disney cruise dining tips

The Ultimate Disney Cruise Line Dining Guide

Disney Cruise Line dining is a delicious and magical experience that truly sets it apart from other cruise lines. Offering a variety of dining options that range from casual to upscale, every meal is a culinary adventure. The main dining rooms feature a rotating menu that reflects the theme of the night and the location of the ship. There are also specialty restaurants like Palo and Remy, which offer gourmet cuisine and impeccable service. For families with young children, there are even character dining experiences where you can dine with beloved Disney characters. With 24-hour room service and snack options available throughout the ship, you’ll never go hungry on a Disney Cruise Line vacation.

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Planning to sail on Disney Cruise Line in the coming year? Be sure to check out our guide to all that Disney Cruise Line has to offer this year including exciting itineraries, new ports of call, themed events at sea, and more!

Disney Cruise Line Dining – Overview

Then there are adult-only options, fine dining, and character meals. Reservations are highly recommended and some of them do require an additional fee.

Here’s a quick look at what each ship has to offer:

Disney Magic

• Quick-Service Options: Cabanas, Duck-In Diner, Eye Scream Treats, Frozone Treats, Pinocchio’s Pizzeria, Preludes, Room Service
• Rotational Dining: Animator’s Palate, Lumiere’s, Rapunzel’s Royal Table
• Fine/Adult Dining: Palo
• Character Meals/Unique Dining: Royal Court Royal Tea

Disney Wonder

• Quick-Service Options: Cabanas, Daisy’s De-Lites, Eye Scream Treats, Pete’s Boiler Bites, Pinocchio’s Pizzeria, Preludes, Room Service
• Rotational Dining: Animator’s Palate, Tiana’s Place, Triton’s

Disney Dream

• Quick-Service Options: Cabanas, Eye Scream Treats, Flo’s Cafe, Frozone Treats, Preludes, Room Service, Vanellope’s Sweets & Treats
• Rotational Dining: Animator’s Palate, Enchanted Garden, Royal Palace
• Fine/Adult Dining: Palo, Remy, Senses Juice Bar

Disney Fantasy

• Quick-Service Options: Cabanas, Eye Scream Treats, Flo’s Cafe, Frozone Treats, Preludes, Room Service, Sweet on You
• Rotational Dining: Animator’s Palate, Enchanted Garden, Royal Court
• Fine/Adult Dining: Palo, Remy, Sense Juice Bar
• Character Meals/Unique Dining: Palo Be Our Chef, Royal Court Royal Tea

Disney Wish

• Quick-Service Options: Inside Out – Joyful Sweets, Marceline Market, Mickey & Friends Festival of Foods, Room Service, Wheezy’s Freezies
• Rotational Dining: 1923, Arendelle – A Frozen Dining Adventure, Worlds of Marvel
• Fine/Adult Dining: Enchanté by Chef Arnaud Lallement, Palo Steakhouse
• Character Meals/Unique Dining: Olaf’s Royal Picnic

Quick Service Options

Cabanas (Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy) – Designed to look and feel like a boardwalk, this restaurant serves as the main buffet dining on four of the Disney ships. With an eclectic variety of food choices, there really is something for everyone. Even picky little ones will have plenty of options for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Daisy’s De-Lites (Disney Magic, Disney Wonder) – If you’re looking to eat a little healthier, this is the place. They serve a variety of salads, sandwiches, wraps, and fruit.

Duck-In Diner (Disney Magic) – This quick-service restaurant serves Middle Eastern shawarma made with chicken and lamb along with classic American food such as hamburgers and hot dogs.

Eye Scream Treats (Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy) – This is the place to get unlimited soft-serve ice cream board!

Flo’s Cafe (Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy) – Here you will find Luigi’s Pizza, Tow Mater’s Grill, and Fillmore’s Favorites serving a wide selection of burgers, chicken, pizza, salads, and sandwiches.

Frozone Treats (Disney Magic, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy) – Located poolside, here you will find frozen fruit smoothies (offered at an additional fee.)

Inside Out: Joyful Sweets (Disney Wish) – Enjoy hand-scooped gelato served in freshly made waffle cones. Treats include candy-filled chocolate “Memory Orbs” and colorful cupcakes that pay tribute to the film’s characters – Joy (lemon), Sadness (blueberry), Disgust (pistachio), Anger (red velvet) and Fear (bubble gum). Other specialties include macarons, cake pops, handcrafted truffles, designer cookies, chocolatey brownies, and assorted candies. (These sweet treats are offered at an additional fee.)

Marceline Market (Disney Wish) – Like Cabanas, this is the main dining buffet onboard the Disney Wish featuring a variety of American classics, International specialties, comfort foods, seafood, soups and salads, vegetarian and plant-based fare, as well as baked goods and desserts. During breakfast and lunch, Marceline Market offers a casual, walk-around dining experience. At dinner, guests can experience table-service dining with entrees cooked to order.

Mickey & Friends Festival of Foods (Disney Wish) – Enjoy pizza, burgers, tacos, BBQ, and other favorites including signature soft-serve ice cream. Choose from a selection of 5 uniquely themed quick-serve venues: Mickey’s Smokestack Barbecue, Daisy’s Pizza Pies, Goofy’s Grill, Sweet Minnie’s Ice Cream, and Donald’s Cantina.

Pete’s Boiler Bites (Disney Wonder) – Here you can enjoy classic American fare like burgers, hot dogs, and tacos for lunch or dinner.

Pinocchio’s Pizzeria (Disney Magic, Disney Wonder) – Available during lunch and snack times just next to Goofy’s pool, this place serves several kinds of pizza to enjoy.

Preludes (Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy) – Most of the snacks here are available for an additional fee. It’s a great place to grab popcorn, beverages, and other miscellaneous snacks to enjoy during the amazing shows onboard. (You’ll also find wait staff inside the theater offering snacks to purchase just before showtime.)

Room Service (Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, Disney Wish) – Room service onboard all five Disney ships is available 24 hours a day and offers a wide range of choices. (Some of the choices are an additional fee, but much of the menu is included in the price of your cruise.)

Sweet on You (Disney Fantasy) – Here you will find specialty ice cream, cookies, cupcakes, and more (available at an additional cost.)

Vanellope’s Sweets & Treats (Disney Dream) – Similar to the sweets shop on the Disney Fantasy, this place is inspired by Princess Vanellope’s love of all things candy! (Treats are available for an additional cost.)

Wheezy’s Freezies (Disney Wish) – Inspired by everyone’s favorite penguin from Toy Story II , this poolside spot mixes up frozen-fruit smoothies.

Rotational Dining

One of the most unique dining aspects of a Disney Cruise is its rotational dining. Each night, your party rotates between three main restaurants on board, and your wait staff rotates with you. This allows you to try all that Disney has to offer while at the same time giving your waiters the opportunity to serve you better as they get to know you!

1923 (Disney Wish) – Step back in time and experience classic Hollywood glamour with a touch of Disney magic. This dining destination pays homage to the year when the legendary animation studio was founded in Southern California. With two stunning dining rooms named after the brothers who started it all – Walt and Roy, 1923 is a feast for the senses. Admire drawings, props, and other animation tools that depict the evolution of Disney animation from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Frozen II.

Animator’s Palate (Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy) – This is definitely one of the most unique dining experiences onboard, and you can find it on four Disney cruise ships. Offering Pacific Island foods, Asian cooking, and fresh California fare, Disney animation comes to life throughout your meal.

Enchanted Garden (Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy) – Inspired by the gardens of Versailles, this restaurant is truly breathtaking. It serves a market-style menu and is one of the main dining restaurants onboard that also serves breakfast and lunch.

Lumiere’s (Disney Magic) – This Main Dining restaurant found only on the Disney Magic serves American cuisine for breakfast and lunch and contemporary French fare for dinner.

Rapunzel’s Royal Table (Disney Magic) – This restaurant is only available on the Disney Magic and currently serves dinner on Disney’s rotational dining. It serves American favorites as well as flavors from around the world. And did I mention there is also live entertainment and character appearances?

Royal Court (Disney Fantasy) – This restaurant, serving French-inspired, continental fare, is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on board the Disney Fantasy, and its decor is inspired by several different Disney fairy tales.

Royal Palace (Disney Dream) – This restaurant is very similar to the Royal Court on the Disney Fantasy. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, it serves French-inspired, continental fare, and is inspired by Disney royalty.

Tiana’s Place (Disney Wonder) – Inspired by Princess Tiana and New Orleans, this restaurant comes to life during dinner with live jazz music and character appearances while serving Louisiana-inspired, Creole and Cajun food.

Triton’s (Disney Wonder) – Inspired by Ariel and her father King Triton, here you will dine “under the sea” enjoying classic American cooking during breakfast and lunch and continental cuisine for dinner.

Worlds of Marvel (Disney Wish) – This restaurant is truly unique and takes guests straight into “an action-packed Avengers mission that unfolds around you.” It serves a menu inspired by the MCU, including Wakanda.

Adults Only

Enchanté by Chef Arnaud Lallement (Disney Wish) –  Indulge in a gourmet culinary experience at Enchanté, where superior seasonal ingredients are expertly crafted into exquisite dishes by 3 Michelin-starred Chef Arnaud Lallement. In addition to dinner, Enchanté also features two other extraordinary dining experiences – Champagne Brunch and Just Desserts.

Palo (Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy) – This adults-only restaurant serves classic Northern Italian cooking, and reservations are required. They also serve a spectacular brunch, which is quite popular.

Palo Steakhouse (Disney Wish) –  Inspired by Cogsworth from Beauty and the Beast, adults will be able to indulge in a sumptuous feast of the finest Italian dishes and world-class steaks. Choose from a wide range of prime cuts, including the rich marbled Japanese Kobe and Miyazaki beef, the succulent Australian wagyu, and the elite American prime cuts. Like Palo, this restaurant also serves brunch.

Remy (Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy) – This adult-only restaurant serves fine French fare and is considered one of the finest dining experiences onboard all of Disney Cruise Line. Reservations are required. In addition to dinner, this restaurant also features the following on cruises of 4 nights or longer: Remy Champagne Brunch, Remy Dessert Experience, and Petites Assiettes de Remy

Senses Juice Bar (Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy) – After your workout or massage, enjoy a healthy beverage to restore and replenish your body (available for an additional fee).

Character Meals/Unique Dining Experiences

While some of these dining experiences require an additional fee, be sure to check your specific cruise information for more Disney character meals! On our last cruise, we were able to reserve our spot at the Disney Junior character breakfast at no additional charge. We simply needed a reservation!

Olaf’s Royal Picnic (Disney Wish) – Join Olaf, Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff for a delightful afternoon of summertime melodies, treats, and merriment. For an additional fee, children can enjoy this experience for $220, and adults can join in for $69. Every child gets a distinguished assortment of gifts as a keepsake that includes Olaf headwear, a cinch bag, a mandolin, a Troll plush, a water bottle, an activity book, a picnic blanket, and a Troll necklace.

Palo Be Our Chef (Disney Fantasy) – This one-of-a-kind cooking class is available only on the Disney Fantasy and is currently priced at $279 per guest.

Royal Court Royal Tea (Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy) – Children ages 3-12 can participate in this uniquely royal experience. Herbal tea and two courses are provided, and several Disney princesses make an appearance! Children also receive a selection of special gifts . Like Olaf’s Royal Picnic, this experience is available for an additional fee.

**We hope you enjoyed our guide to Disney Cruise Line dining! Looking to plan your Disney Cruise Line vacation? Be sure to visit my step-by-step guide to get started!

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Dining on a Disney Cruise: A Complete Guide

Whether traveling with family or a couples-only trip, Disney Cruise Line is our absolute favorite way to vacation! One of the highlights for us is the food. We absolutely love the amazing food, fabulous service and unique dining experiences on board these four wonderful ships. In this post, we will provide a complete guide with everything you need to know about rotational dining and the main dining restaurants, the buffet, counter-service locations, specialty restaurants, room service and more. After reading this post, you will know exactly what to expect when it comes to dining on a Disney Cruise!

• Rotational Dining on Disney Cruise Line

Rotational Dining is one of the highlights of a Disney Cruise Line vacation! It’s definitely something that sets apart a Disney cruise from other cruise lines. Many cruise lines have a ‘Main Dining Room’ where you dine each night. On many lines, you will have the same server each night. If you want to dine elsewhere, there are often what is called Specialty Restaurants that you can dine at instead. These Specialty Restaurants typically have an additional charge to eat there, while the Main Dining Room dinners are included. Essentially, you are having to choose between having your food included and getting to eat at a variety of restaurants. Plus, you only get the same servers if you eat in the same place each night.

The Disney Cruise Line Difference

Disney Cruise Line has developed a system that allows you to have the best of both options – Rotational Dining. With Rotational Dining, you have the same service team each night, your dinners are included and you still get to eat at each of the different restaurants!  Your party will have an assigned table number and service team which will remain the same throughout your cruise, regardless of which restaurant you are eating at. Each night, you will be assigned to one of the 3 main restaurants on the ship, and you will rotate through them each night depending on the duration of your cruise. For example, on a 3-night cruise you will eat at each restaurant once, while on a 7-night cruise you will eat at two restaurants twice, and one restaurant 3x.

As you move to a new restaurant each night, you sit at the same table number and your server, assistant server and head server move with you! On the 4 th night, you will return to the first restaurant again and if your cruise is longer, you will continue to cycle through the restaurants again. However, each night of the cruise there will also be a different menu. This system is one of our favorite parts about dining on a Disney cruise!

Your Dining Team on Disney Cruise Line

The incredible service team that follows you each night is a highlight of their cruise for many guests! By being with you throughout the cruise, they really get to know you and your family. They’ll probably remember what you like to drink by the second or third night, and have it ready for you when you arrive at the table! Another highlight is the uniquely themed restaurants you’ll be dining in throughout your cruise! Keep reading to see which restaurants are offered on each ship.

Click here for more about Rotational Dining!

Main Restaurants

Each ship has three main restaurants that you will rotate through with Rotational Dining. However, each ship has different restaurants! Some of them are present on multiple ships, while others are exclusive to just one or two ships. In addition to eating your main dinners here, typically one of the restaurants will be open each day during breakfast and lunch for an a la carte option. Check out our list below to see all of the main restaurants on the ships!                                                                             

Enchanted Garden

On the Dream and the Fantasy, the Enchanted Garden Restaurant is located on Deck 2 Midship. This gorgeous dining room is themed after the beautiful gardens of Versailles. Enjoy a delightful meal at twilight with the day fading to evening around you as you dine. As the sky turns from daylight blue to sunset red, and finally to the twinkling stars, you’ll also see flower light fixtures bloom around you. This is certainly an enchanted garden, indeed! This restaurant is so beautiful we actually took some wedding photos here, which turned out beautiful (see below!)

Tritons/Lumiere’s/Royal Palace/Royal Court

First, these restaurants all have a different name and a slightly different design on each ship. However, these restaurants have a similar vibe and are all located in the lobby atrium of the ship on Deck 3 Midship. The lobby atrium is the first place you see when you enter the ship for the first time! These restaurants each have an elegant, upscale theme inspired by gorgeous palaces and Disney royalty. You’ll feel as though you’ve entered a royal ballroom in one of Disney’s classic princess movies!

Animator’s Palate

Animator’s Palate is the only restaurant that is on all 4 of the Disney ships. However, the concept varies depending on which ship you are on. On the Magic and Wonder, the restaurant has a black and white hand-drawn sketch theme, which will turn to color during one magical dining experience. Meanwhile, on the Dream and Fantasy, the theme of the restaurant is designed after an artist’s studio. Here, during your meal you’ll be immersed under the sea and into the world of Finding Nemo. On sailings 7 nights or longer, you’ll also get to enjoy Animation Magic. This is a show where every guest gets to draw their own character and see it come to life during the show. Regardless of which ship you’re on, dinner at Animator’s Palate will be an amazing experience!

Rapunzel’s Royal Table

On the Disney Magic, you can experience a delightful dining experience at this restaurant themed after the movie Tangled! Enjoy a feast fit for royalty as you celebrate the return of the lost princess, Princess Rapunzel. You’ll be treated to lively entertainment and appearances from your favorite Tangled characters!

Tiana’s Place

Princess Tiana’s dream was always to open a restaurant, and her dream has finally come to life on board the Disney Wonder! Experience a celebration of southern cooking and live jazz music in this festive restaurant. Full of southern charm, you’ll enter this Louisiana-themed restaurant and be transported straight to the bayou and into the story of the Princess and the Frog!

On board all 4 Disney Cruise Line ships, Cabanas is the main breakfast and lunch buffet restaurant! This is where most guests will choose to eat breakfast or lunch (or both) each day. It’s convenient and delicious, and buffets are just quick and easy! Plus, since it is located on the pool deck, you can easily pop in and grab your meal before taking it outside to eat on the deck or by the pool. Though many buffet items change every day, there are plenty of selections that are available every day! This boardwalk-themed restaurant has ten food stations serving an array of classic American fare. They have a top notch breakfast buffet with all the staples. We love that for lunch they always have pizza, chicken fingers, fries and macaroni & cheese available for the kids (and for guests like us, who just love ‘kids’ foods!). Additionally, they have a ton of other options like salmon, chicken, steak, seafood and vegetarian options. A salad bar, soups and dessert bar are all available too.

Dinner at Cabanas on a Disney Cruise

For dinner, if you miss your regular rotational dining seating or just prefer a quieter setting with an ocean view, you can also choose to dine in Cabanas. For dinner, Cabanas transforms into an a la carte dining experiences serving signature dishes from the main restaurants and other delicacies. If this is your first cruise we definitely don’t recommend skipping your scheduled dinner, as each of the main restaurants is exceptional. However, if you are a repeat cruiser or if you miss your main dinner for any reason, this is another great option for dining on a Disney cruise ship!

Counter Service Restaurants

Each ship has a selection of quick service options to enjoy as well. Order at a walk-up counter and you can immediately enjoy pizza, chicken tenders, burgers, fries and other favorites. They also have healthier options available like fruit and wraps! These counter service restaurants are a great option if you want to grab and go, eat by the pool or want a mid-day snack.

On the Dream and Fantasy, Flo’s Café combines Luigi’s Pizza, Tow Mater’s Grill and Fillmore’s Favorites with all the options located in a row. On the Magic and Wonder, the options are a bit more spread out throughout the Deck 9 pool area. Pinocchio’s Pizzeria serves up hot, fresh slices while Daisy’s De-Lites offers some great healthier options. The Duck-in Diner on the Magic and Pete’s Boiler Bites on the Wonder offer delicious American fare. The Duck-in Diner also serves Middle Eastern shawarma which is another delicious option!

Tip: When the Wonder sails to Alaska, you can also get an amazing soft pretzel from Pinocchio’s Pizzeria on sea days.

Specialty Restaurants

There are two specialty restaurants on board the Disney ships, which serve dinner and brunch. Palo is located on all four ships, while Remy is only available on the Dream and Fantasy. Both Palo and Remy are adult-exclusive, and offer an exceptional dining experience at an additional fee.

Palo and Remy

Palo is a delightfully chic Italian restaurant serving exquisite cuisine inspired by Northern Italy but with a twist.  Remy on the other hand is the most upscale dining experience on any of the Disney ships. This authentic French restaurant offers fine French fare in a first class, elegant dining experience. Of course, Remy is inspired by the Disney Pixar film Ratatouille.

Brunch and dinner at Palo are both $40 per person. For Remy, brunch is $75 while dinner is $125 (gratuities not included for either restaurant). As a bonus, if you are a Platinum Castaway Club member (have sailed 10+ times on DCL), you get a free meal at Palo.

Should you dine at Palo or Remy?

If this is your first cruise, don’t feel like you have to skip your wonderful main dining restaurant in order to pay extra for one of these specialty options. However, these restaurants are absolutely fabulous and definitely worth experiencing if you are celebrating a special occasion on board, or just want a special adults-night out!

Looking for other ways to enjoy some romantic, adult-only time on a Disney Cruise? Check out our post about experiencing romance on Disney Cruise Line!

Tip: If you have dinner at Palo, be sure to order a soufflé for dessert! The chocolate soufflé that Josh loves is famous among Disney cruisers, while Brittany prefers the Amaretto soufflé. Either way, you’re in for a treat!

Room Service (24-hr Dining on Disney Cruise Line!)

Room service is included on Disney Cruise Line, which we absolutely love! There are some items on the menu (canned soda, pre-packaged snacks like M&Ms, etc.) that are an added cost, and gratuities are not included, however for the most part you can order to your heart’s content without any additional cost. Some people love to order room service for breakfast. If you have a verandah stateroom, this is a great option because you can eat outside on your private balcony! Personally, we love to order room service as a late night snack. Brittany love the All Hands on Deck cheese platter, and the Macaroni and Cheese. Josh loves the Chicken Tenders and the Pepperoni Pizza. They also have some great dessert options, including a cake selection that changes daily. Having 24/7 room service is a highlight of the dining experience on Disney Cruise Line for many guests!

Tip: You can order a Mickey Ice Cream Bar from Room Service, even though it’s not on the menu!

Other Dining Locations on a Disney Cruise

Although we’ve covered all the main options, this wouldn’t be a “complete” guide if we didn’t cover the rest of the food service locations on board the ships! From snack spots to theater concessions to where to grab a smoothie, we’ve outlined the rest of the food locations below:

Eye Scream Ice Cream

Unlimited free soft serve ice cream? Sign us up! It’s no wonder that Eye Scream is probably one of our most visited spots on the ship. On our last cruise, we had visited this spot for ice cream cones five times before the ship even sailed out of port! They always have chocolate and vanilla available (plus vanilla-chocolate swirl) however they also switch out additional flavors throughout the cruise. You can check back throughout the cruise for flavors like banana, strawberry and blueberry!

O’Gills, Crown and Fin Pub, Pub 687

Each ship has a pub that is located within the nightclub/lounge area (which are 18+ after 9:00 PM). These pubs offer a small selection of pub grub which is available for an additional cost.

Cove Café and Vista Café

The Cove Café offers a relaxing atmosphere for adults to enjoy a specialty beverage in an adults-only setting. On all four ships, Cove Café is adjacent to the Quiet Cove adult pool. On the Dream and Fantasy, Vista Café is another option with similar selections in a setting overlooking the lobby atrium. The coffees, teas and specialty beverages at these cafes are an additional cost. In both Cove Café and Vista Café, they have a small selection of snacks and desserts available. Though it may look like they cost too, they are actually complimentary, so definitely give one a try!

Vanellope’s Sweets and Treats/Sweet on You

On the Fantasy and the Dream, a specialty ice cream, gelato and dessert shop offers a delightful selection of tempting treats! All options are available at an additional cost.

Theater Concessions

The Walt Disney Theater (where you’ll see Broadway-style shows and variety acts) and the Buena Vista Theater (the on board movie theater) both have a concession stand where you can purchase popcorn and other snacks for an additional cost.

Senses Juice Bar

Enjoy a freshly made blended smoothie or beverage for an added cost on the Dream and Fantasy as you enjoy a beautiful ocean view. The Senses Juice Bar is located inside Senses, between the fitness center and the spa. It’s the perfect place to enjoy a nutritious juice or smoothie after a workout or treatment!

Frozone/Sulley’s Sips

This poolside spot (Sulley’s Sips on the Disney Wonder, and Frozone on the other three ships) offers refreshing frozen beverages and smoothies for an added cost.

Nightly Adult-Area Buffet

Lastly, on most cruises, there is a small nightly buffet of late-night snacks available for the adults. The food items change day-to-day, but they typically have fruit and hot items such as dumplings, pigs in a blanket, etc. The location of this complimentary buffet varies by ship, but is located in the adult-only areas  (District, Europa or After Hours).

Dining on a Disney Cruise: Conclusion

There are so many options for dining on a Disney cruise that it’s almost impossible to go hungry! Food is available at all times of the day and you can eat as much as you’d like. While there are some options that have an additional cost, for the most part everything is included! You can certainly make it through the cruise without paying extra for food.

Dining is one of favorite parts of a Disney Cruise! From the amazing food to the fabulous servers, and the unique and exciting restaurants, it’s sure to be a highlight for many guests. And don’t forget about the unlimited ice cream! With so much to look forward to, who’s ready to start planning their next Disney Cruise Line vacation? We know we are!

If you are interested in planning a Disney Cruise Line vacation and are looking for a travel agent specializing in Disney cruises, we recommend reaching out to Josh at Wish Upon a Star with Us . He would love to help you plan your Magical cruise vacation.

Let us know in the comments what you’d most look forward to on a Disney Cruise!

Further Reading

• Why a Disney Cruise is NOT just for Kids
• Finding Romance on a Disney Cruise
• Thinking of a Disney Cruise Line Wedding?
• Top Photo Spots on Disney Cruise Line and Castaway Cay

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14 Insanely Useful Disney Cruise Tips to Know Before You Go

October 25, 2019 //  by  Stephanie Kastan //   Leave a Comment

If you’re thinking about planning a Disney cruise, or have already booked one, these Disney cruise tips will help you get the most out of your vacation. Disney cruises are tons of fun, but, like with any vacation, you can miss out on some fun and relaxation if you don’t prepare! If you’re interested in what to pack, how to save money, or how to make the most of your time on your Disney cruise, I’ve got you covered!

Disney Cruise Line (DCL) currently has four ships: The Fantasy, the Dream, the Magic, and the Wonder. There are also more coming in the next few years! Each ship has slightly different offerings, so, whether you have kids or are a kid at heart, Disney definitely has something to offer every passenger.

Get a FREE printable 30/60/90 day Disney countdown by joining our private Disney Facebook Group and share your photos and ask for tips and tricks! 

Tips for Booking Your Disney Cruise

Best time to go.

Timing is obviously important for vacations, and this is especially true for Disney vacations! Time of year for cruising will also depend on your family’s needs and wants. For example, anytime school is in session is a good choice for a Disney cruise. Fewer people and often cheaper prices are a huge benefit to the off-season. However, if you absolutely cannot go during the school year, that’s clearly not going to work for you.

September is often hailed as the number one Disney cruise trip for best time to sail. It’s a good choice because the weather is still warm enough to enjoy the onboard pools and white sand beaches (unless you’re doing an Alaska or Europe itinerary- though warmer weather will still help these!). However, September is also during Florida’s Hurricane Season, and it can be a busy time of the season for storms (Note that in recent years both Hurricanes Irma and Dorian were in September).

If your family is looking for a specific itinerary- those have specific dates attached to them. For example, Alaska cruises only sail during the summer, for obvious reasons. Disney Cruise Line also has specialty sailings at certain times of the year- Halloween on the High Seas, Very Merrytime, Marvel Day at Sea, and Star Wars Day at Sea. If any of those strike your fancy, be sure to pay attention to which dates they’re offered.

Choosing your Stateroom

I highly recommend picking your own stateroom! This is one of my biggest Disney cruise tips. However, this can be overwhelming as there are so many options and things to consider. Fortunately, when you book through Disney, or if you go through a travel agent, you are able to view the deck plans to make an informed decision. For example, if anyone in your party experiences seasickness or motion sickness, it is absolutely crucial to pick a stateroom as close to mid-ship as you can and as low deck as you’re comfortable with.

If you are traveling with a bigger party you may be considering a suite that can sleep more people, but it is usually recommended to instead get adjoining cabins. It is actually cheaper to get two cabins than it is to get a larger suite most of the time, plus everyone will have more room (and bathrooms) to spread out.

You should also think about where you want to be in relation to everything else. There is dining on the lower desks if you want to be close to it, but usually most people think about being close to the pool deck up top. This is great if you want to be right there with the action and fun, but you should also consider volume. If you like peace and quiet when you go to bed and night, you may want to be a bit further away from the top decks. Personally, I like to cruise midship because I’d rather have the quiet at night and take an elevator to get to the pool.

Dining Times

Disney Cruise Line has a super fun dining rotation that allows guests to experience different restaurants during their sailing. There are also two dining times to pick from when you book your cruise: early and late. If you’re okay eating dinner at a later time, I highly recommend choosing this option as it will have fewer kids in the dining room (making it much quieter!) and it has the added bonus of Dine and Play. The Dine and Play program means that families at late dining can have dinner all together before the kids are taken to the kids’ clubs!

Your dining time will also impact your timing for the shows! Early dining is much more crowded, which means that most families go to the second show when they finish dinner. If you have late seating for dinner, you can see the show first and get better seats because you won’t have to rush from dinner to the theater!

Specialty Dining

Specialty dining is a total experience on Disney cruises, and one of my biggest Disney cruise tips. If you think you want to do it, book in advance! You can always cancel later but many times you’ll find that by the time of your sailing most reservations will be taken.

Palo and Remy, Italian and French themed respectively, are fine dining experiences. There is an enforced dress code, so pack accordingly! The Palo brunch is often the highest regarded meal, but I think it depends on your tastes. I am a huge sucker for brunch so the Palo brunch did win me over, but the chocolate souffle on Palo’s dinner menu is TO DIE FOR.

The specialty dining options are a flat fee, so while that does mean they’re a bit pricey, it also means you can eat as much as you want to. Just don’t fill up too much before dessert!

Character Meet and Greets

There are plenty of characters to meet onboard Disney Cruise Line (and on the private island, Castaway Cay), and just like in the parks, they’re happy to meet you and your little ones. These characters also have the great benefit of being in great, sea-worthy outfits! Eskimo Minnie on the Alaska sailings has totally stolen my heart, but Captain Mickey (and now Captain MINNIE!) are iconic.

Just like in the Disney Parks, there are designated times for meet and greats with the characters, and you’re able to reserve a spot for them before you sail! I highly recommend doing this if anyone in your party wants to meet the characters (especially the more unique characters like the Star Wars and Marvel crews on those specialty sailings), as the lines can get long and close very quickly.

But don’t worry! If you don’t reserve a time to meet the characters in advance, your cruise Navigator (delivered to your stateroom each day) will list times and locations for meet and greets. Just be sure to arrive early! 10 minutes is the recommended window to ensure you grab a spot in the line. And don’t forget your autograph books!

Tips for Making the Most of Your Disney Cruise

What to pack.

If you get motion sickness or seasickness, Dramamine is a MUST for your Disney cruise. You can find it at any drugstore or here on Amazon. Important note about Dramamine- start taking it several days BEFORE you cruise because it can take awhile to start helping you. Also, if you discover you need it after you’ve set sail, or have run out, you can find it onboard all of Disney’s ships!

For most itineraries, sunscreen is another must-pack item. I highly recommend (and encourage) going the reef-safe route, especially because these sunscreens are as effective as the non-reef safe ones are. My favorite ones are All Good and MyChelle , both of which are animal cruelty free and feel great on my skin.

I’d recommend bringing a light sweater on your Disney Cruise for dining and shows, as I find the interior of the ship can get a bit chilly with the air conditioning- especially if you’ve been in the sun all day! For those sailing on colder Disney cruises, I’d still recommend bringing a light sweater in addition to your warmer clothes.

Pins! This is one my favorite Disney cruise tips. I wish I had known to bring pins on my first Disney cruise- my husband and I are big pin traders. For those who don’t know, Disney Parks’ cast members often wear lanyards with Disney pins on them for guests to trade with. However, what I didn’t know was that during Disney Cruise sailings, there is an event held near the theater where the ship’s officers come out and trade pins with the guests! It was a great way to find some unique treasures and can be a great way to bring home a souvenir with a fun memory attached!

Another fun Disney cruise tip is to pack magnets! Why? Because Disney cruise guests often decorate their stateroom doors to show who they are, what they like, or what they’re celebrating! It’s a really fun way to get to know the people you cruise with and make a statement!

For more great ideas on what to pack, check out our post on Disney packing lists !

Bringing Booze on a Disney Cruise?

All right, adult Disney fans, this one’s for you: Disney Cruise Line allows you to pack booze in your carry-on to bring on your sailing! Honestly, I think this is a great idea for everyone. They do have limits and specifications, so be sure not to exceed them and risk losing the money you spent on the booze AND the money you’ll spend buying more onboard!

Disney Cruise Line allows you to bring two (2) bottles of wine and one (1) six-pack of beer PER PERSON in your carry-on luggage. You are also allowed to buy wine and beer while you’re in a port of call and bring it back to the ship with you! This is such a great money-saver for those who want to drink on their Disney cruise. Additionally, you can also bring wine to your dining room if you want to drink with dinner- the restaurant will charge your stateroom $25 for the uncorking fee.

Tips for Pirate Night

Pirate Night is such a fun and exciting part of Disney cruising. This event is only featured on Caribbean itineraries, so if your Disney cruise happens elsewhere then you can skip this section! Pirate Night happens up on the pool deck, and is a pirate-themed show, with dressed up characters and fireworks!

There is a buffet on the pool deck during Pirate Night, so you may opt to skip the dining room in favor of the buffet and staking out a spot for the festivities. The pool deck is PACKED during Pirate Night, so definitely get there early. Plus, it’s windy up there and you may end up getting a bit chilly (trust me) so bring your sweaters!

At dinner, you will get a Mickey banana to wear for the party, but most guests choose to dress up much more! The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique onboard the ship does offer kids’ pirate makeovers for Pirate Night, but I highly suggest packing costumes/accessories with you.

Get Connected

Honestly one of the most convenient parts about Disney Cruise Line for me and my husband was the DCL mobile phone app. If you’re wondering what my favorite Disney cruise tip is, here you go: download the app! It allows you to communicate with your party without using data or paying for wifi. No more making plans for the whole day and trying to remember what time you need to meet up with your family. Now you can message them while onboard! The app has other handy features, including a fun countdown to your cruise before you go, but it is a MUST for Disney cruising.

Embarkation Tips

Best Disney cruise tips for embarkation? Check in online is number 1! You can do this in advance and it will save you so much time at the terminal. When you check in online you can also select your arrival time- be sure to write it down! This saves you so much time in the port AND can help you get on the ship early! If you do this, definitely keep your swim gear in your carry-on so you can grab lunch and hit the pool while others board. Just make sure to still arrive one hour before your scheduled time!

For cruisers with kiddos, it’s almost always easier to sign up for the kids’ club after you board the ship. You are able to in the terminal but the lines get very long, especially compared to the ones onboard the ship.

Shore Excursion Tips

I highly recommend shore excursions if they’re in your budget! These are a great and EASY way to explore your ports of call. However, if you’ve been to one your ports of call before, this is a great time to enjoy the ship with fewer people. I live in Florida and have been fortunate enough to cruise multiple times, but the itinerary is always the Bahamas, so I usually skip Nassau to stay on board. This is when I ride the Aquaduck without waiting in line!

However, if you’re going somewhere new then I highly recommend excursions. When I do go to Nassau, my favorite thing is the Atlantis waterpark. It’s awesome! Most ports have a lot of options for you, so definitely check them out and decide on your family’s must-dos. And, if you’re going to Alaska, you’ve got to do the sled dog racing for me! That’s my dream trip. If you’re not a dog person, my mom swears by the glacier helicopter rides.

Before and After Your Disney Cruise

Transfers to and from the port.

Disney offers their buses, which are super cute, for ground transfer for a per person fee. These are an awesome option because you can check your luggage into the bus and it will be delivered to your stateroom without you having to lug it around. Trust me, the cruise terminal before embarkation is PACKED. The last thing you want is to deal with your suitcases and carry-ons and children, if you have them! Plus, bus rides are better on the environment than everyone riding individually, which is a win in my book.

If the shuttle service doesn’t work for you, Uber, Lyft, and other shuttles are all great options to get to the port. Be sure to prepare for a wait in the drop-off lane, though, as that can take awhile! There is also parking at the terminal if you want to drive your own vehicle, just know that the parking is a bit pricey and must be paid upfront.

Best Hotels in Cape Canaveral and Miami

Cape canaveral.

If you aren’t local to your port and are flying to them, I cannot say enough how much I recommend arriving a day before your cruise. It means you need to get a hotel, but it also means you won’t miss your cruise if you have flight delays or cancellations. Plus, if luggage is lost the last thing you want is to board the ship without it! Even if the airline can’t get your luggage to you in time, at least you’ll have time to pick up some necessities before you set sail.

Many Disney cruises embark from Port Canaveral or Port of Miami, so you may struggle to determine where you should stay! Port Canaveral is in the very small town of Cape Canaveral (home to the Kennedy Space Center), so if you want to stay close to the port, or maybe check out the space center, then below are a couple of good picks.

Country Inn

Canaveral Towers

If y0u’re sailing out of Port Canaveral, you also have the wonderful option of staying at Walt Disney World, which is about an hour away. Disney World is also closer to the airport and still offers ground transfer with luggage checking from the resort to the port.

If you’re sailing out of Miami, you may feel overwhelmed by the number of options for hotels. Port of Miami is right by downtown Miami, it can be pretty hectic. If you’re wanting to see the sights while you’re there, hotels downtown on South Beach are your best bets (and are still close to the port). Here are my favorite choices for Miami.

For Downtown:

Guild Miami

Holiday Inn

For South Beach:

Casa Boutique

National Hotel

Gratuities are a hugely important part of budgeting for your cruise, because most cruise employees rely on tips for their income. Thankfully, gratuities for your cabin and waitstaff are automatically included in your fare so you don’t need to worry much about this on a Disney cruise! However, you have the option to go to Guest Services and adjust the amount of tips provided to your staff. You can also tip cash in most currencies at the end of your cruise if you want.

If you order room service, you will need to sign the receipt and write-in a tip amount to be charged to your cabin because this is not an automatically tipped service. If you enjoy services at the spa, specialty dining, or concierge, gratuities are also included in the price but you are able to tip on top of that if you so choose.

Now you’re ready to book and set sail on your Disney Cruise! You’re going to have a wonderful time. I hope these Disney cruise tips have helped you to feel more prepared for your vacation so that, when the time comes, all you need to do is have fun! Happy cruising!

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25+ Disney Cruise Tips to Know Before You Go

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As a seasoned Disney cruiser, I’ve learned a lot of tricks and insider secrets that can make all the difference in your cruise vacation. If you’re planning your first Disney cruise , here are some tips to help you navigate the pre-booking process, pack your bags, and make the most of your time onboard!

This post may contain affiliate links. When you click on these links, I get a small percentage back at no cost to you! For more information see my  disclosure policy .

The Best Disney Cruise Tips

A Disney Cruise is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many people that can create unforgettable memories for the whole family. However, planning and executing your Disney cruise vacation requires careful consideration and preparation to ensure the best possible experience.

From packing essentials to insider knowledge, the best Disney cruise tips can help you get the most out of your vacation. Whether you’re a first-time cruiser or a veteran of the seas, this article will provide a comprehensive guide to help you navigate your next Disney cruise like a pro.

Get ready to set sail and make some magical memories with some of the best Disney Cruise tips around!

Check out prices below or get a free quote by calling 877-510-2929 and let them know Mommy Mouse Clubhouse sent you!

Pre-Cruise Tips

Preparing thoroughly before embarking on a Disney Cruise is always key. This section is all about pre-cruise tips and tricks that’ll have you feeling like a seasoned Disney cruiser before you even climb aboard.

Disney cruises are incredibly popular, and some cabins can sell out months in advance. Decide on your travel dates and book your cruise as soon as possible to secure the best room and any promotions that may be offered during that time.

Get the Best Cruise Rates

Generally, the farther out from the cruise you get, the lower the price is. As the date approaches and demand goes up, so does the price. If possible, book your cruise as soon as dates are available (usually 12-18 months in advance).

You can also get a great deal if your desired cruise date offers a guaranteed rate. These rated can be found by searching for your cruise or by clicking on “Special Offers” on the Disney Cruise Line website.

If you are interested in these rates, they do come with stipulations. Many times Disney will choose your room for you, you must pay in full at the time of booking, and there are no changes or refunds available for any reason.

I booked a cruise for my family of five with a “guaranteed with restrictions” rate and had a great experience. I saved over $2000 dollars booking two of these rooms over booking one deluxe family verandah suite .

Available Hotels Near Cape Canaveral Florida

Use a travel agent.

I always recommend using a travel agent to book your Disney Cruise. They have easy access to Disney and can take care of any problems easily that may arise. And, using a travel agent is completely free!

If you’re thinking about going on a Disney Cruise for your family, I recommend booking with my travel partner, Get Away Today. They can help you find the best ship and itinerary for your cruise vacation. I have used them many times and they have the BEST customer service. Give them a call at 877-510-2929 and mention Mommy Mouse Clubhouse sent you to get the best deals!

Get Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is always a good idea if you’re planning an expensive cruise. Not only can it protect your investment, but it can also cover things like missed flights or medical emergencies that may occur during your trip.

Fly in a Day Early

I highly recommend booking a flight that will arrive the day before your cruise departure. This will give you time to rest up, get acclimated to the area, and avoid any travel delays due to bad weather or airline issues.

Update Passports

You will be leaving the country when you sail on a Disney Cruise , so it is important to have the proper documentation like a passport.

Make sure that your passport is up-to-date and not about to expire. If it is, you’ll want to get one or get it renewed as soon as possible. It can take anywhere from 2-3 months for this process depending on whether or not you pay to expedite.

If you are in a time crunch, I have found that you can contact your local Congressman to help you get a new or renewed passport very quickly. I had to contact our’s before our Mediterranean cruise and they were very helpful and happy to do it!

If you are on a closed-loop cruise (where you start and end in the same destination within the United States) you can use a certified copy of your birth certificate and a driver’s license, but I highly recommend a passport.

If something happens in a port or you have a medical emergency that requires a helicopter, you will have many problems if you do not have a passport.

Disney Cruise Line Navigator App

Disney Cruise Line has their own app that is essential to download before your cruise. A benefit of downloading this app early is that it will give you a fun countdown until your cruise, complete with Disney characters !

Before your cruise, the app will show the countdown, your stateroom number, any balance owed (which can be paid through the app), check-in, maps, future plans, and available excursions.

During your cruise, the app will show the schedule of activities, restaurant menus, dining times, and more! So definitely download the app as soon as you book your sailing!

Join Your Cruise Facebook Group

As soon as you book your cruise, search Facebook for the date and ship you will be sailing. There is almost always a Facebook group that includes other passengers on your cruise.

This is a great resource for your particular sailing and is also the place where you can sign up to participate in Fish Extender groups (more on that later) or magnet exchanges.

Set Up a Character Call

This is a fun one! Before your cruise, you can set up a Character Call from the Disney Cruise Line for free! A Disney character will call your child at home and let them know about their upcoming trip! It’s such an amazing way to build excitement prior to departure.

Sign Up for Fish Extenders (If you want to)

Fish Extender groups are a group of cruise guests that sign up to give each other surprise gifts throughout the cruise. They got their name from the fish-shaped hook outside each stateroom on the Fantasy, Dream, Wonder, and Magic.

Participation in these groups is totally voluntary and whether you sign up for them or not, depends on the type of vacation you want.

I have both participated and not participated in Fish Extender gift exchanges on various cruises and both have been fun! It depends on my mood whether or not I sign up or not.

Book Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

For cruisers ages 3-12, the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is a really fun experience . Kids can be transformed into their favorite princess, a Royal Knight, Captain Mickey or Minnie, or even a pirate!

One tip to save money at the Bibbidi Bobbidi BoutiqueYou can read all about our experience at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique here .

These appointments can fill up quickly, so if this is an activity you want to do, make an appointment as soon as you can:

• First-Time Guests: 75 days prior to sail date
• Silver Castaway Club Members: 90 days prior to sail date
• Gold Castaway Club Members: 105 days prior to sail date
• Concierge Guests and Platinum Castaway Club Members: 120 days prior to sail date

Cruise Check-In Tips

There are dates to know and procedures that are unique to cruising with Disney, so you’ll want to know these tips below to help you with the check-in process. With these tips, you’ll be ready to tackle everything from boarding groups to make reservations for certain onboard experiences.

Know When to Check-In for a Disney Cruise

Your check-in time will vary depending on how many Disney Cruises you have been on. The breakdown is as follows:

• First Time Guests: 30 days before sailing
• Silver Castaway Club: 33 days before sailing
• Gold Castaway Club: 35 days before sailing
• Platinum Castaway Club: 38 days before sailing
• Pearl Castaway Club & Concierge Guests: 40 days before sailing

Make a Reservation for the Princess Royal Gathering

The Princess Royal Gathering is a popular event on a Disney Cruise where guests get a reserved time to meet and greet the Disney Princesses. Reservations for the Princess Royal Gathering always fill up quickly, so you’ll want to get online and make a reservation for this event right at the 30 day mark (which is Eastern Standard Time)

If you are unable to secure a reservation, you can check with guest services or the Disney Navigator App as soon as you board the ship, to find out if there are any openings.

Get an Early Port Arrival Time (PAT)

When you check in for your Disney Cruise , you will be able to select your PAT or Port Arrival Time. I like to choose the earliest time that I can, so I can maximize my time on the ship!

Tips for Booking Cruise Port Adventures (Excursions)

Port Adventures (also known as excursions) will vary by cruise. The following tips & tricks will help you with making reservations for fun on the land!

Research Port Adventures Ahead of Time

You can find a list of all port adventures for your destinations at www.disneycruise.disney.go.com . I like to go through them and decide which excursions I want to do so that I’m ready when it’s time to book.

You are able to cancel Port Adventures up to 3 days before sailing and once completed, they will be charged to your onboard account.

Book Excursions As Soon As Possible

Some popular excursions sell out quickly, so it’s a good idea to decide what excursions you want to participate in and book them as soon as your booking window opens up. To book, your cruise must be paid in full. Here is the excursion booking schedule:

• First-Time Cruisers: 75 days before sail date
• Silver Castaway Club Members (2nd – 5th cruise): 90 days before sail date
• Gold Castaway Club Members (6th – 10 cruise): 105 days before sail date
• Platinum Castaway Club Members (11th – 25th cruise): 120 days before sail date
• Concierge Guests & Pearl Castaway Club Members (26th+ cruise): 123 days before sail date

Check Excursion Prices with Other Companies

When planning your cruise, it is important to know that you are not limited to the excursions offered through Disney Cruise Line. There are many tour companies that offer similar excursions in most ports of call. Some even have a cheaper price tag!

Before booking, search the internet for your port and compare excursions with Disney Port Adventures to find the right one for you! During my Mediterranean cruise last summer, I did a combination of Disney Port Adventures and private tours and loved all of the experiences.

Explore On Your Own

Often times when you visit a port, you don’t even need an organized excursion. Do some research for your ports of call, but I have had luck grabbing a taxi and heading to the beach on my own.

Skip a Port and Stay on the Ship

Sometimes its worth it to skip a port and stay on the ship! This allows you to enjoy the ship with fewer people, meaning you can use the pools and water slides with no lines!

My family did this when the Disney Wonder was in port in Ensenada, Mexico as well as when the Disney Fantasy was in St. Thomas and we had a great time.

Cruise Packing Tips

When it comes to packing, make sure to bring plenty of sunscreen and swimwear. Disney cruise ships have multiple pools and water features, and it’s easy to spend the majority of your time outside. Read my complete Disney Cruise packing list here.

Don’t Overpack

Even though I have an extensive packing list for Disney cruises here, don’t feel like you need to bring everything, especially when it comes to clothing.

The laundry facilities are easy to use on a Disney Cruise , so I often pack half of what I think I need and plan to do laundry if necessary.

You really only need shorts and a T-shirt during the day, a couple of swimsuits and cover-ups, nice clothes for dinner, and pirate clothes!

Pack a Light Sweater

Even in tropical climates, it can get cold on the ship. I always pack a light sweater to wear in the theaters and dining rooms.

Bring a Lanyard

If this is your first cruise, you might want to think about getting a lanyard to carry your Key to the World Card. This card will be your room key, will allow you to make purchases, and will be used each time you get on or off the ship.

A lanyard is nice to help you keep track of your key card, especially for kids. Check out these cute Disney Cruise Lanyards from Amazon . If you will be going on your second Disney cruise or any cruise thereafter, Disney will give you a lanyard.

Cash for Tips

Gratuities will be charged to your card at the end of your cruise for your room attendant and diing service team, but you will need to tip the porters who collect your luggage, room service attendants, and possibly tour guides on excursions. Bring some cash in small denominations so that you can easily provide tips during your stay.

Check the Prohibited Items List

Since you will be traveling on a cruise ship, you want to make sure that the items you bring with you are approved. Disney Cruise Line has a long list of prohibited items here that you should review before packing.

Bring Your Own Pharmacy Kits

Having over-the-counter medication for common ailments can save time and money on your Disney Cruise . I like to pack my own first aid kit with motion sickness medication, ibuprofen, antihistamines, and nasal spray for allergies. This can save you time if you need to grab something quick the ship store is closed. Read my full packing list here .

Embarkation Day Tips

The day you board your Disney cruise ship is called Embarkation Day. There are many things you need to know to have a successful embarkation day, so check out the tips below.

Port Arrival Time (PAT)

Your Port Arrival Time will be assigned to you at check-in. Try to time your arrival to the port around this time to avoid a long wait in the terminal.

Disney Transportation

Disney provides paid transportation to the ports for some cruises. If you choose to use this Disney transportation option, you will not need a Port Arrival Time.

I like to print out my paperwork for Embarkation Day to have a hard copy. To board the ship, you will need the QR code with your reservation number and port arrival time that you get at the time of check-in. It is much easier for me to keep the code printed out on a piece of paper than trying to pull it up on my phone each time I need it.

Carry-On Bag

When you arrive at port, you will give your luggage to the porters and it will arrive outside your room later in the day. I like to pack a carry-on bag to store items that I want to keep with me, including my cruise paperwork and passport.

Ask to Upgrade

You might be able to upgrade your room at a lower rate when you get to the port. I have heard of many people that asked at the port if any upgrades were available and were able to move from an inside room to a verandah room or even to a concierge room for a fraction of the price of booking that room ahead of time.

Wear a Swimsuit

On embarkation day, I suggest wearing your swimsuit under your clothes. That way, you can go straight to the pool area as soon as you board and get the most out of your first day on the ship. Often you can go on the AquaDuck, AquaDunk, and AquaMouse (depending on your ship) with very short wait times.

Carry On Your Own Wine

Disney Cruise Line allows you to bring a limited amount of beer or wine onboard with you. You will need to carry this on with you (do not pack it in your luggage). Check the DCL website for specific amounts allowed an restrictions.

Bring a Case of Water

You can purchase a case of water from the “Onboard Gifts” section of the Navigator App, but it is very expensive. We usually bring a case of water with us onboard in our carry-on suitcase.

Bring Your Own Soda

Soda is included on a Disney Cruise , but it is only Coke products. If you prefer a different brand, you are welcome to bring your own soda with you onboard. Just like with alcohol, and a case of water, you will need to carry it on with you.

Swim First, Then Eat

I already mentioned wearing your swimsuit on Embarkation Day, so this tip works with that. Most people head to the buffet as soon as they board and then go swimming. You can enjoy even shorter lines if you head straight to the water slides and eat lunch when you’re done!

Find a Sail Away Spot

After attending the Sail Away Party, it’s fun to find a good spot to watch as you sail away from port. You can wave at people in port or on a neighboring cruise ship as you set sail. If you want to see some marine life, try to find a spot as far forward on the ship as you can and watch for dolphins to lead the ship out to sea!

Tour the Kids Clubs & Teen Clubs

Embarkation Day is a great time to check out the kids and teen clubs on the ship. All clubs have “open house” time on this day where anyone can go visit and see what they are all about. I like to take my kids to visit during this time so they can know what to expect.

Onboard Disney Cruise Tips

The following tips will help you with experiences while on the ship. These things are good to know so that you can be prepared and understand what is going on while you are on your cruise vacation.

Stateroom Door Decorations

It is a tradition (not a requirement) to decorate your stateroom door with cute Disney-themed magnets. You can go all out and purchase magnets from Etsy, or you can make DIY magnets yourself, which is what I did and have continued to reuse cruise after cruise!

Pirate Night

Pirate Night is one of my favorite nights on a Disney Cruise . On this night, you can dress up like a pirate! Dinner has a pirate-themed menu , and there will be a pirate show up on the pool deck.

You can make the most of this night go all out with a pirate costume (get one on Amazon or check clearance sales after Halloween) or you can put minimal effort in and just wear a T-shirt (this is what I do).

Princess Royal Gathering

For all of the little princesses out there, Disney Cruise Line offers a fun event called the Princess Gathering. In order to participate in this activity, you will need to make a reservation through the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app, 30 days prior to sailing (which is actually 29 days, 59 minutes, 59 seconds).

This experience is included with the price of your cruise, but making reservations is necessary. Just be aware that reservations can go quickly! But, if you are not able to snag a reservation at 30 days, keep checking the app for cancellations or talk to guest services as soon as you board the ship.

Character Meet & Greets

Another fun tip is to participate in the onboard activities, including character meet-and-greets and trivia games. Be sure to download the Disney Cruise Line app before your trip , as it will show the schedule for each event, activity, or show.

Broadway-Style Shows

On a Disney Cruise , you will experience a different show every night from Magic shows to Broadway-caliber shows like Frozen and Beauty and the Beast. The great thing about Disney is that you do not need a reservation for these shows.

Just check the Navigator app for the show and showtime each night. If you have an early dining time, you will go to the late show. If you have a later dinner time, you will go to the early show.

Daily Activities

Once you board the ship, your Navigator app will change and you will be able to see a list of activities for each day. I like to go through the activities and tap on the heart next to the activities my family wants to do each day. That way we can easily see what activities we are interested in and the app will also send you reminders about activities that you choose. Find an example of the Disney Cruise activity schedule here .

Disconnect and Enjoy your Vacation

Take time to disconnect and enjoy your vacation. This might mean turning off your phone for a few hours or even for a full day. I find that it is so important to unplug from technology sometimes and just enjoy the moments of being with family. You’re spending a lot of money to go on a Disney Cruise so put away the distractions and have some fun!

Use Booster Seat for Shows

If you’re traveling with little ones, there are booster seats available for them to use while watching the shows and movies!

Pop-Up Hamper

I always bring a pop-up hamper to keep in our stateroom closet. This helps keep our room clean and organized and makes it super easy to do a load of laundry during the cruise!

Beware of the Spa

The spas on Disney Cruises are amazing and I enjoy getting a massage from time to time. Just beware ahead of time, that the cast member will give you a heavy sales pitch at the end to try and get you to purchase their products. Feel free to buy them if you want, but don’t feel pressure or guilt to purchase them if you don’t.

If you absolutely need to bring a stroller for your little one (I’ve been there) Disney recommends that you bring your own, but there are a few available for rent on the ship. If you bring one, try to bring a small umbrella stroller. The hallways and elevators are a tight fit!

Midship Detective Agency

If your kids are looking for something fun to do, I highly recommend the Midship Detective Agency game on the Disney Dream and the Disney Fantasy. It is a scavenger hunt-style game and it’s so much fun!

Buy Souvenirs Early

If you see something you want to buy in the gift shops onboard or at Castaway Cay, buy it. Items tend to sell out quickly (sometimes on the Day 1) and what you want might not be available the next day.

Pixie Dusting

Pixie Dusting is along the same lines as the Fish Extender gift exchange, only a lot less pressure. With Pixie Dusting, you can bring your own small gifts and treats to share with random staterooms. I actually prefer this to Fish Extenders because I can give out these surprises as I please.

Return Kids Club Wrist Band

When your kids go to the kids clubs (Oceaneer Lab & Oceaneer Club) they will be given a wristband to wear for the entire cruise, similar to a Magic Band. You are welcome to keep this wristband as a souvenir, but you will be charged around $12-13. To avoid this charge, return the wristband to the kids club on the last night of your cruise.

Book a Placeholder While Onboard

To save money on a future cruise, you can purchase a placeholder while onboard through the Navigator app. You will pay $250 which can be applied toward the deposit for a future cruise in the next two years and you will also receive 10% off the price of your sailing.

If your future cruise is 7-nights or longer, you will also get 50% off the required deposit. Should you end up not using the placeholder, your $250 will be refunded.

If you use a travel agent to book your cruises , you will want to alert them of your placeholder and have them call Disney Cruise Line to have the placeholder transferred to them within 30 days.

Disney Cruise Dining Tips

Rotational dining.

Disney Cruise Line is different than many other cruise lines when it comes to the Main Dining Room (MDR) experience. Most cruise lines have one main dining room where you will go every night for dinner unless you have a specialty dining experience booked.

With Disney, instead of heading to the same main restaurant each night, your will rotate to a different restaurant. Your dinner time will remain the same and your serving team will rotate with you as well.

Main Dining Room

When you go to the Main Dining Room for dinner, know that you can order as much or as little from each course on the dinner menu. If you want 3 appetizers and no entrée, you can go ahead and order that! Or order two desserts if that’s what you want! Your servers will be happy to get you whatever you’d like.

I also have one drink that I prefer each night (Cherry Coke Zero) so I let my serving team know that I want that each night of the cruise. This cuts down on ordering time when we arrive at the restaurant because my server has our drinks ready for us.

You can also order items from other restaurants (sometimes). On our San Diego Disney Cruise , my kids fell in love with the Strawberry Shortcake Sundae from Lumiere’s and our amazing serving team were able to get that for their dessert for the next to nights. It never hurts to ask! See everything we ate on the Disney Magic here .

Late Seating

There are two different seating times on a Disney Cruise . The Main Dining time is around 5:00 and the Late dining time is around 8:00. I have done both, but I prefer the later dining because I feel like I have more time after returning from excursions, and the dining room is generally quieter because most small children utilize the main dining time.

If you prefer the main dining time but have been assigned the later dining time, you can be placed on the waitlist. If you are not moved before your cruise, make sure to ask once you board if you can switch. It isn’t always the case, but sometimes they can accommodate the change.

Themed Restaurants

One thing that sets Disney Cruises apart from other cruise lines is the themed dining experience. Each night, guests rotate to a different restaurant with a new theme and menu.

For example, on the Disney Wonder , you have the chance to dine at Tiana’s Place, themed after the Princess and the Frog movie and the menu includes things like “Mama Odie’s Creamy Tomato Soup” and “Tiana’s Buttermilk Beignets”!

Request a Private Table

Depending on the size of your party, you may or may not be seated with another family. Some people enjoy getting to know other cruisers, but for others, this is a deal breaker. If this is something you don’t want to do, you can request to be seated at a private table and Disney will do their best to accommodate your request.

Dining with Kids

If your kids have a hard time making it through a long dinner time, you can request that your serving team deliver their kid’s meals with the adult’s appetizers.

Once the kids have finished their meals, have an adult take them to the kids club, and then finish your meal without having them lose their patience. This works well with teenagers too, I know from experience!

Popcorn Buckets

Outside the shows and movie theaters, you are able to purchase popcorn. They have refillable popcorn buckets for sale and a refill will cost around $1.50+tip.

My boys LOVE Disney Cruise popcorn, so we bring our bucket with us each time we sail. You can also bring refillable buckets purchased at Disney World or Disneyland and get the refill price as well!

DIY Ice Cream Sundaes

A perk of sailing on a Disney cruise is the unlimited ice cream cones! One thing you can do to take this up a notch is to bring your own sprinkles, chocolate chips , nuts, and chocolate syrup. Grab a cup from the soda station and make your own ice cream sundaes!

Make a Float

Along with making hour own ice cream sundaes, you can also make your own ice cream floats combining soft serve and soda!

Bring Your Own Soda Cups & Cup Holder

Disney cruises include unlimited soda, which you can get up on the pool deck. I like to bring our own reusable cups, with lids and straws, so that we can take our soda with us. There are small cups available at the soda stations, but there are no cups and straws.

I also like to bring along a cup holder (I get one from fast food restaurants) to make it easy to bring drinks with us to the movies and shows.

Drink of the Day

Each day or your cruise, Disney offers a “Drink of the Day”. You can purchase this for under $7 including tip!

Free Room Service

Room Service on a Disney Cruise is included with your cruise fare, but you will want to make sure to tip the cast member who delivers your order at least $1-$2 per item. We like to order war chocolate chip cookies and milk just before bedtime.

Secret Room Service Menu

Don’t feel like you are restricted to the Room Service Menu on the Disney Navigator App. There is also a “secret room service menu” that includes things like Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bars and Uncrustables!

Order a Mickey Ice Cream Bar

Everyone loves a Mickey Ice Cream Bar at the parks, but on a Disney Cruise , you can order as many as you like! They are available for dessert in the dining rooms and also through room service.

Get Uncrustables for Excursions

For port days, I like to order some Uncrustables sandwiches (prepackaged peanut butter and jelly sandwiches) to take along with us on excursions. These are great as a snack for kids and adults alike. If you’re going to use this trick, make sure to order them the night before a store them in the refrigerator.

Breakfast & Coffee from Room Service

In every stateroom , you will find a breakfast room service menu that you can fill out and place on your stateroom door at night. You will choose a time for delivery and your order will appear in the morning!

If you are a coffee drinker, many people like to order a carafe of coffee at night and it will stay warm until morning.

Cove Cafe Pastries

Cove Cafe is the specialty coffee shop on a Disney Cruise . The coffee from Cove Cafe is not free, but the pastries are! Get as many pastries and croissants as you want, and you don’t have to purchase anything. I happen to think that these pastries are better than the ones served in Cabanas (the buffet).

Cove Cafe Card

If you do like specialty coffee-make sure to get the Cove Cafe stamp card so you can get a free coffee after your 5th paid one. Also, save your card for the next cruise and use it then, previous stamps will be honored.

Tips for Disney’s Castaway Cay

If you are going on a Caribbean Disney Cruise , you will most likely have a stop at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. Below you will find tips and tricks to maximize your time at this amazing destination!

Adult-Only Beach

If you visit Castaway Cay, make sure to spend some time on the adults-only beach, Serenity Bay. We like to drop our kids off at the kids club on the island and take the tram to Serenity Bay. It’s quiet and a great way to start the day. You can also grab lunch, or an ice cream cone, at the BBQ restaurant.

Scuttle’s Cove Kids Club

Scuttle’s Cove is an extension of the kid’s club on the ship. The same counselors from the Oceneers Club and Oceaneers Lab will be there, which helps a lot of kids feel more comfortable. At Scuttle’s Cove, you will find sand castles, games, and a small splash pad.

Cookies BBQ

Cookies BBQ is the restaurant available to guests at Castaway Cay. The food is complimentary and you will find BBQ chicken, ribs, hamburgers, hot dogs, and more! Be aware that it closes at 2:00, so be sure to grab lunch before that time.

Complimentary Strollers

We always bring our stroller from home, but if you forget or don’t have one, Disney has complimentary strollers for guests to use on Castaway Cay. These are great for those who need a little assistance getting around the island.

Snorkeling Gear

Snorkeling is really fun on Castaway Cay because there are hidden Disney gems under the water. There is snorkel gear for rent on the island, or you can bring your own. We use our masks from Amazon. You will need to use a complimentary life vest available at the rental shack.

Sunscreen with Sea Lice Repellent

Some times of the year people have complained about sea lice in the waters of Castaway Cay. I combat this by bringing sunscreen that includes sea lice repellent. I use this brand from Amazon.

Disney Cruise Debarkation Tips

The debarkation process is streamlined on a Disney Cruise. On the day you debark from the ship, you will go to breakfast around 7:00 AM if you have an early dining time, or around 8:30 if you have a late dining time. Below are some tips to help you navigate this procedure.

Express Walk-Off

For most guests, you will get a set of character-themed luggage tags on the last day of your cruise. You will fill out the tags and attach to your luggage, then set your luggage outside your room the night before debarkation.

Your stateroom host or hostess will pick up your luggage, and you will retrieve it when you get off the ship. You will be called to debark the ship by the character on your luggage tags.

If you have an early flight or don’t want to wait for your character to be called, you can do “Express Walk-Off”. To do this, you will keep your luggage with you and then debark the ship at your leisure (usually by 9:30 at the latest).

Breakfast at Cabanas or Marcelline Market

If you do not want to eat in your assigned Main Dining Room restaurant the morning of debarkation, the buffets (Cabanas and Marceline Market) are generally open until 8:30 am on debarkation day. There are fewer options on debarkation day, but it is an option for you if you prefer the buffet breakfast.

Disney Cruise Frequently Asked Questions

A Disney cruise includes a variety of amenities and activities on board, such as dining, entertainment, recreation options, a fitness center, soda, free room service, and unique experiences like character meet & greets.

Alcoholic drinks, spa services, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, shore excursions, and some restaurants.

Yes! Disney Cruise Line offers the Oceaneers Club and Oceaneers Lab for children ages 3-12, as well as Scuttle’s Cove Kids Club on Castaway Cay.

Yes, each ship has several pool areas with waterslides, hot tubs, and other family-friendly water activities.

Yes, you can bring a certain amount of beer or wine. Check the Disney Cruise Line website for current restrictions.

The cost of a Disney cruise varies depending on the length, destination, and time of year. Generally speaking, 3-4 night cruises start at around $1000 per person.

Yes and no, depending on the cruise. If the cruise is closed-loop (begins and ends in the same port) you can use a birth certificate and valid driver’s license. But I still recommend a passport. For all other cruises, a valid passport is required for all guests on Disney Cruises. Be sure to check the Disney Cruise Line website for current passport requirements.

Yes! Disney cruise ships offer a unique experience for the entire family. The ships are full of activities and amenities that you won’t find on other cruises, such as character meet & greets, Broadway-style theatre shows, pool areas with waterslides and hot tubs, kids’ clubs, and more. There is something fun for everyone!

There are actually 5 Disney cruise ships now, and more on the way! Currently sailing are the Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, and Disney Wish.

Final Thoughts

Getting ready to embark on a Disney cruise can seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right planning and preparation, you can make sure that your last morning on board goes as smoothly as possible.

Whether you choose express walk-off or take advantage of breakfast at Cabanas or Marceline Market, following these tips will ensure that you have a stress-free and magical trip!

Good luck on your upcoming voyage, and happy sailing! If you have any questions, feel free to send me a DM on Instagram @mommymouseclubhouse!

Read My Disney Cruise Reviews:

• 4-Nights on the Disney Dream

San Diego Disney Cruise

• Mediterranean Disney Cruise

More Disney Cruise Information:

• Disney Cruise Wi-Fi Packages
• Disney Dream Menus
• What to Eat on the Disney Magic

Disney Cruise Tips

Disney Cruise: What to Expect

Are you ready for your next Disney Cruise? We have all the information you need! From itinerary and cost, to what else is included in your vacation package! 

Disney Cruise Internet (Updated New Plans)

If you’re planning a Disney Cruise, you may be wondering about the best way to stay connected while you’re at sea. Disney Cruise Line offers several different internet plans, each with its own benefits and drawbacks.

Disney Cruise Deluxe Family Verandah Suite (Disney Dream 8614)

I’m so excited to be giving you a tour of our Deluxe Family Verandah Suite on the Disney Dream cruise ship. Our suite was absolutely beautiful and perfect for families. It has plenty of space for all of us to relax and enjoy our vacation.

What is it like to take a San Diego Disney Cruise on the Disney Wonder? You’re about to find out! This article will take you through a quick tour of some of the ship’s highlights, and go through what each day is like on a 5 Night Itinerary to Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, Mexico. Follow along with us as we learn how this magical cruise works!

Day One on the Disney Dream Cruise Ship

Want to know what it is like to board a Disney Cruise? You are in the right place! I will show you what is required in order to board, how the boarding process works, and all about Day 1 of a Halloween on the High Seas Disney Cruise on the Disney Dream.

Disney Cruise Formal Night

Wondering what to wear on a Disney Cruise Formal Night? I’ve got you covered! See the most EPIC Disney themed suits for men and boys plus where to buy cute dresses for women and girls!

Disney Cruise Activity Schedule

Want to know what activities are scheduled on a Disney Cruise? Here is the schedule from our 4-Night cruise on the Disney Dream including screenshots from the Disney Cruise Line Navigator App!

What to Eat on the Disney Dream

Check out the menus for most Disney Cruise Line Restaurants!

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26 Disney cruise tips, tricks, secrets and extra magic to unlock when setting sail with Mickey

Disney Cruise Line might be a comparatively small cruise line with just five ships, but what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for in popularity and enthusiastic fans. It also has some unique approaches to cruising that may surprise you — whether you're a first-time cruiser or an experienced cruiser on a different line.

After sailing on six Disney Cruise Line voyages across four of its ships in the last few years, I've picked up a few hacks and money-saving techniques I'm happy to pass on to you. No matter if this is your first time at sea or your 99th, you can benefit from this list of 26 Disney cruise tips, tricks and secrets.

For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

You can find discounts on Disney Cruises

Disney cruises are generally more expensive than other family-friendly competitors such as Royal Caribbean , but there are still ways to save money on a Disney cruise . Here are some different discounts you can find for Disney Cruise Line.

When booking a Disney cruise, your best move is to book the cruise as soon as it becomes available. You'll have the best selection of cabins and generally the best prices. Sometimes, you can find discounts closer to the sailing if certain room types aren't selling as hoped.

Sail one-way

A few times a year, Disney ships based in seasonal homeports need to head toward their next cruising region. When that happens, the ships sail one-way (aka repositioning) cruises , starting in one port and ending in a different one. You can often book these one-off sailings for less money than the normal round-trip cruises that start and end in the same spot.

For example, Disney Dream will sail a three-night cruise to move it from San Juan to Ft. Lauderdale in November. You can book a cabin with a balcony for $1,580 for two people, which is a solid price on Disney Dream. The $3,326 price tag for a concierge-level cabin is very good; those cabins usually start at close to $800 to $1,000 higher on many other three-night sailings.

Remember to factor in the cost of two one-way flights when you're calculating the savings bonus of taking a one-way cruise.

Related: Ultimate guide to Disney Cruise Line

Let Disney pick your cabin

If you're not picky about which cabin you get, an easy way to save a substantial amount of cash on your Disney cruise is to let Disney pick your cabin for you. You select a room type (such as an inside room or one with a balcony) and then let Disney assign you to a specific cabin location closer to sailing. For your flexibility, this type of guaranteed fare comes at a discount.

In the example below, you'll see the cheapest inside cabin where you pick a specific room on the ship is $2,072, while the price starts at $1,488 if you let Disney choose which inside room you get. This type of fare comes with additional restrictions, so read the fine print carefully. I've done this multiple times and have always been happy with the room location I've received.

Upgrade your room at the port for less

Depending on the ship's occupancy, it can be cheaper to upgrade your cabin at the port right before you board than in advance. There's no guarantee a better room will be available, but it can't hurt to ask when you are checking in inside the port just before boarding if nicer rooms are available.

If higher room categories have gone unsold, the check-in staff can tell you the price to upgrade to a nicer room; they can reference a spreadsheet that outlines the upgrade rates based on your current cabin and fare. In my experience, you can save up to half the cost compared to upgrading your room in advance.

Pay with points or discounted Disney gift cards

You can pay with discounted Disney gift cards to save a little money. There are many ways to do this, but stacking credit card bonus categories with discounted gift cards that can be available at places like Sam's Club or even Target can knock around 5% off the total price without too much effort.

You can also use some types of credit card points and miles to pay for a Disney cruise. For example, you can use Capital One miles from cards such as the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees ) and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card , (see rates and fees) to cover all or part of any charge that's considered a travel expense.

The Disney Visa Card also offers some onboard savings perks and you can enjoy 0% APR for six months on your Disney vacation packages from the date of purchase, after that a variable APR of 19.24%-28.24%.

Related: How to book a cruise with points and miles

FOR NO-COST ASSISTANCE WITH PLANNING AND BOOKING YOUR NEXT DISNEY VACATION, CHECK OUT TPG'S DISNEY BOOKING PARTNER, MOUSE COUNSELORS .

2 rooms are cheaper than a suite

If your family is considering getting a suite to spread out and have more space, but are finding the prices for Disney Cruise Line suites to be prohibitively high, consider connecting staterooms instead. A family of four can expect to spend about 50% more on connecting cabins instead of all staying in one room, which is likely a lot less than buying up to a suite which can be several times the cost of a regular room.

Get free Mickey ice cream bars (and more) from room service

Unless you're staying in a concierge-level stateroom (more on that soon), room service on a Disney cruise is relatively basic. However, it's available at no extra charge, so use it as much or as little as you like.

I'm a fan of ordering room service for a quick breakfast (or that first hit of coffee) or for a fun anytime treat of Mickey ice cream bars. I often order Uncrustables from room service the night before port days to toss in my bag for the family to eat while ashore. My girls learned how to politely call to order these by the second or third day of the cruise.

It's a common courtesy to add a few dollars for a tip to the slip that you'll sign when the order is delivered.

Order as much dinner as you want

On Disney Cruise Line, you'll be assigned a dinner rotation through the three included restaurants on the ship. Your serving team will rotate with you, which is pretty fun as they get to know you and your preferences.

Since this food is all included, don't be shy. If you can't decide between the shrimp or salmon entree, try both. Order a couple of appetizers or be daring and try a dish you've never tasted before.

When it comes time for dessert, create your own sampler-platter for the table and taste them rather than limiting yourself to one selection.

You aren't locked into your assigned dining plans

If, for some reason, your assigned order of restaurants or tablemates (if you have any) aren't working out, don't be shy about asking guest services to make alterations. They will connect you with the appropriate people within the dining team to make necessary adjustments.

New movie releases are shown in the theaters

While a movie theater may sound like a strange place to spend a few hours at sea, I recommend making time to go see a new Disney movie while on your next Disney Cruise. The ships show first-run movies, so instead of heading to your local theater to see the next Marvel, Pixar or other Disney film released close to your cruise date, save some money and enjoy the movie at sea for no extra charge.

In fact, if you are at sea when a new Disney movie premieres on land, you'll get to see it the same night on the ship, too.

It's cash-free on the ship — except for this

You don't need much cash while on a Disney cruise. Your "Key to the World" room key serves as your form of payment and identification on the ship. I highly recommend bringing a lanyard to keep track of this important card if it's your first Disney voyage. Return cruisers are given a lanyard in their cabin.

However, if you want to add an extra tip to your service team at the end of the cruise beyond the standard amount that's charged to your folio, it's nice to do that with cash. If you are staying in a concierge-level room, you may want to pack some extra cash for the concierge lounge hosts and the evening bartenders, too.

Your kids can (maybe) get into an older club

Disney Cruise Line divides kids into four age groups — the nursery (up to age 3), the primary kids club (3–12), a tween club (11–14) and a teen club (14–17). The clubs, other than the nursery, are complimentary, so the magic age for a Disney cruise begins once your child is at least 3 years old and potty-trained, so they can enjoy time in the kids clubs while you enjoy … whatever you want.

Once your kid is ready to age up to the next club, they can actually do that a little early with your permission. For example, my oldest was able to level up to the tween club at 10 years old and the teen club at 13 years old with a signed slip from me, so use (or hide) that information as it suits you best. I will say that once your kid levels up in those clubs, they probably won't go back much to the previous club.

Take note that the tween and teen clubs allow kids to come and go at will. If you need your child to be monitored, then they will need to stay in the main kids club, which is open through age 12.

Hit the pools early or late to avoid crowds

If you don't want to swim in a crowded pool or wait in a long line for a slide around the AquaDuck or AquaMouse, you'll need to employ some strategy. I recommend heading to the waterslide the second you board the ship if it is warm enough in your port, as that is as empty as it's going to get.

If you miss that window, mornings are also pretty empty, as are late afternoons as everyone starts to get ready for the evening. Avoid mid-day on sea days at all costs unless you like swimming with dozens of your new best friends.

You'll want to decorate your door

The cabin doors on a Disney cruise are almost all metal, so decorative magnets will stick to the doors nicely. Pack themed magnets to decorate your door. Not only is it fun to participate in this shipwide decoration, but the personalized door serves to help kids (or tired adults) find their cabin should they forget the room number.

You can keep things simple or order personalized magnets on a site like Etsy in advance of your sailing. You may see some doors that go all out and even have pouches with goodies in them. Those hanging pouches are known as fish extenders (as they hang off of a fish built into the ship). They often signify that the cabin is participating in a gift exchange with others on the cruise that they arranged beforehand on Facebook.

Your sailing has a Facebook group and it's worth joining

Speaking of Facebook, the odds are excellent that your individual sailing has a Facebook group with several hundred people in it. If you wish to participate in gift exchanges, get to know your shipmates pre-cruise or tap into a hive mind for advice on picking excursions and packing, it's a big asset to belong to a group specific to your sailing.

Go to Facebook and search for your sailing (e.g. Disney Wonder Alaska June 12 - 19). You'll likely find a "private" group that's not officially affiliated with the cruise line. Join the group to be kept in the loop and to drum up excitement for your trip before you set sail.

Soda is free if you know where to look

If you order a can of Coke in the dining room or from room service, it's going to cost you a few dollars, but you can get as much free soda as you want from the fountain. These are usually located on the pool deck and in the buffet area. Bring a refillable bottle so you can easily take your soda with you around the ship.

Check the app for happy hours

Alcohol isn't free on board, but you can find discounted drinks at happy hour. On my most recent Disney cruise, select drinks were 50% off from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the ship's pub. Check your Navigator app during your sailing to look for happy hours on your Disney cruise.

The best merchandise sells out

If you see a cool hat, sweatshirt or shirt you adore, buy it as soon as you spot it. The onboard gift shops are only open while the ship is at sea, and the popular items sell out (and generally don't get restocked while you're on board).

A Disney cruise is not just for families

There's no doubt that families make up a large portion of the Disney Cruise Line passenger base, but a Disney cruise is not just for kids . The ships cater to childless couples and friend groups with special spaces reserved just for grownups.

Each ship has an adults-only nightlife area and/or multiple bars and lounges to visit in the evening. An adults-only sun deck includes a pool and space to sunbathe. Each ship also has one or two adults-only restaurants you can retreat to at dinnertime if you want to ensure a high-end and kid-free meal. (You'll have to pay extra for these meals, however.)

Disney offers legitimately good liquor and tastings

On top of the cocktails and drinks you may expect, Disney ships offer some very high-end liquors on board. I shared a photo of the below beverage cart on Instagram while on a recent cruise and got dozens of messages from people shocked Disney would have Pappy's bourbon. That specific 23-year-old bottle goes for several hundred dollars per drink, and it's on board Disney cruise ships.

If you're looking for something more affordable, sign up for one of the various beverage-tasting classes on offer. Most of the tastings are $40 - $50, and you'll get to sample a few drinks, as well as learn more about wine, tequila, bourbon and other beverages.

You don't need to pay for motion sickness pills

If you find the motion of the ocean to be a bit more than you bargained for, head to guest services, and they will give you — and your kids — motion sickness pills free of charge.

Pro tip: Don't wait until you are feeling terrible to start battling any potential motion sickness . At the first signs of queasiness, seek out a remedy. Green apples and ginger candy are alternatives for travelers who prefer not to take medicine.

The concierge lounge is extra magical

If you want your own personal Fairy Godmother who all but ensures you get the bookings you want, the best meal times, coveted reservations at the adults-only restaurants and cabana access at Castaway Cay, then book yourself into a concierge-level cabin or suite.

You'll get all that, plus you can board the ship first and skip the lines when disembarking. Concierge guests get exclusive access to a lounge with included evening drinks and a private sun deck (with a hot tub on Disney Wish ). You can order meals from the onboard restaurants to your room, and hang out with a Disney character in the lounge one evening of the cruise.

Not to mention, you'll be staying in some of the nicest and largest accommodations on the ship.

Concierge-level rooms do not come cheap, but they're the way to go if you want cream-of-the-crop service on a Disney cruise. I'd venture that the added perks and extra booking window for specialty restaurants and Castaway Cay are most valuable on the shorter Disney cruises of three or four nights.

Related: What it's like on a $10,000 Disney Wish concierge cruise

Find your way by looking at the carpet

It can be disorienting at first to find your way around a cruise ship, but Disney makes it easy to know if you are heading forward or aft when you're in the long cabin hallways. If the carpet design is upside down, you're heading toward the back of the ship, but if it is right side up, you're heading to the front of the ship. In the photo below, the globe is the clue.

Late dinner is better

Disney cruise ships offer two dinner options — early or late seating. Your showtime for the evening entertainment is opposite your dinner; if you have an early dinner, you have the late show and vice versa.

It's logical to assume that an early dinner at 5:45 p.m., as opposed to late dinner at 8:15 p.m., is better if you have little kids. Having done both, I'd say that late dinner is vastly superior in most situations.

First, 5:45 p.m. is too early to have made the most of your day and be ready for dinner. With all there is to eat on the cruise, you might not even be hungry yet. Beyond that, if you aren't heading into the dark theater to see the show until 8:15 p.m., it can be hard for little ones to sit still or stay awake.

However, if you see the show first and then eat dinner, the servers are great about expressing your meal with little kids. It's better to do a quick dinner and then head to bed (or back to the kids club!) than an early dinner and miss the evening shows because your kid no longer has the ability to sit still.

The $45 adult restaurant is worth it

If you enjoy fine dining, book a fancy dinner at one of the adults-only restaurants. Depending on which ship you are on, there will be one or two restaurants that are reserved for adults — Palo and perhaps also Remy or Enchante .

Remy and Enchante are super-fancy and pricy, but Palo is approachable-fancy and costs an additional $45 per person for the set menu. It's 100% worth the money if you can get a booking.

You'll leave any cartoony trace of Disney behind as you leisurely indulge on beef tenderloin, sea scallops, grilled lobster with pasta, calamari and chocolate souffle.

The best character meetings aren't the posted ones

You'll find many character meet-and-greets on the itinerary for each day where it's known that Mickey, Donald or Minnie will be at a specific place at a specific time for a brief hello and a photo. Those meetups are great, but they are not the best character interactions you'll find on Disney Cruise Line.

The best time you'll have with characters will be when you least expect to see them. You might spot Goofy walking around in his pajamas, Donald waddling out on the deck or Minnie strolling the halls in her finest dress.

These encounters can't be planned or predicted, but without the lines and forced nature of a quick photo, the more free-form interaction with the characters is better than any planned photo sessions you'll find on land or sea.

All the characters come out to say goodbye on the last night

On the last night of each cruise, all of the classic characters come out to the atrium for a short time (15 - 20 minutes) so you can snap a quick photo with anyone you missed before they do their final farewell presentation. Check your app for this goodbye show, which usually occurs around 10 or 10:30 p.m.

Pro tip: If you have a specific character you want to photograph, ask a cast member setting up for the event where that character usually stands during photo time. That way, you can position yourself in the right area to snap a photo because the event can turn chaotic in a hurry.

Skip the debarkation line by carrying your own bags

Getting off the ship at the same time as thousands of other guests can be a buzzkill, so don't do that. If you can manage your own bags, don't put them out the night before and take them off the ship yourself the final morning.

That leaves you free to disembark as early as possible before the regular disembarkation begins, which might be around 7:30 a.m. or so, depending on the port, weather and other factors. You can avoid the crowds because you don't have to wait for your luggage to be assembled along with everyone else.

You can bring your own water and wine

If you want to have bottled water at the ready, bring a case of it onboard. It will need to be sealed in its original packaging and you have to carry it on (instead of having it in checked luggage), but it can be worth it if you want to save money for the truly yummy drinks.

If you enjoy wine or beer out on your veranda, you can save a little cash by bringing your own alcohol onboard , with limits. Guests 21 years and older may bring a maximum of two bottles of unopened wine or Champagne (no larger than 750 ml) or a six-pack of beer (no larger than 12 ounces) on board at the beginning of the voyage and at each port of call. Again, these beverages need to be carried on and not stashed in checked bags.

You can enjoy the spa without a treatment

If you love the idea of spa-like quiet and relaxation without paying around $200+ per treatment, look into the Rainforest Room in the Senses Spa, which costs much less than that per day. Depending on demand, you can book a one-day pass or get a pass that lasts the duration of your cruise. Inquire in the spa as to availability and exact pricing, but it's certainly going to be less than a spa treatment.

Each of the Disney ships has its own version of this room. On Disney Wish, the space has not only the heated loungers that are a common fixture in each of these thermal areas, but also an indoor and outdoor lounge component, a steam room, a chilled ice room and a relaxing water feature for dangling your feet.

Bottom line

You can't go wrong in booking a Disney cruise as there is already so much included and available at your fingertips. But with a little knowledge, you can skip some of the common first-timer mistakes and board like a pro, starting with your first cruise.

Related reading:

• What it's like inside the Disney Wish Star Wars-themed bar
• Everything you need to know about Disney Wish
• The best credit cards for Disney
• Best destinations you can sail to on a Disney cruise
• Everything you need to know about Disney's loyalty program
• The 2 types of Disney Cruise Line ships, explained

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40 Disney Cruise Tips and Secrets You Should Know Before You Go

These tips will make your Disney cruise vacation even more magical.

Cruise vacations are a great way to unwind and relax in some of the most beautiful locales in the world, and a Disney cruise takes the traditional experience up a notch with unique, familiar touches and a little bit of magic. With so much to know before you set sail with Disney Cruise Line, it's easy to miss out on the most interesting facts and features.

Even if you think you know all about the ships and activities on board, you can still return to port without ever knowing about the secret sundecks, unannounced character greetings, and unexpected Mickey-shaped foods. Whether you're planning for this year or the next, prepare yourself for a hefty dose of Disney knowledge, because for you, these Disney cruise tips and secrets are no longer under wraps.

Meet the Expert

Adrianna Hwang is a planDisney panelist specializing in Disney Cruise Line.

Heather Peggs is a Disney travel expert with Castle Bound Travel Company.

Book your cruise early to get the best deal.

Disney uses a dynamic pricing system, meaning the earlier you book, the more you’ll save. Early bookings also ensure that you get your desired cabin. You can even book your next cruise while on board to save even more. The best part? This placeholder is fully refundable if plans change.

Consider booking a themed sailing. 

Disney Cruise Line offers a limited number of themed sailings, including Pixar Day at Sea and Marvel Day at Sea itineraries. These cruises up the ante with specialty shows and character appearances from beloved franchises, including Captain America , Toy Story , and more. You’ll also want to check out the special holiday cruises surrounding Halloween and Christmas. During these sailings, you’ll spot characters in special outfits and can enjoy themed food and beverage options, specialty entertainment, and much more. Disney Cruise Line guests love to bring themed attire to celebrate the occasion, so plan ahead if you want to partake in the fun.

Save big and let the mouse pick your room.

If you’re not picky about where your cabin is located on the ship, you can save a substantial amount of money by letting Disney pick your cabin. Just select your room type, like an inside cabin, and your specific cabin number will be assigned closer to your sail date.

See if cabin upgrades are available when you arrive at the port.

When available, cruisers may be able to snag an affordable last-minute room upgrade at the port, saving hundreds on a higher-tier room. 

Download the app before you go. 

Disney Cruise Line’s exclusive Navigator app is an absolute must-have to make the most of your time at sea. It adds convenience while taking care of practical vacation elements, like payment, online check-in, and trip modifications. This is also your go-to for pre-registering for Disney Cruise Line’s wide range of activities and keeping tabs on the daily schedule, which includes showtimes and deck parties. You can also communicate with your family and other cruise-goers for free using the app.

And don’t miss out on this convenient notification feature: “Scroll through the daily activity schedule to look for entertainment options that interest you, and be sure to click the heart icon next to any listings you don't want to miss,” planDisney panelist Adrianna Hwang tells Travel + Leisure . “If you've enabled notifications for the app, you'll receive a reminder about 15 minutes before the activity will begin. It's a really helpful feature when you lose track of time relaxing by the pool!” 

This is especially important if character meet-and-greets are a priority for you. “The Disney Cruise Line Navigator app will list character appearance times and locations so that you can be sure to catch your favorite Disney characters on board,” Hwang adds. “If you select the specific character listed in the Daily Activity Schedule within the app, you'll even see the full schedule of times to meet them throughout the cruise so that you can plan accordingly.” Hwang suggests arriving at the greet locations at least five to 10 minutes early.

Use your Castaway Club perks to book extras early. 

If you’re looking to book extras, like shore excursions and elevated dining experiences, your booking window depends on your loyalty to Disney Cruise Line. The Castaway Club is Disney’s version of a frequent cruiser program, and sailors earn status based on the number of sailings they’ve been on. Higher status translates to earlier booking windows, so Disney Cruise Line loyalists can score their desired bookings first. 

Related: What to Know About Castaway Club, Disney Cruise Line's Loyalty Program

Plan to exchange your currency onboard.

Not only does Disney Cruise Line take no commission for exchanging bills , but they'll actually honor the transaction's rate of exchange for any leftover money. Simply present your receipt prior to the end of the cruise, and they'll convert your foreign currency back to your preferred denomination at the same rate, even if the exchange rate has since changed. (Note: This only applies to bills, not coins, and there is no ATM on board.)

Bring a reusable water bottle. 

While there are water fountains and bottle refill stations on board, they can be far away from your room — and disposable bottles (not included in the fare) can add up. The tap water in each room is drinkable, but sinks are often too small to accommodate big bottles. You can bring packs of bottled water, but you'll have to carry it through embarkation — it cannot be packed with luggage — so consider bringing refillable bottles or tumblers.

See characters in their special cruise wardrobe.

Thought you knew everything there was to know about the Fab Five? Wait until you see them in their exclusive Disney Cruise Line wardrobe. Goofy, Donald, Daisy, Mickey, and Minnie wear special outfits for Pirate Night, and they also tailor their outfits to where the ship is headed that day. On Alaska sailings, expect to meet Mickey in fisherman's overalls and Minnie in a fur-lined coat; on trips through the Mediterranean Sea, Goofy dons an Italy-inspired suit. Specialty characters are also known to show up from time to time, like Minnie, Daisy, and Clarabelle appearing as the Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus during the spooky season.

Aspiring princesses won’t want to miss the Royal Gathering.

The Royal Gathering is your chance to meet and greet with Disney royalty, like Tiana and Cinderella, all at one time and place. It’s offered on most cruise itineraries but there is a catch: while tickets are free, they are required to attend. “Complimentary tickets to the Royal Gathering are available to be booked online or through the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app or Disneycruise.com 30 days before your sail date,” Hwang adds. “Take this experience to the next level for your little one by reserving a Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique makeover an hour or two before the Royal Gathering begins.” 

And know that the most memorable character experiences won’t be at meet-and-greets.

The lines to meet Mickey and Minnie are (amazingly!) short on Disney Cruise Line, but favorites like Daisy Duck are known to freely wander the pool and jogging track decks, playfully surprising guests and often sharing elevator rides for a once-in-a-lifetime interaction. Don't miss the character dance parties either, which allow kids and adults to line dance with Goofy and shake it off with Donald Duck for an experience that goes beyond a hug and photograph.

Order whatever you’d like to eat — and as much as you’d like. 

Disney Cruise Line’s dinnertime meal service operates on a rotating restaurant schedule, so you'll get to enjoy each restaurant the ship offers — and some more than once on longer sailings. These highly themed restaurants, like Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure on the Disney Wish , offer pre-fixe dinner menus. Torn between two entrees? Order them both. Each of your ship’s included rotational dining restaurants comes with a fixed three-course option that is all-you-care-to-enjoy.

Splurge on specialty dining. 

Standard dining is fantastic, but Disney ships also have adults-only restaurants available at an extra charge. Depending on your ship, this could include the French-focused Remy or fan-favorite Palo. While Remy and Enchante can be pricey, you can enjoy Palo for as little as $50. 

And on the Disney Wish , you won’t want to miss its newest iteration, Palo Steakhouse. “If you've sailed with Disney before, you may be familiar with Palo, but on the Wish , Palo Steakhouse is even better,” Heather Peggs, a Disney travel expert with Castle Bound Travel Company, shares with T+L. “I highly recommend trying the A5 wagyu steak, which is about a fifth of the price it would be off the ship, and it's absolutely phenomenal!”

These upgraded dining experiences are known to book up well in advance, but there is occasionally a waitlist available for canceled and missed reservations. “If you can't snag a reservation before the cruise, inquire in person on the day you embark,” Hwang adds. “Look for the activity listed as ‘Dining Reservation Changes’ to speak with a crew member about reservation availability.” 

Request the best seat in the house at dinner. 

Always dreamed of sitting by the stage at Tiana's Place on the Disney Wonder or enjoying dinner in those gorgeous Enchanted Garden booths on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy ? Well, it's not entirely luck of the draw. Nothing is guaranteed, but requests for a certain table can always be added to your Disney Cruise Line reservation, and they are worth the extra phone call. Concierge guests can make seating requests to their Concierge Service Specialist before boarding as well. You never know when Disney will sprinkle a little extra magic onto your vacation.

And don’t miss the best dinner entertainment.

The dinner show at Animator's Palate is a highlight if you’re sailing on the Magic, Wonder, Dream, or Fantasy, but it's the second visit to that dining room that can't be skipped. It's called Animation Magic, and guests get to draw their own characters and see them come to life on the screens mid-meal. The incredible display is only offered on longer sailings on the Disney Magic and Disney Fantasy, so make sure you don’t skip it. Even better? Request that your rotation allows two visits to Animator's Palate that don't overlap with Pirate Night to ensure you enjoy the show.

Grab a free soda at this spot.

Soda is included during sit-down meals, but if you’re craving a thirst quencher outside of those times, go to the free-flowing beverage stations near the pools on each Disney ship.

Sip cocktails at this favorite bar. 

There are plenty of themed watering holes in the adults-only areas of the ships, but on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy , Meridian is the place to be. The upscale bar and lounge is located next door to Palo and Remy, but it is open to all adults adhering to its business casual dress code. Though known for its martinis, Meridian also offers a cigar bar, custom craft cocktails, and a gin and tonic cart, as well as a private deck hosting a picture-perfect view of nightly sunsets.

Check out the Star Wars -themed bar on the Disney Wish .

Star Wars : Hyperspace Lounge is a bar exclusively found on the Disney Wish . “Whether you’re an avid Star Wars fan or just want to explore the galaxy, you will be able to enjoy delicious alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages that are simply out of this world,” adds Peggs. Reservations are no longer required, but there might be a wait, especially during peak hours; visit when the ship is in port to avoid the crowds. During the day, guests of all ages are allowed in.

It’s a multi-sensory experience in this immersive, interactive venue, and you’ll want to keep your eyes peeled in case anyone orders the $5,000 Kaiburr Crystal cocktail.  

Save on drinks during happy hour at sea. 

Be sure to check the Navigator app for daily happy hours at different bars and lounges. The exact offers vary, but they can include deals like half-off draft beer and discounts on specialty cocktails. And if you’re looking to take your cocktail knowledge to the next level, cruises also offer add-on mixology classes and tasting experiences.

Ask about the Sommelier Bin for discounted wine. 

Once a bottle of wine is opened, Disney must serve it (in its entirety) that day. Because of this, Disney ships have a sommelier bin, with opened bottles of wine served by the glass at highly discounted rates. This is your chance to sip on otherwise pricey pours at a bargain price. Now that’s Disney magic.

Or B.Y.O.B. to save money.

Looking to save a few bucks? While Disney ships offer a bevy of specialty cocktails, you can bring your own drinks — with some limitations. Hard liquor is a no-go, but each cruiser 21 years of age and up can bring two bottles of wine (or six-packs of beer) on board with them. If you’re thinking of bringing that bottle of wine with you to dinner, be aware that Disney does charge a corkage fee. You can also bring sealed bottles of water on board with you.

Take a second look at that barbershop on the Disney Wish .

Hook’s Barbery may look like any old upscale barbershop when walking by — but it’s hiding one of the best-kept secrets aboard any Disney ship. Tucked away within the salon is a hidden speakeasy-style bar serving expertly crafted cocktails, including a smoked old fashioned. Its liquor selection is extensive and surprising with rare and vintage pours.

Snack on soft serve on and off the ship.

If you’re a frequent Disney cruiser, you’re probably familiar with the line’s free-flowing soft-serve ice cream. And if the craving strikes when visiting Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, you’ll be glad to know it’s also available on the island for the ultimate sugar rush in the sun.

Get an extra-magical coffee. 

Few can resist a Mickey-shaped treat while visiting any Disney property, but the best mouse-themed treat on the ships can be found at Cove Cafe . Order a cappuccino, ask for Mickey's face on it, and prepare to enjoy your jolt of caffeine with some extra magic. It'll cost a few bucks, but the joy of sipping a “Mickeyccino” will always outshine the complimentary coffee served on board. 

Order a Mickey bar — and more — with free room service. 

You’ll be glad to know that, unlike other cruise lines, Disney Cruise Line’s room service is completely free and offered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The best part? You can have an iconic Disney treat, the Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar, delivered directly to your room.

Book early if you plan to use the ship’s nursery.

Bookings open early for guests looking to take advantage of the onboard nursery. Available for an extra charge, the It’s a Small World Nursery is available to supervise your child ages six months to three years old, ideal if you’d like a quiet dinner or time to explore one of the ship’s many themed lounges without the little one in tow. And don’t forget — the other youth clubs for kids, tweens, and teens are absolutely free.

Teens can hang out in the coolest part of the ship.

Every Disney ship has a Vibe , an onboard youth club that is exclusively available for teens ages 14 to 17. There is supervision, of course, and Disney Cruise Line's famously fun activities, but it's practically a private resort for high schoolers to chill in all day and night — no parents allowed.

Explore the kids clubs during the open house. 

Activities at the Marvel Super Hero Academy and Star Wars : Millennium Falcon play areas are reserved for young ones, but all kids club spaces empty out for the open house, when anyone can wander in and check out Vibe's arcade games or Oceaneer Lab's high-tech designs. Don't skip out on Andy's Room, which brings Toy Story to life while making for incredible Instagram snaps. And you won’t want to miss a multi-level slide on the Disney Wish which takes you from floor to floor in the ship’s soaring lobby. “Little ones can get comfortable with and excited about areas where they will play without their grownups,” shares Hwang.

Join a secret community of friends — hiding in plain sight.

Ever seen those homemade decorations hanging beside neighbors' doors? They're called fish extenders, and they're used by a network of families who have packed small gifts, treats, and trinkets to exchange with each other throughout their trip. To get in on the fun for your next sailing, visit the DisBoards Cruise Meets forum or CruiseCritic's Roll Calls . Many times, there are Facebook groups for your exact sailing as well. This can be particularly helpful with shy kids as they can get acquainted with other cruise-goers their age ahead of their journey.

Add an Adventures by Disney trip to your vacation.

You can enhance your Disney Cruise Line experience with Adventures by Disney Escapes before or after your sailing. Experience global cities through expertly curated itineraries in Barcelona, Paris, Rome, and beyond. 

Spring for a concierge-level room and relax on a private sun deck.

There are plenty of perks that come with booking a concierge-level room — namely early access to onboard bookings, personalized service, and in-room amenities. And perhaps the best part, concierge guests have access to their own private sun and lounge deck outfitted with upscale lounge chairs, complimentary sunscreen, and chilled face towels, as well as a pool deck host who can fulfill any requests for full relaxation.

See the latest Disney movies. 

Enjoy the latest Disney releases at the on-board theater without having to buy tickets in advance. Even better? Many new Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars films have 3-D showings, allowing guests to experience eye-popping effects on the high seas. Movie times are available on the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app. And during the holidays, classics are featured, like “Hocus Pocus” during Halloween sailings.

Skip the ports to enjoy fewer crowds at the pool.

It may be tempting to disembark and explore Jamaica or relax on Castaway Cay, but if you stay behind, you can enjoy fewer crowds at the pools. This could be your prime chance to experience the AquaMouse water coaster, the cruise line’s first attraction at sea on the Disney Wish , with little to no line.

There are also lots of activities to take advantage of on board. “I must say I'm a huge fan of staying on board even on port days to explore the array of classes, Broadway-caliber shows, and, of course, the games,” adds Peggs. “If you're looking for family-friendly options, a couple of my favorites are Bingo, which they have every day during your sailing, napkin and towel folding, bar trivia, and so much more!”

Don’t miss the musicals.

While it may be tempting to take advantage of quieter swim times in the evening, you won’t want to miss your ship’s musical offerings. Broadway-quality productions including “Beauty and the Beast” and “Aladdin” (exact offerings depend on the ship) are a must-see. “These are beautifully done and are wonderful for the entire family,” Peggs adds. “Plus, if you purchase a popcorn bucket at the beginning of the cruise, you will be able to enjoy $1.50 refills for the remainder of your cruise!”

There’s an under-the-radar design tour.

Adults 18 and up can enjoy one of the cruise line’s best walking tours. “The Art of The Theme Show Tour gives adults an insightful look into the detailed and thoughtful design of several spaces throughout the ship,” adds Hwang. “It's usually offered in the mornings and provides some fun trivia to share with anyone in your party.” 

Unwind at the spa.

You’re on vacation — it’s time to pamper yourself in the state-of-the-art spa. “If you are interested in booking a spa treatment, attend the open house before the ship sets sail,” Peggs shares. “You might get lucky and win a voucher for 10% off or possibly a facial or massage during the raffle. Speaking of savings, the more spa services you get while on board, the better the price will be. If you want to secure a spa day/week pass, be sure to book them sooner rather than later as they sell out pretty quickly!”

There’s a totally free fan-favorite activity.

If your itinerary takes you to Disney’s Castaway Cay, then you can partake in one of Disney Cruise Line’s most beloved activities, the Castaway Cay 5k — and it’s completely free to all guests. Suitable for runners and walkers alike, this on-your-own race invites you to discover Disney’s private island from a different vantage point as you travel through its stunning tropical paths. All participants receive an exclusive medal when they finish.

Not feeling well during your sailing? Disney can help.

There’s nothing worse than feeling sick on vacation. But have no fear, the mouse is here to help. Each ship is equipped with on-site medical help, and if you experience seasickness, complimentary medicine is available.

Grab every photo before the clock runs out.

Even if you skipped every character meet-and-greet, you'll still be able to cram in a week's worth of photos at "Til' We Meet Again," the goodbye show on the final night of each sailing. After a short heartwarming performance, loads of Disney characters, princesses, and theater performers will disperse throughout the crowd, posing for photos on a first-come, first-served basis. The onboard photographers will have already shut down, so you can snap as many iPhone pictures as you'd like, making for a full album in one fell swoop. This experience only lasts for around 20 minutes; you can find the exact time in the Navigator app.

Want to disembark first? Carry your own bag.

You don’t want to sour a wonderful vacation with a never-ending line simply to exit the ship. Instead of leaving your luggage out the night before, carry it off the ship yourself and arrive at your final destination without having to wait in lengthy port queues.

25 Best Disney Cruise Tips for First Timers

It’s no secret that planning a vacation can be a lot of work! But it can also be totally worth it for an unforgettable family trip.

Disney Cruise Line is the perfect option for families because the ships offer so much to see and do onboard. In addition to this onboard fun, you can visit amazing ports of call in locations all around the world.

This means Disney cruises offer activities and adventures for all guests and are sure to please everyone in your family. Before you leave to embark on your cruise, be sure to check out our Disney cruise tips and tricks below.

From the planning process to debarkation day, these tidbits of advice will help you map out the do’s and don’ts of your Disney cruise vacation. Read all about our favorite hacks for packing, dining, visiting Castaway Cay, and more in our Disney cruise tips for first timers guide!

Planning Tips for Disney Cruise First Timers

If this is your first cruise, the planning process for a Disney Cruise Line vacation may seem a bit overwhelming. However, Disney really does a great job of organizing the information you need. Below are my top tips for getting through the planning process of a Disney Cruise Line vacation.

Download the Disney Cruise Line App

We recommend downloading the app right after you initially book your cruise. In addition to the Disney Cruise Line website, the Disney Cruise Navigator App features a ton of information and features. My family and I especially love the cruise countdown on the app as it really gets the family super excited for the upcoming trip.

The Disney Cruise app also holds important details about your trip, including information about your account, stateroom, port adventures, and more. And once you’re onboard, you will notice it contains everything you need to know about the ship in general. You can use the Navigator App for directions, dinner rotation information, daily schedule of activities, reservations, etc.

It’s also a great way to communicate (at no extra charge) with your family members while on the ship. You and your family can text each other via the Navigator App without having to worry about using up all the data on your phone.

Use Disney Ground Transportation

Disney Cruise Line ground transfers are a super reliable and easy way to arrive and leave the port. I highly recommend adding this shuttle service to your cruise reservation, especially if you are cruising with toddlers or babies.

(Note that your travel agent would need to add this onto your reservation if you booked through an agent.)

My husband and I like that the Disney shuttles take care of our luggage so that we aren’t trying to keep up with two little kids, carryon bags, AND large suitcases. If you have a family of four, these Disney buses are really cost effective as well.

You can find out more information about the pricing and other details on the official website for Disney Cruise Line.

Get an Early Port Arrival Time

We like to arrive at the port and board the ship as early as possible. This allows you to enjoy lunch and the ship’s pools before your room is ready. This early Port Arrival Time is popular, so you will want to be diligent about choosing your time as soon as its available.

This means you will want to login to your Disney account as soon as online check-in becomes available. Then, you can make sure to snag the coveted early times before they book up.

There is a trick to getting an early port arrival and boarding time even if they are all taken by the time you check in. Guests who book the Disney Cruise Line ground transportation do not have to choose a port arrival time since you are permitted to enter the terminal when the DCL bus arrives.

Furthermore, it has been my family’s experience that when we choose to use the Disney Cruise Line ground transportation AND we book a pre-cruise hotel through Disney Cruise Line, we are also given a low boarding number for embarkation day.

↓↓ Check Out My Etsy Shop ↓↓

Now, if you are staying at a Walt Disney World hotel before your cruise, the DCL shuttles do not pick you up super early. However, if you book one of Disney’s pre-cruise hotels near Port Canaveral, you can board the ground transfers early to be one of the first to arrive at the terminal.

Book Activities ASAP

If you’re a first-time cruiser with Disney Cruise Line, you may book certain cruise activities 75 days before cruising as long as you are paid in full. This is especially important if you are wanting to book super popular activities activities like the Princess Gathering and other character meet and greet opportunities. 

That being said, you’ll find plenty of Disney characters available onboard and on the private island that do not require reservations. If you aren’t able to snag a reservation for something that you really want, keep checking the app for cancelations.

In addition, we highly recommend joining the Facebook group for your specific sailing as other families tend to post when they cancel a reservation, which allows you to pick one up. If all else fails, visit Guest Services once you get on the ship, and a cast member should be able to add you to a list for the activity you are wanting.

Fly in a Day Early

If you live somewhat close to your departure port, you may be tempted to fly in the morning of your cruise, but don’t do it! The weather is so unpredictable, and I’m sure you don’t want to feel stressed about missing the ship. 

Flying in the day before you are scheduled to set sail allows you extra time to ensure you make it to your final destination…the Disney cruise ship! If you would like to read reviews and tips on where to stay the night before your cruise, you can check out these posts:

• Best Hotel before a Port Canaveral Cruise
• Where to Stay the Night before a Miami Cruise

Best Tips for Boarding Day

The day that you finally get to board the Disney cruise ship is known as Embarkation Day . This can be a hectic day since you will be juggling your cruise documents, luggage, transportation information, and more.

Our Embarkation Day post provides a packing list for your day bag as well as tips to help the day run smoothly for your family. Below are some additional tips for boarding on embarkation day:

Wear Bathing Suits

I know you are probably wondering what to wear on your cruise. You will see all types of clothing worn on the ship. No matter how formal or casual you choose to be, you won’t be alone.

Most of the people I see on our cruises look casual and comfortable. This is especially true on embarkation day when a lot of kids are just wearing swimsuits and coverups. As a family, we tend to wear our swim gear under our clothes.

My husband and I also like to board the ship wearing flip flops or sandals that slip off and on easily. My kids like to spend time on the pool deck after our embarkation lunch, and I usually need to take off my shoes for the splash zone and pool area. Embarkation day is a great time to experience the water slides and pools without standing in line or being surrounded by a lot of people.

Ask to Upgrade Your Room

I want to preface this by saying that you should first make sure you book a room that you are completely comfortable with. Then, you can ask the cast member who is checking you in at the port if there are any room upgrades available. 

If Disney Cruise Line has available rooms, you can choose to upgrade for significantly less than what the room regularly costs. My family and I used this trick on our most recent cruise when we upgraded at the port to a concierge-level room.

This was a huge perk as concierge guests receive a lot of additional perks. Again, this is not guaranteed and it’s not even common. So, make sure you have a room you love in case an upgrade isn’t available.

Disney Cruise Stateroom Tips

As mentioned above, even if you are planning to inquire about a room upgrade at the port, you should initially book a stateroom that meets the needs of your family. These are some of my personal guidelines for booking a stateroom. This list also includes some little known facts about your cabin:

Stay Aft or Mid-Ship

If you have never cruised before, I recommend booking a stateroom in the middle or back of the ship. This may just be a personal preference for me, but I feel the motion of the ship much more at the front.

If you are concerned about seasickness , you may want to consider a room in an area other than the forward (front) end of the ship. We typically feel the movement a lot more when we are in a venue at the front of the ship compared to at the back (aft) or middle.

Pack Magnets

You have probably seen photos of decorations on the outside of stateroom doors. These items attach to the door with a magnet. Similarly, the walls and doors INSIDE the cabin are also magnetic. One of my favorite packing hacks is to bring magnetic hooks with us on our cruises. You can stick them to the walls and doors in the stateroom to hold all kinds of things.

We hang our wet swimsuits, hats, towels, etc. on these hooks. I also use the magnetic hooks on the bathroom door in our cabin. This is a great place to hold an over-the-door shoe organizer. You can store all kinds of things in the shoe organizer from hairbrushes to sunscreen to toiletries.

Memorize Your Room Number

You will be asked for your room number often during your cruise vacation. For example, when you are in line to take pictures with characters, the photographer will need your stateroom number. It’s a good idea to memorize the room number early on so that you can quickly recite it when a crew member asks.

Disney Cruise Dining Tips and Tricks

The dining rooms on the Disney cruise ships provide really great food, service, and entertainment. The rotational dining method that DCL uses can seem confusing if you are a first time cruiser. Below are some of our top tips for dining on your Disney Cruise Line vacation.

Get on the Waitlist

Depending on when you book your cruise, the main dinner seating may be full. If you would prefer your family eat at the main dining time (around 5:45) rather than at the second seating (around 8:15), call Disney Cruise Line and ask to be put on the waiting list.

Then, check your online Disney Cruise Line account often (like daily). Sometimes the early time opens up, and it will randomly become an option for you to choose in your account. (This happened for me on my last cruise at about 30 days before sailing.)

If you really need the early dining time and it does not open up in the app, just check the appointment spot for dining requests on embarkation day. You will see a time and place to make dining requests onboard.

↓↓ Visit My Etsy Shop ↓↓

To make changes onboard, you just stand in line until you can meet with the cast member in charge to request early seating. Disney has always been able to meet our request on board; although, we tend to sail during the off-peak season.

If you are okay with eating at the later dining time, many avid cruisers actually prefer it. The dining rooms tend to feel less crowded and rushed during this time.

Request a Private Table

If you would rather eat at a table with only your travel party and not with strangers, you can mark this request in the Disney Cruise Line Navigator App. Disney will not guarantee to grant this request; but, they will do their best to make it happen.

On embarkation day, you will receive a paper newsletter (called a Personal Navigator) that lists a meeting place and time for dining changes. You can go to this location at the specified time to confirm your request for a private table was granted. 

Specialty Drinks include Tips

If you order an adult beverage or a specialty kid’s drink, a gratuity is automatically applied to the price. When you get your receipt, make sure you don’t double tip…unless you just want to.

Best Tips for Castaway Cay

If you are lucky enough to visit Castaway Cay on your cruise, you won’t be disappointed! Disney’s private island in the Bahamas provides stunning beaches and lots of fun activities. You will find some great tips for visiting Castaway Cay below. (Since I have a toddler, some of the tips are baby or toddler specific.)

Borrow a Stroller

If you don’t want to bring a stroller from home for your young children, you can borrow one from Guest Services. They will charge your account $250 for the stroller, but DCL will remove the charge once the stroller is returned.

The ship strollers are City Mini Baby Joggers. We had to fold it up before fitting it through the stateroom door on the Disney Magic, but they are super easy to collapse.

The stroller can then be stored in your room, under the bed, or even in the closet. If you are cruising with a little one but don’t want to borrow a stroller on the ship, you can grab any of the available strollers or wagons on Castaway Cay to use for free on the island.

Sit near the Climbing Feature

Castaway Cay has a climbing feature that’s perfect for young kids just off the shore of one of the family beaches. The beach and water in front of this play zone often has far fewer people than other areas on the island.

Even at prime beach time, you should be able to find loads of seats and umbrellas in this area. If your kids enjoy climbing, you can easily monitor them from the beach in this area.

Pack Water Shoes

The sand and water at Castaway Cay is often full of tiny (and sometimes sharp) shells. You can get by without water shoes if you are careful. However, you may want to add them to your beach bag for peace of mind and for your kids’ feet. 

Disney Cruise Packing Tips and Hacks

Below you will find some brief notes on packing tips and hacks for your Disney Cruise Line vacation. For a full guide to packing, we suggest checking out our post that includes a free printable Disney Cruise packing list . In that post, we list all the essentials you need for your trip. Plus, we explain the reasoning behind some of the really unique items be make sure to take with us!

Bring $1 Bills

We often find that we need dollar bills for tipping various people throughout our trip. These are some of the positions we tipped on our last cruise:

• motor coach driver who drove us to the port
• porter who handled our bags at the port 
• $1 per item ordered from room service
• motor coach driver who drove us to the airport

We also added cash to the gratuity envelopes for our room host and dining servers. Note that you do not need to add additional tips to these envelopes unless you feel you received exemplary service. The regular tip amount is fine to leave. For more information, please check out our post on Disney Cruise gratuities .

Pack an Embarkation Day Bag

Your room probably won’t be ready until 1:30, and your luggage may not arrive until after dinner. So, pack a carryon bag for boarding the ship in case you need certain items before your luggage arrives.

Insider Tips for Shows

The Broadway style shows on Disney Cruise Line provide really great family entertainment that kids of all ages can enjoy. Here are a few tips for visiting the theater and enjoying onboard activities:

Arrive Early

The seats in the theater fill up during the nightly live shows. We try to arrive 15-20 minutes before the show starts to make sure we find seats together as a family. My kids typically don’t mind being seated early as we bring snacks and coloring books to entertain them before the show starts.

Grab a Booster Seat

I have a six year old who is really small for her age. My husband likes to grab a booster seat for her to sit on during the shows. You can get a booster seat at the entrance to the theater each night. This allows little ones to better see the stage from their seats. 

Pack Snacks and Drinks

You can purchase popcorn, candy, and drinks right outside the theater at Preludes . However, you are welcome to bring your own snacks as well. This is a great way to save money and stay on budget for your cruise! Just make sure any food you bring on board is pre-packaged as you are not permitted to carry on opened or homemade items.

Last Minute Tips and Advice for First Time Cruisers

These are some miscellaneous bits of advice for your first time cruising with Disney Cruise Line.

Return the Kids Club Band

If you receive a bracelet for the kids club (similar to a Magic Band at Disney World) for your child, make sure you return it to the club by the last day of your cruise. If you don’t, Disney Cruise Line will charge your account for the bracelet. 

Grab a Paper Navigator

The Disney Cruise Line Navigator App is a great resource while on the cruise. However, I still prefer to have a paper copy of the daily personal navigator. You can easily pick up your Navigator at Guest Services each day.

You do not have to wait in line to do this. Guest Services should have a stack of Navigators set out for guests to freely grab and go.

If your final cruise day is at a port like Castaway Cay, it may be tempting to leave the packing until later so you can enjoy the beach. However, if you want Disney Cruise Line to handle your luggage on debarkation day , it needs to be packed and in the hallway that last night. 

Give yourself plenty of time to pack your bags and set them in the hallway by the luggage pickup time. This will help the end of the cruise and disembarkation day run much more smoothly. There’s nothing worse than spending your last night on board rushing to pack rather than enjoying the final entertainment options available with your family.

Schedule a Character Call

Disney Cruise Line provides two free calls from characters prior to your cruise. Depending on when you are cruising, you can receive a call from Goofy, Mickey, or Minnie. On a special note, if you are sailing on a holiday themed itinerary, you may be able to receive a unique holiday call from characters!

Don’t Stress about Laundry

If you are sailing on a longer Disney Cruise itinerary, you may feel uncertain about how to handle laundry on the ship. I assure you this process is super simple! You can read our full guide to Disney cruise laundry here , but I will briefly explain the process. We carry a bag of dirty clothes to the launderette onboard.

You use the digital screen to purchase the use of the washer and/or dryer. (The price is actually super reasonable, which you can read about in the post linked above.) Disney has all the detergents and things you need for an additional small fee. You then receive a message via the Navigator App once your clothes are finished washing.

You can then move them to the dryer where you’ll receive a second message once they are dry. If you prefer not to do your own laundry onboard, Disney Cruise Line offers full service laundry services as well.

Final Thoughts on Disney Cruise Tips and Tricks

I hope you found these tips for your first Disney cruise really helpful! Sailing with Disney Cruise Line is the most fun and relaxing way to travel. Whether you’re looking for pre-cruise advice or tips to use onboard, the information above should come in handy.

We hope your vacation runs smoothly with our planning and packing hacks. Once you are cruising with Disney , you’ll realize just how special a Disney Cruise Line vacation truly is.

Have a magical trip!

Shari is an experienced planner and organizer for Disney vacations, cruising, and U.S. travel. Her family vacation information, reviews, and tips provide insight for moms and dads everywhere. You can read more about her story, including her journey through breast cancer, in the about me page.

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101 Disney Cruise Tips & Tricks

This post contains affiliate links. Read the full disclosure here .

Ready for your Disney Cruise? Cruising is definitely a different kind of vacation than any other you will take, and Disney Cruises can have some differences than other cruises you might be familiar with. If this is your first ever cruise or your first cruise Disney Cruise, these Disney Cruise tips & tricks will help you with everything you need to know. We’ve got tips about packing, boarding the ship, eating, enjoying the entertainment, and more so you can have best possible cruise experience!

There’s TONS here (and honestly more I probably could have added!), so read through it and then keep it saved to refer back to as you get ready for your cruise! I’ve done my best to break it up into section that will correspond with the stages of your cruise: planning and preparing, being on your cruise, and leaving your cruise.

Tips & Tricks for Booking Your Disney Cruise

1. book your cruise early.

Disney Cruise prices don’t tend to fluctuate. The earliest prices you can get are often going to be the best prices you can get (unless you get a great last minute deal). Prices generally only continue to go up as the cruise gets closer. Some cruises also sell out!

Also, understand how pricing works. Cruises during high-demand times (like summer and holidays) will be more expensive. Cruises on newer ships (like the Wish ) will also be more expensive.

2. Use a travel agent to book your cruise.

Travel agents are free to use and can get you the best deal. While there aren’t often big discounts for Disney Cruises, many of them do offer onboard credit, giving you money to spend on the ship.

3. Check-in online as soon as you can.

This will give you best options for port arrival times, excursions, exclusive dining reservations, and more.

4. Be prepared with documents for your online check-in.

You will need things like pictures of everyone in your party, passports, and possibly more. Gather and upload as much as you can before your actually online check-in time to cut down on the stress.

5. Book the earliest port arrival time you can.

You want to maximize the time you get to spend on your Disney Cruise! Booking an earlier port arrival time will allow you to get on the ship and start having fun hours before the ship actually leaves. You’ll be able to select your port arrival time once you check in online.

6. Download the Disney Cruise Line App.

Well before your cruise, download the app. It won’t do much before you leave, but once you link your reservation you’ll get a fun countdown. Plus, then you’ll have it all ready once you board the ship when you will REALLY need it.

7. Book everything you can online ahead of time!

Shore excursions, kids club reservations (if needed), spa appointments, specialty dining—many of these things will get booked up quickly, so book things early as much as you can. If you can’t book something ahead of time, visit Guest Services as soon as you board the ship.

8. Join a fish extender group before your cruise.

A fish extender is an pouch extension you place on the fish outside your door (a hook where Disney places your mail). You can join a fish extender group for your particular sailing on Facebook ahead of time, and then throughout the cruise you will exchange gifts with other people on your sailing by leaving the gifts in the fish extenders. This isn’t an official Disney activity, but instead a cruise tradition that fans have started, and many people love participating in it.

Tips & Tricks for Disney Cruise Packing

9. use the luggage tags provided by disney..

When you arrive at port, you will hand your bags over and then be able to board without the hassle of the luggage. But make sure you have the luggage tags Disney sent you on your bags so they know where the bags go!

10. Pack a separate embarkation carry-on bag.

Include essential documents, medications, and swimsuits (if you want to hit the pool soon after boarding). Pack anything you might need until early evening, because sometimes your regular bags will take a few hours to appear in your stateroom.

11. Don’t worry about beach packing towels.

Disney provides towels both on the pool deck and at Castaway Cay.

12. Don’t worry about packing bath products.

You won’t need to pack shampoo, conditioner, body wash, or body lotion (unless you have something super special you can’t live without). Disney provides great products in each stateroom, so no need to have it taking up space in your luggage.

13. Pack sunscreen!

You will absolutely need it. Reef safe sunscreen is always best to get in the ocean with. Our favorite is this Sun Bum spray , the Sun Bum face stick , and this COOLA scalp spray . (PS — all of these products smell so good which is the best part!)

14. Bring seasickness meds.

Be prepared if you are worried about seasickness. Bring medicine or anything else you might need. But also know that Disney ships have high-tech stabilizers and they do their best to make it a smooth ride.

15. Bring a jacket!

Even in the Caribbean it can get breezy and cool at night, and you might find some of the restaurants or theaters a little chilly too.

16. Bring an excursion bag.

Pack a small and easy-to-carry bag that you can take with you onto Castaway Cay or any other ports and excursions. You can include things like sunscreen, water, essential medications, your Key to the World card (your room key), ID, and anything else you might need off the ship.

17. Pack a lanyard.

Many people pack lanyards to keep their ID and Key to the World (room key) card on. This makes it easy to grab on your way out the door and easy to keep up with.

18. Pack a reusable water bottle.

Even though cups of water are free on your cruise, bottles of water aren’t and they can add up fast.

19. Pack your alcohol!

Drinks on a Disney Cruise can be pricey, so if you know you are going to want some, you can bring some with you. Each guest 21 years or older can bring two unopened bottles of wine or champagne or six beers in their carry-on luggage.

20. Use packing cubes!

Honestly, this is great advice for any trip, but packing cubes can help you fit more into your bag, keep everything organized, and are super easy to unpack into the drawers in your stateroom. I love these packing cubes and use them on every trip I go on.

21. Use a good packing list.

Use a packing list to make sure you’ve remembered everything! See this post for all our Disney Cruise packing tips .

Tips & Tricks for Boarding Your Disney Cruise

22. fly in the day before your cruise.

You definitely don’t want to be stressing about flight delays on the same day you have a cruise to board!

23. Don’t get to the port too early.

Ideally, you’ve booked the earliest time you can for arriving at port. But don’t arrive too much earlier than that or they may turn you away or you’ll just have to sit around and wait.

24. Get your WiFi up and running for the Disney Cruise app.

When you board the ship there will be cast members in place to instruct you on using the app. Note that you have to pay for extra WiFi, but the app is always free to use. The app will only work when you connected to the Disney Cruise ship WiFi.

25. Start figuring out the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app early.

You can use the app to see the schedule for each day, your dining rotation, chat with members of your party, and more.

26. Guest Services can help you with special bookings.

If there are special activities you were unable to book before your cruise or if you want to try to get a specialty dining reservation, head to guest services when you get on the ship and see if they can help you. Sometimes there are reservations available that hadn’t been available online.

27. Rent the baby gear you need.

If you need baby gear like a pack n’ play or a stroller, you can rent them for free at Guest Services. These are on a first-come, first-serve basis though, so do this as soon as possible once you get on the ship!

28. Head to lunch!

When you board the ship, head to lunch. While many people head to the buffet at Cabanas (or Marceline Market on the Wish), you can also eat at one of the sit-down restaurants that is offering lunch.

29. Get your muster drill done.

Recently, Disney has changed the way their muster drill works. Instead of everyone gathering at their station at once, you just have to go and check in at your station using the app during your first few hours on board. Go ahead and get it done so then you’re free to have fun!

30. Check out the Kid’s Clubs!

Your first afternoon on board, all of the kid’s clubs should be having open houses. This means you can go explore the space with your child and get all checked in with a cast member so that drop off is easy once you’re ready to actually use the kid’s club. (Pro Tip: Even if you don’t have kids, stop by just to use their awesome hand washing stations!)

31. You can go to the pool as soon as you get on the ship!

If you’ve packed your swimsuit in your carry on bag (or worn it under your clothes) you can head straight to the pool when you get on board and hopefully find it less crowded than it will be later.

32. Remember that your room may not be ready right away.

Rooms tend to be ready mid-afternoon, so you may not have access to your room as soon as you board. (Remember, they JUST had an entire cruise get OFF the ship that same morning!)

33. Your luggage may take some time to show up in your room.

Usually luggage will show up in the afternoon, but sometimes it can be into the evening. So be prepared with the things you will need in your carry-on bag.

34. The ship will feel like a maze when you first get on.

But don’t worry because soon you’ll get the hang of it. There are maps and signs to help you know your way, and spend some time on this first day just wondering around the ship getting the lay of the land (or uh…ship).

Tips & Tricks for Your Disney Cruise Stateroom

35. decorate your door with custom magnets.

This is a fun Disney Cruise tradition, and there are lots of small shops online that sell these magnets. We also love our door decorations because it makes it easier for us to find our room.

36. Pack a magnetic hook.

The doors in your state room are metal, so magnetized hooks are helpful for keeping things like lanyards, purses, etc.

37. Don’t use an over-the-door shoe organizer.

Disney has begun asking guests not to use these because they can damage the door.

38. Unpack your suitcase.

You can store empty luggage under the bed. Cruise staterooms are too small to have open suitcases lying around!

39. Disney Cruise rooms have TWO bathrooms.

This is one of my favorite features about the rooms. There is one bathroom with a sink and shower/tub, and one bathroom with a sink and toilet. This makes sharing a bathroom with family members in a small space much more manageable.

40. Your stateroom host will prepare kid’s beds.

If you have kids and need to use the fold-out beds, your stateroom host will pull them down for you each night and make them up for you each morning.

41. Get to know your state room host!

They are so kind and are there to help your experience in your stateroom be the best it can be.

Tips & Tricks for Disney Cruise Dining

42. you will be assigned restaurants on a rotating basis for dinner..

This is known as rotational dining, and you don’t want to miss it! They are truly special dining experiences. You can find your dining rotation on your Disney Cruise Line Navigator app.

Looking for more dining info? These might help:

• Complete Guide to Disney Magic Restaurants + Dining
• Complete Guide to Disney Wish Restaurants + Dining

43. Your rotational dining is included in the cost of your cruise.

The only thing you may have to pay for at a standard dinner is if you order an alcoholic drink.

44. There are two different dinner seating times.

Most families with young kids prefer to be assigned the earlier dinner seating, while families with older kids or parties traveling with just adults tend to book the later dinner seating.

45. Guest Services can change your dinner time if you need to.

If you need to change your dinner seating time for some reason, talk to Guest Services about it as soon as you board the ship.

46. Your waiters will move restaurants with you each night.

This means they will really get to know you and your preferences. Maybe when you enter they’ll already have drinks out if you get the same thing every night, or if you have a special dietary need they will always be prepared for that.

47. Get to know your waiters too!

We love talking to ours and getting to know where they are from, how long they’ve been working on Disney Cruises, and just chatting! Getting to know the cast members on board really makes the cruise experience even more special.

48. You can order more than one item.

If more than one appetizer, dessert, or even entrée sounds good to you, remember that you are allowed to order more than one!

49. Quick service options are available for breakfast and lunch.

There are dining options available on the pool deck and in either Cabanas or Marceline Market (on the Wish). These are included in the price of your cruise, and are likely where you will want to grab lunch. (Although you can also choose a table service restaurant for either meal as well.)

50. Room service is included in the price of your cruise!

So take advantage for any meal or for late night snacks! Be prepared to tip though.

51. Order Mickey Premium Bars through room service!

Room service is the only place you’ll be able to find Disney’s popular ice cream treat. And truly there is nothing better than sitting on your verandah with a Mickey Premium Bar!

52. If you want to book premium-adults only dining, do so early!

Each ship has at least one adults-only dining experience. These are an additional charge. Most of them offer options for both brunch and dinner. Each ship has a version of Palo. The Dream and Fantasy also have Remy, and the Wish has Enchanté.

53. You’ll have to pay for specialty coffee.

If you want something other than the standard coffee at the restaurants, there is a coffee bar in the adults only area of the ship. The coffee here is an extra charge, but you can save money if you grab one of their coffee cards. Buy 5 drinks and the 6th is free.

Tips & Tricks for the Disney Cruise Kids Clubs

54. there are kid’s clubs for all ages.

It’s a Small World Nursery is for children under 3, The Oceaneer’s Club and Lab is for kids ages 3-12, The Edge is for kids 11-14, and The Vibe is for teens ages 14-17. Each club has age appropriate activities and special events that occur throughout the day.

55. It’s a Small World Nursery is an additional charge.

It is $9 per hour for your first child, and $8 per hour for each additional child.

56. It’s a Small World Nursery needs to be booked ahead of time.

While the other kid’s clubs allow kids to stop in whenever they want, the nursery will need to be reserved ahead of time.

57. The Oceaneer’s Club will lock your child’s Magic Band on.

Your child will need a Magic Band for their time in the Oceaneer’s Club (you will be given one), and the cast members will lock it on while they are in there, which is a great safety measure. If they don’t want to wear the Magic Band for the whole cruise, you can use small scissors or ask a cast member for help cutting it off. Then it will just get relocked each time your child comes into the club.

58. Kids in The Edge and The Vibe are free to come and go as they please.

Tweens and teens do not have to be checked in and out by an adult. However, if you have a child in an overlap age (11 or 12) who can participate in both The Edge and The Oceaneer’s Club, you will need to check them in and out of the Oceaneer’s Club still but not The Edge.

59. Scuttle’s Cove is the kid’s club on Castaway Cay.

Kids that would normally go to the Oceaneer’s Club on the ship can be checked into Scuttle’s Cove on Castaway Cay, so parents can enjoy some of the adults only areas and some kid-free beach time. Just remember to bring their Magic Band onto the island!

60. Teens can go to Teen Hideout.

There is a Teen Hideout on Castaway Cay for teens ages 14-17.

Looking for a vacation book? You might like these books set on cruise ships !

Tips & Tricks for Disney Cruise Activities, Entertainment, & Shopping

61. check your disney cruise line navigator app each day..

You’ll be able to see what going on during the day on the ship and what activities you might want to participate in. You can favorite the activities and it will create an itinerary for you.

62. Disney Cruises will have activities going on ALL THE TIME (and they often repeat).

So don’t worry if you miss something. Usually for games/trivia/etc. the event will happen more than once during the cruise.

63. Your dining time will be opposite your nighttime entertainment time.

This means if you have the early dining you can go to the late show and if you have the late dining you can go to the early show.

64. Pack your own snacks!

If you think you are going to want to snacks during shows and movies, you can bring your own. The snacks outside the theaters are not included in the price of your cruise, so you would have to buy them separately. I also think it is helpful to have some granola bars or similar snacks with you, because while food on the ship is plentiful sometimes a snack that isn’t a cookie can be harder to find.

65. Shop early!

If there are certain items you want, pick them up early. Generally, merchandise does not get restocked during the cruise, so what they have at the beginning of the cruise is what they will have for the whole cruise.

66. The shops will not always be open!

Usually, they can only be open when the ship is at sea, so plan your shopping times accordingly.

67. Be prepared for Pirate Night!

Pirate Night is a beloved tradition on Disney Cruises! You can bring you own pirate attire to wear, and you’ll find special menus at dinner, characters dressed in pirate outfits, and special nighttime entertainment. Don’t have pirate attire? No worries! On our cruise everyone got a pirate bandanna to wear at dinner.

68. Don’t miss the fireworks!

Disney’s fireworks at sea are truly magical. (And fun fact: Disney Cruise Line fireworks are made from biodegradable materials so they are environmentally friendly!)

Tips & Tricks for Disney Cruise Characters

69. characters are out all the time on disney cruises..

This makes it really easy to meet them. Just walk through the atrium at various points during the day and you will see so many different characters. Generally the times they are out will show up in the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app, but you may find some surprise characters too.

70. Some character meet and greets may require a reservation.

This is usually for things like princess meet and greets. These aren’t an additional charge, but you will still need to book your spot, and you should be able to do so through the app or with Guest Services.

71. There are also character experiences you can pay for.

Some cruises offer special character experiences, like a character meal or a princess tea, for an additional cost.

72. Some of your dining rotations will include a character element/show.

Some of the dinner restaurants will include a special show with characters. For example, Rapunzel, Flynn, and the ruffians show up at Rapunzel’s Royal Table on the Disney Magic. On the Disney Wish, Frozen characters perform at Arendelle. And of course the shows at Animator’s Palate are always a favorite!

Tips & Tricks for the Disney Cruise Pool Deck

73. towels are provided on the pool deck..

So there is no need to bring your own towels!

74. The pools will have lines to get in when it is crowded.

The lifeguards will let a certain number of people in, let them be in for a certain time, and then have them get out so the next group can get in.

75. Try to ride the popular water slides during less popular times.

Later afternoon and evening or when the ship is docked are great times to try for the slides.

76. Hit the pool either early or later.

If you want a spot by the pool, plan to be out early in the morning. But you can also sometimes wait until later in the day! We found the pool a lot less crowded in the afternoon than in the morning! I think a lot of families have kids eager to get to the pool and by the afternoon they are ready to move on to something else or head in for nap time.

77. There are several dining options available on each ship’s pool deck.

All pool deck dining is included in the price of your cruise. You’ll find things like pizza, burgers, shawarma, and BBQ depending on what ship you are on. There is also a drink station on the pool deck.

78. The pool deck can get hot in the sun!

We had to make sure to walk in the shade on the pool deck on the Disney Magic because the areas exposed to the sun got so hot. So be prepared!

Tips & Tricks for Castaway Cay

79. make sure you have your id and your room key when you leave the ship.

You will need them both to get off and get back on the ship at Castaway Cay and at any port.

80. Towels are provided.

Be sure to grab them as you exit the ship.

81. Walk to the beach from the ship.

If you walk along the path instead of taking the tram you’ll have a chance to see characters along your way! Then you can take the tram back in the afternoon when you are tired.

82. Get off the ship early and find a spot to camp out during the day.

It’s best to find your spot before it gets too crowded. We like to find chairs near the water structure where we think the kids will play the most.

83. Take advantage of the bike riding and the snorkeling.

These were some of our favorite experiences on Castaway Cay! You will have to pay to rent bikes and snorkeling gear. (For more on what do on Castaway Cay, see our Guide to Castaway Cay .)

84. You can send a postcard from Castaway Cay.

If you want to send a postcard from Castaway Cay, you can stop by the post office. You will need cash to pay for it though!

85. Lunch is served at Cookies and Cookies Too.

You’ll find a big buffet with all kinds of options and it is included in your cruise price. You’ll also find soft serve ice cream here (but it’s only open during lunch hours).

Tips & Tricks for Gratuities and Other Expenses

86. some things are not included in the price of your cruise..

While so many of your experiences and most of your dining is included in the price of your cruise, some things are not: port excursions, alcoholic drinks and specialty beverages, spa treatments, specialty dining experiences, and gratuities/tips.

87. Always pack some dollar bills.

You can use these for tips for bag porters, room service, and specialty beverages.

88. Disney will walk you through the gratuities process.

At the end of your cruise, you will find information about gratuities in your stateroom. Disney Cruise Line automatically calculates gratuities for you and charges you for them. There are slips of paper with the tip amount included that you can hand to your servers and stateroom hosts to personally thank them.

89. You can add to the standard tip amounts.

If you would like to add to the standard tip amount Disney calculates, you can visit Guest Services and they will add the additional tip and print new slips for you to hand your servers and statement host.

Tips & Tricks for Disembarkation Day

90. get your pictures at shutters before disembarkation day..

BEFORE disembarkation day, make sure you stop by Shutters to view your photos and decide on any photos you want to buy. This is best done the afternoon of your last cruise day.

91. Put your luggage out in the hallway the night before for Disney to transport off the ship.

The night before your disembarkation day, have your luggage out in the hallway by around 10 p.m. with the luggage tags you are given. This way, Disney will take your bags off the ship for you and have them waiting for you at the port the next day.

92. Pack a carry-on bag for disembarkation day.

Keep a carry-on bag with your clothes for the next day, necessary toiletries and medication. Also don’t forget shoes for the next day!

93. You will be assigned a breakfast restaurant and time.

It will be early, so be prepared. It will also be the same restaurant where you had dinner on your last night. You’ll still have your same servers, but the menu will be more limited than it is for the rest of the cruise.

94. You can also have breakfast at the ship’s buffet.

If you don’t want to dine at your assigned location, Cabana’s (or Marceline Market) is usually open with a limited breakfast buffet.

95. You will be able to leave the ship when your luggage tag group is announced.

Watch the screens around the ship to know what luggage tags have been announced. Each tag is printed with a recognizable character, so they are easy to remember.

96. If you do not have your bags out in the hallway the night before, you will be responsible for taking them off the ship.

Note that you will have to take them with you to breakfast, because once you leave the stateroom for breakfast you are “checked out” of your room so they can begin preparing it for the guests that will board later that day. (Generally you have to out of your stateroom by at least 8:00 a.m.)

Miscellaneous Disney Cruise Tips & Tricks

97. you are not allowed to bring an iron..

There is a laundry center on each ship where you can do laundry and find irons to use.

98. You are NOT allowed to bring extension cords or power strips.

We found that there are plenty of plugs in each stateroom though.

99. Internet is available on the ship but it is very expensive for not very much.

Honestly, one reason we love cruising is that it is a way to really disconnect! But remember that the WiFi will always work for you Disney Cruise Line Navigator app.

100. The Senses Salon & Spa is not run by Disney Cruise Line.

Rather it is a third party vendor. If you have an issue with the spa, you will need to contact them about it directly. Also, be prepared for them to try to sell you products.

101. Book your next cruise while on board!

If your put down a $250 deposit for your next cruise, you can save 10%. You don’t even have to have a specific sailing date, just put down a fully refundable deposit for any future sailing, and it can be applied when you book. The sailing must take place within two years though.

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45 Disney Cruise Tips and Hacks That You Must Know

Nowadays, it’s a common misconception that Disney cruise is just for kids or more suitable for kids. 

Well, no! That’s not the case.

An adult or even a senior person could still get the best Disney cruise experience ; all you need is proper guidelines.

And this ultimate checklist of Disney cruising, with all the hidden tips and tricks we learned in our cruising journey, will help you get the most out of the moment. 

Even though you are a child, adult, senior, beginner, or expert cruiser.

Table of Contents

Disney Cruise Tips & Hacks That You Should Know

#1 Check for The Disney Cruise Line Discounts

Disney cruising experience is often considered expensive as compared to the Royal Caribbean.

However, specific discount hacks can help you in reducing the cost.

For example, booking a cruise as soon as possible is one of the best hacks for a Disney cruise.

However, sometimes if certain room types don’t perform well, you will find special discounts on Disney near the sailing. It is an exquisite way to save money.

#2 Book One-way Sailing

On Disney Cruise, you will get two types of sailing options.

The one that sails and ends at the same point is generally expensive. The other is selecting a cruise package that sails at one point and ends at another.

Among both, you must pick the package that starts at one port and ends at another. 

This way, you could save lots of your bucks. 

#3 Disney Cruise Booking Tips

There are lots of onboard experiences to enjoy at Disney Cruise. However, you must make a prior booking to get the most out of them. 

Furthermore, they are all included in your cruising experience without additional cost. 

So, book your frozen gathering, Disney junior breakfast, or princess meet-up at the cruising cost. But you must ensure to book in advance.

#4 Prepare Yourself For Embarkation

Since covid-19, Disney Cruise has evolved its policies. They have introduced an exquisite PAT policy under which you can select your Port arrival time. 

Although this policy was not strictly enforced, now, Disney is focusing on it to make the boarding process much more accessible, more transparent, and hassle-free. 

For example, if your selected port arrival time is 12:30 AM, you can’t enter the terminal before 12:30 AM.

#5 Book a Room Instead of a Suit

Yet another tip while sailing for the Disney cruise line is to book a room instead of a suit, especially if you are cruising with family.

It’s because generally, 2 rooms are cheaper than a suit.

For example, if you have a family of 4, you can expect to have connected cabins instead of a suit that will save you 50% of the cost.

Meanwhile, to book a suit, you must check the stateroom size. However, it also depends on the budget, but you can still get a better choice with some analysis. 

Disney Cruise Stateroom Hack:

• Don’t use a door shoe organiser as it can damage the door, and Disney Cruise also prohibits doing so.
• Keep your Luggage under the bed as the stateroom might be small enough to not be compatible with the suitcase lying around.
• To get the best experience – get to know about the stateroom host.

#6 Pick Your Disney Cruise Sailing Carefully

Disney Cruise sailing has different itinerary packages; few are cheaper than others. 

However, to initiate the prices, you must know a general rule of economic work here – the higher the demand, the more the costs.

For example, holiday cruises, especially Christmas cruises, are more expensive but generally worth it. 

That’s why, while sailing, remember to look for these sailing factors that can cause to increase or decrease in prices. 

#7 First-Day Dining Tips

The first-day dining experience at the Disney cruise was fantastic, as we enjoyed it. 

We were unaware of one thing, but you should know that Disney Cruise has two options: the buffet and sit-down lunch in the main dining.

You may experience both, but we highly encourage you to choose the sit-down option; you must check availability first. However, we enjoyed an exquisite animator palate on our first day of dining that was completely worth it.

#8 Try Ultimate Food

Disney Cruise Line has different and more exciting dinner opportunities than other cruise lines. 

For example, the rotation policy includes 3 restaurants. 

So, you can also try the ultimate food options or request items not on the menu. If you struggle to decide between two things, you must taste both.

Regarding the dessert, Micky-shaped waffles, secret stash, Mickey ice cream or a customized platter is also worth trying.  

#9 Enjoy the Movie at the Disney Cruise Theatre

Whenever a new Disney movie gets premiered on land, at the same time, it will be on air on the ship. 

So, why spend some extra money on land? 

Enjoy the next Disney movie, just like Marvel, Pixar, and star wars on the 3d Disney theatres.

Remember, you will enjoy the same Movie without extra charges and with eye-opening effects on the high seas. 

#10 Pool Hack to Avoid Crowd

Before you sail, getting this pool hack from us is best.

We recommend visiting the pool in early morning or during sunset, especially if you want to avoid swimming in a crowded place. This will also save you from waiting in a long line. 

On the contrary, I highly encourage you to avoid the mid-day pool until or unless you are about to swim with lots of friends or want to swim in the crowd. 

#11 Enjoy Free Soda

We all know getting a can of Coke in the dining room will cost you a few dollars. However, what about getting the free soda wherever and whenever you want?

Yes, you can quickly get free soda at the Disney cruise fountain. 

After that, get a refillable bottle and bring it all around the ship. 

#12 Try Adult Restaurants

The adult-only restaurant is the ultimate option for adults to enjoy fancy dinners on the cruise. 

For example, Remy and Enchante are the two restaurants reserved for adults. On the contrary, each ship will have different adult restaurants but must be one or two.

You must know that adult restaurants will cost you an extra $45 per person menu.

#13 Let the Disney Cruise pick up your Luggage

Your Luggage on Disney cruise ships is no more your responsibility. 

All you need is to check your Luggage at the airport, which the Disney cruise workers will send to your room. 

Meanwhile, it doesn’t matter whether you are at embarkation or disembarkation. The cruise line will carry your Luggage , and you will see your bags once back home or in the stateroom.

This will ultimately lead to a better and hassle-free vacation experience.

#14 Carry your Bag By Yourself At Debarkation

As the Disney cruise line offers you to carry your Bag, we still recommend taking the Bag on your own. Especially if you can bring it, there is no need to hand over the Luggage to the stateroom team one night before disembarking with thousands of other guests.

It is also known as “express walk off”.

However, if you are handing over your luggage bag to the stateroom, you must carry a small 24 bag. In it, we recommend bringing the essentials like toiletries, pyjamas, medicine and next-day clothing.

#15 Get the Onboard Currency Exchange

One of the best things about cruising at Disney is that they don’t charge any commission for exchanging money. Even though, if you have any leftover money, you can still trade it in your preferred currency.

All you need is to present your receipt for exchange, and they will exchange it in your priorities currency and with the exact exchange rate.

Remember, this policy applies to the bills only.

#16 Bring your wine or water

The good news is bringing your bottle of wine or water is allowed on the Disney cruise. And the tip is only in limited quantity.

For example, according to Disney cruise line policies, you can only bring two bottles of wine or champagne onboard. However, the weight should be at most 750 ml or 12 ounces.

Another tip is to carry these wine bottles in the carry-on luggage, not check. 

#17 The Last Minute Reservation

We all know that while cruising, all types of reservations must be made in advance, from the restaurants to the sailing.

However, the duration of the pre-reservation will vary depending on what type of cruise vacation you want.

For example, for a Disneyland vacation, you must complete the reservation at least two months or 60 days before.

On the contrary, if you cannot make your reservations, here is a hack.

Palo and Remy are just lifesavers in terms of last-minute reservations. With that, they always have several tables reserved for onboard reservations. 

#18 Use Child Care Service

Disney cruise line is often considered for kids, especially if you have kids with yourself. You don’t have to worry anymore.

Use the Disney cruise child care service. 

This service is just fantastic, which includes nurses and even the supervised clubs. 

In this way, you can have some time with your partner.

#19 Request for the Best Seat in the House

Getting your favourite spot to sit at Tiana’s Place or anywhere else is no more a dream.

You can request the reservation of your desired table or seat at a perfect place. They will indeed find no hesitation in doing so.

All you need is to make an extra phone call for the request, which will be worth it. 

#20 Dining Tips and Tricks

• You will not be charged for room service. So, order late-night snacks and meals at the cost of your cruise and enjoy this opportunity. 
• There will be two different dining seatings to choose from. Families with kids prefer earlier dining seating, and families with adults are recommended to book late dining.
• The dinner seating can also be changed later by connecting with the guest service and due to any reason.
• You are free to order more than one item.

#21 Capture Each Moment and Grab the Photo

The best tip we can give you while Disney is cruising is to take advantage of every moment and capture your memories and favourite characters.

In case you missed it, you still have the opportunity to enjoy last night’s show, “till we meet again.” 

It shows where your favourite Disney characters, theatre performers, and princes will get out. 

So you can pose with them and capture your memory based on first come and first serve.

Fact: the most photographed moment view on the Disney cruise is the walls of the bathroom and the fancy minnie mouse statue.

#22 Disney Cruise Menu Hack

Fortunately, the Disney cruise has one of the best dining experiences. The rotating restaurant itinerary policy will let you enjoy and experience the food of each onboard restaurant. 

So, the buffet is one of many to try more foods as the hack is that you can order as much food as you want.

For example, you will get a printed menu with all the necessary details, but it’s a formality. The reality is all of your cruise meal is prepaid. So, you can order as many food, dessert, or appetizers as you want.

Sounds weird?

Don’t worry; this is how the Disney menu works. Even if you need help deciding between two dishes – order both.

#23 Enjoy Onboard Activities

Disney Cruise has plenty of onboard activity options.

For example, shows, movies, workshops, pool, theatre, and most importantly, character greets and meets.

We recommend taking advantage of your cruise onboard activities. 

#24 Book the Port Adventure in Advance

Port adventure is fascinating that you must try it.

However, you have two options to book port adventures in advance – using Disney or independently.

Choose whatever you want. 

But you must be assured that Adventure Disney will wait for you if you get late from the port. On the contrary, you may have to say goodbye from the dock for independent port adventure booking.

So the hack and tip lie in always booking the port adventure from Disney.

#25 Disney Cruise Packing hack

Although you are not bound in your packing list for cruising, you can pack as much as you want. On the other hand, if you are arriving by plane, you may have to face fewer plane restrictions.

You must know Disney Cruise won’t let you access your Luggage before 6:00 PM. 

In case you must carry a bag with all the essentials. Adding a jacket to your Disney cruise packing list is also recommended, as the weather can get cool, breezy, or chill at any time on the cruise or Caribbean. 

The pro tip is to get packing cubes, an exquisite way to keep your Luggage organized and accessible anytime. 

#26 Put Your Phone on Airplane Mode

Does using your phone on board give you a hefty amount of bills?

Yes, you will suffer a massive cost if you forget to check your phone coverage or use your mobile for calls, texts and data.

We recommend always putting your phone in the room or staying unconnected by keeping it in airplane mode.

However, the navigator app can still be used even in airplane mode.

#27 Disney Cruise WiFi Hack

Disney WiFi packages are usually expensive as you purchase in megabytes that can go quickly. 

We recommend keeping your phone on airplane mode and enjoying the shore of the seas and the company of people around instead of looking down at your mobile. Still, if WiFi is your necessity, then here is a hack.

Wait for the port day and go for touristy areas or internet coffee to enjoy the benefit of WiFi for free with exquisite food.

Well, the Disney cruise will also offer you 50 free megabytes on the first day of your cruise. In our experience, uploading pictures on social media or loading some apps was fair enough. 

#28 Laundry Hack

Royal Caribbean doesn’t offer you self-laundry service . Comparatively, Disney Cruise does, which is quite remarkable.

Whether you want to give your laundry for a fee or want to have self-laundry service – Disney cruise will serve you either way.

So, the hack lies in getting a vacuum bag that has served us a lot in our laundry timings. 

#29 Go for 18-plus Areas

18-plus areas are exquisite to try for any adult, especially if you are with your child. Take a break from your child care, hand over them to the Disney cruise child care service, and explore 18+ areas.

It involves spa centers, bars or fitness centers. 

With that, the premium restaurants (like Palo – Italian inspired) of 18+ also have some of our favourite dishes. 

#30 Get Sort of Free Drinks

The Royal caribbean drink packages are expensive, ultimately increasing the cruising cost. However, Disney cruising doesn’t generally require any additional beverage package.

Do you know why? Because most of the drinks are free.

Yes, they are not entirely free, but a large number of them are free. You only need to know which one is free, how and where to get it.

For example, in the main dining room, many drinks like tea, iced tea, milk, and coffee are free.

#31 The Disney Cruise Ice-cream Hack

One of the finest ice creams of the Disney cruise, “mike mouse,” is not on the menu.  

Almost in all of our cruising journeys, we had tried this exquisite ice cream, and yes, it was truly worth it. 

So, we must recommend ordering at least one as it’s not on the menu. With that, you must know Disney Cruise also has a self-service ice cream to enjoy.

You can quickly get it from any pool deck of almost all Disney ships. 

#32 Enjoy Breakfast With a Character

Many of you novice cruisers might not know that Disney cruise will let you enjoy a special breakfast with a character. 

And to do all you need is a cruise plan longer than 7 days.

You will enjoy a special breakfast with a character if you have it. Additionally, what makes it fascinating is that the cost of it is included in your cruise cost.

Remember, a character dinner on land costs around $45 per person.

So, remember to take the benefit of this opportunity.

#33 Don’t Miss Themed Events

Various types of themed events are being organized at Disney Cruise. For example, “Pirates in the Caribbean.”

And missing these theme events will never be a good idea as they are the ultimate source of joy. 

We recommend going out for these events and taking part in activities. It will be great fun. However, if you wish to wait, seeing others will get you in action. 

#34 Order Your Coffee Before Bed

If you are a coffee enthusiast, we recommend ordering your coffee before bed. 

Many coffee addicts love to enjoy coffee once they wake up. So, ordering carafe of coffee at night means it still will be hot and fresh enough to sip in the morning. 

This way, you will not disturb the room service early in the morning and can get your doze. 

#35 Make Souvenirs

We all love taking souvenirs of moments. Don’t we?

And getting an autograph from characters while cruising on Disney is one of the best ways. For this, all you need is a surface for a signature. 

For example, we tried pillowcases for autographs, and our experience was quite fantastic.

One worth starting point is that you must get something sturdy for yourself so the characters can put the pillow on it and won’t worry about signing. On the contrary, you can also try the disney theme autograph book. 

#36 Disney Cruise Pool Deck Tricks

• On a pool deck, you will be provided with the towels. So you don’t need to bring it with you.
• Only a few people can enter the pool deck at a time. Once they get out, the lifeguard will let the next group in.
• Remember to enjoy the pool deck dining before you get out. Various options will be available, including pizza, shawarma, burger, bbq, etc.
• Pick only between two options – go to the pool deck late or earlier to avoid the crowd.

#37 Download The Disney Cruise Ship App

Before starting the journey on Disney Cruise, I recommend you to download the Disney cruise line navigator app.

This app will save you time and serve you in many ways. 

For example, making reservations, payments, booking cruise activities, and getting details of transportation or flights is now a lot easier.

We also used this app to plan our days on the ship and add some favourite events to the list so we could take advantage of it. It will also send you the notification just 15 minutes before.

We also sent messages to another person on the ship using the app throughout the cruise. 

#38 Use Bars as an Adult Gateway

You might miss adult activities on the Disney cruise if you are an adult.

But no more worries; you can use the bars as an adult gateway. These bars are an excellent source, especially if you need a break from the ship’s environment, crowd, or commotion.

The one that I love is “Ooh La La.” It is a French-themed champagne bar that is my favorite due to its calming atmosphere.

#39 Decorate your Door

On our first Disney cruise experience, we were not aware that decorating doors on Disney is common. 

People get excited to decorate their doors which is a way to celebrate their love for Disney. 

I decorated my door with mouse cruise magnets on our next Disney cruise. It looked fantastic. 

However, to add more space and make our room more manageable, I also added magnetic hooks . These were quite useful in organizing our little essentials. 

#40 Dress up as your Favorite Disney Characters

We often saw kids dressing up like their favorite characters on Disney Cruise. 

Wait, we are about to tell you that you can also. 

For example, on princes’ night, you can wear your favourite princess dress and can achieve a theme of it.

Ultimately, it depends on whether you wear it, but you must know dressing up as your favorite character is not only for kids. 

#41 Resolve all your concerns with guest service

Do you want to save time on the day of disembarkation and get a hassle-free experience? 

We recommend resolving your concerns with the guest service at least one night before.  

All you need is a copy of your bills to the guest service. So, instead of waiting in long queues, spend your last minutes on the cruise enjoying amenities.

#42 Disney Cruise Luggage Hack

• Make sure to place the luggage tags sent by Disney so that they can know where your Bag is going. 
• Pack a separate carry-on bag at embarkation, including a swimsuit, essential documents, medications, etc., as you will not get your Luggage at least before night.
• You don’t need to pack shower essentials like shampoo, body wash, conditional etc., as Disney will let you experience high-quality products.
• A quality sun-screen with a spf protected hair care product must be in your Luggage.

Check Out 24 Must Have Items To Pack For Cruise Journe y.

#43 Get the Kids Meal

The kid’s menu of Disney Cruise is as great as the dining service for the adults.

However, just like the seniors, kids are not bound to eat or drink from the menu only.

You can order anything you wish for your child, from full appetizers to meals and desserts. On the contrary, if your kid wants to have even french fries, that’s also okay. They will serve it.

With that, you must know Disney Cruise is only responsible for serving, not whether the child has eaten. 

So, you must keep checking that your kid ate something and didn’t leave playing. 

#44 Disney Cruise Beverage Hack

Many beverages and drinks on Disney cruises are complimentary, but you can still get charged for them under certain circumstances.

For example; 

• Bottled water, soda, alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, mocktails, shakes and espresso will also cost you money – no matter where you order.
• Although castaway cay offers many drinks like fountain soda, lemonade, milk, juice, iced tea, and plain water free of cost – still if you want to order any other beverage, you can, but at an additional cost.
• Disney Cruise also has a self-service drink station at the pool deck where you can serve a wide range of drinks 24 hours and free of cost.
• Whiskey, Rum, and Vodka – in short, spirits are also not allowed to bring and will be confiscated if caught.

#45 Miscellaneous Tips

Irons are not allowed to bring on Disney cruises. However, you will find it during self-laundry service and can use it to press your clothes.

Remember, the Disney cruise does not offer salon and spa centers. They are third-party vendors, and in case you have any complaints – do contact them directly.

Bringing extension cords or power cords is no longer needed. We found multiple plugs in each stateroom.

Book your next Disney cruise line while onboard and get the 10% discount. However, the sailing must be done in between 2 years. 

Lastly, at the end of the cruise, remember to experience the magical framework before disembarking your Disney cruise.

Bottom Line: 

Disney cruise line is comparatively a small cruise line. But, the unique experience, enthusiasm, and approach hit differently. That’s why it’s also getting popular day by day.

And the above-mentioned list of Disney cruise tips and hacks has all the ways to save money and how to do fun, whether you’re an adult or a kid. 

So, whether you are a novice cruiser or cruising for the 20th time, we are sure that those little tricks will save you lots of bucks and time that we have experienced and learned over time.

I am Zoe Grace, a passionate enthusiast of cruise ships. With a decade of firsthand experience in the cruising industry, I have developed a deep understanding of the intricacies and wonders that these majestic vessels hold.

Now, I am excited to embark on a new journey as an author, sharing my knowledge and insights with readers who share my fascination for the world of cruising.

Join me as we explore the captivating world of cruise ships together.

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The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Disney Cruise: 80+ First Time Disney Cruise Tips

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Disney cruises are a magical way to get a dose of Disney while also seeing different parts of the world. Whether you’re new to cruising or just new to Disney Cruise Line, planning a Disney cruise can be a little overwhelming. Between figuring out what to pack, checking in and booking onboard excursions, we have you covered with these first time Disney Cruise tips from start to finish. 

Keep reading for over 80 tips for Disney cruises for first timers (from a travel agent!)

Table of Contents

General information on disney cruises.

Disney Cruise Line currently operates five cruise ships: The Dream, Fantasy, Wonder, Magic and Wish. The Wish is Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, which had its inaugural sailing in 2022.

Disney Cruise Line offers a variety of sailings, including:

• Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Port Canaveral, New Orleans and Galveston
• Baja Mexico cruises out of San Diego
• Alaskan cruises out of Vancouver
• New England and Eastern Canadian cruises departing from New York City
• European Cruises including the Mediterranean, British Isles and Norwegian Fjords
• Transatlantic and Panama Canal Cruises
• Starting in 2024, Disney Cruise Line will also be sailing around Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand

Wondering what’s the best Disney cruise for first timers? A 4-night cruise is always a good place to start if you’re unsure about cruising for 5+ nights. 3-night cruises can feel rushed, but a short Disney cruise is better than no Disney cruise!

Planning a Disney cruise for summer 2024? Summer 2024 Disney Cruise Line itineraries were just released, and you can book at summer 2024 Disney cruise starting on March 30, 2023. This includes the new Lighthouse Point , which is Disney’s private oasis on the island of Eleuthera that will debut in the Bahamas in June of 2024.

Tips for Booking a Disney Cruise

Booking a Disney Cruise is very involved, from choosing the right sailing to picking the best stateroom. Below is some information to get you started with planning.

• Use a travel agent who specializes in Disney. A Disney focused travel agent knows the ships and ports of call best. They will help you pick the best room, walk you through the pre-cruise processes and answer questions along the way. 
• You can search Disney cruise itineraries by visiting disneycruiseline.com , calling Disney Cruise Line or contacting your travel agent. 
• A deposit is required to secure your cruise , and it’s typically refundable prior to final payment at 90 days. Be sure to read the full terms and conditions before making a deposit. 
• Disney Cruise room types include inside rooms, oceanview rooms, verandah rooms, concierge rooms and suites. The suite sizes and locations can vary by ship. 
• Oceanview and Verandah rooms both have split bathrooms and they also have a bathtub. (Something you don’t typically see on other cruise lines!)
• Inside rooms are the least expensive and smallest room types.
• Not sure which location of the ship is best between forward, aft and midship? Midship rooms are typically known for experiencing less motion than aft (back) or forward (front) rooms.  Motion on the ship affects people differently, however, so what works best for one person in terms of deck number and location may not be an ideal room choice for someone else. 
• Guaranteed (GTY) rooms are generally made available for certain room categories at a discount as inventory starts running low. It means that your category is guaranteed, but your actual room number and deck will be assigned prior to departure. 
• If you’d like an elevated experience, Disney Cruise Line concierge rooms are available as well. These offer things like specific concierge lounges, larger rooms, complimentary alcoholic drinks and booking excursions and experiences early.
• Standard cabins only sleep a maximum of 5 people. For families of 6+ , either 2 connecting cabins or a 1+ bedroom concierge suite are required regardless of your kids’ ages. 
• If you need a passport for your cruise, be sure to apply for it at least 3 months before, unless you do expedited processing. 

If you’re not currently working with a travel agent, feel free to contact me to get started. Not only do I provide Disney Cruise tips and tricks, but I also assist with each step and actions required along the way.

Pre-Cruise Tips

• Excursions and onboard experiences can be booked starting at 75 days out from your cruise (at midnight) for first time cruises. It will be earlier if you have Castaway Cay Club status or are cruising concierge. 
• Online check-in dates depend on your Castaway Cay member status and room type. Pearl and Concierge guests can check in as early as 40 days prior to sailing. Platinum is 38 days, Gold is 35 days and Silver Castaway Cay members can check in 33 days prior to sailing. Everyone else can check in 30 days prior to sailing, starting at midnight. In order to get an earlier port arrival time, checking in at midnight is recommended, but it’s not required. Have images of your documents and headshots saved in a folder on your phone or computer to work through the process more quickly.
• Upon checking in, you’re assigned a Port Arrival Time (PAT.) This is the time you can arrive at the port before boarding. You’re also assigned a boarding group #, which determines when you can actually board the ship once you pass the initial checkpoints at port. 
• Disney Cruise Line bus transportation is available from the airports or hotels to port at select locations. Check here to find out if it’s available for your sailing. You can call DCL to have it added up to 3 days before sailing (or ask your TA to do it for you!)
• Royal Gatherings and special meet and greets for Marvel and/or Pixar Day at Sea sailings are also available for booking 30 days out at midnight.
• Passports are recommended for cruising, but for many sailings that start and end in the US they’re not required. Find the Disney Cruise Known Before You Go overview here for sailing requirements and acceptable proof of identification for cruising on Disney Cruise Line. 
• You can prepay gratuities prior to sailing, otherwise they will be added to onboard expenses at the end of your cruise. As of February 2023, prepaid gratuities are $14.50 per person per night. 
• Download the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app on everyone’s phone before you sail. This will make it easier to access the itinerary and activities when you get onto the boat. 
• To engage with other cruise goers and stay informed, join the Facebook group for your cruise . You can usually find this by searching Disney [ship name] and the date of sailing. 
• Disney Cruise Line Fish Extender groups exchange items like ornaments, snacks, etc and are usually managed by the Facebook groups. You can buy a fish extender here to put outside of your cruise door. 
• Disney cruisers are big on decorating their doors, and cruise door magnets are a fun and easy way to do it. 
• You can schedule a Disney Cruise Line pre-cruise call with Minnie and Mickey or Goofy. To book your DCL character call, go to My Reservations and select “Request Call.”
• Vaccinations and covid tests are no longer required for DCL sailings as of November 14, 2022. 

Packing Tips for Disney Cruises

When packing for a Disney Cruise, our biggest tip is to not over pack. Cruise cabins are smaller than traditional hotel rooms and you will likely need less than you think. Below are a handful of packing tips for Disney cruises.

• Pack anything you need for the first day in your carry-on , including prescription medicine, identification documents and port arrival forms. We recommend bringing a swimsuit or change of clothes, sunscreen and anything else you need until your luggage is delivered.  
• Make sure you have the identification documents you used for online check-in. You will not get on the cruise if you forget these! I always recommend taking a picture of birth certificates as a backup as well.
• Each adult 21+ can bring up to 2 bottles of wine or a 6 pack of beer or hard seltzer onboard. Another one of our lesser-known Disney cruise tips is that you can also bring unopened bottles of water and packaged snacks. Just make sure any alcohol, bottled water and snacks are unopened and in your carry-on bags. (Note: So many people ask about alcohol packages on Disney Cruise Line, and there isn’t one.)
• What should you wear on a Disney cruise? Disney cruises tend to be more casual than other cruise lines. Casual clothes like shorts and tees or a swimsuit and cover up are great for during the day. While we tend to dress a little nicer for dinner, you can also get away with wearing shorts and t-shirts unless you’re dining at the adults only restaurants. 
• Itineraries with 7+ nights typically have a formal night and those with 4+ nights typically have a dress up night. Call DCL or ask your travel agent to find out what night this is. (But again, with Disney cruises being more casual, you won’t be out of place if you don’t participate!)
• Don’t forget to pack your Disney gear! Minnie ears, Disney shirts and princess dresses are all encouraged on Disney Cruise Line. 
• Some extra things we like to pack for a Disney cruise: refillable water bottles, magnets for your door and inside the room, and activities/ fidget toys for the kids to have at dinner.

See Disney Cruise Line packing tips for more tips on packing and what to bring your cruise carry on.

Booking DCL Excursions & Onboard Experiences

Like all cruise lines, Disney Cruise Line offers a variety of excursions at each port. In addition, Disney cruises offer several free and paid activities on the ship for both adults and kids. You can find more information on both below.

• You book them on any day under onboard activities and they will be available for the duration of the cruise. 
• If you don’t purchase the photo package, you can still purchase individual pictures before you leave the ship. 
• Photos are available for download up to 45 days after your sailing at disneycruise.disney.go.com/photos/ .
• Disney cruise offers a specific list of excursions, and they can change by sailing. You can find the list of Disney Cruise Line Port Adventures here . 
• If you need towels for an excursion, they’re provided when you get off the ship. 
• If you have to make changes to excursions or onboard experiences , you can go to Guest Services or cancel directly in the app. Just be sure to review cancellation policies as you will be charged if you don’t cancel within the specified timeframe. 
• The shows on the Disney Cruise Line are Broadway style and offered two times a night. The first show is typically at 6:30pm and the second show is typically at 8:15pm. Shows differ by ship and sailing. 
• Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique on Disney Cruise Line is offered for ages 3+ and includes a full makeover, hair and nails. You can pack your own outfit or purchase something there for an additional charge. This can be booked in advance under onboard activities or when you arrive on the ship. 
• Disney Cruise Line offers a great spa, salon and barber shop for adults. You can book these in advance under onboard activities or head to the spa when you arrive to schedule a time. (I got a haircut and style at the Tangled Salon on the Disney Wish and had such a good experience!) 

One of our biggest first time Disney cruise tips is to take full advantage of the included activities offered on the ship. You can easily have an amazing time without spending any additional money. 

Disney Cruise Embarkation Day Tips & Overview 

Wondering how the Disney cruise boarding process works? The highlights are below. 

• When you arrive at the port, the porters will take your luggage except for carry-ons. (I recommend having a few dollars on you for a tip!) 
• When it’s your port arrival time, you’ll go through screening so they can check carry-ons, Port Arrival Time (PAT) form and documents for identification. 
• Have your PAT document accessible at all times since they’ll ask for it multiple times as well as your docs (ID + Birth Certificate or passport.)
• When it’s time for you to board your ship, your boarding group number will be called over the loudspeaker. There’s typically a holding area to wait until your boarding group is called which is similar to airport gates. (Note: Your Disney Cruise boarding time will vary depending on how quickly they move through the boarding groups. On our most recent cruise, we had a PAT of 11:15am and our boarding group was called at 11:45am.)
• When you get on the ship, you can do a number of things including lunch at the buffet or available table service restaurant, check out the kids’ clubs, use the pool etc. (One of our biggest Disney Cruise embarkation tips is to explore and check out the areas you may not otherwise get to access during the cruise, like adults only dining, kids’ clubs, etc.) 
• Rooms are typically ready around 2pm and luggage will arrive after that. 

Tips for During Your Cruise

There were a handful of things we didn’t realize on our first Disney cruise. These tips for first time Disney cruisers include a handful of things we learned on the cruise. 

• The full itinerary , character greetings and activities will be available in the Navigator app when you arrive at port. Be sure to review the daily schedules on your first day. One of our Disney cruise hacks is to “favorite” the activities you want to do so that you get reminders throughout the cruise. (This applies for things like character greetings, family crafts, adults only activities and more.)
• The Sail Away Party is a can’t miss activity on Disney Cruise Line. It’s a fun party with singing, dancing and so many characters as the ship sails away. 
• Pirate Nights take place on most Caribbean Sailings and have fun activities, characters dressed in pirate gear, a special show and fireworks at night. The Disney Cruise pirate night menu is also available for most sailings, which is a special themed dinner with items like crab cakes, shrimp and jerk chicken. 
• If you’re looking for free adults only activities on Disney Cruise Line, there are things like adults only trivia, crafts and more that are only for 18+. You can also use The Cove, which is an adult only pool and relaxation area on Disney Cruise Line.
• You can communicate on the ship using the chat feature between those in your stateroom. To communicate with those outside of your stateroom, you need to get their chat ID number. 
• Wi-Fi on Disney Cruise Line is an extra charge and options vary by ship. To avoid additional cell phone charges, put your plan on airplane mode with the onboard Wi-Fi.
• Character meet & greets typically take place in the ship’s grand hall/ atrium or in the kids’ club areas. Lines typically go quickly, and you likely will not wait more than 15 minutes for a meet and greet. Try to arrive a few minutes early to get in line. 
• Take a screenshot of your charges in the app before leaving the ship, as it’s the only way you can review the detailed charges. Visit Guest Services to resolve any discrepancies before disembarking.

Dining Tips for Disney Cruise Line

One question I get a lot is, how does dining work on Disney Cruise Line? Each cruise line has its own approach to dining, and Disney has some unique features that we feel sets it apart. 

• Disney Cruise Line has rotational dining each night for dinner, which means you will rotate to different themed restaurants each night of your cruise. You can request a specific dining rotation prior to your cruise by calling DCL or asking your Travel Agent to do so. You won’t find out the confirmed dining rotation until you board the ship.
• There are two Disney cruise dining times . Main dining is at 5:45pm and second dining is at 8:15pm. Main dining fills up first, but you can be added to a waitlist if you don’t initially get the seating you want.
• Smaller groups are typically sat with other families. You can request a private table, but it’s not guaranteed. DCL usually aims to put people of similar ages/ families together.
• There’s a buffet on Disney Cruise Line that’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with a variety of options for every age and diet. On most ships, the buffet is called Cabanas, but on the Disney Wish it’s called Marceline Market. 
• The pool decks offer unlimited soft serve and fountain drinks as well as a variety of lunch options.
• Standard tips for servers and room hosts are automatically calculated per person. Envelopes and tickets with the total amount of gratuities are provided on your last night. You can add additional cash to the baseline tip for the amazing staff at the end and then hand it to the servers at your last meal.  Note: When you purchase an alcoholic drink at dinner or in a lounge, 18% gratuity is automatically added up front.
• The bars throughout the ships typically serve specialty coffees in addition to alcoholic drinks. Punch cards are available for a free coffee after you purchase 5. 
• Lounges on Disney cruise ships are open to kids during the day, and they are adults only in the evenings.
• Room service on Disney Cruise Line is included with your rate. It includes everything from coffee and pastries to dinner and Mickey bars. A $1 per item tip is recommended for delivery. 
• Adults only dining on Disney cruises is also available. These specialty dining experiences are available for an additional fee, and you can book them when your onboard activities booking window opens. 

Tips for Cruising with Kids on Disney

There are so many amazing Disney cruise activities for kids, that it’s no surprise it’s one of the best cruise lines for families. Below are a few tips for going on a Disney Cruise with kids. 

• Kids must be potty trained to use the regular pools, but all Disney Cruise ships have a splash pad for younger kids. 
• Life vests are provided on board and at Castaway Cay for kids.
• Strollers are available to borrow at Castaway Cay, and some ships also have them available as you leave for excursions. 
• With the exception of the nursery, the kids’ clubs on Disney Cruise Line are included with your rate. They include: Oceaneers Club for ages 3-12, Vibe for ages 11-14 and Edge for ages 14-17. 
• Disney Cruise Line kids’ clubs are open for all ages during Open House on the embarkation day. It’s a fun way for the whole family to explore these areas. 
• Your kids ages 3+ will get a wrist band to access the kids’ clubs during the cruise.  They charge you $12 up front, and the charge is removed when you return it.
• The nursery is available on a half hour basis for kids up to (and including) age 3. The current rate is $4.50 per half hour for the nursery on DCL. You can sign up for the nursery in advance on the Disney Navigator app or book when you arrive on the ship. 
• Your room host will set up your pull-down beds based on your family’s needs. Pack-n-plays and bed rails are available upon request.
• If you’re going on a Disney cruise with a baby or toddler in diapers, a diaper genie will also be provided in your room. Baby food can be requested as well.
• The minimum age for infants on a Disney cruise is 6 months for most sailings.

Disney Cruise Disembarkation Tips

Disembarking is always the saddest part about a Disney cruise. Below are a few tips so you know what to expect when disembarking a Disney cruise. 

• The night before you disembark your Disney cruise, you’ll get luggage tags with a Disney character. Place them on your luggage and leave them outside of your door for pickup by 10:30pm.
• If you have an earlier flight the next morning, you can use express walkoff and take your luggage yourself, versus leaving it outside the night before. (Pro Tip: Check the recommended departure flight times for Disney Cruise Line to ensure you have enough time to get to the airport.)
• Disembarkation day breakfast is usually at the same restaurant you ate at the prior night, which your servers will confirm. Those with Main Dining have breakfast around 6:45am, and those with Second Dining typically have breakfast around 8am.  You can also have breakfast at the buffet on your Disney cruise disembarkation day. It’s usually open from 6:30- 8:30am. 
• The ship will typically clear customs around 7:30am, pending any issues. At that time, an announcement will be made over the loudspeaker that guests are able to disembark. 
• Guests should plan to bring checked bags to breakfast and vacate the ship directly after breakfast.  You’ll pick up your luggage after disembarking in the area with the character that matches your luggage tags. 
• There isn’t technically a set disembarkation time for Disney cruises . At most ports, guests are asked to clear the ship by 9am and should exit by 9:30am at the latest.

Disney Cruise Line Placeholder

If you loved your Disney cruise experience (as I’m sure you will!) be sure to check the Navigator app for an offer to put down a deposit for a placeholder for 10% off a future cruise. You can reserve up to 2 placeholders by paying a $250 fully refundable placeholder deposit that will go toward the cruise. (Pro Tip: We usually do 2 placeholders just in case we invite family or friends- knowing that we can cancel the 2nd for a refund if we don’t use it.)

You can then apply the placeholder(s) to the same cruise for up 24 months from your current sailing. Be sure to also select your travel agent in the drop down if you want to work with them again! After purchasing your placeholder, you’ll receive an email with a reservation number to book your next cruise. This is a great offer if you think there’s even a chance you will sail again on Disney Cruise Line. 

Pre and Post Cruise Plans

• We always recommend flying in the night before your cruise and staying nearby. If you experience flight delays (which is so common right now) you could risk missing the cruise disembarkation if you fly that day.
• If you have a late flight out on the evening of disembarkation day, many rental car companies have free shuttles from port if you want to explore for the day.
• If you’re traveling out of Port Canaveral, you can tack on a visit to Disney World or stop at Kennedy Space Center on the way back to MCO airport. 

If you book your Disney cruise with a travel agent, they can also help with your pre-cruise and post-cruise travel plans and logistics. Another reason to book with a TA!

Have you been on a Disney cruise before? I’d love to hear any tips for planning a first Disney cruise in the comments.

Related Blog Posts

• Disney Very Merrytime Cruise Tips
• Tips for Cruising with a Baby or Toddler
• Disney Cruise Packing Tips

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107 Disney Cruise Tips and Hacks You Have to Know Before You Sail 2024

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Who wants all the Disney cruise tips and secrets 2024 that you need to know?

After sailing on over 40 cruises I wanted to give this free list of Disney cruise tips to our readers.

So if you want the biggest and best collection of Disney Cruise Tips, Secrets and Hacks ever read on! 

Everything was updated in January 2024.

We started out thinking we would aim for 101 Disney cruise tips and secrets.

However, that just wasn’t quite enough.

So here is our collection of 107 Disney cruise tips to save you time and money so that you can have the very best experience at sea!

These Disney Cruise Tips are Updated for March 2023 Booking Your Disney Cruise

1. D ISNEY CRUISE TIPS TO SAVE MONEY

There are ways to save on your Disney cruise.

Whether you are sailing to Alaska, cruising the Caribbean and the Bahamas, or choosing an exotic European vacation, there are always ways to save.

Booking well in advance also gives you the best choice of staterooms.

If you want to know more about this here is our complete guide at How To Save Money on A Disney Cruise

2. Pick Your Disney Cruise Sailing Carefully

Some Disney Cruise itinerary sailings are more expensive than others. The usual rules of economics work here.

The more demand the higher the price. Usually, the repositioning cruises offer the best per night price for a Disney cruise.

The Disney Cruise Transatlantic sailings on that for 2024 are on the Disney Dream are usually one of the best values.

The most expensive Disney cruises? You probably guessed it. Holiday cruises, particularly the Christmas Disney cruises are usually the most expensive.

The Disney Mediterranean Cruises and Alaska Cruises are also higher priced – but worth it!

3. Disney Visa Has Perks

If you check in with your Disney Visa card you will be entitled to certain discounts.

Currently, this will give you:

• 10% off select Disney Cruise Merchandise when you spend $50
• 10% off a digital photo package
• 20% on certain spa treatments on port days
• 10% off a Castaway Cay Getaway Package.

We have written a guide for you with all the Disney cruise tips you need so that you get the very best deal.

How to Save Money on a Disney Cruise

4. Two Disney Cruise Staterooms May Be A Better Deal Than One

If you have a party of 5 you really need to consider if one stateroom or two will be the better deal.

Disney cruises are one of the very few cruise lines which have staterooms that accommodate up to 5 guests.

However, these Disney cruise staterooms are very popular and tend to be pricey.

You should consider if 2 staterooms would be the better deal.

If you have young children you might want to think about choosing connecting staterooms on your Disney Cruise.

There are plenty of options available, particularly on the newer Disney Dream and Fantasy ships and of course the Disney Wish .

5. Book A Disney Cruise Onboard

This is one of the best Disney cruise tips to save money.

It will work once you are sailing on your first and any future Disney cruises.

The best deal is to book when you are onboard.

You will receive a 10% discount on the current brochure prices.

Unfortunately, a placeholder no longer offers any onboard credit.

Don’t know which Disney cruise you want to sail on next?

You can book what is called a Disney Cruise Place Holder and decide at a later date which one you want to sail on.

You have two years to sail on a Disney cruise from the date you booked your placeholder.

Join My Disney Cruise Group for Exclusive Tips and Disney Cruise Giveaways

6. Look Out For Special Disney Cruise Sailings

Love Pixar movies? You will want to check out the Pixar Days at Sea.

Other themed cruises include Marvel Days at Sea and of course the Halloween on the High Seas , Christmas, and New Year Cruises.

7. It’s All Included on a Disney Cruise

Once you are onboard almost everything is included.

Your accommodation, food, and entertainment are all included in the price that you have paid to sail.

Yes, you can pay extra for things on board, but you don’t have to.

Here is our guide to What is Included on a Disney Cruise and What You Pay Extra For

8. Disney Cruise Gratuities Explained

Gratuities for your dining servers and stateroom host will be automatically added to your onboard account.

However, you can adjust them however, you want.

Service onboard a Disney cruise is excellent.

Guests do get confused about Disney Cruise tips and how to pay, but it’s really very easy.

Here is a Guide to Tipping on a Disney Cruise to help you know what to expect.

Check-In For Your Disney Cruise Online

Remember to check in online for your cruise as soon as you can.

9. Use Your Disney Cruise Personalizer

Once you have completed your Disney Cruise online check-in you will have access to booking onboard events and cruise excursions on the Disney Cruise Personalizer.

The  time that you can check in depends upon whether you have cruised with Disney before, and if so, what level of Castaway Club member you are.

This can be anything between 75 and 123 days before your cruise.

Platinum members and Concierge guests get priority so you may find that some things are booked before you get the chance.

A classic illustration of this is the Cabanas on Castaway Cay .

There are limited numbers and are usually snagged by Concierge and Pearl guests at one minute past midnight on the day online check-in opens for them.

Castaway Cay Cabanas are the hottest ticket on a Disney cruise and are very difficult to get unless you are a Concierge or Pearl Castaway Cay guest.

10. You Must Prepare for Embarkation Before You Sail

Things have changed quite a bit since Covid – but Disney makes things as easy and as safe as possible for all Guests.

Disney Cruise Line DOES NOT Guests to be vaccinated or tested for COVID-19.

DCL does continue to strongly recommend that guests are vaccinated and that they test before embarking on a cruise ship.

Requirements can change so the best place to go for this information is always:

Disney Cruise Line Know Before You Go

11. Book Tickets Online for Character Greetings

Most character greetings are just announced every day in your Personal Navigator and you get in line to see your favorites.

The Disney Princess Gathering is a separately ticketed event and you must have this to attend the meet and greet.

If you want to see your favorites your best chance is to get tickets online in the Cruise Personalizer.

If you don’t get them online go straight to Guest Services when you board to see if there are any still available.

Note that right now the Anna and Elsa Frozen Meet and Greet is not scheduled on any of the Disney Ships.

12. Book Special Dining Online

If you want to book one of the adult dining experiences you can book one experience in each restaurant online.

If you book for the first night at Remy or Palo you can now also book a second night online. Remy, in particular, gets booked up so always try and book in advance.

If there is nothing available, you can still try and book as soon as you get on your cruise.

The Navigator will tell you where the restaurant Cast Members are on the ship to help you make a reservation.

Wine tastings and other special events are now offered online as well. Make sure that you log into your Disney Cruise Personalizer as soon as you can so that you can book the events that you want.

Remember though that there are usually spaces still available on the ship.

So visit Guest Services as soon as you get on board.

13. Sign Up The Young Ones for The Kid’s Clubs

See that long line at the cruise port over in the corner? That is for the grown-ups who did not sign up their children online for the kid’s clubs.

You can save a lot of time waiting in line if you just fill out the simple form online.

Then you can skip the lines and go straight to the place where they will be given their wristbands.

Disney Cruise Ship Kids Clubs – What to Expect

14. Book Port Adventures in Advance

You will be visiting some amazing ports so you will want to think about which Disney Port Adventures you want to book.

Your online Cruise Personalizer has details of them all. You can book before you sail.

We always suggest that you book excursions via Disney. You can book independently and you will probably save money.

However, if you book with Disney you can be sure that they have the Disney seal of approval. Most importantly if you are late back from a Disney Port Adventure the ship will wait for you.

If you go independently you could be waving goodbye to your floating home from the dock.

We have seen it happen.

Don’t let it be you.

D ISNEY CRUISE PACKING TIPS

15. disney cruise packing 101.

One of the great things about a cruise is that you are not restricted to how much luggage you can take on board.

If you are driving to the cruise port this makes things easy.

Take as much as you want!

However, if you are arriving by plane you will still have to navigate their increasingly ungenerous baggage allowances.

Things to Take on a Cruise: 50 Must-Have Items to Pack

16. Pack a Carry On

Your luggage will arrive in your Disney cruise stateroom sometime in the afternoon and early evening.

If there is anything that you need as soon as you board, make sure that you have packed it in a carry-on bag.

This should definitely include your cruise and identification documents, and any medication that you need.

I also tend to pack swimsuits.

It is also a great time to experience the Aqua Duck if you are on the Disney Fantasy or Dream. Or the AquaMouse on the Wish.

17. Prepare For the Unexpected

No one wants to talk about this subject, but here we go.

Seasickness.

It happens.

The Disney cruise ships are very stable, but sometimes you may not find it possible to get your sea legs.

We have sailed in very challenging seas but never encountered a problem.

However, just in case you will find our guide How Not To Get Sick on a Disney Cruise useful.

18. Tell Your Credit Card Company Your Plans

Unfortunately, credit card fraud is very common these days. So your credit card company will pick up on any unusual activity.

They can and often will stop your card if they detect anything strange.

My card was canceled when I tried to charge $10 in Grand Cayman!

Fortunately, I had a backup card.

For more details check out Things Not To Forget on Your Disney Cruise

19. Arriving at the Port

If you are sailing from Port Canaveral here is a guide to getting to the Port from Orlando International Airport. 

20. Arrive the Day Before Your Cruise

Sometimes flights are delayed. We strongly recommend that if you possibly can, make sure you arrive at least within easy driving distance to the port the day before.

There are plenty of hotels at each Disney cruise port including Port Canaveral.

If you ignore most of the rest of this article just listen to this Disney Cruise Tip as it is one that can make a huge difference.

Don’t leave things to chance and be stressed about making it on time to your cruise.

Nothing could be worse than not making it on time and watching the ship sail away into the sunset without you.

21. Get a Call from Mickey or Minnie

This is another great feature of your Cruise Personalizer. You can schedule a call with Mickey or Minnie! You can schedule the date, and time and choose if you want Minnie or Mickey.

It’s another way Disney cruise lines make things that bit extra special.

22. Download the Disney Cruise Navigator App

You can do this any time you want, but make sure you do it before you get on board.

On the cruise ship, it shows you what is happening every day.

Before you cruise it gives you a countdown of how many more days, hours and minutes there are before you board!

The Navigator App also lets you send texts free of charge to members of your stateroom and anyone else who authorizes you to do this.

This is so much better than the Wave Phones you get in each stateroom. Make sure that all family members get the App before they board.

If you have an iPhone then iMessage works on the ship.

23. There May Be a Disney Cruise Stateroom Upgrade

Want to upgrade your Disney cruise stateroom? You can always ask at check-in if there are any upgrades available.

Sometimes, but not always, you can get an upgrade at a reduced cost. It always pays to ask just in case! You can then decide if the upgrade you are offered is worth the extra cost.

Never rely on a Disney Cruise upgrade though.

They are increasingly unlikely as Disney cruise ships are so popular and are often fully booked.

24. It’s A Key To The World

When you check in you will be given your stateroom key which is your Key To The World Card.

This allows you to charge all expenses to your room key.

You can limit the charging privileges of others in your stateroom.

You don’t have to give your 8-year-old the power to buy what he wants in the store!

B OARDING THE DISNEY SHIP

Finally, the time has come to get on the Disney ship.

All that anticipation and preparation.

Now the day has arrived!

27 Do’s and Don’ts For Your First Day On A Disney Cruise Ship

25. Wait For Your Boarding Number

When you check in at the terminal you will be given a card with a boarding number for your party.

Don’t ever think that you can board earlier than your group. You will be stopped!

26. Stop for A Photo

There are always photographers stationed along the gangway to take your embarkation photo.

Stop if you want or pass it by if you really can’t wait the extra few minutes to board!

We recommend you are not camera shy.

There are many photo opportunities on the ship, but the embarkation photo is one of our favorites.

Here is a Complete Guide to Disney Cruise Photo Packages.

27. Give The Disney Cast Members Your Name

When you board the Disney Ship you will be asked for your family name.

Make sure that you give it to them as you have a special surprise welcome!

28. Go To Disney Cruise Guest Services

If you need to book any specially ticketed events, such as Beverage Tastings.

You may still be able to pick up tickets.

29. Start Eating!

The food offerings start as soon as you board. You can head up to the pool deck to experience the buffet.

If you want a slightly less crowded space one of the restaurants will also offer a buffet selection or waiter service option.

It won’t be as huge a choice as the pool deck, but fewer people head here so you may get a more relaxing start to the cruise.

Guide to Disney Cruise Food

30. Make Sure You Do the Drill

Muster drills have changed a lot in recent times.

But you still have to comply with the instructions and attend your muster station. This is about safety and it is important.

Don’t be late for your drill. It inconveniences a lot of other guests and Cast Members.

31. Put Your Phone in Airplane Mode

One of the most expensive mistakes that you can make on any cruise is not checking your cell phone coverage.

You can end up with a very hefty bill if you use your cell phone onboard. This applies to calls, text, and data.

You could just put your phone in your room safe and not connect.

However, if you want to use the Navigator App we suggest that you simply put your phone into airplane mode.

32. Take Advantage of Free Wi-Fi

If you use your own cell phone provider data provision you will be paying a fortune.

All the Disney ships, except the Wonder, have new internet packages. The Disney Wonder will get the upgrade in October 2023.

Here is a Guide to Disney Cruise Internet Packages.

33. Enjoy the Sail Away Party

Disney knows how to put on a show and the Sail Away Party is no exception. Head on out to the pool deck for a very high-energy party.

You can also watch the port disappear into the distance by going up onto the deck above the pool deck.

Or if you have a balcony stateroom why not enjoy the Drink of the Day in your own private haven?

34. Take a Tour of the Spa

This is a great opportunity to see the Disney Rainforest and the Spa treatment rooms to plan what you would like to do in the spa.

There is always a free-to-enter spa raffle on the first day.

You may as well enter as you may win a free spa treatment or a discount.

D ISNEY CRUISE STATEROOMS

35. Not All Disney Cruise Staterooms are Created Equal

Disney cruise lines have some of the largest and the best staterooms in the industry. Your choices range from an inside stateroom right up to the magnificent Walt Disney Suite.

Your choice mostly depends upon your budget, but even within the same category, there are some staterooms that are a better choice than others.

Here is our video which shows the smallest of the Disney cruise staterooms which is a Standard Inside Stateroom.

This is the only stateroom category that does not have a split bath.

Read our Disney Cruise Staterooms to Avoid to help you decide.

36. Disney Cruise Staterooms Have Split Bathrooms

Another unique thing about Disney cruises is the “split bathroom” concept. This is ideal for families.

What does it mean? There are 2 bathroom spaces in most of the Disney cruise staterooms.

One has a toilet and a sink. The other has a bath, shower, and sink. Each has plenty of storage space.

The split bathroom idea cuts down waiting time in the morning when everyone is trying to get ready for breakfast!

37. Disney Stateroom Door Decoration is Encouraged

Walk along the corridors of your Disney cruise ship and you will see some spectacular door decorations. Your imagination is the only limit to just how creative you can get.

The doors and walls in your Disney cruise stateroom are magnetic.

Decorations are available to buy, or get creative and make your own!

Just make sure that you do not cause any damage to the stateroom – use magnets, not tape.

You don’t want a nasty shock on your final account if you are fined for damaging the wall!

You might want to check out What Not To Do in Your Disney Stateroom

38.  There is Plenty of Storage

Disney cruise staterooms are very well-designed.

There is plenty of storage space for all your clothes and travel gear.

We always unpack as soon as we arrive so that we have everything to hand.

An invaluable packing item is these Packing Cubes make everything really easy.

You can keep items together. No more searching for socks or swimming stuff. Keep them all organized and you can then just transfer them to a draw in your stateroom.

All the Disney ships now have beds that provide enough space to store your suitcases underneath. You can unpack and forget about them for the rest of the cruise.

39. Yes You Can Do Laundry on a Disney Cruise

No one really wants to do laundry on vacation, but sometimes it just becomes a necessity.

There are several self-service laundries on all of the Disney ships. We always take our own laundry pods of detergent, but it is available onboard.

40. Interactive Television Choices

Of course, all Disney cruise staterooms have a television.

However, if you are sailing on the Disney Fantasy or the Dream you will have a much bigger choice of what to watch in your stateroom than if you sail on the Wonder or the Magic.

The newer ships of the Fantasy, Dream and Wish have on-demand television.

You have a huge choice of Disney movies and television to watch on demand. So if you really want to watch “Peter Pan”, “Toy Story” and “Mary Poppins” in your stateroom you can.

The stage shows from the Walt Disney Theatre are also shown on the television and repeated, so if you miss a show you can watch it in your stateroom.

41. Save a Hotel Key

It is a good idea to hang on to that old hotel room key. The reason? To make the lights work in the stateroom you have to put a credit card-sized card in the slow by the door.

You are supposed to use your Key To The World for this. However, we prefer not to as you are more likely to forget to take it with you and get locked out of your room.

42. Disney Invented Rotational Dining

Disney cruise lines are known for their innovative ideas. One of the very best is the concept of Rotational Dining.

What is this?

On each Disney cruise ship, there are 3 main dining restaurants.

All have their own very unique theme. Each night you will visit a different restaurant.

When you rotate between restaurants your servers will come with you!

This has a wonderful advantage in that your servers get to know you.

The Disney cruise servers are amazing and go out of their way to make sure that you enjoy the dining experience.

Your servers will get to know your likes and dislikes. They will even cut up your child’s food for them! Nothing is too much trouble for them.

For more information on how this works, you can see our Disney Cruise Rotational Dining Guide

43. Can’t Decide What To Choose on the Menu?

Overwhelmed by the great choices on the Disney cruise restaurant menus? No problem. You can order a couple of options and no one will mind.

If you want the salmon and the steak go ahead.

Two desserts?

Just be aware that your waistline may not forgive you for it!

44. Want Something Not on the Disney Cruise Menu?

Your Disney servers want you to have the best experience possible and will do everything they can to accommodate you.

If you enjoyed a particular dish one evening make sure that they know. If you give them at least 24 hours’ notice they may be able to get it for you again.

Just be considerate.

They will make it happen if they can.

So if you want that same entree or dessert every night just let them know.

45. Don’t Skip Animator’s Palate

Each ship has three rotational dining restaurants. They are all a little different from each other, apart from Animator’s Palate which is on all of the Disney ships.

Your first night in Animator’s Palate has a very special show for you. Be sure not to miss it.

46. The Disney Cruise Drinks are Free – Sort Of

Well, not all of the drinks are free, but you could sail on the whole Disney cruise without spending anything extra on beverages.

You just have to know which are free.

There is free soda from the dispensers on the pool deck which is available 24/7.

Soda, regular coffee, tea, iced tea, and milk are available for free in the dining rooms.

Your waiters will learn your preferences and bring them to your table to have them waiting for you for dinner.

Of course, there are many tempting drinks that are not free.

All alcoholic beverages and cocktails are charged for.

You may be tempted by the drink of the day. There is always an alcoholic and a non-alcoholic drink of the day available at a reduced price.

For the complete guide check out:

Disney Cruise Line – Are The Drinks Really Free?

47. Sometimes There Are Free Cocktails

Yes, you read it right.

On the formal evening of the Captain’s Dinner, there is a welcome reception with wait staff offering cocktails and wine.

The Ship’s Officers including the Captain will be there to greet you.

If you attend a Disney Vacation Club sales presentation it is used to be they gave out free cocktails. However, it is now many years since I have seen this.

In the last few presentations, I have been to they have only given out free bottled water.

You used to get a very nice gift when you attended but recently we have not seen this.

The presentation is fun and there is no sales pressure. You may be tempted though, so do your calculations carefully before you sign up!

There is usually a free draw to enter to win an onboard credit.

Also, you will probably be offered an onboard credit to attend a one-on-one sales consultation.

48. Have a Celebration?

Always tell your servers if you have a celebration such as a birthday or an anniversary. They will arrange something special for you.

49. Endless Disney Cruise Ice Cream

Self-service ice cream is available for free on the pool decks of every Disney ship.

Why not make your own float with the free soda and ice cream?

50. Didn’t Finish That Bottle of Wine?

If you want to enjoy wine at dinner, but don’t think you can finish the bottle, Disney has a solution.

Your server will save your wine for you and the next day it will be waiting at your table for you.

Is The Disney Cruise Wine Package Worth The Cost?

51. Breakfast and Lunch are Not Just A Buffet

Every Disney ship has an amazing breakfast and lunch buffet served up on the pool deck.

However, what some people don’t realize is that there is a sit-down breakfast and lunch served in one of the restaurants every day.

52. Disney Cruise Special Dietary Needs? No Problem

Disney cruise lines are incredible at catering to any special dietary need you may have. We have sailed with family members who need vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diets.

Just tell your waiters or mention your dietary needs at the buffet or specialty restaurants.

You can also register this in your Cruise Personalizer before you board. Disney cruise lines will do everything they can to help you.

Disney Cruise chefs are more than willing to create special meals for you.

53. Breakfast is with Character

If you are sailing on a Disney cruise which is 7 nights or longer, you will have the opportunity to have a character breakfast. This is included in the cost of your cruise.

As anyone who has been to Disney World or Disneyland will know, this is a huge benefit!

Character breakfasts usually cost $40 and up per person on land. On your Disney cruise, it is included in the cost of your fare.

You do have to plan ahead for the Disney cruise character breakfast . You need a ticket and places are limited. You need to log in to your Cruise Personalizer as soon as you can, to book tickets.

There may be some available from Guest Services. Go as soon as you board the ship. They are limited and you do not want to be disappointed.

Note that this service is currently suspended

D ISNEY CRUISE ROOM SERVICE

54. disney cruise room service is free.

Room service on a Disney cruise is free.

There are some items that are charged for such as alcohol and soda, but most of it is free of charge.

Just remember to tip the crew member who delivers your food.

Make sure that you have some $1 bills handy.

However, if you forget, no problem.

You can add a tip to the receipt that you will have to sign.

55. Not Everything is on the Room Service Menu

There are some items that are not on the menu but are available from room service.

One of the most popular items which are not shown on the menu is the Mickey Mouse Ice Cream Bar.

Cake of the Day is on the menu, but the secret items are Dessert of the Day and Pie of the Day.

Obviously, these change every day, so we have a tradition of making sure we order these on sea days.

Disney Cruise Room Service Menu

56. Breakfast in Bed is On The House

Breakfast in bed can seem like an extravagant indulgence. However, on a Disney cruise, you can indulge as many times as you like.

It is all part of the service. Just fill out your breakfast selections on the card in your stateroom and put it on your door prior to 3 am the night before.

Then wake up to your breakfast choices delivered to your room.

The best way to enjoy breakfast is on your verandah. One of the best times we ever had on a Disney cruise was sitting on our verandah eating breakfast whilst going through the Panama Canal locks.

57. Milk and Cookies in the Evening

Yes, we know that you will probably have consumed more food than you want to admit by the evening.

However, there really is nothing quite like ordering milk and cookies before bedtime.

58. Order Coffee at Night

No, we are not suggesting that you get your caffeine fix just before bedtime.

However, if you order a carafe of coffee just before you go to bed at night it will still be warm enough in the morning for you to enjoy.

This means you won’t have to be disturbed by room service early in the morning, but you will be able to stumble out of bed and have your first cup of coffee when you wake up.

59. D ISNEY CRUISE FOR KIDS

A Disney cruise is for all ages. You just know that the kids are going to have a blast with all of the features on board for them.

60. It’s A Small World Nursery

Disney cruise lines are one of only a few cruise lines that offer a babysitting service for the under 3s.

Starting aged 6 months and going all the way up to the age of 3 the It’s a Small World Nursery will care for the youngest cruisers on the ship.

There is an additional charge and you do have to book in advance. You can do this online in the Cruise Personalizer.

The charge is $9 per hour for your first child and $8 per hour for the second and any additional children. in your family.

61. The Oceaneer’s Club and Lab is Paradise for Kids

Your kids probably won’t want to leave the kid’s clubs. The Oceaneer’s Club and Lab are for children aged 3 to 12.

Who wouldn’t want to meet Spiderman or pilot the Millennium Falcon? There are lots of organized activities or they can just play with their new friends.

62. The Edge is the Place to be for Tweens

The 11 to 14-year-old set can often be the most difficult to please. Fortunately, on a Disney cruise, they have The Edge.

If you have an 11-year-old they have the choice of either being in The Edge or the Oceaneer’s Club.

63. The Vibe is the Place Teens Want to Be

Wondering what your teens are going to do on the Disney cruise ships?

The answer is to spend a whole lot of time in Vibe. Particularly if you are sailing on the Disney Dream or the Disney Fantasy.

The newer shops have a fabulous outdoor area for the teens which includes hot tubs and a sun deck.

64. Chill Spa is Open for Teens

Most spas are for the over-18s only. However, Disney has recognized that sometimes teens want to be pampered in the spa.

Check out the Chill Spa which is exclusively for the 13 to 18-year-old set.

D ISNEY CRUISE POOL DECK

65. ride the aquaduck.

One of the best features of Disney Fantasy and the Dream is the AquaDuck. A water coaster at sea!

The Wish has the AquaMouse.

This is a lot of fun for all the family, but of course, the wait times can be long.

To get your best chance of riding with almost no lines on embarkation day or wait until night time.

Most people are either watching the show or eating dinner in the evening so the lines are short.

66. The Disney Cruise Pools are Fun

All of the Disney ships have two pools on the family pool deck.

The first is a toddler pool and the second is the family pool. Don’t expect to get any real swimming done in these pools!

The family pool is small and on sea days tends to be crowded.

67. Relax on a Pool Lounger

There are plenty of pool loungers around the pool and up on the deck.

Be considerate of others and do not reserve a lounger by putting a towel or your belongings on it.

Just not cool.

68. Towels are Provided

There is no need to bring your own pool towels on board or take towels from your stateroom.

There are plenty of pool towels up on the deck.

69. Catch a Movie on Disney Funnel Vision

One of the best features of the Disney cruise pool deck is Funnel Vision.

Disney movies are played all day and evening.

It’s fun to splash around in the pool and watch a Disney movie.

At night relax on a pool lounger and snag one of the blankets and watch a Disney movie.

D ISNEY CRUISE TIPS FOR ADULTS

Many people think that a Disney cruise is centered around the kids, but really this is just not true.

Sure there is plenty going on for the younger members of the group, but there are so many things for the adults to enjoy too.

70. Disney Dining for Adults

Disney has some of the best dining at sea.

All of the ships have dining which caters to the over-18s only.

Every Disney ship has Palo, which is an Italian-themed restaurant. Disney’s Palo offers dinner every night of the cruise and brunch on select days.

I think that the very best value is Palo brunch .

With a charge of just $45, you can eat your way through a huge selection of hot entree items.

Note that the buffet is currently not available at Palo Brunch but you can order all you like from the menu.

Remy is available on Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream.

Widely recognized as one of the best culinary experiences at sea, Remy is named after the lead character in the Pixar movie Ratatouille.

Dinner is available every night. The Champagne Brunch and the Dessert Experience are offered on select days.

Yes, it is pricey at $95 per person for dinner, and $200 if you want the wine pairing.

Enchante is the fine dining restaurant on Disney Wish.

71. Indulge at the Disney Cruise Spa

If you want to experience the ultimate in relaxation you can book a Disney spa treatment. There are lots of options offered including treatments for couples.

You can book ahead of your sailing to get the best reservation times.

Appointments do book up, so if you have something specific in mind, book online before you sail.

Remember though that all spa treatments will have an 18% gratuity automatically added.

72. The Disney Cruise Rainforest Room is Pure Luxury

Every Disney Ship has a Rainforest Room in the spa.

This is truly the place to be if you want to indulge in some luxurious downtime and relaxation.

The Wish has the largest Rainforest Room. It is also the only one which is open to the outdoors from above.

The Disney Dream and the Fantasy still have probably the very best Rainforest rooms on the Disney ships.

Each has two steam rooms, a dry sauna, and scented showers with multiple different programs.

A fabulous feature is the heated hot stone loungers with views of the ocean.

You can even relax in one of the two hot tubs which overlook the ocean.

The Disney Wonder and the Magic also have the Rainforest Room, but it is not quite so luxurious.

They have saunas, steam rooms, heated loungers, and showers. It’s a nice space but not as great as on the larger ships.

Why The Disney Cruise Rainforest Room is Worth It

73. Adult-Only Pools on Disney Cruises

There is plenty of space reserved for the over-18s only on the Disney ships.

This includes adult pools and hot tubs.

74. Bars and Lounges on the Disney Ships

There are plenty of options of places to enjoy a drink or two on all of the Disney ships.

One of our favorites is the Ooh La La bar on the Disney Fantasy. Guests can choose from an extensive champagne menu.

The French boudoir decor is completely over the top, but it’s a lot of fun.

Guide to Bars on the Disney Wonder

75. Disney Cruise Lines Alcohol Policy

Disney cruise lines have a very generous policy about how much of your own beer and wine you can bring on board. Many cruise lines do not let you bring anything at all.

However, on a Disney cruise, you can bring up to 2 bottles of wine or 6 bottles of beer per adult.

You can drink the wine in your stateroom and there is no charge.

However, if you want to enjoy the wine you brought to the restaurant there will be a $25 corkage charge.

76. Disney Cruise Wine Packages Can Save You Money

If you enjoy drinking wine on a Disney cruise the Wine Package may be the thing for you.

The Wine Package allows you to pre-purchase either a Classic or a Premium Package.

You choose the number of days from 3 to 7 nights. Each night you can pick a bottle from the Classic or Premium Wine list.

Prices start at $95 for a 3-night package.

The more nights you have, the cheaper the per-bottle price works out to be.

If you don’t finish the bottle that evening it will be stored for you and you can drink it later.

You can see more details at Disney Cruise Wine Package

77. Pick Up A Coffee Card

You can get free drip coffee on the pool deck or in the restaurants.

However, it isn’t the best coffee you have ever tasted.

If you enjoy a decent cup of specialty coffee you can pay extra for your drink of choice.

Ask for a coffee card. Each time you buy a drink you will get a stamp. When you have 5 stamps your 6th drink will be free.

It used to be that you could save these and use on your next cruise. However, now the card states that they are not to be used on a future cruise.

Time will tell whether or not the servers still allow it, but don’t bet on this trick still working.

Use your free coffee entitlement before your current cruise ends.

78. The Cove Cafe is a Must

One of our favorite areas on the Disney cruise is the Cove Cafe. It is a great place to sit and read a book and enjoy a coffee or something a little stronger.

There is a small selection of books and magazines, but bring your own as the selection really is small.

Cove Cafe is a very tempting place to pick up some snacks.

Check out the croissants in the morning. We challenge you to resist the selection of cakes and desserts in the display cabinet.

It is all included so you can indulge!

E NTERTAINMENT ON A DISNEY CRUISE

79. check your disney cruise navigator often.

The Navigator is where you will find out what’s happening on board the ship every day. The paper Navigator is now only delivered to your stateroom every night if you request this from your Room Steward.

If you want a paper Navigator you can pick one up at Guest Services. Or you can use the Disney Navigator App on your phone. Remember to download it before you get on board.

80. The Disney Cruise Shows are Amazing

This really can’t be overstated.

You will be amazed at just how good the shows are on the Disney cruise.

They are Broadway quality and you should definitely make time to see as many shows as you can.

There are two performances every evening. You can see the early one if you have late seating and the late one if you are dining at 5.45 pm.

81. Take Your Seats Early

All shows are performed in the Walt Disney Theatre. There really isn’t a bad seat in the house, but there are some which are better than others.

We like to be about five or six rows back in the middle.

However, if you do not arrive early the front level of seats is likely to be gone.

We prefer anything in the middle over the ones on the sides, even if it is quite far back.

Saving seats for others is really bad form.

Don’t do it.

82. Each Disney Ship Has Different Shows

Each ship has a different selection of shows, although there is some overlap with certain shows being staged on more than one of the Disney cruise ships.

On the nights when the big stage productions are not scheduled, there will usually be another entertainer such as a magician or a juggler.

Many of these entertainers have been performing with Disney cruise lines for many years and they are generally very good.

83. There May Be A Show For The Adults

Not everything is family-friendly! Often there is a late-night version of one of the entertainer’s acts such as a comedian or a magician.

Treat yourself and let the kids go to the kid’s clubs while you enjoy a night out.

84. Go to the Movies!

The Disney cruise movie theatres show new releases and classic movies.

Each of the Disney ships has at least one. Disney Wish has two!

85. Skip The Popcorn

Outside the Walt Disney Theatre and the Buena Vista Theatre, you will be tempted by the smell of popcorn and the lure of specialty drinks.

These items are not included.

If you want to take a drink into the show with you stop on the pool deck to get your drinks for free. You can even bring some snacks in with you if you want – that is if you aren’t already full from the buffet!

86. There is Something for Everyone

Every day there are lots of events scheduled.

Want to learn how to draw Mickey Mouse, make that dessert you just enjoyed in the restaurants or enjoy a wine-tasting event?

Most things on board are included, but you will have to pay extra for wine-tasting events.

87. The Art of the Theme Tour is Not to be Missed

This adults-only tour of the ship is well worth joining.

It is free and will take you on a tour whilst showing you some of the design secrets of the Disney ships.

There is so much attention to detail on the Disney ships and it is nice to hear some of the behind-the-scenes stories.

D ISNEY CASTAWAY CAY

One of the highlights of a Disney Caribbean or Bahamian cruise is a port stop at Castaway Cay.

Disney cruise line has its own fabulous private island in the Bahamas. Here are some Disney cruise tips to make the most of your visit to Castaway Cay.

Disney Castaway Cay – The Ultimate Guide

88. Send a Special Post Card

Castaway Cay has its own post office. If you want to send a card with a very special stamp just stop at the post office. It is on your left just after you get off the ship.

89. There are Trams to Get You Around Castaway Cay

You can easily walk to the beaches, but there are plenty of trams to get you there if you want to save energy. We usually walk to the beach if it isn’t too hot, but we always take the tram back.

90. Pick Your Perfect Beach

The most popular beach is the Family Beach on Castaway Cay .

However, there is a beach reserved solely for the over-18s. Make your way to Serenity Bay if you want some peace and quiet.

Disney Castaway Cay Excursions and Activities

91. No Need to Get Back on the Ship to Eat

There is plenty of food on Castaway Cay. While it isn’t the finest food you will eat on your Disney cruise, the barbecue is perfectly fine. There is something about eating good barbecue food on the beach that makes it so much fun.

However, make sure that you have eaten breakfast. The barbecues are only open for lunch.

92. Special Dietary Needs on Castaway Cay

If you have special dietary requirements make sure that you let your waiters know on the ship. They will make sure that it is waiting for you at the barbecue.

93. Join in the Castaway Cay 5K Run

A very popular event on Castaway Cay is the 5K run. It is free of charge and ages 10 and up can take part.

You don’t have to sign up anymore.

Make sure that you get an early start though – it can get very hot on the island!

94. Try Something New

You can spend the day on one of the beaches, or you can try one of the Castaway Cay Port Adventures.

These range from snorkeling to parasailing, and kayaking to getting up close and personal with a stingray. You can book these ahead of time on your Cruise Personalizer, or when you get on the ship.

95. The Quest for a Castaway Cay Cabana

One of the most difficult reservations to get on a Disney cruise is a Castaway Cay Cabana.

Even though prices start at $399 this is one of the most sought-after things on a Disney cruise.

You can book them in your Cruise Personalizer, but as there are only 21 cabanas available, they sell out in minutes.

You really need to either be a Concierge guest or a Pearl Castaway Cay member to be in with a chance.

You can try your luck when you board the ship by putting your name on the waitlist.

You could get very lucky and someone may cancel. It happens, but just don’t bet on it!

96. Take Your Time

People tend to get back on the ship in the early afternoon.

Whilst we always recommend getting back on board in good time, you can wait until shortly before all aboard time on Castaway Cay.

This gives you maximum time on the island.

97. Be Safe

It is important always to wear sunscreen. Sunburn is never a good thing and it can ruin your vacation.

The combination of the sun sea and the perfect island can sometimes make you forget to keep reapplying sunscreen.

Just be careful.

We have written a Complete Guide to Castaway Cay where you will find lots more tips and ideas.

M EET THE DISNEY CHARACTERS

A Disney cruise is a great place to get to meet a huge variety of Disney characters.

Here are some tips to help you get the most out of the experience.

98. Check Your Navigator

There are lots of character appearances every day. The schedule will be posted in your Navigator every day. You can plan who you want to meet.

99. The Character Attendant is Your Friend

All Disney characters have an attendant to keep them organized and safe. If you have any questions always ask the attendant.

They can help with questions like when the next appearance will be and what costume the character will be wearing. They will also take pictures of you with your own camera.

100. Arrive Early

We think that it is much easier to meet characters on a Disney cruise than it is at the parks. However, you should still be prepared for a wait.

The characters often spend more time with guests than they would in the parks.

Usually, if you arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled appearance you will be towards the front half of the line.

101. Bring An Autograph Book

Make sure that you bring something for the characters to sign.

We have heard recently that Marvel characters will not sign anything which has been signed by a Disney or Pixar character, so you may need to bring separate books if you are swapping universes!

102. Look Around You

Often the best character sightings are ones that you don’t expect. We remember seeing Chip and Dale up on deck during the Panama Canal cruise.

Or sometimes you see characters in the hallways walking to the meet and greet.

103. Meeting the Princesses

You can never guarantee which Princesses will be on board, but they will definitely be available for a meet and greet.

Usually, you will see Tiana, Cinderella, and Belle. However, don’t guarantee to your 4-year-old they will see a specific Princess as they may not be on board.

There is always a Disney Princess ticketed event. You can sign up in your Cruise Personalizer or at Guest Services. Tickets are limited and go quickly. This is not an essential event as you will see them at other times.

104. Anna and Elsa are Different

Anna and Elsa are rather more difficult to find. The only way to see them is to get tickets for the meet and greet. You will not see them out and about on the ship.

Note this is temporarily suspended

105. Tea With A Disney Princess

The best way to have time with the Princesses is by booking the Disney Cruise Royal Court Royal Tea .

This amazing opportunity to meet the Disney Princesses includes plenty of time to meet your favorites whilst enjoying a traditional High Tea.

You will have to book ahead and be prepared to blow the budget. This experience is designed for those aged 3 to 12 and costs $210 per child and $69 per adult.

The children will walk away with some nice gifts and some great memories – but obviously, the cost takes some thinking about.

106. This Doesn’t Work Anymore

You might read online that if you take a shirt or picture frame and some markers to Guest Services it will magically be returned to your stateroom having been signed by the character.

Unfortunately, it seems as though too many people got to know about this Disney cruise tip, so they had to stop doing it.

107. Characters on Castaway Cay

Some of the characters make it out onto Castaway Cay (although you will never see a Princess on the island).

One of the coolest characters is Captain Jack Sparrow who will often make an appearance out on Serenity Bay.

Do you have any Disney cruise tips that you want to share? We are cruising again soon and will be adding to this list of Disney cruise tips!

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Alison Meacham is the founder of EverythingMouse Disney Blog. For over 15 years she has shared her love of Disney Parks, Disney Cruises and Universal Orlando.  In over 30 years of Disney Travel she has spent countless months in Disney Parks and has sailed on over 45 cruises. A British native and now a United States resident she splits her time between California, Florida and the UK. And spends a serious amount of time sailing the seven seas. She helps over 200,000 people per month follow their Disney travel dreams.

Disney Cruise Line Suspends All Sailings for March 2020 - EverythingMouse Guide To Disney

Friday 13th of March 2020

[…] Best Disney Cruise Tips […]

Monday 3rd of December 2018

Great tips! I will definitely be making lots of note from this post to go towards my Disney cruise. Thanks for so many gems ?

Friday 30th of November 2018

Wow! What a list of tips and tricks! Thanks for sharing!

Such a comprehensive list!!

Thursday 25th of October 2018

Hi Allison, Thanks for writing this great list! It is very helpful. I have a couple of questions:

in the bottles of wine section, you list the price "per bottle?" and then you say "per day"? I am assuming you meant "3 bottles at $31.66 per bottle?

You talked about packing bathing suit, etc.. in you carry-on and you suitcase(s) will arrive later? I you have a carry-on and an airline approved size rolling suitcase, can you carry them on and to your room or do you have to have you suitcase delivered?

Thanks, Randy

Barbara Conner

Friday 26th of November 2021

@Randy, they are cleaning the cabins from the previous cruise and the halls are blocked -- so whatever you want to carry on with you - you will have to carry it until the rooms are ready and the halls are open - they are roped off while cleaning the cabins from the previous cruise. SOOOO anything you carry on is with you until you are allowed in your cabin. I just have my tote bag with me - all luggage goes at checkin.

Monday 5th of November 2018

Hi Randy. Thank you for your comment. I am glad you enjoyed the Disney Cruise Tips! Yes you are right - it is 3 bottles which are $31.66 each. It is called the 3 Day Package or 4 Day etc so that is why I have used the words "per bottle" and "per day" to mean the same thing. However, you could drink all 3 bottles in one day or take 7 days to drink 3 bottles.

You can bring a Carry On Bag no larger than 9x14x22 on board. You carry that to your room yourself. Larger luggage that you check will be checked in at the port and will be delivered to your stateroom. Usually it is delivered no later than early evening. However, there will be a time when you are without your checked luggage so you should make sure you have essential items such as travel documents and medication in there if you need it. It's nice to put your swim wear in there too if you want to go to the pools on boarding the ship.

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Top Ten Disney Cruise Line Dining Tips

By Kim LaPaglia 99 Comments

1. Order The Cake of the Day: Order the Cake of the Day from Room Service ! Room service is complimentary (although a gratuity is appreciated), and it’s fun to sample (um, okay, devour ;-)) different cake slices.

Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake at Animator\’s Palate

2. Skip Shore Excursion Eats: Use Room Service for a quick sandwich while getting ready for your shore excursion. Then time your return to the ship to coincide with your next meal.

3. Find Hidden Treats: Ask your server to start each meal with a cheese (similar to All Hands On Deck) or seafood platter (I saw shrimp served in the Mediterranean) for the entire table to enjoy. It’s not on the menu. Parents can request cheese, grapes, and crackers for the kids. Just ask if it’s available during your voyage!

Likewise, chocolate covered strawberries are not on the dessert menu but are sometimes available by special request. Ask for a small plate of them to be brought with your dessert. They are divine!

Bacon, Brie, and Tomato Panini from Flo\’s V8 Cafe

4. Late Night Dining: If you’re dining late and the kids are getting hungry, stop by one of the counter-service restaurants (or call Room Service) for a snack prior to the show. Then, you’ll be able to bypass the expensive concession stand outside the theatre.

At bedtime, have Room Service deliver cookies and milk (yes, you can even get the cookies warm!) and the kids will think they’ve sailed to Neverland!

5. Miss Dinner?: If you have a family member that is unable to make dinner due to an illness, wardrobe mishap, etc., ask your server for a meal to bring back to your stateroom. The Wait Staff will go out of their way to accommodate your dining needs whenever possible.

Tea on the Disney Dream

6. Always Ask: Mickey ice cream bars (not always available on European cruises) are not on the Room Service menu, but if you request one, it’ll be delivered to your stateroom. Need a PB&J Uncrustable for a picky eater? Just ask! These are also available at the dining rooms by request.

7. Tea Time: At table-service restaurants there will be some herbal tea available, while the self-serve Beverage Station’s selection is quite small. For your tea fix, visit the spa. There’s always a selection of complimentary tasty teas set out for patrons and you don’t need an appointment to enter the fitness center hallway on the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder. Likewise, you can get some tea in the relaxation room aboard the Dream! Stop in for your spot of tea or take a tea bag (or two) with you.

8. Don’t Forget the Vino!: Pre-purchase a wine package. Each night at dinner, you’ll be able to pair a wine with your meal. The bottle can be enjoyed throughout your meal. Any remaining wine can be sent to your stateroom!

9. Sweets For the Grown-Ups: While relaxing in the adults-only Cove area, stop in to the Cove Cafe for complimentary baked goods.

Cove Baked Goods

10. Mix and Match!: You can mix and match menu items. At dinner, try two appetizers. Have a soup and salad, then two desserts. Don’t feel obligated to have every course. And don’t feel shy about adding an extra portion of your favorite dish.

Did you enjoy the entree on your previous night so much that you are craving it again? Ask your server if they could kindly get it for you!

Headed on a Disney Cruise Soon? Learn More With a Free Vacation Planning Video from Disney!

We highly recommend checking out the Free Vacation Planning Video that Disney creates every year . It’s SO much fun to watch. There’s tons of info on every aspect of your Disney Cruise, and it’s the perfect way to start getting excited about your trip…and maybe even see a few must-dos that you don’t have on your agenda yet! You can order it or live stream it right now. (I do it every year :-D) You can find out more about the free planning video here!

OK — your turn!! What are YOUR top tips for dining on the Disney Cruise Line? Let us know in the comments section below!

Read our Disney Dream Cruise dining reviews here!

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April 1, 2013 at 9:27 pm

Just got back from Disney Dream 3/31/13 the cruise was great but or I’m confused or not properly informed. while the main Dining was good I was looking for other options for casual dinner like on the Deck outside, like Cabanas and every night that I walk upstairs it was close. So is this coincidence or on short cruises this is the norm?.

April 3, 2013 at 8:41 am

Silvio- the hours of each restaurant are listed own your ships “Navigator.” The info is easy to miss. Always ask a Disney staff member if you have questions, they are the best!

April 30, 2013 at 12:22 am

My husband and I went on our honeymoon September 2011 aboard the Disney magic. I have to say Palo reservations are a must!! For most people the dining experience on a cruise ship is just amazing. Wonderful service, foods you’ve never tried before, and a full 4 course meal. However, The service, the food, the atmosphere of Palo is just wonderful!! It was a very romantic intimate dinner for just the two of us. The food was outstanding ( chocolate soufflé dessert!!) I have to admit the menu was a bit intimidating at first but our server was absolutely wonderful! You won’t be sorry you spent a few extra bucks on this meal (seriously $20 a person for 5 star dining!)

April 30, 2013 at 11:49 am

1) The servers are usually exceptional, if you don’t get good service the first night, mention it! 2) You can definitely get different meals than on the menu at the restaurants. I am a pretty bland eater 🙂 I’ve been on 4 cruises with Disney, and on the occasional night the menu was too fancy for me, I asked for a salad and grilled chicken and it was NEVER a problem, they are great!! Getting a kids meal is another option, and you can mix and match from the adult and the kids menus. (Salad from one, nuggets from the kids, desserts -multiple!- from both.) 3) The servers are MAGIC with the kiddos. We had 8 kids with four couples one trip, and I never had to even go cut up food! Our servers have all been beyond amazing, with the exception of one, who was good. And the little touches like the ketchup being put on their plates in the shape of a mickey head with ears is always a hit – look mom!! And another example of the spectacular service: my husband and I had a cocktail on the Dream at one of the adult bars and the next night I was telling everyone at dinner. So I ran over to that bar and order 6 of them. I told her I would take three at a time, so I’d be back for the others. She said, no problem, I’ll bring them for you – and she did. Amazing!

If you travel with family or friends: 4) Make sure if you travel with another family with their own room that your rooms are linked together by the ship by just asking on the 800 reservation number. We had 4 families, with 8 kids and they put all 16 of us at a table together for the meals. 5) While they have the dine and play option at the late dinner, (where the playroom folks come and sign your kids in and take them back to the club) if you are dining on the early dinner, we had one of the parents run the kids down in sign them into the club after they finished eating. You just have to list each other when you register your children, and share passwords. If you have trust issues and don’t want to share your password, volunteer to take the other kiddos down. 🙂 6) It is hard to get bigger reservations for Palo. However, you can book two tables for the same night/time, and then request when you get on board that you be seated together. We have done it two times and it has worked for us both times. And yes, the service and food is all it’s been said to be. We love the appetizers and desserts the best. We LOVE Disney cruising, my husband and our kids are just about obsessed, it is such a GREAT way to vacation with kids. I’m a safety crazed mom, and there is NOTHING like a Disney cruise for a fun, relaxing, no stress vacation. Can’t say enough. But then again, looking back at this huge post, maybe I have said enough. 😉

August 2, 2013 at 5:04 pm

We have taken 5 Disney cruises (all 4 ships) and totally agree with requesting food not listed on the menu. I like simple garden salads (not the frou-frou fancy ones) so I requested that each night. We’ve had Mickey Premium Bars for dessert, too. You can always have a burger and fries, if that’s what you want. If it’s available anywhere on the ship, they are likely to go get it for you. My sister was addicted to the coconut ice cream served in Cabanas and at the lunch buffet in one of the restaurants. She asked for it for dinner, and it magically appeared every night even though it wasn’t offered there.

Related to the unhappy with your service tip, you should also speak up if you are unhappy with your table location/arrangement. On our last cruise we were seated at a large table and half of us had our seats backing up to a wait station (or whatever those are called), causing the servers to have to reach over the other people all the time. We spoke up when the head server came over to introduce himself, and although we were stuck at that table for that meal, we were given a complimentary bottle of champagne.

If you are unsure if you will like a dish on the menu, go ahead and order it to try. If you don’t like it, ask for a different meal. They will gladly go get another.

August 2, 2013 at 5:57 pm

We skip the buffet breakfast and lunches and eat at Royal Court or Lumiere’s – the food is so much better, plus I’m on vacation, I want to be waited on!

August 2, 2013 at 6:30 pm

Dining at the Palo brunch? Ask for your pizza to go. Often they’ll make you an entire one of your choice. Then take it to your stateroom and enjoy it later.

August 2, 2013 at 8:38 pm

Only ever been on one cruise but it was so wonderful! I stuck to the menu but my daughter would order differently. She would order an appetizer size of one entrée and another appetizer. She would change things all around. The staff never blinked an eye. They were marvelous!

August 2, 2013 at 9:52 pm

We’re going on the Fantasy tomorrow–thanks for all of the tips! We love cheese! Thanks!!

August 3, 2013 at 8:03 am

My family and I have been on several Disney Cruises and we will be sailing again in Sept.on the Fantasy..We have no complaints!! They really try to cater to your every need..On our last cruise my son wasn’t feeling well and very tired,so he asked to skip dinner so he can rest. The waiter asked for him at dinner and we explained to him what was going on. He personally delivered a dinner plate to our stateroom with my sons favorites!!! Now how magical was that!!

August 8, 2013 at 10:46 pm

I went on the dream in Jan “13… And I have to say I was disappointed with our server. I asked for the cheese platter and the waiter looked confused. So I told him I read where you could get it and he just said no you can not. Then I asked for 2 appetizers and the waiter acted like I lost my mind. He explained I need an entry. It was not fun at all so we skipped the rest of the nights in the dinning room. I guess we just got a bad apple. We are cruising again and I hope it’s better this time. We have been on Carnival, and food service was awesome, so we were hope disney would out do them. Maybe we set our expectations too high.

January 3, 2014 at 9:54 pm

Is it easy to tell what is included food wise on the cruise? Do they tell you when there is a fee for certain snacks and such?

January 4, 2014 at 9:31 am

Jaime — There really isn’t too much that’s not included. If something is not included, it’s usually marked or noted.

January 4, 2014 at 10:48 am

As a side note to my post above. We did a cruise on the Dream and the service was nowhere near what I have experienced on the older ships. In my experience the Wonder sets the bar – truly only exceptional, above the high bar service by EVERY member of the staff, and they are happy to be at work and enjoy their jobs – it shows. However, I was talking to an employee who said that part of the staff went to both the Dream and the Fantasy when they started the last couple years, but the Wonder has an amazingly stable staff. The Staff director was on my first cruise many years ago and I recognize many of the staff. The Dream and the Fantasy are only a year and two years old, and twice the size of the older ships. Hopefully they will also get a stable staff and the new ships will come up to the amazing service and high standards of all Disney experiences. As far as what is paid and what is not – ALL RESTAURANT FOOD is included except the adult restaurant Polos. (If you have a chance to book it early, the $20 fee is an amazing price for Palo’s food and the experience.) Alcohol is not included or the coffee shops and stores, of course. The snack bar outside the movie theatre is the only other place I can think of that is not included. All of the food places on the swim deck are included, the ice cream bar, the soda station and the fruit and wraps- all included. We would order our regular dinners, and if there was something interesting on the menu we would ask for one for the table to split. Extra sides, whatever you want. Sometimes they would bring us an extra dinner because they wanted us to try it. 🙂 As a side note, we take a plastic straw cup with us to use with soda. The soda station is only up on the swim deck. We also take a flask and bottle of alcohol and make rum and cokes to take to the meals. It is a don’t ask, don’t tell thing, the staff doesn’t care. We will try some of the fun drinks here and there, but as all resorts, the alcoholic drinks are expensive. So Palo’s, the night clubs (even soda has a fee in the clubs), alcohol, coffee shops, internet, shopping stores, and the movie theatre snacks/drinks. Anyone else, anything I forgot? 🙂

February 28, 2014 at 12:43 pm

I’m looking at doing the Alaska cruise this May with my husband and have read mixed reviews on how good the food is on Disney cruise ships. I have read consistent reviews that Palo’s is very good (one bad review that it was not that great, slimy cheesecake, chewy steak) and the food everywhere else seems to be acceptable. As we are a late 20s couple who enjoy our food – I’m talking good food, not just any old McD’s every day of the week and in abundance kind of enjoyment – and we don’t have kids, the experience on the Disney cruise will, for us, not only be wonderful due to the entertainment and the general theme of the ship (we love Disney!) but also the quality of the food will have a big impact on the enjoyment for us. It needs to be edible, enjoyable and not just burgers, fries and chips and ice cream to get us through each day. I don’t expect 5 star dining from a buffet but I also don’t want to see gluggy mashed potato or dry looking cuts of meat if you know what I mean? One word I did see about the buffet was “bland”. So, for those out there that also like to eat well and good quality that have been on a Disney cruise – were you disappointed? Or were you impressed? The food is kind of a make or break for the choice of cruiselines (looking outside of Disney as well). Please help 🙂

March 13, 2014 at 5:17 pm

Does anyone know the names of the waitors on the disney dream cruise. I just got back today 3/13/14 and my mom thought it would be cool to try to find them on Facebook and get their email.

March 28, 2014 at 8:37 pm

Jenna, you do not have to eat at the buffet for breakfast or lunch. Some of the sit-down restaurants are also available for menu service. When we were preparing for our trip on the Fantasy, the travel agent told me that when she travels with her mother, who has dietary concerns, they eat at the restaurants as opposed to the buffet.

We loved everything we ate on the cruise. Generally after having the breakfast buffet at Cabanas we grabbed something on the pool deck for lunch, if we had anything at all. Our waiter was wonderful. I had to laugh the first night when I was told that he “knew what we would like for dessert”. He made a good choice, even if it wasn’t chocolate.

We didn’t make any special requests, so I really don’t have any tips on that, but I can recommend the lobster ravioli :D.

March 28, 2014 at 8:44 pm

We cruised on the Disney Dream in January. The servers were beyond amazing. The tricks with the kids kept them entertained. They actually still want us to see if we can request to have JoJo and Vladimir (our host) on our next cruise. As for food we had anything we wanted. When we had trouble deciding they offered to bring us one of each. Our last night there we had reservations at Palo (must do) but went to say goodbye to the servers and host while the rest of our party was having dinner at the restaurant. I pointed out that several things looked good on the menu and they had it sent to our room even though we had dinner at Palo. I couldnt have imagined a better place. Disney really does do it best

March 28, 2014 at 8:49 pm

Jenna my husband and I are foodies as well. We thought that the food was great. Palo is a must do. Even the buffets had good food on them and lots of it

March 28, 2014 at 9:14 pm

We are going on the Dream next week. Which is better early or late seating for dinner? We weren’t given an option when we booked.

March 28, 2014 at 10:22 pm

Jenna – We rarely do buffets, because buffets aren’t normally exciting. You don’t ever have to do a buffet, if you don’t want. You can do full service for breakfast and lunch, if you are so inclined. With that said, some of the counter service food on deck is pretty tasty! Alaska was our first cruise and it seemed so short that we booked the Panama Canal while on board, just so we could take a trip with more ship board time!

Our favorite excursion in Alaska was the Crab Fisherman’s Tour aboard the Aleutian Ballad. I’ve never seen so many bald eagles in my life!

March 28, 2014 at 11:27 pm

Went on a cruise nearly two years ago. It was my first time, celebrating my completion of grad school and my parent’s anniversary. I have to say, I wasn’t overly impressed. Waiting in line for dinner was frustrating, the lunch restaurants seemed to be done with minimal effort and the food (aside from Remy’s) was mediocre. I seriously doubt I’ll ever go on a cruise again, as I’d prefer to just say on Disney property in Orlando, go to the parks, play on one of the putt-putt courses, and choose from the restaurants in the parks and resorts. Better food, better atmosphere, and more options.

March 29, 2014 at 8:21 am

I haven’t been on a Disney Cruise yet, but I’m definitely considering it. These are all good tips and comments. I wanted to just say that I went to a classical french cuisine culinary school and would’ve loved to work for Disney! I can guarantee that the chef’s & cook’s will be able to make anything that you can think of, provided that they have the ingredients available on the ship. (beef wellington, house made green tea ice cream) If there is a special dinner or item that you’d like them to make, let’s say for a celebration of some sort you might be able to have your travel agent send in a special request at time of booking. Or ask them upon arrival for that meal or dessert to be made for the special occasion. A lot of times chef’s get bored making the same things over & over again. Being able to make something different than the norm is the most fun in this career. Also if you look at the menu items online it will showcase the foods that are well stocked on the ship. The ships are huge! And the kitchens are going to be as well.

March 30, 2014 at 12:09 am

What are the hours of room service generally on a Disney Cruise?

March 31, 2014 at 1:09 pm

MarkD ~ I don’t understand why you waited in line for dinner. We’ve been on five Disney cruises and have never waited in line. I think the mistake people make is showing up early, before the doors to the dining room are open. On our last cruise our dinner was at 5:45pm. We got there a few minutes after, maybe 5:48pm and walked right in and were shown to our table immediately.

Jonathan Weinman ~ Room Service is open 24 hours a day, except for they last night when they close down at 1:30am. You can’t order anything after that.

May 10, 2014 at 6:58 pm

Here’s some not so well known ‘specials’ that should help you if you’re new to Disney Cruise Line (in particular Fantasy, where one of the entertainment managers just happens to be our son!!).

First off – as soon as you can – depending upon your Castaway member status (or if this is your first time on DCL) – be sure all your pre-sailing registration is done — well in advance, as this puts you in line to get on board (check in time) and it sets you up for dining and excursion selections.

Second – see if you can get your dining rotation early (or put in a preference). You have to CALL the cruise line directly, and they may not accommodate you – but try anyway. Once you have an idea, don’t waste any time in booking premium dining at Palo (brunch is exquisite, and dinner is also very good); or Remy (which is indescribable but only for adults 18 and over). If you can’t get a reservation on line well in advance, read on…

If you didn’t or weren’t able to book Remy or Palo online; be sure to get on board sailing day before about 1230 PM…there is a slot (usually at 1:00 PM sharp) in the Royal Court dining room where Palo and Remy reservations can be made or adjusted/changed if you didn’t get what you want. Often there is a line to meet the reservation team, but don’t worry. The main Guest Services can’t do the restaurant updates nor can the actual Palo or Remy locations.

Remy is usually quite exquisite – and something you’ll remember for a lifetime. The dining team is incredible. Sometimes they do wine pairings for each course of the meal (an extra charge), or you can buy the wine package (pre-sailing, separate costs) and select from that list.

If you do Palo for brunch – when you finish, ask for the pizza to go. They will make you a fresh one, plate it, wrap it and you can take it to go. The plates ‘just fit’ in the stateroom refrigerator, too. The pizzas are great cold as well.

Room service is great. The food is prepared just like in the restaurants, and there are extras available if you ask. If you have a veranda stateroom, sit on the deck and enjoy.

We love the Cove for early espresso before the main meal. Complimentary pastries and don’t forget to get a coffee card and have it stamped. After the 5th, you get a free drink. In the morning it’s a great hang out, usually not too crowded. Look in the Navigator for their hours or call to find out.

Dining in Cabana’s? Get your food, head out the side door and to the very stern of the ship – find an outside table. Sometimes it is a little more peaceful, and if you’re on a sea day, its fun to look from where you just came.

May 12, 2014 at 11:01 am

Karl — Thank you so much for the great info!

August 24, 2014 at 7:04 pm

Our second cruise, we just got off the Wonder Alaskan cruise. Food was good but not as good as on the Fantasy. SPEACIAL NOTE: We always pre-tip before the cruise but found out that the wait staff is on contract and their pay is our tips. We added up the amount that each adult is suggested to pay and the total for the week was between $400 and $600 depending if people will tip for their children – I don’t think most do – so the more children seated at the tables with adults the less they make. I was told that what they make is still more than they were able to make in their home country – and many of them are away from their families months at a time in order to support them. They have my respect – so we always tip extra for great service from our wait staff and our state room hosts. On another note. Many people want to know what movies on the current cruise – on the Wonder Alaskan cruise beginning in Aug. 2014 was; Maleficent, Guardians of the Galaxy, Million Dollar Arm, The New Planes Movie, The New Captain America, and Frozen.

September 14, 2014 at 4:29 pm

First off, thank you everyone for all your tips, insight, and Disney wisdom! Truly amazing how your help changes families experiences and memories 🙂

Question regarding the “hidden treats,” what is the correct verbiage to ask about this to our server. I’ve D-cruised about 5 times and have never heard of this tip, excited to try! Also, I’ve never dined at Palo or Remy and was wondering if they offered an early/late dining session like the rotational restaurants? How do they structure eating times?

Again, thank you for all you do!

September 23, 2014 at 11:03 am

I have scanned the comments and I don’t think anyone has mentioned this – but on my last cruise on the Disney Dream in August 2014 I tried the table service dinner in Cabanas. Times appear on your personal navigator and you don’t have to reserve. I was on my own (my teen son and his friend did not want to join me) and it was just perfect. I had a table by the window looking out to sea, the sun was going down and the atmosphere was peaceful and elegant. The food was not as fancy as in the main restaurants – more like a selection from all three , but it was just what I wanted – without the bustle and noise. The waiters were great – infact I thought it was so lovely I mentioned it on my comment card at the end of the cruise. Will definitely eat dinner there again on my next cruise.

December 6, 2014 at 11:02 am

Question about seating assignment: We could only afford to book a last minute cruise ( work schedules), so we requested early dining, but it is not guaranteed. If we don’t get this we can’t eat in the dining rooms. Our kids will never make it that late as we are early eaters and would eat at on deck snack place or room service, then not hungry later. If we don’t go to any dining, how does the tipping work?

December 6, 2014 at 2:44 pm

Jen, You should put in a request at the 800 number. Explain you understand it is only a request, but if they could also put in a comment for you, explain that your children are on an early bedtime schedule and you won’t be able to attend sit down dinners if you aren’t in the early rotation. Also, if you don’t get in when you get to the ship, ask again. They do requests on board also, not that it will guarantee you get it, but sometimes it works. Last, we sometimes skipped early dinner, and went to the early show. There are some that you don’t want to miss. 🙂 Tipping is a personal decision. You can go to the desk and ask for tips to be removed/changed.

December 30, 2014 at 6:21 pm

We will be cruising the Dream in Feb and wondered about private table dining. We are a family of 3 and wonder if we have to share a table with another family or can we done at our own table?

December 31, 2014 at 1:33 pm

Marie — Definitely request your own table when you board the ship (or before). We had a family of 3 cruising and got our own table.

December 31, 2014 at 7:01 pm

Do you know where I would request that before boarding?

January 10, 2015 at 9:18 pm

Does anyone know of any accommodations for food allergies regarding dining. Myself and my son are gluten and dairy free. Will there be anything we can have on the ship? Thanks so much!

January 16, 2015 at 10:14 pm

Save a ton of money and bring your own alcohol. Disney is the only cruiseline that allows this. Each adult can bring a carry on with alcohol. Awesome!!!

January 18, 2015 at 7:56 am

Whitney, I have a dairy allergy and they go out of their way to make sure I have what I need. The first night is the hardest, but after that, before you leave the dinning room, they will bring out the menu for the next evening and have you make your selections the day before.

Also, they will write up special meal requests for breakfast and lunch the next day. You just have to tell them what location and time you will be there.

Don’t be afraid to ask the head server if you have any questions or concerns

January 25, 2015 at 10:49 pm

Can you note the allergy in your reservation? I really want to avoid the issues and delay on the first night of dining. My grandson has specific food allergies, peanuts, shellfish etc. that they just need to be made aware of.

January 26, 2015 at 1:25 pm

Yes, you can make a note of the allergy in your reservation – I make sure that I do. The dining room staff is aware of the allergy when they come to our table. But even if you put an allergy note on your reservation, the meal selection for the first night cannot be made until you get to the dining room. There really isn’t a delay – there just may be fewer options for what you can eat that night.

April 18, 2015 at 9:16 am

If you are so cheap that you cannot afford to tip these hard working people for their EXCEPTIONAL service then just stay at home. I’ve cruised on DCL twice (9 years in between). We saved up for years and had the verandah, etc. The first cruise we were unaware of the recommended gratuities. No biggie, just didn’t know. While we might not have been aware of it the first time (and hadn’t necessarily set aside the money) these men and women provided the BEST services. They work 12-18 hour days for months on end. They were deserving of the recommended gratuity. Actually my husband and I provided them with a little extra cash both times. I was embarrassed to see several people lined up at guest services desk to dispute their gratuities. Unless you truly had poor service, which I highly doubt, you are a cheapskate to dispute this. Yes, the service is that good. So once again…..if you are too cash strapped to pay someone for their service, just stay at home or go visit Walt Disney World.

May 14, 2015 at 7:40 pm

We will be cruising aboard the Dream next April. This is our first cruise ever! What should we bring as far as clothes for dinner? Will they tell us where to dine each night or will we need to make reservations. I don’t think we’re going to do Palo or Remy this time. We are a family of 5(2 adults, 3 children) going on a 4 night cruise. Will $250.00 be enough for gratuity or should we leave more? Do they set the amount? Will they automatically deduct the gratuity from our credit card? Will they deduct it for room service too or do we need to bring cash for that? Thanks A Heap!

August 21, 2015 at 4:02 pm

Melanie- Your nightly dining is listed on your room key and will be noted in your paperwork on board, too. For dinner, we like to be clean and put together…polo shirts for the boys and a sundress/skirt/pants and blouse for the girls. Nothing too fancy. There is a formal night on board that is totally optional, but could be fun if you don’t get to dress up often. There’s also a pirate night and they provide themed bandanas, but some people go all out with costumes! There are suggested tip amounts on the cruise website or you can call to check with them, but it is at your discretion. If you do not pre-pay, they will leave a slip in your stateroom near the end of the cruise with the suggested amounts and you can designate how much will be left to each person. Cash can be put directly into the envelope OR you can charge it to your credit card at guest services (if I remember correctly).

Room service tipping is totally up to you and you can use cash for that. Typically, people tip $1-$2 per person dining in the room. Again, it at your discretion.

August 22, 2015 at 4:51 pm

Just a quick update after our Wonder cruise. The first and second nights were a nightmare dealing with the allergy issue. It took forever to get food for our poor little guy who wanted to eat! (We had early seating by the way) We got wrong information the first night so the second was actually worse. One meltdown and the involvement of the head server later and we had food arriving. Every night after that he ordered the same meal: salad, chicken noodle soup and a steak with baked potato. The salad and soup were both already on the table when we arrived and the entree soon after. This was fabulous for him, but he was finished with his meal while we just finishing our appetizer! We received excellent service from Geoffry, the head server, from that point on, but it seemed to put off our server a little bit for the rest of the cruise. Really, the meals were hit and miss. Two great ones, two bad ones and two just okay.

February 2, 2016 at 10:40 pm

Hello, I noticed this post is from quite a while ago so I’m not sure how much of this information is out of date. We are taking our first Disney cruise on the magic at the end of the month. Someone mentioned they bring a flask to dinner. Does anyone know how much alcohol you are allowed to carry on board the ship? I read something about six beers but I’m wondering if you could bring a bottle of hard alcohol and if there is a restriction on the size. any information would be helpful. Thx!

February 3, 2016 at 10:47 am

Kelly — From what I understand, the policy changed in 2015, and now guests are allowed to bring a maximum of 2 750 ml unopened bottles or wine, or six beers, per person. They must be carried on, and hard liquor is prohibited. For more information, I would definitely suggest giving them a call directly, as policies are always subject to change. Hope this helps, and have a great time!

April 4, 2016 at 9:31 pm

I’ve seen a number of folks on several sites fret about second/late seating. We had that same concern on our first cruise when our son was four. What we found out on that cruise where we couldn’t switch to early dinning actually led us to want second seating when we cruised with Disney again two years later when he was 6 and our next cruise coming up when he s now 10. What we found was this. We could hold over until later with a free snack from any number of places on deck or room service. Also Late afternoon all the early dining folks left the very crowded pools to get ready for dinner and we often had them nearly to our selves around 4pm. Shore excursion days you weren’t s rushed to get back in time for dinner either. With late dinning you hit the earlier show time.p first. Kiddos are still awake for the show and then take them to eat and then to bed. I think if mine sat through dinner first, trying to go sit in a show next might be a challenge. At dinner both cruises the asst server was always coming by kneeling down next to and entertaining and distracting my son with something. Most relaxing dinner not having to say his name and stop that or sit down 30 times a minute. They also have the option of getting the their dinner quick on late dinning and then child care person takes them to the kids club until you finish,as leisurely as you like.

June 2, 2017 at 1:52 pm

14 plus cruises under my belt – another coming up in Oct 2017. My favorite is the Dream! I have asked for and assigned the best of the Disney Fleet wait staff – ask for Jose Castablanco Sanchez from Columbia. Top notch! When ‘Mango Soup’ is on the menu……ask it be served in a water glass – you’ll enjoy it way better!!!! Complaints? Not a one!!

February 20, 2018 at 10:45 pm

You may order any item off the menu from any restaurant. The Navigator has the menus for the day. Your server has to do some running, so tip well! And may be smart to give him yhe heads up the day before. On the Wonder, they had 3 restaurants. Like the dinner from the fist day request it again. The chef is making it fresh for the people in that restaurant. After the 3 days, the menu changes and will not be available. I had the crunchy walnut chocolate mousse 4xs. So yummy.

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The Best First Time Disney Cruise Tips

Embarking on your first Disney Cruise? Here are our BEST Disney Cruise Tips for Total Beginners. Much like any Disney Vacation, the more you know before you go, the better. This list will help you navigate dining, boarding, activities, money, ports, and more. Here are some Disney Cruise tips to know before you go!

This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission for purchases made at no cost to you, see our disclosures.

Disney Cruises have become some of our favorite types of vacations. Every Disney cruise we’ve taken has been nothing short of magical! But there is a bit of a learning curve for first time Disney cruisers, especially if you’ve never cruised at all before this! We’re sharing some of our favorite tips for beginners on Disney Cruise Line. We have been lucky enough to have sailed on all five Disney Cruise ships. So we hope this post helps you feel more prepared for your next Disney cruise. 

• 1 Tips For Planning for a Disney Cruise
• 2 Tips for Choosing a Stateroom on a Disney Cruise
• 3 Tips for once you’re onboard a Disney Cruise 
• 4 Tips to Save Money on a Disney Cruise
• 5 Tips For Tipping on a Disney Cruise
• 6 Tips For Internet on a Disney Cruise
• 7 Tips for Dining on a Disney Cruise
• 8 Tips for Excursions on a Disney Cruise
• 9 Tips for Kids Clubs on a Disney Cruise
• 10 Tips for Adults on a Disney Cruise
• 11 Tips for Meeting Characters on a Disney Cruise
• 12 Tips for Packing for a Disney Cruise

Tips For Planning for a Disney Cruise

Here are a few basic Disney Cruise Line tips to help you navigate the waters of being prepared for your cruise!

Book your Disney Cruise through a Travel Planner

Booking through a travel agent is one of the easiest ways to make the trip planning process go smoothly. They can help you choose an itinerary, choose a stateroom, help you prepare for your trip, offer tips and suggestions and best of all, travel agents are free to use! They will also monitor the price of your cruise so that you get the best deal possible. And many travel agents offer extra perks like onboard credit .  There’s really not a lot of reason not to use a travel agent, even if you’re someone who prefers to do most of the planning yourself. You’re paying for a travel agent with your cruise fare whether or not you actually use one. So you might as well take advatage of their services. 

What is the best length of trip for a Disney Cruise?

This will depend a lot on what kind of vacation you’re looking for. But in general, we recommend not planning any less than a 4-night cruise. The reason for this is that generally, a 3-night cruise does not allow for any days at sea. Part of what you’re paying for on a Disney Cruise is to enjoy the ship and on the 3-night cruises, you just don’t get much opportunity to do that.  We love the longer cruises and always opt for those if it’s possible. But for a first timer we think no less than a 4-night cruise is a great place to start. 

Check-in for your Disney Cruise 30 days before 

Check-in for your Disney Cruise starts as early as 40 days before the start of your cruise. This is depend solely on your Castaway Club status . Pearl and Concierge can check in 40 days beforehand. Platinum at 38 days. Gold at 35 days. Silver at 33 days. And first time sailors at 30 days.  If you’re hoping to get an early Port Arrival Time, you’ll want to check in as soon as that window opens, which is 12am EST. You can learn all about the check in process on Disney Cruise Line here .  

Choose the best Port Arrival Time for YOU

When you check-in online you choose a Check-In time. This is not your boarding time, but rather the time you can arrive at the cruise terminal and begin the check-in process.  We like to choose an earlier time if possible, so that we can grab lunch onboard, and explore the ship before it gets too crowded. Many cruisers even go straight to the pool right away! Which why we recommend bringing your swim gear in your Disney Cruise carry on .  However, keep in mind, the best port arrival time is the one you can actually stick to. If you arrive too early, they’ll turn you away and you’ll just cause more congestion at the terminal. If you show up late, you may have to wait until even later to board. 

Choose the best port arrival time for, and your check in at the terminal will go smoothly. 

If you’re taking the Disney Cruise Line bus from a Walt Disney World Resort or airport , you can just choose the earliest time you see available.  When you arrive at port with the Disney Cruise Line bus is when they allow you to start checking in. So you’re not held to the same time restrictions as those arriving by other means. 

The Boarding Process on Disney Cruise Line

The Boarding Process is one of those things that you worry about way too much, and then when the time arrives, you realize it was actually really easy.  Be sure to have your cruise documents ready when you arrive so checking in at the port goes smoothly. The boarding process will vary slightly from port to port, but here is the general idea of how you can expect it to go. 

Updated Boarding Process at Port Canaveral for 2023

Boarding at Port Canaveral is currently slightly a bit different. When you arrive, you’ll be sorted into lines based on your port arrival time. Disney Bus cruisers, this doesn’t apply to you. When it’s time for you to enter the building, you’ll actually check in at the desk first. Be sure to have your cruise documents out. You’ll be given a boarding number at this point. Once you’ve been checked in, you’ll proceed through security, and then up the escalator to the terminal. Here you’ll wait until your boarding group has been called and then you can get on the ship!

You also no longer get your Key to the World card prior to boarding. These are left at your stateroom door and you can pick them up when you get on the ship. 

Boarding Process Steps (Pre-pandemic- will vary slightly to 2023)

• Arrive at the cruise terminal
• Leave checked luggage(with the proper luggage tags for your cruise ship attached) with a porter.
• Then, you’ll be directed to a security checkpoint.
• After you’ve gone through security, which is very similar to airport-style security, you’ll again be directed to the appropriate line for Check-In!
• At this point, you will need passports (or whatever type of travel I.D. your cruise destination requires) as well as your cruise documents. P.S. The mysterious cruise documents will be different based on your situation and cruise choice. You will have received your Disney cruise line pamphlet in the mail, and believe it or not, if you open that baby up— it’s got a list of the documents you will need! All we needed was our passports and signed documents from the My Disney Cruise Line site. The documents mostly state we understand the charging privileges and the hazardous materials rules.
• Then it’s photo time. You don’t have to have your photo taken, but you can if you want. 
• You’re then given your Key to the World card and a boarding number.
• Wait for your number to be called

And you’re done!

Know what Cruise Documents You Need

Every Disney cruise will require your check in form as part of your Disney Cruise documents. This can be printed off once you’ve checked in, or you can just show the QR code on your phone at port.  In addition to this, know what forms of identification you’ll need. Most closed loop US cruises (meaning they begin and end at the same port in the US) only require a government issued birth certificate and photo ID. You’ll receive information regarding what types of identification you’ll need from Disney Cruise Line, but this information is also available on the Disney Cruise Line website.

However, it’s extremely important to understand why you might want to bring a passport instead. A Passport is generally going to be safer and make check in easier. But also, in the rare case of an emergency, if you needed to be transported back to the US via air transport, a passport would be required to enter the country. Birth certificates and enhanced driver’s licenses are only accepted at land and sea crossings. We recommend you read all about what documentation you need for a cruise here so you can make the best decision.  We personally always take our passports on our cruises just to be safe!

Download the Disney Cruise Line Navigator App

This is a must do and we highly recommend downloading the Disney Cruise app before setting sail. At home, you can manage your reservations, book port adventures, see your itinerary and more.  And there’s a super cute countdown on the app that can help get you in the Disney mood. 

Once you’ve set sail, the Disney Cruise Line app is the only thing that can be used on the ship’s Wi-Fi for free. Well, kind of. iMessage also tends to work on the ship’s Wi-fi but it’s spotty.  Disney Cruise Line has recently gotten rid of paper navigators and now requires the use of the app to access the daily schedule.

The Disney Cruise Line app has tons of useful information. And you’ll likely use it most of your trip. Things like your dining rotation, activities and even the drink of the day are listed here. We recommend taking a look the day before or in the morning to see what your day will look like. You can favorite activities, keep track of planned onboard fun and port adventure times, and find out when characters will be available. 

Tips for Choosing a Stateroom on a Disney Cruise

Choosing a stateroom on a Disney Cruise can be a tough decision. We always recommend looking online for room reviews, photos, videos or anything you can find. Not all rooms are made alike! We have an entire post about how to choose a stateroom, because there’s a lot that goes into it. If you’re working with a travel agent for your Disney Cruise , they can help you find the best room based on your preferences and budget. 

Other things to consider are which floor you want to be on, which side of the ship you want to be on and what things you want to be near, or away from. 

Is a porthole or verandah room worth the extra cost on a Disney Cruise?

Wondering how to Choose a Stateroom on a Disney Cruise ? There’s a lot that determines which kinds of Disney Cruise stateroom is best. But depending on your itinerary, length of cruise and just personal preference, it definitely could be!

This is actually a pretty highly debated topic in Disney Cruise Line Facebook groups. Should you spend the extra money for that porthole? Or even the verandah? This is a very personal preference and will really depend on how you vacation. We personally love going back to our stateroom to recharge, so for us, having that beautiful ocean view out of a porthole in the comfort of our room was really priceless.

If you don’t plan to spend any time in your room, we would recommend saving the extra money and option for an inside stateroom or porthole. Obviously, some people need a window (me) and others need quick access to fresh air. So both of these things can be a deciding factor in your choice. We’ve stayed in both a verandah room and a porthole and don’t regret the cost of either. That being said, I don’t think I’d personally spend the extra money on a verandah for a shorter cruise, but again, it’s a personal preference!

Tips for once you’re onboard a Disney Cruise 

You’re onboard the ship, hooray! Here are a few Disney Cruise tips to help you once onboard.

Attending the Safety Assembly on a Disney Cruise ship

The only thing you HAVE TO DO on a Disney Cruise is attend the safety assembly. If you do nothing else, you must go to the safety assembly on the first day. It will be on your navigator and is usually around 4 p.m. If you don’t go, they will come find you. This is serious business and the only thing you absolutely have to do while onboard. You don’t have to disembark at the port, you don’t have to go to dinner, you don’t have to go to the shows or participate in any of the activities, but you do have to go to the assembly. It is mandatory.

Make sure to see the shows onboard the Disney Cruises

Even if you choose to do nothing all day but lay by the pool and relax, you need to take the hour out of your evening and attend the live shows. They are incredible and so fun. We have been to Broadway and seen shows there, so we can honestly tell you that the talent, costumes, and stage sets are all right up there with the best of them.

We were lucky enough to see Frozen in its inaugural year on the Disney Wonder. And if you think you’ve seen Frozen or heard the song Let it Go too many times, you’re wrong. This show blew my mind! We also had the pleasure of seeing a new Beauty and the Beast show on the Disney Dream and it was one of the most fantastic shows we’ve ever seen. We only met a few other people who chose not to go to the shows, and they regretted not going. If you find after going one night that it’s not for you, that’s fine! But give it a try. You probably won’t regret it. 

And get there early! We recommend about 30 mins early if you want a good seat as seats do fill up quickly, especially on the smaller ships.

Explore the Ship or Take a Ship Tour

If you’ve never sailed on a cruise before, some of the lingo can be difficult to get used to. What the heck is starboard? Where is the Aft? There are maps all over the Disney Cruise ships, learn them. Disney does offer walking tours of the boat on the first day to help you get acquainted with your ship. Or you can do this on your own! We highly recommend this little walkabout. Sure, it may cut in a little to your first day on the boat, but it will keep you from getting lost later.

On our Very Merrytime Cruise long ago , we found out that the Disney Dream has a fun Mid-ship Detective Agency game that helped us orient ourselves to the boat and have a blast at the same time.  This game is only available on the Disney Dream and the Disney Fantasy ; but we highly recommend taking time to play them if you have the chance!

Know when the Onboard Shopping is available

Forget your swimsuit, sandals, or sunscreen and want to buy it on board? Or maybe you saw the cutest sun hat that you’d love to wear at Castaway Cay in the shops on the cruise ship. It’s important to know when the shops are open for business so you can plan accordingly, especially if you’re buying something you need. As a general rule, the shops will be open at sea, and closed when at ports. Specific gift shop hours can be found in the Disney Cruise Line App and at the individual shops.

This is especially important for those taking a 3-night cruise.  The 3-night cruises go FAST, like really fast, and the shops are only open for a short time during the entire itinerary since they’re closed at port. So, if you’re hoping for some souvenirs, we recommend learning when the shops will be open, and plan to wait in line. 

Make time to relax on your Disney Cruise 

Make time to relax! There is so much to see and do on a Disney Cruise ship, but there are also so many opportunities to take a little break from doing anything at all. On our last cruise on the Disney Wish, we spent about 45 minutes at the very front of the ship just enjoying the view. You can only do this on the Disney Wish , and honestly, it’s pretty cool! 

Understand how Rotational Dining Works

Disney Cruise Line uses a unique strategy for dining called rotational dining. Each night you’ll rotate to one of the three main restaurants onboard, and your servers rotate with you. This gives everyone the chance to experience every restaurant, and your servers will get to know you. They’ll get to know what you like and what you don’t like, and they really make the Disney Difference on these ships. You can read all about Rotational Dining Here . 

Start Early to Beat the Crowds

Plan to be early everywhere. Arrive early for the shows. And early for Pool Time. Or early for Trivia. If you guys follow any of our tips regarding beating the crowds at Walt Disney World , you know we ALWAYS recommend getting an early start. There’s good reason we never stop saying this. Because it actually works for just about every situation. Disney Cruises are no different. The main pool area, which is also where you can grab unlimited soft serve, quick-serve meals and watch movies all day, gets very busy especially on Sea Days. If you’re trying to avoid the crowds, get there before 11 am. This will ensure that you can grab a seat and enjoy the ambiance. Or just relax for a few moments before the crowds really start arriving. The pool area is busiest from 11 am-3 pm most of the time, and it can get pretty packed. 

Alternatively, if you are traveling sans children or your kids are in the kids clubs, the adult-only area is usually pretty calm and serene. So hopping over to that side is a great way to give yourself a break from the crowds.

The only exception to this is meals. You don’t really need to arrive early unless you want to. The doors don’t open until just a couple minutes before dinner has started, so if you arrive early, you’ll likely just be waiting around with everyone else. This is one scenario when arriving right on time will make you wait the least. 

Decorate your Cruise Ship Door

You can make door decorations to spruce up your door. We always make our door decorations and love coming up with different ideas and themes. Or if you’re not as crafty, or just don’t have time, there are plenty to be found on Etsy.  Many other people bring magnets, garland and other decorations. It’s an easy way to add a little extra magic to your cruise! And helps you find your door too.  The hallways are long and seem never-ending and the door magnets will help you find your way!

Watch the Cruise Ship Morning Show

Every morning, the cruise director and activities director will air a 15 minute-ish show on your cruise TV from 6 am-noon. This little show gives you all the info of everything that is happening onboard that day. Our cruise director was hilarious and we absolutely loved this show as something to watch while we were getting ready. 

Be Prepared for Sea Sickness on a Disney Cruise 

Let me tell you a little story called “I don’t get seasick”. Once upon a time, there were two sisters who thought they didn’t suffer from what some people call seasickness. They happily enjoyed their Disney Cruise for three whole days feeling fantastic. On the fourth night, however, their cruise ship was cruising at 21 knots to get back to Port Canaveral on time the next day and suddenly they began to feel much less than fantastic and had to lie down. They even missed a meal and ordered room service because they just couldn’t walk around the boat anymore feeling queasy. Luckily they had brought Sea Bands and were feeling better after a while. But it was a close call.

We had an itinerary that was pretty tight and had to make it back to port at a certain time. So, we had to go full speed ahead on our last night and it left the ride pretty bumpy. We had brought Sea Bands as a “just in case” and were so glad we did. You can also bring Dramamine or any other motion sickness OTC if you prefer that route. Sea-Bands are even great for kids, so grab some just in case.  Check out what to buy before your Disney Cruise so you can go prepared. 

Attend Pirate Night on your Disney Cruise

If traveling in the Caribbean you will have the chance to take part in Pirate Night. Pirate Night is one of our favorite activities on a Disney Cruise! Dress up as little or as much you want but either way Pirate Night is lots of fun. They have a special Pirates of the Caribbean menu for dinner too. Plus, you can get special Pirate themed treats later at night. Play Pirate games and attend a Pirate dance party. The famous fireworks usually happen at 10:30 pm over the water which are just amazing! Disney Cruise Line is the only cruise line that is currently allowed to shoot fireworks at sea, so don’t miss it. It’s a lot of fun. So just trust us and go. 

If you’re sailing on any Disney Cruise ship except the Disney Wish, there is a late-night pirates buffet at Cabanas.  We are hoping that Marceline Market will later have this available on the Disney Wish too!

Get to know your Waitstaff and Room Host

Your waitstaff and room host/hostess will be with you throughout your entire trip. Even though you will not be in the same restaurant the whole time, your servers are scheduled on the same rotation as you are. So basically, you will see them every day. Unless you skip dinner of course. Get to know them; they are invaluable resources for excursion recommendations, newbie questions, best places to see the fireworks from the boat, best things to do at the port, etc. They’re extremely interesting people and love to interact. We learned so much from the friendly staff on board that it really is the equivalent of having your own tour guide. They’ll be excited to share their experiences and thrilled to hear yours. Many of them are from all over the world so take the time to get to know them, you’ll be glad you did.

Tips to Save Money on a Disney Cruise

Cruising with Disney on a budget ?  Here are a few things to know that can help you avoid sticker shock at the end of your cruise. 

Know What’s Included in your Disney Cruise Line Vacation

A Disney Cruise is generally all inclusive!   But that doesn’t mean that it includes everything. There are some things completely excluded. Knowing this ahead of time will save you a lot of time and heartache later. All of your meals, soft drinks from the drink station, hot cocoa, tea and coffee from the drink station, soft-serve ice cream from Eye Scream, kids clubs, and main evening entertainment are included. 

What’s not included on a Disney Cruise 

Most of your everyday items and services are included on a Disney Cruise vacation. However, there are some things that aren’t. Things like alcoholic drinks, specialty coffee drinks, teas, and smoothies are all available for an extra cost. If you decide to eat at Palo or Remy, fine dining experiences are not included, so if you plan to indulge in either (or both!) of those, plan for an additional cost. Here you can find a full list of everything that’s not included on a Disney Cruise .

  Port Excursions you want to participate in at your port of call or Castaway Cay (like snorkeling) are also extra. Spa services and gratuities are also not included. Room service is included, but the gratuities for it are not.  Most activities are included, however, occasionally there are some that are not. Things like alcohol tastings generally will cost you more and are anywhere from $25 per person to $55 per person. The Royal tea for little ones is also an additional cost.  Movie theater snacks like popcorn cost extra as well, though you’re also welcome to bring your own snacks in.  Wifi is also not free.

The Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy and Disney Wish all have sweet shoppes that include items at additional cost. Onboard the Disney Fantasy, you can find specialty items at Sweet on You. And onboard the Disney Dream, Vanellope’s is home to gelato, cupcakes, cookies and more. 

Now, don’t get us wrong, we love to treat ourselves on vacation. But if you’re trying to keep your spending in check onboard your Disney Cruise, you can easily avoid many of these charges by replacing them with the free options instead. 

Bring your own Snacks to the Movie Theater and Stage Shows

If you’re planning to attend the nightly stage shows(which, yes, you are) or if you’re going to the movie theater, don’t feel obligated to purchase snacks at the concession stand. These are not free unless you’re sailing concierge. And you can actually bring your own snacks into the theater! Another fun tip about the concession stand onboard Disney Cruise ships …. you can get many of those coveted popcorn buckets onboard! They’re usually cheaper on a Cruise than inside the Disney Parks. Which is a great bonus and you do get refills for less too! And if you want to save even more on popcorn, you can actually bring your own Disney Parks popcorn bucket to get inexpensive refills as well!

You can bring alcohol on a Disney Cruise

Disney Cruise Line actually allow guests 21 years and older to bring their own wine, champagne and beer on board. If you are planning to drink while on your Disney Cruise vacation, but want to stick to a budget, we recommend bringing some of your own alcohol. While the drinks on the cruise ship are delicious, they are expensive and can add up quickly. Alcohol must be brought in carry-on luggage and wine and champagne come with an extra corking fee. There are limits to this of course.  For Disney Cruise Line’s full alcohol policy, click here.

Bring your own bottled water on a Disney Cruise 

You can also bring your own bottled water onboard a Disney Cruise. This can save you a lot of money if you prefer bottled water, because the bottled water onboard is a bit expensive.  You can bring one case of bottled water and it must be sealed and in the original packaging.  You can find more information about bringing bottled water on your Disney Cruise here . Alternatively, you can also just bring a water bottle and refill it at the drink stations for free. 

You can also purchase bottled water onboard.  But know the case of bottled water on board can be expensive so if you choose to go that route, be sure to budget it in. You can also order this for your stateroom ahead of time via the Disney Cruise Line website. 

Bring a Water Bottle

As we mentioned previously, you are allowed to bring your own bottled water onboard. You can also just bring a water bottle. Drink stations are open on the top deck 24/7, so you can fill up your water bottle pretty much any time. 

Book your Next cruise BEFORE you disembark

If you LOVED your Disney Cruise and want to start planning another, the best time to book is while you’re still on the boat! This is one of our best ways to get a Disney Cruise on a Budget. Disney Cruise Line offers a discounted deposit, a percentage off your next cruise and on rare occasions, a stateroom credit on your next booking. This is very easy to do! All you have to do is go into your Disney Cruise line app, and there will be a button that says “save 10% on your next cruise”. Click that, and make your deposit. Once you’ve done this, you’ll receive an email stating that you have booked a placeholder. 

After you’ve received that email, you can either forward the info to your Disney Travel agent , so that they can take care of the reservation for you; or you can call into Disney Cruise Line yourself when you’re ready to choose your specific itinerary for the discounted cruise. 

Tips For Tipping on a Disney Cruise

Tipping on a Disney Cruise is always a bit elusive! Especially since you have so many people helping you. Your waitstaff alone consists of at least three people. 

How do you tip on a Disney Cruise?

Seriously, this may be the most important tip on this list! Or at least the one that will save your eyes from bleeding when you see your post-cruise final bill. As far as gratuities are concerned, Disney Cruise Line automatically figures a tip amount for your head server, assistant server, server, and room host/hostess.  Typically the gratuities are $14.50 dollars per person, per night. So, if you know how many nights you’re sailing, and how many people you’re bringing, you can do the math and add it to your Disney Cruise Budget .  You can find the current gratuities for Disney Cruise Line here . 

As a courtesy, Disney Cruise Line will charge the default amount to your account at the end of the trip for all these servers. You can choose to change your default tip amount at the concierge desk onboard. You can add more or less, it’s up to you. So if you feel a specific server or host deserved a different tip than the automatic amount, just be sure to settle it with guest services before you disembark.

Gratuities for other services on Disney Cruise Line

For all other gratuities, like for spa services and some of the specialty drink locations, even on Castaway Cay (if you’re going there) the tip will be built in. It will show you on the receipt and is usually calculated at 18%. Again, if you want to tip higher, just add in the amount you want to tip, otherwise, it is already figured for you.  You can add additional gratuity to these charges; but you don’t have to. 

Is cash accepted onboard a Disney Cruise?

Nope! The most accepted form of payment is your Key to the World card. That said, you use your Key to the World card just like you would a magic band at Disney Parks. Your credit card is attached to it. You can choose to settle your account with cash but this is done at Guest Services at the end of your trip. You can also settle your onboard account with Disney Gift cards, but again you just have to do this at guest services. Or they will charge the card on file. Everything charged during your stay will be a part of this bill. Because of this we highly recommend that you have your Key to the World card on you at all times.

Tips For Internet on a Disney Cruise

You’re on a Disney Cruise, you don’t need the internet right?! As much as we believe in the power of unplugging, we know it’s not always possible.  Unlike some other cruise lines, Disney WiFi is not free and is not included with your cruise fare. Here are a few tips on using the internet onboard your Disney Cruise. 

The Wi-Fi on a Disney Cruise Can Be Expensive

Wifi has recently changed on Disney Cruise ships, and it’s a little better than it once was. Prices range from $12 per day-$36 per day. We found that anything less than the Basic Plan at $24 per day, was kind of useless.  But that is just our experience!

The Wi-Fi on a Disney Cruise can be pretty bad

We learned this the hard way when we got stuck at sea during hurricane season on the Disney Wish .  We had no intention of purchasing WiFi, but since we do most of our work online, when we saw that we would have an additional 2 days at sea, we realized quickly that we needed Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, everyone else realized this at the same time. And the WiFi was quite difficult to get working properly. 

Get an international data pan for WiFi onboard the Disney Cruise ships

Do you really need Wi-Fi? Maybe check with your phone provider for international packages that could be cheaper. Verizon currently offers Travel Pass, which is an add-on that will allow you to use your phone abroad for $10/day on your current plan. So if you normally have 4 GB/month, you can use Travel Pass just as you would at home and it will just deduct that from your regular monthly data allowance. Another option is renting or buying Skyroam. Skyroam is a hotspot that will tap into another country’s Wi-Fi without racking up those international fees on your phone bill. The biggest issue with Skyroam and other alternative options is that it will not work at sea, only once you are in port, so keep that in mind if you choose to go that route.

Some of the larger cell service carriers offer Cellular at Sea. This allows you to use your cell phone data while at sea. So if you really need internet, it’s a good option to look into. 

Tips for Dining on a Disney Cruise

Looking forward to eating on your Disney Cruise? Here are a few tips for dining on a Disney Cruise. 

Every Restaurant on a Disney Cruise is all you care to enjoy

It’s not really advertised as all you can eat, but it basically is! Disney Cruises are known for their food.  And they always have a great selection. So maybe you want to try two appetizers? Or maybe all of the desserts? Go ahead! You can order everything on the menu if that’s what your heart desires. And no, it won’t cost you extra. 

How does dining work on a Disney Cruise?

On a Disney Cruise, your dinner rotation is set. It’s called Rotational Dining and will be the dining schedule you have your entire cruise. You can find this information in your Disney Cruise line app.  This lets you know which restaurant you will be in on which nights. On your cruise itinerary online it will show if you have the first seating or second seating. The first seating is at 5:30 and the second at 8:15. You can request to change this if you choose to. They can’t always accommodate requests for changes, but it never hurts to ask. Sometimes there is an option to change this ahead of time. And sometimes, you have to wait to get onboard. As always if you have any questions about your dining rotation, just ask Guest Services.

What is Rotational Dining on Disney Cruise Line?

Rotational dining is a system that is unique to Disney Cruise Line. Each night you are assigned to one of the three main dining rooms. And each night when you switch dining rooms, your waitstaff rotates with you. It gives them an opportunity to get to know you and what you like; and you get to know them! You can read all about rotational dining onboard a Disney Cruise ship here . 

What restaurants serve breakfast and lunch on a Disney Cruise? 

This will vary from ship to ship, and even between itineraries. But every ship that has a Cabanas onboard will serve breakfast and lunch at Cabanas. These meals will be buffet style.  Usually, two other restaurants onboard will serve breakfast and lunch as well so that you have options. However, during the phased reopening of Disney Cruise Line, this is not always the case. On our most recent cruise, they actually only had one restaurant other than Cabanas available for these meals. The ship was sailing at a lower capacity, so it wasn’t really an issue, but good to note. You can find out who’s serving what meals in your Disney Cruise App. 

You May be Sitting With Strangers at Dinner

Eating with strangers may or may not appeal to you. As a first-time cruiser though it totally took us by surprise! There is a chance that if this is your honeymoon cruise or you’re celebrating a special occasion, you may be seated alone. You will need to let Disney Cruise Line know ahead of time though if you want that option. This seating layout is part of the Disney Cruise Rotational Dining Schedule.  

Since we were a party of three traveling together we were paired with another party of three. When just my daughter and I traveled, we were actually seated with two other families. While it’s not a big deal and we’re happy to make new friends, it just took us by surprise. We’ve eaten at Biergarten in Epcot before, so the idea of eating with strangers is not totally new. But we’re giving you this heads up so you don’t have an awkward first meeting. As a side note, if you are paired up with another family for dinner seating, you will be with them for the entire duration of your Disney Cruise. So be nice, get to know them. Hakuna Matata.

If you’d prefer to dine alone, however, you can always request a private table. Disney Cruise Line does not guarantee that they will provide you with a private table, but they will accommodate you if they can.  You can do this by requesting a private table in the Disney Cruise Line app or your account on their website. You can also stop by guest services while on the cruise.

Tips for Excursions on a Disney Cruise

You’ve booked your Disney Cruise Line excursions and are ready for adventure! Here are a few tips for navigating your Disney Cruise Line excursions with ease. 

Disembarking the Ship

Each day that your cruise visits a port of call, you will be given instructions on when and where you can disembark. Whether or not you’ve booked your excursions through Disney or a third party, you’ll need to know how to access the gangway to get off the ship and what time you can do so.  If you booked through Disney Cruise Line, you can find all of the information in your Disney Cruise Line app.  Know what documents you’ll need to get on and off the ship. Usually, your Key to the World Card is required and photo ID for those over 16. But they will make the announcement on both the morning show and over the speaker system to let you know what you should bring. 

Don’t Feel Obligated to leave the Cruise ship at your Port of Call

Honestly, we actually struggled with this concept. Your goal for a cruise is to sail somewhere, right? Not necessarily! It could be that your goal is just to sail. In fact, after getting back on the boat early for our Disney Nassau Cruise, we were amazed to see how many people never actually left the ship! And we’re living it up with the ice cream and movies. It’s your trip and you get to choose how to spend it. 

We love supporting the local economy when we cruise. But we also know that not every port is right for every person. So there may be a location on your itinerary that just doesn’t suit you and that’s ok. 

Tips for Kids Clubs on a Disney Cruise

One of the best parts of a Disney Cruise Vacation is the kids’ clubs! These clubs are incredible. And even if you think your child may not be interested in the, we highly recommend visiting on the first day for Open House. Even the shyest of children may change their minds when they see how cool these spaces are.

Even if you don’t have kids, you can check out the Open House. The Kids Club Spaces tend to be some of the best on the entire ship. This is especially true for the Disney Wish. 

It’s A Small World Nursery is for ages 6 mos-3 years and reservations are required. It’s also the only kids club that isn’t free, and it’s actually more of a babysitting service. The Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab are for those 3-12, and in my opinion, are the best kids’ clubs of all! Edge is for tweens, ages 11-14. Vibe is for teens 14-17, and The Hideaway, or 1820 Society is for cruisers between 18-20.  You can find the hours and activities for each kids’ club on the Disney Navigator app. 

Tips for Adults on a Disney Cruise

If you’re an adult without children, you may be wondering if a Disney Cruise is right for you. Of course it is! You’re never too old for something you love. So if you love Disney and want to explore the world of cruising, then a Disney Cruise is for you. They have plenty of adult-only spaces and activities along with the Disney magic you love. 

Disney Cruises Are Great for an Adults Only Trip

We always see many Adult only groups on our Disney Cruises. Whether you’re a childless couple that loves Disney, or want to plan a girls trip, or are just a single person who wants to travel solo, Disney Cruises are for everyone. There are so many things to do for Adults on a Disney Cruise just out to have some fun! You can visit the adult-only pool, bars, clubs, the spa, Serenity Beach if you port at Castaway Cay and of course the famous Palo or Remy adults-only restaurants.

The Disney Cruise Adult Deck

Even if you brought the kids, you still may want to head over to the adult only areas at one point. They’re just a little quieter, and may give you a much-needed escape. If you are traveling with children you can still have some fun too because the kids clubs are amazing and will give you a well-deserved break if needed. The Kids Clubs are separated by age group and staffed by a cast member, usually with crafts and games on hand. So feel free to just drop the kiddies off. 

Tips for Meeting Characters on a Disney Cruise

There are so many fun characters to meet on a Disney Cruise! They don’t always announce who will be out, but they do mention when and where characters will be out. Just look at the daily navigator in your Disney Cruise app and it’ll show you what time a character is meeting, and where. Then you can see for yourself if you want to stand in line to meet them! 

There are also a ton of free roaming characters onboard a Disney Cruise, so just keep your eyes peeled! We’ve had some of the most fun character interactions with free roaming characters. 

Disney Cruise line has a pretty cool meet and greet called the Royal Gathering. During the Royal Gathering, you can meet various princesses all at once. We’ve gotten to to meet Cinderella, Ariel, Tiana. Moana, Rapunzel and Belle all in one location.  But you need to make sure you get tickets. These are FREE and can be booked ahead of time through your Disney Cruise Line Itinerary. Booking opens up at 12am EST, and tickets often go fast.  If you decide at the last minute that you want to meet them, you can always check with Guest Services to see if there are any available. There is a cast member in charge of just checking your Disney Cruise Line Navigator, so be ready to show that when entering the Gathering. 

Tips for Packing for a Disney Cruise

Packing for a Disney Cruise is a little different than most other vacations. Not only do you need to know what to bring in your Disney Cruise carry-on for the first day ; but you also need to pack several different types of clothing for different occasions. 

Pack Layers for a Disney Cruise in Any Weather

Even on some of your warmest cruises, remember you are on the ocean. It can get very breezy at night, causing you to wish you had brought that extra sweater or jacket. We have found that mostly during the day, we could do tees and shorts but at night needed a little something extra. Check out what to pack for a cold-weather cruise.

What to Pack for a Disney Cruise Vacation

Not sure what to pack for your Disney Cruise Vacation? We have an entire post dedicated to packing for a Disney Cruise , along with a free printable . 

We hope these Disney Cruise tips have been helpful. And have helped you get excited about your next adventure with Disney Cruise Line. Have a magical cruise and Bon Voyage!

Melanie Renee

Melanie Renee is a photographer, writer, designer and mom. Visiting Disney destinations since 2010, she is also an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. When she's not creating her next coffee recipe, or designing apparel at Polka Dot Pixie Shop, she's seeking beautiful sunsets and planning her next trip .

• Melanie Renee https://www.polkadotsandpixiedust.com/author/melanniee/ 11-night Disney Cruise to Northern Europe on the Disney Dream
• Melanie Renee https://www.polkadotsandpixiedust.com/author/melanniee/ Meridian Lounge on Disney Cruise Line
• Melanie Renee https://www.polkadotsandpixiedust.com/author/melanniee/ Disney Yacht Club vs Beach Club - what's the difference?
• Melanie Renee https://www.polkadotsandpixiedust.com/author/melanniee/ Dahlia Lounge at Coronado Springs

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Disney Cruise Advice: Tips & Tricks Onboard the Ship

LAST UPDATE: 2/14/24

On this page we have collected some useful Disney Cruise advice, tips, and tricks that can help you save time and have more fun while you are on a Disney Cruise. Read the advice below and you’ll have a much better idea what to expect, even if you’ve never been on a cruise before!

Thanks to Marjorie Treger and to MouseSavers.com readers Jeff Evernham and Aileen B, who contributed some great tips.

Disney Cruise Advice & Important Things to Know

Embarkation, first-day bag packing list, staterooms and what’s in them, knowing what’s going on & planning your day, oceaneer club and oceaneer lab, edge and vibe, port days/shore excursions, useful things to pack, things you don’t need to (or should not) pack, disney cruise wear, phone and internet.

• Spa: Treatments, Products & Fitness Center

Disembarkation

Additional tips & tricks, trip reports.

Other useful Disney Cruise information pages:

• For discounts and tips on saving money on the cruise itself , visit our Disney Cruise Discount page.
• For tips and tricks that will help you plan your cruise , visit the Planning Tips & Tricks for Disney Cruises page.
• For advice that will help you with excursions, tours and activities  while in port, visit the Tips & Discounts for Port Excursions page.

“Embarkation” means getting on the ship for the first time during your cruise; “disembarkation” or “debarkation” means getting off the ship at the end of your cruise.

“Port” is the left side of the ship as you face forward; “starboard” is the right side as you face forward. “Forward” is obvious; “aft” is the rear of the ship.

Cruise lines are required to ensure that every passenger knows the safety procedures and has been physically shown where they need to muster in case of emergency. A mandatory muster drill is held in the afternoon of embarkation day, usually around 4:00 pm. Everyone must attend in order to learn the location of your lifeboat station and other safety information. The drill takes 20 minutes or less and you do not have to bring your life jacket with you.

Make sure you turn off the cellular service on your phone while you’re at sea, so you don’t end up paying through the nose for “cellular at sea” service . There is a Disney Cruise Navigator app that you can use on most iPhones and Android phones without needing to pay for internet access. The Navigator app includes activity schedules and menus, and has a kind of text message feature that seems to work much better these days. We found that notifications were showing up quickly when people messaged using the app (our experience was with iPhone, we don’t know how well Android works).

“Cay” is pronounced “key” by locals – so unless you want to sound like a novice, remember this for Castaway Cay (Disney’s private island).

Disney asks you to select a P ort Arrival Time (PAT) when you do online check-in prior to your cruise. This arrival time was not rigidly enforced in the past, but lately, Disney has been enforcing people’s PATs pretty closely, especially during the early part of the boarding process. If you get to the terminal before 12:30, you will probably not be let in to the terminal until your time arrives. After 12:30 or so, Disney seems to just let people into the terminal as long as the check-in line isn’t completely full.

Bottom line: if you want to get on the ship as early as possible, definitely be ready to check in online on the morning your check-in opens! See below for when you can check in online:

• If you are staying at an official Walt Disney World resort or at Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport the night before your cruise, AND you booked that hotel as a package with the cruise, AND you are using Disney’s bus service to the port, your port arrival time is less important, and you may not even see an option to select one when you check in. From a Disney hotel, they’re going to assign you a bus, and generally you’ll just get there when you get there and the terminal staff will be ready to process and embark that whole busload of passengers. If you’re staying at the Hyatt, there will be multiple buses and you can take the first bus they’ll let you on. In either case, it’s rare to experience much wait no matter what your port arrival time is. But if you are offered the option to pick a port arrival time at checkin, pick the earliest reasonable time, just to be on the safe side. It can’t hurt, and it might save you some waiting.
• If you are staying in a concierge level stateroom or suite , you can check in and receive your port arrival time 40 days before embarkation day. That said, your shore-side concierge will likely offer to check you in on the first day you’re eligible, so effectively you can just let them handle it and they should get you the earliest arrival time (unless they know you won’t be arriving that early).
• If you are a Pearl member of the Castaway Club (25+ previous Disney cruises), you can check in and receive your port arrival time 40 days before embarkation day. 
• If you are a Platinum member of the Castaway Club (10-24 previous Disney cruises), you can check in and receive your port arrival time 38 days before embarkation day.
• If you are a Gold member of the Castaway Club (5-9 previous Disney cruises), you can check in and receive your port arrival time 35 days before embarkation day.
• If you are a Silver member of the Castaway Club (1-4 previous Disney cruises), you can check in and receive your port arrival time 33 days before embarkation day.
• If you have never before taken a Disney cruise, you can check in and receive your port arrival time 30 days before embarkation day.

When you arrive at Port Canaveral, you’ll hand off your bags to the dock workers. Tipping is theoretically optional, but it’s customary to tip them at least $1-$2 per bag, and we tend to tip on the high side for very helpful or friendly porters. Keep your carry-on/day bag with you. Get in line to go through check-in (during which time you’ll show your port arrival document several times), then get in line to go through security (you go through a metal detector and your carry-ons go through an x-ray).

The first people who will get on the ship are Group 1, which will usually be concierge level guests. Shortly after noon, announcements will be made for general boarding by group number. You’ll present your port arrival document as you board, have a family photo taken (or bypass the photo and get on the ship that much faster), and then your family will be announced as you arrive in the atrium of the ship. After that, the ship is yours!

Most people will head straight to lunch, and if you’re hungry, that’s a great idea. If you’ve brought your swimsuits in your day bag, this is a perfect time to enjoy the pool (or AquaDuck on the Dream or Fantasy and AquaMouse on the Wish), because the ship is still relatively empty and a lot of people will not have thought ahead. If you still need to make spa appointments, change your dinner rotation, sign up for shore excursions, book Palo, Remy or Enchanté, or book any specialty character meals or tea parties, now is the time to do that. You can also get your kids’ wristbands for the kids club. If it’s your first time on the ship, this is a good time to get a map and wander around familiarizing yourself with everything.

If you are a concierge level guest, there is a special concierge embarkation lunch, or you can go to the concierge lounge, where you can relax and enjoy a snack. You’ll be personally assisted with any bookings or changes you’d like to make (dining rotations, spa appointments, etc.)

At about 1:30-2:00, your room should be ready. Your bags will be delivered at some point in the afternoon (up until about 6:00 pm).

On the embarkation day, you won’t get access to your room until 1:30-2:00 pm, and you may not get all of your luggage until 6:00 pm (or occasionally even later), so its recommended you carry a bag that contains everything you’ll need between boarding the ship and dinner. If you want to swim or ride the AquaDuck or AquaMouse, for example, you will need all your swim stuff.

Here’s our checklist for packing our day bag. Some people like to use a rolling carry-on, but we prefer a small duffel. It’s your call; whatever you feel comfortable lugging around for an hour or two. You can also pack a small backpack for everyone to spread out the load.

• Flip-flops or water shoes (the deck can get hot )
• Reading material, iPad, videogames or other entertainment
• Camera, if you aren’t using your phone
• Medications you might need between noon and dinnertime
• Change of clothes for dinner, if what you wear to board the ship isn’t reasonable (though it almost certainly is fine, as long as it’s not a swimsuit).

The TV in your stateroom offers limited live TV programming, but a pretty extensive selection of Disney-owned movie and TV content. There is the Disney Channel, ABC and ESPN, all owned by Disney, plus some 24-hour news channels (MSNBC & Fox) and a small selection of basic cable channels. You can watch a huge variety of Disney movies and a few other family-friendly titles “on demand” (no extra charge).

Disney no longer provides the cordless Wave Phones; if you need to contact other members of your party, you are expected to use the Disney Navigator app on your phone. If you don’t have a compatible phone or don’t want to carry your phone, you have to fall back on the tried and true “let’s meet in XXX at YYY” or put a magnetic white board on your room door to exchange messages. Note that the kids club staff will only be able to contact you via the Navigator app, so if you don’t carry it around, you can’t be informed of issues with your kids.

Fire codes prevent cruise ships from having irons in staterooms, but irons are available for your use in the laundry rooms. Speaking of laundry, you can charge the cost of self-service laundry to your room key by swiping it through the readers on the washers and dryers.

Inside staterooms have no window (except the “ secret porthole ” rooms on the Wonder and Magic that are classified as inside but have an obstructed porthole). Inside staterooms on the Dream and Fantasy ships do have the “virtual porthole” that provides some light. It can be turned off with a switch by the bed. Bear in mind that on the Wonder, Magic and Wish (or on the Dream and Fantasy with the virtual porthole turned off), inside staterooms have no external light coming in to wake you up in the morning or give you a sense of what time it is. So if you’re anxious to get up and go in the morning, make sure you set an alarm or request a wake-up call.

A portable hair dryer can be found in a bag in the bathroom or in a desk drawer (call Guest Services if you can’t find it). It must be plugged into a European (220V) outlet at the desk. If you happen to be in a stateroom that also has a built-in hair dryer in the bathroom attached to the wall, we recommend leaving it alone; they don’t work well. Use the one in the drawer.

There is no longer a paper Navigator schedule given out in your stateroom, or even available from the front desk. You can only get the activity schedule via your phone or via the TV.

You can download the Navigator app for Apple or Android devices before you arrive at the embarkation port and then, once onboard, connect to the ship’s Wi-Fi network—complimentary for app use only. Downloading the app does not enable general-purpose internet access – you have to pay extra for that. In addition to giving you the ship’s daily schedule, the app has some information that isn’t in the paper Navigator, including menus for the various restaurants and some other useful tidbits. 

The Navigator app also has the all-aboard time and the local number of the ship’s agent, who is your contact if you have an emergency or are running late and might miss the ship (or have missed the ship). It’s not a bad idea to write those things down on a separate piece of paper to carry with you when you’re in port, just in case you lose your phone or the Navigator app gets flaky. If you have an emergency and don’t have your phone or the info on paper, you can call the port and ask them who the port agent is for your ship, and then call Disney’s port agent to let them know what’s happening.

The Navigator app now has a FREE text messaging feature. The messaging feature is available on all five ships. You do not need to buy a data plan to send messages to other people in your party, assuming they also have a device that can run the app. We didn’t really use it much in previous years because there could be 20-30 minutes between sending and message and the recipient getting a notification on their phone, but on our most recent cruise everything worked fine. Also, if you get the newer internet service that you can leave on all the time (currently available on the Wish, Magic, Dream and Fantasy) it will work with iMessage, WhatsApp and other messengers, and it will work with SMS text messaging if everyone’s phone has Wi-Fi cellular enabled.

Onboard Entertainment & Activities Tips

If you’re curious to know what movies will be shown on your sailing before you get on the ship, call  Disney Cruise customer service (800) 951-3532 about two weeks before your cruise and ask.

Want to ride the AquaDuck water coaster on the Dream or Fantasy or the AquaMouse on the Wish? MouseSavers.com reader Bill V has this tip: “If you enjoy the AquaDuck during the day, find an EVENING to ride it as well! Riding it at night, with the red-and-white lights strobing around the tube at each of the supports, is a completely different experience than the daytime, not to be missed! Also, the lines are truly non-existent if you go during dinner or show times, far shorter than even the times when most passengers are ashore when the ship is docked–my daughter rode it one evening over a dozen times in less than 90 minutes, usually walking on with no line whatsoever.” (This advice would apply to the AquaMouse on the Wish as well.)

Some special activities require advance sign-up at Guest Services. For instance, “Tea with Wendy,” (or “Tea with Alice” or some other character) is sometimes offered on some 7-night cruises, but has limited seating, and on cruises near Christmas, there is a build-your-own-gingerbread house activity, but they have a limited number of kits available. Check for those activities (they’ll generally be listed in the Navigator app) and sign up as soon as you can. Certain popular character meetings are also now requiring advance sign-up, usually on the first day.

Theater snacks : the theaters where the movies and shows are presented have concession stands selling expensive goodies such as canned sodas, bagged popcorn and candy, which can be charged to your room key. If you want to keep costs down, go up on the pool deck to the self-serve beverage station and get FREE sodas (or lemonade, tea, etc.) to bring into the show with you. You can also usually get FREE cookies from one of the counter-service locations on the pool deck and bring those along (or order cookies from room service, for only the cost of a tip). Concierge level guests on the Dream and Fantasy can get snacks, including cans of soda and sometimes popcorn, from the lounge. The snack bar at the theater has a refillable popcorn bucket that can be refilled for the rest of your cruise at a much cheaper price, so if you like popcorn, it’s a good idea to get one at the beginning of the cruise. Some people have brought popcorn buckets from previous cruises or from Walt Disney World and had them refilled, though that may or may not be official policy.

Embarkation Day

Once you’re onboard on embarkation day, you can eat lunch in one of three locations (or the concierge lunch if you’re in a concierge stateroom): the buffet, the pool deck food outlets (burgers, pizza, etc.) or a dining room (on the Magic, the primary lunch dining room is Lumiere’s; on the Wonder, it’s Triton’s; on the Dream and Fantasy, it’s Enchanted Garden; on the Wish, it’s been 1923 or Arendelle). The primary dining room lunch is a la carte with a normal lunch menu similar to the menu served on sea days. It has a tendency to fill up pretty quickly, so if you want to eat there, get on the ship as early as possible. There is also a lunch just for concierge guests in a different dining room.

Note that if you head for the inside dining room, you will encounter multiple crew members who will try to herd you to the buffet, which can handle more people. Just tell them you’d prefer the interior dining room. 

Breakfast and Lunch

During the cruise, there are usually two or three breakfast and lunch locations with different hours (check the Navigator app for hours). You can choose from one or more full-service restaurants with open seating (just show up when you want during opening hours, and they’ll seat you), or eat at the buffet.

Dinner Rotations

Your dinner arrangements — meaning your restaurant rotation schedule, and whether you have the early or late seating for dinner — are assigned before you embark on the cruise. You can find your restaurant rotation by checking the “My Plans” section of the Navigator app. It will also show your table number and seating time, as well as the recommended dress code and menu. If you have trouble using the app, Guest Services or any of the dining locations can help you get that information. 

If you want to change your seating or your restaurant rotation, do that as soon as you embark. The location on the ship where changes can be made will be listed in the Navigator app, or just go to Guest Services and they can point you in the right direction.

If you go to your assigned restaurant for dinner each night, your servers will be the same for every night of your cruise. On longer cruises they’ll get to know you, and may even have your “usual” beverage waiting for you at your table. If you are served something you don’t like, tell the servers and they’ll bring you something else. And if you want to indulge, they’ll be happy to bring you two desserts (or two appetizers, or even two entrees)! In true Disney style, if you have a special event you are celebrating, make sure your servers know. You will get appropriate special treatment (usually a special dessert, and perhaps some singing).

We recommend not rushing to dinner. If you show up five minutes or so after they begin seating you’ll walk right in. If you show up early you’ll just have to wait in line! Don’t wait too long, though: in order to get everyone served in a timely manner, each server really needs to get all the orders from all their tables at once. If you come too late, it throws off their timing, necessitating multiple extra trips to the kitchen and long delays for everyone. Also, if you won’t be at the regular rotation dinner one night, it’s helpful to tell your server or head server in advance, so they won’t wait for you to arrive to start service for the other tables.

We also recommend having the Navigator app open to your dinner reservation and table number the first time you arrive at each restaurant, so you can be seated more easily. But if you remember your table number, you can just tell the servers.  

Each restaurant has a “special” menu that is only offered at that restaurant, which will be used on one of the nights you visit each restaurant (the same night as the show, if there is one for that restaurant). On the other nights, you’ll get “standard” menus that are the same at all three restaurants (they change every night, but each of the three restaurants gets the same menu). 

Dinner Shows

The following restaurants have special shows and menus on one night of your cruise . These shows are one of the unique entertainment experiences on a Disney cruise, so try to see them if you can! Ask at Guest Services or ask your server which night it will be for your rotation. Move your Palo, Remy or Enchante reservations or change your dinner rotation if you have to. 

• Animator’s Palate (Magic, Wonder, Dream, Fantasy) — On the Magic & Wonder, this show allows everyone in the family to design a character and see it animated. It’s pretty neat! On the Dream & Fantasy, the show involves interacting with an animated character (Crush the sea turtle from Finding Nemo). On longer (7+ night) cruises on the Dream & Fantasy, they may also do a version of the “draw your own animated character” show on the second night you visit Animator’s Palate.
• Tiana’s Place (Wonder) — A rollicking dinner show with the characters and songs from The Princess & The Frog.
• Rapunzel’s Royal Table (Magic) — A fun musical show with characters and songs from Tangled.
• Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure (Wish) — An elaborate show where you’re a guest at an engagement party for Anna and Kristoff, hosted by Wandering Oaken. Enjoy songs and characters from the two Frozen movies.
• Worlds of Marvel (Wish) — A loud action spectacle involving Ant-Man and the Wasp (and some guest Marvel characters) takes place during dinner. Most of the action is ostensibly taking place elsewhere on the ship (you watch it on screens on the walls of the restaurant), but live-action Ant-Man and the Wasp appear near the end to wave at diners.

Premium Restaurants

If you enjoy fine dining, we definitely recommend making a reservation for Palo, Remy or Enchanté, particularly on a 4-night or longer cruise. There is a small extra cost (larger for Remy and Enchanté) but it is well worth it for the cuisine, the atmosphere, and the opportunity to enjoy a nice dinner without the kids. The Remy and Enchanté dinners are especially elaborate, and are similar to meals that cost much more at Michelin starred restaurants or Victoria & Albert’s at Walt Disney World. Palo can be found on all five Disney ships, though the menu is slightly different (and more steakhouse-oriented) on the Wish. Remy is only on the Dream and Fantasy, and Enchanté is only on the Wish.

Alternatively, consider booking the Palo, Enchanté or Remy brunch (offered usually only once or twice on most cruises). We find the premium brunches particularly fabulous and might even prefer them to dinner in Palo.

Palo, Remy and Enchanté are very popular, so book them as early as you can . If you’re not able to get a reservation in advance, check the Navigator app or ask a crew member to find the location where you can go and request a reservation onboard.

If you want to skip one of the regular rotation restaurants in order to dine in Palo, Remy or Enchanté, our suggestion is to call Disney to find out the dining rotations for your cruise and pick a night that is the second visit to a restaurant, since the first night is very likely to be that restaurant’s special menu (and will have a show, if there is a show at that restaurant). For example, if your rotation is “Enchanted Garden, Rapunzel’s Table, Rapunzel’s Table, Animator’s Palate”, pick the third night, since it is the most likely to be a “standard” menu.

Keep in mind that the dinner rotations and timing of Animator’s Palate, Tiana’s, Rapunzel’s, Marvel or Arendelle shows are subject to change, and in our experience the folks at the Disney call center don’t always have accurate information about when the show will happen. The people actually on the ship know, so if you want to be sure your premium dining doesn’t happen on a dinner show night, go to Guest Services or the dining reservation location listed in the Navigator app on the first day of your cruise and ask. If there’s a conflict, they can either reschedule your premium dinner or put you on a different main dining rotation.

Alternate Dining Options

There are always plenty of options for food: check the Navigator app to know which restaurants are open at what times.

In the past, Disney has opened up the buffet area (Cabanas or Marceline Market) for dinner on most nights of the cruise (usually all but the first night), but as a table-service venue, not a buffet. There’s no specific time, you just show up and choose from a limited menu that includes some of the same foods served in the main dining rooms (but without all the hoopla). Of late they haven’t been doing it, but all indications are that this is a temporary post-pandemic measure because of logistics issues, so it could restart any time. If you’d prefer a quieter dinner at your own dining time, ask if it’s an option on your cruise.

There are fast-food locations up on the pool deck, serving kid-friendly fast food. We think the burgers and other sandwiches on a bun are edible, and the mini-wraps are quite good. The pizza is not a highlight – the toppings are fine, but the crust is sub-par, except on the Wish, where it is pretty good. The Wish also has a barbeque window, and a Mexican food window with choose-your-own ingredient bowls, tacos and burritos (think Chipotle), and both of those options are quite good. The fruit is fruit; nothing wrong with it. The soft-serve ice cream is not very creamy, but it makes a nice snack on a hot day, and they usually rotate in some unusual flavors like mango or strawberry over the course of the cruise.

On most ships, there are some small snacks available most of the day. In the adult coffee bar, there have generally been free mini-desserts available during the day, and little antipasto nibbles during the evening, but we didn’t see them on the Wish. In the adult lounge area on the lower decks, there is usually a (small) hot snack buffet available for part of the evening, either in the pub or the hallway between the various lounges. Usually there’s something like a build-your-own nacho bar, plus some sort of hot savory like pigs in a blanket or egg rolls. Again, this little mini-buffet has not been present on the Wish. In the pub on each ship, there are about 4-6 extra-cost hot snacks & entrees you can order. Typically at least one of the pool deck food stations will be open until midnight, usually pizza. From midnight until breakfast time (6:30 or so) room service is the only food option.

On Alaska cruises, there have usually been some snacks on the front of the ship on the pool deck on the glacier-viewing day , including hot soup in small bread bowls, cookies and hot cocoa. They also usually do a special barbecue lunch that day on the deck behind the buffet, typically sausage, fish, and steak. Sometimes they have been known to serve elk or another Alaska specialty. Make sure you go out to the deck to check it out; we met many people who had no idea the cookout was happening and just ate regular buffet food instead of the fresh-grilled options just a few steps away.

Concierge guests have access to snacks and beverages (bottled water, soft drinks, coffee drinks) in the concierge lounge.

Kids’ Meals

There are kid’s menu options at all the table-service meals , but children are not limited to eating from those menus. Your servers will bring your kids whatever they want, including full adult appetizers, meals and desserts, and in fact if there’s something on the ship they can get or make, they’ll usually try to accommodate you even if it’s not on the menu. In other words, if all your kids want is french fries, that’s not a problem, assuming you’re OK with it.

It’s worth noting that asking your server to bring you something from another restaurant is not a trivial undertaking . They will almost certainly do it, because they really want guests to be happy, but don’t spring a request on them unless you really can’t find anything else for your kids to eat. And if possible, let the service staff know early if your child has specific food issues. If they know in advance that your child will only eat french fries and chicken fingers, they can have those ready each night.

If you have kids in the Oceaneer Club, they will be offered lunch and dinner if they are in the Club at the appropriate time. There are not usually a lot of choices, but what they’ll offer is going to be pretty simple and kid-friendly, like chicken nuggets and apple slices.

Two key things to be aware of: one, they usually don’t serve the kids dinner on the first night of the cruise (the day of embarkation). So if you have Palo or Remy reservations for that night, you’ll need to feed your kids yourself. Fortunately that’s easy: all you have to do is get food for the kids before or after your reservation from one of the fast-food restaurants on the pool deck. Two: be aware of when the kids are served. Meal times may be too early for your liking if you leave your kids in the Club.

Also, keep in mind that the Disney crew members will not make your kids sit down to eat. They will make sure every child is informed that food is being served, but they can’t and won’t make your children stop playing to eat, and there is one opportunity to eat for each mealtime. There are no snacks served in the club between meal times. It’s a good idea when you pick up your kids to check if they ate and if they are hungry.

Dine and Play Program

Please note : The Dine and Play program is temporarily suspended, but may return at any time. Ask about it onboard if you’re interested.

The Dine and Play program allows children to get their meals quicker and adults to check in a child for Youth Activities without leaving the dining room. The Dine and Play program is offered for families assigned to second dining, and is open to children ages 3-12. 

Here’s how it works: You arrive in the dining room and inform the server that your child would like to participate in Dine and Play. The dining room team brings the child’s meal first while serving the adults at a more leisurely pace.

About 45 minutes after seating begins, Youth Activities Counselors arrive in the dining room and sign in the child to Disney’s Oceaneer Club, eliminating the need for you to escort the child to Deck 5.

Adults are then able to enjoy the full dining experience with the knowledge that their children are having a great time in a safe, fun and comfortable environment.

Alternative approach: You can ask your server to feed the kids as fast as possible, and then have an adult walk them over to the kids club and check them in. It only takes a few minutes to get to the club and back. Some parents have told us their kids prefer this method over using Dine & Play, as you can get the kids to the club whenever they’re ready and there’s less waiting around.

Room Service

Room service is not a strong suit on Disney Cruise Line. The food, in our experience, is merely adequate. It is free (though a tip is welcomed) and convenient, though. Selection is mostly very basic and very middle-American: sandwiches, basic soups, chicken wings, a few salads, a cheese plate, burger, pizza or topped flatbreads. 

If the buffet or top deck restaurants are open, we suggest sending someone to the buffet or top deck instead of ordering room service . The selection in the buffet is much better and the food better prepared. The top deck restaurants have a more limited selection, but sending someone to the top deck for food has always resulted in hotter, fresher food when we’ve done it. That said, if you’re worn out, or come back really late from a port excursion, it’s nice to know they will bring you food any time.

Mickey bars (Mickey head shaped ice cream bars) and Smuckers Uncrustables (packaged peanut butter & jelly sandwiches) are not on the menu, but have usually been available on request.

Special orders are limited , but if you want something simple that is not on the menu, but is made with components used in items that are on the menu, such as a grilled cheese sandwich, plain salad without dressing, plain hamburger patty with no bun or just an order of french fries, they will usually make that for you on request.

Room service breakfast in the regular staterooms is a very basic Continental offering of various baked goods, cereal, milk, hot drinks and juice. There is nothing hot and no real protein, so if you like eggs and bacon in the morning, head for the buffet or whichever dining room is serving breakfast (it’s listed in the Disney Cruise Navigator app). We do sometimes use room service to get coffee delivered in the morning. Though lately we just have them deliver hot water, because we prefer the Starbucks Via packets to the ship’s reconstituted coffee product.

Guests in concierge staterooms and suites can order dinner from the rotation restaurants during regular dinner hours . Ask your concierge staff for a menu. All courses of your meal are brought at once, which doesn’t do good things for the quality of the meal, but it’s still better than the regular room service offerings. Concierge level guests can order hot breakfasts in their suites and staterooms during the cruise.

Many common beverages (including sodas) are available FREE most of the time , but there are situations where you could be charged for them. Here are the basic rules:

• The self-service drink station on the pool deck offers milk , juice , tea (hot or iced) , coffee, hot cocoa , lemonade, plain water and fountain sodas  at no extra charge 24 hours a day.
• The dining rooms (including Palo, Remy and Enchanté) offer milk , juice , tea (hot or iced) , coffee , hot cocoa ,  lemonade, plain water and fountain sodas  at no extra charge with meals. All other drinks can be ordered, but cost money.
• Castaway Cay offers milk , juice , tea (iced only) , lemonade, plain water and fountain sodas  for free. All other cold drinks (except iced espresso drinks) can be ordered at a bar, but cost money. No hot drinks are available. 
• Room service offers milk , juice , tea (hot or iced), plain water and  coffee free. All other drinks cost money. 
• All bars (including espresso bars) charge for all beverages , except plain tap water.
• Bottled water, canned and bottled soda and soft drinks , alcoholic beverages , mocktails , smoothies, shakes  and espresso drinks (and related drinks like chai lattes) always cost money no matter where you order them.
• The fountain sodas are all Coca-Cola products (which could change any time, but Coca-Cola has had a strong partnership with Disney for many years). The bars have a wider selection of canned and bottled beverages available, at a charge.

Consider bringing your own bottled water if you think you’ll drink a lot of it on shore excursions, Castaway Cay, etc. Bottled water on the ship or Castaway Cay is expensive. Consider packing a small carry-on suitcase with just bottled water. Then on the way home you’ll have room for all those things you didn’t plan to buy. (If you are staying on concierge level on the Dream or Fantasy, bottled water is provided in the lounge without cost.)

Disney allows each adult to bring up to two 750 ml bottles of wine or six 12 oz beers onboard at embarkation and at each port visited. Bottles must be sealed and they must be in your carry-on luggage.  Spirits (rum, vodka, whiskey, etc.) are not allowed (they will be confiscated and given back to you at disembarkation).

Sealed bottles or cans of non-alcoholic beverages can be carried on in any amount that will fit through the x-ray machines (carry-on bag sized, in other words). As for coolers, Disney officially says that you can only take aboard small (12″ x 12″ x 12″ max) soft-sided coolers for keeping things like insulin and breast milk cold. In practice, soft coolers can be any size that’s small enough to fit through the x-ray machine (again, basically the size of a carry-on bag), but no hard-sided or wheeled coolers.

Disney, like all other cruise lines, does not allow any beverages in checked bags , because checked baggage is stacked up and handled roughly during the loading process, which could cause containers of liquids to break and/or leak onto other people’s luggage. They do screen for those items. If they find disallowed items, the items will be confiscated and given back at the end of the cruise.

Coffee and Tea

Regular American-style coffee on Disney ships is unfortunately not good. The “drip” coffee they serve throughout the ship is made in a machine that looks vaguely like a coffee urn, but actually produces instant coffee on demand by mixing liquid concentrate and hot water. When it’s made in a properly-calibrated machine it tastes like OK instant coffee (not as good as Starbucks Via, but better than Folger’s Crystals). If the machine is out of calibration, it can be really weak or very strong.

If you like your coffee with cream and sugar or just aren’t picky about coffee, you may be fine with the reconstituted coffee . If you like quality coffee, you may want to order espresso drinks (at extra cost), which are available at most bars and sit-down restaurants and at the bar in the Wish, Dream & Fantasy’s buffets. You might also consider bringing Starbucks Via packets if you like them. In our experience the Via is much better than the reconstituted stuff.

If you’re a tea drinker, the news is better: there are a wide variety of Twinings tea bags (regular and herbal) at the main deck drink stations and in the dining rooms. And in the dining rooms, they almost always serve tea properly, with acceptably hot water and a small pitcher of milk upon request.

The iced tea served everywhere is unsweetened reconstituted iced tea from a soda machine (Fuze brand from Coca-Cola), but you can make your own iced tea by brewing fresh hot tea and adding ice and water, and that is much better. Our recipe: put two regular black tea bags in a cup of hot water, steep three minutes, stir in sugar if desired, then pour over a full cup of ice. Add water to taste.

Most bars on the ship have espresso machines , including the adults-only Cove Cafe on the pool deck and the all-ages Promenade Lounge on deck 3 (Wonder & Magic), Vista Café on deck 4 (Dream & Fantasy), and all bars and lounges on the Wish. Espresso is also available in the main dining rooms, the premium restaurants, and the Dream, Fantasy and Wish buffets. All espresso drinks cost extra, generally about the same price as on land. If you are a regular consumer of espresso drinks, be sure to get a coffee card. Each time you buy a latte, cappucino, etc. they will mark the card. Your sixth beverage is FREE! If you don’t fill your card during the cruise, hold onto it — it can be used on a future cruise, even on a different Disney ship!

Wine Packages and Refillable Beer Mug

Disney doesn’t have any “all you can drink” packages available. You don’t really need one for sodas, since they’re included (except at bars). Alcohol and other specialty beverages are always a la carte. There are, however, two programs that could save you some money (albeit with a few caveats).

Wine Packages

This is an opportunity to pre-pay for a certain number of bottles of wine, which you can enjoy at any of the sit-down restaurants. If you don’t finish one, you can get it recorked for the next night (and they’ll take it to the next restaurant in the rotation, or you can get it brought to you at Palo, Remy or Enchanté), or you can take it with you to your room. If you don’t end up drinking them all, you can take the remainder home. Your server will usually suggest buying one bottle per cruise night, but you can buy more or less if you like. The wines are all from a set list, which changes from time to time, and usually includes about 10-12 white wines and 8-10 red wines. There are two tiers, with the more expensive one including fancier bottles of wine. The wines on the list change regularly, but we think the choices are all pretty good, with a few real winners on each list. Disney pushes these packages aggressively: a brochure will be on the table your first night, and one of your servers will offer a sales pitch the first night.

We went to the trouble a few years ago to price out all the wines on the list and compare to the average cost per bottle from the packages . The price per bottle in the packages was about $2-3 cheaper than the average price of the bottles included in the package. However, the packages typically have only 5-7 selections that sell for more than the average price, and 12-15 selections that sell for less than the average price. So if you pick random bottles from the list, you’re very likely to end up spending more (or at least not much less) by buying the package. To come out ahead, you have to consistently order from the few bottles that are higher priced.

Frankly, our opinion is that it’s not worth the trouble, at least as a money-saving strategy . If buying your dinner wine in advance will help you relax, then go ahead; you certainly won’t lose much money unless you happen to always pick the cheapest wine on the list. And if you really love a particular wine or wines that you know are higher-priced, and you plan to only drink those, the plan will save you a few bucks per bottle.

Refillable Beer Mug

This is a large 21 oz glass souvenir beer mug that you can buy at any bar for $17 (last we checked). When you get it filled (at any bar or restaurant), you get 21 ounces for the price of a 16 ounce draft beer. One nice thing is that you don’t have to cart the mug around; they’ll give you a little token you can trade for a mug at any time. So you give the token to your server and get a mug of beer, and when you’re done you can give them the mug and ask for the token back. At the end of the cruise, just stop by any bar to get a nice clean mug to take home. The selection of draft beers is pretty good, and in addition to the standard American beers, there are always a few craft beers like Widmer or Full Sail and even sometimes a cider like Strongbow. (Disney Cruise Line advertises this as a 21 oz glass, but we heard from a reader who measured it and found it actually held 20 oz when filled to the rim.)

Purely as a money-saving strategy, it’s hard to get your money’s worth out of the mug unless you really like beer. However, if you like the idea of having a Disney Cruise Line souvenir beer mug, and the price seems reasonable, then the extra beer is basically FREE. Make sure to tell your spouse that when you buy it.

Disembarkation Day

Breakfast is served on the day of disembarkation. In fact, you’ll have an assigned restaurant and time for breakfast for disembarkation, or you can choose to eat at the buffet instead. It will be a much smaller selection than during the cruise: welcome back to the real world!

Regular guests do not have access to room service on disembarkation morning. Concierge level guests can order a standard Continental breakfast from room service on disembarkation morning.

Most kids find the Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab, for ages 3-10, to be the best part of a Disney cruise. There is a lot to do, with great hands-on organized activities going on all the time.

Signing in and out is a relatively easy process considering what needs to be done to protect the children. However, you may have to wait in line either to drop them off or pick them up. Plan at least 5 minutes for the pick up or drop off process. If your children are 8 years old or older, they can be given the ability to sign themselves in and out on their own.

The Navigator app will tell you what’s happening and where your kids are at any given time. Check the app to see if your children will be out of the Club at the time you want to sign them out – for instance, they could be up on the deck playing basketball. Using the app to plan will save you a wasted trip. Also, when the kids are moving from one location to another, they will not allow you to sign them in or out, so there can be a 10-15 minute window where you have to wait.

You can keep your child signed in to the Oceaneer Club while at Castaway Cay. They will take the kids off the ship to special play areas for supervised games and activities throughout the day. If you do this, be sure to bring your phone with you. The Wi-Fi covers much of Castaway Cay and the app tends to work OK. But if you want your kids to join you for some time on the island, make sure you know their schedule of activities. They eat lunch fairly early, and are taken back to the ship before the beach closes.

Edge is the “tween” club for ages 11-14. Vibe is the teen club for ages 14-17. A 14-year-old can access both Edge and Vibe, but they will have to register for both. Disney will sometimes be slightly flexible about the age groups for these clubs, and will sometimes allow a child that is a little younger than the target age into the older teen club if they have space in the club your child wants to attend, especially if they have a friend or sibling in the older club. This is not guaranteed, but it’s worth asking.

The Disney Cruise offers many opportunities to meet characters . You will see most of the popular characters at some point or another on the Disney Cruise. Greeting times are available in the Navigator app. The lines for character greetings usually start forming about 15 minutes before the scheduled greeting time, so if you can get there 10 minutes beforehand, you won’t have a long wait once the characters arrive.

Some popular character meetings and meals may require advance booking . There’s no charge for the character meetings, but certain breakfasts or teas with characters may have an additional fee. You should book these as early as you can online; the bookings open on the same schedule as  booking excursions and Palo/Remy/Enchanté . You can also call or stop by guest services on the first day and ask about tickets; they may hold back some slots for onboard booking. Thanks to Sarah B and Rachel P for info.

Bring your kids’ Disney costumes, if they have any. The cruise is a great opportunity to get pictures of your daughter dressed as Belle with the “real” Belle herself, without her having to wear the costume all day.

If you’re on a 7-night cruise, you may have an assigned Character Breakfast on one of the days of the cruise. You’ll get a chance for photos with all the main Disney characters, including Mickey and Minnie!

Most of the character greetings will include a Disney professional photographer , so if your own photo doesn’t turn out you can still buy a memento from Shutters, the onboard photo location.

Read our tips, tricks and discounts on Port Excursions !

The list below is mostly based on reader suggestions. We have to admit, we have taken Disney cruises at various times without these, and everything went just fine. So don’t go too crazy with overpacking! But some of these are good ideas for specific needs.

• Water shoes – Always a good idea if you’ll be snorkeling or wading where there are coral reefs and sharp rocks. Also handy to protect your feet on hot sand, concrete or the pool deck; the sun can make the deck very hot and you’ll want some of these or some simple flip-flops while hanging around the pool. You can wear water shoes that are secure and not likely to come off on the AquaDuck, AquaMouse and AquaDunk, but flip-flops or water shoes that slip off easily will need to be stowed before riding.
• Safe Sea lotion – This is a lotion that protects against jellyfish, sea nettle, and seabather’s eruption , caused by jellyfish larvae that are sometimes called “sea lice.” There is actual independent research that backs this up – we’ve read it and are satisfied that it works. We want to reassure people that large jellyfish are kept out of the lagoon at Castaway Cay by netting under the water, so we’ve never heard of anyone getting a serious sting there, but people do occasionally get seabather’s eruption. At other beaches in the Bahamas and Caribbean jellyfish stings are not common, but they do happen. The peak season for jellyfish is summer (June-August) and they’re rare in winter. We actually had a very minor issue with seabather’s eruption on one trip to Castaway Cay (on some skin that didn’t have lotion; we failed to note that you need to apply some underneath the swimsuit for full protection), and we can attest that while it’s not the end of the world, it’s quite unpleasant and worth avoiding. Certainly the lotion is a cheap form of insurance, and there are formulations that include sunscreen, which you’ll need anyway. Another option is to bring some jellyfish after-sting gel  just in case, or some sources recommend hydrocortisone cream or antihistamine cream .
• Body Powder – If you’ve ever tried to wipe beach sand off your body, you know it tends to stick in an annoying manner. It turns out it sticks to your skin because of residual moisture, and if you just rub your skin with water-absorbent powder (i.e. scented cornstarch), the sand drops right off. We used to recommend a very useful little mitt that contained cornstarch-based body powder for wiping off sand. Apparently that mitt isn’t made any more, but you can get the same effect by just sprinkling the powder on a towel and wiping with that. Do make sure you’re getting plain cornstarch powder, or at least talc-free powder. Talc is not good to breathe.
• Robe – if you like to wear one in your room, you’ll need to bring your own unless you’re in a concierge room. Some people have had luck asking their stateroom attendant, but it’s not guaranteed they can get you one.
• Pop-up Hamper – We like the rectangular kind with a circular opening on the top, as opposed to the ones that look like a big round cloth-covered spring. The squarer ones seem to hold their shape better. They only weigh 8 ounces, fold down to a small circle, and fit nicely into hotel and stateroom closets.
• Dry box/case – Basically, a small waterproof box or pouch on a lanyard. Used by scuba divers and snorkelers, these are handy for any beach visit, because you can keep your ID and some money around your neck, instead of sticking valuables in your shoe and leaving them on the beach (yeah, everyone knows about THAT hiding place!)
• Clothespins – These have a variety of uses, from weighing down a shower curtain that wants to stick to you, to anchoring your beach towel to a lounge chair. You can clip your curtains together if you want to minimize light leakage in the morning. Oh, and you can use them to hang laundry up to dry, too (there’s a retractable clothesline in the bathtub).
• Night light – Particularly if you are staying in one of the Inside cabins on the Magic, Wonder or Wish, this is nice to have. It’s pitch black in those rooms when the lights are off. If you don’t want to use up a wall plug, you can get a USB light that plugs into an empty USB charger port. (It’ll also work in a laptop USB port, but not all laptops keep power to the USB ports when they go to sleep, so you’d want to check that first.) An LED flashlight or headlamp can also be handy if you need to get up in the middle of the night and don’t want to turn on lights.
• Magnets – The stateroom doors are metal (except for the doors in the concierge section of the Dream and Fantasy). You can stick magnets on them to decorate your door, and it makes it easier for your children (and you) to identify your room. Don’t bring anything you can’t bear to lose: these do get taken sometimes. Please note that you are not allowed to use any type of adhesive on your door, including removable gel adhesives that supposedly come off clean. You will be charged for any damage to the door.
• Multi-USB charger – When we have a lot of things to charge while travelling, normally we bring a  travel power strip , but as mentioned below, power strips are generally not allowed on Disney ships. Now we bring a multi-charger, which can charge 4 or more devices from one outlet. We’ve used Anker brand as well as Amazon Basics, and they’ve both been perfectly fine. You’ll need to also bring the USB cable for each device. We’d recommend getting at least a 40W model if you have anything more than just a phone or two. A 60W model typically has six outlets and might be just the thing if you have a lot of tablets and phones to charge, or you want a spare port to plug a USB night light into. Note that on the Magic and Wonder, they’ve installed a few more USA-type power outlets near the desk, and there are a couple of USB charging ports at the desk and on the alarm clock next to the bed. The Wish staterooms have tons of USB charging outlets at the desk and next to the bed, including two USB-C ports, so you can probably get by without a USB charger on that ship.
• Irons are NOT ALLOWED as they are a fire hazard. Fire is a huge danger on cruise ships. If you take an iron it will be confiscated from your luggage. Irons are available for your use in the laundry rooms.
• Rolls of quarters – In the past, these were needed for the self-service laundry onboard, but now you just swipe your room key for use of the washer, dryer, soap and dryer sheets. The cost is charged to your account.
• Over-the-door shoe organizer – Some people have used these to store toiletries or other small items. Disney now asks that you do NOT use them as they “scratch and/or disfigure stateroom doors and trim.” You will be charged for any damage.
• Seasickness medication – Unless you KNOW you get seasick on cruise ships, don’t bother bringing this. If you do get queasy, the ship’s health center or the guest services desk will give you FREE over the counter medication (generic meclizine, the ingredient in Bonine or non-drowsy Dramamine). If you get super-queasy the health center can get you prescription medication (for a fee).
• Beach towels – They are provided when you get off the ship on beach days.
• Power/outlet strip – These are not allowed on the ship. MouseSavers.com reader Christina N reports: “… they confiscated these from my bag and from others. They do not allow them as it blows circuits in the room.” Technically, they only ban extension cords, and power strips with surge protectors, but in practice people have reported having just about any kind of multi-outlet strip or adapter confiscated, because the people doing the screening don’t want to figure out whether your power strip is one of the “bad” ones. One thing not many people know is that there’s an open outlet behind the TV in most cabins on the Magic, Wonder, Dream and Fantasy. The TVs are on a pivoting arm, so it’s easy to pull them out and expose the spare plug. Many smartphones and smaller tablets can be charged through a USB cable connected to a laptop, so if you take a USB cable you’ll only need one outlet, to plug in the laptop. Or you might want to pack a multi-USB charger like the ones mentioned above. And over time Disney has been adding USB charging ports to the outlets near the desk, so you might not need a power strip depending on how many devices you have.
• Extension cords – the only extension cords allowed on the ship are ones you can borrow from Guest Services ($50 deposit required; refunded when you return the cord). There are a limited number and availability is first-come, first-served. If you need one for a CPAP or other medical device, one will be made available, but all of the ships now have a plug next to the bed, so you shouldn’t need an extension for a CPAP. On the Wish, there are US-style plugs next to one side of the bed, and a European plug on the other side. So if you have a CPAP or other device that goes next to the bed, and you really prefer to sleep on a specific side, make sure you have the correct plug adapter and your CPAP power supply handles both 110 and 220 volt current (almost all of them do, but you should check).
• Hairdryer (maybe) – Hairdryers are provided, but the ones provided might not be up to your standards. If you’re not picky, don’t bother packing one.
• High chair / booster seat – Both are provided on request in the dining room.
• Pack and play crib – These are provided onboard (request when booking your cruise).
• Stroller (maybe) – There are some strollers available to borrow onboard (deposit required) and on Castaway Cay. However, there are a limited number and it’s first-come, first-served. If you have a little one, it’s not a bad idea to bring a small umbrella stroller along.

During the day and most evenings on the Disney Cruise Line, you can wear casual clothing. At dinner, you are asked to stick to “cruise casual.” Most men wear a collared shirt (aloha shirts and golf/polo shirts are fine) and long pants (chinos or dress slacks) or nice shorts. Most women wear a skirt, dress, nice pants or dressy capris. Disney requests no swimwear or tank tops at dinner, but in practice, dressier tank-style tops will usually be acceptable. People who show up to the main dining rooms in swimsuits are almost always asked to change.

There are times when dressing up to some extent is either required or encouraged:

• When having dinner at Palo, Remy or Enchanté, the dress code is basically “business casual plus.” Men are required to wear long pants suitable for professional work (which could include “nice” jeans), collared shirts and dressier shoes. Some men wear suits or even tuxedos. Women can wear pretty much anything “nice” that isn’t swimwear, casual t-shirts, shorts or sportswear. Semi-formal or even formal wear would not be out of place. At Brunch or Tea at either restaurant, the dress code is “cruise casual,” which basically means no shorts, swimsuits, tank tops or flip-flops.
• On 4-night or longer cruises, there will be one or two “optional dress up” nights that you can interpret how you will. Dressing up is not required, but some folks will make an effort to change for dinner. On our most recent Disney cruises we’ve seen a handful of tuxedos on dress-up nights and a few dozen men wearing jackets. A fair number of women were dressed in nicer outfits. Lots and lots of people were just in normal “cruise casual” outfits, so if you don’t like to dress up don’t feel like you’re under any obligation to do so. On the other hand, if you like to dress up, it’s a great opportunity. The crew and the Disney characters will be in nicer clothes, there will be photo stations where you can get a picture of the whole family in nice outfits, and you won’t feel overdressed in a gown or tux.
• Some people like to wear dressy or semi-formal clothing on the nights when they dine in Lumiere’s (Magic), Triton’s (Wonder) or Royal Palace/Royal Court (Dream or Fantasy), since those are the restaurants with the fanciest theming but this is not by any means required.
• Similarly, a few people like to dress in 1920’s inspired clothes when dining in 1923 on the Disney Wish. This is just a fun thing to do and not in any way required.

Where to Buy Disney Cruise Wear

If you’re looking for Disney-themed casual cruise wear (aloha shirts, etc.), a good place to look is DisneyStore.com . Unfortunately they only offer resort wear on a seasonal basis (usually spring and summer), but even in the winter it’s always worth looking to see if they have anything in the sale section.

DisneyStore.com  carries a significant amount of Disney Cruise Line clothing and other logo merchandise as well.

• See current discounts and offers for DisneyStore.com.

Your phone should still be able to reach a tower on land as long as the ship is in port, but once you are at sea, we strongly advise you to turn off international roaming and data roaming, to avoid having your phone accidentally use the “Cellular@Sea” service, which is very expensive. You can (and should) leave wi-fi turned on, so you can use Disney’s Navigator App to see the current schedules and menus and so forth.

You can also use the Disney Navigator App on your own phone to send messages to other people in your party. To get message notifications as quickly as possible, make sure that notifications are enabled for the Disney Navigator app, as well as background updates. Basically in our experience, the Navigator app needs to have all permissions set to “on,” including Location, Bluetooth, Notifications, and Background Update. You can (and perhaps should) turn those off again once your cruise has ended.

If you absolutely must use your phone to call or text while at sea, service may be available on Disney ships through the “Cellular@Sea” service. It is a very expensive form of international roaming and the ship must be 8 to 10 miles out to sea before you can access it. Most phones will just connect to Cellular@Sea without needing any special setup, but be aware that the service includes phone, text messaging, and data . If your phone is set to auto-update, you could end up on the hook for a large data charge because it decided to download a 100MB game update or something. Definitely turn off your cellular data, or set it to not use cellular data when roaming.

US phones will work in most international ports if you have turned on international roaming. You might need to arrange with your provider for that feature to be turned on in advance, but most providers have it set up by default. Depending on your provider, roaming may be very expensive (potentially over $2 per minute, and $10 or more per megabyte of data). Check with your provider for special international roaming packages, which may save you money if you plan to use your phone a lot.

Wireless internet service is available on all Disney ships . All internet is over satellite, and you shouldn’t expect speeds or responsiveness similar to what you get on land, though it’s usually good enough to send messages and emails and use Facebook and other social media.

Internet service on Disney ships is paid for by the day, and is theoretically “unlimited .” It’s pretty fast for cruise ship internet, but still slower than most land-based systems. You’re sharing bandwidth with all the other passengers and crew, so right after you leave a port, expect the internet to crawl as everyone starts posting pictures of their excursions to social media. If you have cellular internet service that works in that country (and is reasonably priced), you may want to post your pictures before you leave port via cellular rather than via wi-fi. If your cellular is flaky, get to the top deck and walk over to the side of the ship closest to land. Alternatively, wait until dinner time, when the wi-fi speeds will pick up considerably.

Prices are (so far) pretty reasonable for cruise ship internet, with a basic single-device plan that lets you use Facebook and similar apps (but not email or web) for $16/day (when purchased for the whole cruise), a fancier plan that includes email and web (but no streaming) for $24/day, and a premium plan that includes music streaming for $34/day. Video streaming is not supported on any plan , so no Netflix or Hulu. Plans cost a little more if you only buy a plan for individual days rather than the whole cruise, and there is a small discount for adding additional devices.

Spa: Treatments, Products and Fitness Center

Spa treatments are very popular and fill up early , so book them as early as you can . If you’re not able to get an appointment before you embark, go to the Spa when you get onboard and you’ll probably be able to arrange one in person.

We don’t recommend having any spa treatments done on the first (embarkation) day , because people are touring the Spa all afternoon and evening, making it busy and not very relaxing. It’s a good day to set up your future appointments, but not as good for actually having treatments done.

The changing rooms in the spa have fluffy robes for your use. Sadly, the robes are all “one size fits most” and aren’t big enough for many people. You then can choose a locker that contains a clean pair of spa sandals. The lockers allow you to set your own combination for secure storage of your personal items. We don’t find the sandals they provide very comfortable (again, they’re “one size fits most”), so we just wear a clean pair of sandals or flip-flops to our spa appointment.

You can change into your robe in the open locker room or in one of the toilet cubicles. Once you’re in your robe and sandals, an attendant will escort you to a quiet waiting room, where you can enjoy some water while you wait for your treatment. After your treatment you’ll be escorted back to the locker room, where you can use one of the spacious showers if you wish. Basic toiletries, disposable combs, etc. are provided. On the Dream and Fantasy, there is a dry sauna in the locker room that you can enjoy after your treatment for no additional charge.

If you are considering a Cabana Massage on Castaway Cay, here are a few things to consider first:

• The cabanas are rustic. There is no running water in them, so your massage therapist cannot wash her hands during your treatment. There is no air conditioning (there is a ceiling fan) or heat so it can be unpleasantly hot in the summer and uncomfortably cool in the winter.
• Your feet and lower legs will almost certainly be covered with sand by the time you get to the cabana, and there’s really no facility for removing it. (There is an outdoor shower near the waiting area, but you’ll then proceed across the sand to the cabana… you’ll get sandy again, trust us.) So the sand inevitably becomes part of the treatment. How you feel about having sandy oil rubbed into your skin is a matter of preference. And remember, the massage oil dissolves any sunscreen you’re wearing, so you’ll need to reapply it afterward, which enters the mix with the sand.
• When you envision this experience, you might think you would be relaxing to the sound of the ocean waves. Nope. The cabanas are located right above the lounge chairs along the beach (though visually separated by some plants), so you will hear the chatter of people sitting right below you.
• The Cabana Massage is billed as featuring “breathtaking views of Serenity Bay.” Well, that’s true for the massage therapist, but you’ll be lying on a table, and you won’t see the scenery from there.
• The Cabana Massage is more expensive than a regular massage in the ship’s spa, yet in many ways you are getting less for your money. If you have a massage on the ship, you’ll have access to showers, a locker room, robes and sandals, etc. With the Cabana Massages, you get none of that.

The Rainforest

The Rainforest is a lovely, relaxing co-ed spa area on each ship.

• On the Magic and Wonder , the Rainforest includes three tiled steam rooms (each a different temperature), some open showers with different scented “rain” programs and a few heated loungers.
• On the Dream and Fantasy , the Rainforest has a dry sauna, a hot steam room and a hammam (a large, tiled steam room that is less hot than the regular steam room), four scented showers with multiple “rain” programs, numerous heated loungers with views of the sea and two hot tubs on a private deck overlooking the water.
• On the Wish , the Rainforest has a dry sauna, hammam, a cryotherapy (cold) room, showers with rain programs, heated loungers, and a nice sun deck ( much larger than the one on the Dream & Fantasy) with two hot tubs and plenty of sun beds. The sun deck is tucked into the nose of the ship, one deck below the promenade, so there’s no ocean view, but you can see the sky and relax in the sun or the shade according to your preference.

You can purchase a day pass or a longer pass for the length of your cruise. A limited number of passes are sold on each sailing. Tip: the Rainforest Room is closed until around 5 on embarkation day, so you won’t typically get a lot of usage on the first day of the cruise. You may find it’s a better deal just to pay day-by-day, or ask if you can buy a shorter pass. The single-day passes for the sea day(s) will go first, followed by the full-cruise passes. A pass for the Castaway Cay day or other port day might be available same day, and could be a good alternative if you’re not interested in that port.

When you want to use the Rainforest, just tell the front desk staff at the spa and they’ll give you a wristband that opens the door to the Rainforest area. They will hold your room key while you are in the Rainforest. You then proceed to the locker room, where you can choose a locker and get a robe and sandals, if desired. A swimsuit must be worn since the Rainforest is mixed-gender.

Towels and drinking water are provided.

The spas on the Disney ships are operated by Steiner, a huge British spa company that runs spas for cruise lines and resorts. The staff do a great job performing the spa treatments, but Steiner trains them to offer product upsells at every reasonable opportunity. The result is that they almost always give cruise passengers a sales pitch on spa products. The products themselves are fine, but they are expensive and getting a sales pitch after your relaxing treatment can be annoying.

You’ll be given a “health form” before your treatment, asking about various health issues. Any issues you write on that form are used to help them sell you stuff (“Oh, I see you have very dry skin. You should try this cream.”). For that reason, unless you have an allergy or injury that directly affects your treatment , we recommend leaving the form as blank as possible .

Some people have tried writing “no sales pitch” on the form, but that is frequently ignored. Here are some other approaches we’ve used with success:

• A polite and friendly “no thank you” when they start showing the products or going through their list of recommendations is our first line of defense. That’s often the end of it! But if they start offering a second sales pitch, we make a concerned/confused face, pause for a moment, and say, again politely, “I’m really not interested, thanks.” The subtext you want to get across is that by not paying attention to your clear and polite “no,” they’re running the risk of affecting your overall satisfaction, with all that implies about things like tips and guest comment cards. You don’t need to make this explicit; the concerned face and second “no” usually does the trick.
• If they start the sales pitch while we are getting a relaxation treatment such as a massage or wrap, we usually just stay silent. We keep our  eyes closed and don’t respond to questions. Usually they quit talking, because it becomes quite awkward for them. But if they persist, we say politely, “Sorry, I’m trying to relax, and silence really helps me with that. Thanks!”
• If we are getting a haircut or pedicure, it’s harder to ignore the sales pitch. So instead we act very enthusiastic about every product they are pushing. Usually they’ll use one or more of the products on us during the service. If they offer samples we take them, with sincere thanks. When we go to check out, there is always a big stack of “suggested” products at the front desk. When they ask us what we’ll be buying, we say “oh, I want to see how the stuff I tried today works out, so I’m not buying anything right now.”
• Remember that no matter what happens, you can always change your mind about the add-on products when you check out. Until you sign the purchase slip, you haven’t purchased anything. Just say, “after thinking it over, I don’t need any products right now. Could you take these off the bill? Thanks.”

Fitness Center

A well-equipped Fitness Center can be accessed through the Spa on all of the ships. It’s usually open from early morning to fairly late – check the Navigator for specific hours. There is no charge to use the Fitness Center. The locker rooms, sauna and showers for the Fitness Center are shared with the Spa. Towels, robes and water are provided, and you can borrow an iPod shuffle if you don’t have your own iPod with you.

You never are expected to add any extra tip over and above the automatic gratuity amounts, which are listed below . You may , if you wish, add more, and you can even adjust certain tips down if you feel it’s warranted. Many people add extra gratuities purely because the service staff on a Disney cruise are extremely helpful and work very hard, but again, no one should ever make you feel like you are required to tip more.

Disney provides suggested tip amounts for the crew members who will assist you throughout the week: your server (takes your food orders for each dinner), assistant server (takes your drink orders at each dinner and delivers the food), head server (in charge of the overall dinner experience, special dietary requests and special occasions), and stateroom host/hostess (takes care of your room). As on all cruise lines, tips are the primary source of income for people working in these positions.

The suggested gratuities for your servers and stateroom host are automatically added to your stateroom bill. If you want to adjust the amount, you can go to Guest Services. Toward the end of the cruise you will be provided with slips indicating the tip amounts, which you can present to your servers during your last dinner on the cruise and leave in your room for your stateroom host. (They will get the money in their accounts whether you give them the slips or not, it’s purely a symbolic way of thanking them for their service. Don’t feel you need to do it if you don’t enjoy that kind of interaction.)

If you are staying in a concierge room, a separate form is provided to add tip for the concierge staff, with a suggested “average” tip amount. You can use your discretion to adjust it up or down based on how much help they provided your family. 

If you dine at Palo, Remy or Enchanté, many people add an additional tip to the per-person charge, though the basic charge is considered by Disney to cover the gratuity.

An automatic gratuity is added to all beverages ordered in bars and lounges; soft drinks, alcoholic beverages and bottled water from room service; and alcoholic beverages/smoothies/bottled water ordered in the dining room. There will also be a line where you can add an additional tip at your discretion.

You can add room service tips to your room bill. Even if your order costs nothing, you’ll be asked to sign a slip, and there is a space for tips on that slip. A dollar or two per item ordered is pretty common, but entirely optional.

You are allowed to give tips to crew members in cash, if you like, and they’re happy to take it in any major currency. If you have a meaningful amount of foreign currency (more than a few dollars worth) after your cruise that you’re unlikely to use anytime in the near future, feel free to leave it for your room host in addition to the automatic gratuity; they’ll be happy to get it.

As the skippers say on the world-famous Jungle Cruise, “You all have been outstanding on this cruise, but now I need you out standing on the dock!” Sadly, your cruise will eventually have to end, and Disney needs to get a few thousand people and their bags off the ship in the space of about 3 hours, so “efficiency” is the word of the day.

A few days before the end of your cruise you should be reminded to check the disembarkation instructions in the Navigator app , and you might get a paper form listing your specific disembarkation instructions. Disembarkation can feel very complicated and rushed, but it’s not that bad once you know how it works.

The first important decision is whether you want Disney to take your big luggage off the ship for you. If you have a lot of bags, or they’re unwieldy, you probably are going to want to have the bags moved for you, but if you can handle your own bags in one trip, that makes things immensely less complicated. These days we always choose to handle our own bags, but there are times we wonder whether it’d be easier to have Disney do it, usually when we’re wrestling our big roller bags down the gangplank. It’s worth trying it both ways if you go on multiple cruises, because you never can tell which one will feel easiest for you.

Whether or not you handle your own bags, you’re supposed to be completely out of your room on the final morning by 8:00 am so they can start cleaning and resetting it for the next guests (sometimes this time can change depending on the disembarkation port – check the sheet they give you or the app to make sure). This can make things logistically complicated, since if you want to do a table-service breakfast, it will be on a fixed schedule based on whether you are on the early or late dinner seating. The first breakfast seating starts early enough to get done before 8:00 am, but the later one does not. So if you plan to do table-service breakfast and you’re on late seating, you will have to take your luggage with you. Most people on late seating line up their bags in the hallway leading to the dining room. Don’t worry, no one will take your bags; your fellow guests are all far too tired. You can take smaller bags into the dining room and park them next to the table as long as they aren’t in the servers’ way. If you are planning an early breakfast in the buffet or you’re having sit-down breakfast on the earlier seating, you can just leave your bags in your room and then come back and retrieve them by 8:00 am.

Option 1: Disney Handles Your Bags

If you decide to have Disney haul your big bags to the terminal, then you’ll need to put most of your bags out the night before (typically by 10:30 pm – check the app to make sure). You need to hang on to at least one or two small bags to hold the stuff you can’t pack early, like toiletries and your pajamas. Make sure not to pack the clothes you’ll need to wear the next morning! You’ll get a set of luggage tags to put on the bags you’re putting out, and there will be a guide showing roughly when each group of bags will be ready to pick up in the terminal. For example, if you have bag tag “Donald Duck”, the sheet might say that your bags will be ready between 8:30-8:45 am. If you need to leave early to catch an flight or something, make sure you’ve got the earliest time they can give you. You can go to Guest Services to change your bag group if needed. On disembarkation morning, they will make periodic announcements about every 15 minutes, as each set of bags gets delivered to the terminal. They ask that you not leave the ship until your bag group gets called.

If you’re out of the room, but they still haven’t called your bag group, you’ll need to find somewhere to wait . In our experience, the lounges in the adult area of the ship are the most likely to have empty seats available, especially the main adult show lounge on the Magic, Wonder, Dream & Fantasy (Fathoms/Azure/Evolution/The Tube). Those are on deck 3, so you can just walk to the atrium when your group is called. On the Wish, there are fewer options on deck 3, so you may end up needing to go to another deck or sit on the floor. On the other hand, if you’re still in the dining room when they call your bag group, there’s not really any harm in waiting until you finish breakfast to disembark, assuming you don’t have transportation waiting for you. Typically they want everyone off by 9:30 am or so, so that’s your hard deadline.

When you get into the terminal, if you’re in a hurry, it’s not a bad idea to ask for a porter’s help. They’re usually lined up in the luggage area with carts, and they know the terminal well and will know if there’s any shortcuts or faster ways to get you into a cab or shuttle. They work for tips, and a typical tip is $1-2 per bag; more if they go above and beyond.

If you booked Disney’s transfers to Walt Disney World or the airport, then the timing is much more fixed. They will assign you a time to get off, and you really need to get off at that time so they can get you on the right bus. Arrange your breakfast plans accordingly.

Option 2: You Handle Your Own Bags

If you’re handling your own bags, there’s not really much you have to do the night before to prepare . Get mostly packed up the night before. Finish packing on the morning of disembarkation, get breakfast if you like, and then just leave the ship. You can leave any time after the ship is cleared, which will be 15-30 minutes after the ship is docked. They won’t necessarily announce to the whole ship that disembarkation has begun, because it’ll happen as early as 6-6:30 in the morning and they don’t want to wake everyone up with an announcement. If you can see that the ship is docked, just head down to deck 3 and wait for them to start letting folks off.

Skip the talks, except for the nature talks on the Alaska cruises, which can be excellent. The shopping talk is just a “rah-rah” for certain shops that are paying a marketing fee, and you might get a few coupons for free (junky) souvenirs. Both the shopping and disembarkation talks are replayed on the television repeatedly. Don’t waste your vacation time attending these lectures in person.

Read additional tips specific to the Disney Dream (which will also apply to the Fantasy) .

So what’s it really like to take a Disney cruise? Here are a few different perspectives on the experience:

• A look at what’s new and different on the Disney Wish , from a preview sailing in July 2022.
• A comparison of taking three cruises on three different ships in a six-month span between March and August 2014. It was rough, but somebody had to do it.
• Taking a cruise on the Disney Fantasy with a baby and a 3 ½-year-old , May 2012.
• First-hand report on the  Disney Fantasy  from March 2012: what’s new and different? See photos and learn more!
•   First impressions of the Disney Dream , from a preview sailing in January 2011.
• In summer 2007, friends of MouseSavers.com Ann and Danilo V wrote a travel blog about taking their 5 children to Europe for the summer. At the end of their trip they took a Disney Mediterranean cruise (10 nights roundtrip from Barcelona) in a Category 3 and a Category 4 stateroom. Then they did the 14-night Transatlantic cruise on the Disney Magic in the Walt Disney Suite!

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Details here .

What is the Best Disney Cruise Ship? The Ultimate Guide to Itineraries, Dining and Entertainment

Jill Robbins

If you’re considering taking a Disney cruise and wondering what’s the best Disney cruise ship, here’s some good news: You can’t go wrong with picking one of the five – soon to be six – ships that Disney has in service.

The Disney Magic  started it all in 1998. The Disney Wonde r joined the fleet the following year. Disney doubled their fleet size with the addition of the  Disney Dream  (2011) and the Disney Fantasy  (2012}. Then there were five, with the addition of the  Disney Wish on July 14, 2022.

The Disney Treasure  will set sail in 2024, bringing the fleet to six ships, with the potential to bring that number to seven, with the addition of what’s currently the Global Dream , which Disney purchased from Genting Hong Kong at the end of 2022. Information on the remodel/renaming of the 280,000 gross ton ship is being kept under wraps.

Disney Cruise Sister Ships

The Disney Wonder  is the sister ship of the Disney Magic,  and the  Disney Dream  is the sister Ship of the Disney Fantasy . This means the ships are nearly identical in layout, although some of the theming is different.

The new Disney Wish  is unique and has a different layout than the other four ships. It’s expected the Disney Treasure  will mirror the  Disney Wish .

The Wonder  and the Magic  are often referred to as Classic Ships. The Dream  and Fantasy  are often referred to as Dream Class ships, and the new Wish and Treasure are Triton Class ships.

Sailing From Ports Worldwide

Disney Cruises sail from all over the world. Cruises departing from U.S. ports include Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Port Canaveral, Galveston, New Orleans, New York City, and San Diego. Select cruises also depart from Honolulu and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

International ports include Barcelona, Rome, Southampton, Vancouver, and the recently added New Zealand and Australian ports, including Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

Since there are only five ships, the routes change each season, and the ships move around and reposition. Look into one of Disney’s repositioning cruises for a unique – and longer – cruise. One ship will move from the Caribbean to Europe for summer cruises from Barcelona and Southampton, which results in a (roughly) two-week transatlantic cruise. When ships move from the port of San Diego back to the Gulf of Mexico or the Caribbean, repositioning cruises pass through the Panama Canal.

Disney Cruise Line Itineraries

If you want to sail with Disney, you’ll find everything from two-night cruises to 15-night cruises . The two-night cruises are in Australia and New Zealand, and Baja Mexico cruises from San Diego.

If you’re interested in a Caribbean Cruise or a cruise to the Bahamas, you’ll find everything from three-night to seven-night cruises leaving from Galveston, New Orleans, and the Florida Ports.

Alaska cruises are seasonal, leaving during the summer from Vancouver. There’s usually one ship in Europe for the summer, sailing Mediterranean routes from Barcelona and to the Norwegian fjords from Southampton.

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Do You Want to Choose Your Itinerary Based on the Ship or the Itinerary?

You usually can’t do both unless the stars just magically line up for you, which is possible. If you want to cruise to the Bahamas on the Disney Wonder , you might have a wait ahead of you since the Wonder is currently going back and forth between Hawaii and Australia. However, if you just want to go to the Bahamas, you have many choices at any time.

If the Wonder is on your bucket list, you might have to wait awhile or travel far to reach the ship. After she’s done with the trans-Pacific cruises, she’s on to Alaska for summer cruises. New routes and schedules are typically released about 18 months in advance, but this isn’t an absolute, so watch the Disney Cruise Line website or ask a travel agent to monitor the releases if you’re set on a particular route, ship, or a combination of both.

Private Island Paradise – Times Two!

Bahamas sailings and select Caribbean sailings go to Disney’s private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay. Castaway Cay is popular because it’s a gorgeous slice of paradise and a no-cost or low-cost excursion.

The pristine beaches with chairs, umbrellas, and towel service are included in the cost of your cruise. A BBQ lunch buffet complete with sodas and soft-serve ice cream is also included. Additional for-a-fee activities are available, such as paddle boarding, snorkel gear and bike rental, and massages on the beach, but it’s possible to have a spend-free day at Castaway Cay. There’s also an adults-only beach, Serenity Bay, which lives up to its name.

Disney is opening up a second island beach club location near Eleuthera, Lighthouse Point, in the summer of 2024.

Best Main Dining Room Dining Experiences

All Disney Cruise ships have rotational dining, which means passengers will rotate through three different dining rooms during their cruise. The serving staff rotates with the guests, which is a concept unique to Disney Cruise Line.

The main dining rooms on the Classic and Dream Class ships are very similar. The Magic , Wonder , Dream , and Fantasy all have an Animator’s Palate, a whimsical experience where animated characters come to life. All have a fairytale-themed restaurant near the ship’s atrium. The  Magic  has Lumiere’s, the Dream has Royal Palace , the Wonder  has Triton’s, and the Fantasy  has the Royal Court. The menu is the same or very similar at all of these restaurants.

The Magic  and Wonder  both have princess-themed restaurants with entertainment. On the Magic , it’s Rapunzel’s Royal Table; on the  Wonder , it’s Tiana’s Place. Both of these venues have menus that are aligned with the theme. The Dream  and Fantasy  both have Enchanted Garden, a Versailles-inspired dining room.

Dining on the new Disney Wish

Disney’s newest ship has taken the main dining room game up a notch with all-new restaurants. The Wish’s  main dining rooms are World of Marvel, a futuristic Avenger-themed restaurant with a show that’s mostly digital with a live component at the end, Arendelle: a Frozen Dining Adventure, and 1923, which is named for the year Walt Disney Studios was established.

Worlds of Marvel serves a varied menu with the names of the dishes giving nods to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Arendelle has Nordic-inspired food, and 1923 has sophisticated but approachable California cuisine.

Adult Dining on Disney Cruise Line

All ships offer one or two adult dining experiences that aren’t included in the cost of the cruise. The  Magic , Wonder , Dream , and Fantasy  all have Palo. Palo serves brunch and dinner and focuses on Northern Italian-inspired cuisine.

The Dream  and the Fantasy  both have Remy, an upscale French restaurant named for the rat in Ratatouille . Remy serves dinner, brunch, and a dessert experience.

The Disney Wish Switches It Up Again

Things are done differently on the Wish as with the main dining rooms. The Wish has Palo Steakhouse, which, as the name suggests, is more steak-focused but still Northern Italian-inspired. Brunch and dinner are both available.

Instead of Remy, the Wish has  Enchanté by Chef Arnaud Lallement. Instead of Ratatouille theming , Enchanté is Beauty and the Beast themed. I haven’t had the opportunity to eat at Enchanté – yet – but reviews indicate the pricing and experience are very similar to Remy.

Best Disney Cruise Ship Water Slide

Each of the five ships in the Disney Cruise Line fleet has some type of waterslide. The  Dream  and the Fantasy  have the AquaDuck, a slide where riders sit in an inflatable raft, whiz around the ship in an acrylic tube, and are treated to ocean views and a bird’s eye view of the pool deck.

The Magic has the AquaDunk, a body slide that shoots riders in a clear tube extending over the ship’s side. The rider gets in position then the floor disappears from under them, making this a fast and thrilling ride.

The slide on board the Wonder might be perceived as a letdown after the thrills described above. There is a slide called the Twist n’ Spout, which is a 250-foot twisty body slide. The height requirement to ride the Twist n’ Spout is 38” whereas the height requirement to ride the AquaDunk and AquaDuck slides is 48”. That alone gives you an idea of how the thrill levels compare.

The New AquaMouse

The AquaMouse is a water coaster type of slide similar to the AquaDuck, but there is a pre-show of sorts where riders travel up an incline conveyor belt while Disney animated cartoons, complete with well-timed squirts of water, play on the walls. The slide is mostly enclosed, including one area where the tube swings out over the side of the ship, giving the rider the sense that they’re careening off into the ocean. The height requirement is 48” to ride alone.

Disney Cruise Ship Kids Clubs

Kids’ activities are included on each of the five ships. All ships the following:

• Oceaneer Club – Ages 3-12
• Edge tween club – Ages 11-13
• Vibe teen club – Ages 14-17

Each ship also has a Small World Nursery for babies six months and older and other tots under age three. The nursery isn’t included in the price of the cruise, and reservations are required.

My kids have been in the Oceaeer Club on the Wonder, Magic , Dream , and Wish , and Edge on the Magic, Dream , and  Wish . The Wish  wins hands-down for best Oceaneer Club. Although the kid’s clubs are pretty cool on all of the ships, the Wish takes it to the next level with interactive Star Wars and Marvel Superhero Academy areas. All Oceaneer Clubs have a play area for art projects and unstructured play, as well as movies and special character meet and greets that are exclusive to the kid’s clubs.

I think Vibe on the Wish  and the Magic  are equally cool and that the coolest Edge is on the Wish . However, I have two 13-year-old sons who insist Edge on the Magi c is the best. It’s small and dark and seems almost like an afterthought, but the experts have spoken.

Best Disney Cruise Staterooms

We’ve sailed on all the ships except the Disney Fantasy  and stayed in everything from inside staterooms to one-bedroom concierge suites. My family has been happy with all of our accommodations and found negligible differences in stateroom quality across the classic ships and the  Dream .

We had a small maintenance issue in a stateroom on the Magic , which is showing signs of wear and tear and is due for some refurbishment. This didn’t interfere with our enjoyment of the ship overall. The Disney Wish  is the newest and shiniest. The staterooms feel larger, there’s a bigger television set, and robes are standard issue, which they aren’t on the other Disney ships. The Wish also has a ton of USB outlets built into the room, unlike the other ships, which were built during an era when USB ports weren’t such a necessity.

If going by the stateroom alone, I’d say the Wish  wins out of all the other Disney Cruise Line ships. However, I don’t recommend choosing a cruise because of the quality of the stateroom because you won’t spend that much time there. Even though the  Wish’s  staterooms are nicer, the others are above average in comfort and amenities.

Best Shows and Entertainment

All of the ships had a Walt Disney Theater where three Broadway quality shows will be shown. Longer cruises have other entertainment, such as comedy acts and illusionists. The four older ships have the Buena Vista Theater, which show first run movies and other Disney movies.

Shows on the Wish

The  Wish  has the Walt Disney Theater but instead of the Buena Vista Theater, they have two small movie theaters, the Wonder Land Cinema and the Never Land Cinema. The shows on the Wish  are a new version of The Little Mermaid , Aladdin , and Seas the Adventure , a Disney Cruise Line exclusive show about first mate Goofy following his dreams.

Other Shows on Disney Cruise Line

The current lineup of shows on the other Disney Ships are as follows:

• Disney   Magic : Tangled the Musical, Disney Dreams: An Enchanted Classic, and Twice Charmed: An Original Twist on the Cinderella Story.  
• Disney Wonder: The Golden Mickeys, Frozen, and Disney Dreams.
• Disney Dream :   Beauty and the Beast , Frozen , and Disney’s Believe .
• Disney Fantasy : Aladdin, Disney’s Believe, and  Frozen.

All shows are about 50 minutes long, and there are two shows each evening.

Best Pirate Night

Select itineraries have pirate night, which includes Disney characters dressed up as pirates, pirate-themed entertainment, and menus and fireworks at sea. Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, or Goofy in their pirate garb is really cute, and you won’t see that anywhere else except on a Disney Cruise.

The Wish  wins for best pirate night. A pirate dance party with Mickey and friends early in the evening, around 7:00 pm, lasts about 15 minutes. There’s a second celebration later, around 10:00 pm, called the Pirate Rockin’ Parlay Party, which features 30 minutes of a rowdy pirate band playing 80’s rock music. The Pirate Rockin’ Parlay Party ends with fireworks at sea.

Best Theme Park + Cruise Combination

Sometimes known as a land and sea vacation, the proximity of Port Canaveral to Walt Disney World makes combining two Disney vacations fairly easy. There’s even Disney transport from the Walt Disney World Resorts and Orlando International Airport .

If you’re interested in this type of vacation, you won’t find a shortage of cruises sailing from Port Canaveral, and I recommend you pick the one that aligns with your preferred dates versus trying to choose the best Disney cruise ship. They’re all pretty great, and if you select a cruise that sails to Castaway Cay (most cruises out of Port Canaveral do), it’s a double win.

So, What’s the Best Disney Cruise Ship?

It depends on who you ask. Disney Cruise Line definitely pulled out all the stops with the Disney   Wish . It’s shiny and new with the most bells and whistles, but does that make it the best? My favorite has always been the Disney Wonder . It was my first Disney Cruise, so there’s probably some nostalgia going on there. I like the smaller ships’ layouts the best, and I think Tiana’s Place has the best food.

The best is in the eye of the beholder.

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Character Dining on Disney Cruises: A Guide

If you’re planning a Disney Cruise with your family, one of the highlights will undoubtedly be character dining experiences. These unique character meals offer something for everyone, whether it’s meeting your favorite Disney princesses or participating in exciting rotational dining shows with characters. This guide will explore the different facets of character dining on Disney Cruises.

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What are Character Meals on Disney Cruises? An Overview

Disney cruises are renowned for their magical character dining events, where the enchantment of Disney is served right at your table. Whether it’s the sparkle in a child’s eyes when they see their favorite princess or the excitement of a Frozen-themed feast, these experiences are thrilling for kids and adults alike.

It’s important to note that many character dining experiences on Disney cruise ships are more show-based , contrasting with the one-on-one interactions at places like Chef Mickey’s or Cinderella’s Royal Table in the Disney theme parks . So, those expecting a traditional park-style dining encounter might find the shipboard experience slightly different (or even underwhelming). If one-on-one character time is important to you, be sure to select one of the experiences that specifically offers that.

Here’s a rundown of the character meals:

• Special Character Dining Events: Disney Cruise Line hosts dining with princesses and Frozen characters, with photos and interactions. Magical décor and kid-friendly menus provide an immersive experience. Reservations are required, and these are not included in the fare.
• Rotational Dining Shows with Characters: These dinner shows transform mealtime into a spectacle. Draw a character that later dances with Disney icons or indulge in Frozen-themed fun. Animator’s Palate is a prime example, offering an innovative twist on character engagement. These character dinners are included with your fare.
• Disney Character Breakfasts (Limited) : These breakfasts, once a cherished tradition on 7-night and longer voyages, have been discontinued since the COVID pandemic . However, there is an offering that is almost like a traditional Disney character breakfast on sailings which feature a PIXAR Day at Sea . And Disney Cruise Line still offers various other character experiences throughout the ship.

Whether it’s lunch with Elsa or a dinner show with Mickey, Disney Cruise Line’s character dining caters to everyone’s taste.

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• A dedicated Disney travel planner to handle all aspects of your trip.
• Personalized service and invaluable advice for smooth, stress-free planning.
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• They offer the lowest fares and the best customer experience .
• The services of The Vacationeer are free !

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List of Character Dining Experiences on Disney Cruises

1. royal court royal tea.

Note that the above is an older video and some elements may have changed

The Royal Court Royal Tea offers a magical dining experience for young princesses and princes aged 3-12.

• Location : Disney Magic , Disney Wonder , Disney Dream , and Disney Fantasy .
• Cost : $220 per child (includes gifts), $69 for ages 13-17 and adults. Accompanying adults are required.
• The Royal Treatment : Meet Lady Chamomile, Chef Brule, and all your favorite Disney princesses. Enjoy whimsical teatime in a storybook setting adorned with sparkling chandeliers and fanciful icons. Join the fun as the Royal Tea Hostess and Royal Pastry Chef sing, dance, and share stories. Experience an exclusive meet-and-greet with Disney princesses.
• A Regal Feast : Enjoy a lavish feast with herbal teas and two delicious courses – one sweet and one savory. In most cases, Disney can accommodate dietary needs with advance notice.
• Happily Ever After : Children receive distinguished princess or knight-themed gifts for a truly enchanted experience. It’s a fantasy come true!
• Reservations : Reserve online before your cruise, and please indicate any special dietary needs at the time of booking. For a hassle-free planning experience, work with The Vacationeer .

Image © Disney

Our Review : The Royal Tea Party was an extraordinary experience. Meeting Belle, Cinderella, and other princesses brought joy to our 5-year-old, Ava. The tea party treats were delicious and cute, making for a truly magical memory. Is it worth it? There’s no denying that the cost makes it a splurge. Although it was expensive, Ava found it well worth it!

2. Olaf’s Royal Picnic

For families with children aged 3-12 who enjoy summer fun, Olaf’s Royal Picnic offers an unforgettable Disney character dining experience, set in the heart of the magical Arendelle Castle.

• Location : Disney Wish
• Cost : $220 per child (includes gifts), $69 for adults. All attendees are included in the celebration.
• The Ever-So-Regal Summertime Celebration : Join Olaf, Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and the lively Arendellian host in a one-of-a-kind picnic. Behold the splendor of summer with vibrant flowers and sunflowers adorning the Castle, transforming it into an indoor summertime meadow. Enjoy an afternoon of melodies, treats, and merriment as the Castle Staff serves a delightful picnic feast.
• A Scrumptious Picnic : Savor fresh, flavorful summertime treats. Dietary restrictions? Most needs can be accommodated with advance notice, ensuring everyone enjoys the meal.
• All Good Things, All Good Things! : Every child receives unique Olaf-themed gifts such as headwear, a cinch bag, a mandolin, troll plush, and more. As Olaf would say, they are “all good things” and make for cherished keepsakes.
• Reservations : Book your spots before your cruise. Remember to mention any special dietary needs for a seamless experience.

Our Review : Olaf’s Royal Picnic was a hit with our friend Zach’s daughter, who is an Olaf fan. The indoor summertime meadow setting, lively character interactions, and delightful menu impressed both the Samantha and Zach. The thoughtfully curated gifts added a special touch! In Zach’s opinion, it was well worth the price – the unforgettable memories and joys shared are well worth the money.

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3. Animator’s Palate

For families and art and animation enthusiasts of all ages, Animator’s Palate offers a magical dining spectacle that’s unlike any other, featuring your favorite Disney and Disney·Pixar characters in an interactive show.

• Location : Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, and Disney Fantasy.
• Cost : Included in your Disney Cruise Line fare
• Drawn to the Magic : Following an on-screen show highlighting some of the great moments of Disney’s animated films, Sorcerer Mickey appears in real-life, sweeping through the dining room for a brief appearance. Fans of Fantasmic! at Disney World or Disneyland might even recognize the music during the finale.
• Animation Magic : Enjoy a solely on-screen appearance by Mickey and seize the opportunity to draw your own characters that come to life on the screen – a unique and engaging touch that turns you into an animator.
• Undersea Magic : Engage in an on-screen interaction with Crush from Finding Nemo in a performance mirroring EPCOT’s Turtle Talk with Crush . It’s an ocean of fun!
• A Diverse Culinary Palette : Delight in a menu rich in Pacific Island foods, Asian dishes, and California cuisine. An exciting fusion of flavors complements the engaging dinner shows.
• Interactive Character Experience : Though character interactions are fairly minor, the creative integration of animations and the ability to draw your own characters make the dining experience thoroughly enjoyable and memorable.
• Reservations : Check dining rotations on your cruise itinerary.

Crush chats with diners during Undersea Magic

Our Review : Animator’s Palate was an unexpected highlight of our cruise. Our children were thrilled by the animations, drawing their own characters, and the surprise appearance of beloved characters like Mickey. The menu’s diversity appealed to everyone in our family. Animator’s Palate isn’t just a meal; it’s an artistic and magical dining adventure that adds a splash of creativity and fun to our cruise experience.

4. Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure

Oaken, Elsa, and Olaf lead a toast to celebrate Anna and Kristoff’s engagement

For Frozen enthusiasts of all ages, Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure is an immersive experience not to be missed.

A stage in-the-round is the centerpiece of the Frozen-themed restaurant

• Cost : Included in your cruise fare.
• A Celebration of Love and Friendship : Attend Queen Anna and Kristoff’s engagement celebration! With invisible fiber optics, panoramic windows transforming into the Aurora Borealis, and true-to-scale puppetry of Olaf, the dining room itself is a theatrical wonder.
• Norwegian Feast : Indulge in Norwegian-inspired dishes like Elsa’s Royal Baked Scallops, Sven’s Favorite Carrot Soup, and Arendelle Kjottkake (meatballs) from Oaken’s “Hearty Party Planning Service… and Sauna.” Don’t miss the delectable dessert offerings like Norwegian Pancake Roulade.
• Live Entertainment Extravaganza : Witness live performances from Elsa, Olaf, and other Frozen characters. Even Wandering Oaken makes an appearance! Sing-alongs, table crafts, and a grand finale ensure an interactive and engaging dining experience.

The happy couple poses for photos with Guests

Our Review : Jaimie and I appreciated the blend of familiar and adventurous food choices. Ben was ecstatic to interact with his favorite Frozen characters, while Ava was mesmerized by the magical environment. The quality of character entertainment and interactions was in a class by itself, far surpassing traditional character meals. The characters’ visits to our table , live musical performances, and the extraordinary setting made for a memorable dining experience for all of us. Even us jaded adults enjoyed it. The Arendelle experience was a highlight of our cruise, providing a delightful and immersive Frozen experience. It’s a must-do for any Frozen fans!

5. Worlds of Marvel Restaurant

For fans of the Marvel universe and superhero adventures, the Worlds of Marvel dining experience is an immersive and thrilling escapade not to be overlooked.

Ant-Man and The Wasp drop in

• A Larger-Than-Life Experience : Join a mission with Ant-Man and The Wasp, and witness a thrilling cinematic dining experience. The interactive Quantum Core device at your table will pull you into the adventure, while the décor and technology are inspired by the Avengers Headquarters.
• Marvel-ous Dishes : Savor an innovative menu inspired by iconic Marvel locations, including dishes like Widow’s Bite cocktail, Steamed Bao Buns, Ricotta Gnocchi, and Subatomic Sticky Date Pudding – a culinary nod to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
• Superhero Action and Adventure : Participate in a live-action mission with Ant-Man, The Wasp, and other Marvel Super Heroes. Engage in hands-on demonstrations, video visits, and unexpected villain encounters – a supercharged experience with surprises of all shapes and sizes.

You’ll need the Quantum Core device on your table in the event that something goes awry during dinner.

Our Review : Jaimie and I were impressed by the innovative technology and engaging Marvel-themed adventure. It felt like we were part of a Marvel movie, assisting Ant-Man and The Wasp to avert a crisis. Ben, being a Marvel fan, found this dining experience thoroughly entertaining. The food was good, and the décor was impressive, though not as magical as Arendelle. Ava found the experience fun but was not as engaged as she was at the Frozen-themed restaurant.

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6. Rapunzel’s Royal Table

For fans of Disney’s “Tangled,” Rapunzel’s Royal Table is an unforgettable dining adventure filled with enchantment and delight.

• Location : Disney Magic
• A Feast Fit for Royalty : Indulge in a menu of classic American favorites and international flavors such as ravioli stuffed with pulled beef, pan-seared sea bass filet, and desserts like crème brûlée cheesecake and towering chocolate cake. For true Tangled aficionados, don’t miss the angel hair pasta braided with caramelized sea scallops.
• A Joyous Celebration : Enter the kingdom of Corona for a joyous celebration of Rapunzel’s birthday. The royal ballroom’s glowing wish lanterns and colorful drawings set the stage for live entertainment, including singing, dancing, and appearances by Rapunzel, Flynn Rider, and the mischievous Snuggly Duckling Thugs.
• Interactive Experience : The dinner event includes a song-and-dance and brief table visits by the characters, making you feel part of the story. The spirited parade capping off the night ensures an engaging and festive experience for all.

Our Review : Rapunzel’s Royal Table was a dream come true for our daughter Ava, who adores Rapunzel. The characters stayed in their roles perfectly, adding to the magic. My wife and I appreciated the superb service and elegance of the event. Though the food was good, it was secondary to the immersive experience. Between the visual wonders, lively entertainment, and regal setting, the night was filled with fairy tale magic, making it an essential part of our Disney cruise.

7. Tiana’s Place

For those seeking a joyous and lively celebration of southern charm, Tiana’s Place offers an unforgettable experience, complete with live jazz and iconic storytelling.

• Location : Disney Wonder
• Bounty from the Bayou : Savor Creole and Cajun cuisine like New Orleans Seafood Pepper Pot, Cajun-spiced sea bass, and delightful desserts like Tiana’s Buttermilk Beignets and New Orleans Banana Foster Sundae.
• A Swinging Supper Club : Step into a festive New Orleans-style family gala with toe-tapping live jazz that brings The Princess and the Frog to life. Experience genteel southern charm in a vivid, brightly lit restaurant where they celebrate Mardi Gras nightly.
• Character Engagement : Tiana’s Place on Disney Wonder has appearances by Tiana and Louis (the trumpeting alligator). We briefly said hello to Tiana at the entrance, but I don’t recall much at-the-table interaction during the dinner.

Our Review : Jaimie and I were transported into the enchanting world of New Orleans at Tiana’s Place. The jazzy atmosphere and playful interactions with Tiana and Prince Naveen made for a lively evening. We delighted in the flavorful Cajun dishes, and the Buttermilk Beignets were a standout dessert that we both loved. The blend of live music, storytelling, and southern charm created a festive and unique dining experience. We can’t wait to share this magical experience with our kids in the future!

8. Hey Howdy Breakfast with Woody and Friends

For Pixar enthusiasts eager to join the fun, the Hey Howdy Breakfast offers a thrilling experience with Woody and his friends.

• Location : Animator’s Palate — offered only on cruises featuring a PIXAR Day at Sea.
• Cost : Included in your cruise fare, but reservations are required
• A Special Not-Quite-A-Character-Breakfast Dining Event : Though character breakfasts on Disney Cruise Line have been discontinued, this new experience brings Woody, Jessie, and Bullseye to life in a unique way. Savor a breakfast feast while enjoying an interactive show from the stage. No face-to-face meetings are required (or offered), though the characters may pass relatively close by your table during the meal. It’s important to note that Disney is very careful not to call this a “character breakfast,” so don’t expect the same type of one-on-one attention you might get at, say, Chef Mickey’s.
• Live Entertainment Extravaganza : The Hey Howdy Breakfast is more than a meal. Woody appears on stage with his pals to sing, dance, and interact with guests from “on stage.” This creates a lively, engaging atmosphere that goes beyond the typical dining experience.
• Reservations : Must reserve in advance; no walk-ups.

Our Review : We haven’t had the opportunity to try the Hey Howdy Breakfast with Woody and Friends yet, but the idea of breakfast with some of Pixar’s most beloved characters sounds like fun! The blend of delicious food and innovative, interactive entertainment offers a unique twist on the traditional character meal, and it’s on our list for the next Disney Fantasy cruise.

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Disney Character Dining: Pros and Cons

• Unique Interactions : Enjoy memorable and sometimes personal interactions with your favorite Disney characters.
• Extended Time with Characters : Dinner shows provide more time to see characters compared to brief meet-and-greets.
• Smart Use of Time : Seeing characters during meals at restaurants lets you “multitask,” freeing up more leisure time on the rest of your cruise.
• Engaging Storytelling : Experience the fun and engaging Disney storytelling during your meal.
• Themed Menus : Savor delicious meals inspired by the characters’ worlds, adding to the immersion.
• Family Fun : An entertaining and joyous activity for the whole family to enjoy together.
• Included in Cruise Fare : Most character dining experiences are part of the standard dining schedule and included in your Disney cruise fare , meaning no additional cost.
• Additional Costs for Some Events : Select character dining experiences require an additional payment on top of your cruise fare.
• Fixed Dining Times : The scheduled dining times might not align with everyone’s preferences or needs.
• Potential Distraction for Children : The excitement of character interactions might distract some children from eating their meals.
• Possibly Loud and Busy : Depending on the event, the environment can be a bit loud and bustling, which might not suit all guests.

Tips for Disney Character Meals

• Know the Schedule : Familiarize yourself with the dining times and character appearances to plan your day accordingly.
• Bring a Camera : Don’t forget to capture the memories with photographs. Many dining experiences also have official photographers on hand.
• Consider Dietary Restrictions : If anyone in your party has dietary restrictions, make sure to notify the cruise line or your travel agent in advance.
• Prepare Your Children : If your kids are shy or apprehensive around characters, prepare them beforehand so they know what to expect.
• Understand the Costs : Determine what’s included in your cruise fare and what might require additional payment to avoid surprises.
• Manage Expectations : Explain how the character dining works to your kids so they know what to expect (i.e., sometimes there is no meet-and-greet).
• Enjoy the Experience : Engage with the characters, participate in the activities, and immerse yourself in the experience. This total participation will make it fun for everyone!

Will Disney Character Breakfasts Return to the Ships?

Disney Cruise Line’s character breakfasts were discontinued during the COVID pandemic and have not returned. There is a possibility that this beloved experience may make a complete return to Disney Cruise Line in the future. The appearance of the Hey Howdy Breakfast with Woody and Friends — which is almost a character breakfast — is certainly a positive sign.

Meeting Disney Characters on Disney Cruises (Outside of Dining)

Apart from character dining experiences, you can meet and greet your favorite characters at common areas, special gatherings, and themed cruises. Character appearances vary by sailing, so consult your schedule to enjoy these magical opportunities!

Is Character Dining Worth It on Disney Cruise Line?

Character dining on Disney Cruises offers both included experiences and paid events with beloved Disney characters. Whether it’s worth it depends on your family’s preferences, budget, and the ages and interests of your children .

The included character dining is a definite Disney must, providing unique interactions and immersive storytelling.

The paid events, although expensive, can be amazing experiences for youngsters who adore the characters involved.

Consult with a Disney travel agent for questions or assistance in deciding or booking your VIP character dining experiences.

Plan Your Dream Disney Cruise Vacation with The Vacationeer

Embark on an enchanting Disney Cruise Line adventure with T he Vacationeer , our Diamond-Level official partner. As an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner , they offer:

• Personalized Planning : Customize your dining experiences, shore excursions , and stateroom on a Disney cruise according to your budget and preferences.
• Savings : Receive up to $1,000 in onboard credits, Disney cruise discounts for Florida residents , tips for saving money on Disney cruises , and more.
• Stress-Free Experience : Benefit from transportation to ports, insider tips on Disney Castaway Cay and Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, and other valuable advice.
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Whether you’re seeking a budget-friendly option or a luxurious concierge-level suite, The Vacationeer manages every detail for a magical cruise. Their expert guidance, dedication, and complimentary services ensure your cruise planning is stress-free and efficient.

Contact The Vacationeer now and begin planning an unforgettable Disney Cruise Line adventure! Trust Jaimie when she says, “It will make your life so much easier, and you’ll love the onboard credit!”

Explore Further with Our Disney Cruise Line Guides

Dive into our pages dedicated to Disney Cruise Line, filled with insights and information on the unique aspects of cruising with Disney. Explore guides on:

• Dining experiences, such as “ Food on Disney Cruises ,” “ Rotational Dining on Disney Cruises ,” and “ Specialty Dining on Disney Cruises .”
• Valuable comparisons like “ The Best Cruise Ships for Kids ” or “ Disney Cruise vs. Royal Caribbean .”

Stay in the loop with the most current Disney Cruise Line itineraries, departure cities, and sailing dates for 2023, 2024 , and 2025 :

• Disney Cruises to Alaska
• Disney Cruises in Europe
• Disney Cruises from Fort Lauderdale
• Disney Cruises from Galveston
• Disney Cruises to Hawaii
• Disney Cruises from New Orleans
• Disney Cruises from New York
• Disney Cruises from Miami
• Disney Cruises from Port Canaveral
• Disney Cruises from San Diego

Happy cruising, and may your voyage be filled with magic!

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Pros and Cons of Disney Cruise Line Dinner Seating Times: Early vs. Late

For dinner on Disney Cruise Line, guests are assigned to one of two seating times, which they will have for the entirety of their sailing — you’ll eat dinner at the same time every night. For sailings originating from U.S. and Canadian ports, seatings are typically at 5:45 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. For sailings originating in Europe, seatings are typically at 6:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

Every sailing offers counter-programming that corresponds to the dinner times – shows in the theater that match the dinner hours. So if you have the 5:45 early dinner, you’ll be able to watch the 8:00 stage show, and vice versa.

When you book your cruise, you’ll be asked to select your preference for earlier or later dinner seating. Many folks new to cruising are intimidated by this choice. Which is better? How will it impact the rest of the cruise? How do you decide?

There are some factors to think about as you make your decision. Some of the considerations that are Pros for one guest may be strong Cons for another guest. So rather than present a pure Pro/Con list, I’m listing things to think about – and you can decide if these items feel Pro or Con to you.

• Are you coming from a culture where dining early or late is particularly important to you? It’s worth noting that on U.S. cruises, the early seating tends to “sell out” more quickly and on European cruises, the late seating fills more quickly. Many Europeans think that even 8:30 is too early and consider 6:00 to be basically late lunch.
• Are you coming from a time zone where it will be more or less challenging to have a particular dining time? Guests who live on the U.S. west coast sailing from Port Canaveral or Miami may also find that the early seating feels like lunch rather than dinner. East coast guests sailing out of San Diego or Vancouver may find the late seating challenging.
• Do you have any medical issues that will impact the time you eat? For example: Do you have acid reflux or other issues that mean you need to eat your last meal of the day several hours before bedtime? Do you consume a medication that must be taken on a full, or empty, stomach at a particular time.
• Do you have a child who will be asleep during the later dinner seating? Many young children simply cannot stay awake past 7:30 or 8:00 p.m. If you want them to eat dinner with you in the main dining rooms, then the late seating may be untenable. On the other hand, if you really want them to see the theatrical performances, then you have option to feed the kiddos room service or pool deck quick service rather than a full sit-down meal.
• Are you picky about where you sit in the main theater? Early diners will be able to see the second staging of the mainstage show, but may not get there quickly enough to snag a particular seating area. If you’re particular about your location, opt for late dinner so that you can be first to line up for the early show.
• Are you OK with your family members consuming a substantial snack during the late afternoon? Folks who are used to eating early at home may be fine adapting to the late seating if they have a substantial snack in the late afternoon to stave off the hangriness. ( Hello room service cheese plate. ) But if you have rules about between meal eating or are trying to limit overall calories, this may be less of an option for you.
• Do you have any long port adventures (on-shore excursions) planned that will get you back to the ship close to, or after, the early dinner time? If you have land-based plans that will get you back to the ship late, you may want to opt for the later dinner seating.
• Will you want to shower/change prior to dinner? If you’re staying on the ship you may want to be able to spend every possible moment at the pool. If you want to do this, and shower, and change before dinner, the later seating might better suit you. Even if you just like to dress up for dinner in general, you want more time to do this.
• Do you want a slightly quieter dinner atmosphere? While there are young kids at both seatings, there are likely to be more kiddos at the earlier seating, making the late seating a bit quieter.
• Will you be enjoying Palo, Remy, or Enchante brunch? Brunch at these venues are substantial, multi-course meals. If you’re have late mid-day adult meals, you might want more ample time to digest than the early seating would allow.
• How long is your sailing? You may be able to easily cope with a slightly sub-optimal dining time if you’re on a quick 3-night sailing. Or, if you’re on a 12-night voyage, you may feel that you have ample time to adapt to either option,
• Will you actually be dining in the rotational restaurants? Some guests on 3-night sailings may be able to book dinners at both Palo and Remy or Enchante and will opt for room service or poolside dining on their third night on board, making moot the question of which main dining room seating to select.
• Do you care when you eat breakfast during disembarkation day? The time of your last breakfast is related to your dinner seating assignment. Early dinner eats early breakfast and late dinner eats a later breakfast. If you want to sleep a bit more on your last day and won’t be running to catch a plane, then selecting late dinner may help your situation.
• Do you eat slowly? Some guests find that they’re less rushed during the second seating because the servers don’t have to immediately turn over their table.

Depending on how far out you book, one or the other seating time may not be available. If your seating preference is not open, you can request an alternate seating time by joining the waitlist on the My Reservations section of the DCL website. I’ve gotten off the waitlist for my preferred seating a few times.

If you don’t make it off the waitlist before you sail, stop by guest services when you’re on the ship and they may be able to help you. There may be another party who wants the opposite assignment and Guest Services may be able to swap you.

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Erin Foster

Erin Foster is an original member of the Walt Disney World Moms Panel (now PlanDisney), a regular contributor to TouringPlans.com, and co-author of The Unofficial Guide to Disney Cruise Line. She's been to WDW, DL, DL Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland, Aulani, DVC Vero Beach, and DVC Hilton Head. She's a Platinum DCL cruiser and veteran of 10 Adventures by Disney trips. Erin lives near New York City, where she can often be found indulging in her other obsession - Broadway theater.

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Disney Cruise Line Tips for First Timers

D isney Cruises can be so much fun for families. In addition to the daily port visits, you will also enjoy activities, shows, fun kids’ clubs, delicious food, character greetings, shopping, and so much more.

If you are headed out on your first Disney Cruise Line cruise, you’ll definitely want to be prepared. Preparing for a cruise can often be stressful for families, especially if you aren’t sure what to expect. Since we absolutely want you to have the best experience, here are a collection of Disney Cruise Line tips for first timers.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, and purchasing and/or clicking on some of the links (or calling the number) may result in a commission paid to us at no additional cost to you. We’ve been on a media preview cruise and two cruises as part of Disney Social Media Moms (as well as 12+ cruises that I paid for on my own). All opinions are my own.

Book Your Disney Cruise

First, you’ll want to book your cruise. If you really aren’t sure what to do, it’s a good idea to go with a Disney travel agent, who can help you remember key dates (for final payments, etc). Otherwise, you can book directly through Disney. You’ll need to research sailing dates, ships, itineraries, and stateroom categories before you book.

When booking a Disney Cruise, I recommend booking with Get Away Today. Plus, when you mention Family Travel Magazine, you get an extra $25 on board credit! Give their agents a call at 877-510-2929.

Think about the type of experience you want to have. Obviously, an Alaskan cruise is much different than a Caribbean cruise. For a first cruise, I like the Disney Wish 3-day itinerary. It’s a good way to get started cruising, without too much risk. Many families even combine that agenda with a Walt Disney World trip for a Disney land and sea vacation .

Disney Cruise Line currently has five ships (the Dream, the Fantasy, the Wish, the Magic, and the Dream). While these ships do vary in size and amenities, I would generally recommend starting with the itinerary you want to go, rather than the ship.

You’ll also have your choice of staterooms. My family typically books a family stateroom with verandah. I like being able to stand out on the verandah throughout the day, and it also extends the room a bit. Other options include interior, oceanview (but no balcony), and concierge rooms.

When you book, you’ll also choose a seating time for dinner. I prefer the earlier time when traveling with my kids. Be sure to select a time when booking your cruise, and if your preferred time isn’t available, you can get on the waitlist.

Research Your Disney Cruise 

After you’ve paid your deposit, it’s a good idea to do some research – about the ship, and the ports of call. You’ll find that there are so many excursions offered, and you’ll want to book them ahead of time because they do fill up.

Keep in mind the ages of your kids – some of the excursions are definitely too challenging for younger kids, but the Disney Cruise Line website does a fantastic job showing that info. You should also research the different entertainment and dining options available on board, that way you know exactly what to expect.

Remember that you don’t have to do an excursion in every port, if you don’t want to. There’s always the option to explore on your own, or to stay on the ship.

In Grand Cayman , for instance, I booked a day stay at a hotel on Seven Mile Beach. I contacted the hotel directly for that, and just took a cab to and from our destination. Just keep in mind that you’ll be responsible for getting yourself back to the ship in time at the end of the day. If you don’t want to be worried about that, booking an official excursion is your best option.

Book Hotel, Airfare, and Transportation

I always recommend arriving the night before sailing if you are flying into your port of call. That will help avoid the potential of flight delays.

If flying into Orlando International Airport , I like to stay at the  Hyatt Regency Orlando Airport  (see the  reviews on TripAdvisor  and book here ). You should also plan transportation to the port.

When we sail out of Port Canaveral , I prefer to take the Disney shuttles, which makes it nice and easy. Port Miami and Port Everglades (in Fort Lauderdale) are very close to the respective airports, which makes it easy to get there.

Check In For Your Disney Cruise

As a first-timer, you’ll be able to check-in 75 days before sailing. Disney Castaway Club members are able to check in earlier, which means that you may find some excursions that are already booked up by the time you check-in.

I definitely recommend that you already know which excursions you want, so you can book them right after checking in. Prepare a second and third choice option as well.

At this time, you’ll also fill out the guest information form, the payment authorization form for your on board purchases, and some other forms. If you need special services when on board, this is the time to request them.

You can also book certain on board experiences, like a meal at Palo. Because you’ll be one of the last to check in, you’ll want to do it right when your booking window opens. Your cruise will have to be all paid off before you are able to book anything.

Prep Door Decorations and Fish Extenders

If you aren’t aware, many Disney Cruise Line guests participate in a fun little unofficial program called  Fish Extenders . Essentially, you get together with other families and swap little gifts throughout your cruise. It’s completely optional, but can be a fun thing to do. My fish extender post contains all of the information that you need to know.

In addition, many families decorate their stateroom doors, so you’ll want to check out my post on decorating your Disney Cruise Line stateroom door  if you are interested in doing that.

Most families do some form of decorating, so you’ll probably want to do at least something. It’s a good way to be able to identify your door among the sea of doors that look exactly the same.

A relatively new tradition on cruise ships (not just Disney) is cruise ducks. It’s completely unofficial, but some guests hide rubber ducks on the ship for others to find. You can learn more about cruise ducks on this post.

Shop Before Your Trip and Pack Appropriately

There are shops on the ship, but they aren’t open when the ship is in port, and they have a limited selection of merchandise. So, you’ll want to have everything you need in your suitcase . Be sure to pack any medications you definitely need, as well as anything that you may potentially need on your trip.

Bags are delivered throughout the afternoon and evening, so you’ll want to pack a day bag for the first day on the Disney Cruise Line . We typically put essentials, sunscreen, medications, electronics, and evening dinner apparel in our day bag.

That way, if our suitcases don’t show up before dinner, we are still prepared. We also put our door decorations in that day bag so we can start decorating right away.

You won’t be able to get in your room until the early afternoon, so you won’t want your day bag to be too heavy. If your kids are older, you may want everyone in your family to carry a small backpack to spread out the weight.

If you are traveling to a warm weather destination, you may find yourself wearing a bathing suit much of the day. In that case, you may not need as many daily clothing items as you’d expect.

We often rewear things on a longer cruise because we aren’t wearing them for more than a few hours. Overpacking isn’t a big deal – but keep in mind that there isn’t tons of space in your stateroom.

If your ship will have a pirate night , you may want to bring pirate apparel. It’s totally optional, but many guests do dress up. We never dress up for pirate night, but we are generally in the minority. You’ll see all levels of pirate dress, from t-shirts and bandanas to full costumes.

Bring whatever you are comfortable in. Kids may like to have glow sticks for pirate night as well.

There are a few cruise specific things you may want to bring. The doors in the room are magnetic, and along with door decorations, I like to bring magnetic hooks.

That gives us a few places to hang wet clothes beyond the shower. I bought ours at the Container Store, but these from Amazon.com are similar. You may also want to purchase autograph books in advance. They are also available on the ship, but shops don’t open on the first day until after you set sail.

If you are participating in a fish extender exchange , in addition to your gifts, you’ll want to buy or make a fish extender. There are lots of options on Etsy. Fish extenders can be as deluxe or as basic as your want. I’ve seen some people use a tote bag, while others have personalized, embroidered fish extenders.

Activities on the Ship

Even if your kids don’t generally love kids’ clubs, they’ll probably love the clubs on the Disney Cruise Line. As a result you may find yourself with some free time.

When you book at the activities available to book on the app, you’ll probably see some availability for beverage seminars. These are adult-only, and include martini tasting, wine tasting, and mixology. I’ve done most of them, and we always enjoy them.

During your cruise, you’ll be using the Disney Cruise Line app often. You’ll want to download that while you are still able to access cellular data. The app includes a daily schedule, menus, and information about the various ports of call on the trip.

You can also communicate with other passengers on the ship using the app, even if you don’t purchase WiFi or have cellular service turned on. My family regularly uses the app to communicate because it’s a great way to keep in touch as we head in different directions throughout the day.

Disney’s Castaway Club

Once you’ve completely your first sailing on the Disney Cruise Line, you’ll be a member of Disney’s Castaway Club. Castaway Club members receive a lanyard at check in.

For your first sailing, you won’t receive one. They are pretty handy to have, however, so you may want to bring a regular lanyard or purchase one on board to hold your Key to the World card.

Disney Cruise Line is rolling out MagicBand use on the ships. These are optional, and you do have to purchase them separately.

You won’t have to sign up to become a member of the Castaway Club – it just happens when you complete your first sailing. There are four levels of the club, and you’ll get different perks and benefits as you sail more times.

What’s Included on a Disney Cruise Line trip

As you budget for your Disney Cruise Line trip, you’ll probably want to know what’s included. Alcohol, packaged snacks, premium coffee, popcorn, excursions, premium meals (in Remy, Enchante, and Palo), photos, the spa, and the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique all cost extra. If you don’t prepay your tips, you’ll do that on board as well.

To know what to expect on your first day, be sure to read this post .

More Disney Cruise Ships Resources: Click to read more about the Disney Cruise Line ships including restaurants, tips, itineraries, activities, and more.

The post Disney Cruise Line Tips for First Timers appeared first on Family Travel Magazine .

Is Disney Ditching Theme Parks For New Project? New Report Says “Yes”

in Disney Parks

Earlier this week, rumors started spreading that Disney has invested in a new leisure project – one totally unrelated to theme parks.

With five resorts across the world (six, if you count Tokyo Disney Resort, which Disney doesn’t technically own), Disney knows what it’s doing in the theme park industry . The Walt Disney Company rakes in billions from its parks in Anaheim, Orlando, Paris, Hong Kong, and Shanghai every year and pours nearly as much back into each location to sustain interest (and spending) from parkgoers.

Over the next decade, Disney plans to invest a whopping $60 billion into its parks and experiences. This also covers the Disney Cruise Line, which has brand-new ships in the works.

On Monday, it was claimed that a whole new venture also plays a part in Disney’s experience spending spree.

A report from Unofficial Network said that Disney has acquired premier ski resort company Vail Resorts, Inc. Disney CEO Bob Iger was quoted as saying: “Today marks a historic moment for The Walt Disney Corporation as we welcome Vail Resorts into our family.”

He also apparently added: “Our vision is to transform these destinations into year-round family adventures, where the enchantment of Disney and the thrill of the mountains meet.”

This wouldn’t be Disney’s first attempt to get into the ski industry. Back in the 1960s, the company hoped to build its own ski resort in the existing Mineral King section of Sequoia National Park . The project had blueprints, a budget, and even an official announcement. “Walt’s plan for the picturesque area, located about equidistant from Los Angeles and San Francisco, provides for year-round recreational activities by people of all ages and athletic abilities,” the Spring 1966 issue of Disney News teased.

Activists were vocally against the project and staged several protests and “hike-ins.” Ultimately, the Mineral King project was canceled in 1978 due to a myriad of factors, including the budget being slashed to just $15 million, the California State Legislations decision to remove the all-season access road, the death of Walt Disney – whose personal love of skiing drove the project – in 1966, and the costly opening of Walt Disney World in 1971.

This wouldn’t be the first time that Disney has expressed interest in ditching show business for snow business. However, the reality is that reports of Disney purchasing Vail Resorts are entirely false, having spread via Reddit and several other news sites off the back of an April Fool’s joke. While Mickey Mouse may one day take to the slopes, that day isn’t coming any time soon, so let’s lay these rumors to rest now.

Would you visit a Disney ski resort? Let us know in the comments!