Art of the Disney Dream

Guest blogger Andrew Rossi returns to take a look at the artwork found aboard the new Disney Dream.

The Disney Dream is a ship that has an air of sophistication and refinement, much more so than the Magic and the Wonder. That is not saying that the two other ships are not beautiful in their own right, but the Dream takes it to the next level. The great strength of the Dream lies in its attention to detail. Wherever you turn, there is evidence of the tremendous skill and craftsmanship that went into constructing such a massive ship. The same level of quality that you would expect when visiting any Disney theme park can be found aboard the Dream. Its stunning beauty makes it truly unlike any other ship that I have been on.

One of the things which impressed me the most about the detail and theming of the Dream was the wide array of artwork found throughout the ship. Art can sometimes be overlooked by many or taken for granted, but it really helps lend to the overall sense of luxury and elegance aboard the ship. Not only does the Dream have more artwork than the Magic or Wonder, but I also found the quality of art to be far superior as well.

No matter where you are aboard the ship, you are almost always in sight of some piece of art, be it painting, portrait, or photograph. It is this artwork that helps to add little Disney touches throughout the ship, but it does so in a way that is both mature and not overwhelming. Here is a look at some of the art that can be found aboard the Dream:

The beauty of the Disney Dream is evident as soon as you enter the magnificent atrium and one’s eye cannot help but be drawn to the massive chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The chandelier’s Art Deco design sets the tone of elegance and luxury for the rest of the ship. If you look carefully you might even be able to spot Mickey.

Like the Magic and Wonder, the Dream features a statue at the base of the atrium’s grand staircase. While Mickey holds the honor on the Magic and Ariel on the Wonder, on the Dream it is Admiral Donald.

While in the atrium also take notice of the gold trim along the edges of the fourth and fifth decks above. From a distance it may not appear to be anything special, but if you look closely you will see that it features the images of many Disney characters.

The atrium also showcases two beautiful mosaics, one near the Bon Voyage bar and the other by the Guest Relations desk, paying homage to Disney princesses.

Overlooking the atrium on deck five are various works of art paying tribute to transportation with a distinctly Disney flair.

I found that the stairwells were a great location to spot a wide variety of art, many featuring beautiful panoramas, scenes, and even concept art and sketches from classic Disney movies.

One thing I liked about the artwork throughout the ship is that it was often themed to go along with the areas of the ship that it is in. For example, walking down the long promenade toward Animators Palette you can encounter sketches of many popular Disney characters:

The entrance to the Walt Disney Theater features a wide variety of photographs of Walt Disney:
Meanwhile, near the Buena Vista Theater, you can find movie posters from many classic Disney films:

Not to be overlooked, the all the restaurants aboard the Dream also feature a wide array of beautiful artwork, such as the Royal Palace which features paintings of Cinderella, Belle, Snow White, and Aurora:

Outside the entrance to Enchanted Garden you can find some beautifully decorated ceramic vases:

As you enter Palo you encounter a magnificent chandelier and the dining room features many paintings of Venice:

Likewise, Remy features images of the Parisian skyline reminiscent of scenes from Ratatouille:

For the best collection of art aboard the ship, however, be sure to visit the Vista Gallery. This area is like a small art museum and has art available for purchase as well. The quality of the artwork here is absolutely stunning and ranges from paintings of the ship to scenes from classic Disney movies and portraits of many of you favorite Disney characters in ways you have never seen them before.

While all the artwork found across the Dream really helps add a “Disney” touch to the décor, nothing does this more than the Enchanted Art that can be found throughout nearly every deck of the ship (twenty-two pieces in all). While these pieces of art may appear just like any other painting they are actually LCD screens and if you look at them for long enough you will find that they are unlike any other artwork you have ever seen.

You can learn even more about the Enchanted Art and even see some videos by clicking here.

This enchanted art, that literally comes to life before you eyes, is unlike anything else found aboard the other Disney ships or on any other cruise line. It is a truly unique experience that helps make cruising aboard the Dream all the more magical.

This enchanted artwork also allows for another unique, fun, interactive experience aboard the ship called the Midship Detective Agency. If you are familiar with the Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure at Epcot, this is very similar. Instead of helping Kim Possible, you are now helping Mickey, Goofy, and Donald solve a mystery by finding the evil Disney villain who is stealing artwork aboard the Dream. This fun adventure takes you across the ship in search of different clues that might help you uncover the villain responsible as well as helping to recover some of the lost paintings.

Your mission begins on deck five at the Midship Detective Agency desk overlooking the atrium.

Here you receive a map of the ship along with a list of potential suspects and a detective “badge” that you will use throughout your mission.

You then watch the monitor and are given instructions as to what you are looking for and how the badge works. Once you begin, the mission takes you across the ship from deck two all the way up to deck ten. What I liked about it was that you could go at your own pace. Unlike Kim Possible, where you have a Kimmunicator that times-out after fifteen minutes of inactivity, if you are doing a mission for the Midship Detective Agency you can stop in the middle for a break and resume later in the day.

I decided to play straight through and the mission took me about an hour and fifteen minutes, considerable longer than a twenty to thirty minute Kim Possible Mission. The map that you receive at the start shows you different locations that you can go to throughout the ship to find clues using various pieces of enchanted art. As you approach the art you hold up your badge and this either unlocks a clue or helps recover a missing painting.

I noticed a lot of people participating in the Midship Detective Agency throughout the course of the cruise, ranging from groups of kids to families and even adults. However, there are so many different locations spread across the ship that things did not really get backed up at the various pieces of enchanted art. I had expected that I would have to wait for a bunch of other people to get their clues before I could get mine, but this was not the case.

You can see a small sample video of what you may encounter on your mission for the Midship Detective Agency by clicking here.

I think the Midship Detective Agency is a great addition to the Dream, giving kids and families additional things to do while on board, and I would love to see it implemented on the other Disney ships. It is just another example of how Disney is at the forefront of the cruise line industry always looking for new ways to enhance the experience for its guests and utilize new technology. It is something that makes cruising aboard the Disney Dream unique, just as with all the artwork found across the ship. It is this artwork that gives the Dream a distinctly Disney flair, but at the same time enhances the overall beauty and elegance of the ship.

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