Rating the Disney Dream

Hits and misses

This was not only my first Disney cruise but also my first cruise of any kind. For the most part, the Disney cruise regulars I spoke to marveled at the Dream, calling it bigger, brighter and better than its older cousins, with many more bells and whistles. Here were some of the things that caught my attention:

Dislikes

• The endless incidental costs on what was billed as an all-inclusive cruise.

• The small stateroom, which seemed to grow larger as the days passed.

• The woeful “Villains Tonight” stage show, which wasn’t up to the usual Disney standard. .

• The disappointing Animator’s Palette dinner show, which seemed more like virtual wallpaper than the stunning visual entertainment I expected.

• The omnipresent screeching-child sounds that turned an otherwise luxurious ship into a Chuck E. Cheese.

Likes

• The mildly thrilling though thoroughly enjoyable AquaDuck water coaster.

• The ship’s luxurious and glamorous Art Deco styling.

• The virtual porthole in our interior stateroom. I only wish the animated characters that popped up on screen appeared more often.

• The Oceaneers Lab kids play land where Hannah would have been happy to retire until she started high school.

• The Disney characters that seemed to show up every time you turned a corner.

• The delectable desserts at every meal.

• And the tireless crew, many of whom were still learning the ropes of the new ship (and, in some cases, the language).

— Brady MacDonald