If you think you know Disney magic from the theme parks, let me tell you: A cruise with Disney Cruise Line is like sleeping over inside Magic Kingdom, every night. Every morning, we’d wake up and check outside our stateroom for pixie dust left by other guests—a special, unsanctioned tradition of leaving small gifts for others on Disney cruises—before a day spent playing on the Hero Deck, lounging on the beach at Castaway Cay, or meeting the princesses at the Royal Gathering. There is almost too much to do, which is a great problem to have on vacation for this never-sit-down kinda family.
I’ve been obsessed with Disney ever since I was a little kid in a sparkly Belle dress. When Disney Cruise Line invited me on the Wish, I expected it to be awesome for my kiddo, but I didn’t realize how special it would be for me. Here’s what I learned from my first-ever Disney cruise:
A ship designed with families in mind
For me, the hardest part of traveling is the way public spaces and even many hotels are, at least in the U.S., hostile to kids and families. I’m talking about going to restaurants where they don’t have a high chair or sippy cup available, bathrooms without changing stations, and of course, the judgemental stares from other adults that a child dares to exist in public.
On our Disney Cruise, that kind of parenting anxiety disappeared. This is an experience that’s designed with intention so that kids, parents, and grandparents can all have a good time.
We stayed in a Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with a Verandah, and spent almost no time in our rooms (as it should be!). But it was obvious that Disney thought about what families need, including offering bunk beds with bed railings, a bathtub (!), and a blackout curtain that separates the kid’s sleeping area from the adult one.
With small, kid-sized sinks and changing stations in every bathroom, high chairs and milk magically already set up at our table each night at dinner service, and hallways wide enough to easily fit a stroller, I felt like we belonged. And that, more than anything else, helped me let out a breath and actually enjoy our vacation.
I’ve always loved Disney, but half of what’s made me a Disney adult is the way they approach hospitality for families. Once all the up-front booking and logistics is done, I truly feel like I’m taken care of as the Mom usually in charge of taking care of everyone else—and that’s why I’m a Disney adult. (Though I’m sure my deep nostalgia for my favorite characters is part of it, too.)
A kid’s club my kid didn’t want to leave
I’m all for a great kid’s club, but honestly? I was excited more about family time together exploring the ship than dropping them off each day. After we visited the Oceaneer’s Club during open house hours, though, my kid kept asking to go back. I mean, if I were allowed to go play in a full-replica Star Wars ship with Chewie and Rey, do crafts with Rapunzel, read stories with Belle, and do experiments with Spiderman … I’d probably rather hang out there, too.
Disney Cruise Line offers four layers of kid’s clubs, depending on age:
- For an additional fee, babies and toddlers aged 0-3 can go to the “It’s a small world” nursery, a charming, calm daycare space with trained caregivers.
- After that, all ages are included in your cruise package. The Oceaneer’s Club is for ages 3-10, but they separate the 3s and 4s with their own counselors and dedicated play space so they’re not thrown in with the older kids. 3s must be fully potty trained and able to separate from you to go to kid’s club.
- Tweens 11-14 have their own space called Edge, a lounge filled with video games, karaoke, and special events.
- Teens 14-17 can hang out in the Vibe lounge, which is similar to Edge, right next to the Hero Zone deck.
Because there’s so much to do on a Disney cruise that it’s a little overwhelming, we split up the day: In the morning after breakfast, we’d pick our activity out of the many, many items on the entertainment list. One morning we did the Hero Zone, which is a deck full of arcade and lawn-style games like ping pong, foosball, air hockey, and basketball. Another morning we hit the Toy Story-themed Splash Pad as soon as it opened (for kids under 4 and caregivers only). After lunch and nap time, we’d drop my kiddo off at kid’s club via the slide and pick them up in time for dinner.
Immersive adults-only spaces that made me feel like a kid again
The biggest difference between a parks stay and a cruise? Having time for myself! Moms often joke about never getting to drink their tea hot, and on this cruise, I could.
My favorite spot was the Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge, which served creative cocktails and small snacks against a backdrop of some of the most iconic planets in the galaxy far, far, away. I also loved the classy Cinderella-themed champagne piano bar, aptly named Nightingale’s. I actually felt like I was on vacation and not just parenting in another place—a rare occurrence.
After dinner at one of the rotational restaurants, my family traded off who got to go on an adventure and who stayed in. We booked a dinner date at adults-only Palo one night for me and my partner, my parents snuck out to see the brand new Mandalorian and Grogu film at the ship’s cinema, and I caught the late-night Pirates Rockin’ Parlay Party and fireworks.
Family time made special with a little pixie dust
I’ve taken plenty of family-friendly trips and this one really felt like it lived up to that label. Not in a “kids love it and parents are just overstimulated” kind of way. In a “when can we go back?” kind of way.
There’s really too much to do on a Disney cruise, just as there’s too much to do for any one trip at the parks, or in a top destination like New York or Paris. Like any trip, you do have to plan ahead on what are must-dos, especially with Disney’s insane booking windows. (If you want to do the Bibbidi Boppidi Boutique on board, for example, that opens at midnight 60 days before your sailing; best wishes.)
Even though I missed out on the evening Broadway-style shows because of bedtime, I never felt like I actually missed anything. It was the smaller moments that I know I’ll remember: the way my kid held a Mickey hug for a full two minutes, when we sang Let It Go at the top of our lungs with Elsa and Anna at Arendelle, the hushed awe watching the “good night kiss” in the main hall, ordering Mickey Bars every night for dessert. If that’s not a magical trip, I don’t know what is.
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