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Disney Wonder Cruise Ship: Complete Guide

The Disney Wonder Cruise Ship has been part of Disney’s fleet since in 1999. Guests sailing on this vessel will find luxurious staterooms, lots of food, and of course, beloved Disney Characters. Here’s our complete guide to everything you’ll find onboard this magnificent ship.

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In This Guide:

• Ship Overview
• Rotational Dining
• Adult-Exclusive Dining
• Casual Dining
• Lounges, Bars & Snacks
• Room Service
• Pools & Splash Pads
• Oceaneer Club
• Oceaneer Lab
• Broadway-Style Shows
• Themed Nights
• Spa & Salons
• Itineraries & Ports
• Deck-By-Deck Guide
• How To Book

Disney Wonder Ship Overview

Image © Disney

The Disney Wonder is part of the original set of two ships that Disney Cruise Line built in the late 1990s. With a focus on family-friendly entertainment rather than belly flop contests and onboard casinos , Disney Cruise Line set a new standard that some other cruise lines are still trying to catch up to a quarter-century later. Despite the ship’s age, Disney Wonder continues to receive regular updates and improvements, including an extensive dry dock refurbishment in 2016.

The ship boasts a streamlined look that reminds passengers of the grand early oceanliners — but with a classic black, yellow, red, and white color scheme that immediately suggests the iconic Mickey Mouse. An image of Mickey as Steamboat Willie adorns the bow of the ship.

Bow artwork on the Disney Wonder

In back, you’ll see Donald hanging on makeshift scaffolding and trying to paint the ship’s logo on the stern. It’s going about as well as you’d expect.

How Does Disney Wonder Compare to Other Disney Cruise Ships?

The Disney Wonder is a sister ship to the Disney Magic ; the two ships are generally the same in terms of construction (though similar areas on each ship are themed differently from one another). As the original ships in the fleet, they also happen to be the smallest.

There are more new Disney Cruise ships being built , but all of them will be larger than the Disney Wonder.

One notable difference is that the Disney Wonder is the only current Disney Cruise ship which doesn’t have its own water “ride” (such as the AquaDunk, AquaDuck, or AquaMouse found on other ships). But there are still pools and a standard waterslide onboard.

Should I Pick the Disney Wonder Instead of a Larger Ship?

It’s really a matter of personal preference, but my wife and I prefer smaller ships such as the Disney Wonder because they’re just easier to get around while onboard. Remember — you’re walking to everything on the ship, and on the Wonder there’s never more than a 5-10 minute walk from your stateroom to the restaurants, theatres, and pools.

Compare that to a larger ship such as the Disney Dream, where you’ll likely need a bit more time to walk from one part of the ship to the other. And since the larger ships have more decks than the smaller ones, you might find yourself spending more time waiting on elevators as opposed to just using the staircases for a quick jaunt.

This smaller ship is also able to visit ports that are inaccessible to larger ships; that means it’s able to do things the bigger ships can’t, such as sailing right through a narrow Alaskan fjord and getting tantalizingly close to a giant glacier!

At the moment, the Wonder is the only Disney ship offering certain itineraries  such as Alaska or Hawaii; that alone could make your choice for you if you have a particular destination in mind.

Otherwise, if this will be your first time taking a Disney Cruise , a smaller ship like the Wonder might be a better bet versus a larger ship like the Disney Dream , Disney Fantasy , or Disney Wish . It’ll let you “ease into” cruising with Disney without getting completely overwhelmed.

But don’t fret too much over the choice; whatever you pick, you’re going to have a great time. Most of the Disney ships still have relatively equal offerings despite size differences. As an example, the Wonder (smaller) and Fantasy (larger) both have a number of main restaurants plus adult-exclusive dining, a night club district, kids clubs, a spa, and live shows — but there are some differences in size, layout, and theming. The larger ships might have more of each, but the overall experience is very similar.

Jump To: Overview   |  Staterooms   |  Dining   |  Water Fun   |  Kids Clubs   |  Entertainment   |  Spa & Salons   |  Itineraries & Ports   |  Deck-by-Deck   |  Fact Sheet   |  How To Book

Disney Wonder Staterooms

Your stateroom (passenger cabin) is your hotel room onboard the Disney Wonder. It’s where you’ll sleep and spend most of your private time, so picking the right room is important. The type of room you choose is also one of the biggest factors in the price of a Disney cruise , because the per-person cost can increase based on the category picked.

The Disney Wonder has 875 passenger staterooms, and most of them offer some type of outside view (via either a verandah balcony or porthole windows). There are four main types of rooms on the ship; each of those four types is then further divided into multiple categories and subcategories.

Here is a brief look at the types of rooms you can choose from. We’ve listed them here generally from cheapest to most expensive, though there may be some price overlap. You are usually able to choose the exact room you’ll stay in on the ship — check out our complete guide to Disney Cruise staterooms  for more information.

Inside Staterooms on Disney Wonder

Inside Stateroom; note the round mirror in place of a porthole | Image © Disney

Inside Staterooms are just that — completely inside. They have no porthole window and no balcony. On the Disney Wonder, you’ll find a round mirror that sort of looks like a porthole, but it only offers views of yourself staring back.

This stateroom type has standard and deluxe variations. The standard is the smallest onboard (but still larger than on some other cruise lines) and has a single bathroom; the deluxe is slightly larger and has a split bathroom (toilet/sink in a separate room from the shower/sink).

• 11C:   Deck 2
• 11B:   Decks 5, 6
• 11A:   Decks 6, 7
• 10C:   Decks 1, 2
• 10B:   Deck 2
• 10A:   Decks 5, 6, 7

Split bathroom configuration on Disney Wonder | Image © Disney

Oceanview Staterooms on Disney Wonder

A typical Oceanview Stateroom configuration on Disney Wonder | Image © Disney

Oceanview staterooms offer an outside view through one or two round porthole windows which do not open. Window sizes vary, but larger windows are more common than smaller windows. The smallest windows are on Deck 1.

• 9D:   Deck 1
• 9C:   Deck 2
• 9B:   Deck 2
• 9A:   Decks 5, 6, 7

Category 9D Oceanview Stateroom with two smaller porthole windows | Image © Disney

Verandah Staterooms on Disney Wonder

A typical stateroom verandah on a Disney cruise ship | Image © Disney

Verandah staterooms are the most popular room types onboard, with a private balcony just outside your stateroom. Most verandahs offer see-through railings with a clear safety plexiglass covering, but a few categories have solid metal walls or are completely enclosed except for an open-air cut-out.

• 7A:   Decks 5, 6, 7, 8
• 6A:   Decks 5, 6, 7
• 5C:   Decks 5, 6
• 5B:   Decks 6, 7
• 5A:   Deck 7
• 4E:   Deck 8
• 4B:   Deck 8
• 4A:   Deck 8

Category 7A Enclosed Navigator’s Verandah with Open-Air Cutout | Image © Disney

Category 6A Whitewall Verandah | Image © Disney

Concierge Staterooms on Disney Wonder

Concierge One-Bedroom Suite | Image © Disney

As the priciest staterooms on the Disney Wonder, the Concierge categories offer additional personalized perks , access to concierge staff, and an exclusive lounge and sun deck that’s accessible only to passengers in these categories.

• 3A:   Deck 8
• 2B:   Deck 8
• 2A:   Deck 8
• 1B:   Deck 8
• 1A:   Deck 8

Need Help Choosing Your Stateroom?

Trust the Disney cruise experts at The Vacationeer  for free, personalized advice on the different staterooms on the Disney Wonder.  The Vacationeer is an Earmarked Diamond level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner and has helped plan thousands of Disney Cruises for families just like yours!

When you book with The Vacationeer , you’ll have a  dedicated travel planner from start to finish — you’ll never have to play phone roulette and explain your situation to twelve different people in a giant call center! Your Vacationeer will make sure that you get your money’s worth by finding the best stateroom at the best price — they know all the ways to save money on Disney Cruises !

The Vacationeer can even help you set up a zero-interest payment plan that usually requires only a preliminary deposit to book , followed by payments on your own schedule (just pay in full by Disney’s final payment deadline ahead of the cruise).

They even offer a generous onboard credit that can be used toward your purchases on the ship. And best of all, their planning services are free !

So take advantage of free booking help from a Disney Cruise expert — contact The Vacationeer today for a free, no-obligation quote on your dream Disney Cruise!

Disney Wonder Dining and Lounges

The dining experience on the Disney Wonder includes three delightful main restaurants, an adult-exclusive dining location, several quick-service options, and even free room service! Here’s everything you need to know about dining onboard the Disney Wonder.

Rotational Dining Restaurants on Disney Wonder

The heart of the Disney Cruise Line dining experience is its nightly dinner service. And on the Disney Wonder (like all Disney Cruise Ships), dinner is scheduled through something called rotational dining . You’re pre-scheduled to visit a different restaurant each night — no need to make a reservation ahead of time — but you’ll still have the same servers each night.

Your cruise fare includes dinner at these three restaurants at no additional charge.

• Animator’s Palate

A screen at Animator’s Palate | Image © Disney

Animator’s Palate is one of the most popular dining experiences throughout the Disney Cruise fleet, and the Disney Wonder is no exception. Repeat cruisers love its menu, and its whimsical and lively atmosphere is pure Disney.

Popular menu items here include one of my favorites, the black truffle pasta purseittes (I sometimes ask for a double helping — you can do that at no additional charge!). My wife enjoys their butternut squash soup. Other offerings include wild mushroom risotto, a polenta cake with tomato and mushrooms, beef tenderloin, and a lemon-thyme marinated chicken. There are plenty of other options, too, most inspired by the cuisines of California, Asia, and the Pacific.

As good as the food is, the real highlight of dinner here is a tribute to the art of animation. A finale show called Drawn to Magic tells the story of how an animated feature goes from early sketches to a full-fledged film. The dining room itself — and your servers — even take on a bit more color during the dinner service, which includes a special visit from Sorcerer Mickey.

On longer cruises, you might also experience Animation Magic , a different show which allows you to draw your own character and see it animated on the screens during the show! You’ll start by drawing your character on a special paper placemat which is whisked away before service begins; then later in the evening, Sorcerer Mickey does his stuff and your drawing leaps off the page and into motion!

My drawing (left) dances on-screen with other Guest-drawn cartoons at Animator’s Palate

Clearly I won’t be winning any awards, but it was still fun to see my name in the credits at the end of the show.

I made it, ma!

Triton’s is located immediately off the main atrium lobby of the ship, just behind the statue of Ariel. As you’d expect, the restaurant is themed to The Little Mermaid , though elegantly so.

For those feeling a bit adventurous, try the escargot. It doesn’t cost anything extra so you’re not out any money if you hate it — and you might be as surprised as I was to learn that you love it and want to order it on every cruise! If you’d rather stick with Les Poissons , there’s an oven-baked salmon. You might also find chilled jumbo shrimp, a crispy roasted duck breast, and other tempting entrees on the menu. Finish your meal with a dessert of the ever-popular Grand Marnier soufflé or the Instagram-worthy (though admittedly a bit underwhelming taste-wise) Apple Tarte Tatin.

Outside of dinner service, Triton’s is also the non-buffet option for breakfast (French Toast, omelets, crepes) and lunch (whitefish, pork ribs, chicken breast) on most days.

• Tiana’s Place

She’s no longer just almost there — she’s made it! This lively restaurant celebrates Tiana’s journey to becoming a restaurant owner with New Orleans décor and great live jazz music and storytelling. While it’s not quite a full-fledged character dining experience , you’ll still have a chance to see Tiana and possibly say hi to her on the way in. And don’t be surprised if you see a certain musical gator galivanting about!

The menu is a tribute to southern cuisine and the flavor of Louisiana. Try the New Orleans seafood pepper pot, shrimp jambalaya, and Cajun-spiced sea bass — or steer your way toward milder fare. Dessert includes Tiana’s famous beignets and a chocolate bread pudding.

Adult-Exclusive Dining on the Disney Wonder

The Adult-Exclusive offerings onboard Disney Wonder include a famed Italian restaurant that many repeat cruisers swear by.

Palo is the perfect spot for a memorable meal featuring fine Italian food. Giant windows allow you to gaze at the moonlight reflecting on the ocean surface as your tastebuds are tempted by the restaurant’s bill of fare.

Dinner menu items at this specialty dining location include dover sole (fileted tableside), butternut agnolotti, and seared sea scallops. The restaurant’s signature chocolate soufflé is a popular finish to your meal.

A tremendously-popular brunch service is also typically offered on Sea Days, but it can be tough to snag reservations. Try to book book as early as your onboard booking window allows .

Dining at Palo requires an upcharge, around $45 as of June 2023. Adding a wine pairing costs a bit more.

Casual Dining on the Disney Wonder

Breakfast and lunch onboard your Disney cruise ship is usually a casual affair – and there are even low-key options for dinner.

Cabanas is the buffet-style restaurant onboard the Disney Wonder, which offers an eclectic menu featuring great tastes from around the globe.

At breakfast, you’ll be able to pick your favorites from nearly a dozen different food stations. There are plenty of ready-made options such as Mickey Waffles, eggs, sausage, and bacon; you can also opt to spend a few minutes to allow the professional Omeleteer to whip up a custom omelet just for you, filled with the ingredients you selectr.

Thanks to the cruise line’s international clientele, you’ll also find some breakfast offerings not typically found here in the states — rice, miso soup, smoked fish, and such. For me, this is a fun way to step out of my eggs-and-bacon comfort zone and start my day with something I can’t easily find stateside such as a bowl of muesli (“fresh” granola) topped with fruits, nuts, and grains.

Lunch at Cabanas is an ever-changing mix of menu-items. Typical choices include: a wide array of freshly-grilled meats; a carving station featuring selections such as prime rib, roast beef, or ham; jumbo iced shrimp and crab claws; sandwiches and wraps; pizza; and plenty of desserts such as cakes, pie, cheesecake, and hand-dipped ice cream.

Cabanas is also open for dinner, offering an alternative for those who want to skip their assigned rotational dining for the evening. Dinner is table service — not buffet-style — with a somewhat limited menu of items such as salmon, chicken, steak, and the like.

Lounges, Bars, and Snacks on the Disney Wonder

There’s always a place to grab a quick bite to eat or a refreshing drink onboard Disney Wonder. Here are just a few highlights:

Dance the night away at Azure, the Disney Wonder’s liveliest night club in the heart of the After Hours district onboard. Earlier in the day, all are welcome to enjoy family-friendly activities. In the evening, it’s adults-only featuring specialty cocktails and an energetic nightlife.

• Beverage Station

Most non-alcoholic drinks are included in the cost of your cruise, so there’s no need to purchase a drink package if you just want a soda, tea, coffee, milk, or water. This soda station near the pool offers unlimited free self-serve drinks all day long.

• Cadillac Lounge

Classic Hollywood, classic cars, and live piano combine to bring back the 50s in this moody hideaway. You can practically hear Frankie and Dino warming up.

This adults-only lounge serves specialty coffees and teas by day. At night, enjoy cocktails, wine, and a light nosh.

• Crown & Fin Pub

Settle into this traditional English public house for a lively evening of drink and fun. Catch the latest sports via live TV (when available) while quaffing your choice of more than a dozen beer choices (including some British favorites) or other specialty beverages.

D Lounge is a family-friendly venue that hosts interactive entertainment for everyone. Play trivia here, sing Karaoke, or enjoy a live game show.

Daisy’s De-Lites, Pete’s Boiler Bites, and Pinocchio’s Pizzeria

These poolside quick service windows offer grab-&-go goodies. Pizza, hamburgers & hot dogs, tacos, sandwiches, chicken tenders, and other quick bites are on the menu here.

• Eye Scream Treats

Cool down with all-you-can eat soft-serve ice cream from this popular location. I personally can rarely pass by here without grabbing a cone, no matter how full I am.

• French Quarter Lounge

Not far from Tiana’s Place is French Quarter Lounge, a unique location with décor that includes a New Orleans street car. A gazebo stage and wrought-iron accents combine with hot music and hot beignets to complete the Louisiana theme. Kids are welcome earlier in the day to enjoy family-friendly games and character visits.

Room Service on the Disney Wonder Cruise Ship

Many passengers are surprised to learn that Room Service is included in the cost of your Disney Cruise.

The standard Room Service menu on the Disney Wonder includes selections such as soups & salads, hamburgers & sandwiches, flatbreads, pasta, and chicken tenders. You can also select from a few desserts, such as the cake-of-the-day and the ever-popular Mickey’s Premium Ice Cream bar.

I usually get an order of hot wings, though the journey they take from the galley to my room sometimes leaves them a bit less crispy than I’d like. I’m also fond of the All Hands on Deck , a plate of assorted cheese, fruit, and crackers that makes an enjoyable snack while sitting on my verandah watching the ocean roll by.

While all of the above is included at no additional cost, you will have to pay extra for specialty items such as beer, wine, canned soft drinks, deluxe coffees, juices, and pre-packaged snacks/candies.

Also don’t forget to tip the crew member who delivers the food to your room.

Best Bets for Each Meal on Disney Wonder

Below we list each of the main meal periods onboard the ship, and your best options for each.

• Primary option: Cabanas is the best breakfast spot onboard thanks to its long hours, wide selection of food, and all-you-care-to-eat atmosphere. It’s not a quiet meal by any stretch, but given that almost everything is hot and ready on the buffet, you can quickly eat here and move on to a quiet lounge chair in no time flat.
• Secondary option: One of the three rotational restaurants (typically Triton’s) usually offers a table-service breakfast most days, complete with a server who will bring your food and keep your drinks topped off. Although Cabanas will have a wider variety to choose from, dining here instead allows for a much more relaxed start to your day.
• Other options: Room Service has a breakfast option, but you’ll need to pre-order it the night before and choose from an extremely limited menu. The offerings are more along the lines of a continental breakfast (juices, coffees, pastries, cold cereals), with no real “hot breakfast” (no eggs, bacon, sausage, or oatmeal).
• Primary option: Cabanas is the best lunch option (and the most crowded) due to its tremendous selection. Iced jumbo shrimp and crab claws are a signature menu item most days; you’ll also find freshly grilled meats, a wide variety of side items, some interesting international selections, and plenty of dessert. Snag a table outside on the deck to enjoy a beautiful seaside lunch.
• Secondary option: The food service windows on the pool deck are a great option at any time of day, especially if you’re enjoying the day poolside. You don’t even need to change out of your sopping-wet swimsuit to grab a meal. These windows are usually open well after Cabanas has stopped serving lunch, so they’re a great late afternoon option.
• Other options : Triton’s usually serves a lunch option on most days if you want a sit-down meal but don’t want to wade through the crowds at Cabanas. Room Service is another good option.
• Primary option: Your assigned rotational dining restaurant is your best bet for dinner. Dining at these locations is the highlight of each day onboard the ship, thanks to the themed menus, specialty décor, and personalized service from a dedicated wait staff who remains with you each night of the cruise. (They’re likely to become your favorite Crew Members onboard — Katie and I still talk about Potchara and Heny, our servers from a 2019 Alaska Cruise on the Disney Wonder).
• Secondary option: As an alternative to your pre-scheduled rotational dining restaurant, you might opt to dine at Cabanas, which is totally different at night. While breakfast and lunch there can feel a bit hectic, Dinner at Cabanas is much more relaxed. No carrying around your plate and searching for a seat — a server presents you with a menu and brings food to you. This is a great option if the menu for one of your assigned restaurants doesn’t look that appealing to you, or if you’re not keen on dressing up for Formal Night.
• Other options: Many cruisers enjoy dedicating at least one night of their cruise to an adult-exclusive meal at Palo. Otherwise, room service and the poolside quick-service windows are a good choice.

Off-Hours Eating and Snacking

• Primary option: For cravings outside the main meal periods, I recommend the quick-service windows such as Pete’s Boiler Bites, Daisy’s De-Lites, and Pinocchio’s Pizzeria. Their grab-and-go convenience makes them a great choice to tide you over between meals. Individual portions are a bit smaller so you won’t spoil your dinner (unless you want to, because it’s still all-you-can-eat).
• Secondary option: Room Service is available day and night, up until about 1:30 AM on the last morning of your cruise. So if it’s 3AM and you suddenly find yourself in desperate need of a hamburger, it’s the only way to go. As a slightly less extreme example, there’s something delightful about having warm cookies and milk delivered to your room just before bedtime.

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Disney Wonder Pools and Water Slides

Twist ’n’ Spout Water Slide

Part of the AquaLab (see below), Twist ‘n’ Spout is a bright yellow double-looping waterslide. You’ll twist and turn over almost 250 feet before a thrilling splashdown. Guests must be at least 38” tall to ride, and adult supervision is required for kids under age 16.

Pools and Splash Pads

This multi-level water playground is a great place for kids to cool off during their cruise. It includes a small wading pool, plenty of geysers and pop jets, pouring “paint” cans and showerheads, leaky pipes, and Donald’s Boiler (a character-shaped contraption that occasionally blows its top, drenching everyone). Intended for ages 3+; adult supervision required for those under age 16.

Goofy’s Pool

Goofy’s Pool on deck 9 serves as the family pool onboard and is the ship’s largest pool area. The giant FunnelVision video screen and a large stage are nearby, so there’s always something to enjoy while swimming. Intended for ages 3+ (must be toilet trained), with adult supervision required for those under age 16. This pool is occasionally closed so it can be covered and used as additional deck space for the sail-away party and other major events.

• Dory’s Reef

Toddlers aged 3 years or younger can enjoy this 400-foot splash deck featuring spraying water and pop jets. Swim diapers are required, and children must be supervised by an adult.

Quiet Cove Pool

A serene oasis for ages 18+. A pool and whirlpool tubs are the main features, along with ample lounging space and easy access to the adult beverage of your choice.

Disney Wonder Kids Clubs and Teen Clubs

You might be surprised by how much time your kids will want to spend away from you during your Disney Cruise! One of the main reasons Disney Cruise Line is the best cruise line for kids is its fantastic youth activities spaces, including a substantial portion of Deck 5 which is dedicated solely to passengers under the age of 12.

• Disney’s Oceaneer Club

The Oceaneer Club is the place where your kids will likely spend a large amount of their time onboard. This secure facility is accessible only to kids aged 3-10 and trained youth activities staff (though adults are welcome to visit during established Open House hours). Inside, kids will find specially-themed spaces and kid-friendly activities. Best of all, it’s all included in the cost of your Disney cruise!

Andy’s Room

Kids are immersed in the world of Disney·Pixar’s Toy Story movies in this unique multi-level play area including the Slinky Dog Slide.

Marvel Super Hero Academy

Kids visit a top-secret S.H.I.E.L.D. facility, and learn to summon their inner Super Hero. There’s plenty of time for freeform play, with occasional structured activities including visits and training with real Super Heroes.

Disney Junior Area

A favorite of younger Oceaneers, the Disney Junior area features games, characters, and more.

Frozen Adventures

Join Olaf for games and activities celebrating Summer, or prepare for the royal coronation with Anna and Elsa!

• Disney’s Oceaneer Lab

The Oceaneer Lab offers hands-on activities and experiences for kids ages 3-10. It’s connected by an internal hallway to the Oceaneer Club, so it’s easy for kids to swap between the two.

Animator’s Studio

Learn how to draw your favorite Disney characters – or just entertain your own creative instincts.

Anyone Can Cook

Learn how to measure and mix ingredients and bake a batch of fresh chocolate-chip cookies.

Captain’s Workshop

Enjoy movies and video games in a spacious play area.

Pluto’s Pajama Party

This slumber party with Mickey’s pup pal Pluto is sure to be a hit.

Stitch’s Space Goo

Join Experiment 626 and the professor to make a batch of intergalactic ooze.

The Wheelhouse

Take the wheel of a large video screen navigation simulator and see if you have what it takes to steer a Disney Cruise Ship.

Tweens and young teens – ages 11 to 14 – have a space all to themselves onboard the Disney Wonder. Edge is the perfect place to relax thanks to its moody boiler room feel. There’s a huge 98″ video screen for watching Disney movies, a dance floor, plus plenty of video games and crafts. A mix of planned activities and unstructured free time leaves plenty of opportunities for socializing.

Climb right inside one of the Disney Wonder’s iconic red smokestack funnels to reach this teens-only retreat. Passengers aged 14 to 17 can enjoy a specialty coffee or smoothie while relaxing with newfound friends in a safe environment. For techy types, there are plenty of TVs, video games, and tablets. Meanwhile, active teens will enjoy dance parties, karaoke sessions, and group activities.

it’s a small world nursery!

While there’s no in-room babysitting on the Disney Wonder, infants and toddlers aged three and younger are well-cared-for onboard thanks to the it’s a small world nursery!

Youth counselors will happily feed, change, and interact with the little ones while parents and guardians enjoy other parts of the ship.

This nursery service does require a nominal fee, charged by the half-hour with a one-hour minimum. Discounts are available for multiple children in the same family.

Advanced reservations are strongly recommended.

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Disney Wonder Entertainment and Activities

With live Broadway-style shows and lively deck parties, the Disney Wonder offers a wide variety of onboard entertainment.

Broadway-Style Shows in the Walt Disney Theatre

Each night of your cruise, you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy a live show in the beautiful Walt Disney Theatre. The nearly-1,000-seat theatre hosts three Broadway-style shows during your cruise, with showtimes offered opposite your dinner time; if you have early dinner, you’ll catch the late show… and vice versa. You can even watch a recorded version of the shows on your stateroom television if you don’t want to head to the theatre at showtime.

Passengers on longer voyages will also enjoy other additions such as a magician, hypnotist, or family-friendly comedian on nights when the Broadway-style shows are dark.

Disney Dreams – An Enchanted Classic

A touching tale of a young girl at the age of not believing – follow along as she learns how to believe in herself thanks to the power of positive thinking along with some help from favorite Disney characters and memorable music.

Frozen – A Musical Spectacular

A lively musical retelling of Anna and Elsa’s journey. Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf are all here to join in the adventure, and of course all the familiar songs are there, too.

The Golden Mickeys

It’s awards night with all the glitz and glamor of the red carpet. Who will win “Most Romantic” or “Most Heroic”? And more importantly, who will host the show? The emcee is missing! Something tells me it’ll all get sorted out in the nick of time, and we might even learn a little bit about believing in ourselves along the way. Featuring songs from about a dozen different Disney films, this show is a fan favorite that’s sure to have you humming along.

Special Themed Nights and Deck Parties

Frozen night.

Select 7-night sailings on the Disney Wonder include a Frozen-themed evening, complete with special menus inside the dining rooms, an Anna’s Chocolate Chase scavenger hunt, and a Freezing the Night Away deck party.

Pirates in the Caribbean Deck Party with Fireworks

Some itineraries may include a Pirate night. Enjoy a special themed menu at dinner, then head up to the pool deck for a raucous live show with favorite Disney characters and fireworks at sea!

Note: not every itinerary offers a pirate night, and fireworks may be canceled due to weather. Pirate night is  never offered on Alaskan sailings due to the fireworks’ impact on wildlife and the natural surroundings.

PIXAR Pals Party

Found only onboard Alaska sailings on the Wonder (in place of Pirate Night), this party features character greetings and lively music from your favorite Disney•PIXAR films.

Disney Movies in the Buena Vista Theatre

First-run and classic favorite Disney, Marvel, PIXAR, and LucasFilm movies are shown all day long in the Buena Vista Theatre. There’s no need to buy a ticket – just drop in at showtime and grab a seat.

If your cruise falls during the premiere of a highly-anticipated Disney film, there will likely be a huge “PremEAR at Sea” showing first in the Walt Disney Theatre. After that, it’ll be shown repeatedly in the Buena Vista Theatre for the remainder of the cruise.

Disney Wonder Spas and Salons

Disney Wonder offers a full-service spa onboard the ship, plus many other health and wellness services to help you melt away the troubles of the real world during your cruise.

Senses Spa and Salon

Pamper yourself like no place else at Senses Spa & Salon onboard the Disney Wonder. Choose from a comprehensive spa menu , salon services, or rejuvenation procedures at this restful retreat on Deck 9. Offerings include aroma stone therapy, deep tissue massage, Swedish massage, facials, acupuncture, teeth whitening, shampooing & cut/style, manipedis, CoolSculpting, and more. Complimentary non-alcoholic beverages, sandals & robes, showers, and lockers complete the package. Services here require an upcharge.

This special area of Senses offers treatments exclusively for teens aged 13-17. A parent or guardian must accompany the teen for the duration of the treatment, and parent/teen combined services can be purchased if desired.

Fitness Center

Keep up your workout routine even while you’re on vacation with the Disney Wonder’s Fitness Center. Those looking for an equipment-based workout will find a nice selection of weight machines, cardio equipment, ellipticals, and treadmills. For a group experience, try yoga, Pilates, or an aerobics class. You can even arrange for a one-on-one analysis and training session with a professional personal coach.

• Walking/Jogging Track

The Deck 4 promenade of the Disney Wonder serves as a full-circle walking/jogging track. Although I’m no runner, I do enjoy a leisurely walk here at least once per cruise to help break up that sense of “only short bursts of activity” that can set in on a longer sailing. Being on Deck 4 gives you a close-up view of the water — close enough to notice, perhaps, a porpoise breaching the surface. That makes this deck not only a great place to exercise, but also a great place to relax in a deck chair.

Deck 4 Promenade

A nice side bonus of this track is that as you make the turn to circle around to reach the opposite side of the ship, you’ll get a look at some of the mechanical wizardry that keeps the ship functioning. For someone like me who loves behind-the-scenes gadgetry, it’s a neat perk that helps to nudge me out onto the track.

Heavy Machinery

Psst… here’s my favorite super secret tip for the Disney Wonder : if you’re on a glacier day during an Alaska cruise and find that the decks are too crowded to get a good view, take the walking path on deck 4 and head toward the back of the ship. As the path transitions from an open promenade to an enclosed area behind the metal walls of the ship, you’ll encounter several giant open air portholes that offer a great view. Few folks know they’re here, so there’s rarely any “competition” for a spot. Don’t tell anyone! 😉

Look, ma! No tourists!

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Disney Wonder Itineraries and Home Ports

The Disney Wonder is on track to become one of the most widely-traveled Disney cruise ships, visiting Hawaii, Alaska, Australia, and New Zealand.

Disney Wonder has a busy schedule of cruises in 2024 .

• January to early February: Australia / New Zealand Cruises from Melbourne and Sydney
• Mid-February to mid-March: A South Pacific Cruise from Sydney to Honolulu, a Hawaiian Cruise from Honolulu to Vancouver, and a Pacific Coast Cruise from Vancouver to San Diego
• Mid-March to mid-May: Baja, Mexican Riviera, and Pacific Coast cruises from San Diego
• Mid-May to late-September: Alaska Cruises from Vancouver
• Late-September to late-October: A Hawaiian cruise from Vancouver to Honolulu, followed by a South Pacific cruise from Honolulu to Brisbane
• Late-October to end of year: Australia / New Zealand Cruises from Brisbane, Auckland, Melbourne, and Sydney

Here’s a look at the 2025 Disney Cruises onboard the Disney Wonder announced so far. Sail dates for September 23 and beyond have not yet been released.

• January to mid-February: Australia / New Zealand Cruises from Sydney and Melbourne
• Mid-February to early March: South Pacific cruise from Sydney to Honolulu, followed by a Hawaiian Cruise from Honolulu to Vancouver then a Pacific Coast Cruise from Vancouver to San Diego
• Early March to early May: Baja, Mexican Riviera, and Pacific Coast Cruises from San Diego
• Early May to late September: Alaska Cruises from Vancouver
• Late September and beyond: Not yet released

Find a Cruise Near You and Secure the Best Possible Rate

Disney Wonder Deck-by-Deck

Here’s a look at what’s located on each deck of the Disney Wonder.

• Health Center
• Tender Lobbies (ship exit at ports of call)
• Category 9D
• Category 10C
• Self-Service Laundry
• Category 9B
• Category 9C
• Category 10B
• Category 11C
• Triton’s
• Guest Services
• Port Adventures Desk
• Port Shopping Desk
• Public Restrooms
• Sea Treasures
• Lobby Atrium
• Walt Disney Theatre
• Preludes Bar
• Mickey’s Mainsail
• Shutters Portrait Studio
• Vacation Planning Desks
• Vista Gallery
• Atrium (overlook)
• Buena Vista Theatre
• “it’s a small world” nursery
• Category 5C
• Category 6A
• Category 7A
• Category 9A
• Category 10A
• Category 11B
• Category 5B
• Category 11A
• Category 5A
• Category 1A
• Category 1B
• Category 2A
• Category 2B
• Category 3A
• Category 4A
• Category 4B
• Category 4E
• Funnel Vision
• Goofy’s Family Pool
• Mickey’s Splash Zone
• Pool Deck Stage
• Quiet Cove Adult Pool
• Whirlpool Spas
• Daisy’s De-Lites
• Pete’s Boiler Bites
• Sulley’s Sips
• Pinocchio’s Pizzeria
• Fitness Area
• Rainforest Room
• Twist ‘n’ Spout
• Wide World of Sports Deck
• Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
• Concierge Lounge
• Concierge Sun Deck

Disney Wonder Fact Sheet

Shipyard (ship’s birthplace).

Fincantieri – Marghera & Ancona, Italy

Maiden voyage

August 15, 1999

Varies by time of year — see Itineraries & Ports above

Ship’s Registry

Approximately 84,000 gross tons

21.5 knots cruising speed

24 knots maximum speed

Diesel-based electric

Crew Members

Maximum capacity.

2,713 passengers

875 staterooms

• 384 verandah staterooms (includes 22 suites)
• 229 oceanview staterooms
• 262 inside staterooms (30%)

How To Book a Cruise on the Disney Wonder

There are many ways to book Disney Cruise Line vacations , but we believe the best way to make your reservation onboard the Disney Wonder (or any other Disney Cruise ship ) is to work with a Disney Cruise expert at our official travel agency partners at The Vacationeer .

As an Earmarked Diamond level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner , The Vacationeer offers free help planning and booking your Disney Cruise . Their agents can help pick the best Disney Cruise Ship for your kids and discuss the differences between a Disney Cruise and other cruise lines such as Norwegian , Royal Caribbean , Princess , and Carnival (they book those, too!).

Your cruise won’t cost any more than if you’d booked it yourself — and it might even cost less ! Why? One of the many reasons to book with a Disney travel agent is their excellent knowledge of all the latest discounts and ways to save money.

Speaking of saving money — The Vacationeer offers Onboard Credit . That’s free spending money toward purchases you make while you’re on the ship: spa treatments, souvenirs, shore excursions , specialty dining, even gratuities! Booking through The Vacationeer can earn you up to $1,000 in onboard credit .

And finally, there’s the personalized service . When you book through The Vacationeer , you’ll have a single, dedicated agent who’ll handle your cruise arrangements from start to finish . Imagine — never having to wait on hold to speak to yet another agent in a giant call center!

So what’re you waiting for? The Disney Wonder is waiting to take you on the cruise of your dreams — and Vacationeers are ready to help make it a reality!

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One Comment

Your right about the smaller ships. My husband and I had only sailed on the Magic & Wonder but finally tried the Dream two weeks ago. It was a pretty boat but much bigger than we were used to. It certainly reminded us we’re getting older lol. I think we’ll stick with the Magic once it comes back to Florida next year.

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A Time to Treasure Travel, LLC

"It’s kind of fun to do the impossible." ~ Walt Disney

A Haven for Teens Aboard Disney Cruise Line

by Barbara Ryan

At this teens-exclusive space, chill out, listen to music, watch TV, play group games and more…

While the Vibe experience aboard each ship differs, the idea behind them is the same: Vibe provides Guests ages 14 to 17 with their own special place where they can break off from the family and connect with other teens from around the world. Designed with their interests in mind, each lounge is laden with amenities and activities that will keep them engaged and entertained while encouraging them to mingle.

On the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy

Part nightclub, part sundeck, totally awesome, what’s the vibe like.

Vibe aboard the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy has the look and feel of a hip urban night spot, with multiple areas, a secret entrance and its own outdoor deck space. Its plush interior boasts sleek design, state-of-the-art lighting and sound, and movable modular furniture that invites teens to get situated in style. Vibe’s hangout central is its high-tech media room, where teens can watch movies or play video games on a 103ʺ LCD screen with digital surround sound. Comfortable, plentiful seating makes this gathering place your home theater away from home.

In a separate stage area, talent shows, karaoke contests and dance competitions let teens own the spotlight. A dance floor and video wall set the stage for day-and-night dance parties, and aspiring DJs can even spin and mix tracks! For a more mellow experience, recline in your own built-in oval wall pod and game or watch a movie on a personal video screen.

Catch Some Rays

Vibe’s outdoor sundeck at the ship’s bow lets teens work on their tan without ever having to leave their private club or deal with the little ones on the crowded pool deck. Deck games such as ping–pong, foosball and “old school” board games set on a giant checkerboard floor offer further amusements. As well as the plunge pools.

HINT HINT: The Vibe on the Dream and Fantasy is located on Deck 5, but you cannot access it via Deck 5, you can only access it by a hidden dedicated staircase on Deck 4. All the way forward on the jogging track.

We recently cruised on the Disney Dream and were able to register both our 16 year old and 13.5 year old, since he had an older sibling. This way they could hangout together. It’s worth asking if you have a teen on the cusp of 14. I merely pointed at my younger son after registering the older one and said, he’s only 13 and the cast member cut me off immediately saying, no problem we make exceptions for 13 when they have a sibling and got him registered.

On the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder

Housed in the iconic red Forward Funnel of your ship, this open-plan lounge is the spot to socialize with other teens. This highest point of the ship is sure to also be the high point of your teen’s cruise!

Vibe aboard the Disney Wonder is designed to resemble a laid-back urban loft or college dorm rec room. Mismatched furniture and eclectic bric-a-brac create a relaxed atmosphere where teen cruisers will feel instantly at home while enjoying both free-form and structured activities. Plush couches, comfy overstuffed chairs and beanbags allow them to configure the space to their liking, while a dance floor and bar area offer opportunities for mingling. On the Disney Magic, Vibe invites teens to unwind at an urban, loft-inspired haven where stylish industrial elements merge with music, gaming and all the latest trends. Amid brick, concrete and technical architectural flourishes, teens can sip on a flavorful coffee or smoothie, play the latest tunes and socialize with kids their own age during fun video and virtual-reality game sessions. At Vibe, there’s always something to do, with:

• Multiple flat-screen TVs
• Video games
• Board games

An LCD screen with digital surround sound lets teens gather ’round for video games or movies. And with teen dance parties, karaoke competitions and games that promote group interaction, they’ll have the chance to cut loose and show off!

Strictly for Teens

To ensure that Vibe remains a space that’s just for them, teens must present a special coded Key to the World card to access the lounge. On the first day of your cruise, visit Vibe during the Open House and register your teen. They will be given a new Key to the World Card to replace the one given to them at check-in, which will allow them entry into Vibe as well as everything else it is used for.

While designated as a teens-only hangout, Vibe is chaperoned by some of the coolest counselors at sea, in a laid-back way that allows teens to feel as unrestricted and comfortable as they can possibly be.

Beverages and Snacks 

Vibe features a coffee bar serving a wide selection of nonalcoholic beverages, including fruit smoothies and more…

With so much to do, Vibe is bound to become your teen’s favorite on-ship destination!

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Disney wonder vibe teen club.

Here are our pictures of the Vibe teenage club for ages 14-17 on the Disney Wonder from our Spring Break Trip in April 2019.  The club is located in the central smokestack of the ship.  There is an elevator that goes directly into the club as well.  My older daughter went to register while we took some pictures. 

Here are some pictures of the main portion of the club:

If you would like to hear a teenager’s view on the available activities on the ship, my daughter has talked about the Vibe Club on Rope Drop Radio .

If you have enjoyed this article, please be sure to check out our Disney Cruise Line information page , which has useful hints in addition to our cruise trip reports!

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Disney Cruise Line Disney Wonder Cruise Review

On the wonder, cabins are spacious and mealtimes are usually rewarding..

Updated October 2, 2014

First setting sail in 1999, the Disney Wonder—and sister ship the Disney Magic—is a modestly sized throwback to the golden era of steamship travel. With its two bright red funnels (one just for show), the ship carries a wealth of design elements in the art nouveau style that gave our voyage an element of class and sophistication. But the Disney Wonder is geared to the family demographic, and although there are appealing adults-only areas of the ship from which one can escape the ankle-biters, on a typical cruise, the Disney Wonder travels with upwards of 1,000 kids. We were intrigued to see how well Disney manages to balance the needs and expectations of such a diverse crowd, especially as other cruise lines have invested heavily over the last decade to court the very same family market. Cabins on the Disney Wonder have several smart innovations for families, and a welcome dose of style, as well.

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.

Introduction

Standard inside, deluxe inside, deluxe oceanview, deluxe oceanview with navigator’s verandah, deluxe family oceanview with verandah, concierge 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom suites with verandah, in-room dining overview, presentation, drinks overview, beer & wine, mixed drinks, drink packages, non-alcoholic options, outlook bar, promenade lounge, cadillac lounge, lobby atrium, sports and fitness, wide world of sports deck, treasure ketch, mickey’s mates, vista gallery, oceaneer club, oceaneer lab, flounder’s reef nursery, internet station, quarter masters, walt disney theatre, buena vista theatre, goofy’s family pool, mickey’s childrens’ pool, promenade deck, ship tour overview, dress codes and alcohol policy, loyalty programs, general health and safety, smoking regulations, additional details, shows & performances, sports & fitness.

Not including suites, there are six different types of staterooms on Disney Wonder. Most feature Disney Cruise Line’s unique “split” bathrooms—that is, sink and toilet in one half, sink and shower/tub in the other.

Inside Cabins sleep three or four and come in two sizes. At 184 square feet, Disney’s standard units are slightly larger than the smallest cabins found on most ships. One important distinction from other cabins on the ship: Standard Inside cabins do not have the “split” bathrooms (though you still get a shower and tub). Deluxe Inside features the split bathroom, and comes in at 214 square feet. The next category, pricewise, is Deluxe Oceanview, which have a big round porthole window.

Cabins with balconies come three ways, starting at 268 square feet. Most economical is the Deluxe Oceanview with Navigator’s Verandah, the distinction being that the balcony is semi-enclosed by the ship’s exterior, framing the view. This means you won’t have much of a view from inside the cabin, but the view from the balcony, when standing, is similar to that of other cabins with balconies. The Deluxe Oceanview with Verandah is the same size, but has a traditional balcony, while the Deluxe Family Oceanview with Verandah has a slightly larger interior (to sleep five), coming in at 304 square feet.

Suites are available in one-, two- and three-bedroom configurations, topping out with the Walt and Roy Disney suites, which each boast posh accents and Disney memorabilia.

Flush with wood tones and nautical embellishments, we loved our cozy cabin.

This cabin was comfortably sized for two, and not too tight for a family of three, with its sofa converted into a bed by the steward each evening. Some of these units sleep four, using a pull down bunk that hides in the ceiling during the day. In addition to having a bathroom split in two compartments, a curtain could be pulled to cordon off the main bed from the couch, providing a measure of privacy while sleeping. One annoyance was that, at check-in, we found the ashtray on our balcony soiled with ashes and cigarette butts.

{{photo_gallery "Cabin 1 Bedroom Photos"}}

The queen size bed was a fine Sealy Posturepedic mattress. It was actually two twins, pushed together, but the plush pillow-top made the split negligible. With 300-thread-count Egyptian linens, we slept very well. We did wish upon a star for brighter bedside lighting, but the Blue Fairy did not grant our wish.

{{photo_gallery "Cabin 1 Bathroom Photos"}}

Disney’s innovative bathroom provides two separate stalls—one with a sink and toilet and a second containing another sink and a shower/bathtub, each with its own door. Combined, they offer more square footage than non-suite bathrooms on most cruise ships. A family sharing this cabin can minimize some of the dressing and time-crunch issues faced when heading out for the day or evening at the same time.

Measuring about 40 inches from head to toe and 12 inches deep, the tub was hardly full-size, but ample for bathing children—bring your own (Donald) duckies. Used as a shower, it was definitely larger than what is offered in most cruise ship bathrooms. There was a retractable laundry line for our wet bathing suits. In addition to hand soap, there were Disney-branded bottles of H2O+ Spa bath and body products—shampoo, conditioner and body butter. We found these amenities to be above average compared to what is supplied by most cruise lines.

We did have a few issues with the bathroom. The shower curtain included a synthetic liner and the liner had a mildew stain several inches across; on the third day of the cruise our cabin attendant replaced the liner, without our prompting. We found the adjustable showerhead to be difficult to rotate to its various settings. A sign hanging on the towel rack invited us to “Be a friend to the earth and oceans” by re-using our towels to save water and energy. Although we always left our damp towels on the racks, as instructed, they were still replaced daily.

There was no makeup mirror in either stall, but the shallow sink counters allowed us to get close to the wall mirrors (a near full-length mirror is in the bedroom). There was not enough shelving in either stall to hold average size travel kits; above each sink was a single glass shelf about 4 inches deep, while four small triangle-shaped shelves were sandwiched into a corner of the toilet stall. There was an outlet for a shaver in both halves of the bathroom; on the toilet side of the bathroom an Elite brand hair dryer was mounted to the wall.

{{photo_gallery "Cabin 1 Features Photos"}}

Naturally, the cabin was designed with families in mind, and one of the unique features was a pair of Wave Phones, an amenity Disney introduced on its ships in 2010. These are Philips G955 handsets that can be used by families to stay in touch with each other throughout the ship. With a kid in tow, these would allow us to keep tabs on each other by voice or text. We could call from one Wave Phone to the other, or call a Wave Phone from our fixed cabin line, effectively giving us three phones to work with (additional phones can be rented from the Guest Services desk for $3.50 per day). These are nifty assets, but parents, take heed: There is a $250 charge for phones that are lost or damaged.

Fronted by sliding wood doors and 60 inches wide, the closet had good storage space for a party of three. There were sufficient hangers on the rod extending the width of the closet, plus a shelf above, where we found three life jackets. Additional storage space for luggage was located under the bed, and there was a cabinet with four drawers next to the closet, a couple shelves above the TV, plus two sets of smaller drawers on either side of the desk.

Cabin lighting was nicely diversified. There were two main sets of overhead lights, controlled by switches at the entry door: one in the entry area and above the bed, another illuminating the couch area. Each of these had a second switch (one bedside, another above the desk). There was also a pair of vertical lights that framed the mirror over the desk and a pair of lamps on either side of the bed—these were a bit dim for nighttime reading. The closet had its own lighting, which went on when the closet doors were opened. The balcony had a pair of lights on each side, at waist level.

There was an oval-shaped coffee table that could be used for meals; under it was a knob that adjusted the height by about 8 inches. There was an empty mini-fridge we could use. At the desk was a crescent-shaped padded stool; it was cute, but uncomfortable to sit on for any extended period.

In-room entertainment channels were fairly broad. In all, 12 channels showed a total of 17 movies at pre-set times throughout the day and night (generally repeating every 2 hours). All of these were releases from the last year, and rated PG or PG-13; about a third were Disney or Touchstone releases. Additionally there were channels devoted to Disney animated features, Pixar fare, live action Disney releases, and Disney Channel content. Our TV was an LG 22-inch flat-screen model, but considering the extent of in-room entertainment, a larger screen would have been nice.

Our balcony was a nice place to while away the day, but unlike most cabins with verandahs on Disney Wonder, which have see-through railings, ours was enclosed by the ship’s metal exterior rising to waist level. When seated we couldn’t see the sea over the railing. We did not stay in the rest of these cabins, but we have summaries here provided by Disney Cruise Line. Note that any photos on this page may be provided directly by the cruise line and not our reviewer.

With a Disney Cruise Line Standard Inside Stateroom, "standard" comes with substantially more! Enjoy more space than you'd find on most other cruise ships in a room befitted with custom-designed furnishings and charming nautical appointments. Make yourself comfortable in an ample seating area complete with a beautifully upholstered couch, desk and television set. It's the perfect place to spend quality time with your family or to unwind after an exciting day at sea or at port. The polished bathroom is fitted with a shower and a tub, and a spacious closet features room aplenty for all your belongings. At night, retire to a bed that's fitted with luxury linens and separated from the seating area with a convenient privacy curtain.

A deluxe room offers you more space for family activities and relaxation than is offered in a standard room. Find a perfect blend of luxury and down-home comforts within your Deluxe Inside Stateroom. Sprawl across the cushions of a beautifully upholstered couch to watch television or first-run movies, or enjoy your morning coffee and daily news at a handsome desk. Fetching nautical fittings and furnishings set the mood for a true high seas escape. When night falls, a cozy bed is waiting for you, with a privacy curtain separating the sleeping area from the activities in the seating area, so your family can rest or play with minimal disruption. You'll also enjoy the convenience of a split bath with a tub, shower and 2 separate sinks

The deluxe room features substantially more space than you would find in a standard room and decor that reflects an elegant nautical motif. Relax in classic maritime style within an environment that offers generous room to spread out and unwind. Watch television and first-run movies in a seating area that includes a handsomely upholstered couch and a sleek and sturdy desk. When it's time for sleep, a luxurious bed awaits, shielded from the activities in other parts of the room by a convenient privacy curtain. These sumptuous private quarters are decked from ceiling to floor in fine-looking furnishings that will please any sea-farer. Best of all, your Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom allows you and yours to be dazzled by incredible sunrises and stunning sunsets through bright portholes, all from the comfort of your room. Of course, you also enjoy the convenience of a split bath, ample storage space and unparalleled Disney service.

A Disney Cruise Line Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Navigator's Verandah is a spacious accommodation that's specially themed and decorated for adventurous sea-farers. You and your family (of up to 3) can enjoy fun and comfort in a room that features teak siding, imported tiles, antique-style maps on the walls and a unique and intimate verandah. In these spacious quarters, find your stay enhanced by the beautiful details that mark the room's nautical decor, and the remarkable concessions made towards maximizing comfort. An ample seating area contains a television set, couch and sturdy desk. Sprawl out for quality time with the family, or retire to comfy beds at the end of the day, separated by a convenient privacy curtain. A split bath with a tub, shower and separate sinks makes your nighttime routine a breeze, even with multiple family members in the same space. Unique to this stateroom is the distinctive verandah, which is enclosed for added privacy and features a large open-air porthole set in a solid white wall above the railing.

A Disney Cruise Line Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah is a richly appointed and spacious accommodation tailored for families of 5, featuring an elegant maritime motif and more square footage than you would find in a standard stateroom. Relax in private quarters fitted with beautifully antiqued fixtures and furnishings and a private verandah for magnificent views of the sea. A Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah features the pleasant comforts of home. Stretch out in a seating area to watch TV and first-run movies from a comfortable couch, or settle down for an evening of quality family time. When the day is done, nestle into plush beds for restful nights on the high seas. The seating and sleeping areas can be separated with a heavy privacy curtain for greater intimacy, and the entire space is decked from ceiling to floor in charming nautical touches. You also enjoy the convenience of a split bath, complete with a luxurious tub and separate sinks that allow for 2 people to use the space at the same time. Best of all, the Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah features spectacular sea vistas from the private balcony, which features furniture, plexiglass or solid whitewall railing and child locks for safety.

Disney Cruise Line Concierge Suites are our most spacious, luxurious and upscale stateroom options offered aboard the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder ships. They are best suited to Guests seeking a premium cruise experience in the most sophisticated of accommodations.

Cabin amenities are just fine for couples, but there are smart extras designed for families.

We found the typical amenities well represented, including safe, flat screen TV, mini-fridge and quality bathroom products. But several features cater to the family market, such as Wave Phones that can be used to stay in touch with roaming kids and extensive child-friendly entertainment offerings on the TV channels. A few things we didn’t find: a stocked minibar, make-up mirror, or bathrobe.

In addition to the ship’s pricy laundry services, self-service, coin-operated laundry facilities were offered on decks 2, 6 and 7; irons and ironing boards were available here as well. Ice could be delivered to the room, but we didn’t discover this till finding it on the room service menu.

{{photo_gallery "Cabin Amenities Photos"}}

The room service menu was short, but was sufficient for what a kid might want.

A card was in the room to hang on the door before 3 a.m. to order breakfast at pre-selected times between 5 and 9:30 a.m. On Disney Wonder the selection was limited to continental breakfast—juices, coffee, tea, milk (skim, low fat, whole, chocolate), breads and pastries, packaged cereal and a fruit bowl.

The standard menu—a bit hidden inside the room services directory—was also somewhat narrow, but included some hot choices and was available 24 hours. We found two salads (Caesar or Niçoise), soups (creamy tomato or chicken noodle), a plate of international cheeses with crackers and a fruit bowl. Sandwiches included a BLT, baguette with ham, turkey and Swiss cheese, hot panini with tomato, basil and mozzarella, or a cheeseburger with fries. Chicken tenders, hot dog, mac and cheese, chicken wings and three kinds of pizzas were available. The two larger offerings were a steak sandwich with fries and a grilled salmon steak served with asparagus and orzo. Snacks—including M&M’s, buttered popcorn, peanuts or cashews—could be ordered at a surcharge.

One morning we called in breakfast and were told it would be delivered within 35 minutes; it arrived in 17 minutes. On one port day we ordered lunch and were told it would be delivered in 30-35 minutes; in fact, it arrived just 8 minutes later (the server said it was a quiet day in the kitchen).

Food was brought on a plastic tray and could be eaten at the desk, on the coffee table at the sofa, or on a small table on the balcony. The presentation was simple but appealing, though there was no salt/pepper on the side.

A note on our trays asked us to call room service for collection of our dishes. We did following our lunch but the tray sat outside in the hallway for several hours.

{{photo_gallery "In-Room Dining Presentation Photos"}}

We ordered the fruit, coffee and juice for breakfast. The coffee was hot (in contrast to what we found with the self-serve stations) and the juice cold. The fruit bowl was comprised of sliced melon, apple, pineapple and kiwi.

For lunch we ordered a chicken and guacamole fajita, which arrived hot. The tasty fajita mixture included onions and bell pepper and was folded into a flower tortilla. Small ramikins of salsa (mild) and creamy guacamole were on the side; there was no “crisp lettuce” (as stated on the menu), but the dish didn’t really need it. This wasn’t a full-blown lunch, more like a good-sized snack. The chocolate cake for dessert was a rolled affair—more frosting than cake.

{{photo_gallery "In-Room Dining Food Photos"}}

Beer, soda and bottled water packages could be ordered individually, or in packages (the in-room deal was to buy five and the sixth was free). Beers included Budweiser, Bud Light, Coors Light, Miller Lite, Amstel Light, Heineken, Beck’s and Corona. Soft drinks included Coke products, Sprite, ginger ale and orange soda. Evian water was available in 16-ounce bottles. With its unique rotational dining (and servers) and moderately aspiring menus, dining turned out to be an unexpected plus during our cruise.

While we would not recommend a cruise on Disney Wonder specifically for its food offerings, with some qualifications we found the overall quality to be above average. Although there were kid-friendly menus at most venues, the cruise also provided an opportunity for junior to stretch his taste buds, to sample new, even exotic fare. And parents will appreciate that, while junk food was readily available, so was a fair amount of more wholesome options.

We did not evaluate the quality of children’s meals, but they appeared to be pretty much par for the course for undemanding palates. A children’s menu was available at all restaurants (other than Palo), with the expected fare: Macaroni and cheese, corn dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches, all served with choice of mashed potatoes or fries, and vegetable of the day (offerings were more diverse at the buffet). But we found lots of kids enjoying the ability to order from the regular menu.

A late night, Pirates IN the Caribbean-themed buffet was held towards the end of our cruise, on Deck 9. And tasty nibbles were always available in the (adults-only) Cove Café.

The ambience may be family-oriented but there was no shortage of satisfying cocktails, served in a variety of inviting lounges and bars.

Disney Wonder had seven dedicated bars around the ship (plus those at restaurants). Bar service could also be ordered at the pool areas and at the Walt Disney Theatre. The adults-only Cadillac Lounge was probably our pre-prandial favorite, with its sleek Detroit-inspired styling and live piano providing the perfect backdrop for martinis.

A 15-percent service charge was added to all drink orders. The minimum age for drinking was 21. There was no charge for soft drinks obtained at restaurants or from the dispensers at the 24-hour filling station just outside Beach Blanket Buffet.

The range of beers available on Disney Wonder was somewhat limited. Draught options at several bars included Bud, Michelob Amber Bock and Shock Top Belgian White. By the bottle, the more exotic offerings were Guinness Stout and Blue Moon. Prices ranged $4.25 to $5.25.

The wine list was also not long, but included Kim Crawford sauvignon blanc, La Crema chardonnay, Santa Margherita pinot grigio, Greg Norman shiraz, King Estate pinot noir and Robert Mondavi cabernet sauvignon. Most if these were priced in the $40-$50 range, but a number of bottles could be had for under $30. Wines available by the glass included St. Francis chardonnay, Bogle Vineyards pinot noir and Kendall Jackson cabernet sauvignon, at prices ranging $5.75 to $11.75 per glass.

An expanded, Italian-focused wine selection was available at Palo Restaurant, including Super Tuscans like Solaia Marchesi Antinori and Sassicaia Tenuta San Guido.

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The ship’s standard drink list included a selection of specialty martinis such as a Pomegranate Cosmo, Citron Martini, Godiva Chocolate Martini—$8.50 each—or the Eco-Tini (VeeV Açai Liqueur, Triple Sec, Agave Nectar, ginger, lime juice) for $9.50 (served with a souvenir Açai seed bracelet!). Featured cocktails were Bahama Mama, Melon Vine and Captain’s Mai Tai, at $5.75 each. A variety of Daiquiris, Margaritas and Mojitos were available ($5.75-$7.50).

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Wine was sold in packages of three to seven bottles at a discount off the single-bottle price. If one shopped carefully, savings near 25 percent for seven bottles were possible. One did not have to drink a whole bottle each night; unfinished bottles could be re-corked and rotated to our restaurant for the following night, or taken back to the cabin.

Other drink packages were availed during embarkation. This included 500ml bottles of Evian water—12 bottles for the price of 10, saving $3.50. Buckets of beer were six bottles for the price of five. A 22-oz. Disney Cruise Line beer mug could be purchased for $14.95 with refills sold at the 16-oz. price. The room service menu also included beer and soda packages.

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There were lots of non-alcoholic drinks on offer. Sodas in restaurants (Coke products) were free. Sodas, coffee, decaf, tea and hot chocolate were available at the beverage station outside Beach Blanket Buffet at all hours. The standard bar list included a Passion Fruit Freeze—a blend of juices and vanilla ice cream for $3.95—and a number of mixed drinks could be made virgin. The modestly sized Disney Wonder had an array of activities available, but not as many as some of its newer, bigger competitors.

The Cove Café was an appealing hideout for coffee beverages and small bites.

This inviting café was one of our favorite hangouts on Disney Wonder, with seating inside the cozy coffee hours as well as out on the open area of Deck 9, but protected from most of the wind. Though not designated as an adult area of the ship, most kids bypassed Cove Café on their way to the soft drink machine. The varied magazines on a rack for reading included Vogue, the New Yorker, Bon Appetite, Fortune, Parenting, National Geographic, etc.

In addition to coffee drinks and a full bar, small bites were available from a glass fridge at one end of the bar. In the morning there was croissants and muffins, in the late afternoon we found cold cuts, olives, cheese and veggie sticks and dip, and later on a few trays of desserts appeared. There was also a small selection of cigars (though Cove Café itself was designated non-smoking).

A stairwell connects Cove Café with the Outlook Bar, immediately upstairs.

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Coffee beverages includes espresso, cappuccino, café mocha, café latte ($2.25-$3.95 for a small or large) and a frozen cappuccino and mochaccino that were blended with vanilla ice cream ($3.35-$4.00). The ship’s standard bar menu was available, along with coffee cocktails—Jamaican calypso (coffee, Tia Maria, Myer’s Dark Rum, whipped cream), Italian coffee (coffee and Galliano), etc.

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Cove Café was open daily from 6:30 or 7 a.m. till midnight.

Added in 2009, prior to Disney Wonder’s first foray into Alaskan waters, this adults-only lounge is one key venue not found on sister ship Disney Magic. Also known as the Outlook Café, the bar sprawls from port to starboard on Deck 10, providing good vistas of the passing scenery. Whether coming for a drink or the view or just to read, this was a quiet area of the ship.

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Outlook Bar has a full bar serving the ship’s standard cocktail menu and, like Cove Café immediately below (to which it is connected by a spiral staircase), there’s an espresso machine for various coffee drinks, but no snacks.

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Outlook Bar was open daily from 10 a.m. till midnight, although one port day it opened at 3 p.m. Disney Wonder was conceived with a variety of public areas—some designated for kids, some for adults, while most catered to both crowds.

After dark, Route 66 is Disney Wonder’s adult-oriented area. Although kids scampered through during the day and early evening, the bars here—Diversion, Cadillac Lounge and WaveBands—were designated age 18 and up after 9 p.m. (drinking was still limited to 21 and up).

This was the Disney Wonder’s all-purpose lounge, the first and last bar to open and shut each day. Located in between Triton’s and Parrot Cay on Deck 3, it got busy just prior to the two evening dinner seatings, especially when a nice sunset was illuminating the oversized porthole windows. There were several sets of light live music each night and the lounge is also a venue for some of the many activities taking place each day—trivia contests, talent competitions, charades, etc. Immediately adjacent is the Internet Station.

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Promenade Lounge was open from 8 a.m. till midnight daily.

Although martinis can be made at most bars on the Disney Wonder, the Cadillac Lounge is the place to order one. It not only has an expanded martini and champagne selection, but the swank décor is a seductive immersion into late 1950s Detroit car culture. White fins, red tail lights and leather seats gave Cadillac Lounge its sex appeal, while the piano went live each evening to provide soft background sounds.

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Sitting at the end of Route 66, the adult-oriented section of Deck 3 forward, this dark, subdued lounge was overlooked by many cruisers. Aptly named, Diversions serves as a sports bar and game center—among the scheduled activities were trivia games and Wii challenges, and there were tables with built-in backgammon and chessboards (other board games were available). In the mornings and some early afternoons it was a quiet, untended spot to enjoy a book. Rudimentary nibbles were set out at happy hour—buffalo wings, hot dogs and chips.

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Bartenders staffed Diversions from noon till midnight, though it opened later in the afternoon on port days.

Outlook Bar was open daily from 10 a.m. till midnight, although one port day it opened at 3 p.m.

The Disney Wonder’s main entryway was here at Deck 3 mid-ship, a three-story space topped by a Dale Chihuly chandelier made of faux glass (real glass is too heavy to be safe at sea, we were told on the ship tour, so lightweight acrylics were used—look closely and you’ll see it doesn’t quite have the gleam of real glass).

The Guest Services counter (or front desk) was here, along with a desk for booking shore excursions, which Disney calls Port Adventures. A number of character greetings took place in the lobby, announced in the ship’s daily newsletter, and this was also the main entrance to Triton’s restaurant.

On disembarkation day, this area was jammed to the gills.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 35 Overview Photos"}} The sports court was busy most hours of the day, but we took refuge in the modest but well-appointed gym at the Vista Spa.

Sequestered in the forward reaches of Deck 9, just past the adults-only Quiet Cove, the Vista Spa was a pampering retreat—another area of the ship where parents could dodge familial obligations for a couple hours. The Tuscan-décor facilities are beautifully conceived, with extensive use of mosaic tiles and a lush color scheme we’d call Floridian lite. Overall, a very restful space to chill out.

As with many of the spas as sea, this one is managed by Steiner Leisure. Prices were on par with what we’ve seen on other cruise ships, but still a bit higher than we find at most quality resorts (rates were discounted on port days, and other specials or multiple appointments also availed discount for some treatments). The primary skin care line in use was Elemis and Steiner, and Phyto and Bliss products were also for sale.

Treatments included a variety of massages—seaweed, hot stone, bamboo, chocolate, lime and salt, reflexology, Thai herbal poultice, etc.—ranging $118 for 50 minutes to $249 for 100 minutes. Several treatments are available for couples. Most of the treatment rooms have sea views and there were three also Mediterranean-style spa villas, oversized rooms with whirlpool tubs, foot soaking, tea ceremonies and day beds (starting at $150 for one person, 105 minutes; $449 for two, 120 minutes).

The spa also included a Tropical Rain Forest, which has heated ceramic benches, aromatic steam rooms, and mist fog showers; a pass to use these facilities throughout a seven-day cruise was $99, or $148 for couples. There was also a couples massage workshop held one evening, $60 per couple.

There was a bright full-service salon, where hair and nail services were performed. A new one for Disney Wonder was Ice Cream Manicure and Pedicure, priced $50 and $60 respectively, treatments using various ice cream and sherbet for soaking, buffing, exfoliating and massage—bring your own sprinkles. We’ll try that one next time.

Although the Vista Spa’s gym is not huge, it covered the basics quite well, in a well-maintained crescent-shaped room that overlooked the bow of the ship. We never had to wait to use the Life Fitness cardio equipment, which included the usual array of bikes, treadmills, elliptical machines, etc. (headsets were available for listening to the TVs mounted on these). There were also free weights and exercise balls.

There was a good selection of fitness classes, and a number of them—yoga, spinning, pilates—did not carry a surcharge (there was a fee for the 45-minute boot camp workouts—$69 for two sessions, $120 for four). Arrive early for these classes; space limitations meant a couple of them filled before the start time.

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Sitting at the forward end of Deck 10, this netted area of the ship had equipment for basketball, soccer, table tennis and Foosball. For most of the day and into the evening it was fairly packed with kids, with various tournaments announced in the daily Personal Navigator newsletter.

There were two main shops on Deck 4 that offered a selection of Disney logo merchandize.

There were two main stores on Disney Wonder, both located in the lobby for the Walt Disney Theatre, and they offered a good array of Disney-related merchandise, most of which wasn’t available off the ship.

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We found Disney-logo jewelry, H2O+ Spa products, Fossil leather handbags, wallets and belts, and lots of clothing and purses (Dooney & Bourke) with the Disney Cruise Line logos. This was the place for Timex-brand Mickey Mouse watches along with watches from Citizen and Skagen. There was a wall with a limited selection of fragrances from some of the major lines. Treasure Ketch also sold sundries, including razors, deodorants, pain relievers, sun block, contact lens solution, baby supplies, camera batteries, etc. Even swim goggles were in stock.

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The second of the ship’s two main stores, Mickey’s Mates had even more of the Disney character and cruise line merchandise, much of it aimed at younger passengers.

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This store was awash in princess and pirate outfits plus costumes and T-shirts for other characters. Disney plush toys, Disney games, Disney Wonder model ships—and most of it would not be easily found off the ship.

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Disney Wonder’s duty-free liquor store is a handsome little shop along Route 66 that was pretty quiet most of the time. That might be because liquor purchased on-board cannot be opened until after disembarkation. Still, the duty-free prices availed some attractive deals on vodka, scotch, tequila, whiskey, gin and rum.

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The cognac prices were particularly eye-catching, up to and including Rémy Martin Louis XIV and Hennessy Richard. Cigarettes and cigars were available here as well, also for use after the cruise.

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Disney Wonder’s informal art gallery was better than what we’ve seen on some ships. All of it depicted various Disney/Pixar characters and scenes, and many featured the Disney Wonder.

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Although there was a fair amount of original artwork, the best pieces were available as giclées (reproductions)—good mementoes, but none too cheap.

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A crew of photographers was present to document every inch of the voyage. The images were displayed in this space above the Promenade Lounge. No-obligation private sessions could also be scheduled.

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In addition to selling the photos, Shutters sold camera gear—Pentax, Leica and Olympus point-and-shoots, binoculars, and a few accessories.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 37 Retail Photos"}} Personal Navigator, the ship’s daily schedule, detailed the many activities that took place across the ship each day.

There are five designated kid zones on Disney Wonder, organized by age bracket. Vibe is the club for teens, age 13-17—the area was decidedly off-limits to adults and knee-high types, except for some fairly cool counselors that staffed the room. Occupying Disney Wonder’s faux funnel at mid-ship, Vibe is the only area of Deck 11 accessible to the public. The facility looks like a college dorm, or the living room of the Friends TV show, with mismatched worn furniture and road signs adorning the walls.

A lot of the activities were unsupervised, including computers games, TVs, internet (at an additional charge) and board games, but among the scheduled activities were karaoke, dance parties, pizza and ice cream socials, basketball and a Hidden Mickey hunt.

Soft drinks were free, smoothies and other items were available for an additional charge.

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Vibe was open from 10 a.m. (12 noon on port days) till 2 a.m. daily. The scheduled activities were helpfully listed in the daily Personal Navigator newsletter.

One of the five designated kid zones on Disney Wonder, Edge was designed for tweens, age 11-14, and located deep on Deck 2. The space was primped with low-slung couches, bean bag chairs and lots of computer and TV monitors.

A number of the activities were unsupervised, including the kid-friendly computer lab, videogame consoles, tables for arts and crafts and the stock of board games, but among the scheduled activities were a cooking school, karaoke, bingo, crafts, Guitar Hero, plus pizza and ice cream socials.

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Edge was open from 9 a.m. till 1 a.m. daily. The scheduled activities were helpfully listed in the daily Personal Navigator newsletter.

One of the five designated kid zones on Disney Wonder, the Oceaneer Club was an activity center on Deck 5, mid-ship, where children age 3 to 12 could play in a Peter Pan themed area. There was the façade of a pirate ship with nets and a slide from the crow’s nest, a child-friendly computer lab, a dressing room where kids could change into their favorite costumes, and plenty of toys and games. We loved the child-scaled restroom.

Scheduled activities were almost nonstop, and includes crafts, puppet shows, pirate face painting and pajama parties.

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Hours varied, but Oceaneer Club was generally open from 9 a.m. till midnight daily. The scheduled activities were helpfully listed in the daily Personal Navigator newsletter. Access to the Oceaneer Club was restricted to children and their parents.

One of the five designated kid zones on Disney Wonder, the Oceaneer Lab was an activity center on Deck 5, where children age 3 to 12 could play in a Buzz Lightyear themed area. In contrast to Oceaneer Club, which catered to the same age bracket, the Lab was geared more towards hands-on activities.

Among the scheduled activities were a cooking school, postcard making, a scavenger hunt, human bingo and make your own Disney nametag. Access to the Oceaneer Lab was restricted to children and their parents.

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Hours varied, but Oceaneer Lab was generally open from 9 a.m. till midnight daily. The scheduled activities were helpfully listed in the daily Personal Navigator newsletter.

The Disney Wonder is one of the few cruise ships with a proper nursery for the real young ‘uns, age 3 months to 3 years. Rates for the charming facility are $6 per hour for the first child ($5 for each additional from the same family) and reservations were encouraged—a good idea when headed to shore excursions, the spa or Palo for dinner.

We were told to bring our own diapers, wipes, bottles and milk or formula, sippy cups and jars of baby food as needed.

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The nursery was open from either 7 or 9 a.m. each morning until 11 p.m. We also noted that diaper changing stations were available on decks 1 and 3 aft, deck 4 forward, deck 5 inside the Oceaneer Club, deck 9 forward, and deck 10 aft. Basic care and feeding supplies—wipes, diapers, formula, food, pacifiers—were sold at Treasure Ketch.

Disneys Wonder’s internet station was a collection of nine PCs in a walled-off area of the Promenade Lounge. The facility was not staffed, but there were printers for those who needed them (.25 cents per page).

Basic internet rates were .75 cents per minute, whether using the ship’s computers or your own laptop, with packages available that brought the per-minute price down (100 minutes for $55, etc.).

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The ship’s arcade was a popular spot throughout the day and evening. Arcade Cards, starting at $10, could be charged to rooms.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 38 Overview Photos"}} Though most shows were designed with families in mind, there were an option or two each night that would skew more adult.

With décor and lighting inspired by the guts of an old transistor radio, WaveBands was Disney Wonder’s go-to spot for dancing. Located along Route 66, the lighting resembles both oversized glowing circuit boards and undersized radio towers with bolts of lightning. It’s a quirky room, with a dance floor and small stage at the front, wrapped by booths and tables.

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Shows and Performances

This multi-purpose venue was used for stand-up comedians, magicians, juggling and even a hypnotist. The quality of the performers here was excellent, and the material skewed to adults after 9 p.m. A few game-show type contests were also staged here.

During the day and early evening, Wave Bands was open only during scheduled events. Around 9:30 p.m. it was open for DJ dancing, but this usually petered out by midnight.

The Walt Disney Theatre, located on Deck 4 forward, is an attractive venue that seats 977 guests. The big shows are put on here and they’re fairly impressive performances, though we were disappointed that there’s no live orchestra for accompaniment; it’s strictly a recorded soundtrack for performers to sing to. Although seating is tiered, there’s no balcony meaning that seats in the rear are a fair distance from the stage.

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The line-up of shows on our cruise started with The Golden Mickeys, a tribute to some of Disney’s best known animated films and their songs, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs up through Mulan. The staging is attractive, the singing and dancing solid and the kids love it. Much of the same could be said for a show based on the hit movie Toy Story, which features six new songs written for Disney Cruise Line, in addition to the classic “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.” The third production on our cruise was Disney Dreams, which—surprise—is a tribute to Disney animated classics. Again, sets and performers were quality, though it helps to have a kid at your side.

Each of the one-hour stage shows were performed two or three times in the afternoon and evening on one day. On other nights there were standup acts held here—a juggler-comedian one evening, ventriloquist-comedian another.

This was one of our favorite places on the ship, a proper 268-seat cinema on Deck 5 that feels like a plush Hollywood screening room transported into the art deco era. The facilities include equipment for 3-D presentations and a Dolby Surround 7.1 sound system. Sight lines are excellent throughout (a steep rake for seating helps), and the projection quality was bright and crisp.

A snack stand was manned at showtimes, offering bagged popcorn, beer, soda and candy for sale.

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The 13 films screened during our cruise were mostly releases from the previous three to six months, but a few were Disney classics like “Peter Pan” and “Beauty and the Beast,” generally played during the day, usually starting by 10 a.m. One evening, a major Disney release was played on the same day it opened in theatres (due to high demand, this film was screened in the larger Walt Disney Theatre as well). Four of the films were presented in 3-D; the schedule on our cruise did not include any R-rated features.

This venue, set up a bit like a bar with seating areas, was a catchall space for other types of shows and activities that didn’t fit elsewhere. There are director chairs and makeup mirrors (to make it look like a television studio), along with billboards along the walls advertising shows on Disney’s ABC TV. The outsized marketing was a bit blatant for our taste.

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Entertainment varied here—some was geared towards adults, but most designed for all ages. On the family end, we saw a napkin-folding demo, a dance party, karaoke and a game show called Who Wants to be a Mouseketeer. For adults, there were presentations by reps from the Disney Vacation Club and cooking demonstrations. Although the crowd on Disney Wonder doesn’t stay up as late as some ships, there was plenty of entertainment following dinner.

Decks 9 and 10, where the pools and main sunning areas were located, were chock-a-block with bodies on sunny sea days.

There are three pools on Disney Wonder—one for kids, one for adults and one catering to all.

At mid-ship on Deck 9, this was one of the busiest areas of the ship, the one pool that could be enjoyed by parents and kids together. Considering the number of water-lovers on the ship, the four-foot-deep pool was a bit small, and deck chairs were in high demand. A pair of small whirlpools were at one end of the pool, also usually full.

Overhead, a 24 × 14-foot jumbo LED screen nicknamed Funnel Vision offered movies and entertainment through the day and evening. Throughout our cruise the movies shown were Disney (and Pixar) classics: Sleeping Beauty, Ratatouille, Swiss Family Robinson, etc. Below the screen was an outdoor stage where some entertainment was offered. The stage was the focus of attention during the “Pirates IN the Caribbean” deck party, when the pool was covered and converted to a dance floor.

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Located on Deck 9 aft, this pool was dedicated to youngest cruisers, a Mickey-shaped pool just one foot deep, with a bright yellow slide snaking into the pool. To use the slide, kids had to be between age 4 and 14, and between 38 and 64 inches in height. A crewmember staffed the slide when it was open. The area was packed throughout the day—though the kids didn’t seem to mind.

An additional Splash Zone to one side was designed specifically for children under 3 wearing swim diapers; water depth here was just a couple inches, with playful fountains for endless entertainment.

There are no sun loungers here, just deck chairs and tables, many of which were in use by passengers dining at Pluto’s Dog House.

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One of Disney Wonder’s designated adult hideouts, the Quiet Cove was not exactly hidden—it was perched right behind the spa on Deck 9 forward—but kids tended to stay clear, making this pool the best outdoor area for grownups seeking sun and quiet. The pool was the same size as Goofy’s Family Pool (4 feet deep), and there were two small whirlpool spas flanking one end and Signals bar at the other. The sun loungers here are upgraded, with cushions and towels at the ready, and there were usually empty ones available.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 27 Overview Photos"}} Deck 10 was our go-to spot for sun worshipping, though the Promenade (Deck 4) offered nice rays in the late afternoon.

This was the big walkway that wrapped around the entire ship, on Deck 4.

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The Wide World of Sports area occupied the forward section of Deck 10, but the further we got away from that frenetic area, the quieter things got. There were lots of deck chairs at mid-ship, but towards the rear of the deck, a sign instructed us not to bring sun beds to that area (perhaps for fear Palo diners might see us!).

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One night of the cruise is designated at Pirates IN the Caribbean night, and pirate outfits are encouraged. A themed menu takes over the dining rooms (other than Palo) and eye patches and ; a 45-minute party on decks 9 and 10 culminates in fireworks and a flyover by Mickey Mouse (we were told that, for environmental considerations, the fireworks are curtailed on Alaska cruises). For dancing amid the crowd, stick to Deck 9; for the best view of the fireworks and Mickey, aim for Deck 10.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 27 Overview Photos"}} The staff was warm and engaging, and services were professionally handled.

The ship’s daily newsletter, Personal Navigator, is packed with details about events transpiring around the ship; it was delivered to our room each night. Of particular note was the listing of scheduled character appearances—dedicated autograph seekers or paparazzi should pay close attention to maximize their face time. And we appreciated having adult- and youth-oriented events broken out separately. The newsletter format is a bit cluttered—we found ourselves discovering lots of tidbits in tiny type that we overlooked earlier. There are 11 public decks on Disney Wonder, though one is dedicated to teens only.

There were no surprises here, with a relaxed dress code that seemed like a good match for the crowd.

Without exception, the crew on Disney Wonder seemed to be chosen for outgoing, upbeat personalities, and their ability to interact with children. Waiters went out of their way to accommodate special requests in restaurants, and performed magic tricks and engaged us with brainteasers suited for all ages. There was quite a bit of disorganization with drink orders at Parrot Cay our first night, but this was not a recurring theme.

Our cabin was generally looked after well, but with its dirty ashtray and mildew-stained shower curtain, it was not quite ship-shape when we arrived (these issues were soon taken care of).

One area we felt let down was during final checkout. While the embarkation process went smoothly and efficiently, disembarkation on the last morning was chaotic. Maybe procedures were in place that guests (hundreds of them) disregarded, but decks 3 and 4 were clogged with bodies, many of them little ones, with luggage filling in any unused spaces. The gleeful pop music blaring in the lobby didn’t help.

The tipping guidelines on Disney Wonder were comparable or slightly higher than those of other lines—a total of $12 per day allocated toward dining room server ($4), assistant server ($3), head server ($1) and cabin steward ($8). Parents should be aware that the recommendations are per person, regardless of age. The day prior to disembarkation we were provided envelopes for gratuities; we could provide the tips in cash or charge them to our room account in exchange for tip vouchers. We noticed some parents giving the tip envelopes to their children to give to the crew.

For bar service a 15 percent service charge is automatically added onto all beverage tabs. Tips for spa staff are left to the discretion of guests.

Overall, attire on Disney Wonder is fairly casual. There are formal nights—two on our seven-night cruise—when dress pants and shirt for men (jacket optional), dress or pant suit for women are “suggested.” But this guideline was overlooked by many. Still, there was a happy minority that enjoyed dressing up on these evenings.

The one place where a dress code was strictly enforced was Palo: Dress pants and shirt for men (jacket optional), dress or pant suit for women are “required.”

One night of the cruise is designated at Pirates IN the Caribbean night, and pirate outfits are encouraged. A themed menu takes over the dining rooms (other than Palo) and eye patches and bandanas were evrywhere; a 45-minute party on decks 9 and 10 follows. Disney pirate-themed attire was for sale in the shops.

Disney Cruise Lines allows guests to carry their own alcohol on board at check-in, but it must be brought aboard in carry-on luggage. It cannot be consumed in lounges or public areas. A corkage fee of $20 per bottle is charged for any personal wine opened in Palo. The drinking age on Disney Wonder is 21.

The frequent cruiser program for Disney Cruise Line is the Castaway Club. Passengers become Silver members automatically after their first cruise and the benefits include separate cruise terminal check-in area and a stateroom gift.

Guests are elevated to Gold status after the fifth completed cruise, which avails early booking opportunities ahead of the general public, a private onboard reception event, and earlier access to online booking tools for future cruises. After the tenth cruise, guests are elevated to the Platinum level with additional benefits. Health and safety standards on Disney Wonder were followed closely.

Attendance at the Muster Drill was required and our room cards were scanned when we arrived at our station. We were not required to bring life vests from our cabin, but the information on their use was explained in a thorough, detailed manner.

Hand sanitizers were present at all restaurant entrances and their use was encouraged.

A health center is located on Deck 1, forward and it was staffed 9:30-11 a.m. and 4:30-7 p.m.

All indoor areas of Disney Wonder—including cabins—are designated as non-smoking. Smoking was allowed in designated outdoor areas of the ship, specifically cabin balconies and the starboard side of decks 9 and 10 (except around Mickey’s Childrens’ Pool). Smoking was allowed on the Promenade Deck (Deck 4) from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

On some nights, Signals next to the Quiet Cove was designated as the Cigar Club at 9 p.m. These two elegant ships deliver a similar immersion into all things Disney, but the Dream is a step above the Wonder in many ways.

When Disney Wonder debuted in 1998 the ship (and sister Disney Magic) was among the half-dozen or so largest cruise vessels plying the seas. Not anymore, and Disney Dream (and sister Disney Fantasy) is 40 percent larger, allowing an even greater variety of activities. With its two additional decks the Dream has more restaurants (including the top-flight Remy’s), a 765-foot “water-coaster,” and new stage shows. With 13 years of experience under the belt, Disney Cruise Line execs were able to tweak, expand and improve on many elements of the Disney Wonder, leaving untouched the elements that worked just fine (like the innovative split bathroom concept that is great for families).

We like the more intimate feel of Disney Wonder, but when sailing at full capacity (as it usually does), the passenger space ratio is very tight; Disney Dream has a bit more elbow-room to work with and crowding isn’t as much a problem at the family pool and buffet restaurant.

Although adult spaces have generally been augmented on Dream, one disappointment was that the adult pool, Quiet Cove, seems more constrained than the same area on the smaller Wonder. Another area where Disney Wonder comes out ahead of the Dream is in variety of itineraries: For now, the Dream is chained to Port Canaveral, just east of Orlando, Florida. But Disney Wonder has matured into a jetsetter, sailing to Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico and through the Panama Canal. For the foreseeable future, with the Dream offering new bells and whistles to keep the die-hard Disney fans enchanted, we anticipate the Wonder will continue to venture to more varied corners of the globe. Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas is almost twice the size of Disney Wonder—does it work for families?

Almost a decade younger than Disney Wonder, Liberty of the Seas is currently the third largest cruise ship at sea (along with siblings Freedom and Independence of the Seas), and in designing this mastodon for the masses, Royal Caribbean looked both inwards and outside for inspiration. The result is impressive, with blockbuster features like an ice-skating rink and snazzy ice shows, a theatre with productions that aspire to touring-show quality, a towering climbing wall and cool surf simulator, and tie-ins with crowd-pleasing brands like Johnny Rockets and Dreamworks (creator of the Shrek franchise). Based on sheer size alone, there is more to experience on Liberty of the Seas than most of us can tackle in a week—who needs ports of call?

But size isn’t everything. While we found dining on Liberty of the Seas about average for the cruise industry overall, from the buffet to the specialty dining venue Palo, meals on Disney Wonder were better. And Disney Wonder is a surprisingly elegant ship, smartly designed in an art nouveau style that may never age; Liberty of the Seas is a bit more like a big floating mall. Royal Caribbean hasn’t come up with anything as novel as the split bathroom concept Disney conceived for Disney Wonder (and sibling Disney Magic), a great solution when families are sharing a room. And by the way, cabins on Disney Wonder are larger than those of Liberty of the Seas (though you’ll also probably pay more for that cabin on Disney Wonder).

Perhaps the most important comparison is how the ships stack up for families, and here we’d call it a draw. For pre-teens the edge goes to Disney Wonder, where the stable of Disney characters inspires wide grins that go beyond what the Dreamworks characters can muster; the Disney crew seems particularly well chosen to interact with kids. For the tween-and-up crowd, Liberty of the Seas might appeal more because the Disney scene may be passé, and that rock climbing wall and surf simulator are great places for showing off at an awkward age. Disney Wonder caters to families, but a ride on Sapphire Princess offers many family amenities, and is often quite a bit less expensive.

Parents considering a cruise with children might assume that Disney Cruise Line is the first and last place to look for an ideal family experience at sea. And Disney does an excellent job of catering to the under-18 market as well as providing adult options that allow parents some quality time of their own at sea. But when Disney Cruise Line arrived in the market in 1998 it forced most existing cruise lines to reexamine their family offerings, and today Sapphire Princess is an example of a ship that provides facilities and activities for kids, staffed by carefully trained crew-members. While not as extensive as the services on Disney Wonder, the three facilities on Sapphire (each dedicated to a different age bracket) will keep kids engaged from beginning to end of the cruise, and provide parents a bit of escape. Bonus: Sapphire Princess is generally priced less that Disney Wonder on comparable itineraries.

For couples without children, the choice between the two might seem obvious—go with the ship that caters to couples. But Disney Wonder offers a quality experience for adults, and we found a small number of couples on-board this ship enjoying the Disney treatment, without kids. Most of them were members of Disney Vacation Club (a plan similar to timeshare), but Disney Wonder does deliver restaurants that are somewhat better than Sapphire Princess, and the stage shows (though mostly family-oriented) are head and tails above the shows on Sapphire in quality. Still, couples should not be lulled into thinking the Disney Wonder offers an intimate adult-oriented experience; on an average cruise, the ship will have upwards of 1,000 kids roaming its decks. Aboard Sapphire Princess, the number of kids varies heavily by time of year, but can range between as few as a couple dozen to several hundred, and the ship is a considerably larger vessel for them to blend in to.

Disney doesn’t let you forget who’s running the show: From the wake-up calls that use a recorded greeting from Mickey Mouse, to the ship's horns, which blare a discordant version of the seven-note melody from “When You Wish Upon a Star” at sail-away, the company’s branding is pervasive. In common areas of the ship, you’ll be humming along to “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” and “Some Day My Prince Will Come” while an autograph session with Disney princesses commences with the kind of fanfare usually accorded to elder statesmen. For some, this will be a welcome atmosphere; others may chafe. In the end, the passenger make-up is self-selecting and it involves a large percentage of newbie cruisers who are along for the Disney ride, not necessarily for the cruise experience or any particular destination. Veteran cruisers may be put off by the number of novice travelers and their casual attire.

Another important issue should be noted when considering a cruise on the Disney Wonder. When this ship (and sister Disney Magic) was conceived, Disney execs estimated that passenger makeup would be 60 percent families, 40 percent couples. Whether that was an incredibly optimistic projection or a whirl through Fantasyland, we can’t say, but we estimate that couples traveling without children probably made up less than 5 percent of the passengers on our cruise.

One other consideration worth highlighting is that the Disney Wonder isn’t cheap. Leaving out high-end luxury cruise lines, similar itineraries on the major lines almost always cost less than sailing with Disney, especially during summer and school holidays. Several other companies deliver a quality family product—sans Mickey and Minnie—and their cruises are usually priced at least 25 percent less. But Uncle Walt can charge a premium because there’s a sizable herd that will pay extra for the Disney treatment. Still, for families considering a cruise vacation, if itinerary and price are not a consideration, the Disney Wonder delivers the goods. The classiest of the three main dining rooms, Triton’s delivered good food, even en masse.

Opening off the main lobby behind a statue of Arial, the Little Mermaid, Triton’s is where the designers let their art nouveau notions fly most grandly—the room is elegant with lots of swoops and curls, and a vaguely nautical theme. A sweeping mosaic depicting the characters from the Little Mermaid dominates one wall, with stained glass accenting others. We’re not sure if it’s intended or by default but the waiters (the same ones from the other main dining rooms) seemed to be a tad more formal, and the meals seemed to taste better—maybe it was just the beautiful room that inspired.

As one of Disney Wonder’s three main dining rooms, we were assigned to dinner at Triton’s every third night of the cruise.

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Among the appetizers we enjoyed at Triton’s was sesame-crusted tuna shashimi, accompanied by wakame (seaweed) salad, a dollop of wasabi, pickled ginger and a taste of caviar. There was a salad of baby spinach and citrus wedges lathered in a mild blue cheese dressing, and a deconstructed Caesar salad with a roasted bacon-wrapped date for garnish. Entrées that stood out included the seafood linguini with a few pieces of lobster, scallops, shrimp and clam, in a light wine and cream sauce; the roasted half Cornish hen was served atop Israeli couscous with zucchini and bell pepper and a lemon herb sauce. We also tried the oven-baked orange roughy, stuffed with a morsel of crabmeat; we weren’t impressed.

One of our favorite meals on Disney Wonder was lunch at Triton’s. This started with a bruschetta topped with healthy flakes of Parmesan and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. For an entrée we thoroughly enjoyed the pan-seared tilapia, served on spinach and a tarn of cheese grits, ringed by a sweet red wine syrup. Breakfast here were good, if fairly traditional—Triton's offered the best route away from the clamorous Beach Blanket Buffet.

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The ship’s standard bar menu was available at Triton’s.

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There were two seatings nightly at Triton’s, 5:45 and 8:15 p.m. Breakfast was served here daily from 8 or 8:30 to 9:30 or 10 a.m., and lunch was served from 12 noon to 1:30 p.m.

The food was fine, but there’s a great concept here that seems unrealized to us.

When Disney Magic and Disney Wonder first debuted in 1998-99 and we heard about Animator’s Palate, we thought the concept—a black-and-white restaurant that evolves into vivid color over the course of dinner—was a promising tip of the hat to the craft of Disney’s animators. During the 75-minute “show,” video screens depict scenes from Pocahontas, Mulan and Little Mermaid while music swells; then the lights dim and Mickey Mouse emerges in his Sorcerer’s Apprentice garb as the room bursts into color.

But we find the actual execution falls short, instead being bombastic rather than magical. If the meals were poor, we’d say the concept was an attempt to divert us from actual dining; instead, we found the reverse to be true—the show begs for attention offering little heartfelt payoff and distracts from fairly decent food, the waiters hustling to stay in step with the pre-determined timing of the show. Given all the high-tech wizardry available to Disney’s creative team, this venue seems overdue for a more imaginative implementation. Unfortunately, we seem to be a minority opinion.

As one of Disney Wonder’s three main dining rooms, we were assigned to dinner at Animator’s Palate every third night of the cruise.

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The menu at Animator’s Palate skews to California cuisine, with references to Asian and other cooking styles. For an appetizer, we loved the wild mushroom risotto, the rice nicely firm and the mushroom flavors bold; the porcini bread stick that accompanied could have used a bit more heft and crunch. The confetti tomato salad showcased flavorful tomatoes with a light pesto drizzle. For entrée we enjoyed the lemon-thyme marinated chicken breast, which sat on a mound of root veggies and mashed potatoes; and the phyllo-wrapped salmon fillet joined by green peas. For dessert the warm apple crumble was fine, finished with a big dollop of vanilla ice cream.

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The ship’s standard bar menu was available at Animator’s Palate.

There were two seatings nightly, 5:45 and 8:15 p.m. A Caribbean theme pervaded this dining room, and sometimes flavored the menu as well.

The third of Disney Wonder’s main dining rooms, Parrot Cay is colorfully adorned with playful fretwork, ceiling fans and bamboo furniture—a theme park-worthy interpretation of the Caribbean. But it’s a fun, less formal room than Triton’s, and we found a few good dishes on the island-accented menu.

As one of Disney Wonder’s three main dining rooms, we were assigned to dinner at Parrot Cay every third night of the cruise. This is also where character breakfasts are held—we had a specific morning assigned to us for this meal (and a photo with Minnie Mouse to prove it).

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Most nights, an island-seasoned menu was on offer, with spices leaning forward. That said, we weren’t surprised that the “sizzling spicy jerk sauce” for the chicken tenderloins wasn’t packing the kind of heat we’ve wilted over in Port Antonio! But although the chefs played it safe we found a tasty grilled rib-eye of beef with sides of “double-baked” potato and over-cooked corn on the cob; a delicious shrimp and avocado salad that made a great, light main course; a serviceable half roasted chicken served with mashed sweet potatoes; and a jerk-seasoned pork chop that was sweet with curried peach relish.

On the night of the captain’s dinner (one of three theme nights on our cruise, when all three restaurants shared the same menu) we ordered the baked lobster tail, which was served on the shell with a wedge of lemon, green beans and rice. It was neither the most succulent nor the toughest lobster we’ve had, but the flavor was okay. A salad of grilled vegetables and beef prosciutto was an interesting find, and we also tried the seafood salad, which had nice chunks of lobster, shrimp and scallops, but the dressing and romaine lettuce that accompanied this dish could have been more sophisticated, lighter.

On a couple mornings of our cruise a breakfast buffet was available. The spread appeared to be about the same as what was offered in Beach Blanket Buffet, but with little of the crowding issues we found there.

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The ship’s standard bar menu was available at Parrot Cay.

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There were two seatings nightly, 5:45 and 8:15 p.m. Buffet breakfast was served here on some days (8:30 to 11 a.m.), as was lunch on select days (12:15 to 1:30 p.m.). The buffet delivered some nice surprises on the food front, but we weren’t happy about the crush of people.

This venue, essentially the only full-service buffet on Disney Wonder, is inadequate to handle the mobs that swarm through every morning and at lunch on sea days. Although there are four lanes and we moved through them fairly well, there are kids bolting in all directions, indecisive eaters in line, and sticky floors (spilled soft drinks, we assume) were a regular occurrence. We never had a problem finding a table, especially when the weather cooperated and we could grab one on the outdoor aft deck—maybe everyone else was similarly looking to vacate tables as soon as they were finished.

That said, we always found tasty items at the buffet, along with a number of middling dishes that were easy to dodge. The spread is not big, but it is diverse, and most of the lunch and dinner selections change daily. And a word to the wise: a nearly identical buffet breakfast was available on some mornings in Parrot Cay, with fewer people and considerably more breathing room—check the daily Personal Navigator for hours.

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At breakfast, most of the selection was predictable, but good. This included Kellogg’s brand boxed cereals and hot oatmeal, unflavored yogurt and cottage cheese with a nice selection of fruits and nuts for topping. There was fresh fruit, pancakes and Mickey-shaped waffles, fried eggs, scrambled eggs, an omelet station, hash browns, corned beef hash, sausage and bacon. The omelet station was not configured well for trays, so one had to take the tray to the table first, then order the omelet; a few pre-made omelets each day were more useful, usually Western, ham and cheese, and the Yankee egg white.

The lunch and dinner selection was pretty strong, and evolved over the cruise. Among the tasty dishes we found were pork chops with apricots, prunes and slivered almonds; an antipasti station with grilled veggies, meats, olives and cheeses; lightly steamed asparagus with feta; apple, walnut and gorgonzola turnovers; flank steak stir fry with asparagus and red bell pepper; sesame-crusted teriyaki glazed cod with bok choy; and a carving station. Other regular offerings included a cold pasta of the day, stir-fried noodles, a vat of macaroni and cheese, a salad bar. There was sometimes a hot pasta station, two of which were risotto; on another day this section was converted to a stir fry station. One day a seafood bar appeared, and the selection included green lip mussels, crawfish, shrimp, Jonas crab claws and snow crab clusters—a great spread for shellfish fans.

A small dessert section included amaretto cheesecake, tiramisu, apple crumble with vanilla sauce, strawberry tart and various cookies.

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There were drink stations at the end of the serving lines that featured Minute Maid apple and orange juice dispensers, along with soda, coffee, tea, and milk (skim, low-fat, whole and chocolate). Soda, coffee, decaf, tea and hot chocolate were available at the beverage station outside the buffet 24 hours—sometimes the coffee here was not very hot.

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The buffet is open daily for breakfast from 6:30 or 7:30 to about 10:30 a.m. Lunch is served from 12 noon to 2 p.m. and dinner from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. This top-deck Italian restaurant is well worth the surcharge for parents’ date night out.

The Disney Wonder’s sole surcharge restaurant serves delicious northern Italian meals. Although seafood offerings showcased a lighter touch, the rich cooking style is fairly heavy. But every dish we tried was satisfying, and all of it prepared to order and served with finesse. As such, we found Palo’s $20 surcharge reasonable.

Palo is restricted to those 18 and up, making it a good choice for an evening away from the kids (there is also a wonderful brunch served on sea days, also priced $20). Note the strict dress code: dress pants and shirt for men (jacket optional), dress or pant suit for women. Make a reservation at the beginning of your trip—strongly advised for cruises of less than a week—and aim for a seating just before sundown to enjoy Palo’s sweeping 270-degree views from Disney Wonder’s top deck. On embarkation day, reservations could be made at Wavebands before the Muster Drill.

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Our meal started with a generous plate of antipasti—slices of prosciutto and bresaola, marinated artichoke hearts, sun dried tomato and red pepper, various olives, and shards of Parmigiano-Reggiano, accompanied by breadsticks, olive rolls and several types of flatbread. For appetizers we enjoyed the grilled shrimp, served with pesto over a ragu of mussel, crab and cherry tomato, and the simple but fresh arugula salad.

Our table happily shared an array of entrées, including grilled sea scallops served atop a mound of beans and pancetta; lightly seared tuna perched against a “risotto” of potatoes and garlic marinated artichokes; a braised beef ravioli bathed in a wine reduction sauce and topped with big flakes of parmesan; and melt-in-your-mouth rack of lamb, crusted with parmesan and oregano and accompanied by slow-baked tomatoes. Most of these had little drizzles of pesto decorating the handsome plates. For dessert we indulged in a panna cotta rich with vanilla bean, a conga line of fresh berries marching across the plate.

We also tried brunch at Palo and found a regal spread, arranged like an intimate buffet. For antipasti there was asparagus with hollandaise, prosciutto and melon, tomato and mozzarella, and grilled vegetables. One table had a beautiful array of fine cheeses, including derby sage, Cambozola, port-infused cheddar, along with fresh breads and pastries, including a tasty blue cheese and walnut Danish. A seafood table offered stone crab claws, Alaskan crab legs, jumbo shrimp, a trout mousse, Cajun tuna and poached scallops. Another station was set up to prepare pizzas on request (gorgonzola and grape was a memorable discovery), egg dishes (eggs benedict and frittata for starters), pancakes and a pasta of the day. The dessert line-up followed, including cherry strudel, assorted Danish, marscapone, tiramisu, assorted petit fours and parfaits. We stuffed ourselves silly.

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Palo had an expanded, Italian-focused wine selection. This included Super Tuscans like Sassicaia Tenuta San Guido and Solaia Marchesi Antinori (priced $279-$299) and sparklers from Champagne. But most of the wine list was less heady, and included a few whites under $30 and a couple reds under $40. There were a few non-Italian choices not found on the ship’s standard wine list—Cakebread chardonnay, Paul Hobbs pinot noir, Montes Purple Angel—and the ship’s standard bar menu was also available.

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Palo was open nightly from 6 p.m. with the last seating at 9 p.m. It was open for brunch on at least one sea day during our cruise, but for some reason this was not publicized in the daily Personal Navigator newsletter that arrived in our room each night. This was a good spot for between-meal treats, some of which were healthier than pizzas and hot dogs.

This outdoor deli counter had a small selection of food through the day. A self-serve ice cream station was adjacent.

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In the mornings we found fruit—both whole (bananas, apples, oranges) and sliced (melon, pineapple, watermelon)—yogurt with granola and berries, boxed cereals, Danish and muffins. Later in the day there was simple salads, wraps (chicken Caesar, tuna), ham, tomato and mozzarella panini, and turkey and cranberry sandwiches.

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Goofy’s Galley was open daily for breakfast from about 6 or 7 a.m. till 8 or 9 a.m., and re-opened for lunch from 11 a.m. till 6 or 7 p.m. Burgers and wieners of all stripes were available here.

This outdoor venue next to Mickey’s Childrens’ Pool indulged us with everything mom told us we shouldn’t eat.

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Dog varieties included traditional hot and brats, while hamburgers could be ordered as veggie or fish burgers. Fries came with the plates, and chicken tenders and a Cajun chicken breast were also available.

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The doghouse was grilling from 11 a.m. to 9 or 9:30 p.m. daily. We would be telling a lie if we said there was much to get excited about here.

Overlooking Goofy’s Family Pool, the menu was theme park-simple.

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Pepperoni, cheese, Hawaiian and vegetarian pizzas were the rule, served by the slice.

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Pinocchio runs a full bar, with beer on tap, a few tropical specialties (Bahama mama, mai tai, rum runner) and a selection of soft drinks, smoothies and bottled water.

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The pies were coming out the oven from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and again 9:30 p.m. till midnight.

The ship’s standard drink list was available at the Promenade Lounge.

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In addition to the ship’s standard cocktail menu, Cadillac Lounge was the place to go for specialty martinis and more refined drinks. Signature cocktails included the Limone Basilico (Absolut Citron, limoncello, muddled basil), the Balsamic Grande (Grey Goose vodka, 5-year-old balsamic vinegar, fresh strawberries) and the Elderbubble (Grey Goose vodka, St-Germain Elderflower liqueur, raspberry purée, Taittinger Champagne); prices ranged $9.25-$10.50.

The upgraded wine list included quality champagnes by the glass, including Moët et Chandon Imperial ($18) and Taittinger Prestige Rosé ($19); bottles of champagne ranged $69-$499 and featured Perrier-Jouët La Belle Epoque and Armand de Brignac Gold. Wines by the glass included Cloudy Bay sauvignon blanc ($15.50), Far Niente chardonnay ($18.50), Amarone della Valpolicella ($14) and Barolo Marchesi di Barolo ($19), at prices ranging $10-$26. Johnny Walker Blue scotch, Woodford Reserve bourbon and Remy Martin Louis XIII were among the fine spirits on offer.

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Cadillac Lounge was open from 5:30 or 6 p.m. till midnight nightly. The minimum age was 18.

The ship’s standard drink list was available at Diversions.

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The ship’s standard drink list was available at WaveBands.

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This is the bar that serves the adults-only Quiet Cove.

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The ship’s standard drink list was available at Signals.

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Signals was open from 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. (till midnight on the Pirates theme night). On some nights, Signals was designated as the Cigar Club at 9 p.m.

Outlook Bar was open daily from 10 a.m. till midnight, although one port day it opened at 3 p.m. The Vista Spa and its fitness center were a great retreat.

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This was also the ship’s jogging course—three laps around this deck equaled one mile. And a shuffleboard court with equipment was on both port and starboard sides.

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The nursery was open from either 7 or 9 a.m. each morning until 11 p.m. We also noted that diaper changing stations were available on decks 1 and 3 aft, deck 4 forward, deck 5 inside the Oceaneer Club, deck 9 forward, and deck 10 aft. Basic care and feeding supplies—wipes, diapers, formula, food, pacifiers—were sold at Treasure Ketch. There are three pools on Disney Wonder—one for kids, one for adults and one catering to all.

Overhead, a 24 x 14-foot jumbo LED screen nicknamed Funnel Vision offered movies and entertainment through the day and evening. Throughout our cruise the movies shown were Disney (and Pixar) classics: Sleeping Beauty, Ratatouille, Swiss Family Robinson, etc. Below the screen was an outdoor stage where some entertainment was offered. The stage was the focus of attention during the "Pirates IN the Caribbean" deck party, when the pool was covered and converted to a dance floor.

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A small snack bar called Preludes is open just before showtime, selling popcorn and candy, sodas, and there’s a full bar.

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Entertainment varied here—some was geared towards adults, but most designed for all ages. On the family end, we saw a napkin-folding demo, a dance party, karaoke and a game show called Who Wants to be a Mouseketeer. For adults, there were presentations by reps from the Disney Vacation Club and cooking demonstrations.

{{photo_gallery "Venue 30 Shows and Performance Photos"}} Disneys Wonder’s internet station was a collection of nine PCs in a walled-off area of the Promenade Lounge. The facility was not staffed, but there were printers for those who needed them (.25 cents per page).

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Tucked away on Deck 7, this deck has sun loungers and little else, not even a soundtrack. Its hideaway location—not shown on any ship maps—means it can be a good spot to escape the crowds. The deck is closed from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

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Disney Wonder Review: A Most Wonderful Adventure at Sea

Jill Robbins

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.

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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.

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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

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.

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Disney Wonder Cruise Ultimate Guide to the Ship

If you’re sailing with the Disney Cruise Line, then the chances of you sailing on the Disney Wonder Cruise Ship are pretty good. Sailing to Disney’s Castaway Cay , the Caribbean, and Alaska, the Disney Wonder visits a wide array of ports perfect for first-time cruisers. If you’re setting sail on the Disney Wonder, then here is everything you need to know before you step onboard. Check out this Disney Wonder Cruise Ship Guide for all the details of what to know before you go.

As with all Disney Cruise Line Ships , from the second you enter the grand lobby, you feel transported to a different time and place. And on the Disney Wonder that place is Under the Sea! Complete with an art deco style featuring iron railings, stained glass, and details reminiscent of the cruising craze of the elite.

• 1 Disney Wonder Cruise Ship Details
• 2 Disney Wonder Atrium Lobby
• 3 Disney Wonder Staterooms
• 4 Disney Wonder Activities Onboard
• 5 Disney Wonder Kids Clubs
• 6 Disney Wonder Entertainment
• 7 Disney Wonder Broadway Style Shows
• 8 Disney Wonder Entertainment Theaters
• 9 Disney Characters Onboard the Disney Wonder
• 10 Disney Wonder Dining
• 11 Disney Wonder Quick Service Restaurants
• 12 Disney Wonder Rotational Dining Restaurants
• 13 Disney Wonder Adult-Only Restaurants
• 14 Disney Wonder Lounges
• 15 Disney Wonder Shops
• 16 Senses Gym, Spa, and Salon Services 
• 17 Disney Wonder Pools
• 18 Disney Wonder Ports of Call
• 19 Castaway Cay 5K 
• 20 Disney Wonder Adult Things to Do

Disney Wonder Cruise Ship Details

The Disney Wonder’s maiden voyage took place on August 15, 1999. The theme of Disney Wonder includes nods to New Orleans, Frozen, and The Little Mermaid. The art style of the Disney Wonder is Art Nouveau.

What Character is on the Bow of the Disney Wonder Cruise Ship?

The Character on the Bow of the Disney Wonder Cruise Ship is Steamboat Willie.

What Character is on the Stern of the Disney Wonder Cruise Ship?

Donald Duck is the character on the stern of the Disney Wonder Cruise Ship.

How Big is the Disney Wonder Cruise Ship?

As one of the smaller ships in the Disney Cruise Line Ship Fleet , the Disney Wonder and its sister ship the Disney Magic has 11 decks. With a total of 877 staterooms, the Disney Wonder can accommodate about 1750 passengers.

Where is Everything on the Disney Wonder Cruise Ship?

One of the toughest parts of any Disney Cruise Vacation is taking the time to learn the ship. And on shorter excursions, like 3 or 4 days, it’s almost impossible to learn the layout and still have time to enjoy it. Get a good handle on the Disney Wonder Deck Plan below so you can see where everything is throughout your trip.

First Deck 1: Health Center, Tender Lobby Second Deck 2: Staterooms Third Deck 3: Disney Lounges; After Hours Route 66, Cadillac Lounge, Crown & Fin Pub. Sea Treasures, Azure Lounge. Guest Services, Port Adventures, Main Lobby, Triton’s, Promenade Lounge, Tiana’s Place Fourth Deck 4: Walt Disney Theatre, Preludes Bar, Mickey’s Mainsail shop, White Caps Shop, D-Lounge, Animator’s Palate Fifth Deck 5: Staterooms, Oceaneer Lab, Oceaneer Club, It’s a Small World Nursery, Buena Vista Theater Decks 6-8: Staterooms Ninth Deck 9: Senses Gym, Senses Spa, Signals Bar, Pools; Quiet Cove Adult Pool, Goofy’s Family Pool, Dory’s Reef, Mickey’s Splash Zone. FunnelVision, AquaLab, Cabanas, Dasiy de-Lites, Pete’s Boiler Bites, Sulley’s Sips, Eye Scream, Pinocchio’s Pizzeria, Edge Tenth Deck 10: Wide World of Sports Deck, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, Concierge Lounge, Cove Cafe, Twist n Spout Entrance, Palo. Eleventh Deck 11: Vibe

Disney Wonder Cruise Ship Deck Plan

Disney Wonder Atrium Lobby

The Disney Wonder Atrium may not be as big as the Disney Wish , but it still adds something special to the experience. Complete with beautiful ironwork for the elevators, see how many characters you can find in the Disney Wonder Atrium. Gilded into the floor framework, you have two levels of carved Disney characters to find. And then, of course, there are also so many hidden Mickeys! Featuring the Little Mermaid in the lobby of the Disney Wonder, Ariel fans will love the nods to this film all over the boat.

Disney Wonder Staterooms

As part of this Disney Wonder Cruise Ship Guide, we’re including all the kinds of cruise ship staterooms to choose from, so you can make your best choice. The types of staterooms included in the Disney Wonder are Concierge, Verandah, Oceanview, and Inside. All of these can sleep 3-4 people comfortably and include a queen-size bed, and sleeper sofa. The larger rooms can sleep up to 5 people comfortably with the addition of a double sofa sleeper, and pull-down bunk. On this trip, we had a Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah and it offered plenty of room for three people.

In addition to the basics, additional amenities like plenty of drawer and closet space, a safe, laundry bag, towels, toiletries, and a first aid kit were all included. Overall the layout of this room was fantastic. A floor-to-ceiling curtain splits the room between the queen bed and the sleeper sofa for extra privacy. And there is a sink in both the restroom and shower room. Allowing guests to take a shower without interrupting restroom use.

Inside Stateroom, Porthole, or Verandah?

A big question to consider on any Disney Cruise is what kind of stateroom do you need. And since prices vary across all of these room types, it’s good to get an idea of what they each offer so you can make your best choice. Mind you, we’re not including concierge, or suites simply because we haven’t yet stayed in either. And it pays to consider that you may need one kind of room for a warm-weather cruise while choosing another for a cold-weather cruise. Similarly, your room preference may change depending on the length of your cruise. What may be okay for a 4-night cruise, may not work for a 14-day Transatlantic cruise.

Inside Staterooms

Inside staterooms offer something called a Magical Porthole with real-time views of the water and waves outside. If you and your family are fine with a digital window, these rooms are the cheapest onboard, while still offering all the amenities of the outside staterooms.

Oceanview Staterooms come with a variety of porthole options; Obstructed, Two Small Portholes, or One Large Porthole. The obstructed porthole room just means that there may be a pole or part of the ship in front of your oceanview window. If you’re not in your room a lot, or during daylight hours, this may not be an issue for you. Rooms with two small portholes are definitely adequate and offer a nice view of the water, while rooms with one large porthole have a window seat built-in. Perfect for gazing out the window. Check out our tour of the Disney Wonder Oceanview Stateroom.

Verandah Rooms include a balcony with seating that overlooks the water and are a dream on cruises with a view but do cost significantly more. And may not be the best bet for families with small children. So much of what you see from your room is dependent upon which side of the boat your room is on, and which side of the port is prettiest.

Disney Cruise Room Host and Towel Friends

One of our favorite parts of any Disney Cruise is getting to know the Cast Members. And there are a few of whom you will see daily and who will truly be there for you the whole time! Your room host is one of those people. Room hosts tend to your room and learn your “schedule” so they can time room cleaning, and turn down service. They learn your names, leave chocolates and make you towel friends to greet you when you return to your cabin each evening. If we could take these folks home with us, we would. They are wonderful human beings there to make your life easier. Disney Cruise line typically has 1 cast member for every 2.5 passengers, there to help you however they can.

Disney Wonder Activities Onboard

As with all Disney Cruise Line Activities, you MUST have the Disney Cruise App on your phone so you can get access to the Disney Navigator. This section of the app allows you to do your favorite activities, be alerted of event times, and see what is happening across the boat each day of your cruise. The Disney Cruise App also shows you Restaurant Menus and Port Excursions. So it is a MUST-HAVE when onboard the ship. You can only get access to the Disney Navigator once you are onboard. At which point you Turn On Airplane Mode, and Connect to the Disney Cruise Line Guest Wi-Fi . Once that has been done you can open the Disney Cruise App and see your options.

Disney Wonder Kids Clubs

If you’re bringing the kid’s on your Disney Cruise, then there is plenty for them to do. Not only as part of the family activities but also as special things they can tackle alone. Often a much-needed break for parents, Disney Cruise offers Kid’s Clubs that cater to different age groups that help kids meet new friends, make crafts, play games, and more. Kid’s Clubs offer Open Houses on the first day onboard the ship, so kids can check in and get access. Be sure to check out the Disney Navigator App for times to visit the clubs and get your child set up. And download the My Disney Cruise Adventure Booklet to get your child ready for all that’s in store. Here are the kid’s clubs you can find on the Disney Wonder Cruise Ship.

“it’s a small world” nursery

If you need childcare on your cruise you can reserve time at the “It’s a small world” nursery. This care place is filled with activities and fun to keep your little one occupied and safe while you enjoy other things onboard. Read More about the Disney Cruise Nursery.

Disney Oceaneer Club and Lab | Ages 3-12

The Oceaneer Club offers up play areas with slides, games, crafts, and more. On the Disney Wonder the Oceaneer Club includes magical “lands” to explore that inform the activities throughout the cruise.

• Andy’s Room: Featuring a Slinky Dog slide, this space includes Woody and Jesse for some wild west rollicking fun.
• Marvel Super Hero Academy: Offering a space that allows for arts, crafts, games, and video games, this S.H.I.E.L.D. facility shows off cool tech and weaponry wielded by our favorite superheroes.
• Disney Junior: If your kids are on the younger end of this club age range, then they’ll surely recognize the Disney Junior crew. Character fun and easy crafts are part of this experience.
• Frozen Adventures: Anna and Elsa prepare for the coronation while Olaf takes a stab at singing and games to celebrate the seasons. A fun time to be had for all ages.
• Captain America’s Super Hero 101: The captain himself gets in on the action to teach kids how to be a superhero in this activity. Check with the Cast Member when you check your child in, what days and times this special activity may be happening. Check the Disney Navigator App for details, once onboard.
• Mickey’s Roadster Racers: In this activity, kids can build their own roadster, and “race” for the Cruise Line Cup. Check the Disney Navigator App for details, once onboard.
• Join the Lion Guard: If you’re ready to be the mane event, get some tips on how you can train to be on Simba’s Lion Guard! Check the Disney Navigator App for details, once onboard.

Edge | Ages 11-14

Let your tween chart their own destiny in this Disney Cruise Club for tweens. Edge offers up a place to watch movies, play games, get creative, and make new friends. Equipped with all the tech, TVs, and video games you need to have fun if your tween wants to take part. Located on Deck 9 Midship. Edge Hours are 10:00 am- 1:00 am. 

Vibe | Ages 14- 17

This lounge space for teens is perfect for hanging out, having fun, and even making smoothies.  Teens 14-17 will have plenty to do if they’re ready to make friends and take part. Vibe features a coffee bar, and a wide selection of nonalcoholic beverages to keep them going all day and offers counselors on hand to oversee the fun. On the Disney Wonder, Vibe is decorated like a loft-inspired haven filled with brick, concrete, and all things urban cool. Activities include karaoke, games, video games, dance parties, and more group activities. Vibe Hours are 10:00 am- 1:00 am

1820 Society | Ages 18-20

Rather underground, the 1820 Society offers young cruisers aged 18-20 the opportunity to get together for activities. While not heavily published and with no designated space, this group’s meet-ups are often available on the Disney Navigator App. Lead by a single cast member, activities like photo scavenger hunts, or meet-ups at the Lounges during the day are all on the menu for this group. Trivia, Karaoke, Games, and Silent Disco are also offered throughout the cruise to keep these young adults involved. If sailing to Castaway Cay the group also takes part in group activities like biking, and volleyball. Be on the lookout in the app for times to meet up, and check with a Cast Member once onboard for details on registering.

Disney Wonder Entertainment

If you’ve ever been on a Disney Cruise you know that the entertainment onboard is top-notch! From Broadway-style entertainment to evening performers, games, and activities, there is no shortage of fun things to do!

Mickey’s Sail a Wave Party A Bon Voyage Celebration

This on-deck party takes place as soon as you Sail Away! While the time sometimes varies, be sure to check out the Disney Navigator in the app for the exact time to be on deck to watch the show. On the Disney Wonder Cruise Ship, the Sail Away Deck Party happens on Deck 11, but you can see the show from the balcony on Deck 12 if you can find a spot to stand and watch. This show features Mickey and Friends and Cruise Cast Members dancing and singing to help get you into the mood for your best Disney Cruise Ever.

Pirate Night

Disney Cruise Line Pirate Night is a mainstay on many Disney cruises sailing to the Caribbean and a must-do no matter your age! In fact, with Pirate-themed everything on the day of the party, it’s hard to avoid! Mickey and Friends all don their Pirate best and pose for pictures. And everyone (EVERYONE) gets dressed up as a pirate for dinner to be ready for the party. This evening event takes place close to 10 or 10:30 pm so definitely late for the little ones. But never fear, there are other pirate events happening a little earlier if you need to skip this late-night party. So what is Pirate Night on a Disney Cruise? Basically, it’s a reason to dress up, sing some sea shanties, and catch Mickey and Friends in their pirate costumes.

Fireworks at Sea

Pirate Night is also the evening event where Disney Cruise sets off their famous Fireworks at Sea! So, if you’re looking for extra fun, be sure to take the time and head to Deck 11 for the Pirate Night party on the FunnelVision deck.

Themed Nights on Select Itineraries

Depending on what time of year you sail, and which season it is you may get a special evening event that isn’t Pirate Night! On the Disney Wonder Alaska cruise, you can enjoy the Frozen Deck Party. Or on a specialty cruise, the Pixar Pals party. Seasonal parties include the Very Merrytime Cruise , Halloween on the High Seas ,  and New Year’s Eve events.

One of the best parts of any Disney Cruise is the bonus of getting to see live performances from visiting musicians and performers. While these performances are on the schedule in the My Disney Experience app, you will also see these performances as a treat on your way to dinner. Especially as most of the performers do take the main stage in the lobby throughout the cruise, and are hard to miss! That said, you can also catch more private performances in any of the Disney Lounges throughout the boat if you’re looking for something special.

Games, Trivia, Bingo, Tastings, and More

Just like all Disney Cruises, the Disney Wonder features a variety of fun activities you can do throughout the day, often found in Disney Cruise Lounges . Players of Bingo can tackle the Bingo cards almost daily for a chance to win prizes and money. Meanwhile, there are other activities all over the boat, including a variety of Disney Trivia events, Towel Friends Classes, the Anyone Can Cook series, and more. But maybe making your own apple strudel sounds like a chore. Perhaps, just aim for a wine tasting instead. The liqueur-based activities are for an additional fee, but for the most part, activities are free!

Disney Wonder Broadway Style Shows

Featuring Broadway Style Shows, opposite your dinner hour, a Disney Cruise offers showstopping entertainment. With classics from Disney films, to original productions featuring the themes of magic, adventure, friendship, believing, and more, these are always a treat while onboard.

Frozen, A Musical Spectacular

This Frozen show takes place in the Walt Disney Theatre and shows the world of Frozen, featuring Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf, and friends. A wonderful Broadway-style show, this show is a must-see and takes place opposite your dinner time for one evening during your trip.

Disney Dreams- An Enchanted Classic

Featuring classic Disney storytelling this show is about a girl named Marie who needs to learn what it means to believe. With some help from Peter Pan, songs and stories from Lion King, Tangled, Cinderella, Aladdin, and more help her along. Great for both kids and adults, this is a Disney Cruise Show classic not to be missed.

The Golden Mickeys

Join Disney characters for a larger-than-life Hollywood-style spectacular featuring a tribute to Disney films and songs, complete with the red carpet. And honoring our favorite heroes and villains.

Disney Wonder Entertainment Theaters

On the Disney Wonder, the Disney Cruise Broadway-style shows take place inside the Walt Disney Theater. First-run films are also often shown in this two-story theater. The secondary theater on the Disney Wonder is the Buena Vista Theater which shows films throughout the day, and seasonal movies when sailing a specialty cruise.

New Release Movies

A bonus of any Disney Cruise Line vacation is the chance to see a feature film, currently in theaters, while onboard. On our most recent cruise, we were able to see Guardians of the Galaxy 3 and The Little Mermaid (live-action). It is typical for the ships to offer two main, current theatrical features, and then a slew of Disney Plus content as well. So, if you’re looking for some downtime, you’re sure to find something great playing in the theaters.

FunnelVision

Another mainstay of any Disney Cruise is the ability to watch Disney movies ALL DAY LONG up on deck on the FunnelVision screen. On the Disney Wonder, FunnelVision can be found on Deck 9, alongside Cabanas, drink stations, quick-serve restaurants, and ice cream. Disney films like Sleeping Beauty, Wreck-it Ralph, and Pirates of the Caribbean are all part of the lineup on the big screen. Simply grab a chair, and settle in. For the most part, films run all day, with the exception of party or event times, and are a great reason to take a break and relax.

Disney Characters Onboard the Disney Wonder

As with any Disney Cruise, you get the chance to not only see your favorite Disney characters in the deck shows but also meet them in the halls and at photo spots. Disney characters included in the Disney Wonder were all the ones you would expect! Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and Pluto are all part of the fun. And princesses like Tiana, Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, and Mulan showed up too! Be sure to check out the Royal Princess Gathering onboard if you’re looking to snap pics of all the princesses.

Disney Wonder Dining

Dining on any Disney Cruise typically requires guests to dress for dinner, at least a little. As a family cruise, basic cruise wear, or “cruise casual” is accepted of course but know that on the Disney Wonder, there is Formal Night, Semi-Formal Night, and Pirate Night. All of which may require some strategic packing. Be sure to check out the Disney Cruise Dining Attire for your cruise length.

Disney Wonder Quick Service Restaurants

The Disney Wonder has several quick-service restaurants that you can find on Deck 9.

• Cabanas: This counter-service restaurant on the Disney Wonder offers an array of foods including burgers, fries, meats, pasta dishes, salad bars, breakfast stations, and more. Everything you need for any meal. Cabanas has set hours and is typically closed during dinner times, so be sure to check the cruise navigator for hours.
• Pete’s Boiler Bites: American quick serve, this counter serves up burgers, veggie burgers, brats, hot dogs, chicken tenders, and fries.
• Pinocchio’s Pizzeria: Freshly made pizza is served up daily at this pizzeria, and offered in cheese, pepperoni, veggie, and Margherita.
• Daisy De-Lites: This counter-service restaurant includes fresh wraps, fruits, bagels, build-your-own bowls, and a nice variety of fresh foods to grab and go as needed.
• Eye Scream Treats: Free Ice Cream on Disney cruises is such a perk! This soft serve is offered up in a variety of flavors and is open for most of the day.
• Sully’s Sips: Specialty smoothies are available here for an extra charge, but combine Greek yogurt and fruits, and is a great way to get something healthy during your sailing.

Disney Wonder Rotational Dining Restaurants

One of Disney Cruise Line’s signature services is Rotational Dining on a Disney Cruise, which can sometimes get confusing. Guests can choose and are ultimately assigned a first or second seating. First Seating is typically around 6:00 pm and the Second Seating is around 8:15 pm. Though these times can vary 15 minutes before or after this time.

Once you know your seating, you’ll simply show up at the assigned restaurant at that time every night throughout your trip. Know that the evening showtimes are also at these times. So if you have a first seating assignment, your showtime will be later, and if you have a second seating your showtime will be earlier. The restaurants included in the rotational dining on the Disney Wonder are as follows.

Animator’s Palate

A classic on most Disney Cruise Ships, Animators Palate on the Disney Wonder features a beautiful white theme that includes screens on the walls, playing Disney animations from the best Disney movies. This is a wonderful restaurant featuring interesting decor and a wonderful homage to the art of animation. While there are no performances at this restaurant, you can delight in the scenes on the walls of animation in action, shown on television portrait screens. Plus there is an interactive element to this restaurant experience that allows guests to draw their own characters which are later animated onscreen, which is very cool.

At some point during dinner, you will see the Drawn into Magic show, which highlights Disney storytelling and commences in a finale of transformation, splashing the black and white interior of the restaurant with digital color. The cuisine includes foods from the Pacific Islands, including Asian and Californian fare, and is a fan favorite among most Disney cruisers. On Deck 4. Read our Animator’s Palate Review.

Tiana’s Place

Head down to the bayou for some cooking, and entertainment, straight out of New Orleans. This specialty restaurant is all about Tiana, Ray, and the jazz band at Tiana’s Place. We love the food here, and the show is spectacular! This will surely be your favorite Disney Cruise restaurant while onboard. A real Tiana’s Place, like her dreams from the Princess and the Frog film, Tiana performs with her band onstage throughout dinner. Dress is casual and the kids can pop into a mini parade with the jazz band around the restaurant. Featuring Louisiana-inspired creole and cajun, you can find Tiana’s Place on Deck 3. Read our Tiana’s Place Review .

Triton’s

One of the main restaurants on the Disney Wonder cruise, Tritons features a beautiful wall mural of Triton and Ariel. Located as you enter the boat on Deck 3, Tritons is often open on Embarkation Day for families wanting to ease into their cruise with a sit-down lunch. This restaurant features American cuisine with a bit of French flair and is a great low-key restaurant for any meal you want when you’re not just grabbing the quick service meals! Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner you can eat here throughout your cruise. Located on Deck 3. Read our Tritons Restaurant Review. 

Disney Wonder Adult-Only Restaurants

One of the best things for Adults to do on a Disney Cruise is to make a special night out to one of the Disney Adult-Only Restaurants, and the Disney Wonder has  Keep in mind these are 18+ and do have a dress code. These meals are NOT included in your Disney Cruise Package, so you must reserve them ahead of time. Guests may only book ONE dinner in advance for Palo. However, if your Palo night is the first night of your cruise, you are able to make a second reservation at Palo on another night of your cruise. 

This Adult Only signature restaurant onboard the Disney Wonder is Palo. Offering a 270-degree oven view this restaurant has the best views on the ship. Featuring Northern Italian cuisine, this restaurant is considered a must-do for Disney Adult Cruisers at least once. Serving a multi-course dinner, dessert, and champagne event, as well as a specialty brunch, there are plenty of options. Dinner at Palo is typically $70 per person for the prix fixe menu and $45 for brunch. Given the spectacular views, we recommend aiming for brunch or an early dinner hour so you can see all there is to see. Check out all the offerings available during your cruise at Palo Restaurant . Remember that Palo must be booked in advance and is not included in your cruise costs. It will be billed to you separately.

Palo Reservation Window for Castaway Club

• First Time Cruiser: 75 days in advance
• Silver: 90 days in advance
• Gold: 105 days in advance
• Platinum: 120 days in advance (complimentary)
• Pearl/Concierge: 123 days in advance ( complimentary)

Palo Dress Code

• Men: dress pants or slacks and collared shirt; jacket is optional
• Women: dress, skirt or pants with a blouse
• Jeans may be worn if in good condition (no holes)

Adult-exclusive restaurants aboard Disney Cruise Line ships are elegant dining experiences. Guests are requested to dress in a manner consistent with the restaurant’s sophistication. 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.

Disney Wonder Lounges

The Disney Wonder Cruise is home to five lounges! Most of these lounges host daytime activities for families, like games, Bingo, trivia, and more. In the evenings, usually after 6 pm some of the lounges transition to adult-only ( 18+). Here are all the details for each lounge, and the themes you can find in each. We highly recommend exploring these spaces just for fun. As they are beautiful and unique.

D Lounge | Deck 4

The main lounge on the Disney Wonder for all the larger activities, with the exception of Bingo which happens in Azure, D Lounge has ample seating and a center stage area for all the things that may be offered throughout the day. Trivia, the Anyone Can Cook class, and family activities.

French Quarter Lounge | Deck 3

This jazz club honors all things New Orleans! The French Quarter Lounge is a small quaint place featuring themed games during the day, activities and character meet. In the evening you can enjoy live music and spirited drinks.

Crown and Fin Pub | Deck 3

London calling! This classic English pub features drinks you’d find in the classic English village. Scotches, malts, whiskeys, stouts, and beers on tap. All amongst the dark furniture and plush leather chairs you’d expect to find in a London bar. This Disney Lounge even includes several decorative pieces with nods to everyone’s favorite British imports; Mary Poppins, 101 Dalmatians, and Peter Pan can all be spotted. The Crown and Fin Pub is located in the After Hours section of the ship on Deck 3 Forward.

Cadillac Lounge | Deck 3

Decorated with all the elegance of an actual Cadillac, this Disney Wonder bar hails the days of classic Hollywood as an adult-only nightclub. Cadillac Lounge serves up a 1950s theme, a piano man, and performers to add to the swanky feel. This bar is done up in Cadillac car parts, so be on the lookout for hubcap tables, car seat booths, and fins on the walls. Also part of the After Hours section.

Azure | Deck 3

Featuring live music, and a nightclub atmosphere, Azure glows with excitement. Themed to the Sea, you can find ocean-themed everything. Even the decor honors all things big blue world, with shimmering wall satin and waves in every corner. This bar on the Disney Wonder hosts activities and events during the day and can be found in the After Hours section of the boat.

Signals | Deck 9

Head to the adult deck for the outdoor bar, Signals , complete with barstools and seating areas that overlook the ocean. This Disney cruise bar serves up the Drink of the Day and often has a variety of cocktail options! Perfect for a poolside break.

Cove Cafe | Cove Cafe

Found on Deck 9, Cove Cafe on the Disney Wonder is home to specialty coffee drinks and free pastries that you simply request! While specialty coffees and drinks do need to be paid for and are not included in your cruise cost, visiting Cove Cafe to get the handcrafted coffee onboard is such a treat. This cafe also includes cocktails, wines, and small plates in the evenings, and is sometimes host to beverage tastings.

Disney Wonder Shops

The Disney Wonder has several shops onboard ranging from cruise souvenirs to luxury goods, and you can even grab the Disney Cruise Disney Dooney and Bourke bag while onboard.

• Mickey’s Mainsail
• Sea Treasures
• Shutters Photo Studio
• Vista Gallery
• Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

Senses Gym, Spa, and Salon Services 

We like taking advantage of the seamless walking and running opportunities on Deck 4 of the Disney Wonder, but if you’re looking for a gym experience, you can find it at Senses. Featuring treadmills, ellipticals, weights, and even classes, this gym offers a way for you to stay in shape on board. And if you’re looking for something to help you relax, the Senses Spa offers up a selection of cosmetic body and facial treatments, available for an extra charge. Check out all the services offered at the Senses Spa and Salon on the Disney Wonder. And if you’re bringing your teen, you can let them experience Chill Spa , catering to those kids 13- 17 and offering services they’d enjoy like massages, wraps, hair care, and more.

Disney Wonder Pools

The Disney Wonder has a variety of pools, and water features for babies, kids, and adults.

• Goofy’s Pool : Located on Deck 9, this pool includes two whirlpool spas, and is great for families.
• Quiet Cove Pool : Located on Deck 9, this is an Adult-Only pool with 2 whirlpool spas and is located on the Adult area of the deck.
• AquaLab: This water ride loops the Disney Wonder Ship with clear views of the ocean below through the see-through tube! On Deck 9.
• Twist n Spout: This waterslide is located on deck 9 and is open to families.
• Dory’s Reef: Perfect for toddlers and babies, under age 3, Dory’s reef is themed to Little Nemo.

Disney Wonder Ports of Call

The Disney Wonder has a few different Ports of Call throughout the world. The Bahamas, Caribbean, Alaska, Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera, Vancouver Galveston, New Zealand, Australia, and San Diego, among others. Check out the following Disney Wonder Ports of Call. 

South Pacific

Nassau, Bahamas

Our first Disney Cruise was to Nassau, Bahamas on the Disney Wonder. The first cruise for many Disney Cruisers, the Bahamas is an easy destination to experience. It’s not too far, is a budget-friendly Disney Cruise, and doesn’t require much. Complete with a few beaches, and Bahamians selling their wares, there are a few things to do at Nassau. As a result of our fairly unorganized vacation to Nassau Bahamas, we have a few tips for a Disney Cruise to Nassau Bahamas. The big one is, to book the excursions. While this little port town offers up a couple of nearby sites, like shops, a pirate museum, and a beach, it’s still foreign enough for you to wonder why you got off the boat if you don’t know what you’re doing. Read our Disney Wonder Nassau, Bahamas Cruise Review for ideas.

The Disney Wonder also stakes claim as the Disney Cruise Ship visiting Alaska. Complete with sweeping landscapes, glaciers, mush runs, seaplane excursions, and totem parks, this is a once-in-a-lifetime sort of trip with several ports of call at your disposal. Sailing Alaska’s inner passage this trip offers a couple of days at sea and stops in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, and sometimes Sitka. Check out our Disney Alaska Cruise Guide , and How to Plan a Disney Cruise to Alaska for your best tips on saving money, and what to do at each port throughout your trip.

Castaway Cay

Castaway Cay is Disney’s Private Island, and luckily, is on the Disney Wonder itinerary as a port of call for a whole day! By far one of our favorite stops on any Disney Cruise. With things like snorkeling, bike riding, and inner-tubing, there is plenty to do on your Castaway Cay day. You can also book excursion packages for boating, water bikes, and other special activities. Check out our Castaway Cay Guide to get an idea of everything you can do on the island.

Castaway Cay 5K 

If you’re Disney Cruise Itinerary includes a stop at Castaway Cay, then be sure to check out the Castaway Cay 5K race! This self-paced 5K brings you through the trails on Castaway Cay and is perfect for both kids and adults. You can walk or run it, and simply have to sign in at the bike rental kiosk on the island to get started. Once you complete your 5K, you can collect your Castaway Cay 5K Medal to take home. We love this as a meaningful Free Disney Cruise Souvenir, and since it’s part of an experience, one that you should proudly display! While not an official runDisney marathon race, we still loved this activity as a way to see the island and give us a bit of a challenge.

Disney Wonder Adult Things to Do

In addition to the Adult-Only Restaurants, there are plenty of things to do onboard a Disney Cruise for Adults. If you’re looking for some things to do on your Disney Cruise, here are a few of our favorites.

Adult-Only Cruise Activities ( 18+)

To our surprise, there was a plethora of Disney Cruise Activities on the Disney Wonder that were ONLY for adults ( 18+). And not necessarily because they had anything to do with alcohol! Some classes, trivia, and games were only open to adults, alongside a variety of cocktails and wine tastings.

Castaway Cay Serenity Bay

Once on Castaway Cay, you can head to the far beach, called Serenity Bay. This sparkling beach includes access to a bar, eatery, and stretches of beach filled with loungers and umbrellas. Notably less crowded than the family beaches, if you’re looking for a place to get away, head to Serenity Bay. Check out everything you can do on Castaway Cay for Adults .

Disney Cruise Drink of the Day

One of our favorite things on any Disney Cruise is checking out the Drinks of the Day. Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options are available, and they usually include something fruity and fun! You can check the selections each day in your Disney Cruise app and grab these drinks at any bar counter. We also loved that they shared the ingredients in the descriptions so that we can make Disney Cruise Drinks at home too! And if you’re sailing in cold weather, check out one of our favorite Disney Cruise cocktails from the Very Merrytime Cruise , the  Disney Cruise Christmas Cookie Cocktails . Yum!

The adult deck on a Disney Cruise is reserved for adults 18+ and fills up fast! While this deck is smaller, it still has a few bars, lots of loungers, and pools in which to hang out. We didn’t spend a ton of time in this area, but for the adults who did, it was a daily ritual. If you’re hoping to claim your spot on the adult deck, head to your lounger early, and settle in. This area is busy all day but is conveniently located near anything you need. Including coffee, smoothies, food, bars, and even the gym and spa.

Another treat on the Disney Wonder was that there were so many Disney Cruise Lounges , all impeccably themed! Of course, you find this same level of detail and attention in all the cruise lounges.

Getting Ready for Your Disney Cruise

Hopefully, this Disney Wonder Cruise Ship Guide has helped you get a handle on what your experience may look like. Know that as a vacation, a Disney Cruise Line vacation is one of the easiest to take. Simply follow our Disney Cruise Vacation Planning Guide and you’ll be set in no time! With daily tips, helpful staff, and excursions to ensure a successful day at port. Your role is simply to show up and enjoy it!

Check out our Disney Cruise Packing List for everything you need to bring along with you. From cruise documents to outfits for semi-formal night, check out the post for a complete breakdown. And don’t forget to make fun plans to decorate your cruise cabin door, with some Disney Cruise Decorations. It’s easy to make a Disney Cruise extra fun and magical. And on the Disney Wonder, there is so much to see and do. We hope you love it as much as we do.

Rochelle Mariah

Rochelle Mariah is a writer, designer and photographer with an MLIS in Information Science and a B.S. in Arch and Design. Determined to make Planning a DIY Disney Vacation easier she makes lots of lists and drinks lots of coffee. When not designing apparel at Polka Dot Pixie Shop, she's watching old movies and planning the holidays. She has been traveling to Disney destinations since 2010.

• Rochelle Mariah https://www.polkadotsandpixiedust.com/author/rochellemariah/ What Makes the Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge Special?
• Rochelle Mariah https://www.polkadotsandpixiedust.com/author/rochellemariah/ Summer House on the Lake Disney Springs Restaurant Review
• Rochelle Mariah https://www.polkadotsandpixiedust.com/author/rochellemariah/ Star Wars Season of the Force Disneyland Special Event
• Rochelle Mariah https://www.polkadotsandpixiedust.com/author/rochellemariah/ Garden Grill Breakfast Review with Chip and Dale

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Vibe Teen Club on Disney Cruise Lines

Disney takes care of everyone onboard their ships, and that includes creating extra special spaces just for teenagers! Let’s be real – Teens have very specific needs! They want to relax, they want to make friends…but they have to stay cool while doing it.

Disney has taken care of all of this, by creating a teen-exclusive space to relax, chill out, listen to music, watch TV, play group games and more at…

Vibe, a Happening Haven Just for Teens!

While the Vibe experience aboard each ship differs, the idea behind them is the same: Vibe provides Guests ages 14 to 17 with their own special place where they can break off from the family and connect with other teens from around the world. Designed with their interests in mind, each lounge is laden with amenities and activities that will keep them engaged and entertained while encouraging them to mingle. With so much to do, Vibe is bound to become your teen’s favorite on-ship destination!

While designated as a teens-only hangout, Vibe is chaperoned by some of the coolest counselors at sea, in a laid-back way that allows teens to feel as unrestricted and comfortable as they can possibly be.

Beverages and Snacks  Vibe features a coffee bar serving a wide selection of nonalcoholic beverages, including fruit smoothies and more.

Now let’s break it down by ship!

Disney fantasy and disney dream.

What’s the Vibe Like? Vibe aboard the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy has the look and feel of a hip urban night spot, with multiple areas, a secret entrance and its own outdoor deck space. Its plush interior boasts sleek design, state-of-the-art lighting and sound, and movable modular furniture that invites teens to get situated in style.

Vibe’s hangout central is its high-tech media room, where teens can watch movies or play video games on a 103ʺ LCD screen with digital surround sound. Comfortable, plentiful seating makes this gathering place your home theater away from home.

In a separate stage area, talent shows, karaoke contests and dance competitions let teens own the spotlight. A dance floor and video wall set the stage for day-and-night dance parties, and aspiring DJs can even spin and mix tracks! For a more mellow experience, recline in your own built-in oval wall pod and game or watch a movie on a personal video screen.

Disney Magic and Disney Wonder

Housed in the iconic red Forward Funnel of your ship, this open-plan lounge is the spot to socialize with other teens. This highest point of the ship is sure to also be the high point of your teen’s cruise!

What’s the Vibe Like? On the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder, Vibe invites teens to unwind at an urban, loft-inspired haven where stylish industrial elements merge with music, gaming and all the latest trends. Amid brick, concrete and technical architectural flourishes, teens can sip on a flavorful coffee or smoothie, play the latest tunes and socialize with kids their own age during fun video and virtual-reality game sessions.

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Disney Cruise For Teenagers – What Does DCL Offer for Teens?

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Is a Disney Cruise for Teenagers? Disney Cruise Lines are made for the entire family, even the notoriously difficult-to-please teen cruiser!

There are plenty of things for teenagers to do while sailing on a Disney cruise ship.

This guide is written by my son who is now in his 20’s but has spent months on a Disney cruise as a teen.

What is on a Disney Cruise For Teens?

I know what you are thinking. A Disney Cruise Line vacation doesn’t sound like the best way to spend your time as a teen. Well, I spent many very happy vacations on Disney ships as a teen.

Disney may not have the rock climbing, surf rider or sports simulators of some Royal Caribbean ships but it certainly has a lot to offer.

One of the great things is that you do get some family time, but there are plenty of chances to do your own thing, make new friends, and have some new experiences.

Here are some of the best things to do on the Disney ship if you are a teen.

Disney Cruise Sports Deck

On Disney Magic and Wonder, they have table tennis, and foosball, as well as a basketball court, so lots to do!

The Disney Dream and Fantasy also have a miniature golf course.

The best times to go are late at night, dinner-time, or in port. If you go late at night, most likely there’ll be no one there.

This is a great place for sports lovers or anyone who is looking to get a little bit of exercise. Usually, I go there to balance out eating 6 lava cakes at the buffet!

Disney Wish has a very different concept – the Hero Zone. This is a large indoor multi-functional sports area up on Deck 13.

Because of its location, some people never even make it up there, but it is well worth a look.

Hero Zone is a large space on 2 levels, will a spectator area on the second level. This level also has foosball and table tennis. The lower level can be used as a basketball and soccer area.

At certain times of the day, the Incredi-games are set up. This is a huge inflatable obstacle course themed around the Pixara movie The Incredibles. This is for all ages but is a lot of fun for teens as well as the little kids.

Disney Cruise Buena Vista Theater

One of the best places on all of the Disney ships is the Buena Vista Theater – a movie theater at sea! A Disney Cruise for teenagers is not complete without a trip to the movies.

You can watch some of your favorite Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars movies here – even some that are still in theaters.

You can also watch new releases the day they come out. They’ll premier at midnight, so you’ll be among the first to see the new movie.

As Disney now seems to own pretty much every franchise and movie studio, this happens pretty frequently these days.

I’ve gone to premiers like this many times with movies such as everybody’s favorite “Pirates” movie – “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” – as well as the critically acclaimed and box-office smash “John Carter.” Just kidding.

One of the best experiences was watching the premiere of Avengers Endgame. Not only did I get to see the movie as soon as it came out, but I shared the experience with a lot of friends and movie fans. This becomes like a kind of bonding, shared experience.

The Vibe on a Disney Cruise

The Vibe is the Teen’s Club on a Disney Cruise which on some ships is located in the ship’s funnel.

Here you can do activities, play video games or board games, as well as meet other teens on the ship.

They offer a wide range of activities, such as video game contests, improv classes, Karaoke contests, dodgeball, gaga ball, dance parties, and drawing classes.

Sometimes there are events where you can meet some of the performers in the shows.

It’s a great way to meet people. I have met some amazing people from all over the world on Disney cruises who I still keep in touch with regularly.

I’d highly recommend coming here on the first day as soon as The Vibe is open. Friendships tend to form quickly and it can be difficult to break into already established groups if you leave it a couple of days to check it out.

Disney Cruise Silent Disco

Silent discos are something you should experience at least once in your life, and fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities to take part in one on any of the Disney Cruise Ships.

They offer 3 different channels for you to dance to: “Top 40” (modern songs), “Best of the 80s and 90s,” and then “DJ’s Choice.”

You can either go to the family silent disco or the teen-exclusive one if you don’t want to be humiliated standing next to your parents doing the final dance from “Dirty Dancing” to an excruciatingly accurate degree – even nailing the lift…

Instead of all that, you can go to the teen dance, where you’ll feel amazing because your “sick” dance moves are getting all the girls’ attention.

This works until some competition dancer named Jeff starts doing flips and popping and locking, and suddenly nobody cares that you’re doing the macarena. I never liked Jeff…

In all seriousness, it’s a lot of fun and a great activity for teens.

Disney Cruise Trivia

Pretty much every day they’ll have at least one trivia. Some of them are general trivia, but the large majority of them are Disney-related.

The Disney ones might be about Pixar, Marvel, or music from the Disney movies, depending on what days of the year you’re on the ship and which ship you’re on.

The Disney ones are great if you’re a huge Disney fan. Although, it can be somewhat discouraging when you think you’re the biggest Disney fan, so will have no problem winning the trivia.

Then at the last minute a family of four strolls in, each with a Disney t-shirt, a Disney pair of pants, a Disney pair of shoes, a Disney World cap, Mickey Mouse pair of socks. You name it, they are wearing every bit of Disney merch you can think of.

Then there’s you – drinking your complimentary decaf coffee with soy milk from Deck 9, where the only piece of Disney merchandise you’re wearing is a pair of Baby Yoda briefs, realizing that the odds aren’t so much in your favor.

Seriously though, it’s always fun challenging yourself to a bit of trivia and trying to see how high of a score you can get.

If you want to check just what an expert you are you can try our Disney Cruise Ultimate Trivia

Family Pool on a Disney Cruise

Disney Magic and Wonder have the Goofy Pool, Disney Fantasy and Dream have Donal’s Family Pool and Disney Wish has Mickey’s Pool.

Disney Wish has a very different pool deck design from the other ships.

There are 3 family pools on the main pool deck. I think this is a better design than the other ships, but now as an adult don’t get me started on the questionable wisdom of the design of the adult pool deck.

The family pools are a lot of fun – just so long as you don’t experience it when it is wall-to-wall 6-year-olds in there. It can get very busy, so you do need to pick your time wisely.

The best time to go to the family pool would be late at night, during dinner time, or when you’re at port. That way it’s not as busy.

One of the best aspects of this pool is Funnel Vision, which is a massive screen that’s attached to the funnel where you can watch some of your favorite Disney or Marvel films while you relax in the pool.

Swimming isn’t usually an option due to the volume of people you would have to swim around, but the pools can still be a lot of fun.

Disney Cruise AquaDuck and AquaMouse

The Disney AquaDuck is one of the best features of a Disney Cruise.

This is exclusive to the Disney Fantasy and the Disney Dream. But Disney Wish has AquaMouse, which is a variation on the AquaDuck (not necessarily an improvement).

The AquaDuck is a Disney original – a water coaster at sea. It is a whole lot of fun and is a definite must-do on a Disney cruise for all ages, particularly teens.

As you can imagine, the AquaDuck and AquaMouse can get pretty busy. You can spend 45 minutes to an hour at busy times.

The solution?

Don’t go at busy times.

So when you get on board, make sure you are either wearing your swimming trunks or that you have them in carry-on luggage. You can then go straight to the AquaDuck as soon as you get on board.

Other less busy times tend to be during dinner second seating, and on port days. The busiest times are days at sea from late morning until around 5 pm.

Make sure that you ride the Disney Cruise AquaDuck at least once. Try also to ride at night for a whole different point of view.

You are never going to go hungry on a Disney cruise. There are so many food options that you are spoiled for choice.

The main dining rooms on all the Disney Cruise ships are fun for teens, particularly the Marvel Restaurant on Disney Wish.

One fun thing to do is to get Room Service. I always made sure that I got at least one pizza from Room Service.

And maybe a Mickey Bar.

And Cake of the Day.

Pirate Night

One of the things that Disney Cruise Line is well known for is Pirate Night. This is held on all the Caribbean and Bahamian cruises and some additional cruises in Australia and New Zealand.

A lot of guests get into the swing of things and dress up for Pirate Night.

There is a show and fireworks at sea. Make sure you do not miss out, particularly if this is your first time on a Disney cruise.

Disney’s Castaway Cay For Teens

What is even better than spending time on a Disney Cruise? Spending time on a Disney cruise private island !

Disney’s Castaway Cay is an amazing place, no matter what age you are. For teens is a great chance to spend some time on an amazing private island with your family and friends.

There are lots of port adventures and activities on Castaway Cay to choose from.

You can snorkel, paraglide, kayak, meet the stingrays, and rent a bike. There are so many things to do you won’t know where to start! Or you could just take advantage of the unlimited free ice cream and chill out on the beach.

If you enjoy water slides you will love Pelican Plunge .

Just get out there are soon as you can – the lines can get long around midday. You do need to be a decent swimmer to get out there, but it is a lot of fun to go on a waterside that dumps you out into the ocean.

I have been lucky enough to spend a long time on Disney cruises as a teen. It is an ideal vacation for my brother and me.

Plenty of things to do and a lot of time both with and without the adults!

If you are thinking of booking a Disney cruise and you have teens go ahead! Just be aware that you will be hooked it will be the first of many!

Will you be sailing on a Disney Cruise for teenagers?

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Alison Meacham is the founder of EverythingMouse Disney Blog. For over 15 years she has shared her love of Disney Parks, Disney Cruises and Universal Orlando.  In over 30 years of Disney Travel she has spent countless months in Disney Parks and has sailed on over 45 cruises. A British native and now a United States resident she splits her time between California, Florida and the UK. And spends a serious amount of time sailing the seven seas. She helps over 200,000 people per month follow their Disney travel dreams.

Smooth sailing on a family Disney cruise: Review of Concierge level on the Disney Wonder

Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here .

Cruising with Disney , it seems, is even more fun the second time around -- especially with an upgrade to more spiffy quarters.

Almost a year ago, we had a successful sailing on the Disney Dream out of Florida, so we booked another Disney cruise to start 2020. This time we only needed a two-hour drive from home in Houston to hop aboard the ship in the Port of Galveston. No airplanes were involved on our journey across the sea to Mexico on the Disney Wonder, one of the two original ships in Disney's fleet. I can't overstate how fantastic it was to just drive to the port, board a ship and go. No TSA 3.4-ounce limits on liquids or the five-hour flight delays that had plagued our last few trips.

The Disney Wonder is noticeably smaller than the Disney Dream we sailed on previously. The Wonder has 875 cabins and room for up to 2,700 passengers, as opposed to the larger Dream's 1,250 staterooms and capacity for up to 4,000 guests. I was curious as to whether the smaller, older Disney ship would feel like a lesser experience.

For this cruise, we splurged on the Disney Concierge level in the hope of eliminating some of the disappointments of our first Disney cruise. To say I was excited for our trip is a dramatic understatement, and the experience largely lived up to my highest expectations.

FOR NO COST ASSISTANCE WITH PLANNING AND BOOKING YOUR NEXT DISNEY VACATION, CHECK OUT TPG'S DISNEY BOOKING PARTNER, MOUSE COUNSELORS .

Disney cruises are expensive and there aren't many ways to use points for booking, although you can certainly earn a ton of points by booking with the right credit card.

You can earn 3x points per dollar by putting the travel charge on your Chase Sapphire Reserve, which I did.

To use points on a Disney cruise, the easiest way is to make payments with a card that has fixed-value points you can use for travel . This includes the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (currently with a bonus of 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. (worth $750 in travel). Here are some additional tips for using points when booking a cruise .

Although deals and redemptions are scarce, you can purchase Disney gift cards at a discount and then use them toward your cruise. It won't cut the price in half, but you can save 5-10%, depending on available offers and how hard you work on stacking them.

Related: The best credit cards for booking cruises

If you have the Disney Visa , you can save on board with discounts on spa treatments, Castaway Cay packages and photo packages. You can also get a promotional 0% introductory APR for six months on select Disney vacation packages from the date of purchase charged to the card (then a variable APR of 19.24% to 28.24% applies), if you need a little breathing room to pay off all that shrimp and magic. However, in terms of earning or using points, the Disney Visa isn't actually the best card out there, even for a Disney cruise.

On our first Disney cruise, my family of four booked two connecting staterooms to meet our needs for sufficient sleeping quarters and living space. Two cabins aren't necessary for a family of four sailing on Disney, but they were necessary for my family's sanity. We don't sleep well crammed into one small area. On this cruise, my mom came to experience her first cruise while my husband took a different trip with his dad.

We wanted to try another approach to accommodations, so we booked a one-bedroom suite instead of two staterooms. To be clear, two staterooms on Disney are almost always going to be less expensive than a one-bedroom suite. We went this route, in part, to try out Concierge level.

For more TPG news and travel tips delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our free daily newsletter .

We've become fans of the website CruiseCompete. This site allows cruise shoppers to select the cruise that interests them and then travel agents "compete" for their business by submitting quotes via email. The base sailing price is typically the same from all sources, including Disney, but the perks and bonuses can and do vary. Our best offer was via Cruise Vacation Outlet. They offer a stateroom credit based on the cost of your cruise, which for us amounted to $750 in an onboard credit. The cruise was pricey -- very pricey -- but that's $750 we wouldn't have gotten if we'd booked directly with Disney.

Looking at prices for a similar four-night cruise from Galveston to Cozumel for next January, prices for a family of four start around $3,300 for an inside stateroom. A stateroom with a balcony starts at $3,800 and a Concierge-level stateroom starts at $5,700. A one-bedroom Concierge suite, like the one we booked, is pricing around $7,000 for the same itinerary next year -- which is about what we paid this year. These suites sleep four to five people, and are 614 square feet, including the balcony.

Related: Interesting way to save money on a Disney Cruise

Embarkation

We arrived in Galveston at 11 a.m. Both times I've cruised, I've been pretty confused about where to go, where to park, where to drop off the bags, etc. There are signs, but it is a little chaotic. Once we figured out where we were supposed to be, the magic began.

I dropped off the bags with Disney cruise tags that had been mailed to us after booking. (Our bags later appeared in the hall outside our stateroom a few hours after boarding.) I also dropped off my kids and Grandma so they didn't have to do the parking lot/shuttle shuffle with me. The nearest open parking lot in Galveston was not within reasonable walking distance of the ship, unlike when sailing Disney from Port Canaveral. After a quick trip back from the parking lot and paying $55 to park for four nights, we were all back together and ready to walk into the terminal. Note that not all parking lots at the Galveston Port Terminal accept guests sailing on Disney, so the official lot is probably your best bet.

Inside the terminal, guests are guided by cheerful employees wearing big white Mickey Mouse gloves. You go through a security check reminiscent of an airport, but with shorter lines and fewer restrictions.

Next up is the Disney Cruise Line check-in desk. This is where our Concierge perks kicked in. We were able to walk right up to a special section with no wait.

Related: What to pack for your first cruise

Our passports were checked again and we were given our "keys to the world." These keycards serve as room keys and ship IDs. They also provide kids club access and charging privileges on the ship. You don't have to wear them on a lanyard around your neck, but it's the easiest way to keep track of them. It wasn't until the end of the cruise that I realized our gold-colored cards meant Concierge level. This made them easy to spot by the crew as most of the keys are blue.

Once we were through all the formalities, we had a brief wait. The waiting areas aren't fancy, though Concierge guests do have their own area and can board first -- just after the Disney-selected "family of the day."

My family was the third to board the ship, at 11:45 a.m. This was hours earlier than we were able to board on our first Disney cruise . I think my mom was overwhelmed with excitement and about ready to cry, which was pretty awesome. She grew up near the water on the Gulf Coast, watching ships her whole life, but this was her first time to step foot on anything larger than a car ferry.

All families are greeted by name as they board a Disney cruise. We were immediately invited to have lunch in Tiana's restaurant, which was reserved for Concierge guests for this meal. However, we had other plans.

On our first Disney cruise, there was almost always a long line for the waterslide and the pools were crowded, so our goal was to enjoy those amenities first thing before the ship was full of more than 2,000 guests.

One quick stop for snacks in the Concierge lounge later, the girls changed into their swimsuits (kept in our carry-on bags) and away we went to start the fun.

Much more on the pools and slide later, but the plan worked. My two girls enjoyed the water features on this sailing for at least an hour and we didn't see another guest during that time.

Laugh if you want, but it was my turn to tear up when I saw our suite: Number 8048.

Regular Disney staterooms are more than fine (and we will probably opt for them when we are lucky enough to cruise with Disney), but the suite was special. Seeing it brought together months of anticipation about the voyage. Square footage is at a serious premium on a cruise ship, so to have two full rooms, two bathrooms and some extra nooks and crannies was really, really cool.

When you enter the suite, there is a bathroom with a toilet and shower immediately to your right.

On the left is a good-sized row of closets, drawers and shelves. This provides storage when the living portion becomes a bedroom.

Past the entry hallway, there is a dining table for four and wet bar with a minibar underneath stocked with soda and water. These are all included, so drink up. You can also refill it as much as you'd like from the large fridge in the Concierge lounge.

The couch was transformed into a bed each evening by the stateroom staff. They do their best to meet with you on the first day to find out what you prefer for sleeping arrangements.

The living room has its own balcony access and TV with Disney movies and shows on demand.

A sliding door separates the living area from the bedroom area. (The door was quite loud. Even in moderate seas, if you tried to shut it all the way, it banged in its tracks all night.)

The queen-size bed in the bedroom area was quite comfortable.There is room for luggage to be stored underneath. (Though that's not how I store luggage anymore .)

A twin-size bed is against the wall across from the TV and next to the queen bed.

Pro tip: You can ask your stateroom hosts to provide cartoon sheets for the twin-size beds.

Rounding out the bedroom is another door that opens onto the large veranda and a second TV.

Between the bedroom and the main bathroom area is a small, but extremely functional, desk area next to the main closet. We used this to store and charge all the electronics. It really helped keep the whole family's smaller items organized.

Finally, there is the master bathroom. The bath area off of the master bedroom features a full-size tub and vanity.

The shower and toilet occupy separate spaces in another section.

Bath amenities are provided in large bottles of the Disney's H2O+ line that you could move from the shower to the bathtub, as needed.

You can't talk about the stateroom without talking about the great stateroom hosts. They cleaned the room and put away the extra beds each morning. Then, while we were out to dinner and a show, they magically transformed it back into a clean, calm space for sleeping. Only once during the cruise did they accidentally try to work their magic while we were in the room -- and that was our fault because we changed dining times at the last minute so we could take a nap.

Overall, this space worked well for our party of four, but it is worth noting that on Deck 8 we heard a fair amount of noise at times, mostly from kids running on the outdoor Deck 9 area above. We were also able to hear when a young child in the room next to ours was crying, which thankfully was only a passing issue at times.

Ports of call

Our four-night itinerary on the Disney Wonder was:

• Galveston, Texas
• Cozumel, Mexico
• Return to Galveston

Our only true port of call was Cozumel, which I was excited to see. I love much of the beautiful Cancun/Playa del Carmen area but hadn't been to Cozumel.

Day 1: Galveston

We spent the first few hours on the ship playing in the pool, eventually enjoying the Concierge lunch in Tiana's, registering in the kid's clubs and exploring. Around 4 p.m. it was time for the fun to officially begin with the "Sail Away" party.

While my mom went to the front of the ship to watch us pull away from the dock, an important moment for her, the girls and I went to a singing, dancing, laughing character-fueled party on deck.

I highly recommend this show; it was a ton of pumped-up fun. We missed it on our first cruise, in part because we just hadn't fully settled into the ship yet.

Drinks are for sale everywhere on deck leading up to this party, if you want to raise a glass to the start of your vacation.

Day 2: At sea

If you follow our adventures, you may already know that my youngest daughter and I both are prone to motion sickness . We were both mostly unfazed by our first Disney cruise, but not this time.

On our first full day at sea, I felt like drunk death for the first half of the day despite being 100% sober. My youngest daughter didn't feel great either. The captain described the sea as moderate in his daily announcements, but when pool water doesn't stay in the pool because the waves are so big, I call it more than moderately yucky. The remedy was some time on deck and Dramamine.

With our sea legs a bit sturdier, it was time to meet some characters and take in a movie. On a Disney cruise, some characters (like the princesses) require advance free reservations, while others are available for walk-up meet-and-greets.

The classic princesses gather in the ship's main atrium while the Frozen princesses gather in a transformed Animator's Palate.

To see characters for whom you don't have reservations, you can beat the lines by having one adult stand near where the character's published appearance is (arrive 10-15 minutes early) and hold the place for the rest of the family to join.

Day 3: Cozumel

Using some of the $750 stateroom credit, I booked a port excursion through Disney that included three stops during our one port day in Mexico: Mayan ruins, Mayan chocolate and Playa Mia Beach Club. It was $55 for kids, $69 for adults and sounded great since it had a little bit of everything.

We met our group at 10:15 a.m. and left the ship with them by 10:30 a.m. The tour operator took the group on a 30-minute bus ride to the Mayan ruins.

There was plenty to see to entertain impatient children for an hour, but our tour guide did more talking in one or two spots than really guiding the group to explore the area. About halfway through our time, we peeled off from the main group so we could see more of the area, which was wise given our interests.

Next up was a 30- to 40-minute drive to the location of the chocolate and beach break. The chocolate was very good with many varieties available for tasting in the gift shop. My favorite part was a sample of homemade corn tortillas with mole sauce -- I wish there had been more opportunities like that on the tour.

Finally, after spending about $40 for chocolate bars to take home, we had 90 minutes at the Playa Mia Beach Club. Lunch was not included in our package, but it was close to 2 p.m. and we were hungry. By this point in the afternoon, the buffet looked less than great to me, so we ordered off the menu. The food was served in an area that could hold hundreds of people at one time and it wasn't great (the margarita was undrinkable and awful), but we survived.

The last hour of the excursion was spent in the pools and on the beach. We didn't fully explore the waterpark area, and the beach was less than glamorous.

I didn't love the way we spent our time on Cozumel. I didn't hate it either, but there probably are better beaches and much better food in the area. Our tour returned to the ship about 15 minutes before the all-aboard time, so almost as soon as we were back on the ship, we were pulling away from Cozumel.

Pirate Night is held aboard ship during the evening after spending the day in Mexico, making for a pretty full day. So full that we begged to change our dinner to the late dinner so we could work in a nap before the nighttime fun.

You want to go all-in on Pirate Night. Trust me, your kids will love it. The meals that evening are all pirate-themed, there are pirate games and then a big pirate show.

There's dancing, pirating, battling and eventually, a fireworks show. Full warning, though, this fun goes on way past normal bedtime, so plan ahead with naps.

Day 3: At sea

On the third day we spa-ed, saw another movie, did a tequila and margarita tasting and ate Mickey bars, lots of Mickey bars. We were legitimately on vacation.

The tequila and margarita tasting was in the Cadillac Bar and Lounge and wasn't quite what I had hoped for. It was much more tequila and much less margarita. Only go to this one if you are a fan of hard liquor, which I'm not.

Even if you are on a shorter cruise, be sure to devote a full day just to exploring the ship and enjoying movies and more. Other than the big-ish waves at first, I was thankful to have two sea days on this cruise; our first cruise had none.

You are paying a premium to cruise with Disney, so make the most out of what is included on the ship.

You don't actually have to get off the Disney ship at all to have a full family vacation. From basketball to pools and waterslides to shows to the spa to kids clubs and more -- there are tons and tons of amenities, most of which are included in your base sailing price.

Pools and slides

On the Disney Wonder, there are three main pool areas for guests. There's the adults-only pool, the main pool and a smaller kid-friendly pool nearest the waterslide and splash area. Children still in diapers are not permitted in the pools, but can go into the splash area with swim diapers.

Here's the thing: The pools are small and they aren't as useable as you might think. We headed straight for the pools as soon as we got onboard this time around to avoid the crowds we experienced on our first Disney cruise. That strategy worked great, and indeed that first hour was the only hour we spent in the pools on our cruise. I won't post the photo of what it looks like when 15 people are in one hot tub, but you can imagine it for yourself.

Not only did the pools and slide get much busier at times, but on our first full day at sea, the water essentially sloshed out of most of the pools because it was so choppy. As shown below, the waterslide was still open on that sea day, but the line stretched all the way down the stairs.

Only one person at a time can go down the slide and you must be 38 inches or taller. My 4-year-old was tall enough by several inches, but the solo-sliding requirement made her decide to stay in the splash zone.

The adult-pool area had lots of swimmers and hot-tubbers at some times but was generally less busy than the family areas.

There are four or five different kids clubs on the Disney Wonder, depending on how you count. The largest, busiest two clubs are the Disney Oceaneer Club and Lab -- designed for children ages 3-12.

The two clubs are on Deck 5 and are connected by a "secret" passageway. The clubs are free for kids in that age range, though they do need to be potty-trained and one-on-one care is not provided. These connected kids clubs have a slide, a video-game area, a Marvel-themed area, Andy's playroom area, craft areas, movies, games, activities and character visits.

Your child's exact location within the club is tracked with what looks like a Disney Magic Band, and you can check them in and out at will. The only time parents are allowed to actually hang out in this club is during designated open-house hours.

On our first cruise, my girls (then 3 and 9) had a blast in these clubs and begged to return together again and again. However, I made a strategic error this time.

The tween club, Edge, is for kids 11-14, but I made the mistake of discovering that 10-year-olds can go to Edge with parent approval. I gave that approval and then my 10-year-old never wanted to go back to the "little kid club." Ever. This created lots of heartache for my 4-year-old who felt left behind. As a result, kids club time for her was not nearly as easy a sell on this cruise.

My 10-year-old, however, never wanted to leave Edge; she enjoyed hanging with the "big kids." Note that Edge is a come-and-go space without a parental check-in process. We did have some issues with my daughter not being where I thought she would be courtesy of that newfound ship freedom.

Lesson learned: Perhaps you should hide the fact that 10-year-olds can visit Edge, especially if you have a younger child still in the main kids clubs.

For teens, there is also Vibe, for ages 14-17. Consider yourself warned: Once your kid gets a taste of the clubs for older children, they may want nothing to do with the more supervised clubs for the young ones.

There are two types of shows on the Disney Wonder, the nighttime Broadway-caliber shows and Disney movies. The nighttime shows are scheduled opposite your dining time. This means if you have early dinner, you go to the late show, and vice versa. Of course, you are free to mix this up by not going to your regular seating for dinner and instead ordering room service, going to a grab-and-go food station or the Cabanas buffet.

On our cruise, nighttime shows included "Golden Mickeys" and "Frozen" -- both of which are excellent.

The Walt Disney Theatre has open seating, so you should get there 15-20 minutes before shows start for better seats. But here's a problem for families: There's no way to enjoy meals in the regular dining rooms (which are very good), see the shows and get to bed at a reasonable hour.

Some pretty cool offerings, like Pirate Night, don't even start until 10 p.m. or later. This isn't a big deal the first day or two of the cruise, but by the end of the cruise, I saw full-scale meltdowns everywhere. I'd love to see more matinee showings of the nighttime shows so families can make the most of their cruise and still get kids to bed at reasonable times. This was offered once, with "Frozen," but typically those with early dinner times (like us) end up going to shows that don't start until 8:30 p.m.

One of my favorite things to do on a Disney cruise is see a movie. It feels luxurious to walk right in and enjoy a first-run movie. On this cruise they were showing movies such as "Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker," "Maleficent 2" and "Frozen 2." Those in Concierge level can pick up sodas in the lounge and free popcorn at the shop right outside the theater. Otherwise, a bucket of popcorn is about $3.50.

There are two movie theaters on the Disney Wonder and some of the showings are in 3-D.

The Senses Spa is located in the forward area of Deck 9 on the Disney Wonder, which means that parts of the spa -- like the salon area -- have some great unobstructed ocean views.

Although I've seen some discounts on the spa during port days in the past, I didn't notice any this time. However, we still had some of that stateroom credit to use, so we happily made a few spa appointments for the last full day of the cruise.

My 50-minute massage was, in short, exceptional. It's hard to judge a whole spa on one service, but it really was great.

The spa treatment room wasn't overly impressive, nor was the area where you change clothes and shower. In fact, there was a line for the two showers at one point. However, the treatment was good enough that I didn't care about the rest. A small warning: They will try to sell you products unless you make it clear you're not interested.

My mom and I also had shampoo/blow-dry appointments in the spa and we both enjoyed them.

If you want some relaxation without paying for full spa services, you can purchase access to the Rainforest area of the spa. During our cruise, it was $29 per day if you purchased access onboard. It is likely cheaper if you buy access online ahead of time. This will also protect you from a potential sell-out which wasn't an issue on this cruise, but can happen. You can also buy a multi-day pass if you want to make this a part of your daily cruising routine.

This tranquil room has heated stone loungers, aromatherapy steam and showers with different temperatures and pressures. But wait, there's more.

Since you're already at the spa, you can use the full-size showers in the spa dressing rooms to clean up instead of relying solely the smaller showers in your stateroom. Beware that there may be a wait for the changing-room showers as there are only two in the women's dressing area of the spa on the Disney Wonder. It is a solid option if you get claustrophobic and want a larger shower space.

Adult-only area

The spa isn't the only kid-free area on the Disney Wonder. You can also head to the Quiet Cove area located on Deck 9.

Here you'll find plenty of comfy lounge chairs, a main adult-only pool and two hot tubs.

There's also an adult coffee shop that transforms into a bar as the day goes on.

This is where you can get your cold brew fix each morning. If you plan to make multiple visits, pick up a frequent-sipper card that gives you a free specialty drink when you buy five on that particular cruise.

The beverages in this shop are sold for a fee, but the pastries in the display case are free.

Concierge lounge

I'm going to do a whole separate article on whether the Disney cruise Concierge level is worth it, so stay tuned for a deep dive into the service and access it conveys. But here's an overview of the lounge itself.

The Concierge lounge is open from 7 a.m.-10 p.m. and serves meals and snacks at the following times:

• Continental breakfast (7 a.m.-10:15 a.m.)
• Lunch snacks (11:00 a.m.-1:45 p.m.)
• Afternoon offerings (2:45 p.m.-4:15 p.m.)
• Dinner snacks (5:00 p.m.-8:15 p.m.)
• Dessert (9:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.)

For breakfast in the lounge you will often find smoked salmon, diced fruit, muffins, pastries and these truly addictive Mickey-shaped cinnamon rolls. There's also a great coffee machine and sugar cubes shaped like Mickey's head.

At lunch you'll generally find wraps, small sandwiches and single-serve desserts.

In the evening, there are complimentary beverages from 5 p.m.-10 p.m. This is a big deal as alcohol is not routinely complimentary anywhere else on the ship. The bartender on our ship knew everyone's name by the second evening and was a true joy to see each night.

During the evening (and during the day on the first day of the cruise), you have your pick of wine, liquor and beer. Available brands include, Tito's, Bombay Sapphire, Crown Royal, 1800, Jack Daniel's, etc.

For evening snacks, there are small salads, cheese, bread and more.

Having complimentary wine in the evening in a private lounge is pretty great. You can get a glass to take to dinner or your stateroom too.

Second perhaps to the adult beverages, my favorite lounge offering was the stocked fridge -- which you can raid. This means you can have drinks on hand in your stateroom, to take on excursions and enjoy around the ship. There's bottled water, sparkling water, Coke products, juice and juice boxes. I didn't count how many drinks we consumed over the course of a four-night cruise, but a couple dozen is a fair estimate.

A cool event in the Concierge lounge was a special meet-and-greet with a surprise Disney character after the Cozumel port day. On our cruise, the special character was Stitch, but I believe it varies from cruise to cruise. There was a line to meet the character, but it was no more than five minutes while we were there.

In addition to the main indoor area, the Concierge lounge on the Disney Wonder has a private bathroom just outside the entrance, as well as an upper-deck outdoor area that overlooks the adult-pool area.

Food and beverage

Main restaurants.

The Disney Wonder has three main restaurants. These are included in your cruising price and your serving team rotates with you each night. For example, they remembered that my oldest daughter likes barbecue sauce with virtually everything and had it ready at subsequent meals.

The newest restaurant option on the Disney Wonder is Tiana's, a New Orleans-themed restaurant.

This restaurant is an absolute party. We enjoyed shrimp and grits, lobster salad, beignets and way too much fluffy bread.

But that's not even the best part. The best part is the live music, dancing and general merry-making that is the theme of this restaurant.

We missed the main meal in Animator's Palate as we dined at the adults-only Palo that night. We were able to enjoy Animator's Palate during Pirate Night, but it's not the same experience. Rumor has it that the restaurant transforms from black and white to color as the main meal goes on. We'll have to catch it next time.

We enjoyed Animator's Palate during the pirate-themed night with shrimp, crab cakes, noodles, jerk chicken with red beans and rice ... and the requisite kid meal: macaroni with chicken strips. Your kids can order whatever they want from the menu, but my 4-year-old happily stuck to a narrow list of options.

All the restaurants were good, but Triton's was probably my least favorite. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't as fun or themed as the others. If you want to skip one, this is it.

Still, we managed to eat our weight in seafood.

As you are ordering your courses, know that on a Disney cruise, included dessert is never more than a request away. In fact, the servers often insist you at least try it. And in that case, we all know calories don't count.

Quick service

There are a multitude of included quick-service dining options -- pizza, chicken fingers, burgers, hot dogs, chili bowls, ice cream, salads, gyros and more. Basically, no one will ever go hungry.

For lunch, we usually went to the Cabanas buffet which is open for three meals per day -- plus late into the night on Pirate Night. Cabanas has everything from chicken fingers to ham, stir-fry, seafood, salad, fruit, calamari and dozens of other selections.

Room service

I'm a sucker for room-service breakfast and thankfully it's included for all guests on a Disney cruise. The only catch is that the menu is continental. Donuts, muffins, beverages and cereal are no problem, but there's nothing hot (or particularly healthy) on the included menu.

However, a perk of Concierge level is that Concierge guests can order from the Triton's breakfast menu and have hot items delivered to the room. We ordered omelettes, Mickey waffles, bacon, sausage, yogurt parfaits, hashbrowns and more.

Note that although normal room service was always delivered during the time I selected on the door hanger the night before, our one special room-service order from Triton's took a long time to arrive. That may be a fluke, but budget at least an hour for delivery. Once it arrived, it was perfect.

Last, but far from least, ordering ice cream Mickey bars from room service is a must-do. There's no fee for this (other than an optional tip) -- so your kids may want to make this a part of your daily cruise routine. Our oldest daughter learned how to order the bars herself on our previous cruise ... and put those skills to use on this one. (Just be careful what you wear when eating a melting Mickey bar -- something in these bars is very hard to get out of clothes.)

There's no better meal on the Disney Wonder than Palo. This is an 18-an-up restaurant that requires reservations and costs an additional $40 per person. We couldn't get into Palo on our first cruise as Disney newbies because it was already booked by passengers who had access to advance reservations. First-time cruisers are at the bottom of the advance-booking food chain. But this time, Concierge-level access made it happen, and with the kids together in the kids club (at my insistence) my mom and I dined so well that we went into a legit food coma.

Our reservation was at sunset, a visual treat. People also dress up more here, which raised the ambience a notch or two over Pirate Night.

The service was out-of-this-world exceptional. And the food, well, I'll crave it forever.

Palo is an Italian-themed restaurant. On the menu you'll find everything from heirloom tomatoes and mozzarella to tableside antipasti to grilled lobster with pasta, to calamari to handmade gnocchi to scallops to the best meat on the ship (per the chef) -- the prime beef tenderloin.

Every bite was rich and succulent, but my favorites were the butternut squash agnolotti and chocolate souffle (both shown below). Once you pay your $40 fee, you can order away at no additional charge, which can be quite the bargain considering some items on the list. What a wonderful experience this was.

Finally, the ship has bars and an entire area devoted to adults, though kids can enter some of these spaces at times. Outside Tiana's restaurant is the French Quarter Lounge which has live music in the evenings. Kids were welcome here during our visit, though the area was never busy when we stopped by.

There's an English pub, Crown & Fin, that was lively during some football playoff games. There's typically a selection of complimentary bar food at the buffet in this pub.

Also in the "After Hours" portion of the ship is the previously mentioned Cadillac Lounge, where we did the tequila tasting. There is some fun live piano and jazz here in the (kid-free) evenings.

Overall impression

There's a lot to take in on a four-night Disney cruise. Nothing is perfect, but our sailing was pretty darn awesome. It was admittedly very expensive, even by Disney standards. However, it was worth it. We had no worries, my mom got to come with us and it has even piqued the interest of my dad and extended family now taking their first cruises . As for me, it makes me think even bigger when it comes to cruising. Alaska is now on my radar, though likely not in Disney Concierge level as that would probably cost as much as a small car.

The Disney Wonder is a perfectly sized ship. It was large enough to keep us entertained for multiple days, but small enough that my 10-year-old could navigate it pretty well by the second day. The elevators were laughably small (we logged many flights of stairs), but otherwise it didn't feel small in any way.

I wouldn't hesitate to return to the Disney Wonder for this or a longer sailing. The only thing that may get in my way is the temptation of booking a sailing on the all-new Disney Wish when it enters the fleet.

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Disney Wonder deck 11 plan (Teens)

Deck layout and review, review of disney wonder deck 11 (teens).

Vibe Teen Club is an exclusive lounge for teenagers (children 14-17 yo) offering supervised activities, a giant video wall (for interactive games) and large TVs (for video gaming), karaoke and dance parties, DJ spinning classes, Internet computers (fees apply).

Located inside a funnel, the teen deck was formerly known as “The Stack” and “Aloft”.

Disney Cruise Line Teen and Tween Hangouts

Wondering what Disney cruises offer for teens? Onboard the Disney Cruise Line ships, you can find teen and tween hangouts exclusive for certain ages. We’re sharing everything you need to know.

The Disney Cruise Line ships are known for bringing a bit of Disney magic to the high seas. Each of the five Disney Cruise Line ships (with the sixth, the Disney Treasure , coming in 2024) features a variety of dining, entertainment, and Disney magic you’ve come to expect at the parks. And the family-friendly vessels also have spots that are exclusive for guests that aren’t kids, but aren’t quite adults either! There are both tween and teen hangouts on the Disney Cruise Line ships.

You’ll find teen and tween hangouts onboard all of the Disney Cruise Line ships. Edge is a tween club intended for ages 11 to 14, while Vibe is a teen club for 14 to 17-year-olds. And the Disney Wish introduced an exclusive third spot, with the tween-exclusive The Hideaway.

Edge is a secluded area on all five Disney Cruise Line ships specifically for tweens. The perfect spot to make new friends all while playing games, watching movies, and participating in other activities. This tween-exclusive area is reserved for guests between the ages of 11 and 14. Within their own special hangout, they can have some time away from their family and connect with other tweens from around the world! Tweens will absolutely love the offerings in Edge, as high-tech entertainment including flat-screen TVs, computers, and video games are all available! Daily guided activities will ensure that each day, tweens’ visits will be unique and exciting.

Edge on the Disney Wish. Photo by Danny Shuster

Filled with bright, colorful furniture, on the Disney Wish, this teen hangout is inspired by a chic New York City loft with a sunny overhead skylight effect. Graphic art is displayed throughout which will make for the perfect Instagram-worthy photos alongside the new friends made. On the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, the hangout is given a basement-inspired feel and is designed to look like an old boiler room. And on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, the spot features an illuminated dance floor, karaoke machines, and more.

For those voyagers who are slightly older, Vibe is the place to be. Reserved for those aged between 14 and 17, guests can meet new friends, play games, watch movies, and participate in fun activities created specifically for this age group. On the Disney WIsh, Vibe is inspired by a Parisian artists’ loft, featuring colorful graffiti, pop art murals, and other architectural elements. Plus, the Disney-inspired travel posters scattered throughout make for the perfect touch.

Vibe on the Disney Wonder. Photo by Bill Wood.

On the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, the hangout is located in the red Forward Funnel of the ship, an open-plan lounge with video games, flat-screen TVs, and board games. On the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, Vibe is part nightclub and part sundeck, located on an outdoor deck space. Here, Vibe is intended to feel like a hip urban night spot with a secret entrance and a high-tech media room.

The Hideaway

The Disney Wish is the only Disney Cruise Line ship that offers a third tween-exclusive spot: The Hideaway! This spot is the first of its kind, designed specifically for the fifth ship in the fleet. The new hip hangout is reserved for kids and young adults, allowing them to meet new friends as they dance the night away. The posh setting will help tweens feel as if they are adults hanging out at a nightclub. Sing your favorite song on the karaoke machine or put her dance moves to the test as you can complete in dance competitions. 

The Hideaway. Photo by Danny Shuster.

Per Disney Parks Blog , “No matter where they choose to be, tweens and teens are in for a whole “llama” fun during customized, counselor-led programming designed to engage their unique interests, such as a hilarious new competition themed to the fan-favorite Walt Disney Animation Studios’ film, ‘The Emperor’s New Groove’.”

Book Your Trip on the Disney Cruise Line

If you’re looking to book a vacation on one of the many Disney Cruise Line ships, we recommend doing so through our partners at Destinations to Travel. They’ll provide you with a free quote and help plan out your trip to make it as magical as possible.

The post Disney Cruise Line Teen and Tween Hangouts appeared first on WDW Magazine .

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Bafta games awards: ‘baldur’s gate 3,’ ‘super mario bros. wonder’ lead winners.

‘The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’ and ‘Viewfinder’ are also among the 2024 honorees unveiled in London.

By Georg Szalai

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Baldur’s Gate 3  led the winners at the 20th  BAFTA Games Awards unveiled on Thursday evening in London with five honors. Super Mario Bros. Wonder , Viewfinder and Alan Wake 2 won two awards each.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Baldur’s Gate 3 led the nominations with nine and 10 nods, respectively. Nadji Jeter won the BAFTA for best performer in a leading role for portraying Miles Morales in the latter. A total of 40 games across 17 categories were nominated, according to the British Academy.

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The BAFTA Games Awards 2024 ceremony took place at the Queen Elizabeth Hall at London’s Southbank Centre.

Check out the full list of BAFTA Games Awards winners in bold below.

ALAN WAKE 2 Development Team – Remedy Entertainment Plc./Epic Games

BALDUR’S GATE 3 Development Team – Larian Studio/Larian Studio

DAVE THE DIVER Development Team – MINTROCKET/MINTROCKET

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: TEARS OF THE KINGDOM Development Team – Nintendo EPD/Nintendo

MARVEL’S SPIDER-MAN 2 Development Team – Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment

SUPER MARIO BROS. WONDER Development Team – Nintendo EPD/Nintendo

HI-FI RUSH Development Team – Tango Gameworks/Bethesda Softworks

HOGWARTS LEGACY Development Team – Avalanche Software/Warner Bros. Games

STAR WARS JEDI: SURVIVOR Nathan Dunlap, David Nam, Thomas Cannell – Respawn Entertainment/Electronic Arts

ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT

COCOON Development Team – Geometric Interactive/Annapurna Interactive

FINAL FANTASY XVI Hiroshi Minagawa, Kazuya Takahashi, Naoki Kurihara – SQUARE ENIX – Creative Business Unit III/SQUARE ENIX

AUDIO ACHIEVEMENT

CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE III Matt Grimm, Eric Wedemeyer, Robbie Elias – Sledgehammer Games/Activision

STAR WARS JEDI: SURVIVOR Development Team – Respawn Entertainment/Electronic Arts

BRITISH GAME

CASSETTE BEASTS Development Team – Bytten Studio/Raw Fury

DEAD ISLAND 2 Development Team – Dambuster Studios/PLAION

DISNEY ILLUSION ISLAND Development Team – Dlala Studios/Disney

FOOTBALL MANAGER 2024 Development Team – Sports Interactive/SEGA Europe

VIEWFINDER Development Team – Sad Owl Studios/Thunderful Publishing

WARHAMMER AGE OF SIGMAR: REALMS OF RUIN Development Team – Frontier Developments/Frontier Developments

DREDGE Development Team – Black Salt Games/Team17 Digital

VENBA Abhijeeth Swaminathan, Sam Elkana, Shahrin Khan – Visai Games/Visai Games

EVOLVING GAME

CYBERPUNK 2077 Development Team – CD PROJEKT RED/CD PROJEKT RED

FINAL FANTASY XIV ONLINE Development Team – Creative Business Unit III/Square Enix

FORTNITE Development Team – Epic Games/Epic Games

FORZA HORIZON 5 Development Team – Playground Games/Xbox Game Studios

GENSHIN IMPACT Development Team – HoYoverse/HoYoverse

NO MAN’S SKY Development Team – Hello Games/Hello Games

GAME BEYOND ENTERTAINMENT

CHANTS OF SENNAAR Julien Moya, Thomas Panuel – Rundisc/Focus Entertainment

GOODBYE VOLCANO HIGH Development Team – KO_OP/KO_OP

TCHIA Phil Crifo, Marilou Lopez-Aguilera, Thoanë Thomadra – Awaceb/Kepler Interactive

TERRA NIL Development Team – Free Lives/Devolver Digital

THIRSTY SUITORS Development Team – Outerloop Games/Annapurna Interactive

GAME DESIGN

DREDGE Joel Mason, Alex Ritchie, Nadia Thorn – Black Salt Games/Team17 Digital

MULTIPLAYER

CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE III Development Team – Sledgehammer Games/Activision

DIABLO IV Development Team – Blizzard Entertainment/Blizzard Entertainment

FORZA MOTORSPORT Development Team – Turn 10 Studios/Xbox Game Studios

PARTY ANIMALS Development Team – Recreate Games/Source Technology

ASSASSIN’S CREED MIRAGE Development Team – Ubisoft/Ubisoft

BALDUR’S GATE 3 Borislav Slavov – Larian Studio/Larian Studio

MARVEL’S SPIDER-MAN 2 John Paesano, Scott Hanau, Keith Leary – Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment

STAR WARS JEDI: SURVIVOR Gordy Haab, Stephen Barton – Respawn Entertainment/Electronic Arts

DREDGE Joel Mason, Alex Ritchie, Nadia Thorne – Black Salt Games/Team17 Digital

FINAL FANTASY XVI Kazutoyo Maehiro, Michael-Christopher Koji Fox – SQUARE ENIX – Creative Business Unit III/SQUARE ENIX

STAR WARS JEDI: SURVIVOR Stig Asmussen, Aaron Contreras, Dori Arazi – Respawn Entertainment/Electronic Arts

NEW INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

JUSANT Development Team – DON’T NOD/DON’T NOD

PERFORMER IN A LEADING ROLE

AMELIA TYLER as Narrator in Baldur’s Gate 3

CAMERON MONAGHAN as Cal Kestis in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

NADJI JETER as Miles Morales in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

NEIL NEWBON as Astarion in Baldur’s Gate 3

SAMANTHA Béart as Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3

YURI LOWENTHAL as Peter Parker in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

ANDREW WINCOTT as Raphael in Baldur’s Gate 3

DEBRA WILSON as Cere Junda in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

RALPH INESON as Cidolfus “Cid” Telamon in Final Fantasy XVI

TONY TODD as Venom in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

TRACY WILES as Jaheira in Baldur’s Gate 3

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT

FINAL FANTASY XVI Ryota Suzuki, Yasuhiro Yanamoto, Kei Honda – SQUARE ENIX – Creative Business Unit III/SQUARE ENIX

HORIZON CALL OF THE MOUNTAIN Development Team – Guerrilla and Firesprite/Sony Interactive Entertainment

STARFIELD Development Team – Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda Softworks

EE PLAYERS’ CHOICE AWARD (Voted for by the Public) 

BALDUR’S GATE 3 Larian Studio/Larian Studio

CYBERPUNK 2077 CD PROJEKT RED/CD PROJEKT RED

FORTNITE Epic Games/Epic Games

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: TEARS OF THE KINGDOM Nintendo EPD/Nintendo

LETHAL COMPANY Zeekerss/Zeekerss

MARVEL’S SPIDER-MAN 2 Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment

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