ABOARD THE DISNEY WONDER -- You won't find casinos on any Disney cruise ships, but you will find plenty of other facilities and diversions for every age group -- grown-ups included. That, along with the appeal of the Disney brand, has ensured the cruise line's success since it launched its first ship 10 years ago.

"I don't think it's fair to say that Disney invented family cruising, because a lot of cruise lines made efforts to attract families to their ships starting in the '90 s," said Douglas Stallings, who edits Fodor's cruise guides. "But I do think it's fair to say that Disney reinvigorated the idea of family cruising. Disney proved there is a large market for family cruises. They inspired other large cruise lines."

Our family sailed on the Wonder last year, and found the experience ... well, wonderful.

I couldn't tear Isabelle, 9, away from her science experiments in the Oceaneer Lab. Her masterpiece was a green glob that resembled something from the Disney movie "Flubber."

Vinny, 16, spent all of his time in the Aloft nightclub, which is just for teenagers. After the club closed at 1 a.m., the fun didn't stop. Vinny and other teenagers hung around shooting hoops under the lights.

For adults, Disney ships offer nightclubs, classes, fitness centers, an adults-only restaurant called Palo, and wine, beer and martini tastings. While the kids played, my wife and I relaxed on our state room terrace with wine and cheese. We also attended a Disney Vacation Club cocktail party and browsed the shops for souvenirs.

The Wonder stops at Disney's private island, called Castaway Cay, on its Bahamian cruises. Here, too, there is something for everyone -- including a teen-only beach, an adults-only beach and a family beach.

Vinny and his friends signed up for a couple of teen-only excursions with Disney counselors and headed out for snorkeling, kayaking, banana boat rides, a barbecue lunch and bicycling around the island, while the rest of us snorkeled, lunched and swam with stingrays elsewhere on the island.

Castaway Cay also has Scuttles Cove, where kids, supervised by counselors, dig for whale bones, make beach musical instruments and play water relay games.

We returned to the ship for a pirate-themed dinner and deck party, which culminated with a spectacular fireworks show, launched from the stern of the ship. We then saw "Pirates of the Caribbean" on a giant movie screen that was attached to one of the ship's smokestacks on the top deck. The screen displayed a pirate flag for the remainder of the evening.

For families with young children, Disney's nurseries, Flounder's Reef, take infants as young as 12 weeks old and toddlers up to 3. Some cruise lines keep parents on call to change diapers, but the Flounder's Reef staff takes care of that for you. Disney's Magic and Wonder also have pools with separation filtration systems that allow diapered toddlers to swim. And each state room has a bathroom with a bathtub -- also relatively uncommon on non-luxury cruise ships.

No wonder a survey conducted by BudgetTravelOnline.com rated Disney Cruise Line No. 1 for infants and toddlers, and children ages 3 to 7. (It was ranked No. 3 among cruises for kids 8 to 11, and No. 5 for 12-to-17-year-olds.)

Christine Koubek, who reviewed the Wonder for CruiseCritic.com, said that "what Disney Cruise Line does best is prove that 'elegant' and 'family friendly' don't have to be mutually exclusive. Disney is a great choice for families that want excellent supervised children's programs as well as activities they can enjoy together."

There are scheduled opportunities on board to meet such characters as Mickey Mouse and Cinderella, and to attend character breakfasts -- so popular at Disneyland and other Disney parks.

Other programs for different age groups include the Oceaneer Club for kids age 3 to 7, a playroom designed like Captain Hook's ship, filled with soft, climbable sculptures. Puppet shows, storytelling and sing-alongs are offered here. Children must be signed in and out by their parents, and they do need to be toilet-trained for this program.

The Oceaneer Lab (ages 8 to 12) is an interactive playroom with a giant video wall, music-listening rooms, and flat-screen computers with software. Activities include making TV shows and radio commercials, brain teasers and scientific creations.

On Disney Magic, kids also can "take command" of the ship in Ocean Quest, a scaled replica of the bridge. Kids can sign in and out at their parents' discretion. Parents are provided with a pager when dropping off children 12 and under at any of the centers.

-- www.disneycruiseline.com; (888) 325-2500.