Disney Cruise Line Disney Wonder

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Vs. Disney Dream

Overview

Disney Cruise Line Disney Wonder	Disney Cruise Line Disney Dream
Double Occupancy: 1754	Double Occupancy: 2500
Gross Tonnage: 83000	Gross Tonnage: 128000
11 decks	16 decks
CDC Score: 99	CDC Score: 100
Launched: 1999	Launched: 2010

When Disney Wonder debuted in 1998 the ship (and sister Disney Magic) was among the half-dozen or so largest cruise vessels plying the seas. Not anymore, and Disney Dream (and sister Disney Fantasy) is 40 percent larger, allowing an even greater variety of activities. With its two additional decks the Dream has more restaurants (including the top-flight Remy’s), a 765-foot “water-coaster,” and new stage shows. With 13 years of experience under the belt, Disney Cruise Line execs were able to tweak, expand and improve on many elements of the Disney Wonder, leaving untouched the elements that worked just fine (like the innovative split bathroom concept that is great for families).

We like the more intimate feel of Disney Wonder, but when sailing at full capacity (as it usually does), the passenger space ratio is very tight; Disney Dream has a bit more elbow-room to work with and crowding isn’t as much a problem at the family pool and buffet restaurant.

Although adult spaces have generally been augmented on Dream, one disappointment was that the adult pool, Quiet Cove, seems more constrained than the same area on the smaller Wonder. Another area where Disney Wonder comes out ahead of the Dream is in variety of itineraries: For now, the Dream is chained to Port Canaveral, just east of Orlando, Florida. But Disney Wonder has matured into a jetsetter, sailing to Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico and through the Panama Canal. For the foreseeable future, with the Dream offering new bells and whistles to keep the die-hard Disney fans enchanted, we anticipate the Wonder will continue to venture to more varied corners of the globe.