Deck by Deck Guide to the Disney Wonder

If you’re heading out on a trip aboard the Disney Wonder, or even just curious what the ship is like, this post offers a deck-by-deck breakdown of the ship. We’ll start with the basics of finding your way around (like how I remember “Aft” and “Port”), before moving onto deck-by-deck look at everything the ship has to offer. Read on to learn all about what’s aboard the Disney Wonder!

About This Post

This post is meant to give you a basic idea of the layout of the Disney Wonder. It supplements our lengthy Disney Wonder Alaskan Cruise Trip Report.

This post isn’t meant to provide information about, e.g., room selection. I also don’t go into great depth about what each and every item offers. The Walt Disney Theatre, for example, will host a ton of shows of varying style / quality throughout the trip, but in this post it’s enough to know it’s the big theatre and it’s on Deck 4, forward.

I recommend opening up the Disney Cruise Line website’s deck plan page here to explore along with this post. There’s a relatively recent map of the ship here, too.

Basics of Navigating the Disney Wonder

Here are some tips for finding your way around the ship. We’ll start with the four directions (and how I remember them). Forward is the direction the ship is going / pointed—that one is pretty easy. Aft is “not forward”. If you can’t remember it that way, try “Aft like A— = rear”.

Port is the left side of the ship when facing forward. I remember it because P-O-R-T is four letters ending in “T” and L-E-F-T is four letters ending in “T”. Starboard is the right side of the ship facing forward. I remember it as “not port.”

The ship can broken down into three sections—forward, midship, and aft. The only new one here is “midship,” which is obvious enough. These sections aren’t clearly delineated, but they’re useful enough.

The Disney Wonder has 11 decks with publicly accessible spaces, though in practice you’ll only use around six of these—Decks 3, 4, 5, 9, and 10, plus your stateroom deck. (We’ll talk much more about all the decks later in this post.)

There are three elevator banks on the Disney Wonder—at forward, aft, and midship. Each elevator bank has an accompanying set of stairs. The midship elevator bank includes stops at the main atrium (Decks 3, 4, and 5), and the ship’s forward funnel, near the main pool, on Decks 9 and 10.

The only other thing to note is that not all the forward and midship elevators go to Deck 10, and only two elevators go to Deck 11 (which is only the Vibe kids’ club).

There are maps of the floor at each elevator bank. I posted some of these throughout this post. The maps are oriented the direction you’re facing (a bit confusing for sharing them in this post, but helpful in real life). So if you are looking at a map facing forward, the forward part of the ship is at the top. If you’re facing aft, the aft part of the ship is at the top. (I honestly didn’t notice this until I put this post together, sorry.) Starboard and port offer side views. Here’s the Deck 9 map from the starboard side, it also gives you a good sense of how comprehensive these maps are:

Finally, before we get to the deck-by-deck breakdown here’s how I remember the decks (these are quick rules of thumb, not comprehensive):

Decks 1, 2, 6, 7, and 8 are mostly staterooms, don’t worry about them
Decks 3 and 4 are the main indoor decks. The bars are on Deck 3, and the promenade is on Deck 4. Otherwise I can’t remember which stuff is on which of these offhand.
Deck 5 is the other indoor deck, but its just the little kids’ clubs and the Buena Vista movie theatre.
Deck 9 is the main outdoor deck (pools), plus the spa and quick service restaurants.
Deck 10 is mostly just a walkway around Deck 9.

With that said, let’s get more comprehensive, deck by deck…

Disney Wonder Deck 1

Deck 1 of the Disney Wonder contains staterooms and the Health Center (first aid, not a fitness center). It also (usually) provides access on and off the ship when at port via the Tender Lobbies.

disney Wonder Deck 2

Deck 2 of the Disney Wonder contains staterooms. There is also a laundry room (launderette) port side, opposite stateroom 2096.

Disney Wonder Deck 3

Deck 3 of the Disney Wonder is the lowest of three decks (3, 4, and 5) that comprise the main inside public space of the ship.

Deck 3 Midship

Deck 3 is home to the Atrium, where you’ll enter the ship and where a variety of events and character greetings are held. Around Deck 3’s atrium are balconies on Decks 4 and 5, which also host a variety of character greetings.

Disney Wonder Deck 3 Atrium seen from Deck 5 balcony, with Deck 4 in between

Adjacent to the atrium is Triton’s, one of the three rotational dining restaurants you’ll dine at (over a 7 night cruise, you dine at each restaurant twice and one of them a third time). Also immediately off opposite sides of the atrium you’ll fine desks for Guest Services and Port Adventures.

Deck 3 Forward

On forward side of Deck 3 Atrium—opposite Triton’s, past the elevator bank—is a hallway to “After Hours”, the ‘nightlife’ district, home to three bars/lounges and a small shop.

Azure is the first bar in Deck 3 forward, but it’s really more of an activity / lounge space than a bar. For the most part, if there isn’t something going on—trivia, dance party, etc.—you won’t find anyone in there.

Crown & Fin Pub and Cadillac Lounge are the two true bars onboard. During our trip, Crown & Fin usually opened in the early afternoon but Cadillac didn’t open until the evening (it may host some paid activities during the day, though).

Aside About Kids in the “After Hours” Area

It’s very hard to find any sort of official source on exactly when and under what circumstances kids are allowed in Crown & Fin Pub, Cadillac Lounge, and Azure. All three are in the “After Hours” section of the ship, and all official Disney sources treat these basically as a unit, including marking them all as “Good For: Adult Exclusive” on the website.

However, Azure hosts several explicitly “All Ages” events throughout the cruise, including at night, so kids definitely are allowed in Azure for those. Moreover, we were in Crown & Fin (without Zoe) during midday “adults only” crafting, while kids were in there. The Cast Member said something like “kids are allowed in here right now, but not encouraged to participate.” Crown & Fin also has a host of board games that definitely could be of interest to kids during the day.

Most unofficial sources suggest kids are allowed into these bars until 9PM. As noted, I can’t find an official source on that point, and Cadillac Lounge even hosts musical performances before 9PM that are marked as “Adults Only.” Well, music is a non-excludable good—you can’t stop people in a bar from hearing the music, so it’s not like kids could just “not participate.” I assume then that kids are just not allowed in that space at that time.

I don’t know what the bottom line is. Your experience may vary? Use good judgement? Avoid the bars with kids after 9PM? Probably some mix of all three of those. For our part, we only brought Zoe to Azure for the family friendly events, and we went to the other two bars by ourselves while Zoe was in the kids’ club.

End of Aside

There’s a small gift shop, Sea Treasures, next to Azure and Crown & Fin.

Deck 3 Aft

That’s it for the forward part of Deck 3. From the atrium, the aft section of Deck 3 is accessible via a hallway on the port side, right if you’re facing Triton’s. Following that hallway, you’ll visit French Quarter Lounge and then Tiana’s Place.

French Quarter Lounge is a very cute space that functions as both a café and bar. I found the vibe to be much more café than bar, and there were long chunks of a few evenings where the whole place was just me, my café au lait, my beignet, and my book.

Tiana’s Place is another one of the three rotational dining restaurants.

Disney Wonder Deck 4

Deck 4 is a busy place.

For starters, I’ll mention that Deck 4 has an outdoor Promenade around the ship. There is seating and shuffleboard, and some people will go on runs out there (for a variety of reasons, I generally recommend the fitness center’s treadmills for running).

Deck 4 Forward

As noted earlier, the midship part of Deck 4 is a balcony around the Atrium. Heading forward through the central hallway from the balcony, you’ll pass between Mickey’s Mainsail and White Caps, the two main gift shops onboard.

The shopping hallway on Disney Wonder’s Deck 4 (facing back toward the midship atrium)

Continuing forward, past the shops, you’ll come to the Walt Disney Theatre and Preludes.

Disney Wonder - Outside Walt Disney Theatre

There is some seating outside the theatre, with entrances to the theatre on either side. In the above photo on either side you can see a bit of the (closed) Preludes snack bars. These snack bars sell standard small bites and drinks for shows in the Walt Disney Theatre.

Inside the Disney Wonder’s Walt Disney Theatre

The Walt Disney Theatre itself is the larger of the two theaters onboard and the one that hosts the feature entertainment onboard. Like any other large space onboard, it is also an occasional meeting spot for activities or Port Adventures.

Deck 4 Aft

Heading back to midship, directly off the aft side of the Deck 4 balcony is D Lounge, an activity space.

On the port side of D Lounge (right if facing the lounge) is a hallway that also serves as a small art gallery. Walking down it, you’ll first enounter Shutters, the onboard photography shop. This is where you can see and purchase your photos from the cruise.

Through Shutters is Animator’s Palate, the remaining rotational dining restaurant.

Disney Wonder Deck 5

Deck 5 is quite simple compared to Decks 3 and 4.

As noted earlier, Deck 5’s midship section is a balcony around the atrium. Forward on Deck 5, off the atrium, is Oceaneer Lab (ages 3-10), one of the kids’ clubs on the ship.

Further forward—accessible via a hallway on the port side—are staterooms.

Take the port-side hallway aft from the atrium you’ll first encounter Oceaneer Club (ages 3-10), another of the kids’ clubs. The Club and Lab are actually themselves connected by a hallway (on the starboard side of the atrium), allowing kids to move between them.

Past Oceaneer Club is “it’s a small world” nursery—an extra-cost nursery for kids aged 6 months (1 year on some itineraries) to 3 years.

Finally, past the nursery, is Buena Vista Theatre. This theatre mainly (perhaps only) plays feature films throughout the cruise. There is typically a small snack stand open outside, selling snacks for a price.

Further aft are more staterooms.

Disney Wonder Decks 6-8

Decks 6, 7, and 8 of the Disney Wonder consist of staterooms. There are two laundrettes:

Deck 6 - Starboard Side - Opposite Stateroom 6588
Deck 7 - Starboard Side - Opposite Stateroom 7590

Disney Wonder Deck 9

Decks 9 and 10 are the main public outdoor space on the Disney Wonder, with Deck 9 having most of the key features and Deck 10 consisting mainly (not solely) of a seating / walking area with views of Deck 9.

Deck 9 midship is the main pool onboard—Goofy’s Family Pool (kids must be toilet trained, swim diapers not allowed, life jackets available). Above the pool is the Funnel Vision screen, which plays feature films much of the cruise. There is also a stage just under the screen, and when it’s in use the pool itself will be covered and converted to a stage or viewing area. Off the aft side of the pool are two whirlpools. Here’s a look at this whole area from Deck 10:

Deck 9 midship, Goofy’s Family Pool, seen from Deck 10

Along the outside of of the deck is a decent amount of seating, in case you decide to get quick service food from some of the spots we’ll be covering next. We have a Quick Guide to the Quick Service Food on the Disney Wonder if you want to know more about these options.

With the other decks, I started with forward before aft. It makes more sense here to go the other direction. Directly aft of Goofy’s Family Pool is Pinocchio’s Pizzeria, a small quick service stand serving mostly (you guessed it!) pizza.

Heading along the starboard (left if facing Pinocchio’s) side of the funnel, you’ll pass Eye Scream—the complimentary soft serve stand—and Sulley’s Sips, an extra-cost beverage shop.

Disney Wonder - Sulley’s Sips and Eye Scream

On the other side of the funnel is Pete’s Boiler Bites, another small quick service stand, this one specializing in things like burgers and sausages.

Just aft of Pete’s is AquaLab, a pool and splash pad area intended for smaller children (must be toilet trained, swim diapers not allowed, life jackets available). Adjacent to AquaLab is Dory’s Reef a splash pad for kids up to age 3, including those who are not toilet trained (swim diapers required if not toilet trained).

Disney Wonder - Dory’s Reef (left) AquaLab and Twist ‘n’ Spout

The water slide on the Disney Wonder is the Twist ‘n’ Spout. It has a 38” height requirement. Access to the top of the slide is via stairs from Deck 10 (which are themselves right near the stairs from Aqualab on Deck 9). The slide finishes on Deck 9, port side of Aqualab.

As you near the aft of the ship, you’re approaching Cabanas, the main quick service restaurant onboard. On the starboard side, just outside Cabanas, is Daisy’s De-Lites, a quick service stand offering lite offerings like sandwiches, fruit, and salads.

On the port side is a beverage station with sodas and drip coffee. At the far aft of Deck 9 is Cabanas. We discuss Cabanas more in our Quick Guide to Quick Service Food on the Disney Wonder. Suffice here to say it’s the main quick service restaurant onboard—a buffet for breakfast and lunch. It’s not open for dinner. Cabanas has plenty of indoor seating and outdoor seating along the aft of the ship.

That’s all for Deck 9 midship and aft. That brings us to Deck 9 forward, which is the (almost entirely) Adults Only section of the ship.

Deck 9 Forward

Unlike the “After Hours” area on Deck 3, there’s absolutely no ambiguity that the forward part of Deck 9 is adults only—meaning for guests 18 and over. There’s even unambiguous signs.

For simple reasons owing to the layout of the ship, it’s common to see families with minor children accidentally passing through this area, and the outdoor portions of the area are visible from Deck 10, which is not adults only. This is all to say that you’re still on a family-friendly ship, so behave like it.

There is a specific spot forward of Goofy’s Pool on Deck 9 that isn’t adults only. Adjacent to the midship stairs, on the starboard side, you’ll find Edge, the club for kids ages 11 to 14.

On the port side of this same area is Cove Cafe, a coffee shop that is technically in the adults-only part of the ship.

The rest of the adults only section can be broken into the outdoor portion and the indoor portion. The outdoor portion consists of the Quiet Cove Adult Pool and its two whirlpools, along with the Signals outdoor bar (the bar is in the literal center of the below photo, but closed).

Disney Wonder - Quiet Cove Adult Pool, Signals Bar

The indoor portion of the adults only section is the far forward part of Deck 9, and it consists of the Senses Spa and fitness center.

Disney Wonder Deck 10

As noted earlier, Deck 10 is the higher of the two outdoor decks on the Disney Wonder.

It mainly consists of a walkway around the ship with views of the sea and Deck 9.

This makes it good for taking in stage shows held on Deck 9 (like the Sail-A-Wave embarkation party) or watching Funnel Vision without being right next to the pool on Deck 9.

Since Alaska cruises are a lot about scenery, Deck 10 is also going to be the best place to take in this scenery. The Deck 4 promenade is a nice outdoor walkway, but you have Deck 5 immediately overhead. Deck 9 views will be obstructed by windows along the outside of the ship and by Deck 10 around / above. Deck 10, however, offers great views.

Deck 10 is overall a pretty simple deck. All the way forward is the Wide World of Sports Deck, an netted space with basketball hoops, table tennis, and foosball.

Disney Wonder - Wide World of Sports Deck

Along the forward edge of Deck 10 is a viewing area with a slab of protective glass. You can either stand in front of or behind the glass, but sometimes the space in front of the glass is closed.

Inside, just off the forward elevator bank (this bank has only one elevator on Deck 10) is Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.

Disney Wonder - Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

Continuing toward midship you’ll have views of the adults-only section of the ship below. At the midship funnel and elevator bank you’ll find stairs to Vibe (on Deck 11) and the Concierge Lounge for concierge guests.

As noted above, midship is just viewing / sitting area, along with stairs leading to the entrance to the Twist ‘n’ Spout water slide.

Aft you’ll find more viewing space and Palo, the adult-exclusive signature restaurant.

Disney Wonder Deck 11

There’s actually only one public space in “Deck” 11. Taking the stairs or elevator from Deck 10’s midship elevator bank, you’ll go up to Vibe the kids’ club for teens 14 to 17.