This was my 7th cruise, but first on a Disney ship. I am converted forever! Yes, they are more expensive... and worth every single penny! I figured that my 3 year old would never want to leave (which is exactly what happened) but to my surprise, neither did I!
The Dream is a large ship, but immediately feels like home as soon as you embark. Our daughter had already had a photo shoot with Mickey at the port, the first of many. At the parks, it is extremely difficult to meet characters, so if your kids want a chance, this is the place to do it. Our daughter met Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, all of the Disney Princesses, Goofy, Peter Pan, Tinker Bell and Jake. Many of these, she was able to meet multiple times and we got hundreds of photos on our own camera, which was surprising as well. The characters were so great with her, so patient and kind. And Snow White has become her absolute favorite Princess now, calling my daughter by name during the Princess Gathering from meeting her the day before. That is so impressive.
The cabins are quite a bit larger than normal, and the split bathrooms (sink and toilet in one, shower and sink in the other) were very convenient. Plenty of storage space, I never felt cramped with three of us in there. We had an ocean view family stateroom, with a HUGE window (I'd say 5 feet by 3 feet) that makes the cabin seem even larger.
The cabins are quite a bit larger than normal, and the split bathrooms (sink and toilet in one, shower and sink in the other) were very convenient. Plenty of storage space, I never felt cramped with three of us in there. We had an ocean view family stateroom, with a HUGE window (I'd say 5 feet by 3 feet) that makes the cabin seem even larger.