Disney Cruise Line Ship Comparison

One thing I’ve noticed on other cruise line websites, but not on Disney’s, is a chart that compares all the different ships. Comparisons like: specialty dining, entertainment, bars and lounges, and recreation. I thought making one would be a great post so here you go. I have divided up the differences by section.

Rotational Dining

	Magic	Wonder	Dream	Fantasy
Animator’s Palate	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°
Enchanted Garden			°o°	°o°
Royal Court				°o°
Royal Palace			°o°
Tiana’s Place		°o°
Triton’s		°o°
Carioca’s	°o°
Lumiere’s	°o°

 

Additional Dining

	Magic	Wonder	Dream	Fantasy
Eye Scream Treats	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°
Preludes*	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°
Palo*†	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°
Cabanas	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°
Room Service	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°
Frozone Treats*	°o°		°o°	°o°
Remy*†			°o°	°o°
Flo’s Cafe			°o°	°o°
Senses Juice Bar*†			°o°
Vanellope’s Sweets & Treats*			°o°
Pinocchio’s Pizzeria	°o°	°o°
Pete’s Boiler Bites	°o°	°o°
Daisy’s De-Lites		°o°

*cost not included in cruise fare
†adult-exclusive

Character Experiences & Deck Parties

	Magic	Wonder	Dream	Fantasy
Character Greetings	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°
Halloween on the High Seas*	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°
Pirate Night*	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°
Royal Court Royal Tea	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°
Sail Away Celebration	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°
Very Merrytime Cruises*	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°
Star Wars Day at Sea*				°o°
Frozen Deck Party	°o°	°o°
Marvel Day at Sea*	°o°

*available on select cruise dates

Live Shows & Entertainment

	Magic	Wonder	Dream	Fantasy
Buena Vista Theatre	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°
Walt Disney Theatre	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°
Disney’s Believe			°o°	°o°
Aladdin the Musical				°o°
Disney Wishes				°o°
The Golden Mickeys		°o°	°o°
Beauty and the Beast			°o°
Villains Tonight!			°o°
Disney Dreams	°o°	°o°
Frozen the Musical		°o°
Remember the Magic	°o°
Tangled the Musical	°o°
Twice Charmed	°o°

Note: Not all shows may play on every sailing

Nightclubs & Lounges

	Magic	Wonder	Dream	Fantasy
D Lounge	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°
Cove Café†	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°
Concierge Lounge‡	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°
Bon Voyage			°o°	°o°
Currents			°o°	°o°
Meridian†			°o°	°o°
Skyline*			°o°	°o°
Vista Café			°o°	°o°
O’Gills Pub*	°o°			°o°
La Piazza*				°o°
Ooh La La*				°o°
The Tube*				°o°
District Lounge*			°o°
Evolution*			°o°
Pink*			°o°
Pub 687*			°o°
Promenade Lounge	°o°	°o°
Signals†	°o°	°o°
Azure*		°o°
Cadillac Lounge*		°o°
Crown & Fin*		°o°
Outlook Café†		°o°
Fathoms*	°o°
Keys*	°o°

* adult-exclusive after 9:00 pm
† always adult-exclusive
‡ only for guests sailing in concierge-level staterooms

Youth Activities

	Magic	Wonder	Dream	Fantasy
Disney’s Oceaneer Club	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°
Disney’s Oceaneer Lab	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°
Edge	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°
It’s a Small World Nursery	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°
Vibe	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°

 

Pools & Slides

	Magic	Wonder	Dream	Fantasy
Quiet Cove Pool	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°
Mickey’s Pool		°o°	°o°	°o°
Aqua Duck			°o°	°o°
Donald’s Pool			°o°	°o°
Funnel Puddle			°o°	°o°
Nemo’s Reef			°o°	°o°
Satellite Falls			°o°	°o°
Aqualab	°o°	°o°		°o°
Goofy’s Pool	°o°	°o°
Aqua Dunk	°o°

 

Shops

	Magic	Wonder	Dream	Fantasy
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°
Mickey’s Mainsail	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°
Sea Treasures	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°
Vista Gallery	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°
Whitecaps	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°

 

Spa & Salon

	Magic	Wonder	Dream	Fantasy
Chill Spa	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°
Fitness Center*	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°
Senses Spa & Salon*	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°

*adult-exclusive

Sports & Recreation

	Magic	Wonder	Dream	Fantasy
Goofy’s Sports Deck			°o°	°o°
Midship Detective Agency			°o°	°o°
Arr-cade				°o°
Wide World of Sports	°o°	°o°

 

Staterooms

	Magic	Wonder	Dream	Fantasy
Standard Inside	°o°*	°o°*	°o°*	°o°*
Deluxe Inside	°o°*	°o°*	°o°	°o°
Deluxe Oceanview	°o°*	°o°*	°o°*	°o°*
Deluxe Family Oceanview			°o°*	°o°*
Deluxe Oceanview with Verandah	°o°*	°o°*	°o°*	°o°*
Deluxe Family Oceanview with Verandah	°o°*	°o°	°o°*	°o°*
Concierge Family Oceanview with Verandah	°o°†	°o°†	°o°*	°o°*
Concierge 1 Bedroom Suite with Verandah	°o°*	°o°*	°o°*	°o°*
Concierge 2 Bedroom Suite with Verandah	°o°	°o°
Concierge Royal Suite with Verandah	°o°	°o°	°o°	°o°

*denotes accessible staterooms available for specific category and ship
†available beginning October 2017

Stateroom Review: Disney Dream Concierge Royal Suite with Verandah

This review will be from the very first time I sailed upon the Disney Dream, so the information might be a little outdated about the room itself; however, amenities related to the concierge service for room will be up to date. The ship was still in its Inaugural Voyages, in fact this was only voyage #14 for the Dream. We stayed in the Roy O. Disney Suite (#12502) which is one of only 2 Royal Suites on board. Staying in the room was my parents, my sister and I. My older brother and his wife and kid were booked in a Concierge Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah, right down the hall. And let me tell you, this stateroom was magical.

First I’ll talk about the stateroom itself which is a total of 1,781 sq ft (including verandah). The room’s occupancy is 5 guests which is a step down from the Royal Suites on the Magic and Wonder which sleep up to 7. There is a queen bed in a separate bedroom with its own bathroom which has double sinks, a whirlpool tub, and a rain-style shower. There are also double and single wall pull-down beds in the living/dining area. An additional bathroom with shower is located in the entry hall across from the wet bar. The only problem we had with the room was the wall pull-down beds. They were so extremely uncomfortable. It was like sleeping on a rock. I told the suite host and he put an extra mattress topper on it, but it didn’t help much. It got so bad that I ended up sleeping on the couch one night. However, that is the only con I have about the room. Well, maybe the price, but I wasn’t paying. The nice thing about the room was that it was large enough to allow our family not staying in the room with us, to come join us and hang out, but not feel crowded what so ever. My favorite part of the room was the veranda. The balcony is at the direct front of the ship just above the spa and bridge. The balcony wrapped from directly forward around to the side of the ship. Deck furniture consisted of 2 sun loungers, an outdoor table, 4 chairs, and a small sofa. The best item though on the balcony, was the Jacuzzi. Nothing was more relaxing than just sitting in the hot tub while at sea, cruising along. Side note, the hot tub is drained each night during turn down service, and refilled the next morning. There was also a wet bar which had a sink, mini-fridge, and fancy espresso/coffee maker. The stateroom host restocks the mini-fridge each day with a selection of soft drinks and bottled waters. The coffee maker was nice, so nice in fact, we had no idea how to work it. We normally just used the one in the concierge lounge for our morning caffeine kick.

Not only are you paying for the stateroom itself, but also the service that goes along with it. The shoreside and onboard concierge are absolutely fantastic. Starting with pre-cruise services, the shoreside concierge are available starting 120 days prior to the sail date. They will actually start taking requests and plugging them into the online system 125 days prior to sailing, then the online system will automatically book them at midnight, 120 days prior. Once onboard, you’ll have access to the concierge lounge, only accessible by gold key to the world cards, where your 3 dedicated concierge team members will be to assist you with any possible need you might have. They can do anything from booking or changing port adventures, changing your dining time or rotation, booking hard to get spa appointments, or organizing special character meet and greets. They also keep the lounge stocked with snacks, hors d’oeuvres, sweets, and drinks all day long. Each night there are 2 complimentary cocktail hours right before each dining time. The dedicated concierge bartender has a variety of beers, top shelf spirits, and premium wines for you to enjoy. If they don’t have a certain brand on them, just ask and they’ll bring it the next night and throughout the duration of the cruise. I personally have to do this for a bottle of Malibu every time we sail. The concierge also have DVDs that you can check out to take back and watch in your stateroom, they also have complimentary bagged popcorn that you can take down to shows or back to your stateroom. Another key service provided to concierge is in room dining. You can order from any of the 3 main dining rooms and have it delivered to your stateroom, the concierge have that night’s menus available in the lounge. Only guests staying in the Royal Suites also have the option of having Palo delivered to their rooms, so needless to say we had a couple chocolate souffles delivered to the room after dinner some evenings.

The room was actually cheaper then, than it is now. For the four of us (2 adults, 2 teenagers) the 4 night Royal Suite cruise total came to be a little over $17,000. I looked up a similar cruise around the same time for next year and the price was a little over $23,000 for the same occupants and ages. I would like to note that we did book this the day that it became available. If you don’t already know, cruise fares increase as the sail date approaches. They normally only decrease due to special promotions.

OVERVIEW

• 4.5 out of 5 Mickey Heads
• Would definitely recommend if cost wasn’t a factor.
• PROS
  • Very spacious
  • Concierge service
  • Magnificent balcony
  • In room dining
• CONS
  • Uncomfortable living room beds
  • Cost… (shocker I know)

Disney Cruise Line Castaway Club Perks

Disney Cruise Line’s Castaway Club is a great way for returning cruisers to have a little extra magic when returning on future sailings. If you didn’t know, the club is divided into three different levels: Silver, Gold, and Platinum. All first time sailers are automatically enrolled upon completion of their first cruise with Disney. The tier system works like this: silver members are guests who have completed 1 to 4 sailings, gold members are guests who have completed 5 to 9 sailings, and platinum members are guests that have completed 10 or more sailings. What I love about Disney’s system is that it goes by number of cruises rather than numbers of nights (like Royal Caribbean). Anyway, below is a breakdown of what each level is entitled to both at home and onboard.

Silver Members: Begins after your 1st completed cruise.

• Insider Exclusives: Just for members—Webcasts, info, tips and news. As well as a quarterly electronic newsletter with updates about itineraries, shows, and ship announcements.
• Dedicated Phone Number: (800) 449-3380—your direct line for info and assistance.
• Exclusive Cruise Terminal Check-In: Sail through the boarding process in a separate, members-only line.
• Welcome Back Stateroom Gift: Be welcomed back with a gift unique to your membership level.
• Special Onboard Booking Offer: While on board, enjoy special savings on future cruises.
• Silver members can start booking onboard activities 90 days prior to sailing.

Gold Members: Begins after your 5th completed cruise.

• Receive all the benefits of Silver Members
• Early Booking Opportunities: Be among the first to book our newest itineraries and ships before the general public.
• Castaway Club Onboard Reception: Meet and mingle with the ship’s officers at a private party on voyages 4-nights and longer.
• Special Onboard Merchandising Offer: Receive 10% off your purchases in the onboard gift shops
• Gold members can start booking onboard activities 105 days prior to sailing.

Platinum Members: Begins after your 10th completed cruise.

• Receive all the benefits of Silver & Gold Members
• Priority Check-In at Cruise Terminal: Enjoy concierge priority check-in at the cruise terminal. Then, receive priority boarding following concierge Guests.
• Complimentary Dinner at Palo: Available to platinum castaway member as well as all guests, regardless of castaway club level, booked in the platinum member’s stateroom. Must be 18+ to dine at Palo.

Now, most of this is directly from the Disney Cruise Line website. Yes, you could have just read it yourself. However, I am here to tell you what’s actually really helpful and what’s not so much. Starting at the top and moving down with Insider Exclusives. It’s basically just information emails that I, personally, don’t read, but the online magazine is cool to look through sometimes. The phone number, not really a big difference in wait time compared to the normal line. The EXCLUSIVE cruise terminal check in, really isn’t that exclusive. It is probably a small fraction shorter of wait time when checking in at the terminal, but don’t think you’re going to walk in the terminal and be onboard in 10 minutes. The welcome back stateroom gift is nice. It usually consists of a beach bag (gray for silver members, yellow for gold, and black for platinum), a water bottle or two, and maybe some cards or something. Gold members will usually receive some sort of stationary or journal thing in addition. On or most recent cruise as platinum members, we received this really cool photo album that held all of our photos taken by the onboard photographers. Each stateroom will only receive 1 gift regardless of number of guests. The gift will always reflect the highest ranking Castaway Club member booked in the stateroom. The special onboard booking offer is great especially if you take a cruise every year around the same time. You normally receive a 10% discount off the cruise fare, some onboard credit, and a reduced deposit. Note, this does not apply for Concierge staterooms. The early booking opportunities for Gold and Platinum guests allows guests to make reservations on new itineraries up to 5 days before they are open for booking to the general public. These advanced reservations are usually only necessary if you’re trying to book a Concierge stateroom for special cruises like Europe or Hawaii. The onboard reception is cool if you’re into meeting the officers (especially the cruise director) and other returning cruisers. The 10% off is nice in gift shops if you do a lot of shopping at sea. Now you might say, platinum members only get 2 exclusive perks for sailing over 10 times? That doesn’t seem like a lot; however, they’re some of the best perks. Priority check in is the only way to keep your time in the terminal very low. I have never experienced even a 1 person line when going though priority check in. Shoreside concierge members will have everything waiting and printed out upon you arrival. After the quick check-in, one of the shoreside concierge members will take you through a back door and straight up a priority access line where you get to not only bypass everyone waiting in line to board, but everyone waiting to have their family embarkation photo. If you want to stop and take the photo, you’ll be the next family to do so. Platinum members also receive a complimentary meal at Palo for all adults booked in his or her stateroom. If your cruise does offer brunch at Palo, you have the option of using your meal for brunch.

Let’s talk about Online Planning. As I mentioned above, Silver, Gold, and Platinum members are all allowed to start booking onboard reservations at 90, 105, and 120 days prior to sailing, respectively. Onboard reservations include: specialty dining, port adventures, spa and salon appointments, simulator reservations (Dream and Fantasy only), and nursery reservations. All Castaway Club members will also receive a lanyard reflecting their tier status upon check in at the cruise terminal.