Ship discounts, carpet compasses, what you can’t bring onto the ship, and how early you need to make your reservations. There’s so much to the Disney Cruise Line that you might not know about. But we’re here to fill ya in on all things DCL! 

We’ve got the ultimate list of things you’ll need to know before cruising with Disney — including the basics, the insider tips, and the secrets that’ll make ya go, “Huh. Wow — I never THOUGHT about THAT before.” 

Thinking about cruising with Disney in the near future? Then make sure to download our FREE Disney Cruise Line Packing Checklist — which features an extensive guide to everything you need to have packed and ready to go before you ever step foot on any of the ships. You can print it out to take with you or save it on your phone for quick access. 

Download The App

Much like you need to download the My Disney Experience App for a Disney World vacation, or the Disneyland App for a Disneyland vacation, it’s important to download the Disney Cruise Line Navigator App months before the start of the trip.

Initially, the app will show you a trip countdown, along with your payment summary, online check-in feature, and trip modification options.  But once you climb aboard, the Navigator App will be your go-to guide to make sure you’re in the know about what’s happening on the ship at all times.

The app will be able to tell you things like:

1. Where character meet and greets are happening
2. When deck parties will kick off
3. And what your itinerary for the day looks like (based around your pre-registered activities too — which we’ll talk more about later on)

The app also has an onboard chat feature, so you can easily message the other people in your cruising group and keep tabs on where everyone is. 

Get Your Passport NOW. RIGHT NOW. 

Have you gotten a passport for your DCL trip yet? If not, stop everything and GO do that ASAP.

According to The Department of State website, there is a high demand for passports right now — making the average processing times currently 10-13 weeks for standard applications and 7-9 weeks for expedited applications.

So if you don’t yet have a passport, you’ll need to make sure to plan on getting one months before your cruise. (I’d even go so far as to recommend applying for one half a year out, just to give yourself plenty of processing time.) You can usually apply for a passport at government offices near you — so check on where and when you can apply and get ‘er done!

Don’t Get Off The Ship Without THESE Things…

Your cruise doesn’t just take place on the ship. You’ll be able to get out at a couple (or a few) ports of call during your trip to do some exploring. But every time you leave the ship, make sure you take your key card and ID with you. You’ll need both of these to get back onto the ship — so don’t leave them behind in the room!

If you do happen to leave your key card back in the room on accident, you’ll need to go to Guest Relations to have a new key card issued. (You can ask one of the Cast Members at the front of the ship out at port to help you pull this off!) 

(But this will deactivate your old key card — so don’t worry about taking the first one along with you everywhere when/if you find it again. Its job is done!) 

Book The Nursery In Advance 

If you’re looking to book a massage, or enjoy a nice dinner with your partner, or even just lounge by the adults-only pool undisturbed for a bit, you can take your baby (who falls between the ages of 6 months to 3 years) to the “it’s a small world” nursery onboard the ships.

Here’s the catch — this nursery does cost extra, and you will need to book it well in advance, once you’re able. (And, yes, the nursery does book up solid — so it’s best to make those ressies just as soon as you get the chance.)

There is a per-hour charge — with a minimum of 1 hour — and cancellation fees do apply if you cancel your arrangements without at least 4 hours’ notice

Parents are required to provide their own diapers, baby wipes, extra clothing/pajamas, pre-made bottles of milk/formula, baby food in jars, sippy cups, and security items such as blankets, pacifiers, and favorite toys. And everything should be labeled with the child’s name — just like any daycare or childcare facility you’d use back home. 

The nursery counselors use the chat feature in the Navigator app to communicate any needs or situations to the parents — so you don’t have to stress about continuously going back to check in on your baby once you’ve dropped them off. 

Kids/Tweens/Teens Clubs Are FREE

You know what you DON’T have to pay for? Kids/Tweens/Teens clubs! So let’s take a super-quick look at all the kids/teens options available across the ships!

Disney’s Oceaneer Club (Ages 3 to 12) starts off as a central hub that splits into different themed rooms with unique theming and activities going on in each. 

Which cruise you’re on will determine what kind of Oceaneer Club rooms kiddos can experience while onboard (but they CAN include areas themed like Andy’s Room, the Star Wars: Command Post, Marvel Superhero Academy, Pixie Hollow, Frozen Adventures, a Walt Disney Imagineering Lab, and several other immersive offerings that’ll make kids go “oooooh… aaaaaahh….”) 

Disney’s Oceaneer Lab (Ages 3 to 12) let’s kids explore their more creative sides with craft studios, media rooms, and other various artsy workshops. You’ll need to pre-register your kids (through the Disney Cruise Line website) for access to these sections of the kids clubs before your cruise, so they don’t miss out on all the artsy-fartsy fun! 

When you arrive on the ship, your kids will receive Oceaneer Bands — which will grant them access into both the Oceaneer Club AND Lab. Just make sure your kids are registered during the check-in process for your cruise reservation. (Don’t worry, Disney will prompt you when it’s time to get the youngins all signed up).

According to the Disney Cruise Line website, “Check-in is available beginning 30 days prior to your sailing date and can be accessed via the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app or by signing into your account on the Disney Cruise Line website.”

Edge (Ages 11-14) provides kids with a chance to hang out with other tweens/teens their age while getting the chance to play games, have dance or karaoke parties, and engage in counselor-led activities.

Vibe (Ages 14-17) is a club built with teens in mind, where technology and social media reign supreme. You’ve got giant screens (complete with surround sound) for watching films and concerts, non-alcoholic refreshments, and even a private deck area (if  you’re cruising on the Disney Dream or Fantasy, that is).

On the Disney Wish, tweens and teens can also enjoy Hideaway, a unique “third teen/tween space” adjacent to Vibe. It’s a sort of flex space that can be opened to the teen club or closed off for tween-only events. 

What Is the Best Age for a Disney Cruise?

The Kids Clubs Stay Open LATE

Once kids get to the Oceaneer Club, they may never wanna leave — which is why it’s nice to know that the typical hours for this exclusive kids club range between 9AM to midnight. According to the Disney website, the Oceaneer Clubs usually never close early — but on some mornings, they could open an hour or two later. 

Just keep an eye on your Navigator App, so you’ll know the exact Oceaneer Club times for each day of your cruise. 

Book Your Cruise As Early As Possible

You might think it wouldn’t matter when, exactly, you decide to go ahead and book your cruise — but it does. It really, really does. Generally speaking, the further away from your selected sail date you book your cruise, the better.

The Disney Cruise Line has tiered pricing, meaning you’ll find lower rates the earlier you book. Not only will you potentially save money by using this method (due to some limited-time savings opportunities that we’ll talk about later on), but booking early also increases the choice of staterooms you’ll have. 

Cruises tend to fill up closer to the sail date; so if you put off making a reservation, then you might be left with slim pickings (and, potentially, pricier stateroom options) when it comes to your accommodations.

The Best Times to Book Your Disney Cruise

Know When You Can Start Booking Extra Activities

Alright. Let’s go ahead and dive into the BIG stuff — when can you ACTUALLY start booking your port excursions, fancy dining opportunities, kids club activities, and (if you’re lucky) private cabanas?

When you get to book these extras, all depends on your Castaway Club Member Status. Now, don’t let this “club member” title throw ya off. You automatically become part of this club once you book your first cruise.

For first-time cruisers, you’ll be able to start booking those extra activities 75 days before your trip. However, the more you cruise, the sooner you’ll be able to start making reservations for things.

Silver Castaway Club Members (who have booked 2 to 5 sailings) can book activities 90 days out, gold members (who have booked 6-10 sailings) can book activities 105 days out, and platinum members (who have booked 11-25 sailings) can book activities 120 days out, and Pearl members(who have booked 26+ sailings) can book activities 123 days out  (Pearl and Platinum members have the BEST chances of getting those highly-coveted cabanas.) 

You can also book activities 120 days in advance if you’re staying in a concierge-level stateroom (which will ALSO give you exclusive access to the ship’s private lounge). 

What Is The Best Way To Book A Disney Cruise?

Booking A Cabana Is A STRUGGLE

Disney even admits on their website that booking a private family beach cabana on Castaway Cay is quite the feat. These cabanas are super popular with guests, and only have a limited number available at any given time. Beach cabanas can be pricey (ranging around $399- $1300, depending on the style you book), but IF you get a chance to purchase one, you’ll have your own personal space with private beach access, rental items at your disposal, and all-day concierge services. 

So how can you increase your chances of getting a cabana rental?

First off, you need to know the soonest time you’re allowed to start booking extra activities. As soon as the clock strikes midnight on the day you can start booking your extra activities, they’ll go live for you to start picking and choosing on the site and Navigator App. 

If you don’t get the cabana ressie you were hoping for (which, not to be a Debbie Downer or anything, but it’s very likely), then you can always go up to guest services on the day you board the ship to ask to be put on a cabana waitlist. This doesn’t guarantee you’ll be able to GET a cabana, but it still may be your best shot at getting one, regardless. 

And if you’re on a cruise that makes not just one, but TWO stops in Castaway Cay, you’ll have a little bit more of a chance to get a cabana the second time around. (Again — the odds can still be against you, depending on your “cruise status,” but double the Castaway Cay trips means double the opportunity.)

What Characters Are On Disney’s Castaway Cay?

You Can Book Beverage Tasting Seminars 

One of the MANY different activities you can book BEFORE your trip is a beverage tasting seminar — which is available on all five ships. Now, the TYPE of tasting seminars do vary from cruise to cruise, but you might be able to take part in a class that specializes in different spirits, such as rum, whiskey, tequila, bourbon, beer, or even a combo chocolate-and-liquor tasting, too. 

There are also mixology classes you can take part in where you’ll be able to make your very own cocktail (thanks to the bartender-lead workshops)

Not All Excursions Have To Be Disney-Specific 

Though it might be easiest (and most convenient) to book any of your port excursions directly through Disney, that’s not your only activity-booking option for overseas ports-of-call. Depending on where your port of call is, you can book third-party excursions, if you wish — which could take you around new areas that a Disney-specific excursion might not hit up (including unique places to sightsee, shop, scuba dive, etc. etc.)

Although these third part excursions are often cheaper than what Disney will offer you, there is one MAJOR downside to them. If your third-party excursion happens to run late, your Disney Cruise ship will NOT wait up for you. (Meaning you’ll have to find another way to get back home — and, man, would THAT put a damper on your trip.)

However, if your DISNEY excursion runs later than expected? The ship will hang tight until you’re safe and sound back onboard. 

Get A Fine Dining Reservations At The Last Minute (Possibly)

Let’s say you wanna book a nice meal for one night of your cruise — yet all the tables are already booked by the time you go out on the website to make reservations. When you first board, go immediately to this fancy-shmancy restaurant that you were wanting to book, which could be Palo/Palo Steakhouse, or Enchante, or Remy — depending on what cruise ship you’re on.

Talk to a host at the front of the restaurant and see if you can put your name on a first come, first served waitlist. That way, if availability DOES come up, you still might be able to get your classy date night after all. 

Note: Just like the cabanas, this isn’t ALWAYS gonna be a guarantee for ya — but, unlike the cabanas, you’ve got way HIGHER chances of getting a last minute table by using this walk-up method. 

Book A Fancy Brunch

You know what books up faster than a fancy dinner? A fancy BRUNCH. Palo is known for its high-end Italian cuisine, but this restaurant also brings its Italian flair to its brunch offerings too.

While Palo is available to book for any night aboard every Disney Cruise Ship (aside from the Disney Wish — which offers Palo Steakhouse instead), brunch is only offered on limited mornings (and usually only on sea days).

To find out when this classy brunch is happening during your next cruise, make sure to — yet again — check your Navigator App for an updated dining schedule. 

FULL REVIEW of Palo Brunch on Disney Cruise Line

No Disney Cruise Ships Are Alike  

Currently, there are five Disney Cruise Ships that you can sail aboard — the Disney Magic, Wonder, Dream, Fantasy, and Wish. These cruise ships might operate similarly. They may all offer pool deck parties and private kids clubs and all-inclusive dining and musical performances — but that doesn’t mean they’re all the same, by any means.

Each cruise has unique offerings; and some of those offerings may end up being the biggest selling points for you and your group. You can learn more about every Disney Cruise available during our Ranking Every DCL video, live on the DFB channel NOW.

But, overall, just make sure you study up on all the different offerings across the different ships so that you don’t end up booking the WRONG choice for your family. 

Kids Clubs Can Be Intimidating 

As exciting as an exclusive kids club can be for some, others may find the idea of not having their parents close by and surrounded by a bunch of strangers in a place they’re not familiar with to be downright nerve-wracking. 

Make sure to talk to your kids about how these Oceaneer Clubs operate before you book your cruise — and make sure they’re aware that all grown-ups (aside from the cruise line counselors) are not allowed in these spaces. Even if your kid decides not to take on the Oceaneer Club, there’ll still be plenty of activities for them to do with the whole family — so no need to worry about these kid-exclusive clubs being a make-or-break ordeal.

Take Advantage Of Open House

Okay, we lied a little. There is one way grown-ups will be able to check out the Oceaneer Club — and that’s through the cruise line’s open houses.

Open houses allow adults to get a sneak peek at those super-awesome kids-only spaces before all the fun begins. Usually, you’ll find open houses listed on your Navigator App during Embarkation Day (but open houses can also happen at other times during your cruise, too. Just check the app’s updated schedule for a list of times for when you can swing on by!) 

Get Ready To PARTY!

Need help deciding what to wear out at sea? Keep those deck parties at the forefront of your mind while packing! On select days, the Disney Cruises will have themed events with exclusive meet and greets, shows, games, and nighttime extravaganzas (that’ll keep ya from hittin’ the hay early).

 You may be able to experience things like:

• A Marvel Day At Sea
• Pixar Day At Sea
• Pirate Night
• A Frozen Deck Party
• Or even seasonal events (if you’re planning a cruise around Halloween, Christmas, or New Years Eve)

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, different cruises will have different themed events — so make sure you know what events will be happening during YOUR trip (and plan to pack accordingly!) 

Hair Salons Are Not Gender-Specific 

On the Disney Wish, there are two places where you can get a nice fresh hairdo — one is Hook’s Barbery (that the Disney website states is “fit for a captain”) which offers hot shaves, beard trimmings, and even a hidden whiskey bar (for those 21 and older)

The other is the Untangled Salon (inspired by Rapunzel’s luscious locks), which features a full range of salon services as you sit underneath dozens of floating lanterns.

But don’t be fooled by these two distinct salons. If you’re a female and would rather get a mani-pedi at a place with dark leather furniture and whiskey samples, go to Hook’s Barbery. And if you’re a male who’d rather receive a royal treatment in a much brighter atmosphere, go to the Untangled Salon.  It’s really no big deal which one you wanna choose — just go with where you’re most comfortable to enjoy that much-needed rest and relaxation.  

PHOTOS: The Most Relaxing Spots on Disney’s New Cruise Ship– The Wish

Shopping While At Port Is Not A Thing

Warning — Don’t put off your souvenir shopping until your ship is at port! 

Disney Cruise gift shops are only open while out at sea — so if you’re thinking you’re gonna hold off on all your shopping until you’re at a port of call, you might find yourself awfully disappointed.  

Food Is All-Inclusive. Mostly.

The set price you pay for your stateroom also includes food. Tons and TONS of food. The Disney Cruise Line operates on a rotational dining system. That means guests are rotated through different sit-down meals each evening of your cruise.

You also have a chance to eat at breakfast/lunch buffets, grab quick service meals, munch on snack-y items while you’re on-the-go, and even refuel on sodas, water, hot chocolate, coffee, and tea. And, just to reiterate, this is ALL included with that stateroom price. This also includes free ice cream cones. Know about them. Love them. Never take them for granted.

However, not all drinks and dining are all-inclusive.

If you decide to get a little bougier, and you wanna book one of those signature restaurants, or sip on an alcoholic beverage at one of the lounges, or get a specialty cappuccino/latte, or grab a sweet treat at one of the candy shops, then, yeah, you’re gonna have to pay extra for those.

But you don’t HAVE to. You can always stick with what’s included with your stateroom price, and you’ll be good to go. That being said, you should bring some extra cash with you, just in case you wanna grab a cocktail or two later on. 

An Overview of EVERY Disney Cruise Line Restaurant

The All-Inclusive Food Doesn’t Stop At Sea

Spending the day at Castaway Cay? Good news! You don’t have to backtrack to the ship around lunch just to find your all-inclusive eats.

Castaway Cay has three dining locations: the first two are for the whole family — Cookies BBQ and Cookies Too BBQ — while the third one, Air Bar BBQ, is over at Serenity Bay (AKA: the adults only beach). Anything you pick up food-wise from these three locations is free game, but Air Bar also offers up some specialty adult cocktails, too, that you will have to pay extra for.

As far as dining around other ports of call — other than Castaway Cay — you will have to pay extra for all your non-Disney meals. So, again, bring extra cash if you plan on getting some grub outside the Disney bubble and at one of the local food stands.

Eat How You WANT To Eat

Remember that all-inclusive rotational dining I talked about earlier? Each rotational restaurant has a three-course option where you can order an appetizer, entree, and dessert. But that doesn’t mean you’ve gotta stick to those dining parameters for each meal. 

If you wanted four appetizers, no entree, and one dessert — you can do that. Or if you wanted three entrees and no extra apps/sweets, you can do that too.

The dining world is your OYSTER while you’re out at sea. Just make sure you let your server know what, exactly, your palate’s craving and they’ll make sure it’s good and satisfied.

Room Service Is FREE

Now this is a big plus in Disney’s favor. Many cruise ships don’t have a free room service option — but Disney does. And they have it 24/7. 

Now here’s a tidbit of advice for ya — even though you won’t see these on the menu, go ahead and order some Mickey Premium Ice Cream bars up to your room to enjoy out on your verandah (if you’ve got one, of course)

You can also order Mickey Premium Bars in the dining rooms at any time. Just ask, and you shall receive! 

How To Find A More Relaxed Breakfast Spot

There are two ways to enjoy a good ol’ morning meal on-ship without having to pay extra moolah for a fancy brunch.

The first way is through the ship’s casual buffet offering, which will be located over at Cabanas on the Disney Magic, Wonder, Dream, and Fantasy — and Marceline Market on the Disney Wish. These buffets provide you with a lot of food, minus a lot of waiting around but these spaces can get pretty packed out in the morning hours.

The second more peaceful breakfast option is eating in select dining room areas instead, when available. Normally, you’d eat at these dining room locations during one of your rotational dinners, but some of these restaurants open in the morning, too, for a more casual (and relaxed) sit-down meal. 

These dining rooms include:

• Lumiere’s on the Disney Magic 
• Triton’s on the Disney Wonder
• Royal Palace on the Disney Dream
• Royal Court on the Disney Fantasy
• And Enchanted Garden on the Disney Dream AND Fantasy 

Go ALL OUT With Specialty Sundaes

We raved about the free soft serve earlier, but there’s also something to be said about the premium sundaes you can get during your cruise, too. 

Sundaes can be ordered at specialty ice cream/candy shops, such as Sweet On You (like you’ll find over at the Disney Fantasy) and Vanellope’s Sweets & Treats (like you’ll find on the Disney Dream).

These sundaes can get over-the-top especially if you choose to order something like the Vanellope Von Schweetz Race Kart Sundae, which is served in this adorable race kart that looks just like Vanellope’s own set of wheels outta the Wreck-It-Ralph films. But if you wanna, like, brag about how awesome your sundae is, you can actually have it pre-ordered and delivered to you during dinner that night.

NOT KIDDING. It makes ya feel real special. And the jealous stares from other tables makes ya feel all high and mighty, too.   

Elevators Can Be… Confusing. 

We came across some weird elevator changes when the Disney Wish first set sail last year. So let’s… talk about ‘em. 

Unlike the other four ships, The Wish doesn’t have a central elevator bank. Which is kinda a bummer, since the central elevators tend to be the least crowded ones on the Disney Dream, Wonder, Fantasy, and Magic. Instead, the Wish only has two elevator banks – forward and aft.

 Also, keep in mind that only certain Wish elevators will go up to the top floors. For example, if you’re trying to get to floor 13 to go to Palo Steakhouse and are currently on floor 6 in the aft elevator bank, only the farthest toward the wall elevators will take you up to floor 13. The others will stop at 11 and 12. 

So when an “up” elevator opens, check the buttons inside to see if there is a button for 13. If not, you’ll need to wait for another one. 

One last elevator note, the elevator buttons on the Wish are also “touchless,” which means they are activated by someone just being near them. But that means when an elevator is packed – which, if anyone’s cruised on DCL before, you know they always are – then someone will inevitably press up against all of the buttons to let someone by, which means they all light up in Buddy-the-Elf fashion.

If you’re able, give that elevator button panel some space so you don’t find yourself stopping on every. single. floor.

The Rules For BYOB

So, you don’t feel like paying for booze on the big boat, eh?

Disney Cruise Line will allow you to bring up to two bottles of wine (OR 2 six packs of beer) per person for those who are 21 years and older, of course. But hard liquor is a hard NO-GO. 

Now, let’s say you purchase some real-nice tequila or bourbon or something while you’re at a port of call. If that’s the case, these purchases will be checked before you get back on the ship, and stored by Disney for the remainder of your trip. Once you’re back at home port, you can pick up your liquor then (and enjoy it in moderation from the safety of your home, post-vacation)!

There Are Corking Fees At Restaurants 

But what if you wanna take your own bottle of wine to the fancy restaurant you’ve booked a reservation for? What then?

The good news? Disney’s cool with that. The bad news? They’re still gonna charge you for it. The corking fee at Disney Cruise Line restaurants is $26 per bottle. So you may wanna think twice before bringing that $6 Barefoot wine along with you on your dinner date.

Your Rotational Dining Isn’t Set In Stone

There are three unique rotational dining experiences that you’ll be able to try on your cruise. And — say it with us— it aaaaaallll depends on which cruise you book. Just to make things easier on ya and the cast members onboard, your rotational dining schedule will be predetermined after you select your preferred dining time slot upon booking. There are two dining time slots you can choose — the first at 5:45PM, the second at 8PM.

You’ll be able to find your dining rotation schedule — as well as dining times — on the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app once you get onboard. Your schedule will also be printed on your room key cards.  

However, let’s say you’re cruising on the Disney Wish — and you see that your restaurant schedule has placed you dining at 1923 on night one, Worlds of Marvel on night two, and Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Experience — but you were really hoping to start off your trip with the Frozen-themed sing-a-long, and end your trip on a classier note with 1923. 

If you wanna switch up your rotational dining schedule, make sure to ask about it at guests services just as soon as you get on the ship. For the most part, switching up your meal lineup shouldn’t be too big of a deal. But once that ship takes off? Your schedule is SET.

You May Not WANT To Experience Certain Ports Of Call

So here’s our big-bad-honest opinion for ya. It’s cool knowing that your cruise ship won’t just stop at one port. Like, if you’re cruising on the Disney Wish — for instance — you’re not just cruising to Castaway Cay. You’ll also get a chance to get off the ship at Nassau in the Bahamas, too! 

But here’s the thing — these types of pit stops along the way… probably won’t be your favorite part of the trip. Yes, you can potentially see some cool landmarks — like Fort Charlotte (built in honor of King George III’s wife) and the Queen’s Staircase (leading to Fort Fincastle) — but the shopping streets here are lined with in-your-face sales folk.

Though the Disney Cruise Line will give you quite a bit of time to explore this port, and you should at least step out for a little while, just to say that you did, I wouldn’t spend your whole day here. Instead, I might recommend getting out for an hour or two, then hopping back on board to experience way less busy pools and spas, which is ten times more relaxing than being shoulder-to-shoulder with tourists onshore.

 If you do, however, want to explore a certain port of call for longer, because, hey, this could be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to do so with those overseas locations, make sure to research the area you’ll be stopping at ahead of your trip to learn about what places may be worth checking out while you’re off the boat, instead of wandering aimlessly against the crowds. 

Find Out When The Rides Are Open

The AquaMouse (available on the Disney Wish) and the AquaDuck (available on the Disney Dream and Fantasy), are the star water coaster attractions for their respective ships. 

And, although you’re not gonna have to wait 2+ hours to ride either one — like you might have to do with Rise of the Resistance in Disney’s Hollywood Studios or Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom — the lines aren’t always necessarily the SHORTEST for these coasters, either. ESPECIALLY during the heat of the day.

Now, when it comes to my usual theme park advice, we normally recommend hitting up those popular rides at the start of the day — but that’s not ALWAYS gonna be the case for the Disney Cruise Line coasters. When you’re out at sea, these rides could open as early as 9-10AM. However, on Embarkation day and Castaway Cay day, these rides may not open up until 1PM. And yet by 12:30PM on those days, the lines are already gonna start forming.

Per usual, your Navigator App will be able to give ya the specifics for when these rides will open for the day and how long they’ll stay open for.

Character Meet And Greet Lines Can Get LONG

Just because they’re out at sea doesn’t make them any less popular! Lines for character meet and greets can get lengthy like they do over in the parks — so make sure to prioritize the characters you really wanna meet during your cruise. 

Character meet and greets will happen several times during your trip, all throughout the day. So at the start of your cruise, sift through your navigator app schedule, filter for the “character” experiences, and “heart” the characters/meeting times you wanna make sure you prioritize. 

You may also be able to “cheat” some of the lines by signing up for a Royal Gathering as one of your pre-registered activities. These types of meet and greet sign ups won’t cost you anything extra, and they’ll give you the chance to meet several princesses in one go without the massive waits.  

That being said, there are also premium character meet and greet experiences on select cruises that will cost extra — like the Royal Court Royal Tea and Olaf’s Royal Picnic.  Again, meet and greets happen several times during the course of your trip, but the only exception is gonna be those specialty “party” days like we talked about earlier. 

Party days may be the one and only time you’ll get to meet rare characters like Pirate Daisy or Loki Dale — so don’t miss out!

Hit Up The Pools EARLY

Things can be pretty overwhelming on Embarkation Day — especially if this is your first-ever cruise. So, if you don’t need to go to guest services for anything… what should you do first? Many guests will make a beeline to the food courts to get a head start on that all-inclusive dining. But if you’re not hungry yet, we’d recommend heading on over to the pools. 

Unless you decide to hang back during one of the ports of call, embarkation day may wind up being one of the least-busy times to take a dip in the main pools and the adults-only pools, too!   

The Early Bird Gets A Private Pool Party

Did your interest perk up with the “adults only” pool talk? Each Disney Cruise has an adults-only pool area (aka: Quiet Cove) — but the Disney Wish steps it up a notch by offering an adults-only infinity pool area — which can get reaaaaaally popular during the afternoon hours. 

If you wanna avoid feeling like human soup, try hitting up these adults-only pool areas early in the morning as a way to kickstart your day with some much-needed peace, quiet, and swim time.

Ask About The Sommelier Bin

This one’s a gamble, but it’s a gamble worth asking about. When you’re at one of the Disney Cruise Line bars, ask about the Sommelier Bin.

The Sommelier Bin is designated for open bottles of wine. If a guest orders a particular type of wine that hasn’t been opened yet, then the rest of that bottle will need to be used on the same day (to guarantee its freshness).  And that means you can sometimes get a really pricey glass of wine for a base price IF you order whatever’s in the Sommelier Bin during the time of your visit.

 Your mileage on this may vary — because, sometimes, you’ll just end up with a standard wine you could’ve gotten elsewhere — but still… you get wine either way, and for a potentially cheaper price, too! Again— this isn’t a guarantee, but it doesn’t hurt to check!

Different Restaurants, Same Server

Rotational Dining might put you in a new restaurant each night, but you’ll have the same server following you between meals.  

The reason Disney keeps you with the same server each night — instead of pairing you up with a different person meal after meal — is so that your server can learn about your specific preferences and food accommodations, which they’ll — then — use for all your future dinners aboard the ship!

Plus… it’s just really nice to get to know your server, too! These cast members are great at what they do, and they do an ah-may-zeeng job at making sure you’re having a good time, while also validating your dining requests.

Tipping Works Differently 

After getting to know your server, you’ll more than likely be thrilled to leave a gratuity for them, since they’re gonna go above and beyond to make sure you’re taken care of aboard ship. To customize that gratuity amount for servers, assistant servers, and stateroom hosts, you’ll need to add prepaid gratuities to your DCL reservation through your Disney account.

Now here’s the catch — if you don’t set a prepaid amount for gratuities before your trip, Disney will automatically charge the suggested gratuity to your onboard account and assume you’re a-okay with that. Which is $14.50 per night per stateroom, and $15.50 per night per concierge stateroom.

The places where gratuity is NOT factored out in advance are for… well… any other additional services like the spas, lounges, and signature restaurants. Then, the amount you tip will be entirely up to YOUR discretion or, in some cases, automatically tacked onto your bill.

Follow The Stars

Don’t be embarrassed if you get lost trying to find your stateroom. These ships are bigger than you may think! Finding your way around these cruises, in general, can get downright confusing. 

Which way is toward the front of the ship? Which way is toward the back? How do you know where to go when many of the stateroom hallways look exactly same time?

If you’re getting overwhelmed trying to find your way back to your room, just look down! The carpets generally feature stars or Mickey Heads, if you’re cruising on the Wish. If the stars/Mickeys are pointing straight (meaning the peak of the star is pointing forward, in the direction you’re walking), then you’re walking forward. If the stars are not pointing straight, then you’re headed aft! 

Leave Your Power Strips At Home

The Disney Cruise Line has quite a list of no-no items that you are NOT allowed to bring aboard the ships. When it comes to electronic devices, you can NOT bring aboard things such as: Electric blankets, electric steamers, extension cords, power strips, surge protectors, heating pads, or celebratory light bulb strings.

Now, the power strips can really trip some families up — since having multiple outlets can be handy for charging multiple phones at once. But — in order to prevent any potential electrical fires on board — Disney isn’t gonna budge on this rule. No sir-ee. 

That being said, you can bring a USB splitter, instead, to still help you charge multiple devices in one go. There are more items on the “No Go” list that’re posted on the DCL website.

A Full List of What You CAN’T Bring on a Disney Cruise

Pack A Reusable Water Bottle

It’s funny how many tips and tricks for the cruise ships overlap with the tips and tricks we give ya for the parks — but the reusable water bottle advice is such a banger that we can’t help but bring it up yet again. Reusable water bottles are great to have on hand to keep you hydrated all day long.

And — what makes a reusable water bottle even better for the cruises is your ability to refill them with not just water, but those all-inclusive sodas and tea, too! So whenever you see a soda dispenser at one of the quick services or buffets — make sure to fill ‘er up! 

Are You Ready for the Best Day Ever?? Check Out the New Water Bottles We Found in Disney World!

You Can Never Have Too Much Water

You’re surrounded by this stuff out at sea, but while you’re busy admiring the water outside your stateroom, you’ll wanna keep it inside your stateroom too. You can bring some cases of bottled water with you on your cruise to help keep you hydrated.

But if you do bring your own cases of water, you’ve gotta make sure they’re “factory sealed” and not being kept inside your checked luggage. You can also order a case of water through the actual cruise line, too. 

You can purchase bottles of water before your trip through Onboard Gifts which is an extension of the Disney Cruise website that allows you to pre-order celebratory items or necessities you want brought up to your stateroom pre-arrival. Or you can call room services and purchase a case of water via your stateroom phone. 

Don’t Rely On Your Fridge 

When you’re looking over the different amenities found in your stateroom before your Disney Cruise, you might notice that one of the listed features is a “refrigerator.” Don’t get too excited about this. These fridges are, essentially, small cool boxes but nothing more than that.

The Wish’s “fridges” are a bit fancier than what you’ll find on the other four ships. However, none of these refrigerators are gonna do an upstanding job at keeping ice cream treats preserved or leftovers from spoiling. They can, however, keep drinks cool so you don’t have to gulp ‘em down at room temperature. 

Bring An Expired Card. (Literally Any Old Card)

Here’s something that might take ya off guard if you’ve never cruised with Disney before. The Disney Cruise Line prides itself on being eco-friendly — which is why they strive to save power any chance they get. 

So instead of having regular old light switches in each of the staterooms, you’ll turn on the lights by inserting a card into the light slot that’s next to the door. Disney would like you to use your key card since that forces you to retrieve it and turn off the lights before you leave the room, but — um — not everyone always remembers to do that. Meaning you could very well accidentally lock yourself out of your room. Er… Whoops?

Fortunately, you don’t actually have to insert your DCL-specific key into the light slot — any ol’ card will do! Got a used up Starbucks gift card? Use that! Or an expired library card? You can use that too! Or maybe even a gym membership card? Hey, gotta use that sucker for something, right?

It’s still a good idea to retrieve these cards upon leaving your room instead of keeping your lights on the whole time you’re gone, but at least if you forget to retrieve it, you’re not gonna accidentally lock yourself out. 

Join In On The Fish Extender Fun

During your cruise, you may notice these pouches or felt organizers displayed in front of other cruisers’ staterooms. These are called fish extenders. You can make ‘em yourself, or buy ‘em off Etsy or Amazon, but — the important thing to remember is Disney doesn’t have a whole lot to do with this extra cruise feature.

Instead, this is a secret Santa-like concept created by DCL fans where you can leave little goodies for other cruisers outside their doors. Most folks find their fish extender friends through DCL forums online. Make sure the forum you’re using to meet these cruise line companions is reliable — and that you’re not giving away any super-personal information through these websites.

You do not have to participate in this activity if you don’t want to. But, if you think it’d be kinda fun to drop some cute little stickers and keychains and lanyards as a surprise gift for someone else — and hopefully receive some surprise gifts in return — then, by all means, do your research and find out how you can get involved! 

However, if you’re not interested in this side activity, but you’re still kinda wanting to spruce up your stateroom door just for funsies or to put an identifying marker outside your room for it to be easier to spot down the hallway, just make sure you use magnets and magnets only, Any decorations that use tape or command strips will be taken down immediately by cast members who spot them in passing, since these kind of adhesives aren’t good for the paint on the doors.

If you have something you want to put on your door and you already know it’s most certainly not magnetic, you can always buy a few cheap sticky back magnets at your local craft store to slap on the backside of your decor. Ta-da! NOW it’s a magnet!

Pack A Sweater. (No, Seriously)

Do NOT underestimate the power of cruise ship air conditioning.

Even if you’re cruising in the summer, there are certain indoor sections of the ships where the AC is high and mighty. If you tend to get chilly easily, bring a little hoodie or jacket that you can easily slip on and off.  

Don’t Forget About The Scavenger Hunts!

Sleuthing, capers, and mysteries galore — if you’re looking for a free activity that’ll help you thoroughly explore the ship you’re sailing on, the Midship Detective Agency is on the case!

The Disney Dream and Fantasy both host the Midship Detective Agency — an interactive game that takes guests all around the ships to solve, well, a mystery. There are three different mystery options you can choose from,  involving Mickey and friends, characters from Disney’s 101 Dalmatians, or the Muppets. (YAY Muppets.)

The Disney Wish also has its own interactive game called Disney Uncharted Adventure. Disney Uncharted Adventure uses the Play Disney Parks app and AR technology on your mobile device to play games and interact with your favorite Disney characters.

But that one’s not as Muppet-y. So the Disney Dream and Fantasy win in that regard.

Run, Run, RUN!

You may not think going on a jog during your cruise is gonna be an activity you’d be super-stoked for, but the running decks offered on the cruises are actually one of my favorite places to go onboard. First of all, many guests don’t even realize that the walking/jogging track is there, so you’ll often have a lot of space for yourself.

Secondly, the jogging/walking track can sometimes take you past some really unique spots on the ship! For instance, on select Disney Cruise ships, there’s a porthole along the track that actually looks into some of the ship’s kitchens! So these little trails can wind up weaving ya past a few behind-the-scenes areas that you wouldn’t have experienced otherwise.

However, when it comes to the running deck over on the Disney Wish, things get… kinda weird. Instead of having a continuous track like the other four ships have, the Wish’s track is broken up — so you have to go up various stairs and cross-overs to actually complete a full lap. I dunno — I’m not a fan of the setup there, but you still might wanna at least walk around it, just to check things out. 

It’s Hard To Do EVERYTHING

This is just a general PSA to keep you from underestimating these ships and/or setting yourself up for failure. Disney Cruises might be less intense than the Disney parks, but that doesn’t mean there’s a shortage of things to do. There are so many shows, excursions, dining experiences, spa days, shops, and events that you’re gonna be able to jam-pack your days with. 

So make sure you study up the different cruise offerings before you head out so you can figure out what you wanna prioritize. But, in the same breath, give yourself a little wiggle room to take things as they come. If you wanna spend more time just relaxing on the Castaway Cay beach, do it. If you wanna go lounge hopping on the last night of your trip, do it. If you wanna get your 736th soft serve cone because it’s already paid for, do it. 

The Disney ships tend to be a healthy mix of keeping you busy all cruise long while also reminding you not to overextend yourself. 

You Might Find Ways To Save Money (With A Little Help)

It doesn’t happen often but, at limited times throughout the year, the Disney Cruise Line maaaaay just sneakily drop a nice discount for their future cruises. 

Restricted rooms are unsold surplus staterooms in a specific category for very specific cruise dates. The agents at Small World Vacations are extremely good at keeping us in-the-know when it comes to deals like this — so if you wanna be in-the-know too, you might wanna reach out to them for a free quote as you start planning your future Disney vacation. 

Real Talk: You May Wanna Hold Off On A Cruise Right Now

Wait, WHAT? You just gave us FIFTY tips on how to basically SUCCEED at any Disney Cruise, and you’re telling us to… not go on one now?Well… Not necessarily. It really depends on how patient you can be. 

There are two new DCL ships that’ll start setting sail over the next couple of years that — who knows? — you may like even better than the ones we’ve been talking about today. The Disney Treasure will enter the DCL fleet in 2024 as the Disney Wish’s sister ship — and will be a ship “inspired by the grandeur and mystery of a gilded palace,” drawing influences from Asia, Africa, and even Aladdin’s Agrabah.

And in 2025, the DCL will invite another ship into their family — but we don’t know a whole lotta details surrounding that one just yet. What we do know about it, however, is that it’ll be based in Singapore and feature what Disney describes as “innovative experiences along with the dazzling entertainment, world-class dining, and legendary guest service.” 

We’re on pins and needles, waiting to learn more about both of these new ships, but we promise to keep ya updated just as soon as we learn more info about either one of them ‘em!

Who’s ready to start sailing?! Don’t forget — before you get to packing for your Disney cruise, make sure to drop us your email for an EXTENSIVE checklist of what you need to have packed in your luggage and ready to go BEFORE you set sail! 

Have you been on a Disney Cruise? What are your cruisin’ tips? Drop them in the comments below!