The Disney Dream, the newest addition to the Disney Cruise Line, will be taking to the seas with its 4,000 passengers for the first time Jan. 26, 2011. The Maiden Voyage is almost booked to capacity. The next available cruise date is Jan. 30, 2011, but cabin reservations are going fast. This is only the beginning. Disney Cruise Line is building a fourth cruise liner with its Maiden Voyage set for April, 2012. Disney Fantasy is accepting reservations now so you can be aboard for the first of its many voyages.

Disney Dream's contruction began in March 2009 at a world-renowned German shipyard in Papenburg. Don't know where Papenburg is? It is in the upper northwest corner of Germany on the river Ems bordering the Netherlands. The ship reflects the glamour of the golden age of cruising during the 1930's. Although that means nothing to the little ones, the adults will appreciate the elegance and sophistication that was a part of the era incorporated into the ships decor. Comparing the Dream to its sister ships, Wonder and Magic, it is approximately 40% larger. Total number of beds on the Disney Dream is 5007, 1,900 more than Disney Magic or the Disney Wonder. All that additional space makes Disney Dream two decks taller and over 150 feet longer.

There is something for everyone onboard. An adults-only entertainment area called The District is home to 5 distinct lounges and nightclubs. Kids clubs, activity centers for tweens and teens, and a plethora of unique interactive programs and wondrously themed immersive spaces, musical live shows, first-run films, Digital 3-D movies and fun-filled family deck parties are all a part of the experience. To top it off, and your kids are going to love this, Disney Dream features the first water coaster at sea called "The AquaDuck". A 4-deck drop from the top of the ship that safely carries its riders over the side of the ship and back. How's that for a thrill. Not for the faint at heart or those who have a fear of heights.

So, grab those mouse ears and brush up on your Disney characters, your in for a wild ride of "can you buy me this Dad" and "let's go Mom" and "smile for the camera". At least you won't be worried about how much the food costs or trying to figure out what's left on your dining plan because it is all inclusive.

Disney Dream is scheduled to sail to Bremerhaven, where shipbuilder Meyer Werft will officially deliver the ship to Disney on Dec. 9. Final supplies will be loaded, and the remaining crew members will board the ship before it sets sail for its home in Port Canaveral, Fla. The ship is scheduled to arrive just after the New Year.
 
3 Night Bahamas from $372 Disney Dream
4 Night Bahamas from $628 Disney Dream
Slide show pictures of ships features. Disney Dream
Complete list of cruise dates and itineraries. Disney Cruise Lines
7 Night Eastern Caribbean Disney Adventure from $1,099 Disney Fantasy
7 Night Western Caribbean Disney Adventure from $1,099 Disney Fantasy

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Article by Rick Dunbar first published on Charleston vacation blog Vacation Rick of Charleston.

It's summer in Charleston. It's hot, it's humid, and people are looking for ways to cool themselves off. The good ole garden hose could be one way to do it or the common backyard pool could be another. Charleston residents are blessed with an alternative. It has beautiful beaches where you can stake out your claim to a plot of sand for a day next to the Big Blue in which you can cool yourself in its salty waters when the urge strikes.

But if you are looking to occassionally stray from the norm, Charleston also offers three of the waterpark variety to soak your body in when the temperatures are on the rise: Splash Island Waterpark, Splash Zone Waterpark, and Whirlin’ Waters Adventure Waterpark. Water slides, lazy rivers, a giant bucket that dumps 1,000 gallons of water on you, wave pool action, sprays, and soaking pools of varying sizes are all a part of the experience.

Splash Island Waterpark is located within Mt. Pleasant Palmetto Islands County Park. All of the water attractions here are designed for toddlers to pre-teen children. Great place for Moms and Dads to take their little ones for a low-key water experience. There are also trails and paddleboats in the park for kids and adults alike to enjoy. It is off of Long Point Road on Needlerush Parkway near Boone Hall Plantation.

Splash Zone Waterpark is located within James Island County Park on Riverland Drive. This park highlights a Caribbean style structure with slides, wheels, and sprays and a 500-foot lazy river with an adventure channel with sprays and a waterfall. Two water slides are featured here, both 200-feet long.

Finally, Charleston's big daddy of its waterparks, Whirlin’ Waters Adventure Waterpark is located in North Charleston within Wannamaker County Park. You will get wet, afterall that is the objective, isn't it. Some of its attractions include the Big Splash Tree House, a play structure that has a giant bucket that dumps 1,000 gallons of water, a 870-foot lazy river, that's almost three football fields of cool relaxation, and a multi-slide complex with 3 different selections of thrilling spills, each approximately 300-feet long. It also has a wave pool with 27,000 square feet of different types of wave action.

All three parks feature what they call extra value days: Military Monday, Two for Tuesdays, and Wet and Wild Wednesdays and you can use your Greenbax.

A final bit of trivia on water slides. Blizzard Beach Water Park in Walt Disney World boasts to have one of the world's tallest, fastest water slides, Summit Plummet. Height of slide is 120 feet and top speed varies according to rider-approximately 60 mph for adults and 50 mph for kids. It sends riders zooming through a short tunnel pelted by a curtain of water where they will begin the descent and may momentarily float into the air and freefall as if the slide vanishes hitting the straightaway at the bottom where they create a huge plume of water and possibly, an industrial-strength wedgie.-Vacation Rick Travel

Article by Rick Dunbar first published on vacation blog Vacation Rick. Check out all the articles on things to see and do in Charleston and everywhere else.