Wish vs Fantasy

[Disneylovingmomof2]

Also now that we’re off the Fantasy I will honestly say I think the elevators were worse than the Wish

 

[Disneylovingmomof2]

And also what’s up with deck 11 layout
I had to walk through a door to get between the ice cream and the rest of the food stations
Was it just me not figuring out the layout? They had one end walled off as an adults only?
On the wish you could walk all the way around
Deck 11 and the pool area on the fantasy was just not it. So crowded and didn’t flow well at all

 

[TheRichFam]

I still think that if you took non Disney people who have no emotional connection to these ships and asked them to vote on Wish v Fantasy they’d pick Wish. That’s why I used the term objective. I took it back once the emotionally invested weighed in.

No need to take it back. Opinions are personal and should be irrefutable. You like what you like, and that's a wonderful thing.

FWIW, I'm one of those people who IS emotionally connected, and I agree that the Wish is a better overall experience than the Fantasy. There are things about both that I prefer over the other, but all in all I'd choose the Wish over the Fantasy in a "head to head" matchup.

 

[juxtapose]

Thanks for sharing. We have only ever been on the Dream once but have a cruise scheduled on the Treasure next year. It's nice to hear positive things about the Wish class every once in a while on this board. While we loved the Dream, I think we'll all like the Treasure more just based on a few of the things they changed (themed rooms, more kid pools, dinner shows, theming at the bars).

 

[MomOTwins]

I'm with OP on this one. Did Wish in August and Fantasy in October, and the Wish was the overall better experience. As for the objective/subjective game--you can really twist it any way you want--allow me to play....

Objectively the adult pool area is a joke compared to quiet cove and Satellite Falls. There is no shade in the adult areas and the Cove Cafe has been stripped of its free snacks unlike on the Fantasy.

Objectively, the adult pool area on the Wish is open with panoramic ocean/island views and breezes, whereas the Fantasy adult pool are boxed in encased in plexiglass. The adult pool is not in the shade on either ship, and the hot tubs are shaded on both ships, so those are equivalent. There is in fact shaded seating in the Wish adult area outside of the cafe--I enjoyed a nice coffee there. Never did manage to get seating (shaded or otherwise) on the Fantasy--in 4 days on the Fantasy, staying on the 12th floor and walking past the adult pool area probably 20+ times per day as it was right outside our room, I never ONCE saw a single open lounger during open pool hours, and the pool was full of loud adults constantly. On the Wish, the secluded location was admittled not easy to get to, especially on a rainy day, but that meant the pool was often empty and open chairs were plentiful. Cove cafe on the Wish does not have free snacks, but the food at the outdoor pool deck was far more varied and interesting for an adult palate, making snacks on the Wish all the more delicious.

Objectively the activity spaces were poorly planned. Tritons Lounge is far too small compared to the D Lounge (the fact they attempt to hold the Family Quest in there is absurd as there is no room). Luna is problematic because it's noise spills into the Pub and Tritons because Luna lacks doors on the balcony. Also it is uncomfortable to me as an adult to attempt to enjoy some of the more adult humor of Match Your Mate as kids stroll pass or a sitting in the balcony during it. Objectively it is easier to keep kids out of the adult area in the evenings when it is in one location.

We did family quest on both ships and both were equally crowded, and neither one had "no room" to play. Except now that you mention it my kid did trip and fall and bang his head on the Fantasy running up the length of the room to the stage, so I guess the Wish wins after all as we could turn in our scavenger items without sprinting in our pirate costumes. Pub and triton had doors that sealed them off from hallway noise. Any noise when the door happened to be open was equally present on the Fantasy in O'Gills or Oooh la la when we would catch bits of music and chatter from La Piazza when the doors opened. On the Fantasy and the Wish, we saw children present at all adult locations except Palo. Children were definitely more common in the adult pool on the Fantasy, since you can't get across deck 11 or 12 without walking past it, and I many overtimes overheard some very adult conversations and language in the pool. And we routinely saw kids in the adult district at night, walking through the promenade doors or from the aft elevators to or from the dining rooms. La Piazza has no doors either.

Objectively the Fantasy also still has a late night snack station in Europa and Happy Hours at the Lounges. The Wish offers neither.

I attempted to sample the late night dining snack station in Europa. It was nearly empty and picked over 5 minutes after it opened. I opted to go to the top deck and get a late night slice of pizza instead, just like I did on the Wish, where that is also available. Both pizzas were delicious, but the Wish's pizza was better. I went to a happy hour on the Fantasy and had a cocktail so bad, I took three sips, paid and abandoned it. The experience was pretty much the same for full priced drinks on the fantasy--ever drink was either the harsh flavor of straight moonshine, or sickly sweet syrup with no trace of alcohol. Every drink I had on the wish was delightful--well crafted and balanced. Whether you enjoy a happy hour is subjective, not objective--to you, it may be better to pay less for drinks, for me, I prefer to pay more and get a better drink. The drinks in the Rose, the Bayou, Hooks Barbery and Nightengales were all subjectively better, IMO, than any bar on the Fantasy, and subjectively much more beautiful setting. For those seeking a discounted beverage, both the Wish and Fantasy offered pretty much the same drinks of the day.

Objectively when they announce your family on the Wish they do not have the crew there to clap and greet you like on the other ships... You do get a wishing wand though so maybe that is a wash.

We were welcomed and announced by the crew on both the Wish and the Fantasy.

Objectively there is no mini golf on the Wish.

Objectively there is no indoor hero zone shaded from the elements with air hockey, cornhole, foosball, table tennis, and at times an inflatable obstacle course, on the Fantasy.

Objectively the teen club Vibe is much smaller on the Wish and lost the pool deck they have on the Fantasy.

Objectively, there are on average more kids age 3-10 on a given sailing than age 14-17. Objectively, the Oceaneer's club on the Wish has far more amenities than the Fantasy's--it's probably the most impressive space I've seen on any cruise ship, ever.

Objectively the Fantasy also has two different splash pads including one gear towards older ones to keep them out of the one geared towards littles.

Objectively, there is an age limit of 6 for the splash pad on the Wish, and we saw it repeatedly enforced, so there were no older kids in the way of the littles. Subjectively, I hope they eliminate the Fantasy's Aqualab in a drydock someday soon--I don't particularly enjoy trying to supervise my kids while getting blasted in the eye by high powered ice cold water jets, then applying bandaids when they inevitably slip and fall while running around in said water jet. Objectively, the Wish has more pools for the older kids so they aren't shut out when one of the little kids has an accident in one of the two pools on the Fantasy. Objectively, both ships have a water coaster and a smaller body slide.

Subjectively many would argue the Fantasy has the best crew and some of the BEST Adult entertainment hosts (Emily and Yoyo tend to kill it)

Objectively, crew change frequently. Ashley was our cruise director on the Wish in a previous year and was the director on the Fantasy this year (she was awesome on both ships). Subjectively, we preferred the crew we had on the Wish--our dinner servers did magic tricks, unlike our dinner servers on the Fantasy. Subjectively, we enjoyed the entertainment staff for things like trivia and bingo the same on both ships.

Subjectively I agree the pirate show is better on the Wish but I would also argue the Fantasy has better theater shows but again thats up for debate. However most can area the seating in the movie theaters on the Wish is much more uncomfortable than the on the Fantasy.

Subjectively, we like the shows about the same. Objectively, the Wish has two theaters, allowing two shows at the same time so you have more options, and more chances to see a particular movie you want. Subjectively, I never want to have to shimmy in a painfully narrow row past dozens of people to get to my seat in the Buena Vista theater on the Fantasy carrying 3 kids' worth of drinks and popcorn again--subjectively, I loved the smaller theaters on the Wish.

Honestly, it's all just one person's opinion in the end. Yes, the ships have objectively different features. You can cherry pick some to make one ship appear worse than the others, but it all boils down to which features you like and which you dislike.

 

[Elisaj71]

I couldn’t disagree more. I went on the Wish last month and while she is a beauty. We were impressed upon walking on, we loved our frozen themed room as well. I don’t think I’ll sail with her again. I preferred fantasy, the food, the service, the Disney Magic was all there (Fantasy). The Wish left us wanting and we booked Utopia (RC) for Spring. If the Disney Magic is less, I want the price to be less too.

 

[kiford]

Definition of Objective: Not influenced by personal feelings or opinions; based on facts.
Definition of Subjective: Based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions. Dependent on the mind or on an individual's perception.

So I think you meant to say "subjectively" not "objectively" because this is your opinion; we all value different things. We've been on the Wish three times and the Fantasy three times (and her sister the Dream twice) and I would say that there are things I think are much better done on the Fantasy than the Wish and other things that I prefer on the Wish to the Fantasy.

Fantasy has better storage in the stateroom, a larger adult-only pool and pool area, a larger adult-only cafe with a better selection, and larger theatres for movies. The Wish has dining rooms that I think are designed better than the Fantasy, and menus that suit me better. I like the distribution of the lounges throughout the ship better than the concentration in one place as on the Fantasy. The elevators are bigger on the Wish but it annoys me that only two go higher than deck 11 and you can't call them independently. I prefer the less in-your-face IP on the Fantasy to the Wish; I much prefer the more understated classic Art Nouveau/Art Deco design of the Dream class and classic ships. The Wish itinerary is bland - it just goes to the Bahamas. The theatre staging for the shows has so many more interactive elements and is more immersive and dynamic on the Wish because it is a newer design that allows them to have more flexibility and newer technology. We like Meridian on the Fantasay/Dream but absolutely love the Rose on the Wish. We never miss doing Remy on the Fantasy but the menu for Enchante does not interest me in the least. We've played the Midship detective game multiple times on the Fantasy and had a great time; the VR game on the Wish is glitchy and did not really engage us.

This is my totally subjective opinion because it matches my interests and what I value and I would be hard pressed to say which is my preferred ship. Your subjective opinion is that the Wish is better because it suits your interests and values more. They are both lovely ships, but the statement that the Wish is better than the Fantasy is in no way an objective statement.

I still think that if you took non Disney people who have no emotional connection to these ships and asked them to vote on Wish v Fantasy they’d pick Wish. That’s why I used the term objective. I took it back once the emotionally invested weighed in.

But that's still an opinion and I'm not sure what evidence you have to support that. And even if, for example, you had a survey in which people expressed that, it would still be a compilation of subjective opinions, not an objective result. It would have been more useful for a list of what it was about the architecture, etc. that you preferred to the Fantasy rather than a statement that these things were better.

 

[kittylady1972]

I'm enjoying reading the pros and cons here. We just booked our 8th Disney Cruise for January...on the Wish for 4 nights because we wanted to experience a different ship. We gave our family the option of Fantasy with new island port to check out or Wish with new ship but ports they have seen (though we don't plan to get off the ship at the Bahamas). They selected Wish.

We have done all four of the other ships: Wonder, Magic, Fantasy and Dream. Dream was our very first Disney cruise that made us fall in love with it, and our last 3 cruise have been on the Dream (1 in 2022 and 2 (b2b) in 2023) as adults ONLY so it's the one we know the best and we are definitely there for the adult experience (now with 2 grown "kid" adults with us).

We loved the Wonder but it has been many years since we sailed that one.

I'm going into the Wish with an open mind and hoping we enjoy it. I'll try to come back with my opinion if I remember.

 

[Skippyboo]

I have been on the Fantasy twice- most recently end of October. Going on the Wish this Friday. Do agree with the poster about only one of 2 doors being open. Those doors by Senses Spa on Deck 11. Right by front elevator. Only one side of the 2 doors open. It’s annoying much like the only one person wide restroom entrances in WDW.

 

[iheartglaciers]

It's nice to hear positive things about the Wish class every once in a while on this board.

I was on the Wish a couple of weeks ago—first Disney cruise (and I’ve only been on any cruise twice before on Celebrity, 10+ years ago). So I have nothing to compare it to, but I loved it! The layout seemed fine to me and easy to navigate once I got used to where things were, no major issues with the elevators (but tended to use the stairs), loved the lounges and activities, and the crew/service was amazing!! The adult pool area was nice, though I wish the hot tub were larger and with a similar view as the pool in the back. Loved the sail away and pirate fireworks shows!

In general I thought the food in the dining room and buffet was just okay, but not sure that’s Wish specific and more DCL in general. I did like the pool stations with the BBQ and pizza.

 

[Disneylovingmomof2]

Definition of Objective: Not influenced by personal feelings or opinions; based on facts.
Definition of Subjective: Based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions. Dependent on the mind or on an individual's perception.

So I think you meant to say "subjectively" not "objectively" because this is your opinion; we all value different things. We've been on the Wish three times and the Fantasy three times (and her sister the Dream twice) and I would say that there are things I think are much better done on the Fantasy than the Wish and other things that I prefer on the Wish to the Fantasy.

Fantasy has better storage in the stateroom, a larger adult-only pool and pool area, a larger adult-only cafe with a better selection, and larger theatres for movies. The Wish has dining rooms that I think are designed better than the Fantasy, and menus that suit me better. I like the distribution of the lounges throughout the ship better than the concentration in one place as on the Fantasy. The elevators are bigger on the Wish but it annoys me that only two go higher than deck 11 and you can't call them independently. I prefer the less in-your-face IP on the Fantasy to the Wish; I much prefer the more understated classic Art Nouveau/Art Deco design of the Dream class and classic ships. The Wish itinerary is bland - it just goes to the Bahamas. The theatre staging for the shows has so many more interactive elements and is more immersive and dynamic on the Wish because it is a newer design that allows them to have more flexibility and newer technology. We like Meridian on the Fantasay/Dream but absolutely love the Rose on the Wish. We never miss doing Remy on the Fantasy but the menu for Enchante does not interest me in the least. We've played the Midship detective game multiple times on the Fantasy and had a great time; the VR game on the Wish is glitchy and did not really engage us.

This is my totally subjective opinion because it matches my interests and what I value and I would be hard pressed to say which is my preferred ship. Your subjective opinion is that the Wish is better because it suits your interests and values more. They are both lovely ships, but the statement that the Wish is better than the Fantasy is in no way an objective statement.


But that's still an opinion and I'm not sure what evidence you have to support that. And even if, for example, you had a survey in which people expressed that, it would still be a compilation of subjective opinions, not an objective result. It would have been more useful for a list of what it was about the architecture, etc. that you preferred to the Fantasy rather than a statement that these things were better.

I meant to say objective and I commented on this point. My reason for using the word objective was because I think if you took NON Disney people who aren’t emotionally attached to the older ships that the wish would win ten out of ten times. Maybe I’m wrong.

 

[kiford]

I meant to say objective and I commented on this point. My reason for using the word objective was because I think if you took NON Disney people who aren’t emotionally attached to the older ships that the wish would win ten out of ten times. Maybe I’m wrong.

You may be right or not but without any evidence to back it up, this is an opinion thus is subjective (i.e., "based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions. Dependent on the mind or on an individual's perception" not "based on facts").

 

[Disneylovingmomof2]

understood
Thanks for everyone’s dictionary help

 

[DietCokeMommy]

We've done about 13 nights over 4 cruises on the Wish and this past summer we did the 10 night Fantasy. Honestly due to a combo of factors we almost stopped sailing disney entirely after our Fantasy experience. We loved the Wish every time we sailed it and have the Treasure booked in March and I hope we love it as much. I think a lot of people tend to like what they experienced first and fell in love with. We started out sailing on the Wonder when our kids were very little and then switched to the Wish.

A big frustration for us was the dining/food experience. I never felt like it was hard to find food options on Wish, but with such a long cruise on Fantasy our whole family was getting frustrated with the dinners. Dinner took a LONG time every night. There were multiple times we were practically the last people leaving early dining. I also didn't really care for the menus. One night my daughter's ADHD was out of control and she wouldn't stop screaming at dinner, so we had to pick her up and leave. And then it felt like there just weren't a lot of alternatives. We ended up eating at the pub, and that took an incredibly long time as well, and the food wasn't very good. I didn't really care for the pool food on the Fantasy. There's only so many fried chicken fingers or greasy burgers I can eat. Pool food at the Wish is 1000x better. I think I could eat the tacos every single day lol.

I like the pools a lot better on the Wish. I've always been able to grab a seat with some shade near the aquamouse and watch the funnelvision while our kids swim. i also really like the chip and dale pool, which most people don't seem to know about, and when my daughter could go, she loved the toy story splash pad. I also like the aquamouse better than the aquaduck.

I will say we really liked the midship detective game and haven't been able to get uncharted adventure to work on Wish. We'll try again on Treasure. I liked bingo a lot better on the Wish. We like to grab a spot in the luna balcony where there's some tables, and grab food from the pub. Bingo on the Fantasy in the theater was a lot more crowded and I found the theater pretty uncomfortable. The person in front of me kept leaning way back and smacking my knee with their chair. I also liked the movie theaters on Wish. With 10 days on Fantasy we were sometimes looking for something to do and I didn't realize there wouldn't be the same availability of movies. And maybe most importantly - my daughter didn't like the kids club as much as on Wish and started refusing to go.

Some of what we like better is very much personal preference and not objective . Much of this is probably very specific to my kids and our family. My daughter has some special needs and she made our last trip really difficult. But we done a lot of cruises and never felt like we did on the Fantasy, like we were happy when it was over. My kids are also maybe aging out of disney at 8 and 11. We sailed on Icon of the Seas last March and in so many ways it blew all the disney ships out of the water - the food choices and availability, the huge amount of activities, its own water park, tons of shade around the pools, and both my kids like the kids club better than disney's. I could even drop them off during dinner (which again can be a huge pain point for us specifically) and they'd bring them to the kids buffet.

 

[DonaldEsquire]

I sailed the Fantasy last summer and the Wish last month and I agree with OP to a large extent. I loved both ships and will happily sail either one for the right itinerary, but I preferred the Wish. I liked the food and entertainment more on the Wish, I liked the themed lounges, just about everything. The things I really liked more on Fantasy were I preferred midship detective over the cell phone based game, and a few other minor things. Otherwise, the wish was overall the better ship IMO.

 

[Skippyboo]

Just got off the Wish this morning. The first time sailing. I have sailed Fantasy twice. Most recent time was this October.

I liked the pool food on the Wish. So much better. I liked the Sail Away and especially Pirate night show on the Wish. Fantasy pirate show is pretty juvenile. I played Bingo in Luna and loved the energy from entertainment team. Enjoyed 1923 and Arendelle. World of Marvel was lame. Didn’t try the phone game

I watched Moana 2 in Wonderland theater. It was super small and I thought the seats were uncomfortable.

I missed being able to cross the ship at midship and the musical acts that the Fantasy had playing in the atrium as you waited for characters or dinner. .

The adult only pool was super small and the hot tub is right under the aqua mouse so you keep hearing the dialogue from ride. I did like the Aqua mouse. Only got one ride because it was double riders only for Nassau and castaway day. I did find Chip and Dale pool up in front but it was only open 1-6 pm , then 2-6.

I’m glad I went. I have the Treasure booked for Feb. Didn’t like 3 night itineraries of the Wish. 3 nights are too short for me. Prefer longer cruises.

 

[WorldCruiser]

Each ship has it's plus and minuses, but the Fantasy is the better cruise ship in about every way outside of food/shows. The Fantasy's layout and design is very much better than the Wish. The Lounges are also much better on the Fantasy. The Fantasy has changed their itineraries recently, but the wish does 3-4 nights on rotation. The Fantasy does longer cruises which are always better.

 

[mmouse37]

Elevators on the fantasy have been no better than the wish. After crowds disperse from larger gatherings and events I see people riding the opposite way of what they need so they can just get in and turn around. I remember reading the negative comments about the wish elevators and went in assuming we’d be walking the stairs but on fantasy it’s been equally as crowded and annoying.

Pirate night was just ok on fantasy. The pre fireworks show was just pirates asking the crowd some questions and singing a song where on the wish there was a whole band, concert, dancers- it was really amazing and I was honestly a little disappointed to not have it.

Our room attendant is wonderful and so is our main server here on the fantasy. On the wish our dining team interacted with the children more. Drew pictures, grabbed my daughter during the day to get her ice cream. Small things like that make a difference imo
The restaurants are more immersive on the wish. We still have to eat at royal court but have been to animators palate and enchanted garden on fantasy so far. They do not offer immersion like Frozen/ marvel where there’s a show and Olaf being pushed around and then spider man for marvel. 1923 imo is the best of them all with the art displays.

My daughter and I did quite a few animation and trivia classes on the wish. They organically flowed into our day. So far on the fantasy all of the animation times have clashed with dinner or a show

We saw Aladdin on both the wish and fantasy. Both great. Frozen on the fantasy was wonderful but so was little mermaid on the wish.
On our Wish sea day there was a show time at 2p which I actually really liked. They don’t have that on the fantasy

Europa is cool but I haven’t seen nearly as many folks hanging in Piazza as there were in the Bayou
We would go to the bayou to watch the piano music etc, it was more open air, and the bar was in the back instead of taking up the whole center
Bayou is prettier

Fantasy feels more cramped/ compartmentalized where the wish feels more open and fluid. Based on comments above I suppose there are folks that actually prefer that so I’ll take back my objective comment however there is still a part of me that thinks the fantasy/dream fans are basing their stances off of nostalgia. I am saying this as someone who has only taken two cruises so I have none of those feelings. My 13 year old said she also prefers wish.

The pool deck lunch is better and more interesting on the wish with the Mexican and bbq options

More pools on the wish. I sat in one of those little side ones that don’t need to be covered up on the main deck. I liked it because it was set higher and to the side and you could just relax and cool off in there. Don’t have that on the fantasy

I did not like the Little Mermaid at all on the Wish. It reminded me of an interpretive dance show put on by a high school. The talent was great but I missed the lavish sets and costumes of the other main stage shows on the other ships. The costumes for LM on the Wish looked like something you would get at Party City. I think if you like it or not is dependent on your likes and dislikes. It is all so subjective. There are some things on the Wish that are better (pool deck food and laundry, kids' clubs stand out) and some things that are worse (adult areas and basic layout). That said I am going back on the Wish for the 3rd time next week. I know my grandkids will be blown away by the kids' clubs and they are looking forward to the slide and the BBQ up on deck. I am excited for my son, DIL and grandkids to see and experience the Wish.

MJ

 

[Meem93]

I wanted to post my thoughts on the Wish vs Fantasy (and older ships in general) topic after having been on the Wish in April of this year and the Fantasy just this week.
My family and I travel to WDW regularly but I will say I was nervous for the cruise we took back in April because I read SO many negative reviews on the Wish - so many that I was actually considering canceling.
The Fantasy is lovely however I will say that objectively the Wish is hands down, no questions asked, a better ship. This is in every way. The ship itself (architecture, layout, lounges, overall aesthetic), the cast members, the itineraries, pirate night, and I could go on.

I wanted to post my thoughts

I wanted to post my thoughts on the Wish vs Fantasy (and older ships in general) topic after having been on the Wish in April of this year and the Fantasy just this week.
My family and I travel to WDW regularly but I will say I was nervous for the cruise we took back in April because I read SO many negative reviews on the Wish - so many that I was actually considering canceling.
The Fantasy is lovely however I will say that objectively the Wish is hands down, no questions asked, a better ship. This is in every way. The ship itself (architecture, layout, lounges, overall aesthetic), the cast members, the itineraries, pirate night, and I could go on.
I booked the Fantasy specifically because I wanted to see Lookout Cay but I would not sail on this ship again. We are having a great time and I will say that Eleuthera is absolutely magical and wonderful but from a ship perspective the Fantasy doesn’t even come close to the Wish. The list would be long if I even attempted to start it but for anyone who was in my shoes and is hesitant to book a new ship based on negative reviews let me know if you have questions and I’ll be happy to answer.

This makes me nervous! My husband and I only sailed DCL once. Two years ago in the wish and loved it! But all we have heard was how awful is compared to the other ships. So we are sailing in the fantasy leaving this Saturday, and this time with toddler. Now I’m nervous we will hate it!!

How was lookout cay? I’ve been reading not great reviews

 

[WorldCruiser]

This makes me nervous! My husband and I only sailed DCL once. Two years ago in the wish and loved it! But all we have heard was how awful is compared to the other ships. So we are sailing in the fantasy leaving this Saturday, and this time with toddler. Now I’m nervous we will hate it!!

How was lookout cay? I’ve been reading not great reviews

Don't be nervous. The Fantasy is the best ship in the Fleet.