Category: Disney Cruise

Earlier today, Disney Cruise Line finally announced the updates that are going to be made to the Disney Wonder this Fall. While many people were aware of the giant hole in the Disney Wonder schedule for the last year, not much was known about exactly what was going to be changed on Disney’s second oldest ship. The Wonder’s sister ship was updated in 2013, and the fact that the Wonder had not yet received a similar update has been frustrating to many Disney Cruise fans. Well, that is all about to change.

My Thoughts on the Disney Wonder Updates

• It is about time! As mentioned above, these updates are 2 – 3 years overdue. The ship was really the sore thumb of the Disney Cruise fleet, as it lacked many of the updated experiences added to the Magic, and that were introduced on the Dream and Fantasy. However, Disney Cruise was a bit hamstrung on this decision. The Disney Wonder sails from Florida to Alaska and back every year by way of the Panama Canal. As the Wonder currently sails, she can pass through the Panama Canal, but the Magic cannot, with the additions that have been made to that ship. So, Disney Cruise decided to wait for the new Panama Canal, which is much winder, to open this year. Once open, the new canal will easily accommodate the updated Wonder or Magic without problem.
• Marvel Super Hero Academy – I am all for anything added to Disney Cruise ships or Disney theme parks that are aimed to entertain boys. As the parent of three boys (and two girls), there is just very little at any Disney destinations for boys, but an embarrassing amount of options available to little girls. The Marvel Super Hero Academy will be a fantastic option for boys and girls alike in the Oceaneer Club, and has received rave reviews on the other ships that Disney has added it to.
• Oceaneer Club Updates – Andy’s Room, Frozen Adventures and Disney Club Junior will be added to the Oceaneer Club on the Wonder. While the Oceaneer Club on the Wonder has been ok, these updates will bring it inline with the other Disney Cruise ships.
• Tiana’s Place Restaurant – Princess Tiana will finally get her own place. Replacing the tired Parrot Cay Restaurant, it will be interesting to see if Tiana’s is better received. Parrot Cay has always been a bit of a strange choice for me, like Disney ran out of money and just threw together a third restaurant. Any restaurant that features food from the Bayou along with Jazz is off to a great start, I hope it all works out.
• After Hours – A new adult only area that will feature a new Cadillac Lounge as well as a brand new English Pub. The Dream and Fantasy have a huge adult only area, but there just isn’t room on the Wonder, so this will have to do. I love the adult only places on the Dream and Fantasy, though I rarely go there, but they offer adults a fantastic place to hang out and socialize.
• Animator’s Palate – Animator’s Palate will be updated to include the “Drawn to Magic” and “Animation Magic” dinner shows, which are down right fantastic. Probably my favorite dining experience on the Dream and Fantasy, the show holds everyone’s attention the entire meal. Great, great change!
• Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique – Finally, a BBB will be added on the Wonder. It has been super popular on the other Disney Cruise ships, I am sure it will be on the Wonder too.
• Cabanas Casual Dining – Beach Blanket Buffet is being converted into Cabanas, similar to the other cruise ships, with buffet options for breakfast and lunch as well as a table service option for dinner. I rarely eat here, but I do enjoy the Cabanas concept much better than Beach Blanket, so another nice change.
• Water Fun – Disney will be adding three new water areas to the Wonder, and all three are great additions to the ship:
  1. Twist ‘n’ Spout – Yes! The water slides on the other three Disney Cruise ships have been super popular and have been a great addition. While no other information is given, I am sure it will be a blast.
  2. Dory’s Reef – A new splash zone will be added near Mickey’s pool
  3. AquaLab – A water play zone for kids and adults alike. You can never get enough water play areas on a cruise ship.

That is about it. I am sure the rooms and common areas will all receive an upgrade, similar to the Magic in 2013. I am excited to see the new additions to the Disney Wonder, I think all of the announced changes are positive and long overdue.

Everyone loves a good deal, and lately with Disney Cruises, they have been hard to come by. If you ignore the “discounts” like half off your Disney Cruise deposit (you still have to pay the other half, just later on rather than right now), Disney Cruise discounts have been nonexistent since Fall, 2013. Plus, it looks like Disney Cruise won’t be releasing discounts any time soon, so any way you can save money when you book your Disney Cruise is welcome.

Please note, if you are a Florida Resident or qualify for Military discounts, Disney has been releasing weekly discounts for you. These cruises are usually short notice (less than 2 months), but the discounts can be pretty decent. Check with us over at Mouseketrips, we would be happy to check on those discounts for you if you qualify. 

So, while there are not any discounts coming anytime soon (safe assumption), how do you get the best deal?

Book your Disney Cruise Early

By far the best way to get the lowest price on a Disney Cruise is took book as early as you possibly can. Today, Disney Cruise Line announced their Fall 2017 itineraries, and they will be available to book starting tomorrow, Wednesday, May 25, for both Gold and Platinum Castaway Club Members. On Thursday, May 26 all of the new cruises will be made available to the general public. So, if you are thinking about one of those new Fall cruises, get it booked this week.

Let me explain. Each cruise has a limited number of staterooms available. They can’t add more if the cruise is really popular. The Disney Dream and Fantasy have about 1,250 staterooms they can sell each cruise. Rather than just setting a price for the cruise and every pays the same price, Disney Cruise has tiered pricing. The first 100 or so (that number is made up) staterooms that are booked are in tier 1 pricing, which is the cheapest. Once they reach the limit of tier 1 rooms, then the prices of every stateroom onboard go up to tier 2 pricing, and the dance starts over again. Once their sell another 200 staterooms (again, a made up number), the price goes up, and so on. The price increase can be significant. Not only do the prices keep increases as the ship fills, Disney never goes backwards, the prices never drop.

So, what you want to do is book as early as you possible can, and there are several reasons why you should book early.

Why you should book your Disney Cruise Early

1. You get the best price. Booking early guarantees you the best price available. If you wait a few weeks, the price may or may not go up, but it definitely will not go down. Book early and then feel fantastic during those elevator rides while everyone is talking about how much they had to spend since they booked last minute.
2. You get your choice of staterooms. Once a cruise starts booking and staterooms fill up, it gets harder and harder to get the category and stateroom you want. Even connecting rooms, especially on the two older ships, get nearly impossible to find. Book early, you can have your choice of just about any stateroom.
3. Main Dining. Main, or early dining, is very popular. If you must eat ever day between 4:30, then you definitely don’t want to get stuck with second dining, which starts around 8PM each night. Your tummy is not going to be very happy with you. Main dining fills up quickly, and once full, you just have to hope someone cancels and you get lucky and get their spot.
4. Refundable Deposit. While Disney Cruise has a pretty strict cancellation policy, as long as you cancel before the penalty period starts, you get every single penny of your deposit back. So, book today and even if you have to cancel in a year, you aren’t out any money. Make sure you are fully aware of your final cancellation date, as they vary by cruise, and can be anywhere between 75 and 120 days before sailing. Triple check in and have it on your calendar. It is usually the day your final balance is due, but not always. You can see a rough outline of important dates for your Disney Cruise here, but don’t rely on it, ask your travel agent: Important Dates when Booking a Disney Cruise
5. Just that much more time to plan! I feel sorry for the saps that book a cruise two weeks before hand, they don’t get any anticipation time to enjoy it!

If possible, get that cruise planned ASAP, there isn’t one reason why you should wait. Well, if you are military or a FL resident, and you are only going on the cruise if you see a discount, then wait and see. For the rest of you, you don’t have any reasons.