Amazing Things That Surprised Me About Disney Cruise Line
I have been an annual Walt Disney World visitor for years. I always go with a game plan for rides, food, and characters. In my family and friends’ group, I’m the resident expert.
This doesn’t apply to Disney cruises. Until this spring, I had never been on a single cruise in my life. And all Disney trips (cruise or land) require extra insider knowledge.
![Disney Cruise deposit](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2023-disney-cruise-line-wonder-ship.png)
![Disney Cruise deposit](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2023-disney-cruise-line-wonder-ship.png)
Photo: Disney
Luckily, I didn’t need to worry. With the help of an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, I booked my first four-night Bahamian sailing on the Disney Dream.
(I can’t recommend these free travel agents enough. Not only did they have all the inside scoop, but they also helped me pick a cabin location for seasick-prone guests. Don’t pass on their free guidance.)
Check out my revelations post-Disney cruise! I hope it helps set your own magical expectations.
![Disney Cruise discount](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/disney-cruise-line-wish-ship-770x462-1.jpeg)
![Disney Cruise discount](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/disney-cruise-line-wish-ship-770x462-1.jpeg)
Photo: Disney
Getting Attached to Servers
Disney Cruise Line features rotational dining at dinner. This means you’ll be assigned the same table number for a different restaurant each night. You’ll also sit with the same people, whether it’s your family or another party.
In addition to dinner companions, your wait staff will follow you. This means the head server and assistant servers will assist you at each meal.
These servers will learn your drink orders, dietary preferences, and any other quirks. We bonded with our servers immediately. It felt like having dinner with friends every night.
By the end of the cruise, I was sad to say goodbye! Disney Cast Members are the gold standard, and the DCL servers made every dinner so comfortable and personalized.
I wish I could request this team for every sailing!
Next-Level Mousekeeping
Speaking of the gold standard, DCL Mousekeeping is excellent. After years of no housekeeping or modified housekeeping at post-pandemic hotels, DCL room care was luxurious. (And it’s just one of the amazing things included with your sailing!)
Not only are the rooms cleaned daily, but you also get nightly turndown service. This includes the ready-to-jump-in bed setup, towel animal creations, and chocolate pillow mints.
![Pixar Day at Sea Cruise Line Fantasy](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Pixar-Day-at-Sea-Cruise-Line-Fantasy-31.jpg)
Regarding cleaning, DCL Mousekeeping went beyond providing fresh towels and emptying trash cans. Our personal belongings were organized, shoes were laid out, and cell phone charging cords were even wrapped up.
It was such a joy to come back to our cabin, knowing we’d see two daily room refreshes. I felt like a first-class guest.
Impressive Room Storage
As a first-time cruiser, I was warned about small staterooms. We tried to rectify this by booking a larger room with a verandah. Despite that, we agreed Pop Century rooms were still huge in comparison.
But Disney knows how to maximize comfort. First, the Dream has the coveted split-bathroom setup. This is a lifesaver for couples who want to shower/brush teeth/style hair at the same time.
The best amenity though is the storage. Storage in DCL rooms is amazing. It seemed like everywhere we looked there was a sleek drawer, closet, or cubby space to stow away our items. Even before Mousekeeping arrived, our room was incredibly neat.
I think WDW standard rooms could take notes.
Adjusting to Ship Movement
This is more cruise-specific than Disney-specific, but cruise ships move. Even if you have a stomach of steel, motion sickness may sneak up on you. (This is a common cruise concern.)
On a typical day, I can inhale my lunch and jump on Space Mountain, with no problem. But on my Disney Cruise, I needed my nausea wristbands and ginger ale.
![Disney Cruise](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/disney-cruise.jpeg)
![Disney Cruise](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/disney-cruise.jpeg)
Photo: Disney
The biggest hurdle is unpredictable weather. I chose a springtime sailing to avoid hurricane season. Despite that, the winds were so high/strong, we felt the ship rocking every night at dinner.
Keep in mind, the lower you are in the ship/closer to the front end or back end, the more likely you are to feel movement. For me, the Walt Disney Theater (which hosts the nightly Broadway shows) was especially rocky.
Besides the nausea wristbands, I dealt with motion sickness by keeping myself distracted. When the movement was stronger at night, I kept busy by attending shows and ship activities.
Regardless, I’m glad I didn’t assume I was sea sickness-immune.
![Disney Cruise Line](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/10.jpg)
![Disney Cruise Line](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/10.jpg)
(Matt Stroshane, photographer)
Meeting Characters Requires Planning
My husband and I don’t currently have children, so while we love meeting characters, we don’t love waiting in their lines. Instead, we prefer character meals where the characters come to us.
Otherwise, we’ll jump in very short lines while walking through the parks. But with no littles or autograph books in tow, we feel character lines are a time suck.
Well, meeting characters on a cruise proved to be harder for us. There are no character meals – at least on the Disney Dream. Lots of characters appear on the ship, but they appear at scheduled times.
After talking to a Cast Member, we learned that guests should arrive within twenty minutes of a character’s arrival time. If they don’t, the line will immediately fill up.
And boy do these lines fill up! The condensed amount of people (via the ship) means that character lines are longer and require early arrivals. Hopping into a short line by luck didn’t happen for us.
The only character photo we snagged was one with Captain Mickey upon boarding. This wasn’t a huge deal for us, but parents be warned. Check your Navigator App for character appearances. If not, you may miss out.
![Disney Dream Mickey and Minnie](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/captains-16x9-1.webp)
![Disney Dream Mickey and Minnie](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/captains-16x9-1.webp)
Photo: Disney
Abundance of Food
Eating is my favorite Disney activity and I knew good eats would be all over the Disney ship and Castaway Cay. I was blown away.
Personally, I had never gone on a (mostly) all-food-included vacation. We did partake in upcharges like alcoholic drinks and a dinner at Remy’s, but mostly we ate what was “free”.
Cabanas impressed us from the first welcome lunch. We loaded up our plates with crab legs and started the magical vacation feast.
From there, we indulged. We ordered free room service for breakfast, ate juicy burgers and soft serve ice cream at the pool, and sometimes got multiple entrees/appetizers at sit-down dinners.
Finding snacks was never an issue. In fact, we found ourselves too stuffed to enjoy room service for snacks or complimentary goodies in the adult-only lounges.
I can’t speak to the quality of food on other cruises, but I can say DCL food is scrumptious. We left satisfied and a couple of pounds heavier.
![](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Animators-Palette-Restaurant-Disney-Wonder-Cruise-Ship-Disney-Cruise-Line-Food-Menus-Tables-05.jpg)
Amazing TV Options
This is a random thing to praise, but the TV in DCL staterooms was great. Unlike normal hotels with local cable, DCL TV is like Disney+ on steroids.
Disney trips always put me in the mood to watch Disney movies. Thanks to the on-demand Disney movie library, my husband and I watched at least one Disney movie a night.
In the future, I see this being very helpful with small children. Soothing them for a nap or encouraging them to rest in the room should be easier with their favorite movie!
Compared to WDW accommodations, it felt like such a luxury. And after attending our first Pirates’ Night, we loved being able to watch Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003).
![](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Curse-of-the-Black-Pearl.png)
The Commitment of Pirates’ Night
Regarding Pirates’ Night, I understand the hype. As huge fans of the ride/movie franchise, we felt like Pirates’ Night was made for us.
The immersion caught us off guard – in a good way! As soon as we heard sea shanties being played over the loudspeakers, we were surrounded by guests in elaborate costumes.
![pirate night](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Pirate-Night.jpg)
![pirate night](https://mickeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Pirate-Night.jpg)
Credit: Disney
The stage show was adorable and the fireworks at sea (set to Hans Zimmer music of course) were everything we dreamed of. Even the dinner was buccaneer-themed. As huge Treasure Planet (2002) fans, we loved seeing film concept art on Animator’s Palate screens.
No stone was left unturned, no detail was lost. Everything, from the atmosphere to the cast members to the other guests, was completely dedicated to Pirate-related things.
So yes, in more ways than one, cruising with DCL was a joy. Even with the learning curve, the magic was alive and well. I’m sure more sailings are in our future.
Happy Cruising everyone!
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Feature Image: Disney