Whether you’re a Disney fan or simply love life at sea, chances are you already know that any voyage with Disney Cruise Line will be extraordinary.

Known for impeccable service, detailed theming, Broadway-caliber theater shows and postcard-perfect private island destinations, Disney’s cruises shine year-round. But if you’re looking for an enchanting getaway with festive seasonal celebrations, breezy weather, greater availability and lower prices, fall is the perfect season to book a Disney cruise.

Here’s why a Disney cruise from Florida deserves a prime spot at the top of your family’s fall travel list.

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Why Fall Is the Perfect Disney Cruise Season for Families

Since Disney cruises draw families with school-age children, itineraries during the summer (May through August), spring break (March and April) and winter (the weeks surrounding the winter holidays) are most popular.

But if your schedule is flexible, the months of September, October and November — and even early December — are some of the best months to sail on a Disney cruise from Florida. With fewer crowds and unique holiday-themed events, fall Disney cruise options include:

Sailing from Cape Canaveral (Port Canaveral):

• Disney Wish
• Disney Magic
• Disney Fantasy, beginning in November (following a summer sailing in Europe)
• Disney Treasure

Sailing from Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades):

• Disney Dream
• Disney Destiny, set to debut in November

Are you ready to explore more Disney? Let us inspire you!

Special Fall Onboard Events You Won’t Find Any Other Time of Year

From mid-September through October, Disney Cruise Line ships are decorated from bow to stern for Halloween on the High Seas cruises, and then again starting in early November for Very Merrytime sailings.

In addition to the year-round inclusions offered on a Disney cruise (such as themed dining venues, Broadway-caliber shows and fireworks at sea), these unique holiday sailings include additional deck parties, themed activities (such as trick-or-treating) and Disney characters dressed in Halloween costumes or festive holiday attire.

SheBuysTravel Tip: Don’t miss the special seasonal treats on holiday sailings, like spooky-themed gelato flavors during Halloween on the High Seas or hot cocoa and cookie stations during Very Merrytime sailings.

The Weather Advantage: Sunny Days Without the Summer Heat

As a Floridian who has been sailing from the Sunshine State for years, I’ll be the first to admit that summers in the Bahamas and Caribbean can be hot. While the multiple pools and water play areas aboard Disney ships provide respite from the heat (like my personal favorite: Disney Wish’s AquaMouse Water Slide!), autumn brings clear skies and cooler temperatures, while remaining warm enough for swimming and water activities.

Yes, fall is also hurricane season (which runs through November 30), though the chances of a cruise being impacted by weather are low. If a storm is brewing, cruise lines have the flexibility to alter the cruise itinerary to avoid the severe weather.

How Fall Sailings Can Save You Money

Fall Disney Cruise Line sailings are generally more affordable due to lower demand during back-to-school season and hurricane season, leading to lower prices and fewer crowds.

And a bonus: all the “extras” for themed holiday sailings are included in the price of the cruise, which adds considerable value. During Halloween on the High Seas sailings, this includes activities like Mickey’s Mouse-querade costume party, themed trivia and crafts and Halloween movies. During Very Merrytime cruises, it includes events like Mickey and Minnie’s holiday party, a tree-lighting ceremony and appearances by Santa Claus. Disney’s private island Castaway Cay is even transformed with “snow” and a Christmas tree.

SheBuysTravel Tip: While Disney cruises don’t offer traditional beverage packages, there are multiple ways to save money on drinks on a Disney cruise. These include buying the specially priced drink of the day; joining a beverage tasting; purchasing a refillable beer mug; or even bringing your own alcohol. Adult passengers may bring two bottles of unopened wine or champagne (or six beers) on board in their carry-on luggage.

Best Disney Cruise Itineraries to Book This Fall

With a range of 3 to 5-night Bahamian itineraries and 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries, there are plenty of getaway options throughout the fall months aboard Disney ships sailing from Florida. Some itineraries even stop at both of Disney Cruise Line’s tropical island destinations: Castaway Cay and Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point.

But for a voyage aboard the hottest new ship of the season, look no further than the all-new Disney Destiny, set to start sailing from Port Everglades in November. Designed around the theme of heroes and villains, the 4,000-passenger vessel will offer 4 and 5-night Bahamian itineraries in November and December and beyond.

Packing Tips for a Fall Disney Cruise

For a fall Disney cruise from Florida, sundresses and casual wear are perfectly appropriate. However, the evenings can get chilly, so make sure to pack layers. If you visit any of the adult-exclusive dining experiences onboard (like the always-incredible Palo Steakhouse aboard Disney Wish), plan on formal or semi-formal attire.

You’ll also need appropriate travel documentation; U.S. citizens (including children) will need an original U.S. passport, passport card or Trusted Traveler Card. Other options are original state-issued birth certificate and a government-issued photo ID; an original consular report of birth abroad and a government-issued photo ID; or an original certificate of naturalization and a government-issued photo ID.

SheBuysTravel Tip: Disney Cruise Line has a zero-tolerance policy for items on the “no” list. Prohibited items include weapons, firearms and ammunition, as well as marijuana, illicit drugs and drug paraphernalia.

When to Book Your Fall Disney Cruise for the Best Rates

If there are popular fall holiday dates that you’re after (especially Thanksgiving week), plan to book your Disney cruise as early as when it first hits the market (a year to a year in a half in advance). Other great times to book include known sale and promotional periods like Cyber Monday or Wave season (which runs annually from January through March).

Membership can also pay off; Disney Visa cardmembers can receive various discounts and special offers on Disney Cruises, and Disney Vacation Club members can use Vacation Points for select sailings and onboard discounts.

SheBuysTravel Tip: Travelers may find low prices even if they book last-minute; fall is one of the best seasons to find deals and last-minute availability for Disney cruises.

Read More

Read More

• Disney Cruise to the Bahamas Essential Guide
• Disney Wish Review: Ultimate Guide to Disney’s New Cruise Ship
• Disney Wish Restaurants: The Ultimate Must Read Dining Guide for Your Disney Cruise
• What is the Best Disney Cruise Ship? The Ultimate Guide to Itineraries, Dining and Entertainment
• Set Sail in Style: The Ultimate Guide to Disney Cruise Staterooms
• Complete Disney Cruise Packing List – Everything You’ll Need on the High Seas
• Not Just For Kids – Here’s Why Adults Love Disney Cruises

The post Why You Should Book a Disney Cruise This Fall — and What Makes It So Magical appeared first on She Buys Travel.

A Disney Cruise is one of our favorite family vacations—and easily one of the best for kids. There’s something for everyone, and as a mom, it’s one of the few trips where I feel like I actually get a break, too! Our kids loved the clubs at every age, from playtime fun to teen hangouts at Vibe.

One beloved tradition among Disney Cruise fans is decorating cabin doors. In this guide, we’ll show you where to buy fun magnets—and how to create your own with free templates and easy DIY steps to add a personal, budget-friendly touch.

Stateroom Door Decoration Tips for Your First Disney Cruise

Years ago, a clever person (I always wondered who it was) realized that the stateroom doors on a Disney cruise are metal and, therefore, magnets will stick to them. In the years since, decorating your door has become a beloved Disney Cruise tradition whether you’re sailing on the Disney Magic, Dream, Wish, Fantasy or Wonder.

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Where can I get Disney Stateroom Door Magnets?

There are many places that sell magnets specifically designed for a DCL stateroom door. You can find them on Etsy or Amazon. You can also make your own magnets! It’s super easy, and you DO NOT need to be crafty to do this!

Making your own Disney Cruise Line magnets is a great way to save money for your vacation! We have a free printable template for you and the supplies to create the magnets are affordable (you might even have a lot of them around your house already).

What Types of Magnets Do You See on Doors on a Disney Cruise?

There are so many fun ways to celebrate on your Disney Cruise; door magnets are just one of them. If you’re on a special sailing like the Marvel, Pixar or Star Wars Day at Sea, you’ll see a lot of themed magnets on doors.

You’ll also see a lot of seasonal magnets for those on a Holiday or Halloween cruise. We cruised one year on Easter and there were a lot of cute Mickey Mouse magnets with Easter Bunny ears on doors.

You will often see several magnets on the door, with family names. This comes in handy if your teens make friends with other kids in the Teen Club. That way, their friends can leave them notes on the small fish clipboard next to the cabin door.

Other Ways to Decorate a Disney Cruise Stateroom Door

In addition to magnets, you’ll also find small whiteboards and fish extenders on doors.

The whiteboards allow families traveling together in separate cabins to leave messages for one another. (We used them a lot when we traveled with our kids when they were teens, since we let them roam the ship with their friends).

A fish extender is a bag or pouch (like a skinny over-the-door shoe organizer) hung from the metal fish next to each cabin door on a cruise ship. It has a pocket and people leave messages and treats for one another in the pockets.

Free Disney Door Magnets Printable

We have a fun — and free! — printable Mickey Door Decoration for you. 

The free printable includes several Mickey silhouettes with different hats, allowing you to create one for each member of your family.

Included are:

1. Simple Mickey Mouse
2. Minnie Mouse with Bow (in 3 different colors)
3. Pirate Mickey (swap out your other Disney magnet with this one on Pirate Night on the ship)
4. Sailor Mickey
5. Santa Hat Mickey (great for Holiday sailings)
6. Witch Hat Mickey (if you’re lucky enough to be sailing on a Halloween on the High Seas voyage).
7. “The ______ Family” Mickey – ready for you to personalize with letter stickers.

How To Make Disney Cruise Door Magnets

Supplies:

• Cardstock or Printable Magnetic Sheets
• Adhesive Magnetic Strips if using Cardstock
• Scissors
• Optional:
• Letter Stickers
• Lamination Machine (you can also have them laminated at an office supply store)

Option 1:

Print on magnet paper and cut out.

Option 2:

Print on Cardstock, Laminate, and add magnets.

This is the method I prefer. It’s more cost-effective as printable magnet sheets can be expensive. You are also more likely to run into printing problems due to the thickness of the sheets.

Lamination is inexpensive and easy, you can take the door magnets to your local copy shop to have them laminated, or use a home laminator. There are a lot of great ones on the market.

Also, using this method makes it easy to add letter stickers to your images to personalize your magnets.

How Do I Personalize the Magnets?

There are a few ways to personalize the Disney Cruise magnet template freebie that we have for you.

1. You can upload the PDF to an online graphics software (like PicMonkey or Canva)
2. If you have a machine like a Cricut, you can cut out letters from Vinyl and adhere them to the cardstock.
3. You can use letter stickers.

If you’re someone who’s not super crafty, I recommend going the letter sticker route. There’s not any technology to fuss with and you don’t need any special craft tools. Just a pair of sharp scissors.

What Free Disney Font Should I Use?

If you choose to customize your magnet using online software like PicMonkey or cut out a name with a Cricut machine, you’re going to want to use a fun Disney font!

If you want to go for classic Disney, I recommend Waltograph. You can also infuse a bit of other “Disney Magic’ into your design by using an Avengers-inspired font like Avengero. Or a Nemo-inspired font like Lost Fish.

How to Assemble Your Family Disney Magnets

Print out the template from our free download. The download contains several pages, you only need to print the pages with the images you’d like to use.

Step One: Print

Be sure to print the image on cardstock, so your magnet will hold up well!

If you want to personalize your magnet, you can use one of the options I mentioned above.

Step Two: Personalize

I personalized my magnets using letter stickers I got at the craft store.

SheBuysTravel Tip: Line up your letter stickers on a ruler first. Just place the bottom edge of the sticker on the edge of the ruler. You can rearrange the stickers and check the placement before you adhere them to your Mickey’s head.

When you’ve got the stickers in the place you’d like, adhere the stickers starting with the top, then gently pull away from the ruler from underneath.

Step 3: Finishing

To finish your customized cruise door magnet, simply run the image through a laminator and cut it out with scissors.

Adhere some magnet strips to the back so that they will stick to your stateroom door.

SheBuysTravel Tip: You’re going to need more magnets than you think you do! We also recommend taking a few extra adhesive magnet strips with you on your cruise in case any of the magnets fall off during transport.

If you have a hot glue gun, you can use it to adhere the magnet strips to the back. It will be a bit more secure than the glue that comes already applied to the magnet strip.

Where to Buy Disney Cruise Door Decorations

If you don’t want to DIY a cute set of Disney door magnets, don’t stress! You can easily buy some. Just make sure you order them with plenty of time for them to arrive before your Disney Cruise Line Vacation.

If you want a set of personalized magnets I recommend Etsy. There are several sellers there that will customize your magnet set with names or dates.

You can also find several styles of magnets on Amazon.

Read More:

• The Ultimate Family Cruise Packing List — with Free Printable!
• 30 Tropical Places to Visit for a Vacation in Paradise
• Best Alaska Cruises for Families
• Which Small Ship Cruise Line Best Matches Your Personality?

The post How to Make Your Own Easy DIY Disney Cruise Door Magnets appeared first on She Buys Travel.

One of the best parts of Disney cruising is that food is included in the cost of the cruise. A few select options involve spending additional money but it’s doable to eat all your meals and snacks without spending extra. 

I’ve sailed on five out of the six of Disney’s cruise ships. Here’s everything you need to know about dining on the Disney Wish.

Main Dining Room Dining

The Disney Wish has three main dining rooms: Worlds of Marvel, Arendelle and 1923.

Main Dining Room Overview

• Rotational Dining: Like all Disney Cruise Line ships, the Wish has rotational dining, which means you’ll dine in a different restaurant each night and your servers will rotate with you. 
• What’s Included (and not): All food in the main dining rooms is included in the cruise cost. Alcoholic beverages and specialty drinks are extra. 
• DCL Navigator App: The Disney Cruise Line Navigator App contains info on your dining rotation, gives menu previews and more. Download it for free from the Apple App or the Google Play stores.
• Dress Code: The general dress code for main dining rooms is cruise casual, so shorts and t-shirts are okay. There is usually one pirate-themed night and at least one optional dress-up night, depending on the length of the cruise.
• Other Info: Two evening seatings are scheduled for around 6 and 8 pm. There is typically one table service restaurant open for breakfast and lunch. See my Best Tip below for when you should absolutely opt for the lunch table service during your cruise.

Are you ready to explore more Disney? Let us inspire you!

Worlds of Marvel

• Vibe: Futuristic, Marvel-themed dinner and a show that’s played on digital screens around the dining room. The Marvel theming was the star of the show.
• Fun for the Kids: In-person visit from a Marvel character at the end of the meal. 
• Food: Hodgepodge of foods representing the places the movies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are set. Examples include bao buns, crispy shrimp, seafood pasta, chicken schnitzel, and a donut sundae. The food was solid, but nothing I got overly excited about. 
• What you should know: The lighting is dim and the volume is pretty loud, so focusing on anything other than the entertainment isn’t really an option. And, if you’re not into the Marvel universe, it may be a bit much.

Arendelle

• Vibe: A Frozen Dining Adventure – Frozen-themed dining with a fun backstory. The show picks up where Frozen II leaves off, celebrating Anna and Kristof’s engagement. This is similar to Rapunzel’s Royal Table on the Magic.
• Fun for the Kids: Dining room theme: Anna and Kristof’s engagement party.
• Food: Predictably, the Nordic-themed menu features dishes like Jarlsberg cheese and ham tart, carrot soup, braised meatballs on a bed of egg noodles.
• What you should know: The show is in three parts, so the entertainment is not continuous as you enjoy your meal. The stage is in the center of the room: the idea is that guests will be able to see the show from anywhere in the dining room. The tables on the outer perimeter of the restaurant will naturally get less of a good view. The characters are fun and funny, and the whole experience is lighthearted and whimsical. You do have to be at least a little bit into the whole Frozen experience, though.

1923

• Vibe: Named for the year the Walt Disney Company was founded, the menu is California-inspired, and the decor is a nod to early animation history. 
• Fun for the Kids: Animation on the walls, but bring the kids favorite “distraction” with you if they need something more interactive.  
• Food: This one was my favorite. Elevated starters like burrata, rack of lamb, filet mignon and Fuji apple cheesecake make this dining experience top-notch.
• What you should know: 1923 is split into two dining rooms, the Walt Disney and the Roy Disney. When you are lining up for dinner, it’s helpful to know what side your table is on but you won’t know that unless you’re already familiar with the dining room layout or you’ve taken the time to ask. While annoying to be in the wrong line (been there, done that!), both lines move quickly. The only restaurant downside is that the tables are uncomfortably close, making the dining room crowded.

Marceline Market

Marceline Market is the Disney Wish’s buffet restaurant on Deck 11, which serves breakfast and lunch. The venue is named for the small Missouri town where Walt Disney grew up.

The food is solid and highly varied, so no matter what you like for breakfast or lunch, it’s probably on the buffet. Look for “made-to-order” stations for a fresher, more customized experience.

SheBuysTravel Tip: Marceline Market is crowded during embarkation day, lunch and breakfast on port days.

Quick Service Dining

Find Mickey & Friends Festival of Foods on Deck 11, which is several food stands in one central spot. You’ll find burgers, hotdogs, pizza, BBQ, tacos, and Disney’s iconic soft-serve ice cream stations. There’s always vanilla and chocolate, and the other flavors are switched out periodically so that you usually hit something new. My favorite is banana.

The on-deck food offerings allow you to grab quick food to eat at one of the tables on deck if you want to eat in your bathing suit or take it back to your stateroom.

Adults Only Dining

The Disney Wish has two 18+ paid dining options, both inspired by Beauty and Beast: Palo Steakhouse and Enchanté. 

Adults Only Dining Overview

• Reservations Required: Reservations are required so try to make reservations before you sail. If not, visit the dining venue in person on the first day of the cruise to inquire. 
• What’s Included (and not): These restaurants are not included in the cost of your cruise. Plan anywhere from $50 and more per person plus alcohol and tips.
• Dress Code: Formal or semi-formal attire is recommended. Dress casual attire with a polished look is permitted (such as dress pants, jeans in good condition, collared shirts and blouses, and lifestyle shoes). Clothing such as t-shirts, swimwear, and sports attire is not permitted.
• Cancellations: Cancel 24 hours in advance or you will incur prix-fixe fees.

SheBuysTravel Tip: There’s a delightful Beauty and the Beast-themed space called The Rose with ocean views that sits at the entrance of Enchanté and Palo Steakhouse. You do not have to have dining reservations to order a drink at The Rose.

Palo Steakhouse

I 1000 percent recommend Palo Brunch. If you’re going to spend extra money on anything on board, this should be it. 

• Food: Italian and Modern Steakhouse
• Availability: Dinner every night of the cruise and lunch on sea days
• Price: Prix Fixe menu upcharge of $50 per person not including alcohol and gratuity
• What you should know: I recommend dining at sunset when you’ll have access to a sommelier and an extensive list of Italian wines.

Enchanté

Enchanté’s Chef Lallement is a three Michelin-starred chef from Reims, France, who also curated the menu for Remy, the French restaurant on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy. 

• Food: French inspired
• Availability: Dinner every night of the cruise and brunch on sea days
• Price: Expect to pay about $125 per person, plus extra for tips and alcohol
• What you should know: Enchanté is for serious foodies with an adventurous palate and not for picky eaters or anyone with extensive dietary restrictions. 

Is Disney Wish Adult Dining for Me?

You’re not missing out if you don’t opt for the paid extras, although Palo Steakhouse is a lovely experience that’s a good value.

Room Service

Most room service items on the Disney Wish are included in the cost of your cruise. A variety of soups, salads, pizza, sandwiches, and desserts can be delivered to your room 24 hours a day. Really.

Certain items on the room service menu are not free, so make sure you’re paying attention when you order. Alcohol, canned soda, and snacks like candy and popcorn aren’t included.

SheBuysTravel Tip: You can usually order a Mickey ice cream bar and a cheese plate from room service, even though neither is on the menu.

Disney Cruise Line Insider Dining Tips

Here’s something I always do on a Disney Cruise. It may or may not fit your ideas of on-board dining, but this is one of my best tips.

Best Tip

If you’re hungry on embarkation day, skip the buffet and enjoy a table service lunch at the sit-down restaurant. There will be one restaurant open for lunch. Most passengers make a beeline for the buffet or the pool deck. We don’t eat breakfast the morning of the cruise, so we’re ready to nosh when we get on board. Table service lunch is elevated, relaxing, and gives us that right start to the cruise we’ve come to love after 10 Disney cruises under our belts. 

More Tips

• Opt for second seating: This means you’ll be sitting down to dinner at around 8 pm but it gives a nice cushion between getting on board after a day in port and sitting down to your evening meal. The later dining is usually less crowded because most families with young kids opt to eat early.
• Order more than one entree or appetizer: The dining room staff is pleased to let you try multiple dishes. 
• Get the off-menu dessert: Mickey ice cream bars are always an available off-menu dessert item.
• Enjoy the company or request a private table: You may be seated at a larger table with another group. Although Disney does their best to seat you with someone you’ll have something in common with – on a recent cruise on the Fantasy, we were sitting with a family with two teen boys (we have two teen boys). If it’s not working for you, you can request your own table.
• Make changes: When you board the ship, check with the dining staff if you have questions about your seating or want to make changes.

Last Tip

Check out the kids menu for dessert selections. They’re different and sometimes offer different confections adults like, too, such as red velvet cake. Disney Cruise Line is also known to be extremely accommodating and I’ve heard that if you ask for a dessert from another dining room’s menu you can get it, although I’ve never done it myself.

Book Your Disney Cruise

Read More

• Disney Wish Review: Ultimate Guide to Disney’s New Cruise Ship
• What is the Best Disney Cruise Ship? The Ultimate Guide to Itineraries, Dining and Entertainment
• Best Things to Do in (and Near) Port Canaveral
• Is Disney Cruise Concierge Worth the High Price?

The post Disney Wish Restaurants: The Ultimate Must Read Dining Guide for Your Disney Cruise appeared first on She Buys Travel.

One of the best things about going on a cruise is the food. If you’re planning a Disney Cruise, enjoy this in-depth guide to dining and restaurants on the Disney Wonder. No matter what your dining style, you’ll be able to find food and dining you love.

Here’s everything you need to know about where – and what and when – to eat on the Disney Wonder, whether you’re planning to combine a cruise with a trip to Walt Disney World or doing a standalone cruise vacation.

Disney Cruise Ship Rotational Dining

Rotational dining is unique to Disney Cruise Line. You’ll be assigned a different dining room each night of your cruise, which is included in the price of your cruise. The Disney Cruise Line Navigator App will tell you where you eat each night. Your servers will also remind you where to go the next night as well as make sure you understand your next day’s breakfast options.

The cool thing about rotational dining is that your servers go with you. That’s right; you won’t have different servers in each dining room. Your servers will follow you from location to location, and they will make every effort to get to know you and your family throughout the cruise. The Disney Wonder has three main dining rooms: Tiana’s Place (Deck 3 aft), Triton’s (Deck 3 midship), and Animator’s Palate (Deck 4 aft.)

Each menu includes bread service. The bread comes with butter and some type of dip or sauce. You’ll also find plant-based or vegetarian options and a “lighter notes” menu, including a salad, a plain steak, plain salmon, and a plain chicken breast. Each venue has unique desserts, a signature dessert, and a sugar-free dessert option.

Disney Cruise Line Dining – Disney Wonder Main Dining Rooms

There are three sit-down dining restaurants included in the price of your cruise: Triton’s, Tiana’s Place, and the Animator’s Palate.

Triton’s

In keeping with the statue of Ariel at the entrance, Triton’s decor is inspired by The Little Mermaid. The appetizer menu choices included a duck confit, deep-fried brie, and escargot.

The soup and salad menu included French onion soup, leek and potato soup, and a  Bosc pear salad. Mains included pasta with lobster and tomato, oven-baked salmon, roasted duck, rack of lamb, and chateaubriand.

The dessert list included:

• A Grand Marnier souffle.
• Apple tartine.
• Strawberry shortcake sundae.
• Creme brulee.
• A chocolate sponge cake soaked in coffee syrup with chocolate ganache.

This entry-level French cuisine is designed to please both sophisticated palates and picky eaters. And, if you’ve been on the Disney Dream or Disney Magic and think this menu sounds similar to Royal Palace or Lumiere’s, you’re spot on. The menus are nearly identical.

Tiana’s Place

Don’t confuse this with Tiana’s Palace, which is coming soon to Disneyland in California. Tiana’s Place is delightfully The Princess and the Frog-themed, with a New Orleans-style Creole ambiance. Tiana visits the tables to welcome guests to her restaurant, and there’s a musical number featuring everyone’s favorite alligator, Louis. Note that Tiana doesn’t sign autographs in the dining room, but you can catch her in princess garb at one of the scheduled character meet-and-greets.

Appetizers include a Cajun-style charcuterie board, Boudin fritters, shrimp and grits, and ahi tuna tartare. Soup and salad offerings include a seafood pepper pot soup, creamy tomato soup, and an iceberg wedge salad.

The main dishes include Cajun-spiced sea bass on a bed of jambalaya, prime rib, and pasta with pancetta, mushrooms, spinach, and peas.

 The dessert list included:

• Beignets with chocolate dipping sauce.
• Bananas foster sundae.
• Pecan nut tart.
• White chocolate bread pudding.
• Six-layer chocolate sponge cake.

The food at Tiana’s Place has more seasoning and a little more depth than the other main dining room menus. I’m not labeling the other dining rooms bland or subpar in any way, but the Cajun flair takes this menu up a few notches.

Animator’s Palate

I’ll preface this by saying I adore Animator’s Palate, my favorite restaurant across the fleet, with Tiana’s Place being a very close first runner-up. Animator’s Palate is your favorite Disney animation coming to life before your eyes with delicious food on the side.

The entertainment is truly spectacular. The Wonder has everyone’s favorite Animation Magic, which is one of my favorite parts of Animator’s Palate and Disney Cruising. Guests get a placemat to draw on when they first sit down to dinner. The servers will collect the placements, and the drawings magically become a special part of the entertainment.

Delicious Food

Appetizers include smoked salmon tartare, sliced serrano ham, black truffle pasta, and tomato tart. The choices for soups and salads are butternut squash soup, baked potato cheddar soup, an arugula salad, and a chicken salad.

Entrees are pasta bolognese, tuna steak, thyme-seasoned chicken breast, herb-crusted pork, and ginger-dusted beef tenderloin with wasabi mashed potatoes that are a fantastic explosion of flavors – and I’m not a huge red meat eater. The wasabi mashed potatoes are a don’t miss – even if you opt not to get the beef, ask for a side of wasabi mash – it’s that good.

Desserts at the Animator’s Palate include

• A lemon icebox pie.
• Cookies and cream sundae.
• Crunchy walnut cake.
• Cheesecake with a layer of chocolate fudge.

Early or late dining

Guests will choose between early or late dining when booking their Disney Wonder cruise. Early seating is at 5:45 p.m., and second seating is at 8:00 p.m. This may vary by cruise, and when the Disney Wonder is in European or South Pacific ports, the dining times may be pushed later. Once you choose, you’re locked in, and there is no flipping back and forth between early or late seatings.

I always opt for late dining and did so even when my kids were little – they’re teenagers now. I find the second dining less crowded and more relaxed. The wait staff must turn the dining rooms between the first and second dining sessions so the atmosphere isn’t as inviting for guests who want to linger over their dessert. If you can handle eating a little later, I think you have a better dining experience if you choose second seating.

The Animator’s Palate menu doesn’t vary from ship to ship, and that’s OK. This menu has been honed, perfected, and popular with DCL superfans. I wouldn’t mind seeing them expand the menu, but my feelings would be hurt if some of my favorites disappeared.

Additional Dining Included On the Disney Wonder

There are many other places to eat included in the cost of your Disney Wonder cruise. There’s a very popular buffet, food stations on deck, and room service.

Cabanas

Cabanas is the Disney Wonder’s buffet eatery. Serving a wide variety of items for both breakfast and lunch, Cabana’s offers indoor and outdoor seating.

Room Service

Most room service items on the Disney Wonder are included in the cost of your cruise. A variety of soups, salads, pizza, sandwiches, and desserts (even Mickey ice cream bars!) can be delivered to your room 24 hours a day. Really.

Certain items on the room service menu are not free, so make sure you’re paying attention when you order. Alcohol, canned soda, and snacks such as candy and popcorn aren’t included.

Pete’s Boiler Bites

Burgers, hot dogs, tacos, chicken fingers, and more.  

Pinocchio’s Pizzeria

Enjoy a slice of cheesy, delicious pizza pie.

Eye Scream Treats

Unlimited soft-serve ice cream is a Disney Cruise Line favorite.

Daisy’s DeLites

This pool deck quick service option has lighter options such as fruit, sandwiches, salads, and bowls.

Preludes

Preludes are the concession stand near the theater that serves popcorn that you can smell a mile away, candy and other snacks, sodas, and alcohol. You can also order from a server in the theater before the show starts.

Cove Cafe

The Cove Cafe serves specialty coffee and tea, with and without alcohol. Aside from the self-service coffee machine in the Concierge Lounge, the Cove Cafe is the only place to get decent coffee on the ship, and if you like your morning java, make sure you’re budgeting for it.

While the drinks at the Cove Cafe aren’t included in the cost of your cruise, the snacks are.

There are usually a variety of pastries in a display case that are free to adult guests (the Cove Cafe is located in the adult-only area of the ship. If you visit between 5:00-7:00 p.m., you might get lucky and find antipasto.

Adult Fine Dining on the Disney Wonder

The Disney Wonder has one adult-only fine dining venue, Palo. There is no Remy on the Disney Wonder, only the larger ships have two adult fine dining options. If you’re looking for a sans kids dinner or brunch date, a coveted reservation at Palo is the way to go.

Disney Wonder Adult Dining Experience: Palo

Palo serves dinner and brunch on sea days. Dinner is $45 per person, and brunch is $40 per person. The prices are always subject to change. I’m a big fan of Palo Brunch. Although the buffet portion of Palo Brunch is no more, the current menu is more than ample, and you’re brought an antipasto tray early on in the meal with most of the things the old buffet used to have.

The brunch menu includes tasty delights such as soups, waffles and pancakes, benedicts and omelets, and Italian-inspired dishes such as calzones, pizza, pasta, and chicken parmesan. The current dessert menu includes a light vanilla berry panna cotta, a limoncello torte, and traditional tiramisu. While I can’t find fault with the desserts, the brunch menu is so excellent and robust that I didn’t have much room. I didn’t think any of the desserts were worth saving room for, and I recommend you go for it and sample as much of the brunch menu as you can hold.

They’ll keep bringing you food as long as you can handle it.

For dinner, Palo has an extensive selection of steaks and seafood that are a little more thoughtfully prepared than what you’ll find on the main dining room menus. If you’re a foodie or really crave a good steak or premium seafood, book your dinner at Palo.

The Palo brunch atmosphere is elevated and bright. The sparkling ocean views add to the ambiance. The dinner vibe is more romantic and shadowed. If you arrive before sunset you’ll be treated to dreamy views from the restaurant’s many windows, but after sundown, the darker ambiance takes over, making it cozy and intimate.

Palo Dress Code

Formal or semi-formal attire is recommended. Dress casual attire with a polished look is permitted (such as dress pants, jeans in good condition, collared shirts and blouses, and lifestyle shoes). Clothing such as T-shirts, swimwear, and sports attire is not permitted in Disney’s adult-exclusive dining spaces.

Bars on the Disney Wonder

These spaces are open to guests of all ages before 7:00 p.m. After that, they are adults only.

Azure

Azure is an ocean-inspired retreat that’s a great place to relax with a drink and conversation after dinner. If you seek more activity, Azure is often the spot for adults-only entertainment such as games, variety acts, silent disco, live music, and more. Check the Navigator app for the schedule of activities.

Cadillac Lounge

This whimsical car-inspired bar is sophisticated without being at all stuffy. Adults can listen to live piano music, enjoy a drink, and take in ocean views.

Crown & Fin Pub

O’Gill’s Pub is a British pub-themed sports bar and lounge where guests can catch sports on the big-screen TVs or enjoy a trivia game. There’s often a pub grub-style buffet in the evenings if you find yourself a bit peckish.

Signals

A pool bar is located near the adults-only pool.

Promenade Lounge 

This “blink and you’ll miss it” lounge on Lounge on Deck 3 is a fun, tucked-away spot to enjoy a cocktail before dinner.

The Always Family-Friendly D Lounge

Looking for a family-friendly place to hang out and enjoy games that everyone can play? Check out the D Lounge on Deck 4 for family quiz shows, karaoke, and more.

Dining on Disney’s Castaway Cay

Most Disney cruises leaving from Port Canaveral include a stop at Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island in the Bahamas. If being on a private island in the Caribbean sounds super-dreamy, let me assure you, it is!

Better yet, most of your food and drinks are included at Castaway Cay. A barbeque lunch buffet with burgers, hot dogs, chicken, salmon, and all the fixings is served from about noon until about 2:30 p.m. Make sure to listen to the announcements; they’ll let you know when lunch is being served. The buffet includes soft drinks and soft-serve ice cream. Extras like alcoholic beverages and smoothies are not included.

Choices galore and you won’t go hungry on board the Disney Wonder

Whether your style is a grab-and-go burger on deck while hanging out at the pool, swanky fine dining, or sampling the delights in one of the ship’s three main dining rooms, the Disney Wonder offers endless, tasty dining options.

Disney Wonder Ship Facts

The Disney Wonder is 964 feet long, has 11 decks, and 875 staterooms that can accommodate 2,700 passengers and 950 crew. The ship’s atrium features Art Nouveau styling and a statue of Ariel from The Little Mermaid. All Disney ships have unique stern art, and the Disney Wonder’s stern art features Donald Duck and his adorable but mischievous nephews.  

The Disney Wonder is my forever favorite ship. I’ve sailed on the Disney Magic, Disney Wish, and Disney Dream and I’m booked on the Disney Fantasy. I love the layout and intimate feeling of the smaller ships and I think the Wonder has the best food.

BOOK YOUR CRUISE

The post Restaurants on the Disney Wonder: Everything You Need to Know appeared first on She Buys Travel.

One of the best things about going on a cruise is the food. If you’re planning a Disney Cruise, enjoy this deep dive on the restaurants on the Disney Dream. No matter what your dining style, you’ll be able to find food and dining you love.

Here’s everything you need to know about where – and what – to eat on the Disney Dream.

Disney Cruise Ship Rotational Dining

Rotational dining is unique to Disney Cruise Line. You’ll be assigned a different dining room each night of your cruise, which is included in the price of your cruise. The Disney Cruise Line Navigator App will tell you where you eat each night.

The cool thing about rotational dining is that your servers go with you. That’s right; you won’t have different serves in each dining room. Your servers will follow you from location to location, and they will make every effort to get to know you and your family throughout the cruise. The Disney Dream has three main dining rooms, Enchanted Garden (Deck 2 midship), Royal Palace (Deck 3 midship, and Animator’s Palate (Deck 3 aft.)

Each menu includes bread service. The bread comes with butter and some type of dip or sauce. You’ll also find at least one plant-based option and a “lighter notes” menu, including a salad, a plain steak, plain salmon, and a plain chicken breast. Each venue has unique desserts, a signature dessert, and a sugar-free dessert option.

Table-Service Restaurants

Enchanted Garden

The gardens at Versailles inspire the Enchanted Garden’s decor. The appetizer menu choices included a cucumber garden roll, an ahi tuna and avocado tower, an applewood smoked bacon and mushroom tart, and lobster ravioli.

The soup and salad menu included asparagus soup, tomato soup, spinach and raspberry salad, and a romaine wedge. Entrees included sea scallops, sea bass, roast chicken, seared pork medallions, and prime rib.

The dessert list included:

• A sticky date pudding.
• A chocolate torte.
• A gluten-free orange almond cake.
• A brownie sundae.
• A pecan pie tart.

The food was good and plentiful, and the atmosphere felt pretty and soothing, like eating in a…well, in an enchanted garden. That said, this was my least favorite restaurant on the Dream.

Royal Palace

The theme of the Royal Palace is Disney princesses. There is princess artwork around the dining room’s perimeter that’s fun to walk around and look at if the dining room isn’t too crowded. Appetizers include duck confit, iced lobster, jumbo shrimp, fried brie, and escargot.

Soup and salad offerings include a potato and leek soup, French onion soup, a Bosc pear salad, and a farmer’s salad with goat cheese.

The main dishes are pasta with lobster and tomato, oven-baked salmon, roasted duck, rack of lamb, and chateaubriand.

 The featured desserts are:

• A Grand Marnier souffle.
• Apple tartine.
• Strawberry shortcake sundae.
• Creme brulee.
• A chocolate sponge cake soaked in coffee syrup with chocolate ganache.

I love the princess-like setting, which is just the perfect amount of theming and not too “in your face” Disney. The menu is rich, luxurious, and perfect entry-level French cuisine that will make both more sophisticated palates and picky eaters happy.

Animator’s Palate

I’ll preface this by saying I adore Animator’s Palate, my favorite restaurant across the fleet. I’m bummed that the Disney Wish doesn’t have it. Animator’s Palate is your favorite Disney animation coming to life before your eyes. The entertainment is truly spectacular. The Dream has Undersea Magic, where you can have a real-time conversation with Crush from Finding Nemo as he swims around the dining room, popping up in various picture frames.

Magical Entertainment

Animation Magic is truly one of my favorite parts of Animator’s Palate and Disney Cruising in general. If you’re lucky enough to eat at Animator’s Palate when Animation Magic is happening, you’ll be given a placemat to draw on when you first sit down to your meal. The servers will collect your placemats, and your drawings will become a special, magical part of the entertainment.

Delicious Food

The food at Animator’s Palate is also my favorite of the three main dining rooms. Appetizers include smoked salmon tartare, sliced serrano ham, black truffle pasta, and a tomato tart. The choices for soups and salads are butternut squash soup, baked potato cheddar soup, an arugula salad, and a chicken salad.

Mains are pasta bolognese, tuna steak, thyme-seasoned chicken breast, herb-crusted pork, and ginger-dusted beef tenderloin with wasabi mashed potatoes that are a fantastic explosion of flavors – and I’m not a huge red meat eater.

Desserts at the Animator’s Palate include:

• A lemon icebox pie.
• Cookies and cream sundae.
• Crunchy walnut cake.
• Cheesecake with a layer of chocolate fudge.

Which is Better – Early or Late Dining?

Guests will choose between early or late dining when booking their Disney Dream cruise. Early seating is at 5:45 p.m., and second seating is at 8:00 p.m. This may vary by cruise, and when the Disney Dream is in European ports, the dining times may be pushed later. Once you choose, you’re locked in, and there is no flipping back and forth between early or late seatings.

I always opt for late dining and did so even when my kids were little – they’re teenagers now. I find the second dining less crowded and more relaxed. The servers have to turn the dining rooms between the first and second dining sessions so the atmosphere isn’t as inviting for guests who want to linger over their dessert. If you can handle eating a little later, I think you have a better dining experience if you choose second seating.

Other Included Dining Options on the Disney Dream

There are many other places to eat included in the cost of your cruise.

Cabanas

Cabanas is the Disney Dream’s buffet eatery. Serving a wide variety of items for both breakfast and lunch, Cabanas offers indoor and outdoor seating.

Room Service

Most room service items on the Disney Dream are included in the cost of your cruise. A variety of soups, salads, pizza, sandwiches, and desserts can be delivered to your room 24 hours a day. Really.

Certain items on the room service menu are not free, so make sure you’re paying attention when you order. Alcohol, canned soda, and snacks such as candy and popcorn aren’t included.

Flo’s Cafe

If you want to eat on the deck or grab some quick service sustenance while you’re enjoying the ocean views, this outdoor eatery is home to three food stations—Luigi’s Pizza, Tow Mater’s Grill, and Fillmore’s Favorites, all inspired by Disney· Pixar’s Cars. Chicken, pizza, salads, and sandwiches are served so everyone can find something they enjoy.

Eye Scream Treats

Unlimited soft-serve ice cream is a Disney Cruise Line favorite.

Frozone Treats

The smoothies at Frozone Treats are not included in the cost of your cruise.

Vanellope’s Sweets & Treats

Vanelleope’s Sweets and Treats serves hand-dipped gelato, a variety of sundaes, ice cream treats, candy, and other delights to tempt a sweet tooth. Not included in the cost of your cruise.

Preludes

Preludes is the concession stand near the theater that serves popcorn that you can smell a mile away, candy and other snacks, sodas, and alcohol. You can also order from a server in the theater before the show starts.

Cove Cafe

The Cove Cafe serves specialty coffee and tea, with and without alcohol. Aside from the self-service coffee machine in the Concierge Lounge, the Cove Cafe is the only place to get decent coffee on the ship, and if you like your morning java, make sure you’re budgeting for it.

While the drinks at the Cove Cafe aren’t included in the cost of your cruise, the snacks are.

There are usually a variety of pastries in a display case that are free to adult guests (the Cove Cafe is located in the adult-only area of the ship. If you visit between 5:00-7:00 p.m., you might get lucky and find antipasto.

Senses Juice Bar

This juice bar is located near the Senses Spa and Salon and serves nutritious beverages made with fresh fruits and vegetables. Not included in the cost of your cruise.

Adult-Exclusive Fine Dining on the Disney Dream

The Dream has two adult-only fine dining venues, Palo and Remy. If you’re looking for a sans kids dinner or brunch date, a coveted reservation at one of these spots is the way to go.

Palo

Palo serves dinner and brunch on sea days. Dinner is $45 per person, and brunch is $40 per person. The prices are always subject to change. I’m a big fan of Palo Brunch. Although the buffet portion of Palo Brunch is no more, the current menu is more than ample, and you’re brought an antipasto tray early on in the meal with most of the things the old buffet used to have.

The brunch menu includes tasty delights such as soups, waffles and pancakes, benedicts and omelets, and Italian-inspired dishes such as calzones, pizza, pasta, and chicken parmesan. The current dessert menu includes a light vanilla berry panna cotta, a limoncello torte, and traditional tiramisu. While I can’t find fault with any of the desserts, the brunch menu is so excellent and robust that I didn’t have much room. I didn’t think any of the desserts were worth saving room for and I recommend you go for it and sample as much of the brunch menu as you can hold.

They’ll keep bringing you food as long as you can handle it.

For dinner, Palo has an extensive selection of steaks and seafood that are a little more thoughtfully prepared than what you’ll find on the main dining room menus. If you’re a foodie or really crave a good steak or premium seafood, book your dinner at Palo. If it comes down to the choice between Palo dinner and Palo brunch on the Dream, the brunch is an easy winner.

Remy

French cuisine with Ratatouille-inspired decorative touches paired with ocean views? Can you say Ooh La La? Remy serves dinner, brunch, and a dessert-only experience. I think it’s approachable for fine dining, but it is fine dining and it may make someone new to truly upscale food experiences uneasy, although I think onboard a Disney cruise is a great way to dip your toes in and try something new.

The servers will do a great job explaining the dinner menu to you, but if you’re a picky eater or have dietary restrictions, you might find Remy less than accommodating. If you’re more of a chicken tenders person than a foie gras with cauliflower foam person, $125 per person for dinner might be something you want to rethink, but if you’re an adventurous eater, Remy is a truly delicious gastronomic journey. Allow about three hours, and plan to take a walk on deck after. You will need it!

The famous Remy cheese cart

If you love a good cheese course, Remy won’t disappoint. The cheese cart has several varieties of cheeses plus accompaniments like honeycomb and apricots. The server will expertly plate your cheese and recommend the order to enjoy them.

I love cheese, but I don’t enjoy the taste of Brie or most soft, pungent cheeses, and there wasn’t a lot on the cheese cart that I liked. I enjoyed the presentation and the opportunity to taste something new. My husband more than made up for the share of cheese I did not eat.

Remy Add On’s

If you really want to splurge, you can get the sommelier-curated wine pairings for $230 per person, which adds up to an extremely expensive dinner for two. We did it, and I thought it was worth the splurge, but it definitely pinched our pocketbooks. The wines were outstanding, and our sommelier was very thoughtful and kind, but my husband and I know a bit about wines. Someone newer to fine wine tasting might feel out of their depth.

It’s an additional $30 to add champagne pairings to brunch and $25 to pair wines with a Remy dessert experience.

Palo and Remy Dress Code

Formal or semi-formal attire is recommended. Dress casual attire with a polished look is permitted (such as dress pants, jeans in good condition, collared shirts and blouses, and lifestyle shoes). Clothing such as T-shirts, swimwear, and sports attire is not permitted.

Bars on the Disney Dream

The District

The Dream has an adults-only, late-night area – and late-night is relative on board the Disney Dream. Things shutter pretty early. The District has five bars where adults can have a drink before or after dinner or participate in adults-only games, dancing, or quiz shows.

The Skyline Bar features a digital window that displays rotating cityscapes. Pink is a bubble-themed champagne bar, although they serve other cocktails and spirits.

Evolution is a nightclub-inspired space with a dance floor and a stage – check the Navigator App to see what’s happening. If you’re looking for a cozy pub, check out 687, named for the shipyard number assigned to the Disney Dream while she was under construction.

The District Lounge is a stylish space at the The District’s entrance, where you’ll find a full bar and live piano music. The District is open to guests of all ages before 7:00 p.m.

Other On Board Bars

The sophisticated Meridian Lounge, located between Remy and Palo, offers gorgeous ocean views off the back of the ship. Palo and Remy’s dress codes may apply in this space.

The “blink and you’ll miss it” Vista Lounge on Deck is a fun, tucked-away spot to have your morning coffee or a pre-dinner cocktail.

Looking for a family-friendly place to hang out and enjoy games that everyone can play? Check out the D Lounge on Deck Four for family quiz shows, karaoke, and more.

You won’t go hungry on the Disney Dream

Whether your style is a grab-and-go burger on deck between rides on the AquaDuck water slide or multiple courses in one of the ship’s three main dining rooms, the Disney Dream has your appetite covered.

Disney Dream Ship Facts

The Disney Dream is 1,114.7 feet long and 137 feet wide. The ship has 1,250 staterooms and can accommodate a maximum of 4,000 passengers and a crew of 1,458. The ship’s atrium features Art Deco styling and a statue of Admiral Donald. All Disney ships have unique stern art, and the Disney Dream’s stern art features Sorcerer Mickey directing his magical broomsticks to finish painting the ship’s emblem.

The Dream is one of two Dream Class ships – the other is the Disney Fantasy – which are about 40 percent larger than the two classic Disney ships, the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder. I’ve been on the Disney Dream twice and love it.

The post Restaurants on the Disney Dream: Complete Guide to Onboard Dining appeared first on She Buys Travel.

Disney Cruise Line (DCL) has five – soon to be eight – ships that sail all over the world. From Europe to Alaska to the newly-added Australia and New Zealand routes, chances are good that Disney sails to at least one of your bucket list destinations. But perhaps no port is as perennially popular as the Bahamas. Finding a Disney cruise that stops in the Bahamas is not hard. In fact, DCL  has such a Bahamian presence that they have one – soon to be two – private islands there.

Bahamas Itineraries

DCL switches up their routes and itineraries every year, but the Bahamas cruises are a constant. Cruise enthusiasts and travel agents eagerly await Disney’s route releases because people want to see which ship is sailing where and whether there are any new routes. There are always a few surprises, but cruise ships sailing from the Florida ports to Nassau and Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, are a DCL staple.

Disney Cruise Line currently sails to the Bahamas from Port Canaveral, which is about 45 minutes from Orlando and Miami. They’ve also added routes leaving from Fort Lauderdale. Currently, Disney Wish is doing three and four-night cruises to Nassau and Castaway Cay, which looks to be the standard Wish route for the foreseeable future.

The Disney Magic has several 2023 and 2024 Bahamian cruises leaving from Fort Lauderdale The Disney Dream, which is spending this summer and next in Europe, is sailing several Bahamian routes from Fort Lauderdale in 2023 and 2024. The Disney Fantasy sails several Bahamian routes from Port Canaveral and several Eastern and Western Caribbean routes from Port Canaveral, including Castaway Cay stops.

How to Find Cruises

Finding a cruise to the Bahamas, or wherever else you want to go, is easy. Go to the Disney Cruise website and select the “Plan a Cruise” tab toward the top right, then go down to the “Find a Cruise” tab and enter your details. If you want to sail on a particular ship, go to “more filters,” and you can adjust the search only to show you certain ships.

If you want as many options as possible, just pick the destination – I recommend selecting Bahamas cruise and Caribbean cruise if you want to go to the Bahamas – and your dates and see what comes up. Disney sends cruise ships to the Bahamas all year round.

Stops at Nassau in the Bahamas

Veteran Disney cruisers have a habit of not getting off the ship in Nassau, so if you opt to stay on board, expect the ship to be a little more crowded than the average ports of call.

If you want to get off the ship in Nassau and explore, you can walk into town and check out the shops and restaurants. You can also book a shore excursion through Disney Cruise Line or on your own. One of the popular Nassau excursion spots is Atlantis. Atlantis has restaurants, epic water slides, and marine life experiences, such as swimming with dolphins, plus more.

Disney’s Castaway Cay

Disney’s Castaway Cay (pronounced key) is a 1,000-acre island, 118 km due north of Nassau. Although DCL is the first cruise line to have a private island, most other major cruise lines have followed suit. Castaway Cay and Royal Caribbean’s island, CocoCay are two of the most well-appointed private cruise ship islands. You can only visit Castaway Cay as a cruise ship passenger.

Castaway Cay is the ultimate relaxing beach day, with activities such as snorkeling, bicycling, waterslides, and many opportunities to lounge in the shade. The gorgeous white sand beaches and clear turquoise water can be enjoyed all year round, although the water can get fairly chilly in the winter.

The ship’s kids clubs also relocate to Castaway Cay when the ship is docked at Castaway Cay, so parents who want to have some alone time to get a beach massage or hang out on the adults-only beach, Serenity Bay, have an easy time doing that.

Dining on Castaway Cay

Dining is included on Castaway Cay. Guests are treated to a BBQ buffet that includes burgers, hot dogs, ribs, chicken, and salmon, accompanied by salads, fruit, and desserts. There are two buffet locations, Cookies and Cookies Too, on the family beaches. A third buffet location on the adult-only beach, Serenity Bay, usually has grilled ribeye steaks in addition to the other proteins.

There are self-service soda fountains and soft-serve ice cream adjacent to each buffet. There are several bars on Castaway Cay, but alcohol isn’t included in your cruise price.

Cabanas on Castaway Cay

There are a limited number of beachfront cabanas available on the family beach and on Serenity Bay. The family cabanas go for around $700 for the day and include a fridge with cold drinks, snorkel equipment, beach floats, and bike rentals.

Cabanas are usually snapped up by concierge guests and Platinum and Pearl cruisers, who get first dibs on the booking windows for cabanas, shore excursions, and all the things. However, if you want one, be persistent, and maybe you’ll get lucky. Concierge and Platinum and Pearl cruisers often book cabanas early because they can cancel them later. Keep refreshing the app; maybe one will be available when someone cancels. You never know.

Disney Characters on Castaway Cay

Castaway Cay offers many opportunities to meet and take pictures with your favorite Disney characters. See Mickey and his friends in their beach gear at dedicated photo spots between where the Disney Cruise ship docks and the family beach. The meet and greet times will be in the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app.

The Disney characters on Castaway Cay drive around in colorful Jeeps – even if you don’t get a picture with them, you can sometimes snap photos of them whizzing around the island and waving merrily at the beachgoers.

Lighthouse Point

DCL is opening a second private island. Lighthouse Point, located near Eleuthera, is opening in 2024. The Lighthouse Point cruises are scheduled to go out of Fort Lauderdale. Some of these cruises stop at Castaway Cay.

Some cruises have two stops at Castaway Cay, known in Disney cruising circles as a “double dip.” So far, a cruise that stops at Castaway Cay and Lighthouse Point is unnamed, although “double island paradise” sounds pretty good.

BOOK YOUR CRUISE

The post Disney Cruise to the Bahamas Essential Guide appeared first on She Buys Travel.

The Disney Wonder’s maiden voyage was in August 1999, joining the nearly identical Disney Magic, which is the first ship in Disney Cruise Line’s present-day fleet. I’ll spoil it all up front – the Disney Wonder is my favorite. I’ve sailed four of the five Disney Cruise Line vessels. I’m scheduled to sail on the Disney Fantasy in a few months, but I doubt it will replace the Wonder in my top spot.

Here’s what it’s like to set sail on the Disney Wonder and a little insight into why I love it.

Ship Basics

The Disney Wonder is 964 feet long, has 11 decks, and 875 staterooms that can accommodate 2,700 passengers and 950 crew. The ship’s atrium features Art Nouveau styling and a statue of Ariel from The Little Mermaid. All Disney ships have unique stern art, and the Disney Wonder’s stern art features Donald Duck and his adorable but mischievous nephews.  

Choose the Itineraries Over Choosing the Ship

Trying to choose the best cruise can be a little overwhelming because of the sheer number of choices you have. I recommend choosing your Disney cruise based on what dates are good for you and where the ship is going. The Disney ships are similar enough to one another that your experience isn’t going to vary widely from ship to ship, so take the vacation that works for you timewise and go where you want to go, whether that’s the Mexican Riviera, Bahamas, Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, or one of Disney’s new sailings in Australia and New Zealand.

Unless, of course, you’re chasing a grand slam like me. A grand slam is a term coined by the passengers to indicate they’ve sailed on all of Disney Cruise Line’s vessels. There are currently five, and the new Disney Treasure will take that number up to six in 2024.

Staterooms on the Disney Wonder

The types of staterooms on the Disney Wonder are Concierge, Oceanview with Verandah, and Inside. Concierge is Disney Cruise Line’s suite class, with more spacious staterooms and enhanced amenities, access to a concierge lounge, dedicated shoreside and onboard teams to assist them, and more. Sailing concierge has other perks, such as priority embarkation and disembarkation and the first choice of shore excursions and onboard activities.

Of course, this luxury and convenience comes with a price: Concierge staterooms are the most expensive.

The other stateroom categories are pretty much what they sound like, except Disney uses the word ‘verandah’ whereas most other cruise lines use the word balcony. An Oceanview stateroom will have portholes to look out of, and an inside stateroom will have no windows. The inside staterooms are the least expensive.

I’ve sailed on the Disney Wonder twice and stayed in an Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah both times.

Rotational Dining on the Disney Wonder

Rotational dining is unique to Disney Cruise Line. You’ll be assigned a different dining room each night of your cruise, which is included in the price of your cruise. The Disney Cruise Line Navigator App will tell you where you eat each night.

The cool thing about rotational dining is that your servers go with you. That’s right; you won’t have different servers in each dining room. Your servers will follow you from location to location and make every effort to get to know you and your family throughout the cruise. The Disney Wonder has three main dining rooms: Tiana’s Place (Deck 3 aft), Triton’s (Deck 3 midship), and Animator’s Palate (Deck 4 aft.)

Each menu includes bread service. The bread comes with butter and some type of dip or sauce. You’ll also find at least one plant-based option and a “lighter notes” menu, including a salad, a plain steak, plain salmon, and a plain chicken breast. That said, the regular menu items are fairly light on seasonings and spices across the board. If you want more robust flavors, the add-on adult dining is a little more appealing to more discerning taste buds.

Have a sweet tooth? You’re in the right place. Each venue has unique desserts, a signature dessert, and a sugar-free dessert option.

Early or late dining

Guests will choose between early or late dining when booking their Disney Wonder cruise. Early seating is at 5:45 p.m., and second seating is at 8:00 p.m. This may vary slightly by cruise, and when the Disney Wonder sails from ports outside the United States, the dining times may be pushed later. Once you choose, you’re locked in, and there is no flipping back and forth between early or late seatings.

I’ve found the second seating to be less crowded and less rushed. The earlier seating is popular with young families who are interested in early bedtimes. The dining room staff also has to turn the dining room over between first and second seatings, so lingering diners may get gently nudged along.

Triton’s

In keeping with the statue of Ariel at the entrance, Triton’s decor is inspired by The Little Mermaid. The appetizer menu choices included a duck confit, deep-fried brie, and escargot.

The soup and salad menu included French onion soup, leek and potato soup, and a  Bosc pear salad. Mains included pasta with lobster and tomato, oven-baked salmon, roasted duck, rack of lamb, and chateaubriand.

The dessert list included:

• A Grand Marnier souffle.
• Apple tartine.
• Strawberry shortcake sundae.
• Creme brulee.
• A chocolate sponge cake soaked in coffee syrup with chocolate ganache.

This entry-level French cuisine is designed to please both sophisticated palates and picky eaters. And, if you’ve been on the Disney Dream or Disney Magic and think this menu sounds similar to Royal Palace or Lumiere’s, you’re spot on. The menus are nearly identical.

Tiana’s Place

Don’t confuse this with Tiana’s Palace, which is coming soon to Disneyland in California. Tiana’s Place is delightfully Princess and the Frog-themed, with a New Orleans-style ambiance. Tiana visits the tables to welcome guests to her restaurant, and there’s a musical number featuring everyone’s favorite alligator, Louis. Note that Tiana doesn’t sign autographs in the dining room, but you can catch her in princess garb at one of the scheduled character meet-and-greets.

Appetizers include a Cajun-style charcuterie board, Boudin fritters, shrimp and grits, and ahi tuna tartare. Soup and salad offerings include a seafood pepper pot soup, creamy tomato soup, and an iceberg wedge salad.

The main dishes include Cajun-spiced sea bass on a bed of jambalaya, prime rib, and pasta with pancetta, mushrooms, spinach, and peas.

 The dessert list included:

• Beignets with chocolate dipping sauce.
• Bananas foster sundae.
• Pecan nut tart.
• White chocolate bread pudding.
• Six-layer chocolate sponge cake.

The food at Tiana’s Place has more seasoning and a little more depth than the other main dining room menus. I’m not labeling the other dining rooms bland or subpar in any way, but the Cajun flair takes this menu up a few notches.

Animator’s Palate

I’ll preface this by saying I adore Animator’s Palate, my favorite restaurant across the fleet, with Tiana’s Place being a very close first runner-up. Animator’s Palate is your favorite Disney animation coming to life before your eyes with delicious food on the side.

The entertainment is truly spectacular. The Wonder has everyone’s favorite Animation Magic, which is one of my favorite parts of Animator’s Palate and Disney Cruising. Guests get a placemat to draw on when they first sit down to dinner. The servers will collect the placements, and the drawings magically become a special part of the entertainment.

Delicious Food

Appetizers include smoked salmon tartare, sliced serrano ham, black truffle pasta, and tomato tart. The choices for soups and salads are butternut squash soup, baked potato cheddar soup, an arugula salad, and a chicken salad.

Mains are pasta bolognese, tuna steak, thyme-seasoned chicken breast, herb-crusted pork, and ginger-dusted beef tenderloin with wasabi mashed potatoes that are a fantastic explosion of flavors – and I’m not a huge red meat eater. The wasabi mashed potatoes are a don’t miss – even if you opt not to get the beef, ask for a side of wasabi mash – it’s that good.

Desserts at the Animator’s Palate include

• A lemon icebox pie.
• Cookies and cream sundae.
• Crunchy walnut cake.
• Cheesecake with a layer of chocolate fudge.

The Animator’s Palate menu doesn’t vary from ship to ship, and that’s OK. This menu has been honed, perfected, and popular with DCL superfans. I wouldn’t mind seeing them expand the menu, but my feelings would be hurt if some of my favorites disappeared.

Read More: Complete Guide to Dining on the Disney Wonder

Other Included Dining On the Disney Wonder

There are many other places to eat included in the cost of your cruise.

Cabanas

Cabana’s is the Disney Wonder’s buffet eatery. Serving a wide variety of items for both breakfast and lunch, Cabana’s offers indoor and outdoor seating.

Room Service

Most room service items on the Disney Wonder are included in the cost of your cruise. A variety of soups, salads, pizza, sandwiches, and desserts can be delivered to your room 24 hours a day. Really.

Certain items on the room service menu are not free, so make sure you’re paying attention when you order. Alcohol, canned soda, and snacks such as candy and popcorn aren’t included.

Pete’s Boiler Bites

Burgers, tacos, chicken fingers, and more.  

Pinocchio’s Pizza

Enjoy a slice of cheesy, delicious pizza pie.

Eye Scream Treats

Unlimited soft serve is a Disney Cruise Line favorite.

Daisy’s DeLites

This pool deck quick service option has lighter options such as fruit, sandwiches, salads, and bowls.

Preludes

Preludes are the concession stand near the theater that serves popcorn that you can smell a mile away, candy and other snacks, sodas, and alcohol. You can also order from a server in the theater before the show starts.

Cove Cafe

The Cove Cafe serves specialty coffee and tea, with and without alcohol. Aside from the self-service coffee machine in the Concierge Lounge, the Cove Cafe is the only place to get decent coffee on the ship, and if you like your morning java, make sure you’re budgeting for it.

While the drinks at the Cove Cafe aren’t included in the cost of your cruise, the snacks are.

There are usually a variety of pastries in a display case that are free to adult guests (the Cove Cafe is located in the adult-only area of the ship. If you visit between 5:00-7:00 p.m., you might get lucky and find antipasto.

Adult Fine Dining on the Disney Wonder

The Magic has one adult-only fine dining venue, Palo. If you’re looking for a sans kids dinner or brunch date, a coveted reservation at Palo is the way to go.

Disney Wonder Adult Dining Experience: Palo

Palo serves dinner and brunch on sea days. Dinner is $45 per person, and brunch is $40 per person. The prices are always subject to change. I’m a big fan of Palo Brunch. Although the buffet portion of Palo Brunch is no more, the current menu is more than ample, and you’re brought an antipasto tray early on in the meal with most of the things the old buffet used to have.

The brunch menu includes tasty delights such as soups, waffles and pancakes, benedicts and omelets, and Italian-inspired dishes such as calzones, pizza, pasta, and chicken parmesan. The current dessert menu includes a light vanilla berry panna cotta, a limoncello torte, and traditional tiramisu. While I can’t find fault with the desserts, the brunch menu is so excellent and robust that I didn’t have much room. I didn’t think any of the desserts were worth saving room for, and I recommend you go for it and sample as much of the brunch menu as you can hold.

They’ll keep bringing you food as long as you can handle it.

For dinner, Palo has an extensive selection of steaks and seafood that are a little more thoughtfully prepared than what you’ll find on the main dining room menus. If you’re a foodie or really crave a good steak or premium seafood, book your dinner at Palo.

The Palo brunch atmosphere is elevated and bright. The sparkling ocean views add to the ambiance. The dinner vibe is more romantic and shadowed. If you arrive before sunset you’ll be treated to dreamy views from the restaurant’s many windows, but after sundown, the darker ambiance takes over, making it cozy and intimate.

Palo Dress Code

Formal or semi-formal attire is recommended. Dress casual attire with a polished look is permitted (such as dress pants, jeans in good condition, collared shirts and blouses, and lifestyle shoes). Clothing such as T-shirts, swimwear, and sports attire is not permitted.

Bars on the Disney Wonder

These spaces are open to guests of all ages before 7:00 p.m. After that, they are adults only.

Azure

Azure is an ocean-inspired retreat that’s a great place to relax with a drink and conversation after dinner. If you seek more activity, Azure is often the spot for adults-only entertainment such as games, variety acts, silent disco, live music, and more. Check the Navigator app for the schedule of activities.

Cadillac Lounge

This whimsical car-inspired bar is sophisticated without being at all stuffy. Adults can listen to live piano music, enjoy a drink, and take in ocean views.

Crown & Fin Pub

O’Gill’s Pub is a British pub-themed sports bar and lounge where guests can catch sports on the big-screen TVs or enjoy a trivia game. There’s often a pub grub-style buffet in the evenings if you find yourself a bit peckish.

Signals

A pool bar is located near the adults-only pool.

Promenade Lounge 

This “blink and you’ll miss it” lounge on Deck 3 is a fun, tucked-away spot to enjoy a cocktail before dinner.

The Always Family-Friendly D Lounge.

Looking for a family-friendly place to hang out and enjoy games that everyone can play? Check out the D Lounge on Deck 4 for family quiz shows, karaoke, and more.

Kids Activities On the Disney Wonder

Kids clubs are included on the Disney Wonder cruise and all Disney Cruise Ships. Young passengers can go to three kid’s clubs based on age: the Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab, Edge, and Vibe. There’s also a nursery.

The kid’s clubs are open all day and all evening without a break, and there’s no limit to how long a child can stay in the clubs. The clubs will offer an open house on the first day and at various points during the cruise – check the Navigator App for times. Anyone can check out the clubs during Open House. Otherwise, only the kids registered with the clubs can be in them.

Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab

These colocated kid’s clubs are for kids three to 12. Kids must be potty trained. The Oceaneer Lab’s activities are a little more educational-focused than the Oceaneer Club. From indoor play elements themed around Pixar characters to self-directed fun to organized games, the Oceaneer Club is special all the way around.

Edge

Edge is the Disney Wonder’s tween club for kids 11-13.

Vibe

Vibe is the Disney Wonder’s teen club for kids 14-17.

It’s a Small World Nursery

The nursery is not included in the cost of your cruise, and reservations are required. Kids between six months and three years old can go to the nursery.

Pools and Slides on the Disney Wonder

If you want to cool off on deck, the Disney Wonder has several options for that.

Goofy’s Pool, located on Deck 9, is the main pool, with two hot tubs nearby. There’s also Mickey’s Pool, which is shallower and designed for younger cruisers. The AquaLab splash zone is a 1,800-square-foot Huey, Dewey, and Louie-themed play area with water cannons and geysers. Dory’s Reef is a smaller, Finding Nemo-themed splash pad for kids under three.

The Quiet Cove Pool is adult-only and has a connecting bar and hot tubs. Disney does a great job at keeping kids out of the adult-only pool area, so it is a much more serene experience than being on the main pool deck with all the excited kids.

Younger Guests and Pools Aboard the Wonder

Kids must be three and older and potty trained to be allowed in the pools on the Disney Wonder. Kids in swim diapers are not permitted in the onboard pools, hot tubs, or in the AquaLab but may use Dory’s Reef.

The Twist N’ Loop Water Slide

The Twist N’ Loop is a 250-foot body slide with two loops. The height requirement is  38” tall, and all in all, this is a pretty tame slide.

Note: The Disney Wonder is the only ship in the fleet that doesn’t have a thrill slide. There’s no AquaDuck, AquaDunk, or AquaMouse on board.

Entertainment and Live Shows on the Disney Wonder

The onboard Walt Disney Theatre will have Disney-themed, Broadway-style entertainment on board. The current shows on the Disney Wonder are Frozen, A Musical Spectacular, Disney Dreams: An Enchanted Classic, and The Golden Mickeys.   

The shows typically run about 50 minutes to give guests time to get to dinner and other activities. Frozen, A Musical Spectacular, is an abbreviated version of the beloved animated film and the show’s designers have done a fantastic job of telling the full story in the time allotted without making the guests feel cheated.

Dreams is a production exclusive to Disney Cruise Line about a little girl named Anne Marie who learns to believe in herself through several musical interactions with various Disney characters. The Golden Mickeys, also exclusive to Disney Cruise Line, is an Oscars-style show featuring Disney favorites.    

On longer cruises, the entertainment may include illusionists or family-friendly comedy shows. If there’s a world premiere of a Disney movie while you’re on board, the Walt Disney Theater may hold a Hollywood-style opening night.

Shows are aligned with dinner seatings

There are two dinner seatings and two nightly shows. If you’re dining early, you’ll eat first and then go to the show. Dining later? Your designated show will be before dinner. If you do not eat in the main dining room during your designated time, you can go to whatever show suits your schedule.

Movies on Board the Disney Wonder

Watch Disney movies on board the Disney Magic in the Buena Vista Theater. The Buena Vista will show first and second run Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars movies, so if there’s something from one of those franchises playing at the theater when you take your cruise, you’ll be able to watch it on board the Disney Magic, and it’s included in the cost of your cruise.

A schedule of movie times will be posted on the marquee outside the theater, and they’ll also be listed in the Disney Navigator App.

Funnel Vision

If you want to watch a Disney movie from the pool or while relaxing on the sun deck with a piece of pizza, there are nearly round-the-clock movies playing on a giant screen on Deck 9.

In Room Movies

If you prefer to cozy up in your room and watch Disney films, just turn on your TV.

Disney Character Meet and Greets

Whether you are a first-time Disney cruiser or whether it’s your tenth Disney Cruise, seeing your favorite Disney characters on board is always a fun treat.

There are almost endless opportunities to interact with your favorite Disney characters on a Disney cruise ship. Your Navigator app will tell you the character times and locations, so find out when your favorites will be available and line up early for that photo. Don’t forget your autograph book.

Surprise character sightings are constantly popping up. You might see Cinderella or Belle waving from the balcony overlooking the atrium or spot Pluto clowning around in the elevator, which seems to be a favorite spot. Or, you might get lucky and encounter a character as they’re moving from one spot to the next. I once happened upon Captain Hook traveling down a corridor on Deck 5. He kept moving and gave me a disdainful little wave.

Fun Character-Themed Outfits

If you’re into character greetings, you’ll be delighted to know that character attire on a Disney Cruise Line ship is unique. You’ll see characters in nautical outfits on board, in beachwear on Disney’s Castaway Cay, and in pirate garb on pirate night.

If you do an Alaska cruise, you’ll see your favorite character in fur-trimmed parkas, and if you take a seasonal cruise, such as a Halloween or holiday cruise, you’ll see characters in costumes and Christmas sweaters. There’s nothing cuter than seeing Mickey Mouse dressed up like Dracula.

Where Does the Disney Wonder Cruise Stack Up For Me?

The Disney Wonder is my forever favorite, with the Disney Magic being a close second. I love the smaller ships, and I’ll be heartbroken if they retire these ships without replacing them with a more intimate-sized cruise ship. The layout of the Wonder and Magic are nearly identical.

BOOK YOUR CRUISE

The post Disney Wonder Review: Is it the Perfect Fairytale for Your Next Cruise? appeared first on She Buys Travel.

One of the things I like best about going on a cruise is all the delicious food. If you’re going hungry on a Disney Cruise, you’re doing something wrong because there’s always something mouthwatering to sample.

The Disney Magic is Disney Cruise Line’s original cruise ship. It hit the waters in 1998 and is still going strong. Here’s what you can expect for dining options, from an elegant and romantic adults-only dining experience to ice cream on the pool deck.

I’ve sailed on four of the five Disney Cruise Line ships: Disney Wonder, Disney Magic, Disney Dream, and Disney Wish. I’m booked on the Disney Fantasy for next spring. One thing I can say about Disney Cruise Line is that they consistently have great food.

Disney Cruise Line’s Rotational Dining

Rotational dining is unique to Disney Cruise Line. You’ll be assigned a different dining room each night of your cruise, which is included in the price of your cruise. The Disney Cruise Line Navigator App will tell you where you eat each night.

The cool thing about rotational dining is that the wait staff goes with you. That’s right; you won’t have different servers in each dining room. Your servers will follow you from location to location and make every effort to get to know you and your family throughout the cruise. The Disney Magic has three main dining rooms: Lumiere’s (Deck 3 midship), Rapunzel’s Royal Table (Deck 3 aft), and Animator’s Palate (Deck 4 aft.)

Each menu includes bread service. The bread comes with butter and some type of dip or sauce. You’ll also find at least one plant-based option and a “lighter notes” menu, including a salad, a plain steak, plain salmon, and a plain chicken breast. Each venue has unique desserts, a signature dessert, and a sugar-free dessert option.

Early or late dining

Guests will choose between early or late dining when booking their Disney Magic cruise. Early seating is at 5:45 p.m., and second seating is at 8:00 p.m. Times may vary slightly by cruise. Once you choose, you’re locked in, and there is no flipping back and forth between early or late seatings. Dinner times in the three main dining rooms are firm; if those times don’t work for you, there are other, more flexible food options on this ship. See the section on quick-service dining below.

Lumiere’s

Beauty and the Beast inspires Lumiere’s decor, which is named after everyone’s favorite candlestick. The appetizer menu choices included a duck confit, deep-fried brie, and escargot.

The soup and salad menu included French onion soup, leek and potato soup, and a  Bosc pear salad. Entrees included pasta with lobster and tomato, oven-baked salmon, roasted duck, rack of lamb, and chateaubriand.

The dessert list included:

• A Grand Marnier souffle.
• Apple tartine.
• Strawberry shortcake sundae.
• Creme brulee.
• A chocolate sponge cake soaked in coffee syrup with chocolate ganache.

The menu is rich, luxurious, and perfect entry-level French cuisine that will make both more sophisticated palates and picky eaters happy. And, if you’ve been on the Dream and think this menu sounds similar to Royal Palace, you’re spot on. The menu is the same, as is the layout of the restaurant.

Rapunzel’s Royal Table

Rapunzel’s Royal Table is straight out of Tangled down to the lanterns hanging from the ceiling. Rapunzel, Flynn Ryder, and two Snuggly Duckling Ruffians entertain guests with a dinner show during the meal. For me, it ties Animator’s Palate for the best dinner entertainment. Appetizers include a charcuterie board, crispy shrimp, and a tuna tartar. Soup and salad offerings include a creamy potato soup, broccoli and asparagus soup, and a wedge salad.

The main dishes include pan-seared bass, roast chicken, and prime rib of beef.

 The featured desserts are:

• Sweet fry bread with powdered sugar and hazelnut spread.
• Cupcake sundae.
• Apple strudel.
• Creme brulee cheesecake.
• Black Forest Tower.

Although I enjoyed the entertainment, this is my least favorite food, not just on the Magic but the entire fleet. The food is heavy, and there’s not a lot of green.

Animator’s Palate

I’ll preface this by saying I adore Animator’s Palate, my favorite restaurant across the fleet. I’m bummed that the Disney Wish doesn’t have it. Animator’s Palate is your favorite Disney animation coming to life before your eyes. The entertainment is truly spectacular. The Magic has everyone’s favorite Animation Magic, which is truly one of my favorite parts of Animator’s Palate and Disney Cruising in general. Guests are given a placemat to draw on when they first sit down to your meal. The servers will collect your placemats, and your drawings will become a special, magical part of the entertainment.

Delicious Food

The food at Animator’s Palate is also my favorite of the three main dining rooms. Appetizers include smoked salmon tartare, sliced serrano ham, black truffle pasta, and tomato tart. The choices for soups and salads are butternut squash soup, baked potato cheddar soup, an arugula salad, and a chicken salad.

Mains are pasta bolognese, tuna steak, thyme-seasoned chicken breast, herb-crusted pork, and ginger-dusted beef tenderloin with wasabi mashed potatoes that are a fantastic explosion of flavors – and I’m not a huge red meat eater.

Desserts at the Animator’s Palate include

• A lemon icebox pie.
• Cookies and cream sundae.
• Crunchy walnut cake.
• Cheesecake with a layer of chocolate fudge.

Fun fact: You can order a Mickey ice cream bar in any of the main dining rooms and also from room service. It’s not included on the menu, but they are available.

Cabanas Buffet

If a cruise isn’t a cruise without an endless buffet, make sure to check out Cabanas (Deck 10, Aft) when you’re on board the Disney Magic.

Cabanas serves breakfast and lunch with both inside and outside seating. The lunch offerings vary but breakfast is pretty standard, with “everything breakfast” being on the menu.

Cabanas is a popular spot for breakfast since it’s easy to grab something quickly before you’re off on your way to an adventure in port.

Just For the Grownups – Palo

Palo serves dinner and brunch on sea days. The cost is $45 per person, subject to change. I’m a big fan of Palo Brunch. Although the buffet portion of Palo Brunch is no more, the current menu is more than ample, and you’re brought an antipasto tray early on in the meal with most of the things the old buffet used to have.

The brunch menu includes tasty delights such as soups, waffles and pancakes, benedicts and omelets, and Italian-inspired dishes such as calzones, pizza, pasta, and chicken parmesan. The current dessert menu includes a light vanilla berry panna cotta, a limoncello torte, and traditional tiramisu.

While I can’t find fault with the desserts, the brunch menu is so excellent and robust that I didn’t have much room. I didn’t think any of the desserts were worth saving room for, and I recommend you go for it and sample as much of the brunch menu as you can hold. They’ll keep bringing you food as long as you can handle it.

The “all you can eat” aspect is missing from Palo dinner, but you won’t come away hungry. Palo has an extensive selection of steaks and seafood that are a little more thoughtfully prepared than what you’ll find on the main dining room menus. If you’re a foodie or really crave a good steak or premium seafood, book your dinner at Palo. If it comes down to the choice between Palo dinner and Palo brunch, the brunch is an easy winner.

Palo Dress Code

Formal or semi-formal attire is recommended. Dress casual attire with a polished look is permitted (such as dress pants, jeans in good condition, collared shirts and blouses, and lifestyle shoes). Clothing such as T-shirts, swimwear, and sports attire is not permitted.

Quick Service Dining

There are different quick service options on Deck 9. These walk-up ordering stations are similar to what you’d find at Walt Disney World or Disneyland. These are great options if you want to grab something quick or if everyone wants to eat somewhere different. There’s lots of seating on deck.

• Pinocchio’s Pizzeria
• Eye Scream Treats – This is where to go if you want that famous soft-serve ice cream.
• Duck-In Diner – Middle East-inspired shawarma, hamburgers, and hot dogs.
• Daisy’s De-Lites – Fresh fruit, salads, sandwiches, and desserts.
• Frozone Treats – Pixar-inspired venue serving fresh fruit smoothies.

Room Service

Room service to your stateroom is included in the price of your cruise, but check carefully when ordering. There are some items that aren’t included and will show up on your bill, like canned soft drinks and some pre-packaged snacks. Room service is available 24 hours a day.

Lounges and Bars on the Disney Magic

Whether it’s a pre-dinner glass of wine or morning coffee, there are lots of places to get a drink on board.

• Preludes – The concession stand outside the theater serves popcorn, snacks, and beverages. Guests can also get service directly to their seats inside the Walt Disney Theater.
• O’Gills Pub – Adult-exclusive Irish pub with TV screens for watching sports.
• Cove Cafe – Specialty coffee and tea, light bites, and cocktails
• Keys – Classic piano bar, great for after-dinner drinks.
• Fathoms – Nightclub on Deck 3 and the hot spot for adult-only games and entertainment.
• Signals – Bar on Deck 9, adjacent to the Quiet Cove pool.
• Promenade Lounge – Welcoming bar on Deck 3.

Castaway Cay Dining

If you’re on a Disney cruise ship sailing through the Caribbean or the Bahamas, your cruise likely includes a stop at Castaway Cay. Lunch at Castaway Cay is included in the cost of your cruise. You’ll find a barbecue spread at Cookies or Cookies Too near the family beaches and at Serenity Bay BBQ near the adult beach.

BOOK YOUR CRUISE

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Disney Cruises aren’t known to be easy on the wallet, and the concierge staterooms are at the tip-top of the Disney cruise pricing spectrum. Is it worth it to pay $10,000, $20,000, or even more to get Disney Cruise Line’s highest level of luxury and service? While only you and your budget can decide what’s a reasonable vacation spend, here’s a breakdown of exactly what you get when you book a concierge.

I’ve sailed on four of the five Disney Cruise Line vessels: the Disney Wish, Disney Dream, Disney Magic, and the Disney Wonder. I’ll be on the Disney Fantasy during spring break 2024, and then I’ll be what is known as a Grand Slam Disney cruiser.

I’ve sailed concierge on the Disney Magic and the Disney Dream and have a concierge suite booked on the Disney Magic for 2024. I think it’s the ultimate Disney vacation. Here’s what you can expect when sailing Disney Cruise concierge level.

Types of Concierge Staterooms

The initial price you’ll see for a concierge stateroom when you’re on Disney Cruise Line’s website will be the lowest price of a concierge stateroom for that particular cruise. And the price of a concierge stateroom varies a lot. The type of stateroom, length of cruise, and time of year are all things that factor into the price of a concierge stateroom. A concierge stateroom on a longer cruise during peak season will be more expensive than a three-night cruise during off-season or shoulder season.

Room Categories

There are four different categories/types of concierge staterooms. The offerings vary from ship to ship.

• 1A – Royal Suite
• 1B – Concierge 2-bedroom Suite With Verandah
• 2A or 2B (there’s some variation between ships) – Concierge 1-bedroom Suite With Verandah
• 3A – Concierge Family Oceanview Stateroom With Verandah

Concierge Royal Suite

Each ship has at least one Royal Suite or Tower Suite. These luxe accommodations sleep six and have separate living areas, dining areas, and private hot tubs. The newest Royal Suites on the Disney Wish are Sleeping Beauty-themed. If you want the highest of high-end and are prepared to pay the price, these suites are the ultimate experience on board a Disney Cruise.

I recommend booking with a travel agent who can help you navigate the availability of these suites. Since they’re in limited numbers, they tend to book up fast, so if you’ve got your heart set on staying in a Royal Suite, a travel agent has a better view of availability across the fleet.

One and Two-Bedroom Suites

These suites offer space to spread out at a more affordable price than the Royal Suite, although affordable is a relative term for concierge staterooms.

My family and I stayed in a one-bedroom suite on the Disney Dream, and we enjoyed the extra space and privacy. The king-sized bed had pocket doors that separated our sleeping space from the rest of the room, and we had two full baths, one with an oversized bathtub. Our kids slept on a pullout couch and a Murphy bed in the living room.

Concierge Family Oceanview Stateroom With Verandah

The Concierge Family Oceanview Stateroom With Verandah is the least expensive concierge room. The room is very similar to a non-concierge oceanview stateroom with a verandah and is essentially a category 4 or 5 stateroom with concierge room decor and amenities and access to concierge services, such as the lounge and pre-arrival assistance. If you want the white glove VIP service but don’t need a bunch of extra room, this is the way to go.

Castaway Club Levels and Booking Windows

When you can book port adventures and onboard fun depends on your Castaway Club level. Being concierge trumps all Castaway Club levels except Pearl, which was added in 2023.

Levels

Silver – At least one Disney cruise

Gold – At least five Disney cruises

Platinum – At least 10 Disney cruises

Pearl – 25 or more Disney Cruises

Booking Windows

Pearl  Castaway Club – 123 days before sailing

Concierge guests – 120 days before sailing

Platinum Castaway Club – 120 days before sailing

Gold  Castaway Club – 105 days before sailing

Silver Castaway Club – 90 days before sailing

First-time cruisers – 75 days before sailing

In-Room Perks

In-room perks include bathrobes* and slippers, elevated toiletries, plus a few extra things that regular staterooms don’t include, such as cotton swabs, emery boards, insulated pads for your heat styling tools to rest upon while they’re cooling.

There is also a pillow menu and the oh-so-sumptuous Frette bed linens. Look up the prices of this luxury bedding, and you’ll understand how seriously Disney takes making their concierge guests feel special and pampered. Concierge guests will also find their in-room refrigerators stocked with bottled water and sodas. Your stateroom attendant will take care of restocking, and if you want more or less of something, you only have to ask.

Disney Cruise Line Concierge guests also get free wifi. Check with your concierge hosts to make sure you understand what type of package you’re getting – this can vary by type of concierge stateroom – and for help with getting online, if needed.

*The new Disney Wish includes bathrobes in all staterooms, but the other four ships do not provide bathrobes outside of concierge-level staterooms.

Enhanced Room Service

Room service is included on all Disney cruises, but concierge guests can get full hot breakfasts – pancakes, eggs, omelets – delivered to their rooms. All other guests can get continental breakfast delivered to their room, but one of the concierge perks is that you’re not limited to pastries and yogurt if you don’t want to go to the dining room or buffet for breakfast.

Concierge Perks on Land

Once you reserve a concierge stateroom on a Disney cruise, you’ll receive an email from Disney’s Shoreside Concierge Services with instructions on what to do next. Essentially, your shore excursions – Disney Cruise Line calls these Port Adventures – and onboard reservations are made for you by the shoreside concierge team. Your initial email will give instructions and a date when you need to let the concierge team know what you want them to book.

A coveted cabana at Castaway Cay? Check. A reservation at Palo, Palo Steakhouse, Remy, or  Enchanté? Check. A special table location in one of the main dining rooms, such as near the stage? Check. Concierge guests get the first crack at experiences that typically book up quickly.

Priority Disembarkation

Once you’re back on land, no standing in long lines to leave the ship. Concierge guests are escorted off by the concierge hosts. While no one likes their cruise to end, this level of white-glove service ends a vacation on a high note.

Concierge Check-In

This is where you really start to feel like a rock star. You’ll be directed to the concierge line when you arrive at the port. The higher price tag means shorter lines, and your check-in process will be expedited. Once you’re done checking in, you’ll be directed to a special concierge lounge or waiting area. This will vary from port to port, but you’ll wait to board separately from the rest of the guests. Concierge passengers will also get a gold sticker to wear on their clothing so that the Disney Cast Members on board will know you’re concierge. After the first day, they’ll know who you are.

Concierge guests do not have to sign up for a port arrival time, as other guests do. They’re given the opportunity to board the ship first, but they can board at any time during the boarding process.

Since getting on the ship earliest means starting your vacation earliest, I recommend being in that first boarding group to maximize your investment and have more fun.

Concierge Embarkation Day Lunch

There’s a special lunch welcoming the concierge guests on board the cruise ship, which is where you’ll be ushered as soon as you step onto the ship. Your gold sticker will help the Cast Members guide you to whatever dining room is designated for the concierge guests’ first-day lunch.

Your lunch menu will be the same as what’s offered to non-concierge guests, but concierge guests get alcohol and specialty drinks at no extra charge. That applies to this first-day lunch only. All other drinks in the dining room that aren’t included in the price of your cruise will be the responsibility of the guests on subsequent lunches and dinners.

During the lunch, you’ll be visited by the Concierge Team. There are usually three dedicated Concierge Team members who man the Concierge Lounge on board and help attend to the concierge guests – larger sailings may have more but three is pretty standard.

They’ll introduce themselves and go over your plans to make sure everything is in order, so if you want to make any adjustments or add special dining reservations, you can let them know at that time. You may also be visited by a member of the Senses Spa team who can assist you in booking spa treatments or Rainforest Room passes. Every interaction is designed to make things easy and seamless for the guest.

The Concierge Lounge

Concierge guests have access to the concierge lounge and concierge sundeck. While these spaces vary somewhat from ship to ship, there’s a special food and beverage service exclusive to concierge guests. With the exception of the Disney Wish, whose concierge lounge has a dedicated galley, the buffet items are cold food. There’s a nice mix of sweet and savory bites and fresh fruit. The food offerings are rotated five times a day, so we always find something different waiting for us.

The lounge will also have seating, newspapers and magazines, and a television. There are lots of lovely bars and lounges on all the Disney ships but the lounge is an intimate, exclusive space to relax.

There’s also a selection of non-alcoholic drinks, such as bottled water, bottled soda, juices, and milk, and a self-serve coffee machine that makes a variety of coffee drinks. Aside from the coffee available for purchase at the Cove Cafe, the Concierge Lounge has the best coffee on the ship.

The Concierge Lounge is open from 7:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. daily and there’s always an attendant on duty. Only guests in concierge rooms may enter, so if you’re sailing with friends or family who aren’t in concierge rooms or suites, don’t try to bring them in.

Free Alcohol

Okay, so it’s not really free but some alcohol is included in the price of your cruise when you sail concierge. If you enjoy alcoholic beverages, you might see the included alcohol as one of the biggest perks of a sailing concierge. Alcohol – beer, wine, and cocktails – is available on embarkation day until around 4:00 p.m. and thereafter from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. They also serve mocktails.

Dedicated Character Meet-And-Greet

There’s often a dedicated character meet-and-greet in the lounge. The advantage is being able to interact with characters in a more intimate setting without waiting in a long line. If you are interested in this activity, ask your concierge hosts as soon as you board the ship.

The Concierge Sun Deck

The concierge sun deck is a private sundeck with seating and perks such as cold water, cold face cloths, sunscreen, and elevated beach towels and seating. The Dream, Fantasy, and Wish all have hot tubs, and the Wish also has a private wading pool. It’s a nice respite from the often-crowded pool deck, especially on sea days.

Tipping

And, tip your concierge hosts at the end of the cruise. Disney Cruise Line recommends $15.50 per person per day, although you may want to consider more for exceptional service.

Oh, Those Coveted Castaway Cay Cabanas

Castaway Cay is Disney’s private island in the Bahamas, and a stop here is included on most Bahamian and Caribbean cruises. The island has many amenities that don’t cost a thing, including a buffet lunch, but guests who want to squeeze the most juice out of their day can book one of 27 private cabanas. There are 21 cabanas on the family beach and six on Serenity Bay, the adults-only beach area.

The scarcity principle definitely applies here – there aren’t many cabanas, so everyone wants one, despite the eyebrow-raising price – the cabanas on the family beach currently run almost $800 for six guests. Since concierge guests get first dibs on bookings, the cabanas are usually snapped up pretty quickly.

My family and I sailed concierge on the Disney Dream, and I requested a cabana on Castaway Cay less than one minute after my booking request window opened. We were put on a waitlist but eventually got a cabana. It was a fantastic experience, but I’m not sure if it was worth the high price tag.

Castaway Club Pearl Level Might Make Those Cabanas Even Harder To Book

But, booking cabanas on Castaway Cay if you’re not a concierge or at least a platinum-level cruiser, is difficult, if not impossible. If you really want to cross the cabanas off your bucket list, booking a concierge stateroom is as close to a sure thing as you can get. The new addition of the Pearl Castaway Club level may make it more challenging for Concierge guests to get Cabanas. A three-day jump on activity booking might not seem like a lot, but Pearl Castaway Club members are cruisers with 25+ Disney cruises under their belt, and they know how to be on the ball with booking activities and extras.

The VIP Show Experience

Concierge guests get jump-the-line access to the shows in the Walt Disney Theater. These Broadway-quality shows are popular on all the DCL ships, and the seats fill up fast. The concierge guests will have a designated meeting place about 30 minutes before the show and will be escorted into the theater by the concierge hosts. There’s also free popcorn, bottled water, and bottled soda.

So, Is It Worth It?

If you’re going to tally every glass of champagne or bucket of popcorn and expect the savings to equal the difference between non-concierge and concierge, then no. While sweet, the perks will not add up to meet the extra cost financially, so don’t approach booking a concierge stateroom with that mindset.

Service on a Disney Cruise Line ship is stellar no matter where you stay. I’ve stayed in the cheapest interior stateroom and still been treated like visiting royalty. The concierge takes the service up a notch, and it’s a fun splurge if you really place a high value on VIP or exclusive experiences. If you’ve got the money to spend or you’re celebrating a special occasion, and your vacation mantra is “Go big,” then you’ll enjoy the experience.

If you plan to be a repeat cruiser, the experience might spoil you when you return to non-concierge staterooms. My family’s recent sail on the Disney Wish was not in concierge, unlike our previous two cruises. While we had nothing less than a fantastic time, we did have that little twinge of “I wish we were in concierge” every time we passed the lounge or had to wait in line.

We’ve never regretted our decision, but we also know that sailing concierge every time we take a cruise is not a realistic vacation plan for our family.

BOOK YOUR CRUISE

The post Is Disney Cruise Concierge Worth the High Price? appeared first on She Buys Travel.

The Disney Wish’s maiden voyage was on July 14, 2022, making it Disney’s newest cruise ship in the line’s fleet of now five ships. The Wish is the first of the Triton Class ships, and it’s expected that the Disney Treasure, which is set to debut in 2024, will be similar in layout.

The Disney Wish is currently sailing three and four-night cruises going to Nassau and Castaway Cay from Port Canaveral, and it looks like this ship will keep to that route for the foreseeable future.

If you’re trying to decide what Disney Cruise Line vessel is the right one for you, here’s a deep dive into what the Disney Wish offers; although I choose my cruises based on the sailing dates and where they’re going versus choosing based on ship, although a lot of Disney cruise enthusiasts, me included, will sail on the Wish because they’re curious about Disney’s newest ship. I’ve sailed four of the five ships in Disney’s fleet and on the Wish once.

Ship Basics

The Disney Wish is 1,119 feet long, making it Disney’s largest ship, although not by a lot. The ship has 1,254 staterooms and can accommodate a maximum of 4,000 passengers and a crew of 1,555. The ship’s Grand Hall is larger and more open than the atriums on the other four ships, and a statue of Cinderella, complete with Lucifer the cat waiting to pounce on the mice hiding beneath Cinderella’s petticoats. All Disney ships have unique stern art, and the Disney Wish’s stern art features Rapunzel from Tangled.  

Choose the Itineraries Over Choosing the Ship

Overall, I recommend choosing your Disney cruise based on what dates are good for you and where the ship is going. Since the Wish is currently on a loop between the Bahamas and Port Canaveral, if you want to sail on the Wish, you’d better like the Bahamas.

The ship is currently rotating three and four-night sailings, so if you want to do a longer sailing on the Wish, you can book back-to-back cruises.

Staterooms on the Disney Wish

The types of staterooms on the Disney Wish are Concierge, Oceanview with Verandah, and Inside. Concierge is Disney Cruise Line’s suite class. The staterooms are more spacious and have enhanced in-room amenities, access to a concierge lounge, and dedicated shoreside and onboard teams to assist them. Sailing concierge has other perks, such as priority embarkation and disembarkation and the first choice of shore excursions and onboard activities.

Of course, this luxury and convenience come with a price: Concierge staterooms are the most expensive.

The Disney Wish also has a Moana-inspired two-story tower stateroom as well as a two-story Sleeping Beauty-inspired Royal Suite.

The other stateroom categories are pretty much what they sound like, except Disney uses the word ‘verandah’ whereas most other cruise lines use the word balcony. An Oceanview stateroom will have portholes to look out of, and an inside stateroom will have no windows. The inside staterooms are the least expensive.

Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah

We stayed in an Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah on Deck 12. The room had a split bath, meaning the toilet and sink were separate from the tub/shower and second sink. The queen bed had a curtain that could help separate the bed from the living room area.

The stateroom attendant made the couch into a bed and pulled the bunk down from the ceiling each night as part of the turndown service. This is where my teens slept.

Our room had Moana-themed decor and it felt like we had more floor space than similar cabins on other DCL ships. That said, cruise ship cabins aren’t generally known to be roomy. Our flatscreen TV was larger than the TV in similar-grade cabins on other ships and was wall-mounted. There were also no shortages of outlets and USB charging ports.

Rotational Dining on the Disney Wish

Rotational dining is unique to Disney Cruise Line. You’ll be assigned a different dining room each night of your cruise, which is included in the price of your cruise. The Disney Cruise Line Navigator App will tell you where you eat each night.

The cool thing about rotational dining is that your servers go with you from location to location, and they will make every effort to get to know you and your family throughout the cruise. The Disney Wish three main dining rooms, Worlds of Marvel (Deck 4 aft), 1923 (Deck 3, right off the Grand Hall), and Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure (Deck 5 aft.)

Each menu includes bread service. The bread comes with butter and some type of dip or sauce. You’ll also find at least one plant-based option and a “lighter notes” menu, including a salad, a plain steak, plain salmon, and a plain chicken breast. Each venue has unique desserts, a signature dessert, and a sugar-free dessert option. If you’re an ice cream lover, you’ll be happy to know there’s a themed sundae on every menu.

All three main dining rooms on the Wish are unique to the Wish. There’s some duplication with the other ships but the newest ship has all-new dining.

Early or late dining

Guests will choose between early or late dining when booking their Disney Wish cruise. Early seating is at 5:45 p.m., and second seating is at 8:00 p.m. Once you choose, you’re locked in, and there is no flipping back and forth between early or late seatings.

Worlds of Marvel

World of Marvel is a Marvel-themed restaurant, as the name suggests. Spoiler alert: The food is good, but if you’re not at least a little bit of a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this experience might not wow you. This is dinner and a show – the show is called Quantum Encounter, and it is played on large video screens throughout the restaurant. The lighting is dim, and the volume of the show is pretty loud, so focusing on anything other than the entertainment isn’t really an option.

The decor is futuristic, with lots of chrome and blue lighting It reminded me a little bit of being in the queue at Space Mountain at Disney World. The table settings are very themed with Avengers-branded bread plates and a Quantum Core centerpiece that is an integral and interactive part of the Quantum Encounter, which is hosted by Ant-Man and The Wasp. The show is virtual, but it ends with a surprise in-person encounter with an Avenger who is actually aboard the Wish.

Food at Worlds of Marvel

The appetizer choices were smoked salmon, bao buns, hearts of palm ceviche, and crispy shrimp. Salad choices were an heirloom tomato salad and an iceberg wedge, and soup choices were potato and cream of mushroom.

The entree selections were a spiced pork chop, a seafood pasta dish, a turbot filet, chicken schnitzel, and a ribeye. The dessert selection did not disappoint and included sticky date pudding, key lime pie, chocolate torte, a donut sundae, cheesecake, and a flourless chocolate beetroot cake.

Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure

Arendelle is Frozen-themed dining, and if you’ve dined at Tiana’s Place on the Disney Wonder or Rapunzel’s Royal Table on the Magic, this is the same concept. Disney has blown the theming out of the water with the Arendelle decor. The hallway into the restaurant is a full-on Frozen Instagram fest that makes you want to unashamedly belt out a chorus of For the First Time in Forever. At least it had that effect on me. If you’ve dined at Tiana’s Place on the Disney Wonder or Rapunzel’s Royal Table on the Disney Magic, Arendelle is the same concept with the theming kicked up several notches.

This is for you if you love a meal with a good backstory. The story picks up where Frozen II leaves off, and the meal is a party celebrating the engagement of Anna and Kristoff. The engagement party is hosted by Elsa herself and Olaf and put on by Oaken’s “Party Planning Service and Sauna.” All the characters are in attendance, so be prepared for many squeals as these iconic modern princesses enter the dining room.

Food at Arendelle

As you might expect, the menu has a Nordic theme to it, but as with all DCL menus, there’s something designed to please all palates.

Appetizers include a charcuterie board with smoked salmon and trout, a Jarlseberg cheese and ham tart, chilled asparagus, and scallops in puff pastry. Salad offerings are cucumber, potato, carrot salad, and baby greens with lingonberry dressing, and soup choices are carrot and yellow split pea.

The entree selections were a dry-rubbed pork tenderloin, Chilean sea bass, braised meatballs on egg noodles, roasted chicken breast, and a ribeye.  Desserts included apple cake, a pancake with lingonberry jam and cheesecake, butter cake, chocolate cake, and an Elsa’s Coronation Sundae with mint chocolate chip ice cream. The no-sugar dessert was a lemon almond cake with citrus salad.

1923

Although I enjoyed all three main dining rooms on the Disney Wish, 1923 was my favorite. Although I enjoy Disney, I find myself gravitating more strongly toward any venue that’s not hyper-character-themed, especially now that my kids are older. 1923 is named for the year the Walt Disney Company was founded and the decor and artifacts pay homage to Disney’s early animation history.

1923 is split into two dining rooms, the Walt Disney and the Roy Disney. The vibe in 1923 is old Hollywood. There are original animation drawings located in cases throughout the restaurant, which are interesting to check out. The only drawback is the restaurant is quite crowded, and it’s difficult, if not impossible, to cruise around the restaurant looking at the displays. Suppose you’re really interested in the art of animation. In that case, I recommend lingering and looking at the displays as the meal is coming to a close and people are leaving.  

Food at 1923

The 1923 menu is California-inspired, a nod to the Walt Disney Company’s roots in the Golden State. Appetizers are spiced ahi tuna, a burrata plate, tri-color tortelloni and duck confit pastilla. Salad choices are fennel bartlett pear salad and a romaine lettuce salad with heirloom grape tomatoes. Soup offerings are pulled Guinea Hen corn chowder and a roasted tomato soup.

Main dishes included tortiglioni pasta with pancetta, seared salmon, rack of lamb, and a peppered filet mignon. Dessert selections were churros, flourless orange almond cake, Fuji Apple cheesecake, a hot fudge sundae, blueberry lemon Bavarian cream, and a no-sugar-added coconut tapioca pudding.

Quick Service and Other Included Dining On the Disney Dream

There are many other places to eat included in the cost of your cruise.

Marceline Market

Marceline Market is the Disney Wish’s buffet eatery. Serving a wide variety of items for both breakfast and lunch, Marceline Market offers indoor and outdoor seating.

Room Service

Most room service items on the Disney Wish are included in the cost of your cruise. A variety of soups, salads, pizza, sandwiches, and desserts can be delivered to your room 24 hours a day. Really.

Certain items on the room service menu are not free, so make sure you’re paying attention when you order. Alcohol, canned soda, and snacks such as candy and popcorn aren’t included.

Mickey’s Smokestack Barbecue

New to the Wish, Mickey’s Smokestack BBQ serves up brisket, ribs, pulled, pork, sausage, and all the fixins, including cornbread and baked macaroni and cheese.

Donald’s Cantina

Tacos and fresh Tex-Mex bowls await you at Donald’s Cantina.

Goofy’s Grill

Burgers, dogs, chicken tenders, bratwurst, and of course, french fries. They also offer an Impossible burger and plant-based sausage.

Daisy’s Pizza Pies

A variety of whole pies and pizza by the slice are available throughout the day.

Sweet Minnie’s Ice Cream

Endless soft-serve ice cream on deck is a hallmark of Disney cruises. You’ll always find vanilla and chocolate and the other flavors are switched out periodically so that you usually hit something new.

Joyful Sweets

This Inside Out-inspired confectionary serves hand-dipped gelato, a variety of sundaes, ice cream treats, candy, and other delights to tempt a sweet tooth. Not included in the cost of your cruise.

Preludes

Preludes is the concession stand near the theater that serves popcorn that you can smell a mile away, candy and other snacks, sodas, and alcohol. You can also order from a server in the theater before the show starts.

Cove Café

The Cove Café serves specialty coffee and tea, with and without alcohol. Aside from the self-service coffee machine in the Concierge Lounge, the Cove Café is the only place to get decent coffee on the ship, and if you like your morning java, make sure you’re budgeting for it.

I think the Cove Café on the Wish is one of the nicest in the fleet. There’s a Cove Café on all the ships but the Wish’s location adjacent to the adult infinity pool is light, airy, and the perfect place to relax.

Adult Fine Dining on the Disney Wish

The Wish has two adult-only fine dining venues, Palo Steakhouse and Enchanté. If you’re looking for a sans kids dinner or brunch date, a coveted reservation at one of these spots is the way to go.

Palo Steakhouse

The Disney Wish has Palo Steakhouse with a slightly different menu and theming than Palo on the other ships. Palo Steakhouse serves dinner and brunch on sea days. I’m a huge fan of Palo Brunch but I didn’t get the opportunity to eat at Palo during my cruise on the Wish. The cost of brunch is $45 per person* and worth it. Even though I can’t speak specifically to Palo Steakhouse Brunch on the Wish, I’d expect it to be nothing short of spectacular based on past experience.

Dinner at Palo Steakhouse is served from a fixed-price menu. There are a variety of steaks and chops, naturally, but there are seafood and pasta options as well, all more elevated than what you’ll find in the main dining room with spectacular ocean views – I recommend dining at sunset – and you’ll have access to a sommelier and an extensive wine list with Italian wines. Palo dinner is $50.

Enchanté

Enchanté by Chef Arnaud Lallement is an elegant, Beauty and the Beast-themed adult dining venue. Chef Lallement is a three Michelin-starred chef from Reims, France, who also curated the menu for Remy, the French restaurant on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy.

There’s a subtle nod to Lumiere, everyone’s most-loved candlestick, in the logo, otherwise, Enchanté is mysteriously encased behind gleaming doors in The Rose lounge on the Wish. Enchanté serves dinner, champagne brunch, and a dessert experience. The reviews and pricing indicate the experience is very similar to Remy, which means around $125 per person for dinner.

Is Disney Wish Adult Dining for Me?

There is no need to spend additional money on dining on the Disney Wish unless you want to. The food in the main dining rooms is delicious and well-presented and there are a ton of other food options around the ship. Booking a meal at Palo Steakhouse is a sound deal for foodies or those celebrating a special occasion, compared to what you’d pay for similar quality and ambiance elsewhere.

If Enchanté is anything like Remy, it’s for the serious foodies with an adventurous palate and not for picky eaters or anyone with extensive dietary restrictions. If this doesn’t hit close to describing you, Enchanté might feel intimidating.

Adult Dining Dress Code and Reservations

Disney cruises, in general, are pretty casual, but Enchanté and Palo adhere to a dress code. Formal or semi-formal attire is recommended. Dress casual attire with a polished look is permitted (such as dress pants, jeans in good condition, collared shirts and blouses, and lifestyle shoes). Clothing such as T-shirts, swimwear, and sports attire is not permitted.

Try to make adult dining reservations prior to sailing. All Disney cruisers will have a booking window for onboard activities and shore excursions, which Disney calls Port Adventures. You will want to make reservations at the beginning of this window, which means 12:01 am Florida time. If you don’t get the reservation you want before your cruise, check as soon as you board the ship.

*Prices are subject to change.

Bars on the Disney Wish

There are plenty of bars and lounges on the Disney Wish. Some are out in the open and hard to miss; others are delightfully tucked away. Lounges are adult-only after 7:00 pm, but many of them are located in high-traffic areas. The Bayou is a Princess and the Frog-themed bar in the middle of all the action on Deck 3. While children aren’t permitted to be seated after 7:00 pm, some cruisers have expressed displeasure about the bars not being in a concentrated adults-only area, like the other ships.

The Rose – Deck 12

Beauty and the Beast-themed lounge with floor-to-ceiling ocean views.

Star Wars Hyperspace Lounge – Deck 3

Sip galactically inspired cocktails with a view of outer space.

Nightingales – Deck 3

Elegant, Cinderella-inspired piano bar.

The Bayou – Deck 3

This roomy, open lounge is decorated with magnolia blossoms, lily pads, and twinkling lights.

Luna’s Libations – Deck 4

The Luna Theater is a two-story theater that hosts family-friendly games and events by day and more adult-themed entertainment in the evenings. The bar is on the lower floor of the theater.

Keg & Compass – Deck 5

Nautically-themed pub with sports screens and a selection of beers available only on Disney Cruise Line.

Wishing Star Café – Deck 4

Here, you’ll find cold brew cocktails and a variety of coffee drinks, fresh-pressed juices, beer, and wine.

Pool Bars

If a tall, fruity drink will complete your on-deck experience, there are several places to get one. There are two pool bars on Deck 11 and one on Deck 14. There’s also a small bar in the Quiet Cove adults-only area.

Hook’s Barbery

While not actually a bar, I had to mention this one. If you opt to get a haircut or hot shave at sea, Hook’s Barbery has a whisky bar where you can craft a custom Old Fashioned to sip while you get spiffed up.

Party Like a Pirate

All Disney Cruise sailings to the Bahamas have a designated pirate night. The cast members will be in pirate attire as will a good number of the guests. You’ll see everything from elaborate pirate costumes to DIY to pirate tee shirts. The typical pirate experience includes a deck party with fireworks at sea, musical entertainment and the loveable and predictable good conquers evil battle between Captain Hook and Captain Mickey.

The Wish’s pirate deck party is in two parts. The first part is a 15-minute show that takes place between the two main dining room sessions. This show involves teaching the audience a pirate dance followed by the usual shenanigans of Hook and Smee trying to take over the ship and failing. Good triumphs over evil, you know.

The second round of pirate festivities takes place at around 10:15. The Pirate’s Rockin’ Parlay Party is a delightful 30-minute musical performance of 80’s rock hits by a band of rowdy pirates. The party is led by Captain Redd, who is explained to be a descendant of Captain Redd from the recently modified Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney parks. The performance leads straight into fireworks at sea.

This new way of celebrating Pirate Night allows families with younger kids who go to bed early an opportunity to enjoy Pirate Night.

Kid’s Activities On the Disney Wish

Kids clubs are included on the Disney Wish cruise and all Disney cruise ships. There are three kid’s clubs that young passengers can go on based on age, the Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab, Edge, and Vibe. There’s also a nursery.

The kid’s clubs are open all day and all evening without a break, and there’s no limit to how long a child can stay in the clubs. The clubs will offer an open house on the first day and at various points during the cruise – check the Navigator App for times. Anyone can check out the clubs during Open House. Otherwise, only the kids registered with the clubs can be in them.

Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab

These colocated kid’s clubs are for kids three to 12. Kids must be potty trained. The Oceaneer Lab’s activities are a little more educational-focused than the Oceaneer Club. We’ve sailed on the Disney Magic, Disney Dream, and Disney Wonder, and the Oceaneer Club on the Wish is next-level.

The Oceaneer Club is located on Deck 2. You can enter from Deck 2 or via a slide from Deck 3. Adults can try this out during open house, and I highly recommend it.

Kids can use technology to create and manipulate their own Marvel superhero, design their own rollercoaster, live out their Padawan dreams in the immersive Star Wars area, and so much more. There are also Disney character visits exclusive to the kids club, arts and crafts, movies, dance parties and the list goes on.

Edge

Edge is the Disney Wish’s tween club for kids 11-13.

Vibe

Vibe is the Disney Wish’a teen club for kids 14-17.

It’s a Small World Nursery

The nursery is not included in the cost of your cruise, and reservations are required. Kids between six months and three years old can go to the nursery.

Pools and Slides on the Disney Wish

The Disney Wish has six themed pools on Decks 11 and 12. The pools are all quite small and I never saw all the pools open at one time during our three-night sailing.

The Quiet Cove pool area is adult-only, has Disney Cruise Line’s first infinity pool and a pool with bench seating, which is perfect for adults who want to lounge in the water versus swim.

Younger Guests and Pools Aboard the Disney Wish

Kids must be three and older and potty trained to be allowed in the pools on all Disney Cruise Line vessels. Kids in swim diapers can splash in the Toy Story Splash Zone.  

The AquaMouse

The AquaMouse on Deck 13 is what Disney Cruise Line has touted as the first attraction at sea. Guests (single riders or duos) climb into a clear tube and ride up an incline conveyor belt while Disney animated cartoons, complete with well-timed squirts of water, play on the walls. The slide is mostly enclosed, including one area where the tube swings out over the side of the ship, giving the rider the sense that they’re careening off into the ocean. It’s a fast and fun water slide that I’d call medium on the thrill spectrum.

And, despite Disney calling it an “attraction at sea” it’s really just a waterslide with some cartoons, which is the big difference between the AquaMouse and the AquaDuck on the Dream and Fantasy.

Guests under seven may ride with someone 14 or older but must be at least 42 inches tall. Guests 14 and older who wish to ride alone must be at least 48 inches tall.

Entertainment and Live Shows on the Disney Wish

The onboard Walt Disney Theater will have Disney-themed, Broadway-style entertainment on board. The current shows on the Disney Wish are The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Seas the Adventure.  

The shows typically run about 50 minutes to give guests time to get to dinner and other activities. Aladdin is an abbreviated version of the Broadway musical, and the show’s designers have done a fantastic job of telling the full story in the time allotted without making the guests feel cheated.

The Little Mermaid is an exclusive Disney Cruise Line production that tells a familiar story with a twist. Seas the Adventure is a Wish exclusive production that’s shown on the first night of the cruise. It’s a fun story about what happens when Captain Minnie gives Goofy the responsibility of taking over the ship’s navigation.  

On longer cruises, the entertainment may include illusionists or family-friendly comedy shows. If there’s a world premiere of a Disney movie while you’re on board, the Walt Disney Theater may hold a Hollywood-style opening night.

Shows are aligned with dinner seatings

There are two dinner seatings and two nightly shows. If you’re dining early, you’ll eat first and then go to the show. If you’re dining later, your designated show will be before dinner.

Movies on Board the Disney Wish

The Wish has two theaters for Disney movies, the Wonder Land Cinemar and the Never Land Cinema. Watch Disney movies on board the Disney Dream in the Buena Vista Theater. The Buena Vista will show first and second run Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars movies, so if there’s something from one of those franchises playing at the theater when you take your cruise, you’ll be able to watch it on board the Disney Wish, and it’s included in the cost of your cruise.

A schedule of movie times will be posted on the marquee outside the theater, and they’ll also be listed in the Disney Navigator App.

Funnel Vision

If you want to watch a Disney movie from the pool or while relaxing on the sun deck with a piece of pizza, there are nearby round-the-clock movies playing on a giant screen on Deck 11.

In-Room Movies

If you prefer to cozy up in your room and watch Disney films, just turn on your TV.

Disney Character Meet and Greets

Whether you are a first time Disney cruiser or whether it’s your tenth Disney Cruise, seeing your favorite Disney characters on board is always a fun treat.

There are almost endless opportunities to interact with your favorite Disney characters on a Disney cruise ship. Your Navigator app will tell you the character times and locations, so find out when your favorites will be available and line up early for that photo. Don’t forget your autograph book.

Fun Character-Themed Outfits

If you’re into character greetings, you’ll be delighted to know that character attire on a Disney Cruise Line ship is unique. You’ll see characters in nautical outfits on board, in beachwear on Disney’s Castaway Cay, and in pirate garb on pirate night. The Wish is currently the only ship with Captain Minnie in charge, and she wears different outfits than crew member Minnie wears on the other ships.

Where Does theDisney Wish Cruise Stack Up For Me?

I love the Disney Wish, although not as much as the Dream class and classic ships. The Disney Wonder is my favorite, and the Disney Magic is a close second. I love the smaller ships, and I’ll be heartbroken if they retire these ships without replacing them with a more intimate-sized cruise ship.  The Disney Wish ranks last for me – so far, I still have the Fantasy to go – but that doesn’t mean it was bad or that I don’t appreciate the new additions.

I would sail on the Wish again if the opportunity came up. It’s a great way to get to the Bahamas and to Castaway Cay, one of my favorite places on Earth.  

The post Disney Wish Review: Ultimate Guide to Disney’s New Cruise Ship appeared first on She Buys Travel.

Suppose you’re considering a Disney Cruise for your next family vacation. In that case, you’ve probably clicked around a bit on Disney Cruise Line’s website to find the perfect ship and route that aligns with when you want to go on the ultimate Disney vacation.

Perhaps you’ve made it to stateroom selection, and now you’re stuck. What to choose? Choices can be intimidating and confusing, especially when you’re making decisions about high-dollar vacations, and yes, Disney Cruises are among the most expensive cruise vacations out there. How do you decide what’s the best stateroom – or staterooms – for your travel party? Do you go cheap and put the savings into another part of your vacation, or do you play that YOLO card and splurge on the most expensive?

Only you can decide how much money you’re willing to part with, but hopefully, I can make the decision-making process a little easier by breaking down the different Disney Cruise staterooms.

I’ve sailed on four of the five Disney Cruise Line vessels: The Disney Magic, the Disney Wonder, the Disney Dream, and the new Disney Wish. My family is booked on the Disney Fantasy for spring break 2024, bringing us to what’s known in Disney Cruise Line circles as a Grand Slam.

We’ve booked a variety of cabins, from the least expensive inside stateroom to a concierge 1-bedroom suite. I prefer concierge – because of course I do – but our budget doesn’t allow us to drop that kind of money every time we go on a cruise. I’ve found something to love about all the Disney Cruise Line staterooms we’ve stayed in, so let’s take a dive into the different room types.

About the 10 Different Categories of Staterooms

Disney uses numeric categories to classify their staterooms. It can be confusing for newbies who read cruise stateroom reviews to try and decipher what “Category 1A or Category 7 means. I’ll provide a brief key below for reference:

• 1A – Royal Suite
• 1B – Concierge 2-bedroom Suite With Verandah
• 2A or 2B (there’s some variation between ships) – Concierge 1-Bedroom Suite With Verandah
• 3A – Concierge Family Oceanview Stateroom With Verandah
• 4 – Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah
• 5 – Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom With Verandah
• 6 – Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom With Verandah (Undersized, Obstructed View, or White Wall)
• 7 – Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom With Navigator’s Verandah
• 8- Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom
• 9 – Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom
• 10 – Deluxe Inside Stateroom
• 11 – Standard Inside Staterooms

Essentially, the lower the category number, the more expensive the stateroom. When you’re on the Disney Cruise website browsing rooms, you’ll see the square footage listed, which includes the bathroom space as well as the verandah.

Concierge Rooms

Concierge rooms are not only nicer, more spacious rooms with more amenities but there are also extended services that go along with the extra room. Concierge services include shoreside services, such as assistance with booking shore excursions and onboard activities. Concierge guests also get an early booking window to get their first pick of activities and coveted extras like cabanas at Castaway Cay.

Concierge guests also get access to the ship’s Concierge Lounge. Lounge perks include private sundecks, near round-the-clock access to nibbles, bottled sodas, bottled water, juices, and specialty coffees, and an open bar in the evenings.

Concierge Royal Suite

Each ship has at least one Royal Suite. These luxe accommodations sleep six and have separate living areas and dining areas, and private hot tubs. The newest Royal Suites on the Disney Wish are Sleeping Beauty-themed. If you want the highest of high-end and are prepared to pay the price, these suites are the ultimate experience on board a Disney Cruise.

I recommend booking with a travel agent who can help you navigate the availability of these suites. Since they’re in limited numbers, they tend to book up fast, so if you’ve got your heart set on staying in a Royal Suite, a travel agent has a better view of availability across the fleet.

One and Two-Bedroom Suites

These suites offer space to spread out at a more affordable price than the Royal Suite, although affordable is a relative term when it comes to concierge staterooms.

My family and I stayed in a one-bedroom suite on the Disney Dream, and we enjoyed the extra space and privacy. The king-sized bed had pocket doors that separated our sleeping space from the rest of the room, and we had two full baths, one with an oversized bathtub. Our kids slept on a pullout couch and a Murphy bed in the living room.

Concierge Family Oceanview Stateroom With Verandah

The Concierge Family Oceanview Stateroom With Verandah is the least expensive concierge room. The room is very similar to a non-concierge oceanview stateroom with a verandah and is essentially a category 4 or 5 stateroom with concierge room decor and amenities and access to concierge services, such as the lounge and pre-arrival assistance. If you want the white glove VIP service but don’t need a bunch of extra room, this is the way to go.

Oceanview Staterooms

If you want to see the water from your stateroom, Oceanview is the stateroom for you. There are several categories to choose from here. The big decision to make is whether or not you want a balcony, AKA verandah. If you decide to go with a verandah, there are some nuances regarding views so if unobstructed ocean views are a must, make sure you’re reading carefully when you book or specifying exactly what you want when you talk to your travel agent.

Deluxe Family Oceanview Staterooms and Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom

When it comes to Disney Cruise Line staterooms, the word “family” is going to mean a larger room that sleeps more people.

Think of the oceanview as the middle-of-the-road choice between a room with a verandah and an inside room. The rooms have porthole windows where you can see outside and get that natural light. The oceanview stateroom is more money than the inside staterooms but not as costly as the verandah or concierge rooms, so, if you want to land somewhere between those two options, this can be a good choice.

The oceanview stateroom may also be a good compromise for parents of young children. Sometimes parents have the worry that their little ones are going to try and climb the balcony and fall overboard, so the oceanview sans balcony eliminates that situation.

The verandah staterooms do have high locks on the doors to the balcony, though, so it’s easy for parents to manage, safety-wise.

The balconies are about 45 square feet – not huge, but large enough for three to four people to comfortably stand on to look out. There are two chairs and a small table, quite comfortable to sit in and enjoy a drink or your morning coffee.

Oceanview Staterooms With Verandah

As you can see from the list above, there are many variations and multiple categories listed for rooms with a private verandah. The difference between the verandahs in Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah and Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom With Verandah is going to be the size of the stateroom and the number of people it can sleep, five versus four people. Categories 4 and 5 have the same type of unobstructed verandah.

When you get into categories 6, 7, and 8 on Disney Cruise ships, you get smaller verandahs, potential obstructions, or a white wall verandah. Most of the verandahs are acrylic, where you can see ocean views even while seated. A Navigator’s Verandah is a mostly enclosed verandah that has a large, circular hole for viewing. The smaller or obstructed view verandahs will be priced lower than categories 4 and 5. The differences are very minor, so if you have an opportunity to save or your selection of verandah rooms is limited, consider how much time you’ll spend on the verandah and decide from there.

Inside Staterooms

Inside staterooms are the cheapest staterooms. Depending on availability, you’ll be able to choose from a standard inside stateroom and a deluxe inside stateroom.

Inside staterooms are exactly that – inside. There’s no porthole window or balcony to let in the natural light or ocean breezes.

Deluxe Inside Stateroom Vs. Standard Inside Stateroom

The big difference between standard and deluxe is that the deluxe has a split bathroom. The split bathroom means a toilet and vanity separate from the shower and second sink. It’s a great feature and allows someone to be in the shower without holding someone up if they need to use the toilet. The extra square footage in the deluxe – about 50 feet – is all the split bathroom.

We stayed in a deluxe inside stateroom on the Disney Magic. We initially booked the standard inside stateroom, but Disney upgraded us shortly before we left for the port, and we appreciated the extra space in the bathroom. Otherwise, I thought the inside cabin was just fine. I thought I would miss the verandah but didn’t. The dark cabin was great for sleeping. Also, many of the inside staterooms are on the lower decks. When we were in an inside stateroom on Deck 2, catching the stairs and bypassing the crowded elevators was easy.

Inside staterooms on the Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream have a virtual porthole, which is a digital screen that shows real-time views of the ship’s exterior with the occasional visit from a Disney character. You can turn off the virtual porthole if you choose.

Standard In-Room Amenities

The Inside and Oceanview staterooms are all very similar, and the main differences between the stateroom categories are verandahs and split bathrooms versus single bathrooms. Regarding the available beds and storage space, there’s not much difference between non-concierge rooms.

The rooms typically sleep four, with a few sleeping five, so larger families or groups may want to consider adjoining cabins if not comfortable splitting up. When you enter the room, you’ll see a queen bed, a couch, a coffee table, and a combination desk/storage unit. There’s a curtain divider guests can use to close the bed off from the rest of the stateroom.

The couch converts into a bed, and there’s an additional bed housed in the ceiling. The stateroom attendant will convert the couch into a bed and handle the pull-down bed during nightly turndown service. Although the quarters are pretty close, this setup does well for a family of four, with the kids sleeping on the bunk beds and the parents sleeping on the queen bed. The curtain provides a small amount of privacy.

Staterooms have a small flatscreen TV that’s mounted on a swivel so they can be positioned to be seen from the bed or the couch. Although no one goes on a cruise to watch TV, there are a variety of channels that include information about the ship’s route and activities as well as Disney programming and news.

Bathroom Amenities

In addition to towels and soap, standard DCL bathroom amenities include shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, lotion, and soap. Concierge staterooms have elevated toiletries. The Disney Wish provides bathrobes as part of the standard stateroom amenities but on the other ships, they’re only for concierge guests.

Storage Space

Storage space in a Disney Cruise Line stateroom is adequate but tight. If you have four people in a cabin, storage space is more at a premium, but unless you’re big over-packers, everyone has enough space to store their belongings.

There’s a bit of closet space – if you have a lot of hanging garments, I recommend travel hangers – and storage cubbies and drawers in the bathroom and the main part of the cabin. The under-bed area has room for suitcase storage.

Best Advice When Choosing Staterooms

Budget is going to be most people’s driving factor when choosing a stateroom. Depending on the length of the cruise, there’s usually a several thousand dollar difference between an inside stateroom and the cheapest concierge stateroom.

Cruise ships are so filled with activities and other things to do, and guests aren’t meant to spend a ton of time in their stateroom, so don’t think you’ll be shortchanging your experience if you book an inside stateroom. If you have a larger budget and prioritize that extra level of elevated service, concierge is a fun splurge.

I also recommend you look at a deck plan before you lock in a stateroom to see where you’ll be in relation to everything else on the ship. If your cabin is directly below the sun deck, you might be woken early by the sounds of the deck crew setting up the chairs for the day. If your cabin is near the elevators, you might hear lots of foot traffic, although the upside is that being near the elevators means it’s faster and easier to get around the ship.

Midship staterooms on a high deck are generally the most stable, so this might be a necessary choice if you’re prone to seasickness.

Travel Agents Can Be Excellent Advisors

When it comes to choosing a stateroom, a travel agent can be a great resource, especially if you’re a first-time cruiser. They’re familiar with the ships, deck plans, and what the passengers want and need, even when the passengers may not fully know.

BOOK YOUR CRUISE

The post Set Sail in Style: The Ultimate Guide to Disney Cruise Staterooms appeared first on She Buys Travel.

If you’re considering taking a Disney cruise and wondering what’s the best Disney cruise ship, here’s some good news: You can’t go wrong with picking one of the five – soon to be six – ships that Disney has in service.

The Disney Magic started it all in 1998. The Disney Wonder joined the fleet the following year. Disney doubled their fleet size with the addition of the Disney Dream (2011) and the Disney Fantasy (2012}. Then there were five, with the addition of the Disney Wish on July 14, 2022.

The Disney Treasure will set sail in 2024, bringing the fleet to six ships, with the potential to bring that number to seven, with the addition of what’s currently the Global Dream, which Disney purchased from Genting Hong Kong at the end of 2022. Information on the remodel/renaming of the 280,000 gross ton ship is being kept under wraps.

Disney Cruise Sister Ships

The Disney Wonder is the sister ship of the Disney Magic, and the Disney Dream is the sister Ship of the Disney Fantasy. This means the ships are nearly identical in layout, although some of the theming is different.

The new Disney Wish is unique and has a different layout than the other four ships. It’s expected the Disney Treasure will mirror the Disney Wish.

The Wonder and the Magic are often referred to as Classic Ships. The Dream and Fantasy are often referred to as Dream Class ships, and the new Wish and Treasure are Triton Class ships.

Sailing From Ports Worldwide

Disney Cruises sail from all over the world. Cruises departing from U.S. ports include Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Port Canaveral, Galveston, New Orleans, New York City, and San Diego. Select cruises also depart from Honolulu and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

International ports include Barcelona, Rome, Southampton, Vancouver, and the recently added New Zealand and Australian ports, including Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

Since there are only five ships, the routes change each season, and the ships move around and reposition. Look into one of Disney’s repositioning cruises for a unique – and longer – cruise. One ship will move from the Caribbean to Europe for summer cruises from Barcelona and Southampton, which results in a (roughly) two-week transatlantic cruise. When ships move from the port of San Diego back to the Gulf of Mexico or the Caribbean, repositioning cruises pass through the Panama Canal.

Disney Cruise Line Itineraries

If you want to sail with Disney, you’ll find everything from two-night cruises to 15-night cruises. The two-night cruises are in Australia and New Zealand, and Baja Mexico cruises from San Diego.

If you’re interested in a Caribbean Cruise or a cruise to the Bahamas, you’ll find everything from three-night to seven-night cruises leaving from Galveston, New Orleans, and the Florida Ports.

Alaska cruises are seasonal, leaving during the summer from Vancouver. There’s usually one ship in Europe for the summer, sailing Mediterranean routes from Barcelona and to the Norwegian fjords from Southampton.

Do You Want to Choose Your Itinerary Based on the Ship or the Itinerary?

You usually can’t do both unless the stars just magically line up for you, which is possible. If you want to cruise to the Bahamas on the Disney Wonder, you might have a wait ahead of you since the Wonder is currently going back and forth between Hawaii and Australia. However, if you just want to go to the Bahamas, you have many choices at any time.

If the Wonder is on your bucket list, you might have to wait awhile or travel far to reach the ship. After she’s done with the trans-Pacific cruises, she’s on to Alaska for summer cruises. New routes and schedules are typically released about 18 months in advance, but this isn’t an absolute, so watch the Disney Cruise Line website or ask a travel agent to monitor the releases if you’re set on a particular route, ship, or a combination of both.

Private Island Paradise – Times Two!

Bahamas sailings and select Caribbean sailings go to Disney’s private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay. Castaway Cay is popular because it’s a gorgeous slice of paradise and a no-cost or low-cost excursion.

The pristine beaches with chairs, umbrellas, and towel service are included in the cost of your cruise. A BBQ lunch buffet complete with sodas and soft-serve ice cream is also included. Additional for-a-fee activities are available, such as paddle boarding, snorkel gear and bike rental, and massages on the beach, but it’s possible to have a spend-free day at Castaway Cay. There’s also an adults-only beach, Serenity Bay, which lives up to its name.

Disney is opening up a second island beach club location near Eleuthera, Lighthouse Point, in the summer of 2024.

Best Main Dining Room Dining Experiences

All Disney Cruise ships have rotational dining, which means passengers will rotate through three different dining rooms during their cruise. The serving staff rotates with the guests, which is a concept unique to Disney Cruise Line.

The main dining rooms on the Classic and Dream Class ships are very similar. The Magic, Wonder, Dream, and Fantasy all have an Animator’s Palate, a whimsical experience where animated characters come to life. All have a fairytale-themed restaurant near the ship’s atrium. The Magic has Lumiere’s, the Dream has Royal Palace, the Wonder has Triton’s, and the Fantasy has the Royal Court. The menu is the same or very similar at all of these restaurants.

The Magic and Wonder both have princess-themed restaurants with entertainment. On the Magic, it’s Rapunzel’s Royal Table; on the Wonder, it’s Tiana’s Place. Both of these venues have menus that are aligned with the theme. The Dream and Fantasy both have Enchanted Garden, a Versailles-inspired dining room.

Dining on the new Disney Wish

Disney’s newest ship has taken the main dining room game up a notch with all-new restaurants. The Wish’s main dining rooms are World of Marvel, a futuristic Avenger-themed restaurant with a show that’s mostly digital with a live component at the end, Arendelle: a Frozen Dining Adventure, and 1923, which is named for the year Walt Disney Studios was established.

Worlds of Marvel serves a varied menu with the names of the dishes giving nods to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Arendelle has Nordic-inspired food, and 1923 has sophisticated but approachable California cuisine.

Adult Dining on Disney Cruise Line

All ships offer one or two adult dining experiences that aren’t included in the cost of the cruise. The Magic, Wonder, Dream, and Fantasy all have Palo. Palo serves brunch and dinner and focuses on Northern Italian-inspired cuisine.

The Dream and the Fantasy both have Remy, an upscale French restaurant named for the rat in Ratatouille. Remy serves dinner, brunch, and a dessert experience.

The Disney Wish Switches It Up Again

Things are done differently on the Wish as with the main dining rooms. The Wish has Palo Steakhouse, which, as the name suggests, is more steak-focused but still Northern Italian-inspired. Brunch and dinner are both available.

Instead of Remy, the Wish has  Enchanté by Chef Arnaud Lallement. Instead of Ratatouille theming, Enchanté is Beauty and the Beast themed. I haven’t had the opportunity to eat at Enchanté – yet – but reviews indicate the pricing and experience are very similar to Remy.

Best Disney Cruise Ship Water Slide

Each of the five ships in the Disney Cruise Line fleet has some type of waterslide. The Dream and the Fantasy have the AquaDuck, a slide where riders sit in an inflatable raft, whiz around the ship in an acrylic tube, and are treated to ocean views and a bird’s eye view of the pool deck.

The Magic has the AquaDunk, a body slide that shoots riders in a clear tube extending over the ship’s side. The rider gets in position then the floor disappears from under them, making this a fast and thrilling ride.

The slide on board the Wonder might be perceived as a letdown after the thrills described above. There is a slide called the Twist n’ Spout, which is a 250-foot twisty body slide. The height requirement to ride the Twist n’ Spout is 38” whereas the height requirement to ride the AquaDunk and AquaDuck slides is 48”. That alone gives you an idea of how the thrill levels compare.

The New AquaMouse

The AquaMouse is a water coaster type of slide similar to the AquaDuck, but there is a pre-show of sorts where riders travel up an incline conveyor belt while Disney animated cartoons, complete with well-timed squirts of water, play on the walls. The slide is mostly enclosed, including one area where the tube swings out over the side of the ship, giving the rider the sense that they’re careening off into the ocean. The height requirement is 48” to ride alone.

Disney Cruise Ship Kids Clubs

Kids’ activities are included on each of the five ships. All ships the following:

• Oceaneer Club – Ages 3-12
• Edge tween club – Ages 11-13
• Vibe teen club – Ages 14-17

Each ship also has a Small World Nursery for babies six months and older and other tots under age three. The nursery isn’t included in the price of the cruise, and reservations are required.

My kids have been in the Oceaeer Club on the Wonder, Magic, Dream, and Wish, and Edge on the Magic, Dream, and Wish. The Wish wins hands-down for best Oceaneer Club. Although the kid’s clubs are pretty cool on all of the ships, the Wish takes it to the next level with interactive Star Wars and Marvel Superhero Academy areas. All Oceaneer Clubs have a play area for art projects and unstructured play, as well as movies and special character meet and greets that are exclusive to the kid’s clubs.

I think Vibe on the Wish and the Magic are equally cool and that the coolest Edge is on the Wish. However, I have two 13-year-old sons who insist Edge on the Magic is the best. It’s small and dark and seems almost like an afterthought, but the experts have spoken.

Best Disney Cruise Staterooms

We’ve sailed on all the ships except the Disney Fantasy and stayed in everything from inside staterooms to one-bedroom concierge suites. My family has been happy with all of our accommodations and found negligible differences in stateroom quality across the classic ships and the Dream.

We had a small maintenance issue in a stateroom on the Magic, which is showing signs of wear and tear and is due for some refurbishment. This didn’t interfere with our enjoyment of the ship overall. The Disney Wish is the newest and shiniest. The staterooms feel larger, there’s a bigger television set, and robes are standard issue, which they aren’t on the other Disney ships. The Wish also has a ton of USB outlets built into the room, unlike the other ships, which were built during an era when USB ports weren’t such a necessity.

If going by the stateroom alone, I’d say the Wish wins out of all the other Disney Cruise Line ships. However, I don’t recommend choosing a cruise because of the quality of the stateroom because you won’t spend that much time there. Even though the Wish’s staterooms are nicer, the others are above average in comfort and amenities.

Best Shows and Entertainment

All of the ships had a Walt Disney Theater where three Broadway quality shows will be shown. Longer cruises have other entertainment, such as comedy acts and illusionists. The four older ships have the Buena Vista Theater, which show first run movies and other Disney movies.

Shows on the Wish

The Wish has the Walt Disney Theater but instead of the Buena Vista Theater, they have two small movie theaters, the Wonder Land Cinema and the Never Land Cinema. The shows on the Wish are a new version of The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Seas the Adventure, a Disney Cruise Line exclusive show about first mate Goofy following his dreams.

Other Shows on Disney Cruise Line

The current lineup of shows on the other Disney Ships are as follows:

• Disney Magic: Tangled the Musical, Disney Dreams: An Enchanted Classic, and Twice Charmed: An Original Twist on the Cinderella Story.  
• Disney Wonder: The Golden Mickeys, Frozen, and Disney Dreams.
• Disney Dream:  Beauty and the Beast, Frozen, and Disney’s Believe.
• Disney Fantasy: Aladdin, Disney’s Believe, and Frozen.

All shows are about 50 minutes long, and there are two shows each evening.

Best Pirate Night

Select itineraries have pirate night, which includes Disney characters dressed up as pirates, pirate-themed entertainment, and menus and fireworks at sea. Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, or Goofy in their pirate garb is really cute, and you won’t see that anywhere else except on a Disney Cruise.

The Wish wins for best pirate night. A pirate dance party with Mickey and friends early in the evening, around 7:00 pm, lasts about 15 minutes. There’s a second celebration later, around 10:00 pm, called the Pirate Rockin’ Parlay Party, which features 30 minutes of a rowdy pirate band playing 80’s rock music. The Pirate Rockin’ Parlay Party ends with fireworks at sea.

Best Theme Park + Cruise Combination

Sometimes known as a land and sea vacation, the proximity of Port Canaveral to Walt Disney World makes combining two Disney vacations fairly easy. There’s even Disney transport from the Walt Disney World Resorts and Orlando International Airport.

If you’re interested in this type of vacation, you won’t find a shortage of cruises sailing from Port Canaveral, and I recommend you pick the one that aligns with your preferred dates versus trying to choose the best Disney cruise ship. They’re all pretty great, and if you select a cruise that sails to Castaway Cay (most cruises out of Port Canaveral do), it’s a double win.

So, What’s the Best Disney Cruise Ship?

It depends on who you ask. Disney Cruise Line definitely pulled out all the stops with the Disney Wish. It’s shiny and new with the most bells and whistles, but does that make it the best? My favorite has always been the Disney Wonder. It was my first Disney Cruise, so there’s probably some nostalgia going on there. I like the smaller ships’ layouts the best, and I think Tiana’s Place has the best food.

The best is in the eye of the beholder.

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