Disney Wonder

Quiet Cove is the adults-only pool area, with its own pool, two whirlpool spas, thickly padded loungers and the Signals pool bar. Right beside it is Cove Café, an adults-only coffee shop and lounge with espresso drinks, specialty coffees, comfy seating and big windows. Danny says you can feel the difference right away: the adults pool stays calm while the family pool is busy with kids. Covered areas nearby help in tropical sun or Alaska drizzle.

Goofy’s Pool is the family pool and the center of the action on deck. When there’s a party, the deck chairs disappear and a retractable dance floor covers the pool, doubling the space for sail-away celebrations, character appearances and deck parties. Select sailings add fireworks at sea, and Alaska sailings get a Frozen deck party. Above it all, the 24-foot-wide Funnel Vision screen shows Disney movies day and night. Lifeguards are on duty whenever the pools are open.

Toward the back of the pool deck, the AquaLab is the ship’s third pool area, a water playground themed to Huey, Dewey and Louie’s wacky inventions. It’s packed with geysers, leaky pipes and buckets that fill up and dump out, plus a kids’ pool. Older kids climb the stairway to the Twist ‘n’ Spout water slide. For the youngest cruisers, ages 3 and under, Dory’s Reef has fountains, bubblers and pop jets made just for them, right next door.

Palo is the adults-only (18+) specialty restaurant, set high on deck 10 at the back of the ship with glass on all sides and some of the best views on board. It serves Northern Italian cooking with a modern twist, from pizza out of genuine pizza ovens to Dover sole filleted tableside. Venetian masks and blown-glass chandeliers set the tone, and there’s an open kitchen, an espresso bar and a private dining room for celebrations. It carries an extra charge.

Deck 5 is essentially the kids’ deck, and Disney’s Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab take up most of it. Today both are for ages 3 to 10. The Club is character-driven, with Andy’s Room from Toy Story and Marvel Super Hero Academy, while the connected Lab is more hands-on, with crafts and activities. Edge serves tweens 11 to 14 and Vibe serves teens 14 to 17, and the “it’s a small world” nursery welcomes little ones from 6 months.

The Walt Disney Theatre spans three decks and seats close to a thousand guests for Broadway-style shows, all included in the fare. The current lineup is Frozen, A Musical Spectacular, Disney Dreams – An Enchanted Classic and The Golden Mickeys. Expect top-of-the-line sound and special effects, plus the costumes and storytelling Disney is known for. First-run movies sometimes play here too, alongside the 278-seat Buena Vista Theatre on deck 5. It’s one of Danny’s favorite parts of a Disney cruise.

Animator’s Palate is one of the three rotational dining rooms, and Danny calls it the most fun and most interactive. The room starts out in black-and-white sketches that come to life in full color as dinner goes on, served with a fusion of Pacific Rim and California cuisine. On a longer sailing, a second visit lets guests draw their own character, which is scanned and becomes part of the show. The room also hosts character breakfasts that need a reservation.

After Hours is the ship’s adults-only district for the evening, with three distinct venues. Azure is the nightclub, with 18-plus variety shows, karaoke and DJs. The Cadillac Lounge is a 1950s-style piano bar where the bar is the front end of a Cadillac and the drink tables are hubcaps. The Crown & Fin Pub is a British-inspired pub and sports bar with big sofas, board games, a dartboard, a red telephone booth and ocean views.