I love going on Disney Cruises. It truly should be on everyone’s bucket list.
Here’s everything you’ll ever need to know to plan the best Disney Cruise possible. Things to do, dining recommendations, onboard activities, Castaway Cay tips, and so much more.
Even after 14 cruises, I’m no expert, but these are some tips that I think you might find helpful down the line.
Jump to:
- How Many Ships are There?
- Where are the cruise ships located?
- Where does Disney Cruise Line sail to?
- Specialty Cruises
- When to Take a Cruise?
- How many nights do you need?
- Stateroom Types
- What’s Included on Your Cruise
- Other Onboard Amenities
- Excursions and Port Adventures
- Dining, Lounges, and Bars
- Kid Clubs
- Castaway Cay
- Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point
- How to Book a Disney Cruise
- How do you get to Port Canaveral?
- Tips for sailing with Disney Cruise Lines
- What to Pack for your Cruise
- Is it worth it?
How Many Ships are There?
There are currently 5 ships with 3 more on the way.
- Disney Wish (2022)
- Disney Dream (2011)
- Disney Fantasy (2012)
- Disney Magic (1998)
- Disney Wonder (1999)
Coming soon:
- Disney Treasure (2024)
- Disney Adventure (2025)
- Disney Destiny (2026)
Where are the cruise ships located?
Here are the home ports for each ship:
- Magic = New Orleans, LA
- Wonder = San Diego, CA
- Dream = Southampton, England
- Fantasy = Port Canaveral, FL
- Wish = Port Canaveral, FL
Where does Disney Cruise Line sail to?
For the complete list of specific cities and ports, be sure to check out this page.
These are the destinations you can sail to with a few specific examples:
- Bahamas
- Wester Caribbean (Mexico, Jamaica, Grand Cayman)
- Eastern Caribbean (Tortola, St. Thomas)
- Northern Europe (Sweden, Finland, Netherlands)
- Norwegian Fjords (Denmark, Norway, England)
- Mediterranean (Italy, France, Spain)
- Greece
- British Isles (Great Britain, Ireland, Scotland)
- Bermuda
- Alaska
- Eastern Canada
- Mexican Rivera (Cabo, Puerto Vallarta)
- Panama Canal
- Pacific Coast (San Diego, Victoria, San Francisco)
- Transatlantic
- Hawaii
- South Pacific (Fiji, American Samoa)
- New Zealand and Australia
Specialty Cruises
Disney Cruise also has select themed sailings that are truly immersive such as:
- Marvel Day at Sea
- Pixar Day at Sea
- Halloween on the High Seas
- Very Merrytime Cruise
When to Take a Cruise?
Disney Cruises out of Port Canaveral run all year round so most dates are at your disposal when leaving out of there.
That said, if the main goal is to save some money and choose a cheaper cruise, these are the best times to go:
- January (after New Year’s week)
- February
- May
- September
- October
- Early November
- Early December
That said, the more expensive times are always around the holidays, Spring Break, Easter, as well as mid-summer (June, July, early August).
Hurricane Season
Hurricane season runs from June through November so be sure to keep that in mind when booking your cruise.
Cruises still run during this time but there’s just a higher chance that either your cruise might get cancelled or certain Port of Calls will be skipped pending inclement weather.
How many nights do you need?
4 nights is the perfect amount of time for a cruise, in my opinion.
3-nights are also a good option leaving out of Port Canaveral since they depart on Friday afternoon and arrive Monday morning.
But for me, 3-night cruises just feel rushed. You go to bed, have two days of fun, then boom, you’re back home.
The European and Alaskan cruises are 7-nights minimum which is a perfect amount of time. Some unique exclusions might even stretch to 9 or 10 days, especially when Greece is included.
Stateroom Types
More details about each Stateroom aboard every ship.
There are four stateroom types on every Disney Cruise ship:
- Inside
- Oceanview
- Verandah
- Concierge
The size, occupancy, and amenities will vary ship to ship so please be sure to check out the details on every stateroom on this page.
Once you hit Concierge, you’ll see all of the suites and multi-level rooms.
What’s Included on Your Cruise
It’s technically possible to hop on a Disney Cruise ship and not spend a dime (minus gratuities).
Here are all of the things that are included in the price of your stateroom for every guest:
- Youth Clubs (themed clubs for every age up to 17)
- Broadway-style shows
- 3 Main Dining Room Restaurants
- Buffet
- Quick service eateries on the pool deck minus the specialty ice cream shops
- All food and drink is free minus any specialty foods at bars and lounges
- All You Can Eat Soft Serve Ice Cream
- Complimentary soda, water, and hot chocolate in all of the main dining room, buffet and the pool deck
- Stage shows and game shows
- Onboard activities excluding Bingo, sport simulators, and alcohol tastings
- Character meet and greets
- Fireworks at Sea
- First run and classic movies in the theater
- 24 Hour Room Service
- Fitness Center
- Deck Parties
- Recreation activities like mini-golf, basketball, ping pong, and shuffleboard (these are all ship specific)
- Access to Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point
And if you’re staying in a Concierge Stateroom, you even have special access to a Concierge Lounge with food, snacks, bottled drinks, and even alcohol (from 5 to 10 pm).
Other Onboard Amenities
There are literally 20+ different things to do every day on your cruise so it’s hard to list them all. That said, on top of the free onboard activities mentioned above, there are also a few things that are just as good, but will cost extra.
Some paid onboard activities that aren’t ship specific include:
- Spa and Salon
- Barbershop
- Shopping and Merchandies
- Wine and Alcohol Tastings
- Sport Simulators
- Photos
Excursions and Port Adventures
Full list of Disney Cruise Port Adventures.
Every cruise will have some sort of excursion or Port Adventure, including the itineraries that only include Castaway Cay.
You can see a full list of excursions based on your sailing itinerary on this page.
There are hundreds, even thousands to choose from, but from personal experience, I love the Best of [City] tours as well as anything that includes zip-lining or ATVs.
Dining, Lounges, and Bars
Disney Cruise Line is known for their rotational dining meaning that every night, you and your serving team that stays with you during the entire duration of your cruise will dine at a different immersive restaurant each night.
Onboard every ship, you’ll have 3 main dining rooms as well as a buffet and few quick service locations scattered throughout.
Not to mention you’ll have all you can eat soft serve ice cream!
On top of the complimentary dining options, you’ll also find unique bars, lounges, and nightclubs with specialty cocktails, wine, beer, and light bites.
Best Things to Eat
I wrote a complete guide of my favorite things to eat and drink on a Disney Cruise.
That said, here are a coupe of noteworthy eats:
- Schwarma from Duck In (Magic)
- Black Truffle Pasta from Animator’s Palette (Dream, Fantasy, Magic, Wonder)
- Creme Brûlée from Royal Palace (Dream, Fantasy)
- Golden Mystic Pasta from World of Marvel (Wish)
- Soft service ice cream (All Ships)
Kid Clubs
Outside of the world class service, Disney separates themselves from the rest of the cruise lines with their highly immersive kids clubs.
They are truly so cool and the unique themes make me wish I can hang out in them all day.
I won’t go into too much detail about each, but these are all of the clubs you’d find onboard every ship:
- Disney’s Oceaneer Club/Lab (ages 3-10)
- Edge (ages 11-14)
- Vibe (ages 14-17)
- ‘it’s a small world” nursery! (ages 6 months to 3 years)
- Hideaway (ages 18-20, but only on Wish)
For more detail about each club, visit this page.
Castaway Cay
Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, is generally part of most Caribbean itineraries and is portably the highlight of most guests’ cruises.
Some cool things at this island include:
- Family beach
- Adult beach (Serenity Bay)
- Snorkeling lagoon
- Pelican Plunge twisting water slides
- Teen hideout for ages 14-17
- Games pavilion for table tennis, foosball, billiards, and basketball in a shaded struture
- Sports beach for volleyball and tetherball
- Character appearances
- Disney Castaway Cay 5K
- Barbecue lunch buffet
- Cabanas (on both family and adult beach)
- Access to island excisions like parasailing and stingray feeding
Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point
Although it’s not a private island like Castaway, Look Cay is a new addition to Disney Cruise line that features pristine beaches and turquoise, crystal clear water.
Once I actually visit the island this fall, I’ll be sure to include more detail.
How to Book a Disney Cruise
The best way to book a Disney Cruise is on the official cruise website.
Where to Book
But if you do need some assistance planning, then I recommend that you book your cruise through a Disney travel agent. You might not get any significant discounts, but you might end up with a couple of goodies and surprises in your room.
And if you plan on booking a cruise in a Concierge Stateroom, then I recommend that you book through my Disney travel agency, Happy Escapes (shameless plug).
How do you get to Port Canaveral?
Port Canaveral is about an 45 minutes away from Orlando International Airport (MCO) and 70 minutes from Walt Disney World Resort.
There are 3 ways to get to the Disney cruise terminal from Orlando:
- Disney Cruise Bus
- Uber or Lyft
- Drive
Here are some example prices from the airport (MCO):
Disney Cruise Bus Price
- $39 per guest each way
- $78 roundtrip
Uber or Lyft Price
- $67– $91 on average each way for up to 6 people
Parking at the Disney Port Canaveral Cruise Terminal
Prices for parking at Port Canaveral for a Disney Cruise are:
- $68 for a 3-night cruise
- $85 for a 4-night cruise
- $102 for a 5-night cruise
- $119 for a 6-night cruise
- $136 for a 7-night cruise
Cash is not accepted and you’ll be charged up front for the entire duration of your cruise when parking.
Disney Cruise Bus from Port Canaveral to a Disney Hotel (and vice-versa)
Disney offers a bus service to and from a Disney Resort to Port Canaveral, FL.
Disney Resort Bus Price
- $39 per guest each way
- $78 roundtrip
Uber/Lyft prices for that exact route is around $70 to $105 on average each way, but this depends entirely on time of day and which resort you’re staying at.
Parking at the Port Canaveral Cruise Terminal
Here’s how much it costs to park at Port Canaveral for a Disney Cruise are:
- $68 for a 3-night cruise
- $85 for a 4-night cruise
- $102 for a 5-night cruise
- $119 for a 6-night cruise
- $136 for a 7-night cruise
Cash is not accepted and you will be charged up front for the entire duration of your cruise prior to entering the parking garage.
Tips for sailing with Disney Cruise Lines
After 14 Disney Cruises and counting, here are some tips I think you might find helpful:
- If the main goal is to save money, book an Inside Stateroom. Only thing you’ll be missing out on is a window or verandah, which for some isn’t a big deal.
- First time cruisers should do a 3-Night Bahamas cruise from Port Canaveral on the Wish
- Book your onboard activities as soon as you can
- Follow this Disney Cruise Planning Timeline
- Bring a reusable water bottle
- Concierge’s extra cost is very hard to justify but it’s worth trying at least once (but it might ruin you for all other Disney Cruises in the future)
- Don’t miss the Royal Gathering with Disney princess royalty (must be booked in advance)
- Don’t be afraid to order 2 or 3 entrees and all the desserts in the main restaurants
- If you are on a 4-night cruise or longer, dine at one of the adult exclusive restaurants like Palo Steakhouse
- If you’re a concierge guest, be sure to request the best seats in the house at every restaurant (not guaranteed)
- Check the Navigator app for happy hour at sea
- If you can, splurge on a cabana at Castaway Cay or Lookout Cay
- Drop the kids and teens off at the insanely cool kids clubs
- Adults can check out the Kids Clubs during open house
- If a port of call doesn’t interest you, stay on the ship and use all the pools and amenities with less crowds
- Don’t skip the Broadway-style shows every night
- Don’t skip the adult entertainment every evening
- Excursions in Alaska are amazing
- Most excursions in the Mediterranean involve long bus rides so plan accordingly
What to Pack for your Cruise
Although I go into more detail in this article, here’s a quick breakdown of all of the essentials I always pack on my cruises.
Here are all of my must-bring items on a Disney Cruise:
- swimsuit: you’ll need at least one for all of the hot tubs, pools, slides, and beaches
- comfortable clothes: I like to dress for comfort when I’m on the ship
- a nice outfit: I usually pack a nicer outfit for dinners especially if I’m going to Palo or any other adult exclusive spot
- camera: Can’t forget to document my trip with something better than an iPhone camera
- charging cables: Gotta make sure my phone and camera is charged to the max after all them pics and videos I’ll be taking
- day bag: A little sling bag or tote with a couple of toiletries and essentials like sunglasses
- refillable water bottle: A great way to fill up on the complimentary soda, coffee, juice, and hot chocolate found on the pool deck
- hand sanitizer: Surfaces are pretty gross, even on Disney
- Pepto Bismol and Tums: There will be so much eating and drinking that your stomach might hate you
- sunscreen: gotta protect that flawless skin
- Toiletries/cosmetics: toothbrush, lotion, makeup, contact solution, deodorant, mouthwash, cologne, etc…
- light jacket: can get chilly on the deck at night, even in summer
- alcohol: You are allowed to bring 2 bottles of wine or champagne or 6 beers
- small travel stroller: a packable stroller would be best to use around the ship or outside at the Port of Calls
- diapers and baby essentials: can’t forget the diapers, formula, wipes, snacks, and toys for the little ones
Is it worth it?
Absolutely.
If you love Disney and are looking for something more peaceful and relaxing than a Disney World vacation, then cruise is a fantastic alternative.
Yes, Disney Cruise Lines are a lot more expensive than their competitors like Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, MSC, and Carnival, but the world class service, amazing onboard actives, cool kids clubs, and overall Disney magic make it one of the best cruise lines for families in the world.
Plus, if cost is what’s holding you back, there are some ways that you can actually have a magical cruise on a budget.
Is it better than a trip to Disney World? That’s up to you.
But either way, you will not regret taking a Disney Cruise to one of their numerous destinations around the world.
