Tips for a Great Disney Cruise Experience

Our family had a wonderful experience on the Disney Magic. The ship made stops at Key West, FL; Cozumel, MX; Grand Cayman Island, Grand Caymans; and Disney's own Castaway Key, Bahamas. The Disney Cast Member crew excelled at hospitality, politeness, and fulfilling requests that were within means. A special part of that was employing some tips that made a difference visually and financially. Feel free to do the following and add your tips as well.....

Hanging Shoe Organizer: Purchase an inexpensive one to hang over the bathroom door. The cabins are nice and cozy, and there is little shelf and drawer space (for family of 4 or larger). Put bathroom amenities (shampoos, conditioners, brushes), ponytail holders, sandals, etc. in the holder to organize your stuff and keep the cabin as neat as possible. It is also very useful for multi-stay days in hotel rooms as well.

Magnetic Door Decorations: Purchase magnetic paper and search the web for fun images of the beach, birthday celebrations, Disney characters, activities/ events special to children, etc. to print out. We celebrated two birthdays on our trip with special decorations. If you plan to cruise again, keep your generic magnets to be recycled next trip. Your door will become more festive daily as you add images (whether as a surprise or deliberately), and it is easier to spot your cabin door in the hallway since it is personalized. It is also great fun to see what magnet decorations others have done. Remember to remove them before you leave. My wife kept this project secret and would surprise the kids each morning with the new decorations.

Signature Picture Borders: You can purchase wide, white picture borders and deliver them to Guest Services desk upon arrival. Disney workers will arrange to get signatures in varied colors of various Disney characters on the border. The item will be returned near the end of the cruise. We picked great pictures of the kids with a character to put with the border and frame.

Unnecessary Furniture: Upon arrival in our cabin, we realized we would rather have a bigger open space for everyone's enjoyment. We requested the small table and the ottoman seat be removed and that adjustment made a huge difference in maneuvering in the room and having some space for the kids to play.

Limit Excursions: We chose to do only one excursion - with dolphins in Cozumel. It was a fantastic choice and saved a lot of money. In the Cayman Islands, instead of an excursion to the beaches, we left earlier and caught a taxi to the area where everyone was going. The beach was already pretty full, but we still got a front spot. We enjoyed the morning at the beach. Shortly after noon, we left to return to the ship so we wouldn't get too much sun and catch the ship's free lunch meal. As we were leaving, the afternoon beach excursion folks were just arriving to the mostly crowded beach - thus our choice and timing seemed just right.

Disney Clubs: For families with younger children (which most but not all fellow travelers seemed to be), make use of the Disney Kid's Club regularly. The system is secure to track kids, and it gives adults much more time to enjoy themselves.

Disney Shows: Make sure to enjoy the evening live shows because they are terrific. Our shows were high-quality productions which the entire family enjoyed.

We have enjoyed Disney Cruises on two ships, the Magic and the Fantasy. If you choose to cruise, I hope the above tips help you enjoy your experience.