For Central Floridians, one of the easiest vacations to take with small children is a Disney Cruise! No airplanes to board, no luggage restrictions (we had seven checked bags on our recent cruise!) — it’s just a quick jaunt east on the 528, and your vacation awaits!!
We had taken a Disney Cruise once before with our daughter who was 2-years-old at the time. This time around though we took our 7 month old son and our now 3.5 year old daughter on a 7-Night cruise. The hardest thing was packing and thinking of all the logistics for them for the cruise from supplies, baby snacks, safety items, and clothing. Disney Cruise Line does an amazing job accommodating families with small children (pack n’ plays and Diaper Genies in the room, bed rails, bottle warmers to borrow etc.), but I needed to bring some things just for us to function easier.
So from one mom to another, here are my 9 random things to pack to make your Disney Cruise experience easier:
1. Laundry Tote with Handle
This was a lifesaver! Our first cruise, we had stuff everywhere! I use this to keep us organized! I scored one for $3 at Target during their Back to College sale. PLUS, if I felt like doing laundry on the ship, it’s easy to carry to the launderette.
BONUS TIP: Pack some dryer sheets in a plastic baggie. They can also be used to freshen up your luggage that may be filled with dirty clothes on the return trip home.
2. Foldable Step Stool
A step stool was a must so our daughter didn’t have to wake us up in the middle of the night for assistance. We left it in the bathroom (Disney Cruise Line has a split bathroom plan; tub and sink on one side/ toilet and sink on the other) and she was able to use it to use the restroom as well as reach the sink, thanks to the boost!
3. Blank Gift Card
To save energy, the staterooms aboard the Fantasy, Dream and Wish require you to insert a card into the light switch which completes the circuit, thus turning on the electricity in your room. Rather than using our Key to The World Card (basically your form of payment/ID as you cruise) and risk turning the lights out on someone when you left the room, we use an empty Disney or Starbucks gift card.
BONUS TIP: Add a piece of magnet on the back and stick it to the wall so you don’t lose the card when it’s not in use.
4. Cardboard Drink Carrier
We saved one from our favorite fast food place and used it to carry drinks from the pool deck back to our room. At pool deck drink station, you can always get a free beverage and to carry a few drinks back to your room can sometimes be cumbersome.
BONUS TIP: Disney Cruise Line has removed straws from its ships to help the environment, so bring along some reusable ones!
5. Clothespins
Clothespins will help you effectively use the clotheslines in the shower. Without them, you lose a lot of hanging space when you have to drape items over the line. They can also be used to keep the room divider curtain or window curtains secure.
6. Hanging Pocket Organizer & Packing Cubes
This was probably my favorite item that helped me keep the room clean. I bought a hanging organizer and used it to better organize our bathroom. Hair brushes, bows, batteries, random toys and more fit in there and it kept our countertop relatively clean.
If you are looking for the ability to get the most real estate out of your suitcases, invest in a few packing cubes. Available on Amazon often in sets, these cubes allow you to organize by certain items or by family member and make packing incredibly organized.
BONUS TIP: We always unpack our suitcases on cruises and use the drawers and shelves for storage, allowing us to put the suitcases out of the way. As the vacation progresses, I’ll use the packing cubes to start packing dirty clothes into the suitcases leaving less of a mess for the night before debarkation.
7. Zip-Up Plastic File Folders
I use these for two main purposes:
Important Documentation – I use one file folder to place all documents needed for check-in as well as gift cards and itineraries. This one envelope makes for easy accessibility when going through security and the check-in process. It also gives me great peace of mind to know I only have to look for this one folder to know that I have all my paperwork intact.
Door Magnet Décor – Since we are currently Gold Castaway Club members and Annual Passholders, we have accumulated a lot of display magnets. Disney allows you to decorate spaces in your cabin including the door using magnets as the walls are magnetic! We display our favorite characters, past cruises and special celebrations. My almost 14-year-old daughter still loves to make our display on every cruise! I pack everything in one of these file folders!
8. Wet bags
When transporting wet bathing suits and clothes from port days back to the ship, I love using wet bags to avoid getting everything wet. This is especially convenient when your port day might include wet and dry activities like shopping or lunch before returning to the ship. I have found most of my wet bags in the Target Circle bin area.
9. Lanyards
As stated before, your prime identification, room key and method of purchase on the ship is the Key to the World Card (KTTW). I find it very convenient to keep my KTTW card in a lanyard around my neck as I don’t often carry a purse or bag around the ship. Although available for purchase once you leave port, I recommend bringing a lanyard from home to save on the expense and to also utilize it before you leave port. As you take more cruises, Disney gives complimentary lanyards on each cruise to anyone who has sailed before.
What are some of your unexpected items to bring on a Disney Cruise?
First Published 10/17/2016 by Jaclyn Rhoads, Updated 2/15/2024
Gift card for the light switch! Magnet it! Thank you so much. Agree with clothespins and pens to write with.
We took twin 4 year old boys last year, after many kid-less cruises and Disney is such a great cruiseline. They think of everything! We stood at the gangway of our Norwegion ship in Belize and watched the neighboring Disney ship handing out (for free!) rain ponchos in Belize when all our shipmates were soaked thru 60 seconds after they hit the dock.
Gift card for the light switch! And Magnet it! Thank you so much.
Agree with clothespins and pens to write with.
We took twin 4 year old boys last year, after many kid-less cruises and Disney was such a great cruiseline. They think of everything! We stood at the gangway of our Norwegion ship in Belize and watched the neighboring Disney ship handing out (for free!) rain ponchos when all our shipmates were soaked thru 60 seconds after they hit the dock.
FYI- They don’t leave printed Navigators in your room anymore. They are pushing everyone to use the app. They do still print some, but you have to go to Guest Services and request it.