Most cruise lines offer stuff for kids to do on-board. Disney gives kids - and parents - a lot of options. The Disney Dream has plenty for kids to do and attempts to tailor to to specific age groups.
For Babies: 3 months TO 3-years-old
The It's A Small World Nursery is available for kids aged three months up to three years. Parents must pay extra to have their kids in the nursery. The nursery features a main play area as well as a separate area for naps. Caregivers engage the kids in craft projects, story time and movie time.
Parents will need to pack a diaper bag for their little ones. The nursery is open for most of the day allowing parents to enjoy some grown-up time on the ship. Check your Personal Navigator for details about when the nursery is open. The Dream's nursery is open during port days if parents didn't want to take their little ones off the ship.
For Kids: 3 to 10-years-old
The bigger kids get to spend time in the Oceaneer's Club. There's a lot for them to do in this space. There are several different places for kids to spend their time.
One of the coolest places is Andy's Room from the Toy Story movies. It features toys from the movies like a Slinky Dog that kids can crawl through, a Rex dinosaur that kids can sit on, a big Hamm piggy bank to drop coins inside and a huge Mr. Potato Head.
Other rooms in the Oceaneer's Club include Monster's Academy based on Monsters, Inc. Inside there's a Monstropolis play structure. Pixie Hollow is based on the Tinker Bell movies and features lots of dress-up clothes. The submarine is inspired by Finding Nemo and has dozens of computers for the kids to play around with. The computers only have kid-safe games and aren't connected to the internet.
view our related photo gallery for more pictures inside the oceaneer's club
In the middle of the club is a huge interactive play floor for dancing and games. There's also a 103-inch plasma for movies. The Cast Members have activities planned throughout the day like crafts, games, face painting, dancing and music.
Your children can eat lunch and dinner in the Club. And there are restrooms inside so they don't ever need to leave the area.
Kids are given a bracelet to wear that allows Cast Members to keep an eye on their whereabouts inside of the club. When parent arrive to pick up their kids, the Cast Members can tell them exactly where to find them. Parents must use a code word for dropping off and picking up children. And the children can't exit the area without a parent. But by the time parents arrive to pick up their kids, they don't want to leave anyway. Good luck tearing them out the Oceaneer's Club.
For Tweens: 11 to 13-years-old
Edge is the spot for tweens. There's plenty of high-tech entertainment like a dance floor, computers and an 18-foot long video wall. There's a lot of privacy for the tweens, but they have some greaet views of the ship. While you can't see in, they can see out onto the pool decks and watch through portholes to see views of guests riding on the AquaDuck water coaster.
For Teens: 14 to 17-years-old
Vibe is the private hangout spot for teenagers on the Disney Dream. Once past the entrance, your teen walks through futuristic hallways, while a throbbing beat leads them into their own, highly stylized hideaway. There's an indoor and outdoor area for teens that has the feel of a coffee shop/stylish nightclub. Again, the technology is the star of this area. There's a 103-inch LCD screen for gaming and movie watching. There's a stage area for talent shows, karaoke contests and dance competitions. Vibe has computers and places to edit videos. The walls have individually padded 'portholes' that the kids can rest inside while watching television or playing Xbox.
The sundeck is set up with lounge chairs, splash pools and games like ping-pong and foosball.
For parents worried that your kids might have a little too much time unsupervised, Vibe is chaperoned.
Because teens want to relax, too, Senses Spa & Salon offers teen treatments. Chill Spa is a separate area just for teens and it offers a wide variety of spa services including facials, massages, and manicures.
Other Stuff for Kids & Families:
It's a cruise ship, so a lot of fun centers around the pools! Deck 11 has two pools, a hot tub and a splash area. There's a big screen on deck and family-friendly movies play. The splash area caters to younger kids.
A warning to parents! If your child is not potty trained, he/she can't be in the pools. Swim diapers are not allowed in the pools. According to Disney, health code regulations do not permit diapers in the pool for sanitary reasons. Several parents were caught by surprise when Disney Cast Members approached them and asked them to remove their kids from the pool. There were some very distraught children, too.
One of the biggest hyped features of the boat is the AquaDuck. The AquaDuck is a water roller coaster. Riders board a raft that carries them through a clear, water-filled tube. The ride circles the deck and juts out over the ocean. You have to be 48" tall to ride it. For shorter kids, there's a water slide at Mickey's Pool.
view our related photo gallery for more photos of the outdoor features of the disney dream
On one of the upper decks, kids can play mini-golf and basketball on Goofy's Sports Deck.
Inside, the D Lounge on Deck 4 is a family-friendly lounge where families can karaoke, dance and do other fun stuff together. There's also an arcade and movie theater on the Dream.
The entertainment doesn't end back in your stateroom, as all LDC monitors have on-demand access to a vast library of Disney shows and movies in addition to a popular lineup of television channels.
Each day you'll receive something called a Personal Navigator that outlines the day's activities on the ship. To give you an idea of what those actitivies might include, download the PDF below. These are the Navigators from a 3-night cruise in January. Keep in mind, each cruise itinerary is different so yours won't be exactly the same.
Download: Disney Dream 'Navigator' Itinerary PDF [right-click to save]
Fun For Adults, Too:
So you get the idea that there's plenty for the kids to do. Well, adults will keep busy, too.
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