Things You Should Know About Cruising With Disney

Door Decorations

In addition to hanging fish extenders and exchanging gifts, many DCL guests like to decorate their doors. Many people make custom magnets to hang on their doors; some feature photos of past cruises, while others feature favorite characters.

Besides magnets, we’ve also seen lollipop holders hung on doors—which offer a lollipop to anyone who passes by—as well as white boards inviting people to leave messages.

Decorating your door helps you spot your stateroom door from afar and is lots of fun anyway. You will most certainly want to make sure you bring a few decorations along so you can join in this fun.

Save on Snacks

Food is one of the best things about any cruise. Disney Cruise Line is extra awesome in that they offer free soft drinks around the clock, and they still have free room service.

That said, they do charge for concessions at the movie theater and before stage performances. For this reason, we highly recommend grabbing a cookie from room service or one of the counter-service locations and snagging a soda before heading to a movie or show.

Want popcorn? The refillable popcorn bucket is an excellent deal. If you plan on eating popcorn often throughout the cruise, you might want to invest in one.

Some Reservations Required

There are some activities on board the ships that require advance reservations. The spa, for instance, can book up, meaning you’ll want to grab your spot while you can.

Specialty dining also requires a reservation, and events such as the princess meet-and-greet require that you have tickets to attend. Therefore, you will want to research your options and make sure you have the tickets and reservations you need.

Requests are Accepted

Disney Cruise Line is really good about accepting requests and will often go out of their way to accommodate them. Want your family to have their own table at dinner? Prefer early seating? Make sure to note these things on your reservation. Often, you will get exactly what you wish for.

Dine and Play

Many families prefer early dinner seating because their kids don’t do well sitting through a long meal late in the day. That said, there is a major benefit to accepting a late seating assignment: Dine and Play.

Dine and Play is a special DCL offering that allows children to receive their meals along with the adult appetizers. Once those meals are finished, the kids are picked up by Kids Club counselors and taken to the club while their parents finish dining. This is an excellent option for families with wiggly kids!