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Disney Dream and Fantasy Secret Rooms – How to Find Them

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DISNEY DREAM AND FANTASY SECRET CABINS

Disney Dream Secret Staterooms most definitely do exist! Not all staterooms are created equal – even within the same category.

Everything here applies to both the Disney Dream and the Disney Fantasy as they have the same basic design.

If you know where to find the best ones then you can try and book these for your next Disney cruise.

Here we have written the most comprehensive guide available to the Secret Rooms on Disney Dream and Fantasy.

 

This guide includes pictures and videos so that you can decide which choice is the best for you.

Read on to find out how you can sometimes snag a bargain stateroom on the Disney Dream if you simply know where to look.

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Stateroom on the Disney Fantasy – If Only They Still Had Those Red Pillows!

WHAT IS A DISNEY CRUISE SECRET STATEROOM?

What do we mean by Secret Staterooms? Obviously, there aren’t any actually hidden staterooms on the ship.

If you look at a Disney Dream deck plan all the staterooms are shown!

However, not all staterooms are created equal. It pays to know exactly which stateroom you are booking.

The ones the insiders know are the Disney Dream Secret Rooms.

A Disney Dream or Fantasy Secret Stateroom is one that offers what many would be considered an upgrade. Without paying the cost of an upgrade.

Remember, when we talk about the Dream everything still applies to Disney Fantasy.

If you are looking for a guide to staterooms on the Disney Wonder or Disney Magic you need to click here.

First, we need to understand a few things about the Disney Dream stateroom categories and how they are priced.

Disney Cruise Lines has a number of different categories of stateroom on all of their ships.

For the non-concierge staterooms on the Disney Dream, the Categories are numbered 11 to 4.

  • Category 11 are Standard Inside Staterooms
  • Category 10 are Deluxe Inside Staterooms
  • Category 9 are Deluxe Oceanview Staterooms
  • Category 8 are Deluxe Family Oceanview Staterooms
  • Category 7 are Deluxe Oceanview Staterooms with Navigators Verandah
  • Category 6 are Deluxe Oceanview Staterooms with Verandah
  • Category 5 are Deluxe Oceanview Staterooms with Verandah
  • Category 4 are Deluxe Family Oceanview Staterooms with Verandah

So as you can see the lower the number the higher the category.

Price tends to be higher if the category is higher. For example, a Category 11 Standard Inside Stateroom will cost less than a Category 9 Deluxe Oceanview.

So Category 11 and 10 are the Inside Staterooms,

Within those categories, there are also subdivisions which are denoted by letters A to E.

So, for instance, you can have a Category 11A Stateroom, a 9B or a 4E.

What do the letters mean? They are different types of stateroom within the same category.

The letters show you that whilst the overall type of the room is the same there are differences.

These differences usually relate to location or view. Higher decks are seen as more desirable. So a Category 11A stateroom is on a lower deck than an 11B.

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Sometimes the letter relates to the view. So it could mean that the balcony stateroom has an obstructed view.

Why does this matter and why do people look for the Disney Dream Secret Rooms?

Price. The cost of a Disney Cruise is determined by the Category of Stateroom that you book.

All identical Categories will be priced the same. For example, all 4Es will be at the same price, all 9Cs will be offered at the same price.

However, not all Category 4s will be at the same price.

The exciting part about looking for a Secret Stateroom is that you will get a Stateroom that is a little different.

The design of the ship means that there are certain staterooms that are a little different.

These staterooms don’t fit into the “Usual” Category. This means that you may get an upgrade without paying an increased price for it.

In other words, you get a Balcony Room for an Outside Stateroom price.

Disney Dream Secret Verandah Staterooms

What are the Disney Dream Secret Verandah Rooms? When the Disney Dream was first launched they were named as Category 6 Staterooms.

However, Disney Cruises began receiving complaints that some of these Staterooms had an obstructed view.

As these Category 6 rooms were priced the same as those with an unobstructed view, guests started to complain.

Disney listened to what people were saying and decided to designated these Staterooms as Category 7A,

These are now priced at a lower rate than Category 6 and above.

Category 7A on the Disney Dream is called a Navigators Verandah.

This is a bit confusing for anyone who has sailed on the Disney Magic or the Disney Wonder.

On the Classic Ships, the Navigator’s Verandah is a very distinct type of Stateroom. It has a fully enclosed outside space.

It can’t really be called a balcony as it is not open to the outside.

There aren’t any Navigators Verandahs like this on the Disney Fantasy or the Disney Dream.

The term Navigators Verandah on the Dream Class ships just means it has an obstructed view.

There are 22 out of the 24 Category 7A Navigators Verandah Staterooms which have an Obstructed View.

Some of these are less obstructed than others! So even within this category, there are some better rooms to look out for.

These Secret Verandah Staterooms are on Decks 6, 7, 8, and 9 of the Disney Dream.

This video shows an example of one of the Navigator’s Verandahs on the Disney Dream.

This shows Stateroom 6178 which we think is one of the more obstructed views of that Category.

The best of the Disney Cruise Secret Rooms with Verandah is 8022, 8164, 8520, and 8662.

The obstruction is minimal and if these staterooms are available you should consider if they offer what you need for a better price than the category 6 Staterooms.

This is an example of one of the best Disney Dream Secret rooms. Stateroom 8022:

Next on the desirability scale are 7022, 7170, 7520, 7668, 9012, 9152, 9164, 9512, 9652, 9664. These have more of an obstruction but are still great choices.

The least desirable, as they do have quite a significantly obstructed view are 5024, 5524, 6178, 6678, 7182, 7680, 8176, 8674.

Staterooms 5188 and 5688 do not have an obstructed view, but they have a very small balcony. These are staterooms that we really would avoid on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy.

Here is a video showing 5688.

The balconies in these two Staterooms are so small that they can’t fit a chair. However, they do have a built-in bench that seats two.

What you have to remember about these Disney Dream Secret Rooms is that you will be getting a Verandah but paying for an Outside Stateroom.

So really it doesn’t matter how much of an obstruction it is, you are still getting great value from one of these Staterooms.

SECRET LARGE OVERSIZED DISNEY DREAM AND FANTASY STATEROOMS

There is another Category of Disney Dream Stateroom which some guests may want to consider, as they are larger than the standard size of that Category.

These Oversized Staterooms are all in the 8A category and there are only eight of them available. Some are handicapped accessible.

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Image by Disney

The first type of Category 8A Staterooms on the Disney Dream has an L Shaped living and sleeping area and open plan design.

They do not have the privacy curtain that all the other Staterooms have on the ship.

They also do not have a split bathroom or a tub. As they are handicapped accessible they have a large shower area with a curtain in the corner of the bathroom.

These Secret Rooms on the Disney Dream are 5018 and 5518 on Deck 5. There are more available on Deck 6 namely 6012, 6014, 6016, 6510, 6512 and 6514.

Staterooms 6014 and 6016 connect and so do 6512 and 6514. Each of these rooms has a support pole in the living and sleeping area.

All of these Staterooms sleep 4 guests so it can be a great choice for families who want some extra space and don’t mind the unusual bathroom arrangement.

The second type of Category 8A is also oversized, but has a divider wall between the living and the sleeping area. These Disney Dream staterooms are still only one room because although there is a wall it does not separate the areas completely.

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Image by Disney

These don’t have the split bathroom either, but as they are not handicapped accessible they are smaller than the other Category 8A bathrooms.

They do have the tub though so some people may prefer this.

There are only 4 Staterooms on the Disney Dream and Fantasy like this. They are 5020 and 5022 which connect and 5520 and 5522 which are also connecting.

This video gives a great view of what these unique staterooms look like.

DISNEY DREAM SECRET CONNECTING STATEROOMS

Sometimes you want to book more than one stateroom on the Disney Dream. Many of the Staterooms in all Categories are connecting Staterooms.

Just like in a hotel room, your Connecting Stateroom will have a door between each cabin which is lockable from each side.

These are a great choice for families, particularly if you have young children who are not yet old enough for a separate cabin.

However, what many guests don’t realize is that whilst some Staterooms do not have a connecting interior door, they do have a connecting Balcony Door.

Most of the Verandahs on the Disney Dream and Fantasy are able to be connected. You simply ask your Room Steward to unlock the steel door which separates the Verandahs.

DISNEY CONCIERGE SECRET STATEROOMS

Just as with the Category 4 to 11 Staterooms, some of the Concierge Staterooms are better than others. This is true even though some are in the same category and you will pay exactly the same rate for them.

If you want the larger balcony and are booking a One Bedroom Concierge Stateroom you should choose  11002, 11006, 12000, 12006, 12012, 12506 or 12512.

This is a video of Stateroom 11006 on the Disney Fantasy which is identical to the Disney Dream. As you will see, it has a great size balcony.

There are also some Concierge Family Oceanview Staterooms with Verandah which have the larger balconies.

These are Staterooms numbered 11004, 12008, 12010, 12508 and 12510 on the Disney Dream and the Disney Fantasy.

One Concierge Stateroom which has a completely unique design is 12000. This is a One Bedroom Concierge Suite which is located between the two Royal Suites on the ship.

Stateroom 12000 is designed so that it can connect with either or both of the two Royal Suites to form one huge suite of cabins at the front of the ship.

What this means is that when you walk into 12000 there is a corridor with connecting doors on the left and right to the Royal Suites on either side.

The advantage of Stateroom 12000 is that it is a large balcony.

The disadvantage is that people on Deck 13 above can look right down onto it. So if privacy is of high priority you may want to look at one of the other Disney Concierge Secret Staterooms.

DISNEY CRUISE STATEROOM AMENITIES

All of the Category 4 to 11 Staterooms on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy have certain features in common.

Here is what you can expect to find in your Disney Dream Stateroom.

Beverage Cooler. This really has to be called a Beverage Cooler and not a refrigerator as it doesn’t get particularly cold. You can also request that your Room Steward brings you some ice. There is an Ice Bucket already in your room.

You will also find four small glasses in every stateroom. It is much nicer drinking wine from a proper wine glass though.

Your Room Steward will also be happy to bring you wine glasses if you ask. Or you can bring them from one of the Disney Cruise Bars.

Disney Cruise Staterooms are larger than average and very well designed. This means that there is a good amount of storage space.

To make things even easier for packing at home and then unpacking in your Stateroom I always suggest Packing Cubes

Once you have tried packing cubes you will wonder what you ever did without them!

On the Disney Dream and Fantasy, you will find a coffee table that has a hinged lid and storage space inside.

The only thing that you have to do is make sure you remember that you put things in there! It can be easy to miss this when you are packing to get off the ship.

There is also a large desk and a small backless stool that fits underneath the desk. There are shelves and cupboards on either side of the desk to provide plenty of storage.

Always remember to look in the Stateroom desk drawer. This is where you will find the cards to leave out for your Room Service Breakfast Order.

You will also find Disney Cruise Postcards and other stationery for you to use on the cruise or take home with you.

I always use the desk space for charging the many electronic devices we have. Lots of sites tell you to bring power strips on a cruise as there aren’t many outlets.

However, power strips are prohibited on a Disney cruise. If you try and bring one on board with a surge protector it will be confiscated.

To get over the problem of not enough outlets I bring this 6 Port USB Rapid Desktop Charging Station. It’s small and easy to pack but it will charge up to 6 devices.

You will find an electronic safe located in the closet in the corridor. It is useful as it will hold important documents such as your passport and small valuables. Unfortunately, it will not hold a laptop.

There is a hairdryer provided. It will be located in one of the desk drawers. There is nothing wrong with it, but a lot of guests bring their own.

Every Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy stateroom has its own adjustable thermostat.

You will also find a desk phone. For those of you who have sailed with Disney before you may remember the wave phones. These are no longer in the staterooms – but if you want one then early in 2022 you could still check them out of guest services.

Disney Fantasy Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom Review

Every Disney Cruise Stateroom has a flat-screen television. It is mounted on the wall on a moveable arm so you can angle it for the best view.

The Disney Dream stateroom television has a number of channels including of course Disney Channel.

The great thing about it is that it has television on-demand with a large selection of Disney-owned movies.

Some people miss the fact that the shows which are staged in the Walt Disney Theatre are also shown on television.

If you miss a show or want to see it again, you can watch it on the television.

Another great feature is the live map which shows you where you are and the speed the ship is sailing.

Most of the Disney Dream staterooms have a very thick privacy curtain. This is very useful as it separates the living area from the sleeping area.

This is great as the living area converts to a sleeping area. So the curtain gives you privacy when sharing.

One of the features that Disney Cruise lines is known for is the split bathroom. What is this? Instead of one room, there are two spaces for the bathroom.

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One room has a toilet and a sink. The other has a small bathtub with a shower and an additional sink.

The split bathroom idea is brilliant as it helps with the morning rush where everyone wants to use the bathroom at the same time!

One of the most talked-about features of all Disney Dream staterooms is the complimentary H20 Shampoo, Conditioner, Soap, and Body Lotion. These are really high-quality products which are supplied for your use.

It was great when you got the small bottles and your Room Steward would leave more every morning and night.

However, those days are over! Now you have large bottles which are refillable.

This is to help cut down on the waste of individual bottles. Also most likely to stop so many of the individual bottles walking off the ship!

If you want to take some of the H2O products home with you then you can buy them in the Disney Cruise Store on board. Or you can Order Them at Home to Save Money

Have you ever stayed in a Disney Dream Secret Stateroom?

 

 

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