The Disney Wish is the fifth and newest cruise ship from the Disney Cruise Line. Disney Wish is the largest ship in the fleet. The ship features tons of Disney details, experiences, and dining.
Here are some of my takeaways on Disney’s newest ship — the Disney Wish.
The layout is different from previous Disney Cruise Line ships
The Disney Wish has a different layout in comparison to other Disney Cruise Line ships. Noticeably for me, there isn’t a single deck where you can take traditional laps around the ship.
The elevators are tight and don’t always work
The Disney Wish elevators were slim, and they didn’t always operate smoothly. Sometimes you’d be on an elevator going down and all of sudden you’re going up. There were often times I would opt to take the steps just to avoid potential issues with the elevators.
Marceline Market gets tight — so arrive early or at off times
The buffet area on the Disney Wish is the Marceline Market. Marceline is the name of Walt Disney’s hometown in Missouri. It’s a cute area and the buffet is set up for a post-pandemic world (you don’t serve yourself). The one thing is that the area gets extremely busy and tight. So if you’re claustrophobic I’d recommend getting your breakfast early and if you have lunch at the buffet going during an off time.
The adult area was nice
The adult area of the Disney Wish was nice and secluded. It even featured a pretty cool infinity pool which provided some epic views.
The rooms were super nice
The rooms were pretty spacious for a Disney Cruise, and they utilize the space super well. I definitely had a nice room even though I only spent time there to change and sleep.
Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge is cool
Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge is a unique space within the Disney Wish. You walk through an automatic door that feels straight out of the Star Wars galaxy and into a space that resembles a luxurious starcruiser. I saw the StarSpeeder 1000 (Star Tours starship) and The Halcyon (Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser) while at the bar. I also drank a Cloud City, which was a non-alcoholic drink that featured galaxy ice cream, oat milk, and blue raspberry. The space is cool but it’s on the smaller side.
AquaMouse was a blast
The AquaMouse is the first Disney attraction at sea, and it was a fun experience. The AquaMouse is set in the same universe as Runaway Railway, and it’s just fun. I honestly hope Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach does a water attraction like this with screens.
Worlds of Marvel is a fun experience but could use better and more fun food options
Worlds of Marvel is a fun experience with good entertainment value and a lot to look at on the various screens throughout the restaurant. The dessert menu reflected the fun side of Marvel but the main menu I think went in the wrong direction and could’ve used more fun MCU-themed food. (Disney just needs to make the Pizza Balls from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness a reality).
I like how the new Disney Cruise Line ships are embracing being extensions of the parks in certain ways
AquaMouse is an extension of the Runaway Railway universe even if it is smaller in scale. Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge has some connectivity to Galaxy’s Edge and Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. Worlds of Marvel has quite a few Avengers Campus easter eggs as well. It’s cool to see Disney embrace the new cruise ships as extensions of the parks and their stories. It makes me excited to see what Disney Parks elements get expanded on for the Disney Treasure.
Arendelle has great theming and entertainment but it’s probably better if you’re close to the action.
If you’re a diehard Frozen fan you’re going to love Arendelle. The food is pretty good and there is a lot of entertainment going on. It’s probably best if you’re seated near the stage area because if you’re not you’ll just be listening to Frozen music at a distance.
The broadway shows were all good but Aladdin — A Musical Spectacular was the best of the best.
The Disney Wish provided three Broadway-level productions — Disney Seas The Adventure, The Little Mermaid, and Aladdin — A Musical Spectacular.
Disney Seas The Adventure features Goofy and Captain Minnie Mouse. It also doesn’t feature any music from A Goofy Movie which was truly a missed opportunity. The Little Mermaid is well a condensed retelling of The Little Mermaid. But Aladdin — A Musical Spectacular was the best of the best. Aladdin is already a great show, but the Genie of this show did not miss. He made jokes about Lightyear, Harrison Ford and Indiana Jones 5, and even Genie+ at Walt Disney World.
There was so much I didn’t do or experience as well!
The Disney Wish is huge. So, I didn’t have time to do everything. If I get the chance to go back on I would definitely make an effort to try some more food spots and find time to explore even more. Maybe even do a few different experiences.
Mickey Mouse is a really good dancer
This is one of the biggest takeaways from my trip. I was on one of the upper decks as we sailed away from Port Canaveral and I watched Mickey Mouse dance, and I realized he doesn’t get enough credit for being a good dancer.
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Zach Perilstein is the Editor-in-Chief of the Boardwalk Times
