Disney beyond the parks. What adventures lie beyond the Disney Parks?
I have a story to tell. It’s a bit of a sad story.
The story starts with our children. They grew up on the Disney Parks. They’ve visited the parks well over a thousand times. Yes, over a thousand.
Now, the sad part.
The kids grow a little tired of the Disney Parks. They’re getting a bit older (I know, I know, you’re never too old for Disney parks) and want to experience new adventures in new locations.
Thanks to Disney, we learned all about the “Beyond the Parks” experiences that Disney offers; providing new opportunities to the kids.
Disney Beyond the Parks
What is the Disney Beyond the Parks experience?
Everyone knows about the Disney Parks. However, Disney offers experiences and adventures beyond the boundaries of the famous parks that include amazing family travel adventures to whet any appetite for exploring! “Beyond the Parks” includes Disney Cruise, Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Hawaii, and the Adventures by Disney itineraries.
Most people know about the Disney Cruise. Fewer know about Aulani. An even smaller group understands Adventures by Disney. Let’s talk about each one and our experience with each “Beyond the Parks” offerings.
Disney Cruise
Our family loves Disney Cruise. Recently, we embarked on our 22nd Disney Cruise with the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration. Here is a playlist of all of our videos from Disney Social Media Moms Celebration.
The kids have grown up riding on the Disney Cruise and unlike the parks, Disney Cruise grows with them.
Kelly could visit Vibe, the teen club, for the first time on this most recent cruise. Hunter recently celebrated going to Edge (the tween club) for the first time.
The Oceaneer’s Club and Lab provided endless entertainment for both kids for years. They loved the Club and Lab so much, they would cry when we came to pick them up for dinner. They didn’t want to leave!
Disney Cruise has taken our family to Grand Cayman, Mexico, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, the Bahamas, the Florida Keys, and who can forget Castaway Cay!
Obviously, we enjoy the Disney Cruise life. As for the “Beyond the Parks” experience? Disney Cruise is kind of like a Disney Park at sea. It’s the first step “outside the bubble” of the Disney Parks.
Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa
Take a BIG hop across the sea and away from Disney Cruise and you’ll discover Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa. Here is a playlist of all of our videos from Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa.
This Disney Beyond the Parks experience gives guests a truly Hawaiian experience with just a bit of Disney flair (and characters).
Disney did not want to bring Disney to Hawaii. They focused on Hawaii first for this beautiful resort & spa.
As a result, guests can attend a luau, where the story focuses on the Ewa region of O’ahu and not another Disney story.
You can play hide and seek with menehune, traditional Hawaiian mythical creatures.
Grab a shaved ice from the Pāpālua Shave Ice shack by the pool.
The opportunities to learn about and experience the true Hawaii abound at Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa.
To throw in the Disney flair, you also have Disney character dining experiences and meet ups. The Disney characters, though, are not overdone or pervasive throughout the resort. In fact, the characters are “on vacation,” just like you. 🙂
Adventures by Disney
Likely the least well known Disney Beyond the Parks experience, Adventures by Disney offers over 30 itineraries over 6 continents!
We’ve experienced the Adventures by Disney long weekends with a trip to New York City, a South American Adventure to Peru, and most recently, with the whole family, a trip to the Southwest US to see the Grand Canyon and Arches National Parks like we’ve never seen them, before!
Adventures by Disney provides guided, family travel experiences that includes all members of the family.
On our Southwest Splendor trip, the kids all had a pizza party while the parents enjoyed a date night at the resort restaurant. The kids had an amazing time. The parents had an amazing night. It’s little things like that that really make the “Disney difference” on an Adventures by Disney trip.
The list of places you can go with Adventures by Disney seems endless! Vietnam, the Amazon, China, South Africa, a European river cruise, or just a long weekend at Yellowstone. The possibilities for adventure “Beyond the Parks” have inspired our kids to dream big dreams of travel exploration….with that Disney touch.
