Disney Cruise Line’s newest and largest ship, the Disney Dream, saw its official maiden voyage this past week and for all the improvements in both form and function on the ship — which is nearly 150% larger than the ‘classic’ ships — there were also plenty of disappointments to be found for many of its passengers who were essentially guinea pigs for the ship which just may not have been ready for prime-time.

DISNEY DREAM MAIDEN VOYAGE — BY THE NUMBERS
Before we get to the details in which the Devil is patiently awaiting us, let’s toss around a few interesting statistics about the maiden voyage:

While all of the numbers are surprising extremes, the only low number is the total number of passengers. Despite a capacity of 4,000 passengers, the Disney Dream Maiden Voyage saw only 3,100. This was a result not of being unable to sell the staterooms, but rather the large number of single passengers that offset families and the theoretical maximum based on 2,500 available staterooms.

Of the 3,100 passengers, a whopping 500 cruisers were at the Disney Cruise Line Castaway Club platinum level, meaning they had been on at least 10 cruises with DCL prior. Coupled with the number of Silver and Gold level passengers, first-timers, although represented, were in the extreme minority.

Finally, a relatively high number of 100 staterooms had opted in for a back-to-back cruise.

Now it’s time for the nitpicking. What was it about the Disney Dream that sometimes made passengers wish they could wake up and find themselves back on solid ground:

NOT READY FOR PRIME-TIME
As one passenger quipped, ‘you would have thought they would have had five or six cruises by now.’

Passengers noted multiple areas in which glass had broken during the Transatlantic trip and had not yet been replaced, instead having some sort of netting in their places.

Multiple guests reported issue with the in-room safes not working as well as issues with the stateroom Cisco phone system in which messaging did not work at all for most of the cruise and often gave guests difficulty when dialing extensions throughout the ship. One guest informed me that she had much trouble with scheduling her wake-up call which ultimately insisted on calling her stateroom multiple times, even after she had answered the phone to the sound of nothing. Another guest, intent on simply using the provided in-room alarm clock radio had tremendous difficulty trying to operate it.

The worst of the complaints I head, however, came second hand and centered on a passenger who shared an adjoining stateroom with a stranger and was unable to keep the door between the rooms shut. Ultimately crew ‘remedied’ the situation by keeping the door closed as much as possible using

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Just moments ago, the Disney Dream held a formal christening ceremony for its AquaDuck water coaster and we were there beside gal pal Daisy to help bring the event to you. Before he took his own maiden voyage on the AquaDuck, Donald Duck christened the first-of-its-kind attraction by adding in water collected from Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach waterparks located at Walt Disney World.

Then it was go for launch as Daisy cheered on her man — er, duck.

Here are some first look photos from the event. Unfortunately due to the eagerness to share these photos with you, they are raw and unedited as initially shared so there’s a fair amount of sensor dust on the camera (shame on us). Hopefully cleaned up images will be available in the upcoming days.

Also please look forward to an equally poor quality gallery of photos as the Disney Dream encountered the Disney Magic as she was docked at Castaway Cay.

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Although they won’t be going on sale until 6:30 pm this evening, these Disney Dream Inaugural patterned bags by Dooney & Bourke have already caused quite a stir upon the maiden voyage of the Disney Dream.

Although fashion accessories is not an area we admittedly excel at, it’s our understanding that the pricing for said line is surprisingly normal, running from $45 for the wristlet to $260 for the largest tote. Guests on board are limited to a purchase of two per style and while there seems to be some debate amongst passengers as to whether the design will be available onboard beyond the maiden voyage (apparently there is a distinction between the terms inaugural voyage and maiden voyage), we’ve been assured by the crew that these puppies are geared to sell out once and for all this trip around.

In related news, popular artist SHAG will making a signing appearance on the ship this evening to promote his new line of prints and merchandise for Disney Cruise Line. We’ve also learned that Disney Parks and Resorts Chair Tom Staggs is onboard and will be making a presentation to guests on board tomorrow morning, although we don’t expect anything really shocking to be said, just a cheap thrill (recording devices are strictly prohibited due to the nature of the event, however).

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Hudson is the godmother for The Dream, the newest Disney Cruise Line ship which will have its maiden voyage on January 26.  Before performing on “American Idol” and winning an Academy Award for “Dreamgirls,” Hudson was a performer for one of the Disney Cruise Line ships.

Photo by Gene Duncan, courtesy of Disney Cruise Line

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A friend of Stitch Kingdom, who has had the blessed opportunity to sail upon the Disney Dream prior to its inaugural launch on January 26, has provided us with several photos from the ship’s entertainment offerings.

First up is cruiser favorite the ‘Golden Mickeys’ which has received enhancements that are exclusive to the new ship. A whole new segment featuring Ariel and her friends from The Little Mermaid in an under the sea aerial ballet adventure. Also added to the show is Disney’s newest princess, Rapunzel, from Disney’s Tangled, who joins beau Flynn Rider in a faithful re-creation of the romantic boat ride scene. Also promised to the lineup is a Beast who transforms from creature to prince right in front of the audience’s eyes in the Beauty and the Beast segment.

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In the all-new production titled ‘Disney’s Believe,’ Dr. Cornelius Greenaway is a brilliant botanist obsessed with cultivating his precious plants who is so preoccupied with his garden that he overlooks the birthday of his daughter, Sophia. Saddened, Sophia makes a special birthday wish and the impossible happens: Genie from Disney’s Aladdin appears to make her dreams come true.

Billed as the most ambitious staged productions for Disney Cruise Line to date, the fifty-minute long show features over 20 beloved Disney characters and 18 musical performances. The show also features a grey-furred Baloo who’s also fully articulated, as Mickey Mouse and Timon are in their respective productions at the Walt Disney World Resort.

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For more information on the new show and other changes to the entertainment offered on board the Disney Dream, see our initial report.

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Serving the traditional role of godmother for the Disney Dream christening was Jennifer Hudson, the Academy Award and Grammy Award winner whose own dreams of stardom began when she was a performer on the Disney Wonder ship in 2003. Hudson was joined onstage by Disney CEO Bob Iger and Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Chairman Tom Staggs, as the enormous “champagne bottle” filled with dreams of adventure, romance and fun was lifted into the air and broken across the bow of the 130,000-ton ship.

The spectacle befit a ship brimming with innovative “wows” – including gallery art that comes alive, the first water coaster aboard a cruise ship, Magical Portholes that provide inside staterooms with a real-time ocean view, a full-blown shipboard fireworks show, personal interaction with animated characters, play floors like gigantic video games, and original Broadway-style stage spectaculars.

“For over a decade, Disney Cruise Line has been making vacation dreams come true for millions of families and we continue that tradition today with the launch of the Disney Dream,” Iger said. “The mix of imagination and innovation found on the Disney Dream is unparalleled and elevates the family cruise experience to new heights.”

The 4,000-passenger Disney Dream sails its maiden voyage out of Port Canaveral, Fla., on Jan. 26. It joins the 2,700-passenger Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, with the Disney Fantasy scheduled to join the fleet in 2012.

“The addition of the Disney Dream provides an opportunity to extend our horizons and open up Disney cruising to more families,” Staggs said. “From the majestic beauty of Alaska, to the culture and history of Europe, to the fun and sun of the Caribbean, families looking to take a Disney cruise have more options than ever before.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jrvXzimF94

Video and photo courtesy Disney Cruise Line

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The cover story gives readers a stem-to-stern tour of Disney Cruise Line’s awe-inspiring new ship, Disney Dream, a mighty 4,000 passenger vessel equipped with cutting-edge technology and activities and entertainment for ultimate family fun on the high seas. Featuring an exclusive guided exploration of this third and largest ship in the Disney fleet, the spring issue of Disney twenty-three lets readers learn exciting details from the Imagineers who helped transform their creative vision into one of the world’s most spectacular floating vacation spots.

Imagineer Joe Lanzisero steers readers through the ideas that percolated early on in the minds of his fellow Imagineers as the seemingly impossible details for the Disney Dream took shape and became reality. Readers will discover how the design team conquered new cruise challenges such as providing every stateroom on board with an ocean view (even the interior cabins!) as well as giving guests a way to safely steal a look 12 feet over the side of the ship itself. In talking about the design process, Lanzisero claims it was “…like watching a great musician or a great dancer create. It just happens before your eyes; you never think about what goes into it.”

Disney twenty-three’s spring issue also includes an exclusive interview with Sir Elton John discussing his participation in Disney’s new animated feature film, Gnomeo & Juliet, a picturesque and comedic retelling of Shakespeare’s traditional love story that now stars garden gnomes. Sir Elton talks about how the film inspired him to spoof his own music, adding that “every artist should have a sense of humor about himself. Nothing is sacred. I think poking fun at yourself is one of the greatest things you can do.” He also chats about recording a duet with Lady Gaga called ‘Hello Hello” and provides surprising insight about other songs included in the film.

The spring issue also celebrates the 25-year collaboration between composer Danny Elfman and filmmaker Tim Burton, presenting fans with a retrospective of the quirky fruits of their collaborations. Elfman reveals the creative process behind their sometimes funny and sometimes eccentric, but always unforgettable, creations.

There’s much more in the spring issue of Disney twenty-three, including:

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The launch of the Disney Dream is expected to bring sizable economic benefits to Port Canaveral and the region including nearly 450 jobs and thousands of additional cruise guests. The 130,000-ton ship will call Port Canaveral home and sail three-, four- and five-night Bahamian itineraries beginning with the ship’s maiden voyage on Jan. 26.

“We are extremely proud of the Disney Dream and all its innovations, but we are even more excited to finally see this ship here at home in Port Canaveral,” said Karl Holz, president of Disney Cruise Line.  “Port Canaveral has been our home since we launched our first ship here in 1998 and continues to provide our guests with an amazing cruise terminal facility which has been recently expanded and enhanced.”

In order to accommodate the new and larger Disney Dream, construction enhancements have been made to extend the dock facility and expand the terminal to allow for the additional guests.  Port Canaveral also constructed a brand new multi-level parking structure that connects the terminal via a sky-bridge walkway.

In keeping with tradition, Karl and Captain Tom hosted port officials and community leaders onboard the 4,000-passenger ship as part of the inaugural call ceremony where plaques were exchanged amongst the leaders.  The guests also had a chance to catch a sneak peek of some of the innovative features aboard the ship such as the AquaDuck – the first water coaster at sea, and the ship’s immaculate and art-deco inspired lobby, featuring a dazzling chandelier and Admiral Donald statue.

With the arrival of the Disney Dream in Port Canaveral, preparations are underway for its inaugural cruises and events, including the traditional christening of the vessel.  Other Disney Dream inaugural events include a Benefit Preview Cruise in support of Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida, sailing Jan. 21-23.

Designed to build upon Disney’s commitment to delivering unparalleled family cruises, the Disney Dream, which was built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany, is the first of two new ships for Disney Cruise Line.  A sister ship, the Disney Fantasy, which is currently under construction, will arrive in early 2012 to sail seven-night eastern and western Caribbean itineraries from Port Canaveral.

The

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Stitch Kingdom contributor prd3000 was on-hand to capture the momentous occasion and has shared his incredible HD video of the arrival with us, which you can watch in the video below. At approximately 1 minute in is when you can hear the Disney Dream play the iconic ‘when you wish upon a start’ Disney Cruise Line horn followed by a series of fireworks at sea, a feat that can only be accomplished by Disney Cruise Line.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7klTh-J9kQ

Be sure to check out prd3000′s other high quality and exceptional videos from Walt Disney World on Vimeo.

We will be aboard the maiden voyage and look forward to bringing you more extended coverage from the Disney Dream.

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Photo by Gene Duncan. Courtesy of Disney Cruise Line

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