Disney Wish Overview & Our Experience!

We are chatting all about the Disney Wish today! At the time of writing, this is Disney Cruise Line’s (DCL) newest ship in their fleet that is on the high seas! (The Disney Treasure will be joining the fleet in 2024 but isn’t sailing yet!) Currently they are offering shorter sailings, three or four days, which is nice because guests can easily add on a Walt Disney World stay before or after their cruise if they want.

This ship has been promoted as being a totally new and different experience then the other Disney Cruise Line ships with many people touting it as “unlike anything we’ve seen before from DCL!” Now, we haven’t sailed on every single ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet so we can’t compare all of them to the Wish but we have sailed on board the Disney Dream and the Disney Magic and have taken a few different cruises with DCL so we do have some background prior to boarding the Disney Wish!

Theming and Staterooms

The theming of this ship is very fairy tale inspired with lots of nods to Cinderella, wishing on a star etc. The atrium, where you enter the ship is full of blues, whites and golds evoking a very royal and magical feeling. On some of the older ships, this space is very elegant but can be a little darker with deeper blues, darker woods etc. The Wish’s atrium is bright, airy and feels more open and larger. There is also a stage in this space where the cast members put on a welcome show featuring the Fairy Godmother from Cinderella, which is also interactive and a very fun way to kick off your cruise!

One of the things that we got asked quite a bit is “What’s the elevator situation?” because quite a few people have been talking about the elevators. On the other Disney ships there is typically three banks of elevators, forward, mid-ship and aft. But on this ship there are two banks that almost divide the ship into thirds, so about a third of the way down the ship there are elevators and then two-thirds down there are more. A couple of things we did find a bit odd where the size and dimensions, the elevators were very long and narrow which was just a bit strange. They also have heat sensitive buttons that you don’t have to actually touch, which in theory is great because its one less high contact surface but in reality was kind of a nightmare. If you are even just a little too close to the buttons they will register and you’re suddenly stopping on every…single…floor. And it happened a lot!

The rooms on this ship follow the same theming and aesthetic as the atrium with plenty of light wood, blues and whites with that fairy tale theming. Now, these rooms are actually smaller than the other ships but it didn’t feel very noticeable to us. Our room, which was a family suite with verandah was 284 square feet whereas a comparable one on the Disney Dream for example, is 299 square feet.

There aren’t as many drawers to store your clothing, there is still plenty of storage but you’ll have a lot more shelving versus drawers like you may find in other ships. This of course, may not be a deal breaker for you but it is something to note if you’re an unpacker and thinking about how to organize your things. All staterooms do include a lot of amenities including a mini drawer fridge, USB and USB-C ports, full length mirror, television, hair dryer and more. Disney also offers split bathrooms which is so nice! The toilet is in one room and the tub/shower is in another which is amazing!

Dining on Board

When it comes to dining on the Wish there are a few options. All of them were good but some were great. 1923 was a good dining experience but it was a pretty standard restaurant. It felt the most like a restaurant you could find on any other cruise ship. BUT what we loved about the theming of this restaurant was that it really highlighted Walt, Roy and the Disney family with memorabilia throughout.

Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure was one of our favorites! This restaurant has entertainment throughout the entire meal from performers on stage in the centre of the room to characters coming around to meet guests at their tables. It is truly a unique and memorable experience! We will note, our table was in the far corner near the kitchen which was loud and busy with servers going in and out and it was positioned in such a way that there was a beam blocking some of our stage view but even with those minor inconveniences we still had a great time.

A quick side note for dining on Disney Cruise Line, you can ask for off menu things for your kids. For example we asked for peanut butter and jelly for our kiddo and they brought it! They also will puree food for babies, it’s really awesome that they’re so family friendly.

Worlds of Marvel is another themed restaurant and even if you aren’t a major Marvel fan, or haven’t seen all the movies, you will still enjoy it! You’ll see a few characters like Ant-Man, Spiderman and Captain America and there’s some really fun interaction throughout the meal which was fun for all of us. We loved it! And the food itself was really delicious as well which is always a good thing.

The buffet is called Marceline Market and offers a casual dining option during breakfast and lunch but does flip to table service at dinner time. You can find a variety of food choices from American classics to seafood to vegetarian and plant based fare.

One spot that surprised us was Mickey and Friends Festival of Foods which is an area with five different quick service food windows and it’s all themed after the new Mickey and Friends Shorts! It’s kind of near the pool area so it was a great spot to grab a bit after swimming!

When you’re on a Disney Cruise, all of your dining is included in your booking except for two restaurants that are an additional charge. On the Wish these are Palo Steakhouse and Enchanté by Chef Arnaud Lallement. Palo Steakhouse on the Wish is an adults exclusive restaurant inspired by Cogsworth from Beauty and the Beast and offers modern Italian fare mixed with steakhouse dining. We had tried both dinner and brunch at Palo on the Disney Magic and while both were great, we especially loved the brunch! Enchanté is a high end, adult exclusive restaurant inspired by Disney’s Beauty and the Beast serving French-inspired cuisine. Please note, both do require reservations!

A tip we love is that some of the sit down restaurants are open for breakfast in the morning, which is great if you have small kids and don’t want to take them to the buffet. We know it can be a little chaotic trying to get everyone’s plates sorted out while trading places with your partner so someone is with the kids at the table etc etc. So having the option to go to a sit down restaurant is SO nice. You do have to look up or speak to a cast member about which restaurants are open the next morning to serve breakfast but it’s a really great option that is included in your booking! Of course, you can also order room service to your state room which is free with the small caveat of a delivery charge.

Kids Clubs, Nursery and Adults Only Areas

If you have babies or toddlers there is a nursery on board for them called “its a small world nursery”. There is a charge for it and you can only utilize the service for a certain number of hours per day but but it’s a really helpful service if you wanted to go see a show or visit the adult exclusive restaurant etc.

Any of the other clubs or areas for kids, tweens and teens are free! The Oceaneer Club is the main kids club where kids who are three to twelve can go and play in a space designed totally for them! Kiddos do have to be potty trained so if your little one isn’t quite there yet they would be welcomed at the “it’s a small world nursery”. The Oceaneer Club is full of themed areas and offers story times, crafts, games, character meetings and so much more.

The child care on Disney Cruises is so incredible and really gives both kids and parents the ability to enjoy activities and spaces that are meant for them. Truly for us this is one of the biggest pros when booking a Disney Cruise. And it gives us a huge peace of mind to know that there is also a way for the cast members to always contact you and you to contact them no matter where you are on the ship through the app.

There is also a club for 11-14 year olds called Edge and 14-17 year olds called Vibe. We don’t have experience with this because our kids aren’t this age yet but these spaces are full of activities, entertainment and amenities designed for them and their interests. And these spaces are chaperoned by “the coolest counsellors at sea” so your big kiddo will have a responsible adult should they need them but also have a bit of freedom to explore and relax the way they want to.

There are also some adult specific areas on the Wish. Quiet Cove is an adults exclusive pool area; the Cove Cafe is an adults only coffee bar by day and cocktail bar by night; and Senses Spa is a spa that offers some incredible treatments including massages, facials and more. Of course you can also find bars and lounges throughout the ship that are also adult only space including Star Wars Hyperspace Lounge; Keg & Compass; Nightingale’s; The Bayou (this is one of our favorites, themed after The Princess and The Frog); The Rose; Luna; Cove Cafe; and Currents. (Some may be family friendly during the day and adult only at night) Of course, once you get to Disney’s private island there is also an adult only beach! (We will cover this whole island in another post!)

Recreation and Entertainment

The pools on this ship were totally completely different from any other ship. This area was comprised of a bunch of smaller pools and one larger pool which was interesting. We didn’t find that the pools were too busy or crowded though which was nice. The splash pad area is SO cool, it is Toy Story themed and the kids had so much fun here! This ship also is home to the AquaMouse which is dubbed the first attraction at sea! We didn’t get to ride it unfortunately but its a water ride with animated scenes, special effects and 760 feet of waterslide!

The main theatre on this ship is the Walt Disney Theatre, this is where they put on their musicals. At the time of this writing the running shows are Aladdin, The Little Mermaid and a revue show called Seas The Adventure!

There are also two movie theatres on board, Wonderland Cinema and Neverland Cinema, that show whichever current Disney movies are out at the time so when we sailed it was The Little Mermaid (the live action version).

You will also find character meet and greets happening all the time throughout the ship! Sometimes you’ll just happen upon a character but sometimes they are set times. Eg. some of the princesses do have designated times and require a reservation

Questions from the Citizens of Disneyville!

Q: Are seats, tables and dining times assigned in the restaurants?
A: Yes they are.

Q: Where should you book on the ship if you get seasick?
A: A lot of the newer ships are bigger and you don’t feel a ton of motion like you may have on a smaller ship. But with that said, generally speaking if you’re mid ship you won’t feel it as much as on either end.

Q: What is included and what isn’t in your booking?
A: Generally speaking, nearly everything is included, however there are some exceptions. Water bottles, you can bring a refillable bottle on board and even bring some water with you but they do charge for water bottles and the packages are comically expensive. Alcoholic beverages, specialty coffees, the nursery care, port excursions and spa services are also an additional fee. The specific paid restaurants mentioned above as well of course.

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