Disney Dream 9/23-9/27

[GatorTide]

We (DH, DD age 4 and I) returned from the Dream last Thursday so I thought I'd write up a quick review. Overall, it was a great trip and I would recommend it to other people with young children. However, I'm not necessarily rushing to do another one. I think it's something worth doing once but we'll probably stick with RCI. Please feel free to ask any questions!

 

Embarkation/debarkation: Easy and quick. Our arrival time was between 11:30 and 12 and we were onboard within 30 minutes. The longest wait was for the welcome aboard photo, which I usually skip but there wasn't really any way to get around the line. We carried off our own luggage and were through customs and out the door within 25 minutes (we got off just before 9 a.m.).

 

Main pool deck: I wish the pools were a little bit bigger. It wasn't so bad when we were in Nassau (we stayed on board having been there many times before) but on the last (sea) day, they were jammed with people. I was constantly getting hit in the head, kicked, run into, etc. Never had trouble finding a chair, though, which was nice! I enjoyed watching full-length movies on the big screen.

 

Slides/Nemo's Reef splash pad: DD enjoyed the smaller slide (waited in line about 5 minutes each time) and loved the Nemo area. I got in there with her sometimes but you could also stand outside and easily watch your kids if you didn't want to get wet. DH and I loved the Aquaduck (minimum height was 42 inches and DD just missed it, though she didn't really care). The lines got REALLY long at times so we avoided it then but I was able to get on several times in a row on the last night around 6 p.m. (we did late seating). You just have to keep an eye out and be patient for when the lines are short.

 

Adult Quiet Cove and pool: This was a great haven to get away from all the kids. DH and I put DD in the kids club a few times and went there to relax. It was very quiet except for people talking loudly in the hot tub, lol. Even Daisy Duck came by to visit. The bartender, Oscar, made good margaritas. There wasn't a ton of seating (lounge chairs) but we got lucky each time and found a spot. They have massage chairs overlooking the pool - $46 for 30 minutes (a chair massage by a therapist, to clarify). I didn't do one but it looked relaxing.

 

Bars/lounges: My favorite spot was the Currents bar in the adults area on Deck 12. It is an outdoor bar and was very quiet and relaxing to watch the ship sail from. One of the bartenders was able to find me a plate of cheese and crackers, which was nice. Other than that, the sports bar/pub was pretty cool with reclining chairs and lots of screens to watch football. The Pink champagne bar was very cute but we only stuck our heads in there.

 

Castaway Key: Beautiful island. The water was gorgeous and there are plenty of places to relax. There is also a kids club on the island if you feel like getting away on your own for a bit. You can rent rafts and inner tubes. I had to float out a ways to have some real peace, but it was very nice. I did some snorkeling - nothing too special, but they do have a submerged Mickey and Minnie statue that are neat to see. Lunch was an assortment of BBQ, burgers, hot dogs, etc.

 

Oceaneers Club: DD went for a little while each day. They have themed areas and a lot of activities. She liked it pretty well and only asked to be picked up early once. The staff seemed very nice and one always remembered her because she was our Muster Station (or, as DD says, Monster Station) attendant. DD isn't always a great "joiner" of activities so I would see her kind of wandering around at times, but I think they can kind of do as much or as little as they want to do. She did participate in some of the activities, though, and talked about them a lot. Counselors will also come by the dining rooms for late seating at 9:15 to pick up kids and take them to the club so you can finish your meals without rushing.

 

Food: This was probably the weakest area of the trip. The breakfasts and lunches were fine, no real complaints there (and free soda, woo hoo!), but the dinners were not impressive or memorable. Our servers were great and really wonderful to DD and to us but the food was just...lacking. Chicken and veal were kind of dry, the meat dishes just meh...etc.

 

Stateroom: We had an oceanview room. I loved the big porthole that we could sit in and look out onto the water. I also like how the toilet and the shower were in separate rooms, which helps when you are traveling with several people in one room. Our attendant was great and very friendly, often stopping to talk to DD. It was really adorable!

 

Entertainment: We didn't do a lot of the shows. The first nights' show, the Golden Mickeys, was cute if a bit too long. I wasn't blown away by the singing in it. I did, however, really like the two singers they had in the lobby each night. The male singer/guitarist also played out in the adult pool one day and he was really good. There was a ventriloquist show that DH went to and said it was not very funny. I was pretty tired each night so I didn't make it to many after-dinner activities, but I did enjoy the pirate night and the fireworks and also the Quest and Newlywed-style game they did back-to-back one night. I was appreciative that they played current music in the lounges as I feel like some trips I've taken the music has been stuck about 5 years behind!

 

A general tip is to show up early to any character appearances that are must-dos. the lines can get very long! DD is a princess addict so we made sure to show up about 30 minutes before. They sent out Peter Pan to entertain the kids in line. They were pretty efficient about keeping things moving and the nice thing is that you are allowed to take your own pictures - you don't just have to buy theirs.

 

That was just a quick off-the-top-of-my-head review. If you have specific questions, again, please ask!

[JustUs275]

Thanks for taking time to write a great review, can't wait for our Dream cruise in May! DGD6 is very anxious to see the Princesses, and especially to get her picture taken with Belle with their matching dresses ;)

[rktilleryj]

Thanks for the great review. We love DCL but really want to give RCI a try as well. What are some of the things that you preferred on RCI?

[GatorTide]

I think RCI has better food and while it does have plenty of things for kids, it doesn't feel as kid-centric as Disney does. I felt some self-imposed pressure to see all the characters, be at every event, etc. on the Disney trip whereas I don't feel the same way on Royal. Also, the prices are better and I like having more choices as far as itineraries go.

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the review, glad you had a good time.

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for the nice review, glad you had a good time.

[rosebud6362]

Thanks for the review.

 

How was the Nemo area? Was it very crowded? Also, you mentioned a smaller slide? Can you tell me more about that? Is there a height / age limit for that one as well? My baby will be 2 years old when we sail...

[GatorTide]

Thanks for the review.

 

How was the Nemo area? Was it very crowded? Also, you mentioned a smaller slide? Can you tell me more about that? Is there a height / age limit for that one as well? My baby will be 2 years old when we sail...

 

The Nemo area never seemed all that crowded. I think a 2-year-old would be too young for the smaller slide that I was mentioning (I don't know the name of it but it is yellow and held up with Mickey's hand, you could probably find a pic) but there is a mini-slide in the Nemo area that would be perfect.