Adventures Onboard the Disney Magic

There are times when we can all use a little magic in our lives. For me, that was midway through 2025, when I booked a Very Merrytime cruise on the Disney Magic, which set sail earlier this week. This was my second Disney cruise after having the most amazing time on the Wish a couple of years ago. Unlike the Wish, which was the newest ship at the time (though it isn't anymore), the Magic is the first and oldest ship in Disney's fleet. Still, there were many similarities between the two, which made me feel like an experienced Disney cruiser. Since it was my second time sailing with Disney, I was automatically inducted into their Castaway Club, which provided advance booking perks and a free tote bag and set of room key lanyards.

When I first booked this cruise, I didn't know much about what to expect except aside from the magical experience I had on the Wish, and that was enough for me. Imagine my joy upon learning that, like the Wish, this ship features two princess stage shows--Tangled: The Musical, which has been available to watch on YouTube ever since the COVID lockdowns, and Twice Charmed, which served as the inspiration for Cinderella III: A Twist in Time, one of the better animated Disney sequels. In addition to the princess shows, there is a stunningly detailed Tangled restaurant called Rapunzel's Royal Table, which includes a live dinner performance from Rapunzel and her friends, and Lumiere's, a French restaurant themed after Beauty and the Beast. I booked the Royal Gathering, which was also on the Wish, and provides meet'n'greets with four classic princesses without having to wait in line. Needless to say, this cruise was the perfect opportunity to show off all my newest princess dresses.

The Magic is a smaller ship than the Wish and doesn't feature as much rare artwork throughout the decks, making it less of a museum experience and more of a classic cruiseliner. The rooms are pretty generic without any specific theming. Our stateroom had a nice photograph of Walt Disney and his wife, Lillian, sailing on a cruise ship in 1934, as well as a line of sheet music from "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes," which seemed appropriate, given my recent Princess Piano series. Being the oldest and smallest ship, the Magic gives off the more intimate and classical atmosphere of Disneyland than the more grandiose and commercial vibes of Walt Disney World that parallel the newer ships in the fleet. The friendliness and warmth of the cast members, quality of entertainment, and overall theming on the Magic is consistent with all of Disney's state-of-the-art guest experiences around the world.

Among the many entertainment offerings on the ship, my favorite experience was dining at Rapunzel's Royal Table. Though all of the venues on the Magic are themed, this restaurant takes it to the next level, creating the ultimate experience for Tangled fans. From the floating lanterns covering the ceiling to the paintings around the windows to the intricately carved bread bowls featuring various scenes from the film, every inch of this restaurant is covered in Tangled Easter eggs. The dinner show was paced perfectly throughout the meal, beginning with some jokes from Hook Hand and Attila as they introduced Rapunzel, who was celebrating her birthday. She performed several songs from the movie along with a surprise number from the animated series, at which point Eugene showed up to join her. She greeted every table for pictures and autographs and was impressed that I decided to dress like her that day. I let her know that I'm working on one of her songs for my next Princess Piano session, and she said she's sure I sound beautiful. The restaurant was open for lunch throughout the rest of the cruise, and there was a fantastic photo op with the glowing lanterns from the film in front of the theater on the night they showed Tangled: The Musical.

        

Another benefit of sailing at this time of year is the chance to experience Disney's Very Merrytime. Disney does a great job of celebrating the holidays at the parks by lighting up the castles and offering exclusive holiday shows and events. Although the focus on the Magic was exclusively on Christmas, with little to no mention of other holidays, there were a lot of fun events in honor of the season. On the first night, Mickey and his friends came out to light the giant tree in the atrium. Later, there was a fun holiday show on the pool deck about Goofy missing his son, Max, and wanting to spend Christmas with him. There were several visits throughout the cruise from Santa and Mrs. Claus, and Belle came out during the Royal Gathering in her rare Christmas dress from Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas.

There were a lot of other activities to do on the ship in between shows, although there were some gaps that caused me to frantically scroll through the Disney Cruise Navigator app to figure out the best way to pass the time before the next major event. I sang karoake three out of the four days on the cruise. The best was in the afternoon because I wasn't half asleep, so I took turns between two musical theater fans, alternating between various Disney and Broadway songs for the full hour, and had a blast. I also participated in two Disney Tune Trivia events, which required guests to identify Disney songs from a short clip, often one second or less, of a lesser-played portion of the song. The first challenge was more difficult than the second, which was played live on piano, but I still won because there were fewer people at night. After that, I played a Mouseketeer game that was similar to "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?" and knew most of the answers before the choices appeared on the screen. I went on one excursion to see the Mayan ruins in Mexico followed by a visit to a yummy chocolate museum. The hot tubs in the adult-only section of the top deck were a great way to relax after hours of heavy walking.

These are only a few of the things I experienced during my Very Merrytime cruise on the Disney Magic, I will probably be reviewing Twice Charmed in a separate post, since it has a lot of significance in the Cinderella franchise. My trip was filled with enchanting entertainment, delicious food, and wonderful company. From the stunning Tangled-themed restaurant to the festive holiday celebrations, every moment was infused with Disney charm. Whether I was singing karaoke, participating in trivia, or simply relaxing in the hot tub, I felt like royalty. If you're looking for a little magic in your life, I highly recommend setting sail on a Disney cruise – it's a wish come true! Have you been on a Disney cruise before? Let me know which ship you experienced in the comments!