Best Disney Cruise Activities for Kids
Looking for something fun and magical to do with your kids? A Disney Cruise is the perfect vacation for families! You’ll never be bored with all of the amazing activities onboard the ship, including pirate parties and character meet-and-greets.
In this post, I will list the best Disney Cruise activities for kids, including those geared toward babies, toddlers, and big kids. You can also find tips for booking and enjoying the Disney cruise ship activities onboard!
Pools
One of the most fun places to spend time on any Disney cruise ship is the pool deck. There are so many fun activities for kids (and adults) on the pool decks, including water slides, splash pads, and character themed pools.
If your child is 3 years old or older AND potty trained, she can play in the main cruise ship pools. Disney Cruise Line offers small, shallow pools that are the perfect size for smaller kids who are older than 3 and don’t require swim diapers. My four-year-old was even able to stand in the Mickey Pool on the Disney Fantasy cruise ship.
*Insider Tip- If your child can’t quite reach the bottom or if he wants to swim in the deeper pools, Disney Cruise Line provides swim vests right on the pool deck. These are free of charge and readily available for anyone who wants to use them!
Additionally, Disney Cruise Line is one of the only cruise lines that offers baby pool areas for younger children, including those in swim diapers. If you are traveling with toddlers or babies, rest assured that your child will have lots of fun on the pool deck no matter on which Disney cruise ship your family decides to sail.
Disney Cruise Kids Club
Disney Cruise Line offers kids clubs for all ages, including toddlers and babies. The Oceaneer Club and the Oceaneer Lab are located on each of the Disney cruise ships. Childcare at these kids’ clubs is included in the price of your cruise. However, your child must be at least 3 years old AND potty trained to participate in the child care programs.
If your child does not meet the requirements, you can visit these super fun youth areas during Open House hours with your child. If you are cruising with a baby or a toddler under the age of three, you still have a child care option. It’s a Small World Nursery is a childcare area for babies and toddlers, and it is located on each of the Disney Cruise Line ships. This child care option is NOT included in the price of your cruise, and you will be charged an hourly fee to use the nursery.
Characters
Your kids will undoubtedly enjoy meeting the Disney characters on the cruise ship. Mickey and friends frequently provide meet and greets in all different areas of the ship. Those cruising with a baby or toddler will be happy to know that these lines are nowhere near as long as they are at Disney World.
In addition to Mickey and friends, guests on Disney Cruise Line ships may find their favorite princesses as well as characters from Marvel, Star Wars, and more.
Scheduled Activities
If you check the Disney Cruise Line Navigator App each day, you’ll find all sorts of fun activities available for kids. Some of the common entertainment options include game shows, crafts, cooking lessons, and organized sports. If you are sailing with a toddler or baby, you’ll find plenty to do too!
Toddler Time is a special activity that typically takes place once per day on your cruise. If you attend a Toddler Time event, you will find age appropriate toys and climbing features perfect for little ones. This event is free to attend. Just look at the daily schedule of activities on the cruise, and you should see it listed.
Also, Jack Jack’s Diaper Dash is a super adorable and hilarious event that takes place usually once per cruise. The baby race occurs in the atrium and is for those babies who are crawling but not walking.
Broadway Style Shows
One of our family’s favorite activities on Disney ships is the nightly entertainment. Each ship features three main Broadway style shows that are full of excellent performances. We like to grab snacks and popcorn before heading into the theater to enjoy shows like Aladdin, Frozen, and Tangled.
Plus, toddlers have even been known to sit through the shows, which last about an hour. While the DCL Broadway style shows are scheduled for later in the evening, my three-year-old was able to stay up and enjoy the live entertainment. A great tip for those sailing with toddlers is to put your little ones in pajamas before the show in case they fall asleep during the performance!
Dining Entertainment
The dining rooms on the Disney cruise ships are super kid friendly. You’ll find kids menus with activities and coloring pictures available. Plus, many of the main dining rooms even feature live performances and shows while you dine.
You can request a highchair or a booster seat right on your online account before you set sail. Your servers are really helpful with choosing foods for your kids and can even make special changes to the meal if needed. Also, the chef in the kitchen will puree food for you so that you don’t have to worry about packing baby food if you are sailing with a baby.
More Reasons We Love DCL
Disney Cruise Line allows guests to make special requests for their staterooms, including some great options for toddlers and babies. Some of the items you can request include:
- crib (pack-n-play)
- diaper genie
- bed rail
We usually request a bed rail for the sofa or bed in our stateroom rather than asking for a crib. Your stateroom host will set up the bed rail each evening while you are at dinner and then will turn the bed back into a couch each morning.
Another nice feature for those traveling with kids is the huge curtain in your room that separates the sleeping area from the living space. This is especially useful during nap times because you can lay your toddler down and close the curtain to keep light and noise out. This way you can talk, watch TV, and get ready for dinner without disturbing your baby’s nap.
Additionally, I like to borrow a stroller from Guest Services during our cruises. The hallways on the cruise ships are fairly narrow, so you probably don’t want to bring a really wide stroller with you. A narrow umbrella stroller would work, but we like to have a stroller that reclines for our toddler to nap on the go. The City Mini Baby Jogger that Disney Cruise Line has at Guest Services is perfect! It reclines and provides storage space in the basket under the seat.
It’s also super compact and light. My favorite feature is that I can collapse it with just one hand and easily carry it around with me. If you choose to borrow the stroller once on the ship, Guest Services will put a charge on your cruise account for around $250. Once you return the stroller to them, they will remove this charge. So, it ends up being free to borrow!
Are kids free on Disney Cruise Line?
One of the most common questions for any family interested in booking a Disney Cruise Line vacation is this one. Are kids free on Disney Cruise Line? Unfortunately, babies, toddlers, and kids are NOT free on Disney Cruise Line no matter their age. Instead, you will pay a cruise fare for your child based on the occupancy of your room.
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The first two guests on your stateroom reservation will be charged the full amount. The third and fourth guests on your same room reservation will have a lower rate. So, if you are sailing with only yourself and your infant, you will pay full price for each of you since you are the first two guests on the stateroom reservation.
Since my family and I travel as a party of four, my husband and I pay the full cruise fare as the first two names on our reservation. We then pay the lower rate for our two daughters who are the third and fourth guests on our reservation.
Disney Cruise with a Baby
You may feel hesitant to book a Disney Cruise Line vacation with a baby, and that’s completely understandable. Cruising with a baby comes with a whole new set of questions and concerns that other cruisers may not even consider. Luckily, Disney Cruise Line (along with all other major cruise lines) has an infant policy put in place regarding cruising with a baby.
Some of the most common questions you will see about taking a baby on a Disney cruise are as follows: How old does a baby have to be to cruise? Those debating cruising with an infant will want to ensure their child meets the age requirements. Per Disney Cruise Line policy, you are able to bring your baby on a cruise as long as he or she is at least 6 months of age by the day you set sail.
It’s important to note that this is the infant policy for MOST Disney Cruise Line sailings. If you are sailing on a Transatlantic or Panama Canal cruise itinerary, your baby must be at least 1 year old to sail.
Final Thoughts on Disney Cruise Ship Activities for Kids
The Disney Cruise Line crew members do an amazing job of helping your vacation run smoothly. Your nightly dinner servers will entertain your kids with things like making balloon animals and performing magic tricks. The room hosts do an amazing job of keeping your stateroom clean as well. Your stateroom and bathrooms are cleaned and organized each morning while you are out enjoying the ship or a port of call.
Then, while you are at dinner, your stateroom host will return to clean and organize your stateroom with a turndown service. Traveling with kids is never an easy task, but Disney Cruise Line makes it as relaxing as it can be. They tend to take care of everything for your kids, which means the adults can enjoy the trip too!
