'I tried Disney's cruise waterslide – it's 746ft long with daredevil 4-deck drop'

'I tried Disney's cruise waterslide – it's 746ft long with daredevil 4-deck drop',The Disney Dream cruise ship has an exhilarating AquaDuck waterslide that not only has some daredevil drops but you even go over the edge of the ship for part of the ride

‘I tried Disney’s cruise waterslide – it’s 746ft long with daredevil 4-deck drop’

I'll be honest – when I first got into the two-person dinghy to ride the AquaDuck waterslide on the Disney Dream cruise ship, I assumed it would be a pretty gentle ride for families, and one I'd just do the once to tick it off the list.

I was mistaken; it was so exhilarating that I ended up going on it three times. Like any waterslide, you can have some control over your speed as you get propelled down the transparent tubes, so for those of us who love an adrenaline boost, it can be a pretty thrilling ride.

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For a start, you're pushed off in the two-person dinghy and go directly into a drop, in the transparent tunnel that sits off the edge of the cruise ship. Yep that means you can see the decks below and the pretty big drop between yourself and the ocean – so if you can, definitely keep your eyes open as it's a pretty impressive view.

A view of the pool and Disney Dream cruise ship's main deck — The AquaDuck goes all around the ship's main deck (Image: Julie Delahaye)

The slide is made up of 765 feet of tubes full of colourful lights, open-air sections and a pretty impressive daredevil four-deck drop, so there's not a single moment where there isn't something to add a thrill.

It's definitely faster than it looks, and if you're two adults you can really pick up some decent speed. (There's one wavy section where I genuinely held on to the raft a little bit tighter…). The waterslide essentially does a lap of the main deck so if you're able to keep your eyes open, you can see the pools and views of the ports. Ultimately it does start to wind down, and you end the ride with a gentle lazy river.

Still, it's not so scary that kids won't enjoy it; there were heaps of parents and excitable children in the queue, and we saw a few families get on the ride multiple times.

The Disney Dream cruise ship at sea — The ride is available on the Disney Dream (Image: Disney Cruise Line)

There were also some adorable touches for Disney fans too. As you queue, there's a little storyboard showing Donald Duck with his three nephews,Huey, Dewey, and Louie, as they try and build a waterslide – and ultimately, accidentally send Donald flying and crashing into the ship.

In fact if you walk around the deck after you've been on the ride, you'll even find Donald's landing spot, complete with his legs and bum sticking out!

Donald Duck's legs sticking out of a porthole — Keep an eye out for Donald Duck! (Image: Julie Delahaye)

The queue took about 25 minutes during the busier days on the ship – especially the Days at Sea, but each time we went it didn't feel too long. (Plus you can see the huge screen on the main deck for most of the queue, meaning you can watch a Disney film for most of the wait).

While my boyfriend and I only rode the AquaDuck in the daytime, in the evenings the slide is still open and I have to admit, it looked very cool as there were plenty more colourful lights along the tunnels which I think would make it a completely different experience.

You can find out more about AquaDuck on disneycruise.disney.go.com. The Disney Dream will also be sailing around Europe in summer 2024 – you can find out more here.