Australia has welcomed the new addition to its Sydney homeport, Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Wonder. 

In its season Down Under, Disney Wonder offers two- to four-night itineraries. She will make port calls to Melbourne, Hobart, Brisbane as well as Auckland in New Zealand.

The cruise line announced it will bring back Disney Wonder for a second season over the 2024/25 sailing period.

Suites and staterooms

• Disney Wonder has a total of 877 staterooms for 1754 guest capacity.  

• The ship also features split bathrooms where one room has a sink, a bathtub, and a shower while the other room has a toilet and a sink. 

• Staterooms are divided into nine different categories and are larger staterooms compared to other cruise ships. Wonder’s stateroom layout is designed for travelling families.

• Of all the staterooms, 71% are outside cabins which includes 22 Suites, 332 Balcony rooms, and 237 Oceanview, while 256 are Inside staterooms. There are 96 Deluxe staterooms. 

• Disney Wonder has three types of Concierge Suites which range in size and the number of bedrooms. The Concierge Royal Suites measures 78.5sqm (845 ft2) and comes with a balcony of 56sqm (185 sq ft) in area. The suite can accommodate a maximum of seven passengers. The other is the Concierge two-bedroom suite that can also accommodate up to seven guests. It measures 74.8sqm (805 ft2) and has a 13sqm (140 ft2) balcony. Finally, there is one-bedroom Concierge suite that measures 48.4 sqm (525 ft2) with a balcony size of 8.4sqm (90 ft2).

• Balcony cabins can accommodate four to five guests and measures 20-24sqm (215 – 260 ft2). Additionally, Oceanview cabins measure 20sqm (215 ft2) and can cater for up to four passengers. Oceanview accommodation does not have balconies, only large portholes. 

• The interiors have two categories: Deluxe Inside Cabin which measures 20sqm (215 ft2) in area and can accommodate up to four guests. There is also the Standard Interior Cabin. It has an area of 56sqm (185 ft2) and can accommodate four passengers.

Dining and culinary experience

Disney Cruise Line offers a pioneering Rotational Dining with guests of Disney Wonder also experiencing the same option. Here, guests and their servers are rotated through the three complimentary restaurants on offer throughout their journey, making sure they experience each one. 

The three restaurants are Animator’s Palate, Tiana’s Place, and Triton’s. Each stateroom aboard Disney Wonder is also assigned to a specific restaurant to have dinner each night. Dining assignments are listed in the Disney Cruise Line app.

Guests may also opt to book premium dining at adults-only specialty restaurants, Paolo or Remy, which come with an additional fee.  

Other dining venues on Disney Wonder include the Cabanas, Pinocchio’s Pizzeria, Eye Scream Treats, Pete’s Boiler Bites, Daisy’s De-Lites and Preludes.

Onboard activities

Disney Wonder features both water slides and splash areas for younger kids. They can try the Twist ‘n’ Spout water slide as well as Aqualab. The Quiet Cove is a go-to place for guests to enjoy some peace and quiet which as been designed for those 18 years and older. 

The ship also houses the 977-seater Walt Disney Theater where original Disney productions are showcased. 

The Buena Vista Theatre located in Deck 5 shows first-run Disney Films such as Snow White, Cinderella and the like. 

The Promenade Lounge hosts activities like Disney Trivia or character drawing. 

The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is where kids can have their own salon experiences and can be transformed into their favourite Disney character. 

Disney Wonder also has The Chill Spa which is designed for teens aged 13-17 years. For adults there is the Senses Spa & Salon that offers an array of treatments including facials and massages, as well as steam rooms and Turkish-style hammam. 

Since Disney Cruise Line is known for its family-oriented activities, parents may opt to bring their children to It’s a Small World nursery which provides babysitting services for those aged three months to three years old. Additionally, there’s the Oceaneer Club that provides an activity program for children aged three to 12. 

Disney Wonder also highlights its Pirates in the Caribbean party which kicks-off in the dining room then moves to a pool deck party close to Goofy’s pool. 

There are also a number of bars and lounges to choose from for adults including the Crown & Fin Pub, the Azure, Sully’s Lips and the Promenade Lounge.

Disney Wonder deck plan

Disney Wonder’s deck plan highlights a total of 11 decks, 11 dining options including six restaurants, 10 lounges and bars, three swimming pools, four outdoor Jacuzzis and 12 elevators. 

Staterooms are located at decks 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Concierge Suites are also located in Deck 8. 

Walt Disney Theater is housed on Deck 4, together with Animator’s Palate, D Lounge and Prelude Bar. 

The Animator’s Palate which showcases two dinner shows such as “Drawn to Magic” and “Animation Magic” is on Deck 4.

The Buena Vista Theater, It’s a Small World nursery, and Disney’s Oceaneer Lab are all housed midship on Deck 5. 

Deck 9 houses most of the onboard activity hubs like the Aqualab, Goofy’s Family Pool, Quiet Cove Adult Pool and the Fitness and Spa Areas. In addition, this deck also has the Cabanas, the Duck-In Diner, and Pinocchio’s Pizzeria. 

Ship Facts

Disney Wonder was built by Fincantieri in Italy and had its maiden voyage on August 15, 1999. It is the second cruise ship of Disney Cruise Line with a similar design and layout to its sister ship, Disney Magic. 

At 84,000 gross tonnage, the ship spans 300m in length and is 52.3m high (984 feet x 171.5 feet) and cruises at a speed of 22.3 knots.

The deck plan of Disney Wonder can be viewed here.