Just off of the Dream - short review

[OceanLiner]

Here is a quick review of our three night cruise on the Disney Dream, which I am writing as we fly home.

 

Background: previous cruises on other lines including DCL, which includes the Wonder and the Magic.

 

Accommodations: we booked and paid for a Concierge Family Stateroom, but two days before sailing we received a wonderful phone call upgrading us to a Concierge Single Bedroom Suite.

 

Port Arrival: could not have been easier. We arrived with a car rental and drove right up to the porters (stevedores) who took the bags from our car. We pulled around and parked in the surface lot quite literally two spaces away from the entrance to the terminal. The terminal was spotless and in very good repair. There was quite a crowd but all was in good order. We were directed to the Concierge check-in and it was flawless and very efficient. They then brought us in through the side of the line and we were on the ship within 10 minutes of coming through the front door of the terminal.

 

Concierge: absolutely the very best of Disney, and the very top tier of any concierge staff. They greeted us with respect and concern, but not fawning or over familiar. Very respectful and very professional at all levels with a “most certainly” attitude that was evident in all aspects of our encounters. The food in the Concierge Lounge was amazingly varied and available throughout the day, along with waters and sodas, a fantastic espresso machine, and two separate evening happy hours.

 

One Bedroom Suite: very, very nice. Two full baths, large sitting area, dining area, queen bed, whirlpool bath, two regular closets, and one walk in closest. It was very well designed and the lighting was excellent, and we took about half hour of messing around with ALL the switches to understand the system. The servicing of the room was superb.

 

The Ship: very stunning in all of its Disney detail and very clean. Great shopping and very well organinzed for the flow of guests. There is a fantastic bar called Meridian, that is hidden on 12 aft at the very back of the ship between Palo and Remy. Seek it out and watch the ship slide away beneath you from perhaps the best view at sea. Disney has added some sort of lighting along the water line which is at once fascinating and distracting. They made a big error in putting the sports deck above Palo/Remy, which means that the sports deck is closed after 6pm. This was a bit of a disappointment for us and many families and really needs to be addressed in a future dry dock refit. The Aquaduck is a real stunner, and should be experienced in the day and the night. Much has been written about the small pools and it is all true. The Nemo’s Reef area is GREAT for little kids and not a single person should ever complain that their precious little diaper wearing kids cannot go in the regular pool; these little kids have plenty to do in their very own swim area. We noticed that there was some foot traffic through the adult area which wasn’t bad by any means but is very dependent on the abilities of the parents.

 

The Food: good to very good, with a couple of excellent dishes. Most noteably the Pacific Black Cod and the Lemon Mousse. The presentations and the staff were all top notch. What we liked to drink was waiting for us at the table each night. The Enchanted Garden was a surprise in design though the flower lights have ceased to function; the Royal Palace is pleasant though uninspired; and the Animators Palate was a complete dud.

 

Yes, you read it correctly. The reconceived Animators Palate is an ill conceived redo of what was once the most amazing dining venue at sea. What is on the Magic and the Wonder is completely gone on the Dream. The original Animators Palate was a choreographed evening of music, lighting, presentation of food, waiter’s uniforms, and the wonderment of Disney magic and imagination. The entire dining room was totally immersed in a complete experience.

 

The new Animators Palate is nothing more than an Epcot attraction that has been moved to the dining room. The room is supposed to represent an animators workshop but in fact looks a bit more like an animators museum of props, all of which are static without the slightest hint of inspiration. The walls convert to interactive screens with the Finding Nemo “Crush” character, exactly as at Epcot, but with a notable difference. At Epcot, the attraction is limited to around 25 people, all of whom have some sort of interaction with the character. At Animators Palate, Crush stops by in several areas of the dining room to interact with ONE person, and then he moves on. This is a huge disappointment to the remaining 20 or so people in each area, most of which are left spending the rest of the evening explaining why “Crush” didn’t speak to their children. It is really a very negative experience and I would advise not even wasting your time as is would be the perfect night to go to Remy or Palo after taking the kids to the buffet. It is inconceivable how Disney could screw up such a perfect experience with such a techno piece of trash. The sound is over bearing and grinding through the evening and the entire experience of Animators Palate is the opposite of the Magic and the Wonder. (They could make a change by calling it Pixar’s Palate and giving it more of the Pixar characters then just “Crush”, but why not bring it back to what made it work?)

 

With the exception of Animators Palate, the Dream was really exceptional in every way. The Concierge Level really places you in a wonderful ship within a ship experience and should not be missed.

[Friend100]

Thanks for the review.

Nice upgrade. Have you also stayed in the one BR suite on Magic or Wonder? If so how how does the one on Dream compared?

Royal Palace is my favourite venue among the 3 MDRs.

Do you like the shows?

[shipmate13]

Concierge suites sound wonderful and would really not want to miss it myself however I can't afford such luxury so I have to go find my own expresso coffee and water somewhere else but I'm good with that. Sorry animators palate was such a disappointment for you. I am sad to hear that it is not like the one on the wonder because that was so much fun to see. I can definately agree with you that it can be a big let down to many children. Hope they fix the lights in the enchanted garden. I can't imagine a Disney ship allowing things not to work correctly. You didn't mention anything about the entertainment? We are leaving for our five day cruise on the 27th of this month and cannot wait to judge things for myself. I will certainly post my experience upon returning. Glad your cruise was overall a wonderful experience. Thanks for the post.

[OceanLiner]

Thanks for the review.

Nice upgrade. Have you also stayed in the one BR suite on Magic or Wonder? If so how how does the one on Dream compared?

Royal Palace is my favourite venue among the 3 MDRs.

Do you like the shows?

 

I have to admit that we didn't see any of the shows! We had so much fun on the ship just sitting and talking and enjoying each other that we never got around to the shows. We had a late seating, so we watched the sunsets and played around on deck or with the Aquaduck. We did see the Avengers in 3D.

 

We did have a one bedroom on a seven night on the Magic. Similar but different, and all a bit more refined on the Dream. I mentioned the lighting which was just amazing on the Dream. The Magic devoted much to much space to the bedroom area, which is reduced on the Dream to offer more room for the pull down bed and the sofa bed. The one bedroom on the Dream has really innovative pocket doors that completely isolate the bedroom, yet can be opened up to the rest of the suite. The Dream master bath is far more elaborate with a much better configuration, including a mirror which hides a television for viewing while in the whirlpool. The Magic did have a really nice vanity and a slightly larger walk in closest.

 

The major difference is the Concierge Lounge on the Dream which really adds to the total package.

[ducklite]

We sailed in 8032 on the Magic (midships Cat 3) and 12512 on the Dream (OOT on the bump with extended balcony). Here are the similarities and differences between the rooms.

 

Space

 

The official space on the Dream is 622 s/f, the extended balcony adds additional space.

The official space on the Magic is 614 s/f, the mid-ships rooms are larger by at least 10%.

 

The cabin on the Magic felt significantly larger, the balcony on the Dream felt significantly larger.

 

Layout

 

Both cabins have the same basic features, including two full bathrooms, a walk in closet, a living area, a dining area, and desk. The similarities stop there.

 

The Magic cabin offers a wet bar, bookshelves stocked with books, and a large walk in closet. The veranda is accessible through the bedroom, as is the walk in closet. There is a comfortable chair next to the bookshelves that make a reading area near the sliding glass door.

 

The Dream offers a jetted tub for two, a large shower with a door instead of a curtain, and a TV in the master bathroom. The master bathroom is large and luxurious, but they gave up space in the bedroom to provide it. There are storage drawers under the bed that along with the closets provide ample storage space. The walk-in closet is small.

 

It's a toss up, but I think the Magic edges out the Dream. It feels more spacious.

 

Concierge

 

The Magic has no concierge lounge. The staff delivers treats to your room daily and their services are a phone call away.

 

The Dream has a lounge that is just steps from the cabin. The staff is available from early to late and they offer a variety of snacks and light meals as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages while they are open. There is also a private sundeck for concierge guests.

 

The Dream wins hands down as concierge services are concerned.

 

Hope this helps.

[Friend100]

Thanks OceanLiner and ducklite for the information.

[karajeboo]

I agree with most everything you said, especially the faux pas of putting the basketball court over Palo/Remy - it was REALLY distracting during brunch last week!!!

 

Also, I think putting both children's pools together is a big mistake - we nicknamed that area the 666 pool because it felt like walking through hades if we went through there! lol I did appreciate the HUGE adults only areas at the bow of the ship.

 

Also, did you notice the elevators outside of Cabanas? The only way to get from those elevators to the deck was to walk THROUGH Cabanas.... that was really odd!

 

I disagree with you about AP though..... I was never a fan of AP on the Magic, the black and white vinyl just didn't appeal at all, and well, maybe it's because Crush talked to me that I really enjoyed it!!! I'm very interested in experiencing this dining room on the Fantasy, where guests' drawings come to life!

 

Great review!

[Pocahantas]

We are sailing in a couple of weeks. Do you remember what movies where playing on the ship in the movie theatre?? My daughter is really hoping Dark Shadows will be playing.

[Shmoo here]

We are sailing in a couple of weeks. Do you remember what movies where playing on the ship in the movie theatre?? My daughter is really hoping Dark Shadows will be playing.

 

Is it a Disney movie? I don't think it is. If so, no.

 

:)

[OceanLiner]

John Carter, the Avengers, Cars2, Curse of the Black Pearl, Jungle Book, Fantasia 2000, Cinderella, The Princess and the Frog, and Angels in the Outfield.

[vivavegas]

Nice Review! Thanks for sharing the information!:)