Disney Magic still woth the money?

[DigitalOlli]

Hello
We went last year in July on a 4 night Wish Cruise and loved it.

We want to go back on a cruise in August

The only options are a 4 night Wish ( its the same cruise so no option) or a 5 night on the Magic to Castaway Nassau and Look Out Point

Now we are thinking if the Magic is worth the money ( arround 5000 USD for 3 ) or is the ship dated und to old . and if we like it in comparission to the wish ?

Thanks for your opinions

Olli

 

[KevinFL]

Hello
We want last year in July on a 4 night Wish Cruise and loved it.

We want to go back on a cruise in August

The only options are a 4 night Wish ( its the same cruise so no option) or a 5 night on the Magic to Castaway Nassau and Look Out Point

Now we are thinking if the Magic is worth the money ( arround 5000 USD for 3 ) or is the ship dated und to old . and if we like it in comparission to the wish ?

Thanks for your opionions

Olli

No the Magic is not worth it. We have done 35 Disney Cruises. Have done Wish a good bit and Dream and Fantasy. Did Magic July 2024 4 night and very disappointed. Was extremely expensive for what you get. We will never do the Magic again. Check out newer ships of Celebrity and Royal Caribbean if an option.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Very subjective!
I would do it! We have Puerto Rico to Galveston booked on Magic later this year.

 

[bakerworld]

The cruises that only go to the CC & LP are more expensive. I can't believe there's not more options = boo!
I agree with above = subjective. We found the Wonder and Magic to be small. We prefer the Wish because it's much better with sound handling.

 

[KevinFL]

So many reasons not to overpay for the Magic. Very small pool deck. They didn't open many of the pool areas and splash pads until 1pm or 2pm. So you are on the ship wanting to enjoy the few things they have and you've paid for it and they've advertised it but those things are closed. There is nothing subjective about it. For your money, you will get far more on the Wish or other cruise lines.

 

[Mommb]

Whether the Magic is worth it depends on what you want and what you liked about the Wish.

The shows and character meetings are similar to the Wish, and very different from other cruise lines.

The main dining rooms are also similar on both ships, with 2 of the 3 having dinner shows. 1923 on the Wish has more elaborated decorations than Lumiere’s on the Magic.

The adult clubs/bars on the Magic are clustered in one area and not elaborately themed. The bars on the Wish have more theming and more non-alcoholic drinks on the menu, making them more family-friendly during the day.

The Magic has just 1 place selling coffee and tea drinks that is open to those under 18; the Wish has several.

There are fewer shops on the Magic than on the Wish, but the shops still have lots of cruise clothing and accessories.

For me, the itinerary would make more difference than the ship, so if you have not been to both Castaway Cay and Lighthouse Point and want to see both, the Magic might be worth it, especially since the crowds on the islands will be less than on the Wish. If you want to have lots of different things to see and do on the ship, you might be disappointed on a smaller ship.

 

[o&smom]

I recommend watching some recent cruise videos of the Magic on Youtube to get an idea of if it will be a good option for you. We love the Magic and can’t wait to spend 14 nights on the WBPC cruise next Spring on her. There is a recent one from Cruise with Ben and David on the Wonder. She is the sister ship to the Magic, so very similar.

 

[LandonM170]

I have never been on a Wish class ship, so I can't give you a first-hand comparison, but I have been on the Magic twice (once in 2012 before it's reimagination and long after it in 2022). For reference, I went on the Magic when I was 6 and 16 and had a phenomenal experience both times (my two favorite vacations), so if you have kids, I wouldn't worry about them not having a good time. The two ships are similar yet different.

Similar: Both feature great food (but I have heard the Wish has a more diverse MDR menus and the Wish's pool-deck foods selection is definitely more diverse with the Festival of Foods), great shows, great service: the typical Disney experience is across all of their ships.

Differences: Magic is much smaller than the Wish (85,000 to 140,000 gt), so less of almost everything except adult's only areas are bigger. The smaller size may look bad but remember that the Magic holds 1750 people at double-occupancy while the Wish is about 2508 people.

You're going to have a good time no matter what ship you chose imho. My personal decision would be the Magic in this scenario because it's a longer cruise and goes to a new port that I have never been to, as I chose itinerary over ship, but that's my preferences. Preferences really are the biggest factor into this decision.

 

[LandonM170]

I recommend watching some recent cruise videos of the Magic on Youtube to get an idea of if it will be a good option for you. We love the Magic and can’t wait to spend 14 nights on the WBPC cruise next Spring on her. There is a recent one from Cruise with Ben and David on the Wonder. She is the sister ship to the Magic, so very similar.

Ben and David's favorite ship is the Magic, and I believe that is the ship that made them cruise fans, so yes, great ship!

 

[NephieRN]

I prefer the Magic over the Wish. It’s tied with the fantasy for my favorite ship. Haven’t sailed the treasure yet but I’ve sailed all of the others.

 

[PsylockeSmythe]

As others have stated, it is very subjective to the individual passenger. We have only been on the Magic and Wonder (twice each) with two more cruises booked in 2026 on the Wonder. We have no plans to cruise on the larger ships and are glad that DCL plans to build ships smaller than the Dream and Wish class.

We like layout and feel of the classics.

Psy

 

[Majik]

Definitely worth the money. We have done 35 Disney cruises on all 6 ships and the Magic is our favourite

 

[UsefulBurn]

It is very subjective. But if you are a fan of the shiny decor and style of the Wish - there’s a chance you won’t like the Magic as much. It is showing wear and tear of the 27 years it’s been at sea. You still get the same fantastic crew and entertainment so “worth” is completely how you view it.

 

[holula]

It depends what you enjoyed about the Wish.

If you liked the service, the Broadway style shows, and the dinner shows, then the Magic is IMO better than the Wish.

If you want shiny and new, then you probably won’t enjoy the Magic.

 

[BStieers]

Two very different vibes for sure. We love the Magic! There is something about the cast members on the smaller ships that just seems so much more personal and personable.

When we sailed the Wish it was only the 5th sailing, and far too early for them to have shaken out all the bugs (and OH BOY were there a lot) so she didn't leave a good impression. We are going to try the Wish again next year.

 

[anricat]

The Magic is my favorite ship. I would pay extra to sail it over the Wish every time. Unless the Wish has a really compelling itinerary, I can't see that I would ever sail it again.

The Magic has Rapunzel's, which is such a fun dining experience, it has the Tangled show, which is great. I love the size and the layout of the ship, it's just so much more manageable. I would definitely recommend trying it. We were last onboard last year and nothing about it felt old or dated.

 

[DigitalOlli]

Thanks all for the answers

We are 2 adult and a 7 year old.

Last year on the 4 night wish cruise, our boy only visit the kids club on embakation day so thats not so important.

We liked the vibe of cruising, it was our first cruise. He likes the fish extenders and the exchange with other cruisers.

The dining was great and we hat much fun playing some games. we went to cast away and had a great day, so looking forward to this island again. I think rapunzel and animators pallete a great locations for dining. The marvel restaurant on the wish was not our favourite.
nassau we went to the magaritallville resort for the day and it was ok. nothing really special.
so with the 5 night magic cruise there will be the new island for us and cast away. nassau we plan to stay on the ship, is this possible on the magic?

The 4 night cruise on the magic ( with only the private islands ) is much more expensive then the 5 night with nassau.

do you get more seasick on the magic because its a smaller ship? on the wish was everything fine for us

 

[Mommb]

nassau we went to the magaritallville resort for the day and it was ok. nothing really special.
so with the 5 night magic cruise there will be the new island for us and cast away. nassau we plan to stay on the ship, is this possible on the magic?

You can certainly stay on the Magic in Nassau. There will be some activities on the ship, such as crafts and trivia. The kids clubs, pools, and dining locations will be open, but the shops will not be.

The 4 night cruise on the magic ( with only the private islands ) is much more expensive then the 5 night with nassau.

The cruise fares are typically higher when more kids will be out of school. If you're looking at early to mid-August versus late August, that could be the difference.

do you get more seasick on the magic because its a smaller ship? on the wish was everything fine for us

The Magic is still a big ship, so if you were OK on the Wish, you should still be OK as long as the seas are not stormy.

 

[CamColt]

I haven't been on the Magic since 2012 (Dream and Fantasy stole my heart) but we are booked on the Magic (5 night in August also) as that or the Wish were our only options at the time we booked. I enjoyed the Magic very much back when we sailed on it, and preferred that to our experience on the Wish so I expect/hope that it will be just as good as it was.

 

[dreamer17555]

The Magic will not have the bells and whistles of the Wish- if that is what you are looking for stick to the 4 night Wish sailing...

But it will have- Theater shows you haven't seen, dinner shows (2) you haven't seen, a different pirate night (IMO wish has the best pirate night) and less people... which at Lookout and Castaway will be very noticeable. It will not be such a mad rush for an oceanfront chair or struggling to find a table to eat while at the islands