As the mother of two princesses with a deep love of Disney, I have dreamed about taking each one of them on a memorable trip. My daughter. Elizabeth and I had the privilege to sail together on the Disney Wish Enchanted Showcase sailing with Travel With The Magic. As a travel agent, I was incredibly humbled to receive such an incredible invite.

Why is a Disney Cruise Line vacation the best mother/daughter trip imaginable? The reasons are limitless. Here are a few reasons we loved our relationship.

1) Tons of togetherness.
We spent most of the trip together. Since this was a unique showcase cruise, the kid clubs were not open as you would typically experience. Instead, we enjoyed lounging on the pool deck, exploring the ship, dining, shows, and more. One of our favorite experiences was enjoying a beignet from The Bayou, a Princess, and the Frog-themed lounge on Deck 3. While this is a lounge, it also offers non-alcoholic beverages and nightly entertainment. It was a highly themed space we loved that gave us a room to relax and chat.

2) Bonding. My husband is active-duty military, and I have a full-time job. Therefore, I try my best to get alone time with each of my children. However, that is not easy.

Juggling a job, most of the responsibilities at home and with the girls, plus everything else that life throws, one on one time gets sacrificed first. This trip allowed me to focus on my relationship with Elizabeth. She is now 12 and reaching that age where she will need me as a confidant and friend but will also seek independence.

We spent hours each day talking about the ship, our favorite experiences, struggles we were experiencing with a recent move, and more. I had not spent this much time with her since we welcomed Emalee. It renewed and strengthened our bond in ways I could never have expected. We snorkeled together, hand in hand, on Castaway Cay. Even though we weren’t talking, it was time spent together doing something we both enjoy immensely.

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3) Independence.
Elizabeth is 12. Sometimes, I still feel like I have been hit by a truck when I realize she is almost a teenager. Since this was very much a work-focused trip, there were times Elizabeth needed to be elsewhere so that I could attend meetings. With the DCL Navigator app, we were able to keep in touch.

I knew she was safe on the ship and could keep in contact with me. She was free to check herself in and out of the Oceaneer’s Club and hang out at Edge, the pre-teen club. She met a few friends, and they would schedule times to meet at Edge. She loved exploring the ship with her new friends.

I loved knowing there was a safe place for her to explore freedom and independence. It is hard to let your “baby” out into the world. (Yes, I am a little like Marlin from Finding Nemo, just less orange and not quite as over-protective) Disney Cruise Line does a great job at creating spaces for children and adults that allows for self-care and exploration.

4) Memories. The memories we made on this trip are innumerable.
It was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime experience that we were able to share. We shook our tail feathers with Donald, cried together because Disney magic was so palpable and needed, laughed until our sides hurt, and took many pictures together. Have you noticed moms are usually the photo takers these days, and we lack photos with our children?! It is crazy.

I am so glad we captured so many photos and memories together. The cast members were so great to make sure our photos together turned out; it’s that Disney magic! I think one of our favorite memories was singing together during the first night’s show, Seas the Adventure.

The Walt Disney Company spans many generations and is evergreen, especially on the Disney Wish.

It celebrates the entirety of the company – I was able to share some of my favorites with Elizabeth, and she shared some of her favorites with me. This ship embodies everything Walt Disney sought to create when he started Disneyland 67 years ago. A place for families and for everyone to feel welcome. The Disney Wish provided the most magical place for Elizabeth and me to reconnect with each other and strengthen our bond. It is truly a trip neither of us will forget – not only for the experience but for the lasting effects and closeness it brought to our mother/daughter relationship.