Disney Cruise Tips for First Timers

My family and I just got back from an amazing cruise on the Disney Dream and I have some first timer tips to share with you. Use these at your own discretion 🙂

Transportation:

• We flew into Orlando the night before our cruise so we didn’t risk flight delays impacting our trip. We didn’t want to pay the $70 per person charge that Disney charges for round trip transfers, that can add up quick!

• We priced out various services and found that renting a car was our cheapest option. We were able to get the car from the airport and have it that entire day before our cruise and we returned it at the Enterprise station the morning of our cruise and they shuttled us directly to the port. After the cruise was over they were there to shuttle us back to Enterprise and we took the car back to the airport. This was about half of the cost and we loved having the car the night before so we could go shopping and get some carry on items for the cruise.

Get there early:

• The morning of our cruise we woke up and couldn’t wait to get onto that amazing Disney Dream ship! We had previously registered online and had a check in time given to us of 1:30 but I had been told we could get on earlier, so that was the plan! We wanted to get an early boarding time so we went up to the 3rd floor of the parking garage by 10:15 a.m. and found the VERY small line of people there waiting to go into the terminal. They opened the doors and let us in by 10:30 a.m. We were in boarding number 3 which got us onto the ship and eating lunch by 12:15.

Packing:

• We had packed swimsuits for the kids into our carry on so after an incredible lunch at Cabanas we headed into the restrooms and got into our swimsuits and were able to ride the Aqua duck multiple times without a line.
• Did you know that Disney will allow you to carry alcohol on board with you? We went to Publix before boarding our cruise and I purchased 2 bottles of wine and my husband purchased a bottle of rum. We placed these (wrapped in our swimsuits) into our carry on and rolled them right onto the ship with us. I also was able to get a wine glass from room service and I would pour a glass of wine and take it into the dining room with me or up onto the deck to sit in a lounge chair while watching the ocean go by, now that was awesome! This was a great money saver for us!

Look for future articles from me with even more money and time saving tips to make the most of your Disney Cruise Line vacation!

“Want to same some money on your upcoming Disney vacation? Contact Lesley ( Lesley@pixievacations.com) from Pixie Vacations, she offers Disney gift cards and generous on board credits !” Check out my website at Destination Magic or Like me on Facebook.

Related articles

• Disney Cruise Tips – Dinner Attire on Disney Cruise Line (chipandco.com)
• Taking a Disney Family Cruise? (pixievacations.com)

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