How is Dream different than Magic/Wonder (other than larger)

[CanuckOnaBoat]

I've mostly cruised Magic and Wonder. We also did Wish.

This is my first time on Disney Dream - how is the ship different? What should I know about it - in terms of set-up, activities, restaurants etc...

How is the experience different on Dream than Magic/Wonder?

I like to know all the tips and tricks before I board!! It's part of the fun of planning for me

We are doing a 7 night Med cruise- 2 adults and 2 pre-tweens.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

I did my first cruise 7 night Norwegian Fjords on The Magic and my second cruise 4 night Spain to Bilbao on The Dream

Things I noticed
1. The Atrium. Walking in after the Welcome On Board announcement, I could immediately just feel how more airy and open the Atrium was.
2. Going down to deck 2 from The Atrium for Enchanted Garden restaurant was disorientating at first.
3. Knowing that I had to go to the pool deck for the drinks station, but then going to deck 9 and getting confused at it being a stateroom deck not the pool deck. Deck 11 is the pool deck on The Dream.
4. The adult area is much better on The Dream, the adult pool, the upper area Satellite Falls are my favourite places. The bars are different too, and a bit confusing.
5. Make sure to go to Vibe Open House, as its at the front of the ship on Deck 5 and has the outdoor pointy bit with a pool.
6. Embarkation Day lunch is in Animators Palate, which is on Deck 3, where Rapunzel's Royal Table is on The Magic.
7.Animators Palate is different. On the 7 night you will have both shows, Crush, and the Drawing Show.
8. Walt Disney Theatre is on 3 floors. The main seating is on Deck 3 and there is an extra balcony area on deck 4
9. There are 2 upcharge coffee cafes. Vista Cafe on deck 4 above the Atrium and Cove Cafe on Deck 11

 

[cwis]

4. The adult area is much better on The Dream, the adult pool, the upper area Satellite Falls are my favourite places. The bars are different too, and a bit confusing.

That's highly arguable. Without a doubt, I prefer the layout of the adult area of the Magic that the one of the Dream: on the largest ship, the swimming pool has a much smaller area with loungers that is accessible without using stairs, the bar has a much “random” look & feel. Granted, there is a separate area around Satellite falls, but it's less convenient. Also, ont the Magic, the whole adult area is Forward, which make it easier to go downstairs get a beer in the pub (that has a much better selection compared to the pool area). I miss Signals every time I sail on the Dream, especially the tables near the swimming pool just give a pretty unique atmosphere.

 

[Geomom]

We had a hard time going from Wonder/Magic to Dream/Fantasy. We found the aft adult layouts confusing. Take a look at deck maps to familiarize yourselves before going. I found it easier to walk the promenade to enter the adult lounge area. The aft elevators are in the middle of Cabanas on deck 11. To get to deck 13 with Meridian, Palo, and Remy, you need to take the aft elevators/stairs. It's impossible to get to from the pool deck...ask me how I know, lol. I was late for the Art of the Theme Show tour because I couldn't figure out how to get to Meridian. I found it hard to get to mini golf too, lol. (Dream/Fantasy has 9 holes mini golf aft...deck 12?)

Pool area: Beverage station is midship on the pool deck vs aft. All the pool deck food is together (midship) vs Daisy's delights being near Cabanas. There are 2 $ coffee bars with free snacks--deck 5 atrium (Vista, all ages) and deck 11 (Cove, adults). Adult pool area is nice, but not for swimming laps. Hot tub overlooks the ocean. Kids may walk thru deck 11 adult pool deck since forward elevators are by the gym and there are rooms in that area. Deck 13 forward has the nice, quiet adult Satellite falls area. The Currents bar up there has free bags of chips/pretzels. Dream/Fantasy have Aquaduck, a raft waterslide.

Fun--new to you would be Midship Detective agency. 3 different mystery games (Mickey, etc; Muppets; 101 Dalmatians) you play around the ship with magical artwork. You start on either deck 2 or deck 5 midship to pick up your map and card. It's a lot of fun for all ages!

Walt Disney theater has a balcony. We enjoy sitting there as there are fewer people up there, easier to leave.

The shops are noticeably larger, which is nice.

MDRs are deck 2 midship (Enchanted Garden), deck 3 midship (Royal Palace?), and deck 3 aft (Animator's Palate --Crush show and Animation magic)

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[kiford]

The ship is larger, but the rooms are slightly smaller (bit narrower).

The adult-only pool area has a shallower area with seating around the side so you can sit in the water and chat with others. There is also an area that is only ankle-deep in front of the bar with seats around the perimeter and in the middle so you can get a drink and not have to be in the water but also not entirely out of it. Hot tubs are now at the side of the ship so you can look at the view when sitting in them rather than having them in the middle. And they're larger.

The mid-ship detective game is great fun, and the pictures used in it also animate even when not playing. I usually stop and watch them when I run across them.

Remy in addition to Palo. Meridian bar in between (one of our favourite places).

Champagne bar (love it!).

Animator's Palate is different. I personally prefer the original.

You need to use a card for the lights in your stateroom. I usually bring an old KTTW card so I won't forget to take it with me when I leave.

I'm not a fan of the gym layout on the Dream/Fantasy. It seems a bit more awkward than on the classics.

I love satellite falls, but it can get windy up there. If it gets too windy, they will shut off the "falls" part which is, IMO, the best part.

 

[auntlynne]

Reiterate: aft elevators dump you behind Cabanas - you have to walk through it to get to the pool.

I miss O’Gills pub; the 687 pub is too small to host trivia.

 

[bcwife76]

Reiterate: aft elevators dump you behind Cabanas - you have to walk through it to get to the pool.

I miss O’Gills pub; the 687 pub is too small to host trivia.

Oh my gosh, yes! Why is 687 so small? I've never had an issue getting a spot for trivia in the pubs on the Magic or Wonder but on the Dream we were basically sitting on the floor. I actually really dislike the the entire layout of the District on the Dream as a whole. Love Pink though

 

[tlprice]

It's funny because we went on the Dream in September after not having been on it since 2017. Since 2017 we had been on the Fantasy once, the Wish once, the Wonder twice, and the Magic twice. I was surprised how old the Dream seemed. I feel like it has been longer since it has been refurbished. It was still nice, but was definitely looking in need of some refreshing. The biggest thing that annoyed me was the lack of USB outlets in the stateroom.

 

[AZMermaid]

Oh my gosh, yes! Why is 687 so small? I've never had an issue getting a spot for trivia in the pubs on the Magic or Wonder but on the Dream we were basically sitting on the floor. I actually really dislike the the entire layout of the District on the Dream as a whole. Love Pink though

Agreed! I felt constantly lost in this area! I’m not sure why I couldn’t figure it out. But yes again to Pink!

 

[dreamer17555]

It's funny because we went on the Dream in September after not having been on it since 2017. Since 2017 we had been on the Fantasy once, the Wish once, the Wonder twice, and the Magic twice. I was surprised how old the Dream seemed. I feel like it has been longer since it has been refurbished. It was still nice, but was definitely looking in need of some refreshing. The biggest thing that annoyed me was the lack of USB outlets in the stateroom.

The Dream goes into dry dock this fall.

 

[cwis]

Love Pink though

And their chocolate

 

[CanuckOnaBoat]

We had a hard time going from Wonder/Magic to Dream/Fantasy. We found the aft adult layouts confusing. Take a look at deck maps to familiarize yourselves before going. I found it easier to walk the promenade to enter the adult lounge area. The aft elevators are in the middle of Cabanas on deck 11. To get to deck 13 with Meridian, Palo, and Remy, you need to take the aft elevators/stairs. It's impossible to get to from the pool deck...ask me how I know, lol. I was late for the Art of the Theme Show tour because I couldn't figure out how to get to Meridian. I found it hard to get to mini golf too, lol. (Dream/Fantasy has 9 holes mini golf aft...deck 12?)

Pool area: Beverage station is midship on the pool deck vs aft. All the pool deck food is together (midship) vs Daisy's delights being near Cabanas. There are 2 $ coffee bars with free snacks--deck 5 atrium (Vista, all ages) and deck 11 (Cove, adults). Adult pool area is nice, but not for swimming laps. Hot tub overlooks the ocean. Kids may walk thru deck 11 adult pool deck since forward elevators are by the gym and there are rooms in that area. Deck 13 forward has the nice, quiet adult Satellite falls area. The Currents bar up there has free bags of chips/pretzels. Dream/Fantasy have Aquaduck, a raft waterslide.

Fun--new to you would be Midship Detective agency. 3 different mystery games (Mickey, etc; Muppets; 101 Dalmatians) you play around the ship with magical artwork. You start on either deck 2 or deck 5 midship to pick up your map and card. It's a lot of fun for all ages!

Walt Disney theater has a balcony. We enjoy sitting there as there are fewer people up there, easier to leave.

The shops are noticeably larger, which is nice.

MDRs are deck 2 midship (Enchanted Garden), deck 3 midship (Royal Palace?), and deck 3 aft (Animator's Palate --Crush show and Animation magic)

Enjoy your cruise!

Yes!! Thank you! I went from Magic/Wonder to Wish - and did not enjoy that. And now having to do Dream because Magic no longer does Europe.

That's great about the mini golf, raft waterslide, midship agency. So there are few perks.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

The Dream goes into dry dock this fall.

And the WBTA cruise will be the first post-drydock sailing.

 

[TooBoyz4us]

And the WBTA cruise will be the first post-drydock sailing.

What is WBTA? Only one cruise under our belts, 2nd one booked and counting down so I am STILL learning ;-)

 

[msmama]

As a lover of the Magic/Wonder, I really struggled to get my bearings on the Dream. On paper, it looks like it should be the same, but somehow I was getting lost all the time. I swear there were parts of the ship that I still never located!!

It was nice to practically stumble out of our deck room 2 to Enchanted Garden. The adult area was weird and dark and a little disorienting (in a fun way) during rough sees. I enjoyed the Star Wars area of the kids club (I sure as heck wasn't going to pass up flying the Millenium Falcon just because I'm a grown up). I actually liked Vibe better than the smaller ships, but my son didn't (and he's the actual teen). And anything has to be better than the dark, smelly, pit that is Edge on the smaller ships (which, ironically, my son loved).

Overall, it was a nice ship, but I felt like it was missing that intangible thing that made the smaller ships so great, but I can't say it was due to the ship or the cruise itself. I wouldn't hesitate to sail it again if it was an itinerary I really wanted, but otherwise I'd prefer to stick with the Magic/Wonder.

 

[Douglas Dubh]

What is WBTA? Only one cruise under our belts, 2nd one booked and counting down so I am STILL learning ;-)

West bound trans Atlantic

 

[vakamalua]

The Dream/Fantasy feel more crowded than the Magic/Wonder because they added more cabins without adding more public space. The adult pool area is smaller with a bar that in almost literally in the pool; the adult nightlife areas hokey & small. Overall, In 15 DCL cruises both the Dream & Fantasy were one & done for us; so was Wish (the worst of the lot).

 

[Mommb]

The general feel of the Dream/Fantasy is very similar to the general feel of the Magic/Wonder, although some locations are on different levels and different sides of the ship.
One restaurant and Guest Services right near the atrium, 2 restaurants to the aft of the atrium
One large stage theater (1 level on Magic class, 2 levels on Dream class) and one smaller movie theater
"Kid friendly" and "adult friendly" shops near the stage theater
Outdoor walking path around the ship on Deck 4
Elevator banks on the foreward, midship, and aft
Adult clubs clustered together (Deck 3 forward on the Magic class, Deck 4 aft on the Dream class)
Buffet and counter service restaurants, Cove Cafe adult coffee shop, Funnel Vision and deck party location on pool deck
Oceaneers's Club and Lab and Small World Nursery on Deck 5
Vibe and Edge are in different locations, but I can never remember which is where since my kids went in and out without me

There are other small differences, already mentioned above, including:

• Guest services is the opposite side of atrium
• the Dream class has an open-to-everyone coffee shop similar to Cove Cafe
• there are more adult clubs in the adult club area and 1 additional adult restaurant next to Palo on the Dream class
• the sports areas are different
• the Dream class has animated artwork used for the Midship Detective Agency game

The Dream and Fantasy are far more similar to the Magic and Wonder than the Wish is. The small differences will probably confuse you, at least for the first few days. (The change of adult club area from forward to aft and the change in shops from Deck 4 to Deck 3 drove me nuts when I cruised on the Fantasy after several cruises on the Magic.)

 

[Ralph&Pam]

As a lover of the Magic/Wonder, I really struggled to get my bearings on the Dream. On paper, it looks like it should be the same, but somehow I was getting lost all the time. I swear there were parts of the ship that I still never located!!

It was nice to practically stumble out of our deck room 2 to Enchanted Garden. The adult area was weird and dark and a little disorienting (in a fun way) during rough sees. I enjoyed the Star Wars area of the kids club (I sure as heck wasn't going to pass up flying the Millenium Falcon just because I'm a grown up). I actually liked Vibe better than the smaller ships, but my son didn't (and he's the actual teen). And anything has to be better than the dark, smelly, pit that is Edge on the smaller ships (which, ironically, my son loved).

Overall, it was a nice ship, but I felt like it was missing that intangible thing that made the smaller ships so great, but I can't say it was due to the ship or the cruise itself. I wouldn't hesitate to sail it again if it was an itinerary I really wanted, but otherwise I'd prefer to stick with the Magic/Wonder.

We’ve been in the same boat (quite literally), but now find ourselves booking the Dream or Fantasy in order to get itineraries we want to sail. We prefer cruises at least seven nights long, with Transatlantic crossings and Panama Canal transits our favorites. We also went from Vancouver to Hawaii onboard the Wonder. Now we’ve had to book the Dream to get a TA crossing in October and the Fantasy to get a seven night sailing next January. It looks like the longest Magic sailings out of Florida are five nights except for the expensive high-season 10-night Eastern Caribbean in July 2025.

 

[auntlynne]

What is WBTA? Only one cruise under our belts, 2nd one booked and counting down so I am STILL learning ;-)

…and the EBTA is the Eastbound Transatlantic. If you see EBPC and WBPC - those are the same directional letters but Panama Canal.

DD is not a coffee and donut shop; it means Double Dip - traditionally at DCL’s private island, Castaway Cay.

Now they are offering a new private beach (not an entire island) called Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. During development, it was referred to as LP. Eventually, I guess we will shorten it to LC. It is at the Southern end of the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas.