We spent five nights in the Disney Magic’s Walter E. Disney Suite, the most magical place on Disney Cruise Line, to give you the inside scoop.

Location

Located mid-ship on Deck 8 in stateroom 8030 on Disney Magic, the cruise line’s first ship, and the Disney Wonder, the palatial two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom suite, is on the ship’s port (left) side across from the comparable Roy O. Disney Suite (stateroom 8530) and around the corner from the midship elevator banks. The 1,029-square-foot suite sleeps seven. It’s location is perfect—midship and high enough, so we didn’t feel the ship move when the seas became a little rocky. 

On the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, the two, 1,781-square feet Concierge Royal Suite with Verandah, as these suites are classified, are located on deck 12 forward in staterooms 12002 and 12502. Each only sleeps five people but boast a private Jacuzzi on the verandah. Prior to sailing in the Walt Suite, I had only been on the Disney Magic. Since then, I’ve been on the Disney Dream. If I could make the decision again, I would have chosen the Walt Suite on the Disney Dream solely for the private Jacuzzi, but we managed to enjoy a nearly private Jacuzzi on the Disney Magic by purchasing a pass to the Rainforest inside the Senses Spa, which has two Jacuzzis with panoramic views. We soaked in these Jacuzzis daily and almost always had them all to ourselves. 

Amenities

Guests are welcomed into a brief foyer with carved wood credenza, a vase with fresh flowers, and a framed photo of the suite’s namesake. There’s a powder room and an adjacent butler pantry stocked with water and soft drinks. The hallway opens up to a large media room, which includes a couch, coffee table, desk, flatscreen LCD television, wet bar, and floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic views. 

Amber-lit floor-to-ceiling shelves with artsy vases and a dozen or so Disney books, flank the entry-way to a living room appointed with a full-size pull-down murphy bed, flatscreen LCD television, and enviable ocean views. Adjacent is the master bedroom with queen size bed made up with luxurious 300-thread-count, 100% cotton Frette  linens topped with a plush down duvet, two wooden side tables, another LCD television, and a vanity. The marble and granite master bath features a whirlpool tub and two sinks, a separate walk-in shower, and toilet. 

To the left of the living room is a sea-side dining salon with seating for six that leads to the second bedroom that features two twin beds, two pull-down upper berths, an LCD television, a walk-in closet, and an ensuite bathroom with tub/shower and plush Frette bath towels. Throughout the Art Deco-style suite, each room is adorned with original Disney artwork. We appreciated having two separate bedrooms in the Walt Suite, which provided ample privacy. Having three bathrooms is really handy when everyone is in a rush to get dressed in the morning to go ashore. It’s also helpful when traveling with little ones as they never have to wait to use the restroom.

Concierge

These special Royal Suites (category R) are all part of the Concierge-level accommodations, which include perks like a Concierge Lounge with complimentary food and nonalcoholic beverages, staterooms stocked with Elemis® Body Exotics products and Spongelle, a flower-shaped ginger bergamot body wash infused buffer, robes and slippers, the Pillow Talk Program (guests can select from a pillow menu that includes hypoallergenic, feather and therapeutic memory foam), and complimentary Wi-Fi. Up to 125 days prior to sailing, concierge guests can submit their requests to the Concierge Team, who can book spa treatments, dining reservations, Castaway Cay cabanas, and Port Adventures on their behalf when the 120-day window opens.

We really made use of the dedicated Concierge service. The crew cheerfully fulfilled all our requests, including stocking the pantry with Mickey Bars and Evian and providing extra Spongelles (they are amazing, and I totally stashed extras in my suitcase). The downside to Concierge is once you sail at the Concierge level, it’s hard to “downgrade” and sail non-Concierge. After our Walt Suite experience, we didn’t book a Concierge stateroom for our next cruise and we really regretted it. 

Walt and Roy Suite Only Perks

As guests of the Walt Suite, we were the first to board after the Family of the Day and we didn’t have to wait to access our palatial stateroom (the Family of the Day is chosen at random by a Disney Cast Member in the cruise ship terminal). Boarding first means we got a few extra hours to enjoy the ship’s amenities and could drop off our day bags before heading to lunch at Cabanas. It was so convenient to not have to lug around bags and we bypassed long bathroom lines by the pool. 

Another delicious perk was the complimentary fresh fruit platter, which included a coconut stuffed with fresh berries.

The Walt Suite and Roy Suite are the only staterooms that offer in-room dining from Palo’s, the chic adults-only fine dining restaurant. Staying in these suites is the only way guests under 18-years-old can dine on the restaurant’s Northern Italian fare like piquant Dover sole garnished with nut brown butter and chopped capers. Guests don’t have to adhere to the upscale dress code that is required when enjoying brunch or dinner in Palo’s dining room. The in-room dining experience was identical to that at Palo’s: a waiter took orders and attended to every detail and a sommelier made suggestions of European wines to pair with our multi-course meal. 

This meal was a highlight of our trip. We kept the verandah door open during dinner, enjoying the ambiance of the sound of the ocean couples with gentle sea breeze. When it came to selecting our appetizers and entrees, we definitely over-ordered. We were accustomed to ordering two or three appetizers each at dinner as the portion size for those tends to be much smaller, but at Palo’s the portions are generous. We ended up ordering so much food that we were unable to finish it all. 

How to book

With only four ships (three more are on the way, including Disney Wish in 2022), there are limited chances to sail in the Walt Suite. The price varies depending on the number of travelers, ship, cruise length, and ports of call. We sailed with seven adults and one toddler on the four-night, five-day cruise from Miami with stops at Key West, Nassau, Bahamas, and Castaway Cay in January 2018 for $13,000, but we have seen the rate for these suites as low as $10,500 for a three-night Bahamian cruise sailing from Port Canaveral, Fla. One way to potentially score a discount is to check in early at the port and ask if an upgrade to the Walt Suite is available. If so, upgrading can be done with significant discounts. Having sailed on three-night, four-night, and five-night Disney cruises, I recommend at least a four-night cruise. Three nights is too rushed and not enough time to enjoy the suite life!