Our Disney Dream Inaugural Cruise 2011

By Senior Travel Planner, Meghan Umlauf
​While we all are paused from cruising at the moment, due to COVID-19, and with the hope that Disney Cruise Line will still release at least one of the 3 new ships they announced they would be - I thought I’d look back and share my family's experience on the Maiden Voyage of the Disney Dream back in 2011!

---

​We are a Disney Cruise family - my husband and I are currently both Platinum Castaway Club Members and our children aren’t far behind!  This means he and I have been on over 10 Disney Cruises - and our kids are just shy of that!  In 2009 - we were on a Disney Cruise sailing when they released the Disney Dream for booking - which meant we had hit the Disney Cruise Lottery!  Normally the first people that are able to book newly released sail dates (new ships or not) are Platinum Cruisers - unless you happen to be on a ship!  Then you are able to book any of the new dates DURING YOUR CRUISE!  So even though we weren’t Platinum  (we were silver back then) we had the rare opportunity of getting in when pricing was at its lowest and we had our pick of staterooms!  Now - I should preface this by mentioning that while pricing was the lowest at first release - it was (at the time) the most expensive Disney sailing we had booked… but we both felt that it was an opportunity that wasn’t to be missed!  It was a 4 night cruise in January of 2011 and we booked one of the NEW (at the time) inside “magic porthole” rooms and got the onboard booking offer - 10% off and an On Board Credit…

Flash forward to January of 2011… we couldn’t have been more excited to get one of the coveted spots on this sailing - there was soooo much hype leading up to this sailing!  Now while it wasn’t actually the first time the ship sailed with passengers (there were 2 sailing prior to ours - one with Disney higher ups and one with Travel Agents) and the entire first year was considered their “Inaugural Sailings”, our sailing was the FIRST to cruise with fully paying passengers!  We were VERY excited!  However, in order to help you fully understand our state of mind going into this AWESOME experience, I share this… in the midst of flying off to enjoy this vacation - my husband and I decided to move, and I had a skiing accident over new years and tore my ACL!  So during this cruise - I was on crutches and we were selling our home!

​We headed to Florida a few days earlier to enjoy some time at Walt Disney World to get us all warmed up!  The morning of the sailing we headed to the port nice and early (as we always do) to make sure we maximized our time on this beautiful new ship!  Once we were on board, we were given the royal treatment fit for an inaugural cruise!  Champagne was flowing and available in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions everywhere in commemorative flutes!  There were also large Bon Voyage Mickey hand signs and streamers we were given in our stateroom to wave upon leaving port!  Prior to the Sail away party we enjoyed lunch in Cabana’s and drinks by the pool.

---

​​One of the most memorable things from this cruise for me - was the amount of people lined up along the shore line as we sailed away!  Disney had recruited residents by offering them a piece of the magic (I think the same hands we got on the cruise) if they came down to see us off!  I’m sure some needed the persuasion - others probably not! 

​Our first full day was at sea and the kids spent most of the day in the new kids club - as my kids were 8 and 5 at the time - The Oceaneers Club and Lab were a “Dream” come true!  My son couldn’t get enough of the kids Mickey hand water slide and also managed to get a few rides on the NEW Aquaduck! The Aquaduck was another first in the cruise industry and again - at the time, my son wasn’t tall enough for the height restriction, so my husband and I took turns riding with my daughter! Even with my knee on the mend, I was able to enjoy a few runs!

​That night was the Pirate party - and being experienced Disney cruisers, we had come prepared with our Pirate garb!  Both my kids had been to the 

​kids club right before this and they had their faces painted like pirates and were ready to party!  The “early” party was designed for kids in mind - with pirate games and Cast Member interactions… but the later party was just as fun for them - with the soft serve ice cream flowing we had a blast!  One thing to note - with this being a mid week January cruise - there weren’t many kids on this sailing - so they were given the royal treatment at both the camps and kids activities like this one!

​Our stops on this sailing were Nassau and Castaway Cay (same as they are today) - we had been to nassau before, and with me still wobbling around with a knee brace we decided to stay on the boat (I think if memory serves, my husband and I spent the better part of this day signing offer contracts on our home).  We had a beautiful day to enjoy the beach at Castaway Cay and my daughter had regretted not getting her hair braided on our last cruise - so she didn’t hesitate to get it done on this one!  There are braiding stations both on the ship and one on the island - she got her’s done at the end of this day!

---

​To commemorate this “historic” sailing we were also given gifts each night in our cabin!  We were all given replica Keel Coins from the ship (The keel laying marks a significant milestone in the ship building process – it’s when the first block, or section of the ship, is lowered into the building dock and a coin is placed under the keel for good fortune.) As well as a book about the creation of the Dream and a print by Don “Ducky” Williams, a famous Disney animator that we also had the pleasure of meeting on this sailing and had him sign the print!  It hangs in our office to this day!  Another awesome keepsake we were given were the special inaugural sailing menus from each restaurant every night.

The commemorative keel coin

Don "Ducky" Williams

The commemorative print

The Mickey hands we used to wave at onlookers during sail away

​A few cons of this cruise - as with anything new, there are always a few snags - and sadly our cabin’s magic porthole was one of them!  These portholes are basically screens that give you a real time view of the ship's exterior - as if it was a window.  Only with it being a screen, Disney was able to add some pixie dust and every now and then you were treated to your favorite Disney characters zooming by the “window” as we sailed!  Only ours wouldn’t turn on! After contacting guest services, some days it worked, others it didn’t - Disney did their best to get it fixed while sailing, and we were able to enjoy it occasionally, but not to the full extent we had hoped for!  

The second disappointment was the amount of people sailing JUST TO PURCHASE MERCHANDISE!  While this hardly ruined our cruise experience, it was a bit alarming to see the gift shops raked over of ANYTHING that said “Inaugural Sailing” especially because it was clearly being purchased to be resold (people buying multiples of everything) not to be enjoyed themselves.  A line for the new Dooney and Burke bags started HOURS before the store was scheduled to open - and we heard that photos of the products taken through the glass were listed on Ebay PRIOR to the store even opening!

There were items that Disney required us to “pre-purchase” on a first come first serve basis ahead of time to prevent some of this.  Pins, jewelry, some artwork and ship models all were sold prior to sailing - and done lottery style with a limit, so you had to put your requests in ahead of time, listing your requests - but not necessarily knowing what you would get!  Platinum Castaway Club members got first priority - so we being Silver members were really not guaranteed anything!  We were lucky however and were able to get the 3 pins we requested!

Overall this was one of the MOST memorable vacations we have taken - and I hope to be able to enjoy one of the new ships inaugural sailings in the future!  

Looking for information on the NEW Disney Wish when it becomes available?  Contact me today!