Disney Dream - Category 8A (not with partition) or Category 4B?

[erikjscott]

We are booking a cruise on Disney Dream and we are looking at two different types rooms. We are a family of four. During the time of the cruise, one child will be 5 and the other child will be 22 months and will need a pack-and-play (and most likely naps during the day).

One room we are considering is a Category 8A which is a two porthole room and it looks pretty spacious from the pictures I've seen. However, this is not one of the four 8A rooms that have the partitions. We like the spacious size of the room but we're concerned about all of us sleeping in the room without any type of partitions (not even curtains).

The other room we are considering is a 4B room I think - a Deluxe Family Oceanview with Verandah, but one with a Murphy bed (since we were told they're slightly larger than the ones without Murphy beds). I can't seem to find rooms that have a Murphy bed that are not connecting, so this room would have to be connecting whereas the 8A was not a connecting room (I have read mixed things regarding whether that matters). This room would have a Verandah, but I'm guessing the pack-and-play isn't going to make it easy to get out onto the Verandah. What I like about this room though is the curtain that can separate the kids from us so we can at least watch our iPads or phones at night if the kids go to bed a lot earlier than us. I also like we can get up and go to the bathroom with less of a chance of waking them up.

Thoughts? What would you choose?

 

[n2mm]

if you want extra room, go with the 8A. However, only 2 on deck 6 have bathtubs and the 2 on deck 5 with no partitions don’t have tubs either. With little ones,that may be important. My daughter likes these rooms because she travels with her teenagers and she doesn’t feel cramped. She’s trying deck 5 with wall in March, but those only sleep 3 guest, so We have connecting rooms since we’ll have a girl in our room. All the bathrooms are one large room with either tub or shower only. No split bathrooms.

 

[Clarkson U]

I would do 4B for your family. Search for 5 person rooms so you know which one has Murphy Bed and see if any are not adjoining.

To me the extra space in the room with a toddler is worth it.

 

[auntlynne]

Here are the room descriptions



Looks like only 2 cabins have a tub but no wall. But they also have a pole you need to avoid. TV placement has no direct viewing; looks awkward for everyone.

 

[n2mm]

I’m confused, if you book 4B are you booking TWO rooms? unless you are or you’re connecting to someone else it shouldn't matter. I’ve been in both rooms and the 8A has more than double the floor space than the 4B. It’s just very open. You wouldn’t qualify for the deck 5 room with half wall because you are a party of 4. They only sleep 3. It’s why it may not show up in your search. Try search with 3 guest to double check. Pretty sure your baby counts as a fourth guest.

 

[auntlynne]

S: sleeps
B: bunk bed
M: murphy bed
D after the room number indicates Dream.
F after the room number indicates Fantasy.
D/F after the room number indicates both ships.
_____________________________________________


5516F - 8D - S: 5, B, M

5670D - 8D - S: 4, M

6086F - 4D - S: 5, B, M

6102D/F - 4D - S: 5, B, M

6106D/F - 4D - S: 5, B, M

6110D/F - 4D - S: 5, B, M

6114F - 4D - S: 5, B, M

6118F - 4D - S: 5, B, M

6122F - 4D - S: 5, B, M
6124F - 4D - S: 5, B, M
6126F - 4D - S: 5, B, M

6130F - 4D - S: 5, B, M
6132F - 4D - S: 5, B, M
6134F - 4D - S: 5, B, M
6136F - 4D - S: 5, B, M
6138F - 4D - S: 5, B, M
6140D - 4D - S: 5, B, M
6142F - 4D - S: 5, B, M
6144F - 4D - S: 5, B, M

6172D - 8D - S: 5, B, M
6174D/F - 8D - S: 5, B, M


6508D - 8D - S: 4, B?, M Not Connecting

6586F - 4D - S: 5, B, M

6590D/F - 4D - S: 5, B, M

6594F - 4D - S: 5, B, M
6596F - 4D - S: 5, B, M

6602D/F - 4D - S: 5, B, M

6606D/F - 4D - S: 5, B, M

6610D/F - 4D - S: 5, B, M
6614D/F - 4D - S: 5, B, M

6618F - 4D - S: 5, B, M

6622F - 4D - S: 5, B, M
6624F - 4D - S: 5, B, M
6626F - 4D - S: 5, B, M

6630F - 4D - S: 5, B, M
6632F - 4D - S: 5, B, M
6634F - 4D - S: 5, B, M
6636F - 4D - S: 5, B, M
6638F - 4D - S: 5, B, M
6640F - 4D - S: 5, B, M
6642F - 4D - S: 5, B, M
6644F - 4D - S: 5, B, M

6668D - 8D - S: 5, B, M


6672D/F - 8D - S: 5, B, M

6674D/F - 8D - S: 5, B, M

7010D/F - 8C - S: 5, B, M

7014D/F - 8C - S: 5, B, M Not Connecting

7016D/F - 8C - S: 5, B, M

7090D - 4C - S: 5, B, M
7092F - 4C - S: 5, B, M
7094F - 4C - S: 5, B, M

7098F - 4C - S: 5, B, M
7100F - 4C - S: 5, B, M
7102F - 4C - S: 5, B, M

7108D/F - 4C - S: 5, B, M

7112D/F - 4C - S: 5, B, M

7116D/F - 4C - S: 5, B, M

7120D/F - 4C - S: 5, B, M

7124D - 4C - S: 5, B, M

7128F - 4C - S: 5, B, M
7130F - 4C - S: 5, B, M
7132F - 4C - S: 5, B, M
7134D/F - 4C - S: 5, B, M Not connecting
7136F - 4C - S: 5, B, M
7138F - 4C - S: 5, B, M
7140F - 4C - S: 5, B, M
7142F - 4C - S: 5, B, M
7144F - 4C - S: 5, B, M
7146F - 4C - S: 5, B, M
7148F - 4C - S: 5, B, M
7150F - 4C - S: 5, B, M


7160D - 5C - S: 5, B, M

7174F - 8C - S: 5, B, M
7176D/F - 8C - S: 5, B, M

7512D/F - 8C - S: 5, B, M Not connecting
7514D/F - 8C - S: 5, B, M


7588F - 4C - S: 5, B, M
7590F - 4C - S: 5, B, M

7596F - 4C - S: 5, B, M
7598F - 4C - S: 5, B, M
7600D/F - 4C - S: 5, B, M Not connecting

7606F - 4C - S: 5, B, M

7610D/F - 4C - S: 5, B, M

7614F - 4C - S: 5, B, M

7618D/F - 4C - S: 5, B, M

7622F - 4C - S: 5, B, M

7626F - 4C - S: 5, B, M
7628F - 4C - S: 5, B, M
7630F - 4C - S: 5, B, M
7632D/F - 4C - S: 5, B, M Not connecting
7634F - 4C - S: 5, B, M
7636F - 4C - S: 5, B, M
7638F - 4C - S: 5, B, M
7640F - 4C - S: 5, B, M
7642F - 4C - S: 5, B, M
7644F - 4C - S: 5, B, M
7646F - 4C - S: 5, B, M
7648F - 4C - S: 5, B, M

7672D/F - 8C - S: 5, B, M

7674F - 8C - S: 5, B, M


8010D - 8C - S: 5, B, M Not connecting
8012D - 8C - S: 5, B, M Not connecting
8014D - 8C - S: 5, B, M



8086F - 4B - S: 5, B, M


8104F - 4B - S: 5, B, M

8108D/F - 4B - S: 5, B, M

8112D/F - 4B - S: 5, B, M

8116D/F - 4B - S: 5, B, M

8120D/F - 4B - S: 5, B, M

8124F - 4B - S: 5, B, M
8126F - 4B - S: 5, B, M
8128F - 4B - S: 5, B, M
8130D/F - 4B - S: 5, B, M Not connecting
8132F - 4B - S: 5, B, M
8134F - 4B - S: 5, B, M
8136F - 4B - S: 5, B, M
8138F - 4B - S: 5, B, M
8140F - 4B - S: 5, B, M

8142F - 4B - S: 5, B, M

8144F - 4B - S: 5, B, M
8146F - 4B - S: 5, B, M

8166 - 8C - S: 5, B, M
8168F - 8C - S: 4
8170D/F - 8C - S: 5, B, M
8172D/F - 8C - S: 5, B, M

8510D - 8C - S: 5, B, M Not connecting
8512D/F - 8C - S: 5, B, M


8516D - 8C - S: 4, M

8518D - 8C - S: 4, M

8588F - 4B [HA] - S: 5, B, M

8590F - 4B [HA] - S: 5, B, M

8592 - 4B - S: 5, B, M


8602F - 4B - S: 5, B, M

8606D/F - 4B - S: 5, B, M
8608F - 4B - S: 5, B, M
8610D/F - 4B - S: 5, B, M

8614D/F - 4B - S: 5, B, M
8616F - 4B - S: 5, B, M
8618D/F - 4B - S: 5, B, M

8622F - 4B - S: 5, B, M
8624F - 4B - S: 5, B, M
8626F - 4B - S: 5, B, M
8628D/F - 4B - S: 5, B, M Not connecting
8630F - 4B - S: 5, B, M
8632F - 4B - S: 5, B, M
8634F - 4B - S: 5, B, M
8636F - 4B - S: 5, B, M
8638F - 4B - S: 5, B, M
8640F - 4B - S: 5, B, M

8642F - 4B - S: 5, B, M

8644 - 4B - S: 5, B, M

8668D/F - 8C - S: 5, B, M

8670D/F - 8C - S: 5, B, M

9000D/F - 8B - S: 5, B, M Not connecting
9002F - 8B - S: 5, B, M

9006D - 8B - S: 4, M

9008D - 8B - S: 4, M

9078F - 4A - S: 5, B, M

9080F - 4A - S: 5, B, M

9086D - 4A - S: 5, B, M

9114F - 4A - S: 5, B, M

9118F - 4A - S: 5, B, M

9122F - 4A - S: 5, B, M
9124F - 4A - S: 5, B, M
9126F - 4A - S: 5, B, M
9128F - 4A - S: 5, B, M
9130F - 4A - S: 5, B, M
9132F - 4A - S: 5, B, M
9134F - 4A - S: 5, B, M
9136F - 4A - S: 5, B, M

9156D - 8B - S: 5, B, M
9158D/F - 8B - S: 5, B, M

9500D/F - 8B - S: 5, B, M Not connecting
9502D - 8B - S: 5, B, M
9504D - 8B - S: 4, M

9578F - 4A - S: 5, B, M

9580F - 4A - S: 5, B, M

9586F - 4A - S: 5, B, M

9588D/F - 4A - S: 5, B, M Not connecting

9614F - 4A - S: 5, B, M

9618F - 4A - S: 5, B, M

9622F - 4A - S: 5, B, M
9624F - 4A - S: 5, B, M
9626F - 4A - S: 5, B, M
9628F - 4A - S: 5, B, M
9630F - 4A - S: 5, B, M
9632F - 4A - S: 5, B, M
9634F - 4A - S: 5, B, M
9636D - 4A - S: 5, B, M

9658D/F - 8B - S: 5, B, M

I found a post on an old thread. I edited to include cabins that had Murphy beds, but may only sleep 4. Bold are ones that are supposed to be on Dream. I left off cabins on Deck 10 but included the Cat 8s. The notation Not connecting was added by me.

(This is based on info provided by forum members and from the deck plan on Disneycruiselineblog; not from any official DCL publication.)

 

[unrequited23]

We like the spacious size of the room but we're concerned about all of us sleeping in the room without any type of partitions (not even curtains).

We booked a guaranteed rate and were assigned a very spacious HA room with no privacy curtains. Since the ceilings are magnetic, our plan is to use some of our magnetic hooks and hang a shower curtain from the ceiling when we need to create extra changing spaces.

I would book a room with a tub with a toddler, no question. If you are pretty far out from the cruise space for the pack and play might become a moot issue if your youngest becomes a climber or has a growth spurt.

 

[erikjscott]

I’m confused, if you book 4B are you booking TWO rooms? unless you are or you’re connecting to someone else it shouldn't matter. I’ve been in both rooms and the 8A has more than double the floor space than the 4B. It’s just very open. You wouldn’t qualify for the deck 5 room with half wall because you are a party of 4. They only sleep 3. It’s why it may not show up in your search. Try search with 3 guest to double check. Pretty sure your baby counts as a fourth guest.

If that's the case, would they even let me sleep in that room if we have a fourth guest? I do see one available on the ship I am looking at. Could I book for 3 and then call and add my younger son since he just needs a pack and play?

My parents are also going on the cruise, staying in a HA room. Could I add the baby onto their room and just take the pack and play and bring it with me into the 8A room on floor 5? It looks like there's plenty of room for a pack and play.

 

[n2mm]

If that's the case, would they even let me sleep in that room if we have a fourth guest? I do see one available on the ship I am looking at. Could I book for 3 and then call and add my younger son since he just needs a pack and play?

My parents are also going on the cruise, staying in a HA room. Could I add the baby onto their room and just take the pack and play and bring it with me into the 8A room on floor 5? It looks like there's plenty of room for a pack and play.

Hope I understand. Yes you can add one person To your parents room. Did you check to see if the deck 5 room is available for 3 guests? add the older child to parents, but they become the guardian and will have to sign permission forms to give you permission to take kiddo off the ship. I’d keep the baby with you, esp if you need a diaper genie in your room. We often add our family to different rooms for perks, then they sleep which room they wants. Hope that makes sense. We’re Pearl members, so my husband and I split to give the perks to both cabins.

 

[n2mm]

I'm booked on 5020 and 5022 for our March cruise. We are with daughter, SIL, granddaughters 18 & 16. We get the 18 year old. . We done the deck 6, so this is our first time on deck 5.

 

[erikjscott]

Hope I understand. Yes you can add one person To your parents room. Did you check to see if the deck 5 room is available for 3 guests? add the older child to parents, but they become the guardian and will have to sign permission forms to give you permission to take kiddo off the ship. I’d keep the baby with you, esp if you need a diaper genie in your room. We often add our family to different rooms for perks, then they sleep which room they wants. Hope that makes sense. We’re Pearl members, so my husband and I split to give the perks to both cabins.

Can you tell me a little bit more about that - specifically my parents having to sign the permission forms -- does that mean that my wife and I can't take our son off the boat and need my parents everytime? My mom is handicapped so I'm not sure she will get off the boat with us all the time. Also, would we all have to arrive together so that my son checks into the boat with them?

I called Disney who said we cannot book the room for 4. She did say we could book the room for 3 and have my parents take our other son (but she did not want to say that our son could sleep in our room with us instead of his grandparents). She also said it's possible I could be told to have my son sleep in my parents room if they realized we had four in our room. However, I do know plenty of people who book connecting rooms and they put their kids in one room and the adults in the other room, which would also technically not be "allowed," so I'm wondering whether that's a parallel situation.

 

[Mommb]

There is a difference between switching kids and adults between rooms while keeping the number of people in each room within the allowed number and having more people in a room than allowed. You would certainly not be able to check in 4 people if your room sleeps only 3, so yes, if you put a child in your parents’ room, they would need to check in at the same time as you. I think that if your parents sign a waiver you would be able to take your child off the ship without them, but I haven’t tried that. In the event of an emergency (and even for the muster drill) your child would need to go to their station if assigned to their room.

I wouldn’t worry about whether a room is connected. When we’ve (rarely) heard noise from cabins next door, it has come from the “non-connected” side as often as from the “connected” side.

I am not familiar with the 8A rooms. I have stayed in 4B rooms with a Murphy bed. The pack and play should fit where the Murphy bed would drop and leave enough space to access the veranda, since in other rooms it fits between the sofa and the desk.

For me, the veranda, split bath, and privacy curtain in the 4B would outweigh the floor space in the 8A, but I don’t spend a lot of time walking around the room and do like sitting outside as the ship goes in and out of port.

 

[erikjscott]

There is a difference between switching kids and adults between rooms while keeping the number of people in each room within the allowed number and having more people in a room than allowed. You would certainly not be able to check in 4 people if your room sleeps only 3, so yes, if you put a child in your parents’ room, they would need to check in at the same time as you. I think that if your parents sign a waiver you would be able to take your child off the ship without them, but I haven’t tried that. In the event of an emergency (and even for the muster drill) your child would need to go to their station if assigned to their room.

I wouldn’t worry about whether a room is connected. When we’ve (rarely) heard noise from cabins next door, it has come from the “non-connected” side as often as from the “connected” side.

I am not familiar with the 8A rooms. I have stayed in 4B rooms with a Murphy bed. The pack and play should fit where the Murphy bed would drop and leave enough space to access the veranda, since in other rooms it fits between the sofa and the desk.

For me, the veranda, split bath, and privacy curtain in the 4B would outweigh the floor space in the 8A, but I don’t spend a lot of time walking around the room and do like sitting outside as the ship goes in and out of port.

Here is my next question.

Could my the handicapped room be booked as my mother, myself, and my older son?

My mother's room would be booked as my wife, my father, and my younger son? This way, in the event of an emergency, I could take my older son to the correct muster station, and my father can go to my wife with baby?

Also, would that solve the issue of having so sign paperwork to take my older son off the ship? I would then be able to do it myself (assuming my wife and I don't split up for excursions).

 

[n2mm]

Here is my next question.

Could my the handicapped room be booked as my mother, myself, and my older son?

My mother's room would be booked as my wife, my father, and my younger son? This way, in the event of an emergency, I could take my older son to the correct muster station, and my father can go to my wife with baby?

Also, would that solve the issue of having so sign paperwork to take my older son off the ship? I would then be able to do it myself (assuming my wife and I don't split up for excursions).

That’s a good plan too. However, you still need to sign the permission form. You only do it once when you board. the child is connected to the adult in the same room. it Sounds a little complicated, but it isn’t. My cruise in July, my daughter & SiL got covid! So I had to become the guardian for my granddaughter (16 yo). We all had to sign permission slips so she could get off with my husband and myself, but she was in a cabin with her 18 yo sister. It was a little crazy. as long as both of you get on and off the ship together, it’s all good. I think you can even do the form online during checkin. We’ve been traveling with our granddaughters since they were 3 & 5 and do this all the time just in case the girls want to get off with us. You slip up your group like we do. your room host will accommodate your needs.

 

[erikjscott]

That’s a good plan too. However, you still need to sign the permission form. You only do it once when you board. the child is connected to the adult in the same room. it Sounds a little complicated, but it isn’t. My cruise in July, my daughter & SiL got covid! So I had to become the guardian for my granddaughter (16 yo). We all had to sign permission slips so she could get off with my husband and myself, but she was in a cabin with her 18 yo sister. It was a little crazy. as long as both of you get on and off the ship together, it’s all good. I think you can even do the form online during checkin. We’ve been traveling with our granddaughters since they were 3 & 5 and do this all the time just in case the girls want to get off with us. You slip up your group like we do. your room host will accommodate your needs.

That makes sense. Do you think they would give me a problem if the four of us sleep in the room, even though it says the room only sleeps 3? Our baby won't be using a bed, so I didn't know if it mattered what the room "slept"

 

[mcd2745]

We love the 8A rooms. We book them all the time on the Dream or Fantasy. Love the extra space as opposed to most other rooms. No split bathrooms is really the only drawback.