Making Your Disney Cruise Magical

If you are thinking about taking your first Disney cruise, then this post is for you.  If princesses and talking mice are not in your future, well, this post just may not be YOUR cup of tea.

Before you leave home:

1. As soon as you start contemplating a Disney cruise, be sure to check out the MouseSavers web site.  It is FULL of great information. including ways to save money.
2. Download the Disney Navigator App.  This is what it looks like:
   
   If you don’t, you will have to download from the internet when you are aboard and accessing the internet can be costly.  Better to plan ahead to get it for free while at home.
   The app is about the only thing that works on Disney’s free wifi.  Why is it such a great thing to have?  Well, the app allows you to text — an easy way to find other members of your group.  If you drop kids off at the Oceaneer’s Club (more on that later), staff will text YOU when/if your kid wants to be picked up.  To me, it was much easier to use the app to text from my iPhone than to have to learn how to use the “WAVE” phones in our cabin (there are two), remember to carry one more thing with me, and remember to charge it every night.
   Another great feature of the Navigator App is the daily events schedule can be accessed right from your phone, and trust me–there is always LOTS going on.  You  DO receive a paper schedule of the next day’s events every evening, but like my sunglasses and keys, it was never where I remembered putting it.
3. After booking, you will be told the earliest date that you will be allowed to make reservations for spa appointments, character meetings and specialty restaurants.  Pay attention to it, and don’t dilly dally.  Things DO get booked up.  The web site instructs you to visit the customer service desk on your first day, if you want to make changes or additional reservations.  What do you think THAT line looks like?  LOOONG doesn’t begin to describe it.
4. Depending on your status, (and as a lowly first time Disney cruiser in a non-suite, we had NO status), you will be allowed to book a certain number of dinner reservations in the specialty restaurant.  Disney Magic, the oldest and smallest ship, has only one specialty restaurant–the larger ships have two.  For our four night cruise, we were allowed to book one night, plus a second night if we were willing to dine there on the first night.
5. I had thought that we would each receive lanyards to keep our room keys up close and personal.  Nope.  First time cruisers are the only ones that don’t get lanyards.  Had I known that, I would have brought one from trips I had taken with other travel companies. Does Disney think lanyards are an effective inducement to book future trips?  And can you tell from my distress at not having a lanyard that I have a tendency to misplace things?
6. Be sure you have all of the necessary legal documents for EVERY member of the party.   See my earlier post for more on this topic.

Which Cruise to Choose?

Living in new Jersey, with family members coming from Massachusetts made the choice easy for us.   Departing from New York meant that we didn’t have to worry about flight arrangements, security screening, potential delays, missing baggage — all those things that can go wrong when you fly, especially when traveling with 3 and 4 year olds.

We also opted for the shorter cruise.  Not only was it less expensive, but we also weren’t sure how well the girls would adjust to sleeping on a ship.  (They were fine).

The length of the cruise turned out to be just right for us: one day getting aboard, three full days on the ship, and one morning getting off.

We chose an October cruise, figuring it would be less crowded (it was) because kids would be in school (many weren’t).  Another bonus–all October cruises are considered “Halloween on the High Seas”, giving some an opportunity to don costumes.

The down side of an October cruise?  You probably won’t be able to take advantage of all the water attractions.  The water wasn’t even turned on for these outdoor showers.

Cabin Choice
This is obviously a matter of personal preference and budget.   Rather than struggle with deck plans to try to figure out where we might be happiest, we had Lauren at Small World Vacations offer guidance.

She got us connecting ocean view cabins on the 7th deck, in the front of the ship.  This worked out really well for us–we were close, but not too close to the elevators and stairs.

The pools and spa are on the 9th deck,  and best of all, THIS section is also in the front of the ship–just two flights up.

Our cabin was surprisingly quiet, considering the number of children aboard.  Another plus for being in the front—we didn’t feel any vibration from the propeller.

The Cabin Layout

This ship was definitely designed with families in mind.  The upper bunk drops down at night, so 4 can comfortably sleep in one cabin.

There is a curtain separating the bunk area from the king sized bed, so privacy is somewhat possible.   Unlike other cruises, the king sized bed can not be reconfigured into two twins.  Not a problem; it was not the first time my sister and I have shared a bed.

There was sufficient storage space, especially if one chooses to pack light–something I highly recommend.

The bathroom is split in two–with a tub/shower combo and sink in one  and a toilet sink combo in the other area.  Great idea!  The toilet/sink combo has a crappy wall hair dryer but there is also a regular dryer in the desk.

Our connecting ocean view rooms worked great.  A balcony wasn’t important to us, because there was so much going on, we were rarely in our cabins.  We also didn’t have to worry about the younger one, who is a climber, trying to balance on the balcony’s railing.

For those that aren’t claustrophobic, an interior cabin would be kind to your budget.

 

Dining

Disney DOES do a wonderful job getting everyone aboard with a minimum of hassle, however it still is a lot of stimulation for young kids.  For the first night, my niece wisely opted for room service.  I never cracked open the room service menu, so I’m no authority on its contents, but knowing the culinary preferences of the young ladies in question, I can say with confidence that hamburgers, pizza and mac & cheese were most definitely available.

I, on the other hand, along with my sister (the REAL grandmother–I’m just pretending) opted to spend our first night dining in the specialty restaurant, which allowed us to dine there a second time.  For our “bonus” reservation, we opted for the LAST night.

Let me tell you, dinner was well worth the extra $30 per person.  Excellent service, fantastic food, great ambiance.

The brunch was also amazing, especially if you are a seafood lover, and my sister clearly IS.  A Bellini (or if you prefer, a mimosa) is included in the $30 surcharge.

 

You can opt for made to order omelets, waffles, eggs Benedict etc, but why fill up on that when the desserts were so delectable?

Although the food was plentiful in the other restaurants, it was clearly designed with kids in mind.  I’ll admit to being spoiled by Oceania and Viking cruise lines.  This restaurant food was on a par with those lines’ every day cuisine.  The food at the other three restaurants and buffet was more like what you would get at a theme park.

I had never been on a large cruise ship before, so this was the first time I had a set dining schedule.  Disney rotates its guests through the other three restaurants, but you have to choose either a 5:45 or an 8:15 seating.  For the specialty restaurant, you choose your time when you make the reservation.

You can request a certain sequence of restaurants–which is why a travel agent can be so very helpful.  The Animator’s Palate has a wonderful show that should not be missed, so if you plan on dining in the specialty restaurant, make sure your reservation is not on your Animator Palate night.  We requested the rotation that had the second and third nights in the Animator’s Palate, just to make sure we didn’t miss the show.  It was breathtaking.

The Cast of Characters

As a newbie, I had no idea what I was signing the girls up for when I reserved a 9:45 appointment to meet Disney princesses.  So here’s what it means:  your ticket allows you to get in line for a photo op with the characters that show their OWN faces.   Although Disney has their photographers snapping away, there is no pressure to purchase photos, and you are free to take your own, which I did.

For this photo op, the kids got to meet THREE princesses. Rapunzel was the star of the show, Tangled, featured on night #3.  

 

Okay, I identified Rapunzel and Cinderella, but I have NO idea who the third princess (the one in the white dress) was.

If you didn’t get tickets, don’t despair.  You still can get character shots with the ones that DON’T show their own faces, no tickets necessary– you simply get in line.

Many of the kids brought their autograph books, but these girls were too young for that concept.

Oceaneer Club and Oceaneer Lab

So, THIS feature is the reason I think a cruise is preferable to a theme park for families with young children.   FREE babysitting, for as many times as you want!

Not only that, but the kids LOVE this place.  In fact, when my niece went to fetch the girls around 10 PM, they refused to leave.  She had to return at midnight–closing time.

The kids are given a bracelet that operates like the ankle bracelets prisoners on house arrest wear.   It is also a “key” that gets them into the area, and it is a homing device that allows the staff to know EXACTLY where each child is.

When Bonnie couldn’t find her sister, a staff member looked up Katherine’s location on the computer, then summoned another staff member to bring Bonnie to Katherine.  Pretty impressive.  As mentioned before, the staff will text or call you (or any other authorized member of your party) should a child want to leave.  When you board the ship, your photo is taken so the staff member is always able to verify that you are who you say you are.

Another plus–your room is only an elevator ride away when it becomes clear that one or more of the kids is in dire need of a nap.   Even if you are staying in the theme park, you still have to ride the monorail to get to your lodging.

The Spa

So what might you be doing while your kids are having a great time at the Oceaneer Club?   You can choose from a full array of spa services, or you can opt for a day pass to the Rainforest Room.  This room includes a couple of steam rooms, a sauna, showers, plus your day pass entitles you to a complimentary jar of scented body scrub.

Those that are watching their spending (and on a cruise, the extras can mount up fast) can still use the locker room,  which has a free sauna, shower, dressing room and storage bins, PLUS bathrobes and slippers.  (You don’t get bathrobes in your room, but no one stops you from taking one from the free locker room, in the spa area.  These are not the luxury robes that you get on more upscale cruises, but they are quite sufficient.)

You have to walk through the spa, to the very front of the 9th deck, to reach the exercise room, which is equipped with treadmills, bikes, weights, and machines.

The adult only area on the 9th deck has a heated pool and two hot tubs.  The weather was a bit too cool for the heated pool, but the hot tubs got a lot of use.

The Shows

Living in New Jersey, I’ve seen my fair share of Broadway shows, and Tangled was definitely on par with those on the Great White Way.  Although there are shows every night, we only saw two.  The shows were a bit long for the three year old.  On both nights, she was “done” before the shows were.  In my opinion, three is just  about the youngest age to maximize enjoyment for a cruise like this.  (But then, my experience is limited to this cruise and these two kids.)

There are two “BIG” shows per night:  at 6:30 and 8:30, to accommodate the late and early dinner schedules.

Showtime is not limited to the Disney extravaganzas.  No indeed.  Every evening the audience gets to participate in contests and game shows.  Fortified by copious amounts of “fire water”, some fellow cruisers were induced to exhibit some very “unDisney-like” behavior.

And yes, that is a bra on one of those fine fellows heads.  And yes, the owners of those bras were indeed in that same lounge.  And no, they were not part of our group.

 

Theme Nights

Apparently every cruise includes one Pirate Night, and it should not be missed.  Pirate Night was the second night of our cruise.

The waiters were all dressed in pirate costumes, and after the meal was finished, they led the kids around the dining room, marching, dancing and singing “yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me.”

At 7 PM there was a musical show on the 9th deck, that had these little girls rocking.  Although I was able to get them right up to the stage, by asking the adults if they could squeeze through (surprisingly there were a lot of adults on this cruise traveling without kids), I think a better choice would have been on the balcony of the 10th deck.  The grand finale?  Mickey zip lines from the top of the ship, down to the stage.  Pretty exciting stuff when you are three or four.

What a night! First the pirates on deck, then ANOTHER show in the theater. And if THAT’s not enough, you can watch movies in the kid pool area–sorta like being at the drive in, but instead of sitting in a car, you can climb into the hot tub.

Was our cruise wonderful and magical?  Yes, indeed, because to me,  it was all about the kids.  What a wonderful opportunity for family bonding,

and for experiencing wonder through the eyes of a child.