We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Read my full disclosure here.
I just got off a 3-day Disney Wish cruise and it was phenomenal! This is Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship and I really loved this sailing. I’m so excited to share with you 7 reasons to sail on the Disney Wish and my Disney Wish Review and thoughts with you. Hopefully this will help you decide if you want to sail on the Disney Wish!
7 Reasons to Sail on the Disney Wish
It’s 2022 and the newest cruise ships are getting bigger and better! The cruise lines had a nice pause to really get their act together and they are coming back to safe sailing with a vengeance!
Disney Cruise Line’s fifth, and newest ship is the Disney Wish. It’s the third class of ship in their fleet and currently (Fall 2022) sailing three and four night itineraries out of Port Canaveral, Florida.
This was my 12th cruise, second with Disney Cruise Line (we did the Disney Wonder in 2020) and my fourth cruise since the restart of sailing in 2021 (I sailed on Holland America’s Nieuw Amsterdam, Virgin Voyage’s Scarlet Lady, and Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas) so I for sure have a lot to compare the Disney Wish to!
When did the Disney Wish set Sail
The Disney Wish debuted in July 2022, so my September sailing was still one of its first- and this ship still looks brand new, which I loved!
What’s Different About the Disney Wish
The Disney Wish is currently the largest ship in Disney Cruise Line’s fleet. There is more pool and deck space than the Disney Magic and Fantasy, and over twice as many concierge level rooms as on the other Disney ships.
Many of the eateries and bars are new to this ship, but you see the consistency of great food and service that you find on the smaller Disney Cruise Line ships.
Let’s look at my top seven reasons to sail on the Disney Wish!
Choosing a cruise can be tough. There are so many different lines and itineraries, different ships and room categories. Some lines have better food, more drink options, and more entertainment than others. Of course, there is your budget to consider as well!
For those reasons, it’s always best to consult with a travel professional to help find the perfect ship for you next vacation. And the best part? My services are free!
Reasons to Sail on the Disney Wish #1: Disney Wish Staterooms
There are Disney Wish ship reviews and tours all over the internet and YouTube, but I wanted to focus this post on what I loved about the Disney Wish and who would enjoy this ship. Since you should ALWAYS use a travel agent to book a cruise, I would love to help YOU find the perfect Disney ship, or cruise for your family!
I originally booked an Oceanview cabin on the front of deck 6, but was upgraded (not sure why) to a Deluxe Oceanview with a large port hole, cabin 6506.
I really loved this stateroom- one of the biggest and brightest I’ve ever sailed in. I do love a balcony room, but for 3-nights, this was a good place to save some money on our cruise fare.
The rooms are well appointed with the split bath, small tub, Disney toiletries, plenty of closet space, lots of outlets, a TV, desk area, cool box fridge, and a large couch that turns into a bunk bed for guests three and four. I love that there is a curtain to separate the bunks from the king bed, which is very nice when traveling with littles.
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY CRUISE PACKING LIST BEFORE YOU SAILL
If your family is looking for the biggest and best suites at sea, the Disney Wish has them for sure! How about the Princess Aurora Royal Suite or the Briar Rose Royal Suite? These two-story suites are complete with two bedrooms, three full bathrooms, a large living area, an open dining room, pantry, wet bar and a large verandah with a whirlpool tub.
Sounds fit for a princess!
There are also some gorgeous single-story suites and 76 concierge level rooms on the Disney Wish. With concierge level rooms, you get:
- Access to the Concierge Lounge
- Down Duvets & Pillow Menu
- Robe and Slippers
- Free Wifi (not unlimited)
- Chance to pre-reserve activities
- Services of a Concierge Host
- Surprise gifts
I found the ship layout easy to navigate, and each floor seemed to have a theme regarding the art work and decor (this is where I wish I would have had more time to explore the ship).
Where we stayed, on deck 6 was a Cinderella theme and my daughter noticed that deck 9 was a Moana theme!
Reasons to Sail on the Disney Wish #2: Disney Art and History
If you love Disney art and history- you must sail on the Wish! From the beautiful displays throughout the ship, to the 1923 restaurant filled with Disney nostalgia, this is a Disney lover’s dream ship!
Reasons to Sail on the Disney Wish #3: Dining Onboard the Disney Wish
The dining on the Disney Wish was definitely top. Both the quality and the variety were amazing.
I’m vegetarian and my daughter is not the most adventurous eater, but we both enjoyed all of the dining venues.
If you have sailed on one of the four other Disney Cruise Lune ships, you will certainly love the three new rotational dining restaurants! They are:
World of Marvel – an Avengers themed meal (I loved all three dinners, but this was my favorite)
Arendelle – come to the engagement feast of Cristoff and Anna
1923 – The “Fancier” restaurant with an art deco theme and Disney memorabilia throughout the restaurant.
I was a little sad that there wasn’t Animators Palate, but it was nice to have three new themed restaurants, and I do think seasoned DCL guests will appreciate that.
I did love the festival of foods, food hall concept on deck 11 by the pool. I love being able to grab lunch or a snack, poolside, without having to cover up and head into the buffet.
Which speaking of buffet, on the Disney Wish, Cabanas has been redesigned into Marceline Market, but to be honest, this felt like Cabanas (or any other cruise buffet I’ve been to) but it’s nice to have newer theming and I loved the front area with the coffee shop and more lounge style seating.
Reasons to Sail on the Disney Wish #4: Disney Wish Pools and Aqua Mouse
I loved the pool set up on the Disney Wish, there were smaller, deeper pools, all prime facing the funnel vision movie! I like the deeper pools to be able to cool off, but they were small in diameter and kids might prefer the wider, shallower pools on the other ships.
Around the main pool deck there were plenty of chairs, and if you go up to deck 12 (Around the pool) or 14 (Way front of the ship), there were a ton of loungers- not sure most people knew those were there!
I also loved that there was another pool area, up on deck 14 called the Chip & Dale pool. This would be perfect for those who want a quieter pool area.
On Deck 12, the Toy Story Splash Pad and T-Rex slide is also perfect for little ones! If you have little kids they will love exploring this pool area.
My daughter loved the aqua-mouse, a roller coaster at sea. She rode a few times, but every time I went to ride, the lines were very long. Definitely try to ride on embarkation day, that seemed to be the least crowded time to try it.
Reasons to Sail on the Disney Wish #5: Adults Only Areas on the Disney Wish
Disney Cruise Line does such a great job of centering their cruises around family travelers, but they also do a nice job with their adult only offerings.
On the Disney Wish, the adults only pool (The Cove) is now on deck 12 in the way aft of the ship. Up here you will find an infinity pool, bar, the coffee shop (Cove cafe) and a hot tub.
This is a great spot to take in a drink and relax.
Adults can also enjoy the indoor/outdoor Senses Spa, but you must purchase a hydrotherapy pass. For our sailing this was only available for the length of the cruise, and it was around $180.
Lastly, Disney Wish has two specialty, adults only restaurants (fees apply) Palo and Enchante, which sadly we didn’t get to try on this sailing. My husband and I did love Palo on the Disney Wonder, so I’m sure it’s amazing on the Disney Wish as well!
Reasons to Sail on the Disney Wish #6: Activities and Shows on the Disney Wish
I’ll admit, I’m a sun worshipper, so I love to just hide up on the deck, with a good book, and relax. Which is a little in contrast to all the must-dos and variety of activities on the ship.
The shows on a Disney Cruise are a must do! On the Disney Wish we saw a Broadway caliber (one hour) production of Aladdin. It was really great!
My daughter got to see a first run movie, Pinocchio, which is also a popular activity on the Disney Wish (there are two movie theaters)
DISNEY WISH TIP: Don’t forget to bring movie candy from home and buy a popcorn bucket on day 1 and save money on refills. You can also bring your popcorn bucket from the Walt Disney World parks, or take your cruise bucket with you to the parks.
The Disney Wish offered many character meets, but the lines were very long. Be sure to check the app for times and line up early for character meets.
Reasons to Sail on the Disney Wish 7: Disney Wish Mixology
One of the places where the Disney Wish really shines is the amazing bars on board! Both in terms of the amazing spaces and the interesting cocktails offered.
On board, you can enjoy cocktails at Nightingale (try the signature cocktail served in a glass shaped like a bird), Hyperspace Lounge (star Wars themed lounge), the Bayou (gorgeous New Orleans themed bar), Enchanting Sword Cafe (lobby bar on deck 5) or Keg and Compass (Irish Pub).
DISNEY WISH PRO TIP: Keg and Compass also serves food for small fee.
If you fancy a bourbon cocktail, be sure to visit the speakeasy at Hook’s Barbary – yes at the barber shop, there is a bar! I spoke with the mixologist there, and in this little bar area you can find shots of alcohol over 100 years old and costing upwards of $2500 an ounce!
If outdoor drinking is your ting, check out the bar in the Cove, OR Currents, up on deck 13 – again this was an area with cute seating and I am not sure people knew it was there!
Things I didn’t Love About the Disney Wish
There are a few things I didn’t love about the Disney Wish, not many but here they are:
Elevators– this seemed like poor designing. The elevators are small and narrow. There are no elevators in the front of the ship. On this sailing, there was lots of waiting for elevators and I know families with strollers and wheelchairs found the narrow cars especially tricky.
Walking Track– If you follow me on Instagram, you know I start EVERYDAY with a long walk. At home, on vacation, and especially love walking the track on cruise ships. Well on the Disney Wish, it’s like they forgot about adding one and decided to piece it together at the last minute. You can access parts of the walking track on the forward decks 4, 5 and 6, but yes, it goes up and down three flights on each side. I guess that was good exercise, but the stairs were pretty annoying and the “track” does not loop all the way around the ship. Not sure there is much they can do here, but if you are looking for the walking/stair climbing path, that is where to find it.
CHECK OUT MY FULL SHIP TOUR ON YOU TUBE:
Waiting for everything– I felt like we did a lot of waiting on the Disney Wish. Waiting for food, waiting for drinks, waiting for characters, waiting for the aqua mouse. Not sure if this was part of the ship design, or just the nature of trying to do it all on a short cruise?
Shut out of on-board experiences– Disney Cruise Line opens booking windows for on-board experiences based on your Castaway Club level. So those who sailed before get first dibs at all the “good stuff.” I feel like the Disney Wish is not a starter DCL ship – meaning its inaugural sailings are really attracting seasoned Disney Cruisers. Hence by the time I, a silver Castaway Cay member, got to look at on-board experiences, there was NOTHING left. That was definitely disappointing.
Disney Wish Review
Overall, I LOVED this ship! The food was really a stand out and I loved my stateroom. The beautiful artwork around the ship, and the attention to detail was top. The service we received was OUTSTANDING and my only real complaint was that the sailing was too short! I would like to see the Disney Wish offering some longer (5-7 nights, maybe) sailings.
If you love cruising, love Disney, love the latest and greatest, than the Disney Wish is certainly for you! Have you sailed on Disney Cruise line? Have you sailed on the Disney Wish?
Follow Momma To Go on social media! Twitter, Facebook , Pinterest, and Instagram
Please share:
This cruise looks absolutely amazing! Definitely a must to add to my list
it was really great – can’t beat a new shiP!