If you and your family have been DYING to sail on one of Disney Cruise Line’s many cruise ships, we have many tips for you. We have been on about five Disney Cruise ships in total, and every single one has been magical! So welcome aboard, some of our tips and tricks about Disney Cruise Line.
1. Booking a Cruise
Planning your magical Disney Cruise just got easier when you know when and what to book. Disney Cruise Line has six total ships so far (The Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, Disney Wish, and Disney Treasure), and there are still two more in development (The Disney Destiny and Disney Adventure). So far, we have sailed on the Disney Wish, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, and Disney Fantasy. Every one of our Disney Cruise vacations has been so much fun, and we always discover stuff that we’ve never seen before. First-time guests can book their cruise 75 days before the sail date, but if you’ve
cruised with Disney before, you’ll have early access depending on your Castaway Club status. Silver members can book 90 days in advance, Gold members at 105, Platinum members at 120, and Pearl members at 123 days. Disney Cruise Line offerings can change. Always check the official Disney Cruise Line website for the most current information. Booking early gives you the best chance to snag your preferred stateroom and onboard activities, which will make your cruise experience even greater!
2. Best time to Sail Away on a Disney Cruise vacation
Disney Cruise Line offers great itineraries all year-round, but it’s important to note that sailings during the summer, winter, and spring tend to be the most popular times for guests. These peak seasons often bring higher prices and more crowded ships.
The best time to sail on a Disney Cruise is usually during the off peak seasons, such as January, May, or September. If you travel during this time, you might be able to find better prices and fewer people on the ship, which may bring a more relaxing time when on the cruise.
If you want to sail on a themed cruise, Disney brings a variety to the ships, such as Very Merrytime Cruise, Halloween on the High Seas, Marvel Day at Sea, and Pixar Day at Sea. If you are interested in booking a cruise with one of these themes on board, you can check out some of the dates to see when these events are happening on board.
3. Preparing for your Disney Cruise Vacation
Planning for a Disney Cruise is part of the fun, and being prepared makes the journey even more wonderful! When packing, be sure to consider your cruise destination and the season—bring swimsuits and lightweight clothes for tropical stops like the Bahamas and Caribbean in the summer, and warmer layers for fall and winter cruises to Alaska or Northern Europe.
Don’t forget to research Port Adventures for your family to enjoy—think snorkeling in Cozumel, hiking in Juneau, or drinking coconut water in Jamaica!
Some of our favorite port adventures were when we visited Seven Mile Beach, also known as “The Caribbean’s Best Beach,” and when we went whale watching at Icy Strait Point. The Port Adventures always bring new experiences for the whole family to enjoy.
Make sure everyone in your family has all the required travel documents, such as valid passports and cruise confirmations. Book your transportation early—Disney Cruises stop at many amazing ports, and sometimes you might need to drive around to get to your port adventures. If you plan to explore on your own, consider renting a car through trusted companies like Hertz, Enterprise, or Avis, which are widely available near major ports. When we needed transportation at one of our ports of call on our Disney Wonder Alaskan cruise, we rented a car with Hertz, and we were able to arrive just in time for all of our port adventures.
Before sailing, complete your Disney Cruise Line online check-in by uploading your and your family’s passport photos, entering emergency contacts, selecting a port arrival time, and linking a payment method. Also, be sure to download the Disney Cruise Line Navigation app before setting sail. This app can help with things on board the cruise and things you need to get done before your cruise. If you and your family have any food allergies or dietary restrictions, you can fill them out in the “My Reservations” section on the app. You can also set your dinner time to the one your family would prefer. These steps ensure a smooth
boarding process and get you one step closer to the most magical cruise on earth!
4. Getting into the Disney Spirit
If you want to feel the magic before you even step on board your Disney Cruise, you might want to consider getting into the Disney spirit! First things first: pick your Disney hotel and how you’ll get to the ship, depending on which port your Disney Cruise is leaving from. When we were in Orlando for our Disney Dream cruise, we stayed at The All-Star Hotel for 1 day, and it was such a beautiful place.
Staying at a Disney Resort before your cruise is like starting the fun early, and Disney buses can swoosh you right to the ship like magic!
While you wait for your sailing day, you can check your Disney Cruise Line app for a super fun countdown with Mickey, Minnie, and friends that makes every day feel exciting! You can even schedule a special phone call from Mickey and Minnie to surprise your family!
Want to add even more fun before your cruise? Try making your own Disney door decorations! Use paper, magnets, and imagination to design cool magnets for your stateroom door. You can even find free printable templates in Disney Cruise Facebook groups! When we created our first Disney Cruise door decorations, we bought a laminating machine, some super-strong magnets, and a pack of laminating pouches. Our source was Amazon, and they had everything we needed. We used some super cute templates from different sites and eventually made a beautiful door that everyone just stared at.
And here’s a super cool secret: join in on Fish Extenders and Pixie Dusting! Fish Extenders are little hanging pockets outside your cabin door where other cruisers leave surprise goodies and treats. We bought our fish extender from Amazon as well. You can find our fish extender here. Pixie Dusting is like being a Disney fairy. You leave surprise gifts for others just for fun! There are groups online where you can meet other kids and families doing the same thing. You can either buy some gifts for people, or you can do everything DIY. We did a little bit of store-bought and a little bit of DIY. We found some cute tutorials for DIY Disney gifts on Google, and we used some goodie bag treats from Amazon. Nothing has to be Disney-themed. It just makes the gifts that people receive more exciting.
So start the countdown, get creative, and get ready for pixie dust, Disney fun, and a cruise filled with magical memories from the very first day!
5. Boarding your Cruise
The adventure kicks off with the Disney Cruise shuttle, which takes you straight from the airport to the port of departure. It’s an easy and fun ride, and right before you can even take a quick nap, everyone starts to scream at the first sight of the ship. Once you arrive, it’s time to hand your luggage to the Disney Cruise staff. Before doing that, make sure you’ve attached the special luggage tags Disney mailed to you ahead of time. They usually have one of the popular Disney characters on them. You’ll need to write your name and stateroom number on each one—and it’s a good idea to double-check they’re securely attached before letting your bags go. They’ll be delivered straight to your room later, while you discover everything the ship has to offer.
Inside the cruise terminal, there are a few Disney-themed photo backdrops for some fun pre-boarding pictures. You’ll then go through security, check in at the desk, and if you registered your kids for the Oceaneer Club or Lab, you can pick up their special Magic Bands at this point. After all that, you’ll wait comfortably until your boarding group number is called.
When it’s your boarding number’s turn, you’ll walk up the ramp and let a Disney crew member know your family name. Then comes one of the most magical moments of the trip: they announce your arrival over the microphone, “Welcome aboard the [YourLastName] family!”, and just like that, you’re aboard the ship and ready to cruise. DISNEY STYLE!
6. How to keep yourselves busy on the first day
The first day of a Disney Cruise is all about exploring and settling in, and there’s plenty to do while you wait for your stateroom to be ready! Pack a swimsuit in your personal bag so you can jump right into the pool, or grab a sweet treat like soft-serve or Mickey ice cream bars from the food stalls. If you’re ready for a full meal, Cabanas (on the Disney Magic, Wonder, Dream, and Fantasy) and Marceline Market (on the Disney Wish and Disney Treasure) are perfect for a relaxed lunch.
Around 1:30 p.m., staterooms are usually open, and that’s when you get to see your room for the first time—whether you’re staying in a cozy Inside Stateroom, an Oceanview, a Verandah with your own balcony, or a Concierge Suite, every room has Disney’s signature touches to make it feel extra special.
After unpacking, you can take a little break before heading to Mickey’s Sail-A-Wave Party, a lively deck celebration for the whole family. The afternoon is a great time to shop for cruise-exclusive souvenirs, watch a movie in the Buena Vista Theatre or on the giant Funnel Vision screen by the pool, and check the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app for character meet-and-greets and onboard activities.
When dinner comes around, you’ll experience Disney’s famous onboard dining: ships like the Disney Wonder feature Tiana’s Place and Triton’s, the Disney Magic has Rapunzel’s Royal Table and Lumière’s, the Disney Dream offers Royal Palace and Animator’s Palate, and the Disney Fantasy has Enchanted Garden and Royal Court. On the newest ships, the Disney Wish and Disney Treasure, you’ll find stunning spots like Worlds of Marvel, Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure, Plaza de Coco, and 1923. Your first day on your Disney Cruise can be whatever way you want. You can choose between a relaxing day and a very action-packed day. Whatever you choose, Disney will definitely see to it.
7. Our Disney Dinner Reviews
Our family sampled some of the most magical dining experiences across four Disney Cruise Line ships, and each restaurant brought its own unique flavor and magic to the table. Our first review is for the Disney Wonder’s Tiana’s Place. Tiana’s Place was a beautiful restaurant, and there was even live jazz music. Tiana would even go to your table for a photo or just to say hi. The food was also really great! Our family loves eating anything with a little bit of spice available. Luckily, they had some hot sauces that we were able to use. The waiters made funny jokes that made us all laugh. We even sang Happy Birthday to one of our cousins. We rated Tiana’s Place a 6/5. Shout out to the Princess and the Frog!
Our second review is for Disney Wonder’s Tritons. Tritons was a restaurant dedicated to Ariel’s father in The Little Mermaid. The restaurant did not have any live entertainment, but that gave families a little bit more freedom to just sit and talk. The food was great as well, but some of the meats that we had were a bit too tough. Mama and Mini’s rating: 3.5/5 thingamabobs. Shout out to The Little Mermaid!
Our third review is for the Disney Dream’s Animator’s Palate. We love this restaurant because of the attention to detail in the scenery, the excellent food, and the entertainment they bring to our table. Our favorite foods on the kids’ menu are Mickey’s Mac and Cheese and Minnie’s Mini Burger. This restaurant is great for kids, especially because of Crush. Yeah, Crush. The big, lovable turtle in Disney’s Finding Nemo. He swims over to your table and asks you, “Hey, Dude! What’s your name, dude? Oh, sweet dude. Where are you from, dude? That’s great, Dude.” And our favorite part about this is that he can actually hear you! And if it’s your birthday, Crush will round up all the waiters, and they will all wish you a gnarly birthday. Our second reason this restaurant is great for kids is Animators Magic. This is where kids get to draw their own character, and then they will see it on a screen. It is just like making your own movie. Our overall rating: 10/5 Mickey Ears. Shout out to all the Disney Animators who made this happen!
Our fourth review is for the Disney Fantasy’s Enchanted Garden. The Enchanted Garden actually looked like a fairytale garden. The seats looked like they were fit for a royal tea party in the garden. The food was super great, and we loved how the waiters wore very stylish clothes. It was funny to see them walking around like the penguins in Mary Poppins. The solid rating: 5/5 talking mushrooms. Shout out to the French Gardens that inspired this restaurant!
Our fifth review is for the Disney Fantasy’s Royal Court. This restaurant was based on several Disney Princess stories. All around the restaurant, you could see paintings of the most iconic Disney Princesses. This restaurant did not offer any entertainment apart from its beautiful ambiance. The food was excellent. We really liked the Grilled Grain-fed Sirloin Steak the most. The royal rating of: 4/5 tiaras. Shout out to all our favorite Disney Princesses!
Our sixth review is for the Disney Wish’s Worlds of Marvel. This restaurant looked amazing, especially since it was on one of the newer ships. We took an adventure with Ant-Man and the Wasp, which felt so real. The screens we were watching looked like Ant-Man was actually filming a message for us, and that he and Wasp were actually going on a mission. The food on this ship was so much better than any of the food we’ve had on any other Disney Cruise. We were happy that Disney was taking their customers’ feedback to make their food way better on this ship. We even got a surprise visit from Spiderman, and we got to take some pictures with him! The super rating of: 9/5 Arc Reactors . Shoutout to all those Marvel characters from the movies and the comics!
Our seventh and final review (phew) is for Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Experience. This restaurant is so magical that it actually transports you to Arendelle where you get to spend time with Olaf, Sven, Kristoff, Anna, and Elsa. This restaurant is perfect for Frozen lovers because you get to experience a new story during the well thought out entertainment. All our favorite Frozen characters sang songs and we all sang along. On the way in, you can see so many little details that remind you of Arendelle. The ambiance reminds you immediately of any Norwegian dining hall. Even the menu had a Norwegiantouch to it. The soups were so amazing. We especially enjoyed Sven’s FavoriteCarrot Soup. Some other foods we liked from the menu were the Juniper Spiced Roasted Chicken Breast and the Garlic & Thyme Roasted Beef Rib-Eye. A Frozen
rating of: 6/5 carrots. Shoutout to our friends from Arendelle and especially Anna and Kristoff since it was their Royal Engagement Party!
