In many ways, sailing with Disney Cruise Line is unlike any other line.
Despite being part of one of the most well-known companies in the world, Disney only operates a fleet of five ships—soon to be six with the debut of Disney Treasure. Though one of the smallest mainstream lines in operation, it is known for its family-friendly activities and immersive Disney experiences.
If you're used to sailing with lines like Royal Caribbean or Carnival, you'll quickly discover how different the overall experience is. For example, they don't have any liquor-based drink packages, so you must pay for each cocktail individually. Plus, there are no flexible dining times, so you'll eat in one of the main dining rooms at the same time each evening.
Here's a list of 8 things Disney Cruise Line does backward compared to other popular cruise lines.
In-person muster drill
Pre-covid, all cruise lines required passengers to report to their assigned assembly station at the same time before sailing away. However, when the cruise industry resumed operations following the global pandemic, many decided to streamline the muster drill, making it mostly virtual.
Instead of heading to your assembly station to listen to the safety briefing, cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean and Celebrity let passengers watch a video on their mobile phone or stateroom television at their leisure. Then, they can check in at their assembly station on their own time, whether as soon as they embark or after lunch.
Disney, however, requires all guests to complete an in-person muster drill. For example, on my recent 3-night cruise aboard Disney Magic, all passengers were told to report to their assembly stations at 3:30pm for the drill. Once there, everyone's Key to the World cards were scanned, and officers stood at the entrance to the restaurant to ensure nobody left.
We had to watch a short safety video on the screens when everyone was accounted for. Thankfully, my station was inside Animator's Palate, so I didn't have to stand in the Florida heat! However, I can imagine how rough that drill was for families with young children who had to stand for the drill, rather than sitting at a dining room table.
Read more: Simple tips to safely take a cruise ship vacation
Strict boarding groups
When you check in for your Disney cruise, you'll be assigned a boarding group. The later you check-in, the higher your group number will be, which means you'll board later in the day instead of being among the first passengers to step foot on the ship!
Even if you arrive at the terminal ahead of your assigned time, you can't board the vessel until your group is called. When my fiancée and I were dropped off at Port Everglades for our Disney Magic sailing, we were about 15 minutes ahead of our 12:00pm to 12:15pm arrival time.
We had no issues being let in the terminal and going through security, and by the time we finished the physical check-in process, boarding group 9 was called! Had they only called up to group 7, we would have had to sit and wait until it was our turn.
Read more: Cruise boarding times: how early to arrive at the terminal
Plenty of cast members checked everyone's groups as they proceeded to the boarding lane. Once cleaned, we walked through the iconic Mickey-shaped funnel and ascended the escalator. Overall, everything was efficient and organized, and the entire process took no longer than twenty minutes.
However, if you have a later boarding group, you may want to see if your hotel can confirm a late check-out! It's better to sleep in than sit impatiently in the terminal watching others head to the ship.
Read more: Cruise ship embarkation tips and tricks
Port arrival form
Like Carnival and MSC, Disney requires guests to print out their arrival form ahead of their cruise. These documents were checked continuously throughout the boarding process.
However, many other mainstream lines have strayed away from paper copies. Instead, if you're cruising with Celebrity or Royal Caribbean, for example, all you have to do is download your Set Sail pass to your mobile phone.
That said, Disney also had the option to download the pass to my iPhone once we checked in; however, most passengers had a physical copy, and crew members primarily focused on checking the printed arrival forms.
No drink packages
That's right! If you want to enjoy unlimited cocktails for a fixed daily price, Disney isn't the right cruise line for you. However, Disney does have a more relaxed alcohol policy during embarkation, allowing each guest 21+ to bring two bottles of wine onboard.
For our 3-night cruise, my fiancée and I bought four bottles of wine, which cost around $25 at the grocery store. It was plenty for our sailing and helped keep our onboard spending to a minimum, or at least let us allocate more money toward merchandise!
Even when we did splurge on the occasional drink, I wasn't appalled by the prices. Here's a list of some of the pricing, so you know what to expect:
- Samuel Adams ($7.25)
- Glass of Pinot Grigio ($7.75)
- Heineken ($8.00)
- Angry Orchard ($8.00)
- Glass of Asti Spumante Martini & Rossi ($8.25)
- Glass of Redtree Pinot Noir ($8.25)
- Glass of Prosecco ($8.25)
- Celtic Twilight ($10.50)
- The Smolder ($11.50)
- Mantis ($12.50)
- Floating Lantern ($13.50)
- Gin Tea Tonic ($13.50)
- Blue Tang ($13.50)
The specialty cocktails were more expensive. For example, the Blarney Stone Tasting ("Cloch na Blarnan") from O'Gills Pub was $23.00, while the Smoked Old Fashioned from the Soul Cat Lounge was $20.00.
Read more: Cruise Line Alcohol Drink Packages Guide
The buffet is closed for dinner
Cabanas, the buffet onboard Disney Magic, was only open for breakfast and lunch. This is a noticeable drawback for families looking for a quick dinner. That said, families don't have to go to the main dining rooms each evening.
While the buffet was closed, the Duck-In Diner on Deck 9 stayed open until 10:00pm. Additionally, Pinocchio's Pizzeria dished up fresh pies until 6:00pm for those who wanted an early option. It reopened at 9:30pm for late-night snacks.
Disney Cruise Line fares also include room service, so you don't have to worry about pesky service charges. Everything from Buffalo Chicken Wings to Crispy Breaded Chicken Tenders, Penne Bolognaise, and New York Cheesecake can be ordered directly to your stateroom, making it an ideal option for families looking for a quiet dining experience to fuel up for the evening's activities.
In short, while the buffet isn't open for fast-casual dinners, there are other options for those who may not want to sit in the main dining rooms each evening, especially if on a longer sailing.
Only have traditional dining
While on the topic of dining, it's important to talk about Disney's main dining experience. Unlike many other mainstream cruise lines, such as Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian, Disney operates with a rotational dining system, where guests dine in one of the three themed dining rooms on different nights.
To ensure all passengers can experience the dining rooms and menus, Disney assigns each family a set dining time and table number, which will remain the same throughout the cruise. Each night, guests report to their assigned dining room with the same waitstaff and table mates.
The advantage of this system is that guests can enjoy a variety of themed experiences, ranging from elegant dining rooms to interactive meals featuring beloved Disney characters, without having to worry about reservations.
Read more: Traditional vs. flexible cruise ship dining
That said, families might not want to eat at the same time every night. To some, 5:30pm may be too early, while 8:00pm could be too late.
Traditional dining also applies to breakfast on embarkation morning. All passengers are assigned a dining room and time. Otherwise, they have to eat at the buffet.
While on Disney Magic, we were given the option to eat at Lumiere's; however, we didn't want to be up and ready at 7:15am. Instead, we decided to sleep a little longer and grab a quick bite at Cabanas before it closed at 8:30am.
No Starlink Wi-Fi
Having sailed on lines like Royal Caribbean, Princess, MSC, and Celebrity, if one has had the most inconsistent Wi-Fi, it's been Disney. Many lines have brought Starlink on their ships, but Disney has been slower to adopt this technology.
While on Disney Magic, the internet would constantly cut out, and oftentimes, it was too slow to be useable for anything other than sending an iMessage or checking my email. Uploading photos and videos to social media or browsing websites was nearly impossible sometimes, which was a bummer after paying over $100 for a 3-night package. It also wasn’t unusual for the Wi-Fi to drop completely in the middle of the day.
Moreover, you also can't purchase Wi-Fi packages in advance, meaning you cannot prepay them ahead of your sailing. Though minor, this can help families budget more appropriately for their sailing.
That said, I appreciated how Disney's base fare included iMessage and WhatsApp. It was for my fiancée, who didn't purchase a package, to keep in touch with friends and family back home for no extra cost.
Gratuity envelopes
On the second to last night of your Disney cruise, your cabin steward will leave gratuity envelopes in your stateroom for the head server, stateroom attendant, assistant server, and server.
All passengers—regardless of whether they prepaid their gratuities or had them added to their account while onboard—will be provided vouchers to place inside the envelopes; however, if you feel the service warrants an additional tip, you can add a few extra dollars!
Currently, Disney charges $14.50/night per guest in standard cabins and $23/night for those in Concierge staterooms and suites. However, you can adjust the amount at Guest Services once onboard.
If you don't deliver the envelopes personally, Disney will ensure that the gratuities are automatically disturbing to your service team.
Read more: 15 Tipping Mistakes NOT to Make on a Cruise
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer.
