One must-do on the brand-new Disney Dream? A ride on the first-in-the-cruise-industry on-board water slide. Truly, this was a coveted activity on the two-night Inaugural Cruise; broadcast journalists had booked some time slots for filming, so the AquaDuck was opened at limited times. When my kids and I learned that they were opening it up for general use at 11 a.m. yesterday, we were among the first in line to hop on!
While the kids wished they were whisked through the tube even faster or that the ride was longer, I thought it delivered enough thrills. This is a raft ride that carries riders through a clear tube — at points suspended over the side of the ship! We were also dropped the height of 4 decks, and up and down a couple of smaller hills, getting splashed with water along the way. The Aqua Duck is the length of 2.5 football fields, and the ride in total is no more than a minute long. It’s open to any riders 4 feet and taller.
The views from the acrylic tube are really cool — since we rode the AquaDuck while we were docked at Castaway Cay (Disney’s private island) in the Bahamas; it was so fun sailing over the gorgeous turquoise water. Fun, too, to have a bird’s-eye view of the two Deck 11 pools.
Here’s a video of our views from the raft of the AquaDuck — taken with a GoPro high-definition, waterproof camera (the HD Helmet Hero that I wore on a head-strap). This our very first ride, and you can tell I was a bit surprised by the couple of unexpected dips! (In other words, if you don’t want to hear me scream, turn off your volume. Trust me – the shrieks of delight and the, “This is fun!” are genuine.)
Truly, the water features on the Disney Dream are impressive: Mickey’s Pool is just 2 feet deep and features an adjacent twisting and turning Mickey’s Pool Slide for kids at least 38 inches tall. Donald’s Pool is deeper, with a maximum depth of 5 feet. Nemo’s Reef is a water-play area with fountains and jets for children up to age 8 (best for toddlers and preschoolers). And adults head over to the Quiet Cove Pool, where you don’t even have to get out of the pool to order a frothy drink!
Love the waterslide-y goodness!! Were you chilly?
Not chilly at all – but we did at 11 a.m. on a sunny day, when docked at Castaway Cay. In the evening, after sun goes down… not sure I’d want to get wet!
AWESOME! Love the video–can’t wait to go for a ride!
love, love this video!
This is by far the coolest feature I have ever seen on a cruise ship! The video was excellent; I almost felt like I was there! My favorite part would definitely be when part of the slide is over the side of the ship. The terror and the thrill must have been a wonderful combination. I love how creative the Disney line seems to be. Disney just has a way of taking an ordinary vacation and making it magical. This seems like a vacation unlike any other.
cool video! looks like a very high cruise ship