Pixar Stories Come to Life at Pixar Days at Sea

Join me as I sail the Pixar way on the Disney Fantasy, experiencing Pixar‑themed foods, activities, and shows throughout the sailing.

When our Disney Cruise Line bus pulled into port, the entire bus went quiet, then quickly filled with excitement as Dumbo on the stern came into view, and the Disney Fantasy towered beside us. Pulling into port always feels like the start of something special, and this time was no different.

As I stepped onboard, the Pixar energy was already in full swing, from a vibrant Pixar Days at Sea backdrop in the atrium to Disney Cruise Line crew members warmly welcoming my family. Several guests were embracing the theme with Pixar‑inspired outfits and I loved spotting all the creative details. My favorite was a family who each wore a letter spelling out “Pixar” on their shirts, with one child dressed as the iconic lamp. It was so clever!

My Incredibles hat quickly turned into a conversation starter, sparking chats with fellow guests about our favorite Pixar characters. One moment that really stuck with me was seeing Buzz Lightyear meet a “mini” Buzz. When the child looked up at him, you could tell he was meeting his hero, a true Pixar moment coming to life.

It was my first time sailing on the Disney Fantasy, and with several days of activities designed to fully immerse me into my favorite Pixar stories, I couldn’t wait to dive in.

My first night set the stage for Pixar storytelling at Animator’s Palate, where a Finding Dory‑themed dinner waited for us as part of Disney Cruise Line’s rotational dining.

As Dory, Crush, and friends swam all around the restaurant, the space truly came to life. My favorite part was when Crush taught a couple how to say “I love you” in whale! Sigh. You could really feel the love between those two.

For dinner, I went with the Black Bean Chipotle Cakes served over corn kernels and brown rice, topped with tomato‑cilantro salsa. It was a flavorful dish I couldn’t get enough of!

And for those craving something different, the menu had plenty of delicious options to choose from, including rich Penne Bolognese, a perfectly grilled tuna steak, lemon‑thyme marinated chicken, herb‑crusted pork chop, and a ginger‑teriyaki dusted Angus beef tenderloin.

Day two, the day we’ve all been waiting for, finally arrived: Pixar Day at Sea!

To me, the ship felt brighter and more energetic, with Pixar surprises happening everywhere you looked. There was so much going on that choosing what to do became part of the fun. Choose your own adventure, anyone?

Some of my favorite character encounters around the ship included meeting Woody, Buzz, Mrs. Incredible, and Edna Mode. Seeing so many Pixar pals out and about made the day feel special.

Meeting Edna Mode was just as iconic as you’d expect. Darling, she was incredible.

Speaking of, at some point I realized how often I was saying the word, “incredible.” The characters, the music, the electric atmosphere, all incredible. I swore I would ease up on the word, but with more Pixar activities ahead, you can imagine how that went.

Pixar Day at Sea struck a perfect balance between upbeat dancing and relaxing creative outlets.

Crush’s Totally Awesome Pool Party brought the excitement with upbeat music and games, turning the deck into one big dance party. The music felt like it was straight from the East Australian Current, with surf‑inspired beats and familiar sounds from Finding Nemo. With Crush leading the fun and guests jumping in to play along, the energy was contagious and “totally awesome!”

Later, I slowed things down during a Learn to Draw Pixar Characters session with a Disney animator, which gave me a new appreciation for the artistry behind these characters.

One of my favorite activities was Build Your Own Forky. The space was filled with guests getting creative and bringing each one to life in their own unique way. There was something so fun about seeing everyone’s personality come through. No two Forkys looked the same!

Not only did I create my own little Forky pal, but I also struck up a conversation with the woman sitting next to me as we worked on our creations. She shared that she was making a Forky to surprise her daughter who was napping with her husband. She planned to leave Forky outside their stateroom door for her to discover when she woke up. I wish I could’ve seen her surprise! As we chatted and added the finishing touches, we decided our Forkys were friends too. Two adorable besties.

Pixar Day at Sea had more standout events ahead.

Jack‑Jack’s Incredible Diaper Dash had the crowd fully invested from start to finish, with tiny racers crawling toward their favorite people cheering them on.

Later, Edna Mode’s Style on Parade delivered colorful, Pixar‑inspired outfits and big smiles. Guests strutted the stage alongside Edna, Frozone, and Mrs. and Mr. Incredible. The dancers also dressed like Edna, iconic bob and glasses included, which completely stole the show!

That evening, Pixar storytelling continued with a Pixar Day at Sea‑themed dinner menu. Highlights included Princess Merida’s Smoked Salmon and Smoked Trout Rillette, Russell’s Baked Shrimp “Mac and Cheese”, Incredible Cobb Salad, and Massimo’s Linguini Pasta.

I ordered the Lava “Poke” Bowl with Tofu, Tamari, Cucumber, Red Cabbage, Radish, Brown Rice, Sesame, Avocado, Cilantro, and Wasabi Lemon Drizzle.

The meal wrapped up on a sweet note with the Playful Pixar Ball dessert with baked vanilla cheesecake, blueberry filling, lemon lime, and almond cake. It was almost too cute to eat! Almost.

That night, the Pixar Pals Celebration took over the deck as it came alive with an electric atmosphere of music, movement and pure Pixar joy. Music was pulsing through the ship, and you could feel the beat under your feet as the deck filled with dancing, laughter and lots of bubbles. Kids were running in circles and everyone was moving to the music!

Then Party Saurus Rex jumped onto the stage, and I completely lost my mind. I’ve only ever seen him in the Party Saurus Rex short on Disney+, so seeing him in person was unexpected. My family and I still joke about his “What up, fishes?” line to this day, so getting to see him in person made it even more special.

Each time a different Pixar pal took the stage, they had new music and new moves. It really was the ultimate Pixar Party at Sea!

And as if the day couldn’t get any better, I even returned to my stateroom to find a surprise visit from WALL‑E waiting for me. I love Pixar Day at Sea!

I kicked my third sail-day off at the Hey Howdy Breakfast with Woody and Friends, a Toy Story‑themed breakfast experience which is included with cruise fare and available by reservation.

The breakfast blends playful theming, character appearances, and delicious breakfast cuisine. My favorite dish was Bonnie’s Plant‑Based Hot Breakfast, which included plant‑based scrambled eggs, sausage patties, a pancake, hashbrown, and grilled tomato.

After soaking up some sunshine at Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, I changed into my Joy‑inspired yellow dress and headed to Channel Your Emotions, a silent disco hosted by Joy from Inside Out. I couldn’t help but laugh when I first walked in, all you could hear were muffled voices, a little singing, and the sound of shoes scuffling across the floor.

But the second I put on my headphones and heard my favorite songs, everything changed. Each color channel represented a different emotion, with red bringing high-energy rock or the occasional punk rock, blue leaning into all the sad bops, and green playing upbeat, feel-good pop.

I loved switching between channels and seeing who was on the same vibe as me. You’d lock eyes with someone across the dance floor, switch to their color, and give a little nod of approval before dancing along together. Joy often spoke through the headphones to hype everyone up, but the best part was when she brought us all onto the green channel. Suddenly, the whole room was dancing to the same song and that’s when the energy really peaked, with conga lines forming, people jumping together, and the entire floor moving as one.

One of my favorite moments was meeting my now bestie Sam, who absolutely stole the show. He often confidently broke it down in the center of the dance floor before shouting, “This is the best day of my life!” Honestly, I felt the same way. By the end, my face hurt from smiling so much, it truly was the best day ever.

On the final day, I joined Anyone Can Cook, a Ratatouille-inspired culinary demonstration led by Chef Margot that had everyone’s attention from start to finish. As she walked us through in creating the iconic dish, ratatouille, it genuinely made me feel like I could cook it at home.

And I have to say, it was a smart move on Chef Margot’s part not to wear a chef hat… otherwise the audience might have been skeptical that she wasn’t getting a little help from our friend Remy. Unless you were sitting where I was, because I spotted Remy perched on a little girl’s shoulder as she carefully watched the demonstration, ready to sample the dish.

Later that night, I stopped by Mike’s Open Mic planning to watch the show, until I ended up on stage reading a Mad Lib‑style story. From quick improv moments to Mad Lib‑style storytelling, the show leaned fully into audience participation, making the show feel spontaneous and a little bit chaotic, but in the best way.

My line of the night?

“We smell because we squat.”

Yes, I really said that.

Pixar Days at Sea isn’t just about what you do. It’s about how it makes you feel.

From larger‑than‑life experiences like the Pixar Pals Celebration to delightful, unexpected ones like Forky friendships and joyful dance floors, Pixar stories showed up everywhere on the Disney Fantasy.

Disney Cruise Line and Pixar together?

Truly some of the best days ever.