Disney Dream

The Best Ride at Sea – Disney Cruise Line’s AquaDuck

by Magic Maker® Heather Straight

There’s a lot to love about the newest Disney Cruise Line® ship, the Disney Dream™.  Its beautiful décor, delicious restaurants, spectacular Broadway-style shows, spacious staterooms, and kids clubs that are beyond compare.  But if you asked my two boys, ages 7 and 4, to tell you the best thing about this wonderful ship, they’d have one thing to say: the AquaDuck.

The first of its kind at sea, the AquaDuck is a “water coaster” that takes you on a fast moving raft ride from the top of the aft funnel, through twists and turns, up and down hills, through the forward funnel and – the best part – over the side of the ship!  The journey through the acrylic tube is breathtaking and exhilarating, with two big drops and amazing view of the pool deck on one side and the expanse of the ocean on the other.

We took our first ride soon after boarding and settling in to our stateroom, and we were instantly hooked.  The ride is thrilling, but not scary, just fast enough to get your heart pumping but not so fast that you miss the spectacular scenery whizzing past you as you fly through the tube.  We had so much fun that our boys begged us to let them skip Mickey’s Pirates in the Caribbean deck party to ride the “Duck” instead!  There was no line – we literally rode over and over until it was time to go and get ready for Buccaneer Blast (because we certainly weren’t going to miss another Disney exclusive, fireworks at sea!).

To ride the AquaDuck, kids must be at least 42” tall to ride with an adult; single riders must be at least 54” tall.  The first time kids ride, they’ll be measured and then given an arm band to wear to show that they meet the height requirements.  You’ll find the stairs on Deck 11 near the Mickey Pool, and from there you climb up to the boarding area in the aft funnel.

Here are our best AquaDuck tips, perfected after our many rides:

• For more rides with less waiting, try in the evening, either after dinner if you have Main Seating or before dinner if you have Late Seating.  Avoid mid-day (especially on a sea day!), unless you’re prepared to stand in line.

• If you have a little one who is just at the 42” mark, make sure they don’t take off their armband!  Don’t risk having to be re-measured every time you want to ride.

• Help little ones get off the raft at the end of the ride before you do – the raft has a tendency to flip over when grown ups exit!

• If you get a chance, ride at night – the whole AquaDuck is lit up!  In fact, you can even ride during the fireworks, which is pretty spectacular.

• My husband and oldest son have this tip for getting more speed – arch your back and the raft will go faster!

• Keep your eyes open at the beginning of the ride – as soon as you’re “launched” you’ll be in the tube that goes out over the side of the ship.

• The easiest way to get into the raft is to turn so your backside is facing the raft, sit down, and then swing your legs in.  I looked pretty comical the first time I tried boarding, and a helpful Cast Member gave me this tip.

• Be prepared for a workout if you’re planning to ride more than once – climbing all those stairs is good exercise.  It’s a great way to get rid of some of those calories from the Grand Marnier soufflé you had at Royal Palace!

• Make sure you read the AquaDuck story as you climb up to the entrance – the colorful cartoon frames tell you about how Donald (with some help from his nephews) gave the ride its name.