We compared every aspect of Disney's largest and smallest cruise ships. Here's what it's like to sail on each. (2024)

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Jill and her family rode on the Magic, the oldest and smallest ship in Disney's fleet.

Disney's oldest ship, the Magic, first set sail in 1998. The boat measures 984 feet long, and can hold up to 2,713 passengers in 875 staterooms — making it the smallest cruise ship in Disney's current fleet.

The ship has three themed restaurants and is focused on a lot of Disney's original staple characters, like Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy.

Each Disney cruise ship has a bronze statue of a character in the atrium. Since this is the original Disney cruise ship, the Magic's statue is Mickey Mouse dressed as a helmsman steering the wheel of his ship.

In another nod to the originals, Goofy can be found painting on the stern of the Disney Magic.

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Amanda rode on the Wish, Disney's biggest and newest ship.

The Disney Wish officially set sail for the first time in 2022. The boat measures 1,119 feet long, and can hold up to 4,000 passengers in 1,254 staterooms — making it the biggest cruise ship in Disney's current fleet.

It's also unique in representing all of Disney's entities: classic princesses, Mickey Mouse and his crew, Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel.

The characters can be found through more than 4,000 art pieces onboard, three themed restaurants that are included in the cruise, and Disney's first theme-park attraction found on a boat.

In the main lobby of the Disney Wish, you'll find a bronze statue of Cinderella with her furry friends around her and a glass slipper nearby. In front of the boat, Rapunzel is hanging from her hair while painting the stern.

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Jill, her husband, and her two kids set sail on the Disney Magic for $2,570.

One reason I booked this trip is because my goal is to go on all five Disney Cruise ships before the upcoming Disney Treasure is scheduled for delivery in 2024.

I snagged a last-minute booking on the Magic and selected a standard inside stateroom for myself, my husband, and two 12-year-old sons. This was the cheapest option for a stateroom at the time of booking.

We paid $2,570 for a three-night cruise out of Miami. This price included dining and onboard activities and entertainment.

I splurged on a massage and champagne tasting, but otherwise focused on keeping spending at a minimum.

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After a few boarding issues, Amanda and her sister set sail on the Disney Wish for $2,707.52.

My journey to experience the Disney Wish wasn't an easy one.

Shortly after I booked a trip on one of the first Disney Wish sailings for June 2022, Disney canceled because the ship's construction wasn't complete.

I then rescheduled for a date in July, but was denied boarding when my sister tested positive for COVID-19 at the port.

Luckily, I made it onto the ship for a three-day cruise to the Bahamas in early September. My sister and I opted for the cheapest accommodation — an inside stateroom with no window — and paid $2,707.52 for our trip.

We also chose not to purchase any add-ons — like spa services or island excursions — and didn't eat at any signature restaurants where you have to pay for your meals.

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This was Jill's first time staying in an inside stateroom.

An inside stateroom has no window and shares three walls with other staterooms.

Fortunately, we received an automatic upgrade to a deluxe inside stateroom, which gave us an extra 30 square feet and a split bathroom. The value of the upgrade was $47.

The stateroom attendant cleaned each morning and did a turndown service at night, converting the couch to bunk beds. Evening turndown service included chocolates and a different towel animal every night.

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Amanda said her stateroom felt fit for a princess despite being small.

Our room was decorated with "Cinderella" decor and truly felt fit for a princess — even if it had no window and was small, measuring 169 square feet.

Like Jill experienced on her cruise, staff cleaned our room each morning and turned it down at night with chocolates and towel animals.

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Jill was surprised by how much space they actually had.

Room 2601 had a closet, a narrow chest of drawers, and an under-the-bed storage space for suitcases. There were also drawers inside the desk, on either side of the bed, and in the bathroom.

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Amanda's room was the perfect size for two people.

The queen bed easily fit two people, though you could also choose to sleep on the pullout couch for more room.

There was also plenty of space for our luggage both under the bed and in the many cabinets and closets located across from the sleeping area.

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Jill's stateroom was narrow, but there was enough room for a family who spent little time there.

The space that felt the most narrow was the area between the bed and the dresser. I liked our location on the second deck because we could go up one flight of stairs and be where all the action was.

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Amanda was especially impressed with the bathroom, which felt luxurious for being so tiny.

It was brightly lit with multiple shelves, provided toiletries, and even had a small tub inside.

I'm not sure that we would have loved the stateroom if we were traveling with more people, but for two of us, it was the perfect size.

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Jill could choose from three restaurants on the Disney Magic.

The Disney Magic has three main restaurants that are part of Disney Cruise Line's rotational dining system.

Guests are assigned a team of servers, and the servers rotate through the various restaurants with the passengers. Since my family sailed on a three-night cruise, we visited each of the restaurants — Rapunzel's Royal Table, Lumiere's, and Animator's Palette — once.

Passengers could choose between main seating — 5:45 p.m. — and second seating — 8:00 p.m. — but we chose the latter. We always pick this time because I don't think early dining offers enough transition time between day and evening activities.

All menus had a "lighter fare" section with a salad, and plainer foods, such as basic steak and chicken. There were also vegetarian options. Each dessert menu also offered a no-sugar-added option and a different sundae each night. My husband is a huge fan of ice cream, so it was fun to see the different sundae concoctions at each meal.

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Amanda also had three options on the Wish.

Like other Disney ships, there are three rotational restaurants on board. Guests are assigned a specific restaurant each night of their cruise, and they remain with the same guests and servers at their table.

As for menu options, there are simple dishes for light meals, vegetarian snacks, full courses, and more dessert than you could eat in one sitting.

We had the same two seating options to choose from and we had to choose the latter.The earlier option was filled when we booked the trip.

That said, we ended up preferring the later option. We didn't find ourselves hungry until later in the day because we snacked so much at buffets, and the later spot gave us more time to participate in activities.

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Jill's family enjoyed Rapunzel's Royal Table, the Magic's "Tangled"-themed restaurant.

Rapunzel's Royal Table had a ceiling aglowwith the sun-embossed lanterns that are the hallmark of the movie the restaurant is named for.

The menu was mostly heavy, German-inspired fare, such as pretzel bread, cream soups, roasted chicken, and prime rib. Sadly, this was my least-favorite menu at the rotational restaurants because it was so heavy, and the dishes weren't plated nicely.

Still, the atmosphere and entertainment made up for it.

Rapunzel's Royal Table dinner entertainment includes skits and songs. The finale was Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder singing their signature ballad as the servers filed through the restaurant with lanterns. My family enjoyed the singing even though we were seated at the rear of the dining room and couldn't see much of the show.

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Jill's family also ate at Lumiere's, a traditional, French-inspired restaurant named for the candlestick from "Beauty and the Beast."

The "Beauty and the Beast" theming was so subtle it was almost nonexistent, but I enjoyed the classic, slightly formal atmosphere.

The menu featured tons of French-style dishes, like escargot gratinés, iced lobster and jumbo shrimp, chateaubriand, and crème brûlée.

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Lastly, Jill's family visited the Animator's Palette.

Animator's Palette is animation themed, with rudimentary black-and-white drawings on the walls that take shape with more color and detail as dinner progresses.

My favorite menu items were the ginger-dusted Angus beef teriyaki filet with wasabi mashed potatoes, black-truffle pasta pursiettes, and the butternut-squash soup.

Dinner entertainment was animation magic. Upon being seated, guests were given a coloring sheet and markers and instructed to create their stick figure style drawing.

The waiters collected the sheets, which magically turned into animated characters who moved, danced, jumped, and interacted with Disney favorites on the big screens around the restaurant.

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Amanda had a decent experience at The Worlds of Marvel restaurant.

The Worlds of Marvel restaurant celebrates Ant-Man, the Wasp, and other beloved superheroes.

It's originally dark and moody inside, but later lights up with neon lights, giant TV screens, and Quantum Core technology located on each table.

The food is also unique and entirely inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Dishes include steamed-bao buns, "Wakandan" salads, steak, and more.

Though I enjoyed eating there, the restaurant wasn't my favorite. I'm not a huge Marvel fan, and I would only order one of the dishes I ate — the Golden Mystic pasta — again. The entertainment was also mostly shown on a screen, which made it feel less special.

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Amanda was blown away by the Wish's Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure.

The Disney Wish is also home to Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure.

From the minute you step inside, you feel as though you've been transported into the animated franchise. Each room is decorated to look like ones seen on screen, and musicians play fan-favorite songs in the middle of the room.

Characters like Oaken, Anna, Elsa, and even Olaf are also present during the Norwegian-inspired dinner. Our table indulged in Frozen Fractal co*cktails, scallops with a flaky pastry side, Sven's favorite carrot soup, and a butter cake called Kvafjordkake.

If this restaurant existed at Disney World or Disneyland, I would visit regularly. The food was spectacular, the entertainers were Broadway level, and the opportunities for guest participation were unique.

Our table, which consisted of six girls in our mid-20s, was even chosen to form a conga line and sing "Love Is an Open Door" for the entire restaurant — an experience I'll never forget.

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Lastly, Amanda experienced 1923 — she said it was nice but forgettable compared to the other two.

Finally, there's 1923, a restaurant inspired by Walt Disney Studios and the year the company was founded.

Though still casual compared to the signature restaurants on the ship, it's arguably the fanciest of the three rotational options. Guests arrived in evening dresses and 1920s attire during my trip, and the atmosphere was comparable to a giant jazz bar.

The menu, on the other hand, was pretty standard, with appetizers like tortelloni and entrees like salmon.

I enjoyed the food and calm atmosphere, but would have preferred to eat at this restaurant first if I'd had the choice. The other two restaurants were so exciting and interactive that this one felt almost forgettable when visited afterward.

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Jill and her family also visited the Magic's buffet.

Located on deck nine, Cabanas is the ship's buffet.

Its breakfast offerings included eggs, sausage, bacon, Mickey waffles, fresh fruit, cereal, baked goods, an omelet station, and just about anything else you could think of for breakfast.

The buffet food was good but the layout felt crowded and chaotic.

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Amanda was also overwhelmed by the buffet.

The main buffet on the Disney Wish is called Marceline Market. To my sister and my's surprise, the location had just about every type of food you could imagine.

There was a breakfast bar, dessert section, and countless lunch options available — from sandwiches and salads to seafood. It was almost overwhelming.

The market was also extremely crowded, with adults and children carrying giant plates of food every which way. That said, it was tough to find a table that wasn't occupied by another family.

So although we weren't overly impressed by the area or dishes we tried — many items were cold — there were so many other options that, if we'd had time, we likely would have found something to our tastes.

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Jill also experienced a few quick-service options on the ship.

I was never hungry or had to look too hard or long to find food.

Quick-service food options on deck include Pinocchio's Pizza (pizza), Duck-In Diner (burgers, chicken fingers, and fries), and Daisy's De-Lites (salads, sandwiches, and lighter fare).

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Amanda was really impressed by the quick-service meals and beverages.

Surprisingly, quick-service meals at Mickey and Friends Festival of Foods were some of the best my sister and I had during our trip.

I couldn't get enough of the chicken tenders at Goofy's Grill, and my sister loved making her own bowls at Donald's Cantina.

We also enjoyed the endless free refills of soda, coffee, and ice cream cones that were available for most of the day.

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Jill skipped the pools and slides like they usually do because they can get so crowed.

There were two family-friendly pools on deck nine, Goofy's Pool and the Huey, Dewey, and Louie Pool. Goofy's Pool is the largest of the two pools (this is not to say the pool is all that large) and has a Funnel Vision screen where passengers can watch Disney movies.

The Magic has two water slides, the Twist 'n' Spout, and the AquaDunk, which is a drop slide.

There are two splash pads, Nephews Splash Zone and the Aqua Lab. Kids must be three and potty trained to use all the water amenities except Nephews' Splash Zone.

The adult-only area also has a pool and two hot tubs.

Me and my family did not use the pools or slides on this cruise. We usually avoid pools on Disney Cruise Lines because we don't like dealing with the crowds.

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Amanda also skipped the pools but enjoyed some of the other water activities.

The Disney Wish is home to multiple pools. There are four on the main deck that face a giant TV screen, three pools on the deck above, two adults-only pools, and a "quiet" pool on the top deck.

There's also a children's splash zone inspired by "Toy Story" and the AquaMouse water ride that wraps around the ship.

Like Jill and her family, my sister and I didn't spend any time inside the pools because they were constantly filled with people. We did, however, ride the AquaMouse and highly recommend it.

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Jill's cruise stopped in Nassau and Castaway Cay, but they skipped the former port.

We did not get off the ship in Nassau because we'd been there before and wanted to use the time to enjoy the ship's amenities.

My family's Castaway Cay day was a success— we snorkeled, swam, and had a buffet lunch complete with lots of ice cream. We achieved their goal of staying on budget by skipping alcohol and bringing our own snorkel gear.

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Amanda's ship also stopped at Nassau and Castaway Cay, and she also skipped the former to enjoy on-board activities.

The Disney Wish currently stops in Nassau and Castaway Cay.

My sister and I didn't visit the former spot because there were so many activities on board that we wanted to experience. Instead, we experienced the Bahamas via Castaway Cay — a spot that we loved.

We snorkeled, enjoyed the adults-only beach, and rented bikes for $10 each that we used to get around the island.

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With so many youth activities, Jill said she hardly saw her kids.

My two kids took advantage of the Oceaneer Club, which is for kids 3 to 12, and Edge, which is for kids 11 to 14. There's also Vibe for kids 14 to 17 and a nursery for kids under 3.

Anyone can explore the kids' areas during several open houses, which are listed in the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app.

My entire family agreed that the teen club, designed to look like a New York City loft complete with a smoothie bar, was the coolest space. My tweens participated in joint activities with the teen club, including a flash-mob performance.

All of the kids' programming except the nursery are included in the cost of the cruise and don't require reservations. The kids' activities happen all day and all night and I saw little of my kids because they were hanging with new friends.

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Amanda enjoyed the activities for adults and felt welcome at a few that seemed angled toward children.

My sister and I were originally nervous to board a Disney cruise as two women in our mid-20s. Would there be more kids than adults onboard? And would there be any activities for people our age?

We did feel overpowered by children at times, but we still had fun. Via our dinner table, we met two other sets of sisters who were in our age range, and we spent time with them throughout the trip.

We also took advantage of adult-catered activities like walking tours and scrapbook classes when possible.

And to our surprise, even the activities meant for kids, like the "Incredibles"-themed obstacle course, welcomed adults, so we got to do that too.

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Jill said the Disney Magic had Broadway-quality entertainment.

My three-night sailing included "Tangled: The Musical," "Disney Dreams: An Enchanted Classic," and a comedy/magic show.

The evening shows are aligned with the assigned dining rotation. Guests who have early dinner go to the show after they eat while guests who have second seating go to their show before dinner. There's no assigned seating but shows fill up early. I suggest arriving 30 minutes before showtime.

The "Tangled" show is exclusive for the Disney Magic and I think it's a must-see.The hour-long stage show is an abbreviated version of the animated movie and manages to hit all the high points and favorite songs, like" I Have a Dream" and "At Last I See the Light" and other popular tunes from "Tangled."

"Dreams" is a montage of favorite Disney songs and characters. The main character is a young girl who learns to believe in herself through visits from beloved characters such as Peter Pan, Aladdin, and more. The production was flawless but "Dreams," which I also saw on another Disney cruise, is not my favorite.

Other entertainment included comedy, game shows, and trivia, all listed in the Navigator app. There was a mix of both family-friendly events in the D Lounge and adults-only events in the designated After Hours area.

There was also musical entertainment throughout the cruise, such as pianists and singing duos playing various genres of music. I didn't hone in on any of the musical entertainment. It felt mostly like background noise, not something I felt compelled to stop and watch.

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Amanda was also impressed by the almost Broadway-level productions on the ship.

A highlight of the Disney Wish is its three Broadway shows — all of which were created for the new ship. Currently, there's "Disney Seas the Adventure," "Disney The Little Mermaid," and "Disney's Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular."

We definitely preferred some shows over others — the stage take on "Aladdin" was our favorite. We also spent an hour in line to enter the theater before each show. Seats filled up fast.

But we found ourselves looking forward to each production, and once our vacation was over, we joked about driving to New York City to attend a Broadway show each night.

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Overall, Jill enjoyed sailing on a smaller ship and felt the trip was worth the cost.

In addition to the Magic, I've also sailed on the Dream (second-biggest ship in the fleet) and Wonder (second-smallest ship in the fleet).

Still, the smaller ships are my favorite because they feel more intimate and easier to navigate. I was happy with how much I spent, my accommodations, and the ship overall.

That said, the Magic did show a few gentle signs of wear and tear, like peeling wallpaper in some common areas and a broken spring on the couch in my room. It wasn't a big deal to me at all, but I definitely think newer ships will have a fresher look.

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Overall, Amanda had a good time but isn't sure the cruise is worth the high price.

During our trip, my sister and I had trouble moving past the price of our vacation. Though we loved almost every minute of it, nearly $3,000 felt like a lot to pay for a three-day vacation that at times felt very rushed.

So if we had to pick between a Disney cruise and a stay at Disney World, we'd pick the latter.

That said, our time on the Disney Wish was unlike anything we'd ever experienced, and I find myself growing fonder of it as time goes on. I miss the buffet, the beautiful beach at Castaway Cay, and even the $3 popcorn we ordered before each theater show.

So although I'm not sure if I'd book the same vacation again or regularly, I'd definitely say it's worth taking at least one Disney cruise.