UPDATE: My Disney Cruise Tips & Tricks have been updated as of 7/16!!
Planning
- If you are cruising on a budget don’t be scared to book the cheapest interior stateroom available. There are so many things to do on the boat that we were really only in there to sleep. There was enough space, a bathtub for the littles and a magic porthole that we all loved. The sofa converts into a bed and a bunk comes down from the ceiling. We also loved that they could be made totally dark so that after our late nights everyone would sleep in. There is a mini-fridge in each stateroom.
- That being said, we have also tried an oceanview veranda stateroom and we LOVED having the additional space. This room also features a split bathroom – where you have one small area with a sink and a toilet and a second small area with a sink and tub/shower. With our boys now 9 and 6, this made a huge difference! Please note, there is a railing but you could go over the railing. We never left our littles unattended and were sure they understood the danger. However, the deck table could have been pulled over to the railing and someone could go over literally in the blink of an eye.
- Check-in online as soon as your window opens. This is where you get your port arrival time and how the determine the order in which you board the boat. We picked 10:30AM and were on the boat by 11:30 with a good couple of hours to enjoy the pools and AquaDuck before the crowds.
- Go ahead and register your kids for the kids club when you check-in online in advance of the cruise. This will save a lot of time and does not commit you to using it. But you’ll be ready when you see how fabulous it is and how much your littles love it :-)
- You can bring on your own alcohol in your carry on bags! We packed a couple of bottles of wine. Don’t forget the opener!
- Budget for the tips that will be added on at the end of your voyage. Ours totaled about $200 for the 4 night and $150 for the 3 night. The tips were well earned as every cast member was overly attentive and super helpful. You can also pre-pay these in advance, which we did this time.
- Be sure to schedule a character call for your little ones before you leave! It’s free and we did ours the night before we left. They loved it! You do it through the on-line cruise planning center.
- We were a little worried about where all of our luggage would fit. Never fear! The beds are raised and we could easily slide everything under the bed after we unpacked.
- I did not experience seasickness, but did feel the boat moving on a few different occasions. Sister was more effected by it and bought sea bands in the store. This solved her problem and did not detract from her experience.
- I packed a ton and wore it all. LOL. You will mostly wear a swim suit and cover up during the day and will want to change into a dinner outfit in the evening. I found it got chilly at dinner and in the shows so you might want a little sweater too.
- Bring a small bag to carry with you around the boat. You will want sunscreen, your wave phone, your cell phone, autograph books, a camera and your key to the world cards with you. The boat only uses magic bands for the kid’s club.
- If you love your cruise, book another one before you get off that boat! There is no reason not to… you receive 10% off of the going rate and get an on-board credit. (we got $100 both times we rebooked). You have to pick a sail date based on the current calendar, but can switch it once you get off the boat as long as you sail within 24 months. If you change your mind, you get your full deposit back.
- If you book with a Disney Visa Card, you may be eligible for a $50 on-board credit. Just ask your travel agent to apply the code.
Getting on the boat
- Depending on what time you arrive, you will stop curb-side at the terminal to unload everything except your carry on bags (1 per person + a purse) OR you will go straight to the parking garage and unload there.
- Parking at the terminal is $75 flat fee (4 night) and $60 (3 night).
- If you arrive early enough, snag a parking place on level 3 by the elevators. Unload your bags. While you wait to check-in, someone will come collect them for you so be sure to have them all tagged with the provided labels. OR, drop them at the curb if there is an attendant out before you pull into the deck.
- After you check in at the terminal you will see 2 long lines – one for a photo with Mickey or Minnie and one for kids club registration. Skip the kids club registration and go for the picture line instead. You can do the kids club thing once on the boat but this is the only chance to have the picture made with the boat in the background for embarkation day.
- If you collect pressed pennies, there are two machines in the terminal with great choices. This is the only place to get them and you won’t pass back though here afterwards so get them before!
- We wore our swim suits under cover-ups and had already applied sunscreen. We were the second family down the AquaDuck and the first family in the pool. We literally rode the slides five times back to back with no line at all. If you want to beeline to the slides, get on the boat, take a right for the elevators and head to deck 11. Be sure to have flip flops because the deck can get very hot in the sun.
- You won’t get your bags in your rooms until much later in the afternoon so have your camera and anything you might need in your carry on bags.
- The kids club is open for tours, questions and getting wrist bands starting at noon. I headed up there with the kids around 12:30 and there was no line. They eased all of my fears about dropping the littles off. I was so glad I took the time to do this on the first day!
- After you secure your seats, you can run through the buffet for lunch at Cabanas and bring it back to your chairs.
- The stores are not open while in port so don’t plan to buy anything until late that first night.
- Read the Navigator that you will get at check-in. Some character gatherings or special events will require a ticket to attend. Anna and Elsa are now on the boat and require a ticket! As do the princess gatherings.
On the boat
- We only saw a few clocks on board and are the kind of group that wanted to make certain events. Next time I’ll definitely wear a watch.
- The pools get very crowded. Just be warned. No diapers are allowed in the pool so I wouldn’t even go on the cruise until everyone was potty trained. There is a Nemo splash area for little ones that aren’t potty trained.
- Check the height requirements on the Mickey slide and AquaDuck. Again, for the full experience I would wait to go until everyone could at least go down the Mickey slide.
- Speaking of the AquaDuck, they were very super duper strict about the height requirement. My littles got measured each day with shoes off. They were given arm bands for the rest of the day. There is a minimum height requirement even to go with a parent.
- On the Mickey slide they ride alone. Both of mine were tall enough. You can’t ride together so I’d make sure they weren’t scared to do it alone.
- If you like a fruity punch-like tropical cocktail while cruising, buy the signature cocktail in the souvenir cup the first day. It’s around $10. But you will get the cocktail of the day for the rest of the trip for $4.50. As many as you want!
- The rooms do have small refrigerators and small safes.
- There are so many fun things to do on board! We loved mini-golf, shuffleboard, ping pong and the Arr-cade. Another favorite for adults was the animation class. We’ve cruised three times and still haven’t even have time to do everything we wanted to.
- The district is the adult night club area. Pink is a very cool themed bubbly bar you must check out. Honey loved the sports bar for sitting in a recliner and watching football. Skyline is one of my favorites. That being said, when we had time for a drink at night without kids we loved just being on the deck near the adult pool and bar.
- We didn’t even get off the boat in Nassau. It seemed like a lot of others stayed on too. It was a great time to just relax and watch Disney movies on the big screen over the pool or play mini-golf.
- Definitely sign up for the Detective Agency and complete a couple of the mysteries while on board. This is great for the day at sea. Both of my littles love Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom and it’s a very similar yet less time consuming activity.
- There is a new Disney Cruise Line app that you should download. It has all of the activities and events from the Navigator and is helpful because it lets you favorite the ones you want to do. It also lets you text message others on the ship without using wireless. We found this to be okay but not very user friendly.
- Room service is included! We ordered a cheese and fruit tray to the room each night while we got ready for dinner. You only have to tip.
- If you see something in a gift shop that you have your heart set on, GET IT! I didn’t get the glass cruise ornament and it sold out before the end of the voyage. Also, there is LOADS of cute cruise line merchandise and clothes available on the boat that I haven’t seen anywhere else. Set aside for that because you will be tempted.
- Pack your princess gowns and accessories. Your littles will be so glad to wear them and YOU will love not having to buy them on board in the lovely, glittery princess store.
- If you enjoy pin trading or collecting, be sure to hit up the officer pin trading party. It was our first time trading and we got some great ones! They will trade you any pin that they have with any pin of yours as long as they don’t already have it.
- Take some time to enjoy the adult pool area. It’s luxurious and you will feel a world away!
Pirate Night
- Bring costumes for Pirate Night! Our little ones loved dressing up. Your stateroom attendant will leave a bandanna in the room for each person as well. Honey just wore that and we brought a little eye patch and earring. Some people go ALL.OUT!
- The fireworks on Pirate Night were great. It was very very crowded so I’d probably go early and stake some claim with beach towels. They shoot off the side of the boat by the Arr-cade.
- If the littles want to go to kids club and forego the fireworks, LET THEM :-) Then you can grab a lovely seat on the top deck of the adult area and have a wonderful night.
Kids Club
- The kids club is AMAZING. It kind of made the trip for us. Mine begged to go and wanted to stay all night. Okay… done! In my opinion it was clean, safe and very well run. To check out, you must have your key to the world card, your secret password and tap the kid’s wristband (same as the magic bands in WDW). They have these cool automatic hand washing stations that the kids use as they walk in. Send them on the night of Pluto’s PJ Party – the baby colored a darling Pluto pillowcase that just might be his most prized possession.
- Speaking of the kids club, we had the early dinner seating (5:45). Dinners are great, but long. Starting on the first night, we asked our wait staff to serve the littles first and then we ran them up to the kid’s club before we even had our adult entrees. At the late dinner seating (8:15), cast members will escort littles to the kids club for you!
- There is also a kids club at Castaway Cay! We took ours for about 2 hours and they loved it, of course. Make sure they wear their magic bands off the boat that day, just in case.
- A cast member will text you on your Wave Phone if your little one is ready to be picked up. We told ours we’d check in on them (and we did) but we also made sure they knew that all they had to do was tell someone they wanted to go and they would call us. The DCL app will not work for this – only the Wave Phone.
- Magic bands must be returned to the kid’s club by midnight on the last night, unless you wish to keep them as a souvenir. If you keep them (or forget to return them), I think they charge $12.95 to your card. They will not work in the parks and cannot be linked to My Disney Experience.
Meals
- We loved the buffet lunch in Cabanas. Something for everyone. Our party gravitated to the shrimp and crab legs. YUM!
- Dinners are fantastic and the service was just outstanding. Don’t be scared to order two appetizers or two desserts if you want. They were so accommodating. They also had no issue with John (9) ordering off of the adult menu.
- Don’t miss dinner at Animator’s Palate. Such a fun little interactive show!
- We love the breakfast buffet at Enchanted Garden. A buffet is also available in Cabanas. I would forego the sit down breakfast in Royal Palace.
- If you have a special occasion, you can order a cake and have it delivered on a dinner night of your choice. We’ve celebrated a birthday on both voyages and adored the chocolate Mickey cake. You will find the order form here under celebration cakes.
- Honey and I did the 3-bottle wine package this time since we didn’t do a special meal. It was great and lasted us the four nights. They move it with you each night. While you can bring your own alcohol on board, there is a corkage fee if you want to drink it in the dining room.
- From 2012: Our favorite experience of all was the Champagne Brunch at Remy. There were only 8 people dining and it was just gorgeous and luxurious and delicious :-) We sipped on bubbly while noshing on scrumptious eats with nothing but blue waters all around. This was a huge splurge and the most expensive meal I’d ever had. But worth it… so worth it!
- We have done both the main and late dinner seatings and much prefer the main seating time. The late dinner seats at 8:15 and you won’t have food on the table before 8:45. Whit (age 6) was literally a hot mess every night. Of course, he was fine to go play in kids club, but sitting at a dinner table was no bueno.
Shows
- The Broadway style shows were fantastic! The Golden Mickey’s was our favorite and one the kids will love. Villains Tonight and Believe were also super. The shows last one hour and are the perfect length. My littles did not attend all of the shows – we’d run up to the kids club and ask if they wanted to attend and sometimes they said no :-) You can buy bags of popcorn at Preludes for a couple of dollars and there is enough to share. We brought in our own wine and soft drinks from the pool for the littles. We also arrived just on time each night and snagged the last row. It was still great for viewing and easy to escape if you need.
- The Sail Away Celebration and Pirate Night deck parties were crowded and just okay. I’m glad we did them this time but am not sure that I’d try to wrangle the troops in the crowds next time. If you are interested but don’t want to be in the thick of things, I recommend viewing from deck 12.
- The See Ya Real Soon goodbye was offered twice on our last cruise. Based on experience, I’d definitely go to the first one in the afternoon!!! We had walk up greets with the fab 5 in their sailor gear and it was not crowded at all.
Castaway Cay
- Get off the boat early to enjoy this fantastic day!! Trams will take you to the beaches. As far as I could tell they were the same on both sides. We went to the further beach (stop 2 I think) and were right by Pelican Plunge. The kids club was on the other side.
- Do the Castaway 5k! It’s fun! You will sign up at the shore excursions desk on deck 5 (I think) on the first day to ensure that you get a number and a finisher medal (it’s plastic but cute). The minimum age is now 10, but you can check the kids into the kid’s club on the island while you run/walk. Note that this does take some of your morning, but was worth it for us this time!
- Purchase post cards at one of the shops on Castaway and mail them from the post office to get a Castaway cancellation mark! I of course forged notes from Mickey to my littles and can’t wait for them to arrive!!! The postcards were a couple of dollars each and the stamps were $0.65.
- Check out the kids club at Scuttles Cove.
- There are free soft drinks, ice cream and wonderful fruit stands all day long. YUM! There is also a bbq lunch of burgers, hot dogs, etc. But we all recommend the grilled mahi. So good!
- We didn’t do any pre-rentals of floats or snorkeling. Floats were easy to rent once we were there but ours honestly didn’t get much use. This time we brought our own snorkel gear and had fun with that. You DO have to wear a vest but it’s free. The good stuff is really far out, so I wouldn’t recommend doing this until at least 9 or 10 years old and only for good, strong swimmers. They aren’t going to drown, but it’s a long way out and back.
- There are lifejackets available for free and I encourage using them. That being said, the waters were very calm, they were roped off and they were so shallow that he could touch the bottom all the way to the end. There are also lifeguards.
- Bring your autograph books – the characters look so cute in their island wear!
- There is tons to do here – bike rides, boat rides, splash pads, characters, sting rays and snorkeling to name a few. We mostly hung at the beach and had a great time! I thought mine were a little too young to really appreciate any of those things and think it was a good call in the end.
- Honey bought a super cute DCL cooler with ice and six beers of his choice for $35. I didn’t see that last time and love it!
Characters
- Okay, we LOVE characters in this family so this was like a dream come true. There are so many of them all day long! We carried our signature books in zip top bags with sharpie markers for signing. You never know when you’ll run into a character so we kept them in our pool bag. They all spent a good deal of time with the kids.
- Here’s how the times work – for example, you will see in the Navigator that Peter Pan is at Deck 4 Balcony from 4-4:15. I thought no way… how on earth will we ever see him! What that means is that everyone that gets in line between 4 and 4:15 is guaranteed to see him no matter how long it takes! Perfect!
- If you wish to knock out all of the princesses in one fell swoop, head to the shore excursions deck on the first afternoon of your voyage to get a ticket. They were out two mornings and only those with a ticket could participate. There is virtually no wait so get that ticket You will see Cinderella, Snow White, Ariel, Tiana, Belle and Rapunzel. Anna and Elsa are now on the boat as well and require a ticket!
- Same story for the Disney Jr. characters. Get a ticket at shore excursions on the first afternoon. You will meet Doc McStuffins, Jake and Sophia.
- I found lines started to form only 10-15 minutes in advance. But remember, as long as you are there by the listed “end” time, you will get to see the character.
- Cast members will always take pictures on your own camera. The rule seemed to be 2 pics for the professional photographer and then 2 pics on your camera.
- Go to the See Ya Real Soon party on the last night. The baby was in heaven. They sing and dance and welcome everyone up for one last hug with their favorite character. Mickey confetti comes from the ceiling and it’s just as sweet as can be. Also, there is a character palooza like ending where princesses and fab 5 members meet for pics for 20 crazy minutes.
- I sell cruise signature books based on your itinerary in my etsy store!
- You can drop off two items per stateroom with Guest Services for character signatures. I did classic storybooks the first time, Magic Kingdom storybooks the second time, and then a newer edition of the classic storybook the last time. Drop them off on the first night with markers and fill out their short form to request princesses or Mickey and friends (we did both) to sign. They were delivered back to our stateroom on the last night and were SUCH a sweet surprise for the littles and a keepsake they will have forever. I’ve also heard of people doing pillowcases and picture frame mats.
Very Merrytime Cruises
- There was a fun tree lighting with characters, hot chocolate and cookies on the first night.
- If you wish to make a gingerbread house, you have to get a ticket (one house per stateroom) on the first day of the cruise at guest services. It is fun and we learned some great techniques for our own at home because a chef leads the class. You can’t take it off the boat so make it and then have fun eating it. It was delish!
- Seek out the characters in their holiday wear. We loved seeing all of the outfits you never see in the parks and getting tons of pictures.
- The Deck the Deck party was really cute. If your kids want to participate, they will probably want to stake out a position on the left of the stage (facing the stage) before the show and ask a cast member what to do. They call kids up to hula hoop, limbo, etc.
- The last night of the voyage included carols by candlelight. They call all the littles up to the grand staircase and it was just lovely.
- We were on-board for Thanksgiving. Rather than a special pirate night menu (which is nothing to write home about), we had a Thanksgiving meal. Mickey and Minnie were out just this one night in their pilgrim attire.
Since I’ve received quite a few emails and comments with questions, I want to open the floor to a Q&A. If you have any question at all about anything to do with the cruise, feel free to leave it as a comment and I’ll answer as best I can!
I can’t say enough what a wonderful vacation and memorable experience this was!!
xoxo
Everything Disney | Disney Cruise Line
[mc4wp_form id=”6556″]
I will likely never go on a Disney cruise, but just have to say – they need to be paying you!
Your expert advice would mean WAY more to me than that of an ordinary travel agent because you have had the actual experience and include all the little tips that one could not know without having done it. ? xo
Such a good post and you know I had been waiting for this one!!! Just love you and this little show on the Disney Channel! xo (muah)
Great post. Are there any peak and low seasons that we need to keep an eye on to get the best rates? thinking of going on a disney cruise in 2016.
Amanda, can you share how debarkation works? What time do they expect you to leave your stateroom by, what time is breakfast offered, etc…
Also, can you arrive a little late for dinner? We'll be on the Blue Lagoon excursion in Nassau and will be returning to the ship at 4:45 pm. Cutting it close with showers and changing for early dinner seating.
You are so well planned and organized! I would LOVE a glimpse into your packing secrets! Please share!
Also, was 3 days Bahamas cruise reasonable or should we look into a 4 days cruise? Thanks!
This was FABULOUS!! I think we will cruise DCL next time – you've sold us!!!
We've done the 4 night on the Dream and are now planning our next cruise. Thoughts on 3 night versus 4 night…why you chose each length and your preference for next time? Thanks!
Perfect post. My family is heading on our first Disney cruise in a few days! Couple questions…. I made a rookie mistake and didn't check in online until last week, so our boarding time is not until 1:30. Will the character meet and greets (specifically Anna and Elsa and the Princesses) be sold out before we board? Also, is the line for the AquaDuck really long?- I have read that it can be an hour wait! Thank you so much!
This is amazing – so much great information! My husband and I absolutely love cruising and we're hoping to take our daughter on a Disney cruise in the next couple years. She's almost 2 – like you mentioned, we decided to wait until she's potty trained so she can enjoy the pool. Thanks for the tips! Definitely saving this post!
I love reading your tips and used a lot of them on our cruise last year. After our first 3 night cruise on the Dream we had to have more nights, so we will be on the Fantasy for 7 nights this fall. I would suggest to everyone to try riding the Aqua Duck at night, during the first dinner seating especially. It is less crowded, and there is extra fun added zooming through the lighted tubes at night. Also, I am intrigued that you have been on the same/similar cruise route so many times? Do you have a reason for this other than all of the activities the ship has to offer?
love all of your tips!!! thank you sooo much for doing this! have been wanting to go on a disney cruise! i was wondering if you put locks on your suitcases or anything like that? im worried about my lilly and other clothing items Lol! i know my friends have said to just bring cheap clothes i dont care about in case anything gets stolen, but i want to look nice when im on the cruise!
What time did you arrive at the terminal? We recently sailed on our first Disney cruise and got there about 10:40. The check-in line wasn't very bad but the line for Mickey/Minnie was long. By the time we got onto the ship the pool area was already crowded! I would love to know what time you recommend arriving at the terminal to get onto the ship so quickly. Thank you!
I was wondering if you bring your laptop with you when you travel? I love to take pictures so I want to bring my computer so I can empty out my card/phone w all the pics i take,but not sure if I should bring it since its another thing to bring and im worried it would get damaged/stolen. what did you do w valuables or nice clothing? do you just lock them in your suitcase? thank you so much for all of your amazing tips!
Amanda – I really hope you will see this! When you are planning a "regular trip" i.e., not a cruise – do you still use Small World? Or do you do the planning/booking on your own? Thanks so much! xo
I just do that on my own :-)