Reviews of Disney Dream Overall Experience
Reviewed by Bobdes Review Date: 05/26/2016
Rating: (8) Recommended
OK... this was our 3rd Disney Cruise and our 2nd time aboard the DREAM. The ship is majestic and beautiful and never fails to impress me. I did note, however, the carpeting starting to show some signs of wear. Especially near the elevators. No big deal.
Our stateroom #6066 was very clean and comfortable. No issues at all. Everything ran very smoothly.
The shows were all excellent even though we have seen them before. The day at sea, they had "Magic Dave" perform in the theater and his show was fantastic! very funny and the tricks were super! The Buccaneer Blast Fireworks were great, however, I wish they would bring Pirate Mickey back or maybe incorporate him in with Jack Sparrow. After the fireworks, there is a (unannounced) buffet in Cabanas that is there till around 11:30PM.
On the topic of meals, the food was good, but some of the meats were a bit dry. The server (Dan from Indonesia) was the BEST and very accommodating, so that made up for any issue with the meats. During our dinner at Animator's Palate, the "Crush" feature was not working on the screen closest to our table.
The Cove Café was a nice spot to get away from the crowds and enjoy a really good cup of coffee. The coffee is NOT included in the cruise and they charge it to your room, however, the baked goods (excellent) are free!
The one thing that I need to express is that Disney really needs to start enforcing the "adult ONLY" rule in certain areas of the ship. parents should also be told to accompany their kids to the buffet lines. We encountered so many kids up at the line who were either too short to see and reach items on the buffet or who could not understand English so the workers had a hard time helping them. Many adults tried to be sneaky when it came to their kids in the adult areas. To me, it does not make sense to have a section of Deck 9 adults only, but Deck 10, right above is family and then Deck 11 is adults only again! All 3 should be for adults. It just makes it easier to enforce and ensure that those adults who are traveling with no kids and those whose kids are in the various programs to enjoy themselves. In conversation, one of the ships crew even stated that this was way more kids than they usually get on the ship.
BTW... I am not a kid hater. Actually the opposite. 😉
Pros:
Disney Service A+Cons:
Kids in adult only areasReviewed by florsaucedo1696 Review Date: 08/20/2014
Rating: (8) Recommended
We just got back from a 7 night cruise on Fantasy. I have to say when I book another cruise I will be booking on Magic or Wonder. Fantasy is a nice ship very clean very friendly staff. However Fantasy is very crowded the pools are overcrowded. When we have sailed with Magic and Wonder my kids enjoyed the pools and had a very hard time getting them out. On Fantasy my kids were disgusted from how dirty and small they were they didn't even go in at all. They have the Mickey pool and Goofy pool way too close together which makes it very crowded in the area, everyone seems to be in one small area.
There was 4 of us on the trip. They charged me $366.00 for the week. Yes it was $366.00 which for what we pay for the trip wouldn't that be included in the price? I thought it was a litte much for being a single mother that was just trying to take the kids on an unforgettable trip. I understand a tip is a good thing for their extra time and efforts but that was alot of money since we already pay to have the room cleaned and a good service for dinner.
Other than that we loved it and will keep sailing thru disney but on Magic and Wonder.
On Magic and Wonder i feel its more intimate and personal.
Pros:
CLEAN/NICE STAFF/GREAT FOODCons:
Crowded Pools/Overcrowded ship/overpriced tipsReviewed by Lizgistix Review Date: 04/05/2022
Rating: (9) Recommended
First time cruiser! Loved this experience on the Dream for a 3-night. I was near the forward elevator, so I spent a lot of time hanging out by Currents bar. It also provided a great view of the fireworks. This ship is misleading though because the walk from the forward elevators to the midship elevators is not nearly as long as the walk from midship elevators to the aft elevators. The food in Cabanas was average. The food at the quick service by the main pool was fine. The dining rooms were hit or miss. Some things were great, other things were just okay or not the best. Saw a bunch of characters, which was fun. Did the martini tasting and mixology classes, which were fun. tried out the Mid-Ship Detective Agency on deck 5 by the kids clubs, which was cute and fun. Overall I had a great experience and I think this may become a yearly event now.
Pros:
Theme, decor, phenomenal service, lower capacity made it comfortableCons:
Dining room food was hit or missReviewed by nicoleamidon Review Date: 02/08/2015
Rating: (9) Recommended
We took the 3 night Bahamas trip mid-January, 2015 on the Dream. This was our fourth Disney cruise but our first time on one of the newer ships. We loved being on the Magic and Wonder before and were worried the larger ship might not feel as personal or might feel over crowded.
The Dream was terrific! The ship is definately larger but it wasn't a problem at all. My husband and I love to walk the promenade deck (gotta burn off all those dinner calories!) and doing more stairs was fine for our active family. Animator's Palate is an upgrade from the older ships - even our teens enjoyed talking to Crush. They also liked the sports deck, especially mini golf. The pools were busy but other common areas like the theaters, lobby, shops, etc. never felt too crowded.
Our balcony room was several floors below Cabanas (so noise wasn't a problem) but it was odd to walk through the restaurant in order to access the stairs or deck and doing this could be tricky when food service was in full swing. It just seems like poor planning and very un-Disney like. The overall service was excellent, of course, and we liked our catamaran and snorkle trip in Nassau.
The port of Nassau isn't worth too much time (as many previous reviewers have pointed out) but we really had fun sailing and swimming as a family. One tip - be sure to ride the AquaDuck early and often (consider doing this the very first thing upon boarding, even). It got extremely crowded towards the end of the cruise with long waits. Our kids rode it multiple times with no line on embarkation day. We just packed our suits in our day bags and they practically had the pools and slides to themselves for several hours.
The technology on the ship is fantastic and we loved the moving artwork on the walls. We missed having a "trunk" of shelves in our room - stateroom storage was adequate but there was less than on the older ships. The Walt Disney Theater was absolutely beautiful and one night we sat in one of the small balconies on the side of the auditorium. This provided an interesting view of the stage and our kids liked being able to see down into the floor of the stage where props were raised and lowered, cast members prepped and scenery was moved around. We got an "inside" peek at how Disney creates some of their on-stage magic!
We don't think being on the Dream has ruined the older ships for us at all and we plan to return to whichever ship is going where we want to cruise next.
Pros:
another beautiful ship, great shows, teens loved mini golfCons:
walking through Cabanas to access stairsReviewed by wattage Review Date: 04/11/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
My wife, daughter and I sailed on the Disney Dream on April 4, 2013 for a three day cruise to Nassau and Castaway Cay. We had cabin 7517 – an inside stateroom. My wife’s parents also sailed with us. We are DCV members and paid for our cruise with points.
Parking – There is ample parking at the terminal in the parking deck next to the ship. Regardless of where you park in the deck, you are only a short distance to the elevators or stairs. The deck is clean and seemed secure. I was very comfortable leaving the car. Parking is $15 per day for the deck and there is the option to park in an uncovered “preferred lot†for $20 more.
Boarding Process – Once you enter the terminal, you encounter security on the ground floor. Here you put your luggage through the x-ray machine and walk through a metal detector. This process took us a total of about 10 minutes – including waiting in line and screening.
Ticketing/Keys – Once through security you climb an escalator to the second floor of the terminal building and encounter Disney’s embarkation process. You enter a line based on your past Disney cruising experience. This was our first Disney cruise so we joined the longest line ïŒ. Even though the line was long, the wait was less than 10 minutes to get to a counter agent. Once all of our paperwork was reviewed, we received our “Keys.†With keys in hand, we got in the line to board the ship. This line did take a few minutes because you’re forced to take pictures before boarding the ship.
Once on Board – When you reach the ship, you are asked for your family’s name and they announce your arrival to everyone in the boarding area. Little kids seemed to be impressed, but most adults seemed to think it was a little hokie. The main boarding area is pure Disney – well themed and beautiful. A large statue of Admiral Donald Duck is in the lobby and everyone is trying to get their pictures with Donald. The six elevators in the main area are all crowed! We went further forward on the ship and found another set of elevators that no one seemed to be using and got on one within 30 seconds of pushing the elevator button. Staterooms are not available until 1:30 so I took my daughter to the teen club, and my wife took her parents to the Enchanted Garden for the lunch buffet.
From the time we parked, got out of the car, and walked on board the ship, it was about 35 minutes. We got there right at noon, and my in-laws were there at 11:00a.m. My in-laws said it took them about an hour to board.
Stateroom – Our stateroom was on deck seven closer the bow (forward) of the ship. The signage in the halls is easy to follow and well positioned throughout the ship. Our cabin had a queen bed with a fold out sofa bed and a fold down ceiling bunk bed. We did not use the bunk bed as my daughter used the sofa bed. There is plenty of storage space under the bed and in the closets. The bathroom was large enough so as not to make you feel claustrophobic. The bathroom had a bathtub that was not quite full sized, but was large enough to take a bath in if needed. Towels were very thick and changed every day by our cabin steward.
Food – The lunch buffet in the Enchanted Garden restaurant on Deck two was very good. The lamb chops were the best I’ve ever had!! There is rotational dinning on the Disney Dream – meaning that you eat at a different restaurant every night, but keep the same serving staff. Our first night was in the Enchanted Garden, second night was in the Royal Palace, and our third night was in the Animators Palate. The food was good, not great. The only real complaint I had was the escargot in the Royal Palace was way over cooked and was very tough – life chewing on a rubber ball. I could not eat any of the snails. So I asked for and received another appetizer. Service was excellent when we were at table #63, but when we changed to table #100, it was not as good. The last night, our server pressured us to provide only “excellent†ratings on the comment cards for her service.
Activities and Ports of Call – We stopped in Nassau and at Disney’s private island Castaway Cay. We went to the Pirates’ Museum in Nassau, after it stopped raining! The museum is a short walk from the ship and is well worth the time. We all enjoyed the museum’s exhibits –including the life sized pirate ship you get to walk through! Castaway Cay is a lovely beach island. Disney does a good job of providing enough beach chairs and floats for everyone. The only downer about Castaway Cay is the food – it’s bad. Way over cooked and bland - what I thought was a piece of chicken was actually a piece of over cooked fish. Even the hamburgers were over cooked and cold – could not even begin to melt the cheese on the cheese burgers. If we ever go back, we’ll come ashore after having our lunch on the ship. There are current movies shown in the movie theater. We saw “Oz the Great and Powerful†one afternoon. The Aquaduck water ride is not to be missed – it’s a complete blast for all ages. My wife and I rode it twice!! Lines can get long so go in the morning, or after 5:30pm.
Debarkation – The ship docks around 5:30am. Everyone is expected to be out of their cabins by 8:00am, and be off the ship by 9:00am. You have the option of carrying your own luggage off the ship, or having the porters take it to the terminal for you to find later. We chose to carry our own luggage and were we off the ship by 8:00am and in line for customs by 8:10am. Customs took a while as the lines were rather long. We were at our car in the parking garage by 8:45. Parking was $15 per day.
Pros:
Adult only areas, staff, Castaway CayCons:
Noise in main restaurantsReviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 11/15/2022
Rating: (10) Recommended
I have had the honor of sailing on the Dream four times over this past year. Every single time has been a truly magical experience that leaves me longing for my next cruise. The crew is the rock of the cruise experience. They make everything magical. The entertainment is off the charts. Food is also pretty great. The activities are so fun, the aquaduck is insane. Overall, cruising on the Dream is an experience like no other. If the opportunity arises, you should not pass on this experience.
Pros:
Magical, amazing crew, quality entertainment and activities, exquisite dining, cool ports of callsCons:
priceyReviewed by Elle9100 Review Date: 11/20/2021
Rating: (10) Recommended
I just sailed back to back cruises on Disney's Dream Nov 12-19 and couldn't be happier with my cruise experience. Disney has made excellent, well thought out changes to ensure guest safety. One of my favourites is the new app where you can find everything at your fingertips, including everything you used to find on the daily navigator and more. Another refreshing change is no longer being required to gather for the safety drill. You simply attend your muster station to check in and then watch the safety video from the convenience of your stateroom. The process to disembark the ship has also improved considerably. There is now a virtual queue that you log into using the app and you receive a notification when it is your turn to disembark. Disembarking on the final day of the cruise is also much better. Guests are provided with a time to attend breakfast and then are invited to choose an area on the ship to wait comfortably until their group is notified to disembark. This is such an improvement over the previous large group gatherings awaiting notification to disembark. As always, the food, entertainment and service were all top notch. The Christmas decorations were absolutely beautiful and included a life size gingerbread house in the atrium that smelled delicious! There are many character appearances throughout the ship including Christmas carolers, and even a visit from Santa himself. If you're looking for something safe and magical then this is the vacation for you! Well done Disney!
Pros:
The many new changes to ensure guest safety.Cons:
None, it was a great experience. We will definitely be back for more cruises.Reviewed by Dorysmum Review Date: 05/29/2021
Rating: (10) Recommended
We love Dream and have sailed on her twice, our second cruise being the Halloween on the High Seas themed one. Ah-mazing both times. The cast members are absolutely wonderful and make the entire trip magical. The food, oh my, bring comfy pants, you’ll need them. When you go to Animator’s Palate do not miss the Black Truffle Pasta Pursettes. The shows are so well done and fun, Pirate night is a blast and fireworks at sea, yes please :). We love the adult only areas, especially taking a nap beside Satellite falls, utter bliss.
Pros:
The ship is beautiful. The food all 5-star (I would argue for 6). The service and entertainment exquisite. We are DCL fans for life.Cons:
None. Dream is a cruising dream come true.Reviewed by Corinnas Review Date: 12/07/2020
Rating: (10) Recommended
The Dream was amazing. The shows are top notch. The dining is top of the line for cruise ships. I have been on 16 cruises and 3 cruise lines and Disney knows how to do cruising. The rooms are very nice and the service is amazing. There were lots of activities. Aqua Duck was so much fun. The view was fantastic.
Pros:
Dining Food Aqua Duck Shows ActivistsCons:
PriceReviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 03/25/2020
Rating: (10) Recommended
The Dream is amazing! All of the Disney details are stunning. Everyone is so friendly and helpful. The service is above and beyond any expectations. The cabins are roomy and comfortable. We loved the Caribbean ports as well. There were only 2 small issues... Don't expect to get in the pools, those are packed to the brim. Also the stairs will help you work off all the food you will eat as the elevators are also packed! The ice cream is really good, so is the pizza and chicken nuggets at Flo's. Only had motion problems on night 1. The shows are spectacular. The service is unbeatable.