Everything You Need To Know For The Prep And Start Of Your Disney Cruise

I’m a planner. And I don’t like surprises. I like to know exactly what to expect, and know what is expected of me, in any new adventure. Recently, we took our very first Disney Cruise. AND, our very first cruise ever. To say we were green is an understatement. (And, surprisingly, not “green” because we were seasick. That part was much easier than anticipated. But more on that later.)

Critical to the process is a good travel agent. Sure, you can book the trip yourself, but as I’ve said before, a GOOD Authorized Disney Planner is worth their weight in gold. They can give you tips and tricks they’ve experienced from their own Disney cruises. Once you’ve paid your deposit and have a reservation number you have access to the Disney Planning Center online (www.disneycruiseline.com/plan). And that’s when the fun begins!

At the Disney Cruise Line (DCL) website you’ll be able to view a summary of your reservation, find maps of the ship, plan cruise activities and on-shore excursions, take advantage of on-line check-in and much, much more. But first things first…

1. Once you’ve paid your deposit and have your reservation number, log onto the DCL website and familiarize yourself with the process. Take a look at the many offerings that need reservations (spa services, cabana rental, on-shore excursions.) Decide what your family wants to do and take notes. First time guests can make reservations up to 75 days in advance. If you are a member of the Castaway Club (anyone who has cruised with Disney before) you can make your reservations: Silver member (1-5 cruises) 90 days in advance, Gold member (6-10 cruises) 105 days in advance and Platinum members (more than 10 cruises) up to 120 days in advance.

2. Even if you never plan to set foot on foreign soil it’s a good thing to have passports for everyone in your party. It’s the easiest and most widely accepted form of identification and proof of citizenship. Technically, since we did not plan to leave the ship during our stop in Nassau, Bahamas, we didn’t have to have passports. But, God forbid, anything should happen and we needed to fly home, we would have a difficult time entering the U.S. without one. In some situations, a valid U.S. issued ID and a copy of your birth certificate will suffice. But play it safe. You can never go wrong traveling with your passport.

3. Now packing? That’s a trickier subject. There are many things to consider. Length of stay. Climate. Shoe collection. But I will share with you the tips that helped us the most.

• You don’t have to pack much. In fact, I would recommend adapting a minimalist approach. Two bags, per person are allowed but where to put them in your cabin is a real trick. We had one bag per person and easily tucked four suitcases under the bed but I don’t know how much more we could have stored. Laundry facilities are on the ship ($2 per wash, $2 per dry). Toss a few detergent pods in your suitcase and rotate your wardrobe. You can thank me later.
• And while I’m typically a minimalist with packing, I do suggest you bring two swimsuits. You’ll be in the pool, in the surf and on the AquaDuck throughout your stay. There is nothing worse than putting on a wet suit. And they don’t take up that much room.
• A number of sites recommended power strips to charge your electronics. I’ve also read that Disney does not encourage them. We were going to bring one anyway and……wait for it……forgot it. Of course. I always forget at least one item. (At least it wasn’t my husband’s swimsuit. He owns about a dozen because I’ve forgotten to pack his so many times.) And I must say, we didn’t need a power strip. Even with two pre-teen boys and all of their gadgets. We found ample outlets, at least 4 that I can remember. And with how active you are outside the room, there’s plenty of charging time.
• Speaking of charging time, the best tip we utilized was bringing an extra room card with us to activate the electricity in the room. Just bring any old hotel room key from a previous vacation. Your stateroom’s lights are activated once you insert your room key into a slot by the door. If you’d like to charge your electronics while you’re enjoying the pool you’ll need an extra “key” to keep the electricity activated.
• Cruise attire is casual but we were most comfortable in dressy casual. The boys wore collared sport shirts and shorts most of the time (even for dinner) and I wore casual dresses and capris. This kind of “anything goes” attire carried us easily into all situations.
• That said, the last night dinner tends to be a bit dressier. We saw families continuing the collared shirt theme (and some t-shirts) and we saw suits and a little bling on cocktail dresses. We just stepped up our typical dinner attire with button down shirts and I wore a slightly dressier dress and we were fine.
• You’ll check your luggage when you arrive but you’ll need to carry-on any medications, passports and other important, irreplaceable items with you. We also tucked in bathing suits because we knew our boys would want to try the AquaDuck as soon as we boarded.

4. When you check-in online, up to 75 days in advance, you can choose your boarding time. We didn’t know this and by the time we figured it out all the earliest times were taken. We had heard that boarding early is best because you can eat lunch, swim and enjoy the ship well before departure. But then we heard that many people do that, making it quite crowded, and the best time to board is between 11:30 and 1:00pm. Yay! Our boarding time was 12:15pm, smack dab in the middle. The theory is to avoid all the early check-ins that clog the process and the buses that tend to arrive after 1:00pm. For us, check in was easy, not too, too crowded and we felt we had plenty of time to enjoy the ship before the send-off party.

5. Parking is best on level 3 of the parking garage. You are able to walk right into the terminal from that level and avoid the crowds on the ground floor.

6. The actual check-in on the day of your cruise is a process, so be prepared. Your 12:15pm boarding time does not mean that you will be on the ship by 12:20pm. That is the time you are supposed to show up to begin the process. It means waiting in lines. Showing proper documentation. Sharing the already signed forms that you were supposed to fill out before you arrived. Taking pictures for your on-board identification. Waiting for your boarding number to be called and then, finally, boarding the ship. There are restrooms, a chance to take a few character pictures, and televisions all in a large waiting area to keep you occupied until your number is called. The process takes about 45 minutes total. It wasn’t bad at all.

7. And then your number is called. You walk through the Mickey Ear entryway and the fun begins. Each member of your party needs to hold their own Key To The World Card. There is a bit of a line for a group photo. You can by-pass this by bearing right and scooting right onto the ship. You’ll be asked your party name, they announce your arrival and welcome you onto the ship.

And now, the real fun begins! Time to put on your party hat (or Mickey Ears) and enjoy the ride!