Fantasy or Magic

[jrm11697]

Hello!

Two adults here and looking at taking DCL. We've talked for years about taking a Disney cruise, and really like this 5 night W. Caribbean cruise on the Magic from Miami or a 6 night W. Caribbean cruise on Fantasy from PC. There are some pros and cons, and were looking to see if anyone here has any insight.

Obviously the Fantasy is more expensive from a cruise standpoint, but is it worth it with all the "new" bells and whistles? I went on the Wonder a while ago when it was stationed in PC, so I am somewhat familiar with the Magic's layout.

The intenaries itself are similar and both look amazing. The main concern is if the Fantasy lives up to the hype being a newer ship. Any insight would be helpful!

 

[starry_solo]

I think the Fantasy has the Aquaduck

 

[PrincessShmoo]

And the Magic has AquaDunk.

Hello!

Two adults here and looking at taking DCL. We've talked for years about taking a Disney cruise, and really like this 5 night W. Caribbean cruise on the Magic from Miami or a 6 night W. Caribbean cruise on Fantasy from PC. There are some pros and cons, and were looking to see if anyone here has any insight.

Obviously the Fantasy is more expensive from a cruise standpoint, but is it worth it with all the "new" bells and whistles? I went on the Wonder a while ago when it was stationed in PC, so I am somewhat familiar with the Magic's layout.

The intenaries itself are similar and both look amazing. The main concern is if the Fantasy lives up to the hype being a newer ship. Any insight would be helpful!

Personally, I prefer the smaller Magic class ships. Either of those ships is fine. The Fantasy is "newer" somewhat, as the Magic had a major re-do a few years ago, upgrading a lot onboard.

For me the tipping point is the cruise length. 6 nights wins out over 5 nights, in most cases. The other variable I look into is the ports of call.

 

[Rob1872]

If you had kids, I'd say Fantasy because of things like Mid-Ships Detective Agency, Goofy's mini-golf, and more kids things. My wife and I enjoyed both Fantasy and Magic. Do you want to eat at Remy? (Obviously that drives you to Fantasy) Do you want a verandah? The price jump between cabin categories is bigger on Magic because there are fewer verandahs; there is a small jump between inside/outside/verandah on Fantasy because they have so many verandahs.
You'll enjoy either option.

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

I vote for Fantasy. More nights & more bells & whistles on the ship. The Aquaduck, Goofy Mini-Golf and Midship Detective Agency can be enjoyed by all ages. The Fantasy has Remy, a gourmet restaurant that the Magic does not have. It also has a better Rainforest Room in its spa. It has a nice upcharge sweets shop. The inside staterooms on the Fantasy have virtual portholes, and most of the oceanview staterooms on deck 5 & up on the Fantasy have massive portholes. Experiences with food & service are subjective, but we personally found both to be a bit better on the Fantasy than on the Magic.

The main thing to be careful about on the Fantasy is to avoid staying in the aft, as her aft staterooms sometimes have significant vibration due to a mechanical issue.

 

[vegs1]

Magic all the way!!!!!

 

[DisMommyTX]

We were disappointed on our Magic sailing that there was nothing going on after about 10pm. The one night club was pretty much empty by 10:30, no music or anything for night owls like us. I have heard that the Fantasy has more going on for adults after hours, so that would be a factor for us.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

I always like more days on a cruise, but our family loves the coziness of the Wonder and the Magic. We tend to be quieter, early to bed-early to rise types. The Fantasy does have all the bells and whistles-Satellite Falls and Remy etc. I guess it depends on what type of experience you are looking for. Sailing the Magic makes me feel like I am on an oceanliner from way back. The size and number of passengers is just right for me. That being said, I would never pass up a cruise on the Fantasy. LOL

 

[disruptor32]

That's a tough choice but I would always choose more nights over anything else. The Fantasy is newer, yes, and has more bells and whistles, sure, but it is not *better* than the Magic in my opinion. The Magic is a little smaller but has a lot of charm. The Fantasy has a lot of cool stuff but has more people and more staff.

Animator's Palate, an interactive restaurant on all DCL ships, is infinitely better on the Magic than on the Fantasy.

The major difference between the two, though, is the adults-only pool. On the Magic it is a big rectangle set inside another big rectangle, so it feels like a real swimming pool you can do laps in, but it also has a wade/splash area around the edges (to account for the water sloshing around while at sea). On the Fantasy, they slimmed the pool down to a weird kidney shaped monstrosity that is incompatible with any kind of actual swimming. It was clearly designed more for sitting while in water. I am not a fan.

Like I said, though, the ships are really so similar that I would personally choose an extra night over anything else. Interested to hear what you decide!

 

[cvjw]

We were not fans of the magic after sailing on the fantasy several times. There just wasn’t enough to do - no goofy golf, no mid ship detective agency. And the deal breaker for us - no satellite falls. On the magic, there were not enough sun loungers for everyone who wanted one on our cruise - it was a constant hunt to find any - especially in the adults only area. Every time we have sailed on the fantasy, you could always find a nice padded lounger in satellite falls

 

[disruptor32]

We were not fans of the magic after sailing on the fantasy several times. There just wasn’t enough to do - no goofy golf, no mid ship detective agency. And the deal breaker for us - no satellite falls. On the magic, there were not enough sun loungers for everyone who wanted one on our cruise - it was a constant hunt to find any - especially in the adults only area. Every time we have sailed on the fantasy, you could always find a nice padded lounger in satellite falls

This is an interesting take. I've never done the Goofy Golf but I should give it a try. I loved the MDA (and the magic paintings in general) but that's not a deal-breaker in choosing ships. Satellite Falls is pretty awesome though, I will agree. Last time I was on the Fantasy the water was too cold to really soak in the falls but the lounge chair area around it is amazing because I like shade and don't want to get cooked.

I'm surprised you had trouble getting a lounger on the Magic in the adults only area. It can be a challenge to get one on the pool deck sometimes but I've always been able to at least get one on the upper deck. To be fair, we always cruise while school is in session since we do not have children and the price difference is significant. Maybe you were on a particularly busy cruise?

 

[scgustafson]

Hello!

Two adults here and looking at taking DCL. We've talked for years about taking a Disney cruise, and really like this 5 night W. Caribbean cruise on the Magic from Miami or a 6 night W. Caribbean cruise on Fantasy from PC. There are some pros and cons, and were looking to see if anyone here has any insight.

Obviously the Fantasy is more expensive from a cruise standpoint, but is it worth it with all the "new" bells and whistles? I went on the Wonder a while ago when it was stationed in PC, so I am somewhat familiar with the Magic's layout.

The intenaries itself are similar and both look amazing. The main concern is if the Fantasy lives up to the hype being a newer ship. Any insight would be helpful!

Normally, I would say go with the longer cruise, but in this case for a night difference, I would definitely go with the much better ship and sail on Disney Magic.

 

[lilsonicfan]

We did the TA on the Magic and I thought it was an amazing ship. So easy to navigate. We did have days of not finding a lounger in the adults only area by the pool itself, but the TA cruises have a ton of adult only parties. So not that surprising.

I would go for longer cruise if the price per day were similar. I also prefer the aquaduck to the aquadunk. The golf and MDA don’t make as much impact nor does Remy.

 

[grantclaire]

That is a tough choice! I love both ships! Did a Magic cruise last March out of Miami and it was great. Really liked The Rapunzel's MDR. Have been on two Fantasy cruises which again were great! Loved the adult only pool area and the clubs. Had great service on both ships. It might come down too what ports you would prefer!

 

[bbn1122]

I have not been on the Fantasy only the Dream. And that was before they add all the extra water features etc.

I have been on the Magic 5 times. I like the adult pool area on the Classic Ships better. I really like O’Gills pub. I prefer Palo on the Magic and we have never dined at Remy.

Money is usually my deciding factor. And if you plan to cruise more in future you can always try the Fantasy later or vice verse.

Good luck.

 

[cvjw]

This is an interesting take. I've never done the Goofy Golf but I should give it a try. I loved the MDA (and the magic paintings in general) but that's not a deal-breaker in choosing ships. Satellite Falls is pretty awesome though, I will agree. Last time I was on the Fantasy the water was too cold to really soak in the falls but the lounge chair area around it is amazing because I like shade and don't want to get cooked.

I'm surprised you had trouble getting a lounger on the Magic in the adults only area. It can be a challenge to get one on the pool deck sometimes but I've always been able to at least get one on the upper deck. To be fair, we always cruise while school is in session since we do not have children and the price difference is significant. Maybe you were on a particularly busy cruise?

Yes, our cruise on the magic was in March/April. Busy time. No loungers anywhere on the ship. It was a constant parade of people walking the whole deck looking for chairs. Never had this happen on the fantasy, and we have sailed in the summer.

We have 20 and 23 year old boys. They like having extra things to do, like the golf and detective agency. They were bored silly on the magic.

We decided that the larger shops are a better fit for our family

 

[Dug720]

While I love Midship Detective Agency, I'd pick the Magic over the Fantasy. I love the overall vibe and the size. And the relaxation. I think too many people have lost the ability to just be - they always have to be doing something. If you're in the "need to be entertained 24/7" then the Fantasy would probably be right for you. But if you're down with time to just relax and be, the Magic would probably be a better fit.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

We have sailed on Wonder, Magic, and Fantasy. We prefer the smaller size of the classic ships, and we also prefer longer itineraries when available. Our compromise has been to do an occasional 7 night cruise on the Fantasy and do either back-to-back sailings on the Magic or the longer cruises (Transatlantic or Panama Canal) on either Magic or Wonder. More nights suggests the Fantasy for 6 nights vs. the Magic for 5. We find plenty to do on whichever ship we sail.

 

[MomOTwins]

Fantasy for two reasons: If I were on an adult only trip I'd want to get a rainforest room trip-long pass and go every day, and the Fantasy has a much nicer rainforest room. I also would rather not have the Rapunzel show on the Magic as while that would be really fun with kids, I'd prefer to have quieter conversation among adults at dinner without the interruption of a character show.

 

[jrm11697]

Oh I forgot to mention ... Miami would almost certainly need to be a flight where PC would be driveable.