Dream vs Wonder Questions

[Little E]

Hi Disfriends!

I did a 4 night cruise on the Disney Dream in the Bahamas in 2019; it was my first cruise ever. For my second cruise ever, I am scheduled for two weeks on the Disney Wonder in the South Pacific in mid February. I totally get that these are two very different cruises and two very different locations. However, I'm curious about both the similarities and the differences between the ships. Size? Amenities? Room layouts? Are the shops/restaurants found in similar areas on the ships?

Just trying to get a sense of what I can expect. Thanks so much!

 

[Geomom]

The Wonder was our 1st cruise, Dream our 4th. The room layouts are basically the same, slightly bigger on the Wonder.

I would suggest looking at ship maps to see the deck layout. The Wonder is much smaller than the Dream, and easier to get around. Fewer amenities than the Dream--no mini golf, sport simulator, and no midship Detective Agency. The Wonder only has the small Mickey waterslide. I actually prefer the adult areas on the Magic/Wonder. The lounges are deck 3 forward. Deck 4 forward has smaller shops and the Walt Theater. Deck 5 has the Buena Vista movie theater. Pool deck has various food options and Cabanas. The adult pool area tends to stay more adult as there is no reason for kids to be walking thru.

Main dining rooms are:
Deck 3 midship/off atrium--Tritons.
Deck 3 aft--Tiana's Place
Deck 4 aft--Animators Palate

There should be a lot of activities offered that make up for some of the 'missing' amenities of the Dream. Long cruises offer special entertainment and a different menu nightly. Enjoy the cruise!

 

[Stitch'sCousin]

Here are the links from the top of this page which will let you compare everything about the two ships.

Dream. https://dclfan.com/disney-dream-cruise-ship/

Wonder. https://dclfan.com/disney-wonder-cruise-ship/

 

[ladyofthetramp]

Wonder was our very first ship and cruise. She is like home to us. Last time we went home was our Alaska cruise in 2018. We are booked on the same cruise in February of 2025 and can't wait to spend some quality time on her. The Wonder is smaller and as stated above, may not have all those bells and whistles as the Dream, but she is still beautiful and very classic.

 

[Little E]

Thanks, everyone! And a special thank you to @Stitch'sCousin...I will definitely check out both links so I can do some research and comparing.

 

[DisneyPiPhi]

Wonder was our very first ship and cruise. She is like home to us. Last time we went home was our Alaska cruise in 2018. We are booked on the same cruise in February of 2025 and can't wait to spend some quality time on her. The Wonder is smaller and as stated above, may not have all those bells and whistles as the Dream, but she is still beautiful and very classic.

I feel the same about the Wonder! She's our home ship. OP, you will love the Wonder!

 

[Drfate102]

The Dream was our first Disney Cruise and we loved it, but the Wonder is my favorite ship. But we do book the Dream for our last cruise in our Castaway Club level.

 

[OpieDoodle]

So I have not been on the Wonder but I have been on the Magic and the Dream. The Magic is very similar to the Wonder. We went on the Dream first and LOVED it, until I went on the Magic. We loved how small the ship was. It was easier to get around, less areas blocked off so there was a lot more straight shots to places.

I really enjoyed the crowd size on the Magic. Theaters felt better, deck parties etc all were better IMO. The Dream wasn't bad by any means but the smaller ships are phenomenal!

 

[msmama]

We did the WBTA on the Dream last summer and I could NOT get my bearings. I was always walking the wrong way or on the wrong floor or something. And there are a couple hallways that I swear felt ENDLESS.

LOVE the Wonder and Magic. Never really felt like I took more than a few steps in the wrong direction.

I also feel like the smaller ships are cozier and on a long cruise you'll definitely get to know the CM's better. There's something about being on the smaller ships that is just BETTER, in my opinion.

I generally cruise for the itinerary (and am not a beach gal) so I'm pretty bummed that the Magic seems to be taking on itineraries I have no interest in (and Wonder takes on itineraries I can't afford).

 

[auntlynne]

I find the Magic & Wonder to have great layouts. No awkward aft elevator that dumps into Cabanas. The adult entertainment area only has 3 venues, with no weaving through them to get out.

Hope you have a great cruise!

If you have specific questions, let us know.

 

[Little E]

You ALL know how to make a gal feel excited! Thank you all so much for your positive vibes about the Wonder! Now I'm even more excited to get onboard!

 

[SnowWhite2]

I love the classic ships. I was just on the Dream for 17 days and still couldn't get out of the aft elevator and make my way to the drink machine on the pool deck without walking in circles. Not a fan of the Dream/Fantasy if going to Castaway. Too many people.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I love the classic ships. I was just on the Dream for 17 days and still couldn't get out of the aft elevator and make my way to the drink machine on the pool deck without walking in circles. Not a fan of the Dream/Fantasy if going to Castaway. Too many people.

This is where you really feel the additional capacity. I'll take the Magic & Wonder any day over the rest. It just feels like home.

 

[Sherrilatte]

Going on the Wonder for the first time next month. Loving this thread!

 

[Little E]

OP here! I did the two week cruise on the Wonder from Sydney, Australia to Honolulu, Hawaii from mid February through the beginning of March and it was phenomenal! Our stops included New Caledonia, Fiji, American Samoa, and Maui and all of them were amazing! We had great weather, with only two rough sea days. Not too shabby for a two week cruise.

While the Wonder did feel smaller than the Dream, it still felt plenty big and it was a beautiful ship! The CMs were amazing, the food was fantastic, and the shows were Broadway caliber performances. Our captain was Captain Thord and our cruise director was Trent. Both were simply awesome. I wouldn't hesitate to cruise on the Wonder again.

Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have.

 

[sadiecatie]

OP here! I did the two week cruise on the Wonder from Sydney, Australia to Honolulu, Hawaii from mid February through the beginning of March and it was phenomenal! Our stops included New Caledonia, Fiji, American Samoa, and Maui and all of them were amazing! We had great weather, with only two rough sea days. Not too shabby for a two week cruise.

While the Wonder did feel smaller than the Dream, it still felt plenty big and it was a beautiful ship! The CMs were amazing, the food was fantastic, and the shows were Broadway caliber performances. Our captain was Captain Thord and our cruise director was Trent. Both were simply awesome. I wouldn't hesitate to cruise on the Wonder again.

Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have.

Glad you had such a great experience! We had both Captain Thord and Trent in Alaska last June and loved them I love the Wonder!