Disney Cruise Hacks

How to Have the BEST Disney Cruise on Your Family Vacation

Disney cruises are truly a magical time for the whole family. There is something for every single age – every single moment – of every single day on a Disney cruise. Disney truly has thought of everything!

TOP Disney Cruise Hacks for cruising families

Disney Cruise Hacks – DO plan ahead!

Make as many reservations before you go as possible such as excursions, spa, animal visits, on board experiences like sport simulators. If you do it ahead of time you’ll be sure of a spot because some things DO book up. Another BIG reason to make your reservations ahead of time is to save time on board.

Once you are on board the Disney cruise ship you’ll want to have fun and explore – not stand in line to make reservations. Besides, planning and daydreaming before your trip is part of the fun! The Disney cruise excursions are amazing. So many to choose from.

If you are overwhelmed by the choices or can’t get to the phone during the day to make your reservations, call on us! We’ll do the legwork for you and our help is all FREE!

CLICK HERE – to tell the Pixie Dust Queen you want FREE planning help!

Disney Cruise Hacks – DO Go to Dinner

Even if a sit down dinner with kids sounds as relaxing as a root canal – do not even think about missing a single Disney dining experience. They are unlike anything you have ever seen before!

Every night you’ll have dinner in a different dining room and each one has a different theme. The waiters, who travel with you each night, will have different outfits, too!

Our favorite dining room was the Artist’s Palate. Firstly, the former English teacher in me adores the play on word. A palate is the roof of your mouth which relates to eating but a palette is the board an artist uses for paint. The dining room had clever decorations related to art. The columns in the room holding the ceiling up were large paintbrushes and the lights in the ceiling were like blogs of paint. The butter knife was shaped like a paintbrush, too. Each night the waiters were dressed by theme and in the Artist’s Palate dining room they wore white shirts with prints of early sketches from Disney cartoons. So much fun!

The rooms have so much wonderful decor and the waiter’s are very comfortable with children. Ours had a riddle each night and once brought over a brain teaser puzzle.  This is a GREAT and easy place to practice fancy dinner manners with the kids. If they do a great job, “Yeah, you!” and if they don’t – who cares. More than 1/2 the population on the cruise ship are kids who ALSO are struggling with table manners. I promise no one will blink if the kids don’t  act perfectly.

Disney Cruise Hacks- Choose wisely when you ORDER from the menu.

Be forewarned that the drinks, even fun friendly non- alcoholic concoctions, often cost extra. Ask so you are not caught off guard paying $12 for a drink your 5 year old barely touched.

Also, this is a great time to order new things! Order something new from the menu and give it a try. Food is everywhere on the ship so you don’t have to worry about not liking it and then being hungry. Let the kids explore new food options.

If you don’t see something on the menu that you want or the kids will eat, just ask. We had french fries many times when the regular menu wasn’t that interesting to the kids. The waiters will bend over backwards to make everyone happy by getting what you need and they even make ketchup fun by squirting it on the plate in the shape of Mickey Mouse!

I had a chocolate covered Mickey Mouse shaped ice-cream bar every night for dessert even though it wasn’t on the menu once. Just ask!

If you have a late dinner time, towards the end of diner the staff from the kids’ areas will arrive in the dining room to whisk kids away for some fun while you get to stay and enjoy a cocktail and a few minutes of quiet piece. Win – win!!

Disney Cruise Hacks – Do BYOC

Bring your own cup from home that has a lid. Beverages are free but cups are tiny. Bring your own large cup from home so you can bring beverages back to the room for the evening. This is especially nice for the little ones. We all know how lids and and straws make things easier for the littles.

Disney Cruise Hacks – Don’t Panic

Disney cast members are among the best trained customer service pros in the industry. Excellence is truly the norm here. No matter what you forgot, what breaks, what happens, help is just a question away from the nearest employee. You’ll be greeted with a smile and assistance.

My husband had to work for a bit on our Disney Cruise. At one point he had to download, print, scan, fax…and all the little irritating technology things, while on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean. All the usual computer routes did not work for us. We were struggling. I went down to customer service for help. We tried all sorts of things and then three trips later, the customer service cast member, who was still smiling in spite of my frazzled frown, got the manager and they moved heaven, Earth and who knows what else to get the technology issue worked for me. Whew!! The never stopped smiling either. I, on the other hand, well…..I wasn’t smiling that much from frustration!

So don’t be shy and don’t be worried. With literally 3000-4000 people on board every single week I think they’ve seen more than you can imagine! LOL!

Disney Cruise Hacks- Dress Comfortably

Dressing for dinner – does that phrase sound fun or does it strike terror into your heart? Worried about how to get a kid, all the kids, and your husband to ‘dress for dinner’? Worried that you need to have everyone dressed like a Downton Abbey dinner? Don’t be. It is Disney. They KNOW kids.

What does Disney know about kids? They know some kids wouldn’t be caught dead in a “proper outfit” for dinner. They know some kids can’t bear the thought of wearing something ‘scratchy’ and aren’t all ‘nice’ clothes scratchy? (Please someone design dress wear for kids that isn’t scratchy!!!) Disney knows some teens think dressing for dinner is ‘lame’ and ‘stupid’ and how is that going to fit into your fun family vacation??

So, then what? Just get the kids to the dining room as tidy as you can and move on! No one will care and no one will blink. I saw kids dressed to the nines and I saw kids in pjs. Our kids were somewhere in the middle. No one cared. No one even blinked! No one JUDGES you on a Disney cruise!

Disney Cruise Hacks-  Fish Extenders

Fish Extenders are a really fun part of the journey. They are little bit like a Secret Santa! You put a cute bag on the door and exchange presents. Coming back to the room and finding treats just for you is like Christmas every day!

You HAVE to sign up before you go to get in a Fish Extender Group!! Don’t miss out!!

CLICK HERE – Fish Extender Information

Happy Disney Cruising!! Where will you cruise to on your Disney adventure??

CLICK HERE – Jamaica Cruise Destination

CLICK HERE – Grand Cayman Cruise Destination

CLICK HERE – Jamaica Cruise Destination

Happy Travels!

Natalie, The Educational Tourist