Disney Cruise Line Tips and Tricks

I’m deep into prep for our third Disney cruise! Over the last couple of trips I’ve really zoned in on what works for us, and I’ve been keeping a running note in my phone of things that work well and things I want to remember. I thought I’d share these tips and tricks for Disney Cruise Line just in case you’re planning a trip of your own – and in case my list ever gets accidentally deleted! This list is in absolutely no order at all, just my random thoughts and rememberings.

• If you’re taking a longer cruise (5+ days) pack at least three bathing suits for anyone who will be swimming regularly. Suits don’t dry well in stateroom bathrooms because there is no air movement, and no one likes putting on a cold wet swimsuit. Also, two piece suits are helpful for women and girls because you’ll likely wear them under a cover up of some kind, so having separate bottoms is a game changer for the bathroom situation.
• Reapply sunscreen constantly! It’s true what they say about being closer to the equator – the sun truly is stronger. It’s easy to forget about reapplying sunscreen, but if you’re in and out of the water it won’t be long before you’re burnt.
• Pack reusable cups or water bottles that are leakproof. Drink machines are only available in the buffet and on the pool deck, so it’s really nice to be able to fill up and throw your bottle into a tote bag to take along with you easily.
• Speaking of tote bags, you definitely want one. While it’s easy to pop back to your room if you forget something or want to drop something off, you do somehow accumulate stuff throughout the day, and you’ll want a place to stash it all. Papers from learn to draw classes or trivia, crafts from the Oceaneer’s club, merch from Mickey’s Mainsail, sunglasses, water bottles, hair ties, your key card, Minnie ears that are giving you a headache, an extra Mickey waffle for later… All of this needs to go somewhere! I personally like a waterproof tote because if it gets set down on the pool deck it’ll likely get wet.
• There is a clothesline in the shower where you can hang wet clothes, I’ve found that clothespins with a hook on top are especially helpful. These let you squeeze more clothes onto the clothesline, and they can be hung in other places in your stateroom or closets too.
• We also use a ton of magnet hooks throughout the room – but make sure to get the heavy-duty ones. Smaller hooks are only good for 1 lanyard before they slide down the wall, heavier hooks can hold a tote bag, backpack, etc. I also like to grab some fun Disney magnets for inside the room for all of the drawings that my daughter brings back from Oceaneer’s club.
• Whatever shoes you’re planning on wearing throughout the cruise, make sure to break them in before hand. We generally cruise before sandal season actually starts at home, and every year I’ve gotten blisters on my poor, not sandal-ready feet. There’s a good chance that you’ll walk a lot, whether that’s while playing Mid-ship Detective Agency or down the pier to Lookout Cay, choose comfortable, and waterproof shoes.
• Some people love the photo package, I personally don’t think it’s necessary. Cast members are always happy to take character photos on your phone, and those end up being the majority of the photos that we take on the ship anyway.
• ORDER ROOM SERVICE. If you do one thing on your Disney Cruise make it this! Room service is included (read: you already paid for it), so you just have to tip the server (general rule is $1 per item ordered). It feels like such a luxury! Our favorites are the All Hands on Deck cheese tray, chicken tenders, wings, and cheesecake. We LOVE to get room service after getting back on the boat from a day at port. It’s such a nice way to fill our stomachs while refreshing and re-setting a bit.
• Pack a night light. It does get really dark in the stateroom at night, so a night light is helpful to have. We’ve got a cheap Disney one from the Dollar Tree that we’ve traveled everywhere with since my daughter was really little, but some people swear by a batter powered light so you’re not taking up precious outlet space.
• Bring some kind of cardigan or jacket. I find myself grabbing another layer every evening before heading to dinner or the theater where it does get a little chilly. It can also get really windy on deck in the evening which can make deck parties tough to sit through. You can always grab a towel to wrap up in, but throwing a cardigan in my tote bag has saved me many times.
• Pixie dusting others is as much fun as getting goodies yourself. We don’t do structured fish extender groups but we love to pixie dust. It’s so fun to share little goodies with others, and see what is in your pouch when you come back to your own room. Pixie dusting is totally low-stress, people will absolutely leave surprises in your fish extender, even if you haven’t signed up for any exchanges.
• Pack an extra empty tote bag. Debarkation is kind of a cluster – You put your suitcases in the hallway the night before so that cast members can organize them to get them all off the boat quickly, but that means you still have stuff in your room that you’ll need to take off with you. An extra tote bag always comes in handy.
• I love a vacuum seal bag. I pack our clothes (and especially my daughter’s princess dresses) in these, and then we use them as dirty laundry bags throughout the cruise. Before I put our suitcases out on the last night I seal them up with the dirty laundry in them and squeeze them into the suitcase. When we get home I just open them and dump the whole bag into the washing machine. It’ all feels like a major win.
• Use motion meds after debarkation. My daughter and I both struggle after getting off the boat. We still feel like we’re moving for a couple of days. I’ve learned to just continue the same motion sickness routine that we have on the boat for at least three days after getting off. We personally do a combination of Dramamine and motion sickness patches (not the prescription, just OTC).
• If you’ve got a princess lover, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is a much better experience than the Royal Tea/Picnic/Adventure Lunch. We’ve done both and my daughter would agree. She wasn’t a fan of the snacks served at the tea, and the gifts given were great but not really things that she would’ve picked if given the choice. I’d rather spend my money to see her spin around in that salon chair and see herself in the mirror any day.
• A magic band is definitely not necessary, but it was nice for my daughter to have. My husband and I use our key cards for everything and don’t have a problem, but for her to be able to use her magic band to easily open the stateroom door or tap into Oceaneer’s club is easy and makes sense. I carry her key card, but generally only need it when getting on or off the boat at port. This way I don’t stress about her losing it, or not having it when she needs it. She also really enjoys when it activates during dinners or deck parties.
• Take time for a sit down lunch. The pool deck food is great, and so easy, but if you make time to go to one of the main dining restaurants for a sit down lunch you won’t regret it. The food is amazing!
• There is always a Welcome Reception or Captain’s Meet and Greet, this is worth attending because there will be servers passing out free drinks. It’s usually in the atrium/grand hall before dinner one night.
• Say yes to popcorn. Our family has a deep love for popcorn so we would probably spend the money on it anyway, but there is just something about eating popcorn from a Disney bucket during a broadway show. It’s also one of my daughter’s favorite snacks to keep in the stateroom. We usually take a little break every afternoon and she loves to zone out to Mickey cartoons while munching popcorn in bed – it’s her definition of living her best life.
• Use lip balm with sunscreen. Sunburnt lips are a thing – a painful thing. I swear by Sunbum lip balm with spf. I keep one in every bag I might carry around just so that I always have it.
• Pack beach toys. You can buy beach toys on Disney’s private island, but my secret weapon is the $1 mini beach toy set from Five Below. I’ve bought so many of these over the year and they are the best! They come with a mini bucket, shovel, sifter, and two or three sand molds. The whole set take up 7 inches in my suitcase and it’s totally worth it. My daughter loves these toys and other kids gravitate towards her when she’s using them. She’s made so many little beach friends with this $1 set. Last year she broke the little bucket on Castaway and we just threw it away, it wasn’t a major loss and definitely didn’t ruin our day. She’s also lost pieces and given them to other kids and it’s totally fine because I only spent a dollar on it!
• Don’t bank on your kid spending tons of time in Oceaneer’s club. Before our first cruise I was sure that our girl would love the kid’s club – she was a daycare kid who loved to socialize, I thought it was a no-brainer. I was wrong. She does love Oceaneer’s club, she does NOT love going there without a parent. We can usually get her to go if there is a special activity happening, but she’s not a fan of having unstructured time time there. Instead we all go together during open houses and enjoy it that way. It is what it is.

Wow, that was a lot! I clearly have a ton of thoughts about cruising with Disney. It’s something we absolutely love, and I hope that my insights will give you answers as you prep for your own trip!