Top 10 Disney Cruise Tips & Tricks

My wife is a travel agent and so are several of her friends so I wrote this hub based on their suggestions. I hope it helps you get a cheaper Disney Cruise experience.This collection of tips will not only save you money and stretch your vacation dollar further than ever before but they will also make your trip stress free, allowing you to relax and enjoy yourself.

Book your next cruise before you finish this one
Booking your next cruise while you are still on board saves you big bucks, according to Suzy-t. Her secret tip is that Disney offers big discounts for any current passenger that wants to book their next cruise while still on this one.

First time Disney cruisers should book early
Disney expert, EverythingMouse tells first time Disney cruisers to book early and be flexible with your dates if you want the best deals around.

Use room service
Suzy-t, resident expert at saving money on Disney Cruises advises the frugal traveler to use room service because it's already included in the cost of your cruise (except bottled water and soda she warns).

Do Your Research, Know What's Included
Research your trip thoroughly so that you know exactly what's included and what's not. That's one of the easiest and surest ways to save money on any cruise.

Pack a Lunch, Save money while going ashore
Remembering Suzy-t's tip that room service is free (except for bottled water and sodas), have the ship's kitchen make you some sandwiches before you go on any excursions ashore. That way you won't have to pay for anything to eat while exploring the local area. Bonus tip from Suzy-t: some ports might not allow you to take food off the ship so check first.

Live in Florida
EverythingMouse says that Florida residents sometimes get a discount on their Disney cruises, usually at slower times of the year.

How to get a free upgrade
Consider booking your Discount Disney Cruise as early as possible. Get a low-priced stateroom and you could get an upgrade. You probably won't spend time in your room much any way so book the cheaper standard inside cabin. When booking this category, you won't be assigned a room right away, instead Disney Cruise Line guarantees you a room at this rate and waits to see how the ship fills up. Here's where the magic (upgrade) happens. Everyone wants to get the lowest fare that they can so they are probably going to sell out on the lowest fare. Once it's sold out, what's going to happen is Disney Cruise Line will begin to upgrade people to make room to sell more of the lower fares in order to fill up the ship. They reward those that bought booked their fare first with an upgrade.

Be a Disney Visa Card holder
Another inside tip from EverythingMouse is that Disney Visa Card holders are often eligible for on-board credits of around $25 per stateroom.

More Tips Below!

Ask for an upgrade
Request an upgrade when you check in at the port. Of course it depends on how full the cruise is but, sometimes you can get upgraded for a much less expensive fee than if you booked that cabin category originally.

Be a AAA member
EverythingMouse delivers the goods again with this handy tip that AAA members should check if their membership gives them any Disney Cruise discounts.

Keep Looking
Anton55, another avid Disney cruise lover, reminds us that we may be able to save hundreds of dollars when new specials come out after you make the deposit, but before your final payment. Make sure you bring this up when shopping around. A good agent will take care of you by keeping up to date on this info on your behalf.

Be a Costco member
EverythingMouse tells us that, like being a AAA member, being a Costco member can also make you eligible for discounts on Disney cruises so make sure to check.

Disney offers a military discount
EverythingMouse wants us to know that Disney Cruise Line does offer a military personnel discount which can be substantial.