Tips for Cruising with Kids on Disney Cruise Line

 Hi friends! I am SO excited to share this post with you today! 

When we went on our first Disney Cruise on our Honeymoon, I knew from the moment our bus pulled up to Port Canaveral Florida that we didn't stand a chance...we would be loyal Disney Cruisers for life.  I knew that I wanted to cruise with Disney as much as our budget would allow. Now that our family is growing, it's less often than I'd like...but it's the way it goes!

The entertainment on the cruise ship was amazing! They had parties on the top deck and the most spectacular shows in the theatre. They even made it snow INSIDE the ship. It was so cool!

 And the food...the glorious food. It was heaven in each bite. I still crave their Chocolate S'more Cake. I wish I could get my hands on the recipe!

What you'd like to see more food pictures?! Of course I can oblige!

After our first Disney Cruise, I found myself thinking more often than not about when the day would come that we could cruise again. That day came when shortly after our little man turned 1. We booked our cruise and went for it! People would comment on the ship that we were "brave" to cruise with a little one so small, and I'd find myself wondering what they were talking about. I realized halfway through what they meant and thanked my lucky stars that we had decided to cruise with Disney because they helped make it easier to cruise with a little one. They didn't do all the work for us, but boy did they help!

I knew that I wanted lots of picture with Characters on the ship! You can tell the difference in the times that we got the pictures. In the pictures with Mickey and Minnie we had just eaten dinner and he was awake and aware. In the Princess pictures he was so ready for a nap. But all of the characters were so kind to him and just loved on him and called him "Little Prince". It was so neat.

They also had plenty of activities catered to the littlest prince or princess. I'm proud to announce that PJ is the "fastest crawler on the 7 seas"!

The food was delicious as expected BUT in going above and beyond in making the "Disney Difference" they really try to make sure that the kids menu caters to even the pickiest little cruiser. If your kid hates their meal, they'll bring out a different one...no big deal. If your little one only likes fresh fruit (like PJ) and it's not on the menu, just ask, they'll hook you up.

Disney Cruise Line knows what their doing! It was so much fun for us to cruise with our little guy! Now don't be fooled that it was all sunshine and daisies. At the end of the cruise we were ALL tuckered out. BUT it wasn't as bad as those folks who commented on how brave we are were thinking it would be for us.

I'd like to share a few of our tips that helped ease the cruise for us and also a few things I wish I would have brought. In no particular order here they are:
1. Bring a stroller...it will save you in the airport and on the ship. They will not let you bring it into the restaurant but we picked up an inexpensive stroller that had a basket underneath it and it was a life saver! It was especially convenient for when we stopped at Castaway Cay...it's not ATV but it sure helped us not to worry about hauling everything.
2. Bring your own bib (I forgot ours and ended up just tying a cloth napkin around PJ's neck bandit style. It worked but not as well as I would like.
3. Bring your own sippy cup (and water bottles for the adults). They have all you can drink soda fountains on the top deck AND in addition to the soda they have free water up there. And, unless your little one is a master straw user...you'll need the sippy.
4. If your baby has a special blankie or lovey, bring it. They like having something familiar, especially at nap time.
5. Don't skip naptime...trust me. Meltdowns will ensue!
6. KEEP YOUR CAMERA READY! I can not emphasize this enough. The characters are all over the place. We ended up in an elevator with Donald and Daisy and just us. They are PJ's absolutely favorite characters and I couldn't get my camera out in time so I missed getting the picture of them doting on my little man and him soaking it in. I'm still annoyed about it to this day.
7. If your baby is loud and you don't want to miss a show, you can catch the show on your room TV. It's not the same as seeing it in the theatre, but it's better than missing out completely.
8. Take advantage of the room service. It's delicious and order the "All Hands On Deck". Trust me.
9. Don't forget that tips are NOT included in the cruise fare. You'll need to tip your room person and servers etc, but you do it at the end of the cruise.
and last but not least...
10. Just have fun. If you forget something important like diapers, don't sweat it they have them on the ship. They won't be cheap, but it won't ruin your cruise either.

If you have ANY questions about Disney Cruises you'd like addressed, I'd be happy to answer them! Just leave your question in the comments!