The Disney Wonder and Magic are fantastic cruise ships, and even 10 years after their introduction, they retain the classy looks Disney intended for them to have. With the introduction of the Disney Dream in 2011 and Disney Fantasy in 2012, Disney once again is changing the cruise industry. The Disney Dream still has the classic feel of the older ships, but goes beyond and above in most of the public areas. The following are the top 10 improvements introduced on the Disney Dream.

#10: Edge Tween Club – This improvement is most in name at the moment, rather than execution. In the past, the kids club was for kids 12 and under, they then went immediately to the teen club. On the Disney Dream, they have set up a separate tween club in the stack called Edge. Kids 11 – 13 have their own space, free of the little kids and free of the teens, which can be imposing for these kids. The space is fun and unique, though the times I visited, seemed a bit quite, and the kids were a bit bored. I am sure as time passes, the staff will pick up on what the kids like to do both inside and outside the club. The Wonder has recently installed an Edge Tween club on deck 2.

#9: Ship Layout – This covers several different aspects of the cruise ship. On the Wonder and Magic, most of the public areas are right off of the main lobby. Disney did a great job of “hiding” many of the areas from public view. The nightclubs are all in one area, in the back of the ship away from where most of the kids may wander. You can often be feet away from a restaurant and not know it is there until you go around a corner. It makes the ship feel must smaller than it is, so you aren’t looking down a long hallway with a restaurant at the end, which is needed in a ship this large. They also did a good job of providing more seating areas in the lobby, including the Vista Cafe and other semi-private areas.

#8: Animator’s Palate – This is a tricky one. I talked to many people on board who love the old black and white Animator’s Palate found on the Wonder and Magic. I however, fell in love with the new version, it really feels like an animator’s studio, full of knick knacks and plenty of wood. My problem with the older version is it is static, same show every night, night after night. The new version features plenty of flat screen TVs, so everyone has a great view, and it even includes Crush, who “swims” around the restaurant and talks to people. It is now a great restaurant, look for this version to be installed on the Wonder and Magic during the next dry dock.

#7: Pools – On the Magic and Wonder, the family pool and Mickey pool are separate by a stack, and are quite a ways away. On the new Dream, the two pools are in one are, so you can go back and forth between the two. The great Mickey slide is still there, but what makes this a huge improvement is at night, when the pools are closed, it gives Disney almost three times the area to hold deck parties or to watch fireworks. The Funnelvision large screen TV is still there, but again, there is now a huge space for people to enjoy the events. There always seems to be something going on up on deck 11. In addition to the pools, Disney added Nemo’s Reef, a child play area featuring Nemo and friends, full of water, water and more water. Really cute, really fun.

#6: Category 8 Staterooms – The biggest improvement for families of 5 are the ocean view family staterooms. One the older ships, if you are a family of 5, your only options would be to go to a category 4 veranda stateroom or book 2 connecting rooms, both of which are expensive options. The new ocean view family staterooms fit 5, but just have a window, allowing you to book a less expensive room, but all be in one room. Plus, these rooms have the cool round showers, way, way better than the tub/shower combos.

#5: Palo and Remy – Palo has existed on the Wonder and Magic from the beginning, but with the new ships, they took it a step further. Palo is the adult only restaurant, it requires reservations, and there is a small fee to dine there, which basically covers the gratuities for the serving staff (currently $15 per person). Remy is a step beyond Palo in both atmosphere and food. The cost is quite a bit higher as well, $75 per person. However, when you consider the cost of the cruise, $75 per person is nothing for a world class meal, which Remy provides. The option to dine at these nicer restaurants is fantastic, especially on the longer cruises were you visit each of the rotational restaurants 2 or 3 times.

#4: Enchanted Art – Located throughout the ship, the Enchanted Art appears to be a normal piece of Disney art, but as you approach, the scene comes to life, a mini-cartoon if you will. Not only do they look beautiful around the ship, but they entertain everyone from little kids to senior citizens. Each piece of Enchanted Art has several different scenes, so you will see something different each time you approach. The art is so mesmerizing you see adults approach everything hanging on the walls to see if it will spring to life.

Not only does the enchanted art entertain you, it is part of the game Mickey’s Midship Detective Agency. In the lobby, you can sign up for the game, and get a guide booklet and card. As you approach each image with the card, the image springs to life with clues about where to find the kidnapped dalmatian puppies. The game changes each time you play, so you can play more than once.

#3: AquaDuck – Disney’s most visible addition, the first ever water roller coaster on a cruise ship. While fun, and a novelty, the AquaDuck really wouldn’t make it at a waterpark, it is too slow and too short, but on a cruise ship, it works really well. The AquaDuck will be popular with kids and teens, I think most adults will ride it once or twice just to say they did. This is probably one addition we will never see added to the Wonder and Magic.

#2: Vibe – Without a doubt, the coolest area on the ship is Vibe, the teen club. From the hidden entrance (if you aren’t a teen, you may never find it) to the night club feel as you walk in, Vibe is the place to be. Disney really went overboard to make the teen club a place where teens will feel welcome and want to hang out. With huge play areas, a 100+ inch TV with video games attached, their own coffee/juice bar, private movie theater, outdoor water area and hot tubs, most adults wish Vibe were open to all.

#1: Virtual Portholes – Ok, probably the best idea Disney Cruise has ever had, after Castaway Cay of course. On the Magic and Wonder, the inside staterooms are boring, and booked only because they are the cheapest on board, and there are a ton of them. On the Dream, Disney built very few inside staterooms, but added the Virtual Porthole to each room, giving guests a live view of what is going on outside, plus fantastic Disney characters showing up from time to time to entertain you. On the Disney Dream, Disney is finding that the inside staterooms are booking up quicker than any other category, as guests want to experience the portholes. In fact, Disney is often selling the inside staterooms for more money than the bigger ones with windows. If you get a chance, you need to experience these first hand to realize how well it works, and how cool they actually are.

Look for Disney to install these on the Wonder and Magica sometime in the futre. As stated, those two ships have a ton of inside rooms, added these will immediately make those rooms more valuable and more in demand.

Overall, the Disney Dream is a fantastic ship, full of surprises and amazing technology. We didn’t even talk about the fantastic Oceaneer’s Club with video floor and much improved layout, or Cabanas, the expanded buffet restaurant. It would be easy to do a top 20 list for improvements, but you will have to cruise on the Dream to find out the rest.

Have you cruised on the Disney Dream? What are your favorite improvements?

Castaway Cay is fantastic, and a big reason why many return guests cruise with Disney. It is clean, well thought out, flat out beautiful, void of any locals trying to sell you illegal substances and has free food and drinks available all day long. All in all, probably the best beach day you will have in your life. With so many things to do, here are our top 10 things to do on Castaway Cay:

#10: Castaway Joe’s – located over by the exclusive teen beach (where nary a teen has been sighted), Castaway Joe’s is a great open air pavillion with basketball, pool, foosball, ping pong and other fun sports. It is a nice way to get out of the sun for a while, and take a break from the water, but still entertain the kids.

#9: Shop – Disney has several small stores on the island, including She Sells Sea Shells. These shops carry exclusive Castaway Cay merchandise, if you see it here and want it, you better buy it, you won’t see it anywhere else. There are also a few fun Bahamanian shops featuring local merchandise.

#8: Rent Bikes – Disney has set up a few very nice bike paths around areas on the island, and renting bikes is a great way to see the entire island, or at least as much as Disney will allow you to see. You can even bike to a new look out tower that overlooks most of the island. An hour is enough, you can cover all the paths easily within an hour.

#7: Eat as much Ice Cream as you can – Disney provides all of your food and drinks (non-alcoholic drinks that is) for no cost. While the food is good, and it is nice to have access to cold drinks all day long, it is the ice cream that makes your day special. For some reason, I don’t know if it is the heat or sun, the ice cream on Castaway Cay is better than anywhere else on earth. They close up the ice cream early, so don’t wait until the end of the day to stop by.

#6: Do a shore excursion – while not paramount to making your Castaway Cay day perfect, a shore excursion can be a blast. Whether it is Castaway Ray’s Stingray Adventure, parasailing or renting a boat, a shore excursion is a fun way to see Castaway Cay from a different angle. Some of the excursions even take you beyond the boundaries of Castaway Cay.

#5: Drink an adult beverage – Stop by either Conched Out, Heads Up or Castaway Air Bar for fantastic views and a cool adult drink. The Conched Out Bar seems to be the favorite of most cruisers, as it always seems crowded, is close to the family beach and has the biggest selection of drinks.

#4: Serenity Bay Beach – the infamous adult only beach, for those 18 and older, is just fantastic. Smaller than the family beach, the name is apt, as serenity is what you will get. If you have kids along with you, you can check them into the kids club on the island, and head ovover for some adult only time on the beach. Be warned, this isn’t St. Martin, so you won’t see any topless activity going on. It is adult only, but is just to keep the kids on the family beach and give the adults a nice relaxing day at the beach.

#3: Serenity Bay Massage Cabanas – Overlooking Serenity Bay sits a couple, partially hidden, massage cabanas. Sign up in the spa on board the shop for a relaxing massage, with great views of Serenity Bay. A great way to start or wrap up your day on Castaway Cay.

#2: Snorkel – Disney Cruise went to great lengths to create a snorkeling area in the lagoon by the family beach. While the snorkeling will not be as good as on St. Thomas or Grand Cayman, it is a nice break from the beach. Ask one of the lifeguards for a map, and see if you can find all of the sunken treasure.

#1: Just relax – The most important part of the day on Castaway Cay is the first 10 minutes. If you stress about the first 10 minutes, you can relax the rest of the day. We always hop off the tram, and start walking. The further down the beach you go, the better chance you are going to have of it not being crowded, and finding a spot with plenty of chairs, and even a hammock or two that you can claim. Relaxing is what Castaway Cay is about, and if you have the hammock, a bit of shade and aren’t too far from food and drink, you can let the kids play in the water all day while you sit back and mentally prepare yourself for the stateroom bill you are going to get once you get back on the boat.

The Disney Cruise Line is a self-contained vacation all in itself, offering a wide variety of activities, shows, dining, and entertainment. Here we present our Top Ten best things to do on a Disney Cruise:

#10: Read a book in one of the lounge chairs on deck 4 -  All around the exterior deck of Deck 4 are wonderfully comfortable lounge chairs with thick blue padding. Grab your favorite book and kick back in one of these chairs as you watch the sea slip by.

#9: Participate in daily activities – There are many, many more activities planned for each day of your cruise than you could possibly attend. Pick your favorites from the list provided in your daily itinerary, and go! Even if the event may sound a little corny, most of the time the activities and presentations are wonderfully well done and a great use of your time.

#8: Use the kids clubs – Disney is unrivalled in its programs designed for kids. Almost an entire deck of the Disney cruise ships is devoted to the children’s programs. Staffed by well-trained professionals, these kids clubs provide well-needed entertainment for the kids and allow adults some time on their own.

#7: Find the characters – This is a Disney cruise, after all, and the Disney characters are easily found and, unlike at the theme parks, easily accessible. There are several character meet-and-greets each day, so make sure to pick your favorite characters and go get a photo and an autograph.

#6: See the shows – Disney presents wonderful stage shows in the Walt Disney Theatre each night. These Broadway-caliber shows are very well done, and are entertaining for the whole family. The theatre itself is a state-of-the-art facility built right into the cruise ship, and provides great views from all of its comfortable seats.

#5: Get a spa treatment – The Vista spa is an often-overlooked indulgence aboard the Disney Cruise Line. Sign up for a massage, a facial, a manicure or pedicure, or even enjoy one of the spa suites, which includes your own personal hot tub on a balcony overlooking the ocean.

#4: Watch fireworks on deck – Disney is the only cruise line in the world which presents a fireworks show launched right from the deck of the ship. Usually presented during the “Pirates in the Caribbean” party, the fireworks are spectacular because they are so close.

#3: Eat at Palo – This adults-only restaurant located on Deck 10 aft is an exquisite dining experience. The food is absolutely top-notch, and the atmosphere is calm and sophisticated.

#2: Castaway Cay – Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, is a must-do for every Disney cruiser. It’s filled with all sorts of fun activities accompanied by Disney-quality service and facilities. Swim, sunbathe, snorkel, bicycle, parasail, water ski, nap in a hammock, enjoy a drink at the bar, or enjoy any of the many other activities available on this private paradise. If you are lucky enough to  be on one of the Disney Cruises that stops twice at Castaway Cay, you are in for a treat.

#1: Relax – You’re on vacation, after all, and on one of the most relaxing vacations anywhere in the world. Make sure you take some time to sunbathe by the pool, or read a book on your verandah, or catch a movie in the theatre, or just sleep in and let the day go by.