Get Ready to Board the Disney Dream!

The Disney Dream

In 2011, Disney Cruise Lines will start sailing a new ship called the Disney Dream. This ship will be 50% larger than Disney’s current ships, the Magic and the Wonder!

Disney will continue their rotational Dining with 3 restaurants. The Enchanted Garden will have a glass ceiling that will change from day to night and flower lights that will bloom in time with the change. The Royal Palace will be upscale and feature designs from the Disney princess movies Cinderella, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, and Sleeping Beauty. Animator’s Palette will transform from an animators studio to an under the sea fantasy featuring Crush and other characters from Finding Nemo who will drop by for a visit!

Remy on the Disney Dream is an intimate Adult Exclusive restaurant located on Deck 12, Aft that serves the finest in French-inspired cuisine for dinner. Offering the most upscale dining experience on board, Remy features spectacular ocean views and a warm, sophisticated décor—the perfect romantic setting for Guests 18 years of age and older.

On Goofy’s Sports Deck, the magic tees off on deck 13 with Goofy’s Golf – a miniature golf course where “lessons” featuring Goofy and his son, Max, lead guests through nine themed holes of wacky fun. Each hole offers special golf instructions – with a goofy twist. Also on Goofy’s Sports Deck, two digital sports simulators provide a variety of virtual game experiences such as soccer, tennis, basketball, golf and more. With the simulators, guests can kick, swing and throw, participating in favorite high-action sports without the hassle of chasing the ball. Max’s Courts are two mini-sized sports courts for little ones to enjoy soccer, basketball or group play. There’s full-court basketball that may also be transformed into a mini soccer pitch or volleyball court, plus table tennis and foosball tables. A walking track rings Goofy’s Sports Deck.
Another exciting feature is the new Aquaduck, a water roller coaster on board the ship!! You will be sent 13 ft over the edge of the ship and 150 ft above the water in an acrylic tube before you return to the deck of the ship. It is sure to be an exciting ride!

Little ones discover oceans of fun at this fanciful water-play area overflowing with pop jets, bubblers and lovable underwater friends like Nemo, Dory, Marlin and other favorites from the Disney•Pixar film, “Finding Nemo.” Shaded for protection from the sun and featuring a soft wet-deck surface, the 1,500-square-foot Nemo’s Reef is a place for children to cool off and play among colorful, interactive figures that move and spray water. Children will delight as they splash alongside Nemo swimming in a sea anemone, glide down a pint-sized water slide shaped like Mr. Ray and frolic near Pearl the octopus who “inks” herself with a mist of water. Kids can even get soaked in a water curtain that undulates back and forth like the EAC (East Australian Current).
Nemo’s Reef is surrounded by a glass enclosure, with a main guest entrance and a wheelchair-accessible entrance.

An element guests who book inside staterooms can look forward to is virtual portholes which are an industry first. The portholes are actually high definition video screens that will be linked to a camera on the deck to give you a view of the outside, even when you don’t have a window! And look out! Some characters may pay you a visit from time to time, and been seen from your virtual porthole, right inside your stateroom!

There are many more reasons to book a cruise on Disney’s newest ship, including in-depth interactive experiences for kids and adults, and an expanded Castaway Cay (Disney’s private island). The ship will sail both 4- and 5-night Bahamian cruises, starting January, 2011.

The Best of a Bad Situation

I am on my third day of my seven (really, six) day cruise aboard the Disney Magic and it finally feels like everyone is starting to relax into “cruise mode.” Our adventure getting aboard the cruise was anything but relaxing, but considering the situation, I find it hard to find fault with Disney.
Saturday began like any other day of getting onto a cruise, until we were told that the Magic was stuck in the Bahamas and would not be arriving anytime soon. It seems that a medical emergency prevented the ship from leaving Castaway Cay on time, and by the time the ship was ready to depart, the weather had taken a turn for the worst. High winds prevented the ship from leaving port and sent the plans of around five-thousand people into disarray.
For our part, Disney promptly sent everyone to Epcot at Walt Disney World where a pavilion was set up to try to coordinate everything. Many people had to be shuttled by Disney, because they arrived by airplane or had already returned rental cars. Snacks and entertainment were provided in an attempt to make everyone as comfortable as possible. When it became clear that the ship would not be arriving on Saturday, accommodations for about 2,500 people had to be found.
Nearly everyone was placed in an area resort (Disney was almost booked full), and attention was turned to getting everyone onto the ship the next day. This was not as easy as it sounds since the Magic’s sister ship, the Wonder, would also be there on Sunday preparing to receive its passengers. An alternate dock was found, and everyone was transported to the new location.
Once we arrived at the new dock, we went through security and were given our room key. Finally, we set foot on the boat and got to our rooms. Somehow, Disney managed to weather the logistical nightmare and get everyone onboard, albeit a day late.
This is not to say that there were not many frustrating moments and problems to overcome for those of us without a ship. My biggest was the piece of luggage with all of my clothing that my shuttle driver dumped on the street because he forgot to latch the trailer. It was eventually found and made it aboard the ship. Overall though, I think Disney did a good job of making the best of a bad situation.
Well, it has now been a couple of months since the cruise, and I thought I would give you an update. Disney did refund a portion of the cruise. It does not make up for the frustration of standing in long lines and missing out on St. Maarten, but it is something. I still feel that Disney did all they could, and am looking forward to sailing on the Dream next year.