Disney Cruise Line is by far the most magical time for you and your family. It is a whole new experience from a day at the Disney parks. From the kids club, the first-rate hospitality, the dining experience, and the broadway style shows to Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, it is likely that you will never want to leave. Trust me, you will love it and I almost cried on debarkation day. So before you go off the deep end because you feel unprepared and not sure where to begin, follow these tips below to get the best out of your time on Disney Cruise Line.
PLANNING BEFORE YOUR DISNEY CRUISE
1. Do your research and find a Disney travel agent (which are free BTW) to plan your trip. They will help you plan the details like transportation to and from the ship, extended hotel stays, parks visits, and much more. Your agent is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to all things Disney. On our last trip we went a day early to Disney World for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and this time we plan to go to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.
2. Longer is better when determining the length of your next cruise. Picking 5 nights or longer gives you time to really settle into vacation mode. The shorter itineraries barely give you enough time to navigate the ship and to experience all their is to do on-board. There are so many activities going on at the same time, it is unlikely that you could experience it all on the first cruise anyway.
3. Download the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app before you board the ship. This will contain loads of information once you set sail including daily itineraries, maps of the ship, and communication with other family members. Also if your phone has any available updates, do them before you board as well.
4. Check with you phone carrier before you leave home for extra fees at ports and access to your phone on board the ship. Last time we paid one flat fee to use our phones at the different ports instead of being charged more for single usage that can add up fast. Your family will also have 2 wave phones per room to text or call when on the ship and at Castaway Cay.
5. Save some money ahead of time and buy the complete digital photo package with Shutters. You won’t regret it! There are photographers EVERYwhere! They are around during major events like Sail Away Party and pirate night. Some of my favorite photos were taken with the characters and when we were all dressed up before dinner. Each night Disney sets up different backdrops to take your picture in front of before dinner. I will admit that I am a picture phenatic and on our last trip my phone went on the fritz and won’t even stay on for more than 5 seconds at a time to take a picture. We were so glad to have these photos for that reason too.
6. Join your cruise Facebook group. In the search bar on Facebook enter your cruise ship and date to find a group likely already established. This group is dedicated to just the people sailing on your cruise and you can start getting to know people before you even step foot on the ship. This is also the place to ask questions and sign up for fish extender and ornament exchange groups. Check out my blog post on Everything You Need To Know About Fish Extenders to learn more about this magical gift exchange. For our next cruise, we also signed up for the taste of home exchange. Since we live in the Midwest and corn belt of America, then it will only make sense to bring all kinds and flavors of popcorn.
7. Buy online gifts and amenities for your room before you go like decorations, drinks, robes, and specialty cakes. We ordered a Star Wars room decor package and bottled water to have in our room when we arrived. It was so fun seeing the kids’ reactions as they entered the decorated room. Our wonderful travel agent ordered us some sweet treats too. Yum!
8. Reach out to other seasoned Disney cruisers for advice on Disney Cruise Facebook groups, Disney mom’s panel, and even searching Pinterest. The nerd in me also bought The Unofficial Guide to Disney Cruise Line book. Disney Cruise Line is available for questions by phone too.
CHECK IN ONLINE
9. Pick an early port arrival time and be prepared for long lines. We like boarding early to take advantage of the ship longer the first day. You can bring 2 bottles of wine or a 6 pack of beer in your carry on to the ship. We stopped at a grocery store on the way to the port so we didn’t have to pack it on our flight. Don’t forget a bottle opener!
10. Book a brunch, dinner, or dessert at Remy or Palo. Even though the cost is extra, it is so worth it. For us it was a good date night without the kids and we ended up meeting them for the show after dinner.
WHAT TO PACK
11. Don’t over-pack! Coming from someone who notoriously over-packs for everything, don’t do what I do but what I say. There are laundry facilities on board if you need to wash some clothes. I will link a blog post here next to list all the items that you will want to pack for your next trip. Also be sure to check online for a complete list of prohibited items like pirate swords, light sabers, and balloons. Leave all this at home.
12. Bring candy for the shows and movies. Although the majority of the food is included on the ship, the candy and popcorn right outside the theaters is not free. Go ahead and buy the souvenir popcorn tub for cheaper refills all week. Oh and think again if you thought your kids won’t notice it because if they are like mine then they can sniff out popcorn a mile away.
13. Other must have items for your room include clothes pins or clothes hooks to hang swim suits, magnets for walls to display important documents or for hanging decorations, pop up hamper, suction cup for bathroom mirror to hold toothbrushes, poopourri spray, multiple port charger for devices, and motion sickness meds. Also insulated tumblers to keep drinks cold in your room and a drink carrier to juggle all the drinks is a great idea too. Watch for a complete packing list soon.
14. Door magnets are optional but almost all the doors are decorated. You may also consider a magnetic dry erase board for communication with other family members or fellow cruisers. We found Disney printables on Etsy and laminated them then attached magnets to the back. Only magnets are allowed on the doors so no tape or command strips.
15. Include pirate costumes and formal outfits in your suitcase. Of course it is optional to dress up for any occasion on the cruise but most everyone dresses up for pirate night in one way or another. Also semi formal and formal night are at your discretion. We don’t get super fancy all the time at home so this was a special occasion that we took advantage of.
EMBARKATION DAY
16. On embarkation day get in line immediately to schedule on board activities like Castaway 5k, Mixology Classes, Gingerbread House Making, Rainforest passes or any dining changes.
17. Carry on all items needed to enjoy the boat for the first day like swim suits, cover-ups, sunscreen, sunglasses, and medications. You will likely not see your luggage in your room until late afternoon or evening on the first night.
18. Use a lanyard to carry your key to the world with you around the boat. This card will be your room key and include information like your dining rotation and lifeboat station. We purchased ours from Pixie Dusted Stitches on Etsy.
19. Don’t miss the sail away party on the deck. It is a fun experience and celebration for all to kick off the start to your cruise.
ON BOARD WITH DISNEY
20. Day passes to the Rainforest room are a must! Buy one or how ever many days you want to enjoy the Rainforest room at the spa. You will want to experience the beautiful views, the showers, and hot tubs at least once.
21. Use room service for nightly treats and coffee in the morning. Order warm cookies or Mickey ice cream bars at night and a craft of coffee in the morning.
22. There is unlimited soft serve ice cream on the boat. Need I say more! This was one of my kids’ favorite parts about the cruise. I may or may not have let them eat ice cream for lunch a couple days. It’s vacation anyway right? You can bring sprinkles or other sundae toppings on board if you want.
23. During dining, if you don’t like what is offered feel free to order something else. Also if you want something special like prime rib then just let your servers know the night before. You will have the same servers all week. I had a plate full of coconut shrimp waiting for me and the kids requested marshmallows every night. The servers even went out of their way to place a mickey shaped ketchup on all their plates. We have been making mickey ketchup every day since.
24. Your key to the world will turn on your room lights. However you can easily forget it there when you leave the room. So we purchased a room light key of Etsy with a magnet. You could use a credit card, SAMS membership card, or any other card too.
25. Whatever you do don’t miss the nightly main theater shows. They really are what you would expect from Disney and do not disappoint.
26. Character meet & greets and autographs were a great way for the kids to get a souvenir to take home. There is no more drop off at customer service like in the past. However, it seems like at any point in time during the day there is always characters to meet. Usually the characters are only there for about 15-20 mins so arrive at or before start times to guarantee a chance. Bring an autograph book, pillowcases, or whatever you want signed. We had pillowcases and a Mickey anchor from Carpenter Bill to gather signatures.
27. Be prepared to book a placeholder for your next cruise. You will definitely regret it if you do not. A placeholder is $250 deposit towards a future cruise plus a 10% discount on most cruises and an on board credit. You don’t have to know the exact date just as long as you sail again within 2 years.
28. Participate in the Castaway Cay 5K in any way you can. You can walk, jog, or run but it is a great way to see the island. Each participant gets a medal at the end of the race.
29. Be prepared to tip accordingly. Most people prepay gratuities to get it out of the way. Have extra cash on hand for the porter $1-2/bag, room service $1-2/item, and to provide extra to your wait staff or stateroom host that go above and beyond.
30. Packing for disembarkation day starts the night before. You should have all your luggage outside with the tags provided before you go to bed on the last night. Be sure to keep out your clothes and shoes for the next day. Also go early to claim your pictures from Shutters before the line gets super long. Finally, don’t miss the See Ya’ Real Soon Party as this will be the last time to meet and mingle with some of your favorite characters.
My hope is that these tips will help you get the most out of your Disney Cruise. You won’t regret any part of your experience and your kids will be begging you to go back. Mine ask about weekly and I can’t wait to surprise them soon that we are going back in a few months.
