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Disney Cruise Advice: Tips & Tricks Onboard the Ship

LAST UPDATE: 2/14/24

On this page we have collected some useful Disney Cruise advice, tips, and tricks that can help you save time and have more fun while you are on a Disney Cruise. Read the advice below and you’ll have a much better idea what to expect, even if you’ve never been on a cruise before!

Thanks to Marjorie Treger and to MouseSavers.com readers Jeff Evernham and Aileen B, who contributed some great tips.

Disney Cruise Advice & Important Things to Know

Embarkation, first-day bag packing list, staterooms and what’s in them, knowing what’s going on & planning your day, oceaneer club and oceaneer lab, edge and vibe, port days/shore excursions, useful things to pack, things you don’t need to (or should not) pack, disney cruise wear, phone and internet.

• Spa: Treatments, Products & Fitness Center

Disembarkation

Additional tips & tricks, trip reports.

Other useful Disney Cruise information pages:

• For discounts and tips on saving money on the cruise itself , visit our Disney Cruise Discount page.
• For tips and tricks that will help you plan your cruise , visit the Planning Tips & Tricks for Disney Cruises page.
• For advice that will help you with excursions, tours and activities  while in port, visit the Tips & Discounts for Port Excursions page.

“Embarkation” means getting on the ship for the first time during your cruise; “disembarkation” or “debarkation” means getting off the ship at the end of your cruise.

“Port” is the left side of the ship as you face forward; “starboard” is the right side as you face forward. “Forward” is obvious; “aft” is the rear of the ship.

Cruise lines are required to ensure that every passenger knows the safety procedures and has been physically shown where they need to muster in case of emergency. A mandatory muster drill is held in the afternoon of embarkation day, usually around 4:00 pm. Everyone must attend in order to learn the location of your lifeboat station and other safety information. The drill takes 20 minutes or less and you do not have to bring your life jacket with you.

Make sure you turn off the cellular service on your phone while you’re at sea, so you don’t end up paying through the nose for “cellular at sea” service . There is a Disney Cruise Navigator app that you can use on most iPhones and Android phones without needing to pay for internet access. The Navigator app includes activity schedules and menus, and has a kind of text message feature that seems to work much better these days. We found that notifications were showing up quickly when people messaged using the app (our experience was with iPhone, we don’t know how well Android works).

“Cay” is pronounced “key” by locals – so unless you want to sound like a novice, remember this for Castaway Cay (Disney’s private island).

Disney asks you to select a P ort Arrival Time (PAT) when you do online check-in prior to your cruise. This arrival time was not rigidly enforced in the past, but lately, Disney has been enforcing people’s PATs pretty closely, especially during the early part of the boarding process. If you get to the terminal before 12:30, you will probably not be let in to the terminal until your time arrives. After 12:30 or so, Disney seems to just let people into the terminal as long as the check-in line isn’t completely full.

Bottom line: if you want to get on the ship as early as possible, definitely be ready to check in online on the morning your check-in opens! See below for when you can check in online:

• If you are staying at an official Walt Disney World resort or at Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport the night before your cruise, AND you booked that hotel as a package with the cruise, AND you are using Disney’s bus service to the port, your port arrival time is less important, and you may not even see an option to select one when you check in. From a Disney hotel, they’re going to assign you a bus, and generally you’ll just get there when you get there and the terminal staff will be ready to process and embark that whole busload of passengers. If you’re staying at the Hyatt, there will be multiple buses and you can take the first bus they’ll let you on. In either case, it’s rare to experience much wait no matter what your port arrival time is. But if you are offered the option to pick a port arrival time at checkin, pick the earliest reasonable time, just to be on the safe side. It can’t hurt, and it might save you some waiting.
• If you are staying in a concierge level stateroom or suite , you can check in and receive your port arrival time 40 days before embarkation day. That said, your shore-side concierge will likely offer to check you in on the first day you’re eligible, so effectively you can just let them handle it and they should get you the earliest arrival time (unless they know you won’t be arriving that early).
• If you are a Pearl member of the Castaway Club (25+ previous Disney cruises), you can check in and receive your port arrival time 40 days before embarkation day. 
• If you are a Platinum member of the Castaway Club (10-24 previous Disney cruises), you can check in and receive your port arrival time 38 days before embarkation day.
• If you are a Gold member of the Castaway Club (5-9 previous Disney cruises), you can check in and receive your port arrival time 35 days before embarkation day.
• If you are a Silver member of the Castaway Club (1-4 previous Disney cruises), you can check in and receive your port arrival time 33 days before embarkation day.
• If you have never before taken a Disney cruise, you can check in and receive your port arrival time 30 days before embarkation day.

When you arrive at Port Canaveral, you’ll hand off your bags to the dock workers. Tipping is theoretically optional, but it’s customary to tip them at least $1-$2 per bag, and we tend to tip on the high side for very helpful or friendly porters. Keep your carry-on/day bag with you. Get in line to go through check-in (during which time you’ll show your port arrival document several times), then get in line to go through security (you go through a metal detector and your carry-ons go through an x-ray).

The first people who will get on the ship are Group 1, which will usually be concierge level guests. Shortly after noon, announcements will be made for general boarding by group number. You’ll present your port arrival document as you board, have a family photo taken (or bypass the photo and get on the ship that much faster), and then your family will be announced as you arrive in the atrium of the ship. After that, the ship is yours!

Most people will head straight to lunch, and if you’re hungry, that’s a great idea. If you’ve brought your swimsuits in your day bag, this is a perfect time to enjoy the pool (or AquaDuck on the Dream or Fantasy and AquaMouse on the Wish), because the ship is still relatively empty and a lot of people will not have thought ahead. If you still need to make spa appointments, change your dinner rotation, sign up for shore excursions, book Palo, Remy or Enchanté, or book any specialty character meals or tea parties, now is the time to do that. You can also get your kids’ wristbands for the kids club. If it’s your first time on the ship, this is a good time to get a map and wander around familiarizing yourself with everything.

If you are a concierge level guest, there is a special concierge embarkation lunch, or you can go to the concierge lounge, where you can relax and enjoy a snack. You’ll be personally assisted with any bookings or changes you’d like to make (dining rotations, spa appointments, etc.)

At about 1:30-2:00, your room should be ready. Your bags will be delivered at some point in the afternoon (up until about 6:00 pm).

On the embarkation day, you won’t get access to your room until 1:30-2:00 pm, and you may not get all of your luggage until 6:00 pm (or occasionally even later), so its recommended you carry a bag that contains everything you’ll need between boarding the ship and dinner. If you want to swim or ride the AquaDuck or AquaMouse, for example, you will need all your swim stuff.

Here’s our checklist for packing our day bag. Some people like to use a rolling carry-on, but we prefer a small duffel. It’s your call; whatever you feel comfortable lugging around for an hour or two. You can also pack a small backpack for everyone to spread out the load.

• Flip-flops or water shoes (the deck can get hot )
• Reading material, iPad, videogames or other entertainment
• Camera, if you aren’t using your phone
• Medications you might need between noon and dinnertime
• Change of clothes for dinner, if what you wear to board the ship isn’t reasonable (though it almost certainly is fine, as long as it’s not a swimsuit).

The TV in your stateroom offers limited live TV programming, but a pretty extensive selection of Disney-owned movie and TV content. There is the Disney Channel, ABC and ESPN, all owned by Disney, plus some 24-hour news channels (MSNBC & Fox) and a small selection of basic cable channels. You can watch a huge variety of Disney movies and a few other family-friendly titles “on demand” (no extra charge).

Disney no longer provides the cordless Wave Phones; if you need to contact other members of your party, you are expected to use the Disney Navigator app on your phone. If you don’t have a compatible phone or don’t want to carry your phone, you have to fall back on the tried and true “let’s meet in XXX at YYY” or put a magnetic white board on your room door to exchange messages. Note that the kids club staff will only be able to contact you via the Navigator app, so if you don’t carry it around, you can’t be informed of issues with your kids.

Fire codes prevent cruise ships from having irons in staterooms, but irons are available for your use in the laundry rooms. Speaking of laundry, you can charge the cost of self-service laundry to your room key by swiping it through the readers on the washers and dryers.

Inside staterooms have no window (except the “ secret porthole ” rooms on the Wonder and Magic that are classified as inside but have an obstructed porthole). Inside staterooms on the Dream and Fantasy ships do have the “virtual porthole” that provides some light. It can be turned off with a switch by the bed. Bear in mind that on the Wonder, Magic and Wish (or on the Dream and Fantasy with the virtual porthole turned off), inside staterooms have no external light coming in to wake you up in the morning or give you a sense of what time it is. So if you’re anxious to get up and go in the morning, make sure you set an alarm or request a wake-up call.

A portable hair dryer can be found in a bag in the bathroom or in a desk drawer (call Guest Services if you can’t find it). It must be plugged into a European (220V) outlet at the desk. If you happen to be in a stateroom that also has a built-in hair dryer in the bathroom attached to the wall, we recommend leaving it alone; they don’t work well. Use the one in the drawer.

There is no longer a paper Navigator schedule given out in your stateroom, or even available from the front desk. You can only get the activity schedule via your phone or via the TV.

You can download the Navigator app for Apple or Android devices before you arrive at the embarkation port and then, once onboard, connect to the ship’s Wi-Fi network—complimentary for app use only. Downloading the app does not enable general-purpose internet access – you have to pay extra for that. In addition to giving you the ship’s daily schedule, the app has some information that isn’t in the paper Navigator, including menus for the various restaurants and some other useful tidbits. 

The Navigator app also has the all-aboard time and the local number of the ship’s agent, who is your contact if you have an emergency or are running late and might miss the ship (or have missed the ship). It’s not a bad idea to write those things down on a separate piece of paper to carry with you when you’re in port, just in case you lose your phone or the Navigator app gets flaky. If you have an emergency and don’t have your phone or the info on paper, you can call the port and ask them who the port agent is for your ship, and then call Disney’s port agent to let them know what’s happening.

The Navigator app now has a FREE text messaging feature. The messaging feature is available on all five ships. You do not need to buy a data plan to send messages to other people in your party, assuming they also have a device that can run the app. We didn’t really use it much in previous years because there could be 20-30 minutes between sending and message and the recipient getting a notification on their phone, but on our most recent cruise everything worked fine. Also, if you get the newer internet service that you can leave on all the time (currently available on the Wish, Magic, Dream and Fantasy) it will work with iMessage, WhatsApp and other messengers, and it will work with SMS text messaging if everyone’s phone has Wi-Fi cellular enabled.

Onboard Entertainment & Activities Tips

If you’re curious to know what movies will be shown on your sailing before you get on the ship, call  Disney Cruise customer service (800) 951-3532 about two weeks before your cruise and ask.

Want to ride the AquaDuck water coaster on the Dream or Fantasy or the AquaMouse on the Wish? MouseSavers.com reader Bill V has this tip: “If you enjoy the AquaDuck during the day, find an EVENING to ride it as well! Riding it at night, with the red-and-white lights strobing around the tube at each of the supports, is a completely different experience than the daytime, not to be missed! Also, the lines are truly non-existent if you go during dinner or show times, far shorter than even the times when most passengers are ashore when the ship is docked–my daughter rode it one evening over a dozen times in less than 90 minutes, usually walking on with no line whatsoever.” (This advice would apply to the AquaMouse on the Wish as well.)

Some special activities require advance sign-up at Guest Services. For instance, “Tea with Wendy,” (or “Tea with Alice” or some other character) is sometimes offered on some 7-night cruises, but has limited seating, and on cruises near Christmas, there is a build-your-own-gingerbread house activity, but they have a limited number of kits available. Check for those activities (they’ll generally be listed in the Navigator app) and sign up as soon as you can. Certain popular character meetings are also now requiring advance sign-up, usually on the first day.

Theater snacks : the theaters where the movies and shows are presented have concession stands selling expensive goodies such as canned sodas, bagged popcorn and candy, which can be charged to your room key. If you want to keep costs down, go up on the pool deck to the self-serve beverage station and get FREE sodas (or lemonade, tea, etc.) to bring into the show with you. You can also usually get FREE cookies from one of the counter-service locations on the pool deck and bring those along (or order cookies from room service, for only the cost of a tip). Concierge level guests on the Dream and Fantasy can get snacks, including cans of soda and sometimes popcorn, from the lounge. The snack bar at the theater has a refillable popcorn bucket that can be refilled for the rest of your cruise at a much cheaper price, so if you like popcorn, it’s a good idea to get one at the beginning of the cruise. Some people have brought popcorn buckets from previous cruises or from Walt Disney World and had them refilled, though that may or may not be official policy.

Embarkation Day

Once you’re onboard on embarkation day, you can eat lunch in one of three locations (or the concierge lunch if you’re in a concierge stateroom): the buffet, the pool deck food outlets (burgers, pizza, etc.) or a dining room (on the Magic, the primary lunch dining room is Lumiere’s; on the Wonder, it’s Triton’s; on the Dream and Fantasy, it’s Enchanted Garden; on the Wish, it’s been 1923 or Arendelle). The primary dining room lunch is a la carte with a normal lunch menu similar to the menu served on sea days. It has a tendency to fill up pretty quickly, so if you want to eat there, get on the ship as early as possible. There is also a lunch just for concierge guests in a different dining room.

Note that if you head for the inside dining room, you will encounter multiple crew members who will try to herd you to the buffet, which can handle more people. Just tell them you’d prefer the interior dining room. 

Breakfast and Lunch

During the cruise, there are usually two or three breakfast and lunch locations with different hours (check the Navigator app for hours). You can choose from one or more full-service restaurants with open seating (just show up when you want during opening hours, and they’ll seat you), or eat at the buffet.

Dinner Rotations

Your dinner arrangements — meaning your restaurant rotation schedule, and whether you have the early or late seating for dinner — are assigned before you embark on the cruise. You can find your restaurant rotation by checking the “My Plans” section of the Navigator app. It will also show your table number and seating time, as well as the recommended dress code and menu. If you have trouble using the app, Guest Services or any of the dining locations can help you get that information. 

If you want to change your seating or your restaurant rotation, do that as soon as you embark. The location on the ship where changes can be made will be listed in the Navigator app, or just go to Guest Services and they can point you in the right direction.

If you go to your assigned restaurant for dinner each night, your servers will be the same for every night of your cruise. On longer cruises they’ll get to know you, and may even have your “usual” beverage waiting for you at your table. If you are served something you don’t like, tell the servers and they’ll bring you something else. And if you want to indulge, they’ll be happy to bring you two desserts (or two appetizers, or even two entrees)! In true Disney style, if you have a special event you are celebrating, make sure your servers know. You will get appropriate special treatment (usually a special dessert, and perhaps some singing).

We recommend not rushing to dinner. If you show up five minutes or so after they begin seating you’ll walk right in. If you show up early you’ll just have to wait in line! Don’t wait too long, though: in order to get everyone served in a timely manner, each server really needs to get all the orders from all their tables at once. If you come too late, it throws off their timing, necessitating multiple extra trips to the kitchen and long delays for everyone. Also, if you won’t be at the regular rotation dinner one night, it’s helpful to tell your server or head server in advance, so they won’t wait for you to arrive to start service for the other tables.

We also recommend having the Navigator app open to your dinner reservation and table number the first time you arrive at each restaurant, so you can be seated more easily. But if you remember your table number, you can just tell the servers.  

Each restaurant has a “special” menu that is only offered at that restaurant, which will be used on one of the nights you visit each restaurant (the same night as the show, if there is one for that restaurant). On the other nights, you’ll get “standard” menus that are the same at all three restaurants (they change every night, but each of the three restaurants gets the same menu). 

Dinner Shows

The following restaurants have special shows and menus on one night of your cruise . These shows are one of the unique entertainment experiences on a Disney cruise, so try to see them if you can! Ask at Guest Services or ask your server which night it will be for your rotation. Move your Palo, Remy or Enchante reservations or change your dinner rotation if you have to. 

• Animator’s Palate (Magic, Wonder, Dream, Fantasy) — On the Magic & Wonder, this show allows everyone in the family to design a character and see it animated. It’s pretty neat! On the Dream & Fantasy, the show involves interacting with an animated character (Crush the sea turtle from Finding Nemo). On longer (7+ night) cruises on the Dream & Fantasy, they may also do a version of the “draw your own animated character” show on the second night you visit Animator’s Palate.
• Tiana’s Place (Wonder) — A rollicking dinner show with the characters and songs from The Princess & The Frog.
• Rapunzel’s Royal Table (Magic) — A fun musical show with characters and songs from Tangled.
• Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure (Wish) — An elaborate show where you’re a guest at an engagement party for Anna and Kristoff, hosted by Wandering Oaken. Enjoy songs and characters from the two Frozen movies.
• Worlds of Marvel (Wish) — A loud action spectacle involving Ant-Man and the Wasp (and some guest Marvel characters) takes place during dinner. Most of the action is ostensibly taking place elsewhere on the ship (you watch it on screens on the walls of the restaurant), but live-action Ant-Man and the Wasp appear near the end to wave at diners.

Premium Restaurants

If you enjoy fine dining, we definitely recommend making a reservation for Palo, Remy or Enchanté, particularly on a 4-night or longer cruise. There is a small extra cost (larger for Remy and Enchanté) but it is well worth it for the cuisine, the atmosphere, and the opportunity to enjoy a nice dinner without the kids. The Remy and Enchanté dinners are especially elaborate, and are similar to meals that cost much more at Michelin starred restaurants or Victoria & Albert’s at Walt Disney World. Palo can be found on all five Disney ships, though the menu is slightly different (and more steakhouse-oriented) on the Wish. Remy is only on the Dream and Fantasy, and Enchanté is only on the Wish.

Alternatively, consider booking the Palo, Enchanté or Remy brunch (offered usually only once or twice on most cruises). We find the premium brunches particularly fabulous and might even prefer them to dinner in Palo.

Palo, Remy and Enchanté are very popular, so book them as early as you can . If you’re not able to get a reservation in advance, check the Navigator app or ask a crew member to find the location where you can go and request a reservation onboard.

If you want to skip one of the regular rotation restaurants in order to dine in Palo, Remy or Enchanté, our suggestion is to call Disney to find out the dining rotations for your cruise and pick a night that is the second visit to a restaurant, since the first night is very likely to be that restaurant’s special menu (and will have a show, if there is a show at that restaurant). For example, if your rotation is “Enchanted Garden, Rapunzel’s Table, Rapunzel’s Table, Animator’s Palate”, pick the third night, since it is the most likely to be a “standard” menu.

Keep in mind that the dinner rotations and timing of Animator’s Palate, Tiana’s, Rapunzel’s, Marvel or Arendelle shows are subject to change, and in our experience the folks at the Disney call center don’t always have accurate information about when the show will happen. The people actually on the ship know, so if you want to be sure your premium dining doesn’t happen on a dinner show night, go to Guest Services or the dining reservation location listed in the Navigator app on the first day of your cruise and ask. If there’s a conflict, they can either reschedule your premium dinner or put you on a different main dining rotation.

Alternate Dining Options

There are always plenty of options for food: check the Navigator app to know which restaurants are open at what times.

In the past, Disney has opened up the buffet area (Cabanas or Marceline Market) for dinner on most nights of the cruise (usually all but the first night), but as a table-service venue, not a buffet. There’s no specific time, you just show up and choose from a limited menu that includes some of the same foods served in the main dining rooms (but without all the hoopla). Of late they haven’t been doing it, but all indications are that this is a temporary post-pandemic measure because of logistics issues, so it could restart any time. If you’d prefer a quieter dinner at your own dining time, ask if it’s an option on your cruise.

There are fast-food locations up on the pool deck, serving kid-friendly fast food. We think the burgers and other sandwiches on a bun are edible, and the mini-wraps are quite good. The pizza is not a highlight – the toppings are fine, but the crust is sub-par, except on the Wish, where it is pretty good. The Wish also has a barbeque window, and a Mexican food window with choose-your-own ingredient bowls, tacos and burritos (think Chipotle), and both of those options are quite good. The fruit is fruit; nothing wrong with it. The soft-serve ice cream is not very creamy, but it makes a nice snack on a hot day, and they usually rotate in some unusual flavors like mango or strawberry over the course of the cruise.

On most ships, there are some small snacks available most of the day. In the adult coffee bar, there have generally been free mini-desserts available during the day, and little antipasto nibbles during the evening, but we didn’t see them on the Wish. In the adult lounge area on the lower decks, there is usually a (small) hot snack buffet available for part of the evening, either in the pub or the hallway between the various lounges. Usually there’s something like a build-your-own nacho bar, plus some sort of hot savory like pigs in a blanket or egg rolls. Again, this little mini-buffet has not been present on the Wish. In the pub on each ship, there are about 4-6 extra-cost hot snacks & entrees you can order. Typically at least one of the pool deck food stations will be open until midnight, usually pizza. From midnight until breakfast time (6:30 or so) room service is the only food option.

On Alaska cruises, there have usually been some snacks on the front of the ship on the pool deck on the glacier-viewing day , including hot soup in small bread bowls, cookies and hot cocoa. They also usually do a special barbecue lunch that day on the deck behind the buffet, typically sausage, fish, and steak. Sometimes they have been known to serve elk or another Alaska specialty. Make sure you go out to the deck to check it out; we met many people who had no idea the cookout was happening and just ate regular buffet food instead of the fresh-grilled options just a few steps away.

Concierge guests have access to snacks and beverages (bottled water, soft drinks, coffee drinks) in the concierge lounge.

Kids’ Meals

There are kid’s menu options at all the table-service meals , but children are not limited to eating from those menus. Your servers will bring your kids whatever they want, including full adult appetizers, meals and desserts, and in fact if there’s something on the ship they can get or make, they’ll usually try to accommodate you even if it’s not on the menu. In other words, if all your kids want is french fries, that’s not a problem, assuming you’re OK with it.

It’s worth noting that asking your server to bring you something from another restaurant is not a trivial undertaking . They will almost certainly do it, because they really want guests to be happy, but don’t spring a request on them unless you really can’t find anything else for your kids to eat. And if possible, let the service staff know early if your child has specific food issues. If they know in advance that your child will only eat french fries and chicken fingers, they can have those ready each night.

If you have kids in the Oceaneer Club, they will be offered lunch and dinner if they are in the Club at the appropriate time. There are not usually a lot of choices, but what they’ll offer is going to be pretty simple and kid-friendly, like chicken nuggets and apple slices.

Two key things to be aware of: one, they usually don’t serve the kids dinner on the first night of the cruise (the day of embarkation). So if you have Palo or Remy reservations for that night, you’ll need to feed your kids yourself. Fortunately that’s easy: all you have to do is get food for the kids before or after your reservation from one of the fast-food restaurants on the pool deck. Two: be aware of when the kids are served. Meal times may be too early for your liking if you leave your kids in the Club.

Also, keep in mind that the Disney crew members will not make your kids sit down to eat. They will make sure every child is informed that food is being served, but they can’t and won’t make your children stop playing to eat, and there is one opportunity to eat for each mealtime. There are no snacks served in the club between meal times. It’s a good idea when you pick up your kids to check if they ate and if they are hungry.

Dine and Play Program

Please note : The Dine and Play program is temporarily suspended, but may return at any time. Ask about it onboard if you’re interested.

The Dine and Play program allows children to get their meals quicker and adults to check in a child for Youth Activities without leaving the dining room. The Dine and Play program is offered for families assigned to second dining, and is open to children ages 3-12. 

Here’s how it works: You arrive in the dining room and inform the server that your child would like to participate in Dine and Play. The dining room team brings the child’s meal first while serving the adults at a more leisurely pace.

About 45 minutes after seating begins, Youth Activities Counselors arrive in the dining room and sign in the child to Disney’s Oceaneer Club, eliminating the need for you to escort the child to Deck 5.

Adults are then able to enjoy the full dining experience with the knowledge that their children are having a great time in a safe, fun and comfortable environment.

Alternative approach: You can ask your server to feed the kids as fast as possible, and then have an adult walk them over to the kids club and check them in. It only takes a few minutes to get to the club and back. Some parents have told us their kids prefer this method over using Dine & Play, as you can get the kids to the club whenever they’re ready and there’s less waiting around.

Room Service

Room service is not a strong suit on Disney Cruise Line. The food, in our experience, is merely adequate. It is free (though a tip is welcomed) and convenient, though. Selection is mostly very basic and very middle-American: sandwiches, basic soups, chicken wings, a few salads, a cheese plate, burger, pizza or topped flatbreads. 

If the buffet or top deck restaurants are open, we suggest sending someone to the buffet or top deck instead of ordering room service . The selection in the buffet is much better and the food better prepared. The top deck restaurants have a more limited selection, but sending someone to the top deck for food has always resulted in hotter, fresher food when we’ve done it. That said, if you’re worn out, or come back really late from a port excursion, it’s nice to know they will bring you food any time.

Mickey bars (Mickey head shaped ice cream bars) and Smuckers Uncrustables (packaged peanut butter & jelly sandwiches) are not on the menu, but have usually been available on request.

Special orders are limited , but if you want something simple that is not on the menu, but is made with components used in items that are on the menu, such as a grilled cheese sandwich, plain salad without dressing, plain hamburger patty with no bun or just an order of french fries, they will usually make that for you on request.

Room service breakfast in the regular staterooms is a very basic Continental offering of various baked goods, cereal, milk, hot drinks and juice. There is nothing hot and no real protein, so if you like eggs and bacon in the morning, head for the buffet or whichever dining room is serving breakfast (it’s listed in the Disney Cruise Navigator app). We do sometimes use room service to get coffee delivered in the morning. Though lately we just have them deliver hot water, because we prefer the Starbucks Via packets to the ship’s reconstituted coffee product.

Guests in concierge staterooms and suites can order dinner from the rotation restaurants during regular dinner hours . Ask your concierge staff for a menu. All courses of your meal are brought at once, which doesn’t do good things for the quality of the meal, but it’s still better than the regular room service offerings. Concierge level guests can order hot breakfasts in their suites and staterooms during the cruise.

Many common beverages (including sodas) are available FREE most of the time , but there are situations where you could be charged for them. Here are the basic rules:

• The self-service drink station on the pool deck offers milk , juice , tea (hot or iced) , coffee, hot cocoa , lemonade, plain water and fountain sodas  at no extra charge 24 hours a day.
• The dining rooms (including Palo, Remy and Enchanté) offer milk , juice , tea (hot or iced) , coffee , hot cocoa ,  lemonade, plain water and fountain sodas  at no extra charge with meals. All other drinks can be ordered, but cost money.
• Castaway Cay offers milk , juice , tea (iced only) , lemonade, plain water and fountain sodas  for free. All other cold drinks (except iced espresso drinks) can be ordered at a bar, but cost money. No hot drinks are available. 
• Room service offers milk , juice , tea (hot or iced), plain water and  coffee free. All other drinks cost money. 
• All bars (including espresso bars) charge for all beverages , except plain tap water.
• Bottled water, canned and bottled soda and soft drinks , alcoholic beverages , mocktails , smoothies, shakes  and espresso drinks (and related drinks like chai lattes) always cost money no matter where you order them.
• The fountain sodas are all Coca-Cola products (which could change any time, but Coca-Cola has had a strong partnership with Disney for many years). The bars have a wider selection of canned and bottled beverages available, at a charge.

Consider bringing your own bottled water if you think you’ll drink a lot of it on shore excursions, Castaway Cay, etc. Bottled water on the ship or Castaway Cay is expensive. Consider packing a small carry-on suitcase with just bottled water. Then on the way home you’ll have room for all those things you didn’t plan to buy. (If you are staying on concierge level on the Dream or Fantasy, bottled water is provided in the lounge without cost.)

Disney allows each adult to bring up to two 750 ml bottles of wine or six 12 oz beers onboard at embarkation and at each port visited. Bottles must be sealed and they must be in your carry-on luggage.  Spirits (rum, vodka, whiskey, etc.) are not allowed (they will be confiscated and given back to you at disembarkation).

Sealed bottles or cans of non-alcoholic beverages can be carried on in any amount that will fit through the x-ray machines (carry-on bag sized, in other words). As for coolers, Disney officially says that you can only take aboard small (12″ x 12″ x 12″ max) soft-sided coolers for keeping things like insulin and breast milk cold. In practice, soft coolers can be any size that’s small enough to fit through the x-ray machine (again, basically the size of a carry-on bag), but no hard-sided or wheeled coolers.

Disney, like all other cruise lines, does not allow any beverages in checked bags , because checked baggage is stacked up and handled roughly during the loading process, which could cause containers of liquids to break and/or leak onto other people’s luggage. They do screen for those items. If they find disallowed items, the items will be confiscated and given back at the end of the cruise.

Coffee and Tea

Regular American-style coffee on Disney ships is unfortunately not good. The “drip” coffee they serve throughout the ship is made in a machine that looks vaguely like a coffee urn, but actually produces instant coffee on demand by mixing liquid concentrate and hot water. When it’s made in a properly-calibrated machine it tastes like OK instant coffee (not as good as Starbucks Via, but better than Folger’s Crystals). If the machine is out of calibration, it can be really weak or very strong.

If you like your coffee with cream and sugar or just aren’t picky about coffee, you may be fine with the reconstituted coffee . If you like quality coffee, you may want to order espresso drinks (at extra cost), which are available at most bars and sit-down restaurants and at the bar in the Wish, Dream & Fantasy’s buffets. You might also consider bringing Starbucks Via packets if you like them. In our experience the Via is much better than the reconstituted stuff.

If you’re a tea drinker, the news is better: there are a wide variety of Twinings tea bags (regular and herbal) at the main deck drink stations and in the dining rooms. And in the dining rooms, they almost always serve tea properly, with acceptably hot water and a small pitcher of milk upon request.

The iced tea served everywhere is unsweetened reconstituted iced tea from a soda machine (Fuze brand from Coca-Cola), but you can make your own iced tea by brewing fresh hot tea and adding ice and water, and that is much better. Our recipe: put two regular black tea bags in a cup of hot water, steep three minutes, stir in sugar if desired, then pour over a full cup of ice. Add water to taste.

Most bars on the ship have espresso machines , including the adults-only Cove Cafe on the pool deck and the all-ages Promenade Lounge on deck 3 (Wonder & Magic), Vista Café on deck 4 (Dream & Fantasy), and all bars and lounges on the Wish. Espresso is also available in the main dining rooms, the premium restaurants, and the Dream, Fantasy and Wish buffets. All espresso drinks cost extra, generally about the same price as on land. If you are a regular consumer of espresso drinks, be sure to get a coffee card. Each time you buy a latte, cappucino, etc. they will mark the card. Your sixth beverage is FREE! If you don’t fill your card during the cruise, hold onto it — it can be used on a future cruise, even on a different Disney ship!

Wine Packages and Refillable Beer Mug

Disney doesn’t have any “all you can drink” packages available. You don’t really need one for sodas, since they’re included (except at bars). Alcohol and other specialty beverages are always a la carte. There are, however, two programs that could save you some money (albeit with a few caveats).

Wine Packages

This is an opportunity to pre-pay for a certain number of bottles of wine, which you can enjoy at any of the sit-down restaurants. If you don’t finish one, you can get it recorked for the next night (and they’ll take it to the next restaurant in the rotation, or you can get it brought to you at Palo, Remy or Enchanté), or you can take it with you to your room. If you don’t end up drinking them all, you can take the remainder home. Your server will usually suggest buying one bottle per cruise night, but you can buy more or less if you like. The wines are all from a set list, which changes from time to time, and usually includes about 10-12 white wines and 8-10 red wines. There are two tiers, with the more expensive one including fancier bottles of wine. The wines on the list change regularly, but we think the choices are all pretty good, with a few real winners on each list. Disney pushes these packages aggressively: a brochure will be on the table your first night, and one of your servers will offer a sales pitch the first night.

We went to the trouble a few years ago to price out all the wines on the list and compare to the average cost per bottle from the packages . The price per bottle in the packages was about $2-3 cheaper than the average price of the bottles included in the package. However, the packages typically have only 5-7 selections that sell for more than the average price, and 12-15 selections that sell for less than the average price. So if you pick random bottles from the list, you’re very likely to end up spending more (or at least not much less) by buying the package. To come out ahead, you have to consistently order from the few bottles that are higher priced.

Frankly, our opinion is that it’s not worth the trouble, at least as a money-saving strategy . If buying your dinner wine in advance will help you relax, then go ahead; you certainly won’t lose much money unless you happen to always pick the cheapest wine on the list. And if you really love a particular wine or wines that you know are higher-priced, and you plan to only drink those, the plan will save you a few bucks per bottle.

Refillable Beer Mug

This is a large 21 oz glass souvenir beer mug that you can buy at any bar for $17 (last we checked). When you get it filled (at any bar or restaurant), you get 21 ounces for the price of a 16 ounce draft beer. One nice thing is that you don’t have to cart the mug around; they’ll give you a little token you can trade for a mug at any time. So you give the token to your server and get a mug of beer, and when you’re done you can give them the mug and ask for the token back. At the end of the cruise, just stop by any bar to get a nice clean mug to take home. The selection of draft beers is pretty good, and in addition to the standard American beers, there are always a few craft beers like Widmer or Full Sail and even sometimes a cider like Strongbow. (Disney Cruise Line advertises this as a 21 oz glass, but we heard from a reader who measured it and found it actually held 20 oz when filled to the rim.)

Purely as a money-saving strategy, it’s hard to get your money’s worth out of the mug unless you really like beer. However, if you like the idea of having a Disney Cruise Line souvenir beer mug, and the price seems reasonable, then the extra beer is basically FREE. Make sure to tell your spouse that when you buy it.

Disembarkation Day

Breakfast is served on the day of disembarkation. In fact, you’ll have an assigned restaurant and time for breakfast for disembarkation, or you can choose to eat at the buffet instead. It will be a much smaller selection than during the cruise: welcome back to the real world!

Regular guests do not have access to room service on disembarkation morning. Concierge level guests can order a standard Continental breakfast from room service on disembarkation morning.

Most kids find the Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab, for ages 3-10, to be the best part of a Disney cruise. There is a lot to do, with great hands-on organized activities going on all the time.

Signing in and out is a relatively easy process considering what needs to be done to protect the children. However, you may have to wait in line either to drop them off or pick them up. Plan at least 5 minutes for the pick up or drop off process. If your children are 8 years old or older, they can be given the ability to sign themselves in and out on their own.

The Navigator app will tell you what’s happening and where your kids are at any given time. Check the app to see if your children will be out of the Club at the time you want to sign them out – for instance, they could be up on the deck playing basketball. Using the app to plan will save you a wasted trip. Also, when the kids are moving from one location to another, they will not allow you to sign them in or out, so there can be a 10-15 minute window where you have to wait.

You can keep your child signed in to the Oceaneer Club while at Castaway Cay. They will take the kids off the ship to special play areas for supervised games and activities throughout the day. If you do this, be sure to bring your phone with you. The Wi-Fi covers much of Castaway Cay and the app tends to work OK. But if you want your kids to join you for some time on the island, make sure you know their schedule of activities. They eat lunch fairly early, and are taken back to the ship before the beach closes.

Edge is the “tween” club for ages 11-14. Vibe is the teen club for ages 14-17. A 14-year-old can access both Edge and Vibe, but they will have to register for both. Disney will sometimes be slightly flexible about the age groups for these clubs, and will sometimes allow a child that is a little younger than the target age into the older teen club if they have space in the club your child wants to attend, especially if they have a friend or sibling in the older club. This is not guaranteed, but it’s worth asking.

The Disney Cruise offers many opportunities to meet characters . You will see most of the popular characters at some point or another on the Disney Cruise. Greeting times are available in the Navigator app. The lines for character greetings usually start forming about 15 minutes before the scheduled greeting time, so if you can get there 10 minutes beforehand, you won’t have a long wait once the characters arrive.

Some popular character meetings and meals may require advance booking . There’s no charge for the character meetings, but certain breakfasts or teas with characters may have an additional fee. You should book these as early as you can online; the bookings open on the same schedule as  booking excursions and Palo/Remy/Enchanté . You can also call or stop by guest services on the first day and ask about tickets; they may hold back some slots for onboard booking. Thanks to Sarah B and Rachel P for info.

Bring your kids’ Disney costumes, if they have any. The cruise is a great opportunity to get pictures of your daughter dressed as Belle with the “real” Belle herself, without her having to wear the costume all day.

If you’re on a 7-night cruise, you may have an assigned Character Breakfast on one of the days of the cruise. You’ll get a chance for photos with all the main Disney characters, including Mickey and Minnie!

Most of the character greetings will include a Disney professional photographer , so if your own photo doesn’t turn out you can still buy a memento from Shutters, the onboard photo location.

Read our tips, tricks and discounts on Port Excursions !

The list below is mostly based on reader suggestions. We have to admit, we have taken Disney cruises at various times without these, and everything went just fine. So don’t go too crazy with overpacking! But some of these are good ideas for specific needs.

• Water shoes – Always a good idea if you’ll be snorkeling or wading where there are coral reefs and sharp rocks. Also handy to protect your feet on hot sand, concrete or the pool deck; the sun can make the deck very hot and you’ll want some of these or some simple flip-flops while hanging around the pool. You can wear water shoes that are secure and not likely to come off on the AquaDuck, AquaMouse and AquaDunk, but flip-flops or water shoes that slip off easily will need to be stowed before riding.
• Safe Sea lotion – This is a lotion that protects against jellyfish, sea nettle, and seabather’s eruption , caused by jellyfish larvae that are sometimes called “sea lice.” There is actual independent research that backs this up – we’ve read it and are satisfied that it works. We want to reassure people that large jellyfish are kept out of the lagoon at Castaway Cay by netting under the water, so we’ve never heard of anyone getting a serious sting there, but people do occasionally get seabather’s eruption. At other beaches in the Bahamas and Caribbean jellyfish stings are not common, but they do happen. The peak season for jellyfish is summer (June-August) and they’re rare in winter. We actually had a very minor issue with seabather’s eruption on one trip to Castaway Cay (on some skin that didn’t have lotion; we failed to note that you need to apply some underneath the swimsuit for full protection), and we can attest that while it’s not the end of the world, it’s quite unpleasant and worth avoiding. Certainly the lotion is a cheap form of insurance, and there are formulations that include sunscreen, which you’ll need anyway. Another option is to bring some jellyfish after-sting gel  just in case, or some sources recommend hydrocortisone cream or antihistamine cream .
• Body Powder – If you’ve ever tried to wipe beach sand off your body, you know it tends to stick in an annoying manner. It turns out it sticks to your skin because of residual moisture, and if you just rub your skin with water-absorbent powder (i.e. scented cornstarch), the sand drops right off. We used to recommend a very useful little mitt that contained cornstarch-based body powder for wiping off sand. Apparently that mitt isn’t made any more, but you can get the same effect by just sprinkling the powder on a towel and wiping with that. Do make sure you’re getting plain cornstarch powder, or at least talc-free powder. Talc is not good to breathe.
• Robe – if you like to wear one in your room, you’ll need to bring your own unless you’re in a concierge room. Some people have had luck asking their stateroom attendant, but it’s not guaranteed they can get you one.
• Pop-up Hamper – We like the rectangular kind with a circular opening on the top, as opposed to the ones that look like a big round cloth-covered spring. The squarer ones seem to hold their shape better. They only weigh 8 ounces, fold down to a small circle, and fit nicely into hotel and stateroom closets.
• Dry box/case – Basically, a small waterproof box or pouch on a lanyard. Used by scuba divers and snorkelers, these are handy for any beach visit, because you can keep your ID and some money around your neck, instead of sticking valuables in your shoe and leaving them on the beach (yeah, everyone knows about THAT hiding place!)
• Clothespins – These have a variety of uses, from weighing down a shower curtain that wants to stick to you, to anchoring your beach towel to a lounge chair. You can clip your curtains together if you want to minimize light leakage in the morning. Oh, and you can use them to hang laundry up to dry, too (there’s a retractable clothesline in the bathtub).
• Night light – Particularly if you are staying in one of the Inside cabins on the Magic, Wonder or Wish, this is nice to have. It’s pitch black in those rooms when the lights are off. If you don’t want to use up a wall plug, you can get a USB light that plugs into an empty USB charger port. (It’ll also work in a laptop USB port, but not all laptops keep power to the USB ports when they go to sleep, so you’d want to check that first.) An LED flashlight or headlamp can also be handy if you need to get up in the middle of the night and don’t want to turn on lights.
• Magnets – The stateroom doors are metal (except for the doors in the concierge section of the Dream and Fantasy). You can stick magnets on them to decorate your door, and it makes it easier for your children (and you) to identify your room. Don’t bring anything you can’t bear to lose: these do get taken sometimes. Please note that you are not allowed to use any type of adhesive on your door, including removable gel adhesives that supposedly come off clean. You will be charged for any damage to the door.
• Multi-USB charger – When we have a lot of things to charge while travelling, normally we bring a  travel power strip , but as mentioned below, power strips are generally not allowed on Disney ships. Now we bring a multi-charger, which can charge 4 or more devices from one outlet. We’ve used Anker brand as well as Amazon Basics, and they’ve both been perfectly fine. You’ll need to also bring the USB cable for each device. We’d recommend getting at least a 40W model if you have anything more than just a phone or two. A 60W model typically has six outlets and might be just the thing if you have a lot of tablets and phones to charge, or you want a spare port to plug a USB night light into. Note that on the Magic and Wonder, they’ve installed a few more USA-type power outlets near the desk, and there are a couple of USB charging ports at the desk and on the alarm clock next to the bed. The Wish staterooms have tons of USB charging outlets at the desk and next to the bed, including two USB-C ports, so you can probably get by without a USB charger on that ship.
• Irons are NOT ALLOWED as they are a fire hazard. Fire is a huge danger on cruise ships. If you take an iron it will be confiscated from your luggage. Irons are available for your use in the laundry rooms.
• Rolls of quarters – In the past, these were needed for the self-service laundry onboard, but now you just swipe your room key for use of the washer, dryer, soap and dryer sheets. The cost is charged to your account.
• Over-the-door shoe organizer – Some people have used these to store toiletries or other small items. Disney now asks that you do NOT use them as they “scratch and/or disfigure stateroom doors and trim.” You will be charged for any damage.
• Seasickness medication – Unless you KNOW you get seasick on cruise ships, don’t bother bringing this. If you do get queasy, the ship’s health center or the guest services desk will give you FREE over the counter medication (generic meclizine, the ingredient in Bonine or non-drowsy Dramamine). If you get super-queasy the health center can get you prescription medication (for a fee).
• Beach towels – They are provided when you get off the ship on beach days.
• Power/outlet strip – These are not allowed on the ship. MouseSavers.com reader Christina N reports: “… they confiscated these from my bag and from others. They do not allow them as it blows circuits in the room.” Technically, they only ban extension cords, and power strips with surge protectors, but in practice people have reported having just about any kind of multi-outlet strip or adapter confiscated, because the people doing the screening don’t want to figure out whether your power strip is one of the “bad” ones. One thing not many people know is that there’s an open outlet behind the TV in most cabins on the Magic, Wonder, Dream and Fantasy. The TVs are on a pivoting arm, so it’s easy to pull them out and expose the spare plug. Many smartphones and smaller tablets can be charged through a USB cable connected to a laptop, so if you take a USB cable you’ll only need one outlet, to plug in the laptop. Or you might want to pack a multi-USB charger like the ones mentioned above. And over time Disney has been adding USB charging ports to the outlets near the desk, so you might not need a power strip depending on how many devices you have.
• Extension cords – the only extension cords allowed on the ship are ones you can borrow from Guest Services ($50 deposit required; refunded when you return the cord). There are a limited number and availability is first-come, first-served. If you need one for a CPAP or other medical device, one will be made available, but all of the ships now have a plug next to the bed, so you shouldn’t need an extension for a CPAP. On the Wish, there are US-style plugs next to one side of the bed, and a European plug on the other side. So if you have a CPAP or other device that goes next to the bed, and you really prefer to sleep on a specific side, make sure you have the correct plug adapter and your CPAP power supply handles both 110 and 220 volt current (almost all of them do, but you should check).
• Hairdryer (maybe) – Hairdryers are provided, but the ones provided might not be up to your standards. If you’re not picky, don’t bother packing one.
• High chair / booster seat – Both are provided on request in the dining room.
• Pack and play crib – These are provided onboard (request when booking your cruise).
• Stroller (maybe) – There are some strollers available to borrow onboard (deposit required) and on Castaway Cay. However, there are a limited number and it’s first-come, first-served. If you have a little one, it’s not a bad idea to bring a small umbrella stroller along.

During the day and most evenings on the Disney Cruise Line, you can wear casual clothing. At dinner, you are asked to stick to “cruise casual.” Most men wear a collared shirt (aloha shirts and golf/polo shirts are fine) and long pants (chinos or dress slacks) or nice shorts. Most women wear a skirt, dress, nice pants or dressy capris. Disney requests no swimwear or tank tops at dinner, but in practice, dressier tank-style tops will usually be acceptable. People who show up to the main dining rooms in swimsuits are almost always asked to change.

There are times when dressing up to some extent is either required or encouraged:

• When having dinner at Palo, Remy or Enchanté, the dress code is basically “business casual plus.” Men are required to wear long pants suitable for professional work (which could include “nice” jeans), collared shirts and dressier shoes. Some men wear suits or even tuxedos. Women can wear pretty much anything “nice” that isn’t swimwear, casual t-shirts, shorts or sportswear. Semi-formal or even formal wear would not be out of place. At Brunch or Tea at either restaurant, the dress code is “cruise casual,” which basically means no shorts, swimsuits, tank tops or flip-flops.
• On 4-night or longer cruises, there will be one or two “optional dress up” nights that you can interpret how you will. Dressing up is not required, but some folks will make an effort to change for dinner. On our most recent Disney cruises we’ve seen a handful of tuxedos on dress-up nights and a few dozen men wearing jackets. A fair number of women were dressed in nicer outfits. Lots and lots of people were just in normal “cruise casual” outfits, so if you don’t like to dress up don’t feel like you’re under any obligation to do so. On the other hand, if you like to dress up, it’s a great opportunity. The crew and the Disney characters will be in nicer clothes, there will be photo stations where you can get a picture of the whole family in nice outfits, and you won’t feel overdressed in a gown or tux.
• Some people like to wear dressy or semi-formal clothing on the nights when they dine in Lumiere’s (Magic), Triton’s (Wonder) or Royal Palace/Royal Court (Dream or Fantasy), since those are the restaurants with the fanciest theming but this is not by any means required.
• Similarly, a few people like to dress in 1920’s inspired clothes when dining in 1923 on the Disney Wish. This is just a fun thing to do and not in any way required.

Where to Buy Disney Cruise Wear

If you’re looking for Disney-themed casual cruise wear (aloha shirts, etc.), a good place to look is DisneyStore.com . Unfortunately they only offer resort wear on a seasonal basis (usually spring and summer), but even in the winter it’s always worth looking to see if they have anything in the sale section.

DisneyStore.com  carries a significant amount of Disney Cruise Line clothing and other logo merchandise as well.

• See current discounts and offers for DisneyStore.com.

Your phone should still be able to reach a tower on land as long as the ship is in port, but once you are at sea, we strongly advise you to turn off international roaming and data roaming, to avoid having your phone accidentally use the “Cellular@Sea” service, which is very expensive. You can (and should) leave wi-fi turned on, so you can use Disney’s Navigator App to see the current schedules and menus and so forth.

You can also use the Disney Navigator App on your own phone to send messages to other people in your party. To get message notifications as quickly as possible, make sure that notifications are enabled for the Disney Navigator app, as well as background updates. Basically in our experience, the Navigator app needs to have all permissions set to “on,” including Location, Bluetooth, Notifications, and Background Update. You can (and perhaps should) turn those off again once your cruise has ended.

If you absolutely must use your phone to call or text while at sea, service may be available on Disney ships through the “Cellular@Sea” service. It is a very expensive form of international roaming and the ship must be 8 to 10 miles out to sea before you can access it. Most phones will just connect to Cellular@Sea without needing any special setup, but be aware that the service includes phone, text messaging, and data . If your phone is set to auto-update, you could end up on the hook for a large data charge because it decided to download a 100MB game update or something. Definitely turn off your cellular data, or set it to not use cellular data when roaming.

US phones will work in most international ports if you have turned on international roaming. You might need to arrange with your provider for that feature to be turned on in advance, but most providers have it set up by default. Depending on your provider, roaming may be very expensive (potentially over $2 per minute, and $10 or more per megabyte of data). Check with your provider for special international roaming packages, which may save you money if you plan to use your phone a lot.

Wireless internet service is available on all Disney ships . All internet is over satellite, and you shouldn’t expect speeds or responsiveness similar to what you get on land, though it’s usually good enough to send messages and emails and use Facebook and other social media.

Internet service on Disney ships is paid for by the day, and is theoretically “unlimited .” It’s pretty fast for cruise ship internet, but still slower than most land-based systems. You’re sharing bandwidth with all the other passengers and crew, so right after you leave a port, expect the internet to crawl as everyone starts posting pictures of their excursions to social media. If you have cellular internet service that works in that country (and is reasonably priced), you may want to post your pictures before you leave port via cellular rather than via wi-fi. If your cellular is flaky, get to the top deck and walk over to the side of the ship closest to land. Alternatively, wait until dinner time, when the wi-fi speeds will pick up considerably.

Prices are (so far) pretty reasonable for cruise ship internet, with a basic single-device plan that lets you use Facebook and similar apps (but not email or web) for $16/day (when purchased for the whole cruise), a fancier plan that includes email and web (but no streaming) for $24/day, and a premium plan that includes music streaming for $34/day. Video streaming is not supported on any plan , so no Netflix or Hulu. Plans cost a little more if you only buy a plan for individual days rather than the whole cruise, and there is a small discount for adding additional devices.

Spa: Treatments, Products and Fitness Center

Spa treatments are very popular and fill up early , so book them as early as you can . If you’re not able to get an appointment before you embark, go to the Spa when you get onboard and you’ll probably be able to arrange one in person.

We don’t recommend having any spa treatments done on the first (embarkation) day , because people are touring the Spa all afternoon and evening, making it busy and not very relaxing. It’s a good day to set up your future appointments, but not as good for actually having treatments done.

The changing rooms in the spa have fluffy robes for your use. Sadly, the robes are all “one size fits most” and aren’t big enough for many people. You then can choose a locker that contains a clean pair of spa sandals. The lockers allow you to set your own combination for secure storage of your personal items. We don’t find the sandals they provide very comfortable (again, they’re “one size fits most”), so we just wear a clean pair of sandals or flip-flops to our spa appointment.

You can change into your robe in the open locker room or in one of the toilet cubicles. Once you’re in your robe and sandals, an attendant will escort you to a quiet waiting room, where you can enjoy some water while you wait for your treatment. After your treatment you’ll be escorted back to the locker room, where you can use one of the spacious showers if you wish. Basic toiletries, disposable combs, etc. are provided. On the Dream and Fantasy, there is a dry sauna in the locker room that you can enjoy after your treatment for no additional charge.

If you are considering a Cabana Massage on Castaway Cay, here are a few things to consider first:

• The cabanas are rustic. There is no running water in them, so your massage therapist cannot wash her hands during your treatment. There is no air conditioning (there is a ceiling fan) or heat so it can be unpleasantly hot in the summer and uncomfortably cool in the winter.
• Your feet and lower legs will almost certainly be covered with sand by the time you get to the cabana, and there’s really no facility for removing it. (There is an outdoor shower near the waiting area, but you’ll then proceed across the sand to the cabana… you’ll get sandy again, trust us.) So the sand inevitably becomes part of the treatment. How you feel about having sandy oil rubbed into your skin is a matter of preference. And remember, the massage oil dissolves any sunscreen you’re wearing, so you’ll need to reapply it afterward, which enters the mix with the sand.
• When you envision this experience, you might think you would be relaxing to the sound of the ocean waves. Nope. The cabanas are located right above the lounge chairs along the beach (though visually separated by some plants), so you will hear the chatter of people sitting right below you.
• The Cabana Massage is billed as featuring “breathtaking views of Serenity Bay.” Well, that’s true for the massage therapist, but you’ll be lying on a table, and you won’t see the scenery from there.
• The Cabana Massage is more expensive than a regular massage in the ship’s spa, yet in many ways you are getting less for your money. If you have a massage on the ship, you’ll have access to showers, a locker room, robes and sandals, etc. With the Cabana Massages, you get none of that.

The Rainforest

The Rainforest is a lovely, relaxing co-ed spa area on each ship.

• On the Magic and Wonder , the Rainforest includes three tiled steam rooms (each a different temperature), some open showers with different scented “rain” programs and a few heated loungers.
• On the Dream and Fantasy , the Rainforest has a dry sauna, a hot steam room and a hammam (a large, tiled steam room that is less hot than the regular steam room), four scented showers with multiple “rain” programs, numerous heated loungers with views of the sea and two hot tubs on a private deck overlooking the water.
• On the Wish , the Rainforest has a dry sauna, hammam, a cryotherapy (cold) room, showers with rain programs, heated loungers, and a nice sun deck ( much larger than the one on the Dream & Fantasy) with two hot tubs and plenty of sun beds. The sun deck is tucked into the nose of the ship, one deck below the promenade, so there’s no ocean view, but you can see the sky and relax in the sun or the shade according to your preference.

You can purchase a day pass or a longer pass for the length of your cruise. A limited number of passes are sold on each sailing. Tip: the Rainforest Room is closed until around 5 on embarkation day, so you won’t typically get a lot of usage on the first day of the cruise. You may find it’s a better deal just to pay day-by-day, or ask if you can buy a shorter pass. The single-day passes for the sea day(s) will go first, followed by the full-cruise passes. A pass for the Castaway Cay day or other port day might be available same day, and could be a good alternative if you’re not interested in that port.

When you want to use the Rainforest, just tell the front desk staff at the spa and they’ll give you a wristband that opens the door to the Rainforest area. They will hold your room key while you are in the Rainforest. You then proceed to the locker room, where you can choose a locker and get a robe and sandals, if desired. A swimsuit must be worn since the Rainforest is mixed-gender.

Towels and drinking water are provided.

The spas on the Disney ships are operated by Steiner, a huge British spa company that runs spas for cruise lines and resorts. The staff do a great job performing the spa treatments, but Steiner trains them to offer product upsells at every reasonable opportunity. The result is that they almost always give cruise passengers a sales pitch on spa products. The products themselves are fine, but they are expensive and getting a sales pitch after your relaxing treatment can be annoying.

You’ll be given a “health form” before your treatment, asking about various health issues. Any issues you write on that form are used to help them sell you stuff (“Oh, I see you have very dry skin. You should try this cream.”). For that reason, unless you have an allergy or injury that directly affects your treatment , we recommend leaving the form as blank as possible .

Some people have tried writing “no sales pitch” on the form, but that is frequently ignored. Here are some other approaches we’ve used with success:

• A polite and friendly “no thank you” when they start showing the products or going through their list of recommendations is our first line of defense. That’s often the end of it! But if they start offering a second sales pitch, we make a concerned/confused face, pause for a moment, and say, again politely, “I’m really not interested, thanks.” The subtext you want to get across is that by not paying attention to your clear and polite “no,” they’re running the risk of affecting your overall satisfaction, with all that implies about things like tips and guest comment cards. You don’t need to make this explicit; the concerned face and second “no” usually does the trick.
• If they start the sales pitch while we are getting a relaxation treatment such as a massage or wrap, we usually just stay silent. We keep our  eyes closed and don’t respond to questions. Usually they quit talking, because it becomes quite awkward for them. But if they persist, we say politely, “Sorry, I’m trying to relax, and silence really helps me with that. Thanks!”
• If we are getting a haircut or pedicure, it’s harder to ignore the sales pitch. So instead we act very enthusiastic about every product they are pushing. Usually they’ll use one or more of the products on us during the service. If they offer samples we take them, with sincere thanks. When we go to check out, there is always a big stack of “suggested” products at the front desk. When they ask us what we’ll be buying, we say “oh, I want to see how the stuff I tried today works out, so I’m not buying anything right now.”
• Remember that no matter what happens, you can always change your mind about the add-on products when you check out. Until you sign the purchase slip, you haven’t purchased anything. Just say, “after thinking it over, I don’t need any products right now. Could you take these off the bill? Thanks.”

Fitness Center

A well-equipped Fitness Center can be accessed through the Spa on all of the ships. It’s usually open from early morning to fairly late – check the Navigator for specific hours. There is no charge to use the Fitness Center. The locker rooms, sauna and showers for the Fitness Center are shared with the Spa. Towels, robes and water are provided, and you can borrow an iPod shuffle if you don’t have your own iPod with you.

You never are expected to add any extra tip over and above the automatic gratuity amounts, which are listed below . You may , if you wish, add more, and you can even adjust certain tips down if you feel it’s warranted. Many people add extra gratuities purely because the service staff on a Disney cruise are extremely helpful and work very hard, but again, no one should ever make you feel like you are required to tip more.

Disney provides suggested tip amounts for the crew members who will assist you throughout the week: your server (takes your food orders for each dinner), assistant server (takes your drink orders at each dinner and delivers the food), head server (in charge of the overall dinner experience, special dietary requests and special occasions), and stateroom host/hostess (takes care of your room). As on all cruise lines, tips are the primary source of income for people working in these positions.

The suggested gratuities for your servers and stateroom host are automatically added to your stateroom bill. If you want to adjust the amount, you can go to Guest Services. Toward the end of the cruise you will be provided with slips indicating the tip amounts, which you can present to your servers during your last dinner on the cruise and leave in your room for your stateroom host. (They will get the money in their accounts whether you give them the slips or not, it’s purely a symbolic way of thanking them for their service. Don’t feel you need to do it if you don’t enjoy that kind of interaction.)

If you are staying in a concierge room, a separate form is provided to add tip for the concierge staff, with a suggested “average” tip amount. You can use your discretion to adjust it up or down based on how much help they provided your family. 

If you dine at Palo, Remy or Enchanté, many people add an additional tip to the per-person charge, though the basic charge is considered by Disney to cover the gratuity.

An automatic gratuity is added to all beverages ordered in bars and lounges; soft drinks, alcoholic beverages and bottled water from room service; and alcoholic beverages/smoothies/bottled water ordered in the dining room. There will also be a line where you can add an additional tip at your discretion.

You can add room service tips to your room bill. Even if your order costs nothing, you’ll be asked to sign a slip, and there is a space for tips on that slip. A dollar or two per item ordered is pretty common, but entirely optional.

You are allowed to give tips to crew members in cash, if you like, and they’re happy to take it in any major currency. If you have a meaningful amount of foreign currency (more than a few dollars worth) after your cruise that you’re unlikely to use anytime in the near future, feel free to leave it for your room host in addition to the automatic gratuity; they’ll be happy to get it.

As the skippers say on the world-famous Jungle Cruise, “You all have been outstanding on this cruise, but now I need you out standing on the dock!” Sadly, your cruise will eventually have to end, and Disney needs to get a few thousand people and their bags off the ship in the space of about 3 hours, so “efficiency” is the word of the day.

A few days before the end of your cruise you should be reminded to check the disembarkation instructions in the Navigator app , and you might get a paper form listing your specific disembarkation instructions. Disembarkation can feel very complicated and rushed, but it’s not that bad once you know how it works.

The first important decision is whether you want Disney to take your big luggage off the ship for you. If you have a lot of bags, or they’re unwieldy, you probably are going to want to have the bags moved for you, but if you can handle your own bags in one trip, that makes things immensely less complicated. These days we always choose to handle our own bags, but there are times we wonder whether it’d be easier to have Disney do it, usually when we’re wrestling our big roller bags down the gangplank. It’s worth trying it both ways if you go on multiple cruises, because you never can tell which one will feel easiest for you.

Whether or not you handle your own bags, you’re supposed to be completely out of your room on the final morning by 8:00 am so they can start cleaning and resetting it for the next guests (sometimes this time can change depending on the disembarkation port – check the sheet they give you or the app to make sure). This can make things logistically complicated, since if you want to do a table-service breakfast, it will be on a fixed schedule based on whether you are on the early or late dinner seating. The first breakfast seating starts early enough to get done before 8:00 am, but the later one does not. So if you plan to do table-service breakfast and you’re on late seating, you will have to take your luggage with you. Most people on late seating line up their bags in the hallway leading to the dining room. Don’t worry, no one will take your bags; your fellow guests are all far too tired. You can take smaller bags into the dining room and park them next to the table as long as they aren’t in the servers’ way. If you are planning an early breakfast in the buffet or you’re having sit-down breakfast on the earlier seating, you can just leave your bags in your room and then come back and retrieve them by 8:00 am.

Option 1: Disney Handles Your Bags

If you decide to have Disney haul your big bags to the terminal, then you’ll need to put most of your bags out the night before (typically by 10:30 pm – check the app to make sure). You need to hang on to at least one or two small bags to hold the stuff you can’t pack early, like toiletries and your pajamas. Make sure not to pack the clothes you’ll need to wear the next morning! You’ll get a set of luggage tags to put on the bags you’re putting out, and there will be a guide showing roughly when each group of bags will be ready to pick up in the terminal. For example, if you have bag tag “Donald Duck”, the sheet might say that your bags will be ready between 8:30-8:45 am. If you need to leave early to catch an flight or something, make sure you’ve got the earliest time they can give you. You can go to Guest Services to change your bag group if needed. On disembarkation morning, they will make periodic announcements about every 15 minutes, as each set of bags gets delivered to the terminal. They ask that you not leave the ship until your bag group gets called.

If you’re out of the room, but they still haven’t called your bag group, you’ll need to find somewhere to wait . In our experience, the lounges in the adult area of the ship are the most likely to have empty seats available, especially the main adult show lounge on the Magic, Wonder, Dream & Fantasy (Fathoms/Azure/Evolution/The Tube). Those are on deck 3, so you can just walk to the atrium when your group is called. On the Wish, there are fewer options on deck 3, so you may end up needing to go to another deck or sit on the floor. On the other hand, if you’re still in the dining room when they call your bag group, there’s not really any harm in waiting until you finish breakfast to disembark, assuming you don’t have transportation waiting for you. Typically they want everyone off by 9:30 am or so, so that’s your hard deadline.

When you get into the terminal, if you’re in a hurry, it’s not a bad idea to ask for a porter’s help. They’re usually lined up in the luggage area with carts, and they know the terminal well and will know if there’s any shortcuts or faster ways to get you into a cab or shuttle. They work for tips, and a typical tip is $1-2 per bag; more if they go above and beyond.

If you booked Disney’s transfers to Walt Disney World or the airport, then the timing is much more fixed. They will assign you a time to get off, and you really need to get off at that time so they can get you on the right bus. Arrange your breakfast plans accordingly.

Option 2: You Handle Your Own Bags

If you’re handling your own bags, there’s not really much you have to do the night before to prepare . Get mostly packed up the night before. Finish packing on the morning of disembarkation, get breakfast if you like, and then just leave the ship. You can leave any time after the ship is cleared, which will be 15-30 minutes after the ship is docked. They won’t necessarily announce to the whole ship that disembarkation has begun, because it’ll happen as early as 6-6:30 in the morning and they don’t want to wake everyone up with an announcement. If you can see that the ship is docked, just head down to deck 3 and wait for them to start letting folks off.

Skip the talks, except for the nature talks on the Alaska cruises, which can be excellent. The shopping talk is just a “rah-rah” for certain shops that are paying a marketing fee, and you might get a few coupons for free (junky) souvenirs. Both the shopping and disembarkation talks are replayed on the television repeatedly. Don’t waste your vacation time attending these lectures in person.

Read additional tips specific to the Disney Dream (which will also apply to the Fantasy) .

So what’s it really like to take a Disney cruise? Here are a few different perspectives on the experience:

• A look at what’s new and different on the Disney Wish , from a preview sailing in July 2022.
• A comparison of taking three cruises on three different ships in a six-month span between March and August 2014. It was rough, but somebody had to do it.
• Taking a cruise on the Disney Fantasy with a baby and a 3 ½-year-old , May 2012.
• First-hand report on the  Disney Fantasy  from March 2012: what’s new and different? See photos and learn more!
•   First impressions of the Disney Dream , from a preview sailing in January 2011.
• In summer 2007, friends of MouseSavers.com Ann and Danilo V wrote a travel blog about taking their 5 children to Europe for the summer. At the end of their trip they took a Disney Mediterranean cruise (10 nights roundtrip from Barcelona) in a Category 3 and a Category 4 stateroom. Then they did the 14-night Transatlantic cruise on the Disney Magic in the Walt Disney Suite!

Disney Cruise Embarkation and Disembarkation Tips For Port Canaveral

When I was preparing for our first Disney Cruise I was most nervous about the Disney Cruise embarkation and disembarkation procedures. I had never done a cruise before, and the information I found was extremely confusing. Now I realize that the Disney Cruise embarkation and disembarkation procedures are overall very easy, but minor mistakes can turn into big problems. Find out what the Disney Cruise embarkation and disembarkation process is like at Port Canaveral and our tips for making your Disney Cruise embarkation and disembarkation days easy.

Disney Cruise Embarkation Day

The day has finally come for you to set sail on your Disney cruise. Before walking onto your Disney Cruise Line ship at Port Canaveral you must complete several steps.

Check Your Luggage

You cannot carry all of your luggage on board with you on embarkation day. Staterooms, which are your home for the duration of the cruise, are not usually ready until late in the afternoon. If you used Disney Cruise Line transportation, and left your bags properly tagged outside of your Disney World resort room, these bags will magically show up outside your stateroom door.

If you have driven yourself, or taken a car service like Tiffany Towncar, you will need to check your properly tagged luggage. A porter at the port will collect your luggage before you head to the security line.

Please note the porters do not work for Disney Cruise Line, and tipping is customary when you hand off your bags.

Pro tip: Check pricing for private car service to Port Canaveral. Many times using a company like Tiffany Towncar will cost the same as using Disney Cruise Line transportation, but the Tiffany Towncar service is more convenient and pleasant than taking the coach buses. 

Regardless of how you get to the port it is very important that you have all essential items for the day with you. All checked luggage is inaccessible for several hours.

Passports, driver’s licenses, birth certificates, medications, valuables, and other essential items should be packed in your embarkation day bag.

Check this article for Disney Cruise vacation packing tips and what to pack in your embarkation day bag.

Get Pre-Boarding COVID Test

Starting in June 2022 Disney Cruise Line updated their pre-cruise COVID testing requirements . In the US and Canada, vaccinated guests must still take a pre-cruise COVID test, but the specific rules have changed.

Instead of mandating testing be done immediately prior to boarding, Disney now accepts negative results of certain tests taken no more than 2 days before embarkation. These negative results must be uploaded to Safe Passage before midnight the day before embarkation.

All testing for vaccinated guests is now at the guest’s expense. For kids under 5 years old they must still pretest 3 days before the cruise at your expense and once again at the port at no charge.

Port test results can take up to 60 minutes. Plan ahead and make sure to pack snacks, drinks, and entertainment to help pass the time while waiting. For the most up to date information consult the Disney Cruise Line website .

Go Through Security Screening

At Port Canaveral there is U.S. airport style screening to enter the port. All bags go through a screening machine. Every person entering the port also passes through a metal detector. This process generally moves quickly with our usual wait time under 15 minutes.

Check-in For Your Cruise

After security it is time to get in line for Disney Cruise Line check-in. Most of your check-in process is completed online in advance of your trip. Having most forms completed online makes the embarkation day process move quickly.

While you wait, staff will provide you a health questionnaire. Complete this questionnaire prior to reaching the check-in desk. Sometimes pens are scarce so it is helpful to have your own.

Once you reach the check-in desk a cast member will pull up your reservation information. They will then ask to see your driver’s license, passport or other items that can be used in lieu of a passport. Find out more about documentation requirements for Disney Cruise Line here .

The cast member will review your travel health questionnaire and then take a photo of each member of the group to associate with your on-board account. After this check-in is complete, the cast member will give you a Key To The World Card and boarding group number.

It is very important to keep track of your Key To The World card. Your Key To The World Card is needed for almost everything on your Disney Cruise Line vacation.

Wait For Your Boarding Group

The boarding process is more streamlined now with guests arriving at pre-selected arrival times. This means you should be able to board the ship quickly after screening unlike before when you may have a long wait in the terminal before boarding.

Once your boarding group number is called you enter the gangway to board the Disney Cruise Line ship. Photographers with a background screen of a Disney Cruise ship will take your photo on the way through the gangway.

Please note this character experience may be modified or absent right now. If you have a little time until your boarding group is called you can start the fun by meeting Disney characters in the port lobby. Find out more about meeting Disney characters on a cruise here.

Board Your Disney Cruise Ship

As you approach the doors of the Disney Cruise Line ship a cast member will ask your family name. When it is your turn to enter the ship a cast member introduces you and the staff applaud as you finally enter the cruise ship.

You have now completed your Disney Cruise embarkation, but there is more to do on this first day. Grab something to eat, explore the ship, or go for a swim while you wait for your room to be ready. 

Before leaving dock there is a mandatory safety drill everyone must attend. After that it is time for the Sail Away Party and for your vacation fun to begin.

Disney Cruise Disembarkation Day

The process for Disney Cruise disembarkation begins the night before you depart and continues into the morning of disembarkation.

Place Luggage Outside Your Stateroom The Night Before

On the evening of your last night on a Disney Cruise your stateroom attendant will place luggage tags and a special paper detailing the Disney Cruise disembarkation process on your bed.

Disney Cruise disembarkation day can be very chaotic. Embarkation is scattered over a longer time whereas disembarking happens around the same time for everyone. Elevators are crowded, and it can be difficult to carry heavy luggage down many flights of steps.

To avoid the challenge of lugging large suitcases on your Disney Cruise disembarkation day you can choose to use special tags and place bags outside of your stateroom the night before disembarking. Your stateroom attendant will load the luggage, and porters will have it ready to pick up outside the ship.

It is important that you keep everything you need for your last night and the next morning with you. The luggage you leave outside the stateroom will be unavailable until after you disembark the Disney cruise ship.

We usually pack everything except pajamas, clothes and shoes for the next day, medications, toiletries, jewelry, passports or other important documents. Then on Disney Cruise disembarkation day we pack all of our remaining items in a carry-on suitcase and our personal items like a backpack or purse.

Disembarkation Day Breakfast

The Disney Cruise Line disembarkation day starts early. If you had first seating for dinner your scheduled breakfast time is 6:45 am. If you are the second dinner seating then breakfast is usually at 8:00 am.

Both of these times can be rather early. This is especially true when you consider everyone needs to be up, dressed, and fully packed prior to going to breakfast. We have done a sit-down disembarkation day breakfast and also done continental style breakfast in our room for disembarkation day.

Eating something quick in the room and then disembarking the ship while others are at breakfast is much easier. Room service is not available on Disney cruise disembarkation day, so plan ahead. Order complimentary room service the day before your Disney Cruise disembarkation day. We’ve found the best breakfast supplies are fruit, cereal, and milk.

Exiting The Ship

If you have a quick breakfast in your stateroom prior to disembarking your Disney cruise, exiting the ship is likely to be easier. You can time your exit to occur while others are at breakfast. Right after each breakfast group finishes is the worst time to try and exit the ship.

One time when we went to the disembarkation breakfast we had to wait over 20 minutes in line just to exit the ship’s lobby onto the gangway. The line on the gangway took even longer.

Each passenger is scanned out with their Key To The World Card when disembarking a Disney cruise. Many people leave their Key To The World Card in their stateroom and then have difficulty disembarking. Keep your Key To The World Card with you at all times even on Disney cruise disembarkation day.

Pick Up Luggage

Any luggage that you tagged and placed outside of your stateroom the night before will be in a large area waiting to be claimed. Each section of staterooms is assigned a color and character luggage tag. This helps you to find the section where your luggage is stored. There are lots of bags, so don’t be surprised if it takes a couple of minutes to find all of your luggage.

US Customs and Border Protection

After you have collected all of your luggage, you will enter the line for US Customs and Border Protection. An agent will call you forward and ask to see your passport or other accepted documentation. They will confirm your identity and may ask some general questions before allowing you re-entry in the port.

Final Thoughts On Disney Cruise Embarkation and Disembarkation Procedures

Disney Cruise embarkation and disembarkation procedures are easy once you know what to expect. The most important thing on embarkation day is to arrive with a smartly packed embarkation day bag and all required documents for your trip.

Disney cruise disembarkation day can feel hectic if you don’t plan ahead. Leaving non-essential luggage outside of your stateroom the night before and eating a continental breakfast in your room the morning of disembarking alleviates much of the stress.

Remember to bring your Key To The World Card with you when exiting the ship to avoid delays. The Disney Cruise disembarkation process can take a while, so always check with Disney Cruise Line for recommendations before booking flights.

Find more planning resources for your Disney Cruise here.

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About The Author

Disney Cruise Line / News

What to Expect on Your Disney Cruise: Embarkation Day

by Allison Fricker · March 16, 2024

Your bags are packed, your passport is ready, and the day you’ve been waiting for has FINALLY arrived! Yes, it’s Embarkation Day, and today you set sail on your long-awaited, much-anticipated, magical Disney cruise! 

Photo: Disney

Disney Cruise Line offers a range of exciting itineraries on a fleet of enchanting ships, including Disney Dream , Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Fantasy , and Disney Wish . 

No matter which ship is your (floating) home away from home, Embarkation Day can feel a bit overwhelming, especially if you’ve never cruised before. Luckily, MickeyBlog is here to help you sort it all out ahead of time so you can tackle Embarkation Day feeling calm, confident, and totally in control. 

Credit: Disney

Come along with us as we tackle Embarkation Day on the Disney Fantasy!

Make Embarkation Day Easier With Pre-Arrival Services

A seamless and stress-free Embarkation Day begins WAY before you set foot on your Disney Cruise Line ship. In fact, you can begin Disney’s online check-in process somewhere between 30 and 40 days before your sailing date. 

Disney Cruise Line Castaway Club Membership Levels

To determine when your online check-in process begins, refer to your Castaway Club membership level. Pearl Members (guests with 25 Disney Cruise Line sailings under their belts) can begin the online check-in process 40 days before sailing, while first-timers can check in 30 days out.

When your check-in window arrives, you’ll begin Disney’s online check-in process. 

Disney Cruise Line Online Check-In

This involves submitting all required documentation as required by the Disney Cruise Line website . Depending on your itinerary, this may include a valid driver’s license, passport, and/or birth certificate.

As part of the check-in process, you will also enter payment information (for use during your sailing) and your expected port arrival time.

Disney Cruise Line Port of Arrival Time

Disney’s online check-in process also allows you to select your seating time for dining. You’ll choose between an earlier seating time (like the 5:45 PM option pictured below) or a seating later in the evening. 

If an early seating time is important to you, be sure to complete your online check-in as early as possible, as the Main Seating sometimes hits capacity.

Disney Cruise Line Seating Selection

Finally, online check-in allows guests to input information about their traveling party, make arrangements for kids’ clubs, and complete other family-specific forms. 

Disney Cruise Line Guest Information

When the process is finalized, you will receive verification that your online check-in is complete.

Disney Cruise Line Check-In Process

You will also receive a cruise contract along with a Port Arrival Form. Be sure to bring the Port Arrival form with you on Embarkation Day! 

Disney Cruise Line Check-In Finalized

Pack the form, along with your driver’s license, birth certificate/passport, and MagicBand+/DisneyBand+ SEPARATELY from the rest of your luggage.

You will be separated from your luggage during the embarkation process and will need these items on your person as you board the ship.

Health Questionnaire

Another big part of preparing for a Disney Cruise is the health questionnaire! You MUST complete this before boarding — they will not let you board your ship without it completed.

You will typically receive an email prompting you to complete the health questionnaire on the morning of your Embarkation Day. 

The health questionnaire involves three routine questions about the health status of everyone in your party, and it can be completed online.

Cast Members will check at the terminal to see if you completed your health questionnaire. If you don’t, you will be directed to Guest Services.

We recommend keeping your eyes peeled on your email to keep the process moving smoothly!

Navigating Embarkation Day

On Embarkation Day, you’ll arrive at your departure port with your documentation, Port Arrival form, and your MagicBand+/DisneyBand+ in hand.

Disney Cruise Line Terminal

As you step into the terminal, you may be asking yourself…now what?

Hopefully, you’ve heeded Disney’s instructions and arrived no more than 30 minutes before your listed port arrival time. Upon arrival, follow the posted signage and prepare to enter the terminal.

Disney Cruise Line Port Arrival Signs

This is where Embarkation Day truly begins! 

Note that we boarded from the Port Canaveral terminal, so your terminal location may look a bit different, but the boarding process is generally the same for every sailing. 

Disney Cruise Line Embarkation

Once inside, you’ll join another line (sound familiar?).

Have your documentation ready, as you’ll need it at the first checkpoint. This is where Disney Cast Members will check your Port Arrival form, verify your required forms of identification, and link your MagicBand+/DisneyBand+ to your reservation.

Disney Cruise Line Embarkation Day

With your documents cleared, you’ll continue on to security and then head upstairs.

On the second floor, you’ll find Guest Services, where you can address any issues or concerns. This is also where you’ll find the Mickey-shaped entrance to the gangway!

Disney Cruise Line Gangway Entrance

Stop for an Embarkation Day photo op before proceeding through the Mickey entrance! Just inside the entrance, Cast Members will scan your Port Arrival form or your MagicBand+/DisneyBand+.  

Then, you will continue across the gangway.

Disney Cruise Line Gangway

On the other side of the gangway, you’ll join one last line before boarding the ship.

When your turn arrives, your family name will be announced in the ship’s beautiful atrium — and your magical Disney cruise will officially begin!

Disney Fantasy Atrium

Kick off your vacation by exploring the ship or grabbing a bite to eat while you wait for your stateroom to be ready. 

While staterooms are generally ready between 1:30PM – 2:00PM, the timeframe can vary by ship and by day. When your room is available, you’ll find your Key to the World card right outside your door.

Disney Cruise Line Key to the World Card

Be sure to note the letter that appears on your Key to the World card. This letter corresponds to your muster drill station and will be important during your (very mandatory!) muster drill.

Most Disney Cruise Line muster drills occur sometime around 4PM, but be sure to check your DCL Navigator app for an exact time. Once the muster drill is over, the party truly begins!

Disney Cruise Line Sail Away Party

Head to the pool deck to enjoy the festive Sail Away Party with Mickey, Minnie, and all their friends!

Disney characters (dressed up in their best nautical gear!) perform a song and dance, followed by a boisterous countdown to departure. Listen for the horn as your ship pulls away from port!

(Note that the Sail Away Party is a little different on every ship.)

Sail Away Party on Disney Fantasy

With Embarkation Day behind you, you’re free to enjoy all the food, entertainment, and Disney magic your cruise has to offer! 

Thanks for visiting http://MickeyBlog.com! Want to go to Disney? For a FREE quote on  your next Disney vacation , please fill out the form below, and one of the agents from MickeyTravels, a Diamond-Level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, will be in touch soon!

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Dos and Don'ts for Your Disney Cruise Embarkation Day

Richard Cummins/Getty Images

One of the most important and fun days of your Disney Cruise is embarkation day, when you board the ship and kick off your adventure.

Follow these tips to make sure you start your cruise off right.

Before You Sail

• DO check in online.  You can check in online at least four days prior to your sail date, which will save you time when you arrive on embarkation day. At the same time, you can register your kids for the youth clubs, reserve spa treatments, book shore excursions, and sign up for special activities, events, and dining experiences. If you don't complete everything in one session, you can save your information and come back later to finish.
• DO choose an early arrival time. Disney will ask you to select a port arrival time and give you an opportunity to schedule your transportation to the pier. Your cruise documents may say that the ship leaves at 4 pm, but check-in typically begins at 11 am and embarkation begins around noon. Choosing an early arrival time means you can start your vacation several hours before the ship sets sail, thus getting more fun for your money.
• DO consider which dinner seating is best for your family. Disney's rotational dining system offers two dinner seatings, at 5:45 pm and 8:15 pm. Many families with young kids opt for the early seating because it's closer to their regular dinner time. Yet the later seating allows you to see the shows first, and then enjoy a quieter dinner. Another plus: Parents can check their kids in for evening youth activities without leaving the dinner table. Counselors magically appear partway through the second seating to whisk the kids away to the clubs while adults finish dinner.
• DO schedule a surprise call from a Disney friend.  Before your cruise, you can visit the  Disney Cruise Line website  to arrange a call to your child from Mickey, Goofy, or Mickey and Minnie together. Go to the "My Disney Cruise" tab, then click "My Reservations." Sign into your Disney account and your sailing party itinerary will appear, along with a dedicated box for Character Calls. Click "Schedule a Free Call' to set up a surprise call for your kids before your cruise.
• DON'T fly in the same day of your cruise.  If getting from your home to the port in the same day means waking up at the crack of dawn to catch an early flight, you will be wiped out before the ship even sets sail that afternoon. That's not how you want to spend your first day on the ship. To get your money's worth on your cruise, it's better to fly in the night before so you're fresh and energetic and able to enjoy your first day of vacation.

If you're flying into Orlando International Airport before a cruise out of Port Canaveral, Florida, consider staying at the Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport .

Embarkation Day Tips

• DO attach Disney Cruise luggage tags to your bags. Be sure to fill out the identifying information, including your stateroom number.
• DO have small bills handy. When you get to the port, you'll hand off your luggage to the porters. (It’s customary to tip $1 to $2 per bag). The next time you'll see your luggage will be in your stateroom later that afternoon. 
• DO pack a ready-for-fun carry-on. When you give your luggage to the porters, you'll keep your carry-on purse, tote, or backpack with you. You may not receive your luggage until mid to late afternoon, so be sure to pack everything you'll need for the first several hours, including medications, identification, eyeglasses, sunglasses, sunscreen, and swimsuits. (No need to pack pool towels, which are available onboard.)
• DO download the Navigator app. Before you get on the ship, download Disney Cruise Line's free app and turn on airplane mode on your smartphone. Set your wi-fi to DCL_Guest and you're good to go. The app will give you access to the ship's entertainment and event schedules, deck plans, kids' club activities, and dining menus, plus there's even a chat mode that lets you text your family members—all without racking up data charges.
• DO think through the security checkpoint. When you enter the port terminal, you'll pass through a security checkpoint with a metal detector similar to what you find at an airport. It'll speed up the process if you have placed your jewelry, belts, coins, and other metallic items in your carry-on bag.
• DO have your cruise documents ready. Inside the terminal, you’ll line up to finish checking in and get your stateroom key cards. You'll need your cruise documents, passports, and a credit card handy. This is also when your kids will get special wristbands for the children's clubs.
• DO enjoy lunch. Once you've boarded the ship on embarkation day, you can either head to the top deck for a buffet lunch at Cabanas ( Magic, Dream, Fantasy ) or Beach Blanket Buffet ( Wonder ) or you can have lunch in the ship's main dining room that is open for lunch: Carioca's ( Magic ), Parrot Cay ( Wonder ), or Enchanted Garden ( Dream, Fantasy ). Both lunch options include a copious buffet, but the dining room will be quieter and a server will bring you drinks, whereas it's completely self-service at the top-deck buffet.
• DO reserve special experiences. Once you've boarded the ship, you can reserve any experiences you may have missed during online check in, such as spa treatments, shore excursions, or dinner at the adults-only restaurants, Palo (every ship) or Remy ( Dream, Fantasy ).
• DO start having fun right away. Your stateroom may not be ready until early afternoon, and your luggage may not arrive until hours later, but you can begin exploring the ship and having fun as soon as you board. The pools and other activity hubs will be open.
• DO have your family ready for the muster drill. On the first day of the cruise, typically around 4 pm, all passengers must attend a 10-minute muster drill and learn what to do in case of emergency. Plan to be in your stateroom at least 15 minutes before the drill. You'll find directions to your drill station on the back of your stateroom door. Attendance is mandatory.
• DON'T miss the Sail Away Celebration Deck Party. Just before the ship leaves the pier, grab your camera and head up for a top-deck celebration that includes music, dancing, and all your favorite Disney characters decked out in their sailor uniforms. It's a fun way to officially start your cruise.
• DO kick off your cruise in style. If you're sailing on the Disney Dream or Disney Fantasy , consider indulging in Petites Assiettes de Remy, a special dining event offered on the first evening of your cruise in Remy, the ship's elegant adults-only French restaurant. Sign up as you board for a tasting tour that includes six dishes paired with the perfect wine. ($50 upcharge per person.) 

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The Disney Cruise Line Blog

An unofficial disney cruise line news, information, weather, and photo blog..

Disney Wish Marceline Market Breakfast and Lunch Offerings

Named for Walt Disney’s early childhood hometown in Missouri, Marceline Market is slightly different than Cabanas as it is a food hall inspired by popular marketplaces around the world. Within Marceline Market you will find some standard fare along with specials which change up to offer more variety. The majority of seating is indoors with a small outside seating area aft for an alfresco dining experience.

Overall, Marceline Market includes 10 food stalls and a café-style beverage bar in the center near the entrance. During our time onboard this was popular stop for guests as it is an ideal location to order specialty coffees or a cocktail. Marceline Market was designed as an old industrial loft converted into a marketplace, but with a some unique Disney design twists. Throughout the marketplace, there are local proprietors for the various areas with each station inspired by a Disney animated film such as Tangled, Ratatouille, Alice in Wonderland, and Zootopia.

One of the huge improvements over Cabanas on the other ships is the expansive hand washing area at the entrance. Each station has easy access to soap, paper towels, and a trash bin.

There is a variety of options available with cuisines for the whole family, including American classics, international specialties, comfort foods, seafood, soups and salads, vegetarian and plant-based fare, baked goods, and desserts.

Marceline Market is a casual, walk-around dining experience for breakfast and lunch, according to a press release, table-service dining will be offered at dinnertime with entrees cooked to order. However, I either did not notice this offering, or it was not available during the our two sailings.

Marceline Market Café

Marceline Market Breakfast

A sampling of breakfast selections at Marceline Market.

Marceline Market Lunch

A sampling of lunch selections available at Marceline Market followed at the end with a walkthrough video.

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17 Replies to “Disney Wish Marceline Market Breakfast and Lunch Offerings”

No churro Mickey waffles at breakfast?!

How is this any different than Cabanas? Because they serve you? Everything I am seeing looks just like a standard buffet. I get the food stall concept, but not how that translates to anything different.

The food quality is leaps and bounds better than what you find at Cabanas. Sure, it’s served in a similar manner, but it’s a better quality meal that what you’d get at Cabanas on the other ships

I haven’t been onboard yet – my cruise is Aug 29. I think with the “food stalls” it looks like it might be easier to pop in and out of line than on other ships. But that remains to be seen I guess.

What time does breakfast and lunch start on the Marceline Market

Breakfast on a sea day was 7:00a to 10:45a.

Thanks, Scott for the conversations over the past few days, much appreciated!

As a frequent visitor to your blog it was nice to meet you in person. Greatly appreciate your willingness to take time out of your cruise to talk with a random stranger.

As mentioned, I have followed your blog for the past decade, and your posts and information provided has been of much value to me and many others I am sure. Thanks again for the great work, and keeping all of us current with the latest Disney Cruise Line info.

Alan, Pleasure to meet you and I enjoyed our conversations.

As they have the coffee bar, do they still offer the included filter coffee from machines ?

Yes, coffee is available at the drink stations in Marceline Market and the pool deck near Festival of Foods.

Do they serve eggs Benedict ?

Yes, eggs Benedict were available.

Is there a place to eat outside aft within the market, or just outside along the pool areas? Thank you for your helpful info and posts!

Thank you for your helpful posts and updates! Is there a place within the market to eat outdoors, or do you need to leave the market and go along the pool areas to eat outside? Thnx!

There is an aft outdoor seating area similar to Cabanas.

Do they offer dinner service off the menu yet at Marceline?

Marceline Market has not been open for dinner service, except for a rare occurrence when embarkation was delayed into the evening.

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Disney Cruise Line Embarkation Day

Embarkation Day on Disney Cruise Line is the kick off to an unforgettable vacation at sea! Here you can find all the information you need to know for this first day aboard Disney Treasure , Disney Wish , Dream , Fantasy , Wonder , or Magic . There is much to do before the ship sets sail and the Sail Away Celebration begins!

Check out the incredible offers we have on our Disney Cruise Discounts page and set sail with money in your pocket.

Embarkation Day Terminal Check-In

Disney Cruise Line usually opens their terminal at 11:00 a.m. to begin checking guests in, however when you actually board the ship will depend on your Port Arrival Time. To save time, you can fill out the Port Arrival Check-in form online and bring it with you to ease the registration process. Also make sure you have you DisneyBand+ charged and accessible for boarding.

Before your trip you will receive a Guest travel booklet from Disney Cruise Line, this will hold two luggage tags per person. Luggage tags come with your name, ship name, stateroom number, sail date, and reservation number on them, so all you have to do is attach them to your bags. Once you board your luggage will be in your stateroom waiting for you. However, staterooms are usually not ready until about 1:30 p.m., so be sure to put necessities in your carry on.

If you are flying to get to your Port, be sure to obtain your luggage from the airport before leaving. The Orlando International Airport is the  only  airport that will deliver your luggage directly to the ship.

Each guest is allowed 1 carry-on bag plus 1 personal bag ( such as a purse or back pack). You will want to be sure all of your travel documentation is easily accessible in one of your carry on items so you don’t lose them in your checked luggage. Because the staterooms are not ready until 1:30 p.m. you will also want to put things like bathing suits, sunscreen, cell phone chargers, etc. into your carry on bags.

On The Ship

Once you board your ship guests are welcome to explore all it has to offer! On embarkation day, while you’re waiting for departure there is a welcome buffet at Cabanas to dive in to, or sit down with a menu in the main dining room and order your lunch. If you’re just ready to start that vacation fun, go ahead and dive in to any of the deck pools! Guests can also explore the different games and activities aboard the ship.

Staterooms are usually ready about 1:30 p.m., with your luggage waiting for you. For each room you will have a stateroom host or hostess. This person can assist you with needs like ice for your room, baby/small child needs ( traveling with little ones ), and laundry services.

Sign Up for Activities

When boarding the ship, there are a number of activities you’ll want to sign up for on Embarkation Day. These things include:

• Beverage Tastings & More Adult Activities
• Spa Procedures at Senses Spa & Salon
• Oceaneer Club/Lab
• Specialty Dining ( Palo, Remy, or Enchante )
• Port Adventures
• it’s a small world nursery
• Special Character Meet & Greets

Safety Drill

Before the ship can set sail a safety drill (compulsory assembly drill) must be completed by all crew and guests. Usually after you have been able to check out your stateroom the captain will come over the loud speaker to instruct you on how to begin the safety drill. Once this is done it is time to set sail!

Sail Away Celebration

As the cruise countdown begins your excitement will build! Then, at the sound of the ship’s loud horn you will begin your departure. As confetti and streamers boom into the air the celebration begins. This amazing deck party sets the bar for what is to come on your Disney cruise. Dance with Captain Mickey, Minnie Mouse, and all of their friends.

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How disembarkation works on Disney Cruise Line

The process of leaving a Disney cruise actually starts the day before with several things to do prior to exiting the ship.

Here’s what to expect for disembarkation.

In this article

Things to do the day before disembarkation

On this last day, there are a few things you’ll need to do as you wrap up your time on the ship.

If you plan to purchase any of the photos taken by the ship’s photographers, you’ll need to head to Shutters Photography Shop to choose those. They will not be available once you’re off the ship.

Your stateroom attendant will leave envelopes in the room for you to put cash inside as tips for your stateroom attendant, server, assistant server, and head server. Be sure to give the envelopes to your servers at your last dinner.

If you prepaid for tips, you can also tear off the perforated strips on the sheet and put them in the envelopes to give to the servers.

Fill out the survey

A survey will be given to you to fill out about your whole cruise experience. This survey is very important to the crew members and many will be very assertive about asking you to complete it.

Be sure to take some time to fill it out and drop it off as you’re leaving the ship. Drop-off locations include Guest Services, breakfast dining locations, and the desk as you exit the ship.

Do some final shopping

Want some things in the shops? Be sure to snag those items while you’re still at sea as the shops will be closed as you pull into your port.

Settle any charge discrepancies at Guest Services

Check your folio for charges. If there are any issues, head to the Guest Services desk to settle those.

Book a future cruise placeholder

One of the most popular ways to save on a future cruise is to book a placeholder on your current cruise (same idea as a bounceback offer for Walt Disney World ). This is only available on the cruise so you’ll need to book it in the DCL app if you’re interested.

Booking this placeholder will save you 10% on a future cruise and give you a reduced deposit on cruises of 7+ nights. You can choose your exact cruise later, but it must be within 24 months. Get more details .

Put your luggage out by 10 p.m.

If you want your bags transported off the ship by the crew, you’ll need to have your luggage set out in the hallway between 8 and 10 p.m. with the tags attached (your tags will be left in your room by your stateroom attendant).

The character on your tags is also the group you’ll listen for when they call groups to disembark.

If you want to take your own luggage off the ship (called “Express Walk-Off”), you can skip this step. Definitely recommend Express Walk-Off for anybody who wants to exit the ship ASAP.

Watch the farewell show

There’s usually a farewell “Til We Meet Again” show at 10:15 p.m. (check your DCL app for exact times) that includes the ship’s characters in the atrium on the last night. After they parade through, they’ll often spread out and be available to meet and take pics with in various spots in the atrium area.

Order room service breakfast by midnight

If you want breakfast the next morning but don’t want to head to a restaurant, order it the night before by midnight so you can have it on hand in the morning. Coffee will stay hot in the carafe, and cold items can be kept in the refrigerator overnight.

Note: you can’t use the door hanger to order breakfast this night. You’ll need to dial 0 to place your order.

Things to do on disembarkation day

The morning that the ship pulls in and everybody is ready to leave the ship can be a little hectic. Here are some things to do.

Pick up alcohol being held by the ship

If you purchased any liquor at a port during your cruise, it’ll be held by the ship until this day. Be sure to allow time to pick it up this morning.

Eat breakfast

For breakfast before leaving the ship, you’ll have these options:

• Casual Buffet – often fewer options than other days of the cruise, but a limited selection will be available
• Eat in a dining room – you’ll be assigned a dining room where you can have a sit-down breakfast if you’d like
• Room service – ends at midnight the night before, so you can order the night before as mentioned above
• Cove Cafe – fancy drinks will cost extra, but the pastries are included

Keep in mind that you will usually have to be out of your stateroom by 8 a.m. so you’ll need to carry any belongings with you if you’re eating at 8 a.m. or later.

Leave the ship

You’ll walk off the ship with any luggage that you have with you.

If you are doing Express Walk-Off, you can exit the ship as soon as the ship is cleared.

If you’re not doing Express Walk-Off, you can exit the ship when your group is called.

You’ll need your Key to the World card with you as you exit.

Pick up luggage in cruise terminal

If you tagged your bags and left them out the night before, you’ll need to find them in the cruise terminal. They will be grouped together by the character on your luggage tag.

Clear customs

In the cruise terminal, you’ll need to have your luggage and passport available to clear customs.

Get the checklist

Save the checklist below to your phone to help remember during your cruise.

Have any questions or things you’d add? Feel free to let us know in the comments.

What to Expect on a Disney Cruise Line Debarkation Day

New cruisers are often aware that they should get prepared for sailing on a Disney cruise ( embarking ), but there is almost as much prep needed to get off a cruise (called disembarking or debarking). Here’s what you need to know.

Tasks to Complete Prior to Debarking

The Disney Cruise Line debarkation process actually starts a day or two before you leave the ship. Here are some things you should consider the day before (or sometimes two days before) your sailing ends.

Read Your Debarkation Instructions The Disney Cruise Line Navigator app includes a section on debarkation. Take a few moments to scan this information a day or two before your cruise ends. Even if you’ve sailed with DCL before, a quick refresher should be on your to-do list – instructions do change periodically. Your stateroom host may also leave supplemental information in your stateroom. Be sure to read this as well.

Check Your Cruise Folio You can view your cruise folio (your bill for onboard charges) on the Navigator app, on your stateroom television, or you may ask for a printout at the Guest Services desk. You should periodically review the folio during your trip so that you may rectify any erroneous charges while you’re on the ship. Lines can be long on the last day of your sailing, so the sooner you can do this, the better.

Buy Your Photo Package If you haven’t already done so, take a minute at the onboard photo kiosks to review your pictures taken during the sailing so you can decide whether to purchase a photo package or individual shots. Once your sailing is over, it’s too late. See our post on Disney Cruise Line photos for more details.

Tip Your Service Crew Disney Cruise Line will automatically charge your account a basic gratuity fee for your stateroom host, dining room servers, assistant server, and head waiter. If you want to add an additional tip, you can do this at Guest Services at any point prior to debarkation, or you’re welcome to give them cash or a gift card before you leave. See our FAQ on DCL tipping for more information.

Check Lost and Found If you’ve mislaid anything during your sailing, stop by Guest Services to inquire about lost & found items. After your cruise, you need to complete an online form via Chargerback .

Return Your Kids’ Club Band The Oceaneer Club/Lab will issue wristbands to young children as means of keeping track of them while they’re in the kids’ clubs. Return this band prior to 11:59 p.m. on the last full day of your cruise or you will be assessed a $12.95 fee per band. (Note: This is not the same as the new DisneyBand+ product.)

Check in for Your Flight If you’re flying home from your disembarkation port, remember to check in for your flight.

Confirm Land Transportation If you’re renting a car at the port, using a limo service, or taking Disney’s bus transportation to the airport or a Disney hotel, confirm your reservations and make sure you understand how your land transportation works. Pro tip: Your Key to the World Card (room key) will have a code on it if you’re using Disney transportation.

Sign Up for a DCL Placeholder If you’re planning to take another Disney Cruise within the next two years, you can save yourself some money on the future cruise by reserving a placeholder before you leave the ship. See the Navigator app onboard for details.

Complete Your Disembarkation Questionnaire DCL asks every party to complete a questionnaire prior to disembarking. See our Questionnaire FAQ for more details.

Check Your Safe Make it a habit to check your room’s safe as you leave on the last day. You don’t want to leave valuables on the ship.

Pack Take a few minutes during the morning of your last full day to do a little pre-packing. Toss any paperwork you won’t be needing later, gather your dirty clothes and put them in your suitcase, pack any shoes you won’t be wearing for the rest of the trip, and corral loose items like children’s toys or wayward hair ties. The last night of your sailing can be hectic with saying goodbye to new friends, watching the last night’s mainstage show, and so on. Putting your luggage out in the evening (see below) will be much less frantic if you’ve done some prep work earlier in the day.

Don’t Take Items from the Ship There are several items in your stateroom that may be enticing to take home with you: the decorative pillow, the cozy throw blanket, and the fabric laundry bag are commonly coveted items. As lovely as they may be, don’t bring them home with you – you will be charged a hefty fee.

Feeding Yourself on Debarkation Day

Even though you’re leaving the ship, you’re still entitled to breakfast onboard. These are your options:

Eat in a Dining Room You’ll be assigned to the same dining room you had dinner in on the last night of your cruise. If you’ve had the early dinner seating, you’ll have the earlier breakfast seating (typically 6:45 a.m.). If you’ve had the later dinner seating, you’ll have the later breakfast seating (typically 8:00 a.m.). The menu is abbreviated, but there are hot and cold meals available. If you’re an early riser, aren’t in a rush to get off the ship, like to have a larger morning meal, or want to say one last goodbye to your serving team, then go ahead an have your assigned breakfast.

Eat at the Buffet The pool deck buffet restaurants (Marceline Market on the Wish, Cabanas on all other ships) will be open for breakfast on debarkation morning, typically beginning at about 6:30 a.m. The offerings will be smaller than on other days, but you will have a choice of basic eggs and bacon, pastries, fruit, cereal, and oatmeal. This is a good option if you’re assigned the early seating and want to sleep for a few minutes more or if you just want to grab something quickly.

Just Grab a Coffee Cove Cafe and one or more of the other onboard coffee bars will be open on disembarkation morning. They won’t have much food, if any, but if you just want a coffee to tide you over for a bit, this can be a good option.

Eat Room Service Breakfast This is a bit of trick advice. Actual room service breakfast is only available to Concierge Level guests on disembarkation morning. However, room service is open to all guests until midnight of your last full day. Some guests opt to order Continental breakfast items to be delivered in the evening – that way your food will be right there when you wake up. Make use of the refrigerator in your room for things like milk or butter. And know that many guests find that the coffee in the room service carafe is still hot many hours after delivery.

Whichever option you choose, remember that you are not allowed to bring fruit off the ship with you. (It’s a Customs rule, not a DCL rule.) You can, however, bring packaged items like a small box of cereal with you off the ship.

Also note that you should bring any hand luggage with you to your breakfast destination. You want to clear everything out of your stateroom as early as possible as a courtesy to your stateroom host who has limited time to turn your room over for the next sailing.

Dealing with Your Luggage

There are two ways to deal with your luggage upon disembarkation: Standard Departure or Express Walk Off. During the last evening of your cruise, all guests will routinely be given a set of disembarkation luggage tags depicting a Disney character on a colorful background. If you’re doing Express Walk Off (see below), you can just throw these away or leave them in your stateroom for your host to repurpose. If you’re doing Standard Departure, you should make note of which character and color tag you’ve been given. It never hurts to take a photo or two as a reminder.

Standard Departure

With Standard Departure, you will complete the name/address information on the luggage tag and affix the tags to any luggage that you don’t want to carry off the ship yourself. Be aware that the ship’s elevators and walkways will be CROWDED on debarkation morning. Multiple bags or anything more substantial than a small roll-aboard bag will be unwieldy. Follow the instructions given by your stateroom host and place your tagged luggage in the hall outside your stateroom in the evening (typically from about 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., but always double check the specifics of your sailing).

BE SURE NOT TO PACK ITEMS YOU WILL NEED IN THE MORNING. Keep aside in hand luggage items like your Key To The World Card, electronics, passport and other identification documents, medications, and – this part is important – clothing you plan to wear off the ship in the morning.

On debarkation morning, guests will be called to depart the ship in groups based on their luggage tag character/color. Your group will be assigned based on your departure needs. For example, guests with earlier flights will be allowed off the ship earlier than guests with later flights home. When you group is called, you’ll collect your bags in the terminal, just before you head to customs (see below). Bags are sorted into areas marked by character/color.

Express Walk Off

Express Walk Off is for guests who want to debark the ship as soon as it is cleared by port authorities, typically around 7:30 a.m. at U.S. ports. You may not use Express Walk Off if you’ve tagged your luggage for transportation into the terminal.

To take advantage of this feature, get to the lobby atrium at your sailing’s earliest debarkation time (this will be noted on the Navigator app) with all your belongings in your possession. Have your Key to the World Card and passport (or other ID) in hand and you’ll proceed directly to Customs and back out into the real world.

If you have an early flight home (say, prior to noon for sailings arriving at Port Canaveral with flights from Orlando), you should plan to use Express Walk Off.

Dealing with Transportation

After you disembark, you’ll obviously need to leave the port terminal. If you’ve driven to the port and parked in a nearby garage, just retrieve your car and be on your way.

Other options include an arranged town car or limo, using Disney’s bus transportation to an airport or hotel, renting a car at the terminal, or calling a cab or ride share. You should arrange the first three of these options prior to embarkation and confirm any details with the service. For example, ask the limo service exactly where at the terminal the driver will meet you.

Ubers and cabs can be a great option if you’re arriving at a port in a major metropolitan area (New York or Vancouver), but they may be scarce or expensive at remote ports like Port Canaveral.

Whichever transportation method you select, be aware that all guests must vacate the ship by about 9:30 a.m.

Clearing Customs

The last step in disembarkation is clearing Customs. The procedure is slightly different depending on your debarkation port and your nationality in regard to that port. In all cases, you’ll need to have all your luggage with you, as well as your passport (or other identification paperwork) before proceeding to Customs. If you’ve made significant purchases while traveling, you’ll need to complete a Traveler Entry Form , but this is no longer required of all guests.

If you’re looking for additional advice and planning assistance with any Disney Cruise Line sailing, be sure to check out the Unofficial Guide to Disney Cruise Line .

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Erin Foster

Erin Foster is an original member of the Walt Disney World Moms Panel (now PlanDisney), a regular contributor to TouringPlans.com, and co-author of The Unofficial Guide to Disney Cruise Line. She's been to WDW, DL, DL Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland, Aulani, DVC Vero Beach, and DVC Hilton Head. She's a Platinum DCL cruiser and veteran of 10 Adventures by Disney trips. Erin lives near New York City, where she can often be found indulging in her other obsession - Broadway theater.

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Hi, Is there a set mealtime for breakfasts and lunch on the Dream? We’re off to Norway in August and I understand the meal rotation for dinner, but can’t see if there’s a set time allocated to us for breakfast? And what’s an embarkation lunch? Thanks! ”

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These 10 tips for Disney Cruise first timers ensure a magical experience

I f you're reading this, you are probably getting ready to go on your first Disney Cruise or searching for tips on how to get ready for your first Disney Cruise. You may be researching and figuring out whether a Disney Cruise is right for you. You've come to the right place. 

I've been on seven Disney cruises with numbers eight and nine booked. Here are my best tips. 

Here are 10 things you need to know about how to get ready for your first Disney cruise

1. download the disney cruise line navigator app.

Go to iTunes or Google Play Store for the free Disney Cruise Line Navigator app. Make sure everyone else in your travel party does the same. 

You'll use the app while preparing to cruise and board the ship. Once you embark, you'll be able to use the messaging feature to communicate with other members of your group, even if you don't purchase the onboard WiFi package. The app will also give you access to other onboard information, including entertainment schedules and dinner menus. 

2. Reserve onboard activities early

One of the reasons a Disney Cruise is so awesome is all  that is included . There are a few things you'll have to reserve in advance and a few extras you'll have to pay for that aren't included in the price of your cruise. These include spa treatments, shore excursions, and specialty dining, like Palo and Remy.

First-time Disney cruisers can book activities and special experiences 75 days out. You will want to book these activities at midnight Florida time on the first-day bookings are open for you. I know that sounds a little crazy, but everything fills up quickly. The higher Castaway Club levels and concierge level cabins will have an earlier booking window, so some things will already be full, even if you're an ultra-early bird. 

Packing for a cruise and feeling overwhelmed?  Here are 20 cruise packing checklists for you to check out!

3. Check-in early

You can check in online for your Disney Cruise 30 days before embarkation. Again, you'll need to check in at midnight Florida time, right at the 30-day mark. Early check-in means earlier boarding time and more time to enjoy the vacation you've paid for versus sitting in the port's waiting area. 

Boarding groups and port arrival times are staggered, so don't snooze on doing your online check-in.

4. Schedule the Character Call – Possibly the most fun part of getting ready for your Disney Cruise

You can schedule a free, pre-recorded call from a Disney character to generate excitement about your upcoming cruise or reveal the fact that there is a cruise in your family’s near future. This is fun…and no, Mickey and Minnie don’t talk back but this gets everyone pumped up about going on a Disney Cruise.

5. Record the moment you walk onto the ship

This might be a spoiler but I wish someone had told me this part. When you walk onto the ship for the first time, record your experience or ask the family ahead of you to do it. Or the family behind you. Just make sure the video is rolling because it's magical. 

When we stepped on board the ship, the Cast Member inside asked us our family’s last name. “Robbins,” we said without questioning why. I mean…it seemed like a simple enough question.

“ Please welcome aboard the Robbins Family .”

This was shouted into a microphone and all the crew standing nearby clapped and cheered as we crossed the threshold. I almost cried. This immediately set the tone for the entire cruise and now I know what it feels like to be visiting royalty.

6. Prepare to Party Like a Pirate

Most Disney Cruises include a pirate night. Pirate night includes special themed menus in the dining room, beloved Disney characters in pirate costumes, and on-deck entertainment. 

The pirate show has music, characters, and dancing. Disney's newest ship, the Disney Wish , has an 80's rock-themed pirate show but to date, the other ships have a good versus evil pirate show where Captain Hook tries to take over the ship and Captain Mickey comes to the rescue. Disney is the only cruise line that does fireworks at sea.*

One of the most fun things about the pirate night is seeing how many guests dress in pirate costumes. Disney Cruise Line also sells a variety of pirate costumes and accessories. 

*Alaska sailing does not have fireworks at sea and usually has a Frozen-themed  deck party instead of a pirate party.

7. Decorate Your Door with fun, decorations from Etsy

Shouting out loud and proud is fun on any cruise but the design of the Disney Cruise Line's magnetic stateroom doors gives you so many fun options. The round porthole design on the door is a fun space to decorate around. The door design on the Disney Wish is shaped differently so keep that in mind if you're ordering door decorations that rely on that round design. 

8. Join the Facebook group for your cruise

The odds are excellent that someone has started a Facebook group for the passengers sailing on your cruise. Find them by searching for the name of the ship and the date of the sailing. 

These are unofficial groups, usually managed by experienced cruisers, not by Disney. It's not unusual for the group admins to be travel agents or travel content creators. These are usually drama-free online gathering spots to ask questions and make friends with other passengers before your cruise. 

9. Learn About Fish Extender Gift Exchanges

Fish extender gift exchanges are unofficial gift exchanges organized by passengers. These are typically organized within the cruise's Facebook group. 

Fish Extenders are named for the small metal fish* outside stateroom doors that are used as a mailbox for any paperwork the cruise staff wants to distribute to you during your cruise. Most guests participating in a Fish Extender gift exchange will have some sort of Disney-themed handmade holder for other passengers to put their gifts in. If you don't want to make your own, Etsy sells them. 

*On the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy , Fish is on the port side and Seahorses are on the starboard side, but the concept is the same.

10. Make a must-do list

Do you want to have a massage on the beach? Dine Palo? Take a selfie with Minnie Mouse in her pirate costume. There is so much on a Disney Cruise and the time will fly. Jot down a list of things you'll be disappointed not to experience. 

It's hard to do everything on a single cruise, so don't stress yourself out trying. 

9. Book your next cruise on board

Book on board and receive 10 percent off a future cruise. The deposit is minimal and you don't have to book your cruise or pick your date. Your $200 deposit can be applied against a future cruise that must be completed within the next two years. Make sure you read the fine print because some restrictions do apply. 

Disney Cruise Line doesn't offer a ton of sales or discounts so if you're having fun and see yourself doing another Disney Cruise in the next two years, booking the placeholder is pretty low risk. You'll get your deposit back if you don't book during the allotted time. 

Related post: Best Disney Cruise Tips

10. Don’t compare Disney to any other cruise line

I will tell you that a Disney Cruise will spoil you for any other cruise line. A Disney Cruise is an experience all its own. If you’re an experienced cruiser, you’ll have some insider info that will help you rock your first Disney Cruise. But, a Disney Cruise is just different. It’s special. It’s magical.

It’s like that crazy roller coaster ride where you get off, laugh, and immediately say “Let’s go again.” It’s just like that.

You might also like:

14 things that are awesome about a Disney Cruise

1o tips to help you get the most out of Castaway Cay

Ultimate Disney Cruise Pack List

The post These 10 tips for Disney Cruise first timers ensure a magical experience appeared first on Ripped Jeans & Bifocals .

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We’re Live from Disney’s NEW Lookout Cay Private Cruise Port!

By Sara McOmber 1 Comment

Come with us to check out Disney’s NEW cruise destination: Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point .

This new paradise in the Bahamas was announced a while ago and finally opens THIS SUMMER! We got to check out the new area early , and of course we want to take you along with us. Let’s dig into the activities, port adventures, beaches, and FOOD offered at Lookout Cay.

What Is Lookout Cay?

Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point is Disney’s new cruise port destination ! It’s located on the island of Eleuthera in The Bahamas, and it’s opening this summer (2024). This is Disney’s second cruise destination in the Bahamas (the other one is Castaway Cay).

The  Disney Magic, Disney Dream , and  Disney Fantasy cruise ships will all offer trips to Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point starting in the summer of 2024. Here’s a look at which cruises are going to stop at this new destination:

Disney Magic itineraries sailing to Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point:

• 3-night Lighthouse Point Preview sailing from Port Canaveral, FL (June 6th – 9th, 2024)
• 3-night, 4-night, and 5-night Bahamian sailings from Fort Lauderdale, FL

Disney Dream itineraries sailing to Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point:

• 3-night sailings from Fort Lauderdale, FL
• 4-night and 5-night Bahamian sailings from Fort Lauderdale, FL

Disney Fantasy itineraries sailing to Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point:

• 7-night Lighthouse Point Inaugural sailing from Port Canaveral, FL (June 8th – 15th, 2024)
• 4-night and 6-night Bahamian sailings from Port Canaveral, FL
• 10-night Caribbean sailing from Port Canaveral, FL

Arriving at the New Port Destination

When you get to Lookout Cay, you’ll first find Mabrika Cove , which is the arrival point. According to Disney, “‘Mabrika’ means ‘welcome’ in Taino, the language of the Lucayans, who are considered the indigenous people of The Bahamas.” The pier is about a half-mile long, and takes about 15 minutes to walk.

And we’re off! Let’s start the 15-minute walk from the Disney Magic to Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point! 🥳 pic.twitter.com/hMml5pCiZ5 — Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) June 7, 2024

Disney told us they made the pier lengthy to disturb less of the shoreline.

All ashore who’s going ashore!

And look at that gorgeous water!

Turquoise waters!

The Beaches

Lookout Cay has a few different beaches. You’ll find a family beach on the east side of the island, with activities and other amenities.

Separate from the main family area, there will also be a  peaceful beach with 20 premium family cabanas  available to rent (four of which are double cabanas for larger groups). Those double cabanas will also offer massage services for a little extra pampering!

Colorful cabanas are here at Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point! 🤩 These are beachside too! #LookoutCay #DCL #hosted pic.twitter.com/MiB7DDfYpI — Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) June 7, 2024

Like Castaway Cay, Lookout Cay will have its own  adult-exclusive beach (north of the family area) called Serenity Bay . It will include a dedicated dining area and six private cabanas (which you can reserve), and it will be exclusive to guests 18 years old and older.

Let’s take a look INSIDE the family cabana! 🏝️🤩 #LookoutCay #hosted #mediacruise pic.twitter.com/whBwqGvUk8 — Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) June 7, 2024

Dining at Lookout Cay

At Lookout Cay, you can grab a bite to eat at the market-style dining spot, True-True Too BBQ , a seashell-inspired restaurant with shaded pavilion seating. There is also the Serenity Bay BBQ in the adults-only area.

Serenity Bay BBQ on Lookout Cay

Lunchtime at Serenity Bay BBQ in Lookout Cay! 😋 Bring A LOT of napkins! #DisneyCruiseLine #hosted #mediacruise pic.twitter.com/xohJ6vKTel — Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) June 7, 2024

There are also a variety of bars at Lookout Cay — including Mangroves and Go.

Let’s check out Mangroves and Go! This spot serves up ice-cold drinks including this one – the Eleuthera Euphoria! 🍍 This is a Disney Lookout Cay Signature Cocktail made with premium aged rum, pineapple smoothie and DOLE Whip! All drinks are served in stainless steel cups! pic.twitter.com/agNgN10PpP — Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) June 7, 2024

Activities and Adventures

There is a LOT to do at Lookout Cay. You can stop by the Bahamian art and culture pavilion  —  The Goombay Cultural Center — where you’ll find special programs and local artists offering learning opportunities to passengers.

Triton’s Trumpet Stage  is a center for family entertainment. The name of the gazebo is inspired by both the king from  The Little Mermaid and one of the natural wonders found on Bahamian beaches: “a large, spiraled seashell commonly called ‘Triton’s Trumpet.'”

There is also an interactive family water play area  with slides, water drums, and more.  Toddlers  even have their own dedicated space.

Kids ages 3 through 12 have their own themed Kids’ Club on the island where they can play under the supervision of Disney Cruise Line counselors. There is a splash pad area inspired by The Little Mermaid  and a dedicated dining area.

Other activities on the island include:

• a covered gaming pavilion;
• a volleyball court;
• a gaga ball pit;
• watercraft and bike rentals; and
• nature trails that you can hike or bike

The Disney Cruise Line website lists all the available port adventures for Lookout Cay in The Bahamas. Here’s the full list of options for things you can book for your cruise:

• Bahama Bank Escape
• Banana Boat
• Bicycle Rental
• Bike and Kayak
• Certified Scuba Trip
• Ebike, Sand, Snorkel, and History Tour
• Historical Nature and Awesome Buggy Tour
• Private Historical and Cultural Tour
• Snorkel by Boat
• Snorkel by Boat — Certified Scuba Observer
• Snorkel Rental
• South Eleuthera Eco and Historical Tour
• Tropical Reef Safari Snorkel

You can book your port adventures 75 days before your sail date for first-time sailors, and even earlier for Castaway Club members . Silver Castaway Club members can book 90 days in advance, Gold Castaway Club members can book 105 days in advance, and Platinum Castaway Club members and Concierge Guests can book 120 days in advance.

Merchandise

The  Treasure of Eleuthera gift shop has “locally made gifts and artisan crafts.” The shop spotlights “Bahamian artists through an array of unique items.”

We’ve made it to the island! We’re immediately greeted beach day essentials and Lookout Cay MERCH! #hosted #mediacruise pic.twitter.com/hFl9HnDeg3 — Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) June 7, 2024

There’s a Junkanoo-Inspired merchandise collection with a Loungefly backpack and ear headband that we think will be super popular!

Lookout Cay Minnie Ears!

It wouldn’t be a Disney island destination without Disney CHARACTERS! Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Pluto, and Chip ‘n’ Dale can all be found on Lookout Cay in NEW outfits.

Ok, Goofy! You’re just showing off! Check him out in his new #LookoutCay outfit! 📸🏝️ #hosted #mediacruise pic.twitter.com/KkLARGZIIG — Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) June 7, 2024

These new outfits were designed by a Bahamian fashion designer named Theodore Elyett. The designer has created looks for all kinds of high-profile clients, like Miss Universe contestants, celebrities, brides, and even government officials.

That Friday feeling! 🎶🏝️💃 #LookoutCay #hosted #mediacruise pic.twitter.com/WWcQXcttYg — Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) June 7, 2024

If you’re hoping to go on a Disney cruise vacation soon, make sure to reach out to our friends at Small World Vacations .  They can help you find the best deals and discounts while saving you stress and headaches throughout the planning process. Best of all, their services are absolutely free!

Stay tuned to DFB for more updates on the latest Disney news!

Click here to learn even more about Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point.

What you need to know about disney cruise line, learn all about disney cruise line and its various ships, explore disney’s mega cruise ship – the wish, a full list of what you can’t bring on a disney cruise, these are the best times to book your disney cruise, the best ways to save space in your tiny cruise cabin, 10 things you need on your next cruise (that you won’t think to pack), what it’s like to live on a cruise ship for 6 months, join the dfb newsletter to get all the latest disney news delivered right to your inbox click here to subscribe.

Are you going on a cruise to Lookout Cay soon? Let us know in the comments!

Disclosure: In nearly all circumstances, Disney Food Blog writers and photographers pay full price for their own travel, hotel, food, beverage, and event tickets. We do this because it’s important to us as journalists to ensure not only that we give you unbiased opinions, but also that you can trust us to do so since we’re paying our own way. On rare occasions, when we are invited by a company to attend a preview as media, and when we choose to accept that invitation, we will always make you, our readers, aware of that situation. Today, we were invited by Disney to attend their media preview of Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. Note that when we attend events as media we are 1) Not required to review that event/food on any of our channels, and 2) Not required to review that event/food favorably. You can always count on DFB to give you a 100% unbiased and honest review of any event that we attend, food that we eat, or beverage that we drink. You can see more in our Disclosure Policy . Thank you for reading. — AJ

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June 7, 2024 at 5:59 pm

That pier is a long bridge. I hope Disney has tram service to the island from the ship. Castaway Cay has a better first impression because when you exit the ship, you are stepping onto the island. The walk to the beach is tropical and scenic, with photo opportunities as you go, or you can use the tram service that Disney offers from the ship to the beach. But I still look forward to visiting Disney’s new island Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point.

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Breakfast menu, chef mickey’s breakfast buffet pricing, $54 per adult, plus tax and gratuity, $34 per child (ages 3-9), plus tax and gratuity, breakfast buffet offerings, buttermilk biscuits and sausage gravy, waffles, house-made french toast, seasonal pancakes, and croissant beignets, corned beef hash, charcuterie and cheese boards with accoutrements, selection of fruits, carved pit ham and andouille, peppers, and onions, steak and egg scramble, omelets, and tofu scramble, classic favorites for children, magical morning cocktails, peach bellini, chef's bloody mary, blushing mimosa, cranberry-orange mimosa, traditional mimosa, hazelnut cold brew, salted caramel cold brew, swiss chocolate cold brew, non-alcoholic specialty offerings, mickey mouse smoothie, minnie mouse smoothie, cold brew coffee, watermelon lemonade, pomegranate lemonade, hot chocolate, pink london spritzer, agave garden, breakfast allergy-friendly offerings, allergen guide available upon arrival to the location.

Buffets may be susceptible to cross-contact due to their self-service approach. Guests must speak to a cast member about their allergy-friendly request. While we take steps to help mitigate cross-contact in the preparation of items, we cannot guarantee that any item is completely free of allergens. Our allergy-friendly recipes may use highly refined oils, such as soybean oil, and/or ingredients that are processed in facilities that also process allergens. It is ultimately our Guests' discretion to make an informed choice based upon their individual dietary needs. For more information about allergy-friendly requests, ask to speak with a Special Diets Trained Cast Member upon arrival at the location.

* Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness.

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