It's Not the First Disney Attraction at Sea, but at Least It'll Have Two Cartoons

Back in April's Once Upon a Disney Wish presentation, Disney announced the AquaMouse, a new water coaster on the Disney Wish that's similar to the AquaDuck on the Dream and Fantasy (they also called it the first Disney attraction at sea, but that's another story).  The AquaMouse's biggest change from its predecessor is that on it, riders will watch a Mickey Mouse cartoon called Scuba Scramble.  This cartoon is being created exclusively for the AquaMouse, so I'm expecting its action to be synchronized with what's happening in the slide.  The slide looks like a lot of fun!

As fun as it seems, a concern I had about Scuba Scramble is that people who have rode the AquaMouse many times might get tired of watching it, unless it's the best cartoon ever.  Disney seems to have prepared for that, because the AquaMouse will have another exclusive Mickey Mouse cartoon, Swiss Meltdown!  Here's a quick look at it:

Apparently, Swiss Meltdown will be splashtacular.  If they're making up words to describe it, it's probably going to be good.  According to the Disney Parks Blog, Swiss Meltdown is inspired by Yodelberg, another Mickey Mouse cartoon.  

I like that Scuba Scramble and Swiss Meltdown have different themes.  Disney could've chosen to go with two tropical cartoons, but that theming would probably get boring.  Having two completely different cartoons should keep guests coming back to the AquaMouse.  These cartoons will also have many Disney references in them, and I'm hoping to see a few DCL references.

Each day of a cruise will only feature one AquaMouse of the cartoons.  I think the two cartoons will alternate between days.  If this happens, then on a 4-night cruise, each cartoon will be featured for two days.  However, on a 3-night cruise, one cartoon will be featured for two days but the other one will only be featured for a single day.  A poster near the entrance to the AquaMouse will announce which cartoon is being featured.  In addition to this, listing the day's cartoon in the DCL Navigator App or a paper Personal Navigator (if the Wish even has them) would be helpful.

The Wish will be launching with these two cartoons, but since they're played on screens inside the slide, more cartoons could be added after the Wish launches.  I don't think the AquaMouse needs more than four cartoons, since the Wish won't be doing any cruises longer than 4-nights for a while.  Maybe more cartoons will be added with the Wish's sister ships and come to the Wish after they launch.  Disney could even branch out and make a cartoon using non-Mickey Mouse characters.  Doing this would make the name AquaMouse a bit misleading, but it's possible.  Also, if Star Wars Day at Sea ever comes to the Wish or its sister ships, Disney needs to make a story for the AquaMouse involving Mouse Droids.  

The best way to learn more about the AquaMouse will be to ride it, but that'll have to wait until next summer.  The screens inside the ride will open up many possibilities, and I'm excited to see what Disney chooses to do with the ride after the Wish's launch.  The screens are the AquaMouse's largest difference from the AquaDuck, but will that make it a better ride?  I guess we'll see in summer 2022!

It's a Phone Game

A while ago, I wrote about how a new version of the Midship Detective Agency from the Dream-class ships could work on the Wish.  In that post, I thought that if something similar does come to the Wish, Disney may decide to incorporate mobile devices like smartphones and tablets into the game, instead of the badge cards currently used.  While this would add more variety and more features to the game, it would limit the game's audience to people with these devices.  To avoid this issue, I suggested giving players the choice between using a mobile device or a traditional card, while keeping the game the same between control schemes.

While that would be great, it's not going to happen.  Last week, Disney announced Disney Uncharted Adventure, a new game on the Wish with a similar concept to the Midship Detective Agency.  However, unlike that game, Disney Uncharted Adventure uses mobile devices, not badges, as the only control option.  As I said, this will add a lot of functionality and features to the game, like augmented reality (AR).  Because it's using mobile devices, Disney Uncharted Adventure will probably be more immersive and engaging than the Midship Detective Agency.  Here's a video with some information about the creation of the game (it also gives a look at a rendering of an elevator lobby on the Wish, and wow, it's different).

The game will begin before your cruise starts, likely with some non-critical information about the game's story.  This will be great in getting people excited for their cruise, along with the DCL Navigator App's countdown.  Once on the ship, the goal of the game is to find all of the pieces of the wishing star, which recently fractured somehow, and put it back into the sky.  The game appears to be similar to the Midship Detective Agency, but with a lot more bells and whistles, as the technology behind it is much newer.  It sounds pretty cool, especially because the game lets players choose the order of the star pieces they want to find.  This freedom will probably allow for the game to be different every time for people who have played through it before.  Also, there will be a grand finale event physically on the Wish, where players will work together to defeat a villain who caused the star to break.  Not much has been revealed about this special event, but it seems like a really cool way to finish the cruise and meet other people who played through the game.  A nice feature is that players don't have to be completely finished with the game to participate in the finale.  Although, maybe this kind of event would be better at the start of the cruise so players can meet the people they may see while playing the game.  The Disney Parks Blog post says more information about Disney Uncharted Adventure is coming in the future.

All that is great, but I have some problems with Disney Uncharted Adventure.  First off, this game requires a phone or tablet to play.  In 2021, it may seem crazy that a family wouldn't have one of these devices, but there are some families out there without them.  These people would miss out on the game, and if it's a really enjoyable experience, they'd probably be disappointed.  The game will also probably need a stable and reliable internet connection.  I'm really hoping that the Wish is designed with Wi-Fi connectivity in mind, but if not, the game might not work in some parts of the ship, which could cause players to quit and not restore the wishing star.

I've seen a lot of younger kids playing the Midship Detective Agency game on the Dream and Fantasy, sometimes without their parents.  Many kids do not have their own smartphones or tablets, so in order to play Disney Uncharted Adventure on the Wish, they'd need to use a device belonging to a family member.  It's probably harder to trust a kid with an expensive phone or tablet than a card badge, a paper casebook, and a golf pencil.  It looks like Disney Uncharted Adventure is intended to be played by families together, so this shouldn't be a huge issue.  However, playing Midship Detective Agency alone or with a sibling (without our parents) was really fun, so some kids may miss out on this with Disney Uncharted Adventure.

Another concern I have about this game is that it may not be able to run on older or less-capable mobile devices.  The game's augmented reality features will likely require a decent device to work.  Even if it can run on some less-powerful devices, it might not run well, giving some players a subpar experience with the game.  If the game is really demanding on mobile devices, it could limit the game's audience even further.

Finally, Disney Uncharted Adventure won't even be a part of the DCL Navigator App.  To play, guests will have to download a separate app, Play Disney Parks.  This isn't a huge deal, but now, guests will need to have an additional app downloaded before their cruise (or pay extra to download it using onboard Wi-Fi) if they want to play the game.  It would've been much more convenient to have everything DCL-related in a single app.  This could change in the future, but hey, at least both apps are free.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about Disney Uncharted Adventure.  With more information coming in the future, we should have a better understanding of the game soon.  What do you think about Disney Uncharted Adventure?  Are you happy with it requiring mobile devices?  Would you have preferred the option between using a badge-like card or a device?  Are you going to play it if you go on the Wish?  Leave a comment if you'd like!

DCL Will Require Guests 12 and Older to be Fully Vaccinated on Cruises to the Bahamas Starting September 3rd

Today, August 24th, Disney announced that starting on September 3rd, all guests age 12 and older must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to sail on a cruise that visits the Bahamas.  This announcement was made because the Bahamian government recently announced that starting in September, everyone 12 and older is required to be fully vaccinated for a ship to be allowed to enter the country.  Even though the Dream is only currently visiting Castaway Cay, guests 12 and older are still required to be fully vaccinated.  Castaway Cay is Disney's private island, but it's still part of the Bahamas, so this requirement impacts it.  As of now, this mandate will remain in place until November 1st, 2021.  

The Bahamian government's announcement didn't leave Disney with much of a choice.  At the moment, all of their cruises from the US only visit the Bahamas.  So, if they want to keep going there, they need to comply with the Bahamian government's requirements.  If Disney chose not to mandate vaccinations, where could they go on a 3-night or 4-night cruise instead of the Bahamas?  They can't do Magic at Sea cruises from the United States (thanks, Passenger Vessel Services Act).  There also isn't any port of call other than Castaway Cay where they are in control of the entire experience.  Since DCL wants to keep going back to Castaway Cay, guests 12 and older will have to be fully vaccinated on the Dream, as well as the Fantasy when it resumes cruises on September 11th.

In addition to needing to be fully vaccinated, guests need to prove that they're fully vaccinated.  They can do this by using the Safe Passage website to upload their vaccination card.  This same website also must be used to upload results of a negative COVID-19 test for all guests under 12.  If you're going on a Disney cruise between September 3rd and November 1st, be sure to check the DCL website for more information.

Getting fully vaccinated isn't a quick process, since the United States CDC considers someone to be fully vaccinated two weeks after they receive the final dose.  Not being fully vaccinated will likely prevent some people from going on cruises they had planned, but conveniently, anyone booked on a cruise that visits the Bahamas from September 3rd to November 1st is able to change their reservation or cancel it without any negative effects like fees.  

I don't know if the Bahamas will continue to require cruise ship passengers 12 and older to be fully vaccinated after November 1st, but if so, Disney will have to require it on cruises that visit the Bahamas.  Be sure to visit the DCL website for the most detailed and up-to-date information.

Taking a Look at the Rest of the 2022 Itineraries on the Magic and Fantasy

Back in June, Disney Cruise Line announced their itineraries for the fall of 2022.  However, that announcement left out finsh later.  The rest of the 2022 itineraries on the Magic and Fantasy were recently announced, but Disney is still leaving everyone wondering about the Wonder.  While we're waiting to find out what the Wonder will be doing, let's look at what the Magic and Fantasy will be doing at the end of 2022.

Previously, the Magic had itineraries announced up to December 9th, when it'll be going on cruises from Galveston, Texas.  Starting on December 9th, the Magic will go on a 4-night Very Merrytime Western Caribbean cruise from Galveston that visits Cozumel, Mexico and spends two days at sea.  After that, the Magic will go on two 5-night Very Merrytime Western Caribbean cruises that visit two Mexican ports, Cozumel and Progreso, and spends two days at sea.  Following those two cruises, the Magic will begin a 4-night Very Merrytime Western Caribbean cruise on December 23rd.  It's the same itinerary as the 4-night cruise earlier in the month, but it's significantly more expensive because it goes over Christmas.  On the 27th, the Magic will begin a 6-night (not Very Merrytime) Western Caribbean cruise that visits Cozumel and George Town, Grand Cayman.  Additionally, it spends three days at sea.  This cruise is very expensive because it goes over New Year's Day.  Overall, the Magic won't be doing anything too interesting to finish 2022, but at least we now know what it'll be doing.  

Let's see what the Fantasy's going to do in December 2022.  Before the most recent announcement, it was revealed that the Fantasy would be doing a 7-night Very Merrytime Western Caribbean cruise (this itinerary spends two days at sea and visits Cozumel, Mexico; George Town, Grand Cayman; Falmouth, Jamaica; and Castaway Cay) beginning on December 3rd, followed by a 7-night Very Merrytime Eastern Caribbean cruise (this itinerary spends three days at sea and visits Tortola, BVI; St. Thomas, USVI; and Castaway Cay) starting on December 10th.  Unsurprisingly, the rest of the month isn't too interesting.  It'll do another 7-night Very Merrytime Western Caribbean cruise and then a really expensive 7-night Very Merrytime Eastern Caribbean cruise that goes over Christmas.  After that is another expensive cruise, a 7-night (not Very Merrytime) Western Caribbean cruise that goes over New Year's Day.

We now know what every DCL ship but the Wonder will be doing up until the start of 2023.  The Wonder may not be doing any cruises at the end of 2022 because of a dry dock, but I doubt Disney would schedule one then, because as we saw, cruises can get expensive over holidays like Christmas and New Year's Day.  Maybe Disney just isn't sure what to do with the Wonder at the end of 2022 yet.  Or, maybe they're planning something big and don't want to announce it yet.  For example, they might move the Wonder to the West Coast of the US.  With the addition of the Wish, DCL will have more guests than ever before, so maybe they want to expand their offerings, which are mainly cruises from Florida at the moment.  This would be a major change, so Disney may be waiting for the perfect time to announce this.  Of course, the ship is called the Wonder, so maybe Disney wants us to keep wondering about the Wonder so we'll be more prepared to find out what it'll be doing at the end of 2022.  I don't know when they will make an announcement, so I'll keep wondering!

The Fantasy is Coming Back!

Today, August 16th, Disney announced their plan for resuming cruises on the Disney Fantasy on the DCL website.  It'll resume cruises on September 11th.  Before this announcement, the Fantasy's next cruise was scheduled to begin on September 4th, but that cruise is now canceled.  No other cruises on the Fantasy have been canceled, but the remaining cruises in September and the one starting on October 2nd have been altered.  

Instead of 7-night Caribbean cruises, these cruise are now 4-night Bahamian cruises that only go to Castaway Cay.   According to the Disney Cruise Line Blog, these cruises will have two days at Castaway Cay.  This will work because the Dream will stop visiting Castaway Cay twice per cruise (this is true as of me writing this, but Disney could make changes) before the Fantasy starts cruising again.  However, unlike the Dream, the Fantasy won't be doing any 3-night cruises.  It'll be cruising for four nights of the week, then doing nothing for the remaining three nights of the week.  This seems like a missed opportunity for Disney to make more money, but only having one cruise per week, like what the Fantasy would've been doing, makes things simpler.  Everyone booked on the 7-night cruises that got changed was automatically booked on the 4-night cruise that starts on the same date as their original cruise.  Because they're now booked on a shorter cruise, these guests will be refunded for the amount of the cruise they're not going on.  These guests will also receive a $400 onboard credit per stateroom, which is super nice.  To make things even better, these guests will receive a 25% discount on a future cruise as well (once their cruise is over)!  That's significantly better than the normal 10% discount for booking onboard.  If none of these benefits make guests want to remain on the shorter, restricted cruise, they can cancel their cruise and receive a full refund.

These shorter cruises on the Fantasy will be available to book starting on August 25th.

The restrictions on the Fantasy are probably going to be just like those on the Dream, and I wrote about those here.  Be sure to check the DCL website for the latest information about restrictions and safety precautions.

Cruises on the Fantasy coming back is good, but when will it be able to resume its normal 7-night Caribbean cruises?  There's no definite answer yet, but Disney is hoping to resume them in October.  Currently, the Fantasy's next 7-night cruise is scheduled to start on October 9th, so we'll see what happens with that.

The Fantasy will be the second of Disney's ships to resume cruises from the United States.  Cruises on the Dream started back up earlier this month.  As of now, plans for the other ships' restarts in the US haven't been announced.  Disney's taking little steps toward fully resumed operations, but hey, at least they're not taking steps back! 

The Dream is Back!

Later today, August 9th, the Disney Dream will begin its first cruise with regular paying guests since March of last year!  The Dream did go on a few test cruises recently, but they weren't real cruises, as they weren't available to the general public.  The cruise starting today, a 4-night Bahamian cruise, will be the first real Disney cruise from the United States after cruises were shut down.  It'll also be the first Disney cruise with normal guests to stop at a port of call since the shutdown.  On this cruise, the Dream will spend two days at Castaway Cay and one day at sea.  After this cruise, the Dream will alternate between 3-night and 4-night Bahamian cruises.  Both of these itineraries include two days at Castaway Cay.  

Since Castaway Cay is Disney's private island, everything guests experience there is controlled by Disney.  Nassau, the other port that Disney's Bahamian cruises typically visit, is not owned by Disney, and Disney has much less control over what guests do and who they come into contact with there.  Only visiting Castaway Cay will ensure that Disney's new restrictions and safety measures will remain enforced, so it makes sense why they're not visiting Nassau for now.  Speaking of which, there will be many of them in place on the Dream and on Castaway Cay, as I talked about in my last post.  Overall, it doesn't seem like they'd completely ruin the cruise experience, but it looks like these cruises won't be as much fun as normal (pre-shutdown) cruises.

As time goes on, Disney will likely start visiting Nassau again, but for now, guests get double the time on Castaway Cay.  That's way better than Nassau!  Can you please make this a permanent change, Disney?

Unfortunately, no.  The Dream is currently the only DCL ship going on cruises with guests from the US, so it's the only ship that's going to Castaway Cay at the moment.  However, when the other DCL ships resume, starting with the Fantasy on September 4th, the Dream won't be the only ship going to Castaway Cay, so the double Castaway Cay cruises won't always be possible.  Plus, Disney probably wants to keep the double Castaway Cay cruises limited so they can charge extra for them.

If you want to watch the Dream sail out of Port Canaveral, be sure to check out PTZtv's Port Canaveral Webcam in the later afternoon.  You won't see a deck party, but plenty of people should be up on Deck 11 and Deck 12.  I'm excited to see actual guests, not just crew, on the ship.  

Assuming the Dream's cruises go well, nothing terrible happens, and Disney doesn't change plans, the Fantasy will resume cruises on September 4th and the Wonder will resume cruises on September 24th.  Things will probably change, so be sure to check the DCL website for the latest information about cruises resuming.

The Dream is Coming Back!

Earlier today, on the Disney Cruise Line website, it was announced that Disney cruises from Florida will finally resume!  The Magic at Sea cruises recently started in the UK, but those cruises are only available to UK residents and they don't stop anywhere.  The cruises that'll leave from Florida are much closer to normal cruises, as they're available to anyone and will visit ports of call like Castaway Cay.  

The Dream will be the first DCL ship to resume cruises from the US.  It'll be doing 3-night and 4-night Bahamian cruises from Port Canaveral, like what it was doing before cruises were shut down.  However, all of its August itineraries and a few early September itineraries have been changed.  Previously, the Dream was scheduled to do standard Bahamian cruises with stops at Castaway Cay and Nassau (the 4-night has a day at sea as well).  Now, instead of stopping at Nassau, it'll spend two days at Castaway Cay!  This is an improvement.  On both 3-night and 4-night cruises, the days at Castaway Cay are consecutive.  Disney probably made this change to have more control over health and safety measures.  Disney can control what happens on Castaway Cay, but not at any other port.  If I was booked on one of those cruises, I'd be happy, since Castaway Cay is a lot more fun than Nassau.

Since the Dream wouldn't have to go anywhere between days at Castaway Cay, I'm guessing it'll just spend the night docked at Castaway Cay.  It would be awesome if guests were allowed to stay on the island until later in the evening.  Cookies and Cookies Too could serve dinner!  Unfortunately, it doesn't look like this is going to happen, as the aboard time on Castaway Cay is 4:45 PM on both days.  Maybe pirates come out at 4:46 and capture anyone who doesn't get back on the ship in time.

Later in September, the Dream has stops at Nassau scheduled, but those stops could change.  If you're interested in those cruises, check the DCL website for the latest information.

The Dream is cool, but what about the other ships?  The next cruise on the Fantasy is scheduled for early September and the next cruise on the Wonder is scheduled for late September.  The Magic won't be doing any cruises from the US until November.  Disney has only released specific information about resuming cruises on the Dream, so information about the other ships will probably come later.

As I'm sure you know, cruises this August won't be the same as cruises before the shutdown.  There will be restrictions, but these cruises have less restrictions than the Magic at Sea cruises.  Some of the restrictions are similar to those found on the Magic at Sea cruises.  Here's an informational video about some of what'll be different on the Dream in August:

The video does a better job explaining than I can, so I won't waste time restating what the video already explained.  It goes over most of what guests need to know, but it doesn't mention some notable changes.  Thankfully, the DCL website has more information.  Just so you know, this information is about the Dream only.  This gives a pretty good idea of what to expect on the other ships, but specific details about them will be released later.  Here's a big list of what I thought was important.

• Guests can use the DCL Navigator app to talk with crew members from Guest Services, Port Adventures, and dining teams.  If it works well, it'll be very helpful.
• Using the DCL Navigator app, guests can schedule an appointment to meet with a crew member in person.  This makes me think that the Guest Services and Port Adventures desks will have significantly less crew members at them to help guests.
• Face coverings will be required inside, but not outside.  It's funny, in the past, guest were only allowed to wear masks when getting their picture taken.  Times have changed.
• Deck parties won't be happening.
• Fireworks will happen on two different nights, but guests will be assigned a fireworks show they can attend before their cruise starts.  Unfortunately, they're not pirate themed.  The fireworks will happen during a more generic "Disney Ever After" show.  This might cause a mutiny.
• Up-close character experiences won't be happening, but they'll still interact with guests from a distance.
• Less people will be allowed in the Walt Disney Theatre at a time.  There will only be one Broadway-style show in the Walt Disney Theatre per cruise.  It'll be shown many times during the cruise, so everyone who wants to see it gets a chance.
• Guests will need to book sessions for their children in the Oceaneer Club and Lab before their cruise online or on the DCL Navigator app.  Each child can only have one session per day, which is unfortunate for kids that love the Club and Lab.  If a child does not have any sessions in the Oceaneer Club and Lab, they can be booked through Guest Services if there's availability.
• Edge and Vibe will be open, and no reservations are necessary.  
• Kids at youth clubs will likely be told to wash their hands more.  We were already encouraged to do this frequently, but it looks like that'll happen more now.
• The 'it's a small world nursery!' will be closed.
• The minimum age to use the Senses Fitness Center has been lowered to 14.  Guests under 18 need to have an adult or guardian with them to use the Fitness Center.
• Some Senses treatments and features won't be available.
• Pools and water slides will be open.  Unlike the Magic at Sea cruises, guests won't have to wait in a virtual line to go to the pools, which is nice.  Capacity will be limited in the pools, but that's a good thing, since the pools are often too crowded to have fun.
• Guests can't play shuffleboard, ping pong, or basketball.  However, the website says nothing about mini golf or the sports simulators.  This is because Disney copied this section of text from the Magic at Sea information page.  The Magic doesn't have a mini golf course or sports simulators, so how could they be temporarily unavailable?  I'm pretty sure these two features will be unavailable.  They should temporarily rename Goofy's Sports Deck to Goofy's ______ Deck.  Also, did DCL forget that foosball exists?  If the other Sports Deck activities aren't available, foosball probably isn't available.
• All food and drinks will be served by crew members, so guests can no longer serve themselves.  I don't think this will be a huge problem, but I probably wouldn't be able to make custom drink combinations or unrealistically tall ice cream cones.
• Menus won't be given to guests at meals, so they'll have to use the DCL Navigator app to view the menus.  Alternatively, guests can ask to get a paper menu.
• Hanging bags on stateroom doors to collect gifts from other guests (fish extenders) isn't allowed.
• A new contactless payment system will be used.
• Payment history and receipts will be visible in the DCL Navigator app.
• When getting off the ship at Castaway Cay, guests will use the DCL Navigator app to join the virtual queue.  However, when less people are debarking the ship, the virtual queue won't be in use.
• All Port Adventures are still happening, just at a lower capacity.
• The Castaway Cay trams will still be running, but enhanced cleaning measures will be in use.  Also, to promote physical distancing, less people will be allowed on a tram at a time thanks to modified seating.  Face coverings are required when riding on trams.  To avoid this, walk.
• Disney says that hammocks on Castaway Cay are temporarily suspended.  But aren't hammocks always suspended?
• The line for Pelican Plunge will now be on land.
• The Party Patrol exists.  The Party Patrol consists of characters that ride beach vehicles around the island.  This seems like the kind of thing that'll be a permanent feature.  Can I join?
• Scuttle's Cove, the youth club for ages 3-12 on Castaway Cay, won't be operating.  It would probably be challenging to implement the Oceaneer Club and Lab reservation system to Scuttle's Cove.
• Teen Hideout (essentially Vibe on Castaway Cay) will be open, and no reservations are necessary.  Also, In Da Shade will be open.  Both of these will have reduced capacity, but they'll offer "recreational activities, including basketball, foosball, table tennis and pool".  This doesn't make sense.  Why are basketball and ping pong/table tennis allowed on Castaway Cay but not on the ship?  Maybe it has something to do with Disney copying the text from the Magic at Sea page.  If it's allowed at Castaway Cay, it's probably allowed on the ship.  We'll see what happens.

To me, these restrictions and new practices probably won't ruin the cruise experience.  Sure, some things are a lot different than they were (it'll probably take me a while to get used to not getting my own food and drinks), but they could be worse.  The reservations required at the Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab seem very annoying, but they won't affect my family.  We're glad that Vibe and Edge don't require reservations.  Also, I'm really happy there won't be a virtual queue to go to the pools like on the Magic at Sea cruises.  

You may have noticed that I mentioned the DCL Navigator app a lot.  DCL is relying on the app more than they ever have in the past.  This is convenient for people with smartphones, since it's all available in one place.  But, there are some people that don't have smartphones who would be inconvenienced by the convenience.  Also, there's the other problem of the app not working.  My family has had many problems with the app malfunctioning, often due to a bad connection on the ship.  With more features that utilize the app and more people using the app, there's more that could go wrong.  Hopefully DCL anticipated the potential problems and upgraded the Wi-Fi technology on their fleet and Castaway Cay.  

As more cruises happen and the pandemic situation improves, many of these restrictions will probably be removed.  I don't think they'll be completely gone by January 2022, when my family is planning to go on the Magic, but I'm thinking there will be less of them by then.  The Dream's first cruise since the March 2020 shutdown will begin pretty soon, on August 9th.  The resumption of cruises on the Dream is an exciting next step toward cruises resuming fleetwide!  We'll get there, eventually.

Non-Gimmicky Restaurants are Important!

Like the four existing Disney Cruise Line ships, the Wish will have three rotational restaurants.  However, the Wish's three restaurants are all completely new.  There's Worlds of Marvel, a "Cinematic Dining Adventure".  I haven't seen most of the Marvel movies, but this restaurant looks interesting.  Also, it has small cupcakes that grow big?

I have no idea how that's going to work, but it looks cool.  Also, being able to interact with Marvel characters without waiting in a line to see them will be fun.  

The Wish will also have Arendelle:  A Frozen Dining Adventure.  There will be a large stage in the middle of this restaurant, where a new story, set after Frozen II, will take place right in front of the diners.  Since it's happening live, guests will probably be able to interact with the characters and impact on the story, so it may be different every time.  This restaurant seems to be taking the live performances featured in Tiana's Place on the Wonder and Rapunzel's Royal Table on the Magic to the next level.  If the story is something everyone can enjoy, this restaurant will be a lot of fun to eat at.

The Wish's other rotational restaurant is 1923, a restaurant with a cool 1920s theme.  From what we've seen of it, I think it's my favorite of the Wish's rotational restaurants.  Unlike the other two restaurants, it's pretty straightforward.  Here, there's no live show to watch or super heroes to help.  Without an innovative special dining experience, the fun at this restaurant is your family or travel party at your table.  

Disney wants families to spend time together on their ships.  The word "family" (or "families") was used thirteen times in this video, so its obvious that Disney designs their ships with families in mind.

So, two of the three rotational restaurants on the Wish will have a major gimmick.  Sure, participating in them probably won't be forced, but from what I've seen, they're the focuses of the restaurant.  During dinner at these two restaurants, guests will be encouraged to pay attention to what's going on in the restaurant, instead of paying attention to their families.

I'm not sure how I feel about this.  When I'm on a Disney cruise, I rarely see my family members.  I spend the days going all over the ship and having fun, mostly without them.  Dinner is often the one time of day that we all spend together on a cruise.  It's really fun to talk what we did that day, how much ice cream we ate, and what we're planning to do next.  At 1923, we'd have the entire meal to catch up and discuss what we did that day, since there's nothing to distract us.  My fear for Worlds of Marvel and Arendelle is that we won't be able to talk very much because of what's going on in the restaurant.  Sure, 1923 is less flashy and exciting than the other two restaurants, but this simplicity is actually beneficial for families!

Of course, Worlds of Marvel and Arendelle aren't the first DCL restaurants to have a feature that you wouldn't find at a normal restaurant.  On the four current ships, Animator's Palate has a variety of special features.  For example, there's the Animation Magic show, where guests draw characters that dance to Disney music on large screens on the walls later in the dinner.  I enjoy this show, and, since it's pretty short, it doesn't take much time away from our family conversations.  Same with Crush the sea turtle.  He swims around and talks to guests for a while, but he's a considerate turtle and gives families plenty of time to talk.

This is what the Wish's two restaurants need to do.  Disney is not going to change the rotational restaurants before the Wish launches (though they could change them in a future dry dock renovation), so let's think about how Arendelle and Worlds of Marvel could work.  They'll have their gimmicks and special experiences, but they can't take up too much time of the meal.  Family conversations are important! Wow, I sound like a parent. Even if 1923 is the only rotational restaurant where uninterrupted family conversations can happen, the other two restaurants must give families plenty of time together.

Disney hasn't said too much about the special experiences at Worlds of Marvel and Arendelle, and I doubt we'll know how much time these experiences will take up until the Wish launches.  

I don't think the other two future DCL ships will have the exact same rotational restaurants as the Wish, but Disney needs to include a non-gimmicky restaurant.  Sure, it would be more attractive to potential customers if every restaurant had a special experience, but it would weaken one of the most important parts of a family vacation:  Family!

Disney Cruises Are Back!

In March of 2020, Disney Cruise Line and many other cruise lines suspended the operations of their entire fleets as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Initially, I thought this suspension would only last a few weeks, but here we are in July 2021, and that Disney Cruise Line Operational Update is still at the top of the DCL website.  While some cruise lines have resumed limited operations, Disney's four ships haven't had any guests on them in over a year.  However, that changed today!  

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The first Disney Magic at Sea cruise started today, July 15th.  As you may know, these cruises depart from the United Kingdom, and only residents of the United Kingdom are able to go on them.  Also, they don't visit any ports of call.  The Magic is the only DCL ship doing these cruises (if all the ships were doing them, the cruises would be called Magic, Wonder, Dream, and Fantasy at Sea), so the three other ships haven't resumed cruises yet.  Although they're not regular cruises, the Magic at Sea cruises are a good starting point for Disney cruises to resume across the fleet.

It's great to finally have cruises going again.  However, after these Magic at Sea cruises are over, the Magic will stop cruising again.  It's like DCL is taking a step forward but then taking a step back.  Cruises on the other DCL ships would've been happening at the same time as those canceled cruises on the Magic, so it doesn't make a ton of sense.  Sure, the cruises after the Magic at Sea cruises were normal cruises that would've visited places, but the other cruises scheduled to happen then are normal as well.  Many of these canceled cruises would've departed from New York City, so maybe the reason that they were canceled was to completely avoid NYC and just resume cruises from Miami.  Does Disney have a problem with big apples?

I'm really excited for cruises to resume fleetwide, and today was a major step toward that happening.  As of now, the closest non-Magic at Sea cruise is scheduled for early August on the Dream.  I don't think it'll get canceled.  It's already mid-July, and if it was going to get canceled, I think Disney would've done it by now.  We'll see what happens, DCL could do what they did in March 2020 again.  

 

Until that cruise happens (if it doesn't get canceled), let's celebrate the Magic at Sea!

That's Not Cabanas...and Donald Duck Has a Cantina?

Earlier today, Disney Cruise Line updated the Wish's website with information about the Wish's non-rotational dining options, like the poolside restaurants.  All of the restaurants announced follow the standard set by the previously-announced restaurants:  They're unlike any of the existing DCL restaurants.  Disney didn't reveal much about them, but let's take a look at what we do know!

First, we'll talk about the largest of the restaurants that were announced today:  Cabanas Marceline Market.  Contrary to what the name suggests, this is a restaurant, not a shop.  It's named after Walt Disney's hometown of Marceline, Missouri.  According to its description, Marceline Market will have ten separate food stations, all based on different Disney movies.  Disney didn't say which movies will be featured, but in their rendering of the restaurant, there's art on the wall that gives it away.  Take a look at this screenshot:

I was surprised at how high the quality of the image is.  If this image is correct, there will be food stations themed after Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Ratatouille, Beauty and the Beast, Zootopia, Tangled, Alice in Wonderland, Bambi, and Pinocchio.  Judging by this image, there will also be a food station that has something to do with Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse.

I think each food station will have food related to its theme.  For example, the Zootopia station might have a focus on salads and vegetables, while the Ratatouille station may feature French food.  Do you think the food from the Ratatouille station will be as fancy as food from Remy (named after the rat from Ratatouille) on the Dream and Fantasy?  In addition to the ten food stations, there will be a "café-style beverage bar".  I hope there's more than one, because Marceline Market is probably going to be pretty big.

I think it's good that Marceline Market won't only focus on one movie, and the distinct stations will make it easier to find the food that you want.  Also, telling others where you got food will be very easy:

"Hey, that looks good, where'd you get it?"
"It's from Beauty and the Beast."

The Marceline Market description says that guests will enjoy "a walk-around experience for breakfast and lunch, and table service at dinnertime."  Is a walk-around experience a buffet?  It might be, but maybe Marceline Market won't be a buffet.  The pandemic may have influenced the design of the Wish, so maybe guests won't be able to serve themselves food.  Instead, crew members might be serving food.  As long as it's flexible and works efficiently, I'll be okay with it.  Also, the restaurant's table service dinner is like what's been done at Cabanas for dinner.  Guests will be able to eat inside or outside, like at Cabanas.

Marceline Market is very different from DCL's existing casual restaurant, Cabanas.  I've always enjoyed the tropical theming of Cabanas, since it fits perfectly with the atmosphere of a cruise.  I was surprised that Disney chose not to put Cabanas on the Wish and instead try something new.  They had renovated the buffet restaurants on the Magic and Wonder into Cabanas to keep them in line with the Dream and Fantasy, and I thought that they would want to keep the branding the same across the fleet, like what they've been doing with other things like the Walt Disney Theatre and the youth clubs.  It seems unlikely, but maybe the four Cabanas restaurants will be updated into Marceline Markets in the future.  

Before hearing about Marceline Market, I didn't know about the city of Marceline.  According to Wikipedia, it had a population of 2,233 people in 2010.  The Wish will be able to hold 4,000 passengers, so Marceline Market will likely serve more people in a day than the entire population of the city.

I'm looking forward to getting more information about Marceline Market, like what food it'll serve and how getting food at breakfast and lunch will function.

I'm also looking forward to the other type of casual restaurant, the poolside quick service restaurants!  Together, the Wish's poolside restaurants are known as the Mickey & Friends Festival of Foods.  Included in this festival are Daisy's Pizza Pies, Goofy's Grill, and Sweet Minnie's Ice Cream, three restaurants that are similar to what we've seen on the existing DCL ships, just with different theming and, possibly, different menus.  In addition to these, two other restaurants, Mickey's Smokestack Barbecue and Donald's Cantina, will be part of the Mickey & Friends Festival of Foods.  This is exciting!   Other than Cookies and Cookies Too on Castaway Cay, we've never had a DCL barbecue restaurant.  Also, Donald's Cantina will be the first DCL Mexican restaurant.  The Mickey & Friends Festival of Foods will have more variety than those on the current DCL ships, which helps to solve an inconvenience that I never considered.  On the current ships, if you're on the pool deck and want to eat something that's not at one of the outdoor restaurants, you'd have to go into Cabanas which has air conditioning and is cold.  But on the Wish, with its additional two restaurants, there'll be more outdoor food options and less of a chance that guests won't want anything from them.  

Unfortunately, there isn't a rendering of the Mickey & Friends Festival of Foods on the Wish's website.  However, since all five restaurants are grouped under the Mickey & Friends Festival of Foods name, I think they'll all be close to each other, similar to Flo's Café on the Dream and Fantasy.  I'm hoping that the Festival of Foods flows better than Flo's so that it doesn't get too crowded.  

Unlike Marceline Market, the Mickey & Friends Festival of Foods will have a tropical boardwalk theme, which will work well, since it's right by the pools.  Also, since the Wish's family pools are all named after characters from the Mickey Mouse universe, the restaurants will fit in perfectly.

I'm glad Disney finally announced more of the Wish's guest areas.  I'm looking forward to learning more about Marceline Market and the Mickey & Friends Festival of Foods.  Specifically, I want to know the menus for each of the restaurants.  What foods will Donald's Cantina and Mickey's Smokestack Barbecue serve?  Will I be able to order a whole pizza at Daisy's Pizza Pies?  Could guests order combination foods, like a barbecue chicken pizza or a hot dog in a tortilla?  Will Sweet Minnie's Ice Cream have blueberry ice cream?  Will there be a soft drink station near the Mickey & Friends Festival of Foods?  I can't wait for that next delicious announcement!