Supplement to Travel Trade
July 2002

Disney Wonder

Disney Puts the Wonder
Into Cruise Vacations

By Ethel Blum

Adults can dance the night away at Wave Bands, a radio-themed venue with lively music from the great radio days through current times.

Disney Cruise Line has learned a lot about cruising in the year between the introduction of the Disney Magic in August 1998 and its sister vessel, Disney Wonder, in 1999. Both ships have been fine-tuned and now offer the more traditional features associated with cruising in the days of the luxury liners, without sacrificing any of the Disney hotel amenities customers expect in its entertainment parks.

From the outside, it’s hard to distinguish between the Disney Wonder and her slightly older sibling. The vehicular approach to the Disney Port Canaveral Terminal affords passengers an awesome view of a classic beauty in the style of a traditional liner similar to one of some 30 years ago, The ship dominates the scene with her black-blue hull, gold stripes, double smokestacks (one is just for show), glistening lacquered white superstructure and raked bow. As on the Magic, Disney characters hang off the stern and dominate the bow. The Magic’s Goofy has been replaced on the Wonder with Donald Duck and his nephew Huey on the stern, while Mickey on the bow has gone from Sorcerer Mickey to Steamboat Mickey.

In contrast to the darker colors and stark Art Deco design prevalent on Disney Magic, the Wonder is designed in the lighter tones and more organic shapes popular at the turn of the century known as Art Nouveau — albeit interpreted in a somewhat whimsical fashion. The result is a lighter, brighter environment flecked with lots of pixie dust. There is more marble, wood, brass, crystal and overall elegance.

Much of the interior design and Art Nouveau theme is credited to Adam Tihany, one of the preeminent restaurant designers in the world today. Among his credits are Le Cirque 2000, Aureole Las Vegas and the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. He also created much of the furniture and accessories on both the Magic and the Wonder.

The Disney Wonder is a modern classic offering a casual vacation lifestyle for first-time and repeat cruisers, but most particularly for passengers who prefer a family-oriented total vacation option. The Wonder could be viewed as a new and improved version of the Magic. Company executives have assured me that the software improvements are being carried over to the Magic.

On the hardware side, the most obvious change is the Wonder’s three-story atrium lobby area with its “under the sea” theme. The bigger-than-life Helmsman Mickey who greets embarking guests on the Magic has been replaced here with a larger-than-life Little Mermaid. Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters are interwoven into many details, such as glass windows and sculpted molding.

While the Magic emulates traditional liners of the 20th century with its grand staircases and classical oversized portholes, the Wonder is more opulent. Its lobby is enhanced with curly sycamore wood columns and wavy railings in polished bronze and nickel. The lighter colors and mellow artwork give the lobby a welcoming feeling.

Probably the most significant hardware change is in the adults-only area. Called Route 66, it pays tribute to the ‘50s and ‘60s. Guests travel Route 66 along a walkway that connects three clubs and depicts the wheat fields of Illinois, desert roads of the West, into urban Los Angeles. Billboards and postcards portray different locales along the way.

In an effort to increase adult entertainment, Wave Bands has replaced the Magic’s underused Rockin’ Bar D. It’s a venue for evening live entertainment and lively dance music from the great radio days through current times.

Walls are lined with collages and the floor is inlaid with CDs and old records. Crackled neon lighting adds ambiance. The proscenium around the stage simulates a huge radio of the ‘40s. Each seating booth is dedicated to a different decade of music.

The comedy club, Barrel of Laughs, offers basically the same “improv” entertainment as on the Disney Magic, with a resident group which changes its routine at each session.

My favorite of the three rooms is the nostalgic Cadillac Lounge, which retains an intimate bar and piano lounge atmosphere suitable for either a quiet conversation or sing-alongs.

Dècor details are from a late 1950s red Cadillac convertible. Fins jut out from the wall; there’s a giant size replica of the car’s grill; chairs and bar stools are upholstered in black-and-white leather and the ceiling depicts the inside roof of the car.

About half of the 10 decks are devoted to public space, the remainder to staterooms and suites. Starting mid-ship on Deck 3 through the lobby atrium is Route 66, the only “glitzy,” non-Mickey Mouse themed area on board.

If you go aft, you’ll pass Triton’s, the most sophisticated of the three restaurants. Next, it’s the Promenade Lounge, built alongside the walkway and divided by etched-glass partitions. It is a popular meeting place with a fabulous trio and singer during pre- and post-dinner hours. Aft, past a bank of elevators, is the very casual Parrot Cay restaurant.

One deck up is where the entertainment is centered. Anchored forward by the Walt Disney Theatre and aft by another restaurant, Animator’s Palate, is Studio Sea, a family-type disco, and a myriad of Disney logo shops.

Deck 5 is almost entirely devoted to junior cruisers; the area in which Disney Cruise Line excels. Decks 9 and 10 feature three swimming pools, an indoor-outdoor self-service restaurant and a magnificent spa.

Like other facilities, pools are designated for use by age — Mickey’s is for little tykes, Goofy’s for the family and Quiet Cove for adults. However, enforcing age restrictions is sometimes a sticky situation. And, the slide in Goofy’s Family Pool can accommodate only those up to 62 inches in height, which means it’s available to youngsters only.

Deck 11 has a Broadcast Center, bar, outdoor racketball court and the very special optional Italian restaurant Palo.

Of the 875 staterooms, 75% are outside and 44% of these have private verandas. Special features include family-size staterooms, some accommodating up to five persons (however, for the sake of comfort, some should be pint-sized.)

Average cabins range from about 170-square feet for minimum priced insides to outsides of 220-square feet. A large number of staterooms connect, another great option for families. The bathrooms, separated into two small rooms, receive rave revues.

Cabins are tastefully decorated. Sofas convert to beds and a Murphy-type bed folds down for an additional person. All beds convert easily from almost king-size to twins.

Both Disney Wonder and Disney Magic have special features travel agents and passengers should know about. They include:

Dine Around Plan. Passengers like the nightly change in venue, ambiance and menus. Triton’s has a decidedly French flair. Parrot Cay is very casual Caribbean dining at its best, with wide choices in portions, healthy fare and dècor — Parrots and bananas hang from chandeliers. Animator’s Palate is the most talked about restaurant. It subtly transforms itself through lights and sound from a “black-and-white artist’s sketch” to a “vibrant, full-color palette” filled with favorite Disney characters and stories.

Adults have a fourth dining option, Palo’s — and it’s the best one. Located topside with 270-degree ocean views, it is an outstanding Italian restaurant. The dècor is of warm woods and Venetian glass. An open kitchen with a pizza oven is off center stage. Intimate dining takes place at window-side tables that accommodate two, six or eight. The menu is classic Northern Italian and offers diners the opportunity to sample a selection of appetizers and appetizer-sized entrées.

If your clients have to choose a night to forego one of the other restaurants, suggest they pass on Parrot Cay and go there for open seating lunch, instead. Incidentally, Palo’s “no one admitted under 18 years of age” rule is enforced.

Still another eating option is offered in Wonder’s Lido area at Beach Blanket Buffet, which hosts the embarkation and daily breakfast and lunch buffets.

Disney does a great job of keeping kids occupied and happy. However, it is nearly impossible to eliminate the patter of little feet and chatter when an average cruise carries 600 junior-sized cruisers. With this in mind, passengers traveling without children are assigned to Triton’s as their first rotation restaurant, and families with little ones are assigned to the other two.

The children’s program. Disney’s Oceaneer Adventure provides a shipboard program offering activities from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m., supervised by some 50 counselors. Spanning nearly an entire deck, activities and facilities offer dozens of age-specific activities in an area that is nearly 10 times the size of what other cruise ships offer.

Children, ages three to eight years, are offered supervised activities in the Oceaneer Club, with plenty of space to run, climb and explore. Kids from 9 to 12 years have Disney’s Oceaneer Lab, featuring high-tech fun, including electronic games played on giant video walls and interactive computer activities.

Teens have their own space and land and sea activities. Highlights include a two-hour teen-only disco twilight boat ride in Nassau harbor, a four-hour island triathlon that includes kayaking, snorkeling, biking, lunch and games, and a midnight one-hour gathering topside, when teens have the deck practically to themselves.

Flander’s Reef Nursery is a new facility added to take care of infants and toddlers from 12 weeks to three years. Capacity is extremely limited and babies are admitted on a first-reserved basis. Baby-sitting is available until midnight and parents are charged $6 per hour for the first child in the family, $5 per hour for additional children.

ESPN Sports Bar. Disney has made superb use of that fake funnel mentioned earlier. Inside the ship’s huge, red, forward stack with the Mickey Mouse logo is the ESPN Skybox, which features sports scores galore, stadium style seating, huge TV sports screen, plus regular-sized TVs for viewing major sports events worldwide.

The Spa. The Vista Spa and Salon is one of the most beautiful and sophisticated at sea. It’s surprising to find this type of facility on a family-oriented ship.

Vista Spa & Salon covers 9,000-square feet and overlooks the ocean. While all of the usual treatments are offered in the Steiner-operated spa, there are some unusual ones, like the Gentle Sauna where 140-degree dry heat is distributed from under the floor and behind the walls; the Aromatic Steam Room where chamomile extracts are used to cleanse the skin; and the Tropical Rain Shower, where the warm shower releases essence of passion fruit.

Castaway Cay. Every cruise line with a private or semi-private island claims it to be “Fantasy Island,” but none comes close to what Disney has created on Castaway Cay. The company spent an estimated $6 million to dredge the harbor, develop a 3,000-foot channel and build a pier so that its vessels can pull alongside and passengers are free to go back and forth without tenders.

Next, they embellished the natural beauty of the island with tramways, palm-shaded walkways, hideaways and rustic shelters that look like they have been there for hundreds of years. There are special areas for kids and no shortage of lounges or umbrellas, beverage stations, picnic huts or shops. A full menu of beach sports activities is offered.

Other onboard features worthy of note, include:
Entertainment. Passengers who have sailed the Magic will find the same three production shows and choreography on the Wonder. The only change is in the cast and added extemporaneous comments, which lend some pizzazz for repeat guests. Shows feature magnificent sets, original music, lighting and startling illusions.

The ship’s premier showplace is The Walt Disney Theatre, a 975-seat, three-deck high showplace. Three family-oriented Disney inspired musicals are offered during a 3-night cruise and an additional afternoon show, “Island Magic,” is featured on 4-night cruises.

“Disney Dreams” is a bedtime story with a cast of 26, including some Disney favorites like Peter Pan, Aladdin and Cinderella. “Voyage of the Ghost Ship” is about a swashbuckling hero and a fairy-tale princess. “Hercules,” a musical comedy, salutes Disney in a vaudevillian-style.

Cruise-only rates are competitive with other short cruises sailing from Cape Canaveral. The Wonder departs on Thursdays and Sundays, while the Magic sails on Fridays and Mondays.