50 Easy Tricks That Make Disney Cruise Line So Much Easier

0:00 hidden Cruise discounts special dessert deliveries and shorter water coaster weit times we're about to make your next Disney Cruise a whole lot [Music] easier hey everybody it's AJ for Disney food blog and my goal for today's video is to make sure there are no Rocky waters for your upcoming Disney Cruise metaphorically speaking that is I can't control the rocks or the weather the team and I are frequent Cruisers so a lot of these easy tricks we have had to learn from trial and error but that's all worth it when you get to report back to you and help you avoid the same learning experiences so to speak and you can just skip to the good parts now before we get started we do have a free downloadable Disney Cruise ultimate guide that we'd love to hook you up with

0:45 if you're looking for more information and handy dandy advice about each of the Disney cruise ships so go ahead and scan the QR code you see on the screen now or head on over to disneyfoodblog that are going to make your Disney Cruise Line Voyage so much easier first pack your personal item the smart way so packing for a cruise is allow like packing for a flight you're allowed a personal item like a purse a fanny pack or backpack a carry-on and two pieces of checked luggage per person you'll receive luggage tags for the two pieces of checked luggage prior to your cruise now because your luggage won't be delivered up to your state room until 1:30 p.m. and probably later it's important to pack Necessities that you need to keep with you like any important medications or electronic devices even a

1:33 swimming suit for the pool when you first get on the ship inside your personal item or carry on that you're taking on the ship with you and not checking it through when you first get to the terminal that way you won't be panicked if you don't end up seeing set important items for the next few hours now this next one is super fun don't forget to request a free character call let's get all hyped up before your cruise begins well you can get your kids hyped up with this but to be fair the grown-ups are kind of hyped up too you can request a complimentary character call this is where a Disney character if you're choosing will call up your family and basically tell you to have a fun trip and make lots of memories it's cute and it's super easy to set up after you booked your cruise visit the my reservation section on the Disney cruise website and select request call next to the free character call header this link

2:20 is going to take you to a site where you can choose a Disney character enter your phone number and schedule a call time just note there is a limit of two calls per reservation so you can't just keep asking the Char to call you back all the time after all they've got a lot more phone calls to make before your ship sets sale but this is a great way to surprise somebody with a cruise or let your kids know that you're going on a cruise or something like that now here's something that I still forget about almost every time I cruise instead of regular light switches in the state rooms where you'll just flip the lights on and off whenever you need them you'll turn on the lights by inserting a card into the light slot that's next to the door Disney would like you to use your Disney Cruise Line key card since that forces you to retrieve it and turn off the lights before you leave the room to save energy but not everyone always remembers to do that meaning you could

3:06 very well accidentally lock yourself out of your room guilty this happens all the time but here's the thing those Disney Cruise Line key cards don't have any special chip or barcode that powers your room literally any key card will do so bring maybe a gym membership card or a used up gift card or any sort of card to insert into the light slot instead I usually use my AAA card while I still absolutely recommend that you don't forget to turn the lights off before you head out of your state room it's nice to know that even if you do forget you're not going to be temporarily locked out of your room as a punishment now I love this tip each day of your trip there's going to be a drink of the day deal going on now while regular soft drinks and tea are already included with your stateroom price cocktails and other specialty drinks are not but the drink of the day is going to be discounted so

3:51 you can purchase it out of pocket without having to pay full price you can see what the current drink of the day option is for each day of your cruise by checking the Disney Cruise Line navigator app once you're on board but let's really get the most out of the cocktail discount okay each of the Disney Cruises also has souvenir refillable drink of the day cups available to purchase now these cups allow you to receive a larger serving about oneir more in liquid ounces of the drink of the day than if you were to purchase it without the souvenir cup to track down these cups just look for the drink trays being carried by the Disney Cruise Line crew on embarcation day typically served during sway party time you can also buy these cups anytime during your cruise while supplies last by asking a bartender or deck attendant about them but definitely get them sooner rather than later if you want to use them to really get your money's worth out of them and don't forget to

4:36 take the drink of the day cup with you on Castaway Key day the bartenders on the island will still honor the drink of the Day discount if they serve said drink at their particular location okay one more cup tip and then I'm moving on if your kids want to be part of the refillable fund there is a similar offering for a souvenir kid smoothie cup this cup is also typically offered during the sailway celebration and lets you fill up on larger smoothie refills than if if you were to purchase them on their own now I'm talking a lot about the navigator app so one tip that is probably the biggest tip is to learn all the ins and outs of the Navigator app I cannot emphasize enough just how important this Cruise tip is much like you need to download the My Disney Experience app for a Disney World vacation or the Disneyland app for a Disneyland one it's important to download the Disney Cruise Line navigator app months before the start of

5:23 your trip initially the app's going to show you a trip countdown along with your payment summary online check-in and trip modification options but once you're actually on board the ship the navigator app will be your go-to guide to make sure you know what's happening on the ship at all times when you're at the ship's terminal on embarcation day go ahead and sign into the navigator app to see all the different scheduled activities before you even board it's the best way to use that waiting time this is the earliest you can see your ship's specific itinerary you'll also be able to see your scheduled rotational dining times and your stateroom number so you're going to be all set to start putting those little hearts next to the things you want want to do and figure out what you might want to change once you get on the ship next deciding to Wi-Fi or not to Wi-Fi the free Wi-Fi onboard the Disney cruise ships is not

6:08 your average Wi-Fi the only thing it'll allow you to do is access your Disney Cruise Line navigator app now for some of you'all that's going to be plenty of Wi-Fi and cutting away from the outside world for a few days is going to be a much needed reset for you however if you still want to post on social media or keeping contact with your family back home while you're on vacation then you'll need to determine if you'd like to get an internet ational plan for your phone or a cruise plan on your phone I personally use the AT&T international plan that automatically notices if I go out of the country and it costs me just $10 per day to keep my same data plan wherever I am but Disney also offers up a plan called connect ATC which offers Internet Packages where you'll pay by the data you use so for instance streaming movies will consume a lot more data than reading a quick email will so

6:54 you may have to pay more based on what you're using the plan for you can also share a single con connect at C package among your whole group the combined usage is tracked on a meter that you can keep an eye on Via the browser window just note that not everyone can use it at the same time just be sure to figure out your game plan before you arrive because letting your phone rack up roaming charges when you're out at Sea is not a good idea and can cost you hundreds I speak from experience let's talk pirate Knight on Disney Cruise Line pirate night can vary from ship to ship but a Common Thread definitely in those Bahamas cruises is the nighttime deck parties firework shows dressed up characters and depending on the length of your cruise that themed pirate sit down dinner too on pirate night families are encouraged to dress up and join in on the deck swabbing plank walking fun if you forget

7:41 your peg leg and eye patch at home though the gift shop on the ship is going to sell some costume pieces so you don't feel left out the bibbity Bobby Boutique also has an option for kids to be transformed into full-blown Pirates but again that comes at a significant extra cost so if you'd rather save your money to spend on other fun souvenirs and trinkets remember to pack your own pirate out fit ahead of time or don't dress up at all you certainly don't have to you're still more than welcome to join in on pirate night with or without a hook hand and 5:00 shadow and speaking of pirates night it can be hectic as is but the activity doesn't let up when the deck party ends right after the last of the Pirates Night fireworks shoot off there is a quick buffet that opens at the buffet style restaurant aboard your ship for anyone looking for a late night meal this will either take place at Cabanas or Marceline Market depending on what you're cruising on this Buffet

8:27 won't be open too terribly long the offerings will be much more limited than the regular buffet style offering think Pizza tacos nachos Etc but it does give you one more chance to squeeze an all-inclusive meal before wrapping up your day word of warning this quick pirate Buffet gets chaotic and can run out of items fast so check and see when exactly it's going to be up that evening again it usually starts right after the deck party festivities and make sure to line up for it early to get ahead of those hungry seaf fairing crowds okay invest in a towel clip the upper decks of the cruise ships can get really windy when your Disney Cruise is merrily sailing along open Waters so it's not an uncommon occurrence for you to be relaxing by the pool and suddenly have your beach towel taken up by the wind or your chicken tenders that has happened to me too and my ketchup anyway

9:14 that's why beach towel Clips can be a Nifty and relatively inexpensive investment it's like a chip clip for your towel only instead of keeping your chips from going stale you're keeping your towel from blowing away these little Clips simply clamp onto your chair and can hold not only your towel but your hat and cover up too I have yet to find a way to keep my chicken tenders and ketchup on their plate when I'm walking on the top deck to get to my deck chair but if anybody has an ideas please let me know now it's a super bummer when you don't get the reservations you want before you set sale so here's our tip for that there are a handful of different activities and seminars that you're going to need to book before your cruise in order to secure your spot for them more on that later but because some of these extras are so incredibly popular like the beverage tasting seminars and the premium adult dining experience es they

9:59 could completely book up before you get the chance to reserve them but don't lose hope sometimes last minute availability will pop up on your navigator app right when you board so check and see if you can snag any last minute reservations during those first few moments that you're in the terminal and you've switched over onto the DCL Cru Wi-Fi if you're still having trouble booking a certain experience it's also worth heading over to Guest Services right when you board just to see if a crew member can help you find any last minute availability that you're not seeing on your end this isn't a foolproof situation but it's worked more than once for us so you might as well try it too speaking of reservations not every activity that you have to make advanced reservations for is going to cost you extra like the princess Gathering that takes place in the atrium this is a special free meet and greet

10:46 where you can meet several Disney princesses all at once but due to its popularity you have to make a reservation for it reserving a spot for the free princess Gathering works just a tad differently from other Advanced reservations you still need to to visit the my cruise activities page within your booking window either online or in the navigator app but for the princess Gathering specifically online availability opens for all guests 30 days prior to sale date other premium reservations will open earlier for you depending on your cruise status which you can learn more about on the Disney cruise website if you're trying to book a spot for the princess Gathering and you're coming up dry try choosing another time slot since depending on the length of your cruise you might have more than one opportunity to see this Royal posi not every meet and greet aboard your ship requires a special reservation time though in fact most

11:32 character meet and greets are simply walk-ups the Fab Five will wander through the ship throughout your entire cruise and kids can meet characters while hanging out at the oceaner club too ooh one of my favorite tips for introverts are just people who don't want to be in giant crowds is to skip the hectic breakfast crowds in the morning cuz in the morning passengers are going to be flocking to the breakfast buffet so if you want to avoid all the people first thing in the morning you've potentially got two other options for your all incl exclusive breakfast first you can eat a sit down meal select dining room areas aboard your cruise might be available for you to eat in instead normally you'd eat at these dining room locations during one of your rotational dinners but some of these restaurants open in the morning too for a more casual and relaxed table service experience you'll see all this information including menus on your

12:18 navigator app and option two order free room service yep breakfast can be delivered straight to you so you can start your day with a relaxing bite to eat while watching the ocean waves from your balcony the room service breakfast menu is typically available from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and room service breakfast items consist primarily of continental breakfast style options like juices coffee and tea pastries including muffins and donuts toast and cereals room service is 24 hours and while it's free to use make sure to budg it for gratuiti if you plan on using it which we're going to talk about more a little later on also keep in mind that room service breakfast won't be available on your debarkation day that's the last day of your Cruis when you're getting off the ship room service will only be available until 1:30 a.m. on the final day so make sure to take advantage of it

13:05 before then next tip is to prepare for Darkness now I promise this isn't a scary Point unless you're scared of sleeping your cruise away then be afraid inside State rooms are the most affordable rooms you're going to find aboard the ships but they do have one major downside there's no port hole or Veranda where you're going to be able to see the outside world you will however have a virtual port hole if you're cruising on either the Disney Dream or Disney Fantasy while a missing port hole may not be a huge deal to you if it still ends up saving you money in the end just know that once the light goes off in your room for bedtime it's going to get really dark and you won't have a sunrise to rely on each morning to tell you when it's time to get up so make sure you set an alarm on your phone or request a wakeup call for your room if there's a certain time you want to be awake by because your internal clock isn't always going to be the most reliable especially on vacation and if

13:52 you're paying a bunch of money for one of those Port excursions you definitely want to be there on time this next one's a funny one and I think nobody talks about it but I'm really excited that we are don't stress over long dinner lines so DF Bria who's my script writer remembers the first night of her first ever Disney Cruise when she and her family made their way downstairs for their first rotational meal of the trip the line to get into the restaurant was a mile long and it panicked her initially were were they supposed to get there earlier was this more like a Disney park than she realized and she should have ROP dropped dinner after that first night though she learn the truth the dinner line is nothing to stress over everyone already has a predetermined table number which you can find on your navigator app meaning nobody's going to get left behind so

14:38 even if you wind up at the very tail end of the dinner line that line does move along very quickly so you'll still be seated before you know it just make sure you're still showing up to the restaurant on time so you don't miss out on all the interactive fun now that's bria's advice my advice takes it one step further to say you don't necessarily have to show up exactly on top time I personally like to get to dinner about 10 minutes later than everybody else so I don't have to wait in the line so basically it's like I'm getting a fast pass to dinner I'm not going to stand in the line but I am going to arrive about the same time I would have gotten in if I'd waited in the line does that make sense so I'll usually go to dinner I'll stop at a one of the bars or lounges pick up a drink and then go to dinner about 10 minutes

15:25 late and then I don't miss any of the interactive stuff but I still you know get there in time to not be too much of a hassle to my server who's trying to keep everything going next tip is a great one if you're flying in for your cruise don't set yourself up for stress before your cruise begins if you're planning on flying into the city where your cruise is setting sail pick a flight that'll arrive at least a day before your mega ship is scheduled to depart cuz if you're scheduled to fly in on the day of and your flight happens to have some sort of delay which happens often as you know then you might be late for embarcation or even worse you might miss your Cruise entirely so plan to be in your ship City at least 24 hours out to avoid any of those preventable late arrival anxieties now I know a lot of people can't do that they have to arrive on the day of they don't want to spend

16:10 the extra money on a hotel for the night before I will usually if I'm leaving from Port Canaveral I will usually go do a Disney World day and then drive down to Port Canaveral or get Transportation down to Port Canaveral but if you don't want to do that that's okay just make sure you're on the earliest flight available if you have to fly in on the day ooh this is a really good one that I don't hear people talk about be aware of the oceaner club hidden charge so Disney's oceaner Club available on all the ships is a place where kids ages 3 to 12 can hang out in highly immersive Disney themed areas to play games and meet characters and chill with her fellow peers in a space made just for them it's basically the kids club and the best part about the Ocean Ear Club it comes included with your state room price mostly it all depends on what you

16:56 do with the ocean ear bands but let me back up a minute again the oceaner club is that complimentary offering that you need to register your kids for on the navigator app or on the Disney Cruise Line website upon checking into your state room this isn't a reservation where spots are limited it's just a registration so the crew knows how many kids they need to expect now when you arrive at Port to embark on your cruise swing by the ocean ear Club so your kids can get their Ocean Ear bands they'll use these bands to check into the club each time they visit now when you pick up these Ocean Ear bands there will be a $12.95 charge on your Stater room tab for them this is a deposit which you're going to get back once you return the bands at the end of your cruise however if you forget to return the bands or you decide to keep one of them as a momento that deposit will become a charge to your account so don't forget to return

17:42 the bands if you want that $12.95 back in your pocket don't get tricked by the trams okay I've gotten stuck riding back and forth on the Castaway Key trams before so let's make sure you don't fall into the same trap Disney's Castaway key is a pretty expansive Private Island so you're more than likely going to want to take a tram to get around especially if you're heading out to the adult only Serenity Bay there are four different trams available on Castaway key though and the most confusing tram system can be found over at the Pelican Point stop that's because the trams here could go one of two ways one tram will take you to Scuttle Cove or back to the boat while the very next one will take you on to Serenity Bay previously the Castaway Key crew members have told us that you can tell the difference between the two trams just by looking at them the

18:27 serenity Bay tram tends to be the one with no doors while the scuttles Cove tram is the one with doors but if you want to make doubly sure you're not getting them confused or they don't suddenly switch up on you when you're visiting the island just ask a nearby crew member which tram is on its way next and keep your ears open too cuz the crew members on the triam will let you know where they're planning on traveling as well now let's back way up to before your cruise and talk travel insurance Disney Cruise Line actually has their own travel insurance packages through these packages family will be covered just in case any unexpected situations or medical emergencies pop up during or before your trip the plan can be added to your cruise reservation through your travel agent or by calling 800 951 3532 and yeah it's nice to have a safety

19:13 net if things go arai and your trip has to be cancelled for whatever reason but you really may not need that insurance either because your regular health insurance already covers medical emergencies abroad or straight up you just don't want to pay for the extra insurance and you'd rather risk taking the L if something goes wrong these are all important things that you need to discuss with your group to decide whether the extra expense is going to be worth it even just for some extra peace of mind and speaking of things you can't control let's talk about weather you may not be able to control the weather but you can certainly prepare for it not all Disney Cruises go someplace tropical if you're planning on traveling to a destination like Alaska or even Europe during some parts of the year you're going to want to pack layers CU nighttime will be brutally chilly on those upper decks and if you're taking a

19:59 fall or winter Cruise perhaps to enjoy some of the more festive seasonal offerings like Halloween on the high seas or a very merrytime Cruise then the temps are still going to be cooler than you might experience during June July or August whether you're Bahama bound or not even if you are planning on traveling someplace warmer and during the summer season cloudy skies and rainy days can cool down your trip so it's important to still pack some jackets or hoodies or something to keep yourself snuggly when it's dreary out and don't forget the clashing Seasons too not every destination follows the same winter spring summer fall lineup that the states do so if you're traveling over in Australia for instance then there's summer months land during January and February cuz they're located in the southern hemisphere so don't plan a February Cruise thinking you're going to get nice mild temperatures only to be

20:44 in a country where temps are Sky High and your suitcase is so not packed for that you can keep track of these weather changes and patterns too just by checking the free ACU weather app ahead of your trip while storms may be more unpredictable you can at least get a feel for what the temperatures are going to be like when you're out at Sea and out at Port two occasionally your Crews will encounter more than just stormy skies hurricane season in the Atlantic runs from June 1st through November 30th which is a pretty long time this doesn't mean you shouldn't Cruise during this time it's usually really cheap to cruise during this time but it is important to keep checking the forecast leading up to your trip it's actually pretty rare for a Disney cruise to get Flatout cancelled they'll often change the itinerary or the route or the departure Port because you know your ship is portable they can move it someplace else away from the

21:31 storm or they might delay the trip for a few days instead of canceling it outright however there is a small chance that your cruise could be canceled if the situation calls for it if you can't get anywhere else so you should keep that in mind when making plans in the rare occurrence that Disney does actually cancel your cruise they will issue a refund occasionally they might even offer you a discount on a future cruise but if you are booking through a third party make sure you do your research on their cancellation policies too now this next one is another one that I don't hear people talking about very often I think it's really really important because this is something that's still incredibly confusing for me when I'm on the ships the time zone you might start sailing in might not be the one you stay in depending on where your Disney Cruise is taking you now according to the Disney website your

22:16 ship will usually go by the time in the local time zone that you're Crossing into however if that time switch is going to be brief they may not change it over at all at either rate you're going to want to keep an eye on your Disney Cruise Line navigator app since it's going to tell you whether or not you should be switching time zones aboard the ship sometimes they even switch time zones when the area you're in wouldn't necessitate a time zone change it's very confusing and I don't fully understand why they do it sometimes and not other times anyway this is crucial information since your smartphone is going to pay attention to the time zone you're actually in and will automatically switch over for you if you have that Wi-Fi connected and if the ship itself doesn't switch over along with it then then you might accidentally end up running late to a reservation or

23:01 activity and we don't want that here's a good tip if you're feeling a little queasy or you just don't feel like getting out of bed for each Cruise you'll typically have the chance to watch one or two Broadway style performances on select evenings inside the Walt Disney theater you're also going to be able to see a specialty Variety Show featuring a whole group of fan favorite Disney Tunes but you know there may be a situation that prevents you from leaving your state room when one of those shows is about to start maybe your feeling seasick or your kids feeling overs stimulated and you know they're not going to sit still for a whole performance and while it may not be the exact same thing as sitting in the theater and experiencing the show live pre-recorded versions of those main Productions also play on the television in your stateroom so even if you have to miss out being there you don't have to truly miss out on the show ooh we're

23:48 back to breakfast so the all-inclusive meals don't stop once you're on Cast Away key you can still enjoy those all you can eat entrees over at Quick Service places like cookies barbecue cookies to barbecue and the adults only air bar barbecue found on Serenity Bay so that means you don't have to worry about backtracking to the ship if you don't want to pay for your lunch or snacks in the middle of your Bahamian Beach day that being said these Island restaurants are only open for a few hours typically between 11:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. considering you can typically get off the ship and start your Island Adventures as early as 8:00 a.m. you're going to want to make sure you've already eaten breakfast that morning while you're on the ship or else you're going to have to wait 3 plus hours before Island restaurants open up for you so grab your breakfast before your Castaway Key day remember you can have

24:33 it delivered to your room by room service you can go to the buffet and there also may be a sit down restaurant that's offering breakfast that day too oh I love this tip I remember finding this out I feel like a 100 years ago maybe 2011 I figured this out I'm probably dcl's number one fan when it comes to their unlimited soft serve but I wouldn't be so quick to skip the premium ice cream options so premium Sundays can be ordered at specialty ice cream and candy shops aboard the ships and yeah I know some of those rotational dinners have Sundays already listed on the dessert menu that are included with your meal but these premium Sundays go above and beyond especially if you choose to order something like the vanilla Pon shets race cart Sunday available on the Disney Dream which is served in an adorable race cart that looks just like vanelope own set of

25:19 wheels straight out of the wreck at Ralph films and guess what else you can have these specialty Sundays pre-ordered and delivered to your table at the end of your rotation dinner this is so much fun just go to the candy shop or the ice cream shop on board order your giant sharable ice cream Sunday and tell them where you're dining that night and what your table number is and they will bring it to you for dessert it's such a fun idea and definitely a fun surprise I surprised my mom with this on her birthday so it does feel a little bit like you're showing off because nobody else is going to know you can do this but it's okay it's worth it all right this is one of the biggest tips and you need need need to listen to this one hit up the water coasters on day one the aqua Mouse on the Disney wish the Aqua

26:04 Duck on the dream and fantasy and the aqua dunk on the magic are the main character water coasters and slides for their respective ships but the lines for them can get pretty lengthy especially during the heat of the day so my best advice for you is to do these early like right before they open early this is the first thing I like to do just as soon as I board one of the ships as long as the rides are open or at the very least getting ready to open when you're out at sea the water rides could open as early as 9: to 10:00 a.m. daily however on embarcation day and Castaway Key day they'll probably wait to open later more around 1:00 p.m. as usual your navigator app is going to give you specifics for when these rides are going to be open and how long they'll stay open but the advice still stands the earlier you can get in line for these rides the less likely you'll have to wait 30 plus

26:49 minutes to ride them later on another big tip for the water coasters if you don't care about going to your rotational dinner or the show that night that is a great time to ride these water coasters because you know what everybody else cares about going to their rotational dinner and their show that night and so everybody's at those so if you have a kid who maybe is a super sensor and doesn't really do well with big crowds or waiting in long lines it may be worth it to skip dinner one night especially if you're on a longer cruise and you're going to all of those restaurants more than once maybe skip dinner one night and go ride the water coat ERS during dinner or during the showtime back to food because of course we are next tip is to invest in a

27:34 refillable popcorn bucket okay before it's time for you to head to the Walt Disney theater to see one of the Disney cruise lines live Broadway style Productions you may want some hot buttery salty popcorn to go along with it you can pick up popcorn from the concession stands right outside the theater entrances but here's the catch popcorn is not included with your all-inclusive price instead you're going to have to pay around like five bucks a bag for it unless that is you invest in a refillable popcorn bucket the Disney cruise Lin's popcorn buckets cost about $9 plus depending on the design and are going to give you super discounted popcorn refills for the remainder of your cruise costing about a buck 50 instead of $5 each time you want more popcorn and by the way the buckets are the same buckets that you're going to find in the Disney parks so that's really really cool now your popcorn bucket will only work during the

28:21 duration of your cruise so fill it up while you can now this next one might be the easiest trick of the entire video but looking your Disney cruise through a reliable travel agent we recommend Small World Vacations is free and helps you save money on your trip it also lifts the heavy burden of having to do all the pre-planning yourself and could even earn you money in the end yep that's what I said travel agents often offer bonuses for people book cruises through them basically these bonuses work as free ship credit that you can spend on things like special beverages dining and signature restaurants and other Cruise worthy extras you get anywhere from $50 to $1,000 an onboard credit depending on which Cruise you book and who you book with if you're interested in reaching out for a free quote from our small world friends I'll put their information down in the description for you okay

29:07 this is a weird tip but a valuable one pack cloth pins so the bathroom in your state room no matter what state room style you're residing in should have a retractable clothes line you can use above the tub so if you got any wet swimsuits or swim shorts that you need to hang out and dry so using clothes pins instead of hanging a bunch of stuff over the line means you can actually hang more and drip dry more swimsuits and towels and things like that now by the way if you need your clothes washed and dried in a jiffy each ship also has 24-hour self-service laundry machines on board for an extra fee so it might also be a good idea to bring aboard some travel siiz detergents or dryer sheets that way you don't have to pay extra for them while you're there also you can send your clothes out to get dry cleaned that is an option that you can do on the cruise there is dry cleaning information

29:54 in your state room now how about taking part in a virtual scavenger hunt if you're not watching any shows or eating any big meals or splashing the day away in the pools or getting ready to take on one of the ships numerous scheduled activities what else can you do while you're sailing the day away how about a fun and free scavenger hunt when you cruise with the Disney Fantasy or the dream you can play the midship detective agency this game is accessed through the navigator app and lets you join in on the hunt to find Clues use immersive technology around the ship and help out your fellow Disney Pals to solve some exciting interaction active Mysteries or if you're sailing aboard the wish you'll have the new scavenger hunt like game to play called Disney Uncharted Adventure during this one you'll use augmented reality again through the navigator app to track down magical constellations and

30:40 help Captain Minnie find missing Wishing Star fragments throughout the ship while also playing some fun mini gamess along the way now this is a very very cool tip that I have not heard before so hopefully it's a new one for you too you can predict the future of movies no need for a crystal ball for this one each Disney Cruise offers free Disney movies in multiple spots around the ship like out on the Funnel Vision screen near the pools or in the ship's movie theaters and while some Disney movies shown are ones you've probably seen countless times before others are brand new movies that have possibly just hit theaters or maybe haven't even yet hit theaters and you're now one of the first people that's going to get the chance to see it it's fun to be surprised by what movies are going to be showing when you first arrive but if you'd like to be in the know about what movies are going to be playing on your ship ahead of time so

31:26 you can plan ahead to watch it or maybe not go see it in the theater at home so that you can see it on the ship for free just call up Disney Cruise Lines customer service it's 8951 3532 when you're getting closer to your sale date and you can ask them customer service should have a good idea about what movies are going to be playing on board when you're at least 14 days out from your trip now earlier I mentioned that many things on your cruise are going to be all inclusive but alcoholic beverages are not that being said you're more than welcome to bring your own alcohol on board as long as it means meets Disney Cruise Lines standards now that doesn't mean you have to have like good alcohol or anything you can only bring so much alcohol you can bring aboard two bottles of wine or champagne or a sixpack of beer in those 12 oz cans you can even have room service bring wine glasses and a cork

32:12 screw up to your room just be aware that if you bring your own beer or wine to one of the dining rooms you will have to pay a $25 corking fee per bottle so you may want to keep your drinks inside your stateroom and avoid the extra charge altogether you can also buy the same amount of wine and beer when you're out at your overseas Port of Call to bring back and enjoy on the ship later however other Spirits are still not allowed on the ship so if you are in the Bahamas and you buy a bunch of rum you're not going to be able to bring that back to your room Disney will confiscate it before they let you back on board now that's not saying you're getting in trouble for purchasing it or anything they just want to make sure everyone's safe and sticking to the rules so they'll hold on to that liquor for you and give it back before you disembark at the end of your cruise no harm no foul now this is one of the big biggest and

32:57 most important tips in the video book early there are a few key reasons why you're going to want to book your Disney Cruise as early as possible reason number one the earlier you book The more likely you're going to be able to select the specific State Room you want without having to choose from whatever is left over reason number two Disney Cruise Line has tiered pricing meaning you'll find lower rates the earlier you book and reason three passengers are required to put down a deposit when booking but if you book early enough you'll be able to pay down the remainder of your balance over time and instead of having to pay for the majority of it all at once and reason number four if there are certain premium activities that you know you want to book before your trip and you know these specific activities you've been eyeballing tend to fill up fast then you're going to want to make sure you're able to book those reservations right when they open up but

33:43 you can't start reserving any activities until you've got your state room booked and paid for so you're going to want to avoid dottling if you don't want to accidentally miss that window of opportunity and let's talk about seasickness next it's not just seasickness you might have to worry about while you're out at Sea it could be any ailment like headache or sunburn or in the case of my son losing a literal toenail yes this actually happened to us my son and I were on Castaway Key he was probably about eight and he jumped onto a hammock and he had a toenail that was kind of bruised from a well he dropped a desk on his toe anyway this kid is is accident prone but he jumped on the hammock and he literally tore off his toenail so that happened on cast key if you can imagine I'm sorry if that's too much information

34:30 but anyway each ship has a health center located on deck one where you can get free sample sized over-the-counter medications and bandages and Castaway key I found out also has a rather rudimentary but functional First Aid Center as well which we made good use of that day but if there's a different kind of medication you're looking for other over the counter drugs are also available for purchase at Guest Services and or the onboard shops note that on onboard shops are only open when you are out at Sea they will not open when you're in Port they're legally not allowed to so you can't rely on them when you're stopped in Port so if you need to purchase meds on a day your ship isn't sailing go to guest services and ask to purchase them there instead now if there's a medical emergency that you need to notify the crew about the

35:17 standard 911 number isn't going to work here instead call 730000 from any ship phone to get in contact with the ship's 24-hour Medical Care team ASAP one of my favorite things about Disney Cruise Line is when you're first getting on the ship your vacation is just starting and from the moment you step onto your ship you're going to be treated like royalty but you need to be ready for that before you step out into the atrium a crew member will ask your group's name and announce it to the entire ship welcoming you aboard so make sure You' got your cameras ready this is a great memory to have recorded just so you can rewatch that excitement flood your kids face on repeat so while you're lining up to board the ship have your phone out and ready for the big moment and maybe let your kids go ahead and tell the cast member what the family

36:03 name is so that they can be kind of the first one to walk through the door so if you're looking to book a massage or enjoy a nice dinner with your partner or even take a 3-hour undisturbed nap because it's your cruise and you should be able to do what you want then you can drop off your little one ages 6 months to 3 years at the It's a Small World nursery during the day so this Nursery spot Works a little differently than the kids clubs do while this spes for kids and teens are free for them to use there is a per hour charge with a minimum of 1 hour for the nursery you also need to make reservations for the nursery the reservations are set for a capacity of four infants those not yet walking and 16 toddlers depending on the number of counselors on hand to book your child's time in the nursery you'll want to make a reservation just as soon as you're able to since space is so limited

36:50 depending on your state room or your Castaway Club Status you can start booking this option between 75 and 120 days out out don't forget to bring your refillable water bottle having Deja Vu I know this is usually a tip we give you for the Disney parks but bringing a refillable water bottle onto your Disney Cruise can be very very useful cruise ships often have water refill stations which you'll typically find on the top deck as well as on the strolling decks filling up your water bottle at the start of your day can keep you hydrated even when you're not near a convenient refill station like when you're at a Castaway key or gallivanting around another Port of Call and then every time you walk by a refill station just top it up so we love to plan an Atrium night for one last time partying is such sweet sorrow but at least you can see your bestest Disney Pals one more time before

37:36 you head back to Dryland on the last night of your cruise The Atrium of your ship will host a final event called till we meet again or wishing ever after if you're on the Disney wish that's where several Disney characters will come out to not say goodbye but rather see you real soon typically these last harra events happen around 10: p.m. but as always you can check your Disney navigator app for updated times while you're on board also be sure to prepare for mostly everything to be cashfree for the most part your cruise will be a cashfree experience so when you pay for extras like gift shop souvenirs specialty drinks or other premium activities you'll use your room key to charge back to the room that being said you will need to have cash on hand when you're out exploring the other non- Disney overseas ports or if you plan on tipping extra for crew members tipping

38:22 on the Disney Cruises can be pretty confusing but here's what you need to know for now prepaid gratuities are automatically added to your final bill for your dining room server your dining room assistant server your dining room head server and your stateroom host you can adjust how much you want to tip through your Disney Cruise Line account but if you forget to Disney will go ahead and plug in the recommended tipping amount for you which is about ,450 per night per stateroom guest you can always change this amount later on over at Guest Services before the end of your cruise now not all crew members who wait on you are going to be included in this automatic tip amount so you'll still want to plan on tipping other crew members like your servers at those adults only dining reservations the lounge bartenders room service crew members the port Adventures Squad the sensus spa and salon members and the Concierge Lounge team too if you're

39:08 staying concierge now not all of those will be necessary additional tips since you may not end up using all of those different services but if you do tips will either again be included in the charge or be left to your discretion meaning you want to have some cash on hand so you don't end up short changing someone who did a great job making your cruise extra memorable I also like to bring cash so that I can tip the porters that are at the terminal when they're taking my luggage and when they're helping me out with my luggage as well so just to reiterate if you need something and you're not sure how to accomplish it head to guess Services always head to guess Services they may not be able to do everything for you but they can point you in the right direction this includes even the things you might not necessarily be thinking about before you bored like currency exchanges if you're traveling toward a Port of Call that doesn't accept US

39:53 dollars but you still want to make sure you're able to make purchases while you're out and about exploring Guest Services can make those exchanges with no problem while Disney Cruise Line won't charge you anything extra for this service keep in mind that exchange rates do fluctuate regularly so you want to keep an eye on those rates before you board all right let's talk luggage again if you want the ship's crew members to take your luggage out to the terminal for you on debarkation day then you'll need to set those bigger bags outside your stateroom the night before you leave typically you'll need them out by 10:30 p.m. but please check the navigator app and don't rely on what I just said since your ship schedule might be totally different for your cruise now while this method of getting your luggage out to the terminal is totally legit and shouldn't be too much of a headache it will take quite a bit of time to wait and pick up your luggage at Customs each time you use this method so

40:40 if you're in a hurry and you want to avoid those long demarcation lines then you might want to consider using the express walk-off option instead which is what I always try to use if I'm on a solo trip or just there with one other person sometimes if I'm there with my whole family then I need to use the regular service because it's just too many bags for me to carry but usually I just have you know one bag so Express walk-off means you keep all your luggage with you instead of leaving it out for the crew the night before and then you can get up and debark as early as 7:00 a.m. as soon as the ship has been cleared by Customs you will have to miss your last all-inclusive breakfast if you choose to use this Express option but that might be worth it if you're trying to make it on time to your flight or you simply want to get off the ship and not have to wait in those long lines for Customs Okay so what are those bizarre

41:27 pouch-like decorations you'll find outside of several ship staterooms these my friends are called fish extenders which are basically hanging gift bags that passengers can choose to purchase ahead of their trip and hang outside their cabin door as a sort of mailbox like feature that other passengers can drop goodies into this is a cruise tradition created by Disney Cruise Line fans and not by Disney itself they're called fish extenders because on the original ships the little Clips outside your door were fish so that's where you hang your fish fish extender now you can handmake these fish extenders or you can buy them off Etsy or Amazon but the important thing to remember here is that Disney doesn't have a whole lot to do with this extra Cruise feature nor will they sell you a fish extender in the cruise gift shops so you will have to purchase one in advance if you want to participate you'll also need to connect

42:13 with other fellow passengers who will be on board your same ship before your cruise so you'll have a family to actually exchange goodies with most folks find their fish extender friends through Disney Cruise Line forums online or on Mutual Disney Cruise Line Facebook group page but just make sure the site you're using to meet these Cruise Line companions is a reliable one and above board and that you're not giving away any super personal information while you're trying to find your fish extender matchup now here's a brand new update y'all fish extenders are a okay but hiding little rubber ducks around the nooks and crannies of the ship is no longer allowed let me back up a second so there's this tradition on Disney Cruises where guests bring little rubber duckies to hide all over the cruise ship for other guests to find much like the fish extenders this isn't a Disney sanctioned activity but unlike the fish

42:58 extenders Disney doesn't condone the practice of hiding ducks in public spaces on its cruise ships so if a passenger does hide one and a crew member finds it first they're going to remove it that being said don't let all your rubber duckies go to waste you can still slip them into fish extender pockets for fellow passengers if you've got them that way your little yellow squeaky dudes can still find a home post cruise and that's the beauty of a Disney cruise once you pay for your state room those all-inclusive meals are going to give you so much dining Freedom so order what you want during your rotational dinner you can order whatever you want however you want it you can order a standard appetizer an entree and a dessert you can order two appetizers and two desserts you can order two Entre whatever you want to eat your server will bring it to you and that goes for the kids versus adults menus at these rotational restaurants too while the

43:45 restaurants will have separate kids menu options for your child your kid is still more than welcome to order anything off the adult menu that they'd like if there's something on there that they think they'd enjoy more and vice versa if if you're not really vibing with any of the adult Entre and you'd rather stick with something like kids chicken tenders or a slice of pizza you can totally order off the kids menu yourself the choice is yours and yours alone but my word of advice remember that this food isn't actually free it's all prepaid through your stateroom bill so don't be afraid to try the items you think would be higher out of pocket cost if you're looking to stretch your dollar further you don't have to but you may want to we might not be at a Disney park this time but that doesn't mean you're not going to be doing a whole lot of walking during your cruise especially when you're at airport of call the Disney ships and Disney's Castaway key do have strollers available to rent but

44:31 these stroller rentals are extremely limited so you're not guaranteed to get one if you're not willing to risk that gamble you want to remember to pack a stroller with you just don't plan on packing anything too bulky if you can avoid it cuz bulky strollers and narrow ship corridors quite the crowd congestion nightmare just pack a stroller that's lightweight and easy to fold up in storage little umbrella thing that way you can easily carry it around with you and you don't have to worry about it taking up a lot of space in your already compact stateroom if you're a tea drinker I've got good news and bad news good news first you can brew a variety of twinings hot tea flavors all day long over in the dining rooms buffets and at the 24-hour beverage stations located on the pool deck now the bad news for some iced tea on board the ships tends to be unsweetened there are sugar packets and honey containers

45:17 available that you can use to sweeten it yourself but if you are a southerner through and through then that might not be the same for you and the sugar granules never quite dissolve like you want them to once your tea is cold for all the southern folk out there watch out while you'll have several drink options to choose from you're not going to find any Southern sweet tea on the Seven Seas but you can pack a few bottles of it in your checked luggage if you don't want to go all Cruise long without it the next tip is a spa tip the sensus spa can be a great way for grown-ups to relax and enjoy some peace and quiet and professionally executed massages but if you're not aware of these three things your peaceful spa day could run into a hitch Spa warning number one avoid booking a spa treatment at embarcation day if you can on the first day of your cruise crew members will be touring passengers through census Spa multiple times during the afternoon and evening which can make

46:04 your afternoon feel more like your AO animal on display after that first day however sens of spa should be a whole lot less busy feeling Spa warning number two don't stress over the sales pitch during your massage treatment your masseuse might recommend purchasing the product that they're using it's okay to say no thank you your masseuse will get the hint and drop the pitch so you can return to your regularly scheduled spa treatment unless you do want to purchase the product then by all means go for it Spa warning number three be aware of co-ed spaces not every area of the census Spa is broken up by gender the rainforest room is a co-ed space for everybody but nothing scandalous happens here of course the rainforest room is simply a relaxing place with aroma therapy and saunas but just a heads up you know keep your suit on now this is one of my favorite tips because it caused quite a problem on my last Cruise

46:50 so Disney Cruise Line has a whole laundry list of things they absolutely 110% don't want you to bring bring on board because if you try to smuggle in these items they're going to be confiscated so these include things like clo Steamers and surge protectors and other power strips and bigger electrical appliances that could be deemed as fire hazards like rice cookers believe it or not lots of rice cookers get confiscated Disney also doesn't want any over the- door hooks brought on board since they could potentially scratch the paint or damage the door itself so if someone recommends you bring one for your cruise to help you keep hold of your jewelry or cosmetic bags or your toiletries or anything just ignore them because a crew member will take these door hangers away if they see them oh and there's one I learned the hard way you can't bring full-size scissors with you either which is of course you remember what my mom

47:36 brought in her suitcase to cut the tags off her new clothes I don't know why we didn't cut our tags off our clothes before we left Mom but alas and that caused her suitcase to be held back for further inspection which means we didn't see it in our state room till after 8:00 p.m. at night which was a really long time to wait on your luggage when we left the port at like 4:30 and and had no idea if her bag was even on board so if you don't want your luggage delivery delayed or you don't want your items taken away from you throughout the duration of your trip leave these things at home and make sure to check the Disney Cruise Line website for other forbidden items that you can't bring along with you either bring those magnetized hooks you may not be able to use over the- door hooks on your Disney cruise but you can use the magnetized ones the walls of your Disney Cruise

48:21 Line cabin are all made of magnetized metal so hooks are so useful when when it comes to storage use them for your lanyards your towels your tote bag your wet bathing suit your bathrobe anything you can get a pack of 10 hooks off Amazon for around eight bucks be sure to get those ones that are super heavy duty and they will hold a lot of stuff from my recent Cruise experience with my mom B yo W bring your own wheelchair Disney Cruises don't have wheelchair rental services like you're going to find inside Disney park so you'll need to make sure if you're traveling with someone who has Mobility concerns or you have Mobility concerns yourself that you bring your own wheelchair on board with you I got a transport wheelchair for my mom and it worked perfectly for us to traes around at our ports of call you may also want to consider renting a Mobility device through a third-party

49:06 service instead if that'll make things easier for you the only wheelchairs available on the ships are the ones that can help assist guests during embarcation and debar day as well as for emergency use only otherwise you got to provide your own set of wheels as far as getting around after you board Disney recommends that passengers with Mobility concerns contact Disney Cruise Line special service ahead of time so they can assist you in other ways and make sure your trip is still as smooth sailing as possible Castaway key on the other hand does have free wheelchairs available on the private island which are sand resistant and easy to push around the beach or basically sand wheelchairs Beach wheelchairs are first come first surf so you're going to want to snag yours before starting your Castaway Adventures these can be found at the scuttles Cove tram stop the Pelican Point tram stop and the serenity Bay tram stop and don't forget to attend

49:53 the open houses there's only one way that grown-ups are going to be able to see the Ocean Ear Club in person since it's a no parents allowed Zone and that's during the cruise Line's open houses open houses allow adults to get a sneak peek at those kids only these spaces before the fun begins so you can gauge if it's the right place for your kid or not and trust me you're going to want to see them cuz these kids clubs are so cool usually you're going to find open houses listed on your navigator app during embarcation day but open houses can also happen at other times throughout your cruise too just check the app's updated schedule for a list of times so you don't have to leave the ship in fomo that you potentially missed out on something Ultra Cool and to be fair this next one isn't really a tip that'll make your cruise easier but it's still a whole lot of fun when you order a specialty coffee or other caffeinated beverage at one of the cruise cafes ask

50:40 your Barista if they can add a Disney character to it that way instead of just getting a normal old boring cappuccino you can have one with a fun Disney character dusted right on the top call me easily amuse but this always makes me immensely happy and dare I say I think the added character makes the coffee taste better maybe time for you to sail away with ease thank you for hanging out with me for all these 50 tips and points from our recent cruises that we've come up with and don't forget to check out our ultimate Disney Cruise free guide over at disneyfoodblog docomo this is AJ for Disney food Vlog and we'll see you real soon