Disney Magic, the oldest ship in the fleet, is approaching 25 years at sea and is ranked 1 out of 5 Disney Cruise Line Cruise Ships based on expert and user ratings. The current cruise is a 3-day round-trip Halloween On The High Seas Bahamian Cruise from Fort Lauderdale, starting on 13 October. The cruise itinerary includes a 6-night sailing from San Juan to Galveston, TX, with a Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom as the stateroom.
The Disney Magic is a large ship, carrying 2400 passengers and 950 crew members. It is a fun and thoroughly enjoyable experience, with a smaller, more quaint design than the line’s newest ships. The staff is friendly and helpful, going above and beyond to help guests enjoy their cruise. The trip overall was magical, with top-notch customer service and a comfortable size.
Despite being the oldest ship in the fleet, Disney Magic is an elegant and well-appointed ship with a comfortable size. With 2100 guests on board, it was a quick and easy experience. Disney signage everywhere guiding passengers to various activities and dining options make the journey enjoyable.
In summary, Disney Magic is a popular choice for cruise travelers due to its smaller size, quaint design, and top-notch customer service.
📹 My (Very Honest) Disney Magic Review
Disney Cruise Line launched their first ship in 1998 and for the last quarter of a century, it has continued to sail all around the …
Does Disney Magic have a casino?
Disney Cruise Line ships do not have casinos, but instead offer BINGO games with songs, children, and sometimes cash prizes. Bingo sessions are offered once or twice per day on nearly every day of every sailing. Sales of bingo cards/machines often begin 30-45 minutes before the games start. To buy-in to the game and secure a seat at the venue, send at least one adult member of your party to the “pre-sale” session. On crowded sailings, latecomers may not have access to these facilities.
What is the oldest Disney cruise ship?
Disney Magic and Disney Wonder are ships that evoke the golden age of ocean travel in the Mediterranean and Caribbean. Built in Italy, they share a spacious layout and outer design with fantastic personality. The ships feature artwork, sculptures, and design details that add to the unique Disney experience. Staterooms, cabins, and suites with a dash of Disney Magic offer ample space for relaxation, with couches, storage, and separate bathrooms. Both ships offer a unique Disney experience.
Which side of Disney Magic cruise ship is best?
Disney Castaway Cay offers a picturesque view from its stern-facing staterooms, offering a picturesque view of the Bahamian islands and palm trees. Starboard side staterooms offer a unique view of the entire guest side of the island, as seen in photos on the Disney Cruise Line website or selected for this text. The family enjoys early breakfast at Cabanas and sitting starboard aft outside to enjoy the heavenly view before the island gets busy. The best views are from the ground on the beautiful itinerary, which includes charming island culture, exciting and relaxing port adventures, and delicious local foods.
However, the ship’s direction can change in St. Thomas and Tortola, so passengers should be aware of this. The ship’s direction may change in these locations, but the stunning views and adventures on each island throughout the week are guaranteed.
What is the best deck to stay on a Disney cruise?
The best deck to stay on a Disney Cruise is typically decks 8 and 9 below any of the restaurants, as they offer easy access to upper decks where pools and recreation are located and are just a short trip away from lower deck theaters and the main atrium. There are four major categories of staterooms available: Concierge level, Verandah staterooms, Oceanview and Inside staterooms, and the smallest Oceanview and Inside staterooms.
The Concierge level is the most expensive but home to the luxury Disney Cruise suites, while the Verandah staterooms are known as Disney Cruise rooms with balconies. The Oceanview and Inside staterooms are the smallest but also the best rooms on Disney Cruise for those on a budget.
What’s special about Disney Magic?
Disney Magic offers live Broadway-style shows featuring Disney characters at the Walt Disney Theater, Buena Vista movie theater, night clubs, lounges, pools, and Disney-themed parties and celebrations. The Funnel Vision, a 24-by-14 foot LED screen on the ship’s forward funnel, allows guests to watch movies and shows from the deck or inside Goofy’s Pool. Shows from the Walt Disney Theatre include All Aboard, Let The Magic Begin, Twice Charmed: A Twist on the Cinderella Story, Tangled the Musical, Disney Dreams: An Enchanted Classic, and A Final Farewell Show. Former shows include Villains Tonight!, which was replaced by Tangled.
Is Disney Magic ship old?
Disney’s Magic, launched in 1998, is a popular choice for cruisers with children due to its diverse range of activities and areas. The ship features well-trained counselors for children, divided into five age groups, and parents receive beepers during the day for self-care. The Disney Cruise Line, with a capacity of 2, 400 passengers, has 11 decks and a gross tonnage of 83, 969 tons. The ship has a length of 964 feet, a beam of 106 feet, an average speed of 22 knots, 250 inside and 625 outside cabins, and 950 crew members.
Is Disney Magic a big ship?
Disney Magic, the oldest ship in the Disney Cruise Line, is 11 decks high and 984 feet long, accommodating 3, 658 passengers, 2, 713 cruisers, and 945 crew members. The ship features two theaters, five kids clubs, a spa, four restaurants, a buffet, and three pools. Disney Magic also introduces the unique rotational dining system, allowing passengers to rotate through three complimentary dining venues each night.
Other dining options include an extra-fee, adults-only restaurant, a dedicated Italian restaurant, and casual grab-and-go venues on the pool deck. The ship’s design ensures a memorable cruise experience for passengers.
What is Disney’s smallest ship?
Disney’s oldest ship, the Magic, was launched in 1998 and is the smallest cruise ship in Disney’s current fleet. It measures 984 feet long and can accommodate 2, 713 passengers in 875 staterooms. The ship features three themed restaurants and is centered around Disney’s original characters like Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy. Each Disney cruise ship features a bronze statue of a character in the atrium, with Mickey Mouse as a helmsman.
What is the difference between Disney Magic and Disney Dream cruise?
In 2014, Don and his wife embarked on a 4-night Disney Magic cruise to the Bahamas, followed by a 7-night Disney Wonder cruise to Alaska, and another 4-night Bahamian cruise on the Disney Dream. They were excited to see the reimagined Disney Magic and the classic Disney Wonder, which were the first Disney Cruise Line ships. Both ships have 875 staterooms, with a maximum capacity of 2, 400 passengers. The Disney Dream and Fantasy are newer and larger, with two decks taller than the Magic and Wonder, with 1, 250 staterooms.
All Disney cruise ships share common features such as no casinos, great childcare, character appearances, and a kid-friendly crew. However, they were curious about significant differences beyond the décor and if they would have a preference for one ship over another.
The Disney Magic, the oldest ship in the fleet, underwent a complete “reimagining” in 2013, including more adjoining staterooms and more verandahs with removable dividers. Other improvements include taller bed frames and regular hairdryers, which were easier to manage than the old built-in hairdryers on the Wonder.
Is Disney Magic cruise crowded?
The vessel is antiquated and inadequate for the number of passengers, with three diminutive swimming pools that are insufficient for the number of passengers, resulting in congestion and close contact in the pools.
Which Disney ship is the oldest?
Disney Magic and Disney Wonder are ships that evoke the golden age of ocean travel in the Mediterranean and Caribbean. Built in Italy, they share a spacious layout and outer design with fantastic personality. The ships feature artwork, sculptures, and design details that add to the unique Disney experience. Staterooms, cabins, and suites with a dash of Disney Magic offer ample space for relaxation, with couches, storage, and separate bathrooms. Both ships offer a unique Disney experience.
📹 Disney Magic Cruise – Everything You Need to Know about this Disney Cruise Ship
Looking for a Disney cruise? Look no further than the Disney Magic. This newest cruise ship features amazing amenities and …
I’m not someone who really goes on cruises, but I really liked that you pointed out how much artistry and detail went into this ship. Most people will likely miss most of it or not understand its significance, but it’s so telling how different the philosophy of design was for Disney back when this premiered. The Disney experience is not defined by superficially plastering characters everywhere, but is instead that attention to detail and reverence for art in themed spaces. Disney characters were used as brand ambassadors who told you that only Disney could offer this level of well thought-out experience and it’s really sad that we’re just not seeing that from the company any longer. Many people attribute a past love for Disney as nostalgia, but you can objectively see how much thought went into these experiences in the past that are just not happening today.
I’ve never been on it but I do have a great experience with this ship. I’m in the Navy and our ship was pulled into a fuel farm, it had been a long day and in the middle of a month long trip to sea, so people were pretty tired. As we were about to go back out to sea the Disney Magic (I think) is going through the website heading out to sea. Just as they are starting to pass us they play blare their whistle for us, everyone on the ship is suddenly really happy and waving at them. A few seconds later they blare it again, that one little act made even a jaded fan of Disney like me feel like a kid again and made an other wise exhausting and stressful day feel just a little nicer. A Great time.
The Disney Magic is good evidence that if you design a ship well with a clear aesthetic theme that isn’t just vaguely “contemporary”, the ship can last in service much longer than others. I’ve always found it a bit ridiculous that cruise lines spend billions to build new ships that then get retired to shuffled to budget lines after a decade or so in service. It’s wasteful and unnecessary. Build the ship well to begin with and it will have staying power.
I’ve only sailed on the Magic’s sister ship the Wonder, but I was far too young to truly appreciate it. However, in the summer of 2023 I took a Alaskan cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas, and we saw the Disney Wonder multiple times. Each time we did I said the same thing without fail: “That is one of the most gorgeous ships on the sea.”
Just finished our family’s first cruise ever on the Disney Magic. Had a four day cruise at the end of July and honestly have no complaints at all. I pretty much agree with every opinion in this article. The rooms were great, but not perfect, stayed on Deck 2 as well with a porthole, and it was in great condition as said but I know I could find some flaws if I took the time to look. The food throughout the ship was amazing, the grab and go options on Deck 9 was what you would expect with any typical “fast food” option within Disney World. I might be more forgiving with pizza and was fine with that option. 😉 The kids ( 7 and 9) enjoyed the kids clubs and could spend hours there, at night that helped with some evenings spent in the piano bar. We also had a special adult treat that the Walt Disney Theater played “Deadpool and Wolverine” one day before it was released in theaters. They actually played it twice during the four day cruise, both late night at 10:30 and then 11:00pm, but you be shocked at the parents who brought their kids. The film is barely appropriate for me and I’m 42! And yes I loved every moment of the film. Overall had no actual issues or large complaints. Thank you for your review!!
I think one reason your Disney articles in particular are so entertaining is because of Disney’s unique status as the icon of entertainment and hospitality mixed with the fact that they have lost a lot of their magic over the years. It almost makes these reviews feel like they’re from an episode of Abandoned in the making.
Could you possibly think about doing a Bankrupt article on the American Queen Steamboat Company? They closed their doors earlier this year and I think you would find that the company is right up your alley of interest. Also, the SS United States could use an update article before September where we will learn if she will be scrapped, sunk, or moved.
My family took a Disney cruise back in 2006 (back when they had the original lobby!) I really loved it, especially the teen club – I feel like a lot of “family spaces” think of teens as an afterthought, but the teen club reminded me of a common room in a college dorm. We played Spoon Assassin, watched late-night movies, and had a decent social space to meet other teens. I’m glad the OG ships have kept most of their glamor, even if the prices are a little steep for me now.
I was on the Disney Magic in August of 1998 the summer before high school, and back then the ship really was magic. I have super fond memories of that ship and my voyage, and I’m glad it still holds up. The artistic touches themselves are timeless, and even if the ship is the oldest sister of the fleet, she’s pretty amazing all the same. I have so many fond memories of this ship – perusal a peter pan show in the theater while the ship rocked, forcing peter to re-open the window with each rock, hanging out in “Common Grounds” which was the teen area back when the ship launched, or standing at the bow in front of the sport courts on the upper decks with other teens my age. I cried when I first heard the horn play “When you wish upon a star”, and it still makes my heart flutter. <3
Love to see your take on the Magic and seeing new content come out about it in general. Went on the Magic for my first ever cruise at 12 years old during the week of Fourth of July 2001 and have fond memories. Got to see a NASA launch at Canaveral, went to St Maarten, St Thomas and of course Castaway Cay. I’m a RCL fan nowadays and don’t see myself going on DCL in the foreseeable future, but I’ll never forget that first trip and seeing articles like this brings me back to it.
My wife, daughter and I went on our first Disney cruise for Halloween last year on the Disney magic. It was such an amazing experience! My parents, siblings, and grandmother also got their own rooms. I honestly want to say what made it amazing was Disney cruise paired our dinners with a couple our exact same age who had a daughter the same age as ours. (They were both 2 and a half I think at the time) they were from Hawaii born and raised and we all immediately clicked. Talking about how we were from SoCal and our lifestyle as well as them telling us about theirs. We were supposed to sit with my extended family and asked to change later on that night after dinner. However, after hanging out with them that evening we knew we had to sit with them again. So we changed one last and final time. Honestly yes, Disney cruises are expensive but seeing our daughter and theirs play with each other and attached to the hip practically the whole vacation made it priceless. I believe the magic will be the ship we usually will go on. We already booked a trip next April a few months ago with our friends that we made on our first trip. If you’re a new family like us I highly suggest it. The connections you make can be incredible.
I love Disney cruise line, and me and my family have been on the Fantasy, Magic and Wish. My mothers favorite ship was the wish, but I definitely liked the magic more. It’s a small ship so you’re never far away from anything, the design is objectively beautiful, and food/service is great. However, keep in mind that all 3 times we sailed, we sailed concierge. I was also like 5 when we went on the Disney fantasy. We go on the Dream out of port Everglades in November, and I’ll come back to this comment and say if I liked that better than the magic.
What a nostalgic article. My very first cruise was my with my husband on our honeymoon almost 19 years ago on the Disney Magic, we fell in love with the ship and almost 20 years later, we still talk about our honeymoon. We did a Western Caribbean 7 day that included Castaway Cay, thank you so much for doing a review on the Magic.
A few weeks ago, the Disney Wonder was docked at Canada Place (British Columbia) and I got to see it depart. I’ll give credit where it’s due, the older Disney Cruise Ships are probably one of the best looking modern cruise ships, mostly because they retain some old ocean liner aesthetics, namely the black hull and multiple funnels.
I totally agree that it’s the classic ocean liner look that puts the Disney Magic above the current modern cruise lines. I want to feel like I’m sailing on a luxury ocean liner, not a modern day cruise line and the older boats definitely do that. You can just see that by all the different themed areas and different activities. It makes the whole experience much more fulfilling and makes a smaller boat feel bigger.
I was on the maiden voyage of the Magic in 1998. We weren’t supposed to be, but delays of planned earlier maiden voyages were canceled, and we ended up being the first. Sadly, threat of a hurricane kept us from visiting the Disney island so we just sailed around that day. It was such a beautiful ship. Hard to say if I’m disappointed in the changes. The ESPN SkyBox was fun. Sad to see that gone. Great job on showing the changes.
Anytime there is a casino on a cruise, the cruise simply exists solely to make more and more money from wealthy (or addicted) travelers. I went on a Disney Cruise in the early 2000’s as well and had a blast. So much to do. Now I would probably still say it is a great cruise and fantastic experience. The newer ships are just bland hotels on the sea that push different money-grabbing schemes into your face…from shops and drink packages, to sectioned-off concierge areas. I’ve never been someone who wanted to go on a cruise before, but the new cruises (well, the ones I could actually afford to go on) have really put a bad taste in my mouth. If I go, it will likely be on this type of cruise as I still fell in love with the warm carpets of the early 2000’s.
I agree with a lot that is said except pricing. Those starting prices are rarely ever available and if they are you must be in the very high levels of the DCL rewards program to get them since Disney is the only cruise line to release booking windows for their sailings based off of loyalty status, what you paid on this trip is very much the price any normal family would get most times to sail on that ship which makes it very very expensive and unless you have kids that love Disney would be better spent on a luxury cruise line, explora journeys for instance is around the same $1,000 a night and offers a far more luxurious experience and a balcony room at that price as well
That is a great looking ship. It is better than most other modern Disney products because it is not a modern Disney product. I love the design of the ship being a homage of classic ocean liners. However, you can tell that many of the places that were redone, especially the staterooms, lack much of the elegance and character seen in the older parts. Cleaning should definitely be improved, though. These travel articles of yours are great. Very interesting and wonderfully detailed. Also, I think it would be great to see you on an adventure on the VIA Rail Canadian. Beautiful landscape and a great, historic train. I have always wanted to go, but I have never had the chance. Sadly, I do not know how long the classic 1940s and 1950s streamlined fleet will remain in service. Nothing will be able to truly replace them.
You would be especially disappointed to learn that the reason why one of the staircases in the grand atrium was removed was to balance out the weight from that waterslide that was put in during the refit. I learned this from a ships tour of the Disney Wonder last spring. My family also cruised aboard both the magic and the wonder in the 2000s and we really noticed the differences. The replacement of the chandelier on the Disney Wonder however, is not as disappointing as what was installed aboard the Magic. I’ll be cruising on that ship next spring and appreciate the heads up for the disappointment 🫤
I haven’t been on a Disney cruise in years, but I’ve noticed similar issues regarding cleanliness during nearly all of my recent Disney trips – unsure if they’re just rushing housekeeping or what but my rooms have been noticeably dirty. On one recent trip there was a half drunk cup of soda on the bedside table and cereal strewn across the floor when we came into the room.
You really need to sail on the DCL “Wonder” – either Vancouver to Alaska or Vancouver to San Diego (repositioning). The Wonder is the favourite of DCL multi-cruisers, hands down. The Princess & the Frog lounge, Tiana’s, the English pub, and the Cadillac lounge are FANTASTIC. Plus, Art Nouveau. Amazing. The port, Pacific Place, in Vancouver is also gorgeous.
As an experienced cruiser and a pearl castaway club member (that is 12 years old), you are right about keeping it’s old look, but because the expensive fees, in that fee there are the complimentary items that are normally charged on other cruises ( for example, it’s fireworks which are quite expensive to have and it’s kids club that is free and doesn’t have extra expenses unlike royal Caribbean with it’s after 10pm fee and it’s 1 am children’s curfew) the reason why it’s expensive is because you are covering all of the complimentary items in your cruise fee. but Disney cruises hit different
I always appreciate your articles! We seem to have similar takes as well as tastes on many things, and I was really looking forward to this review as our first cruise was on the Disney Magic last year. You even stayed in the exact room we did. We did an 8-night cruise around the Caribean, though, for about the same price you did the 4 nights, but we understand that’ll never happen again. We are seasoned Disney goers but were out of our element with the cruise and discovered that we were on the first sailing out of dry dock which made it a discounted voyage. Overall, I think your assessment was spot on. Food is the quickest way to my heart, though, and we enjoyed their apple strudel cooking class where I had my fair share of samples, ha. 9! Could also give it an extra point for the value, but, like you said, ours was also an abnormal price. Therefore, I’d tie at 41 with your Fantasy score. We hope to one day try the other ships (Not the Wish, Treasure looks awesome though) as compared to the handful of others this was our favorite Disney vacation yet. Thank you again for always sharing an enlightening and entertaining perspective!
The point about the concierge level rooms getting a lifeless makeover is something I also noticed in certain resort refurbishments. Where previously there was resort specific decor now lifeless “modern” furniture in bland colors have been installed. It seems as the knowledge or willingness to stick to a certain aesthetic has been lost.
Great article as always. We’ve sailed on the Magic many times and sailed on her on a back to back cruise this year after sailing on other Disney ships for several years. At first we noticed the Magic is looking old, and small. But on the second part of the back to back we started to love here again. We did concierge and I personally think the concierge family room we had on part one of the back to back wasn’t worth the high price but the one bed concierge suite we had on the second leg was.
I’m due to go on the Dream in 9 days and even as a 40 yr old I am very excited. So seeing the originater reviewed in so much detail just made me feel even more excited. I have never gone on a cruise before(didnt even have proper holidays until my 30s) so this is really a dream holiday. Thank you for the detail and it makes me feel like with DCL I will be in good hands all the way through.
A great vid! I don’t even cruise, but I do love ships and all the work that goes into running a cruise, it fascinates me. I think your articles and reviews are very thoughtfully presented. It’s interesting to learn more about these types of travel experiences. I always dreamed of going on a Disney cruise as a kid but it was way out of our budget for a family of 5. I can’t even imagine the cost of going on one now!
I went on my first cruise last August (it was on the Disney magic) and that trip made me fall in love with cruises. When I went on the ship it still felt new and I feel like it is the perfect ship for someone’s first cruise adult or not. And hearing the horn for the first time is like unlocking a new world
Hey Jake – thanks for giving us this wonderful tour of a classically-styled cruise ship! …. 33:07 – “”…a ship that itself is a love letter to the golden age of ocean liners…”” – I love that line!….I was really surprised by this review – i.e. the look of the ship and the quality of the experience seems a bit at odds with how Disney operates in other areas (where cost cutting seems to be the main focus….so seeing this ship that still captures a bit of the magic of past-Disney is surprising)….
Love these thorough yet succint cruise reviews Jake, but only wish when you give your final scores, you highlight or label what category your scoring in? I always find myself “rewinding” especially when the ranking chart doesn’t have the categories labelled as well. Just a nitpick thing! Can’t wait for the next travel review!
I much prefer the design, decor and layout of the Wonder and Magic compared to the newer ships, especially the Wish. On a walking tour on one cruise, a cast member explained that they toned down After Hours to make it less interesting to kids. Maybe that was just good Disney storytelling but it makes sense to me seeing your clips of the previous version.
In edge there used to be a full fledged cruise ship simulator, complete with a steering wheel, dedicated thrusters, dedicated throtte, horn, and a huge screen for the simulator. It had big captains chairs and was situated in a huge console. It was almost the equivalent of an airplane simulator pilots train on. I remember me and other kids arguing and fighting over whose turn it was to use the simulator. It was removed when vibe moved to deck 9 in 2013. The current onboard simulators are smaller and a much watered down version of this (same software though.)
I remember being a library nook on the Magic. Is that area still there? I’m not sure how the Promenade Lounge returns sits with me. We go in November so I’ll get a better view! Though the replacement of the Internet cafe was much needed! I agree with the Veat Street change. It was very ‘90s Disney theming but a fun theme nonetheless. It really let you know you were in for something different.
I had the privilege of sailing on Disney Magic just before cruising was shut down for the global pandemic in 2020. She’s a grand ship and all of her crew were proud to be serving on Disney’s flagship. My wife and I were cruising for our honeymoon and any crew member who learned about it made a point of helping make our special trip memorable.
My very first cruise was on Disney Magic in 2001 and my most recent Disney cruise was on Disney Magic last year, and I love her just as much now as I did then. I’ve actually taken repeated cruises on Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, and have yet to cruise on any of the newer ships! We are booked on the Wish next year, but I’m a little nervous about it.
I went on the Disney Wonder (sister ship to Magic) back in 2004. Haven’t been on a Disney Cruise since because they are soooo expensive compared to other lines. It was a good time for sure, I think it’s worth going on any of their ships at least once just for the experience. But as far as cruising in general goes, you can get much better values at other lines that offer longer cruises with other unique things to do nowadays. Also another note, I like that you mentioned the real teakwood decks of the ship. This is rare nowadays, and I still have a very distinct memory of how it smelled out on deck. You could smell the teak and the varnish and it was a super nice touch.
I just went on my first royal and I know understand why the wish was made, but I think Disney needs to realize that there is a giant portion of the population that doesn’t want to go to a mall at sea and just wants to go on a cruise ship for the sake of going on a cruise ship Royals entire design philosophy is around, not seeing the ocean majority of the time. Disney’s old philosophy was let’s bring the ocean into every space possible and this is what made me love it. I love the fact that I’m out on the ocean. I don’t want to feel like I’m in a mall. I can go do that for way cheaper on land. But investors want to see big shiny buildings and don’t care about the actual experience.
My first ever cruise was on the Disney Magic, I want to say in 1999 or 2000. So I would have been 9 or 10 when I went on it with my family. My wife is due with our first child in January, so I hope that Disney keeps the Magic in service long enough for to take our son on his first cruise on the same ship I took mine on. It really is a beautiful ship, and I agree with Jake that it is the best looking cruise ship on the seas!
Magic was our first cruise in 2009 I can still remember stepping into the lobby for the very first time and being absolutely breathtaking even as a eight-year-old kid I knew this was something special. We went on another five Disney cruises after that we were sold immediately. We’re going on the treasure next year and I’m not gonna lie with the new ship. I am, approaching with nervous curiosity, my favorite part of the old ships was the relationship to the old ocean liner, which is no longer present. I’ll be interested to see how it changes my perception of DCL
I cruised out of Port Canaveral frequently as a child. My favorite ship was always the Magic, and it was because of the way it had thought out the ship. Everything had theming that flowed and created a classic look. I have not cruised in about 10 years, but when I sailed on the Fantasy, it was missing that spark. I felt that the Fantasy could have received this “timeless” design, but it is more or less the largest class I could see being able to maintain any continuity in design. I am now an Orlando local, and thrifted a book about the design of the Wonder/Magic recently. I miss when Disney cared about the product from start to finish.
I’ve been waiting for this article for weeks. You’re right when you said that both the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder are the most beautiful modern cruise ships ever created. I hope DCL comes back around to their roots. Art Deco and Art Nouveau are timeless designs and they should go back to them. Furthermore, they should design their newer ships to be just as sleek and streamlined.
Took a Disney cruise in 2019, it’s the only cruise I’ve ever been on. 5 day cruise, advertised price was $3900 “all inclusive.” It was nice, food was pretty good, spa was amazing, kids activities were amazing, had no issues with cleanliness. When we checked out on the arrival day we found out that that we owed an extra $1600 for crew gratuities etc, before factoring in cost for alcohol, spa use etc. Being that this was my first cruise, I was not expecting this extra charge and thought “all inclusive” was “all inclusive.” The service was amazing, so I’m fine with tipping, but I just didn’t know going in about this extra cost. Was the cruise worth over $1,000 a day? Absolutely NOT. You can get far more value by going to a resort in the Caribbean, Hawaii or by going to Europe. Lesson learned for me, never again.
My family went last year in September and I can hardly say a bad thing about it, it was nearly perfect. I could go on and on but you did a fantastic job of hitting everything we did, which was pretty much everything onboard. I heavily agreed with what you said and your scores, you pay more attention to décor that I happened to ignore. The walkways leading to the adult area could use some sprucing up. We had the Halloween party and decorations in the main lobby which made that area seem a bit more alive and fun with a show about some tree coming to life. I think the worst being sometimes it was a pain to catch and elevator due to their size but luckily we were only 2-3 floors below the main deck and often opted for stairs when ascending or descending. The cleanliness of your room and belongings heavily depends on the person cleaning. While our room was just minimally cleaned other members had their room cleaned and tidied with some more little fun surprises. The price I felt was well worth it if you made it worth it, there were so many activities to do and keep you busy with. We had a veranda which was nice when we stopped to enjoy it. The buffet food was above average and the dinner food was great. Often times I ordered several items across several courses of dinner. The service was some of the best I’ve ever had, even compared to expensive steakhouses. If I go back I will be sure to walk the entire mid deck to see ship from front to back! This wasn’t my first Disney cruise but I am hoping the next one can live up.
I have the Magic up there with the Fantasy in my book. We did a 4 night on the Magic last fall out of Miami and I was impressed at how well that ship has kept up with other ships half her age! I’d definitely sail on her again! Just hoping they continue to keep her sailing and don’t sell it off once they build out the fleet.
I love the vintage design and am so sad that we’ll probably never see the company build like this again. I took my first DCL Cruise on the Magic last November, and I have to say, seeing what areas looked like before the 2013 redo made me very sad I didn’t get to experience those spaces, especially the After Hours district 🥲🥲 Also the hair dryers may be ancient, but they still work pretty well!
I used to take the ship every single year with my family as a kid. I’m glad to see that the ship is still as good as it used to be. I miss it everyday 🥲. P.S – I think it’s important to note that even though the cabins were not perfect on this cruise, as somebody who has taken the cruises, I know that they are constantly cleaning every space literally every night until like 3AM. They do a really really really good job of keeping public spaces clean it’s a shame the cabins don’t get the same treatment. I would still consider their level of cleanliness to be better than your average cruise line. Also RIP the old tropical themed restaurant where Rapunzel’s Restaurant is.
I wanna thank you for these well thought-out and well made article-reviews! 🙏 I’m from Denmark and we want to have such a Disney-Cruise sometime in the future 🫶 I’m a BIT confused, though, and perhaps you can clarify this for me. Exactly how MANY Disney Cruise-ships are there in total? 4-5??? I know the Disney Fantasy is your favorite, and judging from what I’ve seen from your article’s (based on pure design) I already agree! I think I’d be eyeing that ship for my No.1 go-to as well 👍 Are all the ships sailing the exact same route by the way???
I’d say a lot of the cost goes toward paying extra for better quality fuel. Recently, a regulation kicked in that forced ships to use fuel with less than 0.5% sulfur. Most shipping companies opted to install scrubbers to reduce the sulfur exhaust to be the equivalent of 0.5% sulfur fuel, while continuing to use the cheaper fuel they always used. Disney, on the other hand, opted to use 0.1% sulfur fuel with no scrubbers. That premium fuel has a cost. In case you’re wondering where the extra sulfur goes after scrubbers remove it from the exhaust? The water, of course!
Disney just announced another 4 ships to be built by 2031…. that brings the total announced fleet to 13 ships vs 5 ships currently. How likely is it that one of these new 4 ships will be the replacement to the Magic and the Wonder that will both be around 30 years old by then? I think it’s likely and I will be interested to see if Disney will introduce a new class of ship or continue the Wish class of ships. Exciting times for DCL!
I cruised on the Magic about ~7 years ago as a much younger child, so I can’t speak to everything you mention for your more recent cruise, but overall this echoes a lot of what I thought at the time, an overall great experience with a solid cruise line. I do wonder about the food rating – perhaps I’m not too familiar with the Jake’s Rating, but with the room having “significant cleanliness issues” and (as you thought at the time) only one power outlet next to the bed, an 8 was expected, but where, in your opinion, does the food lose its 3 points? With it being mostly all-inclusive, and (as far as I could tell) your raving about the quality, I would have expected more than a 7. Just curious about that one, enjoyed the article as a whole as always!
Thanks for bringing back some good memories. The Magic was our first cruise ship and most sailed ship, 8 of our 21 cruises. The Magic along with other Fincantieri built ships we have sailed from that time period have the best flow and agree that modern ships ditching the full promenade deck path is a miss. The place we will disagree is the level of service, we have seen equal and better staff on the other lines we have sailed. We last sailed DCL in 2016, were Platinum, and when on the Emerald Princess we saw the Magic at port Everglades. Other than thinking I needed to listen to the PA when I heard the tone they use, I really had no interest or pull to go back, the value is not there once their prices went vertical over a 5 year period. Tons of great memories though including the inaugural Hawaii on the wonder:)
You aren’t hopelessly nostalgic here. I never went on DCL as a kid so my first introduction to them was as a parent bringing my kids onboard. The ship is solid and we’ve now taken her 3 times in 3 years. We are considering taking a break next year and going on Princess instead, but I have a strong suspicion we’ll be right back to the Magic after that.
We’ve been on this and its sister the Wonder, 8 cruises ~ 45 nights over the past 15 years. Loved, loved, loved (almost) everything about them . . . Too many wonderful plusses to mention (yes, and many Navigator’s Verandahs!). But as son is now 23yrs old and we crave new itineraries, we are moving on to other lines.
I’d love for you to try one of the Baltic Sea cruise ships, like Viking Line or Tallink Silja. They’re far from this style of cruise, being used mainly for transport between the countries in the Baltic and a place to buy tax free alcohol and tobacco, but still have most if not all of the elements of an American cruise. They’re also cheap, so regular people can afford to go on them fairly often
I’ve sailed on the Magic twice. The first time was in 2012, second time…I don’t remember, honestly, maybe 2016? Anyway, it’s my family’s and my favorite ship out of the fleet (we’ve also been on the Wonder and the Fantasy). We had the same type of cabin you did on deck 2 both times and found the cabins incredibly comfortable, even with four of us packed in there (the double bathrooms were so important for us!!). We thought the food was fabulous and loved that food and drinks were always available at no additional charge. We loved seeing first-run Disney movies in the movie theater, and we loved the overall design. I’m really sad about the lobby chandelier! Overall I think if I were to take a Disney cruise again I would want to be on the Magic.
I’ve watched all of your cruise stuff and I think all of your hotels too, so I have my own understanding of “what I think Jake should think about if it’s any good or not” scale, and I do think that on both this cruise and your Oceania cruise you had fairly significant biases, the kind that could affect the scoring by maybe up to 30% or so? I think broadly you tended to slightly downplay issues on Disney (except the cabin cleanliness which I felt you got perfect) but much more than that tended to significantly not even ‘uplay’, I think you just genuinely significantly enjoyed things more than you would have if they were the exact same on another line and I do think the nostalgia and ‘Disney-ness’ is responsible for most of it. On Oceania I think it’s basically the inverse where your expectations were just very high and once the ball starts rolling on “well this isn’t as good as I’d hoped” it can be hard to stop seeing all the small issues in everything else, which is something that happens to me personally too, but it’s funny to watch it from an outside perspective where things broadly didn’t seem quite as bad as you were describing (though of course I do have my own biases, we broadly seem have similar likes and tastes, and a lot of the points about the changes and decor of Disney I exactly agreed with you on in a way that was very pleasantly surprising how similar we felt) This is not to say your scoring is wrong of course, it’s literally a subjective scale, it’s just that for the most part your other scores tend to be closer to what I’d consider objective
I’ve probably been in the Disney Magic more than any other cruise ship and still love it! The smaller, more intimate feeling of the smaller cruise ship is really enjoyable. And the attention to detail is there, and I feel like you miss that on Disney Wish. I’ve also been on Wonder, Dream, and Fantasy, but still love Magic. Question though if you see this, what makes you love the Fantasy so much over any other ship, including its sister, Dream?
My family and I went on our first cruise on the Disney Magic back in May 2024. I did hear that ship had been dried dock late last year, so this is clear sign that they’re not planing on getting rid of the ship anytime soon, so I was surprised to see that a lot of this electrical features had not been updated to LED ones or change the plugs to have USB ports, maybe not C but at least A. About the cleanliness, our room was very clean, but after speaking with our housekeeper, an older lady, her cleaning assignment was 20 rooms, that have to be made/cleaned twice a day!!! perhaps it’s should be a 2 person team. We had such a great time we already booked the Halloween cruise for 2025 onboard the Dream.
We just took 4 grandkids, daughter and son-in-law on the Disney Wish during the last week of July 2024. Never again on DCL. We were all completely underwhelmed by the dining, service and overall design of the ship. We have taken 34 cruises prior to this one. The value of this Disney Wish cruise was far below the price we paid. Lesson learned.
Although I haven’t been on a Disney cruise (had one booked but then covid happened and have been priced out ever since 🙁 ), I feel like these older DCL cruise ships are one of the few places where you can still get that early 2000’s level of class, quality and service Disney was known for. It’s ironic how when you dock at Lighthouse Cay, you are immediately smacked in the face by the new Disney era. Quite the contrast. With the announcement of the new ships at D23 Expo, many fear these classic ships will see the end of their lifespan in a few years. I really hope not because it would be a shame to loose these gorgeous ships.
So I have only been on one cruise ship my entire life, the Big Red Boat in ’86 and I was 4. After perusal this article I agree with you about 98% of the time. I think it looks great overall, and I’m actually surprised about some of the free stuff you get. As someone who hasn’t been on a cruise in 35 years, I think it looks amazing and would take a trip on it. Although I think its expensive (regardless of the type of trip) that might just be me not knowing what cruises go for. I would 100% take this cruise in the future.
We sailed on the Magic in 2023 for a Very Merrytime Cruise to Mexico and then this year were on the Carnival Miracle to Alaska. The difference is night and day. Disney was far more expensive per night and in my opinion worth every penny. Although I’m still open to trying out other brands, I doubt I’ll ever go on a Carnival cruise again, you get what you pay for.
We cruised with Disney Fantasy last May and it was dirty. Even a child’s bottled water was left on the cooler/fridge while there is a damp portion of the carpet near the bed. I reported all of this to my Stateroom attendant and he took care of it but it’s becoming a bad norm. Last year while traveling on the Disney Wish, our stateroom was dusty by visual inspection and touching the surfaces. The high rate of turn over for a shorter itinerary ship is stretching the working team of that ship but I wonder about these older ships.
Great review Jake. I appreciate that you tried to be as neutral as one with a high Castaway Club status can be :). Never been on the Magic, but it seems a lot nicer (and more “classic”, if that makes sense) than what I remember from my cruise on Fantasy. 4 nights is too short for my liking though. I do like my week-long cruises.
Say what you want about Disney, but their cruise line division always seem to put so much care into their designs, especially now in an era where Disney tries to gouge customers while taking away unique experiences, and now in an era where they think the peak of design is removing color and switching to minimalism and gray walls. DCL – and its’ engineers – is a love letter to naval history imo
Great review, never having been on a cruise I don’t know how much they “should cost” but they all seem rather expensive. However seeing everything that you can do it does swing the needle a little bit more towards reasonable. I wonder though, with a kid how much do those prices change? Are they cheaper since they would be in the same room (presumably)?
Speaking to the reimagination, I don’t have think it was all bad BUT I do see a lot of the issues you are speaking to. These issues do not make me excited for the upcoming Reimagination of the Disney Dream where they will add another Tower suite, kicking Edge out of the funnel and into one of Vibe’s rooms. It’s very disappointing.
Hmm 🤔 That is very expensive. We recently went on vacation for 7 nights on the MSC Euribia from Hamburg to Hamburg. The ship was half a year old. We had a nice balcony where my daughter slept every night, every drink and food was included, there was a long outdoor pool where I was able to crawl and an indoor pool with jacuzzis and so on. The food was delicious, esp. the pizza as MSC is an Italian shipping company, and they handcrafted the mozzarella on board. On that trip we saw London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. For us both I paid roughly EUR 4.000, which is under $4.500.
I was going to visit this cruise when I turned 15, I was and am still glad that they kept an ocean liner like style, thats what makes them unique and so noticeable, sadly, my parents couldn’t afford it, but now, its really sad to learn that they didnt keep the attention that a disney that will never come back had, they even look flat and lifeless as a cruise ship is
In 1998… on our honeymoon… we rode on the Carnival Destiny. The Flagship and largest on the ocean at the time. Went through hurricane Mitch. We were so seasick and AT SEA FOR 5 days. The food was meh. We had a room on the back of the ship where we would have cigarette butts flicked down upon us from rooms above. Everything was different bright colors of chrome. We missed Grand Cayman due to the hurricane. It was NOT fun by any stretch. We will NEVER cruise again.
Everyone gets put off so easily by the ‘horror movie’ fluorescent lights all over the world. Me being an ET, the first thing that comes to my mind is usually “Oh, looks like it’s due for a new bulb tube… or the starter needs to be replaced. Both are cheap. At least it’s not buzzing, otherwise it’ll need a new ballast, which is the expensive bit.” Still better than LED lights according to my astigmatistic eyes.
Hearing some of these prices, I now have a better understanding of the outrageous prices they charged for the Galactic Starcruiser (The Star Wars-themed bunker that never sailed anywhere and soon sank anyway.) The people who ran the Starcruiser thought they could get away with top-end cruise line prices for a seedy hotel feeling that made guests and their wallets search for an escape pod.
I dont think the value seems particularly great but most other things seem to be really solid! Im from Copenhagen Denmark so DCL doesnt really come around these parts often but they have sailed a few occassional baltic summer cruises and for that they used no other ship than the Disney Magic for what I believe is a 5 day or 1 week voyage around the Baltic sea. But last I checked on that was in 2019. Since then we’ve had a worldwide pandemic as well as hightened military tensions in the Baltic due to Russian aggression, including repeated unauthorised entry of Russian aerial and nautical vehicles into Danish Aerospace and Seaborders. Plus ports like Saint Petersburg in Russia of course being no go zones now. Though anyone please correct me if Im wrong and the voyages still happen. As for the ship itself, I kinda think the reason its remaining as good as it is might just be corporate oversight. The leadership in the Disney conglomorate these days are quite bad to say the least, that much is obvious. But they can’t keep an eye on everything at once. So glimmers of the company’s old greatness can still be around, either cause corporate didn’t glimpse it being greenlit, or simply have forgot its there. For the cruise division, they’re so focused with all their attention on the newest ships and the deluxemost market segment with the concierce class that older vessels like the Magic and Wonder can keep sailing with its current offers relatively unscathed. Especially if you travel in the lower classes, which especially in this case is probably still much better value than anything in Concierce class.
LOVED my experience on the Magic except for the adult only area. Because there’s no proper way to enforce the age restriction there, my gf and I (both of us 22) were constantly asked for our ID and cruise card, even after we had a drink in our hand (of which we were ID’d at the bar as well). Every day we would stop in that area to eat lunch and plan the day, sometimes relax in the pool, and each time we would be approached (sometimes by three separate cast members, as in three separate instances in the same day, minutes apart). Honestly it started as funny like “ooo we look young woww” but then it became mildly to actually infuriating bc it just didn’t make the area welcoming at all, like we were trespassing or something. We got asked so frequently that we started leaving our IDs and cruise cards out at the end of the table.
How does a work of art by a renowned artist like Dale Chihuly become “outdated”? I’m so glad that some years ago when Phipps Botanical Conservatory in Pittsburgh had a Chihuly exhibit among its gardens and greenhouses, generous donors allowed the Conservatory to purchase many of the pieces for its permanent collection. I hope Disney put the chandelier on public exhibit elsewhere, or sold it to a museum that would to offset renovation costs.
Disney prices are much like medical prices in the US. They charge far more year over year than inflation for the exact same product. That’s why 3/4ths of Americans can no longer afford to even VISIT their parks let alone have a package vacation or the even more expensive cruises. You’re fortunate to be able to afford all these things.
I thought your scores on the Stateroom and Food would have been switched. You seemed more disappointed with the cleanliness of the room than the food. I will agree that the newer refurbished expensive staterooms lose any hint that you’re in a ship cabin and looks like any other hotel room in the city. I haven’t cruised that much, but most of my cruises have been on Royal Caribbean’s bigger ships and I think they’re fantastic. Service is outstanding.