Disney Wish Cruise Review  [Experience for Families]

One of the most recent additions to the Disney Cruise Line fleet, the Disney Wish is a state of the art cruise ship that transports passengers to destinations throughout the Caribbean. Here are our thoughts on how this ship works for families that are ready to cruise!

Our family of four had a fantastic time on our Halloween on the High Seas voyage out of Port Canaveral and these were some of the stand out points about the Disney Wish.

Disney Wish Cruise Ship for Families

The Disney Wish ship itself feels very different from stepping aboard other Disney Cruise Line ships. This was met with a variety of opinions by seasoned Disney cruisers, however our family enjoyed the fresh and modern storybook feel of the Disney Wish ship.

There are special touches that tell a story throughout the ship, it is like walking through a giant story book! The Grand Hall seems to be particularly set up like you are walking into a story, with a special small stage area for daily performances and the beautiful chandelier that has timed lights that sparkle for special occasions. Live entertainment is a focus on this ship filled with stories.

The ship has a number of features that are specific only to the Disney Wish, including the first attraction at sea, the Aqua Mouse. This water slide goes around the exterior of Deck 12 on the ship and features interactive screens with Mickey and Minnie cartoons that change on each day of your trip.

The slide in entrance to the Oceaneer Club is an incredibly unique feature that our kids loved! The Alice in Wonderland themed entry for the kids club area was also an adorable touch.

Staterooms on the Disney Wish

Our room on the Disney Wish had a standard Disney Cruise Line family verandah cabin layout, in our verandah suite there was a queen sized bed and the couch area turned into a pull down bunk bed station.

Our bed had Sleeping Beauty inspired artwork above the main bed area, with accent movie artwork around the room.

The bathrooms work well to get multiple people ready that are staying in the same cabin, as the toilet room is split apart from the shower area, so two people can be using sink and mirror areas at the same time.

These family verandah staterooms are comfortable for a family of four, and if you have a larger family you are able to get multiple rooms in the same area or connecting to be able to spread out over a larger space.

Deluxe oceanview family staterooms will have a similar layout and amount of space, without the area to step out on the verandah balcony.

What is there to do on the Disney Wish?

There are plenty of amenities to keep you entertained and well fed while aboard the Disney Wish! Our kids love going to kid’s clubs aboard any Disney cruise, and the special slide in entrance at the Oceaneer Club was a huge hit!

The live entertainment stage shows are top notch, but one of the experiences we enjoyed the most on this new ship were the dining experiences. 

Dining on the Disney Wish

One of our favorite experiences on any Disney cruise is the FOOD! And the Disney Wish was no exception.

With three newly imagined dining experiences, even though our sailing aboard the Disney Wish was our fifth cruise, the dining options felt like a whole new experience. Our favorite was definitely the evening at Arendelle, which included an interactive show and characters from a family favorite, Frozen.

Arendelle

Sing and dance along with Elsa, Anna, and friends as you dine inside this Frozen themed restaurant. The meals are all inspired by Norwegian style cuisine and we thought the food on this night was exceptionally delicious.

Our lunch on the boarding day was also inside Arendelle, so that provided us an extra chance to see the restaurant up close during daytime hours and it was a neat opportunity to be able to take in all of the details – so if you have a chance to eat lunch in the restaurant as well, I wouldn’t miss that!

Worlds of Marvel

Worlds of Marvel was an action packed dinner and show that feature some of our favorite Marvel superheroes. Join Antman and Wasp as they work together to take back the ship from an unlikely villain.

The food here was also delicious and everyone in our family found something to eat. It should be noted that there are a number of TV screens around the entire dining room playing clips from Marvel movies.

Our kids have seen all of the movies, so they weren’t surprised by any of the clips but at times it could get loud and distracting with different movie clips playing across screens near each other.

1923

An elegant evening aboard the Disney Wish awaits at 1923 the restaurant! This restaurant was inspired by the legacy of The Walt Disney Company and animation that has spanned over 100 years, featuring real pieces and art from the Walt Disney archives.

It’s a treat to walk around and see all of the display items, so make sure to build in time either before or after your dinner to take in all of the display items.

We did feel like the space inside this restaurant was quite tight, with little space to navigate the aisles. So I wouldn’t recommend trying to see the artwork around the restaurant while dinner is in full swing.

Quick Service Dining Options

There are a number of quick service meal options on Disney Cruise ships, and the Disney Wish has a special breakfast and lunch buffet option at Marceline Market. This quick service dining area was inspired by Walt’s hometown and has a market feel to the decor.

In the morning you can find Mickey waffles, scrambled eggs, and light choices like yogurt on the buffet. And for lunch, there are plenty of seafood options, usually some interesting chicken or beef dishes, and a great helping of sides.

Poolside there are number of grab and go eateries with food like burgers and pizza. One of our family favorites is grabbing an ice cream cone at the self service machines in the pool area as well!

Also, be sure not to miss stopping by the Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge for a cocktail. As Star Wars fans, we enjoyed the ambiance and the drinks were great too!

Shows on the Disney Wish

Entertainment on Disney Cruise Line ships is always top notch, and the Disney Wish has some all new shows that launched on Disney’s newest ship!

Disney employs world class performers to entertain guests each evening and typically two showings are available on each night of your cruise. At the time of our cruise, these original shows were being featured:

• Aladdin
• Seas the Adventure
• The Little Mermaid

We always make a point of trying to catch the shows when our schedule allows, because they truly are a special part of the Disney Cruise Line experience!

Additionally, there are activities running throughout the ship while you’re there by the entertainment staff. Trivia, bingo, live music, and couples game shows all can be found on your daily itinerary.

Ports of Call – Disney Wish

Currently the Disney Wish is sailing on three- and four-night voyages to Nassau, Bahamas and Castaway Cay departing from Port Canaveral, Florida. The four-day itineraries include a day at sea to have extra time to enjoy the ship. Either of these options would be a great cruise option for first time cruisers and families with kids of all ages. 

We went snorkeling while at Castaway Cay and it was the kids’ first experience trying snorkeling out! Snorkeling equipment can be rented right at Castaway Cay for $38 per person (ages 10 and up) and $22 per person (ages 5 to 9).

There are “hidden” items throughout the water, so this is a great first experience with snorkeling if you’re considering it with it your own kids! It keeps them engaged and they love finding a Hidden Mickey, Hidden Minnie, and so many more items under the water!

Tips for Your Disney Cruise

-Cabin doors are magnetic, so bring some magnetic decorations to make your door standout! We also love bringing some magnetic hooks to be able to hang up toiletry bags in the bathroom and lanyards on the back of our cabin door!

-Characters have different outfits for different portions of the trip: Pirate Night, Castaway Cay, Formal Night, Sailing Away – stop to get photos with characters at different times to have photos with them in different outfits.

-Don’t miss the slide-in entrance in the atrium for kids to enter the Oceaneer Club! Don’t forget that during Open House, parents can go into the clubs with kids to check out all of the fun too! 

-Dressing up is optional on formal night, you’ll see all types of dress at dinner. So don’t panic if you run out of time to change or just don’t feel like changing for dinner, come as you are!

-The atrium chandelier does some pretty magical things! Don’t miss what it does at midnight, if you’re still awake!

-Take some time to explore the ship at the beginning of your cruise. There are lots of details throughout the restaurants and lobby.

Why the Disney Wish Is Perfect for Families

• Slide in to the Oceaneer Club, this unique feature for kids ages 3-12 is only available on the Disney Wish!
• All of the restaurants on this ship are specific to the Disney Wish and are incredibly interactive!
• Aqua Mouse has different shows each day of the cruise!
• There are lots of different entertainment options, from the kid’s clubs, to nightly shows, to special events like the Sail Away Party or Pirate Night!
• Lots of great food options, so you’ll be sure to find something that everyone in the family will love to eat!

Kids Clubs on the Disney Wish

One thing that sets Disney Cruise Line sailings majorly apart from all other lines are the kids clubs! This is no exception aboard the Disney Wish. The kids clubs have been imagined to be creative areas for kids to come together to play and have fun. 

It’s a Small World Nursery

If you’re looking for care for your littlest ones, you can book hourly babysitting and childcare services at “It’s a Small World” nursery. Providers are available for infants and toddlers, ages 6 months to 3 years old and reservations must be made for care. This service is the only kids club that has an additional fee, because of the level of care needed for this age group.

You can book time frames throughout your sailing and the minimum reservation time is one hour. 

Oceaneer Club

Get ready for fun in the Oceaneer Club! Kids ages 3 to 12 can embark on an adventure of their own inside the Oceaneer Club, which has themed areas: Marvel Super Hero Academy; Star Wars: Cargo Bay; FairyTale Hall; Walt Disney Imagineering Lab; and Minnie & Mickey’s Captains Deck.

Each of the areas have themed fun activities based on what your child likes to do the most!

Our daughter enjoyed her time in the Oceaneer Club and always likes to try the different programming that the Disney Counselors run throughout the cruise.

Edge

Made especially for kids ages 11 to 14, tweens will enjoy being able to spend some time with kids their same age and take part in group activities.

There is a large gaming space with a loft style vibe that is the perfect place for tweens to be able to connect and spend some time playing video games. 

Vibe

Vibe is a teens only hang out area for youth ages 14 to 17. This special area hosts teens and has its own activity schedule to keep this age group entertained. It’s a great place to meet new friends on the cruise and give teens some independent time. 

On the Disney Wish, Vibe has its own sundeck area with splash pools and water misters. There’s also a gaming area and entertainment gathering area. 

If You’re Comparing the Disney Wish to other Disney Ships

-The pools are divided up into a number of smaller pools on the Disney Wish, this is something that our kids did not prefer and we didn’t swim again on the ship after the first day of our cruise. Whereas the older ships have larger pool areas that are in one space, and some families may find that they prefer this layout.

-The location of the Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab are at a different location on this ship than they typically are on other ships. 

Sailing on the Disney Wish

Overall, the Disney Wish was a super fun ship to sail on and we will definitely sail on this ship again. The Oceaneer Club was the standout hit on this ship, and for families with kids in the 3-12 age range, I think this ship should be high on the consideration list to sail with Disney Cruise Line.

Combining a cruise on the Disney Wish with a trip to Walt Disney World is a great way to enjoy both land and sea – with the best that both Disney Cruise Line and Disney theme parks have to offer!

It was a great fit for our family with grade school aged children and has a lot to offer for Disney fans of all ages! We would definitely sail on the Disney Wish again and this is a great cruise to start out with if you are a first time cruiser or want to try this short route through the Caribbean.

Ready to plan your Disney Cruise vacation? Check out our Disney Cruise Packing List post to get everything ready for your trip! And if you’ll be cruising with Tweens and Teens, we have a post full of tips for setting sail with older kids.