Etchings on the Attic Wall

Disney will soon be coming out with its new cruise ship – its third in the lineup.  Called the “Disney Dream“, it is currently scheduled to launch on January 26, 2011 and will be taking a cruise to the Bahamas.  It will be larger than the other 2 ships in the fleet and can accommodate 4,000 passengers.  Well, let’s get down to the cool features and amenities that this ship has to offer:

• Virtual Portholes for the inside staterooms – there will actually be small video portholes hanging over the beds in these rooms that will stream live footage from cameras on the outside of the ship shooting the water and the sky.  Occasionally a Disney character will appear in the porthole
• The “AquaDuck” water coaster (pictured above) – this is the longest ride at sea (2.5 times the length of a football field) and will employ a raft and water jets that push you along.  It travels the perimeter of the ship, spans four decks in height, and part of the ride sticks out about 13 feet over the side of the ship – directly above the ocean!  In the immortal words of Peter Griffin: “Freakin’ Sweet!”
• There are two main areas for children up to 10 years old – “Disney’s Oceaneer Club” and “Disney’s Oceaneer lab”.  These areas allow kids to play with characters from “Toy Story”, “Monsters, Inc”, Nemo, and Tinkerbell within interactive play rooms.  The lab provides a seafaring adventure experience with ship navigation, maritime instruments, animation, and more.
• Tweens can have fun in the “Edge” lounge.  Here, they can make a karaoke video and participate in lots of other high-tech entertainment.  Teenagers can hang out in the “Vibe” club.  This is a private indoor/outdoor area just for them.  It allows kids to play computer games, mix dance music tracks, sunbathe outdoors, play outdoor deck games, and much more.

There are lots of other cool features of the ship.  There are pictures in the hallways throughout the ship that become animated when someone walks by.  They also have themed restaurants where you can rotate between three different ones for dinner (your server comes with you).  The atmosphere and environments of the restaurants will change as well from day to night.

Don’t worry, they haven’t left out the adults completely.  “The District” is a set of lounges for nighttime entertainment.  Or, you can escape to the “Senses Spa and Salon” for both indoor and outdoor treatments.  There is even a restaurant just for adults called “Palo”.  But, if you are looking for lots of adult-only time, then you are probably on the wrong cruise ship

The decor of the ship is fantastic.  Everything has Disney touches to them.  The atrium looks like something out of Cinderella’s palace.  The “It’s a Small World” nursery is very colorful and has a three dimensional landscape built along the walls of the room.  The “Pixie Hollow” room of the “Oceaneer’s Club” looks like a little forest with toadstools as seats around a central tree.  The “Oceaneer Lab” is extremely well decorated and looks like you are on the bridge of a submarine.

If you have kids at the right age or if you are just a kid at heart, then book your tickets today and travel on the maiden voyage of the “Disney Dream”!