Just when you thought Disney couldn’t get any more magical, then comes along a Disney Cruise. If you’ve never been on a Disney Cruise, you’re in for an adventure of a lifetime. Whether this is your first time sailing the sea or your inaugural Disney Cruise, I’m sharing all the must do activities on a Disney Cruise.
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If you’re thinking about booking a Disney Cruise, make sure you book with Get Away Today. Not only will Get Away Today find you the best deal on your cruise, but they’ll help you plan the cruise of your dreams. Their cruise experts will provide you with insider information, tips and personal experiences to ensure that you have the best cruise possible. When you book with Get Away Today, you only have to worry about how much fun you’re going to have.
Must Do Activities on a Disney Cruise
Character Calls– Before you even leave on your vacation, make sure to get a Character Call. Disney Cruise Line offers this complimentary feature that will have a Disney character wishing your children well on their sailing. This is such a fun way to get your entire family excited for their vacation, especially the little ones! To set up a Character Call, just visit the ‘My Reservations’ page on the Disney Cruise Line website. You’ll then want to click on ‘Request Call’ beside the Free Character Call header. You can then pick the character you’d like to call and schedule a time. It’s such a simple thing to do, however, it will provide you with that extra magic touch to your vacation.
Disney Cruise Pools
One of the most fun aspects of a Disney Cruise is being able to experience their incredible pool areas. While each area will differ depending on what ship you’re on, however, the magic still remains. Below, I’ve given a list of some of my favorite pool areas, what ship their located on and what I love about them.
AquaDuck: You can find the AquaDuck on both the Disney Dream and the Disney Fantasy. This revolutionary pool allows guests to experience a water coaster at sea. This water coaster is an exhilarating waterslide that takes guests around the ship through twists, turns and drops. As a tip, I would recommend riding this at night for a dazzling experience!
Mickey’s Pool: Another family-friendly pool area is Goofy’s Pool, located on the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder. This pool hang out is perfect for both children and parents to explore together. In addition to all of the splashes, you can also experience various daily activities, on-deck parties and poolside movies.
Quiet Cove Pool: Last, but certainly not least is the Quiet Cove Pool, conveniently located on all four Disney cruise ships. This relaxing area if perfect for parents or couples looking to getaway for a minute. Since this pool is only for guests 18 and older, you can easily unwind in this tranquil setting.
Character Meet & Greets
One of my favorite parts about going on a Disney cruise is that your kids have the opportunity to meet their favorite Disney characters. This small touch truly makes the cruise feel so magical. Just like if you were at the parks, you can pose for photos or ask each character for their autograph. Most of the characters will be at various places around the ship, in stage shows or at the youth clubs. However, you can check your cruise itinerary upon check in to find out where each character will be.
It’s important to note that for certain characters, like Anna and Elsa, you will need to make a reservation in order to meet them. These reservations are complimentary; however, you will want to book them as far as you can in advance. For first-time guests, you can start making reservations up to 75 days prior to sail date.
Disney Cruise Dining
Of course, the best part of any cruise is the unlimited eats and sweets. Since you’re on a Disney cruise, you are doing to dine like kings and queens! While each ship has different dining options, you’ll be able to experience a variety of fares from pizza, burgers and ice cream to steaks, seafood and luxurious feasts. My biggest tip would be to start making dining reservations when you check in online, at least four days prior to your sail day. This will save you time when you arrive for your cruise and will allow you to be the first to reserve special dining experiences, like Palo or Remy. While dressing up isn’t required for any Disney cruise, it is recommended that you bring a few nice dining outfits.
A very unique and special aspect of a Disney cruise is the rotational dining. While on your cruise, you’ll experience the same servers at every dinner you attend. Because of this, you will receive impeccable personalized service like you never have before. For example, your servers will remember things like food allergies, dishes you love, vegetables you hate and if your children need their food cut up. This feature makes dining even more magical on a Disney cruise.
Pirate Night
As you might have heard, each Disney cruise has a designated Pirate Night. This event allows guests to transform into swashbuckling buccaneers on a fun-filled evening filled with festivities. Both children and adults dress up in costume on Pirate Night, so make sure to bring your eye patch and cocked hat. Once you’re at Pirate Night, make sure to indulge in the late-night buffet which provides guests with a giant turkey leg, crepes, fruit and other delicious fare. Disney also puts on a show at Pirate Night called “Club Pirate” that will leave everyone dancing and moving. However, the best part is the firework show at the end of the night. The Buccaneer’s Blast firework show is set to music from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and is sure to take your breath away.
Entertainment
On every Disney cruise ship, you’ll be able to enjoy a variety of Broadway caliber entertainment. Some of the most incredible shows that you can experience are Beauty and the Beast, Frozen – A Musical Spectacular, Tangled: The Musical, Disney Dreams – An Enchanted Classic, The Golden Mickeys, Evolution, Disney’s Believe, Disney’s Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular, Disney Wishes and Twice Charmed: An Original Twist on the Cinderella Story. The availability of these shows will depend what ship you sail on, however, you won’t want to miss the opportunity to see these magnificent performances.
Castaway Cay
If you’re Disney Cruise is taking you to the Bahamas, make sure it’s making port at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. This is my familiy’s favorite port of call. Not only is it beautiful, but it’s relaxing and there is so much to do there. From bike riding to parasailing, there is something for all ages and all levels of activity. Although all those excursions are really fun, my kids could spend all day digging in the white sands and splashing in the crystal blue waters. Bring your own beach toys for the kids or buy some when you get off the ship.
While on the island there are a couple of restaurants for lunch, which is included in the price of the cruise. At Cookies and Cookies Too there is a selection of burgers, hot dogs, chicken, and ribs with all kinds of sides and sweets. On the island there are plenty of places to grab a fruity drink, but those do cost extra. Castaway Cay has 3 beaches to enjoy. One beach for those 18 and up and 2 beaches for families. There really is something for everyone.
A Disney cruise has become one of the vacations my kids can not stop talking about. We hope to do more cruising with Disney in the future. Even though we’ve been on a Disney cruise before, I referred to my previous post 20 Disney Cruise Tips when planning this last trip. If you are combining a trip to Walt Disney World and a Disney Cruise, check out how to pack for Walt Disney World and a Disney Cruise.
Now that you are a Disney cruise expert, what are you waiting for? To book, visit getawaytoday.com or call 877-510-2929 to speak to one of their cruise experts directly. Make sure to mention that Liz on Call sent you!
Happy Cruising!
Liz
Disclaimer: I recently attended the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration in Walt Disney World and Disney Cruise Line. I paid my own way to attend the celebration. All opinions and text are my own.