DISNEY FANTASY
7-NIGHT WESTERN CARIBBEAN
09/07/2024: Port Canaveral, Florida
09/08/2024: Sea Day
09/09/2024: Cozumel, Mexico
09/10/2024: Georgetown, Grand Cayman
09/11/2024: Falmouth, Jamaica
09/12/2024: Sea Day
09/13/2024: Castaway Cay, Bahamas (Private Island)
09/14/2024: Port Canaveral, Florida
We are FINALLY back on a Disney cruise after almost 10 years! Why now you might be asking? Well why not? We went back and forth with doing Disney again for years, after our first trip wasn’t as magical as we’d like it to be and always were hesitant to head back with them. So as the new Disney Wish headed to Port Canaveral we started to think about going back a bit more and more. Now we’ve been going to Disney quite a bit more since, so we now have more of an appreciation for Disney that we really didn’t have last time on the Disney Dream. So after going back-and-forth with different cruise options with and without Disney, we even looked at the Disney Wish, but we ended up with a week long on the Disney Fantasy. Main reason we did not book Disney Wish was the price, we paid just as much for a 7-night that we saw on Wish for just 3-nights. So it just made sense. Also reviews on Wish were very spotty.
So with it now booked, we got to learn more about the Disney Fantasy and our ports of call, which we’ve been to several times, except for Castaway Cay, which would be our second time going. As the months, turned into weeks, and weeks turned into days before the cruise we packed in as many blogs and vlogs as we could. Now taking some of that with a grain of salt since we know how some of the influencers are and they are all about Mickey Waffles, Palo and unlimited soda. You’ll understand after watching video-after-video. Which is now where we come in, this week we’re going to be trying those Mickey Waffles, then having dinner at Palo and getting our fill on with soda, and telling you our thoughts on it all, like we always do!
We will go into detail with everything below, but first want to say, thanks for checking out our blog. Also if you haven’t done so already, head over to our YouTube channel (@CruiseAddictJunkie) and subscribe to our channel, it is absolutely free to do, and it really does help us out. Thank you!
So what are we waiting for? Grab those Mickey Ears, put them on and let’s get to the tour and review of the Disney Fantasy!
Here are our YouTube videos from this trip. Make sure to like and subscribe!
Disney Fantasy Ultimate Ship Tour (4K)
Disney Fantasy - Part 1: Embarkation Day | Port Canaveral, FL | Dinner in Royal Court (4K)
Disney Fantasy - Part 2: First Day at Sea | Formal Night | Dinner in Animator's Palate (4K)
Disney Fantasy - Part 3: Cozumel, Mexico | Cruise Port Tour | Dinner in Enchanted Garden (4K)
Disney Fantasy - Part 4: Grand Cayman | Dinner at Palo | Pirate Night (4K)
Disney Fantasy - Part 5: Falmouth, Jamaica | Dinner at Animators Palate | Character Dance Party (4K)
Disney Fantasy - Part 6: Second Day at Sea | Diaper Dash | Dinner at Enchanted Garden (4K)
Disney Fantasy - Part 7: Castaway Cay | Serenity Bay | Full Island Tour | Dinner at Royal Table (4K)
PROS
- The Character Meet & Greets were so much fun. A bit overwhelming honestly. Got a chance to see so many of them several times.
- Our stateroom attendant Dave was phenomenal. An absolute pleasure, and a great overall person.
- Our dining team of Sheldon, Alex & Agustin were phenomenal as well. Them along with Dave made our trip that much more special.
- Overall the cast members on the entire ship were so kind and welcoming the entire trip. One of the very few cruises we’ve been on where it seemed to be everyone we met.
- Same goes for the fellow guests. Absolutely amazing people we kept running into and talking to.
- Did not notice any chair hogs, which was nice. Pool chairs seemed to always be open.
- Pools never seemed to be too packed. Now we weren’t up there much on the sea days, but every other time it wasn’t too bad.
- Shoutout to Princess Tiana, and the person playing her. Such a nice person.
- Quiet Cove Pool area was amazing, loved it so much.
- Satellite Falls Pool was also nice and relaxing.
- Lunch in the dining room was available everyday of the cruise.
CONS
- Some of the tweens/teenagers were just very loud and disrespectful at times. At certain points we were in elevators with them screaming. Another time we were on deck 4 watching the cast members setup for a character meet down at the staircase and everything was blocked off, then a kid out of nowhere ran up the stairs as the cast members were politely telling him to stop. The kid totally ignored them, he knew what he did because he then looked down and then at me as I was also yelling at him to stop acting like an idiot. Also kept coming across kids just being loud and obnoxious, generally at night (past 9pm) and on some sea days. It wasn’t the end of the world, just some kids had no respect for their elders and it truly shows.
- Another negative on our cruise was during Frozen. I’ll go into details below, but it was more of the people saving rows of seats (different people) in the theatre. Totally unacceptable.
- The pool hours and slide hours were just terrible at times. Some pools didn’t open on port days until noon. Granted some of those days we were at Castaway, but any other line with their private island stop we always had normal hours to the pools.
- Boarding times. This was the latest we’ve had to get to the port, which was right around 11am, then boarded around noon. A few cruises ago back in March on Allure of the Seas, we were on by 10:15am, Carnival Glory soon after we were on by 10:45am. Also kept hearing stories of people not even allowed to go into the garage until their boarding time, sorry won’t fly with us. We get to the port on our own terms for our personal reasons. Been doing it for 40 cruises, not stopping now. Sorry for sounding entitled, but when you’re the only one doing this then there is an issue on your end.
- Speaking of the garage, it was a bit cramped as for as space goes and driving around.
- We had dinner one night at Palo, I’ll go into details below, but overall felt it was not worth it compared to what we had and how we were treated in the dining room.
- Adult activities we felt were still a bit underwhelming and not too plentiful for us personally. They did offer a lot of different things, but not a ton for adults.
- Cabanas, especially during embarkation day was insane. We got there at noon and had a very hard time finding seating. People at certain points were just standing around waiting with food for someone to get up.
- Did not care much for Palo dinner. Felt the menu lacked and food options and service were not any better than what we got in the dinning room.
TIPS & TRICKS
- Deck 5 is mainly the deck for most of the kid locations on the ship.
- During formal night in the lobby you can find free drinks outside the Royal Court dining room.
- Keep an eye open for characters not on the Daily Navigator, best times are usually from 3pm to 10pm
- During port days, get to the character meets as soon as they open, usually the lowest lines.
- Get to any event such as the sailaway party or musicals or fireworks early, at least an hour. Put in your mind that this is Disney, much like at the parks, people will claim their spot early. Just keep that in mind. If we can give you any advice, this is it.
- Firework viewing. Fireworks will be shot off in Goofy’s Sports Court to the right of the ship. If you stand to the left of the Funnel Vision screen you will see it over the crowd below and the AquaDuck slide. If you stand to the right of the Funnel Vision screen you can see the show below (depending if you’re at the railing there or facing the ocean) and a clear view of the fireworks to the right of the ship.
- Cabanas is PACKED on embarkation day for lunch.
- Dining rooms are open for lunch daily.
- Cabanas does not have a dinner buffet.
- Mickey Churro Waffles are only served ONCE during the cruise.
- Soda is free at any of the stations on the ship (not the bars/restaurants).
- Dining room offer’s free Shirely Temples, love them!
- At each port you’re allowed to bring back beer or wine for your enjoyment on the cruise. Good luck trying to find it in any port, because they mainly sell liquor.
DECK 1
Tender Lobby
We’re starting our tour on deck 1. In this location is where you will get off the ship in all your ports of call. Same for any tender ports. Processing is very easy on and off the ship. This is NOT where you board once coming onto the ship in Port Canaveral, that is on deck 3, we will get to that shortly.
Health Center
If you have any type of medical issue throughout the cruise, you will have to come to the health center on deck 1.
DECK 2
Stateroom 2013
We booked an interior virtual porthole cabin. Immediately upon entering you notice it feels a bit more open than a normal cabin on other lines. The darker woods gave it a nice feel to the room. Now remember what I just said it felt a bit more roomier? Well upon trying to unpack I was having a bit of a issue with putting away our clothes. They only give you a couple of drawers at the desk area, in the actual closest they have the bulky lifejackets, and in our cabin alone we had 6 of them as well as the ladder to the pull down bunk. So what I did was take the ladder and store it under the bed, I did let our stateroom attendant know this just in case. The life jackets I moved around in the closet so we can store our hanging clothes, dresses and suit. We also bought a popup hamper to put inside, HUGE help for storing our dirty clothes. Other than that in the closest we had a pull out safe and not much else as for as storage goes. It was a bit tight for a weeklong, but we made it work just fine. The bathroom was nicely setup with a tub, which is meant for kids, not too much for adults, but overall a good bathroom. Water pressure was excellent. TV had several Disney channels, from cartoons, to port info, show info and much more. Regular channels you got the larger news stations (not local) as well as HGTV and Food Network. I want to say they also offered Disney movies and shows for free. As for the bed, it wasn’t the worst and certainly not the best. Location of the room was perfect for us. Right near the front elevators, which there are two sets. Also near the lobby and theatres. Perfect location and fairly quiet. Unlike our last cruise on Carnival Glory.
Onto our stateroom attendant for the week, Dave. Huge shoutout to him for taking amazing care of us and your little stuffies for the week. From the moment we met Dave to the day we left we always saw him and he had the biggest smile on his face. He’s been with the company for years and loves it, truly shows. He comes from Jamaica so he does get to go home briefly while in port. Every single day Dave would make sure we were taken care of and anything we needed he’d get for us. What we loved about him was him taking care of our two little stuffed animals we take with us on cruises. He made sure they had as much fun on this cruise as we were. We’d come back to them in little diapers made from a bandana, or getting them ready for pirate night. Even came back to them attempting to read. Really made our week that much more enjoyable and fun. Again a huge shoutout to Dave, you were a true pleasure to have for our vacation. Also side note, compared to all our other 41 cruises we can only name a handful that left an impression on us, Dave is certainly up there. The love and passion that he has for his job shows. He wants to make sure you have the vacation of a lifetime, and he surely was a big part of that for us. Thank you Dave!
Enchanted Garden
We had a few meals here throughout the cruise for dinner. This was a very beautiful dining room. It’s based off an elegant conservatory in the foothills in France. Upon entering you greeted by a 7-foot tall cascading fountain. The special thing about this dining room is as your dinner starts and ends the room transforms from a blue daytime color into a golden red setting sun, then finally going into a nighttime constellation of twinkling starts. Also the flowers on the ceiling will bloom and become bathed in color. Extremely beautiful.
I’d like to also introduce our amazing dining room team for the week. First is our head waiter Sheldon from India. He was such an amazing, amazing person. Always gave us what he recommends and what he did not recommend. Which from experience trust him on it. One night in particular we saw Lobster Bisque on the menu, said he didn’t recommend it since it’s on the fishy side. We decided to get it anyways and yes, it was fishy, and one of the worst we’ve had. We told him he was right. But overall a really great guy. Next is his first assistant waiter Alex, coming from Jamaica. He was just a pleasure to talk to every night. Getting to know him more on a personal level was great. Another amazing individual. Finally last, but certainly not least, Agustin all the way from Argentina. Such a nice, nice guy. Always a smile on his face. All three of them, much like our stateroom attendant Dave truly made this cruise that much more amazing for us. The level of service is unmatched to any other line. They take great pride in their work and it truly shows. Couldn’t have asked for a better dining experience. We would said again just for them, that is how much they meant to our week.
DECK 3
Walt Disney Theatre & Preludes (Deck’s 3 & 4)
During our cruise we had several shows here in the Walt Disney Theatre. However first, let’s go back to our muster drill, our station was located here in the theatre. It was about 20 minutes or so and they did the old school briefing and drills. Other lines have gone virtual with this and personally think that is a much better approach than then way. Once it was said and done we headed to start our vacation.
Next show was Frozen: A Musical Spectacular. Again, much like Aladdin, this stayed true to the film in a live action way. But first let’s head back out of the theatre and waiting in line. We got there about 40 minutes prior to showtime, so roughly 15 to 20 minutes waiting outside. We were on the side halls by the shops (that lead into the atrium). We got in along with everyone ahead of us waiting on deck 3 and by the time we walked from there to the front, no available seats. Now there were physical seats available, but according to the people holding them, they were “in the bathroom”, so about 50 or so people in total. We asked a cast member to help us and they approached these families and said if they were not there in 1 minute they would need to give up the seats. Now we’re talking about people saving anywhere from 5 to 10 seats in a single area. Which is ridiculous. I get one, maybe two, I’m fine with that, but some people had no consideration for others. The cast members could only do so much. So we then headed back to the other side of the theatre and saw two seats that said “reserved” on them and sat there. We did not sit in any of the handicap seats that were ahead of us and on the sides, which were open. We would have moved if that was the case. But we stayed and started the show. The show was incredible. We are big fans of the movie and to see it come to life in front of us was truly amazing. Coming in I thought it would be similar to the sing-a-long at Hollywood Studios, but nope. No one was really singing, just sitting back and enjoying this breath-taking show. Loved it.
Our third show was Disney’s Believe. It’s their own take on a tale of a daughter Sophia determined to show her father a life other than his work. But to do that it takes a bit of faith and a dash of magic. Also making an appearance in the show helping Dr Greenaway on this journey is the Genie. Overall this was such a fun show and a great way to see characters from other movies such as Mary Poppins, Lion King and The Princess and the Frog. Speaking of Princess and the Frog, they had their own singing part of the show and at one point there was a female vocalist who we heard prior on another show that was amazing here again stealing the show tonight. You can see the performer playing Tiana to the side cheering her on and it was just a magical moment to see for us. She was absolutely talented and incredible. Wish we had gotten her name. The rest of the cast was also great. Overall the show was a lot of fun, our least favorite of the three. But still all very close in comparison. Loved them all.
As for any other events here, we got to see Kid Ace, who was a comedic magician. Overall we enjoyed the show, pretty entertaining for us.
Mickey’s Mainsail, White Caps & Sea Treasures
Here are the shops on board, right outside the Walt Disney Theatre as we start making our way through deck 3. White Caps is more of a jewelry store, which we really didn’t check out at all. Sea Treasures and Mickey’s Mainsail were both the clothing, toys, general items shopping area. These stores were both large and had so much. We ended up getting a ship model of course and a Christmas ornament. The stores do get very busy at times.
Preludes (Character Meet Location)
Right in the center of the stores is where you will find one of the character meets labeled Preludes in your Daily Navigator. Lines will get long depending on who is there. Best tip we can give you is look at the times of who will be at each of the locations and when. Generally we noticed on port days the crowd levels for lines are very low during the afternoon when these start going on either here or in the atrium area. You can easily get to 5 to 10 characters in the matter of no time on certain days. Nights during shows and dinner these lines can get longer. So best bet get to who you want to see early on and then you can bounce around. Generally there are multiple meets for the same character throughout the cruise. Just keep an eye on the navigator. Also there are unscheduled characters that will just roam around the ship, we tend to see a lot of them when the meet’s start in the afternoon around 3pm to 4pm and they will be around all throughout the evening. So keep an eye out for them. Also another tip, this area for us has terrible lighting for the phone if you’re doing your own photo’s since it is so gold in the area, our tip is if you want better lighting look for another chance to see that particular character elsewhere.
Guest Services
Right near the lobby is the Guest Services desk. Here to help you with any issues you may have during your cruise. Ironically, we rarely saw a line here and they always had several Cast Members here at all times helping. They can also give you daily print out’s of the Daily Navigator.
DVC – Disney Vacation Club Desk
Across from Guest Services is the DVC desk for DVC members and anyone looking at becoming a DVC member. We do not know if they do actual room tours like they do at some of the resorts. Also I did see rooms up on the higher decks for DVC cabins.
Vestibule (Character Meet Location)
To the right of Guest Services and where you physically board the ship on embarkation day (as well as disembarking on the last morning) is a location called Vestibule. During the cruise this is mainly used for character meets. Like I mentioned above this does get long depending on the time of day and who is here. One of the longer lines we saw was to meet Jessie. We came here quite a bit for meets. Again keep an eye out for random characters throughout the lobby floors. A tip we have here and all of the other Character Meet Locations, if they have back-to-back characters, say Woody and Jessie from Toy Story. Generally Woody and Jessie will interact with one another when they switch, it’s a really fun thing that we saw several times. Also note you’re not able to get a photo with both in passing here nor around the ship if they bump into one another. We saw Donald upstairs one day and Daisy came, we asked for a picture together, but they were not able to, but the interaction with them was great.
Bon Voyage Bar
Jumping across to the other side of the ship we end up at the Bon Voyage Bar. This location always had people at it enjoying drinks, also a seating area not too far away.
Port Side Mural (Character Meet Location)
Here is another character meet location, right in front of the Bon Voyage Bar. Generally there is a nice fancy chair here in the corner (also one by Guest Services). This location did get cramped at night, especially if there is a meet and a show waiting for doors to open. Which is when we had an issue before Frozen as mentioned above.
Lobby Atrium (Deck’s 3 to 5)
Welcome to the lobby of this beautiful ship. As you enter the Disney Fantasy for the first time and they call your name this is where you begin your magical vacation at sea. This will be your main hub of the ship, especially for characters. This includes decks 4 and 5 above. Like I mentioned above, you will have your listed character meets in the Daily Navigator (either on the app or paper copy), a majority of them will take place on any 3 of these floors. Some again will not be on the Daily Navigator or in some cases will be added or removed. So keep an eye on that. Also will say keep an eye out towards the 3pm to 4pm (also randomly) when it will likely be lower waits and more characters roaming the ship. We easily saw a good 5 to 10 characters in a matter of 30 minutes in several cases.
In addition to that, the lobby also is hosts to several events, such as Jack Jack’s Diaper Dash, which is one of the biggest come outs for a lobby event. This is where babies will race each other to be crowned the winner. This is a seriously fun competitive competition. We didn’t realize how fun it is, even for us adults with no kids.
Also they offered some fun dance parties. One of them had several of the characters such as Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and several others going around the atrium and dancing to various songs with others. Now a tip on this, I was up on deck 4 watching as my wife was roaming around on deck 3. Now from where I was standing the characters go in pockets and change through each song. Meaning, if you’re say near one of the pockets, you don’t need to move to another character because they will eventually rotate into that pocket for the party. So a bit of a helpful tip there hopefully.
There was also a fun golf chip challenge game. We happened to be walking around and I said let me try. It was fun to do. Didn’t win, but again something fun. This happened at least twice during the cruise.
On the final night they have a special character party which includes several princesses and Mickey and his friends. I did not attend this, however my wife did and took some video that we have on our YouTube channel. Said it was fun. As of writing this I have not seen the footage yet, so I’m looking forward to seeing it!
What else is here? Hmm. Well in addition to all of that, you will also have several photo ops during the week, including formal night and pirate night. They will bring out different backgrounds.
When you’re not doing all of that they lobby does get very quiet. There were times at night there would be a few hundred people roaming around with characters and about 20 minutes later I’d come back and no one would be around except for a handful of people. Even during the day I’d find myself just walking around in an empty atrium.
Some evenings we were treated to live musicians that really were stealing the show. Great selection of music.
Another tip (but be respectful of the cast members) on Formal Night (7-night cruises or longer), for about an hour or so around dinner time they will come out with free drinks. Champagne, wine and some mixed drinks. It was pure insanity. The poor cast members could not have come out more than 2 steps before people would surround them for drinks. So ridiculous at points. Felt so bad for them. At one point I had an empty glass and I was walking up to one of them with an empty tray and politely asked if I could put my glass on there and by the time I tried at least 5 glasses came out of nowhere and put them down, all I saw were glasses and arms.
Lobby Atrium Staircase (Character Meet Location)
Since we’re in the lobby, let me show you the next character meet location. Right here at the staircase. Cast members will block this area off prior and a line will form to the right of the staircase. Also in this general area is where they will hold the Royal Gathering of your chance to see up to 4 princesses at one time (individually). We did not get an opportunity to book this ahead of time, however we got to see all of them individually anyways, so really not much of a difference for us. Like I mentioned above, generally when they have a character switch they will likely do some interaction with each other. Its not every time and usually different.
Royal Court
Our first night of cruising as well as our last night was here at Royal Court. This dining room is dedicated to the Disney Princesses. Murals and photos throughout the entire dining room, a sense of elegance throughout. Really nice, however I remember on the Disney Dream this room being slightly different and liking it better as far as décor goes. Still very nice.
When it comes to dining you will be in a different dining room each night, which by the end of a 7-Night cruise you will be in each dining room at least twice, on the last night it will be whatever is in that rotation. So for example our rotation was Royal Court, Animators Palate and Enchanted Garden. Saturday, Tuesday & Friday was in Royal Court, Sunday & Wednesday in Animators Palate and Monday & Thursday in Enchanted Garden. Unless you have dining elsewhere that night, then you’ll just skip that dining room and on to the next the following evening. Now this isn’t everyone’s setup, it does change per cabin or group I believe. You’ll find out on your ship card once you board.
Speaking of dinner, we already spoke of our amazing team consisting of Sheldon, Alex & Agustin. So let’s give them another shoutout for the absolutely incredible job they did. Such amazing people, you can see that from how they are with you and each other, they truly love what they do. Now don’t be afraid to ask them for something that isn’t on the menu. On the first night I was looking for a meat and cheese platter, Sheldon goes let me see if they have something. Come’s back with the appetizer and the plate is covered up with the metal top. He says, here you go, I put a lid on it in case you want to have it later on tonight as a snack. He did not have to do all that, that’s what I say they do truly go above and beyond. Any other line won’t do that. Another night my wife wanted a Ceasar salad, boom, they made it happen. Then another night I went to Alex when he asked what I’d like to drink besides water, I said how about a Shirely Temple? Not even 10 seconds later I had one of the table in front of me. Granted I know they are made ahead of time, but still they made sure you’re taken care of. They truly made a huge impact on our cruise in the best way possible. So they deserve all the love and appreciation they can get!
Enough about dinner, how about breakfast and lunch? Well everyday (yes even on port days) they will have meals right here for you to enjoy. Breakfast is pretty basic, lunch has different options everyday, which is a plus. As for service, it was pretty standard to what we get on other lines, but we’ve come to accept that over time, no big deal. The fact they have lunch on port days was great, really wished more lines did this. We did this maybe half of the days, the other half I spent eating crab legs and shrimp.
Breakfast - Cozumel Day
Mickey Waffles & Hash Browns (6/10)
Peanut Butter Jelly Typhoon (7/10)
Lunch - Cozumel Day
Gemelli Pasta (8/10)
Lunch - Jamaica Day
Warm Pina Colada Bread Pudding (7/10)
Dinner - Embarkation Night
Strawberry Shortcake Sundae (9/10)
Dinner - Castaway Cay Day
Animator’s Palate
Onto our final dining room in our rotation and maybe the most colorful of them, Animator’s Palate. Where a blank canvas will turn into a work of colorful art. We had dinner here a few nights, which one was on Formal Night. My only regret there was that was also the night I could have gotten a corn dog. However I think I would have looked funny as a grown adult eating a corn dog in a suit and tie. On the other hand, I really shouldn’t have cared! Service yet again, amazing! Now Sheldon did warn us that they do ordering of desserts ahead of time, on the 2nd night since that is when they do a special show and want to get everything out prior, which worked for us. I loved this dining room, but loved the little Toy Story nods and Nemo nods so much more.
Dinner - First Sea Day
Dinner - Jamaica Night
DECK 4
Buena Vista Theatre (Deck’s 4 & 5)
Moving up a level, we’re at the Buena Vista Theatre. Now first, right outside you’re able to get popcorn, candy and drinks before the movie. They do show a lot of different movies here, we came when they shows Deadpool & Wolverine. Only complaint I had was the seats. They automatically reclined backwards and my biggest concern was people behind us and not invading their space. I hate doing that, even on a plane. The person behind me was totally fine with it, so that was good. It was nice to have this as the movie theatre vs outside on the pool deck, sometimes that can be too much. Note an additional entrance is located on deck 5.
Outside Deck (Both Port & Starboard Sides)
On both sides of the ships you will find doorways leading to the outside decks of the ship. This is a great way to sit and watch the outside world, or if you’re into jogging or walking, this is the place for that as well. It was always bussing with people, and also some fun characters here and there. I remember standing inside by the Vista Café and looking outside and seeing Thor just walk past, only on a Disney Cruise!
Vista Café
One place we visited quite a bit was the Vista Café. Here is one of the locations that you’re able to get coffee. Not just any coffee, but one with an image on it. So naturally we had to just above every day. Until it broke, but they got it back up and running a day or so later and he made a few more just to show us for the missing days, such a great addition. Also they have complementary snacks in the showcase, such as desserts during the day and then meats and cheeses later on. Also a great place for your wife to sit back and relax watching people outside on the promenade deck as you wait in line waiting for Mickey Mouse.
Balcony (Character Meet Location)
Right after you grab a coffee at the Vista Café it’s now time to get in line to meet some characters! This is where you’re going to find a lot of them during the cruise. Lines will get fairly long, but they do go very quickly. Also keep an eye on decks 3 and 5, you never know who will be roaming around. Like I mentioned above, get here early and if you wait 10 to 15 minutes for them to start at that point you can get in other lines with little to no wait as well. Also like I mentioned above, the character changes are very fun to see. One of the times I was in line for Mickey, which Cast Member will tell you usually before entering if it is for the character currently there or the next one coming. But we were in line and Captain Hook and Smee were doing the meet, then time was coming to an end and here comes Mickey. So a fun little interaction between Mickey and Hook happened. Even Minnie and Daisy will say hello to one another.
Shutter’s Photo Gallery
Making our way over to the other side of the ship we land at the photo gallery. I never took so many photos of us on a cruise as we did this week. At least 100 with the characters. Mind you those are the professional ones from the Cast Member. We alone took over 3000 photos and 1000 videos, which we’re going through now! This is where you will see all your photos (when the location is open). You can also purchase them if you’d like, however the cast members were always happy to take photos of you with any character you came across.
D Lounge
Heading down the corridor from Shutter’s and we end up at the D Lounge. Felt this was an underused lounge for the most part. It is a large room where they held events such as karaoke and a cooking class named “You Can Cook”. Which is where the chef will show you a dish from one of the menus. We saw the Lobster Ravioli demonstration. They also give you a taste of wine and a ravioli, so that was nice. I’m more of a hands-on type of person, not a huge fan of showing me how to cook. Carnival, on some ships have cooking classes where you get your own station and go through the whole process with their chef’s. Heard it was amazing. Norwegian, Royal and Disney were some that showed you how to make it. Either way fun and educational.
La Piazza
As we keep heading back we come to another section of the ship, which is mainly for “adults” at night. Starting with La Piazza. During the day they hold several activities such as drawing classes and other fun activities. We did a drawing one before one of the trivia’s. At night you had a chance to sit back with a drink and listen to music.
Ooh La La Lounge
Inside this same area you have the Ooh La La Lounge. During the day it’s generally empty, unless they are having one of the paid classes here. I also used it as a sleeping lounge for one of those mid-morning naps. Unless the kids above on 5 kept waking me up. As the night rolls on the bar will open and more music will become available. On one of the nights the very talented violinist was playing A Thousand Years (from the movie Twilight). So I quickly ran to my wife who was in The Tube and said come with me. So I had walked her over and took her hand and we had a bit of a dance to the song, since it is one we had used on our vow renewal a few years ago. Such a romantic! Also the couches here are so damn comfy, hence why I napped.
O’Gills Pub
Across the way on the other side of The Piazza is O’Gills Pub. This is basically the sports bar of the ship, where you will find drinking and games on the tv. They also had a food menu, which we did not know of prior. Never really hung out much in here, just so dark inside.
Skyline Lounge
Another super dark lounge was the Skyline Lounge, which the big feature here is at night the background will change to different cities around the world. Cool concept, Norwegian also has something similar. Again just a very dark lounge, unless my eyes are that terrible these days.
The Tube
Our last location on Deck 4 is The Tube. Here you will find a ton of different events. We did several trivia’s as well as The Quest, which is more of a quicker PG version of The Quest. IYKYK! Most of those were hosted by Emily, who was extremely funny and hilarious. Seriously her timing on jokes were spot on. She was awesome!
Other than that this was host to some fun shows, as well as Sarge Says, which I didn’t realize what I had gotten myself into. So a few days prior we saw the Green Army Men from Toy Story roaming around, and we ended up getting photos. Then we saw this in the Daily Navigator and decided to check it out. So they start and the Green Army Men come out and started picking up to come to the front. So I get picked and they start. Wow, did not realize I signed up for a cardio class! Basically you do what Sarge says. It was truly fun and even as a kid of the 90s and growing up on Toy Story, it was just so much fun.
The Tube was a great place to relax and hang out in. Also the bar team here was super great!
DECK 5
Vibe (Ages 14 – 17)
Moving up to deck 5, we’re in the front of the ship again, this time at Vibe, which is the teen club. We accidentally stumbled across this venue when doing some Pixie Dusting around the ship. So we headed in and the wonderful Cast Member said we actually came during a open house so go and check it out. It was a really cool spot to check out. They offer an area to watch movies, video games on a 103” LCD screen and an outside sundeck with hot tubs. Seriously where was this when we were kids! According to Disney’s website they also offer a separate stage area, talent shows, karaoke contests and dance competitions throughout the cruise. As for the outside area the open deck has chaise lounges, splash pools, pop jets and misters. Also deck games such as ping-pong, foosball and “old school” board games. Wow!
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
As we move past all that fun, we make our way aft (heading towards the back of the ship) to our next location, which is the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. This is a special salon (I think that would be an accurate description) for kids. Where they can get their hair styled as a princess, or dressed up as a pirate for pirate night. Also saw other available packages. I did see princess dresses in this location, so assuming you’d be able to buy those with the package. As per the website, you can book this “before the day of embarkation” or on board. Appointments are first come.
“it’s a small world” Nursery (Ages 6 months – 3 years)
We now head across the atrium walkway to the other side of the ship and now head down the long walkway. For the very young travelers, this is the location of their nursery. According to the website, they don’t schedule activities, but will do activities based on the children’s mood. They do offer them movies and story time as well as arts and crafts projects.
Disney’s Oceaneer Club & Lab (Ages 3 – 10)
As we continue onward, we next come to Disney’s Oceaneer Club. Which is an area for kids a bit older. This is one area we always saw online and wanted to check out personally. During the first and second day of the cruise, they offer an open house so anyone can come and check out the area. So I ended up here, have to say it was cool in parts, like Star Wars with the virtual games they offer. Areas like Marvel were a bit underwhelming, didn’t seem to offer much more than an area to do crafts. The Toy Story section was my favorite, since I grew up on that movie and seeing the characters in front of me was just amazing. They do offer some character meets throughout the cruise for all ages, check the Daily Navigator for specifics. For us we got to see C-3PO, this got a line in the front of the Oceaneer Club about 20 minutes before they even opened. It was a cool moment.
Note there is an entrance down the hall to the Oceaneer Lab, which inside connects both locations.
DECK'S 6 – 10 (Passenger Room Decks)
All of these decks are passenger rooms. Also located on each of these decks (along with decks 5 & 2) are the launderette locations.
DECK 11
Senses Spa & Salon
We’re now at deck 11 and coming to the more relaxing parts of the ship, starting with the Senses Spa & Salon. Here is where you will find your general spa offerings such as massages, stone therapy, facials and much, much more. Also here you will find salon and barber services such as teeth whitening, hair cuts & styling as well as mani-pedis. You can make reservations online or on the ship. Also located in the spa is the gym, which is open to everyone, and does get very busy at times.
Quiet Cove Adult Pool & Bar
As we head outside we come to the Quiet Cove Poo. One of the things I clearly remember on the Disney Dream was finding this pool area on the last night of the cruise and wishing so much we came to it sooner. Well this time we did and we spent a good amount of time here. This is an adults only (18+) area, main feature here is the relaxing pool area. The pool was comfortable the entire trip, if it does fall below 75 degrees Fahrenheit then they will heat the pool, which I did state it was heated on Dream, but assuming at that point since it was colder out that was why it was heated. Overall the temps were great in the pool. We spent hours here relaxing and talking to others that we saw daily, amazing part of the ship. Also just steps away they have a bar in the pool that you can go to and grab drinks.
Cove Café
Steps away in the same location is the Cove Café. Here is another location to get fresh coffee and other drinks in a nice relaxing setting.
Flo’s V8 Café (Luigi’s Pizza | Tow Mater’s Grill | Fillmore’s Favorites)
To the left side of the Cove Café (when heading aft) we come to Flo’s Café, this is made up of three separate grab and go sections. If you’re looking for pizza, chicken tenders, burgers, salads or sandwiches this is where you will find them. We did come here a couple of times, not a ton. I preferred the pizza at Cabanas, same thing, just the taste for me was better there. Plus side here is these locations are generally opened later into the evening than any of the other food locations on the ship.
Eye Scream & Frozone Treats
On the opposite side of the ship (right of Cove Café, heading aft) we come to Eye Scream & Frozone Treats. Here is where you get the delicious ice cream, now let me stop for a second and say, this isn’t the crap on Carnival or Royal that they give you with all those ice crystals in it, which doesn’t really taste like ice cream. Here this is the good stuff, closest thing you’ll get to actual soft serve ice cream. Really good stuff. Also here at Frozone Treats you can grab smoothies and the famous Dole Whip (for an extra cost). Personally we think Dole Whips are super overrated, but just our opinion.
Whozits & Whatzits
If you decide to head into the doors from either Eye Scream/Frozone or Flo’s Café you will enter on either side and see Whozits & Whatzits. This is just a little shop on the ship that sells a lot of swimming ware and other accessories you might need. Also some specialty items.
Pool Deck (Funnel Vision | Mickey’s Pool | Donald’s Family Pool | Mickey Slide)
Now back outside to the hub of the pool deck, well the pool deck! This location changes looks a lot throughout the cruise, since it is home to so many different things. Let’s start with day one, more specifically the Sailaway Party. This entire area will close off the pool near the stage with a covering so they can maximize the space in that area since it will be packed! Let’s first talk about the actual party, this was so much fun and a great introduction to seeing Mickey and his friends. We had a great time, but keep in mind that it get’s packed, so get here early for a good spot. Kids are more than welcome to sit right by the stage, also on the sides they offer a special area for anyone in a wheelchair or scooter, really amazing they do that. The party did get us a bit emotional at the end with the songs and the horns going, shed a tear of joy, happiness and some emotion. Okay, that is day one, eventually the pool will open back up afterwards.
Next big party we went to was on pirate night, this gets insanely packed! Get your spot at least an hour prior. I compare these events and production shows to anything at the parks where people will get in line very early to secure their spots. Which is why we sometimes learn the hard way. My wife was on the left of the screen on deck 12, while I was all the way back near the entrance of the AquaDuck in a small little section where you get off the slide. Two different angles. They shoot fireworks off from Goofy’s Sports Court (basketball court) and towards the right of the ship. The show was cool, a bit long-winded, fireworks were short. Overall a fun little show. A tip on Pirate Night, bring your gear and dress up, it will be fun as so many people do it.
Back to the deck area. There are two pools. First being Donald’s Family Pool, intended for ages 3 and up. This is the deeper of the pools in this area. Also right under the Funnel Vision screen, also located near Flo’s V8 Café. The other pool is Mickey’s Pool, intended for ages 3 and younger. This pool is very shallow. Both pools have different hours depending on the day. Some days the pools won’t open until noon. Just keep that in mind. Both pools generally have different hours than each other.
Rest of the area you can find a few drink stations which offer free soda as well as other juices and coffee options. Also towels and life vests for free as well. We spent some time here relaxing in the pool, which was nice. Another big feature is Funnel Vision. They offer a lot of different movies throughout the cruise such as Toy Story, Monsters Inc and so many more, you can check out the Daily Navigators I posted on here to see exactly what you can expect during your cruise.
Nemo’s Reef
Behind the pools as you head aft you will come across Nemo’s Reef, which is a splash area for the kids to have fun with the characters from Finding Nemo. Area is intended for ages 3 and under.
Sweet on You
This is the sweet shop on board, where you will find ice cream along with a ton of pre-packaged snacks. We did get samples of ice cream and felt they all tasted a bit bland. Also a bag of popcorn that was stale.
Cabanas
Next up is Cabanas, the ships buffet. This is only opened for breakfast and lunch. Options are the basic standard cruise buffet options. However for breakfast they do offer Mickey Waffles and on one day of the cruise they offer the Churro Mickey Waffles. Don’t worry, everyone will tell you when you’re on board what day that will be. Personally we didn’t think the regular waffles were that good. Could have been we generally went early to the buffet and most of the food had sat there before opening for a bit, so the waffles were not crispy. Also flavor was not nearly the same as at the hotels in Disney World. The Churro one’s were slightly better, but a regular churro would have been a lot better in our opinion. For lunch the options again are limited, slight changes here and there. One thing I kept to just about every time was the Margarita Pizza at the beginning of the buffet, which was just good and flavorful for the most part. Also the crab legs and shrimp, I think I got my money back on the amount I ate. Have to say again on embarkation day the buffet was packed. We got there around noon and luckily found an open seat, problem with the seat was it was right next to the door to the outside, so every time it opened a hot blast of air would hit us. People coming in later had to stand around with food in their hands just to wait for an open table. It got a little bit better throughout the cruise but still very cramped at times. Overall the buffet had your typical cruise ship food options, wouldn’t say it was anything to go out of your way for.
DECK 12
Concierge Lounge
If you book any of the concierge rooms on the ship, this is their lounge area. From what I found online is that some benefits of concierge include, earlier booking window for activities, priority embarkation and disembarkation as well as this lounge which includes snacks and drinks. Along with many other benefits.
AquaDuck
As we head back outside to the pool deck we now get a closer look at the AquaDuck, which is 765 feet and wraps around the entire pool deck. The experience during the day and at night are totally different from what we’ve heard. We did not get a chance to ride this since the hours were limited and times, we could we were either done with the pool for the day already or busy doing other things. I do remember it quite un-fondly on Disney Dream, got off and my back was killing me. Now I’m not a slide person, which is why I don’t mess with them. Recently I did the small one over at Wilderness Lodge and it was not large at all, my back kept hitting each connecting piece of slide and I was done with those.
AquaLab
As we continue towards the aft of the ship we now come to the Aqua Lab, which is dedicated to ages 3 and up. This area is an interactive water zone that features pouring paint cans, raining showerheads and pop jets, just to name a few things. I did not get a chance to see if in action, but looked pretty fun.
Waves Bar ($$$)
Not sure if I was even in the right place or not. But I saw a sign on the ground that said Waves Bar and walked towards it and it just came to a small closed bar and that was it. I looked around and didn’t see anything, so not too sure what was actually here. If you know, comment below and let us know.
Meridian Lounge
As we head inside we come to the Meridian Lounge, which is located in between Remy & Palo. This is meant to be the waiting area where you can grab a drink before and/or after dinner. They also have an outside area that you can smoke a cigar from their smoke bar.
Remy
We’re going to start to the right of the Meridian Lounge at Remy. We did not dine at Remy during our cruise, however I did get a chance to check out the restaurant briefly. Shocking how small it seemed, not very big at all. But it is one of the most popular restaurants for DCL. This is their French-inspired restaurant which is opened for brunch and dinner. Prices vary.
Palo
Let’s head across to Palo. We did however eat here for dinner on one night. They offer a pre-fix menu as well as an a la carte menu, which is what we chose to get. Overall we were not too impressed with Palo. Kept hearing nothing but raving reviews and how so many people loved the food and the service. Well that is what happens when you watch certain Disney influencers, that’s what they all do. Pretty much a script for them if you watch enough of the videos prior to your cruise, they all love the same exact things. Hence, why we bring you our opinion based off our experience with cruising. Like I said, we were not too impressed with Palo. Our server was nice, explained a lot of different things on the menu and how it all worked. We told him we’d go a la carte, he then pointed out all of the expensive options that he suggested. Also when we were trying to pick wine to drink, he’d recommend ones at a higher price point that he claimed to taste better, same with the water. Sorry buddy, not our first rodeo. So we were pretty set on what we were going to get. The menu for an Italian restaurant was a bit limited and lacked some of the traditional options such as lasagna, which apparently is only served for brunch? I’ll go into a bit of detail below of what we ordered, however overall we felt the food in the dining room was just as good, in some cases better than Palo. Service in the dining room we felt was also much better than in Palo. Funny thing the next night in dinner we went to our waiters and said we’re sorry, we should have came to dinner last night instead of Palo. Likely wouldn’t waste the time or money coming back when we do Disney again. Again this is our opinion. We’ve noticed that a lot of these hyped restaurants on cruises are just very lack-luster, just like Eden on Apex, which still is one of the worst restaurants we’ve been to. Palo I wouldn’t say was terrible, the food was fine, but to us similar to what we got in the dining room. So why waste the $100+ on dinner?
Bread Service – This is just pizza dough with a pesto flavor topping. Overall decent, nothing amazing.
Overall I’d like to just state that all of this is just our opinion at the end of the day. People swore by Palo and think it’s the best restaurant at sea. We just take that with a grain of salt at the end of the day. We want to give you our honest opinion of what we overall think. For us Palo was a miss.
DECK 13
Satellite Sun Deck/Falls
Time to head upstairs to lucky deck 13! Always fun in an elevator on a Disney ship and you get to the 13th floor, waiting for it to drop like on Tower of Terror. My wife was roaming around one day and came across this adults-only area. So one day we headed up here, I just went right into the waterfall pool thing and just sat back and relaxed. Wow, was that nice. It was a truly under-rated part of the ship for adults.
Concierge Private Sun Deck
As we start our journey heading to the aft of the ship we look to the left (port side) and see a blocked off area, so in research we conclude that this is the Concierge Private Sun Deck. I’ll find some pictures for you to check out.
Currents Bar
Next we come to the Currents Bar, which no matter what direction you come from in the front you will end up here, next to each staircase. Note there is a smoking section to the left of the bar. This is just another bar on the Disney Fantasy.
Edge (Ages 11 to 14)
We were unable to check this location, but will throw in some pictures. This is the dedicated area of the ship where the tweens can hangout.
Goofy’s Sports Deck
Near the back of the deck is Goofy’s Sports Deck, which is home to the basketball court and mini golf, as well as game simulators. The basketball court is the standard size one you’d find on the cruise ship. The mini golf, was a bit underwhelming, almost like an afterthought. Fine for anyone looking for some fun, but you’d expect a bit better theming for a Disney ship. Might just be me. In between both of those areas on the inside is the Virtual Sports Simulator. For an extra fee you’re able to do sports simulators for basketball, baseball, soccer and more.
DECK 14
Outlook
We never got a chance to head up here, mainly because we forgot about it. We’ll throw in some images, but this is another lounge that overlooks the outside areas. Mainly used for weddings onboard the ship as well as some other private events. Not clear if it’s generally opened in between or not for guests.
Ports of Call & Embarkation Port
Port Canaveral
Our homeport this time is Port Canaveral. We had a check in time of 11:45am, which is super late for us to board any ship. Last few cruises on Allure of the Seas and Carnival Glory we were already on the ship since the 10 o-clock hour. So we drove in like normal and got to the port around 10:45am. We kept hearing stories that they would turn you away if you’re too early. Look, we’re driving in and we do it based off our person preferences, we live an hour away and need to look at the fact of any possible issue that hopefully does not happen. Hence why we tend to get to the port terminal around 10am. But okay, we will wait a little bit more. We got to the actual terminal line outside at 11am to our 11:45am check in line that they had setup. We headed right inside the actual terminal building and through security by 11:20am. In between that 20 minute window we had got in line outside, then headed inside to a line just to go through security. Once we were done with that we got upstairs and found some seats in the very busy terminal. By 11:30am they started boarding groups 1 and 2. We were group 11. By noon we were just boarding the ship. So not terrible. Rooms were ready by 1:30pm. Once we boarded they called our name once in the lobby and we headed right up to Cabanas (dining room is also opened and probably would have been a better place to go), which was packed. Overall the port was just as nice as always, only downfall is the later times getting on the ship, but it works for them so we’ll just suck it up. Like I told my wife, if that was one of the only con’s then who cares, not a big deal.
Cozumel, Mexico
Our first port of call was Cozumel. Now look we did not book this cruise for the ports. We booked for the ship. Which so many others also did. However since we were here we decided just to get off and check out the port area. So we headed off and went right into the shopping mall they have right there, as normal tons of locals trying to sell you things in their store. Pretty much all had the same thing. They are not nearly as pushy as years prior, we’ve noticed that a lot in recent years, which is good. So we walked in a few stores here and there and after an hour or so we got caught in a brief rainstorm as we headed back to the ship. Much like the other ports, book an excursion ahead of time, which Disney really doesn’t offer any good ones. We did one last time on Celebrity Apex that was awesome. Check out that blog and video on our channel. Overall we feel Cozumel is a generally safe port to grab a taxi and head anywhere. Just be mindful and watchful while in any port of call, even your homeport.
Georgetown, Grand Cayman
Our next stop was in Grand Cayman. Last time, again on Celebrity Apex we went to Stingray City, which if you don’t know is an excursion that takes you about 20 to 30 minutes out on boat to a sandbar with tons of other boats and you have a chance to see stingrays up close. We LOVED this last time and almost did it again this time. We just ended up staying on the shipped and relaxed that day. Check out our video from Stingray City, it was a lot of fun and we highly recommend it.
Falmouth, Jamaica
Next up is Falmouth, we’ve been here a couple of times prior, never a place we booked for the destination. We ended up just getting off the ship and checking out the general port area, which we will have a video on as well to show you. But really not much going on here anymore. Tons of closed shops and just in general lacked. But again we’ll show you around just so you can check it out for yourself. Another port which is best to have with an excursion. We did hear and recall last time the local area right outside the port not being a super safe place to walk around. Very push locals. Not sure how true that was. We did have some of the best crew onboard the ship we’d talk to that actually get off when they come here and go home for a bit. Some of the nicest people on the ship. We were tempted to get off with some of them for a true day in Jamaica.
Castaway Cay (Disney’s Private Island)
Our final port was Disney’s Castaway Cay, which is their private island in the Bahamas. This was beautiful, maintained exactly how it should have been and better than we remembered. So what we did was walk off the ship and headed down the path to the first tram stop, got onto the tram and it took us to the second tram stop and we switched over to another tram and down the runway to Serenity Bay, which is their adults-only area. It was a long stretch of beach area, which was very close to the buffet they had on that end. We ended up finding a spot and heading into the water. Tip, bring water shoes. No more than 2 minutes in the water I see a large stingray swimming around. Then later on a nurse shark which came within a couple of feet from me and so many others, so harm at all. Then later on we saw a few starfish. Overall a beautiful beach, water was nice, not too high at all. However we have to say although the water was beautiful, Half Moon Cay had nicer looking water, with that true perfect color. This was still great though.
After our time on the beach, we were getting hungry, so we headed to the buffet which is right next to the beach entrance. Food options were a bit lackluster for us. So we ate a little and then headed back to the tram stop. At this point I had told my wife to just head back to the ship to go relax while I explore the rest of the island on my own. I ended back up at the other tram stop and started walking around and checking out all of the different areas. I have a full tour on our YouTube channel to check out. Overall this is a beautiful port, only thing I wish was that this was our first stop, vs last. We were exhausted by the end of the day and had to go home tomorrow. Overall we had a great time here. Now after being to a lot of different private islands, this surely ranks near the top, but personally we like Perfect Day at Coco Cay a little bit more. Castaway is still great though.
Daily Navigator
Here are all of the Daily Navigators for each day of the cruise. Giving you a better idea of what to expect on your cruise.
Thank you for checking out our tour of the Disney Fantasy. Also make sure to check out our YouTube channel and subscribe, really does help out the channel, and best of all it’s completely free to do!
Stay tuned for our next adventure on Royal Caribbean’s NEWEST ship, Utopia of the Seas!
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