My family’s favorite vacation is always a Disney cruise and I’m very excited for my two-year-old’s first cruise! That being said, it has completely changed the way we planned and packed and I’m here to share a little of what I’ve learned so far.
Before beginning the packing process, there are a few things you can request or book in advance, specifically for little ones. First, we requested main dining so we could eat as a family at 5.45 PM instead of second seating at 8:00 PM. Since main dining was not available, we were added to the waitlist but thankfully got moved to main dining before leaving home. You can request main dining under My Reservations on the Disney Cruise site or ask your Dreams Unlimited Travel agent! If you would like main dining and are not moved from the waitlist before your cruise, you can also request it once onboard. Just ask where/ when the dining meeting is when you check in at the cruise terminal. Before having a little one, I always preferred second dining, so this is already a brand-new experience!
Also on the Disney Cruise website, you can request a high chair or booster seat for dinner, and a Pack ‘n Play or bedrails for your stateroom. Another bonus tip is to request a Diaper Genie from your stateroom host once on board!
Either on the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app or website, you can reserve times for the “it’s a small world” Nursery for children ages six months to two years. The nursery is an additional charge of $9 per hour and can be reserved at the same times as other onboard activities based on your Castaway Club status. Times do book up, especially on days at sea, and you can cancel your nursery reservation up to four hours in advance onboard. It’s better to have more times than not enough!
Also, before packing, you will need to complete online check-in. I recommend checking in as early as possible since it dictates your port arrival time if you are not using the Disney Cruise Line transportation from the airport or Disney resorts. There is a section for traveling with children during the online check-in process. If you are traveling with multiple staterooms or family members, you can designate which family can debark the ship with your child. For example, if your child is staying in grandma’s stateroom but will be getting off the ship with you at Castaway Cay.
On to packing! We’re sailing from Port Canaveral, which means we could use either a US birth certificate or a Passport for our toddler’s citizenship document. Just be sure to pack it in your carry-on!
Of course, I am packing plenty of swimsuits, swim diapers, and sunscreen! I plan to bring my son’s swimsuit and swim diaper in our carry-on just in case the splash pad is too hard to resist when we first board.
I’ve never been a light packer so thank goodness for packing cubes! These really do save so much space and help keep everyone’s things organized. I also bring pop-up hampers for dirty clothes and other storage in the stateroom. They take up no room in the luggage and help to keep the room organized. Since you can store your luggage underneath the bed in every stateroom, I like to unpack ours to free up more space.
It wouldn’t be a Disney Cruise without Pirate Night! I’ve honestly never dressed up for pirate night and am excited to have a little Captain Hook join me! There are pirate accessories to purchase onboard if you feel so inclined.
In addition to overpacking, I also love all things Disney merch! This means Owen will likely get a few souvenirs, but we are bringing our own sand toys, bath toys, and a few books. Speaking of Disney merch, we are using our Disney Visa for our onboard account so we can receive 10% off purchases of $50 or more in the onboard gift shops.
Not pictured, I also packed a few sippy cups so Owen can have water in the stateroom. Thankfully Disney Cruise Line has sippy cups for you to use at dinner and there is a 24-hour drink station on the pool deck. We also plan to grab milk cartons and bananas from the buffet to keep in the room. It’s going to be such a thrill not to have to pack a million snacks like I normally do for other vacations!
Other items I packed include fun Disney magnets for our stateroom door, over-the-counter medicines, plenty of wipes and diapers, and a night light/ sound machine.
Let me know in the comments what your packing and planning tips are for cruising with toddlers!
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