I hope you don’t mind a lot of Disney Dream posts because I cannot wait to share more about this voyage with you. The entire time at Disney, I was taken with how large a role Disney played in the imaginative life of not only my childhood but my teen years as well.
Disney is magic. And I am not talking about the princess glamor and the merchandising–Disney’s power lies in its ability to weave a story.
At the Disney Dream Christening event, the narrative revolved around dreams. And from the moment Disney kicked off the weekend with a special event at The Magic Kingdom, to the first footstep on the cruise liner, to beyond the day we disembarked, our dreams took center stage.
The morning of the Christening, we arrived at Port Canaveral and walked the red carpet to the dockside.
(Yes, for the record, I am pregnant! And, yes, I will be pointing this out in every picture of me on this trip.)
Candace Lindemann of Mamanista.com with family on the red carpet for the Disney Dream Christening.
Much to the delight of my Fantasia-obsessed children, Mickey in full Sorcerer’s Apprentice gear kicked-off the ceremony with a little bit of magic.
Mickey explained that anyone can Christen a ship with a bottle full of champagne but only at Disney can we Christen a ship with a bottle full of all our dreams.
Each of the royal princesses offered a blessing on the ship for dreams of broadened horizons, deep connections, and romance.
After the princesses, came the pirates with dreams of adventures! (My daughter would ask me, no fewer than a hundred times over the course of the cruise, whether there would be real pirates.)
Of course, there was singing and dancing and all your favorite Disney charaters!
Mickey slipped into his Dress Blues (I didn’t know Mickey was a military man) to officiate the Christening ceremony.
Of course, at a Christening, you need a godmother!
No, not Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother! The Disney Dream’s godmother…Jennifer Hudson!
Tom Staggs, the chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, explained that the selection of Jennifer Hudson as the ship’s godmother has special significance. Jennifer began her career in 2003 as a singer on the Disney Wonder, a stepping stone that led to “American Idol,” an Academy Award and a Grammy Award!
Jennifer took her magic wand and a helicopter flew the bottle full of dreams towards the ship!
I hope that my children learn to fill their lives with their hopes and dreams and to reach for the stars. Not just to wish upon a star but to work to make their dreams a reality!
All photos are by Candace Lindemann of Mamanista.com, except the final photo, courtesy of Disney Cruise Line.
