You’ve conquered the mountains of Walt Disney World. You’ve enjoyed Epcot’s seasonal festivals and the holiday celebrations at the parks and resorts. You’ve completed the four parks in one day challenge. And now you’re looking for your next great family vacation. We have three words for you: Disney Cruise Line. In our opinion, no other cruise line can compare to what Disney offers families. With its signature Pirate Nights, kid-approved Oceaneer Club for youth and Edge Club for tweens and Vibe Club for teens, and spacious staterooms, there are plenty of reasons why Disney Cruise Line was recently recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the “Best Cruise Line” for families.
Although it is not as intense as planning a Walt Disney World trip, there are many things to consider as you plan your own Disney Cruise experience. We’ve already discussed WHY you should consider taking a Disney Cruise. Today on the blog, we’re breaking down the basics to identify the perfect Disney Cruise for you!
With four ships in its fleets, ports located across the world and year-round sailings, how do you narrow down which cruise is right for you?
Timing
As with any vacation, timing is everything. Your work and your children’s school and extracurricular schedule will determine when you can cruise. If your timing is flexible, you’ll want to consider cruising when school is in session for better pricing and fewer people on the ship and ports of call. You may want to avoid the peak of hurricane activity, particularly the month of September. If that’s your only option, you certainly need to add trip protection to your cruise reservation. Otherwise, any time is the perfect time to cruise with Disney!
Captain Mickey welcomes you on board … any time of year!
Duration
Disney offers a range of cruise lengths - from two-night Baja cruises out of San Diego to 14-night Panama Canal sailings. Your schedule will also ultimately determine how long of a cruise you can take. If your kids are home schooled and your work offers unlimited personal time off, you are not limited to a three-night sailing. First-timers may want to consider a five-nighter - not too short and not too long. It gives you enough time to determine whether cruising is the right type of vacation for your family. If possible with your schedule, we always recommend a cruise with at least one sea day which affords you the opportunity to sleep in, take a nap by the pool, catch the latest Disney film in the movie theatre, try your luck at bingo and simply relax!
Sea days were made for catching up on modern classic Disney films on the pool deck!
Itinerary
Disney cruises are not limited to tropical locales. Perhaps your family has always dreamed of touring Alaska to observe the varying stages of glaciers, mush a dog sled team or eat fresh salmon that you reeled in yourself. Or you may have Europe on your bucket list. Disney Cruise Line offers amazing itineraries for you to explore seaside villages and dynamic major cities of Northern Europe and the Mediterranean. Not that we’re discouraging you from taking a cruise to lounge on the best beaches in the world. Those are our favorite type of Disney Cruises - sun, sand and swaying palm trees. And if you’re touring the Caribbean or Bahamas with Disney, we strongly recommend a cruise with a stop (or two) at its private island, Castaway Cay.
A stop at Castaway Cay is a must when cruising with Disney to the Bahamas and Caribbean.
Fleet
Disney currently has four ships in its fleet - the Magic, Wonder, Dream and Fantasy. The Magic and Wonder are sister ships, while the Dream and Fantasy mirror each other. The Magic and Wonder can accommodate fewer cruisers, making the ships feel more intimate and stops at Castaway Cay feel less crowded. As the Dream and Fantasy are larger, there are additional amenities like sports simulators on Goofy’s Sports Deck where your kids can test their football, golf and soccer skills.
Each ship features different designs and deck plans, as well as distinctive restaurants, entertainment, activities and pools on board. For instance, the Dream’s nightly entertainment includes a Broadway-caliber performance of Beauty and the Beast, while the Wonder offers guests Frozen, A Musical Spectacular. In terms of dining, Tangled fans will want to book a cruise on the Magic for the chance to eat among Rapunzel’s lanterns at Rapunzel’s Royal Table, while The Princess & The Frog fans should find themselves on the Wonder to dine on Creole favorites at Tiana’s Place. Thrill-seekers will love the Magic’s AquaDunk, a body slide that not only rockets riders over the side of the ship on a 20-foot curvature but also drops you 212 feet through a translucent twisting tube.
The AquaDunk - only on the Disney Magic
Specialty Cruises
Disney cruises are nothing less than special. But you may want to elevate the specialness of your experience with one of Disney Cruise’s specialty sailings. Why trick or treat on land when you can celebrate Halloween on the High Seas? Spooky activities include mask-making and pumpkin-carving, interactive viewing of A Nightmare Before Christmas and meet and greets with Jack Skellington and Sally, and ghost stories on deck. Very Merrytime Cruises allow you to escape the frigid cold to warm locales while enjoying festive holiday activities like tree-lighting ceremonies, storytelling with Mrs. Claus, meet and greets with Santa Claus, and caroling on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Tis the season….the festive Gingerbread house onboard Disney Cruise Line
For one day on select cruises, Disney offers the special opportunity to bring your out-of-this-world dreams to life. Marvel Days at Sea take place on the Magic on select five-night cruises from Miami to The Bahamas and the Western Caribbean in early 2019. There are meet and greets with super heroes, stunt shows, and Marvel movie marathons. Also for a limited time in early 2019, Star Wars Days at Sea take place on the Fantasy on select seven-night cruises and include experiences with intergalactic characters, Jedi-training sessions and guest speakers.
We hope that this helps narrow down when, where and on what ship to sail with Disney Cruise Line!