Reviews of Disney Dream Overall Experience
Reviewed by JackM Review Date: 02/18/2011
Rating: (7) Recommended
Posted by: gardajohn Sun February 13, 2011 (moved to Disney Dream category)
Returned this morning from a 3 night cruise on the Disney Dream. The ship itself is fantastic and the staff are very warm and friendly. This was our first cruise. Having to pay for non-alcoholic beverages and snacks on all decks other than Deck 11 sometimes felt a little like Disney was nickel and diming us. It wouldn't hurt the cruise line to provide free popcorn for the shows rather than sell bags as they do. Also, I really didn't like having an automatic gratuity added at meal times when I ordered a glass of wine. We prepaid our gratuities and it felt somewhat over the top that the server who kept our water glasses full received an additional tip for bringing me one glass of wine.
Pros:
Beautiful ship (Disney Dream), the stateroom was lovely. We had one of "those" animated portholes and it was really terrific. Felt just like we really had a porthole except that Pluto and others would occasionally make an appearance.Cons:
Children's dinner menus were uninspired. Lines to be photographed with the characters were too long just like being at Disney World.Reviewed by JackM Review Date: 02/18/2011
Rating: (10) Recommended
Posted by: Ranger275 Fri February 11, 2011 (moved to Disney Dream category)
Just got back from a 4 day cruise on the Dream from Feb 6-10. It was amazing. The new ship is even better than the Magic and Wonder and I thought they were incredible. We have been on 5 cruises and this was the best yet.
We were told that all the restaurants were upgraded, and to us, they were. The food was great and they looked great as well. In fact, in the past, Palo just seemed so much better than the regular dinners but with the regular dinner restaurants being so much better, Palo while still great, didn't stand out as much. The new buffet is far better laid out and not nearly as crowded. The food was fantastic. This is one area that was just a lot better.
We were very impressed with the shows, even better with the new theatre. We didn't go to any movies in the new movie theatre, they just never seemed to work out time wise.
The shops, while carrying most of the same merchandise, were just amazing and looked great.
In the past, we always used the stairs, since you need the exercise after all the eating and it was faster. But now with the ship being so much bigger, we used the elevators a lot more. Our room was on the 2nd deck and to walk to the 11th was quite a climb.
Our room was a inside stateroom and we ended up with a handicap room which actually was great. It was bigger and more open and it was nice to have such a big bathroom. The virtual port hole was great even though the special guests on it were very rare. We did see Tinker Bell a few times. We just get inside staterooms since we are never in the room. We just save the money for other things on board.
The family and kid's pools are now together and that area is a mad house. We didn't bring our kids this time but it really makes that area loud and crowded.
The adult pool area right around the pool is smaller and shaded most of the day. They do have upper decks to use and they were great but you couldn't sit by the pool or in the pool at all and get sun. We just used the upper decks and had a great time.
They have given a pretty large area to just a teen area. Not sure why when they combined the kid's and family area and seemed to make the adult area smaller. But the teen area is large and very nice. If you were a teen you would be very happy to enjoy your area. We also looked at the kid's clubs and were very impressed. Even more to do and I almost wanted to stay and play.
The adult night club district is great and you have a large variety of clubs. This was Super Bowl weekend and it was very fun to watch the game with a lot of crazy fans. The ship had lots of parties going on for the game. Very beautiful areas to enjoy a drink
We were told that only 2,900 people were on board and the ship could hold 4,000 so it was nice not having it full.
The staff was great as always and we even ran into a few that we knew from before. We were told that have the staff is new and half from the other ships. I believe our server and definitely our asst server were new, not bad but not up to what we have had in the past.
The spa was beautiful and we used the Rain Forest room and had massages. I also used the work out room. The whole area was great though our massage wasn't as good as some we have had on the ship before. Locker rooms were great also.
Just an amazing ship! We loved it and booked another cruise for next year on board. It was hard to believe that they made it better but they did!
Pros:
Disney Dream, better food, just amazingCons:
adult poolReviewed by JackM Review Date: 02/18/2011
Rating: (10) Recommended
Posted by: ldeglian Wed February 2, 2011 (moved to Disney Dream category)
We sailed the maiden voyage of the Dream Jan 26-30. We had a fantastic time. While we are Disney cruise vets, it took us some time to figure out where things were and how to get there. We met up with crew we have met on other cruises and met some new folks as well. We were told that 50% of the crew is new and that was apparent as there were some minor issues with service and attention to detail that we hadn't seen on other cruises. In addition, there are some weird things to navigate--like getting to the aft elevator through Cabana's or getting to Palo and Remy, but overall, we loved the ship and can't wait to sail again!!
Pros:
Amazing ship!Cons:
Still working out some kinksReviewed by mickeymom5 Review Date: 04/07/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
This was my family's first cruise. It was everything we dreamed it would be. We had awesome servers: Tony and Guillame. The food was awesome! Castaway Cay was a great place. Our crab won the crab race! Woohoo! We didn't really care for Nassau. We just got off the ship and got back on so we could say we had been to the Bahamas. I wish Disney would stop somewhere else. The Mid-Ship Detective Agency game was a big hit with my six year old. She really enjoyed it. The pools were super crowded; even though it was really too cool to swim. Our stateroom was beautiful (6618)! We loved the verandah. All the common areas were beautiful...we will definitely be cruisin' again real soon!
Pros:
Everything!Cons:
small and crowded pools; tons of kids in the hot tubsReviewed by wattage Review Date: 04/11/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
My wife, daughter and I sailed on the Disney Dream on April 4, 2013 for a three day cruise to Nassau and Castaway Cay. We had cabin 7517 – an inside stateroom. My wife’s parents also sailed with us. We are DCV members and paid for our cruise with points.
Parking – There is ample parking at the terminal in the parking deck next to the ship. Regardless of where you park in the deck, you are only a short distance to the elevators or stairs. The deck is clean and seemed secure. I was very comfortable leaving the car. Parking is $15 per day for the deck and there is the option to park in an uncovered “preferred lot†for $20 more.
Boarding Process – Once you enter the terminal, you encounter security on the ground floor. Here you put your luggage through the x-ray machine and walk through a metal detector. This process took us a total of about 10 minutes – including waiting in line and screening.
Ticketing/Keys – Once through security you climb an escalator to the second floor of the terminal building and encounter Disney’s embarkation process. You enter a line based on your past Disney cruising experience. This was our first Disney cruise so we joined the longest line ïŒ. Even though the line was long, the wait was less than 10 minutes to get to a counter agent. Once all of our paperwork was reviewed, we received our “Keys.†With keys in hand, we got in the line to board the ship. This line did take a few minutes because you’re forced to take pictures before boarding the ship.
Once on Board – When you reach the ship, you are asked for your family’s name and they announce your arrival to everyone in the boarding area. Little kids seemed to be impressed, but most adults seemed to think it was a little hokie. The main boarding area is pure Disney – well themed and beautiful. A large statue of Admiral Donald Duck is in the lobby and everyone is trying to get their pictures with Donald. The six elevators in the main area are all crowed! We went further forward on the ship and found another set of elevators that no one seemed to be using and got on one within 30 seconds of pushing the elevator button. Staterooms are not available until 1:30 so I took my daughter to the teen club, and my wife took her parents to the Enchanted Garden for the lunch buffet.
From the time we parked, got out of the car, and walked on board the ship, it was about 35 minutes. We got there right at noon, and my in-laws were there at 11:00a.m. My in-laws said it took them about an hour to board.
Stateroom – Our stateroom was on deck seven closer the bow (forward) of the ship. The signage in the halls is easy to follow and well positioned throughout the ship. Our cabin had a queen bed with a fold out sofa bed and a fold down ceiling bunk bed. We did not use the bunk bed as my daughter used the sofa bed. There is plenty of storage space under the bed and in the closets. The bathroom was large enough so as not to make you feel claustrophobic. The bathroom had a bathtub that was not quite full sized, but was large enough to take a bath in if needed. Towels were very thick and changed every day by our cabin steward.
Food – The lunch buffet in the Enchanted Garden restaurant on Deck two was very good. The lamb chops were the best I’ve ever had!! There is rotational dinning on the Disney Dream – meaning that you eat at a different restaurant every night, but keep the same serving staff. Our first night was in the Enchanted Garden, second night was in the Royal Palace, and our third night was in the Animators Palate. The food was good, not great. The only real complaint I had was the escargot in the Royal Palace was way over cooked and was very tough – life chewing on a rubber ball. I could not eat any of the snails. So I asked for and received another appetizer. Service was excellent when we were at table #63, but when we changed to table #100, it was not as good. The last night, our server pressured us to provide only “excellent†ratings on the comment cards for her service.
Activities and Ports of Call – We stopped in Nassau and at Disney’s private island Castaway Cay. We went to the Pirates’ Museum in Nassau, after it stopped raining! The museum is a short walk from the ship and is well worth the time. We all enjoyed the museum’s exhibits –including the life sized pirate ship you get to walk through! Castaway Cay is a lovely beach island. Disney does a good job of providing enough beach chairs and floats for everyone. The only downer about Castaway Cay is the food – it’s bad. Way over cooked and bland - what I thought was a piece of chicken was actually a piece of over cooked fish. Even the hamburgers were over cooked and cold – could not even begin to melt the cheese on the cheese burgers. If we ever go back, we’ll come ashore after having our lunch on the ship. There are current movies shown in the movie theater. We saw “Oz the Great and Powerful†one afternoon. The Aquaduck water ride is not to be missed – it’s a complete blast for all ages. My wife and I rode it twice!! Lines can get long so go in the morning, or after 5:30pm.
Debarkation – The ship docks around 5:30am. Everyone is expected to be out of their cabins by 8:00am, and be off the ship by 9:00am. You have the option of carrying your own luggage off the ship, or having the porters take it to the terminal for you to find later. We chose to carry our own luggage and were we off the ship by 8:00am and in line for customs by 8:10am. Customs took a while as the lines were rather long. We were at our car in the parking garage by 8:45. Parking was $15 per day.
Pros:
Adult only areas, staff, Castaway CayCons:
Noise in main restaurantsReviewed by Lucijoy Review Date: 05/25/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
Just returned from the Mother's Day cruise on Dream. We had a wonderful experience. Got to the port around 11:30. As Castaway Club members we got right on. My parents were with us--first time with Disney but boarded maybe 5 minutes behind us. Had planned to head to Cabanas but when hubby asked CM for directions she told us to go to Enchanted Garden--Cabanas was full. Great suggestion and perfect timing! After a good lunch we explored the ship and found Vibe for 17-year old son. Got him checked in (they get a Vibe key card to replace KTTW card) and checked out the area--nice pools just for the teens. He enjoyed the first night get acquainted time and late-night dodgeball. He went to Vibe several times but did most things with the fam, mainly with older brother (22). 22-year old was caught in the gap--young singles group is 18-21; not into clubbing and bar. But he found enough to do that he is interested in going again with friends. Glad the boys had each other. Had no problems or delays getting into our stateroom (6150). My parents were happy with their inside stateroom. Although we had different dinner times (by choice due to personal schedule differences), we were still able to do a lot together. Dining was wonderful! Loved all of the MDRs. Animator's Palate on the Dream is greatly improved from the Magic. Nothing but praise for the shows and movies (theater does get cold!) and AquaDuck is fantastic! Great time to go is during port days. I can't think of anything that would have made it better. Looking forward to checking out the Fantasy in September 2014!
Pros:
Beautiful, magicalCons:
Hard to navigate through Shutters especially later in the tripReviewed by GregMV Review Date: 06/27/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
Just returned on a great cruise on the Disney Dream. Everything went perfect. I don't understand some of the reviews that degrade the ship and crew. I guess if the world doesn't revolve around them, they aren't happy.
Pros:
AllCons:
NoneReviewed by fluffy30 Review Date: 09/08/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
We just returned from our first Disney cruise on the Dream and had a wonderful time. Husband and I sailed with our three sons (16,4,4) and we all agreed it was the perfect vacation. The ship was immaculate and the staff were amazing. From cleaners, guest services, dining rooms to security everyone was helpful and courteous. I was particularly amazed when one of our twins got lost in Cabanas and upon approaching a staff member there was an immediate jump into action and with one call staff everywhere were looking for him. He was found within a few minuets. It was handled with care and professionalism. Disney knows how to take care of every detail and we will be cruising with them again soon.
Pros:
Wonderful CruiseCons:
NoneReviewed by Dawnmh Review Date: 03/04/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
We have just returned from a Feb. 3 night cruise on the Dream. It was our first cruise and we could not have asked for a greater time!
The staff was more than great! So attentive and friendly! The ship was super clean and comfortable. The check in and boarding process was a breeze! I definitely recommend the online check in prior to getting there it makes it speedy. I would have liked someone taking a picture as you walked in and they announced your name, I'm sure my little boy's face was precious, an expression that's a once in a lifetime.
We had a cat 4E room with a larger balcony and it was wonderful! Perfect amt of space. Again, I would love a complete smoke free cruise, it was annoying to try to enjoy the outside and smell smoke from another balcony. I was afraid of the bathroom sizes but they were great! With the split baths, I didn't even notice they were smaller! Loved the storage under the bed too.
Our room host was great! Always there when we needed him or just a friendly face to say hi when you walked by!
I loved that I picked a floor that was not totally all rooms. I think it kept traffic down and it felt very private.
The dinners were good and I did like that the wait staff followed you through the different restaurants, it was very personal. You were seated at the same table number every night which was easy to remember. The food was good in the dining rooms, not excellent but good. I loved the potato soup at Artists Palate and the next night our server even got it for me, it wasn't even on the menu.
Lots of characters to see but the experiences were very short and limited. I thought that there may be roaming characters throughout the day for chance encounters but none of that. Make sure you get in line 15-30 m before the character is supposed to be there bc they cut off the line at a certain point. They have the times spread out during the day but not enough spread. Plus the pirate dressed ones only come out on the pirate day and in limited times. How about characters at the dinners? The longer cruises include a character breakfast, why not a character dinner on the shorter ones?
My only major complaint was the photos. What a rip off! Come on Disney, if I can get all my photopass pics(that are a greater amt of photos) on a disc for less than 175, then the limited amt of photos from the cruise should be affordable. We had two staterooms and we couldn't get the cheapest package (10 photos) bc there has to be someone from the stateroom ordering it in each pic and we had one of just my parents alone! Ridiculous! I paid the bill for both staterooms! I felt really let down by this bc pictures are the only permanently captured memories, at least make them affordable! Very disappointing!
I would definitely do another cruise but the one that stops twice at Castaway Cay. Nassau was a waste!
Pros:
Wonderful experience!Cons:
Stopping at nassauReviewed by TRACY225 Review Date: 08/15/2014
Rating: (2) Not Recommended
Would never recommend this Cruise Line for any families with autistic children. We have two boys who love Disney and our family loves cruises. Those are our two vacations of choice. So we thought this would be an amazing experience and I literally cried the whole time because our boys could not enjoy the children's deck that is dedicated to kids.... and that has all the cool fun stuff that is advertised that the boys wanted to do. PARENTS ARE NOT ALLOWED 🙁 They simply cannot be left there without us due to their disability and would not go with a cast member. So that ONE day for about an hour that we could "visit" and check it out was very upsetting for me. Our boys LOVED it there but yet after that hour could not and would not return on their own. I think it is ridiculous that parents cannot enjoy all those activities with their kids. This was the worst family vacation we have ever taken. Like I said I cried and was very disappointed that we spent more on a 5 night cruise ($5000) that was a waste of time (for our family) than we did coming up in September at the Disney Parks for 7 nights ($4000). Disney please have exceptions for kids with disabilities such as autism where parents can go to that whole floor dedicated to the kids at ANY TIME during the cruise. I honestly felt ripped off and almost called to get some money back.....it really was not fun and not Disney to us 🙁
