This is possibly the most emotional blog post that I have written for Awesome Archie non-profit so far. For those of you who know us on a more personal level, there is no need for me to explain to you why this holiday (the vacay that, like most people’s, had been booked over 3 years ago but repeatedly pushed back because of Covid) simply HAD to happen this summer. 🌞🌞🌞
Over the years, we have been incredibly blessed to have the help and support of my parents when it came to going on holiday. As I’m sure most of you are aware, going away with kids can be tough… chuck a neurological difference in the mix, and it can go from relaxing to overwhelmingly stressful!
My mum and dad have ALWAYS been 100% supportive of our children however, with mum’s health not being as tip-top as we’d like, this was officially their last holiday with us. 😞😞
That being the case, I have decided to share this, more personal post, as a public thank you for all they have done for us over the years. This holiday has ensured that, even as mum’s memories get a little foggy, the hours of video footage and, literally, thousands of photos will keep her cheery on even the toughest and more painful days. 😁😁😁
For me, my parents have taught me a lot. They will both admit that they have both always been a little “outside-of-the-box” but this has only encouraged me to value people for who they are… fortunately, our kids are following suit.
Thank you mum and dad (nanny and beardy!).
Right… time to dry my eyes and get on with my job 😉
Disney Cruise Line review with neurodiversity inclusion hints and tips.
When we booked this cruise 🚢🚢🚢 (more than three years ago!), Awesome Archie non-profit was just a tiny seedling of an idea. We had absolutely no idea that we would be so busy that I would be working for my own (almost) registered charity (full time!), creating reviews, blog posts, YouTube videos and 24/7 online support. It felt only right that we used this trip to continue our fight to get worldwide acceptance of children with neurological differences. We took Awesome Archie on tour… literally, on tour!
Every single country and port we visited, we spoke to a small crowd of people that gathered around our (rather embarrassingly large) banner. You would be AMAZED at the amount of people that took pictures and said they would look us up when they got home. We also met many AWESOME families who were just so happy to be on holiday in a place that made their stay so much easier 😊😊😊
Thankyou to my entire family who gave up a small portion of their holiday to help keep our important message spreading around Europe!
What we have learnt .
We have been so blessed to be able to take a holiday onboard the Disney Magic a few times now and have found it to be the PERFECT holiday for kids with neurological differences.
The rooms are identically set out, each depending on the type of room you choose. This means that Archie feels at home instantly as he has “been in this room before” even though its a different room number every time!
The staff are all AWESOME! We used to send an email prior to sailing to explain about Archie’s needs. However, we soon realised that this is simply not necessary. I have NEVER come across a member of staff that hasn’t been anything short of incredible with all our kids (and us, actually).
The food is tailored to Archie’s needs. We have never had an issue when it comes to his food intolerances. On arrival we were given a carton of soy milk to keep in our fridge and the serving staff just sorted out his menu so that everything would be safe for him. All food and non alcoholic drinks are free, all day every day. 😊😊 🍔🍔🍔 🥤🥤🥤
The swimming areas are MAGICAL! From death drop slides that shoot overboard, to water fun play areas…it is AWESOME!
Awesome Archie’s Hints and Tips.
Launderette
The Disney Magic offers a couple of choices for sorting your dirty laundry. If you want to, the staff will do your washing, drying and ironing for you. This must be really lovely but, for us, it is simply too pricey. We need to wash a couple of times on board and some items are of the more personal nature, so we have found out a few tricks…
* Never do a wash on a sea day… (everyone else does!)
* Bring your own laundry detergent . You can purchase a one wash sachet on board, but it is American detergent and we have found this to be too strong. We just pop a couple washes worth of regular non-bio into a clean jar and use that.
* Machine washing costs £3 a load, but the hand wash sink is free. For me though, the £3 is more than worth it. Once the cycle is done, you get a message pinged to your phone. 📱📱📱
* There is an iron in every laundrette that is also free to use but again, you can pay for an ironing service if you would rather. 👕🎽👚
Kids Clubs.
Rather than typing endless info I have attached the link to the kids clubs here.
The clubs are for all children aged from 0-18 years and are all AWESOME and fully inclusive of all needs!
We love to use the ‘Open House‘ option. This is where parents/carers/grandparents can come and play too! My mum really enjoyed these days. It was a lovely opportunity for her to sit and colour. She loved to see our kids paying on the phenomenal equipment and the staff looked after her with respect and understanding… just lovely. 💗💗💗
The drop off bit is great too. This means that, as a parent/carer you can enjoy some kid free time in the adults only sections of the ship.
Early dining followed by theatre show.
There are two sittings available for dinner and theatre times. This means, which ever sitting you get, the theatre is still available to you.
There is disabled access and priority seating for those who need it. We have always requested the first sitting for dinner, this means we eat at 6pm and so doesn’t interrupt Archie’s’ meds. However, it seems that most people travelling with kids will get this time.
There were two formal nights on our 7 night cruise… and the dinners are not your “usual” meals. From restaurants that literally change colour to joining Rapunzel’s birthday party, you CANNOT beat it. The food is 5 star and the service is impeccable. Also, all dietary needs can be catered for, without fuss.
Disney Cruise Line Navigator App.
Once you have booked your cruise you can access on board info. The kids love the countdown section of the app and, once aboard, everything you need to know is on there. You can view the menus, check your character meet times, see the port information and so much more. You can also use the app to book your next cruise which, if you do whilst still onboard, you get a 10% discount! 😊😊 💰💰💰
We want to personally thank the Disney Cruise Line (particularly the crew onboard the Disney Magic) for making some truly AWESOME memories and we would highly recommend this holiday.
ROLL ON NEXT TIME! 🚢🚢🚢 🌴🌴🌴 🌞🌞🌞⛱ ⛱ ⛱
