Disney Wish Review: What You Should Know About This Ship

My Disney Wish review is from the perspective of someone who:

• has never cruised before… ever,
• did lots of research ahead of time,
• wanted to do ALL THE THINGS while on board,
• and who loves all things Disney.

So this Disney Wish cruise review will not be full of endless comparisons to the four older ships, because I have no idea what that’s like (yet).

The Disney Wish has a lot of bad reviews, and I’m fairly certain 99% of those have come from veteran DCL cruisers. It’s hard not to compare to what you’re used to (and find fault in the changes).

Let me take you on a Disney Wish tour through fresh, untainted eyes, so that you can make the best decision for yourself!

While my family cruised for four nights, which is currently the longest single itinerary on the Wish, there simply wasn’t enough time to try everything (and believe me, I hustled trying to do it all!).

So of course, my Disney Wish review will be focused on the things I did get to do.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking one, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you.

Disney Wish Itinerary

Currently, all Disney Wish itineraries are either three nights or four nights, with stops at Nassau, Bahamas, and Castaway Cay. (A small percentage of itineraries only stop at Castaway.)

For our sailing, the itinerary was in this order:

1. Embarkation Day
2. At Sea
3. Nassau
4. Castaway Cay

I thought this was an excellent order, as the day at sea allowed us to get familiar with the ship and knock out a lot of character meet-and-greets. Then I didn’t have to stress about whether or not we’d get to them before the end of the cruise.

Our itinerary also happened to be a Disney Wish Halloween on the High Seas!

Nassau

We chose not to get off at Nassau. Although we’ve never been, I’d read a lot of bad reviews about pushy locals.

Paired with the fact that this was probably our one and only cruise on the Wish ever, it was an easy choice to spend another day on board exploring the ship.

I do hope to sail to Nassau again one day, and maybe I’ll give it a chance when my kids are older.

Castaway Cay

We did get off at Castaway Cay, which we all absolutely loved!

First, we got a great family picture with the ship (and Rapunzel hanging from it) in the background.

Then my son and I met Jack Sparrow!

After that, we took the tram to the Family Beach and made our way to the Snorkeling Lagoon for some Castaway Cay snorkeling.

We must’ve missed a sign somewhere because we actually started snorkeling off a regular part of the beach; we had to backtrack a bit to find the officially roped-off snorkeling area.

We brought a bag of belongings (extra sunblock, a water bottle, and regular shoes – we wore water shoes onto the island) that we left in a nearby beach chair. I glanced at it once in a while, but it was never touched.

My husband and I wore these waterproof lanyards to keep our phones, key cards, and IDs with us at all times.

It was a beautiful, sunny day, perfect for hanging out in the ocean. When we were done, we rinsed off in the freshwater showers nearby before grabbing lunch at Cookie’s BBQ. I’ll go over that in more detail later!

We decided to head back to the room after that, as snorkeling wore us out, and there were still some areas of the ship I wanted to explore.

Disney Wish Deck Plans

Below is the most comprehensive single-image Disney Wish deck plan I’ve come across, and it’s from DCLfan.com.

I clipped out the decks that only have staterooms so you can get a better look at where the action is. (The laundry room is on deck 8.)

When you’re on board, you’ll end up spending a lot of time using the deck plan feature on the DCL Navigator app to figure out where you’re going. It saved us from wasting a lot of time just wandering around!

I didn’t find the Disney Wish decks to be confusing or misleading at all. All the venues were easy to get to.

Having two banks of elevators seemed like plenty unless we wanted to go to decks 12 to 14. The number of elevators that go to these decks dwindles with each floor!

After the deck parties on Pirate Night, it ended up being easier to walk down five decks of steps over waiting for an elevator that wasn’t full.

Any time the evening shows and parties are let out, you need to be the FIRST to the elevator bank if you want to stand a chance at getting one.

My only complaint about the design is how small the lounges seemed to be. The piano bar looked more like an alley than a lounge.

The Rose bar, which was one of the largest on the ship, is up on deck 12 by the upcharge restaurants where most people won’t even find it unless they’re searching for it.

Disney Wish Staterooms

You’ll want to check out a lot of Disney Wish room reviews before deciding on a stateroom, just because there are so many types of rooms available!

We stayed in a deluxe family oceanview with verandah stateroom on deck 6. I specifically chose our room because it had an oversized verandah (thanks to the curved design of the ship), and it was worth it!

The extra indoor space (denoted by the word “family”) was a great place for our bags and shoes since we never used the extra murphy bed. But it could sleep a family of 5.

I wanted to be on the deck closest to the restaurants, entertainment venues, and Oceaneer Club. That way, we could just take the stairs down if the elevators were taking too long. (And our room was pretty close to the elevators!)

You can read more about our Disney Wish verandah room (and take a little tour of it).

Disney Wish Dining Options

I tried as many foods as I possibly could during our cruise to provide a decent Disney Wish food review. My husband and I made sure we always ordered different items, and occasionally would order multiple dishes for each course (we got almost all the desserts!).

Main Dining Rooms

1923

I tried the following dishes at 1923:

• Fig and Olive Bread with Honey Butter Dip (bread service)
• Burrata Mozzarella Cheese &. Prosciutto di Parma (appetizer)
• Hyperion Four-Cheese Tri-Color Tortelloni
• Tortiglioni Pasta (entree)
• 1923 Peppered Filet Mignon (entree)
• Burbank Blueberry-Lemon Bavarian Cream (dessert)
• Churros Calientes (dessert)
• Hollywood Hills Hot Chocolate Fudge Sundae (dessert)

Overall, the food at 1923 was excellent, and I wish we’d ordered more to try!

The bread was a bit too firm for my taste but the honey butter was whipped and delicious.

I devoured my cheese and prosciutto. The tortelloni appetizer was cold; whether or not it was supposed to be, I’m not sure. It still tasted good, though.

Normally, I always get the filet at fancy restaurants (because that’s usually the only time it’s cooked properly). But I decided to go for the pasta since my husband wanted to try the steak (which is rare for him).

The tortiglioni’s sauce was pretty bland, with the pancetta being a massive saving grace to the overall flavor. But my husband’s filet mignon was seasoned to perfection. And the crushed potato hash with it was heavenly!

The standout dessert at 1923 is the signature bavarian cream. I love a good fruity dessert, and this hit the spot.

But while the name implies the churros have a spicy flavor, it simply wasn’t true; they are literally regular churros seasoned with cinnamon and sugar. Not sure how “Caliente” most people consider that to be, but it meant my kids enjoyed them!

At every restaurant on the Disney Wish, the ice cream sundaes were classically yummy and well-made.

Do NOT skip them! We just ordered one each night and the four of us would share it since we also tried other desserts.

My husband and I also tried cocktails specific to each dining room. In 1923, the Buena Vista Boulevardier was by far the strongest cocktail I was served on the entire cruise!

I loved nibbling on the chocolate topper, too.

Josh got the Hyperion Highball (I was shocked he didn’t go for bourbon), and it was actually quite refreshing.

Arendelle

I tasted all of these items at the Frozen-themed restaurant:

• Six-Grain Viking Loaf with Roasted Onion Dip (bread service)
• Jarlsberg Cheese & Rosemary Ham Tart (appetizer)
• Elsa’s Royal Baked Scallops (appetizer)
• Garlic & Thyme Roasted Beef Rib-Eye (entree)
• Pan-seared Chilean Sea Bass (entree)
• Kvafjordkake (dessert)
• Eplekake, Apple Cake (dessert)
• Troll Family’s Rock Chocolate Bar (dessert)
• Norwegian Pancake Roulade (dessert)
• “It’s Elsa’s Coronation Sundae!” (dessert)

Personally, I thought Arendelle had the best food out of the three main dining rooms on the Disney Wish!

Again, I’m not a fan of tough bread, but it wasn’t bad. It was the most skippable part of our meal, though.

The cheese and ham tart was really good, but I wish I’d been the one to order the scallops appetizer! I had a bite of Josh’s and it was amazing. The giant puff pastry on top was a nice touch, too.

My rib-eye was totally perfect, but the baked potato that came with it may very well have been the best non-dessert item I ate the entire cruise! I inhaled that thing.

Josh’s sea bass was extremely smooth and buttery. You know fish is cooked well when it doesn’t taste like fish!

And boy, did we go all-out for desserts at Arendelle. We actually only ordered three of them, but our server insisted on bringing the other two, and I’m sure glad he did!

I ordered the apple cake, which I loved. Josh originally ordered the Kvafjordkake, which was a nicely muted butter cake with vanilla cream and berries.

Our server Melvin also brought us Olaf’s Campfire S’mores Bar and the pancake roulade. The kids thoroughly enjoyed the chocolate bar, and we all tried the pancake roulade – until it was all gone. Oops.

And finally, once again, the sundae was wonderful. My kids and I all love mint ice cream, and I thought it suited the restaurant’s theme very well.

We ended up getting two cocktails as well as a mocktail for the kids to share. I ordered the Frozen Fractals, which is a gorgeous glittery blue drink served in a delicate glass. It was so good, I drank it way too fast.

Josh went for the Ice Harvester made with Blanton’s bourbon. It came topped with a massive candy “ice” disc that he says was just unflavored rock candy.

And finally, we ordered the adorable Worth Melting For, made with passion fruit, coconut, and pineapple. It’s topped with a white chocolate disc featuring Olaf, which I split in two for the kids to share.

Worlds of Marvel

We tried a lot of dishes at the Avengers restaurant:

• Marble Loaf With Red Bell Pepper Dipping Sauce (bread service)
• Dill and Meyer Lemon Marinated Shrimp (appetizer)
• Sautéed Crimini and Oyster Mushrooms (appetizer)
• White Cheddar and Broccolini Soup (soup)
• Chicken Schnitzel (entree)
• Rosemary Roasted Beef Tenderloin (entree)
• Golden Mystic Pasta (entree)
• Nano Dobos Torta (dessert)
• Quantum Key Lime Pie (dessert)
• Pym Doughnut Sundae (dessert)

The flavors in Worlds of Marvel were severely lacking in our entrees, so I was glad this was the first restaurant we ate at. It was all uphill after this!

The marble bread was a tiny bit softer, but more importantly, the bell pepper sauce served with it was my favorite dip on the whole cruise! It was creamy and yummy.

As for the appetizers, the mushrooms didn’t seem to have any flavor – it was all in the sesame artichoke puree. But while I usually prefer warm shrimp, these chilled ones tasted great with a strong lemon flavor.

(And I must admit, I ate every bit of the creme fraiche served with it.)

The restaurant’s spin on broccoli cheddar soup is also a great menu item. It’s completely pureed except for the toasted cornbread cubes, and it’s a warm, familiar comfort food that tastes just as you’d expect and want.

Unfortunately, neither the breading for the schnitzel nor the sauteed potatoes seemed to have any kind of seasoning.

The pasta dish was slightly better, with the scallops delivering a wonderful flavor. The pasta itself was a bit bland, though.

Fortunately, as with all Disney Wish desserts, the sweets at Worlds of Marvel did not disappoint. The chocolate cake was nice and rich without being too sweet.

Josh is not a key lime lover, but he decided to order it anyway and said it was the best he’d ever tasted. I agree!

I have to say that the sundae here was the favorite of all three restaurants. I LOVE caramel, and even though my kids wouldn’t order any desserts of their own, they happily split the donut that comes on top.

Instead of cocktails, my husband and I both tried zero-proof specialty drinks. Our servers seemed to have mixed up our orders because I’d wanted the Quantum Core drink in my souvenir cup, but they served it in a glass to my husband instead.

The Quantum Core was indeed my favorite drink, as it’s essentially a pineapple milkshake. The pop rocks are a cute touch; perhaps the candy is why they didn’t want to put my drink in the souvenir cup.

The Wakanda Forever drink, which was hidden away in my personal quantum core sipper, was not as good as I’d imagined. I love all the flavors in it (strawberry banana, caramel, and Coke Zero), but they just didn’t mesh well for me.

But I LOVE my souvenir cup. It doesn’t hold much liquid, but it does light up with various options for flashing or remaining lit and the straw closes smoothly away so no one would know it’s a drink.

Marceline Market

There are so many dishes at Marceline Market, there’s no way I could’ve tried them all to review. Besides, we didn’t eat many meals there, to begin with.

Breakfast

Breakfast was our preferred meal here. The kids enjoyed eating Mickey waffles and pancakes covered in flavored syrups with large dollops of whipped cream on the side.

I personally fell in love with the instant access to eggs benedict, complete with a perfect hollandaise sauce. The dish was a bit cold, but it’s hard to keep poached eggs warm. The flavor was still terrific.

Both regular and turkey versions of bacon and sausage were available. I tried them all, and they are all great.

The pastry section is heavenly, but it’s the very last station in the row, so don’t miss it! The chocolate donuts are by far the best kind.

At one breakfast I tried the Mango Mountain Hike yogurt, which wasn’t great. The flavor was off and it was extremely runny – not how I like my yogurt.

There is also plenty of fresh diced fruit, a custom omelet station with lots of fillings, and a cereal and oatmeal bar!

At both breakfast and lunch, the drink stations have Coke products, fruit juices, coffee, and tea. Be sure to look at more than one, though, as I discovered they don’t have all the same options! POG juice could be found at one, but the next had plain orange juice in its place.

Lunch

We only at one lunch at Marceline Market, and frankly, one was enough.

The only thing that was at all appealing to our children was the macaroni and cheese, and even then, they weren’t eager to finish it all. Chicken tenders, fries, and meatloaf were also available.

I helped myself to a large pile of warm shrimp that I enjoyed, but it’s hard to mess up shrimp.

There’s a meat carving station accompanied by some oily-looking vegetables, but personally, I don’t like such heavy foods for lunch when I know I’ll probably order similar foods at dinner.

You can even grab a premade charcuterie board or salad bowl for a lighter meal.

I also saw stir-fry, dumplings, and other Asian-inspired dishes, as well as tuna steak, calamari, and crab claws. There truly is an excellent variety for all preferences, even if it’s not the best food in the world.

All of the desserts looked delectable, but as with many other stations, they were all behind a case rather than help yourself. While I’m willing to order everything on the menu at dinner, I feel less inclined to say “one of everything” to the busy buffet workers behind the counter.

However, I did decide to try this wonderful chocolate-and-peanut-butter treat, and I’m glad it was my one dessert pick!

Mickey’s Festival of Foods

The convenience of the quick service stations can not be overstated! It’s so much easier to feed the kids right by the pool over going back to the room, changing into clothes, and going back up to Marceline Market.

Unfortunately, most people on our particular cruise seemed to agree. Almost all of the quick service lines were long no matter what time we decided to eat lunch.

The lines for Mickey’s Smokestack and Donald’s Cantina were always so long, we never did get to try them.

We did get slices at Daisy’s Pizza Pies, and they were pretty good. Not great, but good.

Of the ones we tried, though, Goofy’s Grill was definitely the best.

The kids got cheeseburgers that were less McD’s, and more backyard grill, which they loved. I had a bratwurst with sauerkraut and it was AMAZING. Even the fries here are great.

And, of course, no cruise is complete without some soft-serve ice cream! While the Wish isn’t self-serve, Sweet Minnie’s Ice Cream is still worth a stop for the banana flavor alone.

Room Service

We utilized room service a lot more than I thought we would during our cruise. The kids loved the All Hands on Deck fruit and cheese platter so much, we ordered it three times!

My son also enjoyed a pepperoni pizza one afternoon when he and my husband watched movies in the room.

This is also the easiest way to get your hands on some Mickey bars to wind down before getting ready for dinner. The kids also liked the chocolate chip cookies.

My personal favorite was the chocolate truffle cake!

As far as breakfast, the options are very limited and not particularly good. The muffins and bagel with cream cheese were nothing to write home about, nor was the “fresh fruit bowl.”

If I were you, I’d just order a bunch of donuts. They are a random assortment, but if you get a few chocolate ones, you’ll be good to go!

Just make sure you fill out an order card from the drawer under the vanity and put it on the outside of your stateroom door handle.

The best part of all, though, was ordering a carafe of coffee with cream every night (not for morning delivery).

Even if we didn’t drink any of it before bed, the coffee was still hot in the carafe the next morning and the cooler drawer kept the metal pitcher of cream plenty cold.

This allowed me to start drinking coffee on the verandah as soon as I got out of the shower before we even headed to breakfast (or before our room service breakfast arrived).

In terms of service, room service on the Wish was impeccable. Our order was never wrong or missing anything. At every call, the attendant would tell me it would be about 30 minutes, and every time the order arrived sooner than that, no matter the time of day.

PALO Steakhouse and Enchante

As first-time cruisers, the adults-only dining experiences just weren’t in the cards for us.

But I can tell you that Enchante is gorgeous – I was allowed to wander around while it was completely empty on our morning in Nassau.

Cookies BBQ

When spending the day at Castaway Cay, don’t go back to the ship for lunch!

Cookies and Cookies Too are buffets on the island just off the beach, and both are included in your cruise.

This was some of our favorite food! There were (very tasty) burgers and hot dogs, bagged chips, fresh fruit, classic barbecue sides, and some of the BEST cookies we’ve ever had.

Fountain drinks and water are available as well, so you can fill up any water bottles you take on land to have for the rest of the day.

And those cookies didn’t stop us from enjoying some help-yourself soft-serve ice cream! In addition to vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, they swapped from mango to banana throughout the day.

Upcharge Snacks

Not all the food on a Disney cruise is free! These are the things we paid out of pocket for.

Beignets

The only place to get beignets on the Wish is, naturally, at The Bayou.

My husband, son, and I went there one morning after taking my daughter to the kids club (she begged every day).

We ordered the Louis Favorite for $8, which normally includes a beignet inside the drink, but our server was happy to put it on the side. Then we got an order of two more beignets to go with it for $2.50.

They were… good. Not life-altering. They have a TON of powdered sugar on top, which will choke you if you take too big of a bite.

And ours were warm, which lent itself well to our enjoyment of them; had they been cold, I don’t think I would’ve cared for them at all.

Pub Food

My husband and I made a deal: I would take the kids to the Pirate Night deck parties by myself if he would get me some of the Loaded Potato Puffs from Keg & Compass while he was there.

This was the only bar food he purchased, and they were $8. I found a plastic-wrapped cast iron bowl two-thirds full of it in our stateroom after the last deck party.

If there is one thing you spend extra money on during your cruise, LET IT BE THIS.

These tater tots covered in nacho cheese, jalapenos, bacon, sour cream, and scallions were ridiculously good, even after they’d gotten cold! (And they were a nice way to make up for the lack of a Pirate Night buffet.)

Plus, the portion was HUGE for $8. I can put away some food, and I still couldn’t finish what he’d saved for me. It literally came in a bowl the width of a dinner plate, and he said it was filled to the top.

Inside Out: Joyful Sweets

Try as I might, we just never had time to even step foot into this upcharge venue. My husband was kind enough to run up on the last night to grab some photos for me, though!

Pre-Show Snacks

Since we had first seating for dinner, it never once crossed our minds to stop for popcorn or candy before heading into the Walt Disney Theatre.

If these are the kinds of snacks you want to squeeze into the cruise, I highly recommend second seating so you can grab some before your early show to hold you over until dinner.

Disney Wish Pools and Slides

The pool situation on the Wish is something totally new, and it has its pros and cons – but mostly cons.

Family Pools

I’ve noticed a lot of the articles written about the Disney Wish pools are straight-up inaccurate and clearly not written by people who have actually been in them.

Want to know how deep the pools REALLY are? I’ve got the correct details for you here.

The good thing about having all of these pools is there’s a body of water for every comfort level (in terms of swimming). And if a biohazard forces one pool to close for a couple of hours, there are several others to hop into instead.

We never found them to be overly crowded, but so many kids seemed to prefer Minnie’s pool, it was basically kid soup.

Mickey’s and Minnie’s Pools

These two pools are where my kids spent most of their time on the pool deck.

They are each two feet deep, and since my children are still learning how to swim, it was the perfect depth for them to safely wade around without needing a life jacket. Fortunately, these are also the two largest family pools (in this area).

Since these two pools are centered on the ship and had wide ledges I could sit on, it was a great place for me to stay cool and close to my kids while enjoying movies on Funnel Vision!

For whatever reason, my kids preferred the Minnie pool, which is closer to the other four pools. My daughter said there “weren’t enough kids” to play with in the Mickey pool – so if you’re looking for a little more space, the one closest to the screen may be your best bet.

The Mickey pool does look bigger than the Minnie pool, but it also has a much larger underwater ledge, so the actual “swim” space is smaller.

Every individual pool on the Wish has its own lifeguard standing right next to it.

When my daughter scraped her knee on the bottom of the pool, they quickly pulled her out, let her sit on the side, and brought a first aid kit to her to bandage her up so she didn’t have to leave my sight (as I needed to stay with her little brother). Top-notch service!

Donald’s and Goofy’s Pools

These are the two perfectly round pools at the highest point of the main pool deck, and they are also the deepest at four-and-a-half feet each. My kids weren’t interested in testing the depth, and they hold fewer people, anyway.

Daisy’s and Pluto’s Pools

At first glance, these “pools” seem to be a waste of space. No one ever seemed to be in them.

They are only six inches deep, effectively making them foot baths. They have gentle waterfalls on the walls behind them.

But as a parent, I see the appeal. For kids who have zero swimming skills but are already potty-trained, or perhaps even children on the spectrum with sensory issues, these pools could be a great spot to stay cool in the water and enjoy a movie on Funnel Vision without having to completely separate yourself from the action.

Unfortunately, they just don’t seem to be utilized. Perhaps only one pool of this depth should’ve been included on the Wish.

Toy Story Splash Zone

While my kids both really liked this area (my daughter, at 8, was technically too old so we didn’t let her stay for long), the slides in here are treacherous.

Whatever material they’re made of does not mix well with sunblocked children, turning them into greased chutes that shoot the children across the splash pad. My son bonked his head as a result of this and decided he didn’t like the Splash Zone anymore.

Slide-a-Saurus Rex

My kids were too chicken to try this rather high and long slide. While adults are allowed to use it as well, I’m not a huge fan of being enclosed in a slide with rushing water, so I passed as well.

Trixie’s Falls

Another seemingly forgotten area, this kids-only pool is yet another 6”-deep one, and frankly should’ve been the only one included on the ship.

It’s located right next to the Splash Zone and slide. I never saw a lot of children in it, though there were certainly more in it than the two shallow pools on the main part of the deck.

Funnily enough, it also has the largest capacity of any pool on board, at 65 guests!

Chip ‘n’ Dale Pool

I had to purposefully seek out this pool, as it is in a totally different part of the ship not found through normal exploring. You’ll want to walk behind Funnel Vision past the Toy Story Splash Zone, and just keep going forward and up until you’ve reached deck 14.

It is a rather large family pool with a depth of two feet. While my kids preferred the chaos that was the Minnie pool, for children who don’t like crowds or lots of noise, this is a truly excellent option to look for.

Unfortunately, when I went (on our Nassau day) it was closed – and didn’t open until noon.

BUT, the area also has some of the best shade (with full-length lounge chairs) on the whole ship, making it a great place to enjoy my brunchtime Kentucky lemonade.

Adults-Only Pools

The pools in Quiet Cove were by far the most disappointing on the Disney Wish, and they were so crowded when I checked them out I couldn’t get in one!

The main pool is an infinity pool. Its stated capacity is 26 guests, but if it were actually that full, strangers would be bumping into each other constantly. Ick.

Another useless 6”-deep pool was put in the adults-only area as well, effectively making it a place to just soak your feet while you drink. A wide ledge in a pool with a four-foot center would’ve been much better, in my opinion.

There’s also one whirlpool, and I only ever saw one person in it – but that’s because it’s so off the side and away from Quiet Cove, I don’t think anyone realizes it exists unless they’re seeking it out.

AquaMouse

The real standout on the Disney Wish pool deck is the Aquamouse!

Disney calls it the first “attraction” at sea, but all they mean by that is there are some video screens lining the conveyor belt that launches you into the water slide.

They play through a cute storyline in the style of the new Mickey Mouse Shorts series, complete with (very cold) water sprays. The video changes with each ride (or perhaps each day, I’m not sure).

The slide itself is really great. As a big girl and a wearer of contacts, I’m always nervous about waterslides – especially enclosed ones, as I mentioned before.

But the AquaMouse doesn’t have any huge drops or surprise face splashes (for me, anyway), allowing me to close my eyes at the necessary moments. My raft never got too slow or too fast as a result of my weight.

Getting off the raft, I had to basically roll off onto my hands and knees before getting myself up. This is a bit daunting as the conveyor belt never stops, but I was able to get up in plenty of time.

For the record, I watched every other person in line ahead of me get on and off the rafts. While some people were able to get in a bit more gracefully than me (I had to do a bit of a fall down on my butt), pretty much everyone looks ridiculous getting off. So don’t worry about it!

Disney Wish Character Meet-and-Greets

The access to characters a Disney cruise provides was one of the features I looked forward to the most.

As I’d hoped, the lines to meet characters are definitely shorter than the parks. We also had a ton of random character encounters in hallways and around the Grand Hall.

The Wish also has some pretty rare characters, featuring Marvel heroes and Star Wars favorites in the lineup.

And of course, lots of princesses and classic Club characters.

You can read my complete guide to all the Disney Wish characters that can be met (or even just seen) for more info!

My family was also lucky enough to attend Olaf’s Royal Picnic if you’re interested in hearing about the newest character in the Frozen universe.

Disney Wish Entertainment

I can now say from experience that the shows on a Disney cruise are all first-class, from the stage shows to the deck parties.

There’s so much more than that to do, too, and I’ll touch on everything we got to do.

Evening Shows

Seas the Adventure

What a great opener for the cruise! This adorable story of Goofy taking over the wheel from Minnie for a night is chock-full of great character cameos and excellent Disney songs.

Unlike the other two shows, it’s only 30 minutes, and I don’t even think an hour would’ve been enough for me! I truly loved it.

Even the part where Captain Mickey’s eyes wouldn’t open at the end – and our Cruise Director had to hilariously lead him off the stage and assume his role – made for a memorable experience.

The Little Mermaid

This show is brand-new to the DCL fleet, and it shows.

The performers were all top-notch, with Sebastian stealing the show. The musical numbers were familiar and excellent.

But the overall vibe was lacking. The set design and props just weren’t immersive enough.

And the story is changed a bit at the end to fit a more modern point of view. While I don’t mind the update itself, the ending feels very abrupt and anticlimactic.

Still, I wouldn’t recommend skipping it! It was just my least favorite of the three.

Aladdin

While this isn’t a new storyline for DCL, the iteration has apparently been tweaked from the Fantasy’s version. Personally, this was my favorite show of them all!

While I absolutely missed the presence of Abu, I can understand why he wasn’t there. Iago provided some comic relief, but the true star of the show is Genie.

Not only was the performer genuinely great for the role, but he delivered some contemporary jokes well enough that even my kids were laughing at things they couldn’t possibly understand.

And the magic carpet ride? I was BLOWN away at how awesome it looked. I couldn’t stop talking about it.

Pirate Night

Mickey’s Pirates in the Caribbean Party

This story is really cute, and I believe it’s pretty much the same as the show performed on the older ships.

You can read all about Pirate Night on Disney Wish for a detailed review of everything that’s different throughout the day.

What I really loved about it, though, is that since Minnie is the official captain of the Disney Wish, she also gets to dress like a captain (as well as Mickey) in this show!

Pirate’s Rockin’ Parlay Party

Personally, I enjoyed this show way more than the character one. This surprised me, as the character Mouse-querade for our Halloween cruise was my favorite deck party out of all of them!

But this party had a much higher energy level than Mickey’s. Maybe it’s because it was brand-new, so all the veteran cruisers on our itinerary had more to be excited about than with the first show.

And of course, this show has the fireworks, which were really great considering the limitations imposed out at sea!

Hero Zone

My family and I visited this area a couple of times, solely to play air hockey. We are not athletic, but we LOVE that game!

The rest of the venue seemed pretty awesome, with table tennis in one large room and a good-sized basketball court as the main area.

We did go to check out the Incredi-Course when it was set up on Nassau Day, but my kids weren’t interested in trying it out once they saw how long the line was.

If you want to try your hand at the inflatable obstacle course, be sure to get there early!

Daily Activities

While my focus was on meeting characters and exploring the various lounges and areas of the ship, there were plenty of other things to do on the schedule each day.

There were always movies playing in the Never Land and Wonderland cinemas. I saw lots of trivia and family crafts on the schedule. Plenty of alcohol tastings were available for adults.

And the character meetings were so frequent that it was impossible for me to attend them all!

Live Music

I never heard a note of live music on the Wish unless I was at a show or deck party.

We never came across anyone performing in the Grand Hall.

Nightingale’s was right off the hall, but the doors to it were always shut, so we never even heard the piano.

We did hear Disney music playing through the ship’s speakers, but it’s just not the same.

I sincerely hope this changes in the future!

Disney Wish Oceaneer Club

The very first thing we did after boarding the ship was check out the kids’ club during the open house! I quickly became super jealous that I wouldn’t be allowed to spend much time there.

My daughter, 8, begged to go to the club several times a day, every day, and never called on us to get her – no matter how long we left her in there. She LOVED being able to take the slide down from the Grand Hall on deck 3.

In fact, if she heard my voice at the front counter on deck 2, I could see her run to a different room in an effort to hide from the cast members coming to collect her. (Fortunately, the required wristbands provide them with very accurate coordinates!)

My son, at 5 years old, is still a bit more attached to me. He didn’t make it 45 minutes in there without us before crying, asking to be picked up, and refusing to go back in (unless I went with him).

Marvel Super Hero Training Academy

All hero meet-and-greets are held in this room, so we ended up walking through it several times.

There are two main things to do here. First, you go to a station where you design your own superhero costume.

Then, you go to an open-floor simulation space where you are virtually dressed in your costume while you use your whole body to help the Avengers fight off bad guys.

It’s so cool!

Fairytale Hall

I very much looked forward to seeing this area after I’d originally read about it. While it is not quite what I expected, is still a very cool trio of spaces.

Belle’s Library

This is the most disappointing space for me, as the library doesn’t actually have any books. I suppose that shouldn’t be surprising for a kids club on a cruise ship, but it seems weird to have a library without books.

It’s really just a small quiet space to hang out. If your child has their own book (or tablet/e-reader) it has the potential to be a nice place to sit and read.

Rapunzel’s Art Studio

Again, this space was not what I expected.

Instead of canvases and paints everywhere, there’s just a table filled with tablets – presumably for “digital” painting.

The design and decor are really amazing, but unfortunately, just for show.

Anna and Elsa’s Summerhaus

Funnily enough, this was the only space where I saw a hands-on activity ready to go. Coloring pages and markers were laid out on the table!

On the other end are some screens, which I presume are part of another virtual reality activity. A couple of cast members seemed to be repairing something when we visited, though, so we didn’t try it out.

Star Wars: Cargo Bay

This room is heaven for fidgety children (and adults)!

The low lighting helps lower the adrenaline, while the many MANY buttons and switches provide an opportunity to satisfy your senses.

Do any of them do anything? Nope. But that didn’t stop any of us from playing with them the entire time we waited in the room to meet Star Wars characters.

Walt Disney Imagineering Lab

This, in my opinion, is the best area of the Oceaneer Club on Disney Wish.

It is the largest single room full of tables and seats, so I suspect most of the organized activities happen here.

During the open house, I spotted costumes, Magna Tiles, board games, and more tablets available for use.

There’s also a separate area where kids can design their own rollercoaster tracks… then ride on them in simulation vehicles!

Mickey & Minnie Captain’s Deck

This is the “playground” area that undoubtedly draws in the youngest of Oceaneer guests.

Filled with small slides, tunnels, ship wheels, levers, and glowing buttons, it is a little one’s dream come true. (And big ones, as I totally fell in love with the design.)

it’s a small world nursery

Our youngest is five, so we had no need to use the nursery’s services. But it was so darn cute I couldn’t help but check it out!

The wall art is insanely adorable. Toddler-sized tables and chairs fill the main area, which has tons of age-appropriate character toys to play with.

Serving babies up to three years old, the nursery also featured a dimly lit napping room filled with changing tables, cribs, comfy chairs, and the sweetest chandelier ever.

Disney Wish Cafes

There are two small cafes available just off the Grand Hall on decks 4 and 5, and being a coffee lover, I ended up purchasing coffee at both.

Enchanted Sword Cafe

The first cafe I found was the Enchanted Sword on deck 5. I grabbed a double macchiato while waiting for Josh to get done with his appointment at Hook’s Barbery.

I got Minnie’s face in the foam on top. How cute!

The coffee also tasted really good, and I felt it was worth the upcharge of $4.

Wishing Star Cafe

After enjoying the previous day’s coffee so much, I decided to get another one while roaming around the ship the next day.

This time, I came across the Wishing Star first. I ordered a double macchiato just as I had the day before.

I’m not sure how or why, but not only was the cup smaller than the first one I had (and therefore less coffee), but I also didn’t get a fun picture in the foam on top.

I was disappointed. My advice? Stick to the Enchanted Sword (or Cove)!

Cove Cafe

For me, the only part of Quiet Cove worth visiting is the cafe, and it is worth the trip!

Despite being up in one of the hottest areas of the ship, it’s well-air-conditioned and has plenty of tables, chairs, and sofas.

Being adults-only, it was nice and quiet, even with several people having conversations around the room. I saw several people working on laptops and reading books.

I decided to try a seasonal drink, the frozen Speculoos latte – and boy, was it tasty! It cost me $7.

Disney Wish Bars & Lounges

While they are rather spread out, there is no shortage of bars on the Wish. I tried most of them!

The Bayou

This venue feels a bit strange, with both sides being completely open to the hallways going around it. The flow of traffic keeps it from feeling like a truly individual space.

That said, it is stunningly beautiful and full of comfortable seating and tables. Crafts are usually held in the Bayou.

While I found it rather small for a “primary” lounge, it never seemed to be overly full. And when we went later in the morning on Nassau day, we ended up being the only ones there!

Josh enjoyed a mimosa, while my son and I shared the Louis favorite (hot cocoa with honey salted caramel almond Häagen-Dazs in it).

When my son rather unsurprisingly spilled half of the cocoa onto the carpet, our bartender graciously came over to clean it up (despite us insisting we would do it ourselves).

He assured us it wasn’t the first time, then cheered up my son with his own mini cup of the Haagen-Dazs that was in the drink (at no charge)!

The next day, I stopped by in the afternoon on my way to Never Land Cinema to grab an Absinthe Frappe… which was strong.

Let’s just say I thoroughly enjoyed sipping it while I watched Thor: Love & Thunder.

Hyperspace Lounge

I love the Disney Wish Star Wars bar so much that I wrote a whole separate post about it!

But for a brief review, I will say that the environment is practically perfect, the drinks were some of the most unique and tasty on the whole ship, and we never had trouble finding a seat.

For me, Hyperspace Lounge is worth the hype. Check it out during the day with your kids, and again in the evening while they’re in the club!

Nightingale’s

By far my biggest regret from our cruise is that I never found time to visit the Wish’s piano bar.

I desperately wanted to, but it never opened until we were at dinner. Between Pirate Night and the Halloween deck party, there was just too much to do (and other lounges I wanted to visit) for me to stop by.

On the last night, I had to finish packing our bags, and by the time I was done, I was too tired to head down for a drink. (Especially when I had to get up at 5:30 the next morning to get ready to debark.)

If I ever get to cruise on the Wish again, it will be the first lounge I go to on the first night!

Keg & Compass

While I didn’t personally make my way to the Wish’s sports bar, my husband spent some time there on Pirate Night.

As he describes it, it isn’t very “Disney” and is just a great place to drink – which was a nice reprieve for him.

The Rose

I must admit, The Rose was my most anticipated lounge – even more so than Hyperspace.

Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney movie, so many features of the Disney Wish were a huge part of my decision to cruise this ship first.

While I had to go without Josh (because Hugo wouldn’t go to the kids club for us to go together), I still enjoyed my brief time in The Rose. I wore a cocktail dress, and I would not recommend going in underdressed.

It is without a doubt the most beautiful and elegant lounge on the Wish. From the entryway to the ceiling design to behind the bar, every detail is immaculate.

I went in the evening and quickly wished I’d gone in the daylight, as the right wall is nothing but floor-to-ceiling windows, which most certainly makes for gorgeous views.

With three drinks on my wishlist and the time to only enjoy one, I settled on the Plant and Fleurs.

The presentation was impressive, with the liquor strained through freshly pressed (I watched the bartender press them!) blackberries. A smoke bubble released on top is then broken with the dramatic drop of a dried flower petal.

More importantly, the flavor was superb. I sipped it as slowly as I could, but it was too good!

Cove Bar

This bar isn’t anything spectacular, as it has no designated seating and is just there to make drinking easy for the adults hanging in the Quiet Cove waters.

Still, after I’d finished my caffeine in Cove Cafe, I grabbed a Kentucky lemonade for my follow-up drink, ha! I took it to the shaded area at deck 14 forward to enjoy, since the adult pools were both too crowded for my taste.

The bartender said they’d run out of Truly Lime at the moment, and with my consent used Truly Pineapple instead. It tasted great!

Wheezy’s Freezies

This hidden gem is more than meets the eye. Not only is it the only place on the ship to get Dole Whip, but you can also add alcohol to any of the upcharge frozen drinks!

Located near the Toy Story Splash Zone on the opposite side from Slide-a-saurus Rex, the seating is limited, making it more of a grab-and-go drink station. And since no one seems to know it’s there, service is pretty quick!

There are special shakes available, as well as sno-cones in various flavors – a big hit with the kids!

I tried a Cowboy Shake, as I love white chocolate and salted caramel. It wasn’t really thick enough to be a true shake, but it did taste good. I enjoyed it in a lounge chair facing my children as they played in the Minnie pool.

Adults-Only Spaces on Disney Wish

Quiet Cove

Unfortunately, I pretty much covered Quiet Cove in the “Pools,” “Cafes,” and “Bars” sections. Because there’s just nothing more to it than that.

The Disney Wish is definitely aimed more at families rather than adults traveling without children.

Senses

I never stepped foot in any part of Senses: not the fitness center nor the spa with the rainforest room.

Not only did I have no desire to do so, but I wouldn’t have had the time on such a short cruise.

Your priorities may be different from mine, and that’s okay! But again, the Wish seems to be aimed at families over couples or solo cruisers, so I have to wonder how many people ever go to these areas on such short itineraries.

Disney Wish Salons

For the first time ever, DCL has incorporated two separate salons for men and women on board the Disney Wish.

And we used both of them!

The Untangled Salon

I booked a Fire and Ice Pedicure for the last day of our cruise, and boy oh boy am I glad I did!

At just $79 – only $20 more than my basic hometown pedicure – I had the most relaxing pedicure of my life.

I owe it all to Susana, who neither pushed any additional purchases on me nor did she make me feel uncomfortable about my weird feet in any way.

She always made sure everything felt good, from the temperature of the water to her “roughness” while exfoliating (because I’d just shaved my legs that day).

But the “fire” part, which was her massaging my feet and legs with hot stones, was absolute bliss.

On top of all that, we got an impromptu mime and dance from Daisy Duck when she walked by the salon and spotted us in the pedicure chairs through the window!

Hook’s Barbery

I booked Josh in the Barbery and told him to get whatever services he wanted. He got his hair buzzed (he’d rather be bald, but I’m not a fan of velcro heads, haha).

But then, he casually asked his barber if he’d be able to braid Josh’s beard for Pirate Night. And even though the barber said he’d never done it before, he did it for Josh, and very well!

The cut and braids totaled just $74 before gratuity, and considering how good the braids were and how long they took, I felt that was fair.

Josh was going to get a drink (there is a bar inside the Barbery), but he said anybody could walk in for one and it was always too busy.

Disney Wish Shops

I am not much of a shopper, so I only went into two stores on the Wish – and the second one was only because the first didn’t have a specific item I wanted.

Mickey’s Mainsail

The only way I can describe this version of DCL’s flagship store is dumb. Long and narrow, it’s extremely difficult to move through with other shoppers present (and they always are).

Furthermore, during our cruise, they seemed to be out of a lot of things. I didn’t see any Christmas ornaments that were specifically branded with Wish, nor did I see any Wish Loungefly backpacks.

They didn’t even have Pirate Stitch Loungefly mini backpacks, and I asked to be sure.

We ended up leaving Mainsail with just a ship wheel magnet… that ended up being too heavy to cling to ANYTHING in our house without sliding down.

Treasures Untold

Normally I wouldn’t go into a store like this, as it’s completely full of items that I would never willingly spend so much money on.

But I was determined to get the mini replica of the bronze Cinderella statue in the Grand Hall, and to my relief, they were on display here.

The Cast and Crew

Something I don’t see reviewed nearly enough in other Disney Wish reviews is what their experience with the ship’s crew was like!

To me, it’s pretty much the most important part of the cruise. How the cast and crew make you and your family feel can make or break your positive feelings about the overall experience.

Well, let me say this: our experience was made. Almost every person we came in contact with gave us exceptional service.

Cast Members

Every single character, from non-speaking costumes to princesses to superheroes to Storm Troopers, made an effort to genuinely interact with us – and particularly the kids.

When we ran into Pirate Goofy after his meet-and-greet shift (which we did not wait in line for), he acted so surprised and happy to see my pirate children! He hugged them, pretended to sword fight with them, and gave them a particularly special memory they weren’t expecting.

At the Royal Gathering, each princess hugged the kids and held conversations with them rather than going straight to a photo pose.

Every superhero did the same, even getting on their knees to speak with my son at his level.

Even the Storm Troopers had some snarky comments toward my husband and me that left my son feeling like he was king of the world.

Crew

Our serving team – Ivo, Melwin, and Magda – were all wonderful.

Melwin made excellent suggestions about what to order from each restaurant’s menu. We never waited long for any of the courses for our meals.

The first night, Magda made the simple error of putting the wrong drinks on our table, and seemed to spend the rest of the cruise trying to make up for it, even though we told her it was no big deal!

On Pirate Night, she even made my teary-eyed daughter laugh by moving her plate and drawing a dog with crayons right there on the tablecloth.

The one time we ate lunch at Marceline Market, not one but two crew members stopped by to perform magic tricks for our children!

Our stateroom host was a ninja, getting the kids’ beds ready while we were at dinner and putting them away while we were at breakfast each day. He would pick up clothes and toys every day and put them away where I easily found them, but I never felt our space or belongings were violated.

I caught him in our room only twice (as I ran back just to grab something), and I could tell he was mad he hadn’t gotten done before I found him! It was pretty funny.

Every bartender, cashier, and usher was completely respectful and helped in every way they could. I was more than pleased with our service all the way around.

Disney Wish Tips

Even with a lot of research, there were a few things I didn’t figure out or really understand until we were physically on the ship.

These are the best tips I have for making your cruise the best it can be!

Request the right dining tables for your family.

This wasn’t a thing before we sailed, and I really “wish” it had been! For both Worlds of Marvel and Arendelle, we didn’t have a great view of the dinner show.

You can now put in a request for your preferred table placement throughout your cruise. Not specifically, but in a general sense.

For example, you can choose “In a quieter location” or “Near a screen,” depending on how close to the action you want to be.

In the DCL Navigator app, under Next Steps tap on “View All,” then scroll down to Special Requests and hit Add.

You’ll be able to make a number of requests, including the area of the restaurants you’d like to sit in.

Plan all of your outfits ahead of time.

I am admittedly an over-packer, but I am also a detailed planner, which in this instance saved me from overdoing it on the suitcases.

First, I sent an email requesting my preferred Disney Wish dining rotation, being reasonably sure they would accommodate me. This way I knew where we would be eating on which night ahead of time.

Then I got down to business, planning coordinating outfits for my entire family of four for each dinner. If there were special events that day, such as Pirate Night or Halloween festivities, I would plan around that (or plan an outfit change!).

I packed various dresses for my daughter to wear, as we had tickets to the Royal Gathering and Olaf’s Royal Picnic. (Fortunately, the picnic matches well with eating dinner in Arendelle.)

Knowing Spider-Man would be on board, I packed my son’s costume to match when they met – which also worked well for dinner at Worlds of Marvel.

For 1923, I packed us all some dressier clothes to change into when we got back from Castaway Cay.

It sounds like a lot – and you can do a lot less, for sure. But planning what you’re wearing to every part of every day means you’re not packing anything you definitely won’t use.

Buy the unlimited photo package.

Even if you don’t care to meet characters, I can’t recommend the digital photo package enough!

Yes, we met a ton of characters, so it was certainly worth it for us. But you also get your photo taken at the table during every dinner.

There are also opportunities for more formal portraits in the Grand Hall before each dinner seating, as well as “magic” photos throughout the cruise.

Even if you only end up with a dozen or so pictures, if you asked for that many from a local professional photographer, they would cost you a lot more than what Disney charges.

The carpet tells you where you are.

Not sure what part of the ship you’re at? Just look down – the hallway carpets will tell you.

Green means you’re in the forward (front) part of the ship, while blue means you’re in the aft (back) part of the ship.

If you need an elevator that goes higher than deck 11, you’ll need the ones near the blue carpet.

Don’t get too close to the elevator buttons!

The Wish has, for unfathomable reasons, attempted to introduce “touchless” elevator buttons.

It was a dumb idea, as everyone puts their fingers on them anyway. But also, it means that just putting your body near them will light every single one of them up.

Don’t be that person. Even if you’re the last one in, take great care not to lean against the elevator buttons.

Go to the Oceaneer Club open house.

You can go even if you don’t have kids! The club is simply one of the most visually stunning areas of the ship, and there are a lot of fun activities there.

Use the open house time to design your own Avenger costume or flip switches and turn knobs in Cargo Bay.

Head to the Imagineering Lab and design a rollercoaster, then hop in the simulator to ride it.

Don’t worry about the kids waiting behind you – they’ll have plenty of time to do it later.

Try to grab a drink at every lounge.

The Wish is ALL about theming – right down to the names and ingredients of their cocktails.

Every single lounge has amazing drinks that are beautifully presented and taste great, including non-alcoholic options.

Walk all the way to the back of Marceline Market.

Not only are you missing out on some of the best food at the back counters at the curve, but you’re also missing out on the best eating spot!

After you get your food and drink, head all the way to the back of this dining area to see doors that lead to the outside.

There are lots of tables and chairs so you can enjoy a nice sea breeze while you eat. Just don’t forget your sunglasses!

The shower buttons serve a purpose.

If you push the left button and turn it, you can get stronger water pressure.

Push the right button and turn it to get even hotter water. (This is a great feature to keep kids from scalding themselves!)

Go flying!

The Wish is the only DCL cruise ship that lets you walk all the way up to the bow (or super close, anyway).

Go to deck 5, exit to the promenade, and walk all the way forward (you’ll have to go up some stairs). Enjoy the view!

Explore, explore, explore!

It’s your vacation, so you should relax in any way that you want. But it can be too easy to lie around on your stateroom bed watching TV or lounging by the pool all day.

I encourage you to take the time to purposefully explore Disney Wish. It is HUGE and there is so much to see, and all of it is stunning!

If you see Lady Lily and Lord Leopold, strike up a chat.

These are two new “characters” exclusive to the Wish, and they are a hoot!

Their whole job is to keep guests entertained. If you spot them walking around the ship, say hello and ask them how their day is going.

It’s certain to lead to a memorable conversation.

Don’t skip Castaway Cay.

Being on a new ship for such a short time makes it very tempting to skip all the ports in favor of more time to explore aboard.

I won’t tell you to get off at Nassau (we didn’t), but I don’t think Castaway Cay should be skipped – even if you’ve been before.

It is truly a beautiful, relaxing island with lots of fun things to do. It’s also good to get off the ship for a little while and take in a different atmosphere.

Go to the Grand Hall at midnight.

A few minutes before midnight, make your way to the Grand Hall on deck three. Walk under the chandelier, then lie down on your back.

Wait for midnight.

Trust me on this.

General Disney Cruise Tips

Here are some quick tips for Disney cruises, no matter which ship you’re on!

• Check in for your cruise at midnight for the earliest boarding group possible
• Pack plenty of sunblock
• Pack water shoes, the pool decks can get HOT
• DON’T pack your own towels
• If you’re able, take the stairs whenever possible
• Order one of everything that sounds good at dinner (and get ALL the desserts)
• Ask for a rewards card when you buy your first specialty coffee
• Get a drink and some food from the pool deck and take it with you to watch a movie in the cinema
• Meet your heroes, they will not disappoint you
• Show up at least 15 minutes early for shows and deck parties – and don’t skip any!
• Remember to relax – you’re on vacation!

Is the Disney Wish worth it?

Every Disney cruise is more expensive than a similar itinerary on the newest ship of any other cruise line.

With that in mind, the Disney Wish is also more expensive per night than any of the older four ships as well.

So is the Wish worth the money?

Honestly… it kind of is.

As reviewed above, we received stellar service on every level.

Our stateroom was gorgeous, but the ship as a whole is absolutely stunning in terms of design, colors, and quality.

We don’t go out to eat much, let alone do any fine dining, so the access to virtually unlimited fine foods at dinner was a huge value for us that we definitely took advantage of.

The evening shows are truly Broadway-caliber and the deck parties go far beyond a DJ and a dance floor.

Yes, the pool areas were lacking in my opinion, but at the same time, we can swim at home.

As far as the adult areas being pitiful, frankly, the lounges were the only “adult” areas I was truly interested in anyway.

The Wish wants bougie families, not bougie adults.

Whether or not it’s worth it to you depends on your budget, your must-haves, and the level of service you require on a cruise.

Even as a strict budgeter, I felt the Disney Wish was worth every penny.

What is special about the Disney Wish?

Everything is Disney-branded, which in itself is inherently more valuable than a generic comparison (like it or not).

From the shopping to the restaurant theming to the evening entertainment, it is ALL about Disney. And these days, Disney is (rightfully) associated with high quality.

When comparing it to the older ships, I would say the elegance is what’s truly special about the Disney Wish.

The extravagant Grand Hall with marble stage and Juliet balcony is gorgeous. The Cinderella theming throughout the ship (based around her magical trip to the ball) is subtle and sweet.

Every lounge is highly detailed and errs on the side of sophisticated. Even the quick service food on the pool deck is elevated, with burrito bowls and smoked meats being ordered left and right.

At the same time, the features for kids are absolutely astounding and eye-catching, from the atmosphere of Star Wars: Cargo Bay to the bright colors and familiar details of Toy Story Splash Zone.

With the Wish, Disney has truly struck a balance between luxury vacationing for adults and quality fun for kids.

Does the Disney Wish feel crowded?

We sailed in October 2022, during our school district’s Fall Break.

Based on the number of other children we saw on our cruise, I’d assume it was the Fall Break for many schools across the country.

I don’t know how many guests were actually on our cruise, but I do know Walt Disney Theatre was full for every performance, and the pool deck was packed for every party. The ends of these events were the only times we ever had trouble getting an elevator quickly.

That said, I did not think the ship felt overly crowded.

It was at a level I expected and could handle everywhere we went – with the exception of the adults-only pool area, which I skipped due to the number of people in it.

Minnie’s pool got pretty full, but once it started to feel too hectic, kids started migrating toward the Mickey pool.

There was never a lounge or bar we couldn’t find a seat at, and I found most of them to be pretty empty in the evening. Hyperspace Lounge was, of course, the busiest, but still not full.

The tightness of Mickey’s Mainsail has more to do with the store’s shape and layout than the number of shoppers in it.

I never saw the posted wait for AquaMouse to be longer than 30 minutes (and that was midday on the day at sea).

We did have to walk around a bit to find a table near the quick service stations on the day at sea, but it was right around noon at a time when everyone had to be on the ship. So, it still wasn’t that bad.

Is Disney Wish the best cruise ship DCL has to offer?

“Best” is certainly subjective, and I cannot personally compare the Disney Wish to other DCL ships just yet.

I loved the Wish for its stylishness, its many nods to Beauty and the Beast, and the abundance of Frozen theming.

But I also had a tough time not going with the Disney Magic for our first ship, as we are big Tangled fans and the lower number of guests onboard was very enticing.

The truth is that no one can tell YOU the “best” Disney ship to set sail on. You’ll need to compare all the restaurants, shows, lounges, and other features side-by-side and make the choice that’s best for you.

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That’s it! That is my insanely long (but extremely thorough) comprehensive Disney Wish review – from a family that has actually been on it. 😉

If you have any specific questions about what it’s like to cruise on the Wish, feel free to leave them in the comments below.