Cutting Edge Cruising

Everybody seems to have heard about the new Disney Dream now making her home in Port Canaveral, but does everyone know what some of the elements that set her apart from your basic (ho hum) cruise ship are?

If you can dream it (it seems) Disney can do it! (Who comes up with this stuff????) 

• The AquaDuck water roller coaster: one of the most visible new features on the Disney Dream, it’s also just plain fun—for kids and adults. This water roller coaster starts near the ship’s rear stack and takes guests above the pool area, through the front stack and back over the pool deck to the rear stack again.  Wheeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
• The Animator’s Palate, a restaurant on both Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, returns but in a very new form. This time the entire room changes during the course of the meal into a giant scene from “Finding Nemo,” complete with a Crush the Turtle character who individually interacts with guests as he “swims” by their tables on giant video screens.  Dude!
• The Walt Disney Theater has been described as one of the largest and most sophisticated at sea.  It  will offer performances of three 55-minute Disney production shows, which include brand-new versions of two existing shows, “Villains Tonight” and “Golden Mickeys,” as well as a completely new musical, “Disney Believe.”
• A giant video screen on Deck 12 shows movies outdoors. Can't get enough Disney movies!
• The pool deck doubles as a venue for the ship’s on-deck parties (the pools are covered by decking during these events). On one night during each cruise, Disney presents Mickey’s Pirates in the Caribbean, an on-deck party, which will be followed by Buccaneer’s Blast, a fireworks display, and Club Pirate, where adults and kids will be encouraged to dance the night away (dressed as pirates, of course). Yarrrrr!
• Disney Dream has kids clubs that are some of the largest (if not the largest) afloat. They've addressed the “teen” issue with a new venue called Vibe, a special key-card-access-only club for teens (age 14-17) featuring large spaces to dance, play computer games, watch a 103-inch plasma TV, or lounge in the sun (part of the area is located outside near the bow of the ship, and includes two hot tubs).  (Mom, Dad, please go a-w-a-y!!)
• Other kids’ venues include the “It’s a Small World Nursery” (ages up to 3), which features places for the youngest set to play games, play with toys and nap, supervised by a staff of counselors. Then there’s the Disney Oceaneer Club (for kids ages 3-7), which features a unique Magic Play Floor, a giant video game player on the floor of the main rotunda. There are also several different play areas, including Andy’s Room (from “Toy Story”) with oversized replicas of the toys; Monster’s Academy, based on the animated feature “Monsters Inc.”; and Nemo’s Submarine, a walk-in model of a submarine, with games and toys.  I'm never growing up!!
• Two workshop areas for kids lead into the Oceaneer Lab (for kids ages 7-10). This space, centered on a giant compass, has several different activities, including a ship simulator game (the kids pretend to steer the Disney Dream), a media lounge, a sound studio, a crafts section, and a Pirate Game, which kids can play individually or as a group. A “tween” area club called Edge (for kids ages 10-13) is located in one of the ship’s funnels.
• Did I mention the youth spa "Chill"?
• Disney has developed some entertaining surprises throughout the ship, including “Enchanted Art,” where your clients will encounter framed scenes of Disney animated features that will quite literally come to life as they move past them. Eeeek!

• Inside staterooms come equipped with Virtual Portholes, which use live footage of the sea from video cameras positioned around the ship. At select times, animated Disney characters will make an appearance in those portholes.  (Oh no, what if Goofy sees me in my undies!)
• And lest you think this is all about kids ... well, big kids too. The Disney Dream includes an adult “neighborhood” which starts with The District Lounge, a bar area, then flows into a champagne bar called Pink, decorated with art depicting pink champagne bubbles. Guests also can choose to spend time in the cozy Skyline Lounge, which will feature “windows” (actually large video screens) overlooking famous city skylines.  
• Also for adults, Evolution, the ship’s sophisticated dance club decorated with a “butterfly” theme, has a large dance floor and bar, video screens and special lighting effects, all designed to evoke an edgier New York or Las Vegas nightspot.  A special “food” bar also will be located in The District where guests will be able to get snacks throughout the night. They also can pull up a stool at 687, a modern pub named after the Disney Dream’s hull number.

And did you know there's an adults only beach and bar on Castaway Cay?  It's splendid!

I haven't gotten into the sophisticated optional dining venues (I'm a big fan of dinner that comes in a ready to open bag) but they're there, created by Michelin and AAA five diamond chefs.  

This ship is named right - isn't it time to live the Dream???