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Our family loves to cruise! One of our favorite cruise lines is Disney Cruise Line. We have been on over 30+ Disney Cruises, so we do cruise on Disney a lot.
We are always asked, “what are the best Disney Cruise ships?”
Ranking the Best Disney Cruise Ships
We are going to rank the Disney Cruise ships from the worst to the best.
We only focus our ranking on the ship amenities and which Disney Cruise ship is the best. We are not focusing on cruise itineraries.
The Disney Cruise Ships do sail around the world, leaving ports of call including New York City, Port Canaveral, San Juan, San Diego, Galveston, Barcelona, and more. Not all cruise ships sail to all destinations. This is something to keep in mind when picking the best Disney Cruise ship for your family vacation.
If you are traveling to the Bahamas, you may have the option of cruising on the Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, or the Disney Magic. However, if you are cruising to Alaska, you will only have the option of the Disney Wonder.
This is something to keep in mind when planning your Disney Cruise vacation. For now, let’s dive into our list of the best Disney Cruise ships.
Best Disney Cruise Ships
#4 Disney Fantasy
The Disney Fantasy is one of the newest Disney Cruise ships. It is huge with over 4,000 guests! It is an amazing ship, but can often feel a little too big. However, there is a lot to love about the Disney Fantasy. Here are some of our favorites on board the Disney Fantasy.
Aqua Duck
The Aqua Duck water coaster is amazing! The entire family just loves this water roller coaster. The whole tube slide is clear, so you can look down at the pool or ship. If you are in a port of call, you can get an amazing view of the city or island.
This water slide is even more fun during the Pirate Night festivities. You can look down below at all of the Pirate Night activities on the pool deck.
The Aqua Duck is on the Disney Fantasy and the Disney Dream ships.
Larger Atrium
The are a lot of characters and shows in the atrium area. We love the atrium on the Disney Fantasy. You have a lot of space in the atrium and you have an incredible view on higher decks. Having a spacious atrium makes the character meet and greets more enjoyable. You do not feel as crowded on the Disney Fantasy.
Midship Detective Agency
The kids love the Midship Detective Agency. This game takes you throughout the Disney Fantasy. This mystery takes you to art pieces throughout the ship. Some of the art pieces will come to life. You will use these art pieces to solve crimes. There are two different games, including Muppets and 101 Dalmatians.
This “who did it” mystery will take you across the ship and on different decks. The art comes to life, as you try to solve the mystery.
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique/Pirate League
All of the Disney Cruise Ships have the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. During an experience at Bibbibi Bobbidi Boutique, you can transform into a princess or prince. On Pirate Night, you can turn into a Pirate or even a mermaid.
Edge and Vibe
We love the Children Programming on the Dinsey Cruise Ships. The kids love Edge (for tweens) and Vibe (for teens.) On the Disney Fantasy, these teen areas are amazing!
Vibe has their own sundeck and pool. This is the ultimate areas for tweens and teens. There is even special Open House experiences, so the whole family can check out these fun areas.
The Disney Fantasy does have a lot of amazing amenities. All of the other Disney Cruise ships have been through magical enhancements (ship updates). With these in mind, we think the other Disney Cruise ships are better than the Disney Fantasy. This is why the Disney Fantasy got the #4 spot of the best Disney Cruise ships.
#3 Disney Magic
Number three on our list of best Disney Cruise Ships is the Disney Magic. This older cruise ship accommodates around 2,400 guests. Tim and I love that it is a smaller ships. It makes it easier to get around and not as crowded. Here are some other reasons why we love the Disney Magic.
Tangled the Musical & Snuggly Duckling
The Disney Magic has a newer Broadway style show called Tangled the Musical. This show is incredible for Tangled Fans, young and old. After the show, the Tangled fun continues with the Snuggly Duckling bar with games, music, food, and fun from some funny characters. Then it continues with a special themed dinner. It is a lot of fun!
Aqua Dunk
The Disney Magic is the only Disney Cruise ship with the Aqua Dunk. Get ready for a big thrill! You stand with your arms and legs crossed. You then wait for the floor to open up underneath you.
You are whisked away in a clear waterslide zooming around the ship. This is one of Tim’s favorite rides on the Disney Cruise ships.
The Aqua Dunk gets popular, so we recommend hitting this waterslide when you are in ports of call like Castaway Cay (Disney’s private island) or Nassau in the Bahamas.
#2 Disney Wonder
Our 2nd favorite Disney Cruise ship is the Disney Wonder. The Disney Wonder recently went through a magical enhancement and is amazing.
We love the updates to the Disney Wonder. Our favorite restaurant on board any Disney Cruise ship is on board the Disney Wonder . . .
Tiana’s Place
Frozen Adventures in the Children Programming
During the dry dock, the Disney Wonder got a new addition in the Oceaneer Club (kids club). They now have a section called Frozen Adventures. This fun area is themed after Frozen and even includes a few friends.
Frozen, A Musical Spectacular
To continue the Frozen theming, the Disney Wonder has a new show called Frozen, A Musical Spectacular. This show truly is spectacular.
One of our favorite parts of the show is when it snows in the theater . . . yes, actual show in the islands!
With these newer additions and the smaller size of the Disney Wonder, we rank this ship as our 2nd favorite among the Disney Cruise fleet.
#1 Disney Dream
The best Disney Cruise Ship is the Disney Dream. This cruise ship is a sister ship to Disney Fantasy.
It may be the same size as the Disney Fantasy, but this ship has even better amenities. It has had a few more magical enhancements to make it even more amazing!
Vanellope’s Sweets & Treats
Do you like Wreck it Ralph? You will love this sweet shop. You can enjoy sweet treats, candy, ice cream, and gelato. This is such a fun addition to the Disney Dream.
There is a small fee for these items, so keep that in mind during your cruise.
Oceaneer’s Club & Lab with Star Wars Millennium Falcon
The kids love the Millennium Falcon in the Oceaneer’s Club, but Tim and I do, too. Throughout the Disney Cruise vacation, they offer Open Houses. This is the opportunity for the whole family to explore the Oceaneer Lab and Club. We all love sitting in Han Solo’s seat and driving the Millennium Falcon!
Beauty and the Beast Show
Disney recently hosted the opening of the Beauty and the Beast Show. This show is simply amazing! The technology and set design alone is just spectacular. You will love all of the Disney characters in this show, too. I am a huge fan of the original Beauty and the Beast movie. I am glad this new show is just as amazing!
Our entire family agrees that the Disney Dream is the #1 ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet.
New Disney Wish
We have some exciting news to come for Disney Cruise Line. In July 2022, the Disney Wish sets sail from Port Canaveral (near Disney World). This new ship looks amazing! We share the top 9 things we love about the Disney Wish.
We hope this helps you pick the best Disney Ships for your family cruise. Be sure you check out these 105 Disney Cruise tips with tons of insider tips and hacks before you set sail on your next cruise.
