After our delicious breakfast at Boma, we were whisked away on the other most magical bus in the world, The Disney Cruise Line bus. Considering where the DCL bus usually takes you, which is on a most fantastic voyage with superior service, first class entertainment, and top notch accommodations, I'd say it is neck and neck with those Magical Express buses.
Unfortunately for us, we were ONLY going on a tour and not to be a negative Nancy, but it is just cruel to put ME on a DCL bus, take me to Port Canaveral, parade me around The Disney Dream cruise ship, then make me get off said ship without so much as even a 3 hour tour of the coast of Florida. But I digress. I did bring my passport just in case they reconsidered. Alas, they did not.
There is just nothing better after an hour long bus ride from the most magical place on Earth, than to look out your window and see a Disney cruise ship anchored, awaiting your arrival. I was just as excited to see it for the tour as I was when I actually was going on my own cruise. (Well almost) And I may be biased, but I think Disney ships are the most beautiful ships and the others pale in comparison next to her.
We headed straight to the Disney Cruise Line exclusive terminal at Port Canaveral. Though not owned by Disney, it is completely created for Disney so that guests can begin to feel the Disney magic the moment they clear security and ride that escalator to begin their check-in process. There are Disney friendly cast members waving at and greeting guests and directing them where to go to begin their magical journey.
We arrived close to 10:00AM and the terminal was virtually empty, but that didn't last long as guests started to trickle in. Once guests check-in, they will be assigned a boarding group number. Once they start allowing boarding, the numbers are called fairly quickly. As a perk, Platinum Castaway Club members get to enjoy priority check-in in the concierge area of the cruise terminal. Then receive priority boarding following Concierge Guests, which board at 11:30 vs regular boarding which begins at 1:30.
Unfortunately for us, we were ONLY going on a tour and not to be a negative Nancy, but it is just cruel to put ME on a DCL bus, take me to Port Canaveral, parade me around The Disney Dream cruise ship, then make me get off said ship without so much as even a 3 hour tour of the coast of Florida. But I digress. I did bring my passport just in case they reconsidered. Alas, they did not.
There is just nothing better after an hour long bus ride from the most magical place on Earth, than to look out your window and see a Disney cruise ship anchored, awaiting your arrival. I was just as excited to see it for the tour as I was when I actually was going on my own cruise. (Well almost) And I may be biased, but I think Disney ships are the most beautiful ships and the others pale in comparison next to her.
We headed straight to the Disney Cruise Line exclusive terminal at Port Canaveral. Though not owned by Disney, it is completely created for Disney so that guests can begin to feel the Disney magic the moment they clear security and ride that escalator to begin their check-in process. There are Disney friendly cast members waving at and greeting guests and directing them where to go to begin their magical journey.
We arrived close to 10:00AM and the terminal was virtually empty, but that didn't last long as guests started to trickle in. Once guests check-in, they will be assigned a boarding group number. Once they start allowing boarding, the numbers are called fairly quickly. As a perk, Platinum Castaway Club members get to enjoy priority check-in in the concierge area of the cruise terminal. Then receive priority boarding following Concierge Guests, which board at 11:30 vs regular boarding which begins at 1:30.
While waiting for that number to be announced, guests can take in the terminal. There is a giant replica of the Disney Magic to oooh and ahhh over. As the cruising guests start to arrive, special Disney guests show up to welcome the families and sign autographs and take photos. Also, out the back end of the terminal is a sundeck where you can go out and watch the loading of all the yummy eats and mass amounts of supplies heading onto the ship. It's a great place for photos and to take in the grand scope of the ship about to take you to a tropical destination. Believe it or not, time goes by pretty fast and before you know it you'll be boarding e ship, getting that Welcome Aboard photo, then hearing your family name announced with applause as you cross the threshold between land and sea.
The Disney Dream is the sister ship to The Fantasy which we sailed upon 2 years ago on a 7-night Eastern Caribbean Cruise. We will be returning to the Fantasy this June. The two ship are VERY similar and really the only real difference I noted was the theming in the adult areas and minor decor differences in main atrium . Other than that, the only other major difference is the itineraries, which makes the cost of the cruises different as well.
On the tour we literally went from top to bottom and forward to aft and both port and starboard sides of the ship. We saw a wide variety of categories of staterooms offered. Unfortunately, because the rooms were not guest ready, and were in the process of being prepared for sailing, we were not allowed to take photos within the rooms.
Suffice to say that I have a thorough understanding and can now say I have seen just about all there is to see regarding every category available on the ship, from inside staterooms with a magical porthole to ocean view with a porthole so late you can comfortable sit in it, to the top of the line Walt Disney Suite with it's own huge private sundeck and hot tub. There are rooms to accommodate those with disabilities, both inside staterooms and those with verandahs. There are staterooms that can sleep up to 5 or only accommodate 3. Adjoining rooms and shared balconies are available for larger groups/families.
We were allowed to take photos of other areas of the ship as they were guest ready, seeing as guests were boarding by this point. The pictures below will be a glimpse at the beauty of the Disney Magic. It is quite difficult to determine the best way to share what I learned and/or saw on this tour or on my personal cruise. I have previous blogs detailing some of the previous cruise, but I apparently did not want to bog you all down with every detail of my trip and didn't.
I will do another post regarding adulting on a Disney Cruise. Here I will share the SPA experiences and the other Adult areas. I will also briefly discuss the kid's areas of the ship and how that works.
On the tour we literally went from top to bottom and forward to aft and both port and starboard sides of the ship. We saw a wide variety of categories of staterooms offered. Unfortunately, because the rooms were not guest ready, and were in the process of being prepared for sailing, we were not allowed to take photos within the rooms.
Suffice to say that I have a thorough understanding and can now say I have seen just about all there is to see regarding every category available on the ship, from inside staterooms with a magical porthole to ocean view with a porthole so late you can comfortable sit in it, to the top of the line Walt Disney Suite with it's own huge private sundeck and hot tub. There are rooms to accommodate those with disabilities, both inside staterooms and those with verandahs. There are staterooms that can sleep up to 5 or only accommodate 3. Adjoining rooms and shared balconies are available for larger groups/families.
We were allowed to take photos of other areas of the ship as they were guest ready, seeing as guests were boarding by this point. The pictures below will be a glimpse at the beauty of the Disney Magic. It is quite difficult to determine the best way to share what I learned and/or saw on this tour or on my personal cruise. I have previous blogs detailing some of the previous cruise, but I apparently did not want to bog you all down with every detail of my trip and didn't.
I will do another post regarding adulting on a Disney Cruise. Here I will share the SPA experiences and the other Adult areas. I will also briefly discuss the kid's areas of the ship and how that works.
Click here for a link to the dining options on Disney Cruise Line. Some are ship specific, but you can reach ship specific details in the drop down menu. Below I included some photos of the dining areas we visited, including the adult only Palo (My blog of our experience during my cruise) and Remy and where we had lunch, Cabanas, which is a massive buffet dining area.
Thank you for reading my blog. Hope you enjoyed visiting the Disney Dream with me and are ready to see it for yourself. Request a quote to get yourself on this or any of the other ships among the Disney Cruise Line. Be on the look out for my next blog regarding adulting on Disney Cruise Line. It is NOT just a cruise for kids!
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