
• His honest breakdown of all three rotational restaurants and all three main stage shows
• What happened when his one-year-old nephew became "cruise famous" at Jack-Jack's Diaper Dash
• Why Castaway Cay ended up as his favorite port, hands down

"I lived in New York for a while and enjoy Broadway shows... I'd say those two were probably comparable if not better than some of the Broadway shows I saw for sure."

Support the Show:

Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor - We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing.

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store.

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon. Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Sara's back — and this time she's bringing receipts. After sailing Disney Cruise Line three times, she just got off a Caribbean sailing on Norwegian's Prima, and she breaks down exactly how it stacked up: the price, the food, the kids club, and whether "half the cost" really means half the experience.

In this episode:

• Why Sara chose Norwegian this time, including the personal reason behind the trip
• A real comparison of dining, entertainment, staterooms, and service between NCL and DCL
• The upcharges that added up fast, and where Norwegian still came out ahead on value
• Her kids' surprising reaction to Norwegian's un-themed kids club
• Plus this week's D23 Disney Cruise Line news and the debate over the Disney Believe's stern lettering

There is something that feels so safe and so comfortable and so much like home for me when I'm on a Disney ship, but at the end of the day, I would still choose Disney. — Sara

Support the Show:

Support the show by booking your next Disney vacation with our sponsor, We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing.

Check out DCL Magazine for your ultimate guide to Disney Cruise Line tips and tricks, and use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off at the WDW Magazine store.

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon. Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

This one is different. Before we sailed through Holland and Belgium with a group of listeners, our family spent three days in Amsterdam — and what happened there didn't fit into a normal cruise recap. So we did something we've never done in 650+ episodes: we sat down with the people who traveled with us and turned it into a story.

Across three days, everyone we talked to walked up to an edge and had to decide what to do standing at it. On a food tour through the Albert Cuyp market, our friend Tracy — a self-described picky eater — braved croquettes, cheese, and fresh stroopwafels, right up until the raw herring: "But I didn't try the herring, though. That's a bridge too far." In the Jewish Cultural Quarter, Sam, the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, looked for her own family name on a memorial wall of 102,000 names and asked the question that runs underneath the whole episode. And at the Anne Frank House, an eleven-year-old named Emma stepped through the bookcase and put it more plainly than any adult could: "they were quiet for two years, and I can't be quiet in two minutes."

It's a food tour, a history lesson, and a family story about how far you go, where your edges are, and what you carry home. Grab a fresh stroopwafel and settle in.

Interested in one of the tours discussed in the episode? Here are links where you can learn more:

• The tour provider we used for our tour of the Jewish Quarter in Amsterdam
• The tour provider for our food tour in Amsterdam
• The official site for the Anne Frank House Museum. Tickets book quickly for this experience, so book as early as possible.

A programming note: this is a storytelling special that departs from our usual format. Regular Disney Cruise Line coverage returns next episode.

Support the Show:
Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor - We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing.

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store.

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon. Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
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We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers...

The Holgates just got off the Disney Destiny — and their honest take starts with a rough first day. Six shots of espresso, sensory overload, and a friend's kid getting hurt nearly derailed the whole trip. Then day two hit, and Stephen came out the other side calling it his favorite ship yet.

In this episode:

• First impressions of the Destiny, including an honestly overwhelming embarkation day
• Dining highlights and misses across Pride Lands, 1923, and the pool deck
• Entertainment breakdown: Hercules, the Maleficent show, and villain vs. princess meet-and-greets
• An insider tip for touring the ship's restaurants like a private museum
• How the Destiny stacks up against the Magic, Wonder, and their upcoming Treasure sailing
• DCL news: new sailing deals, Brightline funding for Port Canaveral, and possible fleet shakeups

"We woke up completely refreshed on day two, and now — spoiler alert — I can say the Destiny is my favorite ship so far."

Book Your Next Trip with Stephen:
Stephen is a Disney Cruise Line travel advisor. Reach out to book your next vacation with him:
theholgatefam@gmail.com | Stephen's Instagram | YouTube Channel | Instagram

Support the Show:
Book your next Disney vacation with our show sponsor - We Do Travel Right! Life is short, take the trip. Let the agents at We Do Travel Right handle the planning so you can focus on relaxing.

Subscribe to the DCL Magazine today! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off everything in the WDW Magazine store.

Support the show by becoming a Patron! Join us over at Patreon. Your support each month allows us to keep putting out great content each and every week. Thanks to our current patrons for their support. Join today! You can subscribe for one annual discounted payment today.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group | Listen on Apple Podcasts | Watch on YouTube

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

For her 50th birthday, Amy — a longtime Disney fan and a part-time Disney travel agent — finally got her reluctant-cruiser husband Dan on an adults-only Disney cruise: four nights on the brand-new Disney Destiny, with no kids on board for the first time in their cruising history. She stacked the itinerary with drink tastings, adult dining, and enough Marvel and Star Wars theming to make her case — and by the end of the trip, Dan was ready to admit it worked.

In this episode:

• Why Amy picked the Destiny to finally win Dan over, and why a four-night, two-island sailing was the right call
• Their honest take on Palo brunch availability, Enchante lunch, and juggling show times on a packed sailing
• Lookout Cay vs. Castaway Cay from a first-timer's perspective, including a surprising food discovery at each island
• The drink tasting that turned into a hands-on mixology lesson and became the trip's unexpected highlight
• Their honest verdict on Hercules, technical hiccups and all
• What finally convinced Dan to book his own 50th birthday cruise

Connect with Amy — Disney Travel Agent:
Amy is a part-time Disney travel agent with MickeyTravels. Reach her at astegos@mickeytravels.com to start planning your own Disney Cruise Line vacation.

Support the Show:
We Do Travel Right — Ready to set sail? Book your next Disney Cruise Line vacation with our show sponsor, the crew that handles the planning so you can focus on relaxing.

DCL Magazine — your ultimate guide to Disney Cruise Line tips and tricks. Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off at the WDW Magazine store.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Sara spent years working for Disney Cruise Line as a youth activities counselor — and somehow the Disney Dream was the one classic ship she'd never sailed as a guest, until now. She and her husband Chris finally closed that gap on a week-long Mediterranean cruise out of Barcelona.

The highlight reel writes itself: dolphins, a sea turtle, and a whale, all spotted from their balcony in the same hour and a half. But the real value in this episode is the honest, insider take — what changes when a former cast member sails a much bigger ship for the first time, and whether that trade-off is worth it.

In this episode:

• Sara's decade-long path to sailing every classic Disney ship — and why the Dream was the last one on her list
• Chris's first Dream-class sailing, and how it stacked up against his Wonder experience
• Four ports in one week: a private Cinque Terre day, a Tarquinia trolley tour, Herculaneum with a local's pizza recommendation, and wild flamingos in Sardinia
• The wildlife trifecta that stopped a whole deck of guests in their tracks
• An honest, insider comparison of the Dream's adult spaces versus the more personal feel of the Wonder
• Why late dining wins out on European sailings

"She still could not prepare me for the insanity that is Disney Cruise Line. It's so unique." — Chris

Support the Show:

Ready to set sail? Book your next Disney Cruise Line vacation with our show sponsor, We Do Travel Right — the crew that handles the planning, so you can focus on relaxing!

DCL Magazine — your ultimate guide to Disney Cruise Line tips and tricks! Join the waitlist and use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off at the WDW Magazine store.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Fifteen Disney cruises in, Todd and Erica have a formula: inside staterooms, no excursions, and a "Triple Header" — one sailing on the Disney Destiny, then a back-to-back on the Disney Fantasy. They join us to break down exactly how they pulled it off.

In this episode:

• Todd and Erica break down the logistics of their "Triple Header" — one Destiny sailing followed by a back-to-back on the Fantasy, across two Florida ports
• The insider "hidden gem" inside stateroom on the Fantasy and Dream that most cruisers don't know exists
• Real back-to-back turnaround day logistics — luggage tags, Key to the World cards, and what actually happens when you switch ships
• First impressions of the Disney Destiny's Grand Hall, Heroes & Villains theming, and the Pride Lands second-night menu
• Why 15 cruises in, trivia is still their favorite way to connect with cast members
• A head-to-head on Destiny vs. Fantasy service, food, and atmosphere for adult cruisers without kids

"We are inside room people. We are not spending money usually on excursions. We're happy with the ship." — Erica

Support the Show:

We Do Travel Right — book your next Disney Cruise Line vacation with our show sponsor, the crew that handles the planning so you can focus on relaxing!

DCL Magazine — your ultimate guide to Disney Cruise Line tips and tricks! Join the waitlist and use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off at the WDW Magazine store.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Emily and Scott join us to share the full story of their vow renewal on Castaway Cay during a Disney Wish sailing — the planning, the timeline, the moment they ended up in the ocean in their wedding clothes — plus our big sponsor announcement.

In this episode:

• Why they chose the Disney Wish and Castaway Cay for their vow renewal
• The real timeline of the day, from hair and makeup to the ceremony
• Coordinating a 50-person group across cabanas, dining, and photos
• Why Castaway Cay not being your last sailing day changes everything
• What they'd tell other couples considering a DCL wedding or vow renewal
• Introducing our new show sponsor

"It was beyond anything that I imagined, that special connection that we had. And that moment in time, I will certainly cherish that forever. It was really special."

Support the Show:

Ready to set sail? Book your next Disney Cruise Line vacation with our show sponsor, We Do Travel Right — the crew that handles the planning, so you can focus on relaxing!

Subscribe today to DCL Magazine — use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1), Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2), Top Disney Podcasts (#4), Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Nathan and Alicea from Adventures and Mousecapades just got back from a brand-new 7-Night Eastern Caribbean sailing on the Disney Destiny, hitting two ports the Destiny doesn't usually visit: St. Martin and San Juan. Nathan even crewed an actual 1980s America's Cup 12-meter racing yacht in St. Martin, no motors, no electric winches involved. We break down the whole week.

In this episode:

• Why Nathan and Alicea picked the second 7-Night Eastern sailing over the more common Western itinerary, and what it took to snag two staterooms at their booking window
• A full breakdown of the 12-meter America's Cup regatta excursion in St. Martin, including how crew roles get assigned and how these boats moor with zero motors
• Their honest verdict on the Destiny's Grand Hall vs. the Treasure's, plus first reactions to the Marvel theming throughout the ship
• A 500-year-old fort in San Juan, a stop at Casa Bacardi, and why Alicea started photographing the historical placards instead of reading them onboard
• Their take on the Sanctum's signature drink, a new Kentucky bourbon-aged ale worth hunting down, and which drinks are actually worth the tasting slots
• Which villain show, Hercules or Dr. Facilier, won the week, and the audience member who filmed anyway right after being told not to

"They host, quite frankly, one of my absolute favorite shore excursions ever." — Nathan, on St. Martin

Support the Show:

Ready to set sail? Book your next Disney Cruise Line vacation with our show sponsor, We Do Travel Right — the crew that handles the planning, so you can focus on relaxing!

And don't forget to check out DCL Magazine — your ultimate guide to Disney Cruise Line tips and tricks! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off at the DCL Magazine store.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:

Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Kevin — you might know him as @dadslovedisney — joins Sam and Brian LIVE for a wide-ranging conversation about Disney Cruise Line, his journey as a content creator, and his honest take on the Hyperspace Lounge after his most recent Disney Wish sailing. He also shares the story of how he proposed to his now-wife on a Disney cruise, and it's a genuinely sweet one.

In this episode:

• Kevin's Disney Cruise Line origin story, including his cabin proposal
• His honest take on the Hyperspace Lounge aboard the Disney Wish
• Building @dadslovedisney and lessons learned as a content creator
• A new game — Sail It, Skip It, Sink It — put to the test with Kevin
• Kevin's favorite DCL dad moments
• The latest Disney Cruise Line news

Support the Show:

Book your next Disney cruise with our fabulous show sponsor We Do Travel Right. Tell them the DCL Duo sent you!

Subscribe today to DCL Magazine — use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1), Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2), Top Disney Podcasts (#4), Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Ashley's family turned a corner on a South Africa game drive and came face to face with an angry male rhino — who chased their Jeep for 15 minutes straight. That's one of many stories from their Adventures by Disney safari, shared live on this episode along with a real look at everything it takes to prep for 10 days of Jeeps, flights, and almost no downtime.

In this live episode:

• A rhino chase, a packing list, and 14+ months of vaccine prep — the real logistics of an ABD safari
• How the trip compares to Disney Cruise Line, and who the South Africa itinerary is really for
• The guides who make the trip, and a moving account of South Africa's history woven into the tour
• Live viewer questions on timing, allergies, and packing

DCL Magazine — your ultimate guide to Disney Cruise Line tips and tricks! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off.

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

He crossed the finish line of a 100-mile ultramarathon in the Florida Keys, showered on the beach, and drove straight to Fort Lauderdale to board the brand-new Disney Destiny the next morning. Nine-time DCL sailor Josh joins us to break down how he pairs grueling endurance races with Disney cruises — and what boarding a ship on legs that just ran four marathons back to back actually feels like.

In this episode:

• How Josh turned Disney cruising from post-race recovery into a full-blown tradition across nine sailings
• The wild 24 hours between crossing the finish line at Keys 100 and boarding at Port Everglades
• Why trip insurance won't cover an ultramarathon-plus-cruise combo, and what that risk actually looks like
• His honest take on the Destiny's dining, entertainment, and Wish-class layout, including one hot take about Lookout Cay vs. Castaway Cay
• The one piece of advice he gives every Disney cruiser: be fluid, not over-scheduled
• What's next for his race-and-sail tradition

"There is no moment like when they finally check your last passport, your last little thing, and you're like, OK, we're here."

Support the Show: DCL Magazine — use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot: Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Gabe is back — and this time he traded a stormy, port-skipping Disney Fantasy cruise for the very first Disney Wonder Alaska sailing of 2026. His family lucked into a full week of sunny, 70-degree weather, and Gabe walks us through the planning, the ports, the excursions, and an honest verdict on whether DCL Alaska lives up to years of anticipation.

In this episode:

• How choosing early May kept the price down — and why Alaska on Disney Cruise Line is still never truly "cheap"
• The sideways inside stateroom that gave two adults real space, plus access to Mom and Dad's veranda down the hall
• Excursion-by-excursion prices and takeaways: White Pass Scenic Railway, Mendenhall Glacier + whale watching, and the character Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show
• Palo brunch on Glacier Day — unobstructed views of Dawes Glacier and the character-photo tradeoff
• The revamped main dining menus: "small plates," dessert ordered with your mains, faster dinners, and the classics that didn't survive the cut
• A Broadway Star Series first sailing with Adam Jacobs (original Aladdin) and Josh Strickland (original Tarzan)

"It was probably a one and done we decided for us... we're very glad we were able to kind of check it off the list." — Gabe

Support the Show:
Subscribe to DCL Magazine and use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off

Stay Connected with the DCL Duo:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Eight days, two countries, nineteen windmills, and one official certificate proving Sam is not a witch. We're back from Adventures by Disney's Holland & Belgium River Cruise aboard the AmaLea, and this is the full trip report — every port, every excursion, the ones worth your money and the one Brian would trade for a chocolate-making class. After two ABD river cruises, we give you our verdict on whether the premium is justified.

First, Danny from DCL Magazine joins us for Disney Cruise Line news and a crash course in taking better travel photos with the phone already in your pocket.

In this episode:

• Why five Adventure Guides are the real difference between an Adventures by Disney river cruise and booking AmaWaterways on your own
• Our port-by-port breakdown: Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam, Ghent, Bruges, Brussels, Antwerp, Dordrecht and the UNESCO windmills at Kinderdijk
• The Antwerp food tour that ranks near the top of every ABD excursion we've done — and the Brussels beer tour that fell flat
• Life aboard the AmaLea: the Chef's Table is now open for lunch, tips are fully included, and there is no reason to board before mid-afternoon
• How to legally bring real farm Gouda home — and why shipping it is off the table
• Danny's phone photography tips, including the parallax trick that keeps landmarks from shrinking into specks
• Our verdict, and the Adventures by Disney trip we booked before we even got home

"They bring the magic all the way to Europe and onto the ship and make sure that you just have that little dose of Disney that you need if you're doing one of these." — Brian

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The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

At 12 years old, sitting on Main Street USA, Theresa looked down at a single brick and decided it was hers — then spent 24 years at the Walt Disney Company proving it. She managed hotels, sold Disney Vacation Club onboard the ships for a dozen years, and came out the other side of a spinal cord injury that four doctors first mistook for ALS. This conversation covers all of it, plus the book she wrote about finishing hard things.

In this episode:

• Why Theresa says the cast members are the most magical thing about Disney Cruise Line, and what she witnessed building that culture from the inside
• The reason she boarded a Disney cruise the day before emergency spinal surgery
• What onboard life as a vendor and DVC guide was really like: the perks, the boundaries, and the crew politics
• How 50-plus marathons and multiple Ironmans shaped her "race to complete, not to compete" outlook
• Her three straight-talk tips for first-time Disney Cruise Line families
• The origin of her book Built to Finish, and the turtle on the cover

"If you take care of your cast members, your cast members are going to take care of your guests, which is then going to take care of your business needs." — Theresa

Find Theresa's Book:
Built to Finish (website): Built to Finish
Built to Finish on Amazon: Built to Finish on Amazon
Instagram: Built to Finish

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The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Jenn brought her whole crew back to the Disney Wish in concierge — her older daughter who'd sailed before, her younger daughter on her very first cruise, and a husband who needed convincing. They entered the same Arendelle dining request that gave them a front-row table in 2023, but this time, after spending roughly $3,000 more for concierge, the family ended up three rows back. Jenn walks us through what concierge delivered, what it didn't, and whether the upgrade is worth it for a family of four.

In this episode:

• What concierge actually gets you on the Disney Wish, and the one request that fell through this time
• The Arendelle seating mix-up and the simple step to take the moment you board so it doesn't happen to you
• Whether concierge is worth about $3,000 more for a family of four with elementary-age kids
• Palo for the first time: the water tasting, the amaretto souffle, and why dinner felt like a genuine bargain
• Two private islands, no Nassau, and how Lookout Cay plus Castaway Cay on one sailing went over with the girls
• How a self-described Disney-skeptic husband got talked into booking the next cruise

"If you are not spending most of your time in that concierge lounge and on that concierge pool deck, you are not getting the value for that concierge level." — Jenn

Follow along with Jenn's future adventures at:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kids_travel_tales/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KidsTravelTales
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kids-travel-tales-a-family-travel-podcast/id1849200222
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kids.travel.tales

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The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Two years ago, Meghan told us Castaway Cay was her favorite island. After sailing a five-night Disney Fantasy itinerary that stopped at both Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay on back-to-back days, she changed her answer — and her reasoning comes down to a $1,000 cabana and a free beach day that delivered just as much. She's back to break down both islands, the Disney Fantasy, and a multi-generational trip with her parents.

In this episode:

• Why the Mickey and Minnie's Cove Cabana won them over instead of the Sandcastle cabana
• The Lookout Cay rocks hike to a hidden view of the ship, and the water shoes you need to do it
• Bringing grandparents on their first Dream-class ship and first time through Disney's Terminal 8
• Finding adult game shows in The Tube and family trivia in the D Lounge after five cruises of skipping them
• Palo brunch favorites, the football-sized calzone, and why they book it on a port day instead of the last day
• The case for not over-planning: two booked tastings missed, and no regrets

Pull quote (Meghan): "You could almost argue that Lookout without a cabana was just as good of a day as Castaway with a cabana. And one cost us $1,000 and one cost us nothing."

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The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Longtime listener and Patreon supporter Matt joins Sam (solo this week) to unpack a 4-night Disney Fantasy spring break sailing that turned into a string of firsts. The biggest one arrived by email two weeks out: a complimentary upgrade to concierge from Disney shoreside concierge services, with no added room cost — just the concierge gratuities. His honest take on whether it's worth it when you're the one paying might surprise you.

In this episode:

• How a surprise comp concierge upgrade landed two weeks before sailing, and the family's theory for why they were chosen
• First sailing as Platinum: a complimentary Palo brunch and a last-minute Lookout Cay cabana booking
• Why Cabana 14 at Lookout Cay made for the best beach day they've ever had, and why they'd still steer first-timers away from a cabana
• The Fantasy's expanded post-dry-dock concierge lounge and sun deck, now subtly Hercules-themed, with a hot tub and Pirate Night fireworks viewing
• A 3 a.m. "assessment team" announcement and the small garbage-silo fire behind it
• What's booked next: Alaska on the Wonder this summer, and a return to the Fantasy in concierge

"It's probably the best beach day we've ever had as a family." — Matt

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The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

After 21 Disney cruises, Kelly came home from the Disney Wonder calling her Alaska sailing a contender for her favorite ever. She is back on the show to break down what a Disney Cruise Line trip to Alaska is really like with an 18-person group: three glaciers in one week, a ship that felt surprisingly empty in peak June, and the excursion strategy that kept everyone together.

In this episode:

• The Castaway Club booking trick for getting a large group onto the same Alaska excursion
• Three glaciers, three ways: the Glacier Explorer, the Skagway hiker's-train hike, and a Mendenhall canoe-and-hike adventure
• Real excursion pricing, from a 106-dollar train hike to a 358-dollar canoe day to roughly 900 dollars for helicopter dog-sledding
• Why the Disney Wonder felt nearly empty in mid-June, and what that meant on board
• How Disney Cruise Line handled a wheat allergy for a graduating senior, down to a from-scratch chocolate lava cake
• Who an Alaska sailing is genuinely for, and who should book a warm-weather cruise instead

"I love this cruise. I think this might be my favorite Disney cruise I've been on and I've been on a lot of good ones, but we just had such a good time." — Kelly

Book with our guest:
Kelly is a Disney travel advisor with Platinum Mouse: Book with Kelly
Travel blog: Afterall Travel
Or follow along with her great tips on her DCL 101 socials on Instagram and TikTok

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The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

CT — aka Tin Foil Mouse Ears — came back from an Adventures by Disney Rhine River Cruise from Basel to Amsterdam and joined Sam and Brian live to break it all down. Castles, chocolate, a music cabinet museum, a perfume house that became the trip's surprise highlight, and a brutally honest answer to the question every DCL fan eventually asks: is Adventures by Disney worth the price?

In this episode:

• A day-by-day breakdown of the Rhine River Cruise — Riquewihr, Strasbourg, Heidelberg, Cologne, and Amsterdam
• How the AmaWaterways Ama Siena compares to Disney Cruise Line in room size, food, community atmosphere, and onboard vibe
• Food on the ship: CT says it ranks a step below Palo for regular dining — and a step above it for the Chef's Table
• Practical tips for European river cruising: church dress codes, packing layers, translate apps, and the gear that made the trip
• Who Adventures by Disney is really built for, and when the all-inclusive, guided experience is worth every penny
• Sam's predictions: DCL returning to New York City and late-2027 itinerary releases ahead of D23

You can find and follow along with CT (aka Tin Foil Mouse Ears) on all of his Disney adventures and prrognostications at his website, on Instagram and  on Threads.

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We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
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The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Jason returns to the show — this time with his sister Paris joining for the first time — to break down the family's first seven-night cruise: Concierge on the Disney Treasure through the Eastern Caribbean. Six travelers, three generations, two birthdays on board, and a long-awaited jump from short sailings to a full week. After a four-night Wish cruise that left everyone wanting more, the longer itinerary changed the whole experience, especially for Jason's son Casper.

In this episode:

• The honest verdict on the Mickey and Minnie Cove Cabana on Castaway Cay, plus what "no more waitlists" means for booking one
• How Jason arranged an Impossible Burger at every dinner through Disney's special request services team, including the 30-day photo requirement
• Why Tale of Moana drew the biggest reaction of the week from twelve-year-old Casper
• The Worlds of Marvel night-two dinner that genuinely missed the mark, and how the dining team recovered in seconds
• The Facebook group strategy that set up a ready-made friend for Jason's daughter before the cruise began
• The churro Mickey waffle rescue before an early port-adventure call time

"This for me felt like coming home... I'm back, and this is exactly how I want to feel... instantly relaxed, walking to the Treasure." — Jason

Support the Show:
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We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
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The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Rich just got back from a seven-night Disney Wonder Alaska sailing — and he came prepared, with a full slide deck, a family of four platinum-status DCL sailors, and a fresh frame of reference from a previous Antarctica expedition cruise. The result is one of the most practical and specific Alaska trip reports we've had on the show. 

In this episode:

• The honest cost breakdown for Alaska excursions — Rich estimates they ran 30–35% on top of the cruise fare
• Why Deck 4 (not Deck 10) might be your best friend on Glacier Day — no lines, hot chocolate carts, and easy port-to-starboard access
• The private fishing charter in Ketchikan through Exclusive Alaska — rockfish, bald eagles, a campfire meal, and fresh-caught halibut shipped home frozen
• Packing reality check: Rich's family over-packed hard and wishes they'd brought half as much
• The Broadway Star Series adult-only show: go early — all seats were full 30 minutes before showtime
• Would Rich do Disney for Alaska again vs. a small ship expedition? His answer might surprise you

"I don't know of any other cruise line that does that [Glacier Day] well... kind of bringing out the magic of the day and the wonder of the setting that you're in. They really, really did a great job." — Rich

Support the Show:
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Rich's Travel Agency — Family Passport Adventures
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/familypassportadventures/
Website: https://www.familypassportadventures.com/

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The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Lyndsey had one rule for this trip: book the Disney Treasure, Eastern Caribbean, before 24 weeks pregnant — or the babymoon doesn't happen. Between a stage four endometriosis diagnosis and a surgery-to-conception timeline she had to map backward from her sailing cutoff, this cruise required more planning than most. It all came together perfectly, right down to a Enchantè lunch her dad is still talking about.

In this episode:

- Why Lyndsey reverse-engineered her entire cruise booking around a 24-week pregnancy sailing cutoff — and pulled it off perfectly
- The Disney Treasure pool deck food gets an enthusiastic endorsement: every station, including a solid 12-slice pizza run across the sailing
- A nearly four-hour Enchantè lunch that made Palo feel like rotational dining by comparison — plus a zero-proof pairing that impressed even the wine-savvy in-laws
- A front-row view of a brand new Treasure cast finding its footing: the stage shows absolutely delivered, the Sage & Coriander dynamic was still working itself out
- The grandparent verdict: longtime Viking cruisers who sail 15-to-20-night itineraries loved the Treasure — and are already talking about coming back when the baby arrives
- The boarding group tip Lyndsey only discovered unpacking at home: flip your Disney transport character card over — there's an earlier boarding group on the back

"Enchantè, though, was on another level. Like to be honest, our experience at Enchantè made Palo kind of feel like a rotational dining dinner." — Lyndsey

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Book Your Trip with Today's Guest:
Lyndsey is an agency manager and travel advisor specializing in Disney and cruising at Wanderlust Journeys.
Email: lyndsey@wanderlustjourneys.net
Website: https://www.wanderlustjourneys.net
nstagram handle unconfirmed — https://www.instagram.com/thewanderlustlynds/

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The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Danny and Stephanie have been on the Disney Destiny since before it launched — from the shipyard in Germany to the christening cruise — but this sailing was different. They brought Jacob, their nine-year-old nephew, for his very first Disney cruise, and what followed was part Marvel pilgrimage, part parenting crash course, and entirely unforgettable. 

Jacob had the deck layout memorized from Danny and Stephanie's YouTube channel before they even boarded. He rated everything "20 out of 10." And the thing he wanted to do most? Ride Aquamouse six times in a row on Cozumel port day while most of the ship was off on excursions.

In this episode:

• Why a single glimpse of Spider-Man on the stern — spotted from a shipyard in Germany — made Danny and Stephanie declare the Destiny as Jacob's first cruise ship before they'd even booked
• Their first-ever inside cabin experience on a Wish-class ship (including the one with an unexpected foyer) and whether the savings were worth it
• The Broadway Star Series featuring Susan Egan and James Monroe Iglehart — and why Jacob ranked it his #2 show of the cruise despite having no idea who they were
• Feast of the Lion King Night 2 menu, a server who broke out a full dance number tableside, and a nine-year-old adventurous enough to order lobster and venison on his first cruise
• What a first-timer who spent years in Hawaii said when she stepped onto Castaway Cay beach for the first time
• Why Danny and Stephanie believe DCL needs to expand its Royal Gathering-style reservation model beyond princesses — and their ship-specific character group idea

"We went on the ship for all these Marvel characters and honestly he met more princesses and like Goofy and Mickey and stuff... he told me about the roller coaster he built for 10 minutes and it was the greatest game he ever played."

Support the Show:
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The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Cathy sailed the Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady on its Mermaiden Voyage — the maiden sailing out of Seattle to Alaska — and she's here to give us the full, unfiltered report. From Richard Branson stopping by her dinner table on night one to a Scarlet Night line that stretched the length of the ship, this episode is packed with the kind of firsthand intel you can only get from someone who was actually there. 

In this episode:

• The luggage tag mistake that cost Cathy 30 minutes at embarkation — and how to avoid it
• How upgrading one cabin to premium fare unlocked dining reservations for her entire group of nine at 60 days out
• Mermaiden-exclusive gifts, keel coins, and what it was like to have Sir Richard Branson on board for the whole sailing
• Why Virgin's ship design — all small indoor spaces and outdoor pool decks — becomes a real liability in Alaska
• Pink Agave versus Test Kitchen: the food hits, the misses, and the brunch that underwhelmed
• The best excursions she found — including the Turo car hack in Sitka and a wildlife boat tour in Ketchikan that delivered bald eagles, seals, and a whale tail

"That was the start of what became an entire cruise of long lines." — Cathy

Support the Show:
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The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

You couldn't script a more magical first day on the Disney Destiny: Sarah's family bounded their way onto the ship in matching Minnie Mouse outfits, got pulled out of the boarding line as Family of the Day, and walked into a private meet-and-greet with Hero Minnie in the Grand Hall before anyone else boarded. And that was just Day One.

Five DCL sailings deep and freshly minted as a Gold Castaway Club member, Sarah brings one of the most useful perspectives we've had on the show: a family that loves Disney, doesn't know much about Marvel, and just came off the most heavily Marvel-themed ship in the fleet. Her verdict? The Destiny is her favorite ship. By a lot.

In this episode:

• How Sarah's family got chosen as Family of the Day — and exactly what they were wearing
• Whether the Disney Destiny's Marvel and villains theming actually matters for non-Marvel families (short answer: not as much as you'd think)
• The dining experience in Pride Lands: Feast of the Lion King and why Sarah calls it her single favorite meal in five DCL sailings
• Why Hercules became the undisputed highlight of the cruise
• The pirate makeover — is the basic $70 package worth it? And the smart money move Sarah made with costumes
• A heartwarming moment from head server Raphael that helped calm a six-year-old's ocean anxiety mid-cruise

"I would put it at number one... what I would say gives it the edge above the Wish for me are the Pride Lands, the restaurant and the Hercules show." — Sarah

Support the Show:
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Subscribe to DCL Magazine and use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off at the WDW Magazine store — your ultimate guide to Disney Cruise Line tips and tricks!

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We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
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The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

When Oliver turned 12, his parents told him he could go anywhere in the United States. He picked Alaska. "He's not a dummy," his dad Wesley said. "He knows his parents." And going to Alaska ended up, very quickly, becoming a Disney Wonder sailing — making this one of the most intentional, joyful trip reports we've heard in a long time.

In this episode:

• The family tradition of solo parent-kid trips that made this cruise extra special — and how Oliver's 12th birthday choice proved he was ready for it
• Coming back to the Wonder after sailing the Destiny: what still works beautifully on the classic ships, and one very funny quote about the atrium
• The Glacier Explorer excursion — what the guides taught them about glaciers, bergy bits, and cascades, and why watching the Wonder sail away in the Endicott Arm fog was the highlight of the week
• Port by port: White Pass train and Liarsville gold panning in Skagway, sled dog camp in Juneau, and the Ketchikan Lumberjack Show — which excursions are actually worth your time?
• Hot takes on the best restaurant, best show, and best pub in the entire fleet
• The salmon donut situation in Juneau. Don't do it.

"The only person who's sorry is my bank account — but that's fine. They'll get over it. It's fantastic. The people that we've met, the experiences that we've had, the friends my children have made — 10 out of 10, man." — Wesley

Find and follow along with Wesley at his website, on Instagram, and Threads.

Support the Show:

Book your next Disney Cruise Line vacation with My Path Unwinding Travel

DCL Magazine — your ultimate guide to Disney Cruise Line tips and tricks! Join the waitlist and use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off at the WDW Magazine store: DCL Magazine

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The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Philip had one Disney Cruise Line sailing under his belt — a 3-night Wish sailing that converted him — and decided round two was the Disney Dream, spring break, out of Fort Lauderdale, with eight family members in tow. That group included his parents, who had never been on any cruise ship, and who had a 14-night Polynesian voyage booked for a few weeks after this one. As first-cruise warm-ups go, the Dream's 4-night Bahamian itinerary was a solid choice. What actually happened was a little more interesting.

In this episode:

• Philip's approach to multi-generational cruise planning: set the expectation early that nobody has to do everything together — and let people self-select into what they actually want
• What Silver Castaway Club status got Philip at the cabana booking window during spring break — and why he kept refreshing the app anyway
• Beauty and the Beast on the Disney Dream: Philip has seen it on Broadway. His verdict may surprise you.
• Why Palo brunch belongs on cruise #2 — and what Philip actually ordered when he finally went
• The three-veranda trick: how Philip's family opened adjoining rooms into one long shared deck for eight people
• Edge waiver logistics for an almost-11-year-old, Aqua Duck timing secrets, and the room steward pixie dust upgrade that requires a specific ask

"I've seen it on Broadway... but this outdid what I was expecting." — Philip

Support the Show:
Book your next Disney Cruise Line vacation with My Path Unwinding Travel

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We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot:
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The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Michele had never been on a Disney cruise before. Her mother had just gotten stitches from a fall in the backyard. Two doctors cleared her to travel. None of that mattered on Day 2 of their five-night Disney Dream sailing, when a routine check turned into a race to Nassau — and a lesson in how Disney Cruise Line handles the moments when everything goes wrong.

In this episode:

• How Michele's mom went from a routine leg injury to a medical emergency on Day 2 of their first DCL cruise on the Disney Dream
• What Disney's onboard medical team did — and how fast they did it — when the situation turned serious
• The moment the captain announced to the entire ship they were diverting to Nassau at full speed to evacuate a passenger
• How Disney's guest services team stepped up — from packing their bags to personally escorting Nico through customs at 9pm
• The brutal reality of travel insurance fine print (and the insurer who denied the claim mid-crisis, citing a "preexisting condition")
• Practical tips from Michele, Nico, Sam, and Brian: travel insurance, passports, credit card limits, and what to do the minute someone gets sick onboard

"They were very transparent so that I knew how serious it was, but also so that I knew what the next steps were so that I wouldn't be afraid." — Michele

Support the Show: Book your next Disney Cruise Line vacation with our show sponsor, My Path Unwinding Travel!

Subscribe to DCL Magazine — your ultimate guide to Disney Cruise Line tips and tricks! Use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off at the WDW Magazine store.

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We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot: Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

A two-month-old baby elephant. A pack of 20 African wild dogs — the most endangered predator on the planet — running straight at the jeep. A male lion close enough to touch. June joined us live to walk through her Adventures by Disney South Africa trip, and it absolutely delivered.

If you've ever looked at an ABD price tag and wondered whether it's actually worth it, this is the episode that answers that question honestly.

In this episode:

• Why June chose Adventures by Disney over independent travel for South Africa — and what you genuinely can't replicate on your own
• The full itinerary: Cape Town (including a Table Mountain weather pivot), the Knysna coast, Kapama Game Reserve near Kruger National Park, and a post-tour add-on to Victoria Falls
• Big Five in the first 24 hours — plus African wild dogs, hyenas, and a female leopard carrying breakfast back to her cubs
• What's included vs. out of pocket on a land-based ABD, and how the lodging compares (spoiler: Kapama rivals the Four Seasons Maldives)
• Health prep, packing strategy, laundry logistics, currency — the practical stuff ABD doesn't always cover
• We also got into the week's DCL policy changes: the alcohol policy reduction, selfie stick rules, door decoration limits, and the Disney Adventure–specific Palo age change and room service fee

"The only place I've ever stayed that was on par with that was the Four Seasons Private Island in the Maldives."— June, on Kapama Game Reserve

Listen now and join the conversation!

Follow June on Instagram to see even more from her amazing Adventures by Disney trip to South Africa, and her future travels!

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The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.

Lauren and her husband Chase didn't just sail the Disney Destiny — they sailed the Dream first, spent a night watching ships come into port at 4:45 AM, and boarded the Destiny ready to do it all again. Their side-to-side report is packed with specific, useful detail for anyone planning a Dream or Destiny sailing, from Bluey's embarkation-day meet to the lighting secrets of the Destiny's Grand Hall.

In this episode:

• What it's actually like to spend a night between two sailings — hotel logistics, Disney transport, and the moment the Destiny came into port
• How the Disney Destiny's Grand Hall really works — and why the neutral colors are a feature, not a flaw
• Bluey on the Dream: the embarkation-day meet, Wakey Wakey, the Pajama Party, and the app location mistake you need to know about
• Beauty and the Beast without Cogsworth — how the Dream's cast handled an unplanned cast change mid-voyage
• With Great Power vs. Choose Wisely: who wins the adult show showdown?
• What's next: Southern Caribbean on the Dream out of Puerto Rico and Alaska on the Wonder in 2027

"The lighting is just incredible... when you first board the ship, you have to remember, if you compare it to the treasure and you look at it, you're going, wow, this is very similar neutral and simple. But what they really get you later when they start doing a lot of the different shows." — Chase

Support the Show: Book your next Disney Cruise Line vacation with My Path Unwinding Travel — our trusted travel partner!

Subscribe to DCL Magazine and use promo code DCLDUO for 10% off at the WDW Magazine store.

Stay Connected with DCL Duo: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Facebook Group | Listen on Apple Podcasts | Watch on YouTube

We're Ranked as a Top Podcast by Feedspot: Top 30 Disney Cruise Line Podcasts (#1) | Top 20 Cruise Podcasts (#2) | Top Disney Podcasts (#4) | Top 20 Disney Cruise Line Influencers (#12)

The views expressed in this podcast are our own and do not reflect the views of the Walt Disney Company, Disney Cruise Line or any other travel provider discussed or mentioned.