Last year my family and I embarked on our very first ever Disney Cruise Line vacation on the Disney Dream when we were magically invited to attend the Disney Creators Celebration. We had the most special time and we can’t wait to go on another Disney cruise!
And I’m not the only one who fell in love with Disney Cruise Line! In fact, DCL has been awarded multiple awards including:
- Travel & Leisure: World’s Best Awards 2020 – #1 Best Cruise Lines for Families
- Cruise Critic Editors’ Picks Awards 2019 – Best for Families
- Cruise Critic Cruisers’ Choice Awards 2019 – Disney Magic: Best Cruises for Families
- US News & World Report: 2020 Best Cruises Ranking – Gold Badge Winner – #1 Best Cruise Lines for Families
- Fodor’s Travel Awards 2019 – The Best Family Cruise
When we found out that Disney Cruise Line was revealing the newest ship to their fleet called the Disney Wish, we couldn’t have been more excited! This blog includes everything you need to know about the new ship, making your reservations, and my TOP 10 reasons why you should take your family on the Disney Wish for a magical vacation of a lifetime! Plus, see how we celebrated the first ever Virtual Deck Party with Disney Parks Blog at home to honor the new Disney Cruise Line ship!
All Disney Wish Photos Courtesy of Disney
Important Dates
Disney Cruise Line will allow Castaway Club members and select Disney Guests to begin booking their cruise starting May 17, 2021, and they will open booking up to the general public on May 27, 2021. The maiden voyage will be from June 9-14, 2022 for a 5 night Bahamian cruise leaving from Port Canaveral! This voyage will also go to Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay! After that, they will also offer 3 and 4 night cruises that will start June 17, 2022!
Disney Wish, Grand Hall
Reason #1: Family Dining
There will be 3 themed family restaurants on board! Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure will feature immersive and theatrical live entertainment, your favorite Frozen characters like Elsa, Anna, Kristoff and Olaf, and cuisine with Nordic influences!
The second family restaurant called World of Marvel will have guests play an “interactive role in an action-packed Avengers mission that unfolds around them, complete with a worldly menu inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe,” according to Disney.
And thirdly, 1923, which is named for the year The Walt Disney Company was founded, “will celebrate the company’s legacy, paying homage to the golden age of animation and offering a tasteful tribute to its Californian heritage with dishes inspired by the state’s unique fusion of cultural flavors.”
Reason #2: Splashtacular Water Fun
The Disney Wish will feature a A Toy Story themed splash pad and a new first of its kind 760 foot water ride attraction that wraps around the upper deck called the AquaMouse, that will include The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse animated shorts, lighting and special effects, and more!
Reason #3: Drinking in a Galaxy Far, Far Away
Who wouldn’t want to spend the evening in the new Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge? This high-end bar, which is styled as a luxurious yacht-class spaceship, will be exclusively for adults only. There will be interactive tasting experiences and signature beverages inspired by destinations such as Batuu, Tatooine, and Mustafar.
Reason #4: The Oceaneers Club
For the first time on a Disney cruise ship, the Oceaneers Club will have a secret tunnel slide entrance! That sounds like just about the coolest idea ever! I wonder if adults can use it, too? The Oceaneers Club is an incredible place to take your children on the ship whenever they want to play or if you want some adult time to yourself! My children went to the Oceaneers Club for the first time last year and they absolutely loved it and I knew they were safe and happy. There were times that they didn’t want to leave when I’d come pick them up or ask to go back even if it wasn’t on the agenda for the day!
On the Disney Wish, the Oceaneers Club will feature:
Fairytale Hall: a royal trio of activity rooms where children ages 3 to 12 can get creative at Rapunzel’s Art Studio, read and act out stories at Belle’s Library, and test newfound icy powers at Anna and Elsa’s Sommerhus.
Marvel Super Hero Academy: a high-tech Avengers headquarters where children ages 3 to 12 will train to be Super Heroes with the help of Spider-Man, Black Panther, Ant-Man and the Wasp.
Walt Disney Imagineering Lab: a first-of-its-kind opportunity for children ages 3 to 12 to discover the secrets of world-renowned Disney Imagineers — the creative masterminds behind Disney theme parks, resorts and cruise ships with hands-on activities and inventive experiments.
Reason #5: Luxury Living
When you are at your home away from home, you want to stay in incredible staterooms and suites with ocean views and verandas! And on the Disney Wish, you will have many different stateroom options at varying price points to stay in while on board! Each stateroom will have plenty of space for families, ample storage space, and upscale amenities. And 90% of the ship’s 1,254 staterooms will offer an ocean view! And 877 staterooms (70%) will have a spacious verandah.
The Disney Wish will also be debuting four royal suites celebrating Disney princesses like Sleeping Beauty with two Princess Aurora Royal Suites and two Briar Rose Royal Suites. Each pair includes a single-floor option and a two-story configuration, the first of their kind for the Disney fleet!
Reason #6: LIVE Theater
The Walt Disney Theatre will offer original Broadway-style stage productions developed exclusively for Disney Cruise Line. This elegant, 1,274-seat theater is designed like an enchanted forest and inspired by scenes from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ film “Fantasia.”
We are still waiting for more details about the LIVE entertainment on the ship, but we were given a big hint at a recent media event that there will be a brand new Aladdin LIVE show and more! So please stay tuned for more details when they are announced!
Reason #7: Adult Dining and Deck Areas!
The Disney Wish will feature 3 premiere adult dining on board including:
Palo Steakhouse: Palo Steakhouse is a relaxed and sophisticated dining experience where guests can savor authentic Italian dining with the classic refinement of a modern steakhouse.
Enchante by Chef Arnaud Lallement: Inspired by the elegant icons of Beauty and the Beast, this adults only luxurious dining experience will feature a gourmet menu crafted by a three-Michelin-starred chef, Chef Arnaud Lallement, and a romantic design inspired by the film’s candelabra maitre d’, Lumiere.
The Rose: Inspired by elegant icons of Beauty and the Beast, The Rose is a chic lounge at the entrance of Palo Steakhouse and Enchanté. The Rose will be the perfect setting for a pre-dinner or an after-dinner cocktail.
The adult only pool area is called The Quiet Cove and it looks heavenly! This peaceful escape will feature a luxurious infinity pool, a poolside bar, and a chic cafe!
Reason #8: Disney Characters
When we were on board the Disney Dream, a magical moment happened right before my eyes that I will never forget. Peter Pan came up to my children, grabbed them by their hands, and whisked them away around the ship on a fun adventure! There are so many priceless moments like that during your family vacation that will take your breath away. That’s the magic of Disney and our favorite characters that we get to interact with throughout the trip. I am not exactly sure what to expect next summer with character meet n greets, but I know Disney characters will be on the ship and that makes me so happy!
Reason #9: Door Decorating Tradition
This is one of my favorite traditions about going on a Disney cruise. You see, guests prepare ahead of time and decorate their stateroom door with their family name as well as photos of themselves and their families. Some guests also hang pouches and baskets on the door where other guests can put little notes and trinkets inside each day throughout the voyage! The doors are magnetic so you can leave magnetic photo holders and other magnets, too! How fun and special is that?
I learned about this tradition after I was on board, so next time I am excited to come prepared with all sorts of things to decorate our stateroom door! In the meantime, there is an example below of a door at our home we decorated last year for fun!
Reason #10: Castaway Cay
I can’t say enough about Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. On our previous cruise, we spent an entire day there and had the most wonderful time swimming in the ocean, playing in the sand, dancing with our favorite Disney characters, and eating endless amounts of all-you-can-eat ice cream.
There are so many more reasons to book a Disney Cruise including special themed trips and dress up nights like “Pirate Night” and so much more!
Thank you to Disney Parks Blog and Disney Cruise Line for sending me a magical gift in the mail to celebrate the first ever virtual deck party in honor of the Disney Wish reveal. In the box, we were given a model of the Disney Wish! I loved the Wishing Wand that had magical powers and the sample of the Fantastical Fragrance that has a magical signature scent of warm amber, natural orange blossom, sea salt, and magic developed exclusively for Disney Cruise Line!
We were also given ingredients to make an Enchanted Elixir mocktail!
We celebrated at home with balloons, confetti, a giant outdoor dance party, and an DCL cup craft activity using official DCL merchandise where you have two plastic cruise cups and four markers to decorate. When you are done, you can wash off your creation with water and soap and decorate again, and again!
To watch the Disney Parks Blog virtual deck party in its entirety, click here!
To watch the video reel I created on Instagram about the virtual deck party and how we were celebrating at home, click here!
Who else is excited?
#DisneyWish #DisneyCruiseLine
Leave a Reply