This cruise liner from Disney Cruise Line set out on her maiden voyage in August 1999, a year behind her sister, Disney Magic. The1,750-passenger, 964-ft, 85,000-ton vessel looks much the same as her classically beautiful and whimsical sibling, but she has her own subtle styling differences. They both look like ocean liners with streamlining, long bow, black hull, and twin funnels, but they also have fun-loving Disney character features.
Planning for the cruise line began in 1994, and after a lot of gnashing of teeth between the Italian shipyard and Disney management, the Disney Magic appeared in 1998 and the Disney Wonder in 1999. The line is planning two new vessels but they will not appear for several years.
Passenger lists include mom and dad and all the kids, sometimes with grandparents. It's not unusual for the passengers to be just mom and dad, as there is an adults-only section. Most all will be North American but European families come too, as part of a Walt Disney World package. Many combine the cruise with a land package and the line provides an almost seamless transfer between the two.
Disney Wonder pretty much stays to her 3- and 4-night routine,
leaving Port Canaveral and calling at Nassau and Castaway Cay, Disney's private island. On the 4-nighter, there is a full sea day. Disney's private island has a dock so it is much easier going ashore and coming back on board than with most private islands where tendering is required. "When You Wish Upon a Star" is played every time the ship leaves port and always brings smiles.
The similarly fanciful and very handsome interiors take cues from the art-nouveau era. A centerpiece bronze of Ariel from The Little Mermaid presides over the atrium. Disney-at-its-best musical productions light up the showroom, and the stadium-style theater screens full-length Disney films. Adults-only films are also shown to those 18 and over. As on the Magic, Deck 5 is devoted almost entirely to imaginative, well-supervised fun for youngsters and teens, with separate age groups catered for and up to 50 counselors on hand on busy sailings. For additional safety, kids are given ID bracelets and parents receive pagers so they can be notified in case of an emergency. Aloft and The Stack are reserved for teenagers, while Studio Sea is an entertainment center for families offering games, TV game shows and karaoke. Flounder's Reef Nursery is a babysitting service in a little kids' setting for those 12 weeks to 36 months.
Adults kick up their 
heels in a set-aside trio of nightclubs in the Route 66 entertainment complex, including the 1950s Cadillac Lounge, vintage radio and record decor in Wavebands, and the spacious 1930s elegance of the Promenade Lounge with live music. Adults also have their own pool, while the other two are reserved for families or kids only. The more adults aboard, the more lively the adults-only section becomes.
Disney's innovative dining concept rotates passengers among three colorfully themed restaurants, all with two sittings (5:45 and 8:15), the same table numbers and service by the same waiters. The food is pretty routine but enjoyed by most passengers. Breakfast and lunch are open sittings. Triton's elegance represents a throwback to the ocean liner era, while Parrot's Cay has a thoroughly kitschy tropical theme, including bird calls, and Animator's Palate changes colors during the meal and small screens show film clips and music. Palo's restaurant serves adults only at brunch or diner for a $15 service charge amidst curvaceous, colorful and whimsical Italian decor, and good Italian food.
On 1,000-acre Castaway Cay, families splash in snorkel gear while teens can play volleyball and little kids have a giant sandbox. In fact, there are lots of activities along a wide beach and just inland. Adults can retreat to a secluded 
beach with its own cafe for a private cabana massage. Disney characters are constantly seen around the ship and found ashore at Castaway Quay. Kids can have their pictures taken with Mickey and Minnie Mouse on the so-called formal nights. Dress, however, is pertty casual throughout with maybe some men wearing a jacket on one night. Room service is on call round the clock but the menu is very limited.
Cabins are designed with families in mind—many sleep up to five—but the decor is surprisingly low-key for Disney (no party colors or mouse silhouettes). All come with thermostats, sofas, TVs, phones, refrigerators and hair dryers. Most baths are split between two separate highly compact spaces for the toilet and sink, and shower, tub and sink—a boon for families. Three-quarters of the cabins are outsides, and of these, nearly half have verandas.
For a short cruise choice, the Disney Wonder appeals to couples without kids as well as to families with them, and a lot of thought was put into making the cruise fun for all. Competition for families includes Carnival, Norwegian, Princess and Royal Caribbean, all with good facilities but without the Disney characters and entertainment.
