Tips and Tricks on Disney Wish Cruise Ship

If you’re excited about sailing on the Disney Wish, I have all the information you need. The new ship launched on February 11, 2022. I have been on this ship 4 times already, and have so much to share with you – from  honest wish review to plenty of Disney cruise wish tips to get ready for your vacation. Ready, let’s learn about the fabulous Wish Disney Cruise which is a completely redesigned ship filled with great new things and some draw backs too.

Disney Wish Cruise Ship

We have sailed on the Disney Wish cruise ship for 3 voyages and thoroughly explored every part of the vessel. Now, we are excited to share our thoughts with you. So here is a Disney wish review from a Disney-loving family who has been on all the Disney cruise ships from Alaska to the Bahamas, Transatlantic cruise, and more!

The Disney Wish is the fifth cruise ship owned and operated by Disney Cruise Line. The Wish is the newest and largest ship in the Disney fleet as of her June 29, 2022 christening. Her sister ship, the Disney Treasure will maker her debut in 2025.

The Disney fleet includes four other vessels: Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, and Disney Fantasy. As the newest ship there are many changes, innovations, and excitement to sail! Also, a marked increase in price for the privilege of sailing on the newest ship.

It is also worth noting that this ship only does 3 or 4 day itinerary options at this time. The short trips offer a good chance for a quick get-a-way to explore all the new spaces and offerings onboard. And there are LOTS of updates and new offereings!

Let me start by saying if you are familiar with the other Disney cruiseships you will notice some marked differences. You will hear other guests complain about the missing elevators and no hot tubs for kids / families among other things. Those complaints are valid, but there are also some fun innovations on the WIsh. I love the new features on the Disney Wish. There is a scavenger hunt you can play on your phone. There are also new shows to watch. Additionally, there are cool dining options in new restaurants. Lastly, there is the AquaMouse water ride.

You absolutely need to view this as not a carbon copy of the other ship. It is a new class, the Tritan class.

Disneyland and Disney World have similar rides, but differ in layout. Each ride also has variations from its counterpart on the other coast. (Don’t miss our article on which is better Disneyland or Disney World!)

So these Disney cruiseships are similar, but also remarkably different. That is part of the fun – same type of atmosphere and reknown Disney service with exciting new things to explore.

Disney Wish

Let me start by saying if you are familiar with the other Disney cruiseships you will notice some marked differences. You will hear other guests complain about the missing elevators and no hot tubs for kids / families  among other things. Those are true, but there are also some fun innovations like the scavenger hunt using your mobile device, new performances, innovative dining, and AquaMouse too.

You really need to view this as not a carbon copy of the other ship. It is a new class, the Tritan class. Just like Disneyland and Disney World are similar in the rides they offer, but different in layout and each ride has variations from it’s counterpart on the other coast. So these Disney cruiseships are similar, but also very different. That is part of the fun – same type of atmosphere and reknown Disney service with exciting new things to explore.

Disney Wish Cruise

Let’s start with preparing for your cruise. Make sure to start filling out your embarkation information at midnight when the online checkin window opens. This will help you get the earliest boarding group possible. Check the Disney Cruiseline site under upcoming reservations for your specific date as it varies by Castaway level.

You can pick one of those coveted early boarding timesin the port arrival section. They are much more stringent on getting to the cruise terminal only at your assigned time.

Mickey is no longer in the terminal, so there is really no need to get here before your time, you really won’t be allowed on early! Sorry. We did see Donald walking around the boat decks waving to us in the terminal which was fun.

If you are going on the Wish you wont need fancy dining clothes as it is a short itinerary. Many people go in shorts and a t-shirt, although maybe 1/4 or so do wear a dress and casual khakis.

On shorter cruises, guests don’t dress up as much for Pirate night. However, some guests still choose to wear costumes.

You can bring costumes for both kids and adults. Feel free to dress up if you want to. Make sure you have a day bag with any medicine, passports, and ticketing information along with your swimsuit and sunscreen so you can start enjoying your trip right away!

HINT: If you want to see the princesses, book a spa service, get a makeover at the Bibbity Bobbedi Boutique, dine at Palo, book a shore excursion, or get the guest favorite early d

disney cruise wish

You will board by boarding group number. You can skip the picture by heading around the picture with a backdrop que, we always do. They will announce your family name as you board which is such a fun magical touch.

Your child will receive a star wand that they can use to make wishes at several shows (atrium and deck party) for kids. If they don’t give you a wand, be sure to visit the atrium later and ask for one. It’s included in the price of your trip.

Guests complained that the Wish no longer gave out free Mickey Pirate Bandanas because the budget went to get wands. Disney has now decided to bring back the bandanas on Pirate Night. Make sure to grab a wand if you want one because I have a feeling that once their supply is gone, they will no longer offer them.

Mickey was welcoming guests in the atrium. A princess and her prince were also on the new balcony, waving to guests as they arrived. If you return later, different princesses will be there for you to see. Some of the favorites you may see include Belle, Rapunzel, Flynn, Tiana, Moana, Cinderella, Prince Charming, and more.

wish cruise ship

Your rooms will not be ready until 1-2pm, they will tell you the exact time when you board, so head to find some lunch, I know you are hungry! You can go to Arendale dining for a sit-down lunch, go to the buffet, or hit the amazing Mickey’s Festival of Food – my pick for embarkation day.

On deck 11 you will find Donald’s Cantina with tacos or bowls, Daisy’s pizzas, Mickeys BBQ with lots of yummy choices including jalapeno cornbread, Goofy’s grill with hamburgers, and of course Minnie’s soft serve ice cream. The flavors change daily; my favorite is the mango or pineapple flavors.

NOTE: The ice cream doesn’t open until 10:30-11am daily. It seemed so late to us, but that is just the way it is so plan accourdingly. Also note that a cast member will serve the ice cream on the Wish, so you won’t have to make the perfect cone anymore.

The food on the Wish on the Lido Deck is such an upgrade! I love the theming, variety, and lay out to manage crowds. Mickey’s BBQ never seems as crowded, but not sure why the food was super yummy!

Donald’s Canteena with the amazing burrito bowels is our favorite. Make sure to grab one of the 12 salsa flavors on the box to the left. Yum!

Wish Disney Cruise

Now it’s time to get in line for the AquaMouse. It opens at 1pm on embarkation day and the line will start forming quickly and stay long throughout the rest of the day and cruise. It is a cute novelty and the line wraps around in the shade. I appreciate not being on the stairs like on the Fantasy and Dream’s AquaDuck version.

The Aqua Mouse loads quickly and easily on a moving belt where you can ride solo or with a friend.

There is no weight limits or restrictions. You must be 42″ tall to ride by yourself or 48″ to ride by yourself. No exceptions.

First in the tunnel you will see Mickey short cartoons (new version) on various screens while you move on the conveyor belt down the tunnel. There are two stories you can experience on alternating days. Then you will woosh through the tunnels going up and down, then in a clear tube that goes out over the side of the ship and back. It is a quick, but fun ride. Personally, we preferred the AquaDuck as it gave a better thrilling ride, albeit no cartoons. The AquaMouse does not go thorugh a clear tube on the Lido deck like the other ships did — we missed waving at family at that spot. Instead you pass through the adults only area – odd to me.

disney Wish Pools

I suggest you enjoy some pool time since you are already wet from the waterslide. The pools on the Disney Wish have been reimagined. There are more to choose from – 6 on the main deck area  plus a quiet pool by the Rexasaurus slide (anyone 38″ and up, including adults ,can ride this slow, but seamless slide) and Toy Story kiddie area,  the adult only area pool and hot tub, plus on deck 14 is a Chip and Dale pool  in the back of the pool (a quiet, less busy, hidden gem!).  The pools seemed to open late to me, 9am and the movies start around 9am. I guess our family wakes up earlier than others!

The main pools where you can watch the Funnel Vision movies include Mickey and Minnie pools that have a retractable cover that turns them into a stage. Our experience was that the Mickey pool was covered at least 50% of the time.

Above the much smaller that previous ships main pools are 4 other pools to choose from, terraced up the back. The 2nd level are shallow splash kind of pools – Daisey and Pluto Pools – that are only 2 feet deep with a simple, pretty waterfall in the back. Up another tier are the top level, 4 feet deep, circular Donald and Goofy pools.

I actually really like the new pools. Not only does it spread out swimmer while offering more by the pool seating, but for deck parties there are more railings and places to gather while still getting a great view because of the terracing! BRILLIANT!

HINT: Disney Wish, like all the Disney cruise ships offers complimentary life jackets for use by guests. There are also lifeguards on duty anytime the pool is in use.

disney wish Splash Area

The Toy Story Splash Zone is adorable, shadded, and lots of fun for little cruisers! Find your favorite Toy Story characters,  in a cute style like Fisher Price’s Little People toys. Little ones will find a chance to cool off in sprayers and have fun with two pint-sized, themed slides. I love that there is plenty of seating in front for parents to keep track of their little ones.

Disney Wish Staterooms

It is getitng close to 2pm when your stateroom opens. I suggets going down a little AFTER 2pm as the crowds of people wanting to be ther exactly at 2pm is a little ridiculous LOL! Your key cards will be on your door when you get there, open the envelope and you will see your names. These are your room keys throughout your stay on the Wish.

The Wish is using tech to get guests to turn off their lights when they are on in their stateroom. You will need to put your keycard in here to get your stateroom lights to work. This is common when traveling in Asia. I get it, but having to get the card out of your lanyard and back in each time is a little annoying and makes it more likely you’ll forget your room key. I suggest bringing a hole punch so it stays on the lanyard even when powering the room or bringing a key card from a previous sailing.

My favorite room on the wish is the oceanview with large porthole. It is bright, cheery, and so much fun to sit (or stand) in the porthole. Plus the sitting area is HUGE!

disney wish ship

Once you get settled in your room you may want to change and go exploring – my favorite part! It is also a perfect time to go find your muster station.

HINT: If you need to get any additional reservations or change your dining time, this is the time to do it.

Disney Wish Deck Parties

One of our favorite parts about sailing on Disneycruiseline is the family friendly entertainment. No casinos on board and no traditional parties. So don’t miss the sail away party at 4:30pm where there is music, dancing, lots of characters (including princesses), streamers in the air, etc.

The main deck gets crowded and is popular with families but you have an equally good view with less crowds on one of the back terraces or deck 11 on the sides!

HINT: The same is true for the Mickey Pirate Part and Halloween on the High Seas parties too!

Disney Wish Pirates in the Carribean Show

One of our favorite days is the Pirates in the Caribean Party day! Around 5pm they will change the soundtrack to play some more pirate songs around the ship. You can see the Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Donald, Daisy, Chip & Dale, Jack Sparrow, Mr. Smee, and Captain Hook in the Pirates in the Carribean deck party followed a couple hours later by the energetic Pirate’s Rockin’ Parlay Party.

Pirate’s Rockin’ Parlay Party

The Pirate’s Rockin’ Parlay Party event featured lots of known songs with a fun upbeat show that felt like a rock concert for families. The party itself was high energy and lots of famlies really enjoyed the party.

After the party, fireworks shot off on the starbord (right) side of the ship set to fun pirate music. It is such a special end to the evening!

HINT: If you want to get a great view you need to be on deck 11 on the starboard side, if not you will get the Aqua Mouse in the middle of the action. OR you can watch it from your starboard side balcony!

While guests on this ship don’t tend to go as “all out” with the costumes, there are definety  still 1 out of 4 that do. So feel free to bring and dress-up as pirates for the Pirates in the Carribean party

Disney Wish Dining

Another favorite thing is the food! Not only does Disney serve yummy food presented beautifully, but they present them in creative rotating dinning! Look on your phone to find out which of the three dinning rooms you will eat at that evening, your dining time (you do need to abide by that), and your table number. You will use a wipe to clean your hands upon entering and then will be guided to your table where your servers and assistant will take care of you throughout the entire voyage, moving dining rooms with you throughout your stay.

The dinning venues are completely different on this cruise, although I have my favorites, it is so fun to try new things!

1923  Roy Disney

Walt and Roy Disney estabished the Walt Disney Company with food instpired by that era in Hollywood. You will be surrounded by sketches and molds from Disney characters that have been brought to life. You will enjoy Filet Mignon and other delicious treats. This is the dining room you can choose to eat at breakfast or lunch if you prefer a more relaxed meal. I highly recommend it as the food is just better, with more options!

HINT: You will be told to go to the Roy Disney dining on the left or Walt Disney dining on the right.

Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Experience

Join the kingdom of Arendale as they celebrate Anna and Kristoff’s engagment! The hall lining up for dinner will make you think you’ve been whisked away in the story. The food is inspired by Scandanevia – the meatballs and noodles were fabulous! During dinner you will get a chance to hear songs performed live by Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and Olaf. You will also be delighted by a group singing popular songs with a violin and guitar!

Characters including the hilarious Oaken, Olaf, Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff will come by your table and greet you very briefly.

Worlds of Marvel

You will enter the Avengers area for a unique Marvel inspired menu with a “show” on the screens featuring Ant-Man and the Wasp.  The part prepared for the dining is funny and cute as a towel animal swan is enlarged by “accident” and you use your canister on your table to engage with the show. The rest of the meal you will see tech inventions from Marvel on the screen with some clips from movies. It is a lot more tame than when it first came out!

At the end of the meal Spiderman will breeze through the dining room, greeting each table but not stopping for posed pictures.

Wish Reviews

As far as onboard entertainment you will be hard pressed to find a more entertaining ship. During the day soak in the sun poolside as you watch a Disney movie on the funnel vision, grab a bite (or two) when you are hungry, greet a favorite Disney character (appearances conveniently listed in the navigator ap), catch a movie in one of the two theatres.

Hero zone

The Hero Zone is a true upgrade to the ship in my opinion. It is the sports deck but indoors – think air conditioned, no sunburn, and no wind to deal with! In this giant gym you can shoot hoops, play ping pong, or head upstairs to play one of the seveal tables of air hockey, foosball, table shuffle board, and more.

IncrediGames

The Incredi-Games is a popular afternoon activity on select days. They inflate a massive obsticle course for you to race an opponent thorugh the Incredible Obstacle Course. THe line does move a little slow and does give the younger cruisers a definet advantage, but it was fun to do once

Marcelline Market

In the evening you will enjoy mouthwatering course after course in one of the fabulous dining rooms. If you prefer, you can eat at the casual, poolside Mickey’s Festival of Foods. The Marcelline Market buffet is only open for breakfast or lunch, never diner.

Marcelline Market is inspired by Walt’s hometown and has a charming atmosphere. The food is in little pods where you tell them what you want and they will plate it for you. The food was good, but I found there to be far fewer choices than on Disney’s other ships.

The style that gives it a unique and beautiful feel also makes it more cramped providing less room to walk around in the cafeteria type area an fewer tables too. My advice is to get her as soon as breakfast or lunch opens, see your Disney Cruise Ap  for specific hours.  This empty space rarely happens!

Disney Wish Activities

During the day head to The Bayou, a beautiful indoor lounge in the disney wish cruise ship where you can order a drink, watch live music, get an art class, or try some disney trivia.

The beautiful atrium is the place to meet characters, meet princesses, and more.

Another fun option is to participate in or watch a game show that happens at least nightly. From Family Time Game Show to Majority Minds, Villains Game Night Tic-Tac-Toe and more – there are so many fun ways to spend time as a family on the Disney Wish.

Disney Wish Scavenger Hunt

Personally, I prefer the scavenger hunt on the Fantasy or Dream that are not ap based. We found the ap to have issues  But if you have some patience, it is nice that Disney Uncharted Adventure has the ability for everyone to participate with their own device. It also has some new mini games and you unlock accessories to dress your personalized avatar. The finale for the mobile scavenger hunt is in the Luna lounge and is really fun!

Disney Wish Shows

My favorite things is the musicals! And the Wish’s lovely Walt Disney Theatre was a great venue for the stage shows! The space has been redesigned a little with more levels. If you like to get bubbles and confettin on you you need to sit in one of the 15 rows on the main floor. After that, the majority of the theatre is under an “awning”. People flock to the theatre as soon as doors open (30 minutes before showtime) and they will fill up quickly. And despite the don’t save seats announcement – everyone does so it is a little tricky to navigate, especially with a large family or group.

HINT: Word to the wise, if you don’t get here early, you wont get a seat even if it is your assigned time.

• First Night – An Embarkation Celebration — ‘Disney Seas the Adventure’. This delightful show features Goofy who gets a chance to be the captain of ship. He gains confidence along the way with the help of encouragement from characters from Disney movies. The song with Moana, Elsa, and Merida is especially powerful as well as Crush the Turtles number and the stellar performance by Tiana, but it is truly all fantastic!
• A Treasure Retold — An Ariel Little Mermaid Story – Truth be told I was not excited about another retelling of the Little Mermaid, but boy was I wrong. The superbly talented casting of Ariel, Ursula, and Sebastian kept you mesmorized and wanting more! I love the twist of the first number and would happily watch this show over and over!
• Retelling of Aladdin  – The set and costumes in this show were truly extraordinary. The cast did a fabulous job and I think everyone agreed this was the best show of the cruise!

Disney Wish Kids Club

The kids areas on the Disney Wish are nothing short of spectacular! Start by the two ways to enter the secure area:

1. Zoom down the slide right into the secure area the level below!
2. Take the stars or elevators to the kids floor on deck 4

The kids club has fun events, parties, characters, activities, movies, and so much more. All the trained councelors have a childhood degree of some sort and are fabulous with kids! And what is unique to Disney Cruise Line, the kids spaces are open from 9am -11:59pm every day, continuously!

The bathrooms are completely adorable! Who else wants this Pixar bathroom in their house or school! Plus notice the Disney automatic hand washers that insure the germs stay at bay.

There is a Beauty and the Beast room, Arendale room, Rapunzel art studio, and more. Each features the perfect details to make kids feel they have been transported to the imaginary world of their favorite Disney friends.

With kids band that allows them to securely check in and out they can design their own roller coaster and then step aboard to experience what they created. How cool is that!!

During open house time anyone can come in and take a peak. What preschooler wouldn’t want to play in this charming nautical themed room with their favorite pals Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, and more!

There is a fun Star Wars area that has lots of moving creatures in containers being transported throughout the galaxy. Kids can pick up a tablet and join in on the fun! I love that this space is still Star Wars, but completely different than the Dreams space. There is a scavenger hunt, feed the creatures, and even character interactions and meet and greet opportunities with Ray and Chewbacca.

HINT: Adults can have an out-of-this-world experience in the Hyperspace Lounge!

Should i go on a disney cruise

The Disney wish is filled with its own charm and magical touches. It is most definetly not a carbon copy of the previous ships, nor should it. I love that there are new lounges to explore, different shows to enjoy, and even different sail away parties to experience!

The food is good and I like that the menu is almost completly different from the other ships! I love mixing it up! You will find innovative dishes, cute charcuterie boards, delicious main dishes, dips for your breads at dinner, and a variety of yummy desserts in the buffet area.

I love how guests decorate their doors with magnets, white boards, or hanging pouches to communicate with family and make new friends.

NOTE: The doors no longer have the circular part so plan your magnetic decorations accordingly!

Disney cruise tips

WIth that being said, there are definetly some quirks that will bother you. Throughout the day, every day you would hear guests griping about some of the unpopular changes. Whether they are deal breakers for you, that’s up to you. Here are some I heard a lot:

• There are no midship elevators – so instead of 3 sections of elevators there were only 2. They did this to make room for the stage in the lobby which to be honest, they only used the first day and didn’t really need. Perhaps they are going to use it more in the future? For me this was not a big deal.
• The elevators are TINY! THis was a big deal to me. The elevators are long and skiny so that there were 4 pairs of elevators instead of 3. It is hard to get around people to get out at different floors. I know what they were trying to do, but everyone had to empty out to let people out on each floor.
• Elevators have less character. The other ships have glass elevators mid ship to see the atrium or characters as they go up making them a fun journey. These were wallpapered. Not great, but not a deal breaker to me.
• Deck 12, 13, 14 – Unlike the other ships where the buttons called certain elevators to allow guests to get to the higher decks, these buttons call all elevators. But most of the elevators only go to deck 11. So if you want to go higher you keep calling and calling. It once took us 4 elevators called, wait and repush to get to where we were going.

Cruise ship tips

So is it just the elevators that are annoying? No, but that did seem like a lot about elevators LOL!

• The pool deck chairs on deck 11 are all short chairs, no recliners.
• There is no hot tub that kids can go in. The only hot tub is in the adult only area.
• Half of the chairs on the main deck are facing the jumbo tron to watch the movie, but half are facing the aqua mouse and minnie pool. Not sure why. So half the people are facing nothing all day.
• If you like walking around the ship – one of my favorite things – there are NO DECKS that wrap around. So if you wanted to go to deck 4 (by the shuffle board) and walk a lap around. Sorry you can’t. You can go up and down the side, but that’s it. This was pretty close to a deal breaker for me.
• The walkways around the different food venues are super crowded – even for a cruise ship!
• Their are no longer wave phones which were handy for communicating with family. THe daily navigator and even dining room table are in the ap. The scavenger hunt is too. Not only do you HAVE to have the ap, but it will drain your phone. Plan on bringing a pencil charger or taking an afternoon nap to recharge your phone =)

Disney cruise reviews

So, would I recommend a Disney Wish cruise?

• Yes if you are a big Disney fan, love trying out new ships, are flexible to the things that I mentioned before.
• If you don’t need to get right on the newest ship…. wait a little bit for them to get some kinks worked out and for the price to come back down in line with the other Disney ships. It’s a great ship with some cool new things that are fun! It’s worth a voyage for sure!
• If any of the things I meanted before seem like dealbreakers to you – you worked hard for your money so take the vacation that fits your family best!

new disney ship

While the Disney Wish was the newest Disney cruise ship, it wont’ be for long. In December 2024 the Disney Treasure will set sail and take the title. I personally can’t wait. They’ve announced some amazing new spaces including a Coco dining experience, Haunted Mansion bar and lounge, plus so much more! Disney is ramping up the new ships and the Disney Adventure will set sail in 2025. It’s going to be an exciting year!

See lots more disney world trip planning, more about the Disney cruises I’ve written about here.