Disney Cruise Line Ships Ranked From Best To Worst

There is always something magical about Disney, especially Disney Cruise Line. Their ships are idyllic resorts packed with amazing entertainment, character meet-and-greets and more. Disney cruises are expensive, but they’re pretty special.

But which ship is the best one to cruise on? Which ship captured the hearts of fans, and which has some serious work to do to catch up with the others? You might be surprised!

Let’s take a look at the Disney ships ranked best to worst according to online reviews.

Let me tell you – I was shocked to see which ship came in fifth place!

However, before we get to that, let me clarify what ‘worst’ means. ‘Worst ship’ does not mean ‘bad ship’. The Disney ship that came bottom of this list still has a very respectable score of 3.8 out of 5. So it isn’t a terrible ship, and most people still have an amazing time.

Which is the best Disney cruise ship to go on?

According to customer reviews, the best Disney cruise ship is the Disney Dream, although it has a very similar average review score to Disney Fantasy. All of the Disney cruise ships are popular but Disney Dream is marginally preferred.

Here’s the list of all five ships.

The Best Disney Cruise Ships By Reviews

1. Disney Dream

The top ship in the Disney fleet, according to customer reviews, is the Disney Dream. Disney Dream launched in 2011 as the first of the Dream Class. She was around 50% bigger than the cruise line’s two prior ships, meaning she had more space to pack in exciting experiences.

Disney Dream is also the ship that will host Marvel at Sea, an experience where guests can meet up to 30 Marvel characters on their cruise. It’s only on limited sailings but is exclusive to Disney Dream, so bear that in mind if you have a Marvel fan in the family.

The reviews for Disney Dream are overwhelmingly positive, especially about the quality of the entertainment, the variety of things to do and the amazing crew.

Negatives tend to focus on the ship feeling a little crowded – a lot has been packed in. Some guests feel cramped in the cabins too, but remember there’s no need to spend too much time in your room with so much ship to explore.

2. Disney Fantasy

Disney Fantasy is the sister ship to Disney Dream, launching a year later in 2012. The ships aren’t identical twins, although they are almost identical sizes. Disney Fantasy is better for longer seven-night cruises, while Disney Dream primarily offers three- and four-night sailings.

Disney Fantasy’s exclusive experience is Pixar Day at Sea. Again, this is only available on limited cruises, but if you’ve got a Pixar fan in your cruising group then consider this ship for your cruise. You’ll be able to sing, dance and play with all your favourite characters from that studio. 

It’s also the ship that has the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique – the famous shop from the theme parks that transforms kids into princesses, knights and pirates.

Reading the reviews, guests love the entertainment and the facilities. Negative reviews for Disney Fantasy are a little odd – there are a lot criticising how the ship is aimed at kids more than adults. Perhaps because the ship focuses on longer itineraries, adults assume there will be more for them?

Either way, plenty of adults still have an amazing time, according to the majority of reviews.

3. Disney Wonder

Disney Wonder was the second ship to launch for the cruise line back in 1999, and has been well maintained. She is a smaller ship in the fleet, similar to her sister ship Disney Magic, although the core experiences of great dining and live entertainment are very much present.

Having said that, the reviews that are negative do focus on the ship feeling like the most dated in the cruise line. To be fair, Disney Magic has had more upgrades added than her sister ship. Comments on the Disney Wonder include that the ship has some quirks typical of older ships, like a lot of vibration and noise, and there are areas that just feel a bit worn.

But the positives far outweigh any negatives, especially where the families have made the most of the kids’ clubs, daytime entertainment such as quizzes, and the character meet and greets.

4. Disney Magic

Disney Magic is the oldest ship in the fleet for Disney Cruise Lines, but she has been really well maintained. In reading through the customer reviews of the ship, I only saw a couple of minor comments about the ship looking tired and worn, and most people didn’t even mention it.

Instead, people remember the good things – and there are a lot. Reviewers love the classic feel of the ship, including elements such as the Promenade Deck which you can stroll around. There are also more modern additions, including the AquaDunk water slide.

The entertainment and the food get a lot of positive comments, as do the crew across the entire ship.

Waiters on Disney Magic, in particular, get a lot of praise for how they care for their guests on rotational dining and remember their preferences every night. It’s a common theme across Disney cruises though.

Other minor negatives beyond the wear of the ship include the pool being quite small. A lot of the bad reviews are around health protocols during COVID-19, which are no longer relevant.

5. Disney Wish

The Disney Wish is the newest of the Disney cruise ships, and she is absolutely stunning. She is packed with a lot of exciting features, including the first Disney attraction at sea, the AquaMouse. This takes the ‘water coaster’ idea of the earlier ships and adds better theming plus a story.

And yet, here the ship is at the bottom of the list!

Let’s start with the positives. Despite the amazing attractions, it’s actually the crew that get the most mentions in reviews. Guests love just how hard they work to offer that Disney experience. On newer ships there can be issues with service and crew standards, but the feedback for the team on Disney Wish is unanimously positive.

Other positive comments mention the quality of the food and the entertainment.

It’s important to note that newer ships also have fewer reviews, so any low scores can affect the average more. But there are fair comments in the reviews – mostly about the design of the ship. 

Passengers say that issues are caused due to bottlenecks and split restaurants, which cause crowds and long delays. For an expensive ship that has been significantly hyped, there seems to be a lot of frustration at these flaws, which will be hard to correct. Other reviews mention the cabins feeling smaller and having limited storage space.

Choosing The Best Disney Cruise Ship For You

Choosing the right Disney ship isn’t as simple as picking the one with the best review scores.

The ships have a lot of similarities, but also some differences. Comparing the features of the Disney ships is important to make sure you have the best experience.

You should also consider the itineraries – finding the right ship is as much about where she cruises as the ship itself.

The bottom line

Every Disney Cruise Line ship has a bit of that Disney magic. Choosing which one is best for you will come down to marginal things.

You might have specific Disney cruise waterslides you want to try, or your kid (or partner) may be a huge Star Wars or Marvel fan. Perhaps you really want to visit one of Disney’s private islands, Castaway Cay or Lighthouse Point.

Just make sure to check out the features each ship has and the itineraries on offer, and you’ll be sure to have an amazing time on your Disney cruise.

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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.

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