Things are different on the Dream.

[BoardwalkBabe]

I thought I'd share some general thoughts around things I noticed were different on the Dream as compared to the Magic and Wonder.

 

1. The key card system has changed as you only need to hold it up to a specific spot in order to get on and off the ship and enter your cabin. This is great when your hands are full and if you use a lanyard, you can leave the card in the pouch to do these things - it doesn't need to be removed which is great!

 

2. You do need to insert a key card into the panel to turn on the electricity for your cabin. This isn't a big deal, however if person A uses his card at night and then gets up early in the morning to go get coffee and takes his card, person B could find herself suddenly in the dark so remember to replace the card if someone is staying in the cabin. This took a little getting used to but isn't a big deal. If my card was in the slot, I hung my lanyard over the door handle as a reminder so I wouldn't leave my cabin without it.

 

3. The closets appeared to be larger and guess what? No more sliding doors that slam during rocky seas as they are regular doors that pull open now. Yeah!

 

4. The table in front of the sofa has been replaced with one that looks more like an ottoman but has a hard top and it lifts up to reveal space that you can put things in. We thought it was a much better solution than the old table.

 

5. Beds are up on a platform which allows you to easily fit all of your luggage underneath them. Beds were super comfy and having easy access to that extra storage space was great.

 

6. You no longer need to bring your lifejackets to the muster drill. Just show up on time, be counted and then you can go right to the sailaway party without having to stop by your cabin first.

 

7. We received a large red mesh bag with four towels in it and a note saying the towels were to be used during our port days for excursions. The bag has a large strap so you can carry it over your shoulder and we saw lots of people using them (and many had other things inside the bag too). There weren't any of the large towel bins on the docks like in previous cruises so this was something new. You need to return the bag and the towels to your cabin afterwards.

 

8. There were more elevators and they were larger, which was nice because you can really fit a lot of people in them. They also have little screens at the top with messages about things going on and sometimes just photos of people having fun.

 

9. We really liked Shutters' new system. You hand them your room key prior to taking a photo and then you head to Shutters (which now resembles a library) later on and hold your key card up to the little reader and it tells you which book your photos are in. You walk over to that bookcase, find your book (they are coded by color, character and number) and surprise! Your photos are inside it. The only time you need to search through the racks are times when they don't scan your card (like dinner photos). Also, you can use the kiosk to scan your card, see all of the photos assigned to it and order your prints that way. Only some of my photos were in our book so I ordered the rest through the kiosk. I really liked this new system!

 

10. The kids areas are fantastic! We had some fun playing in them on boarding day and just loved the variety of activities and the overall look/feel of those areas. If I were a kid, I wouldn't want to leave that area! The nursery is also very nice - comfy looking rocking chairs and it has a Small World theme to it.

 

11. Merchandise shops are great in that they are spread out and you can carry a basket from shop to shop instead of making a purchase in each one (at least they offered this to me on the first night they were open). They had a good variety of merchandise; lots of inaugural season merchandise (which sells quickly) and the high end store has an amazing selection of jewelry in addition to Lily Pulitzer and other resort branded items.

 

12. The Aquaduck is a BLAST! Know that they prefer 2 people to ride at a time and that keeps the line moving. You can wear your sunglasses on the ride and be prepared because that water is cold! Don't go crazy trying to bring a camera on the ride until you've done it once and know what to expect. The best part is that you get to board the raft on a dry surface so you don't look like a total mess until you need to get out of the raft in a chute filled with gushing water. This is not a dry ride! :D

 

Overall, the ship is beautiful. The new dining rooms are gorgeous (we were not able to dine in Palo or Remy) and the menus have a wide variety of options (wild boar, anyone?). Great details all over the ship and it was one smooth ride. Not sure what else you'd like to know and I'll try to get some photos uploaded later on.

[PopFla]

Thanks for all the details. The ship sounds great, with lots of new innovations.

 

Clarify one thing for me; the card-key-to-turn-on-the-electricity part. Does this just control the lighting, or does it also control the outlets and/or air conditioner ? I'm thinking if it turns off the outlets, you're out of luck if you want to charge camera batteries or such while you're out of the room.

 

Also, any info on the pools, specifically the adults-only pool ? I've read elsewhere that the pool is considerably smaller than the ones on Magic/Wonder.

[BoardwalkBabe]

We didn't notice the a/c going off and since the clock was plugged in and stayed on, it looks like the outlets are fine. The lights and TV definitely went out, though.

 

And I forgot to mention that the cabins have these two "wave phones" that you can carry with you and call each other with. I guess they replace the old pagers that you would receive if you had kids in a club so you need to carry one of these instead. We didn't use them but our friends did and said they worked well. There is a sheet with instructions in the cabin and a fee if you lose them. They also tend to be very bright (as is the clock) at night so you may want to pull the plug on them if you are distracted by light as I am.

 

The clock had an iPod dock on the top of it but we didn't try it out.

[genmasjoy]

Thanks for the information. I have been on Magic and Wonder and was curious about the differences. I am pretty committed to trying the Dream in September 2011; have emailed a TA for a quote and am waiting to hear back. Did you go to Castaway Cay? What's it like now? The last time were were on Wonder in 2009 it was apparent there was a lot of construction going on at that time.

[BoardwalkBabe]

We did go to Castaway but I was also there in October so I saw the changes then. The new floating slide was in use, as were the cabanas. Cookies 2 BBQ was at that end of the beach, along with another kids play area, a merchandise shop, rentals and bar.

 

If you remember where the old teen beach used to be (past the Head's Up bar), that is where all of the new stuff is now. Plus, the tram has a spot at that end now too so you don't have to walk if you don't want to.

 

I forget to answer your question about the adult pool. There is limited seating right near the pool but on the next deck (which overlooks the pool), there is plenty of seating.

[travlingrlclt]

Are any of the pools heated on the dream. We leave Sunday and wonder how cold the pools will be. Also someone mentioned the beds in the rooms are queen and can't be split apart into two singles..is this correct?

[applehunt]

Thanks for the review! I am pretty sold on sailing on the Dream for spring break 2012 with my husband, and 4 & 5 year old girls. Any knowledge or feedback on the concierge family stateroom?

[Glendakayself]

Can parents/grandparents stay and watch their children in the kids' clubs/areas? (My DIL is hesitant to leave our granddaughters with strangers in charge, and I read a review that said some of the areas like mini golf are adult-free.)

[BoardwalkBabe]

Are any of the pools heated on the dream. We leave Sunday and wonder how cold the pools will be. Also someone mentioned the beds in the rooms are queen and can't be split apart into two singles..is this correct?

 

The pools are heated and I am pretty sure the bed can no longer be split into two as they could on the other ships due to the platform the mattress is sitting on (it only has four legs and would need 8 for it to split and stay upright).

[BoardwalkBabe]

Thanks for the review! I am pretty sold on sailing on the Dream for spring break 2012 with my husband, and 4 & 5 year old girls. Any knowledge or feedback on the concierge family stateroom?

 

We stayed in a regular verandah cabin so you'll need to let us know what your concierge experience was like when you return. :)

[BoardwalkBabe]

Can parents/grandparents stay and watch their children in the kids' clubs/areas? (My DIL is hesitant to leave our granddaughters with strangers in charge, and I read a review that said some of the areas like mini golf are adult-free.)

 

No kids so I can't answer the question about the clubs. We didn't play golf but think it's open to everyone.

[jenseib]

I have read you can use another card in the electricity spot. Like a credit card or something like that.

[rockinmlb]

such an awesome review. Thank you so much for giving us an update! :D

[applehunt]

We stayed in a regular verandah cabin so you'll need to let us know what your concierge experience was like when you return. :)

 

Spring break 2012 is a long time away...hopefully someone can review this category in the near future ;)

[Ellanora]

7. We received a large red mesh bag with four towels in it and a note saying the towels were to be used during our port days for excursions. The bag has a large strap so you can carry it over your shoulder and we saw lots of people using them (and many had other things inside the bag too). There weren't any of the large towel bins on the docks like in previous cruises so this was something new. You need to return the bag and the towels to your cabin afterwards.

Thanks for all the info! I'm kind of sorry to hear about the towels - one of the things I really loved about Disney was both receiving and returning towels off-ship, so there was no need to cart them around onboard or worry about fees for losing them. Seems like there were a lot of "towel return" boxes scattered near the restrooms on Castaway Cay; guess they have gotten rid of those if they want towels brought back to the rooms. What about onboard, by the pools and slides, are there still towels available there or do you have to bring the ones from your room?

[PopFla]

Thanks for all the info! I'm kind of sorry to hear about the towels - one of the things I really loved about Disney was both receiving and returning towels off-ship, so there was no need to cart them around onboard or worry about fees for losing them. Seems like there were a lot of "towel return" boxes scattered near the restrooms on Castaway Cay; guess they have gotten rid of those if they want towels brought back to the rooms. What about onboard, by the pools and slides, are there still towels available there or do you have to bring the ones from your room?

 

I read that a little differently. I interpreted that to mean that the bag of towels was for shore excursions, such as if you went on a snorkeling trip while in Nassau, not for onboard or Castaway Cay use. Could the OP please clarify ? TIA

[jenseib]

I read that a little differently. I interpreted that to mean that the bag of towels was for shore excursions, such as if you went on a snorkeling trip while in Nassau, not for onboard or Castaway Cay use. Could the OP please clarify ? TIA

 

I read on another board it was CC

[ducklite]

Spring break 2012 is a long time away...hopefully someone can review this category in the near future ;)

 

We'll be in a 1BR concierge cabin in the fall. When we cruised in this category on the Magic I did a very detailed report that included approximate room dimensions, and details on where power outlets were located. I'll do it again if no one does one between now and then.

[ducklite]

Thanks for all the info! I'm kind of sorry to hear about the towels - one of the things I really loved about Disney was both receiving and returning towels off-ship, so there was no need to cart them around onboard or worry about fees for losing them. Seems like there were a lot of "towel return" boxes scattered near the restrooms on Castaway Cay; guess they have gotten rid of those if they want towels brought back to the rooms. What about onboard, by the pools and slides, are there still towels available there or do you have to bring the ones from your room?

 

My guess is that they had to begin doing that due to abuse and theft. It's a shame that some bad apples with an entitlement mentality always manage to ruin it for everyone.

[BoardwalkBabe]

Thanks for all the info! I'm kind of sorry to hear about the towels - one of the things I really loved about Disney was both receiving and returning towels off-ship, so there was no need to cart them around onboard or worry about fees for losing them. Seems like there were a lot of "towel return" boxes scattered near the restrooms on Castaway Cay; guess they have gotten rid of those if they want towels brought back to the rooms. What about onboard, by the pools and slides, are there still towels available there or do you have to bring the ones from your room?

 

The towel return boxes were still there; the large bins of fresh towels to grab as you got off the ship were not there.

[3Blessings]

I read on another post that the Piano Bar wasn't up and running - was it open on your cruise? Are the clubs and bars smoke free? Thanks In Advance!

[rfinch]

"12. The Aquaduck is a BLAST! Know that they prefer 2 people to ride at a time and that keeps the line moving. You can wear your sunglasses on the ride and be prepared because that water is cold! Don't go crazy trying to bring a camera on the ride until you've done it once and know what to expect. The best part is that you get to board the raft on a dry surface so you don't look like a total mess until you need to get out of the raft in a chute filled with gushing water. This is not a dry ride! :D"

 

 

How were the lines on the Aquaduck?

[metrowon]

Whatever there doing now, is still being tweaked! This Brand New ship will be evolving for a number of years. 60% of the crew may be new to Disney standards, and 1/2 of them won't be there in 4 monthes. Having done 10 prior cruises with Disney, and talking to crew members, or cast members, there is little tolerance for sub-standard customer service. The Magic, and Wonder will encounter the same problems also, as their crews were diminished, so as to serve on the New Dream. I fully exspect many reviews, that are harsh about all 3 ships for awhile. Let's wait and see!

[lovetocruise99]

"12. The Aquaduck is a BLAST! Know that they prefer 2 people to ride at a time and that keeps the line moving. You can wear your sunglasses on the ride and be prepared because that water is cold! Don't go crazy trying to bring a camera on the ride until you've done it once and know what to expect. The best part is that you get to board the raft on a dry surface so you don't look like a total mess until you need to get out of the raft in a chute filled with gushing water. This is not a dry ride! :D"

 

 

How were the lines on the Aquaduck?

 

On the preview cruise the lines were only about 5 minutes long. I wouldn't expect that to be the case on a regular cruise. Also, we were turned back with a waterproof camera so don't plan on taking a camera on with you.

[FigmentsKiss]

"12. The Aquaduck is a BLAST! Know that they prefer 2 people to ride at a time and that keeps the line moving. You can wear your sunglasses on the ride and be prepared because that water is cold! Don't go crazy trying to bring a camera on the ride until you've done it once and know what to expect. The best part is that you get to board the raft on a dry surface so you don't look like a total mess until you need to get out of the raft in a chute filled with gushing water. This is not a dry ride! :D"

 

 

How were the lines on the Aquaduck?

 

This past weekend the lines were about moving pretty quickly. They do have a sign that gives an average wait time and that seemed to be about 20 to 35 minutes every time I saw it. We waited about 30.