My First Disney Cruise! A PICTURE Review of Disney Dream!!

[Host Mick]

The balcony

 

 

 

not much view while your in part, but it will improve shortly

 

 

the diaper genie and pack n' play were already waiting for us when we arrived.

 

 

enjoying the balcony for a few minutes while Allison took a quick nap from all the excitement.

 

 

Note how DCL kept the rooftops clear of mechanical equipment knowing that they would be seen from the ships. Very Disney.

[Seatbelt_Bag_LOVE]

I am really loving your review. I have not been on the Dream, but I have been on the Fantasy. I love all the little touches and beautiful decor. I especially love all the beautiful tile mosaics like the one you showed in Cabanas. If you ever have the chance to go on the Fantasy, I definitely recommend it. Your review is bringing back all my happy memories.

[jwalk03]

Note how DCL kept the rooftops clear of mechanical equipment knowing that they would be seen from the ships. Very Disney.

 

Wow, this is a really good point. I didn't even think of that!

[jwalk03]

The Disney Dream has great pictures and paintings everywhere. Every stairwell, on each deck has different things. You could easily spend a whole day just looking at all the animator's drawings, and pictures, etc in the stairwells. Here are a few of those as a sampling.

 

 

 

 

 

[jwalk03]

 

 

One of my absolute favorite things were the pictures that "came alive" when you stood there. The first one actually kind of startled me, but after that they were great. Def take a few minutes and wait on some of these.

 

 

 

[jwalk03]

I also really liked the Elevator art that would appear in the corner elevators. A nice little surprising touch that was fun to watch for.

 

 

 

 

 

[jwalk03]

More of the ship to come later. For now its time for the life safety drill.

 

 

All ship services are suspended for the drill, and attendance is mandatory. I don't really remember exactly how long it took, but it wasn't too bad. Just go and get it over with so everyone can get on with their day. Make sure to bring your Key to the World card to the drill, as they scan them to take attendance to make sure everyone shows up. It is not necessary to bring a life jacket from your cabin.

 

After the life safety drill was over, it was finally time for sail away! And the fun sail away deck party!

 

 

 

 

[jwalk03]

 

 

 

[jwalk03]

After the sail away deck party we decided to stay on the pool deck for a while and play with Allison in Nemo's Reef. Children who are not potty trained yet cannot use the pools on the Disney Dream (or any cruise ship as far as I know.), but the Dream does have a water play area called Nemo's Reef with soft toys, and slide, and water guns and fountains etc. It is pretty cool looking. It is however a completely shaded area on deck, which is good and bad. Good becuase it keeps the little ones out of that direct sun, bur bad because its a little cold with no sun!

 

Allison was a little cranky and not too interested in getting sprayed with water apparently!, but we tried anyway.

 

 

 

 

Adults are not allowed on the slide, even with a small child. OOPS!

 

Edited April 24, 2014 by jwalk03

[jwalk03]

 

 

 

 

It was definitely a little chilly not in the sun, so we didn't play in Nemo's Reef too long.

[jwalk03]

After a little time in the sun to dry off it was back to the cabin to get ready for dinner. We had early seating. On Disney cruises there are 3 separate Main Dining Restaurants, so on the 3-day cruise you eat one dinner in eat of the 3 restaurants. When you board there are dining tickets in your cabin telling you which restaurant you are assigned to each night. You sit at the same table number each night, and your waitstaff follows you each night as well. It really is a neat concept, that adds a little variety to dinner, and is unique to Disney Cruise Line as far as I know.

 

Our first night's dinner was in Royal Palace.

 

 

[Disneyatheartmommy]

Loving your TR!!!

[jwalk03]

I must have been really excited for this first night's dinner, because I have no pictures from inside the restaurant! I do remember the food being excellent though. I had a Caesar salad, lobster mac n' cheese and lamb. It was all delicious.

 

The wait staff was also phenomenal. We were seated with another couple and their young daughter who was around the same age as Allison. The wait staff offered to bring food for the little ones early if we wanted instead of waiting for our food to be ready, and the thing that I was really wowed by- our waiter cut up our daughter's food when he brought it out so that we could eat our apps he had just brought. It was very thoughtful, and we really appreciated the extra attention she received from the wait staff.

 

So the food was great, and the service was excellent! A very successful first dinner indeed!

the servie was excellent! A very sucessful first dinner indeed!

Edited April 25, 2014 by jwalk03

[jwalk03]

After dinner was over it was time to take Allison to see Minnie Mouse for the first time! She loves to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on Disney Jr, and she has several Minnie Mouse dolls, books, and toys at home, but we were still a little unsure of how she would do seeing the characters for the first time at her age. It was AWESOME! As we were waiting in line I had to grab her several times because she was trying to run over to Minnie when she saw her! Not only was she not even a little scared she was SOOO Excited! One of my favorite moments of the entire cruise. She even gave Minnie and hug and kiss after I told her it was time to say bye bye after the picture. TOO FREAKING CUTE!

The pictures do not do it justice, she really was way more excited than this!

 

 

 

[GatorMomInNC]

Thank you for doing this TR. You have such a beautiful, adorable little daughter! I loved your description of how excited she was to see Minnie, I could really picture it and it was so sweet!!

[Cruisin' Along]

Thanks for sharing your TR. I always enjoy seeing photos of the ships!

[jwalk03]

After out Minnie Mouse encounter it was off to the Walt Disney Theater for tonight's show- The Golden Mickey's!

Let me just say that in 3 Carnival cruises I have enjoyed exactly one Main Show, Ticket to Ride on the Carnival Freedom, which is a Beatles tribute show. Every other production I have ever attended I left halfway through the show because I was bored out of my mind. So needless to say I am not a song and dance kinda person, and am pretty tough to please in this area, but Disney did just that!

Every review I read about the shows on the Disney Dream before hand was glowing, everyone seems to find the shows spectacular, but still my expectations were tempered because as I mentioned I am not a Broadway style show person at all.

The Golden Mickey's was fabulous! Disney does a wonderful job of making these shows appeal to children and adults alike, with the use of their familiar characters and songs. I was hooked the entire show waiting for the next song from movie XYZ I watched as a kid, or seeing this princess or that character come out next. I really really enjoyed the Golden Mickey's, and to be honest it was the best of the 3 shows on the Disney Dream (Villains Tonight & Believe are the other 2 shows, which I will review in more detail later in the review.) If you are planning to skip a show night, which I do not recommend to be honest, make sure it’s not The Golden Mickey's.

You are not allowed to take pictures or video during the show, but I do have pictures from outside the WD Theater which they deck out like a red carpet affair for the Golden Mickey's. It really is nice and another above and beyond thing to me.

 

[jwalk03]

 

After the show we stopped by Mickey MainSail to see what kind of goodies they had. Word to the wise, don't take a 1.5 year old into the stores on board unless you are planning to buy them something!! lol

 

 

 

Allison got a collection of Disney Princess Toys...

 

 

I am a shot glass collector, so that's what I really wanted. A Disney Dream shot glass! I have one from the Carnival Imagination, Freedom, and Valor each of the other ships I have been on, but no luck. They only had Disney Cruise Line shot glasses (which I bought one of instead.) Nothing that specifically said Disney Dream. O well, still added to my 600+ shot glass collection.

Edited April 25, 2014 by jwalk03

[martinm]

Funny thing about the shot glasses.... when at the Magic Kingdom they called them toothpick holders.

 

I Thanks for posting all the pics.... loving your review.

[jwalk03]

After all the excitement from Day 1 we were exhausted! So off to bed we go! And to conclude Day 1 on the Disney Dream... a swan(?), I think.

Edited April 25, 2014 by jwalk03

[jwalk03]

Funny thing about the shot glasses.... when at the Magic Kingdom they called them toothpick holders.

 

I Thanks for posting all the pics.... loving your review.

 

Really? I guess they must think thats a little more "family friendly" than shot glasses. Just Disney being Disney I guess.

 

I have been collected them since I was about 8 or 9, though I never had a drink out of one of them till I was 17.

[jwalk03]

I am really loving your review. I have not been on the Dream, but I have been on the Fantasy. I love all the little touches and beautiful decor. I especially love all the beautiful tile mosaics like the one you showed in Cabanas. If you ever have the chance to go on the Fantasy, I definitely recommend it. Your review is bringing back all my happy memories.

 

The Fantasy is definitely on the agenda for the future. We are having a destination wedding next year, so it will probably have to wait until 2016, but its definitely on the agenda! As are the Magic & Wonder really. We had such an amazing time on the Dream.

[jwalk03]

Thank you for doing this TR. You have such a beautiful, adorable little daughter! I loved your description of how excited she was to see Minnie, I could really picture it and it was so sweet!!

 

Thank You!

[purplethorn]

As we were waiting in line I had to grab her several times because she was trying to run over to Minnie when she saw her!

 

I found this the hardest, trying to contain my child so she doesnt photobomb other people lol ... she was totally excited at the sight of most characters running thru the velvet ropes trying to give them a kiss or a hug :D

 

Oh and by the way I felt the same way about Disney's shows - amazing

[iloverags2]

Enjoying your trip report!!!