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Magical Vacation Planner with Katelyn McElhaney, Dubrovnik (2026)

18/09/2026

And as quickly as we got onboard, our trip was over.

We somehow managed to pack all of our luggage by the 10:30 PM cutoff 😂 and left our bags outside our stateroom door the night before we got off the ship. Disney took it from there, and we picked everything up once we were off the ship.

The next morning, we had breakfast based on our dining rotation, gathered the rest of our things and headed off the ship.

This trip was so special. It wasn’t about the characters, the matching jammies (although, so cute), or the entertainment. It was about laughing hysterically and creating core memories with your best friend.

And I obviously enjoyed myself, considering I booked a placeholder onboard and have already booked my next Disney cruise. 😂

Until next time, Destiny. 🚢

16/09/2026

Disney Destiny Recap: The Fun Extras

One of my favorite things about cruising is that there is always something else to find or do and the Destiny was no exception.

We checked out Hero Zone, ate entirely too many treats, wandered through Edna À La Mode Sweets, found fun photo spots around the ship and came back to towel animals in our room.

I also booked myself a massage at the spa, which was 100% worth working into the weekend.

There are so many little extras tucked throughout the ship that you could easily miss if you were only running from dinner to shows to the pool. Some cost extra and plenty don't, but they were part of what made exploring the ship so much fun.
Also, yes, we took full advantage of the onboard photographers. 😂

Three nights went FAST, and there were still things we never got around to doing.

One last Destiny recap left: Debarkation! 🚢

14/09/2026

✨Disney Destiny Recap: Entertainment
You will definitely not be bored on this ship!

🎭We managed to see all three theater shows during our three nights onboard: Disney Seas the Adventure, Disney Hercules and Frozen, A Musical Spectacular. Disney does these SO well. Think Broadway-level performances at sea with incredible sets, costumes, music and talent. I genuinely enjoyed all three.

☠Outside of the theater, there was always something going on. Characters and entertainment in the Grand Hall, Pirate Night and the Pirates Rockin’ Parlay Party, live entertainment around the ship. We definitely didn't fit everything in.

One tip: keep checking the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app throughout your cruise. That’s where you’ll find the schedule of what’s happening onboard, and there is A LOT. We checked it constantly to see what was coming up and decide what we wanted to catch.

But my favorite character interaction of the entire cruise was Dr. Facilier.

He spent SO much time with us and was absolutely hilarious. At one point the character attendant had to cover her mouth and turn around because she was laughing so hard. That probably tells you everything you need to know about how that interaction went. 😂

It was completely unexpected and ended up being one of my favorite moments from the whole weekend.

Three nights was definitely not enough time to do it all!

Next up: the fun extras 🚢

12/09/2026

🍽️ Dining on the Disney Destiny!

Okay, rotational dining might be one of my favorite things about Disney Cruise Line.

If you’ve never sailed Disney, here’s how it works. You rotate through three different restaurants during your cruise, but your serving team comes with you each night. By the end of the cruise, they know what you drink, what you like and all of your little preferences. I loved this!

🦁 Pride Lands: Feast of The Lion King
This was our first night and probably my favorite entertainment during dinner.
The food was also SO good. I loved my shrimp and, obviously, the hot fudge sundae. 😂

🎬 1923
Night two was 1923. Totally different vibe from Pride Lands. It’s more classic Disney and a little more elegant. I had the filet mignon, which was excellent.

🦸 Worlds of Marvel
Our last night was Worlds of Marvel. Such a fun restaurant, especially if you’re a Marvel fan, and I LOVED my chicken here.

But honestly, one of the best parts of dinner had nothing to do with the food.
Disney sat us with two other groups of two women. Six women who had never met each other.

Friday night, we politely introduced ourselves and on Sunday night we had TEN desserts sitting in the middle of the table so everyone could try everything. 😂

It was SO much fun.

Between having the same tablemates every night and our serving team following us from restaurant to restaurant, dinner became something we genuinely looked forward to every night. None of us even missed the 6:45am breakfast on the last day.

✨ My travel advisor takeaway: Don’t underestimate rotational dining when you’re looking at Disney Cruise Line. Dinner really is part of the experience, not just somewhere you go to eat. And if you get seated with strangers? Give it a chance. You may end up eating off their plates by night two. 😂

Next up: entertainment on the Destiny! 🎭

10/09/2026

🏝️ Disney’s Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point!

Our port day took us to Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, Disney Cruise Line’s newest private destination on the island of Eleuthera in The Bahamas.

First thing to know: there IS a walk.
It’s about 0.6 miles from the ship to the tram area, and it was HOT when we were there. I would absolutely bring a portable fan next time. Once we made it through security, they were handing out cold towels, which felt amazing!

We didn’t wait long for a tram, and the ride itself was easy and only took about five minutes.

Our first stop was our ATV excursion. Check in was simple and our guides were FANTASTIC. We spent about two hours riding around the island, including driving along the beach, learning some of the history of the area, and stopping at an old church along the way. It was such a fun way to see more than just the Disney beach area.

We finished around noon, changed into our swimsuits and headed for the water.
Our original plan was to go to Serenity Bay, the adults only beach, but we found two chairs with umbrellas right at the edge of the regular family beach and decided that was our spot!

THE WATER!
It was absolutely stunning and so clear. We basically just bobbed around for the next hour chatting away until the storm clouds started making us a little nervous. We decided to head back to the ship and grab lunch onboard, so I can’t give you a fair review of the food on Lookout Cay.

And for what it’s worth, the 0.6 mile walk back somehow felt both shorter and significantly less hot. 😂

✨ My travel advisor takeaway: Don’t let the walk scare you, but plan for it. Wear comfortable shoes, bring water and a portable fan, especially if you’re sailing during the hotter months. And if you want to do more than have a beach day, take a look at the excursions! I loved that the ATV tour let us see more of Eleuthera and learn a little about the island before spending the rest of our day in that gorgeous water.

Overall, I really enjoyed Lookout Cay. Yes, the walk from the ship is long and it was HOT, but once we got there, everything was easy. The ATV excursion was a great addition to our day; the beach was beautiful and that water was absolutely worth it. I'm pretty sure we could have bobbed there all day.

Next up: dining on the Disney Destiny! 🍽️

10/09/2026

✨ NEW Walt Disney World offers just dropped! ✨

Planning a Disney trip in 2027? There are some great new savings available for select dates!

🏰 Save up to $250 per night on select 4 night, 4 day (or longer) room and ticket packages for stays January 3 through July 28, 2027.

✨ Save up to 25% on select Disney Resort rooms for stays January
3 through April 29, 2027.

💳 Disney® Visa® Cardmembers can save up to 30% on select rooms this spring!

Already booked with me? I’ve already applied promos to qualifying reservations!

Thinking about a spring Disney trip? Send me a message and let’s start planning!

09/09/2026

🛏️ Disney Destiny Room Tour
Deluxe Family Ocean View Stateroom with Verandah

The Hercules theming was subtle but beautiful, with artwork above the bed and throughout the room. It felt very Disney without feeling like we were sleeping in a character-themed hotel room.

I was really impressed with how functional the space was. There was SO much storage. Drawers, shelves, 3 closets, and plenty of room under the bed for luggage. Even with a family sharing the room, there are a lot of places to actually unpack and put things away.

The curtain between the bed and living area is another great feature for families, especially when kids are sleeping on the other side of the room.

One thing that took me a minute to get used to was the split bathroom setup. One bathroom has a tub/shower and a sink, while the other has the toilet and another sink. Having two separate spaces to get ready is such a smart use of space. And I LOVE the tub option for families with littles.

Swipe through the photos for a look around our room!

Next up: Disney’s private island, Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point! 🏝️

08/09/2026

🚢 Disney Destiny: Embarkation Day

Let’s start at the beginning!

Our port arrival time at Port Everglades was 1:00 PM. We arrived around 12:40ish and by approximately 1:15 we were already ON the Destiny. The entire process of arriving at the port, dropping off our luggage, checking in, going through security, and boarding was super easy.

Since our stateroom wasn’t ready yet, lunch was our priority. 😂 After that, we had some time to start exploring the ship and figuring out where everything was before settling in for sail-away.

A few things I recommend for embarkation day:
✨ Complete online check-in as soon as your window opens so you can choose your port arrival time.
✨ Keep anything you may need that afternoon in your carry-on since your checked luggage may not arrive at your stateroom right away.
✨ Don’t wait for your room to be ready to start enjoying the ship. Grab lunch, explore, swim, or check out the activities happening onboard.
✨ Have the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app downloaded before you arrive. Once you’re onboard, it becomes your guide for dining, activities, entertainment, and everything happening around the ship.

From pulling up to Port Everglades to officially being onboard took us about 30 minutes. I was VERY impressed with how smoothly everything went.

Next up: our Hercules-themed stateroom!

03/09/2026

I think I’m finally recovering from my weekend on the Disney Destiny 😂

So, let’s catch up and talk about it!

I was so excited to experience the Destiny for myself, and I have SO much to share. We packed a lot into a few days and somehow still didn’t come close to doing everything onboard.

Over the next few days, I’m going to break down each day of our cruise, share some of my favorite things, and give you my thoughts and tips now that I’ve experienced it firsthand.

If the Disney Destiny has been on your radar or you’re just curious what it’s actually like onboard, stay tuned. I have a LOT to show you!

28/08/2026

Congratulations to Makenzie! Your next coffee is on me! ♥️

My travel advisor bestie, Jessicah Cross and I are headed to the high seas on the Disney Destiny!! We are so excited to experience this new ship and bring back lots of pixie dust for our clients!

What questions do y’all have about a Disney Cruise? I’m down to answer any questions and show you as much of the ship as we can over the next three days!

Magical Vacation Planner with Katelyn McElhaney

18/09/2026

16/09/2026

14/09/2026

12/09/2026

10/09/2026

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28/08/2026

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