6 Things You Need To Do Before Your Disney Cruise

Ahoy! Headed on a Disney Cruise? Here is a step-by-step checklist of 6 things you should do before heading out to sea. Be sure to save this so you can be prepared and organized for a great vacation!

Check your dining time.

There are two seating times for dinner. The main and most popular is the 5:45 pm seating. This one goes first. When you book, you are asked which time you would like, and if the main time is full, the default is the second seating, which is 8:15 pm. Both seating times allow you to see the evening entertainment. There are always two shows, and you will eat opposite your showtime. So if you have the 5:45 pm seating, you will see the show after dinner; if you have the 8:15 pm dinner, you will see a show before. While guests with very young children often feel the 8:15 dining time is too late, I think it comes with many benefits. First, your dining and showtimes are less crowded, and you can come back from your port adventure later. There is no rush to return to the ship to get dressed for dinner. If you are hungry before dinner, there is always food available for a pre-dinner snack on the pool deck. Knowing your time will help you prepare as you are booking port adventures and onboard fun later.

Be sure you have travel documents.

Approximately 30 days prior to sailing, you will complete online check-in. At this time, you will need to have your travel documents available and ready to scan. All guests must provide a government-issued ID, and most itineraries also require a valid passport. Information on your sailing can be found here.

Create a My Disney Experience Account.

Create a My Disney Experience account and download the mobile app. Through this account you will:

• Link your resort reservation

• Count down to to sailing date

• Book port adventures, upgraded dining and onboard fun

• Connect with family and friends traveling with you

• View daily activities

• View restaurants, dining times and menus

• See showtimes

• Chat with crew mates

• See maps of the ship

Many of the features will not be accessable to you until you reach the port. Prior to sailing you will us the App mostly just to book onboard fun and port adventures. While onboard you will find this extremely helpful for a variety of uses.

Mark important dates on your calendar.

• First time cruisers are eligible to book onboard fun and port adventures 75 days prior to sailing. Returning guests may have earlier booking windows. Check with Disney or your Travel Advisor for your booking dates. Book when your booking window first opens for best availability.

• First time cruisers complete online check in 30 days prior to sailing. Returning guests may have earlier check in windows. Check with Disney or your Travel Advisor for your check in date. During online check in you will upload important travel documents and receive your port arrival time.

Look into themed nights so you can prepare.

Cruises often feature themed nights, making it fun to dress up. Cruises lasting seven nights or more include a formal night, while shorter cruises offer a semi-formal or optional formal night. Additionally, many cruises have a pirate night or a Frozen-themed night. For specific details about your cruise, contact your Travel Advisor or call Disney Cruise Line.

Review packing lists and prohibited items

I like to create a packing list for each member of my family. Disney Cruise Line offers suggested packing lists for each cruise destination. Packing lists can be found here. These lists can be a great starting point when creating your own personalized list. You'll also want to be sure to check what items are not allowed aboard your ship. Prohibited items can be found here. Do note, under the alcohol policy that each adult may carry on 2 bottles of wine or 6 beers.

Work with a Disney Vacation Planner.

Most Disney Vacation Planners do not charge any extra for their services and can help you with all of the steps to prepare for your vacation, as well as provide personalized recommendations. Another benefit of working with a Disney vacation planner is having someone who can price monitor your trip. Disney often releases new offers, and if a new offer becomes available that can lower the cost of your trip, most will apply the offer for you automatically, saving you money. If you have booked your trip within the past 30 days, you may be able to transfer the booking to a Disney Vacation Planner.

Ready to start planning your next Disney adventure? I'm Irene, a travel agent with Mouseketrips, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, and I would love to help you plan a vacation that meets your needs and budget! My planning services are free, and I price monitor, saving you time and money! Request a no-obligation quote here.

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