Wish Class vs. Dream Class Concierge Lounge: Which Is Better?

Which Disney ships are Wish class and which are Dream class?

When I say Wish class, I'm talking about Disney's newest generation of ships: the Disney Wish, Disney Treasure, and Disney Destiny. When I say Dream class, I mean the Disney Dream and the Disney Fantasy. I personally sell Concierge on both classes of ships, and while both give you the incredible Disney Cruise Line Concierge service, the actual lounge experience is very different. ▶ 1:31

One important thing to know about the Dream class: these aren't the classic Concierge lounges you may remember. The Disney Dream's lounge was recently completely re-imagined and expanded, followed by the Disney Fantasy. So if you sailed Concierge on those ships years ago, what you'll find today is new. ▶ 1:55

Size and layout: a destination vs. a private club

The first thing you notice when you walk into a Wish-class Concierge Lounge is the sheer scale of the space. You have multiple seating areas, dining tables, the bar, the Concierge host desk, large windows, and plenty of room for families to spread out. ▶ 2:17 On the Treasure's maiden voyage I counted three cappuccino machines, high chairs, and a little kids' area with cartoons. My nephew loved sitting there on the Wish, and pro tip: open the cabinets, because they should be full of toys. ▶ 3:47

The newly expanded Dream-class lounges are beautiful and sophisticated. They're intimate, and they feel more like a traditional private club lounge. You still have comfortable seating, tables, the bar, food stations, children's areas, and your Concierge hosts, but the overall scale and atmosphere are different. ▶ 2:40

Here's the easiest way I can describe it. On the Wish class, the lounge feels like a destination: you come and stay a while, have breakfast by the window, have a hot lunch, meet friends, and come back for cocktails. On the Dream class, I use the lounge a little differently: stop in for coffee, grab breakfast, visit with a host, have a snack, and come back for happy hour. ▶ 3:05 Both are wonderful, but the Wish-class lounge becomes a much bigger part of the actual vacation. ▶ 3:30

The food: where Wish class really separates itself

On the Wish-class ships, I can come into the lounge in the morning and sit down to a substantial hot breakfast along with pastries, fruit, and lighter choices. On certain days you can even order Mickey waffles and Mickey churros. Lunch brings more hot items ordered off a menu, and in the evening there are hot selections and small plates before dinner or a show. ▶ 3:52 ▶ 4:18

On our seven-night Western Caribbean sailing on the Disney Treasure, Scott and I ate in the lounge for most of our meals instead of going down to the main dining room. ▶ 0:24 The breakfast menu ran from 7:00 to 10:30 a.m., with a Mickey waffle every morning, a warm filled croissant, smoked salmon eggs Benedict finished with a little caviar, and an avocado toast on gluten-free rye that became one of my favorites. There's also a continental line with pastries, parfaits, fruit, and little smoothie shots. ▶ 9:53 ▶ 23:40

Lunch had Wagyu beef sliders, a citrus coconut soup with chicken, sweet corn cakes, garlic chili shrimp, and a panini, plus fish nuggets on the kids' menu that I loved so much I ordered them myself. They reminded me of the fish and chips at Epcot's England. ▶ 25:15 ▶ 26:50 Dinner was offered from 5 to 8 p.m., and the evening menu changed completely every day. My favorite was the hickory seared salmon with saffron gnocchi, carrot puree, and portobello mushrooms. ▶ 2:08 ▶ 35:50 ▶ 36:37

On the Dream class, Disney still provides complimentary food and non-alcoholic beverages throughout the day: breakfast offerings, snacks, small bites, desserts, evening selections, and plenty to enjoy. It's lovely, but it isn't the sit-down, order-off-the-menu experience of the Wish class. ▶ 5:03

What's the same on both: coffee, cocktails, and your hosts

One of my favorite Concierge perks exists on both classes: specialty coffee. Espresso, cappuccino, lattes. It becomes part of my morning routine very quickly, no matter which ship I'm on. And on any ship you can enjoy cocktails in the lounge from 5 to 10 p.m. each evening. That's where I love to stop before dinner for a glass of wine, maybe a small plate, and a visit with a host. ▶ 5:28

This is the one category where I'm not choosing a winner: the Disney Cruise Line Concierge hosts. They learn your name, they get to know your family, they learn your preferences, and when you need something you have someone right there who knows you and your vacation. ▶ 7:52 On the Treasure, we booked the Imagineers tour and spa services right at the host desk on embarkation day, with no reason to go down to Guest Services and wait in line. ▶ 4:31 ▶ 4:57

The sun deck: the biggest physical difference

The Wish-class ships were designed with a huge indoor-outdoor Concierge experience: an enormous private area with comfortable loungers, places to get out of the sun, water features where you can cool off, your own bar, ocean views, and the smoothie machine beloved by all our Concierge guests. ▶ 5:51 ▶ 6:15

On the Treasure, the lounge is on deck 12 with an outdoor seating area where I love my morning coffee, and the sun deck is right upstairs on deck 13. ▶ 10:02 Part of it is fully covered if you want shade. When I toured it there were two hot tubs, a splash pool, rain showers, and sunscreen and after-sun spray set out for you, so there's no need to bring your own. The outside bar was a cash bar during the day, with complimentary drinks downstairs in the lounge from 5 to 10. ▶ 11:39 ▶ 13:20 ▶ 13:46

The Dream-class sun deck is still a relaxing escape from the main pool decks, but it is a different space. On the Wish class, the sun deck sits at the front of the ship, with the best view onboard, and it is fully private, with two hot tubs plus a splash area. On the Dream and Fantasy it runs along the side of the ship, has one hot tub, and shares a walkway with other guests. Compare the scale, too. When you're actually spending a day at sea, the difference can matter. ▶ 6:41 On the Wish class the lounge and sun deck feel connected: someone gets hungry, you come downstairs, grab lunch, make a cappuccino, and head right back up. It's a private indoor and outdoor retreat, and that's difficult to beat. ▶ 7:04

Why Dream class can still be the right choice

Dream class has a real advantage: intimacy. The lounge is smaller and the ship has fewer Concierge staterooms, so there are fewer guests for each host, which can mean more personal attention. The Wish-class lounges are larger, but they also have more hosts. You see the same guests, you see your host constantly, and depending on your travel style you may actually prefer that intimate club lounge atmosphere. It's about which experience fits your family. ▶ 7:28

So here's how I'd choose. If you plan to make the lounge your home base, eating real meals there and spending sea days on the sun deck, pick the Disney Wish, Disney Treasure, or Disney Destiny. If you mostly want coffee in the morning, a snack, and happy hour before dinner in a smaller, personal setting, the Disney Dream or Disney Fantasy will feel just right.

Your stateroom location matters as much as the ship class

When I help my Melissa VIP Magic guests choose a Concierge stateroom or suite, I don't simply look at the category. I look at the actual location. How close are you to the lounge? How easily can you get to the sun deck? What's above you, what's below you, where are the elevators, and how is your veranda positioned? Two Concierge staterooms in the same category can give you a very different experience. ▶ 8:15 ▶ 8:39

That's why I experience these products myself. I've been in the lounges, I've eaten the food, I've used the bars, I've spent time on the sun decks, and I've stayed in many of the Concierge staterooms. On the Treasure, for example, the two-story Royal Suite opens right onto the Concierge sun deck. ▶ 9:03 ▶ 12:56