Disney Dream Cruise Review | part 1

Day 1: Traveling From Fort Worth, Texas and boarding the Disney Dream in Cape Canaveral, Florida

I had the absolute privilege of going with my family on the Disney Dream a couple of weeks ago. It is a pricey, luxury family cruise that stops at three ports and leaves out of Cape Canaveral, FL.

My mom paid for the kids as their Christmas gift. Zach and I just had to pay for flights and ourselves, and any other charges we racked up on the boat. The whole thing ended up costing around what I made my first year working out of college for all 8 of us (my mom, brother’s fiancé, and the Walkers) to sail on this boat of dreams. Everyone told us it was worth it, it would be the trip of a lifetime, it would be the kid’s favorite trip of their childhood! With hopeful hearts and tired eyes, we arrived at the airport at around 6 am.

Embarrassing unorganized person side note: I didn’t get all my work done until around 2 am the night before leaving me no time to pack. I had to get my happy butt up at 4:30 am to get it all done in time. I was throwing stuff in packing cubes and was not able to give much thought to it. This made my bag more than a muffin top’s worth of overweight. We had to move items all around from my bag to the kid’s bags right there on the street to avoid $100 overweight bag fee.

Disney Magical Express

Traveling was easy and mostly uneventful. Once we arrived in Orlando, we followed the signs in the airport to the Disney Magical Express. These are buses that take you from the airport to the cruise port, it’s about a 45 minute drive. I hear it is the most expensive way to go at $78 per person, but it’s easy and stress free. You even attach Disney luggage tags to your bags when you check them and don’t have to deal with bags at all. They show up right outside your room like bippity boppity boo!

Mouseketip: make sure you follow all of the instructions perfectly on how to book the Magical Express and how to get your luggage safely on the cruise. I say this seemingly obvious bit of information because:

1. There was an older man at the bus waiting area, he was understandably irate. He had paid tons of money for his family to go on this cruise and they were on some fancy upgraded concierge level. He did not, however, follow the instructions to reserve their transportation from the airport to the cruise and was making a huge scene. Just follow the directions and no one gets publicly humiliated. Even super wealthy people have to follow the rules.
2. We didn’t read the instructions that well and didn’t realize there were tags to put on our bags. We were sitting in the Magical Express waiting area thinking how could they possibly know who’s bags were going to the cruise. Panic struck and we decided to ask my mom if she knew. “The Disney Cruise tags on the bags.” she says like duh. “OH NO!” Zach says. Zach ran to baggage claim and was still able to find all of our bags. Can you imagine being on a cruise without your stuff? I guess we would have had a new $10,000 Mickey and Minnie wardrobe and a ton of overpriced travel sized toiletries. Also the only shoes they sold were Disney crocs. And omg my Zoloft. I would have punched a wall after 5 days without that. Thank goodness we thought about it before it was too late.

Moral is, follow the instructions in your booklet or you will be screaming at an innocent jolly Disney worker or stuck in Pluto crocs all week ok? Ok.

Although the travel was a breeze, Griffin was fully out of energy. 4th kids fall asleep wherever, he has been like this since he was tiny.

Mouseketip: Kylie kept complaining that the bus seats were itchy and rough. If you have a sensitive sensory kid, bring a blanket for them to sit on or have them wear pants. I am all about anything to help chill the complaints.

When you arrive at the cruise terminal, you have to go through a security checkpoint and get checked in. It’s a boring necessary evil. The kids all got their Oceaneer’s club bracelets and we got our Key to the World cards. Cheesy name, but it’s Disney so whatevs. Everyone gets their photo taken with excitement filled faces ready to get on the ship!

Good thing he was hysterical so it would match his passport in case his identity was in question. Way to make it easy on us in times of stress Griff.

A little more waiting in lines (WAY less of a cluster than previous ships we have been on) a photo op, and we were welcomed on board with our names literally announced like it was the NBA finals. I wasn’t expecting that. A little awkward, but nice personal touch.

Finally on the Ship

First stop, our rooms! Let’s take a little Disney Dream overview tour so you can get a feel.

Our Stateroom

Mousketip: When choosing if you want to utilize the Murphy bed or the bunk beds, pick the bunk beds. It leaves way more space to move around. If you need all 3 extra beds then good luck to you.Your room may turn into one big game of the floor is lava. Also, the concierge puts the room back in sofa form during the day. Make sure to tell him if your kids take naps or will want to lay down so that he knows to leave the bunk beds/Murphy bed as is.

Our room was on the 7th deck aft (close to Cabanas buffet which worked out quite well) and 4 of us had a comfortable stay. My mom, Tiffany and the oldest girls were in an adjoining room.

Mousketip: The adjoining room was clutch. Not only does it make your living quarters feel so much larger, you can also have your concierge remove the partition between your balconies making it a fun hangout!

This was my 4th time cruising and this room was by far the roomiest and the easiest to keep organized. I used every last one of my packing hacks plus this $9 foldable hamper was perfect for the corner of the room to keep it picked up. There were two closets, plenty of drawers and cabinets, lots of space under the bed for suitcases and bulky things, and the coffee table opened up for more storage.

There is even a curtain to pull between the bunk beds and the queen bed. Nothing says romance like the 4 inches between your bed and your children’s bed separated by a floppy curtain.

Exploring the Disney Dream

After checking out the rooms, we went for our first cruise binge at Cabanas. It is the buffet restaurant open most of the time and has a ton of options. Let the vacation begin!

If you are a germaphobe, you will be happy to know they require you to use a hand sanitizing wipe on the way in and out of the restaurants. It’s not just a suggestion, there is a man standing at the doorway making sure you don’t scoot on past with your nasty flu hands.

We did a little more exploring before it was time to depart from Cape Canaveral. Nemo’s Reef was one of the cutest things of all time and I knew Griffin would thoroughly enjoy his little shark bait hoo ha ha self in there.

Muster Cluster

There is one last annoyance to get through before you are officially free to stop doing required cruise tasks. The muster drill. If you have cruised before, you know these are a whip.

Mousketip: grab a Bon Voyage, a twisted blend of strawberry daiquiri and pinã colada, prior to the muster drill. You will be so very glad you did.

So what even is a muster drill? It’s a mandatory assembling of every last passenger on the cruise regardless of age or if you have cruised before. No one cares about your excuse, just get your tail to the station quickly so that everyone can get out of the tight, sweaty, humid quarters and get on with their best life. Your Key to the World will let you know what station to report to and you just go there, stand, and do what they tell you. Hopefully you took my mousketip and are sipping on something good.

Each station has a couple of crew members that check everyone in by scanning their card, teach them the ways of the May Day and the SOS and dismiss everyone once you have heard the safety speech via bull horn.

Anyone that suffers from anxiety briefly plays out the following scenario in their head: they just might imagine themselves and their kids on a yellow life boat with life jackets on in the middle of the night. Waves crashing, sharks circling, winds whipping. Pandemonium. It will be all over the news. No one will believe this.

Snap out of it Paige, you are being absurd. Moving on. At the very least, you are surveying the yellow life boats and thinking hmmmm, let’s not have to use those.

You know you are on a Disney Cruise when this Cinderella look-alike dime piece is conducting your muster drill. They wear many hats as a Disney cast member, coast guard safety patrol by day, master of the musical theatre by night. Meanwhile, I look like a rat and am just trying to capture my disdain for these drills. Should have chosen a different facial expression.

Lezzzzzz Go

The ship’s horn loudly toots the tune to “It’s a Small World After All” signaling that we were about to set sail. We all went up to the top deck to watch the people watching us leave. They were enthusiastically waving and crowding to the edges of the restaurants and bars and you could tell it was like a thing to watch the cruises leave. Bon Voyage, locals!

Disney Dream Itinerary

Over the next 5 days we would be in for lots of fun and lots of memory making!

What we wore to Dinner

We chose the late dinner time (8:15), which means we would be going to the early show at 6:15. The attire was “cruise casual” for dinner that night and we got ready before the performance. I wore my favorite $17 halter top body suit, my go to denim skirt and the comfiest wedges (on sale for $79!). Zach wore this tee and jeans.

This is what the girls picked to wear to the first dinner.

We had time to spare after we were ready, so we went to this little lounge before the magic show. My girls got a cotton candy drink that they took 3 sips of and I got the drink of the day, which was always some kind of tropical goodness.

This adorable bar was called Pink. It was a wine and champagne bar right by the lounge we were at. They had different tastings you could sign up for throughout the cruise.

Mike Super Magic Show

I had semi low expectations for the magic show. Turns out it was Mike Super, whom I have never heard of, but made it really far on America’s got Talent and just so happens to be Ellen Degeneres’ favorite magician. Score!

The show was part comedy and part illusions. He used some people from the audience to help and his magic was really impressive! My daughter Blake (11) gasped and audibly yelled, “WHHHHAAAAAAT?!?!?!?!” very similar to Lil’ Jon after the first 2 or 3 tricks he did. She was all in. Griffin (3) wasn’t so into it, had no idea that magic tricks were going on and was ready to move on.

Mousketip: 100% go to all the shows. I enjoyed all of them and will highlight each one as I get there. If you have really young kids, just sit toward the back and bail if it’s not going so well. Also keep in mind, every person on the ship has kids or willingly signed up for a Disney Cruise so rough behavior comes with the territory and no one will shame you.

This was my least favorite show night, just because the others were so very good. Some of the show felt more like an advertisement for his adult magic show that went on later in the week. I didn’t get to see that, but I bet it was great and more of his vibe. There were also lots of mentions of buying t shirts that say “Lavenous” which is his made up word that he wants to make mainstream. No doubt he is talented, I would like to see his non Disney Cruise version show. Can I give it an enthusiastic meh? Maybe a lackluster woot?

When the shows are over, there is an awkward amount of time before dinner. What to do, what to do?

Mousketip: What not to do is go to the D Lounge for a family feud type trivia show. If you don’t get picked to be the family on stage you will be very bored and just kind of sitting there. I used this time to order another drink.

Dinner Time

Our first dinner was at the Animator’s Palate!

There is so much to take in! Animations in different stages on the walls, colors everywhere, a lot to look at and the kids loved it!

We were greeted by our waiters, Marko and his assistant Sanford, who made an amazing experience even more fabulous. The waiters stay with you the entire cruise, you get to know them and love them and these dudes were great!

Every night there was a different bread and dip to go with it. The first night was Foccacia and Ciabatta with roasted garlic dip. I was usually bloated, happy and full after the bread and appetizer. In true cruise fashion, I ordered an appetizer, soup, main course and dessert. No wonder I put on 6 lbs.

For those foodies out there or anyone going on this cruise soon, this is what I ordered:

Sliced Serrano Ham with manchego cheese and olive tapenade. (didn’t love it. it was prosciutto basically which isn’t that exciting) I tend to take the waiter’s recommendations in my attempt to become more adventurous. I got the butternut squash soup and liked it. The Ginger-Teriyaki dusted Beef Tenderloin was delicious! It came with wasabi mashed potatoes. For dessert, the cookies and cream sundae and I ate it all.

If I wasn’t almost to panicky level tired from my 4:30 wake up and day-o-travel before dinner, I certainly was now. Will someone put me in a wagon and pull me to my bed please? Oh wait, I have kids. 4 of them. They all need help getting situated.

Room 7144 was lights out as soon as we could make it happen because tomorrow we would be arriving at Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island, at 8:30 am for a day of beaching.