I just went on my first Disney cruise, which was also my first cruise ever! It was the Disney Fantasy (and yes, it was a “sweet, sweet fantasy” – thanks Mariah!). Side note, did you know that she’s actually the godmother of the ship? It’s only right I pay homage!
While I loved all the tips and tricks and vlogging videos I saw on social media, I had a hard time finding a place where things were consolidated over multiple days so hopefully, this is helpful for someone like me! I wrote the different experiences in the order of “must do” to “nice to do” in the main categories of dining, activities, and shows. This will all be based on what I’ve personally experienced so you have a good preview of what to expect as you won’t have access to the schedule until you get on board. However, if you’re anything like me, you’ll want to know what activities relate to all the fun videos you see on social media as I like to think I did accomplish all the “must do’s” on the ship!
Dining
- Remy – This is an adults-only, extra charge dining on the Dream and Fantasy. It’s French inspired, and the brunch menu is a collaboration between Chefs Arnaud Lallement and Scott Hunnel who have both worked in Michelin starred restaurants. For dinner, they have each curated a menu and they do change so you should see a new menu each time you sail (unless you sail the Dream/Fantasy more than once a year).
- Enchanted Garden – This is one of the rotational dining locations, and this one had my favorite menu. For apps, the tuna tartare is solid. For entrees, you are spoiled – the prime rib is great, the scallops are delicious (but skip the couscous), and the fish is wonderful. If you had to choose, I would go with the fish, but if you’re feeling more hungry, a surf and turf of the prime rib and scallops is a great way to go! For dessert, get the sticky date pudding and the lemon mousse bomb. Spoiler alert: the no sugar-added options on a Disney cruise turned out to be pretty good!
- Royal Court – This is the second of the rotational dining locations, and my second favorite menu. For apps, the deep fried brie is the way to go. While the lobster/shrimp app sounds exciting and is ok, it might not be what you were expecting. For entrees, the lamb chops and the salmon were the highlights. The duck was a bit too overcooked for me. However, for dessert, both the souffle and the creme brulee were great!
- Animator’s Palate – This is the last of the rotational dining locations, and while the ambiance is my favorite, the menu was the least exciting for me. For apps, the black truffle purseittes are unrivaled on DCL. For entrees, we went with the beef tenderloin and were happy with our choices although it was probably not the most unique. For dessert, the cheesecake is really good, but also really rich and the lemon icebox pie is a great balance of tart and sweet.
- Cove Bar – This is another adults-only, extra charge coffee bar. I actually didn’t mind the free coffee that was included so I was able to fight the temptation of a latte, but I did indulge on an espresso martini and realized I was missing out! Do not make the same mistake I did and in case you didn’t know, there’s a creamy option so it’s like a mocha martini!
- Cars-inspired eateries – These are your pool deck eateries that are open for lunch and remain open even after Cabanas (aka the buffet) closes. This is where you can slide up and get a slice of pizza, a burger, chicken tenders, burrito bowl, tacos, wraps, and salads. It’s also a great place to get a pre-dinner snack especially if you’re in the second seating!
- Cabanas – This is the buffet of the ship and most importantly… where you get the churro waffles on that one special morning during each trip! Other than that, it’s a great place to grab a variety of things for breakfast or lunch as it’s not open for dinner.
- Eye Scream – It’s crazy how one of my favorite places (the ice cream place!) is actually close to the bottom of the list – I think that notes how wonderful the food on the cruise is. It’s actually lovely soft serve that has rotating flavors although I am quite loyal to the chocolate/vanilla swirl.
- Europa – This is the area of the cruise that is a collection of lounges that serves as family spaces in the daytime and adults-only after 9 PM. I only had one drink of the day during some entertainment, and it wasn’t my favorite, but I think that’s due to my ordering.
I will say that while I wrote about how wonderful the food is, I should note that in general, it’s not food that you dream about (churro waffle and Remy excluded), but it is food that you really enjoy at the moment. And most importantly, consistently enjoying. I don’t think I had one meal that I was sad about because you could literally get or ask for something else that you did enjoy. Having a myriad of choices is definitely a privilege, and I do dream about that.
Activities
- Sailing Away Party – Classic show, and I’ve heard it’s a slightly different version on each of the ship classes. I loved this show – it was exciting, energetic, and the best way to start the cruise!
- Mickey’s Pirate of the Caribbean – A Disney classic that ends in fireworks! Bring some pirate clothing or accessories and join the fun!
- Art of the Theme Tour – If you love details and history, this is the ship activity to prioritize! You learn so much about the design of the ship and it’s a great way to explore spaces you might not have paid as much attention to earlier.
- Detective Midship Agency – This is an activity exclusively for the Dream and the Fantasy so take advantage! If you don’t know what it is, it’s an interactive game where you go around to the active paintings to get clues to solve 1 of 3 mysteries. It’s a great way to get steps, see different parts of the ship, and have fun.
- Aquaduck – This is the water roller coaster onboard, and it is more fun than it looks! Plus, it’s oddly serene floating above everyone on the pool deck.
- Match Your Mate – Apparently, this is the classic couples’ game on cruises so while not novel or unique to Disney cruises, it is still great adult entertainment.
- Trivia – I’m guessing this is also on other cruises but classic fun. Plus, you can win a medal if you do win!
- Character Dance Party – We stumbled on this after our Remy brunch, but it was super cute! Fantastic music and you can learn some cool moves from Mickey and Friends.
- Learn to Draw – I love the animation classes at Disney California Adventure Park, but unfortunately, the classes on the cruises aren’t quite like those. You don’t have a live artist showing you the steps. Rather, it’s a video of an animator guiding you through the steps. For me personally, I found it harder to follow along, but you do get more chances to draw unique characters such as Nick from Zootopia or BB-8 from Star Wars.
Shows
- Believe – This was my favorite show since it was completely new. It’s a collection of Disney songs that weave together a sweet father-daughter story and magic. Definitely don’t miss it!
- Aladdin – This was a retelling of the classic Aladdin story. I was worried it was going to be like the old Disney California Adventure Park show or the Broadway show, but it was its own thing, and it was really good. Great special effects as well!
- Frozen – This was a retelling of Frozen but like the Aladdin show, it was also different (and may I say better?) than the old Disney California Adventure Park show and the Broadway show.
- Victrophonics – This was a concert-like event on Pirates Night where villains’ songs got a 1920s twist. Great live music entertainment, but not a must if there’s another activity you may want to do instead.
Final Thoughts
I hope this post was helpful for understanding what you can expect on the Disney Fantasy! Let me know if you have any questions I can help answer!
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