Updated: Everything You Need To Know About Disney Cruise Line

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This info is being updated all of the time, please pop back often to view any new details for DCL.

All cruise trip reports can now be found HERE

Post Number
1 INDEX AND BASIC INFO
Overview of ships

2 GETTING TO THE PORT
Transport options, boarding, lifeboat drill and sailaway!

3 ENTERTAINMENT
Shows, bars, nightclubs and what's onboard

4 SPA AND FITNESS

5 SHOPPING
Onboard shops and photography

6 CHILDRENS CLUBS
Clubs for all ages

7 TIPPING
A necessity in the cruise industry

8 FOOD
Restaurants, room service, deck and late night dining

9 MEDICAL/LAUNDRY, T'INTERNET, AND MISC 

10 STATEROOMS
All the categories and the benefits of each one

11 READY TO BOOK?
Details on booking

12 FISH EXTENDERS & DOOR MAGNETS

13 DECK PLANS FOR ALL 4 SHIPS

14 DESTINATIONS

disneycruise
0800 171 2317 (UK)

At present there are 4 ships in the Disney Cruise Line: The 'Classics' .. Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, then the 2 larger vessels: Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy. A new ship, larger again will commence sailing in July 2022 and her name is The Disney Wish. A further 2 ships are on order but no further details have been released.

The Classics hold around 2400 guests and have 11 passenger decks and 877 state rooms. The Dream and the Fantasy hold around 4000 guests on 14 decks and 1250 staterooms. The Wish is very similar to the Fantasy and Dream in that it can hold up to 4000 passengers but it has 15 decks and 1254 staterooms.

Over the next few pages, we hope to set out some basic info for you about Disney Cruise Line, give you some top tips, some things to remember and maybe some personal experiences.

With thanks to all those who have contributed to this info section.

[Bats]

TRAVELLING TO THE PORT AND YOUR FIRST HOURS ONBOARD

GETTING THERE
If you are sailing from Port Canaveral and are staying at a Disney Resort, you can travel by DCL coaches at a cost of $39 per person each way. You can also get picked up or dropped off to MCO Airport (not Sanford).

Alternatively, you can do one way car rentals with numerous rental firms which work out cheaper normally than parking your car at the terminal. You return the car to Cape Canaveral, but all of the rental firms have transfer buses to take you on the 5 min journey to the Port.

Car parking at the official terminal car park, is $17 per day (so it should be noted you are charged per day your car is in the parking lot. For example for a 3 night cruise you will pay for 4 days of parking).
There are plenty of other cheaper ones nearby as you drive towards the Port ... you can't miss the signs for them!
Dibbers recommend parkcruise as it seems to be a good price and service.

If you are staying at a Disney resort pre-cruise and don't want to take all of your luggage with you, you are allowed to leave it with Bell Services until you return.

Disney Cruise Line buses (only for Port Canaveral departures)

If you are sailing from any other port, DCL will happily charge to transport you from airport to port. My advice is to seek an alternative as you can normally do it a lot cheaper, especially if there is more than 2 of you.
For Barcelona, try Suntransfers

EMBARKATION
At all ports, they have a system in place to try to ease the congestion often seen before noon in the terminals.
The procedure is that when you complete your online check in (after full payment is made and at your designated check in date), you can then choose a port arrival time (PAT). These range from mid morning through to mid afternoon. The idea is that you choose the time period of when you will realistically arrive (if the time is available). Please do not turn up earlier as you may be turned away, but even if not, you are not assisting DCL with their health and safety within a building (why it was brought in). Ideally, choose a 12:30pm or later PAT and you will generally walk straight into the terminal, check in and be able to board immediately.

(Pre-Covid)!
Once inside the terminal, you can officially check in and get your boarding card number (directly linked to your PAT) and your Key To The World card (KTTW). They'll ask you to complete a health declaration for your party, show your passports and have your photos taken. There will be a line exclusively for silver and gold Castaway Members (those who have cruised with DCL before) and then one for Platinum (11 or more cruises) and concierge guests.
Guests staying in concierge, platinum members, wedding parties and the chosen 'Family of the Day' get to board first. Boarding is very quick so don't panic if you get a card in double figures!

Once you reach the ships entrance, be ready to give your family name to the CM at the gangplank door as he will announce you onto the ship to much clapping and cheering! We tell them our family name is the 'Bankrupt Family' so it's announced as 'Disney Magic, please welcome on board the Bankrupt family'. I really must come up with something funnier than that though! Once you enter the ship, other CMs will be on hand to direct you and explain where you can grab some lunch.:pop:

This is the time, if you're early and have children, that you should strip them down to their swimmers and let them take advantage of the empty pools or slides. One adult can grab lunch from the buffet restaurant while the other watches the children.

LIFEBOAT DRILL
Currently, you need to use the DCL app to complete your muster drill. You go to the designated area for your stateroom (this is on your KTTW card, on the back of your stateroom door and also on the app). At the location, there will be a sign on the wall that you have to scan with your phone. They then also do a voice announcement on all decks before sailaway. You must all complete it and be present.

Pre Covid, we did this:
Everyone has to do it, don't try to avoid it. Around 4pm on EVERY cruise (first day only), you will be expected to make your way to your designated muster station. Each muster station will be a letter, so, for example 'A' may be Walt Disney Theatre. The letter for you and the rest of your cabin will be on your KTTW cards.

You will hear numerous warnings about the drill, so once they start mustering, make your way to your designated station. You DO NOT need to grab your lifejacket (kept in the wardrobes in each cabin).

Once you get there, a crew member will tick your cabin number off of their list. Any missing will be called out once everyone is in place. If your cabin number is called, just yell that you're there .. they may have missed you turning up!
Bring a book or something for the children as you will all have to stand/sit for the whole time while you're waiting for everyone to turn up. If you have any special needs within your family, speak to your muster person once you get there - the sirens are loud and can sometimes upset children, especially ones that may be on the autistic spectrum. Headphones may be a good bet.

It only takes 30 mins but is vitally important. Please don't miss it.

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ENTERTAINMENT/WHAT'S ONBOARD

The shows onboard all of the ships are second to none so try not to miss them. They are mainly like Broadway shows, but DCL also has ‘live’ acts such as comedians, magicians and singers.
My personal favourites are Buckets & Boards (comedian/musicians), JUNNK (musical comedy) and the Disney show Believe.
Each ship has an exclusive show that is only seen on that ship -
Magic - Tangled
Wonder - Frozen
Dream - Beauty and the Beast
Fantasy - Aladdin (new and updated)

You will have a show on each night of your cruise, a mix of the Disney shows and live acts on the longer cruises and just Disney shows on the shorter ones.
Your dining time will coincide neatly with the shows, you won’t miss anything. While the early diners are eating, the others will be watching the show and vice versa.
All shows are in the Walt Disney Theatre but the 'cabaret' style entertainers may also do an adult only show which would be in the nightclub area. These are not adult in the terms of offensive or rude, but the humour can be a little more risqué.

Alongside the shows, you can also enjoy the cinema in the Buena Vista Theatre which shows old and new Disney films (inc Marvel of course!). On all of the ships, you can watch Disney films on your stateroom TV, you can even pause it then start watching it from the same place later or the next day ... a great innovation (will be on the Wonder later in 2019 after it's refit).

More films are shown on Funnel Vision throughout the day (big screen on the funnel). You will find children love this as they mooch around in the pool while watching the film! It's quite nice late in the evening to grab a lounger, a hot drink (free don't forget!) and sit watching a movie while the world goes by.

If films and shows are not your thing, you could try some sport ... basketball, ping pong, shuffleboard, and even crazy golf and simulation golf on the Dream and Fantasy. The CMs also hold regular competitions such as Wii Sports, golf chipping, trivia and a race involving vegetables, some toy car wheels and a few cocktail sticks (you have to see it to believe it!). For the really young ones, they have a Diaper Dash race ... Competitive parents screaming at their babies to crawl faster! lol

For those who like late nights, there are the ‘nightclubs’. I put it in inverted commas as in my eyes, they are not true nightclubs, rather bars with a dance floor and stage. You can still hear yourself think in most of them which is a bonus, but some are more bars and some are more nightclub.

On the Fantasy you have:
Bon Voyage: A small bar on Deck 3, open to all, all day.
Meridian: Quite a well to do bar which is between Palo and Remy, the adult only restaurants.
Europa District .. within this area, you have:
Skyline Lounge: Adults only, a chic cosmopolitan lounge with panoramic views of cities in Europe. Really dark, great if you forget your makeup!
La Piazza: Italian inspired adults only lounge. Has those really freaky Venetian masks on display!
O'Gills Pub: Certain Dibbers spent alot of time in here! This sports bar shows baseball and American football mainly. Quite dark inside but after a few of their drinks, who cares?!
Ooh La La: Quite a sweet little adult only bar which is supposed to look like a elegant Frech boudoir .. has some great chairs!
The Tube: Adults only nightclub. This is where they hold the adult entertainment shows too. If you arrive late for a show and it's busy, they normally send you into La Piazza to watch on the screens there. The Tube is designed to resemble the London Tube system and if you ignore the fact that it's clean and people talk to each other, it is really good! The lights on the ceiling over the dance floor make up a Union flag which is pretty cool, the seats have large tickets printed on them and there are handles to 'hold on to' .. you'll need those after some of their cocktails!

On the Dream you have:
Bon Voyage: A small bar for families to enjoy snacks and drinks all day.
District Area has the following bars:
Bar 687: A sports bar and named 687 as the Dream was the 687th ship to be built at that shipyard.
District Lounge: All seating, no dance floor. Quite nice for evening chats over cocktails. Open during the day to all ages.
Skyline Lounge: Adults only cocktail lounge. Shows the skylines of many European cities as the evening progresses.
Pink: A very posh bar selling pink champagne.
Evolution: The nightclub and the only place you can’t hear yourself think!

On the Classics:
The Magic has After Hours which encompasses:
Keys: A piano lounge
O'Gills : A sports bar
Fathoms: For dancing the night away!

The Wonder has After Hourswhich has:
Cadillac Lounge: a piano lounge
Crown and Fin pub :the sports bar
Azure: The nightclub

In addition to the bars and clubs above, the Magic and Wonder have The Promenade Lounge on Deck 3. It's open to all the family and is where you can find the fabulous t'interweb man (go to him before signing up to any wifi package) and a lot of the craft activities. It's also where most groups meet up as it's central. On the Wonder the Promenade Lounge will shortly be changing to a themed New Orleans (NOLA) area. It has it's first sailing out of NOLA in Feb 2020 and already has Tiana's palace restaurant so DCL are just upping the theming a little.
All ships have the D Lounge which is a family friendly lounge and 'nightclub' which hosts family karaoke, quizzes, craft workshops and other activities.

Pink Champagne Lounge on the Dream/Fantasy

Walt Disney Theatre (on Magic/Wonder it is smaller and does not have the balconies)

Crazy Golf on the Dream/Fantasy

Funnel Vision. You can also see the Aquaduck (Dream/Fantasy)around the ship

AquaDunk - Only on the Disney Magic and great fun (just check your swimmers before standing up at the end ladies!) The Dream/Fantasy have the AquaDuck which is more family friendly

The new re-imagined bars on the Wonder ..
Cadillac Lounge

Azure nightclub

Whatever you do, don't miss out on seeing and joining in with the adult entertainment host. Our favourites are Tisa (US) and Jo (Weston Super Mare). They are both a little risqué but not offensive, tremendous fun and are worth their weight in gold.

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SPA AND FITNESS

On all 4 ships, you will find a fully loaded gym with group classes, weights and cardiovascular machines. The classes range from Group Cycling to Detox and Wellbeing.
For those who prefer relaxation over workouts, there is the Vista Spa and Salon on the Wonder, and Senses Spa and Salon on the Dream, Fantasy and Magic.

All the spas offer a range of treatments including massages, seaweed wraps, couples retreats and of course the standard saunas, steam rooms and tropical showers. On the Dream and Fantasy, you have a much larger area for the different showers plus 2 hot tubs overlooking the sea.

The treatments are all payable as extras and spaces go very quickly. If you wish to just enjoy the sauna, steam and showers, you can buy a 1 day Rainforest Spa pass online, or once on board, you can buy 'length of cruise' passes.
Senses Spa is for over 18’s only, but on all ships, they also have the Chill Spa where 13-17 yr olds can have treatments (with an adult present at all times). The treatments in the Chill Spa can only be booked once onboard, not before.
In the salon, all the normal treatments are available for booking such as hair treatments, manicures, pedicures and make up sessions. If you want anything on a sea day or for formal night, please book it asap!

Here are some treatments as a guide to what you can get .. let's start with the teens (pls check prices as they may change):

Facials
Acne Attach Facial $94 - Kiss your pimple-popping days goodbye. If skin blemishes and spots are giving you a problem, we will help you blast them away with our revolutionary oxygen facial. (50 minutes)

Massages
Mother/Daughter Paradise Massage – Half Body $99 or Full Body $195 - Learn the art of indulgence from mom with this gorgeously relaxing treatment. Be pampered together as you enjoy a massage side by side. (25 or 50 minutes)
Father/Son Chill Out Massage – Half Body $99 or Full Body $195 - After shooting some hoops on deck, chill out together by enjoying an invigorating massage. With all that hard work you deserve it. (25 or 50 minutes)

Additional Services & Treatments
Tantastic Body Bronzer $92 - Get a rich, natural, colden tan without the worries of sun-induced skin damage. Start by exfoliating your skin until it is silky smooth and then a St. Tropez’s paraben-free, Aloe Vera based formula which soothes, hydrates and nourishes the skin while evoking a natural sun-kissed glow will be applied. (50 minutes)
Me! Bath Ice Cream Manicure $45 - We all scream for ice cream! The delicious Me! Bath manicure uses an ice cream shaped bath product and other yummy ingredients to give your hands a sweet treat while you sit back and relax. You get to choose which soaking ice cream scoop to use in your treatment. and your favorite color of nail polish. (25 minutes)

And for the over 18's:
Womens’ blow dry - Price from $32 – Add flair to your existing hairstyle or a completely new one with a professional blow dry.
Fire and Ice manicure $50 – Your nails are one of your most important accessories, so keep them beautiful with this invigorating manicure that will warm your spirit and chill your stress. Thanks to a combination of therapeutic cooling gels and massage using a heated stone, your skin will be smoother and your nails will be nourished and polished to perfection.
Swedish Massage for Couples $220 – This massage for couples seamlessly combines 10 exotic cultural touches—including Swedish and Deep Tissue techniques—to create a relaxing experience for both of you. Share the massage that becomes a heavenly journey into blissful relaxation for two. When booking this treatment, only one name from your party is needed to reserve. (50 minutes)

If spa treatments are not your thing, there is a running/walking track around Deck 4 which is a 1/3 mile long. It's a one way track and is strangely popular! Personally I like the shuffleboard on Deck 4 .. relaxing and a nice 'pass the time' activity.

Tropical showers in Senses Spa on the Dream

The private hot tubs for couples in the Spa Villa

Teen Spa menu (well, half of it!)

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SHOPPING AND PHOTOS

You can’t really shop till you drop onboard DCL, but you can give it a good go!
On all ships, you will find a couple of shops that sell DCL/Disney branded products from soft toys to pirate outfits and from magnets to luggage.
My favourite thing to buy are the Dooney and Bourke bags, I have a thing about them and no matter how much my bank balance tells me it's not a good idea, one normally comes off the ship with me (warning - they are not cheap bags but they are beautiful!)

On the Fantasy, it now has a Tiffany store so don't forget your flexible friend if you're into jewellery in a little turquoise box! The Fantasy and the other ships sell Pandora charms exclusive to DCL too.

All ships not only sell DCL branded goods, but also everyday items that you may need, such as suncream, headache and travel sickness tablets, nappies, nail files and holdalls in case you buy too much!

On most cruises, you will have to add on a tax of some kind for your purchases. On the US cruises, add on US tax (as you would in Florida), but in the Med, you have to add on 21% for Spanish IVA tax instead. For Transatlantic cruises, no tax is due so a great reason to get booking one of those!

Tiffany store on Disney Fantasy

Random pics of the shops

Please note that all shops close while the ship is docked in a port due to US Customs regulations.

There are numerous photographers on each of the Disney ships and although none of them are professional photographers, they are able to point and shoot their cameras to catch that magical moment with the characters! The CM who accompanies each character will also be happy to take a photo with your camera, but the official photographer will NOT use your camera.
On formal nights, you will find a photographer ready to capture you in your best frock and you can also get photos taken during your dinner on some nights.
Prices are a little steep, but if you want those moments captured, it may be worth it for your family.

To check how much a photo package will be on your cruise, please visit MY CRUISE PHOTOS. This is the company who run the photography on board DCL. If the link asks you for your ressie number, just put in any 8 digit number for now, but please ensure you put your correct one in when you come to order it. (Thanks to DeeSlack for the info above).

Pre-ordering gets you a discount and if you don't like any of the photos once you see them, you can cancel the package for a refund.

[Bats]

Thanks to Bev for this piece.

Clubs for children (up to 21)

On all 4 of the Disney Cruise ships, there are fabulous facilities for children. My kids grabbed the Navigator, circled all the "must do" events at the Club and the Lab, and then disappeared and we never saw them again!

Flounder's Reef Nursery / It's a Small World Nursery
from 3 months to 3 years

This area is the only club for which a charge is made (Currently $9/hr), and reservations are required. It is suggested that you prebook before boarding the ship, however, you can also book on embarkation day.

You need to provide your own nappies, wipes and baby food.

There is a play room, and also a quiet room where babies can take naps.

It's a Small World Nursery

Oceaneer Club / Oceaneer Lab
from 3 years -10 years
There is no charge for these clubs and no reservations are required, however you must register your child when you arrive at Port and they will receive a wrist band.

The Oceaneer Club is for younger children, and the Lab for the older children, however there is no longer a strict age distinction and children in this age bracket can visit either club depending on which activities they are interested in. They can move between the clubs easily. On the Disney Dream/Fantasy the clubs are in one space, and on the Disney Wonder and Magic there is a private corridor the children can use to move between the two clubs.

Children in these clubs (if they are 8 or under) must be checked in and out by a parent who must provide a prearranged password.

If the child wishes to contact you, then the club will ring you on your wave phone (in each room for your free use) or via the DCL app to let you know. I dropped my daughter off each evening with the instruction to tell the counsellor when she wanted me. Some evenings it was quite early and others she stayed late, depending on which activities were happening.

If your child is in the Club or Lab at mealtimes, then they will be offered food. The mealtimes are listed on the Navigator so you can decide if you want to collect your child for dinner, or let them eat in the kids club whilst you have a quieter meal.
Quite often my youngest daughter would join us in the dining room, she would have her meal whilst we had a starter, and then we would take her up to the kids club whilst we enjoyed the rest of our meal more slowly. On the later seating there are members of the club who will collect your child right from the dining room. Be sure to let your servers know that you will be taking advantage of the pick up service so they can bring the children's dinner out first.

Baking Cookies in the Lab on the Disney Wonder


The slinky slide in the Oceaneers Club on the Magic


Andy's Room on the Dream


The wristbands each child must have


Edge
from 11-13
This is a more relaxed area for the 'tweens' to chill out. There are fewer structured activities here, and the kids can come and go as they please, they don't need to be checked in and out. These photos are from the Dream/Fantasy


Edge pre-teen club by insidethemagic on Flickr

Vibe
from 14-17
This is for the older teens, and is a coffee shop styled area for teens only. On the Dream/Fantasy, the teens even get their own sundeck and swimming pool!

Vibe teen club by insidethemagic, on Flickr
External Area for Vibe (14-17)


Here's a short trippie from the 13yr old daughter of Dibber 1972.
3 NIGHT DREAM CRUISE