Fantasy or Wish?

[xitappers2bx]

Hi there.  Not a first time cruiser, but first time Disney cruiser.  I am planning my 40th for next year and thought I really wanted to do the Wish, but saw some comments that has me second guessing myself now.  People were saying that the Fantasy is a better ship for a first time DCL cruiser, that the Wish itinerary is too short, some complaints about the layout of the dining spaces (too cramped, hard to hear the Frozen show), and the general layout of the ship (we're adding in a week in WDW and then another 8-night cruise after that, so really, not super bothered by the 4-night, and considering adding a 3-night either before or after).  

 

For those that have been on BOTH the Wish and the Fantasy which do you prefer?  If it matters, it'll be three adults, my parents love quiet areas in the morning where they can drink their tea/coffee and take in the ocean.  I love sitting on the balcony late into the night reading (we currently have a deluxe family oceanview balcony booked on the Wish).  We all love good food and entertainment.  Adult-only space thoughts also will be great since I'm sure that's going to be where we set ourselves up.  We are low key people.  

 

I don't necessarily know if we would do another DCL, so if you had a one and done choice, which would you pick and why?  Help me make my 40th birthday extravaganza the dream I want it to be.  

[nolatravelgirl]

The key factor for me would be that the Wish only does 3 or 4 night itineraries versus the Fantasy mostly doing 7 night cruises. Disney cruises are ridiculously priced but you go on them for the unique entertainment and activities. Are you interested in seeing the big musical Broadway style shows, meeting characters, having themed dinners? With the 3/4 day you are trying to cram a lot into a short window of time. On the 7 day itinerary there are still 3 big Broadway shows but they are spaced out over 7 nights with "filler" shows on the other nights like magicians, comedians, etc. that you can decide to skip. There are three main restaurants and if you want to experience them all along with the specialty restaurants like Remy and Palo then you SOL on Wish as you would have to skip one of the dining experiences. The 7 day allows you to relax and take it all in. 

[Tapi]

I think that on a shorter itinerary, you don’t get to experience in full things that are unique to Disney, like the rotating restaurants concept , specially if you’re thinking about adding one of the specialty restaurants. Chances are that you’ll have to skip something.

 

We chose a 7 night itinerary on the Fantasy. Very glad we did because otherwise, we would’ve been too time limited to enjoy everything that Disney has to offer. We wanted to experience as much as possible since our plan was to sail on Disney only one time. 
 

It was a wonderful cruise and I’m glad that I can say that I’ve sailed on them and got the T shirt. Disney does excel in customer service and entertainment and the ship was beautiful. But it’s hard to justify sailing on them again unless we were hardcore Disney fans, which we are not. A big percentage of the overinflated price you pay is for pixie dust, not for a product that is truly that much better than other cruise lines. 

Edited April 10, 2023 by Tapi

[AnnaFaustino]

The Disney Wish is the newest and largest ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet. It has some unique features, such as the AquaMouse water coaster and the Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge, which may appeal to you and your family. The dining spaces have also been redesigned to incorporate more storytelling elements, which may be a fun experience. However, as you mentioned, some reviews have noted that the layout of the ship can feel cramped and that some areas can be noisy during shows.

[ArthurUSCG]

So the 3/4 night sailings are just to get a taste of what DCL has to offer. I've done them on the Dream and also done the 7 night sailing on the Fantasy (same class), and the overall feeling is very different. With the short sailings, most of the people on board are attacking the activities simular to the WDW minute by minute touring plans. So it feels so rushed. But with the longer sailings, most people relax into the cruise, they take time to breath and aren't rushing around.

The buzz and complaints around the Wish is only because it is new, and soon people will be moving on to the Treasure and then the 3rd ship in the class. If you look at the prices, usually, the 4n on the Wish is priced around 5-7 nights on the other ships.

 

I did the 7night Western Fantasy cruise for my 40th and it was amazing. There's not enough differences in the DCL ships that I would pick any of them over the itinerary and length.

[anjuan]

As someone who is Platinum on DCL and has sailed all of their ships I would recommend going on the Fantasy. It is my favorite ship and more nights is always better in my book. The two ships are very different. The only thing that I liked better on the Wish was their deck food. Also, the ports are going to be a lot better on the 7 night cruise. But either way, you should have an amazing time!

[JasonShannon76]

Disney Fantasy is my favorite ship!! Love all the adult only areas. I've been on all 5 Disney ships.

[xitappers2bx]

Thanks everyone for your responses.  We changed our booking for the 4 night wish to the 7 night fantasy and I don't feel any regrets!  Thank you all!  

[trurocruiser]

Definitely the Fantasy. The adult areas are so much nicer. Wish doesn’t have Skyline lounge, and we love how quiet and relaxing that is.