After 21 Disney cruises, I have opinions.
Some may be unpopular. Some may have you nodding along. A few might make devoted Disney cruisers question all of my life choices.
I’ve sailed on the Disney Magic, Wonder, Dream, Fantasy, and Wish. I’ve stayed in everything from a Deck 2 oceanview stateroom to Concierge, cruised with and without children, crossed the Panama Canal, sailed the South Pacific, and played more rounds of trivia than I could possibly count.
I genuinely love Disney Cruise Line—but loving something doesn’t mean believing everything about it is perfect. These are my personal Disney Cruise Line hot takes, based entirely on how I like to cruise.
Disney cruises are fantastic for adults without children
Let’s start with what may be my most controversial opinion: Disney Cruise Line is a great option for adults traveling without kids.
Most of my Disney cruises have been without children, and many of my friends sail Disney without children too.
Strangely, Disney cruises can sometimes feel as though they have fewer children than cruises on other lines—even though they obviously have substantially more. Disney’s youth spaces are so appealing that many kids genuinely want to spend time there. Meanwhile, adults have dedicated restaurants, lounges, activities, entertainment, and quiet areas of their own.
I can spend my day going to trivia, enjoying an adults-only meal, watching a movie, meeting characters, and relaxing in an adult space without feeling as though I accidentally wandered into someone else’s family vacation.
Yes, there are children aboard. A lot of them. But Disney does an excellent job of creating experiences for different age groups.
You do not need to bring a child to enjoy the magic.
I love Concierge—but it is not automatically worth the price
I’ve sailed Concierge on every Disney ship I’ve experienced except the Dream, and I’ll be correcting that next month.
I personally love it. I enjoy the quieter environment, the convenient food and drinks, the extra space, and the support from the Concierge team. If you love Disney’s evening shows, early access to the theater and excellent seats can also be a meaningful perk.
Concierge may be worth considering if:
- You really want a cabana on one of Disney’s private islands.
- You’re traveling with a group staying in Concierge and want an easy meeting place.
- You prefer peaceful, less-crowded spaces.
- You like having snacks and drinks nearby.
- You expect to need considerable help from Guest Services.
- You want additional space.
- You plan to attend the evening shows and care about getting excellent seats.
One of my favorite Concierge memories happened when the team helped prepare our Castaway Cay cabana so we could surprise my mom for her birthday. That kind of personal attention can turn a lovely trip into a lasting family memory.
But all those benefits come at a significant premium.
I’ve also enjoyed plenty of Disney cruises outside Concierge—sometimes much farther down the ship in a Deck 2 oceanview stateroom. You can have an incredible Disney cruise without lounge access, complimentary drinks, or a private sun deck.
If sailing Concierge means waiting years before you can cruise again, skip it.
Given the choice, I will always recommend cruising more often.
Palo dinner is better than Palo brunch
I know Palo brunch has devoted fans. I used to be one of them.
Before the pandemic, brunch had a buffet presentation in the private dining room that made the meal feel particularly special. Post-COVID Palo brunch doesn’t have quite the same magic for me.
Dinner, however, still delivers.
My ideal Palo dinner includes the caprese, beef tenderloin, macaroni and cheese, and the Prosecco we receive as our Platinum Castaway Club gift.
Most importantly, dinner has the amaretto soufflé.
The amaretto soufflé may be the best thing served anywhere on the ship. That alone makes this an easy decision.
Palo dinner wins.
It is okay to skip the Walt Disney Theatre shows
I used to attend every show in the Walt Disney Theatre. If Disney introduces a new production, I will absolutely see it at least once.
After 21 cruises, though, I’ve seen many of the shows several times. Repeating the same production doesn’t always feel as magical as it once did.
I still love The Golden Mickeys and won’t miss it when it’s offered. I also enjoy Twice Charmed. But more often than not, I now skip the theater—especially the special guest acts offered during longer cruises.
Instead, I might go to trivia or see a movie in the Buena Vista Theatre.
First-time cruisers should absolutely experience Disney’s live productions. They’re beautifully staged, and the theater is an important part of the Disney Cruise Line experience.
Repeat cruisers, however, have my permission to skip a show without guilt. You don’t receive a trophy for completing every activity on the Personal Navigator.
The Fantasy is more appealing to me than the Wish
The Disney Fantasy is my favorite ship. To me, it’s the most beautiful in terms of its colors and venues.
I enjoy the Classic and Dream Class ships fairly equally, but I’m not currently a big fan of the Wish. In fairness, I’ve only spent four nights aboard her, so I’m open to giving her another chance.
My primary issue was the layout.
Venues used for popular activities such as trivia felt far too small. On the other Disney ships, my friends and I can practically run from one trivia session to the next. On the Wish, arriving at least 30 minutes early felt necessary if we wanted any hope of finding seats.
That is a lot of waiting for an activity that hasn’t even started.
I also missed the more personal connection I had experienced in other Concierge lounges. The Wish’s lounge offered some excellent hot-food options, but its size made the experience feel less personal to me. The food was an improvement; the reduced sense of connection was a significant loss.
The newest ship isn’t automatically the best ship for every cruiser. Sometimes the layout, atmosphere, and little details matter more than having the newest features.
The pools are overrated
You will rarely find me in a pool on Disney Cruise Line.
If I do spend time near one, it will probably be at Satellite Falls on the Dream or Fantasy. Even then, it might happen for only part of one day.
I didn’t get in a pool during our Panama Canal cruise. The only time I entered one during our South Pacific sailing was to participate in swimming across the equator.
Cruise-ship pools are small, busy, and surrounded by many other things I would rather be doing. If the primary goal of my vacation were to spend every day beside a large pool, I would probably choose an all-inclusive resort instead.
On a Disney cruise, I’d rather play trivia, watch a movie, meet a character, explore the ship, or simply find a quiet place to relax.
Character greetings are underrated—even for adults
I may skip the pool and repeat performances of Disney shows, but I still genuinely love meeting the characters.
Yes, even at my age.
Character greetings are magical, and they create especially fun memories when you have a photo package. Longer cruises can be wonderful for character photos because the lines are often short. As the characters rotate, it can be easy to move from one greeting to the next.
One of my favorite interactions happened during a Marvel Day at Sea cruise. Loki noticed that he wasn’t represented on my Marvel-themed shirt and was appropriately disappointed. He then explained that he was trying to turn over a new leaf with Thor.
That spontaneous interaction is exactly why I continue to meet the characters. You never know what they’re going to say or what small moment will become one of your favorite memories from the trip.
Character greetings aren’t only for children. Get in the line. Take the picture. Let Loki critique your wardrobe.
The best Disney cruise is the one that fits how you travel
After 21 Disney cruises, I no longer feel obligated to follow someone else’s definition of a perfect sailing.
I can love Concierge while admitting it isn’t worth sacrificing additional cruises. I can skip the pool, choose Palo dinner over brunch, and walk past the theater in favor of trivia. I can prefer the Fantasy to the Wish and still look forward to trying new Disney ships and experiences.
That’s one of the best things about Disney Cruise Line: there are enough options to create a vacation that feels like yours.
And if your ideal Disney cruise involves meeting characters without children, eating an amaretto soufflé, and running from one trivia session to another, I’ll probably see you there.
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