As an experienced cruiser and cruise writer, I was well-versed on what to expect when my family and I took our first-ever Disney cruise recently.
We also had the benefit of sailing with the Disney vacation experts at David’s Vacation Club Rentals for a special cruise celebrating their 20th anniversary, and their expertise helped ensure an extra-magical onboard experience.
Related: Why my kids liked Celebrity more than Carnival and Royal
I’m always focused on uncovering lesser-known cruise tips and tricks that can help guide the Come Cruise With Me community to the best cruise experiences possible, and I was lucky to learn a few Disney cruise secrets during my Disney Fantasy voyage.
Along with trusted travel agents, crew members on board your cruise ship are valuable resources, and listening to their advice is usually a surefire way to have a better cruise experience.
Some of the best tips we received during our Disney Fantasy cruise came from our super-attentive dining room servers, Steven and Goran. One of their recommendations helped my husband and I have a better onboard date night, and the other put us in the perfect spot for a key onboard event.
My eight-year-old daughter’s obsession with waterslides also led me to discover the secrets to avoiding long lines for these popular Disney cruise activities.
So if you want to level up your Disney cruise experience, keep these three tips in mind when you board the ship.
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Image source: Alisha dos Santos/ComeCruiseWith.com
1. You can take your dessert to go from the Disney cruise dining room
Dinner in the Disney Cruise Line main dining rooms can be a little long if you choose to enjoy multiple courses, and by the time the dessert course comes around, you’ll probably be stuffed.
When we almost passed on dessert one night because we were so full, one of our dining servers recommended that we take it to go. That turned to be a perfect suggestion. Later that night while our kids were at the kids’ clubs, my husband and I enjoyed our dessert on our stateroom balcony under the stars with a bottle of wine that we brought on board.
We took full advantage of the fact that Disney Cruise Line generously allows passengers of drinking age to bring two bottles of wine per person on board, but pairing our wine with dessert on our balcony after dinner wasn’t something we had considered.
Related: Disney Cruise Line passengers want more of one essential thing
2. There’s a better spot to watch fireworks on a Disney cruise ship
On pirate night, a fun themed night that happens during each Disney cruise and culminates with an impressive fireworks show at sea, our dining servers also tipped us off to the best spot for watching the dazzling display.
Disney cruise pirate night fireworks are best viewed from the deck above the pool deck (deck 12 on the Disney Fantasy) on the starboard side of the ship.Â
Many cruisers will gather on the pool deck for the pirate night show and deck party, but the deck above will put you in a good (and somewhat less crowded) viewing position for the show and an even better one for the fireworks.
3. Timing is everything with Disney cruise waterslides
From the moment my daughter laid eyes on the AquaDuck waterslide perched atop the Disney Fantasy, she couldn’t wait to ride it. We quickly learned, though, that what I’d heard from other cruisers was true — at peak times, the wait times for Disney cruise waterslides can be 45 minutes or longer.
After one long wait during a day at sea, we got strategic about our waterslide timing.
Related: Disney Cruise Line testing new system to eliminate pain point
Here are three tricks we discovered that helped us avoid a long waterslide wait time:
- Ride at night. Not only did we experience very little wait when we rode the AquaDuck after dark, we got the unique experience of riding under the glow of colorful lights. Keep in mind that waterslide hours vary, so check the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app before you head up to the pool deck.
- Come back to the ship early on port days to ride. During our sailing, the AquaDuck line was much shorter when we returned to the ship just a couple of hours early.
- Make the waterslides your first stop at Castaway Cay. If you want to ride the Pelican Plunge waterslides on Disney Cruise Line’s private island, Castaway Cay, head to the Pelican Point area of the island first thing in the morning to slide without a long wait.
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Make a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me’s Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at amypost@postcardtravelplanning.com or call or text her at 386-383-2472.
