Reasons I Love Disney Cruise Line
My family loves sailing with Disney Cruise Line! Our first Disney Cruise was in November 2019 and we are now Platinum Castaway Club Members, meaning we’ve sailed at least 10 times. Full disclosure, we haven’t sailed on any other cruise lines yet, but we have looked at them. I’ve priced out other cruise lines and we live in Central Florida so we have access to a bunch of ports and cruise lines, but we always return to Disney.
Here are some of the reasons I love Disney Cruises. In no particular order.
The Ships! I often say we sail for the ships not the ports. (The exception is Disney’s Private Island Destinations.) We have sailed on 4 of the ships so far: Magic, Dream, Fantasy and Wish. The Disney Fantasy is our favorite, but we certainly would sail on all of them again. There is something magical about when you walk onboard the ship for the first time and your name is called. The ships are beautiful with something for everyone.
The Staterooms! We are a family of 4 and typically book the Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah. We love the space and the sleeping areas these staterooms provide. When I look at other cruise lines the staterooms are often vague about the sleeping arrangements. I want to know the exact accommodations, not that there is additional bedding for a fourth guest. When you pick a stateroom on Disney Cruise Line’s site you can see what the sleeping options are. On other cruise lines I feel like I need to book two staterooms to ensure everyone has a good place to sleep.
The Split Bathrooms! Stateroom bathrooms are usually small, but Disney splits the bathroom in two which helps make up for the still small space. In one side you will find the toilet and a sink. Behind the other door you will find a shower (and often tub) with another sink. It is so much easier to get ready when there are two sinks in two separate spaces.
The Shows! We love the Broadway style shows in the Walt Disney Theater. We typically are in line waiting to get in so we can pick the seat we want. My favorite show is probably “Little Mermaid” on the Wish, with “Beauty and the Beast” a close second. Did you know that there are booster seats available at the back of the theater for little kids to sit on?
The Characters! My family knows that we will be waiting for characters on the cruise. Usually, we don’t have to get in line too early, but we have waited up to an hour before a character comes out in order to meet very popular and more rare characters like Minnie, Daisy and Clarabelle dressed as the Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus. I also love the chance encounters. I’ve seen several characters wandering around the ship. Did you know that you may see the same character in multiple costumes during your cruise?
The Crew! We’ve met some amazing crew members during our sailings. Some of our dining room servers have gone above and beyond to get food for my picky eater child. We get a lot of photographs, so we get to know the photographers pretty well and they usually remember us. We’ve even had some remember us from a previous cruise. Our stateroom attendants have left amazing towel animals and even helped us purchase a cruise line blanket we had been trying to get for several cruises.
The Kids Clubs! My kids love the Oceaneers Club and Lab (on the older ships). They frequently get to meet characters during scheduled programming. I love that the hours are great—they are usually open, and it is free no matter when or how long your child is there.
Disney’s Private Island Destinations! We’ve sailed to Castaway Cay many times and love it. We went to Lookout Cay once within its first month and I look forward to visiting again after it’s been open a while. I love how relaxed these stops are and that the food is free, and the free soft serve ice cream continues on island.
The Food! My mouth waters just thinking about a Cabanas breakfast (or Marceline Market). Yummy churro waffles! We love the variety at the buffet and the options that can appease picky eaters on the pool deck. My kids love getting free soft serve each day. Did you know that room service is free on a Disney Cruise? Also, there are items that are off menu, like Mickey Premium Bars, that you can have delivered to your stateroom. We enjoy the Main Dining Rooms and the chance to try multiple items.
As you can tell I (and my family) love sailing with Disney. I love to share my cruise experiences and tips with my clients. Contact me if you want help planning your first or next Disney Cruise! Also check out all of my cruise videos.
