I fell in love
with Mickey and Walt Disney World at a very young age so when I became a mom I
knew that I wanted to share that experience with my son as soon as possible. My
husband and I took our first trip (my husband's 1st time EVER!) with our little guy to Disney World when he was about 2
years old but by the time he was 5, we were both interested in trying a cruise.
Neither one of us had ever been on a cruise, so we decided to start off small and
book a 3-night Bahamian cruise on the Disney Dream. To be honest, when I first started pricing out options with different cruise lines, Disney Cruises were definitely
pricier and they still are! However, let me just break it down for all you
Mommas (And Daddies)...
Tip #1 You get
what you pay for! (Truth!)
Disney standards
are above and beyond most family friendly cruises. Everything Disney provides is geared at keep
your child blissfully happy until they pass out from shear delight!
Seriously.
As you enter the ship’s grand lobby the
Disney staff greets you with the warmest welcome by
announcing your family name ... my son loved it!
We chose a balcony suite with a queen size bed and a bunk
bed for my son. The suite is divided in two sections and it
was extremely comfortable for a family of 3 or 4.
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| "Adventures Away" Kick Off Party! Deck Stage, Deck 9 Mid-Ship |
Tip #2 Pack your own alcoholic beverage (Free soda)
Disney Cruise Lines don't announce it but you are allowed to pack your
own alcohol, which can be a huge money saver ($12/Cocktail With Souvenir Cup)
So feel free to pack your adults drinks along with your own Disney themed cups in
your carry on so you can enjoy a cocktail. The kids can also enjoy free soda
So feel free to pack your adults drinks along with your own Disney themed cups in
your carry on so you can enjoy a cocktail. The kids can also enjoy free soda
throughout the trip and during the “Adventures Away” debarkation festivities
as you kick off your Disney Cruise!
(Adventures Away begins approx around 4:30PM But Get There Early!)
as you kick off your Disney Cruise!
(Adventures Away begins approx around 4:30PM But Get There Early!)
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| An example of the itinerary you will receive. This is our copy from our 2nd Disney Cruise on the Magic. |
Tip # 3 Plan your Highlights (Excursions)
Each day you are given an itinerary for onboard activities, character
appearances and movies that are playing in the grand movie theatre, Buena Vista Theatre. (We actually saw the movie Frozen on our first ever Disney
Cruise onboard the Dream in April 2012 long before it was released in theaters.) Everything you need to know to plan your day is clearly listed.
Tip # 4 Enjoy Some Adult Time
The Oceaneers Club (kids clubs) is amazing for children 3+ The crew provides your child with a GPS wrist band and the security and safe measures onboard are above and beyond. If they need to contact you regarding your child for any reason, a crew member from The Oceaneers Club will page you via your onboard 'Wave Phone'. However, they really make sure that your child is entertained and having a blast 24/7. They have so many activities from baking cookies to dance parties to experiments like making goo! If your experience is anything like ours, you will have to bribe your child to leave! lol I think Disney lives by the adage: If the children are happy, the parents are out having a blast and spending $$$ Ha!
Tip # 5 Bring Your Own Disney Costumes
One of the BEST events is Pirate Night! We didn't know this at the time but EVERYONE dresses
up on these theme nights and Pirate Night is Huge! So bring all your pirate gear and enjoy the
party even more! Not to mention, FIREWORKS! The Fireworks are definitely a hightlight and exclusive to Disney Cruises!
But of course, don't stop there ... if you have a little girl, absolutely bring all her Disney Princess costumes! Also with the NEW MARVEL AT SEA, bring along your favorite Super Hero gear! You know what happens if every other kid is dressed up and yours isn't, right? It means mom has to make a trip to the gift shop = $$$ lol (Tip #3 make sure you plan your visit with your child's favorite character with their costumes :)
Tip # 4 Enjoy Some Adult Time
The Oceaneers Club (kids clubs) is amazing for children 3+ The crew provides your child with a GPS wrist band and the security and safe measures onboard are above and beyond. If they need to contact you regarding your child for any reason, a crew member from The Oceaneers Club will page you via your onboard 'Wave Phone'. However, they really make sure that your child is entertained and having a blast 24/7. They have so many activities from baking cookies to dance parties to experiments like making goo! If your experience is anything like ours, you will have to bribe your child to leave! lol I think Disney lives by the adage: If the children are happy, the parents are out having a blast and spending $$$ Ha!
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| Entrance to the Oceaneers Club: Every child must wash their hands before entering & exiting. They just stick their hands in a magic trunk and it washes them automatically! Small detail but I LOVED IT! |
Tip # 5 Bring Your Own Disney Costumes
One of the BEST events is Pirate Night! We didn't know this at the time but EVERYONE dresses
up on these theme nights and Pirate Night is Huge! So bring all your pirate gear and enjoy the
party even more! Not to mention, FIREWORKS! The Fireworks are definitely a hightlight and exclusive to Disney Cruises!
But of course, don't stop there ... if you have a little girl, absolutely bring all her Disney Princess costumes! Also with the NEW MARVEL AT SEA, bring along your favorite Super Hero gear! You know what happens if every other kid is dressed up and yours isn't, right? It means mom has to make a trip to the gift shop = $$$ lol (Tip #3 make sure you plan your visit with your child's favorite character with their costumes :)
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| Don't Forget Your Gold Doubloons! |
Each night dinner is a special event and here is just a sample
of the kids menu for all you mommas out there with picky eaters.
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| Mickey Ice Cream Bars and Mickey Waffles at Breakfast (Not Pictured) Are Favorites Through Out The Cruise :) |
Other Helpful Tips, Sites and Links:
- If you're not a Fan of Disney Land or Disney World or Disney in general, then a Disney Cruise Is NOT for You.
- Disney Cruises are NOT just for kids. There are so many activities, excursions and events on board that are great for Adults Only as well.
- Disney Cruises do have an onboard nursery for infants, babies and toddlers under 3 yrs old. The fee is approximately $9/hr but must be reserved to guarantee availability. (I used it for my daughter when she was 7 months old and again when she was a year and half on our 2nd & 3rd Cruise on the Magic and Fantasy Cruises - we loved it!)
- To Reserve Your Excursions/Dining Time contact Disney Cruise Line and sign into my reservations to customize your cruise package.
- Check out My Pinterest Board for more tips on the Disney Dream or Everything Disney
- If at all possible, try to avoid sailing during peak season. Just like any other vacation you would take with your family, it's never the most enjoyable vacation during the busiest time of the year. We booked our last cruise on the Disney Fantasy during school break in November and although we still had a blast, it was the least enjoyable of all three experiences on the Disney ships. It was just very congested, plain and simple. Its kind of unavoidable when you travel during the peak season.
- Disney's Island, Castaway Cay, was by far the best stop in the Caribbean! The excursions, food and activities (Kids Club On The Island!!) were AWESOME! Not to mention, the island itself was Beautiful!*
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| View of the Ship from Castaway Cay |
I hope I've given you all some helpful tips and highlights when planning your next family vacation on a magical Disney Cruise! Our experiences aboard the Disney Cruise Line have been some of the most beautiful and memorable vacations we've taken as a family and we hope the same for you and yours!
Thanks again for reading and if you guys have any other questions or comment on family cruising with Disney (there is quite a lot of information not even mentioned), please post them! I would love to hear from you! Happy Disney Cruise Planning!
All Good Things!
Giselle x
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