Review of The Hidden Treasures of the Disney Cruise Line
By Jim Korkis
The Beginning
Of note I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend any DCL lover to purchase it! I do wish I got to meet Jim before he passed away but there are a few podcasts on iTunes that he is on talking about Disney Cruise Line.
Disney Cruise Line is a living experience and as such, specific events, programs, and other materials are subject to change without notice and may not be available during your visit.
Disney prefers not to describe or list many of these informational things so that the guest can have “the joy of discovering.”
The beginning
Early on Walt and his family would take cruises to Hawaii, Europe, Caribbean, South America and within the USA
The live action film Bon Voyage was taped on a sailing that Walt, family members, and lots of Disney employees sailed from USA to Europe and then flew home
Queen Mary
Long Beach 1988 – 1992
Purchase was included with the $161 million purchase of Disneyland Hotel through the buyout of the Wrather Corporation and a New Zealand Firm that purchased 28% of the Wrather Corporation
Formed WCO Port Properties to develop the 236 acres around Queen Mary as a marina or fill in to make land around Long beach
Disney upgraded the staterooms, restaurants, stores, and accommodations on the Queen Mary for guests to stay overnight
During 1990 Disney offered a yearlong celebration on the ship “Voyage to 1939” which was its last voyage
Seeing that many people that visited Disneyland did not want to make the trip down to Long Beach Disney announced the Queen Mary and Spruce Gooses would be the centerpiece of the Port Disney (later DisneySea) but when the survey came back needed 27 million dollars in repairs and updates the entire idea was canceled
Port Disney
Part of Michael Eisner’s “Disney Decade” was the idea for a nautical theme park called Port Disney which would have stores, entertainment area and a cruise ship port
It was estimated & 2.8 billion to build
Name changed to DisneySea because of complaints from Port Long Beach about confusing the two ports
To convince the locals Disney published one issue of the Port Disney News and filled it with concept art and descriptions
One thing that was different with this park than Disneyland was the fact this was going to be very educational heavy with oceanic knowledge versus entertainment
Areas inside the part included: mysterious island, hero’s harbor, fleets of fantasy, venture reefs, boardwalk, and rainbow pier
December 1991 Disney officially cancelled the project due to high costs on Euro Disneyland and plans to build Anaheim WestCot
S.S Disney
May 3, 1994, Disney announced intent to start own cruise line in 1998
Jim Cora pitched the idea of a floating Disney theme park that would travel to different countries basically bringing Disney to people
Imagineers had proposed a floating theme park on a converted oil tanker that would sail to different ports and make home at Port Long Beach
The idea was to bring the park to countries that Disney could not or did not plan to build a theme park
Super tanks size allowed the team to come up with under 20 attractions to build on the ship which is about half the amount at parks
One concern was the amount of people that would come to the port location, could it handle an additional 20,000 people?
The plan was to stay in port for 2 – 3 months and then not return for another 5 years
They realized it was going to take 3 ships in total. One for the staff, one for attractions and one for fireworks
Main roller coaster was going to be themed Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom runaway car
With capital issues from Euro Disneyland they convinced Eisner it would be easier to concentrate on Disney themed cruise ship than the current project
Many other issues called the project to sink maintenance costs, safety issues in other countries, enough profit without Disney owned hotels in the area, and sewage transfer issues
Big Red Boat
1985 – 1992 Disney partnered with Premiere Cruise line out of Cape Canaveral for short day cruises to the Bahamas paired with a stay at Walt Disney World
It was called the Big Red Boat because the hull was painted red
Eisner learned that Disney did well partnering with an outside company to learn the ins and out and then go out on their own
An example is the Swan and Dolphin resort hotels
November 3 – 10, 1984 partnered with Norwegian Caribbean Lines for a FantaSea Cruise tour of Miami to St. Thomas, the Virgin Islands, Nassau, and the Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas
Price was $1095 to $2710 per person with double occupancy
Can see Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy at meals and on the ship
Shows included Pirates of the Caribbean, Goofy themed Olympics on deck, Epcot night and Fantasy in the Sky evening fireworks
This voyage was a success
From the success and partner with Eastern Airlines, Disney started to promote vacations including airfare, time at Disney World and then a 3- or 4-night cruise out of Port Canaveral
Also included seven-day rental car with unlimited mileage, admission to all 3 parks, rooms at Disney hotel, and tour of Kennedy Space Center
S.S. Oceanic
Built 1965 by Cantieri Riuniti dell’Adriatico in Monfalcone Italy
39,241 gross tons, 1200 passengers and was 782 feet long with a beam of 97 feet
Sold to Premier Cruise line in 1983 from Home Line
It went through some renovations especially the staterooms and more noticeable was the painting of the hull bright red
Christened by Minnie Mouse
They catered toward kids with many options onboard (page 25 for all the kid’s options)
30 plus youth counselors onboard and programs for kids divided by age
Children’s menus
Free onboard babysitting
Character meet and greets both on the ship and on the ports/beaches where they stopped at
Created accommodations especially for families of four or five staterooms
First year over 60,000 passengers sailed
The contract with Premiere was not renewed but Premiere signed with Warner Brothers but eventually lead to bankruptcy in September 2000 and ships eventually scrapped for metal
Why was the contract not renewed?
Did Disney increase the licensing fee too much?
The public viewed the ship as “Disney’s Ship”, but Disney had no say in the food, accommodations, or entertainment which was not up to Disney’s standards
Disney did try to partner with Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise line from January to November 1992 but was unsuccessful
“Through the eyes of a child, The Big Red Boat is a fairy tale come to life – a shiny red boat of wondrous proportions and endless surprises.”
Ports of call included Nassau, Salt Cay, Abacos Out Islands, and last Treasure Cay
At Treasure Cay there was a Buccaneer Bash involving Captain Hook and Mr. Smee followed by limbo dancers, fire-eaters, Junkanoo musicians and midnight buffet
3-day cruise left Friday at 4:30 pm and returned Monday at 9 am
4 days left Monday at 4:30 pm and returned Friday at 8 am
Food options
Each dinner had a different cuisine type, French, Italian, Caribbean
Dietary options also offered
Midnight buffet
Chocolate mints and chocolate chip cookies left on pillows
Deck Layout
Upper Sun Deck with jogging track, Pool Deck, Premier Deck with Pluto’s Playhouse and children center, Lounge Deck with casino and shops, Continental Deck with beauty salon and massage room, Restaurant deck, Atlantic deck, Bahamas deck with Hollywood Theater
Birth of disney cruise line
Disney reinvented the cruise ship experience with rotational dining, dedicated children area, own cruise terminal and own private island
Initial idea was to have Walt Disney World guests extend their vacation by combing a resort stay with a short cruise
Eissner original idea was current cruise ships look and feel like Vegas hotels therefore he wanted and did not want to mirror that and the idea of partnering with another cruise company was a hard sell because Disney overspends on guest experience, and many would not understand
At this time Disney executives realized they knew everything about how to cruise (hotel, food, merchandise, and entertainment) but the ability to sail the ship
To design the first ship Disney decided to host a competition where the design of the ship would capture elegance and look modern
Attempts came in but nothing that was quite what Eisner wanted. One was a floating swan called Disney Fantasia
They found 3 architect firms: Robert Tillberg of Viken, Sweden, Njal Eide from Oslo, Norway and the partnership of Peter Yran and Bjorn Storbaaten
Eide designed a ship with two funnels even though only one is functional and angled them forward to give an aerodynamic feel. He also added bay windows on the top decks and put lifeboats on cantilevered so they are viewed from a distance
Staterooms had 2 bathrooms and were made 25% larger than other cruise ships with lots of storage
Brought in Molteni and C from Italy to design furniture for the rooms
Many of the ship’s props were made in Tujunga, California and shipped to Italy for installment
Extra detail to the kid’s area included rounded corners and a lot more space on the ship
May 20, 1995, Fincantieri Shipyard was awarded the contract
The size of the ship was determined by it needing to be able to pass through the Panama Canal
It was decided to build the ship in two parts the bow in Ancona and stern one hundred miles away in Marghera
Unfortunately, the built was not going smoothly because the Italian attitude had no sense of urgency therefore Disney sent over some cast members to keep a close eye on the project
Mid-April 1997 the two sections over 4 days were connected completed on April 18, 1997
The joining section can be found right in front of Lumiere’s restaurant
Of note because of the distance between the two shipyards the front half of the ship has more distance on it than the back section
May 13, 1997, the completed ship sailed out of the shipyard
Once the tests were completed and inside finished July 1, 1998, she left for Port Canaveral and was there July 15
Original called Block 5989 and was going to be called Walt Disney but when that got vetoed, they named it Magic after what Walt created
Art Deco themed with sublet details
Shower curtains have faint imprint of a ship’s mooring rope in the shape of Mickey Mouse
The Wonder was completed the next year so that there would always be A DCL ship at sea
Art Deco: Characterized by slender forms, straight lines, geometric designs, and bold, solid colors with a sleekness often expressive of modern technology. Disney Magic and Disney Dream
Art Nouveau: Characterized by whimsical swirling, curving wave designs and uses an organic art from nature feel. Disney Fantasy and Disney Wonder
If your stateroom has a fish on the outside of the door, then you are on the port (left) side and if you have a seahorse, you are on the starboard side (right).
To tell whether you are forward or aft on the Disney Dream or Disney Fantasy look at the design of a ship’s wheel encompassing a map on the carpet in the hallway. If it is upright, then you are heading forward. If it is upside down, you are heading aft.
Stateroom numbers are the deck number, followed by three-digit number. Staterooms x 000 through x 499 are on the port side and x 500 to x 999 are on the starboard side.
Disney Magic
Maiden voyage July 30, 1998
Passenger Capacity Max 2713
Crew 950
Total staterooms 877
Gross tonnage 84,000 tons
Length 964 originally but in 2014 twenty fee of steel was added to the back of the ship to add the AquaDunk
Beam 106 feet
Shipyard Fincantieri
Godmother Patricia Ann Daily Disney
Roy Oliver Disney is the Godfather
Atrium Statue Helmsman Mickey designed by John Hench
There is a limited-edition serigraph of 8,500 copies of Helmsman Mickey to commemorate the launch
Bow art Sorcerer Mickey
Aft statue Goofy painting the ship by John Hench
Art Deco
Disney Wonder
Maiden voyage Aug 15, 1999
Passenger Capacity Max 2713
Crew 950
Total staterooms 877
Gross tonnage 84,000 tons
Length 964 feet
Beam 106 feet
Shipyard Fincantieri
Godmother Tinker Bell
First ship to be christened at night so they could project Tinker Bell
Atrium Statue Ariel
Bow art Steamboat Willie
Aft statue Donald Duck painting while his nephew’s trying to cut the rope he is sitting on
Art Nouveau
Disney dream
Maiden voyage January 26, 2011
Passenger Capacity Max 4000
Crew 1458
Total staterooms 1250
Gross tonnage 130,000 tons
Length 1115 feet
Beam 121 feet
Shipyard Meyer Werft Papenburg, Germany
Godmother Jennifer Hudson
Christening on January 19, 2011, because she started her career on the Disney Wonder in 2003 as Calliope in Hercules: The Muse-ical
Atrium Statue Helmsman Admiral Donald Duck
Donald insisted he is Admiral to be a higher rank than Captain Mickey
Bow art Captain Mickey
Aft statue Sorcerer Mickey
It was sculpted in California, manufactured in Florida, and shipped to Germany for installation over 15,000 miles
Art Deco
Disney fantasy
Maiden voyage March 31, 2012
Passenger Capacity Max 4000
Crew 1458
Total staterooms 1250
Gross tonnage 130,000 tons
Length 1115 feet
Beam 121 feet
Shipyard Meyer Werft, Papenburg Germany
Godmother Mariah Carey
She was selected because of her son Fantasy and christened on March 1, 2012
Atrium Statue Mademoiselle Minnie
Of note she has a hat box and not a steamer luggage like mentioned many times, the sculpture is to reminiscent travelers during the height of the transatlantic crossings
Bow art Sorcerer Mickey
Aft statue Timothy Mouse and Dumbo
Art Nouveau
Disney Cruise Line terminal
Port Canaveral opened in 1997 and cost $27 million dollars to built
Ceremony on November 17, 1997
One thing they did different was to set up the port as perpendicular angle to the ship instead of parallel
The building has 30 ocean inspired colors, 9 different shades of blue, more than 50 hidden Mickey Mouse images and the floor is a map of the Caribbean Sea.
To accommodate the Dream class hips in 2011 there were some renovations
In the waiting area is a 20 foot long 1/48th scale of the Disney Magic with one side cut away to reveal all that is inside
Prior to boarding the ship each guest will get to walk through a 16-foot-high Mickey Mouse silhouette
Also, at this time Disney started ground transportation buses from the WDW hotels or airport
The buses had drawing of Donald painting and his nephew’s messing with him like on the Disney Wonder
May 2019 DCL signed a 20-year agreement to continue to use this port with each year increasing the number of sailings
DCL will continue to use terminal 8 and if needed terminal 10 and pay the port $3.15 per passenger getting on or off the ship (capital cost recovery charge and goes up over time).
In 2020 the terminal will undergo another renovation to increase seating to 1000, concierge lounge and drop off area
Walt Disney Theater
Spans 3 decks
Magic and Wonder seats 977
Fantasy and Dream seats 1340
Created where viewing points are extremely clear
Projection mapping started in 2017 with the Golden Mickeys
Leading edge technical effects is an infrared camera with motion tracking, allowing the movement of performers to be blended with projected digital animated effects
On the Dream the entrance on deck 3 has a huge photo of Walt Disney and a Disney Zodiac overhead
Aries Merlin as a goat, Taurus Ferdinard, Gemini Si and Am, Cancer Sebastian, Leo Simba, Virgo Princess Aurora, Libra Rafiki, Scorpio Hades, Sagittarius Robin Hood, Capricorn Djali, Aquarius Ariel, Pisces Flounder
Pirates Night and Fireworks
Captain Mary Oceaneer is founder of Oceaneer Lab on the Magic and Wonder
Pet parrot Salty
A painting of the first pirate night in 1898 is in the craft studio
On the Magic and Wonder, the emphasis is more on the classic Fab Five characters in pirate attire where Pirate Mickey is more of an adventurer than a scoundrel.
The Dream and Fantasy focus more on Captain Jack Sparrow.
There used to be a pirate buffet in cabanas for about 30 minutes after the show
BBB is transformed into the Pirate League so that children can become pirates
Stateroom hosts will leave gold coins in your stateroom that evening
On the first 4 ships you will also receive a small red bandana
DCL was the first and only cruise line to offer fireworks from the ship fleet wide
Firework shell casings are all made of biodegradable material that fish can eat
Fireworks are launched from the second funnel by air compressor rather than fuse
Fireworks must be launched before entering back into the USA water and DCL must notify all local ships and coast guards before the show
It is well known that other cruise lines will position their ships to see the fireworks
No fireworks on any Alaskan cruises due to environmental concerns
Water slides
AquaDuck
Water coaster on the Dream and Fantasy with a raft
765 feet long translucent tube that extends a loop 12 feet beyond the ship so guest can look down to the sea
10,000 gallons per minute of water
Run time is about 1 minute
Donald wanted to try the ride first his 3 nephews made Hey, Dewey and Louie and gets stuck
The Edge teen club can see rider silhouettes inside the club
AquaDunk
Magic is more of a true water slide
The floor opens and the guest plummets for about 7 seconds
disney wish
2019 D23 expo showcased a three-story atrium inspired by fairy tales
Stern character is Rapunzel with Pascal
Hull number s.705
Powered by liquefied natural gas
140,000 gross tons, 1250 staterooms, 4000 passengers, 1119 feet long
SEAcrets of the ships
Pepe’s cabin
Pepe the King Prawn is involved with the Midship Detective Agency on Fantasy and Dream
Has his own room Deck 5 AFT by Oceaneer Club/Lab # 5148 ½
Note says to call him 41-5148
Buttons
Free buttons about 2.5 inches in size at guest services
I’m celebrating, Just Graduated, Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary, Happily Ever After, Magical Moments, I Lost A Tooth,
Tinker Bell collects all the teeth
Crew
Exclusive crew pool in the front of the ship, crew gym, bar, mess hall,
About 60 different nationalities
Can work over 70 hours per week
Fantasy and Dream have over 80,000 light points, double the normal amount for that size of ship
Ship’s Horn
Can play 2 lines from these songs
When you wish upon a star, A Pirate’s life for me, It’s a small world, Be our guest, Hi Diddle Dee Dee, A dream is a wish your heart makes, Do you want to build a snowman,
Magic and Wonder use 7 old air horns
Dream and Fantasy use digital reproduction through speakers
Funnel Vision
Magic and Wonder is 24 by 14 feet
Dream and Fantasy is 30 by 18 feet
Goofy Golf
Deck 13 AFT on Dream
Basketball court, ping pong tables, digital sports simulators and 9 hole miniature golf course with lessons from Goofy to Max
Chandelier
Magic golden yellows rays of the sun shining above
Fantasy 10 feet in diameter work of art evoking a peacock in stained glass with more than 60,000 clear Swarovski crystal beads
Dream 22 feet in diameter and 13 feet from the ceiling, 24kt plated gold with 88,680 Swarovski crystal beads in size 6 to 12 mm
Oceaneer Club and Lab
3- to 12-year-olds
Lab and club are connected so the kids can move freely but overall, the club activities are for younger and lab activities are for older kids
Magic has Andy’s Room, Pixie Hollow, Disney Junior play space, and Marvel’s Superhero Academy
Wonder has Andy’s room, Disney Junior play space, Marvel’s Superhero academy and Oaken’s trading post
Disney Dream has Andy’s room, Disney Infinity play space, pixie hallow, Millennium falcon themed Star Wars area
Fantasy has Andy’s room, pixie hollow, Star Wars Command post, and Doctor Strange space I Marvel Superhero academy
Society of Explorers and Adventurers (S.E.A.)
DCL ships must maintain a small morgue room and body bags to hold up to 3 people for up to 7 days
Muster Drill
Starts around 4 pm on deck 4 locations
Distress signal is 7 blasts with an 8th longer blast
Each life jacket has water triggered locator beacons, reflective gear, and whistle
If you do not attend, you will have to watch a mandatory 30-minute class on the trip
Magic Portholes
Dream and Fantasy
Magic virtual portholes have round 42-inch monitors showing the sea and outside activity in real time
Also, approximately three dozen different animation snippets overlay on the actual image
It is thought that the Fantasy has some different ones than the Dream
A switch to the right of the bed can turn off the view and make it dark
You should see on every 15 minutes
This is referred to as Disney Differentiator (all the different segments)
Enchanted Art
LCD screens equipped with facial recognition sensors
You can either look for the small white circle on the frame or a bronze circle on the floor in front of the artwork
There are 22 pieces on the Dream
Typically placed next to a regular piece of art to trick guests
Most of these will have a rule of 3, where there are 3 different versions
Midship Detective Agency
On Dream and Fantasy
Soft opening March 6, 2012, on the preview cruises and general public on March 31, 2012, Dream maiden voyage
Guest grabs a square detective badge with a 2-D barcode
The badge works as a wireless game controller to interactive with enchanted art
The game takes about 25 – 45 minutes to complete
Is a great way to explore the ship
There is a fold out map with the locations of the art and hints along the way
The badge has a unique code, and the game remembers where you stopped and which game you are playing
Case of the plundered paintings, case of the missing puppies, case of the stolen show
Atrium Art
On the Magic and Wonder the bronze friezes that surround the atrium on deck 3 and 4 have Disney characters in costume and doing thigs that the ship’s crew would do
On the Dream and Fantasy those bronze friezes show the characters attired in costuming and doing activities that guest would do
Castaway Cay
Opened officially July 30, 1998
DCL leased Gorda Cay meaning fat small, low elevation sandy island from the Bahamian government in 1996 for 100 years
It took 18 months, $25 million and 50,000 truckloads of sand
DCL had to blast and dredge a 35-foot-deep berth for the original two ships
To accommodate the Dream and Fantasy the island in 2011 had enhancements with lengthening the dock, expanding the family beach, and adding food and beverage areas
Buildings look as if they had been patched together after a shipwreck and look weathered
More than 3000 props are on the island
29 original buildings that can withstand 120 mph winds
Planted the gumbo limbo which natives call tourist tree because it has red peeling bark like a sunburnt tourist
DCL installed solar panels to supply electricity to the island
The island has both a sea water desalination plant and sewage treatment plant
The cooking oil from the ships are recycled and reused to power machines on the island
150 cast members live on the island
Island is 1,100 acres of land with only 55 acres being used, 3.1 miles long and 2.2 miles wide
Learn about the DCL back story of Castaway Cay in A complete guide to your Disney cruise
Food and other supplies are brought in and carried off by each DCL ship
The island offers a crew beach, gym, indoor area, and crew mess. If a cast member is off when a ship is docked, they can board the ship and enjoy a meal, movie etc.
If their contract is up, they can join a ship to get back to Port Canaveral. DCL always keeps a few staterooms unoccupied for this reason
Guenter Schmid has been the island manger since construction begun
Landscapers need to make sure coconuts don’t fall on the guests
Sea-creates of Castaway Cay
The Flying Dutchman was a 175-foot sized ship was put on display in July 2006 near Marge’s Barges next to the main docking area for a photo opportunity
Weather wear and tear on it caused them to remove is in Nov 2010
The giant palm tree that towers over other is a disguised communications tower
DCL has about 70 stingrays kept and maintained on the island for guest to interact with
22-acre snorkeling lagoon has a sunken fishing boat, anchor, dive bell, cannon, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Boo’s door,
Post Office has a special Bahamian postage sold there and a Castaway Cay postmark, but you need cash to ship anything. The reason it takes so long is the manager May B Tamara (maybe tomorrow) and postage is roughly 65 cents.
First wedding hosted on the island was on Valentine’s Day Feb 14, 1999
Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne hit and destroyed 90% of the island in 2004 and it had to be rebuilt
Hurricane Dorian on Aug 28, 2019, was a category 5 hurricane and the worst one to hit the island to date
When on the island see how many signs you can see that give homage to Disney employees that helped along the way.
Monstro Point is from Pinocchio movie named after the whale and it is a kid’s area at Scuttle’s Cove
Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point
Southern point of the Bahamian island of Eleuthera has white sandy beaches and clear blue water
It has three strange, eroded cliff forms along the edge of the ocean and caves that face the ocean blue
DCL will develop 746 acres of this 110-mile-long island
50 miles from Nassau and 60 miles from Castaway Cay
At first there was a lot of opposition by the locals and the One Eleuthera Foundation
Disney published many newspaper articles in the local paper explaining their plans and to show they will develop even less land than other proposals
DCL purchased the island for roughly $25 million
Fact sheet mentioned DCL would create 150 jobs and give access to 170 acres for the locals
Joe Rohde will be leading the development of this port with help from the locals
Disney has committed to develop less than 20 percent of the island, use an open-trestle pier therefore no need to dredge a ship channel, establish environmental programs, donate 190 aces to the people of the Bahamas and provide conservation education to their employees
Disney expects to invest $250 – 400 million into the island
From the map it will feature 4 beach areas, dining locations, spa area and cabanas
The island will feature a long pier out into deep waters rather than using tenders and on the island will be the tram to get guests to and to and from places
Multiple items of information
Palo is named as an homage to where the first two ships were built
Captain Tom Forberg is the inaugural captain of all 4 ships and in Aug 2013 became Commodore
Colors of the ship
John Hench came up with the idea to mimic Mickey Mouse colors as the exterior of the ship black, white, red from his pants and yellow from his shoes and buttons
Because the black seemed very dark when they discovered Monica Blue from Monica Gonzalez’s pants, they use that instead
The ship’s 20 bright yellow lifeboats required special permission from the International Maritime Organization since orange was the standard. Disney demonstrated that the yellow color was 11 percent brighter than the red color while being only less than 1 percent as bright as the orange shade.
Captain Minnie Mouse is accompanied by a female DCL officer or crew member to showcase their roles and raise awareness about career options aboard a cruise ship.
Disney Treasure is hull s.718 and last one s.706
disney dream information
D Lounge
Script pages from Disney films such as Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Peter Pan, and Alice in Wonderland
Sadly, carpet is now removed since last dry dock
Oceaneer Club Deck 5
Lower ceiling and smaller portholes so that children feel bigger
Hallway on Deck 4 heading AFT going towards the nightclubs uses forced perspective and less detail to make the path seem longer to discourage children from walking down it
Midship elevators when above Deck 5 have painted images of Disney animated characters
Deck 5 atrium near BBB has Jolly Roger steering wheel which paired with the enchanted art allows you to steer Captain Hook’s pirate ship
Deck 3 midship near guest services has a Cinderella mural with Herb Ryman and John Hench as caricatures
Animators Palate
An artist’s palette is the surface used to mix paint and the word palate refers to the ability to taste something
Therefore, the reference is not only a tool used in art, but a tool used in tasting food
On Magic and Wonder the restaurant starts black and white and magically transforms into full color during the meal. The waiter costumes do the same thing and is now called Drawn to Magic.
On Dream and Fantasy, the show is more about the process of an animation studio including sketches, reels, paintbrushes, and film strips.
During the meal the screen turns to a window to the ocean and the Undersea Magic show starts with characters from Finding Nemo
Turtle Talk with Crush: characters in the show are fully aware of the people at the tables and can interact with them. Crush is controlled onscreen in real time by a puppeteer who uses a keyboard to move him around. Cameras on both side of the screens allow the puppeteer to see what is going on in the dining room and when the puppeteer talks Crush mimics those movements.
Second night dining at his restaurant on the Magic, Wonder and Fantasy give guest a place mat to draw on and then those characters become animations on the screen after the meal. I believe this is only on 7-night sailings.
Enchanted Garden
Menu features flowers from Alice in Wonderland
Restaurant inspired by gardens of Versailles in France
During the meal the flowers above bloom open and are filled with color
7-foot-tall fountain with Mickey holding a bow and arrow like Cupid
Royal Palace
Themed to Disney princesses from Cinderella, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast and Sleeping Beauty
Circular ballrooms like in Cinderella and wall sconces fashioned after Beauty and the Beast
The room is filled with marble floors, luxurious royal carpets, chandelier made of glass slippers, royal crests on both walls and back of chairs
Bread baskets in the shape of Cinderella enchanted coach
Cabanas
Buffet style for breakfast and lunch and table service for dinner
Largest restaurant on the ship
Themed to have every day is a picnic on the beach with palm trees throughout the restaurant
Name is referenced from the tent like structure often on a beach
Entrance is striped canvas foyer like entering a beach cabana
Finding Nemo characters are seen with seagulls above the signpost and Nigel outside the restaurant
Two huge seascape mosaic murals with 25 feet wide and 8 feet high with 194,500 tiles over 200 colors
There are plaques done up to resemble sand that feature castles from the Disney theme parks directly across from them are the clocks with the actual time at those locations (sandcastles)
Meridian Bar
Open 5 pm to midnight located in between two adult dining restaurants to serve as a waiting area
There is also a smoking area outside
Full of large windows on 3 sides to give an amazing view out the back of the ship
Antique maps on the walls, nautical instruments through the bar, passport stamps on the wall, brown leather couches with luggage straps and a sextant design on the floor
Gas lamps hang over the bar with welcome in different languages
Palo
Homage to the Italian location the first two ships were built
Murano blown glass chandelier known as pasta chandelier since it looks like spaghetti
Palo is Italian for pole while most people say it is for the pole used to propel the craft, some say it is from the colorful poles where the gondolas are tied up
It is thought up that as you make your way to your table it is like navigating a gondola through Venice and then docking at your table
Italian paintings throughout the restaurant also have hidden Mickey’s
You can see into the kitchen to watch your meals being prepared
Remy
Adult experience with strictly enforced dress code requiring suit jacket or evening dress
Entering the dining room, high above on a light fixture is a small statue of Remy in a chef’s hat holding a spoon made of Swarovski crystals worth $15000
Remy’s outside is in the design of the chairs and hidden throughout the restaurant
At Remy’s is a bottle of 1947 Cheval Blanc (like in the movie) worth $25,000 and one bottle was sold on the Fantasy
Both the ships have a vault and insurance for its most valuable wines
Staff irons and presses each tablecloth every morning
Small pedestals next to the tables is for hanging lady’s purses
China dinnerware was produced by Bernardaud which Disney paid a premium to have on ship
Private chef’s table dining rooms is called Gusteau’s representing his kitchen with handmade carpet
The chairs and drapes in the room are an exact match to the movie
The ceiling looks like wood but made of plastic because of fire hazard
Over 900 bottles are in the wine vault
Ham slicer is named Jessica and, on the Fantasy, named Olga
Remy’s kitchen is also used to bake goods for Vanellope’s Sweets
Palo and Remy use Frette dining linens
The District
Deck 4 AFT nighttime adult entertainment with 5 interconnected venues
Hallways are lined with life-sized black silhouettes of the paparazzi which used to have camera that flashed but people thought they were taking photos, so it was turned off
Pixie dust in the carpets leads to restrooms and other lounges
10:45 pm hosts an hour-long buffet to help absorb all the drinks
Cove Café at the same time is supposed to have a free antipasto platter
Pink
Cocktail lounge themed as if you are inside a bottle of effervescent pink champagne
Bubbles inset into the wall go from tiny on the floor to larger near the ceiling like champagne bubbles bubbling up
Pink elephant from Dumbo can be seen appearing in random locations
Some chairs are in the shape of elephant ears
Behind the bar is a lighting fixture that represents the bubbles rushing to the mouth of the bottle and exploding after the cork pops.
Taittinger created two champagnes exclusively for sale on the Dream, a Brut with the Dream ship on the label dedicated to the Dream’s inaugural year and Prestige Roe Champagne with Pink’s mascot pink elephant. Each bottle is $700 or purchased by the glass in a hand washed glass.
A wine tasting held in Pink during the afternoon for $25 can taste 4 different champagnes sign up at guest services
Pub 687
It is bad luck to call a vessel by its official name before its launch, so the Dream was called 687 because it was that 687th ship built at the shipyard
First block of the Dream weighted 380 tons with 80 blocks for the entire ship
Keel laying was august 26, 2009 by Donald Duck and Tom Forberg
According to old sea tales, if the ship was damaged, the keel coin could be retrieved to pay for repairs. If the ship sunk, then the coin would guarantee that the spirit of the ship would live on while the wood rotted away. Sailors who died at sea would have payment for Charon to ferry them across the River Styx into the underworld.
Skyline
Concept in a penthouse apartment overlooking a city
7 windows behind the bar that rotate every 15 minutes to give you a panoramic view of New York, Chicago, Rio de Janeiro, Paris and Hong Kong
In Paris you can see Mickey Mouse waving in some of the windows
The windows also transform from day to night therefore look out for a sunset
The travel poster on the wall opposite the bar is enchanted art
The menus are meant to light up since it is a darker lounge
Looking from over on the right-hand side the coals in the digital fireplace resemble Cinderella Castle
Evolution
Themed from the transformation of a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis
The ceiling is in the shape of wings multi-colored
The lightings on the ceiling resemble butterflies in flight
O’Gills
On Magic and Fantasy
The guides claim it is from the Disney film Darby O’Gill and the little people but there was no scene in the movie about a leprechaun being rescued by a fish
When the Magic was launched in 1998 this was called Off Beat but in 2003 renamed Diversions and today is named after the one on the Fantasy
Dark woods and brass accents are reminiscent of the friendly neighborhood pub in Ireland
Offers a red lager draft made especially for the pub as well as private label Irish cream and Irish whisky
There is an official song for the pub called The Ballad of O’Gills
You can see it written both ways O’Gill’s Pub or O’Gills Pub
Vanellope’s Sweets and Treats
Exclusively on the Disney Dream based on Wreck-It Ralph and one of the games Sugar Rush
In 2015 the Dream had a dry dock when this was added replacing the former Arr-cade on the starboard side, Aft area near Cabanas on Deck 11
Hence the entrance both on the pool deck and from inside Cabanas
Inside the shop is a mural of the starting line, sculpture of Vanellope’s go kart and King Candy
20 different flavors of gelato, 16 flavors of ice cream and more than 28 different toppings and whip cream made daily
6 sundaes with 2 served in the souvenir cup
Ralph’s Family Challenge 8 scoops of ice cream ad 8 toppings
Each day the sundaes are on the leaderboard and move up or down based on what is ordered
See if you can see or hear Sour Bill from beneath a pile of gumballs in a large glass globe on top of the red gasoline pump, he has over 30 different sayings
This book can be purchased where you purchase most books (Amazon, Ebay, Barnes and Nobles, etc.)
I wanted to also thank Jim for doing an amazing job on the research for this book. I wish each ship in the fleet had a book dedicated to their hidden treasure.