Magic vs Dream vs Fantasy!!!

[Shelby Schroepfer]

I KNOW this is all preference but I am curious as to what experienced cruisers would choose. We have a bit of freedom when it comes to booking our first cruise. We can choose any 4 night cruise from October, November or December of 2020. Our budget is as cheap as possible BUT the difference in the Miami port vs Port Canaveral is only 200$ which would be the difference in flying into MCO vs MIA or FLL. So we would pay a bit more for the Dream or Fantasy out of Canaveral, but save on airfare.

I know the October trip would be on the Fantasy and it would be a Halloween on the High Seas trip vs the other 3 dates would be Very Merrytime trips. We love both Halloween and Christmas so that wouldn't sway our decision.

I also know the Magic is an "older" and smaller ship. I've read that this can mean less people busier areas when there ARE people. Like the atrium or leaving shows, or deck parties.

I truly am having a hard time deciding! Our first cruise, 2 adults 1 6 year old daughter. WDW goers usually and trying a cruise to see how we like it! I am open to any experiences or thoughts!

Oct 26-30-Fantasy-2722$
Nov 12-16-Magic-2556$
Nov 30-Dec 4-Dream-2785$
Dec 3-7-Magic-2595$


THANK YOU!!!!!!

 

[Cruising Engineer]

I thought you decided on December 2020 4 night Magic stateroom 1079?

 

[Shelby Schroepfer]

I thought you decided on December 2020 4 night Magic stateroom 1079?

That was until I looked at some flights into Miami area and realized it would be a couple hundred dollars more So now we're trying to narrow it down between these 4! I hadn't paid the deposit yet so we weren't locked into anything, just went with the cheapest and then started digging and realized we could afford a bit more.

 

[DCLCruiseFan09]

I would vote for the Magic. Across the board, more DCL fans seem to favor the Classic ships. (Magic and Wonder) and I have to agree. My least favorite is the Fantasy. Castaway is best on the Magic (less guests, emptier island). Service is good across the board.

It really depends on your flight costs. MIA is a lot closer to the port though than MCO is to Canaveral. Don't forget the transfer costs in your equations.

 

[Numtini]

My partner and I preferred the Magic for Rapunzels Table and the smaller size. Our daughter preferred the Fantasy for larger kids clubs, the aquaduck, and midship detective agency. I don't know what they do on a 4 day, but the Magic and Fantasy both have two "full" shows (Magic--Tangled/Twice Charmed, Fantasy Aladdin/Frozen), rather than one prime show and jukebox reviews. If you've checked flights into Miami, don't forget to check FLL.

 

[Shelby Schroepfer]

I would vote for the Magic. Across the board, more DCL fans seem to favor the Classic ships. (Magic and Wonder) and I have to agree. My least favorite is the Fantasy. Castaway is best on the Magic (less guests, emptier island). Service is good across the board.

It really depends on your flight costs. MIA is a lot closer to the port though than MCO is to Canaveral. Don't forget the transfer costs in your equations.

That has been what I've noticed too. We are 100% set on renting a car or taking an UBER from the airport to a hotel for the night, and the hotel to the port the next morning. It is exponentially cheaper and with only the 3 of us I'm not worried about the "hassle". Once we get closer we will be trying to find a hotel that offers an airport shuttle too so maybe that'll even save us more. For comparison when we flew into MCO from MSP last month we paid about 190$ PP round trip, and playing around with all sorts of dates in 2020 it seems MIA and FLL are 250-250$ MORE per person than MCO. I can't figure out why and we're not loyal to any one airline but we have only flown Delta and liked the no added fees and hassle so I'm not sure I would be willing to try spirit or frontier or the budget airlines like that. I am lost when it comes to flights and I just wanna keep them as low as possible!

 

[Shelby Schroepfer]

My partner and I preferred the Magic for Rapunzels Table and the smaller size. Our daughter preferred the Fantasy for larger kids clubs, the aquaduck, and midship detective agency. I don't know what they do on a 4 day, but the Magic and Fantasy both have two "full" shows (Magic--Tangled/Twice Charmed, Fantasy Aladdin/Frozen), rather than one prime show and jukebox reviews. If you've checked flights into Miami, don't forget to check FLL.

Rapunzel's is a huge selling point for my daughter as well!

 

[lklgoodman]

Have been on all the ships except for the Dream. I like whichever one I'm on at the time. I would pick the Dec cruise because it's the one that is least likely to get affected by a hurricane.

 

[Shelby Schroepfer]

I totally forgot that that was the main reason we searched in December! That's a big deciding factor thank you.

 

[DCLCruiseFan09]

That has been what I've noticed too. We are 100% set on renting a car or taking an UBER from the airport to a hotel for the night, and the hotel to the port the next morning. It is exponentially cheaper and with only the 3 of us I'm not worried about the "hassle". Once we get closer we will be trying to find a hotel that offers an airport shuttle too so maybe that'll even save us more. For comparison when we flew into MCO from MSP last month we paid about 190$ PP round trip, and playing around with all sorts of dates in 2020 it seems MIA and FLL are 250-250$ MORE per person than MCO. I can't figure out why and we're not loyal to any one airline but we have only flown Delta and liked the no added fees and hassle so I'm not sure I would be willing to try spirit or frontier or the budget airlines like that. I am lost when it comes to flights and I just wanna keep them as low as possible!

You may have done this already, but check Hopper and Kayak. They usually show fares on a low price calendar giving you an idea which dates to try so this may help. The only thing this wouldn't include is southwest. Orlando in general tends to have the lowest flight prices in the state.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

That was until I looked at some flights into Miami area and realized it would be a couple hundred dollars more So now we're trying to narrow it down between these 4! I hadn't paid the deposit yet so we weren't locked into anything, just went with the cheapest and then started digging and realized we could afford a bit more.

That is a solid reason to keep searching for the vacation you want and can afford.
Have you been following Disney gift card deals under the budget board
https://www.disboards.com/threads/disney-gift-card-deals.2941964/page-2100#post-61177105 ? It gives great tips on how to dave on Disney Gift Cards (DGC).
With your cruise over a year out, you could be saving 5%-15% on DGC to use on the ship or pay towards your cruise.

 

[Shelby Schroepfer]

That is a solid reason to keep searching for the vacation you want and can afford.
Have you been following Disney gift card deals under the budget board
https://www.disboards.com/threads/disney-gift-card-deals.2941964/page-2100#post-61177105 ? It gives great tips on how to dave on Disney Gift Cards (DGC).
With your cruise over a year out, you could be saving 5%-15% on DGC to use on the ship or pay towards your cruise.

Yes we are definitely going to try this! I am not a sams club member, a target red card member, OR have any BJ's near us so we are taking advantage of every discount we can!

 

[Cruising Engineer]

Yes we are definitely going to try this! I am not a sams club member, a target red card member, OR have any BJ's near us so we are taking advantage of every discount we can!

I do the online BJ's membership ($10). Last year, mid-Nov to about mid-Dec, BJ's had DGC at 8% off their already reduced price, so you are getting 11%-12% off the face value, but they go fast!!!!!

 

[lklgoodman]

I've bought discounted gift cards from BJ's online store without being a member. It's probably been a year since we did it. Sounds like you have to pay $10 to do it on line now? We don't have any of those other memberships either. If you have a Meijers you can get $50 perks for every $500 gift card you buy. I've saved a lot through the years doing this.

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

I KNOW this is all preference but I am curious as to what experienced cruisers would choose. We have a bit of freedom when it comes to booking our first cruise. We can choose any 4 night cruise from October, November or December of 2020. Our budget is as cheap as possible BUT the difference in the Miami port vs Port Canaveral is only 200$ which would be the difference in flying into MCO vs MIA or FLL. So we would pay a bit more for the Dream or Fantasy out of Canaveral, but save on airfare.

I know the October trip would be on the Fantasy and it would be a Halloween on the High Seas trip vs the other 3 dates would be Very Merrytime trips. We love both Halloween and Christmas so that wouldn't sway our decision.

I also know the Magic is an "older" and smaller ship. I've read that this can mean less people busier areas when there ARE people. Like the atrium or leaving shows, or deck parties.

I truly am having a hard time deciding! Our first cruise, 2 adults 1 6 year old daughter. WDW goers usually and trying a cruise to see how we like it! I am open to any experiences or thoughts!

Oct 26-30-Fantasy-2722$
Nov 12-16-Magic-2556$
Nov 30-Dec 4-Dream-2785$
Dec 3-7-Magic-2595$


THANK YOU!!!!!!

Late October is the tail-end of high hurricane season, so I'd avoid the Fantasy for that reason.

The other three are all fine. Do you care about waterslides? If so, I'd go with the Dream, which has the Aquaduck. The Magic has the Aquadunk drop-down slide, which is more of a thrill-seeker slide & therefore less popular.

Neither ship will feel more or less crowded onboard. Dream has more people, but also more space & activity options, so that evens out the crowds. The only difference I've noticed on Castaway Cay is that the Pelican Plunge slide lines are longer for Dream class, but they're not prohibitively long, & again that's only an issue if you like waterslides.

Would you rather see "Beauty and the Beast" (Dream) or "Tangled" (Magic)? Both shows are very good.

They're both good ships. We've sailed on the Magic twice and the other 3 ships once each. Here are the pros we've experienced on the Magic and the Dream:

Magic:
*Better themed Animator's Palate
*Less crowded & more attentive kids' clubs
*Slightly bigger staterooms
*Shorter line at Pelican Plunge on CC
*Better Pirate Night show
*Better 'Til We Meet Again Show
*We've found the family game shows to be a little better on the classic ships
*If you like character meals and/or Rapunzel, you'll like the Rapunzel-themed restaurant. (I could do without all of the Rapunzel theming onboard, personally. I have a son and we prefer the Fab Five.)

Dream:
*Better food
*Slightly better service
*Staterooms in slightly better physical condition
*Aqua Duck
*Mini-golf
*Better Rainforest Room (hot tub & heated loungers have a view out to sea as opposed to Magic's RR being in a windowless room with no hot tub).
*Vanellope's sweet shop
*Midship Detective Agency & magical artwork
*Sports simulators & golf simulators
*Magical portholes in inside staterooms

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I KNOW this is all preference but I am curious as to what experienced cruisers would choose. We have a bit of freedom when it comes to booking our first cruise. We can choose any 4 night cruise from October, November or December of 2020. Our budget is as cheap as possible BUT the difference in the Miami port vs Port Canaveral is only 200$ which would be the difference in flying into MCO vs MIA or FLL. So we would pay a bit more for the Dream or Fantasy out of Canaveral, but save on airfare.

I know the October trip would be on the Fantasy and it would be a Halloween on the High Seas trip vs the other 3 dates would be Very Merrytime trips. We love both Halloween and Christmas so that wouldn't sway our decision.

I also know the Magic is an "older" and smaller ship. I've read that this can mean less people busier areas when there ARE people. Like the atrium or leaving shows, or deck parties.

I truly am having a hard time deciding! Our first cruise, 2 adults 1 6 year old daughter. WDW goers usually and trying a cruise to see how we like it! I am open to any experiences or thoughts!

Oct 26-30-Fantasy-2722$
Nov 12-16-Magic-2556$
Nov 30-Dec 4-Dream-2785$
Dec 3-7-Magic-2595$


THANK YOU!!!!!!

We always choose itinerary first (am I interested in the ports, are there ports we haven't visited yet?). That includes length (the longer the better).

Then we look at the cost.

Then we make a choice.

If important, dates are our third consideration.

All that said, I prefer the smaller, Magic class, ships over the Dream class.

 

[Shelby Schroepfer]

October is hurricane season, so I'd avoid the Fantasy for that reason.

The other three are all fine. Do you care about waterslides? If so, I'd go with the Dream, which has the Aquaduck. The Magic has the Aquadunk drop-down slide, which is more of a thrill-seeker slide & therefore less popular.

Neither ship will feel more or less crowded onboard. Dream has more people, but also more space, so that evens out. The only difference I've noticed on Castaway Cay is that the Pelican Plunge slide lines are longer for Dream class, but they're not prohibitively long, & again that's only an issue if you like waterslides.

Would you rather see "Beauty and the Beast" (Dream) or "Tangled" (Magic)? Both shows are very good.

They're both good ships. We've sailed on the Magic twice and the other 3 ships once each. Here are the pros we've experienced on the Magic vs. the Dream:

Magic:
*Better themed Animator's Palate
*Less crowded & more attentive kids' clubs
*Shorter line at Pelican Plunge on CC
*Better Pirate Night show
*Better 'Til We Meet Again Show
*We've found the family game shows to be a little better on the classic ships
*If you like character meals and/or Rapunzel, you'll like the Rapunzel-themed restaurant. (I could do without all of the Rapunzel theming onboard, personally. I have a son and we prefer the Fab Five.)

Dream:
*Better food
*Slightly better service
*Ship & staterooms in slightly better physical condition
*Aqua Duck
*Mini-golf
*Better Rainforest Room (hot tub & heated loungers have a view out to sea as opposed to being in a windowless room).
*Vanellope's sweet shop
*Midship Detective Agency & magical artwork
*Sports simulators & golf simulators
*Magical portholes in inside staterooms

A few of the things on The Dream have me swaying that way. Vanellope's for one!!! Also the Aqua Duck vs the Dunk because my daughter will not be tall enough for the Dunk. Better food also gets me as we are huge Disney foodies and eating is our favorite part of the vaca haha. I love the idea of the Rapunzel dinner except we have never done character dining and tbh I like to EAT at eating time, rather than watch or interact. I'm weird like that but I wouldn't be too horribly hurt if we missed the Rapunzel dinner show.

 

[SingingMom]

We preferred the Fantasy to the Magic, but that was mainly because we enjoyed the adult only venues more so on the Fantasy.

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

A few of the things on The Dream have me swaying that way. Vanellope's for one!!! Also the Aqua Duck vs the Dunk because my daughter will not be tall enough for the Dunk. Better food also gets me as we are huge Disney foodies and eating is our favorite part of the vaca haha. I love the idea of the Rapunzel dinner except we have never done character dining and tbh I like to EAT at eating time, rather than watch or interact. I'm weird like that but I wouldn't be too horribly hurt if we missed the Rapunzel dinner show.

If you're sailing with a child in an inside (as I believe you indicated in another post), and are otherwise on the fence about which ship to choose, I recommend the Dream just for the magical porthole in all inside staterooms. It's not a huge deal, but the random character appearances are charming & it does give you a virtual view during daylight hours. An inside on the Magic, while slightly bigger, won't have a magical porthole. You can put the Magic's TV on bridge cam but it just isn't the same as a virtual porthole over the bed.

We sailed in an inside on the Fantasy (and will again this December), and the first thing my son wanted to do each morning was turn on the magical porthole & look at the view outside, see if we were at sea or docked at port, etc. It keeps you in touch with the outdoors even though you lack a real window. And the characters would show up at random times when we were in the stateroom & we liked that, too.

 

[Shelby Schroepfer]

If you're sailing with a child in an inside (as I believe you indicated in another post), and are otherwise on the fence about which ship to choose, I recommend the Dream just for the magical porthole in all inside staterooms. It's not a huge deal, but the random character appearances are charming & it does give you a virtual view during daylight hours. An inside on the Magic, while slightly bigger, won't have a magical porthole. You can put the Magic's TV on bridge cam but it just isn't the same as a virtual porthole over the bed.

We sailed in an inside on the Fantasy (and will again this December), and the first thing my son wanted to do each morning was turn on the magical porthole & look at the view outside, see if we were at sea or docked at port, etc. It keeps you in touch with the outdoors even though you lack a real window. And the characters would show up at random times when we were in the stateroom & we liked that, too.

This was another thing I loved and forgot about!