Disney Cruise Line with Kids
ears on, every single dayNicole Damiano, ASTA Verified Travel Advisor with FG Luxury Travel
How much does a Disney cruise cost?
A 7 night Disney cruise starts around $3,100 per person for an inside cabin, and short 3 and 4 night sailings start much lower. Tips are about $16 per person per night. Prices last checked October 2026 and they move fast, so ask me for today's fare.
What is included on a Disney cruise?
Your Disney fare covers rotational dining, soda, the Broadway style shows, character meetings, the kids clubs and the private island beach. Alcohol, wifi, the nursery, Palo and Enchanté, and excursions are extra.
What ages are the Disney kids clubs?
The Oceaneer Club and Lab are for ages 3 to 12, Edge is for 11 to 14, Vibe is for 14 to 17, and the It's a Small World Nursery takes babies from 6 months to 3 years for an extra fee. Babies can sail from 6 months, or 12 months on some longer sailings.
How many ships does Disney Cruise Line have?
Disney has 8 ships: Wish, Treasure, Destiny, Fantasy, Dream, Magic, Wonder and Disney Adventure, which sails 3 and 4 night cruises from Singapore. We sailed Disney in September 2026, so ask me how to pick a ship.
When are the Disney holiday cruises?
Halloween on the High Seas runs late September through October, and Very Merrytime Cruises run from about November 9, 2026 into the New Year's sailings that return around January 4, 2027, on all seven US ships.
Two weeks on the Disney Dream
We just did two weeks on the Disney Dream, Southampton to Fort Lauderdale, nine sea days, all five of us.
My boys had the same friends in the kids club for two weeks straight, and since we move around so much as a family, that meant a lot to them.
Nobody opened YouTube the entire trip, and not one of them said they were bored.
I woke up at midnight to check on my boys and they were in bed watching Disney movies. We sat at the table and laughed like crazy playing silly games we made up, and I didn’t want it to end.
It’s not because it’s a vacation. It’s because it becomes this peaceful, old fashioned family routine that’s so hard to hold onto on land.
Read every first timer tip from our sailing →Eight ships, and they really do feel different
Not just in size, but in theme, food, and shows. Here is what makes each one special, so you can pick the one that fits your crew.
Disney Magic
Smaller and cozy. Still one of my favorites.
Where you’ll eat
Lumiere’s, Beauty and the Beast in soft gold light. Rapunzel’s Royal Table, a Tangled birthday party with lanterns. Animator’s Palate.
Only on the Magic
Tangled: The Musical and Twice Charmed.
Disney Wonder
Magic’s sister, just as charming. Sails Alaska out of Vancouver.
Where you’ll eat
Tiana’s Place with live jazz and a little Mardi Gras parade. Triton’s, under the sea. Animator’s Palate.
On stage
Frozen, The Golden Mickeys, Disney Dreams.
Disney Dream
The AquaDuck, the Midship Detective Agency, and that Dream feeling I keep coming back to.
Where you’ll eat
Animator’s Palate with the Crush cameo we still talk about. Royal Palace. Enchanted Garden, Versailles from day to night.
On stage
Beauty and the Beast, Believe, The Golden Mickeys.
Disney Fantasy
The Dream’s twin, same AquaDuck, its own lineup.
Where you’ll eat
Animator’s Palate with Mickey one night and Crush the next. Enchanted Garden. Royal Court.
On stage
Frozen, Aladdin, Believe.
Disney Wish
The AquaMouse, the Star Wars Hyperspace Lounge, and one of the best dining lineups in the fleet.
Where you’ll eat
1923, Old Hollywood. Worlds of Marvel with Ant-Man and Spider-Man. Arendelle, dinner inside Elsa’s castle.
Only on the Wish
The Little Mermaid.
Disney Treasure
Adventure and Coco from top to bottom. Every restaurant twice, a different show each time.
Where you’ll eat
Plaza de Coco, a family fiesta then the land of the dead. Worlds of Marvel. 1923.
Only on the Treasure
The Tale of Moana, with a 15 foot puppet.
Disney Destiny
Heroes and villains everywhere. The Grand Hall lighting changes with the mood of the room.
Where you’ll eat
Pride Lands, Feast of the Lion King. Worlds of Marvel. 1923.
Only on the Destiny
Disney Hercules.
Disney Adventure
The biggest Disney ship ever built, with the Ironcycle Test Run coaster.
Where you’ll eat
Hollywood Spotlight Club. Gramma Tala’s Kitchen. Mike and Sulley’s Flavors of Asia.
Only on the Adventure
Remember, with WALL-E robots.
This is where the kids disappear to, happily
The clubs are included, they’re open all day into the night, and the counselors are amazing. There’s an open house the first afternoon so everyone can look around before you drop them off.
It’s a Small World Nursery
Hourly charge. Book it at 75 days, it fills up.
Oceaneer Club and Lab
Themed play spaces, crafts and character visits. Kids check in and out with their band.
Edge
Games, hangouts and late night events. Kids can come and go on their own.
Vibe
The teen lounge, no parents allowed 😂 Where teens make their cruise friends.
A lot of Disney staterooms sleep five
Ours had a queen bed, a sofa that turns into a bed, and a bunk that pulls down from the ceiling with stars painted above it.
The real hero is the split bathroom. One little room with a toilet and sink and a second one with the tub and shower, so five people can actually get ready at the same time.
The bed lifts up so suitcases slide right underneath. We unpacked for the week instead of living out of a suitcase.
This is the best part
Instead of one dining room all week, you rotate through three themed restaurants, a different one each night, and your servers move with you.
By night three they know who wants the chicken tenders and who wants the ketchup on the side.
Every restaurant is its own little show. On the Dream it’s Animator’s Palate, where your own drawing shows up on the screens one night, Enchanted Garden, which changes from day to night while you eat, and Royal Palace, straight out of Cinderella.
Palo brunch on a sea day is a must for the grown ups. Book it at your window.
Pirate Night, Halloween on the High Seas and the shows
Pirate Night
Mickey and the gang teach everyone how to be a pirate, then Captain Jack Sparrow comes out for a second show with fireworks. My son Gavin got pulled into a flash mob during ours, and then Club Pirate took over and everyone danced and danced.
Halloween on the High Seas
We sailed during Halloween and it’s one of my favorites. The ship is decorated for fall, the characters come out in costume, and everyone dresses up for Mickey’s Mouse-querade Party, kids and grown ups.
The shows
Full Broadway style musicals, and they are SO good. Don’t skip them because you think it’s a kids thing. Some nights there’s a Broadway Stars Series too, with performers from the real Broadway stage.
Disney’s private island
A lot of sailings from Florida stop there. Rent bikes and ride the trail, grab a spot on the family beach, and eat lunch at the barbecue, it’s included.
Our ears went on at the airport and pretty much stayed on until Castaway Cay 😂
Little things first timers never hear about
- Set an alarm for 75 days out11:55pm Eastern, list ready. Palo brunch, the cabanas and the spa go fast.
- Bring door magnetsThe doors are metal. It’s how the kids find their door in a very long hallway.
- Join a fish extender exchangeFind your sailing’s Facebook group early. Little surprises show up all week.
- Pixie dust someoneA small surprise on a stranger’s door. No group, no sign up.
- Kiss goodnight in the atriumBe there just before midnight, lie on your back and watch what happens above you.
- Cookies and milkOrder it before bed. A cozy room service treat, and it’s included.
- Churro wafflesLast full day at sea, check the buffet breakfast. A must.
- Ask for UncrustablesNot on the menu. Lifesaver for picky eaters.
- Socks for the Hero ZoneThe obstacle course needs them, and buying them onboard costs way more.
- Popcorn bucket on day oneRefills are $2 at the movies and the shows every night.
- Look up in the elevatorsA little Mickey glove points at your deck.
- Book a placeholderOn the last day. Tell them your travel advisor’s name so it transfers to me!
Disney Cruise Adventure Bingo
Twenty five squares of things your kids will actually do on a Disney cruise. Towel animals, pin trading, fireworks and more. It keeps the kids looking around on sea days, and it makes a great fish extender gift too.
Get the bingo cardSomeone in your corner
I plan Disney cruises for families all the time. Which ship, which stateroom, which themed sailing, which week works with school, and what to book at 75 days.
It’s so much better to text me a quick question than to call Disney and sit on hold.
Already booked direct? You can still move it to me if it’s within 30 days of when you booked and it isn’t paid in full yet. Nothing about your cruise changes, you just get me!
Start planning hereDo you tip on a Disney cruise?
Yes. Gratuities are added to your stateroom account automatically, $16 per person per night in a regular stateroom and $27.25 in Concierge. You can prepay them before you sail so there’s no surprise at the end.
When can first timers book activities?
Port adventures, Palo, the spa and the nursery open 75 days before sailing, at midnight Eastern. Castaway Club members book earlier, so the repeat cruisers have had their pick by the time your window opens.
Can you bring wine on a Disney cruise?
Each adult 21 and over can bring one unopened bottle of wine or six beers in your carry on. Corkage at dinner is $20.
Is the wifi good enough to work?
It was surprisingly good. I ran my business the whole time we were at sea, no problem.
Do kids need a passport for a Disney cruise?
You’ll need a passport or a birth certificate, but what’s required depends on your specific sailing. Don’t trust Google on this one. Ask me and I’ll check the exact requirements for your ship and itinerary.
More in Ocean Cruising
⚓ Cruise lines change kids club ages, ship deployments, inclusions and fees all the time. Before you book, I’ll confirm the current details for your ship and sailing date. Photo via Unsplash.
Tell me who’s coming and when
We’ll find the right ship, the right stateroom, and the right week. You just pack the ears.
Start PlanningNicole Damiano, ASTA Verified Travel Advisor with FG Luxury Travel. Adventures We Seek is my travel blog and planning resource. Trips are booked through Favorite Grampy Travels.
