Ready to set sail on one of Disney’s amazing cruise ships? Welcome to the Planning Your Disney Cruise Vacation series. I will walk you though all the stages of planning Disney Cruise Line vacations. One of our magical memory planners would love to help you through this process as well.
Part 1 – Booking your Disney Cruise
Picking your itinerary and date
The first part of any Disney Cruise Vacation is booking your cruise. There are lots of factors that go into deciding which Disney Cruise itinerary is right for you. Do you want to spend a whole week on a cruise or do a land and sea. What port do you want to leave from? What time of year do you want to travel? When the kids are off from school or when its cheapest? Some itineraries are seasonal such as Alaska. These factors will help you narrow down what itinerary and travel date will work best for you.
Picking your stateroom
Once you decide your itinerary and date you can start looking at stateroom categories.
Disney Dream or Disney Fantasy
Families of 4 or less – You can look at whatever staterooms you are comfortable with from inside staterooms to concierge suites.
Families of 5 – You can go with category 8 – Deluxe Family Oceanview Cabins, category 4 – Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah, category V,T, R – Concierge staterooms or choose any two connecting staterooms.
Families of 6 or more – You will need to book 2 staterooms that are connecting.
Groups – If you have more than one family traveling together you can do a combination of the options above. You can have the reservations linked so that you will be seated together at meals even if you rooms are not together.
Disney Magic and Disney Wonder
Families of 4 or less – You can look at whatever staterooms you are comfortable with from inside staterooms to concierge suites.
Families of 5 – You can go with category 4 – Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah, category T, S, or R – Concierge level rooms or choose any two connecting staterooms.
Families of 6 or more – You will need to book 2 staterooms that are connecting.
Groups – If you have more than one family traveling together you can do a combination of the options above. You can have the reservations linked so that you will be seated together at meals even if you rooms are not together.
Make deposit
Once you have decided your itinerary and room you are ready to make a deposit. The deposit is not a set amount such as $200 but a percentage of your total due. To make your deposit you will need to enter your name, address, and date of birth. It is very important to include your information EXACTLY as it appears on your passport and ID. If you have sailed with Disney before you will have a “Castaway Club” number. If you don’t have it you can look it up. Once you make your deposit you will get a confirmation number but your deposit is refundable until your final payment is due. Final payment is due 75 days before you sail. You can begin the check-in process as well but that is for another post.
Planning Disney Cruise add-ons
During this process you may want to make certain add-ons such as airfare, airport transfers, before/after hotel stays, insurance, dining seating (1st or 2nd), or note celebrations. You don’t have to do those when you do the initial booking. You may want to wait to book your airfare separately or maybe the airline you prefer has not opened booking yet. Airfare and insurance are non-refundable as well. These add-ons can be added later although I always recommend having everything figured out before final payment so you don’t incur additional costs.
Booking your cruise is the first step in planning Disney Cruise vacations. Once you are booking you can start the countdown and have fun planning Disney Cruise details. If you want an experience travel agent to help you with planning Disney Cruise details for FREE then request a FREE quote. For the latest happening on Disney Cruise Line check out the Disney Cruise Line eBrochure.
Your Disney Cruise is booked and now comes the hardest part (or the most fun) waiting for your trip to come. You can’t make any excursion or Palo reservations until your trip is paid in full so what do you do in the meantime?
Part 2 – Enjoying the wait/Pre planning
Its not like you can just book your cruise and then forget about it until final payment is due. Now is the time to find out all the fun you will have, start thinking about what you want to do so you can make reservations when the time comes, and share your exciting news with friends and family.
Order a planning DVD
If you have not done so already you should request a FREE Disney Cruise Line planning DVD. They are so much fun to watch and will get everyone excited about all the fun they are going to have. Its a great way to get little ones excited and prepare them for what is coming too. If you are booking with Magical Memory Planners just ask you MMP for one. You can also request a quote and let me know you want one in the comments section. You can also order them from Disney Cruise Line.
Register with Disney Cruise Line
Take a few minutes to register with Disney Cruise Line. If you already have an account with WDW you can use that login info. This will give you access to look at your reservation through My Reservation. You will see when you can do your online check in, when final payment is due, and make additional reservations for excursions, Palo, and other special events. You can also do fun things like request a phone call from a Disney character to tell your family about your upcoming cruise, purchase items for your room, find out what to pack, and more. Its a great resource to check out your destination.
If you have cruised with Disney before you will find coloring pages and recipes at the Castaway Club section.
You can also register to have updates and reminders sent to you via email or text message. Take advantage of this. You might get a little magic when you least expect it!
Babies Travel Lite
If you are traveling with little ones you may want to check out Babies Travel Lite. They are the only company that delivers to your stateroom on Disney Cruise Line. You can order diapers and supplies, baby food, sun lotion, and much more. You can even order buckets and shovels for the kids at the beach. You may not want to order yet but you will want to check it out.
Transfer your reservation
If you booked your cruise directly with Disney then its the perfect time to contact Magical Memory Planners and transfer your reservation. It is simple to do and you can let us worry about the details, answer your questions, and share your excitement. We will even give you a $25 Disney gift card as a special thank you once final payment is complete. Get to know all our amazing agents and email the one you would like to work with.
Have fun counting down your cruise. If you have booked with Magical Memory Planners we will notify you of all your important dates so you can just relax and have fun planning Disney cruise.
Planning Disney Cruise Vacation Part 3 – Final Payment and more
Time flies when you are having fun planning Disney Cruise vacations. Before you know it final payment is due. Although that may be the least favorite part of a Disney cruise it opens the door for even more fun, making reservations and online check – in.
Final payment
Final payment is due 75 days before departure. It can be very simple if you have a travel agency like Magical Memory Planners taking care of you. There are several options when it come to making final payment. If you don’t want to pay it all at once you can start making payments anytime after you make deposit. You may also consider using your Disney Rewards Dollars from your Disney Visa. If that is the case be sure to request your Disney Rewards card about a month or two before final payment is due.
Reservations
After final payment is done you can take care of some reservations for your Disney cruise. Log in to the planning center at Disney Cruise Line. Once you are in your reservation it will look like this:
You will be able to go into “My Cruise Activities” to book your port adventures, adult dining such as Palo and Remy, spa appointments, and make reservations in the nursery. If you REALLY want to do something on a particular day or time then you will want to go on here to do this. This option is available 90 days before departure for guests who have cruised with Disney Cruise Line before but they still won’t have access until after final payment is made. Some choose to pay their final payment early so they can enjoy that earlier access.
On line Check-in
You can fill out all your forms in advance so that your embarkation is much faster and easier for your whole family. Be sure to have your passports and flight information available. After the forms are complete you will have to print them, sign them, and of course bring them with you. You won’t want these packed in your luggage either.
You can check in online after final payment is made and at least 4 days prior to your sail date. If you don’t complete everything in one session, you can save your information and come back later to finish.
Here are step by step directions to help you complete your Disney Cruise Line online check-in.
Register Children
Your kids will be so excited to participate in the amazing children’s programs aboard the Disney ships but they will need to be registered. You can do this on board but why not get it all done ahead of time? Once your final payment is made you can take care of this as well. The kids clubs include:
It’s a Small World Nursery
This daycare for kids, ages 3 months to 3 years, has the beloved theme from the park attraction, designed with an acclimation zone, play area and nap room.
Disney’s Oceaneer Club
This is the ideal place for children, 3 to 12 years of age, to immerse themselves in the imaginative worlds that Disney is known for, while performing on stage, playing games and enjoying a wide variety of supervised activities.
Edge
This loft-style lounge for tweens, ages 11 to 14, sports a digital-media theme, including a lit dance floor, notebooks with social media app and 18 TV screens.
Vibe
This coffeehouse-themed hangout—complete with dance floor and snack bar—provides teens ages 14 to 17 a haven for enjoying movies, video games and new friends.
You have been planning Disney cruise vacation and now its almost time to set sail. Come back to read Planning Disney Cruise Vacation part 4 – Getting ready to sail for the last minute details before you embark.
Planning Disney Cruise Vacation Part 4 –
Getting Ready to Sail
Your magical Disney cruise is approaching and now you are getting ready to set sail on your magical vacation. This is the last part of our series on Planning Disney Cruise Vacation.
I hope you have already read our Disney Cruise packing tips. You might want to pick up some Magical Memory Planner gear such as lanyards or a simply backpack to keep what you need onboard handy. A Disney cruise is made for families and unless you are planning a special night at Palo or Remy you don’t have to worry about a formal night. You can dress casually every night without a jacket and tie for men. A polo shirt and pants for men and a sundress for women is fine. Of course if you do have a night planned at Palo or Remy you’ll want to be sure you get a little more dressed up with a jacket/tie (for the men).
Me own buccaneer!
Another night you might want to plan ahead for is your Pirate Party. If you are cruising on the Fantasy you can make reservations at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique which will turn into the Pirates League on that day. You can also just bring some items from home such as eye patches, some black make up. You can find even more ideas to dress like a pirate all over the internet. Don’t forget to learn some great pirate phrases me hearties!
As you are packing be sure to pack a day bag with bathing suites and whatever you may want when you first arrive on the cruise. If you fly in you won’t see your luggage until its delivered to your room and even if you drive to the port they will take your luggage right away. So, if you plan on swimming when you get on board or take some pictures at the sail away party be sure you have that stuff with you. They will allow you to board as soon as everyone is off from the previous cruise. This can be as early as 12:30 although you won’t be allowed into your stateroom until it is clean (at least 1pm). I like to get to the port early so that I can be on board as soon as possible. We usually plan to eat lunch on the ship as well. While we are waiting in the terminal there are often Disney characters around so be sure you have your autograph mat and anything else you need with you in your day bag.
If you are driving to the port you can park at the port itself or at park n cruise. It’s a couple miles from the port but it is cheaper. Of course where ever you choose to park it is at your own risk. Park n cruise does provide transportation to and from the port at no charge. If you are driving in the night before you might want to arrange to stay at a hotel that offers free parking during your cruise and transfers when you stay the night pre-cruise.
Lastly, as you arrive on the ship be sure to have your video camera rolling because you will be welcomed by name as you enter the ship. It always brings tears to my eyes and I wasn’t ready the first time. The staff will be clapping for you as you arrive and you are welcomed by name. You will feel like a movie star and be so glad you chose Disney Cruise Line for your vacation.
Bon Voyage!
This is the end of our Planning Disney Cruise Vacation series. Of course the most difficult part of Planning Disney Cruise Vacation is adjusting to normal life after its over but I don’t have many tips for that other than Planning Disney Cruise Vacation – Part 1
