Like many mega-ships, Disney Fantasy offers cruisers several stateroom options. While most Disney Cruise Line cabins offer a unique design, there are several factors to consider when choosing a stateroom with cost ranking at the top of the list. Unfortunately, one drawback of Disney Cruise Line is the price tag as cruises can be up to twice as expensive for comparable staterooms and itineraries. Still, after spending seven nights onboard Disney Fantasy, we are glad we opted for a Deluxe Family Oceanview stateroom with verandah for this trip. Find out why you should consider upgrading in our latest cabin tour and review.
Our Disney Fantasy Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah Review
Our weeklong Disney Fantasy cruise included two stops at DCL’s new private destination of Lookout Cay. When booking this cruise over a year in advance, we went ahead and selected the cheapest balcony stateroom available. And even that was considerably more expensive given it was the ship’s inaugural visit to Lookout Cay.
During our booking process, the Disney website was experiencing some issues. So, it took a few minutes to confirm we were Bibbidi, Bobbidi, booked in a Deluxe Family Oceanview stateroom with a verandah.
We ended up in cabin 5036. This category 04E stateroom was all the way forward on Deck 5, portside.
Disney Fantasy has three banks of elevators, and this room was forward from the forward elevators. Though, it was never a far walk to the atrium or the entertainment venues nestled on Decks 3 through 5.
Likewise, to get to the outdoor decks was a short elevator ride up. Regardless of the time of day, there was never an issue getting a lift up or down. This was surprising, given the ship was sailing at double occupancy.
Inside a Disney Fantasy Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah
Layout
According to the Disney Cruise Line website, our Disney Fantasy stateroom was 299 square feet, including the balcony. However, what we didn’t realize at the time of booking was that our cabin had an extended balcony that was twice the size of the ship’s standard balcony.
Immediately upon entering the room, the split bathrooms were to the left, with the closet and small dry bar type setup to our right. Passing the bathroom and closet, our queen bed was on the midship wall facing forward. Beyond the bed was the seating area containing a sleeper sofa and an oversized desk with additional storage.
Beyond the sitting area was our extra-large balcony, which included two loungers, two upright chairs, and a table. When compared to other balcony staterooms on contemporary cruise lines, this deluxe stateroom was certainly more spacious.
It offered more than enough storage space even for over-packers like ourselves. Further, there was more room between the bed and the accompanying sitting area, as well as more room to walk between the bed and the opposite wall.
Honestly, this room felt more like a hotel room than a cruise ship cabin.
Bathroom
Perhaps the most unique aspect of Disney Cruise cabins is the split bathroom setup.
Like most of the accommodations on the ship, our stateroom had two separate bathrooms. Immediately near the entrance of the cabin was a washroom with a sink and toilet. This bathroom was also equipped with liquid hand soap, which is often missing in cruise cabins.
The second bathroom had the tub/shower combo and an additional sink. Both had two shelves for storing toiletries and a decent sized vanity.
Another added benefit is the inclusion of Disney’s premium bath products, the same that guests can find in the Disney World resorts.
While we appreciated the extra space, we were surprised at the size of the shower. Cruise ship shower stalls are often tight quarters. This one was a full bathtub, so it was plenty wide and long. However, the height was questionable. At just under 6 feet tall, I almost hit the ceiling. So, I have no idea how anyone a few inches taller would have been able to comfortably shower.
Nonetheless, the split bathroom is a huge bonus, especially for families.
Closet
This cabin had two identical closets. So, we essentially had his and her storage space, which meant all of our clothes could be unpacked and hung up with no issues. These closets included three lower shelves which we used mainly for shoes as well as a clothes bar and full-length shelf above. One of these closets also housed the safe and life jackets.
Next to the closet was a separate storage space, which included additional drawers and shelves. The shelves became storage for things like our popcorn bucket and Yeti water bottles. The drawers here were just the right size for our packing cubes filled with bathing suits and under garments.
Main Cabin
The queen-sized bed was located right next to the bathroom. With long days ashore, we had no issues falling asleep on the Frette® 300-thread-count, 100% cotton linens each night.
Unlike other cruise lines, Disney Fantasy boasts true queen beds, not two twin beds. So, cruisers cannot set these beds up as two singles. Luckily though, Disney does have plenty of accommodations with sleeper sofas and pull-down beds for larger families.
There were two nightstands, one on each side of the bed, with one small drawer. Above each nightstand was one 220 and one 110 outlet, but no USB outlets for easy charging of phones or watches at night.
Recently, many cruise lines have transitioned to more simplistic desk setups. However, Disney Fantasy still had a large desk and shelving combination unit with plenty of storage. On the desk, there were two 220-volt outlets, two 110 outlets, and two USB outlets. While we would have liked some USB-C connections, we were able to charge all our devices using our cruise-approved power adapter.
To the right side of the desk was the mini-fridge, and to the left were three oversized drawers and an additonal storage cabinet above.
The 22-inch LCD television was mounted to the corner of the desk above the mini-fridge. With the swivel stand, the television could be positioned toward the bed or the sofa, depending on who wanted to watch the programming. The sofa was large enough to accommodate a few people at one time as well.
Additionally, above the television were two open shelves. Here, I routinely left our Key to the World cards and our small electronic devices for quick access.
Balcony
Given the location of our stateroom, we were treated to an extended balcony. This meant we had almost twice as much outdoor space as a traditional balcony. Thus, we had both chairs and loungers, along with a table.
Given the itinerary, and gloomy weather towards the end of the trip, we didn’t use the balcony as much as we had hoped. Though, we did enjoy views of the ports of call and some scenic sailing a few mornings.
But, if there is the chance to get an extended balcony without much additional cost, we suggest you make the investment. This is especially useful if there are a lot of sea days during your voyage.
Recap of Our Disney Fantasy Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom Review
If the name of the stateroom category hasn’t already given it away, this balcony cabin is designed for families. While there were only two of us, we can easily see how a family of four would have no issues comfortably spending a week in this stateroom.
There were more than enough drawers and closet space to easily pack away clothes. And the split bathroom setup makes it easy for multiple family members to get ready at once.
With more space, it also means navigating around the bed and the nearby sitting area is easier.
We didn’t necessarily need the additional living space and storage areas. But, we were glad to have it as we were extending our trip at Walt Disney World so had more than we would normally pack for a 7-day cruise.
While Disney Cruise Line charges considerably more, the staterooms do offer more amenities and space than similar cabins on competitor cruise lines. This Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom was more like a junior suite or mini-suite on other cruise lines.
Admittedly, we did pay a premium for this sailing given it was the first revenue cruise to Lookout Cay. However, for our upcoming weeklong Western Caribbean cruise on Disney Treasure, we were able to secure a guaranteed balcony cabin for almost half the price of this Disney Fantasy cruise.
Of course, Disney Cruise Line offers a variety of other cabin options from inside rooms all the way up to luxurious suites. So, you can pick your accommodations based on your budget. For us, a balcony cabin is always our preference as it offers the perfect combination of size, amenities, and value.
Comments
Have you stayed in a Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah on Disney Fantasy? Which Disney Cruise Line stateroom category is your favorite? Drop us an anchor below with your DCL cruise cabin reviews.
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