Disney Dream UK Cruise Review – The Highlights, Downsides & Must-Know Tips - Mummy Of Four

If you’re considering a Disney cruise from the UK, specifically on the Disney Dream, this review will help you decide whether it’s the right trip for you. We recently sailed on a five-night Disney Dream cruise from Southampton to Spain, and in this post, I’ll be sharing the highlights, the not-so-great bits, and plenty of tips to make your Disney Cruise Line experience smoother.

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Table Of Contents

Pre-Cruise Travel & Hotel Stay

One of my top tips for any UK Disney Cruise is to travel to the port the day before. UK traffic is unpredictable, and the last thing you want is stress on embarkation day. We stayed at the Premier Inn City Centre in Southampton, which was about a five to ten-minute drive from the port.

Pros of the Premier Inn City Centre:

Affordable price
Convenient location near the port
Parking right outside reception
Friendly staff
Comfortable beds and consistent quality

Cons:

The air conditioning in our room wasn’t working on a particularly warm night
The bar and restaurant were located on the fifth floor, requiring a key card for access
The bar didn’t open until 5:30 pm

Despite these minor issues, the meal deal (which included a two-course meal, drink, and breakfast) was excellent value, and we’d stay there again.

Embarkation at Southampton Port

We pre-booked parking with AB Parking, and I highly recommend doing the same. Unlike last year, when I forgot (despite making planners for a living!), this year, the process was smooth.

The check-in and embarkation process was quick and well-organised, with porters taking our luggage from the car, leaving us with only our carry-on bags. This made the process much easier.

The Southampton cruise terminal isn’t a Disney-owned terminal, but they did add Disney-themed signage and decor, which helped create a bit of magic.

On Board the Disney Dream – Stateroom & First Impressions

We enjoyed the Welcome Aboard Lunch at Animator’s Palate, which is a great way to start your cruise in a relaxed setting. Simply ask any cast member upon embarkation where it’s being served!

We had a deck 6 stateroom, slightly towards the aft. While the room itself was lovely, I noticed more engine vibrations compared to previous stays in midship staterooms. If you’re booking and are sensitive to movement, I recommend choosing midship on deck 7 or higher.

Pros of Embarkation Day:

Smooth check-in and boarding
Luggage arrived quickly to our stateroom
Met so many lovely subscribers and Disney fans
The Golden Mickeys show was incredible

Cons of Embarkation Day:

Our muster drill was on deck, which meant standing in a crowded area for a long time
The shops sold out of Disney Dream Loungefly bags quickly, so if you see something you love, buy it early!

Dining on the Disney Dream

We experienced all the rotational dining restaurants, and as always, the food and service were exceptional.

Palo Brunch – Worth the Upcharge?

On our first sea day, my husband and I experienced Palo Brunch for the first time, and it exceeded expectations. I was worried it would be too ‘breakfasty’ for my taste, but they had delicious Italian dishes, seafood, and fresh pastries. The service was next-level, and it was absolutely worth the additional cost.

Pirate Night – What Worked & What Didn’t

Pirate Night is always a highlight on Disney cruises, but there were a few elements that didn’t work as well this time:

✅ Pros:

The deck party was later, making it feel more immersive in the dark
Jack Sparrow meet-and-greet was available (though with long queues)

❌ Cons:

Beauty and the Beast was scheduled on the same night as Pirate Night – it didn’t really fit the theme
No fireworks due to European maritime regulations
No Pirate Stitch meet-and-greet (disappointing for many fans)

Port Days – Vigo vs. La Coruña

We decided not to get off the ship in La Coruña, as it required a shuttle bus to reach the town. Instead, we spent the day enjoying a less crowded pool deck and the Aquaduck water coaster.

Vigo, on the other hand, was perfect for a quick port visit because you could walk straight off the ship and explore without needing transport. We got some great photos in front of the ship and enjoyed a short stroll before heading back on board.

Final Sea Day & Highlights

The Disney Believe show was a must-watch – it was so magical, I would have happily watched it twice! The girls also had their Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique transformations, and while the boutique on The Wish was slightly more impressive, the experience on The Dream was still wonderful.

We also tried Disney Cruise Line’s wine tasting experience for the first time, which was £50 per person and included a special stern-to-stern tasting pin. The sommelier was fantastic, and we learned a lot while enjoying delicious wines.

Disembarkation & Final Thoughts

One of the biggest pros of a UK Disney cruise is the ease of disembarkation. Unlike sailing from the US, where you have to deal with long-haul flights, we simply drove home from Southampton.

While UK sailings are busier and have more queuing than US sailings, the community of Disney fans was amazing. If you don’t want to deal with long-haul travel but still want the Disney Cruise Line experience, a UK sailing is a great option!

Would I Recommend the Disney Dream UK Cruise?

✅ If you want a Disney Cruise Line experience without the travel hassle of the US, then absolutely.
✅ If you’re okay with busier sailings and more queuing, you’ll still have an amazing time.
✅ If you’re after guaranteed warm weather, you may be better off flying to Florida.

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Magical Cruise Planner

Want help planning your cruise in order to make the most of the magic? Either grab a pen and paper and make nites of everything said in there video, or check out my Magical Cruise Planners, available in digital (printable or to be filled out on a tablet), coil bound or perfect bound book versions. There is even a kids version packed full of activities, plus places for the characters to autograph on board.

Magical Cruise Planners

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Everything We Are Wearing In The Vlogs

Check out the videos & blog post below to see exactly what we will be wearing ton our cruise.

What We Are Wearing On The Cruise

Card For Spending Abroad

I get lots of questions about which card I use for spending abroad and on the ships where everything is in dollars and I use Monzo. They don’t charge any fees for spending abroad, and don’t mark up the exchange rate. I like the flexibility of being able to add the card to pay with Apple Pay on my phone and watch, plus you can place money into “savings pots” to put money aside for accommodation, merchandise, meals etc when saving for your trip.

They have even added kids cards, which my children have and we love. They appear within the parents app so that you can among pocket money and spending with ease, plus kids get their own card and app to learn to manage their money and make choices about spending and saving. And best of all, the kids cards are free!

Is the button below to try Monzo and get £5 added to your account when you make your first transaction on your card.

Get Monzo for free plus £5 added to your account

AirTags & Straps For Child Safety On Trips

In the vlogs you will notice my kids wearing AirTags attached to their wrists with fun coloured straps. While AirTags are no substitute for keeping a close eye on your children, they can be a valuable extra way to ensure that you do not lose your children in busy places.

How do AirTags work?

Your AirTag sends out a secure Bluetooth signal that can be detected by nearby devices in the Find My network. These devices send the location of your AirTag to iCloud — then you can go to the Find My app and see it on a map. The whole process is anonymous and encrypted to protect your privacy. And itʼs efficient, so thereʼs no need to worry about battery life or data usage.

AirTag Bands

AirTags

Labels

These are the labels that I use to label pretty much anything that has a chance of being misplaced when out of the house. From hoodies, bags and soft toys that can be left behind, everything gets a label. They can be stuck into the care labels of clothes or onto hard surfaces and after 24 hours are machine washable and dishwasher safe.

Pro tip: As well as you family name, put your telephone number on the labels. I have had so much stuff returned to me thanks to my phone number on these stickers! Make sure you replace the “0” with your country code (+44 in the UK) so that items can still be returned to you abroad. It’s also additional peace of mind that if your child is lost, they have your number in their clothing so that a helpful adult can contact you