By Peter Covino
Entertainment Editor

(Editor’s note: There is a daily diary on the Disney Dream christening voyage at Aroundosceola.com. Hit the Entertainment tab at the website.)

Let me make one thing perfectly clear — three days is too short a time on the Disney Dream.

The latest and grandest member of the Disney cruise fleet is the newest man-made wonder of the world.

To be sure there were a few glitches here and there (the christening cruise had some luggage problems and internet connections also seemed to be a prevailing issue), but those were minor details in the grand scheme of things.

It may not be the best comparison when it comes to cruise lines, but passengers on board the Disney Dream must get a feeling on what it was like on the Titanic, before that pesky iceberg.

From stem to stern, the Dream is a marvel. The third ship in the Disney fleet is more than 40 percent larger than the sister ships, Disney Magic and Wonder.

You really can’t appreciate the size of the Disney Dream at Port Canaveral, its home port. That has to wait until you disembark at Castaway Cay in the Bahamas, when you really get a feel for the towering size of the ship. It dwarfed other ships at port at Canaveral. (The Disney Dream is the second longest passenger ship according to Wikipedia, with a passenger capacity that puts it in the top five).

The two giant funnel red smokestacks and 14 decks are the first impression as you get closer to the ship. But the grandest impression is once you are onboard and engulfed by the three-deck atrium lobby.

The giant space features a majestic grand staircase, oversized portholes, marble floor with an art deco pattern and even a grand piano. Dominating the already much larger-than-life scenario is a chandelier of sparkling crystal pendants and beads that descends more than 12 feet from the ceiling.

As does the other Disney ships, the lobby has an iconic bronze Disney character welcoming guests. Here, standing nearly five feet tall, atop a marble pedestal is Admiral Donald Duck. Donald’s bronze likeness is based on the avian star of the classic 1939 Donald Duck animated short, Sea Scouts.

The dream is still just beginning though as guests make their way through the atrium to the elevators to the state rooms.

There are 1,250 staterooms and suites and like everything else aboard this gigantic liner, it takes a few days to figure out where things are.

Accommodations throughout the ship are first-rate.

If you are going, an outside stateroom with a verandah is the way to go. But thanks to modern technology, even an inside room has a more spacious feel thanks to the Magic Porthole, a porthole that offers a real-time view of the outside of the ship, reflecting the stateroom’s location, port or starboard.

But nothing compares to having your own verandah, looking down over the ocean. A three-night Bahamian cruise with verandah for four will cost about $2,854, with taxes and government fees.

It’s nice to have a plush stateroom, the the deluxe stateroom is quite roomy, but the Disney Dream is all about exploring and there is so much exploring to do for both adults and children.

Not to be missed for everyone are the ship’s two theaters, the Buena Vista Theatre and Walt Disney Theatre.

The Disney Theatre (with a capacity of 1,340, including a balcony) will make you forget you are on a ship since it is more reminiscent of Broadway.

Featured nightly are the shows Disney’s Believe, a new show, and The Golden Mickey’s, which is also featured on other Disney cruises. Both shows are big musical tributes, with animation and special effects.

The Buena Vista Theatre (capacity 399) shows movies daily. Shown during the cruise were the recent Disney releases Tron: Legacy and Secretariat.

In you are traveling with children, there is a lot to do for from pre-school to teen. The featured youth areas include It’s a Small World Nursery; Disney’s Oceaneer Club; Disney’s Oceaneer Lab; Vibe Teen Club and Edge Tween Club.

Family areas include the D Lounge; AquaDuck Water Coaster (that’s the much talked about enclosed water coaster, the cruise-industry’s first shipboard coaster); children’s pool; family pool; retail shops and arcade.

Adults have their own areas as well including many bars situated on the upper decks of the ship (decks 11-13) as well as The District, six adjoining bars all on deck 4.

The best include Pink Cocktail Bar (yes, it is pink and will remind of you those “Pink Elephants on Parade”); 687, a sports lounge with TVs; and the Skyline Bar, a pleasant diversion, featuring large photographic views of stunning city skylines from around the world with specialty cocktails inspired by the cities.

You can’t go on a cruise without eating, and the Disney Dream offers a fine assortment of restaurants, from snack bars to fine dining. Service at all venues on the cruise was top-notch. Even if you travel alone, you will never lack for company.

Among the ship’s restaurants are:

Royal Palace — Inspired by several of Disney’s “princess” movies, the lavish restaurant has a circular floor plan, with columns and railing inspired by the Cinderella ballroom scene. There are also hand-painted portraits of the princesses and portholes offering ocean views. The menu includes lobster and jumbo shrimp; Dijon-roasted rack of lamb and beef tenderloin with lobster medallions.

Enchanted Garden — Inspired by the gardens of Versailles, the restaurant features trellises and arches and original artwork. Custom glass flower light fixtures help the restaurant transform from day to night. Breakfast and lunch are served buffet style while the full-service dinner includes grilled New York strip steak, pan-seared sea bass and lobster ravioli.

Casual dining includes Cabanas, a food court with 16 food stations, each designed like a beach cabana. At night, the restaurant offers table-service casual dining.

Other dining options include three more full-service restaurants; Flo’s Cafe, quick service restaurant with everything from pizza, to burgers and wraps, fresh fruit and salads; and Eye Scream (ice cream).

Every cruise includes a stop at Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island, which features many water activities, shops, optional rentals such as boats and bikes and and a barbecue lunch.

Later at night, there are parties on deck of the ship, including a Pirates of the Caribbean Party. The nighttime event highlight is Buccaneer Blast, a fireworks show off the upper decks of the ship.

To book a Disney cruise or for more information visit visit disneycruise.com, or call the Disney Cruise Line at 888 DCL-2500.

The Disney Cruise Line offices are located at Celebration in Osceola County.