The Disney Dream doesn’t sail from Southampton until the following Monday, but for me, this trip starts a couple of days earlier.
Actually, it starts in London.
I’ve never been to London before, which created a bit of a planning dilemma. We’ll have just two days in the city before heading to Southampton for our 13-night Disney Dream transatlantic cruise, and there is obviously no way to see everything London has to offer in that amount of time.
So I’m not even going to try.
Instead, my mom and I are planning a very curated first visit built around a few things we really want to experience: afternoon tea, a West End show, some quintessential London neighborhoods, and enough downtime that we aren’t exhausted before we even board the ship.
And yes, somehow we ended up with afternoon tea on both days.
I have no regrets.
Where We’re Staying: The Waldorf Hilton London
We decided to stay at The Waldorf Hilton, London in the Covent Garden area, and location was a huge factor.
For such a short visit, I didn’t want to spend a lot of our time traveling back and forth across London. The Waldorf puts us within easy reach of Covent Garden and the West End, which works particularly well with several of the things we’ve booked.
It also gives us a home base where we can actually go back to the room during the afternoon if we need to recharge. That is especially important on arrival day after an overnight flight.
This is also a pre-cruise trip, which adds another very real factor to our transportation planning: luggage.
My mom is not exactly known for packing light, and we’re heading out on a 13-night transatlantic cruise afterward. Navigating public transportation with multiple large suitcases is not how I want to begin my first morning in London.
Saturday: Heathrow to Afternoon Tea
Mom and I are arriving at Heathrow on separate overnight flights, fairly close together.
Our plan is to meet at the airport once we’ve both cleared immigration and collected our luggage, then take a prearranged private car into central London.
Could we take the train into London? Absolutely.
But this is one of those times when convenience wins for me. Between jet lag, cruise luggage, and plans waiting for us later that day, I’m willing to pay more for door-to-door transportation.
We’ll drop our bags at the hotel if our room isn’t ready and then head into our first official London experience.
Afternoon Tea at Brasserie Max
Our first afternoon tea will be at Brasserie Max inside the Covent Garden Hotel.
I went down quite the London afternoon-tea rabbit hole while planning this trip.
There are some spectacular options, including The Savoy, The Lanesborough, and Claridge’s. But I quickly discovered that some of London’s most famous teas come with dress expectations that don’t necessarily align with how I want to spend the first few hours after getting off an overnight flight.
Brasserie Max feels much more like us.
It offers a traditional afternoon tea with finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and preserves, pastries, and a selection of teas, but in a more relaxed setting.
Most importantly, tea is going to be lunch.
Afterward, I fully intend to head back to the Waldorf, check in, unpack, and take a nap.
There will be no heroic attempt to power through jet lag in the name of sightseeing.
Saturday Night: The Devil Wears Prada
After some rest, we’re heading to the West End to see The Devil Wears Prada at the Dominion Theatre.
This was one of the things I knew I wanted to do during our short London stay. One of the biggest reasons I’m excited about this particular show is that Elton John composed the music.
I cannot wait to hear what he has brought to life onstage.
Which reminds me that I need to download the cast recording before the trip and start listening.
That is a must for me with any new musical. I like to know the music ahead of time so that when I finally see the show, I can just enjoy the performances, staging, costumes, and everything happening onstage instead of spending half the night trying to figure out what everyone is singing.
We aren’t planning a big dinner beforehand. Afternoon tea is a lot of food, so we’ll probably grab something light if we’re hungry and then head to the theatre.
For my first trip to London, a West End musical feels like exactly the kind of experience worth prioritizing.
Sunday Morning: A Little London Exploring
Sunday morning is the one part of the itinerary I’m intentionally leaving somewhat flexible.
Originally, Mom really wanted to see Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style, the exhibition featuring clothing worn by the late Queen. Unfortunately, tickets for our weekend were already sold out by the time we tried to book.
That was disappointing because the clothing itself was what interested her most, not necessarily another royal-history attraction.
But it did send us looking at some other possibilities.
One that has moved high on the list is the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington, particularly because of its fashion collections and current exhibitions.
We’ve also had recommendations from friends in the UK to explore Chelsea, especially Sloane Square and Duke of York Square, along with the shops, restaurants, and galleries in that area.
Camden Market also sounds incredibly fun, especially combined with a canal boat ride from Little Venice.
The problem, of course, is that we only have two days.
So I’m resisting the temptation to turn Sunday morning into a race through London. We’ll see what we’re in the mood for when we get there.
Winnie the Pooh Afternoon Tea at Fortnum & Mason
This may be the reservation I’m most excited about.
We are having afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason’s Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon.
Fortnum & Mason was already recommended to us by friends in the UK as one of the classic places to experience afternoon tea in London. Then I discovered that our trip happens to coincide with a special Winnie the Pooh afternoon tea.
At that point, there really wasn’t much of a decision to make.
Disney plus London plus afternoon tea?
Booked.
I’m excited about the tea itself, but I also want plenty of time to explore Fortnum & Mason.
The tea department, food halls, biscuits, gifts, and any Winnie the Pooh merchandise associated with the experience could all be very dangerous for my suitcase.
Sunday Afternoon: Keeping It Flexible
After tea, I’m deliberately not booking anything else for the afternoon.
Depending on how we feel, we can explore Piccadilly, browse more of Fortnum & Mason, wander through one of the nearby neighborhoods, or simply make our way back toward Covent Garden and relax.
One piece of advice I’ve received repeatedly while planning London is not to underestimate how much time it takes to move around the city.
The Tube may be fastest in some situations, but we’ve also been warned that it can get very hot. Buses sound appealing because we can actually see London while we’re getting somewhere. Uber or a taxi may be convenient, but London traffic can obviously change that equation quickly.
My plan is to use a combination of walking, buses, and cars depending on where we’re going and how tired we are.
For a trip this short, I’d rather see fewer things and actually enjoy them.
Sunday Night: Dinner With Disney Cruise Friends at Mr Fogg’s
Our final London reservation is dinner at Mr Fogg’s Market Tavern in Covent Garden.
This one is particularly fun because we’re meeting friends who will also be sailing with us on the Disney Dream.
Mr Fogg’s leans into a Victorian travel theme inspired by Phileas Fogg, which feels like a pretty fitting place to end our London weekend before our own much longer journey begins.
Then it will be back to the hotel and one last night in London before we head to Southampton the next day.
What We’re Not Trying to Do
Perhaps the biggest decision I’ve made about these two days is what isn’t on the itinerary.
We considered the Crown Jewels and Tower of London.
We looked at Buckingham Palace.
The Queen Elizabeth clothing exhibition would absolutely have made the list if we could have gotten tickets.
Camden Market sounds fantastic.
Chelsea deserves more time.
So does Kensington.
And I could probably spend an entire day at the V&A.
They just aren’t all going to happen on this trip.
I would much rather leave London thinking, “I need to come back,” than spend our first visit rushing from attraction to attraction because I felt obligated to check everything off a list.
Besides, this isn’t really a London vacation.
It’s the beginning of something much bigger.
Next Stop: Southampton and the Disney Dream
On Monday, we’ll leave London and head to Southampton to begin our 13-night transatlantic sailing aboard the Disney Dream.
And I cannot wait.
But before the cruise begins, we get two days to experience London for the first time.
Two afternoon teas.
One West End show.
A little sightseeing.
Dinner with cruise friends.
And hopefully enough time to actually enjoy all of it.
For our first visit, that sounds pretty perfect to me.
And once we’re home, I’ll absolutely be reporting back on what worked, what didn’t, and what I would change if I were planning two days in London before a cruise again.
Follow along with more of my Disney cruising experience: Visit my Disney Cruise Line Guides page for itinerary planning, ship reviews, Concierge advice, excursions, and repositioning-cruise tips.
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