The Magical Mermaid Mama

Hi Friends! For those of you who do not know me, I am a shameless “Disney Adult” and wife and mother. My husband and I were married on the Disney Fantasy 5 years ago. Disney CruiseLine is our happy place, and we definitely prefer it over the parks (although I love the parks too). With that being said, I have been on 8 Disney cruises (rookie numbers compared to the 28 my parents have been on!) In 2022 my husband and I had the opportunity to take our girls on 2 Disney Cruises! We sailed on the Disney Dream (toddler was 2 years old and the baby was 9 months old) and the Disney Fantasy (toddler was 2.5 and baby was 13 months old). Consequently, I am often asked for advice on cruising with babies and toddlers. As a seasoned Disney CruiseLine veteran, here are my top 5 tips for Disney Cruising with babies and toddlers!

1. Manage Your Expectations

I know this advice seems pretty ambiguous, but allow me to explain. A Disney Cruise is fabulous for many, many reasons, but one of our favorite things is how relaxing it is (unlike the parks). That being said, you can certainly make it stressful if you feel the need to pack your schedule with all manner of activity, character meet and greets, excursions, etc. Understand what your children are capable of and what might be too much, causing overstimulation and meltdowns. For example, my husband and I choose not to do any excursions because there is plenty to do on the ship, and we don’t want to add an extra layer of unnecessary stress. We also don’t force character interactions if our kids are antsy or tired (there are SO many opportunities for character greetings, you won’t be missing out!) Also, understand that toddlers who are 3 years old are allowed in the kids club (and pool) ONLY if they are FULLY potty trained requiring zero assistance. If you are hoping for kid-free time and your child doesn’t meet that requirement, you will have to use the Small World Nursery (which comes with a fee. I believe you pay by the half hour). Understand that meltdowns will inevitably happen with toddlers and babies, and that’s ok! Everyone is very supportive and understanding!

2. Book With a Travel Agent

Travel agents hold a wealth of knowledge! You also are not charged extra for using a travel agent! They know all of the current promotions and what is offered on your cruise. Also, the cruise industry phone lines have been experiencing notorious wait times (like hours and hours), so why not have a travel agent handle that for you? Since COVID Disney has been slowly reintroducing offerings such as the Royal Gathering, Royal Tea, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, adult only dining such as Remy, Palo, and Enchante, etc. These (and others) all require reservations or tickets and are often first come, first serve. It would be a shame to miss out on an experience you would have loved because you didn’t know about it or it was already booked. So find a good, knowledgeable travel agent to book with!

3. Pack Smart

On the Disney CruisLine website you will find several helpful packing lists including prohibited items which you should 100% read over before packing. If you are traveling with a baby, be sure to carry on a diaper bag with several hours worth of diapers and feeding supplies in addition to a change of clothes. Depending on your boarding time, it can be a while before your room is ready and your luggage is delivered, so don’t pack away your essentials! Also, bring a lightweight umbrella stroller (especially for a toddler) and a comfortable baby carrier for an infant. I found it so much easier to baby wear on board and on Castaway Cay than pushing two strollers. Disney only uses paper straws (that are absolutely horrible) on their cruises, so do yourself a favor and pack some silicone straws you can transport easily.

4. Prepare for Shows and Dinner

When booking your cruise, choose the dining time you think will work best for your kids. If you have early dining, you will attend the later show, and if you have late dining, you will have the earlier show time. If you don’t get your first choice, don’t panic! You can make it work. It will require strategic naptimes and ensure you have toys to occupy your little ones when needed, but it can be done! We’ve done both options and made it!

5. Communicate with Your Cruise Team

Disney is known for their fabulous customer service, and the cruiseline is no exception. Upon boarding, you will be assigned a stateroom host and a dining team. They truly want your vacation to be magical, so communicating your needs to them is a must! When we first meet our stateroom host or hostess, we make sure they know we will need the sofa turned out into a toddler bed at all times (ready to be used for naps) in addition to a pack and play and diaper genie. (NOTE: These things can also be arranged through guest services prior to your cruise). Let them know if something isn’t working or if you definitely know you’ll have a need like extra towels. As far as dining goes, your team will ask about any dietary needs on your first night. The dinner is a whole experience, and it’s pretty drawn out, which is nice and relaxing for adults, but pretty stressful and tiring for littles. We let our team know we wanted to keep things moving so our girls had their food quickly and didn’t have to sit for an unreasonable amount of time. They will also try to help you out by cutting up your child’s food and even offer to feed your child a few bites. My 9 month old said absolutely not in her developmentally appropriate stranger-danger way, so we asked the server to please let her be, although we appreciated the thought.

Don’t let a cruise intimidate you! It really is so much fun, and a Disney Cruise is the perfect environment for kids! If you’re still on the fence, try a shorter cruise first (a 3 or 4 night) and see how it goes! If a verandah room is going to make you nervous, go with an inside or ocean view room instead. This vacation is SO customizable. There truly is something for everyone.