This post takes a look at the Disney Dream to offer and overview, photos, some tips for those setting sail on this Disney Cruise Line ship. As we’ve already covered a lot of the basics of cruising with Disney in our Top 10 First-Timer Disney Cruise Line Tips and Guide to the Disney Cruise Line posts (both of those links open in new tabs and we’d advise reading them for planning purposes), we aren’t going to spend as much time fixating on high-level aspects of the Disney Dream that are already covered in those posts. Instead, we will highlight what’s unique to the Disney Dream, and contrast the boat to the other ship on which we’ve cruised: the Disney Magic.
In some ways, this post is a Disney Dream v. Disney Magic cruise ship comparison, but the problem with that is the matchup is more lopsided than Tatum v. Simpson; the Disney Dream would win pretty much across the board. Even after being re-imagined, the Disney Magic feels like a first generation product on which Disney learned a lot of lessons. Don’t get me wrong, I really loved our first cruise on the Magic, but it’s clear that the initial foray into cruising taught Disney a lot, and it iterated on subsequent ships to make the experience much better.
To be sure, the Disney Magic is no slouch. All of Disney’s ships bring a lot to the table in terms of style and detail, and have an incontrovertible sense of “Disney” about them, but the Magic feels much better suited for short cruises. If the Disney Dream is any indication, the Magic’s younger siblings are the more compelling option for any itinerary that includes a day at sea or more time on the ship, in general.
The biggest thing you need is, well, that. It’s bigger. The Disney Dream is significantly larger than the Disney Magic, with 151 more feet in length. While you’ll definitely notice the added length as it gives the newer ship a bit more breathing room, both ships have a similar feeling of intimacy. This difference isn’t like going from Disneyland to Walt Disney World (and not just because both cruise ships are well-maintained), but the size difference is noticeable.
Another difference comes in terms of dining. Across the board, we think both ships are very good in this department. The main table service and buffet options are Cabanas (buffet), Royal Palace, Enchanted Garden, and Animator’s Palate. If you haven’t cruised on the Disney Dream in a few years, some of these names might be new to you.
Animator’s Palate is the quintessential Disney restaurant on all of the Disney Cruise Line ships, the one you see touted on television specials and in advertisements, and the classic example of Disney “magic.” I gushed over the Disney Magic version of Animator’s Palate in our review, and all of that praise applies here, as well. The Disney Dream ups the ante on the experience with actual interaction from Crush a la Turtle Talk. It’s a can’t miss experience, regardless of whether you have kids or not.
Out of the other two “main” table service restaurants, we liked Enchanted Garden the best. This is supposedly inspired by the Palace of Versailles’ famed gardens, which is…a stretch. It feels more like Crystal Palace with Art Nouveau flourishes in place of the Victorian ones, plus more overt references to gardening.
Nonetheless, the atmosphere of dining in a fancy sorta greenhouse thing with moody lighting makes for excellent ambiance, and the food is very good. In fact, we think the food is good regardless of where you go. While the food at each of these restaurants is relatively safe and Americanized, safe and high-quality are not mutually-exclusive. Not only that, but the service (again, across the board) on the Disney Dream is exceptional.
On the higher end, Disney Dream definitely gets the edge. While we loved our experiences at Palo for dinner and brunch of the Disney Magic, Remy takes fine dining to the next level with an even swankier restaurant, with a $85 per person upcharge for dinner here.
We were fine with the $25 (now $30) upcharge for Palo, justifying it on our first cruise by virtue of the great offseason deal we got on the cruise coupled with a relatively low surcharge. However, $85 (then $75) is a bit more of a pill to swallow. Once you account for the amount you’re already paying for a dinner at one of the regular restaurants, which is built into the cost of the cruise (no, it’s not “free”) and then add that to the cost of Remy, the price is fairly staggering.
We certainly don’t begrudge those who want to try it (here’s a great Remy review if you want to know more), but just keep in mind that you’re in Victoria & Albert’s territory once you account for the built-in dining cost. Maybe we’ll give it a try someday…after we revisit V&A’s.
On the nightlife front, we think the Disney Dream similarly has the advantage. This is largely thanks to Skyline Bar, which is to adults what Animator’s Palate is to kids. Get a few drinks in you, and you’ll probably believe you’re in all of those different cities as the bar’s backdrop changes.
Joking aside, this adults’ district is more effective because it features environments where people actually want to spend time (like Skyline), and because these spaces are significantly smaller. Normally, small plus cool is a recipe for disaster with Disney offerings, as it means long waits and big crowds. That’s not really the case on Disney Cruise Line, as (in our experience) the boats become pretty quiet in the evening hours. That means the cavernous entertainment areas in After Hours on the Disney Magic feel empty, creating a poor atmosphere, which encourages people to leave quickly.
By contrast, there’s a palpable energy to Skyline, Pink, and District Lounge thanks to the spaces being more inviting, which encourages people to stick around. Both have self-fulfilling prophecies of sorts, albeit in opposite directions. We’re actually a bit surprised After Hours on the Magic hasn’t been re-imagined to something more like these bars, as it seems like there’s more than enough space for it. Perhaps the bigger issue is demand, or lack thereof?
Then there’s the AquaDuck, the 765 feet long water slide that you ride on rafts for 1-2 people. Do I really have to state the obvious here? This is awesome. While the re-imagining of the Disney Magic added the AquaDunk to those ships, that’s a pale imitator that is too short. This is both exhilarating and oddly relaxing. It’s like a tamer version of Crush ‘N’ Gusher at Typhoon Lagoon, but you can enjoy the view and the ride isn’t as rough. Highly recommended first thing in the morning.
Aside from that, the pool scene is pretty comparable on both ships. The Disney Dream has Donald’s Pool, Mickey’s Pool, Nemo’s Reef, and the adults’ area, Quiet Cove. There are some differences in terms of the layout of the pools, and we think it’s noteworthy that the hot tubs in Quiet Cove offer ocean (or port) views that make them particularly appealing.
The rooms certainly don’t feel like you’re trapped in a sardine can, but your mileage may vary on that depending upon how much time you spend in your stateroom. With so much to do and see on the ship, it’s hard to justify spending much time in the room. Even “relaxing” activities like reading, working, or having a cup of coffee are all better enjoyed in common areas on the ship. In our experience, there are plenty of quiet corners and places to relax away from the crowds.
Without question, my favorite element of the Disney Cruise Line ships is the grandiose atrium lobbies, complete with their resplendent chandeliers. The first time we stepped foot on the Disney Magic, it was like some sort of time warp took us to a Disneyfied version of the Titanic.
The centerpiece of this is the Art Deco chandelier that was custom designed for the Disney Dream in Northern Italy and measures 22 feet diameter at the ceiling plate and comes down 13 feet from the ceiling. It is 24kt gold plated with a total of 88,680 Swarovski crystal beads. Make sure to take plenty of photos of this thing, as the pro-rated cost of this fancy chandelier is approximately $26.89 for the life of the ship. (And you wondered why Disney cruises cost so much as compared to the competition! 😉 ).
In terms of entertainment, you have the Walt Disney Theatre, which presents 3 different shows, each of which come in at just under an hour in duration. There’s the character-montage, with a heartwarming moral lesson in Disney’s Believe, the ever-popular Golden Mickeys awards show, and Villains Tonight. You’ll want to make time for each of these shows–although we think the writing isn’t the greatest in any of them, they are still well-worth seeing, especially if you’re a big Disney fan wanting a theme park-esque “fix” from the cruise.
As far as the highlights of the Disney Dream that are different from our past experience on the Disney Magic, that about covers it. Obviously, there’s a lot more entertainment than what we’ve covered–and much of that varies from cruise to cruise (consult your Personal Navigator for that).
If you want to see a first-run Disney movie during your cruise, the Buena Vista Theatre plays them throughout the day. Just remember that your waking per-hour cost of a cruise is probably higher than a movie ticket, which makes seeing movies on a cruise about as effective at “saving money” as paying $80 for a Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party ticket in order to trick or treat.
Beyond that, there are tons of other activities, from shopping to spas, to sports. From basketball to shuffleboard to ping pong to volleyball and more. There’s also a robust Fitness Center with a variety of machines, plus aerobic and yoga classes.
Shortly after we sailed, the Oceaneer’s Club for kids was totally redone; the highlight of this re-do is a Star Wars play area that looks like the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon.
Have you ever set sail on the Disney Dream? What do you think of it? If you’ve sailed other ships, how do you think it stacks up to those? Any other tips to add or recommendations? If you have questions or thoughts, please share them below and we’ll try to respond!
I just did cruise check-in, and Remy is now $125 per person. Just wanted to give you a heads-up!
We have only sailed on the Wonder. Having been on a ship of each size, how is it at Castaway Cay? Does it feel crowded with 4000 people vs 2000 people? Thanks!
We sailed on the Fantasy almost exactly a year ago (May 2015), and it’s a very similar ship to the Dream. I hadn’t sailed on a Disney ship in almost 10 years so I really didn’t remember the older ships, though I know we have sailed on the Magic. I have to say, we loved the Fantasy. You are spot on with the adult spaces — they work better because they are smaller, and fewer people tend to use them.
Whenever people hear we have sailed with Disney I always get the “but so many kids!” question. To that end, I think Disney is actually one of the best cruise lines for adult cruising. Since they know there are so many kids, they are extra vigilant about keeping adult-spaces truly for just adults. We were in one of the bars one night watching a hockey game and a mom came in with her two kids (maybe 8 and 10?). They were being perfectly well-behaved, but a bartender still came over and asked them to leave since it’s an adults-only space. I was really impressed. Even though they were being fine, what if they weren’t? I was happy that they kept the precedent across the board, with no exceptions, and I could trust my spaces to have no kids if I chose not to be around them (and please, the kids have SO MANY fun spaces to occupy that are just for them!). Adult pools and bars were diligently kept kid-free, and I really appreciated that as a childless adult.
As for Remy, omg. Definitely on par with V&A. We did it on our cruise and while the bill was, ah, quite expensive, it was amazing and so worth it. Service, food, views…it was incredible. Definitely go at sunset or at least for a bit while the sun is up for amazing, amazing views. We did brunch at Palo and dinner at Remy. If we could only do one, I would chose Remy.
When did you and Sarah go? Recently, or is this based on an older trip?
Thank you for all of your terrific posts. I’ve really enjoyed reading them over the past couple of months. Did you by any chance use your computer on your cruise? We have a family business that requires us to work on our vacations and I was curious about whether you had trouble with internet access.
Hey Tom, the Fantasy is the latest ship, not the Dream, so the Dream is benefiting from the ideas that went into Magic and Wonder.
Great Post! At the end you said that the Dream learned the mistakes made on the Magic and the Fantasy. Did you mean the Wonder? The Fantasy came after the Dream, it’s sister ship. Best Wishes!
It’s an interesting perception of the Magic. I have felt the opposite. We spent three weeks on the Magic sailing Norway and Iceland last year and felt that the Magic was perfect for longer cruising. I say this because you get your Disney fix in the evenings and can spend that time relaxing after a destination heavy itinerary. This is especially beneficial after having previously caught flights all over Europe. Cast members also then became close friends in this longer and intimate environment.
When sailing the Caribbean or Bahamas I can see why the ship needs to be the destination as the ports are, in my opinion, less exciting. The Magic’s itineraries in Europe are port focused and therefore you don’t quite need the bells and whistles that the Dream and Fantasy have (don’t get me wrong, I love bells and whistles). If you’re sailing the Magic to the Caribbean then I’d I agree that the Dream class may offer something more.
With port intensive itineraries a longer cruise on the Magic/Wonder is fantastic as the ports are the destination.
For the Bahamas and the Caribbean the ship is the destination and perhaps a week is about the right time.
I think you’ve nailed it. When the ship is the destination (such as it is in the Caribbean and the Bahamas, where the ports of call are rather ho-hum and a large portion of the manifest has literally “been there, done that”), the ship needs to have extended bells and whistles. But when the destination is Europe, Alaska, or the Panama Canal (though Panama transverse cruises tend to have a lot of sea days), the smaller, more intimate ships are, I think, the perfect size: accommodating without being overwhelming.
That’s an interesting perspective, and having never done one of those longer itineraries, you are probably much more qualified to offer an opinion than I am. My assumption was that more time on the ship (in terms of days) meant a bigger ship would be preferable. I never considered that there are certain longer itineraries that ‘wear you out’ with much more interesting port destinations.
Can you make me one of those fork sculptures?
The Dream was the first ship my wife and I ever said on (our first cruise ever), and we were immediately hooked. The ship is just beautiful – I think one of the best designed spaces I’ve seen anywhere, forget the fact that this thing is floating at sea. Since then we’ve been on all 4 other Disney ships, and I think the design of the Dream is still my favorite. That said – I think the title of best Disney ship probably goes to the Fantasy, the Dream’s younger sibling. They took everything great about the Dream and upped the anti with an additional show in Animators Palate for the longer 7 night sailings, as well as a few tweaked spaces to make it better for the long hauls (the Fantasy sails 7 nights sailings only, while the Dream alternates 3/4/5 night sailings, but never gets to 7 nights so they never have the additional show).
Side note – At the end you say the lessons learned from the “Magic and Fantasy”… I think you mean Magic & Wonder as those are the two older ships. The Fantasy is the newest ship in the fleet.
We sailed on the magic a few years ago, loved everything except the kids pools..they were tiny, therefore VERY crowded. Is the Dream better in this area?
in its favor, the Wonder does have Clara Oman,..