Sailing with Teens: Our Disney Wish Review

When I started planning this year’s annual family vacation, I was torn on where we should go and what we should do. After years of considering a Disney cruise, we finally took the plunge with our teenager aboard the Disney Wish for a 4-day Bahamas getaway. Here’s what we discovered about cruising with teens, managing dietary restrictions, and whether the Disney magic holds up for families with older kids.

Thoughts on the Ship and Our Stateroom

The Disney Wish itself is gorgeous!!! The ship was big, while also feeling cozy at the same time.

We splurged on a balcony room, and it was absolutely glorious – especially compared to our Royal Caribbean experience last summer.

One of the best features for this mama of a boy child who is also the only female in the house, was Disney’s decision to separate the shower from the toilet, creating two distinct bathroom areas. With a sink in each space, we could all get ready without waiting in line – crucial when traveling with a teenager who takes extraordinarily long showers.

Our room included a queen bed and a convertible couch. While the couch mattress was initially thin when converted into a twin bed, our room steward quickly provided a mattress topper when we mentioned it, making it much more comfortable for our son.

The privacy curtain separating the sleeping areas was a game-changer when traveling with a teen – at least we could pretend we had some privacy! But my absolute favorite feature was the balcony itself.

It felt like having a completely separate living space, perfect for quiet morning coffee while the family slept or afternoon relaxation during my husband’s inevitable vacation naps.

Storage exceeded all expectations – between the generous closet space, numerous drawers, and under-bed storage, we never felt like our belongings were taking over the room. Of course, it helped that our teenager was rarely there except to change clothes and sleep! And i loved that there were plenty of outlets throughout the room, which meant we could keep all our devices charged without fighting over charging stations.

Dining and Restaurants

The Disney Wish has three main dining rooms that rotate nightly – Arendelle (featuring Frozen-themed cuisine), Worlds of Marvel (with Marvel superhero’s theme) ), and 1923 (honoring Walt Disney) – each with its own unique theme and menu, providing variety throughout the cruise.

For specialty dining, Palo Steakhouse and Enchante by Chef Arnaud Lallement offer upscale experiences ( we did not try either one) while casual options like Marceline Market and Mickey and Friends Festival of Foods provided convenient food on the go.

My favorite dish was an appetizer the first night from 1923:

And my favorite dinner item was the Jerk Chicken on our Third night at Worlds of Marvel:

But the BEST meal on the ship, was the morning they served Churro Waffles.

OMG it was soooo good. I wish I had gotten more than one but I was unsure! But I know next time lol .

Gluten-Free Dining on the Disney Wish

Managing a food allergy ( my son is allergic to wheat) on a cruise can be scary, but Disney, as usual, exceeded our expectations. The dining team took our son’s dietary restrictions seriously from day one, with each restaurant having knowledgeable staff who could identify safe options. Each evening, he preordered his meal for the following night, which did take away guessing and stress.

But I will say that the experience varied by meal and day. The first night, he enjoyed a basic steak and baked potato and was satisfied. However, by night two, the fancy menu options weren’t appealing to him anymore. Our server, bless him, picked up on this and by the third night offered him a cheeseburger and pizza for dinner instead. By the final night, he got the roast but was admittedly over it all. BUT, as my son put it, while dinner didn’t always have what he really wanted, breakfast and lunch left him completely satisfied with the variety and options available.

( Gluten free breakfast that included an Omelet, bacon, sausage, a hashbrown and pancakes!)

And yes, he ate all of that.

The standout moment was at Castaway Cay, where our waiter had his meal waiting in at Cookie’s BBQ pavilion. He went and collected it himself with no issues, which I LOVED for him.

Because he is older and a very independent person, I loved that throughout the cruise, he found it remarkably easy to approach any dining location, mention his gluten allergy, and receive separately prepared food without any problems. This went for Marceline Market in the morning for breakfast and anywhere at Mickey and Friends Festival of Foods. He got pizza, a burrito bowl, burger and fries, barbecue all on his own just by asking without us having to be there. This made the entire dining experience stress-free for our family.

The Highlight of the Cruise for me: Castaway Cay

Disney’s private island was unanimously our favorite part of the cruise. The Teen Hideout, located at Sports Beach away from the main beach area, provided a dedicated space for cruisers aged 14-17 to hang out with new friends from the ship. With beach volleyball, soccer games, hammocks, and other activities organized by counselors, it gave our son something to do that was not with us, on the island.

The gluten-free BBQ options were plentiful and clearly marked. Having his pre-ordered meal waiting at a specific pavilion meant he could grab it independently without us hovering which was perfect for our independent teenager.

We hung out on the beach, having lovely adult bevaages and I got in some reading time and naps. So..it was the perfect day for me.

The Teen Reality Check

Our son was initially skeptical about a “Disney” cruise at his age. But he enjoyed the idea of freedom on our last cruise and was looking forward to making new friends on the boat. And while he found some enjoyment, his concerns proved partially valid.

As he put it, there were NOT a lot of teens on our ship. It could have been because we went at the beginning of June instead of mid summer, but the fact was, that there were 5 teenage boys to hang out with and a few girls to round out their group. I counted about 10 people in the group photos I saw on his phone.

There were other teens on board he noted, but they pretty much stuck with their parents.

The highlights for him included the AquaMouse water coaster, the movie theater with popcorn( one of his favorite things in the parks) pickup basketball games on the sports deck, and the teen-only Edge club where he met other kids and enjoyed late-night activities. He appreciated the freedom to roam the ship independently and the curfew policies ( 1 am) . However, beyond these specific amenities, there simply wasn’t much designed with teens in mind. Most activities skewed heavily toward younger children.

What the Parents Thought

I agree with the boy. I told my husband that Disney must be a dream for parents with younger kids. The kids club and nursery looked awesome and there were character meets and spontaneous dancing and the kids areas to play in. But, I think that the cruises’ sweet spot is clearly the 12-and-under crowd.

But that didn’t mean WE the adults, didn’t have fun lol. When our son was off having teenage fun, we got a chance to explore the ship’s adult spaces, like Quiet Cove pool area which was full of great quiet spots to lounge in and have coffee. Cove Cafe was my fav.

We hit up the star wars lounge and others to always try the specialty drinks and of course, we couldn’t not play Bingo!

But my favorite thing to do though, was to go get Gelato from the Sweet Shop ( it was an extra charge) everyday and then find a quiet spot to read my book!

And even though this ship felt full of kids and busy, even if I wasn’t in the adults only area, I always found a great spot to read a book peacefully that wasn’t my room so I count that as a win. Plus, I did get to dance with Mickey…

Final Verdict

I wish we could have gone when my son was younger. He would have had the TIME OF HIS LIFE.

BUT, The Disney Wish delivered Disney’s magical attention to detail and the customer service and food and atmosphere was wonderful. But it reinforced our suspicion that Disney cruises are optimized for families with younger children. Or for people cruising without kids.

While there were pockets of fun for our teenager – the teen club, basketball court, and AquaMouse – an independent teen will likely find the overall experience lacking in age-appropriate activities. The exceptional gluten-free dining and beautiful ship amenities were definite highlights, but if you have a teen who needs more than a few specific activities to stay engaged, you might want to consider other cruise lines that cater more extensively to older kids.

Will we be back? Yes. I think my husband and I will try a different ship on our own and the teen might return…because of the food lol.

Questions? Let me know how I can help!