DCL Tip #1: Make sure your cruise is paid off in full before your onboard activity booking date
You will not be able to secure reservations for things like the royal gathering or appointments at the big onboard Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique until your reservation is paid off in full or Palo brunch.
DCL Tip #2 Start your packing list early
You don’t need to actually pack yet but give yourself time to brainstorm. It’s a lot of detailed work to take a family vacation and a packing list is a great place to start. There are some Disney specific items you might want to consider, like costume items for pirate night or princess dresses of your own choosing.Extra DCL Tip: When packing, don’t forget there are laundry facilities on board the ship on every deck. This is a wonderful feature that allows you to pack just a little bit lighter when travelling with the whole family. If you’re going to use the laundry it does mean someone will be in charge of laundry day while you are on vacation.
DCL Tip #3 Shy kids are a-ok
Our kids are very bashful and I was delighted to see that at the kids clubs on Disney cruises have a lot of opportunities for the whole family to attend events. Even though my daughter wasn’t ready to be dropped off and be on her own, we still got to enjoy the kids clubs.
DCL Tip #4 Bring a refillable cup or water bottle
We find water bottles that can fully seal area. must have. It allows us to stay hydrated on our flights as well to keep water around us on the ship. Sometimes when you’re moving from deck to deck you don’t think to grab a little cup of water to-go. And when you get where you are going, you are parched!
DCL Tip #5 Pick and choose which days you order room service breakfast
I love having coffee and pastries delivered to my stateroom every single morning when I’m on a cruise. But when we are on a Disney cruise, my family is doing things all day long and well into the night. While I love having that pot of coffee delivered, it means that room service knocks on the door and one if us has to open the cabin door, get the tray, sign the chit, leave tip, etc. All that noise leads to everyone getting woken up early! If your family needs a sleep-in morning, skip the room service. It is quieter to sneak out the Cove Cafe.Pro tip: Room service snacks are really handy on Disney cruises if you spend your afternoon at the beach at Castaway Cay, Pirate Night is that night and everyone is a little nibbly. As soon as you get back from the island, order two of the cheese plates from the room service menu – you won’t be disappointed.
DCL Tip #6 Time your cruise for the next new release Disney movie you want to see
We really do try to sail close to the release date of new Disney movies we are looking forward to – and it’s even better if you can get two new release movies on your Disney cruise! The onboard cinema on your Disney ship will show new release movies as a part of your cruise entertainment. It’s a fantastic whole family movie experience. If anyone wants wants to watch the new film twice, just stop in for a second viewing!
DCL Tip #7 Arrive early if you or your kids like to have the best seats in the theater
If you like specific seats in the theatre, get to the Broadway shows 20 to 30 minutes early. You want to be in line outside the theater doors before the doors even open. You will walk in with the first of the crowd and you can secure whatever seating location your family loves. If your family is more laid back and is OK sitting anywhere, you can wait a little later to arrive. Non-Broadway shows tend to be a little more relaxed, you will want to adjust your arrival time based on the dynamics of your specific sailing.
DCL Tip #8 Get the popcorn bucket as soon as you can
Once you buy your popcorn bucket, it costs about $2.00 per refill. We like the classic shaped popcorn bucket that best. It holds the most popcorn and is the easiest to carry. The novelty popcorn buckets are super cute but we find that they don’t hold as much popcorn and are awkward to carry. However, the novelty buckets do make great souvenirs!
DCL Tip #9 If you forgot a key family toiletry item don’t panic
There will be a section of Mickey’s Mainsail dedicated common toiletries. From over the counter medication to sunscreen to feminine hygiene products to diapers and wipes, they have a lot of the basics in stock on the ship. We find these items are sold at very reasonable prices on the ship and this is a huge stress reliever when you are running what-if-we-forget scenarios!
DCL Tip #10 Have a Wi-Fi capable smartphone for every member of your family that will be independently exploring the ship
These phones needs to be capable of running the DCL app. They does not need a cellular plan but do need wi-fi capabilities. We resurrect old Android and Apple smartphones (that can still run the DCL app) from extended friends and family. Making sure that each independent child has access to the DCL app lets us do two things:
First, we can collaboratively plan our family day since the Navigator is mainly on the app. It’s really difficult for four people to all look at one tiny phone screen. When we can collaborate together with multiple screens, we can really get a plan that the whole family is excited about.
Second, each person can access onboard messaging in the app. This is really helpful when you have older children. If you’ve split up, you can text each other to arrange your meet up location and details.
Note that the DCL app has access to the ship WiFi free of charge.
Let us know if these DCL Tips were helpful to you! Bon voyage and happy sailing!
