We chose a Disney cruise because we thought it would be an ideal vacation for a couple with toddler. It’s a tough age to keep actively engaged. While the character greetings and related events were spectacular, experiences for toddlers overall were really quite limited. That being said, this alone was not why the magic was missing for us. The stateroom was not in the best shape when we arrived. The safe lock had not been reset (we had to wait for maintenance to reset, which was fine if that was the only issue), the clock alarm had not been reset (getting us up much too early the next day), there was hair on the shower curtain, and a pair of eyeglasses were lost in the cabin (?). The cabin and ship was especially creaky the whole trip. This was not our first cruise...so found it annoying. It negatively impacted our sleep. The restaurant food was good but too hot for our toddler, every time. One would assume that this would be tested before plating. While the service itself was especially friendly, off-putting was the constant requests night after night for an “excellent” rating. It left us feeling soured. We didn’t need to be pushed so much. Maybe just say it once and leave it. As for the food quality outside of the restaurants and buffet, it was really bland. We needed cash for one of the excursions and guest services would only take personal checks (in 2019!). My son and I caught a bad cold by the last day! On balance, this was not the vacation that I hoped for and expected from the magical Disney. Read Less

By way of background, this is the 3rd cruise my wife and I have been on and second with my 11 year old son (my wife and I took a short Carnival cruise nearly 15 years ago, and our family sailed on RC's Enchantment of the Seas this past summer). We had a good time on this cruise, but have come to the conclusion that the extra money you pay for the Disney name probably isn't worth it for us. Cruise was a 5 night Mexican Riviera cruise with stops in Cabo and Ensenada. I should probably also mention that as Southern California residents we've grown up with Disneyland and have made a few trips to Disneyworld, which we love. I wouldn't say we're Disney fanatics, but Disneyworld is definitely our favorite vacation spot. Ship: We liked the layout of the ship, particularly the fact that it was a manageable size. It rarely felt overly crowded. A few parts of the ship (like the main theater) look a little dated, but the renovated areas like the kids' clubs and adult clubs (the pub, the Azure theater) look good as new. I liked the decor of the lounge areas, particularly the Crown and Fin pub. Dining: Eating in 3 different dining rooms was cool. The changes of scenery were nice. The food was underwhelming. A few dishes were really good (like the sea bass at Tiana's), but in general the dishes weren't as good as they looked in the menu descriptions. Service was fine, not exceptional. One thing that would frustrate me was their insistence that the main server present you with the dishes, which often meant food would be brought to the service station and sit there getting colder while the main server was attending to another table. This would happen despite the fact that the head waiter or assistant server were available to serve the food. I was tempted at times to just go and get my own food from the station while it was still warm. Cabanas buffet had decent options and we didn't have too much trouble getting a table. I was more impressed by the service in some of the lounges, where the servers quickly learned what you liked to drink even if you weren't a very regular customer. We ate brunch at Palo, and while the food was very good the service was surprisingly slow. Maybe it was just our server. If I sailed with Disney again I would probably dine there again. Entertainment: We went to most of the major shows. "Frozen" is an excellent show. Matt Baker (juggler/stunt performer/comedian) was great in both his family and "adult" shows. Golden Mickeys had a weak story line and some odd song choices (being on this cruise would make you think "Princess and the Frog" was the most successful film in Disney history. I've never seen it.) We walked out of the magician's show, we just weren't into it. We missed the Enchanted, um, whatever it was. But we heard it was pretty similar to the Golden Mickeys so I don't think we missed out. Trivia and the game shows were definitely highlights. The cruise activities staff were funny and entertaining throughout, and the games were fun. Kids Stuff: Our son spent a fair amount of time at the Edge, and I think he enjoyed it? It was hard to tell. He had no complaints about it, and said he enjoyed the activities. But often when given the choice between doing something at Edge or playing an "adult" trivia game with us (note- they don't seem to enforce the "adult" part at all during the day) he would usually choose to stay with us. He said he liked the counselors. Maybe it's just part of being 11, but it was hard to get much information out of him about the kids' club. He was technically also allowed to go to the Oceaneer Lab, but only went once (he liked the activity, which was science-based). He liked the water slide. Spa/Fitness Center: This was the first time I tried going to a fitness center on a ship. It seemed a bit small (maybe they all are?) but pretty well equipped. My wife and I got a couple's massage at the spa which was nice. The only weird thing was that at one point we tried to go into the massage room from our verandah and found we had been locked outside with no way to communicate with the staff. Good thing neither of us had fallen overboard... I also got the Rain Room pass which had some nice amenities but seemed a bit expensive for what it was. Excursions: We didn't go through the cruise line for either of our excursions. In Cabo we took a snorkeling trip on the Buccaneer Queen, which was cool. It got a little racy at the end when they started pouring shots into people, but for the most part it was a fun trip and the emcee/snorkeling leader was cool. The port at Cabo was fun to walk around once you got past the 5 million people offering you a tour or water taxi. In Ensenada we took a taxi out to Las Canadas Campamento for ziplining and ATV riding, which was my son's favorite part of the whole trip. We practically had the place to ourselves. The zipline/rope bridge course was a blast, and the guides (who were fully bilingual) were nice, very focused on safety and took tons of great pictures with my phone while my son and I did the course. I highly recommend it. Cabin: See review below. All things considered we had a good time, but we came to the conclusion that for our particular family we probably won't sail with Disney in the future. If the cruises were similarly priced then sure, we would do Disney again. But for our family it doesn't make sense to pay a premium for the Disney aspect of the cruise. We don't take pictures with the princesses (which seemed to be happening all hours of the day). If my son was younger then we'd probably consider it, because the atmosphere on the ship is a bit more family-friendly and there are a lot of kid activities. (The flip side of that is that there are a LOT more kids- they are EVERYWHERE on that ship.) But now that my son is more interested in trivia games then taking his picture with Mickey I'd rather save some money and sail with a less expensive line (hopefully with better food) going forward. Read Less

This was my family's first cruise together. Overall we had a very good time, and I think everyone would be game to go again. Background: Husband and I have a 3 and 6 year old, are fairly well traveled and more inclined to cultural vacations vs beach. Despite my combing personal navigators, available port excursions, etc., we weren't sure what we'd do on a boat for 7 nights. As it turns out, there was plenty to do. 1. Cabin - was great with ample room and storage. We had a deluxe family verandah room, and the split bathrooms were key. Our attendant kept it very clean and was in our room multiple times a day. We all slept amazingly well. 2. Food - meh. Kids' meals were mac and cheese, pasta, chicken tenders and broccoli everyday. Discovering mid-cruise that the ship had peas onboard was a relief so the kids could at least eat some other green. Everything looked good and seemed fresh, but execution in MDR was about what you'd expect when you have thousands of people to serve. The lobster tail was overcooked and dry, for example. Lamb shank was mostly tender but unevenly cooked, enormous and a bit out of proportion with the rest of the meal. The buffets were very clean and items generally fresh - no real variety and taste wasn't exceptional. Overall, though, we ate well and quickly enough, which isn't easy to say when you've got young ones to feed and yourself. Still, if the MDR was a standalone restaurant in my hometown, I wouldn't necessarily put it on my list of go-to restaurants. 3. Entertainment - was really disappointing, surprisingly. I didn't know the cruise wouldn't feature Aladdin and had been looking forward to it. Believe was pretty good. Wishes was terrible and all about a guy trying to tell his best friend that he's interested. Not really what I want to watch with my 6 yo daughter. There was a clogging act (tap dance with a millennial twist), circus/juggling, and a magician. We went out of our way to attend these performances (with the exception of the magician) and although my kids generally enjoyed it, I wish we didn't bother and instead enjoyed the pool, spa or even Captain Marvel (which we tried to watch but never made) instead. 4. Port Excursions - we handled on our own. Went to Cane Garden Bay one day and Magen's Bay the other. They were relaxing but my kids weren't feeling so hot and very tired so we only stayed for a couple of hours. As travelers who enjoy learning about other cultures, my husband and I realized very quickly that the stops are fun experiences but not really a way to see or learn about a location. I suppose that'd be really hard to do in just a few hours. 5. Kids Club - both kids liked it when we toured and seemed interested and engaged. But on the second night, my daughter felt that one of the counselors had chided her and got turned off. My second was never as into it. They spent limited time in it after that, which I didn't mind because I wanted to spend time with them but it definitely thwarted our plans to have quality adult time together. 6. Service - exceptional. We put down a placeholder and will see if we return - the experience was great enough that I know we'd like to go on a cruise again. But the question I've been asking myself since planning this cruise as to whether it's worth it to spring for Disney over RCCL or another cruise line still remains. Read Less

We (my wife, my almost 2 yr old son, and me) chose this cruise mainly due to some friends who had booked the same cruise. Overall, we had a good time, good service, and good food. The main thing we were hoping for was some family time as my wife and I both work and as a result our son spends most of his waking hours m-f at daycare. So we chose not to put him in daycare/nursery on the ship. This, surprisingly, resulted in limited options for us on the Fantasy even though it is built for families/kids. Why? 1) My son is not potty trained yet, so all pools were off limits to him. He has been taking swim lessons at home, so everytime we walked by a pool he would ask to go it in, but he could not. There are two "splash" zones open to non-potty trained kids, but one is out of the sun and resulted in being too cold for playing in for extended periods and the other is up on a higher deck and was often too windy to play in for very long. But, to be fair, he did enjoy those areas when he got the chance. 2) the only other area on the ship specifically suited for toddlers is Andy's Room...which was only open to toddlers for a couple of hours a day as the rest of the time it was part of the Oceaneer Club. We did try to take him to other events listed as "all ages", but outside of one coloring event, they were not right for him. But we still had a good time. The only other issue we had was dinner. We had linked our reservation with our friends in hopes of linking our dinners. They have a 2 yr old too and we all were wait listed for the early seating. To my surprise, my family got the early seating but our friends did not. No matter, they will seat us with another family, right? Nope, we were seated with 3 grandparents who were cruising without their families. While they were nice people and we had pleasant meals with them, I am sure we all would have preferred to have been seated with others in similar situations to our own. And the fact that our friends were on the late seating threw their schedule completely off of ours and reduced the amount of time we all got to spend with each other. The service was great, the food was good, the room was nice, and seeing my son meet all the characters was something special. There are plenty of tips out there for Disney cruises, but one thing I would suggest is have two sets of fireworks, waiting until 10:30 is just too late for those families cruising with little ones. Read Less

We sailed the Disney Fantasy this past December. There was Disney magic at every turn, we loved it. We are seasoned cruisers, with 75+ cruises. The Disney Wonder, where do I begin? The excellent: The Golden Mickey, Frozen and Dream shows. The character experiences and the Kids Club. The Bad: Very poor service in dining room, luke warm food to cold food. The taste was terrible. We never had our drinks refilled, pepper offered, minimal interaction with our table. On the Disney Fantasy, the staff are calling your by name, doing magic tricks with the kids etc. The food was very good on the Fantasy and it was served hot. The Cabana's food was just okay, like at a Denny's. Our stateroom host was friendly and kind. Our stateroom 7067 had mold around the tub. Screws falling out from door stops. The walls were beat up. He could never remember what time we had dinner however. Our stateroom would get cleaned about 2:00 pm or after. We would come back after eating at 5:30 and the 8:30 dinner shows and our stateroom would not have been turned down or cleaned from showers taken before dinner. Our ports were Cabo and Ensenada. Our granddaughter did the kids dolphin encounter ($100.00) at Cabo Adventures. She loved it and we loved watching her. The photos's were $300.00 Embarkation and disembarkation were seamless. We have done the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at the parks, about six times. On the Disney Fantasy once, and on the Wonder this pass cruise. Oh my, not the experience you pay for on the Wonder. On The Fantasy we bought the three trips into BBB, the pirate day was so fun on the Fantasy. Speaking of Pirate show. The Wonder's pirate night is NOT what you get on the Fantasy. It is one short show and no pirate buffet afterwards. Yes, no turkey legs. On the Fantasy you have a Character pirate show, then a big production of Jack Sparrow and friends show. All pirate buffet. The fireworks were the same. They are now giving you large containers of soap, shampoo and conditioner. No cute pillows on the bed of When you wish upon a star. DCL commands at least a 50% premium. I would NOT sail on the Wonder. I would sail on the Fantasy. No comparison. Read Less

We sailed on the Wonder 10 years ago with our then 1 year old and had the most glorious time. We had since cruised on both the Fantasy and Allure of the Seas, so it’s interesting to compare experiences. The Wonder feels very small compared with those larger ships. I love that it’s quick to get anywhere on board. We never felt particularly crowded except around the pool. We all felt the ships movement much more than the larger ships but overall I quite liked the size. Just wish there was more space around the pool!! I LOVE the magical Disney touches. Disney music piped in the halls, the horn’s tune, entertainment, themed restaurants. It seemed like most people on the cruise were there primarily for the Disney-ness of it all. Service was good. Not as over the top as it was 10 years ago but still good. We had two major disappointments. Our kids hated the kids club! I couldn’t believe it. Especially my daughter who loves participation in kids activities. She said she couldn’t understand the staff because of their accents. Second was the wifi. My hubby needs to stay connected for work so he bought the highest package of 1000 MB that claimed “will suit all needs including streaming shows”. What a joke! He burned through that in just a couple days of periodic email checking and one hour’s worth of work. And yes, he logged out of the wifi each time. It was also insanely slow. We had perfect wifi when we cruised on the Allure so assumed it would be similar. Read Less

We were two adults traveling without children that stayed in an inside stateroom on deck 7 midship of the Disney Wonder. We had an amazing experience with superior service and I cannot wait for my next Disney cruise! -The main dining food was superb- many options on the menu! -Our servers in main dining were wonderful- best I’ve ever had on a cruise. They were personable, and very efficient. -Our inside cabin was very comfortable and clean. -Entertainment is high quality. The main stage shows are of a high caliber with Frozen the musical stage show being a highlight. - We enjoyed all the adult entertainment options on the ship! We liked trivia, bingo, crafts, adult only game shows, adult only pool area and the adult only restaurant, Palo. Cruise entertainment staff were very upbeat and personable! - Ports of call were Cabo and Ensenada. -In Cabo we took an excursion to the Breathless all inclusive resort! It was gorgeous and staff were wonderful. -Port of Ensenada we took a wine tasting tour that was fabulous! We LOVED our guide and the countryside was beautiful. This was an amazing cruise and you cannot beat the Disney experience. I have previously sailed on Holland America and Disney beats out Holland in the service and entertainment categories! Read Less

This was our second sailing on the Fantasy and we loved it both times. Sailed with husband and boys ages 8 and almost 3. Positives - entertainment (live music, activities and shows, esp. Wishes and Believe), staff, service, kids rooms (Its Small World and Oceaneer's Club/Lab) and port adventures. When we docked in Tortola we took the ferry to Virgin Gorda and did the baths/caves .. my 8 year-old loved it. We also enjoyed the Kon Tiki boat ride on St Thomas. Negatives - the food. I think this was the worst cruise ship food I have ever had, and I have been on around 20 cruises across all lines. Also seemed worse than our prior trip on the Fantasy in 2017. Although my kids didn't notice! Also, I encountered 2 staff members with bad attitude (one at Port Adventures desk and one at Book your Next Cruise desk) - still a significant minority, but also a first for Disney. We noticed some enhancements after the dry dock so that was nice too. However, perfect cruise for our boys ages 3 and 8. Read Less

Embarkation in Miami a bit rocky, the check in was not well staffed in addition to enormous amount of first time cruisers, everyone confused & slow, slow, slow. Stateroom needed much attention lots of patchwork, shower loose and sprayed water from neck, missing caulking to messy over caulked area's and the noise, you could not get away from it on the 8th deck, do not book an stateroom with a connecting door and stay away from deck 8. Chair dragging, running, jumping quiet about 0100hrs. The ship is showing her age, deck 4 very narrow for running track. Dining same as the Dream class yet no one dressed for dinner on this ship but a handful of us. Minimum activities, everything everywhere trivia! Our stateroom host was on his phone almost always, left trash bins ajar never refilled soap, had to ask for it and shampoo etc. He smiled and always apologized, just off putting & we are neat freaks so he never had much to do. The movie theater had zero leg room, it was very uncomfortable if you are over 5'6". The sail away party was awful, I can go hear a DJ anywhere, if you have a choice skip this one. (Unless you enjoy really small elevators packed with people and stairs that are so narrow they are hard to navigate especially when there are children running up & down them with no parents in sight. No Magic on the Magic in our opinion, pretty bad when you are Okay with disembarkation day! Read Less

We are a Disney family through and through. DVC members, annual pass holders, and we do the parks at least once a year. We finally tried the cruise and it did not disappoint. On the plane home, I started reading a bunch of reviews and was surprised at all the negative ones. I really think some of the negative reviews are coming from people who are used to other cruise lines and don't do Disney parks. For those not used to having to get to things early and wait in order to get good seats or see characters (much like rope drop at the parks), this cruise is going to seem super stressful. For those of us who are park pros, it's just another Disney day! I saw a lot of bad reviews of the food, but we found the food to be quite good every night! They are serving 3000 people, so I didn't expect five-star dining.... but truly, it was delicious! My 15-year-old son had one meal he claimed was the best thing he had ever eaten. Cabanas was a pretty typical buffet, but we all enjoyed it. The kids of course all loved the soft-serve ice cream on demand. We had adjoining staterooms and it was great. Having the verandah was completely worth the little bit extra we paid for it! We hung up as much as we could to save drawer space. I would suggest bringing a hanging bag for your toiletries. That helped a ton in the small bathroom. The shower//tub is VERY small and I spent much of the cruise pondering how 6-foot-tall men deal with it. Every employee we encountered seemed happy and were very polite and helpful. Our servers, Radu and Juan were wonderful, as was our stateroom host, Goodluck. We tipped them all extra. We did not tip the head waiter extra above the standard tip just because we only saw him a couple of times. The shows were amazing. Believe and Beauty and the Beast wowed our three boys! We missed the Golden Mickeys the first night because we were all exhausted. Spent the rest of the cruise regretting that decision because everyone raved about it. The pool was as expected. Small and crowded. We had been warned and we know pools are cruise ships are notoriously small. The kids rode the Aquaduck a couple times right when we boarded and several times on Nassau day since we did not leave the ship that day. They enjoyed it! Castaway Cay was amazing and lived up to every expectation and everything we had heard about it. LOVED the constant hand wipe distribution at the restaurants and buffets. The ship was immaculately clean. We discovered trivia on Day 3 and had such a blast. We wished we had hit those earlier! Here are our criticisms: 1) We bought the popcorn buckets after the second night because our kids always wanted popcorn. But seriously. The popcorn should NOT be extra for as much as you're paying for this cruise. 2) The food at Castaway Cay was by far the worst food we had the entire trip. It was definitely not up to par. 3) The age range for The Oceannear's Club it WAY too big. Our almost 9-year-old and 11-year-old were both bored and never went back after the first day. They said there were lines for everything. I feel like they need like a 3-6 and then maybe 7-11 grouping? Our 15-year-old enjoyed the little bit of time he spent at Edge, which wasn't a ton. Read Less